Tavern Brawler in Cassius
A Levels 5-8 Episodic
Our mysterious helper is at it again, I'm afraid. This time, with news about Sen. Turns out he has been living in squalor within the Bruiser Bear Tavern. Apparently he gets paid being a regular fighter for free lodging and food.
Our contact mentions that vicians are involved similar to Emoru's predicament. Those fiends will have the advantage against that twig getting roughed up in there. It would mean a lot if you rescued him as you did with Emoru. Just don't tell her about this.
Exposition
Ever since the Savvy Strays disbanded, Sen has struggled to stay afloat with a living. He has tried signing on with the auxiliary, hoping to use affiliation with Remus to get in, but his record as a scout in Haliah has kept him out. The most reliable thing keeping him alive has been being a regular fighter at the Bruiser Bear Tavern. He made a deal with Scabs to have a free room in exchange for being a regular fighter within the pit and be an errand boy while recovering.
Because of the guilt he carries about Emoru and Evantil, he goes to the local chapel in town and sits in the pews in silence. Even between sermons, he sits silently through it all in hopes of drawing the resident cael’s attention for guidance.
The problem, however, is that a haunter of the Fell has discreetly overtaken the chapel’s aura of faith, choking the cael’s holiness. At night, it has begun to prey on the woes of the locals, namely Sen’s. Through the haunter’s trickery, Sen believes only the cael there can coax the woes out of him.
Adventure At Hand
Bruiser Bear Tavern
Within this tavern is an aroma of grit. What is quick to catch the eye is a 20x20-foot platform in the center with ropes around the edges of it. A crowd watches on edge as a goliath and masked avian in robes strike at each other. A classic fight of dexterity against strength. Each miss only infuriates the goliath as the avian spirals and hits the big oaf with a riposte. With a rough yank, the goliath manages to yank the avian and follow up with a brutal knocking punch, slamming the bird onto the ground.
The crowd is mixed with cheers and jeers. One heckler shouts out, “Oh come on! You may as well have killed him!”
Barely any movement is seen from the avian. A dwarf is quick to rush to the side of the fallen, looking them over as he waves a hand above their face. With no response, he waves over two blethers that come and escort the avian off the ring. A mixed crowd taunts and applauds the goliath as the dwarf points to him.
Should the party ask for Sen’s whereabouts, the barkeep, Gavlen, can explain the following:
- Sen works as an errand boy and fighter within the tavern in exchange for staying here.
- Normally Sen is irritable and impulsive but recently, he’s been more mopey and distant.
- Sen has been seen heading to the chapel the past few weeks. It must have changed him since he has been less eager to fight.
- When asking Sen about going to the chapel, it’s only made him agitated and defensive as if embarrassed he’s been seeing gong there.
- During the day, Sen goes out to pick up supplies for the tavern and does any chores that need to be done.
Patrons of the Bar
There is a cambion that has loose ties with Maledict ever since she became distant with it by mingling within the human world. Skevlena has a shadow that follows her and acts as a lookout for her in case of caels or anyone else that could have ill will towards her.
Sen's Return
Should the party wait at the tavern for Sen to return, he is quiet and irritable if approached. He doesn't speak up much about anything. By the evening, he trudges over to the chapel.
Chapel
The Chapel is operated by Vicar Rendley, a halfling priest. He is clueless about the haunter within his chapel.
The Haunter's Sermon
At night, when everyone has left the chapel, the haunter appears giving a sermon to lost souls and the living who are entranced by him.
Read when the party enters the chapel at night
In the night within the chapel. A terrible voice writhes through the halls, "Greetings supplicants. Hast thou come to seek more of my truths? Nay, I sense those who must confront that cruel reality first. For they may be blinded by falsehoods now but I shall remove thy blindfolds from thee."
The haunter seeks to add the party to his followers. Should they seek to pull Sen away, he becomes violent. Only through the defeat of the haunter can Sen become free.
Florenic Worlds
Haunter CR: 5
STR
8 -1
DEX
14 +2
CON
10 +0
INT
10 +0
WIS
12 +1
CHA
18 +4
Divination Senses. The haunter can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane and vice versa.
Incorporeal Movement. The haunter can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 ( 1d10 ) force damage if it ends it turn inside an object.
Shadow Step. When the haunter is in dim light or darkness, it can use its bonus action to teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see that is also in dim light or darkness.
Actions
Multiattack. The haunter can make two spell attacks.
Chilling Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 120 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 ( 2d10+4 ) necrotic damage, and the target can’t regain hit points until the start of the haunter’s next turn.
Mortifying Strike Melee Spell Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 ( 2d10+4 ) necrotic damage, and the target has disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes before the start of the haunter’s next turn.
Echoes of Despair. The haunter targets a creature it can see within 30 feet of it as the echoes spread from the target to up to three other creatures of the gallows speaker’s choice that are within 30 feet of the target. All targeted creatures must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 11 ( 2d10 ) psychic damage, or half as much damage on a success.
Read when Sen is convinced to tell his side of things.
Sen’s eyes scowl at the thought of it. A fist tightens around a glass bottle, “It always comes back to the strays! If it’s of any solace, fine, I admit they were good people! Rosanna, Emoru, Bremigan, and… even Evantil. It was along the mountainsides of the Hilveg Mountainside after we had found a Candescent monk to guide us around the place. We were on the trail to find out Vicarion had some form of lair setup for his cult. The problems didn’t start until he instead found us.
It was all so fast from there. I was quick to dash at him while the rest did their work. A few exchange of blows were expected and we both could see it in our eyes that one more fatal strike would end the other. He was sloppy and I knew I could have ended him right there. But no, Evantil had to rush in and get in the way! That idiot ruined everything by getting himself thrown off the cliff edge! Because everyone was so concerned, I had to break off for my own safety, letting Vicarion run off. He may as well have wasted that sacrifice of his.
Ever since then, they wouldn’t shut up about it. So every time they brought up Evantil, I couldn’t help but snap to remind them that I could have avenged him, ending this whole stupid squabble. One night, they wouldn’t stop and they kept spiraling endlessly about it. Rosanna believed Evantil did it to save me, Bremigan thought he was trying to help fight the vician, and Emoru just wouldn’t shut up about how he could still be alive. As I tried holding my ground against them, her voice started quiet and just got louder to get her useless point across.”
His eyes close as they wince, “It reached a point that I just wanted her to stop before I lost it even more. It all just came out of me in an instant instead, ‘Shut up Fledgling,’ is what I screamed at her. When I had realized what I said, it was too late for apologies. I just begged for forgiveness but one-by-one, they left me there. Even Remus and Welma left me to myself at that guild hall. I was inevitably evicted by the Civil Guard and a few more times after staying with old friends. So here I am, the former Stray now actually a stray.”
| Name | Race | Background | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanturee | Avian | Candescent | Trained |
| Sen | Half-Elf | Savvy Stray | Experienced |
| Urmanak | Goliath | Auxiliary | Trained |
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