Helm's Watch

by smitty1138

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Helm's Watch

Helm's Watch were the vigilant protectors of the town of Leilon, providing sanctuary in the underground keep beneath their sacred temple. This haven had ensured the small village of Leilon's survival on the turbulent Sword Coast for centuries, until the day when the steeple's warning bell rang and no one ever came back out.

Adventure Synopsis

Leilon is now a ghost town since the town was lured into a trap by a false alarm at the cathedral to Helm. An ancient wolf-like demigod known as Lobella, having escaped imprisonment in Protector's Enclave, defeated the paladins of Helm's Watch infecting them with lycanthropy. Her dutiful servants, driven by the mania of the disease, lured the townsfolk in with a false alarm. Most of the elderly and weak were slain, with the most vital specimens being infected themselves so as to bolster the pack.

The mania subsided with time and the passing of the full moon. Alden Sawyer, the human leader of Helm's Watch, recognized the horror of what he had done, and vowed to limit the destruction caused by his new pack. The former townsfolk and paladins now hunt only at night, and most travelers avoid the roads that go through Leilon directly, preferring instead to take the roads that cut around it. In their most sane moments, the servants of Lobella know that what they are doing is wrong and that she must be destroyed, but they are incapable of doing it themselves. At best, they can be passive and forthright about their evil master, but at worst they are snarling obedient pups carrying out Lobella's bidding.

Returning Home

Elminster Aumar has returned to his hometown to visit his descendants, only to discover it in it's present state. He has inquired with travelers since arriving and learned of the disappearances as well as the connection to the cathedral of Helm which as a child he was very familiar with. He is overcome by grief, and wishes to clean up Leilon. He asks the party to investigate the cathedral to see if there is anything left, and if any evil still lurks there.

Chapter 1: Leilon

Leilon was once a prosperous little village along the King's Road. While small, the inn and tavern were almost always full to bursting with travelers making the oft traveled journey from Neverwinter to Waterdeep. It was a simple village where the locals made their living farming their own homesteads or working the local mine.

The town today offers no warmth or amenities. Since the residents of Leilon were lured away to the cathedral of Helm to the southeast, the buildings have remained abandoned and no one has resettled the town. Those that have tried have also disappeared, and before long it became common knowledge to travelers along the King's Road to avoid Leilon altogether.

Most of the old buildings still stand, with farmhouses dotting the outer landscape of Leilon, and a few shops and other buildings more densely packed around the intersection of the Triboar Trail and the King's Road. Though the hollow wooden shells stand unowned, they are hardly unoccupied. Strange plants have reclaimed much of the road and the exterior structures, while bandits and other ill-meaning creatures periodically use the empty buildings for shelter.

The North Gate

The north gate and its surrounding houses have been overgrown with dense vines and thorns. The ones constricting the gate have been burned away by Elminster, and the sturdy great iron entrance stands open. Elminster sits on a wooden stool in the middle of the street, staring blankly at the empty buildings before him and smoking his pipe.

At some point while interacting with Elminster, a camouflaged wood woad peels itself off of one of the nearby buildings and two thornies extract themselves from the briars that have grown over the walls of the North Gate.

If the surrounding houses are searched, the party can find any number of pieces of mundane gear and household items, as well as small reserves of wealth totaling 100 gp.

Temple of Lathander

Despite Helm's influence on Leilon, the deity worshipped day to day is Lathander as Leilon is primarily an agrarian community. The temple, being one of the few buildings in town made almost entirely out of stone, stands much as it did decades ago during the exodus. Whether it's the divine energy of the place, or the catacombs situated beneath it, the site has sense drawn lost souls to it.

The main hall of the temple is now home to a wayward ghost of a cleric of Lathander. Despite his affiliation to a good deity, he has lost the alignment and ideals he held in life, and vows to quell anything living that enters the temple. At his disposal he has 2 wights that will defend him at all costs.

The catacombs can be accessed through a staircase at the back of the temple's main hall. The catacombs contain several rows of sarcophagi that each hold pieced together skeletons from different creatures and animals. A lab bench has been constructed in the rear of the chamber, and a lich named Wizzdle occupies it, experimenting on a new skeletal creation. Wizzdle is indifferent towards the ghost upstairs and is content to let the adventurers pass if they let him continue his experiments.

Waterfront

The waterfront district of Leilon consists of an old pier and a pair of dilapitated warehouses. A couple ruined schooners still sit half sunk and moored to the docks. A closer inspection of the pier yields nothing useful, but strange smells waft from one of the warehouses.

Chapter 1 | Leilon

The central warehouse, though derelict with a half caved in roof, houses a strange alchemical laboratory. Amidst the bubbling and churning equipment is a slender, pale high elf named Alabaster Slaid. Alabaster is fidgety but also indignant toward any intrusion. His alchemical experiments fall in a moral gray area so he prefers to use this abandoned site to carry out his work in peace after being kicked out of Northwatch. He brusquely entertains questions from the party, but has little to say on the current state of Leilon and very little patience.

Ruined Market

The old market square stands in front of what was once the Two Copper Inn. Most of the buildings have collapsed or fallen into disrepair, and a thick overgrowth chokes most of the street.

Manyclaws Alley

This alley is just up the street from the market. As if drawn by the very name, it is now home to 4 manticores. They lurk in the husks of the buildings along the alley, ambushing any prey that enters.

Smelters

Old forges in this district still mysteriously glow with the heat of activity. In the absence of any normal resident, creatures of fire have spawned in the great furnaces and now bask in the heat of the active forges. A fire elemental lords over 4 magmins as they keep the mechanisms alive, though they don't desire to shape any metal themselves.

Scattered throughout the remains of the forges and smithies are any number of mundane metallic armor, weapons and jewelry. There are a couple of magic items still preserved in the rubble however. A DC 15 investigation check reveals a ring and a breastplate that both have runic inscriptions on them.

The ring is a ring of spell storing that currently holds the following spells: Hex, Hold Person, and Crown of Madness. The armor is +1 Splint Mail.

Mines

The abandoned mines are outside the scope of this adventure. They have been commandeered by all manner of nasty creatures since the town was abandoned, but retaking them could be a follow-up to this adventure. It provides a good hook and natural next step for the party.

Chapter 2: The Cathedral of Helm

Approaching the Cathedral

The old cobblestone road that once lead Northeast above the mines is overgrown and all but useless. Many dangers lurk in the untamed lands surrounding the cathedral, and finding the structure nestled in the shadows of the Sword Mountains is no easy task.

The most direct route to the cathedral takes 2 hours on foot from Leilon. One member of the party should be elected to lead the group and must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check or add 1d4 hours to the travel time. For each 2 hour interval that the party is traveling, roll on the following table to see if they encounter any wandering threats in the hills:

  1. Nothing Happens
  2. Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu and 10 Gnolls
  3. Hobgoblin Devastator and 8 Hobgoblins
  4. Orc Blade of Ilneval and 9 Orcs
  5. Ogre Battering Ram and 2 Ogres
  6. Troll and 3 Ogres

1 - Cathedral Courtyard

A large temple looms before you amidst a break in the forest. The forgotten road that leads through its broken front gate is barely visible beneath thick growth. Vines and ivy seem to cling to every part of the temple's exterior.

Past the main gate, just in front of the stone steps leading up to the entrance to the cathedral lies the cracked remains of the steeple's bell. The bell is gripped tightly by vines and roots, as if the earth has been unwilling to give up its prize since it fell.

The bell itself is a ward that alerts the denizens of the temple of trespassers. A DC 15 perception check reveals that the bell has ward runes and sigils carved into it. Dispel magic is able to easily do aware with these wards.

If the bell is touched, a loud ghostly ring echoes throughout the courtyard. This awakens the wererat archers in area 6 , causes the wisps in area 3 to temporarily become visible, and draws 3 members of the temple to come to area 2 in beast form to investigate.

Invisible Stalker

An invisible stalker prowls the grounds of the temple. Whenever the party enters a room that is unoccupied such as the kitchen or dormitory roll a d6. On a 6, the invisible stalker lurks in the room and strikes when it has an opportunity.

2 - Sanctuary

Broken pews are strewn about the main chamber of the cathedral. The vaulted ceiling towers 15 feet above you and the whole area smells of dust and decay. Beyond the once tidy rows of pews stands an altar and area of worship. The altar is topped with an over-sized bronze helmet

If any alarms have been triggered then 3 Werewolves in animal form are stalking and sniffing about the sanctuary. If the party is not stealthy in their approach of the sanctuary, then the Werewolves attempt to hide and strike from the shadows.

The pews contain nothing of value and most of the sanctuary has been stripped of any useful materials since the former occupants moved below ground. The altar, however, contains a hidden treasure inside the oversized bronze helm. A DC 12 Investigation Check reveals that just beneath the base of the helm is a ring of words in common. The ring is inscribed in the top of the altar, but it can be turned: allowing one word at a time to be exposed to the person standing at the helm.

The exposed word at the time the device is revealed is "Forgive". As the ring is turned, the following words are revealed:

  • Forgive
  • Lead
  • Protect
  • Befriend
  • Comfort
  • Vanquish
  • Sacrifice
  • Prosecute
  • Shame
  • Serve

There is also a small stone button beneath the exposed word. Pressing the button when "Protect" is exposed causes the bronze helm to open and reveals a Helm of Brilliance inside. Pressing the button when any other word is exposed causes a ward to trigger. Everyone within 30 feet of the altar must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution Saving Throw or become paralyzed for 1 minute. The ward also causes members of the temple to arrive in human form and bind the heroes to be eaten.

A handwritten note sits inside the vault next to the helm. It reads: If you've opened this vault, then times must be desperate. I implore you to recall why this helmet was locked away. I locked it away because we are no longer worthy of it. Think carefully of your honor and duty before you make your next move. - Father Sawyer

The solution to the altar puzzle is also the pass phrase to open Area 9.

Temple Members' Loot

Most of the members of the temple don't have use for material possessions, but they all have a pendant given to them by Alden Sawyer, the temple's leader. The pendant is a silver disk with the holy symbol of helm on the front. The back is inscribed with the following: Helm has cast me aside.

3 - Garden

Five will-o-wisps float about the garden while maintaining invisibility. If any wards were triggered, then the five wisps break invisibility and fly around the garden in a more panicked fashion. They calm down and become invisible once more after one minute, or once anyone enters the garden.

Be sure to track the wisps even while invisible. If they are able to maintain or regain invisibility, then they attack any adventurers one at a time leveraging the element of surprise as much as possible. If the adventurers are completely unaware of the wisps presence when they enter, then the wisps set themselves up to all attack at once, giving themselves a surprise round.

The tall wrought iron gates easily give way to an expansive garden. Stone pathways wind their way lazily through horribly overgrown flower beds. A weather-beaten fountain stands at the center of the garden with a statue atop it depicting the god Helm. Water no longer cascades from the fountain, and its basin appears dry.

There are three exits from the garden. Wrought iron gates lead out of the garden at either end, and a locked wooden door to the west leads into the cathedral sanctuary. A small shack constructed of stone and wood abuts the cathedral at the northern end of the garden. Approaching the shack reveals that the door has been destroyed.

4 - Gardener's Shack

The exterior of this small shack has a porch leading up to a doorway and a single window built into its southern wall that overlooks the garden. Even from the outside it is apparent that a fierce struggle took place here, as the door has been destroyed and its splinters lie scattered about the entryway.

The shack itself houses no danger to the party, but the signs of previous danger should be made plainly obvious and likely warrant a cautions approach. Once inside, the shack is revealed to house little more than the body of its former occupant.

Lying in the center of the one room building is the long decayed body of an elf. He wears simple brown and green robes that have been tattered with age and clutches a staff in his bony hands. Gazing about the room, you see one intact table and a closed trunk at the foot of a moldy straw bed. Signs of battle are everywhere as the room is covered in the splintered remains of the door and chairs. Deep gouges deface the body and can also be seen in the masonry of the walls.

The body belongs to an elven druid named Gildras. He was once the cathedral's gardener and a devote worshipper of Helm. The staff that he clutches is a Staff of the Adder, which Gildras fondly referred to as Percy when it was in snake form.

The shack contains little of value other than an herbalism kit that sits undisturbed on the table. The trunk contains a set of fine vestments depicting the holy symbol of Helm and worth 30 gold pieces, as well as Gildras' personal journal.

The journal is rather mundane. It contains mostly descriptions of daily gardening activities as well as prayers to Helm and recollections of important rituals and ceremonies used in his worship. The journal begins to get interesting approximately one month before its final entry. Here, Gildras begins describing horrible howling heard at night, as well as bandit attacks that occur with increasing frequency. Though the journal always speaks highly of someone named Alden Sawyer, the author's faith in his ability to protect the temple waivers more and more until the entries eventually stop.

5 - Butcher's Tower

The insides of this tower have been completely removed providing a vast open space that streches up to its pinnacle. On the first floor where you enter there are several piles of bones neatly stacked about. Two large, sturdy wooden tables stand directly across the room stained with blood. Several knives and butchers implements sit on the table along with various hocks of uncured meat.

To the left of the doorway is the corpse of some large beast that has been partially carved up. Next to it are two over-sized sacks of salt for curing. Finally, the upper portions of the tower have had large cuts of salted meats arranged on chains. Skylights allow an ample amount of sunlight in to dry the meat, but the stench of the raw flesh on the ground level is almost unbearable.

When the party enters the tower, roll 1d6. On a 5 or a 6, the temple's butcher is present. He is a brawny half-elf with a bald head, square jaw, and thick chestnut beard named Tobias Falthrun. As a member of the temple, he has been changed like the rest and is in truth a Werebear. If the party encounters him, he will try to discern the nature of their visit while looking for an opportunity to incapacitate the group or make his way to the lower chambers for help.

The corpse on the ground is the corpse of a bullette, which requires a DC 15 nature check to determine because many of the distinguishing features of the beast have been removed. Most of the meat on the tables is near spoiled and will need to be tended to soon. The knives themselves are unremarkable except for Falthrun's Cleaver (see Appendix A). If Falthrun is present, he wields the cleaver and does his best to not let the party get a hold of it.

The climb to the upper levels is relatively straight forward. Hand and foot holds have been carved into the walls providing access to the chains and meat hooks above.

6 - Archer's Tower

Unlike the butcher's tower, all three floors of this building are intact. Each looks very much the same, with two arrow slits per floor that overlook the courtyard and the detached bell. The first floor has no arrow slits, but does have a thick wooden door on the outside that is usually locked and barred from within.

The first floor harbors no occupants, but the occasional footsteps and casual voices can be heard on the floors above. There are old weapon racks along the walls with bows and quivers of arrows. A ladder leads up to the second floor.

On each of the floors above, three Wererat archers stand guard with long bows. For the most part, they spend their time playing dice games and trying to pass the uneventful hours of their guard shifts. They only notice the party in the courtyard if the ward is triggered or another loud and noticeable event gives them away. If they are put on alert, the guards will change into wererat form, but will do their best to escape to the lower levels if the tower is breached.

7 - Sacristy

The door to the Sacristy is kept locked and Alden and the other members of the temple have not entered it since Alden declared them heretics and unworthy of Helm's guidance. The keyhole is uniquely shaped and requires a DC 25 thief's tools check to bypass. The key to the sacristy can be found in Alden's desk in area 8.

It is immediately clear that this chamber hasn't been touched in years. A thin layer of dust coats a well preserved sacristy. A large wardrobe with a glass front reveals neatly folded ceremonial vestments inside. Shelves along the walls hold white and silver candles as well as several vials of oils and incense. In the center of the room sits a table adorned with a cloth depicting the holy symbol of Helm. A heavy tome lies open upon the table, and a gilded chest is tucked underneath.

The tome is a collection of prayers to Helm as well as collections of scripture relating to the worship and heroic tales of Helm. It is open to a passage that reads:

Helm shows no sympathy to those who disgrace him. If you seek his greatness and he does not answer, why might that be? Are you worthy of his protection? Have you upheld his tenants? Or are you yourself a heretic? Helm will not offer his strength and guidance to those who do not protect others, nor will he heed the petitions of those who have fallen out of his favor. If you call for the defense of Helm, and he does not answer, it is not because he is not there. He is simply not listening.

The vestments in the wardrobe are all ceremonial and exceptionally well preserved. The vestments in total are worth 100gp. The candles, oils and incense aren't valuable enough on their own to be worth collecting.

The gilded chest represents the last collection of donations to the temple from the town of Leilon. Alden has left it in the Sacristy sealed and untouched as a reminder of the value that Leilon once placed on the temple and as a symbol of how far the people of the temple have fallen. The chest is locked with a level 5 Arcane lock, requiring a dispel magic spell to break.

Inside the chest is a collection of gold and other gems including 1800 gp, 170 pp, two Carnelians worth 50 gp each, one Chrysoprase worth 60 gp, one Jasper worth 50gp, one Onyx worth 75 gp, one Quartz worth 30 gp, and two Zircons worth 45 gp each.

8 - Alden's Quarters

This small chamber appears to be the private quarters of a single individual. A writing desk sits next to a small but comfortable looking cot. A leather bound journal sits on the desk next to an inkwell, and a wooden trunk is at the foot of the bed. Immediately to the left of the door is a weapon rack and armor stand that are both empty.

The quarters belonged to Father Alden Sawyer, paladin and head of the temple. This is immediately clear to any that examine his journal on the writing desk. The most recent entries speak of encroaching horrors from the forest, followed by recounts of many injured and dying temple members in the days following a great battle. Several months pass before the final entry which simply reads: We are moving to the lower levels. We have become abominations and I will not allow our work to continue.

The footlocker contains old robes but nothing of significant value. The writing desk still has a leather coin purse with 30 pp that Alden left behind. A DC 13 Investigation check reveals a false back in the drawer of the writing desk containing the key to area 7.

9 - Catacombs Egress

The stone doors on both sides of this chamber are sealed and protected by a pass phrase. Written above the doorway is the question We owe it to others before we deserve it ourselves. Speaking the work protection to the door will cause it to open. This reveals a spiral set of stone stairs that lead to the catacomb level.

10 - Dining Hall

The modestly sized dining hall of the temple has seen more destruction than most of the temple. Great oak tables are smashed or overturned and dishes and cutlery are scattered about. The smell of rot and mildew hangs heavy hear, and it's clear that no attempts at restoration have been made in this chamber in years.

The dining hall has been completely abandoned by the surviving inhabitants of the temple. Unless the party encounters the invisible stalker in this room, there is nothing of substance for them to encounter here. There are 3 doors at the back of the hall that all lie open in various states of disrepair leading to the common quarters, and a closed door to the west that leads to the kitchen.

11 - Kitchen

Beyond the wooden door is a kitchen in a state of excessive disruption. The cast iron stoves are cracked and the dishes have all been smashed. Large counter tops are littered with refuse and the general clutter makes it difficult to move throughout the space.

The kitchen is also inhabited by the ghost of the temple's cook: a dragonborn named Kligly. When the party first enters the kitchen, Kligly is invisible and begins to fling cutlery at them. Everyone must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d12 slashing damage. Once they survive the first volley, he makes himself visible and interrogates the party, claiming that he mistook them for common bandits but they clearly are more than that.

If they converse with him, he will give them some information about the temple. He can recount the night of the bandit attack and reveals that the bandits were all changelings and servants of Lobella, infecting most of the temple before Alden secured victory over them. He also reveals that once some members of the temple changed, they killed or turned the population of Leilon. He doesn't know anything about them since Alden forced them underground however.

If the party have not yet solved the pass phrase on the door in area 9, Kligly can give them the pass phrase, but he asks a favor in return. He wants Althea Aumar killed. She was the changeling that ended his life the day that the town of Leilon was abandoned.

12 - Dormitory

A ransacked dormitory stretches the length of the northern end of the temple. Several bunks lie dismantled or overturned and the splintered remains of two large circular tables sit in the western corner of the room. Ancient dried blood still clings to the sheets and bedding, and hideous claw marks mar the walls.

Along the back wall, in the western corner of the room, a large gash exposes this chamber to the outside. It is clear from the damage and the ever present claw marks that something horrific forced its way in.

Like the kitchen, the dormitory has been completely abandoned. There are a few sets of chain or leather armor as well as rusted weaponry, but nothing of value remains. The only danger to the party is the possibility of encountering the temple's resident invisible stalker.

13 - Cemetery

The plot of earth to the west of the temple is an aging cemetary. Crumbling and neglected tombstones form slightly crooked rows with winding footpaths between them. The entirety of the site is horribly overgrown with weeds, and many of the tombstones are so obscured that the names and dates can barely be made out.

This cemetery represents a public plot of land where the residents of Leilon could choose to be buried. It contains mostly low ranking members of the temple, but a few wealthier families of Leilon have a presence here. Once the people of the temple gave into lycanthropy the cemetery saw no new occupants, as any victims of the temple were eaten or otherwise disposed of.

If the party has not randomly encountered the invisible stalker that patrols the temple, have them encounter it here.

Chapter 3: The Catacombs

The lower level of the temple is a lethal and highly defensible position that the werecreatures of the temple have used to their advantage for decades. Its entrance is comprised of tight passages and traps ending in a choke point just outside of the area that Alden and his brood now call home.

14 - Halls Of Heroes

The first area of the catacombs is a labyrinthine set of hallways with tombs carved into the walls along them. The temple members referred to this place as the Hall of Heroes which is engraved in common above the entrance from the stairs.

The tombs contain the bravest paladins and clerics of the order of Helm that all gave their lives carrying out his protection of Leilon. Given their well respected position amongst the members of the temple, the bodies are undisturbed. Even the madness of lycanthropy was not enough to allow them to defile the corpses of their past members.

The most striking feature of the tombs is that all of the bodies appear to have died very recently. This is due to runes of gentle repose that are carved into each resting place. The intent was to preserve these heroes exactly in the manner that they perished.

Though the halls eventually produce a path further into the bowels of the temple, its maze like design is meant to discourage invaders. At the DM's discretion, the party can loot trinkets and jewelry from the corpses, but anything in their possession is likely to be noticed by Alden and his followers.

15 - The Cryptkeeper's Quarters

The temple's crypt keeper still lives in her old quarters here. As the party approaches they might here her humming or singing to herself as she practices her divining magic while meditating.

The terminus of the main hallway opens up into a hemisphere of open space across which sits a simple wooden door set in a stone wall. Beyond the door, sitting hunched over a small end table bearing a candle, is an ancient and wrinkled woman. Thin whisps of gray hair hang down from a scabbed scalp, and as she glances towards the door you can see that her eyes are completely clouded over. She smiles, but it brings you no comfort nor sense of welcome.

The old crone goes by Evangeline. She is a human, though appears to be far beyond any reasonable human age. Her hands are arthritic claws and she never moves to rise from her chair. She is not hostile towards the party, and also informs them that her sight revealed to her that they were exploring the temple.

Should the party question the old crone, she informs them that she has been forced to live beneath the temple to perform last rites on any of Alden's brood. However, she resents Alden and his misguided attempts to turn the surviving members of the temple on a more righteous path. She believes the only true solution is for the entire lot to be killed.

If the party agrees to kill Alden and free her, she will tell them of a powerful mistress being held captive in area 18. She does not know that this mistress is the demigod Lobella, but does recognize that releasing her could be very dangerous. She also will inform the party to tread with caution as most of the remaining underground sections of the temple are trapped and meant to kill or drive back intruders.

16 - Secret Chamber

A DC 16 Perception check in the hallway outside of area 16 reveals a secret door hidden in the masonry. It slides away to reveal a small chamber that is completely empty except for a single skeleton. The skeleton still wears tattered robes and is kneeling with a tightly gripped wand pointing in his mouth.

It is unclear what the purpose of the chamber was, but there are several frantic etchings in the wall that say things like "no escape", "someone find me", and "let me out". The wand clutched in the skeleton's grip is a +2 Deadly Wand (see Appendix A).

17 - Pantry

The stench of mold and rot permeates this chamber. The walls are lined with crates and barrels stacked nearly to the ceiling, and some of the containers have ruptured revealing fungus and mold that has clearly overtaken whatever food stuffs used to belong here. Curiously, the crates and walls of the room are also coated with sticky fibrous webs...

The denizens of the temple stopped using this pantry after 3 phase spiders made it their home. The phase spiders begin on the ethereal plane, using the element of surprise to open combat against the party.

18 - Lobella's Cell

This chamber is featureless save for 4 sets of heavy iron chains that bind an elven woman in the center of the room. She kneels before you, but you can tell that she is of significantly above average height and very muscular. She has long unkempt brown hair streaked with black and wears heavy furs. There is something animalistic about her gaze when she looks up at you, but her demeanor is pleading.

Lobella only wishes to punish Alden for entrapping her and betraying the gift she has bestowed upon his people. She will play the victim to the heroes, claiming that she can help them rid the temple of its evil if they will free her.

She doesn't easily give up details about her past or her connection to the lycanthropy that afflicts the temple, but through persuasion or deception she may be forced to slip up or become so impatient that she lets details of her true nature slip through.

If the party frees her, she will indeed carry out her promise to help them kill Alden, but she will then turn on the party and attempt to infect them with her gift as well.

19 - Frost Trap Chamber

The wooden door opens a bit begrudgingly to an empty room. The only thing noticeable about the room is that it feels a bit cooler in here than the rest of the temple, and a light coating of frost covers the floor.

As soon as a member of the party gets 10 feet beyond the door into this room, the door shuts and magical runes engulf the room in an Ice Storm spell. Any character in the room must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. They take 2d8 bludgeoning and 4d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half damage on a successful save. It takes a DC 10 Athletics check to open the door, but the spell continues until the door is opened.

20 - Fire Trap Chamber

This vaguely egg shaped chamber houses no distinct features. The air here feels a bit warmer than the rest of the temple, and certainly warmer than would be expected in a basement, but other than that there is nothing of note about this room.

This room also contains an elemental trap designed to dispose of wandering intruders. Once any member of the party is 10 feet into the room, a flaming inferno erupts engulfing the room in a fireball. Anyone caught in the room must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 8d6 bludgeoning damage. They take half damage on a successful save. The door may be opened with a DC 10 Athletics check, but the fireball continues as long as the door remains closed.

21 - Tilting Bridge

The hallway gives way to a massive chasm that stretches as far as the eye can see in either direction. A 10-foot wide stone bridge stretches across it to a heavy iron door on the other side.

This bridge represents the last line of defense for the people of Leilon. Safe passage is achieved by sticking to the right half of the bridge. Stepping on the left side of the bridge causes that tile to tilt suddenly, sending the occupant falling to their death. If a tilting tile is triggered, the victim must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall off the bridge. They plummet into darkness and immediately drop to 0 hit points, falling unconscious. They should make death saving throws as normal, unless the DM feels that a swifter end is in order.

22 - Grotto of Helm

After the bridge, a winding, rough hewn corridor makes its way through the earth to a natural underground cavern.

As the narrow tunnel begins to widen, the sound of rushing water can be heard. The tunnel ends in a large underground grotto that clearly has been repurposed as a sizable camp. Several fires are lit, their smoke curling up and venting out through the opening made by a waterfall at the rear of the grotto.

The waterfall descends into a pool in the center, with a statue of Helm erected in the middle of the pool. Approximately a dozen humanoids move about the place, though the three on this side of the pool nearest the tunnel turn and immediately draw short swords.

Despite appearing immediately hostile, the three werewolves that are nearest the tunnel entrance know that Alden will want to see any intruders that were able to make it past all the hazards constructed throughout the temple. If the party does not immediately engage in combat, then the werewolves will offer to take them to Alden.

One of the werewolves is a half-elven woman named Althea Aumar. She is a neice to Elminster, but is also the target of the ghost cook Kligly's revenge.

Alden is a werebear but prefers his human form as often as he can manage it. He still wears the armor and raiment of his order, though he believes vehemently that Helm has forsaken himself and his followers because of their disease.

Alden will entertain any questioning that the party has, though the one thing he refuses to do is leave the temple, or to let the party stay. He requires that not only do they stay far away, but they tell others of the mysterious dangers of Leilon to prevent any innocent folk from happening across their brood.

If pressed about the prisoner, Alden will admit a special connection between his people and the prisoner but will not give away that she is Lobella or that she is responsible for his disease. He does say that if the party is up to the task that he would tell them everything if they would slay Lobella for him. Alden and his people are unable to harm her, though they were able to capture her.

If the party agrees, Alden will have to lower the protective wards placed around Lobella. In doing so, she will be able to break her bonds and fight back, so the party should be prepared.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it is up to the party who they decide to slay. Elminster will be happiest of the surviving members are left alive and if any Aumars can be convinced to leave the temple. Alden may allow them to leave once Lobella's influence over them has been destroyed by slaying her.

Lobella or the Cryptkeeper may offer rewards for the slaying of Alden and his brood, but that is at the DM's discretion. Perhaps by siding with either this leads to new adventures and avenues of employment for the party.

Appendix A

Magic Items

Falthrun's Cleaver

Requires Attunement


Falthrun's Cleaver provides a +2 bonus to all attack and damage rolls. It deals 1d6 slashing damage and is a versatile and thrown weapon. When thrown, it automatically returns to the wielder's hand.

Deadly Wand

Requires Attunement


This pitch black wooden wand provides a +2 bonus to spell attack rolls as well as a +2 damage bonus to all spells cast while wielding it.

Appendix B

Maps

Temple of Helm - Ground Floor

Temple of Helm - Catacombs

 

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