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THE CANDLEKEEP REVELATIONS

In order for Descent Into Avernus to continue beyond this point, the PCs need to go to Candlekeep and have Sylvira Salkiras open the infernal puzzlebox. (Theoretically they could also figure out an alternative way of opening the puzzlebox and also an alternative method of getting to Hellturel after they do so. More power to them.)

There are two things that are required for this to happen.

FIRST: The PCs must have possession of the infernal puzzlebox. In Part 3C: The Vanthampur Revelations we added multiple clues pointing to the existence (and importance) of the puzzlebox specifically so that the PCs would know to look for it when they went to Vanthampur Manor. (If they brief Zodge or Marshal Portyr on this information, they will also encourage the PCs to seize the puzzlebox due to its obvious importance to the cultists.)

SECOND: The PCs must know to take it to Candlekeep in order to open it. There are three ways for the PCs to learn this:

• Falaster Fisk can recognize the puzzlebox and tell them that Sylvira Salkiras has opened similar boxes in the past.
• If the PCs research the puzzlebox (with an Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check), they can learn the basic properties of the puzzlebox and also be pointed in the direction of Candlekeep as a place where they could learn even more. (This wouldn’t necessarily identify Sylvira, but could. If it doesn’t, they’ll be pointed in her direction once they start making inquiries at Candlekeep.)
• Marshal Portyr will order them to take the puzzlebox to Candlekeep to find out what it is (or strongly support that action if they’ve already proposed it). (As also discussed in Part 3C and Part 3J, she will be interested in getting the PCs out of Baldur’s Gate until the political heat from the assassination of the Vanthampurs dies down. This is as good a reason as any and the puzzlebox is an enigma she’d like solved in any case.)

It would also be useful for the PCs to learn that they need to donate a unique book as an entrance gift in order to gain entry to Candlekeep before they leave Baldur’s Gate (because this will give them an opportunity to obtain one). Any of the leads above (Fisk, research pointing them to Candlekeep, Portyr) can and should inform them of this.

DOWN THE COAST WAY

The thing that I immediately notice about the “Journey to Candlekeep” (DIA, p. 43-44) is the obvious missed opportunity: The refugees from Elturel.

If refugees are pouring down the Chionthar River and then being turned away from Baldur’s Gate, then they’re going to start heading north and south along the Coast Way. As we discussed in Part 1, the plight of the refugees is the emotional connection that the PCs (and players) have to Elturel. At this point we’re heading straight towards the campaign-changing revelation that ELTUREL WAS NOT DESTROYED, so this is the perfect time to refresh the thematic work we laid down at the beginning of the campaign.

As written in Descent Into Avernus there are three encounters along the road. None of them currently feature the refugees, but with a few simple tweaks all of them COULD.

WYRM’S CROSSING

Wyrm’s Crossing is a cutpurse’s paradise, and every traveler here runs the risk of being pickpocketed. As the characters make their way from one end of Wyrm’s Crossing to the other, have each player roll a d20. (Don’t roll for NPCs traveling with the party.) The character or character with the lowest roll are targeted by a pickpocket.

(Tangentially: If you want to randomly pick one of the PCs, just roll a die on your side of the screen. Asking the whole table to roll d20s, then collecting and comparing that data is a terrible technique. You’re wasting your players’ time with busy work.)

As written, the pickpocket is a generic encounter that’s resolved, one way or another, without interaction from the PC who’s targeted:

Use a character’s passive Wisdom (Perception) score to determine whether a theft made against that character is successful. If the character’s score is 11 or higher, the theft is detected and thwarted. Otherwise, the thief makes off with one item weighing 1 pound or less (such as a coin pouch or potion).

REFUGEE TWIST: The pick pocket is a refugee. A kid named Frens Nölruth (bandit, MM p. 343). If at all possible, he’s not grabbing money, but snatching rations.

If the PCs catch Frens, they’ll have to decide what to do with a refugee who’s simply hungry and desperate. If they don’t then when they discover the theft they’ll reflect on the fact that someone in the pressing throngs of refugees could have taken their coin purse, but instead took their bread.

KNIGHTS OF THE SHIELD

In this road encounter, the PCs are ambushed by a devil disguised as a local farmer.

Coming up the road toward you is a human farmer riding on the front of a hay-filled wagon pulled by two draft horses. The farmer gives you a friendly wave as the wagon draws near.

REFUGEE TWIST: The bad guys aren’t disguised as local farmers. They’re disguised as refugees; one of the many families or small groups that the PCs have been passing on the road all day.

(These small clots of refugees are an additional encounter in their own right: Describe them. Give the PCs a chance to respond to them — providing succor where they can, riding past while studiously ignoring them, whatever — and then after that describe the devil leaping out of a group they pass further down the road.)

Design Note: As scripted, these are Knights of the Shield ambushing the PCs in an effort to grab the Shield of the Hidden Lord. There’s a bunch of ways that this might not make sense (the PCs might not have the Shield or they may not have encountered any Knights who could report that they had the Shield), but it’s not terribly hard to justify: Marshal Portyr might have a leak in her organization, for example.

On the other hand, the essential beat here is “trouble is following you from Baldur’s Gate.” It’s a minor beat, but it provides a nice sense of pressure on the group. You can achieve this same effect by having some other faction that the PCs have pissed off attempt to ambush them (remnants of either Cult of Zariel are an obvious choice).

Avoid the Quantum Ogre, however: If the PCs specifically take efforts to sneak out of Baldur’s Gate undetected, use some kind of appropriate counter-intelligence resolution to see if they’re successful. (And, of course, if they are, they can’t be ambushed.)

TALE OF THE HELLRIDERS

The final encounter has Reya Mantlemorn share the history of the Hellriders with the PCs while they’re gathered around the campfire.

REFUGEE TWIST: If you’ve eliminated Reya Mantlemorn as a GMPC (see Part 2) this is actually a great time to leverage the character. She’s been riding up and down the road helping refugees in need; seeing their campfire she approaches, thinking at first they might be refugees, but then welcoming a chance to rest for a little while.

Alternatively, if Reya IS journeying with the PCs, their camp can be similarly approached by another Hellrider (Bran Nestoon). Reya is excited to share news with a fellow Hellrider. Later, or prompted by something in that shared news, Reya and Bran share the history of the Hellriders with the PCs.

REVISED TALE: One important revision to how lore is being handled in the Remix is that it is NOT widely known that Zariel, the Archduchess of Avernus, was once the same angel who led the Charge of the Hellriders.

We’ll be delving into the full history of the Charge of the Hellriders (as I call it) in Part 6D of the Remix, where we’ll also be straightening out the continuity glitches around it. The key thing for right now is that Zariel is nameless, so that her role in the Charge can come as a revelation (see Part 4C).

ARRIVING AT CANDLEKEEP

If you really want the PCs’ brief sojourn at Candlekeep to pop, I recommend checking out Elminster’s Candlekeep Companion on the Dungeon Masters Guild. It features a ton of play-oriented material that not only highlights the stuff that’s cool about the Castle of Tomes, but also gives you the tools to inject those cool things directly into your game.

Start with the PCs arriving at Candlekeep: The book gives you plentiful detail on the procedures around the presentation of the entrance gift. (And when the PCs are looking for potential entrance gifts back in Baldur’s Gate, the Candlekeep Companion also includes a random table of books that you can use.)

Once they’ve gained admittance, build their journey through the tangled halls of Candlekeep. The Companion features a number of random tables for determining the rooms, towers, and passages they go through while traveling from one place to another.

(The Candlekeep Companion also features a beautiful poster map of Candlekeep by Marco Bernardini that’s well worth using.)

Note: If the PCs weren’t guided to Candlekeep by Falaster Fisk, they won’t be looking for Sylvira when they arrive. This isn’t really a problem: The minute they start making inquiries about infernal affairs or the infernal puzzlebox, they’ll be pointed in her direction.

RESEARCH AT CANDLEKEEP: The Companion also includes guidelines for conducting research at Candlekeep. If you want to make sure the PCs have the full Candlekeep experience, I recommend tweaking Sylvira’s ritual for opening the infernal puzzlebox so that it takes most or all of a tenday (we can imagine the puzzlebox suspended in the energy fields of some strange, technomantic device as its fractal layers are slowly unraveled one by one).

SYLVIRA & TRAXIGOR

As designed, this section of Descent Into Avernus is:

• The PCs are told to travel to a loremaster who lives in a castle.
• They do so.
• The PCs are told to travel to a loremaster who lives in a tower.
• They do so.

It’s kind of repetitive and also feels fairly pointless. The adventure even goes so far as to say:

Although Sylvira can prepare the plane shift spell, there’s no point, as magical wards placed on Candlekeep prevent creatures from using such means to go to or from the library.

Which is just silly because… walk out the front gates and cast the spell.

I’d recommend either conflating these two characters into one (in which case I’d pick Traxigor as I find the magical otter to be an infinitely more interesting character) or simply put them both in the same lab at Candlekeep as partners.

The rough sequence probably looks like this:

• PCs meet Sylvira and Traxigor.
• The PCs show them the infernal artifact(s) they have.
• Sylvira and Traxigor begin sharing their lore on those (see Part 4B).
• At some point during this, Lulu comes flying into the room. She’s here sharing her memories of Hell with Sylvira and Traxigor, aiding them in their research. She might even have something to add on the infernal puzzlebox or Gargauth’s history. (This, of course, assumes that Lulu isn’t being played as a PC, see Part 2.)
• Sylvira opens the infernal puzzlebox.
• They establish why the PCs need to go to Avernus (see Part 4B).
• The PCs help Traxigor look for his lost tuning fork.
• Traxigor leads the PCs out of Candlekeep (when they’re ready) and plane shifts them to Hellturel.

LAB RUMMAGING:

Characters can help Traxigor search for his missing tuning fork, which is keyed to the Nine Hells. Whoever rolls the highest Wisdom (Perception) check finds the tuning fork. Whoever rolls the lowest finds a random trinket, determined by rolling on the Trinkets table in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook. Traxigor doesn’t care if the characters keep the trinket or not, and doesn’t remember how or when he acquired it.

I really like this mechanical interaction: It’s a nice, subtle touch to reward the low roll in addition to the high roll, coupled to imagery that reinforces the environment. If you want to add a little more sizzle, consider using 101 Curious Items or the random oddities tables from Arcana of the Ancients. (If you want to add A LOT of sizzle, use the random cypher tables from Arcana of the Ancients.)

Go to Part 4B: The Road to Avernus

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At the Dungeon of the Dead Three, the PCs discover that Duke Vanthampur has ordered the assassination of Duke Dillard Portyr during a speech he’s giving at a charity event for the Confraternity of Refugee Relief.

DUKE DILLARD PORTYR: See Descent Into Avernus, p. 162. He was once the Grand Duke (see Murder in Baldur’s Gate, p. 36), but now isn’t for some reason. He’s the uncle of Marshal Liara Portyr.

CONFRATERNITY OF REFUGEE RELIEF: Established by Duke Portyr, this secular charitable organization seeks to raise funds and provide relief to the Elturian refugees. Whereas other figures of power in the city are panicked about the disruptive force of the refugees, Portyr is both legitimately concerned about them and has also made the mental calculation that, if Elturel has truly fallen, the refugees probably aren’t going anywhere — there’s going to end up being a Little Elturgard outside the city walls and a significant chunk of the city’s population will be made up of former refugees. If they all have a friendly opinion of or even feel indebted to the Portyrs, that could be a lasting political legacy.

THE EVENT: The confraternity has been organizing free meals for refugees and has commandeered (under Portyr’s authority) a section of the Wide around the statue of the Beloved Ranger to do so:

Today, Duke Portyr plans to stand on the base of the Beloved Ranger and give a speech pledging his support and the support of Baldur’s Gate to succor the refugees.

THE ASSASSINATION

As the PCs rush into the Wide, they see Duke Portyr mount the Beloved Ranger and begin giving his speech.

I would like to lead my fellow citizens of Baldur’s Gate in welcoming our Elturian friends! I know that times are difficult now, but we will find a way to persevere — TOGETHER!

There have always been those who thought the people of Baldur’s Gate and the people of Elturel must live in strife. But Amaunator has given us a gift of time; the gift of a precious moment in which to see that we are not rivals, but rather brothers joined by the waters of the Chionthar. And if we stand together—

THE INFERNAL ARROW: That’s as far as Duke Portyr gets before a blood-red arrow, glowing with infernal light, streaks from the crowd from and strikes him in the chest. The Duke staggers, gasps, and then explodes in a shower of blood and gore. Several devils climb out of his putrid remains before tearing into his guards with vile glee.

If the infernal arrow is recovered it will be found to still glow red hot (1d4 fire damage if picked up without gloves) for 1 minute, but its one-use conjuration effect has been used up.

THE DEVILS: Two imps (MM, p. 76) and four nupperibo (Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, p. 168). They’ll attack Portyr’s guards and then the crowd, unleashing panic across the Wide. At the start of each round, roll 1d6 to determine a random complication:

1. A young child falls nearby and is in danger of being trampled to death unless someone takes an action to save them.
2. The riotous crowd swirls around the group, reducing their speed by 10 feet.
3. A member of the crowd grapples (+0) a character (escape DC 10), screaming for help.
4. A random character stumbles on a pothole and must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
5. An overzealous guard (MM, p. 347) thinks the PCs are working with the assassins or devils or both and attacks!
6. The statue of the Beloved Ranger is toppling over. A random character must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be crushed beneath it for 2d6 bludgeoning damage (they also fall prone and a DC 18 Strength check is required to lift the statue off of them).

THE ASSASSINS: The shot was taken by a night blade (DIA, p. 233) accompanied by four fists of Bane (DIA, p. 232). They strategically located themselves near an entrance to the Undercellar (DIA, p. 182) and will attempt to escape through its labyrinthine depths.

CHASE THROUGH THE UNDERCELLAR: If the PCs give chase, the assassins may try to split up. Use the chase rules from the DMG (p. 252). Complications can include:

1. The chase goes through the middle of a pit fight between two giant weasels (MM, p. 329). You either need to circle the pit (40 feet of additional movement) or suffer an opportunity attack from a weasel.
2. A crowd blocks the way. Make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a failure, the crowd counts as 10 feet of difficult terrain.
3. A maze of barrels, crates, or similar obstacles stands in the way. Make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Intelligence check to navigate the maze. On a failed check, it counts as 10 feet of difficult terrain.
4. The ground is slipper with rain, spilled oil, or some other liquid. Make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, you fall prone.
5. The assassins slam and lock an iron gate shut as they pass through it. It costs them 10 feet of movement, but it will require a DC 18 Strength check to smash through it without slowing down. On a failure, no progress is made this round. A Dexterity check using Thieves’ Tools can undo the lock.
6. The assassins cut through a brothel or indulgence den. Make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), or Charisma (Intimidation) check to weave through. On a failure, the brothel counts as 20 feet of difficult terrain.
7. A storage corral collapses as the assassins run over the top of it. A huge plume of flour fills the air. Make a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) test or treat the cloud as 10 feet of difficult terrain.
8. A beggar blocks your way. Make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), or Charisma (Intimidation) check to get past. On a failed check, the beggar counts as 5 feet of difficult terrain.
9. You are forced to make a sharp turn to avoid colliding with something impassable. Make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to navigate the turn. On a failed save, you collide with something hard and take 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
10. A portcullis ahead of you begins to shut. Make a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to slide under it. Otherwise it requires a DC 12 Strength check to lift it, and you lost 10 feet of movement (but can hold it for others behind you so that they don’t lose speed).

11-20. No complications.

AFTERMATH

As noted in “Portyr Politics” (Part 3C), when Marshal Portyr learned that Duke Vanthampur is responsible for her uncle’s death, she will ask the PCs to wipe out the Vanthampur family. For political reasons they’ll be disavowed, but if they succeed, she’ll offer them either promotions within the Flaming Fist or a big cash reward (whatever appeals to them more).

If the PCs don’t find the clues revealing that Duke Portyr is about to be assassinated (and kill Mortlock before he can shout something like, “You’re too late! Nothing can save Portyr now!”), or if they simply don’t act on them, then the assassination will obviously still happen even in their absence. In this scenario, Duke Portyr’s guards managed to kill one of the assassins and they’ve been identified as a Dead Three cultist. If the PCs don’t already have evidence of Vanthampur’s complicity in the assassination itself, the evidence they have of her working with the Dead Three cultists will nevertheless make Liara Portyr suspect it: She’ll order the PCs into Vanthampur Manor to find evidence implicating Duke Vanthampur.

(If the PCs share none of this with Liara Portyr — which is quite plausible if they’re not working with the Flaming Fist and don’t or can’t attempt to prevent the assassination — then the assassination will just be a backdrop event.)

DESIGN NOTES

The continuity around Duke Portyr’s assassination is taken from Inglorious Redemption, Season 9 of the Adventurers’ League. As I’ve noted previously, I think the current political situation in Baldur’s Gate is really interesting, and this canonical assassination plays a big part in it.

With that being said, I’ve shifted the continuity here slightly. Like other seasons of the Adventurers’ League, Inglorious Redemption reflects the events of that year’s major campaign book, in this case Descent Into Avernus. But in this case it reflects them rather more closely than other seasons I’m familiar with. Inglorious Redemption, quite implausibly, features a different Cult of Zariel in Baldur’s Gate murdering refugees for a different reason while being instructed by a different devil whose name starts with G (Gharizol).

When I first looked at the Adventurers’ League material I was actually hoping it might provide the basis for a second track that could complicate the Vanthampur Investigations and draw the PCs even more deeply in to Baldur’s Gate. Once I saw it was going to feature more Cult of Zariel stuff, I thought it might be good source of material to enrich the Vanthampur Investigations. The samey-samey design, though, doesn’t offer much of value to work with, and would probably just create a sense of either déjà vu or unnecessary repetition.

So the only thing I ended up grabbing was this assassination, which I adapted so that it was part of Duke Vanthampur’s schemes instead of being unrelated. It’s specifically taken from M.T. Black’s DDAL09-04 – The Day of the Devil: The infernal arrow and crowd combat complications (with modifications) are taken from there. You can blame me for the confraternity and the Undercellar chase.

TIME OF DAY: Note that the specific meal the confraternity is providing here is left undefined. This gives you a good deal of flexibility (breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon event, dinner) depending on what time the PCs discover the clues in the Dungeon of the Dead Three and go rushing forth to stop the assassination. (If they went in at night, for example, the sun can just be rising for the breakfast event as they emerge back onto the city streets!)

SAVING THE DAY: If you’d rather give the PCs an opportunity to prevent the assassination, that works, too. That will probably require tweaking the set-up a bit to give them some meaningful structure of taking security precautions.

Part 4A: The Road to Candlekeep

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Compared to the Dungeon of the Dead Three, we’re going to have a fairly light touch on Vanthampur Manor. For the most part, we’ll just be tying off some of the loose ends created while we were remixing other scenarios in Part 3, with a particular look at how this effects the various denizens of the manor.

MANOR vs. VILLA: The published book refers to this location as Vanthampur Villa, but I’ve changed it to Vanthampur Manor. Why?

Short version: Waterdeep has villas. Baldur’s Gate has manors.

Feels like a minor thing (and I get the appeal of the alliteration), but this is actually baked pretty deep into Baldur’s Gate, which features things like the Manor Gate, which leads to the Manorborn neighborhood, which is filled with the Patriar Manors.

The other option would be to push strongly in the opposite direction and have the fact that the Vanthampurs own a “villa” instead of a “manor” be a commentary on how Thalamra Vanthampur wasn’t born into privilege (she wasn’t “manorborn”) and is instead a self-made woman. But (a) that’s a theme which would require a lot of extra work to meaningfully bring forward in the adventure and (b) I’m not really that interested in a theme that boils down to “the real problem with Baldur’s Gate is not the entrenched greed of its upper class, it’s the low-class upstarts trying to rise above their station.”

Also, minor though it may be, this does seem to subliminally draw a distinction between the noble culture of Waterdeep and the noble culture of Baldur’s Gate that I think helps to distinguish the two cities, particularly if you just recently got done running Waterdeep: Dragon Heist for your players.

THAVIUS KREEG: Thavius Kreeg’s role in the manor is largely unchanged, but it may be useful to remember, as we discussed at the beginning of Part 3, that there are some substantial contradictions and problems with Kreeg’s back story. We’ll be straightening those out in Part 4B of the Remix, but the changes should be kept in mind here.

I also recommend dropping the whole “Kreeg has the shadow of a pudgy devil” thing:

• It’s a cool concept, but it doesn’t really make sense. (Why him and none of the other cultists?)
• If it works as intended (the PCs immediately realize he’s evil), I think that’s less interesting than having ambiguity and the PCs either (a) figuring it out or (b) getting gulled.
• But I think there’s a pretty big risk it WON’T work as intended and the PCs, instead of concluding that Thavius Kreeg is evil, will conclude that this ISN’T Thavius Kreeg and is actually a devil in disguise. This will thoroughly muddy a fairly key revelation.
• If you still have Reya Mantlemorn involved, this detail is simultaneously scripted to be painfully obvious to the PCs and, for some reason, completely irrelevant to Mantlemorn. (“His altered shadow is not damning enough evidence.”) This is likely to result in a really frustrating interaction.

As I was typing this up, I think I figured out where we can repurpose this cool idea.

THE TRUTH OF ELTUREL’S FALL: Duke Vanthampur, High Observer Kreeg, and Gargauth all know the truth of what happened to Elturel (it was taken to Hell). Everyone else in the manor (who know anything about the cult’s business at all) are under the impression that devils under the command of Zariel laid siege to the city and destroyed it. They believe that their unholy mission is to similarly prepare Baldur’s Gate for Zariel’s scourge.

Even Vanthampur, Kreeg, and Gargauth will not readily give up the truth. All three of them will, instead, lie obliquely, by referring to “Elturel’s Fall.” If they’re pushed on the point (if caught in a zone of truth, for example), they’ll talk about how the legions of Zariel “fell upon the city” (and similar euphemisms and half-truths).

The dramatic goal here is for the players to NOT know Elturel’s true fate until the infernal puzzlebox is opened in Candlekeep. This is not absolutely essential (so if the PCs get clever or are particularly efficacious in hammering in on this point, there’s no problem in letting them get the truth out of one of the NPCs), but you will get a MUCH bigger impact from the puzzlebox if that’s the moment that the PCs discover the truth of Elturel’s fall.

RAID, HEIST, OR CRAWL? As written, Vanthampur Manor is largely designed to function as a dungeoncrawl, although adroit players might be able to turn at least the first part into a raid. The Remix, however, does open up the possibility of approaching the whole thing into a heist.

Let’s take a second to distinguish these three concepts: A dungeoncrawl features a room-and-key design which the PCs largely explore blind. A raid is similarly based on a room-and-key design, but the locations is designed so that the PCs can grok the entire floorplan and some (or all) of its defensive measures. A heist is similar to a raid, but the floorplan and defenses can’t be easily observed, so there are additional phases of play in which that information must be gathered. (It’s also fairly typical for a heist to be focused on achieving a specific goal while minimizing open conflict, whereas raids are often about planning a full-out assault with the goal of tactically clearing the location. But there can be a lot of overlap here.)

Check out Scenario Structure Challenge: Raiding the Death Star and Scenario Structure Challenge: Heists for a more detailed overview of these structures.

The opposition in Vanthampur Manor isn’t so overwhelming that the PCs can’t just kick down the front door and start clearing the place room by room: That’s what I mean when I say it’s designed as a dungeoncrawl.

However, it takes no significant effort to carefully observe the manor house itself and figure out the layout of the first and second floor, the location (and patrols) of guards, etc. So this first chunk of the scenario can easily operate as a raid (with smart PCs who take this course of action likely benefiting from their planning) up to the point where they find the entrance to the dungeon lair below, at which point they’ll have to descend into the unknown.

The Remix, however, creates the opportunity to approach Vanthampur Manor as a heist, with the PCs likely planning to either steal the infernal puzzlebox, kill the Vanthampurs, or both. To briefly review the five steps of the heist:

1. Identify the score.
2. Gather information.
3. Onsite surveillance.
4. Prep work.
5. The Operation.

There are enough cultists and associates of the Vanthampurs wandering around this section of the campaign that PCs will almost certainly be able to grill them for information about the manor. Pursuing official records might also give them the layout of the manor, and the records of the Master of Drains and Underways could reveal that Duke Vanthampur had the sewers under her mansion sealed off and redirected. (The latter could carry some risk, however, as Duke Vanthampur was once the Master of Drains and Underways and the department still remains under her thumb.)

Onsite surveillance opportunities are trickier to imagine: Arranging a meeting with Thurstwell Vanthampur (after he contacts them via imp) might offer an opportunity, though. (Or could simply serve as the opportunity for the heist itself.)

It is important to note that this is not a choice you need to make as the DM. Or should make. Step back and let the players figure out how they want to approach the manor, and then follow their lead.

ADVERSARY ROSTER

MANOR HOUSE
3 x 3 Guards	V1. Yard	(patrolling counter-clockwise)
Groundskeeper Sarvinder Peck (01-75%)	V2. Stable House
4 imps	V3. Foyer	(invisible)
Gray, Peck, D'Vaelan, Fallwater (76-00%)	V4. Servants' Quarters	(resting or sleeping here)
Cook Gabourey D'Vaelan	V5. Kitchen
Duke Vanthampur (01-05%)	V8. Parlor
Butler Fendrick Gray (01-75%)	V10. Gallery
5 Guards	V11. Upstairs Hall
Thurstwell Vanthampur	V13. Thurstwell's Bedroom
Duke Vanthampur (06-10%)	V16, V17, or V18. Master Suite	(50% sleeping)
Helmed Horror	V18. Duke's Study	(must be summoned by Vanthampur)
2 imps	V19. Tower Peak	(invisible)
DUNGEON
3 spined devils	V20. Cellar	(ordered to guard this chamber)
3 x 2 Cultists	V22. Sewer Tunnels	(patrolling counter-clockwise)
1d4 cultists (50%)	V24. Dining Room	(subtract from V33)
Barbed Devil + 4 Cultists	V26. Temple of Zariel
Duke Vanthampur (11-25%)	V26. Temple of Zariel
Duke Vanthampur (26-00%)	V28. Secret Shrine
Bearded Devil	V29. Prison	(ordered to guard prisoners)
2 cultists	V32. Connecting Tunnel
6 cultists	V33. Cultists' Quarters
1d3-1 cultists	V34. Ritual Chamber	(subtract from V33)
Thavius Kreeg	V36. Vanthampur Vault	(unlikely to leave sanctuary)

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS – MANOR:

• 1 in 10 chance that Amrik is unexpectedly visiting during the day.
• 1 in 20 chance that Mortlock is unexpectedly visiting during the day.
• 1 in 6 chance per room that Slobberchops (DIA, p. 34) is there.
• 1 in 10 chance per room of encountering an imp.
• If not in V4. Servants’ Quarters, randomly determine Maid Ambra Fallwater’s by rolling 1d20.

SCHEDULE: Vanthampurs all gather for dinner (V9. Dining Room) once per tenday.

PRISONERS & ENEMIES OF VANTHAMPUR

There are several friendly characters in (and around) Vanthampur Manor that need to be tweaked slightly. Most of these are prisoners being held by the Vanthampurs.

REYA MANTLEMORN: As previously discussed, having Reya Mantlemorn tell the PCs that Thavius Kreeg is alive (instead of having the PCs discover that for themselves) is a bad choice. So if you still want Reya to show up, you need a different explanation. Fortunately, this is pretty simply: Reya knows that the devils of Avernus were responsible for the fall of Elturel. There’s nothing she can do for lost Elturel (particularly since she believes it destroyed), but she’ll honor her oaths as a Hellrider by seeking vengeance: Following her own leads, she’s discovered that the Vanthampurs are part of some sort of Zariel cult. (This will almost certainly not be news to the PCs at this point.) She wants to break into the manor to continue her investigation (and probably kill the Vanthampurs and any other cultists inside).

Option: If you don’t want to run Reya as a GMPC here, but do like the idea of her investigating the Vanthampurs, you can split the difference by having her locked up in Area V19. She investigated, she came, she got caught, she got locked up. Duke Vanthampur is trying to figure out how to safely ship her to the Poisoned Poseidon to be murdered.

FALASTER FISK: In the adventure as written, Falaster Fisk tells the PCs to take the infernal puzzlebox to Sylvira Savikas in Candlekeep to have it opened. He also, for some godforsaken reason, tells them exactly what’s in it before they do so. As with Reya, the adventure is shooting itself in the foot by needlessly deprotagonizing the PCs.

So what is Fisk doing here? This only requires a slight adjustment: Sylvira Savikas, like Reya Mantlemorn, followed independent leads and came to suspect that Duke Vanthampur is secretly a Zarielite. She sent Fisk to investigate. He got into the manor by pretending to interview for the recently vacant housekeeper position (DIA, p. 33), but got careless and was caught. Duke Vanthampur is still trying to get him to confess who sent him and how much they know.

If Falaster sees the infernal puzzlebox, he’ll recognize it for what it is as a result of his work with Sylvira. He’ll still recommend that the PCs take it to her in Candlekeep: She’s an expert in such devices and will know how to safely open it. (He can also warn them of the disastrous psychic consequences of a failed attempt to open it.)

SATIIR THIONE-HHUNE: Satiir Thion-Hhune is described in Descent Into Avernus as a seventy-year-old aristocratic human woman. My brain somehow parsed that as seventeen-year-old, and I ended up picturing her as basically a young Claudia Christian:

It’s a strong visual image, so it’s probably going to stick for me. (The seventy-year-old Satiir can be her grandmother.) As previously discussed in Part 3F, she was kidnapped by Bhaal cultists who were looting a Hhune treasury and taken to the Dungeon of the Dead Three, then transferred to Vanthampur Manor to be used as political leverage against the Hhune family when Vanthampur makes her move to become Grand Duke.

I put in some effort to untangle the Hhune family lore, but largely gave up when it became clear the effort involved was probably not worth it for what will almost certainly be a very minor character (see “Design Notes,” below, if you’re interested in taking up the project). The one important thing to note is that the Hhune family were once (and possibly still are) part of the inner cabal of the Knights of the Shield that venerated the Shield of the Hidden Lord and knew its true identity (see “Lore of Gargauth” in Part 3B of the Remix). This means that Satiir is likely to recognize the Shield of the Hidden Lord. This could take several forms:

• She could be a true believer and member of the inner cabal. As a Gargauth cultist, she’ll know the Shield of the Hidden Lord for what it is. She will either attempt to convince the PCs that the Shield was stolen from the Hhune treasury so that they will “return” it to her, or she’ll report back to her family that the PCs have it (and the family will send Knights of the Shield to take it).
• She could be a true believer and NOT a member of the inner cabal. She’ll recognize the shield from its depictions, but believe that it’s the Shield of Silvam. (Possibly to similar effect as the above. Or maybe she just fan-girls over it, misleading the PCs as to its true identity. Gargauth will happily play into being a stolen royal relic.)
• In either of the scenarios above, Gargauth might telepathically communicate with Satiir and prompt her to similar (or different) effect according to his current agenda.
• For something completely different, Satiir could be a rebellious teenager who’s familiar with the family’s secret worship of Gargauth, but has rejected it. This version of Satiir would recognize the Shield and warn the PCs that the Shield “speaks with the voice of Gargauth”, filling them in on at least part of its true history.

Design Notes: In the 14^th century, Duke Inselm Hhune was the leader of the Knights of the Shield. He was somehow related to the Illehhune family. (Duke Tithkar Illehhune was responsible for first bringing the Shield of the Hidden Lord into the Knights of the Shield.) Duke Inselm was married to Lucia Thione-Hhune.

Duke Inselm was a self-made noble who bought his Tethyrian title of nobility and ALSO had a nephew who was part of the nobility (see Murder in Baldur’s Gate, p. 51). He arranged a marriage between his nephew and the heir of a patriar family in Baldur’s Gate. He then purchased the patriar family’s estate, and this somehow made the Hhunes a patriar family. (The estate also became the headquarters of the Knights of the Shield.)

At this point, logically, you’d have the Thione-Hhunes as Tethyrian nobles descending from Duke Inselm’s line and the Hhunes of Baldur’s Gate who would be descended from Inselm’s nephew.

But in Descent Into Avernus, you have both Satiir Thione-Hhune (who is being held “as leverage in the event that the Hhunes find out who stole the Shield of the Hidden Lord”) and Lady Lutecia Hhune, the head of the Hhune patriars who has no heirs and “faces the prospect of leaving her family home to a detested branch of the family when she dies.”

The Thione-Hhunes must be the detested branch, right? But if so, why would Duke Vanthampur kidnap one of them for “leverage”?

“Ah ha!”  It must be that the Thione-Hhunes, being descended from Lord Inselm, have continued as Gargauth cultists while the patriar Hhunes have broken away from that. Lady Lutecia detests the evil branch of the family. Vanthampur stole the Shield from the Thione-Hhunes and that’s why Satiir would give meaningful leverage to—

No. They stole the Shield from Lady Lutecia. Lutecia keeps the Shield locked up and wants it forgotten, but is also still a member of the Knights of the Shield and has devils working for her. Also the Knights are now a completely secret organization that nobody knows exists (instead of being a public organization with a secret cabal inside of it).

This is the point where I gave up.

SHALEEN ZORAZ: Shaleen is locked up because she discovered that Duke Vanthampur had rerouted the sewers to seize control of the Dungeon of the Dead Three. Minor tweak, but I recommend that Shaleen dug a little deeper and ALSO discovered that Vanthampur had similarly rerouted the sewers beneath her own manor.

KAEJIL ORUNMAR: Kaejil is also locked up with Shaleen in Area V19. No changes required.

THURSTWELL VANTHAMPUR

Thurstwell is a crippled spider stuck in his home, able to exercise his will upon the world only through his imp servitors while jealously observing his able-bodied siblings going out and about in the world.

Thurstwell’s imp spies can be found throughout the Vanthampur Investigations. As previously discussed, you’ll want him to take meaningful action in response to what his imps see. Options include:

• He sends an imp to barter with the PCs. (He’d probably like them to kill one or both of his brothers. If he’s feeling daring, or if the PCs have already succeeded at eliminating his brothers, he might even ask them to kill his mother so that he can take her place at the head of the family. If the PCs were to go all in on this, you could have an alternate trajectory where, the job done, he asks them to take the infernal puzzlebox to Candlekeep and have it opened.)
• He sends a murder squad of Dead Three Cultists (Descent Into Avernus, p. 28) to kill the PCs.
• He sends an abduction squad to kidnap a refugee that the PCs care about so that he can use them as leverage. (Maybe to leverage them into an alliance. Maybe to force them to back off.)

V13. THURSTWELL’S BEDROOM

In addition to the normal key entry for his room (DIA, p. 35), this room includes a work table covered in papers, books, and other items. On this table can be found:

• The infernal puzzlebox.
• The Thurstwell’s Correspondence
• A draconic mask made of bronze with a strange glaze upon its face. The mask shimmers different colors depending on the angle you look at it, varying from black to blue to green to red to white. (GM Note: This mask taken from the Tiamat relics stolen from the Hhunes, see the Dungeon of the Dead Three.)

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THURSTWELL’S CORRESPONDENCE

My dear Thirsty,

It’s done. I’ve sent word to Vaaz. We’ll be rid of the oaf soon enough.

I could use more of your divinations, though. My research using Elturgard’s armorial rolls suggest that the Majerus family were quite bountiful with their loins both during and after their service to the Companion. Given how many brats they seem to have had, they were probably rutting in their saddles. It’s likely they have any number of heirs in the refugee camps, so I think it’ll be well worth your time to cast forth your seventh eye or whatever and identify them for me.

                                                                                                                Amrik

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GM NOTE: The armorial rolls identify the name, coat of arms, and date of accolade for every knight in the Order of the Companion and the Riders of Elturel. See Part 3H: Trafficking Amrik.

Go to Part 3J: The Portyr Assassination

Go to Table of Contents

As we’ve previously discussed, Amrik has set himself up as a black market for smuggling refugees into Baldur’s Gate. He uses this position to identify and locate refugees who are or are related to Elturian knights and target them for the Dead Three murder squads, but it’s also an extremely profitable operation in its own right. He’s also beginning to branch out, offering assistance to refugees who are already in the city and looking to get passage out via the Docks.

Although Amrik is aware of the whole Vanthampur operation, it should be noted that he has no direct communication with the Poisoned Poseidon or the Dead Three cultists in general. Once he identifies a target, he sends that information to Mortlock at the Dungeon of the Dead Three and it’s Mortlock who coordinates with the Dead Three cult leaders.

SURVEILLANCE

As described in Descent Into Avernus, Amrik holds court at the Low Lantern tavern. If the PCs put his operation under surveillance, this is the type of activity they might observe:

Refugees meeting with Amrik. They’re likely looking to get help for family/friends still located outside the city (Amrik has some odd questions for them regarding family names, ancestors, etc.), but they might also be meeting with Amrik about money they still owe him or to make arrangements for their own passage out of Baldur’s Gate. (Having Amrik meeting with a set of refugees when the PCs first show up is probably a good choice.)

Amrik’s agents. Generally reporting or checking in with Amrik. These agents all have official government passes allowing them to pass in and out of Basilisk Gate (reputedly for business with Little Calimshan). If the PCs follow them, they’ll actually head into the refugee camps north of the city, where they circulate looking for those who can either pay Amrik’s fees or have some connection to Elturian knights. There are six of these agents (spy, MM p. 349):

• Botros Cloudfury
• Petra Czismadia
• Neroni
• Theophila
• Apolena Giolla
• Ratnam

Cliffgate runs. Amrik has bribed Gauntlet Fausti, who guards Cliffgate at night. Amrik’s agents lead small groups of refugees along old smugglers’ paths on Dusthawk Hill during Gauntlet Fausti’s shift, pay off Fausti, and lead them into the city.

Design Note: If the PCs are shadowing one of these Cliffgate runs and you want to add a little texture, it may turn out that somebody lays claim to the smugglers’ path that Amrik’s operation has been poaching. A bunch of thugs working for Straightstick (DIA, p. 171) intercept the refugee group and make it clear that their boss expects a cut of the action. And they’re going to make an example of the refugees to make sure their message is heard loud and clear.

Maybe the PCs are actually doing one of these runs for themselves! You could include details in Amrik’s paperwork indicating that a Cliffgate run is already scheduled: By taking out Amrik, they’ve left the refugees waiting for him in the camp high-and-dry.

Messengers, bearing messages from Amrik to the Dungeon of the Dead Three and/or Thurstwell at Vanthampur Manor. These duties could be variably carried out by Amrik’s agents, Dead Three cultists, or Thurstwell’s imps.

AMRIK’S PAPERWORK

Amrik has a variety of papers associated with this work that are usually spread out on the table in front of him at the Low Lantern. In the late evening, when he returns home, he carries them in a valise. Overnight they are kept in the locked chest in his bedroom (Area V15 in Vanthampur Manor).

I recommend shuffling these up into a random order before handing them over to the players.

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ARMORIAL ROLLS OF ELTURGARD

This bundle of vellum scrolls proves to be the Armorial Rolls of Elturgard, detailing the name, coat of arms, and date of accolade for every knight in the Order of the Companion and the Riders of Elturel.

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GM NOTE: Closer inspection and a DC 14 Intelligence (History) or Intelligence (Perception) check reveals that these do not appear to be merely copies of the Armorial Rolls; they bear the High Observer’s seal and must have been taken directly from the High Hall in Elturel.

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A PORTFOLIO OF GILTED RED LEATHER

A portfolio case containing an eclectic collection of genealogical and property records, most of which seem to be focused on or around the city of Elturel. Sheets of parchment are covered in notes relating to these records, tracing patterns of inheritance originating from a seemingly arbitrary selection of progenitors.

In other cases, it appears that the opposite work is being done, with lines of inheritance being traced backwards into the past. Some of these are marked with the small sigil of a sword in the upper left-hand corner; others have black X marked in the same spot.

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GM NOTE: The progenitors in this case are all Elturian knights. Those having their lines of inheritance traced backwards are all refugees who have presented themselves to Amrik’s agents. The names on Amrik’s List (see below) are all marked with the sword sigil (indicating they are descended from Elturian knights).

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AMRIK’S LIST

For the Poisoned Poseidon:

Remao
Akhila
Aneta D.
Servaos
Silverleaf
Braam
Oshrat
Nuska
Edmao
Tuur S.
Veer
Stien

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LETTERS FROM THURSTWELL

Amrik,

I completely concur with your last. I recommend using the imp who brings this letter to you to send word to Vaaz to proceed. He’ll be able to slip into the Frolicking Nymph quietly and invisibly, deliver the missive undetected, and then return to me at the manor with none the wiser.

Thurstwell Vanthampur

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Amrik,

On your advice, I have removed the Elturian puzzlebox from the family vault where mother had secured it. I have no idea how angry she might be if she found out, but I am utterly fascinated by it. I am certain that there are secrets of Zariel locked within it that will perhaps unlock power — the sort of power you and I have often dreamed of.Unfortunately, I have had no luck in determining how to open the thrice-damned thing. But I will keep you informed of any progress I make.

Thurstwell Vanthampur

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LETTER FROM MORTLOCK

Amrik,

Thank you for the most recent targets. I will pass them along to Flennis immediately so that he can send out his teams and begin surveillance. He did request that, if possible, you include more information on those currently associating with them, as those relationships often make tracking them down easier given the general chaos of their circumstances.

There will be no need for you to send any of your agents to the bathhouse. Not only do I have things well in hand here, but you know as well as I do that mother had good reasons for keeping your operations separate from those of our allies.

Mortlock Vanthampur

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Go to Part 3I: Vanthampur Manor

Say that you want to randomly pick one of the PCs:

2 = coin flip, even/odds
3 = d6/2
4 = d4
5 = d10/2 or d6 + reroll 6’s
6 = d6
7 = (sure, I guess) d8 + reroll 8’s
8 = d8
9 = (seriously?) d10 + reroll 10’s
10 = d10
11 = stahp, u hav tu mny playrs

Obviously you can use this sort of technique for any random number you need to generate.