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The Valeyard

Beyond a rarely-traveled road lies a walled graveyard, the final resting place of many cultists affiliated with the Elemental Plane of Earth. Although the cult has long since abandoned this site (and has possibly been disbanded altogether), its elemental guardians still stand vigilant.

Locations

The graveyard is sat on a shallow circular hill 120 feet in diameter, with its peak being home to a well. The hill is surrounded by a wall on all sides, except for a gate to the east.

Expanding This Location

If your adventurers can get past its morbid origins, the walls seem sturdy enough to transform this into a small keep or outpost for their further operations. Or perhaps a hidden hatch in the groundskeeper's shack leads to an old underground base...

1. Iron Gate

This 10 foot wide, 20 foot tall gate has rusted heavily over the years. While it is locked, the padlock suffers the same condition, and can be pulled apart by a DC 15 Athletics check, or unlocked with a DC 10 Dexterity (thieves' tools) check. Two stone gargoyles stand above the gate, seemingly peering down upon visitors.

2. Graves

The graves here are in a circular pattern going up the hill. Most of the tombstone inscriptions have worn away over time, but some remain legible.

2a. Tomas' Grave

This grave is the resting place of Tomas Nadir, a former (and possibly final) high priest of the cult. A DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals a disturbed patch of shallow ground beside the grave, which contains a box holding Tomas' ring.

 

Treasure. The ring bears the symbol of the cult and is worth 300 gp if sold, although local traders aware of the cult's history will outright refuse to be near it.

2b. Elran and Verity's Graves

This double plot is the resting place of Elran and Verity Lethwell, two minor nobles from a nearby town or city. The dedication reads "loving parents to Myra", and fresh flowers have been placed here recently.

Two stone angels (see next page) stand atop the tombstone, in what appears to be a loving embrace with wings outstretched.

2c. Arinette's Grave

This grave belongs to Arinette, "taken too young from us". Local rumour has that she was born into the cult and became a child prodigy, before dying from unknown circumstances.

An old stuffed teddy rests above the headstone, cased in glass. It is worth nothing if your players try and take it (except maybe a psychological exam.)

2d. Lorca's Grave

This plot is the final resting place of Lorca Laronis, a mage of the cult. His inscription reads "betrayed by his own blood, may he rest eternal". His rest is not so peaceful however - disturbing Lorca's grave in any way causes him to return as a wraith above where he is buried, immediately attacking those surrounding him.

3. Well

A circular well, 20 feet in diameter, sits at the very center of the graveyard. The well has a small amount of water in the bottom 30 feet down, alongside various discarded skeletons of former intruders who haven't been plane shifted.

In the centre of the well is a column of 5 feet by five feet, upon which is a tall monument with the cult's insignia etched into the side. Standing atop the monument is a stone angel (see next page). It stands upright, with their hands cover their face.

Treasure. While the skeletal remains have some swords and armor attached, they are damaged beyond repair. Littered around the remains however are 300 individual silver pieces.

4. Groundskeeper's Shack

To the far west is the former residence of the groundskeeper. The wooden exterior is showing signs of rot and decay, with some boards missing, although it is still sturdy and seems to have once been able to keep out the elements.

The door to the shack is slightly ajar, revealing one 20 foot by 15 foot room. The room has a bed, a small chest of drawers with worthless trinkets, and a table with a candle holder atop it. A torn diary page lies discarded beside the bed, written in Terran:

"Mother and father are the last to fall to our purge by the local militia. While this loss deeply saddens and disturbs me, I must carry on and finish what we started. The angels will watch over them now."

If your party is a high level, you can add another stone angel (see below) on a pedestal near the shack.

The Stone Angels

These beings are a true enigma in regards to their origins. They seem to feed off of "potential" energy of planar shifts, as they dispose of their prey in random locations, making them one of the few predators that leave their victims alive - almost as a kindness.

This group of stone angels served the cult in some form, possibly as a pact between one of its former leaders and a powerful earth elemental.

The angels are aware if people enter or exit the Valeyard, even if they cannot "see" them, although they remain unaware of these people's identities. When the trespassers are not looking, the angels will work together to kill them without remorse. They may even consider leaving their post to hunt down adventurers they deem a greater threat, not resting until their demise is assured.



Stone Angel

Medium elemental, chaotic evil


  • Armor Class 15 (natural)
  • Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 30)
  • Speed 50 ft. (while unobserved)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 6 (-2)

  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks (while observed)
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
  • Skills Intimidation +1, Perception +7, Survival +7
  • Senses passive Perception 17, darkvision 90 ft.
  • Languages understands Common and Deep Speech but can't speak them
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

False Appearance. While the angel remains motionless it is indistinguishable from an inanimate statue.

Sight Locked. While being observed by another creature, the angel is petrified, with the exception that it is aware of its surroundings. Creatures that stare at the angel during their turn must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, or be forced to blink. The DC increases by 1 every turn for the creature, resetting to 10 if they blink. If a creature blinks, the angel can take the entirety of its turn in that moment (still only taking one turn per round).

Sight Resistance. While being observed by another creature, the angel is resistant to the damages listed above.

Actions

Multiattack. The angel makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage.

Angel Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) psychic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the psychic damage taken, and the angel regains hit points equal to that amount. If the target's hit point maximum is reduced to less than half its original maximum, they are sent to a random point on a plane of existence chosen by the angel, and gain a level of exhaustion.

Game design and cartography © 2018 Alexis Queen, for the #HomebrewThursday challenge. Angel art by Kotomi (CC BY-NC).

Version 1.0, last updated Feb 2018. For updates, errata and more, visit https://rpg.queen.digital.