Hard to Bard - Heros n Heretics

Heironymo, Hydrica and Lemmog drag the rest of the band out of the Fountain of Life, then the Kings Entourage and the King himself.

Lemmog notices the Kings sword is quite epic looking.
A shiny Leaf shaped Longsword

When the Band are roused back up, they ask the King about his sword, who proclaims.

The KINGSBLADE has been passed on to every King of Richester, hence why I now behold this nice shiny sword, apparently it was grown from the remains of King Richmond after his body was interred in his tomb, well this tomb.

Grown from the remains of King Richmond after his body was interred in his tomb, this leaf-shaped blade was kept as a sacred heirloom of Richmond’s bloodline and has been . It was last given to King Henry, who is yet to be able to attune to the blade and thus doesn’t even know that it has magical properties aside from being unnaturally shiny.

Peleus informs them about the beholder zombie on patrol. He also tells them that some sort 

of tricky fiend has taken up residence in Richmond’s chamber.

The entourage refuse to warn the characters of the Halls intended as trials for the worthy as they believe this could have unknown consequences.

The King does ask they band to obtain the Chapter of the Bards tale for him, as when joined with the other chapters and played it will announce the rightful heir to Richmond.

The Band head off down the Main Hall and take the 2nd door on the right.

This opens out into a large room with marble floors, lavish stonework, and glowing emeralds laid within the walls. The ceilings are 20-foot high. Candles are kept lit, lighting these rooms with dim light. 

The sound of an orchestra tuning their instruments fills this theater with a calming aura.

About a dozen rows of chairs face the stage, on which a band of spectral eladrin stand, getting ready to perform.

Amphitheater

The ghostly performers await their vocalist’s arrival before they play their set. They appear eager to begin.

They inform Lemmog and Ekam that they are the spirits of King Richmond’s musical group that once headlined the Theater of Lake Tomunga. 

But we have been waiting for our lead vocalist to arrive.

When quizzed on how long they have awaited, it seems like hundreds of years.

Lemmog offers to stand in as a vocalist, the ghosts enthusiastically agree. They beckon the volunteer to take the stage and a crowd of hundreds of spectral fey appear to listen to the performance.

The performance is so great that both Lemmog and Ekam are "Blessed", gaining the effect of the bless spell for one hour.

Sister, Heironymo and Hydrica wait Lemmog and Ekam outside of the room, and what seemed like only 5 min to Lemmog and Ekam was 5 hrs for Sister, Heironymo and Hydrica.

Heading back out the band repeat the same pattern and enter the 2nd door on the right.

The Hall of Heretics

This narrow hallway reeks of death and decay.
The fine marble throughout seems to have deteriorated, revealing the earth and stone beneath. Faintly, as if it were coming from the walls, you can hear wails of pain and horror from a dozen different voices.

As the band begin their trek through the hallway, the spirits of failed champions and their warden emerge to test their mettle, taking advantage of the tight space by utilizing their incorporeal movement.

Spectors

 

Wraith

 

This room was designed as a test of strength and valor for those who wish to access Richmond’s final resting place. Those who have fallen in this hall in the past come back as guardians to test future trespassers.

Lemmogs steed is lost in the battle, so perhaps it will now return as a Wolf Spector!

Eventually the Band manage to overcome and kill the Spectors and Wraiths, and hightail it out down the corridor, not before searching the tombs.

The band find:

• 89 gp, 176 sp, and 409 cp in the alcoves. 
• Two potions of greater healing
• A berserker axe that belonged to one of the first treasure hunters to raid the tomb. The axe’s curse led to its wielder and his companions’ demise within this hall. - Lemmog takes the axe

The door at the end exits the hall into

Tomb Lobby

This simple room is a waiting room for those wanting to gain access to Richmond’s Rest.

The door to the right is locked, but on inspection it looks like one of the Arcane locks has been removed.

On the door written in Sylvan, the characters can read:
Pass the test of the beaten and brave. Then you shall be worthy to enter my grave.

The band decide to investigate the surroundings further

Locked Door. The door to area T14 is locked with an arcane lock spell if the characters did not pass through area T10 or area T12 before arriving in this room. It can be unlocked with a successful DC 25 Dexterity check made using thieves’ tools or by casting knock.

Family Library

The walls of this room are lined floor to ceiling with polished bookcases filled with ancient tomes. The bottoms of the bookcases seem to have grown roots into the marble floor. Small branches lightly dressed in summer leaves grow from the shelves. The doorways on the western and eastern walls have been partially torn down as if a large creature forced its way through.

Each book on the shelves is a favorite of Richmond’s.
Many are musicals that were once performed in the music halls and theaters of Richester during his reign. 

Some include:

• “King Richmond, the Greatest Ruler of All” by King Richmond
• “The Miserable” by Victor Marie
• “Neverwinter” by John Kender
• “The Tome of Lathander” by Robert Stonepark
• “Dear Artemis Entreri” by Drizzt Do’Urden
• “Pianist in the Street” by Jo S.

Ekam spots another cat lurking in the rafters, after it tried to charm him.

The door to the north heads to the Hall of Mirrors, that they avoid.

The head west through the broken door

Family Catacomb

This slender hallway stretches out for thirty feet with six small cubbies indented in the walls, three on each side. Within each cubby there is a bronze sarcophagus embossed with the shapes of vines, flowers, and the face of some eladrin noble of old.
Each sarcophagus is labeled with a different name.
All were eladrin born of Richmond’s bloodline or adopted into his family early in the history of Richester.
Above each alcove is a plaque that says the following in Sylvan:

1. Here lies Ziggy. They said we had five years before we joined them.
2. Here lies Miz’ri. She was quite adept at murder. Cause of death: murder.
3. Here lies William. Being a warlock didn’t quite work out—he couldn’t find the key.
4. This is where Icarus would lie, but all that remained were ashes.
5. Here lies John. He was more popular than the Morning Lord.
6. Here lies Freddie. The greatest Queen the kingdom ever had.

Further on is the Portrait hall they visited before.

The band head back to the Tomb Lobby, and Lemmog tries his hand at picking the lock with his new axe!

Subtilty be damned, it takes a lot of thunderous chopping before a dent is made in the old oak doors, then some more to get a section chipped out, Ekam joins this new way of lock picking with Eldridge Blasts, they are through.

Ekam proclaims the arrival of Lemmog

Richmond’s Rest

As the band enter this long, extravagant chamber, feelings of greatness, confidence, and self-worth wash over them like warm summer rain. Then, in an instant, they are overwhelmed by dread, despair, and hopelessness as their eyes land on the evil ritual site that descecrates this once sacred place. 

In the center of the room there is a golden sarcophagus embossed with vines, flowers, and the likeness of King Richmond.
Before it is a pedestal holding what looks like a booklet of sheet music, untouched by the negative energy that pervades the very air filling this room.

Three Cat Familiars block the way to the golden sarcophagus, just as the band are about to fight Heironymo and Lemmog turn and angrily face off to their band mates (They have been Charmed by the various encounters with the cats, and will now protect Lilianys)

Lilianys

Ekam casts somthing that snaps Heironymo and Lemmog out of it, and they all tackle the Cats, Heironymo then rushes over to take out Lilianys with the rest following.

With most of the part spent and on deaths door, they finally kill Lilianys.

Searching the room most of the treasures have already been taken by those who ventured through the tomb before. All that is left is 

• 45 gp, 489 sp, and 32 cp, 
• a spellbook that contains animate dead, dragon’s breath, find familiar, counterspell, hold person, magic missile, and knock. 
• The first chapter of The Bard’s Tale

Items

Berserker Axe

Weapon (Battleaxe), rare (requires attunement)
Damage: 1d8 slashing Versatile (1d10)
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. In addition, while you are attuned to this weapon, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for each level you have attained.
Curse. This axe is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the axe, keeping it within reach at all times. You also have disadvantage on attack rolls with weapons other than this one, unless no foe is within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear.
Whenever a hostile creature damages you while the axe is in your possession, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or go berserk. While berserk, you must use your action each round to attack the creature nearest to you with the axe. If you can make extra attacks as part of the Attack action, you use those extra attacks, moving to attack the next nearest creature after you fell your current target. If you have multiple possible targets, you attack one at random. You are berserk until you start your turn with no creatures within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear.

The Bards’ Tale

Wondrous Item, Legendary

Before King Richard reached his thousandth year, he knew he must create his magnum opus and ensure that his legacy would be upheld. With all of the resources available to him, he spent the next 30 years leading to his thousandth name day creating the work that would be boldly dubbed “The Bards’ Tale”.

While the contents within are simply an epic account of his many achievements and victories, weaved within the paper itself is a magic that’s connected to the magic of Richester itself. When Richmond built the city, he made sure to weave a bit of himself into every brick, statue, and tile. When the song was sung in its entirety, it’s said the trees dance and sway to the tune and the very architecture of the theatre changes to resemble the tone of what’s being played.

Thus, it has only been performed once on the day before Richmond passed.

Five Chapters. The tale is composed of five chapters that each resemble a chapter of Richmond’s story and each one is a powerful magic item in itself.

The first chapter of The Bards’ Tale reveals the locations of the other chapters to whoever reads it in the form of a map of Nevernever.

The map can be projected onto surfaces or into someone’s mind.  

Chapters

• Chapter 1 Coming of Age
• Chapter 2 The Revolution
• Chapter 3 Erecting the Castle
• Chapter 4 One Regret
• Chapter 5 Requiem

Bloodline Keeper

The entire arrangement can be performed when all five chapters are combined.
To perform the entire arrangement, you must concentrate and use your action to attempt a DC17 Charisma (Performance) check for three consecutive rounds. If at least two of the three checks were successful, the arrangement will have been completed. When this happens, the heir to Richester by blood is revealed to all who can see. While performing, you are granted the following benefits:

• Whenever a friendly creature within 30 feet of you must make a saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1).
• You have advantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration.
• Hostile Creatures within 30ft. cannot cast the wish spell.

Life Has Many Doors

Throughout the Nevernever, the band will discover strange symbols set upon walls, statues, and other surfaces that correspond with a symbol found in a chapter of the Bards’ Tale.
When the motif of the corresponding chapter is performed, the magic of the music will cause a secret to be unlocked, normally in the form of a secret door opening or a room reshaping to a more favorable form. 

Chapter 1 Coming of Age

• This chapter is about Richmond’s formative years. 
• The creature that holds this chapter looks about 10 years younger than they are and has a +1 bonus to persuasion and performance checks. 
• Additionally, this chapter can magically reveal the locations of the other chapters on the same plane of existence to the reader. 

Verse 1: 

I was just a young bard, tales to be told,

 In the court of King Richmond, my stories unfold. 

Ten years my senior, but keen to learn, 

My charisma and wit, I was eager to earn. 

Chorus: 

Oh, the days of youth, filled with charm and grace, 

In King Richmond's court, I found my place. 

With a bonus to persuasion, and skills to perform, 

I sang my songs, through the calm and storm. 

Verse 2: 

I remember the feasts, the laughter and cheer, 

The smell of mead, and the taste of good beer. 

King Richmond's formative years, he taught me well, 

To weave a tale, in a bardic spell. 

Chorus: 

Oh, the days of youth, filled with charm and grace, 

In King Richmond's court, I found my place. 

With a bonus to persuasion, and skills to perform, 

I sang my songs, through the calm and storm. 

Verse 3: 

From dusk till dawn, I strummed my lute, 

Captivated the crowd, in the King's grand salute. 

With each story shared, a memory made, 

In those formative years, my craft displayed. 

Chorus: 

Oh, the days of youth, filled with charm and grace, 

In King Richmond's court, I found my place. 

With a bonus to persuasion, and skills to perform, 

I sang my songs, through the calm and storm. 

Bridge: 

As I look back now, on those days gone by, 

I cherish the moments, with a tear in my eye. 

King Richmond's wisdom, his guidance true, 

Helped shape the bard, that I became, in the end, through and through. 

Chorus: 

Oh, the days of youth, filled with charm and grace, 

In King Richmond's court, I found my place. 

With a bonus to persuasion, and skills to perform, 

I sang my songs, through the calm and storm.

The areas that shine on the Map

• Arathill
• Albyn
• The Jade Metropolis
• The Theatre by Lake Tomunga
• The Tomb of Richmond

Which reminds the band that the symbol on the fountain was the same that was on Chapter 1.