Dungeon Magazine - 025

ADVENTURES FOR TSR ROLE-PLAYING GAMES

Best Professional Adventure Gaming Magaz

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1990 ISSUE #25VOL V, NO . 1

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The More Things Change . . .As you may have noticed, we've been gently tinkering with themagazine for several issues . Some of the changes are subtle,such as using shaded information sidebars (for new monsterstatistics, random-encounter charts, etc.) instead oflumping allmiscellaneous information at the end of the module . Otherchanges have been more noticeable : the new cover stock withfull-color inner covers, and the decision to include non-TSRadvertising.There are some changes you can't miss in this issue. Check

out our first MARVEL SUPERHEROES' game adventure,Allen Varney's "Hellfire Hostages ." Many of you have askedfor adventures for other TSR games, so we've decided to try anexperiment .But we need your feedback on this and future changes we've

got up our sleeves. We can't really know if something is a goodidea until we try it-and hear about it . I know we can't pleaseeveryone all the time, but we would like all our readers to feelthat those parts of the magazine they do enjoy are worth theprice. So let us know what you think, not just this month butwhenever we do something particularly useful (or particularlydumb).The staff of DUNGEON Adventures would like to thank all

our readers who voted this magazine the ORIGINS" Award for"Best Professional Adventure Gaming Magazine, 1989 ;' pre-sented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming and Design . Thisaward was presented at ORIGINS '90 gaming convention onJune 29, 1990 .

PUBLISHER: JamesM. WardEDITOR: Barbara G. YoungASSOCIATE EDITOR :Roger E. MooreEDITORIAL ASSISTANTS :Dale A. DonovanJoseph M. Nowak

ORIGINS is a trademark owned by the Game Manufacturers Association .

Vol . V, No. 1

COVER: If a redrose is for love,what does a blackone mean?JohnBlumen's coverpainting gives noclue ; you'll haveto read "A Rose forTalakara."

ARTDIRECTOR:LarryW. SmithCARTOGRAPHER : DieselTYPESETTING: Commset,Ltd., Streamwood ILSUBSCRIPTIONS:Janet L. Winters

SEPTEMBERIOCTOBER 1990 ISSUE #25

The Readers

LETTERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Paul May THE STANDING STONES OFSUNDOWN(AD&D° game, 9th-level individualor 3rd-level party) An act of mercyreleased a creature of unspeakableevil . Now, only you have a chance tostop it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Allen Varney

HELLFIRE HOSTAGES(MARVEL SUPER HEROES'"game) You've tried talking them out,punching them out, and zappingthem out, but you've still got"terrorists around the collar!" . . . 17

Randy Maxwell OF KINGS UNKNOWN(AD&D game, levels 2-4) Thathorrible blue, bug-eyed monsteryoujust fought-was it really an orc? 24

Stephen J. Smith

HROTHGAR'S RESTING PLACE(D&D° game, levels 4-7) If the bookis to be believed, there's a magicalsword-completely unguarded!-ripefor the taking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Wolfgang Baur &

AROSE FOR TALAKARASteven Kurtz

(AD&D game, levels 8-12) He wasthoughtful, obedient, andtrustworthy-the epitome of atraitor. All he needed were someheroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Come, my friends,'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.Push off, and sitting well in order smiteThe sounding furrows; for my purpose holdsTo sail beyond the sunset . . . .

"Ulysses," Alfred, Lord Tennyson

I LETTERS"Best or , Coming?I was wondering ifthere is a Best of

DUNGEON® Adventures underway? I,like many others, unfortunately didn'tsubscribe to DUNGEON Adventuresuntil later and missed the first fewissues. I'd love to get my hands on thefirst adventure with the dragon Flame("Into the Fire," issue #1), especiallyafter playing "Out of the Ashes" (issue#17) . Grant Boucher is a superiorwriter.Thank you so much for your great

magazine . The whole staff deservesapplause .

Tips for DMs

2 Issue No. 25

John SchultzLansing, Illinois

We don't have any plans to publish aBest of DUNGEON Adventures anthol-ogy at the present time, but quite a fewback issues ofthe magazine are stillavailable (including issue #1) . For a freecatalog, write to The Mail Order HobbyShop, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva, WI53147, U.S.A .

I would like to know if it is possible tohave a suggestions page where DMscould provide tips on ways to keep trackof information, methods of designingadventures, etc .For example, I use scenes in travel

brochures and magazines to quicklyexplain different terrain types . Catalogsoften have interesting pictures as well,and illustrations of rugs, vases, rings,bracelets, or just about anything can becut out and attached to 3" x 5" cards .These cards make treasure descriptionsmore interesting and easier to keeptrack of. Also, a strange-looking item orscene can often provide enough inspira-tion for an entire adventure .

Mark WolffGodfrey, Illinois

Readers should feel free to send in anyhints they would like to share. We'll runthem right here in the "Letters" column .One ofmy favorite sources of visual

aids is National Geographic magazine.All those mountains, deserts, sunkenships, and ancient treasures are perfectfor the sort ofvisual descriptions yousuggest.

Cover Stock ShockI hate the new cover stock . It shrivels

when it gets damp. Everything else isperfect. In fact, everything was perfectuntil you changed the cover stock . Putit back. Put it back . Put it back! Anddon't change anything else, either. I'deven pay the difference for the heavierstock.

Make 'Em Squirm!I would like to congratulate Steve

Gilbert and Bill Slavicek on the writingof a truly superb adventure : "Tallow'sDeep" (issue #18) . Four characterswalked in ; two ran out . The traps werewell planned and creative, and Grishogwas one impressive goblin. I wouldhighly recommend this module to anyDM who likes to see his players squirm .

Brandon ChengSlippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Issues & Answers

Clay ToombsChandler, Arizona

I have been playing both the AD&D®and D&D© games for over nine yearsnow and have been a DM for five. I havebeen a subscriber to your magazinesince the beginning and find it to be apriceless resource to my campaign . Mygroup of six regular players meets atmy house every Monday night to enjoya game, and sometimes also on Tuesdayif we can't fit the whole adventure intoone night . We have been doing this foralmost two years now, exclusively play-

ing the modules in your magazine .Almost since your magazine began, I

have seen much controversy in the"Letters" department . So I questionedeach of my players about some of themore talked-about issues.First I asked them whether or not

they still wanted to see D&D gamemodules printed . There was almost noargument . Even though we play moreAD&D games than D&D games, theyall thought abolishing the latter wouldbe unfair.Next I asked them how they felt about

boxed text . The decision was unani-mous. No! Personally, I agree with that .You see, as a DM, my job is to give theplayers an accurate description of whatthey encounter. I don't need or wantsomeone else to do that for me . It is myduty and pleasure to read the adventurecompletely before the game, and to putit into my own words . Not necessarilybetter words, but if I always read thedescription verbatim, my players wouldfall asleep . In issue #23, you said thatthe general vote of the letters was lean-ing in favor of the boxed text . Thatscared me. That's one ofthe reasons Idecided to sit down and write this letter,and I hope others who don't care for theboxed text do the same .

I have found many complaints andrebuttals concerning solo adventures,but only four letters defending them.Make that five . Most ofthose that gripeabout solos say that they are uselessbecause PC parties cannot play in them.But, as a DM, my only chance to run aplayer character is with a solo adven-ture . Besides, any DM can get ideas fora dungeon of his own, and solos take uponly a little space in the magazine . Therate of one solo adventure per threeissues is fine with me .Finally, my players and I are tired of

people belittling this magazine withtheir complaints . The cover and insideartwork is great, even if it is a littlecorny at times . The modules printed areexcellent, and I can always expect my

DUNGEON*(ISSN 0890-7102) is published bimonthly by TSR, Inc. 201 Sheridan Springs Rd., Lake Geneva, WI 53147. The mailing address for all material except subscription orders isDUNGEON. PO . Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147; telephone (414) 248-3625 .Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class mail are as follows : $18 in U.S . fundsfor sixissues sent to an address in the U.S. or Canada, $35 in U.S . funds for surface mail delivery toany other address, and $52 in U.S . funds for air mail delivery to any other address . Prices are subject to change without notice. Payment in full must accompany all subscription orders . Paymentshould be by check or money order, made payable to TSR, Inc., or by charges to valid MasterCard or VISA credit cards. Send subscription orders with payments to: TSR, Inc., PO. Box5695,Boston, MA 02206 . The issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on the mailing label foreach subscriber's copy of the magazine . Changes of address for the delivery of subscription copiesmust be received at least six weeks prior to the effective date of the change, in order to assure uninterrupted delivery.Back issues: Limited back issues of this magazine are available from theTSR Mail Order Hobby Shop, PO . Box 756, Lake Geneva WI53147. For acopy of the current mail-order catalog, writeto the above address .Submissions: All material published in DUNGEON becomes the exclusive property of the publisher, unless special arrangements to thecontrary are made prior to publication . DUNGEONwelcomes unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork ; however, no responsibility for such submissions canbe assumed by the publisher in any event . Any submission accompaniedby a self-addressed, stampedenvelope of sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published . Please write for our writers' guidelines before sendinga module to us ; send a self-addressed,tamped envelope (9 1/2" long preferred) to: Module Guidelines, DUNGEON, TSR, Inc ., PO . Box 111, Lake Geneva WI53147.DUNGEON is a registered trademark forthe TSR role-playing adventure periodical published by TSR, Inc . All rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, and nothingmay bereproduced from it in whole or in part, without first obtaining written permission from the publisher.0 designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ° designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc . Most other product names are trademarks owned by the companiespublishing thoseproducts . Use of the name of any product without mention of trademark status should not be construed as a challenge to such status .01990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved . Printed in the U.S.A .Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wise ., USAandadditional mailing offices. Postmaster : Send address changes to DUNGEON, c/o TSR, Inc., PO . Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147.

PCs to leave the game table with asmile after an adventure .Let's get serious . No magazine is per-

fect . but DUNGEON Adventures doescome close .

Fred BickneseCoraopolis, Pennsylvania

I'd really like to cut offthe boxed-textdebate with this issue, so please don'ttake Fred up on his call for more letters .1 have to side with the pro-box faction onthis one . The boxes contain descriptiveinformation in a narrative format. TheDM can, as noted, read or paraphrasethe information as he sees fit . Those ofyou who don't like to read the boxedinformation verbatim can use what's inthe boxjust as you would use a non-boxed paragraph of information.1 would love to print one solo adven-

ture every two or three issues, but I don'thave any to print. Writing numbered-paragraph solos can be very frustrating,and 1 can understand why some writerswho attempt it never do so again. How-ever, rd also like to see some one-DM/one-player adventures, for those timeswhen you can't get a larger group to-gether or need to do something specialwith only one character (see "Tomb ItMay Concern" in issue #22).

RPGs : Tools of Whom?After reading your editorial inDUNGEON Adventures #22, 1 had tore-read it to find just what it was that Ididn't like . While I agree with you onmost of your guidelines (except for "hon-orable, heroic goals," but I run a grittiercampaign), I was annoyed with yourcomment that "role-playing games showthe moral superiority of good triumph-ing over evil and are therefore not thetools of the devil :'Your statement came as a surprise

because it seems to contradict the standthat TSR has had, that there is no con-nection between satanism and gaming .Yet it's just the flip side of the same cointo say that gaming is a tool against thedevil (by moral example, at least) [Did Isay that?-Barbara] .

I've been playing for eight years andhave found that the AD&D game is away for people to get together and havesome fun, not participate in the real-lifestruggle of good vs . evil . I've found thatworries over religion and mental healthwere mostly spread by well-meaningbut misinformed individuals . However,

it can hardly be said that DUNGEONmagazine doesn't know about role-playing games .

More From King Thar

Allan SeyberthFt. Drum, New York

Now lissen der, ya need to come toUdhgar Palace . Dis is da secend leter Ivhad to send ya, an Im geting sick antired ov it! Der be to mar errers in"Rank Amatures" [issue #22]! Da firstwon be dat ya shud rol a 1d10, not 1d8fer taproom roomers . Da next errer bedat da secend pairugraf in da Grate Halbe repeatd in da tird pairugraf.

Thar, King of Broken LandsCheif of Orcus Rex

Supreem Commander of da Legion

Our travel agent is working on thereservations .

Talk With a Horse, of CourseI recently began reading DUNGEON

Adventures, and I want to congratulateyou on your wonderful magazine, espe-cially issue #23 . Willie Walsh's excel-lent "The Pyramid of Jenkel" is goingto provide interesting material for mynext AD&D entertainment . This mini-adventure could not be more suited tomy characters if they had a paladin intheir midst! Thank you.

I do have one problem, however. Mycleric/ranger player and her druid con-sort (another player) really enjoy utiliz-ing their speak with animals spells. Butin DUNGEON modules, there is verylittle description of what the importantanimals know ; e.g ., the runaway horsein "The Pyramid of Jenkel." However,all in all, I want to congratulate youpeople on an incredible magazine!

Russ GilmanSpringfield, Oregon

A Den in DenmarkFirst of all, I want to thank you for a

brilliant magazine that really helps mein my role-playing . In Denmark, FRPgames are very difficult to obtain (thereis only one shop in Denmark that spe-cializes in FRP games, and I live veryfar from it), and they are also very ex-pensive (you have to pay at least twotimes the dollar price) . So it is not oftenI get new adventures .But recently, a friend showed me

DUNGEON Magazine, and I knew thatit was the solution to my problems . Ihave bought the magazine ever sinceand never regretted it for a minute .

I especially liked issue #22 with the"Rank Amateurs" adventure . I havewanted to play with humanoid PCs eversince I bought GAZ 10 The Orcs of TharPlease publish more humanoid adven-tures .

Finally, I would like to congratulateyou on your fabulous covers and interiorartwork . They are really good!

If you publish this letter, could youplease print my full address so otherscan write to me .

Killer Humanoid SyndromeThanks for the " . . . Tips on Home-

Grown Modules" [issue #23] . Such clearadvice works both ways, not only toupgrade submissions, but to improvehome-grown scenarios for at-home con-sumption, too .And thanks as well for the magazine

itself. You wouldn't believe how mygame world has grown to make placesfor some of the scenarios in DUNGEONAdventures that have caught myimagination .Your offer to print full addresses [of

letter writers] was welcome . I'd like tohear from other gainers, too . I do avariant (penpal-style) AD&D 1st Editiongame . Or, I'd be happy to just talkgames .Oh! What does Mr. Stump (issue #23)

mean by saying he hopes "this will putthe killer humanoid syndrome to restfor good"? I am never so delighted aswhen I find a scenario that makes gooduse of those monsters it's just plaindifficult to put to sensible use . Exam-ples? "Deception Pass," of course ."Encounter in the Wildwood" [issue#19] . Three cheers for Mr. Walsh! Amismatched lot woven together withfine inventiveness . And the killer gob-lins in "Tallow's Deep" [issue #18] byGilbert and Slavicek . More!

E . J . ("Jo") Philagios830 W Nelson St .

Denison, Texas 75020

DUNGEON 3

LETTERS

Michael SchmidtVestergade 12

8850 BjerringbroDenmark

Continued on page 64

THE STANDINGSTONES OFSUNDOWNBY PAUL MAY

The door to the Abyss canbe opened with goodintentions .

Artwork by Jerry Tiritilli

Paul May is studying for a Ph.D. inplasma chemistry at the University ofBristol (England) and has been playingthe AD&D° game for over eight years.Paul writes: "I live close to both Stone-henge and Avebury (famous for its stonecircle and white horse chalk mark) .While visiting them I had the idea towrite a scenario based on what thesemysterious relics might mean."

"The Standing Stones of Sundown" isan AD&D 2nd Edition adventure for aparty ofprimarily good-aligned PCs . Itcan be played with a single PC of anyclass, so long as that PC is above 8thlevel and well equipped . Alternatively, asmall party of 3-4 PCs ofabout 4th to 6thlevel each (about 18 total levels) can usethe scenario . The module can be slippedinto any existing campaign on occasionswhen the DM finds himselfshort ofplayers because of last-minute cancel-lations . The village of Sundown is arural setting in a temperate climate . It isslightly off the beaten track, a peacefulfarming community far from the hustleand bustle ofcity life .

For the Dungeon MasterThe village of Sundown in the county ofthe Vales has existed for thousands ofyears . Evidence of early habitation onthe site is present in the form ofa largechalk marking of a setting sun etchedinto the hillside, and a ring of 11 stand-ing stonesjust outside the present vil-lage's boundaries .Unknown to the villagers, these stones

have been the magical prison for a crea-ture from the outer planes . This crea-ture, a type of vrock, normally resided inthe depths of the Abyss . Five thousandyears ago, however, it began menacingSundown and other nearby villages. Thevrock, Jaazzpaa by name, was fond ofpopping into the Prime Material planeusing his magical chalice ofplane travel,picking up a tasty human snack, andreturning to the Abyss .The shamans ofthe 10 villages devised

a cunning plan to rid themselves of thisscourge . They combined all oftheir mag-ical abilities to lure the creature into acarefully prepared trap . Then they caston the vrock a powerful spell, stonecase,that acted as a primitive flesh to stonespell, encasing him in a rock prison .(See the sidebar for a description ofthis spell .)

Casting this spell was quite a sacrificefor the shamans, since in order to makethe spell permanent, they too had to beturned to stone . Their 10 stones formed aring around the vrock's central stone,their combined magical emanationsconfining the foul creature in his trap .The grateful villagers engraved a hugechalk mark of a setting sun, their sym-bol for danger, into the hillside to warnothers not to interfere with the circle . Soit remained for thousands of years, untilthe original purpose ofthe stones andmeaning of the chalk symbol hadbeen lost .The village's inquisitive mage, Arris,

had recently been investigating thehistory ofthe stones . He found evidence(from an unreliable source) that thestones were once innocent farmers whohad been accidentally turned to stone .Even though this idea was unlikely,Arris became fixated on it and decided totest the theory.Arris was oftoo low a level to cast

stone to flesh himself, so he purchased aring ofdepetrification and used it todispel the magic on one ofthe stones .This not only released a primitive sha-man but destroyed the power of the stonering prison . Jaazzpaa was free-and hewas angry! He killed the mage and theshaman using his energy drain spell,then took refuge in the woods near thevillage .Thousands of years of imprisonment

have sapped the vrock's strength andpowers, so he needs time and food torecover . He knows that he is trapped onthis plane until he can regain his chaliceofplane travel, which was discovered in afield near the village a few hundredyears ago and given to the local churchfor use in religious ceremonies . Jaazzpaacannot enter the church to recover thechalice, since the ground is holy andconsecrated, so he is biding his time,gaining strength day by day and think-ing of subtle ways to regain his property .The mysterious death of their mage

and the disappearance oftwo of thestanding stones (once the shaman andthe vrock) have sent a wave of fearthrough the superstitious villagers .There is talk of evil spirits and badomens, especially since it is only a fewdays before the annual religious festival,the Blessing ofthe Seeds .The essence of this module is investi-

gation and problem solving . The PCsshould gradually begin to put togetherall the pieces, until by the end they

should know roughly what to expect .Jaazzpaa will still be a terrifying oppo-nent, no matter how well prepared thePCs are . The DM should emphasize therole-playing aspects ofthe game, sincethe PCs will have to interview several ofthe villagers in order to learn informa-tion and obtain clues .

For the Player Characters

Read or paraphrase the following to theplayers :

After hours ofriding through thecountryside, you begin to think aboutmaking camp for the night . Althoughtraveling has been easy over the pastfew days, you feel a night's rest at acomfortable inn is long overdue . Youknow that the village of Sundown isonly a short distance ahead, so youdecide to make it your destination fortonight .As your mounts wearily trudge up

the next in a succession ofseeminglyendless hills, you are finallyrewarded with the sight ofthe villagebelow in the valley . It seems to be apleasant community of some 40houses, most of which appear to befarms, although there is a strangecircular ruin on the outskirts ofthetown . You can't make out any moredetail from this distance .The village is bordered on three

sides by newly plowed fields that areneatly arranged behind the houses .The northern edge of the village bor-ders a lush green woodland whosetrees sway gently in the soft breeze .As you look across the valley to the

far hillside, you are surprised to see astartling white symbol engraved intothe greenery . It appears to be a stylized representation of a sunset andcovers about 100' from side to side .The white image looms over the vil-lage like a giant all-seeing eye .You've heard ofchalk marks like thisin other villages, but you don't knowwhat they signify . This ancient sym-bol must have given the village itsname . Intrigued, you start to makeyour way down toward the village .However, the horses toss their headsand prance uneasily, appearing reluc-tant to descend .

The horses sense the presence oftheevil creature in the valley below. If thePCs use a speak with animals spell, thehorses say that they are very frightened,

THE STANDING STONES OF SUNDOWN

but they don't know why. It's just avague, uneasy feeling of something notbeing right .The PCs might decide to ignore the

nervousness of their horses and ride onto the village . If so, the horses becomeincreasingly restless . There is a 1-in-3chance that each horse will panic andthrow its rider to the ground for 1-6 hpdamage . The horses so affected thenraces offin panic, taking all their PCs'possessions . It will take an hour's thor-ough searching before the horses arefound . Ifthe PCs walk alongside theirhorses, their comforting presence willcalm the animals and allow them to beled to the village . If the PCs don't havemounts, none ofthis will occur .

TheVillage of Sundown

The DM should try to make the PCs feeluneasy as they enter the village . Thenervousness ofthe horses should havewarned the PCs that something is up,and the reaction ofthe villagers to stran-gers should convince them of that . TheDM should make several subtle refer-ences to the chalk sunset symbol "watch-ing" over the village .There is an air of heightened tension

in the town. The villagers appearfriendly but are very wary of strangers .Some give the PCs anxious glances andtry to avoid them. If questioned, they

StonecaseThis spell is no longer known, havingbeen forgotten in the mists of time . Itresembled a primitive form of flesh tostone spell, except that it was morepowerful and more cumbersome tocast . The petrified victim was alsoencased in a large rectangular blockof stone the height ofthe victim . Thevictim ofthis spell remained soencased until the magic was dispelledor the spell duration expired .The spell required at least five

clerics or mages to combine theirmagical abilities for it to function .Even so, the spell lasted only 50turns . In order to make the effectspermanent, the spell-casters wererequired to form a ring around thevictim's stone and then use the spellon themselves . The magical stonering thus created acted as a focus formagical energy and could last indefi-nitely, unless the ring were everbroken .


THE VILLAGE OF SUNDOWN

direct the sleepy PCs to the tavern, theonly place in the village that has roomsfor rent .

1 . The Witch's Brew Tavern . This isthe main social meeting place ofthevillage . It is usually quite full offarmersand laborers relaxing after a hard day inthe fields . The tavern is owned by aplump, jovial man named Geddi Corn-cutter who employs two serving girls tohelp him run the place .Geddi Corncutter : AL CG; AC 10 ;

MV 12 ; F2 ; hp 14 ; THACO 19 ; # AT 1 ;Ding by weapon type ; S 16, C 15 ; ML 10 ;dagger, club .

6 Issue No . 25

Geddi used to be quite a warrior whenhe was younger, but now he has retiredto his little place in the country . Hekeeps a club behind the bar to deal withdrunks but only rarely has to use it . Heis a likeable character with a funnystory for every occasion . The tavernkeeper often amuses his clientele withanecdotes and jokes (example : "What doyou call an orc with a brain?-A liar!""What do you call an orc with only halfabrain?-Gifted!") . The DM might like toprepare several such witticisms to role-play Geddi to his full potential . Thetavern keeper is widely liked in the

village, both for his personality and theale (Olde Goatscratcher) that he brewsand serves .When the PCs enter the tavern, all

conversation stops and the farmers allturn to stare at the strangers . After afew seconds, they continue their conver-sations but occasionally cast anxiousglances toward the newcomers .The tavern is a large room about 30'

square with a bar down one wall . Theground floor also has the kitchen andseveral smaller rooms for private meetings . Several bedrooms on the floorabove can be rented to travelers . Thelayout of the tavern is unimportant, butthe DM can design it if he so chooses .Arranged decoratively on the walls in

the bar area are farming implementsand accessories ofancient design, suchas a cartwheel, an ox yoke, and even aplow! These are antiques that Geddifeels give the place a homey feel .Hung on the wall above the bar are

two sickles forming a cross shape . Theleft-hand sickle is old and rusted but o£ avery ancient design. The right-handimplement looks newer and seems inperfect condition . Centuries before, thissickle was magically enchanted toremain sharp forever . Ifthe PCs castdetect magic or identify spells on thissickle, they can discover this . They willneed Geddi's permission first, of course,before they start rearranging his fur-nishings to cast magical spells . If theycorrectly tell Geddi that his sickle ismagical, he will be thrilled (he didn'tknow it was such a special item) . Thetavern keeper will let the PCs have aroom free of charge for doing him thisservice . For game purposes, treat thesickle as a scimitar +2 worth 1,000 gp .After the PCs have been in the tavern

for a few minutes, they are approachedby a middle-aged man wearing a whiterobe . He introduces himself as FatherMatthias, the local priest of Sundown .He asks if the PCs would care to visit hischurch to worship . He has three reasonsfor asking this : First, he wants to findout if the PCs are of good people . Second,he wants to see ifhe can obtain a dona-tion for the Church Roof RestorationFund from these "rich" adventurers .Third and most important, he wants toascertain whether these PCs are capableand willing to help the village in itspresent crisis .

Ifthe PCs say they will gladly visit thechurch, the priest smiles broadly andengages the party in small talk for a

while before leaving to attend to hisduties . If good-aligned PCs decline to goto the church, theDM should thinkabout giving each adventurer a smalldeity-sent affliction, such as a boil on thenose, as a warning.Father Matthias : AL LG; AC 10 ; MV

12 ; C4 ; hp 15 ; THAC018; #AT 1; Dmgbyspell or weapon type ;W 16, Ch 16; ML10 ; spells : bless, cure light wounds (x 2),detect evil light, augury, find traps,know alignment, speak with animals;scrolls : tongues, speak with dead, flamestrike; holy symbol, mace .Father Matthias is a kindly man in his

late forties. He is highly respected in thevillage, and not only because he is itsonly priest . His face is compassionatebut has recently become lined withworry. Thetalk of evil spirits in thevillage has unnerved him. Some of thevillagers think that the festival oftheBlessing ofthe Seeds is a pagan ritualand should be abandoned. There is talkthat the disappearance oftwo of theancient stones and the mysterious deathofthe mage, Arris, were warnings sentby the gods . The priest is worried thatthis might be true and is having a crisisoffaith as a result . He desperately wantsthe mystery cleared up .

Ifthe PCs ask Geddi, Father Matthias,or any ofthe tavern patrons what hashappened in the village to make every-one so nervous, read or paraphrase thefollowing, attributing these remarks tothe NPC so addressed:

"We've hadaspot oftrouble hererecently. Our local wizard, Arris, diedtwo days ago. His body was foundlyingbeside the Witches of the Glade.He wasan eccentric old man, but hewasalways polite and pleasant toeveryone . They say that there wereno signs ofinjuries on his body . . . justa look ofterror frozen on his face .Also, two of the witch stones are miss-ing. Thepeople are calling it an evilomen, especially coming so close tothe festival ofthe Blessing oftheSeeds. Several ofthe villagers haveseen ashadowy figure in the woods.There's talk ofevil spirits, and every-body's getting veryjumpy."

The body of Arris is being stored in asmall building (area 2) adjoining thevillage hall . He is to be buried tomorrow,although some ofthe more superstitiousvillagers say that his body should beburned ("Youcan never be too careful

where dark magic is concerned.") .The"Witches ofthe Glade" is the local

name given to the group of standingstones just outside the village. Thenamecomes from one ofthe legends abouttheir origin . Every time a PC asks some-one in the village about the stones, roll1d8 and consult the Stones' OriginRumors table.The festival of the Blessing ofthe

Seeds is an annual event. Every year thelocal priest blesses the seeds sown in thefields using holy water from the church .Thewhole village turns out for the occa-sion, and it is regarded by many as anecessary precaution to allow the corn togrow healthy and strong next year . Thefestival is planned to occur in three days'time.

During the Night

If the PCsdecide to go to bed, leavingfurther investigation until tomorrow,read the following to the PCs:

After such along and eventful eve-ning, you say goodnight to Geddiandmake your wayupstairs to your room.Thechamber is surprisingly wellequipped with good-quality antiquefurniture. Awindow overlooks themain street . Youremove your travel-stained clothes and settle down grate-fully for the night.

Just after midnight, the PCs are awak-ened by shouts from the street belowtheir window. Several villagers arestanding in a semicircle carrying clubs.In the center is a small figure dressed ina cloak. As thePCs watch, the figure inthe cloak leaps at one of the villagersand tosses him aside as ifhe were arag

Stones'Origin Rumors (Roll 1d8)


doll . Asecond villager attempts to hitthe figure with a club, but the beingdodges easily, knocking the manuncon-scious with one powerful blow. Some ofthe other farmers manage solid hits withtheir clubs, but the creaturejust shrugsthe blows off and continues fighting .This is ajuju zombie, created when

Jaazzpaa used his energy drain spell tokill Arris. Thebody has reanimated andbroken out ofthe storage shed (area 2)tocause havoc.Arris Dreamweaver (juju zombie):

Int low; AL N(E); AC 6; MV 9; HD 3+12;hp 24; THAC015; #AT 1 ; Ding 3-12 ; SAattack as a6-HD creature ; SD +1 orbetter weapon to hit; half damage fromfire-based attacks and piercing or bluntweapons; unaffected by mind-affectingspells such as charms or holds as well aspoison, magic missile and cold spells ;MR special; ML special; XP 975; MC.

If the PCs ignore the disturbanceandgo back to sleep, the combined force ofallthe farmers ofthe village (aided byFather Matthias's flame strike spell)eventually defeat the zombie, althoughat a cost of several dead and injuredfarmers. Thebody ofthe zombie is setalight andburned using flaming oil . Ifthe PCs rush out in their nightclothes tohelp the farmers, the DM should remem-ber to adjust their armor classes accord-ingly. If the PCs spend time putting ontheir armor before going to help, there isa 3-in-6 chance that the battle is overbefore they get there. In that event, allthat remains of the zombie is ashes.Examination ofthe zombie's remains

reveals a golden ring set with a largeruby. This ring will be found either onthe zombie's finger or buried in theashes, depending on howthe zombiedied . An identify spell will show it be a

1 . The stones mark the burial site ofan ancient village leader .2 . The stones are an ancient magical marker . They form one marker in a line

stretching for dozens of miles. Other markers include ancient bridges, obelisks,and old woodland tracks . These "ley lines" are ancient magical lines offorce. Theintersection oftwo ley lines is a place of great power. Sundown is supposed to beone such place.3. The stones are an astronomical device that told the ancient farmers the start

ofthe seasons. Some ofthe stones are aligned with very bright stars on equinoxnights .4-7. Thestones are the remains of a group of witcheswhowere holding a coven

in the field . One oftheir spells misfired and they were all turned to stone. Thisbelief has given the stones their nickname, the Witches of the Glade.8. The stones are the handiwork of an eight-legged reptile, possibly a basilisk,

that wandered into a farmers' camp centuries ago. Thecreature's gaze turned thepoor farmers to stone as they sat around their campfire .


ring of depetrification (see the sidebarfor details) .

If the PCscast a speak with dead spellon the zombie's remains, they discoverthat the corpse wasthat ofthe mageArris. When he was alive, he believedthat the witch stones were farmers acci-dentally turned to stone by a basiliskcenturies before . He knowsthe details ofthe ring ofdepetriication, including thenumber ofcharges remaining. He usedthe ring on one ofthe stones in the circlebut instead ofafarmer appearing, to hissurprise he gotastrange manlike crea-ture wearing war paint and feathers.This creature screamed andran towardthe woods. Arris tried to chase him, butsomething large and powerful grabbedhim from behind . He couldn't see what itwas, but it wasbig and he could sense itsevilness . Then all his strength seemed tofade away . Thecorpse knows nothingmore .

2. The Storage Shed. This is ahutlike building, about 20'x20', with nowindowsand one small locked woodendoor at the front. It is normally used tostore small pieces of farming equipment.Thebody ofArris, the dead mage, haslain here for the past day while awaitingburial .

If their curiosity is aroused by talk ofthe mysterious death ofArris, the PCsmight decide to come here immediatelyandexamine his body . Ifthey do thisbefore the ju-ju zombie runs amokthrough the town (see "During theNight")they find the zombie tryingtobreak out ofthe hut. When it hears thePCsapproaching, the zombie climbs ontoa ledge above the door and waits forthem to enter.ThePCs can gain entry in several

ways . Asuccessful open-locks roll or

Ring ofDepetrification

This gold ring set with a large redruby can cast the equivalent ofa stoneto flesh spell . Thering must be wornand touched to a stone in order toactivate the spell. A successful depe-trification uses up one charge.The ring will work only on crea-

tures that have been petrified bymagical means, such as a flesh tostone spell, gaze of a basilisk, etc.Touching the ring to a normal stonehas no effect. The ring holds 15charges, can be recharged, and isworth 10,000 gp .

knock spell will open the door . Smashingthe door down requires a successfulopen-doors roll and attracts the atten-tion ofapassing farmer,whoruns forassistance and returns with asecondfarmer in five rounds .When the PCsenter the storage shed,

read the following to the players:

The inside ofthe shed smells of rotand decay. By the thin rays of lightthat filter through the cracks in thewalls and roof, you can see that theroom contains nothing butalargecoffin . You realize with mountinghorror that the coffin lid is askew! Ahideous groan fills the small room,andyou look above to see a dark,cloaked figure watching youfrom aledge over the doorway. Its red eyesseem to meet those ofeach member ofyour groupjust as it leaps!

See "During the Night" for the ju-juzombie's statistics. For its first attack,the zombie gains a +2 bonuson initia-tive because of its unexpected leap fromthe ledge. Ifthe PCs made noise whenentering the storage shed(by breakingdown the door, for example), two farmersarrive and give aid to the PCs after fiverounds . If the PCs were reasonably quietwhile entering the shed, it takes sevenrounds for the sleepy farmers come toinvestigate the noise ofthe ensuingbattle .Farmers (2) : AL LG; AC 10;MV 12;

zero-level humans; hp 4 (x 2) ; THACO20;#AT 1 ; Dmgby weapon type ; ML 9; MC;dagger, club .

Ifthe PCscome to the storage shed atany time other than the first night, theyfind it empty with the door smashedopen from the inside .

In the Morning

As thePCs are finishing breakfast, anold man enters the tavern . He has a facelined with age but bears himselfwithpoise and dignity. He looks around thetavern, sees the PCs, and walks towardtheir table. Read or paraphrase thefollowing to the players:

"I am Gillan, an elder of the village ofSundown. I noted your arrival lastnight andcome to younowwith aproposition . Youhave probably heardofthe recent death ofour mage, Arris.The . . . disturbance . . . last night hasdone much to increase tension in

our village. Rumors of evil spirits anddark magic abound . The Blessing ofthe Seeds is only two days away, andpeople are saying that ifthe curseisn't lifted by then, the harvest willfail andwe will all starve . Thefarmers are too superstitious and toobusy planting seeds to investigatethese events ."Gillan regards you with a cold stare

for amoment. Then he says, "Thevillage ofSundown can payyouatotal of 100 gp ifyou can rid us ofthisevil . Canyou do it?"

Gillan: AL LG; AC 10 ; MV 9(due toage) ; zero-level human; hp 2; THACO20;#AT 1; Dmgby weapon type ; S 6, D 6, Ch15 ; ML 12 ; unarmed.Gillan is very worried about the prob-

lems in the village. Thefarmers look tohim to solve their troubles, but until nowhe hasn't knownwhat to do . He regardsthe appearance ofthe adventurers as apiece of supreme good luck, perhaps theanswer to his prayers.Gillan will tell the PCs all he knows

about Arris's death. Thebody was foundnear the Witches ofthe Glade. Therewere no markson the body and no signsofinjury . However, the body wasastrange gray color, and the face wascontorted into a rictus of pain. Also, twoofthe standing stones have vanished(the large central stone and one ofthesmaller stones from the outer ring).Gillan thinks there is foul magic at workand is beginning to believe some of thestories of evil spirits himself.ThePCs maywant to investigate the

village to gather more information . Thelayout ofthe village is shown on themap, but the DM should feel free toredesign it as he pleases.

3. Farmhouses. All the farmhousesare similar two-story buildings. They areclean and tidy but very functional . Thefarmers are very busy planting seeds atthis time ofyear . Ifthe PCstalk to any ofthe farmers about recent events, roll 1d8and consult the Village Rumors table todetermine what the adventurers learn.

4. Arris's Bungalow. This building issimilar in appearance to all the otherfarmhouses, but it is only one story high,containing four rooms and an entrancehall (see the map). Abovethe front door,a small rune is carved into the woodenframe. The rune is not magical; it is an

ancient symbol meaning "Welcome"that Arris copied from a book anddecided to put over his door . A compre-hend languages spell will discover this .The door is closed but not locked .

Inside, the place is in a mess . Arris wasvery untidy and was forever losing spellcomponents underneath piles ofpaper .The PCs can discover a lot here iftheylook in the right places . The importantdiscoveries and information are detailedbelow, but the DM can take this opportu-nity to include other minor magicalitems, such as scrolls and potions.

4A. Corridor . This 10'x 20' entrancehallway contains four coat hooks sethigh into the wall . One of Arris's sparerobes hangs on the hook closest to theentrance . This robe contains a fewworthless spell components (pieces ofwood, candle wax, etc .) . Hidden in asecret pocket is a dagger +1.

4B . Bedroom. The only piece of furni-ture in Arris's bedroom is a small bed . Alarge pile ofclothes decorates the south-west corner of the floor . This is Arris'slaundry, still waiting to be taken to thewasherwoman . Ifthe PCs rummagearound in the pile, they will discover aforgotten piece ofparchment in thepocket ofa robe . This scroll contains anidentify spell .

4C . Washroom. This area contains asmall washbasin and lavatory . A minorspell causes the air in here to be freshand smell like violets ; this spell will endin 3d10 days .

4D. Kitchen . Surprisingly, Arris'skitchen is clean, well equipped, and wellorganized, in contrast to the rest of thebungalow. It seems the mage was quite agourmet cook . A wide selection of potsand pans hangs over a small stove .Inside a drawer is a set of silver cutleryworth 5 sp .

4E. Study. The study is a large squareroom with an empty fireplace againstthe south wall . Four bottles containingdifferent colored liquids have been care-fully placed on a shelf attached to theeast wall . These are potions and chemi-cals that Arris used in his experiments .The first liquid is black and fizzy ; it is apotion of healing. The second is a pea-green potion of levitation. The third isorange-brown and contains concentratednitric acid . Any PC who sips this liquid

ARRIS'S BUNGALOWArea 41 square = 5'

sustains 1-6 hp damage to his mouth,plus 1-4 hp damage for the next threerounds unless cured . The PC also finds itdifficult to speak until his burns havehealed . The fourth bottle holds a clearliquid with a sharp, fruity smell . It con-tains acetone, a chemical that Arris wasusing as an all-purpose solvent for mix-ing potions . Sipping this causes 1d4 -2hp damage to the PC's mouth. Eachbottle is labeled in Arris's own short-hand . Any PC casting a comprehendlanguages spell on the labels can readthe contents of each bottle .A large bookcase has been pushed up

against the west wall of the study. Itholds 50 books, mostly ancient textbookson magic and tomes oflocal history. TheDM is invited to invent the names ofthese books to act as red herrings andconfuse the PCs. Examples might be1,001 Uses for Nail Varnish Remover;Famous Wizards ofthe Past; EverythingYou Ever Wanted to Know AboutBasi-lisks (But Were Afraid toAsk), etc. Oneofthe books is entitled Forgotten Lan-guages and is a very ancient work writ-ten in an archaic form of Common. Itdeals with the meanings of symbols andhieroglyphs from languages used in the

THE STANDING STONES OFSUNDOWN

DUNGEON 9

N

Village Rumors (Roll 1d8)1 . "Betty Haywagon had a goat stolen

last night . She loved that animal like apet, and she's heartbroken ."2 . "My son and his friends saw several

large, dark figures moving in the woods.There's talk ofevil spirits about!"3 . "There's a stranger in town . He

wears a dark cloak and has a verypointed nose . He's been seen hangingaround the church . I saw him once onthe path and he gave me the creeps!"4 . "The gods are angry with us for

performing a pagan ritual to bless thecrops . These violent occurrences are anomen . The festival should be abandoned ."5 . "That madman, Arris, summoned

all sorts ofevil monsters for his arcaneexperiments . One of them must havegot loose!"6 . "Ifthe festival isn't held, the crops

will fail and we'll all starve!"7 . "A stranger dressed in a dark cloak

stopped me on the road into town . Heasked what year this was! A verystrange question, but then he was astrange person ."8 . "There are zombies running loose!

Only last night there was a battle withone in the center ofthe village ."


area thousands ofyears ago. Examina-tion ofthis book reveals a diagram show-ing the same sunset symbol chalked intothe hillside . Below the symbol are thefollowing lines oftext :

This symbol is believed to have repre-sented "Danger" or "Warning" inancient societies . The sunset isthought to be symbolic of the comingofdarkness, and many scholarsagree it was used to warn travelers ofpossible hazards in the vicinity .

In the margin of the text here is writ-ten the comment, "Warning ofwhat?Basilisk?" (in Arris's hand).A later page shows a symbol similar to

that above Arris's front door . Theinscription reads:

This symbol is believed to be a uni-versally recognized rune offriend-ship, translating as "Welcome." Theancients often carved this symbolover theirdoorways as a sign ofhospitality to travelers.

A large table covered with piles ofbooks and parchments takes up thecenter ofthe room . Thebooks are similarto the ones in the bookcase, and theparchments are notes written by Arris tohimself in his own shorthand. One notesays "laundry tomorrow." One particu-larly old book is lying open on the table.It is entitled Ancient Histories oftheVales and appears to have been writtenseveral hundred years ago. It is writtenin Common and is open at achapterabout Sundown. The text begins :

Sundown is famous throughout thearea for its ring ofstanding stones .The locals call these the Witches ofthe Glade after a local legend about abackfired spell turning a coven intostone . More reliable sources, how-ever, say that the stone ring is theresult of the passage ofa basilisk.The stones are the remains ofagroupoffarmers who were seated around acampfire when the monster petrifiedthem with its magical gaze. No oneknows what happened to the basiliskafterward.

This book is the source of Arris's mis-guided belief in the origin ofthe stones .He wasso obsessed with the basiliskidea that he became blinded to the obvi-ous anomalies that this version of the

stones' origin produces . Ifthe PCshavevisited the stones already, they mightthink it strange that the farmers sat inso large a circle . Andone ofthe farmerswould have hadto stand on top ofthecampfire to form the central stone. ThePCsalso might realize that a basilisk'sgaze should produce "farmer-shaped"stones, not rectangular blocks . Quick-witted PCs should therefore guess thatthe book is not quite as reliable as Arrisbelieved it to be .Also on the table is a receipt from a

famous wizard in a nearby city. It reads:

Receivedfrom Arris Dreamweaver:10, 000gp for 1 (one) ring ofdepetri-fication, fifteen (15) charges.

Agrimopheles the Spellmaster

Ifthe PCssearch for secret compart-ments, they might find aconcealeddrawer beneath the table. It is locked,but asuccessful open locks roll, knockspell, or brute force (total strength of16needed) will open the drawer . Inside aretwo additional books. One is bound infinest leather and covered with runesand symbols. Theother is a smaller bookclosed with alocked strap.The leather-bound book is Arris's spell

book and the other his diary. The spellbook is protected with a fire trap spell.Any PC whotouches it takes 1d4+4 hpdamage to his hands. The spells in thebook are left to the DM's choice so as notto unbalance his campaign. Arriswasonly a 4th-level mage, so the spellsshould be of an appropriate level. Thefire trap spell wascast from a scroll thatArris purchased.Thelock on the other book, a diary, is

not very strong . IfaPC gives the strap aquick tug it will break. Ifthe PCsspendan hour or so reading the diary (it iswritten in Common), they should learnthat Arriswasobsessed with the stonecircle . He hadbeen doing research on thestones for years, trying to find out theirorigin . The last page of the diary reads:

I have finally tracked down a book Ibelieve to be trustworthy. From it Ihave learned that the Sundownstones are probably farmers whowere accidentally turned to stone bya basilisk's gaze . Ifthat is so, it is myduty to free them from their imprison-ment. Until now, I have been uncon-vinced by the reports I've read aboutthe stones. But my discovery ofthebook has finally convinced me to

attempt the depetrification . ljourneyto the city tomorrow to obtain thenecessary item . . . .

. . . . Agrimopheles drives a hardbargain! It cost me 10, 000 gp-mylife savings-for the ring necessary todispel the evil curse. 1 will soonattempt to free one ofthe poor soulstrapped in the stones.

This is the last entry in the diary.In the corner of the study is an

unlocked 6'x 6'x 3' chest that supports asmall cage containing four live rats . Thechest is the home of Arris's pet snake,Sammi. It isn't locked becauseSammi isamuch better deterrent than any lockcould be! The rats are Sammi's foodsupply. If anyone opens the rats' cage,they instantly attack .Rats,common (4): Int animal ; AL N;

AC 7; MV 15 ; HD 1/4 ; hp 2 each; THACO20; NAT 1; Dmg 1 ; SA disease; SZ T; ML4; XP 7 each ; MC. These rats fight to thedeath. They haven't been fed for at leastthree days and are mad with hunger .Opening the chest awakensSammithe

snake from his doze. The tame snakerises up and eagerly comes forward to bepetted . He is not hostile but will defendhimself if attacked .Sammi(constrictor snake) : Int animal ;

AL N; AC 6; MV 9; HD 3+2; hp 20 ;THACO 17; NAT2; Dmg 1/1-3; SA con-striction; SZM; ML 8; XP 175; MC.

If the snake scores a successful hitwith a coiling attack, it causes auto-matic constricting damage each roundthereafter . APC must make asuccessfulopen doors roll with a +1 penalty tobreak free . If the PCstry to pet thesnakeand do not attack, Sammi will befriendly andmight even become aPC'spet (ifthe DM allows this). The constric-tor remains with the PC so long as he isgiven a constant supply of live rats toeat.When the PCshave disposed of the

snake, either by killing it or by befriend-ing it, they can see that the chest con-tains dozens ofempty linen bags andonefull bag. This contains 10 gp, all thatremains of Arris's life savings after hepurchased the ring ofdepetrification.

5. The Church. Sundown's church is amodest building with room for almost ahundred people . It is very old, datingback centuries. From the outside, itsmost outstanding feature is a 50'-tallsteeple. Above the large oaken doors isan engraved holy symbol proclaiming

that the church is consecrated ground .Inside it is cool and dimly lit . The onlylight comes from a few stained-glasswindows and some candles arrangedaround the altar . The windows depictholy images and events ofcenturies past .One window shows a scene of the stonering . Above the ring is the sunset sym-bol . Below it is a caption that reads "Thestone circle of the village ofKleria, nowknown as Sundown ."The altar is made of highly polished

marble and is dedicated to a god oflawful-good alignment (DM's choice) .Twenty candles in gold candlestickssurround the altar and cast a flickeringlight over the scene .Behind the altar is a glass display

case . Through the glass, the PCs can seea silver chalice on a purple velvet cush-ion . This is Jaazzpaa's chalice ofplanetravel. An identify spell will reveal it assuch but cannot say who its previousowner was. (A detailed description ofthis item is given in the sidebar .) Cast-ing a detect evil spell on the chalice givesan ambiguous result . The chalice stillretains some of the aura of its evil mas-ter, but repeated cleansing with holywater through the centuries has overlaidthis taint with holy emanations . Thedisplay case is locked and also protectedby a glyph ofwardingknown only toFather Matthias . Any person openingthe case without saying the appropriateword will be paralyzed for 1-4 turns .As the PCs walk around the church,

Father Matthias appears and greetsthem . The priest invites them to worshipat the altar and then asks for a smalldonation to the Church RoofRestorationFund . The DM should note how muchthe PCs donate .

Ifthe PCs ask, Father Matthias willtell them all he knows about the chalice .If they've given at least 20 gp to the rooffund, he will remove the goblet from itscase and allow them to examine it andcast (nonharmful) spells on it . The priestsays that the chalice is the village'smost-prized item . It must have lain inthe ground for centuries before beingfound in the fields behind the church . Itwas given to the church and has beenused for the past 300 years to contain theholy water used in the festival of theBlessing of the Seeds . No arguments willpersuade Father Matthias to let thechalice leave the church until the day ofthe festival, since it is the church's onlyvaluable item . If the PCs show that thegoblet is magical or identify it, Father

Matthias will be amazed . He thought itwas just an ancient antique chalice!

6. The Woods. The forest extendsfrom the outskirts ofthe village fordozens of miles . As the PCs enter thecool woodland, the sun's light is dimmedby the canopy oftrees . If horses arepresent, they react as skittishly as theydid upon entering the village . The PCswon't be able to escape the feeling thatsomeone is watching them . Jaazzpaa ishiding in these woods, hence the feelingsof dread felt by the PCs.Also, when Jaazzpaa killed the sha-

man that Arris freed from the stone,another juju zombie was created . Thiszombie is watching and waiting for thePCs to be off guard. It has climbed a treeand, as the PCs pass underneath, it willdrop down onto the last party member,gaining +4 to surprise for this firstattack . Thisju-ju zombie has similarstatistics to the previous one (see "Dur-ing the Night"), although the PCs maythink it is another type ofcreature sinceit looks totally different from the zombiethat was Arris . It appears to be a human-oid figure dressed in an animal-skinloincloth . Its body is painted with weirdcircles and designs in multicolored warpaint . On its head is a strange headdressoffeathers from which dangle smallanimal bones . From its ears hang ear-rings made from the teeth of some largecarnivorous beast . Its skin is gray andits eyes glow red with hate .Juju zombie : Int low ; AL N(E); AC 6;MV 9; HD 3+12 ; hp 21 ; THAC015 ; NAT1 ; Ding 3-12 ; SA attack as a 6-HD crea-ture; SD + 1 or better weapon to hit ; halfdamage from fire-based attacks andpiercing or blunt weapons ; unaffected bymind-affecting spells such as charms orholds as well as poison, magic missileand cold spells ; MR special ; ML special ;XP 975 ; MC.The zombie will fight until destroyed.

Examination ofthe body reveals that itwas carrying a knife made from animalbone and a small wooden stick decoratedwith a few chicken feathers . It also has apouch containing a few colored beads .None of these items are magical ; theyare just religious symbols and totems .Ifa PC casts a speak with dead spell on

the body, the corpse will speak in astrange language, an ancient form ofCommon so old as to be incomprehensi-ble to the PCs . A second spell such astongues will be needed before any infor-mation can be learned . If the PCs do not


have these spells, they may be able topersuade Father Matthias to use hisscrolls for them . The priest might do so ifthe PCs have worshiped at the altar anddonated money to the church . The DMshould make this decision based on howwell the players role-played their en-counters with the priest . If the PCs suc-cessfully talk to the corpse, they will beable to obtain some useful information :The corpse was called Vai, and he was

a shaman ofthe village of Kleria thou-sands of years ago . He was one of the 10holy men ofthe villages ofthe Vale thatput aside their differences to combat thefoul creature menacing the area.He refers to this creature as simply the

Beast. He does not know what type ofcreature the Beast is, although he is ableto give a vague description (9' tall, half-human, half-vulture, sharp claws, beak,likes to kill people). The Beast wouldappear out of nowhere in the center of avillage, bringing death and suffering .

Chalice ofPlane TravelThis is a powerful magical item cre-ated by beings from the outer planesto allow them easy access to otherplanes . It belonged to Jaazzpaa forcenturies until he lost it when he wasimprisoned in the stone ring.The chalice is a solid silver goblet

about 9" high and 6" in diameter .Coiled around the stem is the jewel-encrusted carving of a snake . Fiverunes inscribed in gold are evenlyspaced around the chalice's outer rim .These runes are written in an ancientlanguage known only in the outerplanes, although a comprehend lan-guages or legend lore spell will revealtheir meanings . They are the namesofthe five planes to which travel ispossible using the chalice : PrimeMaterial, Astral, Ethereal, Hades,and The Abyss .To use the chalice, a being must

touch his (or its) lips to the destina-tion rune, then raise the goblet in adrinking motion . Each of the fiveplanes has a separate command word,known only to Jaazzpaa . Ifthe correctcommand word is not spoken aftermaking the drinking motion, thechalice will not function .The chalice is worth 10,000 gp,

although much more could beobtained for it ifany ofthe commandwords are discovered .


Vai helped to cast the stonecase spell,first on the Beast, then on himselfandthe other shamans to make the prisonpermanent . He can describe the maineffects ofthe spell (see the spell's side-

Stone Descriptions

bar) but cannot remember enough oftheexact details to be able to teach a PC howto cast it .Vai can recall few ofthe events ofthe

past few days . After a long period ofblackness, he suddenly awakened to findhimself standing in his place in the ringofstones . A strangely garbed man stoodin front ofhim, a person who seemed tobe delighted about something . Vai knewthat once the stone ring prison was bro-ken, the Beast would return, so he triedto flee . He ran into the woods and hearda scream from the robed man. Then hefelt the evil presence ofthe Beast rapidlyapproaching . Then there was only pain .The corpse knows nothing more .

7 . The Witches of the Glade . Thisstone circle is situated in a small field onthe outskirts of the village . As the PCsapproach the circle the air seems to becharged with static, as though greatpowers are concentrated here . All theirhair stands on end, and their fingerstingle .There are nine stones in the 40' diame-

ter circle . Originally there were twomore stones, one in the ring and one inthe center . Now there are only deepdepressions in the grass where these twostones once stood . The PCs might deducethat those stones have only recentlybeen moved, since no grass is growing inthe depressions . However, there are nomarks in the field to suggest how thesestones may have been moved . Ifthe PCs

All the stones are grayish in color and made of a type of rock local to the area .They are each 6' tall with 3'-square bases (unless otherwise stated) .Stone 1 : This stone is only 4' tall and is badly eroded . Parts of it have been

chipped away, and the surface is pitted and scarred . The stone may originallyhave been taller, but the top has been worn away by the weather over thecenturies .Stone 2 : This stone is in good condition . There is no lichen or moss growing on

it, and it still retains much ofits original rectangular shape .Stone 3 : This stone has survived the ravages of the weather very well, except

for a deep crack running horizontally about 3' from the ground.Stone 4 : This stone is missing .Stone 5 : Same as Stone 1 .Stone 6: Same as Stone 2 .Stone 7: This seems is in good shape except for a few small cracks . Close exami-

nation ofthe cracks reveals that they are full of lichen and moss .Stone S : This stone is only 2' tall . It is very badly weathered, with pits and holes

covering its surface .Stone 9 : This stone appears to be free from erosion and cracks but is covered in

a thick layer of moss .Stone 10 : Same as Stone 1 .Stone 11 : This is the missing central stone .

look for tracks around the centraldepression, they will discover a deep,12"-long footprint . The being who madethe print had only three toes, each ofwhich seems to end in a sharp claw.The remaining stones are all vaguely

rectangular and about as tall as a man.Some of the stones are chipped andcracked, covered in yellow or greenlichen . A few are badly eroded and pittedfrom centuries ofweathering and abusefrom passing armies or adventurers . Adetailed description ofeach stone isgiven in the Stone Descriptions table .The layout ofthe stones is shown in themap at left .A detect magic spell reveals that the

stones are indeed magical, but of a typeof magic never before encountered . Anidentify spell reveals that the stonescontain humanoid creatures petrified byan unusual magical enchantment . Spellsthat alter a stone's shape or appearance,such as stone shape, passwall, transmuterock to mud, etc ., will work, although thestone gets a saving throw : Roll 1d20 . Ascore greater than the spell-caster's levelindicates a successful save, and the stonewill be unaffected .

Ifthe PCs have the ring ofdepetrifica-tion (or have a stone to flesh spell), theymay wish to use it on one ofthe stones .The results of this action will depend onwhich stone they try to affect . Any depe-trified shaman will return in the samegeneral condition as his stone . A badlyeroded stone will become a badly"eroded" shaman (most likely dead)! Ifany stone was successfully altered usinga magical spell, such as stone shape, theDM should remember that the shaman itcontains will be similarly altered whendepetrified, probably fatally.Stones 1, 5 and 10 are badly eroded . If

the PCs use the ring on any ofthese,read or paraphrase the following to theplayers :

The stone shimmers, then fades away .In its place is a humanoid body lyingon the ground . The body is headlessand covered in blood . Several parts ofthe body are contorted into strangeshapes . The body appears to be that ofa human dressed in a loincloth, withstrange painted designs covering hisbody.

Since stones 2 and 6 are relativelyintact, the ring will successfully depetr-ify these shamans :

THE WITCHESOF THE GLADEArea 71 square = 3'

12

3

5

I II 6

The stone shimmers, then fades awayto be replaced by a humanoid figure .The man is wearing only a loinclothand a headband with colored feathers .His body is daubed in stripes ofblackand white paint .The man blinks, then looks around .

A look ofhorror slowly crosses hisface, and he glances over his shoulderinto the center of the circle . He thenlets out a blood-curdling scream andruns toward the woods .

If Stone 3 is depetrified, read thefollowing:

You hear a distant scream that growslouder and nearer . The stone van-ishes, to be replaced almost instantlyby a human figure . The man standsthere for a few seconds, then clutcheshis stomach, utters a low groan, andcollapses to the ground . You rushforward but find he is dead from adeep cut across his abdomen .

Stone 7, although mostly intact on theoutside, has a large amount of lichen andmoss growing inside it in tiny cracks . Ifthis shaman is depetrified, he will die ahorrible death due to the presence oflichen in his internal organs :

The stone shimmers, then alters formto that of a human figure . The manblinks at the daylight and tottersslightly . He then screams and dropsto his knees, clutching his chest . Hewrithes on the ground for a few sec-onds, curls up into a small ball,coughs twice, then lies still .You rush forward but are too late to

save him . Around the man's mouthyou can see specks ofthe moss andlichen that he coughed up .

If the PCs touch the ring to Stone 8,there is an unexpected outcome . Thisstone is too badly eroded to change backto human form, so the magical energy isexpended another way :

The stone seems to glow for a fewseconds as though it is having diffi-culty remembering its original shape .The glow gets brighter and brighter,then the stone explodes in a mass offlying rubble, leaving a blackenedhole in the ground.

Any PC within 20' takes 2-12 hp dam-age from the explosion .

Stone 9 has lichen growing on theoutside only. The shaman inside can besuccessfully depetrified, but he will diefrom asphyxiation unless a cure diseasespell is cast on him within two rounds :

The stone vanishes, to be replaced bya green humanoid figure that lookslike a man covered with moss . Itscreams and runs away from you,pulling at its green skin furiously .The figure tries to scream again butseems to be having difficulty breath-ing . It staggers a few feet, then sinksslowly to the ground .

If the PCs have removed the moss insome way, such as burning it off, beforeattempting to depetrify the stone, treatthis stone like Stones 2 and 6 .

If the PCs use speak with dead andtongues spells on the remains of any ofthe dead shamans, they can obtain thesame information that Vai gave (seearea 6) . Dead shamans can be broughtback to life with spells such as raisedead, although those that died from theeffects of lichen infection also must havecure disease spells cast on them or dieagain immediately. Resurrected sha-


mans know the same information as Vai .Any shamans that survive the depetri-

fication ordeal run in panic toward thewoods, believing that the Beast will befollowing them . Ifthe PCs can't outrunthem or delay them in some way, such asa hold person spell, the shamans disap-pear into the woods, never to be seenagain . However, if the PCs catch one, heturns and fights, believing the PCs to beagents ofthe Beast .Shaman : AL CN; AC 10 ; MV 12 ;

F1/M1 (previous levels lost over time ofimprisonment) ; hp 4 ; THACO 20 ; NAT 1 ;Ding by spell or weapon type ; statisticsunremarkable ; ML 15 ; bone knife (1d4-1hp damage) ; spell : shocking grasp. Theseare the details for a typical shaman . Ifmore than one shaman is depetrified, theDM can modify the details slightly asrequired . The shamans were once morepowerful than they are now, but theirlong imprisonment has reduced theirpowers greatly, as it did for the vrock .

Ifthe PCs must fight a shaman, theymay opt to either kill or subdue . Iftheykill the shaman, examination ofthebody reveals the same sort of items thatVai carried . A speak with dead spellelicits only a sullen silence . The corpse

DUNGEON 1 3


doesn't feel inclined to chat with theperson who revived him from thousandsof years of imprisonment only to kill himimmediately!

Ifthe PCs successfully subdue orcharm a shaman (or cast a raise deadspell on one), he will regard these war-riors as gods! In his time, metal imple-ments such as the PCs' swords hadn'tyet been invented . Anyone wearingshiny metal armor will be a truly won-drous being to a shaman . He will drop tohis knees in front of the PCs and tug attheir clothes, seeming to be worshipingthem as ifthey were gods .The PCs will need to cast a spell such

as tongues to understand the shaman'sspeech . Father Matthias might helpthem with his scrolls, ifthey ask,although the same conditions apply asbefore . Ifthe appropriate spell is cast,the shaman gives the same informationas Vai . The newly befriended shamanwill follow the PCs everywhere, pointingin awe and wonder at each new thing hesees . If the PCs go back to the village,the shaman will cause quite a stiramong the villagers . Some may believethe shaman's depetrification to show yetmore evidence of evil magic at work .

8. The Sunset Sign . It will take thePCs several hours to climb up into thehills to investigate the chalk sunsetsymbol . When they reach the site, theyfind that the topsoil has been scrapedaway and chalk sprinkled onto the earthto produce the symbol, which measuresabout 100' across . There is nothing mag-ical about it . Casting a comprehendlanguages spell on the symbol reveals itto mean "Warning ."

The Blessing of the SeedsWhile the PCs have been investigatingthe strange events in the village, Jaazz-paa has been gaining strength in thewoods . He has twice shape changed intohuman form and entered the village tofind out where, and more importantwhen, he is . The vrock has discoveredthat his chalice ofplane travel is in thechurch . He badly wants to return to theAbyss but cannot enter consecratedground to get the chalice . He charmed apassing farm boy to steal it for him .When the boy failed to return, Jaazzpaadecided his best opportunity to get thechalice would be at the festival . He stolea goat to eat, realizing that to make offwith a human might initiate a full-scale

1 4 Issue No . 25

search of the woods before he was fullyready to deal with it . After somethought, Jaazzpaa decided that on thefestival morning, he will find anothersmall child who has wandered awayfrom the village, eat the child, thenassume the child's shape and join thefestival crowd . This would attract nounwanted attention and would give himthe time he needed .A few hours after the PCs have investi-

gated the church, a messenger comes totell them that Father Matthias hascaught a 10-year-old farm boy trying tosteal the chalice . The priest would likethem to help in the interrogation oftheboy . Ifthe PCs return to the church, theyfind a very frightened boy who willanswer any question without hesitation .A detect charm spell gets a positiveresult .The boy says he was walking near the

woods when he met a man dressed in ablack cloak . The man seemed normalenough but did have a very pointed nose .The stranger was very friendly, and heasked if the boy would mind doing him asmall favor . Could the boy sneak into thechurch and borrow the chalice so thatthe man could examine it? The boycouldn't see any harm in that ; after all,the man was his friend!Farm boy : AL LG; AC 10 ; MV 12 ;

zero-level human; hp 1 ; THACO 20; #AT1 ; Ding by weapon type ; statistics unre-markable ; ML 7 ; unarmed .The PCs may now believe that the

chalice is a vital part of the mystery. Ifthey try to persuade Father Matthias toleave the chalice safely in the churchduring the festival, he will refuse . Thechalice is an integral part ofthe ritual,and the ceremony wouldn't be the samewithout it! Ifthe PCs send a well-armedsearch party into the woods looking forthe Beast or the stranger, they findnothing . Jaazzpaa has lots offoliage inwhich to hide, and he always stays out ofthe way .On the day ofthe festival, read or

paraphrase the following to the players :

The day dawns bright and cloudless .It seems that the whole town hasturned out for the festival . Thevillagers-men, women, andchildren-form a line behind FatherMatthias, who slowly leads them allto the newly planted fields . Theychant a religious prayer, and theircombined voices echo through thevillage . The priest is holding the

chalice closely in his arms . Besidehim, two villagers are carrying bot-tles ofholy water .

The PCs canjoin in the procession atany point . The figure in black with thepointed nose is not there . Jaazzpaa hasalreadyjoined the crowd in his newshape as a local child and is awaiting hischance to grab the chalice ; however, thechild he tried to catch ran away fromhim into the woods and escaped, much tothe vrock's annoyance . He will benoticed on a 25% chance ifanyone isusing detect evil or a similar spell orpower to scan the crowd . If any PCs areguarding or exploring the woods, the DMmay allow them to find the lost child (azero-level NPC with the same statisticsas the farm boy) who will tell them abouta "bad monster bird ." This event shouldnot interrupt the following events at thefestival, but the DM may time them tobe almost simultaneous for dramaticeffect .

The procession winds out into thefields, then halts by one of the fur-rows . Father Matthias holds out thechalice while one of the helpers poursholy water into it . The cleric intones,"May the gods grant their humbleservants a good harvest this year .May they keep the seeds from diseaseand blight, and let them grow tall andstrong ."The people respond in unison, "Let

it be so!"Father Matthias tilts the chalice,

and the holy water pours onto thesoil .As soon as the last drop leaves the

chalice, one ofthe children stepsforward and says in a deep, gruffvoice, "Give me my chalice,preacher!" As the child reaches out,he begins to grow! His form alters andturns black ; his nose elongates andbecomes beaklike; and his handsextend into vicious claws. The trueform of the Beast-9' tall, halfhumanand half-vulture-is revealed to thehorrified crowd . People scream andrun ; some faint . The priest standsfrozen with fear .

If the PCs aren't within 20' of thepriest, they cannot prevent the vrockfrom snatching the chalice from Mat-thias's hands . Jaazzpaa utters a trium-phant roar and begins the casting of his

teleport spell . Just before disappearinginto the Abyss at the end ofthe followinground, he ominously declares, "I willreturn!" Ifthis occurs, the PCs havefailed . The creature will make good histhreat and return periodically to eat afew villagers and destroy a house or two .The PCs will not be welcome in Sundownifthey fail prevent this horror .However, ifthe PCs have positioned

themselves to protect Father Matthias,Jaazzpaa must fight them to obtain thechalice . Several NPCs might help thePCs in this battle . The NPCs' chances ofrunning away or fighting should bedetermined by how the PCs havebehaved so far in the adventure :Father Matthias has a base 50%

chance to run . Ifthe PCs prayed at hischurch, modify this chance by -20%. Ifthey gave money to the church rooffund,modify his chance by -1% for each goldpiece donated. The DM should then rollpercentile dice to determine whether thepriest stays or runs .Geddi, the landlord ofthe tavern, also

has a base 50% chance to run . Ifthe PCssuccessfully identified his sickle, sub-tract an additional 20% . IfGeddi knowsthat his sickle is magical, he will havebrought it along to show offto the vil-lagers . He will use it as a weapon ifthedice roll determines that he stays .Two farmers have a base 50% chance

each to run away. If the PCs helped thefarmers to defeat Arris's juju zombieoutside the tavern in the storage shed(area 2), the farmers' percentages aremodified by -20% each . Roll separatelyfor each farmer . The farmers' details arethe same as those listed at area 2.

Ifthe PCs have any friendly shamanswith them, each ancient magic-user hasa base 25% chance to run away . Rollseparately for each shaman . Theirdetails are given in area 7 .All the other villagers will run away.

The DM can modify the percentages ofthe NPCs up or down as necessary toallow for variations in the strength ofthe PC party . A single PC might needthe help ofall the NPCs, but a strongerparty might not require any . Also, theDM should alter the base chances ofrunning depending on how well theplayers role-played previous encounters .For example, ifthey were rude to Geddior discourteous to Father Matthias,these NPCs won't feel so inclined tohelp . The DM should note that most ofthe NPCs are weak. They probably won'tdo much damage to the vrock during the

battle, but they can provide valuableextra targets for Jaazzpaa to attack,thus taking some ofthe heat offthe PCs .

The Vrock's Tactics

Jaazzpaa will always attack the personholding the chalice . His aim is to get thechalice by whatever means and then goback to the Abyss . Ifhe ever hits theperson holding the chalice with 6 morethan the needed to-hit score, the chaliceis knocked from that person's grasp .Jaazzpaa pounces on the chalice in thenext round unless a PC or NPC beats his


initiative. If the vrock succeeds inreclaiming the chalice, he immediatelybegins casting his teleport spell anddisappears into the Abyss at the end ofthe following round with the samethreat as before .During the battle, Jaazzpaa tears with

his claws and beak, attacking severaltargets at once . He might cast a dark-ness 5' radius spell on one ofhis oppo-nents, although never on the personholding the chalice . He uses his telekine-sis ability to knock over a PC, disrupt aspell, or remove a PC's sword . The vic-tim must make a dexterity roll on 1d20

DUNGEON 1 5


to avoid being knocked over, or astrength roll to avoid losing a weapon . Ifhe fails to save, the victim must spendthe next round either getting back to hisfeet or retrieving his weapon . Spell-casters are particularly vulnerable toJaazzpaa's telekinesis ability, since anyspell is automatically disrupted ifthecaster is disturbed during the castingtime . Occasionally Jaazzpaa will teleporta few feet to obtain a surprise attackfrom an unexpected direction (add +2 tohis initiative roll for the next round) .The battle should be a difficult one for

the PCs, and there is a strong possibilitythat some ofthe NPCs helping the PCsmay die . After the relatively easy timethey've had until now, the PCs should bemade to sweat a bit!Jaazzpaa will not flee if he is losing .

After all, a defeat on this plane will justsend him straight back to the Abyss . Hehas only to wait a century before he canfind another way to return . He wouldmuch rather have the chalice now, how-ever, so he can begin causing havocimmediately, but a century isn't so longto wait .

Jaazzpaa (ancient vrock) : Int low ; ALCE; AC 0 ; MV 12, fly 18 ; HD 8+8; hp 48 ;THACO 11 ; #AT 5 ; Ding 1-4/1-4/1-8/1-8/1-6 ; SA spells ; SD half damage from cold,electricity, fire, and gas ; MR 50%; ML19 ; XP 9,000 ; spells (can be cast at will,one per round): charmperson, darkness5' radius, detect invisible objects, infravi-sion, telekinesis (200 lbs .), teleportation(no error); can cast energy drain andshape change three times each per day,taking two rounds each to cast; MM1/18 .Jaazzpaa is an example ofa type of

vrock seldom seen nowadays, even in theouter planes . The race of ancient vrocks

1 6 Issue No . 25

Ifthe PCs succeed in destroying Jaazz-paa, he howls in anger . His body glowsred for a second before it is enveloped ina sheet offlame and vaporizes before thePCs' eyes, leaving only a small burnedpatch on the ground .

Concluding the Adventure

The villagers slink back one by one andcheer as the news spreads . The childwhose shape Jaazzpaa took is found andbrought back to the village . Gillan walksforward and tells the PCs that the vil-lage is in their debt . He honors the bar-gain he made and hands over the rewardmoney as promised. The DM might hintthat another donation to the church fundwould be a noble gesture now that theadventurers are "rich ."But the PCs may finish this adventure

with more than just the reward money . Ifone ofthe PCs has befriended Sammi thesnake, he will have to see to the snake'scomfort and find live rats for it to eatwherever the party goes . The snake willnot eat iron rations .Wherever the PCs go, they may haveseveral depetrified shamans following

was almost wiped out 2,000

yearsago (while Jaazzpaa was imprisoned in hisrock) when one oftheir leaders had anunfortunate disagreement with a power-ful ruler ofthe Abyss . The ancient raceof vrocks was quickly superseded by therace ofcommon vrocks, which was lesslikely to step out ofline .Ancient vrocks were slightly more

powerful than their common kin andpossessed two ninth-level spells each .These spells take Jaazzpaa two rounds tocast because of his limited intelligence,so they are almost never used in directcombat unless the foe is helpless . Theenergy drain spell is Jaazzpaa's particu-

behind and worshiping their everymove! The DM can develop these charac-ters further . Alternatively, Father Mat-thias could take the shamans into hiscustody to teach them about the modernworld .The PCs can return to Arris's house

and look up information on the Beast inone ofhis books (Denizens ofthe OuterPlanes) . They can discover much aboutthis type of creature and realize that, ina century, it probably will return forvengeance . Should they warn thevillagers?The PCs may also hear ofa village

nearby that has a huge chalk symbol of ahorse on its hillside . Arris's book aboutrunes and hieroglyphs says that thehorse symbol often meant "gateway."The DM can decide ifthis is true, whatsort of gateway might be there, andwhere the gateway leads .The villagers of Sundown may tell the

PCs about another stone ring locatedseveral miles away . This one is known asGrand Henge and is made up of 50stones, all 30' tall! Is Grand Henge amagical prison, too? If so, what sort ofcreature needs a cage that big?

lar favorite, since he delights in thecreation of a juju zombie that will causefurther havoc . The shape change spell issimilar to the ninth-level wizard spell ofthe same name in all but casting time,components required (none), and dura-tion (one hour) .Jaazzpaa can be struck by normal

missiles and weapons . He can under-stand any language thanks to his lim-ited telepathy.Not being very bright, Jaazzpaa does

not plan any strategy that is especiallydevious ; he rarely thinks ahead . Jaazz-paa is a particularly vicious vrock, evenmore so since he has been imprisonedfor so long . He can think of no betterway to spend an afternoon than to tor-ture a human before eating him! He hasnot seen metal weapons before and sowill be surprised at their effectivenesson him . If allowed to remain on thePrime Material plane he will causehavoc, devastating village after villageuntil he's finally dispatched to theAbyss . Once there, he quickly finds thathe is one of the most powerful vrocks inthe outer planes . Jaazzpaa rapidly accu-mulates followers from the commonvrocks, so that in a century he can re-turn for his revenge in style-unlessother PCs destroy him first!

HELLFIREHOSTAGESBY ALLEN VARNEY

Every hero'snightmare: theultimate terrorists

Artwork by John Statema

Allen Varney haspublished modules fortheD&D° andAD&D° gamesandtheAD&D SPELLJAMMERTMcampaignset, andgame books for TSR's book divi-sion. He designed the GAMMA-RA UDERS board game, and he'scurrently working on a trilogy ofadven-tures for the new D&D HOLLOWWORLDTMcampaign set. He returns tothe MARVEL UNIVERSETM with anadventure based on his Deluxe City cam-paign set .

Terrorists have taken over the HellfireClub, "bastion of the wealthy imperial-ists :' The Hellfire Club's Inner Circlemembers dare not reveal their mutantpowers by defeating the terrorists, sothey defer to the police . But the terror-ists look immensely powerful themsel-ves, so the police call in the super heroes!This MARVEL SUPER HEROESTM

adventure works best for a Judge and 2-4relatively low-powered but experiencedheroes . You need the Advanced Rules toplay . The Deluxe City campaign set andseveral volumes of the Gamer's Hand-book to the Marvel Universe series shouldprove helpful but not necessary.

TheClub

An old and prestigious upper-class club,the Hellfire Club stands at 410 FifthAvenue, between 66th and 67th Streets,in New York Cityjust a few blocksfrom Avengers Mansion .The club figures prominently in the

social life of the wealthiest class ofNewYorkers . Politicians, financiers, andindustrial moguls visit for drinks andrelaxation in the afternoon . In the eve-ning, the Hellfire Club's frequent (andfrequently bacchanalian) parties drawManhattan's elite .But the club has another, hidden,

purpose : Its leaders want to take overthe world . As shown in many issues ofthe various X-Men titles, the club'smutant leaders are engaged in a conspir-acy ofwealth, influence, and superpowers . Along the way they've mademany enemies-including, it appears, aterrorist group .Maps: For an exterior map, use the

west map of midtown Manhattan in theDeluxe City campaign set ; assume theHellfire Club is the square building onFifth Avenue between 48th and 49thStreets, just north of Charles Scribners'Sons bookstore .

Ifyou don't have the Deluxe City set,

locate the Hellfire Club on the AdvancedSet's map at the Armstrong Hotel, at thecorner ofJohnson Street and 8th Avenue .An interior map of the Hellfire Club is

provided with this adventure . The fol-lowing description is drawn from the"Hellfire Club" entry in the Deluxe Citycampaign set .

Inside and OutComplete layouts of Hellfire Club Man-sion have not yet been revealed . Thisinformation and the accompanying mapare based on published accounts and arenot official . Later accounts may invali-date parts of this description .Exterior: "Mansion," with its conno-

tations ofgrandeur and display, seemsan inappropriate term for the HellfireClub's headquarters-at least as seenfrom the street .The brick building (Good-strength

walls) occupies the entire block, but it isinconspicuous . Designed in New Yorkelite style, the building is only 30' (twoareas) tall . Its entrance is set offfrom thestreet by a short, simple flight of con-crete steps . Beside the white woodendoor (ofoak, Typical strength) is a smallbronze plaque reading HELLFIRECLUB-ESTABLISHED MDCCLXIII .A small steel hatch on the roofleads to

the closet of a private bedroom on thesecond floor . The hatch and its lock areof Good strength .Entryway: The street entrance is

locked by an ordinary lock ofTypicalstrength . This is because the HellfireClub admits only members and theirguests . Inside is a small foyer and cloak-room . (Such Typical strengths are true ofthe entire building . Nothing about themansion's construction betrays that it isanything but an ordinary social club.)Interior: The interior decor is 18th-

century Colonial, matching the seniormembers' eccentric predilection fordressing in 18th-century garb duringmeetings . Walnut panelling, chandeliersand candelabra ofcut glass, gaslightglobes in wall sconces-all project an airof not-at-all understated elegance .The mansion's simple floor plan gives

pride ofplace to the great central ball-room, a spacious carpeted room over 120'(one area) long and 40' wide . The ceilingis 29' (two vertical areas) high, reachingthe roofof the building . There is nothingbetween the ceiling and the roof butelectrical wiring.

1 8 Issue No . 25

MARVELMany elaborate doorways lead to the

ballroom . The dominant feature of theroom is a palatial fireplace, where agreat fire blazes cheerily every eveningduring winter months . The fireplacestands to the right as one enters throughthe foyer from the main entrance onFifth Avenue .Rooms and chambers: A hallway

surrounds the ballroom on both floors ofthe building. On the upper floor, the hallopens onto a sturdy wooden balcony(Good strength) overlooking the ball-room . Public rooms and private cham-bers are arranged along the outer sidesof the hallways on both floors .Public rooms are all on the ground

floor . These include a large smokingroom, an extensive library (with a largeselection ofbooks that earlier centuriesdeemed "indecent"), and a dining roomthat seats 64 . Next to the dining room isa large and well-equipped kitchen.Two staircases and an elevator give

access to the second floor . Membersalways refer to the 18 small cubicles onthe upper floor as "chambers ." Thesemantic difference between "cham-bers" and "rooms" is that rooms arepublic but chambers are for privatematters-business, gambling, orromance . Most chambers measure15'x 10' ; truly high rollers reserve one ofthe two 15'x 15' chambers . Each cham-ber has one round table, one chair, and awide padded divan . Chambers are sound-proofed with Good material and lockedwith Good locks .At the rear of the second floor, above

the kitchen, a brave searcher finds theprivate rooms of the Inner Circle . Twofully furnished bedrooms await the raretimes when leaders celebrate heavilyand are unwilling or unable to drivehome . In the closet ceiling of one bed-room, a locked hatch leads to the roof.Between the bedrooms stands an ele-

gant meeting room, where the InnerCircle once held the X-Men captive .Basement : This concrete-walled

(Excellent strength) storage area, acces-sible only from the kitchen on the firstfloor, is filled with crates ofkitchen andparty supplies . A locked and guardedbasement room holds a small armory forthe Inner Circle's mercenaries . Merce-naries have no barracks, lockers, orlounge areas on the premises, but theyoften hang around the kitchen.There was once another entrance to

the basement-from below through the

sewers . The hero Wolverine used this tobreak into the mansion and rescue hisfellow X-Men . The basement floor hadan iron grate of Excellent strength,locked with a Remarkable-strength lock .The round grate led to a concrete accesstunnel and down to the sewers . TheInner Circle used this entrance to smug-gle in mercenaries and firearms . Butsince Wolverine's invasion, the tunnelhas been filled in with concrete .

The Set-UpCampaigns outside New York: Ifthecampaign takes place outside New YorkCity, the heroes could be visiting NewYork in their public or secret identities .The Hellfire Club may also have openeda branch club in the heroes' city, thoughthis makes a long-term impact on thecampaign.Getting the heroes involved : If the

PCs maintain official connections withthe police, they get the request for aidthrough their usual channels . Other-wise, the heroes hear about the takeoverthrough a radio or TV bulletin : "Earlyreports tell of a terrorist takeover at theprestigious Hellfire Club . Gunshotshave been heard-no, correction-energyblasts have been heard inside . Police areon the scene."Ifthe heroes are not in range of a radio

or television, a friend who belongs to theclub could manage to phone a franticmessage to the heroes' headquarters :"I'm at the Hellfire Club . A bunch ofcrazies have taken over, and they've gotweird weapons! Ifyou don't do some-thing, they'll-no! Keep away!Aaaahhhh!"At the scene : As the heroes arrive,

police are cordoning three blocks of FifthAvenue in front ofthe club . Publisherand club member J. Jonah Jamesonstands behind the police lines, fuming atthe attack and blaming it on those"super-powered demagogue nuisanceswho attract this violence ."Police lieutenant Michael Mandels-

man can tell the heroes what little theNYPD knows . A few minutes ago, some-one phoned 911 and reported screams,shouts, and "sounds like ray-guns"inside the club . Someone inside with amegaphone is claiming to be with the"United Front for Wakandan Libera-tion" and is holding several dozen hos-tages, many of them wealthy andinfluential . The terrorists have threat-ened to kill the hostages if anyone

HELLFIRE CLUB MANSION

MARVEL

67th Street

0 5 10 15

Feet

Basement

DUNGEON 1 9

attacks, but they have not yet issueddemands .Heroes with knowledge ofterrorist

groups have never heard of this UnitedFront . Wakanda, the small Africannation ruled by the Black Panther, suf-fers no known political unrest . Noamount ofinvestigation uncovers anynotable connection between Wakandaand the Hellfire Club .Entering the club: Terrorist guards

watch all doors and upper-story win-dows, but given its relatively light con-struction, breaking into the HellfireClub is not difficult . Likely entry pointsinclude the ballroom and kitchen chim-neys (each 2' wide and two stories tall),basement windows (not shown on themap), the roof hatch and, ofcourse, fron-tal assaults through the doors .Naturally, any hostage situation calls

for caution . As Lieutenant Mandelsmancan make clear, a frontal assault wouldalert the guards and probably doom thehostages .

Inside the ClubThere are 24 terrorists . The four mainterrorists, the leaders ofthe group, areguarding 50 hostage club members andstaffers in the ballroom, includingEmma Frost (the White Queen) and, atthe Judge's discretion, other rulers ofthe club's mutant Inner Circle . Base thechoice of other Inner Circle members onthe Hellfire Club's current roster asshown in the comics ; on individual vil-lains'personal rivalries with PC heroes ;and on game balance, should the PCsend up in battle with the Inner Circle .Regardless of whom you choose, none

of the super villains of the Inner Circlewant to reveal their powers in front ofthe normal hostages . Since the terroristshaven't yet threatened their livesdirectly, the villains are content to waitfor rescue .Emma Frost can use many of her tele-

pathic powers invisibly. Though theheroes cannot know it, she has triedmental attacks against the terroristsguarding her-to no effect!Each terrorist's position is marked

with a T on the Hellfire Club map . Mainterrorists are circled T's ; subordinateterrorists have no circles . Small groupsoffour to six hostages are indicated withH's . The White Queen is shown with aW. As for the M in the second floor meet-ing room-keep reading .Statistics for the White Queen, the

20 Issue No . 25

MARVELmain and subordinate terrorists, and thehostages appear in the Non-Player Char-acters sidebar .

The Terrorists' PlanHere is an approximate time line ofevents :As the heroes arrive : A terrorist

leader leans out the upper-story windowin the east wall and fires a strange-looking gun at a police helicopter . Thegun's blood-red beam barely misses thechopper . "Back away or there's trouble!"the terrorist shouts . Heroes can't iden-tify the weapon's make or model .At the Judge's option, a police sharp-

shooter on a roofopposite the club firesat the terrorist . The bullet misses him,chipping the stone ofthe building . Theterrorist withdraws as though he nevernoticed the bullet . The sharpshooterswears he had the terrorist right in hissights . Heroes who examine the angle ofthe bullet hole in the wall can deducethere was no way the shot could havemissed the terrorist .A few minutes later, or as the

heroes enter the club : An unseen ter-rorist at an upper window, using a mega-phone, announces the demands . Theywant $10,000,000 and an Army trans-port helicopter, to be flown in from theNational Guard base at GovernorsIsland in New York Harbor . The helicop-ter is to carry the terrorists and hostagesto JFK Airport, where the terroristswant to board an empty but completelyfueled 727, with minimal crew, and takeoff."It all happens in one hour," the ter-

rorist says, "or we start bringing downthe revenge ofthe oppressed classes ."And he adds, "We'll also deliver someinteresting news about the HellfireClub's leadership."Though Lieutenant Mandelsman

advises against it, the heroes can makeranged attacks against the terrorist .These attacks missjust as the sharp-shooter's bullet did, though the heroesmay not be certain whether they shouldhave hit . The terrorist, paying no atten-tion, withdraws .Minutes later, or as heroes in the

club prepare to enact their plan : Oneofthe hostages, a retired bank executivenamed Herbert Altick, makes a foolishtry at overpowering a terrorist . Helaunches himself at the man but misses

his target and plummets to the floor .Belatedly, the terrorist notices the

attack and threatens the older man.Altick gasps, "My heart-" and writhesin agony. He is indeed having a heartattack, as his wife, Winona, screams . Ifhe doesn't receive expert medical helpwithin a few minutes, he'll die .The main terrorists seem to freeze for a

moment . Then one turns to Emma Frostand says, "Well? Isn't there somethingone ofyou mu- . . . people can do?" Theheroes may note that the terrorist stopsjust short of saying "mutant." Frostcoolly replies that she's no doctor, nor isanyone else here . (Frost knows emer-gency CPR techniques but has no inter-est in saving Altick . The other membersdon't know CPR; most ofthem leavesuch messy details to their servants .)If the heroes take no action to stop the

terrorists or rescue the hostages, thescenario proceeds as follows :Two minutes later : One of the main

terrorists orders two subordinates tocarry Herbert Altick outside and leavehim on the front porch . The main terror-ist announces Altick's heart attack viamegaphone, then allows police or heroesto carry Altick to an ambulance . Theterrorist offers no explanation why,having threatened to kill all the hos-tages before, he is suddenly concernedwith a single heart-attack victim . (Altickwill survive without permanent harmonce transported to a hospital .)Attacks on the main terrorists prove

ineffective . All attacks seem to miss, orthe terrorists evade them using thesurprising powers described later . Butheroes can attack or ambush thesubordinates .An hour later : A main terrorist

announces via megaphone, "We havesurprising information regarding thetrue nature ofthe Hellfire Club's InnerCircle . They are not what they appear tobe . In fact, they're all-" Suddenly, frominside, the hostages scream! The terror-ist at the window freezes, then vanishesinto thin air!Emma Frost has used her mental bolts

to knock out every hostage in the Hell-fire Club-well within her four-arearange . This guarantees there will be nowitnesses as she (and other Inner Circlemembers, ifpresent) attacks the terror-ists . She does not get far before theirblasts knock her out, but other clubleaders may well defeat all the subordi-nate terrorists .

Non-Player CharactersThis abbreviated list ofMastermind'sPowers comes from MU3 Gamer's Hand-book ofthe Marvel Universe.

MASTERMINDF A S E R I PGd Ty Ty Rm Ex Ex Un

Health : 52

Karma: 140Resources : Gd

Popularity : -10KNOWN POWERS:

Illusion Generation: Unearthly level .Damage, though imaginary, is removedfrom Health ; zero Health results inunconsciousness for 1-10 rounds . APsyche FEAT vs . Unearthly intensity isrequired to avoid harm . Mastermind canbecome invisible with this power.Mindtap Mechanism: Unless the Judge

decides otherwise, Mastermind does notuse this device in this adventure .

Statistics for the White Queen and otherHellfire Club rulers appear in the vari-ous volumes of the Gamer's Handbook ofthe Marvel Universe. Here is an abbrevi-ated listing for the White Queen:

EMMAFROST, the White QueenHellfire Club Inner Circle memberF A S E R I PGd Gd Ty Am Rm In Mn

Health : 76

Karma: 145Resources : In

Popularity : 15KNOWN POWERS:Telepathy: Monstrous . Psionic force-

bolts of Monstrous strength (range 4areas) that ignore body armor .Psi Screen: Amazing vs . mental

attacks .Psionic Rapport: Amazing strength

(range 50 miles) lets the White Queenknow what a willing target experiences .Psionic Control: Blocks others' psionic

powers (including Illusion Generation)on yellow Psyche FEAT (no range). Vic-tim must make a FEAT roll vs . Mon-strous intensity to resist .Sedation: Keeps unconscious victim

from waking up unless victim makes aFEAT roll vs . Monstrous intensity(allowed once every 15 minutes) .

TALENTS :Electronics Skill ; + ICS to Reason inadministration, business, and education .

Subordinate TerroristsF A S E R I PGd Ty Gd Ty Ty Ty Ty

Health : 32

Karma: 18These 20 goons, all with extensive crimi-nal records, are conventional Enforcersfrom page 63 of the Advanced SetJudge's Book. Mastermind, via the illu-sory main terrorists, has paid them with(real) iron strongboxes filled with (fake)gold. The goons know a lot about the fourmain terrorists, their plans, and theiritinerary-but all their information iswrong . Improvise misleading details asnecessary . ("Yeah, Mr . Hero, I heardthem myself. They wanna blow up theBrooklyn Bridge! They got a nuclearbomb!")

Main Terrorists

MARVEL

Early in the adventure:F A S E R I PEx Gd Gd Ty Ty Ty Gd

Health : 46

Karma: 22Their futuristic weapons do (illusory)Incredible damage .Later in the adventure:F A S E R I PIn Rm Rm In Ex In Ty

Health : 140

Karma: 66KNOWN POWERS:Choose powers from the table on pages8-9 of the Advanced Set Players'Bookor just assume that the main terroristsappear to have all the powers listedthere at Monstrous rank . Their weapons,too, do (illusory) Monstrous damage .

Generic HostagesF A S E R I PPr Ty Ty Ty Gd Gd Ty

Health : 22

Karma: 26Resources: Ex-Rm

Popularity : 5-10TALENTS :Most normal Hellfire Club membershave Business/Finance Talent or otherprofessional skill, perhaps Heir to For-tune, and one or two Trivia Talents .The following are a few specific hos-

tages that the heroes may encounter :

Herbert and Winona AltickRetirees"Hiii, we're the Aaal-ticks!" They're

both in their early 60s, big-time social-ites richly dressed . The Alticks areversed in etiquette but tend to beoverbearing-prone to finish other peo-

ple's sentences, namedrop, and voiceopinions for all to hear . They can appearquite likable, from a distance . Herbertwas a bank executive until heart prob-lems forced him to retire . Now he lobbiesfor the NRA when he is not hunting orfishing . Winona is active in the DAR,the PTA, and the Senior Citizens' ArtAppreciation League .

Elmer and Mary NorwoodColumbia University professorsHe's tall, thin, bearded, bespectacled,

graying, a bit sloppy in his dress . Heteaches Political Science . She's shorter,bespectacled, and still trim . She teachesAnthropology . It's hard to tell their ages,but it's likely they're in their early 50s .These two are polite, witty, and inter-ested in everything . Both are endearingacademic types who frequently get intopolitical arguments with conservativeHellfire Clubbers .

Venceslaus ("Sven") LagtingDanishlFaeroese fish merchantA tall, stout man in his mid 50s, Sven

is blond and balding, with a thick mus-tache and ruddy cheeks . He alwaysdresses well and is pleasant to look at .His heavy accent can be difficult to deci-pher, but he's friendly-ifyou don't mindhearing more about fish than anyonecould want to hear . This wealthy mer-chant made his fortune in the FaeroeIslands (in the North Atlantic, governedby Denmark) as a fish exporter . Then heemigrated to America . Now he is theprincipal stockholder in a firm thatcontrols 18% ofall the dried codimported to the Western hemisphere .

Other HostagesCarl and Matilda Wentworth, retirees

(the grandparently sort, much interestedin doll collecting) ;Isaac Dickinson, how-to writer (credits

include How to Grout Your BathroomTile and You Can Build a Redwood SunDeck);Gwen and Gary Garson, yuppies who

made a killing in the market and got outbefore the crash (they talk about tennis alot) ; andTom Bremmer, portly yacht club type

(former lawyer who retired early forhealth reasons).Page 63 of the Judge's Book offersstatistics for policemen and SWAT teamoperatives .

DUNGEON 21

At this point the heroes might show upfrom outside (or from unconsciousness),just in time to witness the Inner Circlemembers' displays of mutant power asthey attack their captors . In the middleofthe fight, however, the main terroristsvanish, leaving the Inner Circle bewil-dered . The mutants have enough pres-ence ofmind, however, to bargain with,threaten, or try to kill any witnesses totheir true powers .When the police break in moments

later, conscious Inner Circle membersall feign unconsciousness . When roused,they say the terrorists started shootingeveryone with stun bolts . The subordi-nate terrorists are lying around like ragdolls, but no one can find any trace of themain terrorists, now or ever. Mysterious!However, the mystery only persists if

heroes have remained outside andhaven't tried to rescue the hostages . Andwhat kind ofheroes would they be then?

Fighting the TerroristsFunny-not many of the terrorists lookWakandan . In fact, they vary widely incolor, size, accent, and so on . Real equal-opportunity terrorism .There are actually two different types

ofterrorists, identified by their slightlydifferent uniforms .The four main terrorists : These

leaders, all evidently male, wear thickpadded uniforms, something like one ofSpider-Man's enemies, the Shocker, butin "urban camouflage" patterns (mot-tled gray-black-olive designs meant toblend into urban backgrounds) . It'sawfully hot clothing for this season, butthe terrorists show no signs of discom-fort ; they don't even perspire . They wearelaborate, gadget-laden belts or strangependants whose functions are revealedbelow. All four carry futuristic firearmsof different types . The heroes don't rec-ognize any ofthe weapon styles .The main terrorists hide their faces

with red ski masks . Heroes with appro-priate senses can see under the masks .The main terrorists all have ordinaryfeatures, unusual only in being so usual .None look Wakandan .The subordinate terrorists : These

followers wear uniforms of urbancammo, not padded. They carry military-issue machine pistols (Players' Book,page 42) . They conceal their faces withblack ski masks that leave the mouthexposed . Experienced heroes can iden-

tify the subordinates as well-known NewYork thugs, previously unaffiliated withany political movement or terroristgroup . Most are male, but a few can befemale ifthe Judge wishes .

Attack MethodsAny attack works normally on the subor-dinate terrorists . Heroes quickly dis-cover that these are just ordinary thugs .But the terrorist leaders present a differ-ent challenge .Ambush: This doesn't work . The main

terrorists appear invulnerable to sur-prise attacks . Either they somehowsense heroes sneaking up behind themor, even stranger, the heroes attacksalways miss! What's more, the terroristleaders react slowly to these assaultsand may ignore them altogether .Mental or magical attacks : Mental-

ist heroes soon find, just as the WhiteQueen did, that these attacks do notaffect the main terrorists . No telepathcan read their thoughts . It's as thoughthey don't exist in this dimension .Physical assault or capture : The

heroes' attempts to catch the main ter-rorists all fail, for the supposed Wakan-dans soon exhibit startling movement

powers . The terrorist leaders vanish,sometimes from right under the heroes'grip (or webbing, or other entanglingdevice) . What's even stranger, eachmain terrorist uses a different method :-One terrorist runs his fingertips over

a complex-looking series ofdials on hiswide metal belt . Yellow energy cracklesaround him, and the air smells ofozone .Suddenly he vanishes! With a bamfsound, air rushes in to fill the spot hevacated .-A second terrorist grasps an amulet

around his neck . Perceptive heroesnotice that it appears to be a jade pen-dant carved with the grinning visage ofa Chinese dragon . The terrorist mur-murs an incantation in a language nohero has ever heard (though it soundsOriental). Then he disappears in a cloudofmist .-A third terrorist, who carries noth-

ing that looks extraordinary, simplywalks through a solid wall ofthe ball-room and doesn't come out the otherside . The inner wall makes zzz-zzztsounds for a moment but appearsunaffected .-Finally, the fourth terrorist runs his

hand from the top of his head down hisbody to his feet . Where his fingertipstouch his body, they draw a sparklinggreen line . When the line extends thelength of his body, the terrorist reachesinto the line with both hands and pulls itoutward into a wide sheet . In one smoothmotion, he wraps the sheet around him-self, and the inside-out terroristdisappears .The terrorists reappear on the balcony,

down below, or somewhere else nearby tothreaten the hostages, especially theWhite Queen . When the heroes attack,the terrorists vanish again-using differ-ent methods from the ones before! Light-ning flashes, transformations into hotsteam, steps through glowing doorways,even favors from tiny green imps-theJudge should feel free to improvise anybizarre device that produces a dramaticeffect .Examining the items : Should a hero

grab a belt, amulet, or sparkling greensheet from one ofthe Wakandan terror-ists, the item vanishes in the hero'shand! Magicians can detect no residualmagic; scientists can't find unusualradiation of any sort .

The SecretActually, the villainous illusionist Mas-

MARVEL

termind (described in the Judge's Book,page 51) has created the four main "ter-rorists." When a hero sees the villainsvanish, this is merely Mastermind end-ing the illusion-or the hero has movedout of range ofMastermind's power .Through his illusory creations, Mas-

termind hired the subordinate terroristsfrom New York's ranks of criminalhenchmen . These flunkies do the actualphysical work that an illusion cannot .They don't know much about what'sgoing on, but Mastermind has paid themwell-in illusory gold Krugerrands! (Ifany of these thugs ever make it back tothe hidden stashes in their Hell'sKitchen tenements, they'll be surprisedwhen they open those strongboxes Mas-termind gave them.)Mastermind is taking revenge on the

Hellfire Club for refusing him member-ship . Under the name Jason Wyngarde,Mastermind tried to lure Phoenix, atthat time a member ofthe X-Men, intobecoming the club's Black Queen . Thiscoup would have earned Mastermindmembership as well, by demonstratinghis usefulness to the Inner Circle . Theplan failed disastrously, and so did Mas-termind's chances for Hellfire Clubmembership .By simulating this terrorist attack,

Mastermind hopes to provoke the Hell-fire Club's Inner Circle into publiclydemonstrating their mutant powers,thus discrediting the organization . Henever expected the situation to last longenough for super heroes to show up, buthe doesn't mind their arrival . Perhapsthey can force the Inner Circle's hand .The Wakandan connection is a red

herring . There is no United Front forWakandan Liberation . In typicallyshort-sighted fashion, Mastermind chosethis name because it sounded exotic ; hecan't even find Wakanda on a map ofAfrica .

Detecting Mastermind's SchemeThe key is Mastermind's impatience . Asthe Inner Circle members continue toconceal their powers, and as the heroescontinue to fight, Mastermind steps upthe main terrorists' abilities . The illu-sions grow ever more outrageous, as :-A terrorist flies gracefully through

the air, spraying the walls with bullets ;-Another grows large enough to touch

the ballroom ceiling, then grinds a herobriefly beneath his heel ;-The third terrorist telekinetically

draws books in from the library and setsthem aflame with rays ofheat from hiseyes ;-The fourth terrorist throws his voice

around the room, imitates heroes' voicesexactly, and otherwise creates confusion .Then he stretches his arms like MisterFantastic to punch heroes from acrossthe room!Given Mastermind's Unearthly ability

to cast illusions, the sky is the limit-aphrase that may spring to a hero's mindwhen a terrorist gestures and the Hell-fire Club's roof appears to evaporate!Soon the heroes should start asking

sensible questions like, "If these guyscan turn people into frogs, why weren'tthey doing it before now?" From there,the answer to the puzzle is a simplematter ofdeduction .The giveaway clue? A suspicious hero

receives an Intuition FEAT roll . A resultof yellow or better means the hero spotsa one-time tiny wavering at the edge ofan illusion, a single glimmer thatreveals its phantasmal nature . Thiswon't, however, help the hero in laterattempts to disbelieve Mastermind'sillusions, since the illusions involvemind control and appear so thoroughlyreal .

Finding MastermindMastermind is hiding in the second-floormeeting room between the Inner Circle'stwo private rooms (see the earlierdescription ofthe Hellfire Club . He's theM on the map). Through a peephole,Mastermind can survey the entire ball-room and second floor balconies, the onlyareas where the "terrorists" appear .If a hero enters this room early in the

adventure, perhaps through the bed-room closet hatch from the roof, Master-mind turns invisible and the roomappears empty .Later in the adventure, ifhe spots a

hero approaching his hideout, Master-mind causes the terrorists to "teleport"up to the balcony and drive the invaderaway. Should this fail to stop the herofrom entering the room, Mastermindturns invisible, drops his terrorist illu-sions, and fills the meeting room withdinosaurs, giant tentacled things, hugebugs, and similar horrors . Mastermindhopes the hero will be preoccupied fight-ing these weird illusions, giving thevillain time to slip away along thebalcony .


FA-mg))

OF KINGSUNKNOWNBY RANDY MAXWELL

This strange fruit hasan unusualaftertaste.

Artwork by Jeff Menges

24 Issue No . 25

Randy writes: "I have always enjoyedchallenging PCs with variations ofstan-dard monsters . However, simply spring-ing a tribe oftwo-headed kobolds on themwithout explanation inevitably results insuchjeers andjibes as, 'Yeah, right!What's next, three-headed kobolds?' or'Hey, look!Halflingettins!' The hardpartin creating variations is coming up withplausible explanations for their existence.I have attempted, with this module,to give DMs one possible source forvariations."

"Of Kings Unknown" is an AD&D° ad-venture for 4 to 8 characters of 2nd to4th level (about 18 total levels) . Theadventuring party may be of any class,alignment, or race, but a mixed party ofexperienced players containing a fewstrong warriors is recommended . Thescenario may be dropped into an ongoingcampaign or used as a stand-aloneadventure . It can be located in any areawith a temperate climate and a sparsepopulation . DMs desiring more informa-tion on the orcish deities mentioned inthe adventure can consult UnearthedArcana.

Adventure BackgroundThe PCs are on a hunt for moonmelons .A merchant who specializes in sellingalchemical ingredients is paying a 100-gp bounty for each whole moonmelonbrought in . Like horse feathers, hens'teeth, and soft-hearted goblins, moon-melons are a very rare (thus expensive)commodity . The PCs, being short ofmoney orjust plain greedy, view themelon hunt as an opportunity to pick upsome quick and easy cash .Moonmelons were created long ago by

a mage attempting to alchemically alternormal melons into a highly nutritiousfoodstuff. The mage hoped to create amelon that would supply an individualwith all nutritional and liquid require-ments for an entire day ofhot and pro-longed hard work . The mage's attemptsfailed, and he simply discarded his fail-ures on a rubbish heap near his labora-tory . Most of the experimental melonplants he created quickly withered awayto nothing . One did not . It was a melonabout the size of a small cantaloupe,with a smooth, yellow and gray piebaldrind that when ripe resembled a fullmoon . The birds, rats, and other crea-tures that fed at the mage's rubbishheap ate the discarded melons and,

through their droppings, spread undi-gested seeds ofthe moonmelon far andwide .The moonmelon's nutritional qualities

are somewhat dubious ; it is actually lessnutritious than most normal melons .More important, this melon is known tocause mutations and alterations in theoffspring of any creature partaking of it .At one time, moonmelons were to befound in nearly every country with atemperate climate . However, because oftheir well-deserved sinister reputation,that soon changed . Farmers andranchers regard the melons as anextreme nuisance, causing abnormali-ties in their livestock and sometimesfierce and odd changes in the wild crea-tures near their farms and grazinglands. For this reason, farmers andranchers everywhere destroy moon-melon patches as soon as they are discov-ered . In heavily farmed and civilizedregions the moonmelon has ceased toexist, with each and every patch hunteddown and put to the torch . Now, moon-melon patches are found only in wild orsparsely populated areas . But in spite ofthis bad reputation, moonmelons arevaluable to those interested in alchemi-cal experimentation .

For the Dungeon Master

The merchant paying the bounty for themoonmelons supplied the PCs withdirections for locating a moonmelonpatch . But when the PCs arrived at themoonmelon patch, they found it strippedbare . Every last moonmelon had beenpicked, and only the bare vines remain .There is a clear trail heading due northfrom the patch . It is obvious that themelon pickers took this trail, whichleads through lightly forested hills toend at a narrow opening on the westernside of a large hill . If PCs want moon-melons, they're going to have to enterthis opening to find them .

MoonorcsThe opening the PCs have discovered isthe entrance to a lair populated by moon-creatures, offspring of those who haveeaten moonmelons (see MoonmelonEffect Tables for details) . This particularlair is occupied by moonorcs. This tribestarted out as a simple band ofoutlawores . But as is common with ores, theoutlaws rapidly depleted their food sup-ply by overhunting and overscavengingthe area near their lair . As the outlaws

grew hungry, they had a choice betweenstarving to death or eating the moon-melons that grew nearby . The moonorcsare the children ofthe original outlaws .They now regularly feed off the moon-melon patch and even make a ritual offeeding moonmelon pulp andjuice totheir young . In this way, another genera-tion of moonorcs is assured .The moonorc society differs only

slightly from that of normal ore tribes .Unlike normal ores, the moonorcs areruled by a tribunal rather than a singlechieftain . However, like normal ores, thetribunal is composed of the most power-ful members ofthe tribe . These particu-lar tribunal members are moreintelligent than the average ore . Theysee the benefit ofcooperative effort toachieve tribal goals and attempt to worktogether and avoid destructive powerstruggles . Each tribunal member con-trols a particular sphere oftribal life .The current tribunal contains a shaman,a warrior, and a special character : anorcish wizard (see areas 6, 9, and 10 forthe details on these moonorc leaders) .Also, the moonorcs hold to a very strict

spartan code . Only the largest, strong-est, and most intelligent offspring areallowed to live ; all others are put todeath . Unless otherwise noted, anymoonorcs encountered have the follow-ing basic statistics :Female or young moonorc: Int Avg;

AL LE; AC 10 ; MV 12 ; HD 1 ; hp 5 ;THACO 19 ; NAT 1 ; Ding by weapon type ;MR Nil ; SZ M; ML 10 ; XP 15; MC plusMoonmelon Tables ; club, knife, noarmor .Average moonorc : Int Avg; AL LE;

AC 5 ; MV 9; HD 1d10+1 ; hp 8 ; THACO19 ; NAT 1 ; Ding by weapon type + 1 ; SDopponents suffer -1 penalty to damagerolls ; MR nil ; SZ M; ML 12 ; XP 120 ; MCplus Moonmelon Tables ; studded leatherarmor, shield, hand axe or short bow(with 2-20 arrows), spear, dagger .Elite moonorc: Int Avg ; AL LE ; AC 3 ;MV 9 ; HD 1d10+3 ; hp 11 ; THACO 17 ; NAT 1 ; Dmg by weapon type +2 ; SAattacks as 3-HD monster; SD opponentssuffer -1 penalty to damage rolls, halfdamage from blunt weapons ; MR nil ; SZM; ML 14; XP 175 ; MC plus MoonmelonTables ; ring mail, shield, sword, spear orshort bow, dagger .These statistics arejust the basics . The

DM is encouraged to roll on the OdditiesTable ofthe Moonmelon Effects Tablesincluded with this module to individual-ize each moonorc encounter . Such oddi-

ties may affect a creatures size,intelligence, etc .

The Tomb of Kings Unknown

The moonorc lair was once an old orcishburial shrine . It is traditional amongsome ore tribes to build a crypt for theirfallen kings, princes, and chieftains .These burial chambers are often quitelavish and filled with a good deal oftreasure and valuable items . Given theorcish lifestyle, it is a rare thing indeedifan ore chieftain is actually laid to restin his crypt . The ore tombs are builtprimarily to feed the vanity of thosechieftains still living. To the ores, thecrypt represents an honorable restingplace for the spirits ofthe tribe's past,present, and future chieftains . Becausemany ofthe names of past chieftainshave long since been forgotten and thenames offuture chieftains cannot beknown, the crypt is always called"Trelgarhk Kivhos Inz" or, in the Com-mon tongue, "The Tomb of KingsUnknown."It is a fact oforcish life that their chiefs

and kings often die in battle on someforeign field far from home and, giventhe fortunes ofwar, are laid to rest wherethey fail or are left to rot . Those chiefslucky enough (or unlucky enough, as thecase may be) to survive their battle-field exploits must still live throughtumultuous tribal politics . Most orechieftains do not retire but die in office,either by quick assassination or pro-longed bloody coup. The victor in such aconfrontation, whether chieftain orusurper, is not the least bit interested ingiving the loser a decent burial in thetomb . What exactly is done with (or to)the body of a dethroned chieftain or anunsuccessful pretender to the throne isbest left to the imagination .

It is considered a blasphemy amongores for anyone to violate these tombs byusing them as hideouts or lairs . How-ever, as is often the case with ore tribes,such rules are more often honored inword than in deed . Thus, the moonorcshave no qualms about using the tomb astheir lair and have added certain embel-lishments for comfort and security. Thetomb has been excavated from the solidrock of the hillside . The entire complexis fairly well made, with smooth wallsand floors . The ceilings of the tunnelsand chambers are a lofty 20' overheadand have not been smoothed or worked,

DUNGEON 25

OF KINGS UNKNOWN


OF KINGS UNKNOWN

Moonmelon EffectsA creature who eats any of the meat orrind of a moonmelon or drinks any of itsjuice seems to be completely unaffected.However, the effects of dining on a moon-melon somehow disrupt the normalreproductive processes at a basic level .All creatures are affected by moon-melons : birds, mammals, insects, rep-tiles, and even most oozes, slimes, andmolds . The offspring of any creatureaffected by moonmelons are universallyreferred to as mooncreatures : moonli-zards, moonrats, moonbears, moonmen,etc . The effects ofeating moonmelonslast but a single generation . The off-spring of mooncreatures are themselvesperfectly normal . Thus, a monkey whoate a moonmelon would have moon-monkeys for children, but the children ofthe moonmonkeys would be normalmonkeys .The effects of the moonmelon are per-

manent and last the lifetime ofthe crea-ture eating it unless magically cured bya heal spell . The effects remain the samewhether only a small portion of a melonis eaten or if 100 melons are eaten . Notall alterations and changes caused bymoonmelons are negative, but they areall permanent whether harmful or help-ful and cannot be altered by heal spells .As moonmelon seeds are spread in the

droppings of creatures who eat them,moonmelon patches can appear any-where . DMs can use moonmelons to alteralmost any monster or creature theywish . Consult the following tables forthe types and kinds ofchanges caused bymoonmelons . All bonuses and penaltiesare cumulative . Should any penalty orbonus result in a fraction, round up allfractions of 1/2 or more and round downall fractions of less than 1/2 .

DMs are free to change the type ofplant involved to suit the needs oftheirindividual campaigns . Campaigns inheavily forested environments might bebetter served with moonapples, moon-berries, or a generic moonfruit of somekind, while a tropical isle campaign cancontain coconutmoons, etc . DMs can usevirtually any edible plant (ofat leastslightly spherical shape) that is indigenousto the campaign area as the "moonplant. "Size (Roll 2d6)Ifthe size ofthe offspring is increased ordecreased, its appearance remains

26 Issue No . 25

unchanged . The creature appears to be alarger or smaller version of its parent .However, size can cause penalties orbonuses with regard to hit points anddamage rolls (a smaller creature hasfewer hit points and does less damageper hit, while a larger creature has morehit points and does more damage) .

2 : Mooncreature is half normal size anduses six-sided rather than eight-sidedhit dice . The mooncreature also suf-fers a -2 penalty on damage rolls .

3-4 : Mooncreature is 3/a normal size . Thecreature uses eight-sided hit dice witha -1 penalty per hit die . The moon-creature also suffers a -1 penalty ondamage rolls .

5-9 : Mooncreature is normal size, hasnormal hit dice, and scores normaldamage .

10-11 : Mooncreature is 1 1/2 times nor-mal size, uses 10-sided rather thaneight-sided hit dice, and gains a + 1bonus on damage rolls .

12 : Mooncreature is twice normal sizeand uses 10-sided rather than eight-sided hit dice . It gains a + 1 bonus perhit die and a +2 bonus on all damagerolls .

Intelligence (Roll 2d6)Intelligence may have a profound effecton a creature's behavior, or it may haveno effect at all . A giant ant may have itsintelligence raised by four points but,being a simple cog in the complex socialmachine of the ant colony, its behaviorwould remain unaltered . On the otherhand, a baboon with this same four-pointincrease may begin using weapons ortake up farming . DMs should note thatoffspring of any creatures that normallyhave an intelligence greater than zerowill not be able to survive if their intelli-gence is reduced to zero . Such mooncrea-tures are not equipped with theinstinctive survival behaviors and skillsof normal nonintelligent beings . There-fore, without these instinctive safe-guards and without their naturalintelligence, they are simply unable toavoid obviously dangerous situations ortake advantage of beneficial ones .

2 : Intelligence is reduced by four pointsor to zero, whichever is applicable . Ifthe creature normally has zero intelli-gence, the creature suffers a -3 pen-alty on to-hit rolls .

3-4 : Intelligence is reduced by twopoints or to zero, whichever is applica-ble . If the creature normally has zerointelligence, the creature suffers a -1penalty on to-hit rolls .

5-9 : Intelligence is within normal rangefor the type ofcreature involved .

10-11 : Intelligence is raised by twopoints . Maximum intelligence for anymooncreature is 20 . DMs shouldignore any points beyond that total .

12 : Intelligence is raised by four points .Maximum intelligence for any moon-creature is 20 . DMs should ignore anypoints beyond that total .

Armor Class (Roll 2d6)Changes to armor class include anytoughening or weakening of the moon-creature's hide, skin, exoskeleton, orinternal skeletal structure and organs .The DM will have to determine exactlywhy any specific creature's armor classis raised or lowered . For example, acreature's skin may become leatheryand tough, or it may become much moresupple and resilient than normal Ineither case, the blow of a weapon is nowabsorbed without doing a great deal ofdamage . Or the opposite may be true ;the creature becomes much stiffer andmore brittle than normal, causing anyblows to do serious cracking and fractur-ing damage .

2 : Armor class is penalized by 3 . Oppo-nents score double damage whenusing blunt weapons and gain + 1 toall damage rolls .

3-4 : Armor class is penalized by 1, andopponents gain + 1 to damage rolls .

5-9 : No penalties or bonuses apply.10-11 : Armor class is increased by 1, andopponents suffer -1 penalties to dam-age rolls .

12 : Armor class is increased by 3 . Oppo-nents suffer -1 penalties to damagerolls . Blunt weapons do half damage .

Constitution (Roll 2d6)Moonmelons can also profoundly affect acreature's constitution . Constitution andsize can, in combination, createextremely tough or fragile creatures .Roll for constitution as directed below,then use the Constitution Table in the2nd edition PHB, page 15, to assesspenalties or bonuses . All mooncreatures

are treated as warriors on the Constitu-tion Table .

2 : Roll 1d4 for the constitution .3 : Roll 1d4+4 for constitution .4-10 : Roll 1d4+8 for constitution .11 : Roll 1d4+12 for constitution .12 : Roll 1d4+ 16 for constitution .

Dexterity (Roll 2d6)Dexterity bonuses and penalties applyonly to those creatures with measurabledexterity. Movement rate penalties andbonuses apply to any creature with amovement rate and affect all movementrates applicable to the creature (flying,swimming, burrowing, in web, etc .) DMsshould note that the initiative bonusesand penalties from this table are perma-nent, and are added to or subtractedfrom the base initiative rolls before anysituational modifiers are used .

2 : Dexterity is 1d4, and movement rateis reduced to 50% of normal . All ini-tiative rolls are made as if creaturewere both slowed and hindered (seeTable 55 : Standard Modifiers to Ini-tiative, on page 94 ofthe 2nd editionPHB.

3 : Dexterity is 1d4+4, and movementrate is only 75% of normal . All initia-tive rolls are made as if creature wereslowed (see Table 55 as above) .

4-10 : Dexterity and movement are nor-mal for the type ofcreature involved .Initiative is rolled normally .

11 : Dexterity is 1d4+ 12, and movementrate is increased by 25% . Initiativerolls are made as ifthe creature werehasted (see Table 55 as above) .

12 : Dexterity is 1d4+16 but will notexceed 20 . Movement rate isincreased by 50% . All initiative rollsare made as ifcreature were hastedand set to receive a charge (see Table55 as above) .

Oddities (Roll 1d100)Moonmelons cause completely unpre-dictable changes in a creature's appear-ance and structural form . When anymooncreature is encountered, the DMshould roll once on this table to deter-mine if the mooncreature has any notice-ably odd characteristics . Ifthe numberrolled is not applicable to the creatureinvolved (such as extra limbs or eyes fora creature that has no limbs or eyes), the

DM can either choose an appropriateoddity from the table, roll again, or con-sider the roll shows no noticeable oddi-ties .

OF KINGS UNKNOWN

mally has a tail, the tail is changed inpurpose or function . While it is possi-ble for a creature to use its tail forattack, this does not give the moon-creature an additional attack perround . Roll 1d4 to determine the typeof tail : 1 = short, useless, and non-functioning; 2 = long and prehensile,can be used to hold a shield or otherobject but cannot be used in attack ;3 = long and segmented, ending in anonpoisonous stinger that does 1-4 hpdamage ; 4 = long and whiplike, canbe used to inflict 1-2 hp damage .

86-95 : DM's choice or roll again .96-00 : Multiple oddities . Roll three

times on this table . DM may choose orroll again in the case of duplicate orcontradictory results .

01-15 : No noticeable oddities .16-35 : Radically different coloration of

fur, hide, skin, feathers, etc . Thesecolor changes can be either advanta-geous or disadvantageous to the crea-ture, depending on whether the newcolor camouflages the creature ordestroys its natural camouflage . Acreature's color can be changed to anyother color in the spectrum . The DMis free to create moonyeti with brightgreen fur or bright red moontrolls .Moonzebras with red and greenstripes are possible, as are giantmoonrats with bright yellow fur andred underbellies . The color changesand color combinations are left to theDM and are limited only by the imag-ination .

36-50 : The eyes are much different thannormal . Roll 1d6 to determine thetype ofeyes : 1 = huge and protruding ;2 = small and stalked like a crab's ; 3= large and turreted, move indepen-dently like a chameleon ; 4 = appearnormal but creature has 1d4 addi-tional eyes ; 5 = multifaceted like aninsect's ; 6 = the creature appears tohave no eyes (any eye sockets areempty, but the creature moves andreacts like one with normal vision) .

51-65 : The eyes appear and functionnormally except for their color . Roll1d6 to determine eye color : 1 = solidblack ; 2 = blank white ; 3 = glowingred; 4 = glowing, venomous green ;5 = putrid pink ; 6 = opalescent .

66-75 : The skull or head is adorned withunusual outgrowths . While it is possi-ble for a creature to attack with theseoutgrowths, this mutation does notgive the mooncreature an additionalattack per round . Roll 1d4 to deter-mine the type of adornment : 1 =antlers, as a small deer, that do 1-2 hpslashing and rending damage each ;2 = horns, as a small bull, doing 1-3hp stabbing damage each ; 3 = singlehorn, like a small unicorn horn with-out magical properties, doing 1-4 hpstabbing damage ; 4 = curved horns,like a ram, that can be used to butt anopponent for 1-4 hp damage .

76-85 : Mooncreature has a tail, or ifthemooncreature is of a type that nor-

DUNGEON 27

OF KINGS UNKNOWN

TOMB OF KINGS UNKNOWN

but left in the original ragged state oftheir excavation.

1 . Entrance . As PCs can see from thehillside, there has been no attempt tocamouflage this long bare tunnel withseveral arrow slits along the northernwall . The moonorc guards (see area 2)will allow the entire PC party to enterthe entrance tunnel before they makeany attacks . When the party hasentered, or ifa retreat is attemptedbefore the entire party has entered, themoonorcs in the guardroom release astone door that falls across the entrance .DMs should note that, while this door'slocation is marked on the map, the PCshave only a 10% chance of actuallydetecting the door until it drops behindthem . A combined strength of 26 isrequired to lift the door . The crampedtunnel allows only two individuals towork together in lifting the door . Thedoor was originally used to seal thetomb, but the moonorcs have added asimple system of pulleys so that the doorcan be lowered or lifted as needed .

2. Guardroom . This room was addedby the moonorcs to protect the entrance

28 Issue No . 25

to their lair . It is always manned byeight average warriors and two youngmoonorcs who act as errand runners, allsupervised by one elite warrior (hp 11).These guards are able to watch theentrance and the nearby area outside .The room contains a crude table, severalstools, and a crudely made wooden boxcontaining 50 arrows .The guards can release the stone door

to block the entrance tunnel by simplycutting the rope used to raise and lowerit . When the stone door is released, theguards immediately begin firing arrowsthrough the arrow splits . Whenintruders enter the entrance tunnel, anerrand runner is sent immediately to thecrypt (see area 8) to rouse the othermoonorcs . Ten elite warriors arrive1d4+4 rounds after the errand runner issent . When these warriors arrive, theguards cease firing arrows andjoin thefight in the tunnel .

3 . Hall of Heroes . The walls of thislong, wide hallway are covered withcrudely painted murals depicting battlesthat depict famous victories ofores overthe armies of dwarves, men, and elves .The painted heroes are engaged in

absurdly spectacular feats of valor andskill at arms .

4. Trophy Room. This room oncecontained trophies ofwar . Swords,spears, and armor of all kinds were dedi-cated here to the everlasting glory ofthefallen ore leaders . Centuries ago, thewalls were draped with elven banners,dwarven sigils, gnomic heraldry, and theflags and standards of men, goblins, andvarious ore tribes . The moonorc leadershave stripped the room of anythinguseful in order to outfit the tribe . Theweapons and armor were quickly dividedamong the warriors, while the flags andbanners were torn down and used forblankets or ripped apart and resewn intobags, sacks, and clothing . The room nowcontains only refuse and rusty, unusableequipment .

5 . Altar of Yurtrus. Originally, thisarea was a small chapel dedicated to theentire pantheon oforcish deities . Themoonorcs have reconsecrated it toYurtrus alone (Yurtrus is the ore deity ofdeath and disease) . The room is alwaysguarded by four elite warriors . Theydefend the altar room to the death andwill not leave to defend other areas ofthe lair unless directly ordered by theirshaman . The warriors fear Gungle theshaman more than they fear dying .The room stinks of death, filth, and rot .

The white altar of Yurtrus standsagainst the north wall . Directly in frontof and below it is an executioner's block .This block and the area around it aresplattered with bloodstains (it is thisfestering bloody mess that is causing theawful smell) . Prisoners, slaves, andother unfortunates are sacrificed bybeheading before the altar . Sacrificesare offered every full moon . Any PCscaptured by the moonorcs will be sacri-ficed during the next full moon . As sacri-ficial offerings, any such prisoners arenot subject to ransom and must be physi-cally rescued rather than releasedthrough negotiation .A large hollowed-out log that looks

like a watering trough for horses isattached to the west wall about 4' off theground . This is actually a baptismal fontof sorts . When a young moonorc is ofproper size, strength, and intelligence, itis initiated into the tribe . This ritualrequires the trough to be filled with thejuice and pulp of moonmelons . Theyoung initiate is then dunked severaltimes in the messy trough (virtually to

F3---r- 1L, fl 7

I

17 5 ®i '

the point ofdrowning) and emerges as afull-fledged member ofthe tribe . Duringthis initiation, the young moonorcs aregiven several bowls of a horrid moon-shine made from moonmelons, thusassuring the continuity ofthe moonorctribe . Apparently, such an initiationritual is close at hand, for the trough isfilled with moonmelon pulp and juice .This moonmelon pulp and juice is ruinedand cannot be sold by the PCs .

6. Gungle's Quarters. Gungle is theshaman ofthe moonorc tribe and one ofthe members of the ruling tribunal . Thisroom was added to the tomb at his direc-tion . He uses the room as bedroom, medi-tation chamber, and storage for thechapel . The room contains a chest con-taining three ornate scroll tubes worth10 gp each . One ofthe tubes contains ascroll with the priest spell silence, 15'radius .Gungle (5th-level shaman) : AL LE;

AC 7 ; MV 12 ; HD 1d10 + 4d4+2 ; hp 20 ;THACO 17; #AT 1 ; Dmg by weapon type+ 1 or by spell ; S 16, D 16, C 16,113 ; SAfights as 3-HD monster ; SD opponentssuffer -1 penalty to damage rolls ; takesonly half damage from blunt weapons ;MR nil ; SZ M; ML 14 ; XP 270 ; unar-mored, footman's mace; spells : causefear, cause light wounds, darkness, firetrap, holdperson, spiritual hammer,animate dead . The moonorc shaman'sstatistics have been taken from theMonstrous Compendium concerningorcish shamans and modified using theMoonmelon Tables in this module .Gungle appears to be a large normal

orc, but his eyes are multifaceted likethose ofan insect (see Oddities Table) .Gungle is a priest of Yurtrus, and hisspells are oftwo types : those that areharmful to the living, and those thatdeal directly with the dead or undead.When the orcs' Spartan code is invoked,the unfit are sacrificed before the altar ofYurtrus . Gungle personally carries outthe "purification rituals" that eliminateall perceived weaklings from the tribe .The shaman feels no enmity towardthese weaklings . He simply considersthis course ofaction the right and properthing to do . Gungle is responsible for thespiritual welfare of the tribe, and it is hisresponsibility to assure that the gods areappeased and look upon the tribe withfavor . He is devout beyond reason andwill uphold the tenets of Yurtrus regard-

less ofthe consequences .Gungle is always accompanied by his

three skeleton bodyguards (once humanslaves) . Should the lair be breached,Gungle's primary concern is with thedefense ofthe altar room (area 5) . Inbattle, the shaman always lets the skele-tons take the brunt of any attack, butthis does not mean he will let them bepointlessly destroyed . He uses the skele-ton bodyguards intelligently as bothshields and weapons .Skeletons (3): Int Non ; AL N; AC 7 ;

MV 12 ; HD 1 ; hp 5 each ; THACO 19 ;#AT 1 ; Dmg 1-6 ; SD immune to sleep,

OF KINGS UNKNOWN

charm, and hold spells ; MR special ; SZM; ML special ; XP 65 ; MC.

7 . Guardroom ofthe Spirit . Thisroom has several large, roughly carvedstatues of orc warriors and shamans, allin fierce, warlike poses . These spirittotems were made by the original build-ers ofthe tomb to guard and protect thecrypt room . They have no real power andare nothing more than crude figures .However, there is a large open fire pit inthe center ofthe room . The flickeringlight from this often causes the shadowsofthe statues to loom large, swirling and

DUNGEON 29

OF KINGS UNKNOWN

dancing about the walls . Ifcombat takesplace in this room, there is a 20% chancethat any PC using a missile attack orcasting a targeted spell (such as magicmissile, ray ofenfeeblement, lightningbolt, etc .), will mistake one oftheseshadows for a target and waste the mis-sile or spell .The moonorcs use the area as a com-

munal gathering and eating area, andthe females and the young also sleephere . The room is cluttered with orcish,junk : crude mining tools, large cookingpots, eating utensils, half-cured hidesused for sleeping mats, etc . There is

Moon BladeThis sword is the opposite of a sunblade. It is the size of a bastard swordand does damage as a bastard sword,but due to its enchantment can bewielded as if it were a short swordwith respect to encumbrance, speedfactor, etc . Any individual able to usea bastard sword or short sword mayuse a moon blade.In normal combat, the pale yellow

blade ofthe weapon is equal to asword +1 . When wielded against agood-aligned creature the bonus is+2 . Against paladins and good-aligned clerics, the sword scores dou-ble damage . All moon blades are ofevil alignment .Moon blades have a special moon-

beam power . Once per day, upon com-mand, the blade can be swungvigorously above the head, and it willshed a soft, pale light that is likemoonlight . The light immediatelyilluminates a 10' radius around thesword-wielder and spreads outward at5' per round for 10 rounds . When theswinging stops, the light fades to adim glow that persists for anotherturn before disappearing. Unlike thenormal moonbeam spell, the sword'smoonbeam power works equally wellin daylight or darkness . It can light adark place or dim the sunshine . Whenused in daylight, the light in the areaofeffect is dimmed to that of palemoonlight or a dark night . This poweris extremely helpful to creaturesunable to abide the sun . Creaturesthat normally fight with a penalty inbright sunshine, such as goblins, ores,and kobolds, have all such penaltieseliminated when fighting in thesword's moonbeam area ofeffect .XP Value : 2,000

30 Issue No . 25

nothing ofvalue to be found here .The area is occupied by 22 female and

young moonorcs, and 11 average war-riors . Ifthe PCs enter this room, thewarriors attack while the females andyoung attempt to cut off any retreat bythe PCs . If the warriors appear to begetting the worst of the battle, thefemales and young join the fight withouthesitation .

8. Crypt. This large room is the cryptofthe Tomb of Kings Unknown . It con-tains several large, empty stone sarcoph-agi . The moonorc warriors use this roomas their barracks, making use ofthesarcophagi as beds, tables, storage bins-and as cells for prisoners . The heavystone lid of each sarcophagus requires acombined strength of21 to lift and moveit . This makes the stone coffins excellentholding cells for all but the strongestcreatures . The sarcophagi are not air-tight, even with ores sitting on theirheavy lids, but prisoners soon grow veryweary of such a lightless, stuffy environ-ment . Any PCs captured by moonorcswill be held prisoner in the sarcophagiuntil the next full moon (see area 5 fordetails on what will happen to the unfor-tunate PCs during the full moon).Ifthe PCs have been able to sneak into

the lair, they find this room occupied by10 elite warriors . Ifthe guards in area 2detected PCs entering the lair, this roomis empty when the PCs arrive here . The10 elite warriors are out looking for thePCs . All other moonorc warriors are inareas 2, 5, and 7 .

IfPCs search inside the sarcophagi,they can find the following arms andarmor : 25 spears, three long swords,three short swords, six axes, 12 daggers,two suits ofleather armor (fit halflingsonly), and two suits ofring mail (fitgnomes or dwarves only) . All this equip-ment is ofpoor to average quality . Ifsold, the equipment brings only 50-75%ofthe prices quoted in the 2nd EditionPlayer's Handbook, pages 68-69 .

9 . Erksom's Quarters . This is thesleeping chamber used by tribunal mem-ber Erksom . It contains a large mat ofhides and a crudely stitched-togetherblanket made from battle standards ofall kinds . Erksom's few valuable posses-sions are buried in the hides of his sleep-ing mat . If the PCs begin peeling thestinking hides apart, they can find aleather pouch containing 50 gp in mixedcoin, a gold chain and pendant worth 25

gp, threejade rings worth 25 gp each,and ajeweled dagger worth 25 gp .Erksom: Int Avg ; AL LE ; AC 5 ; MV 9 ;

HD 1d10+6 ; hp 15 ; THAC016 (17 +strength) ; l{AT 1 ; Ding by weapon type+2 ; S 18, C 20, 110; SA fights as 3-HDmonster and can butt for 1-4 hp damage ;SD regenerates 1 hp every six turns ;attackers suffer -1 penalty to damagerolls ; MR nil ; SZ M; ML 14 ; XP 270 ; hidearmor, flail, moon blade, dagger .Erksom is a mighty warrior twice the

size ofa normal ore . He has a pair oflarge horns that protrude from his fore-head and curve around the sides of hishead (see Oddities Table) . He can butt anopponent with these horns for 1-4 hpdamage, or double that amount if he hasa 20' running start . His horned skull isworth 100 gp if it can be taken intact . Hegains one extra hit point per hit die dueto his size, plus an extra five hit pointsdue to his constitution .Erksom fights with a moon blade (see

sidebar on page at left). This weapon wasonce hoarded in the old trophy room(area 4), but Erksom has claimed it forhis own and none dare dispute him . Hisstrength, added to the sword's bonuses,gives Erksom +3 on all damage rolls (+4if his opponent is of good alignment), andthis total is doubled ifthe opponent is apaladin or good-aligned cleric . Also,because of the magical properties ofthemoon blade, Erksom is more than will-ing to pursue any enemy out into thebright sunshine .Erksom is the war leader ofthe tribe

and responsible for training warriors,obtaining weapons, planning raids, anddefending the lair . He disdains personalbodyguards and will be at the forefrontof any battle . Quite simply, Erksomloves to fight and prefers fighting tonegotiating regardless ofthe odds . IfthePCs have been able to sneak into the lairundetected, Erksom will be in this room.Ifthe PCs have been seen or heard enter-ing the moonorc lair, the errand runnerfrom the guardroom (area 2) also rousesErksom . In this case, the war leaderarrives one round after the 10 elite war-riors from the crypt (area 10) .In the northeast corner ofthe room,

Erksom has constructed a small shrineto Bahgtru, his patron deity (the orcishdeity of strength). There is frictionbetween Gungle and Erksom over theshrine, but this dispute has not yeterupted into open conflict . Erksom dis-plays his battle trophies-the shatteredskulls ofopponents he defeated in

combat-in a semicircle around theshrine . The collection appears to includeskulls of almost every race : human,dwarf, gnome, elf, halfling-even most ofthe goblinoid races are represented . Ifany PCs are defeated by Erksom, theirskulls will join this horrible display.

10 . Retch's Quarters. Using charcoalfrom a cooking fire, Retch has coveredthe walls of his sleeping chamber withan odd assortment of graffiti, a conglom-eration of archaic runes, meaninglesssymbols, and indecipherable glyphs .However, Retch feels his efforts givesthe chamber the mysterious, arcane, andlearned appearance that befits a wizardas unique as himself.Retch (5th-level wizard) : Int Avg ; AL

LE; AC 9 ; MV 12 ; HD 1d10 + 4d4+3 ; hp19 ; THAC017 ; #AT 1 ; Dmg by weapontype + 1 or by spell ; S 16, C 17, 115 ; SAfights as 3-HD monster and can stingwith tail for 1-4 hp damage ; SD oppo-nents suffer -1 penalty to damage rolls ;MR nil ; SZ M; ML 14 ; XP 270 ; unar-mored, staff, dagger ; spells : armor,magic missile, sleep, wall offog, invisibil-ity, web, monster summoningl.Retch's higher-than-average intelli-

gence has given him the power to dowhat almost no other orcs can do-castwizard's spells . Retch's statistics havebeen taken from the Monstrous Compen-dium and the 1st Edition Legends &Lore (page 90) modified using the Moon-melon Effects Tables .Retch is the most bizarre member of

the tribunal (and one ofthe strangest-looking creatures in the entire moonorctribe, for that matter) . The orcish wizardis a bright green from head to foot, has along tail that ends in a stinger (1-4 hpdamage), and his eyes glow bright red(see Oddities Table).Retch is responsible for the day-to-day

administration ofthe tribe . He allocatesmanpower and resources and does thelong-range planning . Gungle has pro-vided Retch with a zombie bodyguardwhom Retch uses as a convenient lackeyto fetch and carry for him . Ifany battle isfought in the lair, Retch hurries tojointhe defense ofthe Guardroom oftheSpirit (area 7) . In battle, the orcish wiz-ard uses the zombie as a shield, hidingbehind his undead minion while castingspells .Retch is a decent strategist and, unlike

Erksom, is willing to negotiate withenemies . This negotiation is often noth-ing more than a feint behind which

Retch maneuvers moonorc warriors intobetter battle positions, waits for rein-forcements, or attempts to lure a reck-less enemy into the open . The orcishwizard prefers to match wits and magicwith an opponent before matchingweapons .Zombie (human): Int Non ; AL N; AC

8; MV 6 ; HD 2 ; hp 11 ; THAC019 ; #AT 1 ;Dmg 1-8 ; SD immune to sleep, charm,and hold spells plus death magic andcold-based attacks ; MR special ; SZ M;ML special ; XP 65 ; MC.The room is cluttered with an assort-

ment of wizardly paraphernalia : a cer-emonial rattle made from a kobold skullmounted on a short wooden wand andfilled with pebbles ; bracelets and ankletsmade of assorted teeth, bones and feath-ers ; ceremonial masks made ofcarvedwood or tooled leather, etc . Among thisclutter lies a bone tube containing ascroll ofprotection from undead.Against the northern wall is a large

covered barrel that contains 28 har-vested moonmelons that the PCs havebeen looking for . At the bottom ofthebarrel is Retch's spell book, wrapped in athick animal fur. In addition to thespells Retch is listed as knowing, thebook contains the following spells : readmagic, spook, knock, levitate, and item.To assure that the other moonorcs stayout ofthe barrel, Retch has trapped itwith a pet poisonous snake . The snakenestles among the melons, and anyoneother than Retch who reaches in to getone will likely be bitten (the snake sur-prises on 1-4 on 1d6). DMs should notethat the snake is merely a pet and not afamiliar . Ifthe PCs attack the snakewith weapons ofany kind, they willdestroy 1d6+4 melons in the process .Snake: Int Animal ; AL N; AC 6 ; MV

15 ; HD 2+1 ; hp 10 ; THAC019 ; #AT 1 ;Dmg 1 ; SA poison ; MR nil ; SZ M; ML 8 ;XP 175 ; MC.In the center of the room is a large

open wine cask in which moonmelons,rinds and all, are fermenting . Thesemoonmelons are ruined and cannot besold . Retch brews a strong moonshineout ofthe melons . This moonmelon liq-uor tastes dreadful and causes the sameeffects as eating a moonmelon . It is usedprimarily during the ritual initiation ofyoung moonorcs to the tribe. Otherwise,Retch and the other moonorc leaderspartake of the vile brew only during therites of Yurtrus at the full moon . Thereis a five-gallonjug ofthe awful stuff inone corner ofthe room . The moonshine is

OF KINGS UNKNOWN

extremely volatile and flammable, andcan be used to make fire-based attacks orgrenadelike missiles (treat as oil onTable 45 : Grenade-Like Missile Effects,page 63 of the 2nd edition Dungeon Mas-ter's Guide) .

Concluding the AdventureIfthe PCs defeat the moonorcs, they maykeep any treasure they find and sell anymoonmelons they recover for 100 gpeach as promised by the merchant . Ifgood-aligned PCs capture Erksom'smoon blade but keep it only that it mightbe safely destroyed, give the party a2,000 XP bonus . If a good- or neutral-aligned PC claims the blade, with theknowledge that it is evilly aligned,deduct 500 XP from that PC's total .However, anyone in possession ofa moonblade will attract attention regardless ofhis alignment . Evil-aligned humans anddemi-humans will be very interested inowning such a blade . Any PC claimingthe moon blade will certainly be visitedby thieves willing to kill for it . Thesevisitations will happen continually andoften while the PC owns the blade .As moonmelons might be found any-

where, DMs can use the MoonmelonEffects Tables to create other monstersfor PCs to encounter. An intelligent cavebear oftwice normal size can terrorizethe countryside . A huge lizard man ofhigher than normal intelligence couldlead his tribe on devastating raids . Ausually very intelligent korred could bereduced to a creature oflow intelligencecausing trouble in the forest . The possi-bilities are limited only by the needs ofthe DM's campaign .

Sl

The Oops File

The map ofHammerkeep on page 8of "The Ship of Night" (issue #20)was printed upside down . The mapwas supposed to be cryptic, but notthat difficult to figure out .

HROTHGAR'SRESTING PLACEBY STEPHEN J . SMITH

He wanted a scabbard-butgot the shaft.

Artwork byTerry Dykstra

32 Issue No . 25

Stephen bought a new wordprocessorwith his earnings from "The Bane ofElfswood"(issue 11211 and hopes to makegood use ofit writing more D&D° mo-dules. He is currently in mourningfor hisbeloved Boston Bruins, who came up a bitshort in their quest for the Stanley Cup.He'llprobably use the money from"Hrothgar's RestingPlace" to buy ticketsfor next season.

"Hrothgar's Resting Place" is a shortD&D° Expert Set module for 4-6 playercharacters oflevels 4-7 (about 27 totallevels). A mix of character types, includ-ing at least one cleric and one magic-user or elf, is strongly advised . Thisadventure is introduced through a trea-sure map to a combined treasure (see theExpert Rulebook, page 61) . The DM canslip this treasure map (which takes theform ofa wizard's diary) into an existingtreasure hoard in another adventure, oreven have the PCs find it lying in a gut-ter in their hometown .The adventure takes place in the

Grand Duchy of Karameikos from theD&D Expert Set and GAZ 1 The GrandDuchy ofKarameikos . A copy of GAZ 1might prove helpful to the DM (as itcontains an outline map ofthe city ofKelvin and a large, full-color map of theduchy in its entirety), but this accessoryis not necessary.

Adventure BackgroundThe treasure map in this adventuretakes the form ofan old diary belongingto a wizard named Aeloros Runolfsen .Among other passages detailing severalsplendid adventures is the followingentry, which hints at lost treasures : anintelligent sword and a silver statuetteofa lion . The date ofthe entry is about25 years in the past .

"Our expedition to the land of Kara-meikos has come to an end, and we shallbegin our long journey home to Soder-fjord in the morning. My bold friendsand I return home far wealthier thanwhen we left, yet we have paid a steepprice as well-our fearless comradeHrothgar has been lost to us forever."While staying in the town of Kelvin,

we heard stories that a marauding reddragon had been terrorizing some ofthefarms north oftown, swooping in overthe moors to burn down a barn or devoura cow or two . My companions and I,knowing that where there's a dragonthere's bound to be treasure, immedi-ately volunteered to hunt down the beast .

"The townspeople eagerly accepted ouroffer and told us they suspected thecreature's home was hidden in the mid-dle of the moors . Fortunately, I knewbetter than to believe that. No self-respecting dragon-except a black one,perhaps-would dwell in such a bleak,open, forsaken tract of land as the Kel-vin moors . I had a hunch the dragon hada cave in the hills north ofthe moors, sothat's where my friends and I started oursearch ."Our group took the trail leading

north out of town, thus avoiding thetreacherous bogs and their dangerousdenizens . We then headed east, follow-ing the edge ofthe moor where it meetsthe hills . Eventually, we reached ariver-the Volaga, the Karameikans callit-followed it north . A few milesupriver, we spied a large cave in the sideof a rocky hill . I knew we had found ourdragon ."My friends and I climbed the rugged

hillside and cautiously crept into thecave . Therein we found the dragon, andfortune was on our side-the great beastwas asleep! We launched a very success-ful surprise attack, slaying the wyrmquickly with a minimum of damage toourselves . The dragon did catchHrothgar with a feeble blast ofits flam-ing breath, but the poor beast was nearlydead so the barbarian wasn't hurt seri-ously, although his beard was a bitsinged ."Examining our vanquished foe, I

discovered that the dragon was fairlyyoung for its species . As a result, it hadnot collected nearly as much treasure asits larger, older counterparts mighthave, but there was still enough goldand jewels to keep our pouches full forsome time ."Near the back ofthe cavern,

Hrothgar found a splendid sword thatmy spell detected as magical . He alsoclaimed a beautiful statuette of a lion-wrought of silver and inlaid with anassortment of gems-as his share oftheloot . While the barbarian admired hisnew blade and statue, the rest of ussifted through the remainder of thetreasure ."Suddenly Hrothgar let out one of his

annoying grunt-laughs and claimed thathis new sword was talking to him . Thenext thing we knew, he was scamperingaround muttering, `Scabbard, scabbard .My sword needs a nice new scabbard!'Not finding one in the dragon's maintreasure hoard, the barbarian disap-peared down a side tunnel .

KELVIN AND VICINITY1 hex = 8 miles

d\ A11T A. .

"That was the last we saw ofour dearfriend Hrothgar . We heard his long cryofterror and the muffled clang when hehit bottom . The fool had gone off explor-ing without a light and had fallen into adeep shaft . My companions and I rushedto help, but it was all in vain . We foundthe pit that had claimed our friend andcalled down into the darkness, but therewas no response from below. I dropped asmall stone into the shaft, and it finallyhit bottom after several long seconds ofsilence . We could do no more, however,because the stupid barbarian was carry-ing our only length ofrope when he tookhis plunge ."Since Hrothgar's fatal fall, I have

come to the conclusion that the blade hefound in the dragon's lair was an intelli-gent sword . Such a sword, I have heard,is capable ofbending the will of itswielder if that person is not mentallystrong enough to control it . AlthoughHrothgar's sword arm was highlyrespected by both friend and foe, intelli-gence and wisdom are attributes thebarbarian did not possess in quantity."I fear that Hrothgar fell under the

sword's sway, and that is why he rompedoffon his ill-fated scabbard hunt . What-ever the reason for his demise, I will

HROTHGAR'S RESTING PLACE

For the Dungeon Master

DUNGEON 33

miss that big, lovable ogre of a man. Ican honestly say that Hrothgar was atrue friend to all of us, and his bravespirit and steadfast sword arm will besorely missed but never forgotten ."Although there are a few more entries

in Aeloros's diary following the aboveone, none ofthe later passages suggestthat the wizard and his companions evermade it back to their home city of Soderf-jord . If any PC uses a commune spell tofurther investigate the diary, he maylearn (if he asks the right questions) thatAeloros and his friends were ambushedand killed during their returnjourney toSoderfjord, and that Hrothgar's trea-sures had never been recovered by them .

Since Aeloros's diary could be discoveredby the PCs' almost anywhere in theKnown World, it is impossible to includean accurate random encounter table tocover the party's journey to the treasurecave . (For example, adventurers crossingthe Alasiyan Desert in Ylaruam wouldbe very unlikely to encounter any lizardmen, while a party slogging through thegreat Malpheggi Swamp in Darokinmight cross paths with quite a few).


Therefore, the DM should use the Wil-derness Encounter Tables provided onpages 30 and 35 of the Expert Rulebookfor most of the PCs' journey . When theadventurers reach Kelvin and begin tofollow the directions given in the diary,the Wilderness Encounter Table locatedbelow can be used .The DM should check for an encounter

once every eight miles (one hex) traveledon the Kelvin and Vicinity map . Anencounter takes place on a roll of 1-2 on1d6, and the DM should roll 2d4 to deter-mine what monster(s) the adventurersmeet .

Ifthe PCs choose to ignore the diary'swarning against traveling through themoors, the DM should (in addition to theregular Random Encounter Check) roll1d6 for each hex of moor the groupcrosses . On a roll of 1, the first rank ofthe party stumbles into a patch ofquick-sand . Mired characters sink to theirdeaths in two rounds unless rescued, andthey cannot save themselves by ordinarymeans .

The Treasure CaveIf the PCs are following the directionsgiven in Aeloros's diary, they will spythe cave opening shortly after enteringits hex . The cave network itself is unre-markable ; it is simply a set of naturalcaverns and tunnels (see The TreasureCave map) . The floors, ceilings, and

Wilderness Encounters (Roll 2d4)

34 Issue No . 25

walls are a mixture ofrock and earth . Incaverns, the ceiling height ranges from20' (smaller caves) to 35' (larger caves).In the connecting tunnels, the ceilinghangs 10'to15'overhead .

Upper Level1 . Empty Cavern .This vast cavern is empty except forsome scattered rubble and a few ani-mal bones . Several alcoves and sidetunnels are present, however, including a gaping 30'-wide opening to theeast .

There is nothing ofinterest or valuehere .

2 . The Dragon's Lair.

This spacious chamber contains muchthe same rubble as in area 1, butmany more bones litter the stonyfloor . In the center of the room reststhe crumbling skeleton of a dragon .

This is the chamber where Aeloros,Hrothgar, and their companions foughtand killed the red dragon mentioned inthe diary . Although most of the dragon'shoard was removed by its vanquishersand other subsequent looters, a few coins(9 gp and 10 cp) and one onyx gem (250gp value) remain, buried beneath the

2 : Werewolves (2) : AC 5 ; HD 4* ; hp 22, 20 ; MV 180'(60') ; #AT 1 bite ; Ding 2-8 ;Save F4 ; ML 8; AL C; XP 125 ; BD/33 . These lycanthropes are in animal form andvery hungry . They can be hit by only silver or magical weapons .3 : Goblins (3-12) : AC 6 ; HD 1-1 ; hp 4 each ; MV 90'(30') ; #AT 1 short sword ; Dmg

1-6 ; Save NM; ML 7 ; AL C ; XP 5 ; BD/31 . If encountered during daylight hours, thegoblins suffer a -1 penalty to their to-hit rolls .4 : Bugbears (2-5) : AC 5 ; HD 3+1 ; hp 15 each ; MV 90'(30') ; #AT 1 sword ; Ding 1-8

+ 1 ; Save F3 ; ML 9 ; AL C ; XP 75 ; BD/27 . Bugbears surprise their foes on a roll of 1-3on 1d6 . They also receive a + 1 bonus to all hit and damage rolls due to their supe-rior strength .5 : Dire wolves (2-5) : AC 6; HD 4+1 ; hp 19 each ; MV 150'(50') ; #AT 1 bite ; Dmg

2-8 ; Save F2; ML 8; AL N ; XP 125 ; BD/39 .6 : Manticores (1-2): AC 4; HD 6+1* ; hp 28 each ; MV 120'(40'), Flying 180'(60') ;

#AT 2 claws/l bite or 6 spikes ; Ding 1-4/1-4/2-8 or 1-6 per spike ; Save F6; ML 9 ; ALC ; XP 650 ; ER/52 . Each manticore has a full complement of24 tail spikes (ranges5071007180').7 : Grizzly bears (2) : AC 8 ; HD 5 ; hp 27, 25 ; MV 120'(40') ; #AT 2 claws/1 bite ;

Ding 1-8/1-8/1-10 ; Save F4; ML 10 ; AL N; XP 175 ; BD/26 . Ifboth paw attacks hitthe same opponent, the bear hugs for an additional 2-16 hp damage .8 : Wyvern : AC 3; HD 7*; hp 36 ; MV 90'(30'), Flying 240'(80'); #AT 1 bite/1 sting ;

Dmg 2-16/1-6 plus poison ; Save F4 ; ML 9 ; AL C ; XP 850 ; ER/57 . Anyone stung bythe wyvern's tail must make a Saving Throw vs . Poison or die .

bones and rubble . For each turn a PCspends searching the cavern, roll 1d20 .A roll of 1-2 indicates that the PC hasfound something. Again roll 1d20 . Aresult of 1-10 means that a copper pieceis found, 11-19 indicates that a gold pieceis recovered, and 20 means that the onyxgem is discovered .

3 . Small Pit (and a Less-Elusive Gem) .This small, 8'-deep pit appears emptywhen viewed from above, but anyonewho actually descends to search can finda small pearl in a far corner. The pearl isworth 500 gp .

4 . Troll Quarters. Two trolls-a maleand a female-dwell on this rocky shelf.They react quickly to the appearance ofany potential meals .Each of the trolls has fallen prey to the

charming song ofthe harpies (see area 6)at one time, but the trolls' regenerativepowers prevented the harpies from beingable to kill them . When the charmeffects were broken, the maraudingtrolls wreaked such havoc in the harpies'lair that the bird-women have left theever-hungry monsters alone ever since .The trolls, a bit shaken by the experi-ence themselves, have avoided the har-pies as well . The trolls have no treasure .Trolls (2) : AC 4 ; HD 6+3* ; hp 34, 26 ;MV 120'(40') ; #AT 2 claws/1 bite ; Dmg1-6/1-6/1-10 ; Save F6; ML 10 (8 ifattacked with fire or acid) ; AL C ; XP650 ; ER/56 . Trolls can regenerate 3 hpdamage per round, starting three roundsafter they are first injured .

5. Cavern of the Cave Toads . Thisarea may seem to be unoccupied at firstglance, but this is not the case . Threecave toads (hp 21, 17, 15 ; see sidebar forcomplete statistics) sit quietly againstthe cavern's south wall at the pointmarked X .

Suddenly, you come upon three huge,toadlike creatures crouched near thesouthern wall . The toads have bumpy,turtlelike shells on their backs andwide staring eyes that glisten eerilyas they reflect the light .

Anyone looking into the cave toads'eyes must make a Saving Throw vs .Paralysis or be paralyzed for 2-8 rounds .Surprised characters automaticallymeet a toad's gaze . The PCs may fightthe toads while looking away but suffera -2 penalty on their to-hit rolls .

The cave toads center their attacks onparalyzed opponents if possible, gaininga +4 bonus to hit . They have no trea-sure .The stony incline leading up to area 6

contains many loose rocks . Anyone whoattempts to climb this incline must rollhis Dexterity score or less on 3d6+ 1 .Anyone who fails this roll slips duringthe climb, sending a small cascade ofloose stones clattering to the cavernfloor . No damage is taken by such a PC,but the noise alerts the harpies on theledge above, and they immediately beginto sing a little welcoming song .

6. Harpies' Ledge. Four adult harpiescall this ledge home . They will fight veryfiercely to defend their nests (ML 10instead of 7). If these nests are searched,the PCs will find some grungy but valu-able jewelry : a pearl necklace (1,500 gp),a small ruby pendant (1,000 gp), and athin gold bracelet (600 gp) .Upon discovering intruders, the har-

pies immediately begin to sing . Each PCwho hears this monstrous melody mustmake a Saving Throw vs . Spells or becharmed . Those who save will not beaffected by the harpies' singing for therest ofthe encounter .Harpies (4) : AC 7 ; HD 3* ; hp 20, 18,

15, 14 ; MV 60'(20% Flying 150'(50'); #AT 2 claws/1 short sword plus charm,Dmg 1-4/1-4/1-6 ; Save F6 ; ML 10 ; AL C ;XP 50; 13D/31 .

7 . Hrothgar's Fall .

A deep chasm appears in the tunnelfloor before you-a chasm so deep thatyou are unable to see its bottom .Perhaps this is the dark pit thatclaimed Hrothgar and the treasureyou seek!

This is indeed the spot where Hrothgartook his fatal fall . Anyone falling the120' to the bottom of this shaft suffers12d6 hp damage and is rendered uncon-scious for 3-12 turns . Those who success-fully listen for noises can hear a faintgrinding sound coming from below (thecaecilia in area 11) .Getting to the bottom of the shaft is

somewhat challenging but not overlydifficult . For those without the magicalpowers offlying or levitation, there is asmall stalagmite near the edge ofthe pitaround which a rope can be fastened.

The stalagmite is thin, however, andlooks like it could safely support theweight of only one or two characters at atime . If more than two people try toclimb down the rope at the same time,there is a cumulative 15% chance peradditional person on the rope that thestalagmite will give way, plungingeveryone on the rope to the bottom of thepit . Should such a tragedy occur, the DMshould roll 1d12 and multiply the resultby 10 . This figure gives the PCs' heightin feet above the bottom ofthe chasmwhen the stalagmite gives way. Fallingdamage is 1-6 hp per 10' fallen .Once the first group ofPCs has begun

to descend into the shaft, roll for sur-prise . A giant black widow spider hasbeen hiding behind a stalactite over thepit . Seeing the PCs in a vulnerable posi-tion, it drops down on a single webstrand in pursuit ofthe descendingadventurers .

If the PCs are surprised, the spiderdrops past any persons standing at thetop ofthe pit before they can react . Itreaches those climbing down the rope inthe next round . Ifthe PCs are not sur-prised, they may attack the arachnid asit drops past . The spider will not botherto fight adventurers at the top oftheshaft, preferring instead to attack thoseon the rope .When the giant black widow lowers

itselfinto the pit, it is far enough outover the shaft to be out ofrange ofthemelee attacks of PC on the ledge . It maybe attacked normally by missile weap-ons and thrown ones, however . If andwhen the spider reaches the descendingPCs, it attacks them immediately. Char-acters on the rope can fight back, but at-4 to hit and with a -2 penalty to alldamage rolls .Should any PC aim a missile or thrown

weapon to sever the web strand fromwhich the spider hangs, treat the web asAC -2 . Any hit breaks the web andplummets the spider to its death . Anadventurer who can reach the web(through flying or levitation, for exam-ple) can automatically cut it .Giant black widow spider : AC 6 ; HD

3* ; hp 20; MV 60'(20'), in web 120'(40') ;#AT 1 bite ; Dmg 2-12 plus poison ; SaveF2 ; ML 8; AL N; XP 50 ; BD/38 . Anyonebitten by the spider must Save vs . Poisonor die in 1 turn.


Lower Level8 . Bottom ofthe Pit .

Upon reaching the bottom of the pit,you find yourselves in a vast emptycavern . Yes, empty-there is no signofHrothgar's skeletal remains or histreasure . At the east end ofthe cham-ber, however, are two dark passages,and from them comes a strange grind-ing sound .

The grinding sound is caused by theburrowing of three caecilia (see area 11) .The noise comes from both tunnels butsounds stronger at the entrance ofthenortheast passage .Hrothgar's remains and treasure are

not present because they were picked uplong ago by a gelatinous cube that scoursthis level ofthe caves . The barbarian'sbody was totally dissolved by the cube,but his metal treasures were not . Thecube (and the valuables the PCs areseeking) is currently in area 11 .

Cave or Rock ToadThe cave (or rock) toad appears in theD&D Companion Set . For those whodo not own that set, the toad's descrip-tion and statistics appear below.ARMOR CLASS: 2HIT DICE : 3+1MOVE: 60'(20'ATTACKS : 1 bite plus paralysisDAMAGE: 1-6NO. APPEARING : 1-4 (1-4)SAVE AS: Fighter 3MORALE : 7TREASURE TYPE : VALIGNMENT: NeutralXP VALUE: 75The cave or rock toad is about the sizeof a large dog . It carries a hard shellon its back, like a turtle, and haslarge, multifaceted eyes that shinewith a hypnotic glow. Anyone gazinginto these eyes must make a SavingThrow vs . Paralysis or be paralyzedfor 2-8 rounds . Its normal attack is abite from its sharp, beaked mouth .The strange eyes ofthis creature

continue to cast a feeble light in a 5'radius for 1-3 hours after the creaturedies, but their hypnotic powers arelost . Cave toads usually live in coldregions .

DUNGEON 35


9. Empty Area . . . For the TimeBeing.

This cavern appears to be empty. Thegrinding sound continues to comefrom farther down the passage to theeast, and now it is joined by the noisyclattering of stone on stone .

The above description assumes thatthe PCs enter this area before enteringarea 11 . While the PCs are in area 11fighting two caecilia and the gelatinouscube, a third caecilia bursts through the

36 Issue No . 25

floor here, then squirms up behind thePCs to join the battle . If the partyexplores this room after fighting themonsters in area 11, all is quiet . Theysimply see the hole in the cavern floorwhere the third caecilia broke through .

10. Another Arachnid . This areamay appear to be vacant at first, but agiant crab spider clings to the stonyceiling above the western entrance .Since this spider has the ability to blendinto its surroundings, it surprises itsprey on a roll of 1-4 on 1d6 . Anyone bit-

ten by the spider must make a SavingThrow vs . Poison (with a +2 bonus to theroll) or die in 1-4 turns .

Giant crab spider : AC 7 ; HD 2* ; hp10 ; MV 120'(40') ; NAT 1 bite ; Dmg 1-8plus poison ; Save F1 ; ML 7; AL N; XP25; BD/38 .If the PCs have not yet battled the

creatures in area 11, they hear thestrange grinding noise and the clatter-ing of rocks caused by the thrashingcaecilia in the next cavern .

11 . Big Worms and an IndigestibleTreasure . Since the two caecilia wormsin this cavern are so noisy, the party willhave no chance ofbeing surprised by thecreatures . When the third caecilia joinsthe battle, however, and when the gelati-nous cube squeezes out of its alcove, theDM should check for surprise as usual .

Your view ofthis cavern is domi-nated by its occupants-two huge,bloated gray worms, each at least 30'long with a monstrous tooth-filledmaw capable ofswallowing a personwhole . The thrashing beasts scatterrubble everywhere as they move toattack .

At this point, adventurers who enteredthe area from the northwest tunnel heara loud crash in the passage behind them .A third caecilia (35 hp) has burstthrough the floor in area 9 and willarrive in four rounds, ready to do battle .Caecilia worms (3) : AC 6 ; HD 6*; hp

36, 35, 27 ; MV 60'(20') ; NAT 1 bite ; Ding1-8 ; Save F3 ; ML 9 ; AL N; XP 500 ; ER/46 . On an unadjusted to-hit roll of 19 or20, a caecilia swallows its prey whole(Ding 1-8 hp per round until freed) .Although the caecilia put up a good

fight to defend their lair, they willretreat down their holes ifthey fail amorale check . PCs would be wise not tofollow the fleeing worms, as their holessometimes plunge straight down .Once the PCs have dealt with the

worms, they will find Hrothgar's trea-sure (or his treasure will find them!) . Agelatinous cube was trapped behindsome rubble in an alcove in the westernwall (at the point on the map marked X)when the worms burst through the cav-ern floor . When the party finishes bat-tling the caecilia, the cube squeezes outofits prison 2d8 rounds later andattacks . The PCs will be able to see themagical sword, the lion statuette, some

coins, and a few other items inside theshimmering cube as it approaches them .

As you let out sighs of relief afterdealing with the huge gray worms,the faint clatter of loose stone alertsyou to another threat . A strange sightemerges from an alcove in the west-ern wall : A magnificent sword, asilver statuette ofa lion, and a fewother small items are floating towardyou, all contained within a shimmer-ing, semitransparent cube .

Gelatinous cube: AC 8; HD 4*; hp 29 ;MV 60'(20') ; f/AT 1 ; Dmg 2-8 plus paral-ysis ; Save F2 ; ML 12 ; AL N; XP 125 ; BD/30 . Anyone hit by the cube must make aSaving Throw vs . Paralysis or be paralyzed for 2-8 turns . Any attack by thecube on a paralyzed victim automati-cally hits. The creature is immune tocold and lightning attacks .The following is an inventory ofthe

many items the gelatinous cube haspicked up and been unable to digestduring its long years ofpatrolling the

lower caverns : 25 gp ; 11 sp ; 12 cp ; adagger ; a suit ofchain mail armor(minus the straps, which the cube dis-solved) ; a few metal clasps and bucklesfrom Hrothgar's other equipment ; thebarbarian's magical sword and silverstatuette .The sword has quite a few nicks in it

but is still functional . It is indeed anintelligent sword, as the wizard Aeloroshad speculated in his diary . Its name isSeeker, and it is a Neutral sword +2(Intelligence 9, Ego 12) with primarypowers to detect gems, detect metal, andsee invisible objects . It can communicatethese powers to its wielder throughempathy . Any Lawful or Chaotic individ-ual who touches the sword suffers 1-6 hpshock damage for each round he is incontact with the blade . The first thingSeeker wants, of course, is a nice, newscabbard .The statuette is made ofsolid silver

and depicts a snarling lion on the prowl .Its eyes are inlaid rubies ; its teeth andclaws are ivory. Unfortunately, thegelatinous cube, in its years ofconstant

MARVELContinued from page 23

Before running an encounter withMastermind, review the rules for disbe-lieving illusions on page 82 ofthe Play-ers'Book . Heroes trying to disbelieve theillusions must make an Intuition rollagainst Mastermind's Unearthly-intensity images . Note that blind heroesor those with different sensory modes,such as Daredevil, still sense Master-mind's illusions (his mutant poweraffects the brain, not the actual senseorgans) . Androids and mechanicaldevices are unaffected by Mastermind'sillusions .Inner Circle treachery : Don't

neglect the dramatic possibilities offorcing heroes to work with the WhiteQueen or other Hellfire Club villains .Once Mastermind falls, an Inner Circlemember may try to ambush and defeat asingle hero . Treachery is their byword .

If the heroes aren't aware of the InnerCircle's secret powers, let the WhiteQueen use all her charm on them, offerthem honorary membership, and so on .

The club can then use the heroes asdupes in a later scheme .Aftermath

The police Special Weapons Force,unsure of what to do with Mastermind,locks him in a special invisibility-nullifying harness designed by StaneInternational . The harness has Remark-able Nullifying Power (Players'Book,page 76) with Feeble range and is madeofGood-strength material .Heroes familiar with Mastermind

realize this equipment won't affect themutant illusionist . Ifthey aren't famil-iar with him or don't notice this, anddon't accompany the police until thevillain is locked in a psionically shieldedprison cell, Mastermind easily escapeswithin hours .Ifcircumstances force an Inner Circle

member to go public with his or hersuperhuman powers, the rest of theInner Circle, pretending shock, expelsthe member publicly-but only publicly .The member will return to the Circlecovertly or in another identity .

Karma


scouring, has picked up and spit out thestatuette so often that the silver sculp-ture has been badly scratched . In itspresent condition, the statue would fetcha price of 3,000 gp from the right buyer.Ifthe ivory and rubies are removed andthe silver melted down, the preciousmaterials would be worth 1,000 gp andthe silver 100 gp . The party's best optionmay be to have a skilled sculptor dosome repair work on the piece (whichwould cost 100+10d10 gp), then resell itfor about 5,000 gp .

Concluding the Adventure

When the PCs recover Hrothgar's losttreasure, the adventure is over . IftheDM would like to send the PCs right outon another adventure, however, theintelligent sword, Seeker, can supply arumor it learned from one ofits previousowners . The DM will have to create thedetails ofthis rumor and an appropriatequest for the heroes .

0

Karma should be awarded according tothe Karma Summary Listing on page 37ofthe Players' Book. Here are somepossible Karma awards :Detecting Mastermind's illusions : +5Karma.

Deducing his presence and locating him:+10 Karma.

Defeating Mastermind : +100 Karma.Stopping a violent crime : +30 Karma.Multiple rescues (more than five people) :+100 Karma.

Joining the Hellfire Club : +1 Popular-ity, -1 Karma.

Getting an Inner Circle member tobetray his or her powers : +20 Karmaper Circle member, to the hero whomanages it (and undying enmity fromthat Circle member in the future!) .

IZ

MARVEL, MARVEL SUPER HEROES, MARVELUNIVERSE, and all Marvel characters, names, andlikenesses are trademarks of Marvel EntertainmentGroup, Inc . Copyright 1990 Marvel EntertainmentGroup, Inc . All Rights Reserved .

DUNGEON 37

A ROSE FORTALAKARABY WOLFGANG BAUR & STEVEN KURTZ

Red for love, white forpurity, black for death.

Artwork by Mark Nelson

ing the I. C. E. book Treasures ofMiddle-earth . He is also an editor ofVisionsmagazine, doinggame reviews and inter-views as well as the usual editing ofman-uscripts . Wolfhas acquired a stylish ifsomewhat temperamental KarmannGhia that he has named Cleo .Steve Kurtz is a 21-year-old graduate

student at Cornell University, studyingmechanical engineering. In addition tohis studies and gaming, he devotes bloodand sweat to Visions magazine. As vicepresident ofproduction, he is responsiblefor the design and content ofthis intercol-legiate science-fiction magazine that isdistributed on college campuses as faraway as the Soviet Union.

"A Rose for Talakara" is an AD&D° 2ndEdition adventure designed for 6-10neutral- or good-aligned player charac-ters of8th-12th level (roughly 75 totallevels) . The party should be well bal-anced and include at least one experi-enced cleric and wizard . This module canbe used independently or can be incorpo-rated into any unexplored volcanicmountain range in an ongoing cam-paign . The adventure begins when allthe party members are visiting a largecity and going about their own business .

Adventure BackgroundIn the distant past, the knight Agrovalefell from grace and became a skeletonwarrior (see the FIEND FOLIO° tome,page 79, or the Monstrous Compendium,Vol . 4). His soul was trapped in a goldencirclet by the forces ofdarkness and evil .Centuries later, a human wizard namedTalakara devoted herself to Glasya, apowerful denizen ofthe lower planes . Asa reward for Talakara's services, Glasyagave her the circlet that held Agrovale'ssoul . Apparently Glasya saw an opportu-nity to spread great evil throughout theworld by giving Talakara some powerand letting her ambition do the rest .With her increasingly powerful magic

and the undead might of Agrovale, Tala-kara easily gained control ofPandar, asmall but rich kingdom cut offfrom theoutside world by a daunting range ofvolcanoes. Instead of using her conquestof Pandar as a stepping stone to conquerthe rest of the continent (as Glasyaexpected), Talakara began researchinghow to gain immortality . The frail andwrinkled state that lichdom offereddidn't appeal to her (she was, after all,

extremely beautiful and vain) . Shewanted something more : to be fearedand worshiped . She wanted to become agoddess . With the judicious use ofpower-ful magicks to prolong her lifespan,Talakara embarked on the centuries-long task ofdestroying all other reli-gions in her kingdom . Worship ofTalakara became a national obligation.None ofthis would have been possible

were it not for Agrovale . Under Tala-kara's direct control, he singlehandedlymurdered almost all the clerics andmajor nobles in Pandar. Agrovaleloathed Talakara for dominating himthrough the circlet but agreed to serveher voluntarily so long as she did not usethe circlet to enforce her commands .Talakara assented, and Agrovale hasobeyed her for the past 120 years .Despite his obedience, however, theskeleton warrior has never lost hishatred and resentment ofTalakara andher "religion ."Even when he could forget his enforced

obedience to Talakara, Agrovale's exist-ence has been a painful one . His impris-oned soul knows only restlessness andtorment . After centuries in this torturedstate, Agrovale has gradually becomeinured to pain, but only by keeping hismind busily occupied with events in theworld outside Talakara's stronghold .As years passed, he painstakingly

assembled a spy network of undeadshadows, not only throughout Pandarbut also in the kingdoms beyond Pan-dar's borders . He began gardeningagain, a relaxing habit he had enjoyed asa mortal man, and has lovingly culti-vated a garden of remarkable roses .Recently, through the reports of hisshadow spies in a distant kingdom,Agrovale has been following the exploitsofa particularly hardy and intelligentband of adventurers. The skeleton war-rior has set in motion an elaborate planthat would release him not only from hisforced allegiance to Talakara, but fromhis undead existence as well .From his tireless shadow spies,

Agrovale learned that the entire partyof adventurers is visiting Aberdon (orany city that fits nicely into the DM'scampaign), and he traveled there onBlackspike, his nightmare steed. Usinghis cloak ofshadows (a special magicalitem described at area 72), the skeletonwarrior gained access to Aberdon's mostinfluential temple (that of any good-aligned deity in the DM's campaign).Before the high priest, Festivan, was to

perform a private service for a smallgroup of acolytes, Agrovale dropped aslow-acting poison, made from his blackroses, into the incense burners and sac-ramental wines .After Festivan and his acolytes had

succumbed to the poison and fallen intoa deathlike coma, the skeleton warriorthrew the helpless high priest over hisshoulder, left one black rose on the altar,and escaped using his cloak ofshadowsbefore the kidnapping was discovered.That evening, Agrovale paid streeturchins to deliver packages to each ofthe PCs at their lodgings .

Starting the AdventureThe morning following the kidnappingofthe high priest, the PCs each receive asmall locked wooden box . The urchinswho deliver the boxes know nothingabout their contents but, for a small tip,can offer that they were paid for theservice by a tall, spooky man in armorwho wore a voluminous dark cloak . Foran even larger sum, they add that theydidn't see his face (he was wearing agreat helm) but that his voice was softand raspy. The urchins have no furtherinformation.Each wooden box contains one of

Agrovale's black roses (described in theClues section) and a note that reads :"Meet me in the reserved room at theGarden Inn at noon today." The GardenInn is located within a few blocks of thetemple where Festivan was kidnapped(although there is no way the PCs couldhave learned ofthe crime so quickly).Should the PCs decide to keep theappointment, read or paraphrase thefollowing section to the players :

As you enter the common room oftheGarden Inn, you immediately sensethat something is amiss : the atmo-sphere in the inn is hostile, not warmand cheerful as usual . Six noviceclerics in the corner are arguingloudly about the need for revenge .Two men at a table nearby are mut-tering, but all you hear is, " . . . andthe only thing they found was a blackrose on the altar ." Your eavesdrop-ping is interrupted by Jack the Hoe,the inn's tall, thin proprietor, whoambles up to you from the bar ."Greetings, milords, miladies . Your

room is ready, though I must say thatI have been busy this morning . It's aterrible tragedy and outrage, what

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

happened last night . But ifyou needanything up there, give a ring and I'llanswer as quick as I can."

Ifthe PCs question Jack about thetragedy, he will tell them briefly that thehigh priest Festivan was kidnapped lastnight and a black rose was left in hisplace . Five acolytes were poisoned butwere revived by other clerics in the tem-ple once the foul deed was discovered .Jack is an unarmored, 0-level humanwith 5 hp . If attacked, he will attempt toescape and call for the town guards .Jack leads the party upstairs to the

largest room ofhis inn and returnsdownstairs . The room is well furnishedbut unoccupied . Once the entire partyhas assembled (or after a half-hour'swait, if some PCs have decided not toaccept the invitation), Jack returns witha small square box and recites the fol-lowing speech from memory :

"My lords, I'm afraid the gentlemanwho invited you all here today will beunable to keep the appointment . Hesends you his apologies and invitesyou to call on him at his home beyondthe Firebogs at your earliest conven-ience . He also sends you this gift, asmall token ofhis esteem ."

Jack deposits the box on a small tablein the room and waits for a small tip .Since he is also curious about what is inthe box, he will not leave unless askedby the PCs . Jack can offer the followingadditional information :

"Last night, a bit after midnight, atall man in full battle armor walkedinto the inn . I looked up, since theentire room went quiet as soon as hewalked in . He just stood there, still asa stone, by the door . I walked up, badehim good evening, and asked how Icould help . He told me he wanted tohold a reunion in this room . He paidme handsomely, then gave me thisbox . `I might not be able to make it tothe reunion,' he said, `but please givethis present to my friends after theyhave arrived .' He made me learn thespeech I gave just a minute ago, thenhe walked out and closed the doorbehind him . I realized he hadn't eventold me his name. I went outside tocall him back, but I couldn't find him .The night hadjust swallowed him up."

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

With some monetary encouragement,Jack can be prodded into rememberingmore details (he's a very observant fel-low) . The gentleman wore ancientarmor-not plate mail, but full platearmor, dark gray with age and etchedwith intricate designs and runes in aforeign language . A beautiful, antiquelong sword with a carved golden hilt anda gem ofsome sort on the pommel hungat his side in a plain black scabbard.Jack also remembers feeling unsettledin the knight's presence and mentionsthat it was hard to hear the man's voicein the loud common room, since he spokesoftly and his helm muffled what hesaid . Jack can recall one further conver-sation with the gentleman before hedeparted :

"While he was teaching me hisspeech in the foyer, he was verypatient with me, even though I wasmaking all kinds of mistakes . Acouple oflocal ladies-ifyou knowwhat I mean-rose from the bar toleave, and to my surprise the gentle-man stopped speaking and held thedoor open for the two of them . As theyleft-somewhat speechless, I mightadd, for the last time anyone held thedoor open for them was when I used toemploy a doorman-he bowed stifflyto them and said, `Good evening,ladies :"'Are you a knight, milord?' I

asked him when they had left and hehad closed the door .

" `I used to be,' he replied, anddidn't say another word to me forseveral minutes .

" `Sir, are you all right?' I askedhim, and right away he continuedteaching me my speech as if nothinghad happened ."

The gentleman's gift is a locked butotherwise innocuous box containing anote and a simple clay urn with thename Festivan engraved on it . The urncontains fine gray ashes, and the notehas a list of all the names ofthe PCs inthe party . The list ends with the warn-ing : "You are next." Routine divinatoryspells quickly prove that the ashes areindeed all that remain ofthe kidnappedhigh priest . If any PCs cast speak withthe dead, all that Festivan can recall isslipping quickly into darkness beforehe died .

If Jack is allowed to witness any part

of this, he reports it to the town guardsas soon as possible . Should this happen,a messenger arrives to escort the PCs toFestivan's temple where they are tomeet with Portivel, the acting highpriest .

The Temple and the OrbSooner or later, the PCs should visitFestivan's temple (good-aligned charac-ters will want to return his ashes) .There, they are recognized as adventur-ers and ushered into a private room tomeet Portivel, the acting high priest (a10th-level cleric). He is livid about thepoisoning ofthe acolytes and the murderofFestivan, which he has learned aboutby communing with his deity . He alsolearned that the PCs have a chance tobring justice to the crime's foul perpetra-tor . The cleric announces that, throughintense prayer, he has divined that Fes-tivan's murderer dwells in a castle manydays travel to the north beyond a vol-canic mountain range .Portivel offers a 10,000-gp reward to

each PC ifthey bring the murderer tojustice . He appeals to their sense ofgood-ness, decency, and chivalry . Ifthat fails,he raises the reward to 15,000 gp plus alarge festival in their honor on theirsuccessful return.Ifthe PCs agree to undertake the

quest, Portivel presents the party with amagical orb to help the PCs find theirway. The device is crude (Portivel madeit last night with a special spell grantedby his deity) and consists of a corked,hollow glass sphere filled with whitewine, the very wine with which Festivanwas poisoned. Suspended from the corkby a platinum wire is a silver arrowheadtied to the stem ofthe black rose thatAgrovale left on the altar . The arrow-head always points toward Talakara'scastle . The divine blessing that powersthe orb isn't permanent, however, andends when successfully dispelled(against 10th-level magic) or if the orb isbroken .

The CluesAlthough Agrovale wants the PCs totravel to Talakara's castle, he has noidea that Portivel has provided the partywith such a convenient means to hisends . Instead, the skeleton warrior hascarefully constructed a web ofhints thatshould lead clever PCs directly to Pan-dar, though some of these clues may takea bit ofwork to discover :

-The black roses are unlike anyflower growing in the civilized southernkingdoms .-Those smelling the roses or handling

them with bare hands become sterilewithin one week (no saving throw) . Thissterilization is completely painless,however, and can be reversed by a healspell . Ifa black rose is dried, its powderbecomes a powerful sedative poisonwhen burned and inhaled or when mixedin a liquid and imbibed (similar topseudo-dragon poison: save vs. poison orfall into a deathlike coma for 1-6 days) .Only powerful divinatory spells such aslegend lore, limited wish, or wish canreveal the properties ofthe rose . Contactother planes and commune spells estab-lish that the roses are poisonous andthat they came from a distant kingdomfar to the north, but nothing more spe-cific . Another avenue to pursue for infor-mation about the roses is to consult asage who has knowledge of botany, orelse a druid . For an appropriate fee, thesage has a 60% chance to learn that theroses came from Pandar, a kingdom farto the north . Any druid of3rd or higherlevel has a 100% chance to accuratelyidentify the origin ofthe black roses.-The urn and boxes received by the

PCs were purchased by Agrovale inAberdon the night ofthe kidnapping andmurder . The list, the letters, and thenote were all written by an ordinaryscribe in Aberdon and dictated by thesame mysterious gentleman . The scribeknows as little about his client as theurchins did .-The most important information

about Agrovale can be obtained fromJack the Hoe . Agrovale left a clear chal-lenge for the party with the wiry bar-tender: "He . . . invites you to call on himat his home beyond the Firebogs . . . :" Ifthe PCs miss this the first time, havethis invitation echoed in the rumorscirculating in the city. Agrovale sendseach PC another black rose in two weeksif his spies tell him they are not prepar-ing for the journey .The PCs can hear various rumors

circulating in the common rooms of theGarden Inn and other taverns theypatronize . Mostly, these are rehashes ofthe information Jack already gave theparty, as he is the source ofmany oftherumors about Agrovale . The PCs canhear all the available rumors in one day(roll 1d6 for every hour spent gatheringinformation):

1 . The kidnapping is a local knight's

revenge for Festivan's notorious affairwith the knight's wife . (False . The highpriest's affair with the lady is wellknown, but a true knight, as any chival-rous PC knows, would never stoop tousing poison .)2 . Before he fell completely into a coma

from the poison, one ofthe high priest'sacolytes remembered seeing a black,shadowy creature carry offFestivan .(True)3 . Festivan was blasted out of exist-

ence by a death knight . (False . This isutter speculation by a friend of one of thepoisoned acolytes, but it might cause thePCs to lose some sleep .)4 . The priesthood thinks that forces of

evil from the lower planes are responsi-ble for the disappearance ofFestivan .(True)5 . This isjust another one ofFestivan's

practicaljokes . (False)6 . The Aberdon thieves' guild is hold-

ing Festivan prisoner until his templepays back all of its outstanding loans .(False . Festivan's temple is more thanrich enough to buy whatever it needs ;the thieves' guild connection is mali-cious rumor.)At the DM's option, Portivel's orb can

be eliminated from the module entirely.In any case, the DM should emphasizethe detective aspects of the adventure,making the PCs rely on their wits topuzzle out the location of the Firebogsand Talakara's castle . The DM is alsoencouraged to make the PCs paranoidand trepidatious, perhaps by playing upthe possibility that Agrovale is a deathknight-or worse .

Getting There

To reach Pandar, the PCs must travelnorth over the Ashen Mountains . Thetrip covers 200 miles ofdifficult terrainin which active volcanoes have thrownup sharp rocks everywhere . There islittle or no vegetation in the worst sec-tions, and there is even an intermit-tently flowing river of lava leading intothe Firebogs . Flying is impossible insome places because of the smoke andash ofthe volcanoes that dot the region .Nevertheless, aerial travel will get thePCs to Pandar in nine days (three days offlying and six days on foot skirting thevolcanoes). Ground travel takes a monthand a halfon foot, a week less ifmulesare used to transport the supplies .Horses cannot be used in this roughterrain .

Consult the Wilderness Map for thefollowing set encounters on the way toPandar .

A. Redbeard's Band.

You camp in a mildly volcanic part ofthe mountains . Ash occasionallycovers the downwind slope ofa crater,but there is no lava around. Steamvents and gusts of ash frequentlyconfuse your infravision, but most ofthe terrain is clear enough . Thereisn't enough wood to make a real fire,but you do find some scrub that mightburn well, ifsomewhat quickly. Give-ithe volcanic vents and fires that lightthe slopes here and there for miles,one more blaze probably won't attractattention .

Ifthe PCs build a fire to cook dinner,then post guards, they are able to getsome decent rest. Around midnight,though, huge boulders might come fly-ing out ofthe darkness at the sentries,and a pack of hounds will bay. Able tostay out ofvision and infravision rangebecause the adventurers' camp is illumi-nated, a band of fire giants has set up an

attack with a minimal chance offailingto catch the adventurers offguard . Givethe giants a bonus of +2 to their surpriseroll . Ifthe PCs have built no fire, thegiants' chance to surprise is normal .The four fire giants involved in this

ambush were searching for prey in themountains near the Firebogs when theystumbled across the PCs . Their leader,Redbeard, uses his hounds to keep theparty in a state ofmaximum confusionwhile he and his compatriots throwheated boulders (additional 1-6 hp dam-age) from the cover of darkness . Charac-ters using infravision have a 30% chanceeach round ofbeing blinded or confusedby plumes of hot volcanic gases .Redbeard and his friends are ruthless

hunters who were forced out ofthe hot-ter, better lands ofthe Firebogs byencroaching groups of salamanders .They have done quite well for themsel-ves in the past generation despite theirexile. Occasional groups of refugees fromPandar seeking sanctuary in the southprovide an excellent food source . Still,the giants have not grown soft ; life in theAshen Mountains is never easy.Though Redbeard won't admit it, part

ofhis success can be attributed to the

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

four hell hounds he keeps for hunting .He also uses the pack to search out hid-den thieves or characters who are tryingto stay invisible . These hell hounds aretrained to be excellent trackers andretrievers. They serve Redbeard faith-fully and are willing to fling themselvesbetween him and his enemies .Hell hounds (4) : Int low ; AL LE; AC 4 ;

MV 12 ; HD 6 ; hp 30 each ; THACO 15 ;NAT 1 ; Ding 1-10 ; SA surprise, breathefire ; SD immune to fire, detect hidden/invisible creatures, less surprised ; SZ M;ML 13 ; XP 659 ; MC .The success ofRedbeard's band

depends on other factors besides the hellhounds . Redbeard is a very clever 4th-level shaman, and the other three mem-bers ofthe band have their own quirksas well . Redbeard's band is more like anadventuring party than a standardgroup of giants . They use hit-and-runtactics to bring down powerful prey, andthey use some unusual strategies anditems .Redbeard himself is tough but short for

a giant, a mere 15' tall . His beard is ahuge scarlet explosion that covers himfrom eyeballs to chest. He uses his witsas much as his spells to keep his positionas leader . Redbeard uses his cure and aidspells exclusively on himself and useshis wyuern watch spell to slow an enemycharge .Redbeard (4th-level fire giant sha-

man) : Int low ; AL LE ; AC -1; MV 12 ; HD15+5 ; hp 80 ; THACO 5 ; NAT 1 ; Ding 2-20+ 10 ; SA hurl rocks 3-200 yards for 2-20hp, cast spells ; SD resistant to fire ; SZ H;ML 16 ; XP 12,000 ; MC ; giant longsword; spells : command, cure lightwounds, sanctuary, aid, wyuern watch.Pekant is fairly weak for a fire giant

and keeps himselfalive through the useof stealth and trickery. He has learned tothrow "daggers" the size of human longswords with +2 accuracy to hit at therate of two per round . He wears a belt of10 such blades and prefers them tothrowing rocks, though his range is amere 90 yards . If the situation calls forit, ofcourse, or if he runs out of daggers,he can chuck boulders with the best ofthem . Pekant is always the first to runfrom danger and has a -1 morale modi-fier .Pekant (fire giant) : HD 15+2; hp 50 ;

NAT 1 or 2 ; Ding 2-20 + 10 or 1-8 + 10 ;ML 14 ; XP 8,000 ; giant long sword, 10giant daggers ; other statistics as forRedbeard, but without spells .

42 Issue No . 25

Hiss, a perpetually fortunate giant,stumbled across a human's two-handedsword named Greenfire (+1, +2 vs .magic-using and enchanted creatures)some years ago and has been using itgleefully ever since . Since he can wieldhis blade one-handed, he also uses agiant shield +1 to improve his defense .Hiss uses Greenfire to search out anddestroy nasty wizards, priests, spell-using rangers, and especially paladins .He has a personal grudge against spell-casters because ofa Melf's acid arrowthat pierced his cheek long ago andmade him unable to form any intelligi-ble words ; he can only hiss and gurgle .He will not, however, become a martyrto satisfy his bloodlust .Hiss (fire giant): AC -3 ; HD 15+3 ; hp

75 ; THACO 5 (4 or 3); Ding 1-10 +11 or+ 12 ; XP 9,000 ; other statistics as forRedbeard, but without spells .Chort, the fourth member of the band,

distinguishes himselfby wearing a greatdeal of black . This is not unusual in firegiants, but Chort will wear nothing else,even ifthis means wearing nothing atall . Chort is a brawler who hates waitingfor the action to start . He is the leastlikely to retreat, even when the odds areagainst him .Chort (fire giant): HD 15+4 ; hp 90 ;

ML 18 ; XP 8,000 ; other statistics as forRedbeard, but without spells .Redbeard carries the band's entire

treasure : 3,830 sp and a jeweled snuffbox(worth 800 gp) full of deep brown chew-ing tobacco .

B . Lion in the Dust. Since ant lionsare quite likely to surprise their victims,the following description assumes thatthe PCs have failed their surprise roll .

You are walking down from themountains across a region offoothillsand ash-covered craters pocked byoccasional vents ofhot air from farbelow. Then, along the edge of one ofthe craters, the ground collapses andsome ofyou fall into the hot, chokingashes .

This particular pit is the lair of an antlion that adapted to the hotter conditionsnear the Firebogs . It attempts to graband kill one PC, then vanishes into thetunnels beneath the ashes and dust thatline its pit . Iffollowed, it ducks out anescape tunnel . The ant lion has little

treasure ; a short sword with a keen edgeand a heap ofbones are all that remainof its most recent human and animalvictims .Ant lion, giant: Int animal ; AL N; AC

2 ; MV 9, burrow 1 (in loose soil); HD 8;hp 52 ; THACO 13 ; NAT 1 ; Ding 5-20 ; SAgrab ; SZ L ; ML 8 ; XP 1,400 ; MC.

C . The Firebogs .

After coming down from the moun-tains you enter the Firebogs, a regionof much-less-predictable vulcanismthan the Ashen Mountains . A river oflava seems to flow through the bro-ken ground, and eruptions of noxiousgases are common. The ground oftenshifts treacherously under your feet,and wind-driven flames scour thestone for miles around . These firevents are especially dangerous whenthe wind shifts . Fortunately, thismiserable region is narrow ; you couldsee the other side when you were upin the mountains .

Unfortunately, the PCs can't see thesalamanders that lurk in the lava river .Five ofthese creatures leap out toattack, grinning and leaping about likespring-driven fireballs . They have a +1bonus on their chance to surprisebecause of their sudden appearance.Almost playful in their maliciousness,

these five salamandersjust love to maketrouble, the rougher the better . Encoun-tered in an especially fiery region near alava flow, the salamanders attempt towrap themselves around their foes andthen dive into the lava with them . Thesalamanders succeed if they hit withtheir tails with a roll that is 4 or moreabove their normal to-hit score . Successresults in 5-50 hp damage per round tounprotected victims, though the sala-manders let go and swim off downriveras soon as they succeed . A strength orconstitution check (victim's choice) isrequired to pull oneselfout of the river .The salamanders have little treasure,

just their beautiful steel spears and acollection of50 gems worth a total of750 gp .Salamanders (5) : Int high ; AL CE; AC

5/3 ; MV 9 ; HD 7+7; hp 39, 38, 37, 35, 31 ;THACO 13; NAT 2 ; Ding 2-12 and 1-6 ; SAheat for bonus of 1-6 hp ; SD + 1 or betterweapon to hit, immune to fire and otherspells ; SZ M; ML 13 ; XP 2,000 ; MC .

D. The Wizard's Flight . When thePCs emerge from the Firebogs, read orparaphrase the following to the players :

Leaving the sweltering Firebogs farbehind, you follow the orb's directionalong a dry riverbed . Looking north,you see a hint ofgreen along thehorizon . The vestiges of a narrow roadlie beside the riverbed, and you canjust barely discern a small but in thedistance, ifyou squint your eyes .An old man sitting under a stunted

tree near the road puts down theapple he was munching on, picks uphis staff, and approaches your party .

The old man, Rathmund, wasinstructed to wait beneath the twistedapple tree after he communed with Path,the manifestation of Nature in Pandar .Being a wise, experienced druid, he didnot hesitate to obey the call of Nature .He has been sitting underneath theapple tree for two weeks, waiting for theadventurers to show up .Rathmund is a revered member of a

secret society, the Order ofthe Oak, thatstill venerates Path, though the worshipofTalakara is the only sanctioned reli-gion in Pandar . Agrovale has longknown of the existence ofthis secretorder but has left it alone as his ownhatred ofTalakara's worship has grown .Rathmund : AL N; AC 8 ; MV 9 (due to

age) ; D11 ; hp 62 ; THAC014 ; #AT 1 ; Dmgby weapon type ; ML 8; S 8, D 12, C 9, I13, W 17, Ch 16 ; staff, ring ofprotection+2; spells : animal friendship, createwater, entangle (x2), magical stone, passwithout trace, remove fear, barkskin,flame blade, goodberry, heat metal, speakwith animals, trip, hold animal, protec-tion from fire, snare, summon insects,tree, neutralize poison, speak with plants,tongues, commune, wall offire, stone tell.The druid greets the party in a foreign

language . As soon as it becomes clearthat they cannot communicate,Rathmund casts a tongues spell to con-verse with the leader of the party. He isgregarious and will talk to even the mostrecalcitrant ofadventurers (he was hav-ing a rather heated conversation withthe apple tree when the party arrived) .The druid especially loves to hear a goodstory and has many ofhis own to tell .When the tongues spell wears off, Rath-mund enthusiastically continues tryingto communicate with the PCs in any waypossible, but his dialect of Common is toobizarre for PCs to understand without

prolonged exposure . Should the PCsattack him, Rathmund changes forminto a falcon and flies away, never to beencountered again in this adventure .With a bit of persuasion, Rathmund

can be convinced to guide the partynorth to the forest-in the morning. Forthe evening, he guides the party down tohis spartan cottage by the river for din-ner and rest . There, Rathmund attemptsto communicate using sign language andmimicking (it might be fun for PCs touse this as an opportunity to play cha-rades), and he tries to teach party mem-bers Pandar's version of Common. PCswith intelligence scores over 14 will beable to pick up basic Pandar Common in6-48 hours if the druid teaches them. Themain differences between the PC's lan-guage and the tongue ofPandar are inpronunciation and nouns . (Imagine anAmerican trying to understand a nativeScotsman for the first time . Both arespeaking the same language, but pro-nunciation and nouns vary between thetwo.)After Rathmund and the PCs are able

to communicate with some degree offluency, the druid inquires about theparty's origin and purpose, and is partic-ularly interested in any stories about theparty's previous adventures . After tell-ing some amusing tales about his ownlife-most ofthem are about his conver-sations with boulders and alder trees-Rathmund asks the PCs if they haveever heard the story of how the road onwhich they were traveling got its name .As the PCs have probably never heardthis story, read or paraphrase the follow-ing to the players :

"Once upon a time, over 160 yearsago, the Goddess arrived in Pandar .For a year she traveled the kingdomin the disguise of a seeress, learningabout our priests, rulers, and wizards .Then, at our yearly spring festival,she presented herself to the king andprophesied that the kingdom wouldbe destroyed : `First the wizards, thenthe priests, then the rulers . And afterthe terror, the Goddess will come.'Needless to say, her prophesy wasn'tvery well received, but before theking could have his guards captureher and cut out her tongue, the seer-ess vanished ."Sure enough, the very next day

Pandar's wizards began to disappear .Rumors began to surface that the

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

Goddess had appeared in a vision toall the wizards in the kingdom andwarned them to leave or be destroyed .At first, no one much noticed or cared(we had always been more of a gods-fearing nation than a magic-fearingone), but soon scouts reported thatwizards were flying south across theFirebogs and not returning ."Two decades passed quietly, and

people forgot the seeress's prophesyand that they had ever dependedupon wizards . Well, they almost for-got . This road, which leads from theHome of the Goddess to the Firebogs,was afterward called the Wizards'Flight in their dubious honor."

The druid knows countless moreequally informative anecdotes . If thePCs ask about the fulfillment of theseeress's prophesy, or if the PCs mentionthe black roses and their connectionwith the murder ofFestivan, Rathmundturns pale and continues his previoustale :

"As I said earlier, things were quietfor some time after the wizardsdeparted . Then the twenty dark yearsbegan . Priests and nobles werehacked to death in their sleep right intheir homes, castles, and temples byan invincible monster . Then, as sheherselfhad prophesied, the Goddessbegan to appear throughout the king-dom, promising a few nobles safetyfrom horrible death ifthey worshipedher . Those that agreed were spared ;those that didn't were murdered . Butnow the murders were of a differentnature . Before, the victims had beenbrutally chopped to pieces in terrify-ing but obviously mindless acts ofdestruction ."Soon, however, victims began

disappearing from their beds at night .A small wooden box would be deliv-ered by a young peasant child to thevictim's residence in the morning .The box invariably contained a singleblack rose and a small urn filled withthe victim's ashes . This was a muchmore dreadful form of death : It wasmysterious, calculating, and precise ."

Rathmund will not want to discuss thesubject ofroses with the PCs for sometime after relaying this last information .Under no circumstances will the druidescort the party any farther than the

edge of the Malabar Woods . After thank-ing the PCs for an interesting journeyand wishing them good luck, Rathmundreturns to his but and resumes his con-versation with the apple tree .

E . The Malabar Woods. These woodsnear the southern edge of Pandar risefrom a tangle offallen trees, moss, vinesand undergrowth to a height of well over100' . The predominant trees are redcedars decked with trailing moss, buthemlock and fir also survive on theedges ofthe forest and in the glenswhere cedars have fallen . The forestfloor is extremely uneven due to smallstreams, gullies, and fallen logs thatform barriers 10' high and up to 100'long. Sections ofthe forest are as diffi-cult to negotiate as a swamp because ofthe slippery footing in rotten areaswhere the ground is a webwork of roots,moss, ferns, and small shrubs . Ordinaryinhabitants ofthe woods include loudcroaking tree frogs, fat banana slugs upto a foot long, wild boars, ravens, spottedowls, and small snakes .The Malabar Woods are universally

shunned by the citizens ofthe realm as

44 Issue No . 25

unwholesome and dangerous . This gen-eral perception is correct, since Talakaradeliberately encourages certain mon-sters to live in the area . Since the deathofthe monarchs ofPandar roughly 140years ago, the wet and fairly warm (dueto the Firebogs' proximity) conditionshave allowed a wide range ofmonsters toflourish there unchecked . Whenever thePCs are passing through or camping inthe forest, one of the following encoun-ters occurs (roll 1d8) :1 . White serpents (1-4): Int animal ;

AL N; AC 6; MV 15 ; HD 2+1 ; hp 15, 10,8,7 ; THACO 19 ; NAT 1 ; Ding 1 ; SA poi-son ; SZ S ; ML 8; XP 175 ; MC (snake,poison, normal) . These specially bredsnakes are the work of Talakara's cultand live throughout the woods . Exceptfor their unusual color, they are normalpoisonous snakes with poison thatcauses incapacitating sickness for 1-4days within 2-8 rounds of injection if asave vs . poison at -1 is not made . Thesesnakes enjoy warming themselves inempty boots or cooling campfire ashes,and attack only exposed flesh . There areenough such snakes that the party canencounter them any number oftimes .

2 . Spiders, huge (3-6) : Int animal ; ALN; AC 6; MV 18; HD 2+2 ; hp 18, 14, 11,10, 9,6 ; THACO 19 ; NAT 1 ; Ding 1-6 ; SAsurprise, poison ; SZ M; ML 8; XP 270 ;MC . These inhabitants of the outer rimof the forest are reddish-black andslightly furry. They can leap up to 30'from concealed tunnels when attacking .There is no limit to the number oftimesthese huge spiders may be encountered .3 . Trolls (12) : Int low ; AL CE; AC 4 ;

MV 12 ; HD 6+6 ; hp 43, 39, 36, 35, 33(x 2), 32, 29 (x 2),27,24,21 ; THACO 15 ;NAT 3 ; Ding 5-8/5-8/5-12 ; SA hit threeopponents ; SD regeneration ; SZ L ; ML14; XP 1,400 ; MC . Talakara permits afew trolls to roam her forest becausethey provide a ready source for potioningredients . This particular band is ledby Tima, their shaman/chieftain, whosespells are from the spheres of Sun andCharm . The trolls who follow her are allloyal in a brutal sort of way . When all 12have been slain, treat this result as noencounter.The trolls' lair is a roughly dug hole

that contains a small hoard of 1,300 gp .A dangerous encounter could occur iftheparty walks across the stick-and-leaf-covered opening ofthe troll-hole ; theyare 75% likely to fall through the leafydoor . Ifthe PCs tumble into the troll denlike this, the trolls' chance of surpriseincreases by 2 .Tima (troll shaman/chieftain) : P7 ; hp

48 ; Ding 5-8/5-8/5-12 ; other statistics asfor normal trolls, plus SA/SD spells ;spells : command, cause fear, darkness,enthrall, holdperson (x2), continualdarkness (x 2), cloak offear.

4 . Harpies (1-20): Int low ; AL CE; AC7; MV 6, fly 15 (C) ; HD 7 ; hp 43, 41, 39,38, 37, 36, 35, 34 (x2), 33 (x2), 32, 31, 30,29, 28, 27, 25, 23, 21 ; THACO 13 ; NAT 3 ;Ding 1-3/1-3/1-6 ; SA singing and charm,SZ M; ML 13 ; XP 1,400 ; MC. These har-pies are occasionally hunted and pluckedby Agrovale to provide quills for hismistress's scrolls (but they are not thesame harpies that lair at Caer Thorne) .They gleefully harass flying PCs .5 . Shadow: Int low ; AL CE; AC 7 ; MV

12 ; HD 3+3 ; hp 16 ; THACO 17 ; NAT 1 ;Ding 2-5 + special ; SA strength drain ;SD + 1 or better weapon to hit ; SZ M; MLspecial ; XP 650 ; MC. Agrovale's spy willnot reveal itself to the party but immedi-ately informs its master ofthe PCs'arrival . See "The Inner Castle" for moreinformation .

6 .Shambling mounds (1-2): Int low ;AL N; AC 0 ; MV 6; HD 10 ; hp 56,50 ;THACO 11 ; #AT 2 ; Ding 2-16/2-16 ; SAsurprise, suffocation ; SD immune to fireand crushing weapons, halfdamagefrom cold and edged/pointed weapons; SZL ; ML 18 ; XP 5,000 ; MC . Usually, thesebig pets ofTalakara cannot find enoughfood for themselves within the castle, sothey spend much oftheir time roamingthe forest . If slain here, they will not beencountered in area D of Caer Thorne'souter ward .

7 . Skeleton guard patrol (15) : See"Caer Thorne" for statistics . Mountedon phantom steeds, this patrol is Tala-kara's way of keeping down the forestpopulations of elves, birds, boars, andother wholesome creatures . The skeletonguards approach any intruders andescort them to the keep for questioning .If shown any resistance, the 15 skeletonsoldiers try to destroy their attackers .The guards' phantom steeds are skele-

tal mounts with moldering tack andharness, filed teeth, and pointed steelshoes . Although they are fearsome look-ing, these phantom steeds lack the massto make their attacks as dangerous asthose ofreal horses . They are quite nim-ble, however, and are good jumpers fromlong practice in the woods .Skeletal horses (15) : Int non ; AL N;

AC 7 ; MV 18 ; HD 3 ; hp 15 each ; THACO17 ; #AT 3 ; Ding 1-4/1-4/1-3 ; SD cannot beturned, half damage from edged weap-ons, spell immunities ; SZ L ; ML special ;XP 175 ; MC (unique ; see Skeleton,animal).8 . Criosphinx (1) : Int average ; AL N;

AC 0 ; MV 12, fly 24 (D) ; HD 10 ; hp 41 ;THACO 11 ; #AT 3 ; Ding 2-8/2-8/3-18 ; SZL; ML 16 ; XP 5,000 ; MC . This poor beastis following up on a (false) rumor of agynosphinx in the area . The criosphinxcan easily be talked into leaving theparty alone if given a large bribe or ifgiven phony information about the loca-tion of a gynosphinx .

Caer Thorne

Once through the Firebogs and pointedin the right direction by Rathmund, theparty should have no difficulty makingits way through the Malabar Woods .Talakara's castle, Caer Thorne, is in thecenter of the woods and at first glanceappears to be deserted . Caer Thorne wasa stronghold and hunting retreat for themonarchs ofPandar over a century ago,

but after Talakara's destruction of thearistocracy, she assumed ownership andadded the castle's magical defenses . Thefortress has been decaying beautifullyever since .There are no wandering monster

encounters in Caer Thorne . The skeletonsoldiers who serve there were created byTalakara and placed under Agrovale'scommand . They all have the same statis-tics and will not leave their posts unlessgiven special instructions by Agrovale .References to these creatures are in bold-faced type where they are encountered .Skeleton soldiers : Int non ; AL N; AC

3; MV 6 ; HD 5 ; hp 30 each ; THACO 15(14); #AT 1 ; Ding by weapon type ; SA +1to hit, +2 to damage due to training byAgrovale ; SD cannot be turned, halfdamage from edged weapons, cold andspell immunities; SZ M; ML special ; XP420 ; plate mail, long sword.Caer Thorne is completely dominated

by its keep ; the central tower is huge, astall as the castle is wide . The keep isprotected by two sets ofouter defenses :an outer ward of low walls and towers,and an inner stronghold of much higherwalls, towers, and battlements . In addi-tion, the ground for several hundredyards around the castle is bare except forwithered yellow grass and an occasionalstunted tree . Movement around thecastle for at least 300 yards is easilyspotted from the walls . Across the bar-ren zone, the next defense is the outerward, a set oflow walls and small towersthat are dwarfed by the central tower .The outer walls are overgrown withvines in spots, and a few soldiers marchalong the battlements, keeping watch .The outer gatehouse, the only apparententry to the fortress complex, is in rea-sonably good repair, although there is agaping hole in the northern roof.Beyond the gatehouse and the outer

defenses lie the inner ward's tall build-ings and towers, huge enough toapproach the keep in grandeur . Thereare fewer crumbling walls, towers andbattlements around the inner ward .Watchmen's helmets are visible over thebattlements .The keep itself is at least 100' high,

perhaps more . The building is toppedwith a set ofcrenations and a flat roofmore than large enough to accommodateballistas and catapults . The keep is facedin flat gray stone and not pierced by anywindows or arrow slits . It is flanked by asmaller square tower that seems to leanagainst it for support .

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

The flanking tower bristles with pro-tection for the keep : at least seven arrowslits and a flat top suitable for catapultsor ballistas .

The GatehouseThe main entrance to Caer Thorne is aheavily fortified gatehouse guarded by ahuman captain, a human lieutenant, 12skeleton soldiers, and a manticore .Because the captain ofthe guard is intel-ligent and desperately eager to pleaseTalakara, Agrovale has not told him toallow the PCs free passage through theouter gate, for fear ofrevealing his planto Talakara . The skeleton soldiers else-where in the fortress, however, havebeen commanded not come to the aid ofthose at the gate, should the PCs start abattle there .

1 . Gate .

The main gate, a massive iron-reinforced portal, is firmly shutbefore you . You can see the helmets oftwo skeleton soldiers on the machico-lated balcony above the gate . Thegatehouse bristles with arrow slitsand battlements, but no skeletonsseem to be standing atop the roof . Youcan see crossbows at the ready in thewindows, presumably where moresoldiers wait .

The gate here is kept closed againstintruders and is barred from the inside .Ifthe party approaches, one of the twoskeleton soldiers on the balcony noti-fies the captain of the guard in area 6 .Terrekal is a minor mage who has

been appointed captain ofthe gatehouseguard . Originally one of Talakara'sapprentices, Terrekal fell from his mis-tress's grace last year when he acciden-tally caused an explosion in herlaboratory, destroying an elaborateexperiment she was conducting . He wasstrongly reprimanded by Talakara (hiscracked ribs have healed only recently)and sent to the gatehouse until furthernotice . Terrekal commands the skeletonsoldiers and his lieutenant, Dorevar,though his hold over the latter is some-times shaky .Terrekal : AL LE; AC 6 ; MV 12 ; W8 ;

hp 20 ; THACO 18 ; #AT 1 ; Ding byweapon type ; SA/SD spells, magicalitems ; ML 11 ; XP 3,000 ; D 18,116 ;spells : charm person (x2), protectionfrom good, spider climb, detect invisibil-ity, ESP, invisibility, dispel magic, Melf's

DUNGEON 45

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

Gatehouse

1 square =10'

Level Three

Level Two

minute meteors, suggestion, wall offire(x 2) . In his belt pouch, Terrekal carriesa potion ofextra-healing for use in a direemergency . He always carries a wand ofmagic missiles (30 charges) for useagainst enemy spell-casters .Terrekal challenges the party from the

balcony and asks them their business inCaer Thorne . If the party leader saysthat they have business with Talakara,the Goddess ofPandar, or Agrovale,Terrekal will open the gate for a smallfee (50 gp per person) . Ifthe partyattacks once the gate is opened, theportcullis is lowered to split the group in

46 Issue No . 25

Ground Floor

half, and the gatehouse soldiers in areas2, 3 and 7 do their best to exterminatethe intruders . If a battle erupts, themanticore in area 9 does its best todestroy wall-climbers (or at least hitthem with enough missiles to makethem fall off) and other stragglers .Terrekal's tactics include first casting

an inuisibility spell, then summoningDorevar from the lieutenant's room(area 8) to defend the gate . Terrekal thencasts a wall offire spell over the gateentrance to split the party in two orprevent their escape . At this point, hemay use his wand or cast charm personand suggestion spells .

Dorevar is less subtle than Terrekal . Ifhe hears fighting or is summoned by thecaptain, he descends from the secondlevel to room 3, taking along threeguards for extra protection, and attacksany intruders with his bastard sword .Dorevar is an outlaw from the wilds of

Pandar who saw his chance in servingTalakara . He has crushed opposition toher rule among his own people withoutremorse . His short temper will be thedeath of him ifhe ever meets an oppo-nent he can't outfight .Dorevar : AL NE; AC -1 ; MV 9; F8 ; hp

63 ; THACO 13 (12); i/AT 3/2 ; Dmg byweapon type ; S 18/12 ; D 16 ; C 15 ; ML 15 ;XP 1,400 ; plate mail +2, bastard sword .

2. Crossbows . The four skeletonsoldiers in this room will respond only ifthe gate is rushed or if the PCs attemptto ambush the gatehouse while passingthrough . Once the party is split in two,the skeletons concentrate their fire onthe back ranks, wall-climbers, and flyingopponents . Each of the skeletons isarmed with a light crossbow and a longsword . Missile attacks against thearchers are at -10 to hit because of thedifficulty ofhitting targets behind arrowslits . The door opening to the inner wardis locked at all times .

3 . More Crossbows . These four skel-eton soldiers are under the same ordersas those in area 2 . Should Dorevardescend from the second level to attackPCs beyond the gate, he takes three ofthese soldiers with him and leaves one tolock the door to the outer ward behindhim .

4 . Spiral Stairs . These stairs connectthe three levels ofthe gatehouse, but thetop ofthe stairs (leading to the manti-cores' lair) is blocked by a 15'-long massof rubble that would take hours to shift .The stairs wind upward in a clockwisedirection and are narrow enough toallow only single-file ascent .

5 . Balcony . Two skeleton soldiersarmed with light crossbows stand guardhere, watching for approaching visitorsor intruders . They immediately notifyTerrekal (in area 6) of anything unusualand remain to guard him once hearrives .

6 . Captain of the Guard's Chamber.Terrekal lives simply but well, with awooden bed and fresh linen sheets, oak

chest, and rich rugs . In addition, he hasa fine ash washstand with an enamelpitcher and basin (suitable for hurling atintruders for 1-3 hp damage), a portraitof himself, and a bookshelf that coversone wall from floor to ceiling .The mage's spell book rests on a heavy

iron writing stand that will animate toattack anyone who approaches it, otherthan its master or Talakara . The writingstand is ornately carved and rests onfour lion's feet . It rears up on its twohind legs when attacking with its frontlegs . Under no circumstances will thebook be dropped, nor can it be removedor damaged while the stand is still"alive ."The spell book contains the spells that

Terrekal has memorized plus shockinggrasp, burning hands, light, magic mis-sile, forget, wizard lock, and phantomsteed.Animate writing stand : Int non ; ALN; AC -1 ; MV 6 ; HD 8 ; hp 64 ; THACO13 ; #AT 2 ; Dmg 2-12/2-12 ; SD immune tofire, cold, any mind-affecting spell ; SZ L ;ML 20 ; XP 2,000 .

7 . Winch Room and Murder Holes .Two skeleton soldiers operate theportcullis here and have stones andboiling and flaming oil to attack anyonetrapped between the portcullis and thegate . They can inflict 6-60 hp damageper round (save vs . breath weapon forhalf damage) . Missiles attacks againstthe skeletons are at -10 to hit because oftheir protected position .

8 . Lieutenant's Quarters . Thesespartan quarters contain little morethan a narrow bunk, a shield leaningagainst the wall, a table with a loafofbread, and two long benches . Dorevarcan be found napping in his bunk unlesssummoned by Terrekal .

9 . Former Barracks. This ruined hallis now the home ofa manticore that willnot trouble the party unless there is adisturbance on the outer walls or in theinner ward . Ifthe PCs are caught in afight with skeleton soldiers, the manti-core climbs to the gatehouse battlementsthrough a hole in the roof directly overthe room most distant from the stair-well . It fires all its tail spikes to strafewizards and others behind the generalmelee, then joins in the battle .While on the battlements, the manti-

core has a +4 bonus to its armor class

CAER THORNEOuter Ward, Areas 10-151 square = 30'

when attacked by archers at groundlevel due to 50% cover . Ifthe PCs aremounted, the creature will wait until thehorses are left behind, then attack themounts . The manticore considers theharpies who live in the outer ward (area10) to be beneath its contempt and willnever help them .Within the musty attic that the manti-

core has converted to its lair are yardsand yards of soft cloth that it uses forbedding, and a foul mound ofbones,hide, and other refuse . A pouch contain-ing 100 pp lies among the bedding .

12

. .Gatehouse(areas 1-9)

The Outer Ward

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

DUNGEON 47

Manticore : Int low ; AL LE; AC 4 ; MV12, fly 18 (E) ; HD 6+3; hp 35 ; THACO 13 ;#AT 3 ; Ding 1-3/1-3/1-8 ; SA 1-6 tailspikes for 1-6 hp each ; SZ H; ML 14 ; XP1,400 ; MC.

Talakara has allowed the outer ward tofall into decay . Agrovale is the only onewho attempts to keep the defenses via-ble . The walls themselves are 20' high,and their towers stretch to 30' with flatroofs . A single patrol offour skeletonsoldiers walks past any given point on

I 15I.7Z LPIW-1

I

10 Z~

13

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

the walls every 15 minutes (walkingclockwise entirely around the outerward), so sneaking over is relativelyeasy . The postern gate (area 14) isunguarded by the skeleton soldiers whokeep an eye on the main gate and walls .The plants growing on the east and

southeast walls have resisted even themost determined efforts to eradicatethem . Within the outer walls, thegrounds are clear and wet except forhedges surrounding the garden in thenortheast corner . The southwest corneris the boggiest, and the northeast cornerthe driest . A single dead tree providesthe only break in the otherwise emptysouthern half of the grounds .Through the use ofa ring of wishes,

Talakara has negated the effect ofpasswall, disintegrate, dimension door,teleport, and similar spells ifthey areused to gain entrance to the castle byanyone other than herself. These spellscan be cast as normal within the boundsof the castle but have no effect ; the spellis simply wasted . If cast from outside theouter ward, such a spell will bring thecaster right up to the wall but not withinthe castle proper . Only Talakara can usethese spells in her own castle .

10 . Harpy Tree .Within the outer ward you see a bar-ren tree surrounded by bones, feath-ers, and refuse . The smell reaches youfrom yards away. The tree creaksunder the weight of the winged bird-women perched in it, and the air isfilled with their shrieks and the whirloftheir wings as they take to the air .

A pack of 10 harpies nests in this deadtree . They are not really part of Tala-kara's following, but she and her priestsallow the harpies to stay within theouter ward in exchange for keeping theregion relatively free ofanimal life . Ifthe party attacks the castle repeatedlyor arrives by air, the harpies may go onaerial strikes or reconnaissance againstthe PCs . The harpies consider the manti-core (area 9) as foul as any enemy . Theyhave no treasure .Harpies (10) : Int low ; AL CE ; AC 7 ;

MV 6, fly 15 (C) ; HD 7 ; hp 39, 35, 33, 32,31, 30, 29, 28, 25, 21 ; THACO 13; NAT 3 ;Ding 1-3/1-3/1-6 ; SA singing and charm;SZ M; ML 14 ; XP 1,400; MC.

11 . Harpy Towers . These two towersare both lairs for roughly similar flocks

48 Issue No . 25

of harpies . They are gutted, dark holes,with harpies perched on the beams andrafters that once supported the floors .Each tower also has a harpy lookout,who will rally her companions to join herif she sees food is coming . The towers'harpies are fairly friendly with oneanother and are part of the same pack,but there is fierce competition betweenthe tower harpies and the tree harpies(area 10) . Each group tries to be first toget to visitors ; there are often quarrelsover dead prey, with the tree and towergroups deciding the issue by having agruesome tug-of-war with the bodies .The tower harpies (hp 34, 33 (x 3), 32

(x 2), 31, 30, 29, 27, 25, 24, 22,18 ; otherstatistics as listed in area 10) areslightly smaller than the tree harpiesbut make up for this by being morenumerous ; seven nest in each ofthetowers . The bottom of the western towerholds several valuable items under thelayers ofdebris : 2,300 sp in three largesacks, and a 400-gp amethyst in thepocket of a torn green silk jacket leftfrom the days before Talakara'srenovations .

12 . Guard Towers . These four towersare each manned by four skeleton sol-diers with light crossbows. The soldiersfire at anyone they see outside the wallsbut will not come to each other's aid, onAgrovale's orders . They use their swordsto fend off anyone coming over the walls .

13. Gardeners . A mated pair of sham-bling mounds patrols the wetter portionof the castle grounds (these are the sameones on the random encounter table inarea E) . Theyjoined Talakara's coteriewhen she cast a charm plant spell onthem . Even after the spell wore off, theshamblers stayed for the rich pickings ofthe Malabar Woods and the safety oftheouter ward . In their spare time, they arethe gardeners ofCaer Thorne, pruningand eating molds, fungi, dead leaves,weeds, bugs, and small mammals withinthe castle grounds .Deep in their bog, the pair buried (and

thus preserved) the body ofa Talakaraninitiate who sought to flee the temple bynight, carrying several items from thetreasury with him : a short sword +2 in ajeweled scabbard worth 500 gp, 700 gp incoin, and an emerald worth 500 gp . Thisbog is often torn up, since Natasha (seearea 15) also uses it for fertilizer .Shambling mounds (2) : Int low ; AL

N; AC 0 ; MV 6 ; HD 10 ; hp 56,50 ;

THACO 11 ; NAT 2 ; Ding 2-16/2-16 ; SAsurprise, suffocation ; SD immune to fireand crushing weapons, half damagefrom cold and edged/pointed weapons ;SZ L; ML 18; XP 5,000 ; MC .

14. Postern Gate. Completely over-grown with vines and ivy, this section ofwall is indistinguishable from the rest ofthe outer defenses . Hidden within thethick coating of leaves and tough wood isan ancient gate, built to provide an exitfor sallies during sieges . It can be openedby magic or smashed open as if it were alocked door . The postern gate is perfectlyvisible from the inside of the wall butstill requires a check to open .

15 . Medusa's Garden .This corner of the outer ward seems tobe very well cared for . There areneatly clipped hedges, a pond full ofgoldfish, and even a few weatheredmarble statues . Everywhere alongthe hedges are roses : black, white,red, and yellow. The bushes are care-fully pruned, and their roots are thor-oughly mulched with what appears tobe peat-moss and bone meal . Thereare several ways you could go fartherinto the garden . The layout is formaland blocks some views, but it isn't amaze .

This is where Agrovale's black rosesbloom, watched over by a greatermedusa who is loyal to him . The blackrose native to Pandar is called Maiden'sRansom because it causes sterility whenhandled . The black roses' abilities aredescribed in the "Clues" section at thebeginning ofthe adventure .The white roses that grow in the gar-

den are known as Oldman's Treasure .When handled, these roses act as a curedisease spell . The white roses can beused to make a sleeping poison (save at -4 or fall asleep for 1-10 hours) or can bepowdered and burned for the same effect .Agrovale developed the Oldman's Trea-sure strain of roses by crossing his blackroses with nightshade, but the resultingwhite roses are sterile and can be propa-gated only by cuttings . Talakara usesthem in her potions of longevity.Deep red and pale yellow roses add a

touch of color here as well, but they aresimply excellent strains, beautiful butwithout magical effects . They do addtheir thorns to the hedges, however, andanyone trying to cut or force his way

CAER THORNEDungeon Level, Areas 16-201 square =10'

through will take 1-2 hp damage per 5'of hedge .The three fine statues here are all of

white marble with veins ofgray. Thegreater medusa that watches over theblooms has spent years in perfecting theart ofpetrification and considers thesemarbles to be her finest works . One is ofa rearing stag, the second is a dancingmaiden, and the third is a gnomishjester . These are all pieces from the earlypart ofTalakara's reign . Later victimswere turned to granite, limestone,basalt, and even brittle shale, but theseinferior statues have been broken up andthrown into the pond in the center of thegarden to conceal them .The gardening medusa's name is

Natasha . She is a vain creature whowears robes of dark purple to hide herserpent's lower body. Natasha lives inthe corner tower, which is otherwiseabandoned . Originally the ruler oftheMalabar Woods, Natasha made an alli-ance with Talakara, moved into thesebetter quarters, and has enjoyed a quietlife ever since . She is an expert musicianand owns a set ofpipes ofhaunting.

Natasha (greater medusa) : Int very ;AL LE ; AC 3 ; MV 12 ; HD 8; hp 33 ;THACO 13 ; #AT 1 or 2 ; Ding 1-4 ; SApetrification, poison, missiles ; SD poi-sonous blood ; MR 20% ; SZ M; ML 14 ; XP4,000 ; short bow with 13 arrows (save vs .poison at -1 or die); MC .Lighting for Natasha's tower is pro-

vided by several holes in the roof, andthe medusa has hung sheets on thedrafty top floor, making the inside amass of shifting, flickering spots of light .This is disorienting enough, but the flooris also covered with rubble, and thestairs up and down are missing severalrisers . Natasha gains a bonus of +2 onsurprise and to-hit rolls inside . In thegarden, Natasha slithers around themaze ofhedges using her bow and poi-soned arrows to pick offintruders . Often,she remains out ofsight and plays herpipes to terrify henchman and gain asurprise advantage . Her treasure is inthe tower basement in a chest before thesecret door to area 18 . The treasureincludes 1,055 sp and a potion ofclairaudience.

Dungeon Level

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

16. Cell Block . Guarded by a djinni,the cell block is a wet and dismal place,full ofthe smell ofmolds and mush-rooms . In fact, the shambling moundscome here from time to time to graze onthe exceptionally fine slime . The djinniwarden is named Marwan al Ibn, and heis less than delighted by his mistress,Talakara . In fact, the djinni will beextremely helpful to any party that doesnot attack him . He reacts with force onlyif someone attempts to open one of thecells ; this is how he interprets his ordersto guard the dungeon against intruders .Even then, he first interposes himselfbetween the PCs and the cell door,explaining patiently that he cannotallow them access .

If asked, Marwan gladly gives infor-mation about everyone and everythingunder his care, their uses to Talakara,and any other good advice he can comeup with . Marwan knows nothing aboutthe upper reaches ofthe castle and keep,however . Should Talakara be slain inthe course ofthis adventure, the djinniwill gleefully take his leave ofthis planewith many strange tales to tell his sheikon the plane of elemental Air .

DUNGEON 49

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

Marwan al Ibn (djinn) : Int average ;AL CG; AC 4 ; MV 9, fly 24 ; HD 7+3; hp34 ; THACO 13 ; NAT 1 ; Dmg 2-16 ; SAwhirlwind ; SD spells; SZ L ; ML 12 ; MC.The prisoners here are specimens

collected by Talakara for use as spellcomponents . Reduce all experience-pointawards for monsters slain while chained,ifthey cannot fight back .Cell A contains a troll chained to the

wall . This troll has been here for quitesome time, since its regeneration keepsit strong no matter how many timesTalakara drains its blood .Troll : Int low, AL CE; AC 4 ; MV 12 ;

HD 6+6 ; hp 37 ; THACO 15 ; #AT 3 ; Ding5-8/5-8/5-12 ; SA hit three opponents ; SDregeneration ; SZ L ; ML 20 (maddened) ;XP 1,400 or less ; MC .Cell B is empty, but cell C holds a

drained and weakened mind flayerawaiting use in a potion of ESP. Themind flayer was knocked unconsciousand then bound here with chains ofabsorption, which act as a rod ofabsorp-tion except that the powers absorbedinclude mental powers as well as spells .The absorbed magic cannot be reused tocast other spells . These chains absorbknock spells and prevent the mind flay-er's astral projection and plane shiftpowers from working.Mind flayer : Int genius ; AL LE; AC 5 ;

MV 12 ; HD 8+4 ; hp 23 (normally 44) ;THACO 11 ; NAT 4 ; Dmg special ; SAmind blast, spells ; MR 90%; SZ M; ML15 ; XP 8,000 or less ; MC .Cells D-J hold a small band of elves,

kept here for their value in potions oflongevity. Elves have suffered greatlyunder Talakara's rule, largely becausetheir chaotic good beliefs make themvery intractable . Talakara hasattempted to capture or drive out all theelves in Pandar but has succeeded onlyin driving the elves that remain to hit-and-run warfare . They are very cautiousbut tireless in their attacks on her sol-diers and temples . This band was cap-tured when its leader was slain duringan assault on one ofTalakara's largertemples . The seven elves will gladly aidthe party if given weapons and armor,though they are very careful to avoidplacing themselves in no-win situations .Elves (7) : Int high ; AL CG; AC 10; MV

12 ; HD 1+1; hp 2 each (down from 7each); THACO 19 (18) ; #AT 1 ; Ding byweapon type (unarmed) ; SA surprise, +1to hit with bow or sword ; SD 90% resist-ant to sleep, charm, ML 8 ; MC.

17 . Supplies . These rooms are filledwith barrels ofred wine and varioustypes of simple food: bags offlour, boxesof smoked or salted meat and fish, bar-rels ofcrackers and hardtack . Rats havegotten into some ofthe food, but most ofthe it is still edible, if somewhat dry,stale, and salty.

18 . Secret Passage . This small pas-sage leads up to the escape route viaNatasha's tower and the postern gate(areas 14 and 15) .

19. Tower Basements . These emptychambers once stored weaponry andsiege supplies, but these items have longsince crumbled or been carried off.

20. Crypt and Boiler Room.

A large moss-covered vat with a stonebottom sits in this humid room . Pipesrun up from the vat into the ceiling . Alarge pile of wood is stacked againstthe wall opposite the door . Beneaththe stone vat, a bonfire rages in ashallow, blackened pit . There are twospots ofbright blue fire in the centerofthe pit, but the rest ofthe fire isyellow and orange .

The castle was once fully equippedwith hot and cold running water, butnow most ofthat system has fallen intodisrepair . The little hot water that isstill needed is provided by a pair ofele-mentals, one ofwater and one of fire .They are bound here by powerfulmagicks and are "fed" each day by one ofthe skeleton soldiers who hauls waterfrom the well to pour into the vat andtosses wood into the pit . Another warriorchops the wood in the forest and stacks ithere to cure . The main purpose oftheboiler room is to provide a source of heatfor the keep in the cold mountain win-ters ; the hot water system was an after-thought to the original construction .The fire elemental in the pit hates his

job . His name is Ignatz, and he knowsthat a water elemental lives above himbut he cannot escape to attack her . InIgnatz's hatred, he tries to boil and evap-orate the water elemental in the vatabove . In the process, of course, he heatsthe water for use by the denizens of thecastle . To prevent a rampage, the ele-mental is held in place by a magicaldiagram engraved in the floor, nowblackened and covered with soot but stillintact . Anyone coming within 10' ofthe

fire pit has crossed over the diagram intoIgnatz's territory and will be mercilesslyattacked.Ignatz (fire elemental) : Int low ; AL N;

AC 2 ; MV 12 ; HD 16 ; hp 73 ; THACO 5 ;NAT 1 ; Ding 3-24 ; SA set fires ; SD +2 orbetter weapon to hit; SZ L ; ML special ;XP 10,000 ; MC (elemental).The vat is occupied by Lorella, a water

elemental summoned from Talakara'sbasin (see area 71) . Lorella fears the fireelemental (she evaporates quite a bitevery day and hates the thought ofguests coming to the castle and using toomuch water) . Lorella is very shy and willnot show herself, though she will attackanyone who comes close enough to drinkor tamper with the water in the vat . Thewater elemental serves Talakara well,though reluctantly. She guides theheated water up the pipes when needed,and she keeps the hot and cold waterseparate .Lorella (water elemental) : Int low ; AL

N; AC 2 ; MV 6, swim 18 ; HD 12 ; hp 50 ;THACO 9; NAT 1; Ding 5-30 ; SA immobi-lize PCs in water ; SD +2 or betterweapon to hit ; SZ L ; ML special ; XP6,000 ; MC (elemental) .

Ifthe water runs for more than a min-ute or two in any location, the waterelemental attacks through the pipes,more out offear oflosing too much liquidthan out of anger . Since the taps arenarrow and there is insufficient waterabove to support Lorella, all her attacksare at -2 to hit, with halfdamage . Theonly exception to this occurs ifsomeonedraws a bath, which allows full strengthattacks . Lorella's attacks keep water usein the castle to a minimum, much to theelemental's delight .

The Inner CastleAgrovale has been able to keep tabs onthe party with the help ofhis shadows,who serve as excellent spies because oftheir 90% undetectability . These normally vicious, chaotic, undead creaturesfollow Agrovale's instructions partly outof respect (he is a very powerful memberof the undead) but mostly because hewears a cloak ofshadows (see thedescription ofAgrovale at area 72) .The skeleton warrior has posted

shadows throughout the forest, the outerward, the dungeon, and at locations 26and 55 ofthe inner castle . Althoughsome of these shadows have specialinstructions, most are simply ordered tokeep a lookout and report any intruders

CAER THORNELevel One, Areas 21-371 square = 10'

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OEMEMEMMENNENMEMEEM""MEMEMM NoN~i

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to Agrovale . The skeleton warrior isexpecting the PCs, so he has ordered theshadows to be especially vigilant .When the PCs arrive at the castle,

Agrovale will normally be in his office atarea 51, writing in his diary. As soon ashis shadows notify him that the partyhas entered the castle through theunderground passage (area 18) or themain entrance (area 21), the skeletonwarrior walks downstairs to the guard-room in area 38, activates his cloak ofshadows. and crosses the battlements toarea 44 . He then descends the stairs tothe audience chamber (area 28), whichis the first place the PCs are likely toencounter him .The feared and mighty "Goddess" is

nothing more than megalomaniacalTalakara, a 19th-level wizard . Themage, now over two centuries old,spends almost all her time on Level Sixofher keep . She will normally beencountered in area 71, communingwith her (low-level) clerics through herbasin ofcalling and seeing. She is muchtoo busy being adored and worshiped toworry about worldly matters . Talakarahas placed such concerns (castle security,for example) entirely in the hands of

Agrovale . Although she was extremelyparanoid around Agrovale when shefirst gained his circlet from Glasya, hehas been nothing but a source of delightto her since she first gave him his free-dom 120 years ago. His use ofthe blackrose as a calling card, his spy network(sometimes much more efficient at gath-ering information than her magicalmeans), his efficient use ofthe skeletonsoldiers in battle, and his completelyrespectful demeanor have allowed Tala-kara to relax in his presence and evenbecome somewhat dependent on him .

Level One21 . Entry . All ofthe entry doors are

unlocked, since Talakara has been try-ing to recruit clerical initiates to herworship . The guards in areas 22 havebeen given instructions not to botheranyone entering the castle through thefront doors . Talakara has placed a sym-bol ofhopelessness on the innermost setofdoors in order to test the mettle of anywho would enter . Anyone who looks intoone of the arrow slits lining the wallsstares into the expressionless face of askeleton soldier in the guardroombeyond (area 22) .

23 . The Inner Ward.

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

22 . Guardroom . The door to each ofthese two rooms is locked . Five skeletonsoldiers stand motionless near thearrow slits in each room . They will notbother the PCs unless the adventurersattempt to open the outer tower door .Should the PCs attempt to enter thetower, the soldiers leave their stationsand block the party's way, preventingentrance . The skeletons attack only ifthe PCs attack first ; they have no trea-sure . The room itselfis devoid offurnish-ings and has bare stone walls, floor, andceiling.

You have just entered what appearsto be the inner ward of the castle . Thecourtyard is paved and roughly trian-gular in shape, with a tower at thetwo opposite corners and the gate-house behind you at another . There isa long wooden structure leaningagainst the inner curtain wall to yourleft . The huge keep looms up in frontofyou, behind some forebuildings .The only apparent access to the keepseems to be through a set of doors inthe wall 100' across the courtyard .

DUNGEON 51

The battlements, 20' up, are crenel-ated on both sides ofthe wall walk,and the towers and gatehouse arepierced by many dark arrow slits . Allofthe fortifications seem to be infairly good shape, but the whole cas-tle appears to be deserted .

From where the PCs stand at theentrance to the courtyard, the doors tothe towers are not readily observable .

24. Empty Stables . This low buildinghouses the phantom steeds of Agrovale'scavalry, currently out on a two-weekpatrol (all the stalls are empty) . Somespare tack and two spare saddles, some-what moldy with age, hang from woodenpegs between the two pairs ofdoors . Thestructure looks barren and abandoned(phantom steeds require no food andmake no messes) .

25 . Well . The water from this well isused to feed the water elemental in theboiler room (area 20) . The shaft is 40'deep, but only its last 8' are filled withwater .

52 Issue No . 25

26 . The Astral Plane.

As you pass through the doors, youfind yourselves standing in a com-pletely bizarre environment . Anunending gray void spreads out in alldirections . Thick, tornado-like whirl-winds twist slowly at incredible dis-tances, extending from ahead of youto far behind . The doors behind youswing shut with an ominous click anddisappear, cutting you off from thecourtyard. Silvery cords trail behindeach of you, stretching and intertwin-ing backward into infinity .You realize you are still standing on

a path of gray stone that extends toyour right and left before it fadesaway into nothingness. After a fewmoments, a chunk of the void coa-lesces into the rough dark outline of aman .

The party is standing in a veryadvancedprogrammed illusion of theAstral plane, cast by Talakara toimpress visitors . The DM should treatthis illusion as if it were real by playingup the eerie infinite space around thePCs, the gentle tug of the silver cords attheir backs, etc . PCs who have traveledon the Astral plane will recognize theremarkable similarity but notice thatthey still feel the effects ofgravity . Eachvocalized doubt about the reality oftheenvironment counts as an attempt todisbelieve, rolled secretly by the DM.PCs who disbelieve perceive a barrenstone hallway with a vaulted stone ceil-ing supported by buttresses, extendingto the left and right . Unlike the illusion,the shadow that confronts the party isquite real .Shadow: Int low ; AL CE : AC 7 ; MV

12 ; HD 3+3 ; hp 21 ; THACO 17 ; #AT 1 ;Dmg 2-5 + special ; SA strength drain,SD + 1 or better weapon to hit ; SZ M; MLspecial ; XP 650 ; MC.While the party is ogling the illusion,

the shadow shuts the doors behind thePCs . These portals open normally fromthe outside but are wizard locked fromthe inside (by Talakara, at the 19th levelofability). The shadow then makes itspresence known to the PCs in a non-threatening fashion . Ifattacked, it fleestoward the guards at area 32 . Should theadventurers stop to listen to the crea-ture, read the following passage :

"Welcome, adventurers," the crea-ture ofdarkness says, its outline

fuzzy against the endless glow sur-rounding it . "My master is expectingyou. Please follow me and stay on thepath."

This creature has been instructed tolead the party to the door of the recep-tionist at area 27 . It then melts back intothe darkness and returns to its post atthe entrance .

27 . Receptionist . Two arrow slits inthe thick wall opposite the door allowoutside light into this wedge-shapedroom . The walls are covered with fres-coes depicting Judgment Day in Pandar .On the wall between the two arrow slits,for instance, is a scene entitled "TheFate of the Sinner," depicting a manwithering into dust beside a black rose .A tall, svelte, blonde woman with wide

blue eyes sits behind a desk covered withneatly stacked papers (new edicts forPandar) and a large book . The womansmiles at the party and introduces her-self as Angelica, the receptionist . Angel-ica politely asks the PCs to sign thevisitors' book before their audience withAgrovale . As they are doing so, she castscoy looks at the male PCs .Angelica is a polymorphed erinyes .

The receptionist is dressed in a shortblack dress, but her belt is actually arope ofentanglement. Her dagger isconcealed in a garter sheath . Around herneck are two small keys that open thechest and coffer in area 10, and anengraved gemstone-encrusted key (agemkey, worth 1,000 gp) that unlocksthe entrances to the keep in areas 45, 69,and 74 . It opens all the wizard lockeddoors in the castle as well . Because theerinyes sometimes works as Talakara'spersonal secretary, taking dictation andbringing her tea in the mornings, shewas given the gemkey so that she couldroutinely perform her duties .Angelica (erinyes) : Int average ; AL

LE; AC 2 ; MV 6 (12 as human), fly 21 ;HD 6+6 ; hp 43 ; THACO 13 ; #AT 1 ; Dmg2-8 plus poison ; SA poisoned dagger(save vs . poison or faint for 1-6 rounds),spells, rope ofentanglement, SD spells,immune to fire, half damage from coldand gas ; spells : charm person, sugges-tion, illusion, infravision, teleport with-out error, know alignment, animatedead, cause fear, detect invisible, locateobject, invisibility, polymorph self, pro-duce flame, summon erinyes (not doneduring this scenario) ; MR 30% ; ML 18 ;XP 8,000 ; MM1/22 .

Angelica is attended by two invisiblestalkers, Franz and Heinrich, who nor-mally act as her bodyguards . Over a yearago, Franz was summoned from theplane of elemental Air by Talakara toassist Angelica and defend her fromharm . Against all odds, Franz andAngelica fell in love . Since then, Franzhas willingly followed the erinyes andobeyed her every command . Ifany PCdares to flirt with Angelica, Franz tem-porarily swallows his anger . Later, whenthe flirting PC enters the audiencechamber (area 28), the invisible stalkerattempts to trip the party member (savevs . spells or lose initiative in the firstround of combat in area 28) . ShouldAngelica be threatened by the party,Franz springs to her defense, gaining +2on attack and damage rolls because ofhis ferocity .Heinrich, on the other hand, has hated

Angelica from the moment he was sum-moned against his will . Although Tala-kara gave Heinrich the same orders asFranz when she bound him into Angeli-ca's service, Heinrich has sought topervert his instructions and gain hisfreedom . The invisible stalker views theromance between Franz and Angelicawith thinly veiled disgust and followsAngelica's orders with as much deliber-ate slowness as he can get away with. Heusually rests beside the double doorsleading into the audience chamber,awaiting Angelica's next unreasonablecommand and daydreaming about thewindy plane ofhis birth . If Angelica isattacked, he will stall for one full roundbefore acting in her defense, and eventhen he will merely try to drive offtheweakest PC in the party for one round .Then, having defended Angelica andfulfilled Talakara's original orders,Heinrich returns to his home planeforever .Franz and Heinrich (invisible stalk-

ers) : Int high ; AL N; AC 3; MV 12, fly 12(A) ; HD 8 ; hp 51(Franz), 40 (Heinrich) ;THACO 13 ; #AT 1 ; Dmg 4-16 ; SA sur-prise ; SD invisibility ; MR 30% ; ML 14 ;XP 5,000 ; MC.Under normal circumstances, Angel-

ica rises from her chair very slowly andsuggestively (she flirts outrageously justto keep Franz jealous) and leads theparty to the double doors in the southwall of the room . Once the party haspassed through, she locks the doors andgoes to her bedchamber (area 30) to getsome sleep (taking her bodyguards withher) .

28. Audience Chamber. Talakaraoften likes to make special appearancesto her more devoted priests in this room .The walls are covered with crude muralsdepicting vast throngs ofworshipingfollowers kneeling in homage. Above thethrone is carved the following inscrip-tion : "Kneel to Talakara, Queen andGoddess of Pandar!"

You have entered what appears to bea large, wedge-shaped audiencechamber lit by four great braziers,one in each corner . The room is overtwo stories tall, with massivecolumns supporting the vaulted stoneceiling . Stained glass windows filterfiery light into the chamber, addingto the braziers' diffuse red glow.Across from you, on a raised dais, atall figure in dark gray plate armorsits on a carved ebony throne ."Thank you for accepting my invi-

tation," he says, as a wall of fireerupts around the dais . A side dooropens, and skeletal soldiers streamout with their long swords drawn .

Agrovale wants to test the PCs, to seeif they stand a chance against his mis-tress . He sits in a carved ebony thronecreated by Talakara . On its right armare four gems, each of which activates aspell at the 19th level of ability, usableonce per day :-Ruby: wall offire-Sapphire : magic missile-Emerald : protection from normalmissiles

-Topaz : know alignmentThese spells can be activated only whilesomeone is seated on the throne, butthey remain active once triggered . If anygem is pried from its setting in thethrone, both gem and throne lose alltheir magical properties . The throneweighs 5001bs .Agrovale has already activated the

emerald and topaz gems before the partyenters . He activates the ruby gem as heissues his welcome . Agrovale hopes toremain shielded from melee by his squadof 20 skeleton soldiers, his high (90%)magic resistance, and the throne's wallof fire and protection from normal mis-siles effects . He activates the throne'ssapphire gem in the first round of com-bat and aims all six magic missiles atone PC ofgood alignment . Given hiscenturies' old dislike ofpriests, Agrovaleis more likely to target a cleric than awarrior or wizard . Because ofhis

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

obscurement behind a smoking wall offire, it might appear as ifAgrovale castthe spell himself, thus reinforcing anyPC fears that they face a spell-wieldingdeath knight .In the wall behind the throne is a 2'x 5'

rectangular hole covered by an illusionofcontinuous wall . In the second roundofcombat, Agrovale leaves his skeletonsoldiers battling the PCs and exitsthrough this hole . He then enters thekeep and awaits the party in area 70 .Agrovale's statistics appear at area 72 ifneeded .Other than the throne, there is no

treasure to be found in this room .

29. Guardroom . This room is emptywhen not occupied by the 20 skeletonsoldiers that have been instructed byAgrovale to enter area 28 and slay theparty .

30 . Angelica's Bedchamber. Thisroom's plaster walls are painted flatblack and covered with two tapestriesdepicting dark, twisted landscapes (Tala-kara wanted her receptionist to feel athome) . Directly opposite the door,beneath an arrow slit and between thetapestries, a 10'x 10' bed is covered withblack satin sheets . A makeup table and awardrobe flank the door . The short tableis covered with small vials of perfume(with names like "Sinful Scent") andcosmetic powder . A small locked boxcovered with a contact poison (save vs .poison or sleep for 1-5 hours) containsthree 1,000-gp diamonds and a pair ofgold earrings worth 800 gp . The ward-robe contains several black, seductivedresses .

If Angelica has already been encoun-tered in area 27, she will be sleeping inthe bed and her bodyguards, Franz andHeinrich, will be stationed outside thedoor to the chamber. The two invisiblestalkers block intruders from enteringthe room but attack only ifattackedthemselves. As an added precaution,Angelica keeps a spare poisoned daggerunder one of the bed pillows ; she willthrow this dagger at any intruders .Wrapped up under the bed are theuneaten remains of her last victim (apeasant) and a small coffer containing2,100 gp .

31 . Sitting Room. This room is alwayslit by continual tight spells and a roaringfireplace . The fire is actually an illusion ;anyone who approaches within 10' sees

DUNGEON 53

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

that the fire gives off light but no heat .This chamber is used as a waiting or

sitting room by Talakara's infrequentvisitors . In spite ofthe thick layers ofdust everywhere, the room is quitecheerful . A tapestry depicting a map ofPandar hangs opposite the main door (asecret door is concealed behind it), and abookcase filled with romances, plays,poetry, and histories lines the wall oppo-site the fireplace . PCs who conduct athorough search will notice a badlybattered book in the southern corner ofthe room. Sixty years ago, Agrovalethrew this tragedy, entitled The Fall ofSir Topaz, against the wall after readingthe first scene, which describes the temp-tation and disgrace of a knight . He hasnot set foot in this room since except togather reading material for Cynthia, the"guest" in room 50 .

32 . Guardroom . Six skeleton sol-diers stand near the arrow slits, guard-ing the only entrance or exit to the guesttower (which also includes areas 40, 50,and 55) . They will not bother the PCsunless the party attempts to enter thetower and climb the stairs, or unless thesoldiers are alerted by the shadow fromarea 26 . The room is otherwise empty.

33. Canyon Corridor . Since the mainentrance to the keep is on Level Two,PCs can reach the ground floor of thekeep (areas 33-37) only by descendingthe stairs from area 46 .

Stepping into this curving, brightlylit canyon is a pleasant change fromthe harsh stone walls elsewhere .There is white sand and dark siltunderfoot, carried along by recentrains . The walls themselves are alight orange-brown, a sharp contrastto the deep blue sky. There is littlevegetation here, only a few bushes offto your left .

Much like area 26, this is an advancedprogrammed illusion . Ifthe PCs stayhere long enough, they will be followedby two vultures that appear to be cir-cling far overhead. Obviously, any PCtrying to fly up to them or firing arrowsupward will discover the ceiling, doing2-12 hp damage to flying PCs or destroy-ing the arrows . If the PCs disbelieve theillusion, the results are the same as forarea 26 . The bushes on the left disguisethe doors to areas 34 and 35 . The doubledoors to area 37 are hidden by some

54 Issue No . 25

larger bushes and cottonwoods on asmall bank ofsilt .

34-35 . Meditation Rooms. Each ofthese tiny chapels is kept bare except forone white serpent to help the initiatesconquer their fear of Talakara's holyanimal and thus learn to concentrate onthe higher order of things . The whiteserpents are fairly tame and will notattack anyone who does make sudden orthreatening moves .White serpent : Int animal ; AL N; AC

6 ; MV 15 ; HD 2+1; hp 13, 9 ; THACO 19 ;NAT 1 ; Ding 1 ; SA poison ; SZ S ; ML 8 ; XP175 ; MC (snake, poison, normal) . Theserpents' poison causes incapacitatingsickness for 1-4 days within 2-8 rounds ifa save vs . poison at -1 is not made .

36. Robing Room. A large number ofblack robes with rope belts may be foundhere, neatly hung up on pegs on the wall .Various ceremonial items are kept hereas well, stowed in an iron-banded chestalong with a high priest's vestments .These items include bronze and ironcensers, braziers, knives, platters, gob-lets, candle-holders, candelabra, wick-trimmers, and snuffers . Berrigan, thehigh priest, is currently wearing thefinest of the vestments in the temple(area 46) .

37 . Cells . These are not cells for pris-oners but rather cells for ascetic initiatesand priests from the lower ranks ofTala-kara's order . The barracks hold six dou-ble beds, a low table, mats for kneelingupon, four bowls, and one horn spoon (aMurlynd's spoon, the only source offoodfor the priests .The four priests here have renounced

worldly things . Their only treasure is anilluminated prayer book dedicated toTalakara's worship . It is worth 50 gp tocollectors or sages outside Pandar .Priests (4): AL LE; AC 10 ; MV 12; P4 ;

hp 23,20,16,14 ; THACO 18 ; #AT 1 ; Dingby spell or weapon type ; W 16 ; ML 13 ;XP 175 ; staff; spells : curse, command,cure light wounds, sanctuary, protectionfrom good, barkskin, holdperson (x 2),silence 15' radius.

Level Two38 . Vacant Barracks . The usual

occupants ofthis room, 15 skeleton sol-diers, are out on routine patrol (they arelisted in the random encounters for areaE), so the guardroom is empty and bare .The only illumination is provided by

outside light coming in through thearrow slits . The murder holes in the flooropen directly into the entry corridor atarea 21 .

39 . Armory. The walls of this towerroom are covered with weapon racksfilled with long swords, 21 light cross-bows, dozens of well-balanced javelins,and scores of crossbow bolts . A small,unlocked chest in the center of the roomcontains 31 normal daggers and onecursed dagger -2 . The room is easilyaccessible from the battlements .

40 . Empty Guest Room. This poshlyfurnished bedchamber, lit by light fromthe arrow slits, can be reached only viathe spiral stairs leading up from theguardroom (area 32) below.This room is used to house Talakara's

more prestigious "guests" (those whoare not sent directly to the dungeon) .The locks on the door, the guardroombelow, and the high drop from the roofare meant to prevent such a "guest"from wandering about the stronghold orescaping .Lavish green tapestries adorn the

walls, and a small sink by the arrow slitonce provided hot and cold runningwater (the pipes leading to this roombecame clogged over 70 years ago) . Anempty canopied bed, covered with magi-cal linens that are perpetually clean, sitsagainst the east wall . On the bed is amagical pillow. Anyone lying down tosleep on this pillow will fall into a deepbut restful slumber for 12 hours . Themagical bedding is worth 500 gp .

41 . Battlements . Characters walkingon this stretch ofthe battlements will befired upon by the skeleton soldiers on thetower roof at area 54 .

42 . Pool of Dried Blood . The battle-ments here are stained dark brown .Attentive guards on the guardhouse roofand north tower top recently caught oneof Talakara's priests exploring the bat-tlements and peppered him with cross-bow bolts . Rain has not yet completelywashed away all the blood . (The skeletonsoldiers received a commendation fromAgrovale for their fine marksmanship .)Characters walking on this stretch of

the battlements will be caught in cross-fire from areas 54 and 56 .

43 . Battlements . Characters walkingon this stretch ofthe battlements will be

1 square= 10'

CAER THORNSLevel Two, Areas 38-46

fired upon by the skeleton soldiers on theguardhouse roof (area 56) .

44. Guardroom. Eight skeletonsoldiers stand guard in this room, pro-tecting the entrance to the keep . Theyimmediately attack any intruders . Theguardroom itself is otherwise empty.The door to the stairwell leading down

to area 28 is covered with an illusion,making it appear to be part ofthe wall .Years ago, to prevent assassins fromsneaking down the stairs and surprisingher while she sat on her throne (she wasa little paranoid with Agrovale around),Talakara wizard locked the door, thencast permanency on the alarm spells shecast on the landing at the top ofthestairs . The spells were cast at the 19thlevel ofexperience .

45. Keep Entrance . The originalmilitary architects of Caer Thorneplaced the entrance to the keep on thesecond floor ofthe inner castle to make itless accessible and thus more defend-able . Once Talakara moved into CaerThorne after destroying Pandar's mon-archy, the magical portals she installedto defend the keep's entrance made suchmundane concerns obsolete .

After his encounter with the PCs inarea 28, Agrovale will leave these twosets of mithril portals open behind himso that the PCs can enter the keep .These featureless doors are 6" thick and,due to powerful magicks bestowed onthem by Talakara, impervious to allsorts ofphysical and magical tampering .Once closed, they can be opened only bya wish, a limited wish, a gemkey (eitherAngelica's or Agrovale's ; see areas 27and 72), or Talakara herself. The doorscan, ofcourse, be easily opened from theinside . Ifthe PCs reach this area beforehaving met the skeleton warrior in area28, the doors will be firmly shut .

46. Temple ofTalakara.

Beyond the double doors lies a circu-lar temple filled with coils ofsweetdark smoke and thin pillars of whitealabaster . The walls are hung withearthy brown tapestries, and no lightenters from outside . Only candlesilluminate the mass being held here .The ceiling is hidden but must be atleast 20'-30' up.To your right, four or five priests

are praying and abasing themselvesbefore a black altar carved with a

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

white serpent symbol . A tall, thinpriest wearing rich white robes andholding a staff is leading the congre-gation. He holds a chalice on high andis pouring from it onto the altar,where the liquid smokes and van-ishes . A golden helmet also sits on thealtar.Other details ofthe room are diffi-

cult to see through the incense, butyou can make out some sort of mosaicin the center of the floor andperhapsa set of stairs opposite you to the left .

The ceiling here is 30' up and sup-ported by pillars and arches that providestrength to the roof. Destroying thesepillars makes it 60% likely that the floorabove will collapse, doing 4-32 hp dam-age to everyone in the room (save vs .petrification for halfdamage) . The toweris otherwise unaffected structurally, butTalakara immediately comes to investi-gate. The dust from the collapse reducesvision to 5', effectively offering 100%concealment from missile fire.The mosaic in the center of the floor is

a pentagram used to summon forcesfrom other planes and to commune with

DUNGEON 55

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

spirits . The golden helmet is ahelm ofopposite alignment with 11 charges left .The helm is used to bringnewwor-shipers into the church and is worth500gp for its gold content alone. Theportionofthe room within the collonade is downone step from the rest of the temple, andthe altar niche in the south wall is upone step . This is not immediately obvi-ous through the smoke, however, andPCs may stumble the first time theyenter the center of the room .The presiding priest here is Berrigan,

the tall thin man leading four initiatesin prayer . Berrigan is wearing a whiterobe embroidered with a black circle andtrimmed in silver thread . In combat,Berrigan fights to the death because heis afraid ofbetraying his mistress . Assoon as the party enters the temple, hecasts magical vestment, holdperson, aid(on himself), and cause blindness. Aftercasting those spells, he eitherjoins hisunderlings in combat or casts morespells, depending on the situation.Berrigan: AL LE; AC 8; MV 12 ; P6; hp

39 ; THACO 18; NAT 1; Ding by spell orweapon type; D 16, C 15,W 17 ; ML 15 ;XP 650; staff, vestments, holy symbol ;spells : curse, combine, command curelight wounds, cause light wounds, aidenthrall, holdperson (x 3), animate deadcause blindness, magical vestmentThe acolytes wear coarse black hooded

robes with belts of rope . Each initiatecarries an alabaster holy symbol thatdepicts a white snake biting its own tail.The priests will not take kindly to any-one interrupting them, though ifthebattle goes poorly for them, they willthrow themselves on the mercy ofthePCsso as to betray the adventurerslater. The acolytes are not very sophisti-cated fighters. Twoofthem rush rightinto combat, one casts a curse spell,and one casts acommand spell beforejoining in.Acolytes (4) : AL LE; AC 10; MV 12;

Pl; hp 5; THACO 20; #AT1; Ding byspell or weapon type;W 14 ; ML 13 ; XP35; staff, spells : command cure lightwounds, curse.Talakara is not agoddess, but she does

have several thousand worshipersthroughout Pandar . Most ofthem giveher no more than lip service, but sincethe devout are favored and rise rapidlyin the ranks, there are several hundredtrue believers and dozens oflow-levelpriests. Thesymbol ofher priests is awhite snake biting its own tail, which isfrequently represented in the abstract

form ofawhite circle on ablack back-ground .Talakara's spheres ofinfluence (as she

sees them) include necromancy, divina-tion, and healing. Through the faith anddevotion ofher priests, her followers areable to cast first- and second-level spells.The higher-level spells granted to Berri-gan are actually due to the interventionofGlasya, whose status as a lesser goddess allows her to support Talakara forherownends . Although she supportsTalakara now due to ignorance ofthelatter's plans, Glasya may decline tofavor priests with such spells ifshe dis-covers Talakara's ultimate goal of grab-bing divine power for herself. Talakaracannot actually become agodling with-out divine backing-which she won't get.

LevelThree

47. Keep Armory. This room housesall spare armor and battle gear for theskeleton soldiers . Six crates stacked inthe northeast corner each contain 10great shields. Nine suits of plate mail,four suits offield plate armor, and onesuit offull plate armor rest on manne-quins lined up around the walls. All ofthe armor in this room is ofhuman sizeand kept in well-oiled and battle-readycondition by the skeleton soldiers .

48. Terrace. This is the flat roofof thevaulted audience chamber, area 28. Atone time used as atraining ground forthe skeleton soldiers, the terrace has notseen active use in many years.

49 . Storage. Over the years, this roomhas become the repository for much ofthe castle's junk . Lit only by outsidelight through the arrow slit, the room isstrewn with piles ofbroken weapons andgarbage. Six large crates beside the doorcontain enough spare parts to assemblesix complete ballistas. Other than that,there is no treasure in the room .

50 . Occupied Guest Room. Thedoorto this chamber is locked, and the roomitself is furnished much like the cham-ber below it (area 40), including themagical bed linens. It has recentlybecome the prison ofCynthia, ayounghuman ranger whowascaptured byAgrovale amonth ago while she washunting monsters in the forest . Ratherthan destroying her or "converting" herwith the helm ofopposite alignment inarea 46, as Talakara wished, the skele-

ton warrior imprisoned the attractivewomanin this room . The pipes leadingfrom the boiler room are only partiallyfunctional on this level, providing Cyn-thia with barely enough ice-cold water tosurvive.Every morning, Agrovale brings Cyn-

thia apen and ink, food, and a cleanchamber pot. Sometimes he writes her apoem, usually about the sublime beautyof the black rose (or some other upliftingtheme) . Often she writes her captor amessage or poem in return, begging forrelease. Agrovale has brought herastack of literature to read, mostlyromances andpoetry from the sittingroom at area 31 . He plans to release hereventually, maybe in one or two years,after he has tired of this parody ofcourtly love .The skeleton warrior has easily foiled

all Cynthia's attempts to escape . Once,when he opened the door to bring herbreakfast, she succeeded in pretendingto be asleep (she hid the magical sleep-inducing pillow under the bed thatnight) before bolting out the door. Shemade it down the stairs before she wasstopped by the skeleton soldiers in area32, andhas attempted no escape sincethen .Cynthia is fully aware that Agrovale is

undead, and although her revulsion hasworn off somewhat, her fear has not. Shewill be extremely grateful to anywhorescue her, but she knows nothing aboutthe layout of the castle ; Agrovalesedated her with poison when he cap-tured her, and the next thing sheremembers is waking up in this room .Should she be freed, Cynthia will gladlyjoin the party if given some armor and aweapon .Cynthia: AL NG; AC 8; MV 12 ; R6; hp

51 ; THACO 14; NAT 3/2; Ding by weapontype ; ML 13 ; S 15, D 16, C 17 . She isproficient with the long sword, long bow,spear, and dagger . All ofthe gear shewore when she was captured is now inarea 52.

51 . Agrovale's Office. The door tothis room is locked . This chamber, lit bya continual light spell, is richly fur-nished. Nine paintings of exceptionalsize and quality (worth 1,100-2,000 gpeach) decorate the walls, andanextremely valuable rug (worth 4,000 gp)covers the stone floor. Abone-whiteporcelain vase (worth 2,500 gp) filledwith black roses sits on a small tableagainst the west wall, and disordered

1 square= 10'

CAER THORNELevel Three, Areas 47-53

vellum sheets cover a huge (4 'x 10')carved desk in room's center.Many ofthe papers on the desk are

covered with poetry ("I am a black rose,falling, falling . . :'). A search of the deskand its locked drawers reveals two smalljars of black rose powder, a pouch filledwith 50100-gp emeralds, five pots of ink,eight harpy quills, and a set of24 diariesthat accurately chronicle Agrovale'spast 16 decades of servitude to Talakara .Much ofthe writing describes howdevoted he has been in serving his mis-tress (Agrovale does not want to incrimi-nate himself, should the diaries ever fallinto Talakara's hands), but sometimeshe makes references to his covert opera-tions in countries beyond Pandar . Suchallusions are cryptic at best . The dayAgrovale set his plan to attract the PCsinto motion, for example, is distin-guished only by the simple comment : "Idelivered the roses to my friends today."The DM can embellish Agrovale's dia-ries if desired .

52 . Agrovale's Treasure. The door tothis room is doubly locked, and its han-dle is covered with virulent contactpoison (save vs . poison or die) . Only

metal gauntlets completely protectagainst this poison, but anyone wearingleather gloves gains a +4 bonus on thesave . Opening the door past 90' triggersthree ballistas aimed across the thresh-old (THACO 8 ; hp 3-18 each) .The room itself is bare except for eight

locked trunks that Agrovale uses forstorage . The trunks contain :-1 . The equipment of Cynthia, the

prisoner in room 50 . This consists ofahuman-size set ofchain mail, longsword, long bow, quiver of 11 normalarrows and six arrows +1, and othernormal adventuring gear .-2. 2,015 pp-3 . 4,140 gp-4 . A human-size suit offieldplate

armor +1, taken from the former King ofPandar's champion . It is much too gaudyfor Agrovale's taste .-5 . Empty-6. Empty-7. 7,200 gp-8. Empty

53. Agrovale's Chamber. This roomis illuminated only by arrow slits . Sixshields, all battle worn, decorate thewalls, which are otherwise bare and

painted flat black . One, a shield +4 em-blazoned with a black rose, is carried intobattle by Agrovale for extra protection .A white marble slab rests in the mid-

dle ofthe stone floor . This is Agrovale's"bed." He never needs to sleep, but oldhabits die hard. He sometimes rests herewhen pondering a particularly deviousscheme .

Level Four

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

54. Tower Top. Six skeleton soldierswith light crossbows patrol the top ofthis tower. They fire on anyone walkingthe battlements in areas 41 or 42 butwill not leave their posts to pursueintruders, at Agrovale's orders .

55 . Tower Top. One of Agrovale'sshadows hides here, keeping a lookout incase the PCs try to sneak into the innercastle by means other than the frontdoor . The shadow immediately notifieshis master ofthe location and number ofintruders .Shadow: Int low ; AL CE: AC 7 ; MV

12 ; HD 3+3 ; hp 23 ; THACO 17; NAT 1 ;Ding 2-5 + special ; SA strength drain,SD + 1 or better weapon to hit ; SZ M; MLspecial ; XP 650 ; MC .

DUNGEON 57

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

CAER THORNELevel Four, Areas 54-631 square =10'

N

56. Guardhouse Top. Six skeletonsoldiers patrol the roof with light cross-bows and immediately fire on anyonewalking the battlements in areas 42 or43 . They will not leave their posts.

57 . Nightmare's Stable . This rough-hewn stable serves as home for Black-spike, Agrovale's nightmare steed,which tolerates no mortals near it .Blackspike is not tied or locked in, so itdoes its utmost to destroy any form ofmaterial life that dares enter its stable .It has no treasure .Blackspike (nightmare): Int high ; AL

N(E); AC -4; MV 15, fly 36; HD 6+6; hp36; THACO 13 ; #AT3 ; Dmg 2-8/4-10/4-10;SD smoke cloud, go ethereal/astral;SZ L; ML special; XP 2,000; MM1/74 .

58 . Attic . This forgotten, dirty room isthe lair of a spectre, a former priest ofTalakara who displeased his mistress .Anselemwaschained here and left to diebut has since become asomewhat impo-tent undead, since he is too terrified ofhis former mistress to take any actionagainst anyone in the castle . Anselem'shatred of living things is so strong, andhis frustration so great, that he will

58 Issue No . 25

gladly throw himselfat anyone from theoutside, however (including the PCs).Theonly things here other than thespectre are his chains .Spectre: Int high ; AL LE; AC 2; MV

15, F130 (B); HD 7+3; hp 31 ; THACO 13;#AT 1; Dmg 1-8; SA energy drain; SD +1or better weapon to hit; SZM;ML 15(special); XP 3,000; MC.

59 . Topofthe Stairs . This small roomis guarded by two grayish-white granitestone golems carved to resemble humanmales with slim, wiry limbs and ser-pents for hair . They immediately attackanyone other than Talakara orAgrovale . The golems' heavy tread ismuffled by three layers ofold carpets onthe floor, so combat here will not neces-sarily be heard elsewhere in the tower.Stone golems (2): Int non; AL N; AC

5; MV 6; HD 14 ; hp 60 ; THACO 7; #AT 1;Dmg 3-24 ; SA slow, SD +2 or better tohit; immune to most spells ; SZ L; ML 19;XP 10,000; MC.

60. Arabian Room. Agrovale hasdisarmed the wizard lock on this door, sothe PCs should gain easy access . Theview through an illusory collonade on

the outside wall ofthe tower affords aview of a structure like the Taj Mahal, agrand white onion dome on the far sideofa placid, reflecting river. Twelvehandmade rugs cover the floors andthose walls not part ofthe illusory view.One ofthe carpets is arug ofsmothering,kept for traitorous clerics .Eight small stools sit in the middle of

this chamber. Sometimes Talakaraholds informal meetings here with herinitiate priests, whoare invariably awedby the room's exotic decor. Thechamberis otherwise empty.

61 . Laboratory. The doors here arewizard locked at the 19th level ofexperi-ence . Talakara's workplace is kept neatand orderly, with everything labeled andin its place. Herequipment includesalembics, beakers, crucibles, electrovol-taic piles, retorts, distillation columns,separation funnels, exotic solvents,boxes ofchalk and paints,jars ofvariouspowders, cabinets ofspell components,and reagents such as cinnabar, lead,dried salamanders, and bat fur.An observant PC will notice that much

ofthe equipment in the lab is relativelynew. Almost all of it had to be replaced

after Terrekal, Talakara's formerapprentice, had an accident while per-forming an unauthorized experimentwith a salamander bladder . He waspunished and sent to the gatehouse (seearea 1), where he currently languishesin his mistress's disfavor . Luckily forhim, Talakara's scrupulously kept note-books, which cover one entire wall andare numbered and arranged by date,were not damaged by the chemical explo-sion he inadvertently triggered . Thesenotebooks contain recipes for makingpotions of longevity, extra-healing, andESP. There are also research notesspread out on a worktable detailingexactly how to make a beaker ofplentifulpotions. Talakara is about to begin thisproject but hasn't yet gathered all therequired materials .

62 . Workshop. The doors here arewizard locked at the 19th level of experi-ence, but the chamber looks more like asculptor's studio than a mage's work-shop . The clue to decipher this mysterylies in the research notes spread out onone of the work tables . These papersdetail exactly how to make stone andiron golems . There is enough rawmaterial-a colossal stone block andunworked pigs of iron-to make one ofeach type of golem . Lying about theroom are hammers, mallets, chisels,saws, wood for scaffolding, drop cloths,basins ofwater, a colossal smelter with aseries of molds and files, a small forgewith hammer and anvil, and even moreesoteric tools . Although the forge issmall, the fire elemental Ignatz (see area20) can be called upon when Talakaraworks here .

63 . Teleportation Pad. The darkcircle in the center ofthe floor providesaccess to the upper levels of Talakara'stower . Whenever someone steps into thecircle and states a destination in Com-mon (such as "up one"), he is transportedthe appropriate number oflevels into asimilar circle . The circles are largeenough to accommodate seven people atonce, only one ofwhom need state adestination to move everyone inside .Inanimate objects cannot be movedwithout a person accompanying them,and spells cannot be cast through thecircles . People or objects half in and halfout of a circle will be left behind . A dis-pel magic spell, if successful against19th-level magic, causes a circle tobecome inoperative ; thereafter, request-ing that level has no effect .

The door leading to this room fromarea 60 has been unlocked by Agrovale,but the door leading to area 62 is stillwizard locked (at the 19th level) .

Level Five64 . Teleportation Pad. This chamber

is guarded by an iron golem molded intothe form of an ogre wearing full platearmor and wielding a two-handed sword.There is a 50% chance that the similar-ity will fool a party at first glance . Theiron golem attacks anyone other thanTalakara, Agrovale, or Angelica . Thisroom is otherwise similar to area 63.Iron golem : Int non ; AL N; AC 3 ; MV

6; HD 18 ; hp 80 ; THACO 3 ; #AT 1 ; Ding4-40 ; SA poison gas ; SD +3 or betterweapon to hit ; SZ L ; ML 20 ; XP 15,000 ;MC.

65 . Undersea Library. Another ofTalakara's sophisticated illusions, thelibrary seems to have a coral reefgrow-ing out ofthe tops ofthe bookcases . Fishswim above . Even the bright light hereseems to be filtering down from thesurface ofthe water, about 20' above .The contents ofthe library arejust as

impressive as the illusions . There aredozens of scholarly works about immor-tality and the nature of the divine, aswell as reference works on magic, sum-moning elementals, divinations, andcharm and the powers of dominance, aswell as more general collections ofabstract mathematical treatises, histori-cal works, philosophical musings, mili-tary texts, alchemical tomes, religioustracts, ancient sagas (largely concerningmages, but also a few warriors andthieves), lists of kings and rulers, taxrolls, several censuses of the realm,works praising Talakara, spy reports,poetry, and compendia of natural philo-sophical facts about biology, alchemy,geology, and astronomy. In fact, this isone of the best libraries outside theSage's Guild and certain national collec-tions (in fact, most ofit was Pandar'snational collection) . Most subjects aregiven thorough representation . Pandarfigures rather prominently in the histor-ical collections, but other nations aregiven adequate background as well .This amazing collection is overseen by

an improved form ofunseen servantswho act as librarians . Anyone holdingTalakara's staff who stays here morethan five minutes will be asked whatworks he or she wishes to see . The

DUNGEON 59

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

unseen servants can speak clearly andaudibly and are intelligent enough toknow the location ofevery work and todiscuss the contents with some degree ofaccuracy. Anyone not holding the staffwho requests a book will be ignored .The papers strewn about the large

table in the center of the room deal withsome nearly completed research on howto make a staffofthe magi . These noteswould cut in half the initial time andcost involved in making such an item .

66 . Talakara's Spell Books . This is aseemingly bare room except for a tablestrewn with books-the spell books leftbehind during the wizards' exodus fromPandar . The collection includes 12 blanktraveling spell books and seven blankstandard spell books . Talakara has cop-ied all the spells from these books intoher own spell books, which are hidden ina bookshelf opposite the chamberentrance . The bookshelf sits behind awall of stone that appears identical tothe other walls of the room . The wall ofstone (cast at the 19th level ofexperi-ence) can be removed by a successfuldispel magic spell .A guardian familiar rests in the book-

case behind the wall ofstone and willattack anyone who touches her mistress'books . Talakara's spell books contain all1st-5th level spells plus : guards andwards, mass suggestion, ensnarement,legend lore, programmed illusion,enchant an item, banishment, charmplants, Drawmij's instant summons,power word stun, permanency, masscharm, maze, sink, energy drain, andwish .Guardian familiar : Int animal ; AL

LE; AC 8 ; MV 12 ; HD 1 ; hp 6 ; THACO19 ; #AT 3 : Dmg 1-4/1-4/1-6 ; SA/SDimproving AC, damage, and movement ;MR 95% ; SZ S ; ML special ; XP variable(calculate the cumulative XP value of allslain incarnations) ; FF/49 .

Level Six67. Teleportation Pad. To further

help the PCs carry out his plan,Agrovale has dismissed the invisiblestalker that normally guards this room .The teleportation pad operates much thesame as the one in area 63 .Ten large tapestries (worth 500-800 gp

each) decorate the walls, but the room isbare ofany furniture .

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

CAER THORNE1 square =10'

Level Five,Areas 64-66

68 . Dining Room. The door to thisclean, tiled room is unlocked thanks toAgrovale . The room is decorated in dark,heavy woods and rich red tapestries .Light comes from a central chandelierhanging from the ceiling and goldencandle holders mounted all around thewalls . Twelve chairs surround a singleoak table set with a linen tablecloth andantique silver service . There are nofacilities here for preparing food, but themagical tablecloth can generate aheroes' feast once a day and is worth1,000 gp . The silver is worth a total of4,000 gp ifcarried off (it weighs 1001bs .),but the gold candle holders are onlygilded lead .

69 . Dining Terrace. The door to theterrace is as impregnable as the portalsin area 45 . Ifthe day is sunny, a smalltable and three chairs are set up here forafternoon tea. Talakara and Agrovale(and formerly Terrekal) met here todiscuss strategy and philosophy. Theterrace is currently deserted .

70 . Talakara's Bedchamber. Thedoor to this sumptuously appointed roomis unlocked, thanks to Agrovale . Thefloor is strewn with intricate rugs and apolar-bear skin . The walls provide views

60 Issue No . 25

Level Six,Areas 67-72

of an endless abyss full offlying crea-tures (Talakara's memories of a trip tothe Plane of Air), and diffuse magicallight shines off dozens of reflectingsurfaces .A small basin with hot and cold run-

ning water and a white ceramic half-tubwith its own set of taps sit in the east endof the room . (Note that the water ele-mental will attack according to the rulesin area 20 ifanyone runs the water formore than a minute ; Talakara has beenvery careful .)There are several sets of drawers hold-

ing a variety ofsilk and lace garments,and a wardrobe full oflong cloaks, robes,and boots . A folding screen depictingdark storms and dragons provides adressing area . The bed appears to be asmall cloud, with an illusory rising sunproviding both a headboard and theroom's source oflight . The whole effect isslightly jarring and somewhat tasteless .Agrovale, is hiding in the shadows

here, using his magical cloak . He iswaiting for the PCs to enter area 71 sothat he can lock them in with Talakara,thus forcing them to get his circlet .

71 . Talakara's Scrying Room.Agrovale has unlocked the door with hisgemkey so that the PCs have at least

Level Seven,Areas 73-74

NONEMEMOMENmommomsMEMNONNo IMMM

some chance oftaking Talakara by sur-prise . As usual, the wizardess is usingher basin ofcalling and seeing to com-municate with her priests and congrega-tions throughout Pandar . When the PCsopen the door, read the following to theplayers :

The portal opens into a small, circulargarden with vine-covered walls . Mosscovers a great stone basin in the cen-ter of the room . A woman ofindescrib-able beauty stands on the oppositeside ofthe pool, peering into itsdepths . You hesitate for a second,momentarily awed by her overpower-ing presence, while the lady looks upfrom the water's glasslike surface .

The garden setting ofthis room ismerely another ofTalakara's illusions .In reality, the chamber is bare except forher magical basin .When the party enters, Talakara is

standing over a basin ofcalling andseeing, a gift from a prince on the ele-mental plane of water . The stone basin isnormally 8' in diameter, and when filledwith a thousand gallons ofwater it canserve as a crystal ball with clairaudienceand telepathy. The command word "Tiny"

causes the basin to shrink to the size of asalad bowl, suitable for transport .Currently, a water elemental lives in

the bowl, conjured by Talakara over twoyears ago to provide information abouthis home plane . To the wizardess's dis-may, the elemental did not want toreturn home after she had finished withthe interrogation (one ofthe drawbacksof her divinely high charisma) . Since shehad already sent the last such devoutelemental down to the boiler room, Tala-kara supposed she would just have to putup with the water elemental constantlypraising her for her beauty, power, anddivine magnificence . Ofcourse, he maywell be a spy for the water elementalprince in his spare time .Otto (water elemental) : Int low ; AL N;

AC 2 ; MV 6, swim 18 ; HD 12 ; hp 96 ;THACO 9 ; #AT 1 ; Dmg 5-30 ; SA immobi-lize PCs in water; SD +2 or betterweapon to hit ; SZ L ; ML special ; XP7,000 ; MC (elemental) . Otto normallystays hidden in the basin, staring upadoringly at the wizardess while she isscrying, but he will immediately defendTalakara should she be threatened .

Ifthe party does not immediatelyattack, read the players the following :The lady looks at your party andsmiles, eclipsing the sun with herradiance . The color of her hair andthe shade of her eyes are mere details,easily forgotten, in a face and formthat can only be described as perfection .She speaks, and her voice is at once

vibrant with power and sweet withhoney: "Come in, come in . Welcome .To what do I owe this delightfulintrusion?"

Talakara, through the extensive use ofwishes (cast one a month for the past fewdecades), has been trying to become animmortal . Through this powerful magic,she has permanently lowered all hersaving throws to 2 (regardless ofanypenalties) and has increased her intelli-gence, dexterity, and charisma to rivalthe gods . This frequent use of wishes hasnot been without its cost, as she has hadto devote increasingly more wishes (fromother sources) to maintaining her consti-tution and her youthful appearance . Shehas ;;pent years researching how tomake longevity potions, which she hopeswill further offset her use of greatermagicks .As soon as the PCs enter the room,

Talakara's mind works furiously.

Although she could easily escape byteleporting away, she is much too curiousabout how the party has managed toreach her inner sanctuary. Almostimmediately upon seeing the party, sheconcludes that either the PCs were verylucky, are incredibly powerful, or hadoutside help (she won't suspect Agrovalesince her wisdom is not exceptional) .Talakara first tries to dazzle the PCs

with her divine charisma as she casts amass suggestion spell : "Why don't youleave all those nasty weapons right hereand come with me to a comfy cell whereyou can wait until I have more time."The PCs are, as far as she is concerned,mere mortals . Should the party have theaudacity to attack her, Talakarabecomes nasty very quickly . Althoughshe hasn't memorized many death-dealing magicks-she had, after all,planned on lounging around the castletoday-Talakara is still a threat .Talakara : AL LE; AC -5 ; MV 12 ;

W19; hp 58 ; THACO 14; #AT 1 ; Dmg byspell or weapon type ; SD permanentdetect good, detect invisibility, protectionfrom normal missiles, protection fromgood spells cast on herself, low savingthrows; ML special ; XP 16,000 ; D 21, C15,120, Ch 23; spells : charm person,friends, magic missile (x2), unseen ser-vant, alter self, ESP, Melf's acid arrow,mirror image, web, dispel magic, fly,holdperson, lightning bolt, suggestion,bestow curse, fire shield (chill version),ice storm, phantasmal killer, polymorphother, cloudkill, domination, telekinesis,teleport, wall offorce, ensnarement,guards andwards, mass suggestion,banishment, Drawmij's instant sum-mons, power word stun, mass charm,maze, sink, energy drain.Talakara wears or carries the follow-

ing magical items :-A ring ofhealing that can cure criti-

cal wounds . Worn on her right hand, ithas only two charges left.-A ring ofwater elemental command,

worn on her left hand . It is mostly toblame for Otto's devotion .-A scarab ofprotection, worn around

her neck.-Bracers ofdefense AC2, worn around

her wrists.-A dagger +3 named Blitzblade, in a

sheath at her side . Twice per day thedagger acts as a shocking graspwhen ithits, inflicting an additional 1d8+18 hpelectrical damage . Talakara will drawand use this weapon only when inextreme difficulty .

-A staffofpower having slightly vari-ant powers, with 28 charges remaining .The following functions expend onecharge each : continual light, lightningbolt, darkness, fumble, levitation, cone ofcold. These functions require twocharges each : disintegrate, paralyzation,globe ofinvulnerability. To activate aparticular spell-like function, thewielder must stamp the butt of the staffagainst the floor and utter a commandword (a different one for each function,determined by the DM) . This staff alsocommands the unseen servants in thelibrary (area 65), and it grants a +2 onsaving throws and armor class .Defended from physical assault by

Otto, Talakara quickly assesses thestrengths of the party . Ifthere appear tobe a few spell-casting PCs in the party,Talakara uses her staff to invoke a globeofinvulnerability. She then usespowerword stun and maze spells to incapaci-tate the most powerful ofthe PCs . Aslong as she herself is not physicallyharmed, she continues her attempt tocapture and subdue the party, usingsuch spells as web, holdperson, and thelike . Such valiant adventurers, once

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

A ROSE FOR TALAKARA

"converted" by her helm ofoppositealignment (area 46) might serve as pow-erful allies .If one of the PCs actually dares to

strike her with a weapon, however,Talakara flies into a rage . "You stupidmortals!" she shouts . "Can you not seethat you are fighting a goddess? I willsquash you as I would a bug!" She thencasts a lightning bolt at the party, fol-lowed by other damaging spells such ascloudkill, phantasmal killer, and energydrain. If wounded, she heals herself withher ring and keeps fighting . Only oncethe second cure is exhausted will she usea dimension door spell to enter area 72where she keeps her ringofwishes foruse in an emergency. She uses two of thewishes to heal all her hit-point losses andrestore her cast spells to memory . Tala-kara then casts guards and wards toprevent her enemies from escaping (thistakes one turn), and sets offto huntdown the entire party, determined toslay them mercilessly at whatever cost .If surrounded and hit with sufficientdamage to slay her (so long as she is notbelow -10 hp), she will invoke a retribu-tive strike from her staff ifshe can pass asystem-shock check .

Agrovale remains hidden in room 70throughout the party's encounter withTalakara . He has studied Talakara'sbehavior and battle strategy for the pasttwo centuries, and has anticipated allher possible reactions to the party'sintrusion . In all cases his intuition hasproved precise ; Talakara's lawful nat-ure, over the years, has made herextremely predictable .

Ifthe party defeats Talakara, by kill-ing her or by forcing her to dimensiondoor to room 72, Agrovale shuts thescrying room door and activates its wiz-ard lock with his gemkey, trapping thePCs in area 71 . He wants to force thePCs to open the door to room 72, whereTalakara keeps the circlet thatimprisons his soul .

72 . Talakara's Treasure Chamber .Talakara has devised a simple but effec-tive way ofbarring Agrovale access tothis vault . Instead of being protected bynumerous magical wards that Agrovale,with his high magic resistance, couldignore, the massive metal door to thisroom is closed by a masterful lock (-50%for a thief's attempt to pick) and isbarred from the inside by a 12 "-thickoak bar, lifted into place by Talakarausing telekinesis. Since Talakara cangain entrance to the chamber by using ateleport or dimension door spell, shedisintegrated the key long ago as a fur-ther precaution . Sure enough, Agrovalehas never been able to break or bypassthe door .Inside the chamber is a great heap of

40,201 gp, 6,778 pp and four locked ironboxes containing:

1 . Dainty slippers ofspider climbingand an ermine-lined cloak ofdisplace-ment that Talakara sometimes wears tofestive occasions .2 . Ten flawless diamonds worth 5,000

gp each and a ring ofthree wishes for usein an emergency .3 . A robe made out of cloth-of-gold and

sewn with countless gemstones (worth atotal of 15,000 gp) . Talakara wears thisvaluable vestment when administeringher duties as a goddess .4 . A plain golden headband resting on

a lavender pillow. Talakara has used awish to ensure that the circlet will beteleported back to the lower planes if sheis murdered by Agrovale . Talakaradescribed her precaution to the skeletonwarrior when she granted him morefreedom and responsibilities 120 yearsago . Not knowing if his mistress was

bluffing, the dread ofhis circlet return-ing to the lower planes has preventedAgrovale from personally slaying hismistress .That discussion precipitated this

entire adventure for the PCs . Agrovaledecided that if he could not murder Tala-kara without putting his circlet in peril,then perhaps he could cause her to bekilled by others . In all respects,Agrovale's planning and logic have beenimpeccable ; should the PCs destroyTalakara, the magic protecting the skel-eton warrior's circlet will dissipate,leaving it undisturbed on the pillow.The skeleton warrior waits outside the

door in room 70, preventing the party'sescape, until either the PCs open theportal to this room (area 72) or aredestroyed by Talakara . Should Talakarakill all the PCs, Agrovale has lost noth-ing. He shrugs his shoulders, returns tohis office, and begins hatching a newplan to defeat his mistress . Ifthe PCsmanage to open the door to the treasurevault (a simple knock spell will suffice),whether Talakara is alive or not,Agrovale can at last make his move in afinal gambit to save his soul .Agrovale (skeleton warrior) : Int

exceptional ; AL N(E) ; AC -1 ; MV 6 (12with cloak, see following) ; HD 14 (for-merly F14); hp 101 ; THAC0 7 (0 withdagger, -1 with sword) ; /1AT 2 (withdagger), 5/2 (with long sword), 7/2 (withboth ; special); Dmg sword 1d8+7, dagger1d4+5 ; SA +3 hit probability with weap-ons, causes beings 5 HD or less to flee inpanic ; SD struck only by magical weap-ons, cannot be turned, standard undeadimmunities as per skeleton (MC); S18/88, 116, W 17 ; MR 90% ; ML 20 ; XP4,000 ; FF/79, MC (warrior, skeleton) .Agrovale keeps the keys to all the

mechanical locks in the castle exceptroom 72 on a ring in a belt pouch . Healso possesses the following magicalitems :-A suit offield plate armor +3 that he

wears constantly.-A long sword ofwounding +1,

always in a black scabbard at his side .The sword's name is Teargiver, andthose hit with the blade must save vs .poison or lose initiative during the nextround because''he pain is so great .Agrovale specialized in this weapon as amortal and can attack with it five timesevery two rounds, with +7 to hit(strength +2, SA +3, specialized +1,sword +1), and +7 on damage (strength+4, specialized +2, sword +1) .

-A dagger ofvenom +1 kept in a blackscabbard . This special dagger injectswhite rose venom (save vs . poison at -4or sleep for 1-10 hours) into its victimwhen a modified roll of 20 is scored . (ForAgrovale, this is a roll of 14 .) There arefour doses in the hilt . Agrovale's combatmodifiers are +6 to hit (strength +2, SA+3, dagger +1), +5 on damage (strength+4, dagger +1) when he wields the mag-ical dagger.-A cloak ofshadows, generally worn

on trips or when there are visitors inCaer Thorne . This powerful magicalitem allows its wearer to assume theform of a shadow (MV 12, 90% undetect-able) by pulling the hood up over thehead, three times per day for up to anhour per use . The cloak's wearer can alsosummon 1-4 shadows, who arrive within1-6 days and perform one simple task forthe summoner . Should the cloak'swearer be neutral or evil, the shadowswill linger and await further commands,but otherwise the shadows depart assoon as their required task is completed .-A gemkey (see area 27) that unlocks

the entrances to the keep in areas 45, 69,and 74, given to Agrovale by Talakara toassist in his duties. It will open all thewizard locked doors in the castle as well .Agrovale wears his gemkey on a goldchain around his neck at all times .As soon as the PCs open the portal to

the treasure vault, Agrovale bursts into

Just afraction ofthe time wespendon thephone can helpanswersociety'sproblems.

room 71 with sword and dagger drawn .He continues on, charging into the trea-sure chamber shouting, "Out of my way,mortals!" The DM should ask the PCs ifany are going to block the skeleton war-rior's entrance to the room . Agrovaleignores almost any spells cast at him (byeither the PCs or Talakara, if she is stillalive) because ofhis high magic resist-ance, but any who step in his waybecome subject to his focused fury .Attacking seven times every two

rounds (two sword, one dagger the firstround ; three sword, one dagger the sec-ond), without the normal two-handedattack penalties due to his charging andberserk state, the skeleton warrior plowsthrough any opposition while moving atdouble his normal speed (MV 12) to getto the chest containing his circlet . If hemakes it through, he kicks the chestopen, throws down his weapons, andgrabs the golden headband containinghis soul . A heartbeat later, his armorcollapses into a clanging pile as bothAgrovale and his circlet turn into finepowder .

Level Seven73. Keep Roof. This roof is windswept

and barren . Talakara doesn't botherposting guards here, since she figuresthat the door at area 74 is impregnable .

Just afraction ofourtime watchingmoviescouldhelpbring manyhappyendings.

A ROSE FOR TAIAKARA

74 . Teleportation Pad . This door isthe same as the portal at area 45 . It willremain closed in this adventure unlessopened by the PCs from the inside .The dark, windowless room beyond

contains only a teleportation pad toareas 63, 64, and 67 . The operation ofthese pads is described at area 63 .

Concluding the AdventureShould the PCs destroy Talakara andwitness the death ofAgrovale, they canexplore the rest ofCaer Thorne at theirleisure. Rathmund greets them on theirreturn home (Path has informed thedruid of Talakara's demise) and tellsthem that the Order ofthe Oak will lookafter Pandar in the future. Cynthia andthe elves rescued from the dungeon willwant to remain in Pandar and rebuild itto its former glory.Should Talakara witness the death of

Agrovale, she will scream in rage andfight the party to the death in her fury.Once Talakara has been slain,

Agrovale's most trusted shadow (goneunnoticed in heated combat) places asingle freshly cut black rose on the wiz-ard's body . It then departs Caer Thornewith all its brethren forever .

62

It takes so little to help so much.Millionsof peoplehave helped establish five per-ent of theirincomesand five hours of volunteertimeper week as America's standard of giving .

Getinvolved withthe causes youcare aboutandgive five .

DUNGEON 63

LETTERS

Continued from page 3

The Dead Hide WellI recently purchased issue 1/23 and

just finished reading "Deception Pass"by Rich Stump . I thought it was one ofthe best adventures you have published.It was very well planned out and veryintriguing . I hope my players have asmuch fun playing it as I will have run-ning it . Helms off to Rich!However, on page 53 of that issue

(first column, fourth paragraph), it says"Wardal hides if he has already beenkilled ." Is this cowardice beyond thegrave, or a new spell hide dead?

Kedric MeadeBig Stone Gap, Virginia

Some ofthe worst typos to catch arethose that create perfectly grammaticalsentences . The sentence in questionshould read "Wardal hides ifhe has notalready been killed ." But you alreadyfigured that out, didn't you?

How Barbaric!In most of the modules in your maga-

zine, magic is of utmost importance, andI have a great love for the arcanepowers of magic . I have only one prob-lem with that : My players hate magicwith a purple passion . They always playbarbarians and fighters . This causesproblems in our two-year-old campaign .We have had a total of two magic-usingPCs, and neither of them lived past 5thlevel because of lazy warrior characters .Could you please advise me on a way

to turn the tides in this dilemma .Greg Nutter

Gray, Tennessee

Since you really can't force people toplay characters they don't enjoy, my bestsuggestion is to try to recruit somemagic-lovingplayers . Other than that,simply waiting two or three years maysolve this problem for you. They've got toget bored with all that hacking andslashing sometime .

Why the Cover ChangedI really liked the wandering monster

table in "The Pyramid of Jenkel" [issue#23]. The way that Willie Walsh put inbrief descriptions of the monsters' inten-tions, etc ., was much more interestingthan plain statistics .

64 Issue No . 25

I also have a few things in your maga-zine to address :1 . A few people have requested high-

level adventures . I would kill for justone level-one adventure . It's nice thatyou have 2nd-level adventures, but Iwould like just one 1st-level module forthe AD&D game .2 . Why don't you have a map key in

all your issues? It would be nice .3 . How come some of your issues have

had cardboard covers and some don't? Ilike the cardboard .4 . When I'm reading all of the room

descriptions in a module, it helps me tohave the map of the dungeon or what-ever right above . Flipping back orahead to the map is a real pain.5 . If you publish this (yeah, right),

please publish my address .6 . Do you have to enclose a SASE if

you want unaccepted work thrownaway?

Bill KeevanPO. Box 473

Blue Hill, Maine 04614

1 . We print what we get. I'll be happyto publish an adventure for 1st-levelcharacters when I get a good one. In fact,I think it would be fun to publish anadventure for a 0-level PC party.2 . I thought you'd get bored ifwe ran

the map key in every issue. I see it moreas a once-in-a-while reminder. Most ofthe icons we use on our maps are self-explanatory. Diesel tries to make a fire-place look like a fireplace, and a pile ofrocks look like . . . you get the idea. Youshouldn't have to constantly refer to akey to find out what's what. Whichbrings us to:4 . (Yes, I know I skipped #3.) We try to

space maps and illustrations evenlythroughout the text . Maps that coverlarge areas may have text references onmany pages, so it's usually impossible toavoid some page flipping. Many DMsphotocopy the maps so they can be high-lighted in color or drawn upon as theparty explores .3. We switched to a lighter cover stock

with issue #22. This allows us to use fullcolor on the inside covers . We'd plannedto replace the brown mailing wrapperswith sealed plastic bags at that time, butthe latter change has lagged behind.5. See above .6. It's always good form to enclose at

least a letter-size SASE with any sub-mission . It makes it so much easier for

us to return the contracts (or the rejec-tion letters). You may also consider send-ing a larger envelope that can hold yourwhole submission, just in case we wouldlike to return your adventure for revi-sions. Subjectively, if it appears youdon't care about what happens to yoursubmission, we probably won't careeither.

GamerExplosionI've been DMing for a year now, and I

don't think I would be doing such a goodjob if it weren't for DUNGEON Maga-zine . You have a great variety of mod-ules for many kinds of players andcampaigns .First, I'm writing to tell something to

those DMs who cry for nothing . Eversince I began reading DUNGEON Mag-azine, I've seen letters from DMs whodon't have players. Well, here in Brazilwe don't have AD&D books, but I haveso many players that we don't have thephysical space to play (and we don'thave enough chairs, either). Most play-ers I have are old friends, that when Italk about the AD&D game they'reinstantly interested . And once they'rein, there's no way to get them out of thegame .Second, hasn't anybody ever thought

of making adventures where mages arethe center? I see adventures aroundclerics (many), fighters (even more),thieves (some), but no wizards! You cansee I like wizards; I think it's becausethey're seen as weak down here, but Ithink wizards are the most powerfulclass of all . Shouldn't wizards deservemore attention?

I want to thank your magazine for thegreat job you're doing and say thatyou're the only link I have with U.S.gaming . Thanks . Please print my fulladdress ifyou print my letter.

Christian OrtegaHZ7D #107 G.T.A .

Sao Jose dos Campos S.P. 12225Brazil

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This new boxed set is the first of anentire line of AD&D 2nd Editionhorror products to delight andenhance your AD&D role-playingexperience .

Look for this new Ravenloft boxedset, available this summer at ahobby shop near you!

AD&D is a registered trademark owned by TSR, Inc . Ravenloft is a trademark owned byTSR, Inc . -1990TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved .

410

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