Dragon Delves: Death at Sunset

Armin Whisperwind

Armin (Medium Scout) left Redwood Watch to investigate reports of the grove's corruption a month ago. He never returned. The villagers worry something terrible befell him, saying the skilled elf tracker would never have abandoned Redwood Watch permanently. (The wyrmling is now forcing Armin to defend area x.)

Gwenhumara Goldmoss

Gwenhumara (Medium Priest Acolyte) is an elf healer who tended to the wounded after the battle against Death-at-Sunset. Recently, she's had nightmares of the dragon's return; she worries that the dragon's spirit lingers among the redwoods' roots. Gwenhumara happily heals characters who are injured, though she is too afraid to leave the village herself.

Selenar Woodwise

Selenar (Medium Noble) was among the elf warriors in Death-at-Sunset's lair when the ancient green dragon died, and he is erroneously convinced the forest's corruption isn't related to dragons. Selenar holds a deep reverence for nature and is anxious for the characters to identify the threat against the forest.

Village Green Rumors

Sunny's Wares

Sunny sells any goods from the Player's Handbook that cost 100 GP or less. However, she has a limited stock of certain items: four vials of Alchemist's Fire, one vial of Antitoxin, and four Potions of Healing.

Sunny's Generosity

Sunny is Friendly to patrons. She was once a merchant in a nearby city, but her soft spot for those in need meant she couldn't compete with more cutthroat merchants. As an Influence action, a character can ask Sunny to lower her prices. The character then makes a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a successful check, Sunny offers a 10 percent discount on all her goods.

Slithering Spy

After the characters talk with Kaynen for a few minutes, a Venomous Snake slithers toward the tree, partially hidden by its roots. A character with a Passive Perception of 13+ notices the snake, which is a spy for Marilissa, the yuan-ti in area x. If the characters fight the snake, the snake attacks once before it tries to flee back through the lair's entrance (area x).

Helping Armin

Sunset-Is-Nigh captured Armin a month ago when the elf entered the grove to study its corruption. The wyrmling spent days tormenting Armin until the desperate elf agreed to drive away anyone who approaches the lair.

Armin desperately wants to escape and warn his village about the grove's corruption, but Sunset-Is-Nigh has convinced him that the wyrmling will murder all the villagers if Armin tries to escape the forest. Armin is Hostile toward all who approach.

As an Influence action, a character can try to convince Armin that the characters are strong enough to defeat Sunset-Is-Nigh. The character makes a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a success, Armin stops fighting, and his attitude becomes Friendly. Armin won't confront the wyrmling, and he asks the characters to escort him back to the village. Armin knows the other elves were taken into the lair but doesn't know their fate, as he isn't allowed into the lair.

Development

If the characters bring Armin back to Redwood Watch, the elf receives a teary, grateful welcome. The other council members are happy beyond words to have their companion back, and a joyous celebration ensues that night in the village green. If the characters don't attend, they receive profuse thanks the next time they return to Redwood Watch.

Mysterious Footprints

As a Search action, a character can search the camp and make a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a success, the character finds boot prints and large canine paw prints circling the area. These are prints from x and his mastiff, now found in area x.

Treasure

Characters who search the bodies find the following items:

• 11 GP
• 240 SP
• 400 CP
• Three Light Crossbows
• Three Scimitars
• Thirty Crossbow Bolts
• Healer's Kit
• Hooded Lantern
• Two flasks of Oil
• Shovel

Haunted Mound

At night, ghostly images of dead elf warriors wielding tall spears appear, fading in and out of existence, some uttering cryptic warnings in Common and Elvish. Foremost among the images is Ethvarn, an androgynous elf wearing gleaming plate mail and an empty scabbard.

Vision of the Past

The first time a character stays in this area longer than 1 minute at night, the character must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or have the Unconscious condition for 1 hour. During that hour, the character can't be woken using magical or mundane means. The character dreams of the battle in which these elf warriors died; before succumbing to her wounds, Death-at-Sunset unleashed her poisonous breath on dozens of elves, who died painful, choking deaths in her tunnels. Before waking, a dreaming character perceives a final image of the dragon's enormous corpse filling an underground cavern.

Helping the Elves

After x went missing, each elf separately ventured into the grove to search for the council member. Each met the same fate as Armin: Sunset-Is-Nigh captured them, tormented them, and forced them to serve as lair guardians. Sunset-Is-Nigh has convinced the elves that his mother's ghost will murder them if they try to escape. The wyrmling has also threatened violence against the villagers if the elves disobey him.

As an Influence action, a character can tell the elves the wyrmling will soon fall or that there's no dragon ghost and make a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a successful check, the elves stop fighting and become Friendly. If they become Friendly, the elves return to Redwood Watch. Before leaving, Jherris tells the characters about a vial of Acid he has hidden in his bedroll (see "Treasure" below).

Downward Slope

To the southwest, the cavern slopes 20 feet steeply downward toward the chamber with Death-at-Sunset's corpse (area x). This sloping area is Difficult Terrain.

Treasure

In the northwest alcove are the elves' stinking bedrolls and meager food supplies. Hidden in Jherris's bedroll is a vial of Acid. He had been working up the courage to throw the Acid at the wyrmling.

Development

If the elves return to Redwood Watch, they are warmly welcomed home. The villagers celebrate the elves that night in the village green. If the characters don't attend, they receive profuse thanks the next time they return to Redwood Watch.

Pit Edges

The edges of the pit slope sharply downward and are Difficult Terrain. The pit is 3 feet deep.

Dealing with Marilissa

If the characters arrive in this area and haven't killed Sunset-Is-Nigh, Marilissa is Indifferent toward them and asks them why they're here. If the characters express any ill intent toward the wyrmling, Marilissa and her pet become Hostile and engage them in combat. Marilissa fights to the death to protect the wyrmling.

As an Influence action, a character can lie to Marilissa about their purpose and make a DC 12 Charisma (Deception) check. On a successful check, Marilissa believes the characters aren't here to harm the wyrmling. She lets the characters pass unharmed, although if she notices the characters fighting any other lair denizens, Marilissa enters the fray against them.

If the characters tell her they have killed the wyrmling, Marilissa forgoes any conversation. She tells the characters she'll savor killing them as retribution and begins combat.

Roleplaying Sunset-Is-Nigh

The wyrmling, whose name proudly references his mother's, is a cruel, arrogant, entitled creature. Sunset-Is-Nigh intends to one day eclipse his mother's legacy. The fact that the wyrmling has convinced the captive elves of his fearsomeness has only fed his ego.

At every opportunity, Sunset-Is-Nigh taunts the characters in Draconic, calling them weaklings and false heroes who will never defeat him. The wyrmling insists he is a mighty dragon who will conquer everything the characters hold dear.

Sickening Miasma

Although Death-at-Sunset is long dead, the powerful magic she radiated still hangs in this chamber as a poisonous miasma that stretches to the ceiling. The dotted line on the map shows the miasma's area. A creature that enters the miasma for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or have the Poisoned condition until the start of its next turn.

Skeleton

Death-at-Sunset's skeleton is enormous and difficult to traverse. Areas with bones in them are Difficult Terrain.

Treasure

The elves of Redwood Grove confiscated Death-at-Sunset's hoard a century ago, selling pieces to pay for the costs of restoring the destroyed forest and distributing the remainder among the folk living in the forest. However, a trail of coins leads west into a small alcove (area x), where Sunset-Is-Nigh has carved a repository for his own growing hoard. A character who spends 1 minute can collect the trail of coins, which amount to 6 GP, 37 SP, and 30 CP.

Treasure

The hoard contains the following treasure:

• 210 GP, 3,150 SP, 6,300 CP
• Twelve moonstones (worth 50 GP each)
• Jade orb (worth 100 GP) engraved in Infernal with the name of Stygia
• Golden cup (worth 50 GP)
• Hand mirror in a silver frame (worth 40 GP)
• Ivory comb (worth 35 GP)
• Dust of Disappearance
• Keoghtom's Ointment
• Potion of Giant Strength (hill)
• Spell Scroll of Web

Leafwarden

At the center of the wyrmling's hoard is Leafwarden, the sword of the elf warrior Ethvarn. The sword was embedded in Death-at-Sunset's flesh when the dragon was slain, and the elves never found it. Leafwarden is a Dragon Slayer (Longsword).