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Description: "The first estate you come across almost seems like a small village by the sheer number of people tending the crops. Rows of flax are be tended by what seems like an overabundance of peasants, easily four times the number required to tend the fields. Almost all of them regard the fine clothes and armor your group wears with looks of muted envy."
Details:
-Knowledge (DC 15)]This estate belongs to the Trelens, an old family recently come into wealth by the friendship between their scion Markand and a druid of the Shudderwood, Kelia. The relationship is openly scorned among Ardis's elite, but it is rumored that the scion's wealth has nearly quadruped since its inception. While some suspect demonic pacts or fell magic, the truth of the recent prosperity is due to Markland's paramour's skill at druidic magic. Though her name is little known, this "Green Woman" is responsible for an unsurpassed growth of flax and wheat among the estate farms, drawing a number of peasants from some of the other, less successful farms. This, coupled with his failure to marry into noble blood, have gained him the enmity among numerous other noble houses.
-Unknown Details: The farm is at its limit, and it is rumored that any farmer who is not one of Trelen's serfs that tries to enter the land is viciously attacked, either by the sheer number of peasants or by the lord and lady of the estate itself. Because of this, the Trelens have few guests despite their prosperity. Should statistics become necssary, use the statistics for the Hermit (GMG p277) for Lady Trelen and the Sellsword (GMG p283) for Markland.
In all there are about 200 workers on the field, an unusually large amount. Every day at dawn, Lady Trelen utilizes her druidic magic to cause the fields to grow with supernatural verdance. (despite the season) The lord and lady treat most visitors as either speculative rivals at best or assassins at worst, and usually won't agree to see uninvited guests for any reason. In any case, neither the lord nor lady witnessed the passing of either the Whispering Way or the Demon Wolves since the two groups instinctively circled around such a large gathering of people. For the most part, the serfs leave the PCs alone, though the PC's obvious wealth begins to gain the notice of the greedier of the peasants, especially after the PCs reach the border of the estate.
As the PCs move along eastward through the rest of the estates, the PCs are trailed at a distance by the occasional serf. This is in fact the beginning of a forming group of disinherited peasants who mean to take the PCs' food and any other possessions that they can eat. The mob numbers 50, and try to overwhelm the PCs the first night they camp but not until they've passed the third estate. They have statistics of Farmers (GMG p309), with 4 points of non-lethal damage and the fatigued condition from starvation. The trailing farmers gain bonuses on stealth and bluff in each of the following estates as noted to avoid giving away the fact that the are part of a increasingly growing group that's following the PCs. A Farmer typically has a Stealth modifier of -1 (from fatigue) and a Bluff modifier of +0, but the terrain of the various estates can alter this, as noted in their total score below. Confronting the lone tailing farmer causes them to disperse, but they are quickly replaced by a different farmer from the group. Placating one of the farmers doesn't satisfy the group as rumors of the PCs wealth escalate further.
When the group "attacks" they all attempt the 'steal' combat maneuver on every PC, despite any attacks of opportunity it might incur. The mob cares little for their safety; in their eyes, they are already dead if they don't eat. Placating the mob is difficult at best. Clearly hostile at the inset, the mob isn't looking to hurt the PCs, only take whatever they can. It should be obvious that the farmers are emaciated and waif-ish from malnutrition, but feeding 50 people is a difficult task, even for 9th level PCs. Nonetheless, even if fed, many of the peasants realize that a day of food will make their situation no different. To placate the mob without violence (even with an offering of food)the PCs most do one of the following:
1)Succeed on a DC 30 Diplomacy check.
2) Give forth 500 gp of items or goods that can be divided 50 ways (or the number of surviving peasants).
3)Give the peasants some means to re-work and harvest the land.
4) Scare them off with a DC 35 Intimidate check. The DC is decreased by 2 for each peasant killed.
Killing half of the mob or killing 10 of them with one attack or effect causes them to disperse. This is meant to test the alignments of the PCs and offer them moral choices based on the PC's characteristics. Though the PCs are 'being attacked', this is essentially a role-playing encounter. If the PCs are available to diffuse the situation peacefully, award them 4,800. If mob is driven off, award 50 xp for each surviving peasant. If the mob is killed off completely, award 1,000 xp.
Description: "This dilapidated estate is surrounded by fields desperately in need of tending. A fraction of the peasants at the previous estate work the rows of crops, a few of which have overgrown to the point of being unharvestable. The mansion itself, while large, is clearly in need of desperate repairs and looks as if either neglect or the sheer size of the building is responsible for the grime that clings to the windows"
Details:
-Knowledge (DC 18): This farm is owned by Nantius Beauturne, a man who is squandering most of his fortunes on living what little is left of the decadent lifestyle in Ardis. As a result, the fields have been allowed to fester, especially since most of his staff has been "dismissed" so he can spend more money and attention in Ardis's few gambling circles. As a result, the lord is rarely present, leaving his three cruel nephews to loaf off the estate and drive away any interloping serfs from other farms.
-Unknown Details: The nephews have a reputation for performing sadistic games of death on any attempting to poach off of their land. Despite this, the few serfs who remain have an elitist attitude towards their situation since the fortunes of the Beauturne are very old.
Optional Encounter: The brothers remain aloof unless the PCs make a big display of attention or force, at which point the brothers realize they have found worthy "prey". Men who hunt and kill other men, the brothers are an example of the dangerous power of decadent nobility and are an EL 9. Named Galvis, Theolith, and Boder, they use the statistics of the following GMPCs from the GMG: Galvis- Beastmaster (p263), Theolith- Highwayman (p259), and Boder- Archaeologist (p. 297). They typically knock out their prey, leave them somewhere on their estate grounds, then hunt their captive. Galvis is a big brute who enjoys methodically breaking bones, Theolith is a sadistic, wiry man who tries to learn one valuable thing from every person he kills, while Boder simply enjoys inflicting pain, be it mental or physical. All three are of Neutral Evil alignment and have killed over 50 men and women over the course of the last year and a half. Unfortunately for all parties, they didn't see either the passing of the cultists or the Demon Wolves.
Farmer Skill Bonuses: Stealth +7, Bluff +8 (Overgrown fields and dangerous caretakers)
Description "This estate has clearly been abandoned to nature. The once ordered rows of crops sprout in all directions like a living explosion of verdant wheat and flax. The few trees that do dot the landscape are massive, hulking things with branches like gnarled claws that reach in all directions. While a ruined stable and servant's quarter still remain amidst the overgrowth, the central mansion is gone. In its place is a massive sinkhole."
Details:
-Knowledge (DC 20): This estate was acquired by the Karinov family a few centuries ago. Possession of the property was been given to the least of the family members since the property's smaller size made it somewhat of a dishonor to have to caretake. What cemented this position of disregard was the mansion itself; the foundations had continually been sinking into the earth since the mansion's first construction some 500 years ago. Thousands of gold worth of repairs had been sunk into the dwelling, but to no avail. Without the magical means to deal with the unstable limestone deposits and hollow pockets beneath the mansion, nature slowly but inevitably caused more and more of the foundations to slip into the earth. The apex of this erosion occurred a year ago following a great party held by the mansion's owner, Trevor Karinov. Over the course of the following week, the mansion began to crumble into the earth, causing a chain reaction that eventually lead to the sinkhole that engulfed the entirety of the mansion.
-Unknown details: The rubble and ruins are still visible at the bottom of the massive 100 ft. wide pit, though nothing of value remains. Given enough warning, Trevor was able to sequester most of his possessions away and abandoned the estate to the elements. Despite the natural causes of the mansion's destruction, almost all peasants believe the grounds to be cursed and won't generally come anywhere near them.
Optional Encounter: While the point of this site is to show that not every malady in Ustalav is supernatural, anything could occupy the remains of the sinkhole, such as a Goliath Beetle, a Tick Swarm, Recaps (Bestiary 2), or even a Spectre.
Farmer Skill Bonus Stealth +7, Bluff -2 (Overgrown, but hard to bluff due to unease from the environment)
Description: "The fields here have all been salted; nothing grows amidst the rows of barren grey and brown dirt. Despite this, a small mansion looms in the center of the grounds, and judging by the chimney smoke, is currently inhabited. "
Details:
-Knowledge (DC 18) This estate is owned by Remos and Sanick Vianci, feuding brothers who vied for years over the favor of the family patriarch, their father Jothrick. Upon his eventual passing, the two brothers fought over their fortunes and the rights to their land. Eventually the feuding escalated to encompass the property itself, to the point that each brother split the land in two and then proceeded to sabotage and ruin the other's portion. Finally, Remos acquiesced and moved to Ardis while Sanick remained behind amidst the ruined fields. The mansion still remains inhabited by Sanick, his pet hound, and his four servants, living off the small inheritance left by his father.
Optional Encounter: Should statistics for Sanick be necessary, use the Noble Scion (GMG p288) with the following exceptions. He has no weapons or armor except his dagger, but does have a small box hidden inside of his home that contains two Elemental Gems (Earth and Wind). If desperate, he will flee inside and lock the doors. He then opens the top panes of his windows and tosses the gems outside to deal with the intruders. The gems are a parting gift from a late uncle, and will not use them, let alone mention them except under the direst circumstances. (Like being robbed by a group of 7th level "heroes"). Somewhat of a racist, Sanick entertains no notions of non-humans sticking around on his land, even if they offer to "fix" it. While he was sleeping when the Demon Wolves passed, he remembers the Whispering Way cultists. A group of only humans who succeed on a DC 25 Diplomacy check learn that the cultists were condescending of the state of his lands, but told him not to worry, that soon all of Ardis would look that his farm. He also remembers the number of "leaders" within the group; (My campaign specific detail::)8 men on horses (the three carriers, the four curates, and Vrood himself) who lead a large band of men and dead things down the road. He doesn't know enough about religion to know what they were, but is disturbed to talk about them.
Farmer Skill Bonus Stealth -1 Bluff -2. (No one really has much business on the salted earth of this estate.)
Description: "Comprised of one-half orchards and the other half fields, this lush estate seems prosperous. Dozens of cattle and goats mill about in a distant pasture, unconcerned with the troubles of Ustalav. Smoke plumes from the top of the mansion's third story chimneys, and flickers of movement in the windows and the pacing of groundskeepers outside suggest a busied state of affairs within. The barking of dozens of dogs indicates a kennel of some sort on the premises. "
Details:
Knowledge (DC 15) (Not every estate on the road to Feldgrau has befallen tragedy or strangeness) The Milwynds have had a steady if not prosperous run over the years. An old family who owns a large orchard and several acres of wilderness (used for hunting), they still cling to the traditional elitist views of nobility and title in the face of their county's decline. The patriarch, Heinler Milwynd, is rumored to possess numerous contacts and ties within Ardis's higher circles, including bankers, business owners, assassins, and even members of Pharasma's clergy. As a result of this and the sizable number of hounds kept in the kennels, most leave the Milwynds to their own devices.
Optional Encounter: If statistics become necessary, use the Noble (GMG p289) for Heinler, 2 Watch Captains (GMG p261) for his bodyguards, 12 riding dogs, and 4 Advanced riding dogs (his personal pedigrees of the mix). Quite aloof and involved in his own affairs, Heinler doesn't usually accept visitors unless they are well spoken or have urgent business, but a DC 20 Diplomacy check allows a meeting (and usually refreshment, depending on the time of day). Heinler himself recalls the passing of both the cultists and the Demon Wolves, especially the negative reactions that all of the dogs had (from frightful whimpering when the cultists passed to raised heckles upon sensing the werewolves.). He can confirm that they were both heading east. (My campaign details:) He kept clear enough to be unable to recount their numbers, but notes that the werewolves scorned his kennel openly. When this occured, ten of their numbers shifted into their half-man forms, and began growling and barking at his dogs, frightening them. He notes that the ten werewolves wore full-plate but seemed to carry no weapons. He thought they were going to slaughter them but the leader, a demonic wolf of nightmares, urged them down the path.
Farmer Skill Bonus Stealth +9, Bluff +10. (Prosperity unfortunately has given way to a number of hiding places and ways to fit in for a few minutes, despite the presence of the kennels)
Description: "This estate bears similarities to the previous one, though it seems less grand in scale in subtle ways. The same trees that comprised the last estate's orchard are present here but obviously less cared for. Many of the fields and small hills that comprise the grounds are overgrown and could easily hide any number of small hazards. Despite this, the central mansion, while smaller in scale, appears to be somewhat cared for and inhabited."
Details:
-Knowledge (DC 20) The Pratonias are a newly rich bloodline, an offshoot of the Auradora line recently come into power through the opening of onyx veins on a property further north in the county. The veins quickly brought the family a small fortune but ran their course soon enough. After the mines, the family bought this property and quickly attempted to emulate their neighbors by establishing a large orchard and a number of wheat fields. However, without the lasting capitol to fund the upkeep of their lands, the size and grandeur of their fields and orchards began to diminish until they reached their present state. Currently, the property is used as a summer home rented out to nobles seeking time away from their own properties. Unfortunately, it has proven unpopular amongst the Ardis nobility due to the property's condition and the Pratonia's "new blood" status.
-Unknown Details: Currently, it is unoccupied except for a skeleton crew of four servants. They have not had a guest in three months, and are willing to host a group of well dressed or obviously wealthy adventurers with a DC 15 Diplomacy check and 10 gold for expenses. In truth, some of their stores are getting ready to go bad, and they are eager to try and get rid of some of these perishables in whatever way that can get them the most money, such as hosting wealthy adventurers.
Optional Encounter: The four servants have statistics of Barmaids (GMG p303) with Profession (Housekeeper) instead of Profession (barmaid). The manor has about 500 gp worth of trinkets (silverware, goblets, paintings) that can be stolen by unscrupulous groups, though any surviving servants give a description of the group who robbed the manor. The Pratonias then use what resources they have left to send bounty hunters after the PCs. Strangely enough, the Pratonias are connected to the Whispering Way indirectly; they frequently sold the mined onyx to the group's agents and still are on speaking terms with some of its members. Though unaware of their buyer's true purposes, they have enough connections to unknowingly involve the Whispering Way in attempts at retribution.
Farmer Skill Bonus: Stealth +6, Bluff+0 (While the overgrowth gives ample hiding places, the small amount of help at the estate makes fitting in here kind of hard.) It should also be noted that it is unlikely that even the fastest group will make it past this sixth estate in the first day, so further statistics bonuses for the farmers aren't listed in the other estates. Furthermore, the reputation of the Deverauts make it so that the farmers will more likely attempt an attack in broad daylight or in someone else's house rather than trifle with witches. As such, if the farmer mob hasn't made its move, it does so either while the PCs sleep in this estate or before they arrive at the next one. The four servants in this case quickly disappear and lock themselves in the manor's cellar with all of the food. The mob still attempts to take all of the PCs food and any other pouches that might contain any.
Description: "Though supporting no full-blown orchards or crop fields, the verdant hills and groves that surround this estate are filled with old growth that seems somehow carefully cultivated. An immense, three story mansion draped with gargoyles and intricate stonework merrily puffs smoke from its numerous chimneys, and a small array of servants and gardners mill about the outer grounds. The main path that leads to the massive front edifice is flanked by about a dozen statues, many of them depicting fantastic beasts."
Details:
-Knoweldge (DC 22) An old family even by Ustalavic standards, the Deveraut can trace their original ancestry to the Winter Witches of Irrisen. As a result, magic and witchcraft run in the bloodline, and the present family's matriarch is no exception. The family's source of income seems to stem from ancestral inheritances and one of the largest private libraries in Ardeal (+6 on Knowledge History and Arcana checks). While the Deverauts have lived in this particular mansion as long as anyone can remember, they have never been trusted by their neighbors due to their prosperity. What cements this relationship is the fact that the Deverauts rarely mingle with the country's nobility. While the family's goals have varied from generation to generation, for the most part, the family seems content to be left alone, entertaining the occasional strange visitor.
-Unknown details: In truth, the family has been hiding in Ustalav for centuries, attempting to escape the pogrom of murder enacted on their bloodline by the paranoid rulers of Irrisen. Furthermore, the family has been searching for and cataloging the location of weapons in Ustalav, things that they might be able to use to defend themselves or even return home.
Optional encounter: While seeking information about weapons to aid them in eventually returning to Irrisen, the Deverauts have been largely unconcerned with the activities of the Whispering Way, let alone the Demon Wolves. Both groups avoided the estate, even going so much as to circle slightly wide of the grounds rather than getting close (tracking reveals this). Both groups had heard the rumors of powerful witches in the area and upon seeing the petrified collection of monsters flanking the way into the mansion, thought better of getting too close. The 12 statues are indeed petrified monsters and listed in paired order from nearest to the mansion to the furthest. They are a young green dragon and dracolisk, a manticore and a chimera, an owlbear and a chuul, an ettin and a troll,a medusa and a green hag, and finally a Recap and a Quickling. For Eidrette's statistics, use Hetna Dublesse (Witch 12) from Ashes at Dawn with the following changes: Instead of the Cauldron Hex, give her the Flight Hex, change her Toughness feat to Scribe Scroll, lose her Broom of Flying and in its place, give her three scrolls of Stone to Flesh, two Scrolls of Flesh to Stone, and a Wand of Lightning Bolt. Almost every petrified creature was previously charmed (or dominated in the case of the giants) before it was petrified, and as such will more likely attack land-bound PCs than a flying witch. (Eidrette utilized trickery and invisibility to continue the charm even though petrification is considered an attack.) She had planned on utilizing some of dangerous properties of these creatures in further developing magic to help her cause. She is curious about the activities of the groups that the PCs are tailing, but still harbors paranoid feelings about agents of the Witch Queens coming upon her in disguise.
As such, there is little chance that the witch will offer them any assistance, short of a DC 25 Diplomacy check coupled a minor trophy taken from an unusual creature. If the PCs somehow are able to communicate, they find that the witch is forthcoming about the following piece of information: Recently, a number of areas that form the nexus of ley-lines in the region have begun to become disrupted. She believes that this fraying on the natural energies is either a symptom or a cause of a greater evil. She points out three areas she believes are the most central of this weakening; Feldgrau, Carrion Hill, and Illmarsh. Concerned with the raising of her daughters more than anything, Eidrette would rather monitor the PCs activities from afar than accompany them, and as such will not go after the cultists. Should any combat ensue, Eidrette keeps her three daughters (Calyn, Riassa, Arlin), and her husband Cormack inside while she utilizes her spells and petrified help to drive away intruders.
Description: "Nature has completely reclaimed the fields and groves of this estate. In fact, little marks it as a dwelling of man other than an overgrown fence and the plant covered structure that once have must been a great mansion. Overgrowth covers every patch of ground except for the rotten, sagging wooden porch that abuttes the front of the house, looking as if it is about to collapse from the vine covered columns that support the upper story."
Details:
-Knowledge (DC 18) The Carrigons are one the victims of the economic decline in Ardeal. Once a prosperous farm and hunting ground, a number of factors have contributed to the abandonment of this property to the elements. The Carrigons were once celebrated for their grand contributions to the art scene in Ardis, a number of their line even being celebrated painters who commissioned royal portraits. The moving of the capital to Caliphas signaled the decline of the nobility in Ardis, and after a number of bad investments intended to restore the art movement there, the family was forced to move to Caliphas also in hopes of joining the emerging scene. The estate was left in charge of lesser vassals who failed to reinvest what money could be made from its farms, instead using most of the profits to fund their own short lived shots at nobility. This repeated itself until the Carrigons visited and upon seeing the estate, immediately sold it to the current caretaker for a pittance. Soon after, the place became abandoned by its new lord for reasons unknown. For a number of years, the place remained uninhabited, then found itself occupied by squatters and runaways.
EL 8: Something far more dangerous has claimed the ruins as their own over the last couple years. A trio of Lurkers in Light (Bestiary 2) lives amidst the ruins. Refugees from the breach in reality on the Langitheath estate, the three have slowly been amassing a death count in the area in an attempt to bring more of their number in with their Ritual Gate ability. While they don't attack large groups and don't kill lone travelers (preferring to scare them out of the area with horrible pranks), any group of 3-7 people is enough of an impetus to drive them to murderous action. Searching their lair reveals 163gp in coins, four 20gp pearls (one of which is in fact a Pearl of Power), and 3 paintings made by Carrigons during their height of glory. They depict Ardis's skyline at different times during sunrise and are each worth 300 gold, or 1,000 gold as a set.
Description: "Much like the previous estate, this particular sight is largely overgrown. Unlike the previous one, a loosely cut path winds through the undergrowth and up to the door of the small, two story house. Though losing the battle against nature, someone clearly has taken some efforts to keep the wooden dwelling intact. In a glen beyond the house lies a small pond around which a number of cows mill."
Perception DC 25 "There is something weird about the way that the cows are milling about, almost bumping into each other and uttering no sounds whatsoever."
Details:
-Knowledge (DC 24) Like so many in Ardeal, the Panwicks have fallen on hard times. An old family noted for their vast fields and pedigree livestock, their fortunes have taken a sudden turn when the underground water that supplies a number of the springs and ponds on their property was poisoned by an exposure of an strange mineral vein. While the reasons for this are unknown, the results were quickly clear; within a week, all of the cattle had grown sick. Despite the efforts and gold utilized to try and fix the malady, within a few days of contracting their illness, the cattle all fell dead. Dwelling on the immensity of the financial loss, the patriarch Jeeger committed suicide. The family had to tend to their deceased father and as such, the cows were left in the field. The next night, the cows all began moving again and rose up. For whatever reason, the cows had returned as zombies, yet they seemed content to mindlessly mill about almost as they had done before rather than eating flesh.
-Unknown Details: Since the incident, the newest head of the house, Parrin, has had the water sources plugged where he can, but has left the cows in the field, unsure of what to do with them. Part of him wants to figure out how to make money off of them, and as such is waiting for correspondence from a wizard in Caliphas. He hopes to either sell them for research or figure out some way to control them and form a zombie-cow circus. While his neighbors know of the zombie cows, the sheer number of them and Parrin's indifferent greed has stopped any attempts to "put the things out of their misery." He did not see the Demon Wolves pass through, but noted the passage of the Whispering Way. They paid particular interest to the cows, even using a spell to cause one to follow the group. For whatever reason, he recalls that this caused an argument in their ranks and led to some sort of violence beyond sight of the farm. In fact, Vrood argued with one of the cultists about the merits of bringing the cow. The ambitious cultist countered with the need to study the phenomenon to bring the Way greatness. Vrood stated that "You shall have everlasting greatness as well as all of the time you need to study it," and proceeded to murder the cultist. He then put his remains atop the cow and set it wandering around the road to the east of the estate, where it still lurks, waiting to be encountered. Stripped clean and only a few weeks old, the cultist nonetheless contains a peculiar deathmark, a missing jawbone.
Optional Encounter: In all, there are 47 zombie cows, using the statistics of Auroch Zombies.
(Init-1, AC 15, HP 25(5d8+3), Fort+1 Ref +0 Will +4 Gore +9 (1d8+10)
The zombies do not attack unless attacked first, and even then only respond on an individual basis. For example, attacking a single zombie cow surrounded by 10 of its herd will only cause the single zombie to attack. There is little danger here for 7th level parties unless someone with an area-of-effect incites multiple cows without killing them. As such, they are only worth a 1/4 of their experience. (1,600xp for destroying the group) Doing so angers Parrin, but he has little offense to offer a group of high level adventureres.
EL 8:The dead, jawless cultist riding atop the cow wanders half a mile east of the farm, almost within sight of the farm itself. Vrood left a trap on the cultist for anyone seeking to end the "glory of unliving". The cultist's two possessions are a silver necklace with a gagged skull worth 10 gold and a Handy Haversack, seemingly hidden on his person and requiring a DC 20 Perception check to notice. This is done on purpose as Vrood expects that anyone capable of following them is probably good at noticing fine details, and thus doesn't want anyone to be suspicious of the item's contents. A character searching the Haversack finds it completely empty, except for the central pounch. Inside lurk 6 Allips (Bestiary 3, p12) who rush out and immediately attack anyone in the vicinity.
Description: "This estate hosts no crops but the well ordered paths of trees and small gardens ringing the central mansion indicate not only inhabitance but also prosperity. Strangely enough, a bubbling brook surrounds the house like a small moat, its source an overflowing and intricately carved fountain next to the mansion. The windowframes and doorway all appear to be made from a sheenish, dull grey material: cold iron. A couple of gardners slowly move about the edge of the house, pulling weeds up as needed."
Details:
-Knowledge (DC 20) Offshoots of the famous Kindler bloodline, the Kindlersons have followed in their cousins' footsteps, having birthed numerous hunters of foul things over the years. The family's success seems to ebb and flow with regular frequency, with some generations having no hunters amongst their kin while others having several. As a result of the varied success of killing supernatural entities , the family has a small fortune to fall back on, part of which has funded this country home. The present scions of the bloodline are Gavin and Terk, hunters who actively patrol their land when not seeking prey in the alleys of Ardis. The bubbling brook is a landscaping feat long ago accomplished by a druid to give the mansion a constant source of running water surrounding it, hindering the passage of vampires.
-Unknown details: Further inspection of the manor itself reveals that the front door and several interior doors are trapped with Glyphs of Warding cued against undead. Additonally, an array of weaponry lines several of the manor's walls, some even being made of silver or cold iron. As a defense against the non-supernatural, the brothers also have a pair of "bound" Hound Archons guarding the house, creatures they saved from an earlier binding at the hands of a Lich. While bound to serve the brothers for a year, the two (named Cathik and Leost) value and adore the brothers and will do all within their power to keep them safe.
Optional Encounter: If necessary, use the stastics of a Conjurerer (GMG p279) for Gavin and a Beastmaster (GMG p263) for Terk with Favored Enemy: Undead (+4) instead of Human and Favored Enemy: Aberration (+2) instead of Animal. The brothers are sympathetic to the stopping the Whispering Way but have been busy tracking the movements of an Intellect Devourer that has inflicted personal losses on them. Maps of its movements are pinned up in one of the rooms, and the brothers have come to the belief that the thing is lairing in a set of Kellid ruins beneath their property. Neither brother saw the passing of the other two groups, but one of the Hound Archons did. Leost, noted that the while the cultist gave a wide enough berth to almost not be noticed, the Demon Wolves did not. (What follows is campaign specific:) He counted a massive pack of wolves that was four dozen strong, lead by one with clearly demonic markings. He knew they were not wolves by the way they moved and crept, posting guards and forward postions while stealthfully sticking to the shadows. They left the manor alone, as if tracking something along the road. He speculates (correctly) that they were tracking the cultists.
If made Helpful with a Diplomacy check (DC 20) the brothers will offer them a safe place to sleep and a silver weapon of their choice (assume that they have one of the PCs' favored weapons plus 5 others that the PCs might use) to take against the supernatural threat. Additionally, the estate possesses a small yet valuable library pertaining to the occult, which can be used to grant a +2 bonus on Knowledge: Religion and Knowledge: Dungeoneering checks for research purposes.
Description "Tall even amongst the dwellings you have passed so far, the verdant hunting glens and trails that surround this estate clear away before a high, wrought, iron fence that surrounds the narrow five-story, central mansion. A large, overly-embelished sign prefaces the front gate, its elegently lettered Common words belieing its hateful message, 'Non-humans not admitted for any reason. Violators will be killed!' A circular area of blasted grass at the fence's corner reveals the presence of recent magical activity, and a trio of incessently barking hounds stands further testament to the owner's hostility."
Details
-Knowledge (DC 22): The Varcesters are an old, numerous family who conduct most of their dealings in Caliphas proper, brokering the dealings of numerous artifacts and imported relics. Their current patriarch, Valus, is a cantankerous 71-year-old former adventurerer with a profund distrust of anyone who isn't human, and even most who are. This is further exasperated by his numerous offspring, some of whom are eagerly awaiting his passing so they can collect their due inheritance. Valus resents almost all of them, and lives alone in the estate with only a trope of invisible servants to keep him company.
-Unknown Details: Eager to spite his offspring by outliving them, Valus idles his years playing piano, reading, and holding grudges. He has recently come into possessing the services of an Invisible Stalker due to past dealings, a creature that he tends to overpay simply to spite his children. In fact, while jokingly saying that the creature was a better child than any of them ever were, he unknowingly changed the behavior of the fickle creature. Prone to detesting tasks dictated by petty mortals, a further offhand comment about including it in his will over any of his children has not only enflamed the creature's ego but also developed a sense of protective friendship over the old man. Coupled with their mutual distrust of other mortals (even if Valus sees it as distrusting non-humans) and Valus's allowance of the Stalker's access to the old man's magical trinkets, the Invisble Stalker has made itself a formidable if not almost affectionate guardian. For his part, Valus realizes that he will eventually have to choose the least reprehensible of his actual children to take his place, an event that will have unforeseen consequences for any heirs coming to into possession of the estate. For now, the racially intolerant old man regards the invisible creature better than his human kin, an irony not lost on his relatives.
Optional Encounter Mistrusting of any non-human for reasons real and half-imagined from his years of adventuring, Valus refuses to see unannounced visitors and even most of those that do announce themselves, believing anyone could be one of numerous foes from his past. Valus Varcster, though old and alone, is hardly defenseless. He himself has the statistics of a Celeberity Bard (GMG p273) with the Venerable Age category applied (-6 str,dex, con, +3 int,wis,cha). His estate is warded by a number of defenses; his front gate and front door are each warded with a Glyph of Wading cued against any non-humans that pass through. The main lawn is riddled with Spiked Pit Traps (CR 2, CRB p420), while the front porch contains a Hail of Arrow Traps (CR 9, CRB p421) with silver arrowheads. Finally, the highly perceptive Invisble Stalker guardian has full access to the old man's treasury, which gives it access to the following magic items: Necklace of Fireballs (Type VI) with one 8d6 bead missing, 3 Beads of Force, a Ring of the Ram, and a Rod of Wonder.
The missing bead was recently used when the demon wolves attempted to silence the guard hounds and teach the owner of the property's sign a lesson. They made it as far as the fence before the Stalker moved to the defense, killing several and scattering the rest. Their burnt bodies still remain inside one the pit traps on the front lawn. Valus fights until first suffering any injury, at which point he attempts to bribe off the PCs in exchange for his life. Assuming he survives, he holds a grudge and eventually utilizes what resources he can to hire assassins. Having spent years among the horrors and burdens of adventuring in Ustalav, he cares little for the schemes of others and has only one real interest, prolonging his life as long as possible while enjoying the fruits of his labors. Belligerently antagonstic PCs find that besides the magic items, the manor itself contains a staggering 15,000 gp worth of art objects and coins. Strangely enough, while the family seeks no retribution for the killing of the family patriarch, they do take steps if the PCs decide to loot the manor. Many of the art objects are family relics, and the collective size of the Varcester family in sheer numbers allows them to amass a small fortune to aid in the recovery of these objects and the punishment of those who stole them. This retribution fund can easily reach as high as 500,000 gold pieces if the PCs take particularly heinous actions, such as burning the manor down, allowing a wide array of powerful creatures to be hired for hunting down the PCs.
Description: "As you approach, a distinct lack of activity amidst the well tended estate and a sickly scent on the breeze reveals something is amiss. Ahead, the front door on the immense mansion swings lazily open in the wind and a number of heaps toward the left side of the house buzz with clouds of insects. An empty kennel and stable stand further testament to the quiet strangeness."
Details:
-Knowledge (DC 15) The Tiraneims are an offshoot of the Tiriac bloodline of Varno, and have for centuries acted as lesser agents amongst that family's affairs. Known for producing a number of fruits and vegetables as well as a stock breed of Varisian chargers, the family has long utilized its bloodline connections to further enhance its wealth, enabling the massive vegetable garden and exotic "glass house" behind the mansion.
-Unknown Details:Because of these exotic connections, Keldon, the estate's caretaker had an unfortunate word exchange with the Whispering Way cultists, believing them to be Tiriac agents. When he mispoke about studies in the east, Vrood assumed that the man had been warned about the cultists and without warning had everyone in the the estate slaughtered, starting with Keldon. The bodies of Keldon and his servants have all been stashed in the green house behind the house. PCs who Inspect this area must make a DC 10 Fortitude save upon entering or become nauseated as long as they are within sight and smell of the greenhouse. The combination in sunlight, heat, and insects in this area have ripened the bodies, all of which lie in large soil beds in the middle of the structure. Inspecting the bodies reveals something vile: most of them have been bled dry as evidenced by numerous empty, bloody bowls near them. Some of these bowls also contain stains of other colors and fleshy chunks: the tiny remains of removed organs that can be correlated with wounds on the bodies. A DC 25 survival reveals old skeletal claw marks on the edges of several bowls. A DC 30 Heal check reveals that the wounds on all the bodies except Keldon were inflicted while they weren't struggling, meaning they were either unconscious or paralyzed. This is the handiwork of the Mohrg Umbereth, a murderer who lingers behind to deal with the PCs at the next estate.
The mansion has not been looted, and avaricious PCs can spend two hours sacking it to gain 1,500 gp in silverware, plates, paintings, and other art objects.
Description: "The same feeling of quiet wrongness pervades the next farm well before the well-cared for house comes into view. Comprised of a massive orchard and wooded hills, the property seems idyllic except for the utter lack of people. A well constructed central manor looms in ghostly silence, permeated occasionally by a distant buzzing sound. Despite the well tended nature lending itself to the feeling of habitation, no signs of life stir in the wind, other than the open front door swaying in the breeze."
If PCs get approach within 60' of the door, read the following:
"There was clearly some sort of struggle here. One of the manor's front windows is cracked, and old red spatters across the porch's wood indicate blood. A sickly, dead smell rises on the wind as you approach, coming not from the manor itself but from somewhere around it."
Details
-Knowledge (DC 22): A newer family amongst the wealthy circles, the Thellmoracks had brokered a number of profitable land acquisitions amongst the Ardeal countryside. A bloodline rooted deep in hunting and foraging, the Thellmoracks have always had an understanding of the land and only recently have put this to use in a profitable way, advising in the buying and selling of properties based on their likeliness to produce crops. The present patriarch, a hunter of some reknown named Liaten, bought the property ten years ago upon announcing his retirement. Since then, his potent family of hunters uses the estate as their place of dwelling and starting points for forays deep into the forested hills of southern Ardis.
-Unknown Details: Though potent hunters, the Thellmoracks were no match for Vrood and his followers. Immediately offended by the obvious presence of undead amidst the cultists, the Thellmoracks assumed that Vrood and his group were just another death cult up to no good, and immediately attacked the undead while yelling for the cultists to get clear of their land. Former adventureres, Liaten and his sons Nesson and Plavis were still no match for the arcane might of Vrood, and though some of the cult's lesser members were slain and his Curates injured, Vrood simply replaced these losses by animating the fallen. Wanting no witnesses to the group's activities or to his display of power, Vrood left behind the newly-risen undead murderer Umbereth to kill anyone remaining there and to wait for anyone who might come after them. Over the course of three days, Umbereth wiped out the entire family and worse, made a macabre display of them depicting the raging obsessions in his fractured mind.
EL 8 As the PCs move closer to the backyard of the house, describe how the smell and buzzing seem to be gaining in strength. Once they can see the backyard, read the following:
"Up ahead, a large open barn creaks softly in the wind, its interior clearly the sight of some sort of horror show. Bowls and pails spattered with reddish fluids lie about with numerous make-shift paint brushes drying against or beside them. However its not the barn that produces the feeling of nauseating horror that assaults you; the yard between the house and the barn is so horrifically surreal that it at first doesn't register. The fence that separates the barnyard from the backyard has been.. replaced. Where once lined a wooden fence stands a row of decomposing bodies in its place. Propped up on fenceposts and their arms entwined by a reddish, ropy substance, the row of standing bodies has been stripped of clothing, their naked flesh covered in multiple horrific hues resembling a massive painting. Despite the numerous wounds that mar their bodies, the painting's subject matter is clear enough, even working in the numerous cuts that clearly caused the victim's death into the artwork. It depicts an alien landscape filled with horrific tentacled monsters that seem to be erupting out of the heads of humans."
Psychotically obsessed in life with monsters lurking in humans and the reason he began murdering people in the first place, Umbereth became terrified upon seeing the huge pack of Demon Wolves and hid while they passed. Upon reflecting, his fractured mind has begun to realize that he might have failed Vrood and has just begun to think about pursuing them when the PCs arrive. Incredibly perceptive, the Vrood sees the PCs as a chance to not only redeem himself but to also add their bodies to his panorama. Even if the PCs don't investigate the estate, he easily notices them and attempts to trail them until they sleep, where he tries to murder them. Otherwise, he attempts to hide amongst his artwork, trying to gain a surprise attack before attempting to paralyze as many people as possible.
Umbereth, Mohrg. CR 8
Treasure: While unscrupulous PCs can loot the manor of about 3,000 gp in dinnerware, fine tobacco, and paintings, the Mohrg took a few trophies from his kills as well. This includes a pair ofBoots of elvenkind, a comb inlaid with rubies worth 100 gold, a Wand of Cure Light Wounds, a Masterwork War Razor, and a piece of Jade worth 25 gold, the remains of a statue depicting an Octopus that the Mohrg smashed inside the manor. (worth 250 gp if restored by magical means). Unfortunately for the family, the Mohrg was quite thorough in his killings, and it will be weeks before distant cousins hear of the tragedy here and attempt to avenge their family and reclaim the estate. While PCs rarely need encouragement to loot, the murder of their kin is far worse than the taking of any newly acquired treasures the family might have possessed, and any avenging kin are more concerned with the killings than any incidental theft that the PCs might do.
For this one,I plan on using the Abandoned Farm encounter from the module (p45)
Questions, Comments? Hope this helps other DMs running Broken Moon in detailing their journey through the Ardis countryside. I plan on having something up soon about The Furrows, including a couple battlefield haunts.
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Rakshaka,
I've just informed my son that I'll be giving him to you, as he is my first-born child, and I feel you deserve some recompense for this. :)
Seriously, this is friggin' awesome!
My group are currently undertaking the investigations at Ascanor Lodge, so you couldn't have put it out there at a better time!
Thanks a whole bunch...:)
You are most welcome!
This is really neat - I need to find some time to sit down and read all of it :)
In the Carrion Crown game I run, we've just arrived at Feldgrau, so this is too late for me to use in my game. That said, you, sir, rock mightily! I'll be stealing this.
This is great thanks a lot
I want all your notes on the entire AP
We're doing Carrion Hill right now, for which I'm utilizing a combination of Brodyz's conversions and my own. Once we're done, I'll post my notes on it. I should note that I am using the 'Sanity Mechanic' present in Wake of the Watcher for this module, but in fact had the PCs make their first check in the AP's last one. Specifically, at the above-listed thirteenth module, upon seeing the 'artistic display', I had them roll (DC 15, 1 point). I have a feeling that at least one PC will be suffering from some sort of mental illness before the end of the fourth module.. which we're totally going to roll with.
So what about your changes for Harrow Stone and the beast do you have thouse?
VERY cool. Like it a lot.
