I played Shadohaunt and all I got was this stupid Relic

[QuenGalad]

(This is intended as a semi-informative quasi-review whining.)

It seemed a very good idea - a module that bridges the first and second expansion. Their relation in the vanilla game was profoundly unsatisfactory : from a "fate unknown even to the Harpers" in a shadowy sub-realm up till recently ruled by a shadow lich, to sleeping in an inn room wearing nothing but underpants and reading books.

So I jumped on "Shadohaunt" with glee. Unfortunately it turned out that the module only fills its purpose in the most nominal sense possible.
Technically, "Shadohaunt" is a masterpiece. Area design is very impressive, especially the interiors which are made with good use of both tiles and objects and good spatial sense, even if some areas are rather superfluous. Houses look like houses, bars look like bars and I've never had to check the description to see where I was - which happened way too often in the original campaign. The cutscenes are impressive, there is even some original voice acting, I think, and all in all the module is executed perfectly. Some users complain it gives too much EXP and too powerful items, but I think making one's way in a hostile shadow realm should be rewarded - it makes sense within story context.

Unfortunately, it's about the only thing that does : the story itself is very weak. The PC's return from the realm of shadows is made via a couple haphazard encounters that don't really seem to form a logical chain. The acquisition of the Relic of the Reaper seems particularily off in light of what we learn about the Relic in HotU, and it doesn't really feel like it's the same thing - at one point it is "plunged into [someone's] chest." The Reaper's Realm and the Reaper himself make no appearance, which is a huge shame and something I don't really understand, because the first thing I'd do to "bridge" the modules would be to ensure the Gatehouse and the Reaper appear at some point.

As it is, the module does show us leaving the shadow realm and acquiring the relic - but story potential is wasted and so is the amazing technical execution of the module. Still nice to play it, though.