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  Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines 
  Riddled with veins of precious ore and gem, the Earthspur Mountains to the west have long been a valuable resource for 
  anyone able to mine them. One such mine has gone silent and the only thing more concerning than its long overdue 
  shipment is the fate of the members of the Soldiery sent to discover what has happened to the mine’s workers. Though the 
  mine lay in a region of the Mountains once claimed by a clan of reclusive dwarves, the Ludwakazar clan wouldn’t be so 
  bold as to violate their long-standing peace with Mulmaster. Or would they? An adventure for 5th-10th level characters. 
  Adventure Code: DDEX2-4 
  Credits 
  Adventure Design: Will Doyle 
  Development and Editing: Claire Hoffman, Chris Tulach, Travis Woodall 
  D&D Organized Play: Chris Tulach 
  D&D R&D Player Experience: Greg Bilsland 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Greg Bilsland, Chris Lindsay, Shelly Mazzanoble, Chris Tulach 
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Alan Patrick 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Debut: March 20, 2015 
  Release: April 1, 2015 
   
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  property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or 
  unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. 
   
  ©2015 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 
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  2 
  Introduction 
  Welcome to Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines, a D&D 
  ExpeditionsTM adventure, part of the official D&D 
  Adventurers LeagueTM organized play system and the 
  Elemental EvilTM storyline season.  
   This adventure is designed for three to seven 5th-10th 
  level characters, and is optimized for five 6th-level 
  characters. Players with 4th level characters may spend 
  20 downtime days to level up to the start of 5th level. 
  Characters outside this level range cannot participate in 
  this adventure.  
   The adventure is set in the Moonsea region of the 
  Forgotten Realms, in and around the city of Mulmaster 
  and the Flooded Forest to the south of the city. 
    
  The D&D Adventurers 
  League 
  This adventure is official for D&D Adventurers League 
  play. The D&D Adventurers League is the official 
  organized play system for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®. 
  Players can create characters and participate in any 
  adventure allowed as a part of the D&D Adventurers 
  League. As they adventure, players track their characters’ 
  experience, treasure, and other rewards, and can take 
  those characters through other adventures that will 
  continue their story. 
   D&D Adventurers League play is broken up into 
  storyline seasons. When players create characters, they 
  attach those characters to a storyline season, which 
  determines what rules they’re allowed to use to create 
  and advance their characters. Players can continue to 
  play their characters after the storyline season has 
  finished, possibly participating in a second or third 
  storyline with those same characters. A character’s level 
  is the only limitation for adventure play. A player cannot 
  use a character of a level higher or lower than the level 
  range of a D&D Adventurers League adventure. 
   If you’re running this adventure as a part of a store 
  event or at certain conventions, you’ll need a DCI number. 
  This number is your official Wizards of the Coast 
  organized play identifier. If you don’t have a number, you 
  can obtain one at a store event. Check with your organizer 
  for details.  
   For more information on playing, running games as a 
  Dungeon Master, and organizing games for the D&D 
  Adventurers League, please visit the D&D Adventurers 
  League home. 
   
  Preparing the Adventure 
  Before you show up to Dungeon Master this adventure for 
  a group of players, you should do the following to prepare. 
   
  • 
  Make sure to have a copy of the most current version 
  of the D&D basic rules or the Player’s HandbookTM.   
  • 
  Read through the adventure, taking notes of anything 
  you’d like to highlight or remind yourself while 
  running the adventure, such as a way you’d like to 
  portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in a 
  combat. 
  • 
  Get familiar with the monster statistics in the 
  Appendix. 
  • 
  Gather together any resources you’d like to use to aid 
  you in Dungeon Mastering, such as notecards, a DM 
  screen, miniatures, battlemaps, etc.  
  • 
  If you know the composition of the group beforehand, 
  you can make adjustments as noted throughout the 
  adventure.  
  Before Play at the Table 
  Ask the players to provide you with relevant character 
  information. This includes:  
   
  • 
  Character name and level 
  • 
  Character race and class 
  • 
  Passive Wisdom (Perception)—the most common 
  passive ability check 
  • 
  Anything notable as specified by the adventure (such 
  as backgrounds, traits, flaws, and so on) 
   
  Players that have characters outside the adventure’s level 
  range cannot participate in the adventure with those 
  characters. Players can play an adventure they previously 
  played or ran as a Dungeon Master, but not with the same 
  character (if applicable). 
   Ensure that each player has an official adventure 
  logsheet for his or her character (if not, get one from the 
  organizer). The player will fill out the adventure name, 
  session number, date, and your name and DCI number. In 
  addition, the player also fills in the starting values for XP, 
  gold, downtime, renown, and number of permanent magic 
  items. He or she will fill in the other values and write 
  notes at the conclusion of the session. Each player is 
  responsible for maintaining an accurate logsheet.  
   If you have time, you can do a quick scan of a player’s 
  character sheet to ensure that nothing looks out of order. 
  If you see magic items of very high rarities or strange 
  
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  3 
  arrays of ability scores, you can ask players to provide 
  documentation for the irregularities. If they cannot, feel 
  free to restrict item use or ask them to use a standard 
  ability score array. Point players to the D&D Adventurers 
  League Player’s Guide for reference. 
   If players wish to spend downtime days and it’s the 
  beginning of an adventure or episode, they can declare 
  their activity and spend the days now, or they can do so at 
  the end of the adventure or episode.  
   Players should select their characters’ spells and other 
  daily options prior to the start of the adventure, unless the 
  adventure specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the 
  adventure description to help give players hints about 
  what they might face. 
  Adjusting the Adventure 
  Throughout this adventure, you may see sidebars to help 
  you make adjustments to this adventure for smaller/larger 
  groups and characters, of higher/lower levels that the 
  optimized group size. Most of the time, this is used for 
  combat encounters.  
   You may adjust the adventure beyond the guidelines 
  given in the adventure, or for other reasons. For example, 
  if you’re playing with a group of inexperienced players, 
  you might want to make the adventure a little easier; for 
  very experienced players, you might want to make it a 
  little harder. Therefore, five categories of party strength 
  have been created for you to use as a guide. Use these as 
  a guide, and feel free to use a different adjustment during 
  the adventure if the recommended party strength feels off 
  for the group. 
   This adventure is optimized for a party of five 6th-
  level characters. To figure out whether you need to 
  adjust the adventure, do the following: 
   
  • 
  Add up the total levels of all the characters 
  • 
  Divide the total by the number of characters 
  • 
  Round fractions of .5 or greater up; round frations of 
  less than .5 down 
   
  You’ve now determined the average party level (APL) for 
  the adventure. To figure out the party strength for the 
  adventure, consult the following table. 
  Determining Party Strength 
  Party Composition  
   
  Party Strength 
  3-4 characters, APL less than  
  Very weak 
  3-4 characters, APL equivalent  
  Weak 
  3-4 characters, APL greater than 
  Average 
  5 characters, APL less than 
   
  Weak 
  5 characters, APL equivalent  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL greater than  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL less than  
  Average 
  6-7 characters, APL equivalent  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL greater than 
  Very strong 
   
  Average party strength indicates no recommended 
  adjustments to the adventure. Each sidebar may or may 
  not offer suggestions for certain party strengths. If a 
  particular recommendation is not offered for your group, 
  you don’t have to make adjustments.  
  Dungeon Mastering the 
  Adventure 
  As the DM of the session, you have the most important 
  role in facilitating the enjoyment of the game for the 
  players. You help guide the narrative and bring the words 
  on these pages to life. The outcome of a fun game session 
  often creates stories that live well beyond the play at the 
  table. Always follow this golden rule when you DM for a 
  group: 
   
  Make decisions and adjudications that enhance the fun 
  of the adventure when possible. 
   
  To reinforce this golden rule, keep in mind the following: 
   
  • 
  You are empowered to make adjustments to the 
  adventure and make decisions about how the group 
  interacts with the world of this adventure. This is 
  especially important and applicable outside of 
  combat, but feel free to adjust the adventure for 
  groups that are having too easy or too hard of a time. 
  • 
  Don’t make the adventure too easy or too difficult for 
  a group. Never being challenged makes for a boring 
  game, and being overwhelmed makes for a 
  frustrating game. Gauge the experience of the 
  players (not the characters) with the game, try to feel 
  out (or ask) what they like in a game, and attempt to 
  give each of them the experience they’re after when 
  they play D&D. Give everyone a chance to shine.  
  
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  4 
  • 
  Be mindful of pacing, and keep the game session 
  moving along appropriately. Watch for stalling, since 
  play loses momentum when this happens. At the 
  same time, make sure that the players don’t finish 
  too early; provide them with a full play experience. 
  Try to be aware of running long or short. Adjust the 
  pacing accordingly. 
  • 
  Read-aloud text is just a suggestion; feel free to 
  modify the text as you see fit, especially when 
  dialogue is present.  
  • 
  Give the players appropriate hints so they can make 
  informed choices about how to proceed. Players 
  should be given clues and hints when appropriate so 
  they can tackle puzzles, combat, and interactions 
  without getting frustrated over lack of information. 
  This helps to encourage immersion in the adventure 
  and gives players “little victories” for figuring out 
  good choices from clues. 
   
  In short, being the DM isn’t about following the 
  adventure’s text word-for-word; it’s about facilitating a 
  fun, challenging game environment for the players. The 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide TM has more information on the 
  art of running a D&D game. 
  Downtime and Lifestyle 
  At the beginning of each play session, players must 
  declare whether or not they are spending any days of 
  downtime. The player records the downtime spent on the 
  adventure logsheet. The following options are available to 
  players during downtime (see the D&D basic rules or the 
  D&D Adventurers League Player’s Guide for more 
  information): 
   
  • 
  Catching up  
  • 
  Crafting (exception: multiple characters cannot 
  commit to crafting a single item) 
  • 
  Practicing a profession 
  • 
  Recuperating 
  • 
  Spellcasting services (end of the adventure only) 
  • 
  Training 
   
  Other downtime options might be available during 
  adventures or unlocked through play, including faction-
  specific activities. 
   In addition, whenever a character spends downtime 
  days, that character also spends the requisite expense for 
  his or her lifestyle. Costs are per day, so a character that 
  spends ten days of downtime also spends ten days of 
  expenses maintaining his or her lifestyle. Some downtime 
  activities help with lifestyle expenses or add lifestyle 
  expenses. 
  Spellcasting Services 
  Any settlement the size of a town or larger can provide 
  some spellcasting services. characters need to be able to 
  travel to the settlement to obtain these services. 
  Alternatively, if the party finishes an adventure, they can 
  be assumed to return to the settlement closest to the 
  adventure location.  
   Spell services generally available include healing and 
  recovery spells, as well as information-gathering spells. 
  Other spell services might be available as specified in the 
  adventure. The number of spells available to be cast as a 
  service is limited to a maximum of three per day total, 
  unless otherwise noted.  
  Spellcasting Services 
  Spell 
   
   
   
  Cost 
   
  Cure wounds (1st level) 
   
  10 gp 
   
  Identify 
   
   
   
  20 gp 
  Lesser restoration 
   
   
  40 gp 
   
  Prayer of healing (2nd level) 
   
  40 gp 
   
  Remove curse 
   
   
  90 gp 
   
  Speak with dead 
   
   
  90 gp 
  Divination  
   
   
  210 gp 
  Greater restoration  
   
  450 gp 
   
  Raise dead  
   
   
  1,250 gp  
  Acolyte Background 
  A character possessing the acolyte background requesting 
  spellcasting services at a temple of his or her faith may request 
  one spell per day from the Spellcasting Services table for free. 
  The only cost paid for the spell is the base price for the 
  consumed material component, if any.  
   
  Faiths that can call upon spellcasting services in Mulmaster 
  include the following: Bane, Leira, Loviatar, Mystra, Savras, 
  Tempus, Tymora, Velsharoon, and Waukeen.  
  Character Disease,  
  Death, and Recovery 
  Sometimes bad things happen, and characters get 
  poisoned, diseased, or die. Since you might not have the 
  same characters return from session to session, here are 
  the rules when bad things happen to characters. 
  
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  5 
  Disease, Poison, and Other Debilitating 
  Effects 
  A character still affected by diseases, poisons, and other 
  similar effects at the conclusion of an adventure can 
  spend downtime days recuperating until such time as he 
  or she resolves the effect to its conclusion (see the 
  recuperating activity in the D&D basic rules).  
  If a character doesn’t resolve the effect between sessions, 
  that character begins the next session still affected by the 
  debilitating effect.  
  Death 
  A character who dies during the course of the adventure 
  has a few options at the end of the session (or whenever 
  arriving back in civilization) if no one in the adventuring 
  party has immediate access to a raise dead or revivify 
  spell, or similar magic. A character subject to a raise dead 
  spell is affected negatively until all long rests have been 
  completed during an adventure. Alternatively, each 
  downtime day spent after raise dead reduces the penalty 
  to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks by 1, in 
  addition to any other benefits the downtime activity might 
  provide. 
   Create a New 1st-Level Character. If the dead 
  character is unwilling or unable to exercise any of the 
  other options, the player creates a new character. The 
  new character does not have any items or rewards 
  possessed by the dead character. 
   Dead Character Pays for Raise Dead. If the 
  character’s body is recoverable (it’s not missing any vital 
  organs and is mostly whole) and the player would like the 
  character to be returned to life, the party can take the 
  body back to civilization and use the dead character’s 
  funds to pay for a raise dead spell. A raise dead spell cast 
  in this manner costs the character 1,250 gp.  
   Character’s Party Pays for Raise Dead. As above, 
  except that some or all of the 1,250 gp for the raise dead 
  spell is paid for by the party at the end of the session. 
  Other characters are under no obligation to spend their 
  funds to bring back a dead party member. 
   Faction Charity. If the character is of level 1 to 4 and a 
  member of a faction, the dead character’s body can be 
  returned to civilization and a patron from the faction 
  ensures that he or she receives a raise dead spell. 
  However, any character invoking this charity forfeits all 
  XP and rewards from that session (even those earned 
  prior to death during that session), and cannot replay that 
  episode or adventure with that character again. Once a 
  character reaches 5th level, this option is no longer 
  available.  
  Adventure Background 
  Carved from the earth by the impact of a comet, the 
  Chamber of Falling Stones is a place of pilgrimage for the 
  Cults of Elemental Evil. The comet's broken shards, held 
  aloft by raw elemental power, are revered as 
  manifestations of Ogrémoch's mastery over Elemental 
  Earth. Since then, cultists have flocked to the cavern to 
  worship the stones and pay homage to the Tyrant of 
  Black Earth.  
   In time, the Ludwakazar dwarf clan expels the cultists 
  from the mountains. They forge a pact with powerful 
  elemental spirits to do so, which they entomb in the 
  Chamber as guardians should the cultists ever return. 
  The pact forever alters the clan's bloodline, hardening the 
  dwarves' skin and driving their descendants deep 
  underground.  
   Prospectors from Mulmaster eventually reclaim the 
  Chamber, which they rename Falling Stone Mine. For 
  decades, the city's noble lords glut a profit from its rich 
  veins of iron, callously ignoring the protests of the 
  reclusive Ludwakazar clan.  
   After learning of the comet from profane texts, a 
  medusa and her gargoyle retinue conquers the mine in 
  hope of communing with the Lords of Elemental Evil. The 
  miners are enslaved, and put to work destroying the 
  dwarves' entombed guardians. When Mulmaster sends 
  soldiers to investigate the missing ore shipments, the 
  medusa returns their petrified, broken bodies on an 
  unmanned ore cart.               
   Sensing that the Cults of Elemental Evil have returned, 
  the Ludwakazar clan returns to awaken their buried 
  guardians. The gargoyles drive them back, and the clan 
  king is mortally wounded. The dwarves plan to fight on, 
  but their situation looks bleak.    
  Overview 
  This adventure takes place in four parts.  
   Part 1: The Pit Fight. Suspicion for the soldiers' 
  murder has fallen on the Ludwakazar clan. Hired to 
  investigate, the characters visit a local pit-fighting arena 
  to locate an exiled clan member. To get the information 
  they seek, the characters are likely to enter the arena 
  themselves.  
   Part 2: The North Road. The characters trek into the 
  mountains to investigate Falling Stone Mine. On arrival, 
  they discover that the Ludwakazar clan has returned to 
  liberate the mine from a medusa. On his deathbed, the 
  dwarf king asks the characters to venture inside the mine 
  and awaken his ancestors' elemental guardians.  
  
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  6 
   Part 3: Falling Stone Mine. The characters explore the 
  mine, battle the medusa, and attempt to awaken the 
  buried guardians.  
   Part 4: The Return. Returning to the dwarf king, the 
  characters are asked to perform one last favor: deliver the 
  king's sword to his brother in Mulmaster. When they 
  arrive, an unscrupulous crime lord attempts to trick the 
  sword from them.  
  Pacing the Adventure 
  The adventure is designed for 4 hours of play. Use the table 
  below to budget your time, adjusting the pace as necessary to 
  keep on schedule. In a large public event, you'll need to keep an 
  eye on the clock.  
   
  Depending on which adventure hook you choose, some 
  stages may be played out-of-sequence. Within Falling Stone 
  Mine, the return of the Ludwakazar dwarves can be used to hurry 
  things to a conclusion if you're running behind time.   
  Adventure Pacing 
  Stage 
   
  Playing Time (Highlights) 
  The Pit Fight 
  60 min (combat, social interaction) 
   
  The North Road 
  30 min (combat, social interaction) 
  Falling Stone Mine 120 min (combat, exploration) 
  The Return 
  30 min (social interaction) 
  Adventure Hook 
  The adventure begins in Mulmaster, an infamous port city 
  on the southeastern coast of the Moonsea. Use one of the 
  following hooks to draw the players into the story, or 
  devise your own. Note that multiple hooks could easily be 
  used especially if the characters are not known to each 
  other.  
   Agents for Hire. Characters with the Criminal, Noble 
  or Soldier background—or those belonging to the Lords' 
  Alliance faction—are summoned to a secret meeting with 
  Groshin Lor, head of a paramilitary branch of the 
  Soldiery called the Hawks. If you choose this hook, run 
  "Meeting the Rending Talon" below.  
   Those who are members of the Lord's Alliance are told 
  to meet with Groshin Lor and accommodate any special 
  requests he might make of them.  
   Lost Soldier. (Very appropriate for characters with 
  Mulmaster as their home city) A soldier friend hasn't 
  returned from a reconnaissance mission to Falling Stone 
  Mine, and his or her superiors are procrastinating over 
  how to respond. The characters' enquiries prompt a 
  meeting with Groshin Lor of the Hawks. Note that they 
  can simply strike off on their own. If they choose the latter 
  approach, run Part 1 of this adventure when the PCs 
  return to Mulmaster with Iorn Ludwakazar's sword.  
   Blood for the Boar Pit. The characters are out enjoying 
  the fruits of their labors. Since agreeing on one place to 
  stop at seems beyond the group’s ability you have stopped 
  at various places. Somewhere along the way, perhaps that 
  ale at the Leaning Boot, or perhaps the meat pie was off 
  at the street stall you stopped at on your way to the last 
  tavern. The last thing you remember was some of your 
  group throwing up in a back alley and a blinding pain in 
  your head before awakening to discover that you are now 
  going to be thrown into the arena of the Black Blade and 
  Bloody Boar tavern.  
   Money to be Made. Tales of the gladiatorial style fights 
  in the arena of the Black Blade and Bloody Boar tavern 
  and the wagering going on have enticed the characters to 
  chance their luck some by fighting in the area others by 
  working the crowd. 
  Meeting the Rending Talon 
  The Hawks run clandestine operations across the 
  Moonsea on behalf of Mulmaster's High Blade, Jaseen 
  Drakehorn. The characters meet Rending Talon Groshin 
  Lor on a narrow canal bridge near the city's docks. 
  Soldiers fortify both ends of the bridge, ensuring nobody 
  listens in on the meeting. Groshin Lor reveals the 
  following information: 
   
  • 
  Contact has been lost with Falling Stone Mine, the 
  city's primary source of iron. The soldiers sent to 
  investigate were turned to stone, and their remains 
  returned to Mulmaster on an unmanned ox cart.  
  • 
  The Hawks suspect that the Ludwakazar clan is 
  behind the killings. The dwarves have previously 
  protested against the city's mining operations, which 
  they say infringe on sacred ground. The dwarf king is 
  known to own a pet basilisk.  
  • 
  One of the Ludwakazar dwarves competes as a pit 
  fighter at the Black Blade and Bloody Boar tavern. 
  He's sure to know more about his clan's motivations.   
   
  Groshin Lor offers the party 1,000 gp to investigate the 
  mine and destroy any threats present. High Blade 
  Drakehorn doesn't want her investors scared off with 
  stories of missing soldiers, so Groshin demands that the 
  assignment is conducted in secrecy. Assuming the 
  characters accept, he gives them directions to Falling 
  Stone mine.  
   
   
   
  
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  7 
  Roleplaying Groshin Lor 
  Thayan torturers maimed Groshin Lor in his youth, making him a 
  living tapestry of scars. Two fingers of his right hand are missing, 
  and he walks with the aid of a cane. The charming spymaster 
  typically masks his injuries behind veils of illusion, but on this 
  occasion he leaves them visible to intimidate others.  
   
  Quote: Iron is the lifeblood of this city. If the heart stops 
  pumping, the body dies.  
  Faction Assignment: Lords’ Alliance 
  Groshin Lor takes any character belonging to the Lords' 
  Alliance aside, and gives them the following assignment.   
   Recover the Records. Sensitive business information 
  about the city's nobles is held in the mine overseer's 
  office, and the Lords Alliance would like the characters to 
  retrieve it. 
   
   
  
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  8 
  Part 1: The Pit Fight 
  The Black Blade and Bloody Boar hosts lavish blood 
  sports for the city's noble elite. Its proprietress, the crime 
  lord Gethmedra Darmov, uses the games to forge 
  nefarious connections among the patricians.  
  The Black Blade and Bloody 
  Boar 
  The inn is located in a web of squalid streets, east of the 
  city's lighthouse. A sculpture of a skewered boar hangs 
  over the door. Arriving on game night, the characters 
  must weave through parked carriages and armed guards 
  to enter the premises.  
   Inside, a stone-flagged fighting pit is sunk into the 
  common room floor. Ruffians feast on a giant boar 
  roasting over a hearth, while nobles relax in an upper 
  gallery. Gethmedra Darmov lounges on a throne in the 
  common room, attended by the black-masked mage 
  Devamari. The games are due to begin at the next bell, 
  roughly half an hour after the characters arrive.  
  Locating the Dwarf 
  The renowned "Stone Dwarf" is due to fight in tonight's 
  games. It's the final bout of the season, where Darmov 
  traditionally unleashes a captive monster on her 
  champions. The survivors share a pot of gold, and are 
  treated as royalty until the start of the next season.  
   Characters can question the crowd to uncover the 
  following information: 
   
  • 
  Against all odds, the mysterious "Stone Dwarf" has 
  survived this entire fighting season. Darmov's lost a 
  lot of money on him, and plans to finish him off 
  tonight in spectacular fashion.  
  • 
  The dwarf resides in the gladiator pen beneath the 
  inn. The pen is off-limits to guests: only champions 
  who've proven themselves in the arena may enter.  
  • 
  The dwarf belongs to the mysterious Ludwakazar 
  clan. He's called the "Stone Dwarf" because his 
  people share an elemental bloodline that grants them 
  stony skin.  
  • 
  Anyone can enter tonight's bout as a challenger. 
  Magic is allowed within the pit, but assistance from 
  without is strictly forbidden. Those who overcome 
  the beast share a pot of 400 gp between them.  
   
  Characters seeking an audience with the Stone Dwarf 
  must speak first to Gethmedra Darmov. Eager to see the 
  dwarf perish—and with his final bout so near—Darmov 
  refuses to let the characters meet him until after the 
  show. Even so, she's curious to know why the characters 
  wish to question him, and tries to wheedle any 
  information she can before refusing them.  
  Roleplaying Gethmedra Darmov 
  Darmov dresses in gaudy leathers and lace, and her matted hair 
  is shaved along one side of her head. Her nefarious connections 
  make her a useful catspaw for the nobility, but as a lowborn, 
  she'll never move among them. When she meets the characters, 
  Darmov makes a big show of revealing the head of the last 
  person who insulted her, which currently resides beneath a 
  covered platter at her side.  
   
  Quote: "Think you're some kind of hero? I've seen your kind 
  come and go in here. You all die the same."    
   
  With Darmov stonewalling them, the characters are left 
  with three probable choices; enter the arena to win access 
  to the gladiator's pen, break into the pen before the trial, 
  or wait to see if the dwarf survives. If the players concoct 
  a better plan, be sure to roll with it: there are plenty more 
  challenges yet to come!  
  Mines First, The Pit Fight Second? 
  In some cases the characters are going to be looking for Bhún 
  Ludwakazar aka the Stone Dwarf after they have visited the mines 
  to give him the sword and the message from his brother. Only 
  very minor searching is needed for news of the Stone Dwarf that 
  fights in the area of the Black Blade and Bloody Boar Tavern to 
  reach the characters. Darmov still wants to know why the 
  characters want an audience with him. Concerned that the sword 
  would give the dwarf an edge in the fight she still stonewalls the 
  characters. 
  Faction Assignment: Zhentarim 
  Saerol Danonbryl, a Zhent spy, cautiously approaches any 
  character that is also member of the Zhentarim. 
  Danonbyrl confides that his cover may have been blown, 
  and asks the character to complete a mission in his stead.  
   Poison the Duelist. One of tonight's challengers, the 
  Lantanese duelist Audrec SeTourne, is extorting a noble 
  allied with the Zhentarim. The Zhents have promised that 
  the duelist will die tonight, and have tasked Danonbryl 
  with poisoning him. The spy hands a single dose of pale 
  tincture (Dungeon Master’s Guide, see below) to the 
  character, and urges them to break inside the gladiator's 
  pen and spike SeTourne's water.  
   
   
  
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  9 
  Pale Tincture (Ingested) 
  A creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC 16 
  Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) poison damage and 
  become poisoned. The poisoned creature must repeat the saving 
  throw every 24 hours, taking 3 (1d6) poison damage on every 
  failed save. Until the poisoned condition is removed, any damage 
  dealt by the poison deals can't be healed by any source. After 
  three successful throws, the effect ends and the creature can heal 
  normally.  
  The Boar Pit  
  The "Boar Pit" is no ordinary arena. Deadly puzzles are 
  sprung on the contenders to test their guile during 
  combat.  
   
  Burning torches illuminate a sunken, stone-flagged chamber 
  splattered with blood. A ten-foot tall bronze statue sits cross-
  legged on the floor, its hands gripping an iron casket perched 
  on its head. The statue has no eyes: just two gaping eye sockets. 
  Within the two smaller side-chambers flanking the statue, 
  bronze hands extend from wall plaques, each proffering a 
  gleaming sunstone in its open palm. Above, the crowd jeers 
  through wooden ceiling grates.  
   Eight portcullises ring the arena, providing entry to the 
  common room via individual flights of steps. Large double 
  doors are set into the arena's north and south walls.  
  General Features 
  The arena has the following general features: 
   Ceilings. The arena is 20 feet high throughout.  
   Light. Burning torches provide bright light.  
   Gates. Before each bout begins, the challengers are 
  divided up between the portcullises. If a character 
  volunteers, you should assign them to a random gate.  
   The larger doors lead into the gladiators' pen: one 
  providing entry for this season's champions, and the other 
  for the house's gladiators. Slaves hoist the gates open on 
  Darmov's command. Attempting to force a gate open 
  requires a successful DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check.   
   Statue. If both sunstones are slotted into the statue's 
  eye sockets, it releases its grip on the casket. The casket 
  contains a potion of greater healing, a potion of fire 
  resistance, and a potion of heroism. Climbing the statue 
  to insert the sunstone into a socket requires a successful 
  DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.  
   Sunstones. Each of the outstretched hands in the 
  rooms flanking the statue holds a single sunstone. They 
  are also trapped—weighted down with the sunstone that 
  they hold. Removing a sunstone without simultaneously 
  adding an equivalent amount of weight causes a stream 
  of naphtha to jet from a concealed nozzle in the wall. Any 
  character actively searching the outstretched hand that 
  succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices 
  that the hand is trapped. There are two primary ways that 
  the trap can be dealt with: 
   
  • 
  The characters may judge the correct amount of 
  weight required to prevent the trap from triggering 
  with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) 
  check.  
  • 
  Alternatively, characters proficient with thieves' tools 
  can disable it on a successful DC 15 Dexterity check.  
   
  If not disabled or bypassed, the trap is triggered if the 
  sunstone is removed. Any character adjacent to the hand 
  must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or 
  become soaked in the sticky, flammable liquid. Until it is 
  thoroughly washed off, the character has vulnerability to 
  fire damage.  
  Running the Trial 
  Tonight's trial is split into two parts. In the first, the 
  challengers battle the house's gladiators for a place in the 
  final. Those who survive join this season's champions in a 
  fight against a ferocious monster.  
  Rules of the Boar Pit 
  Only one rule stands in the Boar Pit: no outside 
  assistance. Darmov's loyal mage Devamari - actually a 
  doppelganger - casts detect magic when the bout begins 
  and then moves surreptitiously through the crowd. If 
  trickery is detected, six of Darmov's veterans drag the 
  entire group outside and attack them. In this instance, the 
  guards each wield a pair of cudgels (treat as clubs). If a 
  guard reduces a character to 0 hit points, that character is 
  knocked unconscious and is not in danger of dying. The 
  guards's stat block is modified to read: 
  Multiattack. The veteran’s makes two club attacks. If it wields a 
  club in its off-hand, it can also make a third club attack. 
  Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. 
  Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage. 
  Other Challengers 
  If the characters compete, be sure to feature one or two 
  rival challengers. Treat these NPCs as narrative cannon 
  fodder, fudging rolls as required for dramatic effect. The 
  same applies for the Stone Dwarf when he appears: he 
  should feel like part of the drama, but should never steal 
  the show from the PCs.  
  Stage 1: The Fangs of the Chimera 
  The first stage sees the challengers face off against three 
  boar pit fighters: the so-called "Fangs of the Chimera.”  
  
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  10 
   
  The arena doors grind open, and three muscular gladiators 
  stride into the torchlight. One wears the bloodied head of a 
  goat, another wears the head of a lion, and the last wears the 
  skull of a dragon. The crowd roars as they brandish their 
  weapons: a barbed pike; clawed gauntlets; and a mace with a 
  flaming head.    
   
  The boar pit fighters make good use of their special 
  attacks, and fight as a team. Rival challengers can soak 
  their blows if a character gets into trouble, or rush for the 
  sunstones to provide distraction.  
  Winning the Crowd 
  Any character who delivers a critical hit or killing blow on a 
  gladiator can attempt an immediate DC 12 Charisma 
  (Performance) check to win the backing of the crowd. Characters 
  who succeed on this check gain Inspiration.   
   
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat encounter. 
  These are not cumulative. 
  • 
  Very weak or weak party: Remove one boar pit fighter 
  • 
  Strong or very strong party: Add one boar pit fighter 
  Stage 2: Release the Beast! 
  Once the boar pit fighters are defeated, Darmov 
  introduces this season's champion: Bhún Ludwakazar, 
  the celebrated Stone Dwarf.  
   
  With a fanfare of horns, the second set of doors swings open. A 
  grey-skinned dwarf strides forward, wielding a sharpened stone 
  axe. The crowd begins to chant: "Stone Dwarf! Stone Dwarf! 
  Stone Dwarf!"    
   
  If one or more characters are present in the arena, Bhún 
  growls that he has no quarrel with them: all those who 
  triumph against the beast shall share the prize. Audrec 
  SeTourney may be with Bhún, depending on the players' 
  actions (if no characters are allied with the Zhentarim, he 
  shouldn't feature at all).  
   
  A crescendo of drums is heard, and the first pair of doors grinds 
  open again. Flames belch from within, and a winged, leonine 
  beast pounces into the arena. The monster has three snarling 
  heads: one of a lion, one of a goat and one of a dragon.  
   
  The chimera fights to the death. If Bhún Ludwakazar 
  faces the beast alone, he fights valiantly but is soon slain. 
  To everyone's surprise, his body quickly crumbles into 
  dust. If there are more than 2 characters joining Bhún in 
  the fight, then Darmov adds two lions. 
  Developments 
  Characters who survive the arena are celebrated as 
  champions. A clearly-frustrated Darmov presents their 
  prize (400gp), and the combatants are ushered into the 
  gladiators' pen. The characters may now talk to Bhún 
  Ludwakazar (see below). If you used the "Blood for the 
  Boar Pit" hook, Darmov shrugs off responsibility for 
  drugging them, saying they've cost her more than enough 
  to settle the score. 
  XP Award 
  If the naphtha trap is disabled or bypassed, award each 
  player 150 XP. 
  Treasure 
  A pot of 400 gold is shared between the survivors. If the 
  characters placed the sunstones into the statue's eye 
  sockets, they are able to retrieve a potion of greater 
  healing, a potion of fire resistance, and a potion of 
  heroism—less whatever they used during the trial. 
   In addition, champions are granted free food, drink and 
  lodging at the Black Blade and Bloody Boar for the next 
  three months (90 days of comfortable lifestyle expenses).  
  Breaking into the Gladiator Pen 
  The gladiator pens are located underneath the inn.  
  Gladiators' Entrance     
  A locked door enters the pens from the common room. A 
  veteran stands outside the door, making entry impossible 
  unless he is somehow distracted or duped. The key is 
  fastened to a ring on his belt. Any attempt to pick the lock 
  from the common room (a successful DC 15 Dexterity 
  check is necessary to unlock) is reported to the guards.  
  Moving through the Pens   
  The arena map shows the gladiator pens. Slaves report 
  intruders to Darmov, but are easily avoided if the 
  characters stick to the shadows. Due to the dim light, a 
  character has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks 
  (the slaves’ passive Perception scores are 9). Darmov 
  responds in force to trespassers, sending Devamari and 
  eight veterans to investigate. If a fight erupts before the 
  bout, the boar pit fighters join in after 1d4 + 2 rounds. 
  Captive characters are thrown into the arena for sport.  
  
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  11 
  Bhún's Quarters 
  If approached, Bhún Ludwakazar talks freely (see 
  "Talking to Bhún Ludwakazar", below). He has no loyalty 
  to Darmov, and doesn't call for the guards unless 
  threatened. He also warns the characters that the statue 
  and the hands with the sun stones is a trap. He does not 
  know how it operates just that if the trap is disabled the 
  box in the statues hands has items that can help you. If 
  the characters search his quarters while he's away, they 
  discover a letter addressed to his brother (Player Handout 
  1).  
  Audrec’s Quarters 
  The water jug is located in the antechamber just outside 
  Audrec SeTourney's chamber. To poison the water, a 
  character must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) 
  check. If this check fails, Audrec—a rival challenger—is 
  alerted to the intrusion and moves to investigate. Audrec 
  isn't present if none of the characters are members of the 
  Zhentarim.  
  Poisoning the Water 
  If he is poisoned, Audrec quickly perishes in the arena. Stress 
  Audrec's evil nature: he's known for turning on fellow gladiators 
  to claim the pot for himself, and has murdered plenty of 
  innocents in arranged "duels of honor". Play the duelist with 
  enough swagger and the players might be pleased to see him die.  
  Talking to Bhún Ludwakazar 
  If the adventurers speak with Bhún Ludwakazar, he 
  provides the following information: 
   
  • 
  The Ludwakazar clan is angry with the city for 
  mining in its territory. After refusing many requests 
  for parley, the city's noble lords chose to stake their 
  claim with force.  
  • 
  Falling Stone Mine was built around the mystical 
  Chamber of Falling Stones. Hundreds of years ago, 
  the Ludwakazar clan drove the worshippers of an 
  elemental god from the Chamber and vowed to 
  defend it until the end of time.  
  • 
  Elemental spirits are entombed in the Chamber as 
  guardians. The dwarves fear that the miners might 
  accidentally harm them.  
  • 
  Bhún's brother Iorn is the king of the Ludwakazar 
  clan. The two brothers fell out long ago, and Bhún 
  was exiled from the clan. Now he yearns for a death 
  that will win him glory in the afterlife.  
   
   
  Bhún asks the characters to deliver a letter of 
  reconciliation to his brother (Player Handout 1). He 
  assures them the letter will serve as proof they come in 
  peace, and allow them to negotiate terms for a truce. If 
  you used the "Blood for the Pit" hook, Bhún promises 
  them his season's winnings as payment for the letter's 
  safe delivery (1000 gp). To reach the clan's hold, the 
  characters must pass Falling Stone Mine.  
  Roleplaying Bhún Ludwakazar 
  Like the rest of his clan, Bhún Ludwakazar has hardened gray 
  skin with rocky callouses around his shoulders, forearms, and 
  brow. His dialect is difficult to comprehend, and his emotions 
  are imponderable. He speaks in concise sentences, with 
  unusually long pauses between each statement.  
   
  Quote: "City people. So quick to forget. There's evil under those 
  mountains. Evil long forgotten. " 
  Darmov’s Spy 
  If the characters fought in the arena, Darmov sends 
  Devamari to spy on their meeting invisibly. With 
  advantage, check Devamari's Dexterity (Stealth) against 
  the party's highest passive Perception score. If he fails, 
  the character overhears someone moving nearby, and 
  Devamari quickly retreats. If he wins, Devamari reports 
  back to Darmov, and she makes plans to rob the 
  characters on their return from the mine. 
  
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  12 
  Part 2: The North Road 
  Falling Stone Mine is situated in the Earthspur 
  Mountains, roughly 90 miles southeast of Mulmaster. The 
  characters trek along the North Road for 50 miles, and 
  then strike off along a meandering track known as the 
  Ore Path. In total, the journey takes five days on foot.  
  The Fire on the Threshold Inn 
  Situated in the foothills, the "Fire on the Threshold" is 
  the last friendly inn that travelers encounter before 
  embarking along the mountainous Ore Path.  
  A lofty drinking hall stands at the roadside. Warm lights blaze 
  from the windows, and the smell of roasting boar wafts from 
  within. A pride of griffons lounges on the inn's thatched roof, 
  staring at you with interest.       
   
  The inn caters to woodsmen and rangers. The griffons 
  are loyal to visiting rangers, who keep them fed so they 
  won't feast on the patrons' horses. Characters that spend 
  the evening at the inn learn the following rumors:  
   
  • 
  Travelers heading into the mountains are warned to 
  be wary, as yetis from the Glacier of the White Worm 
  have been rampaging through the area.  
  • 
  Blizzards have cut off Falling Stone Mine. Soldiers 
  from the city came to investigate, but it's not known 
  what they found. The soldiers' cart was spotted 
  heading home a few nights back.  
  • 
  The griffons have recently been ill-at-ease. Rangers 
  returning from the highlands have spotted winged 
  creatures circling over the mine.  
   
  If the characters enquire about riding the griffons, they're 
  told that only riders who have "proven themselves to the 
  mountain" are accepted. At this stage, it seems the 
  characters are not worthy.  
  Faction Assignment: Harpers  
  Run this encounter if there are characters allied with the 
  Harpers. While the group is talking with the locals, a 
  nearby half-elf flashes the Harpers' symbol and beckons 
  the characters closer. He introduces himself as Sirge 
  Wintermelt, a ranger allied with the Harpers. Characters 
  who participated in DDEX1-9 Outlaws of the Iron Route 
  may have freed Sirge from captivity at King's Pyre.  
   The Harpers want the characters to free any captive or 
  enslaved miners they find within the Falling Stone Mine. 
  Mulmaster's noble lords exile their enemies to the mine, 
  and many of these exiled slaves are bound to have 
  information useful to the Harpers. Sirge has business 
  elsewhere, but asks the characters to investigate the mine 
  if they're headed that way. Characters allied with the 
  Harpers gain the following faction assignment.   
   Rescue the Miners. The Harpers won't stand for 
  slavery! They ask that the characters free at least ten 
  miners from captivity.  
  Howls in the Blizzard 
  The Ore Path cuts along icy cliffs, and is especially 
  treacherous in bad weather. Storms roll in soon after the 
  characters leave the inn, and persist for a tenday. Due to 
  the terrible weather, each character must succeed on a 
  DC 12 Constitution saving throw or gain 1d4 levels of 
  exhaustion for the journey (characters ill-equipped for the 
  cold have disadvantage on this roll).  
   Throughout the trek, the mountains echo with the 
  howls of yetis. As the characters approach the mine, the 
  yetis close in for the kill. After an arduous day of climbing, 
  the characters are fatigued and freezing: exactly as the 
  yetis prefer them.  
   
  Up ahead, an icy rope bridge arches over a deep gorge. The 
  slope rises sharply on one side of the trail, and drops into a 
  sheer cliff on the other. As you take in the sight, bloodcurdling 
  howls echo from above and an ominous rumbling is heard. It's 
  an avalanche! 
   
  Allow the players a single round to react, and then hit 
  them with the avalanche. Diving for cover requires a 
  successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. All 
  characters must then succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity 
  saving throw to avoid being buried. Characters who 
  sought out cover or performed some other deserving 
  action makes this saving throw with advantage. 
  Characters that fail the saving throw take 22 (4d10) 
  bludgeoning damage and are restrained until they 
  succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. Any 
  unattended horses, pack animals and carts are 
  automatically swept over the cliff and dashed on the rocks 
  200ft. below. Once the avalanche has passed, two yetis 
  descend on the survivors.  
  
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  13 
  Tactics 
  The yetis charge the group, attempting to block the trail 
  on both sides. If any enemies are paralyzed by the yeti's 
  chilling gaze, the yeti attempts to hurl them over the cliff 
  on its next turn.  
  Arrival of the Ludwakazars 
  Assuming the characters triumph, the smell of blood soon 
  draws more yetis. Luckily, the Ludawakazar dwarves are 
  camped nearby, and respond swiftly to the sound of 
  conflict.  
   
  The yetis' blood is still warm on the snow when you hear more 
  howls echoing down the mountainside. A larger group of shaggy 
  monsters closes in for the kill, but the sudden sound of horns 
  drives them away. Looking to the far side of the gorge, you see a 
  band of rocky-skinned dwarves armed with flint axes and 
  hammers. At their head, a stern dwarf woman leads an eight-
  legged reptile on a silver chain.  
   
  The captain, a dwarf warrior called Lherzona, has orders 
  to stop anyone from crossing the gorge to Falling Stone 
  Mine. The trained basilisk at her side belongs to her 
  father, King Iorn Ludwakazar. There are ten dwarves in 
  her war band.  
   Play up the tension in this scene. Lherzona has little 
  time for lowlanders, and deals with them brusquely. If the 
  characters prove willing to help, Lherzona reluctantly 
  takes them to her father. Those who present Bhún 
  Ludwakazar's letter are escorted to the king at once.  
  The Dying King 
  After their initial assault failed, the dwarves retreated to a 
  nearby cave to attend their dying king.  
   
  A low cave slices through the mountainside. Roughly a dozen 
  dwarves are huddled inside, many nursing injuries. Near the 
  middle of the group, a black-bearded dwarf lies on a rocky slab, 
  his arms wrapped around an ancient sword. His body appears 
  to be turning to stone, and merging with the rock beneath.    
   
  The Ludwakazar dwarves return to the earth when they 
  die. King Iorn has suffered a mortal blow, and no magic 
  can save him now the change has begun. After Lherzona 
  explains to Iorn that the characters are here to help, he 
  imparts the following information: 
   
   
   
  • 
  A medusa and her retinue of gargoyles have 
  conquered Falling Stone Mine and enslaved the 
  miners. The medusa is using the slaves to unearth 
  and destroy the dwarves' elemental guardians.  
  • 
  The Chamber of Falling Stones was once a place of 
  worship for the Cults of Elemental Evil. The medusa 
  plans to channel the stones to commune with the 
  Elemental Lords.  
  • 
  The dwarves entered the mine to awaken their 
  guardians, but were beaten back. The dwarves 
  cannot abandon their king, but in doing so they risk 
  the guardians' destruction.  
   
  The king asks the characters to enter the mine and 
  awaken his guardians. Llerzona and her warriors refuse 
  to abandon their king, so the characters must go on their 
  own. Assuming the characters accept, Lherzona provides 
  a sketch map of the mine: give the players Player 
  Handout 2. To awaken the guardians, the special 
  command words written on the map must be spoken at 
  each site marked. If any characters are suffering from 
  exhaustion, Lherzona gives them a fiery dwarven spirit 
  that immediately dispels the condition.  
  Bhún's Letter 
  If the king is given Bhún Ludwakazar's letter, he is clearly 
  moved. He tearfully asks the characters to hurry back 
  once they're done inside the mine, as he may have 
  another task for them.  
  Roleplaying Iorn Ludwakazar 
  Iorn Ludwakazar is known as a shrewd but stubborn ruler. The 
  young king dresses in black chainmail, and wears a magic belt of 
  dwarvenkind. As death grips him, the futility of his sibling feud 
  has dawned, and he yearns to reconcile with his brother. For 
  once, Iorn is willing to trust in the goodness of strangers; though 
  in truth, he has few other options left.  
   
  Quote: "The stones call for me. Forgive my failings, forefathers, 
  and grant me a seat in your Stony Hall. " 
  Faction Assignment: Emerald Enclave 
  Any character with training in the Nature skill recognizes 
  the command words on Player Handout 2 as druidic 
  words of power. Characters allied with the Emerald 
  Enclave now gain the benefit following faction 
  assignment: 
   Protect the Guardians. The guardians are powerful 
  primal beings that must be preserved. The Emerald 
  Enclave applauds the characters spare any such creatures 
  they come across.  
   
   
  
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  14 
  Part 3: Falling Stone 
  Mine 
  The mine is located just half a mile from where the 
  dwarves are camped.  
   
  The trail ascends to a sleepy mining camp cradled in the arms of 
  the mountains. To the west, a mine cart track enters a dark 
  tunnel in the mountainside. A storage shed stands nearby, with 
  wooden barrels and crates piled around it. A second tunnel 
  opens into the cliff some thirty feet above the shed.  
   To the east, a two-story winch house stands next to a simple 
  stables. Meltwater crashes down the cliff to drive a waterwheel 
  fixed to the side of the winch house.  
   
  The mining camp looks operational, but no workers are 
  present. Give them Player Handout 3, and let them 
  explore the area. Build the tension, but keep things 
  moving briskly: the real danger lies below.  
   There are three ways into the mine: the winch house 
  elevator (area 1), the west stairs (area 4), and the mine 
  cart track (area 5). Each entrance leads to a different area 
  of the mine.  
  Falling Stone Mine 
  On normal days, miners extract iron from the rich lodes 
  surrounding the Chamber of Falling Stones, which is 
  then smelted into ingots in the underground foundry. 
  Under the medusa's yoke, the miners toil to unearth the 
  Chamber's buried guardians.  
  General Features 
  Surfaces in the mine are formed of deep purple ores, with 
  rusty patches where water seeps through the rock.  
   Ceilings. Ceilings are 10 feet high inside tunnels, rising 
  to 40 feet inside rooms. Tunnels are 5 to 10ft wide.  
   Visibility. The mine is poorly lit, with steam and smoke 
  clouding the air. Due to the bad visibility, Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks based on sight are made with 
  disadvantage.  
   Sound. The mine echoes to a cacophony of picks, 
  clanking chains and bubbling molten iron. Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks based on hearing are made with 
  disadvantage. If combat ensues, enemies outside the area 
  are not alerted.  
   Ore Buckets. A waterwheel drives a chain of ore 
  buckets in a counter-clockwise circuit from the dressing 
  mill (area 6) to the blast furnaces in the foundry (area 8). 
  While passing through rooms, wooden pylons suspend 
  the buckets 30 feet above the floor. Each ore bucket can 
  safely hide one Medium-size creature.  
   River. An underground river churns through the mine. 
  The current is too sluggish to present a hazard to 
  swimmers, and the rusty sediment grants advantage to 
  anyone attempting to hide beneath the surface.  
   Statues. The petrified bodies of the medusa's victims 
  are spread throughout the mine: mostly miners and dwarf 
  warriors. Broken gargoyles are heaped around the 
  dwarves who fought hardest.     
  Encountering the Medusa  
  The medusa doesn't reside in any fixed position on the 
  map: instead, she moves around. To determine her 
  starting location, roll 1d6 when the characters first enter 
  the mine.  
   
  Medusa Location 
  1d6 
  Location 
  1 
  Dressing Mill (6). The medusa has lined up the miners 
  present here, and is petrifying those who displease her.  
  2 
  Overseer’s Office (7). The medusa rants to her flesh 
  golems about her impending glory.  
  3 
  Foundry (8). The medusa condemns a miner to drown 
  in molten iron.  
  4 
  Northwest Tunnels. The medusa whips the miners into 
  working harder.  
  5 
  Chamber of Falling Stones (9). The medusa prays to 
  Ogrémoch for a sign that can lead her to the remaining 
  guardians.  
  6 
  Southeast Tunnels. The gargoyles hunt down a miner 
  that the medusa finds attractive, with orders to bring 
  her his eyes.  
   
  The medusa rides her nightmare steed to a new area 
  every ten minutes. If she enters the character's vicinity, 
  roll to see if she surprises them. Avoid gatecrashing 
  combat, and instead have her hang back and observe 
  from hiding: her preferred tactic being to ambush 
  individual characters and then retreat into the gloom. If 
  cornered, she fights to the death.  
  
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  15 
  Treasure 
  On her person, the medusa carries a gold necklace carved 
  like a serpent (100 gp), a jade bracer (100 gp), and the key 
  to the treasure chest in the overseer's office (Area 7). She 
  also carries an ancient hieroglyphic tablet detailing the 
  cult history of the Chamber of Falling Stones.  
  Roleplaying the Medusa 
  Atia Scorvo was a tyrannical Chessentan queen whose beauty 
  was so great that no suitor could please her. To find the perfect 
  husband, she executed her most attractive subjects and had their 
  finest features sewn together onto new bodies. For her cruelty, 
  the gods condemned her to an eternity as a medusa.  
   
  Atia wears a long dress of finest crocodile skin, and her hair is 
  a writing mass of cobras. In her vanity, she demands that her 
  victims glorify her before she turns them to stone. Those who 
  eloquently laud her can sometimes delay their doom, but never 
  for long. Atia delights in betrayal, sometimes offering her 
  captives the opportunity for alliance before callously destroying 
  them.  
   
  Quote: "Am I not beautiful?" 
  Rescuing the Miners 
  As shown on the map, teams of enslaved miners toil 
  throughout the mine. The miners are shackled to heavy 
  ball-and-chains, but can use their tools free themselves if 
  their gargoyle overseers are distracted. Gargoyles 
  encountered outside the numbered locations can be 
  safety engaged without alerting others nearby.  
   The miners are terrified of the medusa and desperate to 
  escape. Rallying the miners to stay behind and fight the 
  gargoyles requires a successful DC 20 Charisma 
  (Persuasion) check.  
  Faction Assignment: Order of the 
  Gauntlet 
  The first miners rescued plead for the characters to 
  liberate the shrine to Grumbar (Area 10). The miners are 
  terrified of the Earthlord, and fear he shall curse them for 
  abandoning his shrine. Characters allied with the Order 
  of the Gauntlet now gain the following assignment:  
   Sanctify the Shrine. The Ludwakazars' ancient shrine 
  to Grumbar must be liberated from evil. In order to satisfy 
  the requirements of this assignment, the characters must 
  remove the bloody symbol of Ogremóch from the column 
  in Area 10. 
  Waking the Guardians 
  The guardians, two galeb duhrs, are buried in the 
  locations marked on the map. Each guardian rests in an 
  enchanted torpor, its mental energies focused on 
  suppressing the elemental energy of the comet shards. 
  The medusa has destroyed the guardian marked "Ijol" on 
  the player's map, but has not yet located the others.  
   When the correct command word is spoken near a 
  guardian, it bursts from the ground and immediately rolls 
  off to defend the mine from inhuman interlopers. The 
  guardian moves to the nearest numbered area and fights 
  any gargoyles present, granting the miners an opportunity 
  to break free and escape. If the characters are not 
  present, assume that each guardian can destroy six 
  gargoyles before it is destroyed. Gargoyles that the 
  guardians destroy still count towards the group's 
  experience points.  
   A guardian that survives its battle rolls off to the next 
  nearest numbered location. Only the character who 
  awakened the guardian may command it; using gestures 
  if they cannot speak Terran. Once the mine is cleared of 
  enemies, the guardians retreat underground.  
  Return of the Dwarves 
  If you are running behind schedule, have Lherzona and her war 
  band reenter the mine to aid the characters. Use the dwarves to 
  awaken a remaining guardian, or mop up the gargoyles once the 
  characters have defeated the medusa.  
  1. Winch House 
  The mine's main shaft opens beneath the winch house, 
  dropping 500 feet to the foundry (Area 8). The 
  waterwheel at the side of the building drives a giant 
  windlass, which hoists processed ore up from the foundry 
  on an elevator platform. The windlass, unloading bay and 
  elevator comprise the lower story of the winch house.  
   The upper story contains a bunkroom, mess hall and 
  kitchen. Everything is laid out as though the mine was 
  hastily abandoned: food festers on plates, cutlery is 
  scattered on the floor, and the miners' meagre belongings 
  are still present under their bunks.  
  Operating the Elevator 
  The elevator platform is currently raised to the winch 
  house. The platform is twenty feet across, and can safely 
  support up to thirty miners. A single railing is all that 
  stands between the passengers and the long drop to the 
  foundry floor.  
   
   
  
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  16 
   A lever in the winch house controls the elevator. Once 
  the lever is set, it takes five full minutes for the platform to 
  traverse the length of the shaft. A bell at the bottom of the 
  shaft is used to signal the winch house from below.  
   The elevator hasn't been used in over a week, and a 
  black pudding has taken up residence halfway down the 
  shaft. As the elevator passes, the pudding slurps onto the 
  platform and attacks any characters present. For each 
  round it remains on the platform, its corrosive form burns 
  through two inches of woodwork. After six rounds, the 
  platform disintegrates and its passengers fall to the 
  foundry floor 200 feet below. Falling characters have a 
  single chance to grab hold of the elevator cable with a 
  successful DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or they 
  plunge to near-certain doom.  
  2. Stables 
  The stables contain the ice-draped statues of five tethered 
  horses, which the medusa cruelly turned to stone as they 
  reared up in panic. A cart is parked nearby, loaded with 
  iron ingots bound for Mulmaster.  
  Treasure 
  The iron ingots are worth 150 gp in total, but the 
  characters would need to find an ox to pull the cart to 
  market. Of greater value are the contents of the knapsack 
  slung inside the cart: four lustrous carnelian gemstones 
  worth a total 50 gp.  
  3. Storehouse 
  This storehouse holds mining equipment and supplies. 
  Barrels of water and sacks of coal for the foundry are 
  stacked outside.  
  Halfling Survivor 
  A character entering the building soon discovers that 
  someone has been sleeping here.  
   
  Towards the rear of the room, a lone storage locker stands 
  conspicuously ajar. Inside you see scattered food scraps, a half-
  full pail of water, and a mangy fur blanket. Someone has been 
  sleeping here! 
   
  The miners' halfling cook hid his daughter in the locker 
  when the gargoyles first attacked. Eleven year-old Lupe 
  Berrypip has been hiding out ever since. She saw the 
  investigating soldiers die, and is convinced her father 
  suffered the same fate below. Unable to flee the camp due 
  to the blizzards, she has become expert at avoiding the 
  gargoyle's patrols.  
   Lupe is out scavenging for food when the characters 
  arrive. She's wary of strangers, but is mainly worried 
  they'll alert the gargoyles to her hiding place. If the 
  characters speak with her, she reveals the following 
  information: 
   
  • 
  The medusa enslaved the miners and led them under 
  the mountain. The soldiers that came to investigate 
  were ambushed and turned to stone.  
  • 
  The medusa demands to be addressed as "Queen 
  Scorvo". On hearing this, any character proficient in 
  History can recall Atia Scorvo's legend on a 
  successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check.  
  • 
  The medusa toys with her male victims, asking them 
  to describe her beauty before turning them to stone. 
  Those who impress her are sometimes offered a stay 
  of execution.  
  • 
  The medusa rides a demonic steed, and is sometimes 
  accompanied by two monstrous warriors stitched 
  together from body parts.  
   
  Lupe knows the mine's three entrances, and can explain 
  where they lead underground. She's unaware that her 
  father Ombul still lives, and is being held captive in the 
  Chamber of Falling Stones (area 9). 
  XP Award 
  If the Ombul and Lupe are safely reunited, award each 
  character 300 XP.  
  4. West Stairs 
  This entrance is located 30 feet above ground. Inside, the 
  tunnel terminates in a disused mine shaft that drops 500 
  feet to the Chamber of Falling Stones (area 9).  
   
  A deep mine shaft yawns before you. Peering down, you see 
  dozens of disused tunnels corkscrewing off in all directions, 
  linked by rocky steps. Muddy water cascades from the walls, 
  coating the staircase in spray.  
   
   Slippery Steps. Characters without climbing gear must 
  make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check every 100 
  feet, or slip and lose their footing. Allow the character a 
  DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to catch hold; if they fail, 
  grant each adjacent character a DC 15 Strength 
  (Athletics) check to catch them before they fall.  
   Mine Tunnels. The disused tunnels exiting the main 
  shaft are dead-ends.  
  
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  17 
  Land Shark Quake 
  The shaft passes through the hunting grounds of the 
  bulettes (see area 5). If these monsters are alive, they 
  burrow past as the characters are halfway down the shaft. 
  This encounter occurs only once.  
   
  The walls shake and an ominous rumbling is heard. As the 
  rumbling gets louder, sections of staircase begin crumbling into 
  the shaft around you!  
   
  Each character must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity 
  saving throw to avoid danger; if failed on an even result, 
  falling rocks strike the character for 22 (4d10) 
  bludgeoning damage. If failed on an odd result, the 
  character slips and falls (grant the same chances to catch 
  hold as above). Once everyone has rolled, the bulettes 
  burrow away.  
   
  The mine shaft suddenly bulges outward, as though something 
  huge has burrowed past underground. A muffled roar is heard, 
  and the rumbling recedes.  
  5. Mine Cart Track 
  Parallel tracks enter the mine from the surface, with a 
  pair of mine carts parked in the tunnel mouth. The track 
  loops through the tunnels to terminate at the foundry 
  (area 8), passing through the dressing mill on route (area 
  6). Each cart holds three Medium-sized or smaller 
  characters, and is controlled with a simple hand brake. 
  Oil lanterns are fixed to the fronts of the carts.  
  Mine Cart Chase 
  The vibrations of the carts passing through these tunnels 
  soon attract a pair of hungry bulettes. With the guardian 
  at Area 6b destroyed, the comet's unbound energy has 
  drawn the land sharks like moths to a flame. The 
  remaining guardians prevent the monsters from entering 
  the lower levels, so these tunnels have become their 
  hunting grounds.  
   
  Suddenly the tunnel shakes and rock dust seeps from the 
  ceiling. With a sound like breaking thunder, two heavily scaled 
  fins burst from the floor behind and pave their way toward you. 
  As the beasts approach, the tunnel collapses in their wake.  
   
  The bulettes's wake brings the tunnel down on any 
  characters that stand and fight, so the only sensible 
  option is to escape on the mine carts. If the characters 
  ignored the carts at the surface, there are more parked in 
  the tunnel. The carts quickly pick up speed, and are soon 
  careening down the tunnel with the bulettes in close 
  pursuit.  
  Chase Effects 
  To manage the chase, roll on the following table for 
  each occupied cart at the start of the round. This 
  determines a shared effect that is applied to each 
  passenger at the start of their turn.  
   
  Chase Effects 
  1d6 
  Effect 
  1 
  Sharp turn. Characters must succeed on a DC 10 
  Dexterity saving throw or fall prone in the cart, missing 
  their turn.  
  2 
  Downgrade. The cart briefly accelerates away from the 
  bulettes, preventing melee attacks this round. If a 
  character uses their action to pull the brake, the 
  bulettes close in for the remainder of the round.  
  3 
  Low ceiling. Characters must succeed on a DC 14 
  Dexterity saving throw or take 16 (3d10) bludgeoning 
  damage.  
  4 
  Higher tracks. Characters can use their action to leap 
  onto another cart. Doing so requires a DC 15 Dexterity 
  (Acrobatics) check: if the character fails, they fall prone 
  in their own cart.  
  5     
  Steam vents. Characters must succeed on a DC 10 
  Constitution saving throw or take 11 (2d10) fire 
  damage and be blinded until the end of their turn.  
  6 
  Sweeping bends. Any chasing bulettes are forced to 
  burrow alongside the cart to keep up. Attacks made 
  against the bulettes this round have advantage.  
   
  The pursuing bulettes must burrow at full speed to keep 
  up with the carts. They remain at melee range throughout 
  unless specified otherwise.  
  Bulette Tactics 
  On the monsters' turn, each pursuing bulette bursts from 
  the ground to bite one of the cart passengers. If it hits, 
  half the damage is also applied to the mine cart (see 
  below). If the bulette chooses deadly leap, it smashes onto 
  the cart and immediately tumbles off again. This attack 
  can't push passengers overboard, but deals full damage to 
  the cart in addition to the damage it deals to the 
  passengers. After using deadly leap, the bulette must 
  spend a full round to catch up with the cart.  
   
   
  
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  18 
  Mine Cart Damage 
  Each mine cart can withstand 50 hit points of damage 
  before it derails. If it derails, all passengers take 11 
  (2d10) bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone in an 
  empty space outside the cart. Crashes always occur in 
  wider sections of tunnel, so the bulettes' seismic wake 
  doesn't cause the ceiling to collapse as they close for the 
  kill. Characters whose carts are destroyed are able to find 
  another on another, nearby section of track. 
  5b: Chasm 
  The chase ends here after 10 rounds of combat. The 
  characters' carts rattle over the bridge, and any pursuing 
  land sharks tumble into the chasm beneath them. After a 
  few seconds, the carts emerge in the dressing mill (area 
  6).  
  6. Dressing Mill 
  Mined ore is broken into manageable chunks in the 
  dressing mill prior to transportation to the foundry.  
   
  Work tables laden with broken ore are spaced around this 
  chamber. Mine cart tracks sweep from north to south, and a 
  clanking procession of ore barrels crosses the chamber on a 
  ceiling chain. To the west, a large archway opens into the 
  foundry, while east is a heavy wooden door labeled "Overseer".  
   
  Four gargoyles whip a team of miners working on the 
  northern rock face. If intruders are spotted, the gargoyles 
  move to attack. There are eight slaves in the work team.  
  Features of the Area  
  The following features are present in this area: 
   Ore Buckets. The buckets are suspended just a couple 
  of feet above ground here, making them easy to board.  
   Mine Cart Track. The tracks briefly level before 
  plunging into the southern tunnel. If the characters enter 
  on mine carts, a gargoyle switches their tracks onto an 
  empty siding. If the cart is traveling at speed, the 
  character holding the brake must succeed on a DC 15 
  Dexterity saving throw to stop the cart before it violently 
  derails.   
  6b: Broken Guardian 
  The medusa has located one of the guardians, which now 
  lies in ruin at the end of this tunnel.  
   
  The tunnel ends in a pile of rubble. The miners' excavations 
  have unearthed a hulking humanoid form buried in the rock. Its 
  stony body is ruined, with gaping holes hacked into its face and 
  chest.  
   
  The guardian is long dead; ambushed and destroyed 
  before it could shrug off its magical torpor.  
  7. Overseer’s Office 
  The medusa has claimed the overseer's office as her own. 
  While she patrols the mine, she leaves her beloved 
  golems here to guard her treasure.  
   
  This low-ceilinged chamber is furnished as an office. A desk 
  scattered with parchments stands near the far wall, with a small 
  iron chest underneath.  
   
  The two flesh golems stand motionless to either side of 
  the door, waiting to ambush any intruders that enter here. 
  One golem forces the door shut as it attacks: while it 
  remains in the way, any character trying to force their way 
  in from outside must first beat the golem in a Strength 
  contest. If the character attempts to smash through, the 
  door has AC 15 and 25 hit points.  
  Features of the Area  
  The following features are present in the office: 
   Parchments. These letters contain sensitive business 
  correspondence between the mine overseer and his 
  masters in the Lords' Alliance (these are the documents 
  Groshin Lor asked his allies to retrieve).  
   Iron Chest. This locked chest contains the medusa's 
  treasure (see below). If a character tries lifting the catch, a 
  bolt of electricity arcs from the lock and deals 22 (4d10) 
  lightning damage, with a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw 
  for half damage. The trap can be identified and disabled 
  with two successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) checks. 
  The medusa carries the key on her person; if the key is 
  used, the chest can be opened safely.  
  Treasure 
  The chest contains a painting of Queen Scorvo before her 
  transformation into a medusa (250 gp), a silver hairnet 
  (50 gp), a copper chalice engraved with an image of 
  Queen Scorvo's court (50 gp), and 50 gp. 
  
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  19 
  8. Foundry 
  Ore from the bucket chain is tipped into furnaces in the 
  foundry, where it is smelted into molten iron.  
   
  Rippling heat distorts your view of this chamber. Three giant 
  stone smelters, each carved like a human head, loom along the 
  western wall. A suspended chain of ore buckets passes directly 
  over the smelters, where waiting slaves use hooks to tip the 
  unprocessed ore into the fires within. Molten iron dribbles from 
  the smelters' pursed mouths and flushes into an enormous vat 
  of bubbling metal that stretches the length of the chamber.  
   An underground river worms beneath the giant smelters before 
  disappearing down a tunnel to the southwest. At the river's 
  northern end, a waterwheel drives the clattering bucket chain. 
  Just nearby, a mine shaft rises out of the chamber, with an iron 
  bell fixed to the wall at its base.  
   To the east, rough-hewn steps ascend to an archway in the rock 
  face. Mine cart tracks enter the chamber to the southeast, and 
  terminate in a pair of dead-end sidings. A large archway in the 
  southern wall opens into a chamber bathed in green light.  
   
  Five gargoyles supervise the slaves inside this chamber. 
  If a gargoyle spots an enemy, it shrieks to its allies and 
  they attack together. There are twelve slaves working 
  under the gargoyles.    
  Features of the Area  
  The following features are present in the foundry: 
   Balcony. The rocky balcony is 30 feet high, and has no 
  railings.  
   Bucket Chain. The medusa's slaves continue to 
  process ore; if only to clear space for her ongoing 
  excavations. If a slave tips a bucket containing a hiding 
  character, grant the character a DC 12 Dexterity save to 
  catch hold before they plunge into the smelter.  
   Elevator Shaft. The mine shaft connects to the winch 
  house 500ft. above (area 1). Under normal 
  circumstances, the bell is used to call for the elevator 
  platform.  
   Lake of Molten Iron. A creature forced into the lake 
  takes 44 (8d10) fire damage on entry, and again at the 
  start of every turn they remain inside. If they escape, the 
  molten metal clinging to their body deals 11 (2d10) fire 
  damage at the start of each of their turns for 1d3 rounds.  
   Smelters. The smelters are 30 feet high, with ladders 
  fixed to their rear sides. Characters who scale the 
  smelters can easily board the bucket chain; any gargoyles 
  present spot them. A creature that falls into a smelter or 
  start their turn within one takes 22 (4d10) fire damage. 
  9. Chamber of Falling Stones 
  The comet's floating shards dominate this chamber.  
   
  A domed chamber opens before you. Five shards of rock hover 
  in the middle of the chamber, honeycombed with crystals that 
  bathe the walls in otherworldly green light. The shards hang in 
  an ascending spiral, with the lowest shard hovering just five feet 
  above the floor.  
   A mess of wooden gantries, ladders and scaffolding chutes 
  clings to the southern wall. Ore buckets sweep through this 
  section on a ceiling chain before disappearing into a tunnel high 
  in the northeast wall. Two mine tunnels exit to the southeast at 
  gantry-level.  
   A rust-colored river hugs the western perimeter of the chamber 
  before striking off to the southwest. Crude wooden bridges span 
  the river to access a second pair of mine tunnels in the western 
  wall.  
   
  Six gargoyles guard this chamber. On the uppermost 
  comet shard, one of the gargoyles watches over five 
  hogtied captives. If the slaves revolt, this gargoyle has 
  orders to hurl the captives one-by-one to their doom.  
   In total, twenty workers hammer away at the southern 
  rock face. One of these workers is Ombul Berrypip, 
  father to the halfling survivor hiding out in the storehouse 
  (area 2).  
  Features of the Area 
  The following features are present in the chamber:  
   Comet Shards. Elemental energy keeps the shards 
  aloft, and hardens the skins of anyone who stands on 
  them. While a character remains in contact with a shard, 
  they gain resistance to damage from nonmagical weapons 
  and immunity to petrification. Characters must succeed 
  on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check to leap from shard 
  to shard.    
   Bucket Chain. The bucket chain is easily boarded from 
  the gantry section. Characters riding the buckets from the 
  northwest pass within 10 feet of the captives held on the 
  uppermost comet shard. Leaping from the buckets onto 
  the shard requires a successful DC 15 Strength 
  (Athletics) check.  
   Gantries. The gantries are 30 feet high and crowded 
  with slaves. Characters who scale the gantries count as 
  moving through difficult terrain.  
  
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  20 
  10. Shrine to Grumbar 
  The Ludwakazar dwarves built this shrine centuries ago 
  to honor their primordial god Grumbar. The medusa has 
  recently defiled the altar and rededicated it to Ogrémoch.  
   
  A basalt column, its sides hewn into a perfect triangle, rises 
  from the floor of this grotto. An ancient seal - three mountains 
  of earth - is embossed on one side of the column, with a 
  triangular sigil daubed over it in fresh blood. At the base of the 
  column, a bloody corpse lies on top of a pile of old, burnt 
  offerings.  
   
  Generations of miners have paid tribute to Grumbar for 
  good luck under the mountain. The corpse belongs to the 
  mine's overseer, whose blood was used to daub 
  Ogrémoch's symbol onto the column.  
   A character that succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence 
  (Religion) check can identify the column as an altar to 
  Grumbar, elemental lord of earth. If the roll also beats DC 
  20, the character recognizes the bloody symbol as 
  belonging to Ogrémoch, an elemental prince of evil; 
  Grumbar's rival.   
  Consecrating the Shrine 
  If the symbol of Ogremóch is cleansed from the column, 
  Grumbar sends a prophetic vision as a sign of his 
  gratitude. If the medusa still lives, all characters receive 
  the following vision: 
   
  You stand on a rocky plain under red skies. Suddenly, a glowing 
  green comet slams into the ground before you, enveloping you 
  in dust. Moments later, you rise on shards of comet stone, your 
  bodies hardening wherever they make contact with the shards. A 
  rumbling voice intones "Stand firm on fallen stone, and the 
  serpent shall have no power over you".  
   
  This vision hints that the shards of rock in area 9 protect 
  against the medusa's gaze. All characters then receive a 
  second vision; if the medusa is dead, this is the first and 
  only vision that the characters receive.  
   
  You stand in darkness, with fire jugglers swirling around you. A 
  hooded figure steps into the light, its face swallowed in shadow. 
  One gloved hand opens toward you, as though expecting 
  payment; the other reaches up to remove a porcelain mask from 
  under its hood. A rumbling voice intones "Unmask the deceiver, 
  and he shall crumble.”    
   
  This hints at events in the future: where the doppelganger 
  Devamari attempts to steal Iorn Ludwakazar's sword 
  from the party.  
   
   
  
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  21 
  Part 4: The Return 
  With the mine cleared, the characters return to 
  Mulmaster to collect their reward. Before they leave, the 
  dying king asks for one last favor: deliver his sword to his 
  estranged brother.  
  Return to the King 
  Any miners that the characters rescued head south to 
  freedom. If the characters return to the dwarves' cave, 
  Lherzona explains that her father has been calling for 
  them. Iorn is overjoyed to hear of the characters' triumph, 
  but desperate to make amends for his life's failures. The 
  king tells the following story.  
   
  • 
  Ten years ago, Iorn and his brother Bhún found an 
  ancient sword in a mountain stream. They argued 
  constantly over who should wield it; a feud that 
  eventually led to Bhún's exile.  
  • 
  The sword radiates magic, but Iorn has never 
  understood the nature of its enchantment.  
  • 
  The king regrets forsaking his brother, and asks the 
  characters to deliver to him the sword as a final act of 
  clemency. As payment, he offers them his belt of 
  dwarvenkind.  
   
  After the king has spoken, he crumbles to dust. If the 
  characters agree to honor his final wishes, Lherzona 
  hands them his belt of dwarvenkind and the sword.  
  Bhún is dead 
  It is possible that the characters did not aid Bhún in the area and 
  he died. In this instance either the king or his daughter insists 
  that the characters take the sword, as it has brought nothing but 
  sorrow to the clan. 
  The Sword 
  Mysterious runes decorate the blade of this bastard 
  sword, and a glittering ruby sits in its pommel. If detect 
  magic is cast over the sword, it radiates an aura of 
  necromancy. Characters who succeed on a DC 10 
  Intelligence (Arcana) check understand that the sword is 
  vaguely sentient, and only reveals its true power to a 
  chosen wielder. Until then, it functions as a mundane 
  bastard sword. 
   
   
   
   
  Rassendyl's Sword 
  Iorn's sword once belonged to Rassendyl Uoumdolphin, a 
  previous High Blade of Mulmaster. Rassendyl seized power from 
  his twin brother Selfaril, whose soul he trapped inside the gem 
  on his sword's pommel. Masquerading as his twin, Rassendyl 
  ruled the city for many years until he was murdered during a 
  barbarian uprising in the Earthspur Mountains. The fate of 
  Rassendyl's sword—and Selfaril's soul—will be resolved later in 
  this story season. For now, it is up to the characters to get the 
  sword to Mulmaster.   
  Flight of the Griffons 
  As the king dies, the Ludwakazar clan receives some 
  unexpected guests.  
   
  Gasps are heard from the cave mouth. The dwarves part ranks, 
  and a pride of griffons pads forward - the same beasts you saw 
  earlier at the Fire on the Threshold Inn. The griffons bow their 
  heads before you.  
   "You've freed their skies from the gargoyles", whispers 
  Lherzona, "Now they honor you as steeds.”  
   
  The griffons can fly the characters back to Mulmaster; 
  after which, they return to the mountains. Soaring above 
  the blizzards, the characters return home in just under 
  three hours. If the characters have their own mounts, 
  Llerzona offers to lead the animals as far as the Fire on 
  the Threshold Inn.  
  The Festival of Fiery Night 
  The characters return to Mulmaster at nightfall. It's the 
  festival of fiery night; a holy day for the worshipers of 
  Lathander, who keep fires burning from dawn until the 
  following morning. For most Mulmasterites, it's just 
  another excuse to get drunk.  
       
  It's the Festival of Fiery Night. Crowds of revelers, many of them 
  holding burning staves, swell the city's streets. Bonfires blaze at 
  crossroads, and ale and food stalls have sprung up along the 
  main thoroughfares.  
   
  Ask the players where they're headed. Traveling through 
  the crowds is slow going, so they'll need to be sure which 
  direction to take from the gate.  
  
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  22 
  Darmov’s Deception 
  If Darmov listened in on the characters' meeting with 
  Bhún, her spies are awaiting their return. Their arrival is 
  reported to the doppelganger Devamari, who shadows 
  them through the crowd, using read thoughts to identify 
  where they're headed and why. His orders are simple—
  steal their most treasured valuables—and he soon decides 
  to simply relieve them of the king's magic sword.  
   Devamari uses shapechanger and minor illusion to 
  masquerade as Bhún Ludwakazar, and then intercepts 
  the characters as they arrive at the Black Blade and 
  Bloody Boar.  
   
  Entertainers throng the streets surrounding the Black Blade and 
  Bloody Boar. As you elbow your way forward, you see Bhún 
  Ludwakazar leaving the inn ahead of you. He raises a stony 
  hand in greeting just as a troupe of fire jugglers swirls past.  
   
  Bhún claims to have bumped into the characters just as 
  he was leaving the inn. Roll a Charisma (Deception) 
  check to see if the doppelganger tricks the characters. 
  Once you've rolled, compare the result against each 
  character's passive Wisdom (Insight). If Devamari fails, 
  the character notices something odd about Bhún's 
  manner: ignorance about his own past, or a slip of the 
  tongue that contradicts something he said earlier. If 
  challenged, Devamari flees into the crowd. Allow him the 
  opportunity to escape, but don't force it: if cornered, the 
  doppelganger fights to the death. 
   If the characters are none the wiser to Devamari's 
  deception, it is important that it is specified that the 
  sword was given to Bhun outside of the Black Blade and 
  Bloody Boar.  
  Keep it Secret!  
  If the players don't suspect Bhún, don't make them feel like 
  they've missed something here. Play through these final scenes 
  without letting anything on, and end the adventure on a high 
  note. The players needn't know they've given the dead king's 
  sword to one of their enemies!  
  Meeting Groshin Lor 
  Groshin Lor meets the characters in an alley near the 
  docks. The Rending Talon remains true to his word: 
  granting each character the promised reward for their 
  services. As he leaves, he warns the characters that he 
  may have need of them in the future.  
  Meeting Bhún Ludwakazar 
  The characters find Bhún inside the inn. Heis pleased to 
  hear of his brother's forgiveness, and receives the sword 
  with grace. He informs the characters that he feels the 
  need to contemplate his destiny, so while he won't be 
  leaving Mulmaster just yet, he is going to stop competing 
  in the arena. If the characters tell him about the 
  doppelganger, he can shed no light on the deception. If 
  the characters detect Devamari's deception, or if the 
  doppelganger did not attempt to take it, it is important 
  that it is specified that the sword was given to Bhun 
  inside of the Black Blade and Bloody Boar. 
  Bhún Ludwakazar is dead 
  It is possible that the characters don't assist Bhún in the 
  area and as a result he died. This might even occur after 
  the characters get back from the mines. While the sword 
  radiates magic, it does not seem to have any other 
  magical attribute. If a character keeps it, it functions as a 
  mundane longsword. In this instance, the character can 
  opt to give the sword to her faction or keep it themselves. 
  Only one character may keep or distribute the sword in 
  this way. 
  Conclusion 
  Iron flows once again to Mulmaster. If the characters 
  freed any miners, rumors spread of their role as 
  liberators. Such talk may soon reach the ears of new 
  enemies in Mulmaster.  
   With the elemental threat destroyed, the young queen of 
  the Ludwakazar clan leads her people back underground. 
  Somewhere in the distant city, her father's sword—and 
  the trapped soul of Selfaril Uoumdolphin—awaits its 
  destined wielder. 
   
   
  
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  23 
  Rewards 
  Make sure the players note their character’s rewards on 
  the adventure log sheets. Give your name and DCI 
  number (if applicable) so players can record who ran the 
  session. 
  Experience 
  Total up all combat experience earned for defeated foes, 
  and divide by the number of characters present in the 
  combat. For non-combat experience, the rewards are 
  listed per character. Give all characters in the party non-
  combat experience awards unless otherwise noted. 
  Combat Awards 
  Name of Foe 
   
   
  XP per Foe 
  Veteran  
   
   
  700 
  Boar pit fighter 
   
   
  700 
  Stone dwarf 
   
   
  700 
  Chimera  
   
   
  2,300 
  Lion 
   
   
   
  100 
  Yeti 
   
   
   
  700 
  Black pudding 
   
   
  1,100 
  Bulette 
   
   
   
  1,800 
  Flesh golem 
   
   
  1,800 
  Gargoyle  
   
   
  450 
  Atia Scorvo, medusa 
   
  2,300 
  Nightmare 
   
   
  700 
  Devamari, doppleganger 
   
  700 
  Non-Combat Awards 
  Task or Accomplishment 
   
  XP per Character 
  Naphtha trap disabled or bypassed 
  150 
  Reunite Ombul and Lupe 
   
  300 
  The minimum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 3,000 experience 
  points. 
  The maximum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 4,000 experience 
  points. 
  Treasure 
  The characters receive the following treasure, divided up 
  amongst the party. Characters should attempt to divide 
  treasure evenly whenever possible. Gold piece values 
  listed for sellable gear are calculated at their selling price, 
  not their purchase price. 
   Consumable magic items should be divided up 
  however the group sees fit. If more than one character is 
  interested in a specific consumable magic item, the DM 
  can determine who gets it randomly should the group be 
  unable to decide. 
   Permanent magic items are divided according to a 
  system. See the sidebar if the adventure awards 
  permanent magic items. 
  Treasure Awards 
  Item Name 
   
   
  GP Value 
  Medusa's treasure  
   
  200 
  Boar Pit prize 
   
   
  400 
  Stable treasure 
   
   
  200 
  Treasure in the Overseer's office 
  400 
  Bruhn's reward 
   
   
  1000 
  Belt of Dwarvenkind 
  Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) 
  This stout belt is gem-encrusted with a buckle made of 
  polished stone. It never gets dirty. A description of this 
  item can be found in the Dungeon Master's Guide. 
  Potion of Fire Resistance 
  Potion, uncommon 
  A description of potions can be found in the basic rules or 
  the Dungeon Master's Guide. 
  Potion of Greater Healing 
  Potion, uncommon 
  A description of potions can be found in the basic rules or 
  the Dungeon Master's Guide. 
  Potion of Heroism 
  Potion, rare 
  A description of potions can be found in the basic rules or 
  the Dungeon Master's Guide. 
  Renown 
  All faction members earn one renown point for 
  participating in this adventure. 
   
  Zhentarim characters earn one additional renown point 
  for successfully and inconspicuously poisoning Audrec. 
   
  Lords’ Alliance characters earn one additional renown 
  point for retrieving the business documents in the 
  Overseer's Office. 
   
  Harpers characters earn one additional renown point 
  for freeing at least ten slaves.  
   
  Emerald Enclave characters earn one additional 
  renown point for sparing the remaining two guardians.  
  
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  24 
  Downtime 
  Each character receives 10 downtime days at the 
  conclusion of this adventure. 
  DM Rewards 
  You receive 400 XP, 200 gp, and 10 downtime days for 
  running this session. 
  
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  25 
  Appendix: Monster/NPC 
  Statistics 
  Veteran 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
    
  Armor Class 17 (splint) 
  Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
   
  Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2 
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The veteran makes two longsword attacks. If it has a 
  shortsword drawn, it can also make a shortsword attack. 
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing 
  damage if used with two hands. 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. 
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 100/400 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage. 
   
  Boar Pit Fighter 
  Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil 
    
  Armor Class 15 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 58 (15d8 + 45) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Str +5, Dex +5 
  Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +4 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
    
  Brave. The boar pit fighter has advantage on saving throws 
  against being frightened. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The boar pit fighter makes two melee weapon 
  attacks with its chosen weapon. If wielding clawed gauntlets, it 
  can make an extra two attacks. 
  Pike (Goat head fighter). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 
  ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage. If the boar pit 
  gladiator hit when charging the target, they also fall prone.  
  Clawed Gauntlet (Lion head fighter). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to 
  hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) slashing damage.  
  Burning Maul (Dragon head fighter). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to 
  hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, 
  plus 3 fire damage.  
  Blow Fire (Recharge 6, dragon head fighter). The boar pit fighter 
  spits a mouthful of oil over the burning maul, exhaling fire in a 
  10-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 
  Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) fire damage on a failed 
  save, or half as much damage on a successful save. 
   
  Thug  
  Medium humanoid (any race), any non-good alignment 
   
  Armor Class 11 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
   
  Skills Intimidation +2 
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
    
  Pack Tactics. The thug has advantage on an attack roll against a 
  creature if at least one of the thug’s allies is within 5 feet of the 
  creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The thug makes two melee attacks. 
  Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. 
  Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. 
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 100/400 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage. 
   
  
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  26 
  The Stone Dwarf 
  Medium humanoid (dwarf), neutral 
    
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  16 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Str +5, Dex +5, advantage against poison 
  Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +4 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, Dwarfish 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
   
  Brave. The stone dwarf has advantage on saving throws against 
  being frightened. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The stone dwarf makes two hand axe attacks.  
  Hand Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage. 
   
  Chimera 
  Large monstrosity, chaotic evil 
    
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48) 
  Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   19 (+4) 
  11 (+0) 
  19 (+4) 
  3 (−4) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
    
  Skills Perception +8 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18 
  Languages understands Draconic but can’t speak 
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The chimera makes three attacks: one with its bite, 
  one with its horns, and one with its claws. When its fire breath is 
  available, it can use the breath in place of its bite or horns. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. 
  Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  10 (1d12 + 4) bludgeoning damage. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage. 
  Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon head exhales fire in a 15-
  foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 
  Dexterity saving throw, taking 31 (7d8) fire damage on a failed 
  save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 
   
  Lion 
  Large beast, unaligned 
    
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 26 (4d10 + 4) 
  Speed 50 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   17 (+3) 
  15 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  3 (−4) 
  12 (+1) 
  8 (−1) 
    
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
    
  Keen Smell. The lion has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on smell. 
  Pack Tactics. The lion has advantage on an attack roll against a 
  creature if at least one of the lion’s allies is within 5 feet of the 
  creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. 
  Pounce. If the lion moves at least 20 feet straight toward a 
  creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that 
  target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be 
  knocked prone. If the target is prone, the lion can make one bite 
  attack against it as a bonus action. 
  Running Leap. With a 10-foot running start, the lion can long 
  jump up to 25 feet. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 
  (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. 
   
  
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  27 
  Black Pudding 
  Large ooze, unaligned 
    
  Armor Class 7 
  Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30) 
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  5 (−3) 
  16 (+3) 
  1 (−5) 
  6 (−2) 
  1 (−5) 
    
  Damage Immunities acid, cold, lightning, slashing 
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, 
  frightened, prone 
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 8 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) 
    
  Amorphous. The pudding can move through a space as narrow 
  as 1 inch wide without squeezing. 
  Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the pudding or hits it 
  with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid 
  damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that 
  hits the pudding corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon 
  takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If 
  its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical 
  ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the pudding is 
  destroyed after dealing damage. 
   The pudding can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or 
  metal in 1 round. 
  Spider Climb. The pudding can climb difficult surfaces, including 
  upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability 
  check. 
  Actions 
  Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) acid 
  damage. In addition, nonmagical armor worn by the target is 
  partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative −1 
  penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty 
  reduces its AC to 10. 
  Reactions 
  Split. When a pudding that is Medium or larger is subjected to 
  lightning or slashing damage, it splits into two new puddings if it 
  has at least 10 hit points. Each new pudding has hit points equal 
  to half the original pudding’s, rounded down. New puddings are 
  one size smaller than the original pudding. 
   
  Yeti 
  Large monstrosity, chaotic evil 
    
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 51 (6d10 + 18) 
  Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  13 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  8 (−1) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (−2) 
    
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +3 
  Damage Immunities cold 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages Yeti 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
    
  Fear of Fire. If the yeti takes fire damage, it has disadvantage on 
  attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn. 
  Keen Smell. The yeti has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on smell. 
  Snow Camouflage. The yeti has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) 
  checks made to hide in snowy terrain. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The yeti can use its Chilling Gaze and makes two 
  claw attacks. 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) cold damage. 
  Chilling Gaze. The yeti targets one creature it can see within 30 
  feet of it. If the target can see the yeti, the target must succeed on 
  a DC 13 Constitution saving throw against this magic or take 10 
  (3d6) cold damage and then be paralyzed for 1 minute, unless it 
  is immune to cold damage. The target can repeat the saving 
  throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on 
  a success. If the target’s saving throw is successful, or if the 
  effect ends on it, the target is immune to the Chilling Gaze of all 
  yetis (but not abominable yetis) for 1 hour. 
   
  
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  28 
  Bulette 
  Large monstrosity, unaligned 
    
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 94 (9d10 + 45) 
  Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   19 (+4) 
  11 (+0) 
  21 (+5) 
  2 (−4) 
  10 (+0) 
  5 (−3) 
    
  Skills Perception +6 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., 
  passive Perception 16 
  Languages — 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) 
    
  Standing Leap. The bulette’s long jump is up to 30 feet and its 
  high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  30 (4d12 + 4) piercing damage. 
  Deadly Leap. If the bulette jumps at least 15 feet as part of its 
  movement, it can then use this action to land on its feet in a 
  space that contains one or more other creatures. Each of those 
  creatures must succeed on a DC 16 Strength or Dexterity saving 
  throw (target’s choice) or be knocked prone and take 14 (3d6 + 
  4) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (3d6 + 4) slashing damage. On a 
  successful save, the creature takes only half the damage, isn’t 
  knocked prone, and is pushed 5 feet out of the bulette’s space 
  into an unoccupied space of the creature’s choice. If no 
  unoccupied space is within range, the creature instead falls 
  prone in the bulette’s space. 
   
  Flesh Golem 
  Medium construct, neutral 
    
  Armor Class 9 
  Hit Points 93 (11d8 + 44) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   19 (+4) 
  9 (−1) 
  18 (+4) 
  6 (−2) 
  10 (+0) 
  5 (−3) 
    
  Damage Immunities lightning, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, 
  and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren’t adamantine 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, 
  paralyzed, petrified, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t 
  speak 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) 
    
  Berserk. Whenever the golem starts its turn with 40 hit points or 
  fewer, roll a d6. On a 6, the golem goes berserk. On each of its 
  turns while berserk, the golem attacks the nearest creature it can 
  see. If no creature is near enough to move to and attack, the 
  golem attacks an object, with preference for an object smaller 
  than itself. Once the golem goes berserk, it continues to do so 
  until it is destroyed or regains all its hit points. 
   The golem’s creator, if within 60 feet of the berserk golem, can 
  try to calm it by speaking firmly and persuasively. The golem 
  must be able to hear its creator, who must take an action to 
  make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the check 
  succeeds, the golem ceases being berserk. If it takes damage 
  while still at 40 hit points or fewer, the golem might go berserk 
  again. 
  Aversion of Fire. If the golem takes fire damage, it has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its 
  next turn. 
  Immutable Form. The golem is immune to any spell or effect that 
  would alter its form. 
  Lightning Absorption. Whenever the golem is subjected to 
  lightning damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a 
  number of hit points equal to the lightning damage dealt. 
  Magic Resistance. The golem has advantage on saving throws 
  against spells and other magical effects. 
  Magic Weapons. The golem’s weapon attacks are magical. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The golem makes two slam attacks. 
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Miner 
  Medium humanoid (human), neutral 
   
  Armor Class 12 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
   
  Skills Perception +2 
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) 
  Actions 
  Pick. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 
  (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. 
   
  
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  29 
  Gargoyle 
  Medium elemental, chaotic evil 
    
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 52 (7d8 + 21) 
  Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  6 (−2) 
  11 (+0) 
  7 (−2) 
    
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from 
  nonmagical weapons that aren’t adamantine 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities exhaustion, petrified, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Terran 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
    
  False Appearance. While the gargoyle remains motionless, it is 
  indistinguishable from an inanimate statue. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The gargoyle makes two attacks: one with its bite 
  and one with its claws. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 
  (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. 
   
  Atia Scorvo, Medusa 
  Medium monstrosity, lawful evil 
    
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 127 (17d8 + 51) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Perception +4, Stealth +5 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) 
    
  Petrifying Gaze. When a creature that can see the medusa’s eyes 
  starts its turn within 30 feet of the medusa, the medusa can force 
  it to make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw if the medusa isn’t 
  incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails 
  by 5 or more, the creature is instantly petrified. Otherwise, a 
  creature that fails the save begins to turn to stone and is 
  restrained. The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw 
  at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or 
  ending the effect on a success. The petrification lasts until the 
  creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. 
   Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the 
  saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it 
  can’t see the medusa until the start of its next turn, when it can 
  avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the medusa in the 
  meantime, it must immediately make the save. 
   If the medusa sees itself reflected on a polished surface within 
  30 feet of it and in an area of bright light, the medusa is, due to 
  its curse, affected by its own gaze. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The medusa makes either three melee attacks—one 
  with its snake hair and two with its shortsword—or two ranged 
  attacks with its longbow. 
  Snake Hair. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison 
  damage. 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 150/600 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison 
  damage. 
   
  Nightmare 
  Large fiend, neutral evil 
    
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 68 (8d10 + 24) 
  Speed 60 ft., fly 90 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Damage Immunities fire 
  Senses passive Perception 11 
  Languages understands Abyssal, Common, and Infernal but 
  can’t speak 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
   
  Confer Fire Resistance. The nightmare can grant resistance to fire 
  damage to anyone riding it. 
  Illumination. The nightmare sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius 
  and dim light for an additional 10 feet. 
  Actions 
  Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage. 
  Ethereal Stride. The nightmare and up to three willing creatures 
  within 5 feet of it magically enter the Ethereal Plane from the 
  Material Plane, or vice versa. 
   
  
  Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines 
   
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  30 
  Devamari, Doppelganger 
  Medium monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral 
    
  Armor Class 14 
  Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   11 (+0) 
  18 (+4) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
   
  Skills Deception +6, Insight +3 
  Condition Immunities charmed 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
    
  Shapechanger. The doppelganger can use its action to polymorph 
  into a Small or Medium humanoid it has seen, or back into its true 
  form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. 
  Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts 
  to its true form if it dies. 
  Ambusher. The doppelganger has advantage on attack rolls 
  against any creature it has surprised. 
  Surprise Attack. If the doppelganger surprises a creature and hits 
  it with an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes 
  an extra 10 (3d6) damage from the attack. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The doppelganger makes two melee attacks. 
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage. 
  Read Thoughts. The doppelganger magically reads the surface 
  thoughts of one creature within 60 feet of it. The effect can 
  penetrate barriers, but 3 feet of wood or dirt, 2 feet of stone, 2 
  inches of metal, or a thin sheet of lead blocks it. While the target 
  is in range, the doppelganger can continue reading its thoughts, 
  as long as the doppelganger’s concentration isn’t broken (as if 
  concentrating on a spell). While reading the target’s mind, the 
  doppelganger has advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma 
  (Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion) checks against the 
  target. 
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines 
   
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  31 
   
  Player Handout 1 
   
   
  
  Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines 
   
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  32 
   
  Player Handout 2 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines 
   
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  33 
   
  Player Handout 3 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines 
   
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  34 
   
  Map 1: The Boar Pit 
   
   
   
  
  Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines 
   
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  35 
   
  Map 2: Falling Stone Mine
  
  Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines 
   
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  36 
   
  DM Appendix: NPC Summary  
  This section is provided to the Dungeon Master to help 
  keep track of the various NPCs present in the adventure. 
   
  Atia Scorvo (AT-ee-ah SCOR-vo): Ancient Chessentan 
  queen, now a medusa.  
   
  Bhún Ludwakazar (BOON Lud-WAK-ah-zah): Dwarf pit 
  fighter in the Mulmaster arenas.  
   
  Devamari (Dev-ah-MAR-ee): Doppelganger serving 
  Gethmedra Darmov.  
   
  Gethmedra Darmov (Geth-MED-rah DAR-moff): 
  Racketeer proprietress of the Black Blade and Bloody 
  Boar Inn.  
   
  Groshin Lor (GRO-shin Lor): Leader of the Hawks; a 
  secretive branch of the Soldiery.  
   
  Iorn Ludwakazar (Eye-ORN Lud-WAK-ah-zah): Dwarf 
  king of the Ludwakazar clan, brother to Bhún 
  Ludwakazar.  
   
  Lherzona Ludwakazar (LUR-zone-ah Lud-WAK-ah-
  zah): King Iorn's warrior daughter. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
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  Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines 
   
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  37 
   
  Results Code: March-April 2015 
  If you are DMing this adventure during the months of March or April 2015, please show your players this page. The QR 
  code below can be scanned, and will allow them to give feedback and results on the adventure to influence the storyline in 
  the future! 
   
  If a player does not have a mobile device, please tell them to head to dndadventurersleague.org/results to enter their 
  results.  
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/S02 - Elemental Evil/DDEX2-04 - Mayhem in the Earthspur Mines.pdf