Guide to Running the Whispering Cairn, Part 2

This is the second part of my guide to running The Whispering Cairn from the Age of Worms adventure path, originally published in 2005 in Dungeon 124. Part 2 covers the false tomb and the rest of the Cairn. Part 3 will cover the interlude that requires the characters to leave the Cairn to help put Alaster Land's spirit to rest and access the true tomb. 

7. False Tomb

   • Summary: A complex false tomb leading to the rest of the dungeon. A sarcophagus with a bas-relief depiction of a Wind Duke sits in the middle of the chamber.

   • Checks:

     • DC 20 Intelligence (History) check to know the sigil identified an ancient elemental entity of some renown.
     • DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to rotate the sarcophagus. The tomb initially points to the orange lantern.
     • DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check to see circular depressions in the alcove beneath each lantern.

   • Threats:

     Sarcophogus Trap

     Nuisance Trap (Level 1-4)

     Trigger: Moving the sarcophagus lid.

     Duration: Instantaneous

     Any creature attempting to remove the lid triggers a burning hands spell in the direction of the creature. Each creature in a 15-foot cone from the triggering creature makes a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

     Detect and Disarm: As a Search action, a creature can examine the lid and make a DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check to detect the magical rune that triggers the trap. It can only be deactivated via a dispel magic.

   • Developments:

     • To proceed, the characters need to find the two missing lanterns (indigo in area 5, and red in the Laborers’ Lair) and put lit candles in all seven lanterns.
     • Red Lantern: missing and is in the Laborer’s area
     • Orange Lantern: The platform points here with no torch.
     • Yellow Lantern: Pointing the platform here summons an arcane elevator to the architect of the tomb’s personal quarters. It conveys one person at a time down to the chambers. A button at the bottom of the shaft calls the elevator back down
     • Green Lantern: This lantern contains a torch that has a continual flame cast on it. When the sarcophagus points at it, the elevator collapses, and two swarms of larvae climb out and attack the nearest PC. Characters can easily climb down the pitted passage to area 15.
     • Blue Lantern: A DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice the ceiling is higher than other alcoves and in darkness, and a human skeleton is on the ground. A DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals the skeleton likely died due to blunt force trauma, like falling from a great height. Hidden in the darkness in the ceiling is an opening to Area 8. Reaching the opening requires a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check to climb the wall.
     • Indigo Lantern: This lantern was stolen and could be found in the backpack in area 5. When the dias is pointed at this alcove, an elevator is called. On the floor of the cylinder is debris, including rags and crushed bones. If anyone stands inside it for two consecutive rounds, they will be crushed when the door closes. There is a pouch in the debris with 35 gp, 15 sp, and a red ruby worth 50 gp.
     • Violet Lantern: Nothing to see here.

8. Passage of the Face

   • Summary: This passage ends in a large, asexual visage of a screaming face with prismatic eyes that is a deadly trap. Adding torches to all 7 lanterns disables the trap and grants access to the lair of the architect.

   • Threats:

     Screaming Mouth Trap

     Deadly Trap (Level 1-4)

     Trigger: More than 60 pounds on a pressure plate

     Duration: 10 minutes

     When the trap is triggered, a hold person spell affects every creature in the passage unless they succeed on a Wisdom save DC 12. Additionally, an effect similar to the gust of wind spell affects anyone standing in the passage, and they must make a DC 10 Strength saving throw to avoid being pushed 15 feet. Held characters automatically fail. Each round thereafter, the wind escalates, and the number of feet pushed increases by 5 feet while the DC increases by 2. The intensity stops once the DC reaches 20, but the wind continues to blow for 9 minutes. Characters pushed to the end of the passage fall through the hall and must succeed on a DC 12 Reflex saving throw to grab the chain or fall to the ground and take 5d6 damage.

     Detect and Disarm: As a Search action, a creature can notice the gouges in the floor with a DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check. The trigger plate can be identified with a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The face will not activate if all of the lanterns have burning torches in them.

   • Developments: If all 8 lanterns contain burning torches, the Architect’s face disappears and allows access to the Architect’s Tomb and area 9.

9. Architect’s Foyer

   • Summary: A large stone blocks this passage with only a thin space between the stone andthe ceiling for someone to squeeze through. The stone can be tipped, springing a trap.

   • Checks:

   • • DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to squeeze through the crack in the slab and ceiling.
     • At least as many successes as failures on a DC 15 Strength check by up to four party members to flip the slab. Results over 20 count as two successes.

   • Threats:

     Slab Trap

     Nuisance Trap (Level 1-4)

     Trigger: Removing the stone slab from the pressure plate

     Duration: Instantaneous after an onset delay of 3 rounds

     When the trap is triggered, after 3 rounds, the hall is filled with noxious green gas. Characters must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 2d10 (11) poison damage and gaining the poisoned condition for one hour on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.

     Detect and Disarm: As a Search action, a creature can notice the pressure plate with a DC 11 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A character can disarm the trap by placing at least 100 pounds of weight on the plate quickly with a DC 13 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.

10. Passage of Honor

    • Summary: Passage filled with alcoves and androgynous carvings of Wind Dukes. The passage is noticeably cold because of a patch of brown mold in area 11. A choker hides in the second alcove and attacks anyone affected by the brown mold.
    • Checks:
      • Passive Wisdom (Perception) check DC 16 to spot the hidden choker.
    • Threats: A choker hides in the second set of alcoves.

11. Gallery

    • Summary: Large chamber with a pillar that produces nutritious sludge. A triggered trap hides treasure if it can be reset.
    • Checks: DC 11 Intelligence (Investigation) check to find a catch in the east alcove that raises a trapped block that killed a tomb robber.
    • Threats: Brown Mold grows around the pillar.
    • Treasure: The corpse in the tool closet wears +1 chainmail. Three intact statues from the passage of honor are worth 200 gp each.

12. Living Quarters

    • Summary: A slab of stone functions as an air bed. A statue in the room bears the symbol of the architect, Nardoc.

13. Workshop

    • Summary: A looted workshop with an in-progress statue of some great being holding a wooden staff. A minor earth elemental who once served Ogremach is bound here.
    • Checks:
      • DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) notices that the wooden staff has six scores, indicating it is comprised of seven pieces.
      • DC 15 Intelligence (History) check to identify the gold symbol on the egg as that of Ogremach, a primordial. DC 20 Intelligence (history) to know his forces fought on the side of elemental evil in an ancient war.
    • Threats: If touched, the elemental creature that looks like an egg awakens and challenges the party in Terran. If convinced the characters can help it escape, it relates what it knows about the cavern. If they anger it, it attacks as a gargoyle without flyby attack.

14. Toilet

15. Laborer’s Foyer

    • Summary: Foyer filled with depictions of wind duke laborers. The large glyph is that of Nardoc, the architect.

16. Food Room/The Hive

    • Summary: Room infested with beetles.
    • Checks:
      • DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) to find three lumps that are the bodies of long-dead seekers. 
      • DC 15 Intelligence (History) check to identify the star marking on the leather armor as that of the Seekers, an unscrupulous band of treasure seekers.
    • Threats: 2 swarms of insects.
    • Treasure: Each seeker corpse has a potion of healing.

17. Sleeping Quarters

    • Summary: Sleeping quarters for laborers that causes exhaustion.
    • Threats: The room inflicts a level of exhaustion on anyone inside unless they make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw each round. The levels of exhaustion go away as soon as one leaves the room.
    • Treasure: The corpse of a seeker on one of the beds has a silver ring worth 75 gp.

• Tool Alcoves

7. Submerged Shadows

   • Summary: A submerged bathing room controlled by a corrupted water elemental. Areas 19-22 are submerged. Underwater combat
   • Threats: A water elemental with 50 hp attacks anyone who enters the waters. The water elemental has advantage on all attacks against submerged foes.

8. Locker Room with Benches

   • Summary: Room with a dead Seeker body and the red lantern.
   • Checks: DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check to identify that the corpse’s bones have been gnawed on.
   • Treasure: There is a +1 short sword on the corpse. The blade is made of enchanted human bone and appears to have seen considerable wear and use. Later, the characters find a prophecy elsewhere that ties the bone blade to the Age of Worms.
   • Developments: The Red Lantern needed to access the true tomb is located on the corpse.

9. Other Locker Room with Benches

   • Summary: A former seeker turned ghoul lairs here.
   • Threats: Ghoul of the seeker known as Uluvant lairs here and attacks anyone it detects. Paralyzed characters do not begin to drown.
   • Treasure: 55sp, 38 gp, and 2 pp on Uluvaunt’s body, as well as his seeker ring, worth 200 gp.
   • Developments: The Character carrying the ring will attract the attention of Khellek from the rival adventurers.

10. Toilet

11. Alastor’s Haunt

    • Summary: A single wooden beam runs through a dark hall filled with metal balls. A grick dwells in the room, as well as the ghost of Alastor Land, who will taunt the PCs.

    • Checks: DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) to hear the grick moving through the balls.

    • Threats: A grick lurks amongst the balls. Alastor land is a ghost the party should negotiate with rather than fight.

      Hail of Balls Trap

      Nuisance Trap (Level 1-4)

      Trigger: Someone coming within 15 feet of the end of the room.

      Duration: Instantaneous

      When the trap is triggered, a hail or iron balls fires at anyone standing in the room on the balance beam. Ranged +3 to attack, 1d4 damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall into the balls below, taking 1d6 falling damage.

      Detect and Disarm: As a Search action, a creature can notice the recesses that fire the balls with a DC 11 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A character can disarm the trap by spending an hour jamming each recess.

    • Treasure: Hidden amidst the balls are 47 gp, 7 sp, and 1 pp.

    • Developments: If the characters return Alastor’s remains to his family’s farmstead, he can rest and will press the button on the other side of the door that lets them into the True Tomb.

12. The Chamber of Sighs

    • Summary: A chamber full of bas-relief murals that come to life with wispy smoke as characters approach. They show the following scenes:
      • Idyllic creatures of elemental air are beset by half-spider, half-wolf creatures.
      • A towering duke with a notable insignia is saluted by other dukes.
      • 7 dukes present a staff to a lord, who splits it into seven parts. The scene is titled “The Wandering Dukes”.
      • In the final battle of the two forces, a Wind Duke uses the staff to slay a gigantic demon that is half-spider, half-wolf, with the torso of a human. The duke, demon, and staff disappear.
      • The last column will whisk the characters to area 25, but not before they defeat the two wind warriors.
    • Threats: Use the helmed horror stat block for the wind warriors with the suggested resistances. In addition, the helmed horror can cast thunderwave 1/day with a spell save DC of 14, and their arcane swords do thunder instead of force damage.

13. The True Tomb

    • Summary: This is the tomb of a minor Wind Duke named Zosiel, who was slain by a Sphere of Annihilation, as depicted in the mural. If a character can speak the name of the duke, the sarcophagus will open.
    • Checks: DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) to identify the sphere and the talisman of the sphere.
    • Treasure: A headband of Intellect (rather than a circlet of wisdom) is waiting for the characters inside the tomb. There are also two long black horns tipped in red worth 50 gp each, as well as a demonic metal box containing an inactive Talisman of the Sphere.
    • Developments: Allustan will encourage the characters to hold on to the Talisman. Characters will have a few days to carouse about town before Sheriff Cubbin arrests them to begin the next part of the adventure.

Guide to Running the Whispering Cairn, Part 1

Guide to Running the Whispering Cairn

Reference Material

•  Official Web and Handout Supplement
• I have not found a way to purchase a PDF. You can certainly find copies online, but I mostly worked from my hard copy. 
• Diamond Lake Player's Guide
• Age of Worms Guide on the Giant in the Playground forums. 
• I uses monsters from dnd 2024 when possible, and supplement with months from the Monster Manual Expanded I, II, and III

Whispering Cairn Background

• Uluvant was the last explorer of the Whispering Cairn, 60 years ago. Uluvant was a member of the seekers, unscrupulous treasure seekers.
• The Whispering Cairn was the final resting place of Zosiel, a Wind Duke who died in the Battle of Pesh against the forces of elemental evil led by Miska the Wolf Spider. The Wind Duke Nardoc architected his tomb.
• Many youths dared each other to enter the cave, but most quit after a girl disappeared in the cave 6 years ago

Adventure Flowchart

1. Characters meet up at the old mining office to plan their exploration of the Whispering Cairn.
2. Characters explore the Cairn until they meet Alastor Land's ghost.
3. Characters go to the Land homestead and find that the Land's family remains were victims of grave robbing.
4. Characters go to The Feral Dog to find the graverobbers to learn that the bodies are at the observatory.
5. Characters go to the observatory, defeat Filge the necromancer, and gather the Land's remains to inter.
6. With his family’s remains at rest, Alastor retreats, but not before opening the way to the actual tomb.
7. The party explores the real tomb.
8. Adventure epilogue.

Whispering Cairn, Part 1: Before the False Tomb

1. Coward’s Rest
   1. Summary: The ruined entrance of an ancient tomb, with horizontal bands of scrollwork.
   2. Checks:
      1. Wisdom (Survival) DC 9 to identify the trail of wolves that frequently visit the caves.
      2. Intelligence (Investigation) DC 9 to remember that the bedroll might have belonged to a girl who disappeared from the Cairn years ago. Advantage on the check if the character is less than 20 years old and from Diamond Lake.
      3. Intelligence (Investigation) DC 12 to notice small holes in the scrollwork that make the whistling sound.
2. Transport Alcolve
   1. Summary: An alcove that contains the ruins of a transportation device.
   2. Checks:
      1. Intelligence (Investigation) DC 9 to find chunks of stone around the device that might be valuable.
      2. Intelligence (Arcana) DC 10 to identify the glyphs on the device are associated with teleportation magic.
      3. Keep the DCs listed in the adventure for determining information about the glyphs.
   3. Threats: Wolves in area 4 might hear the characters if they make a lot of noise.
   4. Treasure: The chunks of stone are worth up to 20 gp to the right buyer.
3. Collapsed Passage
   1. Summary: Collapsed passage conceals a functioning teleporter that the characters can’t access right now.
   2. Threats: Wolves in area 5 might hear the characters if they make a lot of noise.
4. Hall of Honor
   1. Summary: The words on the wind in Auran are stronger here. A partially collapsed passage leads to the wolf den in area 5. The main path ahead is covered in cobwebs and leads to area 7.
   2. Threats: Wolves in area 5 will likely hear characters here unless they are stealthy.
5. Wolf Den
   1. Summary: A den for three wolves with an important item. Characters have to crawl beneath the partially collapsed tunnel to get to it.
   2. Checks:
      1. DC 9 Intelligence (Investigation) check to find an old leather backpack with an Indigo lantern that is useful for Area 7.
      2. DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check to find an elven armband.
      3. DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check to find a broken marble finger, formerly attached to the sarcophagus lid in area 7.
   3. Threats: 3 wolves. One is bigger than the others and has maximum hit points.
   4. Treasure: The elven armband is worth 75 gp, or 100 gp to an elf.
6. Gallery of Seven Lanterns
   1. Summary: Fresco with a clue about how to get past the door in area 8.

Player's Guide to Diamond Lake

 

Diamond Lake: A Greyhawk Mining Town

This post shares the basics about Diamond Lake and is written to be shared with players visiting the town. I created it for my Age of Worms campaign, and am sharing it here in case it helps others. 

History

Diamond Lake began as a treasure seeker's outpost, as many cairns dot the surrounding hills. Those treasures were all gone decades ago. For a while, the town became a sleepy fishing town until the mines opened for Greyhawk and polluted the lake. It has remained a hard-bitten mining town for decades now. The work is dangerous and difficult, luring only those in the most desperate of circumstances. Greyhawk installs a Governor-Mayor, but the town is mostly run by the managers of the most lucrative mines.

NPCs

Governor-Mayor Lanod Neff

The main agent of the Free City in Diamond Lake is a lecherous philanderer who prefers to ignore problems until they go away.

Sheriff Cubbin

The Sheriff is Smenk's right hand and enforcer. He is famously corrupt.

Allustan

Neff's brother, a wizard who retired to Diamond Lake five years ago. His reputation as a powerful wizard with deep connections to important personages in Greyhawk helps keep Neff in power.

Mine Managers

Balabar Smenk

A relative newcomer, Balabar seeks to monopolize mining in town by driving his competitors out of business, then buying their mines for a song.

Ragnolin Daggerstone

Ragnolin moved here 50 years ago from the Dwarven community of Greysmere, and has a successful ore mining and smelting operation.

Chaum Gansworth

The newest mine manager, Chaum is in an (for his part) uncommitted relationship with Luzane Parrin. He's highly pragmatic and skeptical of the other mine managers' ability to stand up to Smenk.

Ellivel Moonmeadow

Ellivel Moonmeadow leads a small contingent of elves in Diamond Lake who operate a silver mine. They hold themselves well above the common folk of the town.

Gelch Tilgast

Gelch Tilgast was foremost amongst the mine managers until Smenk showed up. Now he is trying to build a tenuous alliance with Chaum, Luzane, and mine managers from nearby towns.

Luzane Parrin

Luzane Parrin inherited her mines from her mother and desperately tries not to lose that inheritance to Smenk. Her husband died mysteriously two years ago, and now she woos Chaum as a lover and an accomplice to challenge Smenk.

Notable Locations

The Emporium
Part pleasure palace, part circus, part casino, the Emporium caters to any vice in the town. It is competently run by Zalamandra, who originally founded the establishment when she convinced a traveling troupe of performers to put down roots.

Lazare's House
A somewhat more upscale gaming establishment run by a professional gambler named Lazare. Don't confuse Lazare with Luzane!

The Feral Dog
A rough and tumble tavern that entertains some of the worst riff raff in the town.

Church of St. Cuthbert
Jieriun Wierus is the fiery orator who runs a growing and fanatical flock at the church of St. Cuthbert.

General Store
Taggin, the stylish "don't tell me about it" owner of the general store, stocks most PHB items, and can import more exotic items from Greyhawk.

The Hungry Gar
The Gar is still hungry after eating here, it ain't good. Sorry Gulk Torkitan, a great chef you are not.

Jalek's Flophouse
Where the most destitute of Diamond Lake's miners reside.

The Garrison
Run by Captain Tolliver Trask, this is a garrison of 60 soldiers from Greyhawk.

The Midnight Repose
A house of ill repute run by the stunning Purple Prose.

The Captain's Blade
An arms and armor shop run efficiently by Tyrol Ebberly.

The Rusty Bucket
The best and most popular place to eat in town.

Smelting House
Turns much of the iron ore into refined products. The alchemist in residence, Benazel, sells potions on the side.

Diamond Lake Boneyard
The city's graveyard, protected by the Cult of the Green Lady, worshippers of Wee Jas.

Review of the Three Faces of Evil from the Age of Worms adventure path

  See my review of the first adventure, The Whispering Cairn, here. 

Initial Thoughts

A quick search will turn up several lackluster (informal) reviews of this adventure, calling it the weakest of the path. So I went in with low expectations and expecting to need to do some work. On the other hand, this adventure is written by Mike Mearls, whom I have boundless respect for as the architect of 5e. He blew my mind multiple times at a panel at GameHole this year - I really wanted to ask him about this adventure, but didn't get the chance. 

I ran this adventure over 6 2-3 hour sessions with a group I have gamed with for decades. We played hybrid, half remote and half in person, using Vorpal Board. Miniatures, maps, and Dwarven Forge were used in almost all encounters. Most, but not all of the players are tactically minded and make optimized choices. I removed several extraneous encounters to focus on the more interesting encounters, almost all of which I discuss below. 

Strong Start

One of the top critiques online is of the adventure hook. It's basically a major NPC, Allustan, pointing the characters at the dungeon that makes up the majority of the adventure. I took the advice of one of the threads on the Paizo forums (link) and threw the characters in jail. Balabar then showed up and flexed his power in town and forced the characters to go deal with the cultists who had compromised him. As I was preparing this, SlyFlourish posted Avoid Removing Player Agency that clearly said, "Don't capture your characters." I did it anyway, but I told the players what I was doing and to treat it cinematically. It worked well as an introduction to a campaign villain and a forceful hook into the adventure. I think this works well so long as you telegraph what you are doing to your party. It is also much safer if you know your players well, which I did. 

Adventure Structure

There's no way around it: This is mostly a dungeon crawl. But it's a pretty good dungeon crawl in my estimation. It starts with a hook, then the party finds a way into the mine, and finally enters the dungeon and chooses one of three evil gods' temples to tackle. 

My party went completely sideways from what the adventure expected to enter the mine. The dwarf in the party had a tie to Ragnolin (the mine owner) and went to visit him at home. They quickly figured out he was somehow charmed or mentally influenced and went to the largest clergy in the area to look for a remove curse or greater restoration. They ended up getting help from the cult-like church of St Cuthbert. A mob of followers followed their priest to Ragnolin's home, where he cures the dwarf. The characters then travel to the mine with Ragnolin, who gives them free rein to enter. 

Once inside the dungeon, there is heavy foreshadowing of the final boss in the first room, and a running guard to encourage the party to choose a particular dungeon to go to first. I'm lucky in that my group leans into hooks - I know many would do anything but follow the obvious hook. If they don't, it wouldn't be a big deal, but I think it tells a tighter narrative of the nature of the three distinct cults if they do. On to the dungeon...

The Dungeon

The Dark Cathedral

The first dungeon is The Dark Cathedral, populated by the followers of Hextor, god of war. As such, it is very regimented, with detailed rules for how the denizens will react to the parties' incursion. The first encounter sets this up well - eight skeletons in full plate to lock down the party while really weak cultists flee to alert the rest of the compound, and two veterans in the next room who also come out to engage the characters. Some of the cultists break off to release a trained dire boar to add to the encounter. It's a great encounter because the characters have a lot of interesting tactical choices that have ramifications on the encounter difficulty. In my case, the characters let the cultists get away, so they had to deal with the boar, but were able to lock the veterans in their room and keep them out of the fight until they dealt with most of the other threats.  Once they finished that encounter, there was basically one more. They had a choice of entering an unlocked door or trying to bash down a barred door that was clearly strongly secured. They chose the path of least resistance, which in turn led to a tough battle on the Hextorites' chosen ground. Zombies, cultists, and clerics of Hextor with the high ground led to a dynamic and challenging battle. 

The Caves of Slaughter

The second dungeon is the Caves of Slaughter, filled with bloodthirsty grimlocks who follow Erythnul. I cut several encounters, such that there were really three major fights. A very cool ambush while the characters first descend to the caves, a battle royale with the grimlock chieftan and the bulk of his forces, and finally a showdown with the high priest of Erythnul, this guy:

Most grimlock art depicts them as void of eye sockets, but this art is worth going against canon any day of the week! It also let me break out one of my favorite pieces of Dwarven Forge, the Stairway to Violence. I used the grimlock brute and grimlock shaman monsters from Monster Manual Expanded and it made for a good tactical encounter, with the shaman using higher ground and controller spells to lock the characters in a battle with the brutes. Here's a picture of the build:

That said, I want to circle back to the very first encounter in the Caves, the aforementioned ambush. Here's the map included in the adventure:

It took me at least an hour over several prep sessions to figure this damn map out. The top half of the map is a top-down view of the ledge and area leading up to the top left corner of the bottom half of the map. The bottom half of the map is a side view of the entire encounter area. The gameplay loop is combat on the ledge, then climb down and be attacked while doing so by archers hiding in the top tunnel. Once you reach the cavern floor, a brute charges out from the bottom tunnel to engage while the archers pepper the characters from above. At third level the characters didn't have many tricks to make this encounter easy - it was a great tactical challenge. But wow, was it hard to get that map figured out so I knew how to run the encounter. There is a rope bridge on the back side of the middle tunnel that continues on into the caves. I removed chokers and additional grimlocks on the back ledge as my PCs were pretty wiped, and this was the first of three encounters. This part of the dungeon was good, but required a lot of work. 

The Labyrinth of Vecna

The last of the dungeons is the Labyrinth of Vecna. It is, in fact, a claustrophobic labyrinth of interlocking passages filled with secret doors. I dropped the characters into rounds and had them start exploring. As soon as the characters got a little far apart, I had two different groups of kenku attack from different directions. This turned into a satisfying tactical fight, particularly because I used two kenku duelists from Monster Manual Expanded II in addition to run-of-the-mill 2024 kenkus. The kenku's fairie fire ability (Eldritch Lantern) was a great complement to the Duelist's sneak attack, especially in the narrow corridors that made it hard for the players to pile on one enemy. Several characters went down, and one nearly died. After the challenging fight, I let the character simply navigate through the rest of the labyrinth as I felt another encounter with kenkus would be anticlimactic. 

Once they finally reached the temple of Vecna, the Faceless (their leader) was happy to parley. This didn't seem expected in the adventure, but after so many murderous combatants, the negotiation felt like a great change of pace. Eventually, the priests negotiate their escape under the cover of an allip that attacks the characters. Since the Faceless One escaped, I decided to not have the Ebon Aspect appear - I might make it happen later opportunistically. I certainly expect the Faceless One to show back up. 

Conclusion

The Three Faces of Evil is mostly a dungeon crawl, but it's a pretty good dungeon crawl. It is certainly linear, and that might frustrate some games, but each dungeon could be encapsulated as one good session that had at least one very interesting tactical encounter. My biggest complaint is a poor battle diagram in one of the interesting encounters. But if you have a group that wants to do a challenging, heavy combat-focused dungeon crawl, I strongly recommend the Three Faces of Evil.