Updated 11/3/2026, 5:44:22 PM
Human • Paladin
Role: vault witness
HP 10 • AC 14
She is the bound caretaker in Room 3, where the Dust Mephit has clouded her judgment; once freed, she identifies the thief’s last route and confirms the vault’s link to the stolen Wardstone.
Event 1
Read Aloud
Sister Maelin sits pale and rigid beside the shrine table, her eyes unfocused as she struggles to speak. The air around her feels tense and wrong, and the room is full of worried silence.
Details
Sister Maelin is under a lingering spell tied to her role as vault witness, so she cannot clearly name the road until the magic is broken. The party can speak with her, examine the shrine area, or use magic and careful questioning to free her; once she recovers, she identifies the travelers as last seen on the hill crossing where Wardstone Shard trail passed. When she speaks, use: “The road... east of the crossing... they went east.” No monster is present, but the scene should still feel active through her struggle and the need to act quickly before the trail cools. Searching the room after she is helped reveals ordinary Brindleford offerings and the clear direction toward the hill road. Treasure placement: Completing this scene reveals Elixir of Swiftness.
Event 2
Read Aloud
A lone traveler stands in the road ahead, half-turned as if waiting for someone. A rough-looking Bandit lingers close by on the verge, watching the path and the hills beyond with practiced caution.
Details
Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 1; Monster: Bandit. Why here: The Bandit is holding the road for the suspicious stranger and trying to keep the travelers' location secret. Activity: He watches the road, threatens anyone who approaches, and is ready to fight if the party presses forward. Attitude: immediately hostile Encounter start: mutual awareness at close range Response trigger: He attacks if the party refuses to leave, tries to force the roadblock, or exposes the secret route. Aftermath: If defeated or outwitted, he reveals the direction of the hidden camp and drops the roadblock. Room guidance: The suspicious stranger is blocking the route out of the Vale of Ashmere — Hills because he wants the travelers' hiding place kept secret. The Bandit is here to back him up and keep anyone from pressing past the crossing; he begins aggressive and threatening, ready to bar the road if challenged. The party can question the stranger, bluff past him, sneak around the roadblock, or confront the Bandit directly. If the party wins the exchange, the stranger reveals the travelers are hiding farther along the road toward the ravine trail. The Bandit is on the road because he is guarding a secret route and watching for pursuit; he starts at close range with mutual awareness, and he attacks if the party refuses to back down or tries to push through. Searching the area after the encounter reveals wagon ruts and a trampled side path leading toward the next hill stop.
Event 3
Read Aloud
The road narrows into a stony rise, and dark wings suddenly boil across the sky. Ravens wheel low over the trail, shrieking as they slash and harry anything moving beneath them.
Details
Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 1; Monster: Swarm of Ravens. Why here: The Swarm of Ravens is feeding on exposed roadkill and panic along the open hill trail, making the route unsafe. Activity: It circles overhead, dives at movement, and tries to force the party off the road. Attitude: aggressive and threatening Encounter start: distracted/noisy monster Response trigger: It attacks when the party runs in the open or lingers on the exposed trail. Aftermath: If driven off, the party can follow the ravine path to the stranded shelter and find scattered feathers marking the way. Room guidance: The Swarm of Ravens is driving the party off the road because the exposed trail has become unsafe and the birds are feeding on panic and carrion along the route. They are aggressive and relentless, striking from above and forcing the party to keep moving toward the travelers' camp before the wilds overtake it. The party can dash for cover, drive the swarm off, or use the road's edges and rocky cuts to escape its harassment. This scene is about reaching the next location under pressure, not clearing every bird from the hills. After the escape, the party notices fresh feathers, scattered scraps, and a clearer track leading to the stranded shelter ahead.
Event 4
Read Aloud
A makeshift shelter clings to the hillside, its canvas and stone weighed down by dust and grit. Inside, a trapped survivor struggles against choking air while a hazy shape flits through the cramped space.
Details
Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 1; Monster: Dust Mephit. Why here: The Dust Mephit is clogging the shelter with grit and holding the survivor in place while it feeds on the dusty ruin. Activity: It swirls through the shelter, choking the air and keeping the prisoner from calling for help. Attitude: defensive of something Encounter start: alert monster at a distance Response trigger: It attacks if the party rushes the prisoner or tries to drive it out of the shelter. Aftermath: If the mephit is driven off or defeated, the survivor can speak and reveals where Wardstone Shard was last carried. Room guidance: A Dust Mephit has sealed the shelter with choking grit and trapped one survivor inside because it feeds on the dust and confusion around the stranded group. It is defensive of the shelter's center and frightened of being cornered, but it will keep harassing anyone who tries to rush the prisoner. The party can fight the Dust Mephit, lure it out, or rescue the prisoner through careful movement and quick hands. The trapped survivor cannot speak clearly until freed, so the rescue itself is the key to the clue. Once the prisoner is safe, they point to the next place where Wardstone Shard was last carried. Searching the shelter reveals bedrolls, water skins, and signs that the group fled farther along the same route. Treasure placement: Searching this area reveals 75 Gold Pieces.
Event 5
Read Aloud
At the end of the trail, a broken cache lies half-buried in mud and grit. A gray, glistening mass slowly slides over a small object in the dirt, digesting it in silence.
Details
Attached monsters (use these exact stat blocks): - Quantity: 1; Monster: Gray Ooze. Why here: The Gray Ooze is feeding on the cache because the final clue has been left in a damp, forgotten hiding place. Activity: It slowly digests the object while clinging to the broken cache and the mud around it. Attitude: immediately hostile Encounter start: mutual awareness at close range Response trigger: It attacks when the party reaches for the object or steps into its reach. Aftermath: If destroyed or driven off, the object can be recovered and the stranded travelers can be escorted back under Brindleford's protection. Room guidance: The Gray Ooze is consuming the dangerous object because it is the last physical link to Wardstone Shard's passage and has been left exposed in the cache. It is hungry and immediately hostile to anything that disturbs its meal, though it may pause if the party backs away or offers another distraction. The party must deal with the ooze to recover the object before it is destroyed. The object should be visible in the ooze's reach, and the party can attack, distract, or carefully pry it free if they are willing to risk the creature's corrosive touch. After the ooze is handled, the party recovers the clue and can bring the stranded travelers under Brindleford's protection. Treasure placement: After the encounter, the party can recover Oakcleaver Axe +1, Wardstone Shard from the guarded area or the creatures' belongings.
No DM map cards yet.
Medium Humanoid | QN | L1
HP
10
AC
15
Speed
30 ft
Init
+1
STR 12 | DEX 12 | CON 10 | INT 10 | WIS 10 | CHA 10
Actions
Strike: Hit +1 | 1d6 + 1
Magic
Shadow Step: 1/day, Quick. Teleport up to 30 ft to a visible shadow and gain advantage on next attack.
Medium Beast | Unaligned | L1
HP
24
AC
12
Speed
10 ft., fly 50 ft.
Init
+2
STR 6 | DEX 14 | CON 8 | INT 3 | WIS 12 | CHA 6
Actions
Beaks: Hit +4 | 7 (2d6) piercing damage, or 3 (1d6) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.
Magic
No spells
Small Elemental | Neutral Evil | L2
HP
17
AC
12
Speed
30 ft., fly 30 ft.
Init
+2
STR 5 | DEX 14 | CON 10 | INT 9 | WIS 11 | CHA 10
Actions
Claws: Hit +4 | 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.
Blinding Breath (Recharge 6):
Magic
No spells
Medium Ooze | Unaligned | L2
HP
22
AC
8
Speed
10 ft., climb 10 ft.
Init
-2
STR 12 | DEX 6 | CON 16 | INT 1 | WIS 6 | CHA 2
Actions
Pseudopod: Hit +3 | 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) acid damage, and if the target is wearing nonmagical metal armor, its armor is partly corroded and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10.
Magic
No spells
Item Handout
wondrous | common | L1
Value: 75 GP
Sister Maelin's Spellbound Warning
Description
A fizzy tonic that sharpens reaction speed.
Spells
No spells.
Item Handout
weapon | uncommon | L1
Value: 170 GP
+1 to hit and +1 damage when using this weapon.
The Ooze on the Final Clue
Description
A balanced hand axe with a faint glow.
Spells
No spells.
Item Handout
wondrous | uncommon | L1
Value: 100 GP
The Ooze on the Final Clue
Description
A broken fragment of the stolen Wardstone recovered from the ooze's cache. It is the last physical clue from the travelers' trail and matters because it confirms the relic's passage through these hills. Plot-only.
Spells
No spells.
The trail finally goes quiet as the last threat is cleared and the stranded travelers are gathered up under Brindleford’s protection. With Sister Maelin’s warning confirmed, the road ahead is now known, the immediate danger in the hills has passed, and the party can breathe at last. Back in Brindleford, the survivors are given food, water, and a place to rest, while any recovered goods are counted, traded, or sold as the DM sees fit. The people of the settlement can finally exhale knowing the travelers are safe and the party has brought back the first hard-won proof that the stolen Wardstone’s trail can still be followed. The dungeon ends in a simple, satisfying calm: the shelter is secured, the road is open again, and the heroes have earned their reward and their rest. Congratulations, you are now Level 2!
