Strixhaven Mysteries #3:
Key of the Raven
T
he third installment of Strixhaven Mysteries is
not only the first to deviate significantly from
its Candlekeep counterpart (so much so as to
facilitate a name change), but also has a major
effect on the "Campus Daredevils" adventure
found in Strixhaven's first-year campaign.
However, the end result is that the conversion
of this 3rd-level module fits in with Strixhaven despite its
gothic tone.
Sources of Inspiration
"Book of the Raven". Christopher Perkins
Volo's Guide to Monsters. Wizards RPG Team
Finding the Key
The revised backstory for this adventure revolves around
Grayson Wildemere (see Strixhaven's "Fellow Student"
section). A young man hungry for secrets, Grayson comes to
learn of a mysterious portal on Silverquill's campus that only
faculty and top students are allowed to use. Any information
about the portal or where it leads is not meant to be known to
first-years, but Grayson has surmised that the portal is
connected in some way with shadow magic.
The amateur sleuth has also ascertained that the key to
activate the portal — which features an ornate bow depicting
raven wings — is usually stored with other portal keys at
Captain Dapplewing's Manor. Although Grayson is no
stranger to breaking into restricted areas, he nearly got
caught in his previous attempt at sneaking into the Manor.
Therefore, Grayson turns to the characters for their help in
acquiring the Raven Key.
If asked why he wants the Raven Key, Grayson admits he
wants it to open the aforementioned shadow portal. He'll also
advise the group to carry out their heist at the end of the
school week, giving them ample time to obtain the key,
investigate the portal, and then return the key before anyone
notices its disappearance.
Extra Incentive
Should the characters show reluctance to accept Grayson's
request, he will first attempt to offer a driftglobe in exchange
for the key. If that fails to motivate the characters, then in an
act of desperation, Grayson will also offer to pay each party
member 400 gp — half of a student's annual tuition costs —
for their services, but only on the condition that they keep
quiet about his generosity.
What About Sassy Sally Jane?
As part of converting "Book of the Raven" for Strixhaven, the
Raven Key becomes the characters' new reason for breaking
into Captain Dapplewing's Manor. However, this doesn't
mean that recovering Sassy Sally Jane can't be a side
objective for the party.
At your discretion, an associate of Grayson's — ideally a
Fellow Student the characters already know — accompanies
him to the Manor at the night of the heist to ask or dare the
characters into recovering Sassy Sally Jane.
Captain Dapplewing's Manor
Aside from the revised inciting incident, Captain's
Dapplewing's Manor itself is almost exactly the same as is
from Strixhaven. Just make sure to make the following
additions to the treasure found in area C15:
If you have substituted Serafina Onyx for Verelda Lang
(see Strixhaven Mysteries #1), the ring of mind shielding
bears the inscription "S. Onyx". While it isn't in Professor
Onyx's nature to be effusive with her gratitude, she will be
impressed with the characters nonetheless.
A box labeled "Portal Keys" can be found with any search
of the area. Inside contains the Raven Key which Grayson
is looking for.
In addition, the encounter with the two ink-like gray oozes
which originally took place in area C19 now occurs inside the
primary storeroom within this area.
Shadow Crossing
Once the characters return to Grayson with the Raven Key,
he'll ask for it and then request to meet him again tomorrow
outside the Rose Stage at Silverquill Campus, one hour
before sundown. As with Captain Dapplewing's Manor, the
path to the Rose Stage is well-lit at nighttime.
After the characters rendezvous with Grayson, he takes
them to a field on the eastern edge of the campus, where the
characters will see an imposing white obelisk. Next to it is a
large, black trapdoor which superficially resembles a coffin.
Having spied on this location before, Grayson explains that
the portal only seems to open in the dead of the night.
Grayson does not know however that this portal is a
shadow crossing to the Shadowfell. This crossing operates as
per the "Book of the Raven" module from Candlekeep except
that the coffin-like trapdoor must first be unlocked. Before the
characters cross over, Grayson warns them that to avoid
arousing suspicion from campus security, he'll have to keep
the trapdoor shut while the others investigate the other side,
but that he'll back in an hour to open the portal (Grayson
doesn't know that people can only return to the Material
Plane at dawn).
The Shadowfell side of the crossing is laid out the same as
the original adventure, but the encounters play out much
differently:
The characters are not immediately attacked upon arrival.
They can explore the necropolis at their leisure unless
they approach within 30 feet of the Harrn Mausoleum
(which is now relocated 60 feet away from the crossing),
triggering waves of creatures to attack.
STRIXHAVEN MYSTERIES #3 1

The gargoyles are replaced by two ochre jellies made out
of ink.
Eighteen gray oozes (identical to the ones encountered in
Captain Dapplewing's Manor) and nine inkling mascots
take the place of the ghouls. These creatures attack in
three groups, each consisting of six gray oozes and three
inklings, and they approach from any direction aside from
where the shadow crossing is situated.
Drovath Harrn himself is now a slithering tracker (see
Volo's Guide to Monsters) formed from an oily substance.
Within his innards is a stone of good luck, which Drovath
benefits from as long as his body remains intact.
Despite his transformation, Drovath can assert some
modicum of control over the oozes. As long as Drovath
remains alive, the ooze guardians will not attack characters
who withdraw from battle, but they will follow from a
distance and form a loose perimeter to besiege and torment
the party if given the opportunity. Characters who are
surrounded by the oozes cannot take a short rest, and must
make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw to avoid giving into
Shadowfell despair (see the "Shadowfell" section in the
Dungeon Master's Guide).
If Drovath is reduced to 0 HP, any remaining oozes will
mindlessly attack the characters. Additionally, once the sun
starts to faintly rise in the Shadowfall (and at Strixhaven
back on the Material Plane), any besieging oozes will also
proceed to make a final assault on the party. No ooze will
attempt to pursue the characters through the crossing.
Harrn Mausoleum
Instead of warhorse skeletons, three shadows attack any
character who takes the treasure from the mausoleum. The
treasure itself is now a figurine depicting a daemogoth (see
Strixhaven chapter 7), and it has the following magical
properties:
Fiends and undead within 30 feet of the figurine can't be
turned.
Injured creatures within 30 feet of the figurine can't
regain hit points.
STRIXHAVEN MYSTERIES #3
A creature that holds the figurine while praying to the
daemogoth titan for at least 1 hour has a 10 percent
chance of summoning a smoky avatar of the demon. Once
this avatar is summoned, it can't be summoned again for
30 days. The daemogoth's avatar has the statistics of a
wraith which also has the daemogoth's Pact of Pain trait.
Aside from the magical properties, it shares the rest of its
attributes with the Orcus Figurine from "Book of the Raven".
Back to the Material Plane
As Grayson was ignorant of how the shadow crossing
worked, he is perplexed as to why the characters are taking
so long, and he eventually falls asleep while secretly keeping
watch. When the characters are finally allowed to return to
the Material Plane at dawn, they will find the coffin door
covering the shadow crossing shut on them and locked. The
door can be forced open with a DC 13 Strength (Athletics),
but any property destruction results in the same
consequences as in the "Campus Daredevils" adventure.
Loudly knocking on the coffin door is enough to rouse
Grayson from slumber, and he'll promptly unlock the door.
Grayson is profusely apologetic to learn what the
characters went through in the Shadowfell, and he insists on
making things right by giving himself the responsibility of
returning the Raven Key. He will express regret that his
curiosity almost brought the characters to a bad end.
Potential Investigations
Although information regarding what the characters
encounter in the Shadowfell exists in Strixhaven's libraries,
such knowledge is typically restricted to students until fourth-
year. If the characters decide to engage in further
unauthorized research, they will learn the nature of the
Shadowfell and the shadow crossing, and may also
potentially unearth one or more of these additional fragments
of information:
Drovath Harrn — a contemporary and bitter rival of
Captain Raymous Dapplewing — was a vampire who held
faculty appointments at both Silverquill and Witherbloom.
While Drovath's advocacy was instrumental in ensuring
the acceptance of virtually all races at Strixhaven and all
but the most taboo of magic, he still believed the nascent
Strixhaven didn't go far enough in unlocking the full
potential of magic. Ironically, one of Drovath's
unsanctioned experiments into enhanced immortality
backfired and caused him to be reduced to ooze form.
To this day, the Shadowfell region around Drovath's final
resting place is used as a proving ground for Silverquill
faculty and elite students, as well as a secure location for
safeguarding an artifact confiscated from an evil mage.
Although no conclusive evidence of this conspiracy theory
exists, some scholars suspect that Drovath founded the
Oriq cult to secretly oppose Captain Dapplewing's agenda.
Image Credits
D&D Watercolor Stains. Jared Ondricek
(watercolors.giantsoup.com)
Blot Out the Sky. Olena Richards (lenarichards.com)
 
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