Summary
The party arrived in Vishrun after sailing from the bureaucratic island city of Skaalberg, settling in for about a week. Their crew had recently converted to the slime cult of Raka Uka, with Orm demonstrating his slimy prowess to impress the new converts. During this time, Bezil, a human wizard, made friends with the party while trying to keep his magical abilities hidden in a city known for its distrust of sorcerers.
A proper halfling woman named Bella Deckland, wearing a purple velvet cloak with a brooch and long braided hair, approached the party seeking help. She explained that intruders had entered her family vault and scriptorium and offered payment for their assistance. After negotiating the terms, including the right to claim one scroll from the vault, the party agreed to help investigate the estate.
Upon reaching the estate, Bezil sneaked up to peek through a window and spotted two orcs searching through crates and barrels inside a shed. The party attempted to breach the building through different entrances, with Wulf trying to kick down doors while others considered more subtle approaches. Combat broke out, but the orcs quickly surrendered and revealed they worked for Celendra, a hobbit sorceress who was searching the family vault below.
The party discovered a trapdoor under a rug leading to a puzzle room featuring a stone mosaic with three circular indentations. When Wulf attempted to open the door directly, he triggered a lightning trap that struck three party members. They eventually solved the puzzle by placing three stone discs correctly – devil at bottom, city in middle, and child at top – causing the door to open.
In the next chamber, the party encountered two daemonic creatures wreathed in green flames. The battle was fierce, with one creature releasing toxic gas from its breastplate while the other threw Orm and Wulf off a ledge. Through coordinated efforts and Bezil’s repeated magic missile attacks, they eventually defeated both creatures, which exploded into green mist upon death.
The adventure continued through a room with levers and a portcullis mechanism, where Wulf used brute strength to force open the barrier. This led to a trapped hallway where Wulf triggered a swinging axe trap but survived. Through clever negotiation, they convinced an orc guard named Varsh that they were reinforcements sent by Celendra, gaining valuable information about the other guards and a wizard deeper in the complex.
In a fog-filled room with sarcophagi, the party met two more orc guards, Rancor and Arun. Their conversation triggered the sarcophagi to open, releasing flaming skeletons. The party and orcs worked together to defeat these undead threats, though the skeletons’ explosive deaths damaged their allies. The cooperation proved effective in clearing the room.
The final confrontation occurred in the vault’s library, where they found Celendra with her acid-dripping monster. Through careful negotiation, they arranged for her peaceful departure in exchange for access to the vault. During this exchange, they learned of a sibling rivalry between Celendra and Bella over their inheritance, with both claiming legitimacy through matching signet rings.
Upon returning to Bella at the Tonka Bean coffee shop, she expressed anger that they had let her sister escape alive, revealing she had hoped they would eliminate her. Despite the miscommunication, she reluctantly paid each party member 20 gold. The party also divided additional treasure from the vault, including a valuable scroll of alter self, a golden mace of Gede, and 150 silver pieces. As a final gesture, Bella agreed to help Acantha with fashion advice and weaving, though she remained frustrated with the overall outcome of the mission.
Scenes
Introduction and Background
The party arrives in Vishrun after sailing from Skaalberg, settling in for about a week
- The party arrives in Vishrun after leaving Skaalberg’s bureaucracy behind
- The crew converts to the slime cult of Raka Uka
- Orm demonstrates his slimy prowess to impress the new converts
- Bezil makes friends with the party as a new wizard in town
Meeting Bella Deckland
The party meets Bella Deckland, a wealthy halfling who hires them to investigate intruders in her family vault and scriptorium
- Bella Deckland approaches the party seeking help with intruders in her family vault
- She offers payment and one scroll as reward
- She explains there’s a scriptorium in her family estate that needs protection
- The party negotiates terms and agrees to help
Investigating the Shed
The party investigates a suspicious shed where two orcs are searching through crates and barrels
- Bezil sneaks up to peek through window and spots two orcs inside
- Wulf and others attempt to break in through different entrances
- Combat breaks out with the orcs
- Orcs surrender and reveal they work for Celendra, a hobbit sorceress
- Orcs explain Celendra is searching the family vault below
Puzzle Room Challenge
The party discovers a room with a stone mosaic puzzle featuring three circular indentations and matching stone discs
- Party finds trapdoor under a rug leading to puzzle room
- Wulf triggers lightning trap by trying to open door directly
- Three party members get hit by lightning bolt for minor damage
- Party solves puzzle by placing discs in correct order (devil at bottom, city in middle, child at top)
- Door opens after puzzle is solved correctly
Vault Entrance Battle
The party encounters and defeats two undead creatures guarding the entrance to the vault
- Party fights two undead creatures with green flames
- Bezil casts magic missilesrepeatedly
- One creature releases toxic gas from its breastplate
- The other creature throws Orm and Wulf off the edge
- Party defeats both undead creatures which explode into green mist
Lever Room and Portcullis
The party encounters a room with levers and a portcullis mechanism
- The party finds 150 silver pieces in a moldy box
- Wulf uses brute strength to force open the portcullis
- The levers automatically align when the portcullis is forced open
Trapped Hallway Encounter
The party encounters an orc guard in a trapped hallway with pressure plates and swinging axes
- Wulf charges down the hallway and triggers a swinging axe trap, taking 8 damage
- Acantha attempts to cast sleep on Varsh but fails
- The party successfully negotiates with Varshm an orc guard, by claiming to be reinforcements hired by Celendra
- The orc guard reveals information about other guards and a wizard before leaving
- The party heals Wulf’s wounds and proceeds deeper into the dungeon
Sarcophagi Room Battle
The party faces flaming skeletons that emerge from sarcophagi while negotiating with orc guards
- Party meets orc guards Arun and Rancor in a room filled with gray fog
- Party convinces orcs they are reinforcements
- Speaking triggers sarcophagi to open, releasing flaming skeletons
- Party and orcs work together to defeat skeletons
- Defeated skeletons explode in green fire causing damage to nearby allies
Final Confrontation
The party confronts Celendra in the vault’s library and negotiates her departure
- Party finds Celendra with her acid-dripping monster in the scriptorium
- Party successfully convinces Celendra they are backup reinforcements
- Celendra offers to let them loot the vault in exchange for letting her leave
- Party discovers she is fighting with her sister Bella over inheritance
- Celendra departs with her monster and the orc guards
- Party finds valuable items including a scroll of alter self
Return to Bella
The party returns to report to Bella at the Tonka Bean coffee shop
- Bella is angry they let her sister escape alive
- Party argues they weren’t clearly instructed to kill Celendra
- Bella reluctantly pays each party member 20 gold
- Party divides additional treasure found in vault
- Bella agrees to help Acantha with fashion advice and weaving
NPCs
Flaming Skeletons
Undead guardians that emerge from sarcophagi, burning with green fire. They explode in green flame when defeated, damaging nearby creatures.
Daemonic Guards
Armored daemonic creatures with vacant eyes hidden behind metal helmets. They wield war picks and axes, are wreathed in green flames, and can release toxic gas. When defeated, they dissipate into green mist.
Arun & Rancor
Orc warriors working with Rancor, hired by Celendra for 10 gold. Joins the party in fighting the skeletons.
Varsh
An orc guard with a crossbow who was guarding the hallway and was convinced to leave his post after the party claimed to be reinforcements
Monster Pet
A large gray husked creature with huge claws that dribbles acid, serves as Celendra’s guardian and is described as hunchbacked and hulking.
Celendra Deckland
Bella’s sister, a halfling in blue robes with blonde braided hair who claims to be the rightful heir with her own signet ring. Has a monstrous acid-dripping pet and is in conflict with her sister over inheritance.
Bella Deckland
A proper halfling woman in a purple velvet cloak with a brooch and long braided hair. Member of the wealthy Deckland family who hired the party to protect her family vault from intruders. Wears a gold signet ring with the family crest.
The Enoq People
Plains people and nomads who adapted to city life when the Empire settled the region, founding Vishrun.
Skull Lord
A vile necromancer who raised an undead army to try to dominate the region. Mysteriously vanished in the middle of a major battle 20 years ago.
Locations
Tonka Bean
A coffee shop in Vishrun where Bella Deckland meets with the party.
Vault Library
A room with stone bookshelves containing books, notes, maps and documents about Deckland family history. Gray fog covers the floor and the air smells of must and decay.
Sarcophagi Room
A stone room filled with thick gray fog up to half a foot high, containing four alcoves with copper decorations and sarcophagi that animate when disturbed
Trapped Hallway
A long hallway with concealed pressure plates and a swinging axe trap hidden midway.
Underground Chamber
A large room split by a 10-foot-wide stone walkway extending 60 feet between two spiral staircases. Contains decrepit armor, rotting furs, and overstuffed footlockers. Has levers on the walls.
Puzzle Room
Small stuffy square room cut from foundation featuring a stone mosaic with faceless people worshiping at top and being condemned at bottom. Contains three circular indentations and is lit by wall torches.
Deckland Estate
A red brick house with a shed in the backyard containing a vault and scriptorium. Located on a quiet street, the building has a barred window on the west side and a single door on the south face.
Snowgale Valley
Site of a major battle between the united forces of Vishrun, Skaalberg, and Khardruz against the Skull Lord’s undead army.
Skaalberg
A bureaucratic, lawful, rigid island city to the south known for heavily taxing adventurers.
Vishrun
A neutral mainland city of the Enoq people, freer than Skaalberg but distrustful of sorcerers and wizards. Built when the Empire settled the region over 100 years ago.
Spells
Alter Self
A Tier 2 transformation spell found on a scroll that allows the caster to modify their appearance and give themselves features like claws or gills
Invisibility
Spell cast by Acantha to turn invisible for 10 rounds
Turn Undead
Priest spell used by Orm that successfully forced two skeleton enemies to flee to the corner for 5 turns
Light
Cast successfully to create magical illumination, notably used to make Orm’s warhammer glow with green light
Protection from Evil
Defensive spell cast by multiple party members to give disadvantage on attacks from evil creatures and immunity to possession and beguiling effects
Items
Pressure Plate
A concealed trigger in the middle of the hallway that activates a swinging axe trap when stepped on
Ornate Short Sword
A finely crafted but slightly rusted short sword with an eagle with outspread wings on the hilt in a Roman style
Golden Mace of Gede
A mace inlaid with gold symbols of Gede, the goddess of nature and harvests. Worth 50 GP.
Scroll of Alter Self
A faded papyrus scroll containing the Tier 2 spell alter self, decorated with pictographic instructions showing human figures with various transformations like claws and gills
Stone Discs
Three circular stone discs depicting a happy female child, a grandiose city, and a brooding devil respectively. Used to solve the vault entrance puzzle.
Deckland Signet Rings
Gold rings bearing the Deckland family crest, copies possessed by both Bella and Celendra to prove their claims of inheritance
Dubious Heroes 
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