Mystery at Loudwater

Loudwater is a small city, located on the confluence of the Delimbiyr and

Greyflow rivers. It has seen better days, and even though the population
has greatly dwindled, traces of its former splendor remain. But lately,
caravans have been banishing without a trace, and people are getting
nervous.

A 3-hour standalone adventure for 1st-3rd level characters

by Carlos Vazquez

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all
other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses
are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork
contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Mystery at Loudwater 1
©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH.
Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
 Mystery at Loudwater: Adventure Outline
Loudwater
:tinaloup P 500 people, mostly humans and halflings,
some elves and dwarves.
ment:rv oG The City Council overlooks all the important
issues. It's composed of Captain of the Citywatch Lylo
High-Hill; Lady Allie, human Mistress of Coin; and Mr.
Liadon, elvish priest of Chauntea, Master of Agriculture.
e:snfD The Citywatch, 50 guards strong, form daily pa-
trols, inside and outside the city. Most of the guards are
volunteers, trained by a small group of veterans.
e:crmCo Loudwater people trade farmed-goods and fish
for other kinds of supplies, mainly with the nearby set-
tlements of Zelbross and Llorkh.
tin:sazoOrg Citywatch barracks, small chapel dedicated
to Chauntea (Godess of Agriculture). Adventurers and
travelers gather in the Green Tankard, the city's local tav-
ern.
The Green Tankard
The players arrive at Loudwater, meeting at the Green
Tankard, the local tavern. It is run by a motherly human
lady, “Ms (Meridith) Morgan”, well past beyond her prime,
but keeping some of her charm (just as Loudwater!) She is in
charge of lodging and serving drinks, while her 22-year old
son Colin cooks and keeps order among the particularly
annoying drunks, expected from time to time in a place that
serves alcohol.
The Green Tankard is never full of people like a city tavern
would, but it always has around 2-12 patrons. Captain of the
City-Guard, Lylo High-Hill is a strongheart halfing fighter.
Captain of the City-Guard, Lylo High-hill is a strongheart
halfling fighter, that arrived at the city decades ago, where
he enlisted as a voluntary to the city guard, eventually
rising up to captain thanks to both hard work and a clear
devotion to the city’s well-being. He arrives at the Tavern
looking for suspicious strangers, the party clearly a
suspicious bunch.
Captain Icebreaker
Captain Lylo can arrive before or after the players had a chance of
introducing themselves between them, but his posterior
interrogation can also serve as kind of an ice-breaker, if the players
are new or shy.
Asking nicely, but confidently the players if they can join
him on a table, he inquires the business of the party on
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
Loudwater, their names and professions, and if they have
seen or heard anything strange near the southern paths of
the city. He also (in secret) is evaluating whether or not this
small group of strangers has anything to do with the
missing caravans. Once he is sure of the party’s innocence
and capabilities as adventurers, he offers them a small
quest.
Go along the southern path and look for anything
suspicious. A couple of merchants have reported that
caravans set to reach the city days ago were nowhere to be
found. While the occasional missing cart was attributed to
raiding orcs or goblins, there was no evidence of this,
where the raids always left plenty of evidence, like blood,
broken weapons, corpses or other signs of combat.The city
guard searched for a week with no avail, leaving the case
as an “extraordinary affair”.
That morning, another caravan had gone missing, and the
city guard is at its lowest numbers, can’t spare any guards,
so Captain Lylo decided to look for the thieves within the
city, as a sort of last effort. So, these capable-looking
outlanders could prove a godsend.
He offers them a reward of 150 SP for useful evidence, and
500 GP if they can find the missing caravans by themselves.
The Southwood
Once the contract is accepted, Captain Lylo gives the party
a last clue. By asking in both nearby cities, and extrapolat-
ing the route of every missing caravan, a very clever guard
(named Darvin Buckman) theorized that the missing con-
voys are lost at some point in the road between Loudwater
and Llorkh, probably somewhere inside the Southwood.
The easiest way for the players to find clues is to tread
along the road that goes through the Southwood, looking
for tracks, as Captain Lylo is eager to recommend.
After an hour and a half trekking through the road, you arrive at a
long bridge, that crosses a deep valley, of around 50 to 60 feet deep,
all covered in vegetation. You cross the solid bridge and find that the
dirt road continues on the other side. But there are markings on this
side of the road.
The markings were caused by two horse-pulled carts of the
dwarvish caravan that never arrived. Players can recog-
nize them as such with a successful Wisdom (Survival) or
Intelligence (Investigation) check, DC 10.
Mystery at Loudwater 2

A successful Intelligence (Investigation) check DC 11 on the
bridge shows signs of struggle, wood scraped off. It also re-
veals the presence of spider-webs, that abundantly cover
vegetation descending through the valley.
As you look down on the valley, you notice something that you
hadn't pay attention to before: countless translucent strings glisten
against the sun, covering most of the vegetation. The spiderwebs
become more and more dense the more you look down, ending on
something that looks like a cave or cavern of some sort.
The descent is steep, and the ever present spiderwebs com-
plicate matters further. Everyone must do a Dexterity sav-
ing throw DC 13 or fall tumbling downwards, taking 1d6
bludgeoning damage. Creatures clad in heavy armor have
disadvantage on this saving throw.
Aräch-quelan's Lair
Arach-Quëlan is a sentient huge spider, that grew to that
size by influence of dark magics coming from the
Underdark. Her foremost motivation is eating and
growing. She is more than 70 years old, at first eating small
bugs and critters, then woodland animals, finally getting
an acquired taste for humanoid flesh: she soon learned
how to hunt and trap entire caravans for consumption.
The same dark influence that grew her to that size gives
her limited command of smaller spiders, using them as
sentries.
The floor of the entire cave is covered in spiderwebs, with
pieces of splintered carts everywhere, even attached to the
web in the walls and ceiling. Coins, silk and produce are
also cluttering all surfaces.
Setting an Ambush
Arach-Quëlan is not a mindless spider, she is a sentient being, so
take this into account while the party is battling her. Don’t be afraid
of making her flee to deeper within her tunnel if the battle is getting
too rough and her life is in danger. This maybe the optimal case with
some higher-leveled or much experienced players. If Arach-Quëlan
decides to flee, remember using all of the tools at her disposal,
climbing through walls or ceiling keeps her outside most melee
attacks, while fleeing across heavily webbed (difficult) terrain gives
her virtually twice the speed than her pursuers.
You can also make Arach-Quëlan flee, as in setting the ambush if the
party is getting pretty low, and you don’t want to cause a TPK. Whatever
the case, finishing the encounter, award the party full XP for their
victory, probably even granting them a level (if they are 1st level).
The tunnel that goes deeper is long, so Arach-Quëlan has
time to set an ambush in the final chamber, exploiting the
magical darkness within. If the party decides to let her go
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
and return to Loudwater to report their findings, Captain
Lylo lends three guards and enlists the help of the town’s
healer, so they can look for survivors. These companions
will not go deeper into Arach-Quëlan dungeon, they are
volunteers, and they won't be willing to risk their lives so
carelessly.
Captain Lylo will also suggest seeking the aid of Liadon, the
city's cleric. Liadon is a 5th level Cleric of the Nature
Domain, and has the following services:
Spellcasting Services
Spell Cost
Cure Wounds (1st level) 10 gp
Prayer of Healing (2nd level) 40 gp
Lesser Restoration 40 gp
Remove Curse 90 gp
If he is aware that the party is facing against poisonous
spiders, he can sell them up to 3 estdonia for 50 gp each.
Remember, though, if the party spends time doing a long
rest, Arach-Quëlan will also have the same time, so in the
final encounter she will have regained all of her HP.
1.Lair entrance
The party is being stalked by Arach-Quëlan, biding her
time, hidden in the shadows of the web-covered ceiling. A
successful Perception check (vs her Stealth) will reveal her
to the players. If she can remain hidden, nalëuQ-chAr
will wait until all the players are completely inside her lair,
cover the exit with dense webs (also snuffing all the natu-
ral light that would pass through the entrance) and am-
bush the party, trying to poison first the biggest perceived
threat.
After Arach-Quëlan is defeated (whether she retreats or is
outright killed), you can read the room's description.
This entire area is covered with thick webs, thicker than the
external part of the lair. Large, shadowy lumps clutter the walls.
The lumps are the merchants and beasts recently captured
by Arach-Quëlan, trapped in dense webs. They are all
poisoned but alive. In total, the cocoons contain two horses
and five dwarven merchants, all brothers.
Baern, Barend, Boran, Morgran and Margren of clan
Fieryforge are the traders and merchandisers of the clan,
on their path to deliver iron weapons to the cities of
Loudwater and Zelbross, from their home in Sundabar.
Once released from the cocoons and cured of their poison,
Baern, the eldest of the dwarves asks for the adventurers’
help in finding their precious cargo.
Mystery at Loudwater 3
The dwarves are all afflicted with a heavy dosage of Arach-
Quëlan's poison, which has them paralyzed for another 18-
12 hrs. If the party returns to Loudwater searching for help
after finding the merchants, Captain Lylo will also come,
with an ambulance-styled horse cart, so that the transport
of the poisoned dwarves is easier.

2.Eastern Lair
Broken carts are covered in webs, indistinguishable clutter fills the
webs. At the light of the torches, little things glitter like stars in the
night.
Previous cargo carts and containers are now broken and
moldy, filled only with webs and spiders, that flee from the
presence of the party and their torches. Two rmsaw fo
dersip (Swarm of Insects, Spider Variant – p. 338 of the 5e
Monster Manual) inhabit these containers, attacking the
party if their homes are disturbed, by means of an
Investigation check or something similar.
These are not the dwarvish carts, which one of the
brothers is quick to point out. “Maybe further in…”
All kinds of coins are stuck to the webs. With a successful
Wisdom (Investigation) check DC 13, each player can obtain
1d4 GP, 1d6 SP and 2d12 CP. Unsticking and finding coins
takes around 30 minutes each check, while the DC goes up
by one for each success.

Deep Tunnel
The tunnel goes dark and deep for another 300 feet, sticky webs
slowing you down almost every step. As the passage goes lower, you
can almost sense a change in the air. Those of you more attuned to
the magical aspects of the world feel uneasy, as you can feel the
quasi-vibration of lost magics.
The ebony orb is a erhpskaD , which is activated by
Arach-Quëlan in case of the ambush.
The entire passage is difficult terrain, because of the webs.
Not much else, a pretty straightforward area.
The Ambush
3.Chamber of Lolth Arach-Quëlan waits until all the victims are inside the room, so she
can cover the only entrance with spider-webs. Then she speaks (in
Undercommon) the activation word for the Darksphere, filling the
The light of your torches suddenly illuminates a large room, looks room in magical darkness (as in the Darkness spell).
like an ancient cavern, but the walls are smooth, like carved. At the
If the spider has enough time (like a long rest), the floor will also be
center of the room you can see a 20 x 20 ft statue, depicting an
covered by thin spiderwebs, not enough so they impede the
abhorrent creature, with the body and legs of a spider, but with a
movement of the party (it would be pretty notorious in that case),
female torso emerging from where it’s head should be. The statue is
but just enough that Arach-Quëlan's Web Sense is enabled.
facing in your general direction, and the shadows formed by your
light-sources give her a malignant expression. At the feet of the
statue lies a small pedestal, with an ebony orb atop it.
In the western corner, buried between heavy layers of
spider-webs, the merchants’ carts are hidden, all the wares
The statue represents Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders, almost intact (maybe some things a little covered in web).
Goddess of all drow elves, worshiped extensively in all the
Underdark. A party member can know this by making a At the feet of the statue, lies a stone ornate chest. The chest
successful Wisdom (Religion) check DC 12. is locked, but can be opened by a character using thieves'

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Mystery at Loudwater 4
 tools with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. The heavy
stone lid can be forcibly removed with a successful DC 18
Strength check.
A successful Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that
the chest is trapped. A creature trying to open the chest has
to succeed a Constitution saving throw against poison or
receive 1d8 poison damage as the trap shoots a poisonous
dart at whoever is trying to open the chest (by either way).
Once detected, the trap can be disarmed using the thieves'
tools with a successful DC 11 Dexterity check.
Ancient offerings to Lolth are stowed inside the chest: 2800
cp, 1000 sp, 110 gp, 6 obsidians (10 gp each), 5 drow
shortswords, a duergar splint armor, a gnildoBafH and 3
gnlaiefsoHt P .

At the end of the cavern, you see another passage, blocked by fallen
rubble, completely sealed from the other side. A couple of dark-clad
skeletons lie, like they were trying to leave through that passageway,
but were prevented by a structural collapse of that tunnel.

Both corpses were drow elves, wearing a ifawp each. One

of them (a female) has also a small, charred book, her diary,
scribbled in undercommon. Other belongings are
damaged, like they were set on fire for some strange
purpose.
The diary describes an expedition of some sorts, a small
group tried to establish a drow outpost, so they could raid
the surface easier, but the sudden collapse of the tunnel cut
them from the rest of their party... and the Underdark.
The final entry reads: “driTh yad ni siht neasrfokdg .lcaep
.aednihr 'V,ldtisaorL-fyucengpA
ebyaM derwopl-fu abi nc tlsab ih ,lebur os ew nac
.meonhrutylafi ”

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Mystery at Loudwater 5
Appendix: Items, map
and Arach-Quëlan Darksphere
mnocue,rtdsi W
This ebony sphere weighs 10 pounds. If you are within 60
feet of it, you can speak it's command word, and cause it to
emanate magical darkness, as in the skerand spell. Once
used, this effect can't be used until the next dawn.
The duration of this effect is up to 10 minutes, unless it's
dispelled by repeating the command word or if the
darkness has contact with daylight, magical or otherwise.

Antidote
mnocui,t P
A small vial with opaque pink liquid. Drinking the potion
grants the effects of the ntaroise RL spell.

Piwafwi (Cloak of Elvenkind)

)tumnesariq(oc,d W
This dark spider-silk cloak is made by the drow. It is a kaloc
niedkvlfo (Dungeon Master's Guide). It loses its magic if
exposed to sunlight for 1 hour without interruption.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Mystery at Loudwater 6
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Mystery at Loudwater 7