This was my first stab at a 4E adventure, so you'll proabably want to check it for glaring errors, but it ran fine for us. Its set in the City State of the Invincible Overlord. Pretty streotypical Sword-n-Sorcery gnosh, but a real good time.
Dark Ritual of Narwix
A CSIO 4E D&D adventure for 3-5 characters of 6-8th lvl.
Summary:Hired to disperse a gang of thieves and grave robbers, the party is unwittingly drawn into a wizard's plot to gain dark powers from the Far Realms that could threaten the great City State.
The Set Up:The party is approached by Ralf Homister, the waddling proprietor of the Misty Passage Saloon, a bar just outside the City State walls, and a convenient halfway point between town and the sprawling burial grounds. He explains that a gang of bandits has taken to waylaying folk traveling to the burial grounds for the past several days. Word has gotten around, and folks have stopped going there, which means business has crashed: the Misty Passage Saloon is the nearest place for folk to spend a lot of coin drowning their sorrows after visiting their dearly departed. Ralf alerted the Guard days ago and they have done nothing (they have been bribed by Migo). In a state of panic, Ralf is offering the princely sum of 90gp for someone to run the bandits off (a successful Diplomacy or Bluff check of 25 will get him up as far as 120gp and free drinks for a fortnight). Quest: Run off the Bandits. If successful, the party gets 300xp.
Encounter 1: Burial Creepers (1200xp)
The CSIO Burial Grounds are a sprawling tangle of mausoleums, tombs, and burial urns covering a weedy area the size of several football fields. The "bandits" haunting the area are actually Dark Ones, four Dark Creepers and their leader Igs, a Dark Stalker. The Dark Ones will use their stealth and Dark Step ability to stalk and ambush the party. After the first round, Igs will use a free action to invite the PCs to give up and surrender their valuables. If the PCs decline, combat will continue. The Dark Ones will use the jumbled landscape to corral the PCs, break lines of sight, and for cover.
If any PC is dropped to 0hp or less by a Dark One, it will use its option to render the PC unconscious instead of killing him/her, as they have been strongly cautioned not to kill anyone, this would override the terms of the bribe. If all four Dark Creepers are killed, or if Igs is about to die, Igs will surrender and attempt to bargain for his survival. If all the PCs are dropped, Igs and crew will strip them of any coins and jewels (they will leave any magic items, believing it too easily traced) and the PCs can attempt to get Igs' story out of him at this point.
No doubt the party will be curious as to what Igs and his ilk are doing in the mortal realm. If they are not curious, nudge the players that the presence of these creatures is highly unusual and the Dark Ones do not seem closed to communication. They can use Diplomacy, Insight, and Bluff to draw out Igs' story (If you want, follow the Negotiation guidelines in the DMG p76). Of course, Igs' story is crucial to continuing the adventure, so if all else fails, Igs will slyly hint that he is open to bribes.
Igs and his band have long been sneaking in and out of the City State, robbing the villas and estates of the wealthy. Last month they picked the wrong estate, the tower of Drakmarl, a wizard who caught the Dark Ones entering his basement, and quickly cowed them into submission. The wizard offered the Dark One's their lives and some loot if they would keep the Burial Grounds free of interlopers for three days while he desecrated one the of the older tombs nearby. The takings were so rich, Igs and his band decided to hang out a few days more, then a few days more… Knowing the gig is done; Igs will take his leave along with any surviving Creepers, pointing the PCs in the direction of the tomb as he leaves. He will refuse to tell any details about the wizard other than his name, other than to say Drakmarl's chief servant, Migo, can often be found at Kick's Tavern on Begger's Street.
If the PCs defeat the Dark Ones and get Igs' story out of him, award them the full 1200xp. If the PCs are defeated and still get Igs' story, award them half (600xp). Either way, the PCs also gain the 300 xp for completing the Quest. If forced to give up their ill-gotten gains, the Dark Ones have about 400gp worth of assorted coins and jewelry.
Stats on the Dark Creepers and Dark Stalker are on p49 of the 4E Monster Manual.
Encounter 2: The Tomb of Narwix (500xp)
The tomb indicated to the PCs is a mossy, mildewed, cracked stone box about ten feet by ten feet. A single iron door is set into the east wall, and this is locked with a rusty-looking but function padlock (DC20 to or break). Inside is a stairway leading twenty feet down into the earth, westwards. A smell of smoke and pitch hangs in the air, left over from torches used by Drakmarl and his servants.
At the bottom of the stair is a twenty-foot chamber of fitted stone, foul with mold, mildew, and slime. On the far west wall is door apparently made from a single stone slab, inscribed with runes in an archaic form of common (DC10 History check to decipher) that reads "Here be mortal remaines of Blaide Narwix, damned soull and forsayken by Guilde and Lord. Disturbe not his rest, lest ye share his punishmente." Scratched into the mold on the door are fresher runes, recognizable as Arcane. A DC20 Arcana check reveals the door to be under the effects of an Arcane Lock spell (DC20).
Beyond this portal is the tomb itself. The tomb is 60' long (east to west) and 20' wide. Every 10' on both longs walls is a 5' deep alcove, and two rows of thin stone columns march down the center of the tomb to the far end. On a raised stone platform at the far end is a massive iron sarcophagus covered in sharp accretions of rust. There is no light source in the tomb proper, and light from above does not reach this far. If the tomb is properly lit, several trails of footprints are visible going in and out of the tomb and the rust on the sarcophagus has been worn away in several spots.
If any living creature approaches to within 15' of the sarcophagus, a dark swirl of smoke appears in the air and out steps a Skeletal Tomb Guardian, set here by City State wizards long ago to keep watch over the Tomb and Narwix's Tome. It lurks just slightly out of phase with the mortal realm, closer to the Shadowfell, waiting for its magical summons. Once activated, the guardian will fight until all threats are dead or have fled the tomb, after which it will close the door and retreat back to its timeless lair. Stats for the Skeletal Tomb Guardian are on p235 of the MM.
If the party defeats the Guardian, they may open the sarcophagus. Within are the mummified remains of Narwix, pierced through by the dozens of spikes that line the inside wall of the sarcophagus. An expression of horror transfixes the corpse's features - he was buried alive to die in torment. Also in the sarcophagus are an assortment of jeweled, golden arcane implements and adornments (non-magical) worth a total of 850gp, and an empty leather waterproof case with a broken lock, roughly large enough to hold a good-sized book. The party should naturally be curious why someone would take a book and leave all that treasure, but, if not, you may want to give them a hint.
Drawn In?
By this point, the party should, hopefully, suspect something more is going on than simple banditry and grave robbery. If not, you may need to beat them over the head with, or just sit and glare at them until get the hint. Or they may just pack it in, take the treasure and xp gained thus far and call it a night.
More than likely though, they will want to do the following two things: roust Migo at Kick's Tavern, and find out more about Narwix and his tome.
Quests
iscovering Drakmarl's Plan (300xp) - If the PCs investigate Narwix and Migo, award them 300xp for their trouble. Thwarting Drakmarl's Plan (600xp) - If the PCs stop the Dark Ritual, award them 600xp for doing the noble thing and taking this burden upon themselves. If they just report the situation to the authorities, award no further xp and decide whether the Overlord's agents actually act on their tip.
The History of the Tome of Narwix
A simple History or Streetwise check of 15 or more will let players know that Narwix was a figure from the early days of the City State, a wizard who dabbled in dark arts best left forbidden. Succeed at this check or fail, they're going to have to find out more about Narwix to complete the adventure. Any wizard in the City State will be familiar with the School of Acient Knowledge, though the Temple of Thoth, the School of Bards, and the Thieve's Guild are also viable places to hunt down the knowledge. If you want, use the "Discovering Secret Lore" challenge from the DMG (p80) to resolve this situation.
Narwix was once a fairly decent guy, until he began delving into a bit of the lost lore of the Markabs, alien beings from another realm or dimension who once ravaged the Wilderlands. Slowly driven insane by his ever-increasing insight and familiarity with the Far Realms, he nonetheless became ever-more powerful. Eventually, he had to be brought to ground by the lawful forces of the City State, who entombed him, alive, to die slowly writhing in pain, clutching his greatest achievement: a dark Tome of Rituals designed to draw the alien powers of the Far Realm into the caster, granting him near-godhood. The great Ritual can only be performed during a certain annual conjunction of the stars, which coincidentally is very near, if not this very evening!
Encounter 3: Kick's Tavern (775xp)
Kick's tavern is a low establishment on Begger's Street, not far from the intersection with Hedonist's Street. Its location makes it a great watering hole for debauched revelers too poor to make use of the more upscale bars lining the Plaza of Profuse Pleasures. Migo, the chief agent and procurer for Drakmarl, is always here unless on a specific mission for his master or sleeping one off on the stairs out behind the tavern.
Migo is a greasy, toadlike man wearing a stained, red leather coat and soiled breeches. His left eye is milk-white and the entire left-side of his pock-marked face sags. He speaks in a slurring drawl, spraying listeners with spittle. When approached by the players, he will try to menace them into leaving him alone. If the party persists, he glance from side to side, alerting his cronies and fellow drunks (8 Human Lackeys) and promptly attack the weakest-looking party member.
In the brawl that ensues, remind your players that murder is a crime in the City State. When hitting an enemy with an attack that would normally kill an opponent, the player may opt to render it unconscious instead. The brawlers will make use of every weapon they can find: chairs, barstools, tankards, broken bottles, and will flip over tables and even push screaming barmaids and drunks around for cover or as big blunt weapons. Migo is all bluster though, and as soon as things get rough he will surrender, loudly begging for mercy over the peals of laughter from the contemptuous audience. Any remaining flunkies will quickly and quietly head for the back and side doors, never looking back.
Migo will turn easily on his master, revealing to the players that Drakmarl is indeed performing some bizarre ritual this very evening, and has in fact been up at the top of his nearby tower preparing for a couple of days now. He will give them directions to Drakmarl's tower, a forty-foot-high, crumbling edifice opposite the Silver Goblet, a back-alley tavern near Sea-Brigand's Street. He will give them his own key to the front gate, and promise to leave the City State and never come back (though this is not true, see Showdown with Drakmarl) and will not mention Drakmarl's guardian Gargoyles.
Migo: Lvl2 Human Bandit (MM p162), 8 Human Lackeys (MM p162).
Drakmarl's Tower
Drakmarl's tower is right where Migo says it is. It is 60' wide and 100' long. A short stair with spiked iron rails leads up from the alley to the front door, an oak-and-iron edifice that is kept Arcane Locked unless someone knows the password "Bosum" or has one of two silver keys (Drakmarl has one, Migo has the other). Once through the door, the PCs find themselves in grand, but dusty and unkept, hall with a marble staircase leading up to the third floor. Two grotesque marble statues flank a set of bronze doors at the top (actually gargoyles, see Encounter 4). Through these doors is a the Master's Suite, with his and hers bedrooms, dressing rooms, and a study (all empty). At the back of these chambers is a chain-suspended, iron spiral staircase that leads up to the roof, where Drakmarl is performing his ritual (see Encounter 5).
The manse is largely empty, as Drakmarl has sold off almost everything of value to pay for the very expensive Ritual he is working on, and the domestic staff has all been dismissed, so they don't disturb him. Drakmarl's much-abused concubine, Iarissa (resident of the "hers" room), is currently chained to an altar on the roof. A small, locked (DC20) chest is under Drakmarl's bed, containing his emergency fund of 350gp, 5-100gp gems, and a +3 Orb of Reversed Polarities (Lvl9).
Encounter 4: Gargoyle Guards (800xp)
The gargoyles serve Drakmarl in exchange for the occasional slave to torment or eat. They are familiar with anyone allowed in the manse, and are under orders to tear intruders limb from limb. Their last meal, a group of Dark Ones, was halted by the wizard, so they are feeling particularly vicious now. They will concentrate on one enemy at a time, using Flyby Attack to knock others down the stairs (2d10 pts of damage) to isolate their prey. They will seem to be eerily silent opponents, they do not want Drakmarl spoiling their fun a second time! If one gargoyle is killed the remaining one is 50% likely to attempt to flee, otherwise going into a berserk killing rage, lending a +2 situational bonus to its attack rolls and damage, and suffering a -2 penalty to its defenses. Stats for the two Gargoyles may be found on p115 of the MM.
Encounter 5: Showdown with Drakmarl (1150xp)
Up on the rooftop (30'x70'), on the long side opposite the opening for the stair (50'feet away from the PCs), Drakmarl has set up a series of magical apparatuses, inscribed runes and protective circles, and a makeshift altar. In between the PCs, a swirling red mist strains at the confines of a magic circle, and Drakmarl stands on the opposite side of the altar from them. Upon the altar is chained the nude, drugged and comatose figure of the Drakmarl's concubine, Iarissa. Altogether, the various magical implements and components in use are worth about 1500gp.
Above the rooftop, dark clouds swirl, whether it is day or night. Through a gap in the clouds directly above Drakmarl a wavering violet-tinged darkness is visible, filled with unnatural-looking stars. Drakmarl is waving a wand in slow circles above Iarissa's belly, upon which has been placed the open Tome of Narwix. As the party emerges onto the rooftop, give them a moment to drink in the scene before Drakmarl sneers at them and cries "Filbrawl, attend me!". This releases the savage Barlgura Drakmarl has confined in the magic circle near the party, concealed in the red mists.
The Barlgura will charge the party, engaging them in melee while Drakmarl strikes at them from a distance. Immediately after releasing the demon, Drakmarl will cast Blur upon himself as a Minor action, rendering him invisible from more than 5 squares away and adding +2 to all his defenses, followed by a blast from his +2 Wand of Fire Shroud. He will then cast Mordenkainen's Sword as a standard action, using it to strike at the PCs engaged with the demon, and maintaining it every round as a Minor Action while he attacks with both it and his Ray of Enfeeblement. If the opportunity presents itself, Drakmarl will use his Spectral Ram spell to knock a PC from the roof to the street 40' below. Falling causes 4d10 pts of dmg, and it takes 3 rounds to make it back through the house and up to the roof if the character survives the fall.
The Barlgura (MM pg53) is a simple brute force machine, using its double slam attacks to wreak as much havoc as possible. If bloodied (brought to 50% of its total hp), it immediately releases its Savage Howl ability and gets increased slam damage. The demon is painfully stupid and will fight until dead.
Drakmarl will also fight unto death, as his brief exposure to the Tome has already pushed him well down the road to madness, and he cannot believe in anything other than his own invincibility. If defeated, a look of disbelief will cross his face as he dies, and he will mutter "impossible, they promised me…." At this point, Migo, who has secretly followed the party up to the roof, will rush forward and snatch the Tome from Iarissa's belly, holding it over his head and cackling "Mine! Mine!" He, too, has been driven mad by his proximity to the Tome over the last few days. Give your party one action, Move, Standard, or Minor if they want to try and get the Tome. If they fail their attempt or just stand and wait to see what happens, Migo lets out a bloodcurdling scream as he begins to fold in on himself in bizaare incomprehensible angles and geometric designs before he and the Tome are whisked up into the portal to the Far Realms, which snaps shut behind them, the clouds dissipating a few moments later. If the party somehow gets the Tome, Migo throws himself, sobbing, off the roof to his doom, the portal closes, and the party must deal with the madness soon to infect them.
Iarissa falls madly in love with the first person to shake her awake.
Drakmarl, Wizard 10 (Human, Chaotic Evil)
Str10/Con13/Dex16/Int20/Wis14/Cha12
HP73 AC21 Fort19 Ref23 Will22 Init+8 Spd6
Melee (Dagger) atk+11vsAC dmg1d4+3
Ranged (Ray of Enfeeblement) atk+13vsFort dmg1d10+8necrotic plus weakened, Range10
Abilities: Ray of Enfeeblement(At-will), Spectral Ram(Encounter), Mordenkainen's Sword(Daily), Blur(Utility-Daily), Arcane Implement Mastery (wand), Ritual Caster.
Skills: Arcana+15, History+15, Perception+12
Possessions: Cloth Armor, Dagger, +2 Wand of Fire Shroud (+13vsFort Burst3 dmg1d8+8 plus ongoing 5 fire damage, save ends).
