1.
Ten years have passed since the restoration of Eldermoor.
Our story begins at the Order of the Lotus Monastery in Vaasa, the westernmost realm of the so-called Cold Lands. Vaasa is an empty and inhospitable land of frozen wastes and open tundra, where icy winds blow south from the Great Glacier and winter seems almost eternal.
The monastery is the most remote outpost of the Order of the Lotus. Despite its isolation, it is home to one of the Order’s greatest libraries and has housed some of its most accomplished Field Marshals and Knights.
Anaphiel serves as Field Marshal of the monastery, charged with protecting its great library and providing knowledge and protection to the surrounding settlements. Some might consider a posting to such a remote outpost a punishment, but for Anaphiel, a Drow, the short days and long nights of Vaasa suit her perfectly.
Three travelers have found themselves at the monastery:
Kain has taken up residence within its walls, seeking a quiet place to finally rest after years of conflict. The Order has always welcomed warriors and soldiers, regardless of their former allegiances.
Sono has been “lost” for some time, searching for answers about his lineage and his natural connection to the arcane. His search eventually led him to the Order’s great libraries and, most recently, to Vaasa. Here, he has found an unexpected sense of relief among people who give his lineage little thought.
Luciel, far from the great Calim Desert, adapted surprisingly quickly to Vaasa’s brutal cold. Having grown up in the slums of Castlemere, Luciel idolized a legendary pit fighter who was also a devoted warrior of the faith. Lacking the natural strength to follow the path of a Paladin, Luciel instead became a Cleric of Man-Kzin, the Great Lion, eventually joining the Order of the Lotus to master the healing arts.
While the three are resting in the monastery barracks, a tremendous explosion shakes the complex.
Rushing outside, they discover the monastery garrison battling a horde of Mummies. Worse, the great library is on fire.
Anaphiel orders the party to defend it.
Inside, they encounter a mysterious knight and a powerful Mummy Lord looting the library’s stacks. During the battle, the Mummy Lord escapes through the monastery’s teleportation circle—but not before issuing a warning in Abyssal:
“You cannot stop the Cult of the Eternal.”
After the party defeats the Winter Knight, Anaphiel and the monastery’s librarian, Tain, begin taking inventory of the damaged collection.
One tome is missing. It was stolen by the Mummy Lord known as the Eternal Lord.
Anaphiel charges the party with discovering who—or what—the Cult of the Eternal is and what they intend to do with the stolen book.
Their investigation begins at Rubicon Tower in Eldermoor, where Anaphiel sends them to seek an audience with Vespasian, Grand Marshal of the Order of the Lotus.
2.
The party successfully teleports to Rubicon Tower in Eldermoor, birthplace of the Order of the Lotus.
There, they are granted an audience with Vespasian, Grand Marshal of the Order.
When they tell him about the attack on Vaasa and the Cult of the Eternal, Vespasian reveals that this is not the first time he has heard the cult’s name.
He explains that an agent “on loan” from another organization has already been investigating them.
The agent goes by the name Echo. Unfortunately, Echo has not reported in and is now more than a month overdue.
His last known location was the South Wood, east of Waterdeep, where he had been searching for a former wizard of Candlekeep. The wizard’s name is Orion.
Vespasian asks the party to locate Echo—or, failing that, continue his investigation. He grants them access to Rubicon Tower’s teleportation circle, allowing them to travel directly to Waterdeep.
While in the city, the party encounters Azaka Stormfang, a known member of Blackwing. They soon discover that Azaka was Echo’s contact in Waterdeep.
She provides them with information about Orion and the location of his tower in the South Wood. The last time she heard from Echo, he was traveling there to investigate.
After a day’s journey, the party discovers Orion’s tower standing in the middle of a vast clearing of dead earth.
As they approach the entrance, they are attacked by a Molt of Earth and several Gargoyles.
After defeating the creatures, the party enters the tower. Almost immediately, they discover that the rug covering the ground floor has been infused with dangerous arcane energy.
Their investigation of Orion’s tower has begun.
3.
As the party recovers from the arcane explosion, they discover an Elf Paladin standing in the doorway.
His name is Zion.
Zion explains that he has been hired by Xanathar to track the party, as the Beholder crime lord wants to know the whereabouts of the wizard Orion.
For the time being, Zion agrees to accompany the party as they investigate the tower.
They soon discover a hatch in the floor leading into the lower levels. Unfortunately, some form of magical seal prevents anything from descending the ladder.
With no way down, the party heads upward.
The first level is surprisingly tidy. Along the eastern wall sits a table covered with bottles of unknown chemicals and alchemical equipment. Another table holds a book, a quill, and stacks of scrolls containing detailed diagrams of Human and Humanoid anatomy.
Bookshelves throughout the chamber contain volumes concerning ancient creatures, dragons, necromancy, and forbidden rituals.
At the center of the room lies a magic circle drawn in blood.
The party determines that the circle is designed to summon undead creatures and bind them to a specific task.
Nearby, they discover a strange glass orb. The glass itself is perfectly clear, but inside swirls a red liquid that moves constantly without any apparent external force.
After experimenting with the device, the party discovers its purpose. The orb can teleport them to the second floor. But it requires a sacrifice.
Blood.
After feeding the orb, the party is transported upward.
The second floor is completely dark. There are no windows and no natural sources of light. The only illumination comes from the orb and the faint glow of a crystal positioned on the northern side of the chamber.
When the party touches the crystal, Ghosts and Shadow creatures emerge and attack.
After defeating them, the party destroys the crystal. The magical seal blocking the passage into the tower’s lower levels immediately disappears.
With the way finally open, the party heads underground.
4.
Reaching the lowest level of Orion’s tower, the party searches the cellar and discovers a hidden doorway concealed behind a bookcase.
Beyond it lies a passage splitting in two directions: east and west.
The party first explores the western chamber.
Inside is a large crypt-like room filled with stone caskets arranged along the walls. Everything is illuminated by the same eerie blue glow produced by the crystal upstairs.
The party responds to this mystery in the most direct way possible.
They cast Fireball.
The chamber—and nearly everything inside it—is destroyed.
Turning east, the party discovers Orion in the middle of performing an incantation. Standing guard beside him is a Zombie Beholder.
A battle erupts.
After defeating Orion and his undead servants, the party discovers the missing agent they have been searching for.
Echo.
His real name is Lyndon, and he is a member of Blackwing.
Lyndon reveals another disturbing piece of information.
Blackwing was not merely investigating the Cult of the Eternal. Someone hired them to investigate Vespasian himself, Grand Marshal of the Order of the Lotus.
Their investigation has left the party with two possible paths forward:
Travel to Candlekeep and continue investigating Orion’s research…
Or seek out Hadrian Blackwing, founder of Lyndon’s order.
5.
The party spends the evening resting and fortifying the grounds surrounding Orion’s tower.
The following morning, they begin the journey back to Waterdeep to meet with Xanathar.
Through their meeting with the Beholder crime lord, the party secures passage aboard a ship bound for Candlekeep, hoping the legendary library will provide answers about Orion, the stolen tome, and the mysterious Cult of the Eternal.
They set sail.
But on their first night at sea, an unexpected visitor finds them.
The same mysterious warrior responsible for the attack on the monastery in Vaasa has returned.
The Winter Knight.
6.
The party is ambushed aboard the ship by the Winter Knight and his undead Frost Werewolf minions.
After a fierce battle, the Winter Knight attempts to flee, but the party manages to defeat him.
With the crew gone, the adventurers take control of the unmanned ship, The Curious Jester, and safely bring it into port at Candlekeep.
There, they return a stolen necromancy tome recovered from Orion. As thanks, the Wizards of Candlekeep allow the party to remain as guests and grant them access to the great library.
While at Candlekeep, however, disturbing news arrives from the Order of the Lotus.
Field Marshal Anaphiel has been excommunicated.
Soon afterward, Luciel is summoned to the library’s sending room, where he receives a message directly from Anaphiel.
She reveals that she was the one who hired Blackwing to investigate Vespasian.
Anaphiel provides few details, but leaves Luciel with one important instruction:
Anyone who mentions “Rubicon” can be trusted.
The following day, the party is approached by Pelk, a female Dragonborn librarian.
She identifies herself as a follower of Rubicon and presents the party with an innocent-looking book titled The Common Law of Gardening and Barrel Making.
The title is a disguise.
The book is actually a copy of the tome stolen from the Lotus Library in Vaasa by the Winter Knight and the Eternal Lord: The Chronology of Acererak the Eternal.
The tome contains a detailed history of Acererak, including possible locations of his phylactery and instructions for returning him to this plane.
It also describes a Jade Pyramid located off the coast of the Shining Sea.
According to the tome, the pyramid was once used as a site of sacrifice. There, the essence of vampires could be extracted and stored within magical orbs.
Those orbs could then be used for one purpose:
To restore Acererak to this world.
7.
After conducting extensive research within the libraries of Candlekeep, the party decides to travel by sea to Coppertree Island and investigate the mysterious Jade Pyramid.
The island was named after Captain Coppertree, a renowned Lizardfolk who discovered it more than ten years earlier while escorting a group of adventurers near the end of the Death Curse.
For the voyage, the party hires the experienced Khabar Cimmo to captain their vessel and safely guide them to the island.
Upon arriving, they discover the wreckage of an old merchant vessel, the Jade Wake, scattered along the docks.
Before they can investigate further, Luciel and his companions are “ambushed” by a massive crab possessed by a Glabrezu, a demonic creature from the Abyss known to hunt followers of Toedd.
The encounter provides an ominous welcome to Coppertree Island.
Whatever waits inside the Jade Pyramid, the party is clearly not alone.
8.
The party journeys across Coppertree Island until they finally reach the entrance to the Jade Pyramid.
Its enormous steel doors stand ominously ajar.
Inside the pyramid’s grand chamber, the adventurers are ambushed by a Stone Golem.
Despite the construct’s tremendous strength, the party eventually destroys it.
Their victory reveals a hidden staircase descending beneath the pyramid and into an enormous underground cave system.
While exploring the darkness below, the party discovers a strange artifact:
A Whispering Skull with a gemstone embedded in its surface.
After reactivating the soul trapped within, the skull introduces itself simply as:
“W.”
W claims to have existed for countless years. He remembers once being bound to a cursed suit of armor but has no memory of how he eventually came to rest beneath the Jade Pyramid.
Continuing deeper into the caves, the party discovers another chamber.
Waiting inside are the Eternal Lord and Chey, an Artificer commanding a terrifying Hellfire Engine.
No words are exchanged.
The battle begins immediately.
After a brutal fight, the party defeats both enemies and finally recovers the tome stolen from Vaasa.
The Chronology of Acererak the Eternal is theirs.
But possessing the book presents a new problem.
The party must now decide what should be done with it.
9.
After defeating the Eternal Lord and Chey and recovering the stolen tome, the party sails back to Candlekeep to rest and regroup.
Their respite is brief.
Soon afterward, they begin the long journey north toward the Order of the Lotus monastery in Vaasa.
With Pelk’s assistance, the party is teleported directly to the monastery.
They arrive in the middle of a siege.
Forces of the Order of the Lotus, commanded by Vespasian, are attacking their own monastery.
The defenders rally under Anaphiel, and the party immediately joins the battle against Vespasian’s forces.
Amid the chaos, Vespasian succeeds in opening a portal to an otherworldly realm—the place where the lich Acererak has been hiding.
During the battle, Anaphiel is struck down.
Her allies reach her before it is too late and manage to restore her to life.
Eventually, Vespasian and his knights are defeated.
With the monastery secured, Anaphiel takes command.
She knows that Vespasian was only part of a much greater threat.
While Anaphiel remains behind to regain control of the Order of the Lotus and restore the Order of Rubicon, she gives the party one final mission:
Travel through Vespasian’s portal.
Find Acererak.
And destroy him.
The party steps through.
On the other side, they find themselves surrounded by cold, unnatural mist.
They have entered Barovia, a cursed land trapped within the dreaded Plane of Dread.
Behind them lies the Cult of the Eternal, the fall of Vespasian, and the struggle for the Order of the Lotus.
Ahead of them waits something far worse.
And somewhere within the mists of Barovia…
Acererak is waiting.