A Curse at the Old Inn.pdf

A Curse at

the Old Inn

A Heroic Encounter for Characters Levels 1 ‐ ‐ ‐3

Michael Evans

A Heroic Encounter for Characters Levels 1

Michael Evans

A Curse at the Old Inn

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Michael Evans

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Introduction

F or seven generations, the

Greybear Family has owned and operated

The Bear & Ale around these parts. As

one of the oldest inns in the area, it has

known good times and bad ones, but has

always opened its doors to welcome

weary travelers.

But something has happened to

the Greybear Family and the inn has lost

some cheer. The once boisterous owner,

the burly Jarwald Greybear, now broods

behind the bar… with just a hint of fear in

his eyes.

tell them apart. As youths, they grew up

always in competition, and over time

they turned into bitter rivals.

When at last their father had died,

and their mother moved away to li ve

with her sister, the boys were left with

the family establishment, The Bear & Ale

Inn. Both assumed that they were the

rightful inheritor of the inn, but none of

the locals knew which of the two boys

was the first‐born and heir.

It is not known where Jarwald

found the old midwife who claimed to

have delivered the twins, or if she had

been bribed to lie, as Kurgen maintains.

But in the end, Jarwald was granted the

inn by the local magistrates, and Kurgen

left with a small share of the family’s

gold. But he vowed he would have

revenge on his brother before their 40th

winter.

Encounter Synopsis

T he time has come for Kurgen’s

revenge, and he did it by hiring a warlock

to craft a terrible curse. At the cost of all

his gold and his very soul, the vengeful

brother of Jarwald made a blasphemous

pact that would doom everyone in The

Bear & Ale.

A scroll will be delivered by the

stable‐boy to Jarwald, and the moment

the seal is broken, the curse will take

hold. All around the room, 13 Curse

Shards from the seal will power portals to

the Far Realm, releasing horrors into the

world. Trapped inside the inn with

Jarwald and his guests, the heroes must

A Curse at the Old Inn is a Dungeons &

Dragons 4e Encounter for 1st to 3rd Level

Characters. To play this encounter, you

may need the Player’s Handbook and

Dungeon Master’s Guide to assist you.

DM’s Background

L ong ago, Jarwald Greybear had a

twin brother named Kurgen. They were

so alike, even their mother could scarcely

battle the horrible aberrations, which

have come to feast upon any living thing

they can find.

Only by destroying the 13 Curse

Shards throughout the inn can the

adventurers break the curse and close the

portals to the Far Realms. Can they

succeed before everyone in The Bear &

Ale Inn meets a horrific end?

Encounter Hooks

A Curse at the Old Inn can be

played in any world setting and at any

inn of the DMs choosing.

The Bear & Ale could be an old

familiar haunt where the adventurers

spend time between quests, and happen

to be there on the fateful night that all

hell, literally, breaks loose!

Or the adventurers could be the

hired by the evil warlock, and are asked

to deliver the cursed scroll to The Bear &

Ale, unaware of its terrible purpose.

Finally, the Bear & Ale could simply

be a place the adventurers stop to rest on

their way to a new quest— or returning

triumphant from their last mission—

and they happen to just be in the wrong

place at the wrong time.

Far Realms is one that can hardly be

ignored. Bringing the crazed warlock to

justice is a very just cause indeed, and

could be worked into a plot involving a

larger coven or cult.

Jarwald might feel remorse –

assuming he survives ‐ to learn of his

brother’s demise to bring about the

Curse, and may wish to make sure he is at

rest. Finding out what happened to

Kurgen, and putting both his body and

soul at peace could be a major quest for

the adventurers.

Description of

The Bear & Ale Inn

T he tavern room at the Bear & Ale

bustles with activity, and a dozen guests

are feasting and drinking at various

tables around the room. A couple

serving lads and a plump barmaid see to

their customers’ needs with cheerful

smiles.

The place is lit with yellow light

from numerous hanging oil lamps and

two great fireplaces blaze with warmth,

each flanked by stag’s skulls hanging

from the gray wooden walls.

A sullen, red‐haired, and burly

human tends the bar, and orders the

maid and lads about with a nod here, a

gesture there. Despite the cheeriness

around the tavern, the owner looks

gloomy, and perhaps a bit worried. He

watches the room like a man expecting

bad news.

Story Expansion

T here are a number of ways that

this story can be expanded upon to add

adventure to a campaign.

The threat posed by an insane

warlock capable opening portals to the

Setup

T he eleven guests, two serving lads, and

the maid can be placed around the room,

as shown on the map, and Jarwald

behind the bar.

The adventurers should be

informed that they must surrender all

hand‐held weapons and shields to a lad

in a caged storage area in the vestibule of

the inn. They were handed a leather chit

stamped with a number that they can use

to retrieve their items as they leave. They

may take with them into the common

area a dagger, if they desire, but no larger

weapons.

The adventurers can be placed in

one area or could be mingling around the

room as they desire.

 Purple streamers of strange smoke

pour upwards from the seal.

 All the doors and window shutters

close and lock.

 A booming voice is heard to say:

“You stole my inn, brother! Father left it

to me, and you stole it away, and now you

will pay!

My share of the inheritance has gone to

place this curse, and though it costs me

my life… it will cost you yours as well!”

The seal on the parchment breaks

apart, and the glowing shards fly about

to various parts of the room, forming evil

marks shining with a baleful green

radiance. The strange purple smoke‐

cloud flies to five places around the inn,

and form into misty, shadowy rifts in

reality (at the designated locations—see

DM’s map). Horrible and indescribable

things can be seen coming toward the

rifts from the “other side”.

Horrors from the Far Realms will

begin to clamor through the portals,

entering the taproom, and are very, very

hungry...

 P erception DC 15: The innkeeper

appears worried, and is very sullen.

 I nsight DC 15: The innkeeper actually

looks a little frightened.

If Jarwald is approached by any of

the adventurers, or if the serving crew are

asked, the questioner will be told that

the innkeeper just turned 40 winters,

and has been a bit sad lately.

Rules of Engagement

 T he characters may try to fight their

way to the vestibule to get their

weapons, or may use improvised

weapons in the room. The door to the

vestibule has the following statistics:

AC/ Ref lex 5; Fort 10; HP 25.

 S hould characters try to batter the

outer doors or windows, they find that

all damage is instantly repaired. They

cannot leave the inn.

Beginning of the scenario:

C haracter Observation:

 DC 15 Perception: One of the serving

lads brings Jarwald a scroll with a

large green seal.

As soon as the Innkeeper cracks

the scroll seal, terrible things start

happening:

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