THE MYSTERY OF THE

HOUSE ON MIRROR LAKE

t the far edge of Mirror Lake sits a lonely house next to from him for weeks. This isn’t necessarily abnormal, but
the water. Locals know the owner Lars to be friendly some have grown worried. Has something befallen the
enough but reclusive, private. Even so, no one has heard kind hermit, or is this a sign of something darker?

THE SITUATION
As long as anyone can remember, Lars lived in his house lives of all those Lars had ever helped. What a fitting way to
at the edge of Mirror Lake, away from town and far from enjoy a memorial in his final moments!
any country road. He was always friendly to locals when
Lars stood at the edge of his pier, and as he pulled the
occasion came to help them, or, more rarely, when asking
pin from the brooch over the lake, he wondered if he had
for their help. His boat and pier were invaluable in the
made the correct choices in life. Why did he always strive to
rescue of little May, for example, but by and large Old Man
be good and kind, if he lived by himself anyway? What if he
Lars lived as good a life as he could and happily kept to
made different choices? Perhaps these thoughts corrupted
himself.
the magics, or perhaps the magic had spoiled over time.
A few days ago, however, Lars knew his time was coming Regardless, the water did not reveal new images, but instead
to an end. He decided that one of his final actions would be it showed a tainted reflection of the house in the water.
to use a magic brooch gifted to him by the mage Memro in And inside the house now corrupted, another reflection
payment for Lars’ help ten summers past. When unpinned appeared... that of old Lars, corrupted and dark as well.
over water, the water would reflect images from the present The PCs come upon the house after several days have
passed from this incident and find themselves stumbling
into a mystery. Of course, the heroes might arrive as the
result of simply traveling through the area, but it’s more
likely to be that a nearby local asked the adventurers to
investigate, as it’s been much longer than usual since anyone
has heard from Lars at all. The PCs could also be seeking
Lars to deliver something on behalf of a mutual friend. Or,
if they needed Lars as a source of information related to a
current quest, they may find their situation suddenly more
complicated!

LOCATIONS the perimeter of the house. With a successful AWARENESS

1. Outside the House at Mirror Lake
From the south-western path, you see in the distance a modest, roll, characters notice evidence that many small creatures
wide, two story gabled house of weathered grey wood. It stands have scrambled in the direction of the house recently. If
but a few steps away from the glassy Mirror Lake, where an old they are also familiar with goblins, they can name the tracks
battered pier moors a poor, small rowboat. Behind the house, a immediately.
modest garden grows, and a privy is also nearby. ✦ The Garden: The healthy garden looks well-tended
but nevertheless looks past due to be harvested. With a
✦ The Path: The path cuts through rough grass and successful SPOT HIDDEN (or equivalent skill such as
uneven land. The PCs must venture quite close to reach BUSHCRAFT), a PC notices one section close the wall
better-kept grounds, as they don't extend very far around seems out of place with the ordered rows, more hastily and

the house on mirror lake

1
haphazardly overturned. Digging up this spot uncovers a
Silver Brooch with its pin in place.
✦ The Privy: Someone has barricaded the privy shut,
trapping a monstrous housecat inside. The monster awakes
if the PCs investigate and attacks anyone foolish enough
to release it. (For a shorter game, remove the battle and
treat the monstrous housecat as a trap: The closest player
character must succeed an EVADE roll or suffer D6 damage,
after which the monster flees into the forest.)
✦ Northeast: The adventurers must round the corner to
reach the porch and front door of the house. From here,
they notice obvious sounds of activity inside, along with
upbeat chatter and even snippets of song. Those familiar
with Goblins or those who succeed a LANGUAGES
roll recognize it and may even catch words of pleasant
conversation and their “happy working song.”
✦ East: To the Pier.
✦ North: Cutting directly north takes heroes to the rear
surface can be glimpsed. However, the mirrored version looks
of the house, where there are doors to the Storeroom and
strange, darkened and ominous.
the Kitchen. The PCs can also notice the sounds of Goblins
from here. ✦ Mirrored Selves: If the heroes have entered the house
already but have NOT yet encountered a mirrored version
2. At the Pier of themselves, they notice an evil mirror self in the window
of the reflected house at this point. The mirror-self becomes
The pier creaks and gives slightly as you walk on it, but the
them to join them in the mirror-house, but otherwise it
water below never ripples or becomes even slightly disturbed.
does not rush into a confrontation.
When reaching the edge, the house’s reflection in the glassy
✦ Down: It’s possible to step off the pier and end right-
side up in the reflected world of the mirror house, although
the heroes might not realize it yet.

3. Main Room
An expansive room takes up most of the ground floor, sparsely
furnished yet dotted with objects and clutter collected over a
long lifetime. The fireplace dominates the western wall. To its
left, there’s a simple door, and to the north, a stairway rises to
the second floor.
✦ Happy Goblins: Cheerfully, a number of goblins (equal
to the PCs, plus two) busy themselves with housework. They
monstrous housecat sweep the floor, arrange the shelves, and set the table. Some
come and go from the simple door to the kitchen, setting
the table and preparing a meal.
The cat is the size of a lioness, an evil, hulking
twin of a normal housecat. It is the dark reflection The goblins have no wish to battle the PCs. In fact, they
of Kitten, Lars’ pet, that has wandered from the invite them to wait and join the feast. They are waiting for
mirror house. It attacked the Happy Goblins, who their cousins to arrive. Although, when pressed, they admit
lured it into the privy and locked it up, preferring they aren’t sure when they might arrive, and note their
to deal with it later. cousins’ attitudes and behaviour are quite poor.

Despite its name, it does not use monster attacks The goblins don’t know anything about Lars. They only
but is handled as a common animal, using the came to house very recently and found their cousins inside.
statblock for a Wolf, except it has Ferocity and The cousins ran away for some reason (in fact, they were
higher HP. disturbed by the Happy Goblins and fled), so the goblins
decided to start cleaning the house, seeing it so abandoned
Ferocity: 2 Size: Normal and messy, and preparing a meal for their return.
Movement: 16 Armor: -- HP: 20
Skills: Awareness 14, Evade 12, Sneaking 14 If the PCs attack at any point, the goblins use their actions
Weapon: Bite (skill level 14, damage 2D6) to disengage and flee as quickly as possible, running to the
pier and jumping into the lake, which lets them run into the

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 ✦ The Oven: Trying to find clues to Lars with a SPOT
the goblins HIDDEN roll leads the PCs to a small, off-colour stone on
the floor below the stove. It reveals a small hidden alcove,
For the statblock, use Goblin Scouts (Rulebook, pg. for which a PC draws one Treasure card.
90). ✦ West: Exits to Outside the House, where PCs find the
garden, a path to the Privy, and the door to the Storeroom.
The goblins had been roving the area recently, a
nomadic band of raiders. When they came across
Lars house, now abandoned, they gleefully helped 5. Storeroom
themselves and began ransacking the place, wilfully The Storeroom has been forcibly opened, and many of its
damaging and defacing everything. They didn’t contents opened and rummaged through. A crude snowman
know that once they stepped inside, the reflection made of the stores, a “storeman” if you will, sits in the center
of the house had also reflected mirrored versions of of the room, made up of a barrel body, a sack of grain head,
themselves— in this case, happy and helpful ones. broom arms, and various dried meats and fruits making a
The Happy Goblins soon came to the real world face.
to meet their cousins, but their presence was so
anathema that the original goblins fled. For a time, ✦ The Storeman: The goblins were obviously having some
they laid low, stewing in their anger, until they fun in their reckless pillaging. There’s nothing more to it,
burst forth, determined to destroy their “twisted” but it does seem to have a beguiling naïveté in its artistic
selves. They know nothing of Lars or the mysteries expression, perhaps commenting on humanity’s sublimated
of the house, and easily agree to any demands to acknowledgement of the futility of hedonism.
leave this place, or they simply flee, when given the ✦ Supplies: There is nothing else of note in the storeroom,
chance. although a player character who succeeds with a SURVIVAL
roll can make d4 rations of food if needed. This would take
a stretch to fully prepare.
mirror house world and disappear. If the PCs make friends, ✦ West: Exits to Outside the House, where PCs find the
wait, or try to take the stairs, the Angry Goblins attack. garden, a short path to the Privy, and a door to the Kitchen.

✦ Angry Goblins: Making a surprise appearance, Angry

6. Bedroom
Goblins swarm the Main Room. They attack their happy
versions and PCs indiscriminately, before they can eat or go The bedroom takes the entirety of the slightly more narrow
upstairs. The Happy Goblins still do not engage in fighting second floor. The room has also been hit by the goblins, but
at all, as above. The PCs can see from the windows how they by comparison escaped much of their attention. A large bed
flee for refuge into the lake. takes up the center of the room, with many shelves and chests
scattered about. The north area seems to have once been a
The Angry Goblins yell at their counterparts, calling
study area, and the corner to its opposite feels oddly empty,
them “abominations,” “evil twins,” and demanding the
except for the full-length standing mirror.
return from “whence they came.” They call the PCs agents
of devils, or demons, hoping to destroy them as well. The ✦ Scattered Items: The goblins tore through most of the
PCs can convince them of their innocence by making a items in the room, and what remains are simply common
PERSUASION roll with a bane. Otherwise, the Angry items or unusable. The north-western area is where Lars
Goblins surrender if their numbers are reduced to a quarter, kept journals of natural study— sketches of birds, rubbings
submitting to the horrible “wizards.” of leaves, and the like.
✦ Standing Mirror: During the first stretch in the room,
✦ West: The door to the kitchen is open, used freely by the
if no Player expressly checks the mirror, each Player makes
Happy Goblins when the player characters arrive.
an AWARENESS roll, starting with the hero with the
✦ Up: Stairs to the second floor.
highest Charisma. The first to succeed catches themself, or
more accurately, their doppelgänger, in the mirror.
4. Kitchen If no one checks the mirror, by choice or through the
It’s a sizeable kitchen for a modest cabin of this size, but Charisma roll, or if they ignore any doppelgänger they see,
everything is in disarray, like a toddler decided to make they hear the mirror crash as they turn to leave. It’s the
breakfast. There’s signs of both neglect and recent use, with mirrored self of the closest hero, refusing to let them leave
stale food and dry spills muddled up with newly chopped-up without a battle.
food and recently opened containers. The oven fires remain lit. ✦ Mirrored Hero: The first hero to look into the mirror
✦ Happy Goblins: If the PCs did not encounter the sees an evil doppelgänger staring back at them. It beckons
goblins via the Main Room, the same interaction can be the hero to the mirror (arm’s length) where it reaches out to
made here. grab them (the player character must succeed a EVADE roll

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 DOPPELGÄNGERS

An evil doppelgänger matches every aspect of the original, except their face stays twisted in a
permanent scowl and darkened expression. They don’t speak except for giving angry grunts and
guttural yells. They don’t know or care about anything other than the destruction of the heroes,
making them mindless monsters.
Doppelgängers also mirror their counterparts’ weapons. For damage, use the ratings and properties
from the heroes’ own weapons. While they may mirror heroes’ armor, all armor and unarmored
doppelgängers shares the same rating.
If more than one doppelgänger is in the same battle, only one attacks on a given initiative card,
but all can use reactions to dodge or parry. If a doppelgänger has already used its reaction, it cannot
choose to attack.
When a doppelgänger is reduced to zero HP, cracks appear all over its surface, and it shatters, dead.
If the doppelgänger’s original self is reduced to zero HP, the doppelgänger mimics its original and
similarly drops. However, if that player character is revived, their doppelgänger does not get revived.
Ferocity: 2 Size: Normal
Movement: 12 Armor: 2 HP: 16
Vulnerability: A player character targeting their own doppelgänger can use the Find a Weak Spot
attack without a bane. If the weapon is not piercing, they can also use this attack, but it takes the
usual bane.
MONSTER ATTACKS
Uncanny Voice! The doppelgänger speaks in the voice of its original as if they were a
1 child but tells of horrors and violence. All player characters must succeed a WIL roll
or suffer a fear attack.
Swift Slash! The doppelgänger targets a PC and makes a melee attack with its weapon.
2 If it does not copy a melee weapon from its original, it makes an unarmed attack for
2D6 piercing damage.
Swath of Destruction! The doppelgänger moves in a flash, striking at two nearby
3 player characters with melee attacks.. If it does not copy a melee weapon from its
original, it makes unarmed attacks for 2D6 piercing damage each.
From the Corner of Your Eye! In the blink of an eye, the doppelgänger disappears
4 from its position and suddenly steps from behind the furthest nearby player character,
making a backstabbing attack.
Icy Stare! The doppelgänger locks eyes with its counterpart, staring with its evil
smile. The character must make a WIL roll or suffer a condition of his choice. If its
5
counterpart is not available to target, it targets another player character, who gets a
boon to the roll.
Find the Weak Spot! A doppelgänger knows you as it knows itself. It makes a weapon
6 attack that ignores armor, even if the weapon it holds is not piercing.

or be grabbed.) A grabbed hero has one action to try to pull being pulled into the Bedroom instead; the hero is no longer
free (a BRAWLING roll versus the monster’s default 15), grappled and a battle begins immediately. If so, the mirror
which may receive boons from help actions of others if they breaks, and travel back through it is impossible.
are nearby. Failure results in the hero being pulled into the ✦ Up: The oddly empty area in the SW corner is there
mirror, and thus the world of the Mirror House, and a battle to make space for an attic ladder that can be pulled down
begins immediately. Other heroes can follow through the from the ceiling. Anyone can notice it with a successful
mirror but only in the second round, and stepping through AWARENESS roll. Alternatively, they realize the shape of
the mirror counts as a move. the house allows for attic space once they see the house
Success with BRAWLING results in the doppelgänger again from outside (or in the reflection in the lake.)

the house on mirror lake

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 LARS’ LETTER
“Friends, and evil reflection of my house. And likewise of
myself.
“As often comes upon a person of my advanced
age, the knowledge of my final hours has “My mirror self came from the water to attack
arrived. In the company of this feeling came me. I managed to fight him back and to escape.
also the urge to revisit old memories and to I have hidden the cursed brooch, but I cannot
contemplate the effects of my choices and my hide from my responsibility. There must be a
deeds. To this end I retrieved an item of magic reflection of the brooch within the mirror house.
gifted to me long ago by Memro, the mage-- I must venture into the reflection and procure
namely, a brooch of such power that unpinning this version of the brooch. For I am convinced
it above some water may conjure images of that if I repeat the spell by re-pinning the
friends, of acquaintances, and even of strangers, duplicate brooch, surely the twisted world would
all whose lives I have touched in some way. be cancelled out and all the evil will disappear.
“Yet it is my shame that I tell you of my mistake. “If I fail to return, it is my hope that I may
For as I was unpinning the brooch upon the be remembered for the good I have striven to
pier to fill Mirror Lake with images of a full uphold throughout my life before this terrible
and happy life, my mind began to doubt, filling deed. Please ensure that Kitten finds a new
instead with regrets and dark suppositions. It home.”
was for a moment, but I swiftly knew I had
somehow twisted the magicks, and the only All my love to the world,
image that appeared in the water was a dark Lars

7. Artist’s Attic 1, Reflected: Outside the House

Despite the small space afforded by the high gable, Lars made The edges of the property are indistinct, as if in a hazy
this attic into a proper artist’s studio. Illuminated by a large fog. Travel outside this area is impossible, as anyone who
circular window that dominates the western wall above the enters begins to fade into the fog and threatens to disappear
ladder, the room is full of completed art and works-in-progress. forever.
All of which are crop art— corn husk dolls, dried apple
✦ Mirrored Privy: This is empty.
sculptures, mosaics of seeds, and so on.
✦ Mirrored Garden: The plants here are rotten and
✦ Crop Art: Most objects are practically useless for more withered. The brooch pin is not in this location.
that quaint decoration, but they are unique enough for ✦ Random Event: Roll D12 on the event table for each
savvy merchants to get a boon to any BARGAIN attempts if full stretch the player characters spend in this location.
they should ever try to hawk it, such as to housewives in the
farmers market.
✦ Lars’ Letter: Lars wrote his final words in a letter and 2, Reflected: At the Pier
nailed it prominently to an easel in the center of the room. The bright and warm “real” world shows in the reflection
✦ Down: Returns to the Bedroom. of the water, here.
✦ Random Event: Roll D12 on the event table for each
entering the mirror world
full stretch the player characters spend in this location.
The characters may enter the reflection by stepping
off the pier. Instead of splashing in the water,
they right themselves upon the pier of the Mirror 3, Reflected: Main Room
World (Location 2). The descriptions of the ✦ Random Event: Roll D12 on the event table each time
locations within this world are exactly the same the player characters enter, as well as for each full stretch
as their counterparts, except where noted below. they spend in this location.
Everywhere, the colours are more desaturated, the
air is colder, and there is no ambient sound. Merely
looking upon the mirrored house makes one 4, Reflected: Kitchen
slightly sick, as fear and loneliness grip their heart. The reflected kitchen matches the messy scene of its
counterpart, except that the oven is not lit.

the house on mirror lake

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 ✦ Mirror Oven: Anyone inspecting the oven releases an ✦ The Storeman: The monster attacks the player
explosion of magically cold air, hitting all nearby player characters as soon as the door opens, fighting to the death.
characters who fail an AWARENESS roll. On failure, those
characters are considered having the Cold condition, losing
D6 HP and D6 WP (see “Cold,” pg. 54). This lasts for one 6, Reflected: Bedroom
shift, assuming they can get back to warmth within that ✦ Standing Mirror: Doppelgängers have destroyed this
time to make a BUSHCRAFT roll as normal. mirror, and it is incapable of working as a portal like before.
✦ Random Event: Roll D12 on the event table for each ✦ Random Event: Roll D12 on the event table each time
full stretch the player characters spend in this location. the player characters enter, as well as for each full stretch
they spend in this location.

5, Reflected: Storeroom
The reflected storeroom matches the scene of its
7, Reflected: Loft
counterpart, except that the Storeman is alive. The reflected loft is perhaps the most twisted of all. Art
pieces of all sizes fill the space moreso than its counterpart,
all of them depicting darker colours, bold and jagged lines,
and distorted visions of eyes, claws, and screaming mouths.
Laying on the ground is a body of an old man, in his hand a
tarnished brooch.
✦ Lars’ Body: The old man has died. There are no obvious
wounds, and anyone with a successful HEALING roll notes
the death was natural, but sudden. The death of the old man
would naturally lead to his mirror self ’s dissipation, and his
quest remains incomplete.
✦ Crop Art Monster: Before a character can pick up the
tarnished brooch, the crop art in the room breaks apart,
the storeman forming a mass of seeds, pebbles, and mosaic tiles that
create a Crop Art Monster. In the first round of battle, it
A collection of storehouse items, now given targets the character closest to the brooch for its first attack.
horrible life by the mirror world. Use the statblock for Vampire Bats swarm (Rulebook, pg
99) although the Mass Attack does not allow the monster to
Ferocity: Number of PCs −1 (min. 1) Size: Normal heal itself.
Movement: 8 Armor: 2 HP: 24 ✦ Tarnished Brooch: This is the mirrored version of the
Vulnerability: Lumbering. Player characters brooch that started it all, dark and lacklustre by comparison.
receive a boon to Topple attacks. ✦ Random Event: Roll D12 on the event table for each
MONSTER ATTACKS full stretch the player characters spend in this location.
Headbutt! The Storeman leans forward
precariously, its head slamming into
1 a player character, inflicting 2D4
bludgeoning damage and knocking the solving the mystery
victim down. The heroes need to take the tarnished brooch, then
2 Raking claws! D10 slashing damage unfasten and re-pin it on the pier (the players can
choose either the regular pier or the normal pier;
Spinning attack! The Storeman it works the same.) Once the pin is replaced, the
spins the upper part of its body mirror lake flashes, the heroes are on the normal
3 independently of its lower half. Its arms pier, overseeing a normal lake, and the house casts a
flail about, hitting everyone within 10 normal, calm reflection once more.
meters D8 bludgeoning damage.
The PCs are free to return with news of Lars’
Goop attack! From within the crate that final fate. The mirrored brooch disappears, its use
makes its belly, the Storeman pulls out complete. The original brooch may or may not retain
a mass of goop and throws it at a player magical properties, for which the PCs may need to
4
character, who is now Dazed. If they seek out the enigmatic Memro. . .
are already Dazed, they must choose
another condition.

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 RANDOM EVENTS

Use during the player characters’ exploration of the reflected house. The location descriptions
indicate where random events can occur. You can roll on the table below or select a suitable event.
The events of the House escalate, so rolling 1 through 4 earns a +1 to all subsequent rolls on this
table, cumulatively.
Nothing happens! Add +1 to subsequent rolls.
1-4

The house creaks, and the sounds turn into inhuman groans of fearsome intensity. All
5 player characters must roll WIL to resist fear.
A player character notices a picture on the wall that wasn’t there before. It reflects
6 painful memories, and the PC must make a successful WIL roll or take a condition of
their choice.
A large nest of spiders erupt from every nook and cranny, swarming over the PCs’
bodies and under their clothes. All player characters in the room must make an
7
EVADE roll. Those who fail take D4 damage (armor has no effect) and suffer a
condition of their choice.
The walls tear themselves, peeling off in long strips, and a foul mold spews toxic
8 spores. A player character is exposed to a lethal poison with potency 12.
The floor suddenly gives way. A player character falls 2 meters to the floor (or
9 into a hole) below, taking D6 bludgeoning damage unless reduced by a successful
ACROBATICS roll (see “Falling,” pg 52.)
The house breaks apart on all sides-- pieces of the ceiling fall, wooden boards fly
10 up from the floors, items of furniture fly about. All player characters must make an
EVADE or PARRY roll as if for ranged attacks. Those who fail take D8 damage.
The entire house darkens as if a cloud of night has descended. The remainder of their
11 time in the house is now considered in complete darkness (page 52).

One or more Doppelgängers appear, making a surprise attack on a player character. A

12 battle ensues. If all mirror selves have been defeated, re-roll.

CREDITS
Adventure written and designed by Danny Wall

I have a scattered bunch of other things to see at my Itch.io

https://dannythewall.itch.io

AI Art from Dreamstudio AI

https://dreamstudio.ai

Dungeon maps drawn with Dungeon Scrawl by

ProbableTrain
https://probabletrain.itch.io/dungeon-scrawl

THE BROOCH OF MEMRO

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 MAIN FLOOR

1 2

SECOND FLOOR ARTIST’S LOFT

6 7

the house on mirror lake

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