TEXT: Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  1 
   
   
  Corrupted Artery 
   
  The mining town of Glister has had a prosperous year, and people have been coming in search of work and 
  wealth. A call has gone out for help in some local matters, but getting there is no easy task. Catch the caravan 
  and travel through treacherous Thar! 
   
  Part 1 of Kossuth’s Kiss 
   
  A 2-Hour Adventure for 1st-4th Level Characters 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Phil Allison 
  Adventure Designer 
   
  Adventure Code: CCC-SCAR01-01 
  Optimized For: APL 3 
  Version: 1.0 
   
   
  Development: Phil Allison, Maxine Henry, Paul Casagrande 
  Editing: Maxine Henry, Brian Kelley  
  Organized Play: Chris Lindsay 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett 
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Lysa Chen, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks,  
  Alan Patrick 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers 
  League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their 
  distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized 
  use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. 
   
  ©2017 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro 
  Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. 
   
  
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  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  2 
  Introduction 
  Welcome to CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery, a 
  D&D Adventurers League™ adventure, part of the 
  official D&D Adventurers League™ organized play 
  system and Convention Created Content for 
  SCARAB 2018. 
  This adventure is designed for three to seven 
  1st-4th level characters and is optimized for a 
  group of five 3rd level characters. Characters 
  outside this level range cannot participate in this 
  adventure. 
  This adventure is set in and around the Thar 
  moorlands, on a caravan route from Melvaunt to 
  Glister, a small mining town at the base of the 
  Galena Mountains.  
  Adjusting This Adventure 
  This adventure provides suggestions in making 
  adjustments for smaller or larger groups, 
  characters of higher or lower levels, and 
  characters that are otherwise a bit more powerful 
  than the adventure is optimized for. You’re not 
  bound to these adjustments; they’re here for your 
  convenience. 
  To figure out whether you should consider 
  adjusting 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 
  specific recommendation is not offered or 
  appropriate for your group, you don’t have to 
  make adjustments. 
   
   
   
  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 a combat. Become familiar 
  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 implement house rules or change those of 
  the Adventurers 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 
  attempt to deliver the experience they’re after. 
  Everyone 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 interactions 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 experience. 
   
   
  
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  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  3 
  Adventure Primer 
  “You step onto the road, and if you don't keep 
  your feet, there's no knowing where you might be 
  swept off to.” 
  - Bilbo Baggins 
  Adventure Background 
  Glister is an old human mining settlement at the 
  base of the Galena mountains. It was established 
  during the conquests of the Thar region, but has 
  dwindled over the years to only a few hundred 
  people. The House of Swords – a Temple to 
  Tempus – has been a draw to the devout, but 
  otherwise the town eventually went disregarded 
  by even the orcs of the region.  
  In recent months, the old mining town has seen 
  a resurgence of interest. Recent seams of copper 
  and iron ore have been uncovered. The news of 
  the seams is drawing miners, merchants, and 
  those looking for odd jobs to the town. There is a 
  lot of new construction and work being done. 
  With the new attention comes many issues as 
  well. The influx of people has been faster than the 
  local economy can build for, so the town housing 
  is very crowded currently. A lot of the supplies 
  must be imported, as the area is rich in ore and 
  scrub growth, but the ground does not grow crops 
  well, and lumber is also hard to come by. Criminal 
  activity has also been on the rise recently.  
  Many of the guilds are looking to establish 
  contacts in Glister, sending their members to 
  make contacts. And the council is in need of help; 
  there have been recent sightings of orcs in the 
  region, a threat they have not had to deal with in 
  many years.  
  Location and NPC Summary 
  The following NPCs and locations feature in this 
  adventure 
  Glister (GLI-ster). A small mining town settled by 
  humans between Thar and the Galena mountains. It has 
  recently found new ore seams and seen an influx of 
  people. 
  Gos (Goss). A half-orc who runs a caravan between 
  Melvaunt and Glister, and has lesser known ties to the 
  Burning Daggers orc tribe. 
  Sara (Sa-rah). Gos’s commander of the caravan guard, 
  she handles all issues with guarding the wagons.  
  Lorpek Ascih (Lore-Peck As-key). The herald of the 
  Burning Daggers tribe. The tribe is desperate to find 
  their artifact, and he has been sent to give a message to 
  Gos. 
   
  Adventure Overview 
  The adventure is broken down into four parts: 
  Part 1. The characters go about getting hired on 
  as guards to the routine caravan that travels to 
  Glister out of Melvaunt. This is the best and safest 
  way through Thar. 
  Part 2. The characters travel on, learn more 
  about Glister in general, and fend off some goblins 
  who are so bold as to attack during the day. They 
  also get to pull duty as sheep dogs and help round 
  up some chickens. 
  Part 3. A confrontation with the Burning 
  Daggers – an orc tribe about 20 miles from Glister 
  – turns into an almost deadly situation. The tribe 
  is seeking an artifact from Glister and wants Gos 
  to deliver a message. However, a hired guard is 
  caught killing orcs, causing a conflict. Just as they 
  are resolving their differences, the ground literally 
  falls out from under the party as undead attack. 
  Part 4. With information about the orcs and 
  worry over the undead, Gos and the players arrive 
  in Glister.    
  Adventure Hooks 
  A fair fare. With such a growing population, 
  Glister is looking to protect itself and help keep 
  the peace in town. The call for adventurers who 
  can scout the region and help quell rumors of 
  nearby orc activity are much sought after. Give the 
  characters Player Handout 1 (Appendix D). 
  Of Interest to Us. Many of the factions have 
  taken an interest in the new wealth and growth in 
  Glister and are looking for ways to promote their 
  cause with the town. They suggest to their faction 
  members to get to Glister looking for 
  opportunities along the way.  Look for anything 
  they may do as faction representatives to help the 
  town. Give the characters the faction Player 
  Handout 2-6 (Appendix D) as appropriate. 
   
   
   
  
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  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  4 
  Part 1: Preparations 
  Expected Duration: 30 minutes 
  Key Plot Point.  The characters are to get hired 
  on as guards for the trip to Glister. 
  The characters are looking to get to Glister. They 
  have been advised that the best way to get there is 
  by traveling with others. They have information 
  that a caravan runs from Melvaunt on a regular 
  basis and is always looking to hire on guards. They 
  are advised by their various factions to meet at the 
  wagon house tomorrow morning. After a night in 
  Melvaunt, they go to meet the wagon master first 
  thing in the morning, who is in town and leaving 
  soon.  
  It’s Dangerous to go alone! Players should be 
  made aware that Thar is extremely dangerous, 
  and it is better to travel with a group especially of 
  people who know the region.  
  A low haze emanates from the trade district and 
  hangs over the city of Melvaunt, marring the rising 
  sun. You are standing outside a low two-story 
  building on the outskirts of the city. In the yard 
  beside the building many wagons are tended to by 
  bustling people making their preparations for a trip. 
  General Features 
  The following are general features of the outer 
  district of Melvaunt: 
  Terrain. The caravan house is two stories, but 
  low, with a large open yard beside it for wagons to 
  set up for a caravan. There is a low haze over 
  everything due to the amount of industrial work 
  that goes on in the city. 
  Sounds. There is much talking in loud command 
  voices and hushed whispers. There are both 
  worried folk and enthusiastic folk among those 
  preparing to go to Glister. The sound of various 
  cart animals such as horses and oxen can be 
  heard. 
  Smells. There is the smell of fresh timber and 
  turned earth, as most of the supplies for Glister 
  are processed wood and food stock of vegetables 
  and some salted meats. 
  Get Hired 
  If the players talk to anyone in the yard, they 
  will be directed towards the main building and 
  told they should talk to Gos Fendhalian, the ‘man’ 
  in charge. Players may also find out the following: 
  • Many of the people here run this route regularly. 
  They take supplies to Glister and bring back the 
  raw ore and some timber for processing in 
  Melvaunt. 
  • There are also on occasion some people paying 
  to travel to Glister with the guarded caravan. 
  They plan on finding work there. 
  • Gos oversees the caravan and the guards. He’s a 
  no-nonsense half orc who watches after his 
  caravan.  
  Once the players head toward the building read 
  or paraphrase: 
  As you enter through the open doorway into the 
  crowded building, you can see it is packed with 
  supplies and people. In the middle of everything is a 
  desk with a large-framed, grey-green skinned half-
  orc with a worn expression on his face. He looks up 
  at your approach and addresses you, “We’re closed, 
  unless you lot are here for guard positions.” He looks 
  back down at the papers in front of him. 
  Roleplaying Gos Fendhalian 
  Gos is stern but fair. He is not grim or cruel, but 
  business oriented. He says very little and laughs even 
  less, if at all. He is focused on doing his job and doing it 
  well. It is important to him to see that the caravan is 
  safe and that its wares get delivered. His tone may be 
  harsh at times, but he is always fair. 
  “You want to rest for a bit? Don’t we all? We’ll rest 
  when we’re there.” 
  Gos (veteran stats) is the caravan master and is 
  in charge of the warehouse in Melvaunt. He has 
  some underlings who watch over stuff while he is 
  gone. He rides out and back with almost every 
  round trip group to Glister. The characters can 
  learn the following from him: 
  • He will pay them 10 gp each to act as a guard on 
  the trip to Glister. If they do not want to guard, 
  he will charge them 15 gp each to travel. 
  • Characters can haggle and get up to 15 gp each 
  with a successful DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) 
  check. Any orcs or half orcs make this check 
  with advantage. 
  • The trip takes about 9 days to get to Glister. 
  • There has been recent trouble on the moors of 
  Thar with goblins attacking travelers near the 
  city., and rumors of orcs and ogres on the road, 
  but no recent attacks. 
  • The moors of Thar are rough and there is not 
  much there; bogs, ravines, low scrub and lots of 
  
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  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  5 
  grasses, turning into a lush area of young scrub 
  just before the Galena Mountains. 
  • The caravan gets to Glister and back to Melvaunt 
  about every three tenday. They will take a day 
  or two to unload the supplies and load up the 
  raw materials before setting back out for 
  Melvaunt. 
  • The caravan leaves in 15 minutes! Get your post 
  information from Sara immediately.  
  Finding Sara 
  Entering the yard, you see that everyone is 
  readying their goods and families for the road ahead. 
  The last of morning meals are being finished and 
  wares are being packed away. Looking about, you 
  spot a swarthy looking woman with a sword at her 
  side heading toward you.  
  “You must be new guards. No one else can look 
  that ignorant of what they should be doing,” she 
  says with a smile. 
  Sara Alkin is a short, swarthy and dark-skinned 
  human female (veteran stats). She gives the 
  characters their instructions and positions to take 
  up within the caravan. 
  • Characters are assigned two to a wagon.  
  • Characters will range on either side of each 
  wagon within the caravan. 
  • They can range as far as the next wagon ahead 
  or behind, but should not get too far from their 
  own wagon. 
  • Do not let your cart out of sight! Sometimes they 
  can get as much as 100 yards apart while on the 
  trail. Mostly they stay within about 20 yards or 
  so. Try to make sure they keep up and don’t get 
  left behind. 
  • The wagons will be moving at a walking pace, so 
  no need for mounts. But feel free to supply your 
  own. 
  • The group will take a mid-day break to eat, and 
  rest the animals.  
  • There are also other adventurous types posted 
  up on the other wagons. One or two other new 
  ones as well, but Sara knows the rest. 
  • There are 8 wagons and vardos this trip, not 
  including Gos’ lead cart, in the caravan this trip.  
  • You all will be covering the front wagons, so 
  Sara can ‘keep an eye on you’.  
   
   
  Roleplaying Sara Alkin 
  Sara is jovial and friendly. She seems to get on well with 
  pretty much anyone and ignores any type of simple 
  slight or even the gruffness of Gos. She takes her job 
  seriously, but is quick with a smile and encouraging 
  word 
  “Not much farther now, you can make it!” 
  As the group sets out, everyone falls in line and 
  has no problem with the marching orders or the 
  lineup. Many of the waggoneers have run this 
  route before and know the drill.  
   
   
   
   
  
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  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  6 
  Part 2: The Road to Glister 
  Expected Duration: 45 minutes 
  Key Plot Point.  The caravan tracks across the 
  endless moors, fending off an attack, and dealing 
  with an emergency. 
  If you are under time constraints, much of the 
  guard/waggoneer interactions can be omitted. 
  Make sure to introduce the key guards; Farela and 
  Sankaid.  
  The Long Moor 
  A few hours after leaving Melvaunt, the terrain 
  changes dramatically.   
  General Features 
  The following are general features of the Thar 
  moorlands: 
  Terrain. The moors are made of constantly 
  changing terrain. Vast swaths of heather, ravines 
  and mesas, and large areas of swampland can all 
  be encountered at different points on the trail. 
  There are very few trees, most of them in small 
  clusters along streams or ravines. 
  Sounds. Various bird calls can be heard while 
  traveling. Crickets and other insects can be heard 
  at dusk. 
  Smells. The smell changes vastly from standard 
  dirt, dust, and clay to rotting decay in the bogs.  
  Weather. Thar is cold, and just gets colder the 
  closer the caravan gets to Glister. Nights are very 
  frigid. The sun in the day provides some warmth, 
  but not overly so. 
  The moor stretches out before you. Heather 
  sparsely distributed among craggy and rocky terrain. 
  As you progress through the first day, you encounter 
  a vast amount of altering terrain, from high mesas 
  and broken land to swampy areas to clusters of low 
  growing trees in clumps providing some respite from 
  the wind, and cold shadows where the sun’s warmth 
  does not reach. The caravan twists and turns 
  through all of this. Sometimes you can see the entire 
  convoy laid out in front and behind you. At other 
  times, you are lucky to be able see the next wagon in 
  the train.  
  The Caravan Route 
  While traveling the characters can gather the 
  following information from other guards and 
  waggoneers.  
  • As the route is old, there are camps along the 
  way for stopping each day. They contain old 
  firepits and open space enough to bring all the 
  wagons in close together. Many of them have 
  been picked for their lookout spots and 
  defensible positions. 
  • When stopping for the night, a large central 
  camp fire is set up in the middle of camp with 
  the animals in a perimeter and then the wagons. 
  The posted guards stay outside the firelight so 
  as not to ruin their night vision. 
  • Camping spots are not a full day apart, so the 
  caravan can typically take it at an easy walking 
  pace. This also allows for any unexpected 
  weather issues. 
  • Each night the wagons are used to corral the 
  animals. Makeshift pens are set up to separate 
  any animals that do not work well together. 
  Sometimes sheep, chickens, and other farm 
  animals are part of the caravan. 
  • The caravan starts each day after sunup. Just 
  after dawn, breakfast is made and the camp is 
  struck, everyone pitching in to get on the road.  
  • A midday break is taken to given time to water 
  and feed the animals and people. 
  • Gos and Sara work with all the guards to set up a 
  nightly watch. Each player will have a chance to 
  stand a two-hour watch with 3 other guards. 
  Watches are established as soon as camp is 
  made. Players may choose to try and stand 
  watch together.  
  • Most of the waggoneers sleep in their wagons 
  and set up small cookfires for their wagon 
  group. Other travelers and guards sleep near the 
  larger central fire.  
  The road to Glister is well established and has 
  been traveled for a long time. Interruptions in the 
  trail have been caused over the years by various 
  orc, ogre or goblin activities, forcing the road to 
  branch around an inconvenience. But any 
  branching paths come back to the main trail 
  eventually. The first day out is uneventful, 
  although party members with high passive 
  perception may spot occasional movement just off 
  the trail or out across the moors. It may be a glint 
  off something metal, or a flock of animals, or the 
  scream of a bird overhead. Feel free to give them 
  any types of sightings that may encourage them to 
  be on the alert or wary.  
   
  Guards 
  If time permits, while on the trip the characters 
  may interact with some of the other guards. Some 
  
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  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  7 
  have done this route often, and some are new 
  hires, or are guards only for one trip, just like the 
  party.  Gauge your play time and introduce as 
  many or as few npcs as you see fit from the list. 
  Farela Keldodrai – (spy) female Bedine 
  descended human with olive complexion and dark 
  hair, almond brown eyes. She is quiet and 
  reserved but puts on a front of charm when 
  necessary. Do not tell the players the following, 
  although you may hint at it through conversations: 
  She does not let anyone know, but she has joined 
  the caravan with the sole purpose of hunting 
  down and killing orcs.  
  Sankaid the Younger – (gladiator) older, 
  gnarled male human, probably in his 70s. Son of 
  Sankaid the Elder. He looks like he may be beyond 
  his retirement years but fights well when in 
  combat. He does spend a lot of his time riding on 
  the wagon instead of walking, though. Kest’ael, 
  who is leading some horses on this trip, will offer 
  him a horse, which he makes use of from time to 
  time on the journey. 
  Glees Underbarrow – (knight) male stout 
  halfling, he has hopes of crossing into Vaasa in 
  search of some relatives, who settled there years 
  ago, and he has not heard from them recently. He 
  has a jovial temperament but is very good with a 
  blade. 
  Rodli Nilin – (scout) male gnome. He has a 
  sister who works in Glister and is going for a visit. 
  Since he has weapons, he figures it would be 
  better to be paid to help than pay to be guarded. 
  His favorite phrase for the journey is, “I have a 
  sister in Glister and I missed her!” 
  K’eckzlth (Ekka) Siatempos – (Cult Fanatic) 
  female Tiefling. Most people cannot pronounce 
  her first name, so she goes by Ekka. She does not 
  have a tail, or horns, but has umber skin and six 
  fingers on each hand. She is seeking the Temple to 
  Tempus that is just outside the walls of Glister. 
  Kest’ael – (veteran)a male drow elf. He stands 
  right at 5 feet tall and has a very slight frame. He is 
  working as one of the guards on this trip, but also 
  commands a few horses. He is transporting them 
  as a special order from Elmwood to a minor noble 
  in Glister. 
  Roadsters 
  There are many others on the trip to Glister. 
  Most are stopping there, or coming back to 
  Melvaunt, though a couple carts are traveling on 
  to Vaasa and beyond. Among those the characters 
  might interact with while on the road are the ones 
  below. Gauge your play time and introduce as 
  many or as few npcs as you see fit from the list. 
  Sarkine Rockfin – female dwarf who has dark 
  brown hair and eyes and fair skin. She is half 
  owner of Curious Curios and drives a wagon with 
  her wife, Erin Hackol. They carry all types of goods 
  to supply the merchants in town. They typically 
  come to Melvaunt to find things that are 
  specifically asked for by merchants in Glister, 
  bargain for the best prices, and then sell them to 
  the Glister merchants. 
  Erin Hackol – female dwarf with olive skin and 
  almost black hair, who is the spouse of Sarkine 
  Rockfin, and half-owner of Curious Curios. She is a 
  shrewd barterer and is quick with a smile.  
  Drinzinian Getola – male yuan-ti pureblood. He 
  has red-brown skin and tan, slit eyes. When he 
  speaks, his tongue is distinctively black and 
  forked. He dresses very nicely and drives a vardo 
  style wagon with many ointments and unguents. 
  He also deals in various forms of pipe tobaccos. He 
  is somewhat rude and haughty toward pretty 
  much everyone. 
  Larborg – male Ulutiun human with jet black 
  hair with gray flecks, and a light gold complexion. 
  He stands just over 5’ tall. He is traveling with a 
  small cart to go to Glister and track down game in 
  the nearby Galena Mountains. He has agreed to 
  port some provisions for Gos on the trip out.  
  Olenia Zweichen – female half-elf with a tanned 
  complexion and sharp green eyes. She always has 
  a knowing smile on her face. She regularly drives a 
  wagon out and back with whatever wares need to 
  be taken and brought back. A lot of times it is 
  vegetables or livestock out, and raw ore coming 
  back.  
   
  For the first day of travel, read the following 
  Your first day passes quietly. Occasionally Gos 
  would send someone off to investigate a noise or 
  something ahead of the caravan, but all was well. 
  The regular guards fall into an easy pace while you 
  and can tell the other new guards are also a bit 
  nervous, given Thar’s reputation.   
  The first night camping is also uneventful. The 
  other guards do not talk much to the new 
  characters, just idle chat around the fires.  
   
   
  
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  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  8 
  Road encounter: Goblins! 
  After setting back out the next morning, awhile 
  going through a ravine, the caravan gets 
  ambushed. If the characters need assistance 
  during the encounter, allow for it from other 
  guards on the wagon train.  At points, you may use 
  cinematic combat for the guard encounters while 
  the characters are fighting, letting the players 
  know what is happening.  
  Goblins! 
  The bulk of the caravan has entered a small ravine 
  with both sides sloping in gently. The mists still lie 
  low here, bringing a cold chill back to your skin after 
  the warmer sun of mid-morning. Suddenly the quiet 
  of the ravine is broken by a guttural yodel. Through 
  the mists you see goblins and their dog-like mounts 
  pouring down from the hills on both sides toward 
  the wagons.  
  Each wagon should be attacked in such a way 
  that there is a goblin or a goblin boss attacking on 
  each side and one Bugbear for every 3 players. For 
  the APL there should be 3 goblins, 2 goblin 
  bosses, 1 worg, and a bugbear. For adjustments, 
  see the Adjusting this Encounter block.  
  The other guards also face off against goblins 
  and worgs and another bugbear. Their combat 
  will finish at around the same time or just before 
  the players; try to keep the players focused on 
  their battle, not the other guards’ battles. 
  Tactics 
  The goblins or bosses on the worgs and the 
  bugbears immediately race to the wagons and 
  attempt to get inside those with canvas covers or 
  just tarps and steal some goods. As an action a 
  goblin, boss, or bugbear can grab and stash 1d4 
  pounds of goods into a sack.   
  Alternately, you can have them try to disable the 
  wagons. Wagons have an AC of 17, with a Damage 
  Threshold of 5 HP. The goblins must do 25 HP of 
  damage to a wagon to incapacitate it.  
  Treasure 
  The goblins have a total of 35 gp in various coins 
  and gems, and a potion of healing. If no goods were 
  stolen, each player is given an extra 5 gp from the 
  waggoneers collectively as a thank you. 
  Developments 
  If a wagon is incapacitated, it will take 1d2 
  hours to fix. This will delay the group getting into 
  the final camp that evening, but overall not have 
  much other impact on the day. Party members 
  may take a short rest or help repair the wagon.  
  If no wagons were incapacitated and no goods 
  stolen, award the party an extra 25 experience 
  each.  
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  These are non-cumulative suggestions for adjusting the 
  encounter, according to your group. 
  • Very Weak: Remove all bugbears, remove 1 worg, 
  replace goblin bosses with goblins  
  • Weak: Remove 1 bugbear 
  • Strong: Add 1 worg, and 2 goblins 
  • Very strong: Add 1 worg and 1 goblin boss 
   
  About Glister 
  In camp that night, nothing eventful happens. 
  But many are more open with the characters, 
  especially if they proved themselves in fending off 
  the goblins. Conversation over dinner and the 
  campfire tells the players more about some of 
  their traveling companions and Glister: 
  • Some new ore veins have been found and are 
  producing a lot! The entire town seems excited 
  about how much ore they are mining. 
  • People – especially refugees – are travelling to 
  the town in hopes of work. Either in the mine or 
  in support of the mine. As families come in, they 
  need people there to provide the basic needs, 
  right?  
  • It’s crowded! New buildings are going up in the 
  town, but it’s slow work, with most supplies 
  coming out of Melvaunt. The town council are 
  trying hard to keep up with everything, but need 
  more help. 
  • There has been some trouble recently; rumors 
  of miners disappearing, and orcs being seen in 
  the woods. It’s possible some people have 
  wandered off and gotten lost, or just left, but it 
  seems like half a dozen or more within the last 
  month have gone missing. 
  • Orc tribes have been stirring in the region 
  recently; there was a failed attack on Melvaunt 
  in the last few months, and since then, more orcs 
  and goblins have been seen. And there are 
  rumors that ogres have been seen moving in 
  groups along the roads in Thar. 
  From other Guards 
  
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  9 
  • Sankaid remembers a time when the route was 
  so dangerous they needed twice as many 
  guards. 
  • Farela makes a comment about ‘filthy orcs need 
  to know their place’.  
  • Glees is not looking forward to the harsher 
  coldness in the mountains or in Vaasa. 
  • Ekka also does not care for the cold, but she is 
  resolute that she must get accepted by the 
  House of Swords, in Glister. They are a temple of 
  Tempus, her namesake. 
  Chicken Chase 
  (if time permits) After a few more days travel, 
  during one of the stops, a tight spot causes two of 
  the wagons to collide together, sending one 
  tumbling down an incline and chickens getting 
  loose. Sara gets everyone to help round up the 
  numerous chickens that got loose in the 
  confusion. 
  Today’s mid-day break is in a more crowded space 
  than most have been. There is a sloping ravine below 
  and a hill close on the other side, making for 
  cramped quarters. Just as the last of the wagons 
  pulls up, suddenly a horse takes fright and bucks. 
  The wagon slides sideways into another wagon, 
  which slowly slips to the cusp of the slope. Before 
  anyone can react, you hear the cracking of wood as 
  the harness breaks and the horses frantically leap 
  free. The wagon’s wheels leave the ground as it 
  tumbles over and slides down the slope of the 
  ravine. About 15 feet down the ravine it comes up 
  against a rock outcrop, which brings it to a halt. 
  Wooden cages filled with chickens have slid ahead of 
  it and crashed into the rocks. Dozens of chickens and 
  puffs of feathers fly up into the air.  
  This is a modified chase scene. The whole of the 
  caravan has been watching this display; Sara is the 
  first to regroup herself. She sends the characters 
  to gather up the chickens and get them into sacks 
  or crates or tied up, or somehow corralled, while 
  others go after the horses and goats. The chickens 
  are pecking at the ground and generally milling 
  about. Players have 3 rounds to succeed or fail at 
  rounding up at least 1 chicken. 
  • Players go in initiative order. 
  • The characters start about 40 feet away from 
  the chickens and up the side of the ravine, which 
  is difficult terrain.  
  • Anyone using spells such as sleep can impact a 
  large group of chickens, but not all of them.  
  • Each player has a success condition of capturing 
  one or more chickens. They may assist other 
  players once they have succeeded, or may help 
  right the cart.  
  • On their turn, they should describe what they 
  are attempting to do. For example: 
  Get closer to the chicken.  
  • If a character dashes at a chicken, it will 
  attempt to Fly.  
  • If a character moves normally, the chicken will 
  Dash away from them while eyeing the 
  character for having disturbed their pecking. 
  • If the character attempts to stealth or move 
  half speed, roll a DC 12 Dexterity (stealth) 
  check to succeed.  
  • Stand Still. If a character tries to stand 
  perfectly still, a chicken may approach the 
  player out of curiosity. 
  Cast a spell. Remember to pay attention to the 
  target of spells. Hold person does not work on 
  animals. Any AoE spells that do damage will kill 
  the chickens in range (they have 1 hit point). 
  Grapple. Once a player is in an adjacent square, 
  they can attempt to grapple a chicken. Due to the 
  panicky nature of chickens, they get a +4 dexterity 
  bonus added to their roll to contest the grapple. 
  • Remember that even doing non-lethal damage 
  can kill the chicken if the damage is more than 
  double its hit points (1).  
  • Working as a group to encircle the chickens will 
  give players advantage on trying to grapple a 
  chicken. 
   
  If a character is not stealthed or does not 
  attempt a range spell (such as mage hand), 
  choose an action for a chicken or roll a d20 to 
  determine the action from the Chicken Action 
  table below. Each chicken will take its action as 
  a reaction immediately after a character’s 
  action, either in response to the character’s 
  action or possibly, in some response to nature. 
  Remember to allow for fun! This encounter 
  should move fast. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  10 
  Chicken Actions 
  1 
  Egg 
  The chicken uses its action 
  to lay an egg. 
  2-6 
  Fly 
  If it did not fly the last 
  round, it will fly away from 
  the closest character as an 
  action and then land. They 
  will not dash when flying. 
  7-13 
  Dash 
  The chicken will take the 
  dash action to get away. 
  14-19 
  Nothing The chicken totally ignores 
  the character. 
  20 
  Charge 
  The chicken charges straight 
  at the character and 
  launches a beak attack. 
   
  Developments 
  After three rounds, each player who has caught 
  an animal is awarded 100 xp. Any player who 
  attempted but failed, gets 50 xp. Any player not 
  attempting to catch one, or assist gets no xp. 
  The players should also help to right the cart 
  and drag it back up the ravine. It will take an hour 
  and a half to fix the cart and get it back in order.  
  Part 3: Orc Sign 
  Expected Duration: 45 minutes 
  Key Plot Point.  Just as the characters are about 
  to reach Glister, orcs seek to parlay with Gos and 
  have him deliver an ultimatum to the town. Things 
  go bad when actions beyond his control go on. 
  The next few days are quiet, and everyone falls 
  into a routine. Signs of other creatures such as the 
  glint of light on steel or distant horn calls signify the 
  presence of other denizens, but none are seen 
  outright. The time passes slowly and coldly on the 
  road. 
  Things have been mostly quiet recently. 
  However, the players are about to enter a tense 
  situation. Orcs are planning to stop the caravan 
  and ask for time to speak with the caravan master. 
  As this happens, one of the guards – Farela – is 
  planning to take this opportunity to sneak off and 
  fulfill her desire for revenge on orcs; she is going 
  to scout out individual orcs and attempt to kill 
  them. Gos will ask the characters to come with 
  him as a contingent, but someone may spot Farela 
  slipping off into the woods. Allow the characters 
  to decide which way they are planning to go. Most 
  or all should go with Gos, but you can allow some 
  to also follow Farela.  
  If the entire party wants to follow Farela, Gos 
  notices, and sends Sara and Sankaid after her and 
  makes the entire party follow him. Sara is unable 
  to find Farela and returns to guard the wagons. 
  The general flow of this section is shown in 
  Appendix C. 
  It should be clear to the players that in any of 
  the following developments, Gos is unwilling to 
  attack or outright fight the members of his own 
  clan. His will not allow his guards to fight them 
  either. This does not include anything that 
  transpires in the woods, as he is not there.  
  If the party thinks they can overtake the orcs or 
  wish to fight without help from Gos, the orcs on 
  the road comprise the following: Lorpek is an Orc 
  Blade of Kossuth, he has 4 Orc Claw of Luthics, 3 
  Orogs, 1 Eye of Gruumsh and 10 orcs with him 
  on the road. There is this same number and types 
  of npcs in the woods also. 
  You are nearing the end of your travel; as you set 
  out this morning, Gos says you should reach Glister 
  before mid-day! You began to see signs yesterday 
  that you are leaving the long moors of Thar behind 
  as scrub bushes have given way to more trees and 
  undergrowth, indicating you are entering the 
  foothills of the Galena Mountains.  
  Not long after breaking camp, the wagons enter a 
  low wooded area. Rounding a corner, Gos reigns in 
  the lead wagon. The others draw up close behind. 
  Up ahead two lines of Orcs stand in the middle of 
  the trail! 
  In the middle of the front line, one Orc stands with 
  a flag on a pole. The flag displays a blackened dagger 
  pointing down, with flames surrounding its blade, 
  set against a field of white. Another orc stands 
  beside the banner with arms stretched down, palms 
  up; a sign of parlance. 
  The party can observe the following: 
  • The orcs have scarred faces. A DC 13 intelligence 
  (investigation) tells them that the scars appear 
  to be in a similar shape to a dagger. 
  • There appear to be about 15 orcs visible. A DC 
  13 Wisdom (perception) or Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check tells them that there is 
  movement in the brush around them. Probably 
  more orcs are watching. 
  
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  • An Intelligence (History) can tell the players 
  various things: DC 12 tells players that the 
  banner represents the orcs of the Burning 
  Dagger Clan. A DC of 16 tells players that these 
  orcs worship Kossuth, the Lord of Flames. DC 18 
  or higher recalls lore about the orcs going 
  through a yearly ritual of branding their 
  warriors with a dagger across the face. These 
  are cumulative (at 18 the players know all the 
  information given here). 
  Gos exchanges a few whispered words with Sara 
  and sends her back to gather some guards and 
  move to the wagons. He then takes the characters 
  and a couple of the other guards to meet with the 
  orcs, leaving the wagons back about 40 yards, 
  guarded by Sara and the rest of the guards. 
  Anyone with a passive perception greater than 14 
  will notice one of the guards (Farela) slip off 
  behind the caravan and into the underbrush.  
  Parlay you Orc? 
  Characters going with Gos will follow this path. 
  For characters that went after Farela, go to 
  Following Farela. 
  Gos asks the party to follow him up and form a 
  line a few feet behind him, not speaking unless 
  spoken to. And to not draw any weapons except as 
  a last resort. 
  As you approach within 15 feet, the orc puts up a 
  hand and says in Common, “that is close enough. 
  You are looking fat, Gos. Riding make you weak.” 
  With a grunt Gos retorts, “I see you have recently 
  rebranded yourselves. The blistered skin befits you. 
  Why is… why are you here, Lorpek? What would you 
  have of my simple caravan? “ 
  Roleplaying Lorpek Ascih 
  Lorpek is the herald of the Burning Dagger tribe. He 
  does not like Gos, but knows he is not allowed to hurt 
  him by order of Qo’Thuk, the chieftain. He antagonizes 
  all non-orcs, although he is not bright enough to do it 
  with cunning.  
  “I hit you, then we see who clever.” 
  Lorpek and Gos seem to have an uneasy peace 
  between them. They know each other because 
  Gos’ mother was from the Burning Dagger clan. 
  They have an agreement with Gos to not raid his 
  caravans or interfere with his work, but Qo’Thuk, 
  the clan chief is looking for Gos to relay a message 
  to Glister. As the two talk and hurl insults, the 
  party are able to understand the following 
  snippets. 
  • Glister is accused of possessing an artifact of the 
  clan that was lost many years ago called the Kiss 
  of Kossuth. It is a black dagger with flames along 
  the blade. 
  • One of their diviners has recently had a vision 
  and stated that Glister is the key to the recovery 
  of the artifact. 
  • They have not seen the dagger in decades. It 
  disappeared years ago, and their diviner 
  recently had visions about its location. 
  • The dagger is very precious to the clan. 
  • They will approach Glister tomorrow and will 
  declare peace if the artifact is returned. They 
  will take it by force if it is not returned.  
  The artifact – The Kiss of Kossuth 
  The artifact the orcs are seeking to recover is a flame 
  dagger they believe was given to their clan by Kossuth. 
  It resembles a black flaming dagger that stands in the 
  rift to the Plane of Fire that is deep within their 
  caverns. The dagger in the rift is visible but 
  untouchable. The artifact is smaller, but has the symbol 
  of Kossuth emblazoned on the hilt, and flames run 
  along its blade when it is unsheathed. They are hoping 
  that by recovering it they will again grow in numbers 
  and become a strong clan within Thar.  
  If no one followed Farela, then jump to the 
  section Lorpek Reacts. 
  Following Farela 
  The characters must roll a DC 13 Dexterity 
  (stealth) check to follow Farela without being 
  discovered. There is a lot of commotion, but she is 
  on the lookout to try and slip away without being 
  noticed.  
  It will take them a couple rounds to find her. As 
  they do, read the following.  
  As you spot Farela up ahead, you see she has 
  circled around and is sneaking up behind an orc, 
  with blades out. 
  Her intentions should be clear; she is planning 
  to sneak up and assassinate the orc. The players 
  can react in many ways, generally they are 
  probably going to do one of the following: 
  1. Attempt to stop her. Go to Farela Fight 
  2. Attempt to join her. Go to Farela Force 
  3. Do nothing. Go to Farela Flounder 
  
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  Roleplaying Farela Keldodrai 
  Farela is a Bedine descendant who was born in the cold 
  climes of the Moonsea. She has an olive complexion 
  with dark hair and almond brown eyes. Her features 
  are hard. She seldom talks with anyone in the caravan 
  and does not really seem to care for social 
  conversation. She has a vengeful wrath against orcs, 
  and has used the caravan as an excuse to travel through 
  Thar to hunt down and eradicate any orcs she can find.  
  “I’d love some wine, did that filthy orc drink from the 
  bottle?” 
  Farela Fight 
  If the characters either shout out, or sneak up on 
  her, they are going to provoke her into a fight. 
  Most likely the result of the interruption will draw 
  the attention of the orc. Add the orc in the 
  initiative. On his first turn, he will use his action to 
  blow a horn to summon other orcs, assuming 
  something is going awry, unless a player has 
  somehow convinced or intimidated him to keep 
  quiet (DC 16). Being close by, 2 more orcs and an 
  orog arrive at the beginning of round 3. 
  Farela attacks viciously and fights as hard as she 
  can, shouting curses and betrayal at the party. If 
  captured, she still struggles while conscious.  
  If alive, the orcs will insist on taking Farela to 
  Lorpek. They will also insist on taking all 
  characters. The characters must convince the orcs 
  they were not aiding Farela with a DC 12 Charisma 
  (persuasion/intimidation), or else be bound by 
  the orcs and have their weapons taken away. 
  Proceed to Lorpek Reacts. 
  Farela Force 
  If the characters come up beside Farela, 
  somehow indicating they will assist, they are all 
  able to quickly dispatch the lone orc. Farela 
  wishes to pursue killing other orcs as well. 
  However, they are spotted leaving the scene and 
  3 orcs and 2 orogs overtake them. If they refuse 
  to surrender, the orcs take them by force. Farela 
  will not surrender. The orcs will deal non-lethal 
  damage, intending to knock players unconscious. 
  If the characters appear to be winning, bring in 
  more reinforcements; another orc or orog each 
  round. 
    Their hands are bound and their weapons are 
  taken from them. They are then taken to Lorpek. 
  Proceed to Lorpek Reacts. 
  Farela Flounder 
  If the characters simply watch, Farela slays the 
  orc and is so focused, she does not know they are 
  there. She moves on to find another one, but she 
  has been observed by another orc and is 
  ambushed before she can get very far.  
  3 orcs and 2 orogs ambush Farela, calling for 
  her surrender, but she refuses to surrender. The 
  players may come in on her side or the side of the 
  orcs. The orcs will attempt to knock unconscious 
  anyone who is fighting against them. If characters 
  wish to try and stay hidden and watch, they must 
  make a DC 15 Dexterity (stealth) check each 
  round they wish to stay hidden.  
  Once the fight is over, the orcs take all known 
  players (conscious or otherwise) to Lorpek. If they 
  helped defeat Farela, they can convince the orcs 
  they had no ill intentions with a DC 12 Charisma 
  (persuasion) check. If they fought the orcs or fail 
  the check, they are bound and their weapons 
  taken from them. Proceed to Lorpek Reacts. 
  Lorpek Reacts 
  At this point, Gos and Lorpek have been in 
  discussions and Gos has agreed to deliver the 
  message to Glister, although he is concerned about 
  the motives of the tribe. He has been trying 
  unsuccessfully to get more information from 
  Lorpek about the dagger. As Gos did not grow up 
  with the tribe, he is not familiar with the dagger, 
  although he knows of Kossuth and the dagger in 
  the rift.  
  Depending on what has transpired, read or 
  paraphrase from the following, using the first part 
  in all cases and then branching after that: 
  Sounds of shouts and the snapping of branches 
  interrupt the proceedings. All hands go to weapons, 
  but none are drawn, showing the discipline of the 
  orcs. 
  If Farela was found alone, read  
  Two orcs come through the brush dragging a 
  bloodied human woman between them. As she looks 
  up, you recognize the face of Farela; disdain and 
  anger marring her features. 
  If some characters went after Farela and she is 
  alive, read 
  A group of orcs comes through the brush dragging 
  a bloodied human woman between them, with 
  members of your own party right behind! As the 
  woman looks up, you recognize the face of Farela; 
  disdain and anger marring her features. 
  
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  If some characters went after Farela and she is 
  dead, read 
  A group of orcs comes through the brush dragging 
  a bloodied corpse, with members of your own party 
  right behind! As they drop the body in front of 
  Lorpek, you recognize the features of Farela; her 
  dead eyes staring angrily into the void. 
  If character tries to draw their weapon, Gos will 
  immediately tell them to stop and not draw it.  
   
  Lorpek jumps to assumptions and reacts angrily. 
  If Farela is alive, use the following. 
  “What is this?” shouts Lorpek. “We talk, but you 
  secretly attack my lookouts?”  
  Gos’ temper flares. “I made no such attack! This is 
  a hired guard “, he says, his voice growing louder as 
  he continues, “who should have been guarding my 
  caravan as instructed!” 
  Farela spits blood onto the ground in front of Gos. 
  “Sod your caravan and your stupid guards!” she says. 
  “You should be fighting these beasts, but you’re one 
  of them!” She struggles against her restrainers, 
  shaking loose from one of them. Suddenly a dagger 
  appears in her hand and she launches it at Lorpek, 
  shouting, “filth!” Lorpek swats at the dagger, 
  deflecting it from its course. One of her captors 
  responds by driving his own dagger deep into her 
  side. She glares at you in hatred and disgust as she 
  falls to the ground, the light leaving her eyes, their 
  open empty glare continuing to point in your 
  direction. 
  If Farela is dead, use the following. 
  “What is this?” shouts Lorpek. “We talk, but you 
  secretly attack my lookouts?”  
  Gos’ temper flares. “I made no such attack! This 
  was a hired guard “, he says, his voice growing 
  louder as he continues, “who should have been 
  guarding my caravan along with those others, as 
  instructed!” 
  If characters were with Farela, then, whether 
  they are bound or not, both Gos and Lorpek turn 
  to them and demand that they explain themselves. 
  They may convince the two that they were trying 
  to stop her with a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) 
  check. If the orcs saw any character attack an orc, 
  the check is made with disadvantage. It is made 
  with advantage if the characters are unbound, as 
  the orcs were convinced earlier that their 
  intentions were not maligned.  
  If the persuasion is successful, their weapons 
  are handed back to them. If they were bound, the 
  orcs untie them.  
  If the persuasion was not successful, the 
  weapons are thrown at Gos’ feet and the orcs 
  demand justice. They intend to maim or kill the 
  characters!  
  Unheaval 
  Just as the characters are either returning to Gos 
  or about to be slain, the entire area is thrown into 
  an uproar as undead rise up and attack everyone. 
   
  If the orcs do not intend to slay any characters, 
  read the following: 
  As tempers calm down, Lorpek and his orcs 
  prepare to leave, stepping back a few paces. One orc 
  steps forward to the body of Farela to check that it 
  lies properly dead.  As he bends over the body, a 
  plume of dust explodes beside him as a sickly gray 
  hand bursts through the dirt, grabs the dead body 
  and proceeds to pull it into the dry earth. The body 
  appears to implode on itself, then suddenly the 
  ground can be seen to be crumbling around it, 
  engulfing the luckless orc and your entire party! 
  The area collapses into a sinkhole and you find 
  yourselves tumbling in a shower of dirt and dust, 
  coming to an abrupt stop against a rocky floor. As 
  everything settles, you see eyes in the gloom moving 
  toward you. 
   
  If the orcs do intend to slay one or more 
  characters, select the first character and read the 
  following: 
  Lorpek and his followers move back a few paces as 
  you are drug forward and thrown down over the 
  corpse of Farela. You hear the ring of steel as 
  everyone else watches him draw an ugly black blade 
  from its sheath. Suddenly a plume of dust explodes 
  beside you as a sickly gray hand bursts through the 
  dirt, grabs the dead body under you and proceeds to 
  pull it into the dry earth. The body appears to 
  implode on itself, then suddenly the ground can be 
  seen to be crumbling around it, engulfing you, the 
  orc, and your entire party! 
  The area collapses into a sinkhole and you find 
  yourselves tumbling in a shower of dirt and dust, 
  
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  14 
  coming to an abrupt stop against a rocky floor. As 
  everything settles, you see eyes in the gloom moving 
  toward you. 
  Undead have collapsed an area beneath the 
  party, two orcs, and Gos. The area falls into an 
  underground cavern approximately 15 feet down 
  and 30 feet in diameter.  However, Lorpek and his 
  other retinue did not fall into the hole. All 
  characters must make a DC 14 Dexterity 
  (acrobatics) check, or land prone.  
  Consequences of their actions. If the 
  character’s hands were bound, the check from 
  falling is with disadvantage. These players must 
  also free themselves from their bindings with a DC 
  20 Strength (Athletics) check, or another player 
  may use their action to cut the bonds. It will also 
  take these players 1 action to find a weapon 
  among all the debris.   
  The party must face off against three zombies, 
  one ogre zombie and a wight, while Gos and the 
  other orcs face off against three ogre zombies. 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  These are non-cumulative suggestions for adjusting the 
  encounter, according to your group. 
  • Very Weak: Remove the ogre zombie and the wight, 
  add 1 Ghoul  
  • Weak: Remove 2 zombies 
  • Strong: Add 1 zombie 
  • Very strong: Add 1 ogre zombie 
  During the battle, the other orcs fall, slain. If the 
  players are not having a difficult time, then Gos 
  will have a hard time with the last zombie ogre 
  and need the players to help. If the players are 
  having difficulty, then Gos finishes off his ogre 
  zombie and joins the party to help.  
  Tactics 
  The undead have no real tactics other than to 
  attack and kill anyone who fell into the hole. If a 
  character dies, one of the undead will use an 
  action to try and drag the body into the dirt.  
  Treasure 
  One of the zombies was a merchant and still has 
  a pouch containing 150 gp. The bodies of Farela 
  and the other orcs are missing, but there is a gold 
  trimmed dagger on the ground half buried in the 
  dirt. Anyone looking around would notice the 
  dagger with a DC 10 Intelligence (investigation) 
  check. Inspection show it is a +1 ornate dagger. 
  Developments 
  Once the battle is over, the party find that 
  Sankaid is just getting to the hole. If the party look 
  around or try to loot the corpses, they find that the 
  orcs and Farela are no longer there. Unknown to 
  the party, the undead are working for a Death 
  Knight and are instructed to bring all fresh 
  corpses in if they can.  
  All the walls of the hole are solid stone, there are 
  no tunnels or secret doors. Other guards show up 
  and help Sankaid get everyone out of the hole. 
  Sankaid does not have good news.  
  • They would have gotten over to help out 
  quicker, but Lorpek’s group blocked their way. 
  • Lorpek and his gang decided that they were 
  owed something for all their troubles. They 
  came over and took two of the carts, along with 
  the drivers.  
  • They figured Gos and the others would be ok, 
  but if not, they said something about tell Glister 
  they’ll see ‘em tomorrow? 
  • Unknown to Lorpek, Sara was disguised as a 
  waggoneer and got taken with them.  
  • They were going to try and stop Lorpek, but 
  many more orcs came out of the woods, and 
  Sankaid knew better than to try and fight them 
  all, although he argued profusely. 
  Part 4: Arriving 
  Once everyone recovers, Gos will round up the 
  remaining caravans and set back out for Glister. 
  With a look of concern on his face, Gos gets 
  everyone organized and starts the caravan back on 
  the road. He breathes out in a heavy sigh, “we have 
  a message to deliver.” He pauses for a moment the 
  quietly continues, “And news of undead as well, it 
  seems.” 
  The hole that was opened is half off the road and 
  leaves a narrow area that the wagons can pass by 
  on.  
  If players tracked Farela, Gos demands to hear 
  the full story of what happened. He will listen and 
  ask questions to make sure he understands 
  everything. 
  Gos will also relay the following information to 
  the party: 
  • They are to continue to Glister and he is to 
  deliver the message to the council. The orcs will 
  be at the gates of Glister tomorrow to receive 
  the artifact. 
  
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  15 
  • Qo’Thuk is the clan chieftan of the Burning 
  Daggers clan. Lorpek is his ‘messenger boy’.  
  • Gos has an agreement with the clan, which is 
  why his caravan has been so successful and 
  seldom attacked. Something has changed for 
  Lorpek to be so bold to take wagons. 
  • Sara was with the wagons. With any luck, she 
  will be ok.  
  • DC 15 Intelligence (insight) shows that Gos is 
  obviously keeping some thoughts to himself.   
  A DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) will coax the 
  following out of him as well: 
  • The undead are a whole different concern. He 
  has heard rumors around Glister for years about 
  undead, but never really believed them.  
  • The clan chief himself is on his way to Glister. 
  That is highly irregular. Likely their entire 
  fighting force is assembled. 
  • There must be more at play here than he knows, 
  they seemed almost desperate to recover the 
  dagger.  
  • The supply wagons are likely lost. With any luck, 
  the clan will let the waggoneers live.  
   
  Glister 
  Glister is a small town of around 500 people. The 
  following are general features of town of Glister: 
  Terrain. The town is wedged within the fork of 
  a cliffside that wraps back into the hills. There are 
  some hilly regions and small rises and plateaus 
  inside the town. There is a large area in the middle 
  of town called the green, where most assemblies 
  happen, whether festivals or meetings or even an 
  open air market occasionally.  
  Sounds. There is the sounds of business 
  conversations and casual talk all along the streets. 
  There are a couple people on mounts, but most 
  are on foot.  
  Smells. There is the smell of fresh timber and 
  building, some smell of baked goods in the 
  merchant district, and a crisp cold in the air that 
  reminds the brain that winter is never far away. 
  After less than couple hours on the road, Gos has 
  fallen into silence. You finally see a fortified wall 
  between two mountainous cliffs ahead. The wall of 
  Glister looks to be made of stone with parapets and 
  many defensible positions. As you get closer you can 
  see 20-foot high walls with gates that are opened 
  out. 
  Anyone with a passive perception of 12 or 
  higher notices what appears to be a walled 
  complex off to the right of the town about 400 feet 
  and about 30 feet up the cliffside. The road has an 
  offshoot about 40 yards before the gates that leads 
  to the House of Swords, a Temple of Tempus. The 
  warrior priests of Tempus have always 
  maintained their own abbey and are on very good 
  terms with the town itself.  
  The city wall looks mostly in good repair, and 
  about 20 feet high, but appears as if it is currently 
  being worked on, scaffolding can be seen along 
  some of it. The wall is about 8 feet thick. The 
  outermost wall is made of cut stone, but a lot of 
  the support behind it is a mix of stone and wood. 
  The guards let out a small cheer at seeing the 
  caravan, as many people look forward to its 
  arrival. However, when Gos draws up next to the 
  gate and dismounts, they realize something is 
  wrong.  
  Gos takes a few minutes with the guards and 
  asks them to assemble the town council; he has 
  urgent business with them. Various runners leave 
  the guard posts to find the council members.  
  He then leads the wagons through town to his 
  warehouse in one of the back areas, near the 
  mines. After all the wagons come into the yard, he 
  calls the guards together.  
   “Thank you for finishing the trek. I hired you do a 
  job that you did well, even though we are here 
  without all our carts. You stood toe to toe with the 
  Burning Daggers and lived to tell of it! It is not 
  common such a large host of orcs to be on the move 
  these days, especially with their chief. I have your 
  pay here, and would ask you to stay close. The town 
  may have need of your services very soon. I am 
  planning to go to the Snowmelt Inn after I have put 
  things in order here.” 
  Conclusion 
  Each character is given 10 gp (or 15 gp if they 
  negotiated) for their service to Gos.  If they did not 
  attempt to fight any orcs, they have earned Gos’ 
  respect and his trust, and are always welcome to 
  join his guard group on the caravan route. In 
  addition, the characters are given the Story Award 
  Gos’ Roadies. 
  The characters are now free to roam about 
  Glister. The next module (CCC-SCAR01-02 Glister 
  by Light) picks up where this one leaves off.  
   
  
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  16 
  Rewards 
  Make sure players note their rewards on their 
  adventure log sheets. Give your name and DCI 
  number (if applicable) so players can record who 
  ran the session. 
  Experience  
  XP per Character  
  Minimum: 450   
   
  Maximum: 600  
  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. 
  Combat Awards 
  Name of Foe  
   
  XP Per Foe 
  Goblin 
   
   
  50 
  Worg  
   
   
  100 
  Goblin Boss  
   
  200 
  Bugbear 
   
   
  200 
  Orc  
   
   
  450 
  Orog  
   
   
  450 
  Orc Claw of Luthic 
   
  450 
  Orc Blade of Kossuth  
  1,100 
  Ogre Zombie  
   
  450 
  Zombie 
   
   
  50 
  Wight 
   
   
  700 
  Ghoul 
   
   
  200 
  Non-Combat Awards 
  Task or Accomplishment XP/Character 
  Preventing goblin theft 
  25 
  Rounding up the chickens 
  100 
  - 
  Trying but failing 
  50 
  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 
  Guarding the caravan 
  10 or 15 ea. 
  Saving the wagons 
   
  5 ea. 
  Goblins! 
   
   
  35 
  Zombies 
   
   
  150 
   
  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 detailed in the D&D Adventurers 
  League Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  +1 Ornate Dagger 
  Weapon (dagger), uncommon 
  This undersized dagger has a blackened blade 
  with fuller running almost its length with gold 
  trimming on the handle. It is very light and could 
  easily be tucked into sleeve or boot.  You have a +1 
  bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this 
  magic weapon. A description of this item can be 
  found in Player Handout: Magic Items 
  Potion of Healing 
  Potion, uncommon 
  This item can be found in the Player’s Handbook. 
   
  Story Awards 
  During the course of this adventure, the 
  characters may earn the following story award: 
   
  Gos’ Roadies. You can use your connections 
  with Gos to get a discount on an item while in 
  Glister. You can spend 5 downtime days to earn a 
  10% discount on the purchase of any one weapon 
  or armor from a merchant in Glister. Once you 
  have used this Award, cross it off your list. Copies 
  of this information can be found in Appendix E. 
  Player Handouts - Story Awards. 
   
  Player Rewards 
  The characters earn downtime and renown in 
  accordance with the guidance prescribed by the 
  Adventurers League Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
   
  DM Reward 
  In exchange for running this adventure, you 
  earn downtime, XP, and gold as described in the 
  Adventurers League Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  17 
  Appendix A. Dramatis Personæ 
  The following NPCs are featured prominently in this adventure. 
   
  Gos Fendhalian(Goss Fend-HAL-ee-an). A half-orc who runs a caravan between Melvaunt and Glister, and 
  brings the demand from the Burning Daggers to the town council. He is gruff and quiet, but fair. He does well 
  with the caravan, very few know his mother is from the Burning Daggers Orc clan.  
   
  Sara Alkin (Sa-rah ALL-kin). Commander of the caravan guard, she handles all issues with guarding the 
  wagons. She is a short, swarthy and dark-skinned human. She is jovial, but takes her job seriously.  
   
  Lorpek Ascih (Lore-Peck As-key). The herald of the Burning Daggers tribe. He makes up for his lack of 
  intelligence by being aggervating. He has been sent to give a message to Gos that is to be delivered to the 
  council of Glister. 
   
  Farela Keldodrai (Fa-rell-ah Kel-DOE-dray). She gets herself hired on as a guard on the caravan. But in 
  reality, she is out for vengeance against all orcs and orc kind. She somewhat hides her disdain around Gos, 
  but may let it slip when he is not around.  
   
  Sankaid the Younger (San-Kade).  He is a gnarled old man who is small and wiry and looks way beyond 
  retirement age. However, he seems to be Sara’s most trusted guard, and an extremely competent fighter.
   
   
   
  
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  18 
  Appendix B. Monsters 
   
  Goblin 
  Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil 
  Armor Class 15 (leather armor, shield) 
  Hit Points 7 (2d6) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  8 (-1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  8 (−1) 
  8 (−1) 
  Skills Stealth +6 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 
  Languages Common, Goblin 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
   
  Nimble Escape. The goblin can take the Disengage or 
  Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns. 
  Actions 
  Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. 
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Worg 
  Large monstrosity, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 26 (4d10 + 4) 
  Speed 50 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16(+3) 
   13(+1) 
  13 (+1) 
   7(-2) 
  11(+0) 
   8(-1) 
  Skills Perception +4 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 
  Languages Goblin, Worg 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The worg has advantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a 
  creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or 
  be knocked prone. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Goblin Boss 
  Small Humanoid, Neutral Evil 
  Armor Class 17 (Leather Armor, Shield) 
  Hit Points 21 (6d6 + 0) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   10(+0) 
   14(+2) 
  10 (+0) 
   10(+0) 
  8(-1) 
  10 (+0) 
  Skills Stealth +6 
  Senses Darkvision 60ft, , passive Perception 9 
  Languages Common, Goblin 
  Challenge 2 (200 XP) 
  Nimble Escape. The goblin can take the disengage or Hide 
  action as a bonus action on each of its turns 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The goblin makes two attacks with its 
  scimitar. The second attack has disadvantage. 
  Scimitar. Melee Attack Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft, one 
  target Hit: 5 (1d6+2) Slashing Damage 
  Shortbow Ranged Attack Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320ft, 
  one target Hit: 5 (1d6+2) Piercing Damage 
  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 60 ft., 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. 
   
   
  
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  19 
  Chicken (Raven) 
  Tiny beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 1 (1d4 − 1) 
  Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  2 (-4) 
   14(+2) 
  8 (-1) 
  2 (-4) 
  12(+1) 
   6(-2) 
   
  Skills Perception +3 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages -- 
  Challenge 0 (10 XP) 
  Actions 
  Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. 
  Eggs. Once per day, the chicken lays 1 egg. Eggs may be 
  eaten, or left under the chicken. When there are 12 eggs, 
  the chicken stops laying eggs for 21 days. At the end of 21 
  days, they hatch, and emerge as chicks. A dozen eggs, or a 
  single chicken, can typically sustain one humanoid for one 
  day. 
  Clumsy Flyer. A chicken cannot sustain flight for more 
  than one turn. 
  Orog 
  Medium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 18 (Plate) 
  Hit Points 43 (5d8 + 20) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  18 (+4) 
  12 (+1) 
  18 (+4) 
  12 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  Skills Stealth +7 Survival +2 Intimidation +5 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common, Orc 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Aggressive. As a bonus action, the orog can move up to its 
  speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. 
  Actions 
  Multi Attack. The orog makes two greateaxe attacks. 
  Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) slashing damage. 
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing 
  damage. 
   
   
  Orc 
  Medium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 13 (hide armor) 
  Hit Points 15 (2d8 + 6) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  7 (−2) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  Skills Intimidation +2 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common, Orc 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  Aggressive. As a bonus action, the orc can move up to its 
  speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. 
  Actions 
  Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage. 
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing 
  damage. 
  Orc Claw of Luthic 
  Medium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 14 (hide armor) 
  Hit Points 45 (6d8+18) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (0) 
  15 (+2) 
  11 (0) 
  Skills Intimidation +2, Medicine +4, Survival +4 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common, Orc 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Aggressive. As a bonus action, the orc can move up to its 
  speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. 
  Spellcasting. The orc is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit 
  with spell attacks). The orc has the following cleric spells 
  prepared: 
  Cantrips (at will): guidance, mending, resistance, 
  thaumaturgy  
   
  1st level (4 slots): bane, cure wounds, guiding bolt  
  2nd level (3 slots): augury, warding bond  
  3rd level (2 slots): bestow curse, create food and water 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The orc makes two claw attacks, or four claw 
  attacks if it has fewer than half of its hit points remaining. 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage. 
   
   
   
  
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  20 
  Orc Blade of Kossuth (Ilneval) 
  Medium humanoid (ore), chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 18 (chain mail, shield) 
  Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  17 (+3) 
  11 (+0) 
  17 (+3) 
  10 (0) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
   
  Skills Perception +3, Insight +3, Intimidation +4 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, Ore 
  Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) 
  Aggressive. As a bonus action, the orc can move up to its 
  speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. 
  Foe Smiter of Kossuth. The orc deals an extra die of damage 
  when it hits with a longsword attack (included in the 
  attack). 
  Actions 
  Muftiattack. The orc makes two melee attacks with its 
  longsword or two ranged attacks with its javelins. If 
  Kossuth's Command is available to use, the orc can use it 
  after these attacks. 
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 14 (2d10 + 3) 
  slashing damage when used with two hands. 
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. 
  or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (ld6 + 3) piercing 
  damage. 
  Kossuth's Command (Recharge 4 -6). Up to three allied orcs 
  within 120 feet of this orc that can hear it can use their 
  reactions to each make one weapon attack. 
  Ogre Zombie 
  Large undead, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 8 
  Hit Points 85 (9d10 + 36) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  19 (+4) 
  6 (-2) 
  18 (+4) 
  3 (-4) 
  6 (-2) 
  5 (-3) 
  Saving Throws Wis +0 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 
  Languages understands Common and Giant but can't speak 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit 
  points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a 
  DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant 
  or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 
  hit point instead. 
  Actions 
  Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. 
  Zombie 
  Medium undead, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 8 
  Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9) 
  Speed 20 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  13 (+1) 
  6 (-2) 
  16 (+3) 
  3 (-4) 
  6 (-2) 
  5 (-3) 
  Saving Throws Wis +0 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 
  Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can't 
  speak 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit 
  points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a 
  DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant 
  or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 
  hit point instead. 
  Actions 
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  21 
  Wight 
  Medium undead, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  15 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4 
  Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages the languages it knew in life 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wight has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The wight makes two longsword attacks or two 
  longbow attacks. It can use its Life Drain in place of one 
  longsword attack. 
  Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) necrotic damage. The target must 
  succeed on a DC 13 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. 
  A humanoid slain by this attack rises 24 hours later as a 
  zombie under the wight's control, unless the humanoid is 
  restored to life or its body is destroyed. The wight can have no 
  more than twelve zombies under its control at one time. 
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 7 (1d10 + 2) 
  slashing damage if used with two hands. 
  Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 150/600 
  ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Ghoul 
  Medium undead, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 22 (5d8) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  13 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  7 (-2) 
  10 (+0) 
  6 (-2) 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage. If the target is a 
  creature other than an elf or undead, it must succeed on a DC 
  10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The 
  target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its 
  turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  Appendix C. Orc Encounter Flow 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Orcs Sighted 
  Farela slips off. 
  Gos goes to to discuss what’s up. 
   
  With Gos 
  Discussion regarding 
  Kiss of Kossuth 
  Follow Farela 
  She is stalking an orc, 
  showing intent to kill it. 
  Attempt to stop Farela 
  Fight with Farela ensues. 
  Draws the attention of nearby orcs. 
   
  Do not Attempt to Interfere 
  She kills the orc, goes after another.  
  She is spotted stalking. 
  Help Farela 
  She is pleased with the help. 
  You are all seen leaving the scene 
   
  Orcs Attack! 
  The orcs center on Farela. If the players are 
  attacking with her, they are also attacked. 
  Orcs capture Farela and any found party 
  members alive and drag them to Lorpek. 
   
  Orcs Inquire! 
  Orcs take the players to Lorpek 
  for questioning. If players 
  resist, a fight will ensue. 
   
  Lorpek Reacts 
  Depending on the situation with Farela, Lorpek reacts: 
  • If she acted alone, he is angry, but easier to placate 
  • If the players helped her, or did nothing, they are accused of collaborating with her. 
  • If the players stopped her, the orcs relay the infighting and Lorpek commends the 
  players. 
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
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  Appendix D. Player Handouts – Adventure Hooks 
  Player Handout 1: A Fair Fare 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Jobs! Glister is growing and needs your help! Help us organize, keep order, scout the surrounding areas, 
  and oversee a prosperous year! Qualified seekers should obtain passage with the Glister Route Caravan out 
  of Melvaunt. Do not travel Thar alone! 
   
  Player Handout 2: Harpers 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  We have new information. Glister has recently become of interest! A lot of new trade there has bolstered  
  the interest of less-than-reputable sorts. Seek out a way to travel safely through Thar and get to the town. 
   
  Jobs! 
  We have new information. Glister has recently become of interest! A lot of new 
  trade there has bolstered the interest of  
  less-than-reputable sorts. Seek out a way to travel safely  
  through Thar and get to the town. 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  24 
  Player Handout 3: Order of the Gauntlet 
   
   
   
  Wrongful Vengeance. It has come to our attention that someone is seeking revenge against orcs for the 
  slaughter of their family. Vengeance is one thing, but sources say this individual has already gone beyond 
  repaying the debt and is wrongfully pursuing all tribes in retribution. Information says they are heading for 
  Thar. While the Order has no love for orcs, uncontrolled slaughter is not worthy of one of our members. Try 
  and join the caravan from Melvaunt to Glister and see if you can catch word of this individual, or better yet, 
  the perpetrator themselves! 
   
  Player Handout 4: Emerald Enclave 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Undead Near Glister? There have been reports of undead activity near Glister. Many rumors have been 
  passed down over the years, but now we have confirmed reports. Find the Caravan that leaves from 
  Melvaunt and see if you can confirm these rumors; but try not to raise any alarms among others if you don’t 
  need to. 
   
   
   
   
  
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  Player Handout 5: Lord’s Alliance 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Glister Amok. New growth has come to the outlying town of Glister. So has overcrowding and rumors of 
  orc activity! Find a safe route through Thar, and get to the town as assess the situation there to see how the 
  Alliance may serve the city.  
   
   
   
   
   
  Player Handout 6: Zhentarim 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Our Slice. The town of Glister has recently been undergoing a resurgence of growth. Opportunity abounds! 
  Get to the town and see if perhaps the Black Network can establish a contact. Beware! Thar is full of dangers! 
  Find some means of traveling with a group. We hear a half-orc in Melvaunt runs a caravan out there every 3 
  tenday. Perhaps he has need of ‘guards’. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  New growth has come to the outlying town  
  of Glister. So has overcrowding and rumors of  
  orc activity! Find a safe route through Thar,  
  and get to the town as assess the situation there,  
  to see how the Alliance may serve the city. 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
  CCC-SCAR01-01 Corrupted Artery 
   
   
  26 
  Appendix E. Player Handouts - Story Awards 
  During the course of this adventure, the 
  characters may earn the following story award. If 
  you are printing these out for your character, print 
  as many as you need to ensure any eligible 
  characters receive a copy 
   
  Gos’ Roadies 
  You can use your connections with Gos to get a 
  discount on an item while in Glister. You can 
  spend 5 downtime days to earn a 10% discount on 
  the purchase of any one weapon or armor from a 
  merchant in Glister. Once you have used this 
  Award, cross it off your list. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  Appendix F. Player Handout – Magic Items 
  During the course of this adventure, the 
  characters may find the following magic items: 
   
  +1 Ornate Dagger 
  Weapon (dagger), uncommon 
  This undersized dagger has a blackened blade 
  with fuller running almost its length, with gold 
  trimming on the handle. It is very light and could 
  easily be tucked into sleeve or boot.  You have a +1 
  bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this 
  magic weapon. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  Appendix G. Maps 
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/Convention Created Content/SCARAB/CCC-SCAR01-01 - Corrupted Artery.pdf