Read Aloud As the stone door grinds open, cold air spills out. The chamber beyond is circular, lit only by guttering black candles. Tattered banners of **a single staring eye** hang from cracked pillars. Whispers coil around the room like smoke—yet no mouths move. In the centre, a stone lectern holds a torn spellbook. Around it stand **three silent figures**, their mouths sewn shut, heads twitching toward you. Their hands rise. The whispering stops. #### ENEMIES IN THE ROOM ##### **1. Silence-Touched Zealots (x2)** _Use **Cultist** stat block, but modify as follows:_ - **Mouths Sewn Shut:** Immune to **Thunder damage**. - **Silent Strike:** Their scimitar deals **1d6 psychic** instead of slashing. - **Dreadful Gaze (Recharge 5–6):** A creature within 15 ft must succeed a **DC 12 Wis save** or have disadvantage on their next attack, as phantom whispers choke their thoughts. --- ##### **2. Whisperbinder Adept (Leader)** _Use **Cult Fanatic** as base, but change spells:_ **Spells Prepared** - **1/day:** _Silence_ - **At will:** _Toll the Dead_ - **2/day:** _Blindness/Deafness_ - **Reaction — Steal Voice:** When hit by an attack, the adept can force the attacker to make a **DC 13 Wis save** or become **mute until the end of their next turn**. **Aura of Suppressed Speech:** Creatures within 10 ft have disadvantage on **Verbal-component spellcasting** (or must roll a DC 10 Con check to maintain control). --- #### ROOM FEATURES (FUN TO INTERACT WITH) ### **📘 The Torn Grimoire (Centre Platform)** Any creature starting its turn within 5 ft must make a **DC 13 Wis save** or hear cursed secrets, granting **advantage** on their next attack but taking **1d4 psychic damage**. ("Knowledge has a cost.") ### 🕯 Black Candles of Quiet Flame If a candle is extinguished (action), the room briefly echoes with screams unheard. All cultists take **1 psychic damage**, and the Adept loses **concentration** if maintaining a spell. ### Cracked Pillars AC 12, 10 HP. If destroyed, debris falls and deals **1d6 bludgeoning** in a 5-ft radius (Dex save DC 12 half). Can be used for line-of-sight breaks or tactical positioning. #### COMBAT GOALS - The cultists are performing a ritual to **bind stolen voices** for Vecna. - The Adept attempts to **silence spellcasters first**. - The Zealots focus on pressuring the backline with psychic strikes. When the Adept drops to 0 HP: A final whisper echoes from nowhere: **“Truth is owed. Truth is taken.”** The stone lectern cracks, revealing a clue or item for your next room.