Grey Mist Peak
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GREY MIST PEAK Return of Keraptis Introduction: Three powerful magical items have been stolen from the vaults of their wealthy owners: Bloodrazor, the deadly sword; Gildenvaul, the golden shield; and Vandomyr, the mighty longbow. A call has gone out for adventurers to recover the missing items. The only information on the whereabouts of the lost relics comes in the form of a cryptic poem. Will you be the heroes who recover the legendary items? An adventure for 6th – 9th level characters by Shamus Williams Note from the Author: Inspired by an online discussion, I created this adventure as a tribute to one of the most iconic D&D adventures of all time. Those familiar with the modules from the early days of gaming will undoubtedly recognize the parallels. It serves as a new addition to the “funhouse dungeon” category of adventures, and it is my sincere hope that it provides a memorable source of gaming enjoyment for D&D players everywhere. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, and 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. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright [2017] by Shamus Williams and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All art included in this product has been created specifically for this purpose and licensed from the creators for commercial use. Cover art by Hugor and Hugorky Rodriguez SampleBack cover art, and illustration on page 40 created by Veaceslav (Drimba3) file Illustrations on pages 10, 18, 28, 29, and 31 created by Ruben (maaot10) Introduction Grey Mist Peak is the local name for a low mountain that is recognized on geological maps as Tolver’s Mountain. It stands among the Cloud Peaks of northern Awm, west of Candlekeep and south of the Werewoods. There exists a confluence of meteorological circumstances that cause this particular mountain to be covered with fog most of the time. Hence, those who live nearby call it Grey Mist Peak, or a similar colloquial name. The prevalent fog has contributed to the reputation of the place, with good reason. While it is no more or less hospitable than any other forlorn mountain, the consistent concealment has made it the favored territory for numerous humanoid tribes, bands of outlaws, and monsters of all types. Those who consider prying eyes to be troublesome find the mountain a fair place to retreat to, even if it is a bit rough. Thus, Tolver’s Mountain – or Grey Mist Peak – was known to be a place to be generally avoided, but its reputation did not extend far beyond Awm. That changed just a few days ago. Three mighty magical items disappeared from their owners’ homes in Waterdeep, Silverymoon, and Neverwinter. The wealthy owners of the legendary items applied all their resources to finding the lost treasures, to no avail. A tenday after their disappearance, a note was found at each of the three places where one of the items was taken. As well, several copies of the note were found posted throughout each of the cities, in prominent locations. The contents of those notes is as follows: Cross the world with eye or spell You’ll see no sign of the three In forsaken house they all now dwell To find them, I answer your plea South past ruin, river and road You must go to the misted peak Once you climb to the high abode Victory yields the key you seek Into the depths you must then swim With all four as if in one hand No trek to be taken for lark or whim But at last deep below you will stand Through rainbow hall and gladiator’s gates Lies Bloodrazor, beyond the silent knight Through whirling steel you’ll learn Gildenvaul’s fate ‘Cross bladed pit and hourglass of night Past tunnel of blades and winding maze Waits Vandomyr, past locks and stone With three in hand you’ve finished that phase To run the gauntlet back home Sample file Run fast and far as best you can A furious, bloody race 1 Hounds will hunt with one dark plan To stand triumphant in your place These words I grant to answer prayers To find what has been lost They guide the path of any who dares But belittle not the cost Each note is signed with the name “Keraptis, God of lost causes and hopeless quests.” No scholars are aware of the ascension of a deity covering the specific portfolio named in the letters, so if the claim is true, the pantheon has grown by one. Regardless, if the information provided in the stanzas is accurate, the “misted peak” referenced is thought to be Grey Mist Peak, which happens to lie south of where all three items were stolen. The rest of the poem must give clues to what awaits adventurers who seek the items, though how much help they will be depends on the cunning and insight of the individuals involved. Certainly none of the many groups of adventurers who set out to recover the great magical items is willing to share their thoughts on the matter. If desired, the DM can allow players to conduct their own research. One day of searching maps and geographical texts in a sizeable library should allow a Geography check with a DC 18. Characters from Awm may also make a Local Knowledge check with a DC of 16. If a character has a background or class feature that pertains to geography or travel (such as the Wanderer feature of the Outlander background), and that character has traveled through Awm, the DM can reduce the DC for the Local Knowledge check to 12. If the group fails to research the location of Grey Mist Peak on their own or simply decides to hire expert help, the DM is free to determine the cost of such professional services. For the sake of pursuing the adventure, the party should be successful in connecting Grey Mist Peak to the mysterious poem and ascertaining its location. The DM is, of course, free to make this process as easy or as difficult as desired. The party is presumed to have to journey to Grey Mist Peak to begin the adventure. The DM may handle travel to the area in whatever way is appropriate. There can be many encounters along the way, for example, where the PCs meet others on the same quest…a foreshadowing of future conflict. Once they arrive in northern Awm, there is a small town named Parliville approximately 15 miles northwest of the mountain. There, adventurers can leave horses, purchase food or basic equipment, and rest. The population is only about 600. It has two inns, three taverns, one boardinghouse, and the standard array of services normally available in a town. Adventurers should be able to find a place to lodge their horses if they do not want to leave them on the side of a mountain. Both inns currently house other adventuring groups who are also seeking the lost weapons. Tensions run high, and sabotage is to be expected. Weather should be a concern when traveling to and on Grey Mist Peak. There is a 75% chance that visibility on the upper half of the mountain is limited. If so, roll d100 x 10’ to determine maximum visibility. There is relatively frequent precipitation, though the exact nature of it is left to DM’s determination based on the season. It is generally damp and cool. Note: if you are running the adventure in another campaign setting besides Faerun, select a similar mountain range for Grey Mist Peak to be located in. Likewise, choose different cities from Samplewhich each of the three items was stolen, and replace other world-specific namesfile and information with that to match the appropriate campaign world. 2 The Giant’s Keep At the top of Grey Mist Peak is a stone house built to giant size. It is, in fact, inhabited by hill giants and their dire wolf pets. Beside the fortress-like house is a large kennel, a tower, and a well. If the DM desires, there can be other encounters and other lairs on the mountain. Remember that the giants hunt daily, so anything in the immediate vicinity would have been disposed of quickly. The tower provides a good view on clear days, and is nearly useless on the foggiest days. The Surrounding Area The land has been completely cleared of vegetation larger than grass or weeds for nearly a half mile in all directions from the house. Although this is a good security measure, it is actually just the result of hill giant laziness. None of them want to do any more work than they have to. So, when ordered to gather firewood, they go to the nearest tree or bush and chop it down. Some tall grass grows in the area, but most of it has been squashed flat by giants and wolves. Piles of wolf and giant excrement are regularly seen throughout the area, despite the latrine to the south. The Buildings The main structure is roughly 60’ high, with the protective wall around the roof reaching another 8’. The roof is made of heavy, overlapping slate. Both interior and exterior walls are 5’ thick stone. Doors and shutters are 1’ thick wood and can be barred from the inside.