Prison Adventure: The Last Point v1.0 An adventure setting for Dungeons and Dragons 5e by /u/mrvalor

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The Last Point The Last Point is a prison and outpost of the Corrive Empire, a realm ruled by a cruel green dragon named Lady Corrive. The Corrivians are well known for their hatred of magic users, and their extensive slave trade industry. A forest realm with coasts on three sides and mountains running through the center, Corrive is rich with a variety of resources. However, the rocky northern coast is out of the way of their navy and relies heavily on hired ships to help transport various goods including prisoners and slaves to isolated outposts, training centers, and slave colonies. The northwest coast of Corrive is rocky and many parts of it are elevated, making it isolated from much of the mainland. The Last Point is a recycling center where captives meant for death row who are either deemed “not important enough” to execute publicly or “too disgraceful” to execute publicly are sent to be tortured and then killed. The place seems to operate on sort of a “well, we have too many so some have to go now” policy. The Last Point has no official deadlines for killing. This module includes: Physical Description for both the tower and outpost. NPCs including the Jailors, Hobgoblins, Crew of the Bawdy Slave, Slaves, and Captives. Story Setups for 13+ different ideas. Variants Appendix: Additional Corrive Lore Visit Prison Map for the full map hosted on Imgur available for download. The map is 50x50 units, made for Roll20 but can be resized. The original is 3500x3500 pixels. This module contains a description of the structure, NPCs, and storylines. All of the information in here is designed for groups of 1st to 5th level, depending upon the story used. The assumption is that it is early spring (early/mid March). This is pertinent because the prison is in the north and cold weather has made is difficult to get to and from the prison for several months. This explains why at least two of the captives have made no escape attempt, but also why this is an opportune moment for an escape or rescue attempt. The hobgoblins and jailors have received few supplies and no fortification from the main Corrive Empire in 3-4 months, and are the weakest they will be all year. 2

Last Point Physical Description The Last Point is an outpost with a tower jutting out of the northeast corner. The main floor has 2 entrances/exits, 3 guard towers, a barracks area, a guest/dining area, a storage area, and a storage/tavern area. The tower is the dominion of 3 jailers, who use occasional hobgoblin guards but otherwise run the area on their own. Outside is a dock that leads down the side of the hundred-foot cliffs to the raging sea waters below.



The Tower The Tower consists of 4 floors. The all three are connected by a circular chute containing a staircase, which goes from floor to floor. Stone walls surround the stairwell except at the top level, where the stones only come to about waist level (4 feet off the floor). Grates are in the center 10x10 foot of each floor, looking down on the level below or into the level above. Sounds from the other floors, all the way down to the tavern level of the outpost, echo to the other floors. The levels include: 1st level: Living Level - Where the jailors live, and where confiscated belongings and personals reside.

- Where the jailors live, and where confiscated belongings and personals reside. 2nd level: Recycling Level - Where slaves and captives are brought to be butchered.

- Where slaves and captives are brought to be butchered. 3rd level: Torture Level - Where the captives are tortured.

- Where the captives are tortured. 4th level: Prison Level - Where cages are kept for all the prisoners. Some, those thought weak, inept, and/or harmless might simply be manacled. Level One: Living Level Some of the prisoners have been in the Corrive internment system for some time, but they are as meticulous about evidence as their bureaucracy is bloated. They prefer to keep evidence near the captive or slave until time of death, where it can be added to evidence. Many of the prisoners sent to The Last Point are political prisoners, some of whom incidentally have arcane powers, which are highly illegal in Corrive. The more powerful spell casters are usually executed publicly in Corrive’s capital. Still, over the years the jailors at Lost Point have amassed a collection of scrolls, magic foci, spell component pouches, and other arcane-related items. 1) The stairs on the north side lead down into the fortress. The door is usually not locked as they must worry about things coming from above, not below. 2) The main chamber is an altar to Tiamat. They sacrifice the innocent there in a ritualistic ceremony that involves washing manacles in blood. Once the ceremony is complete, the wearer of the manacles is unable to cast arcane magic for a period of 48 hours. The grates in the floor look down into the tavern area of the outpost below. Grates in the ceiling above reveal the recycling level of the tower. 3



3) Foyer, contains a suit of full-plate propped up on a great sword. The armor is outfitted for a medium-large creature and requires a bugbear, half-ogre, goliath, or firbolg to wear it. The southeast door can be locked. The southwest door will typically be locked. The door to the north east of the room leads to a closet with a crate containing candles and empty scroll cases. 4) The East Stairwell goes up to level two. 5) Mirrum’s room. The create in his room contains cloths, boots, and various torture devices. 6) The stash room. Has a coffee table and three chairs where the jailors can discuss amongst themselves or with intelligence operatives from the Corrive mainland. The chest, which is locked, contains magic foci, scrolls, taboo kits including thieves’ kits (2), a poisoner's kit, and herbalism kits (2). The crates contain prisoner personal effects as well as leather armor, studded leather armor, chain shirts, backpacks, cloths, pouches, component pouches, and sacks. 7) Gregory’s Library: This room will have books, scrolls, parchments, ink wells, scroll cases, maps, map cases, a navigator's kit, a magnifying glass, and a couple of spell books with 1st level spells. 8) Gregory’s Room: Includes letters to the intelligence operatives in on the mainland, all written in cypher. 9) Thud’s Room: Has some mice and rat bones, as well as a couple of maces. 10) Weapon Storage: Off Thud’s room and contains some miscellaneous weapons including clubs, maces, daggers, bolas, nets, rope, and several sets of manacles. Level Two: Recycling Level This is an open room with stairs continuing to go up to the second floor, and it contains a giant cage, the bones of a young dragon of some sort, and some dead bodies. Next to the chopping block, is a pile of meat cuts. The fireplace is for cooking and a nearby table has chairs for the jailors to sit near the fire during winter. Gregory is responsible for executing and disposing of prisoner corpses. Level Three: Torture Level The torture level has cages used to store extra prisoners, but also to keep them in between torture sessions. A large table in the room has every type of sharp object imaginable. Mirrum spends a lot of time in this level, he is the designated torturer and interrogator, although if the victim is a magic user often he will ask Gregory to help him in his efforts. The torturer level contains crowbars, hammers, a sledge hammer, ball bearings, a holy symbol of Tiamat, hourglass, locks, chain, manacles, poison (basic), signal whistle, iron spikes (10), tinderbox, vials, and whetstones. Level Four: Prison Level Where the prisoners are kept; some of the cages are anti-magic and are constructed with an unknown planar metal that negates magical effects inside the cage. The rest of the level is open, with no windows or doors, just the grate in the middle of the floor and the stairwell down surrounded by a five-foot wall. In the corner are two barrels, one of clean water and one of dirty/nasty water given to prisoners as a punishment. Prisoners are seldom be allowed out of this level, except to be torture.





Crime and Punishment in Corrive If a person in a caste makes a transgression against another caste, they are typically fined. If the crime is semi-severe they might serve a sentence as a servant of the victim. If it is severe, they can be demoted to a caste beneath theirs. Anyone who offends beyond a reasonable judgement is put to death. Those who break the land's magic and faith laws are put to death.



Foreigners are allowed some degree of freedom from these laws, but if they commit direct crimes or openly display their illegal magic or faiths, the punishment is strict and unrelenting. From order of most lenient to terrible punishment are: The best case scenario is that they get a fine, but in the case of magic use these fines will be hefty. In lieu of enough money to compensate the government, they can serve the government for a sentence depending upon their race’s lifespan (so an elf wizard might have to serve a hundred years). The next best case scenario is that they are given a brand on their cheek, imbued with evil magic and incapable of healing, that marks them as an enemy of Corrive. They are then escorted to the nearest border (or ocean) and thrown out upon pain of death if they return. The next to worst possibility, is to be publicly executed. The fourth and worst possibility, is that they are given to the evil elves and their druid servants to do with as they wish. The elves run a series of prisons on the outskirts of Corrive, typically in the mountains alongside the coastlands where escape is difficult. They interrogate and torture the victims as they wish, until they have lost interest in the prisoners. Typically, this punishment is reserved for magic users and enemies of the state (political prisoners and traitors). 4

The Outpost The outpost is the rest of the prison other than the tower. This is where the hobgoblin guards live and work. They have room to entertain guests, who are typically officers of Corrive visiting for interrogation purposes, to confer with Gregory and Mirrum, to deliver prisoners, or sometimes to vacation here in the summer. It may seem like a strange vacation home, but some of the sadistic officers of the Corrive Empire enjoy a good few weeks of torturing prisoners in a tower by the sea. Tavern (1) The central chamber of the outpost is a storage area and tavern for the hobgoblins. They have a still set up in there, which they use to make their own alcohol towards the end of the winter when supplies start running low. The grates in the ceiling allow them to hear the screams of prisoners up on the 3rd floor of the tower, which doesn’t bother them at all. It also allows the prisoners on the 4th story to hear the echoing of their drinking and partying in the evenings. If searched, the tavern contains flasks, tankards, glass bottles, jugs, pitchers, lamps, lanterns, lamp oil, and bottles of wine. Barracks (2) To the northwest of the tavern are the barracks, there are beds enough for 14 normal guards, then double quarters along the south wall for 8 elite guards. Each of the rooms in the barracks has a bed and underneath each cot is a strongbox where the guard will keep his/her stash. The elite guards (Hobgoblins) might have a flask, or trinket of some kind in their room. Storage Area The rooms immediately to the east (3) and west (4) of the tavern are storage rooms. Due to the season assumed in this module, the room to the east is empty and everything is now stored in the west store room or in the tavern itself. Supplies include food rations but also include bedrolls, glass bottles, buckets, candles, climber's kits, fishing tackle, hunting trap, rations, shovels, tinderboxes, rope, candles, sewing supplies, and torches. Guest Areas On the southwest side of the outpost is the captain’s chamber (5), a kitchen, a guest dining room (6), and four guest quarters (7). They typically receive few guests, but give them the nicest quarters when they do. When they have no guests, the captain uses the dining room as his own personal dining room, often inviting Gregory and Mirrum to join him and discuss intelligent, interrogations, etc. They will only ever meet with him one at a time, the other one will remain in the tower. If the captain wants to meet with both, he will join them in the tower on the 2nd floor. Masters's Quarters The master's chambers contain maps of the area, letters back to Corrive, as well as a schedule of ships supposed to come through and when. The schedule was notarized 3-4 months ago. It also has a list of the ship's captain’s names as well as instructions for paying them. On the note is a cyphered message, DC to decipher the code and find a hidden strongbox in the floor with treasure. Guests Chambers The guest's chambers are nice, with fine blankets (worth 50 gold each), but otherwise have little in them. Kitchen and Dining Room Both are nicely furnished, and are typically where the hobgoblin master will dine with Murrim or Gregory to discuss official business. Entrance There is a side entrance on the northwest side of the prison (8), but the main entrance is to the southeast (9). They will have at least 2 guards stationed there. They have double doors that can be barred from the inside. The side door also can be barred from the inside. Guard Towers There are three guard towers, all with ladders up to the 2nd floors. There is a northwest guard tower (10), west guard tower (11) and south guard tower (12). The 2nd floors have arrow slits, allowing those firing out to have ¾ cover. The 2nd floor of each guard tower is stocked with long bows and plenty of ammunition. Stairs Up The stairs (13) to the 1st floor of the tower are in the northeast corner of the outpost. Outside and path to the docks Outside of the outpost is a cold-temperate forest. All around the outpost are trees and then rocks that lead up into the mountains. Even with climbing kits and provisions, escaping would be difficult without a ship. The guards talk of a mine off to the north, where sometimes slaves are taken but getting there at this time of year is almost impossible. Only in the late spring will the paths be passable. By late spring and early summer more troops will arrive at The Last Point and they will begin transporting slaves and food to the mining camp. The path to the docks below weaves around the 100 foot cliffs and drops down 20-30 feet into a clearing where the docks drop of at a 45-degree angle down to the ocean below. Getting up and down the dock is difficult when it is dry, almost impossible when extremely wet, and completely impossible when icy. 5

NPCs This sections presents ideas for stocking the prison with guards, NPCs, prisoners, and even guests. These are guidelines, and can be scaled to meet the needs of your adventure. Note: Some recognition is well deserved. /u/dgscott posted 35 Versatile NPCs over in /r/unearthedarcana. Some of these, or your own ideas, could be used to change up the NPCs as needed! Direct link to the pdf. Jailors The 3 jailors are Mirrum, Thud, and Gregory. They are all evil, and it is their responsibility to keep track of and interrogate the prisoners. They will typically have a couple of hobgoblin guards assisting them. Mirrum Human, Cult Fanatic (CR 2), neutral evil, cruel, sadistic, maniacal, cocky Mirrum is a worshipper of Tiamat. He takes specific pride in breaking the will of his victims. He has been a devout follower of Tiamat for many years and believes wholeheartedly in the domination of chromatic dragons. While smarter than Thud, he is more foolhardy than Gregory. For higher levels: Just switching him to Priest (CR 2) gives a little bump, I'm not sure if I would bump him much more than that. If the party is high enough level, just buff his companions. Honestly, I want this guy to die in my versions of the scenario. Switching him to priest template and adding 4 HD + 2 caster levels should make him nastier, the priest templates essentially get paladin Smite. Gregory High Elf, Druid (CR 2), lawful evil, astute, quiet, clever, pragmatic Gregory is a member of the Order of the Greed Dragon’s Cove, and one of the elves corrupted by Lady Corrive’s magic. His race is innately evil, and he follows the tradition well. However, Gregory is astute, and enjoys reading. While the screams of the dying and butchering the prisoners does not bother him, he likewise takes no enjoyment in it; execution is just another task that needs doing. If situations get out of control, Gregory will attempt to investigate and watch situations before acting. He prefers seeing what is going on. If situations turn truly against him, he won’t hesitate to flee. For higher levels: The best fit here without using Archdruid (which is nasty) is Warlock of the Archfey from Volo's Guide (CR 4). Remove eldritch blast and some of the other warlock-specific spells and replace with druid spells. Keep everything else the same. Most of the spells seem in line with a druid mage-killer. Remember, the mechanics and the setting are not the same. He is a druid, but he can just cast three powerful spells, everything else is fluff. A level 5 thunderwave could be dangerous to a lower-mid level party. Druids of Corrive One of Lady Corrive’s most valued treasures are the elves she has bent to her will. Over a thousand years, Corrive has warped a subspecies of elves to her will. Of all her crowning achievements, these elves, known as the Order of the Green Dragon’s Cove, are her pride and joy. Occasionally, she corrupts a servant of good to her will and inducts them ceremonially into the order. They universally despise magic users, but love magic items and trinkets. Many are druids, and use the way of nature magic to hunt and execute known arcane users. Thud Half-Ogre (CR 1), neutral evil, affable, dull, easily confused, slow to anger, persistent Thud is violent, but not cruel. He would just assume slaughter his enemies as engage in sadistic activities. He is the muscle for Gregory and Mirrum, but isn’t real bright. For higher levels: Make Thud either a berserker (CR 2), veteran (CR 3), or gladiator (CR 5). Based upon the layout, Thud will unlikely fight the party with many hobgoblins. He will more likely be encountered alongside Mirrum, so use whatever combination of CR is appropriate for your party's situation. Hobgoblins The hobgoblins consist of a Hobgoblin Captain (CR 3), 8 Hobgoblins (CR 1/2), and 14 Guards (CR 1/8) who are also hobgoblins. All are evil, and otherwise non-descript outside of their template stats. In most scenarios, the PCs are not intended to fight all of them at once. For higher levels: The outpost has beds for 22 regular rooms, 1 for the boss, and 4 designated as "guest" quarters, 8 for elite guards, and 14 for standard guards. Hobgoblin Master Hobgoblin, Hobgoblin Captain (CR 3), Lawful Evil, smug, ruthless, commanding For higher levels: Make him a Hobgoblin Warlord (CR 6) Hobgoblin Elite Hobgoblin, Hobgoblins (CR 1/2), Lawful Evil, militant, cold, gruff There are rooms for 8 elite hobgoblins. For higher levels: Upgrade some (2-3) to Hobgoblin Captains (CR 3). Alternatively, chose from the following templates: Veteran (CR 3), Brigand Captain (CR 2), and Berserker (CR 2). Hobgoblin Guards Hobgoblin, Guards (CR 1/8), Lawful Evil, cold, restless, impatient, probably drunk For higher levels: Upgrade them to Thug (CR 1/4) or Hobgoblins (CR 1/2). 6

Crew of the Bawdy Slave The Bawdy slave has room for 14 standard crew, 12 slavers (they have beds), 7 guest beds, a room for the captain, a room for the first mate. The second mate has one of the guest quarters. Captain Hargitt Human, Brigand Captain (CR 2), Lawful Evil, cautious, respectful, cold, pragmatic Hargitt might be a son-of-a-bitch, but he also understands situations and the shifting of power. While he thinks he has the upper hand, he will play that card. When he doesn't, he'll try to figure out how to gain the upper hand. Template Modifications: Captain Hargitt, regardless of the template used, will be proficient in Athletics, Perception, Navigator's tools, and vehicles (water). At higher levels: Swashbuckler from Volos (CR 3) and Master Thief (CR 5) both suit this character well. First Mate Slath Minotaur, Priest (CR 2) of Talos, Neutral Evil, menacing, cruel, manipulative, intimidating Slath was raised as a slave in Corrive, he has inherited their evil as much as he hates it. He worships Talos, God of the Storm. Slath is Hargitt's brute, everyone on the ship is terrified of him and for good reason. He has a temper, just like a storm, and won't hesitate to kill or knock people over-board. In combat on the ship, Slath will use his powers to knock as many people overboard as possible, and will be hesitant to fight in the lower decks. The top deck is his domain, and everyone knows it. Template Modifications: Slath, regardless of the template used, will be proficient in Intimidation, Athletics, Perception, Navigator's tools, and vehicles (water).

Tempest Domain spell use: Instead of the spells in the Priest template (except guiding bolt), Slath has access to fog cloud (1st), thunderwave (1st), gust of wind (2nd), shatter (2nd), call lightning (3rd), and sleet storm (3)

Instead of Divine Eminence, Slath has the following abilities (PHB p. 62): Wrath of the Storm (3/day), Destructive Wrath (1/day), and Thunderbolt Strike. At higher levels: Slath would also be good for a Gladiator (CR 5) template with Acolyte (CR 1/4) spell access. Alternatively, if you wanted him to be nasty he could be a War Priest (CR 9) from Volo's. Second Mate Gibtongue Human, Apprentice Wizard (CR 1/4), Chaotic Neutral, opportunistic, unpredictable, non-confrontational Gibtongue is an alchemist and the navigator of the ship. He has proficiency in navigator's tools, and sea vehicles. He is an alchemist and all his magic should be performed in a way that seems to fit that story, despite having a mage's stats. Gibtongue is human, but obviously not from anywhere the players have ever seen. He is tribal, but has a knack for chemicals, experimentation, and bending the bonds of reality. He doesn't necessarily want to go home, but he also doesn't like being a part of the Corrive slave fleet. At higher levels: Make Gibtongue a Mage (CR 6). The bump is significant but he will still be timid, but calculating. He doesn't like Corrive, and will actively help the PCs if the situation benefits him. Minotaurs of the Realm This assumes the Krynn Minotaur as the standard. Minotaurs have no homelands, but a couple of places they reside. They are natural sea-farers and have excellent memories. Slavers Human, Brigand (CR 1/8) or Thug (CR 1/4), Neutral Evil, quiet, cruel, opportunistic Taking after their leaders, the slavers are all opportunistic and cruel. They will be unwilling to attack an obviously superior force, but have no qualms attacking lesser forces. They will be predominantly humans, but can also be hobgoblins, half-orcs, orcs, goblins, and half-elves. By default, consider 12 of the crew to be Slavers. Template Modifications: The slavers are all proficient in Intimidation, Athletics, and vehicles (water) At higher levels: Make some Scouts (CR 1/4), Hobgoblins (CR 1/2), Half-Ogres (CR 1), or even Spies (CR 1). All work well with the story. Indentured Sailors Human, Commoner (CR 0), Any, afraid, tired The indentured sailors can be of race; the sailors consist of the 14 normal crew. They have hammocks on the upper and middle deck. They won't talk much to the players. Template Modifications: Proficient in Athletics and vehicles (water) 7

Slaves Any humanoid, Commoner (CR 0), frightened, meek, cowardly The outpost section of the prison will contain 3-6 (1d4+2) slaves serving the hobgoblins. They work as cooks, bartenders, maids, etc and can be of any race. They are skittish, and will not attempt to fight the hobgoblins but will happily flee with the PCs if freed. They sleep on blankets in the supply rooms, the tavern, kitchen, or dining room. Template modifications: Proficient in Stealth. Captives This section presents ideas for captives, they can all be used, or none at all. Some of the NPCs listed here will be more powerful than the characters, depending on the character level. The players shouldn't know who is strong and who isn't, as the NPCs themselves also aren't aware of their own strength in relation to everyone else. Aran Human (Dree), Commoner (CR 0), Chaotic-Terrified, depressed, mentally broken, terrified Arran, human from Dree. Says he is a political prisoner, also spends his time alternating between crying and sleeping. He will be good for very little except being terrified. If put in the situation to betray to party to stay alive he will do so. Denisaris "Dennis" High Elf, Commoner (CR 0), Neutral, quiet, easily startled, jittery, cowardly Nondescript high elf. May have some magic potential, pick a cantrip for him to know. He will be, outside of cantrip, otherwise useless. However, if talked to he was abducted from his home village where he is a member of the noble house. The elves of Corrive have been trying to corrupt him, he has been in the prison for over a decade. Gillia Human (Dree), Spy (CR 1), Lawful Evil, friendly, conniving, seemingly-harmless, opportunistic Human from Dree, says she is a political prisoner. Suave and friendly, Gillia will not be overly courageous, but she wants to get out. She was sent to Corrive from Dree of the Realm of Shrave, and was discovered. She has no magical powers, and will never admit she is a spy. She is a "member of the Royal Dree Agricultural Society" and was falsely detained. If the players provide safety, she will stick with them. As an Antagonist: Gillia is allied with Reeta, and will not hesitate to betray the PCs if it suits her agenda. Golsteer Dwarf (Nard), Commoner (CR 0), Neutral Good, stoic, headstrong, brave Golsteer a tattooed dwarf. A renowned craftsman, he was sent to the prison for refusing to practice his craft for his captors. He is a folk-hero of sorts for some of the slaves back in Corrive. He has been in captivity for a couple of years. Lady Alerie Human, Bard (CR 2), Neutral Evil, pretentious, prideful, cruel, self-assured, manipulative Lady Alerie of House Burdyck of the Girkchar Realm with red hair. She seems a bit crueler than Quarlton. She also receives more torture than he does, doesn’t seem to care. She also seems to have power over fire. They are both members of the same noble house in Girkchar, where both humans and elves share a noble house. Her and Quarlton were sent to the borders of Girkchar and Corrive, where they were both taken captive after a battle. She doesn't fear death, but if given the opportunity to collect a force and expand the lands of Girkchar she will do it. As an antagonist: Lady Alerie will not be freed long before she becomes more outspoken and cruel to the others. Both her and Quarlton will understand they are surrounded by superior forces, and Alerie will make it her first job to recruit allies to their side. Humans and Elves of Girkchar Deep in the north mountains lays the land of Girkchar, the largest Realm although much of it is covered in ice and snow year round. Supposedly, during the last "Cleansing Fire", a period when the armies of Girkchar stream upon the rest of the realms, the Girkchar armies invaded Corrive and Lady Corrive struck a deal with the red dragon Lord Girkchar. She helped him twist and corrupt a breed of elves. Now, the Amber Elves are part of the House of Girkchar's Fire, a group of human's and elves who all have innate control over fire. Human variants of the noble house have the magic initiate feat with the spells control flames, create bonfire, and burning hands. Amber elves are high elves but instead of Elf Weapon Training have another cantrip, their known cantrips are always create bonfire and control flames. Half-Elves born into the house pick either create bonfire or control flames as their known cantrip. While the house is known as the House of Girkchar's Fire, the humans, half-elves, and elves are all called Fire Barons and are typically of evil alignment. 8

Lord Quarlton High Elf, Archer (CR 3), Lawful Evil, pragmatic, cunning, prideful, vengeful, bossy Lord Quarlton of House Burdyck, a Fire Baron of Girkchar. Elf with reddish hair. Somewhat pretentious but also amused. Pain seems to affect him little. He is from the north and has powers over fire. During the coldest nights, he and/or Lady Alerie would create bonfires around the tower for heat. He would purposefully not put it too close to himself so the jailors would suspect someone else. Sometimes he would should across the room at Lady Alerie, both speaking in Infernal. If he escapes, his goal will be to visit vengeance upon Corrive for his capture, although he will likely be decide to do so in a slow an strategic way. As an antagonist: Quarlton will want revenge, and he won't take being pushed around easily. He will try to insist on being in charge. If the PCs will not accept this, he will recruit allies to his side, with Alerie's assistance. He will also likely try to kill the members of the Bawdy Slave, if able. Nuggle Goblin, Apprentice Wizard (CR ¼), True Neutral, overconfident, loudmouth, meek, cowardly Nuggle is a wizard apprentice from Ralarth, where he was studying to be a powerful transmuter. Once released he will be much more timid until the tide has shifted. He will ally himself with whoever seems most capable of keeping him alive. Numba Halfling, Master Thief (CR 5), Neutral Evil, sneaky, opportunistic, quiet, greedy Halfling from the Ralarth, says he is a political prisoner. During the coldest, darkest nights, they would notice Numba slipping off his shackles and leaving the top tower for hours at a time. They highly suspect he could leave whenever he wants, if there was any place to go. While quiet, he would occassionally engage in conversations with the other prisoners. As an antagonist: Numba is not in the prison by chance, he placed himself there. He knows Rivwan is a powerful Yuan-Ti. He is a master spy from Ralarth, there to keep an eye on the Yuan-Ti situation. Olga Human, Commoner (CR 0), Chaotic-terrified, broken, kind Olga, human from far off. Dark hair, spends much of her time alternating between crying and sleeping. She is from some realms far to the northwest, and speaks multiple languages. She seems to have a way with animals, and before the deep winter hit she was able to coerce and speak with rats who would make it into the top of the tower, but by the beginning of spring she is mentally and emotionally broken. Reeta Human, Spy (CR 1), Lawful Neutral, patient, opportunistic A trained spy from Shrave, Reeta is allied with Gillia. In the cage, she will be quiet but also patient. She doesn't rattle easily. Once freed, she will want to get back to Shrave to report on what she's learned. But if given the opportunity to learn more about the PCs and the other NPCs, she won't necessarily object. As an antagonist: She is allied with Gillia, and will not hesitate to betray the PCs if it suits her agenda. Rivwan Human (Yuan-Ti), Champion (CR 9), Lawful Neutral, brave, manipulative, conniving, deadly, cruel Quiet bald headed human man. Is missing some teeth. Claims his name is Rivwan. Is courageous and seems difficult to rattle. He is also mentally much more competent than many of the people in here. He is a little scrawny. He gets tortured more often than the rest. Compared to everyone else, he doesn’t seem bothered by their predicament. Meta: Rivwan is not meant to solve the character’s problems for them. He is strong enough that with a weapon, he could take out all the guards and he knows it, which is why he’s so relaxed. As a Yuan-Ti, pain, suffering, and the emotions that come with them are muted for him. Feel free to modify, change his template to maybe Veteran (CR 3) or something less powerful, or just delete him entirely from the game. As an antagonist: Rivwan fully intends to help the underground Yuan-ti empire destroy Corrive, but they need allies. He will begin courting both the Fire Barons, the spies from Shrave, and anyone else in the party to help his agenda, but will be cautious about betraying his true heritage or agenda. 9

The Silent War Lady Corrive is rumored to rule one of the most mobilized and militaristic realms in the land. Everyone, except Shrave (who is heavily defended via natural borders) fears her might. What they don’t know is that an unknown war exists inside of Corrive. The Yuan-Ti have become not only powerful in her lands, but also mobilized. The Yuanti of Corrive have been there for thousands of years, but only recently have they reached the critical mass needed to begin taking control. Their people primarily exist in the sewers below Corrive cities, in sewers and dungeons, with cultists protecting their Pure Blood. The Pure Blood have slowly, over the years, infiltrated the government of Corrive, bribing and forcing their way into the infrastructure. They intend to take over one of the most powerful known realms, and then eventually all of them. The number of peasants in Corrive cities works to their advantage. With almost no protection from the government from being abused by upper castes, many peasants have little to turn to. The Yuan-Ti cults find them easy targets, and have a strong influence in the peasant caste of Corrive. Often, living in dark sewers and getting protection, food, and a place to sleep is preferred to being beaten and abused by orcs, hobgoblins, and the like. Over the years, the Yuan-Ti of Corrive have begun building up legions of undead armies that they hide in the forests, quietly waiting for the chance to attack. They have made good friends of the Dree, who are jealous of their secretive knowledge. The Yuan-Ti infiltrate every province, using charisma and slight of tongue. Their first goal is to bring down Corrive, their second is to build their ultimate template and ascend to the greater plane of existence. That of dragon kind itself. In the realm of Corrive, the Yuan-Ti now control essentially their own small province in the realm.

Triton Woman Triton, Martial Arts Adept (CR 2), Neutral, stoic, disciplined Unknown Triton female. She rarely speaks. If she escapes with the party, she will be thankful. If they are good to her, and the other escaped captives (are obviously good), she might stick around with them on the ship for unknown reasons. Yoli Forest Gnome, Gladiator (CR 5), Chaotic Neutral, relentless, destructive, fearless, vengeful Yoli looks mean and claims to be a powerful warrior. The idiot Corrive have imprisoned her for her natural magic but a weapon in her hands is far more deadly. Once they escape, she will make for the nearest Corrive settlement where she will want to exact vengeance upon her enemies. She spent most of her life as a gladiator in Corrive, fighting for her life. She was extremely popular in the arenas, so when she nearly escaped using her innate magic she was sent to the Last Point to be tortured and executed. She was too popular to execute publicly, and member of the Order of the Green Dragon's Cove wanted her punished for her insolence. Uhgragog Fronsgorron Goliath, Priest (CR 2), Lawful Good, compassionate, kind, brave, honorable. He seemed quite resistant to the cold weather, along with Lord Quarlton and Lady Alerie. He will heal others and assist, as needed during the escape. Uhg was banished from his village for unknown reasons. Once they escape, he will not know where he wants to go. If the players don't suggest anything, he will likely follow Yoli on her suicidal mission to fight Corrive. 10

Stories and Adventures This sections is for story ideas involving the prison and NPCs as set forth in this module. Starting levels can vary from level 1 all the way to level 5 if scaled upwards as needed. Taken Captive: Mistaken Identity, Enemies of the State, and You Won’t Take Us Alive

Mistaken Identity, Enemies of the State, and You Won’t Take Us Alive Prison Escape: It’s Now or Never, All Together Now, Being Rescued, and New Recruits

It’s Now or Never, All Together Now, Being Rescued, and New Recruits The Rescue: Just the One, Wrong Prison, Countdown to Execution, and Assassination

Just the One, Wrong Prison, Countdown to Execution, and Assassination The Retrieval: Brother’s Bones, State secrets, and The Kidnapping Each section contains base narrative text to read to players, or give you an idea of how to introduce that adventure idea. Many of the sub-plots has additional text to be read before or after the base text. These narratives are provided to give ideas for how to introduce these adventures. Taken Captive Base narrative for the players: Taken alive for crimes against Corrive, you have been brought to the isolated prison at the first sign of the ice thawing, it is incredibly cold here on the north sea. The slavers transporting you here seem quite familiar with the route. They keep you all in jail cells on the lowest decks of the ship. The good news is that it is much warmer here than topside. All of the slavers seem miserable and cold, coming down occasionally to take their stress out on you and your companions. They seem to have no other living cargo at the moment, but you hear them talk about supplies for the Last Point. Supposedly your ship will be the first to dock there since the deep cold set in sometime in the early winter. Sea travel isn't impossible, but storms and snow up on the mountain peaks make it a rough route in the winter, so the slavers usually wait until their don't have to scrape ice of the deck.

The players are aboard a ship and have just arrived at the Last Point. Assuming you start here, there should be good reasons why the players didn’t or couldn’t escape up until this point. Some questions to ask before crafting this scenario: Why are the players being sent to the Last Point? What have they done?

Who is taking them there. The ship the PCs are coming off are allied to whom? How powerful are they?

Why haven't the players already made an escape attempt?

At what point does the game begin? Immediately exiting the ship? In the stronghold? Some possible scenarios include Mistaken Identity, Enemies of the State, and You Won't Take Us Alive. Mistaken Identity (Party Levels 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (after base text): When they get you ashore, the hobgoblins meet the slavers at the docks. Your equipment has been confiscated and is being hauled in some large sacks by some slavers behind you.

In this scenario, the players start out on the docks manacled, with 1d4 Hobgoblins (CR 1/2) and 1d4 hobgoblin Guards (CR 1/8), taking over their transport to the prison. You can have them go through the outpost, talk to the hobgoblin captain, go through the tavern, etc. After they are being escorted, slavers will start transporting supplies to the prison, which is low on food after the winter. The players should have a chance to talk their way out of the prison, although they will inevitably hear screams from the torture room in the tower as it echoes through the outpost. If they do talk their way out of the situation, are they going to try and rescue any of the captives? How are they going to leave, back with the slavers? Can they barter for their belongings back? This can feed directly into the Prison Escape: New Recruits storyline. Enemies of the State (Levels 2-4) Additional narrative for the players (after base text): When they get you ashore, several hobgoblins meet the slavers at the docks. Your equipment has been confiscated and was hauled up the docks onto the top of the cliffs hundreds of feet away as you were brought out of the lower decks. You only know this because of a loose lipped sailor. As the slavers turner you over to the hobgoblins, you realize your situation doesn't look good.

Players are more heavily guarded, and are far removed from their equipment and weapons. They are extremely dangerous, and will have 1d4+2 Hobgoblins (CR 1/2) and 1d4+2 Guards (CR 1/8). The PC's can start out at the docks, but roughly half the crew of the Brawny Slave will be there for the handoff. Their equipment will have long been sent to the outpost (or dumped in the sea). You Won't Take Us Alive (Level 3-5) Additional narrative for the players (after base text): They delivered your party to the prison, The Last Point, and barely inside your party made a break for it. You are now holed up in a guard tower, with the bodies of four guards in the tower with you. You have minimal equipment, but it’s a start.

The players have already made their escape. They could be enemies of the state, or cases of mistaken identity. Either way they are holed up on the bottom level of one of the guard towers. They get basic equipment: leather armor, shields, daggers, spears, longswords, longbows, and light crossbows. Assume they have killed 1d4 hobgoblins. However, the rest of the tower is gunning for them, which is 23 hobgoblins. Depending on the level, make all the guards Hobgoblins (CR 1/2) with a Hobgoblin Captain (CR 3), and Hobgoblin Warlord (CR 6). 11

Prison Escape Base narrative for the players: Characters spent over a year in circulation. The bureaucracy of Corrive is thick. They have each been tortured or imprisoned in at least half a dozen facilities. The PCs have been here for many months, during the fall and winter things shut down and people stopped coming as storms and winter made travel difficult. The tower is barely heated, and it has been insanely cold. Several people have frozen to death over the winter. The neared fireplace is on the second floor and you have been kept in the top of the tower. You know little outside of the tower. There are no windows, only stairs down. The level below is the torture level. The level below that people don’t come back from. In the top floor are cages for all the prisoners. Some have been here a long time. Rumor is that people are killed based upon the taste of their flesh, but you know little else beyond that. Rumors also say, because this location is so out of the way, there are relatively few guards underneath. All of you know can feel when winter breaks as the nights stop bringing constant pain. You have slept relatively unwell for the past… who knows how long. After a couple of weeks where the nights are no longer torture sessions unto themselves you realize spring is either here, or has been here for some time and you are just now finding out about it. Either that or they are using spells to mess with your heads. For a people so adamantly opposed to wizards, what they deem “natural” magic such as the powers of priests and druids seems completely okay to these crazy backwoods militaristic lunatics. The guards are mostly hobgoblins. If anyone comes in who is a dangerous mage, they are instantly processed, interrogated, and then butchered.

These scenarios involve the players trying to escape the prison. It's Now or Never (Level 3-5) Additional narrative for the players (after base text): You've overheard from Thud that new people have arrived, once supplies have made it to the Last Point they won't need to keep you alive much longer. You hear talking downstairs, which becomes yelling and you can hear the sounds of conflict in the tavern which ends after a minute or so. If you want to make a move, now might be the time.

The assumption in this scenario is that the Bawdy Slave has arrived with some "guests" who ended up having a disagreement with the hobgoblins. Their bodies might be the ones on level 2, depending upon how long it takes for the players to escape. How that happens is up to you and them. Pick some of the NPCs to be in the tower with the players, or all if you'd like. All together Now (Level 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (after base text): You get to know several of the captives over the months. Aran and Olga spend most of their time sobbing. Numba the seems to come and go occasionally in the night, he seems capable of getting out of the prison when he wants. Dennis and Golsteer are quiet. Gillia and Reeta are interested in casual conversation, and are both pleasant to talk to but also not incredibly upset about the situation. Lord Quarlton and Lady Alerie speak back and forth in some bizarre language [Infernal], and in the dark cold nights of the winter summon fires to warm everyone up [DC Perception check to realize you can cast cantrip spells by moving your hands outside of the bars and pressing your lips]. Nuggle talks about how he is a powerful wizard and could destroy all the guards if released. Yoli says to just give her a blade and she will hack the guards to bits. The Triton and the goliath are silent. The goliath, Ughragog, in addition to having a large cage also has his hands bound behind his back most of the time. Rivwan gets tortured a lot, but doesn't seem to complain. He seems completely unfazed by the situation, almost emotionless. He takes everything with a casual disregard, as though just counting time until something else happens. You've overheard from Thud that new people have arrived, once supplies have made it to the Last Point they won't need to keep you alive much longer. You hear talking downstairs, which becomes yelling and you can hear the sounds of conflict in the tavern which ends after a minute or so. Aran loses his mind and starts shouting and screaming. The others try quieting him down to no avail. Soon you here Thud arrive. He comes up the staircase and says, "We have new people. Supplies arrive, now I can take volunteers down to second floor. Who like to volunteer?" Aran continues screaming at him and Thud says, "Oh we have first volunteer."

Give brief descriptions of the NPCs. As "It's Now or Never" but all of the NPCs are in play, as written. Let the players have some time before game begins to talk with the NPCs. Play up languages. Since they are being constantly monitored, language can make a difference in communication. The prisoners will all speak their racial languages, plus Lord Quarlton and Lady Alerie will speak infernal. I haven't put much in this module about exactly how the PCs get out, because that's up to you and them. Being Rescued (Level 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (after base text): You've overheard from Thud that new people have arrived, once supplies have made it to the Last Point they won't need to keep you alive much longer. You hear talking downstairs, which becomes yelling and you can hear the sounds of conflict in the tavern which ends after a minute or so. You hear someone shouting your names, help has arrived. The PCs must hold off being executed, fight the jailors while their friends or allies arrive. When the fighting starts in the outpost underneath, the jailors will lock the doors to the outpost and head to the 3rd level. If they hear the hobgoblins loosing, they will attempt to exterminate the remaining captives. Thud will head upstairs to get the PCs while Murrim goes downstairs to hold the door with the guards. 12

New Recruits (Level 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (after base text): After months of being in prison, it is taking longer to receive supplies than expected. For whatever reason, the guards select the lot of you to help downstairs by going outside and helping chop firewood, fish, and help with chores as needed. After a few weeks of doing so, they slowly begin to trust you a little more and give you each a dagger to assist in your assigned duties.

The players have been forcibly recruited by the Corrive army. They have standard equipment, and none can be known magic-users. They will begin in the routine as guards, processing slaves, etc. However, they will need to leave at some point. If they arrived on the Bawdy Slave, they may have to wait several days before it returns. The Rescue Base narrative for the players: You've commissioned a ride aboard the Bawdy Slave, destined for the Last Point. Aboard the ship with you are half a dozen slaves or captives who are being transported to the prison. They are being stored in the lower deck, in a couple of rooms designated for captive and slave transport. From what you've been told, this will be the first supply ship to visit the prison in 3-4 months, the winter making it difficult to travel there even by ship. Fortunately, the cold has broken and it's only mildly miserable aboard the ship. You are given decent accommodations, and are fed regularly. After several days of travel, you are alerted to your destination being close by some shouting from the top deck. Upon arrival you are led up to the prison where you meet with the leader of the hobgoblins. While the crew of the Bawdy Slave are unloading contents, he invites you to go into the tavern to wait for the jailors to come down and speak to you.

This is the point at which a fight probably breaks out as described in previous scenarios, unless the players can talk their way out of. The hobgoblins might pick a fight because: They know the PCs have an ulterior motive.

They are drunk.

They don't like the race of one of the PCs.

They believe one of the PCs to be a magic user. Or any number of other reasons. In these scenarios, the players are sent to the Last Point to rescue someone. All of these can begin with the assumption the PCs have diplomacy enacted with Corrive, or they can begin with the crew of the Bawdy Slave unknowing that the PCs are enemies of Corrive, either way is fine. If the answer is the latter, they might need to be higher level. Just the One (Levels 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (before base text): Your instructions are clear; you are to rescue X by any means necessary. You are given 500 gold that can be used to bribe the jailors and guards, but spend 10 gold each just booking two-way passage to the prison. The Captain is a greedy man; he will probably charge you for the extra passenger. That still leaves you with the dilemma of how to free your ward. Another 500 gold waits you if you can bring them back alive, if they are not alive you will be asked to refund the fronted gold, and your employers won't be happy.

Players are sent to rescue a single prisoner, but without causing an incident. They must get in, get the prisoner they need through coercion, bribery, etc, and leave. The point of this mission is to make it a safe mission, if the PCs are willing to let things stand as they are. It's an ethical dilemma story. To increase the difficulty of this mission, make them rescue one of the NPCs with Commoner stats (CR 0), and wait until after for the guards to pick a fight or change their minds. Then this becomes a difficult escort mission. Wrong Prison (Levels 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (before base text): Your instructions are clear; you are to rescue X by any means necessary. You are given 500 gold that can be used to bribe the jailors and guards, but spend 10 gold each just booking two-way passage to the prison. The Captain is a greedy man; he will probably charge you for the extra passenger. That still leaves you with the dilemma of how to free your ward. Another 500 gold waits you if you can bring them back alive, if they are not alive you will be asked to refund the fronted gold, and your employers won't be happy.

The players arrive, they make it all the way to the tower and talk (or "talk") to Gregory before they realize the one they came to rescue isn't even there. They are still left with the decision of what to do with the slaves and prisoners. Also, Gregory's notes might have some information about where their charge is, if they can convince him or kill him and take the notes. Gregory's official notes and ledgers will be written in code requiring an Int (Investigation) DC 14 to decipher. Countdown to Execution (Levels 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (before base text): Your instructions are clear; you are to rescue X by any means necessary. You are given 500 gold that can be used to bribe the jailors and guards, but spend 10 gold each just booking two-way passage to the prison. The Captain is a greedy man; he will probably charge you for the extra passenger. That still leaves you with the dilemma of how to free your ward. Another 500 gold waits you if you can bring them back alive, if they are not alive you will be asked to refund the fronted gold, and your employers won't be happy. You know from an informant that X is scheduled to be executed before too long. Apparently after the winter is over it is standard practice to eliminate many of the residents as new shipments of captives arrive.

The players have to rescue someone on a timeline. They hitch aboard the Bawdy Slave, and must do everything they can to get the ship there on time. In this scenario, one of the members of the prison (either a hobgoblin or a slave) is an undercover informant able to sneak out information. This could also be Numba. 13

Assassination (Levels 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (before base text): Your instructions are clear; you are to kill X by any means necessary. The only caveat is that the jailors cannot know you want that person dead. They are, however, likely to know you are there to kill them. You are given 500 gold that can be used to bribe the jailors and guards, but spend 10 gold each just booking two-way passage to the prison. That still leaves you with the dilemma of how to kill your target. Another 500 gold waits you if you can kill the target. If they are alive or you are found out and the target is interrogated you will be asked to refund the fronted gold, and your employers won't be happy. Your employers want the target dead before they break and divulge state secrets. The players are sent to the prison, but they aren't there on a mercy mission. They, or maybe an NPC with them (?), is supposed to assassinate one of the prisoners because they hold valuable state secrets. They crux is, they can't let the Corrive guards or jailors know because then they will want to interrogate that prisoner and extract said information. The Retrieval Base narrative for the players: You've commissioned a ride aboard the Bawdy Slave, destined for the Last Point. Aboard the ship with you are half a dozen slaves or captives who are being transported to the prison. They are being stored in the lower deck, in a couple of rooms designated for captive and slave transport. From what you've been told, this will be the first supply ship to visit the prison in 3-4 months, the winter making it difficult to travel there even by ship. Fortunately, the cold has broken and it's only mildly miserable aboard the ship. You are given decent accommodations, and are fed regularly. After several days of travel, you are alerted to your destination being close by some shouting from the top deck.

The players must go to the prisoner, but not for prisoner extraction. All of these missions play on ethical issues, if you are having players who aren't sure if they are good or evil this is a good way to tell. Brother's Bones (Level 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (before base text): Your instructions are clear; you are to rescue the remains of your employer's brother [or sister] by any means necessary. You are given 500 gold that can be used to bribe the jailors and guards, but spend 10 gold each just booking two-way passage to the prison. That still leaves you with the dilemma of how to free your ward. Another 500 gold waits you if you can bring the remains back, if the remains are lost or stolen you will be asked to refund the fronted gold, and your employers won't be happy.

This is an item retrieval quest, and shouldn't be too hard but the players will have to resist the urge to free the prisoners. State Secrets (Level 1-3) Additional narrative for the players (before base text): Your instructions are clear; you are to find documents with state secrets on the person of a prisoner by any means necessary. You are given 500 gold that can be used to bribe the jailors and guards, but spend 10 gold each just booking two-way passage to the prison.

This scenario could be more difficult. Even if the players find the captive's personals they could have a hard time finding the documents. If so, they would have to go confront the prisoner and try to convince them to tell them where the secrets are hidden in their belongings. This could be difficult considering the captive in question has withstood months of torture. Obvious NPCs for this are Reeta and Gillia, but Lady Alerie and Lord Quarlton are also likely candidates. The Kidnapping (Level 2-4) Additional narrative for the players (before base text): Your instructions are clear; you are to kidnap the Druid Gregory by any means necessary. You are given 500 gold that can be used to the guards and other jailors, but spend 10 gold each just booking two-way passage to the prison. That still leaves you with the dilemma of how to kidnap your target. Another 500 gold waits you if you can bring Gregory back alive. If Gregory is dead you will be asked to refund the fronted gold, and your employers won't be happy.

A more difficult adventure designed for slightly higher level parties, they will need to abduct Gregory against his will and get him aboard the ship. Variants and Strategies Some variants for your consideration. Seasonal Variants This prison is far north, changing the seasons could change the traffic and guards of the prison considerably. In the summer and fall they have much more captives coming and going, and probably a better guard crew. For accommodations, they'll have cots set up in the towers and will sleep in shifts instead of everyone getting their own bed. Using Weather Using storms, unexpected cold snaps, and such are a great way to shake up the adventure especially if the Bawdy Slave and her crew are involved. Mines to the North The cliffs to the north go almost straight up. There is a mining camp up there that still isn't accessible in early spring, they will be more in need of the supplies than the prison. Some of the supplies dropped off by the Bawdy Slave are to transport to the north as soon as weather permits. One of their reasons for keeping the captives and slaves alive is to use them as pack-horses to the mines as soon as possible. This could be its own adventure. 14