The adventure ahead
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In the city of Ashenmoor, the dead do not stay buried. You are recruits of the Dawnspire Covenant, a clandestine order sworn to hunt vampires and other night-things. When a series of exsanguinated bodies appears, you are drawn into a conspiracy that reaches from fog-choked alleys to a gilded manor and a chapel of red glass. The trail leads to Lord Varrick Sanguine, a vampire envoy who serves a far greater terror: the Red Sovereign. This is Act I of a gothic horror campaign for levels 1–3.
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You are a recruit of the Dawnspire Covenant, a secret order that protects the city of Ashenmoor from vampires, ghouls, and worse. The city is a sprawling, rain-soaked metropolis of gaslamps, factories, and old money. For weeks, bodies have been found drained of blood, with two small punctures on the neck. The watch is baffled. Your handler, Sister Mira, has summoned you to the city morgue. She has a lead: a wax-sealed letter found on the latest victim, addressed to a Lord Varrick Sanguine.
Your orders are simple: find the source, stop the killings, and do not let the public learn the truth. Tone: gothic horror, dark action, and a touch of grim humor. Bring your stakes, your faith, and your wits.
Behind the screen
Act I: The Bloodletter's Invitation is a level 1–3 opening arc for 4–5 characters. It runs 3–5 sessions. The party begins as new recruits of the Dawnspire Covenant in Ashenmoor. They investigate a string of bloodless murders, uncover a vampire cell operating under Lord Varrick Sanguine, and disrupt a ritual meant to summon a fragment of the Red Sovereign. The act ends with Varrick defeated or driven off, and the party recovering the Red Ledger—a list of names and locations that points toward the greater conspiracy.
Secrets: Varrick is not the true master; he is a pawn of the Red Sovereign, an ancient vampire entity. The Dawnspire Covenant has a traitor in its ranks, hinted by a coded letter. The ritual was only a test; the real summoning is yet to come. Progression: Scene 1 introduces the investigation and combat basics. Scene 2 adds social and exploration pillars. Scene 3 reveals the cult and the Red Sovereign's sigil. Scene 4 is the confrontation with Varrick, ending Act I and setting up Act II.
Hook 01
Sister Mira summons the party to the Ashenmoor City Morgue, where a fresh victim bears two neat punctures and a wax-sealed letter addressed to Lord Varrick Sanguine. The letter invites Varrick to a 'gathering of the crimson choir' at his manor.
Hook 02
Rumors spread through the Old Quarter of a secret cult that sings hymns to a crimson sovereign. Several city officials have been seen entering Sanguine Manor at night, and none have been seen leaving.
The party investigates a series of exsanguinated murders in Ashenmoor. The trail leads from a foggy street ambush to the manor of Lord Varrick Sanguine, then to a hidden chapel where cultists prepare a blood ritual. The party confronts Varrick, learns of the Red Sovereign, and recovers the Red Ledger. They end the act as level 3, with the first hints of a far greater threat.
Read aloud
The morgue smells of formaldehyde and old blood. Gaslamps hiss above a row of steel tables. Sister Mira, a stern woman in a blood-spattered apron, pulls back a sheet. The body is pale, drained, with two neat punctures on the neck. In the victim's pocket, she found a letter sealed with crimson wax, stamped with a chalice and a bat. 'This is the third this week,' she says. 'Find who is doing this before the city panics.'
This scene introduces the party to the investigation. Sister Mira is not a combatant; she provides the initial hook and can answer basic questions about vampire lore. The letter is addressed to Lord Varrick Sanguine, inviting him to a 'gathering of the crimson choir' at his manor. The wax seal is a clue. If the party examines the body, they can determine the victim was killed by a vampire's bite, not an animal. The morgue is safe, but a lurking spy (use Spy) may be watching from the shadows if you want to add tension. Do not use a stat block for Sister Mira.
Read aloud
Sanguine Manor looms behind wrought-iron gates, its windows dark except for a single candle in the east wing. The air is cold and still. A servant in a black coat opens the door before you knock. 'Lord Varrick is not receiving guests,' he says, but his eyes flick to the bloodstain on your sleeve. Behind him, a grand staircase curves up into shadow.
This scene can be played as social infiltration or a stealthy break-in. Lord Varrick is present but does not fight here; he is a central villain and uses his forthcoming character sheet. He is charming, pale, and dressed in aristocratic finery. He claims to be a reclusive nobleman and denies knowledge of the murders. If the party pushes, he invites them to a 'small gathering' in the chapel tomorrow night.
If they sneak in, they can find a blood ledger and a map to the Chapel of Red Glass. The manor is guarded by 2 Ghouls disguised as servants and 4 Cultists posing as household staff. They do not attack unless the party is discovered or attacks first. Use the encounter roster: Lord Varrick Sanguine (central villain; use forthcoming character sheet), 2 Ghoul, 4 Cultist.
Read aloud
The chapel is a ruin of red stained glass, lit by dozens of candles. A cultist in a crimson robe chants over a stone altar where a young woman lies bound. 'The blood of the innocent opens the way,' he intones. 'The Red Sovereign will rise.' Around him, hooded figures echo the chant. The air tastes of copper and ozone.
This is the ritual site. The party can interrupt the ritual, save the victim, and fight the cultists. The ritual is led by a Cult Fanatic. The cultists are 4 Cultist. Two Ghouls lurk in the shadows as guards. If the party waits too long, the ritual completes a partial summoning: a wave of necrotic energy deals 2d6 damage to everyone in the chapel (DC 13 Dexterity save for half). The victim is an innocent commoner; if saved, she can identify Varrick as the one who ordered her capture. The chapel contains a hidden sigil of the Red Sovereign. Use encounter roster: 1 Cult Fanatic, 4 Cultist, 2 Ghoul.
Read aloud
The crypt is cold and lined with stone coffins. Lord Varrick Sanguine stands beside a black mirror, his reflection absent. 'You have been busy,' he says, smiling. 'But you are too late. The Red Sovereign has already tasted this city. I am merely his envoy.' He draws a rapier from his cane. 'Shall we dance?'
This is the Act I climax. Lord Varrick is a central villain; use his forthcoming character sheet, not a monster stat block. He fights with rapier and blood magic, and he has 2 Ghouls and 4 Cultists as reinforcements. He is not the true villain; if reduced to 0 hit points, he dissolves into mist and escapes, leaving behind the Red Ledger. If the party defeats him decisively, he can be destroyed, but the Red Ledger still reveals the greater threat.
The black mirror is a scrying device linked to the Red Sovereign; touching it gives a vision of a vast, ancient vampire entity. The party should reach level 3 after this scene. Use encounter roster: Lord Varrick Sanguine (central villain; use forthcoming character sheet), 2 Ghoul, 4 Cultist.
Milestone: The party reaches level 3 after confronting Lord Varrick and recovering the Red Ledger. They have stopped the immediate killings, saved a victim, and learned of the Red Sovereign. Sister Mira promotes them to full agents of the Dawnspire Covenant.
Lord Varrick Sanguine
Lord Varrick Sanguine is the very portrait of decadent aristocracy sharpened into a predator's edge. Tall and gaunt-pale, he moves with the…
Free campaign generations include one villain sheet. Additional villain, NPC, and player-facing module character sheets are available in premium campaigns.
Subscribe NowFree campaign encounters use official monster sheets, plus the campaign villain character when referenced. They do not include generated custom monster sheets. Subscribe to create custom campaign monsters and enemy stat blocks.
Subscribe NowVarrick serves the Red Sovereign out of a mixture of fear and ambition. He believes that by preparing a vessel for his master, he will be rewarded with power and immortality. He also enjoys the thrill of the hunt and the adoration of his cult.
Charming, aristocratic, and arrogant, Varrick loves to monologue and play with his prey. Beneath his confidence, he is terrified of the Red Sovereign and secretly doubts his own chances of survival. He is meticulous, vain, and quick to anger when mocked.
Varrick opens combat by using charm to turn a party member against their allies, then attacks with his rapier. He uses mist form to escape grapples or reposition. He summons his ghouls and cultists to flank and protect him. If reduced to 0 hit points, he dissolves into mist and flees to his coffin, leaving the Red Ledger behind. He can only be permanently destroyed if the party uses radiant damage or drives a stake through his heart while he is incapacitated in his coffin.
Varrick is a willing servant of the Red Sovereign and cannot be easily redeemed. If defeated, he escapes as mist and becomes a recurring enemy in Act II. If destroyed, his death reveals the first true hint of the Red Sovereign's power and the Covenant traitor.
Recommended party: 4–5 characters, level 1. A balanced party is recommended: at least one cleric or paladin for healing and radiant damage, one rogue or ranger for investigation and stealth, one wizard or sorcerer for arcane knowledge, and one fighter or barbarian for front-line combat. Characters with ties to the Dawnspire Covenant, the city watch, or the underworld will have extra opportunities.
Before play, discuss the gothic horror themes of the campaign, including blood, vampires, religious horror, and betrayal. Establish lines and veils with your players. Create characters with ties to the Dawnspire Covenant, the city watch, or the Ashenmoor underworld. Starting level is 1. Ensure at least one character has radiant damage or a way to deal with vampires. The campaign uses milestone leveling; characters reach level 3 after the Crypt encounter.
For a party of 4–5 characters, run the encounters as written. For 3 characters, reduce the number of Cultists by 1 in each encounter and remove 1 Ghoul from the Chapel and Crypt. For 6 characters, add 1 Ghoul to the Chapel and Crypt, and add 2 Cultists to the Manor. If the party is struggling, have Lord Varrick monologue for a round or focus on the strongest character rather than the healer. If the party is breezing through, have Varrick use his charm ability more aggressively and summon reinforcements.
Act I runs for 3–5 sessions. Scene 1 at the morgue is investigation-focused and should not include combat unless you want to add a Spy watching from the shadows. Use Sister Mira as the party's handler; she is not a combatant and does not need a stat block. Emphasize atmosphere: rain, gaslamps, fog, and the smell of blood. Lord Varrick should escape if possible to set up Act II, but the party must recover the Red Ledger. The Red Sovereign is only hinted at in Act I; do not reveal its full nature. Award level 3 after the Crypt encounter. The Dawnspire Covenant traitor is a seed for later acts; do not resolve it in the free preview.
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Lord Varrick Sanguine
Lord Varrick Sanguine is the very portrait of decadent aristocracy sharpened into a predator's edge. Tall and gaunt-pale, he moves with the…
Free campaign generations include one villain sheet. Additional villain, NPC, and player-facing module character sheets are available in premium campaigns.
Subscribe NowFree campaign encounters use official monster sheets, plus the campaign villain character when referenced. They do not include generated custom monster sheets. Subscribe to create custom campaign monsters and enemy stat blocks.
Subscribe NowVarrick serves the Red Sovereign out of a mixture of fear and ambition. He believes that by preparing a vessel for his master, he will be rewarded with power and immortality. He also enjoys the thrill of the hunt and the adoration of his cult.
Charming, aristocratic, and arrogant, Varrick loves to monologue and play with his prey. Beneath his confidence, he is terrified of the Red Sovereign and secretly doubts his own chances of survival. He is meticulous, vain, and quick to anger when mocked.
Varrick opens combat by using charm to turn a party member against their allies, then attacks with his rapier. He uses mist form to escape grapples or reposition. He summons his ghouls and cultists to flank and protect him. If reduced to 0 hit points, he dissolves into mist and flees to his coffin, leaving the Red Ledger behind. He can only be permanently destroyed if the party uses radiant damage or drives a stake through his heart while he is incapacitated in his coffin.
Varrick is a willing servant of the Red Sovereign and cannot be easily redeemed. If defeated, he escapes as mist and becomes a recurring enemy in Act II. If destroyed, his death reveals the first true hint of the Red Sovereign's power and the Covenant traitor.
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Suggested Level: 1-2
Grand staircase, dark corridors, locked study, bloodstained carpet, hidden compartment in the east wing.
Blood ledger, map to the Chapel of Red Glass, 50 gp in a locked drawer, a silver candlestick worth 25 gp.
Lord Varrick is present but does not fight here. He uses his forthcoming character sheet. If the party is discovered, the ghouls and cultists attack. If they succeed socially, Varrick invites them to the chapel gathering.
Suggested Level: 2-3
Red stained glass windows, stone altar, dozens of candles, hidden compartment beneath the altar, shadowy alcoves.
Vial of black blood, list of names, 100 gp in ritual offerings, a silver ritual dagger worth 50 gp.
If the ritual completes, a wave of necrotic energy deals 2d6 damage to everyone in the chapel (DC 13 Dexterity save for half). The victim is an innocent commoner who can identify Varrick if saved.
Suggested Level: 3
Stone coffins, black mirror, cold stone floor, dim candlelight, narrow crypt corridors.
Red Ledger, letter from the Red Sovereign, 200 gp in ancient coins, a black onyx ring worth 75 gp.
This is the Act I climax. Lord Varrick uses his forthcoming character sheet. If reduced to 0 hit points, he dissolves into mist and escapes, leaving behind the Red Ledger. The party should reach level 3 after this encounter.
Stake of the Crimson Vigil
Completed
Chapel of Red Glass, hidden compartment beneath the altar.
No
Vial of Black Blood
Completed
Chapel of Red Glass, hidden compartment beneath the altar.
No
Crimson Chalice
Completed
Sanguine Manor, locked study.
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