Dung Heap
RoomDCC 103 · p.9
Open source p.9Area 1-10 – Dung Heap
There a pile of dung here, some of it quite old and some considerably fresher. A pair of short legs and hairy feet protrude from the heap.
The corpse is that of a halfling who tried to escape through the garderobe (area 2-8a) but fell headlong and became stuck in the noisome pile, where they suffocated. The PCs recognize them immediately from the missing small toe on the left foot as a fellow villager (a relative if there’s a halfling in the party).
A glance around the immediate area reveals a rake and a shovel leaning against the wall between the dung heap and the entrance to the conservatory (area 2-4a).
Should the PCs remove the corpse from the dung heap, they find a satchel. It contains pilfered silverware (30 gp value), some clothing, and an old book. Further examination of the book reveals a set of notes, diagrams, and plans detailing Zatharides’ efforts toward immortality. They can find out the following:
• Zatharides sought a pact with “the Nameless.”
• His goal was to become immortal.
• He lured a descendant of his own blood, the seventh great-grandson of a seventh grandson, to Cob Hill Manor to fulfill a blood pact.
• The text details the patron bond and invoke patron spells, which could allow a PC to learn both, if so inclined.