The Evil of Castle Cardinal

The King’s Forest. Ever since the end of the Goblin War the place
has been host to countless orcs, disrupting the flow of trade
between Suzail and Arabel. That changed when adventurers claimed an
abandoned keep within the forest and ensured safe passage for
travelers skirting the woods. When rumors that the keep stands
abandoned once more, a call for adventurers was sent, and you
answered...

A 4-hour adventure for 4th-5th level characters

By Simon Goudreault

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The Evil of Castle Cardinal 1

Hellish incursions
Beware the calm, it hides bad news.
—Willem Stormwaters
Adventure Outline
The Evil of Castle Cardinal is a short
adventure for 4 to 6 4th level characters. It
take place in a castle that was protected by
adventurers much like the characters and has
mysteriously been abandoned in the recent
past. A warlock has taken up residence inside
the castle and has been dabbling in dangerous
magic in the castle dungeons. His experiments
have mutated the land and the creatures
around.
Background
The adventure takes place in a region of Cormyr
called the King’s Forest, between the cities of Suzail
and Arabel after the Goblin War. Coleus, the
eponymous evil from the adventure’s title, is a
warlock of no small power who, guided by his
mysterious patron, has come to Castle Cardinal to
enact a ritual in the keep’s dungeons. His ritual has
many effects on the surrounding region, the effects
are kept vague so as to more easily integrate the
adventure into an ongoing campaign, but they are
threefold. First, plant life all around the woods has
begun taking a life of its own in the form of Blights
that are attacking anything that approaches the
forest, except inside the courtyard. Second, travelers
on the road to Suzail have begun inexplicably
detouring towards the keep, even though most are
not aware of its existence. The last effect of the ritual
can be seen in his room under the keep.
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The Evil of Castle Cardinal
Adventure Introduction
The characters have received a missive from one
Willem Stormwaters, a retired adventurer, who
went into mercenary work, to retrieve a previous
team of agents sent to investigate the castle and rid
the place of its evil influence. Once the characters
enter his office in Suzail, read or paraphrase the
following:
The door opens to a cramped office
sparsely decorated, in the center of
which is a massive oak desk upon which
rests mounds of scrolls and various
papers. The man behind the desk looks up
as you enter and enthusiastically shake
your hands.
“Gods am I glad you’ve come! Words of
your deeds have reached me many times
these past tendays, and I could certainly
use your talents. You might be aware that
the King’s Forest has been overrun by
Orcs, but what most don’t know is that
there is a bastion of just folks fighting
day and night to rid the woods of this
scourge. It just so happens that my
company was tasked with manning the keep
there. They would contact me every tenday
to report, yet they have been quiet for
almost a month now.”
He pauses and reaches for something in
his drawer. Pulling out a single brass
coin, he holds it up before you.
“Each member of my company has such a
coin bearing my coat of arms on their
person. If something happened to them, if
they’re dead, I want you to bring me back
their token. It will suffice. You will be
rewarded, of course, both for finding out
what happened to my team, and helping
them out, if need be.”
The brass tokens are faintly magical, enough to be
detected by a Detect Magic spell, but not enough to
confer any benefits.
Willem will pay the characters 50gp each per agent
found, and 100gp for solving the problems at the
castle. With a successful DC 15 Charisma
(Persuasion) check, the characters can receive up to
50gp in advance. The members of Stormwaters
Company consist of Aaron Black (Human Fighter),
2
Vauchères (Human Bard), Jani Thorngage (Gnome
Wizard), Aedfhandor and Narwain Trueflight (Elf
Scout and Mage), Jarfon of Arabel (Human
Veteran), Lady Elsimer (Half-elf Priest) and her
acolyte Bree (Human Acolyte).
Willem provides the characters with a coach, to
make the journey quicker. The coach is driven by
Barrender Rumnaheim (Male Dwarf Guard).
Where are the maps?
The Evil of Castle Cardinal does not use maps to represent
the locales the characters are likely to visit. That way, DMs
running the adventure are at full liberty to arrange the
keep courtyard, the chapel, and the dungeons below, as
they see fit.
Approaching the castle
Castle Cardinal stands in the King’s Forest, in a
clearing about 200 feet in radius around the keep
itself. Of clear elven construction, it used to have 4
main towers, and 4 secondary towers, but most have
crumbled and lie in ruin. Only the main keep, the
chapel, and the western tower remain standing.
As the characters approach the clearing, their coach
gets stuck in creeping vines that have mysteriously
covered the road. A few rounds after the incident,
the vines re-form into their proper shape, a horde of
Blights and attack the characters. There are four
Vine Blights and four Needle Blights attacking the
coach. It is possible to notice the creeping vines
beforehand if a character sitting next to the driver
succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check,
potentially negating the Blights’ surprise.
The Castle Courtyard
The entrance to the courtyard has been blocked off
by wagons and carts, upturned, or on their sides.
Before the barricade lie a mound of dry wood and
the body of a few travelers and many orcs under it.
Smoke rises up from the courtyard, and the PC’s can
hear voices coming from behind the barricade.
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The Evil of Castle Cardinal
Survivors
Gustav Hendelhoff. A trader from Marsember. He
was the first victim to the forest’s ambushes against
travelers. He and his team (three Commoners) were
the first to hole up in the keep’s chapel. They tried to
explore the keep, but after two of his men died, they
decided to stay in the chapel. Tall, mustachioed,
optimistic.
Master Ozrick and Methelda. A master alchemist
on his way to Suzail and his apprentice. Arrived a
few days after Gustav. He is lanky, cunning, and
angry at being stuck here. She is a bit shy, cares for
her employer, realistic.
Old Lady Firehair. A woman in her sixties, and
retired entertainer. She was traveling along with her
grandson to Suzail to visit family but was forced to
hide in the ruins of Castle Cardinal when the forest
attacked. Her grandson, Luke, disappeared one night
and hasn’t come back since.
The NPC’s present can share what they know, which
amount to little. Master Ozrick can sell some
alchemical items, though his stock is limited. Gustav
still has a few items lying around in case the
characters are in need of equipment.
The Survivors’ story
Much like the characters, the survivors in the
courtyard have come under attack by tree-like
creatures when approaching the forest, which,
despite the presence of Orcs, has never been a
problem for travelers on the road to Suzail. Gustav
found it abandoned. The door to the keep is locked,
the chapel is empty (and its backdoor is locked as
well), and the sight tower makes him shiver.
As if the forest itself wasn’t enough, they can
sometime hear echoes in the night, unholy cries
coming from the keep. Furthermore, a few hours
after someone dies, be it human or orc, they always
get back up and attack the living. Gustav used to
have 12 workers, now 9 of them are zombies who
roam the area around the keep at night. As if this
wasn’t enough, travelers all over the region seem to
congregate towards the keep, and the blights
prevent anybody from leaving.
Master Ozrick’s Emporium
Ozrick has the following items for sale:
Three Alchemist Fires
Two Acid flasks
3
Potion of Healing
Healer’s kit
He can also be persuaded to part with his Potion of
Hill Giant strength with a successful DC 20 Charisma
check.
Gustav’s Inventory
Of all the items Gustav has in his inventory, few
could be of use to the characters. They are:
Hunting Trap
Crowbar
Lantern with enough oil for 2 hours
Shortsword
Two Handaxes
Shield
Exploring Castle Cardinal
This next section of the adventure can be played in
any order. The chapel provides a safe resting place
(the blights will not try to open any doors at night,
but still need to be removed during the day if they
come in the courtyard), while the tower does shed a
bit of light on the background of this adventure. The
keep is where most of the action is.
The Chapel
The chapel consists of a main praying area with a
heavy wooden door leading to the courtyard. It also
has a private chamber in back of the main room. The
chamber’s door is locked, but can be picked with a
successful DC 20 Dexterity check with Thieves’
Tools. Inside are three barrels filled with ale, and
one with pickled herring. There is also a bed, at the
foot of which lies a small chest containing a silver
holy symbol of Helm, as well as a spare cleric’s
vestment and a healing potion. The praying area
itself is empty, many if its pews have been removed
by the survivors to barricade the entrance to the
courtyard.
The Tower
Judging by the state of the other towers, it is a
miracle this one has weathered the centuries as it
did. Signs of repairs are evident as is a thin layer if
frost that covers the outer walls. The reinforced
wooden door leading to the tower is neither locked
not barred.
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The Evil of Castle Cardinal
Ground Level
Despite its rich interior, the tower gives off a vibe of
dread and dark foreboding. The walls are cold to the
touch, torches inside have long been extinguished
and cannot be re-ignited. Food left on the table in its
center seems to be well preserved and barely shows
any sign of rot or mold. The entry door is stuck,
however, and before any character can get inside, a
successful DC 16 Athletics (Strength) check is
needed to force it open.
An iron ladder on the far wall of the room leads up to
the second floor.
Second Floor
As the characters climb, the temperature drops
rapidly, the rungs of the ladder are quickly covered
in frost, and snow seems to hang in the air. Furniture
on the second floor have been tossed around, and a
giant suit of armor lies destroyed on the floor. A
successful DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check is
enough to identify the suit as a Shield Guardian.
From the ceiling hangs icicles the length of a man’s
arm. Similarly to the first floor, on the far wall is
another iron ladder leading upwards.
Third Floor
Any character climbing to the third floor must
succeed a DC 15 Constitution Saving Throw or take
1d6+4 cold damage each round while they are on the
third floor. A creature dropped to 0 hit points is
frozen in place by the magic at work here.
On the third floor are the frozen bodies of a handful
of pale-skinned orcs. A DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine)
check reveals that the cause of death is not the
magical frost permeating the place, but wounds
suffered most likely in combat. Three humanoids,
two elves and a human, are frozen in various poses
of combat. One elf is suspended in mid-air, his bow
out and an arrow notched. He is looking angrily at
whoever comes up the ladder. The other stands on a
dais, having knocked a chair aside and is extending
an arm out of desperation towards the ladder
leading to the fourth floor. The human is beside him,
slumped against the wall with an enormous icicle
protruding from his stomach. Frozen blood at his
feet and around the wound.
The bodies break apart if touched, as does their
equipment except for their brass token.
4
Fourth Floor
The fourth floor is littered with magical
paraphernalia. Runes are drawn at the foot of the
walls, and a lectern holding a crystal-like object
covered in silvery dust takes up the center of the
floor. Intense cold radiates from this object and
picking it up deals 3d6 points of cold damage. If
stored safely in a container, while it will still radiate
extreme cold (around -40 degrees), it will not deal
any more damage. The crystal is what allows the
cambion Lazaren to remain safely on the material
plane. The crystal has 30 hit points and is immune to
cold and fire damage. For more information on the
crystal and Lazaren, refer to his stat block in the
appendix.
A character searching the fourth floor may find, with
a DC 15 Intelligence 9Investigation) check, a spell
book containing the following spells: Magic Missile,
Protection from Evil, Magic Mouth, Melf’s Acid Arrow,
and Fireball.
The Keep
The entrance to the keep has been locked from the
inside by Coleus’ lackeys and they have taken upon
themselves to loot it as thoroughly as they could.
While the ground level and second level have no
items of value, tracks and evidence points to
extensive looting by humanoid creatures heading
towards the dungeon under the keep.
The Dungeon
When Coleus came to Castle Cardinal, he was
accompanied by a band of Orcs he seduced to his
master’s ways. In contrast to their kin, these orcs
have bluish-white skin and yellow eyes. They are
perfectly acclimated to cold climate, and are more
vicious, if such a thing can exist. They are loyal to a
fault, and will only balk at intimidation if their lives
are in great danger, and even then. Statistics for
these new orcs can be found at the end of this
adventure.
Coleus found, in the dungeon, the shrine he had been
looking for. To make sure he would not be disturbed,
he created a magical ice wall that can only be
dispelled by using a pair of attuned runestones. One,
he entrusted to his second-in-command, the
Cambion Lazaren. The other, he hid in the Harvest
Chamber after finding the riddle to get past the
illusory garden quite amusing.
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The Evil of Castle Cardinal
Navigating the dungeon
Light: There are no light sources unless specified
in the dungeons.
Doors: Unless specified, each room has an iron
door leading out of it.
Coleus, Lazaren and the orcs are not on high alert
in the dungeon. Having easily dispatched whatever
resistance they met, and because infighting is
common among orcs, sounds of combat do not
alarm them. If an encounter lasts more than four
rounds, however, it will attract the attention of
Lazaren, who will leave his room and investigate.
The following room are all part of the dungeon, feel
free to arrange them as you like.
Supply room
In this room are packed various spell components,
for a total worth of 150gp. In addition, there are 5
gems worth 100gp: a Pearl, an Amethyst, an Amber
and 2 Jade stones. The supply room is always
guarded by 2 Stygian Orcs (See Appendix).
Gibbering Mouther Lair
This room is roughly 20ft by 30ft and appears to
have been a jail in a time long past. Sounds of piping
and wheezing can be heard from beyond the door.
As a measure of precaution, Coleus’ master left him a
present. This pathetic creature was fed the bodies of
any unruly orc, and has assimilated their eyes and
mouth. The creature, a Gibbering Mouther, has not
eaten in days and is so hungry it will attack anything
that enters the room.
Treasure: Among the things the gibbering mouther
has not eaten is a single coin of brass with Willem’s
coat of arms etched on it.
Harvest Chamber
Pinned to the door to this room is a note that reads:
“Lazaren, this is the room I told you
about. If you need to see me in a hurry,
you know what to do. The riddle isn’t
that hard, but needs more than one to
complete, take one of the dimwits with
you.”
In the middle of this 30ft by 30ft room stands a
humongous mushroom-tree hybrid. Thick roots
crawl out from underneath and get lost within the
5
vines that sprout from its top. Knee-high grass
covers the whole room. A decrepit scarecrow hangs
from the tree-thing in a posture suggesting it is
holding something missing. Clearing the vines from
the walls reveals eight alcoves spaced about 10 feet
apart, one of which is closed by a stone slab bearing
Chauntea’s symbol on it. Once cleared, the vines
cover the alcoves back almost immediately, leaving
enough time for one action. Inside each alcove is a
miniature version of a farming implement (a flail, a
shovel, a scythe, a bag of seeds, a plow, a harrow and
a wicker basket). In order to get the runestone
behind Chauntea’s sigil, the characters must
simulate a year of farming in 6 consecutive rounds
or less. To do this, they must gather the tools, and
use them (by taking an action) in the proper fashion
so as to simulate farming. They must, in order, use
the plough on the floor (which transforms the
ground into a fallow field), sow the seeds (which
creates sprouts), use the harrow on at least two five
foot squares of ground (which makes the sprouts
grow, but so do weeds), dig with the shovel (which
dispels the weeds), use the scythe to harvest the
crops, and finally use the flail to thresh the grain
from the stalks, put the grains in the basket, and
hand the basket to the scarecrow. Doing so
successfully withers the mushroom-tree to a husk,
leaving only the scarecrow, and unlocks Chauntea’s
alcove. The room resets itself if the characters fail to
use the tools in the right order, or if they cannot
succeed within the allowed time frame. Due to the
highly magical nature of the room, a Detect Magic
spell cast in the room causes the caster to suffer
headaches and nausea as the vivid auras of multiple
illusions and complex patterns come into view.
Treasure: Inside the alcove is a solid ice block upon
which is inscribed an eldritch rune. A character can,
with a DC 20 Intelligence (Religion) identify the rune
as belonging to a cult of Levistus.
Armory
The door to the armory is locked. The lock can be
picked by a character using thieves’ tools and
making a DC 15 Dexterity check. This 20ft by 15ft
room was used by Stormwaters Company as a
repository for arms and armors taken from the orcs.
Now the room is mostly barren, Coleus having taken
anything he saw fit. However, he left a runestone on
a small lectern protected by a Glyph of Warding
spell.
Treasure: A DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) or
Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a secret
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The Evil of Castle Cardinal
compartment inside a wall containing an amulet of
Proof against detection, Bracers of Archery, and a
Sentinel Shield.
Coleus’ chambers
While this room was normally inhabited by one of
the resident of Castle Cardinal, Coleus has made it
his bedroom. Inside are volumes on travel between
planes, history of Cormyr, and various tomes on how
to summon and bind extraplanar beings. With a
successful DC 20 Intelligence check and about an
hour to peruse the tomes, a character can deduce the
reason for Coleus’ takeover of the keep. Castle
Cardinal stands on the site of a planar eruption that
took place in the far past. The entire forest around
the castle is soaked in magical energy, and with the
proper skills and powers, one could use this energy
for just about any means, though it seems Coleus’
goal is to merge the region with Stygia.
Mess Hall
The Orcs use this 30ft by 40ft room to eat, and the
smell of half rotten meat permeates the room. They
have emptied the castle larders, and stuffed their
face whenever they could with food and beverages.
There is a 50% chance that a lone Stygian Orc is
lingering in the room scrounging for food.
Cambion’s Quarters
Three linked rooms that used to make up the
barracks have been turned over to Lazaren. The
southernmost one is used as a jail of sorts, where
Luke is currently detained. Aside from him, two
bodies hang limp from shackles hung from the
ceiling. Another room is used as a torture room, for
Lazaren’s amusement. The body of Jani Thorngage is
in this room, her eyes burnt out with fire pokers and
her skin lashed and burned in multiple places.
The last room is his chamber itself, where the
Cambion can be found when not torturing prisoners.
He is flanked by a charmed Lady Elsimer, her robes
torn in multiple places so as to reveal as much as
possible. When the PC’s enter his room, read the
following:
6
In front of you is an imposing blue-
skinned man with bulging muscles and a
dark mane. His head is crowned by two ram
horns that protrude from his forehead and
circle around the top of his skull. He
wears a black chainmail and is fiddling
with a wicked looking spear. When he sees
you enter, he looks up from the half-
naked woman next to him long enough to
sigh.
“How many times must I lock the door? You
people really do have a death wish, do
you not? Let me cut you a deal; leave
this place at once, and I’ll pretend I’ve
never seen you anywhere. Don’t, and you
will be my next playthings.”
Despite his nonchalant attitude, Lazaren (See
Appendix) is more than ready to fight, and has a Cold
Ray readied against the first person to make a move
against him. Furthermore, one his first turn of
combat, he opens a secret door behind him,
revealing 1 zombie for every 2 characters in the
party.
Treasure: Adamantine Chainmail.
Lazaren will use his Plane Shift ability to flee is
brought below 15 hp. Lady Elsimer, provided she
survived, is a skilled cleric and will heal the party
with her Prayer of Healing spell in recognition.
Elsimer and Luke’s Story
Elsimer can recount the events leading to her
imprisonment, though her memory is fuzzy, and the
trauma at the hands of Lazaren have left her
traumatized. The company had begun sighting the
blue-white orcs a few tendays before the attack on
the keep, but they did not consider the orcs more
than perhaps albino or sick members of the race, as
they always traveled alone and seemed lost. Then
one night, roughly a month ago, snow began falling
inside the tower, as if the ceiling itself was the
winter sky. From the snow materialized two
humanoid figures, Coleus and Lazaren. At once, the
blue-white orcs sprang from the woods and assailed
the keep. The company got separated during the
attack, with herself, Bree, Jani and Vauchères forced
into the dungeons by the advancing orcs. They were
soon captured by the cambion, and she was forced to
watch her friends be tortured to death, a sick joke
played on her as a follower of the Watcher.
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The Evil of Castle Cardinal
Luke story is not as long, as he has been unconscious
most of the time he spent down here. He remembers
being pulled towards the forest as he was making his
trip with his grandmother. They spent a few days
with the refugees, trying to find a way to escape the
forest when he dreamt, one night, that the answer
lied in the keep. Surprisingly enough, the doors were
unlocked and he made his way in. Unfortunately, he
was knocked out from behind as he made his way
downstairs in the dark.
Dormitory
Since they have been ordered by Coleus not to go
outside and slaughter the refugees, the orcs use this
room to sleep in when they are not up doing menial
tasks for Lazaren or Coleus. 1d4+1 Stygian Orcs
sleep in the room at any given time. They wake up if
an alarm rings, or if anybody makes enough noise
while in the room.
Loot room
In this room are packed most of the valuables stolen
from the keep. Aside from food, silverware and other
valuable items, there is also a Potion of Healing and a
Spell Scroll (Longstrider). The loot room is always
guarded by 2 Stygian Orcs.
Primordial Temple
The entrance to this room is sealed by a thick,
indestructible wall of infernal ice that bears 2 hand-
sized depressions in its center. Inserting the
runestones melt the wall of ice, which is recreated
by uttering a command word known only to Coleus
and Lazaren. This room 40ft across by 50ft long,
deep beneath the keep, was built around the site of a
planar explosion and the death of a powerful
extraplanar being. A deep crack in its center is filled
with brackish liquid and emanates foul green vapors.
Behind it is Coleus, bent over tomes and
parchments. He is flanked by two Stygian Orcs.
Unless alerted of the characters presence, he simply
mutters, without even looking up:
“Lazaren, I do sincerely hope you have a
good reason for bothering me.” If it’s
about any intrusions again, know that I
do not care at this point. Do with them
as you please, I am almost finished!”
Behind Coleus, chained to a column, is a bloody and
beaten Aaron Black, half conscious. If he notices the
characters approaching (Passive Perception 12) he
7
will try to make a diversion so that they can surprise
the warlock.

Boon of Stygia
Coleus was guided to Castle Cardinal by visions from
Levistus, who wants him to use the fissure to cement
Lazaren’s connection to the material plane; the first step in
a complex and convoluted plan of his. In order to better his
chances, Levistus has granted Coleus the opportunity to
bestow a boon upon any willing subject in a ritual that
would forever bind them to the will of Stygia’s ruler. The
boon does the following:
 Increases the target’s Strength and Intelligence score by
2
 Changes its alignment to evil
 Grants the Devil’s Sight Invocation
 The subject knows how to speak, read and write
Infernal
 Grants the Breath of Stygia ability. Once per long rest,
the subject may exhales a cloud of stygian-infused air.
One target within 5ft. of the subject must make a
Constitution saving throw or have its speed reduced by
10ft. and not be able to use any reactions. The target
may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its
turns to end the effects. Constitution is the ability for
this feature.
 The subject becomes a devout follower of Levistus and
will do everything in its power to further his agenda.

Conclusion
Should the characters succeed, they can bring Aaron
and Lady Elsimer back alive to Suzail where Willem
will gladly pay the characters for their efforts, and
will even go so far as to suggest they take over the
keep and its responsibilities. If her grandson made it
out alive, Old Lady Firehair is beyond happy, and
though she does not have much to give, she says she
will spread word of their heroism wherever she
goes. The PC’s now have a base of operations for
their next ventures, and if Lazaren escaped alive,
have a nemesis too.

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The Evil of Castle Cardinal 8

Appendix – Monsters
LAZAREN
Medium fiend, Lawful Evil
STYGIAN ORC Armor Class 19 (adamantine chainmail)
Medium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil
Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33)
Armor Class 13 (hide armor)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
Hit Points 15 (2d8 + 6)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 18 16 14 12 16
(+4) (+4) (+3) (+2) (+1) (+3)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 12 16 9 11 10
(+4) (+1) (+3) (-1) (+0) (+0) Saving Throws Str +7, Con +6, Int +5, Cha +6
Skills Deception +6, Intimidation +6, Perception +4,
Skills Intimidation +2 Stealth +7
Damage Resistances cold Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, poison,
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
nonmagical weapons
Languages Common, Orc, Infernal
Immunities critical hits
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Infernal
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Aggressive. As a bonus action, the orc can move up
to its speed toward a hostile creature it can see.

Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the

orc’s darkvision.
ACTIONS
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft.,
one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) slashing damage.
Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
reach 5ft. or range 30/120ft., one target. Hit: 7
(1d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Breath of Stygia (1/Day). The orcs exhales a cloud
of stygian-infused air. One target within 5ft. of the
orc must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw
or have its speed reduced by 10ft. and not be able
to use any reactions. The target may make a new
saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end
the effects.
Fiendish Blessing. The AC of Lazaren includes its
Charisma bonus.
Innate Spellcasting. Lazaren’s spellcasting ability is
Charisma (spell save DC 14). Lazaren can innately
cast the following spells, requiring no material
components:
3/day each: alter self, command, detect magic
1/day: plane shift (self only)
Frozen life force. Lazaren’s stay on the material
plane is tied to the crystal-like gem. Each point of
damage done to the gem also damages Lazaren,
and upon its destruction, Lazaren must make a DC
20 Charisma saving throw of be stunned for 1
turn. As soon as the gem is damaged, Lazaren
knows the exact location and name of the person
who damaged the gem.

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The Evil of Castle Cardinal 9

 ACTIONS
Multiattack. Lazaren makes two melee attacks or
uses its Cold Ray twice.
Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit,
reach 5ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 +
4) piercing damage or 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage if
used with two hands to make a melee attack plus 3
(1d6) cold damage.
Cold Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 120
ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage.
Fiendish Charm. One humanoid Lazaren can see
within 30 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14
Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed for
1 day. The charmed target obeys Lazaren’s spoken
commands. If the target suffers any harm from
Lazaren or another creature or receives a suicidal
command from Lazaren, the target can repeat the
saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a
success. If a target’s saving throw is successful, or
if the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to
Lazaren’s Fiendish Charm for the next 24 hours.
COLEUS, THE WARLOCK OF HIGH
PEAK
Medium humanoid (human), Lawful Evil
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
Hit Points 45 (5d8 + 5)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS
9 14 12 12 12
(-1) (+2) (+1) (+1) (+1)
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +6
Skills Arcana +4, Religion +4
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Elvish, Infernal
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only .
The Evil of Castle Cardinal
Spellcasting. Coleus is a 5th level spellcaster. His
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14,
+6 to hit with spell attacks). Aside from cantrips,
Coleus has 2 spell slots to cast the following spells:
Cantrips (at will): Eldritch Blast, Mage Hand, Minor
Illusion
1st level: Armor of Agathys, Burning Hands,
Command, Expeditious Retreat, Hex
2nd level: Blindness/Deafness, Hold Person, Invisibility,
Scorching Ray
3rd level: Fireball, Hunger of Hadar, Stinking Cloud
Invocations. Coleus knows the following
invocations: Armor of Shadows, Agonizing Blast,
Eyes of the Rune Keeper.
Dark One’s Blessing. Whenever Coleus reduces a
hostile creature to 0 hit points, he gains 8
temporary hit points.
Envoy of Levistus. Coleus has the maximum amount
of hit points possible for every hit die he gains.
ACTIONS
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
reach 5ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4
+ 2) piercing damage.
Using the adventure elsewhere
While set in Cormyr, Evil of Castle Cardinal may be set in any
area of the Forgotten Realms. There are hundreds off
abandoned keeps in the realms, and while the adventure
states that there was a magical anomaly that took place
where the keep is now, you can easily modify it to fit an
extended campaign, or keep it as is. Who knows just how
many times the realms have been visited by extraplanar
CHA
beings in the distant past?
17
(+3)
10