TEXT: 1
  
  2
  The Darkness Never Forgets
  Oriel Phoenixfeather, the old halfling shop keep from Hawksroost, has gone missing. Her granddaughter and the 
  leaders of the SALT Consortium have sent out a call for adventurers to investigate the disappearance. A danger 
  brewing to the north of Hawksroost, however, may make this search-and-rescue more dangerous than the party 
  had initially planned. 
  A Four-Hour Adventure for 5th- 10th level characters
  Part 1 of the Unholy Alliances storyline
  DAVE KNIGHTON
  Author
  Created for: Salt Lake City Gaming Con 2018
  Adventure Code: CCC-SALT02-05
  Optimized For: APL 8
  Version: 0.08
  Product Manager: David Morris
  Development and Editing: Derek Gray, Dave Knighton, Sara Tharen, David Morris
  Art and Cartography: Dean Spencer (Glyph) Dave Knighton (Maps), all other art is CC0 courtesy of Pixabay.com
  Layout and Design: Shani Knighton-Raven and Moon Co.
  Organized Play: Chris Lindsay
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Bill Benham, Lysa Chen, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Alan Patrick, Travis Woodall
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  Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
  
  3
  Introduction
  Welcome to The Darkness Never Forgets, a D&D 
  Adventurers League™ adventure, part of the official 
  D&D Adventurers League™ organized play system 
  and the Unholy Alliance™ storyline season.
   This adventure is designed for three to seven 
  5th-10th level characters and is optimized for 
  five characters with an average party level 
  (APL) of 8. Characters outside this level range can-
  not participate in this adventure.
  Adjusting This Adventure
  This adventure provides suggestions in making ad-
  justments for smaller or larger groups, characters 
  of higher or lower levels, and characters who are 
  otherwise a bit more powerful than the adventure 
  is optimized for. You’re not bound to these adjust-
  ments; they’re here for your convenience.
   To figure out whether you should consider ad-
  justing the adventure, add up the total levels of all 
  the characters and divide the total by the number 
  of characters (rounding .5 or greater up; .4 or less 
  down). This is the group’s APL. To approximate 
  the party strength for the adventure, consult the 
  following table.
  Determining Party Strength
  Party Composition Party
  Strength
  3-4 characters, APL less than
  Very weak
  3-4 characters, APL equivalent
  Weak
  3-4 characters, APL greater than
  Average
  5 characters, APL less than
  Weak
  5 characters, APL equivalent
  Average
  5 characters, APL greater than
  Strong
  6-7 characters, APL less than
  Average
  6-7 characters, APL equivalent
  Strong
  6-7 characters, APL greater than
  Very strong
  Some encounters may include a sidebar that offers 
  suggestions for certain party strengths. If a partic-
  ular recommendation is not offered or appropriate 
  for your group, you don’t have to make adjust-
  ments.
  Before Play at the Table
  Before you start play, consider the following:
  • 
  Read through the adventure, taking notes of 
  anything you’d like to highlight or remind 
  yourself of while running the adventure, such 
  as a way you’d like to portray an NPC or a tactic 
  you’d like to use in combat. Familiarize yourself 
  with the adventure’s appendices and handouts.
  • 
  Gather any resources you’d like to use to aid you 
  in running this adventure, such as notecards, a 
  DM screen, miniatures, and battlemaps.
  • 
  Ask the players to provide you with relevant 
  character information, such as name, race, class, 
  and level; passive Wisdom (Perception), and 
  anything specified as notable by the adventure 
  (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.)
  Playing the Dungeon Master
  You have the most important role—facilitating the 
  enjoyment of the game for the players. You provide 
  the narrative and bring the words on these pages to 
  life. 
   To facilitate this, keep in mind the following:
   You’re Empowered. Make decisions about how 
  the group interacts with the adventure; adjusting or 
  improvising is encouraged, so long as you maintain 
  the adventure’s spirit. This doesn’t allow you to im-
  plement house rules or change those of the Adven-
  turers League, however; they should be consistent 
  in this regard.
   Challenge Your Players. Gauge the experience 
  level of your players (not the characters), try to 
  feel out (or ask) what they like in a game, and at-
  tempt to deliver the experience they’re after. Every-
  one should have the opportunity to shine.
   Keep the Adventure Moving. When the game 
  starts to get bogged down, feel free to provide hints 
  and clues to your players so they can attempt to 
  solve puzzles, engage in combat, and roleplay inter-
  actions without getting too frustrated over a lack 
  of information. This gives players “little victories” 
  for figuring out good choices from clues. Watch for 
  stalling—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 expe-
  rience.
  
  4
  Adventure Primer
  “All extremes of feeling are allied with mad-
  ness.” 
  ― Virginia Woolf, Orlando
  Adventure Background
  Oriel Phoenixfeather is the oldest resident of 
  Hawksroost and owner of the town’s supply shop, 
  the Forgotten Shoe. She was born in this town over 
  200 years ago but left with her father when the 
  town was abandoned due to the increasing orc at-
  tacks.  She returned with her granddaughter, Solar-
  is Phoenixfeather, when the SALT consortium began 
  rebuilding Hawksroost.  
   Oriel Phoenixfeather spent her younger years as 
  a notorious rogue and spent her entire life adven-
  turing. Her travels brought her into the company of 
  many different adventuring parties along the way. 
  One of these parties had found themselves deep 
  within a dense fog. Upon exiting they soon discov-
  ered they were in the land of Barovia.
   While on this expedition, the party’s bard, Lycid-
  us Ikurvorh, was bitten by a vampire. The party was 
  unable to save him prior to finding their way home 
  and had to leave him behind. 
   Lycidus was deeply in love with Oriel but she nev-
  er reciprocated these feelings. As much as it pained 
  her to lose a friend she knew that leaving him was 
  the only way to escape and save her life as well as 
  the rest of the adventuring group.
   Lycidus never gave up his search for Oriel and 
  finally found a way to return to her. Upon locating 
  her, he gave her the option to join him willingly or 
  be forced to love him over an eternity of life.
  NPC Summary
  The following NPCs featured in this adventure:
  Oriel Phoenixfeather (Or-ee-ell Fee-nix-feather): Old Halfling who runs 
  the quartermaster shop within Hawksroost.
  Solaris Phoenixfeather (So-lar-is Fee-nix-feather): Granddaughter to Ori-
  el Phoenixfeather. She has taken over the day-to-day work of the family 
  shop, the Forgotten Shoe.
  Norwood Sorrim (NOAR-wood Soar-im): A cleric of Ilmater and partner 
  of the SALT Consortium.  
  Larazmu (Lair-as-moo): A retired monk who started the SALT Consortium 
  with his old friend Sorrim to try to strike it rich with the mines recently 
  discovered near Hawksroost.
  Reynard (Ray-nard): A traveling merchant and trader.
  Lycidus Ikurvorh (li-SID-us ee-kurv-ah): A human vampire that has es-
  caped the lands of Barovia in search of his beloved in order to live a life 
  eternal together with her. 
  Adventure Overview
  The Darkness Never Forgets begins within the cen-
  ter of Hawksroost at a shrine to Ilmater. 
   The adventure is broken down into four parts:
  Part 1. (30 Minutes) The party meets with Laraz-
  mu and Sorrim and learn of the missing resident, 
  Oriel Phoenixfeather. They have been called to lo-
  cate the missing halfling. They are directed to start 
  their search by meeting with the granddaughter 
  Solaris. Solaris explains to the party that a visitor 
  came to meet with Oriel the night she disappeared. 
  She gives them a recently discovered journal that 
  was written by her grandmother and asks them to 
  start their search to the north.
  Part 2. (60 Minutes) As the party leaves the town, 
  a merchant pulls up behind them and offers to give 
  them a ride to the Ilinver Trail as he says he’s on 
  his way to Phlan. The merchant offers the party a 
  meal as he sets up camp prior to the party moving 
  further north. After an attack on the camp, the mer-
  chant realizes that something of great value was 
  taken from him and offers to travel with the party 
  in search of the creatures that attacked.
  Part 3. (30 Minutes) The party tracks the crea-
  tures that attacked them to the ruins of an old tem-
  ple. The party is ambushed again only to discover 
  that their new traveling companion is not what he 
  appears to be. 
  Part 4.  (90 Minutes) Finding an opening leading 
  into the depths of the temple the party works their 
  way through the trap-laden dungeon to find Oriel 
  already bitten and search for Lycidus to finish off 
  the vampire.
  Adventure Hooks
  For each character, choose an appropriate reason 
  why they are traveling to Hawksroost.
   Previous Adventures. If the characters have pre-
  viously participated in adventures in and around 
  Hawksroost, they may already be familiar with any 
  of the members of the SALT Consortium or Oriel 
  and when word comes that Sorrim and Larazmu 
  need help, they are the first to respond.
   Treasure Hunters, Adventurers, and other 
  undesirables. Fliers circulate through Hawksroost 
  advertising for adventurers to meet with Sorrim 
  and Larazmu to organize a search party.
  
  5
  Part 1. 
  Estimated Duration: 30 minutes
  The party meets with Sorrim and Larazmu within 
  the center of Hawksroost near the shrine to Ilmater. 
  The party is answering the flyers requesting ad-
  venturers for a search party to locate Oriel Phoe-
  nixfeather, a local resident and proprietor of the 
  town’s shop, the Forgotten Shoe.
   Oriel’s granddaughter, Solaris Phoenixfeather, 
  reached out to the leaders of the SALT Consortium 
  a few days ago, frantic about her grandmother. 
  Solaris explained to Sorrim and Larazmu that she 
  went to deliver breakfast to Oriel like she does 
  every day only to find her bed empty and all Oriel’s 
  wolf pups acting distressed about something and 
  howling at the open window. 
  The Halfling’s Hiatus 
  General Features
  The general features of Hawksroost are as follows:
  Sounds: The afternoon bustle of the local residents fills the air.
  Weather: The clouds are dark and bring with it the sense of a coming  
   
  storm. 
  Light: The dark clouds refuse to let the sun through, bringing a heavy  
   
  tone to the area. Despite this, the light is still bright enough to  
   
  allow for full visibility.
  Shopping: The local quartermaster shop in Hawksroost, the Forgotten 
   
  Shoe, is well stocked and adventuring gear costing 50 gp or  
   
  less can be purchased.
  The dark clouds bring a sense of a coming storm as you work your 
  way to the open-air shrine within the center of town. A human male, 
  dressed in fine vestments, is busy lighting candles while a large half-orc 
  stands by, arms crossed. 
   
  Lighting the last candle, the man turns to meet you as you approach. 
  “Well met and thank you for your aid. My name is Sorrim, and  
   
  that gruff half-orc is Larazmu.” Larazmu grunts at you and   
   
  looks over the party. “
  A resident of our fine town appears to have gone missing,” Sorrim con-
  tinues. “The halfling shop-keep, Oriel Phoenixfeather. Her granddaugh-
  ter, Solaris, came to us a few days ago in a panic that her grandmother 
  had gone missing sometime in the night.
  “We’re in need of assistance to track down our old friend.” Larazmu 
  interrupts with another snort and scowls. “Our resources are currently 
  tied up.”
  What Sorrim and Larazmu Know
  • 
  Solaris came to the men three days ago frantic 
  that Oriel was missing.
  • 
  The SALT Consortium has been sending out 
  search parties but no luck so far.
  • 
  The parties had to end as a new threat seems to 
  be brewing to the north.
  • 
  The party is advised to avoid going north of the 
  Ilinver Trail.
  • 
  If the party asks what the danger is, Sorrim and 
  Larazmu say in unison, “Nothing good.”
  • 
  If the party asks why Larazmu is acting the way 
  he is, he tells them, “That halfling is the most 
  stubborn woman I’ve ever met. Nevertheless, 
  despite all her tenacious tendencies, she is still 
  a member of our town and, as such, family.”
  • 
  The only lead on Oriel’s disappearance is a note 
  that Solaris found (Player’s Handout 1).
  • 
  They recommend starting the investigation at 
  the Forgotten Shoe and meeting with Solaris. 
  She is aware that the party is coming.
  • 
  The SALT Consortium is willing to pay 500 gp 
  for the party to return Oriel, even if it is just her 
  body.
  
  6
  When the party is finished asking questions, read 
  the following:
  Sorrim looks at the party somberly and says, “Oriel may not like to 
  admit it but she is an important part of our community. Finding her is 
  a priority, but the danger coming, if it is what we fear, requires all our 
  resources. Please do everything you can to bring Oriel home.”
  The Grieving Granddaughter
  Solaris moved to Hawksroost with her grand-
  mother shortly after the passing of her mother. 
  Oriel was born and raised within the town before it 
  fell to the constant raids of orcs. The two halflings 
  rebuilt the shop on the foundation of the original 
  building that was once run by Oriel’s father. 
  A slight drizzle begins as you walk down the dirt road in the direction 
  given to you by Sorrim. A quaint, two-story building sits just off the 
  road, and the wooden sign adorned with golden lettering swings slightly 
  in the breeze above the door. As you enter, a small bell rings above your 
  head followed by a small voice coming from an open door behind the 
  counter: “I’ll be right with you.”
  A young halfling with long red hair walks out from the back room. Her 
  eyes are bloodshot and her voice cracks, tell-tale signs of recent tears. 
  She looks up at all of you and chokes back on the emotion in her voice 
  as she continues, “I do apologize, how may I help you?”
  Solaris has been experiencing crying fits since her 
  grandmother went missing. She has been doing ev-
  erything she can to hold herself together and con-
  tinue work at the shop, knowing this is what Oriel 
  would expect from her. However, Solaris is still 
  young and the only family she has left is missing.
  What Solaris Knows
  • 
  Solaris is grateful for the party agreeing to 
  assist.
  • 
  She apologizes as she has a hard time speaking 
  about her grandmother without tearing up.
  • 
  Oriel was well into her second century and 
  although she talked as though she could still go 
  on adventures, Solaris knew better.
  • 
  Her grandmother had received a visitor that 
  made her quite upset the night she went miss-
  ing. A man arrived just as the sun set while Oriel 
  was closing the shop for the night.
  • 
  Solaris was in the back, making dinner, so she 
  did not hear the whole conversation. She came 
  out when she heard her grandmother yelling 
  and demanding the man leave.
  • 
  She only saw the man for a brief moment as he 
  was leaving. She tells the party the man had 
  dark hair with pale white skin and what looked 
  like red eyes.
  • 
  When asked what was wrong, Oriel said noth-
  ing and went straight to her room, telling her 
  granddaughter she was in no mood to eat.
  • 
  The next morning, Solaris brought breakfast to 
  her grandmother, like she does every day, but 
  she was not in her room.
  • 
  The window was open, and her wolf pups were 
  whining and staring out it.
  • 
  On the ground was a crumpled letter. Solaris 
  gave it to Sorrim.
  • 
  Solaris believes that whatever danger the SALT 
  Consortium is investigating has something to 
  do with what happened to Oriel. Whenever the 
  wolf pups are taken out, they all sit facing north 
  and howl. 
  • 
  If the party contests heading north due to 
  Sorrim’s warnings, Solaris begins crying uncon-
  trollably. Through her tears they can make out 
  the words, “I understand. Everyone said it was 
  a lost cause. Everyone is so afraid, I can’t blame 
  you for not being able to do this.”
  Forgotten Shoe
  
  7
  When the party is through asking questions and 
  agree to head north in search of Oriel, read the 
  following:
  “I know Sorrim and Larazmu have offered up a reward upon your return, 
  but I also know there is great potential for danger along the way. I’m 
  willing to offer you another 250 gold if you can bring my grandmother 
  back.”
  Solaris asks them if they would like to purchase 
  anything before leaving. The Forgotten Shoe is well 
  stocked and party members can purchase adven-
  turing gear costing 50 gp or less.
  Part 2.
  Estimated Duration: 60 minutes 
  The party takes the information they gained from 
  Solaris and heads north out of Hawksroost in the 
  rain.
   Whether on foot or steed, they aren’t long on the 
  road before a wagon catches up to the party. The 
  driver of this wagon is Reynard. He accompanies 
  the party as far as the Ilinver Trail where he in-
  forms the party he plans to head west; that is until 
  the party is attacked while making camp for the 
  night. 
  The Timely Traveler
  General Features
  The general features of the area are as follows:
  Sounds: The rain falling heavily on the beaten path mutes most noises.  
   
  All checks that rely on sound are made with disadvantage.
  Weather: The rain is now coming down steadily, causing all checks that  
   
  rely on sight or sound to be made with disadvantage.
  Light: The dark clouds have now turned black and cast dim light during  
   
  day travel.
  A flash of light in sky illuminates the road ahead of you followed by a 
  loud crack of thunder. The rain begins to fall steadily and begins to pool 
  in the divots along the path. Before long, you make out the sounds of a 
  horse coming up behind you. As you turn, you see a burly man driving a 
  one-horse wagon.
  This broad-shouldered man with short-cut hair and 
  clean-cut beard behind the reins is Reynard Lone-
  grove.  The wagon is full of crates and barrels that 
  shift from side to side with every hole the wagon 
  wheels hit. The party will realize that he is gaining 
  on them and with a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check, they can make out through the rain that he 
  appears to be hailing them. 
   As he approaches the party, read the following:
  As the cart gets closer, the man behind the reins pulls back to slow his 
  horse. 
  “Well met, travelers. I hope I didn’t scare you. It just gets lonely on 
  these long roads and I look forward to any company I can come across.”
  What Reynard knows:
  • 
  Reynard is a traveling merchant. He spent his 
  young life on the road with his father.
  • 
  He tells the party he just finished in Hawksroost 
  and is on his way to Phlan. 
  • 
  Reynard is very grateful the party is going the 
  same direction he is, even if it is only for a short 
  distance. He tells them it gets lonely on the 
  road. 
  What Reynard doesn’t tell the party:
  • 
  Reynard is a traveling merchant out of necessi-
  ty. He, like his father, is a natural-born werewolf.
  • 
  While traveling along the Ilinver Trail three 
  days ago, he was approached by a man who 
  introduced himself as Lycidus Ikurvorh. Lycidus 
  successfully charmed Reynard and has been in 
  contact with him every night since.
  • 
  Lycidus asked Reynard to stay in Hawksroost to 
  keep a ear out for rumors of anyone traveling to 
  the north investigating the missing halfling. 
  • 
  If any group heads north, he was directed to 
  escort them as far north as Ilinver Trail where 
  he is then instructed to contact Lycidus using a 
  sending stone given to him.
  
  8
  Role-playing Reynard
  Reynard is human who appears to be in his mid-to-late 40s. He has 
  broad shoulders and a solid build. His black hair is peppered gray and 
  cut short with a clean-cut beard to match. 
   
  Reynard is a natural-born werewolf and has survived by staying 
  on the move and keeping a low profile whenever he can. Despite his 
  needing to avoid contact with people, he is a very outgoing and genuine 
  man with a full, boisterous laugh and pleasant demeanor when he does 
  interact with others. 
  At this point, if any of the party members are hes-
  itant or don’t trust Reynard, have them make a DC 
  18 Wisdom (Insight). On a success, they know that 
  he has ulterior motives. If confronted about this, he 
  will explain that he was asked by a friend to escort 
  you to the Ilinver Trail. If asked who the friend is, 
  Reynard will tell them his name is Lycidus, but 
  that’s all he knows. Reynard has no idea why he is 
  to escort them and that is the truth; Lycidus never 
  told him any more than that. 
   If the party refuses to travel with him any farther, 
  Reynard is visibly hurt but understands their con-
  cern and falls back. Reynard will continue to follow 
  from a distance, just out of sight of the party. 
  They Came in the Night
  Regardless of whether Reynard is with the party or 
  not, read the following. 
  The rain continues as dusk settles in. A mist begins to roll along the 
  ground as you approach the Ilinver Trail that travels east to west. Ahead 
  to the north is a vast stretch of field grass, drooping slightly from the 
  weight of the rain water. You feel exhausted and working through the 
  tall, wet grass becomes more difficult with every step.
  At this point, the sun has set, and the darkness set-
  tles in. Now would be a good time to offer the party 
  a chance to sleep. They can easily set up camp off 
  the road. Making a fire is difficult but can be done 
  with a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check.
   If Reynard is with the party still, he offers to make 
  dinner for the party and can start a fire with no 
  checks needed. After eating he offers to take the 
  first watch so the party can sleep. If they party re-
  fuses to let him take any watch, he agrees and stays 
  up with whomever takes watch first while he cleans 
  up mess from dinner. 
   Before bedding, Reynard excuses himself to 
  “relieve” himself. The player on watch may wish to 
  follow. If they do so, remind them that they will be 
  leaving the party while the rest sleep. If they con-
  tinue, have them make a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) 
  check. On a failure Reynard hears the player, turns 
  around, and says,” I appreciate the help, but I think 
  I can handle this on my own,” and lets out a boister-
  ous laugh.  
   Have the first player on watch (after Reynard 
  is asleep in his wagon if he’s there) make a DC 18 
  Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, they 
  hear the flapping of wings and see the faint outline 
  of bats. 
   During the second watch, have the player make a 
  DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, 
  they hear movement around the camp. The rain has 
  stopped, and the moon is starting to peek through 
  the clouds, casting shadows of creatures coming to-
  wards the camp. On a failure the party is surprised 
  by two vampire spawns and three wolves.
  Adjusting the Encounter
  Here is the recommendation for adjusting this combat. These are not 
  cumulative.
  ● Very Weak: Remove one vampire spawn and one wolf
  ● Weak: Remove one wolf
  ● Strong: Replace one wolf with a vampire spawn
  ● Very strong:  Add one vampire spawn
  If the party left Reynard, he charges in when there 
  is only one vampire spawn left alive (entering ini-
  tiative when this happens), destroying his wagon in 
  the process. The vampire spawn then uses its turn 
  to move towards the wagon, grab something small 
  from the debris, and escape into the night.
   If Reynard is with the party, he uses the help 
  action on his turn to assist the party with whatever 
  they need. When there is only one vampire spawn 
  left, it uses its turn to charge Reynard’s wagon, 
  grabbing something from the back, destroying ev-
  erything else in it, and then escaping into the night. 
  Everything’s Dead, Now What?
  There’s always the possibility that the party will kill the spawns before 
  one has a chance to charge the wagon, ultimately ruining an important 
  plot point (this never happens, right?). If this is the case, the one that’s 
  hiding in the bushes, that hasn’t attacked, charges from the dark with 
  the one purpose of grabbing something from the wagon. 
  Reynard’s first thought is that of the players, tend-
  ing to any wounds they may have received.  If any 
  have been bitten, he insists that they sleep immedi-
  ately. 
   After Reynard has ensured that everyone is okay, 
  read the following:
  Reynard’s mood changes and his face goes blank. He runs at full sprint 
  the short distance to what’s left of his wagon and begins rummaging 
  through the broken chests, crates, and casks.
   
  “Where is it? Where is it?!”
  Reynard becomes more frantic, throwing odds and ends over his shoul-
  der as he falls to his knees, in tears.
  
  9
  Reynard is looking for a locket that belonged to his 
  mother. His father gave it to him before he died. He had 
  it packed away in one of the chests that was broken 
  during the encounter. 
   Reynard insists on traveling with the party to track 
  down the creature that took the last thing he has of his 
  parents. He offers to sit watch the rest of the night to 
  ensure the party can rest for what’s to come.
  The sun breaks the horizon. The rain from the night before still sits on the tall 
  grasses around you and the wind from the north sends a shudder up your 
  spine. Looking to the north, you see a thick fog stirring in the distance.
  Reynard is still sifting through the remains of his wagon. He walks towards you 
  when he realizes you’re awake.
  “It’s fortunate this is still intact. A pity it’s the last one. I have a feeling  
  we’ll need more than this.” 
  He hands you a vial of red liquid. “Let’s move out.”
  Treasure
  One of the vampire spawns is wearing a gem-encrusted 
  amulet worth 200gp. The vial is a potion of superior 
  healing.  
  
  10
  Part 3.
  Estimated Duration: 60 minutes 
  The party heads north with Reynard leading the 
  way. The rain from the day before makes tracking 
  prints in the mud easy and no check is needed to 
  stay on the tracks of the vampire spawn that got 
  away.
  General Features
  The general features of area are as follows:
  Sounds: The scurrying of rats and squeaks of bats fill the air. There are  
   
  far more of these creatures active than there should be.
  Weather: A few dark clouds dot the sky but there is no threat of any   
   
  rain.
  Light: The sun provides bright light.
  The Open Plains
  The tracks are easily readable within the soft earth from the rain the 
  day before. Reynard leads the party, his determined eyes set to the 
  markings of his prey. 
  Small hills dot the open plains that lay ahead of you. With every step 
  the thick fog clinging to the ground becomes more ominous. 
   
  The sensation that something watches your every move begins to 
  increase as the grasses move around followed by the sounds of rustling 
  rats and the howl of wolves on the wind. 
  There is no need for any checks to track the vam-
  pire spawns. If the party wishes to, a DC 10 Wis-
  dom (Perception) check informs them that the rat 
  population is far higher than it should be. With a DC 
  13 Wisdom (Perception) check they also noticed 
  bats flying around, which is odd for this time of the 
  day. 
   
  Reynard remains mostly quiet on the trek 
  but will answer any questions the party asks, even 
  those that he held back previously. The only thing 
  he won’t tell them is that he is in fact a werewolf. 
  • 
  While traveling along the Ilinver Trail three 
  days ago, he was approached by a man who 
  introduced himself as Lycidus Ikurvorh. Lycidus 
  successfully charmed Reynard and has been in 
  contact with him every night since.
  • 
  Lycidus asked Reynard to stay in Hawksroost to 
  keep an ear out for rumors of anyone traveling 
  to the north investigating the missing halfling. 
  • 
  If any group heads north, he was directed to 
  escort them as far north as Ilinver Trail where 
  he is then instructed to contact Lycidus using a 
  sending stone given to him.
  • 
  Reynard used the stone prior to the attack to 
  inform Lycidus that he had completed his task.
  • 
  He realizes now that it was magic that caused 
  him to do what he did. 
  • 
  He honestly doesn’t know anything about more 
  about Lycidus or the fate of Oriel.
  The Lost Temple
  The party travels through most of the day, the 
  sounds of rats, bats, and wolfs increasing the closer 
  they get to the rolling fog.   
  As the sun starts to set, the tracks lead into a wall of billowing fog 
  hugging the ground. The shadows dancing from the falling light seem to 
  move of their own accord as if waiting to pounce. 
  The fog twists and turns, creating ghoulish faces seeming to scream in 
  agony. Wisps of the haze reach out towards you as if to pull you deeper.
  Reynard turns to you, and with a nod of his head, he says, “Follow me.”
  He turns back and walks in, his shadow slowly disappearing as he travels 
  deeper in the darkness. 
  General Features
  The general features of area are as follows:
  Sounds: The wings of bats flying through the air, rats scurrying under  
   
  foot, and wolves howling, echo all around the party. 
  Weather: The fog is due to the regional effects of the vampire and is not  
   
  natural. 
  Light: The setting sun and the fog make visibility difficult. Any checks   
   
  relying on sight are made with disadvantage.
  With a DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) or Intelli-
  gence (Nature) check, a player will be able to 
  recognize that this fog is not natural. If no player 
  has figured it out by this point, Reynard turns to the 
  party and informs them this is a vampire. 
  
  11
  Although the fading sun light and thick fog blots most of your visibility, 
  your able to see Reynard, stooped at the top of a small hill, holding his 
  hand up in a tight fist, instructing you to stop. He turns with a finger to 
  his lips and slowly motions for you to approach.
  At the base of the hill you can make out the shadows of creatures 
  moving slowly amongst large stones. Upon closer inspection you realize 
  these stones are the ruins of a building.
  The creatures moving around the base of the tem-
  ple are two zombies. Also, unbeknownst to the 
  party, two wraiths lie in wait.  
   If the party wishes to take the zombies by sur-
  prise have them roll a group DC 13 Dexterity 
  (Stealth) check. If at least half of them succeed 
  they will get a surprise round against the zombies, 
  but not the wraiths as these creatures know the 
  party is coming due to Reynard’s message to Lycid-
  us with the sending stone. 
   During combat, Reynard continues to use the 
  help action during his turn and will come to the aid 
  of any party member that needs assistance. 
  Adjusting the Encounter
  Here is the recommendation for adjusting this combat. These are not 
  cumulative.
  ● Very Weak: Remove one wraith
  ● Weak: Remove one zombie and cut the second zombie’s starting hit  
   
  points in half
  ● Strong: Add one vampire spawn
  ● Very strong:  Add one vampire spawn and one zombie
  After combat has finished read the following:
  Reynard tends to everyone’s wounds and then begins searching the 
  remains.
  “My mother’s locket is not here. I fear it’s only going to be worse down 
  below. We should take a short rest, and recover any strength we can, 
  but if the halfling is still down there, time is of the utmost importance.”
  Allow the party to take a short rest. If the party 
  wishes to investigate the ruins have them roll a DC 
  18 Intelligence (History) or Intelligence (Reli-
  gion) check. On a success, they can determine, due 
  to the etchings on some of the stones, that this is 
  a very ancient temple. The name of the deity wor-
  shiped here appears to have been scratched out on 
  every stone where it was mentioned.
   Reynard is very insistent on the party taking a 
  rest, but if the party refuses, or once the party as 
  completed their rest read the following:
  As you follow Reynard to the stairs leading below the structure the 
  wail of more wraiths pierces your ears. From the fog comes three more 
  wraiths. 
  Looking at the approaching creatures and then back at you, Reynard 
  says, “I’m sorry for this, my friends, this was never my intention.”
   
  With those words you stare as the man you’ve been traveling with 
  begins to shift form. Hair sprouts from his entire body. His fingers begin 
  to grow in length, coming to fine tipped claws at the ends. His face elon-
  gates to a massive snout as Reynard lets out an explosive howl.
  The beast stands in front of you and charges. You brace for the coming 
  onslaught, but he bounds over the party and charges for the creatures 
  in the fog. You hear him yell in the heat of battle, “MOVE! I’ll hold 
  them.”
  If any of the party wishes to stand against the 
  wraiths with Reynard have them roll initiative. 
  Reynard uses the stats of a werewolf. Throughout 
  combat Reynard is constantly yelling at the party to 
  get below. 
   If the party defeats the wraiths with the help of 
  Reynard, he demands they go down without him 
  and he will stand watch to ensure nothing follows 
  them. 
  
  12
  Part 4.
  Estimated Duration: 90 minutes
  The party descends the stairs of the ancient temple 
  in search for Oriel and, with any luck, Reynard’s 
  missing locket. 
  General Features
  The general features of Hawksroost are as follows:
  Sounds: The tunnels below the temple are eerily quiet.
  Smells: The smell of rotting flesh and death fill the air.
  Light: The tunnels and the rooms are lit with torches emitting dim  
   
   
  light.
  A. The Twisting Hallway
  As you descend the steps, a hallway comes into view at the bottom 
  filled with a soft light. The walls are lined with torches every several 
  feet.
  Hidden pits.  Hidden pit traps are marked on the 
  map in several locations through this hallway. 
  These pits span the width of the hallway and can-
  not be walked around. Each pit is 5 feet wide and 
  10 feet across. With a successful DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check, a character notices the miss-
  ing mortar within the stonework.  
   If the trap is discovered, a DC 10 Intelligence (In-
  vestigation) check reveals that the trap is pressure 
  triggered and there is no way to disarm it. 
   If any character steps on the middle of the trap, 
  the two halves swing open and the character falls 
  10 feet taking 1d6 falling damage. 
   Western Door. The markings on this locked 
  wooden door are like those found on the ruins out-
  side. With a successful DC 15 Dexterity check and 
  thieves’ tools, a character can unlock the door. 
   Northern Door. This plain wooden door is un-
  locked. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check finds a trip wire running through the jamb 
  at the top of the door. A DC 13 Intelligence (Inves-
  tigation) check is required to realize that opening 
  this door will pull on the wire. This wire is attached 
  to a scythe on the other side of the door. A DC 15 
  Dexterity check with thieves’ tools or any other 
  metal device will deactivate the trap.
   If the door swings open without characters de-
  tecting the trip wire and deactivating it somehow, 
  a scythe swings from the ceiling, targeting the area 
  in front of the open door: +5 to hit, 4 (1d8) slashing 
  damage.
  B. The Shrine Room
  A large stone altar makes up the centerpiece of this room. Along the 
  walls are six full sets of full-plate armor. The remains of stone statues 
  litter the floor around their feet. 
  Sitting in the middle of the alter, surrounded by burning candles, a gold 
  statue of a man with a long cape stands regally
  This room use to be one of prayer and worship for 
  the temple goer’s deity. Now it is built to pay hom-
  age to the Count of Barovia. If any characters have 
  spent time within the land of Barovia, they recog-
  nize this man immediately as that of Count Strahd 
  von Zarovich. 
   Five of these sets of armor standing around the 
  room are animated armor and the sixth is Lycid-
  us’ animated armor. If any character approaches 
  the center table, Lycidus’ armor as well as three 
  others attack. This encounter is only meant to 
  weaken the party and expend their resources. 
  Adjusting the Encounter
  Here is the recommendation for adjusting this combat. These are not 
  cumulative.
  Very Weak: Lycidus’ animated armor and 1 animated armor
  Weak: Lycidus’ animated armor and 2 animated armor
  Strong: Lycidus’ animated armor and 4 animated armor
  Very strong:  Lycidus’ animated armor and 5 animated armor
  Treasure
  Lycidus’ armor has two keys attached to it. One key 
  has an engraving of a wolf and the other an engrav-
  ing of a soldier in full armor. 
  
  13
  C. The Library
  A circular table sits within the center of this room. Spread across the 
  surface, lit candles illuminate open tomes and rolled parchments.  
  Shelves full of books stand against the north and south walls. Against 
  the west wall, hanging from the ceiling, there is a large tapestry depict-
  ing a battle scene. Strewn across the painted field are dead soldiers. 
  One can be seen crawling towards an open door of a castle with a lone 
  wolf standing guard. 
  This room has been set up as Lycidus’ private 
  library. The books in this room are stories from 
  Barovia and are worthless in terms of gold. Howev-
  er, if a character spends any time looking through 
  the books on the table, they will find one of the 
  open books is the history of a vampire by the name 
  of Orsova Stryx. The page this book is open to 
  depicts his lineage. Amongst the names of those 
  turned by Orsova is Lycidus. The party also locates 
  a Prayer of Healing spell scroll.
   Secret Door. A DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check allows a character to notice the outline of a 
  door on the north wall in between the two book-
  shelves. Upon closer inspection a character will find 
  a keyhole. 
   The tapestry on the west wall has the clue for 
  which of the two keys to use. The wolf is the only 
  one left standing and is in the open door. If a char-
  acter uses the key with the wolf, the door will open. 
  If a character uses the key with the soldier on it, 
  a trap door will open in front of the door and the 
  character will fall 20 feet taking 2d6 damage. 
   If any character attempts to use any other means 
  of opening this secret door, the trap door will open 
  instead. 
   Eastern Door. This door is closed but not locked 
  or trapped. 
  Treasure
  A Prayer of Healing spell scroll.
  D. The Hall
  Prior to Lycidus becoming a vampire, he was a 
  well-respected bard. Some of his previous life still 
  bubbles to the surface when he builds defenses for 
  his lairs.
   Irresistible Dancer. With a successful DC 15 
  Wisdom (Perception) check a player notices that 
  every few steps, the stones on the floor have been 
  etched with markings. A DC 18 Intelligence (Ar-
  cana) recognizes the markings as those that would 
  cast Otto’s Irresistible Dance spell.
   Traversing the hallway without stepping on any 
  of the markings requires a successful DC 10 Dex-
  terity check. On a failure, or if the party does not 
  spot the markings, the first character in the hallway 
  begins dancing in place. A successful DC 13 Wis-
  dom saving throw at the end of the player’s turn 
  breaks this desire to dance. Once a character trig-
  gers the spell, the rest of the stones with the mark-
  ings become visible. 
   Secret Door.  Any character succeeding on a DC 
  15 Wisdom (Perception) check will notice that 
  missing mortar around the door. Pushing on this 
  door causes the whole wall to shift in and slide 
  open. 
  
  14
  E. The Crypt
  This room is arid and smells of fresh earth. In the center of the room are 
  two coffins side-by-side atop freshly dug dirt. The ornate engravings on 
  each coffin are inlaid with gold. On the lid of each is a name, Lycidus and 
  Oriel.
  The dirt in this room is fresh soil from Lycidus’ 
  home land of Barovia. The coffin with Lycidus’ 
  name is empty. Within the other is Oriel. A DC 10 
  Wisdom (Medicine) check will tell a player that 
  she has been bitten by a vampire and is undergo-
  ing the transformation. With a DC 10 Intelligence 
  (History or Religion) a player will remember that 
  a Wish spell can reverse the transformation. Killing 
  the vampire and bringing them back from the dead 
  can also reverse the transformation. 
   If the party attempts to kill Oriel within her 
  coffin, she has 1 HP left. They can use a spell like 
  spare the dying to stabilize her, but she remains 
  unconscious even if spells are used to increase her 
  hit points. 
  F. The Throne Room
  A pale skinned figure sits with arms draped on the armrests of a large 
  throne in the center of a stone pedestal. A cold breeze brushes past you 
  as this man stands up.
  “I’ve been expecting you. If you plan on taking my beloved, I’m afraid I 
  will have to protest. I’ve spent far too long searching for my Oriel just to 
  let an insignificant group like yourselves stop me.”
  Legendary Actions
  The vampire can take three legendary actions, choosing from the op-
  tions below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and 
  only at the end of another creature’s turn. The vampire regains spent 
  legendary actions at the start of its turn.
  Move. The vampire moves up to its speed without provoking opportu-
  nity attacks.
  Unarmed Strike. The vampire makes one unarmed strike.
  Bite (Costs two Actions). The vampire makes one bite attack.
  Lycidus attacks the party within his lair and has 
  access to Legendary Actions.
  Adjusting the Encounter
  Here is the recommendation for adjusting this combat. These are not 
  cumulative.
  Very Weak party: Lycidus does not use any Legendary Actions and his 
  HP maximum is 95.
  Weak party:  Lycidus does not use any Legendary Actions.
  Strong party:  No change 
  Very strong party:  No change
  Treasure
  Lycidus is wearing a Cape of the Mountebank and a 
  coin pouch containing 300gp.
  Conclusion
  After defeating Lycidus, the party will have to take 
  Oriel’s body back to Hawksroost. Reynard meets 
  the party, back in human form and bloodied. He in-
  forms them that the creatures just stopped attack-
  ing and left back into the fog but not before he was 
  able to kill the beast that took his mother’s locket. 
  He holds it up to show the party with a big grin on 
  his face.
   He takes Oriel and accompanies the party back to 
  town. If the party hasn’t done anything to reverse 
  the transformation, Sorrim does what’s needed to 
  do so, otherwise she is taken to her bed to rest and 
  recover. 
  
  15
  Rewards
  Make sure the players note their rewards on their 
  adventure log sheets. Give your name and DCI num-
  ber (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 pres-
  ent in the battle. 
  Combat Awards
  Name of Foe
  XP per Foe
  Animated Armor
  200
  Lycidus Ikurvorh
  10,000
  Lycidus’ Animated Armor
  2,300
  Vampire Spawn
  1,800
  Wraith
  1,800
  Wolf
  50
  Zombie
  50
   The minimum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 3,750 experience 
  points.
   The maximum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 6,250 experience 
  points.
  Treasure
  The characters receive the following treasure, 
  divided up amongst the party. Treasure is divided 
  as evenly as possible. Gold piece values listed for 
  sellable gear are calculated at their selling price, 
  not their purchase price. 
  Treasure Awards
  Item Name
  GP Value
  Sorrim’s Offer
  500
  Solaris’ Offer
  250
  Vampire Spawn Necklace
  200
  Bag of Rubies
  200
  Lycidus’ Gold
  300
   Consumable magic items should be divided up 
  however the group sees fit. If more than one char-
  acter is interested in a specific consumable
   Permanent magic items are divided according 
  to a system detailed in the D&D Adventurers League 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide.
  Cape of the Mountebank
  Wonderous item, rare
  A description of this item can be found in the Dun-
  geon Master’s Guide
  Potion of Superior Healing
  Potion, rare
  A description of this item can be found in the Dun-
  geon Master’s Guide
  Spell Scroll: Prayer of Healing
  Scroll, uncommon
  A description of this spell can be found in the Play-
  er’s Handbook
  Renown
  Each character receives one renown at the conclu-
  sion of this adventure.
  DM Reward
  In exchange for running this adventure, you earn 
  DM Rewards as described in the D&D Adventurers 
  League Dungeon Master’s Guide (ALDMG).
  
  16
  Appendix. Dramatis Personae
  The following NPCs are featured prominently in this adventure:
  Larazmu (Lair-as-moo): A retired monk who started the SALT Consortium with his old friend Sorrim to 
  try to strike it rich. He also has a debt to repay to the Black Network.
  Ideal: A true friend. Larazmu will give up everything to protect his friends.
  Flaw: Gambler. Larazmu thinks himself a consummate investor. If there is a chance of making some mon-
  ey, he can hardly resist.
  Lycidus Ikurvorh (li-SID-us ee-kurv-ah):  Prior to being turned, Lycidus was a renowned bard and 
  adventure. He spent several years in a party with Oriel before meeting his demise in Barovia. Feeling jilted 
  after the party abandoned him to his fate, he spent decades searching out a way to track down his beloved 
  Oriel and forcing her to love him. 
  Ideal: Oriel will love me, and we will spend an eternity together.
  Flaw: I will do whatever it takes to ensure Oriel and I have a life together.
  Norwood Sorrim (NOAR-wood Soar-im): A cleric of Ilmater who lost his faith, but had it restored 
  through a harsh and taxing journey to find healing for his sick community. In attempting to honor his god, 
  he has built a permanent shrine within the town of Hawksroost. Sorrim goes by his last name and due to 
  his sometimes-odd behavior and muttering to himself, he has earned the nickname “The god whisperer.” 
  Ideal: I am dedicated to Ilmater and his tenants above all else. 
  Flaw: I find myself single-minded, often forgetting the subtleties as I pursues my visions. 
  Oriel Phoenixfeather (Or-ee-ell Fee-nix-feather): In her younger years, Oriel was a feisty rogue adven-
  turer. She spent decades moving from quest to quest with her companion Kev, a dire wolf, and as such has 
  had her fair share of narrow escapes and near-death experiences. Between that and losing friends along 
  way, she has become hardened and bitter, rarely letting people in. Believing she still has the strength to 
  continue her journeys, she reluctantly retired from her adventuring days to take care of her granddaugh-
  ter. Despite having to settle down she loves Solaris more than anything in the all of Toril and will do any-
  thing to keep her safe. 
  Ideal: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer to the edge of a dagger. 
  Flaw: I will not let anyone else in. Friends either leave or die. 
  Reynard (Ray-nard): Reynard is a natural-born werewolf and has spent his life traveling from city to city 
  trading random wares. He learned this lifestyle from his father, as a way to hide his true form, knowing 
  that staying in one place for too long would only cause fear in hearts of others. 
  Ideal: The road is lonely when traveling alone, but it’s the only way to protect myself and those I meet.
  Flaw: My past defines who I am and because I don’t have much, I cherish everything I have.
  Solaris Phoenixfeather (So-lar-is Fee-nix-feather): After Solaris’ mother died several years ago, her 
  grandmother, Oriel, retired from her days of adventuring to tend to her. After learning that Hawksroost 
  was being repopulated, Oriel took Solaris back to her hometown of Hawksroost to raise her granddaugh-
  ter and set up a quarter master’s shop. 
  Solaris spends her days running the shop now as she sees it as a way to hear the stories that adventurers 
  coming through town bring with them. She grew up listening to her grandmother’s adventures and now 
  that she has come into her own, she finds herself getting anxious and ready to strike out on her own. 
  Ideal: My grandmother is my world. I owe everything to her. 
  Flaw: I often find myself daydreaming about the adventures I have heard and the possibility of creating 
  my own. 
  
  17
  Appendix. Monster/NPC Statistics
  
  18
  
  19
  
  20
  
  21
  Map: Ruined Temple
  
  22
  Map: Vampire’s Lair
  
  23
  Player’s Handout 1: Crumpled Note
  Oriel,
  Even after a century, you still rest 
  on my mind. I have 
  forgiven you for what has befallen 
  me. In truth, it is because of this 
  gift that we can be together, for 
  all time. I offer you the chance 
  to join me willingly, but I promise 
  you this, you will be mine for all 
  eternity. Together we shall embrace 
  the night. 
   -Lycidus
  
  24
  Player Handout. Magic Item
  During the course of this adventure, the characters may find the following permanent magic item:
  Cape of the Mountebank
  Wondrous item, rare
  This cape smells faintly of brimstone. While wearing it, you can use it to cast the dimension door spell as 
  an action. This property of the cape can’t be used again until the next dawn.
  When you disappear, you leave behind a cloud of smoke, and you appear in a similar cloud of smoke at 
  your destination. The smoke lightly obscures the space you left and the space you appear in, and it dissi-
  pates at the end of your next turn. A light or stronger wind disperses the smoke. 
  
  25
  More Adventures
  CCC-SALT01-01 Rumors of Riches
  CCC-SALT01-02 Moor Trouble
  CCC-SALT01-03 Broken Halls of Goldahroud
  CCC-SRCC-01-01 Trouble in the Old City
  CCC-SRCC-01-02 Down the River of Snakes
  CCC-SRCC-01-03 Altar of the Smoldering Eye
  CCC-ANIME01-01 Legend of the Sword Bandit, Surprise!
  CCC-ANIME01-02 Let’s Find the Sword, GO!
  CCC-ANIME01-03 Star Sword Return
  CCC-MACE01-01 The Blight of Geoffrey
  CCC-MACE01-02 A Panther’s Peril
  Coming Soon for 2018
  CCC-SRCC-01-04  
  A Little Drop of Poison
  CCC-SRCC-01-05  
  The Snake Pit
  CCC-GSGC01-01  
  Iron Vultures of Glister
  CCC-GSGC01-02  
  The Fall of the Feathered Wolf
  CCC-MIND01-01  
  Lost in Thought
  CCC-MIND01-02  
  Mind Trip
  CCC-MIND01-03  
  Dream Walkers
  CCC-SKULL01-01  
  A Murder Most Foul
  CCC-SKULL01-02  
  Not All Who Are Lost Should Be Found
  CCC-SKULL01-03  
  Who Pulls the Strings
  CCC-MACE01-03  
  Haunted Memories
  CCC-MACE01-04  
  The Delve
  CCC-SALT02-01  
  Mulmaster Meddling’s 
  CCC-SALT02-02  
  The Power of the Halls
  CCC-SALT02-03  
  The Tower in the Valley
  CCC-SALT02-04  
  What Lies Beneath
  CCC-SALT02-05  
  The Darkness Never Forgets
  CCC-SALT02-06  
  Claws of Fury
  CCC-SALT02-07  
  From the Mist
  CCC-SALT02-08  
  The Undisturbed
  CCC-SALT02-09  
  Darkness Awakens
  CCC-SALT02-10  
  Ironshield Bastion
  CCC-SALT02-11  
  The Voice of Gorm
  CCC-SALT02-12  
  Siege of the Morokh
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/Convention Created Content/SaltCON/CCC-SALT-02-05 - The Darkness Never Forgets v1.01.pdf