Blood Vaults of Sister Alkava is a one-shot adventure for 5th edition written by Bill Slavicsek and published by Kobold Press.

Disclaimer: We were provided with a free digital copy of this product.

The Scenario

The adventure takes place in the Midgard Campaign Setting by Kobold Press, but you can easily adapt a few details to fit in any setting; especially Ravenloft. Meant for a level 5 party, it’s ideal to provide a quick side trek in a campaign.

Sister Alkava, a priestess of Marena the Red Goddess, has been taking tribute from the village of Karvolia for a long time now; a dozen young people donate some of their blood, but always come back healthy and hale (though perhaps feeling a bit drained). But this year, something is different; the tributes didn’t come back, and instead a demand for more was issued. The village elders are worried, unsure they can handle the loss of so many of their young men and women; so the players must venture into Alkava’s Blood Vaults and stop her.

It’s a pretty straightforward story, though it has some more interesting and impactful lore for the Midgard setting with the inclusion of the titular Blood Vaults and the political aspects of the church of Marena being involved. However it’s also a short and sweet dungeon crawl. You get to the Blood vaults with some resistance on the way, then clear them out until you reach Sister Alkava for a big boss fight, including her minions and some other complications. You rescue the villagers (if you can), and get back to Karvolia for your reward.

Art & Layout

The supplement is really really well made from an aesthetic standpoint. You have the standard double column layout, but there’s some great art interspersed throughout along with the battle maps; and the pages are also all decorated with additional little touches along the edges.

Final Thoughts

Blood Vaults of Sister Alkava is a bit of an older release, but it certainly hasn’t lost its appeal, and Kobold Press doesn’t disappoint. It’s simple, straightforward, but also with enough lore and backstory to make it a lot more interesting than going to a random cave to look for shiny stuff.

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