Shadowdale

Table of ContentsPrologue.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Chapter 1: The Coming of the Gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Chapter 2: A Rescue Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Chapter 3: The Castle of Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Chapter 4: Mystras Doom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Chapter 5: The Quest for the Tablets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Chapter 6: Storm in Shadowdale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Non-Player Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Avatars of the Gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41New Magical Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42New Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Magical Chaos Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside front coverPhysical Chaos Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back coverMonster Summary Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside gatefold

Credits

Design: Ed GreenwoodEditing: Chris Mortika, Scott Haring, Karen S. BoomgardenAvatar Trilogy Coordinator: Jim LowderCover Art: Jeff EasleyInterior Art: Ned DameronTypography: Betty ElmoreKeylining: Paul Hanchette

1989 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

TSR, Inc.PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION

TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd.POB 756 120 Church End, Cherry HintonLake Geneva, Cambridge CB1 3LBWI 53147 USA United Kingdom

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, FORGOTTEN REALMS,BATTLESYSTEM, FIEND FOLIO,PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION,and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy andhobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artworkcontained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

9247 ISBN 0-88038-720-3

The One Who Is Hidden will inanger cast the gods down into theRealms. The gods will walk amongmen, amid chaos of Art and nature,and there will be strife in Faerun.

From the Propheciesof Alaundo the Seer,

called the Wise.

Notes for theDungeon Masters

Shadowdale is the first of a trilogy ofmodules that describe the strife calledby some the Godswar, in The Forgot-ten Realms.

These modules loosely parallel theaction described in the Avatar Trilogy,published by TSR, Inc. It is not neces-sary that you or your players read thenovels before play, nor are the adven-tures outlined in the modules identicalto action in the novels. Players shoulduse their own characters, though sev-eral NPCs will prove to be quite valu-a b l e . ( T h e N P C M i d n i g h t i s a nexceptionshe must accompany theparty in order for the adventure to becompleted.) If the PCs are weak, or runinto trouble early on, the DM could wellprovide aid by using the other NPCsdescribed herein as reinforcements forthe party.

The adventures in Shadowdale areperilous; a party of lesser power maywell not survive for long. Keep the par-ty to a size that you are comfortablewith. If encounters are too dangerous,allow the PCs to escape or avoid them;PCs should be challenged, but not casu-ally destroyed.

How the Module IsLaid Out

The adventures in Shadowdale areoutlined in chapters. Each chapterbegins with several Events that occurregardless of what the PCs do. After theEvents come the Encounters, repre-senting areas the PCs may visit or situa-tions the PCs may come to be in.

For both Events and Encounters, theboxed portions of text are intended tobe read aloud to the players. Theremaining information is for the DM,a n d s h o u l d o n l y b e r e v e a l e d i n

response to PC actions.The chapters describe the intended

flow of the story. PCs have plenty offreedom as to what they actually do inthe chaos surrounding the Godswar.Feel free to improvise to make theadventure exciting and enjoyable. Ifyou read the entire module before playto see what will occur, it will be easy tosee where there is ample room for yourown side-adventures, and where andhow the adventure herein can be tai-lored into an existing campaign set inthe Forgotten Realms.

Each chapter also contains randomevents and encounters. You shouldadapt each entry used to best suit thePCs current situations. Randomevents can be deliberately introducedinto play to challenge cautious PCs, orto warn or direct them. It is a time ofgodly portents, confusion, and direomens; feel free to stretch coinci-dence to answer PC doubts or queries.

Rumors and legends are also provid-ed in this adventure. PCs can learnthese by eavesdropping, questioningNPCs, or investigating written records.You may wish to develop some of thesehints into further adventures for thePCS.

Ability ChecksFrom time to time in this adventure

an Ability Check is called for. The DMshould roll 1d20 and compare the resultwith the appropriate ability score(Strength, Dexterity, etc.) for the char-acter in question. If the roll is equal toor less than the characters abilityscore, the action succeeds. If the roll isgreater than the ability score, theaction fails.

The SettingThis adventure is set in the continent

of Faerun in the Forgotten Realms, spe-cifically in the Dragonreach lands: Cor-myr, the Dalelands, and the cities andwilderlands of the Moonsea. Theseareas are descr ibed in the boxedFORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Set.DMs who place this adventure in othersettings will have to modify the geogra-phy, NPC power groups, and godsused, but should still be able to use thismodule.

2

A Note About 2ndEdition AD&Dfi Rules

This module is written for the newrules system. The most not icablechange is the reference to magesinstead of magic-users. The class isbasically the same, as are the classsspells. When a characters statistics arelisted within the text, the letter Mdenotes mage, as MU used to denotemagic-user.

The other noticable change is the pre-sentation of the monster statistics. Thelayout used here is that developed fort h e n e w M o n s t r o u s C o m p e n d i u mseries. The information is organized abit differently, but nothing has been leftout. Everything DMs are used to seeingis there.

Running ThisAdventure

This section explains the steps a DMshould follow to best run Shadowdale.A lot is going on in the Realms duringthis adventure. Reading the entire mod-ule before play allows a DM to changethe order and nature of encounters inresponse to PC actions.

This module has been designed notonly as the first part of a trilogy, but asthe foundation of a fledgling campaign.Many of the NPCs introduced can beused in all sorts of adventures, notmerely the action outlined in these pag-es. The DM should be familiar with theoverall aims, general knowledge, andjuicy secrets (if any) of all NPCs intro-duced in a chapter, before beginningactual play. If keeping track of suchthings becomes overwhelming, list keyNPC facts on a sheet of paper or seriesof file cards for ongoing use. When oneknows what drives a particular NPC,roleplaying that persons reactions toPC queries and activities is relativelyeasy.

Events: Note that Events occur inthe sequence given and at the timesnoted no matter where the PCs are orwhat they are doing. These Eventsmove the adventure onward and givethe PCs information, as well as makingthe Realms come alive, rather thanmerely serving as a static background

for PC adventurers to strut around in.A synopsis of the main events of Sha-dowdale is given below.

Time: It is important that the DMkeep track of the passing days, andwhen PC actions and encounters occur.Unless the text gives a specific time ofday for an event, you may arrange thetime to best suit the needs of youradventure. Alter the order of encoun-ters if desired to best suit the pacing ofyour adventure as play unfolds.

Synposis of theStory

The key steps of the adventure aregiven below. If the PCs stray too farfrom the intended course of the adven-ture, the DM should head the PCs in theright direction by introducing forcefulevents and by providing NPC hints andwarnings. Note that events may welloccur offstage, particularly if the PCsare militarily weak. There is no need tolead PCs by the nose to drag themthrough all the encounters in this mod-ule.

1) The adventure begins with theFall of the gods, and the physical andMagical Chaos this brings to Faerun.Hints and news of these unsettlingoccurrences can be worked into otheradventures as the DM brings the PCstogether in the caravan-city of Arabel,in northeastern Cormyr.

2) Caitlan Moonsong approaches thePCs with a plea to undertake the rescueof her mistress from an evil powerimprisoning her in Castle Kilgrave. The

DM should introduce Caitlans appeal insuch a way that it is very hard for thePCs to refuse it; perhaps a tutor of onePC could demand it as a service in pay-ment for training, or Caitlan couldapproach the PCs in a taproom or otherpublic place while the PCs are trying toimpress an audience with their braveryor skills. Midnight joins the party-notonly is she simply the only wizard left inArabel (or Cormyr, for that matter), herpresence is necessary for events tounfold as they should. Caitlan falls illand cannot accompany the party.

3) The PCs journey to Castle Kilgrave,perhaps encounter ing adventuresalong the way, and battle its dangers torescue Mystra. If they fail, other (NPC)adventurers will succeed, and the PCswill witness the next step via Midnightspendant.

4) Mystra asks for, and receives, thependant she gave Midnight. The pen-dants power and value, if not its natureor usefulness, will be readily apparentto avatars and powerful wizards. Mys-tra brings into being a gate to the Ethe-real plane, where she confronts Helm.Helm dispatches Mystra, revealing theimportance of the Tablets of Fate, andchallenging them to rise as heroes tothe quest. The DM should use whateverpriestly directives, inner voices, omens,and NPC reactions seem necessary tomake reluctant PCs undertake thequest for the Tablets. The idea of Elmin-ster the Sage as a source of informationcrucial to this quest should also beintroduced.

5) The PCs journey to Shadowdale,

3

either in search of Elminster or becauseof rumors concerning the Tabletswhereabouts. Adventures occur alongthe way, and PCs come to the attentionof the avatar of Bane, the Zhentarim,and the Harpers (and any other avatarsand power groups the DM wishes touse in future play).

6) The PCs encounter Elminster, andlearn much from him about Helm, whathas befallen the gods, and the impor-tance of mortal conduct and the recov-ery of the Tablets. The DM should givehints of Elminsters own mysteriouspower and importance in the plans ofThe One Who Is Hidden. The PCsexplore the dale (its important NPCsshould be introduced to give later eventsemotional impact), and Zhentarim-ledforces attack Shadowdale. The DMshould involve PCs in the battle.

7) The temple of Lathander in Sha-dowdale is attacked by Bane, who isresisted by Elminster, who inadvertent-ly summons Mystra to aid him in fight-ing Bane-and all three beings areapparently destroyed in their struggle,demolishing most of the temple.

All wizard player-characters shouldbe involved in this battle, along withany other PCs who wish to fight.

8) The adventure comes to a tempo-rary end with the capture of the PCs byangry inhabitants of Shadowdale. TheDM must direct subsequent playaccording to whether the events of Sha-dowdale will stand alone, or the PCswill go on to the adventures describedin the second module of this trilogy,Tantras.

For if there is storm on high, there mustsurely be chaos below.

Saying of thepriests of Helm

The adventure can begin anywherein Cormyr or the areas west or south ofit (Westgate, for instance, or as far westas Iriaebor); wherever it best fits anongoing campaign. The PCs should endup in the caravan-city of Arabel innortheastern Cormyr.

Arabel is detailed in The FORGOTTENREALMS Campaign Set. If the PCs arealready in Arabel, run Event 1 during thecourse of other adventures. If the PCs areelsewhere in the Realms, Event 1 canoccur before they reach Arabel. Severalmini-adventures set in Arabel are includ-ed in this chapter as warm-up eventsfor fledgling parties.

Note that a royal charter is requiredto bear weapons in Cormyr; PCs livingin Cormyr will know this. (The DM canattach conditions of behavior to thegranting of such a charter; Cormyr is agenerally law-abiding kingdom.)

For details of police and soldiery inArabel, see Encounter 1 in this chapter.

It is a time of great changes, a time ofportents, war, and high adventure. Thechallenges in this adventure are intend-ed to test a party of six to eight charac-ters, including at least two spellcasters,ranging in level from 1st to 3rd. If theparty is stronger, or becomes muchweaker, the DM should feel free tomatch the adventure to the characters

current abilities, for example: provideNPC aid, have some events occur off-stage, and weaken PC opponents a tri-fle. It is a dull adventure in which all theheroes fall within the first half-hour ofplay. The old saying of the halfling Bran-dyjack Two-Cask, however, is particu-larly apt when applied to the eventsdescribed in this adventure:Goes the fray at all a wry?Flee! Flee! Run away!They grow no older who sudden dieAnd neer adventure another day.

Event 1: AStorm to Shakethe Thrones ofthe Gods

One morn, no sunrise comes. Thereis only darkness, and an icy chill.Dust blows on the wind, whichgrows quickly to a gale. It is no nor-mal storm, but a howling, lashingbattle of winds that come from everyquarter, and crash together, wres-tling over the land. Branches, birds,plants and all are whirled helplesslythrough the air.

Rain begins, and hail, and snow, allfalling impossibly together as light-ning crashes and tornadoes formand tear over the land. The groundshakes, and rocks are borne aloft tofall as a killing rain out of the dark-

ness. Folk in the open are crushedagainst rocks or buildings; roofs fallin or are whittled away. Horses aret u m b l e d h e l p l e s s l y a l o n g t h eground. Trees topple.

All day long the fury of the stormrages unabated, until nightfall. Nightdoes fall, this daywith a great crashthat shakes the earth, throwing allcreatures helplessly to their knees.There is a sudden silent calm thereaf-ter as, overhead, the stars come out.

If the PCs are in the midst of anadventure when the great storm hits,the DM may wish to apply damage rele-vant to the natura l hazards theyencounter. Lightning, hail, tornadoes;all devastate cities and countrysidealike. Creatures of all sizes are slain orbadly hurt. Underground, cave-insoccur; in the mountains, landslides arecommon. At sea, ships founderand inmost cities with a major temple, a greatmeteor or star, trailing fire as it fallsstrikes the temple at nightfall, destroy-ing it in an explosion that slays themajority of the clergy within and ruinsthe wealth of the temple. There are nosuch preeminent temples in Arabel; PCsalready in the city may not learn of thetemple destruction for a while.

It is suggested that no PC be badlyhurt in the storm. Mounts and prop-erty, or NPC tutors or allies upon whichPCs have become over-reliant, how-ever, could well be destroyed. The sud-den damage to vaults, city walls, andmany buildings will lead to lawlessness:Looting, and bloody street-fights as folksee a chance to settle old grudges (or,having lost everything, are willing tochance anything). This sudden violencecould well lead to other PC adventures.

During the storm, the NPC Midnightwill be compelled to go outside and finda secluded garden or grove, where shewill meet an avatar of Mystra. Event 2Abelow describes their meeting and itsresults, which is crucial to the rest ofthe adventure. Even though no PCs willbe there, it is included here as back-ground for the DM. Also, there may bea time when Midnight tells the adven-turers of this meeting...

After reading Event 2A, go on toEvent 2B.

4

There is sudden silence in the dark-ness all around Midnight. Darkershadowstree trunksseem to swayand shift gently, but there is no sound.

Ahead, she sees a glowing form beginto shine; a blue-white radiance, growingstronger amid the trees, approaching.The radiance grows brighter and nearer.

A gentle yet powerful whisper soundsin Midnights head: I said I would returnwhen you were ready, little one. Knowme now, sister. A dark figure moves outof the trees, surrounded by a nimbus ofblue-white light. It is Mystra, Mother ofAll Magic. Her face is hidden in theshadow of her limning.

For years you have worshipped me,albeit in your own way. Now, Midnight,you can do me great worship. I shallreward thee, now and in the future.Will you serve me?

Midnight, of course, accepts. Mystracontinues: Good. I will entrust to yousomething of mine. Guard it well. Youcannot make use of it, but in turn, it can-not harm thee. Mystra raises her handsto her throat, and a blue-white light is kin-dled there, between her palms. The glowlights her face, that of a beautiful, willfulyoung woman, which hints of a long-borne pain. Then her eyes lift to meetMidnights, and she smiles.

Take this of me, Midnight. I shall seekits return, in time. She holds out herhands, and in them is the blue-white radi-ance, shimmering with unearthly beauty.It is power, the power of Art, trapped in ablue-white star of some clear crystal orgem. It is set on a chain of blue-whitemetal; Mystra holds it out to her.

When Midnight touches the pendant,she will find the crystal and its chain bothsilken-soft and warm to the touch. Bothcan be considered unbreakable, even bythe attacks of artifacts and avatars (due tothe combined wills of Mystra and TheOne Who Is Hidden). The initial touch ofthe chain will cause a painless, excitingtingling in Midnights body. Mystra willurge Midnight to take the pendant. AfterMidnight takes it, Mystra says:

For this service, sister in Art, I willreward you in time to come, and now.

Event 2A: AMyster iousMeeting

Choose one spell from those you alreadycommand. Whenever you cast it, youshall be able to recall it and cast it againthrice more, four times in all, by my gra-ce. Choose now; other matters press me.

The DM should choose a single spellfrom those already known by Midnight.Magic missile is a good choice, becausein addition to the extra spells, the mis-siles created will always do maximumdamage-an extra boon from Mystra.

After she chooses, Mystra says, Mythanks, Sister. Receive now Mystrasboon. The glowing form of Mystrasteps forward. No longer hidden indarkness, she seems to be clad only inblue-white radiance. She embracesMidnight, and the young woman canfeel the power and ecstasy of the Artcoursing through her.

The next thing Midnight knows, sheis alone with the pendant. Mystras kisshas conferred upon her the promisedpowers, and also cured any hit pointdamage and any diseases Midnight maysuffer from or carry. Midnights skinwill glow a bright blue-white from headto toe, and the pendant will be aroundher neck, grafted to her skin. It cannotbe removed by anyone but Mystra, andcannot be broken.

The pendant has five additionalpowers, not mentioned by Mystra.These automatically operate when thependant is worn or touched. They are:the pendant confers the abilities offeather fall and pass without trace (asthe spells) upon its bearer.

Anyone who has touched the pen-dant will know its presence and loca-tion thereafter, whenever it is within6, however disguised or hidden. Sub-stitute or false pendants will instantlybe known for what they are.

At will, anyone touching the pendantcan cause a blue-white radiance tocome into being in the pendant, lastingas long as desired, and varying (or puls-ing) in brilliance from a faint glow to aspectacularly bright display (illuminat-ing as per a continual light effect), butnot when the caster is held or affectedby magical sleep or mental suggestionsor commands.

Event 2B should be set in an inn, tav-ern (or other haven) where the PCsorthe majority of PCshave taken refuge,late in the evening of the storm. Regard-

5

less of whatever furniture, bolts, bars,and the like have been used to reinforcethe door against the fury of the ele-ments, the door will be suddenly flungopen, and Event 2B will occur. It is sug-gested that the setting be The Pride ofArabel inn (#48 on the Arabel map inthe Campaign Set), proprietor DunlassTathelkom (LN male F6, 46 hp, genial,fair, and burly). If the DM desires, itmay be the only place in the city with aroom to let to adventurers.

Event 26: ADramaticEntrance

In the doorway, winds howling madlyat her back, is a raven-haired woman.She wears a black cloak, and darkboots, breeches and tunic beneath, allwhipped wildly by the storm. Somepower seems to keep the storm fromsweeping in through the door behindher. Indeed, she seems to be clad inpower: A blue-white star pendantglows at her throat, and her facehervery eyes glow with the sameunearthly radiance. Her hair movesgently in waves, this way and that, as ifalive; it too glows.

Her skin glows, too, all down theopen front of her tunic, and througha tear in one leg of her breeches. Thelight she gives off is painfully bright,almost blinding. She looks aroundthe room calmly, even boldly, yet here y e s g i v e t h e i m p r e s s i o n h e rthoughts are elsewhere, somewherefar more glorious than here.

Suddenly the radiance dies awaythe ladys skin, the pendant, every-thing goes dark. She crumples to thefloor without a sound. Behind her,the full fury of the storm crashesinto the room.

Midnight will be unconscious for 2-12turns, and then awaken with no illeffects. She will not be hurt in thestorm, but the pendant will cause 2d10points of energy damage, per round, toanyone touching it during this time.When Midnight awakens, the pendantwill glow again, and lose this damage-dealing power (Mystra caused it to pro-

tect Midnight by absorbing storm ener-gies near her, a temporary power).

IMPORTANT NOTE: (NOT TO BEREAD ALOUD TO THE PLAYERS)F r o m t h e m o m e n t t h e s t o r mends, magic is unreliable in theRealms. Use the Magical ChaosT a b l e w h e n e v e r m a g i c i sunleashed in the adventure fromthis point on. Everyone, includ-ing the avatars of the gods andpowerful wizards such as Elmin-ster, is affected by the chaos. Mag-ic items without charges (a ring ofprotect ion, for example) sufferMagical Chaos only once everyweek, but items with charges orotherwise limited uses risk chaosevery time they are used. Clericscannot gain spells of third levelor greater through prayer fromthe moment the storm begins.T h e s e e f f e c t s i n c l u d e P l a y e rCharacters, and continue unti lthe end of the adventure.

The DM can (and should) override theChaos Table to benefit the PCs. This isespecially important in the battle at theTemple of Lathander toward the end ofthe adventure.

Event 3:Stunning News

Run this Event sometime during theday after the storm, whenever one ofthe PCs is out in the wreckage-strewnstreets of Arabel.

A scarlet-robed priest runs past you,stumbling in haste. His face is white,his mouth open in shock. FatherCounselor!, he cries. Revered One! The rose-hued disc of Lathander, Godof the Morning, bounces at his breast.

Down the street is an old man,grey-bearded and erect. He wears arobe of pale rose, denoting higherrank. He turns calmly. What is it,brother? , he asks . Be ca lmLathander loves us all, remember.

But, Father! His Art has left us!Canon Mieskal prayed for the powerto remove curses, and no powercame! Canon Mieskal! Then the OldOne, Patriarch Gurimn, came out of

his hut and wept. He said his pray-ers, too, had gone unheard! Has theGreat Morninglord forsaken us?

The old man looks around at youand the other folk listening in thestreet, and puts an arm around thedistraught younger priest. Hush,brother, he says gently, in lowertones. Do not aid the Dark Ones byspreading panic and dark rumor.Calm thyself in the grace of Lathan-der. Does not our faith tell us thatthere is always a new beginning?Look for that new light, then, and becheerful. True, our greater prayersare not answered. But we are notalone. The brothers of Tymora wereas upset as thou, early this morn.And as I came this way, I passed oneof the whip-mistresses of Loviatar.She, too, was in tears and hurry. Andwhat does that gain? If the gods donot hear us, tis because they arebusy, mark ye. Come now, and beonce more a man. Lathander needsye now, more than ever.

Lama Chonszul (the old man) will leadAdept Bronsus (the priest in scarletrobes) away. No one will follow (except,perhaps, the PCs). If questioned, Chons-zul will be calm, kind, and secure in thestoic philosophy of renewal common toaged followers of Lathander. He willreadily admit that, as far as he hasheard, no priests of any clergy in Ara-be1 have had spells of 3rd level orgreater renewed by the gods.

Chonszul has just witnessed a com-mune tried by the visiting High PriestAlosar, newly arrived in Arabel fromElturel far to the west. Alosar askedLathander or his servants (solars) whythe god did not answer their prayersand received no answer. Chonszul willfreely relate this, and advise PCs tostand forth in such times of trouble todefend what is good in the lands, for insuch service lies true glory.

Chonszul, for all his gentle manner,will not hesitate to use his spells ifattacked. He is a 7th level Neutral Goodcleric with 50 hp, and has among hisother prayers (spells) three hold personmagics and one dispel magic. He bears arod of smiting.

Bronsus has a command and a sanctu-

ary spell, and will summon aid: 20 laybrothers of Lathander if he or Chonszulare robbed or attacked.

Chonszul will remain in Arabel to aidits folk as best he can throughout TheTime of Troubles, and may serve toguide or aid PCs with healing or tute-lage. He will report the descriptions ofPCs to the local Purple Dragons (armygarrison, busy cleaning up the streetsand restoring order) if they loot or van-dalize stores, or slay folk wantonly.

Event 4: DarkDismay

Run this Event late on the day afterthe storm, or the next day, wheneverthe PCs are out of doors.

You come upon a woman sobbing onthe ground, sitting with her headburied in her knees and her armsclasped around them. She wearsdark robes, open down the back toreveal old, white whip-scars on herskin , and on her forearms arearmored wrist-guards inlaid withbone, polished white. She looks up asyou approach, revealing a desolate,tear-stained face, and then sinksdown to weep again, rocking gentlyas her shoulders shake.

The woman is Sespetralee, Whiplass(Canon) of Loviatar. A LE 6th level clericwith 36 hp, Sespetralee is devastated atthe news that a great temple of Lov-iatar, far to the south in Turmish (acrossThe Sea of Fallen Stars) was destroyedduring the night of the storm. No priest-ess of Loviatar has received prayer-spells from, or been able to contact, thegoddess since then. The Realms mustbe coming to an end!

Sespetralee is armed with a whip offrost, fire, and fear (detailed in the NewMagic appendix, p. 42), a non-magicalcat-o-nine-tails barbed whip (2-8 dam-age, 4-foot reach), a sleep-poisonedmace (its first strike releases venomfrom a handle cavity onto the ball of themace, so that any subsequent blowsdeliver a skin-contact venom effectivein 1-2 rounds, save vs. poison or fall intoa deep sleep (slapping, etc., will notawaken) for 1d8 +3 turns), and an

6

assortment of harmful spells. She willonly attack if the PCs attack her in ear-nest. Bewildered and forlorn, she willallow herself to be comforted or aidedwithout reacting with hatred, betrayal,or rudeness. Her whip-scars are due toritual worship; she was unshakeablyloyal to the Maiden of Pain until now.

Event 5: Anarchyof Art

Run this Event immediately after anyPCs discover that their magic some-times goes wrong when cast, or soonafter Event 4, while the city of Arabel isstill l ittered with strewn wreckage(whichever comes first).

You hear a terrific, glassy crash, andthen shouts nearby. Angry shouts.Good gold I gave you, wizard! Callyourself Wonderworker, indeed!Look at this ruined! Cant you man-age a simple levitation? The speaker isa furious potter. He is standing, bloodstreaming from a gashed forehead,amid a litter of potshards. Brokencrockery is all around him. Behindhim is a large crate, on its side, top slitopen in a splay of broken boards,straw packing spilling out. Behind it isa broken window, behind that a topsy-turvy cellar. Youve seen many in theaftermath of the storm.

What you havent seen before is anutterly astonished wizard. Tall, beard-ed, and distinguished in grey-and-purple robes with an arched collar,many rings glittering on his fingersand utter bewilderment on his face.

Mother Mystra!, he gasps. IIllreturn your money, good sir. Thats...never happened before ...I swear.

The wizard is Antharn, a 12th levelLN wizard with 40 hp. For 50 pieces ofgold, he agreed to levitate a crate ofcrockery that the storm had driventhrough a nearby cellar window out,up, and over a busy street to the yard ofits owner, the potter Gulthagh Murr.Hes the angry one.

The crate contains delicate, ornatevases from Calimshan, and Gulthaghexpected about half of them to be shat-tered, but hed agreed to shift them

speedily to avoid trouble with the ownerof the cellar, a dealer in fine carvings.Antharn had taken the fee, cast thespellcorrectly, he swears (and hesright)and the crate had flown upsharply out of the window, turned a bril-liant blue in color, sprouted yellow root-lets all over, returned to its originalappearance, and burst open (still in mid-air). It had then gouted forth small piecesof crockery in a series of wild explosionsthat had littered the street, cut Gulthaghsforehead, and flabbergasted the wizard.

He is shaken. But I did nothingwrong, he says. Was other magic atwork?

PCs should soon hear other news ofspells going wrong in the city. Remem-ber that the Magical Chaos Table shouldbe used for all spellcasting.

Event 6: ClericalStrife

Run this Event a few days after thestorm, particularly if the PCs intend toleave Arabel to seek adventures else-where. It can occur at any time whenone or more of the PCs are in the streetsof Arabel.

You are suddenly confronted by atall, thin man in a dark weather-cloak. His manner is imperious andfearless as he gestures at you to halt.You notice that his other hand, hith-erto hidden, grasps a wand. It is lev-elled at you.

Stand!, he says coldly. You lookto be lawless swordbearers and thelike. Do you worship the One TrueGod? Or shall you be swept away asall worshippers of false gods are fat-ed to, in these days of reckoning?

The man is Ulgon, a 7th level wizardof the Zhentarim. (The Zhentarim arean evil network of wizards, clerics ofBane, warriors, and beholders based inZhentil Keep. The Campaign Set of theRealms gives some details of this organi-zation.)

Ulgon is LE, has 22 hp, and is armedwith a wand of magic missiles (with 12charges) and a blink ring (detailed in the

New Magic appendix, p. 42). He also hasa full complement of spells, includingpolymorph other, two lightning bolts,and three magic missiles.

The One True God Ulgon refers to isBane, The Black Lord (god of strife andtyranny). Ulgon will not menace the PCs;he does not want an open fight withthem. Instead, he will behave like a fanati-cal clergyman, triumphant at the down-fall of false gods. Ulgon will claim thatonly the true godsBane, Myrkul, Talos,and Tempus, Bane being the truly power-ful of the fourwill survive.

Ulgon will urge the PCs and like folkof action and daring to join The Cleans-ing Hand (of clergy and lay worship-pers of the four gods mentioned). TheHand, Ulgon claims, will earn glory anddivine reward for its members in pre-paring the new society to come. Itswork now is to slay and cast downfalse clergy, seizing their wealth andproperty, and to resist all other author-ity. Other adventurers, brigands, thesoldiery of the corrupt, doomed king-dom of Cormyrall must be cast asideto allow the True Gods to ascend totheir rightful place.

Run this encounter if the PCs seek outWatch patrols or the soldiery in Arabelto ask about the sudden, strange erraticperformance of magic, rumors of trou-ble among the gods or clergy, or for anyother reason. The PCs will be escortedto an office where this encounter willtake place. This encounter will alsooccur if the PCs run afoul of the law in

Ulgon will try to convince the PCs tojoin him. If they do, he will charge themto seek out and slay a troublemakerknown as Garthim the Black (actuallya Harper, a 9th level CG fighter) in thecity. (The Harpers are a good-alignedorganization described in the Cam-paign Set of the Realms.) If they refuse,he will ask where they are staying, andpromise to show them signs of the truthof his belief later.

He will actually send seventeen 0-level thugs to attack and rob the sleep-ing PCs, taking first their mounts, thenclothes and weapons, seeking to keepthe PCs in Arabel.

Encounters1. The Purple Dragons

7

Arabel, or attract official suspicion as aresult of their adventuring activities.

You are facing a burly, hard-facedman. He is seated at a desk that bearsonly a battered war-helm and a naked,battered two-handed sword. Brassrings glint on his hairy fingers. Hewears leather armor under a surcoatbearing the Purple Dragon of Cormyr.

I am Dutharr, he says simply, offi-cer of his majesty Azoun. I deal withadventurers such as yourselves. Theseare days of strife, and hence watchful-ness, requiring special actions on ourpart. As you know, arms can be borneby private individuals in Cormyr onlyby royal charter. By the Kings author-ity, I canand willissue or revokeany charters pertaining to yourselvesaccording to the acceptability of yourown behavior. Is that understood?

Dutharr is a tough, streetwise vet-eran, a LG 11th level fighter who wantsthe PCs to refrain from slaying or pillag-ing in these times when the soldiery ofCormyr are spread thin coping withhalf-mad clerics and wizards and theirout- of-control spells. He warns thatthey will be slain on sight if caughtbehaving criminally.

What Dutharr would really like thePCs to do is to help keep the peacewherever they go in Cormyr, reportingsuspicious doings they observe to thePurple Dragons and aiding the soldierywith a handy sword or threateningcharge now and then. He hints thatrewardsperhaps even a knighthoodor twoawait such service when thecurrent strife is over.

If the PCs do report their movementsand findings to Dutharr (he will havethem watched) and come to the sol-dierys aid in any brawls or crowdscenes, Dutharr may aid them in returnshould they run into trouble. The DMmight provide such a rescue if exhaust-ed or badly wounded PCs are unwit-tingly heading into big trouble.

In Arabel, the city Watch (police)patrol the streets; the citys garrison ofPurple Dragons (professional soldiersof Cormyr) patrol a days ride outsidethe city walls. The Purple Dragons arealways contacted by the Watch in casesof murder within the city. In these

times of strife in the Stonelands andtrouble with Zhentarim spies, Dutharrhas bolstered all Watch patrols withPurple Dragon soldiers.

Dutharrs spies will be 5th and 6thlevel LG f ighters , veteran PurpleDragons. They will always be in dis-guise and in teams of two. While withinthe city, PCs will have a very hard timespotting them. The DM should maketwo secret Intelligence Checks for eachPC per turn. Only if both Checks aresuccessful will any PC notice anythingsuspicious-and then only if that PC isin a position to do so. (Theres nothingsuspicious, for example, about a mer-chant walking down a street full of mer-chants, unless the PCs have turned acorner or entered a shop so as to revealindividuals following them.) If playersstate that their characters are watchingfor spies, allow Checks more often, per-haps once every three rounds. It is rec-ommended that the DM retain thedouble secret check system. Outsidethe city walls, the DM should adjustchances of noticing spies according tothe terrain, light, and PC activities.

2. A Harpist BoldThis encounter can be run in any tav-

ern, ruin, or secluded glade or hollowthe PCs venture into, at any time beforeChapter 3 begins. If the PCs are veryweak, the NPC encountered here couldhelp the party out for a time.

You see a young girl, her hair cascad-ing around her like a silver waterfall,sitting alone. She is bent over a harp,and its silver strings chime faintlyunder her fingers like faint, far-offwater trickling its carefree way overstones. She looks up at you suddenly,and nods at you in greeting, unsur-prised. Well met, she says, andstops playing. The harp plays onfaintly by itself for a breath or twobefore stopping.

The girl is Salreen Shamarsair, aHarper. She is a CG 6th level ranger (ST17, DEX 17, 41 hp) who has a +1 longsword with a silver-plated blade, and 6knives about her person (two at belt,one in each boot, one strapped to a fore-arm and one sheathed at the back of

her neck, under her hair), which she isadept at throwing.

S a l r e e n s h a r p i s n o t m a g i c a l(although a faint blue faerie fire castupon it makes it radiate a dweomer).She is watching adventurers in thisarea on behalf of the Harpers, lookingfor signs of the work of the gods or ofvarious evil powers (particularly theZhentarim). She will join the PCs thebetter to keep an eye on themand ifthey strike her as good or at least work-ing against evil, she will give the PCs herloyalty (to the death, if need be,).

The DM should play Salreen as anutterly honest, shrewd character judgeof the PCs in the final scenes of this mod-ule, keeping track of what she witnessesof the PCs actions, debates, and inten-tions. If she does not join the party, shewill follow the PCs to spy upon them (andmay rescue PCs in a tight spot at the DMsoption). For chances of the PCs noticingSalreen or other spies, refer to theencounter above.

If the PCs attack her, Salreen will callfor help. It will come in the form of apatrol of twelve Purple Dragon soldiers,five 1st and seven 2nd level fighters, cladin chainmail and armed with longswords, spears, handaxes and daggers.

3. Brothers in BloodThis encounter can occur at any time

the PCs are in the streets, taverns, orshops of Arabel, particularly at night.

You see two men in rich purplerobes, each bearing a black handoutlined in red flames upon thebreast. They swagger fearlesslyabout, eyeing everyone with con-tempt. Seeing you, one stops andasks haughtily, I suppose you have acharter permit t ing you to bearweapons in this land?

He extends a hand imperiously.The other priest draws a rod fromhis belt and eyes you coldly.

The two men are Halaze and Retheel,two priests of Bane. They are 4th and2nd level respectively, and bear no mag-ical weapons (the rod is just that: a barof black metal, equal in damage to aclub). The two are stupid, officious bul-lies, so obnoxious and corrupt that

8

their own fellows have set them to aperilous task in Arabel in hopes ofbeing rid of them.

Halaze and Retheel will bait theadventurers, demanding to see theircharters. If refused, they will bluster andthreaten to report the PCs (and will short-ly do so, claiming to have been robbed bythese dangerous brigands of anythingvaluable they notice the PCs using or car-rying). If the charter is produced, theywill make a great show of examining it.They will also attempt to substitute a falsedocument for the real one (so that theycan later report the PCs as brigands usinga false charter), but arent very good atsuch chicanery.

Any Player Character specificallystated to be watching the two priestsclosely while they hold the charter willautomatically see the pair trying to slipit into a sleeve and substitute anothercharter, (All such adventuring Compa-ny charters issued by Cormyr are writ-ten on parchment of a particular typeand size; the priests counterfeit is, at adistance, identical to a real charter.)

All other PCs should be given secretIntelligence Checks by the DM (anythieves being given a 1-point bonus) to seeif they catch Halaze and Retheel at it.

If attacked, the two clerics will fleelike startled rabbits, crying comicallyfor help, and loudly calling the PCsfiends, brigands, assassins, and worse.(If they are slain by the PCs, there willbe no response from the priesthood ofBane.) All the noise is very (86%) likelyto attract the attention of a nearbyWatch patrolusually five 0 level LGconstables in leather armor, armedwith rods (clubs), short swords, anddaggers, led by one or two PurpleDragon soldiers in chainmail, with longswords, handaxes, and nets. The patrolleaders are usually LG 2nd level fight-ers, but may be as high as 4th level (andare 20% likely to be fighter/wizards).

4. Trouble FaithRun this encounter immediately after

Encounter 3. If there are any clerics orpaladins with the party, the priestencountered herein will be of the samefaith as one of them. If not, he is a clericof Torm.

A wild-eyed priest runs toward you,robes torn and in disarray, hair tou-sled. He is white-faced and pantingwith terror, and hardly seems to seewhere he is going, slipping and stum-bling in frightened haste. Doom!,he cries. Flee, all! Doom is comethe gods have abandoned us! We arelost, lost to the darkness, the beasts,and the savages!

The cleric, a 3rd level devotee namedFlindurl, is utterly terrified. He willappeal to the PCs for help and guidance,and advise anyone of his own faith thatthe god (or goddess) has deserted mor-tals, and no longer answers their pray-ers. Thieves and ruffians (individualthieves and a few thugs hired by OsselBharauk, a Zhentarim agent) are beat-ing up clerics and stealing templegoods, smashing what they cannot takeand setting fires.

Magic no longer works properly!Doom is come! Flindurl is too upset andphysically weak to fight or travel withthe PCs, but he can tell them how to getto various local temples and otherestablishments.

5. A Helping HandRun this encounter whenever the PCs

are gathered together in a tavern, inn,or eatery in Arabel.

A rough-looking woman in leatherarmor sits nearby, a tankard in herhand. A broad sword swings at herhip; her boots and harness look oldand well-worn. She catches yourgazes, and says pleasantly, You look tobe adventurers, and my business isguiding adventurers. Anyplace youwant to go hereabouts, you let meknow, and for a gold piece a day, Jhan-nath the Huntress she points lazily toherself, will show you the way.

Jhannath is a NE 4th level thief.Although she actually knows the areavery well, she will guide the partystraight into a brigand ambush. Theb r i g a n d s a r e h e r c o m r a d e s ( s e eEncounter 6 in Chapter 2, p. 17), andJhannath will aid them against the PCsby using her only magic item, the smo-

kespear (It is detailed in the New MagicAppendix, p. 17.) Jhannath is a likeable,easygoing, earthy jokester, and is capa-ble of leading the PCs unobservedaround Purple Dragon patrols andmost of what she calls waiting watch-ers (Zhentarim agents looking for unu-sual travelers).

6. Mad TidingsRun this encounter anywhere and at

any time before Chapter 3.

An old man sits on a rickety stool,mumbling and singing unintelligiblyto himself. From time to time one ofhis hands darts out and snatches atthe air. Then he brings it to hismouth and smacks his lips in loudsatisfaction. He is eating flies.

He looks up at you suddenly, eyesrolling. Then a look of wildrecognitionand gleeful cunningpasses over his face, and he speaks toyou.

Yes, ah-hah-ha! Youre the ones,right enough! Saw you clearly, I did,a n d O l d N o l b i n e v e r dreamswrong...no, no I wont tell you!Twouldnt be fair; twouldnt be fun!He bursts into shouts of wild laughter,and then hisses, Mark me! Youve agreat destiny, you lot, if you seize it!Old Nolbi never lies! Well, not all thetime, at least...great heroes, you canbe, great indeed! Oh, yes!

Nolbi is an utter madman, and will beof no further use to the party. He isquite spry, and the DM can use him as anuisance NPC throughout the adven-ture if desired, showing up to suddenlycaper and giggle and comment wildlyon whatevers happening at the time.The DM can also drop cryptic hints tothe PCs (nudge, nudge, and so on) in themidst of Nolbis babbling repartee.

Adventures inArabel

A few mini-adventures are outlinedhere for the DMs use when the PCsfirst arrive or gather in Arabel. Thesecan occur before Chapter 1 begins, orduring Chapter 1. Names and details

9

should be altered to fit particular cam-paigns (and to foil players who peek atthese pages). Strengths of PC opponents(and the corresponding treasure to bewon) should a lso be adjusted tochallengebut not slaughter out-of-handthe particular PCs who take partin these adventures.

1. Many Foul BallsA merchant is found dead, horribly

burned and contorted. Scales on hishands and a tail with a scorpion-likesting seem to have grown after death.The merchant, Uirboar Thendel, wasfound in an inn room in front of a tablelittered with shards of crystal, evident-ly from a crystal ball shattered in somesort of explosion. Whispers spread thatill fortune has accompanied the use ofspecular items (scrying-crystals) in theDragonreach area before.

A seller of crystals, Luorn Kabarr,approaches the PCs to hire them to dis-cover the source of the fell magic, ormisfortune, or faulty Art, or whateverit may be that caused Thendels death.Luorns business is hurting badly; hewill offer the PCs 3000 pieces of goldand a pearl of power, payable when thePCs show him they have ended theproblem. Luorn is honest, and will pay.

The PCs, however, may find it diffi-cult to collect. The crystals are thework of a mad wizard of some skill,Norphym, who is trying to destroy ordamage as much local competition aspossible. Norphym sells each speculumin turn to Guzundul, a vendor of magi-cal components and apparatus (a 0-levelCN human). He presently has three forsale. Guzundul has a wand of magicmissiles, a trained war dog, Syritim,with 13 hp, and a rope of entanglementto defend himself and his shop. He isvery suspicious, and unless the PCs goto great lengths to calm his fears, he willtake them for thieves and vandals, andtake swift action. The Watch and thePurple Dragons will react accordingly.

Norphym is a NE 7th level mage with23 hp who will defend himself with an e c k l a c e o f m i s s i l e s , a w a n d o flightning, and rings of spell turning andflight. He is a coward and will use a tele-port scroll (if possible) to escape, only tostalk them to take revenge when theyare weak, scattered, or inattentive later.

Norphyms crystals will explodewhen a spell is cast into them, or whenthey are thrown as missile weapons.They do 1d4 blast damage (glass shards)and release spores that infect anyonewithin 2 who fails a save vs. Poison(make a successful Dexterity Check toget out of the active radius before con-tacting the spores) with brown mold(30%), or (70%) release a polymorphother spell that turns one into a lizardman/scorpion crossbreed monster(make an Intelligence Check to retainthe use of ones own intelligence whilein this form).

Norphym has 16 specular in his sanc-tum, and has a further nine crystalshidden in a cave in the Stonelands (towhich he will teleport if he can, if thingsgo badly for him).

2. High HuntCorpses are found in the streets of

Arabel, slain by being transfixed by alance or other large pointed weapon,from behind and above. The PurpleDragons are baffled; certainly no lance-wielding warrior has been heard clat-tering over the cobbles on a charger inthe wee hours.

Either a PC will be attacked (if on thestreets at night), or the Purple Dragonswill ask the PCs to help them by bolster-ing street patrols. The hunter is a perytonusing a ring of invisibility and a speciallyenchanted +2 lance that can absorbwhat it strikes (in this case, the hearts ofvictims) for release from a spigot in itsbutt at a later time. The peryton willstrike down 2-5 humans per night, asstealthily and silently as possible.

The peryton lairs with its mate in thestony ridges north of Arabel, on theedge of the Stonelands. It is quite intelli-gent, and has arranged trails of trea-sure to lure anyone approaching its lairinto rockfall and spike-lined pit traps.The perytons mate also has a lance oflightning (works as a wand of lightning,activated by depressing a stud ratherthan by audible command, 26 chargesleft) that it will use to defend the lair.

3. The Sacred SnakeOne of the PCs mounts or pack ani-

mals is bitten by a poisonous snake, anddies almost immediately in shuddering

10

convulsions. Any PC attack on thesnake will be prevented (or answered)by an angry cleric of the serpent-godVaerae. This obscure priesthood is mostpopular in northern (rural) Calimshanand in the Vilhon Reach, having comefrom nomadic tribes who are usually tobe found on The Shining Plains.

The cleric is Hondrul Meirshin, a CN6th level cleric with a staff of the adderand a ring of invisibility; He is sincere andinflexible: The creed of his priesthooddemands that no snake be harmed, andthat anyone harming a snake be maimed,anyone killing a snake be slain. If the PCsescape his justice and the cleric survives,Hondrul and two fellow priests of Vaeraein the Dragonreach area will pursue thePCs, attacking by stealth at night withsticks to snakes spells.

4. DancingDopplegangers

Several inn patrons in Arabel simplyvanish from their rooms (including, ifthe DM desires, acquaintances or busi-ness contacts of the PCs). Rumor has itthat some of the missing travelersentertained tavern dancers on the nightthey disappeared, but noone believesthat the petite, beautiful dancers coulddo away with large, often fat men andcarry their bodies elsewhere withouthelp, and without being seen.

In reality, several tavern dancerswere long ago killed and eaten by dop-plegangers, who have since steadilykilled and eaten amorous clients, rob-bing them of wealth and weaponry. TheDM should adjust the strength (includ-ing offensive magical treasure) andnumbers of the dopplegangers to chal-lenge investigating PCs.

In human (but not dancer) shape, thedopplegangers will hire thugs and false-ly report PC crimes to the Watch oncethey realize that they are being investi-gated.

5. The HauntedTeashop

A noted seller of spices and teas (fromfar-off Tashalar, Tharsult and Calim-sham vanishes from his shop. Street-talk has it that Mousomyn Bhuir, hisfamily, and staff are all missing.

The shop was locked and barredfrom insidefor the night. An openedcrate in the basement and disarrangedbedclothes were the only signs of activi-ty. The shop has a cellar cess-shaft intothe sewers, but it is too small forhumans to exit by. Mousomyns valu-ables and wares are all undisturbed.The Purple Dragons are baffled.

Mousomyns principal creditor, themoneylender Khossont Nairel, willclaim the shop, paying city officials itsvalue in coin above what he was owed,and move in for business. He and anassistant will then vanish, as mysteri-ously as the Bhuir family did before,leaving behind several readied weap-ons among all the valuables and waresof the household.

The overworked Purple Dragons willhire adventurers to guard the house andinvestigate. If the PCs accept the postedtask, they will be given free room andboard at a Watch barracks by day, andpaid 1 gp per person per night spent inthe shop, guarding it. (By day the shop islocked and watched by city bailiffs.)

The crate was sent by some enemy ofMousomyn. It contained three lurkersabove, which silently slew everyone inthe shop when released. The remainswere dumped down into the sewers,and the lurkersin reality, cunningthieves, henchmen of Mousomyns ene-my who have kept their personalitiesand intellects after a polymorph otherspellhid high up against the ceilings ofthe larger rooms when the shop wasbeing searched. The lurkers (62, 45,and 31 hp) will attack only isolated PCs,trying not to be discovered.

6. BountifulBodyguards

A wealthy merchant from far-offCalimport, the dusky-skinned beautyAlestra Thrun Maer, arrives in Arabelto retire from intrigue and the sordidaffairs of daily business. Her husband, acreator of exquisite perfumes, diedrecently, and without him she can bearCalimshans cruelties and chauvinismno longer. She advertises for body-guards, and buys a large and grandmansion in the city.

The bodyguards mysteriously disap-pear, and workers begin to expand the

mansion into a truly opulent pleasure-palace. Alestra posts offers for morebodyguards, at 12 pieces of gold perday, including paid holidays; two daysoff after every ten of duty!

If the PCs do not join the scramble totake Alestras service, others will-andagain will quietly vanish. Alestra willprove to be a gracious patron, enjoyingthe arts, collecting fine clothing and jew-elry, and parties. She will also, if the PCshave much to do with her, turn out to bea weretiger whose alignment is con-cealed by the use of magic items, andwho is intent upon making Arabel herlair behind the scenes. Alestra intends torule Arabel in all but name, and will useher charms to manipulate its folk againstany who stand in her way or uncover hertrue nature. In the process, she will gothrough a lot of bodyguards, as she slaysanyone who learns what she is.

Weak PCs could well learn Alestrasidentity from a dying NPC adventurerwho tried to destroy her, and/or gainnecessary magic items from a similarsource or from simple theft, DMs canmake this a long-term backgroundadventure for campaigns set in Arabel.

Rumors inArabel

The DM should allow the PCs to hearthe following rumors while they are inArabel (after the storm). The first fourshould be heard by the PCs regardlessof events; reward deliberately inquisi-tive characters with the rest.

1. The temple of Bane in Zhentil Keeplies in smoking ruins, and all of the godsc l e r i c s t h e r e w e r e k i l l e d ; B a n eappeared there to his followers in theaftermath of the destruction. This hap-pened the night of the great storm.

2. The gods are stripped of their power;clerics can gain only the simplest magicthrough prayer.

3. Magic doesnt work properly any-more. All across the Realms spells aregoing awry; many wizards have beeninjured or slain by their own magics.

4. The temple of Mystra in Saerloon (inSembial was destroyed the night of thegreat storm, in great fires and light-nings visible for miles. There was no

11

sign of the Mistress of Magic herself.Cadellin Firehands was visiting Suzail,and survived.

5. A caravan expected from the easthasnt arrived; no word has come of anymisfortune. Its sponsor, the carpet-merchant Jathul Quelnor, has asked thePurple Dragons to contact Castle Crag fornews of his wagons. A messenger sent byCommander Dutharr of the Dragons hasnot yet returned. (False rumor)

6. The gods have arrived in the Realmsto destroy unfaithful worshippersdirectly, and to reward the loyal andtrue-with gems, gold, honors, andpowerful new magic.

7. A plague is spreading from the east,across the Inner Sea lands. The franticsorceries of Thay and other lands seek-ing to end it are causing the chaos ofelements and Art across Faerun. Manye a s t e r n e r s t r a v e l i n g i n t h e D r a -gonreach now are carrying the disease.Its symptoms include hallucinations,and the exuding of a scent, undetect-able by humans and demi-humans, thatattracts predatory beasts. (False rumor)

8. Golkont the Hawk-Mage, a solitarywizard who once slew an entire hordeof orcs single-handedly with his Art,has been seen in the Stonelands. He wasriding a lamia toward Cormyr, and wassurrounded by a ring of will-o-the-wisps that moved with him as he rode.Golkont is known to continually seeknew ioun stones.

9. Gammeir One-Eye, warrior-priest ofTempus, is gathering faithful worship-pers and fighting men of prowess in Sel-gaunt, for a great battle tocomesoon.

10. Juldoon of Marsember, famous gem-merchant, recently paid 6,000 pieces ofgold for a new sort of gema type nev-er seen in the Realms before; a gemwith magical powers.

11. The legendary blade Sorcryst, TheTongue of the Elves, stolen from MythDrannor long ago (before its fall) hasbeen found again! An adventurer boreit in triumph into Hillsfar, where it wasidentified by the sage Thannaster. Theadventurer, a warrior from far-offNeverwinter called Huln Darkblade,has not been seen since.

This chapter begins in Arabel afterthe events described in Chapter 1, atleast a week (and preferably twoweeks) after the great storm.

Event 1: CaitlansPlea

The DM should run this Event when-ever the PCs are all gathered togetherin one place in the city, probably in atavern or inn taproom. There should bean audience (bystanders) present.

A young, slim girl approaches you.She has short, blond hair, gracefulmovements, and large, dark, andserious eyes. She is barefoot, andwears ankle-length, nondescriptdark robes. She looks determinedand hopeful.

I have walked far and long to findyou, sirs. I have heard that you areadventurersand I have need ofadventurers. I am Caitlan Moonsong,and I need you to rescue my mistressfrom cruel captivity. She eyes you,voice quavering.

I have no gold to offer you, but Ican promise you that your rewardshall be great, once my mistress isfree. You have her word on it, andshe does not lie. Nor do I. What sayyou, sirs?

Silence has fallen around as theyoung girl spoke. All eyes are uponyou.

Now well see what great adven-turers they are, someone whispersloudly.

Caitlan Moonsong is the intended ava-tar of the goddess Mystra, the mistressshe refers to. The weakened Mistress ofMagic was captured by the more worldly,stronger avatar of Bane shortly afterarrival in the Realms. Mystra is impris-oned in Castle Kilgrave, guarded by crea-tures of Bane. Caitlan acts as if she wereunder the effects of a geas.

If asked about her mistress, Caitlan willsay:

She is a great worker-of-magic, whohas done much good in her time. Shehas fallen captive to an evil one witha few evil tricks of Art, who fearsand covets her power.

Caitlan will reveal that her mistress isin chains, in a high tower in Castle Kil-grave, near Castle Crag in NorthernCormyr and that she has done nowrong and is not a prisoner of theauthorities of Cormyr. Caitlan will onlyreveal the name of her mistress ifpressed; she will give it as Imrue Mir-rorstar. Some sages (but not the PCs oranyone in the NPC audience) know thisas the name of an avatar of Mystra whowalked the Realms long ago, instructingthe brightest minds of elves and men inthe limits of Art (in the days when MythDrannor stood proud). Caitlan willdescribe her mistress as looking like

12

Caitlan herself, only taller, and moreah, beautiful, and reveal that they arenot related; Caitlan is an orphan.

It is imperative that the DM manipu-late the PCs into accepting the rescuemission. The audience of NPCbystanders can make comments toshame the PCs into agreeing to freeCaitlans mistress, such as:

Knew theyd just talk big and waveswords around and stay safe. I cantell their sort. The only real adven-ture theyve ever known is gettingto the bottom of a tankard!

If Watch officers, Purple Dragon sol-diers, and PC acquaintances or tutors areamong the watchers, so much the better.

Caitlan will plead with them, to tearsand beyond that to groveling, if the PCsare reluctant. She has nothing to offerthem beyond her servitude.

Caitlans words will ring true to magi-cal tests. (Her mind is unreachable, andher alignment will appear to be NeutralGood.)

Any Harpers the PCs may have metearlier (such as Salreen Shamarsair),and any soldiers and Watch officers thePCs may have had dealings with, willhear of Caitlans plea. Even if the PCsrefuse her, these NPCs should encoun-ter the PCs with comments like:

Heard youre going to help thatyoung girl with that rescue. Goodfortune to you; its work like that asmakes all our hearts a little brighter,with all this upset and lawlessness.

Caitlan will promise to meet the PCs ata certain place and time, to lead them outof Arabel to her mistress. She will thenstagger away to the ladies jakes (wash-rooms) and not reappear. If the PCsinquire, some female patron will say:

She was hurt, poor thing. Blood alldown her side. She left with a clericof Lathander, I think...or was it alady of Ilmater? I can never keepthose saintly sorts of priest-womenstraight, Im afraid.

That night, the PCs all have night-mares of cruel laughter in the darkness

as unseen eyes watch them, as they inturn watch a pair of helpless, femalewrists chained together. If any PCawakens, they will find bats (normal,non-magical and harmless bats) flyingaround their sleeping chamber, even ifthe room is sealed or windowless.

The DM should describe the shareddream as it unfolds; the laughter-and asense of chilling cold-will approachmenacingly as the PCs seem to drawnear the chained hands. The cruellaughing voice says: A few evil tricks ofArt, eh? Well see...well see!

At this point, make an IntelligenceCheck for each PC; those who are success-ful will awaken suddenly, in a cold sweat.

PCs who fail will see angry red flamesoutlining a hand so black that they can-not see it, a hand that reaches for theirthroats but cannot be grappled orpushed away, a hand that is not solid.The touch of the hand will cause aexcruciatingly painful burning sensa-tion, and then a choking feeling. ThePCs will then awaken, unhurt, with thecruel laughter ringing in their ears.(The laughter will be briefly audible toall creatures in the room, not just to theawakening dreamers.)

Any Harpers or Purple Dragons whoencounter the PCs will also warn the PCsthat they will no doubt need magic theycan rely on. Caitlan herself (in Event 2)will urge the PCs to gather all the Artyou can before they leave. The DMshould use tutors, sages, and any otherNPCs necessary to repeatedly tell the PCsthat they need a reliable wizard.

If the PCs ask around Arabel, theywill find that Arabels wizards of notethe half-elven beauty Sindyl Sormagh,for instance, or Rithindel of the SevenStarshave sequestered themselves inrecent days. Further inquiries will dis-cover that even the lesser wizards, suchas Ormthel the Spellseller and Ghornthe Masked Miracle, have quietly hid-den themselves, gone to ponder the cri-sis. Only starry-eyed novices andbumbling (if eager) apprentices and afew tutoring wizards too old and feebleto travel are left.

There is only one exception, only onereliable wizard in Arabel. Her name isMidnight; she is the mysterious womanthe PCs saw glowing in the storm. Mys-terious and coy, she will readily agree tojoin the PCs.

If they are unwilling or unable to payher, Midnight will volunteer her serv-ices, for the fun of itand whateverwealth may come my way.

Midnight will flirt and seem sereneand unafraid throughout the adventureand, until Chapter 4, will always wearand guard the blue-white star pendant.

If the PCs do not seek magical rein-forcements , Midnight wi l l boldlyappear wherever they have gathered,mounted on a surefooted black hillpony with a red mane, and say:

Well met, all. I am Midnight. I workmagic, and Im out to show all theRealms that Im good at it. You needme, and luck is with you: Im available.Any objections to my riding with you?

Midnights spell roster is up to theDM; it is suggested that it be varied,substantial, and useful in battle.

Event 2: III NewsThis Event should be run as the PCs

gather to leave Arabel. Caitlan willappear looking decidedly ill.

Caitlan is ghastly white of skin; hereyes are sunken, and purple veinsstand out on her chin and arms andaround her eyes. Sweat stands onher brow; she trembles slightly, andlooks thinner than ever.

M-my friends she says, teeth chat-tering, I have had fever; I am not wellenough to go with you. Please, pleaserescue my mistress; I will follow assoon as I can. This, I swear. Look forher in a tower in Castle Kilgrave. Shemust be weak, by now. Please go toher in all haste, and free her. Bewarethe black hand.

Caitlan looks at you all, wild-eyed,and her face twists in a sob. Then,she repeats, I will follow, voicetrembling with resolve, as she turnsand stumbles away, arms about her-self, shivering. She reaches a priestof Ilmater, who accompanied her toyou, and collapses in a heap at hisfeet. He kneels by her.

Go, he implores you. Whateveryou promised this child, go and do it. Ifshe hears that you have, she will

13

recover; it is no great thing. If not...,his voice trails away and he looksbleak. Go, with the blessings of Ilma-ter to make your way easy, he says,and salutes you. Go, heroesbutcome back safe to hearth and home.The lands need you most, now.

Caitlans illness is catalyzed by Mys-tras desperate need of succor, transmit-ted through the geas. As the illness isnot natural, cure disease and a paladinshealing touch will be ineffective.

After the PCs leave for Castle Kil-grave, Caitlan will recover enoughstrength to follow them. She will ride alight warhorse (donated by a concernedcleric of Lathander) and arrive at CastleKilgrave shortly after the PCs enter.(See Chapter 3 for further details.)

Event 3: TheInevitableAmbush

Run this Event after the PCs are a goodride out of sight of Arabel, in open coun-try. All the PCs will know is that the roadnortheast out of Arabel leads to Castle Kil-grave, with Castle Crag just a short ridefarther, and then on to Tilvers Gap(where Cormyr recently garrisoned thehitherto-independent village of Tilverton)before running into the Dalelands. Whatroute the PCs take is up to them; if theyenter the Stonelands, double the chancesof random monster encounters. ThisEvent can happen anywhere, regardlessof the PCs route.

There is suddenly darkness all aboutyouutter, impenetrable blackness,where moments before you hadbeen watching the countrys idearound narrowly without seeing anythreat or foe. Magical darkness!

Then something rustles and drawsmetal across metal ahead...and youare fighting for your lives.

Twelve zombies (all having 12 hp) and16 skeletons (all with 7 hp) will rise upfrom where they had been ly ingmotionless in the tall grass to attack thePCs, within the darkness. The ambushis led by two minor clerics of Bane, post-

ed here with the undead to attack any-one passing by.

The clerics will remain aloof from thefray, sitting hidden behind rocks andrenewing the ir cont inual darknessspells if the PCs dispel them. Theundead are utterly silent, and willattack all living creatures within thedarkness.

In the darkness, PCs are -4 to hit incombat, or -2 if within 1 of some sortof illumination. PC Armor Classes suf-fer a +4 penalty, and saving throwsand damage rolls are both at -4 (dam-age rolls never go below 1 point).

In addition, the dexterity of charac-ters in darkness is lowered by 2 for thepurpose of Dexterity Checks, ClimbingRating is penalized by 10%, and sight-related special attacks (such as thieflybackstabbing) cannot be successful.

If an attack roll is 0 or less after suchmodifications, the attacker has hit anyobject or ally within twice weaponlength (if more than one, choose ran-domly) that wasnt being aimed at!

The undead suffer no such penalties;nor do PCs employing infravision ormagical (glowing) weapons.

The Bl indf ight ing prof ic iencyreduces a l l penal t ies to hal f , andremoves the Armor Class penalty andthe automatic failure of vision-relatedspecial attacks.

The undead will ignore the partysmounts, pulling the characters downoff their saddles. Treat this as anattempt to overbear, with no modifiers.

The clerics will flee if any PCs survivea dozen rounds and are still fighting.They are Ilsig (LE, 6th L, 33 hp, mace &flail, 1 potion of healing in a metal beltflask) and Mhael (LE, 5th L, 39 hp, mace& hammer, 18/51 ST: +2 to hit and +3on damage, no magic items).

Their superior is the Watcher (7thlevel cleric) Ensebel Riotharr, based in aZ h e n t a r i m c a m p n e a r r u i n e dTeshwave. Their mission is to defeat orweaken any adventurers entering thevicinity of Castle Kilgrave except thoseopenly displaying the badge of Bane(and knowing a pass-phrase: Challenge:Who shall rise, as is right?/Reply: TheBurning Lord).

Event 4: Hopeand Renewal

This Event can occur wherever thePCs may be, at any time after the pre-ceding Event. It may be used to aidweakened PCs who run afoul of ran-dom encounters, or to rescue PCs whofare poorly in Event 3, above.

In the distance you see a line of menand women approaching, walkingsteadily overland. At the front comehard-eyed men-at-arms, weaponsready, chainmail well-oiled and bear-ing plain surcoats of rose-red. At theback are more war-swords; twodozen in all. Between walk a dozenmen and women in maroon and rus-set robes, at their head an old andmagisterial man in a robe of the pal-est pink. He is balding and kindly-looking but stern. In his hands is astout rod. He sees you, and calls outin a deep voice: Hail, heroes! Willyou speak to the curious, or mustyou ride ever in haste?

If the PCs ignore him, the man will donothing further, and the column willwalk on. If the PCs attack or offer insults,the warriors will instantly menace thePCs, as the robed ones form a defensivering about the old man. He will then callthem off (There is enough strife, thesedaysspill no blood in such haste).

If the PCs speak to the old man, theywill learn that he is Ansultath, a NG 8thlevel cleric of Lathander, Lord of theMorning. He has 62 hp, full spells of 1stand 2nd level, and carries three scrollsin leg-sheaths beneath his robes. One isa flame strike, one a blade barrier, andone a heal. His rod is a rod of resurrec-tion. Ansultath will instantly avengeany attack upon his entourage, butwould rather not fight anyone.

The Wandering Patriarch is a kindlyman, saddened by the increasing vio-lence and chaos of the Realms. He wan-ders the Inner Sea lands working tofurther the aims of Lathander: growth,renewal, and new beginnings. He willheal PCs in return for donations to thechurch (i.e. to him, to further his work).

Ansultath will waive his fees for anyspel ls cast upon fe l low cler ics of

Lathander (including PCs), and chargeonly half-rate for non-clerical worship-pers of Latbander. He will resurrectbeings of any creed, race, or alignmenton credit (because it fulfills a basictenet of his faith, the new beginning),but will not otherwise give credit forany spellcasting fees.

If the PCs are willing to talk toAnsultath, he will wave a hand, and thewarriors will form a ring around the PCsand the minor clerics of Lathander (thetwelve are: two 4th level; four 3rd level;and six 2nd level) while Ansultath sitsdown for a chat. He will offer the PCsfood (simple but good fare of cheese, nut-bread, olives, fruit, and wine), and askthem in a polite, roundabout way abouttheir present ventures. He will not probe.He will, however, volunteer the last mes-sage he received from Lathander beforethe present chaos, in a dream followingan evening of prayer.

Lathander spoke of a coming time ofgreat turmoil, when renewal willcome from new heroes, who must pre-vail to bring about a new beginning. Ifthey prevailed, Lathander hinted,humankind and demi-humankindwould win a new importance, even asgods fall.

Ansultath will eye the PCs thoughtful-ly and suggest that if they run into trou-bles, they seek out clergy of Lathanderfor aid. (He will camp with the PCs forone night if the PCs desire it, but willotherwise walk on into southern Cor-myr on the morrow. The DM may usehim or his followers at any time later inthe adventure, to guide or rescuebeleaguered PCs.)

Event 5: A DireWarning

Run this Event when the PCs are inthe open, traveling toward Castle Kil-grave. It may occur at any time or place.Wheeling vultures or ravens may leadthe PCs to the spot.

Ahead, you see dark patches onrocks and in trampled patches ofgrass. With them is a litter of brokenweaponry and bloody clothing: thewrack of battle. The darkness is

14

lood, liberally spilled here in a gris-ly slaughter of bloody bones, brokenblades, and silent chaos.

But something is missing. Goodweapons and valuables are gone,yesthe work of looters, perhaps.Something else; corpses. There arebones, cracked and tangledbutthey are the long bones and pointedskulls of horses. No bodies lie herenor are there the marks of the fallenbeing dragged away anywhere, orthe burial or burning of anything.

There is something more. A large,man-shaped bloodstain lies next to alarge, flat rockand on the rock areletters written in blood: Beware theHand of Bane.

There is no treasure here, nor arethere any corpses to be found. Banes ava-tar and clerics used the bodies of the menthey slew here to make Baneguards (anew form of undead described in thismodule) and other foul undead, whomindlessly serve the Lord of Tyrannybetter than any living creature could.

The JourneyThe adventurers may take any route

they wish after leaving Arabel. The DMshould use the encounters provided here-after to make PC travel exciting and dan-gerous, using the random Physical ChaosTable at least once every six turns.

Northeastern Cormyr is rolling hill-country, used as pasture land. Fieldsare large enclosures, the walls beinghigh ramparts of tumbled, jaggedstones turned up in earlier plowing,often overgrown with brambles, trees,a n d b e r r y b u s h e s . F u r t h e r t o t h enorth-beyond Gnoll Passthe land ris-es into crags, bare rock, slopes of scree,and a high plateau broken by manyravines and gullies: the Stonelands.

Castle Kilgrave is commonly knownto be long-abandoned, picked over byadventuring parties for the last centuryor so, until everyone was certain thatKilgraves wealth had been exhausted.The flocks of sheep grazing in thestone-walled fields near Castle Kilgraveare untended; these may be readilyslain for food. Within a mile or so ofCastle Kilgraves outer walls such easy

food has already been harvested bywandering predators (see Chapter3);the sheep are all gone.

If the PCs follow the road to CastleKilgrave, they cant get lost. Off-roadnight travel is likely to result in the par-ty getting lost. The DM should refer tothe rulebooks for methods of handlingsuch PC risks.

EncountersThe DM should check for encounters

at least once every two turns (a 1 in 6chance on the road or in open countrysouth of it; a 2 in 6 chance in the Stone-lands or Shadow Gap, where the PCs willbe headed eventually), using the randomencounter tables and the following spe-cial encounters as desired. The adven-ture will be most memorable if thesespecial encounters are used to promoteroleplaying on the part of players, ratherthan simply challenging the PCs with agauntlet of monster after monster. Manyof these NPCs can be used in later adven-tures if the DM desires.

1. Phandurn

A stout, wheezing man in silk and fursappears suddenly over a ridge ahead,mounted on a mule. He sits uncom-fortably, legs sticking out unsteadilyon either side of the saddle. Behindhim mules pull two small, high wagonsthat creak and groan loudly with eve-ry turn of their massive, cracked-and-mended wheels. Two weary-lookingmen in studded leather ride greyponies with heavy crossbows loadedand ready. They look at you steadily,bows levelled.

The stout man waves a many-ringed hand at you and calls, Wellmet, travelers! Interested in pur-chasing fine scents or cordials? But-terfly essence? Brindleberry wine?Any news of the road, by the way?

The cheerfully bustling merchant isPhandurn the Phenomenal, a travelingdealer who hails from Procampur andcovers much of the Dragonreach in histrading. He is a NG 3rd level mage of 11hp who wears a ring of regeneration(normal form) and has 312 gp, 44 sp,and 12 cp. His wagons (full of wares) are

guarded by his two 0 level men-at-arms,Orlin and Fentesh, who are unshake-ably loyal to the loquacious merchant.

Phandurn will cheerfully camp with,eat with, and talk with the PCs. Unlessattacked, he will pass on the news thatthe Zhentarim seem to be moving arm-ies south into the Dalelands; Sembiaand Cormyr are also stirring; and thatno clergy anywhere seem able to regainspells of greater than 2nd level throughprayer: The gods do not answer.

Phandurn has also heard rumors ofhorrible monsters roaming the lands,overrunning Tilverton and nearby villag-es. He himself has seen little out of theordinary, however, while coming by wayof old trails and farm lanes overland fromHighmoon. Unsettled times lie ahead, hefears-but he is not too worried; Elmin-ster of Shadowdale, the sage, will knowwhat to do if any man does, or if theresanything that should be done.

Phandurn is headed for Arabel, Mar-sember and Suzail with his wares; hewill cheerfully bid the PCs adieu aftermentioning Elminster.

2. Tanlathyn

A grey horse rises suddenly up outof a gulley ahead. On its back is athin, weatherbeaten-looking man inleather armor. He looks grim, andtravels light, with only one saddle-bag. A long sword and dagger are athis belt, and a longbow is slungacross his back. He says nothing ashis mount trots toward you, but layshis hand on his sword.

The man will ride silently past the PCsi f n o t c h a l l e n g e d o r a t t a c k e d . I faddressed, he will reveal himself asTanlathyn, a ranger, and ask the partytheir business. He will warn the partyof the dangers of the lands around.

There are many beasts abroad in theland...some who ride horses and singtavern-songs among them. Bide closeand careful, blades ready. If you letyour guard drop hereabouts, now, itsa grave youll soon be finding.

Tanlathyn is a CG 6th level ranger,with 42 hp (ST 16: + 1 on damage; CO

15

17). He is a Harper, keeping an eye outfor brigands, Zhentarim agents, andother evil beings. He is armed with asword +4, de fender and 20 s i lver -tipped arrows, as well as an arrow ofmagic-user s laying and an arrow ofdragon slaying. He also has a quiver of22 normal arrows, and can fire withoutpenalty from horseback at full gallop.

Tanlathyn will follow the PCs for atime to learn their aims (stalking themfrom cover), and will aid them if theyfight brigands, Zhentarim, or agents ofBane and appear to need his help. Hewill not join the party unless, at theDMs option, his presence is needed toenable weak or inexperienced PCs tosurvive the adventure.

3. VeltarA large black raven flaps overhead, aslim, tapering stick in its talons. It cir-cles over you and then swoopsbehind nearby trees, unleashing abolt of lightning at you as it disap-pears!

The ravens wand of lightning has 22charges; its wielder, a Lawful Evil wiz-ard of the Zhentarim called Veltar, willuse it once a round to produce forkedbolts of lightning as he dodges in andout of the trees in raven-shape. Thewand of lightning has no commandword; instead, it sports three copperbands, and is triggered by the weildertouching the first and third bands, butnot the second. Veltar has orders todestroy, scatter, or turn back any non-Zhentarim bands of humans or elvesmoving into northeastern Cormyr.

If Veltar (who is 7th level, and has 22hp and a full roster of offensive andescape spells) encounters strong oppo-nents, he will fly northeast to Dagger-dale, to report them to Xantilan (abeholder). His superiors will then sendout a battle-band of orcs to deal withthe PCs.

Veltar is a coward, and will prefer torepeatedly strike from ambush andthen fly away into hiding, rather thantaking a stand to fight the gathered PCsface-to-face.

4. DornBlackhammer

A faint, echoing whistling is sudden-ly heard, coming up out of the earthbeneath you! It grows louder, andthen breaks off into a gruff, mascu-line grunt and the ringing sound ofmetal on rock. Thrice great hammer-blows are heard, and then the turfahead humps upwards sharply andis flung aside, as a large, flat rockbeneath is pushed upwards andflipped aside.

A grit-covered, bearded face risessourly into view, squints at you sus-piciously, and then descends againwith an audible sniff. When it risesagain an instant later, it is coveredwith a sinister-looking, many-hornedhelm. A massive two-handed warhammer follows, and then the entirecreature clambers into view: a fur-clad, gauntleted dwarven warrior.

Well, a gruff voice issues hollowlyfrom within the helm, Lets get itover with, then. Attack me, if youmust. Im in a bit of a hurry, so itll bequicker if you all charge at once-ifyou dont mind. Well?

Dorn Blackhammer, the dwarf, is a9th level fighter with 70 hp, 18/78 ST( + 2 to hit, + 4 on damage) and 17 CO.He carr ies a hammer +3, dwarventhrower and a (normal) handaxe whichhe can throw ably if necessary. Dorn isgruff and cynical, possessed of a blacksense of humor and a stubborn fear-lessness. He has just investigated an olddwarven delve, searching for some signor message from the godsfor thedwarven gods, too, have not beenheard from recently, and the DeepFolk are worried.

Dorn will not retreat from a fight; if theparty attacks him, finehell knock themall down and be on his way. If befriended,Dorn will advise the party of the generallay of the land (although hes betteracquainted with subterranean ways andfeatures than surface details), suggestthey ask a sage whats going onperhapsthis Elminster; hes not such a high-nosedyoungling as most of themand take hisleave. If the DM wishes, Dorn mightencounter the PCs later, perhaps appear-

ing from underground when they are inthe midst of a tough fight to calmly drawoff the PCs foes.

5. Warthendel theWatcher

From far away the PCs will be able tosee a pinnacle or tor of bare rock, andstanding atop it a lone human (or atleast human-shaped) figure. The figurewill not move, except to turn to watchthem. If they approach, read the follow-ing encounter.

Atop the tor stands a lone robed fig-ure: a bearded man in a tall hat, wholeans upon a staff. He looks down atyou silently, but says nothing. Hestands alone, without mount or gear.A steep track leads up the tor towhere he stands.

The man will not respond to shoutedqueries or challenges. If any PC ascendsto the top of the tor to question him, how-ever, he will respond politely and unhesi-tatingly. He is Warthendel the Watcher.

Warthendel is a sage who tries tolearn as much as he can of the nature oflife in the Realms by watching theendless passage of events in the landsabout the tor. A former wizard, hebears with him a ring of warmth, adecanter of endless water, and a magi-cal skillet which is filled with a fresh,hot pork pie, omelette, or fried fishonce every 30 turns.

Warthendel is a pacifist, who will notdefend himself if attacked or launch anyattacks of his own. He still has two spellsin his memory, with which he can escape:invisibility and fly. Warthendel is a LawfulGood 6th level wizard with 18 hp. Helikes to act mysterious and powerfuland this manner has in the past scaredseveral orcs and brigands into leavinghim alone. Warthendels staff is a non-magical weapon, but it has been the focalobject of many light spells in the past (anapprentices practice casting, beforeWarthendel was given it), and still radi-ates a faint dweomer.

Warthendel knows the locations ofvarious nearby settlements and landfeatures, and of important NPCs, tem-ples, and roughly what goods are avail-able in what places (good armorers in

16

Hillsfar, Ordulin, and Suzail, for exam-ple). He has seen strange weatherrecently, but has not heard of troubleamong the clergy or gods.

6. The Night BrothersHelp! ,comes a ragged cry f romahead. Aid! A rescue!

If the PCs investigate, they will see aman clutching one leg, lying against arock. He will tell them that it is broken. Inreality, he is fit and able, and lying on hissword. He is Zelbert, a member of TheNight Brothers, a band of brigands.There are fourteen in all, 0 level ChaoticEvil fighters with 7 hp each. Once the PCsadvance to aid Zelbert, they will havemoved into a circle of brigands, who willattack silently from all sides. Each has aspear (which he will throw while charg-ing), and each has a dagger, a shortsword, and a club or handaxe.

The Night Brothers will try to slay ordisable PCs, and then rob them. Theirnames are Belogh, Elimier, Indreth, Yoss,and Quorl. They have, collectively, 11 sil-ver pieces and 32 copper pieces of theirown.

RandomEncounters

In addition to the preceding specialencounters, the DM can roll percentiledice and consult the following table. Re-roll or modify encounters that are notappropriate to PC location or circum-stances. An asterisk denotes creatureslikely to be flying when encountered.

Overland Encounter Table

d100Roll Encounter

01-25 Brigands, band of 5-20 (5d4);varied weaponry

26-36 Cormyrean soldiers; patrol of 251st level fighters, all chain (AC5),mounted on medium war-horses. 18 armed with lances,and 6 armed with light cross-bows. All have long swords, bat-tleaxes, and daggers. Patrol hasone 3rd level Lancer armedwith a +1 mace and a longsword. The Lancer also carries

four potions of healing (in metalflasks) and a war-horn, audibleup to a mile away (other Cormy-rean soldiers will come to aid).Merchant(s), 1-12 in number,with pack train and mules.Most merchants will have 3-6(2 + 1d4) guards/assistants,with varied weaponry.Adventurers, band of 3-11(2+1d8), varying in levels,weaponry, and alignment (sug-gestion: challenge the PCs withan evil band of adventurers ofs imi lar s t rength , who wi l lbecome long-term foes if thePCs defeat them).*Evil wizards, 1-4 in number,working as a team. This is aZhentarim patrol seeking toslay or rout adventurers. Theyw i l l h a v e n o m a g i c i t e m sexcept25% chance, eachapotion of healing, nospellbooks, and little knowl-edge of the Zhentarim organi-z a t i o n . A s a m p l e g r o u p :Inthras, 6th level; Jorm, 4thlevel; Lentyl Murr, 3rd level;Torlin, 2nd level.Ankhegs, 1-4Beetle, Giant (DMs choice oftype and number)Boar, Wild (1 boar, hunting;these creatures are hunted tooheavily in these parts to befound travel ing in familygroups)Bugbears; war band of 12 orfewerBull (wild, defending herd, orescaped) + CattleCentipede, Giant, 2-24Dog, Wild: pack of 4-16Doombats: 3-8, hunting out ofdoors due to Banes disruption ofCastle Kilgrave, their former lair.Eagle, Giant: 1 huntingGoblins; war band of 10-15(9 + 1d6), all armed with shortsword and sling.Griffon, 1-2 in number, hunting(lairs in the Stonelands only)Leucrotta, 1-4; will imitatehuman speech (greedy brigandsdiscussing booty) to lure PCs.Ogres, 2-5 in numberOrcs, raiding band of 6-17(5 + 1d12) armed with swords,

8990-94

86-88

85

8283-84

73-7475-7677-81

70-72

67-69

63-66

59-6061-62

56-58

51-55

37-50

17

95

9697

9899

00

flails, and battleaxes.Peryton, 2-8 (note: if PCs haveno magic weapons, roll again).Skunk, Giant (solitary)Sphinx: Hieracosphinx 1-6 inthe Stonelands, 1-2 elsewhere.Spider, Huge, 1-12Troll, 1-12 in number (rare inthe area due to heavy hunting).DMs choice of monster (or rolltwice; the second encounter willarrive 1-2 rounds after the first).

Those encounters marked with an *are magic-using enemies; rememberthat they will be subject to Magical Cha-os, as well.

Chapters End: CastleKi