5. The Drowned Cottage
Just off the crooked bend of the Low Road, where the marsh mist curls thick over the reeds and deadwood, sits a decayed structure known simply as the Drowned House. Long abandoned by its original owners and overtaken by nature’s rot, it has quietly been reclaimed—not by villagers, but by a hidden cell of The Crimson Reapers. Under secret orders from Rom, this seemingly forgotten ruin now serves as a covert checkpoint and observation post for cult forces aligned with the Temple of Elemental Evil.
Exterior Description
The Drowned House leans precariously near the marsh’s edge, its foundation swallowed by muck and water. Green-black mold coats the once-white walls, while the porch groans under its own weight. Ivy, moss, and rot consume the outer shell, blending it almost seamlessly with the surrounding swamp.
- Chimney: Collapsed and overgrown with creeper vines.
- Door: Barely attached, swings open in the wind with a sound like a dying breath.
- Windows: Boarded, broken, or missing; only the insects find shelter in the frames.
- Dock: A rotting fishing dock stretches a few yards into the Imeryds Run, sagging with every gust of wind and barely usable—more trap than pier.
Interior and Usage
Inside, the cottage is cold, damp, and filled with the musk of decay and damp cloth. The floorboards have begun to buckle from beneath, and the walls weep with condensation. This ruin has been repurposed into a clandestine post for the Crimson Reapers, stationed to watch and control travel in and out of Nulb.
- Front Room: Used for surprise confrontations—rough-hewn benches, a warped table, and shackles embedded in the wall.
- Back Room: Sleeping area for the stationed Reapers, equipped with mildew-ridden cots, a sealed crate of dried rations, and a hidden cubby containing coded dispatches.
- Overwatch Point: A slit carved in a rear wall overlooks the road junction, allowing unseen observation of travelers.
Function and Objectives
The Reapers stationed here are not present to engage openly—but to watch, intercept, and report. All merchants, wanderers, pilgrims, and adventurers are to be stopped and questioned. Suspicious individuals may disappear without a trace.
Primary Objectives:
- Monitor High and Low Roads into Nulb.
- Interrogate travelers about their destinations, contacts, and cargo.
- Relay reports to Rom or Zelt the Bat via magical means or runners.
As the adventurers cross the timeworn stone bridge into Nulb, the river mist curls low around their boots. From the ruined shell of the Drowned House, two shadowed figures step out, crimson sashes just visible beneath weathered cloaks. Their weapons are sheathed—but close. Their eyes are sharp. They say nothing at first. The silence is oppressive.
- Watcher Vask (voice flat and gravelly, arms folded across scarred leather):
"Halt. You're two steps from a grave if you take another without speaking."
(He tilts his head, birdlike.)
"This is Nulb. Not a place for sightseeing or sermons. So—who are you, and why are you pointing your boots toward our doorstep?" - Threlk (leaning on a rusted pike, smile devoid of warmth):
"Don't lie. We’ll smell it. We’ve been listening to liars long before your gods ever heard of you."
(He taps the bridge with the butt of his weapon, a slow, hollow thud.)
"You carrying coin? Scrolls? Trouble? Say the wrong name, and we’ll assume you’re Temple bait."
Should the adventurers respond with vague or evasive answers, the Reapers grow colder, more precise.
- Watcher Vask (interrupting, tone like a vice tightening):
"Enough. I’m not here for chatter—I’m here for clarity. Who sent you? What’s your trade? And who in Nulb expects you?" - Threlk (lowering his voice to a whisper):
"Because if no one’s waiting for you... maybe you stay out here with the river rats. Nulb doesn’t welcome strays—unless we’re feeding them to something."
If the party offers a name or contact:
- Watcher Vask (grunting):
"Mm. We’ll see if that name opens doors... or graves. You’ll be watched. Eyes don’t blink much ‘round here." - Threlk (stepping aside, smirking):
"Move along. And remember—sometimes, being watched is safer than being ignored."
The adventurers, cautious but pressing forward, pose their questions to the watchers in the mist—about who holds the reins in this swamp-stained corner of the world. The response is slow in coming, like a knife being drawn. When it comes, it's wrapped in humor sharp enough to cut.
- Watcher Vask (snorting, eyes never leaving the party):
"Who runs Nulb? Depends who’s bleeding that day. But if you’re asking whose knife is deepest in the table—Lady Nysera. Cold hands, warm smile. Talks like a priest, kills like a butcher." - Threlk (scratching a scar across his neck):
"Don’t let the moss and the rot fool you. She runs this place like a chessboard. Every pawn, every drunk, every whore and whisper—they dance to her tune or they vanish into the water."
The two share a glance, and something close to amusement passes between them—fleeting and hollow.
- Watcher Vask (deadpan):
"Bandits, pirates, smugglers, cult freaks—they all think they’re players. Truth is, they’re tenants. Rent’s paid in gold or blood. Mostly blood." - Threlk (tilting his head, voice dropping):
"No laws here. Just arrangements. And if you break one, there’s a shallow patch of swamp out back we call the ‘Nulb court.’ Jury’s quick. Verdict’s quicker."
They both step back just enough to let the adventurers pass—but not enough to let them forget who opened the way.
- Watcher Vask (flatly, as if it’s a promise):
"Eyes are on you now. Every alley has ears. You keep your feet clean, maybe you walk back out. Or maybe you feed the fish. That part’s up to you." - Threlk (with a grin like a cracked blade):
"Welcome to Nulb."
Nulb Bridge Lookout (Crimson Reapers) — Reaction Table (579 CY)
A cramped cottage at the foot of the stone bridge, manned by 2–3 Crimson Reapers as spotters and shakedown men. Their base is the Waterside Hostel (the only inn), across the bridge. They don’t work with pirates or the Boatman’s Tavern—but they’re very interested in anyone tied to Lodriss, Skole, the Broker/Elvanna, or Water-Temple business.
| d6 | Reaper Reaction | Proficiency Bonus / Who Responds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hostile (Set the Hook) – “Bridge toll. Now.” They try to disarm or isolate one PC and stage an ambush point on the bridge. | PB +2 (2 Reapers on watch). A whistle brings 1d4 Reapers from the Waterside in 2–4 minutes; first volley is crossbows from cover. |
| 2 | Predatory (Shake & Mark) – Demand a “bridge toll” (2 sp per head, 5 sp per mount), threaten to “escort” you to the Waterside to “verify papers.” May plant contraband to justify a bigger payout. | PB +2 (2 Reapers). If pressed, a runner sprints to the Waterside for backup; they avoid a public brawl if crowds gather. |
| 3 | Suspicious (Tag & Tail) – Neutral voices, cold eyes. They take names, chalk-mark your table or tack, and tail you to learn if you’re heading to Boatman’s or meeting pirates. | PB +2 (2 Reapers). Information gets sold later; no immediate hit unless you flash Boatman’s ties. |
| 4 | Guarded (Let ’Em Pass) – “Keep it short, keep it quiet.” You’re waved across with a warning not to loiter on the bridge. They still shadow you at distance, especially if you angle toward Boatman’s/market. | PB +2 (1–2 Reapers). No interference now; consequences later. |
| 5 | Businesslike (For Sale) – With coin or a favor, they offer “safe crossing,” keep watch on your animals, or pass a message to Waterside staff. They’ll also share gossip about Boatman’s movements—purely for leverage. | PB +2 (2 Reapers). Not friends; strictly transactional. |
| 6 | Cooperative (Shared Enemies) – If you show intent (or proof) of working against pirates/Boatman’s/Water crews, they quietly help: timings on shipments, which doors are watched, when Lodriss’s runners change shifts. | PB +2 (a Reaper sergeant is present). They still report you up the chain at the Waterside. |
Modifiers (apply to the d6 roll; higher is better)
- +2 Clear plan or proof you’re targeting pirates, Boatman’s, Lodriss/Skole, the Broker/Elvanna, or Water-Temple assets; or bribe ≥ 1 gp per Reaper.
- +1 Vouched for by Waterside staff (seen drinking with them, obvious room-key chit, or Rentsch’s nod paying the bridge toll without pushback.
- –1 Friendly with Boatman’s (seen leaving the loft upstairs, named by Skole/Lodriss, carrying a Boatman’s token).
- –2 Open holy symbols (St. Cuthbert, Trithereon, Pelor, Pholtus) or loudly asking about slave traffic/disappearances; declaring ties to Veluna, Furyondy, or Verbobonc officials.
- –3 Known ally of Captain Tolub or defender of Boatman’s crews; refusing the bridge toll outright.
Tactics if Things Go Loud
- Stall → Signal → Swarm. They talk and measure while a whistle calls 1d4 from the Waterside Hostel; crossbows from the bridge parapet, then clubs/shortswords.
- No street spectacle. If witnesses gather, they break contact and pull the party toward the bridge’s shadow or across to the Waterside yard.
- Information over blood. They won’t coordinate with pirates or Boatman’s, but they’ll track anyone meeting them—and act on it later.
If Outmatched (or a Reaper drops in Round 1)
- Morale Snap: The lookout sergeant makes the call to break contact the moment a man drops early or they’re outnumbered 2:1. They use Disengage + Dash toward the Waterside Hostel (their base), not Boatman’s or the docks.
- Retreat Whistle (two short, one long): Triggers a fighting withdrawal; 1d4 Reapers still come from the Waterside, but only to cover the retreat with crossbows from the bridge parapet—no street brawl.
- Bridge Denial Tricks:
- Caltrops dump (5-ft square; DC 15 DEX when entering or take 1 piercing, speed −10 ft until healed).
- Gravel sack release (a rope-slung bundle under the rail): 10-ft strip of difficult terrain; creatures moving through must pass DC 13 DEX or fall prone.
- Smoke flask (mundane): creates a lightly obscured 10-ft radius for 2 rounds (disperses in wind).
- Wounded/Dead Protocol: If they can, they drag the fallen; if not, they strip insignia and kick the body over the rail to the reeds (erase ties, deny evidence).
- False Surrender Gambit (last resort): If boxed in, they drop weapons and offer to “take you to the constable at the Waterside to sort the toll” — a stall for backup and a lead-into-ambush in the hostel yard.
- Aftermath Flag: PCs who rout the lookout are marked (a red chalk slash where they sat or stabled mounts). Future Reaper encounters in Nulb start one step harsher on the reaction table; they do not seek pirate/Boatman’s help but will shadow anyone meeting them.
The Drowned Cottage by 3orcs
Personnel
The Reaper cell here rotates every few weeks to avoid detection. Typically, it includes:
- Khymer Vask, cell leader and brutal enforcer.
- Maris the Quick, scout and archer.
- Jorran Dusk, fanatical whisperer of the Elder Elemental God.
- Threlk, strong-arm interrogator.
All wear nondescript, travel-stained gear and could pass for mercenaries or hunters. But beneath their clothing—etched in ink and ritual pain—is the unmistakable mark of their allegiance:
A black dagger-tattoo plunging through a crimson sunburst, burned into the flesh over the heart.
This chest tattoo is the only symbol they need.
Type
Cottage
Parent Location
Owner
Owning Organization
Contested By
Crimson Reaper Brigand by 3orcs
Crimson Reapers’ Vague Replies (d12)
When the PCs press for “cults in Nulb,” roll d12 and read the line.
| d12 | What the Reaper says (quoted) |
|---|---|
| 1 | “Not here. You want prayers with knives, take a boat upriver on Imeryds Run. Splinters camp in the reeds and move when the fog does.” World Anvil |
| 2 | “There’s an old river fort where ‘mercenaries’ tax boats for safety. Funny how cargo goes missing there.” World Anvil |
| 3 | “Moathouse north of Hommlet? Lights at night. Bandits with too many bosses.” World Anvil |
| 4 | “Out in the Fens, there’s a friendly cottage that ships more crates than cabbages. Smile at the door, steel in the cellar.” World Anvil |
| 5 | “Deep woods hunting cabin east of Hommlet—folk go in on their feet and come out on wagons. If they come out.” World Anvil |
| 6 | “Bonfires on the Etters some nights. Druids, they say. I hear screaming. Call it a ‘ritual.’” World Anvil |
| 7 | “Stone-quiet monastery west of Hommlet—open palms up top, closed fists down below.” World Anvil |
| 8 | “Sky-watchers on a ridge tower—knights who like the wind too much. They mark trails but swear they’re ‘protectors.’” World Anvil |
| 9 | “Road to Hommlet’s bad for travel. First thing you meet is an organized ambush and a letter you weren’t meant to read.” World Anvil |
| 10 | “River marks in threes, chalk on stone—coded drops. Splinters love lonely banks.” World Anvil |
| 11 | “If there’s a ‘church’ to it, it’s not in Nulb. Hear whispers of one god behind four masks—but whispers don’t hold water.” World Anvil |
| 12 | “North or upriver. That’s your sermon. Nulb’s just a place to drink and forget you asked.” World Anvil |
DM notes
- These answers deliberately deflect from Nulb per Hedrack’s secrecy play; they steer toward upriver/Etters targets (Moathouse; Trevil’s Fens Cottage; Hunting Cabin; the Etters bonfire site; the “river fort” on Imeryds Run; the stone monastery; the airy ridge tower). Support comes from your Hommlet guide’s quest/outpost list. World Anvil
- Sweeten tongues with 1 gp/brigand for advantage on the roll; display holy symbols (St. Cuthbert, Trithereon, Pelor, Pholtus) for disadvantage.
- If the party asks again the same night, shift result –2 (they clamp down).
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