Kroth greets the PCs. After an initial round of introductions and any pressing discussion of current affairs, Kroth will suggest everyone take five and enjoy a round of Mountainbane Stout. Once everyone has a beverage, Kroth will suggest they all play a game of "Never Have I Ever." She'll go first, but have the players roll for initiative. Kroth will begin with, "Never have I ever shat my knickers as an adult," and then she will immediately take a drink. If the party demands more information, she'll defer saying, "Really, it's very inappropriate for you to ask considering we're still practically strangers. Ask me again if we're still speaking in six seasons."
Go through the initiative order and request that each character respond to the question with "drink" or "no drink." Then have each player take their turn and ask their own "never have I ever" question for the group to respond to.
Once the game is complete, Kroth will get down to business.
"Well, now I know things seem grim, but this bar is no stranger to unexpected closures. And while we work on getting things fixed up, there's a little task I'd like you lot to take care of."
Kroth will describe how one of her longtime suppliers is in need of some able bodies to help with a problem that could use some discretion. She gives the crew some directions for a brewery a couple of miles along the
Nivertois Road toward
Myrtledale. She implores them, if possible, to take payment in the form of free ale since she doesn't want to put her friend in any financial hardship.
If the PCs give her pushback about wanting to focus on brewing their own
Mountainbane Stout, Kroth will remind them that with the equipment at their disposal they can brew up at best a keg a day, so unless they plan on running out nightly, they need to supplement their supply with outside brands at least for a while. If they push too hard, Kroth will get snippy and remind them that she's still the owner and it's still her business and if they want her continued support and aid, they'll learn the business the way she ran it first and then they can slowly start taking on more decision-making. She'll remind them that they've barely been in business a week and they're already on the hook for a lot of pricey repairs due to their inability to keep things under control.
Once the PCs agree, she'll give them directions to the brewery and say she has to leave to work on getting the place fixed up.
Adventure Guide
Following the directions you’ve been given, you follow a well-worn dirt road heading west. After a couple of miles, the road begins winding its way up a low hill.
As you near the top, a large stone building comes into view, flanked by a couple of barns. By the door is a brightly painted sign that reads, "Renwen Brewing Co. For the Most Refreshing Pint in the Realm!"
The door is locked, but if the PCs knock on the door it will be answered by a fairly young gnome who nevertheless sports an impressive beard, as well as a white shirt and tight black trousers held up with green suspenders. This is
Jaikon Renwen, the owner of the brewery.
Jaikon will initially be suspicious of a band of strangers appearing well before business hours. As soon as the PCs mention
Kroth, Jaikon will greet them as if they are old friends, grunting something about "the new dance troupe." The gnome offers to explain what he needs done over a drink and—if they’re willing—will lead them into a small bar set up in a corner of the brewery.
The entire building is infused with the smell of hops and beer, but is clean and well-organized. A few humans and a halfling, dressed much as their boss, wander about, checking on barrels and vats of bubbling liquid with no sense of urgency.
After handing out pints of Tashalar Pale Ale to anybody who wants it, Jaikon explains:
- The business has been doing well of late and was looking to ramp up production to meet demand. In order to do this, they first needed to expand their beer cellar.
- He had some workmen down there, digging out some extra room, when they uncovered an old wall—the remnant of some old ruin, presumably. Curious, they knocked a hole in the wall, only to be attacked by "black rats the size of dogs! Big dogs too, not poodles, you know?" which emerged from the darkness on the other side.
- All the workers managed to escape with nothing worse than a few cuts and bruises, but the cellars are completely unusable. In ordee to get production moving again, he needs the PCs to deal with the giant rat infestation.
- He isn’t sure where the rats came from, but he bought the building from a kogo woman several years earlier for an almost too-good-to-be-true low price. She said she inherited it from an uncle who used to do some kind of magical experiments here, so Jaikon wonders if that may have something to do with them.
The terms of the job are that the party disposes of the rats, finds out where they came from and makes sure they won’t
suffer any other similar surprises in the future. In return, he will pay 25gp per party member. If the PCs follow Kroth's instructions and negotiate for ale, he'll become very excited. This is clearly a much better deal for him than straight gold.
Generally Jaikon charges 5 gp wholesale per 15.5-gallon barrel (at 5 cp per mug/pint, that's about 20 pints per gold piece and the barrels contain 124 pints which means they can be sold for 6gp, 2sp, though Jaikon likes to tell resellers they can easily charge a silver per pint to double their profits). He was prepared to pay up to 200 gp for a party of 8 adventurers so he'll offer 35 barrels instead of the gold. If the party wishes to haggle, they can increase the number of barrels to 40 with a Charisma (Persuasion) DC 12 check. If they can beat a DC of 16 they can convince Jaikon to go up to 45 barrels.
If the PCs remember to think about the transport back to The Stewed Prune, they'll realize each barrel weighs roughly 130 lbs, so they'll need a horse-drawn cart to get the barrels back to Grasmere. If they want, they can purchase one at
Horse Feed, Shoe, & Tack for 30 gp, but they'd need at least one horse (150gp at the same merchant) as well. Jaikon will lend the PCs his cart and horse if they settle for the 35 barrel offer and agree to let Jaikon's employee,
Audie Goldworthy, accompany them so she can drive the cart back.
Jaikon doesn't like to be intimidated, so if the PCs choose to go that route they can make a Charisma (Intimidation) DC 19 check. If successful, Jaikon will immediately jump to the 45 barrel offer plus he'll throw in the cart and horse as long as the PCs promise to bring it back (but he won't come chase them down if they don't). However, if this is the case, Jaikon will complain to Kroth about their behavior the next time he sees her.
Should they all agree on the terms, Jaikon will lead the adventurers to the cellar entrance—a hatch in the floor of their main brewing area—and wish them luck.
Use the "Renwen Brewing Co" Roll20 map, and have the PCs determine marching order before they descend into the hatch.
RBC-1. Beer Cellar
The wooden stairs creak as you descend into the cool, dry air of the cellar, which is infused with the smell of beer and damp fur. Somewhere in the darkness you hear the scrabbling sound of claws on floorboards and a faint squeaking noise.
The cellar is completely dark, and much of floor is taken up by barrels and casks of beer that make it hard to see the entire room at once. The only relatively clear area is towards the far side of the cellar, which has a dirt floor littered with stones and workman’s tools.
Adventurers with Darkvision or lit torches will be able to make out the hole in the wall mentioned by
Jaikon. The hole is around 4 ft. high and 3 ft. wide.
Eight
Giant Rats are lurking in the shadows and behind barrels. Once more than half of the adventurers have entered the room they will attempt an ambush. Spotting the rats before then requires a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check from adventurers in the room. Those who fail start combat Surprised.
The Giant Rats have Initiative 8.
In combat, the Giant Rats will not attempt to use any tactics beyond swarming the adventurers. Once five Giant Rats have been killed, the survivors will attempt to flee back through the hole in the wall. Any that successfully escape will be killed by the trap in the
Mosaic Corridor (see below).
Alternative Non-Combat
The Giant Rats are hungry and vicious, but they are generally skittish. If the PCs make a loud noise or a flash of light in the cellar before half or more of them descend, or if a PC makes a successful Charisma (Intimidation) DC 17 check before half the party descends, the rats will flee and all of them will be killed by the trap in the
Mosaic Corridor.
| Pool |
XP |
| Base |
0 |
| Rats (each) |
4 |
| Peaceful Solution |
25 |
RBC-2. Mosaic Corridor
Through the hole in the wall you can see a dusty stone corridor, its floor lying around a foot below that of the cellar where you stand.
Over to the left you can see the start of a staircase buried in collapsed masonry, earth, and rubble that block the way completely. To the right, the passage heads around a corner to the north, but on the wall you can just make out what appears to be writing in a clear gold script.
This is the first area in the basement of
Marin de Vymont's old research facility. The staircase leading to its main floor has been completely blocked by a collapsed ceiling.
The writing has been engraved on the wall in golden script that appears to be shining slightly, even in complete darkness. It is written in
efali and reads:
"Dawn breaks with stirring air,
As sun shines down on new day fair
"Midday blaze bakes earth and grass,
The farmer waits for heat to pass
"Evening cool brings water, wine,
Drink and laughter passing time
"Night sees shining, roaring fire,
as wood and coals burn on the pyre"
The passageway continues to the left and ends with two doorways, one heading left and the other straight on. In front of them is a 20 ft. section of floor covered in a mosaic that depicts a rural scene (see handout). It shows the sun, the sky, a hillside and a river. There are four 5 ft. panels, each showing the scene at a different time of day.
However, as soon as they draw near the adventurers will notice that two halves of a Giant Rat seemingly cut by a giant blade lie on the river section of the second and third panels.
The mosaic is a trap, and standing on the wrong portions of the floor causes a large blade to slice at the trespasser. The safe areas relate to which of the four elements was mentioned in the appropriate verse. They are:
- First panel - Air (Sky)
- Second panel - Earth (Hill)
- Third panel - Water (River)
- Fourth panel - Fire (Fire)
Any creature standing on any area other than these must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5 (1d10) damage on a failure or half as much on a success. This trap activates each time a creature steps on an unsafe panel.
| Pool |
XP |
| Base |
15 |
| Solve the Riddle |
30 |
| Team Untouched |
75 |
RBC-3. Well Room
In the center of the small room ahead of you is a large stone well, topped with a wooden handle and the rotten remnants of a heavily frayed rope that descends into the shaft.
In the far right corner the ceiling has collapsed slightly, and a thin shaft of weak sunlight shines through a narrow hole.
To the far left is a plain wooden table, crusted with dirt and dust and laden with old plates, buckets, and other strange pieces of tableware.
Anyone able to make a Wisdom (Perception) check against DC 12 while searching the room, or who examines the table directly, will notice that several of the old plates are made from tarnished silver. Once cleaned up, the set should be worth around 20gp.
There is also a robe partially buried under some of the collapsed ceiling debris, discoverable by an Intelligence (Investigation) check against a DC 11 or a Wisdom (Perception) check against a DC 17. There is a key inside one of the pockets which requires a Wisdom (Perception) check against DC 7 to locate.
Any adventurer who crosses the room without attempting to move quietly, however, will attract the attention of three
Giant Centipedes that crawl up from within the well. The creatures will attempt to knock an adventurer unconscious and then drag them down the well so they can eat the unlucky victim at their leisure.
The
Giant Centipedes act with Initiative 6.
The well shaft is 50 ft. deep and has around 10 ft. of standing water at the bottom that will break the fall of anyone who falls in.
| Pool |
XP |
| Discovery (silver plates) |
40 |
| Discovery (robe) |
45 |
| Discovery (key) |
5 |
| Giant Centipede (each) |
7 |
| Peaceful Exploration |
15 |
RBC-4. The Lab
The door opens onto what might once have been a lab or workroom. To your left sits a mouldering desk and the shattered remnants of alchemical glassware, while the centre of the room is dominated by a set of tall bookcases arranged back-to-back.
All around, however, are scorch marks and signs of countless small fires and the air is filled with the smell of smoke and burned meat.
The wooden furniture is blackened and burned in places, while what may once have been a pile of books has been been reduced to ash. Singed traces of what may be webbing hang from the ceiling.
As you enter you feel something crunch beneath your feet—glancing down, you realize that it’s the charred hindquarters of a Giant Rat.
A
Giant Inferno Spider—the product of a couple of spilled potions from the Storeroom—is lurking in the shadows at the southwest corner of the room. The beast is around eight feet across but is adept at hiding on the ceiling of its lair, giving it advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
The creature will scuttle along as stealthily as possible in the hope of ambushing an adventurer with its Burning Web ability, which it will use as often as it can.
The Giant Inferno Spider acts with Initiative 9.
If the party engages with the spider and defeat it within the first round of combat,
two additional spiders will crawl out from a section of crumbling ceiling and attack without attempting stealth.
Years of waste and the flames spread by the Giant Inferno Spider have rendered most of the books and equipment completely unusable. However, a character that searches the room and is able to make a Wisdom (Perception) check against DC 13 will notice that one of the books seems strangely undamaged. The undamaged book is a wizard’s spellbook that contains the Detect Magic, Identify, and Arcane Lock spells.
An Intelligence (Investigation) check against DC 18 will reveal a lockbox hidden behind some of the scorched books on the center bookshelf. The key to the box is in the Well Room (RBC-3). Alternatively, the box's lock can be picked with a check against a DC 15 or smashed open with a Strength (Athletics) check against a DC 16. The box contains a journal written by
Marin de Vymont in
Eenkegada. Marin's niece, the kogo woman who sold the land the brewery is built on to Jaikon, knows the old language and would be grateful to receive the journal back. She lives in
Drelzor and will offer 10gp for the journal. With a Charisma (Persuasion) check against DC 12, she'll double the amount.
Alternative Non-Combat
The spider is not prone to being frightened and will not fail to act if the PCs come within 15 feet of its location. It cannot see the PCs as anything but food, so
speak with animals or similar will not dissuade it. However, the spider can be captured or charmed without killing it. If released into the wilds, it will scurry off without turning on its captors, but this should be considered a hook for future adventures as it will start to terrorize the local farming communities in a matter of weeks.
| Pool |
XP |
| Discovery (lockbox) |
30 |
| Discovery (journal) |
45 |
| Discovery (spellbook) |
5 |
| Main Spider |
30 |
| Reserve Spiders (each) |
25 |
| Peaceful Solution |
200 |
RBC-5. Storeroom
The rear wall of this small room is lined with sturdy-looking wooden shelves. Clearly these were once laden with bottles and glass vials, but over the years many of these have been reduced to glittering shards of glass on the floor.
There’s a flicker of movement among the wreckage and you see a small black rat lapping up the last remnants of liquid left the shattered remains of a dark blue bottle.
The broken bottle the rat is drinking from has the torn remains of a white label affixed to it. The writing on it reads "—n of Enlargement". After roughly one minute the rat will transform into a
Giant Rat unless disposed of.
Another smashed and empty bottle on the floor is labelled "Essence of Fire El—".
There are a handful of bottles still left on the shelves, however. There are two Potions of Healing and a Potion of Vitality.
| Pool |
XP |
| Rat |
2 |
| Giant Rat |
5 |
| Peaceful Solution |
15 |
Returning to Jaikon
The bearded Gnome will be waiting anxiously by the trapdoor that leads to the cellar. Once the adventurers return he will quiz them on how their journey went, preferably over a pint or two!
He will be very happy to pay the adventurers and is more than happy to let them keep any valuables they found in the old cellars.
| Pool |
XP |
| Participation/Completion |
100 |
| Avoid All Combat |
75 |
Back to Kroth
When the PCs return, Kroth will inquire about Jaikon Renwen. If the PCs brought ale, she'll be happy with any number of barrels over 25. If the PCs took the cash, Kroth will request that they give her 150gp to cover the cost of 30 barrels of Tashalar Pale Ale and she'll grumble that now she has to pay the shipping costs as well since they didn't have the foresight to do it themselves. Either way, if the PCs were successful, it will prove to Kroth (and
Tasiya) that the group is capable of handling themselves and this will likely earn them the right to know about
The Smooth Angels Dance Troupe.
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