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DDEX12 Secrets of Sokol Keep
DDEX12 Secrets of Sokol Keep
kol K
Keeep
D
Decades have passed
p
since So
okol Keep was reclaimed, and
d a small garrisson placed therre along with a beacon to help
p
g
guide ships. No
ow, that beacon
n has gone dark
k, and the garriison has disapp
peared. In Phlaan, rumors circulate that some
ething
a
ancient was disscovered in the grounds benea
ath the keep, da
ating to before the clerics of T
Tyr built the sm
mall fortress.
U
Uncover the seccrets of Sokol Keep!
K
An adven
nture for 1st-4tth level charactters.
AdventureCode:DDEX
X12
C
Credits
A
Adventure Design
n: Pieter Sleijpen
D
Development and
d Editing: Claire Hoffman,
H
Chris Tulach,
T
Travis Wo
oodall
D
D&D Organized Play:
P
Chris Tulach
D
D&D R&D Playerr Experience: Greeg Bilsland
D
D&D Adventurerss League Wizardss Team: Greg Bilsland, Chris Lind
dsay, Shelly Mazzzanoble, Chris Tulach
D
D&D Adventurerss League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Ben
nham, Travis Wooodall, Claire Hofffman, Greg Marrks, Alan Patrick
D
Debut: August 14
4, 2014
R
Release: Septemb
ber 1, 2014
D
DUNGEONS & DR
RAGONS, D&D, Wizards
W
of the Coast, Forgotten Reaalms, the dragon ampersand, Playeers Handbook, Moonster Manual, Du
ungeon
M
Masters Guide, D&
&D Adventurers Leeague, D&D Enco
ounters, D&D Expeditions, D&D Eppics, all other Wizaards of the Coast product names, aand
th
heir respective log
gos are trademarkks of Wizards of th
he Coast in the US
SA and other counntries. All characteers and their distinctive likenesses are
p
property of Wizard
ds of the Coast. Th
his material is pro
otected under the copyright
c
laws of the United Statess of America. Any reproduction or
u
unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained
d herein is prohib
bited without the eexpress written peermission of Wizards of the Coast.
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orphotocopythis documentforperrsonaluseonly.
League home.
Introduction
Welcome to Secrets of Sokol Keep, a D&D
TM
Expeditions adventure, part of the official D&D
TM
Adventurers League organized play system and the
TM
Tyranny of Dragons storyline season.
This adventure is designed for three to seven 1stlevel characters, and is optimized for five 2nd level
characters. Characters outside this level range cannot
participate in this adventure. Players with ineligble
characters can create a new 1st-level character or use a
pregenerated character.
The adventure starts in the city of Phlan in the
Laughing Goblin at the docks, but quickly takes the
characters to Sokol Keep on Thorn Island near the
harbor of Phlan.
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Party Strength
Very weak
Weak
Average
Weak
Average
Strong
Average
Strong
Very strong
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Catching up
Crafting (exception: multiple characters cannot
commit to crafting a single item)
Practicing a profession
Recuperating
Spellcasting services (end of the adventure only)
Training
Spellcasting Services
Any settlement the size of a town or larger can provide
some spellcasting services. Characters need to be able
to travel to the settlement to obtain these services.
Alternatively, if the party finishes an adventure, they can
be assumed to return to the settlement closest to the
adventure location.
Spell services generally available include healing and
recovery spells, as well as information-gathering spells.
Other spell services might be available as specified in
the adventure. The number of spells available to be cast
as a service is limited to a maximum of three per day
total, unless otherwise noted.
Spellcasting Services
Spell
Cure wounds (1st level)
Identify
Lesser restoration
Prayer of healing (2nd level)
Remove curse
Speak with dead
Divination
Greater restoration
Raise dead
Cost
10 gp
20 gp
40 gp
40 gp
90 gp
90 gp
210 gp
450 gp
1,250 gp
Acolyte Background
A character possessing the acolyte background requesting
spellcasting services at a temple of his or her faith may request
one spell per day from the Spellcasting Services table for free.
The only cost paid for the spell is the base price for the
consumed material component, if any.
Character Disease,
Death, and Recovery
Sometimes bad things happen, and characters get
poisoned, diseased, or die. Since you might not have the
same characters return from session to session, here
are the rules when bad things happen to characters.
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Death
A character who dies during the course of the adventure
has a few options at the end of the session (or whenever
arriving back in civilization) if no one in the adventuring
party has immediate access to a raise dead or revivify
spell, or similar magic. A character subject to a raise
dead spell is affected negatively until all long rests have
been completed during an adventure. Alternatively, each
downtime day spent after raise dead reduces the penalty
to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks by 1, in
addition to any other benefits the downtime activity
might provide.
Create a New 1st-Level Character. If the dead
character is unwilling or unable to exercise any of the
other options, the player creates a new character. The
new character does not have any items or rewards
possessed by the dead character.
Dead Character Pays for Raise Dead. If the
characters body is recoverable (its not missing any vital
organs and is mostly whole) and the player would like
the character to be returned to life, the party can take
the body back to civilization and use the dead
characters funds to pay for a raise dead spell. A raise
dead spell cast in this manner costs the character 1,250
gp.
Characters Party Pays for Raise Dead. As above,
except that some or all of the 1,250 gp for the raise dead
spell is paid for by the party at the end of the session.
Other characters are under no obligation to spend their
funds to bring back a dead party member.
Faction Charity. If the character is of level 1 to 4 and
a member of a faction, the dead characters body can be
returned to civilization and a patron from the faction
ensures that he or she receives a raise dead spell.
However, any character invoking this charity forfeits all
XP and rewards from that session (even those earned
prior to death during that session), and cannot replay
that episode or adventure with that character again.
Once a character reaches 5th level, this option is no
longer available.
Adventure Background
There always have been stories of treasure on Thorn
Island, the isle functioning as a natural breakwater for
Phlans harbor. The details differ with the teller of the
tale. Many have sought the fabled riches of Sokol Keep,
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Overview
The adventure starts with the characters visiting the
Laughing Goblin, one of the more famous taverns at the
docks. The news about the extinguished beacon atop
Sokol Keep is the topic de jour. Before the characters
can investigate further, a group of dockworkers
confronts two mercenaries; personal friends of some of
the Black Fist guards assigned to the Keep. The
confrontation is unlikely to go well and ends up in a
tavern brawl if the characters dont intervene. After the
fight, the characters learn a bit more about events and
are asked by the locals to investigate, since the
authorities care more about politics than solving the
issue.
At Sokol Keep the characters can interact with the
servants, potentially a spirit and search through the
possessions of Igan and the Black Fist guards to get an
idea of what happened. The information leads them to
the West Tower and the now obvious closed entrance of
an until-recently hidden area below the keep. Assuming
the characters have found the right clues, they can easily
open it and go down. Otherwise it requires more work.
The hidden area is a long-forgotten, subterranean
temple dedicated to some unknown entity that predates
the existence of the Keep. It is wet and muddy. In the
central area of worship the characters find Igans body
as well as a group of skeletal guardians that seem to
have animated as a result of the guardss defilement of
the temple. Within the hidden temple, they also find the
Black Fist soldiers who are desperate to leave.
Depending on how the characters react, the Black Fist
might face them in combat or peacefully surrender.
With the capture of the Black Fist and the discovery of
Igans body, the adventure ends. All the characters have
to do now is think about what to tell the world.
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Part
P
1: The
Laughing
g Gobllin
T
The adventure begins
b
as the characters
c
are at
a the
L
Laughing Gobliin, a somewhatt famous tavern
n at the
d
docks of Phlan.. It is a place th
hat caters mostly to the
rrough crowd off sailors, marine
ers and mercen
naries and
o
one of the best places to start an investigatio
on into Sokol
K
Keep. The taverrn presents a good
g
opportunitty to
in
ntroduce new characters
c
to one
o another.
T
The Laughing Go
oblin is a large daark old tavern thaat has had
b
better times. The woodwork is wo
orn, the plaster once
o
white is
n
now yellowish and crumbling and
d the chandelierss and lanterns
rusted. The furnitture shows the signs of heavy use and the
sscars of various brawls.
b
A thin human feemale with long, black hair is cleaaning
taankards behind the
t bar while chaatting with an baald,
o
overweight humaan male in the taverns livery sitting on a bar
sstool. The sounds of cooking and
d the strong smell of cabbage
ssoup comes from
m the kitchen. At this time of the day the there
aare few guests, but it is not comp
pletely empty with the
ccustomers sitting
g quietly in variou
us corners.
T
The Laughing Goblin
G
is an old
d and famous ta
avern in
P
Phlan. It is desccribed as follow
ws:
W
When the chara
acters enter the
e tavern, the wa
aiter shouts
th
hey can sit whe
erever they wan
ntexcept for the
t second
fl
floorand that he will get to th
hem soon. It acctually takes
ssome probing frrom either the characters or the
t
b
bartender to get him to take orders. Characters that look
a
around see the other characte
ers, giving a goo
od
o
opportunity for the players to describe their characters,
c
a
as well as the other guests. Se
ee Starting a
C
Conversation for
f more details.
Characters siitting at the barr have the oppo
ortunity to
m
meet Imizael. Though
T
she is human,
h
her nam
me is clearly
eelven (her moth
her was obsessed with elves).
Rolepllaying Imiza el
Imizael is quite busy, but is attentive of h
her patrons need
ds. She
respondds to questions c urtly, nodding when it is polite an
nd
directingg customers with
h a fondness for gossip to Fat Maar,
whom s he insists shou ld keep his equally fat nose out o
of other
peoples business.
Rolepllaying Fat M
Mar (Markoth
h)
Fat Mar clearly dislikes h
his nickname, but it is well-earned
d. He
is a rotuund man who sweeats profusely. H
He has a sharp to
ongue
and a fooul mouth but waarms up instantlyy to anyone who asks
what hiss actual name is
introducing him
mself happily as
Markothh Hasselpond.
Markoth and Im
mizael happily re
ecommend the
e
Both M
tavernss famous cabbaage soup. It is a
an old secret re
ecipe
that com
mes with fresh
hly baked bread
d and a piece off
cheese.. Otherwise thee tavern servess a salty fish ste
ew or
the catcch of the day (p
pike; the Moonssea is a freshw
water
lake). T
The drink list iss extensive, butt the advice is to
stick too light ale, stoutt or the really sstrong stuff. Th
he
wine is just not particularly appetizin
ng.
ossip and to telll stories, the ta
aller
Markkoth loves to go
the bettter. He even kn
nows a few abo
out Sokol Keep
p. In
the cou
urse of discussiion with Marko
oth, he relates tthe
followin
ng:
he beacon at So
okol Keep wentt out two days ago,
Th
and
d no one know
ws why.
uite old, maybe even as old as
Sookol Keep is qu
Ph
hlan, and has beeen destroyed more than oncce.
he
Leegends say that it used to be a temple and th
buried treasure
spiirits of dead priests haunt a b
ben
neath the keep
p.
ns the Keep, bu
ut they are a
Hoouse Sokol own
rellatively new house. They are a young noble h
house
raiised up by the ffirst Lord Prote
ector.
he only reason H
House Sokol still bothers with it is
Th
beccause it is still a small source
e of income; and with
traade the way it iss, they need alll the help they ccan
gett.
here arent man
ny folks that still work in the K
Keep;
Th
moostly members of House Soko
ol and a handfu
ul of
Blaack Fist guardss.
ates
pirit ship full of monstrous pira
Woord is that a sp
hass been attackin
ng villages on th
he Moonsea. Iff thats
thee case, Sokol K
Keep is Phlanss first line of defense.
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Obviously, the fact that the lights of the beacon went out
is the talk of the day in Phlan. Neither House Sokol nor
the Black Fist appears to be doing anything about it both
accusing the other of foul play. Others think that the
authorities know something foul is now stalking the
island and they are too afraid to send in soldiers to deal
with the situation. But the fact is that something needs
to be done soon or things will go wrong at the docks.
Hopefully the characters are the right people to deal
with it?
Markoth does not know what happened, but suggests
that the two ladies in the corner might know more (see
Guests below) since they were good friends with a
couple of the disappeared Black Fist stationed at the
Lighthouse.
Guests
Besides the Markoth and Imizael, there are a few other
guests. None of the customers are looking for a
conversation with one or more random strangers, but
nor are they actively hostile against the idea. Use the list
of rumors to spice up the conversations.
Fight!
Unarmed Combat
An unarmed strike is a simple melee weapon that deals 1
bludgeoning damage. Characters with the Tavern Brawler feat
deal 1d4 damage with an unarmed strike. Monks deal damage
based on level and other class features.
Developments
Allow the characters some time to interact with the
people at the bar before starting the following
encounter. Let the dockworkers enter earlier if the
players are unsure of what to do or when the characters
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Armed Combat
It should be made clear to the characters that none of the
participants in the brawl are wielding weapons in the fight.
Neither side uses weapons for good reason; the Black Fist
ignores a brawl, but not assault and murder.
If the characters draw steel and dont kill anybody (choosing
to knock somebody unconscious instead of making the killing
blow), let it slide. Assume that their actions later in the
adventure provide enough reasons to ignore the crime. Murder,
however, is another issue, and could be punishable by death at
the end of a rope if the characters are caught. Any character
that kills a brawler earns the Emnity of the Black Fist (see
Rewards).
Rumors
Regardless of whether or not the characters stopped or
participated in the fight, they can talk with the
dockworkers and/or the mercenaries to get more
information.
Keria and Aravele. Keria and Aravele know Guard
Sergeant Grim personally and are relate the following:
Gaining Permission
The characters may wish to visit representatives from
both the Black Fist and House Sokol to learn more.
House Sokol Administrative Office. The characters
are met by Liela, a human female employee of House
Sokol in her late thirties. While she is a hesitant to
permit an investigation on the island, a successful DC
10 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check relaxes
her worries.
Roleplaying Liela
Liela is business to the core. Everything in her small office is
meticulously placed to make her job more efficient. She speaks
brusquely; stupifyingly economic in her mannerisms and
words.
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Harpeers
house.
e caretakers in the
t employ
She knowss that there are
of House SokolDarvag
S
and Shandra
but doesnt
know much
h about them; just
j
that theyve
e worked
there for a long while.
There is also a contingent of Black Fist guards. Six
orrectly.
if I recall co
o the Black Fistt
She suggessts speaking to
representa
ative three doorrs down. He is responsible
r
for the scheduling.
acters succeed at this check, she
s jots a
If the chara
R
Roleplaying Hurn
G
Guard Sergeant Hurn
H
is old and just riding out thee last few
yyears he has left before
b
he can retire. While not as corrupt as
yyour average guardsman, Hurn would definitely no
ot turn away a
b
bribe. He is, for th
he most part, ineeffective; the doccks would be
ju
ust as safe (or daangerous) withou
ut his presence.
geant Grim is in
i command off the
Guard Serg
contingent of six Black Fiist guards at th
he Keep.
azy man, but fo
or some reason
n has
Grim is a la
routinely vo
olunteered for duty at the Kee
ep; a
position that is widely con
nsidered to be punishment.
p
he beacon wass lit was House Sokols job,
Ensuring th
but the Bla
ack Fist were th
here to make su
ure that they
were safe to
t get it done.
w run by Hou
use Sokol, who
o has an
The Keep was
administra
ative office a cou
uple doors dow
wn.
e characters to drop his name
e to the
He tells the
ferryman, Karst,
K
and to ke
eep him apprissed of any
developme
ents.
F
Faction Assignme
A
ent
T
Those characte
ers who are me
embers of the Harpers
H
can
take advantage of their organiization's netwo
ork of
nformants to gain
g
additional information.
i
in
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10
P
Part 2:
2 Tho
orn Island
and
d Soko
ol Keep
T
Thorn Island iss dominated by a large stone keep,
k
one
p
particular tall to
ower towering above it all. From a
d
distance it look
ks impressive, but
b looks can de
eceive. It is
n
not that it is in disrepair,
d
at lea
ast not its wallss and roofs,
b
but there are sim
mply no soldiers to patrol its halls and
w
walls.
w originally a temple dedica
ated to Tyr
Sokol Keep was
cconstructed abo
out 200 years ago,
a
but subseq
quently
d
destroyed durin
ng the Dragon Run
R sixteen years later.
T
Tyr, the Maim
med God
T
The god of law an
nd justice, the pu
unishment of wro
ong-doers is
the primary tenet of his faith, alon
ng with furthering
g law and
ggoodness in the world.
w
T
Travelling to Thorn
n
IIsland
T
Thorn Island iss relatively close
e to the docks, but is
ssurrounded by dangerous
d
rock
ks and strong currents,
c
a
and is difficult to
t get to.
Swimming. The
T island is th
hree hundred fe
eet from
sshore and will take
t
a swimme
er 2d4+2 hours to reach.
S
Should a character decide to swim
s
to the isla
and, each
h
hour spent swim
mming requires a DC 15 Stre
ength
(A
Athletics) checck. Failure indiccates a charactter acquires
o
one level of exh
haustion. It should be made in
ncreasingly
cclear that it is to
otally within th
he realm of posssibility for a
ccharacter to die
e simply trying to swim to the island.
Exhau
ustion
Some sppecial abilities an
nd environmentaal hazards, such aas
starvatioon and the long-tterm effects of freezing or scorching
temperaatures, can lead tto a special condition called exhaustion.
Exhaaustion is measu red in six levels. An effect can cau
use a
creaturee to suffer one orr more levels of eexhaustion, as specified
in the efffects description
n.
Level
Effect
1
2
3
4
5
6
As a creatures level o
of exhaustion inccreases, the effeccts
worsen. The creature sufffers the effect no
ot only of the currrent
level of eexhaustion, but aalso of all the preevious levels, so a
creaturee suffering level 2 exhaustion has its speed halved
d and
also hass disadvantage on
n ability checks.
An efffect that removees exhaustion red
duces its level, w
with all
exhaustiion effects disappearing if a creattures exhaustion
n level
is reduceed below 1.
Finisshing a long rest reduces a creatu
ures exhaustion level
by 1, proovided that the creature has also ingested some ffood
and drin
nk.
poke
Hee knows Darvagg, Shandra, and Rorin, and sp
to tthem the day p
prior. They app
pear to be in goo
od
heaalth.
he Black Fist haave a detachme
ent of six guard
ds on
Th
thee island at any given time.
hment
Beeing chosen forr the detail is ussually a punish
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11
Thorn Island
A sandy, wind-buffeted islet rests offshore in the Bay of
Phlan, Thorn Island serves as a natural breakwater
against the ravages of the Moonsea.
The isles most prominent feature is Sokol Keep,
fortress and former headquarters of the formidable
Sokol merchant house. A beacon atop the highest tower
of the Keep serves as a lighthouse for ships entering the
Bay of Phlan. Strong currents and rocks make getting
to the isle somewhat problematic for the inexperienced
sailor especially in the dark.
There is a small quay on the eastern extend of the isle
as well as a couple of large wooden warehouses. The
dock and houses look like they have seen better times,
but they are still sturdy. The warehouses are empty
except for one that is filled with lumber and stones;
building materials for the keep.
Inhabitants
The Keep is mostly abandoned except for the spiders,
mice, a cat or two and a few noteworthy individuals.
Roleplaying Harae
Harae (lawful good) has been dead a good while, and being
dead is dull. She watched Igan grow up from a small child and
when Igan found the shrine that she is bound to, she saw the
spark of goodness. When he was killed, Harae was devastated.
She is now consumed with the need for his killers to face
justice. The groundskeepers have been no help, and she has
grown desparate and her limited abilities in communication.
The Servants
While Igan Sokol was the quartermaster of the keep,
House Sokol assigned other retainers to the keep for the
more menial tasks. A middle-aged groundskeeper
Darvag (male human) is in charge of upkeep of the
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12
Sokol Keep
Sokol Keep dominates Thorn Island, a large stone
fortress clearly built for defense. The castle looks old
and it has obviously been repaired extensively in some
areas. Despite its excellent repair it has an abandoned
look about it. There are no banners, no guards patrolling
its walls, no smoke rising from its chimneys and its
gates are closed.
A large mansion has replaced almost half of the
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13
General Features
Light. The groundskeeper and his wife make sure that
the main hallways and rooms are well lit by candles and
oil-lamps, but the closed off sections of the mansion are
dimly lit during the day and completely dark at night.
Outside Doors. The outside doors are made of thick
oak wooden doors and are all locked. The door has 25
hit points, and the locks of high quality (requiring a
successful DC 20 Dexterity check).
Inside Doors. The inside doors are made of thin wood
and unless specified otherwise are locked. Shandra will
provide the characters with a key to the doors. Opening
them without the key requires a successful DC 10
Dexterity check.
Windows. The windows are closed with wooden
shutters. They can be opened from the outside, although
doing so is likely to cause a racket. The windows itself
are made out of glass and bolted shut. Again, opening
them is not hard, but it makes a lot of noise.
Igans Quarters
Igans quarters are inside the modern mansion on the
second floor overlooking the courtyard. The suite is not
the master bedroom, but right next to it. The door into
this area is locked with a simple lock (successful DC 10
Dexterity check to pick it), but the characters may open
it with the key provided by Shandra.
A quick glance shows that the three room suitecomprised of
a bedroom, a sitting area and a small officeare in good
repair and looks to have been cleaned recently. The wall and
floors are richly decorated with carpets, paintings and
tapestries depict various heroic scenes.
The room is untidy, but otherwise appears well-tended to; the
bed is freshly made and a few piles of laundered clothes lay on
the bench at its foot.
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14
Treasure
A small pouch containing 5 platinum pieces (pp) and a
silver holy symbol worth 50 gp are found in the
bookcase. These are the property of House Sokol; taking
them would essentially be thievery, which reduces
Haraes attitude towards the characters by one step.
Lighthouse
The tallest tower of the keep is located at the southern
end right at the edge of the water. It is a slender round
tower about 80 feet tall, consisting of three floors with
the upper part being a large open space with a staircase
running along the walls to the top. Originally it was a
simple watchtower, but when House Sokol took over the
place they refurnished it as a lighthouse.
Since then, the lighthouse has housed the contingent
of Black Fist guards assigned to the Keep. With the
exception of the top level, the three floors of this
lighthouse contain the guards common area, barracks,
and sergeants quarters in that order.
The Beacon. The door to the floor that houses the
beacon is locked and is opened with a successful DC 10
Dexterity check or smashed open with a successful DC
15 Strength check. It has a wrap-around balcony which
gives an excellent view on the surrounding area
including Thorn Island and the city of Phlan. The room
above is accessed by a ladder and the crystal and brass
beacon stands in the center. A successful DC 10
Intelligence (Arcana) shows that nothing appears to be
physically wrong with the device, but for some reason, it
is not working. The device still radiates strong evocation
magic.
Treasure
One of the bunks on the third floor holds 20 gp in a
hidden compartment.
Sergeant Grim.
Igan became more serious about his search after a
book about Tyr literally fell into his lap (The doing
of Harae, the spirit haunting the Keep)
Toward the end of the journal, whatever pretense of
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15
West Tower
The West Tower is wholly empty save for dust and
cobwebs. It is located on one of the higher points on the
island.
Characters entering the tower immediately smell wet,
freshly-turned earth. Upon arriving in the basement, they
find that somebody broke open the floor and dug down
to the stone. The earth and tile are stacked neatly
alongside the walls. Digging tools lay scattered about
the room. There is a severed rope tied to a ring in the
wall leading to a stone slab in the earth. Three other 50foot coils of rope lay on the floor beside the slab.
The stone slab is approximately 10 feet on a side, is
bordered in worn glyphs, and has an indentation in the
shape of a human hand approximately six inches away
from the leading edge of the slab. The slab radiates
strong conjuration and faint abjuration magic. A
successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check recognizes
the glyphs as a component to some sort of ritual that
allows something in plain sight to remain unseen.
However, the glyphs are worn enough that they no
longer function.
The trap door can be opened by placing a hand to the
hand-shaped indentation and saying Toe Mono, Toe
Megalo aloud. At that point the slab disappears,
revealing a dark hole in the floor.
Touching the indentation and saying anything other
than the correct words triggers the slabs trap. The
characters touching the slab must make a DC 10
Constitution save or take 4 (1d4+2) lightning damage
and be stunned for 1 round. Consider giving the
characters the correct sequence if they are having
trouble figuring it out on their own.
Removing the slab without the use of magic would
require more time and resources than the characters
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Parrt 3: The
T Jade
Temple
T
The original name of the Jade Temple has lo
ong since
b
been forgotten. While the Boo
ok of Cults specculates the
d
demon lord Dag
gon was worsh
hipped at the te
emple, there
iss no solid evide
ence that this iss the case. Moiisture and
tiime have not been
b
kind to the
e abandoned co
omplex and
a
any organic ma
atter has long siince rotted awa
ay.
S
Similarly, most of the wall deccorations have either
eeroded away orr are faded beyo
ond recognition
n. All that
rremains is an id
dol carved out of
o jade.
D
Dagon, the Prince
P
of thee Depths
D
Dagon and his minions who resid
des in the Abyss, were once
kknown as Those Who Sleep Belo
ow and bestowed
d nightmares
u
upon those who swam
s
in the Sea of Fallen Stars. In an attempt
to
o achieve godhood, he began a campaign
c
of slaug
ghter against
the shalarina raace of aquatic hu
umanoidsuntil his plan was
thwarted by the merfolk
m
of the Seaa of Fallen Stars.
G
Generic Features
F
s
and-shaped
thee slab, which has the same ha
ind
dentation that tthe other side h
had.
40-foot coil of rrope is tied around the top ste
ep of a
A4
opeen.
2. Crrypt
S
See the append
dix for a map off the area. The corridors of
th
he temple are partially
p
carved
d out of naturall caverns.
T
They are eitherr five or ten feett wide and alwa
ays ten feet
h
high. There is a gentle but notticeable decline
e towards
a
area 4. The cavverns are chilly and moist. The
e floors are
m
muddy, uneven and slippery. Characters
C
run
nning or
ccharging must succeed
s
on a DC
D 10 Dexterityy check or
fa
fall prone at the
e end of their movement.
m
Light. Unlesss specified othe
erwise there is no other
an that which th
he characters brought
b
with
liight source tha
th
hem.
ping water.
Sound. Dripp
Smell. Mildew
w, rot.
1. Entrannce
T
The characters enter in the pa
art of this area marked
w
with an X. Th
he slab rematerrializes five min
nutes after it
iss dispelled. Wh
hile this may co
oncern the charracters, an
in
nspection of th
he slab from bellow reveals the
e same
m
markings as above.
At the p oint where the ccorridor makes a sharp turn to the left
there is a narrow ledge aabout seven feet above the floor,
revealingg a two feet high
h, ten foot deep aalcove in the walll.
eletal remains of
The reccess is filled wiith calcified ske
humanss. Searching th
he bones turns up nothing mo
ore
than a ffew minor trink
kets; nothing of any real value
e.
Taking anything from
m the remains u
upsets Harae;
ng her attitude by one step.
reducin
The b
beaten brass do
oor leading outt of this room iss
open.
3. Th
he Vestibbule of B
Barnacless
The flooor of this room b egins sloping do
ownward while th
he
ceiling rremains more orr less level than tthe rooms beforee.
Longer tthan it is wide, th
his room was ob
bviously submergged at
one poin
nt, as old, calcifi ed growths of baarnacles still clin
ng to
nearly evvery surface.
Two suuits of bizarre arm
mor, made of wh
hat appears to bee coral
and she lls, stand in nich
hes in the wall, each crusted overr with
the sam
me heavy growth aas everything elsse in the room.
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Despite the water that fills the room up to your shins, it is easy
5. Cells
4. The Sinkhole
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General Features
Light. The idol radiates with a faint, sickly-green glow,
providing dim light in this room.
Sound. Clattering bone, dripping water, muted
whispers.
Smells. Brackish water, blood, rot.
Altar. The awakened magic in the altar protects the
undead within the temple, giving them advantage on
their saves against being affected by turn undead.
Characters within the room notice an oppressive energy
with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check,
and can pinpoint the altar as the source with a
successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check. A single,
solid hit that deals more than 5 bludgeoning damage
weapon destroys the altar and removes this effect.
Alternately, if Harae is friendly towards a majority of the
characters, she will suppress this effect at the end of the
first round.
Idol. The six-foot-tall, life-sized idol is carved out of a
single piece of jade and appears to be valuable. It rests
on a stone pedestal, making it appear as if standing on
the surface of the water. It is blocking terrain. It radiates
faint magic.
Steps. The steps are five-high and covered in mud
making them quite slick. Creatures moving up or down
them at full speed must succeed at a DC 10 Dexterity
(Acrobatics) check. Failure results in the creature
ending up prone at the foot of the steps. Otherwise, if a
character treats the steps as difficult terrain, they are
able to negotiate the steps without a check.
The room is further described by paraphrasing the
following:
Developments
With the defeat of the undead guardians, the characters
are free to investigate the room. It doesnt take much
skill to learn the young man on the altar was stabbed in
the back with the dagger. There are no signs of a
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19
Treasure
The young man carries a total of 35 gp in coins and a
wand of magic detection. Harae knows Igan is beyond
hope and that the characters are here to help. Because
of this, she does not grow angry if the characters take
the wand. Additionally, 50 gp in various coinage lay at
the feet of the idol in the bottom of the pool.
The idol is worth 2,000 gp; a small fortune, it is nearly
a 6-foot-tall chunk of solid jade that weighs nearly a ton.
It is unlikely that the characters have the equipment
necessary to move it. However, characters can chisel
away at it; each character can pull a jade chunk worth
50 gp from it. If the chiseler is a dwarf or has an
appropriate background (such as mason or stonecutter),
the chunk harvested is worth 100 gp.
7. The Reliquary
A heavy stone door blocks entrance to the room. A
partial collapse in the corridor allows a medium-sized
character to squeeze into the room. There are two worn
stone statues similar to the idol in area 6 and a small
stone altar. Grim and his guards have already looted the
place but are too scared to leave and are tired and
hungry.
Grim and his men initially try to pin the blame of the
murder on the undead in the idols room. However, they
are not very good liars; a successful DC 10 Wisdom
(Insight) check is sufficient to realize they are not
speaking the truth. If the characters dont realize it,
Harae certainly tries to get the characters to see through
the Black Fists lies. In reality, Grim murdered Igan out
of sheer greed and anger. If confronted, Grims men are
quick to put the blame where it belongs, at which point
even Grim admits guilt.
Grim, Guard Sergeant is wearing splint armor. There
are also four Black Fist guards. However, they currently
have two levels of exhaustion and will only defend
themselves if attacked.
Treasure
Numerous niches about a foot across are carved into the wall
Grim and the guards are carrying the valuables that they
scavenged from the reliquaryapproximately 100 gp in
coins of various mintage and antique art objectsthe
combined treasure of the temple.
One item of note is a series of plates of beaten brass
engraved with strange glyphs. The glyphs are not
decipherable by comprehend magic. Returning this
object fulfills the requirements to complete the Harper
assignment.
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20
Non-Combat Awards
Conclusion
After confronting the guards and learning the fate of
Igan, the characters have not yet accomplished what
they set out to do. The beacon is still not lit. Whether or
not the curse surrounding the beacon is removed
depends on the characters and what they decide to do
with the guards.
Assuming that the characters consider the history of
the Keep, they may realize that the fate of Igans killer
could be connected to the beacon and use that as a
determining factor in what they choose to do.
Arrest the guards. Should the characters indicate
that they plan to return the guards to Phlan for trial,
Harae is satisfied and removes the curse from the
beacon. The evidence against Guard Sergeant Grim is
sufficient to convict him of Igans murder and his body
dangles from the Stojanow Gate the following day. The
other soldiers are each convicted of lesser crimes and
imprisoned. Haraes curse is lifted and the beacon is
relit.
Kill the guards. If the characters kill the guards, the
authorities presume that they did so out of self-defense.
Haraes curse is lifted and the beacon is relit.
Release the guards. If the characters release the
guards and remain silent about their crimes, they flee
Phlan and never return. Haraes curse remains and the
beacon remains dark.
Task or Accomplishment
Getting information from Harae
Getting the curse lifted and the
lighthouse relit
Bring Grim and the guards to justice
without killing them
XP per Character
50
150
100
Treasure
The characters receive the following treasure, divided
up amongst the party. Characters should attempt to
divide treasure evenly whenever possible. Gold piece
values listed for sellable gear are calculated at their
selling price, not their purchase price.
Consumable magic items should be divided up
however the group sees fit. If more than one character is
interested in a specific consumable magic item, the DM
can determine who gets it randomly should the group be
unable to decide.
Permanent magic items are divided up according to a
system. See the sidebar if the adventure awards
permanent magic items.
Treasure Awards
Rewards
Make sure the players note their rewards on their
adventure logsheets. Give your name and DCI number
(if applicable) so players can record who ran the session.
Experience
Total up all combat experience earned for defeated
foes, and divide by the number of characters present in
the combat. For non-combat experience, the rewards
listed are per character. Give all characters in the party
non-combat experience awards unless otherwise noted.
Combat Awards
Name of Foe
Animated armor
Commoner
Ghoul
Grim, Guard Sergeant
Guard
Skeleton
Zombie
XP per Foe
200
10
200
100
25
50
50
Item Name
Pouch of platinum
Silver holy symbol of Tyr
Moonsea Cults
Gold in hidden compartment in bunk
Igans coinpurse
Coins in pool at jade idols feet
Chunk of jade idol (per character)
Grims looted treasure
Grims splint armor
GP Value
50
50
20
20
35
50
50 or 100
100
100
Moonsea Cults
Thailoss of Tyr wrote a book on various cults in the
Moonsea region. The book can be sold for 20 gp, or a
character can keep it. If a character keeps the book, and
is able to reference it, the character gains advantage on
Intelligence checks regarding cults of the Moonsea
region.
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21
Splint Armor
If characters defeat Grim, they may claim his splint
armor. One character may keep it, or the party may sell
it for 100 gp.
Emnity
The characters have the opportunity to earn the
following bane during the course of play.
Enmity of the Black Fist. An innocent man died by
your hand during the barroom brawl in the Laughing
Goblin. Though you were arrested for your crimes, your
faction eventually procured your release. The Black Fist,
however, still associates you with your crimes. So long
as you have this enmity, all future Charisma (Deception,
Intimidation, and Persuasion) checks made against
members of the Black Fist are made with disadvantage.
Renown
All faction members earn one renown point for
participating in this adventure.
Harper characters earn one additional renown point
for returning the brass plates.
Downtime
Each character receives ten downtime days at the
conclusion of this adventure.
DM Rewards
You receive 300 XP and ten downtime days for each
session you run of this adventure.
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22
Playyer Handou
ut: Ig
gans Journa
al
W
What do we know:
It is underr the West Toower
The weird symbol of heaad surroundedd by tentacless (think it arre tentacles)
Was cult inn region Phlaan. Followerss of Tyr destr
troyed it, butt never found the treasure.
Book of Moonsea
M
Cultss by Thallios of Tyr mightt contain morre.
N
Need to knoow:
Password??
Potential curses?
c
Page 7
Page 51
Page 78
Page 123
Must be it!
i Why else pay
p attentionn to position iin praying in howw-to-hunt boook?
Four symbbols, sure of it. Thrree words. Must nott get it wroong
M
Mono, Dikkastis, Dim
mios, Kyrioss, Megalo, Toe, Dotitis, Liptis, Archaios
Y
Yes. Got itt. Now waitt for Grim. Digging without
w
soldiiers might bbe dangerouss
Secrrets of Soko
ol Keep
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Appen
A ndix: Monst
M
ter/NP
PC Sta
atistiics
A
Animatted Arm
mor
Gho
oul
M
Medium construct, unaligned
A
Armor Class 18 (n
natural armor)
H
Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
S
Speed 25 ft.
Armor C
Class 12
Hit Poin
nts 22 (5d8)
Speed 300 ft.
STR
14 (+2)
DEX
X
11 (+
+0)
CON
13 (+1)
INT
1 (5)
WIS
3 (4)
CHA
1 (5)
STR
13 (+1))
DEX
15 (+2)
C
CON
100 (+0)
INT
7 (2)
WIS
10 (+0)
C
CHA
6 (2)
D
Damage Immunitties poison, psycchic
C
Condition Immun
nities blinded, ch
harmed, deafened
d, exhaustion,
frightened, paraalyzed, petrified, poisoned
S
Senses blindsightt 60 ft. (blind beyyond this radius),
passive Percepttion 6
LLanguages
C
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
A
Antimagic Suscep
ptibility. The arm
mor is incapacitateed while in
the area of an anttimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic,
m
the
aarmor must succeed on a Constitution saving thro
ow against the
ccasters spell savee DC or fall unco
onscious for 1 minute.
Bite. Meelee Weapon Atta ck: +2 to hit, reacch 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 9 (22d6 + 2) piercing damage.
F
False Appearancee. While the armo
or remains motio
onless, it is
in
ndistinguishable from a normal suit
s of armor.
A
Actions
M
Multiattack. The armor makes tw
wo melee attacks.
Actio
ons
Claws. M
Melee Weapon Atttack: +4 to hit, reeach 5 ft., one tarrget.
Hit: 7 (22d4 + 2) slashingg damage. If the ttarget is a creature
other th an an elf or undeead, it must succceed on a DC 10
ow or be paralyzeed for 1 minute. T
The
Constituution saving thro
target caan repeat the savving throw at the end of each of itts
turns, en
nding the effect o
on itself on a succcess.
Guaard
S
Slam. Melee Weap
pon Attack: +4 to
o hit, reach 5 ft., one
o target.
H
Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning
b
dam
mage.
C
Commo
oner
Class 16 (chain sh
hirt, shield)
Armor C
Hit Poin
nts 11 (2d8 + 2)
Speed 300 ft.
M
Medium humanoid
d (any race), any allignment
STR
13 (+1))
A
Armor Class 10
H
Hit Points 4 (1d8)
S
Speed 30 ft.
STR
10 (+0)
DEX
X
10 (+
+0)
CON
10 (+0)
INT
10 (+0)
WIS
10 (+0
0)
CHA
10 (+0)
S
Senses passive Peerception 10
LLanguages any on
ne language (usu
ually Common)
C
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
X
DEX
12 (+1)
C
CON
122 (+1)
INT
10 (+0))
WIS
11 (+0)
C
CHA
100 (+0)
Skills Peerception +2
Senses ppassive Perceptio
on 12
Languagges any one language (usually Co
ommon)
Challengge 1/8 (25 XP)
Actio
ons
Spear. M
Melee or Ranged W
Weapon Attack: +
+3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or
range 200/60 ft., one targget. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.
A
Actions
C
Club. Melee Weap
pon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
o target.
H
Hit: 2 (1d4) bludg
geoning damage.
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Zombie
Armor Class 8
Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9)
Speed 20 ft.
STR
15 (+2)
DEX
11 (+0)
CON
14 (+2)
INT
10 (+0)
WIS
10 (+0)
CHA
11 (+0)
Skills Intimidation +2
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages any one language (usually Common)
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Pack Tactics. The thug has advantage on an attack roll against a
creature if at least one of the thugs allies is within 5 feet of the
creature and the ally isnt incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. The thug makes two melee attacks.
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range
100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage.
STR
13 (+1)
DEX
6 (2)
CON
16 (+3)
INT
3 (4)
WIS
6 (2)
CHA
5 (3)
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.
Skeleton
Medium undead, lawful evil
DEX
14 (+2)
CON
15 (+2)
INT
6 (2)
WIS
8 (1)
CHA
5 (3)
Actions
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
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25
Append
A
dix: M
Map
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