Read Aloud

A funeral cart lurches into the Border Village square, its wheels caked with black mud. The reeve lies beneath a blanket of damp wool, pale and shaking, while villagers back away from the cart as if it might still be cursed.

Details

No monsters are present here. The cart is obvious, the reeve is barely conscious, and the villagers can confirm that the chapel bell was stolen from the flooded moor. Let the party question the reeve, inspect the cart, or organize a quick response. A short quote the DM can use: 'If that bell rings again out there, the dead will come walking.' Success gives the exact direction to the causeway. Failure should cost time or cause panic, but not block the journey.

Read Aloud

Reeds hiss in the wind over a stretch of black water. Muddy tracks and long drag marks cut toward a chapel roof that rises from the flood like a broken tooth, while something heavy has churned the shallows all along the way.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 3; Monster: Zombie. Why here: The bell's pealing has drawn these drowned dead toward the chapel and they are slogging through the causeway to reach the source. Activity: Wading through black water and clawing at the mud near the chapel approach. Attitude: immediately hostile Encounter start: alert monster at a distance Response trigger: They attack if noticed close up, if the party splashes loudly, or if anyone tries to pass through their reach. Aftermath: Searching the waterlogged ground reveals the bell trail, broken reeds, and a rusted chapel key ring snagged on a root. Room guidance: Three Zombie are present here because the bell's sound has kept them moving toward the ruin; they are wading in the causeway mud and belong here as drawn-out dead following the ringing. They are initially aggressive and threatening, and the encounter starts with alert monsters at a distance: the party can see them moving through the water before they fully close. Use a Spot check to notice them first; on success the party can hide, act first, or withdraw. If the party makes noise or rushes in, the Zombies notice and advance into normal initiative. Combat begins if the party is seen and chooses force, or if they press through the water and the Zombies close to attack. After the encounter or after the party slips past, searching the mud reveals the bell trail and broken reeds, plus an ordinary find of a rusted chapel key ring snagged on a root.

Read Aloud

The nave is half-dark, its benches warped by floodwater and its rafters black with old damp. From behind a fallen pew, a woman in a grave-warden's cloak lifts a shaking hand and whispers for you to keep your voices low.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 2; Monster: Shadow. Why here: The chapel's grief-soaked rafters and flood-dark corners have given these undead a place to lurk above the nave. Activity: Drifting along the beams and dropping into the darkness near the benches. Attitude: fearful and defensive of something Encounter start: mutual awareness at close range Response trigger: They attack if the party makes bright noise, threatens Sister Maelin, or tries to force the nave without caution. Aftermath: The nave search reveals the flooded stair down to the crypt and confirms that Vaska went deeper with the shroud scrap. Room guidance: Two Shadow are present here because the chapel's soaked rafters and grief-charged air have given the darkness a place to cling, and they prowl above the nave while Sister Maelin hides below. They are fearful and defensive of the hiding place, not mindless attackers; they strike if the party blunders loudly, threatens Maelin, or lingers under the rafters, but they can also be avoided or calmed by careful movement and light. Start with mutual awareness at close range if the party enters noisily, or a Spot check if they are trying to notice the rafters first from the doorway. If the party speaks with Maelin, include this quote: 'Mournkeeper Vaska took the bell deeper. She carried a scrap of the Barrow King's shroud with her.' After any encounter or search, the nave yields the obvious clue that the crypt stairs are flooded but passable.

Read Aloud

Cold water creeps over the chapel floor, then climbs fast enough to lap at the stone steps. Each distant peal of the bell makes the dark water shiver, and the lower passage ahead vanishes into a churn of black reflections.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 2; Monster: Zombie. Why here: The bell's ringing has drawn these drowned dead up from the crypt passages and they are clogging the flooded route forward. Activity: Shambling through waist-deep water and clawing toward the sound ahead. Attitude: immediately hostile Encounter start: alert monster at a distance Response trigger: They attack if the party enters their water lane, makes loud noise, or tries to pass within arm's reach. Aftermath: The submerged passage reveals a cracked marker stone that points to the bell chamber door. Room guidance: Two Zombie are present here because the bell's peal has driven them up from the submerged crypt passages, and they are forcing their way toward the sound. They are immediately hostile and threatening, but this scene is not just combat: they are part of the rising flood hazard and may be bypassed, shoved aside, or fought. Start with alert monsters at a distance if the party sees them shuffling through the water; otherwise, the water and their movement make mutual awareness at close range once the party enters the flooded passage. Combat begins if the party is reached in the narrow waterway or if they choose to stop and fight. The physical route to the bell chamber remains clear, and the water's pressure is the main obstacle. After the scene, searching the passage reveals a cracked crypt marker pointing to the bell chamber door.

Read Aloud

The bell chamber is a low, dripping room lit by pale waterlight. Mournkeeper Vaska stands beside the stolen bell, one hand on a dark strip of cloth hanging from its frame, and the sound of the metal seems to pulse through the stone itself.

Details

Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 1; Monster: Shadow. Why here: Vaska has bound this Shadow into the chamber to guard the bell while she uses it as a dark focus. Activity: Clinging to the bell stand and lunging at anyone who reaches for the metal. Attitude: defensive of something Encounter start: mutual awareness at close range Response trigger: It attacks if the bell is touched, if Vaska is threatened, or if bright magic disrupts the room. Aftermath: The chamber search reveals the shroud scrap and the bell's mount, confirming the first clear lead on the Barrow King. Room guidance: One Shadow is present here because Vaska has bound it into the bell chamber's darkness as her final protection, and it clings to the bell while she works the rite. Vaska is immediately hostile and threatening, but she is also focused on the bell and may bargain if the party offers the shroud scrap or interrupts her focus. Start with mutual awareness at close range: the party sees Vaska over the bell as they enter, and she sees them at once. Combat begins if the party attacks, if they try to seize the bell without talking, or if Vaska completes her dark focus. If the party negotiates or uses the chamber features, she can be forced back or distracted. Include this quote if she speaks: 'You are too late. The bell already knows the dead.' After the encounter, searching the chamber automatically reveals the shroud scrap as the first clear lead on the Barrow King and the bell's mounting point, which can be carried home.