Chapter 1: A Moonless Night

*A letter arrives*... Following the IKP's first adventure, they garner the attention of a mysterious secret society. What ensues is a spooky and chaotic tale in which they gain one elf and lose another, find themselves in a strange seaside town, and get lost in a horrifying haunted mansion.

## Chapter 1

### PCs

KrumgrumFaetra

Callus

Nyx

## Story

### A Mysterious Letter

The chapter starts with the Insane Krumgrum Posse (IKP) resting in the town of Phandalin after their defeat of the infamous Black Spider. They were relaxing in town, using the debt that the town owes them to secure rooms, when a letter came in the mail for them. It was from an organization called the Meta-Magical Scholar's Society (MMSS), which had apparently heard of the exploits of the fledgling IKP, and wanted to hire them for a job, although the details were vague. The letter also included a map to the MMSS base.

Needless to say, the IKP jumped at the opportunity to go on a dangerous mission to find an organization that they knew nothing about just to get some cash.

### A New Ally

While on their way through the woods surrounding Cape Marlin, after a few weeks of travel, the IKP encountered a hostile adventuring party. The IKP made quick work of them, except for one; a frustratingly quick Drow Elf that was smart enough to know that his chances weren't favourable against the IKP alone. He bargained with them, offering his services (for a time) in exchange for his life. He was quick to boast of his albeit impressive skill with daggers, illusions, and stealth, but the IKP seemed more interested in his musical capabilities. Already exasperated with his newfound companions, he introduced himself as Nyx, and the rogue joined their adventuring party. At this point, things were looking up for the IKP, but disaster soon struck...

### The Velloqui Puzzle

Not but a few days later, the IKP's resident wizard, Velloqui, disappeared in the dead of night, along with the entirety of the party's funds. In a panic, the IKP started their search, following a trail that disappeared not too far from where they set up camp. Amidst their search, they came across a river holding a swarm of crabs. The IKP fought them off with relative ease, but even with the benefit of therapeutic crab-slaughter, the question still occupied their minds; where did Velloqui go? With no leads, they reluctantly decided that continuing to search for the mysterious MMSS was their best bet, hoping that they would find answers along the way.

### Cape Marlin

Following the river in which they encountered the swarm of murderous crabs, the IKP made their way to the port town of Cape Marlin that night. They went to the local inn, The Drunken Sailor, and struck up a conversation with the innkeeper, Pike. A fellow dwarf, Pike felt an immediate connection with Krumgrum, and they got along swimmingly. The IKP asked if he had seen Velloqui around, describing her unmistakable appearance to him, but alas; he did not recall seeing anyone who fit her description. However, he did remember seeing a strange, cloaked figure by the gates of the town. After arranging rooms and a stellar performance by Krumgrum, they turned in for the night, deciding to explore the town the next day.

In the morning, they decided to embark on a mission to the marketplace first. There, they first encountered Eärendil, the shopkeeper of Wishbone, and they conversed with him for a while, mostly regarding their missing wizard friend. Unfortunately, they did not come across any evidence as to the whereabouts of their wizard friend. Then, they entered the Mayor's Office, asking Mayor Gibbous about any strange happenings or wizards about town. He proved reluctant to help in this matter, but when questioned about the MMSS, he was perplexed, but allowed the IKP to look into the town's records to search for signs of their activity. They ventured inside, and, thanks to Nyx's inexplicable burst of inspiration on the subject of tax records, found out that a place called Mortimer Manor was once under the jurisdiction of the town and had a mysterious connection with the MMSS.

After finding out about this, they decided to search around town for a little longer. Following this discovery, they decided to go to the monastery. There, they met Dwynwen and Planchette, who didn't have any new information regarding either of the IKP's questions. Afterwards, they went to the docks, where they found Conway, a hapless sailor who the IKP interrogated under the effects of a Zone of Truth spell. It was then revealed to them that there had apparently been several disappearances at sea that had left the town in a state of confusion and fear. They thanked him and returned to the monastery to inquire directly about these events. Finding Planchette on the third islet, she admitted to knowing about the disappearances, but didn't have any special insights on the matter. As she returned to the monastery, Nyx followed her across the islets, but was stopped at the second when he had a vision in a puddle on the second islet; he saw a large ship caught in a terrible storm. He reported back to the IKP, but no one had any real idea what this meant. Satisfied that they had asked about everything important to their journey, the IKP set out for Mortimer Manor through the Stygian Woods, despite the townsfolk's warnings that it was "creepy as hell in there."

### Mortimer Manor

After a few hours of travel through the Stygian Woods, including Krumgrum getting his leg caught in a bear trap, the IKP happened upon the foreboding sight of the Mortimer Manor. Outside, they found a horde of skeletons, which were dispatched after a skirmish in which Faetra turned into a rhino. After that, she used her gigantic rhino form to break down the large double doors that guarded the entrance to the manor. Inside, the IKP found themselves in a large foyer, with four doors (two on the left and right sides of the room) and a shattered staircase that led to a second floor. The IKP searched the bottom floor, starting with the first door on the right. Inside, they found a decrepit ballroom, and also the ghost of Beowulf Mortimer, who assaulted the IKP on sight. In the ensuing battle, Nyx was briefly possessed before being freed by Faetra, and Krumgrum used a mind reading spell that allowed him to glean some information of the Mortimer's past. Krumgrum then passed this information on to Nyx telepathically, who conjured an illusion of Beowulf's long deceased wife that convinced him to peacefully move on to the afterlife.

After this room, the IKP moved on to the next, which held an extremely suspicious painting of a wolf. About a half hour of discussing and strategizing ensued, in which they found out that the painting was magical, they decided that the only sensible way to move forward was to burn it to ash. Even with the painting completely destroyed, the psychological burden it placed on the party was not soon forgotten. They also explored a kitchen area, in which the party fought possessed knives that desperately wanted to kill all of them, along with finding an enchanted salt and pepper shaker. Then, with Faetra's help (turning into a snake bridge), they made their way to the next floor, which was considerably less eventful. Notably, they found the deed to the Mortimer Manor, which inexplicably was left to Nyx.

The strangest encounter, however, was in the master bedroom. When they opened the door, they found their missing wizard, Velloqui, standing by the bed. She held three wands and explained that she had woken up in the manor recently, claiming to have found the wands around the house. The party, eager to accept her back into their fold, readily believed her statement. But as soon as they turned their back on her, she used one of the wands to put the party into a magical slumber; that is, except for Nyx, whose Elven blood protected him from magical sleep. She then held him at wand-point and levitated the unconscious forms of the party down a hidden stairwell, into a basement of some sort. There, they encountered a door, which "Velloqui" opened with the two Mortimer Crests, which seemed to turn into a type of archaic key when used together.

She led them into a room with the sleeping bodies of many a sailor; the same ones that had disappeared from Cape Marlin earlier. Then, the party was left to wait in this room as "Velloqui" locked the door leading to the master bedroom and exited through another on the opposite side. Using the time given, Nyx woke his companions from their magical slumber, briefly explaining the situation. After a short discussion, they decided to move into the next chamber. Inside, they found a cave-like room with a number of startling sights. For one, they saw "Velloqui" leaning against the far wall of the chamber. Secondly, they saw a hooded figure with their back turned to the party, who seemed to be orchestrating a kind of dark magic ritual with arcane markings in a circle on the ground and a tuning fork. But most surprising was, presumably, the *real* Velloqui standing in the center of the circle.

Shocked at the sight, the party sprung into action. Slowly. Nyx, despite being watched by both Velloquis, sneaked up on the hooded figure with a poisoned dagger, grabbing the figure by their shoulder and turning them around so as to expose their neck. In yet another shocking twist, the hooded figure's face turned out to be that of Planchette, with two noticeable differences; her eyes were jet black, and a strange obsidian half-circle pendant hung around her neck. She attempted to cast a spell at her attacker, but Nyx managed to dodge out of the way in time. With that, the party's first boss battle of the second campaign begun.

Krumgrum and Callus charged at Planchette, attempting to double team their foe with a mixture of bizarre wrestling moves and reckless hammer-swinging. Nyx quickly ran away from Planchette and directed his focus at "Velloqui," engaging in a duel in which both parties attempted to get under each other's skin; "Velloqui" by using their shapeshifting power to turn themself into other people throughout the battle and taunting their opponent, and Nyx by being Nyx. At the same time, Faetra turned into a rhinoceros and caused havoc across the battlefield. Meanwhile, the real Velloqui tried to shout advice at her compatriots, saying that "something fishy" was going on with the tuning fork and the magic circle, and that she couldn't move out of the circle, nor exercise her magical talents while inside of it. In a short but vicious battle, the doppelganger (or "Velloqui") was killed, and the members of the IKP that *could* fight desperately tried to stop the ritual. Krumgrum and Callus attempted to break the tuning fork, Faetra attempted to bash down the magic barrier keeping Velloqui in, and Nyx attempted to distract Planchette from her incantations.

Alas, they weren't quick enough, and with a flash, Velloqui disappeared. In a fit of rage, the combined IKP knocked Planchette completely unconscious, ending the first chapter.

## Locations

### Cape Marlin

Cape Marlin is a small seaside town located in a particularly rainy and foggy section of the Sword Coast. The town's economy relies primarily on fishing and other maritime activities, due to its remote location. A river runs through the surrounding forest, known to locals as the Stygian Wood, and bisects the small community; a large bridge connects the Western and Eastern sides of town. The people of Cape Marlin are generally hardworking, humble folk.

Cape Marlin has a dedicated Monastery to the Goddess of the Moon, Selune, which is maintained by local devotees. The townsfolk worship Selune as the master of the tides, and routinely pray for their—and their loved ones—safe passage. The acolytes of the Monastery are important cultural keepers and community leaders, using their spiritual connection with Selune to mediate conflicts, officiate weddings, and perform burial rites. A shrine dedicated to Selune is located on the third Marlin Islet, a trios of small landmasses located off of Cape Marlin and connected via a series of bridges. The devotees distinguish themselves from other townsfolk by wearing dark blue robes.

Notable locations within Cape Marlin include the Drunken Sailor's Inn, docks, marketplace, Mayor's Office, Monastery, and Shrine.

### Stygian Woods

The Stygian Woods are an area of dense forest surrounding Cape Marlin, off the Sword Coast. Travelling by cart through the Stygian Woods is difficult and time-consuming, as many of the roads and paths have been overrun by overenthusiastic foliage. Those wishing to travel through the forest usually do so by way of the river, which is deep enough to paddle and robust enough to support a vibrant crab ecology. The nearby residents of Cape Marlin typically steer clear of the Stygian Woods, because it is "creepy as all hell in there."

### Mortimer Manor

Mortimer Manor is the resplendent estate of the now-deceased Mortimer family. It is located deep within the Stygian Woods, and is comprised of three levels—counting the hidden basement. Inside, the manor has fallen into disrepair. Underneath the dust, cobwebs, and mildew lies a deeply haunted, though stylish, abode. Many oil paintings decorate the interior, though whether any of them are haunted or otherwise booby-trapped remains unknown.

On the first floor of Mortimer Manor there is a main hall, dining room, ballroom, kitchen, and servants' quarters. The second floor is comprised of several bedrooms, a study, and a library—inside, the IKP discovered a secret library room, disguised behind one of the bookshelves. The basement, accessible via master bedroom, contains several storerooms as well as a primary occult space.

## New NPCs

* Planchette, local teenager and Selune devotee
* Eärendil, shopkeeper and owner of Wishbone
* Madame Dwynwen, senior-most Selune devotee and community leader
* Mr. Gibbous, Cape Marlin's Mayor
* Pike, innkeeper at the Drunken Sailor
* Conway, dockworker
* Beowolf Mortimer (deceased), head of the Mortimer Family

## Loot

**Crystal salt shaker**. Found in the kitchen of Mortimer manor, along with the onyx pepper grinder. Salt that is shaken through this shaker will glow pink if added to food that has been poisoned. Created by the great, if paranoid, Enchantress Himalaya.

**Onyx pepper grinder**. Pepper ground through this grinder will make food taste terrible to anyone who hates the cook.

**Deed to the Mortimer Estate**. Nyx finds the deed to Mortimer Manor within a locked chest, inside the secret library room of Mortimer Manor. Beowulf's name has been scratched out, and a note reading "sign here, Nyx" has been scribbled beside where one would sign their name. Nyx takes the deed with him.

**Mortimer family crest** (x2). A circular amulet, about 3 inches in diameter, depicting the Mortimer family crest. A pin is affixed to the back, allowing the crest to be pinned in place. The design shows a coat of arms with two wolves on either side. The IKP retrieves a pair of these crests, and uses them to open the door to the primary occult space, in the Mortimer's basement.