The Silk Web

A Prisma adventure for a 5th-level party.

Unravel the threads of corruption in a city that sells salvation by the yard.

Credits

Design & Writing: Kirill Sakhin, ChatGPT.
Setting: Prisma: magitech, leylines, noir politics.
Editing & Development: Kirill Sakhin, ChatGPT.
Illustration: AI-assisted art direction.
Playtesting: Alexander Nesmelov, Alexey Akuzhinov, Artem Kuztentsov, Daniil Vladimirov, Grigory Skutin, Vladimir Rybaulin.
Honourable mention: Elen Martirosian, my beloved wife.

Made With

The Homebrewery
Homebrewery.Naturalcrit.com

About the Setting — Prisma

The Prisma world sits at the dawn of an industrial-magical revolution. Mana is refined into crystals, fueling shields, engines, weapons—and appetites. Nations that mastered magitech surge ahead, while others cling to old gods. In crowded capitals like Vordanne, gilded salons overlook alleys where syndicates barter in miracles and monsters. The cost of progress is measured in secrets, and the wrong truth can topple a city.

Chapter I: Vordanne at a Glance

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Vordanne, the Independent City-State upon the southern shore of the Azure Sea, is Prisma’s crossroads — a powder keg poised between empires.

Its marble spires and smokestacks gleam over labyrinthine alleys where magitech smoke mingles with incense, and every street corner carries both opportunity and betrayal.

Once a shining mercantile republic, Vordanne is now a fractured oligarchy divided by its neighbors’ ambitions. Azhora’s merchant princes, Varnhavia’s spies, and Imperial agents wage their silent wars here through coin, information, and blood.

Behind the facade of civility, the city teeters on the edge of collapse — its independence preserved only because no one dares let the others win.

Government and Law

The Guilded Senate governs Vordanne in name alone: a corrupt, three-faction parliament perpetually deadlocked.

• Pro-Varnhavia Bloc – traditionalist nobles nostalgic for the Empire’s old order.

• Pro-Azhora Bloc – industrialists and financiers demanding progress at any cost.

• Neutral Bloc – mercenary lords and criminal backers who profit from chaos.

Real order is maintained by the Bronze Wardens, an elite private security force loyal to contracts, not conscience.

The official City Watch exists mostly for paperwork and bribes.

Underworld

Vordanne’s shadow economy is ruled by the Crimson Sun Syndicate — smugglers, extortionists, and auctioneers of forbidden magitech.

Rival gangs like the Gutter Rats and Veiled Fangs skulk beneath them, while the elusive Black Veil manipulates the city’s destiny from the unseen heights above.

Mana-dust smuggling, Withered trafficking, and illegal auctions keep the city’s veins full of gold and corruption.

Faith in Vordanne

Though commerce and corruption rule the streets, faith in Vordanne still flickers between factories and salons. Temples stand as both sanctuaries and businesses, balancing devotion with pragmatism. Most citizens worship quietly, seeking blessings for trade, travel, or survival rather than salvation.

Religion is tolerated only so long as it serves profit, art, or order.

Major Temples

Special & Forgotten Sites

Minor Churches

DM Notes

• Faith as Facade: incense masks bribery; donations circle back to the Senate.
• Corrupted Sanctity: priests of Solara/Aurion arbitrate law; Judicar’s clergy police the dead.
• Hidden Hope: amid greed, a few true believers still kindle light.

Temples by District

Economy & Industry — Vordanne

Vordanne’s prosperity is built on sanction-dodging trade, mana-dust refining, mercenary labor, and the sale of secrets — a tenuous balance of gilded innovation and industrial rot. The Bazaar’s courts arbitrate fortunes by day while syndicates move contraband by night.

Core Sectors

Why Doesn’t Vordanne Collapse?

Despite corruption, the city endures because no great power can let another claim it; stalemate money keeps ships moving, presses running, and courts busy. That tension is the true engine of Vordanne’s industry.

Industrial Geography

Supply Chains (From Dust to Device)

1. Extraction & Dust → rural refineries outside Vordanne; smugglers and cartels move sacks under cover.
2. Purification & Presses → dust purified and compressed into mana crystals in licensed (and unlicensed) workshops.
3. Fabrication → crystals socketed into housings; devices assembled across Factory Row and guild shops.
4. Distribution → finished magitech auctioned privately or routed through guild contracts; disputes settled at Coinmaster’s Court.

Major Players (Economic)

Risks & External Pressures

• Sanctions & Proxy Trade: Azhora vs. Varnhavia routes force Vordanne to profit in the gray — and bleed for it when crackdowns come.
• Industrial Accidents: Overclocked presses, depot leaks, and “blue fog” incidents trigger quarantines (and Withered rumors).
• Espionage War: Guild agents, imperial spies, and salon couriers compete to steal formulas and ledgers.

City Defenses

Vordanne’s defenses were once the pride of the southern Azure coast. Now they are a patchwork of neglected bastions, corrupt garrisons, and private militias whose loyalty is measured in coin, not creed.
Powerful factions buy protection, while the Senate argues over whose taxes will fund the next repair that never comes.

Major Defensive Structures

Districts of Vordanne

Vordanne is divided into seven main districts, each reflecting a fragment of the city’s fractured soul.
Together they form a microcosm of Elyxion’s conflicts — progress versus decay, order versus ambition.

Harbor District (Northeast)

The city’s gateway to the Azure Sea — a nest of traders, spies, and smugglers.

Functions: trade, shipping, contraband, foreign agents.

Key Sites: Chapel of Aqueor, Harbor Fortresses, Sailor’s Market, Dockmaster’s Guildhall, Crimson Petal.

Factions: Crimson Sun, dockworker gangs, corrupt officials.

Themes: Contraband, bribery, and international intrigue.

Senate District (Northwest)

Where laws are written, sold, and ignored.

Functions: governance, diplomacy, noble estates.

Key Sites: Guilded Senate Hall, Skyhook Tower, Chapels of Solara & Aurion, Senators’ Gardens.

Factions: Pro-Varnhavia and Pro-Azhora blocs, foreign spies.

Themes: Corruption, backroom deals, espionage.

Bazaar District (Center)

The heart of trade and deceit.

Functions: commerce, arbitration, high society.

Key Sites: Temple of Merkandros, Silk Bazaar, Coinmaster’s Court, Velvet Parlor.

Factions: Merchant guilds, Black Veil informants, Crimson Sun financiers.

Themes: Commerce, manipulation, ambition.

Industrial Quarter (West)

The city’s engine — and its ticking bomb.

Functions: production, magitech refinement, research.

Key Sites: Lucent Observatory, Chapel of Valar, Factory Row, Mana-Crystal Depots.

Factions: Manifold Assembly agents, labor unions, Halcyon saboteurs.

Themes: Innovation, exploitation, Withered outbreaks.

Old City (South)

The soul of the city — faded, fractured, and holy.

Functions: faith, archives, secrets.

Key Sites: Sanctuary of Amarethiel, Hall of Meliora, Shrine of the Silent Weave, Garden Shrine of Verdana, entrance to the Cistern of Lost Gods.

Factions: Fractured Moonblades, radical priests.

Themes: Restoration, redemption, forbidden magic.

Slums (East)

Where survival is a profession and mercy a myth.

Functions: crime, labor, bloodsports.

Key Sites: Broken Coin Tavern, Cinder Arena, Crimson Sun Warrens.

Factions: Crimson Sun, Gutter Rats, Veiled Fangs.

Themes: Brutality, desperation, survival.

Cemetery Quarter (Far East)

The quietest — and most dangerous — part of the city.

Functions: funerary rites, ossuaries, necromancy.

Key Sites: Chapel of Judicar, Catacombs of the First War, Ossuary of Quiet Ashes.

Factions: Necromancers, gravekeepers, smugglers.

Themes: Death, memory, desecration.

Summary Table

Chapter II: Cast of the Web

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This chapter presents the adventure's summary as well as principal figures and factions entangled in The Silk Web affair.

Adventure Summary (for the DM)

The Silk Web is a magitech-noir heist for a 5th-level party, set in the opulent yet rotting city of Vordanne — the beating heart of the Prisma setting.

A shipment of Imperial silk, outlawed after the recent war, has resurfaced in Vordanne’s underworld. Within its shimmering weave lies a hidden cipher — a secret powerful enough to reshape alliances, ruin noble houses, and draw the attention of ancient forces.

The adventurers are hired by Lord Cedric Corvalis, a fallen aristocrat seeking redemption through commerce, to recover the stolen silk. But they soon find themselves caught between three powers:

• the Crimson Sun, a gilded criminal syndicate hosting an underground auction,

• the Black Veil, an ageless faction orchestrating world events for reasons unknown, and

• Corvalis himself, whose motives may be more dangerous than any of them.

Through salons, docks, and shadowed courts, the party will decide whether to serve gold, ideals — or destiny itself.

Tone: Intrigue > Combat • Masks, mirrors, and moral ambiguity.

Playtime: 1–2 sessions • Level 5 • D&D 2024.

Adventure Flow Map

Key Characters

Each NPC carries their own secrets, motivations, and potential alliances. How the party deals with them determines who survives — and who controls the truth.

Key Factions

Lord Cedric Corvalis

Fallen noble and desperate visionary.

Race / Gender: Human Male

Alignment: Lawful Neutral (teetering toward desperate self-interest)

Role: Client and manipulator

Base of Operations: Corvalis Manor (Senate District)

Appearance: Late 40s, gaunt but dignified, with streaks of silver in his hair and a fine coat that has seen better days.

Personality: Proud, persuasive, reckless with money but never with reputation.

Motivation: Recover the stolen silk — not for wealth, but for the cipher it conceals. He plans to sell it to an Azhoran trade prince for leverage over the Empire.

Secrets:

• Knows about the cipher’s existence but not that it’s fake.
• Will betray the party if necessary to secure it.
• Maintains quiet contact with Varnhavian agents.

Edric Sallow

The dead smuggler whose greed began the web.

Race / Gender: Human Male

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Role: Catalyst (found dead early in the adventure)

Base of Operations: Abandoned warehouse near Harbor District

Appearance: Found dead, throat slit. Once a sharp-dressed smuggler.

Personality: Cunning, ambitious, careless with loyalties.

Motivation: Stole the silk from the Crimson Sun to sell it to Mirella.

Secrets:

• Left notes proving the harbor master’s corruption.
• Knew nothing about the cipher.

Jareth “Rat” Morn

Petty thief, survivor, reluctant informant.

Race / Gender: Human Male

Alignment: Neutral

Role: Informant, comic relief, potential ally

Base of Operations: Crimson Petal brothel (Harbor District)

Appearance: Small, wiry man with darting eyes and missing teeth.

Personality: Cowardly but street-smart.

Motivation: Stay alive and maybe get rich doing it.

Mirella Dalvere (Vera Albers)

Information broker, phantom of the Black Veil.

Race / Gender: Unknown (appears as human female)

Alignment: True Neutral

Role: Secret antagonist and Black Veil agent

Base of Operations: Hall of Meliora (Old City)

Appearance: Impossible to recall — every witness describes her differently. She wears gloves of black silk and a silver pendant shaped like a tear.

Personality: Elegant, analytical, and disarmingly calm.

Abilities: Subtle enchantment that clouds memory; capable of altering small details in perception.

Motivation: Recover the cipher — not for its content, but to ensure it reaches a specific faction at the right moment.

Secrets:

• The real Mirella Dalvere was murdered weeks ago.
• The current Mirella is an agent of the Black Veil using her name.
• Knows the cipher is a fake but will not reveal it.

Kahl Ren

Crimson Sun lieutenant and auction overseer.

Race / Gender: Half-Orc Male

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Role: Auctioneer / syndicate arbiter

Base of Operations: Coinmaster’s Court (Bazaar District)

Appearance: Broad-shouldered, greying tusks, golden Crimson Sun ring; eyes glow faintly when channeling telepathy.

Personality: Cold, methodical, treats auctions as judicial proceedings.

Abilities:

• Maintains telepathic network linking all bidder plaques.
• Reads surface thoughts to prevent cheating.
• Uses Calm Emotions and ward sigils to control crowds.

Motivation:

• Preserve the auction’s order and profit.
• Rise within the Crimson Sun hierarchy.
• Secretly keeps ledgers of noble buyers for blackmail.

Secrets:

• Ordered Edric Sallow’s execution.
• Records name every corrupt senator tied to the Sun.

Rival Bidders (choose 3–5 to spotlight at the auction)

The Crimson Sun Syndicate

Symbol: Red sunburst lacquer.
Methods: Black auctions, debt-oath contracts, intimidation masked as arbitration.
Seat of Power: The Vault of Arbitration beneath the Coinmaster’s Court.
Adventure Role: Hosts the auction; mid-arc antagonists who respond to stealth, coin, or blood.

The Black Veil

Symbol: Silver tear in a black circle.
Nature: Ancient; few; goal unclear — balance, prevention, or something darker.
Known Agent: Mirella Dalvere (alias).
Adventure Role: Offers the party an alternative path; rewards discretion and difficult choices.

Supporting NPCs

DM Guidance (using this chapter at the table)

• NPCs as Nodes: Every favor to one is a slight to another — track “who feels owed.”
• Truth in Layers: Cedric hides goals; Mirella reveals selectively; Kahl enforces order until he doesn’t.
• Foreshadow the Auction: Seed plaques, masks, and whispered lots early so Scene V feels inevitable.
• Veil’s Shadow Token: Only from Mirella if the party completes her ask; never Crimson Sun loot.

Chapter III: Adventure Flow

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This chapter presents the scene-by-scene flow for The Silk Web: hooks, read-aloud, key checks, outcomes, and transitions. Use Noise to modulate security and suspicion across scenes.

Scene Index I. Corvalis’ Offer → II. Docks & Dead Man → III. Pier 6B Ambush → IV. The Web of Mirella → V. The Crimson Sun Auction → VI. Settlement & Fallout.

SCENE I — Corvalis’ Offer (Senate District)

Tone: Polite desperation, gilded poverty

Goal: Learn about the stolen imperial silk and accept the job. PCs may sense Cedric cares more about the silk’s hidden cipher than the silk itself.

Read-Aloud (short)

Candlelight throws long shadows across threadbare velvet. Lord Cedric Corvalis stands ramrod straight in a coat that remembers better years. “You came recommended,” he says. “The silk is everything. Its return… means restoration.”

Key Beats & Checks

• Persuasion 13 (advance payment / letter of passage).
• Insight 14 (he’s hiding a secondary goal).
• Investigation 12 (ledgers hint at Azhoran ties; timeline is tight).
• Success: lead to Dock 17 and a harbor office trail. Failure: same lead, but no letter (−advantage later at the gate).
• Noise: none yet.

SCENE II — Docks & Dead Man (Harbor District)

Tone: Fog, salt, and paper lies

Goal: Discover Edric Sallow is dead, trace the shipment to Pier 6B, and sense that the Crimson Sun already owns the prize.

Areas

1. Sallow’s Warehouse — scorched, half-looted office; faint ticking from deeper in the dark.
2. Harbor Office — paper maze run by Varlen Doss and clerk Bren Keller.
3. Wharfside Witness — Yarin, rope-keeper with ale-breath memory.

Clues & Checks

Harbor Office (Varlen Doss & Bren Keller)

• Approach: Polite talk (Persuasion 14) or bribe (10 gp) → partial manifests.
• Press too hard: Doss panics and lights the file stack; Dex save 13 or lose the violet-sealed manifest (Noise +1 if the fire spreads).
• Mirella Foreshadow: anyone noticing the wax seal (Investigation 12) sees a violet sigil “M D” — Doss mutters, “the lady with the violet seal pays better.”
• Alternate path: Keller can be coerced (Intimidation 13) into revealing Dock 17 → Pier 6B.

Clue Summary

• Warehouse: Sun wax + soot = Crimson Sun + magitech connection.
• Office: Violet-seal manifest = Mirella breadcrumb.
• Witness: Confirms Suns handled the transfer.
• Combined success (≥ 3 major clues) grants advantage on recognizing Sun tactics in Scene III.

Noise Tracking

Transition → Scene III

The trail ends at a charred ledger line: “6B — Final Transfer Complete.”
Outside, Yarin squints through the fog. “Pier Six-Bee? Aye… no one comes back from there after dark.”

SCENE III — Pier 6B Ambush (Harbor Canals)

Tone: Retribution in the rain

Goal: Survive or defuse the Crimson Sun trap; secure proof the Suns already hold the silk and plan to auction it.

Who’s Here

• Foreman Karr (Sun enforcer, “make it hurt”).
• Lessa “The Ink” Marin (Sun ritual scribe, burns records).
• 4–6 Sun thugs; one lookout.

Approach & DCs

• Stealth 14 to approach unseen; Perception 13 to spot kill-zone angles.
• Parley setup (before blades): Deception 15 (pose as buyers), Intimidation 14 (show muscle), or Persuasion 15 (buy time).
• Fight triggers if any check fails or PCs push.

Clues on Site (on success or after combat)

• Half-Cipher A (Sallow fragment) hidden in a belt seam.
• Burned Letter & Route Map (names Mirella Dalvere; points Bazaar tunnels → Hall of Meliora).

Outcomes & Noise

SCENE IV — The Web of Mirella (Hall of Meliora, Old City)

Tone: Seductive intrigue, fate-talk, and velvet threats

Goal: Choose whether to ally with Mirella (Black Veil), who offers covert entry to the auction — and points the party at Corvalis’ true goal: the cipher.

Read-Aloud (opening)

Soft music, varnish, and candle-gilded statues watch you enter. The woman in violet turns as if she’s been waiting since time began. “You’ve come far from Dustmere,” she says. “And Lord Corvalis is already regretting the lies he fed you.”

Social Skill Matrix (choose 1–2 per PC)

Choices & Consequences

• Accept her deal: Access to Scene V + Veil token; moral debt later.
• Pretend to accept: Double-agent setup; both Cedric & Mirella expect the cipher.
• Reject / Threaten: She smiles, vanishes; Noise +2.
• Attack: Illusions shatter; Veil repercussions later.

Transition A black-glass token warms in your pocket. Tomorrow night, beneath the Trade Hall, the threads will knot again.

SCENE V — The Crimson Sun Auction (Vault of Arbitration)

Tone: Gilded corruption; quiet voices in curtained booths

Goal: Acquire or steal the imperial silk (Lot VII) with the cipher in the hem.

Location: Sub-basement beneath the Coinmaster’s Court; amphitheatre of marble & bronze with a brass balance; masks mandatory; telepathic auctioneer (Magister Kahl Ren).

Arrival Read-Aloud (condensed):

Night lacquer glints on the Court’s rear gate. Masked guests drift through a judge’s private door. An elevator hum, then amber light: velvet booths, a gleaming balance, and a gold-masked figure inclining his head. “Welcome to Arbitration,” a voice says inside your mind.

Location Structure (quick map)

• A1 Judge’s Lift (token check, 2 Suns).
• A2 Ten curtained booths (sound-cage sigils).
• A3 Balance dais (null-field; suppresses spells >2nd-level within 20 ft).
• A4 Side corridor to vault (Arcana 16 or Thieves’ Tools 17; 2 mage-clerks).
• A5 Servant gallery (wine, spare plaques) → freight shaft (escape).
• A6 Hidden drainage passage (Perception 15) → canal alley.

Security & Rules

• Visible: 6 Sun Sentinels; 2 Mage-Clerks; Kahl Ren (Detect Thoughts during bids).
• Wards: anti-divination/teleport; dais null-field; latent Zone of Truth ring (triggered by disputes).
• Veil Lock: if blood is shed → mirrored shutters seal exits 5 rounds; gas-lamps flare (Disadvantage to Stealth).

Mirella’s Briefing (if allied) — masks, forged invites, routes (front lift, archive stair, drain duct), and the null-field cutoff at the judge’s fountain.

Auction Structure (I–VI warm-up → VII finale)

Suggested Lots I–VI (pick 3–5)

• Lot I — Whispering Quill (common, 500 gp): writes the intent behind words; perfect tutorial lot.
• Lot II — Heart of the Red Vaults (≈750 gp): sealed devil heart; Arcana 15 reveals engine potential; Con 13 on handling.
• Lot III — Ledger of Seven Debts (1 000 gp): political leverage vs senators/guilds; advantage on Persuasion/Intimidation vs nobles.
• Lot IV — Withered Specimen (stasis) (1 250 gp): moral provocation; Dustmere echo.
• Lot V — Aetheric Lens (uncommon, 1,500 gp): Detect Magic at-will; See Invisibility 1/long rest (10 min); stored in the vault.
• Lot VI — Commission of Shadows (1 750 gp): assassin’s contract; tension, no item.

Balance & Pacing: Only one durable item (Lens) is intended as lasting loot. If the party robs the vault: ~2,000 gp + 1 uncommon item = level-appropriate.

Lot VII — Imperial Silk of Vael’Theris (Finale)

Spot the Hem: Perception 15 or Arcana 14 up close; from a booth via spyglass: Perception 17 (Disadvantage).
Remove the Tube: Sleight of Hand 16 (proximity required); Tools (weaver/jeweler) 15 for a clean cut; failure pings the wards.

Four Ways to Win (choose the flavor)

1. Play It Straight (and Dirty): Out-bid with social pressure; you owe coin/favor to the Suns.
2. Switch & Snatch (Stagecraft Heist): Diversion (Performance/Arcana 14 or spark a dispute → Zone of Truth) then Sleight 16 (advantage if using A6).
3. Surgical Strike (Vault Job): Stealth 15 / Deception 14 to A4; Tools 17 or Arcana 16; 2 mage-clerks (nonlethal spells).
4. Weaponize Chaos (Mirella’s Way): 1-round ward flicker; all make Wis 13 vs. disorientation; PCs get advantage on one theft action; guards Disadvantage on Perception. Debt to the Veil follows.

If Things Go Loud — Veil Lock

• 5 rounds sealed. 2 Sentinels + 1 Mage-Clerk arrive; Kahl Ren uses Calm Emotions, then Command: SURRENDER.
• Environment: cut lamps (Con 12 or blinded 1 rd); shove the balance (STR 14) to create cover.
• Win: endure, subdue, or open A5/A6 to escape.

Inside the Silk (on success)

• Cipher Tube (metal): Investigation 15 or Comprehend Languages → Imperial script, two-part key (A = Sallow, B = in the silk).
• Lore Sting (optional): immediate decode seems to reveal routes/payouts — later arcs may prove it a planted false trail.

SCENE VI — Settlement & Fallout (Post-Auction)

Tone: Quiet knives, signed smiles

Goal: Decide who gets the cipher; resolve debts and set campaign vectors.

Settlement Options

• Deliver to Corvalis: material reward + noble goodwill; paints a target on PCs; future political entanglement.
• Deliver to Mirella (Black Veil): Veil’s Shadow Token (ring; Pass without Trace 1/day, self) + covert backing; moral ambiguity grows.
• Keep/Copy the Cipher: gain leverage; both sides court or hunt you.
• Destroy/Hide It: earn enemies; possibly Veil interest for “defiance.”

Rewards & Reputation

• Gold: depends on route (auction winnings, vault haul, or patron payments) — target ~2,000 gp party total + 1 uncommon.
• Reputation flags:
  • Crimson Sun Hostile (if bloodshed/theft obvious).
  • Senate Whisper (if the Ledger of Debts surfaces).
  • Veil Attention (if you used Mirella’s flicker or delivered the tube).

Campaign Threads

• Corvalis Ascendant or Ruined: future patron or enemy.
• Veil Thread: token resonates near planar anomalies; future summons.
• Withered Echo: if Lot IV was freed or bought, consequences return later (G.U.A.R.D.S. continuity).

DM REFERENCE — The Silk Web Quick Sheet

Core Mechanics

Scene Flow Overview

Key Clues by Location

Auction Reference (Phase Guide)

Noise & Security Effects Summary

Rewards & Hooks at a Glance

Running The Web — Tips

• Shift tone by district: polish → grit → perfume → decadence.
• Link every clue forward: each artifact names the next NPC or locale.
• Escalate stakes through Noise: start with fog and ledgers, end with mirrors and blood.
• Always remind PCs: every favor owed in Vordanne accrues interest.

“When they leave the Vault, the balance tips — but which way depends on whose silk they chose to weave.”

Chapter IV: Enemies

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Magister Kahl Ren

Medium humanoid (half-orc), Lawful Evil

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Armor Class: 16 Hit Points: 90 (12d8 + 36) Speed: 30 ft.

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Saving Throws: Wis +4, Cha +6 Skills: Insight +4, Arcana +5, Performance +6 Senses: passive Perception 11 Languages: Common, Infernal, Thieves' Cant; telepathy 30 ft Challenge: 5 ; Proficiency Bonus +3

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Adjudicator’s Poise. When Kahl Ren succeeds on a save vs. charmed or frightened, he ends that condition on himself and gains +2 AC until the start of his next turn.

Spellcasting. 5th-level caster (Cha; DC 14, +6 to hit).
Cantrips: thaumaturgy, guidance, toll the dead
1st (4/day): command, shield, sanctuary
2nd (3/day): hold person, calm emotions
3rd (2/day): counterspell, dispel magic

Actions

Multiattack. Two Judgment Strike attacks or one and a cantrip.

Judgment Strike (Gavel). Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 9 (2d6+3) force. If the target is frightened or charmed, it takes +3 (1d6) extra damage.

Command Word (1/SR; Circlet). Each creature of his choice within 15 ft must succeed on a DC 13 Wis save or drop a held item or fall prone (Kahl’s choice).

Blinding Flash. (Recharge 4-6) Constitution Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point Kahl can see within 120 feet. Failure: 13 (3d6 + 3) Radiant damage, and the target is Blinded until the start of the bandit's next turn. Success: Only half damage.

Legendary Actions

Calm Wave (1/LR; Gavel). Kahl strikes the dais; he casts calm emotions (DC 15) centered on himself. While he concentrates on it, he has advantage on Charisma and Wisdom saving throws.

Sun Sentinel

Medium humanoid (any), Lawful Evil

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Armor Class: 17 (chain mail, shield) Hit Points: 65 (10d8 + 20) Speed: 30 ft.

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Saving Throws: Str +5, Con +4
Skills: Athletics +5, Perception +3
Challenge: 3 ; Proficiency Bonus +2

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Actions

Multiattack. Two attacks with the Longsword or Heavy Crossbow in any combination.
Longsword. Melee: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) slashing, or 9 (2d10+3) if used two-handed.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged: +3 to hit, 100/400 ft. Hit: 12 (2d10+1) piercing.

Reactions

Shield Brace. When an adjacent ally is hit by an attack, the sentinel adds +2 AC against that attack.
Parry. Requirement: The warrior is hit by a melee attack roll while holding a weapon. Effect: The warrior gains a +2 bonus to AC against this attack, which can cause this attack to miss.

Mage-Clerk

Medium humanoid (any), Lawful Evil

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Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: 44 (8d8+8)
Speed: 30 ft.

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Skills: Arcana +4, Insight +3
Challenge: 2 ; Proficiency Bonus +2

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Actions

Spellcasting. 4th-level caster (Int; DC 12, +4 to hit).
Cantrips: mage hand, ray of frost, minor illusion
1st (4/day): shield, magic missile, command
2nd (3/day): hold person, mirror image

Arcane Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, 120 ft. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) force.

Bonus Actions

Mirror Protocol (1/Day). Casts mirror image as a bonus action.

Foreman Karr

Medium humanoid (any), Neutral Evil

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Armor Class: 16 (studded + bracers)
Hit Points: 82 (11d8 + 33)
Speed: 30 ft.

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Saving Throws: Str +6, Con +6
Skills: Athletics +6, Intimidation +4
Senses: passive Perception 10
Languages: Common, Thieves’ Cant
Challenge: 2 ; Proficiency Bonus +3

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Pack Taskmaster. When an allied Crimson Sun creature Karr can see hits a creature within 10 ft of him, that ally deals +2 damage.

Pack Tactics. Foreman Karr has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if an ally that isn't Incapacitated is within 5 feet of that creature.

Actions

Multiattack. Karr makes two attacks with his Crimson mace or Jawbreaker in any combination.

Crimson Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) bludgeoning, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Str save or be shoved 5 ft.

Jawbreaker (Recharge 4–6). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft, one creature. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning, and the target can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.

Bonus Actions

Boss’s Orders (Recharge 5–6). As a bonus action, Karr targets up to two allies within 30 ft. Each can immediately move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Reactions

Backhand. When a creature Karr can see within 5 ft misses him with a melee attack, he makes one mace attack against it.

Lessa “The Ink” Marin

Medium humanoid (any), Lawful Evil

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Armor Class 13 (leather)
Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8)
Speed 30 ft.

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Saving Throws: Wis +3, Cha +4
Skills: Deception +4, Religion +3
Senses: passive Perception 11
Languages: Common, Infernal
Challenge: 2 ; Proficiency Bonus +2

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Scribe of Blood-Ink. When Lessa casts a 1st-level or higher spell that forces a save, she can impose disadvantage on one target’s first save against that spell once per turn (ink-sigil amplifies).

Actions

Spellcasting. 4th-level caster (Cha; save DC 12, +4 to hit).
Cantrips: fire bolt, thaumaturgy, toll the dead
1st (4/day): command, burning hands
2nd (3/day): hold person, silence

Dagger. Melee/Ranged: +4 to hit, 5 ft/20–60 ft. Hit: 5 (1d4+2) piercing.

Seal of Smoke (1/Day). Lessa smears a rune; a 15-ft-radius lightly obscuring smoke persists until the start of her next turn. Creatures standing within the radius of this smoke have Blinded condition.

Bonus Actions

Brand the Contract. After Lessa damages a creature with a spell, one ally within 10 ft gains +2 to its next attack roll against that creature before Lessa’s next turn.

Crimson Sun Bruiser

Medium humanoid (any), Lawful Evil

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Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: 32 (5d8+10)
Speed: 30 ft.

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Skills: Athletics +4, Intimidation +2
Challenge: 2 ; Proficiency Bonus +2

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Sun-Mark Fear (Recharge 5–6). Creatures of your choice within 10 ft must succeed on a DC 11 Wis save or be frightened until the end of their next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. Two scimitar attacks or a single attack with a light crossbow.
Scimitar. Melee: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 6 (1d6+2) slashing.
Light Crossbow. Ranged: +3 to hit, 80/320 ft. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) piercing.
Grapple. Bruiser may attempt to grapple one creature within 5 ft. reach causing this creature to make a Strength saving throw (DC 14). Failure: the target has Grappled condition, and Bruiser's allies get advantage on attack rolls against this target. The grappled target can try to break free by succeeding the Strength saving throw on its next turns.

Crimson Sun Marksman

Medium humanoid (any), Lawful Evil

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Armor Class: 14
Hit Points: 66 (12d8 + 12)
Speed: 30 ft., Crawling 30 ft.

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Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +5, Survival +3
Challenge: 2 ; Proficiency Bonus +2

Coordinated Volley. If a visible ally is within 5 ft of the marksman’s target, the marksman deals +3 damage on its next ranged weapon hit that turn.

Actions

Multiattack. Two shortbow attacks or a single Sapping Shot.
Shortbow. Ranged: +5 to hit, 80/320 ft. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing.
Sapping Shot (Recharge 5–6). Ranged: +5 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing, and the target’s speed is reduced by 10 ft until the end of its next turn.

Bonus Actions

Aim. Marksman can spend 30 ft. of its movement to grant itself an Advantage on its next attack roll.

Reactions

Uncanny Dodge. Condition: The Marksman is hit by an attack roll. Effect: The scout halves the damage (round down) it takes from that attack.

Chapter V: Rewards & Consequences

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Every deal leaves residue — coin, secrets, or ghosts.
Choose carefully which you carry forward.

— Mirella Dalvere (Vera Albers)

Mirella’s Gifts — Black Veil Rewards

If the party allies with Mirella or delivers her the cipher, she rewards them before vanishing into the mist.
She chooses one major gift for the group (or individual heroes who impressed her) and always leaves a minor Veil token as her mark of favor.

Veil’s Shadow Token

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement)

While attuned, you gain advantage on Stealth checks made in dim light or darkness and can cast Pass without Trace (self only) once per long rest without expending a spell slot and consuming any components normally required to cast the spell.
Each use causes a fleeting “Veil echo” — a whisper or mirrored after-image reminding the wearer that unseen eyes follow them.

“A reminder that silence can protect — or conceal.”

Mask of the Hidden Thread

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While attuned, you gain advantage on Deception and Insight checks in social encounters.
Once per long rest, as a bonus action, you can activate the mask for 1 minute:

• Advantage on Stealth checks.
• The first attack against you each round has disadvantage (illusory after-images).

Threadneedle of Shadowweave

Wondrous item, uncommon

Acts as Thieves’ Tools or an arcane focus.
You may make an Arcana or Sleight of Hand check DC 15 to disable a glyph, alarm, or arcane lock you can physically interact with for 10 minutes. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain the ability to use the threadneedle at the next dawn.

Bonus Coin Payment

In addition to any Veil item, Mirella transfers 500 gp through a proxy under a false company name.

Corvalis Rewards — Merchant-Noble Path

If the party delivers the silk or cipher to Lord Cedric Corvalis instead:

Loot from the Vault of Arbitration

If the party kills or loots during the auction — especially Magister Kahl Ren — they may claim:

Gavel of Silent Judgment

Weapon (light hammer), uncommon (requires attunement by a spellcaster)

Functions as a spellcasting focus.

• When casting a spell that forces a save vs. charm or fear, add +1 to the DC.
• Once per long rest, you can strike the gavel to cast Calm Emotions (DC 15) as a bonus action.

Faint whispers echo, “Arbitration concluded.”

Circlet of Adjudication

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

• Grants telepathy 30 ft.
• Cast Detect Thoughts (DC 13) once per short rest.
• While concentrating, you have advantage on Insight checks.

Minor Vault Spoils

• 1 – 3 Obsidian Plaques (100 gp each; risky to fence).
• 200 – 400 gp in trade bars.
• Ledger pages of noble debts (political blackmail tool).
• Crimson Sun signet coin — advantage on Intimidation with criminals, disadvantage with Wardens.

Auction Lots I–VI (Treasures & Temptations)

Moral & Faction Resolutions Summary

Treasure Balance Summary (Level 5 Party)

Total expected value ≈ 2 000 – 2 500 gp shared, ideal for a Level 5 arc.
Every reward reflects The Silk Web’s themes — deception, reflection, and the cost of silence.

When the masks are gone and the city sleeps, three treasures remain:
the coin that bought the lie, the ring that hid the truth,
and the memory that someone, somewhere, wanted it all to happen this way.

Appendix I: DM Tools

List of generic names

Human names

• Lucius Greyhill
• Edwin Thorn
• Fiona Blackstone
• Celine Ferris
• Basil Ravenshaw
• Vera Cross
• Harlan Brightrunner
• Leona Valmont
• Eli Mercer
• Cyril Devereaux

Dwarven names

• Thrain Earthbrow
• Rurik Stoneshield
• Kara Ironfist
• Dorrin Deepforge
• Gilda Coppervein
• Corin Hammerstriker
• Felinor Frostbeard
• Balin Stoneheart
• Eldrin Fireforge
• Tilda Ironside

Elven names

• Aeloria Lighthaven
• Vaelan Starfire
• Lirel Moonwhisper
• Tendrilith Sunstrike
• Elandris Starleaf
• Aendir Stormhold
• Sereniel Dawnwhisper
• Kalend Nightbloom
• Valendris Earthglades
• Talindra Swiftshadow

Tiefling names

• Zariel Ashbane
• Maris Nightflame
• Kaelin Twilightwhisper
• Tazra Fireheart
• Lilith Shadowtide
• Balthazar Inferno
• Soren Emberbloom
• Xandria Darkflare
• Ezren Dreadfury
• Vira Felstorm

Halfling names

• Daren Berryspark
• Tilly Bramblefoot
• Finley Tumblehill
• Pip Bramblerose
• Milo Stonebranch
• Coraline Goodfellow
• Bramble Swiftfoot
• Rory Goldleaf
• Merry Windwalker
• Lark Meadowbreeze

Other names and affiliations

• Valara Dawnwanderer (Halcyon Covenant)
• Fergus Shatterstone (Dustmere miner)
• Eris Thorncloak (independent agent)
• Jareth Nightstone (mercenary)
• Boris Ironclaw (mercenary leader)
• Selen Firestar (magitech researcher / innovator)
• Aurelia Brightville (magitech engineer)
• Lorien Blackwater (black-market dealer)
• Kaelen Goldcrest (merchant)
• Sira Windfury (alchemist)

Back-cover description

Beneath the glittering lights of Vordanne, the jewel of Elyxion’s western coast, lies a city built on secrets. Its canals carry more than trade; they bear whispers of forbidden deals, masked conspiracies, and the echoes of a war that refuses to fade. In the shadows of marble towers and brass machinery, a single missing bolt of silk threatens to unravel the fragile balance between power and ruin.

The Silk Web invites adventurers into a world where every choice has weight, and every alliance hides a blade. From the misty docks of the Harbour District to the velvet-draped halls of the Coinmaster’s Court, the party must navigate a tangle of deceit, ambition, and intrigue. Each thread they pull tightens another — binding them to forces far older and far darker than they first imagined.

Rich in political drama, noir atmosphere, and moral tension, this adventure challenges players not only to survive Vordanne’s underworld, but to decide what truth is worth keeping — and what must be sacrificed to preserve it. In a city where everyone wears a mask, even silence can be deadly.

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For use with any fantasy roleplaying ruleset. Play the best game of your life!

Homebrewery.Naturalcrit.com

Original sourcebook map

The illustrated city map provides setting context. Scene locations and the auction's A1-A6 area key are defined in the adventure text.