911 Effigy of the Howling Knight

Level-4 Short Adventure

Adventure Setup

The story states that decades ago, Sir Ulfrid Hunt was still alive. He was a righteous warrior filled with determination and an indomitable sense of duty. He once saved a small town from the attack of a ravenous werewolf. Sadly, during the near-death confrontation, he was cursed with lycanthropy. He spent months looking for a cure but failed. He became an unruly monster, like the ones he used to fight. And so, during a full moon, he transformed and took the lives of innocents. When he recovered his human form, realizing the danger he posed, he took his own life…

Most feel deep sympathy for the Howling Knight. Named like this because the lupine curse made him bark at the moon like a lonely, misunderstood wolf. People built a shrine in his honor; it comprises twin guardian statues of him holding a sword, and a central, oval-shaped stone structure features a kneeling, desperate statue of Sir Ulfrid in a pose that describes the great desperation during his final moments.

Lycanthropy. It is not an easy task to cure this affliction. It is known that there are worse things than death. Being cursed with lycanthropy is considered to be one of the worst fates there is.

The Knight Today

It is said that Sir Ulfrid’s spirit lingers on. His repentance and frustration hold him in the world of the living. Word is that those who defeat his hatred-fed spirit shall earn the knight’s strength; a magical boon for proving one’s prowess.

Nevertheless, the truth is that he wishes for someone to punish him for his actions, his weakness. He cannot overcome his guilt. He believes that only a punishment by the sword shall grant him deliverance. In silence, he waits. But when someone shows up, regardless of his will to yield and take retribution head-on, the beast takes over.

Adventure Hook. Professor Anna Harriet is a student of the unknown and the otherworldly arts. She wants to study and see the Howling Knight, or what remains of him, with her own eyes (or eye); she wears an arcane device that makes her look like a cyclops. Anna still has both her eyeballs, but this artifact allows her to see beyond the evident and the ordinary matter.

She looks for a group of adventurers to accompany her and test the magic, the power, and the rumors that surround the fabled knight’s effigy. She offers 250 GP.

Set Up

The heroes meet Professor Anna Harriet and accept the job to escort her to the shrine.

Reward. Heroes usually agree to study, investigate, or explore a dangerous place in exchange for financial compensation.

Alternative. The heroes are free to study Sir Ulfrid’s shrine on their own, but having the NPC hire them is a great way to build the world around this place. It also offers a monetary reward.

Random Events

d8	Details
1	Four bandits and three thugs follow the heroes to the shrine. They want money, or else… They gladly leave if given at least 150 GP.
2	The characters see two centaurs approach the shrine’s location. They come in peace, but they suggest that the heroes leave immediately.
3	A group of rival crawlers arrives. The GM is free to have them be the same level and number as the heroes or to roll this at random.
4	A pair of acolytes joins the heroes. They say the Howling Knight suffered a horrible, unjust fate and wish to help his spirit find peace.
5	A wild brown bear appears. It leaves if ignored for 2 crawling rounds or if given at least 15 pounds of food. Any other interaction angers it.
6	A couple of guards heard about the heroes coming here and want to be part of it. They seek the Howling Knight’s blessing and power.
7	An owlbear passes by. The heroes can hide their presence with a DC 12 DEX check. On a fail, the owlbear attacks the group.
8	A troll notices the heroes. He grunts that this is his territory and that they must leave at once. Any refusal causes it to become hostile.

This adventuring supplement is designed for D&D5e. On out Patreon page you can get it in PDF format (see image). Notice that some of the layout elements can only be presented as intended in the PDF layout (side-margin boxes and statblocks). The downloads include hi-res images for the maps.

1. Main Road

Prof. Anna hires the party of heroes at the nearest town. They arrive from the south after a few hours of traveling on the road.

Dracotia. The heroes rest in town between missions when they either take Anna’s job or decide to investigate the shrine themselves.

2. Confluence

Three shallow streams converge and flow north toward the effigy. The tributaries flow into a small pond next to the Effigy of the Howling Knight.

These streams are important for the farming communities in this region. They are the focus of criminal gangs, goblins, and other problems. So much so that Dracotia has a special patrol group that scouts the area weekly to report any issue or situation as fast as possible.

Side-Quest. The heroes could have come here to fix a problem affecting the river and divert their attention to the knight’s shrine.

Reuse the Scenario. Regardless of what happens with the knight, Dracotia often requires heroes to deal with issues related to the freshwater supply.

Resource. Nearby towns cannot afford to lose access to their only source of fresh water within miles.

3. Shrine of Heirlooms

A carved pedestal holds a golden urn bolted to the stone base. Within, people have left baubles and trinkets. A small inscription reads: ‘These gifts are but a fraction of what is owed to you, oh brave knight! Sir Ulfrid Hunt.’

If the heroes approach this area, Professor Anna says that she considers it a waste of time. Her interest lies in the knight’s statues. She also mentions it is bad taste to mess around with the stuff that people left for the bygone knight.

The Urn. It features a clever ‘semi-open lid’ device that allows for objects to be added to the pile, but makes it very hard to pull them out or browse inside. The heroes can spend 1 crawling round figuring a way to bypass it (DC 15 DEX) or outright destroy it. Inside, they find a collection of coins, silver utensils, and small pieces of jewelry (87 GP). If the heroes do this, roll twice on the Random Events table and combine the results.

4. Twin Statues

Anna begs the heroes to wait while she makes a drawing of these statues, explores the sculptures, and takes some notes. This takes 1 crawling round. Roll on the Random Events table after this.

5. Effigy of the Howling Knight

The twin statues depict the knight as most people remember him. But an aura of sadness and despair surrounds this last one.

The heroes have little to do when they investigate this place. Sir Ulfrid’s spirit appears, but before he can say anything, the beast takes over. The Howling Knight attacks!

Even if she is just here to take notes, the spectral beast also targets Anna; she must be protected. When defeated, the heroes hear a faint ‘Thank you…’ Sir Ulfrid has gotten the punishment he yearned for. The fabled Howling Knight’s soul can finally rest in peace.