If you visit this space enough, you know I’m a big fan of rewarding players for the choices they make at character creation. And what better way to reward the pointy-headed nerd of the party for their proficiency in Intelligence (Investigation) than by giving them the inside track on discovering where Conyberry’s gold is hidden within the Shrine of Savras.

“Rows of crumbling pillars support the 40-foot-high vaulted ceiling of this hall. Humanoid bones litter the dusty floor, and a 10-foot-square hole in the ceiling leads to the belfry. No rope hangs from the bell, which appears to be made of untarnished copper.”

According to Forgotten Realms lore, Conyberry was destroyed by the Uthgardt barbarians a few decades after the Spellplague, which occurred in 1385 DR. Since there’s no official year listed for the village’s destruction, let’s say “a few decades” is three decades.

Under that premise, it would put the sack of Conyberry somewhere around 1415 DR, which would coincide with the destruction of the of Shrine of Savras, since it was destroyed by the same barbarians who pursued Conyberry’s refugees to the shrine’s walls.

By the time Dragon of Icespire Peak takes place, the year is 1491 DR, approximately 76 years after the destruction of both Conyberry and the Shrine of Savras. Anyone passing a successful DC 12 Intelligence (History) check knows the shrine has been a ruin for many decades. So, one look up into the belfry to spot a copper bell might find it strange that the thing hasn’t oxidized yet. Surely it would have developed a (pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose) distinct green patina by now. Any idiot would know that.

Draw it out and have some fun. If the character is proficient in Investigation, let their passive Intelligence (Investigation) do the early work. If they have a passive score of 13 or higher, pull the character aside and tell them that, while they can’t put their finger on it, something seems odd about the main hall and belfry. Then call for a DC 13 Intelligence check to reveal that either:

1. The bell has been recently cast
2. The bell has recently been polished
3. Something is keeping this bell – which is located in a long-ruined belfry – from oxidizing

If the character has a sufficient passive Intelligence (Investigation) score, but fails the Intelligence check to zero in on the odd circumstance around the bell, that’s okay! Call for the Intelligence check once a day until the character succeeds on the check. At which point, it suddenly dawns on them that the bell should have been tarnished, and warrants another visit to the shrine for a look.

It could be the day after they leave the shrine, or it could be a WEEK after they leave the shrine. Regardless, when they finally succeed the Intelligence check, the discovery strikes them like a bolt of lightning.

+++

If you’d like to support my work, please consider checking out my supplements for Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak over on Dungeon Master’s Guild! All of my titles are Free/PWYW offerings.