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Petals on an Empty Grave

During their travels, the PCs find a strange garden. Perhaps it is in the ruins of an old manor house or alongside a river they are traveling near, far from anything else. It is largely overgrown. Perhaps strangest of all, no matter what time of day it is, it appears to be dusk within it’s crumbling gates. In the middle of the garden is what remains of some sort of stone monument, and in front of that, a single black poppy grows. Gold sap drips down its stem.

If any PC takes it, it’ll live for five days. During that time, candles will extinguish when they enter a room. The brightest fire will only cast dim light. Even at high noon on a sunny day, the character sees as if the world is in shadow.

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Digging in the Sand

Bones. So many bones. How many people have been buried here?

You find a rusty long sword and a small, golden vulture head worth 250 gp.

Red Sand

The sand here on the edge of the sacrificial ground is loose and looks recently churned.

Vulture Priest

The Vulture Priests are the enemy of knowledge and enlightenment. They seek to bring the eternal silence, the end of all things. Decay and obedience is their only god.

Armor Class 6 [13]
Hit Dice 1 (4hp)
Attacks 1 × Beak (1d4 or by weapon)
THAC0 19 [0]
Movement 120’ (40’)
Saving Throws D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1)
Morale 8 (11 when at their temple)
Alignment Lawful
XP 10 
Number Appearing 2d4 (1d6 × 10)
Treasure Type D
Immune to the Divine: The spells and powers of clerics and paladins have no effect on them.
Weapons: They frequently use wickedly curved daggers, which they use for sacrificial purposes.
Soul Clouders: There is a 10% chance that any Vulture Priest can use the sleep spell once per day. The targets are still awake, but they are beset by such a deep depression that it has the same effect as sleep. They may only watch what unfurls around them.