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A dark and horror filled dungeon quest, in a undead infested dungeon under the old hills in the land of @De Gylleneåsarna. A rustic and mythic dark omen of a comming dark. · Medium · Medium

Barrow of Nine Bells

The dead remember every oath, and the hills have begun to ring.
Rooms
12
Foes
33, CR 1/4 to 6
Traps
6
Treasure
150 gp
123456789101112Entrance
Select a room on the plan to open it.

The party is in

1. Collapsed Pilgrim Stair

Seen

Something wanders by

At a glance

The threat

King Rauthen, the Last Oathkeeper, lies enthroned in the deepest barrow with the black funeral bell chained above him.

Wandering monsters (1d4)

  1. 1

    1d4× Lantern PilgrimsCR 1/2

    When: When the party speaks above a whisper in an unlit corridorThin undead pilgrims carrying cold lanterns. They repeat the last words spoken by anyone they encounter and become hostile if contradicted.
  2. 2

    1d3× Chain-Bound DeadCR 1

    When: After treasure is removed from a room or a burial nail is pried from a wallA skeleton wrapped in peat-stained funeral cloth, dragging a length of gold chain that rings softly against the floor.
  3. 3

    1d2× Rootwater CorpseCR 2

    When: When the party takes a long rest outside the protected ritual chamberA corpse swollen with roots and black water. It imitates the voice of a party member calling for help from around the next corner.
  4. 4

    Bell WardenCR 3

    When: When the regional curse advances or the party completes a major ritual stepA faceless warden carrying a small bell and a broken spear. It silently points toward the deepest level, then attacks anyone who follows too slowly.

Rooms

12
1

Collapsed Pilgrim Stair

2 foestreasuresecret

What they see

Read aloud

A landslide has crushed the original pilgrim stair, leaving a narrow descent through broken hill-fort masonry. A toppled shrine shows a faceless saint holding a small bronze bell, and the air carries the smell of cold ashes from somewhere below.

Features

  • Collapsed stone stair
  • Toppled shrine with removable bronze bell
  • Faded pilgrim marks leading toward an intact side passage

What the GM knows

Monsters

2× Peatbound PilgrimsCR 1/4

Emaciated corpse-pilgrims covered in peat and prayer ribbons. They were trapped by the collapse and now defend the shrine from anyone carrying living fire.Tactics. They rise from the rubble after the shrine is disturbed, grapple isolated targets, and attempt to extinguish torches before dragging victims into the collapsed stairwell.

Treasure

Pilgrim's BellUncommon magic itemmagical

A bronze handbell engraved with nine tiny graves. It can be rung once per dawn to repel lesser undead for one minute, but each use gives the bearer a disturbing dream.
Room secrets · GM only

Notes

The quest-giver's signet or oath-token reveals a concealed stone latch behind the shrine, opening the sealed passage to room 5. Characters who ring the bronze bell hear a memory of someone begging not to be buried alive.

4 doors: S (normal), N (normal), W (normal), E (secret)

The place

What it is

Beneath the Old Hills lies a buried complex of hill-fort stone, royal graves, and ritual chambers built around a black funeral bell.

Atmosphere

The dungeon smells of peat smoke, wet stone, old iron, and sweet burial spices.

The threat

King Rauthen, the Last Oathkeeper, lies enthroned in the deepest barrow with the black funeral bell chained above him.

History

The complex was built into an older hill-fort by Queen Yseld and the oathbound clans of De Gylleneåsarna.

Rumors

1d5
Roll a rumor

  1. 1A black bell rings under the Old Hills whenever someone in the villages breaks a promise.
  2. 2The dead beneath the hills wear more gold than the living, but every thief who returns forgets the face of someone they loved.
  3. 3The old noble families still send offerings into the hills through sealed doors.
  4. 4A pilgrim road vanished beneath a landslide, yet fresh footprints appear on it after every new moon.
  5. 5The curse is not spreading outward from the barrow. It is spreading downward toward something older.

Plot hooks

4
QuestThe Signet Beneath the HillsA village elder asks the party to recover a silver signet from the collapsed pilgrim entrance. The signet opens a sealed side passage and bears the crest of the last family sworn to maintain the dungeon's rites.From: Edda Varn, peat-cutter and village elderReward: A pouch of burial gold, safe lodging in the village, and the family's oath-token, which grants advantage on one negotiation with the dead.
InvestigationThe Ledger of Broken OathsA disgraced archivist believes the dungeon contains records proving that the regional curse was engineered by a noble faction. She wants the ledgers recovered before her former allies destroy them.From: Master Oren Vale, expelled royal archivistReward: A translated map of the underground seal network and access to hidden historical contacts in De Gylleneåsarna.
Faction ConflictAsh and GoldA rival faction enters through the old pilgrim route while the party explores the lower levels. They may become allies against Rauthen, attempt to steal the black bell, or betray the party during the final ritual.From: Sister Maela Thorn, leader of the Ashen CovenantReward: A rare funerary charm that protects against possession, though accepting it marks the bearer as a servant of the Covenant.
HorrorWhen the Ninth Bell RingsThe funeral bell has begun ringing in the memories of villagers who have never visited the hills. The party must decide whether to renew the ancient oath, alter it to free the royal dead, or break the bell and face the awakening seal network.From: The bell itself, heard in recurring dreamsReward: A powerful relic tied to the chosen ending, along with the gratitude or hatred of the dead beneath the hills.

Corridors

4

  • Between rooms 2 and 4

    Carved oath-stones line the oldest passages, each showing a kneeling ruler placing a ring into a flame. Characters who touch them hear a private promise they once made whispered by a dead voice.

  • Upper-level corridors

    Bundles of dried peat and juniper hang from iron hooks, still giving off thin trails of smoke despite being cold to the touch.

  • Between rooms 6 and 9

    Gold burial nails have been hammered into the walls at irregular intervals. Removing one causes a nearby corpse to turn its head toward the thief.

  • Deep-level corridors

    Thick roots form natural curtains over lower passages. Behind them, scratching, breathing, and muffled conversations can sometimes be heard, though no living creature is present.

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