Hareston's Halfway Haunted House

Overview

This adventure is designed for a party of 4 or 5 level 1 adventurers but can be scaled up for higher levels by swapping out creatures with higher CR creatures or by adding minions, this adventure relies more on skill checks and exploration than on combat. This adventure is set in the World of Scidon on the continent of Frakturia but can be easily relocated to any high to mid fantasy setting quite easily with only minor background changes to factors such as locations.

Adventure Background

The Town of Hareston

The Town of Hareston is a old logging village that grew with the great need for wood as the lands north of the Nathair Ghorm - The Blue Serpent the largest River on the continent. The town reached it's peak a few hundred years ago when it was one of the largest trading hubs in the area. However with the rise of airships for trade between the northern lands and the imperial homelands and the destruction of the city of Auburn further upriver the trade routes have dried up. In recent times the town has shrunk and become quite insular with outsiders having little reason to visit.

This led to the Oakcrowns, a secretive minor but rich noble family that used to live on the outskirts of the town, to sell their property and move to the city of Volitaris a few generations ago. This left their old mansion in the hands of a local businessman who tried to turn it into an inn he named the Hareston Halfway House. However his venture failed due to a lack of traffic through the town and the entrenched competition of the Lucky Foot Tavern in the centre of the town. As such the mansion has sat empty for the past 80 years. Recently a Mr O'Arber, Grandson of the man who closed the Halfway House has been trying to find a buyer for the property.

Haunting For Heroes

Mr O'Arber, a balding, middle-aged human who also owns the main sawmill in town is looking for a group of adventurers to investigate the Halfway House after ghosts have scared away the past couple of prospective buyers who have came to view the mansion as to get an exorcist from the closest temple in Auburn a detailed report of the type of haunting is required.

As such a post has been put on the town noticeboard which the party find upon entering the town.

I Mr O'Arber of Hareston, Provideer of Brokenstream Sawmill, Owner of Hareston Lumber Company and Deputy Mayor of the noble town of Hareston: do commission a band of strongwilled fortune seekers to enter therewithin to the Hareston Halfway House and Dispel, Slay or banish the foul spirits that do recede there or for a lesser reward, observe and catalogue the going ons of those inhabiting souls to determine their nature.
Any interested parties please make your way to my residence: 1 Old Log Road Hareston betwixt the hours of 4pm and 7pm. The party go to Mr O'Arber's where he tells them about the old mansion he had bought and that he needs it cleared. Heading up to the mansion they find it's windows largely boarded up