A Winter in Valles

Overview

Sudden winter snows have arrived in the small mountain village of Valles, stranding many travelers for an indefinite period of time. On top of that, eight people have been brutally murdered in the forest outside of town, with no leads as to the culprit. The people stuck in town are beginning to grow irritable and suspicious, and the players must figure out how to stop the killer before he strikes again.

 

 

Table Of Contents

Timeline

5 weeks ago

Cade Kelth arrives in Valles.

4 weeks ago

Portia Volen arrives in Valles. A few days later, the snows begin. Tuck arrives soon after.

3 weeks ago

During the full moon, 8 people in Valles are abducted and violently killed in the forest.

A few days ago

Baron Adon Rangard begins sending his guards to scout The Gambler’s Hand (and other highly trafficked locations in town).

As the game begins

The snows have become harsher and the players arrive to seek shelter in Valles.

1 day later

Rumors fly as the full moon approaches once again.

Ehndig is spotted in the forests. Speculation abounds that he is the killer

Cade and Tuck both begin disappearing in the evenings, spending time in the outskirts of town.

3 days later

Baron Rangard sends guards to capture Tuck, but they are foiled by Cade and Than Morandus, who delay them long enough for him to escape. The full moon approaches.

4 days later

The full moon begins. From evening on, Tuck is nowhere to be found in town; he is deep in the forest.

5 days later

Two bodies are found, one of them Anin Gerandor. A trail of blood leads back to The Gambler’s Hand. Tuck again disappears near the evening.

6 days later

Three more bodies are found. Rangard arrives in town with a full contingent of guards looking for Tuck.

 

 

Baron Adon Rangard

Adon Rangard rules from his castle up on Denmoore Ridge. He is a weak ruler over a barren land thanks to his father Baron Dracu Rangard, who was rumored to be influenced by (possesed by? turned into?) something not of this world.

Dracu spent much of his time conducting military campaigns in the borderlands, mostly ignoring the superstitious people of Valles. That is, until strange things began happening. The baron launched an unsuccessful siege of the realm in response, but Dracu was eventually overthrown by his son Adon (who always detested his father).

In reality, Baron Rangard is still struggling with his past. Though his father’s death by his hand is thirty years gone by, he still struggles with what he is. A dhampir who has forsaken his past and powers, he has become a student of the supernatural in an attempt to prevent other corruptions, like what happened with his father.

Use the Veteran NPC (Monster Manual, p. 350) for Adon and Guard NPCs (Monster Manual, p. 347) for his troops.

Location

By the time the game starts, Baron Rangard can be found at Castle Rangard on Denmoore Ridge.

Getting there from Valles is difficult, especially in the storm–the path up the ridge is only accessible from the northeast.

Motivations

Adon Rangard is seeking to find and slay what killed eight people during the full moon one month ago. He has been gathering information through agents in town.

By the time the game begins, Adon secretly suspects Tuck is under some sort of compulsion to kill.

When his suspicions are confirmed, he will move to imprison, then study, then kill Tuck. He will show no mercy to Tuck, but will hold his men and his sword if his aggression would hurt anyone else in town.

Relationships

There are those in Valles who remember Adon’s father and suspect him. He might not be everyon’s prime suspect, but he is treated with suspicion.

Than Morandus, the Innkeeper

A kindly (but sometimes crafty) old dwarf who owns The Gambler’s Hand, a colorful inn and bar in the poor section of town. An old hand at swordplay (Veteran, Monster Manual, p. 350), he tends to keep away from the action (including a direct confrontation with the killer, whoever that turns out to be).

He never lets on that he is in any way afraid, but he’s beginning to keep watch late at night. Usually, though, he just uses any mention of the killer to bring up old war stories or he passes it off as an isolated incident and changes the subject.

Location

Than Morandus can usually be found behind the bar of The Gambler’s Hand in town. Otherwise, he’s usually somewhere in town; he hardly ever travels outside of Valles.

Motivations

Than wants to keep everyone safe, and that means avoiding any direct conflict in town. If that’s unavoidable, he will not hesitate to pick up his old sword and lend a hand.

When he discovers Tuck’s condition, he is torn between ordering Tuck out of his inn and trying to save Tuck from himself. He will support anything that gets Tuck out of town–unless it also comes with a threat of violence against Tuck, in which case he is willing to let Tuck stay there temporarily.

Relationships

Than has struck up a conversation with just about everyone who’s walked through the doors at The Gambler’s Hand. He never forgets a face or a name.

 

 

Brother Quarion, the Priest

Brother Quarion din’Amakiir is the elvish priest (Monster Manual, p.348) of the local chapel in Valles. A compassionate person, he is very concerned with both the winter that has stranged so many in the town and the fear of the killings, which is starting to heat up as the full moon approaches again.

Locations

Quarion can typically be found at the local chapel. Otherwise, he tends to spend his time out and about, interacting with and assisting the townsfolk. In the afternoon, that usually means the market; in the evening, that means The Gambler’s Hand.

Motivations

Quarion wants to keep the townsfolk safe. He will hide and negotiate people who are threatened. If faced with the threat of violence, he will even put himself between

When he discovers Tuck’s condition, he believes there must be a way to lift the curse and wants to protect Tuck. He realizes Cade could assist him in lifting the curse, but Cade doesn’t believe it at first.

Relationships

Noticing Cade’s depression, Portia approached Quarion for help. This is turning out to be a bit of a lost cause, and Quarion is spending more of his time and emotional capacity on Cade than he should.

Ehndig, the Old Drunk

An old drunk (Commoner, Monster Manual, p. 345) who seems to be losing his mind, living in the forest and only occasionally venturing into town. A lycanthrope (Werewolf, wolf form, Monster Manual, p. 211), he feels some connection to a pack of worgs living in the forest. They mutually assist each other.

Ehndig is not in control of himself. Many know of him, and rumors fly that there’s something not right with him, so some suspect he is the killer.

Locations

Ehndig is usually found in the forest to the east and never travels into town. He has a shack along the south edge of Denmoore Ridge.

Relationships

• Worgs: The worgs of the forest will not attack Ehndig and will come to his aid if he cries out in danger.

• Allondre, the Dryad: Allondre helps Ehndig with basic necessities like food, water, shelter, and protection. When he rages in his wolf form, she will keep him in a deep magical slumber so he cannot hurt anyone. If the party attempts to free Ehndig, she will attack the party, and Ehndig will rage against everyone.

Allondre, the Dryad

A dryad (Monster Manual, p. 121) in the forest who takes care of Enhdig. She both helps him survive and protects others from his rages. She is the reason he has not killed in his wolf form.

Allondre may appear to the party from a distance (she glows bright green), but will not engage with them. If attacked under most circumstances, she will disappear into a puff of leaves.

Locations

Allondre travels through the forest, magically disappearing and reappearing in an instant. She spends the full moon protecting Ehndig at his shack, and stops by regularly to keep tabs on him.

Relationships

During the full moon, Allondre typically embraces Ehndig to keep him in a deep slumber during his transformation. She will not budge from this task; if the party attempts to force her to, she will attack them. (This will free Ehndig, and he will rage against everyone.)

Anin Gerandor, the Blacksmith

The village blacksmith who spends afternoons at The Gambler’s Hand. He ends up being the first victim in the second round of killings, reappearing as a geist.

A soft-spoken and understanding man in life, his spirit holds both rage and pity for Tuck. He appears to him at his shelter in the forest, trying to help him overcome the curse by appealing to him.

Worg Pack

The worg pack lives in a cave in Denmoore Ridge at the northeast corner of the forest.

The worgs (Monster Manual, p. 341) will be active at night but sleeping in the cave during the day. They will generally not attack humanoids unless provoked or their territory threatened. Occasionally, you can find them wandering with Ehndig when he is in the forest.

The Baron, town and barony soldiers, and Cade can all confirm based on their investigation of the crime that the worgs were not involved.

 

 

Portia Volen, the Bard

A wandering bard stuck in Valles. She uses the crowds who are stuck and bored due to the snows to her advantage as an entertainer. Increasingly though, she is spending time and effort trying to help the displaced, cold masses in more tangible ways–such as collecting and distributing food and warm clothing.

Use a Spy NPC (Monster Manual, p. 349) with the following additional powers:

• Three times per long rest, she can grant Bardic Inspiration (d6), as a Bard (Player’s Handbook, p. 53)
• She can cast the cantrips Dancing Lights and Mage Hand, and the 1st level spells Cure Wounds, Detect Magic, Disguise Self, and Feather Fall. She has 2 1st level spell slots, spell save DC 12, and spell attack modifier +4.

Location

When Portia isn’t out and about helping townsfolk, she can be found performing in the common room of The Gambler’s Hand.

Motivation

When Tuck’s condition is revealed, Portia is horrified. She tries to pity him and protect him, but ultimately can’t separate him from the violence of his curse.

Relationships

She’s one of the first to notice that Cade seems to be depressed. She begins trying to show him support, but he doesn’t particularly know how to talk about his feelings. That seems to be a lost cause, and he might be dragging her down with him.

Cade Kelth, the Paladin

A paladin who stopped in Valles one month ago. Stuck since the storms began, Cade was there during the first wave of killings and found one of the victims.

Feeling he was too late and could have saved the child, he now feels like a failure for not paying enough attention to help. He has considered giving up on his calling, but Portia and Quarion try to convince him otherwise.

Use a Knight NPC (Monster Manual, p. 347) for Cade. As an action, he can Lay on Hands as a Paladin (Player’s Handbook, p. 84) with a pool of 5 hit points.

Location

Cade is usually found at The Gambler’s Hand when he’s in town, unless he’s out with Portia or Quarion. Often, he heads to a secret campsite north of Valles and west of Denmoore Ridge to sulk.

Motivations

When Tuck’s condition is revealed, Cade has compassion on him. But in his doubt, he feels unable to do anything useful with that feeling. However, Quarion believes that Cade could assist him in lifting the curse, if he could be convinced to believe in himself just a bit.

Relationships

Portia and Quarion go out of their way to spend time with Cade, trying to help him out of his depression.

 

 

Tuck, the Caomarn

A peaceful Caomarn traveler. Secretly, he harbors a strange curse that turns him uncontrollably violent under the full moon. He did not plan to be in civilization when it hit, but the winter storm changed those plans. He is the killer.

He is torn between leaving civilization and heading out into the blizzard, and preserving his own life. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking, but a part of him believes he can overcome the curse.

If confronted, he only has the courage to mention he witnessed a killing and can almost sense it at his bootheels, implying perhaps he is being hunted.

Appearance

Tuck wears clothes weaved with geometric patterns of dark colors, which are common among the Caomarn. It is not exactly attention-grabbing, but does stand out as different.

During the night of the full moon, however, Tuck changes into a set of nondescript traveler’s clothes. If the party finds him at his shelter in the forest during that time, this is likely how he will be dressed.

The curse

The curse cannot be lifted by normal magics. Quarion and Cade are capable of a ritual needed to dispel it, but the research material required to learn it are not available in Valles. (If all three survive until the snows thaw, perhaps they can go questing in search of it.)

Paladins and clerics who use Detect Evil and Good may sense a dark shadow over him, but it feels more like something threatening him than a part of him. Those discerning enough to notice Tuck when the killings are mentioned read him as a man who’s seen too much–a man who is haunted by something he cannot talk about.

 

 

Entering Valles

The Gambler’s Hand

A large inn in the poorer section of Valles owned by Than Morandus. With the influx of people trapped by the blizzard, it is a bit rough and crowded these days. The players and each of the travelers have rooms there.

During the first night, the players sense the tension in town. The patrons of The Gambler’s Hand are unusually quiet. They will see most of the main NPCs in the common room:

• Than is tending bar with some members of his staff. He’s friendly and talkative, and happy to answer questions about anyone or anything in town.
• Anin is sitting at the bar, conversing with Than and anyone else who comes up to the bar to order and strikes up a conversation.
• Portia is sitting near the fireplace, playing intricate, slightly melancholy instrumental numbers on her guitar.
• Tuck is sitting at a table near the fireplace with a few other people, but he is quiet and not looking at or talking to them. It seems as if he might be listening to Portia, but doesn’t seem to be looking at her or responding to the music in any way.
• Cade is sitting off to the side, wearing his paladin tabard and regalia. He’s alone–odd in this packed room, where almost everyone is socializing.
• Quarion arrives late, peeling off his large, protective fur coat to reveal cleric vestments. When he arrives, he orders a glass of wine and makes the rounds of the room, trying to bring some cheer.

Tuck’s Shelter

Tuck has built a small shelter along the edge of the forest to the south of town, hidden in a small cove between mountain ridges.

Tuck has taken great care to ensure it’s not particularly suspicious. The forest provides a great deal of cover and there are multiple paths there from town. It’s about a mile or two from the murder scene as the crow flies, but a tricky hike due to the rock outcroppings around it.

Actions

• Tracking Tuck to or from the shelter. DC 12.
• Searching for tracks between the shelter and the murder site. DC 30 with disadvantage. With so much time passed and so much traffic by the city guard and the barony’s soldiers, it’s tough to isolate the track.
• Searching the shelter. With a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check of DC 12, the players find a shallow hole covered over with dirt not far from the tent. A random assortment of bloody clothes and adventuring equipment is stored there. They are fairly nondescript–the players won’t be able to tie them back to anyone without a lot of investigation in town. They don’t match any of the clothes or tools the victims carried; Tuck changed into a nondescript set of clothes when the full moon set in, and stashed everything soiled during the killings here.

 

 

Worg Lair

The Worg Lair is about a quarter mile deeper in the forest from Ehndig’s Shack, and a little over a mile from the murder scene. There are no tracks between the murder scene and this camp.

The Murder Scene

There’s not much that the players can glean from the murder scene. The eight bodies were found within about a quarter mile diameter, with no obvious layout or placement. There is no evidence of magic or ritual. The bodies were removed and buried by the authorities, and everything there was to find (which wasn’t much) has been found. The killer seems to have been careful about leaving anything.

The murder scene was chosen for simplicty. Tuck fled east after abducting his victims because the forest provided the best cover. He followed the trail system because it let him cover the most ground.

When the killings start again, the new scenes will be about the same–near the same trail system, maybe half a mile away. Once again, it’s simply a matter of convenience.

Ehndig’s Shack

Ehndig’s Camp is about a mile and a half’s hike from the city’s eastern gate and a mile from the murder scene. There are no tracks between the murder scene and this camp.

Examining the shack closely reveals that while the wood is mostly salvaged, it’s in surprsingly excellent shape. The boards seem as if they’ve been grown together with the wood, soil, and stone around them.

Actions

• Searching the shack. A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check will turn up some old, bloody carcasses towards the back of the little grove. They appear to be deer and other forest animals, but it’s hard to say exactly; they definitely aren’t humanoid, though.

• Tracking Ehndig to or from the shelter. DC 10. It’s a bit easier than with the other campsites due to how much Ehndig roams the forest.

 

 

Cade’s Campsite

The campsite is in light woods, but Cade isn’t particularly concerned with hiding it. It’s far enough out from town that you would have to go looking to stumble upon it.

There’s nothing particularly useful or relevant to the killings to find.

If players don’t know this is Cade’s campsite, they will find some paladin vestments and books (some that have Cade’s name in them).

If Cade is here, players can question him. He’s been using this spot to think so he may open up if persuaded.

Mentioning the campsite to Portia or Quarion will get them to break their silence and tell you about their worries concerning Cade.

Actions

• Tracking Cade to or from the campsite. DC 12