The Red Witch of Chapel d'Angoisse

The Red Witch of Chapel d'Angoisse is an introductory adventure for the world of Millieurth. The rules here are based on the Million-Colored Sun variant of the QAGS Second Edition rules. The adventure was written for Adventure April using the Gygax 75 Challenge framework. 

Plot points/Scenes

• Tyr Cogadh/Call to Adventure
• Journey to Chapel
• Knight's Challenge
• Chapel Ground Level
• Chapel Dungeon
• Chapel Crypt

Themes

Things are not always what they seem
Dungeon level themes: Arthurian, Demons, Undead

Structure

Exposition

After weeks on the road, the party has finally arrived at Tyr Cogadh on the Camlann Frontier. As they approach the city, they see plumes of smoke rising into the air and soon hear the sounds of battle, then spot pockets of fighting between Draks and the town militia, backed up by a handful of Knights of Oberon. By the time the PCs arrive, the city's defenders have gained the upper hand and are pushing the raiders out of town.
Details of the Attack

Through observation and interaction, the party can learn the following:

• The Draks attacked the city last night while it was sleeping.
• Cogadh Keep was the raiders' initial target, but the Knights stationed there held them at bay. Once it became clear that they could not breach the fortification, the Draks began pillaging the town.
• About half of the Knighthood that normally defends Tyr Cogadh is currently in the Draxtrone Bog hunting down Sawraiddyn raiders who recently attacked the fishing village of Morhafen. The Draks likely knew this and decided to attack the town while it was weak.
• While the main force of Draks have been routed, there are still pockets of fighting as well as some stray Draks lying low until they can escape. A few have holed up in houses or other buildings with hostages.
• About a third of the Knights currently in town are defending the keep. The remainder are organizing the townspeople in a careful search of Tyr Codagh and the surrounding farms in an attempt to push out the remaining Draks, tend to the wounded, and survey the damage.
• The Knights have set up their temporary command post and field hospital in the plaza outside the Regal Beagle Pub.
• Cogadh Keep is offering shelter to the badly injured and those whose homes were destroyed or damaged in the attack. With the keep's forces so depleted, everyone must be vetted before entering and the gates are only opened for a brief period every few hours. Strangers will only be allowed to enter the keep if a Knight or well-respected citizen vouches for them.

PCs who provide useful assistance will earn the favor and respect of the townsfolk. Those who belong to the Knighthood or otherwise owe loyalty to organizations with a presence in the town will likely be conscripted to assist with the recovery efforts.

Conflict

Once the PCs have had a chance to get their bearings, they will hear about the kidnapping of Yffair Moira Bellows. With the Knighthood spread too thin to send out a search party, Clan Bellows is seeking heroes or mercenaries to look for her. Those who see to her safe return will be allowed to take their pick from a cache of the finest orichalcum weapons forged by the clan's greatest smiths, past and present.
Abduction Information

If the party investigates, they can discover:

• Moira's parents, Owain and Uma (along with most of the other able-bodied adults of Clan Bellows), took up arms to repel the Draks invaders. As the eldest child, Moira was left in charge of the household and the safety of her younger siblings.
• According to the younger children, they were safely locked away inside the house when they heard one of their cousins screaming for help somewhere outside. This prompted Moira to leave the house in order to help her kin. She did not return.
• Upon finding out what happened, the Bellows Clan began searching the area for their daughter. They didn't find her, but they did get reports of a Draks war band dragging a young woman matching her description toward the Witchwood.
• The Feast of Seven Martyrs, a Draconic holy day that typically involves particularly gruesome human sacrifice--the victim is cut into seven pieces to represent the seven martyrs--is only two days away, leading to speculation that Moira was abducted to serve as the sacrifice.
• Deep in the Witchwood lies the Chapel d'Angoisse, an ancient shrine to the dragon where sacrifices to the dark god are still made from time to time.

What's Really Going On

A vampire known as The Red Witch has relocated to the chapel after being run out of her previous lair in the Savage Lands by the local Draks. She left her thralls to die so she would have time to escape, so her first order of business is to recruit new servants. The Red Witch is only interested in servants who have proven themselves, and has therefore set up a sort of guantlet in the dungeons of the chapel to serve as a test for unwitting "applicants" the the position of vampiric blood slave.
Though the Draks did indeed plan to sacrifice Moira for the Feast of Seven Martyrs, The Red Witch and her minions cut their plans short and some of their heads off. Realizing that Moira's abduction would likely lead heroes to the chapel, the vampire imprisoned the girl in her dungeon so that she could show proof of life if she needed to give the heroes extra incentive to fight their way through her ordeal.

Rising Action

Journey Through The Witchwood

It's entirely up the the GM whether to handwave the trip to the chapel, treat it as a hex crawl, or use some other method to represent the journey through the Witchwood. In any case, it is likely that they will pass the Faestones of Orlaith along the way.

The Knight's Challenge

In order to cross the bridge to the chapel, the party must defeat Lann Síne, a shapeshifting demon disguised as a knight who has taken a vow to defend the chapel.

Chapel Grounds/Dungeon Exploration

The bulk of the rising action is the exploration of the dungeon and castle grounds that occurs prior to the encounter with the vampire's minions.

Climax

The Final Battle

The climax occurs when the party reaches the vampire lair and fights the Red Witch's blood slaves. The Red Witch remains in her tomb with her captive during the battle.

• If her minions gain a definitive lead, she will join the battle and order them to attempt to capture the remaining PCs alive. If they are successful, the Red Witch will make an appropriately villainous show of deciding which heroes to enslave and which to kill.
• If her thralls are about to be defeated, the Red Witch will toss the bound and gagged Moira into her cofffin and use her magic to take on Moira's appearance.
  • When the heroes come to her rescue, she will inform them that the vampire turned to mist and fled the tomb during the battle.
  • The witch will try to convince the party to take an alternate route out of the dungeon that conveniently takes them into the zombie crypt. When the zombies attack, the vampire will reveal herself and attempt to kill the PCs.
  • If the party insists on returning the way they came, the vampire will turn on the PCs upon encountering any surviving allies or at the most dramatically appropriate moment.
  • If it's daylight outside, the vampire will attack the party before they exit the second level of the dungeon. If it's night outside, she may bide her time until the party decides to rest for the night.

Falling Action

Farewell to Lann Síne

If Lann Síne yielded to the party previously and did not reveal her true nature to them, she may be waiting for them.

• If the party defeats the red Witch, Lann Síne will be gone when they exit the chapel. She may turn up again in future adventures. 
• If the party exits the chapel with the Red Witch still alive, Lann Síne (still in her knightly disguise) will attempt to convince the party to rest up at her campsite and begin their journey home in the morning. If they agree, the false knight (along with any remaining vampire minions) will attack them during the night. Otherwise the demon will try to delay them until the vampire's minions are in a position to attack with surprise, but will attack at once if the PCs try to leave. 

The Journey Home

If the GM wants to spice up the journey home, they can include random encounters or run-ins with Draks raiders hiding out in the forest after their failed attack on Tyr Cagadh.

Resolution

If the party safely returns Moira, some of the finest weapons forged by Clan Bellows through the generations will be laid out at the Bellows smithy. As head of the clan, Una Bellows will take the lead in describing each weapon to the PCs. Each surviving member of the party will be allowed to choose one weapon from the trove. If the party fails to save Moira but returns her body to the clan, the party as a whole will be allowed to choose a single weapon (likely from a more limited selection).
Weapons from the Clan Bellows Vault

If Moira was returned alive, Clan Bellows will show the PCs a number of weapons equal to the number of surviving PCs plus 1d4+2. If Moira's body was returned, the Clan will only pull 1d4+2 weapons from the vault for the party to choose from. Try to make sure that there's at least one weapon that's likely to appeal to each PC and round out the trove with weapons that could be valuable to several party members.
Each weapon should at minimum have a name, a minor power, and an interesting fact about it (when the weapon was forged and whether it was meant for a particular person or purspose, who forged it, their famous accomplishments, unusual materials or techniques used to produce the weapon, heroic deeds of those who wielded the sword, etc.). Have Una describe the weapons with a pride and reverence that makes it clear that the PCs are being rewarded with highly valued clan heirlooms.

Below are a few sample weapons to get you started. The Damage Bonuses shown here do not include magical bonuses (if any) or the optional bonus for named weapons. All of the weapons except Sky Piercer are made of Orichalcum and have the usual effect on Demons and Dragonborn.

• Corpsemaker - This heavy broadsword was forged by Aled Bellows and wielded by Grifud the Twice-Betrayed during the war with the Dragon Kings.
  • DB +4
  • If Corpsemaker hits with a roll of 13 or higher, the victim takes double damage.
• Winter's Bite - A perfectly balanced battle axe with intricate ivory inlay on its haft and a sealskin grip. The axe was created to battle a group of fire demons that broke free of a Draks sorcerer's control during the time of the dragon kings.
  • DB +3
  • On a successful attack, the target suffers an additional 1d6 points of cold damage.
• • When the bearer of Winter's Bite suffers damage from fire or heat, the damage is reduced by 1d4.
• The Blindside Blade - This light blade is balanced for speed and maneuverability. It was created by Una's father, Twm, who infused the weapon's orichalchum with scorpion blood.
  • DB +3
  • The bearer of The Blindside Blade automatically succeeds at their initiative roll during every round of combat. Provided they use their action to attack with the sword, they can take their action at any point during the round, including during the NPC's turn. They can even attack during another character's action as long as they declare their intent before any dice are rolled.
• Snakebite - This dagger was forged during the war between the Queen of Mists and the Dragon Empire for the sole purpose of assassinating the Draks warlord who then ruled Tyr Cogadh. Basilisk venom was mixed with the water for the cooling trough used to quench the weapon, producing a permanently poisoned blade.
  • DB +1
  • Poisoned: Anyone who takes damage from the dagger must make a Body roll. On a roll of 20, the victim dies instantly. On a failed roll, the victim takes double damage and suffers a -4 penalty to all rolls until healed. If the roll succeeds, the victim suffers a -4 penalty to all rolls until the end of the scene and a -2 penalty until they get a good night's sleep or appropriate healing.
• Sky Piercer - This yew longbow is the only weapon in the trove that was not forged by Clan Bellows. The bow was entrusted to the Clan by longtime ally Breeshey Truefire on her deathbed. The bow comes with a quiver holding 12 orichalchum-headed arrows.
  • DB +2
  • Arrows fired from Sky Piercer ignore armor.
  • As long as the wielder can see the target, Sky Piercer can fire from any range with no penalty

Fortune Awards

For each of the accomplisments below that he party completes, each player gets 1 Fortune:

• Rescuing Moira Bellows
• Killing the Red Witch
• Looting the vampire lair
• Finding an interesting way to salvage use, or profit from the magic mirrors.
• Finding an interesting way to salvage use, or profit from the non-portable treasure in the main chapel and vampire lair

Backdrops

Encounters

Chapel d'Angoisse Level 1: Chapel & Grounds

Chapel d'Angoisse

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1. The Knight's Challenge

Traveling in the direction of the bell tower, you find an overgrown trail that appears to lead to the chapel. As you approach, you see that the temple is built at the foot of a hill across a fast-moving stream spanned by an old wooden bridge. A large tent has been set up at the near end of the bridge. As you approach, a Knight of Oberon steps out of the tent and moves to block the bridge.
GM Information

A successful Brain roll will reveal signs that the trail leading to the chapel has seen recent use.

The knight introduces herself as Lann Síne and explains that she recently arrived at the chapel to find a group of Draks in the middle of sacrificing some unfortunate to their dark gods. Too late to save the victim, Síne decided to prevent future atrocities by taking a vow to guard the chapel from all intruders for one year. If asked about the abduction, Síne will inform the PCs that no one has crossed the bridge since she took up her guard, but will admit that there are less direct routes to the structure that a sufficiently stealthy band could use without attracting her notice. If the PCs wish to investigate the temple, Síne will insist that one of them defeat her in combat so that she doesn't break her vow.

The chapel's guardian is no knight. She is a Cúplaolc summoned to serve the Red Witch. When the real Lann Síne stumbled upon the chapel, the Red Witch's minions killed her and the demon took on her appearance and set up camp at the end of the bridge to serve as the first challenge to those who might become the Red Witch's blood slaves. When she spotted the Draks approaching with Moira, the demon--knowing the Draks had no reputation for honorable challenges--retreated to the chapel and called up reinforcements from the dungeon. After defeating the intruders, the demons dumped their bodies in the stream and turned the girl over to the Red Witch.

The demon's campsite contains the gear that the real Lann Síne was not carrying with her when she was killed (minus her horse, which ran away at the demon's approach). Aside from normal camping and adventuring gear, the only items of interest are a bow with a quiver of (steel-tipped) arrows and a bag of assorted coins.

Dueling The Demon

• If a Faeborn PC accepts the demon's challenge, they will realize the first time that they're hit that despite looking like it's made from orichalcum, the demon's sword is actually made from Iron or Black Steel.
• If a character armed with an Orichalcum weapon serves as champion, the first successful hit will disrupt the demon's magic and reveal her true form.
• If the truth is revealed, the demon will fight to the death. Otherwise, she will yield and allow the PCs to pass when she falls below 5 HP.
• The demon wields a Black Steel Sword (DB +3) and carries a shield (AR +1)
• The skills that the demon has absorbed from Síne are: Sword Fighting +3; Archery +2; Knighthly Knowledge +1

Cúplaolc

Cúplaolcs are demons who can take on the illusory form of anyone whose heart they have eaten. In their natural form, they look like hairless, gray-skinned humans with faces that are too bland and forgettable to describe.
Body: 13 Brain: 13 Nerve: 13
Calling: Demonic Mimic (13)
Gift: False Face (13)
Weakness: The Hunger (13)
Skills: Choose 3 skills at +3, +2, and +1 based on who the Cúplaolc is impersonating.
HP: 13
Fortune: 3
Monstrous Aspects: Leathery Skin (AR 1), Flesh-rending Teeth (DB +1), Vulnerable to Silver

• Demonic Mimic: Cúplaolcs gain the memories of every creature whose heart they have eaten, but sorting through all that information can be difficult. Roll Calling whenever a Cúplaolc needs to recall specific information (names, places, past events) about a victim's life or when they need to impersonate their victim when under scrutiny or interacting with someone who knew the victim well. A failed roll indicates that the demon does something incorrect or out of character.


• False Face: The Cúplaolc impersonates their victim through illusion magic, not shapeshifting. While they gain their victim's memories and some skills, they do not physically change. For example, a Cúplaolc impersonating a one-legged man will still have two legs despite appearing to be missing a limb. Characters who know the impersonated victim well or have a reason to suspect something is amiss can make an opposed Brain roll against the demon's Gift roll to notice an undeniable flaw in the illusion.


• The Hunger: Once a Cúplaolc gets a taste of a human's blood, it becomes obsessed with consuming their heart and will ignore everything (including other enemies) until it does so. Each time a Cúplaolc causes damage to an opponent, roll Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, some of the blood splatter ends up on the demon's tongue, triggering its hunger for that character.


• Vulnerable to Silver: Cúplaolcs take an extra 1d4 damage from silver and orichalcum weapons. In addition, damage from a silver weapon breaks the illusion, causing the Cúplaolc to revert to its natural form. It cannot use its Gift again until the damage is healed.

2. Main Chapel

Despite its ramshackle condition, the heavy oaken door of the Chapel d'Angoisse swings open with little effort if considerable creaking. The chamber inside is dominated by a massive statue of the Dragon of All-Consuming Fire. A fire burns in a large brazier directly in front of the statue, casting eerie shadows made more unnerving when you notice that the fire burns despite the absence of fuel in the brazier. A short hallway behind the statue leads to the bell tower on one side and some other room opposite the tower door. The floor of the room is stained with blood: some ancient, some more recent.
GM Information

• The recent blood is from the fight with the Draks. An appropriate roll will turn up more signs that a fight took place in the chapel not long after the Draks took Moira Bellows.
• The fire in the brazier is magical and cannot be extinguished. Water poured into the brazier will burn away almost instantly with no efect on the flame. Earth will cover the fire for a while, but eventually (after about a week) it will burn off and the flame will spring up again.
• Both the statue and the brazier are too large to transport, but if a PC lights a torch or lantern from the flame it will burn for twice as long as normal before dying out.

3. Bell Tower

A narrow stone staircase spirals around the walls of this stone tower, leading to the turret and its massive iron bell.
GM Information

Though fairies don't flee at the sound of an iron bell like some legends say, the sound of a bell made of iron does unnerve them. Faeborn characters will get a sense of general unease while in the bell tower but suffer no penalties.

4. Dungeon Entrance

An archway leads directly to a set of wide stone stairs that descend to the chapel's dungeon. At the bottom of the stairs is a sturdy iron-bound wooden door.
GM Information

The dungeon door is barred from the other side. PCs can either break down the door or try to lift the bar through the crack betwen the door and wall. Roll a d20 to determine whehter the demons on the next level hear the commotion. If the party breaks down the door, the demons hear them on a roll of 5 or higher. If they unseat the bar, the demons only hear it clatter to the floor on a roll of 10 or higher. If the demons hear the PCs, they will converge on room 2 to make their stand.

5. Well

This stones of this well are worn from ages of use. A large, flat stone sunk into the ground near the well contains writing in the angular script of the Dragon Kings.
GM Information

• The stone says "The Uncanny Well" in Draconic.
• When a character drinks from the well, roll 1d20 on the table below. Once a character has taken a drink from the well, the water no longer has any unusual effect on them until year and a day have passed.
• A character who closely inspects the well with a successful search roll of 10 or higher will notice the end of the escape tunnel that opens into the well just above the water line.

6. Tomb

This small mausoleum consists of a featureless stone cube topped with a pitched slate roof. Three wide bands of iron encircle the tomb on all sides. There are no markings to identify the tomb. A short distance from the tomb stands a large cross with an ancient arm bone hanging by a spike from one end of its horizontal beam.
GM Information

• Characters with knowledge of Dragon Empire history or Draks culture will know that cruxifiction is the preferred method of execution among the barbarians. A little digging at the foot of the cross will turn up the last victim's fallen bones
• A simle swivel latch holds the door to the tomb closed. The door opens inward, allowing acess by climbing between the iron bands. A large stone sargophagus, as plain as the tomb and also banded in iron, sits in the middle of the crypt. With some effort, the PCs can pry off the iron bands and open the coffin. Opening the sarcophagus releases the spectral form of the ghost imprisoned there.
• The inhabitant of the tomb is Lann Odrann, a Faeborn knight who lived during the first century of the Queen's reign. He was captured by the Draks, who brought him to the chapel and turned him over to their warlord. The warlord tortured the knight and questioned him about the Queen's defenses, but he refused to break. Just before the warlord murdered Odrann, the knight vowed that he would return to haunt his tormenter's dreams. Afraid that the knight would fulfill his vow, the warlord had the Faeborn's body entombed and bound by iron to prevent its ghost from leaving the body. His spirit has been trapped here ever since.
• If the PCs threaten the ghost or give him any reason to belive they are allied with the Dragon, he will attack them. If they convince him that they fight for the Faewilde, he will offer them any of its meager grave goods they can use in return for releasing him from his prison. Though his shield and armor have crumbled to dust, his sword is untouched by the ravages of centuries. When a PC takes up the sword, the knight's ghost disappates. If the PCs leave the sword where it is, the Knight cannot move on untiil a worthy successor takes up the blade. The sword has a Damage Bonus of +3 and gives the bearer a +1 bonus to defend against Dragon magic.

Lann Odrann's Ghost

A Ghost is a spirit of the dead that has been prevented from moving on the the land of the dead. Ghosts appear as semi-transparent reflections of their formal selves, though they often become more monstrous in appearance as the passage of years destroys their mind and makes them feral.
Once freed from his iron tomb, Lann Odrann is tied to Milieurth until he is satisfied that the Queen still has champions. A worthy adventurer taking up his sword will assure him that he can move on.


Body: 15 Brain: 11 Nerve: 13
Calling: Restless Spirit (13)
Gift: Semi-corporeal (11)
Weakness: Semi-corporeal (11)
Skills: Swordsman +3; Horsemanship +2; Command +1
HP: 15
Fortune: 0


Semi-Corporeal: Ghosts are formed from an ethereal substance that makes their earthly bodies semi-solid. Whenever a ghost defends against an attack, it rolls its Gift as well as its normal defense roll and uses the better roll. Whenever a ghost wants to affect the physical world, it makes a Weakness roll alongside its normal roll. If the Weakness takes effect and is higher than the action roll, the ghost's limb or body passes through whatever physical object it was trying to affect. If a ghost is reduced to 0 HP, its ethereal form is temporarily dispersed. Roll Gift to determine how long it takes to reforem: Lucky Break: 1 Hour; Success: 1 Day; Failure: 1 Week; Bad Break: 1d12 Months.

2. Cave

Beyond a small stand of trees on the edge of the chapel grounds, a large cave entrance opens into the hillside. As you approach the cave, you hear a faint noise that sounds like rushing water echoing from somewhere inside.
GM Information

• The main cavern is around 10 feet wide and 20 feet deep and is the home of a large bear. During the day, there is a 5 in 6 chance that the bear is in the cave when the PCs arrive. At night, the chance of the bear being present is 1 in 6. If present, the bear will attack anyone who enters the cave.
• At the back of the cavern is a cramped tunnel that leads further into the hillside, where the sound of rushing water seems to originate. The tunnel meanders for some ways before opening into an grotto with a waterfall on one end. The water pools in a wide spot in the cavern at the foot of the falls before rushing out through unseen tunnel below the water's surface.
• Across the pool, the PCs see an opening where the water has broken through the wall of the crypt on the other side, leaving the tomb partially flooded.

  Cave Bear

  Cave Bears are bears who live in caves.
  Body: 17 Brain: 8 Nerve: 13
  Calling: Predator (14)
  Gift: None
  Weakness: None
  Skills: Keen Senses +3; Foraging +2; Climbing +1
  HP: 20
  Fortune: 3
  Monstrous Aspects: Claws (DB +1), Powerful Bite (DB +2), Thick Skin (AR 1)
  
  
  Special Attack: Cave bears normally attack with their claws. If a bear wins a combat roll by more than 5, it can make a free attack roll to bite its opponent.

Chapel d'Angoisse Level 2: The Dungeon

Chapel d'Angoisse Dungeon Level

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1. Antechamber

This 20x20 chamber is dominated by a central statue depicting some long-forgotten Draks king or hero. Faded murals on the side walls depict scenes of the army of the Dragon Kings at war with the Queen of Mists' forces. From beyond the arched doorway opposite the entrance, you hear terrifying growls and blood-curdling howling punctuated by the clatter of large claws moving quickly across stone.
GM Information

• No matter how careful the party is when opening the dungeon door, the 2 Hellhounds in room 6 will either hear or smell them. They race through the door and attack during the second round the players spend in this room. If the party moves thorugh the room without stopping to explore, the Hellhounds will descend on them where the corridors intersect just south of the room.
• During each round that the party spends fighting the Hellhounds, roll a d20. On a roll of 6 or higher, the demons in rooms 3 and 7 hear the sounds of combat and move to room 2 to make their stand against the intruders.

Hellhounds

Hellhounds are dog-like demons able to breathe fire.
Body: 13 Brain: 9 Nerve: 11
Calling: Demon's Best Friend (13)
Gift: Fire Breath (13)
Weakness: Lulled by Music (13)
Skills: Tracking +3, Chase +2, Digging +1
HP: 13
Fortune: 0
Monstrous Aspects: Thick Skin (AR 1), Bite (DB +2), Immune to Fire, Vulnerable to Silver

• Fire Breath: A Hellhound may target up to 3 adjacent opponents with its breath weapon. The Hellhound makes a single roll and each defender makes their own roll to defend. The Hellhound's firey breath has a damage bonus of +3 when used against a single target, +1 when used to attack multiple opponents. The breath weapon takes 5 rounds to "recharge" after it is used.


• Lulled by Music: If a character sings or plays pleasing music within the Hellhounds' range of hearing, the Hellhound must roll Weakness or fall into a deep sleep for 1d8 hours. A character without music-related Skills or Calling can roll Nerve to sing a pleasant song. For every 5 points of the musician's performance roll, increase the Hellhound's weakness by 1.


• Vulnerable to Silver: Hellhounds take an additional 1d4 damage for attacks made with silver or orichalcum weapons and lose their ability to breathe fire if held by silver chains.

2. Summoning Room

The floor in the center of this room is carved with an elaborate demonic circular sigil of the type that Draks sorcerers use to summon demons. Tables and shelves along the walls of the room hold the decaying remains of candles, ceremonial daggers, incense, and other summoning supplies.
GM Information

• If they heard the party entering the dungeon or fighting the Hellhounds, the Brute from room 3 and the 8 Demonlings from room 7 will be here waiting for the party. If more than half of the PCs fail their initiative rolls, the demons get a free attack before the first round begins. The Demonlings fight as rabble and the Brute carries a Black Steel battle Axe (DB +4).
• If the demons are still in their own locations and the party is not taking steps to explore stealthily, roll a d20 each turn. On a roll of 10 or higher, either the Brute (odd roll) or the Demonlings (even roll) hear them. If the Brute hears the PCs, it will remain in its room and prepare for a fight. If the Demonlings hear, they rush into the room to attack the PCs after 1d4 rounds.
• A small crate on one of the tables contains supplies that were clearly brought here more recently than the crumbling remains around them.
• A PC who makes a successful Brain roll while investigating the circle will detect signs of recent use. If a character with a demon-related Magic Word or other appropriate Calling, Gimmick, or Skill investigates, they notice the signs of recent summoning without a roll.

Demonic Brute

Demonic Brutes are 8'-tall warriors with thick red skin, large horns, hooves, and tails.
Body: 16 Brain: 11 Nerve: 11
Calling: Demonic Enforcer (13)
Gift: None
Weakness: None
Skills: Varies
HP: 16
Fortune: 1
Monstrous Aspects: Thick Skin (AR 2), Claws (DB +1), Immune to Fire, Vulnerable to Silver
Gear: Demonic Brutes typically carry Black Steel weapons.


Vulnerable to Silver: Demonic Brutes take an extra 1d4 damage from silver or orichalcum weapons. If they are bound with silver chains, their Body drops to 6.

3. Living Quarters

This former living quarters contains dilapidated furnishings that were once simple but comfortable. It probably belonged to a priest or caretaker when the woods surrrounding the chapel were still controlled by the Dragon Kings. The musty smell of decay in the room is overpowered by the strong smells of sulpher and rotting meat, the latter coming from a bloody pile of remains on a table in one corner.
GM Information

• If the Brute who lives here is present and has been alerted to the party's presence, it gets a free attack against the first character to enter the room. The Brute carries a Black Steel battle axe (DB +4)
• Examination of the remains will reveal them to be non-human. A character with appropriate knowledge or experience can make a Brain roll to recognize them as Demonling bits with obvious bite marks on some of the bones and chunks of flesh. The Demonling has probably been dead for a week or two.

Demonic Brute

Demonic Brutes are 8'-tall warriors with thick red skin, large horns, hooves, and tails.
Body: 16 Brain: 11 Nerve: 11
Calling: Demonic Enforcer (13)
Gift: None
Weakness: None
Skills: Varies
HP: 16
Fortune: 1
Monstrous Aspects: Thick Skin (AR 2), Claws (DB +1), Immune to Fire, Vulnerable to Silver
Gear: Demonic Brutes typically carry Black Steel weapons.


Vulnerable to Silver: Demonic Brutes take an extra 1d4 damage from silver or orichalcum weapons. If they are bound with silver chains, their Body drops to 6.

4. Study

This room was obviously once the study of a wizard specializing in demonology and other unsavory practices. Most of the books and scrolls on the shelf crumble at your touch. Those that remain intact are written in the language of Draconis and contain gruesome drawings of demons, mutilation, and similarly disturbing subjects. A table along one wall contains a variety of antique alchemical supplies, many of them broken or rendered useless by centuries of neglect. Near the table hangs a large painting that appears to be an illustrated map of the Dragon realm. The most notable object in the room by far is a large mirror on one wall. Rather than reflecting the room, the mirror shows a torchlit chamber containing an ornate stone sarcophagus. A young woman sits chained to one end of the tomb looking defeated and frightened. When she looks up, you recognize her as Moira Bellows.
GM Information

• The mirror is one half of a pair that are magically connected, with each casting the reflection that should appear on the other. Its twin is in the Red Witch's tomb on the crypt level. In addition to casting one another's reflections, the mirrors give the caster a +1 bonus when used for scrying or other mirror magic. Each mirror is approximately 6' tall and 3' wide, so safely transporting them from the chapel without breaking them could prove difficult unless the party brought a cart or wagon with them.
• The Red Witch is in the room with Moira, but the PCs cannot see her because she casts no reflection.
• When Moira sees the party, she will beg them to rescue her from the witch who's holding her captive. However, she is currently under the effects of the Red Witch's beguiling magic and her every word is directed by the vampire, who will only allow her to say what the witch thinks will work best to convince the party to continue exploring the dungeon.
• If the PCs bring up Moira's home, friends, or family, roll a d20. On a roll of 13 or less, Moira temporarily breaks free of the witch's control and can give the PCs one clue or warning of the GM's choice before the vampire regains control.
• If the demon is still in Room 3 and the party does anything noisy, roll a d20. On a roll of 10 or higher, the demon hears them and will be prepared for a fight when the party enters its lair.
• The secret door is located behind the map.

5. Escape Tunnel

The hidden door opens into a small cavern. The only exit is a small, cramped tunnel on the opposite end of the room.
GM Information

The tunnel leads to an opening just above the waterline of the Uncanny Well (Ground Level #5).

6. Barracks

The door to this room lies in the corridor a few feet from the doorway, apparently knocked from its hinges by a mighty force. As you move closer, you're taken aback by the strong stench wild animals and burnt wood. Inside are the remains of a barracks of dormitories with cots along the walls and some tables and chairs in the center of the room. Several of the room's furnishings have been reduced to ash and others are singed and charred. Bedding and cloth have been dragged to one corner of the room, forming a nest filled with gnawed bones, bits of fur, and a mostly intact dead rat.
GM Information

• This room has been serving as the Hellhounds' lair since they were summoned by the Red Witch. There is nothing of interest here.
• If the Demonlings are still in room 7 and the PCs are not trying to be stealthy, roll a d20. On a roll of 5 or higher, the Demonlings hear them and rush to room 3 to warn the Brute. The demons will be waiting for the party when they arrive in room 2.

7. Storage Room

This large, room contains the moldering remains of numerous crates, barrels, and other containers. Several of these have been broken apart to fuel a small fire in the center of the room. Above the fire is a makeshift spit containing the remains of a small humanoid creature. The smell of roasting flesh coming from the meal has an acrid quality that is in no way appetizing. Scattered around the room are several piles of straw and discarded cloth littered with bones, hunks of rotting meat, and other filth.
GM Information

• If the Demonlings are still here, they attack the party as soon as they enter the room. If they know the PCs are coming, they will be concealed among the trash in the room and get a free attack before the first round of combat begins. Demonlings fight as rabble.
• Closer inspection reveals the thing on the spit to be the corpse of a Demonling who was clearly smaller and weaker than the others.
• Scattered throughout the room are several shiny objects. Some are coins, gems, or other valuables, others are worthless pieces of trash. The collected treasure of the demonlings is worth a handful of gold at best.

8. Crypt Entrance

This room closely resembles the dungeon entrance, but with stairs descending beyond an archway to your right. The statue in this room depicts a different but equally long-forgotten hero of the Draks. As you enter the room, the statue slowly moves into a defensive stance and shouts what you assume is a challenge in the language of the Draks.
GM Information

Aside from the golem and the stairs, there is nothing of interest in this room.

Stone Golem

An animated statue.
Body: 15 Brain: 0 Nerve: 0
Calling: Killer Automaton (11)
Gift: Sturdy (11)
Weakness: Merely A Semblance of Life (11)
Skills: Varies
HP: 25
Fortune: 0
Monstrous Aspects: Solid Construction (AR 3) Living Statues are often depicted wearing armor, wielding weapons, or possessing monstrous claws or teeth, but these do not offer any mechanical benefits.

• Sturdy: At the beginning of each round, make a Gift roll for the statue. If the roll succeeds, the statue only takes half damage.


• Merely A Semblance of Life: Living Statues are ensorcelled to follow a limited set of instructions. Whenever a statue is confronted by a situation that falls outside of its mission, violates the spirit but not the letter of the statue’s instruction, or otherwise results in a lack of clarity about how the statue should react, roll Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the statue does not react to the situation at all. If the Weakness roll fails, the GM may assume that the statue’s mystical “programming” is detailed enough to allow it to make a rational decision about how to deal with the situation.

Chapel d'Angoisse Level 2: The Crypt

Chapel d'Angoisse Crypt Level

Open full size

1. Crypt Gateway

The walls of this room are covered with bas-relief carvings depicting a duel between a Dragon Knight and a Knights of Oberon. On each end of the room is a small platform on which stands a suit of antique armor: one made of Black Steel and one made of Orichalcum. The heavy stone door of the crypt vault is directly across from the entryway.
GM Information

• The door do the crypt is impervious to damage and cannot be opened by any physical means unless the Guardian Armor is defeated. Once the armor falls, the door swings open on its own. Magic works normally against the door.
• The Guardian Armor animates and attacks when someone puts on the Orichalcum armor at the other end of the room or when someone attempts to open the crypt door. If activated by a PC donning the armor, the Guardian will ignore all other opponents until the character in the armor is dead.
• The two suits of armor are in very good condition given their age. Each set has an Armor Rating of 3 and comes with a shield (AR 1), helmet (AR 1) and longsword (DB +3).

Guardian Armor

This elaborate suit of ornate Black Steel armor comes to life whenever someone puts on the Orichalcum armor at the other end of the room or attempts to open the crypt door. The only visible manifestation of whatever spirit animates the armor is a pair of glowing red eyes that float behind the helmet's eye slit.
Body: 15 Brain: NA Nerve: 19
Calling: Crypt Guardian (15)
Gift: Unkillable (11)
Weakness: Magical (11)
Skills: None
HP: 25
Fortune: 0
Gear: Black Steel Armor (AR 3), Helmet (AR1), Shield (AR1), Longsword (DB +3)

• Unkillable: If the Guardian Armor is reduced to zero HP, roll Gift. If successful, the armor regains HP equal to the roll. Even if the armor is disassembled, the animating spirit will continue to attempt to fulfill its mission by telekinetically launching pieces of itself at the intruders. The Guardian can attack up to two characters per round in this manner with a DB of +2.


• Magical Vulnerabilities: A killing blow from the orichalcum sword worn by the other suit of armor in the room prevents the guardian from rolling its gift. In addition, the guardian may be destroyed by exorcism or banishment spells, dispelling magic, or magic that targets the armor (a spell that causes rapid oxidation, for example). If a PC targets the guardian with an apprporiate spell, roll Weakness. If the Weakness takes effect, the armor clatters to the ground and the spirit disappates.

2. Vampire Lair

This large room was likely originally intended for secret religious or funerary rites, but has been converted into an oppulent living quarters filled antique furnishings and artwork. When the door opens, two dead-eyed Draks rise up from where they were sitting and turn towards you as they draw their weapons. A woman with them is dressed like a Drak, but has the slightly pointed ears and facial structure common among the Faeborn. Her eyes are just as glazed-over and unseeing as her companions'.
GM Information

• The Draks are under the vampire's control and will fight to the death. The only way to break the Red Witch's hold on them is to kill the witch or dispel or usurp the spell through magic.
• The room is filled with valuables: antique furnishing, exquisite art objects, jewel-encrusted household objects, bottles of fine wine and spirits, etc. Even without the items that are too bulky to easily transport, there's a substantial amount of treasure here.
The Red Witch watches the battle between the PCs and her thralls using a spell that allows her to see through the eyes of one of the lair's statues or paintings. If the blood slaves gain a definitive lead, she will join the battle and order them to attempt to capture the remaining PCs alive. If the PCs are captured, the Red Witch will make an appropriately villainous show of deciding which heroes to enslave and which to kill.

The Red Witch's Thralls

The Red Witch currently has 3 blood slaves under her control, all from the same Draks adventuring party that made the mistake of exploring the chapel dungeon several months ago. The condition gives them increased physical abilities (represented as modifiers to their normal stats below) and allows the ability to sustain themselves on just a few drops of their mistress's blood. If the Red Witch is destroyed, the thralls regain control of their own minds immediately and lose their vampiric enhancements and gain 1 Fortune (all they had was absorbed by the Red Witch) at the next sunrise.

Liam Blacksword

Body: 14 (+1) Brain: 11 Nerve: 12
Calling: Mercenary (12)
Gift: Fast Healer (12)
Weakness: A Fool and His Money Are Soon Parted (12)
Skills: Broadsword +2, Endurance +3, Horsemanship +2, Healing +1
HP: 14 (+5)
Fortune: 0
Gear: Chainmail (AR 3), Black Steel Broadsword (DB +3), Dagger (DB +1), Light Crossbow and 12 bolts (DB +2)
Fast Healer: Whenever Liam receives healing, roll Gift. On a success, he regains an extra (Roll/5) HP.

Felix L'orphelin

Body: 11 (+1) Brain: 13 Nerve: 14
Calling: Gambler (13)
Gift: Fleet of Foot (13)
Weakness: Greed (13)
Skills: Dagger +1, Brawling +1, Stealth +3, Fast Hands +2, Iron Stomach +1
HP: 11 (+5)
Fortune: 0
Gear: Leather Jack (AR 1), Sword (DB +3), Dagger (DB +1), Lucky dice

Roseline of Ombra

Body: 13 (+1) Brain: 13 Nerve: 13
Calling: Witch (12)
Gift: Faeborn (14)
Weakness: Overconfidence (14)
Skills: Longsword +2, Persuasion +3, Herbalism +2, Animal Handling +1
HP: 13 (+5)
Fortune: 0
Fae Aspects: Vulnerable To Iron, Pointed Ears
Magic Words: Animal, Fire, Glamour, Potion Making
Gear: Longsword (DB +3)
Vulnerable to Iron: Faeborn take +1 Damage from iron weapons and cannot use magic if iron is touching their skin.

3. Vampire's Tomb

As you enter this room, you get a sense of deja vu that suddenly makes sense when you recognize it as the room reflected by the mirror upstairs. The mirrors partner hangs on the wall to the right, reflecting the study above istead of this room. In the center of the room is an ornate stone sarcophagus, its lid carved into the image of a warrior with distinctly Draxish features. As you move into the room, Moira Bellows rieses up from behind the sarcophagus and begins moving in your direction with an expression of gratitude and relief.
GM Information

• If the party has defeated the vampire, this is the real Moira Bellows, who managed to snag the key to her chains from the vampire's belt right before the Red Witch left to join her minions.
• Otherwise, when the Red Witch saw that her minions were losing, she knocked Moira unconcious and stuffed her into the tomb bound and gagged. She then used her magic to take on Moira's form and will accompany the party until she can attack with the element of surprise.
  • If the PCs inquire about the vampire, "Moira" will tell them that she turned into mist and escaped through a crack in the stonework, but not before the girl could grab the key hanging form her belt.
  • The witch will try to convince the party to take an alternate route out of the dungeon that conveniently takes them into the zombie crypt. When the zombies attack, the vampire will reveal herself and attempt to kill the PCs.
  • If the party insists on returning the way they came, the vampire will turn on the PCs upon encountering any surviving allies or at the most dramatically appropriate moment.
  • If it's daylight outside, the vampire will attack the party before they exit the second level of the dungeon. If it's night outside, she may bide her time until the party decides to rest for the night.
• If the party opens the sarcophagus, they find that its original contents have been replaced with a simple wooden coffin half-buried in soil that was placed here in the relatively recent past. Several valuable gems are sewn into the lining of the coffin.

The Red Witch

The Red Witch is a Vampire who received her immortal status during the reign of King Atroce. During the wars, she was pushed out to the Savage Lands with the rest of the Draks. After being run out of several settlements when angry locals discovered her predations, she eventually decided to try her luck on the FFolk's side of the Camlann hills and wound up at the chapel.
Body: 15 Brain: 15 Nerve: 15
Calling: Witch
Gift: Vampire (15)
Weakness: Vampire (15)
Skills: Staff +1, Dagger +1, History +3, Survival +2, Stealth +1
HP: 20
Fortune: 5
Monstrous Aspects: Retractible Teeth (+1 DB)
Magic Words: Beguiling, Blood Magic, Demon Summoning, Necromancy, Scrying
Gear: Black Steel Dagger (DB +1), Stonebender's Ring
Vampiric Traits:

• Vulnerable to Sunlight: Each round a vampire is exposed to sunlight, they must make a Weakness roll with a DN of 10. If the roll succeeds, they take 1 point of damage. If the roll fails, they take damage to the amount by which they missed the roll.


• Stake Through The Heart: Driving a wooden stake through a vampire's heart renders it temporarily immobile and unable to speak or use magic (though it is still aware of what's going on around it).


• Hard To Kill: Vampires will eventually rise again unless they are destroyed by fire or sunlight or decapitated after driving a wooden stake through their heart. The amount of time it takes a vampire to reform itself depends on how badly it was damaged: Body mostly intact: 1 Day; Serious Bodily Damage: 1 Week; Corpse unrecognizable as humanoid: 1 Month, Body reduced to component atoms: 1 Year.


• Fast Healer: Vampires recover HP at twice the normal rate and can heal themselves by drinking human blood. During each round of feeding, the victim loses 2 HP and the vampire gains 1 HP.


• Doesn't Cast A Reflection

Stonebender's Ring
This iron ring is set with a large chunk of polished marble. It allows the wearer to animate any stone statue of a living creature by simply touching the statue with the ring and spending at least one point of Fortune. The statue is completely under the caster's control and will follow simple instructions to the best of its abilities. The statue is limited by the form it represents; for example, a statue of a fish would have to flop and wriggle along to move on dry land due to its lack of legs. Statues animated with the ring remain animated for 24 hours per point of Fortune spent.
In addition to allowing the wearer to animate statues, the Stonebender's Ring allows them to take control of stone automatons controlled by other spellcasters by winning a resisted Nerve roll aginst the controller.

4. Knight's Crypt

This walls of this room are lined with shallow alcoves containing simple stone coffins. A pair of more ornate tombs are located in the center of the room. A strong odor of decaying flesh hangs in the air. In the floor between the central tombs lies the unmoving form of a woman in armor with a gaping wound in her chest. The twisted remains of her breastplate of her armor lies on the floor a few feet away.
GM Information

The corpse on the floor belongs to the real Lann Síne, who was tossed here after the the Cúplaolc ate her heart. Her armor is beyond repair, but she still carries an orichalchum longsword attached to a wide leather sword belt burnished with intricate knot designs. The buckle is made of silver and set with a large bloodstone. The belt gives the wearer a +2 bonus to all strength-based rolls and a +1 Damage Bonus for melee attacks.

5. Empty Crypt

This crypt contains a single large sarcophagus on a raised platform in the center of the room and several simpler burial containers in alcoves along the walls.
GM Information

There is nothing of interest here.

6. Crypt of the Restless Dead

This crypt contains a single large sarcophagus on a raised platform in the center of the room and several simpler burial containers in alcoves along the walls. As you enter the room, you hear the sound of stone sliding on stone as the corpes in several of the sarcophagi rise from their graves and start shambling toward you.
GM Information

The 8 Shambling Dead here have nothing of value.

Shambling Dead

The dead should not walk–and yet, through the hideous power of necromancy, this corpse ambles forward, searching for warm flesh and blood to consume.
Body: 11 Brain: 6 Nerve: 18
Calling: Walking Corpse (13)
Gift: Hard to Kill (14)
Weakness: Achilles' Brain (14)
Skills: None
HP: 11
Fortune: 0
Monstrous Aspects: Bite (DB +2)

• Hard To Kill: If a Shambling Dead reaches 0 HP, make a Gift roll. If the roll succeeds, the Shambling Dead remains active. Each time the Shambling Dead takes damage, it must make another Gift roll to stay active. If the roll succeeds, damage is subtracted from Body. If Body reaches zero, it is out of commission.


• Achilles’ Brain: If a Shambling Dead takes 10 or more points of damage from a single attack, make a Weakness roll. If the Weakness takes effect, the Shambling Dead's brain is destroyed and it's dead (again).

7. Spider Crypt

This crypt contains a single large sarcophagus on a raised platform in the center of the room and several simpler burial containers in alcoves along the walls. The back half of the room is blocked by a large spider web whose gigantic builder leaps to attack as you enter the room.
GM Information

Aside from a small number of coins and gemstones and a few personal effects of past victims scattered around the flooor and stuck to the web, there is nothing of particular interest here.

Giant Spider

The giant spider picks its way through its intricate network of webs, sneaking up silently behind its victims, green venom dripping from its mandibles. It always seeks fresh prey–what it doesn’t eat now, it can save for later.
Body: 20 Brain: 5 Nerve: 13
Calling: Predator (15)
Gift: Spin Web (14), Venom (11)
Weakness: Vicious Lust For Blood (12)
Skills: Climbing +3, Hiding +3
HP: 20
Fortune: 3
Monstrous Aspects: Mandibles (DB +2, plus Venom Gift), Chitin (AR 3)

• Spin Web: Giant Spiders can ensnare their prey in thick, sticky webs. Make a ranged attack with the Gift to capture an opponent. Once so ensnared, the victim must make a Body roll against the Gift in order to break free.


• Venom: On a successful bite attack, roll this Gift against the victim’s Body. If the Gift wins, the victim takes extra damage equal to the difference in rolls.

8. Flooded Crypt

As you approach the door to this tomb, you hear the sound of running water and notice that the air is less dry here than in the rest of the crypt. Inside, the back half of the room is flooded with dirty, waist-deep water. The part of the floor that's still above water is a muddy mess.
GM Information

3 Grindylows lie in wait here and will attempt to drown anyone whe enters the pool. If the players sift through the pool, they will find the remains and surviving personal effects of past victims. Most are too water-damaged to salvage, but the party can find a few still-valuable bits of treasure of the GM's choosing.

Grindylow

Grindylows are short, scaley humanoid water spirits with greenish skin, sharp claws and teeth, and ovelry long arms and fingers. They lie in wait in streams, ponds, and bogs and attempt to drown humans who enter their territory.
Body: 11 Brain: 9 Nerve: 17
Calling: Creature of Watery Vengeance (13)
Gift: Small (12)
Weakness: Small (12)
Skills: Hide +3, Grapple +2, Mimicry +1
HP: 11
Fortune: 1
Monstrous Aspects: Claws (DB +2), Bite (DB +1), Amphibious

• Combat: If a Grindylow makes a successful Grapple attack, it has a hold on its victim, who can take no action until they win an opposed Body roll with the creature. On the second round of a grapple, the Grindylow pulls its victim below the water. An underwater Grindylow victim must make 2 opposed Body Rolls to escape: one to get its head above water, a second to escape the creature's grasp. On its turn, a Grindylow may attempt to hurt the person in their grasp by making a normal combat roll. If the victim is underwater, the Grindylow has a +5 DB to such attacks.
• 
  
• Small:When a Grindylow's small size may be beinficial, roll Gift. When it may be detrimental, roll Weakness.

Million Colored Sun Banner by James V. West

Plot type

Introductory Adventure

Related Characters

• Lann Síne
• Moira Bellows

Related Organizations

• Clan Bellows
• Knights of Oberon

Related Locations

• Chapel d'Angoisse
• Tyr Cogadh
• Witchwood

Drak Raider by Steve Johns

Moira Bellows by Steve Johnson

Lann Sine by Steve Johnson

Demonling by Made with Artbreeder

Red Witch by Steve Johnson