The Curse of the Corpse Candle Cairn (OSR)

 The Curse of the Corpse Candle Cairn is a One Sheet Adventure, created as part of a Kickstarter.

Introduction

A region is plagued by risen dead, corpse candle-wights. The PCs are asked to kill the restless dead, and help ensure the rest do not rise once more.

BACKGROUND Nearly 100 years ago there was a winter as cold as any could remember. Armies laid down their arms, folk locked up their animals, and all tried to keep warm and survive during this most frost-ridden of seasons. A group of orc-reavers, cut-off from their ships and abandoned by their brothers were at the edge of starvation and death. They came across a village, barely lit in the snowy plain, and begged for solace and shelter. None was given. The wretches were driven off by those they had always called enemy, and in the wilderness, one-by-one they perished. Except for their leader, Rathger. He held out against bitterest night and the hunger that consumed him from within. Days later a group, of villagers were out foraging and they approached the seemingly dead orcs. Rathger rose to his feet and cursed the villagers. “In life you offered us no warmth or comfort, but in our deaths you will serve us”, and with this curse on his lips he died. Fearful the villagers buried the orcs in a long plundered ancient cairn. Each orc was given a simple pewter candle holder. Every ten years the villagers would open up the barrow and light the 8 candles, lest the corpses rise up. Keranow was abandoned and for 50 years the candles remained unlit. Every ten years a corpse candle rose, for the lands were abandoned and now they roam the nearby hills at night seeking new warmth. The warmth that only the living can provide.

This is the OSR edition version for level 3-4 PCs. It is a part of a series of somewhat harder than normal adventures.

It is set in the Duchy of Keranow, the default setting of the Chronicles of Keranow. Other releases for this campaign setting are availble on One Book Shelf.