Sharn: City of Blood!

1
 Sharn: City of Blood!
Running the
Adventure
Sharn: City of Blood! is an adventure designed
for 4 characters of 3rd to 5th level. It is divided
into three main acts:
I. The Bloody Bird. A warforged private eye
named Steel-Eye Dixon calls upon the
characters to help him investigate the murder
of a would-be client.
II. Hitting the Streets. Steel-Eye and the
characters investigate a number of murders
that seem connected to their case.
III. Thicker than Water. The characters track
down the hideout of a secretive cult, but is
everything what it seems?
Text appearing in these boxes is read aloud or
paraphrased as you see fit.
Sidebars
Helpful information, usually elaborating on
locations, lore, or NPCs, can be found in
sidebars like this one.
Three Mysteries
City of Blood includes three important,
interconnected mysteries that act as the
centerpoints for the adventure’s story.
The Murders
The adventure’s instigating event is the murder
of Kystine Sinndel, a woman who came to
Steel-Eye Dixon seeking his help. Her sister had
fallen in with a ‘bad crowd’ and wanted to
escape. When Steel-Eye went to her home to
speak with her about the case, he found her
dead.
Her murder, and the cult, is tied to a handful of
other murders in Sharn that happened around
the same time as Kystine’s. Seemingly
unconnected individuals have been killed; in
each case, someone in close proximity to the
victim is missing and are considered persons of
interest.
The False Cult
The wayward sister, Delthana, joined with a
new Blood of Vol sect in Sharn. In truth the
cult’s leader, Zeke McKerrig, is running the cult
as a front for criminal activity. Unknown to the
lower-ranking members, Zeke is working with
the cult’s trusted inner circle in a fraud
Sharn: City of Blood! 2
operation to buy inexpensive items at auction
and overinsure them. The items are stolen by
Zeke’s criminal companions, and the inner circle
collects on the insurance policies.
The members of the inner circle are the
supposed murder victims. One of the inner
circle’s members identified a cursed dagger:
victims killed by the dagger transform to
resemble their killer. Normally a liability, the
curse is a boon to the cult: each inner circle
member used the dagger to kill a coworker or
employee to fake their own death. The inner
circle plans to flee Sharn with their fraudulent
gains, leaving the cult members holding the
bag.
The Switch
Steel-Eye and the characters will eventually find
the cult. There they meet Delthana, the twin
sister of Kystine who wants help escaping the
cult. Delthana is eager to help, and her
information points Steel-Eye and the characters
to the inner circle and their plot to fake their
own deaths.
One twist is left for Steel-Eye and the characters
to discover: the bank notes for the inner circle’s
fraud are missing, and Delthana isn’t who she
claims to be. Delthana is actually Kystine
herself. When Delthana found out that the cult
was a front for the inner circle’s crime, she went
to her sister Kystine for help. Kystine urged her
sister to steal from the inner circle so they could
both profit; when Delthana refused, the sisters
fought and Delthana ended up dead. Kystine
decided to use her sister’s body to fake her own
death and infiltrate the cult as Delthana so she
can steal the bank notes for herself.
Sequence of Events
Here’s another way of looking at the events, in
chronological order:
 Zeke organizes a handful of co-conspirators in an
insurance fraud scheme. Zeke is a con artist
running a fake Blood of Vol cult.
 Over several weeks the inner circle begins buying
cheap art objects at auction and fraudulently
over-insuring them for huge sums.
 Delthana Sinndel joins the cult in the middle of
its ongoing purchase stage.
 The inner circle comes into possession of a
cursed dagger that makes murder victims look
like their killers. They hatch an endgame plan to
fake their own deaths and escape Sharn with
their ill-gotten wealth. Delthana secretly
overhears this plan.
 Zeke sends his criminal goons to steal the insured
items; the inner circle collects on the policies.
 Delthana goes to her twin sister, Kystine, and
asks for her help. Kystine urges Delthana to steal
from the inner circle; Delthana refuses. In the
ensuing argument, Kystine kills Delthana.
 Kystine formulates a plan to frame the cult for
her sister’s murder and steal from the inner circle
as planned. She goes to Steel-Eye Dixon’s office
to set the events in motion…
 Meanwhile, the inner circle begins enacting their
own murderous plans, unaware that someone
has set a inquisitive on their trail.
Resolving Mysteries
It is not guaranteed that the characters solve or
even engage with, all three of the mysteries
presented above. There are a few likely
outcomes which can result from different
approaches at your table, failed ability checks,
and so on:
The Cult is ‘Real.’ The characters might not
discover or understand the clues involving the
inner circle’s fraud scheme and escape plan and
assume they’re taking down an extremist Blood
of Vol cult. The inner circle might escape
without their crime ever being discovered.
Kystine Escapes Justice. Kystine hopes Steel-Eye
and the characters focus on the cult and
‘rescuing’ Delthana. Kystine is a skilled liar and
the clues regarding the switch are easy to miss.
If the characters don’t realize Kystine is posing
as her sister, you can choose to let her get away
Sharn: City of Blood! 3
with murder, have Steel-Eye reveal this twist as
part of a denoument, or provide a final after- Credits and Legal Text
the-fact clue that lets the characters put it all Design: Alex Clippinger
together too late. Editing: Cristopher Walz

Dramatis Personae Cover: Danny Pavlov

The following NPCs appear in the adventure:
Main Characters
 Steel-Eye Dixon. Warforged private
inquisitor living in Sharn.
 Kystine Sinndel. A half-elf woman who
sought Steel-Eye’s help for her sister.
 Delthana Sinndel. Kystine’s wayward twin,
apparently involved with a bad crowd.
The False Cult
 Zeke McKerrig. Criminal and con man
running the sham sect.
 Aleris Ravari. Auction clerk at the Aurora
Gallery and part of Zeke’s fraud scheme.
 Overlun Berylsmith. An insurance agent
and part of Zeke’s fraud scheme.
 Cobalt. Well-to-do collector and part of
Zeke’s insurance scheme.
Page Background: Darrin G. Scott
Cartography: Dyson Logos
Internal Art: Wizards of the Coast, Daniel
Comerci, Jeff Preston, Dean Spencer
Special Thanks: Laura Hirsbrunner, lore check
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast,
Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon
ampersand, Ravnica and 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.
This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of
the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with
permission under the Community Content Agreement for
Dungeon Masters Guild.
All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by
Alex Clippinger and published under the Community
Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

The Victims
 Dover Austren. Housekeeper killed to fake
Cobalt’s death.
 Penti Jonnz. Auction house worker killed to
fake Aleris Ravari’s death.
 Fivem Bronzecoat. Neighbor killed to fake
Overlun Berylsmith’s death.

Karrnathi NPCs
 Halden Balich. Karrnathi veteran; hears
rumors the Blood of Vol is being framed for
murders in Sharn.
 Lorleta Sattler. A Blood of Vol priestess in
Graywall who knows Steel-Eye Dixon.

Miscellaneous NPCs
Yogani. Gnome jeweler in Middle Dura; made
the fake cult’s blood drop pendants.

Sharn: City of Blood! 4

I. The Bloody Bird
Adventure Hooks
The characters are summoned to an apartment
in Broken Arch, a district in Middle Dura. The
invitation comes from Steel-Eye Dixon, a
warforged private inquisitive the characters
may have history with. The characters can
utilize any of the following hooks to explain how
they know Steel-Eye (or to explain how Steel-
Eye knows them). Not every character needs to
have a history with Steel-Eye, but it makes
sense for two or more characters with shared
backstory details to know Steel-Eye from the
same event. Work with the party on
determining who, if anyone, knows the
warforged inquisitive from their life prior to
becoming an adventurer.
War Buddies
Steel-Eye Dixon served in the Last War.
Characters who were part of that conflict,
especially with the soldier background, might
have served alongside Steel-Eye or fought
beside them in battle. Steel-Eye saved their life
in battle (or vice-versa) and the inquisitive
decided to call up an old comrade to help him
with a serious situation.
Calling in a Favor
The characters have been brought in because
they owe the inquisitive a favor. At some point
in the characters’ backstory, Steel-Eye helped
them out of a jam for no immediate charge,
asking the characters to help out in the future
by way of payment.
At least one character should roll on the
table below to determine how Steel-Eye helped
them in the past. Characters with shared
backstories can decide to share the same event.
For an ongoing campaign, this event could be
something that happened before the character
entered your campaign. Alternatively,
characters can work with you to create a unique
circumstance where Steel-Eye helped them that
isn’t represented on the table below.
d4 Steel-Eye helped me when…
I got caught in the middle of a turf war
1 between two criminal gangs. Steel-Eye
got me out of there safely.
I was suspected in a high-profile
2 burglary. Steel-Eye had evidence that
cleared my name.
I was jumped by muggers in a back alley.
3 Steel-Eye was working a case in the area
and intervened.
I was about to be looped into a
smuggling conspiracy involving fake
4
falcon statues, but Steel-Eye stopped me
from getting in with the wrong people.
Word Gets Around
Barring a personal connection to Steel-Eye, the
characters have been called in because they’re
an independent group of adventurers who are
new to the scene. Sharn can be a corrupt place;
Steel-Eye’s heard one or more of the
character’s names through the grapevine and
wants to bring in ‘new blood’ to assist him. If
the characters participated in the events of the
Forgotten Relics adventure in Chapter 4 of
Rising from the Last War, Steel-Eye may refer to
those events as stories he’s heard about their
exploits.
Patron Assignment
Steel-Eye has worked investigations for all kinds
of clients. Perhaps one of them now acts as a
patron to the characters as described in Chapter
1 of Rising from the Last War. The patron
assigns the characters to assist Steel-Eye.
Sharn: City of Blood! 5
The Body in Broken Arch
Steel-Eye is waiting for the characters at a crime
scene in Broken Arch, a district in Middle Dura.
Dura is the old part of Sharn, and Broken Arch is
a low-income residential district in the
dilapidated remains of once-impressive manors
and grand architecture.
The characters’ destination might have once
been used for business offices, but the units
have been converted to apartments of varying
size and styles. When the characters arrive at
the apartment, read or paraphrase the
following:
A member of the Sharn Watch gestures you non-
committedly into the small apartment, where the
body of a blonde half-elf woman lies sprawled
dead on the ground. A warforged in a tan fedora
and long coat stands nearby, metal mouth
chewing thoughtfully on an ashing cigar as it
examines a red symbol smeared on the wall.
The warforged is Steel-Eye Dixon, the
independent warforged inquisitive and the one
who requested the characters meet him at the
scene of the crime. Steel-Eye has the
mannerisms of a hardboiled detective; see the
sidebar for ideas on how to portray him. His
statistics can be found in the Appendix.
Sidebar: Roleplaying Steel-Eye
Steel-Eye Dixon is modeled after hardboiled
detectives found in works like The Maltese
Falcon or The Neon Rain. Like the gumshoes
found in these works, Steel-Eye operates within
shades-of-gray-morality and solves mysteries
through persistence as much as intelligence.
Some ideas for roleplaying him include:
 He speaks in a Transatlantic accent.
 His wand sheath “came cheap” and
sometimes sticks when he deploys the
wand; a quick knock shakes it loose.
 He sometimes lights a stubby cigar when
he’s thinking, but forgets to actually smoke
 A cursory examination of the victim identifies
it since he doesn’t need to breathe.
Steel-Eye’s Involvement
Steel-Eye explains that the victim is Kystine
Sinndel, a woman who made a living tending
bar at various establishments in Middle Dura
and Northedge. Kystine came to Steel-Eye’s
office in Underlook, another district in Middle
Dura, asking for his help with her sister
Delthana:
“She was worked up in a real way, all lightning and
no rail. She was going on about her sister getting
in with a bad guy, hangin’ around the wrong
crowd, and that she wanted out. She asked me to
meet her here so she could lay it out plain. I show
up and find she’s been bumped off; I need to get
to the bottom of this to square it up.”
The warforged feels a tinge of regret that he
didn’t come to Kystine’s apartment sooner or
take her situation more seriously. He offers the
characters 100 gp each up front to assist him,
plus another 600 gp to the group as a whole
when the case is closed.
The Scene of the Crime
Kystine lived in a small studio apartment; the
only notable furniture is a bed, a small table,
and two chairs. She generally operated on a
modest lifestyle and had few personal
possessions of value. Steel-Eye discourages the
characters from taking any money or valuables
they might find in the apartment.
The characters can examine Kystine’s body
and the apartment for clues.
The Body
The body is sprawled on the floor, a small pool
of blood near the head. Steel-Eye notes that
she’s wearing the same outfit as when she
came to his office. Characters can learn the
following from an examination of the body:
slight bruising and abrasions on Kystine’s
Sharn: City of Blood! 6
 forearms, indicating a brief struggle with her using a blood-dipped finger. The symbol is
attacker. sloppy and appears hastily done.
 A DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check of the body
identifies a wound above Kystine’s right
temple made by some blunt object; this is
For the Dungeon Master
certainly the killing blow. The real Kystine killed her sister Delthana in an
 On a Wisdom (Medicine) check result of 16 or argument. Thinking quickly, she visited Steel-
higher, the character determines the time of Eye’s office to ensure he would come to the
apartment. Returning home, Kystine dressed
death to be approximately 6 hours ago. Steel-
Eye admits he doesn’t remember exactly the body in her clothes and fled the scene. Any
confusion about the timeline of events or time
when Kystine came to his office, but it was
of death are because Delthana (presumed to be
around that time. The timeline is hazy, but
Kystine) has been dead longer than Steel-Eye
Kystine must have been killed immediately
expected.
upon returning home from Steel-Eye’s office.
 A DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check
notes blood smears on the ground and the
fact that the head is positioned away from the More Murders?
pooled blood. This suggests the body lay When the characters are finished examining the
where it fell for a short while and was then scene and share their conclusions with Steel-
moved, rearranged, or interacted with in Eye, the inquisitive informs them that a number
some way. of other murders have just been discovered in
 Character that cast detect magic (based on various Sharn districts, and that his sources in
their interaction with future victims) find no the Watch tell him there are similarities to
magical auras and dispel magic has no effect. Kystine’s death. Steel-Eye doesn’t think this is a
coincidence; he thinks the other crime scenes
should be investigated to understand the bigger
The Scene picture.
Characters can learn the following from an
examination of the crime scene: When the characters are ready, proceed to Part
II: Hitting the Streets.
 Furniture and other possessions are in their
proper place; there are no signs of an
extended struggle or obvious signs that
anything is missing.
 The table not far from the body has an
empty heavy metal water jug on it. A
character picking up the jug to examine it
discovers a bit of dried blood on the bottom
of it, with a few blonde hairs attached. This
is a possible murder weapon, confirmed if
someone identifies the blow to Kystine’s
temple.
 A crimson symbol in the shape of a red
teardrop is smeared on the wall in blood,
presumably Kystine’s blood. A close
examination indicates the symbol was made

Sharn: City of Blood! 7

II. Hitting the
Streets
Steel-Eye’s contacts in the Sharn Watch have
tipped him off to three other murders in Sharn:
one in Upper Central, one in Middle Northedge,
and one in Middle Menthis. All of them
occurred within hours of Kystine Sinndel’s
murder and all of them share some
commonalities. The Watch will conduct their
own follow-up, but they’re happy to allow
Steel-Eye to call in favors and conduct his own
investigation.

Running this Section

The characters and Steel-Eye are expected to
visit each of three murder scenes. The mix of
easily-made observations and conclusions
based on ability checks can lead the characters
in a number of directions, but should ultimately
push them towards suspecting followers of the
Blood of Vol:

 If the characters need more clues pushing

them towards the Blood of Vol or seem
ready for a combat encounter, angry
members of the faith confront them in the
Karrn Confrontation optional encounter.
 If the characters don’t know much about the
Blood of Vol or can’t recall information
about it with an Intelligence (Religion) check
(see below), Steel-Eye might suggest asking
around in Graywall, a neighborhood in
Middle Tavick’s Landing full of Karrnathi
immigrants and a rumored hub for Blood of
Vol worship.
 The optional Karrn and Graywall sections can
be modified or even combined as makes
sense for how the characters conduct their
investigation.

Ultimately, the characters should be led to

investigate or learn the origin of the red
teardrop amulets, as detailed in On the Trail of
Blood. Some clues point toward the conspiracy
of the cult’s inner circle and their fraud scheme.

Sharn: City of Blood! 8


Splitting Up. The characters can either travel as
one group or split up to visit multiple scenes at
once. If the characters split up, Steel-Eye
accompanies a group of the characters’ choice
or defaults to accompanying a group that lacks
his proficiency in Intelligence (Investigation)
checks.
To trim the adventure’s play time or if the
characters aren’t interested in visiting one of
the crime scenes, Steel-Eye can visit one of the
murder sites on his own. If this happens, Steel-
Eye provides obvious information from the
crime scene and additional clues as determined
by ability checks he makes off-screen.
Getting Around. If the characters are travelling
on foot, their travel is limited by the bridges
that connect the quarters to one another. From
Dura where the adventure begins, the only
connected quarter containing a crime scene is
Menthis. Menthis connects to Central Plateau,
and Central Plateau connects to Northedge. The
characters can visit the crime scenes in this
linear order or use alternate means of travel;
see Getting Around in Chapter 3 of Rising from
the Last War.
About the Blood of Vol
There are multiple clues across the crime
scenes that can prompt an Intelligence
(Religion) check regarding the Blood of Vol,
such as identifying a common symbol or
recalling information about the religion. Use the
following benchmarks for Intelligence (Religion)
checks about possible clues:
 Without any check, a well-socialized
character knows that there is a religion
called the Blood of Vol. It preaches that
everyone has divine power within
themselves and there is no afterlife. A lot of
people associate the Blood of Vol with the
undead and necromancy and know some
rites use blood for some purpose, giving it a
negative reputation in the eyes of many.
 A DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) check clarifies
that the Blood of Vol sees the use of undead
as pragmatic but don’t seek to become
undead themselves. Members donate a
small amount of blood as a sacrament and
symbol of unity during services. A check
result that beats the DC by 5 or more notes
that the victims’ blood wasn’t collected or
used in any significant way; an extremist
conducting a ritual killing but ignoring the
blood makes no sense.
 A DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) check
identifies the red teardrop shape as a
general symbol of the Blood of Vol. A result
that beats the DC by 5 or more also notes
that it’s strange for a follower to carry this
shape as a holy symbol, because followers
usually make their own symbol with
personal significance.
Murder Scene 1: The
Collector
Location: Townhome
Area: Ivy Towers district, Upper Menthis
plateau
Area Snapshot: The main residential area for
Morgrave University; most of these middle-class
homes belong to faculty or are converted to
apartments for student housing.
Arriving on the Scene
Ivy Towers is a residential district with a strong
academic streak, catering heavily to the
students and faculty of Morgrave University. A
number of young people, likely students, are
gathered outside a well-to-do townhome and
buzzing curiously amongst themselves.
The interior of the house is decorated with
reserved upper-middle-class sensibility, though
the corpse in the study clashes badly with the
aesthetic:
Sharn: City of Blood! 9
The body of a middle-aged longclaw shifter is
slumped in a lavish armchair. Blood soaks the
expensive upholstery all around the body, which is
holding a feather duster in one lifeless hand.
Victim Background
Cobalt was a longclaw shifter whose family
made a name (and considerable coin) acquiring
Xen’drik artifacts for Morgrave University.
Cobalt inherited their comfortable wealth and
home in Ivy Towers, keeping casual social
connections with members of the University
and some of Sharn’s upper-class families.
Recent Burglary Victim. The Sharn Watch tells
the characters that Cobalt’s home was burgled
about a week before today. A number of items
from Cobalt’s collection were stolen. Cobalt
seemed resigned about the break-in, telling
members of the Watch that his collection was
insured and that he could recoup the loss.
Missing Housekeeper. Dover Austren is an
Aundairian man who worked for a number of
homes in Ivy Towers, providing cleaning
services on alternating days. He was supposed
to be working in Cobalt’s home today, but he’s
missing and no-one has seen him. Given the
close timing of the burglary and the murder, the
Sharn Watch considers him a potential suspect.
The Body
The characters can examine the body for the
following clues:
Cause of Death. An examination of the body
indicates the victim was stabbed in the chest
and died of blood loss. A DC 12 Wisdom
(Medicine) check of the wound suggests the
weapon used was a short, curved blade. The
check is made with advantage if the characters
succeeded on this check at another crime
scene.
Aura of Magic. A detect magic spell or similar
magic notes a faint aura of transmutation magic
over the body. A dispel magic or remove
curse spell with a successful DC 17 check using
the caster’s spellcasting ability causes the body
to transform back into its true form, that of
Dover Austren.
Investigating the Scene
The characters can pick up on the following by
investigating the scene:
Handwriting Samples. The study has numerous
examples of Cobalt’s handwriting. Though not
relevant on their own, a character that
examines them or takes a sample with them
can compare it to the note in Overlun’s
apartment (see Murder Scene 3).
Insurance Documents. Searching the writing
desk yields a number of filed-away envelopes.
Inside each is a uniform letter for an insurance
payout for one of the items stolen in the recent
burglary.
 Each letter lists a payout that totals to a
massive amount, over 100,000 gp.
 The payouts were given in enclosed bearer
bonds instead of credited to an account,
which is unusual.
 The bearer bonds aren’t in the envelopes or
anywhere else on the scene.
Blood-Drop Amulet. Glinting under the chair is
a small silver amulet inlaid with a red garnet in
Sharn: City of Blood! 10
 the shape of a droplet. Characters proficient in
Intelligence (Religion) checks easily recognize
this as a symbol for the Blood of Vol; otherwise,
someone will recognize the symbol if the
characters spend a little time asking around.
The back of the amulet bears maker’s marks
that can lead the characters to the artisan that
created it. See Tracking the Symbol in On the
Trail of Blood for more on this topic.
Eyewitness. The Sharn Watch gathered
accounts from people in the area, who saw a
figure in red and black robes hastily leaving the
scene. The figure had a hood raised and no-one
saw any identifying features.
For the Dungeon Master
In the insurance fraud scheme, Cobalt acted as
the innocent purchaser. He was tipped off to
bid for certain lots by Aleris (Murder Scene 2) at
the auction house. Upon purchase Overlun
(Murder Scene 3) secured vastly overinflated
insurance policies for the items. Zeke sent his
goons to burglarize Cobalt’s home.
Cobalt killed Dover Austren with the cursed
dagger while the young man was going about
his cleaning duties. Dover grabbed at Cobalt’s
amulet and Cobalt chose to leave it, as it
implicates the Blood of Vol. The fruit of the
fraud scheme, the bearer bonds, are already
safely in the fake cult’s hideout.
Murder Scene 2: The
Auctioneer
Location: Aurora Gallery
Area: Platinum Heights, Upper Central Plateau
Area Snapshot: Upper Central is a seat of
money and power, and Platinum Heights is
where the wealthy go to shop. Aurora Gallery is
the finest auction house in Sharn where the
most expensive, exotic, and interesting pieces
are sold.
Arriving on the Scene
The Upper Plateau district of Platinum Heights
caters to the wealthiest people in Sharn, and
the Aurora Gallery holds auctions for curiosities,
magic items, and antiques that its clientele will
find desirable. The workers and shoppers in
Platinum Heights tend to look down on anyone
who doesn’t obviously share their economic
class.
An attendant at the Aurora Gallery escorts
the characters and Steel-Eye through the
building, keeping them away from trafficked
areas and occupied auction rooms where active
bidding is taking place. They are led to an office
area where clerks coordinate the acquisition,
appraisal, and auction scheduling for new items.
The body of a dark-haired elf woman is slumped
forward dramatically over the desk of this small
office. Her austere workplace clothes are soaked
with blood, which has flowed down the side of the
desk to form a large dark puddle on the floor.
Victim Background
Aleris Ravari was a raven-haired elf woman
working as an auction clerk in the Aurora
Gallery. When potential sellers submit items to
the Aurora Gallery for auction, clerks like Aleris
appraise them based on the price of similar
items and organize appraisals with experts if
needed.
Sharn: City of Blood! 11
Missing Colleague. The Sharn Watch informs
the characters that Aleris’s colleague, a Brelish
woman named Penti Jonnz, is missing and
considered a person of interest. According to
the Aurora Gallery staff, Penti had been working
with Aleris regarding a missing item. The
missing object was a curved dagger submitted
as part of an estate sale.
The Body
The characters can learn the following by
examining the body:
Cause of Death. An examination of the body
indicates the victim was stabbed in the chest
and died of blood loss. A DC 12 Wisdom
(Medicine) check of the wound suggests the
weapon used was a short, curved blade. The
check is made with advantage if the characters
succeeded on this check at another crime
scene.
Aura of Magic. A detect magic spell or similar
notes a faint aura of transmutation magic over
the body. A dispel magic or remove curse spell
with a successful DC 17 check using the caster’s
spellcasting ability causes the body to transform
back into its true form, that of Penti Jonnz.
Investigating the Scene
The characters can find the following clues by
investigating the scene:
Auction List. Searching Aleris’s desk yields a
scheduling planner she used in her work.
Characters that succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence
(Investigation) check note that certain auction
dates and times are highlighted, with lot
numbers noted next to them.
Characters who compare the highlighted
auction dates and times to the ledger from
Overlun’s apartment (see Murder Scene 3)
discover that they match up exactly.
Eyewitness. According to members of the
Watch, one of the Aurora Gallery clerks saw
someone leaving the office area as they were
leaving their office. The witness couldn’t see the
person’s face because they had a red-and-black
robe, with a hood pulled up over their head.
However, when the figure glanced back at them
they saw some kind of necklace hanging from
the person’s neck; a silver amulet with a drop-
shaped red garnet.
Teardrop Symbol. A bloody symbol in the shape
of a red teardrop has been smeared on the wall
in blood, presumably the victim’s blood. A close
examination indicates the symbol was carefully
applied with a brush.
For the Dungeon Master
Aleris used her position at the auction house to
schedule various items at favorable prices and
in time slots inconvenient for competitive bids.
All of the lots in question are art objects
selected for Cobalt (Murder Scene 1) to win at
auction and insure through Overlun (Murder
Scene 3).
To fake her death Aleris used the cursed
dagger to kill her co-worker. Then, donning her
Blood of Vol robes, Aleris fled to the hideout.
Murder Scene 3: The
Insurance Agent
Location: Apartment
Area: Holdfast district, Middle Northedge
plateau area
Area Snapshot: The hub for Sharn-born dwarves
and their traditions. Holdfast is home to many
artisans, but plenty of dwarves who go into
other professions continue to live there among
people with a common upbringing.
Arriving on the Scene
While other areas of Sharn boast dwarf
communities from the Mror Holds and
elsewhere, Holdfast is a district for dwarves
born and raised in Sharn itself. They feel deeply
connected to its myriad towers, especially along
the Northedge Plateau. The dwarves of Holdfast
Sharn: City of Blood! 12
look out for one another like family, and it’s no
surprise that a crowd of concerned residents
have crowded into the hallways of the
apartment building where the crime took place,
kept at bay by Watch members’ stern looks.
with a successful DC 17 check using the caster’s
spellcasting ability causes the body to transform
back into its true form, that of Fivem
Bronzecoat.

A dwarf lies dead on the floor of this modest

apartment, blood pooled around his cold corpse.
The room around the body is in disarray: an
overturned bookshelf has left papers scattered
haphazardly around the room.

Victim Background
The dwarf Overlun Berylsmith worked in the
Kundarak Bank of Sharn, located in the Upper
Central’s Korranath district. He created
insurance policies on behalf of the bank and
worked closely with various institutions
throughout the city, especially in Central
Plateau neighborhoods.

Missing Neighbor. The victim’s next-door

neighbor is Fivem Bronzecoat, who is now
missing and wanted for questioning. Fivem told
other residents of the building that Overlun
planned to move into a much richer district and
wondered where Overlun would get the money.
The same residents note that Fivem is a rumor-
starter and is far too nosy for his own good.
The Body
The characters can determine the following by
examining the corpse:
Cause of Death. An examination of the body
indicates the victim was stabbed in the chest
and died of blood loss. A DC 12 Wisdom
(Medicine) check of the wound suggests the
weapon used was a short, curved blade. The
check is made with advantage if the characters
succeeded on this check at another crime
scene.
Aura of Magic. A detect magic spell or similar
notes a faint aura of transmutation magic over
the body. A dispel magic or remove curse spell
Investigating the Scene
The characters can find the following clues by
searching the crime scene:
Letter. Searching the desk yields one item of
interest: a handwritten note. The note is a letter
in Common addressed to Overlun. It reads
“Overlun, make sure the policies pay out in
bearer bonds. They obviously can’t be tied to
my name.”
Characters who compare the note to a
sample of Cobalt’s handwriting determine the
samples match with a successful DC 14
Intelligence check. Characters proficient with
the forgery kit or calligrapher’s supplies can add
their proficiency bonus to the check.
Ledger. Characters searching the living room
note a small leatherbound journal pinned under
the fallen bookshelf, which can be moved with a
successful DC 14 Strength check. The journal is a
personal ledger; the pages are dated and have
shorthand entries of two columns; each row has

Sharn: City of Blood! 13

two amounts of coin listed, the second always
larger than the first. The first column is labelled
“Lot coin” and the second “Ins.”
A successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Investigation) check deduces that the ledger
refers to items, or ‘lots,’ bought at auction. The
first column lists what the item sold for and the
second column lists how the item was priced for
an insurance policy, which is always far higher
than the item’s auctioned price.
Characters who compare the ledger’s
contents to the list of highlighted auction dates
and lots from Aleris Ravani’s office notice that
the two match up exactly.
Forged Documents. A careful examination of
the scattered bookshelf contents finds
components of a forgery kit and a number of
half-finished documents. A successful DC 16
Intelligence (Investigation) check on the
documents surmises they are fake appraisals:
the documents are from fictitious art experts
with ready-to-fill-in sections for an item’s
description and its suggested value.
For the Dungeon Master
Overlun’s role in the fraud scheme was to
insure the items bought from Aleris’s selected
auctions for vastly inflated sums. Where
necessary, Overlun forged notes of appraisal to
justify the insured price to the bank.
When it came time to fake his death, Overlun
chose Fivem, inviting his nosy neighbor over
with the promise of interesting rumors. When
Overlun ambushed Fivem, the book case was
knocked over in the struggle. Fearing the noise
would attract attention, Overlun fled in his
Blood of Vol disguise, leaving his ledger and
other materials behind.
Optional Encounter: Karrn
Confrontation
After visiting the crime scenes, the characters
might find themselves squaring up with Halden
Balich (N male Karrnathi human veteran) and
his friends:
Your path is blocked by a group of grim-faced
toughs. One of them points an accusing finger at
you and growls, “Word’s gotten around about
those stiffs. You flatfoots think you can frame up
members of the Blood and get away with it?”
Who? Halden and his companions are true
Blood of Vol faithful with Karrnathi roots.
Rumors have spread like wildfire among the
faithful about the murders, and some believe
the Sharn Watch (or Steel-Eye) are trying to
frame their oft-misunderstood religion.
Sidebar: The Real Blood of Vol
Followers of the Blood of Vol are called Seekers.
Seekers reject the views of life and afterlife as
followers of the Sovereign Host portray it,
thinking death is actually oblivion. They also see
the use of undead as a pragmatic practice—it’s
just a body, after all. Because of these
unpopular opinions and other beliefs, it’s a
common misconception that Seekers are all evil
and that the Blood of Vol is an evil religion.
In the context of City of Blood, it’s ignorance
of the religion that Zeke McKerrig uses to form
a fake cult, and prejudice against Seekers that
he hopes will keep the law focused on the
Blood of Vol long after he’s skipped town.
Talking it Out. The characters can try to avoid a
fight by talking to Halden with a successful DC
16 Charisma check using Persuasion or
Intimidation. Attempts to intimidate the Karrns
are made with disadvantage; characters who
demonstrate that they share Halden’s faith or
Sharn: City of Blood! 14
detailed knowledge of it have advantage on
their check to calm tensions.
Fighting the Karrns. The group is comprised of
Halden (a veteran) and two bandits for
characters of 3rd level, or Halden and three
bandits for characters for 4th level. For
characters of 5th level, the Karrnathi group is
Halden and three thugs. The statistics of the
Karrnathi are modified in the following ways:
 Halden wields a club and a light hammer.
Each deals 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage
on hit.
 The bandits use clubs and deal 2 (1d4)
bludgeoning damage on hit.
 The thugs use clubs and deal 4 (1d4+2)
bludgeoning damage on hit.
The Karrnathi want to rough up Steel-Eye and
the characters, not kill them. If they reduce a
character to 0 hit points, they elect to render
them unconscious but stable. If all of the
characters are reduced to 0 hit points, they
awaken in a nearby alley 1d4 hours later with 1
hit point or are revived by members of the
Sharn Watch who respond to the scene.
Moving Forward. After the confrontation,
Steel-Eye might make note of Halden’s
comment about the ‘Blood’ or suggest the
thugs match the demeanor of residents from
Graywall. Characters that calm tensions with
Halden or subdue and interrogate him can get
the same answers as detailed in Optional
Location: Graywall.
Optional Location: Graywall
Location: Neighborhood district and the Bloody
Mug, a local tavern
Area: Graywall district, Upper Tavick’s Landing
Area Snapshot: An area settled primarily by
people from Karrnath or with Karrnathi roots. A
close family community that tends to give
outsiders the cold shoulder. The Sharn Watch
has little presence here; Graywall denizens look
after their own.
Characters wanting to know more about the
Blood of Vol or who suspect the religion’s
involvement can visit the Graywall district in
Middle Tavick’s Landing. Graywall is the
principal home and cultural hub for Karrnathi
immigrants, and as such is also rumored to be
the main site of Blood of Vol followers in Sharn.
An Inside Source
Steel-Eye knows a resident of Graywall from a
previous case: Lorleta Sattler (NG female
Karrnathi priest) is both well-known and
respected in the neighborhood, though the
elderly woman keeps her status as a priestess of
the Blood of Vol secret from outsiders. The
warforged detective dropped a case at her
request when robbery evidence pointed to
some Karrnathi teenagers, letting the
neighborhood dispense justice instead of the
Sharn Watch. As such, Steel-Eye can trade in a
favor for a sit-down with Lorleta in a local
tavern, the Bloody Mug.
In the Bloody Mug
Graywall is a Karrnathi district, and visitors to
the Bloody Mug are reminded of this by the
image of the Karrnathi heraldic crest, a red wolf
head on a black background, displayed
prominently behind the bar. The locals in the
common room fix the characters with icy stares,
only warming to those of Karrnathi heritage.
Sharn: City of Blood! 15
 Lorleta is awaiting the characters in a private
booth separated from the tavern’s common
room. She is a cautious conversationalist,
hoping to learn information about the murders
and provide information that will prove that the
Blood of Vol isn’t responsible. She doesn’t
disclose her status as a clergy member unless
necessary. Examples of information Lorleta can
provide include:
 She can provide knowledgeable information
about the faith and its general practices.
 Lorleta asks if the victims’ blood was
specifically drained and collected. She notes
that blood is given willingly by the faithful as
a ritual gesture. Extremists would at least
take the victim’s blood with the belief that it
held power, not leave them to bleed out.
 If the characters or Steel-Eye bring up blood-
drop amulets found at the scene or from
witness accounts, Lorleta notes that this
makes no sense. Followers carry personal
holy symbols they made themselves, not a
mass-produced general icon of the faith.
On the Trail of Blood
After visiting the crime scenes and coming to
suspect the Blood of Vol’s involvement, the
characters need to track the sect to its hideout.
Depending on what clues the characters
discovered or focus on, tracking down the sect
can be done in any of the following ways.
Tracking the Symbol
It’s unusual for Blood of Vol members to wear
uniform holy symbols instead of personal ones,
a fact the characters might learn from talking to
a practitioner or with a successful ability check.
The characters can track the maker’s marks on a
pendant to The Silver Shard in the Bazaar,
located in Middle Dura. The proprietor is a
gnome jeweler named Yogani. She recalls the
order:
 A man and woman came in to place the
order several months ago. The man was a
smooth-talking human and the woman was
a dark-haired elf with a business-like air
about her.
 The two of them briefly debated how many
pendants they should order. Yogani got the
sense that they were placing the order for
future use, not current demand.
 Yogani offered her customers delivery of the
finished products, but they declined. Yogani
overheard the man say “Imagine trying to
deliver past all the damn Ravers” to the elf
woman.
 Yogani admits she was paid a little extra not
to take a name with the order, but figured it
wasn’t hurting anyone.
Steel-Eye or any other resident of Sharn knows
that Ravers are feral humanoids that live in the
ruined Lower Dura neighborhood of Fallen. It’s
an abandoned district and the perfect place for
a strange extremist sect of the Blood of Vol to
hide out.
Area Canvass
Steel-Eye and the characters can do a good old-
fashioned canvass of the city, looking for
witnesses or other informants who saw people
matching the eyewitness descriptions of the
suspects. The search takes 2d4-1 hours and
costs 4d4 gold pieces in bribes; a character that
succeeds on a DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion)
check can find the information without
spending coin or in half the time.
The characters find enough witnesses to
track suspect movements to Lower Dura, where
locals say they’ve seen people matching that
description emerging from the Fallen district.
Mysterious Note
If the characters are at a loss, a short note is
delivered by gargoyle courier wherever they are
in Sharn, or it’s dropped off at Steel-Eye’s office.
The note reads “Blood of Vol in Fallen, Lower
Dura. Shrine of Onatar. Please help.”
The note is from Kystine, posing as Delthana
and attempting to grease the wheels so that
Steel-Eye and the character will come ‘rescue’
her from the cult.
Sharn: City of Blood! 16
III. Thicker than
Water
In the previous sections, the characters should
have acquired enough information to suspect
some Blood of Vol cult is responsible for the
murders, and that this cult seems to be located
somewhere in the ruined Lower Dura
neighborhood of Fallen, making their home in a
shrine of Onatar.
Arriving in Fallen
Fallen, formerly Godsgate, was Sharn’s temple
district before terrorist action brought a floating
tower crashing into it during the Last War. The
area is a wasteland abandoned by the city
government; where streets were not crushed to
rubble, the buildings have fallen into disrepair.
It takes the characters 1d4-1 hours to
navigate the ruined neighborhood and locate
the shrine of Onatar. If you think the characters
would enjoy a combat encounter on the way to
the cult’s hideout, proceed to ‘Deady Rave,’
below. Otherwise, proceed to ‘The Bloody
Hideout.’
Deadly Rave
As the characters navigate the ruined streets
they are attacked by Ravers, maddened
berserkers who live in Fallen and attack
travelers. As the characters travel through an
area of scattered rubble, they are ambushed by
Fallen’s dangerous residents:
A falling piece of crumbled stonework falling from
a second-floor balcony is the only warning as a
deranged half-elf launches drops onto you from
above, bellowing nonsense. Other humanoid
figures appear on the surrounding balconies and
from half-collapsed alleyways, twitching and
screeching as they rush forward to attack!
Characters with a passive Perception score of
14 or higher aren’t surprised by the ambush.
There are 5 Ravers for characters of 3rd level,
plus 2 additional Ravers for each character level
above 3rd. The Ravers leaping down from
second-floor balconies don’t take falling
damage from the maneuver. The statistics for
Ravers can be found in the Appendix.
Shrine of Onatar
The god of smith, craftsmen, and artificers is
Onatar, the Sovereign of Forge and Flame.
Temples in honor of this Sovereign Host
member are usually functional spaces of
smithing and of worship, and the abandoned
shrine in Fallen is no exception. Though the
building is more or less intact, Zeke has
decorated it with a layman’s expectation of
Blood of Vol aesthetic, including a number of
carefully concealed mechanisms used to dazzle
his followers with the illusion of divine magic.
The Fake Cult
The cult members might think they are in a
Blood of Vol sect, but it’s a grift headed by Zeke,
its leader. Zeke believes there’s a sucker born
every minute, and the people he’s roped into
the cult help prove the rule. Zeke is a lifelong
con artist and career criminal, and spent weeks
preparing the shrine with hidden magical and
practical effects.
The Vampire. Zeke tells his followers that the
inner sanctum (area 8) contains the stone coffin
of Dorlus, a vampire and ‘true’ spiritual guide of
the cult. According to Zeke and the rest of the
inner circle conspirators, only they can
communicate with the slumbering vampire or
dare to enter his chambers.
The Loot. In reality the vampire is fictitious, and
stolen art objects from Cobalt’s house and the
bearer bonds from the fraudulent insurance
policies are the only contents of Dorlus’s stone
sarcophagus. See area 8 for further.
Zeke and the Inner Circle
Zeke McKerrig (NE male human cult fanatic)
leads the false cult; only the inner circle,
Sharn: City of Blood! 17
comprised of Cobalt, Aleris Ravari, and Overlun
Berylsmith, share knowledge of the insurance
fraud scheme.
1. Entrance Hall
This dusty stone hallway is dimly lit by low-
Zeke keeps control of the cultists through
burning continual flame torches set in sconces,
charlatan tricks and fear; he has a handful of
which cast a blood-red crimson light.
‘enforcers’ in the hideout who keep the
followers in line. These enforcers know the cult
is a scam but don’t know about the insurance
scheme.

Other Cult Members

The cultists taken in by Zeke’s scams are
noncombatants with AC 11 and 9 hit
points. They wear simple red robes and
red garnet teardrop pendants that
match those seen or found at the
murder scenes. When caught in the
middle of combat they cower or try to
flee to safety.
If interrogated, the cultists truthfully
say they don’t know anything about any
murders, or the burglary of Cobalt’s home.
Characters familiar with Blood of Vol beliefs
who ask about the cult’s practices notice how
the cult’s practices have no similarities to the
actual religion.

Kystine’s Gambit
After killing her twin and posing the body as if it
were her own, Kystine has infiltrated the cult as
Delthana. As Steel-Eye and the characters
investigated the murders, Kystine has been
waiting for an opening when she could sneak
into the inner circle’s sanctum (area 8) and
steal their bearer bonds. She successfully did
so, but couldn’t leave the shrine; she hid the
bearer bonds in a storeroom (area 6).
Kystine hears the characters enter the
hideout and shackles herself in area 4. She
pretends to be Delthana and asks them to help
‘save’ her from the cult’s clutches. She is a
talented liar and feigns ignorance about the
inner circle and their insurance fraud. She looks
for the first opportunity to sneak away to area
6 to retrieve the bonds and hide them on her
person, including pretending to run away in
fright during combat.

Sharn: City of Blood! 18

Guard. A thug lurks with their loyal iron
defender (see Eberron: Rising from the Last
War) in an alcove just around the corner from
the entrance. There is an additional iron
defender for characters of 4th or 5th level. The
thug is wary of intruders but can be fooled into
thinking the characters are new cult recruits
with a DC 14 Charisma (Deception) check. If a
fight breaks out, the thug instructs their iron
defender(s) to harry the intruders while the
thug runs to area 2 for help.
2. Dining Room
Four rickety stools surround a small wooden
table in this room, which is brightly lit by a lamp
fixture hanging from the ceiling.
Occupants. Two bandits and two cult members
are seated around the table. The other cult
members are noncombatants.
3. Hall and Antechamber
This antechamber is brightly lit with hanging
lamps. At any given time 2d4 cultist
noncombatants are tasked with menial chores
in this room or are kneeling before a crude
Blood of Vol symbol hanging on the west wall
near the door to area 7.
4. Quarters
This room is used as crude sleeping quarters by
the low-ranking cult members, and is full of
simple bedrolls and blankets. It’s also occupied
by a shockingly familiar face:
A manacled figure is hunched against the far wall,
long blonde hair obscuring their face. They look
up as the door opens, revealing a familiar face; it’s
Kystine, the half-elf who came to Steel-Eye for
help. But you saw her dead at her apartment…
Kystine pretends to be her sister Delthana,
pretending not to recognize Steel-Eye and
begging the characters to rescue her. She’s
hoping to secretly retrieve the bearer bonds
from area 6 before she leaves.
5. Common Room
A long table in this room is used as a gathering
place by low-ranking cult members. Three
noncombatant cultists are in this room.
6. Storeroom
This room is crammed full of tool racks, old
forge tools, Onatar paraphernalia, and other
items from when the shrine of Onatar was in
operation. The Blood of Vol cult has moved all
the unused items to an unused storeroom.
Hidden Bonds. Posing as Delthana, Kystine stole
the inner circle’s bearer bonds from area 8 and
hid them in this room. A creature that makes a
successful DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation)
check while searching the area finds the bonds
tucked behind a storage crate.
7. Forge Room
A huge anvil sits near the far end of this room.
Against the far wall behind it, a large forge
glows eerily with a baleful, blood-red light. Four
figures (see below) stand behind the anvil,
while cult enforcers (see Enemies, below) stand
guard near them.
When the characters enter this room, they see
the following:
Behind the anvil at the far side of the room stands
a row of four cultists in red-and-black robes.
Though the man in the center is a stranger to you,
the other three are all too familiar: they are
identical to Aleris, Overlun, and Cobalt, the
murder victims!
Enemies. Aleris, Overlun, and Cobalt have the
statistics of nobles. Zeke McKerrig has the
statistics of a cult fanatic. The enforcers in the
room are based on party level:
 Two thugs for characters of 3rd level.
 Three thugs for characters of 4th level.
 Two veterans for characters of 5th level.
Sharn: City of Blood! 19
In a fight, Zeke does his best to remain behind
the anvil to utilize its powers (see below). If the
fight doesn’t look to be going his way, Zeke uses
the anvil’s teleportation effect to escape to area
8. He attempts to retrieve the bearer bonds in
area 8 and finds them missing. He tries to hide
there until he can sneak out of the hideout or
use the teleportation rune again in his attempt
to escape.
Anvil. The anvil measures 20 feet in length.
Zeke utilizes it as a kind of lectern when
speaking to his followers. He inscribed the far
side of the anvil with hidden arcane symbols,
which he can touch to create one of the
following effects.
 False Flames. Touching this rune causes
illusory flames to flare up from the forge and
swirl around the speaker. The flames radiate
convincing heat for the benefit of onlookers
but leave the speaker unharmed.
 Real Flames. As an action, pointing at
someone while using this rune causes
streaks of flame to lance out from the forge
as a firebolt cantrip (+5 to hit, 1d10 fire
damage on hit) targeting up to two creatures
of the speaker’s choice in the room that it
can see.
 Teleportation. Touching this rune causes
illusory flames to billow out from the forge
and appear to consume the speaker;
instead, it teleports them to the nearest
unoccupied space in area 8.
A creature can locate the runes with a
successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation)
check of the anvil, or with a successful DC 14
Wisdom (Perception) check when a speaker
uses one of their effects. A creature can
determine the runes’ effects with a successful
DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
8. Inner Sanctum
This small room is lit by a hanging brazier set
above a large stone coffin.
Teleportation Rune. An arcane symbol etched
into the south wall allows teleportation to area
7, just behind the anvil (see Anvil, above). A
creature that touches the rune in area 8 causes
the furnace in area 7 to emit a burst of illusory
flame and harmless heat as the creature
reappears there.
Coffin. A large stone coffin against the north
wall is the purported resting place of Dorlus, a
vampire that advises the cult’s inner circle. In
reality, the coffin holds the good stolen from
Cobalt’s home by the cult members and the
bearer bonds from the inner circle’s insurance
fraud scheme.
A creature that succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom
(Perception) check notices a crowbar tucked
between the coffin and the wall behind it.
Moving the coffin lid requires a DC 18
Strength check. When the lid of the coffin is
moved an illusory sound effect triggers, causing
a rustling of movement and a rattling hiss to
emit from the coffin. A creature can identify this
as an illusion with a successful DC 15
Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Treasure. The coffin contains statuettes, pots,
and other art objects. There are 7 items in total,
each worth about 250 gp to the right buyer. The
coffin also contains a large filing envelope and
the cursed dagger (see below).
Missing Bonds. An envelope in the coffin should
contain the amassed bearer bonds from the
inner circle’s insurance scam, but the envelope
is empty. Kystine, posing as Delthana, has
already removed the bonds and hidden them in
area 6 for later retrieval.
Cursed Dagger. A curved dagger rests on the
bottom of the coffin, blade still covered in dried
blood. A character can easily match its shape to
the wounds that killed each of the three
stabbing victims.
The dagger is considered an uncommon
magic item that radiates an aura of
transmutation magic. When a humanoid
creature kills another humanoid using the
Sharn: City of Blood! 20
dagger, the victim’s body transforms to match
the wielder’s appearance. This transformation
Steel-Eye Dixon
lasts for 30 days or until dispelled (DC 17). The warforged inquisitive pays the characters
the money owed for their assistance. At your
discretion, the warforged could offer the
Conclusion characters more work as the characters’ group
The adventure can end in a number of ways, patron. For ideas on how to utilize Steel-Eye as
depending on the clues the characters a group patron, see Inquisitive Agency group
discovered or how they engaged with them. patrons in Chapter 1 of Rising from the Last
War. Whether or not the characters form an
inquisitive agency with Steel-Eye, he may call
Kystine upon them again…
If Kystine’s deception isn’t discovered and the
characters don’t find the bearer bonds, Kystine
successfully retrieves them and cashes in on the
cult’s insurance fraud. With ill-gotten gains in
hand, Kystine leaves Sharn forever.
The characters might realize the truth too
late to stop her, or discover it later when Steel-
Eye looks to finish wrapping up the case’s loose
ends. To Steel-Eye, Kystine will always be one
that got away.

Zeke
If Zeke manages to escape the characters’
clutches, he might become a recurring villain.
He’s always looking for the next grift but has a
new motivation: revenge. The characters might
also assume Zeke is the one who took the
bearer bonds from area 8 and made good his
escape with the loot.

Dagger and Bonds

Though he’ll look the other way on the
retrieved art objects, Steel-Eye insists on taking
the dagger to the Sharn Watch as key evidence
in the murder investigation.
If the characters find the bearer bonds, they
are asked to turn them over to the Sharn Watch
as evidence. The bonds are worthless to the
characters: the Sharn Watch connects the dots
on Zeke’s fraud scheme and banks are warned
not to honor the bonds.

Sharn: City of Blood! 21

Appendix: Steel-Eye Dixon
Medium humanoid (warforged), neutral good

Statblocks Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Kystine Sinndel
16 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 10 (+0)
Medium humanoid (half-elf), neutral evil
Armor Class 10 Skills Intimidation +2, Investigation +6, Perception
Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5) +2, Persuasion +4, Stealth +3
Speed 30 ft. Damage Resistances poison
Senses passive Perception 12
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 18 (+4) Languages Common
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Skills Deception +8, Insight +3, Persuasion +6, Sleight
of Hand +3 Gumshoe. Steel-Eye can make a Wisdom
Senses passive Perception 10 (Perception) check or an Intelligence (Investigation)
Languages Common, Elvish check as a bonus action.
Challenge 0 (10 XP) Warforged Resilience. Steel-Eye has advantage on
saving throws against being poisoned and is immune
Actions to disease. Magic can’t put him to sleep.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, Wand Sheath. Steel-Eye has a wand sheath
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 (1 + 0) bludgeoning containing a wand of magic missiles with 7 charges.
damage. As an action, Steel-Eye can use 1 charge from the
wand to cast magic missile as a 1st-level spell. The
wand regains 1d6+1 charges daily at dawn.
Raver Actions
Medium humanoid (any race), chaotic evil
Armor Class 11 Multiattack. Steel-Eye makes two fisticuffs attacks.
Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 12) Fisticuffs. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5
Speed 30 ft. ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) type damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 8 (-1)
Senses passive Perception 9
Languages Understands Common but can’t speak
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Reckless. At the start of its turn, the Raver can gain
advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls it makes
during that turn, but attack rolls against it have
advantage until the start of its next turn.

Actions
Multiattack. The Raver makes two frenzied strike
attacks.
Frenzied Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning
damage.

Sharn: City of Blood! 22