The Snow Shrine
Upon exiting the stable, a new scene unfolds…
Read aloud
Emerging from the stable, your eyes are momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight glaring off the snow. You hear the playful flirty voices of Milo and Rosy. As your vision comes into focus, you see the halfling pilgrims are building something out of snow.
A DC 12 Investigation or Religion check will recognize the snow sculpture as a crude shrine to Fharlanghn.
Their pilgrimage was supposed to culminate with the building of a shrine. They seem eager to finish quickly so they can get back to their room with somewhat free consciences. Each swears they will build a real shrine once they are fully recovered from their journey. If the PCs need healing, each of the halflings is capable of casting cure light wounds twice (1d8+2).
After some interaction, read the following:
Read aloud
Milo’s belly grumbles loudly and he glances over at the outhouse, clearly waiting for the current occupant to emerge. Clutching his belly he winces and says, “I don’t think those rat meat sausages agreed with me.”
“Me neither,” says Rosy, also eyeing the outhouse. “But I don’t think it was rat meat. My great aunt Bilba would always make rat meat pies for Mid-Winter Feast and they– “ she belches loudly with a sour face, “ –and they tasted very different.”
The outhouse door opens and a merchant steps out. Rosy and Milo both race towards it. Rosy reaches the outhouse first as Milo trips in the snow and falls down, forcing the escape of a loud wet fart.
The Clues Are In
By now everyone should have enough clues to begin investigating the cook, Granny Pickles. Granny can be found in the kitchen of the inn. Her grandson, Lendle, will be by her side. Both are distraught over the loss of their other family members.
Sad and contrite, Granny will quickly reveal her role
in this catastrophe:
Read aloud
Granny Pickles, eyes red from grief, leans in close, “I’ve been cooking up stew longer than you’ve been walking on two legs, and never in my days did I think I’d be serving… well, mystery eat.”
She clears her throat, and then spits into a nearby kettle. “Thought I was being clever, telling everyone I had a stockpile of salted rat. Just a silly old woman I am.”
“The rats,” she continues, her eyes downcast, “they up and vanished like sugar in tea. And there I was, left stirring a pot full of nothing but broth and disappointment. But then, oh boy,” she shrugs her shoulders, “behind the gift shop, like a blessing from above, there lay those strange carcasses. One shouldn’t question a blessing from the gods. So I didn’t. Just started slipping that strange meat into the stew and sausages. And every morning I go out to that same spot behind the gift shop and every morning there’s another carcass or two waiting for me. No idea what done killed ‘em.”
She leans in even closer, foul breath carrying her whispers, “But I tell you, something’s not right. Those meats… they’re too convenient, too… plump. You go and take a gander behind the gift shop. Just be careful; you don’t want to end up in some beastie’s belly— or worse, as stew meat.”
Granny has not been to the spot yet today. She has been too busy repairing the storm damage to the inn. The gift shop is just around back of the inn.
The Alley
To get to the back side of the gift shop, they must pass through this alley.
```col-md
**Before**
![[plots/mimic-mayhem/images/alley-before.png]]
```
```col-md
**After**
![[plots/mimic-mayhem/images/alley-after.png]]
```next to it. Coopers make barrels, not boots. The chimney pipe was coming out of an overhang.
The Alley Combat
This fight involves 4 enemies:
- Barrel Mimic (Medium Mimic)
- Sign Mimic (Small Mimic)
- Chimney Mimic (Small Mimic)
- Window Mimic (Small Mimic)
Easy Fight
The player characters should be fairly worn down by now so this is an easier fight than the previous ones.
Snow Drop
Snow is piled up on the roof behind the characters. If something hits that building or if someone uses thunder damage or another loud spell, the snow comes down. If the snow has not dropped by the end of round two, they characters hear a door slam inside the building and the snow instantly drops.
Deep snow covers the blue area indicated on the map, burying all characters there. Anyone near the outside edge of the area can make a DC 15 Dexterity save to move one space and avoid it.
Buried characters are grappled. It takes a DC 10 Athletics check to emerge from the snow. That area is extra difficult terrain, meaning moving one space takes 15 feet of movement.
After the Alley fight
After this fight, they will continue on to the back of the gift shop.
Infobox
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number of columns: 2
column size: [49%, 49%]
border: off
shadow: off
alignment: [Left, Right]Previous: The Stable
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Next: The Solution
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