The Dreaming Heralds

st

A D&D Next adventure for 1 level characters

By Michael Button

Table&of&Contents&
The$Dreaming$Heralds$
Preparation*
Adventure!Summary!
Adventure*Background*
Introduction*
The!Farm!
The!Journey!To!The!Temple!
The*Temple*of*Ra*
NPC!summary!
Temple!Map!
First!Floor!
The!Cellar!
Second!Floor!
Third!Floor!
NPC*statistics*
The!Heralds!
Kaufra!
Ending*the*adventure*
Continuing*from*here*
Thanks to my playtesters, Thomas Kennett and the contest organisers and judges.
Contact: michaeljbutton@gmail.com
Copyright 2014 Michael Button.

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mathematicians precisely calculated the date

of this miracle, called the New Morning, to be
some 116 years in the future (i.e. 6 years from
the current time). This posed a problem for the
human members of the sect, who would be
dead by the time of the New Morning, and thus
unable to rejoice in the arrival of their deity.
The sects leaders came up with a plan. They
would entomb themselves in a remote temple,
and enter a magical sleep from which they
would awaken at the correct moment to
welcome Ras avatar to the world.
The Heralds built a temple for
themselves deep in Merthington Woods,
hoping that the reputation of the forest would
prevent passers-by disturbing their slumber.
After making preparations for the New
Morning, they surrounded their resting place
with a series of traps to deter intruders. Then
during a complex ritual, the faithful drank a
concoction brewed by the sects herbalist,
plunging them into deep sleep.
Unfortunately, one of the Heralds was
a traitor. Kaufra, a junior priest in the hierarchy
with the rank of Initiate, was secretly an agent
of evil. Long sworn to the gods of darkness
and betrayal, he mimed drinking the sleeping
draught and waited. Once the faithful had
fallen unconscious, he proceeded to callously
murder them, dedicating his slayings to the
dark powers. And yet fate saw to it that his evil
deeds did not go unrewarded. In a revel of
unholy triumph, he stumbled into one of the
traps that the Heralds had laid, and, impaled
on iron spikes, he bled to death.
Such foul behaviour and misadventure
did not go unnoticed by the powers of evil. As
a reward for his treachery, Kaufra was a raised
as a fell undead creature to haunt the temple
for eternity. He retains some memory of his
former life, and spends his time in endless
supplication to his dark gods. During the
preceding century, he has raised many of the
strangely preserved corpses of the other
Heralds as his undead minions. Bound by
magic to the temple, Kaufra despairs at his
eternal imprisonment and longs for release
into the world outside.
The
temple
has
remained
undiscovered in the woods since then,
entangled in liana, until recently chanced upon
by a teenager from one of the local farming
communities. Despite many warnings from his
parents, Devek Yarl would spend his free
hours wandering in Merthington Woods,
occasionally taking his younger sister Abella
with him. One day, whilst alone, he came
across the old temple. Unable to read the
warnings on the front door, he triggered a trap
when he tried to enter. A poison needle

Preparation
The Dreaming Heralds is a short D&D Next
st
adventure suitable for 4-6 1 level characters.
It would work well as a side quest or
introductory adventure for new characters. A
rogue or other character skilled in dealing with
traps would be useful to have, but is not
essential. Characters who complete the
adventure should expect to be over halfway to
nd
2 level by the end. They are assumed to
begin the adventure as travelling companions
heading down the Barons Road.
Whilst the adventure can be played as
written, the DMs who wish to convert for their
campaign mythology should change place
names (the Barons Road, Merthington
Woods) and use an appropriate sun god in
place of Ra (e.g. Pelor for Greyhawk,
Lathander for Forgotten Realms etc.). At
several points throughout the adventure the
characters find symbols of Ra these should
also be changed as appropriate for the
relevant deity.
Boxed text is to be read aloud to
players.

Adventure Summary
Whilst travelling down a lonely stretch of
highway called the Barons Road, the
characters meet Abel Yarl, a farmer. He
pleads with them to help him find out what has
happened to his son, Devek, who has fallen
into a death-like slumber. After some
investigation at the Yarl farm, the characters
proceed into the woods to find a mysterious
temple of Ra. Once there, they will need to
brave the traps and defences of the temple to
find an antidote that can save Devek.

Adventure Background
For as long as anyone can remember, the
ancient oaks and elms of Merthington Woods
have stood on the eastern edge of the Barons
Road. Desolate and lonely, the Woods are
shunned by the insular farming communities
that live along the road, who tell stories of lost
travellers being ripped apart by rabid wolves,
and worse. Few brave souls enter the trees to
test the truthfulness of these tales.
110 years ago, however, a group of
worshippers of the sun god Ra found a use for
these rumours. Calling themselves the Heralds
of the Morning, the sect cleaved to a mostlyforgotten prophecy of rebirth, in which an
avatar of Ra was destined to enter the world
and rout the forces of darkness. Using
divinatory tools, the sects astrologer-

stabbed his finger, covered in the same

concoction the Heralds had drunk. Realizing
he was injured, he somehow managed to
stagger back to his parents farm, where he
instantly collapsed into a coma.
This was 3 days ago, and since then
his parents have been fretful over his
condition. Unwilling to abandon his family for
too long to seek help, Deveks father Abel has
camped out on the Barons Road, and hopes
to flag down aid from a rare wanderer.

What was he doing in the Woods?

Him and his sister were always going in there
on dares, no matter what we told them. Them
woods aint safe, never have been.

The Farm
A short walk down a dirt track leading west
from the Barons Road heads to the Yarl Farm.
It consists of a run-down stone farmhouse and
several large wooden barns. The farm has
seen better days, and yet the ground here is
fertile enough for the family to do reasonably
well, growing barley and wheat and keeping a
small herd of sheep.
Devek Yarl is being kept in a small
bedroom on the upper storey of the
farmhouse. He is a fair-haired freckled
teenager with a deathly pallor. His heart rate
and breathing are extremely slow, and his skin
is cold to the touch. Watching over him are his
tearful mother, Elista, and his eldest sister,
Abella.
A DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check
reveals that he is in some kind of magical
sleep. Nothing short of a remove curse spell,
or an antidote, can waken him. Close
inspection also reveals a slightly bruised
pinprick on his left hand.
If questioned, his sister Abella knows
some more:

You are travelling south along the

Barons Road, a lonely stretch of
highway bordered by farmland to the
west and a dark wood to the east.
Around mid-morning, a middle-aged
human man dressed in simple workaday
clothes steps out to the middle of the
road. Strangers, please help me. My
son is sick

Introduction
This is Abel Yarl, the patriarch of a poor
farming family who work a smallholding close
to the Road. He lives with his wife, Elista, and
their five children, Devek (13), Abella (12),
Emiless (8), Torren (6) and little Wenderly (3).
He is desperate to find help for his sons
condition, but is afraid to leave his family alone
to make the journey to the nearest town to find
a cleric.
If the characters stop and talk to him,
he reveals the following information:

Where did Devek go?

He loved the Woods, and kept going deeper
and deeper I was too scared to follow him,
but he told me has found a ruined building
deeper in the woods.
Where is the building?
He told me his headed due east until he hit a
stream, and then followed that north.

Who are you?

My name is Abel Yarl, I have a farm nearby.

What do you know about the building?

Where is your son?

Not much he said it was made of stone,

and had strange markings on the door. He
brought this back. Abella pulls out a small
brick inscribed on it is a sun disk and coiled
snake symbol of Ra, recognizable as such to
any character with a passing knowledge of
religion.

He is back at my farm, half a mile from here.

What are you doing out here?
I am looking for some help, a cleric or a
healer to help my son.

What do you know about the Woods?

What happened to your son?

I dont like them, they scare me. One time I

saw a snake in there, as long as my arm.
Jonquil told me he saw an owlbear once
too

He came out of Merthington Woods some two

days ago, stumbling around and white as a
ghost. He wasnt making any sense, and as
soon as we got him home, he collapsed and
he hasnt woken since.

If the characters need further persuading to

investigate, Abel Yarl can offer them some
money. The family fortune is pitiful, amounts to
5 gp and 26 sp, but they are desperate
enough to offer everything they have.

advantage if she is searching. Any who

succeed notice strange humanoid fetishes
carved from twigs dangling in one particular
grove of trees. Good-aligned characters get an
uneasy feeling around them. No signs of their
makers exist. It is up to the DM to pursue this
mystery in later adventures if desired.

The Journey To The Temple

It is 3 miles to the temple, following Abellas
directions. There are no manmade trails
through the forest, so travel speed is halved
(thus will take 2 hours at a fast pace, 3 at a
moderate pace or 6 at a slow pace). Impress
upon the players the quiet loneliness of the
woods, the lack of birdsong and the dusky
gloom that covers the trees.
Characters who look for tracks may
make a Wisdom (Survival) at DC 15. Success
indicates they find several sets of human
footprints going back and forth on the same
path these are Deveks tracks. At some point
they branch off from Abellas directions to a
shortcut Devek knew. Characters who follow
these tracks take 1 mile off the journey.
For every hour of travel, roll a d20. On
a result of 20 a random encounter occurs. If
so, roll 1d6 on the following table to determine
what the characters encounter. Alternately,
you may choose an encounter you feel is
appropriate.
d6
1
2
3
4
5
6

Encounter
1d4 wolves
Briar trip*
Strange fetishes*
1 brown bear
1d6 stirges
1d3 dire wolves

For creature encounters, characters travelling

at a slow or moderate pace should be able to
spot the creatures before they are seen, and
should have a chance to avoid an encounter.
Most of the animals of Merthington Woods are
not interested in preying on humanoids, but
will attack if cornered or desperate.
Encounters marked with an asterisk are
described below.
Briar trip: Randomly select one character.
Whilst walking, he accidentally snags his foot
in a briar, and must make a Dexterity saving
throw at DC 13 to avoid stumbling. He gains
advantage on this save if he is keeping watch
or searching whilst travelling. Failure indicates
he twists their ankle and takes 1 point of
damage. His speed is reduced by 10 ft., until
he is able to take a long rest.
Strange fetishes: Each character may make a
Wisdom (Perception) check at DC 15, with

covered in many puncture wounds from the

trap that killed him (see area 17). He wears
the golden robes of the Hierophant, stolen
from the body of his senior priest. The robes
are covered in ragged holes from his death
wounds.
Cursed to stay in the temple, Kaufra is
tied to the necrotic energy of the shrine in area
18. He hates and fears all living creatures, and
is terrified of sunlight. If the characters
somehow manage to engage him in
conversation, he spits bile and unholy curses
at them, whilst whining and pleading for them
to free him from his entrapment.
See Statistics section for game
information.

The Temple of Ra
The temple sits in an overgrown clearing in the
woods. It is three stories high, and covered in
vines. The building is squat and functional,
and rises to a stone dome. The only markings
revealing its religious dedication are on the
doors to the outside.
There are walkways around the
second and third floors. A Strength DC 15
check is required to climb up each floor. The
walkway to the second floor is railed and
characters would need to bend the bars
(Strength DC 20) to gain access to it. A Small
character could squeeze between the bars
with a DC 10 Dexterity check. The third floor
walkway is open to the elements.
Unless otherwise noted, the temple
has the following physical characteristics:
Ceiling: The ceiling is 20 ft. high.
Walls: Walls are made of stone.
External doors: External doors are made of
stone, and locked. They require a DC 30
Strength check to break down, or a DC 20
Dexterity check to pick the lock.
Internal doors: Internal doors are made of
wood. They can be broken down with a DC 10
Strength check. Some are locked where noted
- to pick the lock requires a DC 20 Dexterity
check.
Lighting: The temple is in darkness.
Windows: There are several mildewed
windows to the temple on the second floor,
which are trivial to break broken.

The Heralds
The Heralds are the priests of Ra who built
this temple as a place to sleep whilst awaiting
their New Morning. All bar one were slain by
Kaufra after drinking the sleeping draught.
They have been raised an undead creatures
over the course of the last century, some
serving as guardians of the temple.
In undeath, they look much as they did
in the life. The twisted magic of their animating
force and the sleeping draught they drunk
have combined to preserve their human
appearance but has given them glowing white
eyes. Closer observation reveals most have
had their throats cut. They dress in flowing
white robes, some stained with blood down the
front.
See Statistics section for game
information.

There are no random encounters in the

temple.

Lesser Hierophant Hemekef

The second in charge of the Heralds, Lesser
Hierophant Hemekef is still alive, albeit in a
magically induced sleep. He appears to be a
human male of about 60 years old, bald and
with heavy wrinkles. He wears the Lesser
Hierophants robes, white with one band of
gold around the hem. If left alone he will rise in
6 years, however if the antidote is
manufactured and administered he can be
awoken immediately.
When awakened he is confused, and
continually asks about the New Morning,
whether the forces of light have arrived yet,
and so forth. If his situation can be explained
to him he will be full of sorrow for his fellow
Heralds, yet willing to help with any
information he can offer. He knows the layout
to the temple, the location of all traps and the
th
history to the space. He is also a 5 level
neutral good cleric of Ra (Light domain), and
can help with healing magic if given time to
prepare his spells. He is a serious, devout

Traps
The Heralds set many mechanical traps in
their temple, as defence against intruders.
Unless otherwise noted, characters attempting
to find traps (e.g. by examining doors) can
locate them with an Intelligence (Search)
check of DC 15. Attempts to disable traps can
be made with a Dexterity check of DC 20.
Checks to disable that fail by 5 or more trigger
the trap.

NPC summary
Kaufra
Once a lowly Initiate in the hierarchy of the
Heralds of Morning, Kaufra has spent the last
century entombed in the temple as an undead
shadow of his former self, pleading with the
dark powers he worships for release. He
appears as a male human with pale yellowing
skin stretched tight across his frame, and is

man who fervently believes in the prophecy of

his sect.
Award the character 50 XP for awakening
Hemekef from his slumber.

Temple Map

2. Entry chamber

First Floor

The ceiling here is 40 ft. high.

1. Temple Entrance

The door opens into a large dusty entrance

hall. A wooden staircase with a polished
banister curves upwards around the room. In
the gloom of the ceiling above the centre of
the room is a golden chandelier that glints in
the dim light filtering in from outside.
Passages lead from the chamber to the
north, east and west.

You emerge from a thicket of briars into a

small clearing in front of a crumbling three
storey stone building. An overgrown path
opens into a clearing containing a pool
filled with stagnant water. The path
continues up to a large stone door leading
into the building, emblazoned with a
sunburst and coiled snake motif.

Ask all the characters to make a DC 15

Wisdom (Perception) check. Anyone who
succeeds notices that there is a large circular
area in the centre of the room, directly beneath
the chandelier, that is not covered by dust.
That is because this area of floor is illusionary,
and covers a pit trap. See Hazard below. A
character able to detect magic will notice a
faint aura of illusion magic.
If the characters think to look up, it is
possible to see to the top of the stairs here,
where an undead Herald waits patiently. See
area 15.

If the characters are following Deveks tracks,

they lead to the door, and back. Getting to the
door involves getting past the pool.
The pool is filled with water to a depth
of about 2 ft., and emits is a terrible stench of
rotting meat. Any players who approach the
pool will waken the snake that lairs here,
basking just below the surface of the water.
See Creature entry below.
The symbol on the door is a symbol of
Ra. Below the symbol a strange warning is
etched in Common: Danger! Entry Forbidden!
All Hail the New Morning! If characters ask
about the New Morning, allow them a DC 20
Intelligence (Religion) check. A successful
check reveals that the New Morning is an
obscure prophecy foretelling the return of Ras
forces of light to vanquish evil in the world. It is
deemed heresy by the main church of Ra.
Close inspection of the door reveals a
poison needle trap, triggered when someone
lifts the iron ring that serves as the doors
handle the trap has been triggered however.
The needle itself can be found on the floor,
smeared in a viscous gray-green substance.
Due to exposure to the air the poison is no
longer active, but a character succeeding at an
Intelligence (Nature) check at DC 20
recognizes this as a herbal poison that
induces sleep. The door is locked but the lock
has rusted, and the door is easy to push open
(DC 7 Strength check).
Exploring the thick undergrowth to the
right leads to the veranda (area 6), but it is not
immediately visible from here.

Hazard: An illusionary patch of floor covers a

10 ft. deep circular pit in the middle of the
room. The illusion is purely visual and objects
pass straight through it. Any character who
steps on to the illusion must make a Dexterity
saving throw at DC 13 or fall into the pit, taking
1d6 damage.
That is not the end of their trouble.
The bottom of the pit contains a pressure plate
that causes the chandelier to fall onto whoever
is in the pit. A character falling into the pit or
anyone who climbs down into the pit will
trigger the plate. All characters in the put when
the chandelier falls must make a Dexterity
saving throw at DC 15. If they fail they take
1d6 damage with a successful save reducing
this by half.
Treasure: If the chandelier falls, the precious
trinkets that adorn it can be removed. See
area 15 for details.
3. Scriptorium

Creature: 1 giant snake, with the Hold Breath

option. The snake is only concerned with
protecting its lair, but will attack any who come
within 20 ft. of the pool. If the characters give
the pool a wide berth, they can avoid engaging
the beast in combat.

Both the entrances to this chamber are

guarded with magical warding, which appears
as a transparent sparkling barrier. Above each
entrance way is a small symbol etched in the
stone an eagle-like bird (in fact a phoenix)
surrounded by a sunburst halo.

Any living creature that touches the warding

must succeed at a Charisma DC 15 check or
take 1d3 damage and be knocked back 5 ft. A
character can attempt this multiple times, but
will take damage each time she fails her save.
A character wearing one of the holy symbols
worn by the Heralds is immune to this effect.

5. Dining area

A feast is laid out on a long table before

you. 15 places have been set, and the
table piled high with a side of pork,
roasted vegetables, stews and a tureen
of a greenish soup. Despite the covering
of dust, wafts of steam still float up from
the soup, and the food smells excellent.

Eight wooden desks and chairs are

arranged neatly for work in this chamber,
covered in undisturbed thick dust.
Several alcoves reach from floor to
ceiling around the walls and within each
are shelves piled high with scrolls.

This feast was prepared before the sleeping

ritual was conducted, and preserved magically
for the Heralds to eat when they awoke. The
food is warm, nourishing and very tasty
indeed.

Treasure: Many of the scrolls crumble to desk

when touched, or are blank, or contain
worthless information regarding accounts or
building plans. A character who spends time
looking through the scrolls can uncover 4
scrolls covered with rare and beautiful
calligraphy, praising Ra and the coming of the
New Morning. They are worth 5gp each.

Treasure: There are two ornately wrought

silver candlesticks on table, which would be
worth 20 gp each to a collector.
6. Veranda

Allow any character searching the room a DC

15 Intelligence (Search) check to notice that
one of the shelves has a false back to it. This
can be levered open to reveal a secret
cubbyhole Alternately anyone who can detect
magic reveals a faint aura of enchantment
magic in the same area, from the 3 magical
scrolls contained within. The scrolls are kept in
individual ivory cases: 2 scrolls of bless, and 1
scroll of lesser restoration.

What once must have been a charming,

sun-kissed veranda is now overgrown
with vines and briars. Five nearly
identical statues stand along the edge of
the veranda depicting a naked man,
arms held upward in supplication. Each
man has a different animals head a
ram, an eagle, a serpent, a heron and a
beetle. Short flights of stairs lead down
into the gloom of the woods. A small
animal skeleton rests next to the statue
with the beetles head, at the southerly
end of the veranda.

4. Kitchen and pantry

Two long wooden tables dominate the
centre of this room. Bowls, chopping
boards and other kitchen implements are
arranged on the tables and hanging from
the walls. The overall impression is one
of neatness and order, though the thick
layer of dust that covers all the surfaces
suggest that whoever arranged this room
has not been back for a very long time.
Two staircases lead out of the room, one
downwards and one upwards

A character that opens the door to the veranda

from the outside triggers an arrow trap set to
fire at intruders. Any character standing
directly in the door must succeed at a DC 13
Dexterity saving throw to avoid the arrow, or
take 1d6 damage. Approaching from the inside
allows the characters to bypass the trap and
disable it with no check required.

Magically preserved food can be found on

shelves in the alcoves, mostly grain and root
vegetables. There is nothing else of value
here.

Closer inspection of the skeleton reveals it to

be that of a small bear. A rusted scythe is
embedded in its skeleton.
Hazards: Each of the statues is trapped. The
most southerly one has already been
triggered, but the others remain deadly. A

wicked scythe lashes out from the statue base

targeting anyone with 5 of the statue. 1d6
damage is inflicted on any such creature that
does not succeed at a DC 13 Dexterity check.
Once triggered, the traps do not reset.

9. Storage cellar

The Cellar

Boxes are piled high in the corners of

this dank cellar. A door leads to the
south, covered by an iron portcullis, with
a winch next to it.

Within the cellar the ceiling is only 10 ft. high.

There is a dank smell to these chambers.
7. Flooded cistern
A broken water tank has collapsed in the
centre of this room, covering the floor of
this cellar with ankle-deep water. Trickles
spill from broken pipe work in the
southeast corner, and the walls drip with
condensation. A pack of filthy rats glare
at you and hiss when you enter this
room.

The Heralds used this area for storage. The

boxes contain spare white robes, blankets,
tools for stone working and some kegs of
spoiled cider. Alas the preservation magic
placed upstairs does cover this area, so none
of the stored items have rotted or rusted, and
are of no value.
Hazard: The winch next to the portcullis
triggers a trap. If turned, a 10 ft. deep pit open
up beneath any characters standing with 10 ft.
of the door. They must make a Dexterity save
DC 13 or fall into the pit taking 1d6 damage.
The portcullis can be lifted with a DC 20
Strength check, or characters who thoroughly
search the room will find a small lever in the
northeast corner, hidden behind some of the
boxes. Pulling the lever raises the portcullis
safely.

Creature: A swarm of 8 cave rats make this

room their den. They attack anyone entering
here, but will not pursue beyond the door to
this room.
8. Trap makers Workshop
Sturdy tables are covered with tools and
crafting implements, and a small forge
and anvil rests in the southwest corner of
this workshop. A small collection of
rusted weapons spears, arrows and
swords is carelessly stacked in one
corner.
Close inspection of the tools reveals that they
are specialized for creating traps. Half-finished
arrows, scythes and trigger mechanisms cover
the surfaces. By spending a turn studying the
style of the mechanisms, a character receives
advantage when attempting to disable any
mechanical trap in the temple.
The door to the east is swollen shut
with water. Upon opening it floodwaters pour
into the room. Any standing character must
make a DC 10 Strength saving throw or be
knocked prone.
Treasure: From the specialized tools here a
character could assemble 2 thieves tool kits.
The weapons in the corner include 2 long
swords, 1 short sword, 3 spears and 35
arrows. However, all the metal parts of the
weapons have rusted slightly, such that the
weapons are of poor quality, and give -1 to hit
and damage rolls. They are worth a quarter of
their listed value if sold.

10

manufacture of an antidote to the sleeping

draught. It requires a combination of leaves
from three plants (rosemary, blackvine and
sundew), each of which can be found in this
room. The leaves should be pounded in a
spotless silver bowl with a drop of human or
animal blood, and left to rest in sunlight for five
minutes.

Second Floor
10. Reflection Room
This room has dim light.
A set of rotten couches and meditation
stools are arranged haphazardly around
this room, whilst light streams through
dirty windows.

The glowing globes in the ceiling have a

permanent light spell cast on them, that
functions as sunlight for the purposes of plant
photosynthesis.

The Heralds used this area for meditation and

gentle reflection on the glory of Ra. It is long
abandoned and contains nothing of value. A
short corridor leads around the staircase to a
corridor, of which there are three small cells,
previously used for individual prayer, but now
empty.

12. Hierophants Quarters

The door to the room hangs ajar, and
peering beyond you see a simple
bedchamber containing a desk and 2
chairs. More arresting is the skeleton lying
in the doorway, a rusted spear embedded
in its ribcage.

11. Herbalists laboratory

The skeleton is a human female, one of the

raised Heralds, who was ordered by Kaufra to
open this chamber, but triggered the spear
trap that had been placed here. Characters
who inspect the trap may make an Intelligence
check DC 10 to determine how the trap works,
and locate a small catch behind a loose brick
in to the left. They may use this knowledge to
automatically disable the identical spear trap in
area 13.
The chamber contains nothing of interest.

Bright light floods from two glowing

globes hanging from the ceiling and a
verdant, earthy scent wafts out of this
room. Plants and creepers have
overgrown the chamber, covering every
available surface. Shattered glass
covers the floor. On one table an intact
alembic still stands, nestled by the green
fronds, containing an effervescing pink
liquid.

13. Lesser Hierophants Quarters

The door to this chamber is trapped with a
spear that stabs at any character that opens
the door, requiring a successful Dexterity DC
13 save to avoid 1d6 points of damage. It can
be disabled as described in area 12.

The doors to this chamber are protected by a

permanent alarm spell that makes a sound like
a ringing hand bell. If the alarm is triggered,
the Heralds in room 16 are awoken and come
to investigate the source of the alarm,
attacking any intruders they find.
This room was once the herbalists indoor
laboratory, where he worked with the local
plant specimens he gathered. Unwilling to let
his precious plants die during his long sleep,
he provided magical sunlight and irrigation to
keep them alive.

This spacious yet spartan living chamber

appears to have been undisturbed for
centuries. Simple furniture - a bed, a
desk and some shelves has been
arranged tidily around the room. Lying on
the bed, eyes closed, hands clasped
over its chest, is a human figure dressed
in white robes.

Treasure: The liquid in the alembic is magical,

and counts as 2 potions of healing, though the
character will need a means of transporting
the liquid.

This is the Lesser Hierophant Hemekef. He

has the same deathly appearance as Devek
Yarl, though is alive. More details can be
found in the NPC Summary section.

Bundles of notes charting plant growth and

herbal experiments can be found in a drawer
in one of the tables here. Embedded in the
notes is a short piece of text describing the

11

Treasure: A pouch containing 40sp is tucked

into a drawer in the desk.

16. Dormitory
Rows of simple wooden pallets arranged
in this room, without sheets or
mattresses. White robed figures lying
prone on four of these uncomfortable
beds are still, until, in unison, their
glowing eyes turn toward you.

14. Office and Treasury

The doors to this room are both locked.
A couple of small wooden desks line the
walls of this dusty chamber, with blank
paper neatly stacked to one side. In one
corner of the room sits a small ironbound
chest

Some of the unfortunate Heralds came here

for their long sleep but were slain by Kaufra
whilst they slept.

The chest is trapped to prevent petty pilferers

with a simple poison needle trap. If a character
attempts to open the chest without disabling
the trap, he must make a Dexterity saving
throw DC 13. If he fails, he is pricked by a
needle and must make an additional
Constitution saving throw at DC 10. Failure on
this second saving throw incurs 2d6 points of
poison damage.
Treasure: The chest contains 2100 cp, 190
sp, and 110 gp, along with a small bronze key.
This unlocks the door to the stairs leading to
room 17

Creatures: 4 Heralds lie here. It takes them 1

round to get up from their prone position and
prepare to fight. If alerted either by intruders,
the alarm in area 11 or the sentry at the top of
nd
the stairs, they rise and patrol the 2 floor of
the temple. They attack any intruders on sight,
and pursue them to the exits from the temple.

15. Top of the stairs

The staircase winds upwards, giving an
better view of the chandelier. From here,
you can see several small golden sunand-stars trinkets dangling from it. More
pressing, a humanoid figure dressed in
white robes waits at the top of the stairs,
staring blankly.
Creature: The creature is a Herald (see NPC
summary) who has been tasked with guarding
the second floor. It will not move unless
attacked or a character approaches within 20
ft., at which point it proceeds to move directly
to area 16 to alert the Heralds there.
Treasure: If the chandelier can be removed,
either by triggering the pressure plate in area 1
or otherwise, the trinkets can be removed
easily enough. There are 7 golden suns and
stars worth 5 gp each.

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Third Floor

18. Desecrated sanctum

17. Vestry

This room has dim light from the candles on

the shrine.

The door to the staircase leading up here is

locked and can be opened with the key found
in the office (area 14). A character attempting
to pick the lock requires a Dexterity check DC
20.

An eerie violet light flickers here,

illuminating murals on the walls depicting
the sun god Ra in different poses
beckoning, kneeling, or prone.
The
murals have been defaced with runes
daubed on in dried blood. The light
comes from candles set in skulls on a
table at one end of the room, draped in a
ragged black cloth. Lying on the ground
in various poses of disarray are 7 whiterobed humans, as if sleeping. Another
figure kneels before the shrine, dressed
in a golden robe. It turns as you enter,
revealing a face with desiccated skin
drawn tight over the skull. Eyeless
sockets stare at you, as it grabs a
gleaming mace from beneath the shrine.

Stairs lead up into the darkness from

here, covered with a trail of long-dried
blood.
The spike trap that killed Kaufra
protects the stairs leading up to this chamber.
When a creature steps on the fifth stair,
roughly halfway way up, it makes an ominous
clicking noise. All characters standing on the
stairs must make a Dexterity saving throw
against DC 15, with the triggering character
saving at disadvantage due to his position on
the stairs. Any characters that fail the save are
stabbed by one of the rusty spikes that
emerge from the walls, for 1d8 damage. The
trap resets after 3 rounds.

As the characters enter this chamber, necrotic

energy flares from the shrine to each of lying
forms, causing them to rise and defend the
chamber.

As the characters reach the top of the stairs,

read the following.

Creatures: Kaufra and 7 Heralds attack all

who enter here. The Heralds will engage the
nearest intruder in melee, whilst Kaufra
protects the shrine, casting spells if required.
He will bodily prevent any character from
reaching the shrine, however if 2 or more
characters engage him in melee he is unable
to block others. It takes a full round action to
destroy the shrine, sweeping the skull candles
from the top is enough. Once destroyed, all
the Heralds in the temple collapse and rapidly
turn to dust. Kaufra is then freed and will
attempt to escape the shrine fleeing blindly
into the Woods unless stopped.

From the top of the stairs, the room

stretches left and right to two identical
wings. Long wooden benches rest
against the walls. In the centre of each
wing stands a pillar, carved in the form of
heron-headed Ra. A pile of empty vials,
some smashed, is in the eastern corner
of the right wing.
This is where the sleeping draught was
imbibed. A character inspecting the vials
notices a grey-green residue, similar to the
poison on the needle found in area 1. It has
long since lot its potency.

Treasure: Kaufra has little need for worldly

wealth, however there is a silver bowl carved
with symbols of Ra that is worth 160 gp kept
on top of the shrine for ritual purposes, which
can also be used for the manufacture of the
antidote to the sleeping draught, as described
in area 11. The other treasure is Kaufras
ebony-handled mace, the Eye of Ra. This is
+1 mace with the gleaming property. It is
inscribed with Celestial runes that spell out
holy prayers to Ra.

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19. Walkway

A walkway spans round the building

here, giving a dizzy-making view of the
forest floor below. What perhaps once
were entrances to the building have been
bricked over, and covered with arcane
scribbles.
This walkway was once to allow Heralds to
glory in the sun of their god, but was closed as
a security measure before the ritual. The
scribbles on the bricked-over doors are the
words No entrance in Celestial.

14

treasure into the hands of the characters, (5

gp and 26 sp), and offer them board and
lodging (albeit peasant fare and a night
sleeping in the hayloft) any time the characters
are passing in the future.

NPC statistics
The Heralds
Use statistics as per zombies, with the
following trait replacing Zombie Fortitude:

Continuing from here

DMs wanting to build on some of the elements
introduced here have several options. Firstly,
characters that rescued Hemekef have a
problem on their hands. The priest is
hopelessly lost and confused in his new world,
and would want to be reunited with his
brethren in the church. Secondly, what of the
Heralds prophecy? Whilst most believe it to
be bunk, perhaps there is an element of truth
to it, and action must be taken to ensure that
the way is cleared for the forces of light. Or
maybe the priests were mistaken and the
prophecy refers to some dark events that must
be prevented. Finally, what other mysteries
lurk within the green gloom of Merthington
Woods?

Rise Again: Unless a Herald is reduced to 0

hit points by a critical hit, it is not slain.
Instead, it rises again in d4 rounds with 5 hit
points, with a flare of necrotic energy reaching
from the shrine to the Herald, through any
intervening walls. The only way to prevent a
Herald from rising is to decapitate it. This
requires a full round action from an adjacent
character.
Alternately,
destroying
the
desecrated shrine in area 18 immediately
destroys all the Heralds in the Temple.
Each Herald wears a holy symbol of Ra
around its neck, showing a phoenix)
surrounded by a halo. These are worth 5 gp
each, and also allow characters to bypass the
magical barriers to the scriptorium (area 3).

Kaufra
Medium Undead
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
Speed 30 ft.
Senses darkvision 60ft
Str 12 (+1)
Dex 10 (+0)
Int 12 (+1)
Wis 12 (+1)
Alignment neutral evil
Languages Common

Con 12(+1)
Cha 14 (+2)

TRAITS
Spellcasting: Spell save DC is 11 for spells
cast by Kaufra.
st
1 level inflict wounds, cause fear
nd
2 level hold person
ACTIONS
Melee Attack The Eye of Ra, +1 mace: +6
to hit (reach 5 ft., 1 creature). Hit: 5 (1d6+2)
damage
ENCOUNTER BUILDING
Level 3 XP 130

Ending the adventure

If the antidote is given to Devek, he very
quickly recovers. Award characters that
successfully awaken Devek 100 XP. The Yarl
family is extremely grateful and blesses the
characters. They attempt to press the family

15