10. Helping Spugnois find the Cache - Hommlet

Spugnois, a young and ambitious mage recently arrived in Hommlet, has uncovered a lead on the location of a lost wizard's laboratory near Emridy Meadows. This laboratory, once belonging to a powerful wizard, has since been taken over by Elder Elemental God cultists serving the Temple of Elemental Evil, specifically the Air Temple. Spugnois seeks the help of the PCs to explore the dungeon and retrieve the arcane treasures hidden within. In return, he asks for first access to any magical scrolls or spellbooks they find, offering to split the rest of the treasure equally.

Quest Hook

Spugnois has been quietly observing the PCs since they arrived in Village of Hommlet, assessing their capabilities. Whether or not he has previously joined their party, he approaches them one evening at the 7. The Inn of the Welcome Wench. With a mixture of excitement and urgency, he reveals that his sage master recently decoded a map pointing to the location of a forgotten laboratory near Emridy Meadows. Spugnois believes this could be a treasure trove of ancient magic, and he offers to guide the party there in exchange for their help in overcoming whatever dangers might still lurk within.

Key Locations

• Emridy Meadows: The historic site of a great battle against the Temple of Elemental Evil. The lab is hidden in a remote, overgrown area on the outskirts, largely forgotten by time.
• The Wizard's Laboratory: A small, four-room dungeon that has become a minor outpost for the Temple of Air.

Spugnois' Quest Proposal Dialogue

At the Inn of the Welcome Wench, the warm glow of the fire and the steady hum of conversation creates an atmosphere of comfort. You sit with your companions, sharing a moment of rest after your recent adventures, when Spugnois approaches your table. He looks excited, his usual reserved nature barely containing his anticipation. He motions for you to lean in, his voice low but urgent.

“I’ve been meaning to speak with you,” Spugnois begins, his eyes flicking between you and your companions. “After our success at the Moathouse, I feel confident we can handle something... more delicate.” He pauses, glancing around the tavern as if to ensure no one is listening.
“You see, my master back in Stalmaer recently uncovered a lead—an ancient laboratory hidden near Emridy Meadows. The place once belonged to a powerful wizard, long forgotten, but now... it’s been taken over by cultists. Temple of Air, from what I’ve gathered.”
Spugnois leans in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “I believe there are untold magical secrets hidden there, scrolls, spellbooks—arcane knowledge lost to time. I need your help. If we can retrieve the treasures from that lab, I’ll let you take your share of any gold, weapons, or trinkets we find. All I ask is first access to any magical scrolls or spellbooks. Fair?”
He straightens up, his excitement barely contained. “What do you say? This could be the find of a lifetime. I’ve already mapped the route. It’s a small dungeon, just four rooms. But be warned, it’s guarded—there are cultists, maybe more. If we’re careful, we can outsmart them.”
Spugnois gives a wry smile. “I’ve seen what you’re capable of. Together, we could unlock secrets that haven’t seen the light of day in centuries.”

---

TEMPLE OF AIR

Temple of Air Outpost

The outpost in Emridy Meadows serves as a minor yet crucial extension of the Cult of the Howling Hatred. These air cultists have been tasked with raiding nearby roads, seizing slaves for the Temple of Elemental Evil, and maintaining a low profile until further orders are given by their leader, Kelno, Master of the Air Temple. Vennar Stormsight received specific directives.

• Maintain Secrecy: “Our presence at Emridy Meadows must remain unnoticed. The time is not yet ripe for open conflict.”
• Raid Local Roads: “Disrupt the flow of trade between the villages of Hommlet and Verbobonc. Take slaves whenever possible and send them through our allies in Nulb.”

Background and Purpose

This small group of air cultists has laid claim to an abandoned laboratory near Emridy Meadows, once used by a powerful wizard. Now serving as their base, the cultists are in constant communication with the main faction of the Temple of Air led by Kelno, who resides in the Kron Hills.
The Emridy Meadows outpost focuses on slave raids and covert operations, funneling their captives through the nearby village of Nulb, a cesspool of bandits and cult sympathizers. The cultists here are biding their time, waiting for larger movements from the Temple of Elemental Evil.

Room 1: The Summoning Chamber

The first room the PCs enter is large and dimly lit, with intricate markings on the stone floor forming a summoning circle. The walls are adorned with a faded mural that contains the formulae for a magic circle spell. The air is thick with dust and smoke, which seems to swirl unnaturally.

Enemies

• Dust Mephit (100xp): This mischievous creature will try to blind and irritate the PCs with its Dust Cloud ability.
• Smoke Mephit (100xp): The smoke mephit will use its Cinder Breath to obscure vision and make the battle more chaotic.
• Tactics: The mephits are not particularly intelligent and will rely on hit-and-run tactics, using their breath attacks to disrupt the party's formation.

Room 2: The Laboratory

This room, once a place of arcane research, is now cluttered with dusty alchemical tools and mouldering books. A large, ancient forge dominates one corner, and the smell of sulfur and burnt materials lingers in the air. On a central table, a recently completed +1 magic dagger glints ominously.

Enemies

• Air Cultists (2) (50xp each): These fanatical followers of the Air Temple are rummaging through the books, searching for useful texts. They are startled by the PCs' arrival but quickly move to defend their master's laboratory.
• Tactics: The cultists will try to use the laboratory’s layout to their advantage, positioning themselves near the forge to threaten the PCs with its heat or to hurl alchemical concoctions if the fight goes poorly.

Treasure

• 2 Potions of Gaseous Form
• Potion of Healing
• Potion of Flight
• +1 Dagger
• 38 cp on the cultists.

Room 3: The Fountain Room

The third room features a cracked and ancient fountain, now repaired and filled with cold, clear water. The floor is stained green from algae, and the air is damp. A cauldron sits over a long-extinguished fire pit, and decayed foodstuffs line the shelves, indicating the room was once a place for brewing and cooking.

• Interaction: There are no enemies in this room, but the fountain's water has a strange property. If a character drinks from it, they must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a success, they gain 1d4 temporary hit points. On a failure, they take 1d4 poison damage from the tainted water.

Room 4: The Gnome's Quarters

This final room is a cramped, musty bedroom, clearly designed for a small occupant. The furniture is gnome-sized and in poor condition, with mildew staining the wood and fabric. The cultists have moved in, setting up bedrolls on the floor, and a locked cabinet stands in one corner, the lock badly battered from repeated attempts to open it.

Enemies

• Air Cult Fanatic (450xp): The leader of the small cultist group, this fanatical figure is hiding in the room, ready to strike. If he hears the PCs fighting in the previous room, he will try to ambush them.
• Tactics: The cult fanatic will fight to the death, using his spells and abilities to protect the spellbook at all costs. He is fervently devoted to the Air Temple and will curse the PCs as he fights.

Treasure

Coin: 16 ep on the cultist leader.
Spell Scrolls: Fog Cloud, Silent Image, Gust of Wind, Misty Step.
Locked Cabinet: Contains a Vennar Stormsight Spellbook with the following spells:

• 1st Level: Feather Fall, Fog Cloud, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Protection from Good and Evil, Sleep, Silent Image, Tenser's Floating Disc, Unseen Servant.
• 2nd Level: Gust of Wind, Levitate, Misty Step, Rope Trick.
• 3rd Level: Fly, Gaseous Form, Magic Circle, Sleet Storm.

Conclusion

Once the PCs have cleared the dungeon, Spugnois will be eager to examine the spellbook and scrolls. If the PCs allow him, he will thank them profusely and offer to help identify any other magical items they found. He will split the rest of the treasure fairly, keeping his promise to let the PCs have their share. The PCs might also earn a loyal ally in Spugnois, who will offer his arcane services and knowledge in future adventures.

Vennar Stormsight Interagation

Vennar Stormsight, bound and sitting on the cold stone floor, glares at you with sharp, piercing grey eyes. His wiry frame is tense, though his hair still flows as if caught in a breeze, despite his restraints. He shifts uncomfortably before speaking, his voice calm but laced with venom.

“You think you’ve bested me, don’t you? You think this—“ he rattles the chains lightly, “—means you’ve won? Foolish mortals.” He sneers, his sharp features twisting with contempt. “The Elder Elemental God watches over me… watches over all of us. You’ve barely scratched the surface of His power. The Howling Hatred isn’t just a group of fanatics. We’re the wind, we’re the storm that will sweep across this land, leaving nothing but ruin in its wake.” Vennar leans forward as far as his restraints allow, his grey eyes burning with intensity. “The Elder Elemental God is far beyond your understanding. He is the chaos in the air, the destruction in every storm. His followers — we, the Howling Hatred — serve his will. We are his breath, his vengeance, and his judgment.”

Vennar Stormsight Threats

He pauses, scanning your faces, before continuing. “You’ve crossed paths with the wrong people. Kelno, our master, may have stayed his hand for now, but know this: when the winds come for you, when the skies darken and the very air turns against you, it will be too late. The Howling Hatred will not forget this insult.”

His voice grows colder, more threatening. “You think you’re safe here, in these lands, sheltered by your pitiful walls and your false gods? Hah! The air moves freely, and so do we. You won’t know where we strike, or when. But when the storm comes… you’ll wish you had never crossed us.” Vennar’s eyes glint with a dangerous fervor, a zealot’s certainty that his cause is righteous and inevitable. “Release me now, and perhaps… perhaps I’ll speak on your behalf to my masters. Maybe then, you won’t be swept away when the winds of vengeance blow.” He leans back, a sly smile creeping across his face. “But refuse, and you’ll feel the wrath of the Elder Elemental God… sooner than you think.”

Plot type

Adventure dungeon crawl

Parent Plot

Hommlet - Local Side Quests

Related Characters

• Spugnois

Related Locations

• 7. The Inn of the Welcome Wench
• Emridy Meadows
• Village of Hommlet

Interrogation Clues

If adventurers interrogate Vennar, Thyra, or Rorick, they might learn the following key pieces of information:

• The Kron Hills Outpost: Discover that the Howling Hatred has a larger presence in the Kron Hills, where they ride giant vultures to raid settlements and scout for weaknesses in Verbobonc’s defenses.
• Kelno’s Involvement: Vennar will reveal that Kelno, the half-elven leader of the air cult, is overseeing operations across the region, a larger plan to destabilize Verbobonc and weaken its standing army.
• Nulb’s Role: Learn that the cultists in Emridy Meadows work closely with the Hangmen bandits, funneling slaves and supplies through the village of Nulb to support the Temple of Elemental Evil.

AirCult-Room 1 - Summoning Chamber by 3orcs

AirCult-Room 2_ The Laboratory by 3orcs

AirCult-Room 3 The Fountain Room by 3orcs

AirCult-Room 4 The Gnome's Quarters by 3orcs

Air Temple Cult NPCs by 3orcs