52959181 Adventure Ravenloft Night of the Walking Dead Lvl 1 3

7/22/2019 52959181 Adventure Ravenloft Night of the Walking Dead Lvl 1 3

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l For 4-6 players, levels l - ~


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Introduction ......................... . 2Part I: The Swamp .................... . 6Part II: Marais dTarascon ...............13Part 111: Lair of the Zombie Lord .......... 7Center Pull-outs:

Hyskosas Scroll .................... 15Marcel Tarascon, Zombie Lord .........16Je an Tarascon, Madman ..............17Clues ............................. 18Marais dTarascon ...... nside Front CoverZombie Lords Lair ...... nside Back CoverSouragne ........................... 5

Maps:

CREDITSc Design: Bill Slavicsek

Editing: Andria HaydayCover Art: Robh RuppelInterior Art: Stephen FabianGraphic Design: Roy E. ParkerCartography: David C. Sutherland 111Typesetting: Tracey ZamagneProduction: Sarah FeggestadPlaytesting: Paul Balsamo, John Hardy, CurtisMars, Rich Odermatt, Scott TrantelSpecial Thanks: Bruce Nesmith, Thomas ReidTSR, nc. TSR Ltd.POB 756 120 Church EndLake Geneva Cherry HintonWI 53147 Cambridge CBl3L BU.S.A. United Kingdom

ADVANCED DUNGEONSE DRAGONS s a registered trademark owned by TSR, hc.RAVENLOFT and the TSR logo are trademarks owned byTSR, nc.O1992 TSR, nc. All Rights Resewed. Printed in the U.S.A.Random House and its affiliate coppanies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for Englishlanguage products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction orunauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibite@#k@m@&press written consentofTSR, Inc.ISBN 1-56076-350-7 LAKEGENEVA,Vi\ fi 9352

201 SHERIDANspqii\lGs z: .


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ree branches claw across thewindow pane, lights flicker as thestorm intensifies, and the windwails like a banshee in the night.The hour of fear is once again uponus, calling us back to the shores ofRavenloft for another terrifyingadventure. Are you ready to enterthe demiplane of dread?

This is an adventure for four tosix players with characters of 1st to3rd level. A good mix of charactersis required to survive the eventswhich unfold herein. A cleric isessential. Further, the partysexperience levels should total atleast nine.

Be forewarned! TheRAVENLOFT campaign setting is no place forthe weak or squeamish. We have done ourutmost t o make this adventure suitable forstarting-level characters, but the denizens ofthe demiplane remain ready, willing, and eagerto end heroic careers before theyve even had achance t o begin. Do you and your players stillwish to continue? Then step forward and enterthe Mists. . .for the OM

he material tha t follows is for the DM only.Players should s top reading now!I T s DM, you should read the entire

adventure at least once before attempting torun it for your gaming group. The players andtheir characters should enjoy being surprisedand mystified during game play; you shouldnot. You need to know whats happening inorder to best util ize pacing, tension, andmood-the prime elements of any RAVENLOFTadventure. The better you prepare, the betteryou and your players will enjoy the gamingsession.

This is an introductory-level adventure,designed specifically to open the demiplane tonew players, new characters, or both. That

doesnt mean the adventure is a cake walkfrom it. If the PCs try to go toe-to-toewithmenace that awaits them without first findout all they can and preparing themselvesthoroughly, then feel free to show them therror of their ways.Night oftheWalkingDead takes place inSouragne (pronounced so0 RA W nya) ,an domain first introduced in the RAVENLOFboxed set. (See Chapter XII, Islands of TeDont reveal this to your players. They shodiscover where the adventure takes placethrough the actions of their characters.

Storg Backgroundarais dTarascon is a small village osoutheastern edge of Souragnes grM wamp. Pierre Tarascon founded th

village many generations ago to support hvast plantation (no one can remember exahow old the settlement is, but it has existeleast two centuries). Today th e village is faprosperous, and the Tarascon family still rthe nearby plantation. But nothing escapeshadows forever in the demiplane of dreadRecently a darkness has descended uponMarais d Tarascon.

Until three weeks ago , the Tarasconplantation was administered by Marcel anJe an Tarascon, twin brothers and the diredescendants of Pierre. Both brothers wereformally in charge, but it was Je an who sphis days running the family business. Marwas too intrigued with his familys past tomuch help to Jean. Years ago, Marcel fouPierre Tarascons tattered journal locked iold trunk. After reading the journal, Marccould not stop thinking of the details with

Pierres words painted a picture of the eadays in Marais dTarascon. Moreover, they a strange visitor named Hyskosa, whom Pihad befriended. According to Pierre, Hyskwas a famous Vistani seer whose visions offuture were remarkably accurate, especiallsince most gypsy seers were then (as now)


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last entry to mention Hyskosa toldhis most powerful revelation, a prescience

Six Signs. The journal did notibe the vision in detail , but Marcels

e Vistani had left behind a scroll on which theon was recorded. Pierre hid the scroll, but

did not say where.As years passed, Marcel became increasingly

ed with finding that scroll. H e was sure itned the secrets of power and immortality.

emiplane fueled his obsession, fillingels dreams with visions of the power he

night.Jea n and Marcel had a brother, Luc, nearlyyears younger. (Their mother died givingto him.) Luc was exceedingly devoted to

A few months ago, Luc joined Marcel inscroll of Hyskosa. Lucfor power or visions of the future,e idolized Marcel and wanted to help his

ay he could. Jean attempted tothem both. H e warned Marcel tha t his

ion would lead to nothing but despaireath. J ean did not, however, foresee how

ture would become.Three weeks ago, Luc saw a Vistani wagonn a road just outside the village, and

a young gypsy named Valana to tell hishe recited a cryptic verse which guided

to a hidden passage at the edge of thellage. The passage led into the old cemetery.Marcel followed the tunnel

e ancient burial grounds. There, hiddenhin an above-ground crypt, the two brothers

the scroll of Hyskosa.Luc was reading the ancient verses aloud

an watched in horror, the foul undeaddown and mutilated his older brother.

was shattered. The dreadful scene,ned with the knowledge that he had led

o his death, drove Luc into alike state . He became what manyof Ravenloft call a lost one. (See

Men in the RAVENLOFT MonstrousCompendium Appendix.)As Luc stood helpless in the old cemetery,

Je an Tarascon arrived, saving young Luc fromthe zombies. After driving off the undead, Jeanlifted Marcels mangled form and carried itthrough the cemeterys secret passage. Lucfollowed, but his vacant stare never altered, andhe never let go of the scroll.

Jean took Marcel straight to the villageshaman, who attempted to raise Marcel, butfailed. Jean cried out in pain and left with hisbrothers body. The shaman did not understandthe true outcome of his failure, but Jean did,for his bond with his twin was strong. Instead ofregaining life, Marcel had become an undeadcreature of the foulest sort . Marcel Tarasconhad become a zombie lord!

Jean blamed himself for the fate which hadbefallen Marcel and Luc. He became mad-notin the mindless fashion of his younger brother,but in the way of intelligent fiends whocarefully hide their insanity from others. In histwisted mind, Jean felt he still needed toprotect his twin from the obsession which ledto this terrible event. (Though Jean knewMarcel was a zombie lord, in his madness hestill felt the scroll would bring Marcel furthermisery.) First, Jean took the scroll from Lucand hid it. Then, when he noticed that the onlywords Luc spoke were twisted versions of theHyskosa scroll, he sent the youth into theswamp. Jean promised to locate the scroll forMarcel, swearing to search for it a s long as hedrew breath. Never did he reveal to Marcel thathe had hidden it, nor did he reveal to anyonewhat his brother Marcel had become.

Marcel now resides in the old cemetery, intenton creating undead servants while Jean continuesto search for the scroll. For three weeks Marcelhas used his powers to kill villagers; when theyrise, they become zombies under his control.Though Marcel does not have the scroll, hebelieves that an army of undead will help himtake over this island of terror. (Todate, the truelord of Souragne has not intervened.)


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The village has to contend with more thanjust Marcel, however. Jean has become amurderer as well as a madman. H e takesvictims to the zombie lord as both an offeringand a sign of his growing affection for the

espite Marcel Tarascons delusions, thereis no power to be gained by finding the0 yskosa scroll. The scroll only portends a

time of terror-a time which is fastapproaching the demiplane of dread.

As noted above, Hyskosa was a Vistani seerwho lived more than two centuries ago. At thepeak of his power, Hyskosa foresaw a cataclysmand the six signs which would mark its coming.H e wrote a cryptic and dissonant verse aboutthe signs, and recorded it on many scrolls.Throughout the rest of his life, he left copies inevery domain he visited. The scrolls are oftencalled The Six Signs or The Hex Signs ofHyskosa. Many of the scrolls were destroyed,but a few, like the one in this adventure, stillsurvive. Men of power throughout Ravenlofthave sought to unravel his verse over the years.Some, like Marcel Tarascon, erroneouslybelieve the verse holds the key to untold power.See page 15 for a copy of Hyskosas verse.The first paragraph is written in a different stylethan the others. The verse ends abruptlybecause the paper has been torn away. Onlyfive signs remain intact; one is missing.

Each sign has been (orwill be) revealed in aseparate RAVENLOFT adventure. The first signof Hyskosa refers to the Crown of Souls ound inFeast of Goblyns.The second sign was revealedin Ship of Horror as the child ghost of CharlotteStern. The third came to pass in Touch of Deathwith the seventh rising of the pharaoh Anhktepot.The fourth sign appears in an adventure set in S r iRaji (93 elease). The fifth sign, a lunar eclipsewhich occurs while the dead walk the land, is anevent in this adventure. (The sixth sign will berevealed in another product.)

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In Night of the WalkingDead, the scroll ofHyskosa is important because of Marcelsobsession. While one of the signs does compass in this adventure, the scroll has no direimpact on the adventures outcome. Togeththe signs foretell a future event in,Ravenloftwhich will be featured in another product.

Adwntun Sgnoprbthe adventure begins, the PCs find

rnemselves lost in a swamp (presumabwhatever campaign world they call

home). Soon the Mists of Ravenloft transpthem into the eerie swamps of Souragne, wthey encounter a crocodile, giant frogs, andmysterious Vistani. After days, when in alllikelihood they are feeling hopelessly lost, tPCs happen upon a house on stilts. In the hthey meet Luc Tarascon, a young man in atrancelike state, who has severed his link toreality. The only clue to this youths identitybook of poetry that he holds, which bears thfollowing inscription: To Luc, my belovedbrother. The note is signed Marcel.

Luc is not completely silent. From time ttime, he spouts nonsensical rhymes, which actually twisted verses from the Hyskosa ScIf the PCs leave the little house, Luc followsthem. (He is not completely oblivious to hissurroundings.) If they wait at Lucs house,Shaman Brucian arrives in two days, bringimore food for the young man, and leadingeveryone back to the village.

During their entire journey through theswamp, a strange storm is building. Eventuthe PCs reach the small village of MaraisdTarascon, just as the storm seems about tbreak. However and whenever they get to thvillage, the PCs arrive in time to witness abizarre funeral procession in the village squA coffin wrapped in heavy chains is beingcarted toward a nearby cemetery. Though evillager seems to be ignoring it, the PCs canclearly hear a noise coming from inside thecoffin, as if someone is trying to get out. Th


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village adventure (Part 11) has begun.coffin-or watching the coffin be interred-thePCs may try to find someone who knows Luc,or they may decide to ask questions about thestrange burial. Th e storm continues to threatenas the PCs explore the village and talk to itsinhabitants, but no rain falls. Throughinvestigation, the PCs learn of the strangeevents that have gripped the village in recentweeks. Tales of gruesome murders, mysteriousdisappearances, even word of the walkingdead-all are soon whispered in the PCs ears.Whats worse, someone tries to murder poorLuc (who follows the PCs from place to placelike a faithful hound).

Before long, the PCs should deduce that thetroubles began with the Tarascon family. Bysearching Je an Tarascons house in the village,the PCs can find the Hyskosa scroll as well asevidence of foul murders. From the localshaman, the PCs can learn of Marcels deathroughly three weeks earlier. They can evendiscover that many of the recently deceased arebecoming zombies. This portion of theadventure, Marais dTarascon, comes to anend when the PCs encounter the madman andmurderer that J ean Tarascon has become.Snuffed out by th e bold player characters,Jeans reign of terror comes to an end.think the worst is over. They have a chance torest and heal. As Part 111 begins, the stormfinally breaks, battering the village with large,slimy drops of rain. From out of the stormcomes an army of shambling shapes-Marcelszombies! They seek the scroll and young Luc,both of which happen to be in the PCs care(provided, of course, the PCs have beensuccessful so far).

As the zombies attack, Luc prattles throughhis verses. H e has added a few new lines to therepertoire which by now is familiar to the PCs.Luc finally reveals the clue which led him andMarcel to th e secret passage behind thecemeterys hill.

After dealing with th e zombie in the

At this point, the player characte rs probably

The PCs must enter t he old cemetery toconfront Marcel before the entire village isdestroyed. They must deal with zombies, rats,and skeletons to reach the zombie lords air inthe ancient Tarascon mausoleum. Can they s topMarcel, or will the PCs be forced to submit tothe zombie lords will and become members ofhis undead army? To find out, you must bearwitness to the Night of th e Walking Dead.

ages 15 to 18 in the center of this bookletcontain props and references for useP uring play. To remove them from thebook, carefully bend the staples open, lift thepages, and then bend the staples back. You maywish to photocopy the Hyskosa scroll and give

the copy to players when their PCs discover thescroll. (Or you may simply show them thatpage, and allow them to copy the text by hand.)Never show the players page 18,the clue sheet.Thats your guide to information revealedduring the course of the adventure.


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*Ln he startup presented here assumestha t the PCs enter Ravenloft fromanother realm. While a PC or twomay have heard legends about thedemiplane of dread, ideally none ofIthem will have visited it prior tothis adventure. (The Mists ofRavenloft should catch them

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Y unaware.) If your PCs have visited. -the demiplane before, or arealready in Ravenloft, adjust thedescriptions in this sectionaccordingly.

7 tarting the AdventureA i M, the first thing you must do ismange for the PCs to enter a swamp. AnyJwamp in any realm will do, for the Mists

of Ravenloft can penetrate even the mostdistant lands. How do you arrange this startup?Perhaps the PCs must cross a swamp to reachtheir true destination. Or perhaps the PCs arejust looking for someone or something, andtheir search leads to a swamp. It doesnt reallymatter how they get there: what matters is thatthey do.Travel through a swamp is difficult. In someplaces the water is several feet deep,concealing roots, pits, and even more sinisterdangers. The opening of this adventureassumes that the PCs are navigating the swampin their original location by poling a raft. If yourPCs decide to make the trek on foot, youllhave to alter the descriptions below. (Later on,you might arrange for them to find a brokenand battered raft in the swamp of Souragne.)

Whatever their reason for being in theswamp, it shouldnt take long for the PCs tobecome hopelessly lost-especially with thehelp of Ravenlofts mysterious mists. Nightfallapproaches. Describe the scene a s follows:

Night begins to settle over the swamp,cloaking the dense undergrowth in darknessand turning the waters surface to black.With it comes a clinging, creeping fog, risingfrom the water like spectral steam. The fogsurrounds you, its dampness caressing youlike cold, dead hands. The swamp seems toretreat from the mists, its sights and soundsdisappearing into some unseen distance. Allthat remains visible is the cold, choking fog.Even your companions seem far away. For amoment, everything is quiet. What fe wsounds you can hear are amplified by thesurrounding mists: your own breathing, yourbeating heart. Then the fog begins todissipate, fading away as quickly a s itappeared, leaving you and your companionsalone in the dismal swarm.If the PCs react suspiciously to the

mysterious fog or ask about the swamp, eachshould make a Wisdom check (ld2 0 roll).Successful PCs notice the following:

The swamp seems even darker than it didbefore. The nearby trees have becometwisted shadows with clawlike branchesreaching out, and a foul odor rises from themurky water. Overhead, through the tangledbranches, the sky also appears strange. Thestars have subtly changed positions, and t hemoon is closer, nearly full. Menacing cloudsbegin to roll across the western sky like acurtain of black smoke. In but a fewmoments, the clouds blot out the feeblestarlight completely.

A storm is brewing-a very bad storm.The PCs may try to retrace their path and

find a way out. Of course, theyre in Ravenloftnow, and here they will stay until the demiplandecides to release them. Though fog cloaks thswamp, player characters can readily discernthat their surroundings are no longer those ofthe realm they left behind.


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Lneounturshe Mists of Ravenloft have deposited thePCs in the great swamp of Souragne, justive miles from Marais d Tarascon. Theare disorienting; whatever route the PCs

e, they remain lost in the swamp for fourthe village (the mysterious mists

).take notice of the adventurers. This

utlines four swamp encounters: aa Vistani camp, and Lucdesigned so that one encounter occurs each

If this pacing is too slow for your players,the adventure and run

e crocodile and frog encounters on the samey. Or you may skip one of those encounters

ly, perhaps saving the other in case theto the swamp later. However, the

tani and t he floating house encounters musthe two days immediately

ng the PCs arrival in Marais dcon. In any case, dont dwell on the timeencounters; proceed swiftly and

m o ne day to the next.While the PCs are in the swamp, the storm

o brew. With theof each nightfall, the sky becomesis strangely silent: nobooms, no lightning flashes, and no

falls. When morning comes, the sky hasis still overcast, andut the day. After a string

such days and nights, when at last the PCsthe swamp to enter Marais dTarascon, theseems ready to break. The Gathering

of this section) describesIt is assumed that the PCs travel through the

camp at night. With theis too darkofEven during the day, the nature of

While many dangers lurk in the swamp, only

the swamp and the building storm makeeverything shadowy and gray.

Feel free to add events to flesh out theadventure in the swamp. All of thesesupplementary events should be atmosphereand tension builders-not outright combat withmore swamp creatures. For example, the PCsmay hear something slide through the waterjust beyond a nearby clump of trees. Orperhaps something bumps up against thebottom of their raft from time to time-andwhile theyre shoving a pole into the water toinvestigate, a snake (nonpoisonous) drops ontothe raft from the trees overhead. Paint a scenewith mood-setting adjectives, imply that dangeris imminent, and then go on with the adventureoutlined here. Dont reveal that nothing is reallywaiting to consume the PCs. Let the playersthinkthat something which they dont fullyunderstand has occurred, or that theircharacters have just narrowly escaped somedreadful event. In this way, you can enhancetension and suspense without throwing waveafter wave of creatures at the player characters.

The C r d i l eThe day is dark and dismal, painted gray bythe mist and clouds. The sun has not shownits face since you arrived, and the air isclammy and cold. The water below the raft isseveral feet deep. To one side, black logsdrift lazily atop the stagnant water. To theother, shadows slip through the trees and theunderbrush, moving in time with the raft.The eyes of the swamp are upon you.A hungry crocodile is lurking on the surface

of the water among the drift of dark logs. If thePCs decide to poke at the logs, they have a 20percent chance of spotting the crocodile. If theyignore the logs, the crocodile surprises themafter they move past (-2 penalty to the PCssurprise roll). The crocodile targets one PC whois near the edge of the raft. It tries to pull its


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. i ~ .- ~

victim into the water, content to grab one mealand flee before the o thers can react.Crocodile: AC 5; MV 6/12; HD 3; hp 14; AT 2;Dmg 2-8/1-12;S D surprise; AL N; XP 65 each;THACO 16.The Giant frogs

The raft slips through a tangle of tall reedsgrowing up from beneath the black, murkywater. The fog has dissipated, but thesurroundings are still gloomy. Overhead,branches entwine to form a dense canopy.The sounds of the swamp are louder now,and they echo through the trees. Unseencreatures slide through the reeds below thewaters surface. A chorus of croaks andribbits begins, as if to greet you, growing soloud that every other sound is drowned outby their raucous song. Then, all at once, thechorus stops.The PCs must make surprise rolls with a -3

penalty. Characters who are successful can seea trio of giant frogs a split second before thecreatures strike. Characters who fail thesurprise roll can hear something large movingthrough the vegetation before the frogs emergefrom the shadow-filled swamp.

Each giant frog weighs 150 pounds andmeasures 4 feet long. It uses its long, stickytongue to catch prey. While the tongue causesno damage, it does receive a + 4 attack bonus.Characters struck by a tongue are reeled intoward the frogs deadly bite. With an attackroll of 20, a giant frog can swallow a small-sizedvictim whole (including demihumans underfour feet tall). The PCs have inadvertentlywandered into the frogs feeding ground, andhave been mistaken for todays meal.area , concealed by reeds and nearlysubmerged. The boat has a gaping hole in itsside jus t above the waterline. After defeating

An old flat-bottomed boat lies hidden in this

the frogs, any PC who decides to look aroundcan find the wreck by making a successfulWisdom check. All that remains of any interein the boat is a locked chest. The chest contawater-logged food, clothes, and two +1 shortswords wrapped in soaking wet cloth.Giant Frogs (3):AC 7; MV 3/9; D 2; hp 5 , 8,10;#AT 1;Dmg 1-6;SA tongue; AL nil; XP 1each; THACO 16.

The Uistani CampTime is beginning to lose meaning for theplayer characters a s gray, sunless days mergeinto black, moonless nights. Each night the sblackens and boils, but still no rain falls.

When this encounter occurs, twilight is nigIn the distance, the PCs see a light. Describethe scene a s they draw near to investigate:

A little island of dry land rises out of thestagnant water. The light comes from a firethat forms the center of a small camp. In thflickering light, you can clearly see a colorfgypsy wagon, two old mares, three gaily-clachildren, and an old woman. A moment latetwo men step into view. One is old and thinthe other young and strong. They settlethemselves beside the fire. Then the old malooks up, directing the gaze of his good eyeupon you. The other eye is milky and blankThe man smiles and motions with hiswithered hand, inviting you to join his grouHow this wagon, called a vardo by its owne

made its way to this spot is unclear; the PCsmay be suspicious or nervous. The ways of thVistani are strange, however, and the Mistsoften help them travel where they want t o go

This vardo is the same one Luc Tarasconvisited roughly three weeks ago, receiving thclue which led him and his brother to theHyskosa scroll. Now, with increasingly horridevents occurring in Marais dTarascon, this


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ni clan has decided to move on. Thes are here to pass on a warning to the

(though even the gypsies may be unawaref that fact at the start of this encounter).

Of the seven Vistani in the camp, three are. Old Scarengi, the ancient

ani with one blind eye, is the leader of thisH is wife, Ryana, a plump woman

ver hair and laughing eyes, is almost asn, Carloni, is a strong young

ck hair and a matching mustache.ree small children are his. (Their mother

s deceased.) Carloni drives the horses, and hes eager to put as much distance as he can is

s sister, Valana, who should catch the attention. This young womans enchanting

red lips can set a man aflame.he is gifted with the power to see the future,

it was her vision which led to the recentn tragedy. Sh e remains in the wagon for

a time after the PCs arrive.If the PCs approach this clan in a friendly

manner, Scarengi responds in kind, thoughCarlon,i remains distant and makes no effort tohide his desire to resume their journey.Scarengi and his wife tell the PCs that a villagecalled Marais dTarascon lies at the edge of theswamp. It is not Far, Scarengi says, but it isnot a place to visit on a night such as this.Under his breath, Carloni adds, Better to stayin the swamp. Scarengi refuses to reveal more.His wife, Ryana, agrees and says, To speak ofevil is to invite it to dinner.

Scarengi invites the player characters to joinhis family for dinner and to share their fire untilmorning comes. Perhaps, he says with asparkle in his eye, there will even be time for afortune. After dinner, when the children havebeen put to bed, Valana emerges from the backof the wagon with her pouch of runes. It is thefirst time the PCs have seen her.


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L-The door a t the back of the wagon opens toreveal a shapely young woman with dark,Expressive eyes. Sh e smiles shyly, thensettles nearby, beside the fire. This,Scarengi proclaims proudly, ismy beautifuldaughter Valana. She will tell your fortune.

Valana gazes a t each of you in turn, withthe firelight shining in her large, black eyes.The trouble began when I cast the runes forthat quiet and lost young man, she explainssadly. Perhaps it will end with anothercasting. She holds a flat pan istone tiles in her hands. Then,once again into your eyes, she drops the tilesinto th e pan.The lost one has called you! Valanagasps. Each member of her family hastilymakes a protective gesture. The dead willwalk with the coming storm, and you mustfind a way to put them to rest. If you cannot,th e rain will turn to blood! It will drownyou-you and all of Marais dTarascon.

Scarengi quickly ushers his wife anddaughter into the wagon. No charge foryour fortune, the old man adds hastily. It istime to rest after the adventures of the day.Be our guests and sleep beside the fire.

Nothing the PCs do can stop Scarengi and hisfamily from retiring. Only Carloni remainsoutside, settling upright into the drivers seat ofth e wagon with a heavy cloak around him. Hecloses his eyes as if to sleep.see Valanas shapely form outlined in thewagon doorway. Sh e speaks barely above awhisper, but t he PCs can hear her clearly.Beware the madman, she says. Beware hisblood. (This is important; be sure to say thewords slowly so the players remember thisclue.) Then the door closes and Valana is gone.

Valanas final words refer to Jean Tarascon(the madman) and Marcel the zombie lord (hisblood, as in kin). If the PCs set a watch,sometime before morning the watch falls

As the PCs begin to settle for the night, they

asleep, no matter how hard he or she tries toPCs awake, they are alonere they left it, but no

Ryana puts a cubeen washed b

s have done se

e other things torascon a t this tim

innocent Vista

f the RAVENLOW

Vistani (7):AC 6 ; MV 12;HD 4 X 4, 1x 3; hp21 X4,4X3; #AT 1;Dmg 1-8;ALNE; XP105X4,7X3;THACO 17.

Thu floatiw H o wAt some point during their fourth day in theswamp, the P f s come across the house inwhich LucTaraskon resides. The house shoube as mysbrious and threatening as anyunknown location in Ravenloft.

this part of the swamp close iraft, forming a thick tangle of

nd exposed roots, makingow and difficult. Sharp, brokentch your arms and legs as youft forward, and the wind whistleeless tune a s it rushes through t

As you break thro,a light appears in


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warm and inviting in the cold, damp air. Thelight is not a t eye level. It hovers in the darkso hat you must look up to see it.

Like moths t o a flame, you and your raftslide easily toward the source of the light. Itis a small wooden house, hardly larger than ashack. Light spills from its two front windowsand a wide open door. The house appears tobe suspended in the air above the surface ofthe swamp, its reflection shimmering in thedank pool before it.The house isn't actually floating in the air; it

the darkness. Four stoutpoles rise from the swamp, lifting the houseome 8 feet above the water. The polesobviously serve to protect the house from rising

ater and the creatures of the swamp. Otherthan a n occasional croak or cricket song, thewamp around the house is still.

manner they choose. As noted, the front of theshack has two windows and an open door. Nocurtains cover the windows. From the angle thePCs have, they cannot see inside. There are no

indows or doors on the sides of the structure,nd the back wall holds only a single window,lso bare. The water beneath and around the

house is no more than 4 feet deep; in mostplaces, it measures about 2 feet. The house ha sno porch. There is no sign of a boat.

Any attempt to get the attention of someoneinside the shack results in failure. After the PCsre about t o declare the house deserted or lookinside, the following occurs:

The PCs can approach the small house in any

Suddenly a rope ladder drops from thedoorway. No figure steps into the light to greetyou, and not even a shadow passes the opendoor. The ladder, constructed of wooden stepsand thick rope, simply rolls out with a briefclatter of knocking wood. The last step hangsjust above the surface of the fetid water,inviting you to climb up into the warm light.

--


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The ladder waits patiently for the PCs toclimb it. N o one appears at the doorway toencourage (or discourage) them; Luc just si tsinside the shack, unmoving. The ladder gentlysways above the black water of the swamp.When a PC has climbed the rope ladder, readth e following aloud:

The little house has only one room. All told,more than two dozen lanterns hang frompegs on the wall and sit on the warpedwooden floor, flooding the shack with light.To the right of the door, unopened boxeshave been neatly stacked against the wall.An open-topped barrel sits beside the boxes.In the center of the room, facing the door,is a young man. He sits within a circle of fiveburning lanterns, with his large, blank eyesfixed in place. The young man is unusuallythin and pale, and his long, blond hair hangslimply to his shoulders. His features aretortured. The simple shirt and pants that hewears are clean and fresh. He clutches asmall book in his lap, but makes no move toget up or greet you-except to slowlystruggle out an incomprehensible phrase:The on descend shall evil of night the land,at near is signs of hexad this when hand.Then he returns to his quiet state, neitherspeaking nor responding in any way.

-The youth is Luc, youngest of the Tarascon

brothers. H e has become one of the shattered,broken souls known as the lost ones. He hasretreated into himself to block out the terrorsthat have occurred in Marais dTarascon. Thephrases h e sometimes speaks are twistedverses from the Hyskosa Scroll,the last thinghe was reading when his brother Marcel waskilled by zombies and he shut out the world.

The unopened boxes contain fresh foodbrought out t o the swamp by Shaman Brucian,the priest of Marais dTarascon. The stores aresubstantial ; the PCs can eat heartily. The barrelcontains fresh drinking water.

The book upon Lucs lap is a collection ochildrens poems. H e gives it up without astruggle. Every poem is a short rhyme, simto the confused verses which the youth utteThe first page contains an inscription: To Lmy beloved brother. It is signed Marcel.

Luc does not communicate in any way,except for the occasional verse (see page 1The youth will neither fight nor defend himthough he will fly into a rage if someoneextinguishes one of his lanterns. Even thenonly poses a danger to himself a s he bashehead and body against a wall or the floor. Tcalm him, the lantern must be relit.

The PCs can spend the night safely withiLucs shack. In the morning, they see thesmoke of a nearby village and can journeyMarais dTarascon. If they decide to stay atshack for more than two days, Shaman Bruarrives with fresh food and clothing for Luccan lead them t o the village. (Seearea 9 inI1 for information on Brucian.)

However the PCs wind up heading for MdTarascon, Luc follows them like a faithfulNothing the PCs do short of killing the youcan stop him from accompanying them. Ifdo kill Luc, the youth returns later a s a gho(see Luc the Ghost on page 18).Killing Lan evil act and requires a powers check.Luc Tarascon (lost one): AC 1 0 MV 6; HDhp 7; #AT 1; Dmg ld2 ; SA rage; S D nil; ALXP 7; THACO 20.The Gathtring StormAs the PCs begin to leave the swamp andapproach the village of Marais d Tarasconsky fills with roiling black clouds. For the time, lightning plays across the heavens. Sno rain falls. The storm simply hangs overswamp and the village, occasionally sendibolt of lightning toward the ground or lettloose a clap of ominous thunder. When it fbreaks, the storm promises to be spectacu


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two-and-a-half milesfrom Port dElhour,on the eastern edgeof Souragnes vastswamp. The PCsapproach the villagefrom the west,emerging from theswamp on theafternoon of day

I4five. The storm

clouds continue tobuild despite theearly hour, it seemslike dusk. As noted,

if the PCs have not harmed Luc, he travels withthem. H e walks just a few steps behind the lastPC, carrying his book of poetry and anever-blazing lantern.

This portion of the adventure is divided intotwo sections: a guide to Marais dTarascon (seethe map on the inside cover), and a list ofevents that take place in and near the village.All events are keyed to a certain time; some arealso keyed to a location. For example, TheFuneral occurs near th e church as the PCsenter the village; it is assumed that the activitywill draw them to that area. Be sure tofamiliarize yourself with the events in MaraisdTarascon before the PCs explore the town.

As soon a s the PCs enter the village, J eanTarascon learns of their arrival. If Luc is withthe party, J ea n begins to plan how to protectMarcel from the knowledge the youth hasretained about Hyskosas scroll. If the PCs havekilled Luc, Jean doesnt become overlyconcerned with th e party until they try to findthe murderer (him), get t oo close to Marcel, oruntil Luc appears as a ghost (see page 18).

,aisdTarascon is a cluster of smallood-and-thatch buildings at the edge ofthe swamp, housing about 300 people. A

cemetery is perched on a hill overlooking thevillage. The graveyard is divided into twosections, one old (area 1 1 on th e map), theother new (area 10). he old graveyard containsMarcels lair. East of the village is the Tarasconplantation. From a distance it looks impressive,but on closer inspection, it is obvious that th efields have not been tended in weeks.

The PCs can wander freely, speaking withwhomever they wish. Murders, zombies,disappearances-the events of the past weekshave caused a fearful mood to settle over thevillage. (Assume that Marcel died three weeksago: regardless of how long the PCs have spentin the swamp.) Everyone is nervous and morethan a little afraid. Som e have even spoken offleeing to Port dElhour, but a t the momentsuch a course of action is still only talk.

Charisma Checks: To gain any personalinformation about the village, i ts inhabitants orrecent events, the PCs must make successfulCharisma checks. Its easiest t o deal withshopkeepers; no modifier to the check applies.Dealing with common villagers is moredifficult; a Charisma check with a -5 modifieris required to ent ice them to open up. Only onePC is allowed to make a Charisma check a t agiven shop or cottage. If the PC fails the check ,another character can return to try later, butwith a -2 cumulative modifier fo r each failure.

Some of the clues that PCs can obtain arenoted in the guide to the village below. To i l lout encounters in other locations, see WhatVillagers Say on page 18.1. Full Moon Inn. The PCs are likely to take aroom here during their stay in MaraisdTarascon. (Certainly the villagers willrecommend it.)A fence surrounds the inn,which is a large, two-story building with anattached stable. The Full Moon Inn serves a s a


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meeting place for the villagers, especiallyduring these dark times when everyone seekscomfort and the protection of others. A largecommon room features a bar and a dozentables. Food is served from early morning untila respectable night hour, and rooms can berented by the day.

Jera ld Bascolm and his wife, Henrietta, runth e inn. Their daughter Lillin heads a staff offour barmaids, and their son Jerald, Jr. tendsthe stable. One of the barmaids is a chattyyoung woman named Katha. If she warms up toa PC, sh e tells an in teresting story:

months to conduct business. Hesan agent foseveral businesses in Port dElhour, makingdeals and trades between the two towns. Heknows nothing of use about recent events herHe only knows that he wants to finish hisbusiness and leave a s soon a s he can.2.Bakery. Louise dCa nn operates the bakeryturning out cakes, rolls, and candies. Herspecialty is red licorice. Her best customers aMordu, Jean Tarascon, and th e Bordell childr(all of whom like licorice). Besides this juicytidbit, she can offer the PCs one piece ofinformation from the list on page 18.

Over a week ago, Francois, a local fellow,well he fell dead right here in the commonroom. I was taking a break in the kitchen atthe t ime, resting my weary feet near the ba.ckdoor. I remember, just before people startedhollering in the common room, I got a whiffof some awful odor blowing in from outside.It was kind of like rotten meat-not that weserve any here, mind you-but worse.Luckily, Ive got quite a strong stomach. Infact, I was just about to go outside to find outwhat could be causing that odor when thescream s began. Then I saw Francois beingcarted off to be buried. You know, I forgot allabout that awful odor until just a fe w daysago when old Fiora ment ioned that she hadsmelled it, too. Id lock your door whileyoure sleeping if I was you. Everybody in thevillage does now.Though Katha doesnt realize it, she

experienced the odor of death that surroundsMarcel Tarascon-the odor which surroundsevery zombie lord. Fiora lives in the village (seelocation 12). Katha will point the way to Fiorashouse should the PCs ask, with this precaution:Fiora doesnt spea k to anyone much lately, noteven me.

Currently, the Full Moon Inn has only oneguest other than the PCs: Duncan dLute.Duncan travels to Marais dTarascon every few

3. Carpenter. Marcus Bordell, the villagecarpenter, builds cabinets and furniture here.half-dozen children-Marcuss sons anddaughters-run around outside the sho p durithe day. H e can offer the PCs one piece ofinformation from page 18.4. Pierots Cottage. Pierot is the cemeterycaretaker. By day, hes in area 10.When nighfalls, he comes home, locks the doors, lightslantern, eat s supper, goes to bed, and hopes wake in the morning. H e believes that MaraisdTarascon is cursed by all of this death, and is seriously considering leaving th e village afthe coming storm has passed.5.Constables Cottage. Constable Greminmaintains an office and a home in this cottagH e does not like strangers, and he distrusts tPCs because of their untimely arrival. Hisvillage is in the grip of some terrible evil, andhe does not know how to protect it. Whatsworse, about two weeks ago his son fell preythe mysterious ailment that kills its victims athen quickly turns them into zombies.

His sons death, combined with grislymurders and missing people, has pushed theconstable toward the edge. H e believes themurders and some of th e missing people areconnected, for he has found the same item a


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Zombie Lord: AC 6; MV 6; HD 6; hp 39; AT 2;Dmg 2-4/2-4; SA see below; S D see below; AL NE;THACO 15;XP 650.Marcel has all the powers of a normal zombie lord(see the RAVENLOFT"Monstrous CompendiumAppendix). Some of these powers have beenenhanced by the Land of Ravenloft, a s notedbelow.

Spucial Attacksike any zombie lord, Marcel delivers crushingblows with his fists (two attacks per round,1d4 damage each). In addition, the odor ofdeath that surrounds Marcel affects all living

beings who come within 30yards of him.Characters must save vs. poison or suffer one ofthe following effects:l d 6 Roll Effect1 Weakness (as the spell)2

34 Contagion (as the spell)56 Character dies instantly and

Cause Disease (as the spell)-1 Point of ConstitutionCharacter unable to act for l d 4rounds due to nausea and vomitingbecomes a zombie under zombielords control

Three times per day, Marcel can cast animatedead to create zombies. By using this power onliving beings, he can also turn them into zombies.In either case, the range of this innate power is100yards. If a living target fails a saving throw vs.death, he is instantly slain and rises in ld4 roundsas a zombie under Marcel's control. (Marcel'sability to create zombies has been enhanced.)

Spucial Ouf'unsusike zombies, Marcel is immune to sleep,charm, hold,death magic, poison and1old-based spells. H e can be turned as avampire, however, and suffers 2d4 points ofdamage from direct contact with holy water or

holy symbols.

Spucial Abilitiusarcel can converse freely with the livingdead through a mystical, telepathic abilH e can also speak to dead (per the spellmerely touching the corpse. Further, Marcel cacontrol zombies within a one-mile radius,including monster and ju-ju zombies, and he cuse their senses to know what is happening in

area. (This is an enhanced ability.)

Backgroundarcel Tarascon was obsessed with findinthe Hyskosa scroll when he was alive.Although he was not evil, his morals did

become increasingly twisted as he searched fothe legendary scroll.As noted in the introduction, Marcel stillbelieves the Hyskosa scroll holds the key to

untold power-even now that he is a zombie loMarcel's mad twin brother, Jean, has promisedfind the scroll. (H e has no intention of doing sohowever.) In the meantime, Marcel is building zombie army by animating corpses and slayinvillagers with his special powers. Jean helps. Hhas already murdered many villagers and hasgiven some of the corpses to Marcel.of the adventure comes to a close. As Part 111begins, Marcel unleashes his zombies on thevillage, ordering them to find the scroll at allcosts. When the PCs approach Marcel's lair in old cemetery, the zombie lord calls some of himinions back to aid him.

The PCs battle (and probably kill) Jean as P

Combatarcel refuses to fight hand-to-hand untilopponent steps upon the platform of boM n his lair. He prefers to direct his undeaservants and use his special abilities. When thePCs reach his lair, he has already used his animdead power once that day. H e can use it twiceagainst the PCs if he desires.


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4th Level FighterIMadman: AC 6; MV 9; HD 4; hp25; #AT 1;Dmg 1-3or 1-4+1 SA surprise; SD nil;AL C E THACO 17; XP 210. Str 14;Dex 1 0 Con12; Int 11; Wis 9; Cha 9.Equipment: Studded leather armor, ringofprotection +1, dagger +1 in walking stick,pocketful of red licorice pieces, two potions ofhealing, black cloak with hood.

Sperial Attacksean is a convincing actor. If he attempts togive the PCsa false sense of security, theyJ uffer a -2 penalty to their surprise rolls.Victims thus surprised take triple damage, as if

they had been backstabbed by a 5th-level thief.Bachground

ean Tarascon was driven mad by the events ofrecent weeks. When he found his twin brotherJ Marcel murdered by zombies, his grief knewno bounds. H e knew that his brothers obsessionwith that ancient scroll would lead to sorrow anddeath, and his prediction held true. Still, he hopedthe village priest, Shaman Brucian, could performsome kind of miracle on Marcel. For a moment, itlooked as if he did.But the priests use of a raise dead scroll failed.Jean knew what Marcel had become. H e took hisbrothers body to the old cemetery, where Marcelsoon rose as a zombie lord. These events droveJean toward the brink of insanity. When hewatched his brother feast on carrion, Jean becamemore than just mad, he became a murderer.As noted in the introduction, Jean has pledgedhimself to protecting Marcel from his obsession.Jean has hidden the scroll of Hyskosa in histownhouse, and has sent his brother Luc into theswamp to hide him from Marcel. Jean also dons ablack, hooded cloak in the dim hours of the nightand stalks victims for Marcel to feast upon. In hismad state of mind, Jean has taken to leavingapiece of red licorice behind at every murderscene.existence, Jean has ordered the family servants tofeast on dead human flesh as well. This has turned

To fully participate in Marcels new state of

his servants into ghouls. He himself, however, hasyet to partake in the nightly feasts.was-a wealthy villager and leader of thecommunity. His recent lapses of violent outburstsand signs of foul temper are excused due t o thetragedies which have befallen his family.When Luc returns to the village, Jean becomesfurious. He immediately decides to kill theinterlopers who have befriended the youth, but hewill not attack them in public. Instead, he stalksthem at night. H e also tries to kill Luc so that hisbeloved brother Marcel will forget about hisobsession with the cursed scroll. H e hates Luc andthe scroll, blaming both for what has happened toMarcel. He hid the scroll and sent Luc away beforethe madness fully took him, but now he will killLuc if he has the opportunity. If the scroll shouldappear before Jean, he will attempt to destroy it.He holds Shaman Brucian responsible for Marcelscurrent state, but has not yet fallen so deeply intomadness that he would attack a holy man.

The villagers still see Jean Tarascon as he

Combatean prefers to stalk and attack his victimsthrough surprise. He normally runs fromJ superior numbers. If pressed into direct battle,

he uses his healing potions to replace lost hitpoints and fights savagely with his wicked dagger.H e tries to attack single individuals away fromcrowds. If necessary, he will call on hisservants-turned-ghouls to aid him against theplayer characters.


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What Lue Sagshe following twisted verses are spoken byLuc throughout the adventure. Do not useT verses before the proper time.Chapter One

The on descend shall evil of night the land, atIn sorcerer the Daegon of house the born,The mother stern of child lifeless found, heralds

near are signs of hexad this when hand.though shall unliving, unlife, life scorn.evil of night a time unbound.Chapter Two

Seventh doth suns of son the time rise, to oflnajira fortunes his make will reverse, doomingThe over shining sky the of light the dead, shall

eternity an to knave the send cries.the dreaded with live to all curse.to all turning fail and gutter red.

I/

Chapter Three(This is the clue given to Luc by the Vistani.)Look for the scroll where the old rest fine, behindthe stone where six stars shine. The finding,however, will cause much pain, beware the time ofthe falling rain.

Luc the Ghostf Luc is killed anytime during the adventure,his ghost returns to haunt the PCs. (The firsttime he appears, PCs should make horrorchecks with a +4 bonus.) H is state as a lost onedoes not change, nor does his desire to see theevil of his family stopped. There is only one key

difference between Luc alive and Luc dead: theghost does not follow the PCs around with alantern. Instead, the spirit appears from time totime to recite a verse or give the PCs a clue. Lucsspirit cannot rest until the evil of his brothers,Jean and Marcel, comes to an end.

What U i l lap rs Saghe following clues, both true and false, canbe gathered from conversations with theT villagers.1 . In the past three weeks, the villagers know of

nine sudden deaths that have occurred. (True.This is Marcels work.)2. Of the nine who died suddenly, seven wereburied in sealed coffins, and two escaped into thenight as zombies. (True.)3. Six villagers are missing. (True. This is Jeansdoing.)4. Red licorice pieces were found along witharticles belonging to four of the missing people.(True. This is Jeans work.)5. Lady Grissim, one of the missing, was seenwalking in front of the cemetery. (False.)6. Besides licorice, there is always lots of blood

at the scene of a murder or disappearance. (True.)7. Three weeks ago, Hogarth the field worker felldead, quickly decayed, and rose as a zombie. (True.)8. Just over three weeks ago, Marcel Tarascondied. Some say he was killed by the undead, too.(True.)9. Jean Tarascon has taken full control of thefamily business. (True.)10. If Marcel was given a funeral, none of thevillagers attended. (True.)1 1 . Cultists loyal to the Lord of the Dead areoperating in the village. (False.)12.The old cemetery is haunted by wraiths.(False.)13.The constables son was the second to die,simply falling to the ground inexplicably. (True.)14.The Vistani told Old Fiora that the night of the

dead was fast approaching. (True. The night is nigh.)15. Shaman Brucian worships the Lord of theDead. (False.)16. The night Marcel died, villagers saw Jeancarry him to the church. (True.)17. Shaman Brucian has gone into the swampfrequently since Marcel died. (True.)18.A vampire has been stalking the villagestreets. (False.)19.Many people are missing. (True.)20. The Old Cemetery was sealed long ago, andno one has entered it in decades. (True, until Lucand Marcel found the secret entrance.)


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of these scenes: a piece of red licorice.If the PCs give Gremin any trouble, he

cham spell or aconvincing argument can prevent thet (Charisma -5). With the second, Gremin locks them in

l stone jaik tor age shed next to hisleast overnight.

thief, and the dooran be broken with a successful bend bardlift

A wiser tactic is persuasion; withccessful Charisma check, modified by - 10,

e jailed PCs can convince the constable thaty can help the town. In this way, they avoid

known throughout town as escapedcts. When the zombies attack in Part 111,e constable releases the PCs, no matter what

between them.stable Gremin (2nd-level fighter): AC 4MV 12; HD 2; hp 15; StrDex 12, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 13,Cha 1 0 #AT

Dmg 1d 8+1 (long sword); AL LG; THACO

Escape from the jail is fairly simple: the lock

. MordusCottage. Mordu, the town eccentric,alone in this small cottage. Unlike moster villagers, Mordu welcomes the PCs with

arms and friendly greetings. He does notm the least bit nervous or upset by recentTo the contrary, he seems quite excited

He offers them red licorice from anen jar, then asks what they know about theenings in Marais dTarascon.

Mordu, of course, has his own theories aboute mysterious deaths and disappearances. H e

eves they have something to d o with a ns been called togne by a group of cultists. (He is wrong,

e should sound credible and sincere to theH e promises to find proof, and asks thes to return the next day to talk further.

PCs leave, Mordu shares two otherof information from page 18.

Mordu has long been an amateur scholar. H e

has dozens of scrolls and books concerning theSouragne and lands beyond. (Like mostinhabitants of the demiplane of dread, he isunaware that he is trapped in a realm calledRavenloft.) Few of Mordus books a re seriousworks. In fact, only one contains any pertinentinformation. It concerns the history of AntonMisroi, lord of Souragne. Unfortunately, it iswritten in an ancient language which Morducannot read. The others are more fanciful thanscholarly, including Mordus favorite, a booktitled The Cult of the Swamp God.7.General Store. This large, cluttered buildingis the villages general store. It is run by thedwarf Deruno and his family, who happenedupon Marais dTarascon much like the PCs anddecided to stay. Deruno sells travelingeqdpment , foodstuffs, household goods, anddairy (goats milk) products a t fair prices. Hebuys items for the store at half market price.PCs, kept hidden and locked away. The dwarfwill only bring them out once he gets to knowand trust the PCs. If they have been openlyhelping the village, he offers the items for free.These include three potions of healing, six +1arrows, bracers ofAC 6, and a long sword +I .8. Blacksmith. The blacksmith is a large,powerful man named Jordi. H e is quiet and shy,and initially refuses to talk about anything butbusiness. If Luc is with the PCs (and he will beunless something has happened to him), Jordiclutches his hammer and backs away. H e fearsthe young man. Any kind of racket will bringJordis wife, Nadine, running.disappearance of Colin, her only son, whoworked for the Tarascons. (Colin is now a ghoul,but she doesnt know it.) If persuaded, Nadineexplains that Colin never returned from workfive days ago, and any inquiry at the plantationhas met with indifference. The constable hasbeen too occupied with other happenings,including the death of his own son, but he has

Deruno has a few items that may interest the

Nadine is deeply saddened by the


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I promised to check with Jean larascon as soonas he is able.

Jordi can provide the PCs with on e piece ofinformation from page 18.His wife responds toquestions with tears and pleas for help, butotherwise she knows nothing helpful.9. Church. Shaman Brucian is the villagepriest. H is church honors th e gods of good,paying equal service to law, neutrality andchaos, though Brucian himself is neutral good.His residence is the adjacent cottage, but latelyhe stays in the church.

If persuaded, Brucian reluctantly describesrecent events in the village. He says thatvillagers have been dying suddenly, even thosewho appeared strong and healthy a momentbefore. The first such death, about three weeksago, was a field worker named Hogarth. Onlyminutes after falling dead to the ground,Hogarth rose as a zombie. Now Brucian alwaysseals the coffins of the recently dead.

The priest does not tell the PCs about theTarascon family on their first meeting, even ifLuc is with them. If the PCs did not meetBrucian in the swamp, he appears surprised tosee Luc now. H e goes to the youth to make surehe is all right, and Luc responds by reciting atwisted verse. During this first meeting with thePCs, the priest is rather curt in response toquestions about Luc. H e says Luc is a lost onefrom the village, but reveals no family ties.Brucian also explains that he took pity on Luc,deliver food and fresh water.

The priest is secretive because he does nottrust the PCs yet. If they return later andconfront him with things they have learned, orif they manage to convince him throughsubsequent act ions that they are willing to helpthe village, Brucian nervously explains more.H e says that Marcel Tarascon was the first to diein this string of horror. H e also describes theunfortunate changes which this death wroughtin Jean Tarascon, as well a s in his youngerbrother Luc. Brucian does not, however,

~ occasionally venturing into the swamp to

mention that J ean brought Marcels body tohim. Nor does he describe his failure to revivMarcel until Part 111 of this adventure.

The priest has the normal complement ofspells. In a locked chest in the church, Bruciaalso keeps a scroll with four cure seriouswounds pells, a scroll with two cure diseaseand two cure light wounds pells, and a scrollwith two raise dead spells. Because of his failto restore Marcel, he is reluctant to use theraise dead spells.Shaman Brucian (2nd-level priest): AC 10;M12; HD 2; hp 9; St r 13,Dex 8, Con 11, Int 14,W is 16,Cha 12; #AT 1; Dmg ld 6+ 2 (footmanmace + ) ; AL NG; THACO 20.10.The Cemetery. The village cemetery si tsatop a small rise overlooking the town,appropriately dubbed Cemetery Hill by thevillagers. A 10-foot-highstone wall surroundsthe entire graveyard, and an iron gate on thesouth side provides access. The originalgraveyard is sealed shut and overgrown withvines. (Seearea 11 ) In contrast, the newcemetery iswell tended and open to the publA single path leads to the gate.

If the PCs visit the new cemetery during thday, they can walk freely among the dead.Because of the high water table, bodies a reinterred above ground. Instead of headstonesthe cemetery is filled with mausoleums (stonbuildings containing numerous vaults). Thecemetery also holds several dozen stackedvaults, not housed in any building, providingaffordable interment for common villagers.

The vaults containing those who recentlydied have been sealed and locked (the villageknow them to be undead). If the PCs enter thTarascon mausoleum-the most prominent ithe new cemetery-they discover that it doesnot hold Marcels body. The most recentaddition to the mausoleum is Claudine, mothof Marcel, Jean , and Luc. Sh e died years ago

During the day, Pierot, the groundskeeperand caretaker, can be encountered. (By night


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he resides at area 4.) Pierot never enters the oldcemetery, and he doesnt know what happenedto the keys for the heavy locks on the old gate.In fact, hes sure those locks are rusted shut. Ifa PC persuades him to talk, Pierot offers oneclue from page 18. In addition, if they ask himabout the Tarascon family, he says that Marcelsbody was never brought to him a t the cemeteryfor interment.

After Dark: N o one, not even Pierot, goes tothe new cemetery (or old) at night. If the PCsvisit after dark, they encounter two ghouls. Theghouls are opening up the most recently sealedvault: Jeremiahs if the PCs allow him to beburied (see Village Events); Jazeel Torengs ifthe PCs stopped Jeremiahs burial. If the PCspause to watch the disinterment, then theymust deal with the newly-freed zombie as wellas the ghouls. If the PCs act before the vault isopened, they need only battle the ghouls.

Both ghouls flee if they lose more than halftheir hit poin ts or if they are turned. If thecreatures escape, one leaves behind a bit ofcloth, which the village tailor can later identify.If the PCs defeat one of the creatures, theconstable can identify him a s Colin, son ofJordi the blacksmith. If the PCs defeat theother ghoul, too, the constable knows her asTeresa, daughter of Fiora. Both were servants atthe Tarascon plantation.

If the ghouls prove to be too much for thePCs, Shaman Brucian arrives and turns thecreatures before the party is killed.Ghouls(2):AC 6; MV 9; HD 2; hp 6, 9; #AT 3;Dmg 1-3/1-3/1-6;SA paralyzation; SD asundead; AL CE; XP 175 each; THACO 19.11. The Old Cemetery. This ancient graveyardhas been sealed for more than 100years.Whatever caused such drastic action has beenlost to legend, but the villagers rememberenough t o avoid it at all costs. The only knownways into the old cemetery are to climb overthe 10-foot-highstone wall or to break theheavy chains and locks that hold the iron gate.

A secret passage leads from beneath a statue(A on the village map) to an opening in thehillside (B). nly the Tarascon brothers andthe zombies know of this passage.By looking through the gate or over the wall,the PCs see an overgrown forest of vines andtrees. They can barely make out crypts throughthe wild growths, and the path is almostnonexistent. The villagers and Pierotdiscourage the PCs from exploring the oldcemetery. Ideally, the PCs wont enter this areauntil Part 111 begins, but you should not overtlyprevent them from doing so . During the day,Constable Gremin might arrive and forbid themfrom trespassing. At night, strange rustling andslavering noises might discourage them fromentering the pitch-black area.before all the Village Events have occurred,go to Part I l l and run the encounters listedthere. Youll have to make two changes. First,the zombies have not yet been unleashed uponthe village. As a result, there will be more atMarcels side; double the amount of zombieslisted in each encounter. Second, Jea n is stillon the loose. H e comes to Marcels aid andfights alongside him in the final battle unlessthe PCs have dealt with him beforehand.

If the PCs decide to explore the old cemetery

12.Fioras Cottage. The old woman known asFiora lives here. She has been badly frightenedby recent events, and usually refuses to dealwith anyone, villagers and strangers alike. Shehas barricaded herself in her home, andadorned the doors and windows with clumps ofgarlic, wolvesbane, and holy symbols.

At times, Fiora can be heard calling for herdaughter, Teresa. If the PCs convince Fiora tospeak with them, she says that foul flesh eaters(ghouls) have been rummaging through thecemetery each night. Sh e has not seen Teresafor nearly two weeks; she never returned homefrom work a t the Tarascon plantation.13.Tarascon Townhouse. In addition to th eplantation manor (area 15), the Tarascon family


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maintains this two-story home in the village.Je an spends much of his time hiding here,planning ways to improve his familys presentsituation. Jean is mad; all plans now revolvearound murder and joining Marcel as a memberof the undead. During the day, there is an 80percent chance that Je an will be here. At night,the chance drops to 20 percent.

The townhouse is locked up tight, and heavycurtains cover every window. All locks are ofmasterful quality (- 60 open locks modifier). Ifhe is home, Jean Tarascon refuses to answerknocks, pretending to be gone. H e has nothingto say to the PCs or anyone else. Any attemptto force entry could be noticed by villagers (50percent chance, with bonuses for cautionandquiet a s the DM sees fit). If the PCs arespotted, the constable arrives in l d 6 rounds.Breaking into a locked home is a crime; thePCs may be carted off to jail. (Seearea 5.)

If they do manage to break in while Jean ishome, he avoids the PCs. H e knows where tohide and how to move to keep ahead of them.He does not attack even if he has theopportunity to kill them one by one. But he willremember th is transgression, and will go afterthe PCs elsewhere at the earliest opportunity.

The house is well-appointed and full ofexpensive (albeit dusty) furniture. Downstairsthere is a parlor, dining room, sitting room,kitchen, and coo ks room. Upstairs are threebedrooms and Jeans study. If the PCs searchfor a secret door in the study, they find a smallspace hidden behind a bookshelf. In the hidingplace is a black, hooded cloak and a scroll tubecontaining the Hyskosa scroll. The pockets ofthe black cloak a re filled with red licorice.14. Tailor Shop. Tomas Levi is the proprietor.H e and his family make and repair all types ofclothing. Tomas tries to interest the PCs in thelatest fashions from Port dElhour, showing offgaudy fabrics and foppish patterns.check (no modifier), Tomas provides one pieceof information from page 18.In addition, if the

If the PCs make the necessary Charisma

PCs show him the cloth ripped from a ghouthe cemetery, he identifies it: the cloth is frouniform worn by all servants at the Tarasconmanor house. (Tomas made th e uniforms.)15. Tarascon Plantation (not shown). Themanor house and servant quarters beside itin excellent repair. The stately manor housewhite, two-story building with tall columns athe front. The servants house has but a singfloor. If the PCs arrive during the day, bothhouses are locked tight (masterful qualitylocks, -60 modifier). If the PCs stop by in tevening, go to The Dinner Party event.

uil lage Euentshe following events occur over a numbof days, starting with the afternoon onT which the PCs arrive. Speed or slow the

events to match the pace of your players.Dag One: The Funeral

Upon arriving in the village, the PCs can gwherever they choose. Activity in front of thchurch should catch their attention, howeveAn outdoor funeral is being conducted (desthe threatening sky). Until it ends, every shotown remains closed. Signs in the windowsproclaim Closed for Funeral and Gone toChurch. Even the cottages are locked up ti

If the PCs wait in front of one of the shopthe funeral to end, they watch from a distanas a small crowd follows a wagon up to thecemetery. After a short period of time, thecrowd emerges and the shops reopen. If thePCs decide to approach the churchyard to gcloser look, proceed with this event.

Solemn faces gaze a t you suspiciously, butno one says a word. The villagers soon retutheir attention to the priest who stands ovea coffin wrapped with heavy chains.


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The priests booming voice echoesthroughout the churchyard. Friends andfamily, we mourn the untimely death ofJeremiah dGris, he laments. Let us akecomfort in the fact that he goes to a betterplace, and let us pray that his eternal rest ispeaceful and without incident. Jeremiah, youwill be missed, but you will not be welcomehere again. Depart this plane and go to thenext world with our blessing.

The priest cont inues h is liturgy, eventhough a muffled bang causes him amoments pause. The villagers flinch butquickly regain their composure. The bangsounds again from within the coffin. Thecoffin rocks back and forth, but the priestand the crowd ignore it.

~

If th e PCs simply watch, the priest directs theawn cart up t he hill toward the

he crowd follows. All the way up thell, sounds of something trying to escape

rge from the shaking coffin. The villagersthe priest waves his holy symbol

e box and whispers, Jeremiah, be still.gate, Pierot, the cemetery keeper, meets

H e directs the procession toward ann vault. The attendants slide the coffine vault. Then, without

e crowd returns to t he village.If the PCs decide to set the poor man in the

free, the priest and village constableore the characters to stop, and t o

an d if t he PCs insist, thendan ts reluctantly move aside. Once they

o break the chains, the crowd disperses.flees. Only the priesth sad eyes.

Inside the coffin is Jeremiah dGris, who dieds now risen a s a zombie. Once

he attacks the party and tries to escapefields east of the village. (PCs should

e horror checks.) The zombie battles to theh if no escape is possible.

I


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Zombie (1): AC 8;MV 6 HD 2; hp 14; #AT 1;Dmg 1 - 8 A nil; SD as unde ad AL N; XP 6 5THACO 19.Following Zom bies and Ghouls: f at any timethe PCs decide to follow a fleeing ghoul orzombie, they can easily track the undeadcreature to the fields beyond the Tarasconplantation. After that, the creature loses themin the rows of crops and backtracks to thepassage in the side of th e cemetery hill. D o notallow th e PCs to discover this passage yet.

Dag Two: $tune o f the CrimeIf the PCs are exploring the village, they

notice the constable kneeling in an alley,peering a t the ground. Read the following:

The constable regards you sternly. Spatteredall around him on the ground and walls areflecks of reddish brown. Before him is a largestain of the sam e substance, apparently driedblood. In the center of th e stain is a singlepiece of bright red licorice.During the early hours of the night, Jean

Tarascon stalked one of the barmaids from theinn as she made her way home. She never gotthere. The only proof of her passing is thedrying blood. If the PCs offer to help theconstable, he reluctantly accepts. This eventserves to alert t he PCs to the presence of amurderer; it does not reveal who the killer is,however, or even who the victim is.

Jea n took the body to the old cemetery ascarrion for his brother. The murderer alwayscleans the blood from his hands and clothesbefore returning to his townhouse to rest.

Nisht Two: The Odor o f DeathWhile the PCs are at the inn, a vile stench

wafts into th e building. It is the odor of thezombie lord; all PCs must save vs. poison (see

page 16).Successful PCs can investigate todor's source. If the PCs are in the commoroom, at least one other patron succumbs.

Marcel is stalking the village streets thisnight, seeking to turn the living into zombthe PCs rush into the street, they find bitsflesh and ichor on the dirt path behind theThere is no other sign of Marcel, however.has fled to his lair.

If the PCs check on Duncan dLute , whoin his room when Marcel passed, they arrivtime to find him rising as a zombie. If theynot think to check on the man, he is missiwhen morning arrives. Duncan the zombiethe same statistics as the zombie in t he fuevent, but roll to determine his hit points.

,ate in the afternoon, a, ...- grows with storm clouds, the PCs get a chance toa murder. Pick an opportune time t o stageevent. The PCs could be relaxing at the intalking with some of the villagers. In the mof this relative quiet, terror strikes.

A scream shatters the quiet afternoon,echoing throughout the village streets.

~ ~

Nothing more occurs; there's only a scrSecretly make a Wisdom check for each PThose who fail think that th e scream camthe wrong direction. Those who succeed cidentify the direction from which the screareally came, but nothing more. The playehave no way of knowing for sure who is colet the PCs discuss their impressions.

If the PCs choose the wrong way, a secoscream alerts them to their mistake. Theyarrive too late and find Lillin, the innkeepdaughter, lying dead in a pool of her own Red licorice pieces have been scattered arher corpse-one piece fo r each PC.

If the PCs choose the correct way, they in time to encounter Tarascon, and surpri


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madman. H is hood conceals hisH e has just stabbed the younge but h e has yet t o finish her off.

ps his victim and flees, leading thehase through the village. Make the

e exciting. Let the PCs get close from timenever allow them t o catch him.

n knows the village much better than, and h as a few hiding places stakedThe madman eventually disappears

corner, leaving but o ne trace on t hed a piece of r e d licorice for each PC.

onstable arrives right after the PCs,r not they are in time to save Lillin. If

is dead, he helps the PCs look for the killer.e is alive, he takes her t o the church. In that

e survives and manages to tell herA dark figure leaped out of the shadowsr, she says. She sc reamed and felt hisab her; she remembers nothing else.The Dinner Par@

if the PCs visit theh n i r e n z a r n m 15) i n thn - \ r a n i n n

Under no circumstances will Luc accompanythem to the plantation. If they discuss theirplans to go there, he stays behind. If they justdecide to go there while exploring the town,Luc turns around and walks back to the inn. H edoes not want to go back to his old home forfear of remembering what he has tried so hardto forget.

When they arrive, the large house is mostlydark. The only source of light spills fromwindows around the back. If the PCs peer insidea lighted window, read the following:

Beyond the window lies a spacious diningroom with fine appointments, showing tasteand wealth. A chandelier of burning candlesfills the room with a warm and pleasant light.A number of large, covered serving trays lieup6n the table in the center of the room, andplaces have been set for four.

Three servants enter from a side passage,their heads bowed deeply as they walk. Oneof the servants goes to the table. With aflourish, he lifts the lid from the grandest


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platter, revealing tonights meal: the remainsof a freshly dead young man. Dried bloodcovers much of his pale flesh, and a wickedcut stretches from ear to ear. Suddenly, aface appears in the window, staring withmalevolent eyes-the eyes of a ghoul!Je an Tarascons servants have all become

ghouls, turned into the foul creatures by eatingcarrion at the madmans insistence. (The PCsshould ma ke horror checks.) Je an wants toemulate and please his brother Marcel, whonow exists by eating rotting flesh. But Je anhimself has yet to muster the courage to eatdead flesh; he simply kills and then feeds hisvictims to his servants. H e now he has a pack ofghouls at his beck and call.

The ghouls notice the PCs and move toattack. All three have game statistics matchingthe ghouls in the cemetery (area lo), but youshould roll each creatures hit points separately.The ghouls battle to the death. As in thecemetery encounter, if the PCs are losing,Shaman Brucian can show up to aid them.house. Except for the silver platters, all thatremains of much value is furniture. The PCsalso can find a number of the missingvillagers-all dead at Jeans hands. Clumps ofdirt lie in som e of the rooms, but no other traceof the undead exists. Given this scant evidence,the PCs will probably think the ghouls areresponsible for the murders. Nothing herepoints t o Je an Tarascon himself. The PCs mayeven think that Jean has been murdered, too,though no physical remains can be found.

After the battle, th e PCs can look around the

Oay four: fadB the MadmanAfter talking to villagers for four days and

experiencing the events above, the PCs shouldbe close to connecting Jean Tarascon withsome of the village woes. Even if they haventmade this connection, Jea n thinks they have.Plus, he believes the only way to keep Marcel

safe is to kill young Luc. On day four, Jeanhis younger brother and the PCs.

Jean follows the party around town. H isis to pick them off one by one, so he strikwhen the best opportunity to attack a singcharacter presents itself. If no such opportarises, the madman attacks in desperationwhen the PCs enter a concealed orout-of-the-way ocation (such a s his townh

Jean goes after a wizard or cleric first,attempting to use his surprise bonus toeliminate the spellcaster. Then he turns hiattention on Luc, though he will fight othewho get in his way. If Luc is already dead fsome reason, his ghost appears beside the(SeeLuc the Ghost on page 18.)

When Jean first attacks, read the follow

The madman s tands before you, compleenshrouded by a black, hooded cloak. Othe curved dagger in his pale right handvisible. Then he tosses back the hood,revealing a face twisted by madness and lit by the fire of insanity. That fire is cleaconsuming him, burning away what is lehis mind and his humanity.

You should not have come to MaraisdTarascon, the madman hisses. And yshould not have brought that whelp of abrother with you! he shouts, waving hisdagger at Luc. You have forced thisconfrontation! Let the blood be on yourhands as you taste the blade of JeanTarascon!

With that, the madman attacks.Jean Tarascon battles to the death. Durthe fight, the constable and Shaman Bruc

conveniently arrive if the PCs need assistaAfter the battle, Brucian offers whatever sand scrollshe has left to heal the party.


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it this far, theyprobably believethey have stopped

~ the menace andwed the village.$w After all, Je an

Tarascon is dead.)The menace stillexists, but dontdestroy theirillusions just yet.th e rest of the day

Let the PCs spendhealing at the inn,learning spells, andthen gatheringsupplies for their

journey away from Marais dTarascon. Luccontinues to follow them around, but he hasfallen silent since the day before, spouting nomore nonsense verses.

All the villagers are friendly toward the PCs,and willing to s trike so me excellent deals forsupplies and equipment. Of course, no one canprovide directions t o places larger than PortdElhour, but most people are sure the PCs canlearn what they need to know about escapingSouragne there. The villagers are anxious tocelebrate; they invite the player characters tospend one more night at the inn. That allowsthe PCs a fresh start in the morning, and afterall, the weather is poor for travel.

All through the day o n which Jean Tarascondies, storm clouds hover over the village, justas they have for days. Thunder booms onoccasion, followed by a flash of lightning, butotherwise this day is a s dark and dismal a sthose preceding it. Still no rain comes.

If the PCs decide to leave before nightfall,Luc accompanies them. The farther they travel,the more agitated he becomes. Finally, hebegins to repeat a new verse, the one which thegypsy Valana gave him (see page 18). f Luc isdead at this point, he comes to the PCs as aghost to direct them back to the village.

Finally, night covers the land and the rainbegins t o fall.

The StormWith the coming of night, thunder shakes thevillage. It starts as a low rumble in thedistance and builds to a terrible, long-lastingexplosion that rocks cottages and knocksitems from shelves. Lightning dances wildlyacross the sky, casting stark shadows in itsskittering flash. Then the rain begins, fallingin large, foul drops that soon become adeluge. The streets quickly turn to mud;small streams form in the cracks anddepressions. Vision is obscured by theunending sheets of dark water, and the rainfalls with such force that it hurts those whoventure into its fury. Through it all, thethunder continues to roll above the village,and the lightning intensifies. The storm hasarrived.As the storm batters the small village, the

time for telling stories around the fire hasbegun. The PCs are probably in the innscommon room, sitting before the largefireplace with villagers who are waiting out thestorm As everyone sips their drinks, listeningto the thunder and torrents, Luc begins torecite his verses. Now, however, he is sayingthem correctly, quoting directly from Hyskosasscroll. (If Luc died earlier, his ghost appears t oramble through the verses.)

If the PCs have not found the scroll in theTarascon townhouse, one of them may wish towrite down Luck words. After a moment,Shaman Brucian speaks up. As the priestbegins to talk, Luc lowers his voice, but he doesnot s top reciting. I have a story to tell you, theshaman begins. I do not think the worst is overin Marais dTarascon.He describes the stormy night on which Jeanbrought Marcel to him about a month ago.Marcel was quite dead, torn apart by undead


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hands. I retrieved a scroll from my smallcollection and at tempted t o raise poor Marcel,Brucian continues, but something went wrong.Marcel remained dead, and Jean cried out inanguish. H e spirited away the corpse of hisbrother. That was the last I saw of Marcel, andthe last time I saw Jea n alive. (Presumably,Brucian knows the PCs killed Jean.)

Brucian does not know what his failedmiracle wrought; Marcel did not rise as azombie lord until later. However, the priest hassuspected all along that some undead agencyhas been at work in his village. Until now, hethought that Marcel fell victim to the sameagency as the other villagers. Now he realizesthat the time of trouble began after Marceldied-and not a moment before. Bruciandoesnt know what that means , but he is surethe events are connected, and he shares hissuspicions with the PCs.

Two things occur just a s the shaman finisheshis tale. First, another villager falls over dead.In l d 4 rounds he rises as a zombie and rushesto capture Luc (if he is alive) or the PC holdingeither t he Hyskosa scroll or the copied versesthat Luc recited. The zombie has the samestatistics as the o ne in The Funeral (see Partll), but roll its hit points randomly. (Horrorchecks may not be required, depending on thenumber of previous zombie enounters and theoutcome of those checks.) Second, Luc stopsreciting the Hyskosa text. Instead, he recites theprophecy which was given him by the gypsyValana. H e repeats her prophesy over and overuntil the PCs get the hint.

Zombits on the MowAfter the PCs have dealt with the

newly-created zombie, the door to the innbursts open. A villager, soaked to the bonedespite the cloak he wears, rushes into thecommon room. H e is out of breath andobviously very frightened. The dead a reapproaching Marais dTarascon! he managessay between shivers and coughs. An army ofthe walking dead! The villager succumbs to racking fit of coughs, and all he can manage response to questions is to point toward theeastern fields.

The constable decides to investigate. If thePCs follow, they witness the scene describedbelow. If they dont, the constable returns to tabout it.

You make your way through the pounding,slimy rain like blind men. You can barely sea foot in front of you unless lightning flashebriefly illuminating the area. Even then, thehouses and trees are nothing more thanvague shapes obscured by a shimmeringcurtain of rain. Walking is difficult, for thedirt paths have become muddy and slick.Finally, you reach the eastern path. Thefields beyond remain hidden by darknessand the storm. Peels of thunder and thedriving rain muffle nearly every sound.

Then, in a spectacular crack of lightning,the figures come into view-dark formsmoving slowly toward the village. They looklike misshapen humans, but its hard to tell.A flash of lighting illuminates the entirefield. The dark shapes are everywhere! Theclosest are but 50 feet away, shamblingforward. Darkness returns. It seems as if aneternity passes, or maybe just a heartbeat,and then a brilliant flash lights the sky. Nowyou can see the figures clearly, if only for asecond. They are zombies, a literal a rmy ofthem, and they are marching on MaraisdTarascon!


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-:

LAIR O THE Zis the Night of the Walking Dead, when

than 25 zombies march on Maraisrascon. (Each PC should make a fear check

h a + 2 bonus.) With the death of Jean,el has decided t o search for the Hyskosahimself. Even if he cant find it in the

ge, his efforts will be rewarded; he wants torate his total control over the undead.

lay siege tolling defenders and tearing apartas they search for the scroll Marcel

asks the PCs to return to thee to help him prepare a defense. Almost

Irespond, Luc begins repeat theani verse tha t led him and Marcel to the oldis his way of urging the PCs to

fter Marcel, for they must destroy theat his army. If the PCs

help the constable and the villagersan Brucian urges them

a different course. Find Marcels body,ds, adding his voice to Lucs. I am

it holds the key to the terrors whichus!

ng the zombie army,ch it without incident. If the PCso the village, and later head toward

attle zombies to. The rain helps to hide the PCs, but it

e th e players trace thehe PCs wish to take on the village map.

al the secret passage if necessary.)every 60 feet of progress, roll ld6. If the

is 1 or 2, l d 4 zombies surprise the party.is 3 or 4, the PCs surprise l d 4avoid them if they wish. If the

is 5 or 6, n o encounter occurs.

I

the PCs head for the old cemetery

Io f the Zombie Master

If the PCshe hillside carefully, they can find a

a stone slab with sixs carved upon it. (See B on the village


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map. The passage leads to A in the cemetery.)The PCs can also enter the old cemetery byclimbing over the wall or breaking through thegate. Once the characters are inside, refer tothe map titled The Zombie Lords Lair (insidecover). The numbers below match those on themap.1. Ancient Gate. Two grotesque gargoylesguard this gate. (They are no more than statues,but dont reveal that.) In every flash oflightning, the statues appear to move.

The ga te can be opened with a successfulbend bars roll, or by shattering the heavychains tha t secure it. To break th e chains, thePCs must inflict 25 hit points of damage. Eitherway, the resulting noise alerts Marcel to theirpresence, despite the pounding rain.2. Empty Mausoleum. Only dust lies within.3. Zombie Mausoleum. If the PCs explore thismausoleum, two zombies shamble out of openvaults and attack. If the PCs walk past thebuilding without entering, the zombies followand attack from behind. Use the zombiestatist ics from The Funeral in Part 11, but rollfor hit points.4. Decrepit Mausoleum. This crumblingbuilding has become the home of giant bats. Ifthe PCs disturb the tomb, the ba ts attack.Giant Bats ( l d 6 appear): AC 8; V 3/18;pl d 4 (roll randomly); #AT 1; Dmg 1-2;A nil; S D-3 from missile at tacks while flying; AL nil; XP35 each; THACO 20.5. Flooded Mausoleum. The roof of thismausoleum is cracked, allowing rainwater toform a pool several feet deep upon thefractured stone floor. The pool ripples as dropafter drop falls from above, echoing throughoutthe chamber. If any PC enters the flooded tomb,roll ld6.On a result of 5 r 6, he PC bumpsinto a submerged skeleton. The skeleton stands

up, placing its grinning skull face to face withthe PC.

Any PC who bumps into a skeleton mustmake a fear check. Failure indicates that thecharacter drops whatever he is holding andruns quickly toward the exit. There is a 50percent chance that a drop

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52959181 Adventure Ravenloft Night of the Walking Dead Lvl 1 3