“A Wanted Hand”

Quest Objective: Find and capture (or kill) Jaqu De ' L'Orn

Places of Interest: The Inn of the Three Crowns

Sternheim City Jail
Sewers of Sternheim
Lair of the Black Hand
The Door of Nightmares

Introduction
Players get word around town of a new face in town. All the hustle and bustle of a dark cloaked
figure who “snuck in in the middle of the night.” Players who belong to a Bounty Hunters or assassin
guilds may get a missive from a guild leader asking them to answer a Bounty/Mark at the Inn of the
Three Crowns. Any players visiting the Inn keeper or Bounty Board of the local Adventures guild will
also be directed to speak to the innkeeper at the Inn of the Three Crowns.

Places of Interest:
The Inn of the Three Crown
The Inn Keeper:
“Aye its true.” The large man says wiping the counter down with a dirty rag. He came in last
night and sent word out that he be seeking a band of mercenary adventures to help him find someone
who's been hiding here in Sternheim. “He's that one over there! The one in all black over by the open
window. Who's letting out all my warm air and letting the cold breeze in!” He proclaims loudly enough
for the dark figure to look over.

Reginald the Rat

“HALT!” the dark figure proclaims, his hand reaching across his body to the hilt of a well made
rapier. “Unless you are here to answer my summons I wish to be alone.”

If the players respond with anything other then a willingness to at least listen to the dark figure
the innkeeper will interrupt in the middle of the conversation with a yell “HEY! Quit bothering the
PAYING customers. Leave the man alone or I'll throw you out on your soft parts that only your
mothers loves!”
 Otherwise; read the following to the players.

“Very well, come buy me a drink and we shall speak of my friend Jaqu.” Slurping down the last
bit of ale in his mug he returns to his seat. Making sure to pull his overcoat away from his rapier so you
can get a good look at it.
“Jaqu was my best friend” he continues tapping his empty glass with a gold jeweled ring on his
engagement ring finger. “We knew each other since we were lads. We grew up in a small village to the
south. Like most of the children there we wanted nothing more then to escape our small village life.
Dreaming that one day we would leave our tiny village and come here to Sternheim seeking The Lost
Treasure. We were going to make it Big in the BIG city.” He pauses a moment allowing the host to
come over and refill his ale. Waiting for them to leave before he continues.
“On my 16th spring we proclaimed our manhood and we left home. Made our way here to this
rat infested, flea burdened, back side of a wet dog, of a town. We struggled at first. Stealing what we
could and feeding off the innocent. We made a meager living, sleeping wherever the ale landed us that
evening. I'll admit we were steadily heading down a Dark path and I knew my luck would run out
eventually. And just when I thought my luck couldn't possibly get any worse. That's when I saw her. An
impossibly delicate flower in the muck of the city streets.” Pausing, with a shallow sigh, he takes a sip
from his ale.
“Ya beauty and wealth she had. But something about her just lit a candle somewhere deep inside
me.” Once we met She realized that she too was in love with me. And I spent all of my time with her.
Succumbing to her every whim. I promised her that one day I would make something of myself and we
could be married. While I was dedicating my entire existence to my love, Jaqu was making a name for
himself among the urchins and low life rats of the city streets. And when he gained enough power he
used his new found skills to join The Society of the Black Hand.”

A sharp gasp comes from the crowd behind you as many of the patrons in the inn quickly finish
there drinks or just up and leave the Inn. The Innkeeper throws his dirty rag over his left shoulder and
with a scowl and heads upstairs.
“Cowards” the dark figure murmurs. “Nothing but thieves and thugs those ones!” he spits on
the floor. NEEDLESS to say he used his wealth and the guilds influence to woo my love away from
me. He got her to leave her family and join his band of rabble.”

…pausing for a moment he takes a long, long...looong drink from his ale. Realizing there is no
host around to refill his mug he shakes his mug at the emptiness within and SLAMS his mug on the
table. You see a single tear fall into his mug below, “I found out 3 Full moons ago that she left him and
went back to her family.”
Whimpering, he continues “Once the guild found out they demanded she be dealt with
according to guild law.”
Breaking into a full blown sob he lays his head upon the table and says” They killed her! They
killed her whole damn family!”
Suddenly he rears back his head and lets out a ear piercing scream, “I WANT HIS HEAD!”
Returning his head to his empty mug, “I offer you my life's fortune. I know it isn't much. But I could
pay you 1000 gold pieces for his capture. Or 250 gold pieces for his lifeless corpse and information
leading to his lifeless corpse. I want him alive so I can make him suffer. Infiltrate the Thieves Guild
known as The Society of the Black Hand and get me information on his whereabouts. Or drag him
kicking and screaming to The Inn of the Three Crowns.
With a deep sigh he reverts “I wish not for you or anyone else to be apprehended by the law or
imprisoned for Murder. You need not kill him. I cant ask you to kill him in my stead. Nor can I ask you
to take my place at the executioners axe, if you were to get caught.
 “You need not decide now. I take my leave of you now. I have left the Bounty with the Inn
Keeper. You may leave any information with him or collect your reward when the job is complete. In
10 moons I will return to my village to the south with my head bowed and my heart heavy with
grief......I wish you the best of luck.” he proclaims as he exits the door to the Inn.
Glancing down at the table you can see that there is a freshly carved heart in the table. In the
center the name “Tali” has been carved. A tiny little heart carved over the I. It is then that you notice
that the entire table is riddled with random names of the Inn patrons. Next to her name a small well
made silver dagger has been stabbed an inch into the table. (+1 vs Undead)

Jaqu De ' L'Orn

ASSASSIN
Medium humanoid (any race), any non-good alignment

• Armor Class 15 (Studded Leather)

• Hit Points 78 (12d8+24)

• Speed 30 ft.
STR
11 (+0)
 
DEX
16 (+3)
 
CON
14 (+2)
 
INT
13 (+1)
 
WIS
11 (+0)
 
CHA
10 (+0)

• Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +4

• Skills Acrobatics +6, Deception +3, Perception +3, Stealth +9

• Damage Resistance Poison

• Senses passive Perception 13

• Languages Thieves' Cant Plus Any Two Languages

• Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

• Assassinate. During its first turn, the assassin has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't
taken a turn. Any hit the assassin scores against a surprised creature is a critical hit.

• Evasion. If the assassin is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only
half damage, the assassin instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if
it fails.

• Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The assassin deals an extra 13 (4d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon
attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 ft. of an ally of the assassin that
isn't incapacitated and the assassin doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The assassin makes two shortsword attacks.

• Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus
(7d6)poison damage. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking the poison damage on a
failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

• Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 3) piercing
damage plus (7d6)poison damage. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking the poison
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

When the players finally find Jaqu he will attempt to talk to the players rather then fighting
them. If the players players listen to Jaqu they will find out that Ireena Kolyana and he never had any
type of relationship outside her joining The Black Hand. The Truth being that he and Reginald were
never actually real friends. Reginald followed him to Sternheim and had been sidekicking him his
entire life. He will inform the players that Ireena disappeared shortly after joining The Black Hand.
Ireena had come to him twice to ask him to inter vein on her behalf to get get Reginald to leave her
alone. But his close ties to Reginald and the fact that he was now The Collector for The Black Hand
meant that he could do nothing to help her without leaving a trace. He suggested to her that she find
someone willing to preform The Ritual on her behalf and put a Mark on Reginald. However he believes
she chose to flee Sternheim for the good of everyone and practice guild activity somewhere else.

Sternheim:

The players can interrogate the local Merchants, Inn Keeper and Host, local populace and even
the Mayor himself. If they bother Valdar, the Captain of the Militia, they may find themselves in a Jail
cell next to the very person that can help them find Jaqu. During there interrogation the players will
learn the following. (Roll a 1D10 to determine what the NPC's know.)

1. The Black Hand are a group of highly trained assassins who stalk the night
killing there victims without mercy. (T and F)
• The Black hand only kill targets called “Marks” which have had a bounty
put out on them by a person they call their “Clients.”
• There is NO training. The Black hand only accepts members based on
there own skill.
2. The Black Hand are the Dragon pups of of Takhisis! (F)
• While many of The Black Hand do worship Takhisis, they are not a cult.
They do not answer to any authority including common law. They do not
require any member to worship any specific God, Goddess or Higher
Power.
3. Sternheim's Thieves guild calls themselves The Cult of the Black Hand. They
require initiates to commune with Takhisis where she makes them a deal for their
very souls. (F and F)
• (See Above)
• There is NO Thieves Guild in Sternheim. Since the Town Militia is
largely made up of many of the 2000 citizens. Everyone knows everyone.
Most crimes and criminal activity is dealt with swiftly by the very family
members of the assailants. The only theft is petty at best.
4. The Society of the Black Hand is nothing more then a group of hired thugs who
work for the Mayor. (F)
• The Black Hand have occasionally killed Marks given by clients who
belong to one political faction or another. They have even killed Marks
sanctioned by high ranking members of the Militia. But the Black Hand
are a completely independent organization who's members act solely of
there own free accord. Killing Marks for political gain will almost always
leave a trace. And the Black Hand never leave a trace!
5. I heard that The Black Hand are a special group within the Thieves Guild
Hierarchy. (F)
• There is NO Thieves guild in Sternheim! And The Black Hand leave no
trace! If a Member tried to fence a stolen item from a Mark it could be
traced back to the Member.

6. The Black Hand Society receives there Marks directly from Takhisis herself. (F)
• Takhisis only gives Marks to Members against other Members who steal,
get caught in the act of the kill, leave a trace or unlawfully kill a Client
who is protected by the Ritual. Takhisis has been known to appear before
these Members herself to dispatch them.

• A Clients personal information is never shared and is unknown even to

Members until the black seal is broken. Each Mark is hand picked by the
Member and is not revealed to the Member until they break the black
seal.

7. To Summon a Member of The Black Hand you must leave a black envelope
under a black candle on your open window seal. If envelope is missing in the
morning the Member has accepted your terms. But if your candle is blown out
Takhisis has rejected your ritual. (T)
• The envelope must contain the name of the Mark, their general location
 and a promissory note which contains the bounty Mark.

8. Leaving a Mark on your window sill enters you into a binding contract with
Takhisis. Before your last dying breath she will come to collect your soul to feed her
Army of the Undead. (F)
• Once a Mark has been killed the Member will return to the windows sill
within 7 days prior to the Black Candle burning out. The candle is
magically enchanted and will not burn our until the Mark has been killed.
• Using the candle the Member burns the Mark and collects the Clients
penance, thus ending The Ritual.

9. Only an absolute fool would steal The Penance from a window sill. (T)
• Stealing a Marks Penance is the only sure fire way to summon Takhisis
or one of her minions. If no Penance is offered the Member can then
choose how to deal with the Client in whatever manor they please. But if
the Penance is stolen the Member is within their right to hunt down and
kill the thief.

10. I heard the guards talking and they are finally going to set up a sting to catch
those “Nasty Black Hand Cultist.” Rumor has it they caught one of them and are
holding him prisoner in the local jail. (T and F)
• Joseph is in jail; However he is nothing more then a cunning burglar who
is using The Black Hand as a guise for multiple recent robberies. He has
offered the local Militia false information on Jaqu and pinned him as the
leader of Sternheims thieves guild, “The Black Hand.” Takhisis is
amused by this and has allowed Joseph to continue this obvious abuse of
The Ritual for her own amusement. If Joseph is ever set free or attempts
to leave his jail cell, the player will discover that the Member who's
Ritual he has broken, has already poisoned his food or drink sealing
Joseph's fate.
• There is NO sting operation. Valdar's is chaotic neutral and self serving.
He has even used The Black Hand to eliminate problem criminals and
even a political rival. He is well versed in The Ritual and would never
make a move against The Black Hand in fear of inciting Takhisis wrath.
• One of the guards at the entrance to the Jail is actually a guild Member.
Joseph is his Mark. If this is discovered, or if Joseph or any of the Players
mentions Jaqu's name he will immediately kill Joseph and then himself.
The Member will also kill Joseph if he reveals the location of the secret
door, or it's passphrase, within the Sewers of Sternheim.

Lair of the Black Hand:

Once the players discover the location and passphrase for the secret door they can do 1
of two things. They can either choose to return to the Inn of the Three Crowns and report their
information to the Inn Keeper and collect the 25 gold reward. OR they can make there way to the
sewers and head for the door.
 The DM will role play as the Inn Keeper, thanking them on behalf of the cloaked man
for there quick response. The player can then either wait for the Cloaked figure to return and follow
him into the sewers. Take the information they have gathered and try to discover the door on their own ,
or collect there reward and walk away thus ending this campaign.
The door will NOT appear until these two things have been discovered by the players. If
they attempt to traverse the sewers in an attempt to discover the door on there own they will only find a
dead end where the door is located.
The Lair itself consists of a single room that is 10 feet by 10 feet in length. There is
nothing inside.

At the Door of Nightmares:

The door appears to be made of melted metal engraved with the faces of many victims
who are screaming out in horror. The faces swirl around an extremely large Obsidian Hand in the
center of the door. The door is surrounded by a glowing dark purple hue. There is no key hole or hinges
that can bee seen. It can not be picked or knocked down by any means mortal or godly.

If the characters use the Passphrase it will be interrupted by a dark figure of a man
leaning against the door. Chewing on a toothpick and flipping a silver piece.

The DM will role play as Jaqu, a 10th level Assassin. He is the local Collector for The
Black Hand. He will interrogate the players about possibly joining the The Black Hand. If they agree to
join he will give them a copy of The Black Book. An informative hand book with the rules of The
Ritual scraweld within. He will then ask them to leave as they have not yet earned the privilege of
entering the guild hall and request that they return later after they have proven their value to The Black
Hand. If the players attack and kill Jaqu they can use the passphrase to enter the room. If they kill him
and search his body there will be no Black Book on his person. They can then choose to leave Jaqu
here or drag his lifeless corpse back to the Inn of the Three Crowns and attempt to collect the 1000gp
reward.

Players who do not posses The Black Book will enter the small empty room. There is no
treasure, no guild and no treasure waiting on the other side of the door.

Players who have The Black Book on them will be teleported into The Black. And
abyssal plane of nothingness. The Black is controlled by the Goddess Takhisis. Who will appear to the
players in her mortal human form and answer any questions they may have concerning The Black
Hand. Her answers will be precise and directly to the point. Though she will treat the Players as a small
child playing with a doll. Making sure they understand that if they displease her she will kill them on a
whim.