Intrigue in the Elven Court
The original manuscript of Spelljammer: Shadow of the Spider Moon included a short introductory adventure based on the planet of Perianth. Though the adventure didn't make the final cut for inclusion in Polyhedron, now you can read it here for the first time!
This adventure is designed as a launching point for a Spelljammer: Shadow of the Spider Moon campaign. It introduces the characters to some of the major players in the setting, and throws them headlong into a dire plot.
The adventure is appropriate for starting (1st-level) characters. A party with at least one character skilled in interaction and gathering information will likely have a greater chance of success than those without such resources.
If your characters are above 1st level, you can increase the difficulty of the encounters to match their power. For instance, you can add levels to the NPC opponents so that they are equal to the party’s average level +1. Be sure to increase each NPC’s equipment to match their new levels. Change the Small monstrous spiders at the dark altar to Medium or even Large spiders. Characters above 5th level probably are too powerful for an adventure of this nature.
Adventure Background
Captain Lar Trellig, the half-elven commander of the ship on which the PCs arrived, is an agent of a minor elven noble, Lady Silaqui Amastacia (female elf Ari2), who fancies herself a collector of arcana. Recently, Trellig came across a rumor of a lost artifact called the Diamondstar Crown and plans to deliver this information to Lady Amastacia.
The captain’s quests often lead to him running afoul of the dark elves, and he has thwarted their efforts to recover such relics in the past. The drow know of his work, but don’t know his benefactor. Thanks to an informant in the captain’s last port of call, the drow have learned of his latest discovery. Thinking that they can kill two birds with a single stone, they wish to acquire his logbook to learn both what he knows and who else wants the information—so that they can eliminate his benefactor once and for all.
Adventure Synopsis
The characters run afoul of a burglary attempt on their ship while docked on Perianth. Their investigation leads them to an ancient drow shrine, then back to the royal court where they must race against time and bureaucracy to stop an assassination attempt against an elven noblewoman.
Setting The Scene
For the purposes of this adventure, the characters have arrived on Perianth on the same spelljamming vessel. They might serve under Captain Trellig on the ship’s crew, work as a courier delivering material to or from the elven courts of Perianth, or simply be passengers aboard the ship, as suits your group. Regardless of their background, the characters have at least a passing acquaintance with one another.
The adventure opens in the late evening, just after the characters have retired for the night. At least one PC should have a private room, though others might have rooms or merely bunk with the rest of the crew, depending on their backgrounds.
Scene One: Theft (EL 2)
At some point in the evening, a thief slips aboard the ship in search of the captain’s logbook. However, she mistakenly enters a PC’s room instead of the Trellig’s cabin.
Creature: Drusilia is a fairly successful burglar, specializing in acquiring valuable items for high-paying employers. Her goal is to steal the captain’s logbook and escape the ship without alerting anyone. She prefers to flee rather than fight, though she can defend herself capably if needed.
Drusilia: Female Elf Rog1/Ftr1; CR 2; Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d6+1 plus 1d10+1; hp 14; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 13, flat-footed 13); Atk +5 melee (1d6+1/19-20, masterwork short sword); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ elf traits; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 12, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +1, Climb +5, Disable Device +4, Escape Artist +5, Hide +7, Jump +3, Listen +3, Move Silently +7, Open Lock +7, Pick Pocket +5, Search +6, Spot +3, Tumble +5; Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (short sword).
Possessions: Masterwork studded leather armor, masterwork short sword, potion of glibness, jade pendant (200 gp).
Tactics: Drusilia waits until she has reason to believe that the occupants of the ship are asleep. She then sneaks aboard and makes her way to the (incorrect) cabin. If any PCs are up late, they may encounter her (as long as their Spot check equals or exceeds her default Hide check of 17).
Drusilia must make separate Move Silently checks (taking 10 each time, for a total of 17) for each of the following: picking the lock of the room (if it is locked), entering the room, and each round of searching. She searches for four rounds before concluding that she has entered the wrong room.
She then moves to the next cabin, repeating her actions until she finds the captain’s quarters and the logbook. You can assume that she successfully sneaks past any NPCs, or you can allow an NPC aboard the ship to raise an alarm, if you choose.
Any character in a room with the thief may attempt a Listen check each time Drusilia attempts to move silently. A sleeping character suffers a –10 penalty to Listen checks.
If Drusilia encounters anyone aboard the ship, she attempts surreptitiously to quaff her potion of glibness (her Pick Pocket check is opposed by any onlookers’ Spot checks). This should allow her to bluff her way past questioning.
Development: Should Drusilia complete her work without anyone overhearing her, the PCs can learn of the theft in the morning, when they awaken to find their cabins rifled. If the PCs don’t automatically choose to investigate the theft, the captain asks for their help in tracking down the lost logbook.
On the other hand, if the PCs manage to apprehend Drusilia, they might question her about the break-in. This may prove impossible if she has consumed her potion of glibness (total Bluff check +31), though its limited duration may run out before they finish with her. The PCs can confirm that no items are missing from anyone’s cabin (except the logbook, if she managed to acquire that only to be caught on her way off the ship).
Either way, the characters’ next step is likely a local investigation. Move to Scene Two.
Scene Two: The Investigation (EL varies)
This scene covers a wide range of possible avenues of investigation, though it can’t hope to address every idea the PCs might conceive. Use the information here and elsewhere in the adventure to help adjudicate matters not covered in this scene.
Who Is/Was the Thief? If apprehended or killed at the scene, Drusilia can be identified by elven authorities as a local burglar of some small repute, specializing in “retrieving” items of value, often for purposes of blackmail or other coercion. Even a reasonable description from a PC who spotted Drusilia can suffice to identify her.
If she escaped without notice, the identification proves more difficult. A Gather Information check (DC 12) can confirm that someone had been looking for a burglar a couple days ago. A DC 15 check finds someone who overheard a conversation in a nearby tavern called the Greenstar Pub. This helpful individual relates that he heard an unseen elf tell Drusilia to “bring the log to Darkwood Altar.”
Who Hired Her? The PCs might use any of a variety of methods to extract information from Drusilia, including charm person, Intimidate (DC 12), Diplomacy (must shift her Hostile attitude to Friendly), or possibly even a good Bluff (she gets a +10 to her Sense Motive checks due to her distrust of the PCs). If the characters manage to get her talking, Drusilia confirms that she was hired by an elf in a local tavern (the Greenstar). She doesn’t know the elf’s name and didn’t get a look at his hooded face. The elf gave her the jade pendant as an advance on her payment, and said to bring the book to a place called the Darkwood Altar, out in the forest.
An Appraise or Knowledge (local: Perianth) check (DC 12) can confirm that jade jewelry—such as the pendant—isn’t made or sold on Perianth. A DC 15 Appraise check, or a DC 12 Knowledge (local: Verdura) allows a PC to know that most, if not all, jade jewelry comes from old temples and treasure hordes on Verdura, though a particularly lucky Appraise check (DC 20) will note that the pendant (as well as the other jade items found in this adventure) is a different type than that from Verdura. (In fact, all the jade items found on NPCs in this adventure come from the Spider Moon, though only a DC 25 Appraise check could confirm that.)
Where is the Darkwood Altar? A Gather Information or Knowledge (local: Perianth) check (DC 15) can discover that the Darkwood Altar is an archaic name for a place the locals merely call “the old shrine.” It’s an unused temple that’s fallen into disrepair over the centuries, located several miles out of town in a thick grove of pine trees. With a DC 25 Gather Information, Knowledge (local: Periath), or bardic knowledge check, the PC learns that Darkwood Altar was once used by the drow for their foul rites.
What’s This Logbook? If the PCs learn of Drusilia’s target, they may wonder why anyone would want the captain’s logbook. While the PCs aren’t likely to learn what information the logbook contains—the captain is under strict orders not to share his findings with anyone but Lady Amastacia or her trusted subordinates—they might get the idea from talking to Trellig (Sense Motive DC 13) that the logbook has valuable information.
Development: If the initial theft fails, the drow send another thief after the logbook three days later. You can use statistics identical to Drusilia’s or tweak them as you see fit.
The PCs can retry Gather Information checks as often as they like—though it requires a few hours for each attempt, and 1d4 gp per roll—but this risks those behind the plot learning of their interest.
Each time after the first attempt, there is a 10% cumulative chance that the masterminds send a pair of thugs to “put the characters off the trail,” so to speak. In this case, Slythe is prepared for the PCs when they arrive at Darkwood Altar.
The thugs know even less than Drusilia: they were hired by an intermediary and don’t know anything about the plot, Darkwood Altar, or the masterminds.
Thugs (2): Male half-orc War1; CR 1/2; Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d8+1; hp 6 each; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (touch 10, flat-footed 14); Atk +4 melee (1d12+3/x3, greataxe); AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will –1; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 9.
Skills and Feats: Intimidate +3; Weapon Focus (greataxe).
Possessions: chain shirt, greataxe, 4d6 sp, jade pin (25 gp).
Scene Three: Darkwood Altar (EL 2)
Eventually, the trail should lead the PCs to Darkwood Altar, an old temple located about 3 miles outside the city. The way is relatively safe, though if you choose you can insert an appropriate random encounter in the forest along the way, such as a hungry wolf.
Read the following italicized text as the PCs approach the shrine.
Between two thick evergreen trees you glimpse a stone structure, overgrown with ivy and weeds. A double row of cracked pillars jut from the underbrush, holding up a fragile roof of stone tiles. The area bounded by the pillars is about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. A squat object sits in the center of the area, almost completely covered in creeping vines.
Because of the thick trees, this entire area is always shaded and dim. This grants one-quarter concealment (10% miss chance) and a +2 to Hide checks to all creatures within. Those with low-light vision or darkvision ignore this.
Creatures: For two full days after the latest attempted theft, a drow wizard named Slythe waits here patiently for Drusilia to arrive with the logbook.
If the PCs don’t arrive within 48 hours of Drusilia’s visit to the ship, Slythe has returned to the city to investigate the delay. In his place, he leaves four Small monstrous spiders, which hide among the pillar-tops (Spot DC 26 to notice them before they attack).
Slythe: Male drow Wiz2; CR 2; Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d4+3; hp 10; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 12, flat-footed 10); Atk +0 melee (1d6-1, masterwork quarterstaff); SA spell-like abilities, spells; SQ immune to sleep spells, +2 bonus to Will saves vs. spells, darkvision 120 ft., light blindness; SR 13; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Concentration +5, Gather Information +3, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (history) +4, Knowledge (local: Perianth) +7, Knowledge (local: Spider Moon) +6, Listen +2, Spellcraft +8, Spot +2; Alertness (from familiar), Scribe Scroll, Toughness.
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): 1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire (as Sor2).
Possessions: wand of mage armor (20 charges), masterwork quarterstaff, potions of cure light wounds (2), arcane scroll of 4 spells (burning hands, obscuring mist, change self, silent image), arcane scroll of 1 spell (whispering wind), jade ring with spider emblem (100 gp), 27 gp.
Spells Prepared (4/3; base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—daze, detect magic, mage hand, read magic; 1st—charm person, comprehend languages, sleep.
Spellbook: 0—all; 1st—alarm, burning hands, change self, charm person, comprehend languages, obscuring mist, silent image, sleep.
Grik, rat familiar: as rat except CR n/a; Tiny magical beast; HD 2; hp 5; AC 15 (touch 14, flat-footed 13); SQ improved evasion, share spells, empathic link; Int 6.
Small monstrous spiders (4): hp 4 each, see Monster Manual.
Tactics: Unless the PCs’ investigations have alerted the drow, Slythe fully expects to meet Drusilia and pay her the remaining portion of her reward for the logbook (the jade idol). He has already cast change self from his scroll to appear as an ordinary elf (Spot DC 18 to see through the disguise). If forewarned of the characters’ approach, Slythe prepares burning hands instead of comprehend languages, expecting a fight.
In either case, Grik, Slythe’s rat familiar, hides near the entrance to the shrine to keep an eye out. Whenever he sees someone coming, he scurries in to warn his master, though the empathic link only allows him to note “one coming” or “more than one coming,” and not specific races or character types. Depending on who Slythe expects, the PCs’ approach may or may not alert him to danger.
Once he suspects danger, Slythe uses his wand of mage armor (increasing his AC to 16) and hides in the shadows (Spot DC 14 to see him). He opens combat with darkness, followed by sleep (attempting to catch multiple PCs in its effect), unless only a single PC approaches, in which case he favors charm person.
He plans to use his arcane scroll of whispering wind to alert his superiors in the city once he has acquired the book or neutralized the PCs (though remember that he must make a DC 4 caster level check to use it properly).
Treasure: In addition to the possessions he carries, Slythe’s satchel sits in a secluded corner of the shrine. (If the PCs arrive after he departs, Slythe has left the satchel behind.) It holds a half-full waterskin, a few scraps of food, and a tiny slip of paper (found only with a DC 18 Search check). The paper has a brief message written in Undercommon (the language used by the drow): “Whisper name to room 3 at the Everdusk Inn.” This is where Slythe is to send his whispering wind message. Unknown to him, it is the room of the assassins hired to slay the noble whose name is in the logbook.
Development: If the PCs capture Slythe alive, they can get him to talk using methods similar to those outlined in Scene One, above (though Intimidate requires a DC 14 check due to his allegiance to the cause). He knows only that he was to peruse the logbook for a name, and then get that name to someone at the Everdusk Inn. He doesn’t know who the message is going to, or what exactly they’re doing with it. He does know that he’s not the only dark elf in the city right now—something important is about to happen, but he doesn’t know what.
Scene Four: Room 3 (EL 1)
Depending on the situation, this room is either occupied by a lone drow soldier or empty except for a trap.
Creature: As long as the drow still expect the logbook to arrive at Darkwood Altar, a dark elf soldier remains in this room waiting to hear from Slythe. He immediately attacks any intruders, though if defeat appears imminent, he attempts to throw himself from his third-floor window to his death.
Melios: Male dark elf Ftr1; CR 1; Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d10+1; hp 11; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 18 (touch 12, flat-footed 16); Atk +4 melee (1d8+2/19-20, masterwork long sword); SA spell-like abilities; SQ immune to sleep spells, +2 bonus to Will saves vs. spells, darkvision 120 ft., light blindness; SR 12; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
Skills and Feats: Climb +1, Jump +1, Listen +3, Search +3, Spot +3; Dodge, Iron Will.
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): 1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire (as Sor2).
Possessions: Chain mail, masterwork long sword, masterwork buckler, potion of hiding, potion of change self, jade ring with spider emblem (100 gp), blue whinnis poison (1 dose), 17 gp.
Trap: If the drow have reason to believe the logbook is still held by the captain—or worse yet, if someone is on their trail, the drow abandon the room, but not before leaving a simple trap. A loaded light crossbow points directly at the door into the room. Anyone opening the door (or anyone standing directly behind that person in the hallway) is subject to attack.
Crossbow Trap: CR 1; +10 ranged (1d8/19-20 crit); Search (DC 20); Disable Device (DC 22).
Treasure: There is nothing of value in this chamber except for the drow soldier’s possessions or the light crossbow. However, if the PCs arrive after Slythe sends his whispering wind to Melios, they might find a clue. When Melios received the elven noble’s name, he wrote it on a piece of parchment using quill and ink, then used a scrap of cloth to blot the ink to prevent smearing. That cloth lies forgotten in a corner, but can be found with a DC 15 Search check.
Anyone looking at the cloth can confirm that it is stained with ink in some unidentifiable pattern. A DC 10 Decipher Script check, or a DC 15 Intelligence check confirms that the pattern seems to be partial letters, but twisted or garbled. A DC 20 Decipher Script check, or a comprehend languages spell, discovers that the partial letters are backwards elven characters that read “Amastacia.” (Anyone who reads elven gains a +4 circumstance bonus to these checks.) A DC 15 Gather Information, Knowledge (nobility), Knowledge (local: Perianth), or bardic knowledge check confirms that Amastacia is the family name of a minor elven noblewoman of this city who collects objects of magic and lore.
Development: Melios knows that he awaits the name of a target, a name that he must deliver to Durrin, the dark elf charged with eliminating the target. Durrin waits for him in the grand hall of the elven court. The PCs can gain this information through the usual methods.
PCs who investigate the whereabouts of Lady Amastacia can, with a DC 15 Gather Information check, learn that she is currently a guest of the royal court.
Scene Five: The Court (EL variable)
Depending on the PCs’ actions to this point, this encounter might play out in a variety of ways.
If the PCs failed to prevent Slythe from delivering Amastacia’s identity, they must race to catch up with Durrin the assassin before he delivers his deadly attack. In this case, the assassin likely has no reason to expect the PCs’ arrival, which may allow them to catch him by surprise.
On the other hand, the PCs have a number of opportunities to derail the dark elves’ plot along the way, meaning that they may learn of the plot against Lady Amastacia before the assassin receives his assignment. This gives the PCs more time to prepare their attack, but may mean they don’t know exactly where to find the assassin.
Finally, the PCs may still be stumbling about, trying to figure out what’s going on. In this case, you might have to give them an additional clue in order to keep them on track. For instance, Captain Trellig could realize that whoever wanted his logbook sought it for the information he was to deliver to Lady Amastacia, and might recruit the PCs to confirm her safety.
In order to reach Lady Amastacia, the PCs must navigate the intricacies of the elven court. After all, not just anyone can walk off the street and demand the attention of a noblewoman. This difficulty might take a number of forms, at your discretion.
*The PCs must make a Diplomacy check (DC 15) to shift an Indifferent functionary’s attitude to Friendly, allowing them entrance to the courts. A Bluff or even Intimidate check might also work, though failed attempts of such types are likely to have more extreme consequences (including the summoning of elven guards to escort the PCs away).
*The PCs must use Gather Information to determine the location of Lady Amastacia’s chambers (DC 10) or to learn if any suspicious individuals have been spotted (a DC 15 check points them in the direction of “a strange elf with a funny accent” last spotted in the grand hall). If Durrin isn’t still there, the PCs might be able to track him to Lady Amastacia’s apartment, either using Wilderness Lore (with the Track feat) or even Gather Information to “follow” sightings of him (DC 20 in either case).
*The PCs must sneak past an elven guard (War1; Spot +3, Listen +3) charged with protecting Lady Amastacia’s apartment. Again, failure might lead to the involvement of additional guards.
Eventually, however, the PCs should come across the assassin, whether that is in the grand hall or Lady Amastacia’s quarters. See Scene 6.
Scene 6: The Assassin (EL 4)
This scene might take place either in Lady Amastacia’s quarters or in the (currently quiet and empty) grand hall of the court. Adapt the specifics of the encounter to the appropriate location.
Creatures: If Melios successfully delivered the identity of the target to Durrin, then he and the assassin have already arrived at Lady Amastacia’s chamber. Melios has taken the place of the guard, and Durrin has slipped into her apartment to dispatch the sleeping noblewoman.
On the other hand, if Melios was unable to forward the target’s name to the assassin, then Durrin waits patiently in the court’s grand hall, while another dark elf soldier (essentially identical to Melios) stands some distance away.
Lady Amastacia (Ari2): hp 7.
Melios or dark elf soldier (Ftr1): hp 11; see Scene 4.
Durrin: Male drow Rog3; CR 3; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d6; hp 13; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk +5 melee (1d6+1/18-20, masterwork rapier); SA sneak attack +2d6, spell-like abilities; SQ evasion, uncanny dodge, immune to sleep spells, +2 bonus to Will saves vs. spells, darkvision 120 ft., light blindness; SR 12; AL NE; SV Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 12, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 14.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Climb +6, Disguise +8, Hide +7, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Open Lock +8, Spot +6; Dodge, Weapon Finesse (rapier).
Spell-like Abilities (Sp): 1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire (as Sor2).
Possessions: Masterwork rapier, masterwork chain shirt, deathblade poison (1 dose), disguise kit, jade ring with spider emblem (100 gp).
Tactics: Wherever encountered, Durrin is disguised as an elf (Spot DC 18 to recognize the disguise). If confronted before reaching the target, Durrin prefers escape to conflict, though he may deliver a parting blow if he can achieve a sneak attack.
If Durrin has entered Lady Amastacia’s quarters, he has already coated his rapier with deathblade poison (Injury, Fort DC 20, 1d6 Con/2d6 Con). Otherwise, the poison remains in a vial at his belt.
Should the PCs approach Melios standing at the door, he taps quietly as they come toward him (Listen or Spot DC 20 to notice) to warn Durrin. Melios tries to bluff the PCs that they have no business here, but his poor ability (-1) makes this unlikely to succeed.
Note that any commotion in the hall allows the sleeping Lady Amastacia a chance to awaken. Her Listen modifier is +5, or –5 when sleeping, which means that she should be awakened by anything as loud as people talking outside her door. If she awakens, Durrin immediately strikes (this is a sneak attack, but not a coup de grace) then attempts to flee past the PCs.
Development: If combat lasts more than five rounds, there is a 25% cumulative chance per round after the fifth that 2d4 elven guards (War1) arrive on the scene. In all likelihood, this effectively ends the combat.
Ad Hoc XP Adjustment: If the PCs prevent Lady Amastacia from being assassinated, award them bonus XP as if they had defeated a CR 2 challenge.
Conclusion
If the PCs thwart the assassination—regardless of their methods—Lady Amastacia and the elven court are very grateful. She rewards each PC with 300 gp or a masterwork weapon (of elven make) of their choice from this list: dagger, longsword, rapier, or any (non-mighty) bow.
In addition, if the PCs seem trustworthy sorts, Lady Amastacia, Captain Trellig, or both, may remember them for future tasks requiring discretion and skill. This could lead to further adventures tracking down lost relics or mysterious lore—perhaps even a quest for the Diamondstar Crown itself!
If, however, the PCs fail to prevent Lady Amastacia’s death, no reward is forthcoming. In this case, Captain Trellig may—assuming that the PCs didn’t show gross incompetence following the trail—take them under his wing as part of a mission of vengeance against those responsible for his employer’s death.
And what of the drow? If they failed to achieve their goals due to PC interference, you can be sure that they won’t forget this insult. Regardless of whether the characters join forces with Lady Amastacia or Captain Trellig.