Adventure April: Les Tomes des Demons
Adventure Overview
The Dark Squander has intel about a powerful book that was believed lost to time. No one has ever been able to prove the existence of Les Tomes des Demons but through undisclosed connections, a map to its last rumored location has unearthed. The leader of the Squander, Tomas Alma, has promised to pay a handsome reward should you bring the book back.
Plot points/Scenes
Finding Wytherwood
- To follow the map from Poin to the mystery destination takes at least 3 days/2 nights of travel
- Possible encounters along the way
- A bandit camp that attempts to rob the party
- There is a caravan off to the side of the road and a small family of dragonborns huddled around what looks to be a roadside altar dedicated to the Angel of Safe Travels, Zaliah; covered in small offerings of food items, coins and trinkets. Provided the party makes a donation/offering to the shrine, they may roll a d100 and add the value of their offering (single highest valued item if multiple are donated). If they score 95 or more, they receive a small blessing for their journey.
- A hooded figure stands in a bend on the road. (It speaks with three voices in order: Deep, Normal, Very High Pitch: GO NO FURTHER PAY FIFTEEN GOLD. The figure is in reality three kobolds in a cloak. They will draw six daggers if the party refuses to pay a 15g tithe).
- A pre-teen boy sneaks into the camp to attempt to steal goods from the cart while the party sleeps.
- There is a lush, peaceful flower field and should the party choose to interact with the field, a death vine will attack
- The party arrives in Wytherwood
The Tour & Getting to the Church
- Bessie Bones: owns and runs the local tavern, a ghost. She's the only human-like specter (everyone else has given up their humanity), leads the tour of town ending with a stop at the tavern. Bessie has lived here since the 600s. Bessie refuses to acknowledge the church on the corner of town.
- Occasionally, the church bell will ring during the tour
- First bell ring - static air feeling
- Second bell ring - cobblestones under feet feel like they turn over
- Third bell ring - hear buildings grinding as they move
- Getting to the Church - the path to the church is hidden and any attempts to access it will just dump the person back off in a loop unless the town bells are rung
- DC 15 perception check each time to see the straight path to the church
- There are bell towers scattered around town that once rung (15 or higher) will reveal the path to the church enough for a full round of movement
- From the tavern its about 4 bell rings to get to the church
- The door to the church is unlocked.
Meeting Emrys & Learning about Les Tome des Demons
- Entering the church to the left is a column with stairs going up
- Upstairs leads to a small landing with a few beds; going further up leads to the church bells
- The column to the right are stairs that lead down to catacombs/crypt
- The church itself is just an open shot from front to back. There are bookshelves, statues, and art lining walls.
- There is an alcove with books and a little study area
- The other alcove is a dining area with a cooking area
- The back of the atrium is filled with old rickety seating that had enough seats to fit all the people of Wytherwood. There is an altar and a statue of what used to be the Divine of Terra - but it looks like their features have been obscured (chiseled off or broken off with magic). The altar appears to be in good shape and like it's still in use - unlike the seating.
- On the altar is a small tapestry laid out like a table cloth, a dagger, some bowls, a cup of holy water, candles, half burned incense, and several piles of ash and dirt.
- The disc at the front of the altar is Telix's symbol (North star with diamonds)
- The Keeper (Emrys) is a very, very old human man (impossibly old). He has hazel eyes that seem to twinkle like stars and fire. Long white hair & beard. He's wearing very faded black robes. He has a leather belt around his waist with a bottle of holy water and a dagger in its sheath.
- Emrys doesn't remember much of the outside world. He knows he was sent here by his uncle to guard the city after his father who was stationed here died. He does not remember when that happened.
- The task of protecting the book has been passed from father to son down his family lineage for as long as he could trace it. He was raised by his uncle, Zenik, who taught him the magic he would need.
- He remembers others that have tried to come study with him or learn about the Tome. He remembers sending them to fetch items needed to complete their requests but none ever came back. He assumes they decided it wasn't worth the hassle.
- He remembers his uncle helping him entomb all the people who died alongside his father down in the crypt below the church. His uncle drowned himself in the river after and Emrys buried him with the rest of the people.
- The Keeper is waiting for someone to replace him. He is old and tired and would like to be buried with his family below the church. He asks several questions of the party to see if they will be a good fit for his replacement (roll 1d10 3 times to determine questions):
- If you could change one event from your past, what would it be and why?
- What is more important - truth or happiness and why?
- Do you think all individuals should be equal? Why or why not?
- Does hardship make a person stronger? If so, under what conditions and at what point is it too much?
- What kind of person do you think you are?
- What is your greatest fear?
- Why are buildings called buildings if they're already built?
- If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
- If two mind-reading people read each other's minds, whose mind are they reading?
- If you draw a blank, what does it look like?
- The Keeper has the bone and leather cover of the tome hidden inside the altar with a secret compartment. He keeps one volume of the pages on his person at all time in a leather binding. He does not allow anyone to touch it but he can be persuaded to show both the cover and the volume to the party with a DC 10 Charisma skill check (persuasion or intimidation)
- The cover has a gold leaf/inlaid symbol on the cover of fiend horns with a northstar in the center.
- The other 2 volumes are spread around the church (1 piece in the Crypt downstairs, 1 in the small library/study in the church)
The Crypt
- One part of the tome is kept in the Church's crypt - once the party enters the crypt, they can see an altar in the center of the room with the volume displayed.
- Attempting to retrieve the tome will trigger the guardians (several specters and a zombie ogre). The guardians primary focus is driving out anyone who approaches the tome volume and will try to surround the tome to prevent anyone being able to retrieve it.
- Once all guardians have been defeated, the party is able to retrieve the tome.
The Library/Study
- Another part of the tome is kept in an ornate, box atop a small bookshelf that cannot be moved. The box will not open and there is no visible keyhole to unlock it. There are 5 distinctly designed shelves with various book titles. To unlock the box and reveal another glowing volume, the party must put the correct books on the correct shelves (optional: defeat a bookcase mimic).
Shelf One
Category: War
Description: made of metal and appears battered and damaged. Painted Black.
Books:
- Siege Weapons of the Last Century
- War: A Personal Recollection
- Warrior of the Open Plains
- Fields of Glory
- Fey Charms & Wards
Doesn’t Belong: Fey Charms & Wards (Magic)
Does Belong: Swordsmen of the Southern Sea (Shelf 3)
Shelf Two
Category: Celestial phenomena
Description: This shelf is made of wood but is painted purple with various symbols for sun, moon and stars painted in gold.
Books:
- Harvest Sun
- Hunter’s Moon
- Lunar Cycles
- Rain of Heaven
- Stellar Alignments and Conjunctions
Doesn’t Belong: Rain of Heaven (Magic)
Does Belong: Tidal Wisdom and Where It Comes From (Shelf 3)
Shelf Three
Category: Magic
Description: This shelf is made of translucent glass with a blue tint, it almost appears to glow.
Books:
- Magic Yourself Irresistible
- Swordsmen of the Southern Sea
- Tidal Wisdom and Where It Comes From
- Darkest Magic: A Warning Not A Guide
- Enchanting? Why Bother?!
Doesn’t Belong: Swordsmen of the Southern Sea (War), Tidal Wisdom and Where It Comes From (Celestial)
Does Belong: Fey Charms and Wards (Shelf 1), Rain of Heaven (Shelf 2)
Shelf Four
Category: Stories/fiction/tales
Description: This shelf is made of wood and is of simple design, almost humble looking, reminding you of a childhood shelf in your own room.
Books:
- Tales of a Dwarven Mage
- The Tragedy of Quinn Wex
- Knowing Your Carnivorous Plants
- Lady DeWinter’s Betrayal
- A Wandering Minstrel
Doesn’t Belong: Knowing Your Carnivorous Plants (Guides)
Does Belong: The Greatest Thief: Fool’s Gold (Shelf 5)
Shelf Five
Category: Guides & Instructional
Description: This Shelf is made of Stone and appears very sturdy and practical, there is little decoration but its straight edges are crafted perfectly.
Books:
- The Merchant’s Guide to Vontyre’s Pass
- The King’s Instruction: Hunting Boar
- Hard Tack and Gruel: A Ship’s Cookbook
- The Greatest Thief: Fool’s Gold
- Shipbuilding on the Western Seas
Doesn’t Belong: The Greatest Thief: Fool’s Gold (Tales)
Does Belong: Knowing Your Carnivorous Plants (Shelf 4)
The Final Volume
Once the party returns to Emrys with the two volumes, he will retrieve the cover from the altar and assemble the tome. If the party attempts to take the tome to fulfill the request from Tomas, Emrys will be hostile and attempt to defeat the party. Upon his defeat, the corrupted souls of Wytherwood will be freed and Bessie will find peace.
Should a member of the party choose to fulfill the role of the new Keeper of the Tome, Emrys will entrust the tome to the player before turning to ash. The town of Wytherwood will remain unchanged, the souls still trapped.
This mini (potentially one-shot) adventure was originally designed as part of a homebrew campaign, The First Eldritch Shitshow. The adventure was designed for D&D 5e or 5.5e with 3-5 adventurers at level 3. It is likely able to be scaled for party size and levels as well as modified for additional RPG systems.
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