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  DUNGEON BACKDROP: 
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  THE SHADOW FANE
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  DUNGEON BACKDROP: THE SHADOW FANE 
  Evil is everywhere and humanity must be ever vigilant against its slow encroachment into all that is great and good. Small cults—dedicated to 
  ancient, blasphemous powers—lurk throughout the world ready to carry out their dark patron’s bidding. One such small cult dedicated to 
  Braal, god of hate, malice and revenge, dwells in the Shadow Fane below Languard’s High City. The cultists kidnap and murder in their dark 
  god’s name, but recently they made a mistake that threatens their very existence. Instead of kidnaping a beggar the cultists accidentally 
  kidnapped the daughter of a wealthy merchant and he is offering a handsome reward for his daughter’s safe return. 
  You are a GM, but you are busy. You want to write your own modules, but you just don’t have the time. And you don’t want to use commercial 
  modules. You want to make your campaign your own. That’s where the Dungeon Backdrop line comes in! Each Dungeon Backdrop presents a 
  fully ﬂeshed out and lovingly detailed self-contained dungeon ready for you to use as you see ﬁt. Stock the dungeon with your own monsters 
  (and—perhaps—their treasure), decide their back story and you are good to go.   
  Every Dungeon Backdrop is carefully designed to be easily inserted into almost any fantasy campaign. Dungeon Backdrops: we describe the 
  dungeon, you add the monsters (and the treasure). 
  C RE DI TS 
  Design: Creighton Broadhurst 
  Development: Creighton Broadhurst  
  Art: William McAusland, Matt Morrow and Dean Spencer. Some 
  artwork copyright William McAusland, used with permission. 
  Cartography: Dyson Logos 
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, 
  stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any 
  means, without the prior permission in writing of Raging Swan 
  Press or as expressly permitted by law. 
  ©Raging Swan Press 2019. 
  To contact us, email gatekeeper @ragingswan.com 
  To learn more about Raging Swan Press, visit ragingswan.com  
  To learn more about Raging Swan Press on Patreon, visit 
  patreon.com/ragingswanpress 
  USING A D UN GEON BAC KDROP 
  Tweak and modify this dungeon to make it your own. The parts of 
  this supplement describing the actual dungeon itself feature 
  extensive space for you to make notes—adding treasure, 
  opponents and so on. 
  •
  Location Descriptions: The various location descriptions 
  provided herein only describe the basic appearance of the 
  dungeon’s rooms, chambers and corridors. They do not 
  include descriptions of any monsters lurking therein. 
  Remember when describing the dungeon to your players the 
  snarling orcs (or whatever) are probably more noticeable than 
  the room’s features. Also remember, creatures in the dungeon 
  will modify their home to better suit their needs. For example, 
  the aforementioned orcs may have set up a rough camp—
  mention these changes when describing the area.  
  •
  Treasure: The text only presents the details of minor treasures 
  the PCs could discover in the course of their adventure. Most 
  is of little value, but serves to underline the ﬂavour of the 
  dungeon. Remember to add level-appropriate treasure when 
  designing the dungeon.
  
  C O NTE NTS 
  D UN GEO N BAC KGR OU N D 
  Evil cults practise their foul rites wherever humans settle, for in 
  humans certain dark powers ﬁnd fertile ground for their 
  whispered entreaties and honeyed promises. In every settlement, 
  some folk will recoil from the light and embrace the darkness. 
   
  One such cult lurks under Languard, capital city of Ashlar. The 
  cultists quietly worship their lord, and every month capture four 
  doomed souls to sacriﬁce to their lord. Such activity cannot go 
  unnoticed forever, however, and slowly several folk in the city are 
  becoming aware of a pattern of disappearances among the 
  denizens of the street as well other vulnerable people. Most 
  citizens—wrapped up in their own lives and grappling with their 
  own problems—spare little thought for the fate of a few beggars, 
  homeless folk and the like. However, the recent disappearance of 
  a wealthy merchant’s daughter (see Kidnap and Murder) has 
  brought the matter somewhat to the fore. 
  A NOTE ABOUT T ENSE 
  Throughout the text I have used the present tense—effectively I 
  have decided the fane is currently staffed and in use. If you rule 
  the opposite—that it is abandoned—remember to modify the 
  dungeon’s read aloud text to reﬂect its state. For example, dust 
  might lie thickly on the ﬂoor and cobwebs may shroud the ceilings 
  and walls. 
  ADVENTURE HO OKS 
  The PCs can merely stumble on the Shadow Fane by 
  happenstance and decide to explore the locale on a whim. 
  Alternatively, use one of the hooks below to lure the PCs into the 
  fane. 
  •
  Kidnap and Murder: An evil cult is active in the area and has 
  been kidnapping locals to use as sacriﬁces in their 
  blasphemous ceremonies. A few days ago, the cult made a 
  mistake and accidentally kidnapped someone important, 
  Aune Ehtaro—the daughter of Aatami Ehtaro. Aatami is an 
  important and wealthy merchant and is ﬁercely protective of 
  this family. Aatami offers the PCs 500 gp to rescue his 
  daughter and slay those responsible.   
  •
  Revenge: The PCs have previously tangled with worshippers 
  of the Dweller in Shadows (or with whichever power you 
  replace him). The fane’s adherents attacks the PCs in revenge 
  for previous setbacks; one of the slain cultists carries a crude 
  map showing the fane’s location.  
  •
  Kidnap, Interrupted: The PCs foil an attempted kidnapping 
  by the cult’s agents. They either ﬁnd a crude map on one of 
  the attackers or trail ﬂeeing cultists back to the fane. 
  Credits 
  1 
  ....................................................................................................
  Using a Dungeon Backdrop 
  1 
  ................................................................
  Contents 
  2 
  .................................................................................................
  Dungeon Background 
  2 
  ..........................................................................
  A Note About Tense 
  2 
  ..............................................................................
  Adventure Hooks 
  2 
  ..................................................................................
  Which Fell Power? 
  3 
  .................................................................................
  Braal 
  3 
  ..................................................................................................
  The Cult 
  3 
  ............................................................................................
  Notable Locations at a Glance 
  4 
  ............................................................
  Generic Fane Features 
  5 
  ...................................................................
  1: Portal of Shadows 
  6 
  .......................................................................
  2: Hall of the Damned 
  6 
  ....................................................................
  3: The Dark Chapel 
  6 
  .........................................................................
  4: Store Room 
  7 
  ..................................................................................
  5: The Dumping Ground 
  7 
  ...............................................................
  6: The Old Ossuary 
  7 
  .........................................................................
  7: The New Ossuary 
  8 
  .......................................................................
  8: Tower of Skulls 
  8 
  ............................................................................
  9: The Dark Guardian 
  8 
  .....................................................................
  10: The Processional 
  8 
  .......................................................................
  11: Adherents’ Dormitory 
  9 
  ..............................................................
  12: Chamber of the Dark Warden 
  9 
  ................................................
  Conclusion 
  10 
  ...........................................................................................
  OGL V1.0A 
  11
  ...........................................................................................
  �2
  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 
  If you are pushed for time, and want more tools and tables to 
  help design and populate the Shadow Fane, check out 20 Things 
  #37: Fane of Evil from Raging Swan Press. The book contains ﬁve 
  comprehensive tables and six fully-ﬂeshed out NPCs (three 
  priests and three prisoners) ready to be dropped into your 
  game. 
  
  •
  Skulking About: Abroad late at night, the PCs notice a 
  suspicious ﬁgure skulking about. Following the ﬁgure—a cultist 
  on the way to the fane—the PCs stumble onto the fane mere 
  minutes before the monthly service begins. 
  W HI CH FE LL POWER? 
  Of crucial importance to your design is the question: to which fell 
  power is the fane dedicated? Answering this question enables you 
  to embellish the descriptions herein with faith-speciﬁc details. For 
  example, if the fane is dedicated to Braal’s worship (see below), 
  skull motifs are everywhere. Alternatively, if the adherents 
  venerate Dagon eye and tentacle designs will predominate.  
   
  The evil god Braal has been speciﬁcally designed to be easily 
  substituted for a power already extant in the GM’s own campaign, 
  and so my design of the fane assumes it is dedicated to Braal.   
  BRAAL 
  NE god of Hate, Malice and Revenge 
  Epithets: The Hated, Dweller in Shadows 
  Symbol: A cloven skull 
  Favoured Weapon: Morningstar 
  Raiment: Braal’s adherents wear cowled black cloaks smeared 
  with their sacriﬁces’ blood and often shave their heads. 
  Worshippers: Braal whispers dark promises to the disposed, the 
  bullied and those who desire power over their compatriots. 
  Goblins and half-goblins also worship Braal, although he 
  disdains such odious worshippers.  
  Teachings: Strike from the shadows; punish those who have 
  wronged you and show no mercy. Take what you want and 
  destroy that which you cannot take.  
  Holy Texts: The worship of Braal is not as prescriptive as other 
  religions. No universally agreed upon text exists, but several 
  dark tomes are preferred by various sects. 
  Additional Notes: Braal is the dark to Darlen’s light. The struggle 
  between the two is ancient and unending, and there is great 
  enmity between the two powers’ worshippers. For all his 
  plotting and evil doings, however, Braal is nothing compared 
  to the elder powers of certain ancient, primal demons. 
  THE CULT 
  The small cult dedicated to the Dweller in Shadows numbers no 
  more than a half-dozen priests and a score or so worshippers 
  scattered about the city. A shadowy ﬁgure—the Dark Warden—
  leads the cult. Only the priests dwell in the fane; other 
  worshippers live in the city and visit the fane for the monthly 
  sacriﬁces or as directed by the Dark Warden. As with any evil cult, 
  the Hated’s adherents do not dwell in blissful harmony; constant 
  jockeying for position is the norm, and the PCs may be able to use 
  this to their advantage. 
  �3
  WHISPERS & RUMOURS 
  If the PCs think to learn more about the dungeon, use the table 
  below to determine what information they uncover. Determine 
  which rumours are true based on your dungeon design. Use the 
  table below, to determine which rumour(s) the PC learns: 
  1.
  A foul cult operates in the vicinity; it is not safe to go outside 
  after dark on your own. People that do sometimes disappear 
  never to be seen again.  
  2.
  Whispers of terrible rites chanted in the dead of night and of 
  faint screams coming from underground all centre on a part 
  of the city near to the Svart’s ever-ﬂowing waters. 
  3.
  Dark ﬁgures have been seen moving furtively about the city 
  at night. 
  4.
  A devotee of Darlen was raving a week ago about a dream 
  he had. In it, he was ﬂying above the city and could see a 
  great darkness slowly oozing through the streets. He 
  believed it to be a warning bestowed on him by his divine 
  patron of a gathering evil. 
  5.
  Beggars and children of the street have been notable by 
  their reduced numbers recently. No one knows where they 
  are going.  
  6.
  A woman found a horrible necklace the other day. It was a 
  crude cast iron thing decorated with a horrible grinning skull. 
  She asked a blacksmith friend to melt it down so disturbed 
  was she by its imagery.
  THE FANE IN YOUR CAMPAIGN 
  Dungeon Backdrop: The Shadow Fane is not like a normal 
  commercially available adventure. While we have done the bulk 
  of the work for you describing the dungeon in detail, setting out 
  its history, designing plot hooks to get your PCs to the dungeon 
  and so on, there is still (a little) work left: you must stock the 
  dungeon with appropriate monsters and treasures and make 
  any other changes or additions you see ﬁt. In short, you must 
  make Delthur’s Folly your own! 
   
  This Dungeon Backdrop is designed for use with the Duchy 
  of Ashlar and the Gloamhold megadungeon or the Lonely 
  Coast. However, the dungeon is relatively self-contained and so 
  with minimal effort it can be easily modiﬁed to ﬁt almost any 
  campaign world.  
   
  The major salient components of the fane comprise: 
  •
  Evil Power: The fane is dedicated to an evil power such as 
  Braal. Substituting a suitable evil power from your own 
  campaign should be easy. 
  •
  Located Anywhere: The fane can be located almost 
  anywhere—in an out-of-the way locale in the wilderness, in a 
  larger dungeon complex or even under a town or city. 
  
  N OTA B L E L OCATION S AT A GL ANCE 
  The Shadow Fane is a small, self-contained dungeon complex 
  dedicated to Braal. Use the notes below as a starting point, and 
  modify them as necessary to complement your design of the fane 
  and its inhabitants. 
  1.
  Portal of Darkness: Banded with iron straps graven with fell 
  runes of evil, blasphemous power this stout oak door wards 
  the complex beyond.  
  2.
  Hall of the Damned: Many of the fane’s adherents never 
  progress passed this area. Here stand four skull-shaped 
  wrought iron braziers blazing with hellish magical light along 
  with four small shrines complete with manacles to secure 
  prisoners and sacriﬁces. 
  3.
  The Dark Chapel: The venue of the cult’s blasphemous 
  ceremonies, the Dark Chapel is where sacriﬁces die screaming 
  in foul rituals enacted to glorify Braal.  
  4.
  Store Room: This locked chamber holds many boxes, crates 
  and barrels ﬁlled with the possessions of the sacriﬁced. The 
  cult periodically sells the items here to various local fences.  
  5.
  The Dumping Ground: The fane’s priests dump the headless 
  corpses of those sacriﬁced to Braal in this chamber. They then 
  strip the corpse of anything remotely valuable before 
  dumping the remains in area 7. 
  6.
  The Old Ossuary: This small natural cavern holds the skeletal 
  remains of the cult’s oldest victims. Partially hidden behind 
  heaped piles of bones, a narrow, twisting corridor leads way 
  from the fane. At the GM’s discretion, the passage could end 
  in a dead-end or intersect with more caves, the city sewers or 
  some other dungeon complex. 
  7.
  The New Ossuary: Packed full of bones, decomposing bodies 
  and the grizzly remains of the fane’s sacriﬁces this small 
  network of caves reeks of death, decay and disease.  
  8.
  Tower of Skulls: A towering column comprising hundreds of 
  skulls dominates this lofty chamber. Risen in veneration to the 
  fane’s fell patron the column holds the skulls of all those who 
  have been sacriﬁced to Braal’s glory. At the end of every 
  profane service, the column grows a little higher. 
  9.
  The Dark Guardian: A cloaked stone statue of a towering 
  skeletal warrior clutching a two-handed morningstar watches 
  over this junction. It stares impassively toward the door 
  leading to the Tower of Skulls. 
  10. The Processional: Extensively decorated with lurid frescoes 
  praising Braal, this wide corridor is both a thoroughfare and a 
  place of devotion. 
  11. Adherents’ Dormitory: In this communal sleeping chamber 
  slumber the fane’s minor priests.  
  12. Chamber of the Dark Warden: This sumptuously appointed 
  chamber is the dwelling place of the fane’s warden. Here are 
  also kept the shrine’s choicest treasures.  
  �4
  DUNGEON DRESSING 
  Use the entries below, to breathe life and detail into the locales 
  described on these pages. Alternatively, use the information 
  below to describe otherwise empty areas. 
  1.
  A fresco of a large, blackened skull decorates the wall. 
  Blasphemously—for the faithful—someone has scratched 
  away the paint from where the skull’s eye sockets should be. 
  2.
  Drips and smears of dried blood lead toward area 5.  
  3.
  Thick—perhaps unnaturally thick—shadows cluster in the 
  corners where the walls meet the ceiling. Paranoid PCs may 
  suspect they detect movement in the deepest shadows. 
  4.
  From deeper into the fane, comes the faint sound of 
  chanting in some alien, foul language.  
  5.
  The faint scent of death, decay and blood reaches the PCs’ 
  nostrils. (The smell comes from the direction of areas 5-7).  
  6.
  Thick drops of water drip from the ceiling with annoying 
  regularity. The water drains away through cracks in the ﬂoor. 
  7.
  This fresco—depicting bloody slaughter before a gigantic, 
  obscene statue—is particularly detailed and arresting. 
  8.
  Screams, sobs or harsh, mocking laughter come from 
  elsewhere in the fane. 
  THINGS TO FIND 
  Use this list, to determine what minor objects or features of 
  interest the party discover if they take the time to search. Modify 
  the value of items below to suit your campaign.  
  1.
  Dropped and forgotten, a tarnished holy symbol of two 
  clasped hands—Conn’s holy symbol—lies against one wall. 
  2.
  A loose ﬂagstone hides a small storage niche, perhaps 
  constructed in secret by one of the fane’s priests. Roll again 
  to determine what lies within (ignoring inappropriate or 
  duplicate results). 
  3.
  A tarnished silver unholy symbol hanging from the remains 
  of a ﬁne silver chain; dried blood covers the chain.  
  4.
  A small black velvet pouch holds six gold-ﬁlled teeth ripped 
  from the jaws of those sacriﬁced in the fane.  
  5.
  A crumpled scrap of parchment holds a short list of people’s 
  names in cramped handwriting. Most of the names are 
  crossed through. 
  6.
  A small, obviously old, brass idol depicts the shrine’s patron. 
  Its head is worn and slightly shiny.  
  7.
  Crafted from black iron, this small handbell has a worn 
  handle and horrible etchings of skulls and death around its 
  rim. When rung, it creates a harsh, discordant sound. 
  8.
  Wedged into a crack in the ﬂoor, an iron ring cast in the 
  shape of a skull is scratched with wear.  
  
  GENERIC FANE FEATURES 
  Many of the locations in the Shadow Fane share certain features: 
   
  Illumination: Unless noted in the text, darkness ﬁlls the fane. 
  Read aloud descriptions assume the PCs can either see in the dark 
  or they have their own light sources. 
   
  General Decorative Features: As beﬁts a shrine dedicated to 
  an evil power, the fane’s decorations are lurid and foul. Skull 
  motifs feature prominently everywhere as do frescoes  
  of deep shadows, blood and gore.  
   
  Vaulted Ceilings: The fane has barrel 
  vaulted ceilings. Unless otherwise 
  noted, ceilings in corridors are about 
  ten-foot high; in chambers they are 15-
  foot high. 
   
  Walls: The fane's walls are of cut 
  and dressed stone. In many places, 
  lurid frescoes and the like dedicated 
  to Braal’s dark glory decorate the 
  walls. 
   
  Floor: Flagged, the ﬂoor is 
  generally ﬂat and unimpeded.  
   
  Wooden Doors: The complex’s 
  wooden doors are in good repair and 
  open into the room they ward. Unless 
  noted in the text, the doors are plain 
  and unadorned. 
  �5
  
  1: PORTAL OF SHADOWS 
  Beyond this door lies the Shadow Fane. 
  A stout iron-bound door pierces the wall ahead. An iron lock cast in 
  the shape of a skull wards the door. 
  Portal: This stout iron-bound door has a large lock set into it 
  shaped like a skull complete with a gaping, wide mouth. Every 
  cultist has a key. 
  2: HALL OF THE DAMNED 
  Here languish the fane’s doomed prisoners.  
  Four skull-shaped wrought iron braziers emit hellish, ﬂickering 
  light from their eye sockets. Four small shrines complete with 
  manacles to secure prisoners stand against the walls. 
  Illumination: Dim light from the four wrought iron braziers 
  illuminates the centre of this chamber. Behind the braziers, 
  darkness and shadows shroud the room. 
   
  Shrines: Each set with manacles these four small shrines are 
  where the cult’s prisoners are kept prior to sacriﬁce and 
  decapitation. The wall behind each shrine is painted black, but 
  splatters of blood and the faint smell of urine surround each 
  shrine. 
   
  Wrought Iron Braziers: Wrought to look like skulls these 
  braziers have lids which can be removed to add more fuel to the 
  ﬁre. Flickering light shines through each skull’s eye sockets.  
  3: THE DARK CHAPEL 
  Here, the cult practise their blasphemous ceremonies and 
  sacriﬁces die screaming in foul rituals enacted to glorify Braal. 
  The scent of death and some foul kind of incense hangs in the air 
  of this large, rectangular chamber. To the west, stands a 
  bloodstained altar seemingly hewn from a single piece of black 
  basaltic rock. 
  With the exception of the Tower of Skulls (area 8), this chamber is 
  where the cultists feel closest to their foul lord. 
   
  Wrought Iron Candelabras: Four candelabras, each treated 
  with a continual light, illuminate the chamber with ﬂickering, sickly 
  yellow light. An iron “cap” hangs from a hook on each candelabra, 
  and can be used to extinguish the ﬂames.  
   
  Bloody Black Altar: Hewn from a single piece of black 
  basaltic rock brought here from some unknowable, alien place the 
  altar is the chamber’s centrepiece. Dried blood and viscera 
  splatter the altar and the ﬂoor around it.  
   
  Two sets of heavy manacles are set into the altar’s uppermost 
  surface.  
   
  The altar conceals a secret niche which can be opened by 
  pushing in a small outcrop of rock protruding from the altar’s rear. 
  Within lie keys for all the manacles in area 2 and 3 and more 
  incense for the burners. 
   
  Incense Burners: Several ﬁve-foot high incense burners stand 
  behind the altar. Incense—foul and heady—burns within. 
  �6
  GM NOTES 
  Modify the read aloud text of area 1 to take into account where 
  you place the fane. If the portal lies under a city its surrounds will 
  be different to if it stands deep in the wilderness.  
  The portal in area 1 is a good place for a trap. 
  If the shrine has any prisoners, perhaps including Aune Ehtaro, 
  from the Kidnap and Murder hook, the PCs discover them 
  chained to the four shrines in area 2. 
  
  4: STORE ROOM 
  This locked chamber holds many boxes, crates and barrels ﬁlled 
  with the possessions of those sacriﬁced to Braal’s glory as well as 
  things the fane’s priests need on a daily basis. The cult periodically 
  sells the items stored here to various local fences. 
  Many boxes, barrels and chests stands against the walls of this 
  small, irregularly shaped chamber. 
  Boxes & Barrels: PCs searching the various boxes, crates and 
  barrels discover many mundane items such as clothes, hats, shoes 
  and the like. A PC spending ten minutes searching the chests ﬁnds 
  something valuable. At the GM’s discretion, if the PC searches 
  particularly thoroughly, they may ﬁnd more than one treasure. 
  Each item can be found only once. 
  1.
  Shoe: One of the shoes has a false heel; inside, the PCs ﬁnd 
  three gold coins wrapped in a scrap of cloth.  
  2.
  Headscarf: A blue silk headscarf worth 5 gp, when the 
  splatters of blood staining it are cleaned off. An overlooked 
  silver necklace is tangled about the bloody scarf. 
  3.
  Belt: A thick, black leather belt has a secret storage 
  compartment; it contains 1 pp.  
  4.
  Belt Pouch: This leather belt pouch has an overly 
  complicated set of cords to keep it closed. They make pick 
  pocketing much harder, but take twice as long to open.  
  5: THE DUMPING GROUND 
  The fane’s priests dump the headless corpses of those sacriﬁced 
  to Braal, here. They then strip the corpse of anything remotely 
  valuable before dumping the remains in area 7. 
  Four headless naked corpses sprawl on the ﬂoor of this charnel 
  house. Blood and gore splatters the walls and ﬂoor while over all 
  hangs the nauseating stench of decay and death. 
  The fane’s clergy have not yet got around to disposing of their 
  most recent sacriﬁces. 
   
  Headless Corpses: The headless, naked corpses comprise 
  two human males, one human female and one male dwarf. 
  6: THE OLD OSSUARY 
  This small natural cavern holds the skeletal remains of the cult’s 
  oldest victims.  
  Deep piles of yellowing bones ﬁll the chamber. 
  Piles of Jumbled Bones: The skeletal remains of scores of the 
  cult’s victims lie scattered about the room. A PC searching the 
  bones notices there are no skulls here.  
   
  The remains halve a character’s movement rate. 
   
  Concealed Passageway: Partially hidden behind the heaped 
  piles of jumbled bones, a narrow, twisting corridor leads way from 
  the fane. This could end in a dead-end or intersect with more 
  caves, the city sewers or some other dungeon complex.
  �7
  GM NOTES 
  The ﬁnds in area 4, 5 and 6 should highlight the cultists’ foul 
  practises and their penchant for wringing every morsel of value 
  from their victim’s possessions.  
  Area 6 is a great place for the PCs to encounter undead—perhaps 
  headless skeletons. 
  
  7: THE NEW OSSUARY 
  Packed full of bones, decomposing bodies and the grizzly remains 
  of the fane’s sacriﬁces this small network of caves reeks of death, 
  decay and disease. 
  The pungent, nauseating stench of death and decay ﬁlls this 
  natural cave. Rotting, decaying corpses and heaped piles of white 
  bones cover the ﬂoor. 
  These narrow, claustrophobic tunnels and chambers have an 
  oppressive feel. 
   
  Narrow Passageways: Characters moving through the narrow 
  passageways here are considered to be voluntarily squeezing, 
   
  Rough Hewn Steps: Several sets of crude steps lead down 
  through the cave to the north. The steps count as difﬁcult terrain.  
   
  Piles of Decomposing Bodies: A PC searching the pile of 
  decomposing bodies notices there are no skulls here.  
  8: TOWER OF SKULLS 
  The centrepiece of the fane, the column of skulls is a monument to 
  Braal’s glory. At the end of every profane service, the tower grows 
  a little higher. 
  A towering column comprising hundreds of skulls dominates this 
  lofty chamber. A spiral staircase spirals around the rooms wall.  
  Column of Skulls: A PC examining the tower of skulls carefully 
  notices many of the skulls atop the tower still have ﬂesh and hair. 
  The column is sturdy and can be scaled by a careful climber. 
   
  Ceiling: The ceiling is 40-foot high in this chamber. 
   
  Stairs: Squares containing stairs halve a character's movement 
  rate. The stairs have no handrail.  
  9: THE DARK GUARDIAN 
  A cloaked stone statue watches over this junction. It stares 
  impassively toward the door leading to the Tower of Skulls. 
  A cloaked stone statue of a towering skeletal warrior clutching a 
  two-handed morningstar stands at the intersection of two 
  corridors. The statue stares to the north west. 
  Stone Statue: The statue is about seven-foot tall and wears a 
  cowled black cloak draped over its shoulders. It represents Braal. 
  10: THE PROCESSIONAL 
  This wide corridor is both a thoroughfare and a place of devotion. 
  Lurid frescoes praising Braal decorate this wide corridor. 
  Frescos: Lurid, blasphemous and done in a variety of styles these 
  frescoes depict all manner of slaughter and perversion. Deep 
  shadows, sometimes with the suggestion of sinister shapes lurking 
  within, predominate. 
  �8
  GM NOTES 
  Area 7 is a great place for the PCs to encounter undead—perhaps 
  skeletons or zombies. 
  Area 8 is an excellent area to place an undead creature of some 
  sort. Perhaps the shrine’s guardian lurks inside the skull tower or 
  can animate portions of the foul structure. 
  
  11: ADHERENTS’ DORMITORY 
  In this sleeping chamber slumber the fane’s minor priests. 
  Woollen sheets cover the bunkbeds set against the walls in this 
  small chamber. Two sconces hold ﬂickering torches. 
  Illumination: The torches burning here provide bright light.  
   
  Bunkbeds: Rickety two-storey bunkbeds about six-foot tall 
  line the walls. A character can tip over a bunkbed by rolling less 
  than their Strength on 3d6. A successful saving throw against 
  breath weapons enables a character to avoid being knocked 
  prone under a falling bunkbed. Characters trapped under a fallen 
  bunkbed can heave it aside by rolling less than their Strength on 
  3d6 or can wriggle free by rolling less than their Dexterity on 3d6. 
   
  Bin: A small bin holds two dozen torches, several lanterns and 
  four oil ﬂasks. 
   
  Chests: Under each bunkbed two chests hold the priests’ 
  personal gear. If the PCs search a chest, roll on the list below to 
  determine what they ﬁnd. Each item can be found only once. 
  1.
  Coin Purse: This small pouch holds 15 sp, 7 gp and 1 pp. 
  2.
  Foul Parchment: This long, unused, scroll is made from 
  stretched skin. It is curled up in a bone scroll tube. 
  3.
  Book: Holding a series of litanies and personal prayers, this 
  book is the work of one of the fane’s adherents.  
  4.
  Flask of Fine Brandy: A small half-full bottle of brandy lies at 
  the bottom of one chest. It is worth 10 gp.  
  12: CHAMBER OF THE DARK WARDEN 
  This sumptuously appointed chamber is the dwelling place of the 
  fane’s warden. Here are also kept the shrine’s choicest treasures. 
   
  Chain Curtain: A ﬂoor-length chain curtain ﬁlls both 
  entrances. It obscures sight of what lies beyond and inﬂicts a -20% 
  penalty on Stealth check made to sneak into the room.  
  Curtains of ﬁne chain ﬁll the two entrances to this sumptuously 
  appointed bedchamber. 
  Illumination: A permanent magic ﬂame (a continual ﬂame) cast 
  on a brazier—or more accurately a lump of coal in the brazier—
  illuminates this chamber with ﬂickering light. 
   
  Four-Poster Bed: This double bed has four black velvet 
  curtains (each worth 50 gp) which hides whatever (or whoever) is 
  in the bed. A skull-shaped ﬁnial tops each of the bed’s posts.  
   
  Chests: One chest holds the Dark Warden’s personal 
  possessions. Another locked, metal-bound, oaken chest holds the 
  fane’s greatest treasures and several ceremonial objects. They 
  include: 
  •
  Silvered Skull: This jawless skull has been dipped in molten 
  silver. It is a macabre, sinisterly beautiful thing.  
  •
  Serrated, Curved Dagger: Used in sacriﬁces this old dagger 
  is wrapped carefully in a scrap of black velvet.  
  •
  Nameless Book: Black of cover, and thick, this book is the 
  Dark Warden’s diary and personal notebook. Inside—in narrow, 
  cramped handwriting—he has made a careful accounting of 
  the cult, its practises and his own dark thoughts. 
  �9
  GM NOTES 
  The number of bunkbeds in area 11 should equal the number of 
  minor priests serving the fane. 
  
  C O NC LUS I ON 
  Once the PCs have dealt with the fane’s cultists, the adventure 
  doesn’t necessarily have to end. While the PCs may forget all 
  about the cultists and move on, surviving cultists might not 
  necessarily forget about them.  
  •
  Survivors: If any cultists survive the PCs’ assault on the 
  fane, they vow vengeance against the blasphemers. 
  Their vengeance could be sudden and violent or a 
  more subtle, drawn-out affair. If the survivor(s) 
  decide to be more subtle about their revenge, they 
  could become long-term foes of the party. In this 
  instance, they follow the PCs and spread lies and 
  rumours about them and their actions at every 
  opportunity. The PCs may discover merchants do 
  not want to deal with them, as a result, or that inn 
  owners do not let them stay under their roofs. The 
  cultists could even hire local toughs to harass and 
  attack the party. 
  •
  Cursed: Braal witnesses the PCs desecration of his 
  unholy fane and is displeased. In revenge, he inﬂicts 
  a fell curse on one or more of the party. The curse 
  could be easily removed with the appropriate 
  spells or could require some kind of special ritual 
  to counter.  
  •
  Haunted: If the PCs put to the sword everyone 
  dwelling within the fane, the cultists could still be-
  devil them from beyond the grave. Perhaps the 
  spirit of one of the cultists becomes attached to 
  some item of treasure the party carry away with 
  them and begins to haunt the party. Alternatively, 
  if the party unknowing sell the haunted item they 
  could be tracked down in the future by a rather irate 
  buyer who demands a full refund and 
  compensation for his travails.  
  •
  Rescued Prisoners: If the PCs rescued any 
  prisoners from the cult (probably from area 2) such 
  individuals could be a source of reward, rumour or 
  introduction to other folk who might be keen to 
  hire the PCs. Alternatively, a prisoner might ask to 
  take service with one of the heroes either as a 
  hireling or as a full-blown henchperson.
  �10
  
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  System Reference Document: ©2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Authors: Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
   
  Gloamhold Campaign Guide. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst. 
   
  City Backdrop: Languard. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst. 
   
  Dungeon Backdrop: The Shadow Fane. ©Raging Swan Press 2019; Author: Creighton Broadhurst. 
  To learn more about the Open Game License, visit wizards.com/d20. 
  Product Identity: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, artefacts, places and so on), dialogue, plots, storylines, language, incidents, locations, 
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  Open Content: Except material designated as Product Identity, the contents of Dungeon Backdrop: The Shadow Fane are Open Game Content as deﬁned in the Open Gaming 
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  �11
  
  R A G I N G S W A N . C O M  
   EVERYTHING  
       is Better with  
  Tentacles 
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  TITLE 
    
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Raging Swan - Gloamhold/Raging Swan Dungeon Backdrop/Raging Swan Dungeon Backdrop The Shadow Fane/Raging Swan Dungeon Backdrop The Shadow Fane.pdf