Chapter 1 - Red Larch

The adventure begins in the Dessarin Valley, a lightly settled region of caravan towns, isolated homesteads, and uninhabited wilderness just a week’s journey from Waterdeep. Nothing of note to the wider world has happened here for hundreds of years.The frontier long ago receded farther northward, leaving behind a quiet backwater littered with ruins. These days, the Dessarin Valley has little in common with the popular conception of the Savage Frontier. Winters are hard here, but the hordes of orcs and other hungry monsters are a long way off from these parts.

If the Dessarin Valley isn’t quite as wild and lawless as it once was, it’s still lightly settled territory that serves as a route to distant lands. Residents in places such as Red Larch or Triboar boast that their humble settlements are "the Gateway to the North." Through these lands pass hundreds of caravans and keelboats each year, linking the great ports of Waterdeep and Neverwinter with places such as Everlund, Mirabar, or Silverymoon. The steady caravan traffic breathes life into the towns of this area, supporting businesses in the settlements along the Long Road. Inns cater to travelers anxious to sleep safely within sturdy walls and enjoy good food by a warm fire instead of camping by the side of the road.

In addition to catering to caravans and travelers heading to or from the far North, the Dessarin Valley is a breadbasket for the hungry populations of Waterdeep and Neverwinter. The farms and pastures of the area produce grain, livestock, poultry, apples, and hops, then ship them downriver (or drive them down the Long Road) to the coast. Few people become rich from farming, but farmers in the region do well for themselves provided the weather cooperates. (That’s one reason why the unusual weather lately has been a concern.)


Swinging Sword. The inn is a three-story stone structure, crowned by a steep slate roof that bristles with many chimneys. A signboard juts out over the door, hanging from chains. It’s a ten-foot-long carved wooden scimitar emblazoned with the inn’s name in red paint on both sides. An inn yard with stables and outbuildings lies behind the building.The Swinging Sword is welcoming and luxurious by the area’s rustic standards. Each room boasts a hearth, warm draperies and tapestries, and running water (provided by rooftop cisterns). Now run by the Irkell family from Waterdeep, the inn has become a popular stopover for wayfarers in the Dessarin Valley. The topmost guest floor is given over to dormitories where travelers can "sleep cheap" in rooms shared with up to six guests, but the lower floors are divided into pleasant suites of guest rooms, each with its own garderobe. There’s also a dining room on the ground floor. The Sword has one recurring problem: kitchen fires. The one-story kitchen annex at the back of the inn, currently out of commission, was initially built with poorly drawing chimneys. Right now, cooking is rudimentary and done out in the yard, on grills flanking the bread ovens. The dining room is mainly used for drinking, with "the Helm" (the tavern across the road) currently providing the best meals in town travelers can easily buy. While the Helm at Highsun is the place to hear Red Larchers unwind, the Swinging Sword is the polite social hub and neutral meeting ground of Red Larch.

The proprietor of the Swinging Sword is Kaylessa Irkell (female Illuskan human). She is the fortyish matriarch of her family and a pleasant, sturdy woman. She is increasingly worried about "what’s gathering in the dark" in Red Larch and brings up her concerns with any likely adventurer looking types who stop by. Kaylessa’s staff are uniformly attentive and good at their work, including: Ghileeda (female Tethyrian human), a maid, and the one-eyed stablemaster Iraun Thelder (male Tethyrian human), a onetime mercenary warrior.

---

You've each arrived for reasons of your own, and find yourselves all patrons of the Swinging Sword inn. It is breakfast time and Kaylessa has apologetically made bread, butter, apple honey, and tea available, along with a tray of relatively fresh fruit. A few of the other patrons, mostly merchants heading empty to the farmlands from Waterdeep, are engaged in some Waterdhavian gossip of no interest to anyone. The six of you find yourselves sitting at the large table in the center, perhaps wondering if you should sneak over to the Helm for more substantial fare, regardless of the more pleasant environment here.

I sit in one of the chairs, using my cantrip dancing lights, making a single light appear and disappear in my left hand as I eat bread with my other hand. My eyes dart between all the non-Zhents.

Walter says without looking up, I hope you don't mind if I tag along, uh....Srogrimm, was it? Anyway, I would be interested in helping complete this task, if you don't mind. When he does look up, he turns to Kaylessa, Would 6ou happen to know where the fellow in inquired about previously could have gone?

Dazzle

This aromatic, tidy building’s ovens and mixing bowls are in use day and night. The bakery has a hanging sign consisting of a carved and painted wooden round loaf the size of a small cart.

The bakery always has fresh round loaves and buns for sale. Its specialty is cheese-topped buns with melted mushroom cheese from outlying local farms.

The thin, energetic proprietor, Mangobarl Lorren (male Chondathan human), thrives on gossip and can spin many wild tales.

While enthusiastically filling Dazzles order, Mangobarl heard about Pell Mhandyvver’s scare at the Haunted Tomb (see map) and went to look for himself. He saw a goblin near the spot, and figured that a gang of the creatures had moved in and rigged a "haunt" to scare off intruders. He tells Dazzle that it might be worthwhile to talk to Minthra Mhandyvver (Mhandyvver's Poultry)—treasure could be hidden in the tomb, and it shouldn’t be left to a band of goblins.

(Cost for purchase, call it 19 cp, for 3 different loaves of bread (2cp each), and 4 different savory and sweet buns (4 cp each).)

Sorgrimm, Xella, and Walter - Sorgrimm has indicated that he is going to visit his friend, and asked Xella to accompany him, and Walter has asked to join them. Are all three going?

Sorgrimm and Xella

On the west side of the Long Road, just south of the inn’s stable yard, stands what looks like a grand stone mansion. Two wide wooden doors painted with the symbols of many gods stand open day and night. Inside is a plain chapel with a stone altar.

The Allfaiths Shrine is a wayside shrine used by many faiths and owned by none. Priests shuttle out from Waterdeep in pairs for month-long stays. Each pairing includes priests of two different faiths arranged by
Waterdhavian temples. The most frequent combinations are Sune and Selune, Tymora and Lathander, and Tempus and Oghma. The visiting priests dwell in two simple stone rooms at the back of the temple. They bring their own vestments and holy items and take them away again when their duties end.

Right now, Imdarr Relvaunder (male Damaran human), a follower of Tempus, and Lymmura Auldarhk (female Tethyrian human), a devotee of Sune, are serving at the shrine. Imdarr is a stern man who is keenly interested in news and rumors and visitors. He’s also an ally of the Order of the Gauntlet, occasionally passing messages and sending reports on local events to the order.

Lymmura is a sympathetic ear and guide to all. She has been coming to the shrine for decades, has officiated at the marriages of many couples, and is widely loved and trusted in Red Larch.

Imdarr, when he has a private ear, tells you both that the Order is especially concerned with Dessarin Valley recently. Many more folk come into the area than current numbers can account, and they feel that it bears checking out. Crime is also on the rise, and he suggests that they investigate and ally themselflves with companions or retainers suitable to protect themselves from banditry

Alyx

This three-story, dilapidated boarding house has many balconies and outside staircases. Inside, the place is a warren of narrow, creaky-floored passages that snake around small rooms made of flimsy partition walls. However, the atmosphere is cheerful, if generally noisy.

The boarding house is the home of its owner and proprietor, the rail-thin, pipe-smoking "Mother" Yalantha Dreen (female Tethyrian human). Mother Yalantha lives in a cramped ground-floor room at the very back, and most of the other twenty rooms are occupied by transient laborers.

However, there seem to be four or five rooms currently available. If Alyx converses with the tenants, all of the residents have seen (or claim to have seen, at any rate) "brigands" lurking around Red Larch at night, not to mention monsters ranging from snake­ headed rats to ghostly dragons that faded away when approached.

Balak

See above for description of the bakery.

Arriving after Dazzle left, Mangobarl gives Balak the same rumours. He adds, after trading the Zhent signal: "There is another Zhentarim here; he left a few minutes ago. I've been given orders to try and recruit a team to figure out what is going on in Dessarin Valley. If there is a new power rising, we need to be on the right side of that. Go find Dazzle, and team up. You may need to team up with even more people to be safe, given the amount of criminals around. Don't be against using adventurers or other mercenaries to help you gather the info we want."

Dazzle

This wooden building grew haphazardly for many years, shooting out single-story wings and annexes untidily in all directions. The interior looks like a barn or attic, with exposed beams and posts. Pens with live chickens fill most of the odd corners and halls of the building, leaving only a narrow aisle down to the back, where the Mhandyvvers live. Their rooms are separated from the chicken pens by a workroom with cutting benches and a central hearth.

Mhandyvver’s is the less impressive of the two local poulterers, but is a favorite with Red Larchers. Kindly old Minthra "Minny" Mhandyvver (female Tethyrian human) and her three grown children sell chickens live or roasted and preserved in oil, pickled chicken livers, and eggs both fresh and pickled.

After Dazzle's introduction and query, Minny tells him that her adventurous young granddaughter Pell had a frightening encounter with a "ghost" near a long-forgotten tomb a short distance outside of town. Minny has ordered the girl to stay away, but she wonders what Pell saw, and she thinks that someone ought to "make sure it’s safe." The directions Pell provides when asked lead to the "Haunted Tomb" which match Mangobarl's. They cannot tell you anything about the contents of the tomb, as Pell did not enter it.

Balak (and Dazzle)

Feng Ironhead is a friendly half-orc. He is proud of his weapons and armor, some of which is used but repaired gear. He explains each item and for some of the pieces, has clearly put far too much time into making them the best they can be than he can reasonably expect to sell them for.

As such, you can get a quality piece for 10% less than full price (i.e. as per the PHB). Some sort of negotiation would be required to get a better deal.

Xella and Sorgrimm

Imdarr scratched his chin for a moment, thinking. "I think I know who you're talking about. Fire genasi? Maybe a wizard? I heard someone like that was skulking around the Valley, but I don't think he came to Red Larch. If I hear more, Ill be sure to let you know."

Walter

Aside from the bewildering profusion of doors, barrels, rotting old furniture, and tools leaning against its outside walls, this building looks like a private home.

A small, faded sign on the front door reads "Vallivoe’s Sundries." Rooms are crammed to the rafters with new wares and used items of all sorts.

Endrith Vallivoe (male Tethyrian human) is a retired caravan merchant who sells new and used goods: furniture, lamps, carpets, mirrors, weapons, shields, helms, and a little bit of everything else. Almost anything might be available to buy here, buried under heaps of other stuff, and Vallivoe carries a good running inventory in his head. He’s the only vendor in town selling blank books and parchment.

Once Walter has passes the code sign, Endrith acknowledges himself as a Harper.

Balak and Dazzle

Feng seems move to orcish tears (I.e., berzerker rage) by the glory of goblin skull smashing, but less concerned with Pell's fate, though perchance it is the overwhelming rage.

He agrees to 25% off regular prices.

Sorgrimm

He is unable to provide any information about Lance Rock other than an odd local legend that maybe a dragon dropped it on a rival eons ago.

As to the Medusa (it was a vision, Sorgrimm would know this much) named Marlos, he knows nothing.

Walter

He is unable to tell you anything specific other than what you learned from the innkeeper. You get the impression that his contacts have not assumed that they left the valley, but where they disappeared to is a mystery.

Alyx

Passing a grumpy Sorgrimm and an unreasonably chipper Xella on the way to the AllFaiths Shrine, Alyx finds inside the two priests, previously described.Imdarr seems to be lost in reverie, while Lymmura comes out and greets you with a notional blessing of Sune.

Balak and Dazzle

Feng holds forth a rounded shield with a solid bronze knob in the center. He demonstrates the strength of the the forearm strap and handgrip. Small ties adorn the inside just behind the straps, where light javelins can be quick tied individually.

"This shield I took on trade from a northman. He found a magical shield and was still loathe to part with his friend who had so long protected him. Seven gold, 4 silver."

Balak and Dazzle

Feng snarls and snatches the shield back. He pets it lightly, saying, "There, there, poor dear. Someone will see your worth." He shoes you out of his store if you are not seriously interested in his quality wares.

"For four gold, you can have this one. I haven't started fixing it yet." He holds up a small shield with a huge chip out of it. It does not hold javelins. You are not certain how many more blows it will take before utterly collapsing.

Alyx

Lymmura tells you, in great detail, the romantic weddings that she has officiated over in the past decades, as she has been coming here for a long time. The extent of her interpretation of strange involve cakes not setting, or side-eyed glances between wedding guests, and less about the growing criminal activities.

From her stories, she implies that many locals trust her and come for guidance, but in regards to matters of security.

Dazzle and Feng

"Seven gold, four silver, no less!

Alyx

Lymmura, and Imdarr after she beckons him out of his funk, are unable to provide any sort of specifics. They have heard generalizations, or crime and of bandits in the hills and on the road, but know of no exact unknown problem that they can direct you to.

Alyx

They suggest Kaylessa at the Swinging Sword.

Link to area map

Northwest of Red Larch, Lance Rock is visible for miles.

Lance Rock is a narrow, twenty-five-foot menhir of bare, gray rock that juts eastward at a sixty-degree angle.The menhir is gray granite, unlike the surrounding limestone. A few hundred feet south of the stone is a ravine choked with brush. A trail leads into the brush near a neatly-painted sign that reads, in Common:

Come no closer
lest you catch
the disfiguring plague
that afflicts me!
The Lord of Lance Rock

The trail continues down to a cave mouth. Another warning sign with the same message is posted by the opening.

Walter is able to find several partial human-sized footprints, but is unable to determine if it is from one or more than one person.

The cave mouth opens into darkness from which a breeze blows, carrying the faint odor of death. Inside is a natural cave, its floor and ceiling uneven. The passage leads to the west, narrowing as it proceeds. A body is sprawled on the floor 60 feet into the passage.

At this stage of the adventure, I would be remiss if I didn't ask for an order and party arrangement for entering the forbidding cave, mwa ha ha.

Okay, for clarification: Sorgrimm is starting a 10 minute ritual before entering. Walter and the others will be aware of that. Are you waiting for him to complete it before entering the cave?

When the group is ready, Walter leads them in.



Reminder: The cave mouth opens into darkness from which a breeze blows, carrying the faint odor of death. Inside is a natural cave, its floor and ceiling uneven. The passage leads to the west, narrowing as it proceeds. A body is sprawled on the floor 60 feet into the passage.

The corpse of a human male is sprawled here on its back. It wears only leather breeches.

The cave is a silent as the grave. The local wilderness has only wilderness sounds, such as birds and insects doing what they do.

The body rises and attacks!

Initiative, please. If you beat the creatures Init (below), feel free to act.

As I see the body rise I smile.

The body lurches into motion, filled with some dark energy, and the zombie stands, slamming its limbs to Walter Flagg, it's ragged nails scraping his armor but not causing any damage.

Each of you may respond, in no particular order. At the IRL table, I would maintain initiative order as rolled, but in PBP,
in the interests of expediency, any order is fine. Initiative then boils down to determining who attacks before the foes.

Alex's fire attack strikes a glancing blow, doing 1 point of damage.

The zombie seems to take the mockery in stride. Internally, however... he shrugs off the hurt feelings.

Balak's warhammer strikes hard, fueled by rage.

Cumulative damage so far: 17

Sorgrimm and Walter both find their blows landing. The creature crumples to the ground.With the foe defeated, you can see farther up the dim tunnel.

Xella's senses dont pick up anything other than a tingle.

Balak also doesn't notice anything amiss.

Walter thinks the zombie is what fresh, perhaps less than a month.

Alyx's examination concludes that the zombie is about 6 weeks dead, although it looks 'fresher' - the rate of rot slows after reanimation.

Chamber L2

A round, high-ceilinged cave opens here. It has two narrow exits, one leading north and the other south. A flat boulder sits in the center of the cave. It’s about six feet across, eight feet long, and three feet high. Dark stains color its top.

As Xella and Sorgrimm enter, they hear from above the sounds of rocks jostling... (Xella and Sorgrimm, DC 12 Dexterity saves please.)

Helm’s hammer speak for yerself dear. Have we no rogues among us to look for traps. The grumpy dwarf collects himself half pondering if he should heal himself so early into the excursion.

Sorgrimm had indicated he was following Xella, but I do see Balak had said something similar earlier. I'll stand by the call, lets say Balak was off to the side and just missed the falling rocks.

As your brushing yourself off, Walter sees a pair of bodies fall to the ground. As they hit, you hear bones break but they dont seem to care.

Two more zombies beside Xella, Sorgrimm, and Balak. Initiative please, advantage to Walter on that roll.

Walter can act, but I'll wait for Balak and Alyx's initiatives before the zombie stomp.

Walter's arrow misses as he doesn't quite get the arrow knocked before firing.

Balak is up.

Alyx is also ahead of the zombies, so he and Balak are up.

Alyx firebolts a zombie ((let's call it Z2, the other being Z3) for 10 damage.

Cumulative damage: Z2: 13, Z3: 1

Lets say Balak targetted...Z2. His damage drops it to 0, andmit drops.

The second one attacks...Sorgrimm, but fails to penetrate his armor.

Each of you may act in any order.

Z3 takes a hammer blow to the arm. (Z3:
4 damage)

Z3 takes a dagger to the face. (Z3: 9 damage)

Z3 takes an arrow to the spleen. (Z2 dead; Z3: 17 damage in total)

Alyx, Bakak, and Xella still to go.

The warhammer drives the zombie down, and it doesnt get back up. A firebolt from Alyx insures the matter.

With the pressure off, you can see that the zombies were perched on a ledge above the tunnel (out of sight of/total cover from Xella's Divine Sense), where their ambush took place.

The cave chamber has two narrow exits, one leading north and the other south. A flat boulder sits in the center of the cave. It’s about six feet across, eight feet long, and three feet high. Dark stains color its top.

I approach the closest zombie and stare at it. Could someone with a bladed weapon be so kind as to remove this head from the body. It might insure these stay down, and I'd very much like to keep the head as well.

Balak determines that the flat boulder is a natural part of the cave, a harder stone that the cave was carved around. The top shows signs that the boulder has been repurposed as a sacrificial altar. Walter joins him and points out, within the darkest part of the stains, tiny chip marks made from blades or axes.

If anyone else would like to roll for a short rest, go ahead now.

After a meal and some down time, Xella and Sorgrimm have partially recovered and you're ready to proceed. While you hear no noise from the tunnel to the right, you do hear the occasional brush of noise (light scraping or shuffling) from the left one.

Which way do you go?

The narrow passage is about ten feet high in most places, with rough, irregular walls. Protruding spurs on the walls are coated in dried blood.

Eventually this natural passage widens out:
The star-shaped cavern ahead has many clefts in its walls. Only two, across the cavern, seem large enough to traverse. Three zombies lurch about the area. One is costumed like a bear, another is dressed as a lady in a frilly dress and thick makeup, and the last is costumed as a jester with jingling bells on its collar and sleeves.

They do not immediately react to Balak, though whether they have seen him or not isn't clear.

Dazzle notes that the zombies dance had been slowly drawing then closer to you, but it quickly becomes apparent that the zombies were ordered to attack once you were close enough.

Let's do initiative to let the zombies maybe get a shot in before you lot pulverize them.

Balak and Sorgrimm's attack will then go off as above.

As Balak charges Z5, Sorgrimm's Sacred Flame goes off on Z6 (4 damage).

Dazzle can act as Balak begins his charge, and still need initiative rolls for Xella and Walter.

Dazzle's attack is not dazzling

Order
Dazzle and Sorgrimm
Zombie buskers
Balak, Xella and Alyx.

Walter unknown.

No, we're part way through the order. Just waiting for Walter before the zombies gank Balak as his critical goes off. Let me update it.

Order
Dazzle and Sorgrimm
==> Zombie buskers
Balak, Xella and Alyx.

Walter unknown.

The zombies, who had been inching close, are not caught unaware by Balak's charge. They all start smacking away as he drives in, warhammer crashing down...

The first zombie critical hits him, as the barbarian does the same back. (13 damage to Balak, but it takes 18)

Xella, Alyx, and Walter are up.

Xella chops down the first one, that Balak just smacked. It does not re-rise.

Walter knocks an arrow and fires at the next nearest zombie.