The adventure begins with a desperate plea from Baron Daniel DeCobray, whose wife, Baroness Anastasia, has been missing for two nights after attending a masquerade at Vierme Manor. The Baron offers a reward, a pardon for past crimes, and appeals to the party's heroism and curiosity to convince them to investigate. On their journey to the manor, the characters may encounter a woodcarver who was recently fired by Count Ibilis Vierme and a group of bandits secretly transporting the body of the late Count Fortuno Vierme. The manor itself and the surrounding lands are afflicted by a spreading blight, a physical manifestation of a curse that originated with the manor's previous owner.
Upon entering the manor, the party finds a scene of carnage, with bloody marks on the walls and several dead partygoers. In the sitting room, they discover five bloody bodies that rise as Slither Fiends when touched, and in the cellar, they find the bodies of twelve more victims, including Baroness Anastasia. The party also encounters a mad Count Ibilis, who murdered his father and, driven insane by the Vierme Curse, orchestrated the masquerade that led to the deaths of his guests. He is strangely allied with the monstrous Vierme's Slithers, creatures drawn to his madness.
The climax of the adventure takes place in the manor's cellar, where the party must fight three of Vierme's Slithers and their minions. After the battle, if Ibilis is present, he may have a moment of lucidity and reveal information about the curse and his family's dark history. The adventure concludes with the party returning to Baron DeCobray with the grim news of his wife's death, though he rewards them for their efforts. The adventure sets up future hooks, including investigating the curse further, exploring the tunnels under the manor, and dealing with the Baron's descent into cruelty after his loss.
Key Features of this Custom RPG
A Desperate Investigation: Players are hired to find a missing noblewoman in a gothic manor filled with secrets and a generational curse.
Terrifying Monsters: The party must confront a variety of horrors, including monstrous Vierme's Slithers, their animated victims, the Slither Fiends, and a gruesome Skin Wraith.
Interactive Environments: The adventure features a manor with multiple points of entry, a sprawling cellar, and a variety of clues, from diaries to NPCs, that reveal the dark history of the Vierme family.
Pacing and Transitions: The adventure is designed for a single session with minimal preparation, using dramatic questions and transitions to keep the story moving and engaging for players.
A New Curse: The party may be exposed to the Vierme Curse, which manifests as a fever, a phantom heartbeat, and eventual madness.
System: Dungeons and Dragons RPG
Players: 2-6
Assets: Pregen characters plus maps, NPC, monsters, and equipment cards
Playtime: Approximately 4 hours
Campaign: Part 1 of the Curse of the Viermes series
