The Devil of Murder Cliffs (5e)
In the pale light of the witching hour when the moon shows off its twin horns¸
'Tis said that a devil rises from the deep with a murderous taste for the soul.
You will know ere he stalks for the crows love to talk
About how they have picked clean your bones.
An adventure for 4-6 characters of levels 3-5¸ though it can easily be scaled for lower- or higher-level adventurers. The adventure assumes at least one wizard¸ one cleric¸ and one rogue are in the party¸ though there is a fair amount of opportunity for other character classes¸ especially meat shields and sword swingers¸ to shine.
High in the cliffs along the timber road stands the Von Klarch Inn. Half ruin¸ half fortress¸ the repurposed manor serves as a waystation for adventurers seeking fame and fortune in the mountainous north. Built nearly 500 years ago¸ the inn started out as the estate of the wealthy Von Klarch family¸ who made their fortune trading with the northern dwarves.
In the intervening years¸ the family has fallen on hard times. Frequent attacks by the rising tide of gnolls¸ orcs¸ and trolls who overtook the the north over the intervening centuries wreaked havoc on large parts of the estate¸ destroying the north wing and shrinking the Von Klarchs' once substantial land holdings.
More recently¸ attacks by local bandits - allegedly captained by a man referred to as the Devil of Murder Cliffs in reference to local legend - have increased in frequency. These attacks threaten travelers on the road and are bad for business.
Others say a true devil released from its bondage once again stalks over the region of Murder Cliffs. Despite these troubles¸ the Von Klarch Inn is the only reasonably civilized to spend the night in the bandit-infested Murder Cliffs.