the LAUGHING HORDE of RUIN ™

Kiss of the Viper

By James MacMurray
Credits Foreword
Writer/Designer: James MacMurray
Hi. Welcome to my first epic adventure campaign.
Illustrations: James MacMurray
D&D has been an important part of my life since the
Cartography: James MacMurray
early 80’s, and when 5th edition was released I felt
excited to tell a story that I would want to experience
Playtesters: Dicky Brucks, Jeremy Smith,
as a player.
Mikko Tormala, Dave Waksman
The material in this book is intended for 4 characters
Special thanks to Jonathan French and
and covers levels 1-5. It’s the first part of a multi-part
Stuart Bowler for their encouragement and
campaign that is intended to take the players to level
invaluable feedback during the design process.
15+ by its conclusion.

I noticed that a lot of material seemed to skip the

first few levels of play, which I feel are integral to
understanding your character and building a strong
team dynamic. So, with this campaign, I tried to
create early level content that was both educational
for new players while still maintaining a fun and
exciting story for seasoned veterans of the game.

I hope that you and your players enjoy exploring the

story that I’ve written and have hours of fun traveling
the lands of Faerûn, revisiting some locations that
haven’t been discussed for a while, uncovering
mysteries, and fighting evil.

This campaign uses material from the fifth edition

Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, the
Monster Manual, as well as Volo’s Guide to Monsters
and requires those books to run as written.

The civilized lands of Faerûn are in grave peril once

again and only you can save the realms from the
wraith of Yeenoghu’s children. Best of luck!

James MacMurray
October 2017

Disclaimer: While the Lord of Savagery doesn’t make his appearance in this volume of
the story, I suspect that Yeenoghu is watching events unfold from the Abyssal plane.
He probably isn’t too happy about a band of plucky adventurers heading out to put a
stop to his machinations, and he may be plotting his revenge. Stay vigilant.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, 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 2017 by James MacMurray and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
Table of Contents
Map: The Northeast of Faerûn...................................4
Introduction.................................................................5
Background..................................................................5
Overview......................................................................5
1: A Journey Begins...............................6
The City of Ravens Bluff..........................................6
The Shark Fin............................................................8
Map: The Shark Fin Tavern.....................................8
A Bad Hand...............................................................9
A Mother’s Plea.......................................................10
A Thief in the Night...............................................10
Map: Chi-chock’s Lair............................................11
Back on Track.........................................................13
Map: The Vast.........................................................14
Feldar’s Trail Encounters.......................................15
Supper Time............................................................15
Map: Supper Time/Bear Cave...............................15
Bear Cave.................................................................16
Danger!....................................................................17
Map: Danger...........................................................17
Highwaymen...........................................................18
Outside Highbank..................................................18
2: Dragon Falls or Bust................... 19
Highbank Forest.....................................................19
Map: Highbank Ruins............................................21
Wrong Turn.............................................................21
Trouble in Dark Hollow........................................23
The Fetid Fields......................................................24
The Witch’s Cottage................................................24
Map: The Fetid Fields............................................25
Serpentshield Manor.............................................26
Village Square.........................................................26
Map: Serpentshield Manor....................................27
Tremors....................................................................28
Appendix A: Monsters...................... 29
Appendix B: Special Items................ 31
Introduction
The Laughing Horde of Ruin is an epic story that
takes characters from 1st level to 15th level and
beyond through an arduous and perilous overland
journey that culminates in a deadly face-off with
the legendary Demon Prince Yeenoghu. The ideal
party size is four characters. If your group is larger
or smaller, you can adjust the number of enemies
present in any given encounter.
The Laughing Horde of Ruin is set in the Forgotten
Realms in the northeastern area of Faerûn.
Characters will begin in the nation of Vesperin in
The Vast, a green and temperate realm of wide open
spaces, rolling farmlands, expansive grasslands,
isolated forests, and mountainous terrain, and travel
through several other nations including Impiltur,
Thesk, and The Great Dale on their way to The
Endless Wastes and their final confrontation with the
Beast of Butchery.
Character Advancement. At your option, you can
use the milestone experience rule. Under this rule,
you pick certain events in the campaign that cause
the characters to level up. In The Laughing Horde
of Ruin, the characters gain a level after completing
each episode.
Background
The Gnoll tribes of Faerûn, while dangerous
and savage, have never posed a serious threat to
civilization due mostly to their tendency to travel in
small packs and fight amongst themselves. Lately,
they have become unified and are spreading out from
the Wastes in an all-out assault against everything
in their path with the ultimate goal of summoning
Yeenoghu to the material plane.
The Pack Leader
A powerful and enterprising Gnoll Warlock named
Khyrrn Plaguemane has been marked by Yeenoghu
and granted his favor. She used this advantage to gain
control of the Butcher’s Brood Clan and has driven
them to subjugate the other tribes of the wastes,
forming one great, savage host in the pursuit of a
single, malevolent purpose.
After conquering the city of Almorel, the horde
has turned it’s sights on the rest of the civilized lands,
bent on destruction and carnage with the ultimate
goal of summoning their Demon Lord from the
Abyss to re-shape Faerûn and bring his vision of “A
world where gnolls are the last creatures left alive,
tearing one another apart for the right to feast upon
the endless dead” to horrifying reality.
Unknown Threat
The horde has taken the Endless Wastes and overrun
the city of Almorel, which Plaguemane plans to
use as Yeenoghu’s seat of power upon his return.
Murdering and devouring anyone they don’t keep
alive for torture or slave labor, they have begun their
invasion into the neighboring areas of Damara,
Narfell, Rashemen and Murghôm.
Knowledge of the incursion is slow to spread as the
initial areas of conquest are lightly populated and
Gnolls don’t tend to leave survivors. Anyone they
haven’t killed has been sent to Almorel to toil under
cruel slave-masters until they are sacrificed in the
summoning ritual.
The Slave Trade
While the Gnolls themselves have secured a great
number of slaves to feed the summoning ritual, their
penchant for slaughter and their hunger for flesh
has necessitated the forging of alliances with various
criminal organizations to procure additional souls.
The Shadowmasters of Telflamm have ensured
their city’s safety by creating an extensive slavery
ring employing the services of local pirates, brigands,
bandits, and Goblinoids to abduct and deliver
unsuspecting people from all around the Sea of
Fallen Stars. The result is a widespread increase in
disappearances as people are captured and funneled
through Telflamm and along the Golden Way into
the Endless Wastes where death and despair await.
Overview
When a relative of someone close to the characters
goes missing from a nearby village, the players are
asked to investigate, which begins a series of events
that will take them on a protracted overland journey
through orc-infested mountain passes and dangerous
forests, following the chain of kidnappers, slavers,
and pirates which eventually leads to Telflamm and
the Shadowmasters.
In this first part of the campaign, they will travel
through the dangerous wilds of Vesperin to locate
and rescue the missing acquaintance from a gang of
slavers. They will traverse the long forgotten ruins
of a lost dwarven enclave, destroyed centuries ago
by an incursion from the Underdark. They will
have to negotiate with city leaders, or explore the
ruins beneath the city in order to deal with a crew
of pirates and cut-throats, all to discover the larger
events that are unfolding across the realms.
5
 Episode 1: A Journey Begins
Ravens Bluff: The Living City
A bustling port city on the shores of the Dragon
Reach, Raven’s Bluff sits atop a broad, rounded cliff
where the Fire River meets the Sea of Fallen Stars.
The natural, sheltered harbor formed at this estuary
comes alive at dawn as fishing boats set out for the
day and is busy throughout the sunlight hours as
merchant ships come and go carrying cargo and
passengers to and from the city. Diverse throngs
of people: locals, tourists, travelers, and crewmen
from the visiting ships crowd the docks and wander
among the many shops and stalls that inundate the
Harbor District. Ships of all sizes and purpose creak
lightly as they rock in their moorings and the sharp
cries of gulls soaring overhead are carried on the
cool, salty sea breeze over the sound of the rolling
surf. Welcome to Ravens Bluff.
As a thriving seaport, Ravens Bluff is host to a
myriad of people from all across Faerûn. With a
standing population that exceeds 40,000, as well as
visitors and travelers arriving daily, it is possible to
meet representatives of almost any race in the realm.
Players should be able to choose from a wide variety
of races and classes when creating their characters.
Ravens Bluff is divided into seven distinct districts,
each with their own unique characteristics and
attractions.
6
Uptown District
The Uptown District is mainly residential and is
home to the richest neighborhood in Ravens Bluff as
well as more moderate neighborhoods and even areas
with small residences and cheap apartment buildings
for common laborers. Home to a select few high-
class shops and establishments, like an opera house
and the finest restaurants in the wealthier areas, it
is also where one finds the most crafters who are
independent of the guilds, and features the highest
rate of racial minorities.
Notable Locations
The Coliseum
The High House of Magic - Wizard Guild, Potions
Ravens Bluff Playhouse
The Stane Opera House
Bendekar’s Mercantile - Spell Components
The Sparkling Edge - Gems
The Stardust Inn
The Shod Talon - Inn and tavern
The Temple District
One of the most visually impressive and striking
districts of the city, the Temple District is a prestigious
neighborhood which features the main buildings of
various guilds, noble families, and merchant houses as
well as important sites like civic temples and DeVillars
Park, the largest park in the city. People of all kinds
visit the district and the neighborhood is heavily
patrolled by the Watch, who swiftly remove would-be
street merchants or musicians.
Notable Locations
The House of Bountiful Harvest - Temple of Chauntea
The Turning Wheel - Temple of Gond
The Citadel of Protection - Temple of Helm
Halls of the Morning Light - Temple of Lathander
The Halls of Mystery - Temple of Mystra
The Moonflame - Temple of Selûne
The Hall of Luck - Temple of Tymora
The Silver Halls - Temple of Tyr
The Cradle of Pain and Redemption - Temple of Ilmater
The Tower of Holy Revelry - Temple of Liliira
The Crescent Moon Inn
The Open Window - Scholars of Magic
Leaf in Root - Tobacco shop
Jhuedele’s Fine Fletching - Arrows
The Market District
The Market is a busy place that never sleeps.
Countless businesses make shop in stalls both on
the street and inside massive, open halls that were
once warehouses. At night, jugglers, musicians,
illusionists, acrobats, and other performers work the
streets trying to earn some coin.
Notable Locations
The Mad Dolphin House - Pawnbroker
The Southside District
This district is home to the Ravens Bluff Sanitation
Facility and the huge House of War, the local
temple of Tempus. The most unpleasant feature of
this neighborhood is the smell, which can be quite
intolerable on a bad day. Traditionally favored as a
place of residence for mages with many shops here
catering to their needs
Notable Locations
The Academy of Arts
House of War - Temple of Tempus
Brothers Galgolar Pawnshop
Ye Who Dares - Armor shop
The Sapient Sorcerer - Spellcrafting supplies
The Crow’s End District
Perhaps the busiest neighborhood in Ravens Bluff
and the center of its trade. The most diverse area of
the city, many call it the heart of Ravens Bluff itself,
though this claim is far more common with workers
than with nobles or priests. Home to the poorest and
most desolate neighborhoods inside the city walls,
most buildings are made of wood, often recognizable
as the remains of wrecked ships. Refuse and vermin
are abundant throughout the district.
Notable Locations
Trade Favors - Shrine of Waukeen
The Posh Paladin Hotel - Inn
The Black Lotus - Apothecary
Black Dugal’s Music Shoppe - Musical Instruments
The Harbor District
The Harbor District sits outside the city walls on
the water’s edge and is home to the city’s lighthouse
island, the wharf, and businesses that cater to seamen
and merchants; mainly small shops dealing in
nautical merchandise and seafaring gear, warehouses
and storage rental, marine insurance, dry-docks, and
shipwrights. You can also find short term housing
and food and drink establishments of varying
quality, as well as a thriving fish market from noon to
sundown every day.
Notable Locations
Davy Jones’ Lock-Up - Storage Rental
Buftooroo’s Dry Goods - Mercantile
Talton’s Ivory and Scrimshaw - Carved novelties
Akashar’s Accessories - Expensive curio shop
Tym’s Supple Leather Shoppe
Talon’s Tattoo Parlor
High Seas Shipwrights
The Spill and Swill Tavern
The Shark Fin - Restaurant and Tavern
The Lucky Coin Inn
The Dark Dancer - Shrine of Eilistraee
The Foreign District
Slangily referred to as Outlander Town, The Foreign
District is walled off from the rest of the city with
entrances on the east and west ends. It is home to
diplomats and embassies, built in the distinctive
architectural style of their homeland, from nations
all across Faerûn. Watch patrols frequent the streets
and while entry isn’t prohibited, anyone lingering
will soon be challenged about his business, giving the
impression that curious wanderers are not welcome.
7
 Coming Together
The adventure begins, as many do, in a busy tavern.
The players may have known each other for a long
time, or they may simply recognize each other as
regulars of the tavern. They may live in the Harbor
District, or they may work on the docks and enjoy the
hospitality of the Shark Fin after a long day. Perhaps
they work at one of the temples in the Temple District
and simply prefer the rustic ambiance of the Shark Fin
and it’s patrons.
As they sit enjoying an evening meal, or perhaps
just a few pints of ale, among the usual crowd, four
unfamiliar sailors sit at a table in the back of the tavern
playing at cards with a local when a fight erupts.
The Shark Fin
A well kept restaurant and tavern located in the Harbor
District of Ravens Bluff, The Shark Fin is a converted
warehouse on the waterfront offering an assortment of
soup, fish, bread, and ales for a reasonable price. The
Shark Fin is a favorite among locals as well as repeat
visitors from the merchant ships that frequent the city.
Warmth, laughter, and music in a cheerful nautical
themed atmosphere make the Fin a welcome place to
have a meal and relax at the end of a long day.
8
Important Characters
Pearl Finn. Owner and proprietor of the Shark
Fin. Pearl is a kind-hearted, slightly plump Human
woman who always helps her regular customers
through tough times, usually with a free meal or an
odd job for some coin. Players are familiar with Pearl
and have most likely benefited from her matronly
care at one time or another in the past. She has
been running the Shark Fin since her husband Earl
disappeared at sea twelve years ago.
Granz Stronghand. Granz is a short Human male
with a beautifully carved, walnut peg leg below his
right knee. He lost the leg to a shark five years ago
after being pushed into the harbor by an unknown
assailant. He currently works as bartender and bouncer
at the Shark Fin and is extremely loyal to Pearl.
Charlene. Charlene is a Human female who tends
to flirt with male customers and act coldly toward
the female customers. She works the tables, paying
special attention to the finer dressed men in hopes of
finding a wealthy suitor.
Doris. Doris is a Human female with exceptional
strength for her small stature. She enjoys talking to the
guests, hearing the stories of passing adventurers, and
arm-wrestling with the more spirited patrons.
 Flaux. Flaux is a Half-elf female who is an honest
employee when she’s on the clock, but she keeps an
eye out for wealthy travelers that might make easy
targets to pickpocket after hours.
Sydney. Sydney is a particularly beautiful young
Human female. She’s fairly clumsy and a disastrous
barmaid. Regardless of that fact, she is much loved
and protected by the regulars of the Shark Fin.
A Bad Hand
Four sailors (see appendix B), three of them Human
and one a half-orc, sit at a table in the back of the
tavern playing cards with a Human commoner
and local named Eobert. They are obviously drunk
and have been losing to the young man. Unhappy
with their bad luck, they accuse the young man of
cheating (although he isn’t) and begin a fight unless
the players intercede.
You find yourselves sitting in the Shark Fin tavern, a
warm and inviting place where you have whiled away
many an evening. Four attractive young barmaids
flit about the large sitting room, which is adorned
with old figureheads, nets, and other nautical decor;
including a large chandelier, crafted from an old
ship’s wheel, hanging above the center of the room.
The air is thick with the mouth-watering aromas of
stewed fish, rich chowders, and fresh-baked bread.
The girls are busy taking orders, delivering plates of
food, and refilling mugs of ale amidst the laughter
and chatter of the customers.
At a table in a back corner, a group of sailors
is playing at cards with a regular of the tavern
named Eobert. They’re probably crewmen for some
merchant vessel or transport ship in port for the
night. You note that they seem to be fairly deep in
their cups and that their discussion appears to be
growing heated.
If the players succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom
(Insight) check, they will get the impression that the
argument seems ready to escalate into violence.
If the players attempt to de-escalate the situation
diplomatically, they can make either a DC 15
Charisma (Persuasion) or a DC 18 Charisma
(Intimidation) check as the sailors are inebriated
and are convinced that they have been cheated. On
a successful check, the sailors begrudgingly agree to
leave but cast glaring looks at Eobert and shove their
way through the crowd angrily as they make their
way out of the tavern.
On a failed check, continue as if the party had done
nothing and read the following:
Suddenly, one of the sailors leaps to his feet and
lunges across the table to grab Eobert by the collar,
overturning the stool he was sitting on. As the music
and conversation come to an abrupt stop and all
heads turn to see what’s happening, you hear one of
the sailors snarl, “Well, we say you are cheatin’. An,
this is wha’ happens to folk that cheat where we come
from!”. Before anyone can react, the sailor lifts his
tankard off the table and uses it to club the young
man over the head, rendering him unconscious.
A loud crash breaks the silence when one of the
waitresses screams and drops her serving tray,
spilling food and shattering dishes on the floor.
As three of the sailors begin scooping up the coins
from the table, the largest drops his tankard, points at
the patrons as he looks around the room, and shouts,
“Whatcha lookin’ at’? Someone got a problem?”
Violence is uncommon in the Shark Fin, and there
is a general sense of chaos as customers make a
rush towards the exit and Pearl attempts to herd the
barmaids behind the bar. Granz produces a small
club from behind the bar somewhere and stands in
front of the women defensively.
If the players do nothing, the sailors will take the
coin and make their way out of the tavern before
disappearing into the night.
If the players attempt to intercede, the sailors fight
without their weapons, utilizing improvised weapons
and grapples to gain advantage when possible.
Murder is generally unwelcome in towns and cities
and the encounter should be used to demonstrate
non-lethal options in combat. Improvised weapons
abound in the busy tavern; mugs, chairs, and
even the chandelier which can be dropped onto
combatants doing 2D6 Bludgeoning damage on a
failed DC 15 Dexterity save. If all of the other sailors
are defeated, the last one standing will surrender.
Rewards. Award standard XP for defeated foes,
including any that surrender or agree to leave.
If the situation was resolved violently, Granz
and the barmaids will begin cleaning up the mess,
righting tables and chairs and sweeping up broken
dishes and spilled food. After tending to Eobert,
Pearl will agree to let the sailors leave rather than
calling the city watch if they agree to leave the coin
behind as punishment for their misconduct. She
gives half of the money to Eobert, keeps one quarter
for damages to the tavern and gives the rest to any
players that lent aid. The party’s share totals 9 gp.
The conscious sailor rouses his friends and helps
them stagger out of the tavern.
9
 A Mother’s Plea
Pearl asks the characters to wait a moment. She
announces that the Shark Fin will be closing early,
ushers any remaining patrons out and locks the door
behind them. If the players assisted with the sailors,
read all of the following:
“Thank you for the help tonight. It’s always nice to
have people you can rely...”
Her voice cracks as she breaks down into heavy
sobs. Sydney puts a consoling hand on her shoulder,
saying “What is it, Pearl. The damage isn’t that bad.”
Pullings herself together and wiping at her cheeks,
Pearl answers, “Oh, it isn’t that.”, absentmindedly
waving away the mess. “It’s just that I got some
troubling news this morning, is all.” Turning to the
characters, “In fact, that’s why I asked you all to stay
behind a moment.”
If the characters did not assist with the sailors, begin:
“You’ve all been loyal customers and good friends
to Granz, me, and the girls for some time. I have a
proposition for you. I received a letter just yesterday
from my daughter-in-law, Merigold, in Dragon Falls.
She says my younger son, Dutch, has gone missing.
It’s not like him at all. He’s always been such a good
boy since his father disappeared, dependable and
responsible.
It cost me more than I care to admit, but I went to
the Diviner’s Guild this morning... they told me that
Dutch is alive! They said it was dark wherever he is,
pitch black, so they couldn’t tell me any more. But
he’s alive, and that’s enough for me.
I know you all to be capable sorts. Can I ask you to
travel to Dragon Falls and look for him? Perhaps you
can find out what happened and bring him home?
I’d also ask you to deliver a small care package to
Merigold, some coin to get her by and a few small
things to remind her that she’s not alone.”
Characters will know that Dragon Falls is a small
hamlet roughly 150 miles east of Ravens Bluff. The
journey will take them along Feldar’s Trail, which
runs alongside the Fire River, through the villages of
Highbank Forest and Dark Hollow where they can
then follow the Hlintar Ride straight to Dragon Falls.
A journey of seven days by foot.
The players should obviously accept Pearl’s request.
However, if they need persuading, they can be
reminded that Pearl has helped their characters
through hard times in the past and that they owe her
a favor or two.
10
When the party agrees to the task, Pearl bustles off to
a back room and returns with a bulging belt pouch
and a long, leather wrapped item. Teary-eyed, she
hands one of the players the pouch, which contains
20 gp, 60 sp, 3 azurite worth 10 gp each as well as an
engraved silver locket worth 10 gp and a silver ring
set with a pearl worth 30 gp. She gives the leather
wrapped item to one of the other players, preferably a
martial character, and says:
“Take this as well, it’s been in the family for years.
It belonged to Dutch’s father and it’s always brought
luck. Although he’s already been missing for days,
maybe you can find a trail to follow? May it see you
safely on your journey and lead you to my boy. Thank
you all, so much! Please, find my son.”
The leather wrapped item is a silvered shortsword
decorated with finely carved ivory scrimshaw and
detailed with natural coral worth 120 gp.
Developments
After the encounter, it may be a good time to have Pearl
sit the party down and pour them a free round of drinks
while she discusses her proposition. This is a perfect
opportunity to explain the short rest rules to new players.
If the party murders the sailors, the DM may want
to alter this section to have Pearl warn the players
that the City Watch will be looking for them and
suggest they leave the city. She will give them the
parcels and tell them to head to Dragon Falls, where
her son and daughter-in-law have a place that they
can lie low until the dust settles.
A Thief in the Night
After the players have left the inn, as they make their way
through the darkening Harbor District, a Kenku rogue
named Chi-chock (see appendix B for statistics) has
been watching their progress from the shadows, intent
on taking the bulging coin purse that the players are
tasked with delivering.
As you walk through the city discussing plans for the
upcoming journey, a blood-curdling scream shatters
the night. You hear a deep, menacing growl and what
can only be the sound of a large animal attacking its
prey from the shadows of a nearby side-street.
A successful DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) check will
immediately alert the characters that something is
amiss. Otherwise, when the party searches the side-
street, they will run into Chi-chok who created the
clamor as a distraction.
 Without warning, a squat figure draped in dirty rags
darts from the shadows looking frantically back over
his shoulder and careens into you. Stumbling back,
the figure points urgently toward the back of the alley
and quickly rushes off along the sloping street and
through a gate into the busy Crow’s End District.
It requires a successful DC 25 passive Wisdom
(Perception) check to spot the theft, and even if the
players make an attempt to secure the pouch by placing
it in a backpack, Chi-chock notices the tactic which
only makes him more determined. When the characters
search for the pouch, they will find a hole cut into the
bottom of the pack and the pouch missing.
Pursuit
A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals
bizarre, three-toed footprints on the mud and gravel
road which can be followed directly to Chi-chock’s
lair and a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Nature)
check will reveal that the footprints belong to a
Kenku, as well as basic information about the race.
Otherwise, the guard at the gate and other people on
the street can point the characters in the direction of
the fleeing thief if questioned.
After asking a few of the people that you pass on
the street, you spot the figure hurrying into a small
alleyway. Following after, you take several twists and
turns before the alley ends abruptly.
If the characters search the alley, they don’t find any
signs of the thief. However, as they make their way
back towards the main street, a successful DC 12
Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a small wooden
door leading down into the cellar of one of the
buildings which seems to be ajar and a discarded
padlock lying in the trash nearby.
When the characters climb down into the cellar, they
find themselves in a storage room filled with rotting
barrels, broken crates, and piles of moldy fabric.
1. Storage
This abandoned storage area contains a trapped
hatch that hides a ladder leading down to a lower
level. See “Crate Trap” below for details. There are
also two giant centipedes nesting underneath the
crates in the northeast corner.
If the characters perform a general search of this
room or a specific search of the crates, the centipedes
are disturbed and they attack.
11

At the base of the short, steep staircase, you find
yourself in a dark and musty room. Very little light
filters down from the alley above, but you can make
out the faint shapes of rotting barrels and crates piled
about the room. The air is thick with the musty scent
of mildew and rot.
A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check
reveals a circular print in the dust on top of a barrel
placed at the entrance to the room. Chi-chock took
the lantern that is usually there to traverse this area.
Crate Trap
The hatch leading down to Chi-chock’s lair is hidden
beneath a pile of moldy fabric lying between tall
stacks of crates. The crates have been rigged to fall if
the fabric is moved. The first character who moves
the fabric must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw
or take 5 (1d10) bludgeoning damage.
A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check
reveals the trap and a successful DC 10 Intelligence
(Investigation) check allows a character to disarm it.
2. The Lower Level
The ladder down into the sub-cellar leads into a
central chamber with empty doorways on either side.
If the crate trap was triggered, or there was combat
in the upper level, Chi-chock is aware of the party’s
presence and both rooms are dark. Otherwise, there
is a very faint light visible inside room 4.
A successful DC 5 Wisdom (Perception) check
reveals a single silver coin lying on the ground just
outside room 3 and sounds of movement inside.
Chi-chock is aware of the room’s occupants and
avoids them. He placed the coin near the door to lure
any intruders into the room.
3. The Rat Trap
A large pile of broken furniture and crates just inside
the doorway necessitates entering the room to get a
proper view of it’s contents. This chamber is cluttered
with debris and ankle-deep filth. Two giant rats
occupy this chamber and attack anyone who enters.
A swarm of rats emerges from a hole in the wall,
near the doorway, to join the combat on round three.
12
4. Chi-chock’s Den
This is Chi-chock’s (see appendix B for statistics)
personal living space. Aside from some shabby
second-hand furniture and a flea-ridden bedroll in
one corner, the room is lined with makeshift shelves
which are cluttered with an astonishing array of
knick-knacks and small, glittering personal effects set
up for display.
If the characters surprise Chi-chock, he is sitting on
his bedroll beside a low-burning lantern, delightedly
poring over the contents of the stolen pouch.
Otherwise, he has doused the lantern and hides quietly
in the darkness, ready to attack with his shortbow
using his Ambush ability if the characters enter.
Chi-chock knows that he is outnumbered, but he will
fight desperately to protect his collection.
After his surprise round he uses his Cunning Action
ability to dart in and out of combat, or hide in order
to gain advantage on an attack whenever possible.
Chi-chock Surrenders. Chi-chock is not a fighter
and is not above groveling. Once he falls below half
hp, he will drop his weapons and beg the characters
for mercy, offering to return Pearl’s pouch and its
contents if the players agree not to take anything
else. He puts on quite a performance, appealing to
the character’s sympathy by painting himself as a
poor wretch who has been abused and mistreated his
whole life. Chi-chock has secreted one of the azurite
in his pocket and tries to keep it unless the characters
check the pouch and demand its return.
Treasure
Chi-chock has a large assortment of trinkets and
souvenirs that he’s pilfered over the years. Aside from
the contents of Pearl’s pouch, many of the items in his
hoard are shiny, sparkling baubles of little monetary
value. Pieces of costume jewelry and bits of sea glass,
a single silver cuff-link with no mate, a broken snow
globe depicting a white dragon in a fearsome pose,
a few coins, etc. The total value for the assemblage is
about 26 sp.
Rewards
Award standard XP for defeated foes including
Chi-chock if he surrenders. Award 25 bonus XP for
successfully deactivating the Crate Trap.
Role-playing Chi-chock
Like all Kenku, Chi-chock cannot speak except
through mimicry. A conversation with him is made
up of short, disjointed snippets of conversations
he has overheard at some point in his life, spoken
in the voices of the people who originally spoke
the words, intermingled with eerily accurate
impressions, such as a baby’s cry, a wolf ’s howl
or coins clinking in a pouch, where applicable.
During conversation, his head shifts in quick, jerky
movements as his gaze darts between characters.
If he is forced to surrender to the characters, it
may sound something like this:
Sound of a Watchman’s whistle
(Voice of a City Watch Guard): “Hold it right there!”
(Voice of an angry wife): “I don’t deserve this, you
know! All I do for you, you should treat me better!”
Motioning at his shelves of items
(Voice of a young lady): (Giggling) Hands off the
merchandise, honey.
(Voice of a child): This one’s mine!
Brandishing the stolen pouch
(Voice of an old woman): Well, isn’t she precious?
(Voice of a drunkard): (Slurring) Go on, take it and
go! (Voice of a Dwarven merchant): It’s a fair deal...
you won’t find better anywhere in the Bluff!
I guarantee it.
Back on Track
The players should have time to rest and purchase
any supplies they require before leaving the city at
this point. Feel free to make any social interactions
with shop-keepers as simple or as in-depth and
interesting as you’d like. The city of Ravens Bluff can
be an exciting place.
Feldar’s Trail is an access trail originating from
the small town of Mossbridges, just east of Ravens
Bluff, which supports and maintains the bridge over
the Fire River. It runs through miles of pleasant,
sun-drenched farmland before climbing up into
the rocky, boulder-strewn highlands and eventually
coming to the village of Highbank Forest about sixty
miles east of the city. It then runs another fifty miles
northeast through miles of rolling grasslands before
descending into a shaded valley and connecting with
the Hlintar Ride in the village of Dark Hollow.
The trail between Mossbridges and Dark Hollow
passes through some dangerous places and the
paladins of the Citadel of Protection in Ravens Bluff
even offer an escort service to merchants making the
perilous journey.
General Features
The trail is fifteen to twenty feet across for most
of the journey and is wide enough for travelers
moving in opposite directions to pass each other
comfortably, but narrows to eight feet and is treated
as difficult terrain where it climbs into the highlands
or descends into the valley.
You head out of the bustling city and pass long lines
of richly dressed merchants and visitors waiting to
enter. You make your way down the road and into the
quaint town of Mossbridges. Horse-drawn wagons,
laden with goods, and pedestrians are already
crowding the busy Coast Road, moving in both
directions. You turn eastward onto Feldar’s Trail and
look out over miles of farmland. Golden wheat and
lush, green cornstalks stretch as far as the eye can
see before climbing into the distant, rocky highlands.
The first several hours of travel are uneventful and
you pass nothing more interesting than large tracts
of farmland or an intermittent pasture. Men and
women toil far out in the fields as herds of cattle
and sheep graze contentedly. Occasionally, you
pass another traveler heading towards the city, or a
merchant’s wagon surrounded by armored paladins
from the Citadel of Protection. Most of them wave or
nod in friendly greeting as they go by.
13
14
Encounters on Feldar’s Trail This campsite was set up by the jackalwere as an ideal
Nothing much needs to happen on the trip to Dark spot to ambush tired travelers and make off with
Hollow besides the scripted events which follow. whatever food and valuables that he can.
You can narrate through it quickly. At your option, A successful DC 15 passive Wisdom (Perception)
use the random encounters below to spice up the will alert the players to the presence of the pack
journey. Roll a d20 each day and use the indicated creeping up on their camp through the tall grass.
encounter. Otherwise, they are surprised. If they have meat
cooking, two jackals will spend any surprise round
Encounters on Feldar’s Trail trying to steal the party’s dinner while the others will
d20 Encounter attack whoever is closest to them.
The jackalwere has immunity to non-silvered
1-14 No encounter weapons. Hopefully, the player carrying the
15 merchant caravan shortsword they received from Pearl remembers this
“lucky” item. You may have to remind them.
16 Citadel of Protection convoy
17 2 giant wasps By late afternoon, the farmland has given way to
rolling plains and hard scrabble sloping into the
18 2 giant badgers uplands. Looking for somewhere to break for supper,
19 3 human bandits and 1 mastiff you find a quiet clearing off to one side of the trail
where you can rest. A nearby creek brings fresh, cold
20 4 goblins water down from the highlands, old logs are pulled
up next to a ring of stones for a fire and it looks as
Supper Time though this is a rest area commonly used by travelers.
As you finish your preparations and sit down to
Some time after mid-day, as the sun begins to go enjoy your evening meal, several small, dog-like
down and the characters take a short rest for their creatures burst out of the tall grass surrounding the
evening meal, they are assaulted by a jackalwere and camp and rush towards you.
four jackals.

15
 Bear Cave
The characters continue their journey up, out of the
pleasant, rural farmland surrounding Ravens Bluff
and into the wilderness of the barren highlands.
Rocky hills border the trail as it winds its way
upwards. Vegetation is scarce, and the wind off the
sea is constant and strong. As night falls they spot
a cave entrance, a little way off the trail, in the side
of a small cliff. The cave is home to two black bears
who are out foraging for the evening, but will return
before morning.
A cold, steady rain begins to fall as the sun slowly
fades from the sky. You clamber up the, now muddy
and somewhat slippery, trail into the highlands. Your
clothes are damp and the chill is beginning to creep
into your bones. The idea of a night exposed to the
elements does not sound pleasant.
16
A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check
reveals the existence of a cave mouth not too far from
the trail. It looks like a good place to sleep through
the evening, however, a successful DC 15 Wisdom
(Survival) check will alert the players to bear tracks
around the immediate vicinity of the cave.
Inside the cave mouth, the interior is a natural cavern
about thirty-five feet across and forty feet deep with a
fifteen foot high ceiling.
A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check
reveals some scarred bones scattered near the back
wall and a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Nature)
check reveals them to be mountain goat bones with
fairly recent scarring from large teeth.
If the characters stay in the cave overnight, the
bears return before sunrise. If someone is on watch
when they arrive, he sees them approaching as
soon as they enter his range of vision and has time
to rouse the party, but not enough time to flee
before the bears arrive. Otherwise, the characters
are surprised by the bears and are awakened by a
deafening roar.
If they abandon the cave and sleep in the open, roll
on the random encounter table once for the evening.
Rewards
Award standard XP for defeated foes, or if the party
discovers the presence of the bears and decides
to abandon the cave as a resting spot. However,
sleep does not come easily out in the open and the
characters should all receive one level of exhaustion.
Danger!
In the morning, as the characters continue the slow
climb through the rocky hills, they pass a small,
recently formed and easily missed way trail and an
upturned sign warning of danger ahead.
A mating pair of cockatrice have nested upon a low
rise, close to the trail, as it goes through a pass and
they attack anyone who comes too close.
A successful DC 13 passive Wisdom (Perception)
check reveals the sign lying off to the side of the trail
which reads: “Danger ahead. Go around.”, as well as
tracks that are recognizable as cockatrice tracks with
a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Nature) check.
The way trail takes characters around the area with
the cockatrice and back onto the main trail at a safe
point up ahead. If they miss the sign, the characters
stumble upon the nest and a fight ensues.
The path runs between ledges that are 5 feet above
the ground and the western side of the trail has
begun to crumble, resulting in scattered rubble which
should be treated as difficult terrain.

Rewards
Award standard XP for defeated foes, or if the party
discovers the sign and avoids the altercation. Award
50 bonus XP if the party clears the trail of danger.

17
 Highwaymen
By mid-day, the characters have come down from
the pass and reached a large, grassy plain dotted with
small copses of trees and shrubbery leading into
thick forest in the distance. The Fire River is visible
far off to the right. The trail has leveled off and the
going is easy.
Four bandits on horses are watching the party,
and are moving to close on them, while four more
bandits await in the forest to waylay travelers. Once
the characters reach the edge of the forested area,
the four mounted bandits will close in, tie-up their
mounts, and approach from behind. They join the
combat on round 4.
A successful DC 10 passive Wisdom (Perception)
check reveals the quartet of humanoids on horseback
about a mile or so away to the west, keeping pace
with the characters.
The cool shade of the forest is a welcome relief
from the blistering mid-day sun. Birds flit through
the trees and twitter happily as you make your way
between the trees. You’re just beginning to enjoy the
peace and solitude when the pleasant atmosphere is
broken by two human brigands wielding scimitars
that step out of the forest from either side of the trail
ahead and bar your path.
The other two bandits, armed with light crossbows,
are hidden behind trees off the path and are noticed
with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check.
The second group arrives on round 4, appearing on
the trail behind the party and boxing them in.
“G’day travelers. I reckon you probably aren’t aware
that this is a toll-road yer walkin’ on. If you want to
pass through, you’ll be needing to pay us. Whatever
you have in your coin purses should be enough, I
think. What do you think Drava?”
“Yeah, that sounds like a reasonable sum, Garreth.
Everything you lot have on ya sounds about right.”
Following combat, the party should be able to
backtrack to locate and procure the four horses that
were left behind by the second group of bandits, if
they remember them and make an effort. This will
speed up the remainder of their travel significantly
as mounts can travel thirty miles a day. Each of the
horses is equipped with a pack saddle.
Treasure
Between them, the bandits have amassed 29 cp, 31
sp, 19 ep, 17 gp and two potions of healing.
18
Outside Highbank
Now mounted, the characters should be able to make
it to Highbank shortly after nightfall. However, with
the village in sight, they will have to contend with
four wolves that attack from the darkness of the
forest just before they reach the safety and security of
civilization.
You come around a bend in the trail, the way through
the forest opening up ahead of you as the timbers
begin to spread out. Off in the distance you can see
the welcoming lights of a village glowing in a clearing
between the trees. You instinctively pick up your
pace a little at the anticipation of a warm fire, a hot
meal, and a soft bed, but those prospects are quickly
dashed by the sound of a low, ominous growl from
somewhere in the darkness to your right. The growl
is answered by a vicious snarl from your left, and you
quickly realize that you are surrounded.
If the party is currently mounted, read the following:
The horses sense the danger lurking in the shadows
just beyond the torchlight and begin to whinny
nervously and dance sideways, unsure of which
direction to go.
A successful DC 13 Charisma (Animal Handling)
will allow a character to control the frightened horse
and stay mounted. Otherwise, the horses panic as
soon as the wolves attack requiring a successful DC
12 Dexterity save versus being thrown. On a fail, the
character is moved five feet back and lands prone.
The horses will not bolt into the darkness and will
try to defend themselves from the attacking wolves.
Developments
If the encounter goes badly, hunters from the village
may be able to arrive and offer assistance. If any of
the characters are seriously wounded when they
arrive in the village of Highbank Forest, Wythrop
Thistlebrand, a Human Druid at the shrine of Eldath
can provide some basic healing.
The village is a sleepy, quiet place in general, but at
this late hour the only place that’s active is the local
inn, called the Wanton Dryad, where the characters
can rent rooms for the evening and have their
mounts stabled.
Rewards
Award standard XP for defeated foes. If you are using
the milestone experience rule, the characters reach
2nd level after arriving in Highbank Forest.
Episode 2: Dragon Falls or Bust
Highbank Forest
Highbank Forest is a peaceful village nestled against
a steeply sloped and wooded hill to the north. The
village is known for its talented woodcarvers and
quality wooden goods, including furniture and toys
of exceptional design.
A successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check
reveals that the area was originally home to a school
of wizardry which stood atop the hill but was
destroyed by a band of brigands. The ruins where it
once stood were used as a base by the brigand “Lord
Wolf ” until the combined armies of Ravens Bluff and
Tantras stopped him.
What people do not know is that the ruins are
home to a gibbering mouther that has been trapped
there since the school was destroyed.
In the morning, the characters may want to take
the opportunity to resupply or outfit their mounts
before continuing on to Dark Hollow, before they
have a chance to get on the road however, an incident
at the ruins will require their attention.
If your players decide to investigate the well before
you read the following narrative, their actions could
draw the curiosity of the nearby children who swarm
them with questions, allowing Liam to fall over the
edge or through the rotting boards into the well.
You awake refreshed and well rested after a night
in a real bed. In the light of morning, the village
of Highbank Forest is charming; secluded as it is
amongst the trees and nestled at the base of a high,
steep hill. The villagers go idly about their business
in a carefree and unhurried manner. You see people
carting timber in from the forest and others working
large sections of wood with planes and chisels. A
toy shop displays a variety of intricately carved and
impressive wooden toys.
Atop the hill, old stonework indicates the ruins of a
once grand edifice. A group of raucous children run
to and fro, playing hide-and-seek near the ruins.
As you finish saddling up your mounts and securing
your equipment and supplies, you hear a commotion
and look up to see a group of children charging down
the hill toward the village, shouting and waving their
arms, obviously distraught. The village erupts into
chaos as men and women drop what they’re doing
and begin rushing desperately up the hill.
If the players succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception)
check, they can hear that the children are crying for
help and that a boy named Liam is in danger.
19
 Upon reaching the ruins, you find a group of villagers
standing around a ten foot wide, circular, stone-lined
chimney descending into the earth. They stare down
into the darkness anxiously through a jagged hole in
the old, dry-rotted well cap.
One of the women calls down into the shaft and the
terrified screams of a young boy echo up in response
over the rising buzz of babbling voices from below.
The villagers are obviously terror-stricken and, if the
characters don’t immediately offer to help, they beg the
party to intercede. The players have 4 rounds to engage
the gibbering mouther before it reaches Liam.
The debris pile is difficult terrain and navigating it
requires a successful DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics)
check. Failure indicates that the character tumbles
down the pile in a random direction, landing prone.
The shaft descends forty feet and ends in a huge,
circular chamber. Directly beneath the shaft stands
a large pile of refuse. Located around the room are
ruined desks, chairs, and skeletal remains. Three
darkened corridors lead away from the chamber.
20
At the base of the pile, off to one side, a boy lies
injured but conscious. Frozen in horror, he stares
mutely at a writhing mass of grey flesh that slowly
advances toward him in the darkness, babbling
incoherently from a multitude of mouth-like orifices
that appear and disappear, seemingly at random.
Treasure
Searching through the ruined chamber reveals
several crumbling spellbooks containing the spells:
chromatic orb, mage armor, burning hands, sleep,
charm person, and detect magic as well as 117 cp,
14 sp, 26 gp in coins.
Developments
The three corridors leading out from the central
chamber are blocked by permanent wall of force spells.
If the party rescues Liam from the ruins, he is
injured, but not seriously so, as his fall was broken
by the pile of refuse at the base of the shaft. Wythrop
immediately begins administering healing while
Liam’s angry mother chides him about all the times
he’s been warned not to play near the “well”.
If Liam is rescued award 100 bonus XP and the
villagers are extremely grateful. They offer the
characters an exquisitely crafted Huntmaster Bow.
(see appendix C).

Wrong Turn
After leaving Highbank forest, the characters will
travel over miles of rolling plains before descending
into a heavily forested and shaded valley before
reaching the village of Dark Hollow.
A successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check
reveals that the village, and the valley it resides in,
have a reputation as a strange place where faerie
dragons play, intruders are often the victims of
practical jokes by resident fey, and crazed wizards
conducting dangerous experiments are common.
Unfortunately for the characters, four faerie
dragons have decided to lead them off track and
directly into the grove of a corrupted awakened tree
using their hallucinatory terrain (see spell description)
ability in the hopes that the characters will rid them
of the dangerous nuisance.
A character who specifically attempts to examine the
trail will realize that it is an illusion with a successful
DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check, granting
players the option to backtrack to the real trail.
Masterwork Items
The woodcarvers of Highbank
are renowned for their
exceptional craftmanship and
the town offers a variety of
woodcrafted items that exceed
the normal quality that you
would find in the inventory of
an average merchant.
If you want to offer master
crafted items to your players,
they must be made primarily
of wood. They weigh half
the normal weight listed in
the Player’s Handbook and
grant a +1 bonus to attack
rolls in the case of weapons
and ammunition (ie: arrows,
bows, crossbows, blowguns,
quarterstaves and spears).
These items cost three times
the standard value listed in the
Player’s Handbook.
The valley descends into a dark, crowded forest, very
different in nature from the wood at Highbank. The
chill and deepening gloom fills you with a sense of
foreboding. You get the impression that the forest is
watching you and that you are intruding into a place
where you may not be welcome.
You’ve been traveling through the murky woodland
for some time when the trail begins to twist and wind,
almost comically, between the closely spaced trees.
Eventually becoming so narrow and contorted that
you’re forced to dismount and lead the horses on foot,
single-file. The trail finally comes to an end, not at the
village of Dark Hollow as you expected, but instead at
a large, circular clearing, roughly eighty feet across.
Standing alone in the center of the clearing is a huge,
gnarled and twisted tree with skeletal branches and
thick, scaly bark, as black as pitch.
As you enter the clearing, a deep groaning sound
emanates from the tree and resonates through the
clearing, slowly resolving into a semblance of a voice.
In the common tongue, you make out words: “More
intruders slashing and burning their way through my
forest. Always they come. Come to my grove to laugh
at my despair? Very well... I will crush you as I have
the others. Let us see who laughs then, shall we?”
21
 As the tree begins to move, soft giggling can be heard
faintly throughout the clearing.
Developments:
After the tree is defeated, the faerie dragons reveal
themselves if the characters act in a friendly manner.
If the characters are hostile, the faerie dragons leave
without revealing themselves. Out of gratitude for their
actions , they will maintain the hallucinatory trail for the
characters to follow back until reaching the real trail.
You hear a bright, tinkling sound that seems to
come from the deepest recesses of your mind rather
than the air around you. It resolves into several soft,
high-pitched voices, full of mirth and mischief. “You
have helped end our friend’s suffering, strong ones.
Granted sentience by a powerful wizard long, long
ago, he was once a kind and benevolent being who
played with us and guarded the forest. We called him
Greenbough. One day, something dark crept into our
forest and though Greenbough managed to drive it
away, the evil taint of it affected him.”
“When it was gone, he shunned us, hiding himself
away. Years of isolation twisted his mind and
corrupted his heart. His sentience had become a
curse rather than a blessing, but we could not bring
ourselves to do him harm. We are grateful for your
actions today and, while you dwell in our forest, you
may call on us, once, for aid.”
22
Faerie Dragon Allies:
At any time during the events in Dark Hollow, the
party may call upon the faerie dragons for assistance
if they have procured their oath. They need only call
out for aid and they may only ask for help once.
If they ask for assistance in defeating Anastasia,
one orange faerie dragon will appear and join in the
combat. He will ask that the party allow Anastasia to
live and suggest destroying her spellbook, and notes
after forcing her to relinquish her prepared spells.
If they request advice regarding whether to side
with Anastasia or Abnyr, a violet faerie dragon will
appear and suggest that the players dig near the apple
tree behind Abnyr’s home, where the evidence is
hidden. Abnyr’s crimes did not go unnoticed by the
denizens of the forest.
If they seek assistance in gaining a confession from
Abnyr during the meeting in the village square, both
a green faerie dragon and a blue faerie dragon will
appear and offer their magical assistance. Creative use
of major image and suggestion may help convince him
to admit his misdeeds.
Dark Hollow
Dark Hollow is a small hamlet nestled in the valley
from which it takes its name. This heavily forested
region of the Fire River uplands is consistantly
shrouded in shade. The warm, damp air that rolls
through the valley from the nearby river produces
a persistent mist that makes it an ideal location for
growing grapes, and Dark Hollow boasts several of
the most renowned vineyards in Faerûn.
The area is also home to a variety of hedge witches,
and wizards, that appreciate the solitude that the
valley provides for conducting their experiments.
The village of Dark Hollow is similar to other villages
throughout the region, marked only by the persistent
gloom and the odd nature of the surrounding forest
and its denizens. The inhabitants of the village are
a notoriously superstitious lot, due mostly to the
prevalence of bizarre and supernatural occurances in
the area; the results of strange magical experiments
as well as mischief performed by local fey.
Lately, a blight has begun to spread throughout
the lands around the village. Crops are withering
and livestock have taken ill. The trees and plants
themselves appear sickly and diseased. As the players
approach the town, they should begin to notice signs
of the corruption.
Important Characters
Lord Abnyr Serpentshield. Abnyr is a Human
male in his early sixties. He is the current mayor of
Dark Hollow and the wealthiest of the local lords.
A descendant of the retired adventurer, Malath
Serpentshield, he seems a kind, and benevolent old
man. But in truth, Abnyr is an entitled, pretentious
sociopath. He looks down upon those beneath
his social level and uses deceit, manipulation, and
coercion to get what he wants from people.
Anastasia Nettlebrew. Anastasia is a Human
woman in her late forties. She lives in a cottage
several miles outside the village proper where she
studies necromancy. Once a kind and charitable
woman, life has made her bitter and she holds a
resentment towards Abnyr and the villagers of Dark
Hollow that borders on mania.
Trouble in Dark Hollow
When the players arrive in Dark Hollow, they are
dragged into a decades-long feud between the mayor
and a local woman which is on the verge of boiling
over into violence.
Anastasia Nettlebrew was a successful apothecary
and mid-wife making a good living by selling spell
components as well as various poultices and salves to
the residents of Dark Hollow. That is, until thirteen
years ago when Lord Abnyr Serpentshield, the
current mayor, turned the village against her.
When his daughter Amelia became pregnant with
the child of a lowly laborer named Efram, Abnyr
demanded that Anastasia terminate the pregnancy,
but the girl protested. Anastasia refused, and when
Amelia ran away with Efram, Abnyr was furious.
He began spreading false rumors that Anastasia’s
concoctions were poisons used to control the minds
of her victims and that she harvested lost fetuses from
the women of the village to perform dark rituals.
The rumors were very effective. Anastasia quickly
found herself ostracized by the people of Dark
Hollow and vowed to exact her revenge upon Abnyr.
To that end, she has actually taken up the darker arts
and spent the intervening years studying necromancy
and plans to raise a small army of undead to assault
the town as soon as she has the ability.
The players will have to choose a side in the conflict
and either put an end to Anastasia’s plans, or confront
Abnyr and expose his deception to the village.
After the diversion with the tree, it is evening by the
time you arrive at the village of Dark Hollow. As
you enter the village, you find a group of men and
women, angrily brandishing torches and farming
tools, clustered in front of a large building where an
older man with greying hair addresses the crowd.
“Please, people... I assure you that I understand
your frustration, but there’s only so much that I can
do. I don’t recommend charging off into the forest at
night to confront the witch. Who knows what evil
magicks she has prepared? If we just...”
People in the crowd boo as others shout over him
about lost crops and sickly, or dying, livestock.
At this point, the man notices you riding into the
square. He gestures in your direction and calls out to
the crowd, “Look here, good people! The Gods have
heard your pleas and sent a solution. Let me speak
to these adventurers and explain our plight. I’m sure
that, once they hear our tale, they will gladly assist
us and I promise you, the witch will not trouble us
much longer.”
The crowd turns to survey you and seems to accept
the man’s suggestion. Several people call out thanks to
you for coming to aid them and, after a few moments,
the crowd begins to break up into smaller groups of
people who head off into the night. Although, a few
individuals linger to get a better look at you, hoping
to overhear something exciting.
23
 The man is Abnyr Serpentshield, and he asks the
characters to come into his office where he can
explain the situation in more detail, privately.
If the players agree, he brings them into a posh office
inside the building and explains the current situation:
You enter a richly furnished office and the man
introduces himself as Abnyr Serpentshield, the mayor
of the village. “Adventurers,” he begins, “our village
has been set upon by a terrible force of darkness and
depravity. A witch has taken up residence just outside
the village, and her evil machinations have unleashed
devastating forces upon the lands nearby. Crops
have withered, livestock have taken ill, the cows are
producing milk that’s gone sour. The people of this
village; poor peasant folk, are quite understandably
distraught and I fear that their frustration may lead
them into doing something rash. Who knows what
dark minions and defenses she has at her disposal?
But you are all obviously experienced in dealing
with such agents of corruption, and stamping out
evil wherever it may take root, no? Please, I beseech
you, drive her away from these lands to bedevil these
people no more.”
At first, Abnyr simply appeals to the character’s sense
of justice for assistance, but if pushed he will agree to
pay the characters 25 GP each for their aid.
A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals
that there is more to the story than Abnyr is telling you.
The party can find rooms at the inn, and in the
morning, the villagers are more than happy to
regale them with horrific stories of the ills they have
suffered and the rumors about Anastasia. Some of
the older residents will acknowledge knowing her
before the rumors started and grudgingly admit that
she was once a very lovely and helpful young woman,
much beloved and trusted by the people of Dark
Hollow. They won’t recall who began the rumors, but
they remember that they started just after the mayor’s
daughter ran off.
The Fetid Fields
If the players choose to confront Anastasia, they will
have to journey several miles to her home. On the
approach, the characters will find the landscape bleak
and lifeless. Plants are faded and ashy and there is a
curious absence of animal life within a mile of the
abode. Fallow fields of dead corn stalk crowd either
side of the path leading to the cottage and contain
two scarecrows that attack anyone who approaches.
The tall stalks grant total cover versus creatures
more than 5 feet away, but cancel stealth and reveal a
creature’s position upon movement.
24
You travel through the eerily silent and blighted
forest, noting the peculiar absence of the normal
sounds of wildlife. You eventually reach the path that
leads to the witch’s abode.
Fields of dead, dry corn flank the path, guarded by
sagging straw effigies mounted upon wooden frames
and rustling in the gentle breeze. Past the fields,
a small, lonely cottage stands, fronted by planters
brimming with an array of vibrant plants.
The dead cornfields are highly flammable. If they
catch fire, Anastasia emerges from the cottage in a
fury 4 rounds later and joins the combat.
The only thriving flora in the area can be found in
small herb beds fronting the cottage. A successful DC
10 Intelligence (Nature) check reveals that the plague
on the local wildlife is not natural and that the herb
beds are full of briar and nightshades; toxic plants
used in many poisons.
The Witch’s Cottage
Anastasia Nettlebrew (see appendix B for statistics)
lives in this cottage with her homonculous. It’s a
small dwelling that serves as a living space as well as
an alchemical and magical laboratory. Aside from
a tiny bedroom and kitchen area, the remainder
of the cottage is cluttered with a variety of magical
experiments. Every surface piled high with papers,
books, jars containing a myriad of substances, and
bubbling cauldrons.
As the characters approach the door, Anastasia is
alerted to their presence by an alarm spell. Before they
have a chance to knock, she calls out for them to enter.
When they do, they find her behind a table housing
one of her experiments with a wand aimed at them.
The homonculous sits on a table near the door and
is only noticed by characters who make a successful
DC 15 passive Wisdom (Perception) check. If combat
occurs, the homonculous has advantage on its first
attack if the target is unaware of it.
The air inside the small cottage is hazy and tinged
with the acrid smell of chemicals. Standing behind
a table overflowing with instruments, and piled high
with books and papers, stands a disheveled human
woman in her late forties. Her hair is in disarray and
her eyes have a wild, intense look to them. She peers
at you curiously and says, “How did you get here?
Did you destroy my straw-boys? Do you know how
difficult it is to make one of those? Do you?
Abnyr sent you didn’t he? You look like hired thugs,
you do. Not from the village, that’s for sure. Well...
what do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy?”
If the party explains the situation, Anastasia scoffs
at Abnyr’s accusations and, after informing the
characters of the events from thirteen years ago,
freely admits that she is planning her revenge
against him. She concedes that her experiments have
produced results that she hadn’t expected but insists
she’s very close to a breakthrough that will facilitate
Abnyr’s comeuppance.
“Witch? If I’m a witch, he made me one. He stole my
life with his lies, he did. Because I refused to take that
which wasn’t offered just because he demanded it.
Turned the village against me because I wouldn’t do
as he commanded.
Life can be stolen, but it cannot be created, dearies.
Merely borrowed... redirected. The villagers, those
weak minded fools, got what they deserved. But
Abnyr... he’s going to get a lot worse. Thirteen years!
I’m so close. Then they’ll see. A few sick cows and
some spoiled crops will be the least of their concerns.”
If the party attempts to dissuade Anastasia from
carrying out her plan, it will require a successful
DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If they suggest
achieving her revenge by exposing Abnyr’s deception
to the village however, the DC drops to 15 and they
gain advantage on the check.
To assist with this goal, she will reluctantly proffer a
candle of truth (see appendix C) which she possesses.
On a failed check, she orders them to leave her
house. Refusal to do so promptly initiates combat.
“Hmmmm... perhaps, perhaps. Maybe the truth is a
worse punishment than death? It would be entertaining
to watch. Stripped of his office and his reputation,
forced to live as an outcast, like I have. Perhaps there’s
some proof hidden in his manor?
Fine, I’ll give your plan a chance. If you can get him
to admit his lies in front of the villagers... In fact, I
may have something that can help.
<She rummages through a cupboard> This candle
compels candor upon anyone within its glow.”
Treasure
A search of Anastasia’s cottage reveals stacks of
musty tomes and piles of scrawled notes. Aside from
12 gp, a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation)
check reveals a worn spellbook containing the 1st
level spells: alarm, mage armor, ray of sickness,
chromatic orb, identify and witch bolt; and the 2nd
level spells blindness/deafness and ray of enfeeblement.
A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check
reveals notes that show partial progress on the 3rd
level spell: vampiric touch. But, it is not complete.
25
 Serpentshield Manor
The party may decide to investigate the Mayor’s home
for more information. If they knock on the door, it is
answered by a human maidservant, named Hilda, who
informs them that the mayor is not currently at home.
Abnyr is an unpleasant boss and his employees aren’t
particularly fond of him. A successful DC 18 Charisma
(Persuasion) check will convince Hilda to let the party
search the manor for evidence of his crimes.
If they decide to use stealth, they should be able to find
a time when the mayor is away from home to make the
attempt. The manor is locked and requires a successful
DC 15 Dexterity (Lock-picking) check to gain entry.
However, the manor is staffed by a live-in maid and cook,
both commoners, who may discover them.
If the characters are discovered in the manor, a
successful DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check will
convince the employees not to call the constable.
A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation)
check reveals a hidden storage space in Abnyr’s home
office. Inside, the players find a dusty journal which
describes the events of thirteen years prior and the
murder and burial of both Amelia and Efram.
“What choice did I have? The bitch refused to do her
job... to make things right. It’s all her fault. None of this
would have ever happened if that silly woman had just
done what she was told!
I didn’t intend for Amelia to die. The poison was
supposed to cause a miscarriage, that was all. Perhaps
I got the dosage wrong? No. That con artist that sold it
to me must have lied about it’s potency. What’s done
is done. Though it saddens me greatly, I couldn’t have
my own daughter cheapen the Serpentshield name
by bearing the child of some peasant filth.
I will simply tell everyone that she ran off. People
will believe that, and they might even feel sympathy
for a father’s plight. Eventually, she’ll be forgotten.
But, what to do about the father? I’ll have to think
on that.”
And a later entry:
“It is done. A little more of the poison on a dagger
blade. He never saw it coming, so grateful was he that
I was finally giving my blessing for their marriage.
HA! The gullible oaf, as if I would ever allow
something so distasteful.
The bodies are dealt with, buried ‘neath the
apple tree behind the house along with the vial and
the weapon. I am nearly too old for this type of
skulduggery, but I managed the job regardless. Thank
the gods for a moonless sky last night.
Rest well daughter. I am... sorry. The midwife will
pay dearly for her crimes against you. I swear it, on
my honor as a Serpentshield.”
26
Village Square
When the party returns from Anastasia’s, they find
Abnyr Serpentshield (see appendix B for statistics)
in the mayor’s office with the village constable. Abnyr
will be anxious to call a village meeting to announce
that Anastasia has been dealt with.
The players may decide to use this opportunity to
deceive Abnyr in an attempt to have him confess his
crimes before the assembled villagers. In this case,
make a Charisma (Deception) check contested by
Abnyr’s Wisdom (Insight).
If the party ended up killing Anastasia, destroying
her spellbook and all of her work, or successfully
convince him that Anastasia is dead, then Abnyr will
call a meeting in the village square for the following
morning to announce the news to the people of Dark
Hollow and he asks the characters to attend.
Abnyr’s countenance lights up with satifaction as
he listens to your story about the witch. “Excellent,
excellent! I knew you were a blessing sent from the
gods themselves to aid us in these dark times.”, he cries.
“I must alert the villagers. You should rest. You’ve
earned it. Meet me in the village square in the morning
and we can give the townsfolk the good news together.”
With that, he quickly ushers you out of his office and
onto the street, turning away to close the door abruptly
with a malicious grin spreading across his face.
If the players attempt to deceive Abnyr and fail, he
senses that he’s being lied to and challenges the party,
threatening to have them locked up unless they leave
town immediately.
Abnyr’s brow furrows as he listens to your tale. His gaze
passes over each of you, taking in your expressions and
body language as you describe Anastasia’s defeat.
Before you can finish, he cuts in, “Enough! I know
a lie when I hear one. You say you’ve dealt with the
witch, but you’ve done no such thing, have you? You’re
just a bunch of charlatans and frauds, trying to take
advantage of the poor, suffering people of this town.
I should have the constable lock you up for this
shameful affront! I want you gone. Leave Dark Hollow
immediately, and never step foot here again.”
Producing evidence of Abny’r guilt at this point,
such as the journal or murder weapon, is enough to
convince the constable to take Abnyr into custody.
Any payment agreed upon with Abnyr is forfeited
however, and though the constable informs the
locals of Abnyr’s crimes, the villagers are never truly
convinced of Anastasia’s innocence.
 Legend
A Ground Floor:
B J A - Kitchen
B - Dining Room
C - Pantry
D - Foyer
E - Guest Bath
E F - Coatroom
C G - Servant’s Quarters
D K H - Guest Rooms
I - Study
F
Top Floor:
J - Private Office
(DC 15 lock on door)
G H I K - Master Bath
L - Master Bedroom
L

If Abnyr calls a meeting in the village square, the
players can use this opportunity to expose him
before the entire village.
Abnyr will not willfully admit his crimes, and
he cannot be intimidated into doing so. However,
creative use of spells, the candle of truth, any evidence
the players have acquired, or assistance from the faerie
dragons may be enough to draw the truth from him.
You approach the village square to find it crowded
with people, their faces a mix of weary apprehension
and hopeful anticipation. When they notice your
arrival, the villagers point and whisper to each other.
Standing beside the constable, in front of his office,
Abnyr sees you and waves you to him. “Ladies and
gentlemen,” he begins, “your worries are over! These
valiant heroes heard my desperate plea and agreed to
help us all. And they have destroyed the source of the
corruption in Dark Hollow! But don’t take it from me.
I’ll let them tell you the good news themselves!”
With that, he steps back and the crowd turns its
attention to you.
Developments:
If Anastasia was defeated, Abnyr pays any coin that was
agreed upon and the villagers thank the party, hailing
them as heroes as they make their way out of town.
If the party succeeds in exonerating Anastasia and
exposing Abnyr’s history of lies and deceit to the
residents of Dark Hollow, the villagers will call for his
immediate resignation and attempt to atone for their
mistreatment of Anastasia over the years.
If the murder was discovered, the village constable
will take Abnyr into custody to stand trial for his
crimes. Abnyr is furious at this turn of events and swears
vengeance against the characters for their interference.
“All you had to do was obey your superiors and do as
you were told. You were told to kill the witch!
You haven’t seen the last of me, mark my words.
I will remember each of you and I will repay you.
You will rue the day that you stepped foot in Dark
Hollow! I swear it, on my honor as a Serpentshield!”
Rewards
Award standard XP for defeated foes. Award 200
bonus XP for successfully convincing Anastasia to
abandon her plans to assault the town with an army
of undead. Award an additional 500 bonus XP if the
characters reveal Abnyr’s deceit to the villagers and
restore Anastasia’s reputation.
If the players successfully exonerated Anastasia, she
will offer them her spellbook and comment that she
will not need it any longer.

27
 Tremors
With the situation in Dark Hollow settled, the
characters head southwest on the Hlintar Ride for the
last fifty miles of their journey to Dragon Falls.
After leaving the gloom of the unnatural forest, they
emerge onto a bright stretch of plains dotted with
pastures and farmland. Along way, they pass through
the hunting grounds of an ankheg which has located
a herd of cattle and lurks beneath the soil, waiting for
prey to stray too close.
As the valley and the eerie forest surrounding Dark
Hollow falls further and further behind you, you
feel a general sense of disquiet lifting. The land once
again becomes a broad vista of rolling green grass
and farmhouses, lining a road much wider than the
trail you’ve been navigating previously.
To your right, you spot a large herd of cattle grazing
off to the side of the road.
A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check
reveals a faint rumbling sound coming from the
direction of the cattle and a swell of raised earth
surging towards the herd.
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The sound of anxious bellowing draws your attention.
As you look over, the herd spooks and abruptly
charges in your direction. Though you quickly avoid
the oncoming stampede, you are surprised to notice
that the rumbling not only continues after they’ve
passed, but intensifies.
You turn back towards the sound in time to see
the ground before you erupt in a shower of dirt and
rocks. Rising up out of the earth is a giant, armored
insect. Its huge mandibles clack together violently as
its antennae twitch as it focuses in on you.
After defeating the ankheg, the party can attempt to
search the partially collapsed tunnel it left behind.
After a few hundred yards, the tunnel intersects
with older burrows and requires a successful DC 18
Wisdom (Survival) check to successfully navigate. A
success indicates that the players locate the creature’s
den, and with a successful DC 12 Intelligence
(Investgation) check find the remains of its previous
victims, which include: 15 sp, 4 gp, a pewter pin
worth 25 gp, a holy symbol of Silvanus worth 25 gp,
and a quiver of Ehlonna.
Rewards
Award standard XP for defeated foes. If you are using
the milestone experience rule, the characters reach
3rd level after arriving in Dragon Falls.
Appendix A: Monsters
Abnyr Serpentshield Anastasia Nettlebrew
Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral

Armor Class 15 (breastplate) Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)

Hit Points 9 (2d8) Hit Points 15 (3d6 + 6)
Speed 30 ft. Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
9 (-1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 16 (+2) 16 (+2) 9 (-1) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Int +3, Wis +4 Saving Throws Int +5, Wis +3
Skills Deception +5, Insight +5, Persuasion +5 Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Insight +3, Investigation +5
Senses passive Perception 12 Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Actions Spellcasting. Anastasia is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting

Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell
Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage. attacks). Anastasia has the following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): shocking grasp, chill touch, mage hand

1st level (4 slots): ray of sickness, witchbolt, chromatic orb
2nd level (2 slots): blindness/deafness, ray of enfeeblement

Grim Harvest. Once per turn, when Anastasia kills one or more
creatures with a spell of 1st level or higher, she regains hit points
equal to twice the spell’s level, or three times its level if the spell
belongs to the School of Necromancy. She don’t gain this benefit
for killing constructs or undead.

Arcane Recovery. Once per day when she finishes a Short Rest,
Anastasia can choose expended Spell Slots to recover up to a
total combined level of 2.

Actions
Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 2 (1d6 - 1) bludgeoning damage, or 3 (1d8 - 1)
bludgeoning damage if used with two hands.

29
 Chi-chock Sailor
Medium humanoid (kenku), chaotic neutral Medium humanoid (any race), any non-lawful alignment

Armor Class 13 Armor Class 12 (leather armor)

Hit Points 20 (5d8) Hit Points 11 (2d8 +2)
Speed 30 ft. Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Int +5, Wis +3 Senses passive Perception 10

Skills Deception +4, Perception +2, Stealth +7, Sleight of Languages any one language (usually Common)
Hand +7 Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Understands Auran, Thieve’s Cant and Common Actions
but speaks only through use of its Mimicry trait Cutlass. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing damage.

Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range

Ambusher. Chi-chock has advantage on attack rolls against
80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
any creature it has surprised.
Languages Common, Elvish, Thieve’s Cant
Cunning Action. Once per turn, Chi-chock can use his Bonus Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Mimicry. Chi-chock can mimic any sounds he has heard,

including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they
are imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check.

Sneak Attack. Once per turn, Chi-chock can deal an extra 3

(1d6) damage to one creature he hits with an Attack if he has
advantage on the Attack roll.

Actions
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.

Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft.,

one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.

30
Appendix B: Special Items
Candle of Truth
Wondrous item, uncommon

This white tallow candle, when burned, calls into

place a zone of truth spell in a 5-foot radius centered
on the candle. The zone lasts for 1 hour, as the candle
burns, and requires a DC 15 Wisdom save to resist.
If the candle is snuffed before that time, the effect is
canceled and the candle ruined.

Huntmaster Bow
Weapon (any bow), uncommon

This bow has been crafted by a master bowyer of

Hihgbank from the finest materials and reinforced
for extra strength, durability and precision.
This bow can be used as either a ranged or a melee
weapon, using the bow type for proficiency. Use club
statistics for a shortbow or quarterstaff statistics for
a longbow. In addition, on your turn, you can forgo
your action to gain advantage on the first attack roll
you make on your next turn.

Thank you for playing through the first two chapters

of The Laughing Horde of Ruin: Kiss of the Viper.
I sincerely hope that you and your players enjoyed
what you’ve seen so far. The adventure continues in
chapter three, which is available on the DMsGuild.

Please take a moment to rate the product or post a

review to help others benefit from your experience.
I know that your time is valuable, and as a new
contributor, I greatly appreciate your support.

If you found any errors or had difficulty with any of

the material presented in the product, please let me
know. I want to produce the best product possible,
and your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
James MacMurray

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