The Candle In The Window

A Touch of Black: Chapter 5

The party’s employer has had to make many deals since arriving in the city. Such things are normal in business and
politics. But the deal that brought her here. A deal made in the darkness. A deal sealed with sorrow and blood. That
deal is anything but normal. And the time has come for her to begin paying the cost.
TABLE OF CONTENTS What is The AOG?
2 It started 40ish years ago. I still remember the day my
SETUP INFORMATION
cousin brought out this thin blue book with a white
ACT 1: Candle 3 sketched dragon on its cover and a pile of strange dice.
ACT 2: Shipwreck 5 He told eight year old me that we were going to play a
6 game where I could be anything I wanted (as long as it
ACT 3: Cavern was an elf, dwarf, human, or halfling). I immediately
ACT 4: Growth 7 developed that love of bringing people along on journey
8 after journey, and through all the moments and four
CLOSING decades of playing, the trip has never lost its wonder.
OTHER CHAPTER LINKS 9
10 Now, I think we are best described as a network of
THE APPENDECIES Table Top Role Playing Gamers (Mostly D&D). I had
MAPS 17 been sharing my work online for some time but decided
in April 2021 to open a Patreon and Discord. Honestly,
ADVENTURE MECHANICS I knew I was behind the Patreon Train, but it made
sense as a platform. I’m not interested in money, but I
This Adventure is Part 5 of Many am interested in sharing with and helping others in the
Target Party and Level: 4 level 2 players hobby. So I run the site 100% free of any paywalls.
Expected Playtime: 3+ Hours More like a Digital Magazine than a Patreon.
Tone: Urban Adventure Horror
Writing Style: Cavern Exploration Almost a year in and we’ve grown quite a bit. We host
One Shots through the Discord. I do a lot of requests for
our supporters and some commission work. I coach
STYLE “SHORT SHOT” many of our subscribers regularly on DMing and fantasy
A Short Shot is designed to give the DM a solid concept cartography. My son helps write our “Year One” series
of what is going on inside of the adventure not just which are adventures designed for entry level DMs and
ideas. The Story will be well flushed out, including both players, and we use our content to run an after school Jr
Area and NPC descriptions, but will be more conceptual High Group. We even support a podcast my youngest
regarding things like encounters, rewards, and hazards. son and I lend our voices to. It has been a busy year.
The Short Shot gives everything most DMs require to
lead a fantastic game. Contact us
PLAYING A.O.G. ADVENTURES PATREON Amplus Ordo Games
If you’ve never played an AOG adventure, I thought it DISCORD Join the Network
wise to give you some notes on how I write them. Cuz I
do some stuff non traditional like. I’ll put those notes REDDIT Our Sub in Reddit (Not super active)
down in the Appendices.
ABOUT HORROR GAMES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Running an effective Horror game can be a real trick Wizards of the Coast and D&D for the amazing job
and takes a different set of skills than the average DM they do providing RPG Content for us to use!
employs from game to game. It is my favorite style of Original Story Written by Amplus Ordo Games
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some suggestions for you. You can find those in the Games using Inkarnate
Appendices. PDF Formatting done using The Homebrewery

The Candle In The Window, July 2022

 SETUP INFORMATION
Town of Tragedies Guidebook
This adventure is part 5 of many to come, and will put
your players on a collision course with a Elder Being. It
is designed to be used in conjunction with the Town of
Tragedies Guide, which can be found below. The Guide
isn’t necessary, but I will reference it often.
A TOWN OF TRAGEDIES GUIDE
Trigger Warning
Horror Games often deal with Triggering topics. This
episode deals with a wheelchair bound woman
struggling with infertility. She has gotten into a bad deal
with a hag in order to find a way to conceive a child.
There are a lot of folks who have struggled with
conception. Their desperation is real and deep. So
many may be able to relate to Persephone’s choices, but
at the same time they could be deeply wounded by the
topic. So tread lightly, and shift if you need to.
Story Flow
With House Trellu well on its way to being restored and
Lady Persephone able to put the tax obligations the city
levied on the property behind her, things are going
smoothly. She has begun to fully settle in and has begun
preparations for extending her influence in the city. In
the past few weeks she has looked at multiple
properties and is close to investing in local businesses.
Persephone has even taken to seeing a young nobleman
from the area. The mood is hopeful and spirits are high.
It is on the way home from property showings when that
changes. Coming around the corner onto the lane which
House Trellu sits, Persephone gasps. There in the attic
window of her home is a lit black candle. Now perhaps
it was just left burning through carelessness, but
Persephone’s reaction clearly hints at something more.
Furthermore the group may recall seeing the same
candle the first time they came to visit the house.
The Candle is a sign. A notification if you will. Some
time ago the Lady had entered into a deal. This deal was
made with an entity who exacted a heavy price from
Persephone simply to arrange a meeting. Old Oma
Bonespittle can help her Persephone conceive a child,
but the Lady is going to have to fulfill her parts of the
bargain. She already traded Aunt Zattana’s life to get
this far, but Oma’s prices only go up from here.
Game Opening and Hooks
Campaign: Escort Lady Persephone to the estate,
where it becomes obvious the house is haunted.
One Shot: You are looking for a place to hold up
after a crime. Taking refuge in an abandoned house
you are soon confronted by the spirit.
One Shot Alternative: A notice offerings a reward for
ridding the a home of an angry spirit.
2 The Candle In The Window, July 2022
Mood
Things hidden away. Moments covered in darkness.
The unknowable. Secrets. Mysteries. Echoes of the past
long thought forgotten. These are the bedrock of
Deleran’s Crossing. Beyond every door. Behind the
curtains. Under every stone. Locked in the backroom.
Chained in the cellar. Politely veiled evils covered by
swollen sad eyes and wryly smiling lips. There are few,
if any, places in the city that have corners empty of
shadow or closets sans skeletons. Now in most cases
these private wickednesses remain buried but not
forgotten. In most cases… Those that live here, know
there are those rare and wretched moments where what
was thought long lost has gently come rapping, so
faintly it comes tapping, tapping at the chamber door. It
shall be hidden nevermore.
Madness, Sanity. and Trauma
Madness, Sanity. and Trauma These adventures often
deal with Madness and Insanity in the NPCs. For the
PCs I have introduced Madness issues and a Sanity
Mechanic to the campaign in this episode. Coming face
to face with inexplicable horror does things to the mind,
and that should not be lost on your players. It is 100%
optional, and if it in any way makes you or your players
uncomfortable you should not use it. You can check out
the mechanic I use in the Appendices.
Important Locations
Balinovia and the City of Beurnoli
The Stolregard Barony carved out of the heart of an
dark old growth forest known as the Graywood.
Deleran’s Crossing is the ruling seat of the Barony. It is
a poverty stricken, dying city, rotting from the inside out.
The Barony and Deleran’s Crossing
This is Persephone’s home, and worth mentioning as a
backdrop to her life. Balinovia has an Italian feel to it,
particularly when it comes to social and familial culture.
NPCs
Lady Persephone Trellu
The player’s Adventuring Patron. She is a noblewoman
new to town looking to extend her family’s power.
Marsilia Baralini
She is Persephone’s Handmaiden and personal
bodyguard.
Oma Sindy Spinsister (Cynthia)
Hag of the Night Circle
Oma and her sisters are ancient and powerful hags who
settled into the Stolegard forest around Deleran’s
Crossing and have staked a major claim on the land.
Sindy moves about the city in the form of Cynthia
Duprang, a kindly middle aged woman.
PRE-GAME
Story Arcs
This is part 5 of many and we’re starting to build up a
large network of threads. The Gray Griffon, Aberrant
Black, The Political Games, and now Persephone’s Arc
comes front and center. We will be getting back to the
others soon. Some sooner than others, but we’re going
to focus a few episodes on Persephone’s Dark Deal.
Level 3
If you haven’t leveled them up yet please do! Things are
starting to get spicy around here, and they’re going to
need that level.
These adventure are designed using Milestone
Experience. So if you are counting numbers then thye
are likely not there yet. If you are unfamiliar with that
concept, it is basically rewarding them equally for
achieving certain goals in the three pillars of D&D
Adventures - Exploration, Social Interaction, and
Combat. I find it give the DM a lot more wiggle room
when it comes to Adventure Design and encounter
planing. Buy you play how you want!
Shopping
I feel like I’m sending you shopping every module, but
players like it. Also it gets them out exploring the town
that doesn’t really like them and building the
relationships with merchants and other NPCs. Anyway,
another three weeks has gone by so they can get their
3gp a Day pay, and go spend that if they want.
OPENING CUT-SCENE
ACT 1: Candle
The players have been out escorting Lady Persephone
to various business properties she is thinking of
investing in. It has been a good day. A few good weeks
actually. The house is a little over halfway restored, and
the Lady has entertained several Noble visitors,
including a regular gentleman. Spirits are high. It is at
this time the group turns onto their street and spots a
Black Candle flickering in the attic window. Persephone
audibly gasps and unlike the last time the candle was
spotted it does not disappear. Instead as eyes lock onto
it the flame increases in size although there is no
increase in illumination. The Lady is visibly shook by
the sight. When they ask to go investigate she will tell
them there is no need and to go into the house and
prepare for a visitor.
That visitor is a Hag, Oma Sindy Spinsister, to whom
Lady Persephone is deeply indebted to. She will arrive
shortly in the guise of Cynthia Duprange. The players
will obviously be on high alert, the setup is
supernaturally fishy after all. Once Cynthia arrives she
and Persephone will remove themselves to her office
and conduct their business. Afterward the group will be
summoned, and given a task by Cynthia. Passing them a
Black Candle she will tell them that a great threat is
growing under the city. It is one that has been culled
before in times past and always returns. The Roots of
the Dark Seed Growth are working their way up from
the Darkness below the lands and if they reach the
surface they will release a terrible plague upon the
lands. The Candle will guide them to a cavern entrance
and from there they must descend and destroy the
roots. Bring her back a dozen of the Dark Seeds Root
Pods and she can begin helping Persephone. Helping
the city, helps their Lady, and helps Cynthia in return.
After this business Cynthia will leave.
EVENT: Crossing Town
The Players and Lady Persephone are coming back
through town after looking at properties. This is a good
chance for a sad town encounter. You know, a beggar, a
sick child, a dead body…
The Candle In The Window, July 2022 3
 PLAYER CHOICES: They would have time to make a PLAYER CHOICES: Once you drop some hints that
stop or two on the way back. Or interact with any something isn’t quite right the players will likely put up
Encounters you throw at them. a little resistance to Cynthia. They will certainly ask
some questions and may even go as far as to bar her
EVENT: Homecoming entrance. Eventually Marsilia will come and rescue
They return to House Trellu and spot the Candle Cythina from the players and take her to the back
parlor. If they follow, Persephone will ask them to wait
outside the room and have the doors closed.
EVENT: Tasked
Cynthia and Persophone have haggled out the details of
the coming bargain. Persephone will again be sending
the players out on a job for another.

PLAYER CHOICES: Persephone knows the Hag is

making herself known again. The players may have
questions, but she will avoid any real answers. They
may also want to go investigate the candle. It will be
gone by time they arrive in the attic. She will tell them
to prepare for a visitor.
EVENT: Cynthia
Oma Sindy Spinsister arrives shortly in the guise of
Cynthia Duprange. The players will bring her to the
back sitting room. They can have some minor
interactions with her. She will be super polite.

4 The Candle In The Window, July 2022

PLAYER CHOICES: They are going to ask questions. this candle through the city is going to freak people out
She will answer questions about the Dark Seed, as she and isn’t going to earn them any favors.
does want them to succeed. She will be evasive about
anything pertaining to her or any deals she has made
with Persephone. They may ask her for some extra
help. She will tell them that her power must be saved to
help Persephone, but maybe give them some minor help
or items in exchange for future favors. If they ask what
kind of favors she’ll say something hagish “A Lady
doesn’t know what she needs until she needs it.”
PLAYER CHOICES: What the heck Persephone? They
are almost certainly have some questions for their Lady,
who will not answer anything. If needs be she will
remind them that they are paid employees who do these
kinds of jobs for her. She will apologize that they seem
to be working for individuals with seemingly darker PLAYER CHOICES: They’ll need to follow the Candle.
motives… but there are no other options at the moment. They may do other things? Sure… but ultimately they
If they press the issue she will double their pay. (They’ll need to follow the guide. The light will lead them out of
be getting an increase next episode anyway) After any of the city and down into the Swift Marsh area. Following
those kinds of interactions they will be free to prepare this candle through the city is going to freak people out
for their adventure. If they do something crazy, like and isn’t going to earn them any favors. }}
attempt to magically compel her to speak, she will fire
them and ask that they leave her premises. If this
happens you’ll have to find another way to get them
where they need to go… good luck…
ACT 2: Shipwreck
The Candle sits on one of those small handled plates.
When they light the wick it will begin to float with a
skeletal hand holding the plate. And another hovering
nearby. The hands will begin to “walk” away carrying
the light. The players must follow this spectral guide. It
will lead them just out of the city into the Swiftmarsh. A
swampy area to the east with a narrow and fast moving
river running through it. There is a wrecked hull of a
ship there that the light will lead them to. Inside of that
hull is a large stone that the ship came to rest on and
the candle will pass into that stone. There is a secret EVENT: Swift Marsh
passage in the rock that they will have to open but not
before dealing with the creatures living in the wreckage. MAP: Swift Marsh, Northeast
They’ll have to cross into Swift Marsh to get to the
There are more challenges to come, so at level 3, so I Shipwreck.
recommend something like Giant Toads or Snake.
EVENT:The Black Candle
Time to light that Candle. “Your flame ignites the wick
of the candle. For a moment nothing happens. Then
subtly, almost as if it didn’t happen, the plate wobbles,
then rises slowly into the air, lifted by a phantom
skeletal hand. A breath later another appears alongside
it. The two hands begin to move away, accompanied by
the soft sound of footsteps. As you stare the free hand
points toward you and beckons for you to follow it.”
PLAYER CHOICES: They’ll need to follow the Candle.
They may do other things? Sure… but ultimately they
need to follow the guide. The light will lead them out of
the city and down into the Swift Marsh area. Following

The Candle In The Window, July 2022 5


SKILL CHALLENGE: Crossing the Marsh They need to
get to the Shipwreck. They could go up to the bridge
and down on the far side. That’s the easiest, but they
may just attempt to cross here. The Marshland is
extremely soft, even quicksandy in texture someplaces.
Athletics checks should be made to traverse it. If they
fail too many checks impose a level of exhaustion.
EVENT: The Shipwreck
MAP: Shipwreck
They arrive at the shipwreck.
PLAYER CHOICES: Search the area. Check for traps.
Basic searching the area stuff. As they are doing this
some predators should be approaching. I’m going to use
a Giant Constrictor Snake. But Giant Toads or some
other swamp creature would be great as well.
6 The Candle In The Window, July 2022
ENCOUNTER: Giant Constrictor Snake This
creature(s) should be attempting to surprise the players.
Either rushing up from the water, from the darkness of
the hull, or out of the reeds. Other than the surprise this
should be a fairly straight forward encounter.
PLAYER CHOICES: Examine the rock. Touching the
rock activates the secret passage inside of it. It doesn’t
take much but they do have to examine the boulder.
ACT 3: Cavern
The cavern spirals downward over a natural bridge then
back around under that bridge. Ultimately this path
ends in a small chamber with a gaping hole in the floor.
There are roots climbing up out of the hole. There is a
large cavern beyond that hole, the floor of it over 120’
feet below and filled with water creating a small
underground lake. Growing up out of this lake is a large
cluster of roots. The players will need to descend into
the cavern and begin dealing with the roots which will
fight back against being attacked.
EVENT: Follow the Tunnel
MAP: Dark Root Cavern
Time to explore the tunnel below the river.
LOCATION: Entrance Tunnel
After opening the stone they’ll simply have to follow the
tunnel. It spirals downward to chamber with a large
hole in the floor.
LOCATION: The Drop
This room has a hole in the floor leading into the huge
chamber below. They’ll have to descend from here.
CREATURE/HAZARD: The Dark Root
A Dark Root is a miles wide subterranean plant life
form with limited intelligence. It grows endlessly in an
upward direction growing through the earth toward the
surface where it will release a toxin upon the area
transforming creatures into Blights for miles around it.
While still underground the roots themselves are
extremely dangerous. If a creature gets too close the
root vine will attempt to latch on to a creature and drain
its life. Only the smaller more vine-like roots attack, and
the larger ones don’t normally move more than 5’ a
turn. They can move frighteningly fast in terrain they’ve
already burrowed through when they come under
attack. Creatures navigating a root patch find
themselves in difficult terrain and may require dexterity
saving throws. If contact is made with a root it will
attempt to grapple and drain. Opposed grapple checks
should be made. The roots gain a +6 to their roll, and do
1d4+1 necrotic damage. They are resistant to fire and
vulnerable to radiant damage. Every round a creature is
grappled by the roots the damage and escape DC
increase as the root grows exponentially. Any creature
killed by the vines becomes a Blight of the Dark Root.
The Dark Root has a limited consciousness throughout
the entire system, so simple contact in one area does
not alert the rest of the mass. Badly damaging the plant
will cause the roots under attack to withdraw to other
places and reinforce themselves. It also alerts the
Blights tending the area. Killing a main patch of Dark
Roots, Known as a Pod, will result in the dropping of
4d4 seed pods (Less if the roots were hit by radiant
damage). These pods are extremely valuable to certain
types of magic users and assassins, as they contain
potet amounts of necrotic energy and toxins.
If enough Pods draw themselves together there is
metamorphosis that happens. The Pods become what is
known as a Heart and it becomes much more aware of
its surroundings. The Heart will bury itself in a cluster
of Roots and attack from behind a wall of specialized
vines. The Vines can cast Poison Spray on their turn
and use their grapple attack. The Heart itself once
revealed looks like a massive Orchid and will release a
toxic gas similar to the spell Stinking Cloud. It may look
like a flower but functions like a mouth and will attempt
to swallow attackers. Anyone swallowed will find
themselves in a digestive chamber filled with acid.
Destroying the Heart of a Dark Root puts it into a
dormant state for several decades.
SKILL CHALLENGE: Descend into the Cavern below. It
is just over a hundred feet down to the surface of the
water, which at the center is another twenty feet deep.
The center is also choked by the largest growth of Dark
Roots. There are several things to consider as
challenges when making this climb. There is a long
climb involved, the area is wet and slippery, and there
are The Dark Roots to contend with. They certainly will
not want to land on the large cluster in the water below.
So they’re going to have to get creative.
ACT 4: Growth
The cavern branches out in several directions.
Throughout the cavern typically At the end of these
tunnels will be Dark Root Clusters defended by Vine
Blights. They will have to clear these Blights out from
the areas and retrieve the pods. As they do, the vines
will retract and begin rapidly expanding to protect the
other Dark Root Clusters of the cavern, eventually
forming into a Heart Cluster. Each time this happens
Blights will become more ferocious. However, once all
the clusters are all destroyed the vines will begin to
wither and players can head back.
EVENT: The Main Cavern
As complex as the layout appears, the cavern is
conceptually straightforward. It still will present the
basic cavern style challenges - Narrow Spaces, Cliffs,
Uneven Floors, etc. It is also choked with the Dark
Root’s branches, so exploring the main cavern is almost
always difficult terrain. You may even want to add some
random instability thanks in part to the roots punching
their way through.
LOCATION: The Basin
This is a large room with a large pool in the center. The
water line is 100’ below the ceiling and 20’ deep in the
middle. There are roots submerged throughout, and the
final Dark Root Cluster will emerge here.
The Candle In The Window, July 2022 7
 CLOSING
Once they return to Trellu House they will be met by
Cynthia who will be in The Sitting Room of the house.
She will inform the players that Lady Persephone has
gone to lay down. Cynthia will collect the pods from the
players and inform them that their next task will take
them away from town. She will send a messenger in a
few days. She will be 100% polite and kind and
completely evasive with all their questions and simply
tell them that their Lady and her have an agreement,
and that she has no intentions to do anything to
endanger that partnership. There was a danger to the
CREATURE: Root Blight city and she used that partnership to get what everyone
Root Blights are almost identical to their common needs and protect the city. Win win. She’ll get up to
cousins. Root blights differ in two ways. They take on leave and remind them to rest up.
the form and utilize the remains of their victims. This
means a blight can look like anything it has killed.
Animals, Insects, and Humanoids are most common,
but any creature A Dark Root manages to trap becomes
a host for the Blights. They do not inherit powers, but
they might gain a special attack. For instance, the Blight
would not gain an Umber Hulk’s Confusion ability, but it
would gain a Hook Horror’s arm strikes. Secondly, they
absorb half the damage they do as HP for themselves.
This life Drain greatly increases a Blights survivability.
This ability does not work if the Blight has been
damaged by Radiant energy before its turn.
ENCOUNTER: Basin Root Encounter
This will be the final encounter. The Dark Root will take
up the majority of this room. They’ll have to smash all
the way through it to get to the “heart” of the root and
destroy the Pod in the center. The Dark Root here can
be attacked from a distance, but absorbs most magic, so
it may take some time to whittle it down. Blights will
form out of nearby clusters and come up out of the pool.
If they are in the pool itself the blights will try to drown
them. Once the Heart is exposed it will lash out, much
faster than the other clusters and directly attack.
LOCATION: Treasure Spot REWARDS: Cythina’s Gifts
There should be a random treasure spot somewhere Sofare in the series there hasn’t been much in the way
along the way. A few dead adventurers, maybe encased of actual rewards. That is intentional. It helps build the
in vines or perhaps turned Blights shuffling around in background sorrow of the environment. And so I
their gear if you’re looking for another encounter. suggest Cynthia as the delivery agent of the extra
rewards. Why? Because they will not trust her, but they
ENCOUNTER: The North West Cluster will want to use any rewards you give them. It will
This cluster is in the center of a mid-sized cavern and create the perfect kind of tension. They are only level 3
surrounded by other vines and root clusters. The so I suggest a few potions or a small magical weapon.
encounter here should surround them as they attempt Something with the magic property, but not any
to attack the Cluster. The roots here will also throw bonuses. Also, I would describe these things a little
things at them while they attack. more creepy. A blood stained shortsword, whose
staining doesn’t ever leave. Potions with odd bits
ENCOUNTER: The South East Cluster floating in them. Scrolls written on suspicious
This cluster is in a much tighter space offering more parchment. I usually try to fill in gaps they have in their
protection. The Blights here will attempt to push party power at this level. Around 5 I begin giving
attackers closer to the Root so it can leech them of life. rewards more character related.

8 The Candle In The Window, July 2022

 The End
The Story Will Continue in
“Ghosts Of The Graywood”

THANKS FOR PLAYING

I do want to take one last moment to sincerely thank you for playing an AOG Adventure. It means a lot to me as a
creator. If you enjoyed it please leave me some comments on wherever you found this adventure. You can support
more content like this by subscribing to our Patreon. AMPLUS ORDO GAMES

DELERAN’S CROSSING CAMPAIGN GUIDE

A Town of Tragedy Campaign Guide

A TOUCH OF BLACK ADVENTURE CAMPAIGM

Warehouse of Woe

Condemned
The Haunting of House Trellu

Black Taxes

A Candle In The Window

AUGUST 2022: Ghosts Of The Graywood

The Candle In The Window, July 2022 9

 THE APPENDICES
Notes, Lore, Stories, Handouts, Maps, & Statblocks
D&D is a complicated dance of information and imagination. I've often found a lot of
trouble seeing someone else's vision in what they have written. Having put out dozens
of adventures now, we at the AOG have figured out that what we see isn't always what
you see. And while that is absolutely wonderful when it spawns creativity... it is
absolutely tragic when it breeds confusion.

You probably won't find sections like these in our "Year One" or "Quick Shot"
Adventures, as those are designed to flow without a lot of extra information. But
when it comes to our Bigger Releases we'll typically include quite a bit of extra
information to bring some clarity to our thinking, to further expand on our vision,
and hopefully add fuel to your own.

Some of the things below probably won't change from module to module. Things like the
House Rules and How I structure the AOG's Adventures. Other parts like Maps and
Statblocks will change every Adventure.

I think that's about all you need to know about this section.

And as always Thank You for playing with us!

10 The Candle In The Window, July 2022

PLAYING AN AOG ADVENTURE
Homebrewed World
First off, almost all my adventures are set in my Homebrew World of Taalist, particularly the Continent of Krenshad.
Which the majority of has a very Gothic Art and Renaissance Period cultural feel to it. With some Greek and Middle
Eastern Cultre from various time periods thrown in there for flavor. That said… Almost all of my Adventures can be
easily ported into your location of choice. If you would like to play in Taalist my Campaign Guide (All 150+ Pages of it)
can be accessed on our Discord.
The Lay Out
I divide my adventures into “Acts”. An Act doesn’t necessarily reflect an amount of time, but more of an important
series of events or locations. Some Acts may take 5 minutes, some 5 hours. Why? I dunno, ask the players who over
complicate simple matters and simplify the overly complex.
Skill Check DCs
I don’t spend a lot of time defining DCs as I play with a bit wider scale of success and failures. What does that mean?
For reference the DC scale in 5E looks like this…. Very Easy DC 5, Easy DC 10, Medium DC 15, Hard DC 20, Very
Hard DC 25, Nearly Impossible DC 30. When I list a DC, I will tell you it is Hard. But Hard for one party may be easy
for another so I leave the actual number value up to you. I also play with a “Success but with Consequences” mentality.
That means if they get close they still accomplish their goal, but there is a “but” to that success. An Example? Hard
Stealth DC is 20, they roll an 18, I tell them “You sneak past the guard you see, but the guard you didn’t see heard
something and is headed your way.” I think it adds more to the story that way.
Search Checks
I often reference Search Checks. What is a Search Check? When the players want to “search” something or for
something I let them use either Investigation or Perception. I know that isn’t RAW but it just makes things so much
easier. I got real tired of explaining to players who have been playing with me for years the difference between the
two… just let them look for stuff!
Treasure Sizes
Every game is different. So I do not usually list out treasures. Instead I use the follwing terms to assign value not size
to the treasure Petty, Small, Medium, Large, Huge. Often I will use a combination of them. You can decide how best to
fulfill that for your party.
Identify Rules
I use a different style of Identify. Items in my world have a Knowledge DC on them (Arcana, Religion, History, and
Nature). I allow the player to use an appropriate Check on an item to identify it. The Identify Spell adds a +10 to this. It
can be upcast for additional +5 bonuses. Depending on the score of the Check I give them different information. Some
information is extremely hard to obtain, for example Curses are well hidden behind DCs that are at least DC 30, often
much higher.
Opening Cutscene
I like to start my games with an Opening Cutscene which is read before anything else happens. These are usually
really vague bits of information that give a glimpse into something that will maybe happen later, happened before the
adventure, or is story adjacent to it. I have found these to be great tools to set the mood and create a little mystery.
Setting, Background Info, and Hooks
These portions can be used as you see fit. Each one is a little different, so it is hard for me to say how best to use them.
Some will play better if you can get them into the hands of the players before the game. Others may have better
influence when read just after the Cutscene. Some are really only relevant to moments in the story. But as in all things
you do what is best for your game! That is always the way to go.
Skill Challenges
I use the idea of Skill Challenges a lot. What is that? It is an event in the game that isn’t quite an encounter and it isn’t
a simple skill check. It is a problem they solve with their whole skill set. Typically they must get three successes before
three failures in order to succeed in a skill check. The thing about a Skill challenge is they’re are vague on purpose to
allow players to be creative in solving a problem. An example may help here.
DM says “Your Boat is taking on water. What would you like to do?”
Player 1 responds with “I use my carpentry tools to fix the hole” and they make a Tool Check. But they roll a 2 so
they fail. Too much water.
Player 2 says “ wants to row harder with the crew to get us toward shore faster” They make an Athletics Check and
roll an 18. So that is a success.
Player 3 “I use Destroy Water to get water out” OK, well it only destroys 10 gallons so it isn’t super helpful, but the
momentary reprieve allows a little drywork to happen and allow player 1 to reroll.
The Candle In The Window, July 2022 11
 THOUGHTS ABOUT
HORROR GAMES
What is a Horror Game?
That question covers a lot of bases! But there are some
core values that make a game a Horror Game, and they
aren’t what a lot of people think. Sure it can be a gross
out carnage and gore run with entrail and blood covered
monstrosities, but far more often it is about the tension
and mood of the game you are running. Horror games
dive deep into setting a specific tension building tone
and subverting player expectations. If you have access
to Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, read it! It has a
multitudes of tips on what a Horror game is and can be!
Safety and Boundaries
VRGtR talks about this a lot. Make sure you know your
group’s boundaries and have a safety system in place
when you play. You can google info about that real quick
if you need to. But basically it is a way for players to let
you know that you’re heading into territory that makes
them uncomfortable in NOT a fun way. Then you as the
DM can pause and redirect. Twas a time I thought that
was lame and unnecessary… then I had a player have a
breakdown. I didn’t know it was coming and in fact they
didn’t either, but the narrative got way to close to home
emotionally in regard to past trauma. Were there safety
tools in place that player could have let me know, but
instead they felt trapped there growing more and more
uncomfortable until it was too late. So talk to your
players and develop a plan to create and protect
boundaries!
Tone and Subverting expectations.
So lets talk about tone. Not the specific tone differences
between say a gothic horror game and a cosmic horror
game. The overall tone that horror should create. No
matter what the style of the game is, horror games
always promote feelings of rising tension and release. A
lot of people compare this to a roller coaster, that’s
close but coasters usually start big and end slower.
Horror tends to work in reverse. Rising tension, small
relief, more tension, more relief, high tension, little
relief, you get the idea, and then it all comes racing to a
finish at the end… or did it? Creating that kind of tension
and not making your players miserable with it is a skill
that you as the DM will need to develop. And one of the
best ways to do that is to subvert their expectations.
This is another place where the Roller Coaster analogy
kind of goes off the rails. (Yeah I punned that). You
know on a coaster that after a long rise there is going to
be a drop. You see it coming. You’ve watched it the
entire time you were in line. It built excitement for that
moment. But what if the coaster didn’t drop right there?
What if it only dipped a little bit? What if the design of
the track was intentionally misleading? That is the kind
of tension you want to create.
12 The Candle In The Window, July 2022
Ever ride a Disney Coaster? Most are encased in a
building or shoot through massive scenery that
obscures your vision. That is 100% intentional, because
were those coasters open air they’d be pretty lame, but
the fact that you have no idea there are dips and twists
coming on that run-away-mine-train makes otherwise
yawnable rides fun. That is horror. The players think
something is about to happen, but what is really
happening is over here. You ever do the pull a quarter
out of a kid’s ear trick? If you’re good at it you learned to
get them to look anywhere but at where you’re keeping
that quarter, and then the moment they look away you
grab their head and scream WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR
EAR! OMG!… lol… don’t do that to children… that’s
called trauma. But when it comes to Horror Games I’m
sure you get the idea. Its basic illusion work, get them
looking anywhere other than where the threat is.
You also need to play with tropes and then sometimes
turn them on their heads. Folks say all the time they
hate tropes. I’m just gonna put this out there… most
people don’t know what they actually like and hate.
People love tropes, they’re tropes for a reason. We play
a game that in all of its core aspects is a living breathing
trope and it is really hard to get away from it.
So what we’ve all done is embrace it, sometimes
without realizing it, and that gives you a lot of room to
take tropes and flip them upside down. Horror leans
into tropes all the time. A group of people get isolated
and a creature picks them off one by one. That is the
heart and soul of 90% of horror stories. That’s a trope.
Strahd is one of the tropiest tropes that ever troped, and
we all still love him. Tropes create a sense of security,
players think they know what’s coming, and messing
with that is your most effective tool in creating tension.
I ran Curse of Strahd a while back. It is wonderful as
written, but I can’t help but mess with stuff so I jiggered
the heck out of that module. In the run I introduced
Colletta (the “Tatyanna”) character as the typical
damsel in distress being chased by a Vampire. But then
they met Strahd who was simply done with everything
and determined to destroy his own realm. He was of
course hot after Coletta as he always is, but more
interested in the end of his curse. This turned him into
an anti-hero of sorts, and every interaction with him was
uncomfortable but helpful. . Now the players Never Ever
Ever trusted Strahd, nor should they have. But Strahd
was never the Villain of my story. Colletta was. I had
given her access to past memories of her former lives
and she was determined to not let Strahd free of his
curse but instead to strip him of his powers and torment
him herself forever. They players did so many horrible
things to protect that damsel in distress and all the
while were pawns to evil, meanwhile evil was
attempting a true redemption that they denied him.
Tropes used and expectations subverted. It was a
glorious ending full of shock and horror. And I couldn’t
have done it without leaning into tropes!
Keep your Focus & Remember, Less is More
Less is More, this old saying rings true in so many areas
of life, and holds a lot of sway over Horror. How many
monsters are there in most Horror stories? Most of the
time there is only one. If there are more it is usually the
same type of creature. There is a reason for that. One
you should lean into. One very hard to kill creature is a
lot scarier than dozens of slaughterable goons. “If it
Bleeds We Can Kill It.” is a statement of Hope not Fact.
Hope can be crushed. Now I’m not saying don’t use
minions or random encounters or mini bosses. We need
those in an Adventure. What I am saying is don’t drown
your players in them, and never let the focus off your
main threat. It is always there. Looming and lurking. In
many ways it is the Monster’s story and no one else’s.
Doubt that? Think of most of the popular Horror Stories
you know, who is easier to remember? The Monster or
the People it is after? In almost every regard, your
threat is your Protagonist. You still probably want your
players to pull out a win, because that is fun for them,
but your monster is your true star.
The World Doesn’t Work in Their Favor
Normally, there are a lot of things that should work in
the players favor. NPC cooperation is often one of them.
But you’re out to create a general feel of suspicion and
distrust. Therefore NPC and the World should give the
impression of wanting to cooperate, but they often don’t.
Use Good Descriptive Words.
It’s not an Ogre. He isn’t just ugly. He is a hulking
monstrocity nearly 10 feet tall covered in oozing sores
with chunks of flesh hanging between its rotting teeth.
Hunt Them
Being Hunted by a monster is more nerve wracking
than fighting it. Building on a feeling of dread and
anticipation can really make people unsettled.
2 Steps Forward 1 Step Back, Always…
They never fully win. Everything has strings attached
and ripple effects. You‘re out to create the shadow of
hopelessness. They save a peasant from a monster but
while they were helping them, something else bad
happened. Not as bad, but they need to start to live with
the feeling that they have too many fires to fight. Let
them win once and awhile, but they should mostly be
partial victories. I mean you don’t want to crush their
souls or anything… wait… or do you… ?
Use a Kobayashi Maru
Otherwise known as a No Win Situation. Someone is
sick and dying and they can’t save them. Someone can’t
be brought back from the dead because - reasons. They
couldn’t prevent a village from being destroyed. And if
they pull a Captain Kirk and try to cheat the system…
well remind them that Star Trek is fiction and this is
D&D.
Force Them to Make Terrible Choices
In a regular game a BBEG might monologue and
players could try to save the day. Yeah, that doesn’t
happen here. If the BBEG is monologuing it is because
players can’t stop them and they think it is amusing.
There are two guillotine and two people trapped in
them. They literally, no matter what can only save one.
Those type of things. I have even killed a player very
early in the campaign to emphasis that in a Horror
Game villains don’t piss around.
Enforce Consequences.
Bad choice need consequences. This chips away at their
morale. However, a player can usually deal with
consequences affecting them. But… If they have an NPC
ally and that NPC pays for it. That is differet. Hurt the
helpless and your players will become extremely
nervous. Hurt someone they don’t want to mess with
and they will be down right scared. Now, this does not
work on Murder Hobos… at first… because players like
that don’t care about things like NPCs… but there are
things they do care about, and once the consequence
affects those things it hurts bad.
Chipping Away at Their Sanity
I highly reccomend using a sanity mechanic. There are
many good ones out there that don’t come across as
blunt force trauma immediately. The things seen in a
Horror Game should unsettle the characters deeply. In
fact if we’re honest most of what adventurers do and see
should leave emotional trauma in their wake. Lean into
that. When they see something have them make a sanity
check… the more they fail the harder the checks get.
And the more unhinged thier behavior becomes. Will
they even be able to tell friend from foe by the end of the
game? Hopefully at least one of them wont! Because
having someone’s character completely go off the rails
is a good time in a game like this!
SUPER IMPORTANT
Give Them a Flower in the Desert
The last thing I will leave you with is an easy and simple
notion. Don’t constantly oppress the players. Horror has
a lot of things that chip away at resolve, and if you don’t
lift them up once and a while they’ll give up. That means
they stop having fun. The Flower in the Desert concept
is exactly what it sounds like. Give them something fun
and wonderful once and a while. Give them a scene of
beauty not terror. Give them a flower in the desert. It
keeps them going and helps relieve the stress of the
adventure. Humor is often one of your best avenues, but
a real spot of world building beauty is something they
will always remember!
The End?
I’ve got a ton more I could say about all things Horror,
but I gotta wrap it up somewhere. If you want to pick my
brain about it, send me a message where you found this
and I’ll get back to ya!
The Candle In The Window, July 2022 13
 MADNESS MECHANIC
I enjoy using madness, but with care. Real life faces
difficult things, many extreme. I am not prone to
dancing around those issues. Personally I think we are
made stronger when we deal with them head on. And
happen to think Role Playing can be a great setting to
deal with such things. HOWEVER. (A big however, that
is what I prefer… not what everyone else prefers.) There
is absolutely no excuse or reason to be insensitive or
flippant with another human being’s emotional state
and past trauma. I highly recommend talking about the
possibility of sensitive issues before the game and
having a way for players to signal the need for a course
correction when something begins to cross boundaries.
The Mechanic I Use
I use a countdown mechanism. Players start with 100
Sanity Points, which work like HP. Certain events and
sights cause Sanity Damage. Conversely, treatments,
rest, and downtime activity restore them, like healing
does for HP. Once enough points are lost they cross
Madness Thresholds and begin to suffer from different
mental and emotional maladies. At first they aren’t all
that bad. Picking up odd superstitions. Strange habits. A
smidge of paranoia or a phobia. But the further they
dive or the more often the dip into madness the greater
the issues. Kleptomania. Real Paranoia. Hallucinations.
Even violence against themselves or their friends. How
this manifests should be a conversation between the
player and the DM and should fit into the game. The
Official Rules have lists of Types of Madness that we
can go to for ideas. It is preferable to have this
conversation precampaign. I really don’t like forcing a
behavior on a player without consulting them. Once the
type of Madness is agreed upon, that type, and or any
additional issues, will continue to grow.
Starting Stats
1. All players begin with 100 Sanity Points.
2. This Score is modified by their Int or Wisdom.
Players gain +/- 5 points based on their modifiers.
Example +10 Sanity if they have a +2 Wisdom. -5
Sanity if they have a -1 Intelligence. If they have a
negative this is their top tier threshold. (See Note)
In Game
1. Throughout their adventures they will encounter
triggering events. Seeing a horrific ghost. Watching a
loved one fall to their death. Stumbling upon humans
eating a corpse. Reading from a Cursed Occultic
Tome. Spending time at a child’s overly attended
and out of control 6th birthday party… Trauma isn’t
specific either. Some events may hit one character
harder than others. As the DM this is up to you. How
much damage they take will depend on the event.
Trauma Damage will manifest as an all or nothing
saving throw aimed at either Int or Wis.
14 The Candle In The Window, July 2022
2. Players should be able to do things to recover Sanity.
Including simply getting a good rest. Other things
like a night out at the inn, visiting your temple,
casual reading, hobbies, spa days, etc… These types
of things keep Madness at bay, but in a horror game
Madness, like time, comes for us all. Once players
dip below the thresholds of 100/75/50/25 they can’t
normally go back over.
3. Once they cross one of the Madness Thresholds they
will begin to suffer some form of mental health issue.
The further down the rabbit hole they go the worse
things should get.
4. It is up to you as the DM to decide the damage and
the healing certain events do, but I recommend using
multiples of a d6s for Damage and d4s for Healing. I
also limit the healing to two events, usually weekly.
But that depends on the pacing of your game.
Note: Now, we can’t leave our friends who start with
scores below 100 feeling like mindful characters have
an unfair advantage. It is well studied that people with
higher IQs suffer from a lot more mental health issues.
Not my opinion, that’s just science. It is likely due to the
slower of mind not always processing things,
information, and events as completely, or in many cases
over-completely, as folks with more active and acute
thinking patterns do. In other words Barbarian Smash
and Move On! Wizard Obsesses and Over-Think! So if
the Player has a negative stat, it grants them resistance
to that type of Trauma and advantage when rolling to
recover Sanity Points from activities.
LOCATIONS
The Stolregard Barony and
Deleran’s Crossing
Let us begin with the Nation itself. Once a thriving part
of Cetnovia, The Barony was founded long ago after
land and title for the Eastern forests of Cetnovia were
granted to Deleran Callington as reward for stopping
the Kren Empire from using the Throne of Bones to
dominate Cetnovia. It was later split off from Cetnovia
after some near cataclysmic disasters. Nestled in the
rocky foothills and valleys of the Stolregard mountains,
the barony is a land with deep old growth forests. It was
once a shining jewel in the world but centuries of
struggle have dimed its light. The Gray Wood is now
filled with dark creatures and foreboding mystery.
The Capital City of Stolregard, Deleran’s Crossing is
nestled deep in the foothills of the Stolregard
Mountains and surrounded by dark and foreboding
Gray Wood forest. Even in these late years and dark
times it is still a sight to behold. The city is built upon a
cliffed island surrounded by a series of ridges and dells
cut out of the land by the Cold Rock River. The ruling
seat, Castle Skystone, sits just above the higher points
of the city on a plateau along the town’s northern edge.
At first glance Deleran’s Crossing appears to be
something out of a storybook, upon closer inspection it
more closely resembles a Shakespearean tragedy.
Being a resident here is difficult, and life is pretty
dismal. Despair and hopelessness are as common in
town as rats and roaches. Low level violence and petty
crime are a daily occurrence. The people do what they
have to do to survive both physically and emotionally.
The Nation of Balinovia And
The City of Beurnoli
This is Persephone’s home, and worth mentioning as a
backdrop to her life. Balinovia has an Italian feel to it,
particularly when it comes to social and familial culture.
Sadly, it is a land of extreme selfishness, most everyone
there is looking out for themselves first and themselves
second. And who could blame them? The nation is run
by a former Pirate who wrangled the nobility under his
thumb with the promises of riches or blood. They chose
riches. It likely won’t last though. There are tens of
thousands of Orcs from the Blood Axe Dominion
building up on their northern borders. Balinovia has
managed to keep them at bay thus far, but sooner or
later the Orcs will break the lines and sweep through
the land.
Buernoli is a good sized city of tens of thousands
nestled on the north side of the Thundering River, and
is a valuable industrial center, and produces much of
the nations arms and armor. The surrounding area is
hilly and rich with minerals, though most of the major
mining operations are across the river in the mountains.
It is covered with small farms producing grain and
livestock. There are also a fair amount of vineyards
here, though the land isn’t as well suited to growing
grapes as the towns to the southwest are. It would be
extremely picturesque if it weren’t for the pollution.
Buernoli itself is filthy, the streets are filled with trash
from large amount of industry that dominates the town.
The waste has tainted the river and forges have filled
the sky with smoke. The wealthy live well outside the
city in hillside villas where they can ignore the decay
happening in town.
NPCs
Lady Persephone of House
Trellu of Balinovia
House Trellu is a powerful Noble family in the nation of
Balinovia, the city of Beurnoli specifically. They, like
most nobles, maintain their wealth by owning land and
collecting rent. The recent passing of a cousin who held
both land and title in Deleran’s Crossing has opened
some interesting doors for them. Balinovia is at war
with the Blood Axe Orcs to the North and their chances
of keeping the Orcs at bay are not good. Barnabus
Trellu, the current head of House Trellu has sent his
eldest daughter Persephone to manage the properties
and put them in an order worthy of House Trellu.
Persephone is a remarkable woman in many ways. As
an infant she contracted the Pox, a disease that ravaged
her body leaving her blind, and confined to a
wheelchair. She has never let her disabilities define her.
Now in her mid twenties, she has a sharp mind and a
remarkable insight. She has proven herself time and
again in both social situations and business. She has a
no nonsense personality, that some consider cold and
calculating. She is a fine looking woman of natural
beauty, but does not allow Marsilia, her handmaid, to
apply makeup or do anything more than a simple braid
with her hair. She wears a simple scarlet blindfold to
cover her eyes, as their empty pale milky color often
puts people off, and not in a way that benefits
negotiations.
Potential Dark Secret: Persephone does not have many
desires. She accepted her life as a child and does not
often live with wishes or regrets. She does, however,
have one. She wants children herself, but her physicians
have informed her that such a thing is impossible. The
Pox took that from her as well. Still, the heart wants
what the heart wants. Shortly, before her Aunt’s death
she received a letter from her. That letter hinted that
someone in Deleran’s Crossing had the power to help
her conceive a child, maybe even recover fully. Shortly
afterward, another letter appeared. This one from an
unknown sender. It claimed that they could indeed help
Persephone, but blood would have to be spilled,
beginning with her Aunt. If she was willing to earn her
cure then she should put a black candle in the window
and burn the letter at midnight.
She hasn’t fooled herself into thinking this arrangement
isn’t without danger. She knows the force behind it is
likely a Fiend or a Hag. No matter, one week later a
candle had been purchased, a letter burned, and Auntie
Zanetta passed away unexpectedly. Persephone has
come to do family business, and with any luck start one
of her own.
DM Notes: Persephone is a main protagonist for the
early adventures in A Town of Tragedy. There should be
a certain amount of mystery surrounding her, enough to
create suspicion but not so much that the players turn
on her. I will be using her Dark Secret as the story
builds, but intend for her to be more of a tragic figure as
things develop.
Marsilia Baralini
When one uses the word Handmaiden it conjures
pictures of young maidens in plain dresses attending
much older women. In this case the picture is turned
about. Marsilia has been many things to Persephone
Trellu. Nursemaid, Nanny, Governess, and
Handmaiden. She is a middle aged woman of proper
bearing. She holds herself as a lady of class, although
The Candle In The Window, July 2022 15
 she has no claim to any titles herself. She has been a
loyal servant to the Trellu family since she was a
scullery maid in their kitchens as a child. She was
married a long time ago, but the same Pox that took
Persephone’s eyes and legs stole her husband and two
children. She has always looked after Persephone as
her own, and has never let that attachment show in an
inappropriate way. She is also the young woman’s
personal bodyguard, Handmaidens in Balinovia are not
simply responsible for dresses and makeup. They are
trained combatants responsible for protecting their
charges with their very lives.
Potential Dark Secret: Marsilia was contacted by the
Hag before Aunt Zanetta’s letter arrived. Zanetta had no
intention of luring Persephone into a contract with a
Hag, but the vile creature was made aware of the
situation and decided to take advantage. Afterall, broken
hearts are the most fertile grounds for empty promises.
Marsilia was promised a second chance with her family.
She has made that arrangement. Though the price for
her family is steep and may be more than she can bear.
Marsilia is to help the Hag lure Persephone into a soul
forfeiting deal. Once done, Marsilia and her family will
be restored and allowed to carry on with their lives in a
demi-plane recreation of Beurnoli before the Pox came.
DM Notes: Marsilia is in way over her head, but so far is
holding the course. There should be minimal hinting at
her Dark Secret until the actual reveal. She is truly torn
by this decision, and will still fight desperately to keep
Persephone safe. She still thinks of her as a daughter,
but she still wants her family back. So the loyalty is one
part needing Persephone alive and one part actually
caring. Either way Marsilia is not slotted for a happy
ending.
Old Oma Sindy Spinsister, Hag
of The Night Circle
Oma and her sisters are ancient and powerful hags who
settled into the Stolegard forest around Deleran’s
Crossing after the Pentad War. When the Weave
Drought took magic from the hands of mortals their
coven infiltrated the City and began doing what Hags do
best, broker deals with beings whose wants outgrow
their sensibilities. The hags have divided up the aspects
of the city amongst themselves. Oma, is the Hag of the
Downtrodden. She loves to dwell in the ruins of the city
and walk through the sewers below. Oma usually takes
the form of Cynthia Duprang, a middle aged woman
from the lower aristocracy. Cynthia is an average
looking human woman with dishwater blond hair with
small streaks of gray forming. She has dull green eyes, a
welcoming smile, and the healthy, yet attractive, figure
of a woman who has led a full life. Cynthia is extremely
disarming and pleasant to be around.
16 The Candle In The Window, July 2022
Potential Dark Secret: Not as much a dark secret as a
terrifying reality. Oma’s true form is the stuff of
nightmares. She, like most hags, has many features of
the stereotypical folklore witch. A bent posture, wrinkly
warted skin, long scraggly gray hair. But that is where
the similarities end. She has four arms and four legs.
Her hands and feet each have eight digits. Four fingers
where you would expect them and four more opposite
her palm where a normal beings wrist would connect to
the hand. Her wrists instead join at the back of her palm
and can unnaturally rotate. She wears a filthy black
silken gown that does not cover her sagging granny bits,
and a ratty belt from which numerous pouches hang.
Beneath he scant wardrobe one can clearly see a spider
like spinneret in her lower abdomen. She has twelve
eyes scattered across forehead and arachnid mandibles
in place of a mouth. She typically crawls about on all
eight limbs, but is just as quick when she rears up on
her legs in order to cast spells. Her skin is a dark
decomposing gray color and covered in countless
pussing wounds where multiple spider colonies nest
inside of her. She can naturally climb walls as the spell
spider climb and can attack anyone within 5’ of her with
the spiders living in her as a free action in a similar
fashion to the infestation spell.
NPC Group
THE NIGHT CIRCLE
There are few things more unsettling or more
dangerous in the world than a coven of powerful Hags.
There is no doubt that there is such a coven lurking in
and pulling the strings on the town of Deleran’s
Crossing. They have divided the area amongst
themselves and each controls a different aspect of the
city. One manages the forests around Deleran’s
Crossing, her reach extending far beyond the immediate
woodlands, from there she twists the natural into the
unnatural. Another has embedded herself into the upper
class, aristocracy, and leadership of the town, loving the
backstabbing and treachery people in power engage in.
The last has happily chosen the downtrodden souls
whose misery she revels in, and takes great pleasure in
compounding. Together they form the coven the locals
whisper about as the Night Circle. The people are
terrified of the coven, though no real proof of its
existence has ever been presented. They simply know
and understand that such things lurk in their shadows.
Children are warned against making wishes, and adults
dare not speak dark desires out loud. Those who
commit dark deeds often watch over their shoulders.
But the truth is, although the coven loves to take
advantage of such situations, and will happily bargain
with those who desire their help, they are often far more
subtle than the citizens would imagine. They play long
games of influence and debt and have their claws deep
into the hearts of the people, who are oftentimes
completely unaware.
The Stolregard Barony

The Candle In The Window, July 2022 17

 Deleran’s Crossing

18 The Candle In The Window, July 2022

Hull in Swiftmarsh

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 Inside the Wreckage

20 The Candle In The Window, July 2022

The Dark Root Cavern

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