The Foe of Many Faces

The Premise

The royal history section of the Tiresian Archives is filled with dusty books from ages long forgotten. Most of these tedious tomes offer naught but long, uninteresting, and sometimes downright illegible ancestries of Kauvetian noble lines and their ‘great deeds’ from centuries past. Why, then, does one of these shelves hold… a children’s story? In this tale of mystery and monsters, brave heroes journey underground through a long-lost dwarven kingdom to save its leaders from a treacherous foe. Should they fail, society as they know it will fall, so sayeth the prophecy of old.
Amias Lavandin’s claim to fame as ruler of Kauvet was the mass extermination of Changelings. This children’s book is a part of the anti-changeling propaganda campaign launched during his rule that is specifically targeted at children and families.

PCs of "The Foe of Many Faces"

• Vincent Van Vermeer XXVIII
• Corynthal Roris
• Natasha Koroleva
• The Wanderer
• Grace Strongbones -Fiction-
• Hog

One-Shot Synopsis

After meeting their guide, a gray dwarf named Gem Gem, the party crosses through a rushing waterfall concealing the hidden entrance to the once lost civilization of Duergarde. This door has the appearance of rotting wooden portcullis blocking nothing but natural stone. However, when Gem Gem presses a hidden switch in the rock, blue streaks of arcane light dash out of the stone and branch across the rockface until the cliff wall's. bumpy surface has transformed into smooth, sleek black stone crackling with arcane light. It splits open as the portcullis rises revealing their entrance. The party, following Gem Gem, enters through the gatehouse and crosses a rope bridge to get to Duergarde proper. In the darkness of the chasm they’re crossing, Tasha, Grace, and The Wanderer use magic and a torch to provide light for the group. Once the dark chasm is more illuminated, the party notices many small creatures flying through the darkness around them. Gem Gem is quick to point out that these are the pixies at work, and that the group would get to meet some of them once they reached the kitchen.
Crossing the bridge without incident, the group reaches a barred set of doors upon which hangs a hastily drawn sign reading, "Dining room closed! Room Service available." Gem Gem leads the group around to side entrance used by the dwarves and pixies to directly access the kitchen. When they arrive, the kitchen is bustling with activity as the miniscule pixes operate an innovative system of pulleys to operate the dwarf-sized cooking equipment. The party's immediate concern is whether or not these working conditions are adequate for the pixies. Vincent approaches the pixie who seems to be in charge of the kitchen group who introduces herself as Joybell. After a brief conversation, Vincent offers her a tip for her troubles. Joybell is grateful, but indirectly reveals to the party that she and her fellow pixies have no idea what money is. Assuming the coin she's just received is an ornate plate, she and cohort Dimble bring it over the preparation station where it is officially covered with a pixie-sized portion of red mushroom tapenade. The party begins discussing the possible benefits of helping the pixies unionize.
Meanwhile, Gem Gem has been digging through a nearby barrel and returns with their arms filled with healing potions. These healing potions are noticeably different from the ones some of the party members have brought from the surface, as streaks of blue arcane light arc through the liquid similar to how they appeared on the door. Each member of the party takes a potion aside from Tasha who gives hers to Grace as a spare. Gem Gem then asks Joybell to provide each party member with a serving of mushroom wine, but is distraught when Joybell informs them that they have none in the kitchen at the moment and that they'll have to go get it for themselves from the stores in the barrel room. Gem Gem mutters something about the mushroom wine being the wave the party can save them all, a comment that gives The Wanderer and his keen insights pause, but ultimately not enough to purse any further questioning. Gem Gem bids adieu to the group to return to his primary duties at the lords' sides. With directions, potions and knowledge that their next destination is the barrel room, the party gets ready to head out. Before they do, though, Vincent's eyes are caught up on the red mushroom tapenade . He is eagerly served a sampling, on the "plate" he provided, by Joybell, Dimble, and Uppendown. After enjoying the rather bland snack, Vincent returns to his fellow adventurers who are shocked to see a large, beautiful pair of butterfly wings carrying the bard to them through the air. After a few seconds, the wings disappear and Vincent is terrestrial once more, but the pixies can be heard chuckling to themselves as the group exits.
Walking through the carved stone corridors of Duergarde, Corynthal Roris decides to inspect the unharvested mushrooms and finds one glowing a brilliant blue light and poking out of the stoen just enough to be harvested. Coryn pockets the mushroom.
Arriving in the barrel room, the party colelcts mushroom wine for themselves as previously instructed, and doing so has a number of effects. Corynthal begins to glow blue with a shielding light, Vincent resprouts his butterfly wings, Grace gets her own floating motes of light, The Wanderer gains the ability to teleport, and Tasha lets out the loudest burp Duergarde has ever heard. Hog does not drink, but does hear a suspicious thunk from the inside of one of the barrels, which he decides not to investigate. Across the room, Coryn discovers one of the barrels holds no wine, but is instead a giant, crab-like vehicle. It has six articulated metal legs and two large pincers and can be piloted from inside the barrel. Corynthal hops in add this to the party's arsenal.
The party arrives at Zippy and Tippy’s Workshop of Wonders, a derelict carnival that’s mostly seen better days aside from a pristine carousel in the center of the room. Proceeding cautiously after reading a sign that says "Enter at your own risk," a quick inveistagtion by Tasha and Vincent reveals the carousel to be a facade at which point a dwarf reveals themself and turns the carousel into an automated, autoloading, crossbow platform.
The party defends themselves against the crossbows and defeats the dwarf, who they discover is Zip Zap, one of the inventors they were told to find. Tasha, casts spare the dying on the unconscious Zippy, and the party moves to explore the inventors’ workshop. Inside they find many things, not all of them useful, but the most shocking discovery is two dead bodies. Violently murdered, these are the long dead bodies of Zip Zap and his inventing partner Tip Tap. Corynthal races ahead of the party back to the crossbow platform to inspect the body of the person they thought to be Zip Zap only to find the body is gone. The sprawling caves of Duergarde echo with maniacal laughter, and the party quickens their investigation.
The players approach an impassable gate, ornate in its design and guarded by two other dwarves. However, these dwarves, Ulla and Pog, have spells prepped and aimed at each other and are currently shouting as they panic about the possibility that one of them is the deceptive monster. The Wanderer approaches them and, through a series of enchantment spells and masterful persuasion, is able to resolve the situation and the party is granted access to the royal district.
The party goes into the treasury with a key Tasha found on the corpse of Tip Tap. However, their path to the treasure stored there is blocked by two spinning pillars covered in blades. Vincent uses his butterfly wings to fly over the contraption and turn them off using a lever located on the other side, the party clambers through a pile of junk and eventually finds two magic items, a pole of collapsing which is given to Hog and a clockwork amulet which is given to Grace.
Out of leads and with nowhere else to go, the party enters the audience chamber of Lords Goo Goo and Higsy, hoping to discover their next course of action with them and/or Gem Gem. When they arrive, the room is empty. Hog manages to find a hidden mechanism to unlock the door to the royal chambers. Once their door is opened, the lords rush out and confront the party. Upon hearing that the monster is still alive, Higsy attempts to push himself and his husband back into their seclusion, but are blocked by Gem Gem.
In a conversation with Gem Gem, The Wanderer concludes that the attendant’s concern is misplaced and suspicious. While distracted by the Wanderer, Tasha covertly examines the three dwarves and finds that Gem Gem has donned new articles of clothing that could be hiding a back wound. She casts hold person on him, leaving him immobilized for Hog examines the area of Gem Gem’s back where the false Zip Zip had been stabbed by the halfling earlier. Gem Gem winces, so Tasha exposes his back to reveal a magically healed stab wound. Knowing they’ve been found out, once the hold person wears away, the false Gem Gem assumes a gaseous form and escapes to the other end of the room. The party engages them in combat.
The party immediately goes about trying to capture the vaporous creature. Corynthal engages hunter's mark while attempting to grasp the cloud with the pincers of the barrel crab and Hog attempts close the vapor into a sack. The creatures proves very evasive in this form prompting Grace the Paladin to cast out the command, "Solidify!" When that also fails, the party begins to understand how dastardly of a creature they are facing.
The foe morphs from their gaseous form to their true form, a large blue ogre-like monster with giant claws, huge fangs, stark white hair, and bright pupilless yellow eyes. The mosnter wails its claws at Hog, harming the rogue before getting grappled in the pincers of Corynthal's barrel crab. As it attacks, the monster makes a cryptic statement about a barrel that Hog might regret having not investigated earlier.
This grapple works in tandem with a series of debuffs from The Wanderer, and coordinated attacks from the rest of the party, including a powerful bout of necromantic magic via the spell Inflict Wounds from Tasha. Though the monster struggles against the party's contraints and does its best to destroy them, a final thunderous smite from Grace Strongbones sunders the creature in two.
The body of the monster deflates into a pile of goo, some of which gets collected in a vial by The Wanderer. After settling business with the lords of Duergarde, the party returns to the barrel room to investigate their foe's remark about the barrel. Tipping over the barrel from which Hog had heard a thunk, the party discovers the dead body of Gem Gem. After examining the corpse, Tasha arrives at the same conclusion as in the inventors' workshop - tis dwarf was killed long before they arrived. In fact, its clear to the group that when they set out on their quest, the shapechanger was somehow aware of it, and began picking off the remaining dwarves.
After returning to surface as heroes, showered with accolades from King Good Throne III, the party goes their separate ways. The Wanderer, Coryn and Hog return to their individual forest respites, Tasha returns to her temple, and Grace returns to her humble hole in the ground.
All is well in the King of the Valley, or at least it would be were there not one loose end.
Be it curiosity or naivete, The Wanderer and Vincent Van Vermeer XXVIII decide to drink the Duergardian potions given to them by the monster while disguised as Gem Gem. At first, they suffer no ill effect, but over time, their bodies break down and both of them succumb to the poison. As The Wanderer falls to his demise, the glass vial filled with the remnants of the monster shatters against the floor, and their form starts to take shape once again. The monster has been brought to the surface and led two of the people who hunted it to their deaths.

NPCs

Lords Goodness Gracious and Higgledy Piggledy

Two older gray dwarves presiding over the realm of Duergarde as its lords. Commonly known as Higsy and Goo Goo, the pair sequestered themselves in their chambers prior to the events of this story. When dwarves started disappearing, Higsy called it the work of an evil shapechanger. No one belived him instead thinking him mad with paranoia, so he cut him and his husband off from the rest of their community to keep safe. When their lords shut themselves off, the citizens of Duergarde took to the surface in desperation, prompting action from King Good Throne III.

Gem Gem

A former kitchen worker currently serving as personal attendant to the lords of Duergarde. They met their demise at the hands of the monster, who assumed their identity.

The Inventors

Zip Zap and Tip Tap, the most prolific inventors of Duergarde, are responsible for most of the unique advancements made by the society. These inventions include the spinning blades that guard the treasury, the crossbow carousel, and the kitchen pulley system used by the pixie workers. Nicknamed Zippy and Tippy, its clear that the citizens of Duergarde had much respect for both of them, though their passions led to very different creations.

The Guards

Cling Clang and Woo Hoo, also known as Ulla and Pog. These two dwarves served as guards of the royal district of Duergarde, watching over the gate that separated the lords from the rest of society.

The Pixies

Joybell, Dimble, and Uppendown are three pixies who worked in the kitchen. Joybell semed to hold a leadership role over the others.

King Good Throne III

The wise, brave, benevolent ruler of the Kingdom of the Valley. His decisive action against the threat in Duergarde is being called 'the defining heroic act of the age.' There is absolutely no evidence that he is intended to represent King Amias Lavandin, not in the slightest. Why would you even say that?

The Monster

A shaperchanger known as an oni. The creature used its abilities to masquerade as its victims in Duergarde.
"In nursery rhymes, oni are fearsome bogeymen that haunt the nightmares of children and adults alike, yet they are very real and always hungry. They find human babies especially delicious. Oni look like demonic ogres with blue or green skin, dark hair, and a pair of short ivory horns protruding from their foreheads. Their eyes are dark with strikingly white pupils, and their teeth and claws are jet black.
By the light of day, an oni hides its true form with magic, gaining the trust of those it intends to betray when darkness descends. These creatures can change their size as well as their shape, appearing as humanoids as they pass through towns, pretending to be travelers, woodcutters, or frontier folk. In such a form, an oni takes stock of the selection of humanoids in a settlement and devises ways to abduct and devour some of them.
Oni are sometimes called ogre mages because of their innate magical ability. Though they are only distantly related to true ogres, they share the ogres’ habit of joining forces with other evil creatures. An oni serves a master if doing so proves lucrative or provides it with a luxurious, well-defended home. Oni covet magic, and they work for evil wizards and hags in exchange for useful magic items." - DnD Beyond

Xid

Xid (referred to superstitiously as they-who-attack, they-who-deceive, and "the warden" among other names), is an extraplanar entity of unknown origin. They are usually depicted as a skull with extraordinarily large eye sockets. They are chaotic and evil; not content to merely trick mortals into doing their will, Xid plays mind games to make them think they're choosing to do Xid's bidding. Their only aim seems to be to control and enslave mortals.
Mindflayers tend to worship xid, as well as other magic users who desire the ability to break or influence minds, or to effortlessly disguise themselves. In years past, The Wanderer was a warlock of Xid, but broke their pact leading to the separation that granted them their sorcerous abilities.

Trivia

This one-shot is adapted by Jules from the Gnomengarde quest in the Dragon of Icespire Peak adventure book.

While the population of Gnomengarde in the source material is comprised entirely of gnomes, in the Foe of Many Faces, the civilization is called Duergarde, and is made up of gray dwarves and pixies.

The name of the fictional author, Che Langston Strutting, is an anagram of ‘don’t trust changelings,' and is the pen name of Chewing Granby, featured in The Foe of Many Faces Returns

Jules had Coryn roll on the wild magic table twice for eating the blue mushroom and drinking the mushroom wine at the same time, but they only experienced one effect because one of the rolls was a 3 - which leads to no magical effect according to the table.

The guards's names, Ulla and Pog, are taken directly from the Gnomengarde quest. Jules renamed them to Cling Clang and Woo Hoo to better fit the naming scheme for these NPCs, but accidentally called them the wrong names during the game. The names of the pixies - Joybell, Dimble and Uppendown - are also taken directly from the Gnomengarde quest. Two named pixies the party did not meet are Panana and Tervaround.

Vincent’s bardic inspiration manifests as a pink butterfly that flies to an individual from a flourish of their paintbrush

Keiran said that Tasha's fate would be considered a commentary akin to the author's view on the church of Kelemvor. After many of Tasha's spells failed throughout the adventure, she resorted to necromancy more than once, including a casting of Inflict Wounds that severely damaged the monster, making the commentary that followers of Kelemvor are hypocrites who fall back on the very practices they preach against.

Coryn and Grace used magic to determine that the Duergardian potions were unsafe, but since the group, which had only been brought together by royal decree, had already dispersed, there was no way to warn the others.

Jules has said that King Good Throne III specifically had to be the third in the line to better promote the Lavandin lineages, and the concept of royal lines as a whole, in addition to Amias himself.

Related Historical Events

• 149
  "The Foe of Many Faces" by Che Langston Strutting is published