Search for the Missing

Cartographer

Introduction: The final resting spot of Darshan Hammerheart, hero in

the fight against the Queen of Dragons, has been found. Well, sort
of. The cartographer tasked to map the location has gone missing and
now it is up to a band of sturdy adventurers to find him as well as
the famed tomb.

A 1-2 hour adventure for 3rd level characters

by EM Hardesty

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 players in the city of Neverwinter where a

Introduction young noble, Lady Cairwyn Othel, hires the

adventurers to help locate her missing
cartographer. He was sent out on a mission
Search for the Missing Cartographer is a to find the exact location of the tomb of
Dungeons & Dragons adventure meant to be Darshan Hammerheart, a dwarf hero, but
played with four players. Combat encounters has not returned after his excursion into the
are designed for an Average Player Level Neverwinter Wood.
(APL) of 3.
The players will easily find the tracks and
It should be noted that the main narrative is telltale signs of the cartographer’s
designed as a one-off, meaning there is a whereabouts, leading them to a hidden cave.
distinct beginning, middle and end. There they will find the tomb of
Hammerheart but it has since been used as
This adventure takes place along the Sword
the home of a lone Cyclops. This creature
Coast in the Forgotten Realms campaign
also has taken the cartographer and
setting but it can be used for any custom
threatens to kill and devour him.
campaign setting as well.
From that point the players will have to use

Credits their wits and skill to rescue the

cartographer, retrieve Hammerheart’s final
treasure and defeat the Cyclops.
Adventure Design: EM Hardesty

Cartography: EM Hardesty General Notes

Cover: Arcana Games
 The cavern tomb of Darshan
Background Art: The Homebrewery Hammerheart has a ceiling of 18 feet
high. This trait carries over through all its
Fonts: Solbera
rooms.
All other original material in this work is  The final encounter’s Challenge Rating
copyright 2017 by EM Hardesty and calculation is technically higher than what
published under the Community Content a party of four Level 3 characters can
Agreement for Dungeon Master’s Guild. All handle but it is a lone enemy and the
rights reserved. party can quickly overwhelm it.
 All encounters calculated use the
Playtesters: Genesis Padua, Jem Monster Manual but there are
Raymundo, Alex Paras annotations included to add monsters
from Volo’s Guide to Monsters.

Overview
This adventure can be played quickly,
roughly under two hours. It starts with the
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 Regardless of where they start, the party will
eventually see a young half-elf male running
around, approaching anyone who looks like
an able-bodied soldier or adventurer.

A Lady’s Call
Everyone doesn’t seem interested in what he
has to say but he then spots the party and
approaches. When he does, read the
following introduction:
The adventure begins with the party in the
City of Neverwinter. There are many Greetings! My name is Talwen
notable spots in the city for them to begin in Greywood and I am a messenger
and you can start the party at the following for the Lady Cairwyn Othel. She
locations: requests several keen warriors to
aid her in her plight. If you are
 The Driftwood Tavern – the proprietor
interested in earning some coin
is the ever-so-friendly Madame Rosene,
then may I please ask you to follow
an elderly human female who welcomes
me to the Tower District and into
all that come to her establishment. Within
the lady’s manor? She will inform
this area is a barmaid named Lily, a red-
you more herself.
haired female human. She is known by
some as a very reliable source of
information (often referred to as the Talwen will refuse to share any further
well-informed barmaid) and is in fact a details and if forced he will simply cry out for
member of the Harpers. help from any of the roaming city guards or
 The Sleeping Dragon Bridge – this is the other adventurers he previously
one of the bridges connecting the approached.
northern half of the city to the southern
half. The other two bridges are the If the players refuse his offer, Talwen will get
Dolphin Bridge and the Winged desperate and offer to give 20 gold pieces
Wyvern Bridge. There isn’t anything to the group just to go in and listen to Lady
much notable here except for a group of Othel. He fears she would fire him if he
passing mercenaries who are marching cannot get anyone interested in the job she
down after successfully hunting a band of has prepared.
orcs causing trouble in the southern roads
When the players agree, they will be taken
out of the city.
through the city and into the Tower District,
 The Market District – this location is
which is where some of the noble houses and
filled to the brim with stalls and people
important structures of the city are located.
going about shopping. Not many are
Lady Othel’s manor itself is a simple two-
notable, as most vendors sell trinkets,
floor building and is modest in design,
food and the like. Some shops are
indicating she is only a minor noble and
important, however, particularly the
perhaps of little influence in the city’s
Halfling Artem Hornbottom who has a
political affairs.
stock of 3x Potions of Healing and
basic weapons.

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Lady Othel herself is a middle-aged human, Greetings and I do ask for
well-dressed and wears thin, rectangular forgiveness for bringing you here on
glasses. She always keeps her hair dyed blue such short notice and for not letting
and ties it in a bun. Talwen share details outside of this
room. What I am about to tell you
When the players are brought into her office,
is a secret that I have acquired
she immediately greets them with a smile
from a well-informed barmaid
and then requests Talwen to prepare them
that the final resting place of the
some tea or other hot beverage of their
dwarven hero, Darshan
choice. She then turns to the party and
Hammerheart, has been located
explains her current predicament:
not too far from here.

Unfortunately, the person who

found the tomb of the legendary
hero mysteriously vanished, right
before I could procure his services
to help me get there and find the
treasures within.

As a last resort, I hired a skilled

cartographer and some guards to
locate this tomb based on the hints
the barmaid managed to learn. He
was due to return several days ago
but he too has seemingly vanished.
I sent a team of Neverwinter
guards to find him but they too
have not yet returned.

I fear the worst. If you could,

please locate my cartographer and
see if he has found Hammerheart’s
famed tomb. I do swear to reward
you for your efforts.

When asked for further details, she will

inform the players of the following:

 She will reward 60 gold pieces if they

can locate her cartographer, dead or
alive. She will give an additional 40 gold
pieces if they can locate the Tomb of
Darshan Hammerheart and provide
proof of its treasures or a map.

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 Her cartographer is a Halfling named The woods are filled with all sorts of wild
Perrin Autumnbush. He originates from beasts and animals. Just as they make a
Longsaddle and journeyed a long road bend around a grove of bushes the party will
to reach Neverwinter to aid Lady Othel. spot a human soldier entangled in what
She had hired him before and was appears to be a pair of humanoid plants. The
satisfied with his services. Because of this creatures are using their vines to keep the
success, she hired him again for this soldier down and he is being beaten down by
specific job. a trio of bugbears.
 The tomb is supposedly located within the
Neverwinter Wood, just East of the If the party heals him and asks that he join
city. It is not too far out; the landmark is in the battle, use the Guard stat block.
a natural rock formation in the shape of a
Encounter #1:
war hammer, right beside an old tree
stump. 3x Bugbear, 2x Vine Blights
 Lady Othel requests that the party not
share these details with anyone else. She EXP Total: 800
desires to use Hammerheart’s treasures
to further raise her political seat in
Note: if you have Volo’s Guide to
Neverwinter and fears other nobles might
Monsters, you can substitute the Bugbears
beat her to the tomb if they learn it is so
with 2x Kobold Dragonshield and 1x
close by.
Kobold Scale Sorcerer. Keep the Vine
Once the party has received the required Blights in the encounter. The EXP Total will
information, they can begin their trek out to still be 800.
the East and into the Neverwinter Wood.
The soldier, if he survives, reveals himself to
be Atheos and is the last remaining survivor

Into the Woods of the team sent by Lady Othel to look for
Perrin and his guards.

The party will enter the woods rather quickly According to Atheos, they reached the
given it lies just outside the Eastern edge of landmark Lady Othel told them about but
the city. As the party enters the forest, read there was nothing but a small glade and a
the following: rock wall. They continued searching but were
suddenly attacked by something.
The trees standing around you
Unfortunately, he cannot recall the exact
appear ancient and strong, their
details of the creature because it hid in the
shadows lingering over you like
shadows but he could recall it was something
watchful eyes. You can hear the
big. The only other creatures of note are
trickle of a distant creek and the
some loud, singing birds.
soft chirping of birds. Everywhere
you go you feel the strong, arcane He will also confirm that the landmark is just
force of the fey enveloping you. up ahead, a little ways closer to the stream.

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Atheos will then depart, confirming he can can follow the tracks. If the players fail they
make it back to Neverwinter thanks to the will at least notice another set of tracks,
party’s intervention. The party can then those of Atheos’ search team, along the
continue on towards the landmark. small stream of water.

As the party follows the tracks they will

The Glade of eventually reach a glade. This open area is

about 60-feet in diameter and the only
notable structure is a large rock wall

Hallowlarks formation jutting out from the ground.

This rock wall, almost like a misplaced cliff,

After a short walk the players will eventually stands up to 18 feet high. The rock wall is
reach the landmark. They will spot a large made of hard stone and clay while the upper
tree stump and right beside it is a 9-foot tall layers are covered in grass.
rock formation shaped like a war hammer. The tracks get muddled and lost in the
When the party arrives, read the following: grassy glade but the party will instantly spot
drag marks leading to the rock wall. All
This formation is entirely natural around the glade are the bodies of Atheos’
despite looking like it was made my companions; they all appear to have been
mortal hands. Just a little yonder killed by heavy blows to the head and their
you can see a small creek flowing bodies crushed, with many bones broken and
by. Its waters are clear and their armor cracked or dented.
glistening.
With a successful DC 15 Investigation
As you stand around you see Check on the rock wall the party will
numerous birds fluttering about in discover three different hollow points.
the trees. They are colorful and Knocking each part of the wall produces
large, about as big as an adult different sounds.
raven. Each one sings to the other
in a distinctive “kah-kah-kaw” tune.

With a successful DC 10 Nature Check the

party will recall these are Hallowlarks, birds
that often nest near caves. This hints they
are indeed close to the tomb of
Hammerheart.

With a successful DC 15 Perception Check

reveals some foot prints, indicating someone
was here a few days ago. The tracks include
normal sized feet and large tracks, clearly of
something that stands over eight feel high. A
DC 15 Survival Check will ensure the party
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 Tomb Entrance Puzzle: Random Encounters:

The first hollow point produces a Roll a 1d4. Compare the results to
distinctive “kah” sound. the following:

The second hollow point produces a Rolled a 1: 4x Giant Hyena

distinctive “kew” sound.
EXP Total: 800
The third hollow point produces a
distinctive “kaw” sound. Rolled a 2: 2x Half-Ogre, 2x Dire
Wolf
The trick to this puzzle is to knock
the hollow points in a tune similar EXP Total: 800
to the song of the hollowlarks’ Rolled a 3: 4x Goblin, 1x Orc, 1
song: kah-kah-kaw. Goblin Boss
Once the right tune has been EXP Total: 1,000
played, the rock wall will suddenly
open. The wall will part and Rolled a 4: 4x Giant Spider
descend into the ground, revealing
EXP Total: 800
a cave network inside.

However, as the party begins to solve the

entrance puzzle, roll for any of the following
random encounters:
Entrance to the
Tomb of
Hammerheart
The first room appears to be some kind of
room of lore dedicated to Hammerheart. The
walls are adorned with old, dusty tapestries
and the symbols and paint have faded
beyond recognition. There appear to be
dwarven runes carved into the walls but they
have since eroded with time.

A leak of spring water has seeped into the

room as well, creating a small pool of fresh
drinking water close to the entrance of the
next room.

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The party will see a small, makeshift stable I have given up most of my
where a soldier lies dead. Beside this are the treasures to the people of the
corpses of three other soldiers, all of which Moonshae Isles and have severed
appear to have been torn apart and eaten. my ties to the Lords Alliance. I
still appreciate everything they
The door to the next room is rigged with a
have done for me and they still hold
simple trap that can be spotted with a DC
high honors for me in memory of
15 Perception Check. It can be studied
my participation in the fight against
with a successful DC 10 Investigation and
the Queen of Dragons. I have no
then disarmed with a DC 15 Slight of Hand
use for riches and the only
Check and Thieves’ Tools. If failed the trap
treasures I hold close to my heart
is triggered: poison darts fire from the
are the ones here in my final
ceiling and floor, dealing 2d6 Piercing
abode. These are the treasures that
damage. The character must pass a DC 12
will prove useful as I continue to
CON Save or suffer 1d4 Poison damage as
live a life of adventure. I only pray
well.
that I will fall in combat and not to
this blasted disease that has begun

The Kitchens to take over my hands and my

sight.

The next room resembles a kitchen of sorts

but is messy and unkempt. This room is The rest of the journal is illegible to read any
filled with empty chests save for one, which further.
is dusty and riddled with magical locks. A
Unlike the other chests, the one with the
large tome sits on top of it.
journal has no keyhole for its lock. Instead, a
This book, with a successful DC 10 successful DC 12 Arcana Check will let the
Investigation Check, turns out to be the party recall this is a music lock.
final journal of Darshan Hammerheart.
Unlocking the chest requires the characters
Players that can read dwarven will be able to
to sing. This box is more complex as it
read the following text:
requires two voices to sing two different
songs at the same time for at least ten
seconds for the chest to open. If the box is
forced open it releases a stream of fire.
Evading this requires a successful DC 15
DEX Save. This trap deals 2d6 Fire damage
on a failed evasion and half damage on a
successful save.

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 Inside is a musket and a pouch He then attacks the party and does not listen
containing 50 ammunition (DMG to reason. He will only relent to let the party
page 268). A DC 12 History go if they allow him to keep Perrin as his
Check will let a character recall this next meal.
is a very rare weapon, mostly made
by gnomes and dwarves, in the Final Encounter:
distant land of Halruaa. If you do 1x Cyclops
not allow guns in your campaign
you can replace this then with a EXP Total: 2,300
heavy crossbow +1.

Once the Cyclops has been defeated, the

The last door is locked and made of heavy party can proceed to untie Perrin. He will
wood but it hangs on hinges that appear old reveal that he found the tomb and quickly
and rusty, right on the verge of breaking. managed to unlock the secret door. He did
Players can bash it open with a successful not expect a Cyclops to be inside, using the
DC 10 Athletics Check or a DC 10 Sleight cave as his home.
of Hand Check with Thieves' Tools.
He thanks the party for rescuing him and
urges them to hurry back to Neverwinter and

The Tomb to Lady Othel.

Inside the players will find a large Cyclops

interrogating Perrin, who is tied down and
Conclusion
tossed to the corner of the room. He keeps
Returning to Neverwinter, Lady Othel will
on asking who Perrin is, what he is (the
allow them to keep Hammerheart's famed
Cyclops has never seen a Halfling before)
weapon and will pay them their reward. If
and what he is doing in the cyclops' home.
Perrin perished during the fight with the
This room appears to be Hammerheart’s
Cyclops, she will mourn his death but still
tomb as the center of the room has a large
fulfill her end of the deal. She will still be
sarcophagus made of solid stone and
content as long as the party can give her any
adorned with mythril. The room has since
sign of proof that they found the tomb and
been turned into some kind of sleeping
can make a map that directs her straight to
chamber, with a bedroll, oil lamp and a few
the location.
boxes of ragged clothes.

As soon as the party enters the Cyclops will

turn around and confront the team. He
immediately states that the party are
intruding into his home and that he wants to
devour them, just as he did the guards and
search party.

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