Noanar s Hold

This village on the edge of the High Forest grew up around a famous hunting lodge built over two hundred years ago. In its heyday, Noanar’s Hold hosted wild hunts that attracted the wealthiest nobles and mer¬chants of the North. Some who ventured to Noanar’s Hold never returned, spurring dark rumors that the five Hunt Lords who ruled Noanar’s Hold were arranging wanton slaughters to amuse their guests and even al¬lowing their guests to hunt one another. The place was shunned, and the village fell on hard times. Any char¬acter who has proficiency in the History skill can recall these dark rumors with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check. A successful check also confirms that the Hunt Lords were human. As it happens, the rumors are true. The Hunt Lords played all sorts of terrible games at the expense of their wealthy employers. A century and a half ago, to escape their inevitable deaths, the Hunt Lords forged a pact with Orcus, who transformed them into five wights. Necromancers in the demon lord’s service helped the Hunt Lords turn the inanimate bones of their long-dead horses into five animated warhorse skeletons. Every night, after sunset, the Hunt Lords ride out on their skel¬etal steeds to patrol the lands around Noanar’s Hold, looking for worthy prey to hunt. They always return to their keep before sunrise the following morning. They have no interest in harming the local villagers, whom they view as their subjects. The villagers are well aware of the Hunt Lords’ escapades, but Noanar’s Hold is so isolated that few others know that the Hunt Lords still exist. A handful of villagers have moved away from No¬anar’s Hold over the years, but most are too frightened to flee, believing the rumors (although they are false) that the Hunt Lords track down and kill villagers who try to leave. Today, residents of Noanar’s Hold rarely stray far from their homes. They don't speak of the Hunt Lords, nor do they warn visitors away. Fearing the Hunt Lords’ wrath, they keep to themselves and say little or nothing about their undead masters. The village’s once-famous hunting lodge, the White Hart Inn, stands amid low stone cottages and stables. The creaky building is well maintained on the inside, offering a bit of grandeur in an otherwise rustic setting. The innkeeper is a courteous little man named Avgar Filroy (N male Chondathan human commoner), who has permanent unseen servants to help with cleaning. He is a little delusional and speaks of the Hunt Lords as if they are still alive, even though he has seen evidence to the contrary. He says the Hunt Lords are retired and don't wish to be disturbed, and he warns guests to stay in the lodge at night, claiming the land around Noanar’s Hold is haunted by the spirits of dead hunters. Characters who seek an audience with the Hunt Lords must first speak to Amrath Mulnobar (NE male shield dwarf veteran), the castellan of the Hunt Lords' keep. Amrath has served the Hunt Lords for more than two centuries, dating back to when they were still alive. Now he's a gray-bearded curmudgeon who hangs about the dark halls of the keep like a bad smell. The keep had a small garrison once, but only Amrath remains. The keep is nestled among old pine trees on a hilltop overlooking the sleepy village. The building has three stories, corner turrets, and rooftop battlements. One of the turret rooftops has collapsed, leaving a gaping hole through which birds and other creatures can enter. All the windows are bricked up, and the heavy oaken doors on the ground floor are barred from within. Forcing them open requires a successful DC 27 Strength check. If the characters knock on these doors, Amrath arrives a minute later, opens an iron slit in the door at dwarf’s-eye level, and demands to know what they want. The dwarf doesn't open the doors unless the characters are deliver¬ing new saddles for his masters’ steeds (see the “Narth Tezrin's Quest” section in chapter 2). Amrath allows the characters to place the saddles in the entrance foyer, then quickly tries to usher them out. The Hunt Lords lurk in a dusty ground-floor banquet hall, slumped in chairs around a cobweb-draped din¬ing table. They spend their days reminiscing about the “good old times” and attack any creature other than Am¬rath who disturbs them. Behind their chairs are piles of horse bones. As a bonus action on its turn, a Hunt Lord can command the nearest pile of bones to rise up and become a warhorse skeleton under its command. TREASURE At the back of the Hunt Lords’ banquet hall is a locked treasure chest. Amrath wears the key to it around his neck, but a character can pick the lock using thieves' tools with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check. The chest contains 600 gp in a gray sack made of stitched ore skin, a leather pouch that holds six 50 gp gems, and 1d3 magic items, determined by rolling on Magic Item Table B in chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Эта деревня на краю Высокого Леса выросла вокруг знаменитого охотничьего дома, построенного более двухсот лет назад. Во времена зенита его славы он организовывал охоту на дичь и притягивал богатейших дворян и купцов Севера. Некоторые из намеревавшихся посетить Владение Ноанара никогда не вернулись, породив мрачные слухи о том что пятеро Лордов Охоты, правивших Владением Ноанара, организовывали убийства для развлечения гостей и даже позволяли гостям охотиться друг на друга. Это привело к порицанию этого места, и у деревни начались непростые времена. Любой персонаж с профессией в навыке История может вспомнить эти мрачные слухи успешной проверкой Интеллекта (История) Сл 15. Успешная проверка также подтверждает, что Лорды Охоты были людьми. Как оказывается, слухи были правдивы. Лорды Охоты устраивали самые разные ужасные игры для своих богатых клиентов. Около полутора веков назад, чтобы избежать своей неминуемой смерти Лорды Охоты заключили сделку с Оркусом, который превратил их в умертвий [wights].