LEGACY & VIRTUE

The lands of Hawkgarth have long been known as "the Wood of Many Monsters". It is rumored that
an archmage of some ancient kingdom busied himself with the creation of new and terrible beasts in
this place, and champions from all over Faerun would come to test their mettle. A blood-red beast
terrorizes the villages at night, and the normally stoic residents are quick to recruit able-bodied
heroes. Too bad you're not their first choice!

A Two-Hour to Four-Hour Adventure for Tier 1 Characters

ALAN PATRICK
Adventure Designer

Adventure Code: CCC-GHC-BK1-06

Optimized For: APL 2

Border Kingdoms Lore: Ed Greenwood

Editing: Alan Patrick
D&D Adventurers League Guildmaster: Chris Lindsay
D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett
D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Alan Patrick, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Lysa Chen

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers
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distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized
use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.

©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro
Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
v.1.0
Additional Credits A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT ENCOUNTER SCALING
Legacy & Virtue is optimized for a party of five characters.
Cover art Jason Braun When running an adventure at a large convention such as
Gamehole, it is common to have seven players at a table,
Border Kingdoms map Wizards of the Coast which has the potential to affect encounter balance. The
“Adjusting the Encounter” sidebars within the adventure are
Cartography B. Simon Smith developed for an average party, but just like real life, one size
Crimson fever owlbear image Dave Allsop doesn’t necessarily fit all.
Players have a tendency to bring their best and brightest
Zombie owlbear image Stock Art: Owlbear Zombie to shows like Gamehole, and a group of seven optimized
by Outland Entertainment characters can easily overpower the recommended party
strength you determine at the adventure’s start. As a DM,
Zombie image Stock Art: Blackmon Zombie by Jacob
you can—and should—adjust each encounter’s difficulty to
E. Blackmon present a challenge for your players.
Forest image The Forest Clearing, by Ivan Shiskin If the characters are overcoming combats too easily,
(1896), public domain from Wikimedia Commons increase the recommended strength level of the encounters
by a step (from average to strong, for example). If needed,
you can also increase the number of monsters or maximize
their hit points to make things a little harder. In some cases,
you may even need to increase the difficulty by two steps,
just be careful not to make things unwinnable.
Remember, adjusting or improvising is encouraged, so long
as you maintain the adventure’s spirit!

3
 Bonus Objectives
Adventure Primer This adventure contains bonus objectives that the
This section provides the adventure’s background, a characters can pursue if they have additional time to
list of prominent NPCs, an overview of the adventure do so – earning additional advancement and
in play, and hooks that you can use to introduce your treasure checkpoints in the process.
players’ characters to the action.  Bonus Objective A: Rescue or Recover the
Talduth Vale Adventurers. The adventurers from
Background the Talduth Vale entered the owlbear lair some

T
he village of AMBREES in the kingdom of time ago. Rescuing or recovering them would
HAWKGARTH is the closest point of certainly build the heroic legend that the
civilization to the land known as “The characters are seeking to build!
Wood of Many Monsters”. The forests of  Bonus Objective B: Deal with the Undead. An
Hawkgarth are rumored to contain ancient keep lies deep within the owlbear lair.
monstrous creations that aren’t found elsewhere in Undisturbed for centuries, the restless dead are
the Forgotten Realms; whether this is fact, fiction, or locked inside those chambers.
myth is up for debate. However, it’s known that this The meat of the adventure is essentially a dungeon
place – the BORDER KINGDOMS, as Hawkgarth and crawl with one primary objective and two secondary
its neighbors are known – has been a place of open objectives: deal with the owlbear (primary), rescue
conflict and strong-willed citizens for hundreds of or recover the group from the Talduth Vale (bonus),
years. and deal with the undead (bonus).
Adventurers sometimes come here to make a
name for themselves in the woodlands but more Episode Sequence
often than not leave empty-handed and
disappointed. Unfortunately, it appears that times Depending on your time constraints, and play style
have changed and a BLOOD RED BEAST has and environment, this adventure will take
recently attacked a group of people on the road, approximately two to four hours to play.
leaving only one survivor.
How Will You Play?
Arriving in the Laughing Unicorn Tavern, tales of
The duration of your session depends on how much
monsters attacks from history and current times
of this adventure you utilize. At the very least, your
come to the characters. They are regaled with both
session will last approximately two hours. However,
the fantastic and the somber, but a retired ranger
if you wish, you can provide a longer experience for
named ERIN WHICKSEY may have more insight
your players by pursuing the bonus objectives.
than even she realizes.
Main Story Objective Only. To complete the
Episodes adventure’s main objective, the characters
participate in Episodes 1 (Call to Arms) through 3
The adventure typically takes place over one to (Wrap Up) in order, however, you may include the
three episodes that take approximately two to four opportunity to pursue bonus objectives.
hours to play. These episodes are initially introduced Bonus Objectives. You can extend this adventure
by a Call to Action encounter. by as much as two hours by including opportunities
If you’re planning to play the entire adventure at for the characters to pursue the bonus objectives.
once, you only need to introduce the Call to Action These objectives branch off the core episode, but
once. However, if you plan to play them over several their order is fluid.
sessions, you’ll want to revisit the Call to Action each
time you play.
 Core Episode: Owlbear Lair. Erin helps the
characters find the owlbear lair, and contained
inside are more surprises than just a very angry
beast.

4
 After the characters have had some time to
Call to Action interact with the other patrons of the Laughing
Unicorn Tavern, they find that Erin Whicksey is here
Estimated Duration: 15 minutes in the tavern. She approaches them with an armload
of mugs filled with wheatwine, a sweet alcohol local
This adventure begins at midday with the characters to Ambrees. Read or paraphrase the following:
present in the village of Ambrees, near Hawkgarth’s
eastern border. They are in the Laughing Unicorn  She survived the attack simply because the
Tavern; it is the only business in the village that owlbear ignored her. She does not know why, but
caters to adventuring folk. The Border Kingdoms are believes that it might be related to her excessive
populated by reserved, willful, and strong peoples of drunkenness when the attack happened.
many races and some may be superficially friendly, “Alcohol’s a poison, you know; even the basest of
though there’s always a good chance that a charlatan beasts knows it. I think it assumed that I was the
or brigand is not far off – and perhaps even within weakest of the bunch and not a threat.”
arm’s reach!  She explains that she was a ranger when she was
Allow the characters a few moments to introduce younger and says that she believes that the
themselves and determine why they’re staying at the creature was either provoked or is suffering from
Laughing Unicorn Tavern, and then read or an ailment – attacks against humans aren’t
paraphrase the following points about recent events: common. “Something about that beast just ain’t
right. I know it. Shame.”
 The region of Hawkgarth is sometimes known as  She describes the creature as “blood red and with
“The Wood of Many Monsters”, and there are a hoot that would crack your ears open” and
always rumors of some huge mythical or fantastic “possessing knife-like claws on its paws, and a pair
creature wandering the forests and roads, ready to of horrible yellow teeth”. A character that
prey on the residents of the area. succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) check
 Enterprising youths in the area and adventurers can deduce that although she was drunk when it
from foreign lands sometimes come here to make happened, she probably saw a large owlbear – and
a name for themselves by hunting prey in the that the ‘teeth’ were just the top and bottom parts
forests. of the creature’s beak.
 A tenday ago, a dozen or so travelers on the trade  “Those kids from Talduth Vale deserve better.
road were torn asunder by something huge and They’re just trying to make a name. I heard that
mean. Nobody can clearly recall the last time that one of them – Anders Tharion – is actually
something like this happened, though some tell something of a noble.”
tales along the lines of “this one time, my great-  She describes the party from Talduth Vale as
uncle and his dog saw…” The carnage of the “Anders, the lithe idiot of the bunch. His
attacks was so great that nobody’s certain exactly diminutive friend Thimple, the gnome bard. He’s a
how many people have been killed so far. Only sour fellow. And the twins Arrathys and Nayima,
Erin Whicksey survived this event. those girls; so angry. But they were well-muscled,
 A group of champions from the Talduth Vale – the that’s for sure. I bet they gave a good fight before
next region to the east – were hired to lure out the being devoured.”
beast, destroy it, and bring back proof of the deed.  The young adventurers from Talduth Vale were
However, they haven’t been heard from for three not properly equipped. They boasted of their
days; they are now assumed to be dead. prowess but had no obvious experience to back it
If the characters wish to speak with the residents up.
about the inn or the village, they find that most Erin describes the location of the attack as being
people are tight-lipped with outsiders. Anyone that about a 30-minute trek from the tavern, and how the
succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check can beast seemingly erupted from the ground. She
determine that they simply need to earn the trust of shudders at the recollection, downs the rest of her
the people, which can be done by acting upon the drink, and excuses herself.
above points.

5
Episode Flowchart
This section should provide you, the DM, with a basic understanding of not only the flow of the episode, but also the
outline of the different paths that your players may take in reaching their stated objective.

Call to Action

Owlbear Lair: Owlbear Lair: Owlbear Lair:

Deal with the Owlbear Crimson fever Deal with the Undead

Wrap Up

6
 Traps & Puzzles
Core Episode: If any loud sound effects such as the owlbear’s hoot

Owlbear Lair
or the thunderwave spell are used, loose earth from
the ceiling of the cavern begins to fall. This causes 3
(1d6) points of bludgeoning damage to a random
Estimated Duration: 2 hours creature in that chamber and increases by 3 (1d6)
every successive time this occurs while the
The Dark Holds characters are still in the lair. A successful DC 12
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check negates half of the
Many Surprises damage.
The owlbear lair is, at first, a direct investigation. If three loud effects are used in a single chamber,
The further that the characters progress, the more there is a cave-in in that space. The entire chamber
they might discover – from owlbear young to is treated as difficult terrain and any creature
trapped undead to a forgotten, destroyed keep. present when the cave-in is triggered must succeed
on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6)
Prerequisites points of bludgeoning damage and be pinned to the
The characters must have talked to Erin in the floor by rubble. If a creature fails this saving throw
Laughing Unicorn Tavern and gotten the location of by 5 or more, they must also succeed on a DC 14
the attack from her. A basic search of the area Constitution saving throw or be knocked
reveals owlbear tracks as well as the tracks of the unconscious by the falling rubble; that character is
party from Talduth Vale. They all lead to a roughly- considered buried and begins to suffocate
dug burrow in the earth. immediately.

Area Information Objectives

The area has the following features: Each space in the lair has things to interact with and
Dimensions & Terrain. The characters enter the investigate. The characters know of their primary
lair by way of the burrow; this is marked by the grey objective already, and anything further would
circle on the map in chamber 1. The lair is large and simply cement their status as heroic adventurers
offers several side chambers. The southern portion and provide them with an excellent start to their
of the lair is comprised of decrepit rooms from a careers:
long-lost keep, but unfortunately the earth has They must deal with the threat of the owlbear. As
swallowed it up and it cannot be explored further at this is its lair, they already know that it will have
this time. some advantages.
Lighting. Bright light extends 10 feet into the den They should attempt to discover the status and
from the entrance, and dim light extends 20 feet whereabouts of the group from Talduth Vale.
beyond that. After that point the complex is
consumed by darkness except where specifically BONUS OBJECTIVE: DEAL WITH THE UNDEAD
noted. The undead will not leave the worked stone of the ruined
keep. If the characters inspect those stones, they find faint
lingering evidence of abjuration and conjuration runes. This
counts for one-third of this bonus objective.

Playing the Pillars

COMBAT EXPLORATION SOCIAL

If the owlbear sees any of the The characters may stealth through Resourceful characters may attempt
characters within 15 feet of her the lair, and in so doing discover the to calm the owlbear through magic
cubs, she enrages and fights to the ruined keep, the fragile ceiling, and or copious amounts of food (20
death. If the characters have already Anders – all without riling the pounds of fresh meat or 10 days of
fed her, she is agitated and growls a owlbear. rations). The cubs require half of this
warning first but won’t pursue them amount.
if they leave.

7
Creatures/NPCs WHERE IS THE OWLBEAR?
The main part of the lair contains the owlbear, two As the characters investigate the area, the owlbear also
owlbear cubs, and Anders Tharion (currently at 0 moves about. There are four owlbear cubs in the lair (two in
hit points and both legs broken). each of the chambers marked ‘4’), and the owlbear prefers to
If the characters explore the area thoroughly, they spend time there. It cannot open any closed doors, and even
find some undead as well as the source of the if the door to chamber 9 is open it will not enter (see that
crimson fever infection. chamber’s description).
When the characters first arrive, the owlbear is in chamber
Objectives/Goals 7, toying with one of the corpses. For every five minutes that
The owlbear is afflicted with crimson fever and the characters spend in the lair, the owlbear moves two
fights to the death if alarmed or challenged. While in chambers in a random direction. If it makes its way to the
her lair, she gives intruders a single growl of chambers with the cubs, it will stay there for one hour before
warning before attacking. She is missing large moving on. Should it find its way into the same chamber that
the characters occupy, it will not immediately consider a
patches of feathers and her skin is crimson and flaky,
character that has drunk any amount of wheatwine in the
appearing almost demon-like due to being afflicted
last hour to be a threat, as the alcohol masks their scent and
with crimson fever. confuses the sick owlbear’s senses.
The owlbear cubs are only a tenday old and Use this as an opportunity to build suspense by describing
cannot hunt on their own. As wild creatures, they are the faint hooting noises, the deep claw marks in the walls,
unsuitable as animal companions and cannot be the smells of wet earth and rotting vegetation, and so on.
trained. They are easily agitated and very noisy.
They are in the early stages of crimson fever but may
recover with fresh air and untainted food and water. TIMING AND EXPLORATION
Allow the characters as much time as they need to explore
What do They Know? the environment but advise them to stay on-task. They don’t
According to Erin, the beast is agitated. It may be know it, but Anders Tharion (see chamber 3) will succumb to
susceptible to strong smells (she was drunk when it his wounds and die 30 minutes after the characters enter the
lair. If he is revived, he can share any of the information in his
attacked her group) or it’s possible that it’s hungry
NPC description in the appendix, but he is not a capable
or sick.
combatant and may actually be a detriment to the party as
The characters also know that another group of they explore the environment.
adventurers was sent after the beast, and there is a
slim chance that one or more of them may be alive.

8
1. Entrance Chamber Without healing, he dies 30 minutes after the
characters enter the owlbear lair.
Area Information If he is brought back to consciousness, he can
The area has the following features: share any of the information in the NPC appendix
Dimensions & Terrain. The gray circle on the map about himself or his erstwhile companions. Even
indicates the burrow entrance some twenty feet after healing, he is unable to move on his own due to
above. The chamber’s ceiling is approximately ten his injuries – he’s not an adventurer. He has no
feet here, so ropes and climbing gear should be used combat training and makes all attacks with
unless the characters are particularly creative. disadvantage (his Strength and Dexterity modifiers
The chamber itself is littered with stones, broken are -2 due to his injuries).
roots, and discarded half-eaten limbs of several
different woodland creatures. The smell throughout BONUS OBJECTIVE: RESCUE OR RECOVER THE
the entire cavern system is earthy, wet, and has hints TALDUTH VALE ADVENTURERS
of rotting meat. The group from the Talduth Vale originally had four
Owlbear tracks and droppings are easy to follow. members. Anders is one, but the gnome and the human
Quiet hoots and snuffles can be heard to the east and sisters remain.
louder grunts and hoots can be heard to the south.

2. Sandy Pit 4. Warrens

Area Information Area Information
The area has the following features: The area has the following features:
Dimensions & Terrain. The floor here is very Dimensions & Terrain. These chambers are only
loose due to copious amounts of sand being present about seven feet tall, and the floor is littered with
in the roughly bowl-shaped chamber. The entire bones from all manner of creatures, broken owlbear
floor is considered difficult terrain. Small stalactites eggshells, and droppings and other bits of viscera.
hang down from the ceiling, built of mineral deposits Creatures/NPCs
being filtered through the groundwater pockets
One owlbear cub is in each of these chambers and
above the ceiling.
they are about a tenday old. They are savage and
Any amount of investigation here shows that the
untamable due to the early stages of crimson fever
owlbear uses this chamber as a place to dispose of
coursing through their systems. Although they do
most of its droppings by burying them beneath the
not leave their specific warren chamber, they break
sand.
into excited hoots and howls if they see another
3. Play Space living creature. Nearly everything becomes either
food or a chew toy to them. The cubs are not a threat
Area Information in combat and can be easily defeated if engaged.
The area has the following features:
Dimensions & Terrain. These chambers are only 5. Bottleneck
about seven feet tall and the floor is littered with Area Information
bones from all manner of creatures, broken owlbear
The area has the following features:
eggshells, and droppings and other bits of viscera.
Dimensions & Terrain. This narrow passageway
Creatures/NPCs is highly unstable. If two loud effects are used here
Anders Tharion is near the center of the room. He the passageway will crumble as the sandy walls will
is unconscious and has 0 hit points. The owlbear has release the stones and earth behind them. On a
brought him here to get her young to learn to hunt, successful DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) check, the
but they have no interest in leaving their respective characters can determine that any cave in here
chambers (see the description of chamber 4). would seal off the chambers beyond.

9
6. Muddy Chamber 8. Grand Hall
Area Information Area Information
The area has the following features: The area has the following features:
Dimensions & Terrain. The floor is covered in Dimensions & Terrain. Crimson roots can be seen
sucking mud. Any creature that stops or ends their poking through the earth where the mud and rock
turn more than ten feet away from the walls in this meet the worked stone. The eastern door is locked,
chamber must succeed on a DC 12 Strength and the key is held by the zombies in chamber 15.
(Athletics) check or be restrained as their feet The bodies of Arrathys and Nayima are here.
become sucked into the muck. Huge owlbear tracks They have been dead several days and show
can be seen crisscrossing the area, though they don’t grievous wounds. A successful DC 12 Intelligence
appear to cross into chamber 8 for some reason. A (Nature) or Wisdom (Medicine) check confirms that
series of thin crimson roots can be seen coming out they died to bite and claw wounds from the owlbear.
of the stone from chamber 8 and reaching into this Any character that succeeds on a DC 12
place. Intelligence (History) check once they’ve seen this
room recalls that many conquerors have laid claim
7. Disposal to the Border Kingdoms, and there are numerous
lost ruins in the wilderness. Succeeding on this
Area Information check by 5 or more also grants that the stonework
The area has the following features: here is similar to that of ancient Netheril, an old
Dimensions & Terrain. The remains of unwanted human kingdom.
meals lie scattered all over the ground here. Some
are humanoid but most are woodland creatures of Treasure & Rewards
various types, including deer and giant spiders. The characters find the following:
Curiously, the mostly decayed corpse of a much
larger owlbear can be spied laying along the western  Arrathys is carrying a potion of healing.
wall.  Nayima is carrying a vial of antitoxin.

Creatures/NPCs BONUS OBJECTIVE: RESCUE OR RECOVER THE

The corpse is an owlbear zombie because of the TALDUTH VALE ADVENTURERS
crimson fever’s after-dead effect. It shuffles to its The group from the Talduth Vale originally had four
feet with a loud hoot if the characters spend more members. Arrathys and Nayima are two of them, but the
than two rounds in this chamber. gnome and the human noble remain.
Treasure & Rewards
The characters find the following:
 A handful of coins can be recovered. This takes
one round.
 With a successful DC 18 Intelligence
(Investigation) check, the characters can find a
small but mostly intact lockbox half buried in the
ground. It takes two rounds to unearth the box.
The letters contained inside are very provocative;
they were exchanged between Anders Tharion
and someone named Mikato.

10
9. Broken Chamber 11. Abandoned Kitchen
Area Information Area Information
The area has the following features: The area has the following features:
Dimensions & Terrain. This chamber has fallen Dimensions & Terrain. The broken furnishings in
into disarray and is partially collapsed. The entire this chamber clearly mark it as an old kitchen.
floor is considered difficult terrain, and the eastern Though the pots and tables have long since become
wall has given way to what appears to be a series of useless, it is obvious from the size of the room and
crimson roots growing out from chamber 10. the worn grooves in the floor that it once saw plenty
of activity.
10. Root Hub
12. Storage
Area Information
The area has the following features: Area Information
Dimensions & Terrain. Crimson veins – roots, The area has the following features:
actually – criss cross the room and emerge from the Dimensions & Terrain. Once upon a time this
walls. The air smells of salted meat, and it almost chamber held dry goods. Old wooden racks have
feels as if the roots are pulsing. This place is collapsed with age and whatever goods they once
uncomfortably warm and quite humid. The roots held have long since vanished. The wood for the
have what appear to be naturally-occurred arcane western door has swollen shut and requires
sigils on them. A shallow pool of water is in the successful a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check to open.
center of the room.
13. Gathering Chamber
 A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) check
confirms that these are indeed the roots of some Area Information
larger organism, but it is one that is not known The area has the following features:
across Faerun. Dimensions & Terrain. This large space was once
 A successful DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check intended to serve as an entertainment hall. Faded
confirms that these roots are magically enhanced, frescoes can still be spied and show finely dressed
but with spells and power that have been long nobles cavorting with strange beasts, the likes of
absent from the world. which are unidentifiable. The corpse of a gnome is in
 A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Medicine) check the center of the room.
confirms that these roots cause intense illness in The southern door has been nailed shut, and the
any creature that consumes them. western and eastern doors are swollen shut in their
 If the root is removed from the structure, it loses frames as the wood has expanded with the moisture
its potency in a matter of hours. It is not suitable in the air. A successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics)
as a poison or distilled element for potions. check will open them. There is a gap that is just large
enough for a medium creature to squeeze under the
Any creature that consumes a fresh portion of the
western door.
root or drinks the water must succeed on a DC 12
Constitution saving throw or become afflicted with Creatures/NPCs
crimson fever. Two shadows lurk in a corner. The gnome was evil
Creatures/NPCs and so did not rise as a shadow himself.
Two batches of violet fungus hide here, attached to Treasure & Rewards
the eastern and western walls and hidden among the The characters find the following:
roots. The fungus has taken on a crimson hue and
blends in with the roots; until they attack, they can  Thimple’s signet ring. It is made of brass and has
only be spotted by characters that have a passive no gp value.
Perception of 14 or higher.
BONUS OBJECTIVE: RESCUE OR RECOVER THE
TALDUTH VALE ADVENTURERS
The group from the Talduth Vale originally had four
members. Thimple is one of them, but the human noble and
the human sisters remain.

11
14. Empty Chamber Treasure & Rewards
The characters find the following items of interest
Area Information amidst the wreckage:
The area has the following features:
Dimensions & Terrain. No evidence remains of  One silver goblet
this room’s original purpose. Crimson roots can be  One tarnished silver serving platter inscribed with
seen snaking out from the stonework and into the text in Ancient Netherese that reads “Property of
raw earth, though (see the description of chamber Histokle”. The name is unfamiliar unless someone
10). succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (History) check,
The wood for the eastern door has swollen shut which allows that character to recall the name as
and requires a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) one of the “lost magi of Netheril”.
check to open. A medium creature could squeeze  A small key that unlocks the door to chamber 9.
under it, though, and upon inspection it looks like
someone recently did just that. BONUS OBJECTIVE: DEAL WITH THE UNDEAD
Discovering the name “Histokle” may not mean much right
15. Grand Hall now, but it accounts for one-third of this bonus objective.

Area Information
The area has the following features: 16. Service Corridor & Stairs
Dimensions & Terrain. At some point in history Down
this was clearly a grand dining hall. The shattered
remains of five long tables and dozens of chairs lie Area Information
scattered about the chamber now. The area has the following features:
The eastern door has been sealed shut, with stone Dimensions & Terrain. This long hallway is damp,
wedges holding the door in place, as if something on and the temperature is uncomfortably warm. At the
the other side was intended to be contained. top of the spiral stairs the air becomes hot, and the
humidity makes it hard to breathe. For every hour
Creatures/NPCs spent here, the characters must succeed on a DC 12
Three zombies lurk here now. Their tattered rags Constitution saving throw or gain a level of
contain no identifiable markings that would exhaustion due to the oppressive environment.
establish who they were or how long they’ve been The western doorway shows a great many
down here – though it’s a safe bet that it’s been years scratches in a pattern like that of a humanoid hand,
at a minimum. but the grooves are far too deep in the stone for
them to be from a natural creature.
The stairs descend some twenty feet but end
abruptly as the lower levels of this lost keep have
long since collapsed and have been filled in with
rubble. Further exploration is outside the purview of
this adventure.

Creatures/NPCs
A strangely-shaped minotaur skeleton stands
sentinel at the far end of the hall. It charges as soon
as it sees a living creature.

BONUS OBJECTIVE: DEAL WITH THE UNDEAD

This is not a normal minotaur skeleton, as it is a magically-
created hybrid of a dwarf and a cow. If any of the characters
examine the bones they can easily determine the unnatural
origin, and it accounts for one-third of this bonus objective.

12
 from his NPC appendix entry that he has not already
Wrap Up shared, as well as anything he knows of his
kidnappers. He has no interest in returning to the
Once the characters have dealt with the threat of the Vale.
sick owlbear they can either return to the Laughing Bonus Objective: Deal with the Undead. What the
Unicorn Tavern or move on to other adventures. characters do with the knowledge of the buried
Main Story Objective: Deal with the Owlbear. Netherese keep is entirely up to them. If they talk to
The characters can relay to Erin the details of how the people of Ambrees about it, they aren’t
they resolved the owlbear issue. She is happy if they particularly impressed, saying “ruins litter these
incapacitated the beast, and ecstatic is the cubs are lands. They’re empty so let’s just keep the past
still alive. If the characters determined that the buried, eh?” The fact that the ruins were infused
crimson fever is the cause of the issue, she grunts with arcane runes and that the hybrid minotaur was
and says that she will “work something out shortly”. still a threat is something that may later be explored,
If the characters removed any of the owlbears from but “Histokle” is certainly worth remembering…
the lair she flies into a curse-filled tirade, as “that is
outside the natural order of things – don’t you know Treasure & Rewards
anything?!” Regardless of Erin’s disposition towards the
Bonus Objective: Rescue or Recover the Talduth characters, she is a firm believer in doing the right
Vale Adventurers. It is possible that they have thing. She hands over a delicate silver circlet that is
Anders Tharion with them; if he is alive and the decorated with arcane runes, saying that it served
characters also recovered his letters from chamber 7, her well over the years.
he is thankful and asks the characters to contact Magic Items. An old circlet of blasting is granted
Mikato for him while he recovers at the Laughing to the characters.
Unicorn Tavern. He goes on to share any information

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Adventure Rewards
Upon completing the adventure, the characters each
receive rewards based upon their accomplishments.

Advancement and Treasure

Checkpoints
The characters receive 2 advancement checkpoints
and 2 treasure checkpoints for completing the main
story objective below.
 Main Story Objective: Deal with the Owlbear
The characters receive 1 advancement checkpoint
and 1 treasure checkpoint for each bonus objective
that they complete, as follows:
 Bonus Objective A: Rescue or Recover the Talduth
Vale Adventurers
 Bonus Objective B: Deal with the Undead

Player Rewards
The characters earn the following player rewards for
completing the adventure:

Magic Item Unlock

Characters completing adventure’s main story
objective unlock this magic item.
Circlet of Blasting. This circlet looks like a simple
piece of silver jewelry. On close inspection though it
is decorated with all manner of arcane runes from
the schools of evocation and conjuration.
This item can be found in Appendix 4: Player
Handouts.

Story Awards
During this adventure, the characters may earn the
following story award:
Anders Tharion Rescued. You rescued Anders
Tharion, a young noble that had been kidnapped
from Talduth Vale. More information can be found in
Appendix 4: Player Handouts.

Dungeon Master Rewards

In exchange for running this adventure, you earn
advancement and treasure checkpoints and
downtime as though you played the adventure, but
none of the adventure’s player rewards.
However, this adventure may qualify for rewards
earned by completing DM Quests. See the ALDMG
(Adventurers League Dungeon Master’s Guide) for
more information about DM Quests.

14
Appendix 1: NPCs
The following NPCs and locations feature Erin Whicksey
prominently in this adventure. Human female, 45. Normally drunk on wheatwine,
Anders Tharion Erin is a retired ranger that lives in Ambrees. She
was a skilled tracker before she left her life of
Human male, mid-20s. The son of a nobleman from
adventure behind. She has broad shoulders and a
Talduth Vale, Anders has never wanted for anything
square jaw, and her skin is leathery and tanned from
in his life. Was kidnapped by Thimple during a
spending many years in the sun.
bard’s performance and later pressed into
Personality. She is often quite bristly and quick to
mercenary service by the twins Arrathys and
share an acidic opinion. Honest to a fault but prone
Nayima. He desperately seeks a peaceful life, and has
to gossip, it’s clear that her command of “social
a lover named Mikato (not present in adventure).
etiquette” is severely lacking.
Personality. Anxious and self-deprecating.
Ideal. I seek to bring the love of the wilderness
Attempts to help everyone if possible, even if it
into everyone’s lives. Respect the beast and live a
means over-extending himself.
better life.
Ideal. Peace isn’t a goal, but the natural order for
Bond. I value the lives of animals over most people.
life.
Flaw. I’m a gossip and share everything I’ve heard.
Bond. I see the best in everyone and form close
bonds with people, even though they aren’t always Thimple (deceased)
comfortable with it. This diminutive gnome delighted in trickery and
Flaw. I shy away from all forms of conflict. deception. He was the mastermind behind the
Arrathys & Nayima (deceased) kidnapping of Anders, and often spoke about how
they planned to ransom him back to his family in
These twin human sisters were mean and depraved
Talduth Vale. He would make frequent reference to
in life.
using poisons on unsuspecting people just to see
They were exceptionally strong and delighted in
how they’d react (“it’s just a little poison, not enough
ridiculing everyone around them but held a special –
to kill ‘em!”) and confided in Anders that he planned
if begrudging – respect for Thimple. They had dark
to betray the twins Arrathys and Nayima.
skin and claimed to be from Mulhorand. The owlbear
hunt was entirely their idea, and they pressed
Anders and Thimple in action.

15
Appendix 2: Creature Statistics
MINOTAUR SKELETON OWLBEAR
Large undead, lawful evil Large monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 67 (9d10 + 18) Hit Points 59 (7d10 + 21)
Speed 40 ft. Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 6 (−2) 8 (-1) 5 (-3) 20 (+5) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 3 (−4) 12 (+1) 7 (−2)
Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning Skills Perception +3
Damage Immunities poison Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Languages —
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Languages understands Abyssal but can’t speak Keen Sight and Smell. The owlbear has advantage on
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
Charge. If the skeleton moves at least 10 feet straight ACTIONS
toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on
Multiattack. The owlbear makes two attacks: one with
the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8)
its beak and one with its claws.
piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be
creature. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage.
pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
ACTIONS target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) slashing damage.
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one OWLBEAR CUBS
target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. The owlbear cubs in this adventure are very young and about
the size of a dog. Due to their savage instincts, they are
unsuitable as animal companions and are not able to
A STRANGELY-SHAPED MINOTAUR? participate in combat.
The minotaur here was a magical creation, crafted by an
ancient wizard as a hybrid of a dwarf and cow. As such, the CRIMSON FEVER
following adjustments are needed: The owlbear is afflicted with crimson fever for most, if not all,
 Reduce size to medium. of the adventure. This changes the owlbear’s stat block in the
 Reduce gore damage to 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing. following ways:
 Reduce charge damage to 7 (2d6) piercing.  Aggression. The owlbear has advantage on the first attack
roll that it makes on its turn.
 Bare nerves. If the owlbear takes 10 or more damage
from a single source, it must succeed on a DC 14
Constitution saving throw. Failing this saving throw causes
the owlbear to hoot loudly in pain and to have
disadvantage on its next attack.
 Consumption. If an owlbear’s opponent is reduced to 0 hit
points, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw in
order to attack a different target. If it fails, it will continue
to attack this foe until it is dead. The owlbear has
advantage on this saving throw if it can see its cubs.

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SHADOW VIOLET FUNGUS
Medium undead, chaotic evil Medium plant, unaligned
Armor Class 12 Armor Class 5
Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3) Hit Points 18 (4d8)
Speed 40 ft. Speed 5 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (−2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 6 (−2) 10 (+0) 8 (−1) 3 (−4) 1 (−5) 10 (+0) 1 (−5) 3 (−4) 1 (−5)
Skills Stealth +4 (+6 in dim light or darkness) Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; passive Perception 6
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical Languages —
attacks Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison False Appearance. While the violet fungus remains
Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, grappled, motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary
paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained fungus.
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages — ACTIONS
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Multiattack. The fungus makes 1d4 Rotting Touch
attacks.
Amorphous. The shadow can move through a space as
Rotting Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach
narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
10 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d8) necrotic damage.
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the
shadow can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the shadow has ZOMBIE
disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving Medium undead, neutral evil
throws.
Armor Class 8
ACTIONS Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9)
Strength Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach Speed 20 ft.
5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) necrotic damage,
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
and the target’s Strength score is reduced by 1d4. The
13 (+1) 6 (−2) 16 (+3) 3 (−4) 6 (−2) 5 (−3)
target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise,
the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or Saving Throws Wis +0
long rest. Damage Immunities poison
If a non-evil humanoid dies from this attack, a new Condition Immunities poisoned
shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later. Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
Languages understands the languages it knew in life
but can’t speak
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0
hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw
with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage
is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the
zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.
ACTIONS
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.

OWLBEAR ZOMBIE
Increase the zombie’s size to large, grant it maximum hit
points (33), and its slam attack becomes ‘claw’. A claw attack
deals slashing damage.

17
Appendix 3: Maps

18
Appendix 4: Player Handouts
Crimson Fever Magic Item Unlock
Crimson fever is an affliction that is localized to the Circlet of Blasting
Border Kingdoms. It is a virulent disease that causes Wondrous item, uncommon, Table F
the afflicted creature to become almost mindlessly
violent as they succumb to its ravages, and if they die This circlet looks like a simple piece of silver jewelry.
while so afflicted, they rise as zombies a tenday later. On close inspection though it is decorated with all
Any creature that consumes food or water that has manner of arcane runes from the schools of
been tainted by the arcane roots in the owlbear lair evocation and conjuration.
must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw While wearing this circlet, you can use an action to
or become afflicted with crimson fever. Each day cast the scorching ray spell with it. When you make
that they are afflicted, their Intelligence and Wisdom the spell’s attacks, you do so with an attack bonus of
scores are reduced by 1; when these scores reach 0, +5. The circlet can’t be used this way again until the
the creature dies. A creature may attempt the saving next dawn.
throw every 24 hours, and any creature that dies
while suffering from crimson fever rises as a zombie Story Awards
a tenday later. Every day that a creature is afflicted
Anders Tharion Rescued
causes their flesh to become discolored and
You rescued Anders Tharion, a young noble that had
eventually turns crimson.
been kidnapped from Talduth Vale. Whether or not
This disease is strangely immune to magical
he shows up in your later adventures remains to be
healing, but the recuperation downtime activity
seen, but he will surely remember your impact
(Player’s Handbook) is automatically successful so
regardless.
long as the character has access to fresh food and
water.

19
Appendix 5: Dungeon Master Tips
This adventure is designed for three to seven 1st- Determining Party Strength
4th level characters and is optimized for five Party Composition Party Strength
characters with an average party level (APL) of 2. 3-4 characters, APL less than Very weak
Characters outside this level range cannot 3-4 characters, APL equivalent Weak
participate in this adventure. 3-4 characters, APL greater than Average
5 characters, APL less than Weak
NEW TO D&D ADVENTURERS LEAGUE? 5 characters, APL equivalent Average
Welcome to the D&D Adventurers League! You can learn
5 characters, APL greater than Strong
more about this global organized play campaign on our
website. 6-7 characters, APL less than Average
6-7 characters, APL equivalent Strong
6-7 characters, APL greater than Very strong
NEW TO THE BORDER KINGDOMS STORYLINE?
Gamehole Con has been granted the ability to develop CCC
(Convention Created Content) adventures for the Border A NOTE ON PREREQUISITES AND OBJECTIVES
Kingdoms. No other convention or organization outside of D&D Players love to do things that their DM’s can’t possibly
Wizards of the Coast has been granted this ability. Their anticipate, and at the same time, Dungeon Masters are
region guide was written by Ed Greenwood and you can get encouraged to customize the content of our adventures,
your copy on dmsguild.com. Border Kingdoms adventures mixing and matching bits here and there to make the final
can be run just the same as any other Adventurers League- story as-played, their own.
approved content. This adventure takes place almost entirely in an
underground area, which essentially makes it a dungeon
crawl. The characters have their primary objective (deal with
NEW TO BEING THE DUNGEON MASTER? the owlbear) and will learn the secondary objectives
A plethora of great Dungeon Master advice can be found all (discover the cause of the crimson fever and deal with the
across the internet. New DMs are urged to purchase a copy undead) during their explorations. While you shouldn’t have
of the Dungeon Master’s Guide and join our Facebook (player to rearrange too many details of the various chambers, take a
group and DM group) and Twitter discussions. moment to ensure that the players are aware of these
secondary objectives so that they receive the most complete
Adjusting This Adventure gaming experience possible while they participate in this
adventure.
When combat is a possibility, the adventure will
provide a sidebar that helps you to determine the A WORD TO THE WISE
best mix/number of opponents to provide them with
Due to the loose nature of the owlbear’s lair, the characters
to create an appropriate challenge. While you’re not may (and probably will!) make decisions that you didn’t
bound to these adjustments; they’re here for your initially anticipate. Let it happen! There’s plenty of
convenience and consideration. exploration to go around, and they should have the freedom
If this adventure proves too easy for your players, and encouragement to explore the entire area.
consider increasing the owlbear’s hit points to
maximum, use smarter tactics when it attacks, or
some similar method. You may also wish to add a
second owlbear to the lair for very strong tables.
If this adventure proves too difficult for your
players, consider lower the DC of the crimson fever
saving throws by 1 or 2 and remove the owlbear’s
advantage on her first melee attack each round. For
very weak groups you could go so far as to apply
disadvantage to all of the owlbear’s melee attacks
and call it an effect of her advanced illness.
To determine whether you should consider
adjusting the adventure, add up the total levels of all
the characters and divide the result by the number
of characters (rounding .5 or greater up; .4 or less
down). This is the group’s average party level (APL).
To approximate the party strength for the
adventure, consult the table below.

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