Manor Uvior
This is a ready to run adventure that you can play through with your friends. Its basic design, with elements of combat, exploration, and social encounters, can serve as a basic guide when you design your own stories.
This adventure has enough structure that you can run it without changing it, but it is also left open-ended enough that you can experiment with any of the tools mentioned throughout this wiki to customize it. For example, neither Uvior nor Mogg have explicit beliefs or quirks, but you are encouraged to add these to their personalities based on how you interpret their actions and based on what you believe would make for an interesting interaction at your table.
Overview
This adventure is designed for level 2 heroes, who will level up one time in the story. You can make your own heroes or use any of the characters from the Legends of MythCraft.
Summary
A beleaguered party seeks shelter from the storm in an abandoned manor overflowing with old books. As they explore, they will encounter roving undead, enchanted tomes, unexpected traps, and a band of hopeful gretchlings led by their elder, Mogg. The undead are the former hirelings of a once-powerful wizard named Uvior, who has now been reduced to a mere specter... literally. The gretchlings have invaded the manor in hopes of finding and devouring innumerable delicious magical scrolls. While the gretchlings are technically the manor’s invaders, Uvior was known to be a cruel and callous figure, so the heroes might find either side sympathetic. Ultimately, the heroes can defeat both the undead and the gretchlings, or they can side with one faction or the other to put an end to the manor’s conflict. Either way, they will be rewarded handsomely with jewels and magic items.
Adventure Flow
The adventurers can explore the manor freely. It can be helpful to think of the adventure in three parts:
- The heroes explore the manor, learning a little about who lived here and what might live here now.
- The heroes will encounter undead and gretchlings. They might make an alliance with either side, or with neither side. After the heroes have explored 16 rooms, they level up.
- The heroes will face off against the leader of the opposing faction. Or, if they made no alliances, then they might end up confronting both leaders separately. It is also possible to broker a peace between the two leaders, though having enough leverage to reasonably arrange a peace between Uvior and Mogg is very difficult and unlikely.
Random Encounters
When the pace drags, or when you want to apply pressure to the heroes, then you can roll or choose a random encounter on the table.
Additionally, when the party attempts to rest, they run a greater risk of a random encounter. If they Catch their Breath, then there is not an encounter. If they attempt to Recoup, roll 2d6. On a total of 5-9, there is no random encounter; on any other total, roll or choose a random encounter from the table. If they attempt to Take a Rest, make the roll as though they were recouping once for every 2 hours of the Rest (4 total rolls).
The exception is if they are in the chapel or have made an alliance with the undead or the gretchlings. If they have made an alliance with the undead, then they can Recoup or Take a Rest without rolling for random encounters if they are in the master bedroom. If they have made an alliance with the gretchlings, then they can Recoup or Take a Rest without rolling for random encounters if they are in the scriptorium. The first time that they Recoup or Take a Rest in the chapel, they also do not need to roll for random encounters.
| 2d6 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 2 | Uvior Appears! |
| 3 | Undead Horde |
| 4 | Undead Guards |
| 5 | Crepits |
| 6 | Portrait Trap |
| 7 | No Encounter |
| 8 | Floorboard Trap |
| 9 | Book Trap |
| 10 | Gretchling Scouts |
| 11 | Gretchling Squad |
| 12 | Mogg Appears! |
Uvior Appears!
The ghostly visage of a haggard, elderly human man in an embroidered maroon robe floats towards you.
Uvior is a cold, calculating, and cruel person, but will present himself as a gentleman. When speaking with people whom he might need a favor from, he is eloquent, courteous, and has the practiced false smile of a noble.
Uvior will be hostile to the party when they first meet, but will not be violent unless the party attacks. He will demand to know why they have invaded his home, “just like the others,” and will insist that they leave.
The party might ask him who else has invaded the home, or if they have met the gretchlings then they might infer who Uvior is speaking of. If they do pursue this line of questioning, then Uvior will begrudgingly make an alliance with them: they can take a small portion of treasure from his manor if they dispose of the gretchling infestation.
The amount of treasure that Uvior will part with depends on how high the party rolls on skill checks. Each party member may make a CHA skill check (using a skill with the Influence tag if they have one). Take the average of the party’s rolls.
| DC | Treasure |
|---|---|
| 8 or less | Each hero will get 100 sc |
| 9-14 | Each hero can also get a magic item with an Essence cost of 10 or less |
| 15-18 | Each hero gets an additional 100 sc worth of jewels |
| 19 or more | The magic item can have an Essence cost of 20 or less |
Uvior's Tragedy
If the party asks Uvior about what happened before they arrived, Uvior is generally elusive, declaring that they need not concern themselves with the past and should just focus on getting rid of the gretchlings. A DC 12 AWR/Intuiting check will confirm that he is hiding something, and a DC 24 CHA/Persuading check will get Uvior to open up and explain what happened.
Six years ago, Uvior invited all of his old adventuring companions to have a feast with him in remembrance of their past quests. Uvior was particularly excited to show them an artifact he had discovered. When used correctly, the artifact would solidify the user’s soul into a physical form, effectively bestowing immortality upon the creature. However, the artifact malfunctioned, turning Uvior into some kind of ghost and exploding outward with concussive arcane force that immediately turned all of Uvior’s guests into stone. Uvior has been trapped in his incorporeal form ever since, and wants more than anything to discover a way to reverse the damage.
Fighting Uvior
If the party threatens Uvior instead of talking with him, or if they try to abscond with more treasure than they agreed upon, it will result in combat. See the Showdown section for more information.
Undead Horde
Muffled footfalls and the rattle of metal give you a moment’s notice, and a horde of armed skeletons burst into view.
2d4+2 skeletons appear. If the party are allied with Uvior and have agreed to dispose of the gretchlings, then these skeletons do nothing threatening and move on.
If the party has not yet met Uvior, then the skeletons will nonverbally communicate that the heroes should leave by rattling their weapons and pointing at the nearest exit. If the heroes try to speak or negotiate with the skeletons, then the skeletons will beckon for the heroes to follow and will take the heroes to the master bedroom (on the third floor), where they meet Uvior.
If the party fights the skeletons, the skeletons will fight until dead.
Undead Guards
This encounter is functionally the same as the Undead Horde encounter, but with 1d4+1 skeletons instead.
Crepits
The curtains rustle, and something scrapes and scrabbles out from under the furniture. Severed, skeletal limbs writhe towards you!
2d4 crepits crawl out from under furniture, behind curtains, and the like. They will attack the heroes and will fight until dead.
Portrait Trap
You hear a quick, punctuated hiss.
Randomly determine one of the party members and make a +3 attack vs ANT. If you hit, then that creature is struck by a poison dart that shot forth from a wall portrait. Roll on the table below to determine its effect.
| 1d6 | Poison Dart |
|---|---|
| 1 | Creature is Stunned for 1d10 minutes |
| 2 | Creature is Staggered for 1d10 minutes |
| 3 | Creature is Dazed for 1d6x10 minutes |
| 4 | Creatures is Slowed for 1d6x10 minutes |
| 5 | 1d6 toxic damage |
| 6 | 1d4 toxic damage |
No Encounter
Whatever you thought you heard, apparently it was nothing after all. The house was just settling, I suppose.
Floorboard Trap
You step on a floorboard that lets out a sharp creak.
Randomly determine one of the party members and make a +2 attack vs ANT. If you hit, then a floorboard snaps. Their leg becomes stuck (they are Restrained, escape DC 12); the floorboard flies up and smacks them in the face for 1d4 blunt damage; and the undead hear the commotion. 1d4 skeletons come to investigate.
Book Trap
Don’t use this trap too frequently; every four or five times a hero tries to interact with a book is plenty. When a hero grabs a book off of a shelf without first investigating (AWR/ Investigating DC 14), the book might be trapped. Make a +4 attack vs ANT. If you hit, then the shelf falls on the hero for 1d10 blunt damage, and the hero is Dazed for the next 1 minute.
Gretchling Scouts
You hear a faint rustling, and a wet footstep, but you see nothing at first glance.
1d4+1 gretchlings stealthily watch the heroes. The heroes can make AWR/Perceiving checks against DC 15 to spot the gretchlings.
If the gretchlings can tell that the heroes have not yet spoken with Uvior (perhaps they just killed some skeletons), then one of the gretchlings will reveal herself to the party. Her name is Gooth, and she explains that the wizard who once lived here was a very evil man. Gooth uses a lot of superlative language and usually says someone’s name along with an epithet that she makes up on the fly.
She and the other gretchlings, under the leadership of Mogg the Marvelous, are trying to find and devour all of his delicious magic scrolls and items. If the heroes will come back and meet Mogg, then Gooth is certain that they can work out some kind of deal. Maybe the heroes can defeat Uvior the Horrible in exchange for a couple magic items.
Fighting the Gretchlings
Gretchlings are not strong creatures, and they will flee if the heroes act violent. If this happens, they will return in force later, led by Mogg.
Gretchling Squad
You hear a chorus of slimy footsteps and quiet croaking. Large, reflective eyes stare out from the darkness.
2d4+2 gretchlings appear. If the party has already made an alliance with Mogg, then they are amicable towards the party and pass through quickly. If the party has not yet made an alliance with the gretchlings, then the gretchling squad’s leader, Begh, will confront the heroes.
Begh is very stern and militaristic, which has the unintended consequence of being amusing given how small and harmless a gretchling looks.
Begh tries to bully the heroes into leaving the manor, but if that doesn’t work, then he will demand that they become his prisoners and he will escort them to Mogg.
Fighting the Gretchlings
Gretchlings are not strong creatures, and they will flee if the heroes act violent. If this happens, they will return in force later, led by Mogg.
Mogg Appears!
A speckled gretchling approaches you, holding a high, proud posture. He wears a wizard’s hat atop his amphibian head.
Mogg is a verbose gretchling that often misuses long words in an attempt to sound smarter. He cares for his fellow gretchlings and clearly commands their admiration. Mogg will be hostile to the party when they first meet, but will not be violent unless the party attacks. He might comment in surprise that “some of Uvior’s servants are still living!”
The party might ask him who Uvior is, or if they have met the skeletons then they might infer that Mogg is talking about the master of the house. If they do, Mogg is likely to ally with them: if they can defeat Uvior and make the manor safe for the gretchlings, then the gretchlings will let the heroes have any amount of gold they might find.
If the party presses to negotiate, then choose one hero to make their case. That hero can roll a CHA/Persuading check, with the following outcomes.
| DC | Treasure |
|---|---|
| 16 or less | Each hero will get all the nonmagical wealth they can find (400 sc per hero, and 200 sc worth of jewels per hero) |
| 17 or more | Each hero can also take one magic item with an Essence cost of 15 or less |
Fighting Mogg
If the party threatens Mogg, it will result in combat. See the Showdown section for more information.
The Manor
Against the dark sky, a still darker manor looms. Its buttressed stone walls have a gown of ivy, thickest around the ground and much thinner nearing the rooftops. A crenelated balcony keeps silent vigil over the grand double doors, though it appears that no guards are present.
The manor is divided into four floors. This section contains maps and detailed information about what the heroes might find in each room. Note that on each map, arrows next to staircases point in the direction the stairs ascend.
Throughout the manor, the walls are decorated with scores of oil paintings of mediocre quality. There are wall sconces holding unlit candelabras, and the manor’s interior is completely dark unless otherwise noted in a specific room or unless the heroes produce a light source. Additionally, there are dozens of stacks of books dotting the halls. Books can also be found on virtually any flat surface, such as tables, countertops, and chairs.
The books range widely in topic. The books contain no pertinent information to the adventure unless otherwise noted in a specific room (such as the library or private study). However, if a hero wants to find a book that covers a topic of personal interest, they can make an DC 14 AWR/Investigating check. If successful, they find a book covering topics that they are interested in. As relevant, you might choose to award that hero a +1 in a skill with the Knowledge tag while they have that book in their possession. A hero can make this check once in each room and once in the hallways of each floor.
Outside the Manor
Climbing the Manor
Heroes might try climbing the manor’s exterior. Doing so requires a STR/Athletics check. The DC is 12 to reach the crenelated balcony, and 18 to reach the rooftops. If the heroes have climbing gear, they do not need to make a STR/ Athletics check when climbing only to the balcony, and the climb to the rooftops becomes DC 13.
Wolf Packs and Weather
If the heroes try to venture back out of the manor, you have two options. You may let them ignore this adventure and do something else instead, or you can use wolves and harsh weather to encourage them to remain within the manor.
If you use the second approach and they venture back into the forest, use wolves, dire wolves, and wolf alphas to threaten them with difficult encounters. A raging thunderstorm also makes the woods inhospitable and makes Taking a Rest much more difficult, as the heroes will need to succeed a DC 20 AWR/Sheltering check to find a cave that suitably shields them from the elements. This cave likely has more wolves in it, unfortunately.
Ground Floor
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1. Dining Room
The dining room has several long tables with tasteful red table runners, unlit candelabras, and silver sets of cutlery and dining ware. Each seat at every table is set as though a grand feast was about to occur. At the head of the largest table, a steak knife has been slammed into the wood.
The heroes might naturally infer that this means the manor’s owner had a violent temper, or you can ask them to make AWR/Intuiting or AWR/Investigating checks at a DC of 12 to reach this conclusion.
There are 2d4 skeletons in the dining room, and they will act as they would in the Undead Horde random encounter.
If a hero makes a LUCK/Scavenging check, they can find a number of unspoiled rations equal to 1⁄4 their roll.
The total value of the silver in the room is 2,000 sc, but carrying so much wrought silver requires multiple carts.
The heroes could carry 100 sc worth of these items before it would be considered Unwieldy.
The dining room has a side doorway that opens into the courtyard.
2. Kitchen
The kitchen is dusty and dank, clearly having been neglected for some years. The wooden cabinets have warped with water damage and are overgrown with mold. A rickety staircase descends into what is likely a food cellar.
1d4+1 skeletons are in the kitchen, and they will act as they would in the Undead Horde random encounter.
The kitchen has 2d6 knives (which have the stats of knives or daggers, at your discretion).
If a hero makes a LUCK/Scavenging check, they can find a number of unspoiled rations equal to 1⁄2 their roll.
3. Ballroom
The ballroom has circular wooden tables covered in white tablecloths. Tall stacks of books are on most tables and chairs, and even the floor in some parts of the room. They are arranged around a central dance floor: the floor’s wood is polished and patterned. A huge crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling high above.
The ballroom is unoccupied and dusty.
A balcony overlooks the ballroom, and although there are no stairs or ladders directly up to the balcony, heroes with rope or magic might be able to reach the balcony directly.
4. Courtyard
The courtyard looks like it used to be well-curated, but it has since become wildly overgrown. The cobblestones are cracked and weeds poke up between them. A gazebo in the middle of the courtyard has been covered in ivy and kudzu. If the heroes get too close to any of the overgrown gardens, they will find that blood brambles have taken root there and attack them when they can reach the heroes.
A parsor lives in the courtyard. While parsors are typically mischievous and playful, this one has been corrupted by Uvior’s vile presence. The parsor has a nasty disposition and will play cruel pranks on the heroes, but will not attack them directly unless the heroes strike first. If the heroes attack the parsor, then its martor springs to its defense.
5. Foyer
The foyer is lavishly decorated to receive guests. Once-plush couches now sag under their own weight. Fireplaces lay dormant on the east and west walls, and grand staircases sweep up to an interior balcony in the heart of the second floor. Directly opposite the main entry, double doors open into the private courtyard. Smaller doorways open into narrow halls that flow into the east and west wings.
The foyer is carpeted, and the halls have rugs spaced periodically throughout.
There is nothing of interest in the foyer, but if a hero makes a LUCK/Scavenging check, they can find sc equal to their roll as they look along the room’s ornamentation and through the couch stuffing.
6. Coat Check
The coat check is a small, unremarkable room that smells of mothballs.
7. Latrine
The latrine smells old and musty. A hero that makes a DC 10 AWR/Tracking check or AWR/Investigating check can determine that the latrine has not been used for several years.
8. Library
The library is a tremendous, three-floor room that takes up half of the east wing. The first floor has dozens of freestanding bookshelves in the middle of the room, and the walls on all three floors are lined with shelves as well. The second and third floors have balustraded balconies, allowing anyone on those floors to see down to the first floor.
Heroes can find books of any mundane topic within this library. They can also find a handful of spell scrolls. Any creature with such a spell scroll can cast the spell one time without using any SP. They must still spend the requisite AP to cast the spell. The power of the spell scroll that a hero finds depends on their INT/History or INT/Arcana roll.
Each hero can make one such roll per hour spent in the library.
| DC | Spell Scroll |
|---|---|
| 8-12 | Max 4 SP; MC decides which spell |
| 13-16 | Max 4 SP; player decides which spell |
| 17-20 | 4-8 SP; MC decides which spell |
| 21+ | 4-8 SP; player decides which spell |
The northeast wall of the first floor also has a hidden doorway. A hero can spot this with a DC 16 AWR/ Investigating check. By pulling on a book that is in fact a lever, a panel of shelving will swing open, revealing a staircase down to the scriptorium.
If the heroes are allied with the gretchlings, then the gretchlings will reveal this hidden doorway to them.
At the end of each hour spent in the library, roll for a random encounter.
9. Chapel
The chapel is filled with rows of rotten pews, some of which have mostly collapsed into sawdust. If you look carefully, you see the off-white forms of termites crawling in the rotten wood. At the north end of the chapel, there is a simple pulpit from which a speaker might deliver a sermon. Glass double doors offer a clear view of the courtyard. Across from these doors, on the eastern side of the chapel, there is a small desk with a clay mug on it. The mug is glowing.
Any undead in the chapel suffer the Sickened condition until they leave.
The clay mug has an imprint of an executioner’s axe. A hero that makes a DC 10 INT/History (Celestials) check knows that this is the mark of Rasheen, the daughter of Tovare. Rasheen prowls the planes and battles any creatures or entities that might threaten the cosmic balance.
A hero that casts any spells to learn more about the mug, such as Sense Magic, can learn that it is under the effects of Divine magic and the Evoking function. If the hero’s ability allows them to learn the exact magical effect, they learn that the mug has been permanently affected by the Candle of Faith prayer.
Aside from the mug, there is nothing remarkable in the chapel. A narrow staircase leads up to the chapel’s balcony, part of the second floor. The chapel’s glass doors lead out into the courtyard.
Second Floor
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1. Guest Bedroom
All of the guest bedrooms are similarly furnished: a single bed, a wardrobe, and a small writing desk. All are musty, and moths flick in and out of view. Most of the bedchambers show signs of having been used, such as the blankets being rumpled and shoved to one side, but even so, everything is covered in a layer of dust that would suggest years of disuse.
One of the bedrooms contains a spellbook written in a cryptic cipher. A hero that makes a DC 20 INT/Arcana check can decipher it, learning that this spellbook once belonged to a halfling named Wick. Once the spellbook is deciphered, the creature that deciphered it can cast each of the following spells once, spending the correct amount of SP each time:
Circle of Warding, Conceal Spell, Energy Siphon, Fly, Frost Beam, Grounded, Locate Magic, Minor Illusion, and Sense Magic.
2. Ballroom (Balcony)
The ballroom balcony overlooks the ballroom dance floor. It has circular tables covered in tablecloths, like those on the ground floor of the ballroom. They are also covered in stacks of books.
It is possible for the heroes to find books of great relevance in this room. If they search for books and succeed on a DC 12 AWR/Investigating check, the heroes can find a diary penned by Sir Nikolai Zaffroni. Reading through his diary, they can learn the following information:
- Nikolai was visiting Uvior along with a great many adventurers of middling import. Uvior made connections with many adventurers, including Nikolai, in his youth.
- Uvior was known to only stay with an adventuring party when it benefitted him directly, especially when he got a large share of magical treasure.
- Nikolai did not like Uvior and described him as an insufferable snot, but nonetheless it seems that Nikolai respected Uvior’s skill with arcane magic.
- Nikolai’s primary adventuring party included a halfling mage named Wick and a human cleric of Rasheen named Humphrey.
- Nikolai and the other adventurers that responded to Uvior’s summons came unsure what to expect, but they found that Uvior had prepared a grand banquet for them.
- Nikolai’s last diary entry describes his confusion at the whole ordeal, given that Uvior was never one for shows of generosity.
- The last diary entry is dated to just over six years ago.
There are no stairs or ladders down to the ground floor, but heroes that affix rope to the balustrade could climb down. Jumping down without aid results in 1d4 falling damage, but a hero that makes a DC 16 DEX/Tumbling check can ignore this damage.
3. Foyer (Balcony)
The second floor foyer is separated by an empty space looking down on the first floor. On both the north and south side of the foyer, hallways lead deeper into the east and west wings. On the south side of the foyer, a wide staircase leads up to the third floor, and doorways open out to a balcony overlooking the manor’s main entrance.
4. Crenelated Balcony
The crenelated balcony has empty quivers mounted on the insides of the crenels so that archers can easily stock up on arrows and quickly fire on enemies below. There is otherwise nothing of interest on this balcony.
5. Library (Balcony)
The second floor of the library is functionally the same as the first floor, though without a hidden doorway. It connects to the second floor of the foyer, is across the hall from the chapel’s balcony, and has staircases to both the first and third floor of the library.
6. Chapel (Balcony)
The chapel’s balcony overlooks the auditorium, and the candle of faith described in the ground floor’s chapel section is visible from the balcony. It has the keys to the pipe organ, which is badly out of tune. If the heroes play the pipe organ, it immediately triggers the Undead Horde encounter as skeletons come to investigate. (Note that undead are Sickened in the chapel balcony, as in the main chapel.)
Third Floor
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1. Crenelated Balcony
The crenelated balcony has empty quivers mounted on the insides of the crenels so that archers can easily stock up on arrows and quickly fire on enemies below. There is otherwise nothing of interest on this balcony.
These balconies are occupied by 1d4 skeletons each, who behave as described in the Undead Horde encounter.
2. Private Dining
The private dining room has a rectangular table that can seat eight people. The table is unladen aside from a few books written in a strange cipher.
A DC 16 INT/Arcana check will allow a hero to decipher the text, which are extensive notes that Uvior had taken in an effort to learn how to cast a tremendous unique spell using an artifact that he found. It seems that if the spell went according to plan, his Essence would become corporeal and he would never again have to worry about sickness or poison, and he would cease to age.
The room is otherwise empty.
3. Private Study
The private study is locked, but this can be overcome with a DC 16 INT/Lockpicking or STR/Applied Force check.
Old desks line every wall of this study. Parchment diagrams have been tacked to the walls and scattered across the floors, and a central table in the middle of the room displays a strange artifact. It looks like a blooming flower the size of a human torso, but is made of a strange black metal crisscrossed with glowing blue wires.
If the heroes study the notes strewn about the desk and walls and floor, they can discern that the flowerlike object on the table is some kind of powerful artifact that malfunctioned. A DC 12 INT/Arcana check allows a hero to determine that the artifact has lost all of its power. Nonetheless, the strange material is valuable, and the artifact will fetch 8,000 sc. It is Unwieldy.
If they ask Uvior about this, he will begrudgingly tell the heroes his story (see the Uvior Appears! encounter).
4. Master Bedroom
Dominated by a large central bed with a torn canopy, the master bedroom also contains multiple ornate wardrobes, a large writing desk, and a gilded washbasin. Several skeletons stand guard around a ghostly, incorporeal figure.
The master bedroom is Uvior’s headquarters. If the party has not yet met Uvior, they meet him now, as in the Uvior Appears! encounter. There are always 2d6+2 skeletons in the master bedroom. 3 of these skeletons are “Uvior’s Sentinels” and have leather-and-steel armor and wield kite shields and spears.
If the heroes have allied with Uvior, then they can Recoup and Take a Rest in the master bedroom without threat of danger.
5. Lounge
The lounge looks much like the foyer, though it is a bit cozier. Dusty, worn couches and wall fireplaces are the only objects of note in this room.
The lounge is occupied by 1d6 skeletons, who act as described in the Undead Horde random encounter.
6. Library (Upper Balcony)
A DC 18 INT/History check made on the third floor of the library will reveal one Greater Restoration scroll that any creature may use once.
The third floor of the library is otherwise functionally the same as the first floor, though without a hidden doorway. It connects to the lounge and one of the crenelated balconies overlooking the courtyard. A staircase connects the second and third floors of the library.
Basement
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1. Servant Quarters
Rows of single beds afford little privacy, and these quarters look reminiscent of a barracks, with small chests at the foot of each bed for personal effects.
The servants’ quarters are austere and have nothing of interest, save a servant’s journal on one of the beds. The journal holds no information of great pertinence other than frequent ramblings about how the servants are discontented with Uvior. It seems that Uvior underpaid and overworked his servants, and treated them with a dismissive indifference that made him quite unpopular.
2. Kitchen Storage
The cellar directly beneath the kitchens is for food storage. The smell is quite unpleasant, as most of the food has gone bad long ago. There are 1d6 Dire Rats in this room, who will behave aggressively towards the party but will flee once one or more of the rats are Bloodied.
If the heroes investigate the cellar, they find wine and brandy that have both aged incredibly well. Each barrel is Unwieldy, but would fetch 120 sc in a typical market.
Heroes that make a LUCK/Scavenging check can find a number of rations equal to 1⁄2 their roll. Furthermore, heroes that make an AWR/Investigating check find a recipe book that includes a unique magical inscription. The magic preserves food for 1 decade. Creatures that access the Arcane Source can learn this magic and use it as an arcane ritual one time per month.
3. Storage Basement
Crates and barrels pile upon one another in an unorganized jumble. White sheets have been pulled over some strange ornamentation, resulting in a facsimile of the ghosts from a child’s drawing.
If the heroes unveil the ornaments, they witness a horrible sight: dozens of realistic humanoid statues with expressions of terror. An urkou warrior, halfling mage, and human cleric are among them.
If the heroes open the various crates and boxes, they may each find one magic item. Each magic item has an Essence Cost of 15 or fewer, and the MC may decide ahead of time which items the heroes find or allow the players to pick.
With a DC 14 AWR/Investigating check, the heroes also find a broken ball of crystal. If one of them touches this crystal, they briefly see a vision:
Uvior and his many guests fill the banquet hall, and a grand feast will soon begin. First, Uvior unveils the artifact that he has found: a strange metal object that looks like a flower but is as large as a human’s torso. He proudly declares that he will become immortal - and all of his friends can, too - but when he touches the object, blue-black energy explodes outward.
When a hero sees this vision, they take 1d8 psychic damage.
If the heroes use magic to determine the properties of this item, such as the Sense Magic spell, they can learn that it is from the Arcane Source and has the Summoning function. An ability that discerns the exact spell will reveal that this is an Unerring Sphere that was broken by the power unleashed by the strange artifact.
If the heroes have the ability to use Greater Restoration, they can restore one statue to life. Upon being revived, a creature is too weary to physically help the heroes with anything, but will tell them Uvior’s story if they do not already know it. If they revive Humphrey the cleric, then he regains the ability to cast Greater Restoration 1 week after being revived and can subsequently revive the other petrified adventurers.
4. Undercroft
The undercroft is dark and musty, the ground being packed earth rather than wood or stone. Wooden coffins have been slotted into the walls like books on a shelf, and a handful more stone coffins are pressed into the ground.
There is nothing of note in the undercroft, but there are two hidden doorways in this room.
One leads to the scriptorium and can be found with a DC 12 AWR/Investigating check (it is easier to spot the false wall on this side of the doorway than it is from the scriptorium).
The other hidden doorway requires heroes to open one of the coffins pressed into the ground. If they open the coffin in the southwest corner of the room, they will find a stone stairway descending about 10 ft deeper underground. This stairway leads to a tunnel that connects to the storage basement.
5. Scriptorium
The scriptorium has several writing desks and stark, empty shelves. The desks are alight with cheerful candelabras. It smells of an odd mix of incense and faintly acidic slime. Many gretchlings idle in the room, playing cards or dice with one another, napping, or chatting. A gretchling with speckled skin wears a large, pointy wizard hat that falls over his froglike eyes, and he chats amicably with some of the others nearby.
The scriptorium is Mogg’s headquarters. It has magical wards that deter undead from entering the room. Any undead in the scriptorium are Sickened until they leave.
If the party has not yet met Mogg, they meet him now, as in the Mog Appears! encounter. At any given time, there are 3d6+3 gretchlings in the scriptorium.
If the heroes are allied with the gretchlings, they can Recoup or Take a Rest in the scriptorium without threat of danger.
The scriptorium is brightly lit and safe. There is nothing otherwise noteworthy about the room, but a DC 17 AWR/ Investigating check will reveal a hidden door that opens into the undercroft.
The Showdown: Mogg vs Uvior
Once the heroes have explored much of the manor, tensions between Uvior and Mogg will eventually force some form of showdown. This might be a battle between the heroes and Uvior or the heroes and Mogg, or it might be a tense negotiation brokered by the heroes.
Negotiation
If the heroes attempt to negotiate a peace between Mogg and Uvior, they must first understand what both parties want.
Mogg’s desires are more transparent: he wants free rein over the manor so that he and the other gretchlings may feast on the various magic items therein.
Uvior keeps his desires closer to his chest, but the heroes might have discerned what he wants by exploring the manor. Uvior wants to undo the curse that he accidentally unleashed when he tried to activate the ancient artifact: he wants to be restored to his corporeal body. The Greater Restoration divine ritual can achieve this.
If the party has access to the Greater Restoration ritual, they can use it as leverage to get Uvior to negotiate. Mogg suggests that Uvior can keep his manor and be restored, but leaves all magic in the manor to be consumed by the gretchlings, whereupon they will leave him alone. Uvior does not like these terms, but is keen on being restored, so is willing to consider it.
Each hero must make CHA/Persuading checks; if the sum total of all heroes’ rolls is less than the number of heroes x12, then Uvior agrees to the deal, but does not plan to uphold it. He intends to betray the gretchlings after he is restored to his corporeal body. A hero that succeeds on a DC 14 AWR/Intuiting check can see Uvior’s plans. If they do not call him out, then they can leave the manor unharmed but with the knowledge that Uvior will retaliate against the gretchlings. If they do call him out, then Uvior becomes hostile and combat begins.
However, if the sum total of the heroes’ CHA/Persuading checks is equal to or greater than the number of heroes x12, then Uvior reluctantly agrees to the deal and will uphold his end of the bargain. The heroes are granted treasure as though they had made an alliance with both Uvior and Mogg, and all parties get more or less what they want.
Battle
If the showdown is a battle, use the stat blocks and tactics below.
Fighting Uvior
Uvior fights with great tact, snuffing out light sources to keep the upper hand and summoning skeletons to overwhelm the heroes. He tries not to engage in melee, using his abilities to keep the heroes at bay. He tries to continuously maintain a tether so that he can pass damage off to other creatures whenever he is harmed. You can find Uvior's stat block here.
Fighting Mogg
Mogg fights cautiously, hiding as much as able and using his magic to animate furniture to fight for him. Other gretchlings that participate in this battle gain access to the Disarm maneuver and will attempt to run off with the heroes’ weapons and gear. You can find Mogg's stat block here.
Resolution
The adventure ends when the animosity between Uvior and Mogg is resolved. This will happen in one of three ways:
- The party confronts and defeats Uvior
- The party confronts and defeats Mogg
- The party negotiates a peace between them
The best possible outcome for the heroes is negotiating a peace between Uvior and Mogg, and using Greater Restoration on Humphrey the Cleric. Doing so will result in the heroes getting the maximum amount of treasure from both Uvior and Mogg (see their respective random encounter entries for this treasure), and earns them +4 Goodwill whenever they enter a settlement that is home to an adventurer who was turned to stone at Uvior’s tragic banquet.