D&D - Goatlands Omnibus (5e) (lvl 1-5)

Layout & Goatlands Logo Design: Ade Smith
Publisher: Mike Lafferty

Line Editor: Jason Tondro
Assistant Editor: Graham Robert Scott
5th Edition Fantasy Logo by Fat Goblin Games
With invaluable help from the Goatlords: Theron Bretz, Andrew Collas,
Walt Robillard, Graham Robert Scott, and Thea Seals

Note. These adventures refers in places to magic items and monsters described in detail in
the System Reference Document 5.0 (“SRD5”) by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. (2016). Game
Masters will need access to that document or related materials to run this adventure.

Contents

GL1: Spiders on the Storm 5 GL2: Death in Greenshade 29
5 29
An adventure for 1st level characters. An adventure for 2nd level characters. 29
5
Adventure Summary 6 Introduction 29
Sidebar: What are the Goatlands? 6 Adventure Background 30
7 30
Adventure Episodes 8 Sidebar: Greenshade 30
Scene One: Mudslide! 9 Adventure Episodes 30
9 Scene One: Welcome to Greenshade 30
Sidebar: Medicine and Drowning 10 The First Fallen 31
Scene Two: Meeting the Archwavians 10 What’s Really Happening 31
14 Scene Two: Into the Forest 32
Sidebar: Archway The Second Fallen 32
Scene Three: Spider Attack! The Third Fallen 32
Scene Four: Aftermath Scene Three: The Haunted Shrine 33
Scene Five: Tracking the Foe Phantom Druid 33
Putting an End to the Terror 33
Wilderness Encounter Table Scene Four: Returning to the Village
Scene Six: Into the Den A Conclusion
Non-Player Characters Treasure
Appendix: The Voices of the World Spirit
Kingdom of Panalane 16 The Truth About the World Spirit
Sidebar: Panalane: Design Goals 16
17 Credits
Panalane Map 18
Gazetteer 21 Author: Ade Smith
Coronation Ceremony of the Palani King 21 Edited by Steven Bruso
Gods of Panalane 27 Layout & Goatlands Logo Design: Ade Smith
Psychopomp Domain
Art: Ade Smith
Credits

Author: Jason Tondro
Mapmaker: Gill Pearce

Art: Luigi Castellani & Sade

2

Contents

GL3: The Fearfield War GL4: Mutiny at Blooming Port

An adventure for 3rd to 5th level characters. An adventure for 3rd level characters.

Introduction 34 Introduction 91
The Story in Brief 34 Adventure Background 91
35 Act One
Overland Map 91
Part One 36 Scene One: Mudd at Crabbers’ Crick 93
38 Scene Two: The Breezeway Arch 93
Scene One: If by Land 38 96
Scene Two: If by Sea 39 Sidebar: Brynjar the Blind
40 Scene Three: A Roadside Shrine 97
Sidebar: Caldwell (Village) 41 Act Two 97
Sidebar: Whitehall Town 42 Scene One: Drunk Women Tell Tall Tales 100
Sidebar: Where is the Nearest raise dead spell? 44 Scene Two: Apple Hillock 101
Scene Three: Audience with Ironvow 46 Scene Three: Stillwater Cistern 102
Scene Four: Her Grace, the Baroness Garcy Salter 47 Map: Blooming Port 102
Scene Five: The Gont Man 47 Scene Four: Edgewater Auction House 104
Scene Six: Ahorse, Her of Korser 48 Act Three: The Battle for Blooming Port 105
Scene Seven: Caldwell is Burning 106
Sidebar: Love Interests 50 Sidebar: Captain Bazelon 108
Sidebar Caldwell 52 Aftermath 110
Part Two: Against the Goatfolk 53 Appendix A: The Great River Ēa  111
Scene One: The Scapegoat Camp 55 Appendix B: Monsters 114
Map: Sacco’s Scapegoat's Camp 57 Appendix C: Magic Items
Scene Two: Seeking Allies 61 Appendix D: Player Options
Scene Three: Caravan Assault 63 Up with the Mudlark
Scene Four: The Hanging Tree
Scene Five: The Battle for Goat Hill Credits
Sidebar: Making it More Complicated
Author: Thea Seals
The Land and Their Rulers 64 Additional Content: Graham Robert Scott
Sidebar: Mine Mummies 66 Art: Ade Smith
Sidebar: Fearfield Hounds 69 Developer: Jason Tondro
71
Military Forces Table 72
Sacco's Scapegoats, Goatfolk Mercenaries 73
Appendix A: Goatfolk 74
Appendix B: Magic Items 75
Appendix C: Encounter Tables 78
Appendix D: Monsters 79
81
Goatfolk Chaotic Features 83
Sidebar: Lagash Vultures

Nonplayer Characters

Credits

Author: Jason Tondro
Edited by Steven Bruso

Art: Ade Smith

3

Contents

GL5: The Horror Under Thumehall

An adventure for 5th level characters.

Adventure Summary 116
Sidebar: What if Sacco is dead? 116
116
Getting the PCs Involved 116
Adventure Episodes 116
Scene One: The Briefing 116
116
Sidebar: Not following the Fearfield War 118
Scene Two: Approaching Thumehall 120
Scene Three: The Catacombs 122
Scene Four: The Caverns of Thumehall 123
125
  Sidebar: Cavern Encounters 127
128
Caverns Level Two 128
Sidebar: Opening the Vaults 128
128
Caverns Level Three 128
Sidebar: Opening the Vaults

Finale

  Sidebar: What’s on the Other Levels?

New Magic Item
New Monsters

OGL 132

Credits

Author: Ade Smith
Mapmaker: Ade Smith

4

Spiders on the Storm

Adventure Summary What Are the Goatlands?

Traveling through the wilderness, the PCs are caught in a The Goatlands are the fantasy setting of Fainting
fierce storm that triggers a mudslide and potential flood. Goat Games. They constitute a corner of a
They are found by two locals who lead the party back to collaborative world about which little is currently
Archway, a small community founded in an abandoned known but which we hope to expand. All of the “core
aqueduct. They rest for a time, but soon after the storm assumptions” of 5th edition are true in the Goatlands,
ends, Archway is attacked by giant spiders, which try to though they may not all be true in every part of it. The
abduct a child. The PCs are asked to save the people of Goatlands are a place for Heroic Fantasy adventure,
Archway by tracking the spiders to their den and but individual regions within it may branch out into
destroying them, possibly with the aid of one or more Sword & Sorcery, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy,
NPCs. But the spiders are, in fact, being directed by an
aging ettercap named Lobelia, who is in turn advised by Intrigue, and other subgenres.
a demonic imp in spider-form. If the PCs succeed in
clearing the spider-den, they can also help restore the Players will have many different ideas about how to
aqueduct to working condition. escape from the various threats posed by the storm;
adjudicate them as you think best, erring on the side of
Spiders on the Storm is intended as a one-session
adventure with exploration, combat, and social interaction generosity since these are 1st level characters with
that advances a party of 1st level PCs to level 2. While
ostensibly set in the Goatlands, Fainting Goat Games’ limited options, they don’t have many hit points, and they
5e setting, it can easily be moved to any traditional
can’t really avoid these dangers (unlike most traps). 
fantasy campaign.
The first “trap” is a mudslide. Waves of thick mud, the
Adventure Episodes result of lake flooding, rush down the slope towards the
PCs from the west. The mudslide is loud. No check is
Scene One: Mudslide! required to hear it. But the roaring noise is hard to
interpret. Characters can attempt DC 15 Wisdom
Spiders on the Storm begins with the PCs traveling north (Survival) or Intelligence (Nature) checks to realize they
together through forested hills in the Threadbarrens. No are hearing a mudslide. PCs proficient in both skills may
particular reason is given here for the PCs to be traveling roll their best with advantage. Characters who succeed in
together. They may have business in the nearby these checks have 1 round before the mudslide reaches
community of Santiago’s Landing. They do not need to them and can warn the rest of the party. They might use
be close friends, though some might already know each this time to seek shelter, climb a tree, or tie themselves to
other. They may have set out with a larger company, but other party members.
now a furious storm is falling, night has come suddenly,
and they are in search of shelter. Avoiding the mudslide is a DC 10 Dexterity save.
Those who fail fall prone and take 1d6 damage as the
The ground slopes up to the west and down to the mud catches them and sends them tumbling along the
east. The path has been lost in the darkness, and the slope, smashing them into rocks and trees. Some of this
storm extinguishes torches. The PCs cannot see it, but damage might also represent drowning in mud.
there is a lake to their west. This lake is higher in Characters caught by the mudslide move 20 feet each
elevation and has flooded in the storm. This flood, and its round in a roughly easterly direction and can make a new
immediate repercussions, is the first challenge the PCs saving throw every round to catch something solid and
face. Before proceeding, ask the players for a marching stop being carried away by the mud. Characters who
order and determine who is their guide; this should avoided the mudslide can move, but the muddy and
probably be one or two characters with the highest dangerous slope is difficult terrain.
Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival).
A character with a shield might try to “surf” the
The storm is played out as a series of three traps, mudslide. Putting the shield underneath the body and
each trap representing a hazard caused by the storm. using it to ride the mud grants advantage on the Dexterity
save to avoid damage but, instead of stopping, sends the

5

character 40 feet each round. Spells like unseen servant Medicine and Drowning
or mage hand might be used to tie ropes around trees or
deliver ropes to trapped party members. Entangle can The rules for drowning send a character to “0 hit
catch a PC in danger of being washed down the slope points and dying,” and that can be pretty scary for 1st
and faerie fire or dancing lights will illuminate party level characters. Instead of asking those players to
members in the darkness. Jump could be used to find make up new characters after drowning, you might
shelter in a tree. A wizard capable of creating a floating take the opportunity to empower PCs with Medicine to
disk can create a safe haven for any PC who can reach make a heroic and cinematic rescue of the drowning
victim. This scene happens in movies and television
it. all the time, with the medic pushing water out of the
victim’s chest with CPR and the victim awakening,
The second “trap” is a falling tree, uprooted by the usually after choking out some water from their throats
heavy mud two rounds after the mudslide hits the PCs. and lungs. Saving a drowning character using
Pick two characters within 30 feet of each other. If a PC Medicine in this way is a DC 15 check. The victim is
climbed a tree or hid behind a tree, that PC makes an immediately returned to 1 hp, and, at the end of his
excellent choice. A rolling boulder, dislodged high up the next turn, is restored to whatever his hp total was
slope by the mud, careens towards the party. It does not before he dropped to 0 and began to die.
hit anyone. (If you want to make the players sweat a little,
describe the huge stone hurtling towards them, roll some woman is Dana Tribury. They got caught in the storm
dice behind your screen, smile and shake your head, and while trying to find the trail of some giant spiders which
say, “It misses you!”). Instead, the boulder smashes into have been attacking their home. Now they’ve spotted the
a tree, partially uprooting it. Water immediately fills in PCs and help them without being asked. Tulak has cure
under the tree and digs away the rest of the soil, wounds and Dana can throw a rope to characters caught
completing the work. by the flood.

Spotting this danger requires a DC 15 Wisdom These two NPCs will be the primary contacts for the
(Perception) check, but only DC 10 for any PC standing players throughout the rest of the adventure.They are
near or in the tree. The tree falls one round after this described at the end of the adventure, in a section titled
Wisdom (Perception) check. The tree attacks anyone in a Non-Player Characters. Once everyone is together, and
30-foot line from its base with an attack bonus of +4. Tulak has used any healing magic necessary to get the
Anyone who is hit takes 2d6 damage and falls prone. party walking, Dana leads the PCs back to Archway, their
After it falls, the tree rolls away downhill, caught by the home.
flood.
XP. Unlike the other encounters in this adventure, there
Finally, the flood itself catches up with the PCs. This is are no monsters in the storm with clear XP awards.
the third “trap.” One round after the tree falls, anyone can Instead, award the party 300 XP for surviving the storm.
detect the coming waves of water with a DC 10 Wisdom
(Perception) check. One round after that, the flood  
arrives, and any character who is prone — because of Scene Two: Meeting the Archwavians
the mudslide, the tree, or actions they have taken —
must succeed in a DC 10 Constitution (Athletics) check Centuries ago the kingdom of Panalane constructed
or begin to drown. Those who heard the water coming elaborate irrigation systems that brought water to the dry
will have time to hold their breath, but those caught by country now known as the Threadbarrens. But over the
surprise have a number of rounds equal to their generations, the kingdom lost the money to maintain this
Constitution bonus before falling to 0 hp and beginning to irrigation system, the many long miles of pipe became
die, according to the regular rules for suffocation. clogged or broken, and much of the land dried out. One
Characters who want to move through the flood waters particularly impressive piece of this aqueduct system still
must succeed at a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to stands, a length of stone arches almost 300 feet long.
Now this massive stonework is home to a small
move at half speed. community of 20 families, only 71 people all told. They
call the place Archway and they call themselves
It is at this time, with the party wounded and scattered, Archwavians.
that a white light bobs into view. It is a light spell cast
upon the tip of a staff, which is carried by a half-orc who Archway has three levels. The lowest of these, with the
wears, over his ring mail, a tunic emblazoned with a
cornucopia. Nearby is a blonde woman in hunting
leathers, a bow on her back and a coil of rope in her
hands. The half-orc is Tulak the Toothsome and the

6

five longest arches, is mostly used for storage, with the ARCHWAY (Thorp)
central arch serving as Archway’s “great hall.” The middle
level, which has nine complete arches, is used for Informal NG autocracy
community activities such as cooking, eating, cleaning, Population (mixed): 71 (20 families; 63 humans, 4
worship, and craft work. Each of the thirty top-level halflings, 3 dwarves, 1 half-orc, 1 half-elf)
arches could be claimed by a single household, but in Authority Figures: Ruvus Drainmaker (Elder)
fact only twenty are currently in use by families, and Other Notable Characters: Tulak the Toothsome,
some of those “families” are single individuals. To get
around Archway, and to reach each level, the Dana Tribury, Lorin Tribury
Archwavians have constructed wooden catwalks on one Defenses: Except as noted, all residents are
side of each level and ladders which connect each end.
Because both sides of the aqueduct are open to the sky, Commoners. Four “guards” who rotate sentry duties
the homesteaders have closed off one side with wooden carry shield and spear and are proficient in both, but
shingles and use heavy curtains on the other side, where otherwise use the Commoner stat blocks.
they have access to the catwalks and ladders. Goods: Wild birds; eggs; gathered wild vegetables
and fruits; salvaged gear of random types,
Archway is a community under siege. Over the past sometimes repaired; rudimentary blacksmithing;
week, giant spiders have three times attacked the dried meats; pickled vegetables; wine; chairs and
aqueduct, killing several and abducting three, one each tables made from local woods. The thorp lacks
night. Due to these recent traumas, the PCs get a mixed sophisticated weaponry or the ability to manufacture
reception. Tulak is a strong advocate for them, believing metal weapons or armor.
that the community must help them and that the PCs Wealth: No item worth more than 40 gp is available
might be just what the community needs. Dana, however, for sale in Archway. The Archwavians collectively
is skeptical; she considers the PCs an additional burden have no more than 140 gp in cash reserves, and
and of no demonstrated use. The village elder, a dwarf only then if they pool resources. Also, for any kind of
named Ruvus who helped maintain this aqueduct in the goods that community members might sell, the
kingdom’s better days, is slow to come to a decision. community has no more than 140 gp worth of that
product in supply.
As the players arrive, led by Tulak and Dana, it is night
and the storm is still raging. There are two commoners to help the party. The PCs probably don’t have the
with torches standing vigil on the second-level catwalks. money to buy the antitoxin or webbegone off of Tulak and
Tulak hails them and leads the party up the ladder to the Dana, so if they want this advantage over the spiders
second level, past the guards, and through a curtain into they will have to be persuasive. If the PCs are very
a dining hall. Each room in Archway has a stone arch for persuasive, Tulak and Dana will volunteer to accompany
a ceiling, and the dining hall is cramped with many them into the spider lair. This is especially important if the
people. Some are injured, and others are recovering from party has no one with healing magic, or if they have no
spider venom in an adjacent chamber. Tulak and Dana one proficient in Survival. You may choose to have Tulak
take turns explaining the last week in Archway, with or Dana accompany the PCs even if the party does
Dana bitterly cynical about the possibility the PCs may be poorly on its Charisma checks, if you think the adventure
of any help, and Tulak insisting that they ought to be cannot proceed without NPC assistance.
given a chance to help. A very humble meal of vegetable
and venison stew is offered, and the people of Archway This scene is an opportunity for players to use skills
are curious about the newcomers and willing to talk. they might otherwise seldom get a chance to roll. A bard
might use Performance to raise the spirits of the
During this scene, the PCs have the opportunity for a Archwavians. A rogue might perform Sleight of Hand
short rest and some social interaction with Tulak, Dana, tricks to entertain Lorin. A cleric or acolyte with Medicine
Ruvus, and Dana’s 13-year-old son Lorin. All three adult can tend to the many injured of Archway without
NPCs have something the players might want: Tulak has expending spell slots. A character with Insight might be
brewed antitoxin especially for spider venom and is an able to puzzle out the source of Dana’s anger, noticing
acolyte with healing magic; Dana has come up with that she is more trusting of women than of men, and so
something she calls webbegone and is a tracker who can on. Once a player starts using skills, other players often
help the party find the monster lair; and Ruvus is the look to their own list and try to find a way to contribute, so
leader of the community, able to convince the others to let the scene go on as long as everyone is having fun.
help the party. See the Non-Player Character section for
details on how the three key NPCs might be persuaded 7

But if your players are just eager for the next fight scene, need a Wisdom (Perception) check of 17 to spot a wolf
there are monsters to oblige them. spider. Torches illuminate only 20 feet of bright light and
a further 20 feet of dim light, but wolf spiders have a
Scene Three: Spider Attack! speed of 40 feet. This means they can lurk outside even
the dim light of a torch, leaving them effectively invisible
About an hour after the storm ends, Archway comes until they attack. Lamps shed dim light out to 45 feet,
under attack from the giant spiders. The community is on enabling a character holding one to attempt a Wisdom
alert and expects an attack, but individually they are (Perception) check to spot the spiders, albeit with
afraid and not up for a fight. It is up to the PCs to save disadvantage. Characters with darkvision will have the
Archway and beat back the spiders. best chance to see the spiders before they attack.

There are five spiders in the attack: four giant wolf Wolf spiders, not being intelligent, simply attack
spiders (all medium size) and one giant spider (large in anyone they come across, favoring those who have hurt
size). They do not, however, all attack as one. Instead, them or who are in front of them. Note that PCs reduced
three of the wolf spiders act as a distraction, attacking to 0 hp as a consequence of the wolf spider’s poison bite
guards, the PCs, and anyone else they come across, are not dead, but instead stable, poisoned, and paralyzed
while the giant spider and final wolf spider attempt to for 1 hour. It is unlikely that 1st level PCs have any way
seize a single person from Archway to bring back home to remove the poisoned or paralyzed condition, so such
for later consumption. Dana’s son Lorin happens to be characters are probably out of the fight. If a PC is taken
the target of this attack, so any PC who makes a point of out of the fight in this way, give the player Tulak or Dana
keeping Dana or Lorin company will be present when the to play.
abduction attempt occurs.
When two of the spiders are dead, there is a scream of
Three wolf spiders form the first wave of the attack. rage from one of the family homes on the top floor of the
The spiders do not attack from below, but instead climb aqueduct. The giant spider and its wolf spider companion
across the “back” of the aqueduct, the wooden shingles have invaded Dana's home to abduct Lorin. Once the
which the Archwavians have used to enclose one side of attack on Lorin is discovered, some of the PCs may go to
their home. From here they can first attack guards atop help while others finish off the remaining wolf spider.
the structure, and then move across the top of Archway When a PC reaches Dana’s home, describe Lorin already
and down the opposite side to attack guards and PCs on bound up in webs. He is not struggling because he’s
the catwalks. already been poisoned.

PCs or guards atop the aqueduct or on the catwalks

8

The giant spider is Large and not as fast as the wolf Tulak and Dana do not have the full range of PC
spiders. It does, however, have a web attack. Neither of abilities, but each has a valuable skill: for Tulak, healing
the spiders are intelligent, and they will attack enemies magic; for Dana, tracking. If the party does not have
who hurt them and are within range. Having been someone to do these things, and they want the help,
instructed to bring home food, they will only retreat if they Tulak and Dana might be persuaded to accompany them.
can take Lorin with them. Otherwise, they fight until dead. They also make good temporary PCs if one or two player
characters died in the spider attack. More important
Complications. It’s possible a PC will have chosen to perhaps than NPC aid are the antitoxin and webbegone
stay near Dana or Lorin during the social interaction ointment developed by Tulak and Dana, respectively. If
before the attack, and thus be present with them when the PCs have these weapons, they will have an
the Large spider attacks. This will result in a split party, advantage when it comes to fighting the spiders and their
with the lone PC and Dana trying to fend off the Large mistress. See Scene Three: Meeting the Archwavians for
spider and wolf spider while the rest of the PCs fight advice on adjudicating social interactions with Tulak,
elsewhere. The giant spider is probably more than the Dana, and Ruvus.
PC can handle, even with Dana’s help. Instead of killing
everyone, the spiders can poison Lorin, cover him in If the PCs decide to take a long rest before setting out,
webs, and then flee, probably while the other PCs are still Ruvus and the others will not look down on them for it.
fighting wolf spiders. They are in fear of the spiders and every precaution
seems appropriate to them. But a long rest will allow
Scene Four: Aftermath some of the enemies to flee the adventure and escape
the PCs’ justice. (See Scene Six, specifically the entry for
In the wake of the spider attack, Ruvus beseeches the Nailbiter's Lair.)
PCs to follow the spiders to their den and kill them, to
save the community. He can offer no reward. As the Finally, it’s possible the party may simply refuse to help
party can see, Archway has nothing. If the PCs saved the people of Archway, deciding that the risk is not worth
Lorin, Dana is now Friendly to them, but if the spiders got the reward. Ruvus and Tulak can make final appeals,
away with him, she insists on following immediately, citing the aid Archway has already given the PCs, but
forsaking even a short rest. If the PCs will not go with ultimately if the players decide to leave there’s nothing
her, she will go alone. Following the spiders without even the settlement can do. They will continue to resist the
a short rest is risky, but it will make tracking them easier. spiders as best they can, but Tulak and Dana are the
See Scene Five for detail on tracking the spiders to their only adventure-worthy NPCs in Archway and they are not
lair. enough to clean out Lobelia’s lair. It’s likely the
Archwavians will make the aqueduct as defensible as
they can, hold out for a few more days, and then
abandon their homes after attacks persist, fleeing for the
nearest town.

Scene Five: Tracking the Foe

After resting and gathering their weapons and allies, the
party must find the den of the spiders. They may have
Dana’s help in this, especially if no one in the party is
proficient in Survival. On the other hand, if the party has
two or more trained trackers, the character with the best
Wisdom (Survival) bonus rolls the dice and has
advantage on the check.

The base DC for tracking the spiders through the forest
is DC 15, but this presumes a short rest and a light
source while tracking at night. If the party sets out
immediately after the battle without even a short rest, the
trail of the spiders is at its freshest and the DC lowers to
10. A failed Wisdom (Survival) roll costs the party an hour
of wasted time, but after an hour the trackers can try
again. The trail of the spiders leads west, up a slight
incline, and although the pipes are buried for most of the

9

way, the trail also parallels the old aqueduct line which wilderness encounter. If an encounter occurs, roll on the
includes Archway. Characters without proficiency in table below or pick an interesting option. No option
Survival can follow these pipes at half normal speed, should be used more than once, so if you roll the same
either to the spider lair or back to Archway. result twice, re-roll or choose.

The woods are not especially dense but if it is still Scene Six: Into the Den
night, the terrain combined with the darkness makes the
wilderness difficult terrain. The lair of the spiders is The attacks on Archway are not simply a case of overly-
roughly 7 miles away, a distance the spiders are able to aggressive spiders. The creatures are herded and
traverse in only an hour thanks to their Darkvision, commanded by an old, withered ettercap named Lobelia,
climbing speed, and mount-like physiology. But the PCs who is too weak to hunt for herself. Lobelia, in turn, is
will cover only 1½ miles each hour until sunrise, when advised by a particularly vicious and intelligent spider
their pace will improve to 3 miles per hour. (A party led by named Nailbiter, which, unbeknownst to her, is an imp.
a ranger with Natural Explorer can cover 3 miles per hour
even at night.) Once the trail is found and the check Lobelia and Nailbiter have made their lair in a network
successful, the party does not need to keep rolling more of chambers constructed many centuries ago by dwarves
Wisdom (Survival) tests to follow the trail. in service to the king of Panalane. The chambers are part
of the aqueduct system that leads to Archway and
If you wish to expand this scene, you can introduce the beyond, pipes which have been dry for about 150 years.
possibility of random encounters as the PCs travel and These rooms, positioned near a spring which formed the
source of this particular aqueduct system, include a lock
track through the forest.  designed to allow engineers to temporarily “turn off” the
flow of water through the pipes so that maintenance
Wilderness Encounter Table could be performed on the system. After maintenance,
Every hour the PCs spend trying to track the spiders or the water could be turned back on. A century and a half
following them to their lair, there is a 15% chance of a

d10 The PCs discover broken and churned ground, signs of an ankheg that hunts in this region. If they are
1 wise, they will avoid it. If they follow, they can find the ankheg easily. An ankheg can kill any 1st-level
PC in a single blow.
2
3 1d3+1 giant wolf spiders on the prowl for food for Lobelia. The PCs can track them back to the spider
4 lair with a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check.
5
1 giant spider and her swarm of spiders, driven out of Lobelia's lair for disobedience. The giant
6 spider has constructed a nest out of webs and is lurking in the trees above the PCs.
7
8 1d3+1 wolves, hunting for easy prey. They may attack the PCs, but will quickly withdraw if any of the
9 wolves are slain.
10
10 A Vanoran spy detects the PCs and follows them. If he sees an opportunity to steal their belongings,
he will take it. Otherwise, he notes their entrance to the lair and then departs.

The pipes of the aqueduct are here exposed, along with a centuries-old maintenance station for the
system. A stone hatch with a dwarven lock (DC 15) leads to a small cellar with shovels, small picks, a
level, and other tools for measuring the water flow through the now-dry pipes.

A brown bear, foraging for food. It attacks the PCs only if they do not back away. If it survives the
encounter, it tells the druid (see 10 on this list) about the PCs.

A great stag is caught in webs and cannot escape. If the PCs free it, it bounds away and tells the druid
(see 10 on this list) about them. (For the great stag, use the giant elk stat block.)

A giant owl is seen flying over the forest, looking for dinner. Unless the PCs attack him or look like
wolves, he leaves them alone and informs the druid (see 10 on this list) about them.

The druid of these woods finds the PCs. If they saved the stag and have killed only wolves and spiders,
he is Friendly. If they harmed any animal that was helpless, he is Hostile. Otherwise, he is Indifferent.

ago, the lock was closed and the flow stopped, but the probably performed by the Archwavians with Ruvus
maintenance was never completed and the lock never re- acting as supervisor. It would result in the slow
opened. Since then, a large lake has formed behind the disappearance of the lake which has formed behind the
lock. The mudslide that threatened the PCs in Scene lock, but the water would continue to flow, fed by the
One was the result of this lake overflowing during the spring which created the lake. If the aqueduct could be
storm. restored to operation, it would mean irrigation for some
nearby fields in the Threadbarrens, water for Archway
The PCs have probably come to find all the spiders and other nearby settlements, and a sign that perhaps
and kill them, but there are two secondary objectives of the best days of the kingdom are not entirely behind it.
which they may not even be aware. First, there’s Nailbiter Perhaps one day the Capricorn Throne will rise again.
the imp. It was Nailbiter, in the form of a talking spider,
who encouraged Lobelia to gather a herd of aggressive Conditions in the Dungeon. There is no light inside the
spiders and use them to steal food (that is, children) from rooms or tunnels, which are only about 8 feet high. The
nearby settlements. Lobelia does not know that Nailbiter dwarves used lamps of continual flame, which they took
is a demon, but it wouldn’t bother her if she found out. with them when the lock was abandoned. Lobelia,
Nailbiter has chosen a room in the maintenance tunnels Nailbiter, and the spiders all have Darkvision. Moisture
for himself, and he has a wolf spider acting as his seeped into the tunnels from the lock, but since Lobelia
personal guard and servant. If the PCs took a long rest, came, she has kept the front door open and the rooms
or lost too much time trying to follow the trail of the have largely dried out. There is no draft, however. All the
spiders back to the tunnels, Nailbiter may have fled with rooms are thick with webs that coat the walls, ceilings,
his treasure. and floor. Not all these webs are sticky; unless noted
otherwise, the party can walk along the floor in the
Second, the lock could be re-opened and the aqueduct
eventually restored. This would take a lot of work, work

11

dungeon without getting stuck or making Strength alerts the wolf spider, which follows as soon as possible.
checks. But spiders can sense movement on webs they
touch, so when any PC enters any room, all the spiders Treasure. Within the chamber are three cocoons. The
within are instantly aware of them. Each room contains at corpses within were consumed by the spiders, but there
least one corpse wrapped in a cocoon, a victim of Lobelia are a few coins still left upon their shriveled husks. One
or one of the other other spiders. Small spiders, each has 20 cp, another 9 gp, and the last 16 sp.
about as big as a human hand, scurry everywhere in the
dungeon but, in small numbers, are harmless. 2: Corridor. The corridor is octagonal in shape, eight feet
wide and high. Because the floor slopes up on the left
Doors. The doors in the lock complex are all identical. and right as one walks down the center, if two people try
They are octagonal, eight feet wide and high. They have to move down it side-by-side, the corridor becomes
a latch that locks automatically if the door is shut. On difficult terrain for both. Two people fighting side by side
each side of the door, directly in its center, is a steel in the corridor have disadvantage on attack rolls. Single-
cross-bar, which can be taken in two hands. Turning it file characters avoid these handicaps.
counterclockwise unlocks the door, which can then be
easily opened by pulling on the bar. The bars can be There are no swarms or giant spiders lurking here,
folded down to lie flat alongside the door or even though there are plenty of webs. The corridor leads to the
removed entirely to leave a door locked. Because the main hall, but there are no doors at either end.
doors require hands to use, none of the spiders can open
them. A character proficient with thieves tools can try to Treasure. There are two cocoons here, both containing
open a closed, latched door without using the handle; this corpses and a few coins: 8 gp and 12 gp.
is DC 20. The doors cannot be locked without removing
the handle. It takes an action to either remove a handle 3: Main Hall. This is the largest and central chamber in
or replace it. the lock. Once, a small staff of dwarven engineers was
stationed here. The chamber has a stone fireplace (long
Burning the Webs. Note that some fire spells (burning extinguished, its chute blocked by mud) on the north wall,
hands) specifically set combustible things on fire, and a stone table and chairs, and stone shelving on the walls.
that includes all the webs along the floors, walls, and But all the personal belongings of the dwarves were
ceiling in this dungeon. Players may decide to burn the taken when they abandoned the facility 150 years ago.
webs on purpose, either in front of them when they An octagonal stone door is ajar on the western wall,
discover a new room, or behind them once it has been leading to Nailbiter's lair. The eastern wall of the room
cleared of monsters and treasure. Fire spreads quickly gives access to a staircase leading up; an octagonal
through a web, moving into a random 5x5 adjacent area stone door, shut, leads north.
each round. Creatures in that space take 1d6 damage. If
a spider or PC is caught in such a fire, the target needs Cobwebs cover the walls, ceiling, and floor of this
to succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity save or catch fire, room. Beneath the cobwebs, on the south wall near the
taking 1d6 every round. The fire can be put out with a DC door, words have been carved in dwarven runes:
11 Dexterity save, requiring an action. Once fire has
moved through a 5x5 space, all webs there have been THREE MONTHS WITHOUT PAY
burnt up and there is no more fire in that space. If the I RETURN TO THE GOLDSHANKS
party sets fire to a room when spiders are in it, the NARVI, LAST OF THE LOCKWARDENS, AM I
spiders attack immediately.
A set of seven pipes lead along the floor from the
1: Entrance Chamber. The lock complex is entered northern wall to the southern. The pipes are large, each
through an octagonal stone door, which is open. A half a foot in diameter. A stone bridge arches over them,
swarm of spiders lingers on the threshold, some outside providing access to the eastern stair. These pipes are the
the chamber and some within. Deeper inside the room, beginning of the aqueduct which eventually leads to
avoiding any light that might come through the open Archway and beyond. The pipes have maintenance
door, is a giant wolf spider. A Wisdom (Perception) hatches built into their tops, so the upper portion of the
check of 17 will spot him. At the far end of the chamber, pipe can be removed. Inside one of the pipes, which are
an octagonal opening leads to a corridor. otherwise clean and dry, is a mechanical spider once
used to inspect the pipes from within. The control
If the swarm detects a PC, it moves to attack. This mechanism is gone, but a character capable of casting
find familiar can bind the device as a familiar. Should this
12

be done, the mechanical spider has the same stats and rest of the dungeon (16 feet). A window magically made
abilities as a spider familiar, but is a construct instead of from transparent stone gazes down on the northern half
a celestial or beast. It obeys all the ordinary rules for a of the room from Lobelia’s lair, which lies above it. The
familiar with a few exceptions. If reduced to 0 hit points, it northern wall is dominated by a massive steel
is no longer functional and must be repaired, a DC 20 construction that looks like nothing so much as a bank
task for someone proficient with tinker's tools. The safe. This is the aqueduct lock. Seven pipes, each half a
mechanical spider cannot be permanently dismissed, but foot in diameter, lead south from the bottom of the lock,
it can be temporarily sent into a pocket dimension like along the floor, through the southern wall, where they
other familiars. Finally, it cannot be forced into a new continue through the main hall (#3).
form by re-casting find familiar.
The lock chamber is where Lobelia breeds her spiders.
Treasure. In addition to the mechanical spider, there are There are two swarms of spiders here. They will attack
two corpses in cocoons. They can be searched for 6 gp anything that opens the door that isn’t a spider or
ettercap.
and 10 gp. 
The lock can be opened or shut with a steel crossbar
4: Nailbiter's Lair. Nailbiter is an imp. He is always in which comes out of the center of the mechanism.
the form of a spider when Lobelia is around, so she Rotating it clockwise shuts the water off, and rotating it
thinks that is his natural form. Nailbiter has been well counterclockwise opens the flow again. Over the last 150
rewarded by Lobelia for his cunning, and he has stashed years, a large lake has grown on the other side of this
additional treasure which Lobelia is not aware of, but he lock, so there is significant water pressure. However,
is a coward. If the giant spiders sent to abduct Lorin do there are many blockages of the pipes throughout the
not return, he begins to panic, making plans to hide his many miles of their length, so turning the water on here
treasure and flee. If the party has taken a long rest, or would not immediately result in a flow of water all the way
taken too long to find the lair (or if your session is going to Archway. If the lock is opened while the maintenance
long and you need to wrap up), he has already fled the covers on the pipes in the main hall (Room 3) are off,
dungeon. water will quickly back up in the pipes from blockages
downstream and then gush out the open pipes in a
The door to this room is ajar. A Small creature could powerful stream. Replacing the covers in this situation
slip in without moving the door, but Medium creatures would require a DC 20 Strength check.
cannot. Like the surfaces in other rooms in the dungeon,
the floor, walls, and ceiling are covered with webs, and Treasure. The remains of the spiders’ many victims are
the monsters in this room will detect the PCs’ entrance in cocoons around the walls. They can be searched for 9
unless, somehow, they are not touching any webs. ep and 7 gp.

This triangular chamber was once a storage room. A Complications. If the PCs engage in battle here, Lobelia
giant wolf spider, Nailbiter’s bodyguard, lurks in the will almost certainly see it from her lair above this room.
back corner. Spotting him requires a DC 17 Wisdom On the following round, she will follow the two giant wolf
(Perception) check. Nailbiter himself is Tiny, one spider spiders who accompany her down the stairs and into the
among many, and may not be noticed. If he has any
warning the PCs are coming, he is invisible when they main hall, from which she can attack the party. 
arrive.
6: Lobelia’s Lair. The supervisor of the lock was known
If Nailbiter can fly away, he will. If cornered, he fights. as the Lockwarden. This was his personal living
While the players focus on the wolf spider, he will attack chambers, located above the main hall. A window made
clerics and other spell casters with his poison sting. Note of transparent stone, installed where the northern wall
that Nailbiter is resistant or immune to many attacks, meets the floor, peers down into the Lock Chamber and
including fire and nonmagical weapons that are not allows Lobelia to supervise the spider swarms. Some
silvered. stone furniture remains here: a stone desk against one
wall, a stone chair, and a stone bedframe which Lobelia
Treasure. The small chest contains 2,000 cp and five has outfitted with a mattress, coverlets, and pillows spun
tiger eye gems, each worth 10 gp. A large vase contains from silk. A fireplace is built into the west wall, but the
1,200 sp, and a smaller vase contains 90 gp. chimney is blocked. Unlike the other rooms in the
dungeon, the floor, walls, and ceiling webs in this room
5: Lock Chamber. This chamber is reached off the main are sticky. A character who tries to move in the room
hall, and the north half of the room is twice as tall as the
13

must make a DC 11 Strength check or be restrained. Non-Player Characters
Treat this like ettercap webs in all other ways, including
AC, hp, and resistances. Tulak the Toothsome

Lobelia is an ettercap, shriveled and old, and her Tulak the Toothsome is a male Neutral Good half-orc
advanced age has reduced her to 22 hp. She also gets acolyte dedicated to Amalthea, goddess of childbirth and
only one attack every round instead of two, but she does the harvest. Use acolyte stats for him, but add the racial
know how to use the web garrote special attack of some traits appropriate to a half-orc. He wears ring mail (AC
ettercaps. She is attended by two giant wolf spiders, 14) and wields a staff (1d6+1 damage, or 1d8+1 if
her consorts. If Lorin was captured, he can be found wielded with both hands).
here, conscious and able to move but stuck to the bed.
Lobelia will soon eat him. The northern regions of Panalane are occasionally
raided by orcs coming out of the Hinterlands, and Tulak is
Treasure. Two wooden chests are under the table, the result of one of these raids. He was raised by his
covered in a layer of webs. One contains 2,100 cp and human mother, who died in a bad winter a few years ago,
small silver statuettes of the Panlani gods Blaise, and he has actually never met a full-blooded orc. His
Amalthea, Wyrd, Tol, and Merekith, each worth 25 gp. nickname comes from his formidable array of pointed and
The other contains 1,000 sp, 70 gp, potions of fire jagged teeth, a trait which also gives him something of a
resistance, animal friendship, and growth, and oil of speech impediment when it comes to speaking Common.
slipperiness. Nevertheless, he is outgoing, friendly, and humble,
preferring to think the best of people. A follower of
Complications. It’s possible your players have had an Amalthea, he is devoted to the greatest good (ideal), but
easy time of this adventure so far. If they had two NPCs he expects others to pay their fair share, reserving charity
accompanying them, anti-spider weaponry, and good for the truly needy. Tulak is tormented by occasional
luck, this final fight might not be a suitable climax. In that nightmares in which he goes berserk and kills everyone
case, consider giving Lobelia her full hp (44) or two dear to him; he is too ashamed to share these dreams
attacks per round (garrote + bite). with anyone (his flaw).

The people of Archway are Tulak’s family, and they are
more important to him than anything (his bond). He has
spent the last week brewing an experimental antitoxin
formula of his own design. This antitoxin has the usual
benefit, granting the imbiber advantage on saving throws
against poison, but only if that poison is spider venom.
The antitoxin also lasts longer than the usual version,
continuing to benefit the drinker until he or she takes a
long rest. Tulak has one vial of his antitoxin for every PC.

Tulak begins Friendly to the PCs. A DC 20 Charisma
check convinces him to accompany the PCs to the spider
lair, but he expects a fair share of any treasure because
he intends to use that money to help Archway. A DC 10
Charisma check persuades him to give his antitoxin to
the party without charge and to use his healing spells on
their behalf while they are in the aqueduct.

If these checks fail, Tulak feels he must sell his
antitoxin for a fair price (25 gp per dose in this case),
money which he will use to support the people of
Archway. He will not in this case accompany the party to
the spider lair, even for a promised share of the rewards,
and heals them only after he has seen to the needs of the
Archwavians.

If the party alienates Tulak and his attitude towards
them worsens, raise the DC for these checks by 10.

14

Dana Tribury herself, though, unwilling to risk making her child an
orphan. If she can be made Friendly, then a DC 20 check
Dana Tribury is a female Neutral human scout. She is leads her to volunteer to accompany the party into the
called “Tribury” because she has been “killed” three times spider lair for a share of the treasure, money she intends
and survived. Once she was bitten by a snake, once she to use to get Lorin an education.
was attacked by a bear, and once she was caught in a
raging house fire. Fourteen years ago, when she was a If Lorin is abducted by the spiders, Dana will follow
very young woman, Dana met and fell in love with an them as soon as the attack is over whether the PCs
elven eldritch knight, but he abandoned her after a short accompany her or not, and will go into the den by herself,
and passionate romance, leaving her pregnant. Since almost certainly to her death.
that time, Dana has assumed the worst about people,
especially men (her flaw). Her son, Lorin, is the most Ruvus Drainmaker
important thing in her life and she would die to protect
him (her bond). Now in her early 30s, Dana wears her Ruvus is a male Lawful Neutral dwarf engineer and the
golden hair in a braid and has somber brown eyes. She leader of Archway. Use the commoner stat block for him
seldom smiles. Both muscular and curvaceous, she but add dwarven racial features and arm him with a light
nevertheless wears layers of clothing to conceal the hammer.
many scars left behind by the bear attack and fire.
Privately, she longs to love again (her ideal). Two and a half centuries ago, Ruvus was an
apprentice stonemason assigned to a maintenance team
With the attack of the spiders, Dana has been trying to that kept this very aqueduct working. He finished his
develop weapons to save Archway. She has come up apprenticeship and moved back to the Goldshanks, but
with an ointment which, when spread on clothing, armor, the kingdom of Panalane declined, and the next time he
and skin, causes it to repel the webs spun by spiders. came this way he discovered the aqueduct he had
She calls it webbegone. She has finished making enough learned to work stone upon was no longer in use. It had
of the stuff to give everyone in the party one dose. become home to families of squatters. Never one to act
Webbegone gives the user advantage on any checks to rashly, Ruvus understood that, even if the Archwavians
break out of or escape from webs, and gives were driven out, the aqueduct would just stand useless,
disadvantage to any spider trying to attack the user with and at least the new inhabitants gave it a purpose. He
webbing. Webbegone lasts until the user takes a long settled in Archway and spends most of his time slowly
rest. repairing the stone structure, only occasionally being
called upon to arbitrate some dispute among the people
Dana begins Hostile to the party (though not violently of his new home. Physically, his black hair is going gray
so). She is unimpressed with their first meeting and can’t and he wears a bandanna around his temples to soak up
decide if they’re hapless rookies or pompous braggarts. the sweat of his labor. His beard is long in the traditional
In this condition, a DC 20 Charisma check only dwarven manner, and he wears the clothes of a
persuades her to sell the webbegone to the PCs for 25 stonemason.
gp per dose (a price which they almost certainly cannot
pay). If the check is higher than 10 but below 20, Dana is Ruvus reveres history (his bond) and would very much
cold to the PCs, refusing to help them. But she keeps her like to get the aqueduct working again (his ideal); he
thoughts to herself. If the Charisma check is lower than sees it not just as a useful system for irrigating fields and
10, Dana actively speaks out against the PCs, trying to working smithies, but as a symbol of the kingdom itself.
convince Tulak, Ruvus, and the others that helping them But he is very slow to make any decision (his flaw).
is a waste of time.
Ruvus begins Indifferent to the PCs. As an individual,
Dana can be brought around through use of her ideals, he has nothing to offer them. He has no special weapons
bonds, and flaws. For example, if she sees a PC playing or equipment to help them fight the spiders, and he is too
with, teaching, or otherwise interacting in a positive way old and retired to fight. But the people of Archway heed
with Lorin, she might reconsider her early appraisal. A his words and if he tells Tulak, Dana, or anyone else to
PC who expresses sympathy for her situation and is do something, he is almost always obeyed.
sincerely attracted to her could also prompt her to do
something rash to help them. If she can be made Ruvus will only make a decision after the spider raid on
Indifferent, reduce the DCs listed above by 10. Now, on a the aqueduct has occurred, and the PCs’ actions may
DC 20, she gives them the webbegone for free and make him Friendly or Hostile by that time. If he is still
agrees to help track the spiders. Unless Lorin has been Indifferent, a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check
abducted by the spiders, she will not enter the den convinces Ruvus to tell Tulak and Dana to sell their
special weapons to the PCs for a fair price and to see to
their wounds once the other inhabitants of Archway are

15

stable. On a DC 20 Charisma check, Ruvus commands and is mature for his age, thoughtful, and sober. Lorin
Dana to lead the party to the spider lair and Tulak to heal reveres Ruvus almost as much as he does his mother
their wounds. Also, both the antitoxin and webbegone will (his bond) and longs to do something important (his
be given to the PCs as long as they agree to go into the ideal). He has already learned much about the aqueduct,
den and kill all the spiders they find. Ruvus will not order how it was built, how to maintain it, and how it might be
Tulak and Dana into the actual lair; for that, the PCs have repaired, and is overly naive and optimistic about how
to convince Tulak and Dana themselves. easily all this work might be done (his flaw).

Lorin Lorin is attacked when the spiders reach Archway. If
the PCs do not slay the spiders, he will be taken back to
Dana Tribury's son Lorin is a 13-year old Neutral Good their lair to be given to Lobelia. Although he has no
half-elf commoner. He is very intelligent and will grow appreciable fighting ability, Lorin is not helpless and he
into a handsome young man, but for now he is still short, can follow directions. If he sees a chance to escape, he
scrawny, and weak. He has his mother’s blond hair and will take it, hoping to rendezvous with the PCs for
his father’s bright blue eyes. He has had to grow up fast, protection on the way home to Archway.

The Kingdom of Panalane

Panalane is a realm in decline, its best years behind it. Panalane: Design Goals
While a land of deep forests, tall mountains, rolling hills
and mighty rivers, it was once much larger, with The Kingdom of Panalane is designed as the “default
provinces and colonies. Now all those lands have been home” for player characters in the Goatlands. It is
lost to rebellion, isolation, invasion, or simple neglect. specifically a place where all the standard races and
The new ruler of the kingdom is Princess Adamanthea classes are found. This frees up other regions in the
Panalane, in her early 20s and still growing into her Goatlands to be more unusual or exclusive. Panalane
beauty. She is clever and brave, but overly aware of her encourages high fantasy adventure, but the plight of
own limitations: a lack of allies and experience, a surplus Princess Adamanthea and the potential rebirth of the
of enemies, and a malaise that seems to sap the will of kingdom is pure epic fantasy, and the presence of the
the kingdom. Adamanthea is surrounded by suitors Great God Pan, a fixture of Lovecraftian fiction,
(including an elderly warlord from the Threadbarrens), suggests an element of cosmic horror.
advisors, quarrelsome vassals like Dorn Dwerrowduke, Thematically, Panalane is a traditional fantasy
and would-be regents who seek to monopolize what kingdom with elements of the Elizabethan
remains of the kingdom’s power without actually seizing Renaissance (but without Renaissance-era
the throne. Her younger brother Castra, a gay man even technology like firearms). Like Renaissance Europe, it
smarter than his sister and a capable warrior in his own has suffered through terrible plagues that have killed a
right, is the one person upon whom the Princess can third of the population, and Princess Adamanthea in
most rely. Castra’s preference for other men, and in her youth and position resembles Queen Elizabeth.
particular for his personal favorite Athis (an especially Exploration and innovation will be the key to
good-looking half-elf hated by all the court), is the only Panalane’s re-invigoration, a Renaissance that may,
reason he has not been forced into the role of ruler. or may not, happen and which is up to the PCs to
Politically, Adamanthea is hindered by the fact that trigger.
although she sits in the legendary Capricorn Throne, she
cannot be crowned Queen. The Panlani coronation father Zeupos, a mediocre man by any measure, was
procedure is highly ritualized and is bound by custom, only Prince, and that is the title Adamanthea inherited.
unique relics, and deeds of magic, all of which are now The meaning of the name Panalane is disputed. Druids
impossible. Satyrane VI, Adamanthea's grandfather, was maintain that it is derived from the name of their most
the last King of Panalane, and the critical elements of the
coronation were lost during his reign. Adamanthea’s

16

17

ancient god, and means Goat-Land. But others, from the capital moved to Cabronia. Now these hills are sleepy
more civilized traditions, insist that pan comes instead and once again home to herds of goats. Many gnomes
from an ancient word that means all, and Panalane refers and halflings dwell here, herding alongside their human
to the great road-building, or “lane” culture, of the neighbors as they have for generations.
kingdom’s height, when the Royal Engineers constructed • Cabronia (pop 22,500). Founded centuries ago on the
the great roads that once united the far-flung borders of banks of the Great River, the capital of Panalane was the
the kingdom, but which now lie in ruins. The people of largest and greatest city in the known world for a time.
Panalane are known as Panlani. That was long ago, however. Now much of the city has
been abandoned. Refugees and squatters from other
For much of its history, Panalane revered the god of lands have made the city’s ruins and extensive
nature over all others, a neutral deity whose priests underground tunnels, waterworks, and catacombs into
reminded the people to live in harmony with the waters, their home. Cabronia is the kingdom’s chief port on
the sky, and the earth. But over time the ancient goat- Harrowsea and remains quite cosmopolitan, despite its
horned god seemed to withdraw from worldly affairs, decline. The Tower of Learning, Panalane’s chief
though whether this was before or after his worship academic institution, is located here, as is the chief
became less popular none can yet say. In his place arose temple of Merekith, God of the Sea. Princess
more cultured, civilized, and energetic gods who Adamanthea and her brother Prince Castra both dwell
advocated changing the world to suit people, instead of here in the sprawling Royal Citadel, a complex too vast to
living in harmony with nature. This new energy vitalized be maintained by the Princess’s reduced staff but
Panalane and coincided with its Golden Age, but some guarded by a legion of pampered soldiers whose
say that when the kingdom forsook the Old God, it lost its exorbitant monthly pay is a significant drain on what
way. remains of the royal treasury.
• Crocmire. The southern edge of Panalane west of the
Over a century ago, Panalane was swept with a series mountains is marshy and home to many swamp-dwelling
of terrible plagues which transformed ordinary folk into creatures, including lizardfolk, giant insects, crocodiles,
lycanthropic rats, wolves, and other animals. The plagues and more. It is generally avoided by decent folk, but
were the work of Zorsha, Goddess of the Moon, and the some halflings make their home here, building houses on
death toll was horrific. About a third of the population died stilts and poling through the marsh on small swamp-
either as a direct result of the Beast Plague or from the boats.
rampages of the many were-creatures it created. The • Eastgate and Westgate (pop 4,200 and 3,700). These
plague's aftermath is still working through Panlani culture. twin towns were constructed when the kingdom first
The survivors inherited the wealth of their dead kin, and tamed the Goldshanks. Wizards constructed large magic
many folk who survived in the country moved to the cities portals that connected the two. Driving their caravans
and towns where there was a new demand for labor and through the gates, merchants on the High Road could
increased wages. But these new benefits still seem instantly cross the Mimrimere. Unfortunately, the magic of
greatly overshadowed by the tragedies of the plague. the gates faded a few generations ago during the Beast
Panalane is a land where elves, dwarves, halflings, half- Plagues. The towns continue to survive, however, having
elves, humans, half-orcs, dragonborn, and tieflings can replaced the magic portals with fleets of slow-moving lake
all be found. Its capital is still one of the largest cities barges. Each bustling port is enclosed by a semicircular
known. Its heroes are wizards, rogues, knights, and stone wall studded with towers.
priests. But the Princess can see that her realm is a • Faunton (pop 5,100). The first capital of the Panlani,
stumbling remnant of the land her ancestors built, and Faunton still has the original palace of the king. Many
her cheeks burn with shame. If the Kingdom of Panalane centuries ago, the king and his administration moved to
is to rise again, or even survive at all, it will need the help Cabronia. Faunton slowly declined, and most inhabitants
of champions: people the Princess can trust, who can do of the kingdom consider it hopelessly backwards and
the things she cannot do, and who can revitalize the presume it is a barely-inhabited ruin. In fact, over the last
few generations Faunton has begun to quietly flourish as
realm with deeds bright and bold. a trading town. It is home to simple folk who enjoy music,
cooking, and games.
Gazetteer • The Fingers. The Fingers are a fertile delta area where
five distributaries (branches) spread out from the Great
• The Bramble Hills. The original home of Panlani River. The Fingers are not officially part of Panalane,
culture, these hills in the Old Country have long been
home to goat-herding tribes. Long ago, many of those
tribes came together to choose Panalane’s first king. For
two centuries the hills were increasingly crowded, until

18

though the Princess has an aggressive presence in the the lake and continuing to Osterlin on the River Ea. The
region. long western length of the road is in poor repair. Several
• Four-Eye Pass. A pass leading north through the old stone bridges have collapsed or washed out, and the
mountains, Four-Eye is home to tribes of ettins. Officially, lords of the Old Country struggle to find the gold and
Panalane’s borders still extend beyond the pass into the labor to repair them.
lands beyond, but the few troops the Princess can afford • The King’s Road. This royal road leads from Faunton
to station here simply do not have the numbers to in the west to Cabronia in the east, passing through the
conduct more than occasional scouting missions and Goldshanks and Zumin-Katar. The King’s Road is so
patrols beyond the pass. When orcs from the Hinterlands named because it was built so the capital could be
raid south, Four-Eye Pass is the logical place to stop moved east. It is the primary merchant thoroughfare of
them. As a result, many fierce battles and sieges have the southern kingdom, though the eastern half sees far
been fought here, and there are enough half-orcs in the more traffic these days and, therefore, is in much better
villages surrounding the pass to form a kind of repair.
community. • Lake Lament. The smaller of Panalane’s great lakes is
• The Greenneedle. The largest and most magical of bordered by the Vurmstable to the north and the
Panalane’s forests, Greenneedle shelters wood and high Hagwood to the south. It is very deep — no one has ever
elves. The chilly pine forest was lumbered for centuries found its bottom — and fed by the Redflood. Lake
until the elven settlements within the wood became Lament is very dangerous, home to water-trolls and
exposed and the elven way of life, threatened. To stop plesiosaurs. Criminals and outcasts who cannot ascend
this advance, the young ruler of the elves, Leafliege the Vurmstable to avoid their fate sometimes seek shelter
Everdia, accepted a position of vassalage to the on the shores of the lake, and in generations past it was
Capricorn Throne. As the kingdom’s fortunes fell, Everdia home to a cult of necromancers.
and her leaflords have reclaimed their old territory, • Mimrimere. Panalane’s largest lake lies in the middle of
replanting trees where they had once been cut down. the kingdom, between the Goldshanks and the
The Greenneedle now fills in all of the land up to the Greenneedle. An entire sunken city, seemingly intact but
royal roads. Everdia’s son, Connick, is a strong suitor for under water too deep to explore, can be seen from its
the Princess’s hand. surface. Ghosts and other spirits haunt the waters and its
• The Goldshanks. The primary mountain range in
Panalane reaches from Culdir Nas in the south to the 19
Mimrimere in the north. True to their name, the
Goldshanks have been a source of considerable wealth
throughout the kingdom’s history, though all the great
lodes are now played out. The Goldshanks are home to
many noteworthy locales, including Manmont, a magical
peak considered the “axis mundi” or mystical center of
Panalane. Several magical schools and monastic
temples are based on Manmont, hidden from sight, and it
is said you can ascend to other planes from the
mountain’s peak.
• The Hagwood. North of Cabronia and bordering the
Great River, the Hagwood is a very dangerous forest,
associated with many myths and stories. The most
famous of these legends claims it is a home for evil
women who try to intercept corpses as they sail down the
River to the sea. Cabronian lumberers have been making
inroads into the Hagwood for generations, and the crown
is pursuing a policy of completely clearing the forest, but
the forest seems to reclaim land as quickly as it can be
cut.
• The High Road. This royal road leads from Faunton in
the southwest up over the Tumbledowns and to the shore
of the Mimrimere before picking up on the east side of

shores. Towns and villages surround the Mimrimere, and dwell in the nearby mountains. The town memorialized
trade over the lake is brisk, monopolized by a cartel of these creatures by carving statues of them out of marble
hard-bargaining halflings who have given rise to the — the port’s most valuable trading resource. Port-o-Leon
mere’s secondary name of “Little Lake.” is located at the northern end of the Old Coast Road and
• The Old Coast Road. The first road built by the is home to clans of dragonborn. Merchants continue to
kingdom, Old Coast has since fallen greatly into ruin and stop here for the marble, which has been used to
is hazardous to travel. The road leads through Portago to construct much of the most celebrated architecture of the
Port-o-Leon. kingdom. In the past, the lions kept the manticores in
• The Old Country. The eastern half of Panalane, check, but that no longer seems to be the case and the
beyond the mountains and the forest, is sleepy, rural, and town has become increasingly dangerous.
unconcerned with politics. Containing the Bramble Hills, • Portago (pop 7,500). The kingdom's primary northern
this is the region where the Panlani culture began, port was once a flourishing city, graced with fantastic
divided into baronies and counties, each relatively large architecture that had been constructed when the kingdom
and ruled by administrators with little battle experience. was young. Now, after generations of neglect, only a third
The Old Country is among the regions most loyal to the of its former population remains, and the city is mostly
princess, but also least able to send military aid in an ruins. A handful of tiefling families continue to rule
emergency. Portago, tracing their lineage to the city’s founding.
• Osterlin (pop 16,250). Panalane’s second-largest city, Although the goblin nation of Suraam is just across the
and a well-established rival to Cabronia to the south, isthmus, that reclusive nation seems to pose little threat,
Osterlin is a vibrant, sophisticated river port on the border and the docks of Portago swarm with pirates, smugglers,
with Vanora. Constructed centuries ago on an island in and sailors.
the middle of the Great River, Osterlin soon began to • The Redflood. At Osterlin, where the Great River hits
sink. Nearly all its streets are now below the waterline. the Vurmstable and veers, a lesser stream branches
Arches and walkways connect many buildings and wind south from the Great River along the edge of the
through the city, but most travel is done by gondola and Vurmstable before ending in Lake Lament. The Redflood
other small boats. The people of Osterlin are known as gets its name from its rusty color, the result of pigments
Ostermen, and the foundation of the city’s wealth was the that it picks up from the cliffs of the Vurmstable. Its
oyster and pearl business, supplemented by trade up and waters are notoriously bad for irrigation and crops.
down the Great River and between Vanora and • The Threadbarrens. The western half of Panalane,
Panalane. Osterlin is the gateway to Vanora, which between the forest and the River, is made up of many
means that military action by either realm has gone feudal provinces whose loyalty to Adamanthea is
through or been based here. As a result, Osterlin’s rulers nominal. Most are poor and small, some no more than
— the fabulously wealthy Solacci family — keep a large twenty miles across, though each is grounded in one of
body of mercenary troops, currently under the command the kingdom’s countless castles. The land here is dry and
of General Waheath, a half-orc. The Archduke Solacci hard to farm. Massive irrigation projects constructed by
also sponsors the Star Chamber, an academic academy the kingdom once made this land green, but they fell into
which is the great rival to the Tower of Learning. Worship disrepair long ago. The quarrelsome rulers of these
of Sholay, God of Wealth, is based here along with the contentious realms are derisively known as the
kingdom’s banking system, and Sholay is the patron deity Threadbarons. Vanoran spies and covert agents have
of the city The Solacci family has a history of madness, infiltrated many of the threadbare courts, maximizing the
and when these young men and women begin to display political chaos and undercutting Adamanthea’s rule. The
the signs of their hereditary insanity, Sholay’s Abacae barons war with each other often, and at the moment an
arrive to claim them. The Archduke himself is quite old, aging duke has managed to unite many of them under his
but this has not prevented him from advocating marriage vassalage. He is a major rival for the Princess.
to the Princess, if not for himself, then for any of his five • Tumbledowns. The hills between the Goldshanks and
sons. Vanoran spies are so active in the city that the the Bramble Hills are decorated with old towns, castles,
Ostermen have many local jokes about them, including a and other fortifications which have fallen into ruin and
stock character in local theater named Quentin, a double been abandoned. Forests have overgrown much of these
agent whose inept schemes always result in his own hills, now called the Tumbledowns, and many gnomes
death. make their homes here.
• Port-o-Leon (pop 4,900). The “port of lions” was so • Vurmstable. A high plateau borders the Great River,
named because of the manticores and large lions that and bereft of its water is exceptionally dry, hot, and

20

harsh. This has long made it a perfect home for purple Swearing Stone, a piece of a lawful plane which was
worms, which are in turn the source of a rich, distinctive ejected and somehow fell through the planes to land near
purple dye that by law can be used only on clothing worn Faunton over a millennia ago. The Stone forbids anyone
by the royal family of Panalane. Stories are told of the touching it from speaking an untruth, and it was installed
Great Worm Hunts which used to be conducted by the into the base of the Throne when the seat of power was
kings and queens in days of old, but it has been a long built. Unfortunately, about 20 years ago, during the reign
time since anyone has dared hunt the purple worms any of Satyrane VI, the Swearing Stone was stolen. No one
more. Now, Vurmstable has become a refuge for bandits, knows how this was accomplished or where the Stone is.
criminals, and monsters. Only foolish and reckless And, finally, there is the Omnipotent Door. This is a portal
travelers go there. leading from the throne room—a portal that only the king
• Zumin-Katar. The tallest mountain in the Goldshanks, or queen may use. It simply will not open for anyone else.
and indeed in all of old Panalane, is called Zumin-Katar, The newly-crowned ruler demonstrates his rightful and
which is “treasure castle” in the Dwarvish tongue. Men proper position by exiting through it at dusk. However,
call it “Mount Lofty” or “Old Cloudyhead.” This is the seat since the death of Adamanthea’s grandfather, no one has
of Dorn Dwerrowduke, one of Princess Amalthea’s most been able to get the Door to open. It is widely believed
powerful (and most reclusive) vassals, and from here he that the door actually uses a password, and the old king
rules all the dwarven cities that exist under the failed to pass this word on to Zeupos before his death.
mountains. Zumin-Katar is fed by the King’s Road, which Sages and scribes have sought everywhere for the
password, to no avail.
leads west to Faunton and east to Cabronia. 
About 10 years ago, upon the death of his father,
The Coronation Ceremony of the Zeupos tried to conduct the coronation ceremony,
altering it to accommodate the loss of the Swearing
Panlani Kings Stone and the empty Cornucopia. But the Omnipotent
Door would not open for him, and the lords of Panalane
The Capricorn Throne boasts one of the most elaborate refused to acknowledge him as king. Adamanthea has
coronation ceremonies ever known, consuming the not repeated this error. Instead, she has dedicated many
entirety of a day from sunup to sundown. It includes sleepless hours to three tasks: locating and recovering
symbolic purification rituals, such as the consumption of the Swearing Stone, somehow replenishing the horn of
a cup of sacred goat’s milk drawn from the herds that plenty, and learning the secret of the Omnipotent Door.
dwell on the Bramble Hills, and a bath in water drawn
from the River Ea. Gods of Panalane

But there are three specific elements of the coronation The deities described here are not all the gods
which can no longer be performed. worshipped in the kingdom, only some of the most well-
known and influential. Many local gods survive, revered
The Cornucopia, a horn of plenty that dispenses by small communities or imported from Panalane’s
endless and incorruptible food, is one of the great relics former colonies and conquests.
of Panalane, kept safe in the royal palace. After a future
monarch has been purified and otherwise prepared for Alignment. Each deity is given an alignment above its
the coronation, he meets his future vassals in the throne full description. After this notation, alignments most
room and, taking the Cornucopia in hand, feeds all those commonly found among the deity’s worshipers are
present as a sign of humility and a desire to serve. provided in parentheses. It is very rare, but not unheard
However, over the last few centuries, the powers of the of, for a cleric to have an alignment outside of this range.
Cornucopia have noticeably waned. By the coronation of
Adamanthea's grandfather Satyrane VI, the relic could Domains. Domains that have an asterisk notation
provide no more than a few small apricots. Even these (Arcana, Psychopomp, Travel, and Water) are new
dried out over the years that followed. With the horn of domains not detailed elsewhere. Only the Psychopomp
plenty now empty, the traditional coronation ceremony is domain is described here. The others will be described in
not possible. later Goatlands supplements. If you do not have access
to those materials and want to use these deities, feel free
The second challenge to the coronation is more to restrict clerics to domains for which you do have rules.
serious. The Capricorn Throne itself was constructed for For Merekith and Mourn, you can substitute Nature for
the monarchy after the move from Faunton to Cabronia, Water. For Sholay, you can substitute Tempest for Travel
but the kings and queens of the realm have always
accepted the crown and sworn oaths of loyalty and 21
service to the people while sitting or standing on the

Deity Alignment Domains Symbol

Amalthea, goddess of childbirth and NG Life, Nature Blooming flower,
the harvest cornucopia
Blaise, god of fire and swords CG Light, War, Trickery Flaming sword, sun
CN Tempest, Water* Sea-goat, pearl
Merekith, god of the sea, storms, and
unwanted children LN Psychopomp*, Water* Funeral boat, oar
Mourn, goddess of death and the river CN Nature, Tempest, Trickery Flute, goat-head, or horns
Pan, god of nature LN Knowledge, Travel* Abacus (astrolabe)

Sholay, god of money, travel, and N War, Knowledge Shield
foresight LG Arcana*, Knowledge, Light Orb
Tol, god of war, memory and beer CE Trickery, Magic, Death Full moon
Wyrd, god of magic and duty

Zorsha, goddess of the moon

(as Sholay predicts weather for the benefit of shipping). Amalthea knows the properties of all herbs and
For Wyrd, you can substitute Magic for Arcana. medicines, and is greatly respected by rangers and
druids, apothecaries and alchemists. For most villages
Amalthea and hamlets in Panalane, the local midwife is the best
healer around, and this is a respected vocation in the
The Midwife kingdom. In towns and cities, Amalthea supports
Goddess of Childbirth and the Harvest hospitals and medical schools. She is invoked for
Neutral Good (N, LG, CG, NG) conception, throughout the pregnancy, and birth. Clerics
Life, Nature of Amalthea have a special relationship with the infants
they deliver, and are their spiritual guardians until each
One of the most popular and widely worshiped deities in child is five years old. When a midwife grows old, all the
Panalane, Amalthea is the goddess of the harvest and children she helped deliver — now adults with families of
childbirth, prayed to by mothers and fathers, daughters their own — see to her mundane needs and provide for
and sons. She wears her auburn hair in an elaborate bun her retirement.
and carries a basket loaded with the fruits of the harvest
or an infant in her care. She is weary from her many As goddess of the harvest, Amalthea is worshiped by
labors. She can appear as an old woman, wise and those who do hard work in the field. A large body of field-
hunchbacked; as a mother with wide hips, strong arms,
and skin made tan from work in the field; or as a work songs glorify her. 
precocious young girl with flowers in her hair. Her
weapon is the sickle, and her number is 3. Blaise

All the other gods love and respect Amalthea. Even The Laughing God
Zorsha treats her with courtesy thanks to receiving her God of Fire and Swords
help in the delivery of Merekith. As a result, Amalthea is Chaotic Good (CG, CN, NG)
something of a peacekeeper and intermediary, and her Light, War, Trickery
clerics often find themselves in this role. Most of the
peace treaties and great cooperative ventures in the The god of fire is an adventurer and a rogue, quick to laugh
kingdom have benefited from Amalthea’s involvement. and quick to take offense. His red hair, mustache, and beard
She always seeks the greater good and works to make are literally flaming. He bears one of his three swords: a
everyone carry their fair share of the load. But when no flametongue, a long and slender rapier, or a two-handed
one else can (or everyone refuses to) pay, Amalthea flamberge. He may be dashingly clad as a devilish
shoulders this burden. She is a humble goddess who swashbuckler, in golden mail, or in plate armor, but he is
takes pleasure in hard work and the performance of always in red, orange, and yellow. The sun is his ship made
difficult tasks. She expects fair compensation from those of flame and glass, which he tricked the dwarves into making
who can afford to pay, but gives selflessly to those who for him and then won in a bet. Its crew are often left to
cannot. manage it while their captain is off exploring, partying,
fighting, romancing, or all of these at once. His number is 9.
22

The tales of Blaise’s adventures — and misadventures both ashore and at sea ask him for a good catch. A proud
— are many, beginning with the time he, as an infant, and easily-insulted god, his propitiation takes many
crawled into an oven to eat a batch of cakes before they forms. Pearls are his special treasure, and he must be
were finished baking. Often Blaise is the butt of these thanked whenever they are gathered lest he curse them.
tales, betrayed by his own recklessness, passion, and
lack of forethought or restraint, but he laughs at himself Mortal women arouse Merekith’s lust. These stories
and bounds off to the next adventure. Blaise is a take two forms. In the benevolent version, told mostly to
legendary lover. Although his priests have given official children, Merekith is struck by the beauty of these women
sanction only to those stories that feature Blaise when they walk the beach, and he tries to lure them into
seducing women, the appetites of the Laughing God the water with gifts of shells and precious stones.
know no bounds and he delights in breaking convention. Although the women refuse his advances, his gifts bring
As a result, he has a long-standing cult following among them wealth and happiness, and they thank him in their
gay men, a cult which the official church insists is in the prayers forever after. In other, darker, versions of these
wrong. However, by divine decree, his church has never stories, Merekith chases and captures these women, but,
taken action against it. because of his monstrous form, he cannot ravish them.
They are kept in fabulous prisons beneath the sea until a
Above all things, Blaise hates tyrants. He is a spirit of mortal hero rescues them, another god turns them into
revolution, sometimes attending peasant uprisings in fish, or they somehow escape.
disguise. He battles the wicked and spits in the face of
evil. When the dead cannot be put in a boat and Merekith has something of a rivalry with Sholay, the
consigned to the river, sometimes the corpse is burnt. god of merchants and shipping. While Merekith
Blaise has commanded his fiery spirits to catch deserving represents the chaos and capriciousness of the sea,
souls of smoke in great nets hung from the sun, Sholay attempts to outsmart its tempests through
whereupon they are taken to the afterlife. But those who prediction and cunning. While Merekith’s clerics attempt
were evil, selfish, or cruel, he leaves to wander the world to appease the chaos, Sholay’s attempt to outmaneuver
bodiless forever. it. The relationship between the two mirrors the
relationship between a tax collector and a smuggler.
Blaise’s faith is a very popular one but almost entirely
male, and he is prayed to by blacksmiths, warriors, Merekith’s clergy are respected and feared for the

cooks, lovers, and adventurers of all kinds.  wrath of their master. They wear scale armor. 

Merekith Mourn

The Sea-Goat The River-Maiden
God of the Sea, Storms, and Unwanted Children Goddess of the Dead and the River
Chaotic Neutral (CG, CN, CE, N) Lawful Neutral (LN, LE, LG, N)
Tempest, Water* Psychopomp*, Water*

When Pan seduced Zorsha the Moon, he abandoned Mourn is Panalane’s goddess of the Great River and a
her, and in her shame she hid in the ocean to give birth. psychopomp; her job is to escort the dead to their final
There she was attended only by Amalthea, Midwife to the resting place. Pale-skinned, raven-haired with black eyes,
Gods. Her child was born in the sea, and when she saw it and clad in black, Mourn is often depicted steering her
was a monster, she fled back to her palace in the sky. funeral boat down the river from her position standing in
Merekith has the torso and head of a man but the tail of a its keel, a black oar or pole in her hands. As a singer and
fish. From his father, he inherited his goat horns and his poet, she composes songs and eulogies that
bouts of madness. From his mother, he inherited the sea. commemorate the dead she protects. Her weapon is the
His weapons are the net and the spear. His number is 6. staff and her number is 1.

Merekith resents his own existence, angry at both his Funeral practices among Panlanis have always been
father for engendering him and his mother for led by river-maidens clad in black who bathe the corpse,
abandoning him. At the same time, he cannot fully prepare it, build a boat for the deceased, and sing songs
forsake either of his parents, and he mourns his father’s of grief while consigning the departed to the river. At first,
passing. He loves the Panlani because they honored his the Great River was the only proper place for such
father with the Capricorn Throne and have never funerals, but in time Mourn’s province came to include all
forgotten him and his ways. Everyone who travels the rivers everywhere in the world, tributaries of the same
seas prays to Merekith for safe passage, and fishermen spiritual river, and thus all paths to the ocean that is the
soul’s final destination.

23

Becoming a Mourner, as her river-maidens are known, Pan
is considered an honorable and serious life-time
commitment, one that has sometimes been employed by The Great God, The Dead God
women who need to escape a difficult situation such as God of Nature
imprisonment, poverty, or marriage to an unwanted Chaotic Neutral (CN, CG, CE, N)
husband. Because of this, Mourners have a curious Nature, Tempest, Trickery
reputation, at once respected for their role, but also
suspected for their mysterious pasts. When not Pan was one of the oldest of the known gods and was
performing funeral practices, Mourners practice their the patron deity of the people who became the Panlani.
secondary occupations as carpenters and boat-builders, He is depicted as an aging, corpulent man with curly
activities that provide the faith’s secondary income white hair and beard and the horns, legs, and feet of a
stream. Mourners are the kingdom’s chief point of contact goat. His most famous possession was his set of pipes,
with the Easons; a local Mourner will know the river-folk upon which he played unearthly, evocative, and immortal
who pass through her part of the Great River, and the music, and he was attended by satyrs, nymphs, and
tribes know the Mourners who work each section of it. other fey. His number is 7.

Virtually all Panlanis participate in Mourn’s religious Pan was the voice of the land, of the plants and
rites, since they are invoked in the majority of human animals of nature, and of the rain and the wind. He did
deaths throughout the kingdom. Mourn’s rituals are not rule these things, because he knew that any attempt
designed to protect the recently dead from rising as to rule them would be vain and arrogant. Instead, he
undead, and Mourn fights off the demons and hags who reveled in them, spoke for them, and occasionally acted
attack her boat in an effort to steal the corpse. The more on their behalf. Pan was a being of ancient and mystical
important the soul, the more vicious and prolonged this wisdom and had been old for as long as people
fight becomes. Many stories are told of epic day-long remembered (though there is a body of stories that tell of
battles that have resulted when a great king or champion his reckless youth, including the story of when he
has been placed in Mourn’s care. seduced Zorsha, the moon). Pan knew more than he
ever let on, and was famous for causing his enemies to
When a body cannot be consigned to the river, it might retreat in terror (“panic”), but the ignorant mistook him for
be buried, but this is best seen as only a temporary a senile and drunken fool.
measure. The wise will return to a buried body and build
a boat for it, even if considerable time has passed, for as Although he was worshiped for over a millennia, Pan
long as it remains in the ground it can be found and worship began to decline several centuries ago, and the
stolen by the demons of undeath and the gods they younger, more sophisticated deities of Panalane rose to
serve, Mourn’s hated enemies. The use of tombs is prominence. Worship of Pan was never especially
generally practiced only by the very rich and the very organized, and there was no concentrated resistance to
vain, who want their bodies to be kept available for this cultural change. The change culminated about 200
potential resurrection. Such a tomb might be guarded years ago when it was widely reported that Pan had died.
physically and magically, but the spirit within cannot go to The exact cause of his death was never known and many
its final resting place without Mourn. tales have been repeated. They are entertaining and
known to every bard, but mutually contradictory.
Finally, some bodies are burned; these spirits are
beyond Mourn’s help forever, but Blaise’s airy spirits Today, Pan is still served by druids and green knights
sometimes shepherd these smoky souls to the afterlife. who continue to cast spells in his name despite his death.
Dwarves, elves, orcs, and other races have their own As a vestige of his former self, the Dead God is also a
practices, of course. When the dead are remembered in viable patron for warlocks. It is not unusual for farmers,
anniversary and new year ceremonies, Mourn is thanked barbarians, rangers, those who dwell in the wilderness,
for her services, and adventurers or those in dangerous and others who respect the land, animals, and plants to
occupations mutter quiet prayers to Mourn, asking her to offer up an occasional prayer to honor or thank the Great
“bide a while.” God, or even to believe that he lives still, but his temples
are overgrown and collapsed, and everyone agrees that
the world has moved on.

24

Sholay seek loans or policies depending on their needs and then
read between the lines to make their own decisions. A
The Wise, The Rich, The Gods’ Banker denied policy is taken as a sign that a venture is doomed.
God of Money and Prophecy Although many merchant families aspire to place sons
Lawful Neutral (LG, LN, LE, N) and daughters in the Abacae, so as to benefit more
Knowledge, Travel* directly from its hidden knowledge, the order recruits new
priests almost exclusively from people who are often
Sholay is a god of money, shipping, ports, fortune, normally overlooked: the disabled, the mad, the addicted,
augury, travel, and immigrants. Fittingly, he is not native the outcast, the mocked. Those with both Intelligence and
to Panalane and immigrated to the pantheon during the Wisdom are trained in science, math, and prophecy, and
kingdom's expansionist phase. Then, he was a young, are often kept cloistered within the Abacae. From time to
energetic, risk-taker of a god with a knack for predicting time, however, the order sends one of its clerics into the
future events who defied the odds and his many rivals world to collect information that it is failing to obtain
and critics to carve out a place for himself in his new through its usual channels.
culture. But as time passed, his long track record for
successful predictions transformed him from a gambler But pressure from merchant families eager to send
and augur into a staid, reliable, and fabulously rich their children into Sholay’s service resulted in the creation
banker. His number is 5. of a second order, the Mercae, who act as field agents for
the church. Mercae serve documents, investigate claims,
Old depictions of Sholay show him a handsome, dark- hunt for moles within the church, and even enforce
skinned man in the garb of a foreign traveler, a hand prophecy, ensuring that a future which the church is
shielding his eyes as he gazes to the horizon. Now, he is betting on does indeed come to pass. Because the
a distinguished white-haired Panlani with a trim goatee. Mercae have only limited access to the prophecies
His former symbol, the astrolabe, has been replaced by formulated by the Abacae, merchant families have been
counting-beads. The oldest stories of Sholay are all the accepted into it, and this is now a respected and sought-
most dynamic and exciting ones. Now he mostly appears after path for advancement among the kingdom’s wealthy
in tales of other gods and heroes, where he is by turns houses.
the wise advisor, the pompous gull, or the greedy loan
shark. The young Sholay is still fervently worshiped by
immigrants who come to the kingdom’s shores, by the
Sholay’s temples are religious banks, forming the working poor, and by pirates who take big risks in the
primary banking system for the kingdom. (Some temples hope of big rewards.
even survive beyond Panalane’s current borders.) The
temples provide loans to common citizens for Sholay has a rivalry of sorts with Merekith, detailed in
emergencies and for business start-ups, charging Merekith’s description.
reasonable rates, and can swiftly transfer funds from one
temple to another. But, by longstanding policy, Sholay Tol
does not loan to nobles, not even to the Capricorn
Throne. Centuries ago, this policy confused many and The One-Eyed God, The Marching God
Sholay was thought to be overly cautious, but canny God of War, Memory, and Beer
politicians now understand that, were the church of Neutral (LN, CN, NG, NE, N)
Sholay to embroil itself in the slowly declining power of War, Knowledge
the Panlani aristocracy, it would certainly have lost its
money and possibly been persecuted, exiled, or One of the oldest gods, Tol is depicted as a broad-
destroyed. This is now understood to be an example of chested giant with muscular arms, a grizzled expression,
Sholay’s foreknowledge. and a patch over one eye. His body is criss-crossed with
the scars of his battle wounds, and his weapons and
Each temple is staffed by teams of oracles called armor are well-used, picked up from battlefields
Abacae. The temples collect information from travelers throughout history and often the same items worn by
and use that information to frame shrewd divinations. The famous heroes when they met their death. Tol’s voice is
results of these auguries are used to make informed gravely and deep, and he speaks slowly. His symbol is a
investments and to underwrite shipping and merchant round shield and his number is 100.
travel. The temples keep this information private, but
because the Abacae raise and lower rates based on the Tol has been a part of many pantheons of gods. When
information they have, and sometimes deny policies each destroys itself in a cataclysmic end of the world, or
outright, many merchants and guilds visit the temple to is conquered by a rival pantheon, Tol survives and walks
away. Whatever pantheon he next encounters, he joins.

25

Tol does not avoid politics as much as he simply ignores The young man realized that he had wasted his gifts
it. and, in his self-indulgence, had driven away all that was
truly valuable. He understood then that magic needed to
Tol is the eternal soldier. He remembers the name of be used for the betterment of all mankind, not wasted in
everyone who has ever died from war, including petty hedonism. He would never love again, but he could
innocents and civilians. His worship is a cold and find meaning in service and in duty. He took the name of
heartless one, for Tol simultaneously acknowledges the Wyrd and became a champion of the people, an advisor
injustice of war and demonstrates its everlasting to the Kings of Panalane, an archmage, and a servant of
presence. He promises to remember those deeds no one planar powers. In time, he himself became immortal and
else will. When soldiers die in a heroic last stand, leaving ascended to godhood.
no one to tell the tale of their valor, Tol sees and Tol
knows. Tol also remembers all the waste and wrong- Wyrd sponsors the spread of magic to those who use it
headed decisions that have sent soldiers to their death. for the betterment of others and for society as a whole.
He is a hard drinker (which is how he became God of He leaves those wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks who
Beer) and watches over veterans, widows, orphans, and hide in their towers and plumb the secrets of arcane lore
cripples. His temples provide money and basic comforts to their own devices, but he watches them lest they
to these survivors of war, but this service is not lavish. become a danger to others. When arcane magic is used
Tol never endorses comforts or luxuries. for evil, Wyrd takes action. He is a very energetic, active,
and interventionist deity who is still occasionally sighted
Unsurprisingly, Tol’s temples are well protected by by his followers. The plots of Zorsha are his particular
martial priests, and because soldiers and their families concern, but he cannot strike directly against a goddess
are his foremost followers, there are always many more so old and powerful. Although he tries to content himself
defenders who will fight and die to protect these with attacking the symptoms of her evil instead of the
buildings. Tol endorses mercenary practices and it is cause, it is not enough for him and he curses his inability
traditional for every priest to spend a year as a to do more good.
mercenary before being accepted into a temple. Some
choose never to leave the mercenary life, and others die Wyrd is served by clerics, wizards, paladins who swear
before they can complete it. Tol is also served by the Oath of Devotion, bards of the College of Lore,
avengers and dark knights who swear oaths of eldritch knights, and arcane tricksters, and he directs his
vengeance and by bards of the College of Valor. Finally, followers to seek out young sorcerers who have just
in many monasteries built in his name, monks learn the come into their power so they can be brought into the
way of the open hand. faith. The Tower of the Learned in Cabronia, as well as
the other colleges of magic found throughout the
Wyrd kingdom’s former territories, were funded by the
Capricorn Throne itself, but their organization was
The Penitent God, The Man-God provided by priests of Wyrd, many of whom continue to
God of Magic and Duty make up their faculty. He also sponsors reclusive
Lawful Good (LG, NG, LN) monasteries where monks learn the Way of the Four
Arcana*, Knowledge, Light Elements.

The god of magic appears as a man of middle-age, Zorsha
determined and idealistic. His temples are graying, but
his eyes are steely and resolved. He is clad in handsome The Beast-Mother
robes that wave dramatically in winds that no one can Goddess of Evil and the Moon
hear or feel. His weapon is the wand, and his symbol is Chaotic Evil (CN, CE, NE)
the orb, a seeing stone that he uses to scry across the Trickery, Arcana*, Death
planes and into the future and past.
Zorsha is the goddess of evil in Panalane. She dwells in
Born a mortal, the man who would be Wyrd discovered a fabulous palace on the moon guarded by strange and
his natural gift for sorcery when he was a child, but as he unearthly creatures. She is Mourn’s older sister and, like
grew he used it only to play pranks on others, to puff up her, has milky white skin and pitch black hair, but her
his pride, or to indulge in private pleasures. He fell in love eyes are luminous and white instead of black. She is
and married, but took his love for granted and she, in depicted in finery made of lunar silk — a black weave
tears, abandoned him and fled to the Hinterlands. The spun by spiders which dwell on the moon, decorated with
young sorcerer was trying to win her back when she was silver and moonstones. When she leaves her palace to
killed by a war party of orcs who came upon her wagon.

26

spy, murder, and teach evil magic, she wears black and a source of wild magic for many sorcerers, and is
armor made of supple and silent leather. Zorsha is often also served by druids who belong to the Circle of the
accompanied by werewolves, wererats, and other Moon, by monks who walk the Way of Shadow, by black
shapechangers, all of whom revere her. Her number is 0, knights and fallen paladins whom she has seduced into
her weapon is the dagger, and mirrors are one of her her service, and by night-hags.
common symbols, for she is very vain and uses her own
mirror to scry on her enemies and rivals. She Psychopomp Domain
communicates in dreams.
Some gods are tasked with escorting the newly-dead to
When she was younger, Zorsha was free-spirited and their final destination, be it paradise, the underworld, or
fun-loving. Still capricious and sometimes cruel, but not their next life. The risks are great: a soul which loses its
truly evil. She danced in the moonlight and encouraged way to the afterworld becomes a wandering ghost or
her followers to defy rules and convention. Pan saw her shade, while others fall prey to fiends who consume
and was captivated by her. Following her to her palace them, enslave them, or lock them in unjust and eternal
on the moon, he captured her fancy with the playing of punishment. As if that wasn’t enough, archfiends and
his pipes and eventually seduced her. But when dawn gods of undeath are always trying to increase the size of
came Pan had already abandoned her, having returned their undead hordes. The gods who protect the souls of
to the forest to sleep on a bed of moss and heather. dead mortals against all these threats and lead them to
Zorsha was with child and she fled, humiliated, to hide in eternity are called psychopomps (literally “spirit-guides”).
the sea. Amalthea helped her deliver her son, who she Anubis, Hermes, and Odin’s valkyries are all
named Merekith. But Merekith was hideous in her eyes, psychopomps, as is the common notion of the Grim
and Zorsha abandoned him to Amalthea’s care and Reaper. To complete their task, psychopomps must be
returned to the moon. She was never the same, ever able to find people (and their corpses), communicate with
after cursing men and mankind, taking her revenge on the dead, prepare the body for burial, ward against evil
the world in a thousand hurtful ways. and the undead, travel safely through hazardous
environments, and even walk the planes.
Sometimes Zorsha pretends to be her sister so she
can carry away the corpse of a particularly good or Psychopomp Domain Spells
wicked person. To catch her in this ruse, Panlani are
taught special questions to ask any Mourner should they Cleric Level Spells
meet one. Due to an ancient oath, Zorsha cannot 1st detect evil and good, sanctuary
correctly answer these questions, but not everyone 3rd gentle repose, knock
remembers them or thinks to ask them. 5th revivify, speak with dead
7th death ward, freedom of movement
Zorsha was responsible for the Beast Plagues that 9th contact other plane, dispel evil and good
wracked Panalane about a century ago. Each plague
created a different sort of were-beast, but most Panlani Mortician
lump the whole phenomenon together into a single awful
plague which lasted for more than a generation. There At 1st level, you gain proficiency with herbalism kits and
were werewolves and similar beasts before the Plagues, one set of artisan’s tools. (For clerics of Mourn, this is
but during this terrible time they became an epidemic and carpenter’s tools.) You also become proficient in Arcana
almost every family was touched by the curse. Even and Investigation.
today, you can still find rangers, barbarians, clerics, and
paladins who roam the countryside tracking down were- Channel Divinity: Find the Body
creatures and killing them. The Plagues were Zorsha’s
greatest success. Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity
to find the dead and dying. As a bonus action, name one
The worship of Zorsha takes the form of propitiation. person you have met in person. If the person is dead, at
When folk travel by night, they whisper a prayer to the 0 hp, or undead, you learn which of these three things
moon to spare their lives and let them reach home in apply, any conditions on the target (such as poisoned or
peace. When other gods are honored on their holy days, sickened), and where the person or body is located. If the
sacrifices are made to Zorsha to assuage her jealousy person is alive and above 0 hp, you learn this and any
and vanity. Her clerics are necromancers, but because conditions on the target, but not the person’s location. If
killing them arouses Zorsha’s wrath, few dare to kill them the person you name is on another plane or within an
or drive them off. Often they are tolerated, especially in anti-magic shell or other effect which blocks divination,
small towns and villages. She is the goddess of rogues
27

you learn nothing and your Channel Divinity is not you must be aboard it and use an action. The vehicle and
expended. any creatures aboard or attached (such as horses pulling
a wagon or dogs pulling a sled) gain immunity to any
Channel Divinity: Ward against Undeath environmental conditions of the planes which the vehicle
travels through. You may only give this power to one
Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to vehicle at a time; if you grant it to a second vehicle, the
prevent corpses from rising as undead. This affects all first vehicle loses it. By concentrating while aboard the
corpses within 30 feet of you for as long as you maintain vehicle you have chosen, you can plane shift the vehicle
concentration. This feature has no effect on undead from the plane you are on to an adjacent plane. For
which have already risen. example, if you are on the material plane, you can travel
to the feywild, shadowfell, or ethereal planes, all of which
Potent Spellcasting touch the material plane, but you could not travel
immediately to the elemental plane of fire without
Starting at 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the traveling first to the ethereal plane, then to the elemental
damage you deal with any cleric cantrip. chaos, and finally to the plane of fire. Once you plane
shift the vehicle, you must wait an hour before doing so
Highway to Hell again.

At 17th level, you gain the ability to grant a vehicle —
such as a boat, carriage, chariot, sled, or wagon — the
power to travel the planes. To give a vehicle this power,

28

Death in Greenshade

Introduction Greenshade (Village)

Death in Greenshade is a short adventure that takes Informal NG autocracy
place in the Goatlands campaign setting available from Population (mixed): 131 (50 families; 101 humans,
Fainting Goat Games, specifically in the kingdom of 23 halflings, 6 dwarves, 1 half-elf)
Panalane. The adventure works best if it is placed in one Authority Figures: Volnir (Elder)
of two possible locations: Other Notable Characters: Everlyn (human female,
Innkeeper), Dorn Deepstone (dwarf male,
• North east of Faunton as the Kings Road passes Blacksmith), Shay Greenleaf (half-elf female,
through the Bramble Hills. Carpenter)
Defenses: The village is surrounded by 4ft tall
• West of Cabronia also along the Kings Road near the wooden fences with two gates that remain open until
edge of the Hagwood. needed. The fences are primarily there to keep animal
within the village. All residents are Commoners. No
If this adventure is being played outside of the official guards patrol the village but, the woodmen are
Goatlands setting, it should be placed along a main road proficient with axes and other small arms so that they
just over a day’s travel away from a major city, and close can function as a defensive force if needed.
enough to a forest to support a lumber operation. Goods: Primarily raw lumber, but a small trade in
other wooden goods such as furniture, fences, etc.
Adventure Background Wealth: Only leather armor and simple weapons and
adventuring gear worth less than 50 gp is available for
Forty years ago, the small village of Greenshade found sale in Greenshade. The village would be able to pool
that it had a problem: a druid, Haughlin, had relocated to
the nearby forest, constructed a shrine, and soon together 300gp in total should it be required. 
afterwards began to disrupt the lumber operation set up
there. Haughlin demanded that a 'ritual of forgiveness' Adventure Episodes
take place at daybreak, which would require an hour to
complete and would therefore slow production. Because Scene One: Welcome to Greenshade
of the impact of the delay, the woodsmen refused.
Lumber was the lifeblood of Greenshade; it not only The seemingly unremarkable village of Greenshade is
allowed them to expand and repair the village, but also just over a day’s travel from a major city. The adventurers
gave them valuable resources they could sell at nearby are forced to take shelter there due to the growing
towns and cities. darkness or adverse weather.

Things started out small at first. Haughlin would hurl Greenshade itself is small, consisting of just over thirty
abuse at the woodsmen as they started work and destroy log-built houses surrounding a two storey inn, the Royal
any tools that were left in the yard over night. But soon Oak.
he started to use magic against them: entangle slowed
down the woodsmen and their wagons, and spike growth The villagers of Greenshade do not see many visitors
caused them harm. and rarely deal with outsiders except when selling their
lumber; they treat those they do encounter with incredible
After two months, the village elders decided this could hospitality.
no longer be allowed to continue. They had tried to
reason with the druid and explain the importance of their The PCs will eventually find their way to the inn and
work, but found their pleas falling on deaf ears. Nothing once inside, they will be greeted with nods of
had changed, so they believed there was only one acknowledgment by several woodsmen gathered around
course of action: Haughlin must die. the hearth, nursing their ales. The inn proprietor, Everlyn,
gives them an almost overpowering welcome.
The next night, four of the elder’s sons set into the
forest and managed to catch the druid unaware, killing “Greetings my new friends. Sit down and let me pour
him and burying him at the shrine he had maintained. But you a drink to rid the dust of the road from your
with his last breath, the druid swore revenge. mouths.”

Years passed by, and as the elders and three of the 29
four killers died, the druid and his shrine were forgotten.
But that is about to change...

Everlyn serves up drink and food as requested, brought return outside to help the injured. They are bewildered by
to the PCs table by her gangly, blonde son Jerrik. Jerrik
doesn’t see himself as a future woodsman and would what has just happened. 
rather follow a martial career. Given the opportunity, he
will ask any PC armed with martial weapons and wearing What’s Really Happening
medium or heavy armor to explain weapon techniques
and fighting styles. Everlyn does not allow him to do so After decades, the tortured spirit of Hauglin has finally
for too long though, shouting for him to return to the gained enough power to inflict his vengeance upon the
kitchen after a few minutes. people of Greenshade. His connection with nature has
allowed him to slowly manipulate animals and plants,
The Royal Oak is a fairly small inn, so the PCs will along with the land itself. Most of these new abilities need
need to divide the three available rooms between them. a lot of time to prepare or require excessive amounts of
The price, though, is very reasonable: 1sp including a energy, so they can only be used sporadically. So far,
hearty breakfast the next morning. Haughlin has only been able to dominate a giant boar
into attacking Abner, the son of one of the woodsmen
The evening passes pleasantly. The woodsmen — that killed him all those years ago, and created mephitis
Abner, Berlwyn, Danil and Kael — are happy to talk, and to attack the other villagers, but soon the PCs will see
others villagers visit throughout the night. By 10pm that he is capable of much more.
people begin to retire, and Everlyn starts to close down
the bar. Scene Two: Into the Forest

The First Fallen The trail the woodsmen took is fairly easy to follow, as
the ground has also been churned up by the boar.
The next morning, not long after first light, the PCs are Hauglin is purposely leading the woodsmen further into
awakened by screams and the sound of wood splintering. the forest towards the shrine he once tended, in order to
As the PCs make their way outside, they find villagers exact his revenge.
gathering around a nearby house. Its front door is broken
down, and the heavily injured body of a woodman lies The Second Fallen
nearby. The villagers tell the PCs they saw a large
animal running off into the forest, and three woodsmen, As the PCs venture further into the forest they discover
Berwyn, Daniel, and Kael, chased after it. Investigating the dead body of Danil lying in the open. If the PCs
the body further confirms that the woodman, who the investigate, a Wisdom (Medicine) check DC 10 reveals
PCs recognize as Abner, was dragged from his house that Danil was killed by the beaks and talons of many
and then trampled. The front door has been broken birds; these attacks targeted his eyes and other
down. An Intelligence (Nature) Check (DC 10) confirms vulnerable areas, and he eventually bled to death. A DC
that the damage was caused by something with cloven 10 Intelligence (Investigate) check reveals he doubled
hooves, suggesting a boar, cow, deer, bison, or similar back along the trail to where he eventually fell. Fairly
animal. quickly, the nearby trees begin to fill with ravens that
closely monitor the PCs movement; they turn their heads
After a few moments of investigation, the air starts to all at the same time and caw with one voice. One Swarm
swirl and the ground shifts in several locations across of Ravens gathers every round; when there are as many
the village, suddenly forming into Dust Mephits (1 +1 swarms as there are PCs, they attack. If the PCs attack
per PC). Only a few of these appear near the PCs, and before all the swarms have gathered, the remainder
the rest may focus their attacks on the villagers first, arrive in subsequent rounds as reinforcements.
requiring the PCs to defend them. But after a few rounds,
the villagers fall or flee into their houses, leaving the PCs The Third Fallen
to confront the monsters.
As the PCs follow the trail for another few minutes, they
If the PCs took off after the attacking animal right find another scene of horror. Hanging from the low
away, without bothering to even identify the body or branches of a nearby tree is the body of Kael, the third
investigate the crime scene, they may already be on the woodsman. His body can be easily reached, and a
outskirts of the village when the mephits attack. In this Wisdom (Medicine) check DC 10 reveals that he was
case, they hear the screams of the villagers and can crushed, probably by a large tree branch swung with
either return to Abner’s home — discovering the mephits incredible force. Any attempt to move the body or pass
in the village on the way — or continue into the forest, further up the trail causes the trees in the area to shift
returning later to find many dead in the wake of the and waver, moving in a non-existent breeze, until finally
mephits attack. the trees creak more violently, pull themselves from the

Once the mephits are defeated, the villagers nervously

30

ground, and attack. There is 1 Awakened Tree for every (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). It has the
4 PCs. following spells prepared:
Cantrips (3 slots): poison spray, produce flame,
    The trail continues onwards, confirming that only two resistance
1st level: entangle, faerie fire, fog cloud, thunderwave
of the woodsmen made it this far as they doubled back 2nd level: hold person, spike growth
along their route.
Actions
Scene Three: The Haunted Shrine Multiattack: The Phantom Druid can make two Vine
Lash attacks.
Following the trail, the PCs eventually enter a small Vine Lash: Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10ft,
clearing with several large, upright stones at its centre. one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage.
Lying against one of these stones is the body of the last Vortex: The Phantom Druid produces a vortex of air and
woodsman, Berlwyn; broken vines and leaves lay over plant debris in a 10ft radius around it. Any creature that
him, and his body is covered with cuts and bruises. ends its turn in the vortex must make a DC 13 Con save
Heavily overgrown gardens are equally spaced around
the central stones, and upon closer inspection, the PCs or suffer 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
observe that one of these gardens contains a mound of
earth: an unmarked grave Tactics: At the first opportunity, Haughlin casts spike
growth centred on himself to deter melee combatants; he
Waiting hidden among the undergrowth, a Giant Boar uses Vine Lash on attackers within range. Any PC who
prepares for an ideal time to use its charge attack. Make manages to get near enough to attack Haughlin with a
a Dexterity (Stealth) roll for the Giant Boar and compare melee weapon will be pushed back outside the spike
it to the passive perception scores of the PCs to growth area with thunderwave. If the Haughlin is being
determine who, if anyone, is surprised by the rushing
beast. After a round or two of combat, grass and leaves 31
begin to swirl in a small tornado on the other side of the
PCs, putting them between it and the Giant Boar. On the
following round, a humanoid form rises from plants
themselves; this is Haughlin, now a Phantom Druid.

It’s just about now that Jerrik reveals that he has been
following the PCs since they left the village, and he may
attempt to rush in to attack the Phantom Druid himself,
armed with only a broom. His approach is mostly just
bluster as he shouts from the sidelines and swings wildly
at any nearby enemy, but he still may get himself into
danger if the PCs are not wary of him.

Phantom Druid

Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class: 12
Hit Points: 52 (8d8+16)
Speed: 30ft, fly 40ft
Str 14 (+2) Dex 13 (+1) Con 14 (+2) Int 14 (+2) Wis 16
(+3) Cha 10 (+0)
Skills: Nature +2, Stealth (+3)
Damage Immunities: poison
Condition Immunities: exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses: darkvision 60ft, passive Perception 12
Languages: as in life (Common, Druidic)
Challenge: 2 (450xp)

Forest Camouflage: The Phantom Druid has advantage
on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when made in a forest.
Spellcasting: The Phantom Druid is a 4th level
spellcaster. Its spellincasting ability is Wisdom based

damaged by missile attacks, he will stop concentrating on Scene Four: Returning to the Village
the spike growth spell in order to cast hold person upon
the attacker. Eventually the PCs must return to the village with news of
the woodsmen’s deaths and understandably everyone is
Putting an End to the Terror upset, but if Jerrik has also been lost, everything
escalates. Everlyn shuts down the inn and refuses to
Negotiation: Hauglin still retains his own mind and return any items that the PCs still have in the rooms, and
intelligence even in his new from, but if not directly the villagers themselves are more difficult to persuade in
addressed, he will just scream about vengeance for the any future attempts, increasing the DC by 5.
entire combat. He is so consumed with rage that he is
incredibly difficult to negotiate with (DC 20). But if a Hopefully the PCs have learned from Haughlin what he
successful check is made, and he is asked what he is will accept to end his attacks on the village. The PCs may
seeking vengeance for, he will explain that he was need to ask around the village to see if anyone is left of
murdered, that the families of his killers must pay, and the woodsmen’s families, and they discover that the
that there are others that need to be brought to justice. village elder, Volnir, was Abner’s father and actually
Once conversation has started, another check (DC 15) responsible for the death of the druid in the first place,
prompts Haughlin to lay out his terms. There can be only many years ago. What they also discover is that his
two outcomes to the situation: Abner, the last descendant daughter in law, Ilia, is heavily pregnant and is expecting
of his killers, must come to the shrine and either beg his first grandchild in two months. Hauglin’s vengeance
forgiveness or be sacrificed. may fall upon the next generation once the child is born.

Brute Force: If there is no meaningful dialog between The next course of action depends on the PCs. Up
the PCs and Haughlin, the Giant Boar can be slain, but until now, Volnir has been steadfast in his belief that if he
the Phantom Druid will rise again at the shrine a few days and the others hadn’t killed Haughlin, the village would
later, as long as he considers his vengeance unfulfilled. have lost the lumber trade and fallen to poverty,
eventually collapsing. But with the death of his son, that
A hallow spell with the “everlasting rest” effect would has changed. Persuading Volnir to apologise is a DC 10
be a final solution to the problem, but this is outside of interaction check, while getting him to sacrifice himself for
the PCs abilities. They may be able to get a friendly the good of the village is a DC 20 check.
cleric, most likely a follower of Mourn (the goddess of
death) to travel from a nearby city to cast the spell at a If the PCs fail either of these checks, Volnir digs in his
cost. Money will not be enough, and the PCs will heels and refuses to cooperate. The only way to get him
probably need to undertake a task for the cleric in the to the shrine will be by kidnapping him and dragging him
near future, such as the recovery of a relic or important there. While Volnir himself won’t present much resistance
item, or aid defeat a certain enemy. (the PCs are, after all, well armed and experienced at
killing), the villagers rally around him and attempt to stop
Destroying the shrine may be another solution the PCs any abduction. This may result in a standoff as the PCs
arrive at, but if anything, that insults the Phantom Druid to face down the entire village and try to persuade them that
an even greater extent. While digging in the garden areas the “only” way to save the village is Volnir’s death. Play
of the shrine does reveal the body of Hauglin buried by this scene out, allowing the PCs to make their case and a
the woodsmen decades ago, anyone moving or DC 20 interaction check. If the PCs fail the check, they
destroying the large stones just add themselves to
Hauglin’s list of targets. Removing the stones from the will have to fight their way to the shrine. 
location takes 100 man hours and requires equipment
like ropes, pulleys and carts, all of which are available at A Conclusion
Greenshade. Unfortunately, the PCs may also ask for
help from the villagers to reduce the time the work will The adventure will play out differently, depending on
take, and a handful will step up in the hope that it will put which solution the PCs have decided on and the GM
a stop to the killing, but all it does is also add themselves should pay attention to a PC’s personality traits, ideals,
and their families to the growing list of targets. During this bonds and flaws as defined by their backgrounds and
time, Haughlin is able to send more animals to attack award inspiration in how they approach the remainder of
anyone working at the shrine, and once every three days, the adventure.
he himself is able to manifest to exact his revenge. Once • The druid is dead... let’s go: The PCs may decide
the shrine has been totally destroyed, Haughlin will that, with the defeat of the Phantom Druid, their job is
exhaust himself with one last burst of energy through done and they can leave. The villagers are distraught at
everything he can muster against Greenshade and the PCs. the loss of the woodsmen, but are grateful for the help
they received. They gather up a small collection of 100gp
32 to divide among the PCs and send them on their way. A

few days later, the Phantom Druid reawakens, begins Appendix:
another assault on the village, and kills his last remaining
target: Volnir. The villagers meet and decide to desecrate The Voices of the World Spirit
the shrine. This brings them into the curse, and over
subsequent nights Haughlin kills the transgressors. The Voices of the World Spirit are a druidic circle that
Finally, the village is abandoned and the surviving was formed just over a hundred years ago by the
families flee to the corners of Panalane. Two months archdruid, Tyllach. This circle has the same abilities as
later, Ilia has a baby boy, next in line to the family curse. the Circle of the Land in the SRD, but they have a
After that, there are tales of a spirit seen travelling the different philosophical outlook. The Voices of the World
roads, its destination Ilia’s new home... Spirit are hard line militants who are Neutral Evil in
• Volnir apologizes: Whether he is dragged to the shrine alignment who do not tolerate seeing the widespread
or goes willingly, Volnir slumps down in front of the shrine destruction of nature; they strike out against anyone they
and begs forgiveness. For a few moments, the air around see as violating their beliefs. The only way that offenders
the shrine begins to swirl, and the leaves and plants can overcome this retribution is to utter an hour long
gather back into the familiar form of the Phantom Druid. “ritual of forgiveness” at daybreak before the cutting down
Haughlin demands that the woodsmen undertake the of trees, killing of any animal, or any other use of natural
original request and perform the “ritual of forgiveness” resources. The druids recite similar prayers should they
every morning before felling any trees. Volnir need to use wood to build a fire or construct a fence, etc.
begrudgingly agrees, and Haughlin vows to return should Each spell they cast also contains a small prayer to the
the shrine be destroyed or the practice stop. With that, World Spirit.
Haughlin disappears in a swirl of leaves, and peace is
finally restored to Greenshade. But over the next few While these druids are dangerous, they know that their
months, something deep within the earth stirs; every numbers are small. They open with threats and minor
utterance of the “ritual of forgiveness” gives it power. annoyances first, in order to persuade outsiders to
Soon, it will awaken. conform to their beliefs, but they will escalate to violence
• Volnir is sacrificed: Volnir slumps in front of the shrine if they believe they can win. The Voices of the World
and soon Haughlin reforms in a swirl of leaves. As Volnir Spirit would rather continue a campaign of minor
begins to plead for his life, the darkness where the disruption in the hope of breaking a transgressor’s spirit
Phantom Druid’s eyes should be flashes a deep red. With than risk losing one of their number in open combat. 
a simple motion of his arm, the ground beneath Volnir
erupts in a flow of roots and plants that quickly wrap The Truth about the World Spirit
around his body. The roots begin to push into Volnir’s
skin; his scream joins Hauglin’s own into a cry of The real World Spirit isn’t exactly what the druids think it
veneance that travels for miles, and echoes around the is. While the druids believe the World Spirit is an
forest for minutes until it is suddenly silenced, leaving a embodiment of the entire world, it is in actually a
vaguely human-shaped tangle of plants. The swirl of air Gargantuan Earth Elemental, Gromlish, banished to a
surrounding the Phantom Druid begins to fade, and its prison beneath the earth centuries ago. Through the
body drops to the ground, breaking down into the leaves subtle manipulation of members of the cult that worship it,
that formed it. There is nothing but silence. Greenshade Gromlish has gathered a group of druids and other small
carries on. The logging camps restart, but avoid the druid communities to utter a prayer in its name that slowly
shrine. Two months later Ilia’s baby is born, and the increases its power. Gromlish’s ultimate goal is not just to
woodsmen begin to notice an unnatural wind that escape from its prison but to ascend to godhood. The
sometimes swirls around the trees... Voices think they’re calling on the World Spirit’s power to
cast spells, but actually Gromlish is just using their
Treasure prayers and rituals to gain power.

No matter how the adventure ends, the villagers want to So far, this process has been an incredibly slow one;
get rid of several items that the druid once owned and, only a small number of his original cultists still remain,
which have been held onto by the families for decades. (through the use of Timeless Body or other powerful
The PCs are handed a ragged green cloak lined with fur magics). None are even aware of Gromlish’s existence.
(Cloak of Protection), a leather satchel decorated with No one is entirely sure just how Gromlish became
tassels and bones (Bag of Holding) and a hooded lantern imprisoned in the earth, but it is likely that the elemental
made from shining brass that hasn't lost its luster over lords themselves banished him from the planes to this
the years (Lantern of Revealing). prison. Whoever is responsible, it seems that the attempt
was flawed, since Gromlish proved able to communicate 
with the Archdruid Tyllach and create his cult.  

33

The Fearfield War

Introduction But soon the war escalates. Sacco, leader of the
Scapegoats, leads a large force to Caldwell, raiding the
Two of the threadbarons are at war: Lady Garcy, the defenseless village. There are many casualties and the
Baroness Salter, and Lord Cald Ironvow, Baron Fearfield. goatfolk make off with plunder and slaves. The PCs may
The conflict, driven by a band of ruthless mercenaries, is be there to help defend it, reducing the damage, or they
bringing ruin to the region as commoners are killed or may arrive only in time to harass the retreating raiders.
taken as slaves and their homes are destroyed. Can the It’s even possible that they get to Caldwell long after the
PCs make a difference? mercenaries have left. In any case, now that the threat of
the Scapegoats — and their willingness to kill innocent
The Fearfield War is an adventure for 4-6 characters of civilians — has been made clear, the outline of the war
level 3-5. It is a sandbox style adventure in which some sharpens. The Scapegoats must be stopped, and only
events are likely to occur but in which the PCs have the PCs can do it.
latitude to travel and explore the region, encountering
NPCs and pursuing whatever strategy they think best. Part Two: Against the Goatfolk

The Story in Brief The second half of the adventure is focused on the
mercenary camp. Sacco’s Scapegoats have fortified a hill
Part One: Sinister Secrets and Salter in the middle of Salter and, after the raid on Caldwell, the
PCs have both the motivation and the opportunity to
The Fearfield War takes place in a region defined by two investigate that camp.
rival baronies: Salter and Fearfield. There are a few small
neighboring lands which are held by knights who have Your players have many options when it comes to
sworn fealty to one barony or the other. The PCs come to checking out the goatfolk camp. They can begin by
these lands in one of two ways: either overland, probably observing it from afar, but eventually they’ll probably want
from the west, or by sailing on the Great River. to sneak closer, perhaps climbing the cliff walls that
surround the camp. If they have the skills or the magic,
If they come from the west, the PCs travel the one or more of the PCs might actually sneak into the
Gontmounds, a range of hills now haunted by ghouls and camp to sabotage it: slaves can be freed, captured
filled with the ruins of an old castle. They emerge near a monsters can be set loose, and leaders might be
salt mine which is the economic heart of the barony of assassinated.
Salter, and can follow a path across the dry plain to
Whitehall Town, the largest settlement in the region. Soon, however, the Scapegoats get new orders: a
Along the way, they are hosted by a farmer and her massive load of salt, worth a thousand gold pieces,
family, and the farm is raided by goatfolk who belong to a needs to be moved from the mines to Whitehall, where it
mercenary unit camped nearby: Sacco’s Scapegoats. can be sold to merchants. Garcy Salter orders the
Scapegoats to guard the caravan, and Sacco sends
But if the PCs arrive by boat, they disembark at about half of his remaining forces — led by Gorshak, his
Clawton, the home of Sir Oxblood Chuul, a vassal of chief lieutenant. The PCs learn about the caravan and
Fearfield. They learn about the war from Chuul and his know exactly where it’s going to travel. This creates the
wife, and may be asked to perform a dangerous quest for opportunity for an ambush, during which they might be
him before they move on to Whitehall Town or the nearby able to take out key mercenary leaders or even large
village of Caldwell. numbers of the goatfolk troops.

Now that they know about the war and the cruel By this time, Sacco has taken several humiliating
activities of the Scapegoat mercenaries, the PCs may blows from the PCs, and his resources are running out.
want to meet the local lords to hire on with one side or But his caregiver, the green hag Mother Mayhem, has a
the other, to try and negotiate a peace, or just to learn plan. She intends to travel to the Hanging Tree, a
more about what's going on. This could take them to haunted locale deep in Fearfield, where a crossing to the
Kennelkeep, the home of Lord Ironvow; Whitehall, a Feywild is located. There, she will use a ritual to contact
sturdy castle that overlooks a town; or the Spurrock, the malicious faeries who dwell on the other side of the
where Dame Danika Kourser keeps a watch on Lord portal and persuade them to help Sacco. Of course, to
Chuul. All of these lords have agendas of their own, and make that bargain, she’ll have to secure the right
the PCs may find work with them or devise a strategy to
end the war with minimal loss of life.

34

35

payment. If the PCs can prevent her from securing these By mid-morning they see the ruins of Castle Gont over
allies — either by destroying the Tree before she arrives, three tall hills; by day, a mysterious smoke with no known
or interrupting her ritual — they can keep Sacco cause blankets the castle, leaving only its outlines visible.
weakened and set the Scapegoats up for a final Sometimes shapes can be seen moving through the
confrontation. smoke, circling over the castle’s broken walls. The
gatehouse is seen last, as it faces northeast and the PCs
That confrontation is inevitable; if the PCs don’t attack will only spot it after they’ve passed the castle; the iron
the camp, eventually Ironvow will. Leading a force of gates have been thrown open, and braziers with green
almost five hundred, he makes a concerted attack on the fire burn at the entrance, illuminating gibbets which hang
Scapegoat encampment. If the PCs do nothing, hundreds above a ruined road. Only skeletal remains are in the
of commoners, drafted into the peasant levy, will die in gibbets. Castle Gont is beyond the current ability of the
this battle. Ironvow cares nothing for the lives of his PCs, but they may choose to explore anyway. This would
people, sacrificing the commoners so his professional be a good time for an attack by ghouls (one for every
soldiers can avoid casualties. two PCs). Alternately, the PCs might be discovered by
Lord Gont’s scouts (consult the Military Forces Table on
One way or another, it’s likely the Scapegoats are page 71 for the combat statistics of the Gont scouts,
shattered, their camp overwhelmed. But Sacco himself there is one for every PC), who warn the travelers away
may escape, flying south on his giant vulture. His from the ruins. The scouts, whose tabards bear the
destination: Thumehall, where he can hide out, and clenched white fist of House Gont, begin indifferent; they
where no one else dares go. No one, at least, except inquire about the identity of the PCs, their destination,
your player characters. and their reason for being in the area, but they are not
hostile so long as the PCs cooperate. The scouts will
Part One direct them to Whitehall Town, instructing them to follow
the trail leading away from the Salter mines, “But I’d circle
Scene One: If by Land around the Scapegoat camp, if I were you.” The scouts
indicate Sacco’s Scapegoats are goatfolk mercenaries
There are two ways the PCs can approach the baronies hired by the Baroness Salter for the current war with
of Salter and Fearfield: overland, probably from the west, Fearfield, and they are camped about ten miles down the
or sailing either north or south along the Great River. This path, two-thirds of the way to Whitehall Town.
first scene is for characters traveling by land, though the
scene can be used later in Part One as they criss-cross Once the PCs emerge from the Gontmounds, the land
the area. becomes less dangerous; roll for random encounters only
once during the night, and every 4 hours of travel. The
Consult the region map on page 35; each hex first landmark is the Salter mine, and the first signs of
represents 3 miles. Characters travel 1 hex every hour anything unusual in the area are the burial mounds which
through badlands, steppe, and light grasslands terrain, litter these hills. Most of the mounds are empty, having
and 1 hex every 2 hours in the hills. Trails do not been cleared out years ago by Tunis Daughter-of-the-
significantly speed up overland travel; they are useful Moon when she set up the mummy labor force that now
mostly to avoid getting lost, and travelers experience works the salt mine. Besides the open pits where the
different encounters on trails than off (they’re more likely graves once were, the slopes of the hills are carved with
to meet fellow travelers, for example, and less likely to ancient pictographs and runes made when the burials
come across wandering animals or monsters). first took place long ago. Successful use of Investigate
will reveal the graves have been empty for several years,
If the PCs are heading for a community in the area that they were dug up, and that ancient carvings on the
where they can buy supplies, sell treasure, and perhaps hill stone shows the people with oddly-shaped elongated
find their next adventure, the two most likely candidates heads. Other designs show elaborate funeral practices
are the village of Caldwell in Fearfield and the nearby being performed for these people.
Whitehall Town in Salter. Their most likely route brings
them onto the region map at the Gontmounds, and a The mines themselves are surrounded by a mining
day’s travel will move them across the border into Salter. camp and military garrison inhabited by about a dozen
The Gontmounds are actually one of the most dangerous mine supervisors, their apprentices, and Garcy’s
areas in the region; roll for a random encounter every Saltwatch (consult the Military Forces Table for the
time the PCs enter a new hex, until they cross the border combat statistics of the Saltwatch). Salter takes the
into Salter. (As a reminder, the standard roll for random security of the mine very seriously, and anyone getting
encounters is a single d20, with an encounter occurring
on a result of 18-20; encounter tables for the
Gontmounds can be found in Appendix C.)

36

too close will be spotted and questioned, but the garrison themselves welcomed by strangers when she was
is not hostile so long as the PCs cooperate. It’s not pregnant with Bola, so she insists, “This is what Owen
possible to get very close to the mine without drawing the would want.” Bronwyn offers them cactus tea, goat milk,
hostility of the guards, but the entrance can be spotted: a tomato and pumpkin soup, grits, and cornbread. A well
massive square gatehouse carved out of the stone with a out back provides water, but it’s not very clean.
small single entrance out of which mummies occasionally
roll carts heavily-laden with salt. More mummies perform Over lunch, the family can tell the PCs all about the
manual labor around the mine entrance and within the local situation:
garrison. Once the garrison has established the identity • Twenty years ago, a knight found a magic sword in the
of the PCs and their destination (presumably Whitehall old monastery of Thumehall. He and the sword became
Town or Caldwell), they are allowed on their way. partners, and he began a revolt that led to the creation of
Fearfield. The Baron Salter lost about half his territory,
A path leads directly away from the mines, northeast and was soon after assassinated by his wife, who still
through the hills and onto the flat plains of Salter. The runs the Barony.
PCs should be able to reach Whitehall Town by the end • About five years ago, the Baron Ironvow died in a
of the day, even if they avoid the Goatfolk camp. Along tournament. The sword claimed a new bearer, Cald, who
the way, they are welcomed by Bronwyn, her father-in- is now Baron Ironvow.
law Dorn, and her daughter Bola. • Tensions between Salter and Ironvow have always
been high, especially along the border, but things have
Around mid-day, the PCs are crossing the badlands of gotten worse since the Baroness hired a group of
Salter or of Fearfield. (This encounter can be used goatfolk mercenaries, camped them a few miles from the
anywhere in Salter or Fearfield with little alteration, and border, and let them loose on Fearfield. This has placed
can even be used later in Part One if the PCs arrived in the two lands in a state of war.
the area by boat instead of overland.) The sun beats • The mercenaries call themselves Sacco’s Scapegoats.
down upon them and the land is dry and forbidding. Bronwyn has never seen “Sacco,” but presumably that’s
Nevertheless, they have seen signs of habitation: small their leader.
farms surrounded by goat pens, tomato gardens, and
pumpkin patches, with fenced in bean yards and fields of Bronwyn, Dorn, and Bola know nothing about military
short and scrawny corn. It is difficult to scratch out a life forces in the area, except by longstanding reputation.
in the Threadbarrens, but not impossible, and the locals She knows the mines are guarded by the Saltwatch, that
are a tough and resilient folk. the Baroness keeps a personal guard called the Knights
of Salter, and that her vassal, Dame Danika Korser, rules
The farmers who work these plots mostly avoid the from the Spurrock. She’s visited both Caldwell and
travelers, except for one. A woman can be seen Whitehall Town, but prefers to buy her supplies in
sweeping the porch of her home and, as the PCs walk Caldwell where she can get better deals. (She knows
along the fence of her property, she removes a bonnet Whitehall Town is infested with criminals, but does not
and waves energetically. If anyone comes closer, she know the name of the Whitebeards or their leader.) Once
introduces herself as Bronwyn (a commoner) and invites a month, at the market in Whitehall Town, she trades
the PCs inside to rest. excess crops from her farm for lobster, crab, and fish oil
from the Clacking Coast, and the occasional luxury good,
Bronwyn’s home is a humble, three-room wooden like a new suit of clothes for her children.
house with plank floors and old carpets passed down
through many generations. She does not live alone; she In the middle of lunch, the Scapegoats come back.
has a seven-year-old daughter, Bola, who helps as much There is one for every PC; use an even mix of raiders
as she can, and her father-in-law, Dorn (also a and scouts. Don’t forget to roll on the Chaotic Feature
commoner). Bronwyn’s husband (and Dorn’s son), Table on page 79 for each goatfolk; this will help
Owen, was killed recently when he was out working the differentiate the mercenaries from each other, and
fields and a trio of goatfolk came looking for food. She illustrate to the party what makes goatfolk different from
doesn’t know exactly what happened, but she found his other humanoids. Their leader is named Bragga; he has
corpse a little while later. (If you are running this slightly better armor than the others (AC 16 chain mail)
encounter in Fearfield, Owen was not slain by goatfolk. and wields a greataxe (for 1d12+3 damage). As the
He has instead been drafted into Lord Ironvow’s peasant mercenaries approach the farm, they take corn off the
army. If Bronwyn lives in Fearfield, she also probably has stalk and begin to munch it whole. (Goatfolk can eat
one of the lean, fast-running hunting dogs native to that anything.) They walk towards the house, plucking
land.) Dorn thinks it’s stupid for Bronwyn to allow
travelers into the house, but she and Owen were 37

tomatoes off the ground. One takes up a large pumpkin Caldwell (Village)
and carries it under his arm for later. Bronwyn, Dorn, and
Bola keep quiet and stay in the house, hoping the Population (mixed): Usually 300, currently 240 (90%
mercenaries will take what they want and go. If left alone, human, 5% halfling, 4% other common races, 1%
Bragga will taunt Bronwyn from outside the house for a other)
few minutes while his soldiers gather food and then
depart. He doesn’t know the PCs are in the house unless Government: Lord Cald Ironvow is master of the
they show themselves. village, ruling through his appointed magistrate, Milo.
Milo has recently been recalled to Kennelkeep for
But if the PCs do emerge, Bragga becomes wary and the duration of the war. An informal council of
hostile. He suspects that they could be Fearfield soldiers respected noncombatants remains behind to govern
or mercenaries Ironvow has hired. Even if they’re just in Milo’s absence.
weary travelers, they could be looking for trouble. Indeed,
if they have good weapons and armor, or any sign of Defenses: In ordinary circumstances, Milo can call
wealth, this is all the motive Bragga needs to attack. He upon a militia of 15 guards and up to 50
will try to intimidate them first, however (his modifier is commoners for emergency defense. However, with
+3), hoping to make them back down. so many of Caldwell’s population having been
drafted into Ironvow’s peasant levy, only 5 guards
If Bragga is killed, or if Bragga lives but half the remain, all of them women, old men, or teenage
Scapegoats are slain, the remainder try to flee, scattering boys.
in different directions.
Goods: Items with a value of 50gp or less can easily
Bronwyn, Dorn, and Bola will hide in the house during be found in Caldwell; more expensive items must be
any fight, taking the Dodge action when necessary. If a sought from traveling merchants or in the nearby
PC comes to their defense, they shift to the Help action. town of Whitehall. The local inn is the Happy Hound.
When the battle is over, Bronwyn and Dorn get into an The village exports shellfish from the Clacking Coast
argument about what will happen next. Dorn is sure the and hunting dogs trained in Kennelkeep. The
goatfolk will return seeking revenge for the death of their preparation of shellfish and seafood for sale to
soldiers. Bronwyn insists something had to be done. merchants is a large part of the village’s economy.
She’s debating packing up and moving for the duration of Sometimes explorers who venture south into the
the war, but has nowhere to go. All she can do is give the ruins of Moontide or into the ruins of Thumehall
PCs food for the road — more cornbread, a goatskin of return with unusual treasures for sale. Imports
water, and a sack of redbeans — and hope for the best. include salt (from Whitehall), leather goods, wood
and other building materials, and luxury goods.
The rest of their journey is uneventful, and they reach
Whitehall Town or Caldwell by dusk. Caldwell has a shore of the Great River. Small but colorful markers pop
single small inn, the Happy Hound. For 5sp/day the up out of the water to show which traps belong to which
Hound can provide room and board; there are three family; despite this, arguments on the surface of the
rooms, so the PCs will probably have to share. There’s a River, shouted from boat to boat, are common. The
larger inn in Whitehall Town, the Salt & Shaker, which ground here is flat, the shore lined with tall grass, but the
charges 1 gp/day for the same thing, though the PCs can green doesn’t persist very far inland. Across the river,
each have their own very small room. hills mark the edge of Vanora, one of Panalane’s great
rivals, formerly a province of the Kingdom but now an
See House Salter for more on Whitehall Town, and independent land again.
House Fearfield for information on Caldwell.
Regardless of the direction from which they come, the
Scene Two: If by Sea only likely spot to disembark is Clawton. In the bay
formed by the Spur, a few longships are visible, their sails
If the PCs reach the region by sailing up or down the showing the namesake animal of House Chuul. (To those
Great River, they will encounter the Spur and the who have never seen a chuul, which probably includes
Clacking Coast instead of the Gontmounds and the the PCs, the House symbol may just look like a copper-
plains of Salter. From the north, they see the Spurrock colored lobster). There’s not much merchant trade that
rising up before them; the hall has a commanding view in goes on in Clawton; it’s a military fort, not a town. But
all directions. Female horsemen in heavy armor ride in Lord Chuul’s warships are based here, so there are a lot
pairs along the coast, flying the banner of House Korser:
a rearing gold stallion on a blue field.

From the south, the PCs instead see many small boats
tending the crab and lobster traps which line the western

38

of sailors. They’re busy at work constructing simple and Whitehall Town
crude fortifications: wooden barriers the size of a tower
shield, braced so they can stand on their own and take a Population (mixed): 1,600 (80% human, 10% dwarf,
blow without falling over. The sailors will not discuss what 5% halfling, 4% elf, half-elf, dragonborn, half-orc,
these fortifications are for (see Part Two, Scene 5: The tiefling or gnome, 1% other)
Battle of Goat Hill on page 61). Consult the Military
Forces Table, as necessary, for the combat statistics of Government: Baroness Garcy Salter is ruler of the
House Chuul’s sailors, marines, and local garrison. The town, but she allows the Whitebeards, a criminal
PCs are spotted, and come to the attention of Richard, gang, to run things. Her appointed mayor, Dalt
Lord Chuul’s chamberlain. Richard knows his lord is keen Cooperson, does as the Whitebeards and their
on adventurers, and the PCs look like his sort of people. leader, Willam Whitebeard, command.
He approaches them and offers to host them for dinner in
Clawton, at the lord’s table. Clawton has no guest rooms, Other Notable Characters: Jon the Steward
but he can have a corner of the great hall blocked off for Defenses: 100 member Town Watch. The Swords of
them with screens, and beds brought in, and they should
be quite comfortable. Salter, Garcy’s 100 personal guards, are stationed at
the nearby Whitehall castle. See the Military Forces
If the PCs decline, it is a short three or four hour Table for the combat stats of the Town Watch and
journey to Caldwell. If the PCs wish a larger town where the Swords of Salter. If the town were attacked, the
they can sell treasure, they can still reach Whitehall Whitebeards could muster 100 mixed bandits or
before dark. If they accept the chamberlain’s offer, they thugs.
could reach Caldwell and take care of some of their Goods: All basic supplies are available, but items
business and still be back in time for supper. When costing more than 200gp are hard to find and may
traveling in this region, roll for a random encounter every need to be custom-made. A market is held once a
4 hours of daytime travel and once during the night. month, in the bailey of Whitehall castle. The primary
inn in town is the Salt & Shaker. Items and services
Dinner with Lord Chuul is a festive affair, though his cost 10% more than usual, thanks to a protection
House is far from wealthy. There’s plenty of fresh racket run by the Whitebeards. The primary export is
shellfish, crab cakes, cornbread, dates, and the chef’s salt; other resources include beans, corn, pumpkins,
famous lobster bisque. Oxblood is accompanied by his tomatoes, goats, poultry, and timber from the
commoner wife, Rebeka, and his two oldest children, Gontmounds. A small black market trade in
Rachel and Danyel. Everyone is eager for news, and any mummified corpses and grave goods, looted from
story the PCs wish to tell is received with relish. This is a the many graves which dot the Gontmounds, also
good opportunity for anyone proficient with musical exists. The town imports seafood, especially
instruments to demonstrate their skill, or simply relate a shellfish, from the Clacking Coast, horses, weapons
good tale with Performance (Charisma). Rebeka takes and armor, and luxury goods from Venora and other
the lead informing the PCs about the current state of the lands along the Great River. Entertainers are
land, with Oxblood interjecting colorful remarks: especially welcome in the Baroness’s court.

• House Chuul is a new house, vassals of the young Lord • Things have been predictably tense ever since, with
Ironvow of Fearfield. skirmishes all along the border. Chuul’s duty is to serve
• The first Lord Ironvow was a wandering knight who as a counter to House Korser, which controls the
stayed overnight at a monastery called Thumehall, about Spurrock. House Korser is famous for its female knights,
twenty miles inland. There, he discovered a magic sword the Dames of the Spur.
with a mind of its own; the two decided to work together, • Recently, however, things have taken a turn for the
and they led a revolt against the Baron Salter. worse. The Baroness, whose wealth comes from ancient
• Oxblood himself led one of the decisive battles in the salt mines in the western hills, has hired Sacco’s
revolt, a sneak attack on Castle Gont, far to the west. For Scapegoats, a mercenary band, to wage war for her.
this, he was rewarded with his noble title and rule over They’re camped not far from the Fearfield border and
the Clacking Coast. they range all over, raiding, looting, killing the men and
• By the time the war was over, Ironvow had taken about raping the women. They keep two-headed dogs and
half of Salter’s land. Soon after the peace was vultures for pets, and have taken a number of slaves.
concluded, the Baroness Salter, who was only 17 at the • In response, Lord Ironvow has commanded every
time, poisoned her husband and took over. household in his lands to send one member of the family

39

into the army. He has hundreds of such peasant soldiers Where is the Nearest Raise Dead
now, though Oxblood doesn’t put much stock in them.
Spell?
Oxblood and Rebeka are willing to answer questions,
especially if the PCs treat them as the nobility they are. Sometimes the life of an adventurer is cut tragically
But even if they don’t, the Chuuls were commoners not short. While some players are eager to roll up new
that long ago and they’re relatively hard to offend so long characters, other players would rather have their
as guests observe basic rules of hospitality. Their characters raised from the dead. This can take a lot of
children are more likely to be insulted, as they’ve known money, time, and effort to arrange, but it’s reasonable
only the noble life. If the PCs want to meet Lord Ironvow, for the surviving player characters to go in search of a
perhaps to offer their services, Oxblood can write them cleric capable of casting raise dead. That cleric is
an introduction sure to be accepted by the baron’s Suzana the Mourner (female human LN cleric 9 of
chamberlain. Mourn).

Oxblood has a secret desire and, once he’s had a few Suzana is a respected priestess of the Goddess of
drinks, he’s willing to share it with the PCs, in case they Death and the River. It’s common for clerics of Mourn
can help him. Fingering the magnificent gold ring on his to be assigned to local waterways, in order to perform
right hand, a ring marked with a large but dark blue funeral rites for whoever needs them, but to be given
stone, he tells them the story of how he killed a post along the Great River is an honor. Suzana is in
Copperclaw the Chuul and earned his reputation. The her 40s and, like all Mourners, severed all ties with
ring was the prize of the monster’s hoard, and now an her former life when she became a priestess. She is a
heirloom of his family. But its magical powers have not somber woman, athletically fit and graceful with long
yet awoken; in order for him to command its powers, he and wavy auburn hair. When she heard about the
must slay a water elemental while wearing it. He’s never Fearfield War, she boated down from upriver and is
gotten the chance. Perhaps the PCs could find one for temporarily dwelling just north of the Spur; she’s
him and bring it back? He’s willing to reward them with safely out of the way, but preparing herself for mass
other treasures from the hoard (“Treasures he couldn’t casualties in the coming days. The locals know about
spend on beer and whores,” Rebekah notes.) her, and can direct those in need to her. Suzana
begins indifferent to those who seek her out; she does
The PCs won’t know this immediately, but there is a have compassion for those who suffer, but she has
water elemental that ranges up and down the river. It seen much such suffering in her life and has come to
appears on the encounter tables for the Clacking Coast. accept it. It is not difficult to persuade her to use her
At CR 6, such a creature is a very deadly encounter for a magic on the PCs behalf (a DC 10 interaction check),
party of 3rd level adventurers; elementals are resistant to but they must provide any expensive material
non-magical weapons, have over 100hp, and can drown components. For raise dead, that means a 500gp
multiple enemies at once. However, if the PCs resolve to diamond. Any of the noble courts in the region can sell
go after it, they can leave in the morning and travel up the PCs such a stone; the merchants of Whitehall
and down the Great River until they find it. Several skills Town are not wealthy enough to have access to such
can help: Arcana (Intelligence) covers the powers of a luxuries. If the PCs get a 20 or better on this check,
water elemental, their resistances, and unique weakness she will agree to provide the diamond herself, but the
to ice; Investigate (Intelligence) can be used to deduce its PCs must perform a quest for her as soon as the war
current location or where it might surface next; Nature is over. (The details of this quest are left for you to
(Intelligence) will be useful navigating the river and decide, but it might be the rescue of holy relics, the
finding a good spot to lure the elemental into an ambush destruction of a powerful undead — both of which
where they can minimize its melee attacks while could be done at Castle Gont — or the destruction of
harassing it at range; Survival (Wisdom) can be used to the Hanging Tree.) If Suzana can first be made
track the monster, though following it through currents in friendly, reduce these DCs by 10 and, if the PCs get a
the river will be hard (base DC 20). The PCs can prepare 20 or better, she will provide the diamond without
ahead of time and can be expected to be at peak even requiring a quest in return.
strength. If the PCs do manage to find the elemental,
defeat it without killing it, and somehow get it back to For more information on Mourn and the
Clawton, Oxblood rewards each of them with an psychopomp divine domain, see GL1: Spiders on the
uncommon magic item, the last of the Chuul’s aboleth Storm.
hoard. He has six items left, and each PC may choose

40

one: (You may choose to replace these items with ones (one to wield, one to throw), a shield, and padded armor.
your players have expressed an interest in, but the item The trainers are mostly retired veterans of the Ironvow
should be uncommon and not require attunement.) a Revolt who have agreed to come back and help in the
cloak of the manta ray, a morningstar +1, a gem of current crisis (use stats for veterans but with half the
brightness, a shield +1, a circlet of blasting, and a periapt usual hp and disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability
of health. The next morning, Oxblood fights the elemental checks, since they are old men). If the PCs attempt to
in single combat and, thanks to the advantages granted interact with the training camp, they will quickly be
him by his ring of water elemental command, is brought to a trainer, who will hear their story and direct
victorious. (He does have a balcony staffed with archers them on to Kennelkeep. Out of caution, he will not allow
in case things so south, however.) Henceforth, so long as them into the camp or to talk with any of the recruits.
he wears the ring and is attuned to it, the dark blue gem
set within glows with bright blue fire. His new magical As the PCs near Kennelkeep, the barking of dogs
powers make him one of the most dangerous people in becomes a constant noise. Ironvow’s scouts, the Hounds,
the region, and give him a clear superiority over House dwell in barracks outside the hall, but this land is also
Korser. If the PCs succeed in winning the favor of House patrolled by the Knights of Fearfield, and it is one of them
Chuul in this way, award each of them an additional 100 that finds the PCs first. (Consult the Military Forces
XP. Table for the combat statistics of Ironvow’s Hounds,
knights, and peasant levy.) Sir Nolan, a knight, is
The PCs may simply decide they’re not up for a water mounted on a warhorse and is accompanied by his
elemental right now, which will leave Oxblood squire Tomas, a scout with one of the lean greyhounds
disappointed but not angry. They can stay the night and bred in this land. Nolan will ask the PCs to reveal their
then be on their way to Caldwell or Whitehall Town in the names, destination, and reason for traveling to
morning. Kennelkeep. Provided he is satisfied with their replies, he
can escort them through the outer buildings to the keep
Scene Three: Audience with Ironvow itself, where he hands them off to the Lord’s chamberlain,
a thin elderly man named Neville.
Once the PCs know the current crisis has been
precipitated by Salter hiring mercenaries, they may The chamberlain begins indifferent to the PCs, thinking
decide to approach Lord Ironvow and offer their services. them a waste of his time. They will need to convince him
They may have already scouted the Scapegoat camp, or that they have something to offer Fearfield and Lord
they could come to Ironvow directly from the coast. Ironvow. Intimidation (Charisma) can be used to make a
convincing show of strength, a bard might relate the PC’s
The land around Kennelkeep is just as flat and dry as adventures using Perform (Charisma), or a spokesman
everywhere else in the region, though there is sparse might simply Persuade (Charisma) the old man.
grass and the occasional Joshua tree or cactus. Farms Presenting a letter of recommendation from Lord Chuul
and ranches dot the land, much as elsewhere in the allows the PCs to roll their first interaction check with
region, with commoners herding goats, working bean advantage. The DC for all these checks is 15. Failure
yards and corn fields, or pulling weeds in their tomato results in the chamberlain refusing to help, sending the
gardens and pumpkin patches. These farms are all more PCs back the way they came. A failure by 10 or more
thinly populated than usual, however, because one turns the chamberlain hostile; suspecting they are (at
person from every house has had to report for duty at worst) spies or (at best) wandering troublemakers, he will
Ironvow’s military training camp. This has left a motley not take action against the PCs when they are right in
assortment of civilians behind, including young children front of him, armed, but will instead part from them and
whose sole parent has gone to war, or old widows whose alert his scouts to follow them. If the PCs do not make for
adult child has left them in order to perform service. Roll the borders of Fearfield, the scouts may give them a push
for random encounters once every four hours of travel.
… with bows. 
The training camp is very large, housing hundreds of
commoners who have been pressed into the war. The But if the PCs are able to convince the chamberlain of
camps are filled with tents organized in regular blocks their value, they are escorted into Kennelkeep and
with clear and straight “roads” between them. Meal brought before Lord Ironvow. Cald Ironvow keeps a
facilities, latrines, and officer barracks are all laid out moderate-sized court appropriate to his station; this
along the same pattern. Most of the labor in the camps, includes two of the Knights of Fearfield serving as
including meal preparation and sanitation, is performed guards, the knight commander (a knight), the master of
by the recruits themselves in between bouts of spear scouts (a veteran), the kennel master (a scout) and the
training. All the commoners have been issued two spears steward (a noble). There is always a servant or two (both

41

commoners) attending the court. Cald himself sits in a have been alerted to their presence. They are not offered
sturdy and handsomely constructed wooden seat slightly a place to stay at Kennelkeep, and must return to
elevated upon a dais. He wears the blade Ironvow and Caldwell, Whitehall Town, or camp.
keeps his palm resting upon its pommel at all times (this
allows the sword to communicate telepathically with him). Scene Four:

Baron Ironvow begins indifferent to the PCs; this Her Grace, the Baroness Garcy Salter
increases to friendly if they bring a letter of introduction
from Lord Chuul. He asks them their story and their There are a few reasons the PCs might seek an audience
names; although he does not commit them to memory, with Garcy Salter. They might seek a mercenary contract
Ironvow itself does, and the sword never forgets. so they can help her in the war against Fearfield. They
may petition her, on the part of the commoners of both
Persuading Cald and Ironvow that the PCs have lands, to rein in the Scapegoats or send them home.
something to contribute will not be easy, however. They may want to act as peace envoys to Ironvow. They
Ironvow already has a plan to conduct this war, and the may simply want to meet her and get a feel for her
pair are deep in the middle of it. Much gold has already personality. Getting to see Baroness Salter is a little
been spent equipping the peasantry and arranging for harder than getting to Kennelkeep, but it’s not impossible
their training. Ironvow has little interest in spending more if the PCs are determined, lucky, or patient.
money on a small band of adventurers. Nor is he
especially interested in using the PCs to conduct peace The PCs probably approach Whitehall from the nearby
talks, because he is convinced Salter must be destroyed town. The castle stands majestically above the common
or crippled, lest they simply attack again in a few years. buildings, the strongest fortification in the area, and it is
guarded by the Swords of Salter, the baroness’s personal
However, if the PCs succeed in their interaction soldiers (consult the Military Forces Table for the
checks or if Cald becomes friendly, he will confide in combat statistics of the Swords of Salter and Garcy’s
them his intention to end the threat by killing Garcy Salter other troops). The guards are used to people seeking out
herself. When he says this, he is lying — Insight the baroness for the dispensation of justice, and they
(Wisdom) DC 11 to detect. In fact, he will settle for a have a well-established routine. First, the PCs must
victory which sees the salt mine in the hills ceded to convince the guards they have something important to
Fearfield, but he will not confess this without a DC 20 discuss; the guards begin indifferent and a DC 10
interaction check and friendly status. An Intelligence interaction check convinces them to send the PCs up the
check (DC 10) will allow the PCs to realize that this would chain to a steward. A second attempt is permitted, but at
bankrupt the barony of Salter and, thus, almost certainly disadvantage. If the PCs cannot succeed at a DC 10
be rejected by the baroness unless her own life were in check after two tries, the Swords send them away.
the balance. Nevertheless, Ironvow is unwilling to settle
for any lesser condition. He firmly believes he can win Provided the PCs convince the gate guards, however,
this war, and he is prepared to sacrifice as many they are escorted to a small chamber within the castle
peasants as it takes; learning this is another useful where Jon the steward works at a desk. A small crowd of
application of Insight (Wisdom) DC 11. other petitioners already wait here, some standing. The
PCs will have to wait several hours before getting their
Although Ironvow is unwilling to hire the PCs, he turn with Jon. If they try to cut the line, the steward
acknowledges that they may be of help. He offers them a becomes hostile; if they wait their turn, he is indifferent.
25gp bounty on goatfolk for the duration of the current The steward refuses to speak to anyone out of turn, so
crisis. Evidence of the dead goatfolk must be brought to the PCs will not get any answers to their questions (such
Kennelkeep, and the money will be paid by the as “How long do we have to wait?” “Do we all have to
chamberlain, Neville. While the nature of the bounty is wait?” or “Can we come back later?”). The steward is the
such that the PCs could theoretically chase down only person who can get the PCs an audience with the
innocent goatfolk and murder them for gold, Ironvow is
prepared to accept this possibility. baroness. 

The conversation should soon reach its conclusion; • If Jon is hostile, getting an audience is a DC 20
Ironvow has no interest in idle chit-chat. The baron interaction check, and the audience is scheduled for 5
makes his offer to them and sends them on their way. If days from now. A total of 10-19 convinces the steward
they can get the Scapegoats to leave the region, they are a waste of the baroness’s time and he orders
everyone in Fearfield will know it, and they will have no them from his office. He will not help them. With a total
difficulty claiming their reward. The chamberlain will below 10, the steward believes the PCs are dangerous;
escort them out of the hall, and the knights and Hounds he alerts the guards, who escort the PCs from the castle

42

and order them to leave Salter lands by dawn. military asset. Four of the Swords of Salter protect the
• If Jon is indifferent, the difficulty is lower (DC 10). This baroness. The steward and a number of other courtiers
gets the PCs an audience in five days time. If the PCs and retainers (mostly nobles) are also present.
get a particularly good roll (20+), they convince the
steward that their business is important, and he It’s up to the PCs to take the initiative here;
schedules their audience for the following morning. On a presumably they have a reason — or at least a pretext —
roll of 0 or less, he tells them the baroness has no time for meeting Garcy. She begins indifferent to them; she
for petitioners who aren’t even her subjects, and he just has more important things to worry about than a half
orders them from the castle. He will not help them. dozen wandering adventurers. She has no interest in
• Player characters might seek to make the steward hiring the PCs, as she has already hired a large and very
friendly. This can be accomplished with a bribe of 50gp expensive band of mercenaries to do this job for her, and
or more presented with a Charisma (Persuasion) check from what she has seen, she believes they will succeed.
of DC 10 or better. A Wisdom (Insight) check can An attempt to get her to call off Sacco’s Scapegoats will
determine Jon is bribable and the approximate amount likewise fall on deaf ears; her investment is simply too
required. Jon does not need to be bribed in gold; in fact, great to be written off. Garcy is charismatic and a skilled
he prefers small gemstones or other valuable objects, courtier; getting a read on her with Insight (Wisdom) is
since these are easier to conceal and less obviously significantly harder than it was for Ironvow: DC 20.
bribes. Magic might also be used, but keep in mind that Success, however, allows a PC to conclude that the
most spells have verbal, somatic, or material components baroness simply does not care very much about the lives
and — provided he succeeds in his saving throw — Jon of her peasants; the fact that the mercenaries do not
will become hostile and summon guards. If he is friendly, discriminate friend from foe doesn’t matter to her, as long
a DC 20 interaction check gets the PCs an immediate as she wins the war. Her goal is nothing less than the
audience, a DC 10 check gets them an audience in the capture of the sword Ironvow, which she intends to
morning, and a DC 0 check gets them an audience five destroy, and the reclamation of every inch of Fearfield
days hence. Jon will not throw them out or order them and the Coast. (She has no personal grudge against
from Salter lands. House Chuul, and would permit Oxblood to continue
ruling the Coast as long as he swore fealty to her.)
The PCs may have some time to wait; Whitehall Town
can accommodate them, and they can sell treasure or Throughout this exchange, Garcy will be trying to read
purchase gear. They might explore more of the region the PCs as well, in order to learn their true motives. Her
map or take advantage of the game rules for downtime. Insight (Wisdom) bonus is +8. Initially, she cannot decide
The town has a large enough population, an occasional if they are spies from Ironvow (not his style), bleeding-
market, and visiting merchants, so almost any mundane heart do-gooders (those still exist?), or simple
item can be found. Only the most common of magic mercenaries (most likely, in her eyes). If she decides the
items are available, such as potions of healing (55gp). PCs are strong enough to have a measurable effect in
PCs that spend any time in Whitehall Town will see the the war, and she is still indifferent, she sends them on to
merchants overcharge by about 10%; they’re not happy House Korser or House Gont, where they might find work
about this, and plead with patrons not to leave their shop. as hired swords. If she decides they aren’t worthy of
It is not hard (a DC 10 interaction check) to get them to hiring, she dismisses them as a waste of her time. If she
open up about the Whitebeards and the protection racket can be made friendly, she will offer the PCs a contract as
they run in town; this is the source of the high prices. The mercenaries, working for 2gp/day each. A DC 20
Salt & Shaker, the town’s inn, can take them for 1 gp/day, interaction check raises this to 4gp/day; that’s the best
which includes a small private room and meals. she’ll offer. If she hires the PCs, she tells them to report
to the Scapegoat camp and to obey Sacco’s orders.
Unless they alienated the guards or the steward, the Under no circumstances will she agree to pull back the
PCs will eventually be escorted to the court of Baroness mercenaries or curtail their raids.
Garcy Salter. Garcy is never alone; when she takes
audiences she is accompanied by her teenage son As a 7th level bard, Garcy Salter has a selection of
Tybalt, who sits in a chair of his own to his mother’s left, spells intended to allow her to escape from danger, ferret
and Garcette, who stands in attendance on her mother, out spies, and communicate with her vassals and family
saying nothing. The baron’s seat is usually empty, as over long distance. It’s unlikely she will cast anything
Wyat is off seeing to military matters, but he might be more powerful than comprehend languages or see
present if the steward believed the PCs are a significant invisibility, but PCs have a tendency to provoke violence.
Familiarize yourself with her game statistics before any
encounter.

43

Scene Five: The Gont Man sword and iron horn. Wilt introduces the PCs and gives a
summary of their reason for being here, then withdraws
The PCs may seek an audience with Lord Gont, either from the room. He knows Lord Gont keeps his counsel
out of curiosity regarding the ruins of Castle Gont or in an private. As soon as Lord Gont might think the PCs are
attempt to intervene in the war. They may hope Garcy important enough to pay attention to, he casts zone of
Salter will listen to her vassals, they may seek truth on the entire study (which isn’t that big). This spell
intelligence on Gont’s contribution to the war effort, or requires a Charisma save (DC 14) and both its casting
they may try to hire on with Lord Gont as mercenaries. and its effect are known to everyone in the room. Those
who fail the save cannot speak an untruth, and know they
There are two approaches here: Lord Gont dwells at cannot, so they can choose to remain silent. Gont himself
Gont Hall, but the rest of his family lives at the Tower of will need to save against this effect; thanks to his aura of
Bone. The Gontmounds are dangerous to travel and, at protection, his modifier is +9 for this roll. The PCs will not
night, ghoul attacks are especially likely (use one ghoul know if he succeeded or failed, but a DC 12 Arcana
for every two PCs). The Tower is home to a hundred (Intelligence) check will assure them he was within the
scouts (consult the Military Forces Table for their area.
combat statistics), but the Gont family has no real place
to receive visitors or petitioners, so meeting them is In the conversation that follows, Lord Gont is mostly
problematic. Simply approaching the Tower will lead to a interested in finding out how the PCs might be useful to
confrontation with the scouts, who begin hostile but will him. He cares little for Garcy Salter’s war, but is loyal to
not attack unless the PCs are belligerent. The PCs are his oath and will command his guards and scouts into
told that Lord Gont makes the law in this land (what there battle, should he be ordered to do so. He suspects that
is of it), and they can seek him in his hall nine miles once Sacco’s Scapegoats have done some damage to
northwest. Ironvow’s forces, he will be ordered to make a flanking
attack on Kennelkeep, coming from the northwest. He
Travel in the Gontmounds is especially hazardous; roll finds this strategy to be quite sound, and truly could not
for a random encounter each time the PCs enter a new care less about innocent civilians caught in the middle.
hex. If they camp overnight in the wild, roll twice.
What Miles Gont does care about, however, is Pan. He
The PCs may, in fact, have spotted Gont Hall as they has become obsessed with the Dead God, and has spent
entered the region, if they have already played through countless nights trying to construct new religious rites in
Scene One: If by Land. The hall is surrounded by an Pan’s honor. He practices these rituals in his secret
eight foot tall stone wall, with several stone buildings chapel. He is automatically friendly towards any cleric or
within the compound surrounding the hall itself, which is worshipper who bears symbols of Pan; hostile to those
two stories and square. A hundred inexperienced guards who are rude to him or dismissive, who threaten him, or
are based here, conducting occasional patrols to the who profane Pan; and indifferent to anyone else. If he
border and back. (Again, consult the Military Forces asks someone a direct question and they refuse to
Table.) The guards are nervous and afraid; the hills are answer, he presumes they are trying to avoid the zone of
haunted with flesh-eating monsters and ghosts, and their truth and he becomes hostile to them. All of this could
lord is indifferent to their struggles. They are hostile to the result in a wide variety of reactions to different PCs, as
PCs if surprised, indifferent if approached in a courteous Lord Gont decides he likes some of them and dislikes
manner, and friendly if the PCs show signs of being others. If he is affected by the zone, he will not lie
experienced adventurers and monster-slayers. directly, but he will still conceal his intentions; his
Deception (Charisma) modifier is +6 and his Insight
Miles Gont is assisted by his chamberlain, Wilt, and it (Wisdom) modifier is +3.
is this man whom the PCs must convince to grant an
audience. Very few people dare to approach Lord Gont If Gont can be made friendly to at least half the PCs, or
now, so Wilt’s lord has a very open social calendar, but it just their spokesman, he will eventually suggest there
is difficult to anticipate what Lord Gont will care about. may be something they could do for him, something that
Once the PCs are led to the chamberlain, who lives in would earn his sincere good will. Castle Gont was sacked
one of the hall’s outer buildings, he can quickly appraise and burned twenty years ago; since then, it has become
them and, unless they are obvious fools, lead them a home for many unnatural creatures. There was a
directly to his master’s presence. chapel in the castle devoted to the gods, and although its
treasures have probably been looted, it’s possible some
Gont does not keep court; he spends most of his days remain. And, perhaps more important, the chapel would
in his study or his hidden chapel to the Great God Pan. It have housed written records, holy books and other
is in the former place that the PCs find him. Miles Gont is
old but unbent, with a full head of white hair. He wears a
chain shirt even in the safety of his hall and bears his

44

documents which would be worthless to looters but various monsters, give each PC an additional 100 XP for
invaluable to those who revere the gods. Lord Gont asks winning Lord Gont’s goodwill.
if the PCs would be willing to go to the chapel and return
whatever they find there. If the PCs refuse Gont’s mission or fail to convince him
of their value, he concludes the audience abruptly and
He can reward them with money, if they wish. He has returns to his contemplations. The forces of House Gont
some gold. But the better reward would be his goodwill; will remain as they are until Garcy Salter commands
those who salvaged the relics of the gods for him would them otherwise. If they agree to his mission and he
be elevated high in his regard. Gont is quite serious when believes they are sincere, he will — for the first time in
he says this. Although he can pay them 100gp each, his their audience — smile. It’s a frightful, horrible grin on his
opinion of them is lowered quite considerably if they cadaverous face. Shouting for his chamberlain, he
agree to such a payment. He will keep his word, but his commands that chambers be made ready for the PCs,
attitude changes from friendly to indifferent and from and they may rest the night to regain their strength. He
indifferent to hostile. But if they agree to do this out of a expects them to be on their way in the morning, and sees
desire to win his esteem, and if they return with the items them off with a wave from the roof of Gont Hall, where he
he’s really looking for, it’s hard to say what he would not intends to eagerly await either their return or news of their
do for them in return. While he will not spell all this out, death.
Lord Gont would betray his vows to Salter, lead his army
against the Scapegoats, or do just about anything else Should the PCs make an attempt to enter Castle Gont,
that didn’t involve giving up his lands or his iron horn. He but withdraw before they have completed their task, Gont
will even risk his own death, since he knows his brother has no use for them and shuts his gates. He does not
and extended family will see to the future of House Gont. order his troops to harass them, nor does he order them
from his lands. He just ignores them. They have failed
And what does Lord Gont really seek? The relics of him, and are beneath his notice. He returns to his
Pan, of course, which were kept in the chapel of Castle worship in his secret chapel. If they ever turn up with the
Gont. The written records, holy books, and relics of other relics he asked for, he forgives them at once and
gods mean nothing to him, though he will not reveal this becomes friendly again.
to the PCs. But if they can bring back the litany of the
Great God, or even better the golden idol of Pan which It’s possible a PC may try to explore House Gont and
the chapel housed, he could at last worship his god in an discover the chapel. It is a small one-story stone
appropriate manner. extension off the back of Gont Hall. There is no method
of entry from outside the hall; the only entrance is from
Venturing into Castle Gont, however, is extraordinarily the Lord’s library, which is itself locked (DC 20) and
dangerous. In fact, it is too hard for the PCs at their guarded (two guards). The door to the chapel is hidden
current level. However, they may attempt it anyway. (DC 20 to notice) and can be opened with a concealed
Signal the danger with environmental factors: the pall of panel. Within the chapel is a horrifying sight: a crude idol
smoke that hovers around the castle, concealing it from to Pan made from a goat’s skull and various other
view, the flying shapes barely visible in the sky above it, skeletal remains, including humans. The chapel is lit with
and the shrieks and howls that come from the castle at black candles and a magic circle has been placed upon
night. As they approach, they find corpses dotting the the floor in blood, marked with various strange runes of
slopes, and they appear to have been chewed by Gont’s invention. The corners of the chapel are decorated
humanoid maws. Give them a warning shot: an with dead rowan trees, and a single padded cushion lies
encounter with one ghast leading 2-3 ghouls (1 for before the idol (it is here that Lord Gont kneels in prayer
every 2 PCs). If the PCs survive this encounter and to the Dead God).
decide to go deeper in, no map of Castle Gont is
provided in this adventure. You can narrate another A PC who discovers the chapel will probably want to
encounter or two if you wish, as the PCs creep through get the rest of the party out of the hall as soon as
the gate and inside the walls. The battle at the chapel possible. Discovering the truth behind Lord Gont is worth
should be overwhelming: a wraith and one specter for 100 XP to each PC.
every PC. The PCs will be lucky if they can flee this
encounter, but if they can actually loot the chapel of all its 45
holy relics and written records — quite a haul,
considering all the major gods were worshipped here —
they can return everything to Lord Gont and win his favor
forever. In addition to the XP gained for defeating the

Scene Six: Ahorse, Her of Korser the crest of House Korser: a rearing golden stallion on a
blue field.
The PCs have the same reasons to visit Spurrock as they
do for the other noble houses in the region: they might “What do you want?” she asks.
seek Dame Korser’s opinion of the current war, they may Danika Korser is a blunt woman, but she’s honest. She
try to broker a peace, they might try to hire on as begins indifferent to the PCs but will hear them out.
mercenaries, or they might try to spy on her military House Korser is currently locked in something of a
preparations (perhaps out of goodwill towards Oxblood stalemate with House Chuul; Oxblood has superior
Chuul). Danika Korser is actually the most conflicted of numbers, but Danika has superior troops and a very
the lords involved in the war; that means the PCs have defensible position. She has no personal ill will towards
an opportunity to tip her thinking one way or the other. House Chuul, and in fact grieves for the innocent civilians
While most of the other noble houses are committed to a who are already being slaughtered in this war, but she
plan of action already, House Korser can be influenced. has two reasons to remain loyal to Garcy Salter, a
woman she personally detests. First, she swore an oath,
To approach Spurrock, Danika Korser’s hall, the PCs and that’s not a small thing. Second, her mother already
must travel the length of the Spur. Along the mainland, failed House Salter and perished; Danika wants to
this is relatively fertile land, with scattered farms and redeem her family honor, not stain it further.
ranches. The Spur proper, however, as it curls for about There is one thing Danika wants more than anything:
eight miles around the Great River, is a dry coastal Ironvow. She considers the sword her personal enemy,
desert of packed earth, stone, and sand that slowly rises the slayer of her mother. Cald himself is just a puppet;
in elevation. The Spurrock is at the summit of this rise, so Danika has no doubt in her mind that it’s Ironvow that
the PCs will quickly be noticed by Korser’s local garrison calls the shots. If Danika could, she would settle this
(consult the Military Forces Table for the combat entire war with a personal combat between herself and
statistics of Korser’s troops). A pair of knights will ride out Ironvow. The problems with this strategy are that (a)
from the Spurrock to meet them and ask their business. she’d probably lose, since Ironvow is a vorpal sword, and
All the knights in Korser’s service are women; the local (b) Garcy Salter has no motivation to allow such a duel to
title for a female knight is “Dame” and the PCs are met by resolve the war so long as she’s got an army of goatfolk
Dame Judith and Dame Margrit. The knights are mercenaries. If the Scapegoats were somehow no longer
indifferent unless attacked or grossly offended; they’re a factor, however, Garcy might just consider such a duel
used to sexist jokes and being underestimated by male (though she’d probably name Lord Gont as her
warriors. They also react poorly to exaggerated courtesy; champion, not Danika Korser). Were Danika Korser ever
what they appreciate more than anything is to be treated able to defeat Ironvow’s wielder, she would under no
“normally.” They do, however, respond better to female circumstances touch the sword or allow it to
warriors; female PCs who bear martial weapons and communicate with her; she has a magical glove
medium or heavy armor have advantage on interaction empowered to cast mage hand just so she can handle
checks. Ironvow without touching it. She intends to put the sword
into a chest which she can then wrap with chains and
If the PCs can get a 20 or better on their interaction drop into the bottom of the Great River.
check, or make the women friendly and roll a 10 or The PCs may argue for peace between the warring
better, the knights will escort them to Spurrock; powers; Danika agrees with their sentiment and would
otherwise, they turn the PCs away and tell them they’re have peace if she could, but she must obey her oath. If
not welcome in Korser lands. she can help them forge a peace without breaking her
oath of fealty, she will.
As the PCs travel to Spurrock, the land slowly rises They may attempt to hire on as mercenaries. If they
until there are steep cliffs to the right and left. The hall have made a good impression, she will hire them for
itself is grand and impressive, an octagonal building three 2gp/day or, if they earned a 20+ on their interaction
stories high with a number of outer buildings where check, 4gp/day. She can’t afford anything better than
Korser’s military forces are garrisoned. Knights and that. As mercenaries, they’re expected to answer to the
soldiers practice their fighting skills in a fenced-off yard in commander of the Dames of the Spur.
front of the hall. This is where Danika Korser can be They might offer to steal Ironvow. This would solve all
found, and at first the PCs may not be able to distinguish of Danika’s problems, but she can’t imagine how they
her from any of the other fighting women. She is a short, could possibly succeed. She’s willing to help them,
muscular woman with closely-cut blonde hair and however, directing any intelligence she gains about
piercing green eyes, wearing plate armor and armed with
a longsword. (It’s the plate armor that makes her stand
out; the other dames wear chain mail.) On her tabard is

46

Ironvow’s movements to them, providing a chest to hold Love Interests
the sword, and her enchanted glove if they have no other
way of safely handling the sword. If she can somehow There are two primary love interests among the noble
help lure Ironvow out from Kennelkeep, where the theft houses: Cald Ironvow and Danika Korser. Depending
could be made easier, she’ll do it. on the age of your PCs, Tybalt Salter (age 17) may
also attract attention. Romantic subplots should never
If the PCs can arrange a duel between Ironvow and be forced on a player. Your job is just to present the
Danika, she’ll take it. There’s no reason for Ironvow to NPC in as sympathetic light as possible, give them an
agree to such a duel, even though he’s the odds-on attractive quality or two, and wait for the PC to take
favorite. the bait. It’s very likely no one will, but if they do…

If Ironvow is somehow dealt with — either through theft The sword Ironvow does not approve of marriages;
or personal combat — and Danika lives, she will consider they complicate its relationship with its bearer. The
her family honor redeemed and she can turn to her next previous Lord Ironvow was easily distracted with
problem: forcing out Garcy Salter. Garcy is a whimsical horses, dogs, and hunting, but Cald is more serious
and pitiless ruler who cares nothing for the people of her and, before being selected as lord, would have made
lands. But she’s also a potent spellcaster with a hundred a good catch for anyone in his village. Cald might, in
personal bodyguards. Danika would actually prefer that fact, be a little lonely for human beings, seeing as how
Wyat or Tybalt take over the barony; this would help the he has a sword for a constant companion. He might
commoners without turning Danika’s own efforts into a jump at the chance to have someone of flesh and
naked power grab. Danika herself is unlikely to do blood to talk to. Of course, he’d have to trust such a
anything directly to force such a transfer of power, but if person, and that’s not easy for a man in his position.
something were to happen to Garcy, she’d throw her
House behind Wyat or Tybalt, affirm her loyalty to either Danika Korser is even more eligible than Cald. In
man, and do everything in her power to help them fact, she knows she really has to marry a man at
stabilize their rule. some point and have children, if she wants her house
to continue. But she’s ruled for twenty years, since
If Danika knows the PCs have been visiting with she was a girl, and she’ll never give up her right to call
Oxblood Chuul, she can’t allow them to stay in the her own shots. Danika’s ideal husband is someone
Spurrock overnight. It’s just too dangerous, and she has who is courageous in battle, someone less serious
no reason to trust them. She’ll have to be friendly to than she (she knows this is a flaw of hers), but also
make such an offer of hospitality. It’s more likely that, someone who won’t try to share the power of the
after she and the PCs have their conversation on the House. In other words: a brave, funny, bedwarmer.
training field, they’re directed back down the Spur to Such a person could be treated very well indeed by
Caldwell or Whitehall Town. Danika, were she to find one. She doesn’t even need
to love such a person, though if she doesn’t, she’s
If the PCs successfully negotiate an alliance with very likely to have a true lover on the side.
Danika Korser to bring the war to a close, whether as
paid mercenaries, secret agents, or something else, Tybalt Salter is another story. He’s the eldest child
every PC gains 50 XP. If they successfully complete this of an ancient House, but of a romantic age. He
contract, they gain another 50 XP each. expects an arranged marriage to nobility, preferably to
the daughter of a House higher in status than his own.
Scene Seven: Caldwell is Burning But he’s also seen the relationship between his
mother (whom he hates) and his stepfather (whom he
Up to this point, Sacco’s Scapegoats have mostly been  resents) and he’s desperate to both get out of Salter,
an off­stage menace. The PCs may have encountered a  if he can, and marry someone he actually loves. But
few of them at Bronwyn’s farm, either when they first  he has no true idea of what it’s like to live as a
entered the region or later, as they traveled from one  commoner, and although he may dream, he’ll never
noble hall to another. But the Scapegoats are eager for  voluntarily give up his rank and status.
plunder, and raiding small farms and ranches won’t 
appease them forever. Sacco, their commander, knows  47
this, and has been planning an attack on a larger target: 
the village of Caldwell. 
    Ironvow’s current strategy leaves Caldwell vulnerable. 
While Fearfield has a large army of 400 peasants, 100 
scouts and their dogs, and 20 knights, none of these 
make particularly good defensive troops and those that 

might — the levy — are being held in reserve for a Caldwell
decisive battle. Ironvow might have called upon Oxblood
Chuul to send his sailors to Caldwell to deter an attack, No map of the village is provided; Caldwell is a simple
but he prefers to maintain the threat of an amphibious settlement of about eighty wooden buildings: sixty
assault on the Spurrock. Ultimately, Ironvow is a magic homes (many of which include a shop of some kind on
sword that just does not see the people of Caldwell as the bottom floor, and some of which are currently
more important than a long term strategy. Sacco is taking empty) and a score of other structures including a
advantage of the opening, and staging a major raid on two-story inn, a general store, a small temple to the
Caldwell intending to loot the village for all it is worth and gods, and a central well. The best house in town is
putting fear of the Scapegoats into everyone in the that of Milo the Magistrate, current heir to the barony,
region. but the house has been locked up and Milo is safe in
Kennelkeep. Normally about 300 people, the village is
Caldwell is 9 miles from the Scapegoat camp, and it down to 240 after Lord Ironvow’s military draft.
will take a little over 2 hours for the mercenaries to cross
that distance at a fast pace. If Ironvow is watching the • Slave Soldiers: Once the PCs have defeated a few of
camp — something which is not at all certain, since the the Scapegoats and attracted attention, a lagash directs
goatfolk regularly patrol for spies — it would take 3 hours his band of slaves to attack them. There is one lagash,
for a message to reach Kennelkeep 12 miles away, and his vulture companion (see the lagash for the rules for
then another couple of hours for any relieving force to these vultures), an acolyte, and five tribal warriors of
reach Caldwell. Sacco’s plans are for the raid to last mixed races. If your group includes more than 4 PCs, add
about an hour; by the time any rescue force reached the one goatfolk raider or goatfolk scout for every PC over
village, the Scapegoats will be safely back in their camp 4. As the battle rages, other goatfolk seek out and
enjoying their plunder. He sends three of his five slaughter villagers, breaking down doors to invade
warbands — the Cloven Hooves, Bashers, and Elf-Eaters people’s homes.
— on the raid, leaving Gorshak back at camp in • The Defense Rallies: While most of the village’s
command of the remainder to deter attack. Sacco himself fighting men have already gone to serve in Ironvow’s
sets out an hour after the rest of the Scapegoats, flying to peasant levy, there remain a few capable of assisting in
Caldwell atop his giant vulture. This should get him to the the defense of their homes. The example of the PCs
village about the same time the main force does, and his rallies guards equal in number to the PCs, women and
arrival is in fact the signal to begin the attack. old men who take a stand in the shadow of the Happy
Hound. But they are under attack by a death dog and
The PCs are likely to discover the raid in one of three two goatfolk scouts. If your group includes more than 4
ways: PCs, add one goatfolk raider for every PC over 4.
During this battle, goatfolk are looting homes for anything
• They are in Caldwell at the time of the attack. of value. Give each player one of the NPC guards to
• They are camping or traveling within a few miles of the control.
village when the attack takes place. • Five-Fingered Gorram: Finally, Sacco directs Gorram,
• They are staying in Whitehall Town or otherwise an ogre, to take out the PCs. He is accompanied by 2
traveling more than 4 miles from the the village. goatfolk raiders. If your group has more than 4 PCs,
add one goatfolk scout for every PC over 4. As the PCs
If the PCs are in the village: The first sign of the raid is fight Gorram and his guards, other goatfolk are setting
the shadow of Sacco’s giant vulture passing over the fire to the village and retreating. Any allies that survived
village, followed by braying noises as the Scapegoats the previous encounter remain with the PCs for this one.
charge in. Four different encounter groups are described
here, with the PCs battling each one at a time until either If the PCs manage to triumph in all four encounters, they
the PCs withdraw from the village or the raid ends have managed to kill a good number of the Scapegoats.
prematurely. If the PCs retreat out of the village, the Sacco takes note of the PCs and signals a retreat while
circling the village from atop his giant vulture at a
Scapegoats do not pursue them.  distance of about 300’. As the mercenaries withdraw, he
follows at a speed of 120’ per round, flying close to the
• Initial Attack: Goatfolk charge into the village and a ground. If anyone tries to attack him at this extreme

group of them head right for the PCs. Use one goatfolk
raider for every PC. If you wish, you might replace a
couple of the attackers with goatfolk scouts.

48

range, note that light crossbows and shortbows have a • Soft Target: While most of the Scapegoats are staying
maximum range of 320’; heavy crossbows have a more or less together, and attacking such a large group
maximum range of 400’; and longbows have a maximum would be obvious suicide, the PCs might spot a
range of 600’, so most weapons will get only one shot at potentially vulnerable element of the retreating raid: a
him, while a longbow would permit two. All these attacks goatfolk shaman who keeps his distance from the other
would be at disadvantage. Sacco keeps low to the Scapegoats. He is accompanied by two cultists, his
ground so that he can survive the resulting crash, should personal slaves. If your group has more than 4 PCs, add
his vulture be shot down. one goatfolk raider for every PC over 4.
• Five-Fingered Gorram: If the PCs continue to harass
It is more likely that, at some point during the four the retreating mercenaries, they draw the attention of the
encounters listed above, the PCs withdraw from the rear guard: Gorram the ogre. He is initially accompanied
village, possibly with survivors. Without the PCs to deter only by two goatfolk raiders. But at the end of every
them, the Scapegoats sack Caldwell, burning down many round, more reinforcements will arrive as the Scapegoats
of its homes, murdering scores of its inhabitants, and turn around and overwhelm the PCs. Each round, two
even throwing a few corpses into the well. The PCs have goatfolk raiders or goatfolk scouts arrive. At the end of
plenty of time to observe the mercenaries during the the second round, they are led by Greenhorn, a
attack, however, and can potentially learn much, minotaur. At the end of the fourth round, they are
including the Scapegoat’s use of slaves, the nature of accompanied by Smotey, an owlbear. At the end of the
their leaders, and the existence of other monsters (a
recorder, minotaur, and owlbear) among the mercenary sixth round, Sacco arrives on his giant vulture. 
ranks. If they take only a short rest, they may even be
able to follow the Scapegoats and attack them on the The Scapegoats will not pursue the PCs if they withdraw,
way back to camp. See below for advice on how to run though they will be noted by Sacco and others.
such a scene.
If the PCs are further than 4 miles away: If the PCs are
If the PCs are camped or traveling nearby: It is in Whitehall Town or traveling further than a few miles
virtually impossible to miss the raid, since many of the from Caldwell, they will still see the smoke rising from the
buildings in Caldwell are set on fire by the Scapegoats. village but they will not be close enough to do anything
But it takes time for the PCs to travel, and they are about it. The PCs might try to intercept the Scapegoats in
unlikely to arrive before the raid is largely complete. In their retreat, in which case follow the outline suggested
this case, they have an opportunity to harass the above. But if the PCs go to Caldwell, they can only help
retreating Scapegoats and perhaps liberate some of their pick up the pieces, tend to the wounded, and help
captured prisoners and loot. rebuild.

The Scapegoats took no significant casualties (only a These are not unimportant or inconsequential tasks.
few wounded) and are moving at a fast pace back to There were a handful of women and old men who tried to
camp with prisoners and loot. The PCs arrive just as the defend Caldwell; they have all been killed or are suffering
mercenaries are pulling out of the village. from mortal wounds. Perception can be used to spot
villagers trapped in burning houses and desperate for
• Outriders: As the Scapegoats withdraw, their rescue, prompting Strength (Athletics) checks to lift
movements are screened by goatfolk scouts. Use one collapsing columns or burning wagons. There are enough
for every PC. If the PCs can defeat these scouts, they wounded to keep anyone trained in Medicine busy, and
can begin to close on the retreating mercenaries. healing magic can be used to bring villagers who have
• Slow-Movers: The slowest elements in the Scapegoat stabilized at 0 hp to wakefulness. Intelligence
retreat are raiders who have captured human prisoners. (Investigation) can gather clues as to the Scapegoat’s
Use two goatfolk raiders and a death dog. If your group capabilities, numbers, and methods. Wisdom (Survival)
has more than 4 PCs, add one additional goatfolk raider can be used to identify the tracks of an ogre, an owlbear,
for every PC over 4. Each raider has one prisoner they a minotaur, and the death dogs. PCs might even use
are dragging along by a leash. The prisoners are Wisdom (Animal Handling) to recover horses and goats
commoners and they are trying to resist, but they are scattered by the raid.
terrified and the goatfolk beat them cruelly to enforce
compliance. If rescued, they can tell the story of the PCs might choose to follow the Scapegoats back to
Scapegoat attack on the village. their camp. This is not hard. The mercenaries are moving
at a fast pace (4 miles an hour) and are -5 on Perception
checks; it will be impossible for most PCs to keep up with

49