The Unearned Halls

A series of letters and map drawings decorate the walls, with string stretching from one note to another in a chaotic web. Blood drips from the string.

A table sits in the center of the room with a map laid upon it.

A dagger is thrust into the town of Riverharp, bisecting it.

Scrawled notes on the wall parchment.

A bedroll, backpack, and campfire lie at the back of the room. Debris and detritus are scattered about, creating the sense of a rat's den. The walls are covered in soot. A small crack in the ceiling allows air to escape and acts as a chimney.

The bedroll contains a trap. Rummaging it triggers the crude mousetrap. DC 12 DEX or 1d4 damage to fingers and unable to hold anything in that hand.

In the remnants of the fire: A small jade statue of a sheep, soot- covered (20 gp).

Two tall statues of dwarves flank the large flower back of the room and a mosaic decorates the center of the room.

Each dwarf statue holds a dwarven shield (10 gp each). Removing the shields triggers a trap. A spear shoots out of the chest of the dwarf whoʼs shield was removed - DC 12 DEX or 1d6 damage. Anyone shorter than a dwarf automatically succeeds on the DEX check.

An altar stands in the north alcove,

and an unlit candelabra stands in the south alcove. An arcane symbol is carved into the floor.

Crossing the symbol triggers a hazard. All lights, magical or not, are extinguished in the complex. They may be re-lit normally. Check Random Encounter.

Additionally an Imp is summoned in a flash of fire and brimstone.

The altar contains a silver idol depicting a horned devil crushed under the weight of a throne (40 gp) and an offering bowl containing soporific buns (see treasure).

Scrabbles (room 9) loves these buns and will smell them on the characters. He will gladly eat one of these instead of them and voluntarily fail his saving throw after returning to his kennel.

An active forge sheds dim light in the room even if Room 3ʼs hazard has been triggered. Black metal pipes stretch across the ceiling from the west (from the pit) and lead to the forge.

A pile of 10 short swords (70 gp - awkward to carry) rests in the southwest corner - freshly forged, never used.

A Barbed Devil hammers a piece of metal on an anvil into the rough shape of a sword. It is attended by two imps.

There is a secret tunnel leading from the hallway into the room, behind some boxes as indicated on the map. Itʼs only about two feet tall, requiring most creatures to crawl through it. The devils are unaware that it is there.

THE HALLWAYS

The areas between rooms 5 and 6 are normal hallways, with one exception - there is a pit as indicated on the map, with the path stretching over it.

The pit extends into the depths and emits a strong smell of sulfur. Any character who falls into the pit is lost forever.

Black metal pipes extend out of the pit and lead to room 5.

The north wall houses an unlit fireplace with strange blue wood in it. Lighting the fireplace produces purple smoke that fills the room. DC 15 WIS check or become unable to speak coherently.

The room is dark.

Cubi A sits at the table holding a goblet of wine. This is Minaria. She

serves as Erlandʼs “tactician”. Sheʼs perfectly content to converse with visitors and attempt to tempt them into a deal, but does not shy away from violence if necessary. She is immune to the blue woodʼs smoke, and finds it hilarious when other creatures succumb to it.

A water damaged cabinet contains bottles of cheap wine. On any interaction there is a 50% chance the cabinet breaks a shelf spilling its contents on the floor creating a loud clatter and broken wine all over the floor. Erland knows the cabinet is fragile and avoids breaking it.

Lit by blueflame lanterns that cast an azure glow to the room. They stay lit regardless of dungeon interaction but are extinguished if they leave the immediate area.

Hundreds of ancient books fill ornate ebony bookshelves. The Codex Inferni Harmoniae protrudes from one of the shelves in the center.

An Imp rummages through the stacks.

A large metal dog kennel sits open

in the corner of the room. There is a table holding dismembered humanoid limbs sitting in bowls.

Unless already dealt with in a random encounter, a Hellhound lies in the Emerald studded kennel. It wears a collar (120 gp) with a tag that says "Scrabbles".

Note: Scrabbles is generally irritable and prone to eating adventurers. He wonʼt eat Erland, but all other non- devils are on the menu.

Unless otherwise alerted, Scrabbles will be sleeping in his kennel, giving the PCs a chance to shut the door on him before he can escape.

The red leather bound book features a smiling imp on the cover.

Intelligent. Can converse with the bearer by changing its text.

Benefit. By reading certain passages aloud you may roll on the following table and gain the effects once per day.

Curse. The book may also activate itself once per day.

CODEX POWER

d6 Result

An Imp appears and serves 1-4 loyally for 5 rounds.

An Imp appears and causes havoc for 5 rounds.

The book drains your life force. Take 1d6 damage.

SOPORIFIC BUNS

These delicious looking baked buns can induce a deep sleep in even the most restless creatures.

Deliciousness. Eating a Soporific bun induces a deep sleep for 1 hour (8 on a critically failed save) unless a DC 15 CON save is made. This Save may be voluntarily failed.

The town of Riverharp has long been known for its sheep, and the amazing purple fleece they produce. So rare is this commodity that the town has enjoyed uncommon prosperity. No one more so than the Selwin family, who found the first flock and founded the town around them. They've enjoyed a life of comfort thanks to the sheep, and in exchange they've shepherded the town as their hereditary leadership for close to a century now.

The small population of 200 has long appreciated the benevolence and wise leadership the Selwin family has provided... until townsfolk began Erland Selwin disappearing. , the second son of the house, had taken up a habit of abducting the villagers and murdering them in the woods - taking each victim's left ring finger as a trophy. It took several months for anyone to suspect him; eventually his father, Erwood Selwin, discovered the trophies that Erland had been collecting. He immediately banished his son and forbade him from ever returning to Riverharp.

To the town, he spun a tale of how

Erland had found “the beast” stalking the town and was able to defeat him - but that he was tragically killed in the process. Erland's grave now stands in the town cemetery with a large headstone engraved with the words "Noble Protector and Beloved Son". The eulogy given by his brother, Ergood Selwin, was beautiful.

Meanwhile, Erland fled into the wilderness and came upon a sprawling dungeon complex the locals call "The Vineswallow" (or any other location of your choosing - if slotting this adventure into your own campaign). He set up shop in a small branch of the dungeon and has been there ever since, plotting his revenge. Now, he's summoned a number of devilish allies to his cause using a book he found in the ruined complex and he's almost ready to plot his revenge. Just last week, he sent a warning to his Father that their whole line would be destroyed by Erland's hand and to prove the point had one of his devils impale a villager outside of Selwin manor, sparking rumors that "the beast" has returned.

Erwood needs someone to "deal" with the problem - and he's offered to pay. That's where you come in.

THE PROBLEM

Erlandʼs plan itself is not particularly creative. He found a book in Room 7 that taught him how to summon Imps. One of those imps offered him a pact in exchange for his soul and granted him the ability to call greater devils to make even greater bargains.

He's used this ability to call more and more devils - a Barbed Devil Blacksmith, a Cubi, a Hell Hound, and ever more imps. He thus far has sent a strike force of imps into town to leave his murderous warning and his next plan is to summon more and more devils to eventually slaughter everyone in the manor house and display their corpses in front of the town.

For the Devil's part, they're part of a larger plot to collect as many souls from Riverharp as possible in service of their archdevil leader (the same to which Erland has sold his soul).

If severely pressed, Erland will cry out to his devilish patron (whoʼs name is Anthion) - but his pleas remain unanswered.

The Unearned Halls is an independent product published under the Shadowdark RPG Third-Party License and is not affiliated with The Arcane Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG © 2023 The Arcane Library, LLC.

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