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DARK LEGACY of EVARD

Backstory:

Many years ago, Evard came to Duponde to destroy his rival Vontarin, a powerful wizard who lived in a manor at the edge of town. The two mages met near the walls of the abbey of St. Avarthil and dueled all night long with black spells, laying the old monastery in ruins with their magic. In the morning the surviving friars found Evard dead in the wreckage, and buried him in the town’s graveyard. Vontarin was never seen again.

Now, almost fifty years after his death, Evard’s final curse is about to descend on the town and everyone within it.

Session 1:

Weary from travel, the adventurers pass the night in the town of Duponde. They meet a few fellow travelers, including the wizard Nathaire, who tells them the story of Evard. Later that night, the characters are awakened when Duponde and its surroundings are suddenly shifted into the Shadowfell. Gargoyles adorning the inn come to life and attack.

Session 2:

The adventurers explore the town and discover that Duponde is no longer in the world. They learn not only that Nathaire’s valet, Remy, has fled the town, but also that the local armory is infested with shadow monsters. The characters face a choice: Follow Remy or clear out the armory so the guards can arm themselves.

Session 3:

Characters continue with the choice they made in Session 2. If they pursued Remy, they catch up to their quarry in the woods outside town. They find Nathaire’s journal, which helps them later in the adventure. If the adventurers remained in town to battle monsters, it’s a fight against spiders and shadows on Duponde’s streets.

Session 4:

It’s now clear that the trouble started at Evard’s Tomb. The characters make their way to Duponde’s graveyard, battling restless undead. Evard’s Tomb has been opened, but the skeleton is still in its coffin and no sign of Nathaire can be found.

Session 5:

A Vistani boy comes to the characters and leads them to the home of the seer Mother Grivelda, who explains that Duponde now suffers under a powerful curse. She tells the characters that Evard isn’t buried in the graveyard, his enemy Vontarin is. Unless the characters can placate Vontarin’s soul, the Shadowfell might claim Duponde and its people. While the characters are visiting the wise woman, a pack of wolves attacks.

Session 6:

Following the advice of Mother Grivelda, the adventurers, searching for clues to Nathaire’s intentions, seek out Vontarin’s long-abandoned manor. They find that the forgotten manse is now home to a band of tieflings who welcome no guests.

Session 7:

Characters continue their exploration of Vontarin’s manor, fighting its current occupants. The explorers learn that Nathaire came to the manse but found little.

Session 8:

At sundown, Duponde again slips into the shadows, and the monsters threatening the town return. Before the adventurers can resume their search for Nathaire, they have to defend the town once more. They must decide where they can do the most good.

Session 9:

Vontarin’s ghost, still possessing Nathaire’s body, decides to drive off the townsfolk of Duponde. He animates a wave of undead attackers and sends them against the town. The characters must defend Duponde against a force of skeletons.

Session 10:

The attack of the skeletons provides a key clue to the location of Nathaire’s lair. These undead came from the crypts of the ruined Saint Avarthil Monastery. The adventurers can visit the abbey’s crypts and battle more of Nathaire’s lackeys.

Session 11:

The characters continue their exploration of Saint Avarthil Monastery, battling more of Nathaire’s servants. The adventurers might learn that the friars removed several of Vontarin’s possessions from his manor when the wizard disappeared.

Session 12:

Characters finish their search of the abbey, and they corner Nathaire in the library. They battle Nathaire and the creatures serving him. When the characters defeat Nathaire, they find that the purple orb he carries traps Vontarin’s hateful soul. The curse remains unbroken, however.

Session 13:

Vontarin’s soul must be freed from the orb at the place where his body is buried, or else it might roam free and the curse might never be broken. The adventurers shatter it, but a ghostly remnant of Vontarin appears and fights furiously against being laid to rest. With the defeat of Vontarin’s ghost, the ritual is undone. The mage rests again, and the town returns to the world for good.