The Adventure Begins
The adventure begins as the characters travel toward the town of
Leilon. The settlement has been destroyed and rebuilt many times in its long history, and currently well underway in the process of being rebuilt yet again.
The settlers tasked with rebuilding Leilon were funded by the Lord Protector of
Neverwinter, Dagult Neverember. Lord Neverember hopes the town can act as a safe waypoint between the cities of Neverwinter and
Waterdeep, as well as protect travelers from threats originating in the swampy
Mere of Dead Men.
As the adventure progresses, the characters become embroiled in the power struggle that unfolds between the settlers of Leilon and terrible forces that seek their destruction.
Adventure Background
Two forces of evil rise nearby, eager to control the region around
Leilon and eventually the
Sword Coast. The first is a cult of
Talos, god of storms, led by the priestess Fheralai Stormsworn. The cult’s headquarters are inside an undead battleship beached near a temple of Talos called the
Tower of Storms.
At the same time, Ularan Mortus, a priest of the god of death
Myrkul, and his followers are raising an army of undead to lay siege to the city of
Neverwinter. The spirit of the dead
black dragon Chardansearavitriol, also known as Ebondeath, aids Ularan Mortus in exchange for help finding and seizing the body of a living
dragon to inhabit.
The people of Leilon are completely unaware of these threats, as they focus on more immediate dangers, like the wild animals and monstrous beasts lairing in the
Mere of Dead Men. As the adventurers interact with the villagers, helping them fight off the immediate dangers, the specters of these two larger threats begin to grow and take shape.
This adventure begins at a modest roadside inn, where the characters can make some friends and get the first taste of the larger battle in which they are about to become embroiled.
Attack on the Wayside Inn
As the adventurers travel toward
Leilon, they pass the Wayside Inn, which is being attacked by undead creatures. The adventurers can thwart the attack and meet the residents of the inn, learning a bit about Leilon in the process.
Location Overview
Many enterprising hostellers have tried to maintain an inn where the Triboar Trail meets the High Road. Some have succeeded for many years before falling victim to monsters or bandits. Others have given up relatively quickly, when the dangers become apparent.
The current owner of the Wayside Inn is Martisha Vinetalker (N female
half-elf bandit captain), a striking
half-elf whose pleasing features contrast with her tough demeanor. She is cold, calculating, charismatic, and knows how to run a business with ruthless efficiency and an eye for profit.
The bartender is Backes Dunfield (CE male
Illuskan human gladiator), a
human with a scarred face and a crooked smile. He started working for Martisha six months ago and quickly proved himself a valuable lieutenant.
The cook is Cooragh Struckt (CE female
half-orc cult fanatic), a
half-orc who has been a close friend and confidante of Martisha for many years. Cooragh is famous for her incredibly tasty, and alarmingly well-spiced, stews and meat pies.
Undead Attack
This encounter occurs at night. As the characters approach the junction of the Triboar Trail and the High Road, set the scene:
| An oddly shaped building sits at the juncture of the Triboar Trail and the High Road. Two entrances into the building are apparent: a smaller one at the northern corner, and a larger one, suitable for beasts of burden and wagons, near the first.
Right now, both sets of doors are under attack by humanoid figures. They have already breached the smaller door, and they are starting to make cracks in the larger. |
The smaller doorway leads into a cloak room, and another door bars the way into the common room from there. The larger doors lead into the courtyard, where there are stables and a smithy.
The attacking creatures are comprised of four
zombies, and two
wraiths. The zombies are the only ones attacking the building. The wraiths come out of the darkness after the party approaches the zombies.
The zombies don’t notice the party until the adventurers are within 60 feet of them, or until the party attacks. Then all the monsters turn their focus from the building to the party, who are easier to reach.
If the zombies are defeated and examined, each bears a brand on its forehead in the shape of a skull. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check reveals that this mark was probably used as part of a ritual to create the creatures, and that it is similar to the symbol of the death god
Myrkul.
The people within the Wayside Inn have barred the doors and windows, hoping the zombies would be unable to breach the doors.
Aftermath
Assuming the adventurers defeat the threat, the occupants unbar the doors and windows, allowing the party entrance.
Martisha is thankful, but not ebullient in her praise or her rewards. She offers the characters food for their efforts, but not drink or lodging. The inn is of modest quality. Backes and the other occupants, however, make sure the characters drink for free this night. A traveling merchant also offers to pay for the characters’ lodging for the evening:
- Martisha sits in the corner at a lone table, poring over records and watching the business. She answers any attempts at conversation curtly. She wants to partner with the settlers of Leilon to set up a mutual protection pact, as well as a trade pact where she sells her vegetables and livestock in return for the goods they will produce.
- Backes keeps the ale flowing all night for the adventurers. He tells them that he gave up a life as a privateer (that is, a pirate) to get into business on land. He works the bar and assists Martisha, but he hopes to someday open his own place in Neverwinter or Waterdeep. He wears a pendant around his neck in the shape of a trident, which he says the crew of his last ship wore as a way to appease the many sea gods.
- Cooragh only emerges from the kitchen long enough to thank the adventurers and give them a piece of her special pork pie. It is very spicy, but delicious for those who can stomach the burn. On her neck, beneath each ear, are tattoos of curved daggers. If asked, she admits she got them because she knew it would upset her mother, a human from Luskan. It was a foolish youthful folly, she says.
- The smith who works at the Wayside Inn smithy is a strapping woman called Teega (CE female Illuskan human berserker) who can wield a hammer in each hand like a titan. Her anvil is forged in the shape of a dolphin, and at night she drinks at the bar with the other patrons. She met Backes after his life as a pirate ended, and she hopes to join him in setting up a business in a city at some point. She makes jewelry in her spare time and wears a set of bronze bracers shaped like three lightning bolts. She proudly displays three suits of plate armor that she created, each bearing the same symbol as the design of her bracers.
- A young halfling named Silla Scalesweep (N female lightfoot halfling commoner) sits at a table, humming to herself. She is traveling from Neverwinter to Leilon, hoping to get hired on as a fisher. She wears her long hair in five braids atop her head, and she is very talkative. She also plays the harmonica quite well and is keen to have an audience.
- Tarbin Tul (LN male Shou human bard) is a traveling bard who wanders the High Road, seeking new songs to add to his already impressive repertoire. Tarbin sits by the fire, singing along to Silla’s ditties on the harmonica. He gladly buys a drink for anyone who helped drive off the undead.
- Also in the inn are servers, farmers who work small fields nearby that supply the inn with food in return for protection and shelter on the inn’s land, farmers who provide meat and milk, and other laborers. A few of these people came here because of Backes, and they serve him within the Cult of Talos.
After their time at the Wayside Inn, the characters can travel along the High Road to reach
Leilon. Silla asks if she can travel with the party. If they say no, she simply follows behind them at a short and indiscrete distance, forlornly playing a sad tune on her harmonica at the thought of being shunned by the party.
Exploring Leilon
Leilon is a partially ruined town encircled by an earthen rampart. At the center of town, the House of Thalivar, a wizard tower, rises like a beacon, four times the height of every other building. The characters can explore the key establishments within Leilon, but their main focus should be on the town council located in the Town Hall.
The Quest Board
This adventure does not use a “quest board.” Instead, the town council usually introduces potential quests to the characters. Many of the quests in the adventure happen at the spur of the moment, so rather than having the characters learn about the needs of the town on a board, one of the four members of the town council will approach the characters directly.
The characters can be called upon to complete any of the other quests, except for the final quest. These quests are provided by various members of the Leilon community. These can be completed in any order.
Aid from Phandalin
The town council asks the characters to accompany a
gnome goatherder to
Phandalin to sell her
goats, as well pick up supplies needed by the town.
Foul Weather at Wayside
This quest is triggered when the town notices that, on an otherwise fair day, a terrible storm rages in the distance, directly above the Wayside Inn. The town council, concerned about the phenomenon and anyone caught in it, asks the party to investigate.
House of Thalivar
On a random evening, the party encounters soldiers fleeing from the House of Thalivar in fear. The soldiers are too afraid to return, asking the party to investigate and check on the well-being of Gallio Elibro, the wizard in charge of the towers rebuilding.
Missing Patrol
One of the residents of the town, Breltora Red-Eye (LG female
Tethyrian human commoner), notes that one of the patrols into the
Mere of Dead Men is late to return. Although the town council is not concerned, the party can still choose to look for them.
Thunder Cliffs
The final quest in this adventure takes place at
Thunder Cliffs, where the local anchorite threat is based. There is no trigger or giver for this quest, since the location and significance of the threat is only learned after performing the other quests.
Leveling Up
Characters advance in level by completing quests. Regardless of the number of characters in the party, they gain a level when they complete three quests, and then again when they complete the remaining two quests.
Aid from Phandalin
To complete the Aid from Phandalin quest, the adventurers must escort the goatherd and her flock to
Phandalin, pick up the goods at Barthen’s Provisions, and survive the separate attacks of the forces of the necromancer Ularan Mortus and the Cult of
Talos.
Location Overview
The town of
Phandalin rests along the Triboar Trail between the High Road and town of
Triboar. Nestled into the hills of the
Sword Mountains, it has become a bustling area of trade and mining since brave heroes vanquished some of the threats to the area.
Travel to Phandalin
The town council approaches the characters one morning and asks them to undertake a mission. One of the town residents, a
gnome named Pinchwit Wigglehoof (LN female
rock gnome commoner), is an expert goatherder. But her flock is no normal herd. She raises
giant goats, excellent producers of milk and meat, and even their
goat-hair is highly valued for its tensile strength and warmth.
Elmar Barthen, proprietor of Barthen’s Provisions in
Phandalin, is brokering a deal with a wealthy
Waterdhavian merchant to sell some of Pinchwit’s stock for a very lucrative profit. As a goatherd in the employ of Dagult Neverember and the town of
Leilon, Pinchwit’s profits are the town’s profits.
However, part of the deal is that the goats must be brought to Phandalin. While Pinchwit is an excellent goatherd, she is less capable as a fighter. She and her goats need an escort from Leilon to Phandalin.
The distance from Leilon to Phandalin is only twenty-one miles or so, but the route goes through grasslands unsullied by anything resembling a road or a path. Pinchwit wants to keep the flock off the main roads.
Additionally, goats are not the most obedient animals in the wide kingdom of creatures. They can only travel about three miles per day, making the trip to Phandalin a seven-day ordeal. And with a couple hundred unruly goats, what could possibly go wrong?
Goat Check
At some point during the trip, a pair of
wyverns fly above the goat-train heading for Phandalin. The wyverns do not attack; even with their limited intelligence, they understand that such a large group of people could prove dangerous to them.
The
giant goats, however, panic at the sight of these large predators, causing them to flee in every direction. The characters must do everything in their power to keep the goats together, because the wyverns do not hesitate to pick off stragglers.
When the goats bolt, each character can attempt a DC 10 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. If at least half of the checks succeed, the characters manage to keep the herd together, and the wyverns move on to easier pickings. If the checks fail, the herd breaks up, leaving many goats vulnerable to wyvern attacks. If this happens, the characters have a choice:
- They can stay together, saving half the herd but losing many of the giant goats to the wyvern attack. This reduces that money that the town could make from the merchant.
- They can split up and each go after one of the groups of giant goats that split off. That means, however, that half the group must fight one wyvern, and the other half must fight the other, and they are 3000 feet away from each other, likely unable to help each other.
Hungry Ogres
One night (or day if the situation dictates), while the traveling
giant goat show is resting for the evening, a family of
ogres catches their scent. Being ogres, always hungry and particularly grumpy around
goats, the ogres decide to attack.
Assuming some of the characters are sleeping for the night, anyone on guard duty with a Passive Perception of 15 or higher notices that the goats are getting restless. This gives those on guard three rounds to wake up any sleepers and take precautions.
After three rounds, seven
ogres charge out of the darkness and begin grabbing goats. When the characters intervene, the ogres drop the goats and attempt to smash the adventurers.
Arrival
When the characters arrive in
Phandalin, Pinchwit scurries off to Barthen’s Provisions to finalize the deal. The characters are free to go to the merchant’s establishment with her, or they can explore the town.
Because they have previously killed the
white dragon terrorizing the town, the characters are greeted as heroes wherever they go. Townsfolk who know them offer free food and drink, with plenty of handshakes, pats on the back, and requests for autographs.
Stonehill Inn
While the characters are in the common room at night, Toblen looks up as the door opens. The door closes quickly without anyone entering, and Toblen shakes his head in wonder. He says he thinks it was Argus Skeel who just opened the door and left immediately. Skeel is a newcomer who claims to be a prospector but never seems to be prospecting. He only comes around at night.
If the characters leave quickly, they can spot Skeel ducking into an abandoned shack on the edge of town with a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check. Skeel, actually a
vampire spawn, lives in the cellar of this building with six
ghouls that he commands.
If the characters follow Skeel into the shack, they cannot find him. A DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds the secret door in the floor leading to the basement, where the undead hide. If the characters find and deal with them here, the undead don’t attack as the characters try to leave town.
Lionshield Coster
Linene has a new assistant, a red-haired
elf going by the name of Velleen Firecrow (CE female
Damaran human master thief). Velleen makes deliveries and manages trade in the surrounding area, with a team of six
kobold dragonshields who seem to adore her. Velleen is also a member of the Cult of
Talos, acting as a spy for the comings and goings in
Phandalin.
If the characters find the Talos symbol at the Shrine of Luck and show it to Linene, she recognizes it as something Velleen wears as a brooch, although she hasn’t seen her wearing it in a couple of days.
If the characters approach Velleen about her lost brooch, the cultist and her
kobold servants attack. If they are defeated, the characters do not have to face them later as they pack to leave the town.
Barthen's Provisions
Thistle knows useful information, but is reluctant to talk. If the characters push him for information, he can be prompted to talk with a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check. He then admits that he has taken a liking to Velleen, the new assistant at the Lionshield Coster. They were spending time together, getting to know each other, when she started talking about some scary stuff. She believes the Stormlord is going to come and wipe out the weak and the nonbelievers, and that he should join her. He’s avoided her since then.
Shrine of Luck
If the characters visit the shrine, the place is empty, and looks ransacked. There is no sign of anyone who worked here, but with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, the characters find a silver pin displaying three parallel lightning bolts. This should indicate to them that worshippers of
Talos are in town.
Townmaster's Hall
Harbin Wester, the townmaster and a wealthy banker, is polite if the characters see him, although he seems to be worried and fretful - more so than usual. If the characters ask, he confides in them that the weather has been particularly fierce recently. Winds have come out of nowhere and damaged buildings, and three people have been struck by lightning.
Also, a few people seem to have gone missing over the last couple of tendays. No one can say for sure, because the people who may be missing are visitors or travelers with no ties to
Phandalin. It’s possible that they simply left town, but some of them seemed to indicate that they were going to be around longer.
The Attack
When the characters are at the end of their visit, the spies from both the Cult of
Talos and the followers of
Myrkul independently decide they are too big a threat to let live (if the characters have already dealt with both spies, this encounter doesn’t happen).
As the characters prepare to leave, storm clouds descend and block the sun. Argus Skeel the
vampire spawn and six
ghouls approach. If it is daylight, Argus wears heavy clothes to protect himself.
At the same time, Velleen Firecrow (CE female
Damaran human master thief) and six
kobold dragonshields approach from the other direction.
As the combat begins, the two evil groups recognize each other, and also attack one another when appropriate.
Aftermath
After the characters have dealt with the spies, either individually through investigation or at once as they are packing to leave, the characters can search them for clues.
The
ghouls working for Skeel bear the same skull marks at the ones who attacked the Wayside Inn. Skeel’s clothes are riddled with thorns and barbed seeds from plants that are only found in the
Mere of Dead Men. This can indicate to the characters that the larger undead threat may stem from that marsh.
Velleen and her
kobolds each conceal hidden symbols of the Cult of
Talos. She also carries a case containing a pair of lenses and a note in Common that says, “The lenses show the secrets of the map.” If these lenses are used to view the map found in the basement of the Wayside Inn, it reveals secret writing that points out various other locations of Cult of Talos activity up and down the
Sword Coast, with the
Thunder Cliffs circled as the central hub of activity.
Foul Weather at Wayside
To complete the Foul Weather at Wayside quest , the adventurers must defeat the cultists of
Talos at the Wayside Inn, destroy the shrine of Talos before it is fully activated, rescue the sacrifices, and find clues to the location of the cultists’ hideout at the
Thunder Cliffs.
Location Overview
Most of the staff employed at the Wayside Inn are cultists of Talos who follow the dark teachings of Fheralai Stormsworn, a priest of the Stormbringer. Although the inn’s owner does not know this, the bartender, Backes Dunfield, is a lieutenant of Stormsworn, fully pledged to the subjugation of the
Sword Coast by his master. The rest of the cultists at the Wayside Inn see Backes as their leader however, to be protected and obeyed in any circumstance.
The local cultists have received orders to kidnap a local bard, Tarbin Tul, and then turn the Wayside Inn into a shrine to Talos. From this point, they would establish a series of shrines up and down the High Road, allowing them to bend the weather to their will and choke off travel and trade between the civilized areas of the northern Sword Coast.
As they draw power into the shrine within the Wayside Inn, the cultists summon storms to do the bidding of their master. This results in foul weather and raging skies appearing right above the inn, while the rest of the area is sunny and calm. If the adventurers can intervene in time, they can stop the ritual and save Leilon from destructive weather in their immediate future.
Travel to the Inn
One morning, the adventurers awake to a beautiful, sunny day. To the north, however, in the direction of the Wayside Inn, storm clouds are gathering: very strange storm clouds in the shape of three swirling lightning bolts.
The town council sees this strange phenomenon and becomes concerned. Earlier that morning a group of settlers left to pick up supplies at the inn. The council asks the adventurers to investigate immediately.
As the party is gathering their equipment and preparing to leave town, the group of settlers dispatched earlier returns, without the goods they were sent to retrieve. The group is soaking wet, and one of the larger carts is being pulled by one
draft horse instead of two.
One of the two guards that was accompanying the caravan, Carlen (CG male
scourge aasimar veteran), reports that when the group got within a mile of the inn, the weather became so violent they couldn’t continue. The driving rain, fierce winds, and hailstones the size of apples impeded progress to a crawl, and then one of the horses was struck by lightning and killed.
When they retreated just a few hundred yards back down the High Road toward
Leilon, the weather was perfectly calm again. The group decided not to risk trying to complete the journey to the inn, but the other soldier sent to guard the caravan agreed to stay and keep an eye on the situation.
Encounters on the Way
When the characters get to the point where the bad weather starts, the soldier who stayed behind to observe is being attacked by the three suits of armor (the characters might remember the armor from the Wayside Inn on their previous visit).
Use the following text to set the scene:
| A wall of storms surges and howls in the distance. The sunny, mild weather gives way immediately to rain and hail, violent winds, and electrical discharges. Passing in and out of the wall are three figures in plate armor, each swinging a flail at a lone figure in splint armor wielding a longsword. The lone fighter, taking on the three in plate, wears the emblem of the Leilon garrison. |
The soldier, named Emmalou (CG female
Tethyrian human veteran), is fighting off three
air elemental myrmidons. These suits of armor were the same ones crafted by the Wayside Inn’s blacksmith, Teega. If any character stole a suit of the armor and is wearing it now, it falls off the character and animates as another hostile air elemental myrmidon!
If a character is hit with a lightning strike attack from any of the myrmidons, and then fails their saving throw and becomes stunned, a mark resembling three parallel lightning bolts appears on their head. It can only be removed by a
remove curse spell, and its effects are noted later in this quest.
The combat takes place at the edge of where the stormy weather rages. The air elemental myrmidons are bolstered by the storm but are weaker when outside it. The edge of the storm expands outward at a rate of 5 feet per round, on initiative count 20.
If the myrmidons are within the storm, their melee attacks are made with advantage. If they can be tempted outside the storm’s area, they attack with disadvantage and have disadvantage on saving throws. They move out of the storm only if they have no targets to attack in melee within the storm.
If the characters defeat the myrmidons and Emmalou is still alive, the salty and experienced survivor of many battles can relay the following additional information:
- The stormy area is slowly growing larger. Emmalou had to retreat several hundred yards to remain outside the zone. She has no idea what is causing it, but such blatant and powerful forces of magic are nothing she wants to be involved with if she has a choice in the matter.
- When she was in the stormy area, the lightning was everywhere, but it never struck the suits of armor even though they were made of metal.
- She was almost struck a few times, but she kept repeating prayers to Talos, and she thinks that is the only thing that saved her.
- She does not want to enter the stormy area and does not do so unless a character convinces her with a successful DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check.
Lightning Strikes
When the characters enter the storm zone around the Wayside Inn, they must contend with the weather, which becomes an enemy more deadly than most they have faced.
As the party travels to the Wayside Inn through the storm, each character rolls a d6 for the number of times they are struck by lightning as they approach. If a character attempts to pray to
Talos and succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check, they are not hit by any of the strikes.
For each strike, a character must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 3d6 lightning damage, or no damage on a successful save.
Any characters carrying the cursed symbol of Talos from the fight with the
air elemental myrmidons has disadvantage on those saving throws as well as on the checks to pray to Talos to be spared.
Arrival
When the characters arrive at the inn, use the following text to describe the situation outside the inn:
| The buffeting winds and violent precipitation grow more intense the closer you get to the inn. Your vision is hampered to the point you can only see clearly within thirty feet.
Lights coming from the inn reveal a strange scene. Six humanoid creatures stand at the main doors, the same doors that the undead creatures were attacking the first time you encountered this place. The figures seem to be pounding on the doors, although they are hampered by the weather. |
The Victims
The creatures clawing at the doors are not monsters at all. The cultists have used
tridents to impale six humanoids victims to the doors, leaving them to die as offerings to power their terrible ritual.
Once characters are within 30 feet of the poor souls, they can attempt a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, with disadvantage due to the pouring rain, to realize that these people are staked to the doors by tridents and trying to pull themselves off. They each only have 1 hit point and are restrained. The people include the following:
Unless the tridents can be pulled out with a soft touch, requiring a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Wisdom (Medicine) check, the removal does 1d8 piercing damage, and easily kills the victim.
Inside the Inn
The cultists of
Talos are performing a ritual inside the Wayside Inn. The doors and windows to the building are locked but can be opened with a successful DC 15 Dexterity (
Thieves' Tools) check using. Also, the doors and windows have an AC of 12 and break with 25 points of damage.
Magical runes, as per the
glyph of warding spell, protect the cloak room and barn doors. If the party opens the doors without first removing or disabling the runes, they take thunder damage as per the spell.
A window at the back of the inn on the second floor is open. A successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to climb to the window gives characters access to the inn without having to go through the more dangerous front doors.
In the common area and courtyard, the ritual is underway to fully activate the statue of Talos, which is currently in the basement.
Backes (CE male
Illuskan human gladiator) leads the chanting in the common area as two
cult fanatics walk back and forth between the common area and the courtyard, making sure the ritual is progressing according to plan. Spread out between the two areas are four
cultists, guarding several bound victims who will be sacrificed at the conclusion of the ritual.
The ritual takes 10 minutes to complete after the characters arrive on the scene. If they do nothing but watch, the chanting from inside gets louder, the weather gets darker and even more dangerous, and terrible faces appear in the clouds.
The cultists believe they cleared the rooms of all guests, using them as sacrifices to power their ritual. However, one sneaky individual avoided capture.
In the posh room at the end of the hallway (Room C), a
gnome named Cray Onderquill (LG female
rock gnome apprentice mage) hides beneath the bed. She was traveling from
Neverwinter to
Waterdeep on an errand for her master, and she decided to stay the night. When the cultists began grabbing people, she used
disguise self to imitate a cultist, and then snuck away here to hide. She thought about climbing out the window but is afraid the fall might kill her. She is willing to help the characters in an assault on the cultists, if only by lending her expertise in Arcana to figure out what’s happening with the ritual.
Cray also reveals that not all the captives taken by cultists were impaled on the doors: the inn’s owner, Martisha Vinetalker, was dragged into the basement, and a local bard, Tarbin Tul, was taken away on horseback. Cray thinks the cultists had strict orders to capture the bard alive, as she heard them talking about being careful with Tul.
The basement houses the shrine to Talos, where the energy from the ritual is being focused. When the characters lower themselves through the trap door into the basement, use the following text to set the scene:
| Crates, barrels, and other containers holding food and drink have been pushed aside to make room for a large copper statue at the far side of the room. The statue depicts a four-armed storm god holding lightning bolts in each hand.
Before the statue stands Teega the smith. In the corner behind the statue, Martisha, the inn’s owner, is bound with rope. Her face is bruised and bloodied, but she bears no mortal wounds. |
Teega (CE female
Illuskan human berserker) stands proudly before the statue. The statue of Talos, a Huge statue under the effects of an
animate object spell, moves toward the characters, its face twisted in rage.
The ritual has created a connection between Teega and the statue. Until the statue is deactivated, Teega cannot be dropped below 1 hit point.
Lightning flows between the statue and Teega because of this connection. With a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check, the details of the connection are understood. The corresponding lightning bolt symbols on the statue and Teega’s bracers power this connection. As an action, a character within 5 feet of either the statue or Teega can attempt a DC 20 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. On a success, the connection is broken, Teega drops to 0 hit points immediately, and the statue takes 4d10 force damage from the lost connection.
Martisha Vinetalker (N female
half-elf bandit captain), owner of the Wayside Inn, is bound in the corner, watching the proceedings with a mix of anger and terror. If the adventurers free her, she joins the battle to help the party defeat the threat. Although she’s now a respectable innkeeper, Martisha is a former pirate whose weapons are close at hand.
Aftermath
If the characters can defeat the cultists and the statue before 10 minutes have elapsed, the storms gathering above the inn dissipate immediately, returning the calm and peaceful weather to the area.
After 10 minutes have passed, the ritual has been completed. The characters can still defeat the enemies, but they must now deal with the weather. Until they defeat Fheralai Stormsworn, the weather along the
Sword Coast grows more and more volatile. Land travel becomes difficult as the days pass, and the seas become rough.
In sacks stored in the basement, the party finds 500 gp, five
potions of greater healing, a
call lightning spell scroll, and a
ring of water walking. More importantly, they find a clue to the location of the local headquarters of the Cult of
Talos.
The map shows a sketch of the
Sword Coast between
Waterdeep and
Neverwinter. Dozens of points are highlighted on the map, representing places where the Cult of Talos hopes to establish shrines. A defeat here sets those plans back months, if not years.
If used in conjunction with the magical lenses found in the following Aid from Phandalin quest, the characters can pinpoint a key location in the Cult of Talos’ plans: the
Thunder Cliffs.
House of Thalivar
To complete the
House of Thalivar quest, the adventurers must destroy Thalivar’s ghost or lay it to rest without harming Gallio Elibro.
Location Overview
Two hundred years ago, the wizard Thalivar settled in
Leilon and raised a high tower as a laboratory for his magical studies. Thalivar’s field of interest was the planes of existence. At the top of his tower he erected a planar beacon that shone into other worlds, drawing strange creatures like moths to a flame and paralyzing them for his studies. Over the years, the reclusive wizard filled the tower’s library with his research and built an impressive menagerie of monsters.
One summer, Thalivar stopped visiting the town for supplies. The locals who entered his tower to investigate didn’t return, and the House of Thalivar became a shunned site at the heart of Leilon, drawing adventures from afar to plumb its mysteries for treasure. When the cataclysmic Spellplague wracked Toril, the magic of the tower’s planar beacon was redirected outward into the town, freezing the inhabitants where they stood and bringing ruin to the settlement.
Forces from
Neverwinter tore down the planar beacon and are refurbishing the tower for use as a garrison building. These efforts are led by Gallio Elibro, a powerful wizard and teacher at the Order of Mercury magical academy.
Gallio has secret orders from his superiors to seize Thalivar’s research and rebuild the planar beacon in a stronger form. Unfortunately, his efforts are hampered by ghostly activities inside the tower, which have driven away his military work crew. Gallio is unaware that Thalivar’s spirit haunts the tower and possesses him each night to carry on its research!
Travel to the Tower
The
House of Thalivar perches on a rocky crag in the center of town. The locals shun the place, and the bluff is overgrown with brambles and thorn bushes. A beaten trail made by soldiers winds up to the foot of the tower.
Cowardly Soldiers
As the characters begin their ascent, they encounter four soldiers arguing on the path: Erlum (N female
Illuskan human guard), Koz (LG male
Shou human guard), Gori (N female
shield dwarf guard), and Sergeant Yorrum (LG male
Damaran human guard). All three guards wear the tabards of the
Neverwinter soldiery. The soldiers warn the characters against venturing up to the haunted tower. If questioned, they reveal the following information:
- The soldiers were working on the tower’s reconstruction, but they fled last night after seeing a ghost.
- Before seeing the ghost, they experienced many odd occurrences: missing tools, strange chills, and spooky whispers.
- The ghost manifested as an old man with wild hair and burning eyes. They were working on the tower’s third floor when it appeared.
- Their leader, the wizard Gallio Elibro, is still up at the tower. The soldiers are too scared to go up and check on him.
Any character who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check discerns that the soldiers are holding something back. If pushed, they reveal another clue: Gallio Elibro has been acting strangely. He appears overtired, and he’s been spotted at night wandering around in his nightgown and muttering to himself.
Strange Sighting
Nearing the top of the crag, the characters spot a figure watching from the crest of the hill: a dark-skinned
Turmish woman wearing
chain mail. She retreats as the group approaches and is soon lost from sight. Characters who’ve seen the painting of the Swords of Leilon notice a startling resemblance to one of the long dead heroes. When they reach the tower, the woman is nowhere to be seen.
Arrival
When the characters arrive at the tower, read the following text:
| A tall, ruined tower thrusts skyward from the summit of the crag. Its uppermost floor is blackened with soot and has been cracked open like an egg, with a fissure extending down one side of the building. Wooden scaffolds have been recently erected along this flank and work is clearly apace to rebuild the structure. At the foot of the tower, two ruined arches open into the interior. |
The tower is unguarded, and the only person present is the wizard Gallio Elibro.
Ghostly Farewell
If the characters succeed in laying Thalivar’s ghost to rest, they notice the same
Turmish woman they saw earlier when they descend the hill back to town. This time, she raises her sword in a silent salute before disappearing.
Missing Patrol
To complete the Missing Patrol quest, the adventurers must find and defeat the leaders of the
lizardfolk tribe, fight off any pursuing
rot trolls, and rescue the
humans taken prisoner. Some of these objectives can be achieved through negotiation or trickery, especially when dealing with the lizardfolk tribe.
A
half-orc stonemason named Breltora Red-Eye (NG female
half-orc commoner) approaches the characters one morning, a worried expression on her face. She is friends with one of the soldiers, Private Vester Jessup. He works under Sergeant Yorrum, and he was set into the
Mere of Dead Men as part of a regularly scheduled patrol. Vester told Breltora that Yorrum has them patrol the stretch of the High Road that runs along the edge of the terrible swamp to ensure that no dangerous creatures have established lairs there.
Since the reestablishment of
Leilon, none of these patrols have spotted anything more dangerous than a nest of snakes or a random
crocodile. For the first time, however, a patrol has failed to return. The latest patrol, comprised of four soldiers, including Private Vester, is a full two days late. Breltora asks the characters to find out what happened.
If the characters talk to Sergeant Yorrum (LG male
Damaran human guard), he brushes off their concerns with a lazy wave of his hand. He says he can’t spare any more of his troops to look into the missing soldiers, especially with the recent threats from the lightning worshippers and the undead. He tells the party that they can look for the missing soldiers if they want. If they ask for more information, he sighs and makes a production of pulling out a map to show the party the normal patrol area.
Location Overview
The
Mere of Dead Men is an expansive marsh that has been a bane to travelers along the High Road for centuries. All attempts to tame the wild swamp have failed, as countless threats call the area home: young
dragons,
trolls,
lizardfolk tribes, swamp beasts, and even more aberrant monsters. At best, the forces of civilization hope to keep the High Road safely passable to facilitate trade and travel between
Waterdeep and the lands of the north.
Recently, a relatively peaceful lizardfolk tribe living in the vicinity of the High Road was forced to relocate when a group of
rot trolls attacked their home. This attack pushed the lizardfolk to move closer to the High Road, putting them into conflict with travelers who assumed that their appearance was an attack. The lizardfolk defended themselves, taking
human prisoners, including the four soldiers from
Leilon.
The lizardfolk use most of the prisoners as a means to keep the rot trolls away from their traveling village. Prisoners are left tied up in cages, then the lizardfolk move in the opposite direction, hoping the trolls leave them alone in favor of the offering.
Travel in the Mere
As the party moves south on the High Road from
Leilon, they don’t find anything of import right away. Once they find evidence of trouble, they must move off the main path and deeper into the
Mere of Dead Men to investigate.
Traveling within the Mere requires ability checks to follow the
lizardfolk’s trail and avoid hazards and threats. Any time the party fails at one of these ability checks, roll on the table below.
| 2d6 | Event |
|---|
| 2-3 | Yuan-ti Scouts |
| 4-5 | Pit of Snakes |
| 6-8 | Quicksand and Crocodiles |
| 9-10 | Troll Brawl |
| 11-12 | Hydra Wranglers |
Yuan-ti Scouts
A
yuan-ti expedition from the serpent kingdom of Najara has been exploring the
Mere of Dead Men, assessing it as a location for colonization - and then to serve as a launch point for attacks in the north.
A
yuan-ti abomination acts as an advance scout for these expeditions. The party comes upon him as he devours a large
elk. The abomination does not wish anyone to know of the yuan-ti’s plans in this area, so he attempts to kill anyone who sees him.
Pit of Snakes
The characters lose the trail and wander into an area where swamp gas has built up beneath the surface of the
Mere of Dead Men. Characters who succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check realize the gas is present and understand its danger.
A pit of snakes opens to the right of the characters as they pass, and five
giant constrictor snakes emerge from the pit looking for a meal.
Any magical or normal fire larger than a
torch could ignite the swamp gas. Whenever a fire-based spell or effect is used, roll a d6. On a 1-2, the gas ignites. If the fire effect has an area, the area of the effect doubles. Also, treat all creatures in the area as being vulnerable to fire to approximate the extra damage done by the swamp gas.
Quicksand and Crocodiles
As the party loses the trail for a moment, they stumble into a dangerous part of the marsh with a 10-foot square, 20-foot deep pit of quicksand. Unless the character doing the tracking succeeds on a DC 18 Intelligence (Nature) check, they lead the party into it. When a creature enters the area, it sinks 1d4 + 1 feet into the quicksand and becomes restrained. At the start of each of the creature’s turns, it sinks another 1d4 feet.
If the creature isn’t completely submerged in quicksand, it can escape by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check, DC 10 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk already. A creature that is completely submerged in quicksand can’t breathe.
A creature not sunk in the quicksand can pull another creature within its reach out of a quicksand pit by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check, DC 5 plus the number of feet the target creature has sunk into the quicksand.
While the party deals with the quicksand, a
giant crocodile and two
crocodiles emerge from the swamp and attack.
Troll Brawl
While following the trail of the
lizardfolk, the party comes across three
trolls fighting over the remains of a lizardfolk who died at the hands of one of the
rot trolls. The trolls claw and bite each other, trying to take possession of the tasty lizardfolk remains.
When the characters find the trolls, they are each at half their starting hit points. If the characters can remain quiet, the trolls beat each other up even more, until they are all down to a quarter of their starting hit points.
One of the trolls carries a
sack, and in it there are three
vials of
acid.
Hydra Wranglers
After hearing rumors of a
hydra lairing in the
Mere of Dead Men, a
Waterdhavian circus owner hired a band of mercenaries to go into the swamp, locate the hydra, capture it, and bring it back to Waterdeep to be the main attraction in the circus. Little did the mercenaries realize that one does not simply capture a hydra.
The adventurers lose the correct trail and pick up on the trail of the mercenaries. When they arrive on the scene, five mercenaries are dead, and the remaining three
veterans are fleeing through the swamp, leaving the hydra's attention on the characters.
The
hydra has four active heads and 120. The mercenaries left behind five
flasks of
alchemist’s fire, and the dead mercenaries each carry 10 gp.
Tracking the Lizards
When the party arrives at the area where the map shows the start of the patrol route, they come upon a worrisome scene. Use the text below to describe the area:
| The map shows that the area you now travel is where the High Road runs into the edge of the Mere of Dead Men. The Leilon soldiers start their patrol into the Mere here. Just off the path, the wet earth is dug up by battle, and bloodstains dot the ground. |
An examination of the area finds a broken cart half-buried in the mud, a broken sword blade, and some buttons from a jacket worn by
Leilon soldiers. An obvious trail also leads west, deeper into the
Mere of Dead Men.
With a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check, the adventurers can also learn the following:
- A large number of tracks are apparent. Most are made by bipedal lizards of various sizes. Some are booted prints the size of humans.
- There are strange ruts in the mud that look like dual-tracked sleds. The ruts are deep enough that the sleds are probably pulling a great deal of weight.
- On top of the mud along the tracks are several trails of slimy residue, like those created by snails as they move.
Following the Tracks
Most of the time, the tracks are easy to follow. However, occasionally the trail runs through very swampy water, and tracking becomes more difficult.
In order to catch up to the lizardfolk tribe, the party must succeed on three DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) checks. On a failed check, roll on the table above for a random encounter in the swamp. Anyone attempting or aiding with the Survival checks to follow the tracks cannot attempt Wisdom (Perception) checks to spot random encounters, as they are too focused on the details of tracking.
After three successful Survival checks are attained, the characters come upon the lizardfolk tribe as they stop for a rest.
Fighting the Lizards
The characters have braved the swampland, tracking the
lizardfolk tribe and their mobile village. The lizardfolk have finally stopped to rest, giving the party the chance to catch them. As the characters come upon the lizardfolk, use the following text to set the scene:
| Ahead of you, the sound of murmuring and hissing voices rises above the droning of insects. Several carts fitted with sled rails are being pulled by large snails with thick appendages protruding from their heads. Most of the carts carry lizardfolk of various ages and size, but two of them bear cages. Each cage contains four humans, and you recognize four of them, by their uniform, as the soldiers you were sent to rescue.
A tall lizardfolk addresses the fifty or so of his fellows, and they scatter, performing the tasks of setting up camp. A larger, bestial-looking lizardfolk moves closer to the leader, as if waiting for directions. |
Adventurers who understand Draconic learn that the tall lizardfolk is the leader. He is ordering his followers to feed the prisoners and see to the needs of the rest of the group. He also orders the large lizardfolk next to him to go off into the swamp, scout for enemies, and bring back something to cook.
The eight
humans inside the two cages include the four soldiers from Leilon, one of whom is Private Vesper, as well as four humans who were part of a merchant caravan that foolishly attacked the lizardfolk when they saw the creatures moving through the swamp.
Lizardfolk Forces
The leader is a
lizardfolk subchief called Hissain. The large
lizardfolk with him is a
lizardfolk render whom the others call Slosh. The warriors who follow Hissain’s orders are normal
lizardfolk, and there are four of them. The sleds and cages are pulled by seven
flail snails, but only one of those creatures’ attacks (the one next to Hissain), unless they are attacked first. The rest of the tribe consists of forty unarmed young and old
lizardfolk and ten baby lizardfolk. The rest of the tribe fights only to defend themselves.
The Unfolding Situation
The party might handle this situation in several ways. If they are a typical adventuring party, they charge in without a plan. However, they might favor caution and knowledge over brute force.
A more cautious party can better catch the
lizardfolk unaware and might even learn more about the tribe’s own troubles. The subchief Hissain orders one of the lizardfolk to start boiling water to “leave the
trolls a distraction.” He then discusses plans, after the tribe has rested, to leave the cooked
humans here, and take the traveling village in a different direction to keep the tribe safe from the
rot trolls. This could give the party some information on a peaceful resolution.
If the party approaches peacefully and succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check while talking to Hissain, they might convince the lizardfolk to release the prisoners if the party defeat the rot trolls for them.
A Rotten Way to Die
The interactions between the party and the
lizardfolk tribe are interrupted when one of the
rot trolls infesting the area shows up, looking for dinner.
If the adventurers slaughtered the lizardfolk combatants without trying to parley, they have no assistance in fighting the rot troll. If the battle is still going on, all the remaining lizardfolk combatants immediately turn their attention to the
troll. This new situation might be the impetus for a peaceful resolution to hostilities between the lizardfolk and the party.
Defeating one rot troll is a good start, but in order to peacefully release the prisoners, the lizardfolk insist that the characters defeat a total of three rot trolls. They can accomplish this by hunting the remaining two
rot trolls in the swamp, or they can wait until the trolls come to them, which doesn’t take more than 24 hours after killing the first.
Aftermath
The party can rescue the prisoners either by defeating the
lizardfolk tribe, finding common ground with the tribe by defeating the
rot trolls, some combination of the two, or by coming up with a solution of their own.
If successful, the characters can free the four merchants, who offer a total of 500 gp for their rescue, and also lead the soldiers back to
Leilon. The merchants include Ingo Nachi (LG male
Chondathan human noble), Shingo Park (LE male
Shou human noble), Cornelia Thatcher (LE female
Tethyrian human noble), and Dan Gallo (LG male
Turami human noble), and the soldiers include Privates Vester Jessup (NG male
Chondathan human guard), Jefferson Harvey (LG male
Tethyrian human guard), Tera Aitken (CG female
Chondathan human guard), and Shaban El-Hashem (LG male
Calishite human guard).
If the characters were able to strike a deal with the lizardfolk tribe, they might even convince them to move closer to Leilon, where they can establish a mutual defense pact, trade of goods and food, or some other beneficial and peaceful coexistence.
Thunder Cliffs
To complete the Thunder Cliffs quest, the adventurers must find passage to the caves of the
Thunder Cliffs, navigate the deadly waters, make it to shore when their transportation goes awry, and then clear the caves of the dangers there.
Locations Overview
The
Thunder Cliffs were named by the people in the area for the sounds that the surf makes as it crashes into this high bluff overlooking the
Sea of Swords. The Cliffs rest along the coastline halfway between the
Mere of Dead Men and the city of
Neverwinter.
The caves at the base of the Thunder Cliffs were once a haven for pirates, smugglers, and legitimate seafaring vessels looking for a safe place to wait out coastal storms. The shore there is inaccessible except by sea, making it the perfect haven for sea travelers.
Unfortunately, the Cult of
Talos decided to use the caves of the Thunder Cliffs as a base of operations in the area, turning the place into a graveyard for ships and sailors alike. The priests used magic to install dangerous reefs in the area, proving deadly to vessels traveling the coast.
Now the cultists of Talos collect the goods from the wrecked ships to fund their operation. They imprison survivors from the wrecks to sell as slaves, to die in the twisted rites that honor their violent god, or to feed the monsters that share the caves with them.
Travel to the Cliffs
Using the map found in the quest Foul Weather at Wayside and the magical lenses found in the quest Aid from Phandalin, the adventurers should understand that the hub of cultist activity in the area is located at the
Thunder Cliffs.
Valdi Estapaar (LG female
half-elf commoner) is the best person in
Leilon to counsel the characters on finding passage to the Thunder Cliffs. Use the bullet points below to guide that conversation:
- The fishing boats used by the fishing fleet of Leilon are not capable of making the trip to the Thunder Cliffs. The seas have been too rough, and the waves on the open ocean would crush the smaller fishing vessels. However, the town of Leilon will pay for the characters’ passage on another vessel.
- Valdi can, however, use her knowledge of the seafarers in the area to find them some possible people who could take them to the Thunder Cliffs. The area at the base of the Thunder Cliffs, once you reach it, is known for being peaceful and a good place to dock vessels.
- She has two vessels and captains in mind who frequently travel along the Sword Coast, transporting goods on behalf of merchants, as well as carrying travelers. Both are trustworthy and should be traveling toward the Thunder Cliffs within the next tenday.
- The first is Stands in Tar, a jovial if slightly off-kilter tabaxi. She is known for her recklessness, but her daring has also earned her a reputation for being able to do the impossible. Her sailing ship, the Dancing Delight, is fast and agile.
- The other is Kristoffen, a white dragonborn. He is calculating, efficient, and somber. He captains a galley called the Ice Floe, which is specially outfitted to break through the icy waters of the far north.
Meeting the Captains
Within a few days, the two captains arrive via
rowboat through the marsh to talk to the party. Their vessels are anchored out at sea, awaiting the party if they are selected as the method of conveyance.
The Interview
Valdi Estapaar (LG female
half-elf commoner) brings the
tabaxi Stands in Tar (CN female
tabaxi bandit captain) and the
dragonborn Kristoffen (CE male
white dragonborn veteran) before the characters to allow them to ask questions of the two captains. They each plead their case for being the best ship and crew for the job.
Stands in Tar staggers slightly as she stands. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that the tabaxi has been in the rum-soaked catnip and is not totally sober. She does, however, plead her case eloquently. Her ship is faster and more agile, and her crew smaller and less likely to gossip about their mission. There isn’t a ship on the sea that the Dancing Delight can’t outmaneuver or outrun on the open ocean.
Kristoffen looks at Stands in Tar with a mixture of disgust and horror, shaking his head in disbelief that anyone would even consider choosing the drunken tabaxi and her ship over him and his. He explains to the party that his ship is more reliable and safer, which they might need on the seas that have become more violent of late. He goes on to reveal that he’s heard rumors that the once-safe caves at the base of the
Thunder Cliffs have recently become more dangerous. Stand in Tar scoffs at that idea.
A Secret Agent
Stands in Tar is pretty much as advertised: competent but foolhardy, experienced but overly confident. Kristoffen, on the other hand, is hiding something. With a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check, a character can sense that the
dragonborn is nervous and hiding something. If confronted, he says that he just has a bad feeling about traveling to the
Thunder Cliffs, but he is willing to do so for the payment and the friendship he shares with Valdi Estapaar.
Kristoffen has recently been converted into the Cult of
Talos. There is no evidence of this on his person, but back on the Ice Floe the characters might find some if they snoop in his quarters.
A Decision
At some point, the characters must decide which vessel and captain they prefer. The town covers the cost of passage there and back for the characters, and both captains ask the same fare, so that should not enter into the decision.
Whomever the party chooses is pleased, and the other captain simply accepts the decision and walks away. They are both ready to go as soon as the characters are.
If for any reason the characters attack Kristoffen because they learn of his affiliation with the Cult of Talos, he defends himself. Kristoffen can summon a pair of
air elementals that serve him on behalf of
Talos, which appear at the end of the first round of combat.
Mutinous Intentions
Regardless of which vessel the characters choose, some of the crew have their own intentions and are dissatisfied with the leadership of their captain.
The crew of the Ice Floe is unhappy because their captain has been acting differently within the last couple of months. He has turned down more lucrative contracts to sail northwest to the
Moonshae Isles in order to stay closer to
Neverwinter. This has meant less pay for the crew, which they are not pleased about.
The crew of the Dancing Delight is unhappy because their captain has been even more reckless and unpredictable than usual, causing them to lose pay, since merchants have begun to eschew using Stand in Tar’s ship and crew for important and profitable jobs.
The Moment of Truth
A day into the journey, after the party has heard some grumbling among the sailors, the crew confronts the captain. Regardless of the vessel, the mutiny is led by Castisha (N female
Calishite human swashbuckler), the first mate. She is backed by sixteen sailors (
bandits).
The captain (of either ship) refuses to turn over control of the ship peacefully. Castisha offers to let the captain get into a dingy and go ashore safely, but if they don’t go peacefully, the mutineers are willing to do it the hard way. The mutineers make it clear they will not hurt the party and will honor the contract that was agreed upon.
Allow the Mutiny
Without the characters’ help, neither captain can defeat the mutineers. If the adventurers do nothing, the mutiny succeeds.
Talk
The adventurers may attempt to speak on behalf of the captain, hoping to talk the mutineers out of their plans. Castisha has already made up her mind, and nothing short of magical compulsion can get her to back down. The rest of the mutineers, however, are willing to listen to reasons why they shouldn’t overthrow their captain. If the characters succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check, the sailors back down.
Fight
The adventurers are much more powerful than the sailors, even though they are outnumbered. If the characters defeat at least half the sailors, or Castisha and a quarter of the sailors, the mutiny ceases immediately.
Bad News
As the party’s ship sails north toward the
Thunder Cliffs, a southward-sailing vessel approaches them. The ships drop anchor and the captain of the this
sailing ship, called the Uneasy Alliance, comes aboard the ship.
This captain, a woman named Captain Starling Winchet (CG female
Tethyrian human bandit captain), trades stories and ale with the captain and crew of the characters’ ship. She tells a tale that is of particular interest to the adventurers. While the Uneasy Alliance was passing near the Thunder Cliffs, they spotted a great deal of wreckage, which likely came from the waters directly before the caves there. They did see any survivors or salvageable wreckage, so they steered very clear of the area.
Captain Winchet also relays that she’s heard other sailors talking about seeing a ghost ship in this area recently. The ship is only seen from a distance, but it is as hazy as the smoke from a cannon and emits a low moaning sound that carries across the water. She hasn’t personally seen the ghost ship, but she feels obligated to pass along the information.
Ghost Ship
As the party’s ship gets closer to the
Thunder Cliffs, the spectral ship that the characters heard about approaches. Use the following text to set the scene:
| The skies darken and a thick mist rises from the water, obscuring sight around the ship. The crew swears and make superstitious signs. Then, from the crow’s nest, a voice screams, “Ghost ship ahead!” Before the words can even register, spectral figures emerge from the mist, swooping up onto the decks. |
One
allip and eight
specters use the cover of the mist to approach the ship. The allip’s howling babble instantly stuns everyone on the ship except the adventurers, as the crew collapses in a heap. Even if they get up during the battle, the sailors are terrified and do nothing but flee and cower under the undead assault.
While the allip attacks, the characters can understand a few snippets of recognizable words in its babbling, including “we know of the ruinstone… that never happens” and “the Ebondeath rises but cannot fly” and “the bronze points the way to the green.”
Arrival
After the drama on the high seas, the party’s transport finally arrives in the vicinity of the
Thunder Peaks. The tops of the cliffs are visible for a great distance, long before the party can see the caves along the shoreline.
Heeding the words of Captain Winchet, the captain of the party’s vessel drops anchor at least a mile offshore, telling the adventurers that the vessel cannot get any closer based on what they’ve learned on the trip. The characters are welcome to take a
rowboat the rest of the way. The ship will wait here until they return, or for five days, whichever comes first.
Threats by Air
As the adventurers set off toward the caves, guardians serving the cultists of Talos sense their presence and attack.
One
invisible stalker flies down from the cliffs to attempt to upend the rowboat. Two
manticores follow from their perches in the cliff face.
Talos is Angry
The water and air, which have been relatively peaceful until now, suddenly turn violent as the party approaches shore. Jagged reefs magically spring up out of the water. The reefs can be avoided in the maneuverable
rowboat, but a larger ship would have been torn apart on the rocks.
Flying creatures not sent by Talos must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw at the start of each turn. On a failed save, severe winds drive them into the water.
Creatures in the water find the rough waves treacherous. Creatures without a swim speed must succeed on a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to take an action without going under. On a failed check, or if the creature takes an action without attempting the check, that creature begins to drown.
Sea Galley
The previous guardians are not the only creatures that protect the shore in the service of Talos. A
huge crab floats under the surface 200 feet from shore. It waits until a boat or swimming creatures pass above it, then it swims up and attacks, tipping over the boat if it is still in use. If creatures are flying, the crab waits until they land on shore, then rushes out to attack.
Aftermath
If the characters can defeat Gadrille and her cultists’ salvage operation, they have struck a great blow to the plans of the Cult of
Talos in the immediate area. Plans to create shrines along the High Road are scrapped for the near future, and the heroes of
Leilon can return to their new home for a well-deserved rest. And they’ll need it, because evil, unlike them, never rests.
Ending the Adventure
After the characters have dealt with the threat of the Cult of
Talos on the
Thunder Cliffs, they can return to
Leilon with the information they obtained. If they have not yet completed one or more of the other quests in this adventure, they can undertake those after resting from the assault on the caves.
Continuing the Story
The threats to
Leilon were merely introduced in this adventure. When the characters are prepared to face off against the still-growing threats, they should become 9th level, sharpen their weapons, gather their spell components, and prepare for an even greater challenge.
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