Tower of the Pale Lady

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A hundred-year curse caused by a group of adventurers slowly turned a tower and the hills around it
into a region touched by the very finger of death, where life is incapable of thriving. As the curse grows
in power and reach, on its way lie the town of Beregost, whose population now suffer, sicken and die
every day under these nefarious powers. The government and local clerics infrutiferously attempt to
remedy the situation, while desperately seeking any who could help them.

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A 4-hour adventure for 1st-4th level characters
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by ​GERGE COELHO
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DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, P ​ layer’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide,​ D&D Adventurers League,
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TOWER OF THE PALE LADY 1
 Introduction Some encounters may include a sidebar that offers
Welcome to ​Tower of the Pale Lady​, a D&D 5th suggestions for certain party strengths. If a
Edition Adventure. particular recommendation is not appropriate for
This adventure occurs in the southern Sword your group, you don’t have to make adjustments.

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Coast, in the town of Beregost and the
north-western part of the Cloud Peaks.
This adventure is designed for ​three to seven
1st-4th level characters​ and is optimized for ​five

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characters with an average party level (APL) of 3​.
This adventure draws inspiration and borrows
character from certain sources, such as the ​Baldur’s
Gate​ game and a classic adventure, ​The Ghost of
Harrow Hill​. Rights go to their respective owners.
This adventure is considered to take place around
1492 DR in the Forgotten Realms, but you can adapt
it to any other world with little modifications.

Adjusting This Adventure

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As usually seen in the Adventurers League, this
adventure provides suggestions in making
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adjustments for smaller or larger groups, characters
of higher or lower levels, and characters that are
otherwise a bit more powerful than the adventure is
optimized for. You’re not bound to these
adjustments; they’re here for your convenience.
To figure out whether you should consider
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adjusting the adventure, add up the total levels of

all the characters and divide the total by the
number of characters (rounding .5 or greater up; .4
or less down). This is the group’s APL. To
approximate the ​party strength​ for the adventure,
consult the following table.
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Determining Party Strength

Party Composition Strength
3-4 characters, APL less than Very weak
3-4 characters, APL equivalent Weak
3-4 characters, APL greater than Average
5 characters, APL less than Weak
5 characters, APL equivalent Average
5 characters, APL greater than Strong
6-7 characters, APL less than Average
6-7 characters, APL equivalent Strong
6-7 characters, APL greater than Very strong

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TOWER OF THE PALE LADY 2

Adventure Primer
“When your time comes to die, be not like those
whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that
when their time comes they weep and pray for a
little more time to live their lives over again in a
different way. Sing your death song, and die like a
hero going home.”
—Tecumseh
Adventure Background
Once an opulent tower that housed the studies of
many sages and arcanists of the region around the
Cloud Peaks​, what is now left of the structure is a
dark silhouette that haunts the landscape atop a
cursed hill.
This black tower was once one of many raised by
the conjurer Ulcaster. While most of the towers of
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his arcane academy lied east from Beregost, this one
was used as a personal retreat for the wizard and a
few chosen apprentices, and was built apart from
the others. The tower lies beyond disrepair after the
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destruction of the academy by rival calishite
wizards mid–11th century DR, in a spell battle that
also claimed the life of Ulcaster and most of his
disciples. An echo of Ulcaster's spirit still lingers in
this place, as do some of his old possessions.
Many years later, the tower was also used as a
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secret laboratory of the plane-travelling ghost of
Gunter Weiss, who was obsessed about finding the
secret to eternal youth through necromancy.
Gunter was ultimately betrayed by that which he
loved, a maiden named Erika, who abhorred his
practice of dark magic and disturbed his final
ritual, leaving Gunter in the ruins as a ghost.
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Little over a century ago, a tragic destiny befell
some members of an adventuring group called
'Lords of Scornubel' while they explored the sunken
tower in their journeys. Seeking a crucial arcane
secret buried deep within the tower while they
carried with themselves a dangerous artifact bathed
in the essence of the god ​Myrkul​, the Lord of Bones,
the group ended up freeing energies more powerful
than themselves and more profane than they could
imagine. A deadly curse was set upon the tower
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TOWER OF THE PALE LADY
and, over the years, drained the very life of the
region around it, growing ever stronger. Travellers
shared tales about the place where no plant
managed to grow and no living animal dared enter
even while being chased, where the wind carried
within it macabre whispers and the cold touch of
death.
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For a hundred and a dozen years, the stain of the
touch of Myrkul expanded, and in its way lie the
town of ​Beregost​, where no one was spared its
effects. Even the most vigorous among its
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inhabitants started to fall to a sickness that seemed
to drain their strength. Cattle were found dead in
the early morning, small lesions would grow
severely infected even when treated, and the old or
weak were dying without an apparent reason, their
bodies seemingly withered and greyed within
minutes. In a handful of days the population was
desperate, part of them even gathering their
belongings and fleeing towards communities close
by. ​Kelddath Ormlyr​, high cleric of L
​ athander ​and
leader of the local government, seeks help both in
his deity and in noble souls who could come and
help the town face this terrible curse.
Location and NPC Summary
Beregost. ​A town on the Coast Way, halfway between
Baldur's Gate and Amn. It is a popular stop for many
merchant caravans, particularly those heading towards
Waterdeep in the north or on their way to the Sea of
Fallen Stars in the east.
Cloud Peaks. ​A range of mountains in West Faerûn, they
marked the northern border of Amn.
Myrkul.​ Also known as the Lord of Bones, he was
originally a mortal man that ascended and became the
god of the dead. His portfolio was usurped by the mortal
Cyric and later passed on to the ascended Kelemvor.
Kelddath Ormlyr.​ Governor of Beregost, as well as the
high priest within the town's temple of Lathander. He is
now very old, having his lifespan allegedly extended
through divine intervention.
Lathander. ​Whose title was The Morninglord, is a deity of
creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring,
self-perfection, vitality and youth.
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 Ulcaster. ​Was a conjurer of note, who founded a school of had left Beregost - counting among them those who
wizardry in the small farming village of Beregost in the had perished to the curse - and Kelddath turned the
mid–11th century DR. quest of ridding the town of the curse his priority.
Alashar Dounbades.​ A scoundrel part of an adventuring
group which interfered with the powers of the dormant
Myrkul in the sunken tower of Ulcaster long ago.
Effelia Skyforge.​ A dervish and feytouched adventurer,

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also part of the group which cursed the tower of Ulcaster.
Annya Chandraryabhata.​ A calishite theurgist of Mystra,
also part of the adventuring group, her spirit remained
behind, cursed and condemned to contain Myrkul’s touch

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in the sunken tower.

Recent Events
Seven days ago, local noble ​Gerard Travenhurst II
and his wife, ​Alesia​, were found dead in their
mansion north of town. Although an elderly couple,
both of them enjoyed excellent health, and the

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“withered” state their bodies were found in alarmed
those who found them. The case was investigated
by members of the local church, but no special
measures were taken, and the couple was buried in
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the family’s mausoleum in their mansion.
In the tenday after the first deaths, corpses were
found more often. Dead birds and cattle lay by the
dozen in the southwestern corner of town over the
next few days, and people started avoiding it. The
event became particularly gruesome when a local
beggar, ​Bedun​, was taken by a violent coughing in
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the central market until he spewed black blood out

of his mouth and nostrils and doubled over already
dead, his corpse quickly taking over a greyed
aspect. The church brought him to the cemetery
behind their temple, ​The Song of the Morning​.
Deaths continued to occur, the population of
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Beregost noticed that any wound would develop a

blackened area around it and become infected
easily, even the most vigorous lads would feel too
tired for work in the field, while the most fragile
became sick and bedridden, crops would wither and
die, food cautiously stored would be found rotten.
At this point, even a calming public speech from
Kelddath, that tried to assure that Lathander would
guide them, was unable to prevent caravans from
being organized to flee the town.
By the end of the tenday, a third of the population

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TOWER OF THE PALE LADY 4

1. A Town at the
Edge of Death
Nothing compared to the great cities of Faerûn, Beregost
was a large and notable town in the southern edge of the
Sword Coast, and that contrasted heavily with the sight
of it today, incapable of even welcoming travellers.
The cold wind from the sea and the heavy clouds bring
it closer to a ghost town, Beregost now looks nothing like
the thriving home of more than four thousand people.
News of the curse of Beregost had already reached
the nearest settlements, like ​Baldur’s Gate​, ​Nashkel​,
and ​Candlekeep​, while the great factions of Faerûn
were already calling upon their agents and sending
them towards the town, whatever their interests.
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Starting to feel the effects of the curse, characters
weaken every day they spend in Beregost. After
every long rest, all characters must make a DC 12
Constitution Saving throw or have their maximum
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hit points reduced by 1 until they are at least a mile
away from it northward, or at least as far as
Nashkel eastward. This effect persists as they near
the sunken tower to the south-west.
The group of newcomers in Beregost will
certainly attract the attention of its citizens,
especially the supplicants and beggars in its roads,
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claiming for help and salvation for themselves and
their families, asking to be taken from that cursed
place. The adventurers arrive in town on a dark and
clouded morning, a thin rain soon starts to fall,
dragging the crowd of citizens towards any cover
available, their sullen eyes still following the
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newcomers.
Places in Beregost
The Song of the Morning. ​The great temple of Lathander
in town serves both as a religious center and as an
administrative one. Once governed by a council of five,
now only the elder and high cleric of Lathander, Kelddath
Ormlyr, acts as sole governor of the region.
The Red Sheaf.​ Known for its rapid service and favored
by travelling merchants of the region for a good rest, this
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TOWER OF THE PALE LADY
simple inn is proud of its years of tradition. Trying to
guarantee the rest of their guests, this inn offers no
entertainment in its halls and holds silence as its most
prized ware.
The Jovial Juggler.​ Located in a more external and
reserved area south of town, part inn, part dancing club,
and part tavern, the Jovial Juggler is the favored
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establishment among the younger public coming through
town, particularly sons and daughters of the local farmer
families.
Feldepost Inn.​ Once a small and traditional inn, now the
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place looks more like a commercial outpost. Although
still offering its rooms for rent, most of the movement in
the place now comes from its business courtyard, where
regional merchants trade all sorts of wares among
themselves. Rumours say that, in the deep of night,
auctions are organized in its basement, selling
less-than-legalized wares coming mostly from Amn and
Calimshan to the south.
The Burning Wizard.​ The only true tavern of the town,
famous for its heavily-peppered food and for its
custom-crewed mead, the Burning Wizard. Spiciness is
not found only on the food or drinks of the
establishment, it is also found in its owner’s temper, the
angry gold dwarf Dromohrnar.
Thunderhammer’s Smithy.​ The young blacksmith
Nathalie Fuiruim now works day and night on the forge
she inherited from her famous grandfather, which name
reached the far corners of the Sword Coast after he
devised a full armor made from the carapace of an
Ankheg he defeated himself (+1 scale mail, acid
resistance, 4,000gp, won’t be sold unless Nathalie is
convinced to and feels the buyer is worthy of it.)
Travenhurst Manor.​ The largest building in Beregost,
aside from The Song of the Morning, this two-story
manor is home to the Travenhurst family, local nobles.
The Travenhurst family is responsible for maintaining
the order in the region, being the Lord's Alliance local
contact and formal patrons of the Flaming Fist in the
region, though real political powers are exerted by the
local temple of Lathander. Travenhurst manor has 9
rooms and 3 ​guards​, among other servants.
People of Beregost
Kelddath Ormlyr ​(NG male chondathan human ​priest​):
High cleric of Lathander in the region and sole governor
of the town for more than a hundred years, once stout
and jovial, now a frail elder. Even though his longevity
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 was enhanced by divine blessings, the recent completion
of his second century of life and the curse from the tower
both take their toll on his body. Calm and composed,
Kelddath refuses to grow desperate, even while
suspicious he knows the nature of the evil that has set
itself upon his town, trying to find the best way to spare
the lives of his people. Kelddath is usually found in the
upper halls of The Song of the Morning, leaving most of
the daily rituals and burials in the trusted hands of his
acolytes.
Kagain ​(LE male gold dwarf ​thug​): Petty and greedy, this
dwarf claims to be a strong warrior, but his business
agreements have earned him more coin than his axe
swings. Always seeking an easy way to enrich himself,
Kagain can usually be found in the Feldepost Inn. He
recently became a local contact of the Zhentarim in the
region, acting as a middleman and smuggler.
Dromohrnar ​(LN male gold dwarf ​commoner​): In spite of
his hot temper and short fuse, this dwarf is far away from
actually bringing any harm to a fly. Dromohrnar is proud
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of his ware and, although Amn fanatics often come by, he
holds no secret of certain arcane properties applied to his
Laurine Travenhurst ​(LN female chondathan human
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noble​): Only heir of the only noble family in Beregost, the
Travenhurst, Laurine finds herself desolated with the
recent events, isolated in her mansion in the northern
part of town. Even though she knows little of the family’s
treaties and activities, she inherited the responsibility of
acting as a local - though distant - contact of the Lord’s
Alliance. Laurine has a potion of invisibility she uses
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whenever threatened.
Shalla ​(LN female half-orc ​veteran​): Captain of the
Flaming Fist in Beregost, young and idealist, she
established herself in the town through her strength,
quickly bringing to heel all claims of the “impurity” of her
blood. With almost too much pride of her ancestry but
not allowing herself to be taken by it, the warrior is
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seemingly the only one in town unaffected by the curse.
Shalla is also part of the faction known as the Gauntlet,
even though she is mainly directed by the orders of the
Flaming Fist from Baldur’s Gate and commands the small
watch of Beregost (9 ​veterans​).
Nathalie Fuiruim ​(LG human ​guard​): Her family claims a
distant relation to the northern shield dwarves, and
specializes in the art of the forge. The young Nathalie
tries to live up to what her grandfather, Taerom Fuiruim,
expected of her. Even though she is not officially part of
any organization, Nathalie welcomes, helps and spreads
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TOWER OF THE PALE LADY
information among the Harpers, just as her grandfather
once did.
Beregost Rumours (d12)
1.​ Around 1376 DR, a group of adventurers known
as the ‘Lords of Scornubel’ passed through
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Beregost, coming from Candlekeep. The group
was on some mission involving the island of
Lantan, they went southwest towards one of the
abandoned arcane towers of Ulcaster. At the time,
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it was said that they carried a dangerous artifact
related to the god of death, Myrkul.
2. ​Ulcaster was an old and powerful wizard, who
founded the town of Beregost around 1050 DR to
supply his great arcane academy. He was
eventually assassinated by rival wizards from
Calimshan, though it is said that his spirit still
haunts his old towers.
3.​ In 1368 DR, during the crisis in Baldur’s Gate, an
heroic bard from Beregost called Garrick allied
himself with other heroes and tried to face the
situation. The greedy dwarf Kagain claims he
participated in the adventure, but few people in
Beregost believe his words on that subject.
4.​ Travellers who get lost or children who wander
too far into the region southwest of town are
known to come back with stories involving death,
nightmares, whispers in the cold wind and
visions of a young and extremely pale lady
roaming the hills.
5.​ An enormous grey jackal was spotted by farmers
on the roads last tenday. Jackals are not at all
common in the region.
6.​ They say that a local thief gang known as the
‘Vultures’ recently allied themselves with a band
of hobgoblins and are taking advantage of the
situation to attack unprotected caravans that flee
the town. This, more than anything, is what
stopped the exodus out of Beregost, forcing the
citizens to deal with the effects of the curse or
risk the roads to Baldur’s Gate or Nashkel taken
by murdering bandits.
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