TEXT: Producer: Baldman Games
  Hillsfar Administrator: Cindy Moore
  Development: Shawn Merwin
  Editing and Layout: Encoded Designs
  Cartography: Jay Africa
  Organized Play: Chris Lindsay 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Matt Sernett 
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall,
  Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Alan Patrick
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  arrival
  JAY AFRICA
  Adventure Designer
  Adventure Code: HILL 1-1
  Hillsfar struggles to stay aloft after the fall of First Lord Torin Nomerthal. 
  Trade is stagnant. Relations between the citizens and non-humans remain 
  strained. Tensions are rising as Sir Vuhm Yestral is unable to ease the 
  situation. The arrival of a charismatic stranger incites the populace to rebel 
  against the new ruler. A D&D Adventurers League adventure set in Hillsfar.
  A 4-hour adventure for 5th-10th level characters
  
  2
  The D&D adventurers league
  This adventure is official for D&D Adventurers 
  League play. The D&D Adventurers League is the 
  official organized play system for DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS®. Players can create characters and 
  participate in any adventure allowed as a part of 
  the D&D Adventurers League. As they adventure, 
  players track their characters’ experience, treasure, 
  and other rewards, and can take those characters 
  through other adventures that continues their story. 
   
  If you’re running this adventure as a part of a 
  store event or at certain conventions, you’ll need a 
  DCI number. This number is your official Wizards of 
  the Coast organized play identifier. If you don’t have 
  a number, you can obtain one at a store event. Check 
  with your organizer for details. 
   
  D&D Adventurers League play is broken up into 
  storyline seasons. When players create characters, 
  they attach those characters to a storyline season, 
  which determines what rules they’re allowed to 
  use to create and advance their characters. Players 
  can continue to play their characters after the 
  storyline season has finished, possibly participating 
  in a second or third storyline with those same 
  characters. A character’s level is the only limitation 
  for adventure play. A player cannot use a character 
  of a level higher or lower than the level range of a 
  D&D Adventurers League adventure. 
   
  For more information on playing, running 
  games as a Dungeon Master, and organizing games 
  for the D&D Adventurers League, please visit the 
  D&D Adventurers League home at:
  www.dndadventurersleague.org
  Preparing the adventure
   
  Before you show up to Dungeon Master this 
  adventure for a group of players, you should do the 
  following to prepare.
  • Make sure to have a copy of the most current 
  version of the D&D Basic Rules or the Player’s 
  Handbook. 
  • Read through the adventure, taking notes 
  of anything you’d like to highlight or remind 
  yourself while running the adventure, such as a 
  way you’d like to portray an NPC or a tactic you’d 
  like to use in a combat. 
  • Get familiar with the monster statistics in the 
  Appendix. 
  • Gather together any resources you’d like to 
  use to aid you in running this adventure--such 
  as notecards, a DM screen, miniatures, and 
  battlemaps. 
  • If you know the composition of the group 
  beforehand, you can make adjustments as noted 
  throughout the adventure. 
  Before Play at the Table
   
  Ask the players to provide you with relevant 
  character information:
  • Character name and level 
  • Character race and class 
  • Passive Wisdom (Perception)—the most 
  common passive ability check 
  • Anything notable as specified by the adventure 
  (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.) 
  inTroDucTion
  Welcome to arrival, a D&D adventurers league 
  adventure, Part one of the Dark intentions Trilogy
  This adventure is designed for three to seven 5th-10th level characters, and is optimized for five 6th-
  level characters. The adventure is set in the Moonsea region of the Forgotten Realms, in and around 
  the city of Hillsfar.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: INTRODUCTION
  
  3
  Players that have characters outside the 
  adventure’s level range cannot participate in 
  the adventure with those characters. Players 
  with ineligible characters can make a new 1st-level 
  character or use a pregenerated character. Players 
  can play an adventure they previously played or 
  ran as a Dungeon Master, but not with the same 
  character. 
   
  Ensure that each player has an official 
  adventure logsheet for his or her character (if not, 
  get one from the organizer). The player fills out 
  the adventure name, session number, date, and 
  your name and DCI number. In addition, the player 
  also fills in the starting values for experience, gold, 
  downtime, renown, and number of permanent 
  magic items. He or she fill in the other values and 
  write notes at the conclusion of the session. Each 
  player is responsible for maintaining an accurate 
  logsheet. 
   
  If you have time, you can do a quick scan of 
  a player’s character sheet to ensure that nothing 
  looks out of order. If you see magic items of very 
  high rarities or strange arrays of ability scores, you 
  can ask players to provide documentation for the 
  irregularities. If they cannot, feel free to restrict 
  item use or ask them to use a standard ability 
  score array. Point players to the D&D Adventurers 
  League Player’s Guide for reference. 
   
  If players wish to spend downtime days and 
  it’s the beginning of an adventure or episode, 
  they can declare their activity and spend the days 
  now. Alternatively, they can do so at the end of 
  the adventure or episode. Players should select 
  their characters’ spells and other daily options 
  prior to the start of the adventure, unless the 
  adventure specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread 
  the adventure description to help give players hints 
  about what they might face.
  adjusting the adventure
   
  Throughout this adventure, you may see sidebars 
  to help make adjustments for smaller/larger 
  groups, and characters of higher/lower levels than 
  the optimized group.  Most of the time, this is used 
  for combat encounters.
   
  You may adjust the adventure beyond the 
  guidelines given. For example, if you’re playing 
  with a group of inexperienced players, you might 
  want to make the adventure a little easier; for 
  very experienced players, you may want to make 
  it a little harder.  Therefore, five categories of 
  party strength have been created for you to use 
  as a guide. Feel free to use a different adjustment 
  during the adventure if the recommended party 
  strength feels off for the group.
   
  This adventure is optimized for a party of 
  five 6th-level characters. To figure out whether 
  you need to adjust the adventure, do the following:
  • Add up the total levels of all the characters
  • Divide the total by the number of characters
  • Round fractions of .5 or greater up; round 
  fractions of less than .5 down
  You’ve now determined the average party level 
  (APL) for the adventure.  To figure out the party 
  strength for the adventure, consult the following 
  table:
  Party Composition
  3-4 characters, APL less than
  3-4 characters, APL equivalent
  3-4 characters, APL greater than
  5 characters, APL less than
  5 characters, APL equivalent
  5 characters, APL greater than
  6-7 characters, APL less than
  6-7 characters, APL equivalent
  6-7 characters, APL greater than
  Determining PArty Strength
  Party Strength
  Very Weak
  Weak
  Average
  Weak
  Average
  Strong
  Average
  Strong
  Very Strong
  running the adventure
   
  As the Dungeon Master of the session, you have the 
  most important role in facilitating the enjoyment 
  of the game for the players. You help guide the 
  narrative and bring the words on these pages 
  to life. The outcome of a fun game session often 
  creates stories that live well beyond the play at the 
  table. Always follow this golden rule when you DM 
  for a group:
   
  Make decisions and adjudications that 
  enhance the fun of the adventure when possible. 
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: INTRODUCTION
  
  4
   
  To reinforce this golden rule, keep in mind the 
  following:
  • You are empowered to make adjustments to 
  the adventure and make decisions about how the 
  group interacts with the world of this adventure. 
  Doing so is especially important and applicable 
  outside of combat, but feel free to adjust the 
  adventure for groups that are having too easy or 
  too hard of a time. 
  • Don’t make the adventure too easy or too 
  difficult for a group. Never being challenged 
  makes for a boring game and being 
  overwhelmed makes for a frustrating one. 
  Gauge the experience of the players (not the 
  characters) with the game, try to feel out (or 
  ask) what they like in a game, and attempt to 
  give each of them the experience they’re after 
  when they play D&D. Give everyone a chance to 
  shine. 
  • Be mindful of pacing, and keep the game 
  session moving along appropriately. Watch for 
  stalling, since play loses momentum when this 
  happens. At the same time, make sure that the 
  players don’t finish too early; provide them with 
  a full play experience. Try to be aware of running 
  long or short. Adjust the pacing accordingly 
  • Read-aloud text is just a suggestion; feel free 
  to modify the text as you see fit, especially when 
  dialogue is present. 
  • Give the players appropriate hints so they can 
  make informed choices about how to proceed. 
  Players should be given clues and hints when 
  appropriate so they can tackle puzzles, combat, 
  and interactions without getting frustrated over 
  lack of information. Doing so helps to encourage 
  immersion in the adventure and gives players 
  “little victories” for figuring out good choices 
  from clues. 
  In short, being the DM isn’t about following 
  the adventure’s text word-for-word; it’s about 
  facilitating a fun, challenging game environment 
  for the players. The Dungeon Master’s Guide™ has 
  more information on the art of running a D&D 
  game.
  Downtime and lifestyle
   
  At the beginning of each play session, players must 
  declare whether or not they are spending any days 
  of downtime. The player records the downtime 
  spent on the adventure logsheet. The following 
  options are available to players during downtime 
  (see the D&D basic rules or the D&D Adventurers 
  League Player’s Guide for more information):
  • Catching up
  • Crafting (exception: multiple characters cannot 
  commit to crafting a single item) 
  • Practicing a profession 
  • Recuperating 
  • Spellcasting services 
  • Training
  Other downtime options might be available during 
  adventures or unlocked through play, including 
  faction-specific activities. 
   
  In addition, whenever a character spends 
  downtime days, that character also spends the 
  requisite expense for his or her lifestyle. Costs 
  are per day, so a character that spends ten days 
  of downtime also spends ten days of expenses 
  maintaining his or her lifestyle. Some downtime 
  activities help with lifestyle expenses or add 
  lifestyle expenses.
  Spellcasting Services
   
  Any settlement the size of a town or larger can 
  provide some spellcasting services. Characters 
  need to be able to travel to the settlement to obtain 
  these services.
   
  Spell services generally available include 
  healing and recovery spells, as well as information-
  gathering spells. Other spell services might be 
  available as specified in the adventure. The number 
  of spells available to be cast as a service is limited 
  to a maximum of three per day total, unless 
  otherwise noted.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: INTRODUCTION
  
  5
  SPellCASting ServiCeS 
  Spell   
   
   
  Cost 
  Cure wounds (1st level)   
  10 gp 
  Identify   
   
   
  20 gp 
  Lesser restoration  
   
  40 gp 
  Prayer of healing (2nd level)  
  40 gp 
  Remove curse  
   
   
  90 gp 
  Speak with dead  
   
  90 gp 
  Divination  
   
   
  210 gp 
  Greater restoration  
   
  450 gp 
  Raise dead  
   
   
  1,250 gp
  Acolyte Background 
  A character possessing the acolyte 
  background requesting spellcasting 
  services at a temple of his or her faith 
  may request one spell per day from the 
  Spellcasting Services table for free. The 
  only cost paid for the spell is the base price 
  for the consumed material component, if 
  any. 
  Disease, Death, and recovery
   
  Sometimes bad things happen, and characters get 
  poisoned, diseased, or are killed. Since you might 
  not have the same characters return from session 
  to session, here are the rules when bad things 
  happen to characters.
  Disease, Poison, and Other Debilitating Effects
  A character still affected by diseases, poisons, 
  and other similar effects at the conclusion of an 
  adventure can spend downtime days recuperating 
  until such time as he or she resolves the effect to 
  its conclusion (see the recuperating activity in the 
  D&D Basic Rules). 
   
  If a character doesn’t resolve the effect 
  between sessions, that character begins the next 
  session still affected by the debilitating effect. 
  Death 
  A character who is killed during the course of 
  the adventure has a few options at the end of the 
  session (or whenever arriving back in civilization) 
  if no one in the adventuring party has immediate 
  access to a raise dead or revivify spell, or similar 
  magic. A character subject to a raise dead spell is 
  affected negatively until all long rests have been 
  completed during an adventure. Alternatively, each 
  downtime day spent after raise dead reduces the 
  penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability 
  checks by 1, in addition to any other benefits the 
  downtime activity might provide. 
   
  Create a new 1st-level Character. If the dead 
  character is unwilling or unable to exercise any 
  of the other options, the player creates a new 
  character. The new character does not have any 
  items or rewards possessed by the dead character. 
   
  Dead Character Pays for Raise Dead. If the 
  character’s body is recoverable (it’s not missing 
  any vital organs and is mostly whole) and the 
  player would like the character to be returned to 
  life, the party can take the body back to civilization 
  and use the dead character’s funds to pay for a 
  raise dead spell. A raise dead spell cast in this 
  manner costs the character 1,250 gp. 
   
  Character’s Party Pays for Raise Dead. As 
  above, except that some or all of the 1,250 gp for 
  the raise dead spell is paid for by the party at the 
  end of the session. Other characters are under no 
  obligation to spend their funds to bring back a 
  dead party member.
   
  Faction Charity. If the character is of level 1 to 
  4 and a member of a faction, the dead character’s 
  body can be returned to civilization and a patron 
  from the faction ensures that he or she receives a 
  raise dead spell. However, any character invoking 
  this charity forfeits all experience and rewards 
  from that session (both those earned prior to and 
  after death during that session) and cannot replay 
  that episode or adventure with that character 
  again. Once a character reaches 5th level, this 
  option is no longer available.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: INTRODUCTION
  
  6
  adventure Background
   
  Hillsfar, the City of Trade, is in disarray. The Dark 
  Prince Graz’zt was banished from the Underdark 
  back to the Abyss, ending the madness that spread 
  throughout the area. The First Lord of Hillsfar, 
  Torin Nomerthal, perished under insurgents’ 
  hands, and with him also fell the second Great Law 
  of Humanity.
   
  Commandant Vuhm Yestral of the Red Plumes, 
  the military and police force of Hillsfar, has risen to 
  the position of First Lord. It falls upon his shoulders 
  to rebuild Hillsfar, drawing order out of disarray and 
  working to somehow reconcile conflicts between 
  the differing ideologies within the city. Many of the 
  City of Trade’s citizens remain deeply xenophobic—
  former First Lord Nomerthal’s ideologies and 
  propaganda having planted deep roots. As a former 
  commandant of the Red Plumes, Lord Yestral is 
  still viewed by much of the public as the face of the 
  city’s peacekeeping militia.  While Lord Yestral has 
  promoted Captain Jandra Gragdowel to the rank 
  of Commandant of the Red Plumes, it is the First 
  Lord’s name and reputation that are sullied when 
  a Red Plume patrol exhibits poor behavior toward 
  Hillsfarian or foreigner.
   
  With no signs of tensions abating in the city, 
  First Lord Yestral has made it his priority to win 
  the favor of the tradespeople. However, a recent 
  spate of civic disturbances has been causing trouble, 
  disrupting the common folks’ efforts to return to 
  everyday life. More importantly, these troubles have 
  been disrupting the commerce protected by the 
  city’s Great Law of Trade.
   
  The disturbances stem from a force at work 
  behind the scenes: Malkyn Grenefeld, the former 
  First Lord’s Chamberlain, harbors a passionate love 
  for the slain Lord Nomerthal and seeks revenge 
  on the current Lord Yestral. To that end, she has 
  made a pact with dark fey forces set on conquering 
  Cormanthor Forest. Over the past month, Grenefeld 
  has been planting misinformation, forging trade 
  records, and smuggling minions of the dark fey into 
  the city.
   
   
   
  With their forces at work within Hillsfar, the 
  dark fey are now positioned to escalate their plans 
  to capture the region. They have sent a night hag 
  named Granny Eve-canker to Hillsfar with the 
  mission of inciting dissent and rebellion. In the guise 
  of a foreign elven noble named Estrellae Moonglow, 
  Granny Eve-canker has been gathering allies within 
  the Hillsfar’s nobility.
  overview
   
  This adventure is divided into three parts.
   
  Part 1. The adventure begins with the 
  characters at the docks of Hillsfar. Trouble rears its 
  wicked head when monsters smuggled into the city 
  break out into the public. Subduing the beasts, the 
  adventurers witness open hostilities directed at 
  the hired dwarven sailors who unwittingly brought 
  the creatures into the city. The dwarves plead 
  ignorance of their dangerous cargo, but the trader 
  who hired them is nowhere to be found.
   
  Impressed by the adventurers’ actions, a 
  noble named Estrellae Moonglow invites them 
  to her home for a gathering later that day. The 
  adventurers are also approached by a Red Plume 
  guard bearing a summons for them to meet with 
  Commandant Jandra Gragdowel at Hillsfar Castle. 
  The good Commandant has a job for them.
   
  Part 2. At Hillsfar Castle, the adventurers 
  speak with Commandant Gragdowel. She believes 
  that the incidents are intentional acts of malice and 
  asks the adventurers to investigate further.
   
  As the adventurers investigate various 
  locations around the city, they meet a number of 
  individuals, root out rumors, and perhaps get into a 
  fight or two.  Attending Moonglow’s gathering, the 
  adventurers gain new insight about the growing 
  schism within the city populace. Eventually, they 
  find enough clues that point to the culprit they 
  have been searching for.
   
  Part 3. The adventurers track the culprit to 
  a recently unearthed temple just outside the city 
  walls.  There, they confront Granny Eve-canker and 
  her minions in her lair.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: INTRODUCTION
  
  7
  adventure Hooks
   
   
  Heroes of Hillsfar.  Characters who have 
  adventured in Hillsfar and the surrounding region 
  have ties there.  They have maintained their 
  presence in or have returned to the area to either 
  keep a vigilant eye out for danger or to assist with 
  the region’s recovery efforts.
   
  Remuneration in Recuperation.  Money-
  minded characters find no shortage of work in 
  Hillsfar.  Traders need guards and the rebuilding 
  efforts need labor.  Characters hiring themselves 
  out in the city can maintain a comfortable lifestyle.
   
  Faction Directive. The Factions know that 
  there is much work to be done to rebuild the City 
  of Trade.  They have directed the adventurers to 
  Hillsfar to help First Lord Vuhm Yestral keep the 
  peace.  This is particularly applicable to members 
  of the Lords’ Alliance, the Order of the Gauntlet, 
  and the Zhentarim.
   
  Breaking Through Stigma.  Both human 
  and non-human characters may be involved with 
  efforts to sway xenophobic Hillsfarians towards 
  open-mindedness. These characters speak in 
  public and seek audience with closed-minded 
  citizens in attempts to ease hostilities within the 
  populace. Harpers and members of the Emerald 
  Enclave may find this pursuit worthwhile.
  Designers notes
   
   
  On the Xenophobia of Hillsfar.  The 
  xenophobic populace of Hillsfar exhibit behavior 
  that is hostile, oppressive, and racially charged. 
  Be aware of attitudes at your table.  If portraying 
  NPCs’ xenophobia would make you or anyone at 
  your table feel uncomfortable, feel free to shift the 
  focus of the social conflict toward the politics and 
  economics of Hillsfar. Perhaps an NPC is unhappy 
  with Vuhm Yestral as the successor to Torin 
  Nomerthal. Or perhaps an NPC feels the influx of 
  new labor into Hillsfar is diverting resources or 
  employment from the long-time citizens of Hillsfar.  
  Maybe an NPC was slighted or wronged by the 
  Red Plumes and, with the Plumes being better 
  controlled by the current government, sees the 
  time as right to speak out against them. In any case, 
  feel free to paraphrase or alter any pertinent box 
  text within this adventure appropriately in order to 
  minimize or eliminate the portrayal of xenophobia, 
  should you feel the need.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: INTRODUCTION
  
  8
  Danger at The Docks
   
  Expected Duration: 30 minutes
  The adventurers find themselves at the docks of 
  Hillsfar in a tavern called the Rusty Nail.  They are 
  either taking a break from patrolling the city, are 
  taking repast, or are under the employ of the Rusty 
  Nail’s proprietor as guards (their payment having 
  been settled “off-screen”).
  General Features
  The general features of the Hillsfar docks are as 
  follows:
   
  Light and Visibility.  It is mid-morning, shortly 
  after nine bells. The sun is up but the sky is overcast, 
  setting a dreary tone to the day.
   
  Smells and Sounds.  Sweaty laborers, barrels 
  of fish, merchants haggling with sailors, hoofs 
  clattering on the pier, heated political conversation.
   
  Surrounding Activity.  The docks are relatively 
  quiet, with few trade ships in port at the moment.  
  Sailors and other hired-hands loiter, and traders and 
  merchants buy and sell wares.  Both humans and 
  non-humans linger at the Rusty Nail, conducting 
  business or looking for employment.
  The waters of the Moonsea lap lazily against 
  Hillsfar’s docks as you sit at the Rusty Nail, 
  one of two dockside taverns.  The docks of 
  Hillsfar have seen busier days.  Though built 
  to accommodate up to a dozen cargo ships, 
  a recent slowdown in trade has left the piers 
  nearly empty for the past month. Fortunately 
  for you, your reputations as adventurers 
  have provided enough opportunities for 
  employment.
   
  Three ships are currently anchored in 
  port, the one nearest the Rusty Nail unloading 
  several wagons onto the pier.  All around, 
  Hillsfarians argue loudly and openly about the 
  recent resurgence of non-humans in the city.
  Characters engaging with tavern patrons or 
  listening in on the conversations around them 
  learn the following:
  • Two local merchants debate the pros and cons 
  of the Great Law of Humanity’s dissolution.  One 
  of them blames the stagnant trade on the influx 
  of non-humans, claiming that they are driving 
  away business from both local and foreign 
  merchants who only wish to deal with the 
  human populace.  The other trader advocates the 
  return of non-humans to Hillsfar, claiming that 
  the city’s commercial troubles are the result of 
  the madness that gripped it not too long ago.
  • A group of sailors who have just returned 
  from a voyage discuss a recent spate of odd 
  occurrences: livestock falling ill and dying, 
  shipments of cargo going missing from various 
  warehouses, and wild beasts being found within 
  the city walls and terrorizing the public.  Some 
  sailors attribute these recent misfortunes to 
  the non-humans who have been allowed into 
  the city, suspecting that these troubling events 
  are acts of revenge against the city for having 
  enacted the now defunct Great Law of Humanity.
  • Nearby Red Plumes tell the story of several 
  within their ranks who went seemingly mad and 
  then abruptly passed away.
  • As the adventurers listen in on or speak with 
  the tavern patrons, there is a sudden commotion 
  outside.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 1
  ParT 1. TrouBle rearS 
  iTS WickeD HeaD
  
  9
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 1
  
  10
  Loud crashing noises and screams erupt 
  from outside and from the docks just below.  
  Panicked dockworkers scramble around 
  three wagons parked in the staging area and 
  at the edge of the pier.  Off in the distance, 
  a frightened pair of draft horses about to get 
  hitched to the wagon on the left gallops up 
  the main path toward the city.  What appear 
  to be two horse statues are hitched to the 
  center wagon.  A many-legged lizard the size 
  of a small pony takes bites out of a statue 
  of a dwarf, posed in a posture of fear and 
  gesturing towards the center wagon, the side 
  of which has been smashed open from the 
  inside.
   
  At the edge of the pier below, a third 
  wagon stands idle, a similar hole punched 
  through its side.  Two statues lay smashed 
  on the pier nearby the fearful scene, as 
  dockworkers fend off more danger.
  Two basilisks have awakened from magically-
  induced sleep and have burst from the center 
  wagon and the wagon at the edge of the pier, both 
  having been unloaded from the moored ship.  
  Frightened dockworkers flee the scene, either 
  running up the pier, taking refuge in the ship, or 
  scattering from the staging area away from the two 
  resting wagons.  A few Red Plumes assist with their 
  escape.  The basilisks have plenty of dockworkers 
  and merchants within reach (use commoner 
  stats), and unless the adventurers act fast, a 
  dockworker or merchant perishes each round, 
  either turned to stone or ravaged by the beasts.
  Tactics
  The basilisks immediately shift their attention to 
  the adventurers if the characters advance.  At the 
  start of the second round, a third basilisk awakens, 
  bursts out of the leftmost cart, and joins combat.  
  To keep combat from drawing on too long, consider 
  limiting the use of each basilisk’s petrifying gaze to 
  one character per round.
   
  Crowd. The dock is filled with workers fleeing 
  for their lives.  For the first two rounds of combat, 
  the pier and the staging area outside the Rusty 
  Nail are considered difficult terrain. In either zone, 
  ranged attacks made at a distance greater than 10 
  ft. are made at disadvantage, while attacks that 
  affect an area risk hitting civilians (use commoner 
  stats, as above). After the end of the first round, 
  the pier clears as the fleeing workers move into the 
  staging area.  After the end of the second round, 
  the staging area clears.
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  • Very weak party: Remove two 
  basilisks, add three cockatrices  that 
  begin combat by the cart on the pier
  • Weak party: Remove one basilisk, add 
  three cockatrices that begin combat by 
  the cart on the pier
  • Strong party: Add one basilisk
  • Very strong party: Add two basilisks, 
  and each basilisk has 66 HP
  Development
  Once the monsters have been defeated or subdued, 
  the adventurers hear a crowd of raised voices.
  A dozen or so dockworkers and merchants 
  drag three dwarves to the wagons.
   
  “We know you brought these monsters 
  on board that ship,” shouts one furious 
  dockhand.  “I knew they would be trouble,” 
  yells a seething merchant.  A chorus of 
  agreement and accusations follows from the 
  rest of the crowd.
   
  “We had no idea what our cargo was,” 
  pleads one of the dwarves. “We swear!  
  Find Eldeth.  She hired us for this job.” But 
  the dwarf’s voice is lost in the clamor of the 
  crowd.
  The dwarves are sincere in their claim of 
  ignorance, a DC 5 Wisdom (Insight) check 
  confirms.  It takes a DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) 
  or Charisma (Intimidation) to calm the crowd 
  and have them back away from the dwarves.  
  Otherwise, the crowd obstinately refuses to ease 
  off the dwarves.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 1
  
  11
  Whether questioned by the adventurers or 
  by the crowd, the dwarves relay the following 
  information.
  • The three dwarves were hired by another 
  dwarf named Eldeth Marblehead.  Eldeth hired 
  them just outside of Mulmaster. They were 
  desperate for work and agreed to take on the 
  job, no questions asked.
  • The ship was likewise chartered in similar 
  desperate conditions.  None of the crew knew 
  the nature of the cargo.
  • Eldeth kept to herself throughout the entire 
  journey, so no one knows anything about her.  In 
  the heat of the struggle against the monsters, she 
  seems to have disappeared.
  After a few minutes of interrogation, a squad of 
  Red Plumes arrives. They break up the crowd, take 
  the dwarves into custody, and march them off to 
  Hillsfar Castle for questioning. As the Red Plumes 
  leave with the dwarves, the adventurers are 
  approached by a stranger.
   
  An elven noblewoman approaches you 
  gracefully. She is dressed in vibrant violet 
  robes adorned with rich green trim, matching 
  green gloves gracing her hands.
   
  “Greetings.  My name is Estrellae,” she 
  says as she extends a hand to you.  A small, 
  velvet pouch rests in her outstretched palm.  
  “You deserve this… for saving the day.”
  The pouch contains a reward of platinum pieces 
  (see Treasure below), and Estrellae gives it to the 
  adventurers without hesitation.
  Roleplaying Estrellae Moonglow
  Elven noble Estrellae Moonglow is one of 
  several personas Granny Eve-canker has 
  taken in her efforts to sow dissent in Hillsfar. 
  (Eldeth Marblehead being another).
   
  As Estrellae, she is graceful, poised, 
  well-spoken, and speaks in calming tones.  
  She claims to be new to Hillsfar, having only 
  moved recently from Sembia to capitalize 
  on the trade opened up by the recently 
  dismissed Great Law of Humanity.  Estrellae 
  wears her emerald kidgloves (see Rewards at 
  the end of this adventure for a description of 
  this magic item), making her prone to giving 
  compliments and being generous.
   
  Granny Eve-canker is a night hag 
  from the Border Forest to the west of the 
  Moonsea.  She is horrific in appearance, 
  shrill of voice, and wicked in demeanor.  She 
  hides all this when she takes the form of 
  Estrellae.  More details about role-playing 
  Granny Eve-canker can be found in Part 3 
  later in this adventure.
  Estrellae asks the characters to visit her at her 
  home just north of the Vault of Swords, where 
  the noblewoman is hosting a small gathering.  
  Based on the valor the characters just displayed, 
  she would like the characters to attend as special 
  guests.  She hands them a paper invitation written 
  in green ink, then excuses herself, citing business 
  to take care of at home before the guests arrive.
   
  As she walks away, a Red Plume guard 
  approaches the adventurers.  The guard tells the 
  characters that Commandant Jandra Gragdowel, 
  the new leader of the Red Plumes, wishes to speak 
  with them at Hillsfar Castle.  Gragdowel would like 
  to recruit the adventurers for a special assignment.  
  The guard asks that the adventurers go see the 
  Red Plume leader at once, handing each a writ 
  that grants free passage into Hillsfar Castle for the 
  purpose of speaking with the commandant.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 1
  
  12
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 1
  XP and Intrigue Awards
  If the characters successfully calm the crowd in 
  defense of the dwarves, award each character 100 
  XP.
   
  Characters that interact warmly, flatteringly, 
  or otherwise positively with Estrellae receive 
  1 Hillsfar Dissidents Intrigue Point (see the 
  Intrigue sidebar). Characters who interact rudely, 
  dismissively, or otherwise negatively receive no 
  Intrigue Points.
  Treasure
  Estrellae gives the adventurers a small pouch filled 
  with 20 platinum pieces (equivalent to 200 gp) for 
  their display of bravery against the monsters.
  Intrigue
  Over the course of this adventure, characters 
  can earn the favor of two different and 
  conflicting political circles jockeying 
  for influence in Hillsfar: the Hillsfar 
  Government and the Hillsfar Dissidents.
   
  The Hillsfar Government group supports 
  First Lord Vuhm Yestral and works toward 
  repairing the City of Trade through the 
  power of the current administration.
   
  The Hillsfar Dissidents are a cadre of 
  nobles, traders, merchants, and guild leaders 
  who are actively amassing support against 
  the current government.  Their aim is to 
  unseat First Lord Yestral and his supporters 
  in order to put their own leaders into power.
   
  As the characters interact with various 
  individuals in this adventure, they will gain 
  Intrigue Points in categories matching 
  the two political circles.  At the end of the 
  adventure, the number of Intrigue Points 
  each character bears will determine which 
  political circle finds them more favorable.  
  Their Intrigue Points may also determine 
  how particular NPCs react to them.
   
  Whenever the adventure text indicates 
  that characters earn Intrigue Points, tell the 
  respective players which category applies 
  and how many they receive.
  
  13
  Hillsfar castle
   
  Expected Duration: 15 minutes
  The adventurers arrive at Hillsfar Castle.
  General Features
  The general features of Hillsfar Castle are as follows:
   
  Light and Visibility.  The sky remains overcast.  
  Windows and arrow slits allow sunlight to enter the 
  castle halls.  Wall mounted lamps cast light in halls 
  and rooms as needed.
   
  Sounds.  Red Plumes marching in the hallways, 
  city officials dealing with the public within various 
  offices, individuals debating politics, the dull thrum 
  of the protesting crowd outside bleeding through 
  the castle walls.
   
  Surrounding Activity.  The usual activity within 
  the castle walls consists of officials and scribes 
  tending to the day-to-day functions of the city, Red 
  Plumes patrolling the grounds, servants taking care 
  of the castle’s many rooms, and other civic matters.
  Hillsfar Castle is an unusual but grand 
  and beautiful building.  A mishmash of 
  primarily human architecture with elements 
  adopted from the styles of other races, 
  the castle stands as a symbol of a previous 
  government’s desire to distance itself from 
  the xenophobia of the original Great Law of 
  Humanity.
   
  Its gates are mobbed by locals and 
  foreigners loudly protesting the current 
  administration’s inability to improve the city’s 
  situation.  A platoon of Red Plumes keeps 
  the crowd at bay, clearing a path to the 
  castle’s gates and allowing you entry.  You 
  are led to a large office, the far end of which 
  is occupied by an imposing and intricately 
  carved wooden desk.  On the far side of the 
  desk sits Red Plume Commandant Jandra 
  Gragdowel. 
  Roleplaying Commandant Jandra 
  Gragdowel
  Jandra, a human in her mid-30s, is small but 
  bears an imposing presence. She is young for 
  her position and places the highest stakes on 
  her success.  She has sharp features, raven 
  black hair, and is physically fit.  She is to-the-
  point and all business when working.
  Gragdowel shares the information below with the 
  adventurers.
  • The past month has been difficult on the new 
  Hillsfarian government.  In the midst of recovery 
  from the recently quelled demonic activity, 
  troublesome events have been occurring at 
  various places of commerce.  These disturbances 
  are frightening merchants away to the degree 
  that local traders are being forced to make their 
  deals at other locations outside the city, and 
  much of the labor force is losing opportunities 
  for work.
  • Local peacekeeping forces have their hands 
  tied with a number of matters (city rebuilding, 
  re-establishing Yulash, patrolling the outskirts, 
  etc.) and don’t have the manpower to deal with 
  these recent events.
  • The situation has greatly strained First 
  Lord Yestral’s reputation. Gragdowel is a loyal 
  supporter of the new First Lord and knows that 
  he is doing everything within his resources to 
  restore Hillsfar.
  Having relayed the circumstances, Commandant 
  Gragdowel asks the adventurers to investigate the 
  latest disturbances and gives them the following 
  details.  The adventurers may have already heard 
  of these depending on who they spoke to or 
  eavesdropped on in the docks.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  ParT 2.
  HillSfar exPloreD
  
  14
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  • Earlier this morning, a herd of sheep were 
  found dead in a livestock trading house located 
  within the Merchants Quarter.  This is one of 
  several recent cases of animals mysteriously 
  passing away.
  • Crates of spices vanished from one of the 
  dockside warehouses the night before.  The 
  entrance was broken into, but the trail ran cold 
  just outside of the building.
  • Several Red Plumes have died after bouts of 
  madness.  It was previously thought that this 
  madness was part of the epidemic that stemmed 
  from the demonic presence of the Dark Prince 
  Graz’zt.  The rest of the populace has recovered, 
  however, and Commandant Gragdowel believes 
  that the recent inflictions on the Red Plumes are 
  more than just coincidence.  Another case was 
  reported several days ago.  The afflicted Red 
  Plume is currently bedridden at a guardhouse 
  by the city gates, where his companions wait 
  helplessly for him to die.
  • A grick burst out of a well by the Thayan 
  Enclave in the south side of the city a tenday ago.  
  A number of the Faithful of Tempus from the 
  nearby Vault of Swords responded to the threat 
  and killed the creature, but not before it killed 
  and injured several citizens.
  • It is highly unlikely that these disturbances are 
  happening by chance.  Commandant Gragdowel 
  suspects that there are hidden forces at work 
  behind these events.  With so much happening, 
  surely some clues must have been left behind 
  somewhere.
  These are only the most recent in a string of similar 
  events that have plagued Hillsfar over the past 
  month.  To facilitate their investigation, Gragdowel 
  gives the adventurers a writ of her endorsement and 
  a city map noting the various locations above.
   
  Gragdowel offers the adventurers a payment 
  of 500 gp up front (see Treasure below) to be split  
  The party can earn an additional 500 gp should they 
  succeed in apprehending a culprit (for a total of 
  reward of 1,000 gp).
   
  If asked about Estrellae Moonglow, Gragdowel 
  gives an exasperated look.  She reveals the following 
  to the adventurers:
  • Estrellae is new to Hillsfar, having taken up 
  residence within the city about a tenday ago.
  • A merchant by trade, she has been quite 
  successful in doing business in the city despite 
  the stagnant commerce.  Because of this, she has 
  gained the admiration of the nobility.
  • Over the past five days, she has been publicly 
  speaking out against the First Lord.  She accuses 
  him of caring only for his own comfort, citing the 
  dwindling trade that plagues the city while Lord 
  Yestral sits insulated within the Tower of the 
  First Lord.
  Only if an Insight check is requested by a player 
  should you have a character roll one.  A successful 
  DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that 
  Gragdowell is leaving something out.  With that, 
  only a successful DC 25 Charisma (Intimidate or 
  Persuasion) check will get her to admit it.  She will 
  lie, and say that there is bad blood between them 
  and that it is rather personal.  Nothing will convince 
  her to confide in the characters.
   
  If any of the characters mention being invited 
  into Estrellae’s home, Gragdowel encourages them 
  to accept the invitation, asking them to report back 
  with whatever talk they might hear.  Characters who 
  agree to this request receive 2 Hillsfar Government 
  Intrigue Points.
  
  15
  Moving Forward
  At this point, the adventurers have a number 
  of areas they can visit.  For a four-hour game 
  session, the characters are expected to visit 
  Estrellae Moonglow’s Home, plus investigate 
  two of the leads below.  If the session is 
  running without time constraints, the players 
  may opt to explore more locations.
  • The livestock trading house in the 
  Merchants Quarter
  • The warehouse at the docks (additionally, 
  they may think to re-visit the scene of the 
  basilisk attack in Part 1)
  • The Red Plume guardhouse by the city 
  gates
  • The well by the Thayan Enclave
  • Estrellae Moonglow’s home
  The following sections detail what the players 
  find at each of the areas above.
  Treasure 
  Commandant Gragdowel gives the adventurers a 
  sack containing 500 gp.
  The Merchants Quarter
  Expected Duration: 15 minutes
  Chattering voices fill the air in the Merchants 
  Quarter.  In the past, the voices mostly 
  belonged to merchants and traders haggling 
  over assorted goods.  Lately, though, the 
  majority of voices belong to laborers milling 
  about the quarter’s streets hoping to find 
  employment.
   
  You come upon a squat, barn-like 
  building.  Livestock neigh, bleat, and cluck 
  from within, while the pungent smell of 
  animal hide fills your nostrils.
   
  The proprietor greets the adventurers warmly 
  and welcomes them to look around.  The trade 
  house is a large, open building, the inside of which 
  is divided into six large animal enclosures.  The 
  carcasses of the sheep have been removed.
  As the adventurers look around the trade house, 
  a sprite named Gillun Glimmersting materializes 
  before the character with the highest Charisma.  The 
  lone sprite relays the following tale.
  • Gillun and three other sprites were captured 
  by strange spider-like creatures some weeks ago 
  as they cavorted in the woods of Cormanthor.
  • His friends are being held in an abandoned 
  shop not far from the trade house and have been 
  promised a grisly end if Gillun doesn’t do as their 
  captors command.
  • The captors have been sending him out to 
  poison animals throughout the city.  Gillun’s 
  powers of invisibility allow him to get into 
  animal pens, and his poison-tipped arrows are 
  small enough to escape notice.
  If asked why the sprite revealed himself to the 
  adventurers, he says that he saw good intentions 
  in the characters’ hearts.  He implores the party to 
  rescue his friends.  If the adventurers hesitate, he 
  entices them with talk of treasure the captors had 
  accumulated.  A DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check 
  confirms the sprite’s truthfulness.  If the party 
  agrees to the rescue mission, Gillun directs them to 
  the abandoned shop, a nondescript building built 
  against the city’s south wall.
  The Hostage-Takers’ Hideout
  The hideout is a forgotten and largely ignored 
  building set back from the other buildings in the 
  area.  It currently houses a number of creatures 
  Estrellae smuggled into the city.  The windows are 
  shuttered and the doors are locked from inside.
   
  The front door opens to a vestibule, which in 
  turn opens to the main room of the house.  A human 
  spy and a bugbear keep begrudging company as 
  they watch over three ettercaps in this main room.  
  A door in the room’s southern wall leads into what 
  was once a kitchen, where a second bugbear is 
  stationed.
   
  Three sprites (Gillun’s friends) are bound 
  within webbing that the ettercaps have spun in the 
  western half of the room.  These web-filled areas are 
  difficult terrain.  A creature entering a webbed area 
  for the first time on a turn or starting its turn there 
  must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw 
  or become restrained by the webs.  A restrained 
  creature can use its action to try to escape, doing 
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  
  16
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  
  17
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  so with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) 
  check.  Each 10-foot cube of webbing has AC 10, 
  15 hit points, vulnerability to fire, and immunity to 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic damage.
   
  Like the front entrance, the rear entrance opens 
  up to a vestibule that then opens up to the kitchen.  
  A door on the north wall of the kitchen leads to the 
  house’s main room.
   
  The spy and the bugbears are biding their time, 
  waiting for the command to set the ettercaps loose 
  on the populace.
   
  Gillun discourages a direct or loud approach, 
  saying that anything that alerts the miscreants 
  inside may result in harm befalling his sprite 
  friends.  Encourage creative thinking and let the 
  characters decide how to approach the hideout 
  and deal with the situation.  It is possible to parlay 
  with the human, but more difficult to do so with the 
  bugbears.
  Adjusting the Encounter
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  • Very weak party: Remove two bugbears 
  and one ettercap, and the spy flees combat 
  rather than participating
  • Weak party: Remove one bugbear
  • Strong party: Replace the spy with a 
  bugbear chief
  • Very strong party: Replace the spy with 
  a half-black dragon veteran and add an 
  ettercap
  Development
  The spy, bugbears, and ettercaps attack the 
  adventurers on sight unless the characters give 
  them a compelling reason not to.  If combat occurs, 
  the bugbears and ettercaps fight to the death, but 
  the spy attempts to escape when the battle goes 
  badly for his side.
   
  If the party succeeds in overcoming the house’s 
  occupants and freeing the trapped sprites, Gillun 
  is grateful.  He reveals a small chest wrapped up in 
  the webbing containing the treasures below, a deed 
  to the house signed by First Lord Yestral himself, 
  and handout 1. If the players found handout 1 
  at another location earlier in this adventure, they 
  instead find handout 2.
   
  Gillun and the other sprites leave the city and 
  return to the forest of Cormanthor if freed.
   
  The bugbears and ettercaps were brought into 
  the city by a dwarf named Eldeth Marblehead and 
  taken straight into the hideout. The spy was hired 
  by Marblehead, who claimed to somehow be in 
  league with First Lord Yestral’s forces (this is false 
  but he does not know that).  The deed to the hideout 
  signed by the First Lord himself was proof enough.
  XP and Intrigue Awards
  If the characters successfully free the sprites, 
  award each character 100 XP.
   
  If the characters capture any of the creatures 
  in the hideout and turn them in either to Hillsfar 
  Castle or to the Red Plumes, they each receive 1 
  Hillsfar Government Intrigue Point.  If the spy 
  escapes, they each receive 1 Hillsfar Dissidents 
  Intrigue Point.
  Treasure
  The small chest hidden in the webs contains a burl 
  wood sculpture of a goat’s head with milky pearls 
  for eyes (worth 40 gp) and 3 small coin purses 
  each containing 20 gp.  Stitched on the coin purses 
  in green thread are the words, “With love, Granny.”
   
  Additionally, the adventurers find a potion of 
  greater healing.  If they were awarded the potion of 
  greater healing previously during this adventure, 
  they instead find a potion of acid resistance.  If both 
  potions were awarded previously, they simply find 
  the sculptures and coin purses. 
  
  18
  The Docks revisited
  Expected Duration: 20 to 30 minutes
  The docks have grown silent since you were 
  last here.  The wagons that carried the 
  deadly cargo remain, as do the two petrified 
  horses and the partially-eaten stone dwarf.
   
  Characters who inspect the wagons and 
  succeed in a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) 
  check find pieces of parchment glued inside the 
  crates.  Spellcasters, characters who are proficient 
  in Arcana, or who use detect magic on the 
  parchment pieces sense the dwindling presence 
  of enchantment magic—the parchment pieces are 
  remnants of sleep wards that kept the monsters 
  contained.
  The Dockside Warehouse
  Red Plumes stand stationed at the dockside 
  warehouse’s broken doors, guarding the 
  goods within.
  If the adventurers question the guards, they learn 
  the following details:
  • The crates of spices arrived at the warehouse 
  yesterday afternoon, shortly before the 
  warehouse was locked for day. When the 
  warehouse foreman arrived this morning, the 
  door was broken down and the spices gone.
  • While the crates of spices were the only items 
  stolen, although several other crates being 
  stored were moved, as if the perpetrators were 
  searching for something.
  General Features
  The general features of the Dockside Warehouse are 
  as follows:
   
  Light and Visibility.  The windows are 
  shuttered, allowing only dim inside through slits 
  and cracks.  The only other light entering the 
  warehouse comes through the broken door.
   
  Smells and Sounds.  Wooden crates, dust, 
  ambient noise from the docks outside.
  Investigating the Warehouse
  Have the characters make DC 10 Wisdom 
  (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check.  
  Each character who succeeds notices one of the 
  following details:
  • Several sets of scrapes indicate that crates 
  were dragged back and forth across the floor 
  between the broken door and the interior of the 
  warehouse. There are no signs that point to any 
  crates being removed from the warehouse.
  • The southwestern corner of the warehouse 
  shows more signs of crates being moved around, 
  although no crates actually occupy that area.
  The broken door is a red herring.  The thieves came 
  in through a tunnel underneath the warehouse.
   
  Characters investigating the southwestern corner 
  of the warehouse find a series of loose boards.  The 
  boards lift up to reveal an unlit tunnel that descends 
  westward towards the city.  The tunnel is large 
  enough to accommodate the missing shipping crates. 
  A trail of flattened earth on the tunnel floor indicates 
  something heavy was dragged through the tunnel.  
  The drag marks obscure any footprints that might 
  have been left, indicating that the item was pulled 
  down the tunnel.
   
  The tunnel extends 100 feet westward from the 
  warehouse and descends 15 feet before leveling off.  
  From there it extends another 200 feet west, where it 
  opens into a 30-foot-wide, 80-foot-long, torch-lit cave.
   
  The point where the tunnel meets the cave is 
  trapped with a glyph of warding cast by Granny 
  Eve-canker.  Her hired thugs know the passphrase 
  (“By the full moon’s glow”).  The ward requires a 
  successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check to 
  detect and triggers if a creature gets within 5 feet of 
  it.  It can only be removed by triggering it, speaking 
  the passphrase, or by casting dispel magic on it.
   
  If triggered, the ward erupts with magical 
  energy in a 20-foot radius sphere centered on the 
  glyph.  Each creature within that radius must make 
  a successful DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 
  22 (5d8) thunder damage as a painfully deafening 
  cackle fills the area.  Characters that succeed on the 
  saving throw take only half damage.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  
  19
  The Smugglers’ Cave
  The cave is full of crates and barrels stolen 
  from various locations around the city.  Another 
  tunnel opening on the far wall of the cave (80 
  feet from where the characters enter) extends 
  northwest 300 feet and ascends 100 feet to the 
  city above.  The tunnel exits out to a walled-off 
  property in the eastern quarter of the city near an 
  inn called the Diamond in the Dung.  Old planks 
  from a demolished building conceal the tunnel 
  entrance from public view.  Signs plastered on the 
  surrounding wall declare the property as having 
  been seized in the name of First Lord Yestral.
   
  A single thug lies snoring amidst a stack of 
  crates, about 40 feet from where the adventurers 
  enter.  If the characters trigger the glyph of warding, 
  the noise awakens the thug, who grabs a nearby 
  torch and attempts to escape via the western tunnel 
  leading up to the city.
   
  If the characters do not trigger the trap, they 
  can sneak up on the sleeping thug.  An opposed 
  Dexterity (Stealth) check against the Thug’s passive 
  Perception of 10 allows a character to get to the 
  thug without waking him.  Since the thug is asleep, 
  characters making this check do so with advantage.  
  A failed check wakes the thug, who then attempts to 
  flee the scene.
   
  If the adventurers take chase, feel free to run it 
  as you see fit, calling for ability and skill checks as 
  needed.  If the thug makes it out of the tunnel, he 
  tosses the torch aside, bursts through the panels 
  concealing the entrance, exits the property walls, 
  and disappears into the crowd.
  Development
  If the thug is captured, the characters can learn the 
  following information from him with a successful 
  DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidate) check:
  • He is part of a crew hired by a dwarf named 
  Eldeth Marblehead to steal goods from various 
  businesses and warehouses around Hillsfar.
  • First Lord Vuhm Yestral is working with 
  Marblehead and has provided property in which 
  the stolen goods can be stored before being 
  transported to The First Lord’s Tower (this is 
  false, but they do not know that).
  • His crew was given partial payment for 
  their services up front, with a greater bounty 
  promised upon completion of the job.  They 
  were to collect payment from Marblehead just 
  outside the city at a place called the Outcast’s 
  Sanctuary.
  • The passphrase to gain access to the Sanctuary 
  is “Granny loves all her children”.
  Characters who search the cave find Handout 1 
  where the thug laid sleeping.  If the players found 
  Handout 1 at another location, they instead find 
  Handout 2.
  XP and Intrigue Awards
  If the adventurers capture the thug, award each 
  character 100 XP.
   
  Additionally, if the characters capture the thug 
  and turn him in to the Red Plumes, they each receive 
  1 Hillsfar Government Intrigue Point.  If the thug 
  escapes, they receive no intrigue points for this 
  encounter.
  Treasure
  A pouch containing 100 gp sits by the area where 
  the thug laid sleeping.  The crates in the cave contain 
  sundry supplies that are not valuable.
   
  Additionally, the adventurers find a potion of 
  greater healing by the pouch of gold pieces.  If they 
  were already awarded the potion of greater healing 
  during this adventure, they instead find a potion of 
  acid resistance.  If both potions were awarded, they 
  simply find the pouch.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  
  20
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  The red Plume Guardhouse
  Expected Duration: 30 to 40 minutes
  A rowdy crowd stands protesting by the 
  Red Plume guardhouse at the city gates. 
  Hillsfarians shout epithets at non-humans 
  entering the city and at the Red Plumes who 
  are allowing them passage.  A number of 
  protestors lead a scathing chant against First 
  lord Yestral.
   
  Pushing through crowds of protestors, 
  you make your way into the guardhouse to 
  see the afflicted Red Plume.
  The adventurers are led to an infirmary towards the 
  rear of the station, where a dressed-down human 
  male lies tied to a bed.  The lieutenant on duty, a 
  human female guard named Alis Maerr, introduces 
  the sick individual as Dern Gelnacht and recounts 
  the details below to the adventurers.
  • Seven days ago, Dern reported having trouble 
  sleeping.  He was fine for a few days afterward, 
  but his condition deteriorated until one night 
  he attacked and injured several of his fellow 
  Red Plumes. During the attack he ranted about 
  how someone called “Granny” was telling him to 
  punish the “bad, bad Red Plumes.”
  • Alis shows the characters a heavily bandaged 
  arm, revealing that she was one of the Plumes 
  injured during the attack.  This is painful 
  for her to report, as she and Dern have been 
  romantically involved for some time now.
  • Dern continues to ramble madly about “doing 
  what Granny says” and maliciously about “the 
  wicked people running Hillsfar.”
  • Five other Red Plumes had been struck by such 
  madness over the past weeks, though Dern’s is 
  the first time someone was driven to violence.
  Characters who look around or who have a 
  passive Perception of 10 or higher notice a small, 
  clothbound journal sitting on the side table by 
  Dern’s bedside.
  What’s Going On With These Red Plumes?
  Dern and the other afflicted Red Plumes were 
  being visited in their sleep by an ethereal 
  Granny Eve-canker, falling prey to her 
  nightmare haunting ability, which she uses 
  to plant horrible and extreme thoughts into 
  her victims’ heads.  Granny despises the Red 
  Plumes, seeing them as one of the forces that 
  upheld the Great Law of Humanity, whether 
  actively or not.  During her final visit to Dern 
  three nights ago, Granny cast a ritual on his 
  body, the effect of which is about to manifest in 
  front of the adventurers.
   
  A few minutes into the conversation with Alis, 
  Dern lets out a loud wail, moaning over and over 
  again that “Granny won’t come visit anymore.  I 
  need to see her at the Outcast’s Sanctuary!”  Shortly 
  after, his body violently convulses for a few seconds, 
  and then he dies.  No amount of healing, magical or 
  otherwise, prevents this.
   
  Characters who examine Dern’s body and 
  succeed in a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception or Medicine) 
  check notice a churning motion in the dead Plume’s 
  stomach and some sort of black ooze leaking from 
  his ears.  Characters who do not examine the body 
  or who fail the check are caught surprised as a black 
  pudding magically bursts out of the dead body and 
  attacks.  As this happens, a feeling of dread fills the 
  room as Dern’s spirit, corrupted by Granny Eve-
  canker’s influence, appears as a wraith.
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  • Very weak party: Replace the black 
  pudding with a swarm of insects 
  (centipedes) that bursts out of Dern
  • Weak party: Replace the black pudding 
  with two swarms of insects (centipedes) 
  that burst out of Dern
  • Strong party: Add one black pudding
  • Very strong party: Add two black 
  puddings
  
  21
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  Tactics
  The wraith and black pudding fight to the death.
   
  In the third round of combat, two Red 
  Plume guards rush onto the scene.  They can 
  either participate in combat, rush out to call for 
  reinforcements, or drag unconscious characters 
  out of the room.  If one of the Plumes leaves to call 
  for reinforcements, a squad of 6 Red Plume guards 
  arrives to help two rounds later.
   
  If Alis is in the room, the wraith targets her first 
  at the start of combat for an easy kill, then uses its 
  create specter ability on its next turn to summon 
  an ally from Alis’ body.  It does this when the other 
  guards arrive at the scene as well.
  Development
  If the party succeeds in defeating the ooze and the 
  undead, Alis (if she survived) and the other Red 
  Plumes express their gratitude. Alis pulls a necklace 
  from around her neck and gives it to the players as a 
  token reward.  If Alis perished during combat, a Red 
  Plume officer instead gives the characters a reward 
  of gold pieces (see Treasure below for details 
  regarding either reward).
   
  If the adventures examine the journal by Dern’s 
  bedside, hand the players handout 3.
  XP and Intrigue Awards
  If the adventurers keep Alis and the other Red Plumes 
  from being killed, award each character 100 XP.
   
  Additionally, each character receives 2 Hillsfar 
  Government Intrigue Points.  If Alis or any of the 
  other Red Plumes perished, they do not receive the 
  extra 100 XP or Intrigue Points for this encounter.
  Treasure
  Alis’ necklace is a gold pendant mounted with 
  semiprecious stones worth 100 gp.  It was a gift from 
  Dern and has their intertwined initials carved onto 
  its face.  If Alis dies and the adventurers get the gold 
  piece reward instead, they receive 100 gp.
   
  Additionally, one of the grateful Red Plumes gives 
  the adventurers a potion of greater healing.  If they 
  were already awarded the potion of greater healing 
  during this adventure, they instead receive a potion 
  of acid resistance.  If both potions were awarded they 
  simply receive the necklace or the gold pieces.
  The Well
  Expected Duration: 30 to 40 minutes
  The sounds of heated debate greet your ears 
  as you arrive at the portion of the city just 
  outside the Thayan Enclave.  A tradesperson 
  and a Red Wizard stand in the middle of a 
  rapt audience arguing over the dissolution 
  of the Great Law of Humanity.  The crowd 
  maintains its distance from the well from 
  which the grick burst, where two Red Plumes 
  stand guard.
  If the adventurers question the guards, they learn 
  the information below.
  • This well was once a popular gathering place, 
  where Hillsfarians would socialize as they drew 
  water.  Just over a week ago, the well’s water 
  level began to subside.  No one thought anything 
  about it, expecting the water to rise again in 
  time.
  • A few days later, a grick emerged from the 
  well and attacked the crowd.  Stalwarts from the 
  nearby Vault of Swords (the temple of Tempus) 
  rushed to the scene and got to work subduing 
  the creature.  The monster was killed, but it 
  killed and injured a number of citizens.
  • Nothing has emerged since, but reports of odd 
  sounds coming out of the well (crumbling rocks, 
  splashing noises in the water) convinced the 
  authorities to post guards during daylight hours.
  
  22
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  
  23
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  Descent Into Darkness
  The well is 50 feet deep, with a few inches of water 
  remaining at the bottom.  Sunlight penetrates 30 
  feet down into the well and darkness fills the rest 
  of the distance.  Characters with darkvision or who 
  lower a light source down the shaft can see that a 
  portion of the well’s bottom wall has been smashed, 
  revealing a passageway beyond.
   
  The opening at the bottom of the well leads 
  into a tunnel that extends 300 feet ahead before 
  connecting to a large catch basin that is part of 
  the city sewer system.  As adventurers approach 
  the catch basin, they hear two voices in discussion 
  echoing through the tunnel.  Characters succeeding 
  on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check can pick out 
  the following phrases:
  •	“Watch yourself. One bite from these things will 
  leave you sick for days.”
  •	“Keep	your	crossbow	handy	as	I	open	the	flood	
  gate. I don’t want that big one getting any ideas…”
  •	“With these things loose in the sewers, I can’t 
  wait to get out of here.  No wonder that dwarf 
  wanted to meet outside the city walls.”
  The tunnel ends at an opening in the catch basin’s 
  western wall, 6 feet above a ledge.  The ledge sits 
  1 foot above the water level and spans the entire 
  width of the wall.  The basin itself is 40 feet wide by 
  60 feet across.  The water is 2 feet deep, is difficult 
  terrain, and is filthy to the point that anything 
  submerged beneath is heavily obscured.  On the 
  eastern end of the basin is a similar ledge that spans 
  the eastern wall.  On the north end of the far ledge, 
  a ladder extends upward 10 feet into a hole in the 
  ceiling.  The ladder ascends another 30 feet through 
  a chute that ends at a sewer passageway above.  By 
  the ladder is a valve that opens flood gates built into 
  the basin’s southern wall.  Opening the flood gates 
  causes the water in the basin to drain into the rest of 
  the sewer system.
   
  Two human thugs are preparing to unleash 
  a giant constrictor snake and three swarms of 
  poisonous snakes into the city’s sewers to wreak 
  havoc.  The giant constrictor snake has already 
  been released into the water. The three swarms of 
  snakes are contained in separate barrels.  One barrel 
  has already been opened and the swarm dumped 
  into the water.  When the adventurers arrive, the 
  thugs have opened the remaining two barrels and 
  are preparing to dump the swarms into the basin 
  waters.
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  • Very weak party: Replace the giant 
  constrictor snake with a crocodile, 
  remove one swarm of poisonous snakes
  • Weak party: Remove one swarm of 
  poisonous snakes
  • Strong party: Replace the giant 
  constrictor snake with a giant crocodile
  • Very strong party: Replace the giant 
  constrictor snake with three giant 
  crocodiles, remove one swarm of 
  poisonous snakes
  Tactics
  The thugs do not wish to confront the adventurers 
  and are only out to do what they’ve been paid to 
  do.  If combat starts without them having dumped 
  the two barrels of snakes, they do so at the start of 
  combat.  Then, one thug rushes to the ladder and 
  starts climbing while the other works on opening 
  the floodgates.  It takes the thug working the valve 
  two rounds using her action to open the gates.  Once 
  the floodgates are opened, the thug flees up the 
  ladder.  A thug who makes it to the top of the ladder 
  40 feet above flees into the streets of the city and 
  cannot be apprehended.
   
  The other creatures attack the characters on 
  sight and fight until defeated. Once the floodgates 
  are opened, the basin empties in two rounds. Once 
  the water has completely drained, the animals 
  escape through the now-open flood gate, diving 
  30 feet down into a larger basin that filters out 
  to the rest of the sewer system via a dozen or so 
  passageways.  Animals that escape through the flood 
  gate effectively disappear as they swim through the 
  murky waters and flee through one of the many 
  passageways out.
  
  24
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  Development
  If the thugs are captured, the characters can 
  learn the following information from them with 
  a successful DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion or 
  Intimidation) check:
  • They were part of a crew hired by a dwarf 
  named Eldeth Marblehead to release smuggled 
  animals and beasts into the sewers.
  • Marblehead specifically hired thugs aligned 
  against First Lord Yestral for one reason or other.  
  While they weren’t all keen on working with 
  a dwarf, the pay was good and her intentions 
  aligned with their own animosity against the 
  government.
  • They were given partial payment for their 
  services up front, with a greater bounty 
  promised upon completion of the job.  The thugs 
  were to collect payment from Marblehead at 
  someplace called the Outcast’s Sanctuary (show 
  the players handout 2).
  • The passphrase to gain access to the Sanctuary 
  is “Granny loves all her children.”
  If the thugs are killed, the adventurers find a 
  roughly-drawn map on one of them.  If the thugs 
  escaped, the adventurers instead find a satchel 
  containing the map and the treasure below on the 
  far ledge, left behind in the thugs’ flight.
  XP and Intrigue Awards
  If the adventurers capture either or both of the 
  thugs, award each character 100 XP.
   
  Additionally, if the characters capture either or 
  both of the thugs and turn them in either to Hillsfar 
  Castle or to the Red Plumes, they each receive 1 
  Hillsfar Government Intrigue Point.  If both of the 
  thugs escape, they receive no intrigue points for this 
  encounter.
  Treasure
  Each thug carries a coin purse containing 50 gp.
   
  Additionally, one of the thugs carries a potion 
  of greater healing.  If they were already awarded 
  the potion of greater healing during this adventure, 
  the thug instead carries a potion of acid resistance.  
  If both potions were awarded, the thug carries the 
  coin purse only.
   
  If the thugs escaped, the treasures are instead 
  found in the satchel that was left behind.
  estrellae Moonglow’s Home
  Expected Duration: 25 minutes
  Estrellae’s home in the north side of the city 
  is humble for a noble’s dwelling.  A servant 
  leads you into an atrium where a small crowd 
  has already gathered.  Estrellae stands in the 
  center of a garden loudly criticizing the First 
  Lord.  Choruses of approval issue from the 
  crowd as they listen to her speech.
  General Features
  The general features of Estrellae’s home are as 
  follows:
   
  Light and Visibility.  The atrium is open to the 
  sky and is brightly lit by natural light.
   
  Sights.  The house is not large, but is 
  comfortable and stylish.  Fine furniture speaks of 
  Estrellae’s financial status.  The guests come from 
  various walks of Hillsfarian life, from middle-class 
  laborers to upper-class elites.
   
  Smells and Sounds.  The aroma of flowers, the 
  scent of food wafting from the kitchen, servants 
  milling about the guests passing out hors d’oeuvres, 
  discussions about city politics, complaints against 
  the First Lord.
  Seeds of Dissent
  When the adventurers arrive, Estrellae stops her 
  speech and welcomes the party, presenting them 
  to the crowd.  If the characters are bedraggled 
  from other exploits during this adventure, neither 
  Estrellae nor the guests acknowledge this, knowing 
  well that such is the state of adventurers sometimes.
   
  The crowd is composed entirely of Hillsfar 
  Dissidents, individuals who oppose First Lord 
  Yestral’s administration.  The reasons for these 
  oppositions are varied, and some oppose it more 
  vehemently than others.
   
  Characters who socialize with Estrellae or the 
  Dissidents or who eavesdrop on the surrounding 
  conversations hear the opinions and rumors:
  • The state of Hillsfar has hardly improved 
  since Yestral ascended to the title of First Lord.  
  While trouble did abound during First Lord 
  Nomerthal’s rule, the city prospered.
  
  25
  • The dissolution of the Great Law of Humanity 
  was done too swiftly and suddenly.  The influx of 
  non-humans has only served to dilute the labor 
  force and return unsettlingly foreign elements 
  into the city.
  • The entrance of non-humans into Hillsfar 
  should be monitored and regulated.  Priority 
  should (of course) go to nobles, tradespeople of 
  renown, and individuals who will guarantee the 
  growth of trade and commerce within the city.
  • First Lord Yestral has been keeping himself 
  holed up in his tower.  Practical folk see this for 
  what it is: an unsure leader protecting himself 
  from the public.
  • It has been rumored that Yestral is hoarding 
  supplies within The First Lord’s Tower, 
  anticipating societal collapse if trade doesn’t 
  improve.
  • It has also been rumored that Yestral is 
  participating in illicit trade activities.  Though no 
  one will openly accuse him, it has been said that 
  he has something to do with the various troubles 
  plaguing the City of Trade (dying livestock, 
  stolen goods, etc.)
  • Despite having only recently moved to Hillsfar, 
  Estrellae has been instrumental in unifying the 
  citizens opposed to the First Lord.
  • Organized opposition to Yestral has grown to 
  the point that a group of dissidents are ready to 
  take action.  A concerted effort to incite a civilian 
  uprising has begun.
  Feel free to create NPCs as needed, keeping in mind 
  that almost every facet of society is represented 
  in the gathering.  Call for social interaction checks 
  (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) as the 
  interactions demand.  Characters that have more 
  Hillsfar Dissidents Intrigue Points than Hillsfar 
  Government Intrigue Points make any such 
  checks at advantage.  Characters who have more 
  Hillsfar Government Intrigue Points than Hillsfar 
  Dissidents Intrigue Points make any such checks 
  at disadvantage.
   
  Note that the interaction and dialogue may be 
  influenced by details the characters learned earlier 
  in this adventure if they explored other locations 
  prior.  As the characters interact with the attendees, 
  take note of how positively or negatively their 
  interactions go.
   
  After some time speaking with the adventurers 
  and her guests, Estrellae excuses herself to make an 
  announcement.
  Estrellae takes her position in the atrium as 
  the crowd falls silent to listen. “Friends and all 
  my gracious guests, Hillsfar is being put to the 
  test.  Yestral mocks us from on high, openly 
  turning a blind eye upon the truth before his 
  face: poverty rises at a striking pace.  The 
  time has come for all to act.  Without fear 
  and without tact shall we, Hillsfarians, rise to 
  meet this fraud upon the ruler’s seat.  Speak 
  against him openly, and march against 
  the powers that be.  Tomorrow at nine bells 
  we’ll meet outside the castle, in the streets.  
  Demand that Yestral resign before our city’s 
  sure decline.  Hillsfarians shall not stay quiet.  
  Meet our demands or else we riot!”
   
  The crowd roars in approval and the 
  guests turn their attention to one another, 
  excitedly discussing plans for the next day’s 
  protest.
  Estrellae’s speech marks the end of the gathering 
  and the guests start to leave.  Estrellae has matters 
  to tend to before tomorrow’s activities.  She bids the 
  characters farewell and sees them to the door.
   
  As soon as she is out of sight, Estrellae slips into 
  the ethereal plane, takes on her true form as Granny 
  Eve-canker, and spirits herself away to the Outcast’s 
  Sanctuary where she has been keeping her base of 
  operations when not within the city walls.  Granny 
  has to prepare some surprises to be unleashed on 
  the city tomorrow.
   
  Crafty characters may get the idea to explore 
  Estrellae’s home.  If they do so, they find nothing out 
  of the ordinary among the mundane goods and the 
  finery.
  Intrigue Reward
  Characters who interacted positively or supportively 
  with Estrellae and the Dissidents receive 2 Hillsfar 
  Dissidents Intrigue Points.  Characters who 
  manage to sway a Dissident away from opposing the 
  First Lord (either via good roleplaying by the player 
  or through successful social interaction checks) 
  receive 3 Hillsfar Government Intrigue Points.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  
  26
  Putting the Pieces Together
  After visiting the locations above, the adventurers 
  should have gathered a few clues pointing toward 
  Granny Eve-canker and the Outcast’s Sanctuary, just 
  outside Hillsfar.
   
  If the players missed any details (such as the 
  map) or wish to investigate further, they may choose 
  to inquire about the clues in a number of ways:
   
  Reporting to Jandra Gragdowel.  Gragdowel 
  denies any allegations of the First Lord’s 
  involvement with illegal activity.  If shown the letter 
  of instruction (handout 1), she dismisses it as a 
  fake created to wrongly implicate the Lord Yestral.  
  She doesn’t know of the Outcast’s Sanctuary, but 
  calls in a castle scholar who reveals it to be the 
  name of an old temple to Fenmarel Mestarine (see 
  sidebar below) that was lost to a sinkhole some few 
  hundred years ago.  The scholar can provide the 
  location of the temple, several miles south of Hillsfar 
  and just west of the Moonsea Ride.  Gragdowel 
  urges the adventurers to investigate the temple 
  immediately.
   
  Researching.  Adventurers trying to find 
  information around town can learn about the 
  Outcast’s Sanctuary from a local scholar or mage for 
  5 gp. (Characters with an appropriate background 
  may do so at a discount or for free.)  Doing so 
  reveals the information and location noted above.
   
  Asking the Dissidents.  The characters may 
  possibly ask about these topics if they visit Estrellae 
  Moonglow’s home after finding clues.  If so, one 
  of the attendees knows of the Outcast’s Sanctuary 
  and its location as given above.  No one admits 
  to knowing about any criminal activity, though.  
  Estrellae herself may choose to reveal the lost 
  temple’s location, wishing to lure the adventurers 
  there and deal with them herself as Granny Eve-
  canker.  If shown the letter of instruction (handout 
  1) or told of preparations being made concerning 
  the protest, the Dissidents ask the adventurers 
  to investigate the temple at once, hoping to stop 
  anything that may interrupt the next day’s activities.
  Fenmarel Mestarine, God of Outcasts
  Not much is known about the elven deity 
  known as Fenmarel Mestarine.  The god of 
  outcasts is a member of the Seldarine and 
  patron to castaways, exiles, pariahs, and 
  derelict souls throughout the Realms.  He 
  is often portrayed as morose, reticent, and 
  greatly distrustful of non-elves.  Clergy who 
  serve him have been known to train followers 
  in the ways of subterfuge (poisoning, guerilla 
  warfare, deception, etc.)  His tenets include 
  fierce independence and self-sufficiency.
  Once the adventurers decide to travel to the 
  Outcast’s Sanctuary, move on to Part 3.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 2
  
  27
  The Temple of fenmarel Mestarine
  Expected Duration: 90 minutes altogether, 
  between Areas 1 through 7.
  General Features
  The general features of the Outcast’s Sanctuary are 
  as follows:
   
  Light and Visibility.  The time of day varies 
  from late afternoon to evening, depending on when 
  the adventurers decide to go to the temple. Sunlight 
  or moonlight shines accordingly on the exposed 
  areas.  Unless otherwise noted, the interior areas of 
  the temple are lit by torch light.  Unlit interior areas 
  are pitch dark.
   
  Sights.  The temple walls, floors, and ceilings 
  are constructed of stone unless otherwise noted.  
  Having been submerged for a few hundred years, 
  the walls are overgrown with various flora and 
  fungi.  Tree roots burst through in places.
   
  Smells and Sounds.  Vegetation, dank earth, 
  torch smoke, the pungent aroma of the creatures 
  that linger within. 
  The temple entrance is located amid a 
  nondescript copse of trees a few miles south 
  of the city.  The tree line opens ahead of 
  you, revealing a statue-lined walkway that 
  descends into a group of sunken buildings.
  The Outcast’s Sanctuary was consumed by a 
  sinkhole and abandoned several hundred years ago. 
  The same seismic activity that created the Waydown 
  unearthed the temple’s lost entrance, but it was not 
  discovered until recently by dark fey forces.
   
  The temple entrance is obscured by the copse 
  of trees surrounding it.  Characters who explore the 
  area and succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check find a small, natural vent nearby from which 
  they hear faint, gruff voices.  The vent is big enough 
  for medium or smaller sized creature to climb down 
  one at a time.  The sides of the vent are slick and 
  muddy and it takes a successful DC 14 Strength 
  (Athletics) check to climb down.  Climbers using 
  rope make the check at advantage.  Characters who 
  fail the climb check slide down the vent into Area 5: 
  Garbage Disposal below and take 2d6 hit points of 
  bludgeoning damage from the fall.
   
  If the adventurers approach the temple head-on, 
  they begin at Area 1: the Walk of Welcome.  Area 
  1 and Area 2: Pilgrim’s Crossing are exposed.  The 
  rest of the temple is a series of structures that have 
  either been partially or totally sunken into the earth.
  Area 1: The Walk of Welcome
  Expected Duration: 20 to 30 minutes
  Austere statues line the main walkway into 
  the temple.  Each depicts a monk with 
  its back turned toward the walkway—a 
  welcome fit for castaways.  Three of the 
  statues have fallen off their bases.  Much 
  of the walkway’s north side remains buried 
  in earth, the statues there peeking out of 
  mounds of rock and soil.  An armed human 
  and three furry, humanoid creatures stand 
  guard.
  A human veteran and three bugbears keep watch. 
  A druid stands behind a statue on the south side of 
  the walkway.  If the characters speak the passphrase, 
  the guards do not attack.  Otherwise, they attack 
  without any questions.
   
  The area slopes from ground level on the east 
  down to 10 feet below ground level on the west.  
  The three fallen statues are difficult terrain.  The 
  mounds of dirt are also difficult terrain and may be 
  scaled from the ground level above.
   
  The walkway to the west goes five feet then 
  drops off five feet below before continuing onto 
  Area 2: Pilgrim’s Crossing.
  ParT 3.
  THe ouTcaST’S SancTuary
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  
  28
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  • Very weak party: Remove the veteran 
  and one bugbear
  • Weak party: Remove one bugbear
  • Strong party: Add one veteran
  • Very strong party: Add one druid, one 
  veteran, and two bugbears
  Treasure
  Each creature carries a belt pouch containing 
  assorted coins totaling 40 gp. Additionally, the druid 
  has an exquisitely carved yew wand tipped with a 
  piece of blue jasper (that acts as a druidic focus) 
  worth 60 gp.
  Area 2: Pilgrim’s Crossing
  This intersection extends north, east, south, 
  and west.
   
  The northern path drops down five feet 
  into a domed structure buried under a layer 
  of earth.  It is dark within.
   
  The southern path ends at a pile of 
  fallen earth that partially covers two stone 
  benches.
   
  The western path leads into another 
  buried structure.  A stone archway marks the 
  entrance into a large, torch-lit chamber.  On 
  the archway’s capstone is carved a set of 
  peering eyes.
  The stone benches to the south were part of a small 
  reflecting garden that was buried and destroyed 
  when the temple sank.  Unless an enemy creature 
  from elsewhere in the temple escaped to this area, 
  there is nothing of interest here.
  Area 3: Burnt Offerings
  This area is unlit. 
  A simple, stone altar sits at the northern end 
  of this dome-roofed room.  Burn marks cover 
  its unadorned surface.  A small break in the 
  east wall leads into a naturally formed tunnel 
  that descends further underground.
  Pilgrims visiting the temple used the altar to burn 
  offerings to Fenmarel and to forgotten souls before 
  entering the Chapel of the Outcast (Area 4).  The 
  first character who burns an offering worth at least 
  1 sp on the altar feels the god’s blessing and gains 
  Inspiration.
  Area 4: Chapel of the Outcast
  Torchlight fills what was once a large 
  chapel.  The south wall is caved in, soil and 
  rock intruding into the space.  The chapel is 
  broken halfway through its length, the north 
  half of the room resting about 4 feet below 
  the southern half.
   
  Two passageways flank a dais on the 
  north end of the room.  On the wall above 
  the dais is a bas relief depicting a robed 
  figure with its back to the chapel, numerous 
  worshippers reaching out towards it.
   
  Scattered throughout the chapel are an 
  assortment of bedrolls, supplies, and cooking 
  implements.
  The various minions hired or brought in by Granny 
  Eve-canker use this chapel for lodging.  The western 
  passageway on the north wall ends in rubble.  The 
  eastern passageway on the north wall drops off five 
  feet into what was once the temple’s living quarters.
   
  Characters who rummage through the various 
  belongings find nothing of value.  Unless an enemy 
  creature from elsewhere in the temple escaped to 
  this area, there is nothing of interest here.
  
  29
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  
  30
  Area 5: Garbage Disposal
  Expected Duration: 20 to 30 minutes
  The adventurers may find themselves here 
  after either climbing or falling down the natural 
  vent described at the opening of Part 3.  Unless 
  unceremoniously dropped into the room from 
  falling, the first character that gets within 20 feet of 
  the area hears voices complaining about something 
  and catches the horrible stench of detritus.
  The passageway opens up into a natural 
  cavern.  A horrid stench fills the chamber. 
  Two humanoids dump what appear to be 
  dead bodies into a large, refuse-filled pit in 
  the center of the cave.
  Two thugs on garbage duty are dumping some of 
  Granny Eve-canker’s slain victims into the refuse 
  pit so that the bodies may be devoured by the 
  otyugh that lives there.  If the characters have 
  the passphrase, they can interact with the thugs. 
  Otherwise, the thugs attack any characters that 
  wander in or that fall down the natural vent into 
  this room.  If combat begins, the otyugh rises out of 
  the pit and joins the fight against the adventurers, 
  protecting the thugs that have been feeding it.
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  • Very weak party: Remove the two thugs
  • Weak party: Remove one thug
  • Strong party: Replace the two thugs with 
  three bugbears
  • Very strong party: Replace the two 
  thugs with three bugbears and add one 
  bugbear chief
  Treasure
  At the edge of the pit, buried under a layer of filth, 
  are a handful of halfling teeth encrusted with 
  obsidian, altogether worth 100 gp.
  Area 6: Holding Cells
  Expected Duration: 20 to 30 minutes
  This large chamber appears to be a kitchen.  
  A number of iron cauldrons—several filled 
  with some sort of pasty, yellow gruel—line the 
  west wall.
   
  Three doorways line the north wall.  The 
  leftmost and rightmost doorways lie shut.  The 
  center doorway hangs open, revealing a 
  small storage room beyond.
   
  The southeast wall has collapsed, 
  revealing a natural passageway that 
  descends into the earth beyond.
   
  There are two narrow passageways 
  to the south.  The western passageway is 
  blocked by debris.  The eastern passageway 
  ends at a ledge 5 feet up that ascends into 
  another large room beyond.
   
  The northernmost third of the room has 
  broken off from the rest and has sunk 3 feet 
  below the level of the southern portion of the 
  room.  Two cages, 10 feet tall by 10 feet wide 
  and 10 feet deep, hang suspended by rusty 
  chains about 8 feet above the floor from the 
  vaulted, stone ceiling.
  This chamber used to be the temple’s main living 
  area, acting as a common sleeping room, kitchen, 
  and dining room for the monks, chaplains, and 
  transient pilgrims. The three rooms to the north 
  were sleeping quarters for guests of note.  Now, 
  Granny Eve-canker uses this room to store the 
  monsters she plans to smuggle into Hillsfar.  Granny 
  Eve-canker’s minions are aware of the contents of 
  this room and avoid it unless commanded to enter 
  by the hag.
   
  Currently, the room is set up to house a 
  number of oozes that Granny Eve-canker intends 
  to teleport into the city during tomorrow’s protest.  
  The “gruel” in the cauldrons are actually ochre 
  jellies kept at bay by continuous hold monster 
  spells.  If this encounter is being run at strong or 
  very strong difficulty, the suspended cages each 
  contain a gelatinous cube also subject to similar 
  continuous hold monster spells.  If the gelatinous 
  cubes are present, spotting them requires active 
  scrutiny of the cages and a successful DC 20 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  
  31
   
  Casting detect magic on the cauldrons and the 
  cages reveals the presence of enchantment magic.
   
  The first time a creature that is not Granny Eve-
  canker gets within five feet of a cauldron containing 
  an ochre jelly, two things happen simultaneously.
   
  First, a hold person spell trap goes off.  Any 
  character within five feet of a cauldron must make 
  a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed 
  as if targeted by a hold person spell.  Characters 
  paralyzed in this way may make the same saving 
  throw at the end of their turns, ending the paralysis 
  on a success.
   
  Second, all hold monster spells keeping 
  the oozes in the room at bay deactivate, and 
  any creature present in the room being held 
  in a cauldron or cage surges out to attack the 
  adventurers.  Gelatinous cubes slithering out of the 
  cages fall to the ground below and take 1d6 points 
  of bludgeoning damage from the fall.
   
  Of the three small rooms to the north, the 
  westernmost and center room are being used as 
  storage for sundry supplies.  Most of the contents 
  found in the crates and barrels are not noteworthy, 
  but there are a few valuables to be found (see 
  Treasure below).
   
  Granny Eve-canker uses the easternmost room 
  as her private quarters.
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  • Very weak party: Remove one ochre 
  jelly, and each ochre jelly begins combat 
  with 24 HP
  • Weak party: Remove one ochre jelly
  • Strong party: Add two gelatinous cubes
  • Very strong party: Add one ochre jelly 
  and two gelatinous cubes
  Treasure
  Characters that search the western storage room 
  find a crate of burgundy silk robes lined with star 
  and moon motifs stitched in golden thread. The 
  robes are exquisitely made and are worth 120 
  gp altogether.  Characters that search the center 
  storage room find a small box which contains 
  an assortment of gems, altogether worth 80 gp, 
  and a coin purse containing 10 platinum pieces 
  (observant characters may notice that these 
  platinum pieces match the ones given to them by 
  Estrellae Moonglow earlier in this adventure).
  Area 7: Granny’s Room
  This area is unlit.
  Rotting animal furs covered in blood and 
  gore lie in a heap on the northwest corner 
  of the room. On the southwest corner sits 
  a dainty, white writing desk painted with 
  golden cloud motifs.  An alabaster writing 
  set rests on the tabletop next to sheets of 
  parchment and a pair of delicate, emerald 
  green kidgloves.
   
  A tunnel stretches down and east 
  through a collapsed section of the 
  northeastern corner of the room.
  Granny Eve-canker has been using this room as her 
  private quarters, retiring to the heap of furs when 
  she gets tired of taking her disguised forms. The 
  door is enchanted, and Granny knows whenever 
  anyone enters the room, regardless of her location.
   
  The writing desk is where the hag fabricates 
  her forged notes.  The writing set is valuable 
  and the green gloves are magical (see Treasure 
  below).  Characters who leaf through the sheets 
  of parchment find a number of noteworthy 
  documents:
  • Several letters instructing hired thugs to receive 
  particular shipments from the docks and move 
  them to a number of locations throughout the city.
  • A note titled “Granny’s Red Plume Sweethearts”.  
  Several names have been written in and crossed 
  off, the last name being Dern Gelnacht.  Small 
  hearts are scribbled throughout the note.
  • A number of shipping manifests signed either 
  by Eldeth Marblehead or Estrellae Moonglow.  
  The several sets of manifests bear the same dates, 
  and a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  reveals them to be well-crafted forgeries.
  • A series of official-looking orders signed by 
  First Lord Yestral instructing the Red Plumes to 
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  
  32
  arrest a half-dozen individuals, all of whom were 
  present at the Dissidents’ gathering at Estrellae’s 
  home. A DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  reveals these orders to be forgeries as well.
  Intrigue Reward
  If the adventurers surrender the various forged 
  documents to either Commandant Jandra 
  Gragdowel or to First Lord Yestral at the conclusion 
  of this adventure, they each receive 3 Hillsfar 
  Government Intrigue Points.
  Treasure
  The alabaster writing set on the desk is worth 100 
  gp. The emerald kidgloves are gloves of thievery and 
  may come in handy should the characters attempt 
  to steal Granny Eve-canker’s heartstone (see the 
  Tactics section in Area 8 below).
  Area 8: The Sunken Garden
  Expected Duration: 20 to 30 minutes
  A winding tunnel leads from Granny Eve-canker’s 
  private quarters to an old temple garden, once 
  buried, now cleared and restored.  Granny uses this 
  area to cast rituals at a gory altar.
   
  Having been warned by the enchantment on the 
  door, Granny expects the adventurers and cannot be 
  surprised.
  The tunnel opens up to what appears to be a 
  large, underground garden.  A stone walking 
  path lines the walls of this cave, with stairs 
  leading down to a lower section three feet 
  below.  Lush greenery lines the walls.  Tall, 
  wild growths spring out of four plots of soil 
  surrounding the garden’s lower level.
   
  In the center of the lower level sits a four-
  foot stack of bloody humanoid skulls, flesh still 
  on their bones and crawling with maggots.  
  A horrific, indigo-skinned creature dressed in 
  Estrellae’s clothing stands chanting with arms 
  outstretched by the gruesome collection of 
  skulls.  
  Granny is in the final stages of completing a ritual 
  to teleport the oozes in Area 6 into Hillsfar during 
  the crowded protest.  If the adventurers destroyed 
  all of the oozes in Area 6, Granny is furious—she 
  and her allies attack the characters on sight.  If any 
  oozes were spared, Granny is incensed but open to 
  parley.  She is looking for only the slightest excuse 
  to attack the adventurers, though, and the slightest 
  provocation triggers her wrath.
  Roleplaying Granny Eve-canker
  Granny is wicked and ruthless.  Two horns 
  grow out of her head, sweeping back to 
  sharpened points.  Sagging indigo skin covers 
  her tall, thin body.  She calls the adventurers 
  pet names such as “sweetie, deary, honey-
  cake,” etc.  Any interactions she makes with the 
  adventurers are done so in a parental fashion, 
  as if instructing children.
  A character making a successful DC 20 Intelligence 
  check knows that Granny is a night hag, and recalls 
  the following about them.
  • Night hags usually possess something called a 
  heartstone.  This lustrous black gem allows her 
  to use her etherealness ability.  If she does not 
  have possession of this gem, she can’t use that 
  ability.
  • A night hag uses a soul bag to collect souls.  
  When a victim of her soul mongering dies, she 
  captures their soul in this bag made of human 
  flesh, if she was able to convince them to 
  perform evil deeds on her behalf.
  Granny stands on the lower level of the garden, just 
  east of the skull altar.  Two displacer beasts hide 
  in the plots of growth west of the altar.  It takes a 
  passive Perception of 13 or better or a Wisdom 
  (Perception) check of the same difficulty to notice 
  the creatures there.  The plots are difficult terrain.
   
  If the skull altar is destroyed (AC 5, 5 hp), any 
  hag in the room takes 1d10 psychic damage.  A 
  character that destroys the altar becomes the target 
  of Granny’s full wrath.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  
  33
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  • Very weak party: Replace the two 
  displacer beasts with one cockatrice
  • Weak party: Remove one displacer 
  beast
  • Strong party: Add two displacer beasts
  • Very strong party: Add two green hags 
  and one displacer beast, use coven rules 
  for shared spellcasting for the night hag 
  and green hags
  Tactics
  Granny stays out of melee range, retreating to other 
  portions of the room to sling spells and let her allies 
  get close.  If combat turns against her, she uses 
  etherealness to escape.  If her heartstone is somehow 
  taken from her, she cannot use etherealness and 
  instead focuses all of her efforts to retrieve the stone.
   
  If this combat is being run on very strong 
  difficulty, the green hags begin on the upper level 
  walkways in the northeast and southeast corners 
  of the room.  In this case, the three hags stay out of 
  melee range for as long as possible and cast their 
  coven spells without mercy.  The hags support 
  Granny in any of her efforts to escape or retrieve her 
  heartstone.  Unlike Granny, the hags fight to the death.
  XP Award
  If the adventurers prevent Granny Eve-canker 
  from escaping and slay or capture her, award each 
  character 100 XP.
  Treasure
  Buried in the skull altar are valuables taken from 
  Granny’s unfortunate victims.  Characters searching 
  the altar find several coin purses containing a total 
  of 560 gp in coins, assorted pieces of jewelry valued 
  at 300 gp, and two ebony statuettes depicting 
  prancing satyrs worth 70 gp each.
   
  Granny’s heartstone and soul bag may be taken 
  as trinkets.  They are useless and have no magical 
  power to anyone but Granny Eve-canker herself.
  conclusion
  Reporting back to Jandra Gragdowel at Hillsfar 
  Castle, the adventurers find her in audience with 
  First Lord Vuhm Yestral.  The First Lord recognizes 
  characters who have encountered him in past 
  adventures (DDEX03-03 The Occupation of Szith 
  Morcane, DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall, and/or 
  DDEX03-15 Assault on Maerimydra).
  Roleplaying First Lord Vuhm Yestral
  Vuhm Yestral is a human in his early 60s 
  and a member of the Lords’ Alliance.  While 
  kind and compassionate, Yestral is also loud, 
  opinionated, and a commanding presence.  His 
  authoritative presence masks his discomfort 
  as the current leader of Hillsfar.  Despite his 
  discomfort, he fervently works for the good of 
  the citizens of Hillsfar and the city.
  Characters with Government Intrigue Points equal 
  or exceeding their Dissidents Intrigue Points earn 
  the In Yestral’s Service Story Award.  Characters 
  whose Dissidents Intrigue Points exceed their 
  Government Intrigue Points earn the A Dissident 
  is Here Story Award.
   
  Regardless of which story award a character 
  receives, both the First Lord and Commandant 
  Gragdowel express gratitude. If the adventurers 
  captured Granny Eve-canker or submit proof of her 
  defeat, they receive the additional reward promised 
  by Commandant Gragdowel (see Treasure below).
   
  Capturing or slaying Granny Eve-canker 
  leaves the Hillsfar Dissidents leaderless and 
  disorganized (for the moment).  The protest 
  occurs, but Estrellae’s absence leaves much of the 
  Hillsfar Dissidents demoralized: the event fizzles 
  out without violence.  If Granny was captured, the 
  Mage’s Guild is capable of holding her prisoner.
   
  The dark fey have other plans. The defeat of 
  the night hag is a mere setback for them.  When 
  the adventurers wake the next day, they each find 
  vellum notes by their bedsides.  Written in beautiful 
  and flowing script, the notes read:
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  
  34
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  “Forces much greater than you
  Are coming to collect their due.
  Though our Granny did you quell,
  Hillsfar yet shall see its hell.
  Try and stop us, if you must.
  Your bones shall be ground to dust.”
  This story continues in HILL 1-2 Exodus.
  Treasure
  As promised earlier in the adventure, Commandant 
  Gragdowel awards the adventurers 500 gp if the 
  characters captured or defeated Granny Eve-canker.
  
  35
  rewards
  Make sure players note their rewards on their 
  adventure logsheets. Give your name and DCI 
  number (if applicable) so players can record who 
  ran the session.
  experience
  Total up all combat experience earned for defeated 
  foes, and divide by the number of characters present 
  in the combat. For non-combat experience, the 
  rewards are listed per character. Give all characters 
  in the party non-combat experience awards unless 
  otherwise noted.
  Combat Awards
  Name of Foe 
  XP per Foe
  Basilisk 
  700
  Black Pudding 
  1,100
  Bugbear 
  200
  Bugbear Chief 
  700
  Cockatrice 
  100
  Commoner 
  10
  Crocodile 
  100
  Displacer Beast 
  700
  Druid 
  450
  Ettercap 
  450
  Gelatinous Cube 
  450
  Giant Constrictor Snake 
  450
  Giant Crocodile 
  1,800
  Green Hag (coven) 
  1,800
  Guard 
  25
  Half-Black Dragon Veteran 
  1,800
  Night Hag 
  1,800
  Night Hag (coven) 
  2,900
  Ochre Jelly 
  450
  Otyugh 
  1,800
  Specter 
  200
  Sprite 
  50
  Spy 
  200
  Swarm of Insects (Centipedes) 100
  Swarm of Poisonous Snakes 
  450
  Thug 
  100
  Veteran 
  700
  Wraith 
  1,800
  Non-Combat Awards
  Task or Accomplishment XP per Char.
  Talk the crowd down (Part 1) 
  100
  Free the sprites (Part 2) 
  100
  Protect the Red Plumes (Part 2) 100
  Capture a thug (Part 2) 
  100
  Capture Granny (Part 3) 
  100
  The minimum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 3,000 experience points.
  The maximum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 4,000 experience points.
  Treasure
  The characters receive the following treasure, 
  divided up amongst the party. Characters should 
  attempt to divide treasure evenly whenever 
  possible. Gold piece values listed for sellable 
  gear are calculated at their selling price, not their 
  purchase price.
   
  Consumable magic items should be divided 
  up however the group sees fit. If more than one 
  character is interested in a specific consumable 
  magic item, the DM can determine who gets it 
  randomly should the group be unable to decide.
   
  Permanent magic items are divided according 
  to a system. See the sidebar if the adventure awards 
  permanent magic items.
  Treasure Awards
   Item Name/Location 
  GP Value
  Estrellae’s reward (Part 1) 
  200
  Gragdowell’s reward (Part 2 & 3) 1,000
  Hostage Takers’ Hideout (Part 2) 
  100
  Smugglers’ Cave (Part 2) 
  100
  Red Plume Guardhouse (Part 2) 
  100
  Descent Into Darkness (Part 2) 
  100
  Walk of Welcome (Part 3) 
  100
  Garbage Disposal (Part 3) 
  100
  Holding Cells (Part 3) 
  300
  Granny’s Room (Part 3) 
  100
  Sunken Garden (Part 3) 
  1,000
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  
  36
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PART 3
  Emerald Kidgloves (Gloves of Thievery)
  Wondrous item, uncommon
  These delicate, goatskin gloves are colored with a 
  bright green pigment and slip onto the wearer’s 
  hands effortlessly.  While wearing these gloves, 
  the wearer experiences irresistible generosity, 
  expressing compliments to those around them and 
  spending coin for the benefit of others without 
  hesitation.  Unlike conventional gloves of thievery, 
  these gloves do not turn invisible when worn, but 
  shrink or grow to accommodate a small or medium 
  wearer’s size.
  Potion of Greater Healing
  Potion, uncommon
  A description of this item can be found in the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide.
  Potion of Acid Resistance
  Potion, uncommon
  A description of this item can be found in the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide.
  renown
  Each character receives one point of renown.
  Downtime
  Each character receives 10 downtime days at the 
  conclusion of this adventure.
  Story rewards
  Characters have the opportunity to earn the 
  following story awards during this adventure.
  In Yestral’s Service.  Your actions supporting 
  Hillsfar’s current regime have been noticed by 
  the political factions in the City of Trade.  You gain 
  advantage on Charisma-based ability checks that 
  involve interacting with any of Hillsfar’s government 
  officials and with the Red Plumes.  Additionally, you 
  gain disadvantage on those checks when interacting 
  with anyone actively opposed to First Lord Yestral 
  and his government.  If you later earn the A 
  Dissident is Here Story Award, you lose this Story 
  Award and any of its effects.
  A Dissident is Here.  Your actions subverting 
  Hillsfar’s current regime have been noticed by 
  the political factions in the City of Trade.  You gain 
  advantage on Charisma-based ability checks that 
  involve interacting with anyone actively opposed to 
  First Lord Yestral and his government.  Additionally, 
  you gain disadvantage on those checks when 
  interacting with any of Hillsfar’s government 
  officials and with the Red Plumes.  If you later earn 
  the In Yestral’s Service Story Award, you lose this 
  Story Award and any of its effects.
  DM rewards
  For running this adventure, you receive 875 XP,
  437 gp, and ten downtime days.
  
  37
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  DM appendix: nPc Summary
  The following NPCs appear or are mentioned in this 
  adventure.
  Estrellae Moonglow (ES-truh-lay).  Female elf.  
  Noble and recent transplant to Hillsfar.  Charismatic 
  and seemingly savvy in business and politics.  De 
  facto leader and spokesperson of the dissidents 
  opposing First Lord Vuhm Yestral.  Secretly Granny 
  Eve-canker in disguise.
  Eldeth Marblehead (EL-dith).  Female dwarf.  
  Trader who hired a company of dwarves to ship 
  questionable cargo into Hillsfar.  Secretly Granny 
  Eve-canker in disguise.
  granny eve-canker.  Female night hag.  Sent by the 
  dark fey to Hillsfar to cause chaos and subvert the 
  City of Trade’s government.  Disguises herself as 
  Estrellae Moonglow and Eldeth Marblehead.
  Commandant Jandra Gragdowel (JAN-druh).  
  Female human.  Current Commandant of Hillsfar’s 
  Red Plumes.  Assigned to her station by First Lord 
  Vuhm Yestral.
  Gillun Glimmersting (GILL-uhn).  Male sprite.  
  Forced to secretly kill livestock by Granny Eve-
  canker’s minions.  Originally from the forest of 
  Cormanthor.
  Alis Maerr (AH-lis MARE).  Female human.  Red 
  Plume soldier.  Lover of Dern Gelnacht.
  Dern Gelnacht (DERN GUHL-nawkt).  Male human.  
  Red Plume soldier.  Lover of Alis Maerr.  Afflicted by 
  madness by Granny Eve-canker.
  First Lord Vuhm Yestral (VOOM YES-strill).  Male 
  human.  First Lord of New Hillsfar.  Kind and 
  devoted to the City of Trade’s citizens.  Member of 
  the Lords Alliance.  Former Guard Commandant of 
  the Red Plumes and the Wall surrounding Yûlash.
  
  38
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  appendix:  nPc/Monster Statistics
  Basilisk
  Medium monstrosity, unaligned
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)
  Speed 20 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  16 (+3) 8 (-1) 
  15 (+2) 2 (-4) 
  8 (-1) 
  7 (-2)
  Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 9
  Languages –
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)
  Petrifying Gaze. If a creature starts its turn within 
  30 feet of the basilisk and the two of them can 
  see each other, the basilisk can force the creature 
  to make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw if the 
  basilisk isn’t incapacitated. On a failed save, the 
  creature magically begins to turn to stone and is 
  restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the 
  end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On 
  a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the 
  greater restoration spell or other magic.
   
  A creature that isn’t surprised can avert its eyes 
  to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If it 
  does so, it can’t see the basilisk until the start of its 
  next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If it looks 
  at the basilisk in the meantime, it must immediately 
  make the save.
   
  If the basilisk sees its reflection within 30 feet 
  of it in bright light, it mistakes itself for a rival and 
  targets itself with its gaze.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 
  (2d6) poison damage.
  Cockatrice
  Small monstrosity, unaligned
  Armor Class 11
  Hit Points 27 (6d6 + 6)
  Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  6 (-2) 
  12 (+1) 12 (+1) 2 (-4) 
  13 (+1) 5 (-3)
  Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 11
  Languages –
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage, and the 
  target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving 
  throw against being magically petrified. On a failed 
  save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is 
  restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the 
  end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On 
  a failure, the creature is petrified for 24 hours.
  Commoner
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
  Armor Class 10
  Hit Points 4 (1d8)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0)
  Senses passive Perception 10
  Languages - any one language (usually Common)
  Challenge 0 (10 XP)
  Actions
  Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
  
  39
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  Bugbear
  Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
  Armor Class 16 (hide armor, shield)
  Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  15 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 8 (-1) 
  11 (+0) 9 (-1)
  Skills Stealth +6, Survival +2
  Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 10
  Languages Common, Goblin
  Challenge 1 (200 XP)
  Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its 
  damage when the bugbear hits with it (included in 
  the attack).
  Surprise Attack. If the bugbear surprises a creature 
  and hits it with an attack during the first round of 
  combat, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage 
  from the attack.
  Actions
  Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage.
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 9 
  (2d6 + 2) piercing damage in melee or 5 (1d6 + 2) 
  piercing damage at range.
  Bugbear Chief
  Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
  Armor Class 17 (chain shirt, shield)
  Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  17 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (-0) 
  12 (+1) 
  11 (+0)
  Skills Intimidation +2, Stealth +6, Survival +3
  Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 11
  Languages Common, Goblin
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)
  Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its 
  damage when the bugbear hits with it (included in 
  the attack). [continued next page]
  Heart of Hruggek. The bugbear has advantage on 
  saving throws against being charmed, frightened, 
  paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, or put to sleep.
  Surprise Attack. If the bugbear surprises a creature 
  and hits it with an attack during the first round of 
  combat, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage 
  from the attack.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The bugbear makes two melee attacks.
  Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage.
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 
  (2d6 + 3) piercing damage in melee or 6 (1d6 + 3) 
  piercing damage at range.
  
  40
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  Ettercap
  Medium monstrosity, neutral evil
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8)
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  14 (+2) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 7 (-2) 
  12 (+1) 8 (-1)
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4, Survival +3
  Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 13
  Languages –
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Spider Climb. The ettercap can climb difficult 
  surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without 
  needing to make an ability check.
  Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the 
  ettercap knows the exact location of any other 
  creature in contact with the same web.
  Web Walker. The ettercap ignores movement 
  restrictions caused by webbing.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The ettercap makes two attacks: one 
  with its bite and one with its claws.
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage plus 4 
  (1d8) poison damage. The target must succeed on a 
  DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 
  1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw 
  at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on 
  itself on a success.
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
  Web (Recharge 5-6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to 
  hit, range 30/60 ft., one Large or smaller creature. 
  Hit: The creature is restrained by webbing. As an 
  action, the restrained creature can make a DC 11 
  Strength check, escaping from the webbing on a 
  success. The effect ends if the webbing is destroyed. 
  The webbing has AC 10, 5 hit points, resistance to 
  bludgeoning damage, and immunity to poison and 
  psychic damage.
  Half-Black Dragon Veteran
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
  Armor Class 18 (plate)
  Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0)
  Saving Throws Str +5, Con +4
  Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2
  Damage Resistances acid
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60ft., passive 
  Perception 12
  Languages Common, Draconic
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
  Actions
  Multiattack. The veteran makes two longsword 
  attacks. If it has a shortsword drawn, it can also 
  make a shortsword attack.
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 
  (1d10 + 3) slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to 
  hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1) 
  piercing damage.
  Acid Breath (Recharge 5-6). The veteran exhales 
  acid in a 15-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each 
  creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity 
  saving throw, taking 22 (5d8) acid damage on a 
  failed save, or half as much damage on a successful 
  one.
  Reactions
  Parry. The veteran adds 3 to its AC against one 
  melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the veteran 
  must see the attacker and be wielding a melee 
  weapon.
  
  41
  Sprite
  Tiny fey, neutral good
  Armor Class 15 (leather armor)
  Hit Points 2 (1d4)
  Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  3 (-4) 
  18 (+4) 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  11 (+0)
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +8
  Senses passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
  Actions
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 1 slashing damage.
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 
  40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage, and 
  the target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution 
  saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. If 
  its saving throw result is 5 or lower, the poisoned 
  target falls unconscious for the same duration, or 
  until it takes damage or another creature takes an 
  action to shake it awake.
  Heart Sight. The sprite touches a creature and 
  magically knows the creature’s current emotional 
  state. If the target fails a DC 10 Charisma saving 
  throw, the sprite also knows the creature’s 
  alignment. Celestials, fiends, and undead 
  automatically fail the saving throw.
  Invisibility. The sprite magically turns invisible until 
  it attacks or casts a spell, or until its concentration 
  ends (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment 
  the sprite wears or carries is invisible with it.
  Spy
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 27 (6d8)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  10 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  16(+3)
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Investigation +5, 
  Perception +6, Persuasion +5, Sleight of Hand +4, 
  Stealth +4
  Senses passive Perception 16
  Languages any two languages
  Challenge 1 (200 XP)
  Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the spy can 
  use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or 
  Hide action.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The spy deals an extra 7 
  (2d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon 
  attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or 
  when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the spy 
  that isn’t incapacitated and the spy doesn’t have 
  disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The spy makes two melee attacks.
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to 
  hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) 
  piercing damage.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  
  42
  Black Pudding
  Large ooze, unaligned
  Armor Class 7
  Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30)
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  16 (+3) 
  5 (-3) 
  16 (+3) 
  1 (-5) 
  6 (-2) 
  1 (-5)
  Damage Immunities acid, cold, lightning, slashing
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, 
  exhaustion, frightened, prone
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 8
  Languages –
  Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
  Amorphous. The pudding can move through a space 
  as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
  Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the 
  pudding or hits it with a melee attack while 
  within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Any 
  nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that 
  hits the pudding corrodes. After dealing damage, 
  the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 
  penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the 
  weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made 
  of metal or wood that hits the pudding is destroyed 
  after dealing damage.
   
  The pudding can eat through 2-inch-thick, non 
  magical wood or metal in 1 round.
  Spider Climb. The pudding can climb difficult 
  surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without 
  needing to make an ability check.
  Actions
  Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage 
  plus 18 (4d8) acid damage. In addition, non magical 
  armor worn by the target is partly dissolved and 
  takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the 
  AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty 
  reduces its AC to 10.
  Reactions
  Split. When a pudding that is Medium or larger is 
  subjected to lightning or slashing damage, it splits 
  into two new puddings if it has at least 10 hit points. 
  Each new pudding has hit points equal to half the 
  original pudding’s, rounded down. New puddings 
  are one size smaller than the original pudding.
  Specter
  Medium undead, chaotic evil
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 22 (5d8)
  Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  1 (-5) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0)
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, 
  thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from 
  non magical weapons that aren’t silvered
  Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, 
  grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, 
  restrained, unconscious
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  Languages understands all languages it knew in life 
  but can’t speak
  Challenge 1 (200 XP)
  Incorporeal Movement. The specter can move 
  through other creatures and objects as if they were 
  difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it 
  ends its turn inside an object.
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the specter 
  has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
  Actions
  Life Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. , one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. 
  The target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution 
  saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced 
  by an amount equal to the damage taken. This 
  reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long 
  rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point 
  maximum to 0.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  
  43
  Guard
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
  Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield)
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0)
  Skills Perception +2
  Senses passive Perception 12
  Languages any one languages (usually Common)
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
  Actions
  Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or 
  range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing 
  damage.
  Swarm of Insects (Centipedes)
  Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 22 (5d8)
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  3 (-4) 
  13 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  1 (-5) 
  7 (-2) 
  1 (-5)
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, 
  slashing
  Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, 
  paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 8
  Languages –
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s 
  space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through 
  any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm 
  can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
  Swarm of Centipedes. A creature reduced to 0 
  hit points by a swarm of centipedes is stable but 
  poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit points, 
  and paralyzed while poisoned in this way.
  Actions
  Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one 
  target in the swarm’s space. Hit: 10 (4d4) piercing 
  damage, or 5 (2d4) piercing damage if the swarm 
  has half of its hit points or fewer.
  Wraith
  Medium undead, neutral evil
  Armor Class 13
  Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27)
  Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  6 (-2) 
  16 (+3) 
  16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2)
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, 
  thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from 
  non magical weapons that aren’t silvered
  Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, 
  grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, 
  restrained
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  Languages the languages it knew in life
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
  Incorporeal Movement. The wraith can move 
  through other creatures and objects as if they were 
  difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it 
  ends its turn inside an object.
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wraith 
  has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
  Actions
  Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one creature. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) necrotic damage. 
  The target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution 
  saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced 
  by an amount equal to the damage taken. This 
  reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. 
  The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point 
  maximum to 0.
  Create Specter. The wraith targets a humanoid 
  within 10 feet of it that has been dead for no longer 
  than 1 minute and died violently. The target’s spirit 
  rises as a specter in the space of its corpse or in the 
  nearest unoccupied space. The specter is under the 
  wraith’s control. The wraith can have no more than 
  seven specters under its control at one time.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  
  44
  Crocodile
  Large beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 19 (3d10 + 3)
  Speed 20 ft., swim 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  2 (-4) 
  10 (+0) 
  5 (-3)
  Skills Stealth +2
  Senses passive Perception 10
  Languages –
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
  hold Breath. The crocodile can hold its breath for 
  15 minutes.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage, and the 
  target is grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple 
  ends, the target is restrained, and the crocodile can’t 
  bite another target.
  Giant Constrictor Snake
  Huge beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 60 (8d12 + 8)
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  19 (+4) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  1 (-5) 
  10 (+0) 
  3 (-4)
  Skills Perception +2
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 12
  Languages –
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., 
  one creature. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.
  Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one creature. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, 
  and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this 
  grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the 
  snake can’t constrict another target.
  Giant Crocodile
  Huge beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 85 (9d12 + 27)
  Speed 30 ft., swim 50 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  21 (+5) 
  9 (-1) 
  17 (+3) 
  2 (-4) 
  10 (+0) 
  7 (-2)
  Skills Stealth +2
  Senses passive Perception 10
  Languages –
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
  hold Breath. The crocodile can hold its breath for 
  30 minutes.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The crocodile makes two attacks: one 
  with its bite and one with its tail.
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage, and the 
  target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple 
  ends, the target is restrained, and the crocodile can’t 
  bite another target.
  Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10ft., one 
  target not grappled by the crocodile. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 
  5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it 
  must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or 
  be knocked prone.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  
  45
  Swarm of Poisonous Snakes
  Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned
  Armor Class 14
  Hit Points 36 (8d8)
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  8 (-1) 
  18 (+4) 
  11 (+0) 
  1 (-5) 
  10 (+0) 
  3 (-4)
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, 
  slashing
  Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, 
  paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 10
  Languages –
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s 
  space and vice versa, and the swarm can move 
  through any opening large enough for a Tiny snake. 
  The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary 
  hit points.
  Actions
  Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 0 ft., one 
  creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: 7 (2d6) piercing 
  damage, or 3 (1d6) piercing damage if the swarm 
  has half of its hit points or fewer. The target must 
  make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 
  (4d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as 
  much damage on a successful one.
  Thug
  Medium humanoid (any race), any non-good 
  alignment
  Armor Class 11 (leather armor)
  Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  15 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0)
  Skills Intimidation +2
  Senses passive Perception 10
  Languages any one language (usually Common)
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
  Pack Tactics. The thug has advantage on an attack 
  roll against a creature if at least one of the thug’s 
  allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t 
  incapacitated.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The thug makes two melee attacks.
  mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, 
  range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing 
  damage.
  Druid
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
  Armor Class 11 (16 with barkskin)
  Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  11 (+0)
  Skills Medicine +4, Nature +3, Perception +4
  Senses passive Perception 14
  Languages Druidic plus any two languages
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Spellcasting. The druid is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 
  to hit with spell attacks). It has the following druid 
  spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): druidcraft,	produce	flame,	
  shillelagh
  1st level (4 slots): entangle, longstrider, speak with 
  animals, thunderwave
  2nd level (3 slots): moonbeam, barkskin
  Actions
  Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit (+4 
  to hit with shillelagh), reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 
  (1d6) bludgeoning damage, or 4 (1d8) bludgeoning 
  damage with shillelagh or if wielded with two 
  hands.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  
  46
  Veteran
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
  Armor Class 17 (splint)
  Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0)  
  Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2
  Senses passive Perception 12
  Languages any one language (usually Common)
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)
  Actions
  Multiattack. The veteran makes two longsword 
  attacks. If it has a shortsword drawn, it can also 
  make a shortsword attack.
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 
  (1d10 + 3) slashing damage if used with two hands.
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 
  range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing 
  damage.
  Otyugh
  Large aberration, neutral
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  16 (+3) 
  11 (+0) 
  19 (+4) 
  6 (-2) 
  13 (+1) 
  6 (-2)
  Saving Throws Con +7
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  Languages Otyugh
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
  Limited Telepathy. The otyugh can magically 
  transmit simple messages and images to any 
  creature within 120 feet of it that can understand a 
  language. This form of telepathy doesn’t allow the 
  receiving creature to telepathically respond.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The otyugh makes three attacks: one 
  with its bite and two with its tentacles.
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. If 
  the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 
  15 Constitution saving throw against disease or 
  become poisoned until the disease is cured. Every 
  24 hours that elapse, the target must repeat the 
  saving throw, reducing its hit point maximum by 
  5 (1d10) on a failure. The disease is cured on a 
  success. The target dies if the disease reduces its hit 
  point maximum to 0. This reduction to the target’s 
  hit point maximum lasts until the disease is cured.
  tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 
  10ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning 
  damage plus 4 (1d8) piercing damage. If the target 
  is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 13) 
  and restrained until the grapple ends. The otyugh 
  has two tentacles, each of which can grapple one 
  target.
  tentacle Slam. The otyugh slams creatures 
  grappled by it into each other or a solid surface. 
  Each creature must succeed on a DC 14 Strength 
  saving throw or take 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning 
  damage and be stunned until the end of the otyugh’s 
  next turn. On a successful save, the target takes half 
  the bludgeoning damage and isn’t stunned.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  
  47
  Gelatinous Cube
  Large ooze, unaligned
  Armor Class 6
  Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40)
  Speed 15 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  14 (+2) 
  3 (-4) 
  20 (+5) 
  1 (-5) 
  6 (-2) 
  1 (-5)
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, 
  exhaustion, frightened, prone
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 8
  Languages –
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Ooze Cube. The cube takes up its entire space. Other 
  creatures can enter the space, but a creature that 
  does so is subjected to the cube’s Engulf and has 
  disadvantage on the saving throw.
   
  Creatures inside the cube can be seen but have 
  total cover.
   
  A creature within 5 feet of the cube can take an 
  action to pull a creature or object out of the cube. 
  Doing so requires a successful DC 12 Strength check, 
  and the creature making the attempt takes 10 (3d6) 
  acid damage.
   
  The cube can hold only one Large creature or 
  up to four Medium or smaller creatures inside it at a 
  time.
  Transparent. Even when the cube is in plain sight, it 
  takes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check 
  to spot a cube that has neither moved nor attacked. 
  A creature that tries to enter the cube’s space while 
  unaware of the cube is surprised by the cube.
  Actions
  Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) acid damage.
  Engulf. The cube moves up to its speed. While doing 
  so, it can enter Large or smaller creatures’ spaces. 
  Whenever the cube enters a creature’s space, the 
  creature must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw.
   
  On a successful save, the creature can choose to 
  be pushed 5 feet back or to the side of the cube. A 
  creature that chooses not to be pushed suffers the 
  consequences of a failed saving throw.
   
  On a failed save, the cube enters the creature’s 
  space, and the creature takes 10 (3d6) acid damage 
  and is engulfed. The engulfed creature can’t breathe, 
  is restrained, and takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at 
  the start of each of the cube’s turns. When the cube 
  moves, the engulfed creature moves with it.
   
  An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking 
  an action to make a DC 12 Strength check. On a 
  success, the creature escapes and enters a space of 
  its choice within 5 feet of the cube.
  Ochre Jelly
  Large ooze, unaligned
  Armor Class 8
  Hit Points 45 (6d10 + 12)
  Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  15 (+2) 
  6 (-2) 
  14 (+2) 
  2 (-4) 
  6 (-2) 
  1 (-5)
  Damage Resistances acid
  Damage Immunities lightning, slashing
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, 
  exhaustion, frightened, prone
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 8
  Languages –
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Amorphous. The jelly can move through a space as 
  narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
  Spider Climb. The jelly can climb difficult surfaces, 
  including upside down on ceilings, without needing 
  to make an ability check.
  Actions
  Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage 
  plus 3 (ld6) acid damage.
  Reactions
  Split. When a jelly that is Medium or larger is 
  subjected to lightning or slashing damage, it splits 
  into two new jellies if it has at least 10 hit points. 
  Each new jelly has hit points equal to half the 
  original jelly’s, rounded down. New jellies are one 
  size smaller than the original jelly.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  
  48
  Displacer beast
  Large monstrosity, lawful evil
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30)
  Speed 40 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  18 (+4) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  6 (-2) 
  12 (+1) 
  8 (-1)
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
  Languages –
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)
  Avoidance. If the displacer beast is subjected to an 
  effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take 
  only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it 
  succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage 
  if it fails.
  Displacement. The displacer beast projects a 
  magical illusion that makes it appear to be standing 
  near its actual location, causing attack rolls against 
  it to have disadvantage. If it is hit by an attack, this 
  trait is disrupted until the end of its next turn. This 
  trait is also disrupted while the displacer beast is 
  incapacitated or has a speed of 0.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The displacer beast makes two attacks 
  with its tentacles.
  tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 
  10ft., one target. Hit: 7 (ld6 + 4) bludgeoning 
  damage plus 3 (1d6) piercing damage.
  Green Hag
  Medium fey, neutral evil
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  18 (+4) 
  12 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2)
  Skills Arcana +3, Deception +4, Perception +4,
  Stealth +3
  Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Draconic, Sylvan
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Coven Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
  Amphibious. The hag can breathe air and water.
  Innate Spellcasting. The hag’s innate spellcasting 
  ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12). She can 
  innately cast the following spells, requiring no 
  material components:
  At will: dancing lights, minor illusion, vicious mockery
  Mimicry. The hag can mimic animal sounds and 
  humanoid voices. A creature that hears the sounds 
  can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 14 
  Wisdom (Insight) check.
  Actions
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.
  Illusory Appearance. The hag covers herself and 
  anything she is wearing or carrying with a magical 
  illusion that makes her look like another creature of 
  her general size and humanoid shape. The illusion 
  ends if the hag takes a bonus action to end it or if 
  she dies.
   
  The changes wrought by this effect fail to hold 
  up to physical inspection. For example, the hag could 
  appear to have smooth skin, but someone touching 
  her would feel her rough flesh. Otherwise, a creature 
  must take an action to visually inspect the illusion 
  and succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) 
  check to discern that the hag is disguised.
  Invisible Passage. The hag magically turns invisible 
  until she attacks or casts a spell, or until her 
  concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). 
  While invisible, she leaves no physical evidence of 
  her passage, so she can be tracked only by magic. 
  Any equipment she wears or carries is invisible with 
  her.
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: DM APPENDIX
  
  49
  Granny Eve-canker (Night Hag)
  Medium	fiend,	neutral	evil
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  18 (+4) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3)
  Skills Deception +7, Insight +6, Perception +6,
  Stealth +6
  Damage Resistances cold, fire; bludgeoning, 
  piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons 
  that aren’t silvered
  Condition Immunities charmed
  Senses darkvision 120ft., passive Perception 16
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal, Primordial
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
  Coven Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
  Innate Spellcasting. The hag’s innate spellcasting 
  ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with 
  spell attacks). She can innately cast the following 
  spells, requiring no material components:
  At will: detect magic, magic missile
  2/day each: plane shift (self only), ray of 
  enfeeblement, sleep
  Magic Resistance. The hag has advantage on saving 
  throws against spells and other magical effects.
  Actions
  Claws (Hag Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: 
  +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) 
  slashing damage.
  Change Shape. The hag magically polymorphs into 
  a Small or Medium female humanoid, or back into 
  her true form. Her statistics are the same in each 
  form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying isn’t 
  transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies.
  etherealness. The hag magically enters the Ethereal 
  Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. To 
  do so, the hag must have a heartstone in her 
  possession.
  Nightmare Haunting (1/Day). While on the 
  Ethereal Plane, the hag magically touches a sleeping 
  humanoid on the Material Plane. A protection from 
  evil and good spell cast on the target prevents this 
  contact, as does a magic circle. As long as the contact 
  persists, the target has dreadful visions. If these 
  visions last for at least 1 hour, the target gains no 
  benefit from its rest, and its hit point maximum 
  is reduced by 5 (1d10). If this effect reduces the 
  target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, 
  and if the target was evil, its soul is trapped in the 
  hag’s soul bag. The reduction to the target’s hit 
  point maximum lasts until removed by the greater 
  restoration spell or similar magic.
  Night Hag Items
  A night hag carries two very rare magic items 
  that she must craft for herself If either object 
  is lost, the night hag will go to great lengths to 
  retrieve it, as creating a new tool takes time 
  and effort.
   
  heartstone. This lustrous black gem 
  allows a night hag to become ethereal while it 
  is in her possession. The touch of a heartstone 
  also cures any disease. Crafting a heartstone 
  takes 30 days.
   
  Soul Bag. When an evil humanoid dies as a 
  result of a night hag’s Nightmare Haunting, the 
  hag catches the soul in this black sack made 
  of stitched flesh. A soul bag can hold only one 
  evil soul at a time, and only the night hag who 
  crafted the bag can catch a soul with it. Crafting 
  a soul bag takes 7 days and a humanoid 
  sacrifice (whose flesh is used to make the bag).
  
  50
  Player handout 1: letter of instructions
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PLAYER HANDOUT 1
  Our plans proceed apace.
  Stay at your post and watch over the goods. 
  We make our move when the protestors’ cries echo throughout the city.  
  I will be at the Outcast’s Sanctuary, preparing something special for 
  the occasion.
  Lord Yestral is incredibly pleased with the progress we’ve made.  When 
  the smoke clears, your rewards will exceed anything you can imagine.
  By the full moon’s glow,
  E.M.
  
  51
  Player handout 2: Thug’s Map
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PLAYER HANDOUT 2
  
  52
  Player Handout 3: entries from Dern Gelnacht’s Journal
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PLAYER HANDOUT 3
  TWO WEEKS AGO
  “She visits me in my dreams, always beautiful.  Alis has nothing to 
  fear from my dreams, though.  I am hers and I shall always
  be true to my love.”
  TEN DAYS AGO
  “These restless nights are taxing, but Granny’s nightly visits make 
  things better.  It’s our special, little secret.  She said last night that 
  she doesn’t appreciate my being a Red Plume.  She says that the 
  Red Plumes are wicked and hurtful.  But my Alis isn’t like that at 
  all, or is she?  Perhaps I have gone down the wrong path.”
  SEVEN DAYS AGO
  “Granny said that I’m a bad, bad boy for staying within the Plumes’ 
  ranks.  I think my cohorts know of her nightly visits.  They whisper 
  behind my back, even my beloved.  But Granny is a true friend—
  perhaps my only true friend.  How long have my comrades-at-arms 
  been spreading rumors about me?  How long must I put up with 
  their hushed words?”
  FIVE DAYS AGO
  “She says she won’t come back if I remain here.  She is staying 
  somewhere called the Outcast’s Sanctuary.  I need to find her.  
  My duty and my station can’t get in my way.  The Red Plumes can’t 
  get in my way.  I won’t let them…”
  
  53
  Player Handout 4: emerald kidgloves
  HILL 1-1 / ARRIVAL: PLAYER HANDOUT 4
  Emerald Kidgloves (Gloves of Thievery)
  Wondrous item, uncommon
  These delicate, goatskin gloves are colored with a bright green pigment and slip onto your hands 
  effortlessly. Although these act as gloves of thievery, these gloves do not turn invisible when worn, but 
  shrink or grow to accommodate a small or medium wearer’s size.
   
  While wearing these gloves, you gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks and 
  Dexterity checks made to pick locks.  Additionally, you feel a sense of irresistible generosity, expressing 
  compliments to those around them and spending coin for the benefit of others without hesitation.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/Third Party/HILL 1-1 Arrival (5-10).pdf