The Toecap Trilogy

**The Toecap Trilogy** is a series of oneshots ran off-camera involving a goblin master leather worker.

The trilogy was written by Christopher J. Foster, and can be found here.

## Part 1: The Puzzle House

### Summary

A dying woman turned her home into a Puzzle House so that her fortune could be claimed, but the house isnt as simple as it seems...

Toecap's Puzzle House is an Escape Room style dungeon for a party of four 1st-level characters, with options for higher levels, and can also work as an introduction adventure to Dungeons and Dragons for new players, although Dungeon Masters should be more familiar with the system. It should take around 2 hours to play.

If players use their wits and skills, they should be able to make it in and out of the dungeon with the treasure and their lives.

### Main Hook

In the city of Waterdeep, Toecap's Puzzle House is an established feature among adventurers, with most bars, pubs, taverns, inns, and other adventurer gathering spots having posters advertising the place. A large number of adventurers have tried the challenge, and opinions can range from it being annoying, to tricky, to an outright scam, but few have a positive opinion of the place, either due to annoyance at not getting past the Pantry Door puzzle, or because they find the proprietor, one "Uncle Pennyloafer", aggravating. No one is aware of anyone who has successfully completed the house, although they wouldn't have put it past Pennyloafer to keep charring admission even after someone did.

### Running the Adventure

#### Players Involved

1. theashenangel as Kahuna Malaka
2. Mijo234 as Tortellini Rockbud
3. DeathCountInfinity as Rhea and her dire wolf companion Fenrir

#### Session Events

The party entered the Puzzle House with their various large creature pets. Quickly taking a look around, they began solving the various puzzles within the house. As the puzzles continued through the first and second floor, the party began to learn more about Toecap's family and their cruel fate. Upon completing the puzzle to access the basement, the party had learned Toecap and her family had been robbed--an event that became fatal for all of the family except Toecap. In her grief, Toecap created the Puzzle House and gifted it to her uncle--a goblin named Pennyloafer--who began advertising the home to those wishing to gain Toecap's riches.

Entering the basement, the party had to fight and defeat constructs that disturbingly personified Toecap's family on the night of the robbery. Upon defeating the constructs, a secret door opened up to reveal several large chests in a hidden room--the treasure they had long been awaiting.

Upon opening the treasure chests, Kahuna first discovered a knife named "Greed". Upon picking it up, he heard Toecap's voice attempt to command him to kill himself and take his greed with him, but the enchantment didn't hold. Kahuna--believing to have put together the pieces to solving the Puzzle House for good--then took the knife outside and used it to slay Toecap's greedy uncle Pennyloafer, and soon after allowed himself to be arrested by the City Watch.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party found themselves fighting for their lives from the other chests in the room--which turned out to be a pack of mimics in hiding. It was a losing fight, and as it looked to be turning most dire the timer ran out and our party was hurled out of the Puzzle House with their lives--and no treasure.

#### Adventure Conclusion

Magister Barnibus Blastwind and Saeth Cromley soon arrived onto the scene to investigate the murder of Pennyloafer. Through his questioning and Kahuna's willingness to cooperate he could quickly discover the cause of Pennyloafer's murder, and sentenced Kahuna to death, as well as 1,000gp in fines paid to the kin of Pennyloafer--likely to his goblin son Wellington. Kahuna was then taken away, his items and weapons stripped from him to be sold in a later auction.

## Part 2: The Investigation of Toecap's Tragedy

### Summary

A family was murdered in their own home, and the Murderers were never caught. Can somebody find the truth and bring a grieving soul peace?

So your players have completed Toecap's Puzzle House and, spoiler alert, found that there is, in fact, no treasure for solving the puzzle. Are they unsatisfied with that conclusion? Good, that's what Toecap wanted. But what about what she needed? The players will need to investigate the secret they discovered in Puzzle House and find the truth. If any of your players have expressed to desire to solve a mystery, or you just think this is interesting, then this is the follow up for you!

This adventure is broken up into five chapters, each of which can be played in a 2-3 hour session, and even as stand alone adventures if you so choose, for a party of 4 characters. This adventure should bring 4 1st-level characters to level 3 by the final chapter.

## Part 3: Return to the Puzzle House

### Summary

A soul lays trapped in a self-inflicted magic puzzle. With a little help from the puzzle's designer, they might be freed, or the whole thing might just explode...

Can the palyters survive the Puzzle House's designer's pinball dungeon and convince him to help them?

Will the players be able to dismantle the Puzzle House from within without it killing them?

Will Toecap's soul be able to find peace? Find out in the thrilling conclusion to the Toecap Trilogy!