Keep the Chapel from Splitting
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Broken AltarAsh FloorCenser Walk
Roleplay EncounterDND5E 2024Party L19 · 5 PCs
Keep the Chapel from Splitting
Read Aloud
Ash drifts from the blackened censers and settles on cracked saints underfoot. The altar is broken in half, and both sides have their hands on it like they can still claim the holy thing by force. Maltren stands in the smoke talking like a judge, while the survivors cling to the walls and look one bad word away from panic.
The Scene
HOSTILENegotiation under pressureBase DC 20Stakes A sacred place is about to become a public lie. If the party cannot force a clean answer, the dawn vow breaks here and takes their larger cause with it.
15 to 30 minutes
NPC Goal
Maltren wants the chapel to admit it failed, and he wants the relic handled in a way that proves only the worthy keep it.
Leverage
The altar, the relic, and the fear of being the one who breaks the last oath
Player Approaches
- Name the exact cost of both choices, not just the moral one
- Offer a witness or oath that can be checked after the scene
- Put the relic on the altar and make both sides speak to it, not over it
NPC Gambits
- Appeal to duty and shared history
- Call out the lie nobody wants named
- Offer a hard bargain with a public witness
- Force a pause with a direct, honest question
NPC Reactions
- If pressed with sympathy, a survivor lowers their weapon and asks who gets judged first
- If challenged with proof, Maltren answers in a flat, sermon-knife voice and refuses to blink
- If offered a fair rite, the room quiets, but only long enough for one more hard truth
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