The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale

• An Adventure for 11th-level Characters

• Developed & Edited by Christopher Perkins & Hannah Rose

• Written by Kienna Shaw

The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale is the script of a play written in Common. It is split up into three acts, telling the story of a heroic bard before he becomes corrupted by evil. A wizard named Ryllia Liadon donated the book to Candlekeep as an entrance gift. She didn’t tell the Avowed that the book contains the secret to accessing Wisteria Vale, a magical demiplane created by the Harpers to imprison a bard named Arrant Quill until they could free him from the influence of an evil artifact.

The book has been hidden in the Candlekeep archives for three years, but the Harpers have finally discovered a cure for Quill’s corruption, and the time has come to visit Wisteria Vale once more.

Finding the Book

The characters have been hired by Ryllia (a female human archmage) on behalf of the Harpers to administer the newfound cure to Quill. They received directions on how to find The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale in Candlekeep and a promise of 5,000 gp if they successfully complete their task. The Avowed of Candlekeep furnish the characters with the book and a private room in which to read it.

Alternatively, the characters could uncover the book while searching through Candlekeep’s archives, if they’ve been granted access to the Inner Ward.

Book Description

The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale is bound in green leather, with leaves and vines carefully burned into the corners of the front and back covers. The title is embossed in gold on the front, but no author is credited on the outside or inside of the book. The book is six inches wide, nine inches tall, and an inch thick. The thick, cream-colored pages emit a faint scent of flowers and grass. The writing is neat and steady, each line inscribed in practiced calligraphy.

Although the design of the book is simple, the crafting and materials are of the highest quality. In fact, the book is a magic object that transforms into a portal when the activation phrase is spoken.

The Play’s the Thing

The story of The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale serves as the background for the adventure. Characters who succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence (History) check recognize that the play is a fictionalized retelling of Arrant Quill’s rise and fall, with many parallels to real events, including the appearance of the Harper wizard who hired the characters. Characters who succeed on this check by 5 or more also know that Wisteria Vale was the name of a village on the River Chionthar, just east of Baldur’s Gate, that was destroyed over a decade ago. You can adjust Wisteria Vale’s location to suit your campaign.

Who Are the Harpers?

The Harpers are an organization of spellcasters and spies who covertly oppose any abuse of power, magical or otherwise. Working alone or in small cells, they gather information throughout Faerûn, analyze the political dynamics in each region or realm, and use what they uncover to help the weak, the poor, and the oppressed from behind the scenes. Harpers act openly only as a last resort.

Act I

In the first act, the protagonist, Vargan, lives out a peaceful childhood in the village of Wisteria Vale. Vargan is a boy with a penchant for storytelling and a knack for magic. During the day, Vargan helps his parents on the farm, and in the evening he performs in the tavern to the delight of all the villagers. When Vargan is on the cusp of adulthood, the cruel Lord Ephraim Rathmore visits Wisteria Vale, demanding drink, food, and a place for him and his retinue to stay. When the hospitality isn’t to his liking, he burns down the village. Lord Rathmore leaves Vargan alive as a witness to his village’s punishment, but not before slashing him across the face with a crystal dagger. The event changes Vargan forever, and he vows to bring down the pitiless lord and prevent him from hurting anyone ever again.

Act II

Vargan tracks down Lord Rathmore in a bustling city. Unsure how to proceed, the young bard starts asking around the city for information. He is approached by a wizard, who tells him that she belongs to a secret group looking to bring down Lord Rathmore and others who have been corrupted by evil. The wizard invites Vargan to join the secret organization, and he agrees, becoming a member of the Harpers. With the aid of information from the Harpers, Vargan sneaks into Lord Rathmore’s manor during a banquet disguised as a performer and dispatches Rathmore once and for all. Although his quest for vengeance has been fulfilled, Vargan is obsessed with the fact that many other corrupt and evil people exist across the land, and that only people like him and the Harpers can stop them.

Act III

Vargan becomes more powerful, using his talents in magic and espionage to single-handedly take down corrupt kings and mages. Although he becomes a legend among and outside the Harpers, Vargan stays humble, believing that it is his duty to protect others. At the climax of the play, Vargan battles an archmage who was turned evil by an ancient crystal touched by the evil god Cyric. Though Vargan defeats the archmage, prolonged contact with the crystal corrupts the bard, convincing him that his former allies are too powerful and must be eliminated. The Harpers devise a solution to prevent Vargan from hurting anyone while they develop a cure: banishing him to a demiplane.

The play ends with a short monologue by the Harper wizard who befriended Vargan years ago, saying that though Vargan’s ultimate fate is still unknown, the day will come when light will banish darkness.

The Cure

To reverse Quill’s corruption, the Harpers crafted a dagger infused with several forms of purifying magic. The magic dagger is carved from a single piece of amethyst, with leather wrapped around the hilt and minuscule runes emblazoned on the flat of the blade. When light hits the dagger, the blade appears to pulse with an inner radiance. The dagger resembles the one that scarred Quill as a child.

To activate the spells imbued within the dagger, the weapon must pierce the flesh of the intended target. After the purifying magic is released, the dagger loses its magical properties.

Adventure Summary

The characters begin their adventure by activating the portal to Wisteria Vale, after which they can explore the village and talk to the inhabitants. The locals reveal that Quill lives in a manor on the edge of the village, but he hasn’t left it recently because he has a very important guest: a beholder that suddenly appeared in Wisteria Vale. To allay the villagers' justifiable concerns about his guest, Quill is planning a party for that evening and has invited everybody in town to meet the beholder.

As the characters explore the manor, they must avoid the gaze of the beholder. They learn from Quill’s notes that the beholder dreamed itself into Wisteria Vale from the Underdark, and that Quill has been trying to charm it into revealing how to escape the demiplane. It eventually becomes clear that the beholder has imprisoned the real Quill in a magic painting.

The characters must find Quill, convince him that they’re here to help, and administer the cure without incurring the wrath of the beholder, who wants to keep its new haven intact.

Into the Demiplane

The secret to entering the demiplane of Wisteria Vale is hidden in the text of the play. Ryllia tells the characters that there is a line in the final scene that gives a clue to the portal’s activation phrase, though she doesn’t know the details. A character who examines the script notices that the penultimate line spoken by the Harper wizard in the play is underlined twice. This line reads:

We lift up our light to reveal what is hidden and banish the darkness forever.

A character who makes a successful DC 12 Intelligence check realizes that this line might be more than a metaphor—a puzzle that requires literal interpretation of an aphorism would be just the kind of thing a Harper playwright would enjoy. Shining a source of light directly on the page reveals a phrase written in invisible ink: “Harpers at Twilight.”

When that phrase is uttered, the book shakes and flies into the air, pages flipping of their own accord and separating from the binding, then rearranging themselves to form a portal. Anyone who steps through the opening is transported to Wisteria Vale. After all the characters pass through the portal, the pages rearrange themselves back into the form of the book, and the portal closes.

Wisteria Vale

Wisteria Vale is a demiplane created by the Harpers for one purpose: to imprison Arrant Quill while they devise a cure for his corruption. Everything in Wisteria Vale is bright and colorful, tailored to keep Quill comfortable and entertained. The weather is always mild and temperate, with just enough rainy days to nurture crops. Wisteria blossoms are always in full bloom amid the verdant greenery. The air is filled with the soothing sounds of nature, from birdsong to the chirping of crickets to gentle breezes ruffling the leaves. Time passes differently here: each day in Wisteria Vale equates to three days on the Material Plane.

Because of the nature and purpose of the demiplane, any spells used to try to escape Wisteria Vale fail. The only way to leave the demiplane is to terminate it by curing or killing Quill.

Constructed Commoners

To populate the demiplane without endangering any innocents, the Harpers created constructs out of wooden mannequins to act as villagers (see the accompanying stat block). Magic makes them look like flesh-and-blood people, and the constructs conduct themselves as convincingly real humanoids who are simply living their lives in Wisteria Vale. Detect magic spells do not reveal their true nature, as each construct is shielded by a spell that makes it seem nonmagical.

Though these constructed villagers can physically interact with the environment around them and hold lengthy conversations, a few clues to their true nature exist. A character who observes one or more of the commoners closely and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a faint clicking sound whenever a villager touches a hard surface. The villagers are also cold to the touch, which can be ascertained only through physical contact. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check notices that if the villagers are asked about anything outside Wisteria Vale or their individual talents, they quickly change subjects to small talk about the weather or gossip, and always in Common regardless of their apparent origin.

Constructed commoners don’t bleed or feel pain like flesh-and-blood humanoids. If a villager’s hit points drop to 0, its true form is revealed: that of a lifeless wooden mannequin. Overnight, the mannequin disappears, and a replacement villager is generated by the demiplane to take over the “slain” villager’s place and role in the village a few days later. If the mannequin is disintegrated or reduced to ashes, it is not replaced and the population of the village permanently decreases by one.

Aberrant Events

Beholders can alter reality when they dream. Recently, a beholder named Renekor entered Wisteria Vale by dreaming itself into the demiplane. Renekor sees Wisteria Vale as its own creation—a very real (if utterly bizarre) sanctuary brought into being by its dreaming mind.

Renekor’s presence warps the demiplane, causing erratic weather and strange phenomena. Each time the characters move to a new location or room, roll on the Wisteria Vale Events table to determine what strange effect they experience, if any. When the characters are in the manor, closer to the beholder itself, roll twice and use the higher result.

Wisteria Vale Events

Unexpected Visitors

The villagers of Wisteria Vale are surprised to see outsiders. Nevertheless, they welcome the characters with warm hospitality. The villagers are curious about where the characters come from and why they’re here. If the characters mention that their purpose is to cure Quill of his corruption, the villagers are confused, since Quill has been nothing but kind and friendly to them since his arrival.

In further conversation, the villagers describe the arrival of a terrifying creature that appears to be a giant floating orb with a central eye and sharp teeth, with many smaller eyes on stalks. Though the villagers were frightened by the creature, Quill assured them that he would keep it under control. He urged them to treat the creature as an honored guest while it was in Wisteria Vale.

Locations in Wisteria Vale

In an attempt to make the demiplane as comforting and familiar as possible for Quill, the Harpers designed it to resemble his hometown, down to the buildings, the villagers, and the name. The locals find Wisteria Vale to be normal and don’t question any of the oddities of the demiplane. Although they know that there are places outside Wisteria Vale, they have no interest in leaving home.

The following locations are keyed to the map of Wisteria Vale.

W1. Vyridian Forest

The Vyridian Forest encircles the village. It is an ancient forest with well-worn trails, old-growth trees, and a supply of wild game such as deer, boar, and rabbits. The villagers supplement their crops with occasional hunts in the forest, especially for feasts on holidays and for village gatherings.

While in the forest, the characters might encounter Ki’lara, a half-elf hunter and a constructed commoner who knows how to navigate the woods and where the best hunting spots are. She warns the characters about wandering too far into the woods, since the ancient forest can often be disorienting. If they walk far enough into the woods in one direction, they end up on the other side of the forest approaching Wisteria Vale, as if they had walked in a giant loop. Characters who succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check recognize that this is part of the demiplane’s magical design to keep Quill inside the village.

W2. Farms

A group of family-owned farms dot the western edge of the village. These farms have a variety of crops and livestock, from produce and grains to cattle and sheep to medicinal plants.

These farms exist for Quill’s benefit alone, though they provide enough food to sustain an entire village indefinitely. The farmers surreptitiously get rid of almost all of what they produce.

W3. Blossom’s Rest

Blossom’s Rest is the tavern in the center of the village owned by Ulrich (male hill dwarf) and Daphne (female wood elf), both Constructed Commoner. They are a married couple. The tavern is the heart of the village, a place where people gather to talk and share meals. Even though the villagers don’t need to eat or drink because they are constructs, they do so when Quill is around. In the evenings when Quill visits the village, Ulrich always insists that Quill perform for an enraptured audience that never seems to get bored of his stories and songs.

Daphne tells the characters that Quill hasn’t visited in the past two weeks, which is unusual for him. She theorizes that his absence is due to the arrival of the many-eyed creature, and while the villagers trust Quill, they are still concerned about him.

W4. Silks and Soles

Silks and Soles is owned by Josephus Lovett (male human) and Henrietta Storm (nonbinary tiefling), both Constructed Commoner. Josephus is the tailor and the village gossip, gathering and sharing information as he measures his neighbors and sews their clothes. If given the opportunity, he talks about his favorite topic: Quill and his secretive past. Henrietta is a cobbler by trade and also a social butterfly, helping to organize community events and create decorations from spare cloth and leather.

Josephus or Henrietta shares information on Quill, his arrival in Wisteria Vale, the appearance of the creature two weeks ago, and the party in the manor taking place that evening, to which all the villagers have been invited. Like their neighbors, Josephus and Henrietta have reservations about Quill’s strange houseguest.

Without any need for a check, the characters can convince Josephus or Henrietta to let them tag along as their “plus ones” to the party.

W5. Marketplace

This small marketplace is where the farmers along the edge of the village sell their wares. Once in a while, the demiplane generates a traveling merchant who passes through Wisteria Vale to sell food, fabric, and other goods from “outside” the village, to further enhance the illusion that Wisteria Vale is a real village. Three traveling merchants visit regularly. Each of these Constructed Commoner never stays longer than a day, and one appears only once every few weeks to break up the monotony of the village’s everyday events.

W6. Manor

The manor on the northern edge of Wisteria Vale stands out as the biggest and most ornate building in the village, two stories tall and made of white stone that gleams when the light catches it.

Exploring the Manor

The characters can approach the front door or try to sneak in through the side door that leads to the kitchen (area area M2). If they try the front door prior to the time of the party, they find that it’s locked and no one answers. The door can be broken down with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check or unlocked with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. The back door is unlocked, but Damien (see “area Servants” below) notices the characters using it unless they succeed on a DC 15 group Dexterity (Stealth) check.

Inside the manor, the characters might feel as though they’re constantly being watched, but this isn’t necessarily the case. There are, however, three Stone Golem and six suits of animated armor that guard the halls of the manor and attack intruders (see the Manor Encounters table below).

Manor Occupants

As the characters explore the manor, they might encounter one or more creatures roaming the halls or moving from one room to another. Whenever you feel the need for a random encounter, roll a d20 and consult the Manor Encounters table to determine whom or what the characters encounter.

Manor Encounters

Arrant Quill and the Fake Quill

Neutral evil human (age 36)

Arrant Quill is a charismatic bard who carries himself with a quiet confidence that doesn’t hint at the full extent of his skills or powers. His handsome features are marred by a scar that curves from the top of his left cheekbone down to his jaw, though he doesn’t consider the scar disfiguring. If asked about the scar, he explains that he got it years ago when the man who burned down his home village slashed his face with a dagger. It serves as a grim reminder of his past.

Although outwardly friendly, Quill is driven by three selfish desires: to preserve his well-being, to alleviate his boredom, and to escape Wisteria Vale. He holds a grudge against the Harpers and Ryllia for imprisoning him in a place that reminds him of the people he lost in his childhood, though he also takes some comfort in being able to live out the life he could’ve had. His time spent alone with his thoughts in Wisteria Vale has led him to suspect that the Harpers were never going to find a cure, and that they were simply biding their time until he became complacent enough that they could kill him without his being a threat. Quill’s corruption has convinced him that the Harpers have become a powerful force that must be taken down; he trusts only himself to identify and eliminate agents of tyranny.

Fake Quill

Renekor the beholder has imprisoned Arrant Quill in a magic painting. Furthermore, the beholder has used its reality-altering dreams to create a twin of Quill that feels real to the touch. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of illusion magic around the fake Quill, which otherwise looks and behaves exactly like the real Quill. The fake Quill can’t do anything except move and talk, and it is dispelled if it takes damage from a spell or a magic weapon. No other magic or damage affects it.

Renekor the Beholder

Lawful evil beholder

This beholder dreamed itself into Wisteria Vale from the Underdark to escape its enemies. Due to the unconventional way that it entered the demiplane, Renekor believes that Wisteria Vale and its inhabitants are all products of its imagination. Therefore, the beholder is unusually complacent and relaxed as long as nothing disturbs or threatens its new haven and playthings.

Renekor floats around the manor during the day before retreating to the ballroom at night. Although it might not be on high alert, it is still keenly observant and paranoid as all beholders are.

Servants

The manor is guarded by six suits of animated armor and two Stone Golem. One of the stone golems doesn’t leave the library (area area M7), and two suits of animated armor are stationed outside the doors to the ballroom (area area M6). The remaining sentries roam the manor freely. The suits of armor and golems also perform hands-on labor that doesn’t require conversation or delicate movements.

A housekeeper named Damien takes care of the cooking and cleaning. He is a constructed commoner and the only full-time staff member in the manor, although some local villagers have been drafted to serve as waiters during the party in the ballroom (see “area Quill’s Party” later in the adventure).

Renekor’s presence is slowly warping the demiplane, causing these servants to shift allegiance, becoming loyal and obedient to the beholder rather than to Quill or the Harpers.

Manor Locations

Within the marble walls of the manor, the rooms and hallways are spacious and clean, and the decorations are luxurious without being gaudy. Its doors are unlocked unless noted otherwise.

The following locations are keyed to the map of the manor.

M1. Lounge

This lounge is warm and smells of wood smoke. The furniture is plush and inviting, with chairs and couches arranged for conversation. On the west wall hangs a large painting of a forest. A fireplace crackles along the east wall. Above the mantel hangs a painting of two figures, one of whom has had her face scratched over with ink.

The portrait depicts a younger Quill standing next to a second figure that has been defaced. A character who examines this figure closely and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check recognizes it as a younger Ryllia Liadon. (Quill ruined her likeness when he concluded that she had betrayed him.)

Forest Painting

The forest painting is the gateway to one of four connected extradimensional spaces throughout the manor. See “area Finding Quill” later in the adventure for more information.

M2. Kitchen

This kitchen is bright and clean, with two windows looking out into the yard. The air smells of spices, and a man hums to himself as he stirs a large iron pot over a fire. Dishes and platters of artfully arranged hors d’oeuvres sit on the table alongside a bowl of magenta punch.

Damien, a constructed commoner, is here preparing food for Quill’s party. If he notices the characters and they appear to be friendly, he offers to take them to Quill. If the characters accept this offer, Damien leads them to area area M10. If the characters look like trouble, Damien alerts one of the suits of animated armor, which goes to warn Renekor about the intruders.

Damien has a ring of keys hooked onto his apron. These keys can lock and unlock all the doors in the manor.

M3. Dining Room

This room is dimly lit by a golden candelabra resting atop a rectangular dining table that has a silver place setting at the head of it. On the east wall hangs a large painting of an opulent banquet.

The dining table can easily seat six people, but the chair that accompanies the silver place setting is the only one that shows any sign of regular use.

Banquet Painting

The banquet painting is the gateway to one of four connected extradimensional spaces throughout the manor. See “area Finding Quill” later in the adventure for more information.

Treasure

The silver place setting is worth a total of 750 gp.

M4. Storage

This cluttered space holds cleaning supplies, spare silverware, cooking utensils, food, and general household goods for the manor.

Treasure

Any character who spends at least 5 minutes searching the room finds a satchel containing a packet of dust of disappearance.

M5. Backstage

This rectangular space is stuffy, dark, and cluttered with large wooden set pieces and furniture. Props are scattered in disorganized piles, and a rack of dusty costumes stands next to a vanity. Two large ropes dangle at either end of a set of drawn curtains. A black table against the north wall holds a stack of instrument cases.

The backstage area of the ballroom’s stage is filled with set pieces, props, and costumes.

Treasure

Among the many other instruments stored here is Quill’s Instrument of the Bards, Cli Lyre, which is kept in an ornate wooden case that bears the monogram A.Q. Quill takes this instrument with him whenever he entertains villagers at Blossom’s Rest.

M6. Ballroom

Two suits of animated armor stand guard at the double door, outside the ballroom. Prior to Quill’s party, these doors are locked. As an action, a character can try to unlock the doors using thieves' tools, doing so with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check, or force open the doors with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. Trying to open the door without the proper key causes the suits of animated armor to attack.

The wooden doors open into a dazzling, spacious room. The polished walls gleam in the light of hanging lamps shaped like celestial bodies, and the ceiling is painted with constellations. On the east wall is a long stage with red velvet curtains closing off a backstage area. A portrait of Quill posing on a chaise longue hangs on the north wall, though the image is distorted as if someone had smeared the paint before it dried.

The ballroom takes up two floors, with a 50-foot-high ceiling and a balcony that is accessible from the upper floor.

If the characters arrive here during Quill’s party, see “area Quill’s Party” later in the adventure for a description of the ballroom’s occupants and other features. If it hasn’t been encountered and defeated elsewhere, Renekor the beholder is here.

This room serves as Renekor’s lair. The beholder can use its lair actions (as described in the Monster Manual), but only within this room. If the characters forced their way into the room, destroying the suits of animated armor in the process, Renekor assumes they’re hostile and attacks them on sight. Otherwise, it assumes the characters are creations of its dreaming mind until they demonstrate otherwise. If the characters make a scene, Renekor feels threatened and attacks them. If one or more characters move to within 10 feet of the painting on the north wall, the beholder instructs them (in Undercommon) to keep away from it on pain of death. Characters who can’t understand the beholder can surmise that it doesn’t want them near the painting.

Quill’s Prison

The painting on the north wall is the entrance to an extradimensional space where Arrant Quill is imprisoned. Renekor has covered the painting in slime to prevent Quill from getting out, though characters can still enter the painting’s extradimensional space from the ballroom. A character who has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or higher notices that the image of Quill in the painting is moving slightly. See “area Finding Quill” later in the adventure for more information.

M7. Library

Large wooden doors open to reveal a cozy library lit by warm candlelight. Two walls of shelves stretch to the ceiling, with a rolling ladder to help reach the higher books. In the center of the room is an armchair and a desk. Books are piled haphazardly on the desk, many of them left open next to a bottle of ink and a quill. An imposing stone statue stands in the corner next to the door, silently watching.

The library is a replica of one of the Harper libraries that Quill frequented. The books contain well-known stories and plays, research on monsters, and information about the Harpers. A character who spends time studying here can learn facts about the Harpers (see the “area Who Are the Harpers?” sidebar earlier in the adventure) or any monster described in the Monster Manual.

The books on the desk cover research about the Underdark and beholders, with notes written by Quill scribbled in the margins.

The statue is actually a stone golem. If a character attempts to take Quill’s notes or any of the books out of the room, the stone golem activates, stepping in front of the door. It doesn’t fight the characters unless they try to push past it and leave with the notes or books.

A character who takes 10 minutes to read Quill’s notes can learn the basics of beholder lore as well as obtain the following information:

• Quill has been researching beholders, particularly their ability to warp reality and bring to life things from their imagination.
• Renekor dreamed itself into Wisteria Vale from the Underdark. The beholder believes that the village and its residents are its own creations. The beholder’s appearance has caused weird events to happen in Wisteria Vale, and these strange occurrences are becoming increasingly common (see “area Aberrant Events” earlier in the adventure).
• Quill thinks that if he can get close enough to Renekor, he can charm the beholder into revealing information on how to escape Wisteria Vale, or manipulate the beholder’s reality-warping magic to create an exit from the demiplane.
• The last note Quill made was about his fear that Renekor suspects his schemes. The ink is smeared as if he had been interrupted in the middle of writing it.

M8. Master Bedroom

The furnishings and ornate decorations make it clear that this is Quill’s bedroom. A large four-poster bed draped in blue velvet occupies the middle of the room. Next to it is a dark wooden wardrobe and a bedside table with a leather-bound journal sitting next to a vase of freshly picked flowers. Set in the east wall is a door.

The door in the east wall opens into a private bathroom with a mirrored vanity.

The journal on the bedside table is Quill’s diary. A character who spends at least 10 minutes leafing through it obtains the following information:

• Quill used to write frequently during the first few months of his captivity, with the entries becoming more sporadic until the arrival of Renekor.
• Quill believes that a year has passed in Wisteria Vale, when it really has been three years on the Material Plane. (Quill is unaware of this fact.)
• Quill knows that he can’t be harmed in Wisteria Vale unless he gives his consent.
• Quill believes that the Harpers were lying when they said they were going to find a way to cure him, and he is worried that the Harpers are just biding their time until they can kill him.
• Quill notes that the beholder might be his key to escaping Wisteria Vale.

M9. Guest Bedroom

This bedroom contains a double bed and a spacious wardrobe. A large painting of a roc in flight hangs on the north wall.

The wardrobe is stuffed with formal and informal clothing.

Roc Painting

The roc painting is the gateway to one of four connected extradimensional spaces throughout the manor. See “Finding Quill” later in the adventure for more information.

M10. Guest Bathroom

The guest bathroom is unremarkable, though characters who search the room and succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check notice a loose tile on the ceiling. Above the tile is a crawl space that spans the entire upper floor. The crawl space is dusty and has a 3-foot-high ceiling. Characters can use the crawl space to enter any other room on the upper floor through removable panels in the ceiling.

Finding Quill

Renekor has imprisoned the real Quill in a magic painting in the ballroom. The extradimensional space where Quill is trapped can be accessed in one of two ways: by sneaking through the ballroom or by traveling through the other magic paintings found in the manor.

Magic Paintings

Four magic paintings are scattered throughout the manor, each one a portal to an extradimensional space. These framed paintings are 5 feet square and can’t be removed from the walls to which they’re attached.

Any creature that touches one of these paintings is magically transported to its extradimensional space—a cube-shaped stone chamber 30 feet on a side. A creature can resist this effect by succeeding on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. From inside its extradimensional chamber, a painting looks like a frameless, 5-foot-square open window through which is visible the interior of the room in which the painting hangs. Characters inside the extradimensional space are visible as part of the painting itself as they interact with the extradimensional space’s contents.

In addition to the wall with the window, each extradimensional chamber has a 7-foot-high, 3-foot-wide wooden door set into each of its other three walls. These doors lead to the other paintings' extradimensional chambers. Only one of the three doors can be open at any given time, and a door can’t be opened unless the other two doors are closed. Each door is opened by pulling on its shiny brass doorknob, regardless of which side of the door one happens to be on.

The chaotic nature of the connection between the spaces means that a door is likely to lead to a different chamber each time it is opened. To determine where a door leads, use the appropriate table for whichever extradimensional chamber the characters are in presently. The characters always enter a new chamber through the doorway on the wall opposite that chamber’s window.

Forest Painting’s Chamber

Banquet Painting’s Chamber

Quill’s Prison Chamber

Roc Painting’s Chamber

An extradimensional chamber’s walls, floors, ceilings, and doors are impervious to damage. A creature can leave an extradimensional chamber and return to the manor by climbing through the chamber’s window (although Quill’s prison is a bit different, as described below). A creature that climbs through the window emerges from the painting without damaging it.

If one of the paintings is damaged, the window in that extradimensional chamber disappears, leaving a bare stone wall. If all four paintings are damaged, the paintings' extradimensional chambers remain connected to one another, but not to the manor.

Forest

Within this painting’s extradimensional space, the walls are painted to depict a forest of trees and shrubbery, the floor is covered with a thin layer of dirt, and the ceiling is painted to resemble the sky. Hiding against the wall with the window are four Medusa wearing hooded robes and covered with greenery for camouflage. The medusas attack intruders as they cross the room. Characters who have a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or higher spot the medusas and aren’t surprised by them.

Banquet

This painting’s extradimensional space contains a 15-foot-long banquet table covered with prepared dishes that look and smell delectable. Each dish has a magical property that functions only when the food is consumed in this room. The dishes and their properties are as follows:

• Candied Yams. Any creature that eats from the plate of candied yams is targeted by a faerie fire spell (save DC 15) that affects only it and lasts for 1 hour or until dispelled.
• Cheese-Stuffed Peppers. Any creature with 75 hit points or fewer that eats a whole cheese-stuffed pepper must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or instantly drop to 0 hit points and explode, leaving behind a mess plus whatever it was carrying and wearing.
• Jerk Frog Legs. Any creature that eats from the plate of jerk frog legs gains the benefit of a jump spell that lasts for 1 hour or until dispelled.
• Salted Cockatrice Eggs. Any creature that eats a whole salted cockatrice egg gains immunity to the petrified condition for 1 hour.
• Stirge Burgers. Any creature that eats a whole stirge burger gains 10 temporary hit points.
• Veggie Kabobs. Any creature that eats from the plate of veggie kabobs must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Quill’s Prison Chamber

When the characters enter the ballroom painting, the doors on the walls of this extradimensional space close and disappear. The window is fogged over, covered in slime that prevents anyone from exiting through it.

Arrant Quill (see the accompanying stat block) is sitting in a chaise longue, protected by his mind blank spell and occupying his time by reading the book he was holding in the library when he was trapped in the painting two days ago. He’s outwardly friendly, and he politely asks the characters who they are and what they’re doing here. Because he’s hungry and parched, he also kindly begs them for some food and drink. If the Harpers are mentioned, Quill can barely hide his contempt.

As long as Quill remains in Wisteria Vale, he is immune to all damage and automatically succeeds on all saving throws. This feature is suppressed if Quill wills it (no action required) or while he is within 15 feet of Renekor the beholder.

Good roleplaying or a successful DC 19 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check convinces Quill that the characters are his allies and that they’ve come to help him escape Wisteria Vale. However, he insists that they not stab him with the magical crystal dagger until they’re all back in the manor. If the characters fail to earn his trust, Quill pretends to be agreeable but tries to escape using his teleport spell once he escapes the painting, denying characters the chance to stab him with the dagger. Where the teleport spell takes him is up to you, but the destination must be somewhere in Wisteria Vale.

Escaping Quill’s Prison

The only way to escape from this room is to damage the slime that covers the window with a magic weapon, which causes the slime to disappear and opens the window. Quill doesn’t know this and doesn’t have a magic weapon.

Roc

Within this painting’s extradimensional space, the walls, doors, and ceiling are painted to resemble thick clouds. The air is cold and fresh. A hostile roc takes up much of the room and attacks intruders on sight. It’s sustained by magic and is too big to leave the room. If killed, the roc is not replaced.

Quill’s Party

No matter how much time seems to have passed inside the painting, when Quill and the characters leave the extradimensional space, they land near the north wall of the ballroom during the party that Renekor and the fake Quill are hosting. The room has been decorated with garlands of wisteria, and small tables hold hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Renekor and the fake Quill are in the middle of the room, surrounded by a crowd of thirty villagers dressed in fine attire, all having a good time. Five villagers have gathered on the stage to perform instrumental music. This band includes a harpsichordist, a cellist, a violinist, a flutist, and a fiddler. Milling through the crowd are four waiters. All the guests, performers, and waiters are unarmed Constructed Commoner that do not engage in battle and flee if combat erupts.

Renekor can tell the real Quill from the fake one. When it notices the characters and the real Quill, the beholder attacks, hovering just out of reach of melee weapons and using its lair actions when appropriate. The two suits of animated armor standing guard outside the ballroom also attack at the command of the beholder. Renekor wants to keep Quill alive and avoids attacking him.

The two Quills look the same. However, the fake Quill can’t do anything except move and talk, and it is dispelled if it takes damage from a spell or magic weapon. No other magic or damage affects it.

If the real Quill believes the characters are on his side, he gives them permission to stab him with the magical crystal dagger. If he thinks the characters have come to Wisteria Vale to kill him, he flees using his teleport spell, reappearing in some other location of your choice in Wisteria Vale. Quill’s priority is to stay alive.

Quill loses his immunity to damage while he’s within 15 feet of Renekor, but he is not immediately aware of this. Once Quill realizes that Renekor is negating his invincibility, he tries to distance himself from the beholder.

If combat erupts in the ballroom, the villagers begin to panic and scatter, turning the ballroom into difficult terrain until they clear the room, which takes 2 rounds.

Administering the Cure

If Quill is stabbed with the magical crystal dagger, he staggers backward, momentarily dazed as he overcomes the effects of his corruption. His eyes glow an eerie purple for a few seconds before returning to normal, whereupon his alignment reverts to neutral good. After regaining his senses, he thanks the characters for helping him—just before the world around them disappears.

Aftermath

When Quill is either cured or killed, the demiplane of Wisteria Vale unravels. Everything around the characters fades before a streak of blue light flashes across their vision and they arrive back in Candlekeep, appearing in unoccupied spaces as close to The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale as possible.

If Quill survives the ordeal, he happily reunites with Ryllia, who gives the party the full reward of 5,000 gp. Quill is indebted to the characters and might become a valuable ally in the future. If Quill dies, the demiplane unravels as the characters and Quill’s corpse return to Candlekeep. Ryllia is saddened to hear of Quill’s death, but if his body is delivered to her, she pays to have the bard resurrected. The reward she promised to the characters is instead used to pay for Quill’s resurrection.

If Renekor is alive when the demiplane unravels, the beholder is sent back to its lair in the Underdark, where it holds a deep grudge against the characters. It sends its minions to spy on them while it gathers resources and plots revenge.