Murder at Silvercrest Lodge

A One-Page Oneshot by DragnaCarta ago. (The only clue that Jadoc knows to its
In this short adventure for five third-level characters, the whereabouts, as passed down to Antara’s heirs, is, “It
characters are guests at the Silvercrest Lodge preparing to waits in the place where it was found—where one
celebrate the Silvercrest Festival, an event set for the first becomes two.”) It can be bonded to any weapon to turn
day after the first full moon of the year. it into a +1 Silvercrest weapon with the following
properties:
Yet when a statuette bearing the curse of lycanthropy is ○ The weapon, and any ammunition it uses, become
stolen and a guest of the Lodge winds up dead, can the magically coated in silver.
characters identify the killer, uncover the lost Silvercrest ○ A lycanthrope dealt damage by the weapon cannot
charm, and defeat a werewolf before moonrise? spread its curse until the following dawn.
● Werewolves are allergic to silver—physical contact can
Act I: The Climb leave an angry, itchy red rash that lingers for hours.
● The werewolf will likely bide their time until the full
The players begin at the base of Argent Peak, joined by moon rises—but if their identity is revealed or they
Jadoc (NG human commoner), the caretaker of the learn that the Silvercrest charm has been found, they
Silvercrest Lodge and a local guide. Jadoc informs the party may not hesitate to strike!
that, before arriving at the Lodge, they will ascend to a
shrine halfway up the peak to pay their respects to the
statue of Izera, the Moon-Bitten, as is festival tradition. Act II: The Murder
While climbing the cliff, the party must pass a short skill
challenge (DC 14) with the following complications: ⌚ Countdown to Moonrise
When the characters first arrive at the Lodge, they have
● Round 1. The party must bypass a patch of razorvine, ninety minutes until moonrise. Each time a character
with each character taking 1d10 slashing damage if the undertakes a time-consuming activity, such as
active player suffers a failure. investigating a new area or interrogating a guest, have
● Round 2. The party must withstand a series of tumbling that player roll a d6. On a 1 or 2, the evening progresses
frozen rocks, with each character taking 1d6 10 or 20 minutes toward moonrise, respectively.
bludgeoning damage if the active player suffers a failure.
● Round 3. The party spots a ghostly white wolf atop the
cliff that paralyzes them with its fearsome gaze; the As the characters approach the Lodge—a large,
characters must drive it away or break free of its gaze, snow-covered wooden structure near the edge of a cliff, with
with each character taking 1d4 cold damage from the welcoming candlelight glittering in its windows—a blizzard
freezing winds if the active player suffers a failure. begins to brew. From the outside, the characters hear a
shout, followed by raised voices.
Jadoc is surprised by the hazards and notes that the Within the Lodge’s taproom, the characters can find the
white wolf resembled Izera, the Moon-Bitten (see below). other four guests of the Lodge. One guest is secretly a
At the top of the cliff, Jadoc is surprised to learn of a set werewolf in possession of the Idol of the White Wolf, and
of snow-covered boot prints leading down a path toward the another guest has just been killed by the werewolf. Roll on
Lodge. The shrine itself is a small cavern comprising two the following table to determine the identities of the
chambers. The first chamber is large and contains a trio of werewolf and victim from the Lodge’s four other guests:
murals depicting the following sequence of events:
d4 Character
● Selune, the goddess of the moon, sending Izera, a white 1 Peren (LN male elf acolyte), an aloof priest of Selune.
werewolf, to rampage across the countryside as 2 Borhild (CN female dwarf commoner), a jovial merchant.
punishment for the villagers’ desecration of her shrine.
● Antara Silvercrest (LG silver dragonborn knight) 3 Loys (TN male human thug), an irritable sellsword.
rebuilding Selune’s shrine and receiving the Silvercrest 4 Prosperine (LE female tiefling noble), an arrogant noble.
Charm—a small, silver-wrought crescent moon—from a
silver-eyed reflection in a pool’s mirror-like surface. The taproom itself is in ruins, featuring destroyed
● Antara slaying Izera using a greatsword inset with the furniture, overturned barstools, and a shattered window.
Silvercrest Charm, collecting the Idol of the White The victim’s blood-spattered corpse is lying slumped against
Wolf—a small stone statue of a wolf—from her remains, a mirror on the far side of the room. The other guests are
and placing it upon an altar in the shrine. engaged in a heated debate over the identity and motive of
the killer, with tempers and suspicions running hot. With
The second chamber contains an altar to Selune. Jadoc Jadoc’s help, the characters can attempt to calm the room
is horrified to see that the Idol of the White Wolf is missing and begin to investigate the crime scene.
and asks the characters to return to the Lodge to uncover Jadoc asks the other guests to assist with cleaning up the
the thief, sharing the following information: taproom and invites them to partake in hot cocoa in the
kitchen afterwards (to “calm the nerves”). An observant
● A humanoid that touches the Idol of the White Wolf is character notices that one guest—the werewolf—appears
inflicted with an empowered curse of lycanthropy. They unnaturally strong, lifting heavy debris without difficulty.
cannot be killed unless wounded by silver, and their bite
automatically infects those they wound with ordinary
lycanthropy. They are strengthened by the light of the full
moon, gaining +1 to attack and damage rolls while the
🔍 What Happened Here ?
Minutes before the characters arrived, the victim found
full moon is above the horizon. (The full moon is tonight.) the werewolf inspecting the statuette in the taproom. The
● The Silvercrest Charm is rumored to be hidden werewolf transformed and killed the victim, but not before
somewhere in the Silvercrest Lodge, but was lost long

1
 intends to sell in order to patch over her family’s failing
the victim stabbed them with a silver knife taken from a finances and protect her aristocratic lifestyle.
cutlery drawer. The werewolf burst out through the
window, flung the Lodge’s silverware collection into the
snow at the base of the cliff, then broke back into the
Exploring the Lodge
Lodge via their bedroom window, changed their clothes, In addition to the taproom, the Lodge contains: a kitchen, an
and returned to the taproom. (Jadoc eventually notices adjoining outdoor courtyard, five guest bedrooms (including
that the silverware is missing and alerts the characters). one large, untouched bedroom with enough beds to house
the party for the night), and Jadoc’s bedroom. The taproom
also contains a trio of tapestries depicting the same events
Interrogating the Guests as shown on the murals found in the shrine on Argent Peak.
To find the werewolf’s true identity, the characters can
question the guests regarding their whereabouts at the time Investigating the Body
of the murder. However, each guest has secrets to keep, The victim’s corpse, which has been mangled by bestial
and a single Wisdom (Insight) check will likely prove claws and teeth, also bears either: a pungent scent (if Peren
insufficient to uncover all hidden truths. is the werewolf); a smokey scent (if Borhild is the werewolf);
Peren. Peren wears blue robes with a silver fringe that precise wounds across its vital organs (if Loys is the
smell of incense. He claims that he was meditating in his werewolf); or a sweet scent (if Prosperine is the werewolf).
bedroom at the time of the murder. This is a lie. The victim lies slumped against a tall mirror whose
If Peren is the werewolf, he stole the Idol in order to gain wooden frame is carved with wolves and the phases of the
Selune’s blessing and depose the bishop of his temple. He moon. A nearby character automatically notices that the
now wears a scarf around his neck to hide the red burn on eyes of those reflected in the mirror shine are silver, rather
where he previously wore his silver holy symbol, which has than their ordinary color. This mirror is a secret door
now been carelessly discarded in a corner of his bedroom. controlled by a secret panel shaped like a wolf's head
If Peren is not the werewolf, he was conducting a profane beside a carving of a full moon, which a character can
ritual in his bedroom to honor Baphomet, demon prince of discover in 1 minute with a successful DC 12 Intelligence
beasts, whom he secretly worships. He still wears his silver (Investigation) check, or 10 minutes otherwise.
holy symbol of Selune around his neck. Beyond the door is a staircase that descends to a small
Borhild. Borhild is short-tempered and amoral, and basement containing a stone altar to Selune. The altar
constantly smokes strong-scented tabac in a pipe carved contains a locked compartment, and holds atop it an
from a saber-toothed tiger’s fang. She claims that she was ice-blue statue of a tiny humanoid figure with a faceless,
using a sending stone to discuss the terms of a business spiral-marked head. The figurine, which is actually a
deal in her bedroom at the time of the murder. This is a lie. chwinga, holds a visible silver key within its translucent
If Borhild is the werewolf, she stole the Idol to sell on the chest, and greets the characters with a friendly wave.
black market. She now wears a trapper hat with long flaps Characters who interact with the chwinga learn that it is
that cover her ears to hide the red burns on her ears where fascinated by mundane mortal items, such as jewelry,
she previously wore a set of silver-studded earrings, which kitchenware, or adventuring supplies. The chwinga will
have now been carelessly discarded in her bedroom. happily accept such a gift in exchange for the key.
If Borhild is not the werewolf, she was using her sending The characters can also kill the chwinga and seize the
stone to speak with local members of a black-market key from its corpse. If the chwinga dies, its animating
smuggling operation, whom she intends to meet with the essence flows into a sigil of Selune upon the altar, triggering
next day. The characters can find this sending stone in a pit trap that covers the basement floor and a silver-tipped
Borhild’s bedroom and use it to contact the smugglers. scything-blade trap concealed in the walls of the pit.
Loys. Loys appears perpetually tired and wears a The key opens the locked compartment, which contains
scratched longsword across his back. He claims that he the SIlvercrest charm.
was practicing sword forms in the courtyard at the time of
the murder. This is a lie.
If Loys is the werewolf, he stole the Idol in order to obtain
Act III: The Wolf
the power he needs to take vengeance on a patron who If the characters reveal the werewolf’s identity, or the
wronged him. He now wears gloves to conceal the place on werewolf learns that they have found the Silvercrest charm,
his palm where the victim stabbed him with the silver knife, the werewolf transforms and attacks. (The werewolf also
leaving an angry red burn behind. fights in self-defense, and attacks immediately at moonrise.)
If Loys is not the werewolf, he was in the courtyard In combat, the werewolf has the statistics of an ordinary
partaking in suude, an illegal mind-altering substance that werewolf, but with the following changes:
enhances the senses and opens the mind to the magical ● The werewolf has 90 hit points, an Armor Class of 15
Weave. (An ashen scent and a forgotten pouch of (natural armor), and one legendary resistance.
silver-white suude remain in the courtyard). ● The werewolf has the Blood Frenzy feature, which
Prosperine. Prosperine wears elegant furs and grants it advantage on attack rolls against any creature
sweet-scented perfume. She claims to have been filing her that doesn't have all its hit points.
nails at the time of the murder. This is a lie. (An observant ● The werewolf has no damage immunities, It regenerates
character notices that Prosperine’s nails are quite sharp.) 10 hit points at the start of each of its turns. If it takes
If Prosperine is the werewolf, she stole the Idol in order to damage from a silver weapon, this trait doesn't function at
kill her mother, a powerful noblewoman with impressive the start of its next turn. The werewolf dies only if it starts
longevity, and usurp her seat of power. She now wears its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.
gloves to hide the red burns on her fingers where she ● If the werewolf hits a creature with its bite attack, that
previously wore several rings with silver filigree, which have creature is automatically infected with ordinary werewolf
now been carelessly discarded across her bedroom. lycanthropy (no save). Additionally, the werewolf’s bite
attack deals an additional 1d8 piercing damage, and its
If Prosperine is not the werewolf, she was stealing relics
claws attack deals an additional 1d4 slashing damage.
and historical trinkets from Jadoc’s bedroom, which she