30 Minute Dungeon Delve 17: Monsters In Wolves' Clothing

Idea: Haunted prison, with a small pack of wolf-folk dwelling within, coming out at night to prey on livestock and unwary humans.

Hook: The abandoned dungeon of Karad has long been home to ghosts and spirits, but recently something more tangible has been seen lurking in its halls. Wolves in human form, coming out at night to eat cattle and kill defenseless citizens. Anyone who went into that ancient prison and slew the monsters would be revered as a folk hero.

Key:

1. The entrance to the prison is dusty, having not been used for years. However, visible in the dust are wolf-like tracks. (In a dark corner of the room, There is a small dried pool of human blood, along with an expensive golden locket, containing a small gem.)

2. There is evidence of broken tables and chairs strewn about the floor, along with broken plates. Two large pillars hold up the ceiling. (Between the pillars is a tripwire, hooked up to two crossbows prepared to fire on anyone who activates the trap.)

3. A large, imposing machine stands atop a pedestal. It is a guillotine, one of the first of its kind, and was used to lop the heads off of criminals when the prison was still in operation. (Old blood can still be seen on the blade of the device.)

4. There are a handful of cells in this room, most open and empty, but one remains closed, its solid steel door kept shut. (If one looks through the barred window of the door, they will see a piece of wood has been wedged in such a way that the door is closed. A small pile of gold coins can be seen through the window on the floor. If one sticks their hand through the remove the wood, an axe comes down, chopping off their hand. However, this same axe removes the wood, causing the door to open.)

5. A translucent figure sits on a chair facing a long shattered window, humming to itself. (The figure is the ghost of a woman named Rebecca, who was imprisoned for witchcraft and killed by the guillotine. She knows of the wolf-folk, and doesn’t like them, finding their acts reprehensible and vile. She can tell the party that there are some other spirits in the prison, possessing their own skeletal remains, and that they are extremely violent after years of isolation.)

6. Horrific tools of torture fill the room, iron maidens, thumbscrews, racks, and others. They all seem to be moving slightly, as if acting out their uses long ago. The air is filled with the screams and moans of pain of the devices’ former victims. (If the torture devices are destroyed or otherwise stopped, the screams cease.)

7. Some animated skeletons stumble around the room, holding knives in their bony claws. Occasionally there is a ghostly flicker, and the skeletons instead appear as living men and women dressed in rags. (The skeletons are the spirits spoken of by Rebecca. They will act mindlessly violent and attack the party unless the player characters are accompanied by Rebecca, who can reason with them. The skeletons can speak, but unless they are interacting with Rebecca they will make no sounds other than the clatter of their own bones.)

8. A group of monstrous, humanoid wolves lie dozing in cots. One of these monsters sits in a chair nearby, sharpening its claws. (The moment the wolf-person on watch notices the party, it howls, awakening its comrades, who will instantly attack.)

9. Barrels of salted meat fill the room, the stench is almost unbearable despite the preservative. (Though most of the meat is beef, on closer inspection it is revealed that some is human.)

10. A small group of wolf-folk in armor with weapons crowds around a table. On the table is a map of the surrounding area, it appears as though the beast-folk are planning their next attack. (One of the wolf-folk wields a magical dagger that catches fire on command. Underneath the table is a chest containing some coins and baubles, loot stolen during the wolf-folks’ raids.)