Barrow of Ghul Du`ur

# <center> The Barrow of Ghul Du'ur </center>

This encounter is designed for parties of levels 1 to 3 in mind, but we have included suggestions for increasing the difficulty for higher level adventurers. 
It can be used to bring together a new band of heroes, provide a fledgling group a modest challenge, or serve as a brief side quest from a main storyline. 
In The Barrow of Ghul Du'ur the peace of a small town will be shattered by the sudden appearance of wandering undead and it is up to our brave group of adventurers to get to the bottom of it and save the town from flesh-eating horrors!

### The Hook
Our adventure begins in a town square, an inn, or other public place where all of the characters might gather.
A terrified peasant comes barreling into town, shouting as they are chased by a shambling Dwarven zombie.

### The Peasant's Plight
The peasant was on the road leading past an old hill. Somewhere between it and the town they were pursued by the risen dead!
 *"Aaaaahh!! Elp elp they're after me! Gods have mercy on us the dead walk!"*
* Encounter: 1x Dwarven Zombie

The townsfolk will offer details of an old barrow 
* *"An ancient Dwarf lord and his household are buried there, betrayed by an enemy influenced by the devil!"*
* *You can hear the dead moaning under the hill if you pass it late at night"*
* *"It was sealed over a hundred years ago by the Dwarves who lived here. They had a priest place runes of binding and wards against evil there"*

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After the zombie has been returned to true death the villagers will ask for assistance in making sure their town will stay safe, they can't offer much, but who else will help them?

### The Road to the Barrow
*"It is a country road, and the stories of the seasons are etched into the dirt and sparse grass.* 
*The rocky crown of an ancient hill rises above the tops of scraggly pines that line the road. Nothing green grows upon the top, only sparse, black bracken.*
 
*A low moan and the shuffle-thump of dead flesh on dry dirt jerks your attention back to the road directly in front of you as an animated corpse rounds the bend."*

- There are (2) Dwarven Zombie
- Start them 30+ feet away if you want make it easier
- Split them up and have the second come from behind at the end of first initiative round if you want to make it harder

### The Barrow Entrance
*The ancient crypt lies open before you. Stones that once barred its entrance are rolled aside, and the dead wandered free. But they are a threat no more, due entirely to your own efforts. You have tracked them; twice did the trail deviate, and twice did you find a wandering corpse looking for a living victim, but now you have come to this cursed place, feet from whence they came. The villagers had spun a panicked tale of an old dwarf barrow in the nearby hills, cursed and sealed. A place best avoided.*

> ### Greed, Old and New
>The barrow is an ancient hill dwarf burial site that was dug for the remains of a lord, his wife and their household, who all met their untimely demise in an ambush while returning their manor. At the burial, those outside witnessed a green glow surrounding the barrow and felt an evil wind wash over them. Fearing that something otherworldly had happened within the townsfolk closed the barrow and summoned the clergy to seal it with holy runes. Time and the lure of ancient coins and treasure led some poor fools to roll the stones away and enter. They promptly fled when they encountered their first zombie and, fearing punishment for grave robbing, told no one of their trespass.

<div class='footnote'>Part 2 | Your Introduction</div>

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# <center> The Barrow of Ghul Du'ur </center>
### The Barrow
<img src='https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/924971105914089492/932650433539878942/16424315495938933198666552019006.jpg'
width='350'
height='365'
class='image-location-top-right-bottom-left' />

### The Threshold

*"There is light within, shadowy and otherworldly. The floor and walls are cut from the earth and braced with fire-treated wood. It looks structurally sound even after centuries."* 
**When they enter:** 
*"As you cross the threshold a chill washes over each of you as the stillness of the grave settles upon your shoulders. Ahead, the corridor ends with a witchlight hovering in a shallow alcove obscuring shadowy passages to the right and left."*

#### The Passages

*"The passages are faintly lit with a ghostly silvery-white light from witchlights floating in small recessions roughly 3 feet off the ground. There are a pair at each corner, and in longer stretches evenly spaced to light about a third of the hall"*
>**A:** Scratches and claw marks from something inhuman mar the walls 
>**C:** There is a rotted hand, lost by a zombie 
>**E:** On either side of the hallway are funeral masks flanking each witchlight

>**Encounters** 
>**M1:** 2 x Zombie (cr ¼, mm 316), investigating a strange noise 
>**M2:** 2 x Zombie (cr ¼, mm 316), investigating a strange noise 
>**M3:** 1 x Zombie (cr ¼, mm 316), investigating a strange noise

### Burial Chamber

*"You see an archway of cut and fitted stone. Those of you who know of such things can appreciate the craftmanship of the dwarves who built this. The room you enter is veiled in shadows and darkness. The witchlight from the archway lets you see the walls are lined with grave niches and that there are three portals leading into or out of this room"*
* A DC 15 Perception check, or illuminating the room will allow players to count the number of niches (11)
* The floor is a mosaic. It is an intricate greyscale pattern of crystal tiles. If the players have darkvision they can see that the pattern is far more detailed and can make out an incredibly detailed image of 13 dwarves walking towards a tunnel radiating light.

>The Burial Chamber is where those were accompanying The Lord during the ambush were laid to rest.  
It contains 11 niches, 3 of which still contain a resting zombie. These dwarves were the close kith and kin of The Lord and several were there by suggestion of the Advisor, who saw it as a way to remove rivals and seek revenge against those he held animosity.

>***Encounter:***  
3 x Zombie (cr ¼, mm 316)

#### Treasure

***Searching the alcoves yields*** 
(5) GP, (50) SP, (300) CP, (3) small semi-precious stones worth (10) GP each. 
*DMs, include some mundane arms, armor, or other items if anyone needs anything.
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# <Center> The Barrow of Ghul Du'Ur </Center>

### The Lord’s Chamber

*The archways into this room are made of cut and fitted stone. Inscriptions of rest and safe travel to the afterlife mark the stone
This floor is a patterned mosaic of clay tiles. Two stone blocks hold open caskets. At the foot of one, the decayed remains of a corpse buried in ancient finery lays scattered and desecrated. Between them stands two more Zombies, one is female and is wearing funerary garb. The other wears the tattered remains of a black robe, and has a look of malice and cunning in his pale blue eyes. 
“She refused me in life, but in death she has served me for a thousand years. As shall you!”*

##### The Advisor

The Lord's advisor was always looking for a way to get what he wanted. He never much cared from the method, only the result. Magic made life easier, and knowing more than those around him meant he didn't have to worry about swinging a hammer or pick.
He weaseled and wormed his way into the court of The Dwarf Lord, right up to the position of Advisor of Magic. And it was there at the side of the Dwarf Lord that he fell in love with his wife and began to covet her. 
When she rebuked The Advisor's advances, and mocked him for not meeting her standards, he vowed that she would be his, in life or death.
He orchestrated the attack on the manor, allowing the agents of his lord's enemy to enter and do their violent work.
Once the Lord and his Lady were interred the Advisor destroyed the body of the Lord and drew forth a black tome. He began a ritual that would raise the dead and give him absolute command over them.
Everyone who was loyal to the Lord during the coup was slain and laid to rest in the Burial Chamber (Room One)
As it does, something went wrong - the book was the work of a priest who followed a god of pestilent undeath. The ritual turned the Advisor into a form of Wight, raised all of the other corpses as zombies under his control, and terrified the locals waiting outside the barrow causing them to seal it, trapping the newly minted undead inside.

>**Combat:** 
>1 x Statblock for Advisor 
>1 x Zombie (cr ¼, mm 316)

#### Rewards
***Treasure:*** Jewelry worth 100gp, 50gp in coins 
**Experience:** 900 XP

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### Addendums, Additions and Upping the Ante

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The first section is a collection of ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate The Barrow of Ghul Du'ur into your campaign. 
The second section is where you can go if you're looking to spice things up a bit and make The Barrow a bit more harrowing for more seasoned parties.

#### Making it Fit

The Barrow of Ghul Du'ur can exist in any realm where the undead are a threat.  
As a first campaign it opens with an immediate cry for help, a call to action that gives each of the players a chance to step forward and state their intentions.  
The Road is as long as you need it to be. Let the players introduce themselves a bit before and after they encounter the wandering zombies.

As an encounter for a formed party, it is a fairly short challenge but makes for an excellent way to open doors on the next set of opportunities. 
Perhaps the Bride's ghost rises and grants them a boon, a passage in the Advisor's Book contains a dread prophecy, or the Mayor has a job for useful folk such as themselves.

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#### Upping the Ante - How to make it harder

The initial Barrow is designed around the Advsior being a Wight, which can control up to a dozen zombies. Spread out as they are, they are not much of a challenge for larger groups, or groups above level 3. The Advisor has been created to be threatening to low HP players and will feel underpowered against any party of strength.  So to up the ante we have made a few suggestions that will increase the deadliness of the encounter.

1. You can give Advisor the full Deathlock Wight stat block  
This greatly increases his damage output and longevity in the fight.  
https://www.dndwiki.io/monsters/deathlock-wight

2. Increase the number of undead. The Advisor can control up to (12) zombies innately, but still has access to magic that allow more than that.  
The walls of the Burial Chamber can contain as many alcoves as needed to provide you with undead.

3. Replace the some zombies with Skeletons armed with shortbows  
Zombies shambling down a hallway lit only by flickering witchlight is spooky, but for a grizzled veteran it isn't much to balk at. Skeletons with bows are much more likely to put a little concern on their brow.

4. For mid level groups, make the Advisor an Archghast, replacing some or all of the zombies with ghasts and ghouls.  
Instead of transforming the Advisor into a Wight, he is instead warped into an Archghast. It is a much more dangerous fight, against a more intelligent and cunning foe.