Grand Prize Winner: Haunted House Category
Created for
Adventure Design Contest at Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D Third Edition News

The Soulscape Paintings

Written by Doyce Testerman


The Soulscape Painting is a mini site-based adventure written for the 'Haunted Mansion' map-of-the-week contest posted on Eric Noah's DnD 3e News website. The adventure is designed for a group of four characters of about 3rd level of ability (though it can easily be made more difficult by 'upgrading' the types of undead within the Mansion). The story is set in the Duchy of Caer Maighdean campaign setting, but is easily adaptable to any fantasy setting. The adventure is set up, ready to play for the DM. 

Here are the sections of the adventure that you will find below.

  1. How to Proceed
  2. Introduction
  3. Getting the Hero's Involved 
  4. Part One: Approach
  5. Part Two: Enter
  6. Part Three: Depart
  7. Appendix 1: Artifacts


How to Proceed

This module was designed to take place when the player characters are in-between major adventures, preferably just after recovering from their first few outings:  they have done reasonably well, should be feeling fairly confident in their growing abilities, and are ready to take on a new task.  The location for the adventure -- a haunted mansion not far from town -- should be located near a bustling town or small city that, while fairly civilized, is located in an area where safety does not extend very far beyond the city walls. The exact location is up to you. Since this is a short adventure, it has only three sections, which have been set up to define breaks to the adventure. 

In the first section, the party will become involved in the story in some fashion (possibilities regarding this involvement are discussed below), and will either gear up and head to the mansion or stumble upon it by accident. The trip to the mansion is portrayed as short and relatively uneventful (until the party gets closer to their destination), but spicing up the trip is certainly an option left open to the DM. There is good opportunity for role-playing in the first section as the characters get a first look at the mansion itself and get some idea of what exactly they have gotten themselves into. 

Scenes and rooms are generally described for the DM with text in a separate gray block to read or paraphrase to the players. There is no actual combat in the first section (unless the DM spices up the characters' trip) so combat tactics are not noted. 

Introduction and Overview

A quick walk south and west of the small walled town of Cairun stands a dilapidated mansion near an overgrown pond (the location probably selected to provide a fine view for those who once lived within).  Built at the order of a wealthy trader, it was obviously once an opulent home, but is now little more than a  nesting place of several nocturnal creatures and a prison for the tortured ghosts of the family that once lived here.

The story of the mansion is simple, and one heard all too frequently in these dangerous times. A merchant by the name of Firenze, successful in business  (running a trading company on the outskirts of the Kingdom) and happy in his family life, decided that the time had come to build a proper home for his wife and children: a place befitting his success, a place to truly be at home and comfortable, a place to grow old in...

Such was not to be the case.

Firenze built his home; not far from town, but far enough that he and his family could be sure they would never be bothered by troublesome neighbors in the foreseeable future. A nearby pond provided water and a relaxing atmosphere, servants were hired, a garden was planted (something Firenze had dreamed of while he and his wife had lived in their cramped town house), and Firenze looked at it all and smiled.

Two years passed before the raiders came.

Pushed out of the northern mountains in search of prey following two harsh winters and dry summers, several orc tribes had been encountered around nearby villages, but Firenze was hardly worried: if raiders came within striking distance of his home, they would first have to circumvent the town of Cairun to the north, giving him ample time to evacuate his family and seek refuge within the town's walls; they still owned that small townhouse, after all.

But the raiders came out of the woods to the south. Firenze and his family died quickly, and none escaped. The house itself escaped most of the damage, since outriders from Cairun discovered and drove off the orcs before they could finish the job they had started. The story should have ended there, but it did not.  Soon stories began to circulate the Cairun taverns of lights and sounds coming from the Firenze mansion: strange lights and horrible sounds -- the sounds of a family being put to death, again and again. The Firenze family had risen as restless spirits -- which was odd, given that while the family had died violently, they had not died suffering; but Cairun is a busy town, and Firenze had never been a man to favor the local temples with much patronage, so none felt morally compelled to investigate the mystery, and those who felt the stronger pull of merchant's gold and decided to visit the mansion... suffice it to say that no local will go near the place.

The secret to the mystery is that the Firenze deaths did not cause the family the sort of grief and trauma that commonly results in restless spirits; the cause of the strange haunting is a powerful evil artifact that the merchant had hanging on a wall for the last two years of his life -- dormant, in fact dormant and nearly undetectable for thirty years, until it was awakened by the death and destruction created by the orc raiders. The Firenze family walks the abandoned halls of their home because of a painting known as the Soulscape.

Getting the Player's Involved:

Here are some ways to get the party to the Firenze Mansion.

There are many other ways you might think of that will get the PC’s to the Mansion. Feel free to use your own as you see fit.


Part One: Approach

Unless you are introducing the party to this adventure by having them stumble upon the mansion by chance, they will probably start out for their destination from Cairun (or a small walled town of the DM's choice). Read or paraphrase the following.

As you pass beyond the town walls, silence fills the wooded spaces around you. A soft breeze, the warmth of sunlight upon your face, the rustle of wildlife -- everything around you says that today will be one of those special golden days when it is a simple pleasure to be out-of-doors.

The idea as this point is to let the players relax.  Have some fun with them (with them, rather than at their expense).  Perhaps you (or an NPC) might start a 'spotting' game: calling out wildlife species you've spotted and seeing who can find it first.  Halflings might share a rock-shucking game ('hit the target' along the same lines as playing 'Horse') that they learned as children to pass the time on long walks (since most walks are long ones for a halfling).  The trip to the area around the mansion is not a long one: perhaps an hour and a half on foot, or half that on horseback.  (Normally horses would speed things up more, but the area is quite heavily wooded.)  The player's shouldn't need to hurry:  the mansion has been there for 20 years... a few more hours shouldn't matter. 

Once the characters are in a comfortable rhythm, interrupt it.

Suddenly, so suddenly that you and your companions are surprised into silence, you emerge from the heavier woods into an open space. To the south a few hundred yards, a weather-beaten but otherwise intact building crouches on the edge of a tree line. You cannot see the front entrance from this side, but the windows have the blankness that comes only to a house left abandoned. A stone well, some ruined outbuildings and a what might be a very overgrown garden stand between you and the mansion. To the southeast, there is the glitter of sunlight on a large pond or small lake.

If the party is introduced to the story by chance, use the following:

You slog through high, muddy grass as you circle around the large pond in your path.  Suddenly, so suddenly that even the rain seems startled into silence, a large manor looms out of the heavier woods around you. It stands to the west a few hundred yards, starkly lit by the frequent lightning flashes, weather-beaten but otherwise intact, crouching on the edge of a tree line. You cannot see the main entrance from this side, but the building's windows have the blankness that comes only to a house left abandoned. A stone well, some ruined outbuildings and a what might be a very overgrown garden stand between you and the mansion. 

The outbuildings mentioned are servants quarters that were heavily damaged by the raiders (one of the reasons they hadn't gotten to the mansion before the town's outriders arrived), and which are now nothing more a few rotten wooden walls no higher than a man's waist. (They lie just off the northern edge of the map). Likewise, the stone well has seen better days: it was fouled by the orc raiders (who dumped a servant's body down the well) and the stacked stones that made up the well edge have tumbled into a disorganized ring; the well is closer to the old garden than the servant's shacks, but it still lies off the map to the north.

Note: the description/inclusion of the well and outbuildings falls under the heading of 'vaguely describing the surrounding area'. Servant's huts would have to have existed, since the family is wealthy and no servant's quarters are included in the main house. Likewise, a well and the nearby pond is logical, since the garden and house itself would need a water source.

The characters are arriving from the north (top of the map) if arriving from the nearby town. If they are stumbling upon the mansion, they should arrive from the east (right side of the map). In any case, heavy woods lie to the west, so the party should not arrive from the west, though the south is possible.


Part Two: Enter

The party has three options for entering the house at the ground level: the 'front' double doors, the servant's entrance into the kitchen on the 'garden' side of the house, or crawling through the large windows that lead into rooms 5 and 6 on the first floor (no other windows are large enough to allow anyone larger than a small being to enter. 

Entering through the Front:

Although the house itself is abandoned, it was obviously designed to be defensible; the front doors attest to this. While elegant stonework and carvings adorn the lintel, the doors themselves are all business: iron stays brace every edge, crisscrossing the door itself to reinforce what looks like at least two separate layers of oak planking set at cross-grains to each other.  At some point in the distant past, someone tested the door with heavy axes (solid cuts lace the door faces), but had little success.

The doors are barred from within, and are of the finest and strongest construction. Even twenty years later, they should stand the test of all but the most determined invader. A typical iron-banded wooden door has a bash DC of 25; the presence of an additional bar on the door increases this DC to 30 for bashing.  The door has a Hardness rating of 6, 50 hit points (it is double-thick and cross-grained), and has a Break DC of 30.

Many a small keep would be proud of a door like this.

Entering through the Back:

Your eyes did not deceive you: a small, very overgrown garden lies along the east side of the manor, giving a faint hint of the neat rows of organized plant life that once graced it. 

Wild maize, strawberries, pea and bean vines, as well as tubers grow wild within (and without) the confines of this old garden. Searching reveals the broken portions of a darkly-stained hoe.

Although the house itself is abandoned, it was obviously designed to be defensible; even the rear servant's entrance attests to this. Iron stays brace every edge, crisscrossing the door itself to reinforce what looks like two separate layers of oak planking set at cross-grains to each other.  At some point in the distant past, someone tested the door with heavy axes (solid cuts lace the door faces), but had marginal success.

The door is locked from within, and is well-constructed. The iron-banded wooden door has a bash DC of 25.  The door has a Hardness rating of 6, 30 hit points (it is heavy, cross-grained oak), and has a Break DC of 25. The lock difficulty is the door's weak point: it is only Average, with a DC of 25.

Entering through the Windows:

Although the house was obviously designed to be defensible, every chain has a weak link. In this case, it seems the building's former residents had a love of sunlit rooms. Two unusually broad window casements grace the southern wall of the manor's first floor.  While the windows have been made as secure as possible (heavy internal and external shutters were installed), looters have apparently found this point of entrance much more appealing than the mansion's heavy doors; all but one of the external shutters are missing or hang in disarray, the glass is broken from the casement, and the internal shutters have been pushed away to expose the building's dark interior.

With proper preparation (clearing away glass shards, etc.), entering the house through these windows is a fairly simple process. Only a group composed entirely of the height-challenged might have to get inventive (the window bases are four feet above the ground).

The map to the Firenze Mansion can be viewed here.

Key to the Mansion

1. Entry Hall:  

Silence greets your footsteps on the cold marble floor of this empty hall. A few smaller portraits adorn the walls (and floor) along the hallway, but the passage is otherwise devoid of ornamentation or other detail.

The DM will want to use this room to build tension:  small clicks and creaks from elsewhere in the house, a subtle stir of air, or a loud crack from the woods nearby will all serve well. The floor's marble tile is set in a gray/pink checkerboard, and the walls masonry is stained in two or three places with heavy smears of old blood, but there are no bodies in evidence. 

Near the double entry doors at the west end of the house, there is a small closet (containing a few old cloaks and some hard-weather boots) and stairs leading to the second floor. Near the landing on the stairs is a large portrait of Mano Firenze's father, Geno (Little Geno's namesake).  Big Geno looks like a jovial man, and the painting captures a certain sparkle in his eyes. All the doors leading off this passage are closed and latched, but not locked. The town outriders that discovered the bodies closed things up as best they could.

2. Formal Sitting Room:

Designed for quiet conversations and informal meetings, this sitting room seems nearly untouched. An overstuffed couch sits in the northwest corner of the room behind a low, round table, and two armless but comfortable looking chairs are arranged on the east wall on either side of a small stand. A narrow window pierces the northern wall, next to the only object in the room that has seen any violence. The protective pane of glass set in place over a portrait on the north wall has been shattered, apparently by a heavy blow.

The picture is a family portrait depicting Mano Firenze, his wife Portia, and their two children Maritta (the eldest, in her teens) and Geno (about seven years old). All of the family has dark hair and eyes, and all are smiling and seem quite happy in the portrait, which appears to have been rendered outside, near the neighboring pond. The furniture is all quite comfortable, and reasonably elegant: one of the two chairs has been ravaged by termites and dry-rot, however, and will collapse if sat upon.  If restored and cleaned, the rest of furniture should be worth between 1500 and 2000 gp.

3. Dining Hall:

An elegant dining hall, well-appointed and in reasonable repair. In the center of the room sits a long, carved mahogany table, around which 8 chairs are arranged. A large chandelier hangs directly over the center of the table. In the northeast corner of the room, along the north wall, there is a low, heavy cabinet which probably doubled as both utensil storage and a serving table. A single narrow window is set in the north wall, the glass broken out, and several wall sconces (still fit with candles) are arranged around the room. A door is set into both the southern and eastern walls, and a strong animal scent permeates the air.

Hiding beneath the table amongst the legs of the chairs is a dire rat, part of the group that makes room 8 their nest. They access the house through this room (entering and exiting through the window) and hunt through the rushes of the nearby pond for sustenance. If attacked, this rat will squeal for assistance and flee through the swinging door to the east.

Dire Rat: CR: 1/3 Hit dice: 1d8+1 (hp: 5), Initiative: +3, Speed: 40 ft, AC: 15, Attacks: bite +2 melee, Damage: bite 1d4, Face/Reach: 5x5x5, SA: Disease, SQ: Scent, Alignment: N, Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; Abilities: Str 10, Dex, 17, Con 12, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 4
Skills/Feats: Climb +11, Hide +11, Move Silently +6;  Weapon Finesse (bite)

The broken window (an orc tried to reach through it) has allowed 20 years of weather into the room. Three of the chairs (those closest to the window) are quite damaged and will not stand up to repeated use before collapsing. The table and trundle table (in the northeast corner) are certainly sturdy and useable, but need quite a lot of restoration to regain some of their worth (ranging from 100 gp to 1000 gp for the table, and 50 gp to 350 gp for the trundle table). All of the chairs have sustained some weather damage, and at most are worth 20 gp for the least damaged.

Within the trundle (locked, DC 30), is the family silver, now quite tarnished. At this time, the silver is worth roughly 200 gp, but with a polishing agent and some serious elbow grease, could be worth around 800 gp for the matched set. (The value of the base metal is roughly 200 gp).

The southern door latches, the door to the east swings both in and out. 

4. Servants Meal and Preparation Hall:

Two long, heavy tables dominate this room, which was probably used to prepare the cooked meals before taking them into the actual dining hall (also, this is more than likely where any servants would have eaten). The tables are scarred, but this is probably simply the result of food preparation, not violence. A swinging door is set into the eastern and western walls, and a heavy latched door is set into the southern wall. The northern wall's expanse is broken only by one narrow window, the glass of which is intact.

Little more need be said about this room. Those listening might hear the sound of movement behind the eastern door (DC 20). This is the Cook, moving about the kitchen.

5. Lounge:

A couch, several comfortable wingback chairs and ottomans, and dark wallpaper make this room seem quite calming... or unnaturally dim. From the walls to the furniture, there is a definite sense of masculinity to the room -- one can almost smell pipe smoke. The only exits from the room are the windows in the south wall (smashed, their hinges torn down), and the door set in the center of the north wall.

Weather damage has harmed most everything in this room to a greater or lesser degree: wallpaper hangs in strips, especially near the windows, and the rest is faded. All of the furniture is upholstered in cloth, which is mostly rotted from water exposure and quite faded. If the party searches the room well, they will discover that the couch has been gutted from underneath to become home to a disagreeable tenant:  the centipede will burst out of the couch as soon as it is touched.

Monstrous Centipede (huge): CR: 2 Hit dice: 4d8 (hp: 19), Initiative: +2, Speed: 40 ft., AC: 16, Attacks: Bite +4 melee, Damage: Bite 2d6+4 and poison, Face/Reach: 10x30/10, SA: poison, SQ: Vermin; Alignment: N, Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1; Abilities: Str 17, Dex, 15, Con 10, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 2
Skills/Feats: Climb +11, Hide +1, Spot +7

6. Sun Room:

A couch, divan, and a large wingback chairs and ottomans are arranged around this colorfully appointed room. The only exits from the room are the windows in the south wall (smashed, their hinges torn down), and the door set in the center of the north wall.  There is a definite air of femininity to this room, though this is marred somewhat by a strong animal musk.

A clutch of Stirges have made this room their home. They hang from the ceiling just above the window, waiting to pounce.

Stirges (5): CR: 1/2 Hit dice: 1d10 (hp: 6,5,5,4,4), Initiative: +4, Speed: 10 ft./fly 40 ft., AC: 16, Attacks: Touch +6, Damage: Touch 1d3-4, Face/Reach: 2.5x2.5x0, SA: Attach, Blood Drain, Alignment: N, Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +1; Abilities: Str 3, Dex, 19, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills/Feats: Hide +14;  Weapon Finesse (touch)

The table just to the left of the door leading from the room was used as a writing desk, on which Portia would write her sisters 'back in the real world'. It contains water-wrinkled writing paper and long-dry inkpots, as well as several cracked quills and a small quill-sharpening knife with a mother of pearl handle (50 gp).

7. The Kitchens:

A large kitchen dominates most of the eastern end of the manor. A massive preparation table sits in the center of the room next to a small but obviously very heavy cutting table, and the large fireplace set in the east wall looks as though it were designed specifically for cooking large meals. A swinging door in the south wall probably leads to the pantry, while both a latched and swinging door are set into the west wall. Along the north side of the room, a small flight of stairs leads up to the second floor. Rusted cutlery hangs from racks on the wall.

The only implement in pristine condition is the heavy cleaver held in the fist of a large woman standing in front of the fireplace. She does not look pleased to see visitors. She is, also, clearly undead.

Helga was the Firenze's cook; a stern taskmistress and absolute ruler of her domain. Not much has changed.

Helga, undead cook (wight): CR: 3 Hit dice: 4d12 (hp: 26), Initiative: +1, Speed: 30 ft., AC: 15, Attacks: Cleaver +5 melee or Slam +3 melee, Damage: Cleaver 1d6+4 or Slam 1d4+1 and energy drain, Face/Reach: 5x5/5, SA: Energy Drain, create spawn; SQ: Undead; SD: Damage resistance; Alignment: LE, Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +15; Abilities: Str 18, Dex, 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 15
Skills/Feats: Climb +5, Hide +8, Listen +8, Move Silently +16, Search +7, Spot +8, Profession: Cook +5, Craft: Food +5; Weapon Finesse (cleaver)

Helga will only follow characters into rooms 3, 4, 7, and 8. She prefers her cleaver in combat, but will use her Slam attack if damaged below 2/3rds her hit points.

8. Pantry & Wine Cellar:

Several racks fill this room, though the flour and other consumables on the front shelves are years past use. The glint of light on dark glass near the back of the room, however, catches your attention.

The only major fault in the location of the Firenze manor is that, due to its proximity to several water sources, a true wine cellar was impossible. Mano, however, was a lover of the vine, so to speak, and he did the best he could -- this collection shows it. Given the right buyer, the wine and brandy in this room, unaffected by the elements would net the seller roughly 3000 gp. No character with a reasonable palate will be able to resist keeping a few bottles for themselves, however. 

Dire rats have made the consumable racks their home. Since they (and the dire rat in Room 3) are not sentient, they are not bothered by Helga when they pass through the kitchen. To leave the building, they exit through the broken window in room 3. They will assist their pack-mate in room 3 if they hear it squeal.

Dire Rats (6): CR: 1/3 Hit dice: 1d8+1 (hp; 7,6,5,5,5,4), Initiative: +3, Speed: 40 ft, AC: 15, Attacks: bite +2 melee, Damage: bite 1d4, Face/Reach: 5x5x5, SA: Disease, SQ: Scent, Alignment: N, Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; Abilities: Str 10, Dex, 17, Con 12, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 4
Skills/Feats: Climb +11, Hide +11, Move Silently +6;  Weapon Finesse (bite)

9. Upper Hall & Gallery: 

Your footsteps echo in this large open hall. Black and white marble tiles form a checkerboard pattern over the floor. The northern wall of the gallery has no windows breaking its surface, but over a half-dozen large oil paintings in several styles adorn it. Several smaller hallways branch off the gallery to the south.

The first painting on the west end of the hall is a Soulscape Painting, depicting the shadowy landscape of a forested hillside at dusk. The piece is obviously a masterpiece-quality painting, and looks as though it would fetch well over 3000 gp. The rest are detailed below:

10. Geno's Room:

This is unmistakably a young boy's room. Without external windows, the contents of the bed chamber are quite well-preserved, and consist of a small bed, a chest painted bright red, and a chest of draws.  Surprisingly, the room is even free of dust.

The room is so clean because Geno still cleans it. The chest contains wooden toys, and the chest of drawers contains sets of clothing suitable for a seven year old human boy.

11. Maritta's Room:

Frilled lace, satin, ribbons, and dolls -- this is so obviously a girl's room that it makes one suspect that the portrayal is almost too perfect. The room is furnished with a canopy bed and a small but elegant chest of drawers, and has remained dust free.

Geno maintains the state of this room as well. Maritta was not taken by the Soulscape Painting, as she did not die in the house: the orc raiders' leader carried her away before the town's patrol arrived. She died miles from the manor. Geno maintains the in hopes his sister will one day return home.  Searching the room will reveal only a teenage girl's secret diary, filled with hopes, dreams, and a repeated desire for adventure 'away from my family.'

12. Firenze's Library:

This room may contain more treasure than the rest of the manor combined! All four walls of the room are fitted with shelves all the way to the ceiling, and each shelf is packed from end to end in scrolls and books. A large desk sits in the center of the room, facing the only door, behind which is a utilitarian chair.

Mano Firenze liked owning books. Specifically, he liked to look as though he were a well-read, educated man. While Mano was no fool in his business of choice, his taste in valuable literature was abysmal. Ninety-eight percent of the library is stacked with worthless and inaccurate histories and historical romances, mixed with books on mathematics and economics that are actually worthwhile... if you happen to be either a mathematician or economist. It would take a character with Profession: Librarian and knowledge of the Draconic language as much as 3 weeks to find anything of magical significance in this literary mess: any other character will take twice as long. Once everything is tallied, two or three magical scrolls might be located (containing arcane or divine spells of the DM's choice), as well as a blank Boccob's Blessed Book.

Firenze's desk contains many rolls of parchment detailing his operations in the area... all of them 20 years out of date. A few of the Hooks used to get the players involved in this adventure will require they party retrieve some of these papers for their employers. Hidden in a false-bottomed drawer (DC 20 to find), is a stash of 200 gp that Mano took to town when he felt like gambling. A +2 dagger is tucked in beside the coin pouch. 

13. Storeroom:

Shelves along the walls hold folded linen, woolen flannels, and any number of house care tools. Your attention is distracted from the shelves, however, by the rotting zombie lurching towards you. "Maritta?" it moans through cracked lips. 

Although there are stacks and stacks of things that look like they should be valuable here, they are either worthless or crumble and split when handled. Geno-the-Zombie dwells within this room, because he does not want to foul 'Little Geno's Room'.

Pick a character (female if possible). Geno will try to embrace this character, thinking them his sister. If no female characters are part of the group, pick a male character at random and proceed: Geno will instead move to embrace what he thinks is his father, Mano.

Geno (zombie, advanced): CR: 1 Hit dice: 3d12+3 (hp: 24), Initiative: -1, Speed: 30 ft., AC: 11, Attacks: Slam +2 melee, Damage: Slam 1d6+2, Face/Reach: 5x5/5, SQ: Undead, may take full actions each round, Align: N, Saves: Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +3; Abilities: Str 15, Dex 8, Con --, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills/Feats: Toughness

Geno has been reconstituted by the Soulscape Painting on two occasions, which moved his spirit into other bodies. Because of this, Geno the 27-year-old child's spirit is trapped within a stranger's body.

14. Walk-in Closet:

Fine dresses and suits hang within this spacious closet. Obviously, the master of the house dressed well, and made sure that his wife did as well.

The closet contains over 3000 gp in clothing:  rather, that was its worth at the time of purchase. Changes in fashions and aging of the fabric have reduced the value of the wardrobe by half -- selling the collection to a clothier will net only half of the reduced price.

15. Master Bedroom:

While the master of the house obviously enjoyed his wealth, the master bedchamber of the manor is charmingly simple: A very large 'sleigh' bed, a chest of drawers and a scarred old wooden chair are the only pieces of furniture in the room. Mano Firenze is sitting in the old chair, and stands when you enter, though you realize you can still see the chair through his body.

On a Spot or Search check (DC 10), the characters will notice a trap door in the ceiling that leads to the attic rooms.

Mano is crazed beyond reason. He will attack the characters immediately, his face twisted with grief and vanished sanity.

Mano Firenze (Allip): CR: 3 Hit dice: 4d12 (hp: 24), Initiative: +5, Speed: fly 30 ft. (perfect), AC: 15, Attacks: Incorporeal touch +3 melee, Damage: Incorporeal touch 1d4 permanent wisdom drain, Face/Reach: 5x5/5, SA: Babble, Wisdom drain, madness  SQ: Undead, incorporeal, +2 turn resistance, Align: NE, Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4; Abilities: Str --, Dex 15, Con --, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 18
Skills/Feats: Hide +8, Intimidate +11, Intuit Direction +4, Listen +7, Search +7, Spot +7; Improved Initiative 
Mano never enters room 16.

In the upper right hand drawer of the chest of drawers, underneath some of Mano's clothes, is a silken black sack which, when unfolded, is about 2' by 4' in size. This is a type one Bag of Holding which Mano used to carry all (and we do mean all) of his travel-related belongings when he had to go somewhere on business.

16. Vanity Chamber:

This room is the high of extravagance. Opulent, decadent, it was obviously the mistress of the house's pride and joy. An ivory-inlaid vanity is set against the north wall, above which hangs a mirror, and another full length silvered mirror hangs on the east wall. A small door is set into the southeast corner of the room. 

A ghostly image of a woman looks up at you from her seat before the vanity, her face twisted in grief.

Portia Firenze (Allip): CR: 3 Hit dice: 4d12 (hp: 24), Initiative: +5, Speed: fly 30 ft. (perfect), AC: 15, Attacks: Incorporeal touch +3 melee, Damage: Incorporeal touch 1d4 permanent wisdom drain, Face/Reach: 5x5/5, SA: Babble, Wisdom drain, madness  SQ: Undead, incorporeal, +2 turn resistance, Align: NE, Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4; Abilities: Str --, Dex 15, Con --, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 18
Skills/Feats: Hide +8, Intimidate +11, Intuit Direction +4, Listen +7, Search +7, Spot +7; Improved Initiative 

Portia never enters room 15, and will flee if she encounters Mano.

A jewelry case on the vanity contains: 300 gold coins (hidden in a false bottom, DC to find: 20), a golden comb, its handle carved into a dragon's head with a ruby set as an eye (700 gp value), a silver comb set with moonstones (300 gp). The vanity is extremely heavy, but can be sold for at least 500 gp.

17. Bath:

This small room is dominated by a tarnished but wonderfully-crafted claw-foot, enameled copper bath tub in the center of the room. Only heavy verdigris on the exposed copper portions of the tub mar it's otherwise marvelous appearance.

Nothing else of note is in this room. The tub is worth about 1000 gp, provide the characters can figure out how to move the monstrosity.

18. Winter/Summer Storage

This small room was probably used for storing warm-weather clothes in the winter, and cold-weather clothes in the summer, as well as a catch-all place to put anything the owners didn't want to get rid of, but had no current use for. Currently, the room contains only a short table. There is a wooden door in the room's northern wall.

The room description doesn't lie, there is nothing of use or import here.

19. Wrecked Attic: Signs of Rage

Something very angry has had its way with this room: discarded and unused furniture, stored here for safe keeping, has been thrown about with great force. Chunks of wood and detritus little the floor, making it even more difficult to weave between the maze of old chairs, ottomans, casks, crates, and candelabra.

Mano has, on rare occasions, managed to manifest his anger at his family's fate to the point where he can actually affect corporeal objects (this usually occurs when he encounters his son). This room's condition is a result of this 'ability'. There is nothing of real value within the room (several crates of old clothes, some damaged or broken furniture in need of repair, a bent candelabra, etc.), but that doesn't mean the party can't waste time looking around.

20. Portia's Workroom:

Two large shelves hold yards of uncut cloth. Two broad tables bracket a small stool, and in the far corner of the room stand several clothing dummies: one the size of a large man, one the size of a girl, and one the size of a small boy.

Portia apparently had a gift for clothing design. She does not seem to have needed a manikin to represent herself. Aside from the cloth, which is in reasonably good shape, a large box on one of the shelves contains all of Portia's sewing equipment.

Part Three: Depart

Obviously, the task before the PC's is to put the Firenze family to rest. This is not particularly easy, since to do that the party must first identify the painting as the source of the problem (which is easiest just as a sentient within the house (even one of the undead) dies). Once the painting has been identified as the cause of the family's suffering, there are several options open to the party:

Conclusion

Putting the family to rest using whatever means available is worth 300 exp per family member freed, split among the group. Clearing the house of dangerous vermin AND dangerous artwork is work an additional 300 exp beyond the exp value of the combat.  Making sure the personal effects of the Firenze family are returned to family relatives is worth 400 exp per person for each character who does so.

Appendix: Artifacts

Soulscape Paintings: These thickly textured oil paintings are artifacts of great malice. There appearance may vary, but in several aspects all are uniform: a Soulscape painting is always a landscape, usually a moonlit scene in muted tones, and invariably disquieting -- the nature of the painting requires that it be of the highest quality, but somehow viewing the picture fills any mortal sentient with a vague sense of unease. The painting radiates a very faint necromantic aura, barely discernable under normal circumstances, but if the painting is magically examined when a death has occurred nearby recently, the aura is extremely powerful.

The effect the painting has is at once quite simple and quite diabolical. When the death of any sentient occurs within 66 yards of the painting, the painting activates an effect identical to a Soul Bind spell capable of trapping a total of 66 HD of creatures. The soul of the victim is trapped within the painting (usually depicted as shadowy figures just on the edge of vision), and the spirit of the being is forced into servitude as an undead of roughly the same relative strength as the victim in life (usually, this means allips or shadows, though specters and bodaks are not unheard of. Some legends surrounding the Soulscape paintings refer to one champion who was captured at death and rendered up as a Nightshade!)  Undead servants of the Soulscape Paintings who are 'killed' disappear, and may not emerge from the painting again for 23 hours.  If the painting is somehow destroyed (means to do this are debatable, and left to the DM's imagination), all the souls trapped within the painting are released.

Soulscape paintings might be sold for quite a tidy sum, if the right buyer can be found. Such a buyer, of course, is probably at least as dangerous as the painting itself.