Blood darkens the gray stone. A trail of smeared viscera weaves through the rooms into the darkness of the cellar, untold layers having dried on the tiles of the abandoned halls. And at its end, where decaying prey has melted into a mound of putrid refuse, the beast waits. Its body is withered, its mind reduced to little more than instinct. What was once a powerful mountain troll has been reduced to another ravenous victim of the blight. But it is not all the way lost. It is weakened, but should those trespassing on its feeding ground alert the monster, they will quickly find that it still possesses more than enough strength to secure its next meal.

Stepping further into the central level of the Reaver halls brings the characters to areas dedicated to sustaining those who lived in the tunnels. Food storage, farming, and even alchemy laboratories await, all littered with the remnants of their inhabitants and crumbling under untold years of abandonment and blight. It is here that the troll awaits, resting but ready to hunt anyone that it hears in the nearby rooms. If the party intends to search the halls for the secrets of the Reavers and accomplish whichever goal brought them to the mountains, they will surely need to avoid, escape, or confront the troll.

To learn about the rest of the central level, refer to the previous section. Or you can look through the full adventure index to see the rest of the Reaver halls and previous adventures…

8. Kitchen

A kitchen is constructed in a T-shape, its perpendicular branch circling around an island table. The room’s walls are all hemmed with the expected tables, ovens, and other workstations, crafted from thick wood and stone with unembellished designs but damaged by sporadic scratch marks. Pots and pans still hang above them, dusty and unused. The gray film covers most of the space but is starkly broken by a dark trail of dried liquid that enters from one door and leaves through the other, a room beyond infecting the kitchen with a fetid, rotten stench. A smaller path of the same gore joins it from one of the shafts set into the wall, around which blood is splattered.

The kitchen was built to serve the adjacent mess hall, with cooks working around the clock to provide food to the many workers in the tunnels. They prioritized hearty, nutrient-rich food that could be produced in bulk from the available supplies, such as those grown in the nearby farm. This usually included stews, breads, and dried meats. This also minimized the need for workers and space required for the kitchen itself, helping to maintain the compound’s efficiency without diverting resources away from more important endeavors.

The kitchen is a long T-shaped room created to connect to both the mess hall and storeroom. Its walls are lined with tables and other workstations, with part of the room extending northwards around an island table to a set of ovens. Much of the space remained untouched during the tunnels’ abandonment, with its workers being some of the last to leave and taking only the most valuable kitchenware and supplies, many of which were already their own belongings.

The fixtures and central table still sit undisturbed, marred only by the collected dust and the bloody trail and splatters left by the resident blighted mountain troll that leads through the room’s south. An additional splattering of gore marks one of the ventilation shafts, where a kobold was killed after the sounds of their digging alerted the troll _{(see the ‘Bloody trail’ and ‘Scratch marks’ sections)}.

Ventilation shafts. The kitchen has three sets of ventilation shafts due to the constant work and heat generated in the room. Two pairs of shafts extend from the southern wall, their intake and outtake shafts placed tightly together. The eastern of these two pairs shares its vertical shafts with others in areas 12 and 15, the upper and lower alchemy laboratories. A third intake shaft is placed in the room’s north, between the ovens, and shares a vertical shaft with another in area 9, the storeroom _{(see the ‘Ventilation shafts’ section of area 9, the ‘Storeroom‘)}. This vertical shaft contains an entrance into a kobold tunnel _{(see the ‘Kobold tunnels’ section)}. The room’s ovens feature their own shafts for venting smoke directly upwards, which connect to their nearest outtake shaft.

The right shaft of the southeastern pair is also stained with blood, features numerous scratch marks, and has the fallen belongings of a kobold traptinker _{(see the ‘Bloody trail’, ‘Scratch marks’, and ‘Treasure’ sections)}.

Bloody trail. A trail of dried blood is smeared across the kitchen floor, originating from area 7, the mess hall, and leading into area 9.a., the cellar. The darkened streak is the result of the troll dragging its victims to its feeding ground. A character can make the same skills checks as in area 7 to investigate the blood trail _{(see the ‘Ash and blood’ section of area 7, the ‘Mess Hall‘)}.

A second blood trail originates from where the troll caught and killed a Fireblood kobold. The kobold was caught off guard and tried and failed to escape into the opening of the western ventilation shaft of the southeastern pair, where blood and small scratch marks can now be found _{(see the ‘Scratch marks’ section)}. Dried blood splatters surround the opening to the shaft, while the trail quickly joins the larger blood trail heading eastward, towards area 9, the storeroom. A character that succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check of this blood, or that has previously succeeded on the same skill check to investigate the larger blood trail, identifies that it likely came from a Small-sized creature being dragged away from the scene. If the character has seen the Small-sized corpse in the troll’s feeding area, they can infer that this smaller trail was likely left by the corpse being dragged from the site of its death _{(see the ‘Stinking waste pile’ section of area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}. On a roll of 18 or higher, or on a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check of the area around the shaft, the character also notices that no dust has settled over the smaller trail and splatters, suggesting that they were left somewhat recently.

Scratch marks. The kitchen’s tabletops, doorways, and other fixtures are cut with the same scratch marks as in the neighboring mess hall. These came as a result of the troll retracing its steps and lashing out violently at the smell of blood, as the blight affected its mind. A character can make many of the same skill checks as in area 7 to deduce information about the creature that made the marks _{(see the ‘Scratch marks’ section of area 7, the ‘Mess Hall‘)}.

A character that succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check of the area near the southeastern pair of ventilation shafts, where blood is splattered and trails _{(see the ‘Bloody trail’ section)}, also notices additional scratch marks around the base of the shaft on the right. These marks are far smaller and more tightly spaced than the others and are carved into the lower rim of the ventilation shaft’s opening and the space in front of it. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) or Intelligence (Nature) check determines that the marks were likely left by a Small-sized creature that was frantic and desperate. Combined with the surrounding blood, a character can easily deduce that the creature was attacked and attempted to claw its way to safety before it was almost certainly killed.

Drifting stench. The stench of the troll’s rotten feeding ground permeates the storeroom and adjacent rooms, including the kitchen. Any character that enters the kitchen is able to follow the smell toward its source in area 9.a., the cellar.

Blighted stone and wood. Constant use of blighted water has spread the blight into many aspects of the kitchen. This includes basins, tools, the insides of ovens, and the barrel beside the eastern doorway. Their metal is discolored and weakened, and any wood is rotting. A character that inspects the affected areas can make the same skill checks as in any other area of blighted stone to recognize the weakness of affected materials or notice necrotic magic _{(see the ‘Blighted stone’ section of ‘The Reaver Halls‘)}. The barrel is notably worse off, easily breaking if touched, lowering the DC of skill checks made to study it by 3.

Additionally, a character that has encountered other objects that once held blighted water, such as in area 9.a., the cellar, can make a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check to deduce a connection between them and the barrel and fixtures in the kitchen. The character surmises that the rot likely spread from whatever was held in the containers, which was used across various rooms in the tunnels. The character does not need to make this check if they have successfully investigated the blight in the well chambers or the water cavern, as they recognize that the culprit was likely the blighted water _{(see the ‘Blighted stone and wood’ sections of areas 9.b. and 15.a., the ‘Northern Well‘ and ‘Lower Southern Well’, as well as the ‘Blighted Water’ section of area 17, the ‘Water Cavern’)}.

Kobold tunnels. Two entrances to kobold tunnels are hidden in the kitchen. These include the following:

• Within the northern ventilation shaft, adjacent to where the 15-foot diagonal shaft meets the vertical shaft that is shared with area 9, the storeroom. The tunnel is completely hidden from any creature that does not climb into the ventilation shaft to find it, but allows the kobolds access to both rooms.
• Within the western shaft of the southeastern pair. Like the northern tunnel, it is hidden beside where the diagonal shaft meets the shared vertical shaft, providing access to the kitchen and areas 12 and 15, the upper and lower alchemy laboratories.

Kobold traps. A warning chime is rigged across the spaces immediately before the eastern doorway that leads into area 9, the storeroom, anchored to a barrel and the leg of a table.

If the trap is triggered and a character who has heard another warning chime trap trigger somewhere else in the tunnels succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, they notice that the trap’s bell rings at a higher pitch than the previous chimes. This was done as a means of monitoring the troll’s movement, with the higher-pitched bell alerting the kobolds that it had awakened and moved into the kitchen. A character can ascertain this purpose with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, provided that they are also aware of the troll. This DC is lowered by 2 if they have also investigated the lower-pitched chime of the trap in area 10, the farm chamber. If the character is not aware of the troll, they instead deduce that the bell must be to alert its creators to movement between these particular rooms, but they are unsure of why.

Triggering the chime is also likely to alert the nearby troll _{(see ‘Waking the troll’ in the ‘Developments’ section)}.

Developments

Waking the troll. The warning chime trap near the eastern door is loud enough to alert the troll resting in area 9.a., the cellar, without the troll making a skill check. _{(see the ‘Kobold traps’ section)}. If the doors leading into area 9, the storeroom, are closed, the troll must instead make a DC 8 Wisdom (Perception) check to hear the ringing. The troll has disadvantage on the check due to being exhausted _{(see ‘Pursuing its prey’ in the ‘Developments’ section of area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}.

If the trap is triggered, any nearby kobolds retreat into their tunnels and hide, listening to hear if the troll stirs.

Treasure

The kitchen still holds numerous items of kitchenware, such as iron pots and pans, tankards, and knives that can function as daggers, as well as 2 mess kits and a tinderbox stored in a cupboard. A character that takes the time to gather the different items can assemble up to 3 sets of cook’s utensils from those scattered around the room.

The room’s ovens each have several inert Reaver heating stones buried in their ashes. Only the largest oven contains a single heating stone that is still useable.

A shovel designed for a Small-sized creature is discarded inside the right shaft of the southeastern ventilation shafts, with a 20-foot length of string on the floor beside it. Both of these items are coated in blood.

9. Storeroom

A storage room of shelving, crates, and barrels lies beyond, its contents a ransacked mess of wood and detritus. Sacks are torn, and containers are broken and out of place, their moldy contents spilling out across the floor in patches of sodden grime. Others have been consumed by rubble that blocks and spills through one doorway. Yet none are quite as concerning as the dried smear that paints a darkened red path through the room and into the cellar behind it.

The room connecting the kitchen and farming chamber was designated as a storage area for the compound’s food. It was lined with basic shelves, crates, and barrels containing all of the organized supplies, while a secondary cellar held kegs of alcohol and water. These supplies were almost entirely exhausted, having dwindled slowly as the tunnels emptied and deliveries stopped, leaving very little remaining to rot in the storeroom. Sometime later, a collapse also destroyed the items in the northeastern corner and blocked the doorway _{(see the ‘Blocked doorway’ section)}.

Most recently, a mountain troll has ransacked the storeroom before turning the cellar into its feeding ground. The troll first found the tunnels by descending from the surface through the central ventilation shaft above the mess hall _{(see the ‘Ventilation shafts’ section of area 7, the ‘Mess Hall‘)}. The smell of rotting food then drew it to the storeroom, where it tore its way through the contents, consuming anything it could. This scavenging led to the troll finding the cellar and developing its hunting technique. It has returned to the moldy, leftover scraps since becoming blighted, desperately scrounging for any rotten morsels that might help sustain it between extended rests.

Ventilation shafts. The storeroom has a pair of ventilation shafts in its southern wall, which share vertical shafts with a pair in area 11, the reagent garden. An additional intake shaft is set into the northwestern corner, beside the entrance to the cellar. This latter shaft shares a vertical shaft with area 8, the kitchen, which also hides an entrance to a kobold tunnel _{(see the ‘Kobold tunnels’ section)}.

The southern pair of shafts is also overcome with a tangle of blighted plants that have grown from area 11 and begun to creep into the room. The area inside the shafts is difficult terrain, and characters can make the same skill checks as in area 10, the farm chamber, to study the plants _{(see the ‘Blighted plants’ section of area 10, the ‘Farm Chamber‘)}.

Bloody trail. A trail of dried blood is smeared across the floor, entering from area 8, the kitchen, and leading to the waste pile in the cellar _{(see the ‘Stinking waste pile’ section of area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}. The darkened streak is the result of the troll dragging its victims to its feeding ground. A character can make the same skills checks as in area 7 to investigate the blood trail _{(see the ‘Ash and blood’ section of area 7, the ‘Mess Hall‘)}.

Scratch marks. The crates, barrels, sacks, and shelving in the storeroom have been ravaged in the troll’s search for food, leaving the same scratch marks as in the mess hall and kitchen. The same marks are carved into several walls and the entryways to areas 8 and 9.a., the kitchen and cellar. A character can make many of the same skill checks as in area 7 to deduce information about the creature that made the marks _{(see the ‘Scratch marks’ section of area 7, the ‘Mess Hall‘)}.

Ransacked resources. The containers ravaged by the troll were once stores of grains, flour, and other bulk resources that have since rotted. A character that looks over the relevant containers sees the claw marks in the wood around where they have been damaged and opened. They also note that very little remains of the contents, particularly given the size of the containers, suggesting that either a minority was left when they were abandoned or that whatever broke the wood also consumed what was inside. A character that succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check to investigate the containers sees that the insides of the barrels and crates are stained with mold that is thickest on the lower halves of the respective surfaces, indicating that both possibilities are true; the resources were depleted but have been further reduced since they were opened.

Blocked doorway. Sometime between the tunnels’ abandonment and the troll’s arrival, the blighted stone ceiling of the neighboring farm collapsed _{(see the ‘Collapsed ceiling’ section of area 10, the ‘Farm Chamber‘)}. The rubble filled most of the eastern doorway connecting the rooms and caused a small corner of the storeroom’s ceiling to also fall, crushing the items beneath it. Discolored plants have since crept through gaps in the stone _{(see the ‘Blighted plants’ section of area 10, the ‘farm chamber‘)}. The debris filling the doorway has an opening large enough for a Tiny creature to move through, or Small creature to squeeze through. This opening can be safely expanded to allow larger creatures through by removing the stones blocking the doorway. It takes 2 minutes to make the gap large enough for a Small or smaller creature to fit through, or a Medium creature to squeeze. Spending 5 minutes clears a space large enough for a Medium or smaller creature to fit, or a Large creature to squeeze through. A character that spends twice as long moving the rocks can make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to do so quietly.

Drifting stench. The stench of the troll’s feeding ground is thick within the storeroom. Any character that enters the room is able to follow the smell toward its source in area 9.a., the cellar.

Kobold tunnels. A kobold tunnel entrance is hidden within the western ventilation shaft, adjacent to where the 15-foot diagonal shaft meets the vertical shaft that is shared with area 8, the kitchen. The tunnel is completely hidden from any creature that does not climb into the ventilation shaft to find it, but allows the kobolds access to both rooms.

Kobold traps. A warning chime is strung between the eastern shelving and a crate placed against the eastern wall, in the spaces immediately south of the rubble.

If the trap is triggered and a character who has heard another warning chime trap trigger somewhere else in the tunnels succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, they notice that the trap’s bell rings at a lower pitch than the previous chimes. This was done as a means of monitoring the troll’s movement, with the lower-pitched bell alerting the kobolds that it had awakened and moved towards area 10, the farm. A character can ascertain this purpose with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, provided that they are also aware of the troll. This DC is lowered by 2 if they have also investigated the higher-pitched chime of the trap in area 8, the kitchen. If the character is not aware of the troll, they instead deduce that the bell must be to alert its creators to movement between these particular rooms, but they are unsure of why.

Triggering the chime is also likely to alert the nearby troll _{(see ‘Waking the troll’ in the ‘Developments’ section)}.

Developments

Waking the troll. The warning chime trap across the eastern doorway is loud enough to alert the troll resting in area 9.a., the cellar, without the need for the troll to make a skill check _{(see the ‘Kobold traps’ section)}. The same is true if a character attempts to clear the stone blocking the same doorway without making a Dexterity (Stealth) check to remain quiet _{(see the ‘Blocked doorway’ section)}. If a character clears the stones quietly, the troll must instead make a Wisdom (Perception) check to hear them. The troll has disadvantage on this check due to being exhausted _{(see ‘Determining DCs’ and ‘Pursuing its prey’ in the ‘Developments’ section of area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}.

If the chime trap is triggered, any nearby kobolds retreat into their tunnels and hide, listening to hear if the troll stirs.

9.a. Cellar

The space connects to a smaller, thinner storage room with walls of stacked kegs and a distinct red smear across the ground. This bloody path leads in one entrance, through the cellar, and to a vile mess of decay and waste that piles at one end of the room. Blackened filth amasses where rotting meat and chewed bones have been discarded, infesting the space before a mound of rocks that partially blocks a second entrance. Many of the kegs and barrels are damaged, the drinks previously within them having dried on the paving stones, but whatever smell of ancient alcohol might have tinged the air is overpowered by the violently putrid stench filling the room.

The cellar is an attached subsection of the Reavers’ storeroom where various drinks were stored. This included a selection of alcohols, both those delivered to the tunnels and others brewed by resident alchemists, as well as water storage for use in the farm and kitchen. The room connects directly to the northern side of area 9, the storeroom, and exits eastwards into a corridor that turns south to area 10, the farm chamber, or continues on and turns north to area 9.b., the northern well. This eastern hallway is badly damaged _{(see the ‘Blocked hallway’ section)}.

Where the Reavers once stored their drink, a mountain troll now rests in a mess of its own filth. The troll first found the tunnels by descending from the surface through the central ventilation shaft above the mess hall, before finding its way into the storeroom and cellar in pursuit of food _{(see the ‘Ventilation shafts’ and ‘Ash and blood’ sections of area 7, the ‘Mess Hall‘)}. It went on to use this same path to kill and feast on its prey, climbing the shaft to hunt on the surface by incapacitating lesser creatures and dropping them down the vent before dragging their bodies into the cellar to eat. This process allowed the blight that infects the nearby stone to leak into the troll’s food and then the creature itself, until it became unable to hunt effectively. Its delirious mind lost all consideration for cleanliness, gradually dirtying its feeding area with rotting prey and its own unacknowledged waste _{(see the ‘Stinking waste pile’ section)}.

The troll was awoken recently by the kobolds’ digging and managed to kill a member of the vanguard _{(see the ‘Bloody trail’ and ‘Scratch marks’ sections of area 8, the ‘Kitchen‘)}. Having fed, it returned to and now rests in this pile of refuse, its body continuing to waste away as it hopes for more food to come to it _{(see the ‘Developments’ section)}.

Bloody trail. The troll’s feeding has left a trail of dried blood that leads all the way from the firepit in area 7, the mess hall, to the waste pile in the cellar. The smear is easily identifiable as blood, and a character can make the same skills checks as in area 7 to investigate the blood trail _{(see the ‘Ash and blood’ section of area 7, the ‘Mess Hall‘)}.

Scratch marks. Like the larger storeroom, the troll’s attacks have left deep scratch marks in the cellar’s kegs, barrels, and doorway. It has also broken many of the containers open, letting their contents spill and dry on the floor. A character can make many of the same skill checks as in area 7 to deduce information about the creature that made the marks _{(see the ‘Scratch marks’ section of area 7, the ‘Mess Hall‘)}.

Blocked hallway. The hallway that connects eastward was damaged by the collapse that affected the surrounding rooms, its southern wall, and part of its ceiling being broken. The rubble that fell now fills enough of the passage that only Medium or smaller creatures can move through the space, or Large creatures can squeeze through. The loose rubble is also considered difficult terrain. The connection to area 10, the farm chamber, is completely blocked by fallen stone.

Stinking waste pile. A fetid pile of the troll’s refuse and the remains of its prey rots in the eastern side of the cellar, where the troll also rests _{(see ‘Blighted troll’ section)}. The smell of this waste pile spreads into the surrounding rooms and is overpowering up close. Any creature that begins its turn within 30 feet of the waste pile or that moves within 30 feet of it for the first time on its turn must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. A poisoned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, if it is outside of this area, ending the effect on a success.

A character that investigates the waste pile can easily see leftover bones and fragments of wood, as well as what remains of a recent, Small-sized humanoid corpse lying face-down in the muck. They can make several skill checks to glean further details, including the following:

• A character that makes a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check notices small shreds of fabric within the waste. Removing and cleaning these scraps reveals them to be red in color and embellished with golden patterns resembling serpent scales. A character that has seen the third of the banners in area 7, the mess hall, can identify that these pieces of fabric match the banner _{(see the ‘Faction banners’ section of area 7, the ‘Mess Hall‘)}.
  On a roll of 14 or more, the character also notices that patches of the waste are not only darkened, but blackened and brittle. A character that has investigated any area of blighted stone can recognize the similarity and make the same Intelligence (Arcana) check to spot the influence of necrotic magic _{(see the ‘Blighted stone’ section of ‘The Reaver Halls‘)}. The DC of this check is reduced by 3 due to its potency in the waste.
• A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) check identifies the area as a creature’s feeding ground, though the character also recognizes the signs of the creature’s behavior severely deteriorating. A character that is familiar with the blight and its effects on afflicted creatures can make a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check to infer that it may be the cause of such symptoms. If the character is aware of the blighted stone and wood in the room or has made the connection between the blackened waste and other areas of blighted stone, they can draw the same conclusion without the need for a skill check _{(see the ‘Blighted stone and wood’ section)}.
• A character that inspects the various bones and that makes a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Medicine) check identifies that the remains come from numerous different creatures of varying sizes. They all appear to be animals, aside from the single, Small-sized humanoid. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Nature) check further identifies them as mixtures of birds and quadrupeds. On a roll of 15 or higher, the character recognizes the bones of vultures, blood hawks, goats, and a giant goat, all of which are native to mountain regions. A character with specific knowledge of the Titan’s Spine can confirm that these creatures are native to the mountains’ heights.
• A character that investigates the Small-sized corpse finds that the body is broken and torn, most of its flesh and smaller bones having been consumed. It is wearing padded armor crafted from animal hides, which has been shredded in the attack that likely killed the creature. The character can make a DC 11 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Medicine) check to identify the body as a kobold, also noting its blue scales where some remain. A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Medicine) check also identifies claw and bite marks from a creature strong enough to carve through the body. If the character is aware of the additional blood trail in area 8, the kitchen, they can infer that it was the result of the kobold being killed _{(see the ‘Bloody trail’ section of area 8, the ‘Kitchen‘)}.
  The body still has some of the equipment of a kobold traptinker left on and around it _{(see the ‘Treasure’ section)}.

Blighted stone and wood. Blighted water drawn from area 17, the water cavern, infected its containers and surrounding surfaces. Meanwhile, the troll’s blight has also spread into its immediate environment. A character that succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check of the room notices that several of the remaining barrels in the southwestern corner are badly rotted. The wood of the kegs and their supports in areas touching and surrounding the troll’s waste are likewise affected. On a roll of 14 or higher, they notice the same discoloration spreading into the nearby stone as well, and see that this corruption appears to radiate from the barrels and waste themselves, suggesting that they are the source.

A character that inspects the affected stone and wood can make the same skill checks as in any other area of blighted stone to glean information about the blight _{(see the ‘Blighted stone’ section of ‘The Reaver Halls‘)}. These areas are extremely blighted, the affected wood crumbling under any force, lowering the DC of skill checks made to study them by 4.

Additionally, a character that has encountered other objects that once held blighted water, such as in area 8, the kitchen, can make a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check to deduce a connection between them and the barrels in the cellar. The character surmises that the rot likely spread from whatever was held in the containers, which was used across various rooms in the tunnels. The character does not need to make this check if they have successfully investigated the blight in the well chambers or the water cavern, as they recognize that the culprit was likely the blighted water _{(see the ‘Blighted stone and wood’ sections of areas 9.b. and 15.a., the ‘Northern Well‘ and ‘Lower Southern Well’, as well as the ‘Blighted Water’ section of area 17, the ‘Water Cavern’)}.

Blighted troll. The blighted mountain troll rests in the waste pile in the eastern side of the cellar _{(see the ‘Stinking waste pile’ section)}. Its sickness has eroded its mind and senses and weakened its body to the point of not being able to climb back out of the tunnels, leaving it to idle in its feeding ground as its natural regeneration fights the blight.

The troll is dormant and lying prone but is still conscious when the party arrives, having returned to its rest since being disturbed by the kobolds and managing to kill and eat one of them. It is roused by any sufficiently loud noises that reach it and will immediately set to hunt for its source _{(see ‘Waking the troll’ and ‘Pursuing its prey’ in the ‘Developments’ section)}.

Developments

Waking the troll. The troll reacts to any sounds that it hears echoing from nearby rooms. This includes the sounds of traps being triggered and the screams of shriekers _{(see ‘Waking the troll’ in the ‘Developments’ sections of areas 6 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12)}, as well as any combat or other sources of sufficient noise, which travel further as they echo through the halls _{(see the ‘Echoes’ section of ‘The Reaver Halls‘)}. The troll makes a Wisdom (Perception) check to determine whether its blighted senses detect the sound, the DC of which depends on how loud and how close to the troll the sound is. On a success, the troll hears the activity within the tunnels and rouses to pursue the source of the sound _{(see the ‘Pursuing its prey’ section’)}. The troll has disadvantage on the check due to being exhausted. If the DC of the check is 7 or lower, the troll’s passive Perception score with disadvantage, it automatically succeeds without the need for a check.

Pursuing its prey. The troll rouses from its rest in the cellar when it is alerted to other presences in the tunnels, but it is slowed as it regains its senses. It awakens with 2 levels of exhaustion and loses 1 level each minute thereafter. The troll initially walks in the direction of the noise it heard, making appropriate Wisdom (Perception) checks to locate the sound’s source, and begins to move more quickly if it hears additional echoes. It begins its pursuit properly once it sees the party.

The troll’s mind remains muddled and faltering even after its senses return. Though it is capable of understanding Giant, it can no longer form words and has a failing ability to process complex thoughts, operating only on wrath and with no regard for anything but its own survival. As such, the troll largely relies on its instincts and continues to hunt the party and any kobolds it encounters until it has killed every creature it is aware of in the tunnels. It does its best to track them, making use of alternative paths and following echoes if it loses the group’s trail, such as from them moving through tunnels that are too small for the troll. If there is nothing to follow, the troll continues to wander through the halls and rooms while making skill checks to locate its targets. It only returns to its rest after several hours without finding any signs of prey.

The troll attacks wildly and savagely when it finds the party or kobolds, usually attacking the closest target and showing little use of tactics or acknowledgement of the damage it takes. It retreats only if it is reduced to under 20 hit points and has recently had its Regeneration ability halted, such as by taking acid or fire damage. If it manages to incapacitate its prey, it drags the creature away in an attempt to safely feed on it in a secluded corner, making use of the cellar if it is no more than two rooms away.

It is a good idea to highlight the troll’s Regeneration ability when the party first witnesses it. Giving a short visual description of its body healing should be enough to demonstrate one of the key challenges of killing the troll: not allowing it to escape and recover all of its hit points. This creates a cost to simply running away from the troll, as it will replenish itself between appearances, and requires the characters to find a solution to its natural healing, likely through experimentation, an adequate Intelligence (Nature) check, or an alliance with the Firebloods. Given the importance of this mechanic, the first negation of the troll’s Regeneration should likewise be given a description that makes it clear to the party.

Treasure

The corpse of the kobold traptinker still has some of its gear on and around it, including the kobold’s dagger, light crossbow and bolts, a bag each of ball bearings and caltrops, and a single flask of what appears to be alchemist’s fire.

Fireblood flask. The flask that resembles alchemist’s fire is in fact a fireblood flask, though the party may not initially be aware of this. The vessel is warm to the touch, which a character that is proficient in the use of alchemist’s supplies recognizes as a sign that the concoction is not simply alchemist’s fire. The character can make a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) or Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check to identify the flask as a more potent form of the usual firebomb. The character has advantage on the check if they spend several minutes using a set of alchemist’s supplies to test the liquid. A character is able to make the same connection if they see another fireblood flask used, such as by a kobold.

A character that interacts with both the fireblood flask and the burning jar left in the alchemy laboratory recognizes the similarity between the two _{(see ‘Burning jar’ in the ‘Treasure’ section of area 12, the ‘Upper Alchemy Laboratory‘)}. If the character succeeds on the skill checks to identify the two concoctions, they confirm that they are approximately the same, with only minor differences in ingredients and age.

If the character successfully identifies the flask’s effects and has read the first part of Vincent MacHale’s research, they make the connection between the flasks and the oil that Vincent mentioned the Reavers using to combat devils _{(see section 1 of ‘Vincent MacHale’s Research‘ under ‘Studying Vincent’s Research‘, in the ‘In Walls That Talk‘ adventure)}. The character recognizes the similarities between the two and their ability to inhibit a creature’s regeneration, which suggests that the weapon oil and the flasks are derived from the same formula or ingredient.

9.b. Northern Well

The room is octagonal and undecorated, with only a single entrance and a circular structure in its center. This fixture resembles a well, a border of stone bricks with a wooden lid the same size as the circle propped against it. A winch is anchored to the ceiling above, connecting to a crank at the well’s side and supporting a thick chain that descends through the opening of the circle and into unknown depths.

The Reavers used wells as a means of drawing water from the natural water cavern that the tunnels were built around. These mechanisms would lower a weighted barrel into the cavern’s water, allowing it to fill, then raise it back to the higher levels. The well’s lid would then be placed back over the opening to form a platform for loading the barrel safely onto a cart. Once the water was alchemically purified of any nonmagical contaminants, it would be sent to supply the various different areas. The northern well primarily supplied areas 9.a. and 10, the cellar and farm chamber, where its only entrance is connected to via a branching hallway that has collapsed under the effects of the blight _{(see the ‘Blocked hallway’ section)}.

Well mechanism. The well has been left uncovered, with the barrel lowered most of the way into area 17, the water cavern. The chain descends a total of 75 feet from the ceiling of the well chamber, or 55 feet from the level of its floor, down a 30-foot shaft carved through the stone and into the cavern. The final 25 feet of chain hang within the open space of the cavern, with the barrel 15 feet above the surface of the water. The barrel itself is large enough for a Medium creature to fit inside, though its wood is weakened and can only support a creature that is Small or smaller _{(see the ‘Blighted stone and wood’ section)}. If a creature that is any larger than Small-sized places its weight on the barrel, its wood breaks.

The crank beside the well can be used to raise or lower the barrel, taking approximately 1 minute to move it from the level of the well to the surface of the water.

Drifting stench. The stench of the troll’s waste pile permeates adjacent rooms. Any character that enters the well chamber is able to follow the smell toward its source in area 9.a., the cellar. The smell becomes overpowering if a character moves too close to it through the collapsed hallway _{(see the ‘Stinking waste pile’ section of area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}.

Blocked hallway. The hallway that connects westward was damaged by the collapse that affected the surrounding rooms, its southern wall and part of its ceiling being broken. The rubble that fell now fills enough of the passage that only Medium or smaller creatures can move through the space, or Large creatures can squeeze through. The loose rubble is also considered difficult terrain. The connection to area 10, the farm chamber, is completely blocked by fallen stone.

Blighted stone and wood. The water that the well drew from area 17, the water cavern, was blighted. This blight has spread into the stone surrounding the well’s opening and immediately in front of it, though it is not visible as the stone has not been damaged. The wood of the cover is likewise blighted, which a character notices if they inspect it closely or make a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check to observe the room.

The barrel shows far more rot than any other point in the room, which a character notices simply by seeing it up close. A character that inspects the barrel can make the same skill checks as in any other area of blight to recognize and study the corruption _{(see the ‘Blighted stone’ section of ‘The Reaver Halls‘)}. The severity of the wood’s blight lowers the DC of these skill checks by 4. Additionally, a character that succeeds on a skill check to inspect the blighted wood notices that the rot worsens towards the bottom of the inside, with less severe degradation near the top and on its exterior surface. A character that learns this and that makes a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check deduces that the blight must have spread from the barrel’s contents. If they are aware of the barrel and well’s purpose or where it draws from, they understand that it is the water that is blighted.

Developments

Waking the troll. The well mechanism is old and creaks when it is used. If the crank is operated at full speed, the troll in the nearby cellar is alerted by the sound without the need for a skill check. A character can instead choose to operate the crank slowly, reducing the sound but doubling the amount of time it takes to move the barrel. If the crank is being operated at half-speed or slower, the troll must succeed on a DC 8 Wisdom (Perception) check to hear the sound. The troll has disadvantage on the check due to being exhausted _{(see ‘Pursuing its prey’ in the ‘Developments’ section of area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}.

10. Farm Chamber

The full extent of an expansive chamber is lost under rubble, its ceiling having collapsed into a pile of stone that now cuts the space off early. Yet even this debris itself is consumed, coated in a blanket of dull plants that have grown to violently dominate the space, matted ivy strangling stones covered in grey moss. The foliage envelopes almost every surface, winding across natural and carved stone and through one of the doorways, and clouding the humid air with pollen.

The farm chamber was created to supplement the tunnels’ food stores with fresh fruits, berries, and vegetables. This contributed greatly to both the health and morale of the residents, particularly those that came from Greybanner. They, in turn, shared knowledge that improved the Reavers’ food production and quality.

The chamber itself was an expansive hall larger than even the mess hall, a basic rectangle divided into plots of soil imported from the forest surrounding the mountains. An additional alcove in the southwest holds tools and other everyday supplies. Though far smaller than conventional farmland, the crops were able to rotate effectively and keep pace with the kitchen’s demand thanks to the use of alchemical fertilizers that accelerated the plants’ growth. This proved to also be the chamber’s downfall once the spreading blight set in.

The blight spread from the depths of area 18, the veneration hall, and infected the tunnels’ water source. This infected water was then taken to irrigate the farm, where it found easy purchase in the rich soil and growth-accelerated plants. Blighted plants were then used to create fertilizer, leading to a loop that quickly exacerbated the blight. This coincided with lesser symptoms spreading through the residents as a result of drinking the water and consuming blighted food, with alchemists such as Franklin Hilrich growing the most ill due to working with the plants. The quarantining of the alchemists’ work areas helped to slow the plants’ progress as they were no longer receiving fertilizer, and the finite amount of soil limited how large they could grow. Regardless, the blight had already infected the halls’ key supplies, nigh guaranteeing the tunnels’ later abandonment.

The farm and neighboring area 11, the reagent garden, were left to be completely overtaken by the plants, which grew as far as their limited soil would allow them before slowing drastically. They filled their respective spaces and spilled into surrounding rooms, kept alive by the blight’s regeneration. The potent blight of the farm chamber also weakened its stone, eventually leading to a collapse that blocked most of the northwestern doorway to area 9, the storeroom, and completely cut off the northern entrance to the hallway connecting to areas 9.a. and 9.b., the cellar and northern well _{(see the ‘Collapsed ceiling’ section)}. This collapse also left a sizable open space in the chamber’s ceiling, from which the remnants of a shaft continue to rise.

Much of the room is obscured by the dense layer of blighted foliage, rendering its interior difficult terrain. The room’s stone floor forms a border that is 15 feet wide against the western wall and 10 feet wide in the north and south. The area enclosed by this descends 1 foot into a plot of soil that is now overcome by the plants. There is 3 feet of soil beneath the plants, under which is unworked stone that has begun to crack and break under the strain of the roots. A character that steps into the farm plot or that makes a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the soil under the layer of foliage. This, or inspecting the tools stored in the southwestern alcove, allows a character to deduce the room’s likely purpose.

Ventilation shafts. The farm chamber featured a greater number of ventilation shafts than other rooms, owing to its size. Only one pair is still visible, set into the western side of the southern wall, while others have been buried in the collapse _{(see the ‘Collapsed ceiling’ section)}. Both shafts of the pair share a vertical shaft with a pair in area 11, the reagent garden. In order to connect, the diagonal section of the intake shaft on the left is 10 feet longer than regular shafts. The overgrown plants have also crept 40 feet into the ventilation shafts, making this area difficult terrain.

A 5-by-10-foot vertical intake shaft also rises from within the space left by the collapsed ceiling, its opening filled with and obscured by the rampant foliage.

Sunglobes. In addition to fertilizers, the farmers also employed alchemical mixtures that produced synthetic sunlight to feed the plants. These were stored in specially crafted glass orbs that were separated into two chambers, either hemisphere holding one half of the concoction. The orbs could be twisted to align an opening between the two halves, combining the mixtures in a reaction that released magical sunlight over time. They were then placed in brass fixtures attached to the chamber’s ceiling, approximately 60 feet apart from each other. Only one of these fixtures is still visible, with others lost in the collapse. These globes were costly to create and refill, requiring the most skilled alchemists, and so needed to be rotated through the sections of the farm. This also made them a priority item for the departing Reavers to take with them, though it is possible that some were left behind _{(see the ‘Treasure’ section)}.

Collapsed ceiling. The dense blight and clawing plants destabilized the chamber’s ceiling, causing a collapse. The rubble has claimed most of the room, leaving only the southwestern corner untouched and a mound of rough debris blocking off the rest of the space. This pile ascends into the space left by the collapsed stone, both of which are also covered in blighted plants _{(see the ‘Blighted plants’ section)}. Both the debris and the stone in the space above are heavily blighted, lowering the DC of skill checks to study it by 3, though the plants obscure sight of the stone, imposing disadvantage on these skill checks if the foliage is not cleared _{(see the ‘Blighted stone’ section of ‘The Reaver Halls‘)}.

Blocked doorway. The collapse has also blocked the northwestern doorway to area 9, the storeroom, with rubble filling the entrance and spilling into the other side. The doorframe and entrance are still visible, with a gap large enough for a Tiny creature to move through, or Small creature to squeeze through. This opening can be safely expanded to allow larger creatures through by removing the stones blocking the doorway. It takes 2 minutes to make the gap large enough for a Small or smaller creature to fit through, or a Medium creature to squeeze. Spending 5 minutes clears a space large enough for a Medium or smaller creature to fit, or a Large creature to squeeze through. A character that spends twice as long moving the rocks can make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to do so quietly.

Clearing the rubble creates noise that may echo to the nearby troll _{(see ‘Waking the troll’ in the ‘Developments’ section)}.

Drifting stench. The stench of the troll’s rotten feeding ground drifts through the gap in the northwestern doorway leading to the storeroom but is largely overpowered by the plants in the room. A character that moves within 15 feet of the opening and that succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check smells the fetor and can recognize that it is coming from beyond the blockage.

Blighted plants. The plants in both the farm and area 11, the reagent garden, were some of the first features of the tunnels affected by the spread of blight from an artifact of the Eyes of Blood. The necrotic sickness had spread into the cave’s water supply and then the soil, infecting the plants that the alchemists then used as reagents in creating fertilizer. This compounded the effects, causing the plants to violently overgrow and manifest acrid grey moss in ways similar to the Bramblejade _{(see the ‘Bramblejade Forest‘ section of ‘Geographic Features‘ in ‘The Greybanner Region‘, as well as the ‘Into The Bramblejade‘ adventure)}. The tunnels’ gradual abandonment left the plants to continue growing until they overtook their respective chambers and began spreading into others.

Discolored plants cover almost every surface of the farm, rendering the room difficult terrain. They continue through the southwestern doorway into the reagent garden, which is similarly overtaken, but the collapsed ceiling has largely cut them off from entering area 9, the storeroom, or the hallway connecting to areas 9.a. and 9.b. _{(see the ‘Collapsed ceiling’ section)}.

Characters that see the plants recognize their similarity to those of the Bramblejade forest, particularly the flora closest to Verdantguard, and closer inspection confirms the similarity. A character that studies the plants can make several of the same skill checks as in the Bramblejade forest to gather information about the foliage and the blight affecting it, connecting any discoveries to other information available in the Reaver tunnels. These checks include the following:

• A successful DC 11 Intelligence (Investigation) or Intelligence (Nature) check recognizes that the plants in the room have experienced unnatural growth despite an apparent lack of nutrients or light, continuing to grow beyond when they should have withered and died, and continuing after the ceiling collapsed. The character also spots several different varieties of plants, though they are unable to identify exactly what they are.
  On a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check, they are able to identify similarities to potato plants and pumpkin vines, though they cannot explain additions such as thorns and grey moss. The character also confirms that the soil has been drained of any nutrients, suggesting that something else must be sustaining the foliage.
• A character that makes a successful DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check identifies the presence of necrotic magic in the plants, though this alone does not explain the plants’ growth. If the character has previously recognized the same magic in the tunnels’ stone and made the connection to the plants in the Bramblejade, this allows them to confirm the various effects as being the same.
• A character that has investigated the tools and notes in area 12, the upper alchemy laboratory, can connect the mentions of a ‘fertilizer’ to the plants’ growth. If the character also successfully studied the formula for making the fertilizer, they recognize that several of the ingredients were likely grown in the farm _{(see the ‘Pinned pages’ section of area 12, the ‘Upper Alchemy Laboratory‘)}. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check sees the character deduce that this likely took whatever has affected the plants and introduced it into the fertilizer itself, feeding back to the farm and creating a loop that worsened the affliction more quickly than it naturally would have.

Additionally, some of the plants have grown large and dangerous enough to attack nearby creatures in hopes of feeding on them for nutrients. These include the following:

• Two shriekers, one of which hides in the north of the room, to the side of the hallway leading to areas 9.a. and 9.b., while the other is in the open section of ceiling left by the collapse.
• A single tendril moss grows on the rubble pile beneath the shrieker attached to the ceiling. The moss is 25 feet away from the shrieker.
• Two patches of thorn moss, one of which grows on the west-facing surface of a pillar in the room’s south. The moss is 15 feet above the ground. The second patch is at the base of the rubble pile towards the room’s north.
• A violet fungus hides in the rubble in the center of the room.
• A cluster of bewilderblooms grows on the wall directly beside the entrance to area 11.

All of these creatures are blighted, granting them additional abilities but lessening the effectiveness of their camouflage, as they occasionally twitch and shudder. The plants are all dormant and hidden when the party arrives, making use of their respective False Appearance abilities to blend into the other blighted foliage. A character that has recognized one of the plants as a living creature is able to spot other patches of matching plants, including both mundane growths and other instances of the same creature, with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Nature) check.

Blighted stone. Much of the stone in the farm chamber is badly blighted, owing to the plants and the use of blighted water, lowering the DC of skill checks to study it by 2 _{(see the ‘Blighted stone’ section of ‘The Reaver Halls‘)}. It is especially potent under the soil of the farmland, where the blight has weakened the stone enough for the plants’ roots to break and pierce it. Clearing enough soil to reveal the blighted stone beneath or bordering it lowers the DC of skill checks to study the blight by 4.

Developments

Waking the troll. The sound from a shrieker using its shriek is loud enough to rouse the blighted mountain troll resting in area 9.a., the cellar, without the troll making a skill check. The same is true if a character attempts to clear the stones blocking the northwestern doorway without making a Dexterity (Stealth) check to remain quiet _{(see the ‘Blocked doorway’ section)}. If a character clears the stones quietly, the troll must instead make a Wisdom (Perception) check to hear them. The troll has disadvantage on this check due to being exhausted _{(see ‘Determining DCs’ and ‘Pursuing its prey’ in the ‘Developments’ section of area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}.

The party engaging in combat with the plants may also create echoes that reach the troll, potentially drawing its attention depending on the fight’s events _{(see ‘Determining DCs’ in area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}.

Treasure

The southern alcove holds many gardening tools, including shovels and farming sickles, most of which are blighted and unable to be used without breaking. Basic items such as buckets and sacks are stored alongside the tools.

Faded sunglobe. In addition to any bloodlight crystals left behind in sconces on the room’s pillars, a thick brass fixture hanging near the center of the room’s remaining ceiling may still hold an alchemical globe, the contents of which have aged but still function at a lesser effectiveness. When a character enters the room, roll a d20. On a roll of 11 or higher, a globe is still held within. On a roll of 19 or 20, there is a second globe in the rubble beneath, which can be discovered with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check.

A character with proficiency in the use of alchemist’s supplies can make a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) or Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check to identify the concoctions inside the globe. On a success, they identify the globe as a faded sunglobe, ascertaining that combining the fluids within would cause a potent reaction that generates magical sunlight and significant heat. The character has advantage on the check if they spend an hour or more using a set of the aforementioned tools to test the liquids. A character can also deduce the globe’s effect if they have successfully deciphered the formulae pinned to the board in area 12 _{(see ‘Pinned pages’ section of area 12, the ‘Upper Alchemy Laboratory‘)}. A character can also make a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check to learn the function of the globe mechanism itself without having to activate it, identifying that its two hemispheres can be twisted to create an opening that allows the contents of both sides to mix.

11. Reagent Garden

The oddly shaped room is filled with shelving that lines its walls and stands in rows in an alcove on one side, while two tables are set in the center. They support countless pots and trays that must once have held carefully tended plants, yet are now broken, their contents overgrowing into a discolored, acidic-smelling tangle that has overtaken the space.

The reagent garden connected the farm and alchemy laboratories, both physically and in purpose. It acted as a secondary space for the alchemists and was used to grow the many flowers, herbs, and other flora needed for their work. As such, the room itself is relatively simple. It is lined with shelving to hold all of the plants, samples, and tools, along with only two basic worktables, as any complicated work was done in the adjacent area 12, the upper alchemy laboratory. The southern wall recesses into an area holding rows of freestanding shelving units that stored growing plants.

Like the adjacent farm, the workers employed alchemical fertilizers to expedite the plants’ growth and maintain production. When the blight began infecting the nearby chambers and alchemists fell ill, the garden was one of the first chambers quarantined. This was done to prevent further infection, as the residents believed the sickness to be in the plants and were unaware of its spreading through their water and the very stone around them. Unfortunately, this was only done after several cycles of blighted plants being used to create fertilizer, which was then applied to the farm and garden. The symptoms therefore continued despite the measures taken, and the plants’ growth rampaged and mutated in isolation. This has continued since the Reavers and other inhabitants left, with the plants now claiming the entirety of their rooms and creeping into others.

Ventilation shafts. The reagent garden features two pairs of ventilation shafts. One pair is set into the northern wall and shares vertical shafts with those of area 9, the storeroom. Another pair extends into the eastern wall, with both shafts of the pair sharing vertical shafts with vents in area 10, the farm chamber. In order to connect, the diagonal section of the shaft on the right is 10 feet longer than regular shafts. The overgrown plants have also crept 40 feet into the shafts, making this area difficult terrain. Similarly, in order to align with other chambers’ intake and outtake shafts, both pairs of ventilation shafts in the reagent garden have their intake shaft on the right and the shaft with space for a fire on the left.

Blighted plants. The plants in the reagent garden suffered the same fate as those in area 10, the farm chamber, rendering the space inside the garden difficult terrain. These plants grow from pots and trays on the room’s tables and shelving, and areas that are within 5 feet of two of these fixtures are densely filled with bramble-like tangles. A creature that is not a plant and that begins its turn in one of these areas, or enters one of these areas for the first time on its turn, must make a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be restrained in the growth. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to make a DC 11 Strength check, freeing itself on a success.

Characters can make the same skill checks as in the farm to glean information about the plants _{(see the ‘Blighted plants’ section of area 10, the ‘Farm Chamber‘)}.

Like the farm, many of the plants have also evolved into aggressive creatures that now guard their territory. These include the following:

• A shrieker is perched on a shelf in the room’s southeast.
• A patch of thorn moss hides in the shelving in the southern section of the room.
• A tendril fungus sits in the middle of the eastern table in the center of the room.
• Two bewilderblooms grow, one in the northeastern corner of the room and the other near the middle of the northern shelving.

These creatures are all blighted and hiding with their False Appearance ability. Characters that have recognized the creatures can make the same DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Nature) check to identify other areas of the same plants, whether they be other creatures or simply mundane foliage.

Develpoments

Waking the troll. The sound from a shrieker using its shriek is loud enough to rouse the blighted mountain troll resting in area 9.a., the cellar, without the troll making a skill check.

The echoes of the party engaging in combat with the plants may also reach the troll, potentially waking it if loud enough _{(see ‘Determining DCs’ in area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}.

Treasure

A cabinet in the room contains myriad gardening tools. A character can combine these with other tools in area 12, the upper alchemy laboratory, to form a makeshift herbalism kit.

12. Upper Alchemy Laboratory

The room is tightly packed with desks and shelving, the workspaces all still equipped with arrangements of flasks, alembics, and other alchemical tools. Books are lined on the shelves and unknown liquids fill assorted jars, left in place as if to resume work the next day. Yet the room has been overcome by its abandonment. The expected dust is stained with patches of darkened grime that soils papers and tomes, while overgrowing plants spill through one of the doorways, snaking across furniture and wending towards a staircase that descends on one side of the room.

The resident laboratory, split into two levels, was built to service the medical and alchemical needs of the Reaver tunnels. It and its alchemists were the understated heart of the tunnels that kept everyone in working condition. The laboratory’s upper level specialized in medicines and other everyday requirements, such as the production of powerful fertilizers for areas 10 and 11, the farm chamber and reagent garden.

The room is lined with shelves, cupboards, and desks, with three additional workstations filling the center of its space. These are all littered with multitudes of flasks, beakers, and other alchemical equipment, as well as evidence of its workers’ experiments, such as jarred samples and sparse notes. The alchemists were some of the first affected by the blight’s spread in the tunnels, owing to their constant handling of the plants and water, and so their laboratories were also some of the first to be abandoned and quarantined. As such, a greater number of their personal effects were left behind. Only the most important texts were saved from the laboratories’ fates, the remaining contents now scattered around the room in the form of books and sparse pages _{(see the ‘Ledgers and records’, ‘Discarded books’, ‘Pinned pages’, and ‘Scattered pages’ sections)}. Many of these have been slowly claimed by age, moisture, and the encroaching foliage _{(see the ‘Blighted plants’ section)}.

This foliage and the creatures it hides have repelled even the kobolds, who burrowed into the room but retreated after discovering the hostile plants. As such, they have yet to search the laboratory.

The upper laboratory has four exits. A staircase descends from the room’s southeastern corner to area 15, the lower alchemy laboratory. A door in the northeastern corner connects to area 11, the reagent garden, while a western doorway opens into area 6.a., the central southern hallway, which curves northward to reach area 6, the central intersection chamber. This hallway passes a northward branch that is consumed by rubble before coming to the collapse that fills most of the tunnel. Finally, a dumbwaiter set into the western wall connects to both areas 3 and 15 _{(see the ‘Dumbwaiter’ section)}.

Ventilation shafts. The alchemy laboratory has two tightly paired ventilation shafts built into its northern wall. These share their vertical shafts with those of area 15, the lower alchemy laboratory, as well as a pair of shafts in area 8, the kitchen. Additional outgoing shafts extend into the ceiling above the two tables in the center of the room, designed to extract any fumes produced by the alchemists’ work.

Dumbwaiter. A dumbwaiter is set into the room’s western wall. It was created to ease the delivery of items between the alchemy laboratories and area 3, the workshop. The dumbwaiter is a 3-foot-square opening in the wall that opens to a 3-foot-square vertical shaft. A wooden platform is inside, held by chains and able to be moved between levels by the use of a crank beside the opening. The dumbwaiter platform is at the workshop in the tunnels’ upper level when the party arrives. A creature can work the crank as an action to move the dumbwaiter one level up or down.

Blighted stone and wood. The alchemists’ work with blighted plants caused the stone and wood of their work areas to become badly blighted, lowering the DC of skill checks to study it by 3 _{(see the ‘Blighted stone’ section of ‘The Reaver Halls‘)}. A character that closely observes the workstations or that succeeds on a DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check of the room notices the effects, seeing that the wood of many desks and shelves has rotted, and the stone touching these fixtures is darkened and brittle. On a roll of 13 or higher, the character also notices that these effects appear to center on the alchemical tools in the room, as well as the areas where the overgrowing plants are densest _{(see the ‘Blighted plants’ section)}. Many of these tools are likewise blighted, rendering them unusable _{(see the ‘Treasure section’)}.

Blighted plants. The blighted plants from the neighboring reagent garden have grown through the doorway and into the laboratory _{(see the ‘Blighted plants’ section of area 11, the ‘Reagent Garden‘)}. They have spread through roughly one third of the room, covering the walls, floor, and furniture, with some even spreading across the ceiling. The areas covered by plants is difficult terrain, and characters can make the same skill checks as in area 11 to investigate the plants.

Additionally, two of the more dangerous plants have found their way into the laboratory. A violet fungus hangs in the upper corner of the room beside the door to area 11, while a patch of thorn moss grows against the eastern wall near the staircase.

Ledgers and records. The top shelf of the bookshelf in the room’s southwestern corner has several books with consecutively numbered spines. Their ink has faded but is still legible. Glancing over their contents shows them to be detailed records of everything the alchemy laboratories ordered from beyond the tunnels, as well as everything that the alchemists created. The entries are all written in Common, and each one is accompanied by a date, quantity, and a space for added notes.

Skimming over the text reveals almost constant production of ‘fertilizer’, ‘purifier’, and ‘heating stones’, as well as consistent but less frequent entries labeled as ‘sunglobe paste’ and ‘sunglobe catalyst’. There are similarly infrequent entries titled as ‘brew’ followed by a number, each iteration one higher than the last and with a note of criticism, such as ‘too bitter’, ‘flat’, and ‘aftertaste of leaves’.

The records also feature a number of remedies for basic ailments, spread out as one might expect. A character that spends time reading the final few pages of the most recent book sees that these grew far more frequent towards the end of the recorded period. Additionally, the alchemists began producing ‘energy tonics’, and also fulfilled two specific commissions: three potions of healing for a ‘Yalma‘ and six ‘sleeping potions’ for someone named ‘Ivuus‘. A character that has seen the mysterious Reaver potions in the upper living quarters can infer that they are likely the products of one of these two commissions, though this information alone is not enough to identify which of the two they are _{(see the ‘Treasure’ section of area 1.a., ‘Upper Quarters 1’)}.

Discarded books. Additional books are scattered across the room’s shelves and desks, with some having fallen to the floor. Moisture and the encroaching foliage have damaged these texts according to how close they are to the plants, many of them being destroyed or rendered illegible. Those that can still be read are quickly identifiable by their titles as textbooks on alchemy, botany, and medicine. They are all written in Common, though skimming through the pages reveals notes that have been added in Giant. A character that can read these notes finds that they are reminders, cross-references, and other jotted thoughts that one might expect from someone studying the texts. Other pages have been bookmarked and some have additional pages of notes added to them _{(see the ‘Scattered notes’ section)}.

A character that takes time to look through the texts, particularly those that have been bookmarked, notices particular topics that have been focused on. The books on botany pertain to the growing of plants in harsh environments and how a lack of necessities, such as sunlight and soil nutrients, can be made up for. Those covering alchemy and medicine are closely linked and discuss common sicknesses and everyday tonics designed to aid workers. Of particular note are the bookmarked pages, which cover various infections and transferable illnesses and their respective treatments. Many of these have additional notes scrawled beside them, some in Common and others in Giant, which appear to label particular symptoms or other aspects of the sicknesses described. A character that makes a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Medicine) check recognizes that these notes are ruling out the mentioned symptoms, likely in an attempt to diagnose an illness. That these notes vandalize the books themselves, rather than being on separate pages, suggests an element of urgency in their creation.

Pinned pages. The alchemists left a number of their personal notes in the laboratory. One notable set of these pages is pinned to a board above the southern desk, where two distinct clusters of notes have been attached. These papers share in the disrepair of the room’s books, with rotting edges and ink that fades and runs from moisture.

The notes pinned to the board’s left half appear to be formulae and instructions for creating particular alchemical mixtures, all written in Common. A character that is proficient in the use of alchemist’s supplies can make a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) or Intelligence (Alchemist’s supplies) check to identify the products of these formulae. On a success, they recognize that one set of notes instructs the creation of a fertilizer that would accelerate plant growth. Another details the process behind a purifying solution that draws the nonmagical impurities out of water. A character that has successfully investigated the overgrowth in areas 10, 11, and 12 can make the logical connection between the fertilizer and the rampant plant growth, though they require further information if they are to deduce the blight’s influence as well _{(see the ‘Blighted plants’ sections of areas 10, 11, and 12, the ‘Farm Chamber‘, ‘Reagent Garden‘, and ‘Upper Alchemy Laboratory‘)}.

On a roll of 18 or higher, the character sees that other notes cover the process of creating two paired mixtures, a paste and a liquid, which would react with each other to produce a slow release of light and heat. If a character has identified a faded sunglobe that may remain in area 10, they identify that the described mixtures are likely those contained within the globe _{(see the ‘Treasure’ section of area 10, the ‘Farm Chamber‘)}. A character that has seen a sunglobe but not identified its purpose can similarly use the notes to infer the globe’s effect.

The second set of pages is a collection of written profiles with names followed by lists of professions, rooms, and symptoms, additional notes having been scrawled alongside them. The legible remnants of these pages read the following:

A character that reads these profiles understands that they list each person’s name, occupation, and symptoms. If the character succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they are able to deduce from the listed rooms and the person’s occupation that the rooms are likely areas that the subject frequented. A character that succeeds on this skill check and that has explored any of the three areas of living quarters recognizes the numbering on each page’s second line as a similar numbering system to the living quarters, likely corresponding to the room of the person described.

Scattered notes. Other notes are scattered around the room, some loose and others weighed down by books or slipped between their pages. Their writing largely pertains to the study of sicknesses and their cures. These texts are the most damaged in the room, though many are legible enough to glean information from. They include lists of symptoms and other illnesses, with myriad notes added and areas crossed out. The notes are written in both Common and Giant, and many are in a form of shorthand, making their meanings and progress difficult to interpret.

A character can assemble and read the notes to investigate their purpose. If the character has also read the bookmarked pages in the room’s medical texts, they identify these notes as direct continuations of the notes in the books’ passages, progressing the writers’ study of different symptoms _{(see the ‘Discarded books’ section)}. A character that is proficient in either the Medicine skill or the use of alchemist’s supplies or a herblism kit can make a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check to decipher the shorthand. The character has advantage on the check if they can read both Common and Giant. A character that does not have the required proficiencies can make the same check with disadvantage. On a success, they see that the authors were attempting to diagnose an illness by cross-referencing symptoms and eliminating incompatible explanations, using this to develop a potential treatment. The writers mention symptoms including exhaustion, insomnia, muscle atrophy, nightmares, bouts of confusion, and violent outbursts. They question how the sickness was spreading, with evidence for both poisoning and through physical contact, but do not come to a conclusion. Finally, they appear to have attempted multiple cures with little to no success before resorting to treating individual symptoms. The notes then end.

Kobold tunnels. The kobolds have dug a tunnel into the eastern side of the northern wall. Its entrance is under a desk and covered thickly by plants, requiring a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice. The entrance to the tunnel also has a string that can be pulled to activate a trap _{(see the ‘Kobold traps’ section)}.

Kobold traps. A wire runs from the entrance of the kobold tunnel to a shelf above it _{(see the ‘Kobold tunnels’ section)}, where it loops around a protruding nail and runs loosely behind a set of filled jars and vials, its other end anchored to another nail. The wire can be pulled taut to cause the glass containers to fall from the shelf and break on the floor, releasing their spoiled contents. If the trap is triggered, roll a 1d8 and consult the table below to determine the effect of the scattering contents:

The sound of the shattering glass may also wake the troll resting nearby _{(see ‘the ‘Waking the troll’ in the ‘Developments’ section)}.

The top level of the dumbwaiter is also rigged with a tripwire that triggers both a pouch of choking powder and a swinging stone trap in area 3, the workshop _{(see the ‘Kobold traps’ section of area 3, the ‘Workshop‘)}.

Developments

Waking the troll. The blighted mountain troll resting in area 9.a., the cellar, can be roused if sufficient noise is made in the laboratory, such as the shattering glass of the trapped jars or the cabinet containing unspoiled samples _{(see the ‘Kobold traps’ and ‘Treasure’ sections)}. If the trap is triggered or glass shattered, the troll makes a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check, noticing the sound on a success. The troll has disadvantage on the check due to being exhausted _{(see ‘Pursuing its prey’ in the ‘Developments’ section of area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}. The DC of this check may change if any doors between the laboratory and cellar are closed or if the blockage between the farm chamber and the cellar is cleared _{(see ‘Determining DCs’ in area 9.a., the ‘Cellar)}.

Evidence of an alliance. A jar left in the laboratory contains a mixture strikingly similar to the Fireblood kobolds’ fireblood flasks _{(see ‘Burning jar’ in the ‘Treasure’ section)}. A character can make this connection if they have successfully identified the burning jar and then see a flask in use, or if they successfully identify both the jar and the flask found in area 9.a., the cellar _{(see ‘Fireblood flask’ in the ‘Treasure’ section of Area 9.a., the ‘Cellar‘)}.

If a member of the kobold vanguard sees the party find or study the jar, they grow suspicious of its contents, particularly if the characters openly discuss the mixture and the heat it produces. A kobold that witnesses the jar being used can confirm its similarity to their firebombs. If the jar has not been used and either a fireblood slinkscholar or Ekra Snakemind studies its contents, they too can recognize that the mixture has only slight differences to the one used by their den. Alternatively, they can also recognize similarities by inspecting the body of a creature burned by the burning jar, though they are far less certain.

Proving the connection between the jar and the fireblood flasks to Rako and his vanguard acts as strong evidence that the kobolds once lived in the tunnels alongside the Reavers. The kobolds are unaware of the Reavers’ involvement in theirs and the serpents’ history and their role in creating the flasks. They instead see the jar as evidence that their ancestors may have trusted the Reavers with their closest secrets, which directly pertains to their goals in the tunnels and is enough to prompt the kobolds to investigate. In response, Rako dispatches a slinkscholar to the laboratory while he personally observes the party, potentially approaching them if he believes they have made further discoveries and might be willing to cooperate. Rako requires additional information about the Firebloods’ and serpents’ history to complement the jar’s discovery before he presents the matter to Ekra, but the conclusions drawn from the jar are strong enough to form the basis of an alliance between the kobolds and the party _{(see the ‘Negotiating a solution’ sections of ‘Rako Trolltaker‘ in the ‘The Kobold Vanguard‘ and of ‘Ekra Snakemind‘ in ‘The Fireblood Den‘)}.

Treasure

A character that looks over the room’s supplies sees that many of them are damaged and blackened, rendering them unfit for use. A character can make the same skill checks to recognize signs and effects of blight as they would for areas of the tunnels’ stone _{(see the ‘Blighted stone’ section of ‘The Reaver Halls‘)}. These blighted tools are brittle and shatter if heated.

The laboratory also contains many unblighted alchemical tools, such as glass bottles and vials, as well as a single hourglass that is cracked but functional. Enough unaffected tools remain to form roughly half of a set of alchemist’s supplies, which can be combined with tools found in the central living quarters to form a full set _{(see the ‘Treasure’ section of area 5.b., ‘Central Quarters 2‘)}.

Other tools in the room can be combined with those in the adjacent reagent garden to form a makeshift herbalism kit _{(see the ‘Treasure’ section of area 11, the ‘Reagent Garden‘)}.

Burning jar. A character that looks through the various potions and other liquids left on the room’s shelves finds a single jar of dark orange liquid that appears similar to alchemist’s fire and is warm to the touch. In truth, the jar contains a similar mixture to that used in the kobolds’ fireblood flasks, though the party cannot identify this without speaking with the kobolds or seeing their flasks in use _{(see ‘Evidence of an Alliance’ in the ‘Developments’ section)}.

A character that is proficient in the use of alchemist’s supplies or that has experience using alchemist’s fire recognizes that the concoction is different to alchemist’s fire, most notably in color. The character can then make a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) or Intelligence (alchemist’s supplies) check to identify the differences. On a success, the character deduces that the jar is a more potent mixture, given its different formula and the fact that it still burns with heat after so long, and learns the effects of the burning jar. The character has advantage on the check if they spend several minutes using a set of alchemist’s supplies to test the liquid.

A character that handles the jar and that has also interacted with a fireblood flask, such as the one found in the cellar, recognizes the similar warmth coming from both concoctions and can deduce that the two may be the same or similar _{(see the ‘Treasure’ section of area 9.b., the ‘Cellar‘)}. If the character succeeds on the skill checks to identify the two concoctions, they confirm that they are approximately the same, with only minor differences in ingredients and age.

If the burning jar is identified, a character that has also read the first part of Vincent MacHale’s research notices a connection between the jar and the oil that Vincent mentioned when discussing the Reavers _{(see section 1 of ‘Vincent MacHale’s Research‘ under ‘Studying Vincent’s Research‘, in the ‘In Walls That Talk‘ adventure)}. The character notes that both concoctions inhibit a creature’s regeneration, which suggests that the weapon oil and the flasks are derived from the same formula or ingredient.

As with the spoiled sleeping potions, the above skill check is only one way to identify the contents of the jar, and other methods, spells, and skill checks can also be used _{(see the ‘Treasure’ section of area 1.a., the ‘Upper Quarters 1‘)}. Different rulebooks provide different, often conflicting options for the skills, so it may be best to choose the one that makes the most sense for you and then stick with it for the sake of consistency.

If the party does not identify the burning jar as anything but alchemist’s fire, you may suggest that they make a small note of its container or where they found it, to separate it from any other flasks they’re carrying. This may become important when it comes to interacting with Rako, as the jar being used or being seen carried by a character is necessary for a potential interaction with the kobold _{(see the ‘Developments’ section)}. Fortunately, labeling the jar as alchemist’s fire does not trick the party, as it has the same basic effect and so can serve the same purpose.

Additionally, a locked cabinet contains a number of other samples that appear unspoiled. The cabinet is locked (requiring a successful DC 18 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to pick) but its doors feature numerous glass panes that can be broken, at the cost of making noise _{(see ‘Waking the troll’ in the ‘Developments’ section)}. The cabinet can also be unlocked with its corresponding key found in area 5.c., central quarters 3 _{(see the ‘Treasure’ section of area 5.c., the ‘Central Quarters 3‘)}.

If a character opens the cabinet, roll 1d4+1 to determine the number of usable concoctions they find. For each one, roll a d8 and consult the following table to determine its contents:

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What’s Next

With the central level now done, all that remains are the rooms in the tunnel’s lowest depths and then its final conclusion. In the meantime, be sure to read through the many previous sections of the Reaver tunnels and refer back to the Adventure Index for all of the previous Greybanner adventures. Feel free to also leave a comment if you have any comments, questions, or thoughts!

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