THE ARDENT CONVENT
A Gauntlet for Shadowdark RPG
In the shadow of the Grand Aqueduct, on the Pilgrim's Road
toward Virtue, rests the Abbey of Saint Sofia-by-the-Well.
It is a common stop for travellers who seek Cardinal
protection against the cold desert nights.
But on the evening that you arrive, tired from the long journey
and longing for Rest, it had fallen to the blight.
Only the vision of an angel, desperately calling your name in
your dreams, warns you of the depravity that awaits you.
You must Run. Find the Gate Key and escape, before the you fall
victim to the sisterhood's newfound depravity!
Random Encounters Area 01: Caravanserai. A courtyard structure,
with small, but clean and shaded rooms
d4 Details gathering around a lesser well.
1 1 hircusa demon and 2 rabid mastiffs prowl • Beginning. All characters start their
outside the PC's area, entering it on the next gauntlet run from this area.
round. • Old Well. 30' deep, filled with rainwater.
2 2 smiling nuns round the corner goatish At the bottom, lies the corpse of a Sofian
features cracking skin and habit apart. knight, weighed down by her corroding
3 A luring song sounds from Area 11. DC 12 armour. Carries 2 empty glass vials (6
CHA or be charmed for 1 round to be drawn GP) and a silver ring on a chain (40 GP).
towards its source. • Secret Passage. Hidden in the north-
4 The area distorts under the laughter of the eastern most chamber behind a false
sovereign. DC 13 WIS or be forcefully wall. Leads to Area 10.
teleported to another, random Area.
Area 02: Outer Courtyard. Junipers grow atop
Gauntlet. This adventure is meant for 0th-level the red rocks of the steep hill the abbey stands
characters. The starting area is the Caravanserai upon. The courtyard stretches around the
(Area 01). The end-goal of the gauntlet is to find southern cloister.
the Bronze Gate Key for Area 24 and flee the • Enemies. 2 rabid mastiffs prowl the
blighted convent. courtyard.
The BronzeGate Key is held by the Abbess. A
Gate Key mould can be found in the Archives, Area 03: Stables. The strong smell of camel,
allowing the PCs to forge a second copy using dried straw and oats permeates throughout the
the Smithy. structure.
• Blighted Animals. 3 mad camels cluster
Blighted. The convent has been corrupted by in the stables, flat teeth digging into the
the sovereign Aka-Mannah. The rites they carry flesh of a half-alive smiling nun.
out, from offerings to sacrifice, have become a • Treasure. Smiling nun holds the the
celebration of their wants and suppressed church key.
longings.
Area 04: Smithy. Hammer and tongs rest by the
Doors. Most doors are or can be locked, but can anvil, a forge that has been cold for days, lumps
be opened either by force (DC 12 STR) or of metal only half-hammered into shape.
finesse (DC 13 DEX) by players and monsters • Smithing Tools. A selection of
alike. Forcing a door open causes loud noise hammers, tongs, chisels and punches
that triggers the chance for a random encounter. hang carefully sorted on the wall.
A sealed door is too tough for characters to • Treasure. A shirt of chain mail lies
break down by themselves and requires a very crumpled on a workbench, along with 2
specific key to lock and unlock. Enemies can't shortswords.
pass through sealed doors unless they have a
copy of said key, either. Area 05: Workshop. Pottery wheels and
spinning wheels stand by surrounded by half-
Light. The adventure begins in the middle of finished clay jugs, plates, pots and other dishes
the night, six hours from sundawn. Unless in the heat of a still blazing furnace.
explicitly stated, no lights are lit within the • Furnace. Hot enough to melt iron. Only
convent. recently left behind. A broken gate key
mould sits within it.
Area 06: Storage. A cool, dry chamber lined Area 10: Cloister. A column-framed walkway
with shelves, barrels, pitchers, jugsand sacks surrounding the inner courtyard of the abbey.
containing flour, barley, dried fruits and meats Every step through it seems to echo like a
and other provisions. thunderclap.
• Trapdoor. Connects to Area 13. • Enemies. 2 hircusa demons patrol the
• Treasure. Contains 60 slots worth of cloister, dragging their blades across the
food rations. 3 jugs contain highly floor.
flammable oils and spirits (2 slot each). • Secret Passage. Hidden behind fresco of
an angel carrying a water jug. Leads to
Area 07: Gatehouse. A sturdy, flat-roofed Area 01.
barrack for the night-guards of the sisterhood.
Interior holds two sleeping cots, a desk, stove Area 11: Blighted Well. A 12' tall vaulted
and weapons rack. sandstone pavillon spans across the sacred well.
• Sealed Door. Made of thick, iron-fitted Its ceiling is painted with a fresco of St. Sofia in
wood. Requires the iron gate key to open human shape, mirroring itself in the waters
• Survivor. 1 Sofian knight has locked below.
herself in the Gatehouse, having • Enemies. The Smiling Abbess leads 6
managed to resist the blight to a degree. smiling nuns in a disgusting rite to
She may tell the characters of the gate despoil the well.
key mold up in the archives, if they • Blighted Waters. Waters deal 1d4 CON
manage to convince her they are not damage on contact.
infected. Holds the iron gate key, only • Treasure. The abbess holds the gate key.
hands it over willingly if the characters
have procured the bronze gate key or the Area 12: Infirmary. Four cots for patients line
gate key mould. one wall, seperated by curtains. Cabinets are
torn open, the contents strewn across the floor,
Area 08: Gatetower. Red sandstone bricks pile spreading their strong, narcotic smell.
up to a rectangular, 30' tall watchtower. The • Enemies. 1 smiling nun is performing a
inside is spartan, consisting only of a spiral vivisection on another nun, mad
staircase and a store of crates. curiosity glazing their eyes.
• Enemies. 1 hircusa demon stands atop • Lulling Cloud. DC 12 CON when first
the tower (armed with longbow (far), entering area or suffer DISADV on
ATK +3 (1d10)), watching the courtyard. checks related to hearing, sight and
Has ADV on checks related to sight smell for 1 hour.
while atop. • Medicine. 2 potions of healing are in a
• Crates. Contain supplies: 3x 50' hempen wooden box containing 3 other empty
rope, a lantern and 2 oil flasks. vials by the smiling nuns' side.
• Sealed Door. Requires gatetower key to
open. Area 13: Kitchen. A solitary fire from the great
stove warms the chamber. Sharp knives dangle
Area 09: Chapterhouse. Moonlight seeps in from hooks, copper and clay pots pile up.
pale coloured rays through the stain-glass • Enemies. 1 smiling nun and 1 seduced
windows. Benches are carved into the stone are drinking wine together, while the
surrounding the central space. chopped remains of the old cook boil on
• Enemies. 4 smiling nuns kneel on the the stove in a copper pot.
floor in prayer. The body of a traveller • Trapdoor. Connects to Area 06.
bleeds out between them. They whisper
in-between prayers to the sovereign, Area 14: Refectory. 2 rows of tables, lined with
what they wish to do to the dying simple benches. A lectern stands by the side.
traveller. • Lectern. Holds a Cardinal scripture and
• Sealed Door. Can only be opened with a scroll of protection from evil.
the chapterhouse key.
Area 15: Scriptorium. A cold hall, framed by Area 19: Church. Sandstone columns hold up
vauled alcoves. Rows of desks cluttered with the blue, gold and white painted ceiling,
half-finished scriptures and manuscripts, depicting Saint Sofia's victory over the demon
abandoned by the illuminating sisters. Rat trails Tchernabog and her ascension to sainthood.
criss-cross through the dust. • Enemies. 3 Longing sit together claw-
• Locked Door. Door to Area 16 is locked in-claw, pitching their warped voices to
from the inside. DC 15 STR to bash it a sweet chorus.
open, causes loud drawing random
encounter. Area 20: Corrupted Shrine of St. Sofia. The
• Rat trails. Lead to a hole in the eastern angel's statue towers over the red-stained altar.
wall. Home to the studious rat Vemril, Signs of abuse are across her marble form.
who learned the Common tongue from • Enemies. 2 smiling nuns dance slowly,
the archive manuscripts. Can open the in close embrace, beneath the stained
door from inside the archive in exchange statue.
for some cheese. • Blighted Statue. Black blight seeps
from its cracks.
Area 16: Archive. Shelves crowd into a maze
beneath the low ceiling. Beautifully illuminated Area 21: Bell Tower (Ground Floor). A dark,
manuscripts are slowly collecting dust. A cold square room with a ladder, reaching all the way
draft lingers in the room. Narrow glass to the top of the tower. A few crates collect dust
windows allow only a faint ray of moonlight in. behind the ladder.
• Treasure. Searching the room reveals a • Crates. Contain 3 torches.
scroll of hold portal and scroll of sleep.
• Gate Key Mould. Made of fired clay. Area 22: Crypt. Carvings of weeping warriors
Lays on a window sill. hold their vigil over urns containing the ashes of
• Cold Draft. Leads to a wall past nuns and knightesses. A large angel statue
ornamentation of a reading angel. Walls at stands at the end of the crypt.
slides to reveal underground passage, • Angel Statue. Holds a scroll in right
leads to Area 22. hand, a mace in the other. Its eyes look
forward, but can be turned in their
Area 17: Dormitorium. Simple cots with straw sockets. If moved down to the scroll,
mattresses arranged along the walls. Each has a statue slides aside to reveal secret
small chest containing the sisters few passage to Area 16.
belongings.
• Treasure. The chapterhouse key can be Area 23: Bell Tower. At 60' height, grants a
found in one of the chests.. sweeping view of the entire convent. A large,
bronze bell hangs within the tower, ropes
Area 18: Gymnasium. A hall where the soft dangling down.
flesh is trained to be hard as steel. Racks with • Bell. Ringing the bell once will signal
wooden and iron weapons, pells to train the the nuns to move into the Caravanserai
fundamentals, a wrestling area, boulders for to drag their "guests" out of
lifting.
• Enemies. 4 smiling nuns and 2 sofian Area 24: Main Gate. A sturdy, sealed bronze
knights use the gymnasium for training gate set between you and your freedom.
and sparring. Requires gate key to open.
• Fresco. A depiction of St. Terragnis, • Exit. Characters who make it past the
wings-spread, the mace held over her Main Gate successfully complete the
heart. Defaced by the corrupted nuns. adventure and may graduate to Level 1.
Cleansing it of stains may incur blessing
(Immunity to charm effects for 1 hour).
• Training Racks. May be looted for a
shield, longsword or mace.
STATBLOCKS Smiling Nun
An ever-lasting, sharp smile glows beneath the
Hircusa demon white habit. Once a devout sister of the order of
A hideously scarred, bare humanoid wielding a St. Sofia, the blight laid bare her deep
greatknife. The head of a red-eyed, black goat suppressed, most extreme wants and follies.
grows from between its shoulders.
AC 12 HP 10 ATK 1 lunging bite (near) +2
AC 12 HP 15 ATK 1 greatknife +3 (2d4) or 1 (1d4) or 1 claw +1 (1d4) MV near S +1 D +2 C
gore +3 (1d8+charge) MV near S +3 D +2 C +2 +1 I +0 W +1 Ch +1 AL C LV 2
I W Ch AL C LV 3
Charge. When using full MV before attack, DC
12 STR or target is knocked to the ground. Sofian Knight
A warrior-sister of the order, clad in sturdy
chainmail habit and wielding a heater shield.
Mad Camel Now, flames smoulder beneath the chain links,
Blood, straw and pieces of bone crust the flat the blight twisting her zeal.
teeth of the desert mammal, as it cranes its head
around on its long neck. AC 16 (chain mail + shield) HP 15 ATK 2
maces +2 (1d6) MV near S +2 D +1 C +2 I +0
AC 10 HP 12 ATK 1 bite +3 (1d8) or 1 spit W +1 Ch +0 AL C LV3
(near) +0 (1d4) MV near S +3 D +0 C +3 I -2 Burning Urge. Fire immune. When killed,
W +1 Ch -3 AL C LV 2 erupts in a pillar of flame, dealing 1d6 damage
to all close.
Rabid Mastiff
Rivers of green spit drip down the large hound's The Seduced
jaws and pool by his twitching paws. Glinting eyes and salacious smiles, a claw
extends to bid you closer, the twisting tail
AC 12 HP 5 ATK 1 bite +2 (1d6) MV near S holding a poisonous tip behind their back.
+2 D +2 C +1 I -3 W +0 Ch -2 AL C LV 1 AC 11 HP 10 ATK 1 stinger +3 (1d4+poison)
Hydrophobia. Must make DC 12 CHA check to or 1 charm MV near S +0 D +2 C +1 I +1 W +0
cross water. Ch +2 AL C LV 2
Poison. DC 12 CON or blinded for 1d4 rounds.
Charm. DC 12 WIS or paralysed for 1 round.
Smiling Abbess
A movement like of a nest of serpents seems to
writhe beneath her habit. Her face is marked by
a dark fulfillment, though every step seems to
pain her greatly.
AC 9 HP 15 ATK 1 flame lash (near) +2 (1d6)
MV double close S +0 D -1 C +2 I +1 W +1 Ch
+2 AL C LV 3
Reverend Mother. 3/day, spawn a Hircusa
demon within Close.
