Friday Encounter: The Cursed Monastery

This encounter may be used on a lesser-traveled road or in the wilderness, preferably reasonably close to civilization. It is best used if the PCs are traveling and in need of shelter, perhaps as darkness creeps in, or else in adverse weather conditions.

Background

Those traveling long distances will of course need places to stay, restock, and rest their heads. Of course, there are roadside inns and villages that will house travelers, but these aren't the only option. Knights and nobles might make pleas to their peers to allow them shelter in their castles for a night, and if all else fails, there are many monasteries and convents whose doors are open to the needy free of charge, though the visitors may be expected to assist with chores or partake in the communal meals of the faithful in lieu of payment.

Mengrenath, a demon, knows that. Like many demons, he delights in leading the servants of the gods astray and creating discord, and just recently he hatched a scheme to do just that. Posing as a hermit in the woods, he encountered a foolish young initiate from a nearby monastery who was out foraging for food and offered him a bushel of mushrooms, instructing him to place them in the stewpot but cautioning him not to tell anyone what he'd done or where the ingredients came from.

The mushrooms were, of course, cursed - and when the monks consumed their dinner that night, they were all stricken with a poison that wasn't just deadly, but afflicted them all with unlife. Mengrenath was tickled to know that his plan was such a success...but, emboldened by it, he wanted to go further. Now, he schemes to claim more lives by taking advantage of the monks' vows of hospitality, directing weary travelers into the jaws of the dead!

The Encounter

The PCs should first encounter Mengrenath, still in the guise of a hermit - he appears as a tall, thin man in a long and weather-beaten cloak with the hood pulled over his brow. As he comes upon the party, he notes they look weary, and offers to lead them toward a nearby monastery where they will surely find a place to rest. He will not under any circumstances reveal his name or his true nature, simply calling himself "a stranger" and that the PCs "don't need to know," and using circuitous answers that don't lead anywhere if the PCs insist. He will lie to the party to assert that the monastery is safe, and if they seem hesitant he will state that the monastery has a hermitage he stays at occasionally before deciding, apparently on the spot, that he might as well stay there tonight, as "it feels like rain."

If the PCs agree to let the hermit lead them to the monastery, he will take them down a route that will get them there in about half an hour. He stops at the gates before telling the PCs he had something to attend to, and that he'll find his way back to the hermitage to meet them there. The next time the entire party takes their eyes off the hermit, they will find he has vanished without a trace.

Entering the monastery, the PCs will find no sign of any monks, not even if they ring the bell by the door. It is only if they push deeper into the monastery that its true nature will be revealed.

There are a total of 36 undead monks (stats as zombies) in the monastery. Use the map below as the party explores the area. Five monks are wandering monsters - every 10 minutes the party spends in the monastery, or any time they make noise, roll 1d6; on a 6, 1d4-1 of the monks, assuming they are still intact and undead, appear.

Click to enlarge

1. Stable: There is a live horse in one of the stalls. It is noticeably thin, like it hasn't eaten for a few days. This horse belonged to Fernando Moran, a merchant who was staying at the monastery when the zombie plague struck (see cloister below). His wares, totaling 500 GP in textiles, grains, and other trade goods plus 300 GP in coinage, are kept behind a locked door that leads into a warehouse; the key is carried by one of the monks in the chapter house (see below).
2. Chapel: There are eight zombified monks standing amongst the pews (for extra fun, make sure they have their backs turned to the PCs when they enter to make their true nature less apparent). One of the elder brothers is carrying a silver censer that in his mindless undead state he has taken to using as a flail, and deals 1d8+1 bludgeoning damage on a successful hit. The censer is worth 30 GP if sold. Also here is a golden candelabra on the altar worth 25 GP. Behind the altar is a large scroll case inlaid with silver; it is worth 200 GP, but will be difficult to transport (it weighs 100 pounds and is 6 feet tall).
3. Cloister: There are four zombified monks lurching around the cloister and into and out of the cells. Each cell is shut by a door with a narrow window to the inside and contains a bed, desk, and chamber pot, but no valuables. One cell is barricaded from the inside, but the light of a flickering candle can be seen from the window, and the sound of knocking can be heard from within; if the PCs approach, they will hear a man calling to them from the inside. This is Fernando Moran, a merchant who was staying at the monastery when the zombie plague struck. If the PCs seem friendly, he will introduce himself and explain the situation as best as he knows - he notes that the monks began acting strange and attempted to grab him about three days ago, and he has barricaded himself in the cell ever since. He notes that he didn't feel well the day before then and stayed in the cell during the communal meal - unbeknownst to him, this saved his life. He will pay the PCs 100 GP each if they escort him to safety, and he has contacts in the nearest town that he will pass their names onto, allowing them to get more favorable prices at the shops there.
4. Dining Hall: There are ten zombified monks gathered around the table, currently devouring an entire pig.
5. Scriptorium: There are two zombified monks here. On one of the tables is an illuminated manuscript worth 30 GP. On another is a half-finished scroll of bless. Because of its half-finished state, attempting to cast it requires a DC 10 Intelligence save, with a failed save triggering a scroll mishap.
6. Library: The door to this room is locked, and the key is carried by one of the monks in the chapter house (see below). The shelves contain eight rare books, each worth 1d6x10 GP, as well as two spellbooks, three scrolls of bless, two scrolls of healing word, and a scroll of branding smite.
7. Infirmary: There are enough herbs, bandages, and other supplies here to comprise a healer's kit. In addition, there is a locked box that contains four potions of healing. The key is carried by one of the monks in the chapter house (see below).
8. Storage: There is nothing of value in this room, but there is a zombified monk in the corner of the room furthest from the door, hiding in the shadows and behind a stack of boxes. Any creatures that rummage through the supplies will alert the monk to their presence.
9. Chapter House: This building is home to the three eldermost brothers of the monastery, who meet in the common room downstairs to discuss the administration of the facility. The upper floor contains the living quarters for these monks, one of whom has a silver holy symbol containing the finger bone of a saint underneath his bed. When the PCs arrive at the monastery, there are two zombified monks downstairs. One monk carries a key ring on his belt with keys to all the locked doors in the monastery.
10. Almonry: The door to this room is locked, and the key is carried by one of the monks in the chapter house (see above). This is where the monks keep wealth to be donated as alms to the poor. The room currently contains 500 GP in coins, as well as clothes, shoes, blankets, and the like. Removing any treasure from this room, however, will cause the PCs to attract the wrath of Marseah, goddess of mercy and hospitality, who will punish them with rainstorms and cause their rations to spoil until appeased by an act of penance.
11. Kitchen: This is a separate building to reduce the risk of fire. There are four zombified monks here, one of whom was once the initiate who brought the curse on the monastery. He carries a bag around his shoulder that contains a thick, heavy ledger. Inside, he has made records of his conversations with "the kind hermit in the woods" and has jotted down a map leading to where he found him harvesting mushrooms. He states that he should return there if the mushrooms prove tasty enough.
12. Hermitage: This is a small cabin set aside for any visiting hermits to take up residence in. There are currently no hermits present, and no valuables.

In addition, the monastery is surrounded by a stone wall that also encloses some farmland, beehives, and animal pens, not included on the map. Nothing of value is found there.

Further Developments

If the PCs return to where they met Mengrenath, they will find no sign of him. However, a DC 15 Investigation check will reveal a trail of footprints in the shape of hooves in the earth. If the PCs follow the trail, they will come upon the mushroom patch the demon harvested his cursed mushrooms from. Alternatively, if the PCs found the initiate's map, they can follow it to the mushroom patch.

Art by Critical Meltdown

There is no sign of Mengrenath at the mushroom patch, either - but it sits beneath the boughs of a large, dead tree, from whence the ground sprouts a nest of pallid toadstools that drip a thick black slime. A close inspection will reveal the mushrooms have markings on the stalks that resemble a ghastly face.

A DC 12 Arcana check, or a DC 20 Nature check, will reveal that these mushrooms are the Fungus of Lamentation. Said to sprout from the grave of a murderer, these mushrooms carry a poison so strong, it is capable of killing those who eat it and animating their bodies as undead.

If a creature eats one of the mushrooms, it must make a DC 17 Constitution save or immediately drop to 0 HP. Any death saves made afterward are made with disadvantage, and any creatures that die as a result rise as zombies three hours past midnight 1d4-1 days later.