**A Rite of Shadows: The Morgue of Mournful Echoes**
Setting: The Morgue of Mournful Echoes
The Morgue of Mournful Echoes is an ancient building, positioned in a secluded corner of the hamlet of Asterfeld. Once a place of healing, it’s now a crumbling edifice notorious for its haunted reputation. Hushed rumors tell of shadows roaming its halls at night, cold breezes that lament the dead, and an overly attentive coroner who conducts ghastly rites posthumously on those who wander in.
Lush vines climb the crumbling exterior, twisting around broken stained glass windows that dimly let light through. The interior is foreboding with its worn stone floors and rusty metal instruments scattered about. Flickers of movement in the periphery create an unsettling feeling, augmented by the soft echoes of distant moans that reverberate through the dark corridors.
As the party approaches the Morgue, they will be drawn in by a desperate plea for help from Asterfeld’s remaining townsfolk, who fear that a malevolent force is resurrecting the dead for sinister purposes. The goal is to enter the Morgue, uncover the dark plot, and stop the unnerving rituals that are disturbing the peace of the town by sealing away the restless spirits.
The Call to Action
Upon entering the Morgue, the players will encounter Sylvia, a frantic and distraught spirit, who drifts through the main hall. Sandy-haired, her translucent form flickers between existence. In life, she was a nurse who had served here and died during a failed ritual conducted by the coroner, Dr. Elgin Baoren. Her plight is to ensure the peace of those wrongfully raised to haunt the world. She implores the party to stop Baoren, explaining that he has been extracting essence from the living to weave life back into the dead.
“To find Baoren, you must navigate the Hall of Echoes,” Sylvia whispers, her voice heavy with the sorrow of eternity. “Beware of the traps and phantoms that guard him. The key to stop him lies within the scepters that rest within the Undertaking Chamber.”
The players’ first task is to locate the Hall of Echoes which is marked by a large rusted door, shrouded in darkness and adorned with intricate carvings depicting sorrowful faces. As the players discover its hinges, they will need to solve the puzzle that secures the door shut to gain entry.
The Hall of Echoes
Inside the Hall of Echoes lies a mix of sorrows and hidden dangers. The players must cross through a dimly lit corridor filled with deathly cold air that flickers with supernatural energy. The walls are adorned with mirrors reflecting not just their appearances but also haunting memories.
Puzzle: The Mirrors of Remembrance
To pass through safely, the players must engage with the Mirrors of Remembrance, each reflecting a different anguished moment from the party's past. The objective is to navigate their memories by uniting their forgotten truths with the reflections.
To solve this challenge, each player must identify an inner fear or regret, which they must communicate aloud as a group. For example, someone might recall a failed quest or a lost loved one.
Once the reflections resonate in a harmonious echo (i.e., a successful DC 15 Wisdom check), the mirrors merge into a radiant doorway that allows safe passage. Any player who fails to harmonize, though, triggers an activation of hostile spirits that lash out with anguished claws, making their attacks formidable (1d8 necrotic damage).
As the players advance, they’ll also notice remnants of scrapped instruments, a sign that the coroner has been experimenting more cruelly than ever. Shadows will ebb and flow around corners, and in the depths, the whispers of the dead will begin to escalate in intensity.
The Undertaking Chamber
Upon reaching the Undertaking Chamber, they stumble upon the grotesque sight of Dr. Elgin Baoren in the throes of an unholy summoning rite, hovering between life and death, commanding the very souls he has captured using a unique instrument—a Soulweaver’s Scepter. As the party enters the chamber, the scepters can be seen mounted on the walls, each swirling with dark energies.
Encounter: Dr. Elgin Baoren and the Reanimated
Baoren, once a charismatic healer, now looms as a twisted figure wrapped in bandages stained with ichor and soul essence. Not only does he wield the Soulweaver’s Scepter to channel the power of the restless spirits, but he shall also use necromantic spells to control the freshly risen corpses lingering at the chamber's edges.
Monsters:
- Dr. Elgin Baoren (AC 16, HP 75, Spell Save DC 13): Wields necromancy spells (like Shield of Faith, Finger of Death, and Animate Dead).
- 2 Reanimated Guardians (AC 12, HP 35 each): Once villagers, their loyalty drives them to protect Baoren. They can hit hard but are slow and clumsy (1d12 bludgeoning damage).
Baoren’s Abilities:
- Essence Drain: Selects a player, dealing 3d6 necrotic damage and healing himself for half the amount.
- Spirit Bind: He can attempt to wrap a living personality in shadow, forcing a Wisdom save (DC 14) or it becomes stunned for 1 turn.
- Control Undead: As a bonus action, Baoren can expend a spell slot to boost the Reanimated Guardians' power. They gain advantage on attacks and a temporary hit point buffer.
The Conflict
The room is filled with encroaching shadows that seem alive. As he realizes he’s been discovered, Baoren snarls and commands the reanimated to attack while he engages in his vile magic. The players must work tactically—spreading their damage across both Baoren and the reanimated while avoiding becoming overwhelmed by the sudden surge of spectral energy that fills the room.
The challenge lies in disabling Baoren and breaking his control of the undead. Players can notice the scepters on the walls can be siphoned to weaken Baoren’s powers. To accomplish this, a character can roll a DC 16 Arcana check, allowing insight into the scepters’ connection with Baoren.
Resolution: The Closing of the Rites
Once Baoren is defeated, the essence within the scepters whirls like a raging tempest, carrying echoes of the lost souls. The players must act quickly to disrupt the “Rite of Shadows” by using the appropriate scepter (regardless of which has been empowered) to channel energies back into the fabric of the realm.
By performing a ritual (which involves chanting the words learned from Sylvia, and requires everyone to pass a DC 14 Charisma check), the party can reseal the doorway to the afterlife, lifting the curse from the Morgue.
As the final spell is cast, the spirits trapped within begin to dissipate, their lifeless forms returning to the peace of the eternal rest. Sylvia, relieved, reaches towards the players with gratitude in her glowing eyes: “You have freed us. May you walk with peace in your hearts.”
When the party returns to Asterfeld, the townsfolk will welcome them with praise and rewards, and the Morgue shall stand silent—a testament to bravery over darkness, the echoes muffled, leaving only serenity behind.
