Adventure for Party Level 5-7

Overview: The players come across a dilapidated old manor house slowly decaying in the woods. Inside is a secret stairwell that leads to an ancient crypt. Buried deep within is the skeleton of an orc clutching The Immortal Axe.

Setup: The woods seem to go on forever. Either the trail turned or it just ended. You aren’t entirely sure. You’re probably lost. You push aside a large bush and before you looms an ancient manor house like a ghost emerging from a grave. The walls have mostly collapsed but you can still see the foundation of what must have been an elegant and expensive home maybe a hundred or so years ago. Crows cry a warning to you from the surrounding trees. There is evil here and death.

The house is old and rotting in many places. It looks like it might have been a human abode or perhaps elven. There are no roads leading to it nor any discernible paths. There are no people around and no reason for this house to be here. It’s as if it existed in another world and was unceremoniously dumped in the middle of the woods. Exploring the house during the day will reveal nothing but rubble. The players must wait until night falls.

As darkness shrouds the land hills around you, a chill wind blows from the east. You hear a steady knocking coming from somewhere inside the ruined house.

The knocking comes from behind a wall buried under a pile of rubble. It will only take the players a few minutes to unearth it. A simple search of the wall will reveal a glowing sigil. It is a rune of warding and must be disabled before the wall can be properly searched. Once disabled, a Perception check (DC 15) will find a hidden latch that opens a secret door. The moment the door opens, the knocking stops. The players will see a stone staircase leading down into darkness.

The Hallway

The stairs end at a long stone hallway. Ahead you see only blackness. You can just barely make out a voice when you reach the bottom. “Go back,” it whispers, “go back.”

If the players take a step down the hallway, a Crypt Horrror sweeps down the passage and attacks.

At the end of the hallway is a locked door. However, the door is locked on the other side. Boards have been nailed on the outside of the door as if to keep someone or something locked within. A successful Strength check DC 14 can pry the boards loose and a Dexterity check (lock picking) DC 14 will open the door or a successful Strength check DC 16 can break the door down.

The Library

You enter a large and decrepit library. Shelf upon shelf of decaying books line the walls. An ancient table and a chair with its back to you stand between you and a doorway on the other side. You can see that someone has barricaded this doorway too. 

On the other side of the chair is a skeleton holding a crossbow. The crossbow points towards the barricaded doorway. The books in the room are ruined by damp and age and none can be salvaged. Again, boards have been nailed to the door and assorted trash blocks it. The players may take a few minutes to clear away the rubble and a successful Strength check DC 14 will pry the boards off the door so it can be opened. The skeleton belongs to a human who was geased to guard the door at all cost. The first person to enter or leave the door will cause the skeleton to fire his crossbow at them unless it has been relieved of it. 

Crossbow Trap: No perception check will spot it but it can be easily disabled by removing the crossbow. It triggers when someone enters or exits the door leading to the crypt. Attack +10, One target, Range 30 ft., Hit: 7 (2d6+2) piercing damage. The skeleton will fire one shot before crumbling into dust.

The Crypt

You enter a circular chamber. In the very center of the room is a stone sarcophagus. Along the walls are three skeletons in ragged breastplate armor. As you walk into the room,, the skeletons come to life and shuffle between you and the sarcophagus. They draw their weapons and assume defensive positions.

The skeletons are grave guards and will not attack unless the players approach the sarcophagus. The skeletons cannot speak nor will they follow the players out of the room. If attacked ranged, the skeletons will move away from the door, draw their shields, and hide behind them granting them total cover.
Upon closer examination, the players will see that the sarcophagus is chained shut. The chains, however, are brittle and will easily crumble to dust if pulled. The sarcophagus itself has no writing or ornamentation on it. The lid is stone and requires a Strength check DC 14 to push open. Inside is the skeleton of an enormous 9 ft. tall orc clutching a beautiful and deadly axe. The axe is The Immortal Axe.