Solve a mystery on a remote island.

Setting

Caledon is an archipelago nation caught in the middle of two warring empires. The Caledonian King, absorbed in defending his nation during this conflict, has turned the enforcement of laws and collection of taxes over to adventurer’s guilds, who act as regents for the islands assigned to their care. Many guilds are little better than state-sponsored gangs. Some make a real effort to protect the people under their stewardship. Regardless, most of the islands of Caledon view themselves as being on their own.

One of the more reputable adventurer’s guilds is the Hands of Karn. Led by Karn, a retired Caledonian Naval officer, the hands see themselves as a force for peace and stability in this increasingly lawless island nation.

Ardea is a backwater island under the jurisdiction of the Hands of Karn. Largely used for farming and ranching, the island of Ardea hosts a single small town of the same name. The island primarily contributes taxes in the form of food and woolen/leather goods.

Mood

We’re mostly going for “spooky” here, kind of like a more serious Scooby Doo. Some kind of local spirit appears to be killing the wildlife, and seems to have also gone after the prior adventurer’s group. Most of the town seems absolutely convinced that this spirit is the culprit, having grown up with legends about it.

Adventure

Your party is an investigation team within the Hands of Karn. A pair of guild members sent to collect taxes from Ardea is now a week overdue. Attempts to Scry them indicate the group is still on the island, but have not been able to provide more useful details.

The adventure starts as your party arrives at the island, tasked with returning with the guild members and the taxes they were sent to collect.

Character Requirements

You should make a level 4 character with a background, skills, and abilities suitable for a mix of investigation and combat.

In addition to normal class skills, as an agent of the Hands of Karn you are proficient in either Investigation or Perception. You also have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, History, Nature, Religion, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Survival, Deception, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion.

Your character has not recently been to the island of Ardea.

The core DnD books, plus Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything are available resources. Your character must be a member of the hands of Karn, but any available backgrounds are allowed.

Your character will have normal starting equipment for their class/background, 2 potions of healing, 1 potion of greater healing, an uncommon consumable item of your choice, and an uncommon permanent item of your choice.

The party has been sent with a dowsing rod that points to the magical seals used to identify all members of the Hands of Karn.

Intro

Your party is an investigation team within the Hands of Karn. A pair of guild members sent to collect taxes from Ardea is now a week overdue. Attempts to Scry them indicate the group is still on the island, but have not been able to provide more useful details.

We start as your party arrives at the island, tasked with returning with the guild members and the taxes they were sent to collect. As members of the Hands of Karn you can expect the town to cooperate with your search, and are authorized to detain anyone you deem responsible for later trial.

The guild has instructed you that Barassus, the town elder, can probably help you get your investigation started. They also have given you a dowsing rod tuned to the Hands of Karn seal, which should help you in pinpointing the members of the previous guild party.

Mystery Breakdown

Another party from the same adventurer’s guild was sent to the island, and did not return. They were murdered by being pushed off a cliff, as was an unidentified Caledonian Naval officer. This all appears to be the work of Wailing Reaper, a vengeful spirit of local legend that appears to have grown active recently.

Who did it

Lysandre, the lady who runs a bookstore in town.

Why

Lysandre is secretly a Warlock who stole an enormous amount of gold and ran away from the Caledonian Navy. The unidentified naval officer was an investigator who managed to track her down. She suspected that the prior adventuring party was sent to apprehend her, and ambushed them first.

How

She has been using her Warlock abilities to pose as the Wailing Reaper. Under the guise of investigating this myth, she lured the prior adventuring party out of town and tossed them off a cliff. She used a similar ploy to deal with the naval investigator sent to pursue her.

Lysandre’s plot

Since the prior party was killed, she has been posing as the Wailing Reaper and killing town livestock and local wildlife. She intends to try to hold a fake ceremony to quiet the spirit, which she hopes will convince the party that no further digging needs to happen. If that fails, she will flee to her bookshop which functions as a Lair for a final standoff.

Clues

Here’s a list of all the clues that can be found, and which out of who/why/how they help answer.

Bodies at the cliff base

Where washed into a cave below the cliff altar Questions How, Who, Why

The bodies of the prior guild party and the older corpose is wearing a naval uniform. They are all found in a cave below the cliff altar. Only one of the party members has their Hand of Karn seal.

All three bodies bear scorch marks similar to those found on local wildlife killed by the Wailing Reaper. The prior guild members appear to have survived the fall and succumb to wounds unable to escape the cave. (hence Scry working in advance on now-dead party members)

The dowsing rod will point them towards this. If the party doesn’t think to use it a local child tells them she found something awful in the cave, but doesn’t want to go back for fear that the Wailing Reaper will come for her.

History (20): They identify the insignia on the naval officer’s corpose as a naval investigator. Nature (10): The tide patterns washed everyone into this cave. Based on the contents of the cave it apparently fills up with debris until a storm clears it out. It’s likely that nobody knows or expected these bodies to be here. Investigation (15): They find a key in the naval officer’s pocket. If or when they get a room from Sanzir they can tell that it’s the kind she uses for rooms at her inn.

Gar’s drunken rant

Where first trip to the inn, or he finds them on day two Questions How, Who

Gar rants that he saw the Wailing Reaper murder the prior guild party by blasting them off the cliff. Dark cloak, skull for a face. He thinks the reaper knows he was spying on it, and has been killing his sheep ever since. He tells them Lysandre is working on a way to put the reaper to rest.

If asked, Gar shows them the body of the latest victim. It has the same scorch marks as the bodies at the cliffside cave.

Insight (any): Gar appears to believe everything he’s saying, although his “expertise” on spirits is definitely in question. Persuasion or Intimidation (20): Gar will lead the party on a stakeout of where the Wailing Reaper has been killing his sheep. He insists on asking Lysandre for help with it.

Lysandre’s shop

Where bookshop in town Questions Who, Why

Surprisingly well stocked for the size of the town. She apparently loves her incense, a compelling mix of bergamot and leather.

Lysandre gives the party a breakdown of the local legend of the Wailing Reaper, and claims she’s been researching a way to try to put it back to rest. She thinks that someone following the reaper after it attacks the sheep might be able to pin down the source of its anger.

Perception or Investigation (15): tucked away in a corner, you find a pack that seems to belong to the naval investigator. Lysandre hastily claims she found it during her research into the Wailing Reaper. She thinks the investigator may have angered the Reaper, and suspects she might be able to use some of his items to help put it to rest.

Perception or Investigation (20): peeking out from a high shelf, or maybe within any hidden areas they rummage through, they find a cloak with a Caledonian Naval insignia. The cloak is clearly too small to fit the deceased officer.

Lysandre’s shop - backroom

Where living quarters / backroom to the bookshop Questions Who, Why

If the party uses the dowsing rod to try to find the other Karn insignia, they get a very faint signal that leads them back to town. Spending time triangulating points towards this room.

They find the insignia in a chest tucked away in the corner. Inside the chest they also find the packs of the previous guild members, and a significant amount of gold.

Barassus’s house

Where his home in town Questions Why, Who

Barassus is able to identify the naval officer as an investigator who came through looking for a runaway soldier who had stolen from the Caledonian Navy.

He also states that the taxes were loaded onto the other party’s ship, which is no longer at the dock.

Sanzir - checking in at the inn

Where the inn Questions Why, How

Offhandedly mentions that the naval investigator said he was close to finishing his business and excited to head home. If they identify themselves, she wants the party to pay for the stay of the previous guild members, who seemed to have cleaned out their rooms and left overnight.

Sanzir - journal recovery

Where the inn Questions Who, Why, How NOTE only use this if the party is stalled

Sanzir finds an encoded journal the military investigator had hidden in his room. Deciphering it (Investigation: 15) gives the description of Lysandre as the runaway naval member.

Wailing Reaper Stakeout

Where the forests outside of town Questions Who, How

More details in Wailing Reaper Stakeout Encounter

Lysandre figures out the party is investigating in depth, and tries to throw them off by having them “deal with” the reaper.

If the party is stalled, Gar fetches them in town after seeing the Reaper near his flock.

The party sees the Wailing Reaper kill one of Gar’s sheep with a scyth. Gar cries out as seeing this, which causes the Reaper to attack the party. If Gar somehow isn’t there, the Reaper heads in their direction “unprompted”. (because Lysandre is directing it)

After the party finishes the encounter, Lysandre says she thinks the skeleton is Anodea’s, and the naval officer must have disturbed it while he was poking around. She says she is happy the spirit has been dealt with, and immediately leaves for town.

After the party and Lysandre have parted ways, you notice that the cloak it is wearing is definitely not 100 years old.

Detect Magic or Arcana (20): The skeleton was raised with animate dead Medicine (15): The skeleton looks too “new” to be Anodea. It’s definitely not 100 years old. Perception (15): There’s a lingering smell on the cloak that seems familiar from town, which they put together as Lysandre’s shop if they return to it. Investigation (20): Taking the cloak into town and asking around finds someone who recognizes it as belonging to Lysandre

The Missing Taxes

Where dock Questions Who

Barassus does confirm that the island did give its taxes to the original collectors, and that they were loaded onto their ship. The ship is now gone, and it’s unlikely that the Wailing Reaper decided to cut it loose.

Investigation (any): Rope is tied to the dock from the ship being tied up, and appears to have been cut and burned.

Notable locations

The dock

A small dock built into a small cove. There’s room for at most two small ships at a time. There’s a road through the woods leading towards town.

Inn (The Ram’s Crest)

A cozy little rustic inn and pub, more focused on the “pub” than the “inn”. Sanzir has strung orange and clove all over. These smells pervade the place, mixing with the buttery scent of her famous meat pies.

Lysandre’s Books

A sizable shop converted from an old warehouse. The shelves are absolutely teeming with books. The place is clearly more ambitious than the town warrants. Over in a corner an incense burner fills the space with the smell of bergamot and leather.

Barassus’s House

Barassus lives in a tiny cottage, overflowing with knick-knacks and curios. Every space, including all but one chair, is covered. It smells faintly of orange and sandalwood, mixed in with the dust of far too many collectables.

Gar’s House

Gar has a small farmhouse just on the outskirts of town. It is spare and rustic, with woolen furnishings he sheepishly tells you he made himself. Orange compete with the pervasive smell of the raw wool he turns into yarn.

People

Lysandre / Amelie

A friendly half-elven woman with graying dark hair. Lysandre tends to ramble and wander off topic while answering questions. She describes herself as a “former adventurer” who always dreamed of running a bookshop that was more of an excuse to read and talk about books than an actual business.

Sanzir

A jovial dwarven woman with copper colored hair. Sanzir has the easy comfortable manner common to many barkeeps, and is fiercely proud of her meat pies.

Barassus

Barassus is the town elder. An older human with long gray hair and beard, he is friendly but not always all there.

Gar

A sturdy half orc with green skin and dark hair. Gar is a bit shy, and very worried about his flock of sheep. He’s a steady drinker, and comes across as maybe not the most reliable of sources.

Encounters

Anodea, the Wailing Reaper legend

Likely the players will hear this from Lysandre, but they may end up getting it from another NPC.

Over a century ago a woman lived in town named Anodea. She fell in love with a man named Garrett, and they soon married.

Like now, like seemingly always, there was a war going on. Shortly after their marriage, before the two could start their life together, Garrett was conscripted.

Anodea waited for her husband to come home. Every day she would go to Higgin’s Lookout to watch for his return. She eagerly met each ship at the dock; hoping to see him, or at least a letter.

As the months dragged on and hope dwindled, grief took it’s place. She grew angry. First at the navy that took her husband, then at the ships that brought no word of him, finally at the town of Ardea itself. Rage and grief consumed her. Some say her pain itself was greater than her body could bear. She died ten years after he left.

But death wasn’t the end. Shortly after she died, her spirit began roaming the island at night. She would alternate between crying and lashing out at any living being she encountered. Priests and Mages rarely visit this island, and the ones that did weren’t able to put her spirit to rest.

Years went by with Anodea’s spirit terrorizing the town. The people came to call her “The Wailing Reaper”, and began to fear going out of town at night. Then, five years after her death, her spirit stopped appearing.

Up until a few weeks ago, when she again began stalking the night outside of town.

If Lysandre is recounting the story (or asked about it) here’s her addition to it.

I’ve been researching Anodea’s story since her spirit reappeared. She seemed to start up again after that naval investigator came through, wandering about outside of town near the inn. When he left (Insight vs Deception), her spirit resumed her nighttime attacks.

If the party succeeds on an Insight check, Lysandre admits that she took his things from his room after he disappeared. She claims she was hoping to find something in his things that could help put the spirit to rest.

If the party confronts her with the fact they found the naval investigator and the tax collectors murdered in a cave, one of two things happens:

  • If they’ve covered most of the clues, or have already done the stakeout fight, she initiates combat (either in her shop or by retreating to her shop)
  • If they haven’t covered most of the clues, she says that she mentioned this legend in talking to them but didn’t expect them to try to investigate it. She suggests they try to confront the spirit and put it to rest.

Wailing Reaper stakeout encounter

Party sees a figure in a dark kill cloak one of Gar’s sheep. Gar cries out at it, alerting it to initiate combat.

The “reaper” is actually a skeleton that Lysandre raised, dressed in a cloak, and is directing to act as a fake reaper.

Stats: AC 13 HP 65 Speed 30ft

str 15 (+2) dex 14 (+2) con 15 (+2) int 6 (-2) wis 8 (-1) cha 5 (-3)

Saving throws: Str +4, Con +3, Wis +2 Damage Vulnerability: bludgeoning Damage Immunity: poison Conditon Immunity: exhaustion, poisoned Senses: darkvision 60ft, passive Perception 9

Actions

  • Multiattack: the reaper makes one Scyth attack and one claw attack
  • Scyth +5 hit, reach 10ft, Hit: 1d10+2 slashing
  • Claw +4 hit, range 5ft, Hit: 2d4+2 piercing

Bookshop Battle

After the party figures out that Lysandre is behind all of this, she runs to her shop. This functions as a lair, with Lysandre able to manipulate the books in the following ways:

She gets 1 legendary action per round.

  • Legendary action: A book flies at one of the players, she performs a spell attack for 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
  • Legendary action: (PC against a shelf) An avalanche of books flies off the shelf. The PC needs to make a Dexterity save against her spell save DC, with failure dealing 1d10 bludgeoning damage and knocking the character prone. A successful save results in half damage and moves the character to a nearby open space. This action may only be performed against the PC that just finished their turn.

Lair actions:

  • The bookshelves move to reconfigure themselves. They will put themselves between her and the players, but do not create a situation where she is completely inaccessible.
  • (3/Day) she surrounds herself in a flying cylinder of books that disrupts attacks. Attacks have disadvantage against her until the first attack roll fails. Attacks with fire damage set the books on fire, dealing 1d6 damage to her and everyone within 5 feet. When she performs an attack roll a d20, on a 5 or lower she disrupts the books.

If the players choose to attack the bookshelves, she receives the same amount of damage they deal. Each shelf has an AC of 12 and 10 hit points. Shelves that have been “killed” stop moving and no longer support the avalanche ability.

Lysandre focuses on using her Repelling Blast to knock PCs into shelves and try to hit them with books. If cornered she will use Misty Step to try to escape.

After the second round she uses her book shield for the first time.

Lysandre stat block

Lysandre is based on a Warlock, but adjusted to fit the criteria for a CR4 monster. Most of her spells aren’t particularly combat-useful, so her stat block is mostly based on Eldritch Blast and lair/legendary actions.

If this combat happens outside her bookshop, she brings in another skeleton (claw attacks only) to help her.

Stats: AC 13 HP 110

Warlock lvl 6 str 9 (-1) dex 12 (+1) con 16 (+3) int 16 (+3) wis 12 (+1) cha 21 (+5)

Saving throws: Wis +5, Cha +7

Spell save dc: 14 Spell attack bonus: +5

Skills: Deception (+9), History (+5), Arcana (+5), Investigation (+5)

Pact of the Tome

Patron

Archfey

  • Fey Presence - 1/rest action to force Wis save in 10ft cube around you, failures are charmed or frightened until next turn
  • Misty Escape - 1/rest reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60ft, invisibility lasts until start of next turn or you attack/cast

Invocations

Aspect of the Moon - no need to sleep, cannot be put to sleep Repelling Blast - Eldritch Blast can push back 10ft Agonizing Blast - Add Cha mod to EB damage Undying Servitude - cast Animate Dead 1/day without using a spell slot

Spells

She can cast 2 lvl1+ spells per short or long rest. All non-cantrips are cast at 3rd level.

Cantrips

  • Eldritch Blast (1d8+5, 2/turn)
  • Mage Hand
  • Minor Illusion

Pact of Tome

  • Vicious Mockery
  • Gust
  • Friends

Lvl 1

  • Hex
  • Sleep
  • Comprehend Languages

Lvl 2

  • Phantasmal Force
  • Suggestion

Lvl 3

  • Dispel Magic
  • Gaseous Form