Desecration at Silverfire Abbey

Desecration at Silverfire Abbey is an adventure for four to six characters with an average party level of 3. Such a party should be able to complete this module within 3 - 4 hours. A party completing this adventure module should receive enough experience to reach level 4.

Background

Sir Tenebre Angola is a retired adventurer in Lockwood, the village the party is currently visiting. He has seen people fleeing from a nearby abbey and he and his squire Elmor Hemliton enlist the party to investigate the abbey and help the priests who maintain it from attackers. The Silverfire Abbey has come under attack by a Hobgoblin prophet named Mennreh the Believer who has convinced his band of goblinoids that the priests of Silverfire Abbey are suppressing Nelrimor, a deity that Mennreh believes he is the prophet of. Nelrimor is a Vrock wishing for Mennreh to summon him to the material plane so he can devour the beauty of the Abbey.

Adventure Summary

The adventurers are enlisted by Sir Tenebre and his squire to investigate the fate of the priests in Silverfire Abbey nearby
The adventurers can ask around town to gather some information
The party heads to the Abbey to confront Mennreh and his band
After clearing most of the abbey heading into the western wing they come upon Mennreh performing the ritual of Nelrimor
If Mennreh finished the ritual (sacrificing the head priest) a portal opens to the abyss releasing demons to desecrate and destroy the abbey.
The party should clear the Abbey of both goblinoids and demons while saving priests.
The party return to Lockwood and claim their reward

Adventure Hooks

The party are hired by Sir Tenebre Algora to investigate Silverfire Abbey
The party sees the attack on Silverfire Abbey while traveling and investigate on their own
The party hears about Mennreh attempting to claim a fortress for his band of thieves and someone attempts to recruit them before the attack

Silverfire Abbey

The party can see and smell what has become of Silverfire as they approach the main entrance. Smoke and signs of war are fresh in the earth leading to the Abbey and the doorway is red with blood. The main entrance is held up by two large pillars, decorations on the wall surface hold beautiful flowers and plants and a stained glass window decorates the upper part of the door, the lower windows having been smashed in.

Secrets of the Abbey

Silverfire is the name of a large jar of mercury stored in the back room of the abbey.
Pouring the Silverfire into the font will purify the grounds, destroying any demons or devils on the premises.
High Priest Alfons has been pinching from the coffers and keeping a personal stash.
The Abbey was created by a group of priests who fell in love with an elven Bard long ago, the Elf was such an inspiration that the priests devoted themselves and the abbey to the arts.
It was after near destruction at the hands of a great demon that the Silverfire was brought and the consecration intoned in the building.
All of the decorations and engravings are part of the spell that banishes the demons.

General Features

Unless otherwise stated, the Silverfire Abbey has the following features. The ceilings, walls, and floors are made out of smooth white alabaster blocks. frequent embellishments and decorative carvings of various acts of artistic beauty cover most walls, especially at the molding. The ceilings are vaulted up to 20ft in their center. Doors are made of wood and have AC 15, 20 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

The halls of the Abbey are filled with a low chanting when the party arrives. This ends when Mennreh finishes his ritual at which time discordant wailing, laughing and demonic noises erupt from throughout the Abbey. The Abbey has many tall windows allowing outside light to flow into the abbey in most rooms. If the room has no windows it will be noted. Candles and torches are used to light the abbey in the evenings.

1 Guard Room?

A small table sits between two stools, some cards laying there like someone was mid-game. As the party enters if they look up the entire periphery of the room is filled with 4 swarms of ravens, they begin cawing and attack the party for 2 rounds before flying out of the open door. If the door is closed they continue until the door is opened. The ruckus the birds' cause will alert the dormitory (2) on a successful DC 14 wisdom (perception) check.

2 Bandit Dormitory

This room used to act as a receiving room for the priesthood but has since been converted into a temporary dormitory for the goblins. 6 goblins are here resting when the party arrives, two of them are supposed to be in area 1 guarding but are arguing about a gambling debt one owes the other. If they are alerted to the presence of the PCs by the birds in room 1 they cannot be surprised, otherwise, the party can surprise them if they are stealthy.

3 the Aviary

The walls in this room are inset with decorative cages filled with songbirds. This was the aviary for the Abbey and the birds were used in the theatrical performances put on by the local priests and otherwise prized for their songs. The door leading to the next room has a handle coated with contact poison, put there by Mennreh. A huge section of the Aviary, the one holding the Corvus, has been opened, which is why the party was attacked on the way in.

4 Animal Pens

This room contains several animals in pens and stables; the priests' food and labor animals. 4 wolves are prowling among the animals causing them to all act up and buck against their holds. The wolves will attack the PCs if attacked, otherwise, they will keep the farm animals between them and the party and attempt to intimidate, barking to alert their goblin masters in the nearby rooms. There is an unconscious priest, sleeping with the pigs, in this room. If the party saves him he reveals his name is Guillermo Benetti and he tells the party about the Silverfire in the vault.

5 Gallery of Talking Heads

This is the northern gallery of the abbey. Throughout the room are 12 large pedestals with busts on them. When the party first enters they are perfectly still and appear to be normal, but a successful DC 15 wisdom (perception) check reveals them to be following the party with their eyes. If engaged in conversation the heads will, in a unified voice, welcome the party to the abbey of silverfire. Where beauty, art, and music are upheld and offered to the gods and the people. The heads can reveal anything about the Abbey that the party wishes to know (check the Silverfire Abbey secrets section above). In the northern part of this room, a priest is hiding under a tapestry on the floor. If saved, he will introduce himself as Mario Enville and tell the party about Mennreh taking Alfons to the main temple for some dark purpose.

6 Rainbow Studio

The majority of the temple treasure has been moved into this room and a kennel of 4 worgs is set to guard it. They attack anyone that enters the room. The treasure contains 1200 sp, 1400 cp, and 10 gems worth 50 gp each. This room used to be an art studio, easels and pigments are scattered around the room, some ruined, some intact.

Rehearsal Chamber

This room is a small theater used for closed performances where the audience sits around a central stage area. As the party enters, they notice a clever combination of windows and mirrors set high up in the wall focusing a beam of light into the center of the room. Aside from some pads on the floor for sitting the room is otherwise empty.

8 Mess / Ritual Cleansing Chamber

Four hobgoblins sit around a large table eating food and drinking. The southern end of the room contains all the food and wine reserves the Abbey had in stores. This lot is supposed to be counting it, instead, they have taken to indulging. When the party enters the room one or more of them will rush into area 9 to inform Mennreh of their intrusion, though he will continue his ritual to summon a Nelrimor. The remaining hobgoblins will fight until they are dead.

9 Altar / Mennreh the Believer

When the party enters the room, the source of the chanting that has filled the halls is revealed. The walls ring deafeningly with eldritch echoes and mournful wailing. The High Priest Alfons is tied prone on the altar and Mennreh finishes the incantation slamming his Dagger into Alfons chest. Blood pools around the altar and the walls begin to shake and rumble, Mennreh turns to the party and growls: "I'm glad you've come to feed my master!" Mennreh is a Hobgoblin veteran and will attack the party until killed, though he may move to rooms throughout the temple if given the opportunity.

10 The Chapel

This room has a font in the middle with mystical opalescent water in it. The back of the room is covered with a large beautiful tapestry of 20 monks, their heads bowed in prayer, facing the center. An image of an elven bard with a glowing halo. If the party enters this room before Mennreh has summoned the Vrock there will be 6 goblins in here greedily drinking water out of the font (it tastes sweet) which refills from a source beneath the building. If it is after, the goblins are replaced with quasits instead, who are... defiling the water and howling with glee.

11 The Prayer room

If the party checks the tapestry at the back of the chapel they find a secret door to this room, which aside from being beautifully adorned for comfort is also quite dark. The southern wall is covered with another tapestry whose subject hard to make out. If the party investigates this tapestry they find it is infected with Brown Mold as the demonic corruption fills the abbey.

12 Candle Shrine

The party can see a small candle shrine in the southern wall of the main abbey hall. A successful DC 15 intelligence (investigation) check will reveal an access hatch to a small storage room behind. The storage room contains candles, paper, ink, incense, and some braziers.

13 Garden

The party enters this room finding two corpses (priests) lying on the ground where the abbey must have kept a small indoor garden of vegetables and herbs. In the back of the garden an understated door leads to Alfons quarters. The door appears to be decorated to look like a part of the garden.

14 Alfons’ Quarters

Alfons’ private quarters are lavishly adorned. Murals cover each wall and the walls facing the outside have large windows overlooking the valley below. The large four-post bed is covered in delicate pillows, soft sheets, and blankets. The shelves contain pieces of art and trinkets from all over.

If the party enters this room before the summoning has finished there are 4 goblins here. Otherwise, 4 quasits are in this room desecrating the high priest's living quarters and destroying everything with glee. When the party enters the enemies attack. A thorough search of the room reveals 60 gp stashed in his chest of drawers. The party also finds fine midnight blue silken pajamas worth 20 gp.

15 Silverfire Vault

In this room, the Silverfire is kept in a large vessel against the eastern wall. The vrock that was summoned stands here guarding it, knowing that the characters are coming. If the characters can pour the silverfire into the silverfire font in room 16, all demons in the Abbey will be immediately destroyed and sent back to the abyss.

16 Silverfire Font

In the middle of this room, a large stone font sits empty and surrounded by 4 dretch who are all taking turns... putting things in the font where it promptly burns up, leaving a foul smell. When the characters enter, the dretch attacks, but one of them opens the door to room 15 to announce the party's arrival to the vrock waiting there.

Conclusion

If the party succeeds in pouring the silverfire into the font, all the abbey’s stonework will briefly flash with a bright light, instantly destroying any demons on the premises. If the party were able to rescue any of the priests they will thank the party profusely and offer them food and wine and massage and music. When the demons are destroyed any remaining goblinoids flee from the scene.

When the party returns the Sir Tebenre Angola he will give them 20 gp each as a reward and will give them a writ of heroism for Lockwood village, ensuring they can stay at the local inn for a discounted rate. He will encourage the PCs to stick around and help him train Elmor in the ways of adventuring.

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