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THE RUINS OF CASTLE KORVALDA lair for five 5th-level adventurersOn the highland hills overlooking the town of YevnRaeach, the winds blow cold, sweeping down from thefrigid mountains barely visible to the north. The snowsrarely fall, but the gusts carry the bite of winter, andthe silence is broken by the occasional pelting of sleet.Here perches what was once Yevn Raeach’s greatestdefense. Abandoned for centuries, it has a newinhabitant now: Khekolak, a young white dragonlooking to make his place in the world—even if thatplace already belongs to the people of Yevn Raeach.HistoryFor generations, Yevn Raeach was beset by orcs ofthe Frozen Skull tribe. The town’s greatest defenseagainst the orcs was Castle Korvald, named for theknight-errant who provided the funds to build it.Twenty years after the fortress was constructed,a raid larger than any before struck Yevn Raeach,forcing the entire town to retreat behind the walls ofKorvald. And there, for many months, they battledthe tide of orcs.When all was done, the castle lay in ruins, thegreatest warriors of Yevn Raeach slain—but not invain. The Frozen Skull tribe, its back finally broken,vanished into the mountains and never returned.Unable to afford repairs to the castle, the townsfolklet the ruins stand, a testament to their victory. Inall the decades since, the town has remained largelyunthreatened.No longer. Having only recently departed hismother’s lair, Khekolak has decided that the ruins ofCastle Korvald make an excellent home—and that thelivestock (and townsfolk) make excellent meals.Over the generations, the people of Yevn Raeachhave become farmers and lumberjacks, ill equippedto take on even a young dragon. Yevn Raeach needsheroes eager to prove themselves.EnvironmentCastle Korvald sits in a range of hills atop one particularlysteep-sided rise. The following traits holdtrue for the castle and its surroundings, except whereindicated otherwise.✦ Climbing the hillside requires only a DC 10Athletics check because it is rough and providesnatural handholds.✦ The ruins’ cracked walls are an easy climb, butthe stones frequently shift and crumble. Climbingrequires only a DC 10 Athletics check, but a characterfalls if she fails by 3 or more, rather than thestandard 5.Various portions of Castle Korvald stand at differentheights. These are marked on the map, but in brief:✦ The floors of the castle and towers, as well as thesurrounding hilltop, are at a baseline of 0 feet.✦ The ground around the hill is at –30 feet.✦ The bridge (area 1) and the walkway between area2 and area 3 are at 5 feet.✦ The tops of the castle walls and what remains ofthe central keep (area 12) are at 20 feet.✦ The tops of the tower walls are at 40 feet.Approaching the CastleWhen the PCs approach the castle, read:The castle ruins sit atop a steep hill, a broken crown on thehead of an aging monarch. Many of the walls have crumbled,and several of the towers have all but collapsed, yet theplace still has a heavy sense of weight, stability, and power.A single bridge of stone, extending from a nearby hillside,is the obvious means of access.Area 1: The Arch of StoneBuilt with defense in mind, Castle Korvald has only asingle entrance—or at least, such was the case when itwas intact.When the PCs approach the bridge, read:Held aloft by a series of stone pylons, the bridge is 20 feetin width. Despite its age and the ruined condition of thecastle, the bridge appears stable enough.Area 2: Tower of EntryA heavy wooden door once stood in the westernarchway, but the hinges have long since rotted away,leaving two sides of the tower wide open.When the PCs enter the tower, read:The tower stands open, both to the bridge and to a stonewalkway that leads to a second tower and the castle proper.The interior of the tower is open down to the floor.Perception CheckDC 16: At various heights on the wall are the remains ofwooden planks. Apparently, this tower was once dividedinto two or three levels. No more.About 25 feet up the walls, a series of secret panelshide niches that contain a quartet of homunculi. ThePCs can find the panels only by climbing the walls tothat height and making a DC 26 Perception check.94CHAPTER 3 | Dragon Lairs