The Whispering Tomb (5e Quest)

Work In Progress

Adventure Level: 5th Level.

Party Size: 4 Players.

Adventure Type: Site Based Adventure.

Adventure Summary

• The adventurers arrive at the small village of Dunwell, and hear stories about the whispers that can be heard in a ancient tomb nearby.

• Depending on the chosen adventure hook, they go towards the tomb with different motivations. But the goal in each is similar: uncover the tomb mysteries and be rewarded for it.

• They explore the tomb facing its dangers, and discover that the place is not a tomb, but an abandoned temple built in honor of Lurith, a celestial being sealed inside a reliq hidden on the temple.

• The adventurers reclaim the Talisman were the essence of Lurith is imprisoned, and can choose what to do with it. They will face off against the fallen priestess of Lurith, Elyna, should they refuse to give her the talisman.

Adventure Background

Lurith was once a celestial appointed to watch over the threshold between the mortal world and the divine beyond. She was known as the Golden Guardian, a radiant being of celestial wisdom and unmatched power, whose gaze could reveal truths hidden even from the gods. Her golden eye was said to see across time and fate, discerning the sins and virtues of mortals alike.

Long ago, a devoted order of mystics, known as the Keepers of Lurith, built a temple in her honor—a sanctuary where the faithful could seek absolution and gaze upon her holy vision. Those who entered the temple underwent a sacred trial, standing before Lurith’s judgment. The righteous were blessed, their souls guided toward divine enlightenment, while the wicked were cast into oblivion, their essence erased from existence.

However, fate twisted Lurith’s purpose. During an era of great strife, a powerful priestess named Elyna Voss sought to use Lurith’s divine sight to foresee the downfall of her people and prevent an impending catastrophe. She led a pilgrimage to the temple, seeking Lurith’s guidance. But when she gazed into the celestial eye, she did not see salvation—only inevitable ruin.

Refusing to accept fate, Elyna and her followers turned to forbidden rites, weaving magic meant to bind Lurith to the temple and force her to alter destiny. This act was an abomination in the eyes of the divine. Lurith resisted, but the ritual tore her essence from the celestial plane, sealing her within the Talisman of the Golden Eye.

With her imprisonment, Lurith’s radiant form withered and darkened, her once-golden eye turning into a twilight void. No longer a being of pure celestial grace, she became a paradox—a fallen guardian who radiated both light and darkness, unable to free herself from the mortal plane.

Without Lurith’s presence to guide the temple, the heavens abandoned the sanctuary, and the pilgrims who had sought her wisdom were trapped in a perpetual cycle of penance, unable to find absolution or death.

Overview

In the remote village of Dunewell, people whisper of strange voices echoing from the ruins of an ancient tomb. The villagers claim the crypt holds the spirit of a forgotten hero, but as of late, travelers who wander too close disappear without a trace. One desperate woman, Mara Elswen, begs the party to investigate—her brother, a local scholar, is among the missing.

The investigation leads to the Tomb of Lurith, a long-forgotten sanctum built to imprison an ancient celestial guardian who fell from grace. The entity's essence is bound within a talisman hidden deep within the crypt. However, Elyna Voss, a former priestess of Lurith obsessed with controlling the powers of the angel, seeks to maintain the celestial in her bound state, deluded that she can somehow use her powers to control fate and change the past.

The party must navigate a haunted dungeon, uncover the tomb’s secrets, and make a harrowing choice—what to do with the imprisoned celestial.

Hook

• Locals warn of ghostly whispers near the tomb. Some believe it's the voice of a saint; others, a vengeful spirit.

• An adventurer, Kalis Vorlen, recently visited Dunewell, claiming the tomb contains "a great treasure." He hasn't been seen in days.

• Edric Elswen, a historian and scholar, vanished after vowing to uncover the tomb’s mysteries. His journal was found near the tomb’s entrance, pages torn out. His sister, Mara, is willing to pay good money for anyone who can find him.

The Village of Dunewell

Dunewell is a small but resilient settlement built atop an ancient aquifer, the last source of fresh water before the land fades into rolling dunes and rocky wastes. Once a bustling waypoint for traders and pilgrims, the village has withered over the decades, its population dwindling as the tomb’s whispers have grown stronger.

Village Overview. Population: ~250-300 people;

Size: A small, tight-knit village with a central square, a few key buildings, and scattered farmsteads; Economy: Subsistence farming, minor trade, and relic hunting; Defense: A local militia of around 10-15 villagers, armed with hunting bows and spears; Culture: Deeply superstitious, with a mix of reverence and fear toward the ancient cemetery.

Act 1. Investigation in Dunewell

The party arrives in Dunewell and is immediately struck by the eerie atmosphere. Locals whisper about the cursed cemetery, and several are on edge due to the recent disappearances. The party can investigate the town for additional clues and potentially gain allies.

Notable Locations

1. The Hollow Well

The village’s namesake, an ancient stone well at its center, was once its main water source. However, in recent years, villagers report hearing whispers rising from its depths, and the water has taken on a faint shimmer under moonlight. Many now rely on the nearby stream instead.

2. The Flickering Lantern (Tavern & Inn)

A two-story wooden building that serves as the village’s gathering place. It is run by Yoren Fallow, a former adventurer who lost a hand to a “curse” within the tomb. The tavern is dimly lit at all hours, as Yoren refuses to let the lights go out completely.

3. The Shrine of the Nameless Saint

A crumbling stone shrine, dedicated to an unnamed celestial figure, believed to have once protected the land. Priests abandoned it generations ago, but a lone caretaker, Sister Halwen, maintains it, offering prayers to ward off the tomb’s influence.

4. Mara’s Homestead

A modest farmstead on the outskirts of town where Mara Elswen lives. Once full of life, it has grown neglected since her brother Edric disappeared. Her fields remain untouched, and at night, she swears she hears him calling from the tomb.

5. The Village Square & Trading Post

A small open-air market where villagers sell crops, tools, and trinkets. Garrik Thorne, the only merchant who regularly leaves Dunewell, occasionally brings goods from the nearest town. He has started selling “protective charms” against the whispers—whether they work is another matter.

6. The Mayor’s Hall

A modest stone structure where Mayor Renlow resides. He is a pragmatic leader but refuses to speak of the tomb directly, believing that acknowledging its existence only invites misfortune. He has imposed a “ban” on approaching it, though few actually enforce it.

Village Hooks & Superstitions

The Curse of the Whispering Well: Those who listen too long at the Hollow Well risk hearing voices that call them toward the tomb.

Never Say Its Name: Many villagers believe speaking of the tomb directly invites its curse, referring to it only as “the place beyond.”

The Flickering Lights: Some claim to see golden lights flickering in the tomb’s direction at night, like eyes watching the village.

Lost Time: A few villagers report waking up outside the tomb with no memory of how they got there.

Step or Location

<- This is one scene in an adventure. In dungeon crawls, each room is a scene. ->

Features

<- List everything which has actual mechanical importance, like traps, lighting, climb DCs for walls, hidden stuff, etc. ->

Inhabitants

<- If the step is also a location, list the things that live there ->

Inhabitant

<- Describe them. If they're supposed to fight, give them a stat block, link to a creature entry, or give a page reference to the MM. ->

Developments

<- List how the scene can change over time due to character actions. ->

Treasure

<- List any treasure the players might acquire, and how they would acquire it. -> ]

Act 2. The Whispering Tomb

The Whispering Tomb is a ruined temple buried beneath the sands, its entrance partially collapsed over centuries. The visible structure is a weathered stone archway, half-buried at the base of an ancient rock formation outside Dunewell.

Exterior Features

• A Grand Staircase: A wide, sand-covered stairway descends into darkness, flanked by crumbling statues of celestial warriors. Their faces are eroded beyond recognition, their weapons shattered.

• The Whispers Begin: Before even stepping inside, the whispers start—soft, indistinct murmurs that shift in tone depending on the listener's thoughts. Those who linger too long feel an unnatural pull to enter.

Dungeon Room Summary

This dungeon is made out of 9 rooms, that are the following:

• Entrance Hall: This is the starting area, were a puzzle open the passage to the rest of the dungeon.
• Corridor of Reflected Light: where the characters must face a procession of undead pilgrims.
• Forgotten Archive: Library for lore dump.
• Hall of Echoes: Hazardous shortcut to the dungeon main hub.
• Chamber of Lilith's Test: End room of this dungeon's first half.
• Sanctuary of Reflection: Dungeon's second half, and central hub for the rest of the tomb.
• Reliquary of the Fallen: Secret shortcut to the dungeon boss.
• Vault of the Sentinels: Guardians of the tomb.
• Chamber of the Fallen Star: Battle against the priestess Elyna.

Entrance Hall

This long and weathered corridor is sealed by celestial runes gives entrance to the antechamber of the tomb. (Puzzle Room).

There's a passage that leads to northeast and another to northwest. The northwest passage (left) leads to the Hall of Echoes, while the northeast (right) leads to the Procession of the Lost.

The Hall of Echoes

This room is an amphitheatre, circular and descending, meant to spread the sound. This was used as a place of religious chants and ministry of Lurith's faith, but it has become a trap due to its echoey design. There's a passage in the north side of this room, but it is covered by crumbled masonry and debris.

Echoes

Loud sounds are dangerous in this room. Any sound louder than conversation volume can trigger a collapse in the walls and ceiling. The first time a loud sound is triggered, characters must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, suffering 10d10 bludgeoning damage and being knocked prone. A creature who fails the save is also covered in debris, and is unable to breathe until the debris is removed.

After the collapse, the room becomes difficult terrain and the north passage cannot be used anymore.

North Passage

This passage leads directly to the Inner Sanctum. Clearing this passage requires 1 hour if done carefully or 1 minute if done hastily. Clearing this passage hastily requires a Strength (Athletics) check with a DC 13. Each failed check has a 10% chance of triggering the collapse. This chance is cumulative (two failed checks increase the chance to 20% and so on).

After cleared, a Wisdom (Perception) check DC 15 reveals that this passage was once sealed. Wisdom (Survival) check with a DC of 13 reveals humanoid foot tracks on the dust in the ground.

Corridor of Reflected Light

Procession of the Lost

Upon entering the corridor, they see humanoid figures, wearing tattered ceremonial robes, and with faces hidden beneath deep hoods. Their hands are clasped in prayer, with wrists bound by golden chains. They wall back and forth inside the corridor, seemingly unaware of the living.

Navigating the corridor without touching the Undead Pilgrims is a hard task... (Skill check). Disturbing these pilgrims trigger a combat encounter with the Undead Pilgrims.

Undead Pilgrims

Pilgrims stats...

The Forgotten Archive

This abandoned library is filled with crumbled tomes and scrolls containing documents related to the history and the activities of this temple. The east section of this room is partially collapsed, with crumbled masonry and collapsed bookshelves.

In the middle of the room, a small pedestal of white stone contains a open tome of holy scripture.

Murals

A series of faded frescoes depict the story of Lurith. Studying the frescoes (Investigation or History DC 12) reveal the following:

• Lurith was once a celestial guardian, sent to this world to watch over a sacred relic of the gods. She was given a choice: return to the celestial plane or remain as a guide to mortals. Choosing to abandon divinity, she also lost her ability to grant divine guidance to the mortals. A heavenly entity seemingly for pity or mercy, gave her the Golden Eye, a conduit for the divine power lost.

The Holy Scripture

This dusty open book sits on a pedestal of white stone, with its golden-edged pages untouched by time. The book contains

• The Celestial Hymn (a song that can calm the weeping disciples in the Reliquary).
• The Prayer of Passage, a ritual phrase that allows safe entry into Lurith's Inner Sanctum.
• A single missing page that has been deliberately torn out, though its contents are unknown.

Collapsed Bookshelves

If the players choose to dig through the wreckage (Investigation DC 14) can recover:

• A spell scroll containing the Greater Restoration spell.
• A book called The Last Testament of Brother Alden, detailing the slow decline of faith among lurith's followers, which can be sold by 200 gp.
  • Reading the book, there's a passage that hint towards the existence of a secret passage in this room.

Secret Passage

The players can discover the presence of a secret passage leading towards the inner sanctum in the following ways:

• A DC 16 investigation check targeting the room itself reveals old gaps between the stones, hinting at a hidden mechanism.
• Casting Detect Magic reveals a illusion spell covering a section of the wall, forming the shape of a door.
• The Golden Eye Sigil (if recovered earlier) glows faintly when brought up in this room revealing the release mechanism.

Antechamber

Beyond the Procession of the Lost, a narrow stone passage opens into a circular chamber, its walls etched with golden celestial inscriptions that softly glow in the dim light. The ceiling is domed, depicting Lurith in her divine form—wings outstretched, a radiant halo above her head. However, cracks in the stone obscure part of the mural, as if time itself seeks to erase her memory.

At the center of the chamber lies an ornate stone pedestal, atop which floats a small golden eye-shaped relic, gently pulsing with light. Surrounding the pedestal are four kneeling statues—each depicting a different figure, their hands clasped in devotion.

This is the final test of faith that pilgrims once undertook before being granted access to the inner sanctum.

The Trial

As soon as someone enters, an ethereal voice fills the room—the voice of Lurith. It questions the intruders, testing their intentions and worthiness. The trial consists of two phases:

• The Test of Truth: Lurith asks the intruders three questions, spoken in a serene but commanding tone. The questions probe the characters’ beliefs, desires, and moral compass. The party must answer honestly—lies cause the golden eye to dim, while sincerity makes it glow:

• “What do you seek beyond these halls?”
• “Would you break an oath if it meant saving an innocent?”
• “Does the burden of power belong to the righteous or the strong?”

If the party lies, hesitates too much, or answers dishonorably, the statues tremble, and the room shifts into the second phase immediately.

• The Trial of the Fallen. If the test is failed—or if the party attempts to take the golden eye without permission—the chamber reacts violently. The four statues rise, revealing themselves as stone-clad sentinels infused with celestial energy. Their faces are eroded, their eyes hollow, but they move with eerie precision.

There are four guardians: Guardian of Humility – Strikes down arrogance and those who claim power for themselves; Guardian of Devotion – Fights those who lack purpose or faith; Guardian of Mercy – Tests whether the intruders understand compassion; Guardian of Judgment – The executioner of the unworthy.

Each guardian challenges a different virtue, and players must defeat or pacify them to proceed.

Success and Failure

If the trial is passed, the golden eye fully illuminates, and a hidden passage behind the pedestal opens, leading to the Inner Sanctum of Lurith.

If the party fails, the guardians will attempt to drive them out, sealing the door behind them. They can retry, but failing twice risks permanently sealing the chamber.

Sanctuary of Reflection

The Sanctuary of Reflection serves as the heart of the temple-crypt, a vast and sacred chamber where pilgrims once meditated before seeking Lurith’s guidance. Now, it is a solemn, ghostly place, where time seems to have stood still, and echoes of the past linger like whispers in the air.

Description

This is a dome shaped room, with four great archways leading to different wings of the dungeon. The domed ceiling is adorned with celestial constellations, golden mosaics forming an image of Lurith's Golden Eye in the center.

Main Features

• In the middle of the room, a large dry basin that was once the Reflection Pool, were the water was used for purification rooms, now lays mostly empty, with a single small pond of still water in the center.

1. If a player gazes into the last remaining pool, it must make a DC 14 Wisdom save. On a success, it leads to a clue about the dungeon secret in the form of a image (similar to the spell Divination). On failure, the character must roll on the short term madness table.

• Silvered pillars stand on the edges of the room, acting as distorted mirrors. They don't reflect the viewers present form, but fragments of memories, past sins and possible futures.
• Lingering echoes of past pilgrims can see uttering prayers in spectral murmurs around the pool.

Connections

The four Archways lead to the following paths:

The Reliquary of the Fallen

This vault holds the remains of Lurith's first disciples, who perished in devotion, finding no peace in their final rest.

Conclusion

<- What happens when the adventure is completed? ->

Rewards

This is a transcript of everything to be awarded the players, and the conditions attached to those rewards, at the end of the adventure. Think of it as a sort of checklist to make sure everything was covered.

Experience

Combat Awards

Name of Foe	XP per foe
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->

Non-Combat Awards

Task or Accomplishment	XP per Character
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->

The minimum total award for each character participating in this adventure is X experience points.

The maximum total award for each character participating in this adventure is X experience points.

Treasure

The characters receive the following treasure, divided up amongst the party. Characters should attempt to divide treasure evenly whenever possible. Gold piece values listed for sellable gear are calculated at their selling price, not their purchase price.

Consumable magic items should be divided up however the group sees fit. If more than one character is interested in a specific consumable magic item, the DM can determine who gets it randomly should the group be unable to decide.

Permanent magic items are divided up according to a system. See the sidebar if the adventure awards permanent magic items.

Treasure Awards

Item Name	Sale Value
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->
<-Name->	<-XP->

[[<- Unique Magic Item ->]]

<- If the magic item exists only on this page, remove the header brackets, otherwise make the title a link to the page containing the item. <- Duplicate this section as many times as needed. ->

Enmity

<- This is an actual effect generated by you doing something that hurt people who still exist in the setting. Think of it is a boon, but absolutely horrible. ->

Renown

<- In games which contain factions, this is where you would award renown for completing faction-related activities. ->

Downtime

Each character receives <-X-> downtime days at the conclusion of this adventure.

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