surrender. If any are captured and questioned, they must make a morale check or tell everything they know to avoid execution. Their tribe is preparing the attack on Dungaelen, and their forces consist of over 300 orcs. An alliance between the orcs and the Tor is being considered, but nothing more is certain. The orcs know nothing about the inside of the Tor, although they know where it is. They have 2-12 sp each. If freed, the orcs will immediately split up and try to warn their tribe and the Tor of the PCs coming. 3. The valley The party will soon arrive at the point where the canyon widens into a valley raze of all large animal and plant life by men and orcs. In its center is a broad, foreboding hill of stark stone, obviously the Tor, crowned with a circle of huge stone monoliths. A dark opening lies 60 up the southern slope of the hill with steps leading up to it. A stream of thick, red liquid flows out the opening through a special channel cut down the middle of the steps, through the valley, and eventually into the river. No further details can be made out from this point. 4. Monoliths If the party wishes to investigate the monoliths, they will find the going a steep climb. At the top of the hill is an 80 circle of stones, which was used by the druids to predict eclipses and maintain their seasonal calendar. (The monolith arrangement strongly resembles that at Stonehenge.) The monoliths are 6 x 8 at the base and rise 18. Some of them have smaller horizontal monoliths on top of them. The entire structure is obviously very old. In the center of the circle is a 10 x 10 pit lined with stone which drops 150 into room 25. Before the pit stands a bloodstained slab of stone 4 x 4 x 8. Four 2nd-level huntsmen are on guard here (hp 12-18, AC 7, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM by weapon type, LE, surprise as rangers). They are armed with swords and spears, and have 4-16 gp each. 5. Entrance Sixty steps lead up to a platform and the entrance. A stream of blood flows out the center of three openings and down the steps in a channel cut in the rock. It is 10 wide and 5 deep, and enchanted so that it will not coagulate quickly. The Blood River was created by the evil priests to replace the pure spring water that used to flow here. Four 2nd-level huntsmen in wolf-head hoods, each armed with a sword and two javelins, are on guard at the top of the steps (hp 12-18, AC 7, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM by weapon type, LE, surprise as rangers). Unless attacked at long range from the bottom of the steps, they cannot be surprised where they are. If they are attacked, they will throw javelins and retreat to area 6 to make a stand. They dare not interrupt the ceremony going on in room 7. They have 4-16 gp each. The entrance itself is a post-and-lintel structure ornamented with human skulls set into niches about it. The Tor All floors, walls and ceilings, unless stated otherwise, are made of stone. Doors are of wood and usually open easily. Ceiling height (CH) and illumination (IL) are given for each area described below. The DM should be aware that the evil high priest of the Tor, Gershus Koch, has disappeared within the last three days (see areas 16 and 45). Most of the activities of the priesthood are centered around locating him. Most priests will immediately believe that the party had something to do with his disappearance, and they will do all in their power to capture the party and force the characters to reveal the high priests location. Random encounters take place on a roll of a 1 on a d6, rolled every 2 turns. Random encounters: 1 Three orcs (HD 1, AC 6, MV 9, #AT 1, DAM 1-8, LE) looking for their fellows in room 11. 2 Two 3rd-level huntsmen (hp 18 and 16, AC 5, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM 1-8, LE, surprise rangers) returning from a patrol. 3 One scarecrow (HD 5, AC 6, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, LE, touch and glance cause charm), a guardian of the Tor which will attack all intruders. It is only encountered once unless destroyed. 4 Five 4th-level clerics (AC 10, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM clubs, LE, use spells) on their way to room 7. 5 One kobold (HD ½, hp 3, AC 7, MV 6, unarmed, LE), who will instantly flee and raise an alarm upon seeing the party. 6 Two skeletons (HD 1, AC 7, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, N), that wandered away from the barrows (see The Barrows below). 6. Entrance hall (CH: 10, IL: daylight, if any) The Blood River flows through the center of this room from under the north wall. Directly above it, between the two doors, is a recently made bronze plaque, which reads in Common: Ye who come to reverence the Deathlord may speak and enter. The two doors each have a glyph of warding on them. The first person to touch either door without first saying the name of the glyph (peh) must save vs. spell or be paralyzed. It is possible to swim upstream under the wall into room 7. However, good characters would consider this distasteful at best, and the party would attract attention afterward because of their bloody footprints and foul smell. Characters listening at either door will hear a low, guttural chanting. 7. Main shrine (CH: 20) IL: four braziers) This room is occupied by live 4th-level clerics in black robes who are chanting in a D RAGON 45
Scale: 1 square = 10 feet strange tongue, in front of a bronze statue of a tall, grim-faced man in an iron crown. This is the god Arawn. The Blood River flows through this room from under a large altar before the statue. The Blood River appears to originate here, but actually it is being teleported to a cistern under the altar from room 43. (Priests: hp 12-20, AC 10, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM clubs, LE, use 46 OCTOBER 1985 spells.) Today, their spells are command, cause light wounds, sanctuary, augury, and spiritual hammer. On seeing the party, two of the priests will attack with clubs, and two will cast offensive spells such as command (sleep!) or spiritual hammer. The last one will cast sanctuary on himself and attempt to retreat to room 9 and warn the huntsmen there. The priests have been attempting by prayer to find out what happened to their high priest. This vigil is maintained around the clock. If the PCs re-enter this room after an hour, there is a 30% chance it will be again occupied by five more priests. The priests have no treasure, but there is a set of 13 gem-inlaid sticks worth 50 gp each lying in a strange pattern on the altar.
8. Vestry (CH: 10, IL: none) Hanging on pegs along this corridor are ten black robes on each side. There is nothing unusual about them. 9. Commemoration hall (CH: 10, IL: two braziers) At the top of the steps are four 2nd-level huntsmen in bear hoods on guard duty (each hp 12-18, AC 7, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM long sword, LE, surprise as rangers). They will attack the party on sight. They have 4-16 gp each. The room contains four tapestries. Two of them depict a grey star on a black background. The other two show scenes of black-robed priests plunging corpses into a huge undead cauldron, after which the corpses walk away. In the center alcove is a bronze statue of Arawn in an iron crown. Player characters inspecting the statue will notice that the crown is removable. The secret door behind the statue opens onto a stairway which leads down to room 34. The door can be opened by twisting the crown. On a spike driven into the east wall next to the arched exit, an intricately worked horn of silver inlaid with jet dangles from a leather thong. This horn is the alarm system for the Tor. Blowing it will alert the whole level and bring the huntsmen in room 19 and 20 running. It has had a Nystuls magic aura placed on it and is worth 200 gp. 10. Priest chambers (CH: 10, IL: none) Each of these rooms contains two reed mat beds, two chests and two 4th-level clerics (each hp 12-20, AC 10, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM clubs, LE). They are either sleeping (50%) or meditating (50%). In either case, surprise is automatic. The priests have only bless and chant spells. The chests contain personal items of no interest. From the hallway, loud noises-can be heard from room 11. It sounds like an argument in an extremely guttural language. 11. Converted storeroom (CH: 10, IL: one torch) This room is a storeroom, but it is being used to house nine large orcs in black chain mail and rounded black helmets. They are with Strengul in area 12. As is typical of orcs with nothing to do while in a strange place, two of them have started a fight. The PCs will hear one call the other a brownnosed kobold punk. They have drawn swords, and, with the other seven orcs looking on and yelling encouragement, are about to have at it. On seeing the party, all the orcs will forget about the fight and attack the party instead. (Orcs: each HD 1, hp 5-8, AC 5, MV 9, #AT 1, DAM long swords, LE.) The room contains several crates full of torches and braziers, an empty cabinet, and two large cagelike wicker baskets, used for holding sacrificial victims for burning. The orcs have 2-12 sp each, as well as backpacks full of jerky and uncured wolfskin bedrolls. 12. Meeting hall (CH: 10, IL: two braziers) A large, impressive-looking stone chair against the north wall is occupied by a figure shadowed in a dark cloak. Before him, seated on a fur-padded stool, is an extremely ugly half-orc in black leather armor and spiked bracers of AC 4. The shadowed figure is Cathbad, a 6th-level illusionist and the current leader of the Tor (hp 24, AC 7, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM dagger, LE). His spells are color spray, darkness, detect invisibility light, blur, mirror image, and suggestion. Cathbad possesses a ring of human influence with 3 charges left. The half-orc is Strengul, a 5thlevel fighter/5th-level assassin, leader of the orcs in room 11 and of the tribe preparing to attack Dungaelen. He is here to discuss the possibility of an alliance between his tribe and the Tor. (Strengul: hp 32, AC 4, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM long sword, NE, sword poisoned.) Cathbads first reaction after seeing the party will be to restrain Strengul from attacking while he uses his ring of human influence to charm the party. He will attempt to keep the party enthralled while Strengul tries to assassinate the most powerful-looking member; if this attempt takes place, allow another saving throw-for the charmed characters. Strenguls sword is poisoned, causing the first victim struck with it to save vs. poison or take 5-20 hp damage more. The room contains two chests full of clothing, four pieces of jewelry worth 50 gp each, and four stoneware urns (with permanent illusions cast on them to make them appear empty) that each contain 150 gp. Cathbad purchased the urns in a nearby city. Strengul has 20 gp and a 100 gp gem on his person. 13. Priests chambers (CH: 10, IL: none) These rooms are identical to the ones in area 10, except the doors are locked and the rooms are unoccupied. 14. Storeroom (CH: 10, IL: none) This room contains a stack of crates holding torches and braziers. It also has a cabinet which contains ten gold-plated scythe-like daggers worth 15 gp each, and ten amber bowls worth 25 gp each. There are also two large cagelike wicker baskets. They are used for holding and sometimes torturing man-sized prisoners. 15. Boggles room (CH: 10, IL: none) This room bears all the telltale signs of having once been a bedroom, but its furnishings have been smashed and burned into uselessness. A boggle (HD 4 + 3, hp 28, AC 5, MV 9, #AT 3, DAM 1-4/1-4/1-4, CN, naturally resists fire, spider climb and dimension door through any complete frame at will) lurks in this room. If surprised, it will be kicking back on the remains of a bed, cleaning its toenails. If not surprised, it is on the ceiling just above the archway, waiting to drop on the first character who enters. In either case, it will to to steal some small, valuable item from a PC. After attempting the theft, it will dimension door beyond the party down the hall and run for the exit. It crept into the Tor looking for treasure. It will fight only if cornered. It has no treasure yet. 16. Library (CH: 10, IL: none) Shelves line the walls, books stacked neatly on them. Charts of various astrological configurations are tacked to the fine oakpaneled walls. Luxurious black furs cover the floor, and two unlit braziers hang from the ceiling. In the center of the room stands a small round table with a clean, burnished human skull resting on it. A large raven, actually a polymorphed imp, perches on the skull. (Imp: HD 2 + 2, hp 14, AC 2, MV 6/18, #AT 1, DAM 1-4, LE; 25% magic resistance; poisoned tail; can detect good, detect magic, polymorph self into raven or giant spider, and become invisible at will; can use suggestion once per day.) A former familiar, this imp was driven permanently insane when its master (the high priest Gershus Koch) attempted to turn himself into a lich and failed (see area 45). It now thinks it is a talking raven and will not attempt to leave the room. It will not attack unless attacked first. If left alone, it will use detect good on the PCs and verbally abuse those that it detects as good. It will respond to all questions with absurd phrases such as Nevermore! or Wont you come home, Bill Bailey? Most of the books here are local histories, religious treatises, and philosophical novels on subjects that would interest any evil high priest. However, there are two books that the party might find fascinating. One, entitled Politics of the Eighth Hell, has a scroll with a wizard eye spell tucked within it. The other is an unnamed volume bound in black leather that details the process of achieving lichdom in exacting detail. Player characters reading it will notice that certain key paragraphs have been underlined, and the name Gershus Koch is written in the front of the book. The book is almost completely accurate and usable; a magic-user with intelligence of 17 or better will note that the work fails to tell the reader that any magic-user wishing to become a lich must be at least 18th level. The work implies that a magic-user of any level may become a lich, which is not true. The results of attempting to achieve lichdom without being of sufficient level vary widely, but they are invariably bad (see area 45). The party has a 10% cumulative chance per turn of searching to find either book. 17. High priests chamber (CH: 10, IL: none) This was the high priests bedroom before he disappeared. The name Gershus Koch is painted on the door in gold leaf. Furs cover D RAGON 47
the floor and two unlit braziers hang from the ceiling. The large fur-filled bedstead has a screaming devilkin (HD 3, hp 12, AC 2, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, LE, screams) hiding under it, acting as guard. It will attack the party when encountered, and its screams will automatically attract a wandering encounter in 1-4 rounds. The room also has a chest containing black robes, a gold torc worth 50 gp, and a leather pouch with 6 pp. Two tapestries of a gray star on a black background cover the walls; each is worth 75 gp. 18. Wizards lab (CH: 10, IL: none) The first thing the party notices about this room is the knotted, writhing pile of nine, sickly yellow larvae (each HD 1, hp 5-8, AC 7, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 2-5, NE) which disentangle themselves and move to attack in a mindless frenzy. This room contains a clutter of things typical of a sorcerers laboratory. A cauldron set in the burned-out fireplace is steaming slightly, and contains the fermenting ingredients for a sleep potion. After the PCs have been here one turn with the doors closed, they must save vs. poison or suffer extreme grogginess from the fumes. They will receive a -3 on to hit and armor class. Magic-users and illusionists will find it very difficult to concentrate, and each spell they cast will have a 50% chance of failure. Magical counters such as neutralize poison will work. The effect lasts 2-8 turns. A work bench sits against the north wall with several vials and a small locked box. The vials are clearly labeled with what they contain: Arsenic, Belladonna, Phase Spider Venom, Wyvern Venom, Vampire Blood, and Giant Moth Glands._ The box contains a large, luminous gem that will drain the soul of the first person who touches it into itself, unless he or she saves vs. spell at -3. The body of the person will fall to the floor, apparently lifeless. The gems effect is similar to a magic jar spell, except that the character cannot possess anyone or return to his own body. Dispel magic, successfully cast vs. 10th-level magic, will restore the soul to its body; so will bathing either the body or the gem in the Waters of Life in room 43. The gem only works once. It is worth 1,200 gp. In the center of the room is a stone platform, 10 in diameter and 2 high. This is one end of a two-way teleport once connected to room 43; it has been deactivated. On a stand against the south wall is the high priests magic-user spellbook, marked with his name and chained to its stand. A glyph of warding has been placed on the cover which will blind the first person touching it, unless he saves vs. spell. The book contains the spells find familiar, Nystuls magic aura, read magic, write, darkness, ESP ray of enfeeblement, shatter, fireball, monster summoning I, slow, polymorph other, polymorph self, cloudkill, and magic jar. The page with the cloudkill spell on it also has notes in the margin regarding the process of becoming a lich (duplicating some of the material from the black book in area 16). In one corner of the room is a large wicker cage with several holes chewed in it. This is where the larvae were confined before they escaped. Shelves and cabinets against the north wall hold an uninteresting clutter of vials, tripods, bowls, rods, tongs, and other equipment. The secret door opens easily onto a staircase which leads down to room 34. 19. Guardroom (CH: 10, IL: two torches) Five huntsmen in cougar hoods are seated around a table. If surprised, two of them are occupied playing chess while the others look on. They are drinking mead, occasionally calling for refills from the kobold sulking in the corner. They are not yet intoxicated and will attack the party on sight. Two huntsmen are 4th level (hp 22 and 27), two are 3rd level (hp 16 and 17), and one is a 7th-level warrior (hp 49). (Huntsmen: AC 8, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM long swords, LE, surprise as rangers). The huntsmen in room 20 will come in at once if they hear the sounds of combat in this room (and vice versa; see area 20). The kobold (HD ½, hp 2, AC 7, MV 6, unarmed, LE) will not attack the party. It will just sit on top of its cask of mead muttering angrily about how it has been mistreated and what it would do if it was bigger. In any case, it knows nothing of interest. The huntsmen have 4-16 gp each. The chessmen are made of bronze and are worth only 1 sp each. 20. Barracks (CH: 10, IL: six torches) Nine huntsmen in boar hoods are lounging around on their bunks, telling stories of past battles. They will attack the party at once, astonished that intruders have gotten this far into the Tor. One huntsman is 8th level (hp 50) and wears bracers of AC 2; he carries a battleaxe + 2. Another is 6th level, wears leather armor + 2, carries a shield, and uses a longsword + 1. The other men are 2nd level, and wear leather armor and use long swords. (Huntsmen: AC 8, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM long swords, LE, surprise as rangers.) The room contains 16 bunk beds and 32 chests. All the chests contain extra animal-head hoods, grooming brushes, and personal items. The locked door to area 22 has a small barred window in it, through which the loud complaints of the prisoner in room 24 can be heard. Note that any sounds of battle here will attract attention from those huntsmen in room 19. 21. Warlords chamber (CH: 10, IL: none) The first thing the DM needs to know about this room is that there is a night hag in it (HD 8, hp 46, AC 9, MV 9, #AT 1, DAM 2-12, NE, see Monster Manual for powers). She recently arrived from the Ethereal Plane to look for the huntsman warlord, in order to strangle him and take his soul back to Hades. This is the third time shes missed him, and she is in a foul mood. If the PCs dont attack her within two rounds of seeing her, she will leave for home, planning to try again a few days later. If threatened, she will attack, but if reduced to less than a quarter of her hit points, it will occur to her that she is wasting her time and she will leave through the Ethereal Plane. The room contains a bed, a chest, and a desk and chair. Two non-magical swords and a shield are hanging on the wall. The chest contains animal-head hoods and a pair of boots of striding and springing. On the desk is a wire cage that holds a live stirge, furiously rattling its proboscis against the bars (HD 1 + 1, hp 7, AC 8, MV 3/18, #AT 1, DAM 1-3, N, drains blood). It is voraciously hungry. There is nothing to indicate where the warlord went beyond a few scribbled pages in Common on the desk, speculating on where the high priest might have gone. The warlord was obviously trying to locate him. 22. Cell block (CH: 10 IL: none) All the doors to this area are locked. The small rooms are unoccupied cells used for holding sacrificial victims until the time for their sacrifices. They are small, dirty, full of wet straw and infested with vermin. Characters searching through the straw have a 30% chance of contracting a mild parasitic infestation of the skin (no saving throw). Characters captured in the Tor will be confined here for 1-4 days, then taken to room 27 and dropped into the barrows without weapons, armor, or equipment. Loud complaints from the prisoner in room 24 can be heard through the tiny barred window. 23. Special cell (CH: 10, IL: none) Although the door to this room looks exactly like the others in room 22, the room itself is spacious and clean. It is furnished with a bed, a chair and a washbasin. It is used for special sacrificial victims, such as a paladin or druid. Grafitti has been scrawled all over the walls by previous captives, The DM should invent a number of suitable scrawlings, none of which are helpful to the party, in case someone wants to read them. 24. Ogres cell (CH: 10, IL: none) A ranting and raving ogre is locked up in this room. He is swearing in a mixture of common and ogrish. This burly creature is destined to be the next sacrifice. On seeing the party through the tiny barred window; he will demand his freedom, using the logic that if the party does not let him out, he will smash them. The doors lock must be picked and the bar across it removed to open it; otherwise, the bend bars roll must be used (one chance only). If the ogre 48 OCTOBER 1985
is released, he will immediately look for huntsmen to kill. He will not attack the party unless they either attack him, enter his cell without releasing him, or encounter him again in the complex. (Ogre: HD 4 + 1, hp 24, AC 7, MV 9, #AT 1, DAM 1-10, CE.) doors are wooden and open easily unless locked or otherwise impeded. The activity of the priesthood on this level is involved in the creation of an undead army under the priests control, for the purpose of conquering unbelievers, expanding the priests sphere of influence, and all other goals typical of evil priesthoods. Normally, undead are created by the priests by putting the corpse of a sacrificial victim into the undead cauldron in area 44. The undead cauldron is a magic item that turns ordinary bodies into undead corpses; it was enchanted to be easily portable as well. However, the cauldron disappeared at the same time as the high priest. The priests are now simply dropping live victims into room 37 from room 27, in the hope that they will be slain by the undead and thus become undead themselves. Chambers of Preparation The floors, walls and ceilings are of stone, just as in the previous section. Also, Random encouters take place here on a roll of 1 on a d6, checked for every two turns. Random encounters: 1 Two 2nd-level huntsmen (AC 7, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM long swords, LE, surprise as rangers) dragging a male human peasant (0 level, AC 10, MV 12, unarmed, LN) to room 27. 2 One scarecrow (HD 5, AC 6, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, LE, touch and glance causes charm). If the party has already destroyed the scarecrow, disregard this roll. 3 Five 4th-level clerics (AC 10, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM clubs, LE, use spells) on their way from room 27 to area 13. 4 One kobold (HD 1/2, hp 4, AC 7, MV 6, unarmed, LE) who will instantly flee and raise an alarm upon seeing the party. 5 Four zombies (HD 2, AC 8, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 1-8, N) that wandered away from the barrows (see below). 6 Two ghouls (HD 2, AC 6, MV 9, #AT 3, DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6, CE, cause paralysis) that escaped from the barrows (see below). 25. Pit (CH: 20) IL: daylight, if any) The light in here is very dim, as it is coming from 150 up through a 20 x 10 shaft in the center of the ceiling (leading up to area 4). The floor is coated with dried blood. In the center of each wall, 10 up from the floor, is an alcove. Each alcove has a bronze statue of Arawn in it, with a club and an iron crown. The southern statues crown may be twisted to open the secret door behind the statue. 26. Morgue (CH: 10, IL: none) This room is filled with crude wooden coffins. Most of them are unoccupied, although five have ordinary human corpses in them (victims of a recent rockslide that killed several huntsmen). The entire room reeks of carrion. In the northwest corner, four ghasts are leaning over a coffin, ripping the occupant into bite-sized chunks. They will attack the party with deranged enthusiasm (HD 4, hp 19, AC 4, MV 15, #AT 3, DAM 1-4/1-4/1-8, CE, stench, cause paralysis). 27. Shrine (CH: 10, IL: four braziers) Five black-robed priests are conducting a ceremony in this room. An unconscious figure is stretched out prone on a stone altar with two priests holding his wrists and ankles. The other three priests stand before the altar, holding gold-plated, curved daggers and chanting in a strange language. Behind the altar is a small, bronze statue of Arawn. In the center of the room gapes a dark 10 x 10 pit. It drops 40 into room 37. If left uninterrupted, the priests will finish the ceremony by dropping the figure into the pit. The (4th-level) priests will defend themselves with spells and clubs if attacked. (Priests: hp 12-20, AC 10, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM clubs, LE.) Their spells are curse, detect good, protection from good, augury, and hold person. If given the chance, the priests will retreat to room 34 and up the steps to warn the Tors inhabitants of intruders, killing the victim with their daggers before they leave. (Note: Arawn is assumed to approve of the use of sharp-edged weapons for sacrificing victims or slaying captives in this manner, though he would not approve of the regular use of daggers or the like by his priests.) The party will have to act quickly in order to rescue the victim. If the PCs succeed, they will learn that he is Ferdian, a 4th-level half-elven thief who was caught sneaking around looking for treasure. (Ferdian: hp 20 (now 4), AC 10, MV 12, unarmed, N, 17 dexterity.) Having been severely beaten in the process of being captured, his only goal is to escape the Tor alive. Toward this end, he will offer the party some information he overheard in exchange for a weapon he can use. He heard that a large treasure is hidden at the southern end of this level. He can draw a crude map of how to get to room 34, but that is the extent of his knowledge. If he acquires a weapon, he will thank the party and head for the nearest exit. 28. The forgotten room (CH: 10, IL: none) Both doors to this room are locked, and the rooms contents are covered with dust. There are two fireplaces in the east wall, filled with ash and soot. Two bronze cauldrons, once used for heating water, lie on the earthen floor. Cloth and clothing are scattered all over the floor. Against the western wall, between the two dark openings of the staircases, is a patch of disturbed earth marking a shallow grave. Beside it kneels the shadowy figure of a woman with elfin features, dressed in a pale robe. The woman seems to be digging at the dirt with her hands, but is unable to affect the earth. The faint sounds of weeping may be heard. When the party enters, the woman will look up at them with a pleading gaze. It will become immediately apparent that she is undead, and is 90% likely to be mistaken for a groaning spirit. In truth, she is the haunt (see Monster Manual II) of a halfelven druid who was slain when the forces of Arawn took over the temple. She was trying to hide the magical torc when she was caught and killed by a huntsman. Now, she continually digs at the earth where her body is buried. She will arise and attempt to possess the body of a player character, preferably a female, in order to find the stolen torc and give it to a druid. If this act has already been accomplished, the haunt will need to see proof of this before giving up the ghost. 29. Room of healing (CH: 10, IL: none) Dust covers the room. A table stands in the center of it. Shelves line the walls, filled with boxes and jars containing first-aid equipment, torn-up bandage strips, and most of the herbs listed in the Dungeon Masters Guide, Appendix J (75% chance that any particular one is present). If the party searches the room for one turn, a jar with six applications of Keoghtoms ointment will be found. 30. Linens (CH: 10, IL: none) Although dusty, this room is reasonably neat. White and blue robes hang from pegs on the walls. Linens of various sorts are folded and stacked on the floor. There is nothing of value here, and the room hasnt been entered since the druids were present. 31. Kitchen (CH: 10, IL: five torches) This is obviously a kitchen. The contents of two cauldrons bubble and steam over their fires. Cabinets and shelves of utensils stand against the walls. A kobold is standing in front of a low counter slicing up meat. A second kobold scampers hither and yon, fetching various items to pop in the soup. Both are frantically hurrying through their tasks at the direction of a large, bulbous female bugbear (HD 3 + 1, hp 22, AC 5, MV 9, #AT 1, DAM 2-8, CE), who is sitting comfortably beside a table between the two dark openings in the floor. Between bouts of shouting at the hapless kobolds, she is sharpening her claws with a file. Upon seeing the party, she will seize a huge meat cleaver from the table and charge. The first kobold will attack with his knife (HD l/2, hp 4, AC 7, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM D RAGON 4 9
dagger, LE). The other kobold will stand back and throw pots and pans at the party. These cause no damage, but a character struck by one will suffer a -2 on all to hit rolls made in the same round because of the distraction. (Second kobold: HD l/2, hp 3, AC 7, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM special.) There is no treasure here. 32. Wine cellar (CH: 10, IL: none) Wine bottles and mead barrels line the walls. Wine bottles also line the floor, mostly empty. An unmade bed stands in one corner; it reeks of drunken bugbear. Next to the bed is a locked chest containing 60 sp, 15 gp, and two pieces of jewelry worth 10 gp each. 33. Pantry (CH: 10, IL: none) This room is filled with boxes and crates stacked from floor to ceiling. Hidden up among the crates lurks an executioners hood, a large one (HD 4 + 4, hp 36, AC 6, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 1-4, N) that has been well fed on a steady diet of kobold. It will drop on some unlucky party member when he investigates the crates. The crates contain dried and fresh food, most of which is lit for human consumption. The hood will not attack its master, the bugbear. 34. Nexus point (CH: 10, IL: none) This room is empty except for the steps leading up to room 9 (or room 18) and for the unusually ornate door in the south wall. It is completely carved with strange runes. It radiates both magic and evil. Human and demi-human skulls are set into the thirtyfour niches in the stone wall about it. The door to the south has a glyph of warding cast upon it, such that anyone who does not pronounce the glyph (coo) will be struck with confusion for 3-12 rounds. 35. Guardian shrine (CH: 20) IL: four torches) The floor, walls and ceiling of this room are faced with black marble. There are three alcoves in the south wall. The center one has a bronze statue of Arawn wearing a gold torc that is actually a polymorphed poisonous snake, created by a special ceremony once performed by the high priest (snake: HD 2 + 1, hp 12, AC 6, MV 15, #AT 1, DAM 1, N, creature bitten must save vs. poison or take 3-12 points of damage). A touch will dispel the polymorph. The alcove has a semi-circle of niches over it, each one containing a skull. An altar rests before the alcove with two handles sticking out of the top. Anyone except a halfling, gnome, or dwarf must kneel to grasp them comfortably. The four torches on the walls cannot be put out or removed from their sockets by ordinary means. They radiate magic. If a character grasps the handles of the altar, a magic mouth spell on the topmost skull will activate and say If ye come to 50 OCTOBER 1985 reverence our god, then speak his name. The DM should then glance discreetly at his watch. If the character does not say Arawn within 15 seconds, the four torches will shoot out flames which will combine in a single flame strike on that spot. Unless the PC has stated, within the 15-second delay, that he is moving away, he must save vs. spell or take 6-48 hp damage. Remember, the party may not have heard of Arawn; try not to give the name away unless they have been in a situation in which they might have heard it. If the character does say Arawn in the time given, he will notice that the handles will now move. Each one controls the opening and closing of the secret door adjacent to it. The handles will now work for anyone, but after one turn the doors will automatically close and the trap will reset itself. Operating the handles is the only way to open the doors. 36. Treasure room (CH: 10, IL: none) This room is where all the treasure taken from sacrificial victims is kept. Neatly stacked in locked chests and sealed pottery jars are 2,000 cp, 1,200 sp, 800 gp, and 100 pp. A box contains 20 gems worth 50 gp each. Other boxes contain eight pieces of jewelry worth a total of 400 gp. Hanging on the walls are four swords, a morning star, six daggers, ten javelins, eight shields, and a silvered mace. There are also three sets of scale mail, two sets of chain mail, a suit of studded leather + 2 (to be given to the huntsman who kills the old druid in Dungaelen), and a rack containing seven vials of colored water and one potion of frost giant
strength for use in emergencies. Lying in a corner is a small ivory box containing a cursed ring of weakness. This will cause its wearer to slowly lose strength at a rate of 1 strength point per day, a rate not immediately noticeable. The ring also grants protection + 3. If the ring is not removed before the wearers strength reaches zero, the wearer will die. The ring cannot be removed except by casting both a remove curse and a dispel magic upon it, after which the ring may be removed and the character will regain his strength at the same rate. It will take the party at least two turns to search through all this stuff. Note that the doors will close in one turn. The Barrows Much of this level is inhabited by undead. These vile creatures were created by the priests using the undead cauldron (see room 44) and dropped into room 37 until they are needed. They wander about the barrows preying on hapless living creatures that fall into their clutches. Clerics will suffer a -3 on attempts to turn them until the Water of Life is restored (see room 43). Only doors with magical protections on them still exist on this level. The undead have torn the rest into splinters. Random encounters take place on a roll of a 1 on a d6, rolled every turn. Random encounters: 1 Four skeletons (HD 1, AC 7, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, N). 2 Three zombies (HD 2, AC 8, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 1-8, N). 3 Two ghouls (HD 2, AC 6, MV 9, #AT 3, DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6, CE, cause paralysis). 4 Ten giant rats (HD 1-4 hp, AC 7, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM 1-3, N). 5 One coffer corpse (HD 2, AC 8, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, CE, causes fear). 6 Two ghasts (HD 4, AC 4, MV 15, #AT 3, DAM 1-4/1-4/1-8, CE, cause paralysis, stench). 37. Landing (CH: 10, IL: none) This room is 3 deep in wet straw. Those falling into it from room 27, 40 above, will only take 1-6 hp damage instead of the normal 4-24 hp damage. If Ferdian was dropped here from room 27, he will be found crumpled in the straw; the fall killed him. A scrawled charcoal message is on the wall next to the archway, saying point of no return in Common. The room is otherwise empty. 38. Preparation chamber (CH: 10, IL: none) A 3 x 3 x 8 slab of stone lies in the center of this room. An empty fireplace is in the north wall. Broken glass, pieces of rotten wood, ash, and straw litter the floor. The walls and ceiling are blackened with soot. The door to room 40 is wizard locked (11th level) and covered with claw marks. Light can be seen shining around the edges of it. 39. Alchemists bedroom (CH: 10, IL: none) Six ravenous ghouls (HD 2, hp 9, AC 6, MV 9, #AT 3, DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6, CE, cause paralysis) are in this room searching the trash on the floor (for the umpteenth time) for something edible. The room contains more pieces of wood, straw, cloth, and feathers. There are also several highly polished human bones, all thats left of the alchemist who was killed when the temple fell. Under all this trash is a gem worth 100 gp. 40. Alchemists lab (CH: 10, IL: continual light in ceiling) This room looks like a small laboratory. It smells of formaldehyde. The room is dusty, but neat and orderly. There is a chest in the room with a small black cat lounging on top of it; it is a guardian familiar (HD 1 (9), AC 8, MV 12, #AT 3, DAM 1-6/1-4/1-4, NG, 40% magic resistance). It is guarding the treasure of its master, who was an alchemist as well as an 8th-level magic-user. It will talk to those characters able to speak with animals, but it will not believe its master is dead, nor will it allow the characters to touch the chest. If the chest is left alone, the familiar will be fairly friendly. The chest contains a book of alchemy worth 2,000 gp to any alchemist or magic-user of 11th level or higher. The room also contains a rack of bowls, tripods, rods, tongs, and other equipment. A locked cabinet stands against the east wall; it contains racks of vials, all empty except for three. One contains a liquid that smells strongly of formaldehyde and is poisonous (save vs. poison or take 4 - 16 hp damage). The other two are potions of undead control, one for ghasts and one for zombies. The guardian familiar will not object if the party takes these. 41. Barrows (CH: 10, IL: none) All these rooms are round and have round stone slabs 10 in diameter and 2 thick in the center of them. These stones are seals for pit graves; only the top 6 inches of each stone can be seen. Each was emplaced by magic (wall of stone, stone shape), and they are not movable by normal (nonmagical) means, due to their weight and the fact that they are partially merged with the surrounding stone. The stones are marred with claw marks obviously the undead have tried to pry them up. Under each one is a shaft 10-20 deep, divided into 2 sections by tough wicker partitions. Each section contains the remains of either a warrior or a druid. They have been buried with their weapons, armor, and holy symbols. None of these are magical, and they have been buried too long to be of any use. 41a. A coffer corpse lies flat on its back in this room (HD 2, hp 13, AC 8, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, CE, cause fear). It will attack. 41b. This room has a group of four ghouls (HD 2, hp 8-11, AC 6, MV 9, #AT 3, DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6, CE, cause paralysis) and three ghasts (HD 4, hp 15-20, AC 4, MV 15, #AT 3, DAM 1- 4/1-4/1-8, CE, cause paralysis, stench) who are trying to pry up the sealing stone in this room. They will attack. 41c. This room is empty. 41d. Five zombies stand around in this room (HD 2, hp 6-13, AC 8, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 1-8, N). They will attack any intruders. 41e. One monster zombie (an ogre) lurks in here (HD 6, hp 30, AC 6, MV 9, #AT 1, DAM 4-16, N). It will attack intruders. 41f. An unusually powerful wight (HD 6, hp 40, AC 3, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM 4-1 1 or 1-4 plus life drain, LE) staggers around the room here. It was once the huntsman warlord, who entered the barrows looking for the missing high priest and wound up as an undead; the wight that killed him was slain in the fight, so the warlord is now free-willed. The warlord is still wearing his chain mail + 2 and is armed with a sword + 3. He will attack anyone he sees, maddened at his condition. He is crying the name of the high priest (Gershus Koch) in hopes that the priest will help him. 41g. This room is empty. 41h. Four wights lurk here (HD 4, hp 15-20, AC 5, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM 1- 4, LE, life drain). They will attack, 41i. This room has two wights in it (HD 4, hp 19 and 22, AC 5, MV 12, #AT 1, DAM 1-4, LE, life drain). They will attack. 42. Entrance shrine (CH: 20) IL: continual light in ceiling) The light keeps the undead away from this room. It appears to be a ruined shrine. In the center of the room is an altar marred with claw marks. Seated comfortably on top of it is what appears to be a small, immature kobold. It is actually a boggart (HD 6, hp 32, AC -6, MV 18, #AT 1, DAM 2-12, CE, causes confusion). If it is surprised, it will attack with its electrical charges. If not, it will turn, grin at the party, and begin its confusion attack. The three alcoves in this room each have a toppled, broken-up statue in them. Characters inspecting the rubble notice that the statues were of beautiful, robed women carved in white stone. The double doors behind the altar are wizard locked at the 11th level. 43. Hall of Life (CH: 20) IL: 38 braziers) This room is menacingly evil in appearance. The white marble walls were recently painted black, as were the two double rows of columns. The columns now resemble twisted, withered, and blackened trees. D RAGON 51
Each one has a brazier hanging from it that burns with blood-red flame. At the southern end of the room is a 10 -diameter black marble platform, 1 high. This was the other end of the two-way teleporter that once connected with room 18. At the northern end of the vast hall is a semicircular pool filled with blood; it is 30 in diameter and 3 deep. Four more treelike columns line it, equipped with flaming braziers. In the center of the blood pool, against the wall and up on a pedestal out of the pool, is a black stone statue of Arawn, grim-faced, wearing an iron crown and holding a club. The statue radiates magic and is fixed in place. Two stone obelisks, one on each side of the statue, stand against the wall; each one is 1 x 3 x 6 in size. They are blocking the flow of the Water of Life, the sacred spring water that used to flow in place of the Blood River. This pool is the source of the Blood River. Volumes of liquid are constantly being teleported from this pool to room 7, using a special spell devised by the druids who once lived here. Any large volume of liquid spilled into the pool will be teleported to the area by the altar in room 7, where it will then flow out of the temple. A slight leakage of water may be detected around both obelisks. If they are removed (requiring a bend bars roll for each, one attempt per hour per person), the spring water will gush forth, washing away sufficient blood for the PCs to see a small decanter lying at the bottom of the pool. Fresh blood is pouring out of the decanter at a rate of five gallons per round. This item has the basic characteristics of a decanter of endless water, with the obvious difference described above. The decanter can be stoppered; fortunately, it has its stopper lying next to it. Once the decanter of blood has been stoppered and the blood has been washed away (taking 6 turns), the Water of Life will act as a restoration spell and heal 2-20 points of damage for anyone who drinks it or bathes in it. This will work one time per character only. The Torc of the Gods is hidden on the statue of Arawn. If the characters pour the Water on the statue, an amazing transformation takes place. The black stone first becomes gray and then white. Its form writhes and warps. It becomes softer, slender, curved and graceful the form of a beautiful woman carved in white stone. Ringed around her neck is the Torc of the Gods, which can easily and safely be removed by a neutral character. It will not budge for an evil or good one. As the statue changes form, the appearance of the rest of the room changes as well. The black walls become white, and the columns become real wood and put out leaves they are actual living trees. The flames go out and soft pearly light in the room radiates from the statue itself. In addition, the teleport platform is now returned to its original purpose. Anyone stepping on it will be teleported to room 18, and vice versa. 52 OCTOBER 1985
44. The undead cauldron (CH: 10, IL: none) The door to this room is unlocked and there are no traps (except for the cauldron). The north and south walls are draped with two large tapestries of a grey star on a black background. On a platform at the western end of the room is the undead cauldron. It is an ordinary-looking iron cauldron, 3 in diameter and rather battered and stained with blood. It strongly radiates both magic and evil. All living creatures who go within 5 of it feel an icy chill go through them. Good beings who touch it take 2-8 points of damage, no save, from frostbite. Special enchantments have reduced the cauldrons weight to only 50 gp, though it is bulky to carry. The corpse of a mortal creature placed in the cauldron will emerge as a random undead monster, under the control of the cauldrons current owner. The undead type will be one with a corporeal, physical form, and less than 7 HD. A living creature who enters the cauldron must save vs. death magic at -4, or its soul or life force will be devoured and forever gone. Those who make the save will take 2-8 points of damage and lose two life levels. The cauldron has a magical link with the Negative Material Plane. Those who try to possess it will quickly turn evil, if they were not already. Eventually, the possessor of it will, by a DM-arranged accident or his own cauldron-influenced desire, become undead himself. The cauldron can only be destroyed by washing it in the Waters of Life. The cauldron was brought here by the high priest, who planned to use it to create his personal undead army. When his plans to turn into a lich failed, the cauldron simply remained here and collected dust. This room was once a place of worship for the druids. 45. Barrow of the high priest (CH: 10, IL: none) On a platform against the east wall is a large, thronelike stone chair. Seated in it is a rotted, robed skeleton, slumped as if in death. Its jaws gape open in a hideous grin, and its eye sockets are pits of blackness. One taloned bone hand weakly clutches the handle of a large mace. This is all that remains of the high priest, who tried and failed to turn himself into a lich. He was an 12th-level cleric/11th-level magic-user. His soul has gone on to its punishment, but his undead body remains, possessing all the physical characteristics of a lich, but none of the mental ones. Scattered about the room is the high priests treasure, consisting of 7,600 cp, 5,000 sp, 2,200 gp, 345 pp, 10 gems worth 100 gp each, a potion of animal control, a wand of polymorphing with 6 charges left, a staff of striking with 8 charges left, and a sword + 2. If the corpse or its treasure is disturbed, the corpse will animate and attack. (Semi-lich: HD 10, hp 60, AC 0, MV 6, #AT 1, DAM 1-10, + 1 or better weapon to hit, immune to charm, sleep, enfeeblement, cold, insanity, and death magic, turned by clerics as a ghost.) priesthood and all the huntsmen will panic Being mindless, the corpse is immune to all and flee upon beholding the returning waillusion/phantasm and enchantment/charm ter. The priests who are caught will be spells. Once animated, the corpse will fight imprisoned and sacrificed by NPC druids in until destroyed. a major cleansing ceremony designed to Scattered papers on the floor, written by the high priest before he died, describe his plans to become a lich and rule an army and nation of undead. The high priest was not insane; he was a very calculating, deterrestore the Tor to its old state. Any huntsmen and orcs captured will also be executed; the NPC druids will point out religious justification for such actions. The Water of Life, flowing in its original chanmined man who made only one mistake. nel, will soon make the land green again. The surviving druids from Dungaelen will Conclusion With the release of the Water of Life, the power of the Tor is broken. Most of the return to the Valley of the Earth Mother. The power of the torc will liberate Dungaelen. The old druid there is of sufficient power to wield it, and he will cause the assault to fail miserably by using his D RAGON 53
entangling powers and other spells. If the PCs assist him, the whole battle may be played out by the DM and players using the BATTLESYSTEM Supplement rules. About 470 orcs will be involved in the assault on the town, which is defended by 260 humans with only moderate arms and armor. The DM should detail the rest of the orcish and Dungaelen forces as desired. Huntsman The huntsman NPC class may be used for devising opponents for the player characters involved in a long-term campaign in this area. Because the class is evil-aligned and offers little variation from the standard ranger class, it is not recommended for use as a PC class. FREQUENCY: Rare NO. APPEARING: 2-12 ARMOR CLASS: By armor type MOVE: 12 HIT DICE: 2 and up % IN LAIR: Variable TREASURE TYPE: M, Q NO. OF ATTACKS: 1, 3/2, or 2 (as per weapon and level) DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type SPECIAL ATTACKS: Surprises on 1-3 SPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised on 1 MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard INTELLIGENCE: Average to genius ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil SIZE: M PSIONIC ABILITY: Possible in special individuals Attack/Defense Modes: Possible in special individuals Huntsmen are humans of an anti-ranger class. They have the tracking skills of a ranger of equivalent level, and the surprise and magic-user spell-casting abilities of one as well. No druidic spells may be cast, and no special followers of any sort are gained. Huntsmen may employ scrying devices at 10th level as rangers do. Their attacks per round, experience-point and hit-dice tables, saving throws, and so forth are otherwise the same as rangers, though they have no level titles. A huntsman gains a + 1 bonus to hit against all human, demi-human, and humanoid opponents for every three levels of ability the huntsman possesses. Hunstmen oppose all that rangers stand for: they hunt for sport, destroy things of nature, lay waste to good communities, and support evil humanoids. They especially hate rangers, druids, elves, and elf-like beings, and will attack them in preference over other opponents. Huntsmen are often found in the service of evil clerics, particularly those who worship death gods. They act as guards and as hunters for the strongholds food supply. They enjoy fighting as much as hunting and seldom need check morale. The huntsmen in the Tor are dark-haired human males, clad in brown or black 54 OCTOBER 1985 leather armor. All of them worship Arawn. They frequently wear hoods made of the heads of predatory animals, wolves and wildcats being favorites. No limit exists on the number of huntsmen who may gather in any one spot, though their rarity ensures that such gatherings are few. Danaan, the Earth Mother The following information on the Earth Mother has been slightly modified from the original article in which it appeared (Tuatha De Danaan, DRAGON issue #65). Under no circumstances will this deity (or any other) appear in this adventure. The statistics may be useful for campaign play, however. ARMOR CLASS: -4 MOVE: 12 HIT POINTS: 400 NO. OF ATTACKS: Nil DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spells and devices SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spells and devices MAGIC RESISTANCE: 80% SIZE: M (6 tall) ALIGNMENT: Neutral WORSHIPERS ALIGN: Neutral SYMBOL: Wreath of mistletoe PLANE: Concordant Opposition CLASS ABILITIES: 23rd-level druid, 30th-level magic-user, 15th-level bard PSIONIC ABILITY II S: 19 I: 25 W: 25 D: 20 C: 25 CH: 24 CO: 26 Danaan is the queen and ruler of all the Celtic deities, though her worship is not widely practiced. She appears as a mature, beautiful woman with auburn hair and leafgreen eyes, cloaked in white robes and garlanded with mistletoe and oak leaves. Danaans motherly aspect makes her sympathetic to all living things, especially young beings like saplings, baby animals, and children. In her dual role as the Goddess of Magic, she can animate trees, stones, and sods of earth to fight for her by turning them into armed soldiers. From 10- 100 such soldiers will be created each round within a 10 radius around her, each man wearing leather armor, using a shield (AC 7), and being 6th level. These men are variously armed with spears, short swords, and hand axes, and will fight until Danaan says otherwise. Danaan can summon the Wild Hunt once per day, which will appear in the evening of that particular day. She often carries a magical staff that has the spell-casting powers of a 12th-level druid and 12th-level magic-user. Around her neck, she wears a Torc of the Gods (see the Legends & Lore book, page 30). Both men and women may become priests of Danaan, but only women may achieve 12th level or higher in her cult. Priests wear white robes and leave their heads uncovered; leather armor may be worn in battle, but it should be dyed white. The day of the new moon is Danaans monthly holy day, and sacrifices of animals are made to her in a grove consecrated to her. The Torc of the Gods The Legends & Lore volume describes a typical torc as a ornamental neck ring. Certain torcs are given magical protective powers, such protection + 1, and are often encrusted with jewels and made from precious metals. A Torc of the Gods is a special torc imparted with the power to allow its wearer to shapechange without limit and to cast a polymorph others spell once per round when the wearer chooses, except when in shapechanged form. This kind of torc is always made of precious, rare metals and has a large gem of any type mounted on the front. The gem must be worth at least 5,000 gp. The Torc of the Gods at the Tor has several additional powers. It allows the wearer to function as a 10th-level druid if he is below that level, adding the capability to cast the extra spells after the torc is worn for a full month. In addition, the torc will cause all vegetation within a 240-yard radius of the wearer to attack any targets the wearer designates as per the entangle spell. This power may be used once per day. However, the torcs spell-increasing and entangling powers will only function if the wearer dedicates himself to the restoration and preservation of the druids temple at the Tor. The wearer must give up all adventuring so long as he possesses the torc, or else he must give the torc to another druid who will carry on the task. Taking the torc with the intent to use it on adventuring, or hiding the torc without giving it to another druid, is cause for divine punishment; the DM may cause the offending druid to lose all spell-casting powers until such time as he makes amends. Note that a PC druid who keeps the torc may do so with the willing permission of the NPC druids in the area, regardless of the level of the possessor so long as he agrees to stay and protect the druids temple. The torc at the Tor grants its wearer protection + 2. It has a gold piece value of 50,000 gp, but confers no experience point value since it is considered to be a relic. Further reading The editors recommend the following books for those who are interested in developing a Celtic campaign derived from this adventure. Stonehenge Decoded, Gerald S. Hawkins, Dell Publishing Co., New York, 1968. If youve wondered how a bunch of stone blocks could serve as an advanced astronomical observatory, read this. The Druids, Stuart Piggot, Penguin Books, London, 1968. An excellent resource text for those wondering what druids really did.
BETRAYED! Intrigue and adventure for 4-8 player characters Designed by Jim Bengtson This AD&D® adventure is designed for a group of 4-8 characters of levels 3-5. Parties having lower-level members should have more adventurers than upper-level parties. The group should include a ranger and at least one cleric or druid. Players background You are in the city of Gurdikar, at the southern tip of the Palim Mountains. Situated on the trade road between the dwarven city of Galantor and the gnome kingdom of Oparan, the free city of Gurdikar is governed by the powerful Council of Merchants. After a week of enjoying the citys pleasures (and emptying your money pouches), your party is approached by a man who introduces himself as Eskan Colnet. He tells you that he needs the aid of a group of brave and honest adventurers, and you agree to hear his story. First, I must caution you to tell no one what I tell you now, he says. There are those in Gurdikar who would kill to stop you from aiding me. I am brother to Kallan Colnet, master of the House of Colnet. We are a relatively small merchant house, engaged in the spice trade, but thanks to some good business deals we are becoming quite successful. Recently, though, our shipments of spice have been stolen with alarming regularity. Our caravans are found, burned and shattered, with the guards slain and the spice gone. This brings me to my current problem, which concerns my nephew, Brannod Colnet. Three weeks ago, Brannod went on a camping trip up into the mountains to celebrate a reunion, of sorts, with his friend Vasil Volenta, of the House of Volenta. The House of Colnet and the House of Volenta have had good relations for many years, though things have cooled between us for business reasons. Brannod and Vasil have been friends since childhood, though they, too, have not been very close lately. When Vasil contacted Brannod and asked him to spend a few days in his company, as in the old days, Brannod was pleased to accept. But Vasil Volenta returned alone a few days later, bruised and battered. He told us that a rockslide had buried Brannod and his escort, killing them all. He alone escaped, because he had been riding out ahead of the group. He led us to the spot and showed us the remains of the escort, buried under tons of rock. Looters had stripped the area of 44 JANUARY 1986 any useful or valuable items. Wild animals had apparently been at the remains; the bodies that could be identified were all escorts from the camping group, but Brannods body was not found. We resigned ourselves to our loss and began mourning when, a week later, we received a note, by courier, from a member of Brannods escort still alive! He was at a small village to the north. He claimed that the group had been ambushed by orcs, and that Vasil was responsible. The orcs seemed to know which among the group was Brannod, and captured him after a brief fight. This man escaped by feigning death when he was injured-and then crawling into some nearby bushes. After the surviving guardsmen were herded away, boulders were hurled down upon the caravan to make it appear that the group was hit by a landslide. The guardsman said he saw a man standing at the top of the hill from which the boulders were thrown, but the man was not a giant. Perhaps he had the strength of a giant. The orcs led their captives east through the valley. The guardsmans wounds were not serious, as it turned out; a broken ankle was the worst of his problems. He was able to find a pack horse that escaped the landslide, and he made his way southwest to the nearest village, where he received help. My brother and I are convinced of this mans -honesty, but we need more than the word of a simple mercenary before accusing the House of Volenta of being connected with the raid on Brannods party. I want you to go into the mountains and find evidence of Vasils treachery, and to see if Brannod yet lives. If you are successful, my brother and I will richly reward you. Specifically, Eskan offers the party a mace of disruption, a rope of climbing, and a ring of warmth as rewards. However, these items cannot be received before the mission is completed, under any circumstances. Brannod must be returned (or his remains brought back) along with his killers alive, if at all possible before the party can claim the rewards. (If the PCs bring back extra prisoners, they may be entitled to an additional reward.) If the PCs accept Eskans offer, he gives them a map of the Palim Mountains (the Players Map; see page 53) marking the location of valleys, villages, and forts, and showing where the ambush occurred. They also receive a pouch containing 100 gp for outfitting expenses. Notes to the DM Brannod Colnet is still alive, the captive of a firbolg giant in the pay of the House of Volenta. This giant is also responsible for the stolen spice shipments that have plagued the House of Colnet. The giant often maintains his diminutive form to further the impression that he is a normal human with abnormal strength. Though he is quite powerful, a determined and clever party of low-level characters should be able to take on him and his allies and win though the going will certainly be rough. This adventure takes place in the Palim Mountains, which may be located on the DMs campaign maps (and renamed) if used as part of an ongoing campaign. These mountains are thickly forested with mixed deciduous and coniferous trees. Because of the very rough terrain, characters are only able to move 1½ miles (3 hexes on the large-scale map) per hour through the mountains. This roughly corresponds to the figures listed for very rugged terrain on the outdoor movement tables in the DMG, p. 58. Occasionally, characters may find a path zigzagging across the face of a mountainside (such as near encounter area 1l), but travel on such a path does not make movement easier: The only way to move faster than 3 hexes per hour is to stay in the valleys (see below). The party has 8 hours of daylight by which to travel, plus an hour of partial darkness at dawn and another hour at dusk. in Both random and set encounters appear this part of the Palim Mountains. Some of the encounters are dangerous, while some may be very helpful to the party. Some, such as the werewolf (encounter area 11) and the giant (encounter area 1), require careful handling. Valley encounters Travel through the valleys is at the rate of 2 miles (4 hexes) per hour. Encounters in the valleys differ from those in the mountains around them. Check for valley encounters using the table below, rolling for morning, night, and pre-dawn times. Dice Encounter 01-30 No encounter 31-40 5-10 wolves (HD 2 + 2, AC 7, MV 18, #AT 1, DAM 2-5) 41-60* 2-5 hunters from the nearest village; 1st-level fighters, AC 10, MV 12, armed with spears and short bows
61-74* Patrol from the nearest fort; ten 1stlevel fighters, AC 7 (leather and shield), MV 12, armed with long swords and spears; and, one 3rdlevel fighter as leader, AC 7 (leather and shield), MV 9, armed with long sword and 2 daggers 75-90 1-2 poisonous snakes (HD 2 + 1, AC 6, MV 15, #AT 1, DAM 1 plus poison for 3-12) 91-00 2-5 giant ticks (HD 3, AC 3, MV 3, #AT 1, DAM 1-4 plus blood drain of 1-6 hp/round) * For night encounters, a die roll of 41-74 indicates 3-6 orcs from Gadors Hall (see encounter area 1, room 16). Mountain encounters If the player characters leave the valleys, the encounters they have will change, though most are non-aggressive. Check the following table for mountain encounters at morning, night, and pre-dawn times. Dice Encounter 01-10 1-2 eagles, flying over adjacent hex (60%) or same hex (40%) (HD 1+3, AC 6, MV 1/30, #ATT 3, DAM 1-2/1-2/1-2) 11-25 1-4 giant ants (workers), foraging 5-20 away from party (HD 2, AC 3, MV 18, #ATT 1, DAM 1-6) 26-35 1-2 falcons, flying over adjacent hex (60%) or same hex (40%) (HD l-l, AC 5, MV 1/36, #ATT 3, DAM 1/1/1) 36-45 1 ram, 4-16 away (HD 2, AC 6, MV 15, #ATT 1, DAM 1-2 plus charge damage, if any) 46-60 2-8 huge ravens, flying over adjacent hex (60%) or same hex (40%) (HD 1-1, AC 6, MV 1/27, #ATT 1, DAM 1-2 plus eye attack) 61-65 1 skunk, 2-8 away (HD ¼, AC 8, MV 12, #ATT 1, DAM 1 plus musk squirt) 66-00 No encounter If a ranger searches for tracks, he will find only signs of small game unless within 2 hexes (1 mile) of a set encounter, in which case he may find signs of that encounter. If a speak with animals spell is used on local wildlife, the party will receive only very vague information on nearby encounters. No animal knows of the basilisk (those that did are now stone statues), and most animals know of a nice man (the hermit) who lives around here. All animals dislike the brutal orcs. Villages and forts The villages located around the perimeter of the Palim Mountains are small, usually consisting of no more than 10-30 peasant families each. The residents know next to nothing of the mountains, other than that it is dangerous to go wandering about there. The surviving guardsman is at the village marked on the Players Map. If the player characters seek him out, he will repeat what he told Eskan in the note, with the following additional details. The man who buried the escort with boulders had a long black beard and carried a two-handed sword. He dressed in brown clothing. Vasil Volenta seemed very friendly with him, calling him something that sounded like Bator. If questioned further, the guardsman will admit that he did not see the man actually throw the boulders. The man walked into view moments after the last boulder crashed down upon the remains of the escort. Vasil and the man then shouted to each other and parted, the orcs and their captives leaving with the strong man. The guardsmans broken ankle prevents him from accompanying the party. Besides, he wishes to return to Gurdikar after a few more days of rest and recuperation. The forts are the bases for patrols of provincial troops, which go out regularly into the Palim Mountains. Log palisades around the forts provide protection from wild animals, but they would quickly fall before siege equipment. The population of each keep consists of a 40-man garrison of O-level fighters, who are commanded by a 5th-level fighter assisted by two 3rd-level fighters. Both keeps have trading posts, where PCs can stock up on most common items found in the Players Handbook (at a 10% higher price). Each fort also has a small chapel, where a 5th-level cleric cares for the spiritual and physical well-being of the soldiers and nearby villagers. None of the soldiers will agree to join the party if approached, and the 0-level fighters will not give information to strangers. However, if the commander or one of his assistants is bribed, he will tell the party some or all of the following facts: The Palim Mountains are home to a basilisk and groups of rock reptiles, bowlers, and cave fishers, but no one is sure where their lairs are located. The mountains also contain bands of orcs, of varying numbers, liable to pop up anywhere, and somewhere among the peaks is the home of a wealthy hermit who occasionally comes to the fort to buy supplies. Encounter area 1: Gadors Hall Rangers and elves have a 2-in-6 chance of spotting Gadors Hall from the valley floor, 4-in-6 if they are actively looking for it. They will see a faint path on one side of the valley leading up the mountainside. The path ends at a house built into the mountainside, with attached stables. Smoke drifts from the chimney. A pair of very large double doors are on the south end of the building, with a large brass knocker on each door. The double doors are made of solid oak (a successful bend bars/lift gates roll is required to force them open). They are 10 tall and are locked. If characters attempt to force the doors open, there is a 20% cumulative chance per round that the noise will be noticed, and Gador will meet the characters in his human form (see scenario 2 below). Hidden above the doorframe (easily spotted if characters climb up to look) is a key that will open the door. Gador keeps it there as a spare. If the door is opened quietly (by using a silence spell, a knock spell, or the key), then use scenario 1 below. The floors of Gadors Hall are cut from stone. The ceiling in rooms 1-5 is 20 high and only 14 high elsewhere. All double doors are 12 tall, but single doors are of normal height (7). Room 1: Main Hall Scenario 1: This large room is lit by oil lanterns hanging from the ceiling. A large table dominates the room. It is surrounded by 15 chairs, the one at the head very much larger than the others. A haunch of meat is roasting over the coals in a fireplace off to one side. Paintings of mountain scenery hang on the walls. The doors are locked and untrapped. Twelve paintings, worth 10-40 gp each, hang on the walls. Check on the following random encounter table once per turn that the PCs remain in this room. Die roll Encounter 1 Gador, in giant form, from corridor 2 2-3 Brunnel, from corridor 13 (through secret door) 4-6 1-4 orcs, from corridor 13 (through secret door) 7-11 No encounter 12 Double encounter roll twice, using d6 die Scenario 2: The door is opened by a man dressed in servants robes, a sheathed longsword at his side. Behind him, beside a large table, stands a big bearded man dressed in leather, his hands on a sheathed two-handed sword. The man at the door is Brunnel (see room 15 for statistics), while Gador, in human form, waits by the table (see room 3 for statistics). Orcs are watching through a peephole in the secret door, and they will rush to defend Gador if the party attacks. If the characters have spoken with the injured guardsman at the village, they will notice that Gador (because of his beard and clothing) resembles the man whom the guard saw appear after the landslide. Gador will try to use trickery to fool and capture the party, hoping to make them think he is a friendly but eccentric hermit. If the party members are not hostile, Gador will greet them in a friendly manner and, after finding out the partys task, will offer to help out. He claims to know where a band of orcs may be hiding, and he promises to lead them there the following morning. In the meantime, he invites them to stay in his home as his guests. If the characters accept Gadors hospitality, they will be served food and drink conDRAGON 4 5
46 JANUARY 1986
taining delayed-action sleep poison. When the PCs go to sleep for the night in the guest rooms (8, 9, and 10), they will drop into total unconsciousness. While they are in this condition, Gador will strip the PCs of all their possessions except the clothes they are wearing and toss them into cells (rooms 17, 18, and 20), where they will awaken in 2-5 hours. (If possible, split the party up into cells in such a way that the treasures hidden in each cell can be put to the best use by the characters.) Gador will put the PCs magical possessions (if any) in a chest in room 5 and their normal possessions in room 22. Room 2: Corridor The corridor is dark, but a light can be seen under the doors at the far end. The ceiling is 20 high. Room 3: Gadors living room This room is lit by oil lamps suspended from the ceiling. Several bearskin rugs cover the floor, and couches line the walls. A small fire burns in a fireplace, and paintings of mountain scenery hang on the walls. There is a bar in one corner of the room. Gador, the renegade firbolg giant, will be encountered here (if not met elsewhere already) when the party enters this room. His statistics are as follows: HD 13 + 7, hp 55, AC 2, MV 15, #ATT 1, DAM by weapon type (+10). Gador has the following spell-like powers, which he can use one per round when not in melee combat: detect magic, diminution (as the potion, with double effect and double maximum duration), fools gold, forget, and alter self. He can also bat away projectiles (such as arrows) with a free hand, twice per round, on a roll of 6 or better on a d20. Gador is chaotic neutral and greatly dislikes humans. He enjoys the idea of raiding caravans, even if he doesnt use the treasures he gets from them. Gador uses his two-handed sword with both hands when in human form, but he needs to hold it with only one hand when in giant form. Gador only possesses his +10 bonus to damage in his giant form (10½ tall). Gador also has a figurine of wondrous power, a golden lion. If forced to fight, he first invokes the lion and has it attack any magic-users while he takes on the fighters. If Gador is slain, the lion reverts to its statuette form. In animal form, the lion has HD 5 + 2, AC 5/6, MV 12, #ATT 3, DAM 1-4/1-4/1-10 plus rake for 2-7/2-7 if forepaws hit, surprised only on a 1. If encountered at night, Gador is 60% likely to be very drunk. In such a case, he attacks at -5 to hit and has 58 hit points, due to his greatly intoxicated state. If Gador is encountered while drunk, there is a 10% chance that he will have passed out, but if any damage is inflicted upon him, he will awaken and begin to fight drunkenly. Eight kegs of ale are stacked behind the bar. Hidden in a secret compartment in the bar are 30 bottles of a very good wine. In the room may also be found six paintings valued at 10-40 gp each and five bearskin rugs worth 50 gp each. The bottles of wine would bring a price of 20 gp apiece from a connoisseur. In his pocket Gador keeps a set of keys that open all the doors and chests throughout the Hall. Room 4: Gadors library This room is obviously a library, with bookshelves lining two walls and maps and paintings covering the other two walls. A pair of large desks and a large table stand in the center of the carpeted floor. The room is illuminated by two oil lamps hanging from the ceiling. The doors are unlocked and not trapped. Gador is very interested in maps and books on distant lands. Most of the 125 books in the library deal with geography and history. Of the five maps hanging on the walls, only one is familiar to the characters; it is essentially identical to the Players Map. Reading the books may give the characters some hints about legends that may be expanded into later adventures. The maps and books are worth 5-20 gp apiece to a collector, but the bulk and quantity of these books will probably not make the effort of transporting them or shipping them worth the while. Room 5: Gadors bedroom This bedroom obviously belongs to a very large person, judging by the size of the bed. It is 12 long and 8 wide, and it is covered with furs. In one corner of the room is a closet, while a desk and large chest are along another wall. A very large painting of mountain scenery hangs over the bed. The room is lit by a hanging oil lamp, and another oil lamp sits on the desk. The doors are locked but untrapped. The closet contains spare cloaks, boots, and clothing for someone of about 11 in height. In a locked drawer of the desk is a contract signed by Vasil Volenta, agreeing to pay Gador 750 gp for holding Brannod Colnet captive (so that he can be used for a surprise ransom demand later on). Another contract agrees to pay Gador 500 gp per mission for hijacking shipments bearing the mark of the House of Colnet. This is all the proof the party needs of Volentas involvement in the crimes. Also in the desk is a paper showing the expected routes and dates of shipments for the House of Colnet, which Kellan and Eskan can use to identify the spy in their merchant house. In the chest (which is locked) will be any magic items and money previously taken from the party, as well as the following: a pouch containing five 100 gp gems; a small, finely crafted wooden box (50 gp) containing a silver stick-pin with a diamond head (1000 gp) and a gold necklace (1100 gp); a green potion of fire resistance; a green potion of flying, a yellow potion of healing, 4,840 electrum pieces; and 6,510 gold pieces. There are 15 furs on the bed, worth 5 gp each, and the painting is worth 75 gp to a collector. Room 6: Corridor The corridor is lit by torches in holders spaced 10 feet apart. Room 7: Kitchen This room, obviously a kitchen, has a large oven, several counters, and cupboards over the counters. A blood-stained chopping block in one corner has a large meat cleaver stuck into its top surface, and a solid oak trap door is set into the floor in another corner of the room. This room is lit by two oil lamps bolted to the walls. This is where Brunnel (see room 15 for statistics) prepares meals; he is here 25% of the time. The cupboards hold the usual dried herbs and preparations. The trap door leads down into a freezer (large blocks of ice line the walls) that holds the carcasses of three deer and one human (one of Brannods bodyguards, which Brunnel was planning to prepare as a reward for the orcs). The ice is maintained by a small ice toad (HD 5, AC 4, MV 9, #ATT 1, DAM 3-1 2 plus cold damage), which is fed on dinner scraps and useless prisoners. The toad has been trained by Gador not to attack him or orcs, and they can enter and leave the freezer at will. Other creatures are not so favored even Brunnel dares not enter the freezer. Nothing else is of value here. Room 8: Guest room This bedroom contains two large beds, a table, and two chests. The floor is carpeted, and an unlit oil lamp hangs from the ceiling. The door is unlocked, and the chests are unlocked and empty. Nothing of value is here. Rooms 9-12: Guest rooms Use the description for room 8, adding a few minor items here and there from the Dungeon Dressing Tables in the DMG, pp. 217-219. Room 13: Corridor There is a peephole in the secret door. The orc guard at point x is drowsy and bored, but will certainly notice anyone walking down the corridor from either direction, in which case he will yell an alarm to the orcs in room 16 and attack. If the party is imprisoned in rooms 17, 18, and 20, the guard will notice any attempt to kick the doors down, but he will not hear any whispered conversations or see a door being opened quietly. It is possible for a thief to sneak up on him from the cells, if a successful move silently roll is made. The orc (HD 1, AC 6, MV 9, #ATT 1, D battle axe) has the keys to rooms 17-22. Room 14: Storage Closet Shelves line the walls of this room, filled with various miscellaneous items such as blankets, tablecloths, and other household equipment. There are also three large barrels of oil. The room is dark, and nothing of particular value is here. DRAGON 4 7
Room 15: Brunnels room This room contains one bed, a desk, and a chest. The floor is carpeted, and a pair of crossed longswords are hung above the bed. The room is lit by an oil lamp bolted to one wall. If Brunnel has not been encountered elsewhere, it is 70% likely that hell be here. He is a half-orc, though he easily passes for human. A dwarf character has a 10% chance per turn, cumulative, of realizing that Brunnel is a half-orc. He is Gadors butler and cook, and he wears robes over his splint mail +1 to keep up appearances. He carries a longsword +2 beneath his robes. In the chest (to which Brunnel has the key) are 430 silver pieces. He also wears a silver ring worth 100 gp. Brunnel is a 3rd-level fighter (25 hp, AC 3, MV 9, lawful evil, STR 18(89), INT 13, WIS 13, DEX 14, CON 16, CHA 10). His combat adjustments are +3 to hit and +5 to damage from strength, or +5 to hit and +7 to damage with his swords bonuses. If the party was captured and had any magical armor or weapons better than his longsword, Brunnel will be employing them. Room 16: Barracks The walls of this room are lined with bunk beds, and a chest is at the head of each set of bunks. At the far end of the room is a fireplace and a table. There are 20 beds, and the area by the fireplace is used as a kitchen. This is where the orcs relax when not on guard duty or out causing havoc. The orcs will hear and respond to any alarm raised by the guard (see room 13), but they dont like Brunnel and will ignore any noise coming from his room. Because the door opens outward into the corridor, it is possible to block the door shut, trapping the orcs inside room 16. The chests are not locked and contain only spare clothing and miscellaneous items for the orcs (each HD 1, AC 6, MV 9, #ATT 1, D battle axe), plus a total of 63 copper pieces and 24 silver pieces. Room 17: Cell The stone floor here is covered with filthy straw, and the stench in the room is incredible. The door is solid oak, with a 1 square window of iron bars set into it about 5 off the ground. The room is lit only by the light shining from the hall through the bars in the door. A successful bend bars/lift gates roll is required to kick the door open. A fist-sized rock has fallen loose from the wall here and is lying under the straw in one corner. If thrown, its maximum range is 3, and it does 1-3 hp damage plus a chance of stunning its target equal to the throwers bend bars/lift gates figure. Room 18: Cell Use the general description for room 17. A half-dressed human skeleton lies in one corner; hidden in the heel of one of its boots is a set of lockpicks which will allow a thief the chance to pick the locks on the doors. 48 JANUARY 1986 Room 19: Cell Use the general description for room 17. There are seven humans in this room. One matches the description given of Brannod Colnet. All are bruised, filthy, and halfstarved, possessing nothing but the clothing on their backs. Brannod Colnet is a 1st-level thief with 5 hp, AC 10 (8 with DEX bonuses), MV 12, neutral alignment, STR 11, INT 15, WIS 13, DEX 16, CON 13, CHA 15. His chances of success at thieving skills are: PP 30%, OL 30%, F/RT 20%, MS 15%, H/S 10%, HN 10%, CW 85%. (In a city as full of intrigue and backstabbing as Gurdikar, it is only natural for members of the merchant families to pick up thieving skills.) The other six men in the cell are 0-level fighters (each 2-7 hp, AC 10, MV 12, neutral). They are loyal to Brannod alone. Room 20: Cell Use the general description for room 17. Under the straw in one corner of the room, carefully wedged into a crack in the stone floor, is a dagger of orcish manufacture. It may be found after two turns of searching the cell. Room 21: Cell Use the general description for room 17. The body of a dwarf lies in one corner, a worn metal belt buckle in one hand. On the wall beside it, scratched into the stone, is the following message in Common: Overheard guards armor, weapons in next room avenge me. This dwarf was captured a few days ago while wandering in the mountains. Brannod Colnet saw him being tossed into this cell, and he has seen orcs sneak into the cell every so often to beat the dwarf up. Yesterday he saw several drunken orcs enter the room and heard them kicking and beating the prisoner. After an hour, the orcs left, and no one has entered the room since. Room 22: Storeroom This unlit room is filled with crates and boxes. In one corner is a pile of armor, and on the wall above are racks holding assorted weapons. If the party was captured by Gador, their non-magical armor and weapons will be found here, except for any exceptional items which may have been claimed by Brunnel or an orc. The other weapons and armor were taken from Brannod Colnet, his group of escorts, and from other wanderers in the mountains. The major contents of the room include: 8 longswords 5 spears 23 daggers 3 suits of plate mail (man-sized) 8 suits of chain mail (man-sized) 3 suits of banded mail (man-sized) 1 suit of chain mail (dwarf-sized) 18 helmets (various sizes) 12 shields (various sizes) The 12 boxes and 23 crates display the mark of the House of Colnet and contain the missing spice shipments. The party will also find 5 barrels of ale, apparently from an earlier shipment. stolen Rooms 23-24: Stables Room 23 holds Gadors heavy war horse, while room 24 holds Brunnels light war horse. Gador can ride his horse only in his human-sized form. The horses will not attack unless attacked first. Chain barding, saddles, tack, and other gear are stored just inside the doors, while hay and oats are stored in the loft. (Heavy war horse: HD 3 + 3, AC 7, MV 15, #ATT 3, DAM 1-8/ 1-8/1-3; light war horse: HD 2, AC 7, MV 24, #ATT 2, DAM 1-4/1-4). The rest of these encounters lie scattered across the mountains, waiting for adventurers to discover them. Encounter area 2: Rock reptiles Two rock reptiles (HD 5 + 5, AC 3, MV 6, #ATT 1, DAM 1-4 + (5-12), chameleon powers, surprises on 1-3) have their lair here. They are very active at night but are dormant in daylight. Neither has any treasure yet. Encounter area 3: Rock reptiles A solitary rock reptile of the largest size (HD 5 + 12, 12 long, bites for 13-16 hp damage) lairs here. This rock reptile managed to catch a couple of orcs a few weeks ago, so it has acquired a little treasure (28 cp, 44 sp, dagger +1) that it keeps in its lair under an overhanging rock. Encounter area 4: Galeb duhr This location is noteworthy because the moderately steep slope here is covered with loose rock, unlike any of the area around it, and looks like a good place to climb if PCs are so inclined. At the top of the slope may be seen several large boulders. Anyone who tries to climb the 30-foot slope up to the large boulders must make a roll of dexterity or less on d20 to avoid slipping and causing a small rockslide. A character who fails this roll will slide back down the face of the slope, suffering 2-12 points of damage from falling debris. One of the boulders at the top of the slope is actually a galeb duhr (HD 8, AC -2, MV 6, #ATT 2, DAM 2-16, various magic spells for attack and defense, various resistances vs. attacks). The galeb duhr knows Gador is a giant and the hermit is a spellcaster. If it likes the party (reaction roll, DMG, p. 63), or if the party gives it a gift, it will give them limited information or advice. It will not engage in combat unless the PCs are foolish enough to attack it first. Encounter area 5: Cyclopskin This remote valley is the home of a family of cyclopskin. It is 65% likely that the three largest cyclopskin (from room 4) will be out hunting and will return in 1-6 hours. If so, the party has a 20% non-cumulative chance per hex (while within 2 hexes of the path) of meeting them. Rangers and elves have a 2-in-6 chance of spotting the cave,
4-in-6 if they are actively searching for noteworthy features. The cyclopskin are implacably hostile toward all humans. Room 1: Entrance tunnel The tunnel ends at a large wooden door, which is unlocked. Room 2: Main room A small fire burns in the middle of this cavern; a small iron kettle is suspended over it. A giant, one-eyed woman (7 tall) sits nearby, stirring the contents of the kettle. A giant child (5 tall) sits against the far wall, playing with some bones. (Female cyclopskin: HD 5, AC 3, MV 12, #ATT 1, D club, +2 on damage. Young cyclopskin: HD 2 + 2, AC 4, MV 12, #ATT 1, D fists for 1-4.) Room 3: Womens cave Rough hides hang on the walls here. A torch burns on the far wall, providing some light. In a pile of furs in one corner lies a female cyclopskin, who awakens if PCs do not enter silently. (Female cyclopskin: HD 5, AC 3, MV 12, #ATT 1, D club, +2 on damage. The hides are worth about 5 cp apiece. Room 4: Mens cave 6 + special). Each bowler has a base 10 gp A large pile of smelly furs lies in the gem in its center. middle of the cavern. If the male cyclopskin are not out hunting, they will be in here. Encounter area 8: Bowlers Each has HD 5, AC 3, MV 12, #ATT 1, This encounter area is similar to area 7, D clublike morning star, +2 on damage. except that 5 bowlers inhabit this area. Under the furs are 6 gems worth 100 gp each. Encounter area 9: Bowlers This encounter area is similar to area 7, Room 5: Childrens cave except that 4 bowlers live here. The remains A pile of ragged furs are piled in one of two orcs may also be found here; one of corner of the cave. Sitting on the furs are them clutches a pouch with 22 gp inside. two young cyclopskin. Each has HD 2 + 2, AC 4, MV 12, #ATT 1, D fists for 1-4. Encounter area 10: Basilisk If the PCs enter of the hexes at the edges Room 6: Storeroom of this area, each member of the party has a Crude shelves have been cut out of the 25% chance of discovering a crude wooden stone walls here. Dried leaves and grasses sign in the bushes nearby. The sign is letline the shelves, along with roots and other tered in Common and reads: DANGER! DO food. Behind a pile of dried leaves is a glass NOT ENTER! DANGEROUS MONSTER! Patrols vial containing a yellow potion of extra- from the forts try to keep these signs posted healing, the cyclopskin know of its powers in plain sight, but occasionally the orcs from and will use it in an emergency. Gadors Hall (see encounter area 1) will ride by and tear them down. If the PCs Encounter area 6: Cave fisher continue to travel through this area Anything moving in this valley attracts (whether or not they see the sign) they will the attention of a cave fisher, which lairs notice that the valley is unnaturally quiet. 20 above a cliff, and has normal chances to Rock formations bearing uncanny resemsurprise. It has HD 3, AC 4, MV @1, blances to living creatures a rabbit, a #ATT 2, DAM 2-8/2-8 plus 60 adhesive deer, a bear will appear in the foliage. filament. The cave fisher has no treasure as This area is the lair and surrounding such, though the bones of many animals territory of a basilisk (HD 6 + 1, AC 4, MV (and a few orcs) may be found within one- 6, #ATT 1, DAM 1-10 plus petrification). half mile of it. There is a 60% chance that the basilisk is out sunning itself on the hot rocks, and Encounter area 7: Bowlers characters will have a 30% chance per hex This part of the slope is grassy, with few (cumulative) of encountering it. Its cave, in trees. At the top of the slope can be seen a the center of the valley, is behind some number of boulders. If any characters head rocks and vines, but can be easily spotted. up the slope, three of the boulders begin The tunnel leading to the basilisks lair is rolling down the slope toward them. These about 80 long and opens into a chamber of are bowlers (each HD 1, hp 2-5, AC 4, MV roughly oval shape, 12 wide and 30 long. At the end of a winding path leading up this mountainside is a small, crudely built log cabin. The cabin is 10 × 15, with a dirt floor. The furniture consists of a table, a cot, and a locked chest containing 5 pelts (worth 3-6 gp each) and a pouch containing 12 ep and 35 cp. This is the home of Diren Belora, a hunter. He was recently infected with lycanthropy, and came here so he wouldnt harm anyone when the blood urge overpowered him; now hes chaotic evil and dangerous. He will be friendly toward the party and will try to get them to stay with him at his cabin until nightfall, when he can attack under darkness. He will not reveal his affliction to the party beforehand. If the party is within 4 hexes of the cabin when night falls, the werewolf will track them down and attack. It has HD 4 + 3, AC DRAGON 4 9 The little rock formations that litter the tunnel entrance are petrified animals (foxes, rabbits, etc.). At various places on the chamber floor are stone formations resembling men, orcs, and dwarves many of them chipped or broken. These are the petrified remains of intruders who were surprised by the basilisk while investigating its lair. Most of the statues have clothing or gear nearby; if all of the statues are searched thoroughly, the total treasure to be found in non-petrified pouches and backpacks includes 4,460 gp, 170 pp, a green potion of invisibility, a white potion of heroism, and a blue potion of healing. A cloak of protection +3 is wrapped around one statues shoulders. In the hand of another statue is a bone tube holding a cleric spell scroll containing dispel magic and protection from evil, 10 radius. Encounter area 11: Werewolf
5, MV 15, #ATT 1, DAM 2-8, +1 or better weapon needed to hit it (or silver weapon), surprises on 1-3. There is a 70% chance in the daytime that the werewolf (in human form) will be out hunting; if so, characters have a 20% non-cumulative chance per hex (while within 4 hexes of the cabin) of encountering him. Rangers and elves have a 2-in-6 chance of spotting the cabin from the valley floor, 4-in-6 if they are actively searching the mountainside for something noteworthy. Encounter area 12: Pedipalps This area is inhabited by a variety of huge pedipalps, three in number (each HD 2 + 2, AC 4, MV 9, #ATT 3, DAM 1-6/1- 6/1-8 plus gripping attack with automatic damage). The pedipalps, if surprised, will be seen waiting silently for animal prey to come by. Encounter area 13: Pedipalps See area 12. One huge pedipalp lurks here. An orcs dagger is stuck in one of its pincers, rendering the extremity useless (2 attacks only, for 1-6/1-8). Encounter area 14: Pedipalps See area 12. Four huge pedipalps roam here. Encounter area 15: Pedipalps See area 12. Two huge pedipalps hunt for prey in this area. In the recent past, one of them killed an cyclopskin which now lies in a gully where the two monsters lurk. The cyclopskin was carrying a sack containing three human-sized helmets, a 250 gp gemstone on a silver necklace, and a bone scroll case with a sheaf of illegible papers inside. Encounter area 16: Hermit These are several points at which the party may encounter the hermit who lives in these mountains. As the PCs travel into each area marked 16, each character in the group has a 5% chance of seeing a onearmed old man sitting among the trees to one side of the path, watching the group pass. The hermit will do nothing unless the party reacts violently, in which case he will use an entangle spell to slow the party down and then vanish among the trees by using a tree spell. If the party is friendly and respectful, he will say The caterpillar is in truth a butterfly. Everything may not be as it seems. Then he will walk into the forest and vanish among the trees. See encounter area 18 for more information on the hermit, who is a retired druid. If he has already been encountered and has delivered his warning, the hermit will remain hidden among the trees during further encounters. If the characters are having difficulty finding Gadors Hall, the DM may have the hermit direct them to the galeb duhr by remarking that the rocks have ears, too, and giving them directions to the galeb duhrs location. Encounter area 17: Rock pile The valley ahead is almost blocked by a large pile of boulders. Beneath some of the boulders can be seen pieces of bone, ripped cloth, and crushed armor. Orc and animal tracks are all around. This is where Gadors force ambushed Brannod Colnet and his escort. The boulders are too large and too heavy to move without a lot of effort. Encounter area 18: Hermits grove The crowded forest here opens up into a well-kept grove. There is a 75% chance that, unless he has been encountered elsewhere, the lone inhabitant of the grove is home. He is a one-armed old man who wanders among the trees, singing softly to himself in the tongue of the druids. The old man is Edmar Kantorna, a retired druid. He lost his left arm while adventuring in his youth. Unable to continue adventuring, he retired to the mountains to be close to nature. Practice has enabled him to cast spells with only one hand. Edmar Kantorna is a 5th-level druid (20 hp, AC 8, MV 12, uses a staff of the serpent (python) for attacks). He wears a ring of protection + 2. The loss of his arm does not affect Edmars ability to cast spells; when encountered be will be carrying the spells detect magic (x2), detect snares & pits (x2), entangle, speak with animals, barkskin, charm person or mammal, cure light wounds (x2), obscurement, and tree (x2). Edmar has a friend who is a large brown bear (HD 5 + 5, AC 6, MV 12, #ATT 3, DAM 1-6/1-6/1-8 plus hug). The bear will appear in 1 round whenever Edmar calls for it, and he will do so immediately if he is threatened or attacked. Edmar has complete and detailed knowledge of the entire region, including the locations of all the set encounters. He knows about Gador and his activities. If the party has been respectful of nature and treats him with respect, Edmar will share his knowledge with the party. He may, however, withhold some information to keep things interesting. Edmar lives comfortably in a cave, the entrance to which is hidden by a plant growth spell. The party will not be able to locate the cave without Edmars assistance or magical spells. Edmar keeps a small hoard of 573 gp, 423 sp, and 32 cp buried in the dirt floor of his cave. He would love to share the company of a fellow druid, and likes elves, half-elves, and rangers as well. Ending the adventure If the PCs rescue Brannod Colnet, the House of Colnet will give them the promised rewards. If the characters bring proof that the House of Volenta was behind the thefts, they will get an additional 2000 gp (total). If they bring back the stolen shipments, they will receive a finders fee of 1 sp per 1 gp value of the shipment (this works out to 5000 sp, or 250 gp). The city of Gurdikar will also award the PCs a bounty of 1 gp for each orc head they bring in and 50 gp for the giants head (500 gp if he is brought in alive). 50 JANUARY 1986
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D RAGON 53
The House in the Frozen Lands A mid-level adventure for the AD&D® game by James Adams The House in the Frozen Lands is an AD&D® game module for 6-10 characters, each of 4th to 8th level. It is recommended that the party include a balance of each character class, but specifically at least one ranger character and, if desired, one psionic character, but no evil characters. The Dungeon Master should read the entire module carefully before running this adventure, due to the use of complex NPCs and situations. Players introduction The House in the Frozen Lands, located in the arctic, is the main teaching house and one of the three central shrines of Ptah, Maker of the Universes, known here as The Sustainer of Order (see reference on Ptah in Legends & Lore, page 48). This House of Teaching, known as the Scholia, trains not only devotees of the Sustainer of Order who wish to serve in the various temples of Ptah, but also paying students of nobility or leading members of the merchant class. Of course, only students of lawful neutral alignment may pass into the full program of study. The Scholia has gained an excellent reputation for impartiality and scholarship, primarily due to the management of its High Priest, Mondaleth of Silverthorne. The Baron of Lesser Nhollia (whose youngest daughter Dhol is presently studying at the Scholia) has just been selected to succeed Talvernesse II, Lord of the Crystal Throne, who has died childless. In ascending to the Crystal Throne, the Baron wishes to gather a group of wise councilors around him and desires Mondaleth to be one of them. Hoping that this position would be of sufficient interest to Mondaleth, the Baron has hired a group of adventurers to travel the perilous journey through the vast frozen waste to the Scholia, in order to inform the High Priest of the Scholia of the offer and escort him back in the event he accepts. Please inform the Saintly Mondaleth, intones the Baron, that we desire to have his fathomless wisdom at our side, so that we might tread new paths of enlightened statesmanship. If he so desires, he can play a major role in the Select Council that will guide the helm of our great land. It goes without saying that his assistance would be of great worth to us. Such appreciation will be shown most generously to both him and the noble rite of which he is a follower. Our gratitude will also extend to those who succeed in delivering his services to us. After the player characters accept the Barons fee (1000 gp each, though this amount may be altered by the DM as desired), they are provided with supplies and equipment (including snowshoes) and given directions to lead them on their journey through the Frozen Lands to the Scholia. The Baron also passes some general information to the PCs about the Scholia, which will be revealed later in the adventure. The arctic wilderness The party proceeds almost due north from the Barons stronghold and enters the Frozen Lands. The terrain of the arctic wilderness varies from extremely flat or slightly rolling plains to deeply cut hilly areas and jagged mountains, which can reach 7000 in elevation. Currently, the weather is quite cold (about 10o F), but the sky remains clear throughout the duration of this adventure. The glare from the sun on the snow cuts visibility to half a mile at times. Local vegetation includes lichens, mosses, sedges, grasses, and rare dwarf willow and birch trees. Movement rates will be slowed when traveling through snowcovered areas. A character with a normal burden may travel only Herd animals encountered will either be musk oxen or caribou Frost giants encountered will be a raiding party of six adult males and three adult females. Their stronghold is located to the east of the area described on Map 1. They are searching for a pair of young frost giants who have been captured by someone called the Mage of the Ice Tower. They are extremely aggravated and will automatically assume that any human party they encounter is at fault. Give them a +4 to their save vs. charm monster. Rough/ Creature Plains Hills Mountains Bear, northern 01-05 01-06 01-04 Bowler - 07 05 Devil dog 06-07 08-09 06-11 Dragon, white* 08-09 10-11 12-17 Frost men 10 1 2 18-20 Galeb duhr - 1 3 21-23 Giant, frost 11-13 14-16 24-28 Herd animal 14-49 17-50 29-58 Hoar fox 50-52 51-52 59-60 Ice lizard* 53 53 61-62 Men 54-62 54-60 63-67 Owl, ordinary* 63-66 61-66 68-74 Pudding, white 67-70 67-70 75-76 Raven, huge* 71-73 71-76 77-82 Remorhaz 74-75 77-78 83-84 Sable or mink 76-77 79-80 85-86 Sea lion - - - Seal - - - Selkie --- Snake, giant white-furred constrictor** 78-82 81-84 87-89 Taer - - 90 Toad, ice 83-85 85-86 91-92 Walrus - - - Wolf 86-94 87-95 93-97 Wolf, winter 95-97 96-97 98-99 Yeth hound 98-99 98-99 - Yeti 00 00 00 * 75% likely to be encountered while airborne. ** As per DMG, page 183. - - - 76-00 - - - - Coast 01-15 - - - - - - - - - 16-33 - - - - - 34-40 41-70 71-75 per round of searching. A character must roll his constitution or less on a d20 to have enough air to survive until uncovered. Encounter table The following encounter table may be used as the characters travel through the arctic wilderness. The base chance for an encounter is 1 in 12. Check for an encounter three times daily, or six times daily in the mountains. five miles per day on foot, but twice that with snowshoes. Dog sleds (15" movement) may be used to carry extra equipment. While the PCs are in hilly areas or mountains, there is a 1 in 20 chance each day for an avalanche to inundate the entire party for 4-48 hp damage each (save vs. petrification for half damage). A 60% chance exists for each character to become buried. Use three times each characters chance to bend bars/lift gates to see if he can dig himself out. There is a 5% cumulative chance of finding someone 48 JUNE 1986
DRAGON 49
(equal chance of either). Treat musk oxen as the wild ox or bull in the Monster Manual, page 12. Musk oxen are dark brown to black in color and give off a musky odor. Both sexes have very sharp, low curved horns, the bases of which meet across the forehead. Treat caribou encounters as the Irish deer in the Monster Manual, page 55, but with a movement rate of 24//12. Caribou or reindeer are brownish in color, lighter on the back, darker on the head and legs. They have a throat mane of whitish hair. Both sexes have antlers. They can trot for long periods of time, even outrunning wolves, and can swim fairly well. A single caribou used as a pack animal can carry 90 lbs. of equipment, or pull a sled loaded with 450 lbs. or two men forty miles per day. Men encountered inland will either be l0-60 tribesmen (70% chance) or 30-80 merchants (30% chance). However, none of the merchants will be mounted (nor armed with lances or pole arms). The party will have either l0-30 caribou as pack animals (80%) or be using 2-8 sleighs pulled by caribou (20%). Their merchandise will consist of furs, gems, and walrus ivory. Men encountered on the coast will be 50-100 merchants. However, none of them will be mounted. They will be armored as buccaneers, and will have 1-4 dog sleds and a boat anchored offshore. Their merchandise will consist of seal carcasses, whale blubber, and walrus ivory. The pay chest will be hidden aboard the ship. There is a 60% chance that they are harvesting seal fur, and a 40% chance they are taking walrus tusks and blubber; in either case, the appropriate animal will also be present. Sable or mink encounters are treated as the weasel in Monster Manual II. Seal encounters will be with 40-100 northern fur seals (AC 7, MV 6//36, HD 3, #AT 2, DAM 1-6 plus tail swat for 1-4). Seals are air breathers, but can remain submerged for as long as 15 minutes. They are gregarious and can congregate in large groups on the ice, playing in and out of the water. This species is dark chocolate in color, with some grayish hair around the shoulders; it can reach 6 in length and weigh 600 lbs. The cow is grayish and somewhat smaller than the bull. Walrus encounters will be with 20-60 animals (AC 6, MV 6// 24, HD 11, #AT 2, DAM 2-12 plus tail swat for 2-12). Walrus can reach 11 long and weigh 3000 lbs. Their skin is rough and weathered with coarse, sparse hair and a thick layer of blubber as insulation. Both sexes have tusks which sometimes reach a length of 40 inches and a weight of 9 lbs. They are used both for digging for clams and in self-defense. Cow tusks are more slender than the ones on the bulls. Even polar bears do not attack walruses. Pre-set encounters Two nights after the party ventures into the arctic lands, it will discover a frozen body half-buried in the snow. It is that of a man wearing black robes belted with a silver cord, a helm of black metal, and a loose black hood (the raiment of a cleric of Ptah, as the party was informed by the Baron). The man was stabbed in the back, but the injury was not severe enough to justify his death from that wound alone. (This may suggest poison to an inquisitive PC.) At his waist is a leather pouch which has been slashed open. Tracks lead up to the man; then head back in the direction from which both they and the tracks of the slain man came. After a few hundred yards, the tracks are eliminated by blowing snow. A ranger PC, if he successfully follows the trail to its end, may judge that the slain man was in a hurry, but probably stopped for a brief rest when he was killed by surprise. The one who presumably followed and killed him was in no hurry on the way back to his place of origin. Little else can be told. One day later in their travels, the player characters will hear the confusing sounds of a battle: howls, yips, snarls, grunts, and so forth. When they make their way to the source of the sounds (several hundred yards distant), the PCs will see a pack of wolves attacking a lone human female figure. Several scattered wolf bodies attest to the fact that she has been standing her own so far. There are still eight wolves attacking the fighter (wolves: AC 7, MV 18, HD 2 + 2; hp 18, 15, 15, 15, 10, 8, 8, 7; #AT 1, DAM 2-5). After the battle has ended, the fighter, Loorha, will claim to be the sole survivor of an ill-fated venture into a place called the Crystal 50 JUNE 1986 A legend lore spell or similar power will produce the following information. The Sept of Infamy was founded by a group of nine who banded together against a presumed affront from another evil clan, though this is often disputed by scholars. The nine swore a blood oath of loyalty to Loviatar and successfully avenged their After Oolayah took over, she captured a band of fur trappers who innocently came to the Scholia for help. This group of sturdy dwarves was then put to work expanding a cavern system behind the Scholia into a labyrinth, smoothing out passages and making them more easily traveled. The Sept then set up a shrine to the lawful evil deity Loviatar, known as the Maiden of Pain or the Pain-Giver. Most recently, one of the Scholias clerics managed to escape, but he was tracked down by Loorha before he could reach help. Loorha is an outcast of the Thylorh clan because of her lowborn heritage, now loosely associated with the Lanoorha-Tis. The invaders were then revealed to be members of a locally feared matriarchal society known as the Sept of Infamy. This particular group is led by Oolayah-ben-Ethrah-mah-Lanoorha-Tis (from now on referred to as simply Oolayah, or the Lanoorha-Tis). Her name shows that she can claim both male descent from the Ethrah clan and female descent from the Lanoorha clan. She is also the Tis, or clan leader, of all those who claim descent from the legendary Sept founder Lanoorha. stumbled up to the gate of the Scholia. The High Priests offer of refuge to the travelers was eagerly accepted, but this generous gesture was repaid with terror. After recovering from the ravages of the winds and snow, aided by the tender care of the residents, the travelers, Karlekh and Manorlah (see room 49), managed to elude the security guards and defenses of the Scholia, and opened the gate to allow invaders to take over the building entirely. Several of the guards were captured by a mirror of life trapping that had been substituted for a normal mirror. Several of the leading figures of the Scholia were then banished to the depths of the mirror. Others, including the paying students, have since been killed or enslaved. raging fiercely, two weather-beaten travelers, a man and a woman, An uncertain reception at journeys end awaits the PCs, because all is not well at the Scholia. Several weeks ago, as a storm was DMs introduction try to kill anyone who hinders her. tive chance per day), she will attempt an immediate escape and will surprise). If Loorhas disguise as a thief is penetrated (2% cumulaparties will be on the lookout for the characters ( +2 on their rolls to (the leader of the Sept) will be prepared for the adarrive there. In this case, the randomly encountered the party and succeeds in this, Oolayah venturers who the Scholia. Eventually, she will try to slip away from return to the Scholia ahead of the adventurers. If she ure, always trying to influence them not to head in the direction of and her power of aura alteration to deceive PCs as to her true natLoorha will try to ingratiate herself with the party, using seduction in nature, with extremely hedonistic tastes. an impious liar and prankster, appearing friendly but quite ruthless Loorha is a 6th-level assassin (CE, AC 2, MV 12, hp 29 [25 when encountered]) wearing leather armor +2 and a ring of protection +2, and using a long sword +1 and a dagger +2. She has two poisoned daggers hidden on her person and wears two gold earrings (worth 6 and 8 gp). The dagger poison takes 3-4 rounds to take effect and delivers 5-30 hit points of damage at the rate of 5 hp per round (or none, if a save vs. poison is made at + 1). She also has one potion each of flying and climbing, and four vials of the same poison that is on her daggers. Her thieving abilities are: 45% pick pockets, 37% open locks, 35% detect traps, 33% move silently, 25% hide in shadows, 15% hear noise, 88% climb walls, and 20% read languages. She also has a psionic ability of 146, attack/defense modes ABE/FH, and the disciplines of body weaponry (6th level of mastery), invisibility (4th level), and aura alteration (2nd level). She is who slew the robed man, the answer is an unqualified yes. produce prints like those of the one the Sept of Infamy (described below). If any ranger (and only a ranger) asks if Loorhas boots Loorha-ged-Thylorh, a member of an evil religious cult known as upset and refuse to speak any further about that. She is in reality Caverns, which claimed nine companions. She will then become
insult. Their victory over supposed oppression and other similar bloody feats have attracted strong adversity over the years, but the Sept has managed to hold its own and even thrive, often despite violent disagreement with itself. As an example, the Lanoorha and Thylorh clans have enjoyed a long-standing blood feud, the wound of which heals over from time to time only to explode again into barbaric violence. In this respect, it must be mentioned that Sept members will fight to the death with wild cries of unlech Tis! and the appropriate clan name. Both male and female members of the Sept have a strong attraction to jewelry and gems of all kinds. It is also noteworthy that the Ethrah clan has a strong elvish strain to this day, which surfaces in the affinity its members have for magic. The DM may wish to use members of the Sept in further adventures. Any surviving members of the Lanoorha clan will certainly not take the capture of its Regalia (see area 52) at all lightly. It is also possible that a rival family, such as the Thylorh clan, would also be interested in acquiring these items in order to embarrass the Lanoorha-Tis. This adventure includes several other possibilities for expansion into the DMs own campaign, including passing references to the Crystal Caverns and the Mage of the Ice Tower. These can be tailored into clues to other adventures appropriate to each campaign. There may also prove to be interesting complications caused by the release of all of the victims of the mirror of life trapping. The PCs The opening to the valley, between a large hillock and the beginning of the cliff, is blocked by a 20 high wall. The wall is 5 wide and extends 60 from a round tower to a square tower that abuts on the cliff. There is a large gate in the wall. To the left is a cord that will ring a bell located in the guards common room. On the far side of the gate, a path guides guests around to the main entrance to the guest quarters. A small path leads on further to the private entrance into the clerical portion of the building. To the left as one enters, the The Scholia is nestled in a valley in the mountains, away from the civilized lands, where (according to its founders) those seeking the higher paths of law may do so in relative peace. The entrance to the valley is quite narrow (l00), but the valley then widens out to a width of several hundred feet for most of its 20-mile length. The mountains on the west side slope up very gradually first a line of low hills and then progressively higher slopes. Several streams of freezing water gush down between the hills and join in a brook which runs through the length of the valley. The east side of the valley, however, consists of a long line of almost vertical cliffs that stand 100 high. Mountains begin directly behind these cliffs; thus, the only easy approach to the Scholia is through the valley opening. The Scholia of Law may even wish to aid Myloomha (see area 28) to return to his distant and possibly extinct home. DRAGON 51
ground slopes down to an entrance to the Dog Stables. To the right, the round tower has a door opening into a spiral stairway up to the battlement along the top of the wall. At the far end of the battlement, a door opens into the armory. The Scholia itself is constructed of cut stone blocks, and consists of two above-ground stories plus a cellar. A small octagonal tower projects over one part of the building. Interior walls and ceiling surfaces are finished with plaster. Floors are mostly bare stone. The ceiling height of the ground floor is 12, that of the upper floor only 10. The cellar rooms all have arched ceilings of 6-10. The location of the Scholia was selected because of the hot springs that issue into a natural cavern within the cliff face. The residents of the Scholia have long since widened the orifice leading to the hot springs, for their own use as hot baths and a natural source of hot water. If the PCs approach the Scholia openly, Phelakh, the guard captain on duty (see area 17), will answer the bell and question them at length through a small grating in the door as to their purpose in coming, who they are, where they hail from, etc. If he is attacked and defeated, it will only be 20 minutes before the remainder of the guards call for reinforcements to search for him. If he is not attacked, he will tell the PCs that no guests may be received at present because it is High Feast Week. If they insist, he will re-enter the Scholia; after 20 minutes, Karlekh (see area 49) will return, with all of the guards on duty, and reluctantly admit the party to the guest rooms. Karlekh will inform the PCs that it may be some time before the High Priest has time to properly receive them. During the night, the Lanoorha-Tis will order a group of her guards (labyrinth random encounter group #1) to take the PCs captive. If, on the other hand, the PCs decide to attempt a clandestine entry, they must either scale the wall in some manner or force the gate (three characters of strength 17 or better must roll their bend bars/lift gates scores at the same time; one try per character per round). The gate will take 16 points of battering damage (from blunt weapons only) before breaking, but if this tactic is used there is a 90% chance for the guards to be alerted. If the PCs have not previously approached the Scholia openly, there is only a 15% chance for one of the guards to observe a silent attempt; if the PCs are noisy, there is an 80% chance for them to be observed. After the PCs have passed the wall, they may then reconnoiter the yard area and decide which of the three doors they wish to attempt to enter. Scholia random encounter table Check for a random encounter only when the room description indicates the possibility for one. Roll a d8 to select an encounter. None of the encounters may be repeated. Note that all students of the Scholia are young adults, ranging in age from 15-18. Those students who have a character class are the minimum ages for those classes (see DMG, page 12). Roll Result 1 Two of the Sept members are on an errand. One is a female 3rd-level cleric (LE, AC 4, MV 6, hp 19) wearing splint mail and using a flail +1. Her spells are bless, command, remove fear, sanctuary chant, slow poison, and spiritual hammer. She has a leather belt with six obsidians (95 gp) and a small ivory box holding fragrant petals (185 gp). The other is a female 2nd/2nd-level half-elf lighter/ magic-user (CE, AC 4, MV 12, hp 16 [CON 17]), wearing chain mail +1 and using a scimitar. Her spells are hold portal and burning hands. She has a brooch of a silver snake entwined around a citrine egg (80 gp) and an earring of silver (1 gp). 2 Two escaped prisoners, clerics of the Scholia, will attempt to flee at their first glimpse of the PCs. They will only be surprised on a 1 in 6. One is a 1st-level male cleric (LN, AC 10, MV 12, hp 5) trained with a flail. His spells are protection from evil, cure light wounds, and bless. The other is a 2nd-level female cleric (LN, AC 10, MV 12, hp 12) trained in mace and flail. Her spells are all those indicated above, plus sanctuary. They have no useful information- about their captors. 52 JUNE 1986 Roll Result 3 Two frightened students on an errand for the Sept. They are both O-level male humans (LN and NG, AC 10, MV 12; hp 5, 4), both trained with daggers. They have the following information concerning the situation in the Scholia: The Scholia staff has mysteriously vanished; devotees of an evil deity have taken over, led by a powerful woman who has some demonic-looking familiar; the usurpers have a shrine in some caves beyond the hot springs; and, there are still many captives alive, but the number is rapidly dwindling, and they are being taken away somewhere. 4 One of the Scholia clerics, on an errand. He is dominated by Manorlah and will attempt to flee to warn the guards on the upper level. He is a 1st-level cleric (LN, AC 10, MV 12, hp 6) trained in mace. His spells are bless and light. 5 One of the Sept on a personal errand. He is a 7th-level fighter (CE, AC 2, MV 9, hp 54 [CON 16], #AT 3/2) wearing plate mail +1 and using a bastard sword +1, +3 vs. lycanthropes and shape-changers (Oolayah doesnt know about the swords special powers). The sword has an intelligence of 12, an ego of 5, CE, and can detect sloping passages in a 1" radius. It communicates by semi-empathy. Any character whose alignment is not chaotic evil will suffer 5 hp damage each time he touches any portion of the sword, unless it is in the grasp of a chaotic evil character. He also has a ring of spell storing with four magic-user spells (stinking cloud, charm monster, minor globe of invulnerability, and feeblemind), a gold buckle (30 gp), a bracelet consisting of a single platinum band (250 gp), and a silver clasp set with a chrysoberyl (90 gp) on his cloak. 6 Three Sept members delivering more treasure to the strongroom (the secret chamber next to room 27). The first is a female 3rd-level fighter (NE, AC 3, MV 6, hp 24) wearing plate mail and using a long sword. She wears an armband of filigree silver (65 gp). The second is a male 2nd-level cleric (LE, AC 5, MV 9, hp 11) wearing chain mail and using a mace. His spells are bless, cure light wounds, and protection from good. He has an earring of silver (1 gp). The third is a female 2nd-level magic-user (LE, AC 6, MV 12, hp 6) wearing bracers of defense AC 6 and using a staff. Her spells are sleep and Tensers floating disc currently in use to transport 900 sp, 500 ep, 300 gp, 200 pp, and a small coffer of 30 gems worth a total of 8500 gp. She wears an earring of silver set with a moonstone (60 gp). The treasure was found elsewhere in the Scholia. 7 Three of the Scholia clerics on an errand. They are charmed by the Sept and will attempt to warn the Sept members in the Labyrinth. They are 1st-level clerics, two female and one male (LN, AC 10, MV 12; hp 9, 7, 6), trained in mace and flail. Their spells are cure light wounds and resist cold; bless, command and remove fear; and cure light wounds and sanctuary. They know only that a group of women with powerful eyes (a reference to psionics) have taken over the Scholia. 8 Leph, a student serving the Sept out of fear, will run to the party, assuming they are members of the Sept, in order to tattle on some of the other students who are planning to jump the next Sept member to enter their room. He is a 0- level male (CN, AC 10, MV 12, hp 3) trained in dagger. He has been snooping on the Sept and has the following information, but will be reluctant to reveal it until he is assured the party will defeat Oolayah: The Scholia staff have been put in storage; the invaders are led by a magic-user named Oolayah; Oolayah and her party (forty strong!) are devoted to the Pain-Giver; Oolayah has an affinity for cats; her consort is a very powerful cleric named Karlekh; and, there are a pair of twin female fighters who are both deadly and beautiful.
Ground level 1. Entry Hall: This room contains six statues of famous clerics devoted to The Sustainer of Order. From left of the door clockwise they are: A) a cleric in a hooded robe offering a flask; B) a cleric in a heavy fur robe holding a child; C) a female cleric in traveling dress brandishing a scroll; D) a seated cleric with head lowered, as if in defeat; E) a group of two clerics supporting a third figure, their arms raised as if to ward off evil; and F) a female cleric meditating. The door to the outside is locked ( -10% to chance to pick lock, due to its complexity). There is a 5% chance each 10-minute turn of a random encounter. 2. Hallway: There is a 5% chance each turn of a random encounter. 3. The Saffron Salon: The walls of this room are decorated with attractive murals. One shows several scenes from the saga of a cleric who healed a chieftain of the Winged Folk (see Best of DRAGON® Magazine Volume III, page 71). The chieftain later returns the favor by assisting him when under attack by several perytons, on his quest for an alpine blossom necessary for healing. Another depicts the fabled cleric Mendelberah in his struggle to rescue one of his henchmen from the Ghoul Marshal at the cost of his own life. The furniture consists of two oval tables, each surrounded by six armchairs, and a divan. There are also two large carpets on the floor. All of the chairs and the divan are upholstered in saffroncolored velvet. There is a sideboard along the north wall. A crystal decanter and eight glasses on a silver tray are placed on it. The four cabinet doors in the sideboard contain 12 other glasses, several bottles of liquors (one is an herbal distillate which can heal 1-2 hp damage once per day, but will slightly intoxicate each indulger; another is a sleep potion which will put any taster to sleep for 2-8 turns if a save vs. spells fails), a silver dinner service for 10 (150 gp), and candles and linen cloths. 4. Guest Room: This room is furnished with two large beds with plain but sturdy wooden frames covered with sleeping furs, two wooden chests, and a wardrobe. There are also three wooden chairs with cushions, a small wooden cabinet with a ceramic bowl and a pitcher of tepid water on top, and a divan which can be used for overflow visitors. The room is rather dusty, as it has not been cleaned or used since Oolayahs arrival. There are rough woolen hangings with symbolic patterns. There are also wall sconces with candles in them, shielded from drafts by covers made from seal hide. A fireplace in one corner has a pile of coals and tinder ready for use beside it. Each of the chests has a brass lock. They are unlocked, and the key is inside in a removable wooden shelf (Karlekh has an extra copy of each key). The wardrobe has several black robes with hoods of a rough, nubby homespun cloth and a black cord for guests to wear at the worship ceremonies. A secret drawer in the bed frame (5% cumulative chance per round of searching to find it) contains a clerical scroll of remove curse. Oolayah has replaced the sleeping furs on one bed with enchanted furs from an arctic constrictor snake, which act as a rope of entanglement. The furs can constrict three man-sized victims in three segments: one for the trigger (darkness), one to strike, and one to entwine. They will deliver 1-3 hp damage per round to each victim. The furs are AC 3 and take 16 hp damage from edged weapons before being destroyed. 5. Guest Room: This room is similar in most respects to the other guest room. A secret door is located in the back wall of the wardrobe, behind removable shelves. If a hidden lever is not pressed (check against find/remove traps), a pale green gas will billow out of a small hole in the ceiling of the passage beyond the door. The gas will cause 2-4 characters to suffer spasms of weakness, resulting in the loss of 2-5 points of strength for 1-6 turns (save vs. poison for no effect). There is a 5% chance each turn of a random encounter. 6. Waiting Room: This room is furnished with two low, round tables, each surrounded by four chairs upholstered in white velvet Map 3 Ground level One square = 10 feet 7. Audience Chamber: This room features a dais with a simple stone throne and four chairs on it. Carvings along the front edge of the dais read: He Who Follows The Lawful Way Shall Pass. There are four pillars shaped like female figures supporting an elaborate ceiling of symbols appropriate to The Sustainer of Order. The walls are also covered with intricate designs of squares, circles, triangles, and interlocking diamonds worked in silver. The floor is of tile, mostly off-white but with single gold tiles seemingly scattered at both to emphasize the grandeur of the chapel and audience chamber beyond, and to allow for the lavabo above. Murals on the walls are enchanted to soothe and ease the occupants of the room (save vs. spells or receive the effects of a remove fear spell; save can be negated at PCs will). There is a 5% chance for a random encounter. weapon until exorcised. The ceiling of this room is only 8 high, with silver piping. A dagger +1, cursed is hidden underneath one table. The dagger acts as a dagger +1, but will force its owner to attack until an enemy is dead. The owner can never use another DRAGON 53
random. The gold tiles outline a vague path leading out to the east doors. There is only a 5% chance per point of intelligence for each character to spot the path. If anyone attempts to exit through these doors without following the path, two of the pillars (M and N on the map) will animate as caryatid columns. Anyone who has entered through the east doors will be permitted to exit through them without attack. (The columns are AC 5, MV 6, HD 5, hp 22 each, #AT 1, DAM 2-8, special defense.) If the party members retreat from the door, the columns will revert to stone. The stone throne will radiate lawful neutral magic. Any good or evil character who sits in it will receive 6 hp damage; any chaotic character who sits in it will receive 12 hp damage. These shocks are cumulative in effect, but will affect each character only once. The chair is enchanted and will bestow the following powers upon a lawful neutral occupant: protection from good or evil, 10 radius continuously, detect lie and fear at will, hold person three times a day, domination once per day, and commune once per week. 8. Chapel: The room has bare stone walls, but these are obscured by six inches of ice covering every surface. There are elaborate, almost gothic traceries of ice creating magnificent arches and lacy curtains. Continual light spells have been cast in many locations with the most artistic purposes in mind, creating intricate patterns on the floor. Clever use of a wish has served to protect the ice sculpting for centuries to come. A large round altar of yellow marble stands on a raised square dais. Another raised area, triangular in shape, has a marble front. Oolayah has commanded two charmed gargoyles to stay here, appealing to their greed (AC 5, MV 9/15, HD 4+4, hp 27 and 21, #AT 4, DAM l-3/1-3/1-6/1-4, +1 or better weapon to hit). The south door is protected by a glyph of warding on the floor that will deliver 18 hp cold damage to anyone who triggers it. 9. Portico: This area is raised above ground level. An inscription over the door reads: He Who Sees The Balance May Enter. There are nine pillars that support the extension of the floor above. Ornamental screens close off most of the spaces between the pillars. The doors are kept locked ( -20% to chance to pick lock) and are guarded by a glyph of warding that will blind anyone who triggers it. 10. Hallway: There is a 10% cumulative chance per turn of a random encounter here. 11. Refectory: The room holds two large plain wooden tables surrounded by chairs. One of the chairs (marked T on the map) is really a lesser mimic (AC 7, MV 3, HD 7, #AT 1, DAM 3-12, glue). The mimic will attack until offered food. If properly bribed, it will describe what it knows: A party of at least twenty has successfully invaded the Scholia; there are caves across the springs; and, it has smelled large cats. The mimic crept into the Scholia during the confusion of the attack. 12. Kitchen: The room has the usual cabinets, counters, cupboards, drawers of utensils, spices, pots, and pans. There are brick ovens on both sides of a large fireplace, with several spits and hooks on which to hang kettles. There is a dumbwaiter to deliver food to the private dining room upstairs. One cabinet contains ceramic dishes and an inexpensive brass table service. Another cabinet (locked) holds silver dishes and a table service for twenty (250 gp). o There are two bedrolls on the floor with packs beside them. The packs contain standard adventuring equipment, and traveling illusionist spell books with the following spells: color spray, dancing lights, detect illusion, wall of fog, blindness, detect magic, and misdirection. There is a 20% cumulative chance per turn of a random encounter here. 13. Pantry: The walls of this room are covered with cabinets and storage bins of every size. Small amounts of every food available are kept here. At present, the stores are rather stale. There is only a 1% cumulative chance per turn of a random encounter here. 54 JUNE 1986 AC 5, MV 12, hp 18) wearing elfin chainmail, using a long sword and a dagger +1. His spells are hold portal, magic missile, sleep, mirror image, and ray of enfeeblement. He has a medallion jade on a silver chain (800 gp), an earring of silver with a moonstone (60 gp), and a pair of ivory dice in a small leather pouch (15 gp). The second is a female 3rd-level cleric (LE, AC 4, MV 12, hp 15) wearing chain mail +1 and using a mace. She has +1 on damage. Her spells are bless, cure light wounds, cause light wounds, sanctuary, chant, hold person, and silence 15 radius. She wears a gold ring with an amethyst set in a serpents head (95 gp), and a chain of ornate silver (60 gp). The third is a male half-elf 4th/4th-level fighter/magic-user (LE, There are four members of the Sept lounging around in the room, but they are in armor, weapons at hand Oolayahs wrath is to be feared as much as are enemies. There is a 3 in 6 chance of surprising them. The other guard in the common room will arrive in two rounds after battle erupts. There is only a 5% chance for the three Sept members in Room 24 to hear any disturbance and come to assist. The first villain is Phelakh-ged-Lanoorha, a male 5th-level fighter (CE, AC 2, MV 9, hp 31) wearing plate mail +1, using a long sword +1 and a hand axe. He has +1 to hit and +3 on damage, due to his strength. He has a ring of water walking, wears a gold earring with a topaz (515 gp), and has an ivory box with a leather pouch of six pearls in it (800 gp). Phelakh is inquisitive, opinionated, sometimes rude, but always very energetic. 17. Guard Dormitory: There are three bunk beds with two locked chests at the foot of each bed. The chests have all been forced open, but still have ordinary clothing and other personal belongings of the Scholias guards in them. The area around one of the bunk beds is separated from the rest of the room by woolen hangings. The room also has a small table with four chairs. 16. The Guard Captains Quarters: This room is furnished for the Master of Combats use, with a sturdy wooden bed piled high with sleeping furs, a large locked wooden chest ( -20% to chance to pick lock; takes 8 hp battering damage before breaking), a padded armchair near a table with a brass lamp on it, and an oval rug on the floor. A secret compartment in the bed frame holds 23 sp, 17 gp, 4 pp, three 50 gp gems, a small ivory statue of a white dragon (200 gp), and two potions: heroism and invulnerability Nythel, the Master of Combat, has a small collection of oil landscapes on the wall. The six paintings, works of Ness-uther, show scenes varying from the infamous Black Fortress Zethyra-nezra, and the wondrous lake Lassorah-lathra (Star-mirror), to a view of the Great Forest (200- 500 gp each). There is a pack of standard adventuring equipment thrown on the bed. The chest holds a small box of inlaid wood, containing a gold seal set with three small topazes (900 gp); this is the seal of the Lanoorha Clan. The room is unoccupied at present, but now serves as quarters for Karlekh when he is not with Oolayah. 15. Common Room: There are a large table and a small round table here with a total of eight chairs. A small cabinet with a surface for preparing food stands near the fireplace. A normal mirror is hidden behind the cabinet, and a blank space on the wall reveals where it once was hung. Scattered on the small table are two decks of cards and several dice. There is a member of the Sept in the room, a male 3rd-level fighter (NE, AC 4, MV 9, hp 17) wearing chain mail and shield, and using a long sword. A short bow with eight arrows is on the table near him. He wears a golden armband engraved and highlighted with silver (180 gp). There is a normal chance to surprise him. If the characters enter from the hallway, he will call for help before attacking. The guards in the next room will arrive during the next round. There is also a 15% chance for the party in room 24 to hear the sounds of any battle and come to assist. 14. Hallway: There is a 20% chance per turn of a random encounter. Any resulting battle gives a chance for the guards in rooms 15 and 17 (65% chance) or the Sept members in room 24 (35% chance) to hear and investigate. Upper level
The fourth guard is a female 2nd-level fighter (CE, AC 4, MV 9, hp 13) wearing chain mail with a shield, and using a short sword. She wears a belt with a silver buckle (20 gp) and a gold earring with a carnelian (55 gp). 18. Armory: This room has several racks of weapons. There are 10 spears, two light crossbows with 30 bolts, four short swords, one long sword, two short bows with 20 arrows (10 are +l), a mace, two hand axes, and a bastard sword (which belongs to Nythel, the Master of Combat). It is a vorpal weapon +3 with an intelligence of 13, an ego of 6, LN, and the abilities to detect traps of large size in a 1" radius and to heal once a day. It can speak common, the lawful neutral tongue, shedu, and centaur. A locked door ( -15% to chance to pick lock) leads to the wall rampart and on to the watch tower. The door itself will take 18 hp of battering damage before bursting. A spiral staircase descends to the Dog Stables. Another stair leads up to the roof. There is a 20% cumulative chance per round for the guards next door to hear any noise and investigate, if the guards were not previously encountered. If a fight with them results, it will take the guard in the Common Room only four rounds to arrive to assist. 19. The High Priests Private Chamber: The door to Mondaleths room is guarded by a glyph of warding that will deliver a lightning bolt of 18 hp damage to anyone who triggers it. Curtains divide the room into a living area, a sleeping area, and a study. The living area has a sofa and three chairs grouped around a low oval table. A narrow rectangular rug leads favored guests to the study area. This area has a large carpet with an elaborate floral design (700 gp) with four armchairs upholstered in cream velvet arranged on it. A small altar of white marble veined with gold and a large writing desk with chair complete the study. The sleeping area has a large comfortable bed with sleeping furs, a wardrobe, two locked wooden chests, and a circular rug. The wardrobe contains ordinary clothing in addition to robes appropriate to Mondaleths rank: black robes, silver belt, black helm, and a silver hood. Papers and records kept in the drawers of the writing desk deal with the day-to-day routine of the Scholia. Closer examination will reveal that two weeks before the records cease (several weeks ago), two travelers (a man and woman) were found ill and alone near the Scholia. They were brought in and nursed back to health before their real names were learned to be Norlah and Karl. They were unable to explain their presence in so remote a location. The records cease abruptly at that point. 20. Meditation Room: This is the private meditation room of Mondaleth. It is furnished with two curved cushions made of cream velvet with delicate saffron designs. Between the couches is a low square table of a fragrant wood, upon which are a small brass lamp and a small box holding eight pieces of incense of meditation. The floor is covered with soft white rugs, the walls with hangings of a nubby cloth patterned in saffron, silver, white, and beige. Oolayah has released a giant white-furred constrictor snake in the room (AC 5, MV 9) HD 6 + 1, hp 29, #AT 2, DAM l-4/2-8, plus constriction, surprise 3 in 6). 21. Lavabo: This room contains a wooden bench, pegs on the walls for clothing, a set of shelves with towels, and a large sunken ceramic bathing pool with steps leading down into it. The curative powers of the water have been disrupted by the presence of a water weird (summoned by Oolayah) which will form in two rounds (AC 4, MV 12, HD 3 + 3, hp 18, #AT 1, special attack and defense). 22. Clerics Room: This room normally houses six clerics. It is divided by woolen hangings into three sleeping areas and a common area. The common area holds a small table with four chairs, a small cabinet, and a kneeling bench. Each of the sleeping areas has a set of bunk beds and two chests. Oolayah has stationed some of her people in this room, but at the moment the room is unoccupied. Their packs and personal articles are scattered throughout the room. After ten minutes of searching, the PCs will find the following items: several daggers, rations, a copper armband (1 gp), two potions 25. Lecture Hall: This room has all the typical furnishings of a lecture room. There is a small lectern, a table with a chair next to it, two map boards, and thirty stools. Tacked on one of the map boards are a map of the general area and a detailed map of the valley and the Scholia (game maps #1 and #2). On the other map board is a Three members of the Sept are engaged in meditation in the third sleeping area belonging to Gildah, the Master of Healing. They will surprise the PCs on a 1-4 on a d6. The first is a female 5th-level magic-user (NE, AC 5, MV 12) hp 12) wearing bracers of defense AC 6 ( +1 for dexterity), and using a staff. Her spells are burning hands, magic missile, shocking grasp, sleep, ray of enfeeblement, scare, and monster summoning I. She wears an earring of gold with a pearl (105 gp). Her pack contains her spell books, with the following spells in addition to the ones she has memorized: dancing lights, read magic, forget and slow. The second is a male 4th-level assassin (CE, AC 4, MV 12) hp 14) wearing leather armor +2 and using a long sword and three daggers; two daggers are poisoned. The poison takes 1-4 rounds to take effect, and delivers 5-30 hp damage at the rate of 5 hp per round (save vs. poison for no damage). He wears an ivory medallion on a silver chain (180 gp) and an earring of silver (2 gp). The third of the villains is a male 3rd-level lighter (LE, AC 4, MV 9) hp 17) wearing splint mail and using a bastard sword. He wears a ring of gold with a carnelian (80 gp). There is a 20% chance for the guards in Rooms 15 and 17 to hear the sounds of any battle and investigate. The middle sleeping area belongs to Niosyl, the Apprentice Master. A pack on the bed holds personal items, thieves tools, several daggers, a flask of poison, and three potions of healing. The first area, from left, belongs to Beezhom, Master of Magic. It has a secret door that opens on the stairway down to the cellar and up to the laboratory. A Sept members pack is on the bed. Among other standard equipment, it holds a potion of heroism. There is a secret vault in the wall next to the door that hides Beezhoms spell books. Each volume is trapped by a randomly placed page inscribed with explosive runes (5% cumulative chance for each page examined, but if not encountered before, the last page will be so inscribed). The books contain the following spells: burning hands, charm person, detect magic, hold portal, light, magic missile, continual light, forget, knock, levitate, web, wizard lock, blink, explosive runes (the spell), fire ball, hold person, slow, cone of cold, and passwall. 24. The Masters Room: The door to this room is trapped with a Leomunds trap. The room itself is divided by woolen hangings into a living and study area, and three individual sleeping areas. The living area has two sofas, a soft upholstered chair, and a small table. The study area has a writing desk, a chair, and a bookshelf. A lamp, an inkwell, and several scrolls are scattered in disarray on the desk. The books in the shelf are also in disorder, some having been thrown on the floor. The scrolls deal with the progress of the students. One is a letter to the Baron of Lesser Nhollia concerning his daughter Dhols exceptional progress. Each of the three sleeping areas has a comfortable bed and a chest. The chests all have locks, but each has been forced open and the contents scattered. 23. Clerics Room: This room is similar in most respects to the other clerics room; however, the door is locked ( -15% to chance to pick locks). It is being used to house the remaining ten of the Scholia clerics. They have been severely mishandled, starved, and beaten, and their morale is quite low. Present are seven male and three female clerics (LN, AC 10, MV 9; hp 7, 5, 5, 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2). Only one of the 1st-level clerics, Telora (a female with 7 hp) will fight. She will insist on going with the party to assist in whatever way she can to return the Scholia to its lawful masters. She is trained with the flail and has the spells: protection from evil, cure light wounds, and sanctuary. The other clerics are too exhausted and will refuse to go against Oolayah. (climbing and fire resistance), a battle axe, and a spell book with the following spells: affect normal fires, burning hands, erase, hold portal and read magic. Other useless itmes will also be found. There is a 5% chance each turn for a random encounter. DRAGON 55
crude list of about 50 names, each with a line drawn through or under it, or a checkmark beside it. Only the name Gildah is without any mark. The list begins as follows: Mondaleth Nythel Beezhom Gildah Telranuth Lesethere Besh-roh Kaftikel Telora Kilphor Selevona Leo-nath Dhol Leph Benn Gedenna Niosyl etc. Oolayah composed this list of persons living at the Scholia (and the dwarves who came later and were caught) from studying the Scholias records and questioning captives. (She is nothing if not methodical.) Names with check marks are live captives; those with lines drawn under them are prisoners of the mirror, and those crossed out are dead, killed in combat or as sacrifices. Benn, for example, was one of the students slain by the caterwaul (see area 44); Lyrha is the halfling encountered on the labyrinth random encounters table, being taken to area 49 for sacrifice. A drawer in the lectern holds the following papers, in order from top to bottom: lecture notes on arctic flowering plants lecture notes on the dangers of exposure and frostbite lecture notes on the ecology of white dragons diagrams of rock strata showing glacial erosion lecture notes on basic principles of magic lecture notes on the history of the worship of Ptah lecture notes on various armor types a detailed floor plan of the Scholia (game maps #3-6, without secret doors, as far as the hot springs) lecture notes on gems and jewelry lecture notes on a recent battle The lecture notes on gems seem to have been much handled, as have the detailed floor plans of the Scholia. There is a 10% chance each turn of a random encounter. 26. Private Dining Room: This room is paneled in wood. The furnishings consist of a polished, dark wood table surrounded by eight chairs. The floor is finished with tile, mostly black but with single randomly placed saffron and silver tiles. A dumbwaiter in the wall connects with the kitchen. There are lighter areas on the walls which correspond to missing tapestries. Nothing of particular interest for the PCs is to be found in this room. There is a 5% chance per turn of a random encounter. 27. Examination Room: The furnishings of this room consist solely of four work tables, each covered with a variety of odd items designed to test the abilities of students and other individuals. The north table has a multitude of rocks, metal spheres, ceramic cubes, wooden rods, etc. Certain of these have been treated with Nystuls magic aura (a test for the use of detect magic) or with fools gold. There are also illusory objects, a glass sphere in a leather pouch with continual light cast on it, a dish that has been shattered and mended several times, mysterious writings on parchment scraps, invisible objects, a box which when opened still has a vestige of an audible glamer left in it, etc. The west table has locks to be opened, traps to be set, removed or detected, including several Leomunds traps, etc. The east table has objects to check for evil or magic, water to purify, flasks to fill with water, things to locate in the middle on the table, etc. The south table has glass balls to lift, things to crush or stretch, a dagger -1 with which to test dexterity, a helm that covers the eyes to test hearing (for sneaky footsteps and the like), and a nonmagical glove. The small secret chamber next door is used by the Scholia to store medications, bandages, and salves. It now holds four chests almost hidden beneath fur clothing, rugs, and tapestries. Two of the chests hold coins: 900 sp, 5000 gp, 4000 ep, and 2000 pp; the third holds seven jeweled daggers (10-70 gp each) and other assorted jewelry, including an ivory scroll case (10 gp), a silver beltbuckle shaped like a symbol of Ptah (8 gp), a gold bell (50 gp), a silver ring set with five Map 4 Upper level One square = 10 feet 56 JUNE 1986 onyx stones arranged in a pattern (140 gp), an oval moonstone pendant engraved in a likeness of Ptah (95 gp), a small statue of Ptah made of electrum (300 gp), an inlaid wood coffer (10 gp), and a necklace made of electrum (30 gp). The fourth and smallest chest holds 40 gems worth a total of 12,000 gp. There are also several tapestries and paintings taken from the clerics private rooms, the private dining room and the waiting room. There is a 5% chance each turn for a random encounter here. 28. Council Chamber: This room has wood-paneled walls and an elaborate ceiling with large wooden beams. There are two chande-
liers of cut crystal (700 gp each). A large polished wood table stands in the middle of the room with fifteen padded armchairs around it. There are two padded chairs, one to each side of the head chair, each with a small writing table near it. Each place around the table is equipped with an inkwell and pen. There is also a small drawer at each place containing paper or vellum. The drawer at the chair marked Z on the map also contains a scroll of protection from magic. There are three paintings on the west wall, works of Nessuther. One is an excellent rendering of the Scholia in spring, with tiny alpine blossoms on the ground. The other two are arctic winter landscapes. The south wall has a mirror on it. It is a mirror of life trapping, measuring 36 by 16 inches, framed in a dark wood. Seven of the Scholias lawful inhabitants are trapped in the mirror along with five previous victims. The prisoners from the Scholia are described below. Mondaleth, the High Priest of the Scholia, is a male 9th-level cleric (LN, AC 0, MV 9) hp 52) wearing splint mail +4 under his robes, and using a mace +3. He wears black robes belted with a silver cord, a black helm, silver hood, sandals, a silver holy symbol (an equilateral triangle within a circle), a ring of keys to the Scholia, a ring of fire resistance, and a jade necklace (1600 gp). He also has a scroll with a heal spell on it, another scroll containing sticks to snakes and snake charm, and potions of extra healing and levitation. His spells are bless, command, cure light wounds ( x 2), protection from evil, sanctuary, chant, hold person ( x 2), resist fire, silence 15 radius, spiritual hammer, animate dead, dispel magic, prayer, cure serious wounds, neutralize poison, and flame strike. He is the perfect diplomat: optimistic, pious, and perceptive, yet cautious and always devoted to the service of Ptah. Nythel, the Master of Combat, is a male 6th-level ranger (NG, AC 0, MV 12) wearing chain mail +5, and trained in bastard sword, scimitar, and short bow. His vorpal bastard sword +3 is in the armory,-but he has a short bow with 10 arrows +1 with him. He wears a ring of free action. Nythel is quite fearless, very well spoken, and cheerful. Beezhom, the Master of Magic, is a male elf 5th-level magic-user (LN, AC 4, MV 12, hp 24) wearing bracers of defense AC 4 and using a staff +1. He carries scrolls of hold person, slow, and mirror image and traveling spell books with the following spells: burning hands, charm person, detect magic, hold portal, light, magic missile, continual light, forget, knock, levitate, web, wizard lock, blink, explosive runes, fireball, hold person, and slow. His memorized spells are charm person, burning hands, hold portal, magic missile, knock, and fireball. Beezhom is the supreme intellectual, always aloof and only concerned with the aesthetic. Niosyl, the Apprentice Master, is a female 4th-level cleric (LN, AC 3, MV 6, hp 25) wearing plate mail and using a mace +1. Her spells are cure light wounds (x2), detect evil, detect magic, sanctuary, chant, detect charm, hold person, and spiritual hammer. She has a psionic ability of 106, attack/defense modes CD/FGHI, and the disciplines of hypnosis (2nd level of mastery) and empathy (4th level). She is retiring and studious. Selevona, one of the Scholias surviving guards, is a female elf 2nd/3rd-level fighter/magic-user (N, AC 5, MV 12, hp 14) wearing elfin chain mail and using a long sword. Her spells are magic missile, sleep, and mirror image. She is curious and moody. Kilphor, the other guard trapped in the mirror, is a male dwarf 4th-level fighter (NG, AC 2, MV 9) hp 31) wearing plate mail +1 and using a battle axe +1. He has strength of 18/58, giving him +2 to hit and +3 on damage. He is extremely loyal and very precise. Besh-roh, the secretary of the Scholia, is a male 2nd-level cleric (LN, AC 4, MV 9) hp 16 [CON 18]), wearing splint mail under his robes and using a flail. His spells are command, cure light wounds (x 2) and sanctuary He is loyal, trustworthy, and very dedicated to Mondaleth. The other prisoners of the mirror are not affiliated with the Scholia. Seelohnor Delohvra, a female elf 11th-level magic-user, CN, was a fellow apprentice of Oolayahs master before her betrayal by Oolayah. Geskhy-ged-Ethrah, a male 5th-level fighter, LE, was a former consort of Oolayah, displaced by Karlekh. Myloomha, a male 4th-level cleric, NG, was already a prisoner of the mirror when Oolayah acquired it. He can be used by the DM as a connection 33. Crypt: The doorway to this room is guarded by a glyph of warding that will deliver 18 hp fire damage to anyone who blunders in to it. The room itself has an arched ceiling of 4-7. There is an 32. Hallway: There is a 5% chance per turn of a random encounter here. Two sleds are kept in storage room A. Each sleds can be loaded with up to 90 lbs. of equipment and pulled by six dogs at the rate of 15 miles per day. Room B holds crates of meat (dog food), twenty pairs of snowshoes, six pairs of skis and the harnesses for the sleds. An unlit lantern hangs from the middle of the ceiling. The secret door is trapped, causing the gates to the kennels to spring open. The door leads to a steep spiral stairway that connects with the Armory and also the ground floor. The outside door is always barred shut. It will take 12 hp battering damage before bursting. The noise has a 70% chance of alerting Phelakh and the other guards on duty in the room above. 31. Dog Stables: Sixteen large sled dogs are kept here. Treat them as war dogs (AC 6, MV 12, HD 2 + 2; hp 18, 18, 18, 17, 17, 16, 16, 15, 14, 12, 12, 12, 11, 11, 10, 8). They are not trained to fight but, due to their natural tendencies, they are extremely vicious and will attack anyone except their usual trainers if released from their individual kennels. At present, they have not been fed in a week, so they will cower and whine when anyone enters the room, but when released will immediately attack at +1 to hit. Anyone other than their trainers who attempts to harness them must beat them into submission. See the method for subduing dragons in the Monster Manual, page 30. Cellar level 30. Laboratory: This octagonal chamber with a peaked roof is a tower which extends above the upper level. It holds three long work tables covered with equipment and several stools. There is a small bookcase along one wall. The equipment includes balances and bottles, vials and phials, jars and flasks, caldrons and crucibles, mortar and pestle, and any number of containers of herbs and other less natural items. Several scrolls are scattered about but none of them, nor any of the books, are magical. The binding of one book is labeled Third Level Spells. It has been prepared for the inscription of spells but remains empty. If any of the concoctions on the tables are disturbed, there is a 45% chance for either creating a potion of healing or an explosion (8 radius) that will cause 3-12 hp damage (save vs. wands for half); equal possibility for either of these results, if one or the other is indicated. There is a 1% chance per turn of a random encounter. 29. Library: This large room holds many bound volumes and scrolls, all stored in rows of shelves. There are also two writing desks and several reading stands. For each turn the PCs spend searching the shelves of scrolls, there is a 20% chance to find scrolls of purify water and cure serious wounds. There is also a 2% cumulative chance per turn to find a tome of understanding and a additional 2% cumulative chance to find a volume dealing with the Sept of Infamy. A brief perusal of this volume is sufficient to explain who the Tis is. There is a 5% chance per turn for a random encounter here. There is a 2% chance per turn for a random encounter in this room. with ages past. Ghanorlah-ben-Thylorh-mah-Lanoorha, a female 6th-level cleric, CE (worships a death goddess, Tuonetar, from Legends & Lore, page 56)) is the true heir to the Lanoorha-Tis. She is Oolayahs only older half-sister. Her disappearance rekindled the long-standing feud with the Thylorh clan to its present bloody height. Selthorah-mah-Lanoorha, a female 5th-level illusionist, LE, is one of Oolayahs many younger half-sisters. She tried to assassinate Oolayah but was betrayed by Karlekh, then her lover, who later became Oolayahs consort. If any of them are released from the mirror, the DM may fill these NPCs out as desired. D RAGON 57
altar at the far end of the room which will deliver 12 hp cold damage to any chaotic character who touches it. A secret compartment in the altar holds altar cloths and a silver lamp (15 gp). A small flask holds oil for the lamp. There are four rows of eight niches on each side of the room. Many of them contain a skeleton wrapped in moldy and decayed cloths. One of the empty niches (third from the bottom at the location marked on the map) has a secret door at its end. It opens, if merely pushed, onto a passage that leads to Room 42. The secret passage is only 3 high and 2 wide. The DM should play up the possibility that there are undead in this room (crypts always seem to have undead in them). Odd sounds (actually caused by the wind), strange smells (as one would expect in a crypt), and other odds and ends can serve the heighten the suspense here. Of course, no undead are here at all. 34. Junior Dormitory: The door to this room is locked. The room contains 12 bunk beds, 24 small chests under the beds, and several wooden benches. There are rough woolen hangings on the walls. The beds have a few sleeping furs. Each chest contains the few personal items allowed by the Scholia, any other items the student wishes to keep hidden, two changes of clothing, a chant book, and a saffron robe with a black cord. There are 28 students cowering in the room: human, elf, half-elf and halfling, ages from 15-18 (all 0 level or 1 HD, hp 1-6, AC 10, MV 12). The students have been terrorized by Oolayah, and most are too much in shock to even describe the Sept members. Only one, the Barons daughter Dhol (5 hp), can provide any information: Something has happened to the clerics of the Scholia; she has only seen one recently, and he seemed to be in a trance; there are three women of some tiger cult, one called Oolie the Tis; Oolie has brought horrors from the caves beyond the baths into the Scholia; and, they keep taking people away who never return. 35. Senior Dormitory: This door also has a lock, but it has been opened. The beds have all been pushed together in one end of the room. The other end of the room now contains a makeshift torture chamber. Present are two students, Tal and Yannah (O-level humans), and a 1st-level cleric, Volneff, all suffering from severe torture. The teachings of Loviatar require her followers to administer pain as often as possible to other beings in a ritualistic fashion, and Oolayah is dedicated to her cult teachings. Gildah, Master of Healing, has thus far managed to avoid capture. He slinks around trying to ease the pains of Oolayahs victims. He is a 6th-level cleric (LN, AC 7, MV 12, hp 32) wearing a black robe belted with a silver cord (he wears no armor in order to avoid noise during his stealthy missions of mercy), a ring of protection +3, and a ring of invisibility. He uses a staff. He carries scroll of cure serious wounds and neutralize poison, and three potions of healing. His spells are cure light wounds (x3), purify food and drink, resist cold, hold person, slow poison, detect charm, know alignment, resist fire, cure blindness, cure disease, and remove curse. He will first speak in dwarf to test the PCs loyalties. He is precise, cautious, and an extreme pacifist; as a result, he is not interested in combating Oolayah, only in healing. He does know that the invaders have a lair beyond the hot springs. 36. The Square Classroom: This room normally serves as a meditation area for the students. Plain rugs cover the floor. There are no other furnishings. There are 20 giant centipedes loose in the room, brought here by the Sept (AC 9, MV 15", HD ¼, #AT 1, poison). 37. The Octagonal Classroom: This room is outfitted as a combat practice area. Along the walls are racks of weapons of various kinds including those not used by clerics all the students are not necessarily destined for the cleric class. Most of the weapons are only for practice, thus they will have dull edges, rounded points, or will be made of wood instead of metal; however, there are a matched set of four scimitars, each with gems inset on the hilt: carnelian (6 x 50 gp), zircon (5 x 50 gp), rhodochrosite (12 x 10 gp), and tourmaline (3 x 100 gp). The set of scimitars (together valued at 1200 gp) is the property of Manorlah. Map 5 Cellar Level One square = 10 feet 58 JUNE 1986 38, 39, 40, 41. Storage Rooms: The storage space in Room 38 is used for cloth, clothing, wood, torches, oil, etc. Any type of robe used by the Scholia can be found here. If these are used by the PCs for disguise, it will add two to their surprise rolls. Any disguise will rack of staves, clubs, and padded maces. One of the staves has a metallic tip, and is placed in the rack with the metal tip up. If removed from the rack and replaced, with the metal tip down and fitting into a special socket, the door is activated by magic and makes a 90-degree turn. Removing the staff entirely causes the door to rotate back into position. The secret door is wooden, and weighs about 800 lbs. The secret door is actually a revolving wall, covered with a huge There are also a pair of tigers in the room, beloved pets of the Lanoorha-Tis (tigers: AC 6, MV 12) HD 5 + 5, hp 42, 36, #AT 3, DAM 2-5/2-5/1-10, special attack). Note that if one is killed, the other will attack at +2 to hit. There are several skeletons (the bodies of dead torture victims) scattered about the room.
also keep any escaped prisoners the PCs may encounter from immediately fleeing. The shelves in Room 39 contain staples such as salt, sugar, potatoes, beans, etc. Large casks in the middle of the room hold water, grain and flour. A huge spider lurks among the stores, brought here by the Tis (spider: AC 6, MV 18”, HD 2 + 2, hp 13, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, poison). Room 40 is the cold storage room. Large shelves on the walls hold cheeses, dried apples, etc. Large pieces of slated or smoked meats hang from hooks in the ceiling. There is a secret door to a stairway that leads up to Rooms 24 and 30. Room 41 is the wine cellar. Liquors and wines are stored here in all sizes of containers from small liter kegs to huge casks. Roll 2d4 to determine the nature of any beverage tested. A result of 2 indicates a beverage that has become foul; there is only a 35% chance for the tester to detect this. If drunk, the tester will suffer stomach cramps for d4 + 2 turns if a save vs. poison fails. The indulger attacks at -2 and save at -1 during the course of the effects. A result of 3 or 4 indicates a highly intoxicating distilled beverage; a mere sip will be enough to inflict great intoxication within two rounds (see DMG, pages 82-83). A result of 5-7 indicates a normal ale, wine, or distilled liquor with no special effects. A result of 8 indicates an herbal distillate which can heal 1-2 hp of damage once per day, but which will slightly intoxicate each indulger. The same beverage is also found in smaller quantities in Room 3. There is a 5% cumulative chance per turn the PCs spend in the storage rooms for a random encounter to occur. 42. Storage Room: The walls of this room are covered with shelves containing jars and sealed boxes of every imaginable kind of preserved food, from asparagus to zucchini. There are some cracks in one corner of the wall that have recently allowed a group of 12 stirges access to this room. They will begin entering the room one turn after the characters do. First six stirges will enter, then two each round thereafter (AC 8, MV 3“/18“, HD 1 + 1; hp 9, 9, 9, 8, 8, 7, 7, 7, 6, 6, 4, 3; #AT 1, DAM 1-3, blood drain). The labyrinth The residents of the Scholia many years ago constructed two passages leading to the hot springs (from rooms 37 and 11). Both are smoothly carved, with a floor leveled by the passage of time and many feet. The remainder of the underground construction was recently finished by six dwarves with Oolay’ah’s guidance and “encouragement.” These passages are only 5’ wide and typically follow fissures that lead from one natural cave to another through the limestone cliffs. In many places, only minor work was needed to make the passages passable. As the PCs move through the labyrinth, there is a 30% chance each turn for them to encounter a natural obstacle. Roll a d10 to select an obstacle: A result of 1-4 indicates ice covering a 20-50’ length of passage. While in this area, each character must save vs. dexterity on a d20 each round or slip and fall, suffering 1-4 hp damage. There is also a 60% chance of the character sliding into the walls of the passage for 2-5 additional hp damage. A result of 5 indicates a crevice, 1-5’ wide and 10-40’ deep. To successfully jump over a crevice, each character must save vs. dexterity on a d20, at -2 for each foot of width less than five. A result of 6-7 indicates falling rocks that will bombard the PCs for 2-16 hp damage apiece, save vs. petrification for no damage. A result of 8-10 indicates a concealed pit, 10’ deep with a spiked bottom. The first two characters in line must save vs. the average of their intelligence and dexterity on a d20 or fall in. Those who fall in suffer falling damage of 1-6 hp, plus damage from the spikes of 2-8 hp; the spikes do half damage to any character who saves vs. dexterity and has an armor class of 5 or better. The rooms near the Shrine were also based on the shape of natural caverns, but were roughly finished to more regular, square shapes. Hence the ceilings of these rooms will be natural, but the walls and floors will be fairly squared off. The prisoner (O-level halfling, 2 hp) wears mere rags and has no spells. Her name is Lyrha (see area 25). 3 A homonculous lurks in the labyrinth (AC 6, MV 6“/18“, HD 2, hp 11, #AT 1, DAM 1-3, bite causes sleep). If it is killed, Oolay’ah will suffer 2-20 hp of damage. 4 A caterwaul prowls the labyrinth (AC 3, MV 18" (24" in bursts), HD 4 + 2, hp 22, #AT 3 (twice each round), DAM 1-4/1-4/1-6, special attack, special defense). It is friendly only with Sept members. 5 Three to twelve piercers will be encountered in the next cavern entered (AC 3, MV 1”) HD 1-4, #AT 1, DAM 1-6 per HD, 95% chance to surprise). 6 A colony of yellow mold is discovered growing on the walls and floor of a passage or cavern (AC 9, MV 0“, #AT 1, DAM 1-8, special attack, special defense). The second guard is a female 2nd-level cleric (LE, AC 5, MV 9“, hp 13) wearing chain mail and using a flail. Her strength of 17 gives her +1 to hit and damage. Her spells are bless, command, protection from good, and remove fear. She has a silver earring with a single jasper (53 gp). The third guard is a male 3rd-level magic-user (CE, AC 5, MV 12”, hp 9) wearing a ring of protection +3 (DEX 16), and using a staff +2. His spells are charm person, magic missile, and web. He has a scroll of gust of wind and protection from normal missiles, and wears an anklet of three braided strands of silver (15 gp) and a brooch of jet in a gold setting (120 gp). The last guard is a male 3rd-level assassin (CE, AC 3 [DEX 17], MV 12“, hp 14) wearing leather armor and using a short sword and two daggers. He uses poison on the short sword which takes 1-6 rounds to take effect, delivering 5-20 hp of damage at the rate of 5 hp per round (save vs. poison at +2 for no damage). He has a tiny silver pillbox of exquisite workmanship (25 gp). Three members of the Sept are bringing a prisoner from the Scholia to prepare for the next ritual. The first guard is a male 4th-level cleric (LE, AC 3, MV 9“, hp 30) wearing splint mail, a ring of protection +1, and using a mace +1. His spells are bless, cure light wounds, light, resist cold, sanctuary hold person, chant, resist fire, and spiritual hammer. He has a scroll of dispel magic and wears an armband of hammered gold (22 gp) on his tunic. Fourth is a female 3rd-level illusionist (CE, AC 4 [DEX 16], MV 12“, hp 16 [CON 16]) wearing bracers of defense AC 6 and using a dagger +1. Her spells are color spray, wall of fog, and blindness. She has a scroll of hallucinatory terrain and wears a silver pendant (11 gp). The third is a female 4th-level cleric (LE, AC 5, MV 9”, hp 27) wearing chain mail and using a mace. Her strength of 16 gives her +1 on damage. Her spells are chant, hold person, silence 15’ radius, spiritual hammer, bless, command, cure light wounds, light, and sanctuary She has a potion of speed and wears a gold earring with two alexan drites (165 gp). Next is a male 3rd-level fighter (CE, AC 5, MV 9”, hp 21) wearing chain mail, and using a short bow with five arrows +1 and a bastard sword. His strength of 18/62 gives him +2 to hit and +4 on damage. He wears an anklet of silver set with four obsidians (45 gp). Roll Result 1 Five members of the Sept, finished with some business, are returning to the Scholia for guard duty. The first is a female 4th-level fighter (NE, AC 2, MV 9”, hp 43 [CON 17]) wearing splint mail +1 and shield, and using a long sword +1. Her strength of 17 gives her +1 to hit and damage. She wears a ring of free action, a ring of warmth, and a gold earring (20 gp). Labyrinth random encounter tables There is a 15% chance for a random encounter each turn. To select an encounter, roll a d6. Only encounters 5 and 6 may be repeated. 2 D RAGON 59
Map 6 The Labyrinth 60 JUNE 1986
43. The Hot Springs: The passage from the refectory opens into a large natural cavern. The ceiling height varies from around 6 at the edges to 40 in the center. The ground slopes gradually down into water from which steam rises. Natural hot springs issue into this cavern through small inlets off to the left. For this reason, the water becomes hotter as one moves in that direction. At the edge of the water, the characters will see a few rocky projections out in the water before the steam closes in to obstruct the view of the far side of the cavern. To cross the stepping stones successfully, each character must save against his dexterity on a d20 at +2. Anyone who falls into the water will only get a dousing (2% chance of 1-4 hp battering damage) as the water is merely warm at this point. When the PCs reach the far side, they will see another shelflike area. Ahead, it narrows to another more roughly hewn passage. To the left, a narrow shelf continues until it disappears into the steam. At this point, there is another set of stepping stones. Anyone who falls off this set of stones will suffer 1-6 hp damage as the water here is quite hot. This set leads to another shelf area, but there are no exits here. 44. Caterwaul Lair: This rather small cave is the lair of the caterwaul from the labyrinth random encounters table. It is littered with rags, scraps of mosses, etc. The walls are covered with raking scratch marks where the caterwaul has honed its claws. If searched for a turn, the following items will be found: a potion of strength, 15 arrows +1, a necklace of gold (85 gp), and six gems. If searched longer, the following additional items will be located: a potion of extra healing, a ring of feather falling, a wand of magic detection, two earrings of silver (4 gp each), and six more gems. The bodies of three students are here; they had attempted to enter the caverns to fight the Sept (with much of the above equipment), but were slain in the process. If the caterwaul was not encountered in the labyrinth, it will certainly be found here. 45. The Ledge: The passageway opens out into a large cavern with steam rising from the water. The surface of water can just be seen about 20 below. At first, it may seem that this is a dead end, but an observant character will see that a ledge continues along to the right. The ledge is narrow enough that the PCs must negotiate it carefully in single file. It is so slippery with condensation from the steam that each character must save vs. his dexterity on a d20 at +1 to avoid falling off. If someone does slip off into the scalding water below, he will receive 2-8 hp damage per round of immersion in this, the hottest end of the hot springs. If a rope is lowered to rescue someone, they must save vs. the average of their strength and constitution on a d20 or be too weak to hold on until raised to safety. If the characters are roped together, a single character who slips will be safe. If two slip, there is a 25% chance to pull another off the ledge. If three slip, there is a 55% chance to pull two further characters off. If more than half the party is pulled off, the remaining characters must all have strengths of 16 or better in order to keep the entire group from sliding into the boiling water. 46. Slave Pen: The entrance to this cave is hidden by a phantasmal force spell and appears to be a dead end. The door itself is also wizard locked. Inside the cave are the six fur trappers whom Oolayah deceived and captured. Oolayah has had them beaten several times; since she is a lycanthrope, she is particularly enraged with their occupation. Recently, the dwarves have been left in the room without food, so they are fairly weak by now. Water does trickle down one wall of the cave; otherwise, they would be unconscious. One of the dwarves is Kaftikel, a 4th-level fighter (N, AC 10, MV 3" [due to weakness], hp 22 [down to 9 now], trained in short sword, hand axe, and light crossbow. His armor and other belongings are in Area 48. The other dwarves are all semi-comatose (1 hp each). Kaftikel will offer to go with the party and lead them to where he presumes the Sept leaders will be. He and the other dwarves know the construction of the Labyrinth only too intimately, but do not know to what use the rooms they built have been put. 47. Cavern of Vortices: This cavern is extremely large, with an Karlekh-tel-Anathrah-Lanoorha-Dohl is Oolayahs current consort. He is a male 6th-level cleric (LE, AC 1, MV 6, hp 38) wearing splint mail, a ring of protection +3, and using a mace +1. His spells are cause light wounds ( x 2), cure light wounds ( x 2), sanctuary, hold person, obscure alignment, silence 15 radius, snake charm, spiritual hammer, continual darkness, animate dead, and prayer He is fanatical and scheming, but capricious, abrasive, and The first and most important of the Sept members present is Oolayah-ben-Ethrah-man-Lanoorha-Tis, a female 9th-level magicuser and weretiger (LE, AC 4 [3 in weretiger form], MV 12, wearing bracers of defense AC 4 and using a dagger +2. She can be hit only by +1 or better weapons. She can change at will to weretiger form, in which case she has the following attacks: #AT 3, DAM 1-4/ 1-4/1-2 (rake with hind paws when both forepaws hit for DAM 2-5/ 2-5). Her spells are charm person, hold portal, shocking grasp, spider climb, darkness 15 radius, mirror image, strength, fireball, haste, protection from normal missiles, dimension door, fire shield, and animate dead. She carries scrolls of jump, sleep, web, and fly She is extremely haughty, arrogant, and suspicious, and can be rather moody and quite vengeful. In battle, she is fearless and somewhat sadistic. Oolayah wears a simple fillet of two intertwined bands of platinum (800 gp), rings of gold on each finger (eight rings worth 30 gp each), also two thumb rings with pearls (115 gp each) and a nose ring of red and yellow gold (65 gp). She has a wildcat, Ootis, for a familiar (AC 5, MV 18, hp 4, #AT 3, DAM 1-2/1-2/ 1-2, rear claws DAM 1-2/1-2, surprise 1-4). His intelligence is 4, and he adds 4 hp to Oolayah when within 12. Loviatar allowed Oolayah to retain her lawful evil alignment when she gained lycanthropy, but Oolayahs spells can only be used in human form. The shrine, the largest of the caverns, is shaped roughly like a five-pointed star, with several pillars of stone supporting the roof: The roof height varies from 6-20. Two natural chimneys over the center of the cavern allow smoke from the numerous torches to escape. A crude, circular altar stands in the center, surrounded by! five braziers and dressed with ivory-colored cloths. A brass stand nearby supports a large bell. When the characters enter, Oolayah and her lieutenants are gathered around the altar, waiting for a new sacrifice to be brought down from the Scholia. There are five members of the Sept gathered in the room, six if Loorha has managed to separate herself from the PCs. Note that if either Loorha is present or if the homonculous has encountered the party, Oolayah and the other Sept members will not be surprised. In this case, there is a 25% chance that one of the random encounter groups not previously encountered will also be present as reinforcement (encounter group #1 would be best). Random encounter group #2, the one with the prisoner, may enter this area several melee rounds after the party arrives and begins combat with those present. 49. Shrine: The final 6 of the passage leading to the shrine are covered by a continual darkness spell. The door to the shrine itself is wizard locked. There is an 80% chance to encounter Oolayahs homonculous here (unless found in the labyrinth; see labyrinth random encounters table). If not, it will be with Oolayah. 48. Refuse Pile: This small cave has several piles of rubble and other refuse. If examined more closely (40% chance), equipment including armor, weapons, and clothing belonging to the party of dwarves can be seen. The items include fur coats, snow shoes, packs with rations, torches, and traps of various sizes. There is also a set of chain mail +1 sized for a dwarf, a hand axe +1, other weapons (short swords, axes, and hammers), and a light crossbow with 10 bolts. The vortices were summoned by Oolayah in a special ceremony, and will not attack any Sept member. irregular ceiling varying from 15-40 high. There are many stalactites and stalagmites, several of which connect to form huge pillars. As soon as the PCs enter this cavern, any torches they have will be blown out. Lanterns will flicker sharply, creating strong shadows which will interfere with the PCs ability to fight ( -1 to hit). There are four vortices in here. They will automatically surprise the party (vortices: AC 0, MV 15, HD 2 + 2; hp 14, 12, 11, 9; special attack). D RAGON 61
quite immoral. Karlekh wears a brooch of shielding and has a scroll of feign death, an earring of gold with a topaz (520 gp) and a silver necklace with an ivory pendant shaped like a hand holding a dagger (225 gp). The third Sept member is Sahlayrha-tel-Ethrah, a male 5th-level illusionist (CE, AC 4, MV 12, hp 14) wearing a ring of protection +2, a ring of fire resistance, and using a staff. His spells are color spray, darkness, hypnotism, wall of fog, hypnotic pattern, mirror image, and spectral force. Sahlayrha is bored and looking for action. Manorlah-mah-Lanoorha-Zel is Oolayahs heir-apparent, a female 8th-level fighter (LE, AC 3, MV 12, hp 69, #AT 3/2) wearing chain mail, boots of striding and leaping, a ring of free action, and using a scimitar +1 and a dagger +2. She has a psionic ability of 258, attack/defense modes B/FH, and the disciplines of domination (8th level of mastery), mind over body (6th level), teleportation (4th level), and aura alteration (2nd level). She has two ioun stones: a pearly white spindle which allows her to regenerate 1 hp per turn, and a burned out dull grey sphere which adds 10 psionic ability points, giving her a total of 268. She wears a medallion of three small sapphires and gold (1700 gp) and a gold buckle with an eye of jade (190 gp). Her twin is Neshayloo-mah-Lanoorha, a female 5th-level fighter (NE, AC 3, MV 12, hp 52) wearing chain mail +2, and using a bastard sword +2. She has a standard ring of regeneration, and wears a silver necklace (38 gp) and a ring of gold with a chrysoberyl set in a platinum hawks head (300 gp). The twins, Manorlah and Neshayloo, are violent, cruel, and hot tempered. Both are extremely avaricious and lusty, but in battle are quite brave though careless. The sixth Sept member is Koptekh-bel-Anathrah, a male 4th-level fighter (NE, AC 5, MV 9, hp 29) wearing chain mail, a ring of protection +1, and using a battle axe +1. He has +1 to hit and damage. He wears an anklet of gold (25 gp) and an earring of silver with a single citrine (65 gp). Koptekh is cold and brutal, with an aloof manner. If the battle goes against the Sept, they will retreat into the robing room, attempt to bar the door with hold portal, escape by means of the secret tunnel, and return to the Scholia. Once there, they will regroup, gather reinforcements from the random parties not yet encountered, and prepare an ambush for the PCs near the refectory. The DM should carefully time the movement of both the Sept party and the PC party during this disengagement period. If the characters do manage to decimate the Sept in a further battle, Oolayah, Karlekh, and Manorlah, if alive, will cut their losses and run. 50. Robing Room: This small room contains a large wardrobe holding robes and other paraphenalia for the rites of Loviatar. Shelves to the left of the door hold several daggers, bowls, two candlesticks, a lamp, a tray, and several bells, all of gold. These items are worth 1200 gp, but good clerics will sense that these infamous tools of a vile belief should be melted down, and the proceeds from the sale of the gold (only 800 gp) given to a deserving temple. There are thirty robes of various styles in the wardrobe, ranging from two very elaborate ones, belonging to Karlekh and Oolayah, to more simple ones. If the lamp on the shelf is examined and shaken, a rattling sound will indicate the presence of something inside. It is in fact only a small stone, though greedy PCs may be led to think it is a gem. Anyone who opens the lamp will trigger a fire trap. The resulting explosion delivers 9 + 1d4 hp damage to all within a 5 radius (save vs. spells for half). In the floor of one corner of the room is a secret trap door which leads to a passage ending in a steep spiral. At the top of the spiral is a dead-end wall, painted like stone but made of thick paper, which can easily be broken through as an escape route. 51. Sept Dormitory: This large irregularly-shaped, rough-carved room is the living quarters for ten members of the Sept. It is divided by silk hangings into five sleeping areas and a small common area. The floor of the common area has an exotic rug (300 gp) with several large pillows scattered about. An oil lamp hangs from a chain 62 JUNE 1986 Opposite the bed is a large wardrobe, containing Oolayahs personal clothing. A chest, trapped with a poison needle (save vs. poison or die), holds coins: 12,000 cp, 7000 sp, 4000 gp, 15,000 ep, and 900 pp. A secret compartment in the lid holds 25 gems worth a total of 14,250 gp. A scroll case in the corner behind the chest holds four scrolls: a magic-user scroll with ice storm, blink, and flame arrow; a magic-user scroll of airy water; a cleric scroll Clever players will associate these writings with the mirror of life trapping in area 28. By the maleficent wrath of Lhachthuss, I, command the occupant of cell to come forth! 13 Ghanorlah-ben-Thylorh-mah-Lanoorha 14 Selthorah-mah-Lanoorha 15 2 Seelohnor Delohvra 3 Nythel 4 Besh-roh 5 Kilphor 6 --- 7 Geskhy-ged-Ethrah 8 ——— 9 Selevona 10 Myloomha 11 Ni'osyl 12 Mondaleth 1 Beezhom 52. Secret Lair: This is Oolayahs secret hideaway. Eight of Oolayahs cats are scattered about the room. They will attack only if Oolayah personally directs them (cats: AC 6, MV 3, ½ HD, hp 1-4, #AT 2, DAM 1-2/1 (rear claws for DAM 1-2), surprise 1-3). The first and larger room is divided by a silk hanging into two sections. One is a comfortably appointed lounging area with three divans and a low round table, obviously taken out of the Scholia. A silver tray holds several small flasks of liqueurs and a small bowl of fungus reputed to have hallucinogenic power. Beyond the silk hanging, which depicts arcane runes and other symbols, is Oolayahs study. There are several work tables covered with equipment for magical research, a writing desk, and a pentagram drawn on the floor. A secret drawer in the desk, holding Oolayahs spell books, is wizard locked. The cover of the second volume is trapped with explosive runes. An explosion in the desk will destroy all the books. The spell books contain all of the spells Oolayah has memorized, plus the following: comprehend languages, dancing lights, Nystuls magic aura, message, mending, unseen servant, locate object, fools gold, scare, blink, charm monster, clairaudience, dispel magic, slow, fire trap, hallucinatory terrain, wall of force, and passwall. Another silk hanging separates Oolayahs sleeping chamber from the first room. A large bed covered with silk bedding and sleeping furs fills most of the room. A small book is concealed in the bed; it is Oolayahs private diary, and contains the details of her plan to invade the Scholia and loot it of all its varied treasures (and perhaps turn the Scholia into the new home for the Sept, too). There are also lists of genealogical tables pertaining to the Lanoorha lineage, and detailed descriptions and appraisals of its Regalia (royal treasures). One final page has the following information: attached to the ceiling. The first three sleeping chambers each have a set of bunk beds (stolen from the Scholia, as was nearly everything else in this area). The last two each have a double bed. Packs, clothing, and other personal articles are scattered about in all the areas. If the PCs search the room thoroughly (requiring 30 minutes), the following items of value will be found: 12 gems worth 950 gp, three jeweled ornamental daggers (30 gp each), a scroll of protection from lycanthropes (owned by someone who doesnt trust Oolayah), a cursed scroll (which will polymorph the reader into a monster of equal level that will attack any creatures nearby), and a potion of longevity
discovered Oolayahs private diary, they are free to release Mondaleth, et. al., from the depths of the mirror of life trapping. Mondaleth will, of course, be grateful for the restoral of the Scholia, and will wish to reward the party well, both with any spells they might need (healing, remove curse, exorcise, and even raise dead) and with 5000 gp or the equivalent and 10,000 gp in gems from the Scholia treasury. He will also permit the adventurers to keep any booty they may have gained from the members of the Sept of Infamy. However, he will not allow the removal of any of the Scholias furnishings or remaining treasure, nor the removal of the personal items of any of its residents (weapons, spell books, etc.). He will attempt to prevent this to the limit of his power and that of his staff. Mondaleth puts the offer of the Baron of Lesser Nhollia under consideration, but must consult both with Ptah and his superiors before any response can be given. If the PCs are not overly greedy and dont attempt to pillage the Scholia, they will have gained a valuable ally in Mondaleth of Silverthorne and a welcome base for further adventures in the Frozen Lands. some of the Regalia of the Lanoorha Clan. Over the years, each Lanoorha-Tis has added to the Regalia. With her gains from the assault on the Scholia, Oolayah seeks to top even the Orb of Lanoorha in extravagance. The Orb of Lanoorha is a gold sphere with platinum bands, encrusted with gems worth 18,000 gp. The Coronet of Lesh is made of silver with five gems (fire opal, oriental topaz, sapphire, diamond, and jacinth) worth 16,000 gp. The Rod of Lyreth is jade with electrum ends (2500 gp). The secret compartment also holds an ivory statue of the Pain-Giver worth 1400 gp. of true seeing and sticks to snakes; and a druid scroll of summon insects, entangle, and pass without trace. A secret compartment in the back of the wardrobe conceals Concluding the adventure After the party has dealt with the Lanoorha-Tis, all may not be over. There may still be further members of the Sept lurking around (any of the remaining random encounter groups who did not become involved in the final battle). Once the PCs have D RAGON 63
Death of an Arch-Mage Can the police solve the mystery in time? Designed by Michael D. Selinker Death of an Arch-Mage is a murder mystery in the form of an adventure for the AD&D® game: It is designed for players and Dungeon Masters who have an appreciation for such things. The game of murder weaves an intricate web that only the truly dedicated can untangle. Successful use of a mystery adventure requires a good deal of atmosphere. The Dungeon Master must take pains to ensure that the adventure has the authenticity of a good murder-mystery novel. Special attention must be paid to two facets of the mystery: suspense and detail. This adventure provides many opportunities for suspense, although actual combat is infrequent. The scenario has a prescribed time limit and an ongoing plot line that will constantly change the nature and the availability of the information the player characters need to gather. Certain key effects are designed to heighten the suspense, such as a crossbow bolt that comes flying out of nowhere. This bolt will not hit a PC, but it will come extremely close to produce maximum heart-stopping excitement. Careful attention by the DM to opportunities for suspense is essential. What this text cannot provide is all of the requisite detail that makes a mystery novel entertaining. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the DM to be able to provide any detail the characters need. The DM should also be able to spontaneously generate useless information, and convey it in a way that does not make it seem useless. Certain clues in the module are worthless for purposes of solving the mystery, but the DM should do his best to ensure that as much attention is paid to them as to the actual clues. At the same time, the DM must be exceedingly stingy with information, releasing a fact only when it is asked for and not giving away anything that the investigator does not deserve to find out. The characters should not be handed the solution to the mystery on a silver platter. These seemingly contradictory concepts of abundance vs. conservation of detail can be summarized in one sentence: The Dungeon Master must have at his fingertips every detail the characters will never receive. D RAGON 41
THE MODULE this is done the DM should make sure that crime. Use of this module requires more than a the two double-sided documents are faith- 5. The interrogation of a person not casual reading. The DM must be thor- fully reproduced, officially charged with a crime is prohibited oughly familiar with all sections of the If this module is used as part of a cam- unless that person consents to being ques- scenario before play begins, because he will paign, players should be able to use their tioned. need to draw from all areas of the text con- existing characters. A party of three to 6. Police officers do not have the power of stantly and simultaneously. In a murder seven characters should be sufficient, with search and seizure except as regards the mystery, hesitation on the part of the no player representing more than one PC. property and persons of dead victims of Dungeon Master is reprehensible; error is No character should be higher than 9th crimes, or when an officer is searching for criminal. level, and the average experience level of or confiscating evidence to be used in the Death of an Arch-Mage is designed for the party should be no lower than 8th unless prosecution of officially charged subjects. tournament play, although it can easily be five or more characters are used, in which 7. Police officers may not employ psionic adapted for campaign play (see below). In case an average level of 7th is acceptable. powers, detection magics, and other such tournament play, players should be given In campaign play, characters should be forms of divination except on a person who the tournament characters provided herein, forbidden from using certain spells and has been officially charged with a crime. as well as copies of the mansion maps and types of magic specifically raise dead, 8. It is illegal for an officer to officially the Kelburn law sheet, before play begins. resurrection, speak with dead, contact other charge a person with a crime without speAn-examination of the tournament player plane, and commune spells, and any magic cific knowledge or possession of unimpeachcharacters will reveal that one of them (the items that duplicate or simulate these func- able, substantial evidence or the voluntary commander of the group) is a spell-casting tions. All other spells and magic items are confession of the person in question. ranger, while the other three are humans fair game; however, some of the capabilities Any violations of the above laws will void with two classes. Each of these three has available to player characters may be illegal a case in the eyes of the Kelburn courts and 2nd-level fighter ability and 8th-level ability according to the laws of Kelburn. Nothing render any other evidence inadmissible. in one of the other main classes (magic-user, prevents the characters from breaking these Should such a violation be determined to cleric, thief). laws, but if they do so they run the risk of have occurred, any charged suspect is autoRegardless of whether the adventure is having the results of their investigation matically absolved of any charges and the played as a tournament or in a campaign nullified; as in our world, a criminal may be offending officer(s) may be dismissed from setting, a strict time limit must be enforced. able to go free if the evidence against him the force and/or punished to the full extent When the mystery begins to unfold, game was collected by illegal means. of Kelburn law. time passes at the same rate as real time: In campaign play, the PCs must somehow The PCs and the players have four be set up as Kelburn police officers; perhaps hours to solve the mystery before the adven- they have been hired for this special assign- THE BEGINNING ture ends. Refer to the section entitled ment, but are not normally attached to the Alexonus Romdril, arch-mage and The end to find out what will happen department. In addition to forbidding them former mayor of Kelburn, has requested a when the time limit expires. the use of the spells and magic items de- security team from the citys police force to The most important feature of the adven- scribed above, the DM should try to avoid attend a gathering at his country mansion ture is the plot line. A continuous chain of allowing campaign PCs the use of weapons, beginning on Oct. 19, 1353. Although he is events will occur as the PCs carry on their armor, or equipment that is not appropriate out of office at the present time, Romdrils investigation, and these events will have to the mission at hand or that is not permis- political pull is still quite strong. He intends dramatic effects on the evidence the charac- sible according to the laws of Kelburn. In to bring together dignitaries from Kelburn ters gain. To maintain close control of the general, the closer the PCs conform to the and its rival city Jonholm for a session of plot line, the DM should time the adventure abilities and characteristics of the tourna- deliberation and negotiation in hopes of with a stopwatch, referring to the plot line ment characters, the more exciting and lessening or removing some of the sources about every five minutes to discover the fulfilling the adventure will be. of tension between the cities. Your special latest events that have occurred or are about detective team has been given the architecto occur. It is recommended that the DM tural plans to Romdrils mansion and asphotocopy the maps provided with this THE LAWS OF KELBURN signed to the case. module, giving one set (or more) to the The legal code of the city of Kelburn is As you ride along the path through the players and keeping a set for himself to use severe. A person brought to trial and found miles of forest between Kelburn and the as location maps, employing miniature guilty of committing or contributing to mansion, you think back on the years when figures or other markers to indicate the murder is usually sentenced to life impris- Romdril was the mayor of the city. (Note to whereabouts of the NPCs as well as the onment or sometimes death, depending on DM: In a campaign adventure, the followplayer characters. These location maps, of the nature of the crime. However, ing information will be received by PCs as course, should only be viewed by the DM. Kelburns code regarding civil rights is part of their briefing before they leave the The suspects are detailed below, in a equally strict, and police officers are bound city.) Aided by his wife Liana and the section of their own. Several of them are by the guidelines enumerated below. magic-user guildmaster Sandar Fleatis, the likely to be questioned by the PCs at differ- 1. Police officers may not take sentient arch-mage governed the city justly, never ent points during the adventure. Should this life except in self-defense, and then only if shirking his commitment to Kelburn. He occur, the suspects stories and their an- no other means are available to protect the reinforced Kelburns civil-rights codes, swers to key questions are given for the DM safety and welfare of the officer. allowing the citizens unprecedented to refer to. Of course, none of the NPCs 2. Unnecessary violence in the apprehen- amounts of freedom. He also restructured will just give out information at the drop of sion of a suspected criminal is prohibited. Kelburns police force, integrating mem bers a hat; they will probably have to be con- Violence may be employed only if no other of specialized classes into the ranks. This vinced that the PCs are doing their best to means are available. adventuring-party model led to a highly find the killer(s) and will try to give out only 3. Protection of any innocent persons varied, extremely competent police battalinformation that will direct suspicion away takes precedence over the apprehension of a ion capable of handling most criminal and from themselves. suspected or known criminal. civil violations. Romdrils tactics damaged Several documents have been reproduced 4. Police officers may not detain a person the strength of Kelburns assassins guild, in this package of information. When a not officially charged with a crime for any temporarily halting the war between the document is discovered by the PCs, the DM length of time, and may not prohibit a guilds of Kelburn and those of its sister city, should reveal the appropriate piece of paper. person from undertaking normal activities Jonholm. Romdril fostered good relations The documents may be photocopied, but if unless the person is officially charged with a between the two cities, and his effort was 42 J ULY 1986
occasionally supported and assisted by Alkus Alambar, the chief alchemist of Jonholm. Romdril's sixteen years as mayor brought new prosperity and security to the city of Kelburn. Romdrils life came crashing down around him in the Kelburn mayoral election campaign of 1352. His wife Liana died unexpectedly on December 14, a scant eleven days before the election. Her death devastated the mayor, leaving him vulnerable to a political attack from his challenger, Orian Flaloch. Running on an anti-magical platform, Flaloch seized upon the archmages grief as proof that he had lost his alleged magical dominance over the good citizens of Kelburn. Romdril succumbed to his tragedy, stopped campaigning, and virtually withdrew from public view, ensuring Flalochs victory. Romdril retired to his country mansion and has been seen in the city on only very few occasions since then. Flalochs attempts to dismantle Romdrils legacy during the last few months have not met with much popular support. He has threatened to remove what he calls demonwork from the police force by dismissing all members with magical powers or items, but has not yet succeeded in persuading a majority of the city council to back him up on this. However, the police force has felt the pressure and has sharply curtailed its use of magic to avoid drawing undue attention to the issue. The new mayor has issued two edicts that are within his power to declare and enforce: He has cut off relations with Jonholm and declared the magic-users guild in Kelburn to be illegal, although no action has been taken against the guilds members. The lessened influence of the police department and the magic-users guild has led to an upsurge in the influence of the Kelburn assassins guild, suspected to be under the leadership of one Andre LeMeurtrier. The combination of all these events has caused a new breakout of conflict between the assassins guilds of Kelburn and Jonholm something that Flaloch does not encourage but by the same token has not taken steps to prevent. It is in this climate of turmoil and increasing despair that the police department received Romdrils request for manpower. You reach the mansion at 7:00 p.m. on October 19 and are promptly led inside by Raleigh, Romdrils longtime manservant. Romdril appears calm and collected as he receives you, projecting a regal appearance in his arch-mages robes. Romdrils mute bodyguard, Mok, stands stoically next to his master. He carries a heavy crossbow secured in a shoulder strap, a quiver of redfletched quarrels slung over his other shoulder, and a great mace dangling from a loop at his belt. Romdril greets you serenely, giving the impression of being a man at peace with himself. No trace of the sorrow and tragedy that tainted the mayoral election can be seen in his eyes or perceived in his demeanor. The arch-mage effusively welcomes you as members of the finest police force in the world and courteously asks for a report on the status of his cherished city. You briefly fill him in on the general state of affairs and he frowns slightly as the bad news reaches his ears, but then he suggests that maybe something will happen during this gathering to change the situation. He then bids you to sit nearby in the inner foyer and oversee the proceedings as his guests begin to arrive. The first guest to enter is Sandar Fleatis, who was Romdrils apprentice in days long gone by. Romdril greets his former student with a smile, which is quickly reciprocated. Fleatis introduces himself to you, but there is really no need for introductions; you know that he has become one of Kelburns most successful businessmen since the election. This fact presents an interesting paradox, because he is also well known as one of Orian Flalochs most vociferous critics. He has taken this stance in part because of his personal attachment to Romdril and partially because of his position as leader of the magic-users guild, an organization that Flaloch would gladly see disbanded. Though Fleatis is twenty years younger than Romdril, the brown-cloaked man speaks with the same amount of wisdom that his former master is renowned for. The door chimes ring again momentarily, and Alkus Alambar is admitted to the mansion. The chief alchemist of Jonholm shoves his dress coat into Raleighs arms as well as his old bones will allow. Alambar, more than eighty years old, is known for his gruff manner and sometimes violent temper, both of which seem to be in fine form tonight. The alchemist barely acknowledges his host with a grunt and goes off muttering into the inner foyer. There he begins to cough and wheeze, but soon arrests the problem by swallowing a small white pill that he has taken from a bottle in his pocket. Romdril and Fleatis exchange sidelong glances, as if they are concerned about the old alchemists health. They certainly neednt worry about his wealth, however; Alambars black, sigilladen robes are expensive-looking clear evidence of the fact that the alchemist is as rich, and probably as powerful, as his fellow arch-mage Romdril. Once more the door chimes sound, and Orian Flaloch strides regally into the mansion. As usual, the mayor of Kelburn is traveling without a guard; he is fond of demonstrating that his faith is all he needs to protect himself from the machinations of demons, as he puts it. Flaloch deftly tosses his ornate black jacket on a coat rack and smiles thinly when Romdril dispassionately welcomes him. Flaloch hands Romdril a small metal box, identifying it as the documents you asked me to bring, and the arch-mage gives the box to Raleigh, instructing him to put it in the master bedroom for safekeeping. Romdril appears to remain at ease as the two enemies exchange small talk for a couple of moments, but Flaloch has difficulty at first hiding his anxiety. Then the mayor regains his composure as he is introduced to your group, and he utters an off-hand remark about the motley composition of your team. Fleatis begins to issue a response just as Raleigh steps in to announce that dinner is ready. Everyone prepares to move toward the dining hall, and Raleigh takes the opportunity to announce that the meal and the service for his guests will be an out-of-theordinary treat; a special cook, named Mennek, and a highly recommended maid, Enni, have been contracted for the duration of their stay. The manservant adds that the servants are well regarded in their home city of Jonholm, where they have performed this sort of special service on several occasions. Abruptly, Raleigh is cut off in midsentence by a fourth chime of the doorbell. From your position in the entranceway to the inner foyer, you can see Raleigh react visibly, and quite negatively, as he opens the door. Mok, his body planted firmly in the path between the front door and where his master stands, brings his crossbow to the ready with impossible speed as the alleged assassin Andre LeMeurtrier saunters into the foyer. Raleigh grabs the mans arm to stop his advance and states firmly that LeMeurtrier was not invited and is certainly not welcome here. Just then, Romdril claps Mok on the shoulder in reassurance, steps out from behind his bodyguard, and advances toward LeMeurtrier. He welcomes the new arrival in an emotionless voice, but with a thin smile on his face, and bids Raleigh to take the gaunt mans light jacket. Another round of curt introductions ensues as Raleigh, grumbling to himself and shaking his head, goes off toward the dining hall to have another place set for dinner. Moments later, you sit down for the meal. Romdril begins the feast with a short, cryptic toast: To endings and new beginnings. Mennek brings in a sumptuous meal of roast turkey and all the trimmings, and everyone eats heartily with little conversation. The tension in the room becomes almost tangible as all four of the guests seem to be sizing up each other. The unease is broken as the maid, Enni, enters the dining hall and informs Romdril that a fourth guest bedroom has been prepared. Romdril thanks her, resumes eating, and begins to take a more active part in the conversation. Romdril says that there will be plenty of opportunity tomorrow morning to deal with more weighty subjects. Under his direction, the table talk turns to more mundane, less controversial matters. The occasion takes on a more enjoyable tone, and time passes quickly. After about three hours, the meal long since ended, Romdril says he is tired and bids the rest of the group a good night, asking them to reconvene in the morning for breakfast. The guests follow their host out of the dining hall, are shown to their rooms by Raleigh, and the house is quiet for the rest of the night. Your squad awakens shortly before 8:00 D RAGON 43
the next morning. You rise quickly, enter the breakfast hall on the upper floor of the mansion, and find the room empty. A moment later, Alkus Alambar and Sandar Fleatis enter together, embroiled in an argument over the mechanics of the elemental planes. They take little notice of you as they sit down and continue their argument. Both men abandon their hostility toward each other when Orian Flaloch enters a minute later, preferring to direct their sarcasm and disgust toward the mayor instead. Flaloch ignores them, but then nearly explodes when Andre LeMeurtrier strolls into the room, smiling, and expresses his desire for a morning repast. Flaloch doesnt try to conceal his hatred for the man and insinuates that LeMeurtriers kind is always hungry for something. LeMeurtriers smile fades and he is about to respond when Raleigh staggers in from the kitchen stairway and falls to the floor, gasping, Hes dead. (Note to the DM: Begin timing the adventure now.) THE MYSTERY It is 8:00 a.m. Alexonus Romdril is dead inside his magical library, and the library is on fire. Enni, the maid, is dead in her chambers. Mennek, the cook, is dead in the kitchen cupboard. Raleigh is suffering from smoke inhalation. He will die from its effects in five rounds unless a member of the PC party applies a cure serious wounds spell (or, optionally, the partys single most powerful form of curative magic). In the absence of such magic, a player character may elect to try artificial respiration; if someone thinks of this and begins to employ it before five minutes have elapsed, there is a 100% chance that it will save Raleigh, modified downward by 10% for every minute that passes before the attempt is begun. If Raleigh is saved, he will be semiconscious and will be able to give out a small amount of information within the next five minutes. He knows only that Romdril is dead in the magical library, that he himself inhaled a lot of smoke in an attempt to save his master, and that the library was on fire when he was forced to leave the room. He will verbalize these recollections, one at a time in the order given, in response to any pertinent question. After five minutes (whether or not he has given out all of his information) he will slip back into unconsciousness and will remain in this condition for the next four hours; no measures (including curative magic) will hasten his recovery. Precisely at the moment when Raleigh falls unconscious (or dies), Mok will burst into the breakfast hall. The bodyguards expression is angry and bewildered; it is obvious that he has just come from his own bedroom and is aware that Romdril is not in the master bedroom. He will demand to know what has happened to Romdril and Raleigh, and will get his desire across by 44 J ULY 1986 forcible means if he is not filled in promptly. If he is told of Romdrils death, he will drop to his knees and bury his face in his hands for a few seconds; then, after somewhat regaining his composure, he will pick up Raleigh in his arms (if the servant is still alive) and take him off to Raleighs bedroom. If Raleigh has died, Mok will simply rise to his feet, wearing a blank stare, and walk aimlessly back out of the breakfast hall without indicating where he is going or what he intends to do. All the guests elect to stay in the background, watching and listening while the PCs tend to Raleigh and react to Mok, but when this episode ends they remain reticent no longer. Sandar Fleatis is frantic; he will want to know more about what has happened and will express his intent to do some investigating on his own. He will also demand that the PCs be speedy and free with any information they discover. Orian Flaloch is intolerant; he will blame this entire episode on the incompetence of the police force, and will inform the party that his coach is scheduled to arrive at noon and he is leaving at that time. Alkus Alambar is fuming and muttering; he seems distressed and a bit disoriented. He will snap out at everyone and everything and will offer no useful information. Andre LeMeurtrier is no longer in the room, having apparently slipped out unnoticed while the PCs were ministering to Raleigh. The other three guests will stay in the breakfast hall until 8:15 before setting off for their bedrooms, each expressing his expectation (or doubt, in Flalochs case) that the police will get to the bottom of what has happened. Orian Flalochs carriage will indeed arrive at noon (the time by which the case must be solved), as will Alkus Alambars. (Sandar Fleatis was simply planning to walk home, his house being less than a mile away. Andre LeMeurtrier will not leave the mansion at all.) The player characters should be aware that they have only four hours to solve the mystery; they need to officially charge the murderer(s) with the crime within that time, or at least to have begun an explanation of their solution in the presence of one or more of the NPCs by then. THE PLOT LINE The following list of times and events is a relative plot line of the NPCs actions over the four hours of the scenario. It is relative because the player characters represent an unknown factor that will probably cause changes in the time schedule. For example, Orian Flaloch will not ransack Romdrils bedroom at 9:00 if any of the police are inside the room at that time. Accordingly, the Dungeon Master should view this plot line as a list of the order in which these events will occur, but not stick literally to the times given. Another important factor for the DM to consider is dramatic effect; if a certain action would be more effective at a different time, the DM should feel free to move it forward or backward in time by a few minutes. For example, if the PCs decide at 10:55 to take a side trip to the upper gallery on their way to the conventional library, it would be much more effective to hold off on the 11:00 fireball until the PCs get downstairs. Another effect the PCs are goiing to have on the plot line is that, in all likelihood, they will split up. If they do, certain characters are likely to be in at least one of the right places at the right time. 8:00 Raleigh collapses in breakfast hall. 8:15 (approximately) Fleatis, Flaloch, and Alambar return to their own rooms. 8:30 High-pitched whinnying is heard from horses hitched up to PCs carriage outside; horses bolt off down the road, carrying the carriage with them. (LeMeurtrier spooked horses to frustrate any suspects who might try to leave the premises which, of course, also strands the PCs). 8:40 Fleatis enters observatory; Mok leaves Raleighs room. 8:45 At least one PC encounters Mok; he runs away. 9:00 Flaloch ransacks Romdrils room (looking for incriminating evidence, but not finding any); Fleatis enters conventional library and begins to read Alambars poison text. 9:10 Flaloch leaves Romdrils room; LeMeurtrier enters Moks room invisibly and steals crossbow. 9:15 LeMeurtrier fires one shot at a PC and goes back to Moks room to replace crossbow; Alambar enters observatory unless PCs are inside. 9:25 LeMeurtrier enters observatory; Alambar insults him and hurls a vial of acid in his direction. The acid hits one of the struts holding up the telescope, and LeMeurtrier escapes unharmed. 9:30 Telescope in observatory crashes to floor; after one strut was destroyed by acid, the others couldnt support the mechanism and all gave way. Immediately after this happens, Alambar teleports to own room. 9:35 Fleatis, Flaloch, and Alambar investigate observatory from different directions; they dont stay long. 9:40 Fleatis returns to conventional library; Alambar enters Romdrils bedroom. 9:43 Flaloch enters conventional library and begins to argue with Fleatis; Mok enters Romdrils room and surprises Alambar; Alambar casts power word, blind on Mok and then uses dimension door to return to his own room. 9:45 Mok, panic-stricken, thrashes around in hallways on upper level and falls down southern stairs to lower level; he is knocked out, reduced to 0 hit points, and blind.
9:50 Fleatis, Flaloch, and Alambar converge on northern stairway and descend to investigate lower part of southern stairway. 9:55 Fleatis returns to conventional library; Flaloch enters conservatory; Alambar enters main bath. 10:00 LeMeurtrier (invisible) rolls a gas grenade at one or more PCs. 10:10 Alambar enters library and argues with Fleatis. 10:20 Alambar leaves library, goes to lower gallery, and turns invisible. 10:25 Fleatis leaves library, heads for manservants bedroom; LeMeurtrier (still invisible) follows him; Flaloch enters lower gallery. 10:30 Fleatis passes unconscious Raleigh on way to Romdrils room and uses mirror in Romdrils room to go to magical library; LeMeurtrier waits invisibly in master bedroom. 10:35 Flaloch returns to conventional library. 10:50 Fleatis returns to master bedroom via mirror, then goes back to own room; LeMeurtrier uses mirror to go to magical library; Flaloch goes to upper gallery. 10:55 LeMeurtrier returns to master bedroom and goes via Raleighs room toward corridor west of lower gallery; Flaloch finds wall safe in upper gallery, uses acid to burn it open, and burns the ledger he finds inside. 11:00 Alambar fireballs LeMeurtrier in corridor, killing him and setting most of the doors in the corridor on fire; when PCs investigate, Alambar creates image of Fleatis fleeing via either north or south end of corridor; doors to conventional library, conservatory, and lower gallery on fire; conventional library begins burning; Alambar teleports to own room. 11:05 All NPCs (those still alive) are back in their own rooms, 12:00 Flalochs and Alambars carriages arrive; Raleigh (if alive) awakens, finds the PCs, and asks if theyve solved the mystery. THE MANSION Romdril Mansion is midway between Kelburn and Jonholm, about twelve miles from each city. It sits in a clearing that extends approximately twenty feet from the mansion in all directions. Beyond the clearing is impassable forest, except for the narrow road that leads to the mansions front door. This road is unpaved and quite rocky, and twists through the forest for three quarters of a mile before meeting up with the somewhat smoother thoroughfare that runs between Kelburn and Jonholm. The maps in this adventure describe the layout of the mansion and other details. Other information about the individual rooms and areas is given below. Upper level Master bedroom: Romdrils room is sumptuously furnished. An immense canopy bed occupies much of the area south of the bathroom door. Next to the bed is a nightstand, and a coat rack is at the foot of the bed. In the southwest corner of the room is a dresser and a full-length mirror. The northeast corner contains a bookcase. Two large wicker chairs sit between the windows. The floor is carpeted from wall to wall. (If the characters enter this room after 9:00, the room will have been ransacked.) The canopy bed is 15 wide, 20 long and 12 in height (to the top of the canopy), and appears not to have been slept in during the preceding night. The coat rack supports Romdrils robe, a pocket of which contains a scroll with the spell geas inscribed thereon. On the nightstand are a quill, a half-full stoppered bottle of normal black ink, and a candlestick containing an unburned candle. If the candlestick is closely examined, it will be discovered that the white candle has flecks of black powder D RAGON 45
sprinkled on it. Anyone ingesting this powder or breathing the fumes it gives off while being burned will suffer ill effects if the character has also tasted both the white powder in Menneks pocket and either the red liquid in Menneks pocket or the red wine in the kitchen. If this combination of substances is present in a characters system, he will suffer 2-12 points of damage (save for half damage) and be incapacitated for a number of minutes equal to 20 minus his constitution score. Neutralize poison will negate this latter effect. On top of the dresser is a portrait of a young woman, perhaps twenty years old and very beautiful. The portrait bear the elegantly scripted words, To my beloved Alex Thank you. Liana. Below this inscription in a different handwriting are the words, You shall be avenged. (This painting is of the same young lady as the one in the upper gallery. The portrait will be face down if the room has been ransacked.) The four dresser drawers contain Romdrils clothes, and his boots are on the floor partially under the dresser. The mirror is ornately decorated in gold and platinum, but otherwise appears normal. It is, however, a teleportation device between here and the magical library. The command word, vermillion, is engraved backward across the bottom of the frame, so that upon first reading it seems to be noillimrev. Three other words are similarly engraved across the top and down both sides of the frame. If someone stands within one pace of the mirror and utters the command word, the mirror will act as a portal to the magical library for that person only, and the step inside the mirror must be taken within five seconds after the word is spoken. If one of the other words is spoken first, or if the time limit expires, the mirror cannot be entered for ten minutes afterward. The light cedar bookcase contains 117 volumes of Romdrils diary, arranged in order, all similarly bound in brown leather with golf-leaf embellishment. All of them except the most recent (uncompleted) volume are triple- wizard locked at the 21st level of magic-use. The last one, Volume CXVII, is freely openable. The entries for the last three days (also reproduced in the document section) read as follows: Thursday, October 17: Alkus is still convinced that I have the formula for a potion of longevity! I have told him time and time again that I know of no such elixir, yet he persists. I fear his age is catching up with him. And yet, his judgment remains intact. The servants he recommended seem to know their trades well. Friday, October 18: Flaloch has asked to make amends. Hah! How does he expect me to forgive him for what he did to me? Nonetheless, he shall attend tomorrow. I only hope her spirit will forgive me. Saturday, October 19: An unexpected guest LeMeurtrier! I did not believe he had the courage to face me. Still, his arrival bodes ill. Something in the air is wrong; I 46 J ULY 1986 fear this may be my last entry. Romdrils bathroom is normal in all respects, containing a large porcelain bathtub and a toilet both connected by pipes to the water circulation system on the ground level. There is also a candlestand with a full candle on it, plus a grooming set consisting of a hairbrush, shaving razor and clipping scissors, all of which bear the monogram A.R. Bodyguards bedroom: Moks bedroom is very spartan. There is a bed built to his proportions in the northeast corner, a wooden chest in the northwest section of the room, and a weapons rack on the south wall (adjoining the bath). Moks bed is 10 wide and 15 long. There are no sheets, blankets or pillows on the bed, just a thin mattress covering that is rumpled, indicating that the bed has been slept in recently. The chest has no lock on it and contains several loose shirts and pants in Moks size. At the bottom of the chest under the clothes is a very mirror, and a candlestand with most of a candle remaining in it. Alkus Alambars bedroom: There are a few shards of glass on the floor outside the door to Alambars room. The room contains a bed and nightstand in the southwest section, a dresser and fulllength mirror in the southeast corner, a coat rack on the east wall south of the door, and a table in the northernmost area. The canopied bed is 8 wide and 12 long, and appears to have been slept in recently. (However, though the blanket and pillows are in disarray, the top sheet is still neatly tucked in beneath the pillows.) The candle on the nightstand is entirely melted down. The dresser drawers are empty; the mirror and the table are ordinary. On the coat rack is the robe Alambar wore last evening. There are several shards of glass in the lower hem of this robe, and one of the pockets is ripped open. Under the robe on the rack is hung a tied leather expensive mandolin. backpack, with a medium-sized bag of The weapon rack holds two heavy cross- holding inside. The bag contains five thoubows and has space for a third one. (If sand gold pieces, but the entire pack weighs LeMeurtrier presently has one, then only only fifteen pounds. one other will be in the rack.) Hung on the The bathroom is normal; the bathtub is rack are four quivers, each one containing dry. The room also contains a toilet, a facial approximately twenty red-fletched crossbow mirror, and a candlestand with a candle that bolts. There are also four large maces on has not been burned. the rack, with a pair of supports indicating where a fifth one could be stored. Orian Flalochs bedroom: The room Moks bathroom is virtually bare, con- contains a canopied bed and nightstand in taining only a bathtub (recently used), a the northwest section, a full-length mirror toilet, and a small table supporting a can- and a dresser in the northeast corner, a coat dlestand that has only a mass of melted wax rack along the wall south of the door, and a on it. table in the southern section. The bed is 8 by 12 and has been slept in recently. The Breakfast hall: A large ironwood table candle on the candlestand has burned only a occupies the center of the room. There are small amount. The mirror has a hairline twelve cedar chairs, five each on the north crack, but is otherwise normal. The four and south sides of the table and one each at dresser drawers are empty, as is the top of the head and foot. The table is bare; no the table. In Flalochs coat, which is hangplaces have been set for a meal, even ing on the rack, are a key and a small piece though the guests were expecting to be fed of paper upon which is written in perfect at around 8:00. script: Mr. Flaloch, dont forget the Romdril affair to-night. J.R. 10-19. (This paper Sandar Fleatiss bedroom: A bed and is reproduced in the document section.) nightstand are in the western part of the The bathroom is ordinary and contains a room, a dresser in the northeast section, a recently used bathtub, a toilet, a facial full-length mirror on the east wall north of mirror, and a slightly used candle in a the door, an empty coat rack along the wall stand. on the other side of the doorway, and a table in the southernmost section. The canopied Andre LeMeurtriers bedroom: The bed is 8 wide and 12 long; it has been room contains a bed and nightstand in the slept in recently. On the nightstand is a southwest section, a dresser and full-length partially burned candle. The dressers four mirror in the southeast corner, a coat rack drawers are empty, and an empty backpack along the wall north of the door, and a table is lying open on top of the dresser. in the northern section. On the table are three leather-bound The canopied bed, 8 by 12, has been tomes, Fleatiss traveling spell books. The slept in recently. On the south side of the first contains six low-level spells: magic beds canopy is a strange play of lights, only missile, spider climb, in visibility knock, visible to someone who moves around to the dispel magic, and fireball. The second south side of the bed. This effect comes contains four medium-level spells: dimen- from the westernmost stained-glass window sion door, wall of ice, extension II, and on the southern wall, a 4 by 2 section of passwall. The third book contains nothing which has been scored, taken out, and but blank pages. replaced. The pane was put back slightly The bathroom is ordinary, containing a askew, which causes light to leak in around recently used bathtub, a toilet, a facial the edges without passing through the glass
itself. (There are footprints visible on the roof below this window, and the tracks lead directly to the western edge of the roof. For more information about this, see the "outside section of the mansion description.) The dresser is empty and the table is bare. The nightstands candle is half consumed. The coat rack is empty, and the mirror is ordinary. The bathroom contains an unused bathtub, a toilet, a facial mirror, and an unused candle on a stand. Astrological observatory: This huge octagonal chamber is topped by a large glass observation dome 30 feet above the floor. Much of the center of the room is occupied by a mammoth swivel telescope pointed at the heavens. There is a chair attached to the telescope that swivels with the device. There are candlestands all around the room, as well as bookcases that flank the north, south, east, and west doors. (If the PCs enter after 9:30, the telescope will be in pieces on the floor, and one of the struts will show evidence of having been weakened by the application of acid.) The gigantic swivel telescope is a masterwork of engineering. The main tube is 40 long and the bore at the top of the tube is 5 across. The telescope can rotate a full 360 degrees on the horizontal axis and can also be pivoted vertically so that it is anywhere from straight up (with the chairs back parallel to the floor) to fully horizontal (the telescope is parallel to the floor). If Alambar has not yet entered the observatory, the telescope will be pointing up (out the observation dome) and to the northeast. In the daytime, the sun completely obscures the view of any other heavenly bodies. The chair is firmly attached to the telescope, but will be smashed when the crash occurs. On a desktop attached to the chair are a normal pen, a bottle of normal ink, and two books. The first book contains Romdrils charts of the various heavenly bodies. The charts seem to show a movement of a certain group of four bodies toward each other until they meet in what Romdril notes as a full cupidory. The second book is a text on various formations of bodies, and is open to a page on cupidoria which describes a full cupidory as meaning cessation. (This page and two pages of the chartbook are reproduced in the document section.) If the telescope has already crashed, these books will be partially visible under the device, but not trapped; they can be recovered and examined, and the second book will still be open to the indicated page. The candlestands are all filled with unused candles. The bookcases that line the walls are well stocked with scholarly texts on astrology, which anyone without a strong background in astrology would find incomprehensible. Upper gallery: The long walls of this rectangular room are lined with paintings, most of them by world-famous artists and one of them painted by Romdril himself. The Romdril painting and three of the others have the same subject: a beautiful young woman. One of the other paintings of this woman bears the word Liana engraved on its frame. On the frame of the Romdril painting is inscribed this notation: B 3-15-21, D 12-14-52. Behind the Romdril painting is a small wall safe. In the center of the square door is a dial marked with numbers from one through sixty and a spinner with an arrow engraved on it pointing to the dial. If the arrow is turned to point to the numbers twelve, fourteen, and fifty-two, in that order, the wall safe will pop open. If a thief attempts to pick this lock, he does so at a 30% penalty. Inside the safe are a large sack, a smaller sack, a small portrait, a scroll, and a leather-bound ledger. The large sack is a bag of holding that contains ten thousand platinum pieces but only weighs sixty pounds. In the smaller sack is a treasure trove of gems, mostly jacinths, rubies, and sapphires. The small portrait is in a heavily inlaid platinum and gold frame, and depicts the same woman as the painting in the master bedroom and the ones noted along the gallery walls. The seal on the scroll is engraved with the words, Last Will and Testament of Alexonus Romdril. If the seal is broken, the will (reproduced in the document section) can be read: I, Alexonus Romdril, being of sound mind and body, declare this to be my last will and testament. It is my solemn wish that my estate be shared equally by my two loyal servants and friends, Mok and Raleigh. It is also my wish that they continue to occupy the mansion, jointly sharing the title of Lord of Romdril Mansion. All of my magical possessions not related to the maintenance of Romdril Mansion shall be given to my former apprentice, Sandar Fleatis. Should he desire to occupy Romdril Mansion, he is welcome to do so, although he shall not have the executive ownership of the mansion. This I do hereby set in writing in the memory of my beloved Liana, whom I shall meet again in the world beyond. Alexonus Romdril, April 10, 1353. The leather-bound book is titled Campaign Ledger, November-December 1352. One dog-eared page (reproduced in the document section) describes the misappropriation of ill-gained campaign funds for the date December 12, 1352. One entry has been circled; this reads, Paid to Andre LeMeurtrier for services rendered, 35,000 gold pieces, Minor guest bedrooms: These rooms will be found the same way the player characters left them. Each contains a bed, a candlestand, a dresser, a half-length mirror, and a bathroom with a bathtub, toilet, and candlestand. Ground level Manservants bedroom: Raleighs bedroom is large but sparsely furnished. There is a nightstand next to the bed in the northeast section of the room. A suit rack sits in the southeast corner, and there is a dresser and a full-length mirror between the rack and the southern door. The bed, 3 by 6, has no canopy. (If Raleigh survives his early-morning ordeal, his unconscious form will be occupying the bed from about 8:15, when Mok brings him here, until 12:00, when the PCs time limit expires.) On the nightstand are a halfmelted candle in a stand and a small piece of paper (see the document section) which reads, List of Guests: Alkus Alambar, Sandar Fleatis, Orian Flaloch, officers from Kelburn. On the face-down side of this paper is written 12-14-52. The suit rack contains six formal suits and four empty hangers. There is nothing in the pockets of any of the suits. In the dresser are Raleighs other clothes and his boots. The mirror is ordinary. In the bathroom are a recently used bathtub, a toilet, two candlestands with slightly used candles, a facial mirror, and a grooming set (hairbrush, razor, and clipping scissors, none of which is marked in any way). Servants quarters: All of these rooms are essentially the same. Each contains a neatly made bed (3 by 6), a nightstand with an empty candleholder, a half-length mirror, and a dresser. In the lower drawer of the dresser in the southwest room is a rotting rag doll; if it is torn open, three copper pieces will fall out. The servants bath is divided into two identical rooms, each containing a dry bathtub, a toilet, and an unused candle in a holder. Ennis room: Stuck on the outside of the waist-high hinge on the door to this room is a swatch of black cloth containing a bit of embroidery that seems to be part of a decoration. It has obviously been ripped from a larger piece of the same cloth. Enni, the maid, is propped up against the headboard of her bed, and is in her bedclothes with a red-fletched crossbow bolt protruding from her chest. She is unquestionably dead. Under the pillow behind her lower back is a dagger with a wavy-edged blade. The room has a dresser, a nightstand with a half-consumed candle in its holder, and a full-length mirror. In the dresser are two maids outfits and a pair of shoes; on top are a maids hat and a grooming set. The grooming set contains a small facial mirror, a stoppered pottery bottle labeled Makeup, a hairbrush and comb, clipping scissors, and a small file. The pottery bottle is half-filled with a black powder. (This powder is the same as that which is sprinkled on the candle in the master bedroom; consult the text for that room for what will happen if this powder is tasted.) D RAGON 47
Menneks room: This room contains a bed, dresser, half-length mirror, and nightstand. The 3-by-6 bed has no canopy and has not been used recently. The middle drawer in the dresser holds a set of street clothes. An unused candle is in the holder on the nightstand; next to it is a cookbook with a circle drawn around the recipe for roast turkey. Servants entrance and foyer: A coat rack is the only object in the foyer. Hung on it are two coats, one slightly larger than the other. In the pocket of the smaller one is a map illustrating the route from Jonholm to Romdril Mansion. On the back side of the map are a few lines of handwriting that describe the procedure for using a special three-stage poison. (This piece of paper is reproduced in the document section.) The bar is up on the door leading outside. Many different footprints, belonging to at least three different people, are visible in the soft ground outside the door. (For more information, refer to the Outside section of the mansion description, below.) Kitchen: The kitchen has not been cleaned recently. Along the northern wall is a large table on which are the leftovers from last nights dinner, plus various cooking implements and spices. The fire pit contains nothing more than warm embers. North of the west door is a wash basin holding the (unwashed) pots used to cook the dinner. On the floor in front of the table is a puddle of red wine roughly 2 feet in diameter. (The red wine masks a fresh blood stain on the floor. The stain can be noticed under careful examination, and certainly will be if someone reaches down to get some of the wine for a taste test. If the wine is tasted, see the description of the master bedroom, above, for possible effects.) The embers in the fire pit will burn unprotected skin, but are cool enough to be moved around by an implement or a heavily covered hand. If the contents of the fire pit are stirred, a small piece of metal will be discovered; it has the shape of a trigger from a crossbow or some similar device. If the door to the kitchen cupboard is opened, Menneks body will be seen sprawled on the floor of the small chamber. A red-fletched crossbow bolt has pierced his shoulder; he is still in his cooks uniform, and he is quite dead. One of the pockets of his jacket contains a half-filled vial of white powder. The other one contains a shattered bottle, and a red stain is visible on the pocket and the part of the garment adjacent to it. (If either or both of these substances are tasted, refer to the description of the master bedroom, above, for possible effects.) Dining hall: The immense table in this room has not been completely cleared of the remains from last nights meal. There are twenty-two large chairs around the 40-long table, ten on each side and one each at the head and foot. 48 J ULY 1986 Sitting room: This room contains sixteen plush chairs arranged in a circle, with an unused candle in a holder next to each one. On the cushion of one of the chairs is a book of poetry; under the cushion of the chair to its immediate left is a quill. Lounge: This room has a large couch on the south wall and a loveseat on either side of the southern doors, the eastern one with its back to the east wall. Four other cushioned chairs are scattered around the room, as are six small tables and a dozen candleholders. Lower gallery: The walls in this area are covered with several large paintings; in addition, a pair of statues are displayed on pedestals in the middle of the north and south walls. None of the paintings are by famous artists, no two are of the same subject, and none of them depict the young woman whose visage adorns the upper gallery. The statue on the north wall is a bronze sculpture of a sailing ship, and the southern one is a marble representation of an enraged dragon of some sort. If the head of this latter statue is lifted, a hollow space is revealed that contains a silver key with a blue stripe across the top. Conservatory: Musical instruments line the walls of this room. There are three wooden chairs arranged in a triangle close to the windows; in front of each of these chairs is a music stand. Twenty other small chairs are arranged to form an audience area in the southeast quadrant of the room. On each of the music stands is the score for a composition that begins as a dirge and gradually turns into an allegro by the end (this can be perceived by anyone able to read music). The parts are for three instruments: flute, violin, and mandolin. Each copy of the score bears the signature of Alexonus Romdril and (also in his handwriting) yesterdays date. Conventional library: Thousands of books fill the shelves in this room. In the center of the room is a table with four wooden chairs around it. On the table are a quill and two ink vials. The books cover every conceivable subject; they are arranged alphabetically by the authors last name. Some of the noteworthy volumes include several books by Romdril himself on music, zoology, and general science; a small book by Sandar Fleatis on the elemental planes; and a text by Alkus Alambar on poisons. This last volume contains some general information on how to prepare and apply a multi-stage poison. If the library is investigated after 9:15, Alambars text on poisons will be lying facedown on the table, open to the page containing the above information. Gymnasium: This area contains various exercise equipment, including a great many weights, mats, ropes, bars, and rings. At the end of the crossbow target range is a bullseye target with three red-fletched crossbow bolts sticking out of the center. Main bath and water circulation system: The bath contains a large bathtub, two toilets, a wash basin, and two spare robes that are completely ordinary. The water circulation system is a hydraulic marvel. In the center of the room is a metal cylinder 10 in diameter and 15 high, on top of which is a large ceramic jug. (The jug is a decanter of endless water.) From the cylinder extend a dozen metal pipes that disappear into the ceiling and then (apparently) to the various bathrooms throughout the mansion. Entrance foyer and inner foyer: The entrance foyer is completely empty. The inner foyer contains six plush chairs and a coat rack, which at present is bare. Magical area Outside the doors to the magical area is a chime of opening specially designed to open the wizard-locked double doors for ten minutes before the lock resumes. If the doors are opened and left open, they will stay this way after the ten minutes have passed, but will re- lock when they are again closed. The wizard lock is of a special, oneway construction; anyone inside the corridor can exit through these double doors as if they were not locked. The doors are presently closed and locked (from the outside), and the chime has 5 charges remaining. If the chime, a knock spell, or a successful dispel magic (against a 21st-level wizard) is used and the doors are opened, the smoke that is trapped in the corridor will rush out. Everyone within 25 feet of the opened doors (or anyone who immediately ventures inside the corridor) must save vs. poison or be helpless with coughing fits for five rounds (four rounds if constitution is 15 or higher). This save must be made every round for as long as the doors are left open, up to a maximum of five rounds. A cure light wounds spell or the equivalent will negate this effect. After some of the smoke has been let out, the characters will be able to make their way through the corridor by crawling. They will be able to ascertain that the source of the smoke is the magical library. (If the fire in the library has been extinguished, five rounds of ventilation or a gust of wind spell will clear the air.) In front of the open door to the magical library lies Alexonus Romdril. He is dead from burns covering his entire body. A small, partially burned scrap of paper (reproduced in the document section) is clutched in Romdrils fist. If it was earlier than 9:00 when the double doors were opened, the library will still be on fire, and the characters should realize that the blaze must be dealt with. (If the doors are not opened until 9:00 or later, the fire will have burned itself out because of lack of oxygen.) (Text continues on page 57)
Tournament player characters Lt. Mander Laine Command Division Officer Colin Myrrh Theological Division 9th level ranger Lawful good 2nd level fighter/8th level cleric Lawful good Strength: 18/26 Magic items: Strength: 16 Magic items: Intelligence: 17 Elfin chain mail Intelligence: 16 Potion of clairvoyance Wisdom: 16 Longsword + 2 Wisdom: 18 Shield + 2 Dexterity: 13 10 bolts +2 Dexterity: 10 Scroll of protection Constitution: 14 Ring of fire resistance Constitution: 12 from magic Charisma: 17 Charisma: 15 Other items: Other items: Hit points: 59 Light crossbow Hit points: 55 Spell components Armor class: 5 Uniform Armor class: 5 Holy symbol Badge and identification Uniform Spells: Dagger Spells: Badge and identification Detect magic (Dr) Lesser mistletoe Detect magic Mace Light (MU) Handcuffs and blindfold Cure light wounds ( x 3) Handcuffs and blindfold 10 rope Create water 10 rope Special abilities: Hold person Chain mail Tracking Find traps + 9 vs. giant-class humanoids Silence 15 radius 3/2 attacks/round Resist fire Locate object ( x 2) Surprise on 1-3 Know alignment Detect lie Surprised on 1 only Cure blindness Cure disease Cure serious wounds Neutralize poison Officer Kai Randar Thaumaturgical Division Officer Velton Sectal Espionage Division 2nd level fighter/8th level magic-user Lawful good 2nd level fighter/8th level thief Lawful neutral (good tend.) Strength: 12 Magic items: Strength: 12 Magic items: Intelligence: 18 Spell scroll (Message, Intelligence: 16 Dust of appearance Wisdom: 15 (4 pinches) Dexterity: 18 Short sword + 2 Constitution: 11 Potion of flying Charisma: 12 Potion of invisibility (4 doses) Hit points: 33 Base armor class: 8 Other items: Thieves tools and picks Thief abilities: Dagger Pick pockets 80% Hooked grapnel and Open locks 72% 20 of line Find/remove traps 60% Flask of oil Move silently 82% Flint and steel Hide in shadows 64% Vial of acid Hear noise 25% Handcuffs and blindfold Climb walls 106% Leather armor Read languages 40% Protection from normal missiles Backstab at + 4 to hit and triple damage Wisdom: 16 Dexterity: 15 Constitution: 15 Charisma: 14 Hit points: 29 Base armor class: 10 Spells: Magic missile Shield Ventriloquism Detect magic Detect invisibility Knock Levitate Phantasmal force Anti-magic shell, Pyrotechnics) Helm of comprehending lang. & reading magic Potion of healing Short sword + 1 Other items: Spell components Uniform Badge and identification Dagger Vial of acid Handcuffs and blindfold 10 rope Dispel magic Rarys mnemonic enhancer Ice storm