Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Quoth the Raven

The Unofficial Net Magazine for Ravenloft and Gothic Earth

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Never MoreGreetings!

Welcome to the first issue of Quoth the Raven, the online net magazine for Ravenloft andGothic Earth. This magazine has been a labor of love, produced by fans of Ravenloft who cravea vehicle for new adventures in the Mist. Fans can expect that Quoth the Raven will be producedone every two months, and perhaps even more frequently when time allows. The magazineshows two different types of articles, both “features” and “departments”. The departments arereoccurring articles for the magazine, each issue is guaranteed to contain information on thesesubjects. As time goes on, expect more departments to be added to the list. Features, on theother hand, are special. These will be nonrecurring articles, offering the reader very specializedinformation.

In the future, Quoth the Raven will feature fan fiction based upon Ravenloft. There havebeen several proposals for reviews in movies, books and even CDs. For the moment, this netzineis accepting all adventures written and submitted by fans. Rest assured that Quoth the Raven willalways contain at least one adventure for use in Ravenloft. Old fans of Gothic Earth will behappy to know that the Masque of the Red Death will always have a place of honor in thismagazine. In the future the Gothic Earth section will be expanded. This section will feature a“Crossroads” section to detail areas of Gothic Earth as well as a Qabal update.

There has been a lot of discussion over the issue of canon information. There are a lot ofRavenloft fans that are hoping to see new canon adventures. Sadly, this magazine is thedemented brainchild of a fan, nothing more. This situation does allow the magazine a widerrange of freedom however a freedom that the editors intend to explore to the fullest. Readersshould be prepared to see a wide variety of non-canon information. Starting in this issue, readerswill be exposed to variant rules for playing in Ravenloft as well as alternate versions of well-established domains. This magazine will try to explore these variants and give Ravenloft fans anew look at some of the underused areas of the game.

This magazine is highly experimental and will remain a work in progress. The editors,Jason True and Jonathon aka Thuvasa will be tweaking the magazine. We heartily encourage allreaders to contact us with any questions or comments. Submissions are always open and can besent to either Jason, Jonathon or myself.

Enjoy!

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Table of ContentsFeatures

Stakes and Sunlight: The Secret Life ofVampires…………Page 4

Arkandale: Where man is theBeast…………Page 20

Celtic Banshee by Eddy Brennan (The lostHedgewitch) …………Page 28

Dread Nymph by Godbrain…………Page 32

Fear and Loathing in Lamorida…………Page37

Tainted Love: an adventure by Zorin, Dmitri andShane Glodoski…………Page 48

Shuraz’tun Kir: Mansion of the Ghoul Queenby Shane Glodoski…………Page 63

An Unwelcome Respite: an adventure by ShaneGlodoski…………Page 66

Sword, Fist and Mist by Mark "Mortavius"Graydon…………Page 83

DepartmentsTactics and Techniques…………Page 10

Character Development…………Page 12

Perilous Pursuits by Jason True …………Page15

Tools of the Trade by Jason True…………Page18

Growls in the Night…………Page 27

Tome of the Guardians…………Page 34

From the Lab…………Page 40

Corners of the Core: The Living Bayou By ScottC. Bourgeois…………Page 45

Children of the Night…………Page 59

Heinrich’s Curiosities…………Page 75

Whispers in the Darkness…………Page 77

Extraordinary Expertise…………Page 80

Credits…………Page 93

Gothic EarthThose Who Delve the Dark…………Page 87

Denizens of Gothic Earth: Viy…………Page 92

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Stakes and SunlightThe Secret Lives of Vampires

Vampires are a well-lovedfixture to gothic horror and toRavenloft. Players crave the thrillof a classic vampire hunt, silentlygoing over the dozens of vampiricweaknesses and the few knownmethods of destroying thenocturnal predators. It is one ofthe cruel facts of the D&D systemthat vampires are so powerful.

Even in 3rd edition vampiresare, as some have called them,ridiculously powerful. Even themost minor vampire has the abilityto crush the wills of warriors, usetheir gaseous form to appear andvanish without a trace, andwithstand the most vicious assaultsfrom hunters not powerful enoughto possess magical weapons.

Even ignoring the amazingpower of level draining attacks, thepower of a vampire is bewilderingand confusing. Questions fly backand forth, questions such as: Whyis every vampire so powerful?Why do vampires have the abilityto take animal form if they are somuch more powerful in humanform? The main problem ariseswhen we notice that every vampireseems to have the powersdelegated to the most powerfulmonsters in literature.

Dungeon Masters mustwrestle with a terrible problem.Everyone wants to hunt a vampire,but not everyone wants to huntDracula. Players want the thrill offighting a vampire, but not a spell-casting monster that can evadeevery attack, drain their life with aslam attack and bring the wholeparty to its knees with a simplestare.

But what can a Dungeonmaster do? Need he abandon allhope?

The purpose of this article isto give dungeon masters a newlook at vampires. This article willexamine weaknesses in vampires,which will help to close the gapbetween vampires and theirhunters. Many of the weaknessesare minor; they are little more thanpsychological foibles. Others aremuch more serious weakness,which will help a Dungeon Masterexplain the weaknesses in vampiricvillains.

BiologyIt may seem like a

contradiction, but vampires have acomplex biological life. Avampire is more than a dead bodyanimated by negative energy; avampire is much more akin to aliving creature. Vampires areinvulnerable to poisons and todisease, yet they do require aconstant supply of food. Likeevery other animal, a vampire mustfeed upon another living creatureto survive. Just as their undeadstate protects them from most ofperils of life, their nonliving bodiesare susceptible to manyphenomena that living creaturestake for granted.

Chemical VulnerabilitiesOne o f the many

misconceptions possessed byvampire hunters is that vampirescannot be harmed by garlic. Thisis a fiction that clever vampireshave perpetuated by theirdiscretion. Vampires always avoidareas thick with the scent of garlic.This is because garlic acts as a

powerful incendiary agent to theirundead bodies.

Garlic possesses a specialorganic chemical that interfereswith a vampire’s tissues. Thechemical responsible for thedistinctive garlic aroma enters thevampire’s body through the eyes,lungs mouth, nose, and even theskin. Once in the cell the garliccauses the cell to release all of itsundigested positive energy. Thisenergy causes the cell burn oncontact with oxygen. Effectivelythe body is being set ablaze on thecellular level.

When a vampire enters anarea thick with the garlic scent hebegins to feel the burningsensation. At this point thevampire is unharmed but issuffering from an extremeirritation in his tissues exposed tothe air. Direct exposure to garlicplants is much more dangerous. Ifthe vampire is contacted with apealed garlic plant or with water inwhich garlic was chopped andboiled then he is burned as if byacid. Direct contact with garlic ora one vial of a garlic-water mixturecauses 1d6 points of damage.

Dif fe ren t s t ra ins ofvampirism possess differentvulnerabilities. The Chiang-shistrain is completely immune togarlic, though rosemary and myrrhcause the same effect. Vrykolakaare vulnerable to garlic, but anisehas the same incendiary effect.

Mist FormOf the powers associated

with vampires, the ability to take agaseous form is the mostunderestimated. This abilityallows vampiric hunters to pass

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1through small spaces, to come andgo unseen, to become immune toattacks, to evade pursuit and topenetrate the most secure defenses.This ability gives vampires freeaccess to places where no humancould go. With this ability avampire could feasibly travelthrough a city’s water pipes andemerge where ever he desired orburry his coffin in rock, leaving stiny crack through which he canpush his fog form. Vampires canpush their way through a phalanxof stake wielding hunters just byassuming this form, never fearingfor a moment. Vampires can usethis ability to flee from the dangersof holy symbols, laurels and evenrunning water. With such a potentability it is a wonder how vampirescan be destroyed at all. Yet thereis a quandary that has puzzledvampire hunters for centuries. Forsome reason vampires use thispowerful ability with a bafflingreluctance.

Instead of placing theircoffins in places only a gas couldreach, they leave them in the open.Vampires rarely travel by gaseousform despite the stealthyimplications. The children of thenight tend to stand and fight ratherthan floating away as a cloud. Forreasons unknown vampires use thisability to only a fraction of itspotential. While the moreshortsighted hunters prefer not tolook a gift horse in the mouth, themore wise stalkers haveinvestigated the matter.

Vampires describe theexperience of gaseous state as a“oneness” with an unexplainedflow of energy. This energy seemsto be unique to the land ofRavenloft, for vampires of foreignplaces describe it as a very newand unsettling sensation. Thevampire enters gaseous state byutilizing a portion of his negative

energy to push most of his massslightly out of phase with the restof the material plane. Scholars ofthe arcane believe that this extradimensional holding place is theborder ethereal. This place is acold and misty flux, in which thevampires feel quite at home. Allthat is left of their corporeal bodyforms the wet moisture of the mist.Through the border ethereal thevampire floats, dragging with himthe remaining particles in thematerial plane. These particles aretiny, but they are critical to thereformation process. The fogparticles make up an anchor orrather; a pathway by which thevampire’s remaining mass willreenter the material plane. Oncethe vampire has reached asatisfactory location, he shunts hismatter through the misty pathways,rebuilding his lifeless body.

This experience is describedas being a liberating, relaxingsensation for vampires native tothe demiplane. However,vampires from foreign worldsdescribe it as alien and unsettling.Though these outsiders use thesame mechanisms on their ownworlds, they have perceived adifference. Within the borderethereal there is a gentle current,however within the Demiplane ofDread this current becomes likequicksand. The effects of thisdrain are subtle, but with each useof the mist form a vampire loses aportion of his mass. This massremains attached to the vampire,but it is trapped in an etherealstate. Slowly, the mass rejoins thebody on the material plane, yetwith each use of mist form moremass is trapped. As more andmore mass remains ethereal, thevampire experiences a sensation ofemptiness. As the matteraccumulates in the misty borderbetween the material plane and the

ethereal plane it becomes more andmore difficult to pull that matterback. If the drain is allowed tocontinue, a vampire risks his veryexistence

SensitivityThe transformation into

undeath leads to many greatchanges to both body and mind.Vampires gain a greater auditoryand visual acuity than humanbeings, but they lose importantnervous pathways in their tactilesenses. Vampires retain theirability to feel heat, cold, pressuresand textures but none of thesesenses are not sent to theconscience mind. The sensoryinformation is sent directly to theshort-term memory, completely bypassing the consciousness. Theonly sensations that vampiresphysically experience are pain,hunger and the satisfaction derivedfrom sating their blood thirst.

By most standards thischanges nothing. Vampires do notlose any of their manual dexterity,nor are they ignorant of pain.However they have completelyoblivious to the emotional contextof the sensation. While this mayseem trivial, it has a major impacton vampire psychology. Biologyhas denied them the ability to feelcomfort or physical pleasures. Theonly benefit to this state is that itallows vampires to rest in coffinsand tombs, which would otherwisehave been unbearable.

SlumberVampires intake blood just as

any other animal take in food.Unlike other animals, vampiresconvert the living blood tissue intonegative energy. This conversionreleases a great amount of energy,which in turn powers the vampiresamazing abilities. However, thistransformation is not immediate.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1Young vampires require a verylong period of time for their cellsto assimilate the living tissue andconvert it into negative energy forstorage and utilization.

Despite even the mostthorough research, vampire huntershave yet to realize the true sleepcycle of a vampire. After feedingon blood a vampire becomesdrowsy. Though he or she is notphysically impaired, they arecompelled to rest. The youngvampire sleeps for one day forevery point of constitution drained.At the end of the slumber periodthe vampire has assimilated theenergy. While the vampire issleeping, his need for blood ishalted. In this manner, a fledglingvampire really only requires 4constitution points every four days.

During the day the fledglingvampire is comatose, he or she ishelpless and cannot be awakened.During the night this sleep is lessdeep, the vampire is asleep but canbe awakened just as any livingbeing can be awakened from sleep.A fledgling vampire is veryunlikely to be active in the nightwhile he or she is still digestingblood. Though, nocturnal activitydoes not require another feedinguntil the digestion of the currentlystored constitution points isthrough. In effect, if a vampireforces himself to be awake duringhis slumber period he can remainawake, though during this periodhe suffers from 1 negative level,which cannot be removed until theslumber period is over. Mostfledgling vampires loath activityduring their slumber period, onlythe threat of danger or the promiseof great rewards can force themout of their coffins. Whatever themotivation, no fledgling vampirecan force himself to remain awakeduring the day while in his slumberperiod.

Fledgling vampires cannotsplit their digestion time. If theydo not drain a total of 4 points ofconstitution in one night then theirtissues cannot begin the digestionprocess. The blood sits unused inthe body until it coagulates andbecomes useless. In effect, afledgling vampire must drain 4points in one night and then endurea slumber period for eight days.Failure to do this causes thevampire to incur one negative leveleach day until it drains 4 pointsand enters its slumber period.

When the living tissue iscompletely digested, the vampire’stissue begins to crave more livingtissue. The feeding cyclecontinues forcing the vampire touse the assimilated energy toobtain a new dosage of livingblood tissue.

As a vampire ages his or hercells become more efficient in theirmetabolism. Living tissue isbroken down at an increased rateand more negative energy can beproduced from the same amount ofblood. At the second age categorya vampire must only sleep for sixhours for each constitution pointdrained. At the third age categorythe vampire requires only threehours for every point. At thefourth age category this time dropsto one hour, and at the fifthcategory the requirement isdropped all together. Thisincreased metabolism allows oldervampires to utilize much greaterabilities than their youngercounterparts. However this is amixed blessing. A vampire mustfeed again at the end of theslumber period. In short, oldervampires require a constant supplyof blood.

Fortunately for oldervampires, those who need less thantwelve hours of slumber do not gointo a comatose state during the

day. Though they are not immuneto the effects of sunlight they arefree to remain awake and active.This little-known fact has led tothe untimely demise of many anoverconfident vampire hunter.

Mist CorruptionEach week a vampire must

make a Mist check. This checkallows a vampire an attempt toresist the draining force of themisty border and pull his lostmatter back into the material plane.The check is a fortitude saveagainst a DC equal to vampire’smist corruption state plus the totalnumber of times the vampire usedthe gaseous form that week. If thecheck succeeds then the vampirehas pulled the lost portion of hismass back into reality. If thecheck fails then that week’sportion of his mass becomes firmlytrapped in the border ethereal. Insuch a case the vampire gains onestep of mist corruption. If,however, the check succeeds thenthe vampire has partially brokenthe effects of the drain. On asuccessful check a vampire dropsin one stage of mist corruption.All vampires begin at a corruptionstage of zero.

When a vampire has reachedthe first stage of mist corruptionthe pathways between the materialplane and the ethereal plane arestrong. A vampire in this state candrain blood while in a gaseousstate. The vampire makes anattack roll and gains the benefits ofinvisibility to this attack. At thesecond stage of mist corruption thevampire gains the ability to sleepin his or her coffin while ingaseous form. The vampire isinvulnerable to attack, though holywater and sunlight still dealdamage. Should the coffin bedestroyed, the vampire assumesphysical form but remains asleep.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1When a vampire reaches the

third stage in mist corruption hebecomes firmly entrapped in theethereal plane. Many vampiresfear this state with the same terroras they do the sun. They view thisstage as the beginning of atransformation known as “thevanishing”. A vampire at this stagecan only feed or sleep by assuminggaseous form. Naturally, thiscauses a massive rise in theamount of gaseous forms usedevery week, which steadily ushersthe vampire further into the nextstages of mist corruption. At thefourth stage of mist corruption thevampire gains the “mist” subtypeand now holds only a tenuous gripon corporeality. The vampirecannot easily assume solid form.Returning to solid form requires asuccessful fortitude save against aDC of 10. This check can only beattempted at most once per hour.At the fifth stage of corruption thevampire is permanently trapped inmist form. The vampire must stilleat and sleep, but is incapable ofany other action. The mistvampire may continue to live forone more week, after which eventhe tenuous mist pathways are lostand the vampire is swept away intothe border ethereal. To where thevampires go from there, no one caneven guess.

Naturally, this effect causeswise vampires great pause beforeusing their gaseous form ability.Even younger vampires realize thatsomething is awry. In most cases,a vampire never reaches so muchas the second stage of corruption.The vampire becomes filled withtrepidation after the first stage ofcorruption and restricts his use ofmist form to a more reasonableamount. Only the most carelessand oblivious vampires ever reach“the vanishing” and the wiserchildren of the night have come to

appreciate it as a way of removingthe naturally lazy and stupidmembers of their species. Thevanishing remains one of the fewthings vampires fear, for once avampire sets upon the path it isdifficult to return. Vampires whoare in some way bound to the land,such as domain lords, do not sufferf r o m m i s t c o r r u p t i o n .Nonetheless, most of thesepredators dislike the feeling of mistform and so use it only when underduress or when seriouslyinconvenienced. Should a vampirebe slain in combat and revert tomist form, the transformation willcount as a single use of the gaseousform ability. The effects of thespell gaseous form will not bestowmist corruption, even on vampires.Other creatures with the ability toassume a gaseous form have beenrumored to be susceptible to thiscorruption.

PsychologyFeeding

Feeding is the only physicalpleasure that vampires retain intheir undead state. Naturally, thisbecomes an outlet through whichthey explore the physical world.While the victim might viewvampiric feeding as a purelyaggressive assault, the vampire hasa slightly different interpretation.

Feeding has three differentimplications. The first is a simpleparasite relationship. This is themost casual and practical view offeeding. The vampire overpowersthe victim, drains away a portionof blood, and never gives thevictim a second thought.Vampires view the ordinary humanvictim as a host for theirpredations, nothing more than ananimal to be exploited.

The next aspect of feeding isdestructive. The act of killing iscool and emotionless, the vampire

is denied the pleasure of feeling anenemy’s bones break within hisgrasp or flesh tear beneath hisclaws. However vampires havefound a way to circumvent thisfailing, they use their feedingability to drain an enemy to alifeless husk. This form of feedingis akin to great creatureswallowing a smaller one whole.The vampire exercises hissuperiority over his victim bydevouring their life force. Thismanner of killing is extremelysatisfying to most vampires, for bydevouring their enemy they havecompletely obliterated he object oftheir hatred. The most hatedenemies of a vampire often meetthis fate. At the end of the feeding,the vampire takes precautions toensure that the victim does not riseagain. More often than not thevictim is thrown into a body ofwater, but if one is not availablethe body is either decapitated or isstaked down in a place that will beexposed to sunlight.

The final aspect is muchmore intimate to the vampire.Since the nocturnal creature isdenied most forms of pleasure,residual sexual desires remainunsatisfied. Vampires gain a greatdeal of relief from these desires byengaging in feeding. Whenfeeding in this manner the hunterbecome very selective his victims.Obviously, the vampire seeks out avictim that is sexually attractive.This variety of feeding is the leastdamaging to the victim and notparticularly nurturing to thevampire.

Forever YoungVampires are naturally

immortal; they are free of theravages of time that so manyhumans fear. This state elevatesvampires above mankind, markingthem as superior, at least in their

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1eyes. The more intellectualvampires point to this fact asjustification of their feedings, forsurely mankind can spare a littleblood to support the epitome ofevolution. The less academicallyinclined vampires have a differentview.

Newly created vampiresexperience the ultimate liberties.Through the process of death theyhave rid themselves of all of theircares and concerns. No longermust they prepare for death or thecrippling effect of age. Insteadthey will forever revel in the purejoys of violence and bloodshed.

Fledgling vampires andvampire spawn are a violent,vibrant people. They revel indeath, violence, drink, drugs andany other pleasure they can wraptheir claws around. This unendingrevel can last for a century forfledgling vampires, but forvampire spawn the celebrationnever ends.

MaturationAs a vampire ages the initial

thrill of immortality disappears.By the end of the first century, avampire has grown beyond his lifeof bloodshed and peacefulslumber. The creature spendsmuch more time awake, takesmuch less enjoyment from killingand is straining against thelimitations of his undead body.Furthermore, the vampire finallyrealizes the truth of immortality;that he is doomed to walk the earthuntil such time as he dies horribly.Under this stress the nocturnalpredator either matures to a morestable existence or else he falls intoa death wish.

As a vampire matures heturns away from the base life styleof a predator, feeding steadilybecomes a chore rather than a joy.Mature vampires begin to pursue

much more sophisticated goalsthan their fledgling kin. Thesecrea tu res pursue a rcaneknowledge, artistic perfection,divine grace, philosophicalperfection or political power.These vampires take the first stepson the paths that they will followfor centuries to come.

Vampiric MatesVampires are incapable of

distracting themselves withphysical pleasure, no matter howmuch they might want to bedistracted. Whether they enjoy itor not, vampires are forced to seeka deeper intimacy than thosesought by their mortal kin. Somemature vampires feel the need forcompanionship and to sate thisneed they turn to mortalpopulation. Vampires have aninherent distrust of others of theirkind, born of the competitionbetween nocturnal predators. Thusvampires prefer to create a materather than put their trust in anequal.

Different vampires look fordifferent qualities in their mates,but there are some commonthemes. Firstly, great beauty is themost common factor. Beauty isdetermined by more than justphysical appearance, but also bygrace and confidence. Next,vampires choose mates who aresimilarly gifted. Intellectualvampires seek out academicallyinclined mortals, combativevampires woo warriors, and so on.

Most vampires prefer to pick“unspoiled mates”. There seems tobe a preference for mates who areboth chaste and naive. Innocents,as described by the rules forpowers checks, are particularlyattractive as vampiric mates.Vampire hunters believe that thispreference is a residual form ofguilt. The vampires believe that

being loved by a purely goodcreature offers them a manner offorgiveness for their crimes againsthumanity. That the vampire canvicariously gain some of theirmate’s innocence. Alternately,some of the more pessimisticphilosophers bel ieve thispreference stems from a aversionto purity and a desire to consumethat which is good and innocent.This would then be an extension ofa vampire’s feeding instincts.

PatternsCompetition

As vampires grow into oldage, their need for blood increasesdrastically. These old andpowerful vampires find themselvescompeting with other vampiresover the limited resource of humanblood. Vampires with manyminions require a large pool ofhuman victims. These victimsmust be carefully exploited, or elsepermanent damage is inflicted onthe population, or even worse, themortals are roused to action.

Vampires are so dependantupon this limited resource that theyrefuse to share. While a vampiremight allow his underlings to feedon a given population he will nottolerate rivals or rogue vampires tolay claim. Vampires are constantlywatching for potential threats totheir human cattle, lest a newpredator endanger the fragilebalance of the feeding system.

Vampiric rulers often keepvassal vampires to do theirbidding. These vassals maintaintheir own vampiric servants, and insome rare cases these servantsmaintain minions of their own.This vampiric feudal system ishighly dependent upon the headvampire, for without this singleentity the whole organizationwould collapse into an all outbattle.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1Even with the existence of

the vampiric ruler, the vassals areat war with one another. Eachvassal wants to secure a stablefood supply and expand his ownpower. This results in a secret warbetween vampire lineages.Vampiric rulers tolerate thisbehavior for two chief reasons;first being that potential usurpersare held in check by the othervassals and the second reasonbeing that the vampire ruler doesnot possess the power to keep somany predators from fightingamongst themselves.

Death WishVampires who do not evolve

into a mature state fall into a spiralof anger and self-hatred. Thevampire is terrified of the prospectof eternal life and subconsciouslywants to end its existence. Afterits first century of unlife thevampire becomes obsessed withviolence. The nocturnal predatordevotes its energies to destructionand death. The loathsome creaturedespoils the land around it andkills wantonly. The vampire seeksto draw attention to itself by anymeans. The ultimate goal of thevampire is to be slain and destroyas much as it can.

This philosophy oftenarouses the wrath of powerfulvampires or anyone else who hasan interest in keeping the humanpopulation alive. Vampires withdeath wishes don’t last very long,though the devastation theyproduce can be legendary.

PlotsVampires are both evil and

intelligent, and where these twoqualities meet humanity suffers.As a vampire ages he spends moreand more time awake, with lessand less to do with his time.Vampires are natural schemers; it

is part of their nature. Thesenocturnal predators cravechallenges to their mind and totheir power. This is part of theaging process, for as a vampirerises in power, the minorchallenges of undeath lose theirthrill. Old vampires have lost theability to enjoy the chase; they aredenied the simple pleasures ofkilling and feasting. In manycases, old vampires cannot evenbring themselves to mate, for theyhave become too cynical andwithdrawn to romance a mate. Theonly thing that gives purpose to avampire’s existence are the websof plots and schemes that the fiendweaves.

Vampires are instinctivelydrawn to long-term plots. Thesemight revolve around thedestruction of a powerful enemy,the creation of an artifact, theconstruction of a dynasty, acrusade in the name of a great godof evil, or some other epic goal.The ambition of a vampire growswith its age and their plots areexpanded to fit.

Vampires are enamored withcomplex plots. The intricacies ofmanipulation and deceptionenrapture their minds and bring tothem a joy that has long been lost.They are so addicted to intricateplots that vampires will ignoresimple, direct solutions in favor oflong and elaborate plots. Thispreference of the indirect to thedirect has cost many a vampire itslife.

For example, a maturevampire might learn that there is aparty of vampire hunters hasentered his region, looking for newquarry. Rather than call together aforce of its minions and personallyambush the hunters, the vampiremight send a minion to infiltratethe group, lead them to an enemieslayer, use the party to destroy

rivals and then destroy them. Tothe vampire this plan seems to bepure genius, though he fails torealize that he has only drawnattention that he might haveavoided and assisted the party intheir endeavors.

SpawnAs far as the mature vampire

is concerned, vampire spawn are anecessary evil. These creatures aretrapped in a perpetual youth; theynever reach maturity and arelocked in bloodlust for eternity. Inshort, vampire spawn are aconstant reminder of what a maturevampire is losing with eachpassing year.

Vampires avoid creatingspawn, both for their own feelingsas well as for the conservation ofthe limitations of human resources.When they do create spawn, theytreat them as lowly servants. Thespawn are constantly reminded oftheir inferiority to their vampiricmaster. Most vampiric mastersrequire their spawn to wake eachnight, especially during theirslumber periods. This makes thespawn very irate, though they arepowerless to resist.

Vampire spawn neversocialize with mature vampires,though fledgling vampires are lessdiscriminating. Fledglings thatspend their first century withvampire spawn tend to have amore lenient view to their lessercomrades and treat them with morerespect.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Tactics and TechniquesFeats for Vampire Hunters

Joshua has been staring intothe hole for quite some time beforehe noticed that he wasn’t goinganywhere. He was gazing into theblackness of the shaft before him,completely motionless. Before himwas a simple ladder, leading downinto the depths of the catacombs.It should be a simple matter tocrouch, grab the ladder and climbdown. But it wasn’t the physics ofthe act that was keeping him frozen

At the bottom of that shaftwas the endless labyrinth of thecrypt. It was an ancient maze ofstonewalls packed with themummified corpses piled into theslits cut into the rock. Foul gassesemanated from the rotting bones,forming into a choking green mistthat shrouded the floor, concealingthe numerous pitfalls and shaftsdug into the floor. Yet as much asJoshua tried, he could notconvince himself that it was thecrypt that held him in fear.

Down at the center of thatcrypt was a spirit. Moreaccurately, a corpse. A corpsethat walked and talked, that lived aperverse mockery of life and coulddrain the life out of the living. Itwas an inhuman monster, capableof transforming into beasts or evenmist. It was a vampire, a plagueupon all mankind.

The unnatural fiend wasnearly invincible, for no mortalblade could cleave its lifeless flesh.Its gaze could break the will of thestrongest warrior and even shouldit be cornered it could vanish in awave of evil mist. He knew this tobe fact, for he had thoroughly read

that most trustworthy source ofinformation upon the undead, VanRichten’s Guide to Vampires.

With great reluctance,Joshua pushed himself closer tothe ladder. Silently, he wished thatVan Richten had left a few tips oncourage.

Shot Through the HeartStaking an active and

resisting vampire is nearlyimpossible, especially with amissile weapon. Even whilemaking a shot with a stakingcrossbow, immobilizing a vampireis nigh impossible. However,vampires hunters are a stubbornfolk, not the type to turn awayfrom a task simply because it isnearly impossible. With this feat acharacter has learned the techniqueto placing a flying stake into avampires chest such that thecreature is immobilized.

Prerequisites: Point PlankShot, base attack bonus +4

Benefit: A character withthis feat can immobilize a vampireby using a staking crossbow bolt asa stake. The character must use awooden bolt (or what ever materialis needed to paralyze the vampire)and loads it into a stakingcrossbow (no other crossbow isallowed). If the character makes asuccessful called shot on thevampire’s heart, then the stakeenters the vampire and effectivelystakes it.

Special: To use this abilitythe character must be within amaximum range of 30 feet fromthe target. This ability can feasibly

apply to other creatures that mustbe pierced with a shaft of aparticular material in a particularpart of their body.

SuspiciousA suspicious hunter is a

long-lived hunter. Vampires havethe ability to dominate the wills ofothers and use them as pawns bywhich they might strike their foes.A character with this feat gains theability to sense the magicalinfluence of a vampire’s mindcontrol.

Benefits: A character withthis feat gains a +5 insight bonus tosense motive checks to senseenchantments. Further more, if asuccessful check succeeds by morethan 5 the character can determinewhether or not the enchantedcharacter is being controlled by thevampire domination ability, orsome other vampiric specialability. However this abilitycannot be used to disprove theinfluence of a vampiric ability.

Special: While the bonus tothe sense motive check can beapplied to discerning the effects ofan enchantment spell or some othercreature’s special abilities. Thecharacter with this feat cannot usethe secondary effect of this feat todetermine the origin of anonvampiric enchantment.

Unblinking EyeThe gaze of a vampire is

lethal, for if one meets that gaze heor she may fall under the spell of

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1the vampire. However,

vampire hunters are a hard folk,unfazed by the evil eyes of theirquarry. With this feat a charactergains a defense against adominating gaze.

Prerequisites: Iron WillBenefit: The character is

immune to the effects of a mindinfluencing gaze attack. Thiseffect covers charm, domination,sleep and all other mindinfluencing gaze effects.

Special: This feat offers noprotection to other gaze effectssuch as prettification or death.

Vapor TrailVampires often travel in

gaseous form, confident that theyare invisible to the eyes of hunters.While they may appear to beharmless fog, an experiencedvampire hunter is never fooled.With this feat a vampire huntergains the ability to spot vampiresin gaseous form and even to followthe invisible tracks they leave ingaseous form.

Prerequisites: AlertnessBenefits: With this feat a

character gains the ability to spotcreatures in gaseous form.Spotting a creature in gaseous formis made against a base DC 25,though if the vampire is activelyhiding while in gaseous form thenhe may make an opposed hidecheck against the character with a+10 bonus.

A character with this featgains the ability to track acreature’s movement in gaseousform. The character learns torecognize the scent left in the airtraversed by a creature in gaseousshape. Thus, the character canfollow tracks left in places wherethe creature did not even touch theground. The wilderness lore checkto track a creature in this statesuffers a –5 circumstantial penalty.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Character DevelopmentA Man with Nothing to Lose

Max stood in the shadows ofthe alleyway. He was shivering inthe midnight chill, but would strayno closer to the warm light of theoil lantern. Beneath the folds of hiscoat he checked for the handle ofhis pistol. Sure enough it hadn’tmoved since the last time hechecked it.

His cold eyes never movedfrom the doorway on the other sideof the street. It had taken him along time to find this building, totrack the man who was inside.Exhaustion was tugging at hiseyelids, but he wouldn’t dare closethem. He wasn’t alone in thedarkness, there were other peoplewaiting in there, inside his head.He stared into the doorway, as ifhe could see right through it if helooked hard enough. In the backof his head Max could hear thesounds again. He shook his head,tried to throw the memory out ofhis mind. But the flood had brokenthe dam inside his mind; soon hewas born aloft on the tide ofsorrow.

“It’s your fault, Max.” Thevoice was back again. “Youshould have been there.” It wassoft, painfully soft. “You couldhave saved her,” Max felt themisery well up beneath his eyes, asurge of tears that would neverescape his eyes, that would justbuild up and up until he exploded.“You got her into this, Max.” Hegasped out, his lungs felt empty.“It’s your fault.”

The voice was right. It washis fault. The voice was nevergoing to let him forget that. Everybreath he took, every time heclosed his eyes, every momentsince that horrible night, the voice

been in his head. He couldn’t eat,he couldn’t sleep, and he couldn’tbear it anymore. He had to end thepain, before it drove him mad.

Across the street the doorwas opening. A familiar faceemerged from the darkness. Theman was wearing an arrogantsmile, the grin of a guiltless man.Something inside Max burst. Withboth hands he drew the saber andthe pistol. It was time to end thepain. One way or another, hewould rest tonight.

Character Archetype: One of themost classic character archetypesthere is the “man with nothing tolose”. Characters of this varietydiffer from the ordinary man in theextreme, for where most people aredriven to preserve their own lifethe man with nothing to lose ispossessed by a death wish. Thesecharacters have been pushed toofar by the cruelty of the world. They are not strong willedsurvivors, nor furious avengers;they are normal people who oncewere possessed of a mild mannerbut are driven to acts of violence. Cruel circumstance has drainedtheir life of meaning and filled itwith pain; they take no joy fromlife and crave the peace that onlydeath can bring them. Characterslike this are ticking time bombs,doomed to self-destruct. They feela powerful compulsion to violentlyend their lives and while notactually suicidal, they are driven toendanger themselves to theextreme. They do not deliberatelykill themselves, but they ignore themost basic common sense andthrow caution to the wind.

Characters like this are notdriven by revenge or hate, for theycordially entertain the idea thatthey might be killed and that theirsacrifice might be in vain. Theidea that their deaths might bemeaningless does not trouble thesecharacters in the slightest, for theyknow that their lives are alreadypointless. These characters havedecided to throw themselvesagainst the tide of evil; they willrisk all and die in the attempt tomake the world a better place. Theonly solace that the character cantake from his efforts is that he hastried to prevent the same tragedythat claimed his life fromconsuming another’s. Whether thecharacter knows it or not, hesubconsciously hopes to die,whether it is in a heroic battle or insome pointless accident. Onlydeath can end the pain and miserythat has made him this way

Background: Characters like thiswere once normal people,possessed of a normal personality.They might have been gruff andserious, or joyful and lighthearted.Often this is the result of a greatloss, such as the loss of one'sfamily but other circumstances canarise to trigger this transformation. Other causes can include the lossof livelihood, property, honor, anddignity. Bizarre circumstances canalso bring about this characterarchetype, possible triggers includearising as an undead monster,lycanthropy, being sent forward orbackward in time or becomingcursed.

Whatever the individualcircumstances, the character isconsumed by pain, and often guilt.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1Each moment of life reminds himor her of what he or she has lostand will never regain. Obviously,the loss or burden must be greatand permanent. For a character totake on the traits of a “man withnothing to lose” he must have nohope of recovery from his pain.

Personality: These characters areoften morose, cynical or reserved.Many of the traits the characterpossessed in his former life are stillpresent. Gentlemen and ladies stillbehave politely, humorous peoplemight continue to joke, andreserved people continue to keeptheir sorrows to themselves.Though they similar, they arechanged from the way they werebefore. These characters becomedarker and more fatalistic. A manwith nothing to lose cannot indulgein happiness, for moments of joybring back the pain that plaguesthem. Moments of levity causethem sorrow and a gentle touchbrings pain. Where once someonewas cheerful, they become bitterlycynical; while once they weregregarious they are now remote.These characters push others awayfrom them, for they do not want tohurt others when they inevitablyself-destruct. They are fatalisticand not shy with expressing theirgrowing obsession with death.

Psychology: Moments of levitycause this person sorrow, a gentletouch causes pain. These peopleare most often loners, because theyfear to become close to others. Often this is because they do notwant to hurt friends or familywhen they inevitably die. Anotherimportant factor is their fear thatthey might lose their loved onesagain, compacting the pain. Tothem it is much better to be safeand withdrawn, that way they canneither do harm nor be harmed.

Characters like this are notjust in pain, they are haunted byguilt. They blame themselves forthe tragedy that has transformedthem; they hate themselves forliving while their loved ones died.A life of violence and adventure ismeant to be a form of self-punishment. They hope that thepain of their dark life will atone forthe imagined wrong they caused,that the guilt will be expunged andthe ghosts of the past be laid torest. Yet for the most part, paindoes not bring them the peace theydesire. They become trapped in avicious cycle of suffering, for nosacrifice seems to be enough.They know that only death canbring them the peace they want,but they are reluctant to escape thepain of living. This reluctance tocommit true suicide is basedequally on the insuppressible drivefor self-preservation and themasochism that drives them. As aform of escape from the guilt,suicide is the last option.

Patterns: Characters like this arehighly predictable. Drug andalcohol abuse is a commonoccurrence amongst thesecharacters, both to stave off thepain and guilt and for thecompulsion to harm one’s self.Characters of this archetype arewaiting for an escape; theygravitate to dangerous places andmingle with dangerous people. If acharacter of this type is given theoption between an easy way and ahard way, without hesitation hetakes the hard way. At heart, allcharacters of this type aredreaming of a final stand. Therethe character will confront thecruelties of life, most often in theform of an evil enemy of greatpower. The character will fightwith all his strength to destroy thefoe, but the battle is chosen to be

futile. In the final moments thecharacter is slain, hopefullyachieving the peace that he hassought.

Adventures are a means bywhich a character of this typehopes to expunge his pain andguilt. These quests usually involvepain and hardship, but not always.The adventure is a means todistract the character from hissorrows, so the character tends totake them less seriously thanothers. The character is reallylooking for his “last stand”, so hemight become distracted from anadventure if he thinks that he hasfound an appropriate challenge tosacrifice himself against.

Role-playing: These charactersare dark, cynical and fatalistic.They may still be humorous,creative, sensitive or caring, butthey are shrouded in darkness.These characters take risks withoutreason and purposely neglect theirown safety. They do not lackcommon sense, but rather thanheed it they contradict it.Characters like this would ratherclimb by hand than use a rope; hemight discard heavy armor to go tobattle more quickly. He mightattempt to hold off a vampire witha burning log rather thanretreating.

Characters like this arelooking for a last stand. Wheneverthey fail a fear, horror or madnesscheck it is appropriate that theyignore the potential negativeeffects of the failed save, standtheir ground and fight to the finish.Dungeon Masters may view this asan unfair advantage, but it isimportant to realize that thecharacter is most likely unpreparedand under equipped. When in afinal stand there is no force thatcan dissuade the character fromcombat. A dungeon master is

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1advised to grant the character acircumstantial bonus to savesagainst fear, horror, madness andany other mind controlling effectsat this point, while at the sametime giving the character an equalcircumstantial penalty to his armorclass.

Classes and Prestige classes: Thefighter and rogue classes make thebest choices for a man with

nothing to lose, though monks,rangers, psions and wizards arealso acceptable. Barbarians, bardsand sorcerers make poor choices,for both classes require confidenceand spirit to sue their abilities, twothings that characters of thisarchetype lack. Paladins andpriests of any kind areinappropriate for this class.

Levels in the avengersprestige class make an excellent

choice for characters of thisarchetype, as does the class witchhunter. Classes that rely uponcompassion, innocence, passion orconfidence are not appropriate forthis archetype.

Suggested Feats: Courage, Jaded,Back to the wall, Dead manwalking

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Perilous PursuitsHellstalker

By Jason Truexaos313@hotmail.com

Ethan looked up at the highpriest with the expression of shockapparent upon his face. Clenchingat the burn marks upon his chest,the young priest fell to his knees aspain wracks his body. "Why wouldyou do this? You spread dissentbetween our followers, and youopenly attack me in our ownchurch. Why?"

The high priest grins evilly atthe wounded youth even as hisbody shifts and changes. "Noteverything is always as it seems,my acolyte...” Pink flesh sloughsaway from the high priest's faceand arms revealing the red scalesbeneath it. Black horns sproutfrom the fiend's forehead. Large,scaly wings, which cast darkshadows around the sanctuary,protrude out from its back.

Ethan clenches his fists as hescreams in horror. The fiendmerely stands and watches theyoung man scream. As thescreams echo throughout thechurch, the fiend mockingly laughsat the youth. A chorus of screamsand laughter fill the alcoves.

While the fiend enjoys theirony of the moment before killingthe priest, it misses the slightmovement in the shadows behindhim. A figure lunges out of thedarkness and drives a thin bladedeeply into the fiend's throat. Thecreature of evil flails violently andsputters curses, but the strangerfinishes off the fiend with a secondslash.

Ethan, panting for air, slowlyrises to his feet. "By Ezra, whatwas that thing?"

The stranger says nothing.He merely pulls his weapon from

the dead fiend's throat and beginswiping the black ichor off theblade. Seeing the young priest stillstanding in shock, the strangerbegins walking away. "If youreally want to know the truth, thenfollow me. There is a lot to belearned, and the fiend is notcompletely destroyed. Not yet atleast..."

While some lands have theirpaladins to destroy demons anddevils, not all places have thisluxury. In the Demiplane ofDread, humanity does not alwayshave the divine power or arcanemight to back stalwart adventurers,who would destroy theseembodiments of evil. These arethe times that the Hellstalkerbecomes an important asset.

The Hellstalker combinesfinesse and subtly in their fightagainst fiends. The Hellstalkersdraw upon a variety ofextraordinary skills to help themhunt down and get close to theirfoes. By intensely studying andtraining to fight these infernalcreatures, a Hellstalker also learnsan assortment of abilities to helpthem slay the fiend.

While a Hellstalker knowsthat a fiend can come back evenfrom death, the fight to savehumanity is forever there drivingforce. Bringing an end to a fiend'sevil, a Hellstalker knows that thecommunity can rest easier even ifthey cannot do so themselves.

Most Hellstalkers are bards,rangers, or rogues due to the natureof the society. It is not uncommonfor fighters, monks, sorcerers, andwizards to also add their particularskills and abilities to the

Hellstalkers’ cause. Clerics andpaladins typically don’t becomeHellstalkers due to the differencesin ideology, but it is notcompletely unheard of for one oftheir number to take on thisprestige class.

Hit Die: d8.RequirementsTo qualify to be a Hellstalker

(Hls), a character must fulfill all ofthe following criteria.

Alignment: Any non-evilBase Attack Bonus: +4Feats: Blind-fight, Jaded,

TrackSkills: Knowledge (outsider

lore) 6 ranks, Move Silently 4ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks.

Special: An active membermust initiate the character into theHellstalker society. This initiationtypically occurs after the characterhas some sort of significantencounter with an evil outsider.

Class SkillsThe Hellstalker’s class skills

(and key ability for each skill) are:Alchemy (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb(Str), Concentration (Con), Craft(Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist(Dex), Gather Information (Cha),Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Jump(Str), Knowledge (outsider lore)(Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int),Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex),Read Lips (Int), Search (Int), SenseMotive (Wis), Spot (Wis), andWilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level:6 + Int modifier.

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class

features of the Hellstalker prestigeclass.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1Weapon and Armor

Proficiency: A Hellstalker gainsno proficiency with weaponsexcept for what is listed below. AHellstalker gains proficiency inlight armor. Note that armor checkpenalties for armor heavier thanleather apply to the skills Balance,Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump,Move Silently, Pick Pocket, andTumble.

Hellrazor: When a person isinitiated into being a Hellstalker,they are given a special weaponcalled a Hellrazor [see Tools of theTrade]. This weapon is both a toolto combat evil and a sign ofmembership in this order for good.The Hellstalker is trained in usingthis weapon and gains the exoticweapon proficiency (Hellrazor) at1st level. The Hellstalker continuesto extensively train with thisspecial weapon and therefore gainsweapon focus (Hellrazor) at 3rd

level and weapon specialization(Hellrazor) at 5th level. Finally at7th level, the Hellstalker learns tomake the most of each strike withhis weapon and gains improvedcritical (Hellrazor). AnyHellstalker may buy these featsearlier, but they lose the class

related versions if they alreadyhave them.

Fiend Hunter: At 1st level, aHellstalker gains a bonus againstevil outsiders due to his extensivestudy and training in the propertechniques for combating them.The Hellstalker gains a +1 bonusto Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive,Spot, and Wilderness Lore checkswhen using these skills against eviloutsiders. Likewise, he gets thesame bonus to weapon damagerolls against evil outsiders. AHellstalker also gets the damagebonus to ranged weapons, but onlyagainst targets within 30 feet(cannot strike with deadlyaccuracy beyond that range). Thebonus does not apply to damageagainst creatures that are immuneto critical hits. The fiend hunterbonus increases by +1 at everyadditional three levels after thefirst (i.e. 4th, 7th, and 10th). Thebonus from this extraordinaryability stacks with a ranger’sfavored enemy bonus.

Hidden Goodness: At 2nd

level, the Hellstalker gains theability to sneak attack eviloutsiders (see Rogue section inPlayer’s Handbook). His attacks

gain +1d 6 damage to eviloutsiders and an additional 1d 6every other level thereafter (i.e.2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th). If theHellstalker already has the sneakattack ability, then the damagebonuses stack against eviloutsiders. If the Hellstalker attacksanything else besides an eviloutsider then only the sneak attackhas an effect. Hidden Goodnessdoesn’t work against beings thataren’t evil outsiders or againstcreatures that are immune tocritical hits.

Fitting your campaign:Depending on the number of eviloutsiders you tend use in yourcampaign, the Hellstalker mayeither be underpowered oroverpowered. If there are a lot ofevil outsiders, then you may wishto change the abilities to affectonly fiends (i.e. baatezu,gehere le th , tanar’ r i , andyugoloths). If you tend to rarelyuse any sort of evil outsiders, thenthe Hellstalker might not be ofpractical use at all. In this case,you may wish to convert all theabilities to cover something morecommonly found, such as a type oflycanthrope.

ghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghgh

The HellstalkerClassLevel

Base AttackBonus

Fort.Save

Ref. Save Will Save Special

1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Exotic weapon proficiency (Hellrazor) Fiend Hunter +12nd +1 +1 +3 +3 Hidden Goodness +1d63rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Weapon focus (Hellrazor)4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Fiend Hunter +2 Hidden Goodness +2d65th +3 +2 +4 +4 Weapon specialization (Hellrazor)6th +4 +2 +5 +5 Hidden Goodness +3d67th +5 +2 +5 +5 Fiend Hunter +3 Improved critical (Hellrazor)8th +6 +3 +6 +6 Hidden Goodness +4d69th +6 +3 +6 +610th +7 +3 +7 +7 Fiend Hunter +4 Hidden Goodness +5d6

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Tools of the TradeWeapons of the Hellstalkers

By Jason Truexaos313@hotmail.com

The stranger walked withEthan at his side. Neither one ofthem spoke for several moments,but the silence was finally brokenas Ethan coughed. The strangermerely looked at the as he pulledout the short but razor sharpweapon with which he killed thefiend.

“I am a Hellstalker, whichis a profession dedicated tokilling fiends like your previoushigh priest. From what you wentthrough today, I think that youmight want to consider joiningour ranks as well. Many of usdon’t have the divine powers ofthe clergy or the arcane might ofa wizard to help us in our battle.Someone like you might prove tobe an asset. You might be able tostop what happened to yourchurch from occurring again.

“ I want to show you acouple of our tools that we use inour battles.”

“This will be both yourmain weapon against fiends aswell as your insignia as a memberto this organization. We willtrain you in how to use it, and youwill learn how to make this bladea dangerous extension ofyourself. Out of all theinventions and tools, this itemwill be the most valuable one thatyou will ever possess.”

A hellrazor is a thin, foot-long blade attached to a six-inchhandle. Through the use ofs p e c i f i c b l a c k s m i t h i n gtechniques, the weapon is madewith a strong, sharp blade butweighs only a small amount. A

hellrazor will be of masterworkquality, but it can also be amagically enhanced version oreven just a regular type (if onehad to be made in a rush).

Hellrazor (small melee)Cost: 30 gp Damage: 1d8Critical: 19-20/x2Weight: 2 lbType: SlashingCraft: weaponsmith (18)

“After our numbers beganto grow and differentiate, werealized that not all of ourmembers are fond of the up closestyle of combat. Therefore, aGnome engineer designed thislittle contraption for those whoprefer to attack from a distance.Hidden underneath your coatsleeve, you can launch darts orother items with just a flick of youwrist.”

The wristlauncher is astrange amalgamation between ahand crossbow and a buckler.Using a several springs and acouple different pieces of metal,the designer was able to create apair of six-inch tubes that strap toa person’s arm. By moving theirwrist in a certain fashion, thewearer can launch one or both ofthe projectiles. Darts are thetypical projectile, but someHellstalkers tend to use speciallymade syringes filled with holywater as well.

Wristlauncher (Small ranged)Cost: 150 gp

Damage: 1d4Critical: x2Range: 30 ft.Weight: 2 lbCraft: engineering (18)

“What have you neverseen a caltrop before? Yes?Well, these are caltrops just likeyou’ve seen before. The onlydifference is that these are madeof silver, which some fiends areparticularly vulnerable to. Scoffif you want, but these things canbe very valuable when you needto make a quick escape. Just likeyourself , f iends tend tounderestimate simple things like acaltrop. Throw some in the fiendspath, and they’ll do the rest ifyou’re lucky.”

Silver caltrops work thesame as regular caltrops (seePlayers Handbook) except for thematerial of what it is made. Coldwrought iron can be used as well,but silver is the much morecommonly used metal. Due tothe unusual metal being used,these caltrops can also be usedagainst other creatures that arevulnerable to silver or cold iron.

Caltrops (silver)Cost: 5 gpWeight: 2 lbCraft: blacksmith (15)

“This is one of my favoriteitems to use against a fiend. It iscalled a mist candle due to thevapors that it puts into the airwhile it burns. We are workingon other types, but the two mostcommon are the acid and holy

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1water varieties. Both tend tocause a fiend discomfort, but theacid one also tends to affect us aswell. Oh, I also want to makemention that some types of fiendsseem to be immune to acid. Mysuggestion is to use the holywater mist candle unless you haveno other choice.

Using a special type ofwax that is capable of absorbinglarge amounts of aqueous fluidscreates a mist candle. By mixingthe liquid into the wax, the candlewill then vaporize that liquid as itburns. A mist candle is typicalamount a foot in height and threeinches in diameter. It burnsslowly (8 hours) as it releases theliquid absorbed in the wax. Themist disperses through the air, butit has a concentrated effect withina twenty-foot radius of the candle.

An acid mist candlereleases a fine acidic vapor intothe air about the candle. Whilethe acid is too dilute to cause anysignificant damage, it is potentenough to aggravate a creature’sskin, eyes, and lungs. Anycreature, which is vulnerable toacid, entering the radius around aburning mist candle (acid) gains a–2 penalty to their attacks, AC,and any skill or ability requiringconcentration.

A holy mist candlereleases a fine water vapor into

the air about the candle. Whilethe holy water is too dilute tocause any significant damage, it ispotent enough to aggravate acreature’s skin, eyes, and lungs.Any creature, which is vulnerableto holy water, entering the radiusaround a burning mist candle(holy) gains a –2 penalty to theirattacks, AC, and any skill orability requiring concentration.

Mist Candle (acid)Cost: 15 gpWeight: _ lbCraft: candle making (12)

Mist Candle (holy)Cost: 30 gpWeight: _ lbCraft: candle making (12)

“Here’s one last little itemthat I want you to see before youdecide to run off and get yourselfkilled. No, there area a lot ofother items that we’ve got in theworks. I just don’t have the timeto show them all to you. Thishere is what we call a flour bomb.While the name is not veryoriginal, it is much more effectivethan what you might think. Bylighting the fusing and giving it agood toss, the small amount ofgunpowder in the bomb explodes

and releases the flour all over theplace. You then have a way totemporary blind opponents andcover invisible foes.”

A flour bomb is composedof three sacks of flour sewntogether around a small amountof gunpowder. A fuse burns tothe center compartment ofgunpowder, which explodes andreleases the flour in a large cloud.The size of the cloud dependsupon the amount of flour used tocreate the bomb (DM’sdiscretion), but the effects of theexplosion should be treated as amundane version of theGlitterdust spell.

Flour BombCost: 5 spWeight: 3 lbCraft: alchemy (15)

“All right, enough talkingfor now. I need to get back tofinding that fiend and finishing itoff for good. You need to meetwith some of our other membersand get properly inducted intoyour new career.”

Ethan didn’t say anythingin response. The young priest’shead merely spun from all thathad occurred that day, and hedidn’t see things getting any lesshectic anytime soon.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

ArkandaleWhere Man is the Beast

ArkandaleHistory: The year is 785 by

the Barovian Calendar and theland of Verbrek has changed.Beginning in the year 760 a seriesof terrible winters struck the landof Verbrek. The winters broughtmassive rainstorms that floodedthe banks of the Musard and theother rivers that ran through thedomain. While the mighty treesof the forest survived the cold andflood, the shrubs and grassesbegan to wither under the harshconditions. The deer that onceflourished in the domain werestarved by the death of their foodsource. Disease and weaknessspread amongst them, and wherethere is weakness in prey, thepredators thrive.

The popu la t ion o fwerewolves soared throughoutthe years, as deer prey rapidlydeclined. By the year 764 therewere nearly two thousandwerewolves and not a single deerto be found. The werewolvesquickly began to starve, and asthey hungered the bitter winterstook their toll. The werewolfnumbers plummeted and diseasespread like wild fire. Thewerewolves struck hard againstthe humans in a desperate attemptto feed themselves. The rampageslaughtered the vast majority ofthe men who still lived inVerbrek, yet even the blood ofman was not enough to preservethe ravenous horde ofwerewolves.

Prey of any kind becamescare and of turned against wolf.The last few natural wolves wereslain and devoured by theirwerewolf brethren, and from there

the cannibalism spread. Thepacks that once hunted as onenow warred with one another,culling the weak and strong alike.Alfred Timothy, high priest of thewolf god, fought to retain orderamongst his followers. Yet thewolves of Verbrek were ravenousand had no mind for a faith thatcould not keep them fed.Timothy turned to force, butfound hi own pack to weakenedto fight. In desperation, he soughtout foreign assistance from thelycanthropes beyond his domain.Timothy’s call was answered by asmall loup garou pack. Theselycanthropes were alien toTimothy; they were filled withhuman ideas and traditions suchas the wearing of cloths and thebuilding of homes. Nonetheless,Alfred required soldiers in hiswar against the rebellious clans.To seal the pact, Timothy took amate from the loup garou packand to his Alfred’s surprise,produced a son.

Alfred took it to be a goodomen sent by the wolf God andbecame determined to stamp outthe rebellious packs. From thatpoint on the war only becameworse for the priest. Thepresence of the loup garous onlydrew the attentions of the otherpacks, and while they neverstopped fighting and killing oneanother, every one of themfocused their attacks on theirformer lord. In the winter of 766the strongest rebel packs joinedforces and captured the stonecircle. As the Timothy familyfled Alfred was devoured by hisenemies.

Alfred’s wife tried to fleeVerbrek, but her progress wasslow for she was forced to carryher child while fleeing therelentless trackers on her trail. Atevery turn the she wolf wasblocked by the rampaging packs,so she headed west to the MusardRiver, where she hoped she mightbuild a raft or find some foreignhumans to assist her. The womanwas overjoyed to find a massiveriverboat paddling up the Musard.Though the she wolf had thoughtshe had found salvation, she hadonly brought herself into greaterdanger. For the master of theboat was none other than NathanTimothy.

Nathan was mildly amusedto find that his weakling son hadperished, yet he was much moreinterested in the widow. Nathanhad always had an eye for womenand was never one to bediscouraged by a lady’sobjections. Though Nathan wasterrible and strong the she wolfresisted. In the end, Nathan wasforced to slay the woman.Furious with frustration, Nathandecided to make some sport outof the situation. He took his six-year-old grandson and explainedeverything to him, right from hisfather’s desertion of the ship andculminating in the death of theboy’s mother. As the boyscreamed in misery Nathanpicked him up and threw him intothe river.

Thus Nathan Timothyregained lordship of Arkandaleand claimed the lands that wereonce was known as Verbrek.Since that moment Nathan hasdevoted himself to the conquest

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1of the lands that were now withinhis grasp. He has since madecontact with Borcan merchantsand formed the Musard RiverCompany. This company hasinvested heavily in thedevelopment of the lands ofArkandale, by building villageson the banks of the river andselling land to wealth merchantsand noblemen for use asplantations. The land has sincebeen flooded with new humansettlements. The human nativesof the forests have recovered intheir numbers and are no engagedin trade with the newcomers fromBorca. Yet at the same time thewerewolves have made their ownrecovery. The heir of Alfredtimothy survived the swim to theriverbank and has since grown tomanhood. By the year 795 he hasgrown to manhood andresurrected the religion of hisfather. He took the name Noahand crusades to rescue his peoplefrom the starvation anddevastation that destroyed hisfather’s domain. Now the Churchof Fenris has unified the packsunder a more civilized regime, thewolves now strike a balancebetween their lives as wolfhunters and their ability ashumans to create.

Cultural Level: Dark Age(5) to Enlightenment (10). Thehamlets and villages of the nativepopulation remain at the DarkAge level, with the exception tothe common use of firearms. Thevillages, plantations and docks ofthe riverbank are at technologicallevel 10. At the enlightenmenttechnological level firearmsbecome commonplace and aretreated as martial weapons.Primitive steam powered boatshave begun to appear in thecolonies, though this technology

and the metallurgy required for itare just barely within the grasp ofArkandale and Borca’s mostmasterful engineers. Theseadvances are impossible toduplicate without the assistanceof Nathan Timothy or one of theCompany engineers he haspersonally trained.

The Landscape: F u l lEcology ( temperate andsubtropical forests, hills andswamps). Arkandale is a vastwilderness, filled with massivetrees. The forests of Arkandaleare the thickest in the Core; theland is noticeably warmer andmore humid than other lands,even in the winter. The summermonths are terribly balmy andmosquitoes plague all forms oflife. The winters are cooler, andthe occasional cold snap bringssnow. More often though thewinter brings rains. These colddeluges herald the flooding of theriverbanks and havoc wreakedacross the riverside. It is thesefloods however that makes theland so fertile, with so manynutrients being brought forth fromthe river bottom. The fall andspring are much more pleasant, ahappy medium between the twoextremes. The woods ofArkandale are lonely expanses.The trees form a dense canopy,but are sparsely spaced on theground, creating a cavernousforest floor beneath a ceiling ofgreen. There are thin, worn pathsthat lead between the farmingvillages and the river towns,though a nonnative stands a greatchance of getting lost on the trail.

The forests of Arkandaleteam with animal life not foundanywhere in the core. Strangemarsupials known to the nativesas ‘possums share the trees withan infamously irritating invader

known to the colonists asraccoons, named after theLamordian word for burglar. Aclever mammal named beaver hasbeen discovered to dam thetributaries of the Musard andNoisette rivers. Tiny creaturescalled minks stalk the muskrats inthe reeds and wetlands that growby the riverside, while huge deercreatures called moose haveemerged from the primal forest togorge themselves on aquaticplants. Naturally, this massivepool of exotic animals hasspawned a trade in furs. Wolvesexist in the forests, despite theclaims by the natives that nonatural animal by that name yetlives. Big cats such as the cougarhave immigrated into the forestsfrom Valachan, yet they have notyet migrated far beyond theNoisette. Along with the plethoraof mammalian life, there is a vastpool of avian life forms. Owlsare common in the forest, as aremillions of insectivores such asthe blue jay, carrion birds like thecrow, seedeaters, fruit eaters andeven humming birds.

The mighty Musard Riverdissects the land of Arkandale.The waters of the river are usuallywarm, but they run fast andfurious during the winter. Therivers host a wide variety of fishlife, including the catfish, apopular dish amongst thebackwards natives and Borcanrestaurants alike. The riverbottom is a massive store ofnatural treasures. Every year asizable quantity of silver and evena small amount of gold is broughtto the river surface.

Major Set t l ements :Arkandale has exploded since767, after the creation of theMusard River Company. TheCompany has placed down nearly

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1a dozen villages and ports on thebanks of the rivers. The largestsettlement is known as NewLevkarest, built on the North Eastshore of the river delta where theMusard splits in two. It is agrowing boomtown built as aservice port for the ships of theMusard River Company as theyferry furs, lumber and silver intoBorca. New Levkarest is alsoknown as the most lawless city inthe core, for it is packed withtaverns, gambling houses andbrothels. This city of vice is theunofficial base for the MusardRiver Company, for Nathaninsists that all meeting take placeon his steamboat that is often inNew Levkarest harbor. Asidefrom New Levkerest are theCompany towns of Woken,Freedomton, New Burry andMoonglow. The riverbank alsofeatures several plantationsowned by wealthy merchants andBorcan nobles. The biggest threeplantations are Anderson Farm,the Hammond Plantation, and theGrundy Estate. The natives ofArkandale l ive in t inycommunities. There are threetrue villages in the woods ofArkandale, known as Stonebrook,Silverwood and Tomestone.

The Folk: 1150; humans99%, other 1% 495; werewolves99%, lowland loup garou 5%.Languages – Balok, Mordentish

The people of Arkandale aredivided up into three distinctgroups. The first group is thecolonists, the foreigners fromBorca, Invidia and other domains.These people live mostly on thevillages, plantations and loggingcamps upon the banks of theMusard River. These people arean impoverished folk, treatedlittle better than slaves by theCompany or by the plantation

owners. Villages belong to theMusard Company; they are thetrading posts through which theCompany trades with theplantations and gathers furs andexotic items collected from thenatives of the forests. Thesepeople came to the colonies toescape poverty, only to be trappedin debt to the tyranny of theCompany. Though it is a harshlife, most colonists still preferbeing employees rather thanbeing land bound serfs.

The plantations are mannedby peasant laborers who haveescaped Borca by signing laborcontracts with the owners ofplantations. The logging coloniesare free and lawless places.These harvesting camps arepopulated by single men from allcorners of the Core and led by afew Company overseers. Themen are paid in room, board and ahand full of coppers each week.The lumberjacks spend their payas quickly as they earn it, in thebrothels, gambling houses andtaverns of the colony villages.Near to the lumberjack camps are“panning operations”. In theseplaces men pan the river for thesmall quantities of silver found inthe bottom of the Musard River.This silver is traded at thecompany store and sent up toBorca.

The natives of the domainmake up the second group. Theyare described as a “queer folk”;most of them have dark browneyes, slightly darker skin thanBorcans and always have darkblack hair. A fair number of theindigenous people resemble theRichemulot people in appearanceand speech and there is a traditionof intermarriage between the twoethnicities making the true originsof any woods person all the moreconfusing. They are a strange

people, dressing in deerskinleather and cloths made from wildcotton. These people are asuperstitious folk, they whisper ofghosts and giants and other thingsthat live in the deep woods. Thenatives live in scattered hamletsand a few backwards villages,most of which are surrounded bymuddy moats. The villagersmake their living by trappingrabbits and mink, hunting deer aswell as picking berries andfarming small vegetables in tinyplots deep within the woods.Each day is a constant struggle tosurvive, but if pressed theyconfess that life for theirancestors was much worse.These people profess that they arethe survivors of a people whowere long ago devoured by evilwolf spirits. This, they say, is anew age, where the wolf spiritsare quieter and less voracious.Yet there is nothing that terrifiesthese people more than thehowling of a wolf in the night.They refuse to travel by night,and never go out without theirtrusty flintlocks. These peoplestill cradle the ancient firearms oftheir ancestors, though theMusard River Company has madegreat gains in sales of newerfirearms. Every man, woman andchild knows the secret ofgunpowder and has been taught toforge bullets from the only metalto which they have access, silver.

The final group is made upof the werewolves. Thewerewolves were once a proudand savage people but theirvoracious appetite consumed allof the life in the forests. Theresult was massive starvation,which led to battles betweenpacks and terrible cannibalism.This period of bloodshed claimedthe life of Alfred Timothy, thepriest of the Wolf God. After a

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1time the werewolves nearedextinction and many fled theforests for more fertile ground.

As the werewolves left, newlife returned to the domain. Awide variety of animals, neverbefore seen in the forests emergedto fill the gaps left by the extinctprey. A new leader emerged tolead the remaining werewolves.The heir of Alfred Timothytaught the savage lycanthropes tofarm, to build homes and to livein a better harmony with theirprey. Under the guidance of theChurch of Fenris the werewolvesbegan to rebuild their packs,though now they organizedthemselves into hamlets andvillages. The wolf-people remainin small numbers, they are muchtoo cautious to remake themistakes that doomed theirancestors. These wolves pickberries, foster small orchards offruit trees and raise root plantsand mushrooms in cellars. Theycarefully hunt to deer and moosethat live in the forests, addinghuman meat to their diet whenthey feel that numbers of thehuman predators have grown toohigh. The lycanthropes arecautious with their dread disease;they hunt out any infectedlycanthropes and exterminatethem. The wolf people worshipat the Church of Fenris severaltimes a year. A large church hasbeen erected over the standingstones of the circle; it is used asthe place of worship where thewolves go to hear the wisdom of“the trinity”.

The Law : The onlyauthority in Arkandale is theMusard River Company. This isa loose organization of nobles,merchants, and plantation ownersled by Nathan Timothy. TheMusard River Company has been

granted full rights by IvanaBoristi, and a limited sovereigntyrecognized by the Dukar ofInvidia in trade treaties. Thevillagers of the towns on theriverbanks are all employees ofthe Musard River Company.These people work on the docks,maintain the lumbar barges, smithmetal, build firearms, run theassay offices, pan for silver in theriver and conduct trade with thenatives. They are forced to rentproperty from the Musard RiverCompany, buy food and goodsfrom the Company stores and areforbidden to engage ini n d e p e n d e n t c o m m e r c e .Employees are forbidden toassemble and are constantlywatched by the ruthless Companyenforcers. A Company overseergoverns each village, maintains astockade for criminals, and hasthe authority to assemble a militiaof villagers and lumberjacks andequip them with companyfirearms.

The plantation owners aresovereign over their lands, muchlike the landed aristocracy ofBorca. The owner maintains anumber of men as a security forceto watch over the laborers. Thefarm laborers live on the land, payrent to the landowner and are paida pittance. In effect, peasants inBorca can escaping theoppression of their nobles bysigning on as laborers and livingunder the slightly differenttyranny of plantation owners.The Musard River Companymakes a tidy profit arrangingcontracts between landowners andthe laborers, as well as ferryingthe people and the goods backand forth. Laborers who want tostart their own farms are given anopportunity; by appealing to theowner of the land around theplantation they can be granted a

small plot of their own. Theselaborers are then trapped in alegal arrangement known assharecropping, under which theyrent land from the plantationowner and have no chance ofpaying off their debts, inevitablyplacing the burdens upon theirchildren while the landownergrows fat from their labor.

The werewolves aregoverned by the Church of Fenris.The brutal Noah Timothy headsthis church, and through it hecontrols the wolf people ofArkandale. Noah enforces aloose series of guidelinesdesigned to prevent over hunting.His work as a priest has beenfocused more upon the advisorand leader to the wolf people,rather than the traditional priestlyrole as a healer. Noah believesthat only the strongest of the packdeserve to survive, so healing thewounded is reserved foremergencies. The Church ofFenris is dedicated in striking abalance between the three aspectsof werewolf life, man the creator,Fenris the destroyer and Orion thehunter. Noah is locked in a coldwar with the Musard RiverCompany. He knows that theover development of Arkandalewill lead his people to the samedisaster that destroyed his father.Noah despises his Grandfather,for he embodies all of the evil andhypocrisy in civilization. Noahand the Church are slowlyundermining the Company,stirring discontent in theCompany employees andattacking the villages, plantationsand logging camps as often aspossible.

Trade and Diplomacy:Resources – antlers and horns,berries, cotton, exotic furs, exoticmeats, firearms, fish, gold,

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1leather, root vegetables, silver,timber, velvet. C o i n a g e –nightshade (gp), hemlock (sp),foxglove (cp). Trade hasexploded in recent decades. Theplantations make huge profitsselling cotton to the growingtextile industry in Borca andRichemulot. The villages haveboomed on the sale of furs toBorca, especially mink andbeaver furs. Firearms are thecurrency traded to the Arkandalenatives, who are too enamoredwith the power of the modernguns to realize that they tradingaway fortunes in pelts. Timber isfelled in camps on either side ofthe Musard and shipped upstream by barges to mills in WestBorca. All other goods travelback and forth on one of theC o m p a n y ’ s m i r a c u l o u ssteamboats.

The colonies of Arkandaleare recognized as under theprotection of Borca, and Borca isfree to import goods from thecolonies without duties. Thenation of Invidia enjoys asimilarly helpful trade pact, inexchange for their recognition ofthe Musard River Company andtheir lawful claim to the lands.Richemulot trades with thecolonies as well, though importscome with fees that go directlyinto the coffers of Borca.

Characters : Classes –a r i s t o c r a t s , b a r b a r i a n s ,commoners, experts, fighters,rangers, rogues. Skills – craft(gunsmith), hide, listen, movesilently, profession (farmer,fisherman, lumber jack, shipman,trapper) wilderness lore. Feats –alertness, skill focus (wildernesslore), weapon focus (any firearm).

Notes : Characters fromArkandale may take proficiency

is firearms without taking the featexotic weapon proficiency(firearms). The natives of theforests have been using firearmsfor hunting for decades and thec o l o n i s t s r e p r e s e n t atechnological level wherefirearms are more common thatany other missile weapon. Riflesand blunderbusses are consideredmartial weapons and pistols ofany kind are considered simpleweapons.

Nathan Timothy,Darklord ofArkandaleMale human werewolfAristocrat 4, Expert 4Hit Dice 4D8+4D6 +12 in

human form (52)+24 hybrid or wolf(64)

Initiative +1 human, +6wolf/ hybrid

Speed 30 ft; 50 ft, aswolf or hybrid

AC 11 (human) 15(hybrid/wolf)

Attacks Human +8/+3(weapon)Hybrid +10/+5(bite)

Damage 1D6+2Face/Reach 5ft by 5ft./5ft.SpecialAttacks

Trip, curse oflycanthropy

SpecialQuality

Wolf empathy,scent, damagereduction 15/silveras wolf or hybrid,curse, regeneration

Saves F o r t + 5 ( + 7wolf/hybrid), Ref.+6(+8wolf/hybrid), Will+12

Abilities Str 15 (+17wolf/hybrid), Dex1 2 ( 1 6wolf/hybrid), Con1 2 ( 1 6wolf/hybrid), Int

1 2 ( 1 6wolf/hybrid), Int14, Wiz 14, Cha12

Skills B l u f f + 1 2 ,Diplomacy + 12,Listen +13 (+17 inwolf/hybrid),Navigation +7,Intimidate +7,Profession(gambler) +13,Profession (shipcapta in) +13,Sense Motive +13,Search +6 (+10 inwolf/hybrid), Spot+19 (+23 inwolf/hybrid),S w i m + 9 ,Wilderness lore+ 2 ( + 6 i nwolf/hybrid)

Feats Alertness, IronWill, LightningReflexes, weaponf o c u s ( b i t e ) ,Alternate form,B l i n d f i g h t ,Improvedinitiative, weaponfineness (bite)

ChallengeRating

9

Alignment Lawful Evil

A p p e a r a n c e : NathanTimothy appears the same as hedid when he was first drawn intothe demiplane of Dread. Nathanappears to be a man in his latefifties, in excellent health. He is amoderately fat man with afiercely black beard. His eyeshold a scheming malevolence thatcannot be hidden. When hedesires, he can be a charminggentleman. When he is confidenthe reverts to his natural state ofmind, a cruel and abusive man,without any respect for the rightsor dignity of others. In this state

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1his voice modulates from a self-superior mocking chuckle to afurious roar that rivals the thunderof a winter storm. Nathan wearsa finely made blue uniform,adorned in gold buttons and anornate trim. He is fond of awearing a blue hat, though heremoves it in the company ofladies or important businesspartners.

B a c k g r o u n d : NathanTimothy was born on a worldvery different from most in themultiverse, though the sameworld from which one of thedomains of Ravenloft was once apart. Nathan was a strugglingmerchant. He owned a steamshipthat he had won in a crookedpoker match, the Virago. Fromthe moment he laid eyes on themagnificent ship he knew hecould never let himself be partedfrom it. Despite Nathan’sbusiness savvy, his gambling gotthe better of him and his businessbegan to fail. The creditorscircled, and it looked as thoughhe might lose his beloved Virago.Rather than let it be taken fromhim, he reluctantly sold it underthe condition that he would becaptain. His partner wasJonathon True, a wealthy butnaive gentleman farmer marriedto a beautiful woman namedAnnabelle. The moment Nathansaw the woman standing on thebow of the newly christenedVirago; he knew he must possessthem both. Nathan wormed hisway into his partner’s life; usinghis knowledge of commerce tosupplement the gentleman’s owninexperience. At first it was hisplan to steal enough of True’smoney that he could buy hispartner out. But while Jonathonwas inexperienced, Annabellewas much more wily. Sheconvinced her husband to give his

ownership of the boat as a gift,and as a taxation maneuver.Annabelle saw through Nathan’scharms and though she hadoverlooked the attraction Nathanfelt for her, she knew that thebeastly man wanted fullownership of the ship and woulddo anything to seize it. Nathan’shunger for the woman wasaroused, so much so that he couldno longer bear the existence ofher husband; he lured Jonathonand Annabelle onto the Virago.The gentleman farmer was slainby Nathan’s thugs and dumpedoverboard while Timothyconfronted the widow.

Though Nathan presumed tobe a gentleman captain, he was abeast at heart. Though Nathanoverpowered her initially, she wasable to escape his embrace. Inher mind, Nathan’s bestial assaultwas another phase in his plan toseize the Virago as his own, toposses her and the object of hismurderous obsession. Nathancornered her near one of the twogreat paddlewheels and attemptedto recapture her, with nowhere togo Annabelle climbed onto thewheel. Her life and her virtue intatters, she refused to let themonster possess her as well. Asthe wheel steadily bore her to thegreen waters she cried out herfinal words.

“You can have youraccursed ship, you wolf!” Shescreamed, “Keep it forever! Mayit ferry you to hell!” With that,the paddlewheel pushed her underthe dark river waters. With herdeath, a gray fog emerged fromthe waters.

Since Annabelle’s death,then Nathan has become obsessedwith power. The woman defiedhis will, and he has sworn himselfto control everything andeveryone in his greedy grasp.

True to Annabelle’s words, hewill posses his boat forever. Hecan never leave the waters thathold his boat, for if he does hebecomes paralyzed withseasickness and is graduallywashed back into the MusardRiver. Nathan was perplexed tofind himself within a new land,and he was disappointed by theprimitiveness of the people. Hehas tried to explore further up anddown the Musard, but naturallyshallow waters keep his boatwithin the confines of his domain.He discovered that he had theability to become as bestial inform as he was in his black soul,as well that his boat was nighindestructible.

Nathan operated his steamship for decades before he cameto accept his situation. Hemaintained a small number ofthugs to be his crew. Since a realorganization was too complex tomaintain from his ship, hekidnapped Priscilla, a youngwoman of fine breeding andintellect and forced himself uponher. She committed suicide notlong afterwards, but not beforeshe bore a son. Nathan namedhim Alfred and set upon instillingobedience in his child. ThoughAlfred was a weak and cowardlyboy, he was indomitable. Nathancould beat the boy within an inchof his life and yet never get theboy to yield. Nathan was notcompletely beaten, he had a half-vistani woman named Arabellacaptured and brought to him to beAlfred’s nanny. Though Alfredmight not fear his own pain, heyielded to Nathan’s will to protectthe woman who he came to see ashis older sister. It was aninspired plan, but Nathan wasunable to control his animal lusts.By the time Alfred had become ateenager, Nathan took Arabella as

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1his second wife. After five long,painful years Arabella threwherself under the paddlewheel toescape the torment.

Alfred was shattered by theloss of his only friend. He reviledhis father’s hypocrisy, to appearto be a man and yet behave like aloathsome monster. Of all themen Alfred had known, all wereas corrupt and beastly as hisfather. Alfred hated the maninside himself and becamededicated to annihilating it, toelevating his wolf side aboveman. Alfred fled the boat andbecame lord of Verbrek. In time,his own evil outshone his fathersand he happily claimed Nathan’sdomain as his own.

The loss of his domainshook Nathan to the core. Herealized how easily his son hadtaken the river and the land awayfrom him. For years he broodedbitterly on the Virago, wonderinghow long it would take for hisboy to seize the boat as well. Yetthat day never came, for Alfredled his wolf people to devastation.With his son’s death, the domainwas up for the taking. Nathanretook the whole domain byindecently assaulting hisdaughter-in-law, killing her,mentally torturing his grandsonand then throwing the pup intothe rivers to die. With thatabominable act the mists roseagain, bestowing ownership ofthe lands to him again.

Current Sketch: The landwas once taken from Nathan andhe is set on preventing that fromever occurring again. Nathan senthis minions to make contact withwealthy Borcan nobles andmerchants. With these men heformed a conglomeration to buildup capital to create colonies inArkandale. The colonies have

succeeded and slowly Nathan isinfiltrating the wilderness.Nathan despised that which iswild and free, he seeks to destroythe land and bend it permanentlyto his will. He is in no smallhurry, for he is convinced that hisgrandson survives. He is deeplyparanoid, for he believes thatinevitably he will lose Arkandaleto Alfred’s heir. In the mean timeNathan busies himself with anempire of oppression and vice.Nathan is the chief executive ofthe Musard River Company, andthrough it, the undisputed masterof the colonies.

Nathan is a hopelessgambler; he is convinced that eversince Annabelle’s death he hadbeen doomed to inevitably loseeverything except his belovedboat. Much of the profits heearns from the Musard RiverCompany are invested in casinos,taverns and whorehouses.Almost once a month someindividual “hits it big” atNathan’s Casino, which is dubbed“The Annabelle-lee”. These bigwinners are pressured to joinNathan and several of the otherpartners in the Musard RiverCompany in a private card gameon Nathan’s boat. These gamescan last long into the night, butinevitably the game comes downto Nathan and the lucky gambler.Nathan comes close to winning,but the lucky newcomer alwayswins in the end. If the winner hasbeen respectful, Nathan will lethim walk away. If, on the otherhand, the gambler has beencheerful or cocky, Nathan forcedthe gambler to play one morehand, with the Virago as thestakes. No matter what happens,the newcomer is doomed to losethat hand, after which Nathancheerfully slays him and dumpsthe body overboard.

C o m b a t : In CombatNathan is nearly indestructible.When faced with a dangerousopponent, he fights to wear theenemy down. Nathan maintains acrew of several laborers and thugson the Virago; most of them are3rd level warriors armed withclubs and flintlock pistols. TheVirago is nearly indestructible,any damage taken glances off ofits prow. The only way to destroythe Virago is for the steam engineto be destroyed. Once the enginetakes fifty points of damage(modified by its hardness of 5),the steam valves become crushedand the pressure build up to thepoint of exploding. The engineexplodes dealing 10D6 points offire damage in a twenty-footradius, which obliterates the boat.

Alternate Form: Nathan’scurse has made him into a naturallycanthrope. He may changebetween human, hybrid and wolfform at will.

Regeneration: So long asNathan is on the Virago he hasthe quality regeneration 2. Thereis no attack that can by pass theregeneration ability.

T r i p : If Nathan hits acharacter with his bite attack hecan make a trip attack as a freeaction.

Closing the Borders:When Nathan wants to close theborder, no one may pass beyondthe forests of Arkandale. Ifanyone tries to walk through theborder the skies become blackwith a great storm and a massivedeluge strikes. The land slopesupwards until it becamemountainous, any further progressis blocked by deadly mudslides.The skies become torn withhurricane force winds and anyflight is impossible. The ground

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1rises from the river bottom,cutting off the progress of therivers with a natural barrier ofmud and rock.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Growls in the NightBeasts from the Bog

The daylight filteredthrough the canopy of the fen,sending shafts of yellow lightupon the surface of the blackwater. Birds called from thetwisted trees of the bog and wereanswered by the croaking of frogson the Lilly pads. Ewan let hishand skim the surface of thewater as the raft moved slowlydown the waterway.

“Get your hand back uphere,” said Dumont. The olderman didn’t even look away fromthe river as he chastised hisstudent. Ewan rolled his eyes ashe grudgingly obeyed. The youngman was so bored he could noteven stand upon the simple raft.

“Tell me again why we’rewasting our time in this stinkingfen,” He said aloud. “Are wehere to hunt frogs?” The brashyouth chuckled. He stoppedabruptly when he saw hismentor’s disapproving glare.“Sorry,” He offered. He knew hewas lucky to have a teacher likeDumont. If it weren’t for themysterious man from Dementileuhe would probably have beendrafted into the Dukkar’s army.Instead of that short and pointlessexistence, he was seeing theworld. Though to be honest, themore he saw of the world outsideof Karina, the less he liked. Of allthe gloomy places in Verbreakand Valachan, this bog wasprobably the least frightening.He had wanted to enjoy therespite from cold skies andshadowy forests, but his masterhad other plans.

“There are things in theseswamps,” Said Dumont, hiswords thick with his flowery

accent. “Vile things that callthese waters home. The swamp isan unforgiving environment andits denizens don’t gladly sufferthe presence of our kind.”

An inquisitive expressioncrossed Ewan’s face.

“What kind of things?”

Bog WraithsMedium sized Undead(incorporeal)Hit Dice 3d12 (20)Initiative +0Speed Flight 30 ftAC 14 (+4

deflection)Attacks +3Damage 1D8

(corruptingtouch)

Face/Reach 5 ftSpecial Attacks SinkholeSpecial Quality Incorporeal,

spell likeabilities,telepathy,undead

Saves Fort +1, Ref+1, Will +5

Abilities Str 14, Dex11, Con -, Int10, Wiz 14,Cha 8

Skills Bluff +5, hide+8, listen +10,move silently+8, spot +10

Feats AlertnessClimate/Terrain SwampsOrganization SolitaryChallengeRating

2

Treasure NoneAlignment Chaotic evilAdvancement 4-6 HD

(medium)

Bog wraiths are the undyingspirits of those whom drown inthe murky waters of a swamp.These malignant ghosts feed fromthe misery of those who slowlydrown within the muddy watersof haunted fens. These wraithsappear as faces figures wrappedin flowing black robes. Theirrobes constantly drip with thebrackish waters of the fen theyhaunt. Their hands are wickedlyclawed, though they are loath touse them. Bog wraiths muchgreatly prefer to use their abilitiesto draw victims into the fens anddrown them with their sinkholeability.

Bog wraiths hate thedaylight, though it has no powerover them. Wherever they gothey warp the natural plant life ofthe swamp, trees die and plantsbecome gray and lifeless. Reedsand grasses thrive in the presenceof the wraith, but naturaldecomposers are absent. Afterdecades of a wraith’s haunting thelocal marshes become deadly peatbogs.

Combat: Bog wraiths prefer notto engage in combat. Instead,they flee their opponents and tryto lure them deeper into theswamp.Whenever something new entersthe bog the wraiths use telepathyto learn the creatures intentionsand weaknesses. The wraithsthen use ventriloquism and thelight spell to create the illusion ofa human being holding a lantern,calling for assistance. Thisillusion allows the wraith to makea bluff check against the sense

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1motive check of the victim. If thebluff is successful the wraith candraw the victim into a natural trapwithin the bog.

Incorporeal (su): Can onlybe harmed by incorporealcreatures, +1 or better weapons,or magic, with a 50% chance toignore any damage from acorporeal source. Can passthrough solid objects at will, andits own attacks will pass througharmor. Bog wraiths always movesilently.

Telepathy (su): A bogwraith can sense the thoughts ofany individual within 100 feet.Wraiths use this ability discernthe intentions of intruders in theswamp. Bog wraiths can use thisability at will.

Sinkhole (su): A bogwraith can use this ability threetimes each day to turn normallysolid swamp ground into a naturaltrap. The wet muck of a sinkholeentraps victims and sucks themdownward. A bog wraith targetsan area no bigger than 10 squarefeet. Everyone within the areamust make a reflex save against aDC 13 or be entrapped. Onceentrapped a victim cannot move.Over the course of ten rounds thevictim is drawn into the sinkhole.A victim may escape by making astrength check against a DC of15, or against a DC of 10 if hecan grab onto something notalready sinking in the mud. If thevictim cannot escape the sinkholebefore the tenth round he or she isburied alive. The characterbecomes immobile and begins todrown. Pulling a buried characterout of the mud requires a strengthcheck against a DC of 20.

Spell Like Abilities (su):At will a bog wraith may castdarkness, ghost sound, light, andventriloquism.

Undead (su): Immune tomind-influencing effects, poisons,sleep, paralysis, stunning anddisease. Not subject to criticalhits, subdual damage, abilitydamage, energy drain or deathfrom massive damage.

Prince of FrogsMedium sized shape changerHit Dice 5d8 (24)Initiative +3Speed 30 ftAC 13 (+3 dex)Attacks +4 (rapier)Damage 1D6+1

(rapier)Face/Reach 5 ftSpecial Attacks Lies, KissSpecial Quality Alternate

formSaves Fort +3, Ref

+7, Will +4Abilities Str 12, Dex

17, Con 11,Int 14, Wiz12, Cha 16

Skills Bluff +10,diplomacy+10, movesilently +5,hide +5, sensemotive +10,spot +5

spot +5Feats Alertness,

weaponfinesse

Climate/Terrain Lake sides,rivers andswamps

Organization SolitaryChallengeRating

5

Treasure NoneAlignment Neutral evilAdvancement By class

All that glitters is not gold,and all that is lovely does notlove. Within the fens andswamps of Ravenloft there are allmanner of slippery, slimy thingsbut the most dangerous can bethose who wear a handsome face.The Prince of Frogs is one suchnightmare, a horrible spirit of theland. The creature is born of thecollective envy that evil creaturesfeel towards the race of man.Within the stinking marshlandsthe jealousy festers until it takes ashape, that of a small frog.

The Prince of Frogs appearsto be a tiny species of bullfrog.Its skin is very smooth and itseyes are big and mournful. Uponits head is a horn-like growth thatresembles a humble crown. Inthis form the frog seeks out ahuman maiden. This is a difficultchore for the tiny creature sincefew young women venture closeto their watery lairs. Once it findsa victim it uses its bluff check toseduce the girl. Over the courseof seven days and seven nights, itspins tales of a great kingdombeyond her home, a place ofwonder and enchantment. ThePrince of Frogs promises her thatit is a human prince, transformedinto a fell creature and doomed torule over the cold swamps. Itasks that the girl end its cursewith a kiss, and in return it will

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1marry her and make her aprincess of the magnificentkingdom. Little does the girlsuspect the truth of her reward.

As soon as the girl kissesthe Prince of Frogs, he transformsinto a human male. He is veryhandsome in this form and isdressed in princely garb. He thenproceeds to escort his new bridefurther into the swamps of hishome. When they are both farfrom civilization, he bestows akiss upon her, turning her into atoad. The frog-maid must spendthe rest of her life as the wife ofthe frog prince, serving him in hisCastle of Reeds. She will live outthe rest of her life in cruelservitude, never to return to herformer life. Frog Princes usuallykeep several wives at a giventime.

The frog prince is mostvulnerable during the seven daysof wooing. In this time the girlmight let slip news of heramphibious friend and spoil thePrince’s plan.

C o m b a t : Princes of Frogsdespise combat. They arephysically fast and strong in theirhuman form, but they hatefighting creatures that are capableof fighting back. If someoneappears to come between a Princeand his prey, he transforms intohuman form and slays theinterloper with a rapier. Once theintruder is dispatched, the Princeeliminates his victim lest shewarn other maids. He then doeshis best to make it appear asthough the girl and the intruderkilled each other. Though theruse is primitive, it has provedsurprisingly effective.

Lies : A prince of frogsrelies upon his silver tongue toseduce a victim. A prince of frogmakes a bluff check once each

day of his wooing. If he makesseven consecutive successes hisvictim becomes under the effectsof a charm. This is crucial to thePrince, since without theenchantment it is unlikely that hewill get the girl to follow him intothe center of a swamp.

Kiss: If a Prince of Frogscan trick a young woman intofollowing him into the center of aswamp, he can use his vile kiss totransform the young woman intoa frog princess. These maids arepermanently turned into a tinyfemale frog with a bony tiaraupon her head. These FrogPrincesses can speak anylanguage they once knew.

Alternate Form: A Princeof Frogs can freely transformhimself from a tiny frog to ahuman male. As a frog he isunable to take any action exceptspeak or move. Princes in frogform have a movement of 30 feethoping and swimming.

Snake LiliesLarge sized aberrationHit Dice 5d8+10 (34)Initiative +1Speed Swim 10 ftAC 14 (+4 natural

+1 dexterity–1 size)

Attacks 4 tentacles +4melee, bite +3melee

Damage 1D4+2 snakefangs, 1D8+2bite

Face/Reach 10 ft by10 ft/5ft, 10 ft withsnake-tentacles

Special Attacks Constrict,improved Grab

Special QualitySaves Fort +3, Ref

+2, Will +5Abilities Str 15, Dex 12,

Con 14, Int 3,Wiz 12, Cha16

Wiz 12, Cha16

Skills Move silently+8, hide +8,spot +7

Feats Alertness,multiattack,multidexterity

Climate/Terrain Lake sides,riverbeds andswamps

Organization SolitaryChallengeRating

5

Treasure NoneAlignment Chaotic evilAdvancement By class

Snake lilies are an abominablemutation, spawned by somedisgusting magical experiment.These monsters lie on the muddybottom of some waterway andextend their bait tentacles towardsthe surface. On the surface of thewater the bait tentacles look likelily pads, but in truth they areprimitive heat sensors. Thefeeding tendrils look nearlyexactly like serpents, right downto the fangs. Snake lilies arebarely intelligent, but they’reinstinctive strategy is an excellentone. When pulled from the waterthese aberrations resemblebloated bags of brown skin. Inthe center of the body is a suckermouth lined with hard horns.

Combat: The strategy of a snakelily is simple. The monsterswims to a fertile location andburies itself in the mud. Thehidden snake lily watches forsome prey to move close and thenit launches its snake tentacles.The snakes slash with their fangsuntil the prey is dead orincapacitated, then they lockaround the animal and drag theminto the water towards the waitingmouth.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1Improved Grab: When a

snake lily hits a medium sized orsmaller opponent with its snaketentacles it automatically grabsthe creature. Every roundafterward the snake lilyautomatically deals constrictiondamage.

Constrict: A snake lilydeals automatic tentacle damageto a creature with a successfulgrapple check.

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

Celtic BansheeA Pitiful variant of the Groaning Spirit

By Eddy Brennan (The lost Hedgewitch)hedgewitchfos@hotmail.com

Banshees are commonly thegroaning spirits of elf maids thathave returned from beyond thegrave as malevolent, evil entitiesand spirits. These creatures singmournful songs and wail all theirdays and nights. These wailsbeing able to freeze the heart ofany that hear it, killing theminstantly.

Celtic Banshees differ fromtheir cousins, being drawn fromcreatures of any race or kind.They do not cause the death ofthose that listens in on theirpainful cries of sorrow, heraldingonly the coming of another tragicloss among the living. Thesebanshees are commonly women,specifically those that have diedin childbirth. However, stillbornchildren have also marked theirpresence among these wailingspirits, rare as their appearancesmay be.

These spirits appear as theydid at the moment of death, adultfemales that become thesebanshees remain in the throws oflabor forever, until they are laid torest. Children that become thesepitiful creatures appear asnewborn babes crying for theirmothers. When both participantsdie in childbirth, the spiritcomprises of bother mother andchild, the latter being cradled inthe their mother’s arms, bothspirits sobbing over their loss andthose impending to follow soon.

They are said to only appearat night, on the rooftops of thosesoon die as in the same way theydid in a similarly tragic way.

Creating a CelticBanshee

“Celtic Banshee” is atemplate that can be applied toany woman or child from anyhumanoid or monst roushumanoid race (hereinafterreferred to as the “BaseCreature”) that has perished inchildbirth. The creatures typechanges to “undead.” It uses allof the base creatures statistics andabilities except as noted here.

This template is anextension of the Ghost templatefound in the Monster Manual(page 212) and lists only thechanges between the two types ofspirit.

Hit Dice: As Ghost.Speed: As Ghost.A C : The base creatures

natural armor improves by +5.Attacks: As Ghost.Damage: As Ghost.Special Attacks: A Celtic

banshee retains all the specialattacks of the base creature,although those relying onphysical contact do not affectnon-corporeal creatures. TheCeltic banshee gains thefollowing abilities as well as plus1d2 other ghost abilities inaddition to being able to Manifestand use its Corrupting Touch.Saves have a DC of 10 + _ Celticbanshee’s HD + Celtic banshee’sCharisma modifier unlessotherwise noted.

Mournful Wail (Su): WhenCeltic banshees wail, thosehearing the sound must make aWill Save, failure resulting in afeeling of dread and loss,

inflicting –4 penalties to allattacks, damages, skill and Willsave rolls until the next sunset. Ifthe Celtic banshee causing thesefeelings is destroyed or laid torest before this period is over, thevictim recovers immediately.

Dread (Su): Creaturesapproaching within 30 ft. of aCeltic banshee must make a FortSave or be overcome with grief,collapsing into tears. Thesecreatures are unable to defend theselves or carry out any otheraction until this grief ends and areconsidered prone. The grief-stricken creature is entitled to afurther Fort Save each followinground to overcome the grief theyare currently wrapped in. If acreature passes the initial savewhile entering the dread auraabout the Celtic banshee, it isrendered immune to the aura’seffect until the spirit manifestsagain or 24 hours, depending onwhich happens sooner.

Special Qualities: As Ghostwith the following alterations.

Damage Reduction: A Celticbanshee has damage resistanceequal to its rank or 10/+1.

Spell Resistance: A Celticbanshee receives a spellresistance of 18.

Saves: As Ghost.Abilities: As Ghost.Skills: As Ghost.Feats: As Ghost.

Climate/Terrain: Any settlementOrganization: Solitary or pair(mother and child)Challenge rating: Same as thebase creature +2

Quoth the Raven: Issue #1Treasure: NoneAlignment: AnyAdvancement: Same as the basecreature.

Sample CelticBanshee

This example uses Miranda, a5th level human female commoneras the base creature.

Miranda carried the bastardson of Harkon Lukas, theMeistersinger of Skald. When hisother children attempted toundermine his authority, he begantaking extra care in whateverfuture offspring he may have.Miranda’s pregnancy was asurprise to him, which heuncovered shortly before sheentered labor. He had her homeattacked by dire wolves duringthe labor and they maliciouslyslew all present, including hisown bastard infant son. Miranda,her soul overcome with grief togreat to bear has since risen fromher death as a Celtic banshee,spreading her own sorrow andforetelling of more to come.

Currently, Miranda isrumored to haunt the Out Townof Skald, remaining in the areaclose to where she was killed.She longs to have her childreturned to her, but is fearful offall suffering, knowing of ithappening or coming causes herto wail in her own sorrows. Ifdetected and approached, she istimid, sometimes defendingherself in combat.

Miranda, Celtic BansheeM e d i u m - S i z e U n d e a d(incorporeal)Hit Dice: 5d12 (32hp)Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4

ImprovedInitiative)

Speed: F ly 30 f t .(perfect)AC: 16 (+1 Dex, +5Natural)Attacks: IncorporealTouch +2 meleeDamage: Incorporeal touch1d4Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Dread,mournful wail , manifest ,corrupting touch, horrificappearanceSpecial Qualities: Undead,

incorporeal, +4turn resistance,damage reduction10/+1

Spell Resistance: 18.Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2,Will +1Abilities: Str 8, Dex 13,

Con -,Int 10, Wis 10,Cha 16

Skills: Craft(needlework) +5,Hide +8, Listen+13, Profession(seamstress) +5,Search +8, Spot+13

Feats: Alertness,ImprovedInitiative.

The Will save against thisCeltic banshee’s Mournful Wailand Dread has a DC of 16.

Undead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep,paralysis, stunning and disease.Not subject to critical hits,subdual damage, ability drain,energy drain, or death frommassive damage.

Incorporeal: Can be harmedby other incorporeal creatures, +1or better weapons, or magic, witha 50% chance to ignore anydamage from a corporeal source.Can pass through solid objects at

will, and own attacks passthrough armor. Always movessilently.

Challenge Rating: 4

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Dread NymphCorrupting Beauty

By Godbrainprozac_god@hotmail.com

Medium-Size Fey (Mists)Hit Dice: 3d6 (10 hp)Initiative: +1 (Dex)Speed: 30 ft., swim 20 ft.AC: 11 (+1 Dex)Attacks: touch +1 meleeDamage: corrupting touch 1d4Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5-ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Corruptingtouch, maddening beauty, fatalbeautySpecial Qualities: DamageReduction 10/silver, spell likeabilitiesSaves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +8Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10,Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 19Skills: Animal Empathy +10,Knowledge (Fey lore) +7, EscapeArtist +7, Bluff +10, Hide +7,Listen +11, Move Silently +7,Sense Motive +9, Spot +11Feats: Ability Focus (maddeningbeauty), Alertness, Dodge, IronWillClimate/Terrain: Any landOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 7Treasure: StandardAlignment: Always chaotic evilAdvancement: 4-9 HD (Medium-size)

Throughout the world, myths andlegends record the stunning beautyand playful innocence of the fairestof the fey: the nymph. Such talesfall upon skeptical ears in theLands of Mists, as the perversenature of that dark land hascorrupted even the most pure ofnature’s children. Dread Nymphsare twisted and fiendish versions oftheir more beatific cousins.However, they are no less fair andenchanting in their appearance

than regular nymphs, though theplayful innocents in their eyes hasbeen subtly replaced with a darker,more ins idious look ofmalevolence and sadism.Dread Nymphs live alone, luringtheir victims (usually men) to theirdeaths. Dread Nymphs don’t seemto need victims for sustenance;they are rather drawn to these actsby some darker part of their nature.Powerful spell casters who havefound a way to survive their dark

powers sometimes capture dreadNymphs. Though suchimprisonment will engender theeternal enmity of the foul fey.

COMBATDread Nymphs avoid combatwhenever possible. If they cannotavoid their enemies by use of theirpowers, they flee.

Maddening Beauty (Su):This ability operates continuously,affecting all humanoids within 60feet of the dread nymph. Thosewho look directly at the nymphmust succeed at a Will save (DC15) or be affected as though theyhad failed a horror save andcontracted the Fascination horroreffect (R C R, pg. 60). Thefascinations focuses on the dreadnymph, and the character affectedwill likely seek out the fey in orderto offer him or her self as asupplicant. Depending on howaesthetically pleasing the victim is,the nymph may keep them aroundfor a while. Otherwise, she usuallykills them right away.

Fatal Beauty (Su): Thedread nymph can evoke this abilityonce every 10 minutes. Thosewithin 30 feet of the nymph wholook directly at her must make aWill save (DC 17) or die.

Corrupting Touch (Su):The dread nymph’s touch canbecome toxic to any humanoid shetouches, if she wills it. Asuccessful melee-touch attack does1d4 points of damage.

Spell-Like Abilities: Liketheir more benevolent cousins,dread nymphs can use dimensiondoor once per day as cast by a 7th-level sorcerer. They can also

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1replicate druid spells as 7th-levelcasters (save DC 13 + spell level).They cannot cast any druid spellswith the Good descriptor.

Special: It is rumored thatDread Nymphs will occasionallybecome impregnated with the childof a comely male (who rarely liveslong after the encounter). Femalechildren of this union are always

dread nymphs, like their mothers.They stay with their mother untilthey are about 13 or 14 years ofage, then they strike out on theirown, often after attempting to killthe nymph that give them life inthe first place! While rare, malechildren are not unheard of. Suchunfortunate souls are almostalways caliban, though those whoknow the secret ways of the dread

fey have heard tell of somethingelse coming into being as a resultof this union of man and mists…

Dread Nymphs live almostexclusively in Tepest, though itwould not be unlike one of them torelocate to another domain. Somemay even go as far as to integrateinto human society. A dreadnymph’s favored class is Druid.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Tome of the GuardiansEvil Artifacts of Ravenloft

Brother Garland collapsedinto his chair. The day had beenharsh to his aging body; no manshould be forced to walk so long adistance with so heavy a burden.It was a difficult task but somehowhe managed to sit up, lift hismassive pack from his shouldersand drop it upon the floor beforefalling backwards into the hardembrace of the wooden chair. Byno means was it a comfortablepiece of furniture, but it was farbetter than the rocks and treestumps upon which he had beenforced to rest during the fewbreaks in his trek. Exhaustionwelled up from within andthreatened to consume his entirebody. It was a temptingproposition, but the middle-agedman was too disciplined to allowhimself the comfort of rest. Hefrowned sadly; longing for thedays when he was foolish enoughto part take in rest. The harshyears had cured him of thoseweaknesses, as well as the joys thatcame with them.

He sat up again and openedthe pack at his feet. Within it weremore then a dozen musty books,bound in ancient leather andadorned with peeling gold leaf.These books were his burden tobear, for while they contained atreasure of knowledge they wereunable to move themselves. Suchwas the lot of his life, a beast ofburden at the beck and call of ademanding master. Though unlikemost of his ilk, he was able toshare in the enjoyment of thegoods he carried. In all his yearsas a servant of his noble mastershe had learned a great manythings. Indeed he was a scholar if

there ever was one, a scholar ofthe arcane. He chose a massivebook from his pack. This one wasdestined for the city of Mortigny inthe nation of Richemulot. It was afilthy place, filled with a world ofdripping water, starved rats andbookworms. It would be a terribleshame if the hazards of such aplace stole the contents of thegreat tome. Fortunately, the longtrek would give him time to perusethe book. If the book be lost to thecarelessness of the Richemoulotscholars, then at least one mancould carry on the knowledge.

The great book gave off thewonderful aroma of a properlibrary. The scent of cold stone,the dry darkness, and the decadesof accumulated dust. The lastmonastery to claim this book hadkept it in a perfect spot. The pageswere yellowed, but not yet brittle.Each turn released more of itsscholarly must into the air. By theflickering light of the fire, BrotherGarland could read the intricatecalligraphy scribed upon thepages. He skipped over the pages,turning to the spot where he lastleft off. He was midway throughthis tome, well within the mostfascinating area of study. Thefabled artifacts of the known worldwere catalogued before him, along list compiled from thescholars who died centuries beforehis own birth. These were theobjects that gave his masters theirpurpose, items of unholy powerand irrepressible evil. He ran hisfinger to the top of the next page,and by the orange light of thefireplace read the name of the nextentry.

The Grim Familiar The grim familiar is known

by different names in differentplaces. The Darkonian scholarstell the tale of the insidious “Imp’sSkull”, while in the land ofKartakass the bards sing themelancholy song of the Jewel-eyedCorrupter, while in the halls ofHazlan there are speculativewhispers of a powerful trinketadorned with a single gold ring.The Grim Familiar is a small,jawless skull. It is very light and isno bigger than the palm of a man’shand. The bone is bleached andsmells faintly of dust. The skullcomes from no known animal, forit is unusually wide and the teethare all pointed. The skull featurestwo long fangs that just outward,as well as two small horns thatgrow from the back of the cranium.The eye sockets of the skull arelarge and slanted. In the centre ofeach socket is a sky blue gem. Thegems are superbly cut, for they areperfect dodecahedrons. Within thegems even the smallest ambientlight is reflected and refracted intoa blue nimbus that fills the sockets.Looking into the gems, a viewermay glimpse at strange thingsbeneath the surface of thediamonds. Some say that theyhave felt the skull watching them.The very back of the skull ispierced with a simple golden ring.

The history of the GrimFamiliar dates back to an unnamedwizard, who was drawn into theland of mists in the year 535. Thiswizard was known for great poweras well as great evil. Like so manyof his kind, he drew too muchattention upon himself. A party ofadventurers penetrated his

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1subterranean lair and slew him. Inthe process of looting his body, theadventurers discovered the DreadFamiliar hanging from thewizard’s necklace. The leader ofthe group, a warrior named Mirkil,took the trinket as his own. Thefortress of the wizard was sackedand raised. Though the valiantwarriors felt that they had endedthe wizard’s power, they had onlyliberated an even more resilientevil. Over the course of a year theadventurers noticed a markedchange in their leader. He was farless aggressive and much morebrooding. He left his friends,claiming that he was tired of life asa wandering thug. Mirkil investedhis fortune in a manor house andsold his prized sword and armor topurchase a huge number of books.Though his old companions lookedin on him, he refused to speak withthem.

In the years after thediscovery of the Familiar, Mirkildevoted himself to arcane pursuits.To the villages around his propertyMirkil became known as a wizardof great power and viletemperament. The manor and theforests around it were shunned,and villagers feared to haveanything to do with the wizard.After a simple misunderstandingover the price of food Mirkil slewa merchant and transformed himinto an abominable monster. Thevillagers begged the outside worldfor help, and after a time Mirkil'sown former compatriots came totheir rescue. The vile wizard slewmany of his former friends, but inthe end he was dispatched. Thesurvivors dispersed the valuablesamongst themselves and sold whatever they themselves could notuse.

From there the GrimFamiliar found its way to acuriosity shop in Darkon. A con

artist named Yvonne purchased theitem, hoping she could use it as aprop in her fortune telling act andcon gullible housewives out oftheir husband’s money. In themonths afterwards she discoveredgreat magical power within herselfand nurtured it. She gave up herjob as a fortune-teller and delveddeep into the arcane. Instead ofinventing elaborate illusions tofalsely divine the future, she usedenchantments to dominate theminds of others. She created aweb of minions and used theirinfluence to gather more and morepower for herself. Yvonne lootedthe treasuries of noblemen togather more and more magicalartifacts. Surely she would havecontinued to amass power, has shenot attracted the attention of thedreaded Kargat.

The secret police of Darkonpenetrated her web of deceptionand sought her out. Yvonne hadbecome a mage of great power, buteven she was no match for theassassins of Azalin. She fled intothe wilderness hoping to lose herpursuers in the wilderness of NovaVaasa, but the Kargat were not soeasily escaped. They chased herall the way to the outskirts ofKantora, where she was slain witha crossbow bolt. Her bodytumbled in to the waters of theSouth Dnar and never emerged.

From that point on, thehistory of the Grim Familiar is lostto conjecture. Rumours circulatedamongst the scholars of the Coreof a strange skull shaped artifact.The story of the Familiar repeatsitself again and again, with anunsuspecting victim taking theGrim Familiar and succumbing toits influence. The Grim Familiarseized the minds of dozens ofunsuspecting individuals andtwisted them to its ends. No oneseems immune to the corrupting

power of the Familiar, the goodand evil alike are driven awayfrom their former lives. All of thepast owners of the Grim Familiarhave met with untimely deaths, yetthere are plenty of arcane scholarswho seek out the Grim Familiar forthe power if offers.

The Grim Familiar alwaysattaches itself to an owner after itsprevious owner dies. This isusually the first person that touchesit after the previous owner dies.The effects of the Grim Familiarare great. Anyone who claimspossession of the Familiar gains a+10 profane bonus to any checksusing the skills decipher script,decipher script or any form of thelore skill. In addition, the ownergains a +10 bonus to checksinvolved in learning or researchingnew spells. While the GrimFamiliar is on his person, theowner is immune to charm,paralysis, sleep or dominationeffects. The Grim Familiar acts asa true familiar for the owner, thiscauses any pre-existing familiar toleave. The owner gain the effectsof the alertness feat while the GrimFamiliar is on his person. Inaddition the owner casts spellswith a caster level one level higherthan his own. The effective casterlevel of the Grim Familiar is 8th

level. Once each day the ownermay use the familiar to cast Rary’sMnemonic Enhancer and dispelmagic. In addition, once each daythe owner may choose to freely usethe maximize spell feat on anyspell he casts. Spells cast in thismanner will only take up slots ofthe same level as the spell, ratherthan a slot three levels higher.

The powers granted by theGrim Familiar come with a price.The moment the artifact choosesan owner that person must make awill save against a DC 18 or becompelled to possess the skull and

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1let no one else touch it. Even if theprospective owner succeeds in hisfirst save, the Grim Familiar willmake another attempt to dominatethe character each hour until itsucceeds. Once it entraps anowner, the Grim Familiar begins tocorrupt him. Each month theowner must make a will saveagainst a DC 18 to avoid hisalignment being moved one stepcloser to lawful evil. Once theowner’s alignment has become

lawful evil he is compelled tobegin rising in levels in the wizardcharacter class. The Grim Familiargives the owner all necessarytraining in wizardry, though itcannot teach him new spells. TheGrim Familiar continues to workits corruption on the owner until itis destroyed. The Familiar iscompletely impervious to harm,and has the ability to teleportwithout error to the location of itscurrent owner if they are separated

for an extended period of time.The Familiar can only be destroyedby crushing the skull beneath abook of arcane spells, dissolvingthe eye gems in the blood of anilliterate man and then melting thegold ring with the fires of aburning scroll. If any of the threecomponents remain intact the skullcan reform in one week.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Fear and Loathing inLamordia

Drugs and Addiction in RavenloftMeander had the shakes

again. Leaning against the wall hetried to keep his hand fromquivering. In a few hours hiswhole body would be quakinguncontrollably; he needed his fixsoon. The evening chill wasspilling through the alleys ofLudendorf. The quivering manheld his coat tighter aroundhimself, hoping to bear the coldbetter. Silently he cursed Fredrickfor being late. He wondered howlong he would have to wait in thecold before the merchant wouldarrive.

Suddenly a shape moved infront of the mouth of the narrowalley. Meander smiled when herecognized the merchant’s face.

“Took you long enough,”Said the quaking man. He drewforth a leather purse, and eagerlypushed it into Fredrick’s hands.“Now give it to me!” He pleaded.Fredrick was much more patient,for he opened the purse andcounted the coins by the faint lightof the street lanterns.

“It’s a good haul,” He saidsmiling. “What did you sell?”

“The opium sold like hotcakes,” Replied Meander, “But thereal hit was that Ergot extract.Those artsy types drink it downlike it was champagne. Now I soldyour goods just like I promised.Give me the stuff.” Fredricklaughed and withdrew a glass vialfrom his coat pocket. It was athick red liquid, the color of freshlydrawn blood. He handed it toMeander, who proceeded to pullthe cork out with his teeth and suck

the contents down with a horriblethirst. The effects were immediate.

His body became very stilland his eyes lost their bloodshotveins. Slowly the color of his skinfaded into the pale pallor or afresh corpse. A smile ofsatisfaction spread upon hisbloodless lips. Now he relaxed hisgrip on his coat and let it fall open,oblivious to the frost.

“That’s good stuf f ,”Meander sighed contentedly. Inthe blissful drug haze he pitiedFredrik, who was destined topeddle the precious drug and neverto enjoy the embrace of the blessedelixir. He was silent for a while,enjoying the supreme serenity ofthe moment. He turned to hisdealer again. “So, what do you gotfor me today?”

IntoxicationIt can be said that the

citizenry of all civilizationsregularly partake of drugs, whetherthey be simple alcohol, a form ofsmokable weed, or othersubstances. Drugs can come in theform of natural products, brewsand mixtures or artificially refinedcompounds. Drugs are differentfrom regular sources of food ornutrition because they cause twounique conditions: intoxication andaddiction. Intoxication is aphysical and mental state, wherethe effects of the drug addle thedrug users mind and body. Someforms of intoxication are almostharmless but powerful drugs orlarge doses of lighter drugs can

raise intoxication to a dangerousdegree.

Each use of a drug adds acertain number of “IntoxicationPoints” to the user’s “intoxicationscore”. For each point in acharacter’s “intoxication score”that character will suffer a –1circumstantial penalty to all skillchecks and all saving throwsexcept fear, horror and madness.This reflects the inhibited ability ofthe character to think or to act.Drugs suppress the mind’s abilityto feel fear or disgust, and open theindividuals mind to even the mostbizarre realities. Thus thecharacter gains a circumstantialbonus to his fear, horror andmadness checks equal to thecharacter’s intoxication score. Theintoxication points accumulatedfrom the use of multiple drugs ormore than one dose of a singledrug stack with each other.

Each drug has a set duration,after which the effects of the drugwear off. At the end of theduration the user loses allintoxication points incurred fromthat drug. When a drug user uses aparticular drug more than once hewill retain all of the intoxicationpoints accumulated until theduration of the very last dose takenis over. By taking doses of otherdrugs a user may continue to sufferthe intoxication effects incurredfrom a completely different druglong after its own duration wassupposed to end. Certain drugshave persistent effects. The effectsof these drugs last long after theduration of the original dose.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1Addiction is the most commonpersistent effect. These persistenteffects are unique to the individualdrug, and can last for hours, daysand even years.

A living body cannot sustainintoxication for too long a periodof time. For every hour that acharacter is intoxicated thecharacter must make fortitude saveagainst a DC equal to ten plus thecharacter’s intoxication score. Ifthe character passes the save he orshe can continue to function. If thesave fails then the character isrendered unconscious for one hour.Characters whom are extremelyin tox ica ted may remainunconscious in this manner formany hours. If the character failsthe fortitude by more than fivepoints he or she suffers 1D8 pointsof temporary constitution damage.

Hopping DownWhen the duration of a drug

is up the user suffers a “hangover”. Most often this comes inthe form of extreme nausea. Whena character’s intoxication scoredrops to zero he or she makes afortitude saving throw against aDC equal to 10 plus the number ofintoxication points just lost. If thecheck is successful then thecharacter is fine and behavesnormally. If the check fails thenthe character is nauseated for anumber of hours equal to thenumber by which the characterfailed the check. While thecharacter is nauseated he or shesuffers a –1 circumstantial penaltyto all actions. The character maynot rest and regain hit points,ability damage or spells while thusnauseated.

AddictionAll drugs carry the risk of

addiction. Addictions are bothphysical and mental afflictions,

though resisting the addiction ismostly a mental feat. Whenever adrug intoxicates a character he orshe risks becoming addicted to thatdrug.

Just after a character’sintoxication score drops to zero hemust make a will save against aDC equal to the number ofintoxication points that thecharacter just lost. If the checksucceeds the character has shakenoff the addictive influence. If thecheck fails then the characterbecomes addicted to one of thedrugs previously used. Theaddiction modifier of the drug usedmodifies the DC of the addictioncheck. In cases where more thanone drug is used the character willbecome addicted to the drug withthe highest modifier to theaddiction check.

There are different stages ofaddiction, and each failedaddiction check advances thecharacter to the next rank. In thefirst rank of addiction the characterfeels compelled to use the drugwhenever it is readily available.Whenever the drug of his addictionconfronts the character he or shemust make a will save against aDC equal to the DC of theaddiction check he failed, modifiedby his current level of addiction. Ifthe check succeeds, the charactercan ignore the drug. If the checkfails then he or she is compelled totake the drug and use it at his orher earliest convenience.

At the second stage ofaddiction the character becomesphysically dependent on the drug.The character suffers a –1 moralpenalty to all actions. This penaltycan only be removed by feedingthe addiction with at least onedose. The character must partakeof the drug at least once each dayor suffer the penalty. At the thirdstage the penalty increases to –2.

The character cannot regain lost hitpoints with sleep, regain spells, orrecover from disease, fear, horroror madness unless he or she usesthe drug at least once a day. Thecharacter’s alignment shifts onestep closer to chaotic neutral.

At the fourth stage ofaddiction the penalty increases to–3 and the character shifts one stepcloser to chaotic neutral. At thefifth stage the penalty increases to–4 and his or her alignment shiftsone step closer to chaotic neutral.A character can only be addicted toone particular drug at a time. If atany time a character possesses twoaddictions the player loses theaddiction to the drug with thelower addiction modifier.

RecoveryRecovering from addiction is

no easy task. A character cannotrecover from his or her addictionunless he or she refrains fromfeeding the addiction for at leastone week. At the end of the weekthe addicted character may makeanother addiction check, equal tothe DC of the one he previouslyfailed, modified by the level ofaddiction. This check is notinfluenced by the penalty toactions granted by high levels ofaddiction. If the check fails thenthe character remains addicted. Ifthe check succeeds then he or shedrops one level of addiction. Oncea character drops down below thefirst level in addiction he or shebecomes cured.

ApplicationEach drug must be

introduced into the body of theuser. In many cases, ingestion isall that is necessary. Howeversome drugs require specializedmeans of application. Smokingweeds must be crafted intocigarettes and pipe doses,

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1morphine and other synthetic drugsmust be injected into the bloodstream via syringe, and ergot andother extracted liquids must bediluted into a drinkable form.These all require special skillchecks to create the proper dose.The average DC for such checks is10. The skill profession: medicineis used to prepare and applymorphine and synthetic drugs; theskill herbalist is used to brewextracts and fungi and prepareopiates, and the skill craft:tobacconist is used to prepare pipeweed. The specialized skill craft:drug application covers all formsof drug application. This skill iscritical to the drug trade, since itallows dealers to prepare doses andclients to administer the drugs.

The correct application ofdrugs and the creation of doses isan important skill for dealers andusers. Improper application mayresult in an overdose. The exactconsequences of an overdosedepend upon the drug used. Whena skill check to craft a dosage orapply the drug fails by more thanfive points an overdose occurs.

Natural DrugsAlcohol: Alcohol is one of themost popular drugs in existence.Alcohol comes in hundred ofdifferent forms and is served justabout everywhere in Ravenloft.Each dose of alcohol bestows oneintoxication point, and the durationis one hour. Alcohol is lessaddictive than most drugs; it is itsmassive quantity and availabilitythat makes alcoholism sowidespread. Alcohol modifies theDC to addiction checks by –2.Alcohol is not prepared like otherdrugs, indeed the brewing processis a fine art governed by its ownskill. In the event of a faulty brew,an overdose causes 1D6 temporarywisdom damage.

The above statistics represent“Hard” liquor. Some forms ofalcohol are much less intense. Insuch cases, intoxication onlyoccurs when more than one dose istaken in a given hour.

Ergot : Ergot is a rust coloredmould that grows upon wheatgrains. This mould thrives in coldand wet conditions, pollutingbreads and cereal crops with itstoxins. Ergot can be cultivated andpurposely ingested to obtain theeffects of this hallucinogen. Ergothas a weak intoxication effect;each use only bestows 1intoxication point. The duration ofan ergot high is only half an hour.The persistent effects of ergot aremuch more insidious. For onehour after ingestion of the drug theuser suffers from the effects ofhallucinations as described inRavenloft Core Rules. Ergot is notvery addictive; it bestows nomodifier to the DC of the addictioncheck. Ergot is a dangerousneurotoxin and an overdose can beseriously disabling. On anoverdose the user must make afortitude save against a DC 15 orsuffer 1D8 points of temporarywisdom damage.

Mad Caps: The dank forests ofTepest are a perfect breedingground for mushrooms and otherfungi. Most of these growths arewithout any value, but a select feware known for their toxicity. MadCaps are one such fungus. The redand white spotted mushroomgrows in damp, lightly shadedareas. Consuming the cap of themushroom produces a powerfulpsychedelic high.

Raw Mad Cap is toxic tohumans; it must be prepared byleaching out some of the toxins inboiling water. These mindwarping funguses are extremely

intoxicating and addictive. MadCaps bestow three intoxicationpoints for each cap consumed. Theduration of a Mad Cap is twohours, and Mad Caps modify theDC of the addiction check by +1.The persistent effects of the MadCap are identical to the madnesseffect paranoia. These persistenteffects last only for twenty-fourhours, though if the user isconfronted with a horror check asper the rules of paranoia he willsuffer the effects of that horrorcheck until he can recover fromthat failed horror check.

An improperly brewed MadCap is toxic. On an overdose acharacter must make a fortitudesave against a DC 15 or take 1D8points of temporary wisdomdamage.

Synthetic DrugsM o r p h i n e : Morphine is apowerful anesthetic developed byphysicians in Lamordia. Doctorsin that domain noticed thatanesthetics caused patients torecover from surgery at a fairlyslow rate, thus they beganexperimenting with less harshmethods of protecting patientsfrom the pain of surgery.Morphine has been the mostwidely accepted replacement forgeneral anesthetics. This unnaturalcompound completely overwhelmsthe user with a feeling of well-being. The user can still feelsensations inflicted upon his bodybut due to the drug the patient doesnot feel pain. The drug has sincebeen exported into other advanceddomains.

Morphine proved sosuccessful that it was administeredto any patient feeling pain ordiscomfort. This practice ledmany individuals to becomeaddicted to the drug. Each use ofmorphine requires a syringe with

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1which to inject the drug directlyinto the blood steam. The patientsuffers 2 intoxication points foreach use of the drug. The durationof a single dose is 2 hours.Morphine is highly addictive; itimposes a +3 modifier to the DC ofthe addiction save. The persistenteffects of the drug are finelytailored to prevent pain anddiscomfort. For as long as the useris suffering from intoxicationpoints from the use of morphinethe character is incapable offeeling pain. The character suffersonly half of any subdual damageinflicted and is immune to stuneffects. The character has abilityto gauge his physical condition,and may behave recklessly. Whileunder the effects of morphine higha character is completely immuneto fear, horror and madness.

Morphine cannot besynthesized without a fullalchemical or pharmaceuticallaboratory, eight hours of time andraw materials costing no less than10 gold pieces. The check tosynthesize morphine is made withthe skill craft: pharmaceutical or analchemy check. In either case theDC is 20. If the synthesis checkfails by more than 5 an overdosewill occur in the user. Theadministration of morphinerequires a profession: medicinecheck against a DC 10 and the useof a syringe. An overdose ofmorphine causes 1D8 points oftemporary constitution damage.

Opium: Opium is one of the mostpopular drugs available in theCore. It is a refined substance,taken from poppies and carefullyprepared. Over the years opiumdealers have turned the refiningprocess into a science, and now thefinal product scarcely resemblesthe original organic compound.The opium trade is one the most

prosperous industries in NovaVaasa and it is rapidly expandinginto the other domains of the Core.Merchants from Pharaziaintroduced opiates to the Core andimmediately found a market.Opiates have since been outlawedwithin Pharazia, though themerchant cartels have found otherlands in which to grow their crop.The duration of opium is 2 hoursand each use bestows twointoxication points. Opium ishighly addictive and so it applies a+2 modifier to the DC of anaddiction check. The persistenteffects of opium is drowsiness.Each dose requires the user tomake a fortitude save against a DC10 to avoid falling asleep. Anoverdose of opium results in theuser suffering from 1D6 points ofconstitution damage.

Magical DrugsBlack Lotus: The black lotus is astrange plant; to the botanists ofthe Core it is more myth thanplant. Some who claim to see itliken it to an opium producingpoppy. Others say that it no plantat all but rather some other form oflife, neither plant nor fungus it isthe sole product of a primalkingdom of life, as different fromplant as animals are from fungus.What ever it is, the black lotus isan enigma to the scientificcommunity.

Cities in Darkon were thefirst market for the black lotus,followed by Hazlan, Nova Vasaaand then Lamordia. The Lotus issold by a mysterious cartel. Thesedrug merchants never reveal theirfaces and wear gloves of blackleather, thus their species has neverbeen discerned. These merchantssell only one product, and theychoose their customers carefully.These creatures are unusuallyproficient in detecting a lie. The

black lotus is a simple plant madeup of petals more delicate than silkand darker than a winter night.The lotus can be eaten or brewedinto a tea.

The black lotus bestows oneintoxication point for every doseand the duration of the drug is onehour. Black lotus is mildlyaddictive and increases the DC ofthe addition check by +1. Thepersistent effects of the drug ares t r a n g e a n d t e r r i f y i n g .Secondhand testimony states thatthe drug “throws open the gates ofperception”. The user becomesaware of the multiverse thatpermeates all known reality. Usersreport the ability to sense magic,see through illusions and evenperceive the hidden nature of theworld around them. The persistenteffects of the drug last for theduration of the dose. While underthe influence the user experiencesthe effects of the spell True Seeing.The user also gains insight into thenature of multiverse around him.While under the influence the usergains a +4 circumstantial bonus toskills knowledge (planes) andknowledge (Ravenloft).

The effects of the drug arenot always pleasant. As the usersperceptions expand he runs the riskof detecting something sinister.Every hour that the user is underthe influence he must make amadness check against a DC of tenplus the number of hours that hehas spent intoxicated with thelotus.

An overdose of black lotus isgenerally not possible since thedrug is so simple to use. If forsome reason a character swallowsthree or more plants in the space ofa few minutes, or brews the leavesof three or more plants into tea,then an overdose will occur. Theuser must make a fortitude saveagainst a DC of 15 plus 1 for every

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1plant used above the first two. Ifthe check fails then the character isstruck with 1D8 temporarywisdom damage and the characteris immediately struck with thehallucination madness effect andthe appropriate ability damagefrom a failed madness check.

Horstman’s Brew: Each yearendless wagon trains leaveFalconovia and enter the landsDrakov’s enemies selling grain.The vicious tyrant grudgingly sellshis nations ample grain inexchange for gold and rawmaterials. This trade betweenenemies is a dangerous gambit forboth sides, since neither side isassured of the most advantage inthe trade. At Drakov’s request hisscientists have developed a specialexport that will help tip the balanceof the increased trade intoDrakov’s favor.

Horstman’s brew is thegeneral term used by the Talons todescribe the wide variety ofsynthetic drugs secretly exportedby Falconovia into the surroundingdomains. These drugs are actuallya diluted version of theexperimental formula known as the“Primal Serum”. As hoped, thesedrugs are becoming extremelypopular in the domains

surrounding Falconovia. Theincreased trade between Drakovand his enemies helps spread theillicit trade in these drugs,undermining the nations whoaccept Drakov’s gifts of cheapgrain.

There are three popularversions of the drug, known on thestreets as Black Rager, HowlingMadness and Night Flier. Allversions of the drug perform thesame benefit to the user, anextreme sensation of freedom.Under the effects of any of thethree a user loses all inhibitions.The user is liberated fromconstraint and concern; he isoverwhelmed with animalisticdesires. Users describe theexperience as “unleashing thebeast within”. Originally the drugswere confined to syringes but withdevelopment the drugs have beentransformed into simple drytablets. The tablets are dissolvedin water or alcohol and imbued.Liquids thus contaminated becomethicker and emit a faint greenluminescence in the dark.

Each use of one of thesedrugs bestows 1 intoxication pointon the user. The duration of thedrug is three hours. The effects ofHorstman’s Brew are designed tobe extremely addictive. They

modify the DC to addiction checksby +5. Horstman’s brew isprepared in Falconovia and isdesigned to be foolproof. Thus,overdoses are not possible whileusing this drug. The persistenteffects of the drug are insidious.While under the effects of either ofthe three a user’s alignmenttemporarily shifts to chaoticneutral. The effects of the drugbuild up inside of a user’s body,breaking down the body’sresistance to the primal serum.When a user reaches the third levelof addiction he or she becomes aninfected lycanthrope. The triggerfor this form of lycanthropy is adose of one of the three drugs ofHorstman’s brew. The usertransforms into a werebear if usingBlack Rager, a lowland loup garouif using Howling Madness and awerebat if using Night Flier. In allcases the user becomes the hybridform of the appropriatelycanthrope. Transformedlycanthropes differ from otherinfected lycanthropes in that theyhave an affinity for beings underthe effects of Horstman’s brew.While transformed the infectedlycanthropes will not harm otherusers.

ghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghgghghgh

Drug Intoxication Points Duration DC mod. Persistent effectsAlcohol 1 1 hour -2 NoneErgot 1 _ hour 0 Hallucination

Mad Caps 3 2 hours +1 ParanoiaOpium 2 2 hours +2 Sleep

Morphine 2 2 hours +3 Painlessness, immunitiesBlack Lotus 1 1 hour +1 True seeing, planar perception

Horstman’s Brew 1 3 hours +5 Alignment change, lycanthropy

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

From the LabActive Ladies Attire

“I don’t know how you foundthis place,” Said the tattooedruffian, “But you won’t beleaving.” Marx coughed up a globof blood and phlegm. The hugethug grinned sadistically anddrove his fist deep into the man’sstomach, eliciting another chokinggasp. “You’re a nosy little buggeraren’t you?” Sneered the bruiser.He reached into his vest andretrieves a wickedly curvedhunting knife. “Maybe I shouldcut it off?” The huge man pressedthe cutting edge against the base ofMarx’s nose, drawing a steadydrip of crimson from the growingwound. Suddenly the knifewithdrew.

“I think you should releasehim,” said a woman’s voice.Standing at the mouth of thealleyway was a lady. The womanwas quite out of place in the drearyslum, she was dressed in theex t ravagant fash ions o fDementlieu, the very model of adelicate lady of proper breeding.The thug was barely able to keepfrom drooling, his eyes glazed overand his primitive brain becamedrowned in bestial thoughts. Themassive hand released the beatenrogue, letting Marx drop painfullyto the cobblestone ground.

“Well, well, well,” Oozed thebrute. “Aren’t you somethingsweet. Ol’ Grumbal hasn’t everhad a fancy one like you.” OldGrumbal licked his lips, an act asdistasteful as a peach rotting underthe noon sun

“Perhaps you should tryyour luck?” Replied the lady.Though Grumbal was in no state ofmind to notice, the woman’s voicebetrayed not the tiniest shred of

emotion. With the eyes of a vipershe watched the thug sauntertowards her.

“Well, bird,” said Grumbal,“What you’ve got for me,” Therewas no reply. With a deft swipe ofher hand she plucked an ornate fanfrom her surcoat pocket, opened itand plunged it into the throat ofthe greasy brute.

Grumbals eyes opened wideand his jaw dropped in shock. Therazor spines concealed within thefan had dug deep into the vitalarteries in his neck, releasing atorrent of crimson in his throat.The disgusting thug gurgled as hiseyes rolled back into their sockets.The lady had not done so much asbating an eyelash as Grumbalcollapsed into a bloodless,crumpled heap.

In the meantime, Marx hadpulled himself up. He wiped hisown blood from his mouth with hissleeve and knelt down by the bodyof his attacker.

“Nice of you to show up,‘Talia” He said sarcastically. Hedug into the dead man’s pocketsand retrieved a yellowed envelope.As he rose from the crouch, Marxnoticed the fineness of hiscolleague’s strike. The artery musthave been severed and directedinwards in a single nimble motionof the fan-spines. No simple trick.

“If your finished…” SaidNatalia. She waited by the sidedoor of the building.

“Its not locked,” replied herbruised confederate. Nataliaresponded by folding her arms andraising her right eyebrow ever soslightly. Her irritated expressiondidn’t fade in the slightest untilMarx walked over, opened the

door and held it open for her whileshe walked through.

Fake PearlsAn old Borcan proverb that

states, “There is no poison deadlierthan one in a pleasant disguise”.Surely this belief motivated themaster druggists of Borca to inventthe fake pearl. Unlike the harmlessforgeries of jewellery, these fakepears are quite lethal. Fake pearlsare made of powdered drugs.These drugs can be narcotics,poisons or harmless tranquilizers.The powdered drug is compressedinto a white sphere and containedin a glaze of sugar and pigments.The pigments give the fake pearlthe appearance of a real specimenwhile the sugar glaze gives itstructural strength. The glaze isdesigned to withstand the heat andmoisture generated by a livingbody. Once the pearl is completelyimmersed in a liquid itimmediately dissolves. Thisreleases the drug concealed withinthe glaze into the liquid.

Fake pears are built withspecial detachable mounts. Themounts are indistinguishable fromthe pear, but the allow the owner topluck the fake pear from anecklace or an earring with only apartial action. From a distancefake pearls are indistinguishablefrom real pearls. Only carefulinspection by a trained jeweller canreveal the insidious nature of afake pearl. By taking a full roundaction and making a craft: jewellercheck against a DC 15 a charactermay discern that a fake pearl is nota genuine pearl. Such a checkdoes not reveal the dangerousnature of the fake pearl.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1Any kind of poison, drug or

tranquilizer can be synthesized in afake pearl. The construction of afake pearl requires a profession:chemist or alchemy check against aDC 15. This check allows thecreator to turn a liquid drug into apowder, form it into a sphere, andconcoct the sugar glaze and thedetachable mount for the pearl. Todisguise the fake pearl the buildermust make a successful craft:jeweler check against a DC 15. Asingle fake pearl costs roughly tengold pieces. The cultural level of afake pear is 9.

Fan BladeThe fan blade is an exotic

weapon, first pioneered in thetreacherous arena of conspiraciesknown as Dementlieu. This itemwas invented as a tool to protectladies of repute againstassassination. The fan blade is adelicate fan, identical to thehundreds of varieties used byladies throughout the civilizedcore. Concealed beneath the foldsof the fan are ten spines made oftempered steel and sharpened to arazor point. Designed to beinvisible even in plain view, thisweapon is undetectable byanything less than a spot checkagainst a DC of 20. The spines arecompletely concealed while the fanis closed, so the weapon must beopened to strike. The spines arethrust forward where they opennumerous wounds, compensatingfor the shallowness of the slash.

Each successful attack with afan blade deals 1D4 points ofpiercing damage. The fan bladethreatens a critical range of 18-20and deals triple damage on acritical hit. The weapon is nearlyimpossible to use without propertraining, it counts as an exoticweapon. The fan blade isextremely light for it weighs only

half a pound. The fan blade isbuilt of tempered steel alloys thatallow the thin spines to withstandthe force of a strike. The culturallevel of the fan blade is 9. Everyfan blade is a masterwork item.The base cost of such a weapon is1000 gold pieces.

The fan blade is like no otherweapon available. The wielder ofsuch a weapon cannot apply thedamage modifier from strength tothe damage rolls. The delicatedesign of the blade compensatesfor the draw back; the weaponfinesse feat is automaticallyapplied to strikes from the fanblade whether or not the userpossesses the feat.

Iron ParasolNecessity is the mother of

invention and for the ladyadventurers of the Core there wasno shortage of needs. While theirmale counterparts could bearcivilized weapons in public, armedfemales remained sociallyunacceptable by any standards.This placed women at a great riskwhen they went about their socialduties in the urban areas of theCore. To address the problem afemale marksman named MadamePelloire commissioned the creationof the iron parasol.

The iron parasol is made of askeleton of steel alloys comprisedmostly of iron and a relatively newelement known as “aluminium”.Indeed, these advanced alloys arecritical to the device since theyoffer great strength with extremelylittle weight. The careful design ofthis item makes it indistinguishablefrom a normal shading device.The skeleton of parasol supports aweb of aluminium strands, whichin turn supports the fabric makingup the parasol’s shade. This meshis strong enough to hold up the

material but collapses aroundanything that strikes it.

The holder of the ironparasol may use it in the samemanner as a shield. The parasoldoes not confer a bonus to theusers armour class, but it doesbestow a similar benefit.Whenever an attacker hits the userbut only succeeded in the attackroll by 2 points or less then theparasol has stopped the attack fromhitting. The parasol collapsesupon the weapon or projectile.Projectiles are stopped dead butmelee weapons are entrapped. Theowner of the parasol may attemptto disarm the attacker as a freeaction. The owner of the parasolgains a +4 circumstantial bonus tothis attempt and does not incur adisarm attempt from the attacker.After entrapping a weapon theparasol is useless. Repairing aniron parasol requires a blacksmithand a skill check against a DC of20 to reshape the metal. After that,the material of the shade must bereapplied, but any skilledcraftsman can accomplish this withminimal fuss.

The iron parasol wasdesigned to conceal weapons aswell as defences. The handle ofthe parasol is hollow and concealsa long stiletto dagger. The curvedgrip of the parasol fits over the hiltof the dagger, so the iron parasolcan be used to conceal a particulardagger that the owner would ratherhave close at hand.

Silenced StingThere is no sound more

telling than the report of a pistol.There is no other weapon that soloudly articulates the intent of oneperson to harm another. Assassinsand thieves have ignored pistolsfor a firearm can shatter silence aseasily as flesh and bone. Thissituation has placed a huge amount

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1of pressure upon gunsmiths tocreate a pistol whose report issilent or at least muffled. Themaster gun makers of Lamordiahave responded to this pressure bycreating a specially built pistol thatmasks both the sound and the flashof gunpowder.

The silenced sting is a smallpistol no larger than a woman’shand. The pistol is comprised oftwo parts, a tiny handle and a boxlike barrel. The barrel is encasedin a rectangular box of metal,fluted with numerous holes cut intothe box at precise angles. Thesilenced sting utilizes cutting edgetheories in the physics of sound;the air holes allow the sound of thegunshot to exit at multiplelocations, where the sound wavesare knocked slightly out of phase.Instead of adding together andcreating the familiar sound of agunshot the sound waves cancelone another out. The resultingsound of the gunshot requires alisten check against a DC 15 todetect. Even when it is detectedthe sound is so soft that it is oftenoverlooked as a gunshot andexplained as some benignthumping.

The silenced sting deals 1D8points of damage and threatens acritical range of 20/*3. Thesilenced sting has no barrel tospeak of and so it is terriblyinaccurate. The silenced sting hasa range increment of 5 feet. Thesilenced sting cannot be reloadedlike other pistols since the wholebarrel must be disassembled beforethe powder can be inserted.Reloading the silenced stingrequires at least five minutes and agunsmith check against a DC 12.Failure on this check indicated thatthe gun would not fire until the gunis successfully loaded.

The silenced sting wasspecially designed to be used as a

concealed weapon. The gun iseasily hidden beneath a hat orwithin the folds of a coat. Thequiet firearm is an idealassassination tool since it isconcealable, stealthy, deals greatdamage in a single strike andcompletely unsuspected. Thecommon tactic is for the assassinwielding the weapon to use thesilenced sting close to the victim ina crowded location in the outdoors.After the ensuing chaos thesoundless gunshot remains amystery. The only believableexplanat ion avai lab le toinvestigators is that the assassinfired from a very distant location.

Gunsmiths cannot normallycreate a silenced sting. Even in adomain of cultural level 9 thesilenced sting is a specimen ofcutting edge technology. Asilenced sting cannot be bought atany price, though one can becommissioned from one of the fewmaster gunsmiths capable ofcreating such a device. The theorythat the silenced sting is basedupon is found in the 72nd volumeof the Lamordian ScientificJournal under the title “DestructiveInterference and the Wave Natureof Sound”. Gunsmiths withoutaccess to this paper must make aknowledge: mechanical physicscheck against a DC of 25 todevelop the proper theory. Withthis theory a gunsmith may createthe schematics for the gun.Drawing the blue prints for asilenced sting requires a gunsmithcheck against a DC 25. With theblue prints in hand, a gunsmith isready to build the weapon. Theconstruction of a silenced stingrequires a gunsmith check againsta DC 25 as well as raw materialsand the proper tools.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Corners of the CoreThe Living Bayou

By Scott C. Bourgeoisblack_marauder@hotmail.com

Maison d’SabletThey say, in the town of

h’Ombres in the domain ofSouragne, that one should avoidthe Maison d’Sablet if oneintends to live a long life. Indeed,they may have a good point as themurky depths of the swamp issaid to have come alive years agoto crush the greedy hand of man.The Maison d’Sablet grows onthe North Eastern corner of theisland, feeding from the riversthat flow from Lake Noir. Thesole settlement of the area is thesmall town of h’Ombres. Thisvillage is a sleepy little town,made of a mishmash of theethnicities of Scrounge. Thepeople speak a colorful variationof the local language, adding aslow drawl to their speech. Thesesettlers came from Port d’Elhour,looking for an easier life beyondthe reach of the plantationowners. For the most part theyhave found peace, though theyremain impoverished and poor.Like most villages on the Islandof Scrounge, a mayor electedfrom the ranks of the farmersevery two years leads h’Ombres.This election is more of aformality than a real institution;the villagers prefer to leave eachman to his own business. Thoughthey have never secured a steadytrade with the other villages ofScrounge, life in h’Ombres ispeaceful and safe. The simplefarmers fish and grow their crops,though they are never too busy tostop and chat amongstthemselves. There is only onesubject that gives them pause, “La

Maison d’Sablet”, the livingbayou.

The mighty swamp grewaround a network of shallowrivers issuing from the center ofthe domain. The forest of theMaison d’Sablet is thick withancient trees. The plants aretwisted with unfathomable ageand are completely covered invines and mosses. In the night,beneath the pale light of themoon, the trees are like gnarledskeletons. The moss like afuneral shroud and the vines likespectral chains tying the spirits tothe earth. The branches aretwisted towards the sunlight, likefiendish claws reaching towardsthe sun to snuff out the light. Thecanopy absorbs the rays of thesun just as a weed greedilyleaches water from the soil.Beneath the canopy the swamp isfrozen in perpetual twilight. Theair is always humid and the windblows through the underside ofthe canopy, sending the lowerbranches swaying to the whistleof the breeze. Those who walkthrough the swamp feel as thoughthey are descending deep into aliving, breathing body.

The ground of Maisond’Sablet is always moist and soft.Each step taken sinks a travelerinto the mud. The lower branchesof the trees fill the gaps betweenthe plants, blocking the path ofanyone who would pass. Theground is covered with sicklygreen shrubs but by far themajority of the plant life hangsfrom the trees. Flowers of allshapes and sizes blossom upon

the branches of the trees. Vinesof all sizes snake around thetrunks of the trees, as do aplethora of fungi and moulds.Birds and black squirrels thrive inthe canopy, feeding off of theflowers, fruits and nuts.Opossums and raccoons livesolitary lives in the green maze ofbranches, feeding on insects andunguarded eggs. Snakes andlizards are more rare in Maisond’Sablet than they would be inother areas of Scrounge, but theyare not absent.

HistoryThe legend of the Living

Bayou is fairly well known in thetown of h’Ombres, and everyonefrom the oldest resident to theyoungest child can tell it withcolorful imagery and great detail.Some names, and smaller detailsvary, but for the most part thelegend is identical each time it istold. It goes something like this:

A long time ago, a youngwoman had a home on an islanddeep in the bog known as Maisond’Sablet. She loved the swampand had a garden lush with exoticand strange plants that she tendedto and dotted over like a lovingmother. She lived in solitude formany years but was at home inthe nature of the swamp. All thiswould change years later when aplantation was built at the nearestedge of the swamp. Thelandowner wanted to expand hisproperty and began felling treesand forging further and furtherinto the bayou. Indeed, he soondiscovered that the wood was

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1fetching a fine price andencouraged a lumber town togrow near his land. At first, thewoman knew nothing of thisexploitation but soon she foundthe lumberjacks slowly cuttingtheir way into the swamp.Enraged, the woman ran back toher home and demanded that theloa to kill the offendingwoodcutters. The very nextmorning, her garden began togrow uncontrollably. She tried torein it in but it would not stop.She watched, awed and terrified,as the vines and plants grewtogether into a manlike form, andcrept out of her garden, and intothe swamp.

Thus, the Living Bayouarose. The creature began preyingon the woodsmen, killing themday and night. The monsterdrove them back from the swampwith such ferocity that thelumberjacks refused to enter theMaison d’Sablet at all. Terrifiedsurvivors claimed that the bayouitself had come alive to punishthem for their greed. Thelandowner scoffed at thesestories, calling the lumberjackscowards. To prove to them thatthey were full of nonsense hehimself took up an axe. As thewoodsmen and townsfolk, evenhis family and servants, watchedhe hefted his axe and felled a tree.Then, as he stood laughing, theLiving Bayou surged up from theedge of the woods, grabbed himin a massive hand of vines anddragged him into the darkness ofthe swamp. He was never seenagain.

The town, now cowed intofear of the forest, was no longer athreat. The woman prayed to herloa with thanks for their gift butforgot that a creature like theLiving Bayou comes at a highprice. Indeed, the creature came

to her that night and swallowedher in one massive bite. Her bodyand her soul were bound to thebayou as punishment for thearrogance of commanding the loa.Since then the monster has lurkedin the Maison d’Sablet, feedingon the creatures who live thereand anyone foolish enough tostumble into it’s domain.

The PresentThe people of h’Ombres

laugh after they tell the tale ofLiving Bayou, because they havecome to see it as a legend, littlemore than a fairy tale. The lastactual sighting of the creature wasnearly fifteen years ago and noone believed the children whoclaimed to have seen it. Despitethe veneer of confidence thepeople of the town are cautiousabout setting so much as a footinto the swamp. To outsiders theysay it is filled with naturalhazards but will wink knowingly.The lumber industry that oncethrived has never recovered.

Living Bayou is terrifyinglyreal, but mostly territorial. Itdoesn’t leave its domain withinthe southeastern area of theMaison d’Sablet. It rarelyventures outside of the swamp. Itemerges from the shadows of thebog only when food is scarce inthe bayou and even then only inthe cover of night. The creatureis, in fact, a shambling mound ofunusual intelligence, speed, andcomposition. Unique amongst itsspecies the Living Bayou wasborn of the hatred and spiritualpower of a reclusive houngandruid. It is fiercely territorial,violent against offenders, andusually hungry. The LivingBayou, unlike other shamblingmounds, has some very individualtraits to its personality. Inparticular it collects shiny things

from its victims. It has amassed asmall hoard in the ruins of thedruid’s old cabin.

The Living BayouLiving Bayou is a terrifying

foe to face. It is perfectly at homein the swamp and any whochallenge it in the Maisond’Sablet will be at a terribledisadvantage. As it rarely leavesthe bayou that spawned it, thecreature is hard to catch off guard.Its first advantage is its stealth.Any natural shambling mound isa dangerous stalker of its prey,and Living Bayou is smarter andfaster than any of its leafybrethren. In any woodedenvironment the Living Bayouhas an effective +15 to its Hideskill. It receives an automatic +5bonus to Listen, Hide and MoveSilently, whether in a woodedarea or not. It likes to catch itsprey flatfooted and strike from aconcealed location.

The Living Bayou isimmune to all electrical effects,has fire resistance of 35, and hasall special abilities natural to allPlant creatures. These includeimmunity to mind affectingspells, poison, sleep, paralysis,stunning and polymorphing.Besides it’s crushing tendrils theLiving Bayou has a number ofunique powers. Its vines are linedwith thorns, allowing it to inflict2d8+7 damage with its Slamattack. These thorns also increaseits constriction damage to 2d8+9.On a successful attack using itsthorns, the Living Bayou injectspoison. A Fort save at DC 18must be made or the poisonedbeing will suffer 1d6 points oftemporary constitution damage.These poisons are the result of theflowers and plants that wovetogether to form its impressivehulk.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1Living Bayou prefers

stealth to direct conflict. It lurksin the deep swamp waters or inthe underbrush; waiting to catchits prey flatfooted. Uponcapturing food, it carries it backits cabin lair and devours itslowly. It keeps all of thepossessions its meal may havehad in a pile in the rear of the hut.Despite all its unique abilities anddefenses the Living Bayou is asvulnerable as any other shamblingmound. A well-armed possecould probably draw out and slaythe beast, assuming the villagerscould be convinced of its factualexistence.

Adventure Hooks- Traiscon Lumber Inc. has justset up shop in h’Ombres, looking

at the town as ripe for thepickings. With so muchwilderness, and so muchunderdeveloped land, it’s averitable gold mine for a lumbercompany. However , thecompany’s woodcutters havestarted to vanish in the bayou.Traiscon Lumber Inc. is willing topay top dollar to anyone who canfind out what is preying on theirmen in the swamp.- Local youths have beenclaiming for a few days now thatthey found a stash of “neat stuff”in an old shack deep in theswamp. Despite the warning oftheir parents this old shackbecame a popular meeting place.The youths kept their meetingplace secret until a young boydidn’t return home after going to

meet some friends there. Hisfriends are adamant that he neverarrived at the shack. The localauthorities are looking forsomeone to investigate the shackand see if they can find themissing boy.- Cows have been slaughtered at afarm just outside of town for afew weeks now. Most of thecattle have died of broken necksbut others look as though theydied of a powerful toxin. Somehave even disappeared alltogether, leaving neither tracksnor corpses. The farmer isworried that an animal is preyingon his herd.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Tainted LoveA Ravenloft Adventure for 2-4 Characters of level 1-4

By Zorin, Dmitri and Shane GlodoskiMalVil@Rambler.ru

bookwryms@yahoo.com

This adventure is set in asmall village along the easternborder of Ravenloft domainKartakass. The village in theadventure is called Bourge, but itcan bear any name in yourcampaign. In fact, it can beanother settlement altogether. Thenames of major NPCs are givenin the adventure, but, again, theyare purely optional. The partyshould include at least onecharacter with skills devoted tosocial interaction. Bards, clerics,paladins and even rogues can fillthis role.

BackgroundInformation

In late January of 756 B.C.a child of one of Harmonia’sminor nobles was kidnapped.The city watch didn’t find anytraces of the child, so theunfortunate father asked the localbounty hunter, a well knowncutthroat and sword-for-hire forassistance in the matter. Thewarrior, known as Yuri, set towork immediately. Alas fornobleman’s son, Yuri was asunscrupulous as he was lazy. Assoon as the bounty hunterunderstood it would take weeksof chasing the kidnappers (who,as it he discovered were Vistanimortu, working for Hazlik insearch of subjects for his cruelexperiments) through Kartakass’thick woods and through half aHazlan as well, Yuri decided totake another, safer course ofaction.

After wandering along theKartakass eastern border, he cameupon a small village of Bourge,nested in a picturesque valleynestled between the westernslopes of Balinoks and forestedshores of upper Musarde River.One thing stood out amongst thepopulation, a small child namedVictor, son of Marina the localgroves’ caretaker and Igor, thebest hunter and trapper of Bourge.The lad looked so similar to thekidnapped child that even hismother would have a hard timeguessing her son. Yuri made uphis mind in a moment: the childwas only recently born and didn’tunderstand the things happeningaround him, so it would be of noproblem to persuade him he wasindeed the nobleman’s missingson. The only problem left wasthe abduction from parents.Villagers rarely visited the localchurch but, as the growing’s childhealth demands constant attentionMarina regularly attended fatherNikon, priest of Hala. The bountyhunter disguised himself as aVistana and stole into the church.He tried to wrest the child fromhis mother, but in the ensuingfight his disguise was revealedand, fearful of public accusations,Yuri decided to kill both Marinaand Nikon. Hiding the bodies andcovering the signs of battle, hespirited the child and left forHarmonia, not paying attention tothe dying woman’s vow to see herson returned and her deathavenged. Yet while the woman’scurses had failed to faze the

scoundrel, her misery arose theattention of something dark andpowerful.

When Igor returned homehe found the house empty, so hechecked out the church. The signsof battle were not so easilyconcealed from the eyes of anexperienced hunter. The evidencetold him the tale of murder, so heset on the chase of Yuriimmediately. He found himseveral miles due west of Bourgein a small clearing in the forest.Though experienced woodsmanhe was, Igor’s skills did him nogood in the quick and brutal fight.When he lay dying on the coldwinter ground the last thing hesaw were Victor’s largely openeyes, filled with the terror of thescene before him.

That night Marina’s spiritrose into unlife. She now hauntedthe very church that wassupposed to protect her and herchild, desperate for the return ofher most beloved spouse andchild. The unnatural aura ofMarina’s spirit scared away thosefew who cared of gods enough topay them homage. And whenseveral days la ter thedisappearance of five peoplebecame apparent, people startedtalks about evil that lurked underthe church, in catacombs longforgotten. The elder’s son, Luca,volunteered to investigate thechurch, and managed to retrievethe church archives, which hehoped would shed a light on themystery. Later that day it wasdecided on the village’s meeting

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1that a messenger should be sent toHarmonia with a request for help.The winter was fiercely cold andwolves were becoming bolder andbolder, so being the bravest manremaining in the village afterIgor’s disappearance, Luca leftB o u r g e f o r H a r m o n i a .Unfortunately, he was attackedand killed by wolves. Theravenous beasts ate what theycould and left the frozen corpse tothaw out in the coming spring. Itis here where the players enter thestory.

Plot SynopsisThe adventure begins with

PCs heading to some location onthe road in Kartakass. Along theroad they find a document lyingin the snow. The document leadsthem to a small village of twoscores of people, desperate forhelp. Here they get acquaintedwith the folk and with a hedgewitch who keeps an eye onBourge. By the time theinterrogation of the villagers iscomplete, the players should beconvinced that the villainresponsible is a werebeast, afiend, a vampire or somethingother murderous creature. This isintended to lure the PCs’attentions away and to thus enrichthe true terror of situation, whenthe party comes ready for a fight alycanthrope only to be confrontedwith a ghost.

After the initial encounterwith Marina’s ghost, PCs willmost certainly try to conductsome additional research; duringthey should find out how to putthe ghost to rest (since this is thepurpose of this adventure).Obviously, even the most thick-headed party will come to aconclusion that no amount ofkilling puts a ghost to rest, sothey’ll come to an understanding

of the necessity of backgroundresearch eventually. With thenecessary steps that should betaken to pacify the ghostdiscovered, our party travels backto Harmonia. There they mustfind and face the abomination notworthy of being called human,Yuri. The adventure ends withthe corpses of Marina and Igorburied on a graveyard behind thechurch and the child Victor eitherturned over to the village hedgewitch or to the town elder.

Important considerationsAn important idea in this

adventure is that the PCs areignorant of the nature of theirenemy. Thus the PCs will havetheir attention divided and,hopefully, will not be preparedfor their first encounter with theghost. Hence the wolf should notbe described as “a wolf”, butdescribed as intelligent andthoughtful, maybe even adding areference to an “almost humancunning in his blazing eyes”. It isstrongly advised to instill thesense of lycanthropic danger asmuch as it is possible. By thevery same reason it is better toassume the villagers forgot thestranger’s appearance or wereinattentive when he came, so asnot to give up his descriptionearly in the game.

To BourgeKartakass, early spring.

The air is still chilly, but the snowhas started to melt already andhere and there small springsmerrily flow to join theconfluences of river Musarde.Your travel along the country hasgone uneventful, since the onlything that changed was thetemperature of the air aroundyou, from chill of the morning tothe welcome warmth of the noon.

Here and there the frozen dirt andsmall puddles of water begin tothaw, revealing different secretsof the past fall and winter: be itsomeone’s lost die or a woodencup or a piece rotten rope or lostboot… Your eyes shift towardwhat you perceive as a rather bigsnowdrift that only recentlystarted to thaw. It’s strange, butthe snow drifts down to formsmall recesses that, the more youlook at it, resemble human’sform. In fact, it i s a human!Caught in a snow blizzard orsomething and buried on the sideof a nameless track in the endlessKartakan wilderness.

The person is a man in hismid years, physically strong and(if anyone cares to check) with nosign of any disease or illness. Hisfeatures are distorted due to theagony of death, rotting and hisbeing encompassed in the snowprison and than the thawing.Apparently he had light hair,strong chin and elegant ears, butnothing more specific can belearned from the first glance. Thisis Luc, the Bourge elder’s son,though this shouldn’t be revealedjust now.

The closer examinationreveals several facts: first, theperson didn’t freeze to death.Some beast with big claws orfangs killed the man. His throatis torn open and his hands lie in aposition as if he tried to protecthis face. There is a silver daggerin one of his hands, stained withan old blood; the weapon isruined because of rust. The poorman carried some kind ofmessage, kept in a waterproofcloth near his heart. The messagereads:

“Milord MeistersingerDenthor! The hamlet Bourge isparalyzed with fear: several ofour fellow villagers have

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1disappeared. I humbly ask you toappoint some representative ofyours to investigate the matterbefore it is too late!”

It may be necessary for thePCs to point it out, if they do notdeduce it themselves, that thehamlet mentioned in the letter is awell-known, quiet place, wheredecent and proper people livetheir small lives. Surely it shouldnot stand to let the uncertaintyand fear plague the folk ofBourge. If it does not suit thecampaign, maybe it is prudent tolet the characters continue ontheir previous assignment or evenblind stumbling through thecountryside, until a young man (achild, really) catches up withthem and gives them an orderfrom Meistersinger to investigatethe matter. In this case ahandsome reward is promised.

What ever the reason theparty should soon find itself on itsway to Bourge. The journey iscomparatively long and takes 6hours on foot and 3 on horses. Ontheir way the PCs encounter asingle starving wolf. Thedesperate beast instantly attacksthe party and fights to the death.

Covered with frozen poolsof water, the road runs among thefurs and spruces of the wood,disappearing somewhere in itsheart. A couple of hours later thesight doesn’t change much – thevery same forest, awakening fromits winter sleep, the very samesound of spring purlingsomewhere off the trail, only theice covering the puddles at yourfeet begins to thaw under the sun.The sound of ice cracking underyour weight and the squelch ofmud where the sun melted theground.

Suddenly a growl full ofthreat reaches your ears: near thetrail, about 30 feet from you to

the right, under the overhangingfur branches, you notice anobviously underfed and sick wolf,its fur is thin and torn outcompletely in some places, and itseyes shining from the fur’s gloomwith almost human cunning andmalice. Even the most brave-hearted of you shudder from thisthought. For a fleeting momentthe beast seems to study you,then, as if it came to somedecision, the wolf leaps at you,maw opened and claws thrust atyour faces.

Wolf (1). MM 204. hp 13.After the beast is dealt with,

the party finishes their journeywithout further delays, unless theDM decides to enrich their travelwith further encounters. Whatthey decide to do in the hamlet isleft for them to decide. Everykeyed house description includesa possible plot development. Allin all, the matter of PCs’understanding of their actions ofevents reasons and consequencesdepends on the party’s researchand their role-playing interactionwith Bourge’s residents.

The trees move aside and aquiet valley comes into your view.In the north it comes right to thefeet of snow-capped mountainscovered with spruces. Fromwhere you stand, a small hamletis visible, situated near the centerof the valley, close to a river’sbend. It consists of several dozenof log houses and a church and agraveyard on a small knoll nearthe bend. The smoke from thefireplaces rises up in curlingclouds, dissolving in the fresh,full of the new life born smell andshining inner light air. Hens’clacking, dogs’ barking,peasants’ jovial talk, as well asother sounds of rural life mergeinto a bizarre cacophony, the one

that can only be pleasant for aperson who had recently spentlong and silent hours in the heartof a forest.

Bourge ConfidentialBourge, hamlet, pop.92, gp

limit 100. Bourge is a smallfarming community, the likes ofwhich may be found anywhere inthe Land of Mists. The folk liveoff their land, selling crops andbread mainly to Harmonia. It doesnot import anything of particularinterest. The hamlet “works foritself” with its mill, blacksmith,general store, brewery and evenchurch. The only things it lacksare those that it doesn’t need.The village has no need for aconstabulary for the people tendto be trusting and helpful to oneanother, though they are lessaccommodating to strangers. Anyproblems of considerableimportance are solved on thecommunal meetings on thecentral “square” in front of theGeneral Store, while the hamlet’selder (Saramon, Luc’s father,now) conducts day-to-daygovernment and solves disputes.The only tavern in the settlement,“Pechka” is run by Mark.

The places PCs are likely tovisit in Bourge include:

1) ”Pechka”, Bourge’s onlytavern.

2) Church.3) Graveyard.4) The elder’s house.5) General store.6) HedgeWitch’s adobe.7) Marina’s and Igor’s

house.8) The house of Lutece,

Marina’s mother.9) Blacksmith.The details of the rest of the

town are left for the DM. AsNPC’s reaction play major role inth i s adven ture , severa l

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1assumptions have been made toease PCs’ progress on their quest(or make it more difficult, itdepends).

All villagers, except thehedge witch, initially haveunfriendly attitudes towards thePCs. So long as their attitude isunchanged, any of the character’squestions will be answered withstern “Get lost! It’s no goodtalking ta strangers like ya in thisland!” Making a successfulCharisma or Diplomacy check, asdescribed in “Influencing NPCAttitude” table in DMG p.149,can change the attitude of anyNPC. A result indicating neutralor a friendly NPC provides theplayers with the following rumors(1d6):

1) There have been 5disappearances: marina and herson, Victor vanished first, thenthe village priest and Igor,Marina’s husband. Finally theelder’s son didn’t return from hiserrant.

2) The fiend responsible forthe disappearances is a strangerwho passed the village the daybefore it all began. In actuality,Yuri didn’t pass the village, butstayed at “Pechka” for a night.That is one of the reasons Markdislikes stranger of lately, heblames the troubles on himselfbut he won’t admit it to the PCs.

3)The fiend resides in thechurch, in catacombs built andsealed long before the coming ofthe first settlers. This is falseconjecture.

4) The hedge witch isresponsible for the fiend’ssummoning, but she is toopowerful for the villagers to takeon themselves. This is false. Thewitch secretly venerates Hala andconsiders it her task to help andprotect people.

5)No fiend is responsiblefor the disappearances, but a cultof lycanthropes and the stranger istheir leader. False.

6) A Vistani chased away inthe early fall last year laid an evileye on the village and now thedecent folk suffer because ofthese bastards’ hatred. This isfalse. Blaming one’s problems onpassing Vistana is common in theLand of Mists.

Also, if asked, they can tellthe Marina’s and Igor’s surname:Fedotov. It can become a valuableclue in investigation.

Village Locations1.”Pechka”. The local

tavern is the largest building inthe Bourge. Built from perfectspruce logs, the house can boastexpertly cut horse heads on itsroof and animal motifs on itsshutters. The latters are verysturdy, capable of withstandingsevere punishment, which, by nodoubt, should be appreciated byvisitors.

The building has only onefloor, divided into:A) Commoners room. Where

the bar stands and theresidents of the hamletusually congregate inthe early evenings.

B) Mark’s apartments. Mark(NG Com2/Ftr1),tavern’s proprietor,lives here.

C) Kitchen. Food is cookedand stored in here.

D) Cellar. Local beverage andlong-stored suppliesare kept here.

Visitors to hamlet are freeto stay in the Commoners room ifthey pay Mark 1gp/night each. Ofnotable interest is the local ale. Itis a bitter, dark mead-likesubstance that slowly (and verypleasantly!) slides down your

throat after a gulp. The price is 2cp/mug.

If Mark’s attitude ischanged to neutral, he may advicethem to question the elder aboutthe recent disappearances, and tostay clear of the witch who liveson the outskirts. If friendly, Markmay even go as far as “spill hissoul out” to the PCs, telling themthe truth: that the stranger stoppedfor a night in his tavern, askeddifferent questions about Marinaand her child and about churchand father Nikon. He still claimsthe stranger to be some manner ofa fiend, perhaps even calling himthe “Gentleman Caller”.

He may even tell the tale ofhis wife and daughter’s demise, ifthe party cares enough to ask orlisten. A long time ago (hedoesn’t remember exactly forsince then time has lost itsmeaning to him), during anespecially cold and harsh winter,wolves came into the valley. Thevillagers were not prepared forthis eventuality, so they werenaively going about theirbusiness, when a chilling howlingsounded not afar. In the surpriseattack Mark was severely injuredwhile trying to usher the villagersinto easily defended tavern. Hiswife and daughter, who werereturning from the General Store,never made it to the safety ofwalls. Both were lost under adozen of wolves less than thirtyfeet from the door. Mad with fearfor his beloved, Mark grabbed hismusket and charged forward. Thethunderous roar of the shot scaredthe wolves long enough for himto get the remnants inside.

If accused of being alycanthrope (and only if he isfriendly), Mark admits that he hasbeen bitten by wolves, but thedivination spells of the witch andfather Nikon showed no sign of

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1the disease. If he is neutral orunfriendly, he is too infuriated totalk to the party and tells them toget lost and never ever to stepover the threshold of this house.

2. Church. If visited duringthe day:

Built of limestone, thechurch sports a belfry and a holysymbol of Hala under thedoorway. Large wooden doors,reinforced with iron bands, standslightly ajar, so a ray of lightenters the hall. With a squeak, thedoors slowly open inside a hallwith altar at the back wall. Dustslowly circles in the air andsettles on the tiles covering thefloor. A single stained glasswindow beyond the altar depictsa matronly woman in brown robe,her eyes shedding warm yellowlight on the believers gathered ather feet and her smile – the smileof comfort. An uneasy silencehangs in the air – as if someoneasked a question in the hall along time ago and still waits foran answer, you ken. Making yourway inside the hall, you continueto experience an uneasy feeling ofsuspended question, but when younear the altar another feelingcrushes over you – that of suddeninterest in your presence. As ifs o m e b o d y … s o m e T H I N Gsuddenly became aware of yourentrance and you now take all theattention of this entity. Still,nothing happens…yet.

By day, it is relatively safeto explore the building, sinceMarina’s ghost manifests only atnight (see below).

At night, the church takeson more sinister appearance:

The silhouette of thechurch’s belfry is vaguely seen onthe dark, cloud-shrouded sky. Therolling mists rising from the riverhide the ground under your feetfrom your eyes. Slowly and

uneasy you make your way up theknoll and out of the mists towardsthe looming building. Hugedouble doors, long ago left openby someone, who no doubt left ina hurry, slowly come closer andcloser. Then you hear a sob.First, it is as hushed as a mouse’srun but the closer you get, thelouder it becomes. Standing nextto the doors to this dark andforlorn building, you can’t helpbut wonder: what manner of fiendhides behind the doors? The sobscontinue in a waterfall of loud, soloud sobs, you believe the wholevillage wide-awake already.However, no sound is comingfrom the hamlet – not even adog’s bark. Whole valley iscoated with silence, as thick andmaterial as your cloak.

Based on the DM’sjudgment, this may be a goodtime for a Fear check – say, DC 8.Of course, if the PC is role-playing a frightened characterthere’s no need for the check.

In the dim darkness beyondthe doors there’s nothing –nothing of what you expected tofind. An altar, a couple of doorsbeyond it – and a stained glasswindow with a woman in darkpriestly robes looking straight atyou. Her eyes are like thewhirlpools of darkness, theendless wells of pure evil andhatred… The green-gray fire isflowing from her hands toconsume the unfortunate souls ather feet. Suddenly the sobs cease– and at the same moment a waveof melancholy and despair rushesover you. An image coalescesover an altar – that of a youngwoman with large brown eyes fullof sorrow, her gossamer gownflying on the wind you do notascertain. You feel suddenlyfascinated by this morbidevidence of afterlife, while the

woman – or what is left of her –slowly drifts toward you, her eyesas deep and sorrowful as ever,only now there’s a sparkle ofunforgiving malevolence in theircorners…

Each PC must make aHorror check (DC 10), then Willsaves DC 13 against Marina’sAura of Despair and EntrancingAppearance abilities. Note that ifthe party cannot damage Marina,they should make a Fear checkDC 11.

Her death, the abduction ofher child and the slow realizationof her current state drive Marinacompletely insane. She attacks insilence, but if any of the PCs tryto talk to her (some in suchsituation cry “Why do you attackus, we did nothing wrong toyou?!”), she immediatelyresponds – in her chaotic manner,of course. She should be playedas if she suffered from theconstant change in theapprehension of her surroundings:

1) ”How dare you,murderers, talk to me? Bowbefore me for I’m deathincarnate!”

2) “My son, where’s myson? What has HE done to him?Why do YOU cover HIM?!”

3) “Igor! Come to me, mylove!”

4) ”Now that I’m dead,who’s gonna take care for you?”

Note that the only way forher to know eternal rest is eitherfor her and her husband’s bodiesare given a decent burial andVictor is turned over to hermother, or the dagger Yuri usedin slaying Marina is used to slayMarina’s Ghost. Else she mightrest if Victor is brought beforeher. In this case she’ll attempt tohug him and eventually he’llcollapse dead on the floor, thusjoining his mother for the final

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1time. The last two options aresubjects for the power check,however.

A successful Search check(DC 15) on the altar or near itreveals bloodstains, as well asmarks of some kind of weapon(or very strong claws, comes toyour mind).The altar still holdsthe remnants of an unfinishedservice: a liturgy to Hala, a vial ofholy water and an incense.

Doors to the left and rightfrom the altar lead to the Nikon’sapartments and church cellarrespectively. In the apartments theparty may find several of liturgybooks, as well as Nikon’s lastbreakfast left uneaten (Marinacame in a hush for she worried forher baby’s health). In the cellarthe first thing PCs notice is ahorrible stench of rotted bodies.The second is the sight ofM a r i n a ’ s a n d N i k o n ’ sdecomposed remnants. The wholescene is a sight for a Horror checkDC 8. The Nikon is still dressedin his clerical vestment, whileMarina had a blouse, leathertrousers and boots on her. Bothbodies bear the marks of theclaws of some large beast(actually, Yuri used claw bracersto throw any would-be pursuersoff the trail). The only thing ofinterest on the bodies is a smalllocket with expertly paintedIgor’s portrait – his token of lovefrom distant past. It may be usedto provide a +2 circumstancebonus on turn undead attemptsagainst Marina due to its obvioussignificance to her. Elsewhere inthe cellar, be it in shelves orchests or wherever, PCs may finda wooden stake, some wolfsbane,scroll of protection from evil, 1st

lvl and 3 potions of cure lightwounds. Hopefully, the discoverymay still lead them to presume

their enemy is either alycanthrope or a vampire.

If the party defeated Marinain the encounter, they may beawarded XP as if they defeated amonster of half her CR (she istemporary incapacitated, after all)– note that in this case they willgain the same amount at the endof the adventure.

3. Graveyard. Most of thegravestones posses only the nameand casual RIP, since none ofthose who buried their relativeshere thought of preserving thedates of birth and death since theBarovian Calendar is not well-known in Kartakass. Howeverseveral gravestones do have thedates inscribed on them: one is ofparticular interest to the party,since Konstantin Fedotov,Marina’s father, is buried beneathit. The inscription reads: “To theloving father and husband. RIP.701-754.” There are several moregraves of Fedotovs on thegraveyard, but this one isobviously the one most recentlymade. Detailed information onFedotovs is presented in theElder’s house entry and can become upon during the archivesresearch (see below). At night,several dire rats sneak to and froon the graveyard, so the PCs maybe attacked by “monstrous ratsthe size of a long sword, with evileyes gleaming red in thedarkness”.

Dire Rats (3). MM 56. hp 5each.

4. Elder’s house. Hamlet’selder (let’s call him Stephan LGCom5) is an elderly man withsmall, well-kept gray beard,balding head and a little stoopingbearing. His only concerns for thepast years were his son, Luca, andthe community’s welfare. Now,with his son presumably deadbecause of an evil fiend’s

schemes or evil lycanthropes, theonly reason Stephan is still aliveis Bourge, his beloved hamlet.

If neutral Stephan, inaddition to the listed rumors,might point out that the witch isquiet harmless. The only reasonfor people’s fear is the usualdesire to find a scapegoat. Headvises the party to check herabode and ask her about theunfolding events. He may pointout the necessity of theinvestigation of the church, if thePCs haven’t came up with thisidea yet.

If friendly Stephan mighttell the PCs of his sons’ heroicventure into the church, when herecovered the village’s archives.If the PCs desire, they canrummage through them untilsunset. A Search check DC 10may be required for each clue –the archives are organized verywell, so finding the necessary infois not difficult.

Archives’ clues:A) Date of the church’sfound ing . I t happenedsimultaneously with the settler’scoming to the valley.B) Absence of any labyrinths orcatacombs under the churchand/or graveyard. The churchfloor plans are included, however.C) Mark’s wife and daughter havebeen killed by wolves during acold winter a long time ago. Hewas severely injured in the attack.D) Marina’s and Igor’s surnamesare Fedotov.E ) J o s h u a ’ s g r a n d f a t h e r ,Konstantin Fedotov, who died in754, is buried on the graveyardbeyond the church, while hisgrandmother, Lutece, still lives inBourge.D)The last entry to be made wasof Joshua’s illness, which fatherNikon explains with the child’sfragile health due to his birth in

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1spring. Marina’s frequent visitsare mentioned.

5.General store. Gnezhik(LN Exp2), the store’s owner, is afat jovial-looking man in his midyears (of course, he may not belooking jovial to PCs). He loveshis family, his shop, his simplelife – and he doesn’t want anychanges with it. Anythingcorresponding to the Kartakass’CL requirements and costing nogreater than 100 gp is available atthe store.

If made friendly, he maysuggest that the PCs buy asilvered rapier for half its price(50 gp) from him. He sincerelyfears the lycanthropes andbelieves they stand behind theevent, that’s why he offers theweapon.

6.Hedge witch’s abode. Theonly person in this hamlet to beneutral towards the party initially,the hedgewitch Nora (NGSor1/Clr 5 of Hala) is a perfectsource of information for theparty too slow-witted or notwilling enough to role-play. Ifinquired, Nora confirms thestranger’s passing through thevillage. More than that, sheactually believes him to havestayed at “Pechka”, since sheusually walks in the forests afterdark – gathering magical plantsand the like, and she saw twofigures move in Mark’s tavernand heard the voices talking. Theexact words she didn’t hear, butthe conversation was long indeed.If Mark didn’t confess it himself,she advises not to press the matter– she knows he blames himselffor the happening. However, sheasks that the PCs investigate thechurch during the daylight andthen at night – if there is any evilinside, the first expedition mightready them for the second.

In the event the party hasalready ventured into the churchat night and came to someconclusions (whatever they maybe), Nora proposes her help in theform of a scroll with speak withdead on it. She advises not toresort to violence, if it can beavoided – the ghost cannot bebanished from the Land of Mistsforever unless a specific conditionis met or a specific method isused. She proposes either to learna condition or a method, using thescroll and carefully phrasedquestions.

Concerning the stranger, shenever saw him leave, but thenagain she is absolutely sure noone in the village hides him. Shesuggests searching the nearbywoods.

If Nora is friendly to thePCs, she even proposes toquestion the spirit herself, as wellas provides the party with a +1short sword, a scroll of protectionfrom evil and 2 potions of curelight wounds. Also, she may takea student in clerical or arcane artslater in the campaign (since she isa sorceress, she can train acharacter willing to embark onthis path).

7. Marina’s and Igor’shouse. This empty house standson the bank of a river, opposite tothe church. Inside, the houselooks, not surprisingly, deserted –cobwebs hanging from corners,covering most dishes and plates,chair thrown against the wall,petrified food on the table – as ifit was left in a hurry. Of personalbelongings, nothing worthmentioning remains – severalwooden toys, “magical lamp” (atin lamp with phantasmal imagescut into its sides, rotates around acandle inside it and projectsmoving images on the walls),cloths, foodstuffs, flowers and

plants in pots (Marina adornedthem).

8. The house of Lutece,Marina’s mother. Lutece behavesjust like any other villager would,unless the PCs persuade her theyknow she’s Joshua’s grandmother(or, at least, Marina’s relative).Then, if she is either neutral orfriendly, Lutece will bury theparty under the endless stream ofcries and tears, intermitted withremarks of how she “knewsomething bad was going tohappen, I felt it with my achingheart!” If informed of thediscovery of her daughter’scorpse, after another quarter-an-hour of crying, she’ll beg theparty to find the missing Igor andher grandchild, so that she begiven solace in the fact that herlittle Joshua is raised by lovingand caring people. Obviously, ifPCs voice the doubt of Igor’s wellbeing, she agrees to take care forJoshua for herself (which isexactly the thing Marina wants).

9.Blacksmith. The smithystands opposite the “Pechka” anda neutral smith (CG Exp1) mayeven confirm that the strangerstayed at night in the tavern. Hewill also point out that the matterwas resolved when Mark publiclyblamed himself for the things thatcame and asked for as severepunishment as it was possible, butwas considered innocent bycommunity.

Otherwise, he may suggestrepairing any non-magicalweapon or armor and may evencraft one for the correct price.

Continuing the adventureHopeful ly , the PCs

uncovered as much of a plot as itsuits them, found out the stepsnecessary to be taken if the ghostis to be laid to rest and are stillmissing 3 persons or theirremnants: Luca, Igor and Joshua.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1The obvious solution with Luca isto backtrack and recover histhawing corpse in the forest. Theproblem with Igor and Joshuawill, hopefully, be solved in thenext chapter. The idea is to makePCs to role-play, to make peopletrust them, so it is deemednecessary to allow an influencecheck only to those, who role-play it. Any of the PCs whoactively took part in role-playingduring their investigation inBourge should be awarded with50 XP per level, while any whopersonally participated inpeople’s interrogations, should beawarded with XP as if hevanquished a CR 1 foe.

HarmoniaAs soon as the party

managed to uncover all the infonecessary and is getting bored, aboy from one of the outlyingfarms runs down the streettowards the elder’s house, crying“Dead man! Dead man!” Heexplains to the elder or to thePCs, if they catch him before hemakes to the house, that he waswalking in the forest having fledhis farm chores, when he sawseveral crows feasting on deadman’s body about 20-30 feet infront of him. He saw the deadman’s face and cried out fromfear for it was Igor! The cry putthe scavengers into the sky andthey chased him away. He cantake them where the body lies orthe elder retells the story andsends a boy with party, if theywish.

An hour’s walk westtowards Harmonia, the partycomes upon a small clearing witha rotted body lying in its center,all covered with hungry birds.The animals consider the prizetheirs, so they attack anyintruders, but will NOT fight to

death, preferring to withdraw if aquarter of their number is slain.

Crows (12). As Raven,MM 201. hp 1 each.

The half-eaten corpse isindeed Igor, as anyone in thevillage will justify, if the body isbrought in Bourge. A gapingwound in his stomach tellseveryone that the hunter died along and agonizing death. He stillclutches his masterwork longsword, rusty now after a monthunder the snow. A small silveramulet in the form of wolf’s pawcan be found on his neck (itdoesn’t offers any protectionwhatsoever from lycanthropy,because Marina unwittinglybought it from the charlatan),while dark brown hair can befound stuck under his nails(Search DC 20). The hair isYuri’s, torn from him during thefight.

When the body is broughtto Bourge, it is attended byLutece, for Igor’s family lives inInvidia. If the PCs do notapproach the hedgewitch, sheoffers to use her speak with deadspell on Igor herself. This she willdo alone although, if DM deemsit just, the PCs may be present.The questioning yields astranger’s description and twoadditional facts:

1) He still had Joshuaalive when Igor caughtup with him.

2) He was going in thedirection of Harmonia.

The description is asfollows: tall, thin man with long,strong arms, long brown hair,caught in a pony-tail behind, cold,dark eyes and hawk nose. Cleanlyshaven. Anyone who makesBardic Knowledge or Knowledge(Kartakass local) check DC 15may recognize the person as Yurithe Cold Heart, a bounty-hunter

famous in these parts for hisunscrupulous contracts. If all thePCs fail their checks, then theelder, who is instantly informedby the hedgewitch of such drasticrevelations, asks the PCs to travelback to Harmonia and investigatethe matter.

As with the travel toBourge, the travel back toHarmonia takes 3 hours on horseand 6 on foot.

For details on the city,refer to the Feast of Goblynsadventure. For the sake ofconvenience, suffice it to say thatit is a city of approximately 1,500people in southern Kartakass, theentrance fee is about 2 gp forarmed and mounted, 1 gp formounted or armed and +10 gp ifthe visitor doesn’t knows thepledge of Harmonia:

Oh Harmony, oh Harmony,A city grand and truly free.Oh Harmony, oh Harmony,Tis thee I always long to

see.To Harmony, to Harmony,I pledge eternal loyalty.At this moment, the PCs

should come up with some meansof locating Yuri. This may be abribe (reasonably large sum) to alocal official, an interrogation atdocks and other seedy places ofthe city (possibly also including abribe), or a Gather InformationCheck DC 20. Presumably, theparty will spend the whole daysearching the city for any clue onYuri’s whereabouts. It is possibleto drop a few side-tracks orc a m p a i g n b a c k g r o u n dinformation at this moment as thePCs are likely to hear manyrumors, not all of which concerntheir quest. It is possible even toinclude an encounter with localthugs, if the PCs seem to snuffout for too long in one place.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1Thugs(3). NE War1. hp 8

each.These guys are not

particularly brave, so after one ofthem is down, the rest run fortheir lives.

Assuming the partylocates Yuri before the nightfall,he is spending his time (andmoney) in a tavern with anunassuming name “Weepingwillow.” The place is a favoriteamong local thugs, harlots and allmanner of rogues. Thecommoner’s room is full ofroaring and laughing patrons,with billowing clouds of smokeobscuring the far corners. Yurisits in one of the corners with hisback to the wall and his eyestrained on the entrance – by thenhe is aware of heroes’ search forhim and decides to dispose ofthem during a typical bar brawlthat he orchestrated.

You enter into the tavern’scrowded Commoner’s room. Thesmoke vapors of tobacco and thecheap ale aroma make a strangecocktail that slowly drifts in yourface and through your nostrils.Then you distinguish the smell ofa large number of unwashedhuman bodies and sweat, tingledwith a fleeting smell of cheapperfume, favorite among localwenches.

Nobody seems to pay youany attention as the crowdcontinues its business: playingcards and dice, toasting, slappingserving wenches, choosing amongharlots, conducting shadybusiness in low voices in thecorners. The one you came herefor sits just in one of them. As younotice him, he fixes you with agaze devoid of any emotion, onlypure hatred. Then a cry “He stolemy pouch” comes from your leftand a mug of ale hits you on a

head. The ensuing ruckus hidesYuri for some time.

Give the PCs severalrounds of pure swashbuckling asthe tavern explodes in a fight.There are around 30 patrons inthe Commoners room, butobviously, only few of them willbe interested in taking on the PCs.Note that these use their fists andmugs to deal subdual damage,rather than kill an opponent. Also,a PC who kills an opponent inthis fight, deserves a powercheck. If any of the brawlers iskilled, the rest stop playing gamesand draw knives.

Brawlers (6). As thugsabove. hp 8 each.

After several rounds ofcombat, Yuri positions himselfbehind one of the PCs (he maymake a Spot check as opposed byYuri’s Hide check). He thenattempts to perform a sneak attackon an opponent, then continues tofight until either he or the party isdead.

By the nightfall, if the PCshaven’t found him yet, Yuridecides to make the first and finalstrike. The PCs are most likely tocease their investigation for thenight, so he tries to sneak intotheir rooms and to take them outone-by-one. Otherwise he strikeson some cold and deserted streetwith no lights to reveal the evildoing. Hopefully, the party isalert and doesn’t fall prey to themurderer. However, if the party issleeping like in innocent baby andit all points to the fact of theirsudden and bloody demise, DMshould warn the PCs of thestranger in their room – either bya squeak of a floor or a meow of acat. Mayhap, Yuri was not socareful and actually broke thewindow a little more noisily thenit should have been done.

If the PCs managed toknock Yuri unconscious – somuch the better, but if they werenot so careful – have no fear. Thekey in his pocket opens a certainroom in certain port tavern (notmany taverns in 1,500 town),where he decided keep Joshuauntil “things get low” and his“customer” got more agitated andagreed to pay a more handsomesum. In his room the party mayalso find a pretty sum of moneyYuri earned recently (about 500gp). Alternatively, the PCs mightfind only map that shows thelocation of the money chest andmay lead them on a treasure-huntadventure.

Concluding theadventure

The PCs are now likely toreturn to Bourge with Joshua and,considering they have all themeans to destroy the ghost, it isup to them to decide which wayto choose. If the party hands theJoshua over to his grandmother,Marina’s ghost silently disappears(it is likely that no one will bepresent when this happens) andthe church, once re-consecrated,may be used for the services oneagain provided the willing priestis found. This outcome nets 1.5times the XP for defeatingMarina, as well as bonuses forgood role-play if appropriate.

If the party brings theJoshua before Marina on onecold, snowy night, then read thefollowing:

You stand before the altar.The cold winds outside howl andrise to an alarming cry, blowingclouds of snow through opendoors and empty windows. Thesound of the storm outside mufflesthe sounds of your feet shufflingover the stone tiles or Joshua’s

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1sobbing… A cold blue lightappears and begins to coalesceover the altar once again. Slowlyand soundlessly it takes the shapeof a young woman known to youas Marina, her face wet withtears and her hair and dressflying furiously on the chillingwind that rushes in the churchthrough now largely open doors.She looks around, taking in thescene. Then she seems to noticeJoshua and, after a moment’shesitation, stretches her arm tohim. The child, shocked though heis buy the sight of his motherhovering above, starts to cry. Thespirit’s face distorts as Marinafrowns. But then she gently fliesoff the altar and drifts up to thecharacter carrying the baby here,her arms stretch as if she is aboutto embrace her child.

She gently takes the babyfrom your hands, taking his bodyto her breast and caressing himwith her hand. Child’s criessound progressively quieter,while Marina’s spirit seems toslowly fade out of existence. Thenthe moment comes, when you canhear no cries at all. In fact, nosound at all: no wind howling, nodoors or shutters squeaking.Nothing at all. And you seenobody in the church except yourawed companions.

The party should gain anXP as if they defeated the spirit,but no more.

Lastly, the PCs coulddecide to make it the old way – tolay Marina to rest through killingher by Yuri’s dagger.

In this case, the sceneproceeds as described under thechurch entry in Bourge, only thatwhen the ghost is finally defeated,it will not rejuvenate. Theoutcome is certainly better in thiscase, so the party could beawarded with XP for the defeat of

the spirit, as well as for good role-play (if appropriate).

Of course, the plot may beextrapolated so that the PCs couldbe asked to find the noble’smissing child, or the party clericmay be asked to substitute forfather Nikon or find the some onecapable to perform a similar role.

Monsters and NPCsWolf CR 1; Medium-size

animal; HD 4d8 + 4; hp 13; Init+2 (Dex); Spd 50 ft.; AC 14 (+2Dex, +2 natural); Atk +3 melee(1d6+1, bite); Face/Reach: 5 ft.by 5ft./5ft. AL N; SA: Trip; SQ:Scent; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will+1; Str 13; Dex 15; Con 15; Int 2;Wis 12; Cha 6.

Skills and Feats: Hide +3; Listen +6; Move Silently +4;Spot +4; Wilderness Lore +1;Weapon Finesse (bite);

Dire Rat CR 1/3; Smallanimal; HD 1d8 + 1; hp 5; Init +3(Dex); Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.;AC 15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1natural); Atk +4 melee (1d4,bite); Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5ft./5ft.AL N; SA: Disease; SQ: Scent;SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; Str10; Dex 17; Con 12; Int 1; Wis12; Cha 4.

Skills and Feats: Climb+11; Hide + 11; Move Silently+6;

Weapon Finesse (bite);Disease (Ex): Filth fever –

bite, Fortitude save DC 12,incubation period 1d3 days,damage 1d3 temporary Dexterityand 1d3 temporary Constitution.

Crow CR 1/6; Tiny animal;HD 1/4d8; hp 1; Init +2 (Dex);Spd 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average);AC 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex); Atk +4m e l e e ( 1 d 2 - 5 , c l a w s ) ;Face/Reach:

2 _ ft. by 2 _ ft./0 ft. AL N;SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2; Str1; Dex 15; Con 10; Int 2; Wis 14;Cha 6.

Skills and Feats: Listen+6; Spot +6; Weapon Finesse(claws);

Marina CR 3; Ghost (rank2) Drd1; HD 1d12+1 (9 hp); Init+7 (Dex); Spd fly 30 ft. (perfect);AC 13 (10 while ethereal); Atk+3 melee (1d4, corrupting touch);Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.;AL NE; SA: Manifestation, Auraof Despair, Corrupting Touch,Entrancing Appearance, spells;SQ: Undead, Incorporeal, turnresistance +5, Rejuvenation; SVFort +2, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 11;Dex 16; Con -; Int 11; Wis 16;Cha 16.

Sk i l l s and Fea t s:Concentration +4, Knowledge(Religion) +4, Spell craft +4;

Improved Initiative;Manifestation (Su): When

the ghost manifests, it becomesvisible, but remain incorporeal.However, the ghost can strikewith its touch attack or a ghosttouch weapon. A manifestedghost remains on the EtherealPlane but can be attacked byopponents on both the Materialand Ethereal planes. When aspell-casting ghost is on theEthereal Plane, its spells cannotaffect targets on the MaterialPlane, but they work normallyagainst ethereal targets. When aspell casting ghost manifests, itsspells continue to affect etherealtargets and can affect targets onthe Material Plane normallyunless the spell rely on touch. Amanifested ghost‘s touch spellsdon’t work on material targets.The dark powers granted Marinathe ability to manifested only atnight, thus making the hours ofthe day more painful for her,

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1since she cannot interact withanyone who comes to the churchduring the day.

Aura of Despair (Su):Those near the ghost are afflictedwith a deep apathy andmelancholia that makes actiondifficult. All those within 50 feetof the ghost must make a Willsave (DC 13). Those who failsuffer a morale penalty, equal tothe ghost’s rank, to all attackrolls, skill checks, and saves. Thenegative modifier lasts until thevictim leaves the radius of thispower. Those who pass theirsaves cannot be affected by thisparticular ghost’s Aura of Despairfor 24 hours.

Corrupting touch (Su): Aghost that hits a living target withits incorporeal attack deals 1d4points of damage. Againstethereal opponents, it adds itsStrength modifier to attack anddamage rolls. Against materialopponents, it adds its Dexteritymodifier to attack rolls only.

Entrancing Appearance(Su): The ghost taps into thefascination living creatures havewith death, and all who look at itrisk falling victim to it. Thisability is treated as a gaze attackwith a range of 30 feet. Targetsmust make a Will save DC 13.Those who fail are unable to takeany action while the ghostremains in view. Victims canmake subsequent Will saves tothrow off the effects. The numberof rounds a victim must waitbefore making another save isequal to the ghost’s rank.

Incorporeal: The daggerYuri used to murder Marinapossesses the ability to hit anddamage Marina (and only thisghost!) due to its role in herbecoming an undead. Hits madewith this dagger are still subjectsto 50% miss chance, though.

Rejuvenation (Su): Thedestroyed ghost will reform in2d4 days. The only way to get ridof Marina’s ghost is to performone of the following:

1) Give herand her husband a properfuneral and return Joshuato his grandmother;

2) ReturnJoshua to the ghost, sothat they can be reunitedin death;

3) Kil l theghost with the dagger thatYuri used to slid Marina’sthroat.

Spells (DC = 13+lvl): detectmagic, l ight , resistance;obscuring Mist;

Y u r i Human maleFtr2/Rog2; HD 2d10+2 plus2d6+2 (25 hp); Init +7 (+3 Dex,+4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30ft.; AC 16 (+3 studded leather, +3Dex), 17 with Dodge; Atk +6melee (1d8+2, masterwork longsword), +6 ranged (1d8, lightcrossbow); Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5ft./ 5 ft.; AL LE; SA: SneakAttack +1d6; SQ: Evasion; SVFort +4, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 14;Dex 16; Con 12; Int 15; Wis 10;Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Climb +5,Gather Information +6, Jump +5,Hide + 17, Move Silently +7,Search +7; Swim +5; Iron Will,Weapon Focus (long sword),Improved Initiative, Dodge;

Possessions: masterworklong sword, dagger*, studdedleather armor, light crossbow (10bolts with bloodroot poison),cloak of elvenkind, potion of curelight wounds.

* this is a dagger used inMarina’s murder, so it possessesan ability to actually damage thespirit, though the weapon itself isnot magical. Marina’s dried-out

blood forever marks this weaponas a tool of lowly murder (anotherjoke of the Dark Powers and ahint to PCs).

Thugs Human males War1;HD 1d8+4 (8 hp); Init +1 (Dex);Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+3 studdedleather); Atk +3 melee (1d6+2,short sword or 1d4+2, knife ordagger), +2 ranged (1d4, knife);Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.;AL CN; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will+0; Str 14; Dex 12; Con 12; Int13; Wis 11; Cha 9.

Skills and Feats: Climb +4,Jump +4, toughness

Possessions: short sword, 2daggers or knives, studded leatherarmor, 1d6 gp and 3d6 sp each.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Children of the NightKestrel

Hags are terrible predatorsbut they remain dependent uponsecrecy. Typically hags groupthemselves in groups of three formutual protection, allowing eachmember of the covey to assist oneanother reach a common goal.Though a covey is much moredangerous than a single hag, it isalso much more noticeable. Theravenous appetites of three suchcreatures quickly draw theattention of the human prey. Theinsidious magic of a covey haslittle affect upon an angry mob.The claws of a hag may slashdeeper than a pitchfork but whathumans lack in strength theymore than compensate innumbers. To survive, a hag mustnever draw attention to herself. Itis a lesson that a hag namedKestrel learned with greatexpense.

AppearanceKestrel is a cautious hag. Shekeeps her true form hidden exceptto those she is about to devour.Most often she is in the disguiseas Goodwife Williams, a middle-aged widow. In this guise sheappears to be a plain woman ofaverage height and build. Shedresses in drab cloths and rarelyspeaks.

In her natural state she isterrible to behold. Her skin is thescaly green color of a serpent andit is covered with warts. Her noseis long and curved like the beakof an ungodly vulture. Her hair,claws and fangs are darker thanthe night themselves and her eyesare yellow slits that burn withvengeful hatred. When she isperforming a dark ritual or

meeting with one of hermonstrous servants she tends towear black. Her favored clothingis a black dress and cape as wellas a wide brimmed pointed hat.When in her true form Kestrelallows her familiar to be seen.Her familiar is a black female catnamed Imp.

Whether she is in disguiseor in her natural form she is neverwithout two precious items. Thefirst is a corn broom and thesecond is a simple bronze ring.Both these items serve asreceptacles for the energy of herdeparted sisters.

KestrelHag, age category 2Monstrous Humanoid,sorceress 5th levelHit Dice 5D8+10 (40)Initiative +1Speed 30 feetAC 17 (+1 dex, +6

natural)Attacks 2 claws +8Damage 1D4+4Face/Reach 5 ft./ 5 ft.SpecialAttacks

Foci, Hag magic,Spells,

SpecialQuality

Spells, Spellresistance, spelllike abilities

Saves Fort +3, ref +4,will +8

Abilities Str 18, Dex 12,Con 14, Int 14,Wiz 15, Cha 15

Skills Bluff +10,concentration+8, diplomacy+5, gatherinformation +6,hide +6,knowledge:arcane +5, listen+8, move

arcane +5, listen+8, movesilently +4,search +6, spot+8

Feats Alertness,combat casting,silent spell, stillspell, enlargespell

ChallengeRating

7

Alignment Chaotic evil

Spells memorized: 0 level: daze* 2, detect magic, ghost sound,resistance. 1st level: mage armor,charm person *2, sleep, causefear. 2nd level: hypnotic patter*2,invisibility*2.Spells Known: 0 level: daze,detect magic, ghost sound, light,resistance. 1st level: mage armor,charm person, sleep, and causefear. 2nd level: hypnotic patter,invisibility.Hag Magic: 3 minor abilities:Charm person, sleep, ray ofenfeeblement.

BackgroundKestrel was born upon a

world far away from the land ofmists. She lived like a typicalhag, devouring humans andworshiping the dark forces thathaunt the night. She, her motherand her mother’s mother traveledtogether across the land. Theywere a powerful covey for theybore a bloodline thick withwicked magic. They were brazenin their predations and activelysought to establish cults dedicatedto the forces of evil and murder.It was the ideal life for a younghag.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1It was roughly one hundred

and fifty years after her birth thata mist on the road envelopedKestrels covey. When the foglifted the three hags weresurprised to discover that theyhad been swept away to a darkland. The cold ground waspermeated with the perfume ofevil. The plants, the animals,even the weak rays of the sunwere somehow corrupted by acold malignance. The hags foundthe people to be naive andunprotected and so the threefeasted. Village after village wasdespoiled. Families were broughtto ruin and the greatest of thegenerations were slain orcorrupted. The hags reveled inthe evil they wove and thedestruction they wrought. Yet asthey spread bedlam they gave nothought to the signs of theirpresence that they left with everyact.

Within a decade of theirarrival in the land of mists thehags were targeted by a band ofadventurers. Led by a hallowedwitch the hunters followed thetrail of misery. In only a fewmonths they overtook theirquarries. The party caught up toKestrel’s covey in a small townnamed Waywand, where thecovey was at work corrupting theyouth of the village and quietlyeliminating everyone who stoodin their way. The wisdom of thehallowed witch allowed theadventurers to divine those folkunaffected by the hags’corruption as well as the secretidentities of the hags. Theadventurers rallied the people ofWaywand and lured the unholywitches into a trap. Thepreparations were nearly perfect,for while they successfully luredthe elder two, Kestrel ignored thebait and remained in her lair.

The witch of Hala and herfriends may have been no matchfor the powerful hags on theirown, but the tide of pitchforkswielding village folk turned thebalance. The two hags werestabbed, burned and bludgeonedinto submission. Finally theywere dragged to the town squarewhere, according to legaltradition, the condemned weretired and convicted. By that timethe commotion had arousedKestrels attention. She watchedthrough the eyes of her familiar asher mother and grandmotherslowly died on the gallows.

Afraid, for the first time inher life, she fled. Kestrel randeep into the wilderness, runningfor days on end. She lived onanimals and hid in caves, tryingdesperately to contain her dread.Her covey was annihilated andwith it went her powers. Hermagic was terribly weakened andwithout her relatives to protecther she feared for her life. Foralmost ten years she huddled inthe gloom. As the years past fearturned to guilt, guilt to resentmentand resentment to hatred. Slowlyshe emerged and began preyingupon humans once more. In timeshe began building up her power.Kestrel has returned to the villageof Waywand, were she preparesto finish that which she started somany years ago.

Current SketchKestrel is deliberately slow

and methodical in her actions.She has plotted her revenge foryears, cautiously building up herfiendish powers and drawingminions from the area. Kestrelhas since had the bodies of hermother and grandmotherexhumed. Using a powerfulblack ritual she has gleanedresidual mystical power from the

bones and transferred it into herring and her broom foci.

Kestrel does not rely onpure magic to work her will. Shehas enslaved half a dozen ogresshe found in the mountains ofDarkon. These ogres now lie inwait in the wilderness. Over timeshe has insinuated herself into thecommunity of Waywand, posingas the wife of a local farmer,Michael Williams. Michael is ahuman being under Kestrelscharms. Since the moment sheseduced him he has been a willingparticipant of the hag’s schemes.Despite his corrupted nature,Michael remains a simple man.When he has served his purpose,Kestrel intends to devour him.

Since she emerged from thewilderness Kestrel has beenpushed by three goals. Shewishes to resurrect the membersof her covey, slay the adventurerswho destroyed them and destroythe town of Waywand. She hassought the council of other hagsand learned of a way to resurrecther mother and grandmother asundying spirits. To accomplishthis end Kestrel must perform abloody sacrifice and harvest thelife force of a powerful spell-caster. She is hatching a plot toentrap the adventurers who slewthe members of her covey,including their leader, a hallowedwitch of Hala. Once they aresacrificed the spirits of the twohags will be raised from thegrave. Reunited, the three willwreak unfathomable evil acrossthe countryside.Combat

Kestrel intends to draw aslittle attention to herself aspossible. When she is forcefullyconfronted, she evades. She usesher enchantments to create anetwork of friends in thecommunity. These charmed

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1individuals are convinced that sheis exactly what she appears to be,a simple farmwife. She reliesupon these charmed individuals tocome to her aid while in town, forshe will not resort to using magicuntil it is obvious that her identityis revealed. She never changesher form in the presence ofhumans, even when she is surethat there is no one else to witnessthe transformation. Kestrel never

attacks a foe directly. She sendsher minions to invade farmsteadsand set fires.

When she is endangered sheuses her magic and flees. Sheattempts to wear down resistancewith liberal applications of thecause fear, charm and sleep spellsas well as her ray of enfeeblementability.

Foci: Kestrel’s ring andbroom are imbued with mystical

power gleaned from the bodies ofher mother and grandmother.While she possesses the broomshe has the ability to cast the spellfly at will. While Kestrel wearsher ring she gains the ability torebuke undead as an evil cleric of8th level.

Spell Like Abilities:Kestrel can cast change self atwill.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Shuraz’tun KirMansion of the Ghoul Queen

By Shane Glodoskibookwyrms@yahoo.com

“I suppose you believe thisto be a welcoming from me; youhave entered my abode after all.Sit, rest, you still have a few moreminutes to live. What is this placeyou ask, ah yes; your mind doesbetray such simple thoughts. Whydo I not see that you are ignorantof such facts, very well, you havecome to the NecropolisShuraz’tun Kir. Of course in yourtongue, you may know of it as TheLast Rest.”

“That is all you need toknow at this time, you’ll becomemore familiar with its secretswhen you are better suited as myslave. What I ask of you howeveris quite simple; tell me everythingthat you know of this land.Stubbornness, well then, let meput it to you thus, the more thatyou divulge, the more you shallkeep of your past when you aremy slave. Displease me, and youshall not even have that luxury,

I do like the occasional artupon my walls, or should I say asmy walls…”

Shuraz’tun KirCultural Level: Classical (4)

Landscape: Sparse ecologyShuraz’tun Kir is a city of graves.Beyond its walls are lifeless sandsthe color of ash. There are noplants in Shuraz’tun Kir and noanimals can survive within theconfines of the walls. Thetemperature remains as warm asthe desert though within the shadeof the tombs the air is cool andhumid. Shuraz’tun Kir is locatedin the extreme south of Pharazia,on the border between the

sweltering desert and the roaringsandstorm that makes up themisty border. The borders of thepocket domain are made up of thegray stonewalls of the dead city.The walls surrounding thenecropolis are carved with imagesof everyday life from a small cityor town. Ruins of such asettlement are strangely absentfrom the area. The craftsmanshipshows no sign of any wear fromweather, though scratches andgouges can be found in the stone,the remnants of battles. Thesegouges offer may places to gain ahandhold for those wishing toclimb into the compound. Thesurface of the interior side of thewall is perfectly smooth andimpossible to climb by anymeans.

The only entrance to thecompound is the massive gatethat dominates the front of thefortifications. These bronze andcopper gates possess no sigil ordesign; it is a simple framearound a series of bars. The barsare comprised of alternating barsof bronze and copper intertwinedabout each other. The gate can beopened from the outside but oncea person enters he cannot forcethe gates open by any means.

The area beyond the gates iscomprised of numerous house-like tombs. The mausoleums areconnected by vaulted extensions.These complexes consist either ofa series of long and narrowparallel chambers within a singlerectangular building or a group ofsquare and oblong "rooms" withina single building. The walls of

each tomb are packed withbodies. Ancient skeletons arestacked between horizontalshelves cut into the walls. Withineach tomb is a single alcoveholding an arrangement of humanbones. In a few rare instancesthere are lavishly decoratedshrines. The centerpieces of theseshrines are heavy stone coffins.

Beyond the maze of stonetombs stands the temple. Thesimple building is cube shaped,decorated with columns carvedinto the stone. Between thecolumns are holes cut into thewall where once were windows.The windows have long sincebeen replaced with gray bricks.The temple is devoid of anyreligious icons and motifs, but itis undeniably a place of greatimportance. The temple is madeof a stone slightly darker incoloration than the rest of thetombs.

Beyond the temple lies amaze of tombs and the rear gatesof Shuraz’tun Kir. These gatesare indistinguishable from thefront gates. Like the entrance, therear gate cannot be opened by anymeans. Beyond the exit is aswirling vortex of mist andchoking smoke. This vortex is amist way that links the pocketdomain to Hazlan. Travelers whoenter the mistway from Hazlanmay open the rear gates, but thesegates will slam shut no matterhow it is propped open.

Major Settlements: None.The Folk: The only beings

within Shuraz’tun Kir are theundying slaves of the darklord.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1Their numbers are kept in aconstant flux since Mirogola’shunger and her impatience claimmany.

The Law: The only lawwithin Shuraz’tun Kir is the willof Mirogola, the darklord of thedomain.

Trade and Diplomacy:There is no trade or diplomacywithin Shuraz’tun Kir. All whogo in to the necropolis areenslaved or devoured byMirogola.

Characters: There are nonat ive characters withinShuraz’tun Kir. None ofMirogola’s slaves have everescaped the necropolis.

Mirogola the LivingGhoulCR 7; Size M MonstrousHumanoid; HD 6d8+6; hp 42; Init+2 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+2armor, Dex); Attack +8/+3 melee(1d4+1, bite), or +5/+0 melee(1d4+1[x2], claws); SA createspawn, miasma, paralysis,summon ghoul beetles; SQimmune to paralyses; AL CE; SVFort +3, Ref +7, Will +7; Str 13,Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 15,Cha 16.Skills: Climb +5, Escape Artist+6, Hide +6, Intuit Direction +4,Jump +15, Listen +6, MoveSilently +6, Search +5, Spot +6.Feats: Alertness, Multiattack,Weapon Finesse (bite).Possessions: Cursed ring ofsustenance, death shrouds, ghoulskin leather armor, boots ofstriding and springing, periapt ofhealth.

Mirogola resembles anemaciated human near to deathfrom starvation. Her limbs aretwisted and knobby at the joints,while her skin is a putrid greenspotted with marks of deep violetbruises. Her hair is a tangled web

of white fiber and her eyes areblack pools of shadow sunkenwithin the withered sockets.Wherever she goes, Mirogolaspreads the stench of a century ofdeath. The lady of Shuraz’tun Kirwears armor made from the skinof one of her former ghoulishminions. Despite her hideousface, Mirogola is an imposingfigure. Her voice is deep andbooming and her skeletal frame isnever slouched. She is the lady ofthe necropolis and every blink ofher eye expresses that fact.Background

Mirogola was a oncepriestess to a god of deathworshiped by the citizens of adeclining city-state. It was hersolemn duty to protect thegraveyard of her city from theravages of necromancers and theundead. Mirogola followed herduty diligently, but she becamebored and careless. One night shefollowed a band of ghouls into acrypt and slew the pack. One ofthe ghouls proved immune toturning and holy water, though itbled profusely when it died. Thecreature possessed a band oftarnished copper upon its finger,which Mirogola claimed as herown. Little did she suspect thatshe had doomed herself.

The ring was a cursed item,it leached the energy from herbody and deformed her body.Mirogola tried desperately toremove the ring but within a nightit had worked its evil upon her. Itwarped her mind with hunger andmalignance, turning her into acreature similar to the veryvermin she hunted. Mirogolafound to her chagrin that thoughstarvation was excruciating shecould not die from lack ofnourishment. The priests becamea cannibal, neither alive nor deadshe feasted upon the bodies she

had once sworn to protect. Thebodies of the dead sustained herdecaying body, reducing the painof her hunger.

The p r i e s thood o fMirogola’s god had long sincelost power. The hierarchy of thedeath church had begun anexodus of the failing city longbefore Mirogola’s transformation.By the time she succumbed to thering there was no one powerfulenough to harm her. The cityabandoned the graveyard and leftit to the ghoul queen. Bodieswere thrown into the unusedbuildings and temples and left torot. In turn, Mirogola organized anetwork of ghoulish minions.These minions scoured the city ofthe dead, which were in no shortsupply. At the center of hernec ropo l i s she c rue l lyconsolidated power over theghouls. The numbers of thesecannibals dwindled under thepainful leadership of Mirogola.Soon the undying ghouls joinedtheir living kin in a flight fromthe city. Mirogola was left alonein her mansion of graves, withnothing left to devour but thebones of ancient bodies.

In time, Mirogola lost herconnection to her god and wasdamned for her weakness in theface of suffering. One day thefew remaining denizens of thecity were mildly shocked to seethat the graveyard had vanished.

Current SketchSince her banishment to

Shuraz’tun Kir Mirogola hasbecome sadistic and irrational.Whenever the living trespass inher domain they are mercilesslyslain and transformed into ghouls.These ghouls live short lives, forMirogola has little use forservants except to torment themand inevitably devour them.Mirogola cannot be reasoned

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1with, she wants nothing but toinflict harm upon other beings.

Combat When faced with intruders,

Mirogola allows the interlopers toexplore the necropolis. Since theborders are closed they cannotescape. Inevitably they will enterthe temple and she will confrontthem. When faced with a realchallenge Mirogola flees herthrown room and summons waveafter wave of ghoul beetles todevourer the interlopers.

Create Spawn: Anycreature killed by Mirogola’sfangs or claws rises as a ghoul in1D10 hours.

Miasma (su): Mirogola isconstantly surrounded with anaura of pure evil. Any goodaligned creature within 60 feet ofMirogola must make a will saveagainst a DC 15 or suffer a –4moral penalty to all attack rolls,skill checks and saving throws.This supernatural fear effect endswhen the creature leaves thesixty-foot radius.

Paralysis (su): Anyone hitby Mirogola’s bite or claw attackmust make a fortitude saveagainst a DC 17 or be paralyzedfor 1d6+6 minutes.

Summon Ghoul Beetles(su): Every four rounds Mirogolamay summon 1D4+2 ghoulbeetles. These beetles arrive inone round and attack anythingthey come across exceptMirogola.

Closing the Borders The borders of Shuraz’tun

Kir are perpetually closed. Noflight is possible within the walls

of Shuraz’tun Kir and the groundis too firm for tunneling. Thewalls are too steep and perfectlysmooth so no method of climbingcan circumvent the walls. Thegates cannot be forced open fromthe inside nor can they bepropped open.

Ghoul BeetlesSmall Vermin

Hit Dice 1d8 (4 hp)

Initiative +0

Speed 30 ftArmor Class 16 (+1 size,

+5 natural)Attacks Bite +1 meleeDamage Bite 1d4 plus

1d3 aciddamage

Face/Reach 5 ft by 5 ft/5ft

Special Attacks Acidic bite,paralysis

SpecialQualities

Vermin

Saves Fort +2, Ref+0, Will +0

Abilities Str 7, Dex 11,Con 11, Int -,Wis 10, Cha 7

Skills Climb +4,Listen +4,Spot +4

Climate/Terrain Any warmland andunderground

Organization Cluster (2-5)or Swarm (6-20)

ChallengeRating

1

Treasure NoneAlignment Always

neutral

Ghoul beetles are seen asboth as beneficial and as pests, forthey consume any organic matter,preferring that found innecropolises and other sites ofdeath. With many seeking topreserve the dead, these vermincan wipe out any chance ofraising the corpse; even the spellgentle repose does not preventthese beetles from making a mealof the deceased. Ghoul beetlesresemble molted gray beetles;some claim some even give off afoul odor, though it is usually theenvironment upon which thesevermin are encountered thatcauses such a claim.

Combat: Ghoul beetles live offthe readily available food sourcefound in graves and places ofdeath. Their weak acid helps tobreak down calcium in bones andother organic materials, allowingthem to digest it. When there isn’ta source of food readily available,they have been known to attackthose still living. The filth of theirfood that they have eaten helps toproduce a paralyzing effect tothose bitten.

Acidic Bite (Ex): Anyonebitten suffers 1d3 points of aciddamage.

Paralysis (Ex): Thosebitten by a ghoul beetle mustsucceed at a Fortitude save (DC12) or be paralyzed for 1d6+2minutes. Elves are not immune toa ghoul beetle’s paralysis.

Vermin: Immune to allmind-influencing effects.

An Unwelcome RespiteThe road is the only dangerous place to Sleep

By Shane Glodoskibookwyrms@yahoo.com

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

The last rays of sunshine beganto creep away from the horizon;the game itself wasn’t over yet.Isella lit the wick of the candle,setting the shard of flint and steelbeside it, and then gently set thecandle on the table next to thegame board. The room wasilluminated, leaving only thedancing of shadows off in thedistance. Isella’s freckled facestared down at the ivory and blackopal tiled board, its coloredwooden figurines standing in eeriesilence.

The game was known as Kingsand Queens; she had played itoften in these parts. Studying thegame carefully, her large rustcolored eyes traced moves aboutthe board. Sitting up in the chair,she moved the jester, its mockinggrin an equal to Isella’s own, asshe took away the knight. Shegiggled as she sat back down,staring off at the chair oppositeher, then glancing to the boardonce more. The other chair wasempty, as it always was. Turningthe board around, she went back tostrategizing the next move.

A clomp of metal upon stonebrought her attention from thegame. She knew who it was;mother had brought another manhome. The front door creaked as itopened; her mother strode in theroom, with her long red hair castwildly about her back andshoulders. With his arm slungabout her waist, the man, adornedin fur cloak and tall black ridingboots closed the door behind them.

“Who’s this one mother?”She nearly spat the words. Thiswas the second one this week.

“Drevas, meet my soinquisitive daughter Isella.” Theman simply nodded, probably todrunk to even care. “Darling, why

don’t you take your game and gooutside and play.”

With a sigh she took hercandle, leaving the game as it was,they wouldn’t disturb it anyhow.The door closed quickly behind heras she stepped out into the waningdaylight, muffled laughter fadedinto the house. The man’s steedgreeted her with a snort, “If youonly knew, you’d not wait for yourmaster.”

She turned to face the house,what was laughter was replaced bythe distant screams of horror.Furniture splintered, as a crashand thud reverberated within thehouse, then in the silence fainttrickling thumps brought her headup and the candle splattering uponthe door in rage.

“There shall be other games,far better then that one.” She kepther eyes on the door, thankful forthe assurance, and for the flamenot catching the door on fire.

“As long as mother plays, andis the first to lose.”

The sounds of the house fellsilent, the horse exhaled nearby,the only thing to break theunnatural quietness. “Yes my dear,she will.”

BackgroundSleep, a luxury we all take for

granted. The comfort of a featherdown mattress and wool blanketsis an inviting invitation to manythat have slept on cold dirt andonly their cloaks to keepthemselves warm. The road is aharsh place, though sometimes it isbest just to keep moving, letting nothought of ale or smell of freshbaked bread to pull you away fromyour travels. And least of all theaforementioned bed of a nice cozyinn or farm house; inviting as everwhen a storm approaches. Ideal fora place to stay and wait it out, if

only you knew about those thatcame before you, and where theynow rest.

This adventure details the thorpof Kretewood and is designed tochallenge a party of fourcharacters; levels 5th to 7th. Thethorp and wilderness areasurrounding it can be transplantedeasily into any existing campaign.

HistoryThe small thorp of Kretewood

survives quite nicely with itslogging and farms. What fewmerchants it sees pass through;barter their goods without a carefor being shorted. Horses are animportant commodity in the town,and only Janna the widow seemsapt to finding them. Of course shehas a gift, many believe it to bemagic; they dare not learn thetruth.

Janna has lived in Kretewoodnearly all her life, always on thelook out for a husband; she seeksonly their affection, and then theirblood. Course she is not one of theundead, her true form is that of ared widow spider.

Those who have lived in thethorp as long as her have turned ablind eye to the oddity of herhaving no fitting husband, and notpiecing together the rare missingstranger. Few travelers stay inKretewood long anyhow. The towncontinues its simple life, and Jannakeeps her identity secret, all that isabout to change.

Janna’s daughter Isella, theonly surviving ‘child’ is furtherremoved from her mother’s plotsand feeding habits. Instead Isellagoes about her own plots, rarelyaiding in her mother’s cover-ups.Of course, like Janna, Isella mustfeed and is as secretive.

While Janna is the laid backpreservationist, Isella schemes,

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1seeking to be more then a simple,overlooked daughter. There shallcome a day when all is corrected inIsella’s eyes, unfortunately shedraws the unknowing group ofadventurers into her web.

For the DMBefore running this adventure,

the DM should read it throughcarefully to gain a familiarity withits layout and various features. Acopy of Denizens of Darkness byArthaus is helpful in understandingthe Red Widows found in theadventure, but is not required toplay it.

PreludeThe Night Hunters (EL 7)

This encounter takes place in awooded grove, when the party hastraveled on the road for a few days,and is still another day from anyother town or roadside inn. Allowthe PCs to set up camp, setwatches and do all the chores theywish before they begin to fallasleep. Should the players wish tocontinue traveling through thenight then adjust the encounter asdetailed in the notes below.

During the night, when nearlyall the PCs are asleep, they arevisited by a group of silent hunters.This colony of spiders is lead byone with intelligence. They dropfrom the trees on strands ofwebbing, seeking to debilitate theparty’s horses, failing that theyattack the PC that is furthest fromthe camp.

Those that have traveledthrough the night are insteadstalked by these vermin, whichhave set up a few of their nearinvisible strands alone the roadway to hamper the horses or partymembers themselves.

For those awake or travelingthe road, have them roll Spot (DCd20 +18), due to the darkness, to

notice either the spiders or theirwebbing. Those awake may alsohear the spiders, Listen (DC d 20+11) for those dropping down fromthe trees, or (DC d20 +3) for thosefollowing the party from within theforest.

Large Fey (treat as Fiendish)Monstrous Spider: CR 5; Size LVermin; HD 8d8+8; hp 54; Init +3(Dex); Spd 30 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC14 (-1 size, Dex, +2 natural);Attack +4 Melee (1d8+3 pluspoison, bite); SA poison, smitegood, web; SQ cold/fire resistance15, DR 5/+2, vermin, SR 16; SVFort +5, Ref +4, Will +1; AL NE;Str 15, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 3, Wis10, Cha 2.Skills: Climb +14, Hide +6, Jump+2, Spot +7; Feats: None.Note: Monstrous spiders gain a +8competence bonus to Hide andMove Silently checks when usingtheir webs.

Poison (Ex): (DC 16) Initialand Secondary 1d6 Strengthdamage.

Smite Good (Su): Once perday the spider can make a normalattack to deal an additional 8points of damage against a goodfoe.

Web (Ex): Spiders often waitin their webs and lower themselvessilently on silk strands and leaponto prey passing beneath. Asingle strand is strong enough tosupport the spider and one creatureof the same size.

Web-spinning spiders can casta web eight times per day. This issimilar to an attack with a net buthas a maximum range of 50 feet,with a range increment of 10 feet,and is effective against targets upto one size smaller that the spider.

The web anchors the target inplace, allowing no movement. Anentangled creature can escape witha successful Escape Artist check

(DC 26) or burst it with a Strengthcheck (DC 32). Web-spinningspiders often create sheets of stickywebbing from 5 to 60 feet square,depending on the size of the spider.They usually position these sheetsto snare flying creatures but canalso try to trap prey on the ground.Approaching creatures mustsucceed at a Spot check (DC 20) tonotice a web; otherwise theystumble into it and become trappedas though by a successful webattack.

Attempts to escape or burst thewebbing gain a +5 bonus if thetrapped creature has something towalk on or grab while pulling free.Each 5-foot section has 12 hitpoints, and sheet webs havedamage reduction 5/fire. Amonstrous spider can move acrossits own sheet web at its climbspeed and can determine the exactlocation of any creature touchingthe web.

Vermin: Immune to mind-influencing effects

Large Monstrous Spiders (3):CR 2; Size L Vermin; HD 4d8+4;hp 22; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.,climb 20 ft.; AC 14 (-1 size, Dex,+2 natural); Attack +4 Melee(1d8+3 plus poison, bite); SApoison, web; SQ vermin; SV Fort+5, Ref +4, Will +1; AL N; Str 15,Dex 17, Con 12, Int -, Wis 10, Cha2.Skills: Climb +14, Hide +6, Jump+2, Spot +7; Feats: None.Note: Monstrous spiders gain a +8competence bonus to Hide andMove Silently checks when usingtheir webs.

See Large Fey MonstrousSpider above for all related specialattacks and qualities.

The spiders try to take a fewhorses down with their poison andescape into the canopy hoping their

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1poison does its work, or failingthat, grab hold of a humanoid andbringing the meal back to theirhome.

Should the Fey Spider bereduced to half of its hit points, itattempts to flee, using the otherspiders to slow down any pursuit.

When the party continues onafter their ordeal with the spidersthe next day, they come to theThorp of Kretewood during theearly evening, while the skiesoverhead brew with the beginningsof an afternoon storm. With no Innand a tavern that only servesdrinks, they may enquire as to aplace to sleep and wait out thestorm, only Janna the Widowgladly accepts them to her home.

Kretewood

K r e t e w o o d ( T h o r p ) :Nonstandard; AL NG; 40-gp limit;Assets 106 gp; Population 53;Isolated (human 96%, elf 2%,other 2%).

Authority Figures: Frimund theWise, human male Com7.

Important Characters: Jannathe Widow, female red widow;Isella, female red widow Exp2;Nayell Omrithe, female elf Adp1;Kalfred Ranger, male human Clr2(god here / Air-Sun); Twinbrothers Tornis and GlenumMeare, male humans Clr1 (godhere / Air-Plant); Svatt, malehuman Exp4; Aun, female humanExp2.

Others: Exp 1 (x4), Com5 (x2),Com3 (x4), Com 1 (x35).

Kretewood’s farms grow barleyand wheat, some of which forbrewing. A few orchards aroundthe thorp’s perimeter provide thepopulace with apples, pears,lemons and different types of nuts.While those that do hunt bring

back small game and a few wildpheasants.

The Rumor MillThe following are rumors that canbe learned from a successfulGather Information or Bardic Lore,or even from good role-playingwhen talking to the local residents.DC15: “We do well ‘er in theseparts, what wit fine woods, finergrain, and a sturdy barred frontdoor, yessir, just fine.”DC20: “Dose hairy huntingspiders; roam about the forests,and roads dey does. Seen um chasedown the merchants and deir packanimals. Tis best to stay out of demwoods at night if you know what’sgood for ya.”DC25: “Kretewood does quitenicely with its logging and farms.We get plenty of merchants passthrough; bartering their goodswithout a care for being shortedthey do. Now as to our rich crop,that be the horses.”DC30: Detail one of the residents,being as vague and untruthful asyou deem necessary.DC35: Only Janna seems apt atfinding them horses. Of course shehas a gift I tell ya. Few here haveseen magic, but she got it.”[END BOX]

1) The Forked Barrel Tavern:This tavern is owned by NayellOmrithe (female elf Adp1, NG),who is an elf that has lived in thearea, and set up her business, atfirst a brewery, it eventually

became the tavern it is today. Itsuse is mostly as a place to holdtown meetings and large festivals.Nayell does not like to talk muchabout herself to others, providingno gossip if sought from her.

The two barmaids, who haverooms in the back, Teresa (femalehuman, Com3, CG) a farmer'sdaughter, and Jullana (femalehuman, Exp1, N) a poor merchant'sdaughter, are both tough cold-hearted women towards those theyserve. They have had countlessmerchants try to swoon them, butalways leave with a knee to theirgroin and advice to stay away.

Any common liquor is twicethat of the PHB, while the localdrink; the Lightning Brew is only afew coppers, though only for thetruly daring.

2) Farm House: This is theresidence of Frimund the Wise(human male, Com7, LN), thethorp’s elder and decision maker.He still tends to his land, thoughmany do find an excuse to comeover and help him with chores.

3) Farm House: A family of 5, ofwhich the Aunt is a (femalehuman, Com3, N), lives here. Theygrow mostly wheat, and harvestapples and pears from the treesaround their property.

4) Farm House: This house of 7people consists of a father andmother (humans, Com3, NG each)and their five adopted sons, alltend the barley fields, selling themajority of their crop to Nayell’stavern.

5) Farm House: This despondentgroup of men, (3 male humans,one Exp1, 2 Com1, LE) are formerconvicts that have fled theirimprisonment in Barovia, hopingto hide out in this thorp till they

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1can find someplace safer and moreprofitable. They get by withgrowing wheat and pick what theycan from the forest.

6) Farm House: This smallfamily is home to a father, wifeand daughter, (humans, Com1,NG) with their other daughterTeresa, working and living at thetavern.

7) Woodcarver’s House: Thisthree story wooden house is hometo the largest family in Kretewood,16 members strong. Thegrandparents (Com5 each) theirson and daughter’s spouses, andfamily living on the second floor;while the grandfather’s brother andhis son live on the third floor. Thefamily came from another town,hoping to find a better life here;they are all woodcarvers, cuttersand foresters.

The children of the house are19-year-old daughter, and twoboys, 13 and 7 years old belongingto the son’s family, with thedaughter’s family consisting of ason 16, twin daughters 10, andyoungest boys 5 and 3 years old.The twin daughters have actuallytaken up the art of wood sculpture,and seem quite good at it. Thegrand parents are avidwoodcarvers and can producemasterwork quality staves andspears, while the rest of the familygathers and chops the wood fromthe forest.

Staves, clubs, and spears arereadily available, with lavishlycarved versions sold for extra gold.

8) The Temple Abode: This partresidence, part shrine, partcrematorium is a populardestination for farmers wishing topray for better harvests. The threepriests that reside here; KalfredRanger (male human, Clr2, NG),

and the twins Tornis and GlenumMeare (male humans, Clr1, NG)tend to all religious duties aroundtown, from marriages to tendingthe sick.

9) Tinker’s House: This is theshop and storage place for allthings to be fixed within town. Theproprietor is one Svatt (malehuman, Exp4, LN) who tries hisbest at repairs, but tends to be quiteslow at fixing things.

General items can be foundhere, though as to their condition itis anyone’s guess should they wishto buy something.

10) Farm House: This family of4, the father (male human, Exp1,LG), wife and their sons (humans,Com1, LG) try to sell wheat bakedbread to travelers passing along themain road through Kretewood.

11) The Widow House: This isthe house of Janna and Isella; it isdetailed under The Widow Housesection below.11a) Barn: This is where Jannastables the horses of her victims,and has grown an assassin vine toguard her property.

Assassin Vine: CR 5; SZ H Plant;HD 8d8+40; hp 76; Init -1 (Dex);Spd 0 ft.; AC 16 (Dex, -2 size, +9natural); Atk +13 melee (1d8+11,slam); SA Entangle, improvedgrab, constrict 1d8+11; SQCamouflage, electricity immunity,cold and fire resistance 20, blindsight; AL N; SV Fort +9, Ref +0,Will +2; Str 28, Dex 8, Con 20, Int-, Wis 13, Cha 9.

Entangle (Su): An assassinvine can animate plants within 30feet of itself as a free action. Theeffect lasts until the vine dies ordecides to end it (also a freeaction). The ability is otherwise

similar to entangle as cast by a 4th-level druid (save DC 13).

Improved Grab (Ex): To usethis ability, the assassin vine musthit with its slam attack.

Constrict (Ex): An assassinvine deals 1d8+11 points ofdamage with a successful grapplecheck against Medium-size orsmaller creatures.

Blind sight (Ex): Assassinvines have no visual organs butcan ascertain all foes within 30 feetusing sound, scent, and vibration.

Camouflage (Ex): Since anassassin vine looks like a normalplant when at rest, it takes asuccessful Spot check (DC 20) tonotice it before it attacks. Anyonewith Wilderness Lore orKnowledge (plants or herbs) canuse those skills instead of Spot tonotice the plant.

12) Furrier’s House: Aun(female human, Exp2, NG) is themaker and mender of clothes, furs,and leather. While her husband(male human, Exp1, N) a formercloth merchant, deals the wares atmarket with their son (malehuman, Com1, LN) who wishes tofollow in his father's shoes andbecome a merchant, so he can seethe world. Their oldest daughterhelps her mother, and the youngestis still only a child.

All the townsmen and familiestrade their furs and skins to her, inreturn for clothes and leathergoods, while she keeps a portionfor herself to trade.

Story EventsThese short events, which need

to be further fleshed out, can beused while the party is inKretewood. How many of them thePCs discover is up to you, add anddelete to this list as needed. Keepin mind that Isella tries to paint her

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1mother as evil and dangerous tothe party.

*The PCs find clues left by oldtravelers to Janna’s home, whichIsella has not cleaned up despitewhat she told her mother.

*The party may find the oldskeleton of the previous owner inthe garden room, which Isella haddug up and placed there.

*One or more of the PC’shorses, animal companions or evenfamiliars are attacked in the nightby monstrous spiders. Use thestatistics as found in The NightHunters.

*The party may discover thatJanna’s barn houses not onlyequines, but also spiders that havebeen charmed by Isella, includinganother Fey arachnid that she hasbefriended.

The Widow House First Floor

A) Entry (EL 6): This room hasbeen cleared of all furniture savefor a large, round, reddish moldedrug-dominating part of the floor.Janna and Isella stay clear of therug, a deterrent for snoopingthieves.

This rug has been taken overby a scarlet mold. Evidence of itsacidic spores can be seen along thewalls and doors of this room with aSpot check (DC 15) to notice theacid stains.

Scarlet Mold (CR 6): A patchof this mold bursts forth with acloud of acidic spores whendisturbed. All organic matterwithin 10 feet of the mold when itreleases its spores, takes 1d6 points

of acid damage a round. The areaaround the mold appears misty; theacidic cloud is how the moldsurvives. Organic matter is brokendown by the acid, which thencollects towards the mold, causingit to grow in time. Fire or vinegarpoured over it destroys scarletmold.

B) Stairwell: In the corner of theEntry room is this stairway leadingup the Landing.

C) Sitting Room: This room istaken up by a crude couch of stonebacking and bronze frame, twochairs complement the couch, aswell as a table with crystal pitcherand oxidized copper tray. Thepitcher is the only object of value,though very fragile, worth 50 gp ifcarefully packed away; otherwisethe shards of crystal only bring avalue of 5 gp.

D) Guest Bedroom: Thisbedroom houses the simplefurnishings; two low beds, smalltable with three chairs, and asmoky paned mirror and stand.The furnishings are all dilapidatedand tarnished with nothing of valuein the room.

E) Dining Room: This room isdominated by a long marble toppedtable and six plush chairs with goldbacking. The backing is actuallycopper with gilding, which hasprevented them from tarnishing.The chairs are quite heavy andbulky, weighing 20 pounds each,and worth only 15 gp.

F) Kitchen: Standing in onecorner of this room is a crudefireplace. Across from it, stands asmall table piled with pottery andcopper cookware. A shelf of evenmore utensils and pottery lies uponthe opposite side of the room.

Everything in the room appears tobe relatively unused.

G) Pantry: This room’s shelvesare stacked with clay ware; all lookuntouched and covered in dust.The foodstuffs inside have longago been eaten away by mold,which has left them all full of filth.

H) Garden Room: Around theperimeter of this room are smalland large clay pottery urns; eachcontaining dried dirt. Lyinghunched over one of the large potsis the dirt caked yellowish bones ofan ancient skeleton.

The small and large clay urnsonce housed vegetables and otherplants; the dirt is all that remainsnow. The skeleton was once thehousehold’s original owner.

The Widow House Second Floor

I) Landing: This partially brokenrailed landing winds along thewalls of this open area. Charactersmaking a Spot check (DC 15); cannotice portions of the landing areweakened. These portions causeonly a slight creaking whenstepped upon, allowing +2 to thosemaking Listen checks; otherwisethey are safe to cross.

J) Isella’s Bedroom: The door tothis room is locked (DC 35). Thisbedroom houses Janna’s daughter,within lies her bed, withnightstand, a small square table,two chairs, barren shelves alongone wall, and a long stone ‘toy’chest.

Treasure : The toy chest isanything but; here stuffed in thebox is “N’ygma”, a bronze bladed+1 short sword with gold platedhilt and alabaster pommel. Thesheath had rotted away along timeago. The weapon was one ofIsella’s own previous victims,

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1stashed here until she coulddiscover its abilities.

K) Guest Bedroom: Thisbedroom contains two beds, eachwith a chest of drawers, and a tablewith two chairs. The chest ofdrawers farthest from the door isthe only thing of interest within theroom; its three drawers containpersonal items from a previousguest.

Tarnished copper comb, bonehairpins, set of clothes for both aman and woman, and a foldedpiece of velum tucked in the backof the center drawer beneath all theclutter.

The parchment is a crude letteror map, which maybe used todirect your players to anotheradventure you have planned.

L) Janna’s Bedroom: The doorto this room is locked (DC 30).Along on wall stands a long tablewith a large mirror. Beside it sits adoublewide bed, across from thatlies a table and two chairs.

Treasure: The table has somecoins or jewelry upon it. Items ofvalue upon the table include somebrittle parchment texts, greentarnished copper dagger, bronzehelmet, brass metallic disksengraved with scenes of regionslong ago passed away into history(these are ancient decorativeplates.)

M) Washroom: The dominantfeature of this room is a wide brasstub. Resting upon the floor beforeit is a large clay urn and against anearby wall is a small marblecabinet, with four folded woolblankets resting atop.

The blankets are preserved dueto a permanent prestiditation spellupon the top of the cabinet.Anyone touching a blanket noticesthey are slightly warm, and may

even catch the faint scent offlowers emitting from them. Thewashtub holds filthy water. Theclay urn is actually a decanter ofendless water that only has thestream function command words,Ayut for scalding water, Blyz forcold, etched upon it.

NPCsJanna the WidowCR 6; Size M Shapechanger (RedWidow); HD 6d8+12; hp 45; Init+6 (Dex, Improved Initiative); Spd30 ft.; 30 ft., climb 20 ft. as spider;AC 12 (Dex); 18 (Dex, +6 natural)as spider; Attack +6 melee (1d3+2,unarmed strike), or +6 melee asspider (1d4+2, bite plus poison);SA web, poison, fluid drain, infest;SQ alternate form, darkvision 60ft.; AL NE; SV Fort +7, Ref +7,Will +6; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 14,Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 17.Skills: Bluff +14, Climb +10,Diplomacy +12, Hide +6*, Jump+4 (+10*), Listen +3, MoveSilently +6*, Sense Motive +10,Spot +3 (+11*). Feats: Alertness,Improved Initiative, Skill Focus(Bluff).Note: Janna receives a +4 racialbonus to Bluff, Diplomacy andSense Motive checks. *When inspider form, she receives a +6racial bonus to jump checks and a+8 racial bonus to Spot checks. Inaddition, she gains a +8competence bonus to hide andMove Silently checks when usingtheir webs.Possessions: Masterwork tailoreddresses, various breakaway silvernecklaces and bracelets.

Janna has long flowing brightred hair, and skin that is a bronzedtan. Janna carries herself withpose, and add to that hercharismatic looks, it is no wondermen are often seen entering herhome.

BackgroundJanna never knew her

mother, living in the forest withher siblings until she could assumeher alternate human form. Hersisters all went their separate ways,while Janna came upon the thorpof Kretewood and quickly woveher way into the populace. Hermarriage to Ammeran, a localhunter who had lost his wife nottwo summers before, secured her ahome and the convenience of hisfrequent trips away from home. Itwasn’t long until she ensnaredtraveling merchants and loneadventurous types into herembrace, stashing their wealthaway, and always greeting herhusband when he returned home.People began to take notice ofJanna’s ‘guests’, and spreadrumours of adultery and the oddityof how the men went missing.

Ammeran was outraged atthe accusations when he was told.He came home early one winterfrom a trip just to see that theywere lies. Janna had known of therumours, though hadn’t expectedAmmeran’s barging into the houseso soon while she was infesting ahapless halfling minstrel. Shesimply used his outburst of fearand shock to alert the neighbours.The townspeople that came toinspect the noise never saw whatreally happened in the house.

Bloodied and distraught;Janna spoke of her husband’sbrutal jealousy and how herestricted her to a life of solitude.She told all assembled of hersuspicions that he murdered all ofthose men to whom she had somuch as spoken. The current townelder took pity on her, and assuredher that everything would be betterfrom now on, and bore away thetwo bodies to the crematorium.The last of the townsfolk to leavethe house that night whispered the

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1house must be cursed, and it hasforever become known as theWidow House.Current Sketch

Janna tries to keep everythingrunning as it has for her in thissmall town. She takes no undorisks, though tends to be ignorantof her own daughters dealings.

She gladly opens up her homeas a place to rest, though knowsbetter then to use her abilities onsuch a well armed party, unless ofcourse they just happen to lookweak or unorganized. At her homeJanna will gladly sell the partymembers a horse or two if they lostsome in the spider raid, even goingalong with the notion that yes sheis skilled in talking to horses.Combat

While not afraid of running,Janna does wish to keep her secretsafe, and is not afraid of fighting tokeep it so. She knows however thatthere will eventually be a timewhen she must flee and move ontoa new town. She does so if everreduced to 10 hit points or less.

Web (Ex): Janna in spiderform can cast webs as effectivelyas Medium-size monstrous spiders(see Appendix Three in theMonster Manuel). If she succeedsat an opposed Strength check witha creature caught in her web, thenas a standard action she can pullthe victim 10 feet closer to herself.

Poison (Ex): Bite, Fortitudesave (DC 15); initial damage 1d6temporary Strength, secondarydamage 2d6 temporary Strength.

Fluid Drain (Ex): Janna inspider form can drain blood andbodily fluids from a living victimwith its fangs by making asuccessful grapple check. If shepins her foe, she can drain itsfluids, inflicting 1d4 points oftemporary Constitution damageeach round the pin is maintained.

Each point of Constitution Jannadevours sustains her for one day.

Infest (Ex): Red widows areinstinctually compelled to breedabout once a year. After seekingout a charismatic male, sheparalyzes her mate with hervenom, but does not drain hisblood. Instead, she implants 2d4eggs into his abdomen and cocoonshim in a web in her lair. Unlessremoved, the eggs hatch in 1d6days. Red Widows reach maturity(and gain the ability to assumehumanoid form) after one year;treat immature red widows asmonstrous spiders. Red widowyoung are always red widows, buttheir apparent race in humanoidform is inherited from their father.

Alternate Form (Su): Janna’snatural form is that of a medium-size monstrous spider. As astandard action, Janna can assumea specific humanoid form as ifusing the polymorph self spell(though her gear does not change).When slain, she will revert tospider form. She can use herspecial attacks only while in spiderform. If grappling, she can shiftfrom one shape to another whilemaintaining a pin.IsellaCR 7; Size S Shapechanger (RedWidow) Exp2; HD 6d8+6 plus2d6+2; hp 41; Init +8 (Dex,Improved Initiative); Spd 20 ft.; 30ft., climb 20 ft. as spider; AC 14(Dex); 20 (Dex, +6 natural) asspider; Attack +5 melee (1d3,unarmed strike), or +5 melee asspider (1d4, bite plus poison); SAweb, poison, fluid drain; SQal terna te form, arachnidcompanions, darkvision 60 ft.; ALNE; SV Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +11;Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 14,Wis 12, Cha 16.Skills: Alchemy +4, Appraise +7,Bluff +14, Climb +10, Diplomacy+12, Disguise +7, Escape Artist

+4, Handle Animal +5, Hide +11*,Jump +4 (+8*), Knowledge(Games) +7, Listen +9, MoveSilently +11*, Sense Motive +10,Spot +3 (+11*), Use Magic Device+6, Use Rope +5. Feats: Alertness,Improved Initiative, Iron Will,Skill Focus (Bluff).Note: Isella receives a +4 racialbonus to Bluff, Diplomacy andSense Motive checks. *When inspider form, she receives a +6racial bonus to jump checks and a+8 racial bonus to Spot checks. Inaddition, she gains a +8competence bonus to hide andMove Silently checks when usingtheir webs.Possessions: Baggy peasants garb,with little to no adornments, savefor a pouch of newly acquiredwood carved game pieces.

Isella has her red hair braided,and often darkens it into a rusticreddish brown. Her rust coloredeyes are ever watchful as they stareout from her freckled face. Shehides much of herself, emotionallyand physically, but many younglads have not taken to that clue andleft her alone.Background

Isella was never meant tohave been born, for she was onlynarrowly spared the fate ofimmolation inside the corpse of herfather. Fortunately for Isella thehalfling’s body never made it tothe Temple House, nor didAmmeran’s, nor did those whocarried either cadaver.

The red widow was rescuedby a mysterious entity thatintroduced i tself as her“benefactor”. The creature spoketo mind of the infant arachnid andinstructed her to destroy heremerging siblings. It was simpleenough for the young shapechanger to destroy the tinycreatures. As each sister escapedfrom the halfling’s corpse they

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1were crushed and buried beneaththe snow until the next sister cameforth.

The benefactor told Isella ofher mother and how the woman letthe humans carry her off to die in afuneral pyre. It was a long year ofanger as story after story wasspoken of Janna. The benefactortaught Isella to observed hermother’s habits, to learn herweaknesses. When the red widowcould assume her alternate form,she was told to stay away from thetown and avoid the revenge she sobadly desired. The benefactorspoke the words directly into hermind, so as to burn them foreverinto her memory.

“Your mother shall give birthto another brood; I shall show youhow to weave your way into hercare when it comes to be. But fornow, you must know the powers ofyour mind to better your chancesin this world.”

With that, the red widowspent another year learning tomanipulate to world around heraround her, insuring that when thetime came to meet her mother,Isella would have her revenge.Janna’s next brood came, and eachwas slaughtered in the barn beforethey had a chance to emerge.When Janna came to check on heryoung, she saw only one daughter.Isella dropped from a web, quitepleased with the bewilderedexpression on her mother’s face.

It would only be one moreyear, Isella thought, enough time tolearn Janna’s weaknesses, to lureher into false security. Since thatmoment she has done nothingmore aggressive than destroyingthe broods of her mother. She is a

master player, slowly destroyingher enemy’s game pieces andbuilding her strength for the finalstrike.Current Sketch

Isella has many plans for thefuture, slowly working on eachwhile constantly deriving others.What isn’t known however is whoalso aids her in those goals. She iswatched and aided by somemysterious being with a deepconnection to the mists of the land.Combat

Isella avoids combat whenevershe can; using her ability tobefriend the spiders of the forest atall times when facing danger. Sheclaims as her main defense to bethe adopted daughter of Janna.Even going so far as to show hertrue halfling heritage, and sayingshe suspected her mother was‘demon cursed’ and forced her todisguise her looks to that ofJanna’s own, ala red hair.

See Janna above fordescription of all abilities except asnoted below:

Isella disguises herself as achild, though in all respects she hasthe natural form of a halfling. Herspider form is that of a SmallMonstrous Spider, and also cannotinfest others, an ability she is quitefond of being without.

Arachnid Companions (Su):Isella can charm arachnids like thespell animal friendship, thoughonly those with no intelligence.Conclusion

If the PCs are successful inthwarting Isella and her mother,forcing both to reveal their trueforms, and either killing or drivingthem off, then Kretewood shallalways call the adventurers as

friends. Despite the outcome,Janna won’t make it to anothertown, and Isella’s plots continue torun their course by her shadowybenefactor. The party may nothave yet faced the true evil.

Should Isella be successful inhaving her mother killed by theparty, she then tries to play uponthe sympathy of the townspeople,eventually being adopted by one ofthe families and slowly corruptingthem to her whims. The Thorp ofKretewood shall know a dark time,and while the PCs may think theydid Isella a good service, mightcome to realize, they are nothingbut pawns in her game.Magic ItemsN’ygmaThis short sword appears as abronze bladed sword with goldplated hilt and alabaster pommel.The sword is just as its namemeans in draconic, a mystery.

Powers: This sword acts in allways as a +1 sword, though seemsto possess more, as a slight tingleis felt when the weapon is held.This tingle is from the mildmagical effect bestowed by theblade. Any blind individual whoholds this blade gains the ability tosee once more, though only inblack and white and only for solong as the sword is kept on thecharacter’s person. Crafted byEldgrim; a wizard that had his eyesremoved by a rival, it allowed himto read his spell books, andcontinue his studies in the art ofmagic.

Caster Level: 5th; Weight: 3 lb.Creation of this weapon requiresCraft Magic Arms and Armor,darkvision, and the crafter musthave the Blight-Fighting feat.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Heinrich’s CuriositiesArcane Items for the Modern Gentleman

The shop was filled with thesmoky scent of tobacco and the airwas uncomfortably warm. Theonly light came from an ironcandelabra sitting upon theshopkeeper counter. Thegentleman negotiated his waythrough the aisle between crowdedshelves. The simple shopkeeperwas hunched over his counter,staring into a dusty book. As thecustomer approached he lifted hishead revealing the thick spectaclesthat sat precariously upon hisnose. Every inch of the old manwas wrinkled; his body wasspeckled in spots. From hismodest garb it was clear that hewas Borcan. He was by no meansout of place in Dementlieu, sincethe harsh taxes of that land forcedsmall businesses to emigrate.

“Vat do you vant?” Said theold man, blowing smoke from hislips. His thick accent confirmedhis heritage. An aged ivory pipewas firmly held in his mouth,puffing a bluish smoke into the air.

“Madame DeMaer sent me,”he said, “She said you could helpme with a problem.” With themention of the lady DeMaer theold man started to chortle. Hepointed his finger at the gentlemanbefore he could contain himself.

“So you are the gentlemanfriend,” he laughed in hisbreathless chuckle, “The one whocannot….”

“Now see here,” he blurtedout. An expression of shock andhumiliation exploded on thecustomer’s face. His cheeks werealready horribly red. He couldn’tbelieve that Lady DeMaer told as imple shopkeeper suchscandalous secrets. Was it not

enough to say that his scorned wifehad cursed him? That for someinsane reason the curse had cometrue? Why was she compelled tohumiliate him by giving away thedetails?

“Calm yourself,” said theancient shopkeeper, “I have manythings to help gentlemen insituations not unlike your own.”

Cane of VitalityThis gentleman’s walking

stick is made of a single piece ofivory, polished down to a perfectlysmooth texture. The cane iscomposed of a perfectly strait shaftand a decorated handle. Thesehandles are always carved into theshapes of exotic animals.Common themes are a cobra, anelephant or a pouncing lion. Thiscane is a precious commodity toaged scholars of the arcane.Possession of such a cane can helpmen recapture the energy of youthand live lives much more activethan the ravages of time wouldhave allowed. The owner of thecane is infused with the primalenergy stored within the cane. Thetrue owner of the cane becomesenergetic and virile. The physicaleffects of age are alleviated fromthe owner so long as he possessesthe cane. Owners who have beenhobbled by old wounds are freedof their injuries and weak bonesbecome strong once more. To gainthe effects of ownership, the ownermust take a short walk with thecane in hand every mourning.Owners usually explain this dailyhabit as the secret of their health.

The cane is a solid piece ofworkmanship. It can be uses as amedium sized weapon that can

deal 1D4 points of damage andthreatens a critical range of 20.The cane strikes creatures as a +1weapon, though it cannot confer anenhancement bonus to hit anddamage rolls. The cane has ahardness of 5 and can stand 25points of damage before beingbroken.Caster level 6th level Prerequisites:Craft wondrous item, craft: ivorywork 5 ranks, Bull’s Strength,Endurance, Magic Weapon.

Hypnotic WatchPortable timepieces are rare

and expensive yet they are one ofthe most prestigious items agentleman can own. The hypnoticwatch is an enchanted timepiecethat allows the owner to mesmerizeother individuals in a fraction ofthe regular time. The originalhypnotic watch was a tool used bya spell-casting alienist. The watchwas mostly an investigative tool; itwas used to put witnesses into atrance so that they could beinterrogated without leaving themaware that they had beenquestioned.

The hypnotic watch is amasterwork timepiece. The watchis encased in gold and is protectedby a thick glass lens. The face ofthe watch is made of polishedsilver and the hands are made ofblack iron. The watch has nowinding knob, for it is in perpetualmotion. The only adornment onthe watch is a long gold chain.Activating the watch requires theowner to hold out the watch by thechain and gently rock it back andforth like a pendulum. Thisactivation requires a full roundaction and provokes an attack of

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1opportunity. Anyone who can seethe watch must make a will saveagainst an opposed hypnotismcheck by the owner of the watch.Should the will save fail the targetbecomes entranced. While in atrance a victim cannot move,attack or defend himself. Theowner of the watch may then makehypnosis checks to extractinformation from the target. Thereis no limit to the number of victimsthat can be entranced in thismanner. However, victimsentranced by the watch willautomatically awaken after tenminutes.Caster level 6th level Prerequisites:Craft wondrous item, craft:clockwork 8 ranks, hypnotism 5ranks, Hypnotism

Spectacles ofAnonymity

There are few things asrecognizable about a gentlemanthan a pair of spectacles. Theowner of these particular glasses,however, need never berecognized. The spectacles ofanonymity were designed to allowthe wearer’s identity to be keptcompletely secret. The spectaclesgenerate an aura surrounding thewearer. Anyone who spots thewearer of the spectacles must makea will save against a DC of 15. Ifthe save fails then the subject willcompletely forget any detailsurrounding the appearance oridentity of the wearer of thesespectacles. The effects ofanonymity are so thorough thatvictims of the aura cannot evenrecall whether or not the wearerwas wearing spectacles.

The spectacles of anonymityare made of golden framessupporting two smoked lenses.These lenses work both as readingspectacles and far seeingspectacles for myopic wearers.

Caster level 8th level Prerequisites:Craft wondrous item, craft:glasswork 5 ranks, craft: goldsmith5 ranks, Modify Memory

Whipping BoyWhen a noble child is caught

in the wrong, his caretakers finddifficulty in punishing him. Ratherthan strike a child of noble blood,disciplinarians punish theplaymates of the noble child,vicariously punishing the offended.Thus this procedure protectsspoiled children from pain. Butwhat happens when such anobleman grows to manhood andhas not yet learned to behave? Thewhipping boy statue protects theowner form the effects of curses bydrawing the curse upon itself.Much like the living equivalent,the whipping boy suffers in theplace of its owner.

The whipping boy is a smallstatute, roughly twelve incheshigh. The statue is made ofsmooth gray stone, depicting achild with his head bowed intofolded arms. The statue looksfragile, but it is surprisinglyresistant to blows. The whippingboy is nearly indestructible. Theeffects of the whipping boy are notimmediately noticeable. The itemprotects the owner from the effectsof curses. When the true owner ofthe statue is cursed by the rules forcursing, the curse is immediatelylifted.

The curse is temporarilytransferred to the statue. Shouldthe statue be harmed in anyway, itimmediately crumbles to dust andis blown to the far corners of theworld. Once gone, any cursesstored in the statue fall upon theformer owner of the whipping boy.A whipping boy statue can bearany number of curses. As soon asit suffers from a single curse aminor transformation occurs. Each

night at midnight the whipping boybegins to emit the sound of quietweeping. No matter where theowner is, he or she can perceivethe pitiful weeping. This weepinglasts for one hour, and during thishour the owner suffers thesymptoms of the horror effectdepression. The only way to endthis effect is to either perform theaction required to remove the curseor destroying the statue.

The whipping boy cannotremove curses that have alreadybeen inflicted upon the owner, norcan it store the effects of a failedpowers check. Self-induced cursescan be stored within the whippingboy. Curses that have no built inmethod of atonement or that wereunjustly bestowed are notbestowed upon the owner shouldthe whipping boy be destroyed.The magic of the statue is strongenough to sweep away such unjustand unforgiving curses. Creaturesthat are somehow immune to theeffects of depression cannot beconsidered the owner of awhipping boy. Should a whippingboy be stolen from an owner whileit is storing a curse the statue isimmediately destroyed. The storedcurses then befall the thief of thestatue. Should an owner die, thecurses stored in the statue aredissipated and the statue awaits anew individual to claim it.Caster level 8th level Prerequisites:Craft wondrous item, craft:sculpture, nondetection

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Whispers in the DarknessMagic and Madness

“Historical Catalogue Item578 B; Book.” The innocent labelwas belied the malignance of theitem. Professor Farnsworthregarded the weathered tome withwary eyes. As curator to themuseum he was privilege toknowledge that could not beentrusted to the public, knowledgesuch as the true origins of the bookthat now lay upon his desk. Thescholar frowned sadly as he beganto write the rest of the record forthe book. “Author: Unknown.” Itwas a downright lie. He knew verywell who wrote it. OrmolusDeclare, a vile enchanter andscholar of black magic wrote thebook. It was none other than hisbook of spells, the repository of allhis arcane knowledge. And whatvile knowledge that was, thoughtthe professor.

Ormolus had turned hisintellect to the study of the mind,more specifically the study ofinsane minds. For more than fiveyears the enchanter had delved intothe secrets of madness. In thattime he had mastered the ability tounravel the delicate weave thatbound the fabric of the humanbrain. From that point it took himonly a little time to expand hispower. The wizard used his spellsto sunder the minds of his enemiesand rebuild them again as slaves.With a growing army of madmenat his command, he has turned hiseyes towards conquest.

“ D o n o r : A n o n y m o u scollectors.” It was another lie.The curator knew the donor of thebook quite well. The mad wizardhad made a critical mistake; hedrew the attention of the Fraternityof Shadows. Though Ormolus was

great in power he was carelesswith his own security, the assassinsdispatched by the Fraternity easilycircumvented the guards. Ormoluswas buried in an unmarked gravesomewhere near his lab, his spellbook was taken to the Museum andjust recently it was laid onFarnsworth’s desk.

“Subject: Fiction, fantasy.”That brought a smile to thecurators face. There were only afew people in all of Dementlieuwho wouldn’t regard such a spellbook as pure fantasy. It was all forthe best really, since the secrets inOrmolus’ book were far toodangerous to let out of the hands ofthe Fraternity. The professorsigned his name on the index card.He called for a servant, who tookthe book and brought it to themuseum’s steadily growingcollection of fantasy literature.

ContrarinessEnchantment

Level: Sor/Wiz 1Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target: One living creatureDurat ion : One hour plus 10minutes/levelSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: Yes

Mind control is a subtle artnot a bludgeoning tool. Spellcasters can spread discontent andconfusion amongst their enemieswithout resorting to mentaldomination. This spell allows anenchanter to temporarily warp themind of a victim. The effects ofthis manipulation are that

everything the victim hears soundstotally unreasonable and eveninsulting. With a singleapplication of this spell a castercan break the most tightly knitgroups and sow discontentamongst his enemies.

This is an extreme variationon the charm spell. Anything thatanyone else says to the targetsounds like either a lie, purenonsense and even a little obscene.Naturally, the target of this spell isvery resistant to any suggestion.Persuading a target to take anyaction requires a diplomacy checkagainst a DC 10 plus the spellcasters level. While it might seemlike an easy solution, asking theopposite of what is wanted from avictim of this spell does notguarantee compliance. To trick atarget of this spell into doing whatis wanted a bluff check against aDC of 10 plus the spell casterlevel.

When the spell durationends, the contrariness effect ends.The target does not change his orher opinion about the formerrequests, though he or she is nolonger unreasonable.

DelusionsEnchantment

Level: Sor/Wiz 4Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target: One living creatureDuration: One hour/levelSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: Yes

With the successful castingof this spell the victim becomes

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1delusional as though he or shesuffered the madness effect of thesame name. The victim suffersnone of the ability loss frommadness and completely recoversat the end of the spell’s duration.The victim can still suffer fromhorror checks incurred bycommitting actions that should beimpossible in the context of thedelusion. At the time of thecasting the caster determines whatkind of delusion the victim suffersfrom. The caster cannot make thetarget believe that somethingdifferent happened in the past;instead the target ignores theobvious contradictions betweenpast memories and the delusionalidentity. In truth, the caster canonly make the target believe thathe or she is a different person orcreature. If the caster picks a moreprobable delusion, the targetsuffers a –2 penalty to the will saveto resist. At the end of the spellthe victim is unaware of his or herpast state. He or she remembersthe actions committed, but cannotunderstand why he or she thoughtthat such acts were appropriate.

HallucinationsEnchantment

Level: Sor/Wiz 5Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target: One living creatureDuration: One hour/levelSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: Yes

Perception never reaches theconscious mind without passingthrough the gauntlet of thesubconscious. An experiencedspell caster can manipulate themind of a victim and implanthallucinations within the brain.Once set these hallucinations waitfor a trigger, after which they

cause the victim to suffer from thesymptoms of the madness effect ofthe same name.

At the time of the casting thespell caster chooses a trigger. Thistrigger can be a word in a languagethe target understands, a specificsound, a smell, an image or thepresence of a person. The casterchooses a type of audio and visualhallucinations. This can besomething small such as thebuzzing of bees or be somethingmore obvious such as a horde ofghosts rising from the floor. Oncechosen, this hallucination cannotbe changed. The hallucinationitself does not last longer than halfan hour at the longest, though itcan end on its own sooner.

Menacing hallucinations canprovoke fear or even horrorchecks. Hallucinations that areespecially plausible can impose a–2 penalty to the targets save todisbelieve during the actualhallucination.

ParanoiaEnchantment

Level: Sor/Wiz 2Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target: One living creatureD u r a t i o n : One day plus 1hour/levelSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: Yes

Trust is earned but paranoiais the gift one gives himself. Withthis spell a spell caster cans sewmistrust into the minds of hisvictims. When this spell is cast thevictim begins to suffer thesymptoms of the paranoia madnesseffect. The character cannot trustother individuals, no matter howclose their relationship. Thevictim becomes convinced thateveryone around him is part of a

clandestine plot against him. Anyaction that would require thecharacter to trust his life, his healthor his equipment to another personrequires a successful wisdomcheck against a DC equal to 10plus the spell caster level. On asuccessful check the charactergrudgingly trusts his good senseand follows through. On a failedcheck the character either flatlyrefuses or pretends to go alongwith the plan and then escapes atthe earliest opportunity.

For the duration of the spell avictim is no longer subject tocharm spells, though he or she isstill subject to suggestions ordomination. The victim recoversfrom the madness at the end of thespell. Should the victim comeupon evidence that others areconspiring against him, whileunder the effects of this spell, hemust make a horror check. Thischeck is made against a DC of 12plus the victim’s wisdom modifier.Horror effects incurred in thismanner remain with the characteruntil the character recoversnaturally.

PhobiaEnchantment

Level: Sor/Wiz 3Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target: One living creatureDuration : One hour plus tenminutes/levelSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: Yes

Fear is a powerful force; itdrives men to violence, keeps themcowed before dictators and allowsa clever spell caster to manipulatethem. With the casting of thisspell the caster chooses a phobiafor the character. This can be anyperson, place, thing or a given

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1situation. Common phobias arefear of certain animals, heights, orcrowds. For the duration of thespell the victim is deathly afraid ofthe object of the phobia. If he orshe is ever confronted with theobject of the phobia he or she mustmake a fear check against a DC of10 plus the caster level. If thevictim is ever forcefully attackedby the object of the phobia he orshe must make a horror saveagainst a DC of 10 plus the casterlevel.

The phobia ends at the end ofthe spell duration but fear effectsand horror effects incurred byfailed saves remain in effect untilthe target recovers naturally.

Programmed RageEnchantment

Level: Sor/Wiz 3Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target: One living creatureDurat ion : One day plus onehour/levelSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: Yes

There is nothing asdangerous as the unexpected andno assassin more lethal than atrusted friend. This spell allows acaster to implant a dangerous seedof madness within a target. Theseed lies dormant within thevictims mind until the target sensesa programmed stimulus. At thattime the seed explodes, filling thevictims brain with animalisticfurry. The target becomes a wildberserker, attacking anythingwithin reach.

With the casting of this spellthe caster designates a trigger forthe rage. This trigger can be aspecific person, a type of creaturean object, or a particular location.When the target is confronted with

this trigger he or she losesconsciousness. While in thisunconscious state the character’sbody is controlled by the spell.The character goes completelyberserk, shrieking and shoutinglike a man possessed. The targetuses any melee weapon andthrowing weapon available toattempt to destroy, kill and mauleverything he or she can see. Theberserker gains a temporary bonusof +4 to both strength andconstitution scores, but cannot useany skill or feat. The rage lasts fora number of minutes equal to hisconstitution score, or until he orshe is subdued.

At the end of the rage thecharacter regains consciousness.He or she cannot recall anythingthat happened since entering therage. The character is fatigued foras many rounds as the characterspent in the rage. Once the rage isover the spell is spent. Thecharacter will not go berserk againunless there is another applicationof this spell.

While in a rage the berserkerprioritizes living beings as targets.The enraged assassins prefer toattack the most intimidating target,descending down the ranks to theweakes t looking v ic t im.Berserkers cannot be programmedto attack a specific person; theycan only be programmed to goberserk in the presence of thatperson. For the spell caster, this isa t b e s t a c r a p s h o o t .

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Extraordinary ExpertiseVincintiari’s Instruments

By Scott C. Bourgeoisblack_marauder@hotmail.com

Nicholai Vincintiari waswidely regarded throughout thecore as the greatest crafter ofmusical instruments in the entireworld. His recent death wasmourned by many of the domains’greatest bards and minstrels, as noman had ever loved his craft as hehad, and it was that passion thatgave life to some of the mostbeautiful and haunting melodiesever heard by mortal ears.

Life of a MasterVincintiari was born,

unsurprisingly, in Kartakass. Hegrew up the son of a carpenterliving in Harmonia, and every yearhis father would take him to theMeistersinger’s competition. Therehe bore witness to some of thepremier bards of his day, singingfor the honor of guiding the peopleof Harmonia for another year.From a very young age Nicholaiwas interested in music, however itquickly became apparent that hehimself was not a naturallytalented musician by any means.This did not deter the boy,however, and he decided to focushis carpentry skills into trying tomake musical instruments. Afterall, if he could not make musichimself, he would help others to doso. It was here that he found hiscalling.

At ten years old, Vincintiaricrafted his first instrument, asimple wooden violin ofimpressive quality. His father wasproud, and it managed to fetch afine price at the market, soNicholai continued to craft them.His natural talent and love of the

craft was obvious, and through theyears he began refining histechniques and expanding intomore and more families ofinstruments. By the age of thirty,Nicholai Vincintiari had surpassedthe level of mastery of every othercraftsman of musical instrumentsin Kartakass and the surroundingdomains. His instruments werefetching huge prices, and bardsfrom across the core werescrambling for the privilege ofplaying one. Many of the namesassociated with Vincintiari aremusicians of great renownthroughout the Core. They includesuch names as Andres Duvall andHarkon Lucas, who is said to keepa Vincintiari original harp underglass in his home.

Through it all, Nicholairemained a relatively simple man.He married young to lovely girlfrom Harmonia and the two ofthem lived in a fairly simple homewith their four children. Vincintiariwas a loving husband and father,despite his time spent in theworkshop, and lived to ripe oldage. Nicholai passed away at theage of sixty-three, while away inNova Vaasa comple t ingconstruction on a pipe organ withhis two sons for the church of theLawgiver. Though he didn’t live tosee the completed organ, it isconsidered the last Vincintiarioriginal.

The InstrumentsAll of the instruments

crafted by Vincintiari areconsidered of masterwork quality,with all of the benefits that entails.

They cost a great deal more thenusual, usually up to two or threetimes the normal cost. Then thereare the originals. The Vincintiarioriginals are all unique musicalinstruments of a quality thatsurpasses that of any other. No twosounds the same, but all createmusic so beautiful that none candeny the skill of the craftsman whohand built them. When Vincintiarilived, originals needed to becustom ordered through him, andwould cost vast sums of money, upto ten times the normal cost of theinstrument. This cost went into thematerials and time needed to craftthe instrument, and few who couldafford it would complain.

Nowadays an original ispriceless, as Vincintiari was theonly man who could create them. Itis said that there are supposedlyforty in existence; including atleast ten violins, six lutes, threecellos, three clarinets, two flutes,two harps, an oboe, a lyre, aharpsichord, and a pipe organ.Their color (Vincintiari preferredto create white instruments), andtheir markings can identify alloriginals as such. Forgeries arequickly revealed, either byincorrect markings or by the soundthey make after a prolonged periodof time. The benefits of owning aVincintiari original are notable.They are far superior to even amasterwork quality instrument,granting an astounding +4masterwork bonus to any skillcheck required to play one.Moreover, they are very durableand hold their sound for nearlythree times longer then a

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1conventional instrument of thesame type before needing to betuned. The originals also are ofsuch fine quality as to have specialproperties to their music, thoughwhat these properties are is up to acreative dungeon master. Finally,they are also a mark of realprestige amongst the bards of theCore, and any bard playing orcarrying one in the company of hisor her peers is going to turn heads.

However, items createdwith such passion come with asmall price. No matter how pure asoul Nicholai Vincintiari mighthave been, his passion for music isa part of every original he made.They are therefore far moresusceptible to evil. Any cursecheck made against the owner of aVincintiari original (or theinstrument itself) receives a +4passion bonus to the roll. Tragedyalso has a tendency to follow suchitems wherever they go, but that isa tale best left for another to tell.

Vincintiari and SonsVincintiari and Sons is

located on a quaint, out-of-the-waystreet in Harmonia. Vincintiari’stwo sons Markus and Petros(Human Males Exp10) run it, bothin their early thirties. Both men arefriendly and outgoing, and wellversed in the craft of constructingmusical instruments. They are bothmasters of the art, but are not yetable to muster the skill to create amusical instrument that surpassesmasterwork quality. Theirinstruments are still of excellentquality, cost around twice normalmarket value, and are allmasterwork. They do have threeoriginals on display, two violinsand a flute, but they are not forsale.

Vincintiari OriginalsThere are nearly forty

originals in all, but several of themare particularly well known. Hereare the tales of only a few ofthem…

The Lyre of Laszlo TaskarLaszlo Taskar was the son

of a Harmonian laborer who wasborn with an amazing musicalaptitude. His father was proud ofhim, and also happened to be afriend of Nicholai Vincintiari.When Vincintiari saw the boy’sskill, he offered to make him aLyre for free. Laszlo’s father wasthrilled, and gifted it to Laszlo onhis fourteenth birthday, shortlybefore his own death. Laszlo grewto be an excellent minstrel,eventually settling in Pont-a-Museau, where he becamesomething of a local celebrity. Hebecame such a known figure infact, that it was a shock to theentire populace when hecommitted suicide after a concert.

Though many suspectedthat his friend, Pierre DeLacroix,or his lover Beatrice LeFils, mighthave had some part in his death,the case was quickly dropped dueto lack of evidence. Laszlo’spossessions were auctioned off andeach fetched a high price, but thehighest price of all was paid for theVincintiari original. PierreDeLacroix purchased it, but hesold it a week later to a local musicshop for a single gold piece, noexplanation given. Since then ithas sat in the window of the musicshop, a collector’s piece… butsome say the angry spirit of a greatbard haunts it.

The Lyre itself is beyondcomparison in quality. It grants a+4 masterwork bonus to thePerformance (Lyre) skill of anyoneplaying it. Also, any bard playingthe Lyre in conjunction with their

Fascinate ability may maintain itseffect for 2 rounds per level, ratherthen the usual one.

However, the ghost of LaszloTaskar haunts the Lyre. Laszlohimself is a second magnitudeghost who can only manifest atnight, and only communicatethrough his music. He plays aghostly version of his Lyre as hemanifests, but the actual Lyre itselfplays in concert with him. Laszlois seeking out his killer, andanyone willing to help Laszlo willfind his spirit willing to allow himor her to utilize the bonuses of theLyre. Any evil being attempting toplay the instrument will find hisghost less receptive.

Evil beings playing theLyre without first dealing withLaszlo’s spirit will have theirfingers pricked (1 hp per round ofplaying) by the strings, and willau tomat i ca l ly f a i l t he i rPerformance (Lyre) checkregardless of their roll as the Lyreplays discordant music.

The Nightingale’s FluteThere once was a musician

from Chateaufaux who was knownonly as Nightingale. It is said that acelebrated local flutist who wasawed by her talent for theinstrument had instructed her, andthat he gave her the very flute hehad commissioned for himself. Shetook her name from the onlydecoration on it, a singleNightingale. Nightingale had atumultuous career, involving anumber of romantic scandals.Somehow, however, she camethrough it all with her reputationand her skills intact, and near theend of her career she was the mostpopular musician in Dementlieu.

Her disappearance remainsshrouded in mystery, and there aremany rumours as to what mayhave happened to her. Some say

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1she left with one of her manylovers, but others suggest muchdarker theories. The Flute itselfwas found in her dressing room,and put on permanent display atthe University of Dementlieu. TheFlute itself was fairly simple, butof the highest quality. It was saidto have an uplifting quality to it,and made music like those ofsongbirds. Indeed, small songbirdstended to gather whereverNightingale played.

The Flute is of fantasticquality and tone. It grants a +4masterwork bonus to thePerformance (Flute) skill ofanyone playing it. Also, any bardplaying the flute acts as thoughaffected by a paladin’s Aura ofCourage. Though it is not amagical effect, nearby songbirdsare attracted to the sound of theFlute.

The Flute comes with itsown unique drawback however.The Flute randomly affects peoplelistening to it with a Charm Personspell-like effect (will save, DC 20),making them amorous towards theperformer. Indeed, someoneplaying the Flute might findthemselves suddenly very popularwith the opposite sex.

The Pipes of LawConsidered the last of the

Vincintiari originals, the Pipes ofLaw are a truly awesome sight tobehold. It was commissioned bythe Aerkebiskop Grecko Vistin ofNova Vaasa at considerable costand took two years to constructfrom scratch. Nicholai, his twosons Markus and Petros, several ofthe Lawgiver’s clerics, and alegion of apprentices who workeddiligently for months to createwhat is considered a true wonderof the church.

The Pipes of Law are amassive pipe organ, set into thenorth wall of what was once afairly minor church in a town nearArbora. In the past year since theircompletion, this church has seen amajor influx of pilgrims, most ofthem faithful of the Lawgiver,flocking to see the Pipes and heartheir legendary melody.

The Pipes create a hauntingsound with their melody, so deep,full and resonating that some say itis like hearing the voice of theLawgiver himself.

The Pipes of Law arepossibly the finest crafted pipeorgan in the Core. They grant a +4

masterwork bonus to thePerformance (Pipe Organ) skill ofanyone playing them. TheLawgiver has blesses the Pipes,and their melody strikes a non-magical Fear (will save, DC 30)into the hearts of any non-lawfulbeings who hear them. Finally, anycleric of the Lawgiver who playsthe Pipes and makes a successfulPerformance (Pipe Organ) check atDC 30 may create a M a s sSuggestion spell-like effect as acleric one level higher thenthemselves.

There are some darkeraspects to the Pipes. Any personwho hears their melody must makea will save, DC 25, or have theiralignment shift one step towardslawful. This shift in alignment onlylasts for twenty-four hours, or untilthe Pipes is heard again. The Pipesof Law are not to be trifled with.Any non-lawful being whomattempts to play the Pipes will findthemselves instantly struck deaf bythe first sound the Pipes create bytheir hand. This deafness is notpermanent, and wears off afteronly a day or two.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Sword, Fist and MistPrestige Classes of Sword and Fist in the Dread Realms

By Mark "Mortavius" Graydonmortavius@shaw.ca

CavalierThe Cavaliers are the most

common in the domains of Hazlan,Nova Vassa, Pharazia, andSithicus. In Nova Vassa theCavaliers are the corrupt enforcersof Prince Othmar’s illegal rule.These horsemen ride the fastesthorses in the Core and bear thefinest armor forged. In Hazlan theCavaliers are often Mulan whohave become bored with adecadent lifestyle and decided topursue a life of excitement andadventure. Occasionally theMulans accept Rashemi warriorsof renown, strength and favor.Hazlani Cavaliers are distinguishedfrom other horsemen by theirtendency to possess minor magicalitems or even arcane spell castingabilities. Pharazian Cavaliers donot fit the mold of the traditionalCavaliers, but Cavaliers they are.These warriors are alwaysequipped with banded mail as it isthe heaviest form of armor theycan wear in the hot desert sun.Pharazian Cavaliers are usuallymuch more religious than otherCavaliers, they are enforcingDiamabel’s holy edicts with theirrighteous acts in his service. Cladin shining elf-mail SithicanCavaliers are indeed an awe-inspiring sight. Instead of horses,these elves ride upon giant stagbeetles, combing through theirrough forests with a much greaterease than a horse could ever do.Cavaliers can also be found inFalkovnia, Richemulot, andRokushima Taiyoo.

Devoted DefenderDue to the broadness of

their focus, Devoted Defenders canbe found almost anywhere in theDread Realms. They are mostcommon in the domain ofRichemulot but they have alsobeen begun to appear in Barovia,Borca, G’Henna, Har’Akir,Invidia, Lamordia, Nidala, Odiare,Paridon, Pharazia, and Tepest.The Devoted Defenders ofRichemulot are unique amongstthe defenders of the Demiplane.Not only are the Defendersprotectors of the body, but theyalso protect their charges from thevicious slander that might bereleased by other nobles againstthem. These Defenders are asskilled at the art of bluffing as theyare with a sword.

Drunken MasterDrunken Masters are very

rare in the Demiplane. Of alldomains they are most likely to befound in Borca, Sithicus, Vechor,Verbrek, and the islands of the Seaof Sorrows and the Nocturnal Sea.Drunken Rage (Ex): When theDrunken Master enters theDrunken Rage, he gets a +4 bonusto Fear, Horror, and Madnesschecks, just like a normalBarbarian does when he or sheenters a rage.

DuelistThe Duelist is most

commonly found on the shores orislands of the Nocturnal Sea.These maritime Duelists are sailorsof great skill, for the Sea is harshmistress to those who are

unprepared for her. Following theNocturnal coasts, they are mostcommonly found in Dementlieu,Kartakass, the islands of the Sea ofSorrows, and Souragne.Alterations: The Duelists specialattack options functions only witha one-handed piercing meleeweapon. Thus, a pistol could notbe used in this attack option.

Fist of the Lawgiver(aka Fist of Hextor)

Almost all Fists of theLawgiver are found in the domainsof Nova Vassa and Tepest. InNova Vassa they are some of thetemple’s most favored servants. InTepest, they are some of the mostpowerful guards of the Lawgiver’stemples, and must regularly pushback the Inquisitors of the Fey.Otherwise, they can be found onthe shores and islands of theNocturnal Sea or in Hazlan.

GhostwalkerGhostwalkers commonly

originate from Falkovnia,G’Henna, or Tepest. In Falkovnia,many Ghostwalkers were formerguards in the military. Thesecharacters are disillusioned withmilitary service, so they take upthe life of the wanderer. InG’Henna, the Ghostwalkers areusually painfully thin and many arefervently believe in Zhakata eventhough they have taken up the lifeof the outcast. TepestaniGhostwalkers are lone warriors,often out to destroy the Feywherever they can find them.Ghostwalkers may also be found in

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1Lamordia, Nova Vassa, Vechor,and Vorostokov.Etherealness (Sp): T h eEtherealness ability of theGhostwalker suffers the samechanges as the Ethereal Jaunt spellin the Ravenloft 3E Rulebook.Shadow Walk (Sp): The ShadowWalk ability is similarly restrictedas the spell of the same name,detailed again in the Ravenloft 3ERulebook.

GladiatorThe Gladiator is a

dichotomy of sorts. On the onehand the requirements to pursuethe calling are not hard to reach,and indeed many domains possessthe resources to produceGladiators. On the other hand,Gladiatorial arenas are far and fewbetween in the Dread Realms.There is at least one in Falkovnia,though whether it is still in use isin question. Rumors persist of aland far into the Mists, a desertrealm populated by a savage folkwho fight in gladiatorial arenas ona daily basis. So far such tales arelittle more than the conjecture ofdrunks spoken only in whispersdeep into the night. The domainsthat are most likely to spawn aGladiator are Borca, Darkon,Dementlieu, Falkovnia, Invidia,Kartakass, Nidala, Nova Vassa,Rokushima Taiyoo, Sanguinia,Vechor and Vorostokov.

Halfling OutriderThe Halfling Outriders are

even more rare than the DrunkenMasters, although in a fewdomains the conditions are rightfor them to be active. Particularlyin Hazlan and Nova Vassa. Inthese domains (particularly NovaVassa) the Outriders are known forthe quality of animals they ride.Since the Halfling people usuallylive apart from the humans in the

Dread Realms there is not muchchange from the prestige class aspresented.

Knight Protector (akaKnight Protector ofthe Great Kingdom)

The Knight Protectors arepeople who have devoted theirvery lives to an ancient code ofknightly honor and chivalry. Thedifference between these Knightsand Paladins is that the code comesfirst for the Knights. Goodnessremains secondary to their oath.Knight Protectors are mostcommon in Nova Vassa andPharazia. In Nova Vassa some ofthe Knight Protectors are in theservice of Sir Tristen Hiregaard,for his house is one of the fivenoble families and remains astaunch supporter of the oldKnightly code. In Pharazia theKnight Protectors have twisted thecode sl ightly to includeDiamabel’s influence and reign,and so they have become theservants of that angelic being.Knight Protectors may also befound in Dementlieu, Har’Akir,Hazlan, Richemulot, RokushimaTaiyoo, and Sri Raji.

LasherThe way of the Lasher is a

rare calling. The requirements of alasher are common skills for thedenizens of Ravenloft but mostLashers come from the FrozenWastes. Specifically, they comefrom the domain of Sanguiniawhere the natives are skilled inboth leatherworking and the use ofropes to aid them in climbing.Strangely, G’Henna is devoid oflashers despite the commonoccurrence of whips. This is duemostly to the rarity of theleatherworking and Use Ropeskills. Lashers may also come

from Barovia, Borca, Hazlan,Lamordia, Mordent, The NocturnalSea, Nova Vassa, RokushimaTaiyoo, The Sea of Sorrows,Souragne, Tepest, and Vorostokov.

Master of ChainsThese sinister characters

are rare in the demiplane. Theymay be found in a scattering ofdomains but they are no morelikely to appear in any one placeover another. They may be foundin Borca, Falkovnia, G’Henna,Invidia, Kartakass, Nidala, TheNocturnal Sea, Nova Vassa,Pharazia, Richemulot, RokushimaTaiyoo, Sithicus, Sri Raji, Tepest,and Vechor. Sailors tell stories ofa ship on the Nocturnal Sea namedthe Chained Captain, a mightyvessel that sports iron chains whererigging should have been. Theaccursed ship is said to emanatethe unearthly sound of clankingover the waves, and those whoencounter it are rarely heard fromagain.

Master SamuraiAs with many horse-related

prestige classes, Master Samuraiare found mostly in Nova Vassa inthe Core and in Rokushima Taiyoowhere the class originated. Theappearance of the Master Samuraiin the Core dates back to adisgraced Ronin who leftRokushima Taiyoo and through histeachings brought the skills andideals of the samurai to the“barbarians” of the Core. MasterSamurai can also be found inBorca, Hazlan, Invidia, Nidala, andSithicus. It is said that the Roninwho taught the secrets of theSamurai to the foreigners of theCore has become a ghost thatvengefully seeks out those whoabuse the Master Samurai code.He performs this penance for hispart in revealing the sacred tenets

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1of the samurai to uncivilizedforeigners.

Ninja of the CrescentMoon

These shadowy assassinsoriginally hail from RokushimaTaiyoo, much like the MasterSamurai. They too have branchedout to other domains to increasetheir holdings and power. So farthey have had most success in thedomain of Paridon. Theseshadowy assassins have created asmall guild in that domain andsome of their members are formercelebrants of the Temple of theDivinity of Mankind. Beyond thestreets of Paridon they may befound in Falkovnia and Valachan.Ethereal Jaunt (Sp): The EtherealJaunt ability of the Ninja is limitedas the spell of the same name, asgiven in the Ravenloft CampaignSetting book.

Order of the BowInitiate

The Order of the BowInitiate is most commonly found inthe domains of Sithicus, Sri Raji,Valachan, and Verbrek. Thereclusive woodsmen of Valachanand Verbrek are particularly takenwith this class as the skills it offersserve them well against the forestpredators of their domains.

RavagerSome of those who follow

the Wolf God of Verbrek havetaken up the path of the Ravager.The wolf god fills the role usuallyreserved for Erythnul. Althoughthe human natives of Verbrek arenot prone to taking this class thereare other domains with moreaccepting people. Ironically, themost commonly found domainswith Ravagers are those religiousdomains, Nidala and Tepest. The

inhabitants turn their naturalknowledge of religion to dark endsand embrace the wildness of theWolf God into their hearts. InTepest these people often turn theirbacks upon civilization andbecome wild and savage like thegoblins of their homeland. InNidala the Ravagers are muchmore religious in bent althoughthey still live wildly in the woodsin the east of the domain, far fromElena Faith-Hold’s reach. Otherdomains with likely candidates forthe Ravagers are Falkovnia,G’Henna, Har’Akir, Invidia, NovaVassa, Sanguinia, Sithicus,Vechor, and Vorostokov.Cruelest Cut & Pain Touch (Su):The Cruelest Cut & Pain Touchabilities of the Ravager are evilacts. Whenever a ravager usesthem he must make a PowersCheck. The value of the check isdetermined using the same chanceof failure as a grievous assault.

Red AvengerRed Avengers come almost

exclusively from the domains ofParidon, Rokushima Taiyoo, andSri Raji. The philosophy of theRed Avenger dictates that hisabilities and vital energy is derivedfrom the mystical force of Ki.This school of thought is firmlyentrenched in Rokushima Taiyooand Sri Raji. In Paridon, some ofthose who have studied at theTemple of the Divine Form havetaken this belief and incorporated itinto their religious dogma. WhilstRed Avengers in RokushimaTaiyoo and Sri Raji are prominentindividuals they are usually verycovert and unremarkable inParidon, at least until they revealtheir abilities.

Tribal ProtectorThe Tribal Protector is

unique among the other classes

because it is available only tononhuman creatures of thedemiplane. Of the standard PCraces, only Calibans may take thisclass and they must also fit therole-playing requirement bybecoming a member of a tribe. Asto domains, Tribal Protectors aremost likely to hail from Sanguiniaor Vorostokov. Only such harshdomains have the necessarybrutality to forge the Protectors.Otherwise, they may be foundamongst the Goblyns of Forlorn orthe Goblins of Tepest.Alterations: The Tribal Enemychoice may be one type of racialinhabitant of a domain. Exampleswould be all Humans in Barovia orall Elves in Sithicus. TheHomeland choice should be theTribal Protector’s home domain.

WarmasterThe Warmasters hail from

a variety of domains; principallyDementlieu, Pharazia, Richemulot,Rokushima Taiyoo, and Sri Raji.In Dementlieu and Richemulot theWarmasters are usually eminentmembers of the military. Thesemen are high-ranking officers incharge of the Mutual Defense Pactthat Borca, Dementlieu, Mordent& Richemulot have againstFalkovnia. Surprisingly, there arefew Warmasters in Falkovnia. Thebrutality of Vlad Drakov’s ruleprecludes many from choosing thisclass in that land. In Pharazia theWarmasters are elite warriors incharge of eliminating the nomadsof the desert who evadeDiamabel’s rule. WithinRokushima Taiyoo and Sri Raji theWarmasters are much moremeditative and sedate, preferring tohone their abilities so that combatcan be avoided rather than joined.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1Weapon Master

The Weapon Masters are asvaried as the domains they comefrom. Primarily found in the landsof Borca, Invidia, the NocturnalSea, Pharazia, the Sea of Sorrows,Sithicusand Vechor, eachspecializes in a single weapon. InBorca & Invidia, Dagger Mastersand Pistol Masters are the mostcommon. The weapon masters ofthe Nocturnal Sea and the Sea ofSorrows are predominantly mastersof the rapier. Pharazia features itsfamed dancing Scimitar masters,particularly among the Nomads ofthe desert. The elven land ofSithicus has Long Sword Mastersand Composite Longbow Masters.

Finally, the exotic island of Vechorhas Kukri Masters, a weapon notoften seen in other lands of theCore. Other lands that may haveWeapon Masters are Falkovnia,G’Henna, Kartakass, Nidala, NovaVassa, Odiare, Richemulot,Rokushima Taiyoo, Tepest, and SriRaji.

Sword & F i s tWeapon CL’sCL 1: Fukimi-Bari, HalflingSkiprock, Orcish Shotput, andTwo-Ball Bolas

CL 2: Bladed Gauntlet, Harpoon,Stump Knife, Three-Section Staff,Triple Dagger, Ward Cestus, andWhip Dagger

CL 3: Duom, Manti, SpinningJavelin, Spring-Loaded Gauntlet,and Warfan

CL 4: Alchemist’s Arrow

CL 5: Chain-and-Dagger

CL 6: Gnomish Battlepick,Fullblade, Great Crossbow,Gyrspike, Mercurial Long Sword,Mercurial Great sword, andTumbling Bolt

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Those Who Delve the DarkCharacter classes for Masque and the Red Death

AdeptDespite the influence of the

Red Death, the forces of magic stillinfuse the world of Gothic Earth.The magical energies are bothchaotic and powerful, and yet aselect few humans seem to havegained a kind of mastery over it.These rare individuals are knownas adepts, and they are theconductors in the symphony ofmagic. These individuals have theunique ability to command theforces of magic through sheerpersonality. The powers of anadept manifest develop atadolescence, though theseblossoming powers are oftenignored. Many potential adeptsnever realize their potential,dismissing the manifestation oftheir power as tricks of the mind.Few adepts realize their potentialand begin to explore their powers.Adepts are historically regarded assorcerers, witches or evencharlatans. There are few whotruly understand the nature ofadepts, though there are many whodesire to exploit them. Adepts canbe found working as members ofqabals, as stage magicians, or asadventurers seeking hiddenanswers.

Abilities of the Adept:Adepts are to Gothic Earth whatsorcerers are to most primematerial worlds. Adepts gain hitdice as sorcerers, cast spells andgain spells as sorcerers, andadvance in skill points, savebonuses and attack bonuses assorcerers. The class skills of anadept are alchemy, bluff,concentration, craft (any),diplomacy, hide, knowledge (any),mesmerism, move silently,mysticism, profession (any), spellcraft. Adepts are proficient with allpistols and simple weapons, andare not proficient in any form ofarmor. Adepts learn spells from thesame list that sorcerers use to gainspells. Adepts may use magical

items as sorcerers and adepts maycast bonus spells appropriate totheir charisma scores. Adepts maysummon familiars as sorcerers.Such familiars will be dreadfamiliars.

The Command: Adepts havethe ability to cast a certain numberof spells each day. This representsthe limitation of the adept’s forceof personality. When an adeptexpends all spells within a twenty-four hour period, the adept isdrained and cannot cast any morespells. An adept regains hisforceful personality only througheight hours of rest. When casting aspell, the adept must make acharisma check equal to 10 plusthe level of the spell cast. Thischecks represent the force of theadepts personality placed againstthe resistance of the natural world.If the check succeeds, the spell iscast as normal. If the check fails,the adept has failed to commandthe energies of the universe and thespell is not cast. The failed spelldoes not count against the totalnumber of spells that an adept cancast each day. An adept has severaloptions available when casting aspell. An adept can cast any spellknown to him, and mayspontaneously decide to sacrifice aspell of higher level to cast a spellof a lower level. An adept canapply any spell casting feat knownto any spell cast, withoutpreparation.

The Drain: Though theenergies of magic are bountiful,the presence of the Red Deathcreates an energy vacuum thatconstantly drains magical energyfrom spell casters. For an adeptthe energies of magic are tooclosely linked to his ownpersonality. Thus each time anadept successfully casts a spellthere is the possibility that hisbody succumbs to the energy

vacuum and the adept loses aportion of his force of personality.Whenever a spell is successfullycast, the adept must make afortitude save against a DC of 10plus the level of the spell. If thesave is successful, then the adept’sbody has withstood the vacuumand suffers no adverse effects. Ifthe save is failed, the adept’spersonality is drained. An adeptthus drained loses the ability castany more spells of the level of thespell just cast. An adept retains theability to sacrifice spells of ahigher level to cast spells of thelevel just lost, so an adept that lostall second level spells maysacrifice a third level spell to cast asecond level spell. The effects ofthe drain last until the adept restsfor eight hours.Aristocrat

Aristocrats represent thewealthy elite of gothic earth.These men and women are welleducated but they focus theirefforts on mastering the socialgraces. Aristocrats can be wealthybusinessmen, nobles or pampereddandies. A person who hasbecome a celebrity, or is a fixtureof higher social circles may takelevels as an aristocrat.

Aristocrats advance in baseattack bonus as clerics of the samelevel, and advance in savingthrows as wizards of the samelevel. Characters of the aristocratclass use the D6 as their hit dice.Aristocrats are proficient with allpistols and simple weapons.Characters of the aristocrat classgain skill points equal to six plustheir intelligence modifier at everylevel, and four times that amount atfirst level. The class skills of an

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1aristocrat are appraise, bluff,diplomacy, disguise, forgery,gather information, handle animal,innuendo, intimidate, knowledge(any), listen, perform, read lips,ride, sense motive, speaklanguages, spot.

Discretion: The world of thearistocrat is woven together withequal parts of truth and lies. Tosucceed in that world an aristocratmust be able to separate the two.Aristocrats train themselves tonotice the hidden elements of anyinteraction. An aristocrat takesnothing at face value, but insteadscrutinizes everything. At secondlevel an aristocrat gains a +1insight bonus to all sense motivechecks. This bonus increases to+2 at fifth level and increases by+1 every three levels afterward.Thus, an eighth level aristocratwould possess a +3 insight bonusto sense motive checks.

Expertise: At fourth level anaristocrat may take skill focus as abonus feat. This bonus feat must beapplied to one of the aristocrat’sclass skills. The aristocrat receivesanother bonus skill focus feat ateighth level, twelfth level,sixteenth level and twentieth level.

Noble Tongue: Just as asuccessful aristocrat must be ableto discern the truth, he must alsobe able to speak lies. Aristocratsbecome experienced in disguisingtheir motivations, at misdirectionand weaving intricate webs offalsehoods. At second level anaristocrat gains a +1 insight bonusto bluff checks. At sixth level andevery four levels afterward theinsight bonus increases by +1.

Power is Knowledge: OnGothic Earth there are manyindividuals who are willing totrade knowledge for favors. Aspeople of power aristocrats areoften privileged to knowledge thatis hidden from others. Often thisinformation is little better thangossip, but occasionally importanttidbits filter their way to anaristocrat’s ears. As an aristocratgains influence he accumulatesmore and more information,eventually becoming a font of

knowledge. An aristocrat mayattempt a special Gossip check todetermine if he knows somerelevant information about a givenperson, place or thing. This checkis made with a bonus equal to hislevel in the aristocrat class plus hisintelligence modifier. Thedifficulty class of the checkincreases with the obscurity of theinformation. Knowledge thatwould be commonly knownamongst nobility will carry a DCof ten. For example; recalling thename of the Czar of Russiarequires a DC of 10.

Knowledge that is notcommonly discussed carries a DCof 15. For example, recalling thatthe youngest son of Czar Nicholasis gripped by hemophilia wouldrequire a DC of fifteen. Anythingthat would commonly be known toa commoner also fits under thiscategory. Knowledge that isunusually obscure or kept tightlysecret carries a DC of twenty. Forexample, knowing the name of theBritish Ambassador to Siam wouldcarry a DC of 20.

The Gossip check carriescertain modifiers. Checks made torecall knowledge regardingpersons, places or things within thesame nation from which thearistocrat owes allegiance carries abonus of +2 to the Gossip check.Checks made regarding all othernations on that same continentcarry a modifier of zero. Gossipchecks regarding persons, places orthings in other nations on othercontinents carry a penalty of –2 tothe check. Checks regardingnations that are currently at warwith the aristocrat’s nation ofallegiance carry a penalty of –5.

Renown: In the age beforecinema the adventures andmisadventures of the world’snobility were a topic of greatdiscussion amongst people from allwalks of life. The very power andwealth that defines an aristocratdraws the attention of all membersof society. As an aristocrat gainsexperience he cannot help but gaina celebrity status. his status givesan aristocrat a powerful edge insocial interaction of any kind. At

first level an aristocrat gains a +1renowned bonus to all diplomacychecks. At third level and everythird level afterwards the bonusincreases by 1. Thus, a fifteenthlevel aristocrat would possess a +6renowned bonus to diplomacychecks. This bonus only applieswhen used in negotiations withcharacters that could feasibly havebeen exposed to the reputation ofthe aristocrat character. Forexample, a British general couldapply his bonus to discussions withexperienced German officers butnot with a band of green Americanconscripts.

Stiff Upper Lip: Anaristocrat that loses his composureis no aristocrat at all. While notnormally courageous, an aristocratwould rather die than lose hisdignity. At first level an aristocratgains a +1 moral bonus to resistfear effects and fear checks. Thisbonus increases by +1 at fourthlevel and every four levelsafterward.

CriminalThe criminal class represents

those in society who live outsidethe law. While these men andwomen are reviled as evil parasitestheir skills are overlooked.Criminals hone skills that areunpracticed by most members insociety, they specialize indeception, burglary and stealth.Most criminals are not evil bynature, but rather they are peoplewho have resorted to crime tomake ends meet. Others are thugsor cold-blooded assassins. Thecriminal class applies to anyonewho supports themselves bybreaking laws. Criminals use theD6 as a hit dice and progress insaving throws and base attackbonus as rogues of the same level.At each level the rogue gains anumber of skill points equal to 8plus the intelligence modifier,

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1except at first level when the roguegains four times that amount.

The class skills of a criminalare appraise, balance, bluff, climb,craft (any), decipher script,diplomacy, disable device,disguise, escape artist, forgery,gather information, hide, innuendo,intimidate, intuit direction, jump,listen, move silently, open lock,perform, pick pockets, profession,read lips, search, sense motive,spot, swim, tumble and use rope.

A criminal is proficient in theuse of any firearm and all simpleweapons. A criminal is notproficient in any form of armor orshields. Whenever a criminalattacks a character that is deniedhis dexterity bonus to armor classhe may deal extra damage with a“sneak attack”. A criminal’s sneakattack bonus advances as a rogue’sattack. At second level thecriminal gains the evasion ability.At third level the criminal gainsthe uncanny dodge ability and doesnot lose his dexterity bonus evenwhen flat-footed. At sixth levelthis uncanny dodge increases suchthat the criminal can no longer beflanked in combat. At eleventhlevel the uncanny dodge abilitygrants the criminal a +1 bonus tohis armor class to attacks made bytraps. This AC bonus increaseswith the same rate as a rogue. Thecriminal may choose one specialability from the rogue list at levels10, 13, 16 and 19.

ExpertThe expert class represents

the professionals of Gothic Earth.These men and women aredifferent from trained laborers, forthey represent hard working, self-motivated people who strive toimprove themselves rather thanjust make a living. Experts includearchitects, businessmen, detectives,doctors, engineers, explorers,

lawyers, mechanics, merchants,nurses, policemen, politicians,seamen, scientists and teachers.These people are found all over theworld and are the heart ofcivilization. Experts use the D6 astheir hit dice. They advance insaving throws and base attackbonus as rogues of the same level.

At first level an expertchooses six skills to be class skills.All craft, knowledge or professionskills are considered to be classskills for experts. At third leveland every four levels afterwardsthe expert may choose one otherskill to be a class skill. At firstlevel, fourth level, seventh leveland every three levels afterwardsthe expert gains a bonus skill focusfeat for use in one of his classskills.

Experts are proficient in allsimple weapons, pistols and oneother weapon of their choice.Experts are not proficient in anyforms of armor or shields.

MysticNot since the fall of the

Roman Empire have true priestswalked the earth. The Red Deathsystematically destroyed theconnections between deities andhumanity, replacing religions withimpotent ritualistic cults. Even theearth loving druids have beendriven into hiding by the minionsof the Red Death. Mysticsrepresent a different breed ofdivine spell casters, they areempowered by spirits native toGothic Earth, rather than theextraplanar beings known as gods.Mystics are chosen by the “EarthSpirits” to represent them. Mostearth spirits are good or neutral,mystics are their agents on theEarth. The ultimate purpose of themystics is to rescue mankind fromthe dread designs of the RedDeath, though this goal is pursued

in a manner beyond thecomprehension of limited mortalminds.

Mystics advance in spellcasting ability as druids, thoughthey may choose their spells fromany on the divine spell list.Mystics may turn undead as clericsof equal level, but they may notsacrifice spells to cast cure spells.Mystics use the D8 as their hit diceand they advance in skill points,saving throws and base attackbonus as clerics of the same level.Mystics are proficient in pistols,and simple weapons.

Revelat ions : The earthspirits grant magic to theirfollowers by revealing to theirfollowers a minute but profoundtruth. The mystic’s mind isflooded with a profoundunderstanding of the nature of theuniverse, and through it he or shetemporarily gains the knowledgeneeded to manipulate reality intothe desired effect. This knowledgeis far to complex to remain in thehuman mind for long, for once thespell is cast it is forgotten. Eachmourning the mystic maycommune with the earth spirits togain this knowledge. Theknowledge is left in the back of thecharacter’s mind, up until the pointwhere he or she decides tocontemplate it and reveal the truth.Revealing the truth requires asuccessful wisdom check against aDC of 10 plus the spell’s level. Ifthe check succeeds the spell maybe cast, if the check fails then thecharacter cannot cast that spell.Spells that are not successfully castare not forgotten.

The Drain: The Red Deathhas found to its chagrin that theEarth Spirits are indestructible.Fortunately for the dread entity themagic of the spirits is notinfallible. Each time a mysticsuccessfully casts a spell there is

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1the possibility that his mindsuccumbs to the Red Death’scorrupting whispers and loses aportion of the revealed truth givento him by the spirits. Whenever aspell is successfully cast, themystic must make a will saveagainst a DC of 10 plus the level ofthe spell. If the save is successful,then the mystic’s mind haswithstood the intrusive lies of theRed Death and thus suffers noadverse effects. If the save isfailed, the mystic is distracted andloses part of the revealed truth. Amystic thus distracted loses theability cast any more spells of thelevel of the spell just cast.

QabalistThe influence of the Red

Death has greatly retardedmankind’s understanding of

magic. As a result, there haveexisted no true wizards formillennia. Nonetheless, the studyof magic is not impossible. Theqabals exist like a lifeline betweenthe ignorant present and theancient past, allowing members oftheir organization to master theancient art of magic. To masterarcane magic, it is necessary to beapprenticed to an experienceqabalist. Without such training, itis impossible to cast arcane magic.The life of a qabalist is consumedby the search for more arcane lore.Unlike the adept, the qabalist isunlimited in the number of spellshe may know. The ultimatemeasure of a qabalist is the numberof spells he possesses in his spellbook. The qabalist cast spells as awizard, meaning that the qabalistmay memorize the same maximumnumber of spells each day as awizard of the same level. Aqabalist may specialize in oneschool of magic, as a wizard.Qabalists gain hit dice as wizards,improves in attack bonus andsaving throw bonuses and gainskill points each level as wizards.The class skills of a qabalist arealchemy, concentration, craft(any), diplomacy, hide, knowledge

(any), mesmerism, mysticism,profession (any), spell craft.

Qabalists gain bonus feats aswizards, including the free scribescroll feat, and must select thesefeats from the same list as wizards.Qabalists may not summon afamiliar; such a skill has beenburied by the sands of time.Qabalists are proficient with allpistols and simple weapons and arenot proficient in any forms ofarmor. Qabalists must keep spellbooks as wizards, and may learnspells and copy spells as wizardsas well Qabalists may cast the spellread magic directly from memory.Qabalists use magical items suchas scrolls as wizards, and may gainbonus spells appropriate to theirintelligence score.

Memorizing Magic: Eachday, after a restful sleep, a qabalistmay memorize spells for use inthat day. To do this, a qabalistmust study his or her book ofspells. This memorization processinvolves more than justcommitting the components of aspell to memory, it also involvesrituals to gather enough magicalpower to prime each spell for lattercasting. A qabalist can onlymemorize spells after at least sixhours (more or less) of rest, andonly once in a twenty-four hourperiod. The casting of a spellrequires the qabalis t tosuccessfully recall and perform theexact procedure for the spell. Thisrequires an intelligence check ofDC equal to ten plus the level ofthe spell. If the check passes then itis successfully cast, but if the spellfails the qabalist has made amistake in the casting and the spellis not cast. The spell might be castat a latter time, without penalty.

The Drain: The presence ofthe Red Death creates a vacuumthroughout Gothic Earth. Eachtime a spell is cast, there is thepossibility that magical energy isdrained from the spell caster, andfurther castings are madeimpossible. Each time a qabalistsuccessfully casts a spell; he or shemust make a fortitude checkagainst a DC of 10 plus the level ofthe spell. If the check succeeds,

then the qabalist is unaffected.However, if the check fails thenthe qabalist has been drained of aportion of the magical energycollected during the memorizationprocess. When a caster is thusdrained, they lose the ability to castspells of that same level of thespell just cast. The effects of thedrain last until the next time theqabalist memorizes spells.

SoldierThe soldier class can be

taken by anyone who has beenspecially trained for combat.Soldiers are the fighters of society;they are trained to respond tochallenges with force. Soldiers aremost often trained by an officialmilitary, but characters with thesoldier class can also be bandits,mountain men, police officers,prizefighters, sailors or veterans.

Soldiers accumulate theirbase attack bonus and their savingthrow bonuses as fighters of thesame level. Soldiers use the D10 astheir hit dice and are proficient inall simple and martial weapons.Soldiers are not proficient in anyform of armor or shields; this skillhas been lost to modern advances.Soldiers gain skill points equal totwo plus their intelligence modifierat each level. Soldiers also gainfour times that amount of skillpoints at first level. The class skillsof a soldier are climb,concentration, handle animal, hide,intimidate, knowledge (military),move silently, navigation,profession (seaman), ride, search,spot, and swim.

Soldiers are versatile fightersand quick learners. At first level,second level and every two levelsafterwards a soldier gains onebonus feat. This bonus feat must beapplied to one of the followingfeats: Alertness, ambidexterity,back to the wall, blind fight,cleave, combat reflexes, courage,dead man walking, dodge,endurance, exotic weaponproficiency, expertise, far shot,great fortitude, great cleave,improved bull rush, improvedcritical, improved disarm,

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1improved trip, improved unarmedstrike, iron will, jaded, lighteningreflexes, mobility, mountedcombat, mounted missile fire,point blank shot, power attack,precise shot, quick draw, rapidshot, ride-by-attack, run, shot onthe run, skill focus (soldier classskills only), spirited charge, andspring attack.

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

Denizens of Gothic EarthIf looks could kill….

Zorin, DmitriMalVil@rambler.ru

ViyLarge GiantHit Dice 6d8+30 (58hp)Initiative -1(Dex)Speed 20 ft.AC 14 (-1 size, -1

Dex, +6natural)

Attacks 2 slam +6melee

Damage Slam 1d6+2Face/Reach 5ft.x5ft. /10ft.Special Attacks Death GazeSpecialQualities

Blindness

Saves Fort +10, Ref+1, Will +3

Abilities Str 15, Dex 9,Con 20, Int 6,Wis 12, Cha 5

Skills Spot +7*,Listen +5

Feats Alertness,Power Attack

Climate/Terrain TemperateHills/Forests

Organization Solitary or 1viy plus 1d6ghouls

CR 6Alignment Usually CEAdvancement 7-10 HD

(Large)

The Viy, pronounced veey, is a

large and monstrous creaturecharacterized by huge eyelids. Thecreature has a thick gray hide andstrong, disproportionally longarms. Typical a viy stands from 8to 12 feet high and is at least threequarters as wide as it is tall.Despite its strength its eyelids aretoo heavy for viy to open himself.Unable to provide for themselvesin their blind state they live insecluded caves or forest dens.These grossly fat creatures arecapable of hibernating for yearswithout food. They remain in theirslumber until they are summonedby an evil spell caster at whichpoint they wreak havoc on thecountryside. In return for themayhem they spread, their mastersappease the Viy with hugeamounts of foodstuffs. Once sated,the viy returns to its icy abode toslumber. Although there are maleand female Viys found in thedepths of arcane history there is noknown instance of Viys mating. Itis believed that they can only besummoned from a mystical realmwhere these creatures are thedominant life form. Thedeformities to the creature’s eyesare believed to be an effect of thesummoning process.

CombatViys prefer using their Death gazeto its devastating effect rather thanget embroiled in hand-to-handcombat. Should combat occur theydo not flee. Rather, they rely ontheir strength and the threat of theirlethal gaze.

Death Gaze (Su): The eyesof a Viy contain powerful deathmagic. Should anyone meet thegaze of the monster they mustmake a will save against a DC 10or be slain. This gaze attackextends only thirty feet, beyondthat the horrible gaze has no effect.

Blindness (Ex): A viy'seyelids are too heavy for it to openhimself. Unless two people assistthe creature it is consideredblinded. These helpers must donothing but follow the creature oneither side, holding up theblubbery eyelids. While blindedthe Viy suffers a 50% chance tomiss in combat due to opponents'total concealment, it moves only athalf speed, suffers -4 penalty onmost Strength and Dexterity basedskills and opponents get a +2bonus to their attack rolls. Unlessthe eyelids are open, viy have askill bonus of +0 on their Listenchecks

Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

CreditsContributorsBobby Storey,bobby_s_123@hotmail.com.Artist of the Bog Wraith. Myname is Bobby Storey, or that evilson of a b*#$h! GM to my closeand personal friends, I live in theUK and have been brought up in aworld of fantasy since my youth. Ihave been able to draw since I canremember, and began drawingpictures of fantasy beasts andpeople from my early teens. Sincethen I've been working on gettingbetter, but I know I still have along way to go. All I can say isthat I hope you like my picturesand I was glad to help out in themaking of the netzine.

Eddy Brennan aka Hedgewitch.Creator of the Celtic Banshee. Aprofessional animator/illustratorthat has far too much time on theirhands can sometimes be adangerous thing, especially if youare a Ravenloft DM. In the pastcouple of years, I have had somesuccess with appearing in severalnetbooks and co-editing another(the editors of the netzine have mysympathies, heheh); also, I justlove to write. In the future, I planand hope to submit more to thenetzine and wish it every success.

Fred Voetsch. Front-pagephotograph, 2001.

God Brain. The creator of theDread Nymph.

Scott C. Bourgeois. Creator ofthe Living Bayou and Vincintiari’sInstruments. Thanks goes out tomy Ravenloft players (both pastand present) for putting up withmy 'seat-of-the-pants' DM style,and surviving many of my ideas. Aspecial thanks to Diego for reallybringing the Lyre of Laszlo Taskarto life.

Shane Glodoski. Creator of AnUnwelcome Respite andShuraz’tun Kir. I have alwaysbeen a fan of Ravenloft, ever sincethe black box set fell in my hands;I was forever drawn to the lands ofmist. When not working in a mostvile domain known as the realworld, I am an avid reader andwriter of fantasy and especiallygothic horror. Course I wouldgreatly like to dedicate this to mybrother Aaron, who bought me thebasic red box set and showed methat I didn't have to take the diceout of the family board games toplay games of my own creation,there already was something likethat. Thanks Aaron.bookwyrms@yahoo.com

Zorin, Dmitri, Creator of the Viyand author of Tainted Love. Bornin 1983, Moscow, Russia. Studentof Moscow Institute of Radio,Electronics and Automatics(MIREA). Been playing D&Dsince approximately 1996-97,

entered the mists in 1998. Enjoygothic fiction, movies... junglemusic and aggressive skating.Favourite writers: J.R.R. Tolkien,H.P. Lovecraft, B. Stoker, and EdGreenwodd (yes, I play ForgottenRealms too).

EditorsJason True: aka Javier. Creator ofthe Hellstalker and tools of thetrade. With the possible exceptionof Planescape, Ravenloft has beenmy favorite setting to both play inand DM. These particular tastes incampaign settings probably explainwhy I have a tendency to usevarious fiends in Ravenloft andhave a gothic mood in many of myPlanescape adventures. When I'mnot brainstorming for newadventure ideas, my time istypically spent between finishingmy medical degree and helpingplan my wedding. In fact, I wouldlike to dedicate this to my fiancée,Renee, who has been both patientand understanding of all my role-playing interests.xaos313@hotmail.com

Jonathon: aka Thuvasathuvasa3@yahoo.com

Stephen Sutton: aka ScSstephencsutton@hotmail.com