Fisherman's hut ............................

17
Farms ........................................... 20
The Old Monastery ......................... 21
Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................... 1 The Showdown ................................ 30

Adventure Hooks ............................ 3 Kal Arax the pale ........................... 31

On the Road ..................................... 4 Corrupted Grove ........................... 33

Epilogue .......................................... 34
Astien ............................................... 6
Appendix ......................................... 35
The Kingdom .................................. 6
City Gates ....................................... 6 Map of the area ............................. 35

Notable Places ................................ 7 Kal Araxs' Tower ........................... 36

The Keep ...................................... 11 Monsters ....................................... 38

Timeline Summary ........................ 45
Outside the Wall............................. 15

Delg's smithy ................................ 15

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 NPC. Nonplayer character

PCs. Player characters

Crowns and Blood is a horror scenario
DC. Difficulty class.
and contains content that some might
find disturbing or unsettling. Lest ye gp, sp, cp. Gold pieces, Silver pieces,
be warned! This file is for you, please Copper pieces respectively.
don't share it online. Thanks! >:)
deus ex machina. an unexpected
power or event saving a seemingly
INTRODUCTION hopeless situation

PHB. Player's Handbook

DMG. Dungeon Master's Guide

"Crowns and Blood" is an adventure for MOM. Monster Manual

players who enjoy a horror-flavored
story-centered adventure. Even though
some encounters will require combat to
resolve, most of the time the characters Some quick suggestions if you are
collect clues, interact with important running a horror adventure for the first
nonplayer characters and try to time: Horror as a genre often lives off of
unravel the mysterious happenings building and maintaining suspense.
that are occurring in the Kingdom of It's a rollercoaster ride on a tension
Astien. We included D&D stats for curve that slowly builds up to the
monsters where relevant but ultimate encounter. As such, anything
encourage you to adjust everything to that creates an emotional reaction from
numbers that best fit the challenge the players tends to work great. We
appropriate for your gaming group. The would suggest using mood music,
adventure assumes you are familiar potentially dramatic lighting and also
with the rules and have a good the use of props where appropriate. A
understanding of how to, for instance, lot of this is down to the GM and the
improvise an ability check. particular groups' likes and dislikes.
The monsters in this book are geared
towards a ca. 5th level party of four
characters but you shouldn't take that
GM. Game master, also often called as an absolute requirement. Feel free
"DM" for dungeon master. to change the stats of opponents such

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 that it fits the power level of your
party. If you want to be quick all you
need to do is adjust HP and damage
output by a factor - say multiply the
number with 0.5. Most importantly,
have fun!
You can of course find your own
motivations for the characters to end
up in Astien where this story takes
place. There are two options below if
needed. You can find a map of the area
the adventure takes place in the
Appendix.
On a trip to the shop or the local
tavern the characters hear that an
important delivery expected a week ago
from Astien has not arrived. They
might just have ordered an Ale only to
hear that supplies have run dry. The
delicious beverage is usually delivered
by merchants from the neighboring
Kingdom of Astien. The merchant guild
is willing to pay a good sum of money
(200gp) to a group of adventurers able
to look into and possibly resolve the
situation. Payment will only be
released once the deed is done unless
the characters already have a very
solid reputation and are deemed
trustworthy.
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While on the road the characters are
met by a figure wearing a green robe
and a knotted walking stick. The
person introduces herself as Larlya
Birdsong, a half-elf druid who normally
lives close to the ancient woods near
Astien. She seems troubled and if the
characters stop to talk to her she will
tell them that she is on her way to the
nearest town to alarm the city guard
there. She speaks in a strong stutter
and is clearly upset but will say that it
seems the woods have suddenly come
alive with a murderous rage and have
started to attack nearby farms around
Astien. She tried to speak to the king
to alarm the city there, but no one
allowed her entry. This, she says, is
very untypical of the otherwise friendly
kingdom and open culture. Something
is very wrong there. If the characters
are friendly she will beg them to help
and to visit Astien while she is on her
way to alarm others. Larlya can't offer
anything in return other than her
gratitude and a few potions of healing
(3 potions of healing 1d8 hp).
ON THE ROAD
While on their way to the kingdom the
characters will come across a few hints
that show that something sinister is
going on in the kingdom. Feel free to
Page 3
 introduce these elements whenever suddenly "awake" and immediately
they fit best (and in whichever order). attack the characters in an attempt to
draw even more blood from them.

See the Appendix for the stats of the

On their way through the woods to the animated ancient tree.
next town the characters come across
Characters using spells to try to
a gruesome scene.
understand the creature, read it's aura
or it's past will notice that it is driven
"There are two heavily mutilated dead
by incredible hatred and anger against
bodies, a man and a woman, at the
all humanoids and that it is in great
side of the road next to a large tree.
emotional pain for some reason. It is
Their peasant clothes are in tatters and
one of many such trees that have risen
they are torn limb from limb with deep
from the old enchanted forest near
unusually long wounds showing up all
Astien. The nature of the magic that
across their body. They seem freshly
caused it to rise cannot clearly be
dead, maybe killed an hour ago".
determined but carries a dark aura.
A closer inspection will tell the player
The path to the farms leads past the
characters that these were likely
city of Astien and characters should be
farmers, apparently killed by a
encouraged to visit the city to collect
monster. Characters managing a DC14
important clues there before moving on
Investigation roll will notice that there
to the farms.
is surprisingly little blood on the
ground next to the tree even though
these two poor souls must have bled
out completely given their grave "You hear the sound of hooves on the
wounds. A closer look up the tree will road ahead and seconds later a black
then draw the attention to the horse still dragging part of a cart behind
particularly sharp and spiky vines that it is racing past you, clearly in panic."
are covering it.
The horse belonged to a merchant's
The tree killed the two and is using
wagon the characters will discover a
their blood to nourish itself. It is
few more meters around a bend in the
currently in a state comparable to
road. The cart has been utterly
sleep but if the characters linger for a
destroyed as if it exploded. Pieces of
while, touch the tree or make
wood have fallen everywhere. The
particularly loud sounds it will

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 merchant is nowhere to be seen and
characters who try to look for tracks
will notice some unusual scratches on
the ground but won't be able to identify
what caused them. Most of his wares,
he was trading in pottery
glassware are broken but behind a tree
is his bag containing a small pipe,
tobacco, dried meat, bread, a small keg
of ale, and a healing potion (1d4 hp)
and a pouch with gold (230 gp).
As the cart moving past an awakened
tree (see ancient animated tree in the
Appendix for stats) it lashed out, broke
the cart in half and grabbed the
merchant. The monster dragged the
poor helpless soul underground to
nourish its roots. It is standing right
next to the side of the road where the
cart was destroyed but remains
dormant, looking like an ordinary tree.
Characters using detect magic
similar spells may be able to determine
that there is a strange evil aura coming
from the tree, but unless they attack it
(or dig near its roots, revealing the
corpse) the tree won't move.
"You hear a scream in the distance,
coming from the woods on your right,
followed by the sounds of a fight. Metal
swords clanging against something
solid. Moments later you hear a rustling
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sound coming closer from there,
someone is running in your direction."
The sounds are from a patrol of scouts
from Astien that were sent out to
and investigate some strange occurrences
in the area. Once the characters have
decided what to do read:
"A young man with black hair and a
light leather armor breaks out of the
trees. His eyes are wide in terror which
turns to surprise as he sees you. For a
second you believe you see a flicker of
hope in his eyes as, a second later, a
thorny vine shoots out from behind him,
pierces his back and pushes all the way
through his body to exit at his mouth,
dripping with dark blood. He makes
gurgling sound and twists wildly."
The soldier is dead (and so are his
or comrades a few meters further in the
woods). The thing that killed him
seems to be a plant that reminds of a
giant octopus - a short, thick knotted
stem and thorny vines that it moves
like barbed tentacles. The creature is
surprisingly fast and will launch itself
out of the forest onto the road to attack
the characters. Please see thorned
vine in the Appendix for stats. The
patrol was on their way back to Astien
to report to the captain of the guard.
Page 5
 ASTIEN

the river for trade in summer where

the waters are lower and the river's
currents are safe for small boats.
Not far from the Sea of Salts lies the
small kingdom of Astien surrounded by
rolling hills and lush forests. The
kingdom has many trade relations to
After a winding road through the forest
neighboring lands as well as
and over a few hills, the characters
connections to the seaport of Veltruas
come to a ravine with a broad elevated
where merchants bring goods from
walkway made of solid stone that acts
faraway kingdoms to the markets of
as a bridge over the valley below and
Astien. The kingdom consists of a few
which reaches the gates of the city of
outlying farms and one large city on a
Astien. When the characters approach
hill, passed by a large river that the
the city gate read the following:
locals call the goldenrun river. Some
say it is named in honor of Lathander, "As you draw closer to the city you
the god of Light, while others claim it is notice that the stone bridge you are on
named such because merchants use ends at a gatehouse made of a dark

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 stone and closed off with a large metal
door showing insignia of King Alrichs
house - a griffon carrying a sword in its
claw. Above flies the Kingdom's flag on
half-mast. If you near the gate you will
"In the center of the city, next to a small
hear a fearful voice overhead shouting:
well is a beautiful temple made of white
'Leave while you can, the city is closed
bricks and painted with the symbol of
and the area isn't safe!'."
the god of Life, Light, and renewal - a

The voice belongs to the captain of the golden sun rising over a winding road.

guard who is currently on duty on the The temple has three clerics currently

wall. working there and tending to their flock.

The guards mention that there have
been recent attacks all around the city
and, many have heard disturbing
sounds in the wooded valley below the
walkway. Patrols have been sent out
and the few that returned were
shaking with fear and speaking of
gruesome scenes near the villages with
many dead, ripped apart, and some
missing. Tempers are high and the city
is on lockdown. The whole situation
has been going on for about three
weeks now.
If asked about the half-mast flag the
PCs will hear that Queen Kassarah of
Astien has recently died. The guards
offer no further explanation about this
however.
The captain can be convinced to let the
characters enter if he hears that they
have come to help or if they mention
the lost patrol on the road.
Celeor, a human in his mid-fifties with
calming large blue eyes and an honest
clean-shaven face framed with golden-
blonde hair and a thick but well-kept
beard is the oldest and most
experienced cleric. He bears several old
scars over his body hinting that this
particular priest has seen more than
just the temple in his life. He speaks in
a resonant and warm voice and it
seems that even the current events can't
seem to shake him. His wife Ka-essi, a
middle-aged wood elf with prominent
cheekbones, near-white hair and a
seemingly expressionless look on her
face, and their new apprentice
Surmalet, a 16-year-old black-haired
human girl are the other two clerics. "
Ka-essi, unlike Celeor, seems shaken -
even though her face does not directly
show it to not increase the anxiety of
the people in the city looking for the
clerics for support. Any of the clerics
can tell the characters that the queen

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 has recently died under unclear recently - most likely through her
circumstances and that the king has illness.
not been seen outside since.
If the players require it at any point
Ka-essi also knows about the strange Celeor or Ka-essi will agree to heal
occurrences around the forest. She their wounds - especially if the
usually takes strolls in the ancient characters are looking into the troubles
woods every few days and enjoys the with the forest.
quiet time away from the city by
herself. She will tell the PCs that these
woods are sacred to the elves and that
Near the eastern wall of the city is a
they harbor powerful ancient magic.
crooked tower made of a black,
Recently though the wood has changed
smooth, glass-like material pointing
from a place of refuge and calm to an
into the sky like a large thorn. The
ever-growing threat. She can feel the
tower has no windows or visible
hatred of the forest carried on the
entrance but citizens noticing the
wind. Staying out near the trees now
characters eying the tower will tell
makes her tremble with fear. Her
them that this is, or rather was, the
nights are restless - she has difficulty
residence of Kal Arax, the court wizard
meditating and her visions are filled
of Astien. They describe the magic-user
with nightmares. Neither Celeor nor
as a tall, pale human who appears to
Ka-essi know what is going on exactly,
be in his late sixties with dark, darting
but they will be able to tell the
eyes, long wrinkled gnarly fingers, and
characters that the king isn't well and
long thin white hair, speaking with an
that they have not seen the queen in a
almost croaking voice that is easily
long while. The two will be reluctant to
recognizable even in a large crowd. The
tell the PCs, who they don't know any
wizard is generally seen as an odd,
more than that. If the PCs try to
unrelatable character with unusual
convince (Persuasion DC17) them, or if
interests but an overall helpful
they try to talk to the young acolyte
demeanor.
Surmalet, who is looking to the PCs as
potential saviors sent by Lathander, The tower can only be entered by those

they will learn that Queen Kassarah who know a secret magic phrase.

often came to visit the temple in the Besides the wizard, only his former

past years looking for a way to cure her friend Vizier Eldas (see 'The Keep'

violent headaches and that she died below) and his missing apprentice, a
tiefling named Thyakas (see 'Outside

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 the Wall') know the phrase. If the
characters can open the tower please
move to the Appendix for a description.
The marketplace has several stands
arranged in an almost circular fashion
around a large statue showing King
Alrichs father, the late Lord Gustav,
standing in a heroic pose with sword
and shield as if he was warding off the
evil of the land. Most market stands
are closed but two still are open.
Lara's Herbs and Trinkets. Lara is a
very talkative and bubbly female
gnome wearing a robe made out of a
patchwork of colorful pieces of fabric
that seem to not adhere to any
particular pattern of color or texture.
For Lara the current situation is a
blessing in disguise. While she is
horrified with what happens outside
the city gates, she noticed a significant
demand for her calming teas, smoking
weeds, and trinkets of protection.
Every now and then there is a citizen
coming by to buy something from her
shop. If the PCs are interested, she can
sell them herbal tea (has a mild
calming effect if consumed, 1 sp),
smoking herbs (similar to tobacco, 2
sp), or a small bracelet made from
colorful stones on a small leather
strap. She claims the bracelet protects
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the user from the evil in the forest (she
believes it but it's not true, 3 sp).
Lara will very happily tell the
characters the current gossip in town.
She has the following stories to share:
The queen's condition - The queen has
been suffering from crippling
headaches for years now and was
progressively getting worse and worse.
Lara has never spoken to the queen
directly but the court wizard, Kal Arax,
who bought ingredients from her for
his spells tried several recipes to cure
the queen. Just a few days ago it was
reported that the queen has suddenly
died under unclear circumstances.
While some have been talking about
possible foul play, most think it is
somehow linked to her bad health
which seemed to have gotten much
worse.
Kal-Arax missing - The wizard and his
apprentice, a tiefling, has not been
seen in town for months and some
think he was able to scry into the
future and cowardly fled the city before
all trouble started. Others, including
herself, think he is looking into a way
to stop the attacks. Many eye the
wizard with suspicion but Lara seems
to like him and describes him as a man
with many strange ideas but a good
soul.
Page 9
 King Alrich - The king, normally upbeat
and friendly, makes
appearances to the townfolk, especially
in times of crisis, but he has not made
any public announcements since the
troubles started. His servants say the
king is unwell and haunted by the
death of his wife.
Delg's weapons and armor.
weaponsmith in town,
Firehammer is a short-tempered male
dwarf with a long red beard decorated
with colorful beads wearing a rough
gray tunic that is full of holes burnt by
the sparks from his anvil. Lika Lara,
Delg has seen some increased business
in the recent two weeks since the town
was closed. Delg lived in the city for
more than thirty years now. While he
says he hates the town and misses the
mountains he actually found the lush
green surroundings of the town oddly
calming to his generally
demeanor. PCs will notice a bandage
on his left leg and if asked about it he
will curse and mention an incident
where he was seemingly grabbed by a
thorned vine while walking the path to
his smithy which lies outside the city
near the river in the valley below. He
was able to chop off the vine with a
quick hit of his impressively sharp
dwarven axe but dares not to walk
back. He fears that his smithy has
been destroyed and will offer a reward
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to any character willing to have a look
regular and retrieve his magical ore he had to
leave behind. The reward is a highly
ornamented dagger with dwarven
runes made from this ore. Should the
characters agree they will likely face
some dangers (see the chapter 'Outside
the Wall' below).
The
Delg
The Green Cask. The Green Cask is a
large tavern built adjacent to the big
brewery in town. Cintar Oatbrand, a
human with gray curly hair and an
impressive potbelly is the owner of the
brewery and tavern. He produces and
serves the famous Astien Green Ale
that is known to be one of the finest
beverages in the land. Typically his
casks are in great demand but lately
none of the traders have dared to enter
or leave the city. Cintar's brewery,
grumpy which he is proud to present to anyone
asking, features several magical
enhancements that were created by
Kal-Arax who also apparently enjoys
Cintar's ale.
Fingard's Fletcher Shop. While his
shop is closed, Fingard - a grizzled
male elf ranger can often be found
sitting outside its entrance on a
wooden bench. Fingard is not a man of
many words and particularly avoids
answering any questions about his
past or about what brought him to
Page 10
 town. The acid burn scars that cover
part of his face, the scars on his left
hand, and his extraordinarily balanced
stance and quick reaction hint at his
past as an assassin however. Once he
was known as Fingas
operating as a hired killer for almost a
century. He turned from his life of
murder after he had fallen in love with
a target, a beautiful female noble. He
didn't go through with his contract and
he and her both escaped from the
clutches of his client.
thought. After a few months happily in
love, his past caught up with him and
a fellow assassin, now
former client's contract,
them. His spell of acid killed the love of
his life right before his eyes in the most
gruesome fashion and left him scarred
for the rest of his life. Fingas then
changed his name to Fingard and went
into exile, abandoning his former life.
He settled in Astien and began a shop
as a fletcher to find peace.
Fingard knows the area around the
city well - before he settled he assessed
all possible threats and angles of
attack. He will be able
characters about an old monastery
close to the enchanted forest. He has
seen Kal Arax visit the site every now
and then over the years.. presumably
intrigued by some lost
there.
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If, at some point, you need to get the
characters out of a tricky situation you
can introduce Fingard to them as a
deus ex machina. He could have
followed in a safe distance to keep a
Darkbow watchful (and observant) eye and might
be able to distract a monster for the
PCs to escape for instance.
In the middle of the town is the keep of
Or so he Astien. Its two watchtowers stretch
high over the city walls, its exterior is
decorated with light granite and
under his numerous ornaments, and its
ambushed impressively large doors are equally
covered with silver inlays in the shape
of a vine stretching across the gates
with a half-moon above them. The keep
is well guarded and at least four
guardsmen are on post at all times.
While the guards are suspicious of
strangers, they will assume that the
PCs have been properly vetted at the
city entrance and will not harass them.
Should they express a wish to speak
with the King, the guards will let them
know that this is out of the question.
to tell
The vizier however, currently tasked
with coordinating matters at court, will
be able to meet with them.
The insides of the keep are equally
knowledge tastefully designed and characters with
a keen eye will notice influences from
Page 11
 many different kingdoms and far-away
lands.
If the characters walk the corridors of
the keep they will cross paths with a
young black-haired moon elf with sad
dark eyes who introduces herself as
Fadila Amna. She was the handmaiden
to queen Kassarah. Fadila is deeply
saddened by the queen's death - they
were almost as close as sisters and
Fadila was the queen's most trusted
person at court. If asked, she will tell
the PCs that the queen, a moon elf like
her, was the daughter of a long line of
nobles from Kheliah, a desert kingdom
far beyond the Sea of Salt where also
Fadila originates from. King Alrich
who, upon a visit to the southern
Kingdom, fell madly in love
Kassarah, was able to convince
Kassarah's father to arrange
marriage between the two. While King
Alrich is far from the looks of the
dashing Knights that lived on the
courts of Keliah, the queen
become to love him for his kindness of
heart and spirit. Unfortunately, Fadila
will explain, the queen over the years
started to suffer from headaches which
progressively got worse - to a stage
where she had violent attacks
migraine that left her unable to speak
for hours. The court wizard and many
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others have tried every remedy to cure
her condition but to no avail. Then,
three months ago people said she had
suddenly gone insane and Fadila was
no longer allowed to visit her. Once, at
night, she tried to sneak into the
queen's chambers though, using a
secret passage, only to find her
secured to her bed by the guards, her
eyes wild, screaming at the top of her
lungs. Her once beautiful hair ripped
out with her own hands and bloody
scratches all over her face that the
queen had brought upon herself with
her sharp fingernails. Fadila says she
fled in terror that night and never tried
to visit again. Just recently, to Fadila's
great sadness, the queen was
pronounced dead, reportedly a final
stage of her illness. Fadila suspects
that not everything is as it seems
with
though: the night the queen died
Fadila overheard Vizier Eldas shout at
a
a group of three servants that were
usually tasked to tending to the mad
queen. He was enraged and while she
could not hear what the commotion
had
was about the three have not been
seen since. Fadila also knows that the
Vizier and Kal Arax used to be friends
but before the wizards' disappearance
something must have happened that
turned that relationship sour.
of
She doesn't have many good words to
say about Kal who she thinks is
Page 12
 incompetent. She doesn't know why he
and his tiefling apprentice Thyakas left
the town but she does know that the
queen got more and more disappointed
with the wizard.
The vizier will meet the characters in
the keep's beautifully decorated
library. He is a slender human noble in
his fifties with a prominent beaked
nose and gray wavy hair. He is using a
walking stick and has a slight
hunched-over posture. He was known
at court to be a particularly
fashionable dresser and connoisseur of
fine wines and fine dining but has only
worn black since the queen's death. If
the characters meet him he will seem
troubled and distracted - trying hard to
be polite but clearly upset. The Vizier
has been at court for many years and
has seen the queen's condition
deteriorate. He mentions that many
have tried to cure her - but some were
charlatans like the 'cursed sorcerer'
Kal Arax, he says. The PCs will also
learn that since the queen's death the
king has fallen into a deep depression
and refuses to see visitors. An Insight
DC12 roll reveals that he Vizier knows
more than he lets on.
If the characters can persuade
(Persuasion DC18) or charm (saving
throw +3) him - or if they sneak into
his chambers and read his journal -
they will learn that he holds Kal Arax
responsible for the queen's death. Kal
had fallen out with the queen because
he could not find a remedy to cure her
cruel migraines. Kal was desperate to
restore his good name but there are
indications that the queen's madness
was not part of her disease progression
but, he suspects, a side-effect of a
potion that Kal administered to her.
The Vizier (or his journal) will also
mention the three servants that were
tasked with feeding, cleaning, and
tending to the queen after she had to
be restrained in her chambers because
she started to hurt herself. The three
have been thrown into the dungeon
upon the Vizier's command and have
been executed.
The Vizier often visited Kal in the past
who had an equal appreciation of fine
food and drink and of conversations
about the politics of the land. He (or
his journal) in fact mentions that he
was given a "key" to the wizard's tower
by the use of a specific command word.
The phrase, the journal says, is 'bovkin
inwold'. Magic users succeeding an
arcana DC18 roll may be able to
identify this as belonging to a lost
language that originated in the shadow
planes.

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 help her. He put his trust in Kal Arax
initially, but the wizard ultimately
failed him and the king thinks that his
latest elixir, supposedly the strongest
recipe he had ever crafted, may have
driven the queen insane. He was
outraged and the magic-user, likely
suspecting as much, fled the court that
The king is widely regarded as a
day and has not been heard of since.
respectable and mild-mannered man
The king had to watch in anguish how
who used to care about all who live in
his wife now suffered and even started
his domain and makes every effort to
to hurt herself. He had her ordered to
support his subjects with fair taxes
be bound to her bed until a cure could
and a force of knights and rangers
be found. He also forbade anyone to
protecting the borders. In his younger
talk about her condition and except for
years he traveled the lands with his
a few servants nobody was allowed to
father, Lord Gustav, who was a
see her. Several weeks later the
powerful figure, hero and adventurer.
servants didn't secure the queen
He told young Alrich tales of his many
against the bed properly and she was
Quests with hope to inspire the young
able to get loose, doused herself in
prince to become a hero of the land
lamp oil, set herself on fire and died
himself. Alas, Alrich was always more
horribly. Her screams still haunt his
confident in his ability with words
dreams every night.
rather than his aptitude at swinging a
sword - and so his travels involved The king fell into a deep depression
diplomacy and negotiation of trade since and nobody is allowed to disturb
deals rather than the slaying of him. He will not allow visitors under
monsters. Since marriage to Queen any circumstances and, likely, he may
Kassarah twenty years ago he became never fully recover from the horrible
more and more comfortable and shock. Should he see the characters
started to favor the local cuisine and break into his chambers he will
wine of his kingdom over traveling - immediately call the guards (guard,
which has given him a significantly MOM p347) and likely have the
more husky appearance. He looked characters subdued and thrown in the
with worry at his queen who got worse dungeon to be tortured and executed.
and worse over the last years and tried
to recruit every healer he could find to

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 This adventure is probably best played
by the PCs talking to some other
characters around the King to collect
the clues rather than Alrich himself
but documents and notes on the king's
table will illustrate his version of the
story if the PCs decide to break in.
OUTSIDE THE WALL
While staying behind city walls is
relatively safe for the time being while
Astien's Knights and Rangers are
guarding the walls, the valley below the
keep is a much more dangerous place
to be. The evil is slowly creeping nearer
to the city and soon will surround the
hill, making an escape impossible.
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Following a winding path down the
sides of the hill where Astien overlooks
the valley, the characters will soon
hear the sounds of a river not too far
away. Following the forest path further
leads past a small pond and onto a
clearing where the smithy is located
right next to the goldenrun river. Delg's
workshop is a wooden building the size
of a small farmhouse and the
enormous hammer resting upon its
anvil is driven by a reinforced
waterwheel which now lies broken in
the water at an angle and does not
turn - it looks like the axle was
snapped under a tremendous force.
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 Even from a distance a big hole in the
south wall of the building is visible. A
closer look reveals a slender tree
growing out of the roof. If the
characters go near the smithy they will
be able to uncover several of Delg's
tools that have been thrown all around
the place. If they enter the damaged
smithy read the following passage:
"The interior features a gigantic
mechanical hammer resting on a black
anvil, several metal chains dangling
from the ceiling and broken racks for
weapons, tools and other items at the
side of the wall. As you step inside the
wooden building you become aware of a
sweet almost flowery smell that seems
in stark contrast to the rest of the
workshop. The large hole in the ceiling
near the collapsed south wall is filled
by an enormous blossoming tree that is
bathing the room in an eerie green glow
due to the light passing through its
crown into the smithy. Next to the tree
on the floor you notice a reflection
caused by the blade of a beautiful
ornamented dagger."
The dagger on the ground, partly
covered by vines, is indeed Delg's
dagger. The ore the player characters
have been tasked to find is just below
the tree, covered by its roots as if the
plant draws some kind of power from
it.
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With a successful Perception DC16
check characters will notice that the
leaves and vines of the tree are wet and
slimy with a sticky substance that
seems to drip onto the floor below.
There are several dark spots on the
ground where the ichor-like sap has
accumulated. If characters step into
any of these puddles they need to roll a
STR save (DC15) or be restrained. A
restrained character can attempt to
break free each round with a STR save
DC15 as well. Other characters (not
restrained) can assist which gives
advantage to this roll. The sap is also
poisonous and if it gets in contact with
the skin directly causes a burning pain
and 2d4 tox damage per round.
Removing the sticky substance
requires an action and a piece of cloth
or something similar. The dagger is
also covered with a thin coat of this
toxin. If the characters remain quiet
(Stealth check DC12) and don't wake
the tree they can try to carefully
retrieve the dagger from beneath the
vine without touching it (requires a
DEX check DC15). This will also reveal
a glimpse at the buried ore beneath
amidst the roots. Removing the ore
without disturbing or touching them
requires a DC20 DEX check (as the
space there is tight this can not be
assisted by others).
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 The dagger is a finely balanced weapon
and one of the best pieces of work the
dwarf has ever produced - it provides
+1 to all attack rolls. Should the
characters disturb the tree it will
attack. Read the following passage:
"You hear a sickening gurgling sound
coming deep from the tree in front of you
and in an instant its gnarled branches
start to move and its trunk is trembling.
With a quick flick of its slime-covered
branches it flings a burst of toxic tree
sap towards you!".
The characters need to make a DEX
saving throw DC13 or they will be hit
at an exposed part of their body by the
toxic sap. This causes 2d4 tox damage
per round for a total of 10 rounds or
until removed (as described before).
The tree then attacks the characters.
Please see the Appendix for stats of the
Animated Toxic Tree.
If the characters follow the roaring
river past Delg's smithy the wood will
become sparser with large clearings
and patches of moss. A thick mist
hangs on the ground and thickens
towards the river bank. After about
half an hour following the river and
past several small clusters of reed, the
characters will arrive at a small hut
that once belonged to a local
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fisherman. At this point it slowly
begins to rain.
"As you step past a small group of
trees. next to the river you see a few
racks with nets on them, a pier with a
boat and a small hut silhouetted
against the fog and the river bank. You
feel the first drops of rain on your skin
and a few moments later there is a
bright flash of lightning in the sky and
thunder booms behind you. As if the
heavens suddenly opened up it begins
to rain heavily."
If the characters approach the hut they
may notice (perception DC10) a dim
light inside through one of the two
small windows. Should they peek
inside they will see:
"A figure wearing an elaborate but
slightly oversized dark blue robe
covered with golden runes. He or she
seems to be sitting on the floor, hunched
over a book lit by a small candle.
Around the room, you notice several
items that look to be equipment from an
alchemical laboratory."
Inside the hut is Thyakas, Kal Araxs'
former apprentice who fled the city
several weeks ago and held out here
until, he hoped, Kal would return with
a cure. This didn't happen and he is
now trapped here as the trees seem to
have come alive. If the characters
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 confront him, they will notice that he is
scared and is trying to find a way out
of the valley. He doesn't dare take the
boat as the river is too treacherous
further downstream this time of year
and he is afraid of moving, closer to the
trees. Thyakas will be cooperative and
tell the player characters what they
would like to know as long as it doesn't
put him into an unfavorable position.
Ideally he hopes they escort him out of
the valley. Thyakas has solid gold eyes, reddish
skin and slightly curled horns protrude
from his forehead. His long black curly
hair is tied up in a bun. He is wearing
The encounter with Thyakas allows the
one of Kal Arax's robes which he stole,
player characters to find significant
along with some equipment from his
clues as to the whereabouts of Kal
lab when he fled from his tower in fear
Arax. Should the players choose a
that the townsfolk might kill him.
different path that does not lead them
People in Astien have been suspicious
past the fisherman's hut you could
of the tiefling but accepted his
introduce an encounter with Thyakas
presence as long as the court magician
in different ways - he could for
was around.
instance have been grappled by a tree
which then fell dormant/asleep and Thyakas was always fascinated by
trapped him. magic and had considered becoming a
sorcerer at first - but he was secretly
afraid of his innate powers and infernal
heritage. Coincidentally he heard of Kal
Arax while wandering the land trying
to avoid the judging eyes of humans
and elves in the bigger cities that every
tiefling has to endure. The wizards'
reputation made an impression on the
young man and he decided that the
more controlled magic of wizardry was

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 a safer path for him to take. A year ago
he proposed to join Kal Arax as an
apprentice. Kal initially refused,
secretly trying to avoid
complications with the Council
Mages (see Kal Arax in the next
chapter for details) but the wizard
ultimately gave in when he learned
that Thyakas was a skilled alchemist,
had a keen talent for finding rare
alchemic ingredients and was not too
burdened by moral codes. Thyakas was
often out in the field trying to harvest,
purchase or steal whichever
ingredients his master needed.
exchange he was taught the art of
wizardly spellcasting. Kal Arax was
desperate at this time, to find a cure
for the Queens migraines. He had
already lost her confidence, and the
king also started to mistrust him.
If asked why the wizard left the city,
Thyakas will just say that "something
went wrong". If pressed or offered the
protection he seeks (by being allowed
to join the PCs until he is in safety) he
will reveal that the last potion the
wizard brewed, a particularly difficult
formula, had failed. In truth Thyakas
had obtained the recipe through
torturing a legendary gnome alchemist
he had lured into a trap to earn the
favor of Kal Arax. The
alchemist, knowing he would not come
out of the trap alive, did not reveal the
true recipe and rather, with his dying
breath, gave the eager apprentice the
formula for a potent potion of
any madness.
of
Kal Arax prepared the magical liquid,
not knowing he was sealing his fate.
He approached the queen one last
time, insisting that this time he had
found the ultimate cure. The queen,
again tormented by a particularly
strong migraine agreed to drink the
potion. However, an hour after she
drank it her eyes went wild and began
rolling back into her head. She started
In
stammering and screaming
uncontrollably and Kal realized that
things had gone terribly wrong. Fearing
for his life he grabbed his things that
night and left the city during the night,
before anyone realized what had
happened. Thyakas was on another
gathering mission at the same time,
and when he came back found the
wizard missing and noticed the
commotion in the castle. Realizing
what might have happened, he also
made his escape - which ultimately
brought him to the fisherman's hut
where he is now stuck.
He thinks he knows where Kal Arax
has gone, a place he mentioned to
Thyakas before, and ancient monastery
gnome
close by the lake and the most ancient
and magically potent part of the forest.
Thyakas would gladly join the party

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 who he sees as his only way out. He them, these are their body parts - and
will try to figure out where they are on are standing in a pool of their blood!"
his broad spectrum of morals and act
accordingly. If a situation presents These four trees are about the size of a

itself however where his safety conflicts one-story building each and are

with the groups', he will always act in covered with body parts of the killed

his interest first. villagers. The view is truly gut-

wrenching and characters who see the
scene must make a CON save DC13 or
become nauseous (incapacitated for 2
If the characters follow the river further turns). The trees are (Bloodbarks,
downstream they will find the farms, or Stats in the Annex), and will attack the
what remains of it. There used to be player characters as soon as they
houses, stables, and sheds belonging notice them. Since this fight is taking
to six families here. place during heavy rain fires will be
doused more quickly. Halve the
"The rain is pouring down heavily as number of turns items (or trees) would
you start to see the outlines of several be burning (ie due to spells, alchemists
houses in the distance. This must be the fire etc). Fire spells still do normal
farms southeast of Astien. Some of the initial damage however.
houses are still intact while for others
If the player characters are able to
whole walls have been ripped out or
overcome the monstrous trees they will
bashed in - most likely to get at the poor
be able to search the farms. They don't
souls who tried to find refuge there. As
contain much of value however. Any
you move further, behind one of the
lawful good character in the party will
houses, you see a gruesome display..
likely suggest burying the dead.
four deformed trees, some with axes
and knives lodged deeply in their bark
are standing close together in an
indentation in the ground. You can see
strange objects tangled up in their
crowns and a dark liquid on their bark
that seems to be pooling on the ground
below them. Taking a second look you
realize: the families... they mangled

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THE OLD MONASTERY
As the characters leave the village and
make their way towards the hills
behind which the old monastery is
situated, the rain slowly lessens. The
ground is still wet so movement will be
a bit slower through what is mostly
grassland. There are tracks of the four
Bloodbarks that made their way to the
farm, which seem to come from the
direction you are heading.
"Standing on the top of the hill and
looking down in front of you, you can
see the pale stones of the old monastery
ahead in the distance. The rain has
stopped but dark, almost black, clouds
have gathered overhead. It
seems like they linger above the old ruin
as if to shield it from the light."
This is the place where Kal Arax went
after he fled from Astien. had been at
the monastery a few times before and
had noticed how powerful the magic
flowed here, most likely due to the
proximity to the ancient forest. After
the queen went mad he
determined to find an antidote for her
madness.
The last times Kal visited, the place
was deserted, but this time he found
some company when he arrived -
recently a band of four bandits had
taken refuge here in the ruins and as
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he approached they decided to try to
rob the wizard who was carrying some
of the valuable equipment from his
former lab in Astien with him.
Kal had no trouble in overcoming them
quickly with his sleep spells however.
He took them captive, infused them
with the same potion he had given to
the queen, and then tested possible
antidotes. Different were tested on the
four, but none of them was successful.
Kal has since found other uses for his
prisoners.
The monastery only has one point of
entry because part of it was built into
the hills and cannot be accessed other
than through the front entrance.
almost
"The entrance to the old monastery is
before you. Large white stone blocks jut
like broken teeth from the dark muddy
ground. Several toppled pillars,
overgrown by moss, are framing a
walkway towards the hill the
monastery is embedded in. Some of the
old floor tiles still have washed out
religious symbols which are too faded to
identify them clearly - but some look
was
like they have infernal lettering. The
wind howls through the cracks in the
walls near the base of the hill where a
big door, half unhinged, marks the
entrance into the dwelling."
Observant characters (Perception
DC14) or characters trying to look for
Page 21
 tracks (Survival DC12) will
footprints of humanoid sized boots in
the soft ground close to the entrance.
Closer inspection reveals that these
tracks were left by three individuals.
Two of them seem to be wounded or
limping.
(1) Entry Hall.
"You step over the large broken door
and enter. After a short corridor the
path widens and you enter a hall, as
tall as 2 men that contains a pedestal
with a weathered stone statue of a
giant demonic-looking snake; framed by
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notice white marble pillars holding up a
bronze roof above the statue. The recent
rain caused small puddles of water to
collect at the base and to drain towards
the right side of the room where a small
metal grate leads into the darkness
below. There are half-rotten wooden
doors leading into the room left and
right of the hall and one large metal
double door to the front. In addition, two
small stairways towards the end of the
hall, one lead left and one right, lead
up."
A search here will reveal further
footprints all over the place, in
particular to the right room. The door
on that side (3) is open and there is a
distinct bad smell coming from inside.
(2) Dining Hall. There are several
tables and chairs in this room - most
are broken down. Overall enough to
seat about 40 people. One corner
contains a cooking area with a large
pot that has been by the bandits before
Kal's arrival.
(3) Bathroom and toilets. The smell
here is intense. This room has two
toilet holes in the ground that lead to a
large waste chamber below - there is a
trough in the corner that probably was
once regularly filled with water from
the nearby lake by the acolytes who
used to work in the monastery many
hundreds of years ago. Now it is dried
Page 22
 out and the only water in the room is
the overflow from the rain that entered
the Entry Hall.
(4) Temple Hall.
"The heavy double door leading from
the entry hall swings open with a loud
screech that echos in the room beyond.
You step through the gap
doorway into what appears to be a
large chapel. The high ceiling has begun
to crack in places and dirt and rubble
has collected on the once smooth stone
tiles that line the floor. There are
ancient murals and symbols all over the
hall, making it likely that this was
indeed a place for rituals or prayer.
Most of the paintings have
decades ago but a few are still visible.
One is depicting a gigantic snake
devouring a group of chained prisoners
while a group of, what appears to be,
priests kneel nearby with their arms
outstretched. At the far end of the room,
you can see a balcony that connects to
the first floor. On the left on the far end
of the temple below the balcony, you
see a stairwell leading up."
In the corner of the room
characters can find some gear that
belonged to the group of bandits that
used this place as a hideout. There are
the equivalent of two adventurers
packs two swords, two daggers, one
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short bow with 17 arrows, and three
pieces of leather armor here. All very
neatly arranged in a corner. Among the
equipment is also a pouch of gold
containing a total of 140gp.
The stairwell leads to the first floor of
the monastery (as do the stairs in the
entrance hall.
in the
Characters trying to find out more
about the murals and paintings on the
wall need to succeed in a religion DC12
roll. If they succeed they will identify
the religion as the Cult of Sood. An
ancient and destructive cult that
worshipped a humongous demonic
snake that they believed would once
bring the end of the world by devouring
faded
all living beings. They made sacrifices
to Sood and it, in return, granted them
magical powers. Part of the reason the
monastery was constructed so close to
the ancient enchanted forest was to
power rituals that would bend the
minds of all who lived in the area to
worship the demon goddess. The cult
was ultimately overthrown, or so it is
believed, and all priests and acolytes
either fled or were hunted down and
the killed. Other abandoned monasteries
like this one still exist elsewhere -
some of them containing lost artifacts
or demonic writings and spells.
Page 23
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 (5) Acolyte rooms. Here the young search these rooms please use the
members among the priests used to table below to randomly determine
live and sleep. The rooms generally their contents. On all these tables
contain two stone benches on each ignore if a number occurs again and
long side of the room which, pick the next one on the list that has
presumably, were meant for sleeping. If not yet occurred until all items have
the characters would like to enter or occurred once.

Acolyte Room contents table (1d6):

1 This room has collapsed and its entrance is blocked by rubble

2 This room has a partially collapsed ceiling and is otherwise empty.

This room looks intact. It has been cleaned properly and contains writings
3
on the wall (see writings table below).

4 This room is empty and contains nothing of interest.

This room contains a pack of rats. They quickly scurry away if anyone
opens the door. The rats have been nibbling on something that looks like a
5
small piece of skin or meat. Inspection (investigation DC17) reveals it's
human meat.
This room has partly collapsed. If characters succeed in a perception DC14
6
check they will notice some valuables here. (see valuables table below)

Writings table (1d6):

(underscore indicates unreadable words)
1 (in infernal) She who devours shall be praised. ____ who devours shall reign.
2 (in common; recently added) Harkash was here.
3 (in dwarvish) Despair and be devoured by the _______
A number of scratches on the wall - possibly representing days. A total of
4
212 are on the wall if someone is keen enough to count.
5 (in common lettering) 'Kaliss.'
A drawing of a snake and what looks to be a summoning circle is scratched
6
into the wall.

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 Valuables table (1d6):
1 2d4 silver pieces
2 a pouch with material components for spells
a stone engraved with a demonic snake (worth 50 gp for a collector,
3
worthless otherwise)
4 a metal drinking cup
5 a small box containing 2 figurines of elves made from bone (worth 20gp)
a rusty key (it was for the food storage in the caved-in part of the
6
monastery, now doesn't fit anywhere).

If the characters enter the room read

the following description:
(6) Meeting room. This room was once
a beautiful meeting room where the
"You see a large room with old, rough
high priests met and dined. Not much
stone walls - apparently currently
is left of the former glory other than a
occupied! There is a table on your left
large stone table, covered in dust and
that contains several alchemy books, a
rubble, and a few faded wall paintings
reading light, and a notebook with ink
showing a great war between the forces
and quill - all neatly arranged on the
of good and evil.
table. There is a makeshift sleeping
(7) Kal Arax's room. This room's door spot in the opposing corner where a
is guarded by a glyph of warding that sleeping bag has been put on top of a
will activate if touched by anyone other foldable mattress. Arcane chalk
than Kal Arax. Characters succeeding drawings showing various alchemical
in an Investigation DC18 roll will notice formulas mark the walls."
the faint glyph drawings hinting at a
If Thyakas is with the party he will be
potential trap. A detect magic spell will
able to identify these items belonging
be able to reveal the nature of the
to Kal, making it likely that he is
glyph. It is a spell glyph storing a
indeed living here and chose this room
powerful sleep spell (PHB 276). The
as his residence. Kal's coat and staff
spell will affect 11d8 hp worth of
are missing, indicating that he is
creatures. Kal choose a sleep ward
currently out. Thyakas will try to
particularly to be able to find new
prevent the PCs from looking at Kal
(living) subjects for his
Arax's notebook. He will either attempt
experimentation.
to steal the book and put it in his

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 possession or convince the characters been consumed by insanity. This
that it is 'warded by powerful magic becomes apparent in his handwriting
and in any case unreadable' - or which is becoming more and more
something along these lines. sloppy and scratchy. The most recent
entries are most difficult to read but it
If characters do look through the
seems the wizard had started working
notebook, which is written in beautiful
on an alternative solution for the
handwriting - at least at the beginning
problem - giving up hope that any cure
of the book- they will see Kal's account
could be manufactured.
of the story, including the role his
apprentice played (see Kal Arax and The journal ends with a note that two
Tyakas for more information). They will of the bandits had to be dismembered
also learn that Kal experimented, but that he found a use for the other
unsuccessfully, on the Bandits, then two as well.
changed his recipe to one particularly
(8) Alchemy
dangerous and unstable one
lab. The door to
containing the sap of a Gulthias Tree
this room is
(see Appendix).
locked but can
Characters proficient in ancient lore or be broken with
arcana will know that these trees are Lockpicking
rumored to contain the evil soul of a tools (DC 15) or by force (STR check
powerful vampire and spread their DC16 or 20 hp of damage).
corrupting magic throughout the soil
they are planted in. Kal's journal also "This room seems to have been outfitted

details how he seeded the tree in the as an alchemy lab. While the equipment

ancient magical grove and how it had is minimal, you can see a distillation

started to alter the forest - but that he device and some glassware set up on

himself and those with him were an old stone table. As you enter you

"invisible" to the forest awoken from its hear a strange sound coming from a

slumber as long as he carried a corner in which a black cloth has been

Gulthias Tree seed with him. draped over a wardrobe. One of the
books on the table seems to be an
Once he ran out of subjects to
ancient tome - many parts crumpled
experiment on, Kal started to
and withered - that carries the sign of a
experiment on himself - taking low
giant snake and several occult symbols
doses of the maddening potion. He
on the cover."
thinks he is unchanged but in fact has

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 The sound comes from a horrible
creation that Kal, in his madness, has
pieced together from the bodies of two
of the bandits. The wizard realized that
he likely could not cure the queen (he
is unaware that she is dead at this
point) so he decided, in his insanity, to
construct a "new queen" for the king by
creating a flesh golem with the intent
of casting a permanent illusion spell on
its face to make it appear as if it was
the King's wife. Kal has not completed
his project yet and is on the lookout for
a suitable face to carry the illusion and
to cover his construction's skull. As
soon as the characters remove the
black cloth read:
"You stare at a horrible beast,
seemingly sewn together from dead
flesh, wearing black rags with long
black hair framing a bright orange skull
where the head should be. The creature
has human eyes in its sockets however,
which it will suddenly open wide the
moment you remove the black cover. It
will groan with a throaty, mournful
sound, make a sudden jagged move
with its long black hair flailing wildly
and then angrily attack
outstretched arms".
See flesh golem for stats of
monster (MOM p169). The golem will
fight till the death which will also end
its horrible torment.
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The ancient tome on the table, written
in infernal, contains several demonic
recipes - most are unreadable by this
point. One particular potion is
described to be able to restore the
mind - it requires the sap of a Gulthias
Tree. There are three flasks containing
a dark liquid in this room. These flasks
hold the same potion that was given to
the queen and will turn anyone
drinking them permanently mad (DM's
discretion to exact effects here) unless
they succeed a CON DC 13 roll. If they
succeed the insanity is only temporary
and will wear off after 2d6 hours.
Those immune against poison are not
affected. Resistance against poison
prevents permanent madness - here a
failed roll means 2d6 hours insanity
and on a successful roll the character
is Dazed for 1 hour. There are also
several other alchemical ingredients
here, among them sap and seeds of the
demonic Gulthias Tree. Carrying the
seeds will make the characters
invisible to the animated trees (see
Corrupted Grove below.)
(9) Priest rooms. These rooms
seemed to have once belonged to the
with
high priests living and working in the
monastery. These rooms are a bit
the larger and contain some items of value.
See the table below for details (assign
the room numbers as you see fit).
Page 28
 Priest Room Number
This room has collapsed in on itself. Searching through the rubble will
reveal a red robe with a golden demonic snake stitched into it. The robe
1 belonged to a high priest and grants the wearer +1 AC. It also emits an aura
of evil and unless the wearer is of evil alignment, it will attract demons and
other monsters to seek the character out and kill him or her.
This room contains several wall paintings showing scenes from the demonic
planes. There are also some writings on the wall which seem to be a prayer
2
to Sood. Besides some rotten wood and rubble nothing else is to be found in
this room.
This room is empty but an Investigation DC14 roll will identify a small
compartment behind a wall painting depicting a burning mountain. The
compartment is locked by magic and can only be opened by a dispel magic
spell or by uttering the word "Kaliss". The compartment contains a ring of
3
mind shielding (DMG 191). The ring emits a demonic aura and those able to
pick these things up will be suspicious of its wearer. Over time, the ring will
also start to make telepathic suggestions to the wearer. DM's discretion as
to the exact nature of these suggestions.
4 This room is empty and contains nothing of interest.
This room contains a stone bookshelf. Most of the books have rotten away
over time but a few are still intact and readable. They all are written in
5
infernal, show a large demonic snake on the cover, and contain necromantic
spells, demonic prayers, and recipes for poisons among other things.
This room is locked. The door can be lockpicked (DC 10) or forced open (STR
check DC 12 or 10 Hp to destroy). If the door is opened it triggers a trap
(can be spotted with Investigation DC18) where a toxic powder is dropped
from the ceiling, filling the room and 10 ft outside with fine dust. The dust
is painful to inhale and causes violent coughing. Characters must make a
CON save DC14 (poison) or take 2d8 points of damage, half if the save
succeeds. The room contains a sarcophagus. Inside is the mummified
6
corpse of a high priest wearing a bronze crown on his head (worth 20gp;
200gp to a collector) and is clutching a staff with the symbol of a snake at
the end of it. The staff looks like it is in pristine condition. This staff can
cast dominate person at 6th level (DC 17) once per day. Every time the spell
is cast the user must also make a DC17 WIS save or temporarily become
prone to Sood's influence. This influence will be subtle at first but ultimately
Sood aims to restore her followership and will use the character to do so.

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THE SHOWDOWN
Kal Arax will return to the monastery
not too long after the characters have
started exploring the place. Ideally you
will find an opportunity to create a
surprising situation where Kal turns
up at a time the characters don't
expect. This is a great opportunity to
build suspense. Kal is quite insane at
this point, speaking with a slurred
tongue and prone to hallucinations. He
will try to capture the characters to
experiment on them if he can but won't
hesitate to kill the most dangerous
ones if necessary. If things don't go
well for the wizard he will attempt to
flee by casting invisibility or some of
his other spells as means of escape.
Once he makes an appearance you can
read this description:
"Suddenly you hear a soft voice 'Well,
well, well - guests I see - how nice! I
had not prepared for it but please make
yourselves at home and I shall see
what we have in the pantry. You like
venison?'. A tall man in a red robe
embroidered with numerous arcane
symbols stands in the doorway and
gestures towards you with his bony
hands. His near-white skin, thin face
and bloodshot eyes sitting in deep
eyesockets makes him appear almost
undead. He is, however, taking a deep
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breath and his expression suddenly
changes to a creepy toothy smile which
he holds for an unnaturally long time.
In this instant a near unbearably stench
of rotting flesh enters the room and next
to the man two horribly disfigured
creatures with long tongues and claws
and gray skin appear in the doorway.
'You must be starving..'. I am Kal Arax,
maybe you have heard of me--'. In an
instant then his eyes become extremely
wide and his smile immediately drops.
'Traitors!!', he screams, 'Intruders!!
Murderers!! Assassins!! Did the King
send you?! You shall die!!'"
After his outburst he and his two
undead companions, two of the
bandits he decided to re-animate as his
bodyguards, will attack. The two
undead are ghasts (MOM p148) that
Kal created using a magic ritual he
discovered in the ruins of the
monastery.
While seeming sane for some seconds
he snaps into insanity the next second.
Every round roll 1d6. On 1-5 he
attacks the characters, on 6 he snaps
into the "court wizard mode" for a
round and acts as if he was attacked at
a dinner party without provocation -
calling for help and for the city guard,
speaking to or calling for Thyakas etc.
Page 30
 If Thyakas is with the party he will stay
in the background and, should the
combat not go to the PCs favor flee. He
knows that Kal would make
responsible for the queen's madness.
Thyakas can't imagine the cruelty he
would suffer if he fell into the mage's
hands.
Kal Arax, often called "the Pale" behind
his back is a tall man with almost
grotesquely thin and bony
features, thin lips, and a bald head
with blueish-white, paper-thin skin.
Born to wealthy parents, young Kal
trained in the legendary school or Jar
Kyleth - one of the most accomplished
wizards of his time and member of the
Council of Mages of the Eastern
Kingdoms. The council is tasked with
oversight over all matters regarding
magic in the kingdoms and they keep a
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lookout for the practice of black magic
(Necromancy) which they outlawed in
this area.
him
While an apprentice, Kal never really fit
in well with the other students. He
started to learn to manipulate people
into liking him. Once Kal finished his
training with Jark Kyleth, he left the
school without making too many
friends despite his efforts.
Kal was, and still is, craving the
admiration of others and is driven by a
facial strong curiosity and fascination with
anything regarding Necromancy - an
interest that he kept a secret.
Disappointed by his failure to extract
praise from his teachers at wizards'
school he sought out a remote place to
further his study and, hopefully,
without too much competition. He
found Astien to be an ideal place to
settle. His research indicated that a
demonic cult had built a base there
centuries ago to satisfy his curiosity.
Due to a lack of any other wizards in
the area Kal's skills quickly became
chief mage and alchemist of the city.
Over time he also managed to earn the
trust of the king and queen which gave
him a great boost of confidence. On
court he lived a comfortable life that
allowed him a lot of freedom for his
own private pursuits. His main duties
included to counsel the king on all
arcane matters as well as to support
Page 31
 the city council and healer's guild with
important input.
Kal noticed early on that if he played
along with being the helpful court
wizard he would be able to perform his
research quietly and
interference from the Council of Mages.
Despite this, over the years, he started
to grow more confident and wanted to
establish himself as an influential
figure. He started a magic school of his
own which was situated in the Tower of
Eyes on the outskirts of the town (now
closed) and was able to attract a few
students. However, this did also attract
the attention of the Council of Mages
who did not approve of Kal's teachings.
Exact details are unknown but it is
rumored there were some concerns
about his interest in black magic. The
school was subsequently forced to
close, much to Kal's anger. He still
kept on doing his research and even
managed to make a friend in the Vizier
who shared the wizards' interest in the
finer things in life. They regularly
hosted exclusive dinners in Kal's tower.
A turning point in his position,
unfortunately, started when
Kassarah started to complain
headaches and he was tasked with
finding a cure. Initially this task only
bored him and only when the Queen's
migraines became worse and worse
and the need to find a cure became
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more and more pressing for his
standing at court he started to look
into various cures. Ultimately nothing
he tried was successful and soon the
queen, later the king, started to doubt
his skills as an alchemist and he began
without
to fall in disfavor of the royal couple.
His privileges and resources were
reduced and his advice was
disregarded. He started to feverishly
restore his position by looking into any
means, legal or otherwise, to find a
cure. Around the same time he was
contacted by a young tiefling, Thyakas,
an outcast of sorts who reminded him
of himself. He took him on as an
apprentice and that proved to be a
fateful decision. Thyakas was eager to
satisfy his master and proved to be
very resourceful in finding information
and novel recipes. Kal had discovered
mention of a particularly powerful
potion invented, but kept a well-
guarded secret, by a famous gnome
alchemist and sent Thyakas to obtain
it - no questions asked. Thyakas was
successful but the formula was deeply
flawed causing the queen's insanity
rather than cure in the end. Kal fled
Queen the castle in terror the same night he
of saw this happen. Rightfully fearing
that the king would have him killed, he
was seeking refuge in the old
monastery that was once used by a
cult and rumored to contain tomes,
forbidden by the Council of Mages, with
Page 32
 demonic alchemic recipes. The his influence like a festering wound. If
monastery also was close to the the characters travel to the heart of the
enchanted forest which he know grove where the Gulthias Tree is
harbored particularly potent planted, read the following description:
ingredients for alchemical preparations
- preparations, he hoped, would allow "At the end of a winding path through a

him to cure the queen's madness. As dead forest full of dark withered trees

fate would have it, he encountered you see a large clearing with a small

several bandits in the monastery and hill made of blackened earth. A large

took the opportunity to capture them black tree with a trunk glistening with

and use them for experimentation. He sticky slime reeking of decaying flesh.

gave them the same potion that the The slime has seeped into the soil below

queen had consumed, turning them and can be seen bubbling from the

mad. He then tried to cure them with earth occasionally, causing a foul

recipes he found in the demonic stench. The surrounding trees are

scriptures from the Cult of Sood. One of similarly corrupted, deformed and

the recipes required the sap of a withered. There is a powerful dark aura

Gulthias Tree. He owned a seed for surrounding the central tree and

years and decided to plant in the fertile anyone looking upon it will feel uneasy

soils of the magic forest. His plan in the presence of pure evil before

worked out and the tree sprouted from them."

the ground in a mere three days,

The tree has since corrupted the forest
corrupting all the trees around it and
and caused death and destruction in
spreading his evil across the forest.
the area. Kal harvested black seeds
Animating the trees and fueling them
and some sap from it on several
with a murderous rage.
occasions and the wizard won't be
attacked by the evil forest.

For this nightmare to end and for the

Regardless on how the encounter with trees to stop murdering innocents the
Kal pans out, the heart of the problem Gulthias Tree needs to be destroyed.
lies with the corrupted magical forest
Attacking the tree, or setting it on fire,
that needs to be addressed. A small
will override the effect of being in
path leads past the lake near the
possession of a seed of the tree. Please
monastery to a grove where the evil
find the stats of the tree in the
tree was planted and has since spread
Appendix.

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EPILOGUE
The forest will return to a dormant
stage in the instant that the Gulthias
Tree is destroyed. All trees that moved
away from the grove will remain where
they are now. Much of the forest was
corrupted and, unless some efforts are
taken, will slowly be poisoned by the
toxic earth left behind in the area
where the evil tree once stood. If the
soil is replaced the grove will recover
but no trees will grow in a large circle
around the area and the magical aura
of the forest will be forever tainted and
weakened.
Astien will slowly return to normal.
Trade will pick up again and bards will
begin to write spine-chilling songs of
what happened here. The Council of
Mages will soon send one of their
trusted agents to investigate what
happened in the area and start looking
to arrest (and subsequently likely
execute) Kal and his apprentice (should
they have survived the adventure). The
king will never return to his former
cheerful self and will remove himself
from most business at court. In his
stead the vizier Eldas will begin to
steer the fate of the kingdom. Eldas
lacks the compassion of his king and
favors coin over kind words. The once
warm welcome that travelers from all
places used to receive at the gates of
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Astien will turn cold. Most people are
still not entirely sure what happened -
some blaming it on a curse that befell
the king and queen - possibly a spell
by the court wizard who seems to be
missing. Many have lost loved ones.
Thyakas, knowing that trouble will
head his way if he stays (assuming he
is alive) will try to leave the kingdom as
quickly as possible and take a ship
across the sea of salts to new shores.
He would love to be able to take along
some of Kal's spellbooks but is not
sure he can risk entering the city once
more. He may try to convince the
characters to do it for him if he feels
there is an opportunity and the
dangers of the forest have been
removed.
If Kal Arax survives he will remain a
constant danger in the region as his
madness and drive for admiration by
others will make him hunger for power
and, likely, the domination of the
kingdom. In one of his clearer
moments, he will drop the idea of
seeking the king's approval, knowing
that this is now impossible given the
king blames him for what happened to
his wife, and will instead plot to take
over the throne for himself - dreaming
that the citizens of Astien would
worship him as their new god-king.
Page 34
 APPENDIX

c c

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 (1) Main Hall. A beautiful room with red walls and a high ceiling. Several pillars
(black circles) reach to the ceiling and connect to the outer walls of the tower. To
the left is an unlocked door to a bathroom. On the right is a platform with a long
dining table and several elaborately carved wooden chairs in front of a fireplace in
the corner. A colorful mosaic showing two dragons intertwined decorates the floor
and the walls have several paintings of impressive landscapes. The room also
contains two display cases with withered stone statues in them looking like giant
snakes. Characters succeeding in a Religion DC18 roll can identify these as
symbols of the Cult of Sood. See "The Monastery" for details on the cult. Kal Arax
used to hold his fine dinner parties in this room.

(2) Master Bedroom. The door to this room is unlocked and left open. A highly
decorated and neatly organized bedroom with an impressive wooden bed and
several wardrobes with elaborate clothes. Some clothes are thrown on the ground,
out of place for the otherwise orderly appearance, as if someone was searching for
something here.

(3) Master Bathroom. There is a large golden bathtub here, as well as a magical
outlet for water. A small cupboard stacks several accurately folded towels and
various soaps and similar items.

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 (4) Apprentice's Chamber. A small bedroom containing a simple wooden bed, a
couple of books on basic alchemy and student's notes, transcribing several recipes.
It looks like this room was left in a hurry by whoever lived here. Several pieces of
clothing are littered on the floor and the wardrobe is left open.

(5) Guest Bathroom. A bathroom for guests with a toilet and a small water basin.
Walls are painted in lavender and containing several pots with aetheric oils
smelling of flowers.

(6) Garden Toolshed. There are various tools here to tend to the indoor garden.

(7) Kitchen. A neatly organized and well-equipped, meticulously clean kitchen.

There is fine silverware cutlery and china stacked in racks below the black marble
kitchen table.

(8) Pantry. A selection of cured meats, spices, and vegetables are stacked here.
Some are engulfed by a light blue stasis field that seems to stop the aging and
spoiling of any item placed in it.

(9) Library and Study. There are several large bookshelves here that are placed on
rails so they can be moved. The books in this library contain a large proportion of
forbidden tomes on demonic cults, necromancy and alchemy. There is also a large
armchair and a lectern here. There are gaps in the library and it seems like some
books were removed in haste.

(10) Laboratory. On a raised platform there is a large alchemical laboratory

containing huge copper barrels, various pieces of glassware, distillation equipment,
and a large collection of alchemical ingredients. The room also contains several
cages of dead rats that seem to have starved to death. One rat still seems to be
moving in an unnatural fashion. Characters succeeding in an Investigation DC12
roll will notice that there is something wrong with this rat.. it is, in fact, undead.
The doors to (11) are locked but the locks can be picked with thieves' tools (DC 13)
or forced open (STR check DC 14 or 20Hp of damage). The laboratory also contains
a small display case that was left open with an empty small bowl in it.

(11) Indoor Garden. This room contains a bright globe of magical light floating in
the middle of the room. There are large flowerbeds on the floor and suspended from
the ceiling that stretches from one end of the room to the other. The plants have
started to overgrow here and it is almost like walking in a jungle. This garden
contains several rare and valuable alchemical ingredients.

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 ANIMATED ANCIENT TREE
Huge plant, chaotic evil.

Armour Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit points 120
Speed 20 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

23(+6) 8(-1) 21(+5) 4(-3) 16(+3) 4(-3)

Damage vulnerabilities fire

Damage resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Senses passive perception 13
Languages none
Siege Monster. The animated tree deals double damage to structures.

ACTION
Multiattack. The tree makes either two branch-, two grapple-, or one branch and
one grapple attack.
Branch attack. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft, one target. Hit: 28
(4d10+6) bludgeoning damage.
Grapple. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 14 (2d10+3)
bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple
ends the target is restrained and the tree can automatically hit it, using one of its
attacks (2d10+3 bludgeoning damage).

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 ANIMATED TOXIC TREE
Huge plant, chaotic evil.

Armour Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit points 120
Speed 20 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

18(+4) 8(-1) 21(+5) 4(-3) 16(+3) 4(-3)

Damage vulnerabilities fire

Damage resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Senses passive perception 13
Languages none
Siege Monster. The animated tree deals double damage to structures.

ACTION
Multiattack. The tree makes either two branch-, two grapple-, or one branch and
one grapple attack.
Branch attack. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft, one target. Hit: 19
(3d10+4) bludgeoning damage.
Grapple. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 9 (1d10+4)
bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple
ends the target is restrained and the tree can automatically hit it, using one of its
attacks. Only one creature can be grappled at a given time.

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 BLOODBARK
Large plant, chaotic evil.

Armour Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit points 60
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

20(+5) 10(+0) 21(+5) 4(-3) 10(+0) 4(-3)

If the tree is hit it will start to bleed human blood.

Damage vulnerabilities fire
Damage resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Senses passive perception 13
Languages none
Siege Monster. The animated tree deals double damage to structures.

ACTION
Multiattack. The tree makes two attacks.
Branch attack. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft, one target. Hit: 20
(3d10+5) bludgeoning damage.
Grapple. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 13 (2d10+3)
bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple
ends the target is restrained and the tree can automatically hit it, using one of its
attacks. Only one creature can be grappled at a given time.

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 THORNED VINE
Large plant, chaotic evil.

Armour Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit points 50
Speed 35 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

16(+3) 13(+1) 21(+5) 4(-3) 16(+3) 4(-3)

Damage vulnerabilities fire

Damage resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Senses passive perception 13
Languages none
For every 20 points of damage the vine takes it looses one attack (vines are
cut/burnt off).

ACTION
Multiattack. The thorned vine makes four attacks with thorned tentacles.
Branch attack. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft, one target. Hit: 7
(1d8+3) bludgeoning damage.
Grapple. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3)
bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14).
Until this grapple ends the target is restrained and the tree can automatically hit it,
using one of its attacks. The vine can only grapple one target at a time.

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 THYAKAS
Medium humanoid, 2nd level wizard (necromancy), neutral evil.

Armour Class 13 (Kal Araxs' Blue Robe gives +2 AC)

Hit points 14
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

10(0) 13(+1) 14(+2) 16(+3) 10(+0) 12(+2)

Damage resistances fire

Senses passive perception 10
Languages common, gnome, infernal, orc.
Notable Skills Arcana +5, Investigation +5, Persuasion +2
Spellcasting DC 13, Spell Attack +5.
Cantrips (at will): Thaumaturgy, Mage Hand, Chill Touch
1st level (3 slots): Charm Person, Disguise Self, False Life
Abilities Grim harvest (PHB page 118)

ACTION
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft. Hit: 1d4+1 piercing.

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 KAL ARAX THE MAD
Medium humanoid, level 10 wizard (necromancy), neutral evil.

Armour Class 15 (Kal Araxs' Red Robe gives +2 AC and advantage on fire saves)
Hit points 42
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

8(-1) 13(+1) 10(+0) 18(+4) 14(+2) 15(+2)

Saves +8 Int, +6 Wis.

Damage resistances necrotic, cold (ring of warmth)
Senses passive perception 10
Languages common, gnome, infernal, orc.
Notable Skills Arcana +5, Investigation +5, Persuasion +2
Spellcasting DC 16, Spell Attack +8.
Cantrips (at will): Thaumaturgy, Mage Hand, Chill Touch, Friends, Prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): Charm Person, Disguise Self, False Life, Sleep
2nd level (3 slots): Melf's Acid Arrow, Suggestion, Ray of Enfeeblement
3rd level (3 slots): Animate Dead, Feign Death, Glyph of Warding
4th level (3 slots): Blight, Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility
5th level (2 slots): Dominate Person, Contagion, Raise Dead
Abilities Grim harvest (PHB page 118)

ACTION
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft. Hit: 1d4+1 piercing.

EQUIPMENT
Pouch with material components for spells, a small bejeweled dagger (worth 150gp),
a book of spells, rubies (worth 400gp), a pouch with 300gp, a ring of warmth, a
black staff made of demon bone with white ivory inlays (worth 1200 gp to a
collector) that can cast a 5th level darkness spell twice a day.

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 GULTHIAS TREE
Huge plant, chaotic evil.

Armour Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit points 250
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

23(+6) 10(+0) 21(+5) 4(-3) 10(+0) 4(-3)

Damage vulnerabilities fire

Damage resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Immunities Immune to necrotic, poison, psychic damage.
Senses passive perception 13
Languages none
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Regeneration If the tree is reduced to 0 hp it appears to be dead but will slowly
regenerate at a rate of 1 hp per day. The tree can only be killed if also it's roots are
dug out of the ground and burnt. The roots are covered in a toxic slime that causes
2d4 toxic damage on touch until removed or until 1d6 rounds have passed. Gloves
protect from the toxin.

ACTION
Multiattack. The tree makes either two branch-, two grapple-, or one branch and
one grapple attack.
Branch attack. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft, one target. Hit: 28
(4d10+6) bludgeoning damage.
Grapple. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 14 (2d10+3)
bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple
ends the target is restrained and the tree can automatically hit it

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 3 months ago: The queen drinks Kal Arax's potion and goes insane. Kal runs from
the city. Thyakas remains behind for a few days, staying in Kal's tower but keeping
a low profile. He soon realizes that he will be found if he stays as the Vizier
suddenly looks through the tower in search of Kal. Thyakas isn't seen but he
decides to leave as well and stay outside the city for a while.

2 months ago: Kal experimented on the bandits and turned them all insane. He
tries various recipes and plants the Guthas Tree. Kal now starts to take small
doses of the madness potion himself, still aiming to find a cure using the sap of the
rapidly growing Guthas Tree.

Thyakas has taken refuge in the old fishing hut near the farms, waiting for Kal to
return with a cure for the queen. At night he sometimes sneaks into Astien for food
or to fetch items from Kal's tower.

Fadila sneaks into the queen's chambers and is disturbed by what she sees.

1 month ago: The Gulthias Tree's evil spreads and the forest suddenly becomes
alive with a rage, fueled by the evil spirit and by their ancient magic. They start to
kill farmers and move towards Astien seeking blood.

Trade stops due to dangers on the road. Scouts are sent out to report.

Kal has turned insane as well - he gives up on making a cure and switches to
creating a "new queen" instead. He also turns two of the bandits into ghasts,
assuming that the animated trees may cause some unrest but hoping it won't be
linked to him.

Thyakas decided too late to escape to the next city and now is forced to stay in the
hut to avoid the blood-thirsty trees who he thinks may have killed the farmers. He
hopes to hold out in the hut until he can use the boat to escape.

3 weeks ago: The servants tasked to take care of the queen forget to fasten her
restraints on the bed - the queen kills herself.

The king falls into a deep depression. The vizier orders the servants to be thrown
into the dungeon, tortured, and killed. Thyakas hears of this and decides to escape
the city in fear of being killed by an angry mob.

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 This concludes the adventure, I hope you had as much fun playing it as we - the
trolls and I - had writing it for you!

Pretty please: let us know what you think here (mini-survey). It's 3 Questions,
takes 50 seconds to answer -- yes I timed it!

It helps me to know what you guys like to make more stuff you enjoy.

If you would like to support my work, consider one of the paid courses on
redtrolls.com, spread the word, or buy me a coffee, err I mean buy the trolls a food
ration.

If you would like to get in touch, you can send me an email here. Be nice.

Thanks to:

Lola (our puppy dog) - for showing great interest in the printouts and only chewing
on some of the pages.

Petra - for looking through the manuscript and valuable feedback.

Mario and Mari - for inspiration

.. and you!

Copyright 2020, Mark Millard, Redtrolls.com

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