The Dymrak Dread

Agathokles

March 24, 2012

Contents
1 Orcus’ Plot 2 4.2.5 The Buried Temple . . . . . . . 20
1.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4.3 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1.2 Hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Orcus’ forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 The Battle of Kelvin 24
1.3.1 The Vlack-kag Hobgoblins . . . 3 5.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.3.2 The Dread Horde Goblins . . . 3 5.2 Mass Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.3.3 The Witches of Dymrak . . . . 3 5.3 The Dread Horde . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.3.4 Ilyana Penhaligon . . . . . . . 3 5.3.1 Enemy front line . . . . . . . . 24
1.3.5 Count Koriszegy . . . . . . . . 3 5.3.2 Enemy command group . . . . 24
1.3.6 Argos the Worrier . . . . . . . 4 5.4 The War Machine . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.4 Allied forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5.4.1 Defense party . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.4.1 Baron Kelvin’s army . . . . . . 4 5.4.2 Approaching the War Machine 24
1.4.2 Northern Karameikan forces . . 4 5.4.3 The Battle standard . . . . . . 24
1.4.3 Southern Karameikan forces . . 4 5.5 The Charge of Duke Stefan . . . . . . 24
1.4.4 Highforge . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 5.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1.4.5 The Callarii Elves . . . . . . . 5
1.4.6 The Nyy-akk Orcs . . . . . . . 5 6 Showdown at Xitaqa 26
1.5 Timeline of the Dymrak Dread Invasion 5 6.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
6.2 Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2 Vanguard 8
7 Appendix 28
2.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7.1 Non-Player Characters . . . . . . . . . 28
2.2 Ambush on the Road . . . . . . . . . . 8
7.1.1 Dwellers of Haradraith Keep . 28
2.3 Attack at the ferry . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7.1.2 Dwellers of Koriszegy Keep . . 31
2.4 The Summoning . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
7.1.3 Dread Horde Envoys . . . . . . 32
2.5 The Ruins of Lumm . . . . . . . . . . 9
7.1.4 Dread Horde Leaders . . . . . . 33
2.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
7.2 New Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3 The Queen’s Harvest 11 7.2.1 Vampire spawn . . . . . . . . . 33
3.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 7.3 Other Military Forces . . . . . . . . . 34
3.2 Road Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.3 The Wizard’s Dungeon . . . . . . . . . 11
3.4 The Queen’s Keep . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4 Legion of the Dead 13

4.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.2 Koriszegy Keep . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.2.1 Ground Floor . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.2.2 First Floor . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.2.3 Cellar and Dungeons . . . . . . 17
4.2.4 The Vampire’s Crypt . . . . . . 19

1
Orcus’ Plot
1.1 Overview The adventure is designed for a TPL of 24, or 4-6
PCs of levels 4-6.
Orcus tries to strike against the Traladaran Three; he
orders his main henchmen in Dymrak, the Witches,
to raise a powerful horde and attack Kelvin. More- 1.2 Hooks
over, he tricks the Cult of Halav into believing that
• The PCs are one of the adventuring parties that
they have found a book (the Gospel of Saint Oir-
1 are recruited by Baron Desmond Kelvin and/or
tulev , which is preserved by the Monks of St.
his generals to help when the first vanguard of
Kruskiev in Specularum) that describes a ritual that
the Horde arrives near the territory of Kelvin.
will bring a new beastman army to Traladara. When
The vanguard is not recognized as a true menace,
Stefan clearly states his disapproval of the Cult (at
so adventurers are sent to track and clear out the
the request of both the official Churches), radical ele-
goblinoids that have been attacking caravans on
ments among the Cult push for stealing the book and
the Duke’s Road.
using it to force Stefan to his destiny — that is, re-
peating Halav’s path. In truth, the ritual is useless (it • The PCs (or the Church of Traladara) discover
just summons an unbound Death Fiend, which will that the Cult of Halav has gained possession of
likely kill its summoners), but Orcus is going to use an artifact that could bring back the Beastmen,
the Dymrak Horde to lead the Karameikans into be- and that they mean to use it. They track the
lieving that the ritual was successful. Orcus then has cultists to Kelvin.
the Dymrak Horde attack Kelvin, which he hopes will
fall thus leading the hawks in the Order of the Grif- • The PCs are friends of the Seer and they are
fon to blame all Traladarans for summoning a horde warned by him through the Ilya Pixies (before
of goblinoids. At the end, Orcus expects to have, at the Black Opal Eye is stolen).
worst, Karameikos embroiled in a civil war, and at • The PCs just happen to pass at the Gnomes’
best, Kelvin and a large part of the northeastern re- Ferry when the trap is about to spring, perhaps
gions in the hands of his followers as well as Stefan travelling to Penhaligon to track down a King-
Karameikos dead. dom of Thieves member, the “Duchess”.
To this end, Orcus can count on the Witches of
• The PCs are hired by the Lord Forester to exter-
Dymrak, a group of mysterious figures who serve
minate goblins in the Dymrak woods, and sent
(more or less willingly) him since his days as a Devil
to Kelvin to contact Stephan of Sukyskin.
Swine in the Dymrak Forest. Moreover, he can count
on Argos, the Green Dragon ruler of Argosyl, a king- The PCs should be allowed to pick their fights to
dom that stretches over all Dymrak, and well into some extent, but at the end few NPC parties will
Thyatis. Argos himself will not take action, but he survive to help them.
will send two of his more unruly subjects, the green
dragons Verdilith and Verdigris, to support the Dread
Horde, and will also push the Red Blade goblins to 1.3 Orcus’ forces
help the horde.
Orcus can mobilize many goblinoid tribes through the
1 The tome is authentic, but ultimately false — Oirtulev Temple of the Dark Triad, the Witches of Dymrak,
wrote it as a trap for those who would try to track him down. and Argos.

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Orcus’ Plot

1.3.1 The Vlack-kag Hobgoblins 1.3.3 The Witches of Dymrak

These nine mysterious crones have been around for
The Vlack-kag Hobgoblins are a powerful tribe led by
a long time, pulling the strings of goblinoid tribes in
a savvy chief, King Vlack. Vlack and his men are not
eastern Karameikos. However, the Witches rarely co-
worshippers of Orcus, but the Hobgoblin king likes to
operate for long, so not all of them take part in the
have powerful friends and plays his cards on several
Dymrak Dread campaign: only three of the Witches
tables — he has deals with the Iron Ring, besides
assist Kosivikh in his military campaign. The oth-
those with the Witches of Dymrak and the “Queen”,
ers, among which Grizzelda and Esmeralda, probably
Ilyana Penhaligon that involve him in this adventure.
the most powerful of the nine, only operate through
King Vlack and his Vlack-kag Hobgoblins: agents and spies. The three witches who take part
100 Hobgoblin wolfriders, 200 Hobgoblin crossbow- in the action are equivalent to Crones of Chaos in
men, 100 Goblins wolfriders, 50 Thouls. power. They follow Kosivikh as advisors and spies.
One of Vlack’s hordes (Splintering Skulls, 100 Hob-
goblins), under the command of chief Skrakkbak
(Hobgoblin 6) is off helping Ilyana. Vlack never com- 1.3.4 Ilyana Penhaligon
mits his Thouls to field battle – they are more useful The Queen of Vaion is directed by her advisor,
as guards, and are much harder to replace than Gob- Bernal, a cleric of the Temple of the Dark Triad, to
lins or Hobgoblins. Moreover, the Hobgoblin king help Kosivikh. Ilyana’s army, however, does not take
tactic is to leave his allies to fight for him as much part in the Battle of Kelvin; instead, her forces keep
as possible — he tries to join any fight at the crit- the northern forces of Karameikos from reaching the
ical time, when both his allies and his enemies are battle site as well.
tired. Vlack never fights to the death, as he believes
Ilyana Penhaligon’s army includes 100 Faceslasher
in living to fight another day.
Gnoll mercenaries (led by the Gnoll chieftain Hastris-
sek), 200 Kloss-Lunk Goblin wolfriders (led by Klos-
sarek, an underling of chief Kloss), 200 Nightstalker
Goblin archers (led by the shaman Ratgrubb) and
1.3.2 The Dread Horde Goblins 100 human mercenaries (divided in two companies,
led respectively by Igor Merkul and Octavius Black-
The Dread Horde is the major military force at Or- maer).
cus disposal. These goblins have been thoroughly The death of Ilyana removes the threat, since the
infiltrated by the cult of Orcus — all the Shamans in mercenaries desert as soon as they are left without
the tribe are now Shamans of Orcus, and most of the an employer and the Nightstalker Shaman, Dhrom
upper echelons (composing chief Kosivikh’s personal Dhum, recovers his control of the goblins, persuading
horde, the Dread Brotherhood) have been infected them to give up as well (he’s personally opposed to
with wolf lycanthropy, making them much more dan- the Witches of Dymrak).
gerous than common goblins.
Kosivikh the Dymrak Dread and the Dread
Horde Goblins: 50 Goblin Werewolves, 150 Gob- 1.3.5 Count Koriszegy
lin wolfriders, 600 Goblin archers and 200 Hobgoblin Count Koriszegy’s motivation is achieving freedom
heavy infantry. from Thanatos’ curse. To this end, he strikes a deal
Kosivikh also conscripts (forcibly) several hordes with Orcus, exchanging his help in return for freedom
from the Faz-Plack Goblins (200 Goblin swordsmen). from his curse (which Orcus is only able to provide
The Dread Horde is fully committed to the invasion, on a temporary basis, though he doesn’t tell that to
and will not pull back until defeated. the Count). If the deal is successfully completed, he

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Orcus’ Plot

provides 600 undead: 10 Vampire slaves, 40 Ghouls, In terms of Birthright War Cards, the Dymrak
60 Enhanced Skeletons, and 500 Skeletons. Horde and allies correspond to the following units:
Koriszegy summons 500 Skeletons directly on the
battle site, so his army has little problems reaching • 1 Dread Brotherhood and Vlack-kag elite unit
Kelvin. Moreover, his passage through the Radlebb (treated as Warband of Markazor)
woods leaves the Callarii forces in complete disarray, • 1 Hobgoblin heavy infantry (treated as Goblin
as many elves are turned into Vampire Spawn and guards)
left to wreak havoc on their former brethren.
• 1 undead legion

1.3.6 Argos the Worrier • 2 skeletons units (treated as Khinasi Spearmen)

The green dragon king of the Dymrak Forest is forced • 2 goblin cavalry
to proved help to his Immortal patron’s plan, though
he doesn’t like it at all — besides, he has nothing • 3 goblin infantry
to gain from the Dymrak Horde war. He controls • 3 goblin archers
five large goblin tribes and several dragons, but only
commits to the war two of his green dragon followers,
as well as 500 goblins. He does not want this help to
be traced to him, so he uses his magic to manipulate Kelvin garrison), and 500 militia (part of the wartime
the goblin chiefs, and orders the two green dragons, Karameikan military).
Verdilith and Verdigris, to limit their activities until If the PCs warn Sukyskin and the other home-
the Battle of Kelvin. steads in time, the militia rises to three full batallions
Total enemy force at full power, Orcus’ follow- of the 10th Militia Division (750).
ers can field and army of 2500 warriors: 50 Goblin
Werewolves, 100 Hobgoblin wolfriders, 300 Hobgob- 1.4.2 Northern Karameikan forces
lin heavy infantry and crossbowmen, 1100 Goblin in-
fantry and archers, 250 Goblin wolfriders, 600 un- The reinforcements from Penhaligon and the 4th Di-
dead. vision are initially blocked by Ilyana’s army. If the
PCs succeed in defeating the Queen of Vaion, these
reinforcements can reach Kelvin before the battle,
otherwise they fight their own battle in Penhaligon.
Penhaligon, Castellan Keep & Duke’s Road
1.4 Allied forces Keep, 300 human mixed cavalry and infantry (more
than half the forces of the Mountain Storm and
Duke Stephan Karameikos III and Baron Desmon
Goblin-Crushers batallions, plus one of Penhaligon’s
Kelvin II can field few forces at the beginning, but
batallions of the 11th Militia Division (250).
with the Player Characters’ help the Karameikan
Threshold & Verge forces: one batallion of the
forces can be increased significantly.
11th Militia Division (250).

1.4.1 Baron Kelvin’s army 1.4.3 Southern Karameikan forces

The Barony of Kelvin is the largest fief in Duke Stephan immediately marches toward Kelvin,
Karameikos, and can therefore field a large and well- but his forces are threatened by one of the green drag-
trained force, compared to others. ons (Verdigris) and forced to take cover in Krakatos.
Kelvin garrison & militia: 100 human medium They manage to push him back in X days and pro-
cavalry and 150 human light infantry (part of the ceed to Kelvin.

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Orcus’ Plot

Ducal forces: 250 guards (one company of the In terms of Birthright War Cards, the Karameikan
Elvenguard and two companies of the Duke’s Guard, armies and allies correspond to the following units:
plus one company of Knights of the Griffon), 6th Mili-
tia Division (1000). • 1 Anuirean Cavalry

• 1 Anuirean Elite Infantry

1.4.4 Highforge • 1 Dwarf Guards
Dorfus must be convinced to lend his forces against
• 1 Dwarf Crossbowmen
the Dymrak Dread — otherwise his gnomes and
dwarves limit themselves to repel any goblinoid • 1 Artillerists
scouts and outriders that stray into Highforge’s ter-
ritory. • 2 Elf Archers
Highforge army: 400 gnomes & dwarves, mixed
• 1 Nyy-Akk Scouts (Black Spear Raiders)
infantry and crossbowmen, plus a unit of artillerists
(not available if the Gnomes’ Ferry is destroyed). • 2 Anuirean Infantry
• 5 Levy
1.4.5 The Callarii Elves
The Elves are initially blocked by Koriszegy’s threat,
and will not be able to join unless the PCs stop the
deal between the mad vampire Count and Orcus’ en-
pet). Moreover, the key players will not be active
voys.
until they receive notice of the impending invasion).
Callarii Elves: 400 elven archers.
Table 1.1 shows the expected timeline of the inva-
sion. Kosivikh only starts his invasion in full when
1.4.6 The Nyy-akk Orcs his Witch ally, Gelphora, brings back the Black Opal
The Nyy-akk Orcs are a relatively friendly goblinoid Eye from the Seer of the Lake of Lost Dreams. At
tribe of hunters and miners, followers of Nyx. Their that point, the attack on the Gnomes’ Ferry has al-
help can be gained by freeing Rakhnaag and befriend- ready happened, brought on by the advance units
ing the chief at Ilyana’s keep) supported by the green dragon Verdilith, to slow
Nyy-akk Orcs: 200 orc scouts. down any help from Highforge, as well as to give the
Total allied force at full power, the Karameikan Cultists of Halav a small advantage over any pursuer.
forces can field 3800 warriors: 200 cavalry, 400 heavy Other than that, most events may be anticipated
infantry, 2000 militia, 400 light infantry, 200 scouts, or delayed depending on the actions of the PCs.
200 crossbowmen, 400 archers.
If Verdilith and the goblin vanguard do not destroy
the Gnomes’ Ferry, the Gnomes can field a unit of
Artillery, which is not available otherwise.
1.5 Timeline of the Dymrak If the PCs do not help Penhaligon against Ilyana,
Dread Invasion the timeline is altered, as the Penhaligon forces can-
not Kelvin without leaving the city unprotected. If
This adventure plays out according to the events of so, Ilyana tries to assault Penhaligon. Run or de-
the invasion. The PCs cannot hope to be active on cide the outcome of the battle, with Arteris as the
all fronts of the war, unless they secure extraordi- defender. Moreover, one less unit from Highforge is
nary means of movement (e.g., Cardia’s flying car- committed to the defense of Kelvin.

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Orcus’ Plot

Table 1.1: Timeline of the Dymrak Dread Invasion

Day 1: Cultists of Halav under Klas Jorga’s command leave Specularum with the stolen
Gospel of Saint Oirtulev, riding to Kelvin
Dread Horde Goblins and Witch Gelphora depart from the Dread Horde territory
towards the Lake of Lost Dreams
Kosivikh, the Dymrak Dread, assembles his horde (though advance units are
already in Lumm)
Day 3: Cultists of Halav leave Kelvin, reach the Nameless Moor where they attempt
to summon a Beastman horde for the reincarnated Halav to fight, summoning
instead a Death Fiend, which kills them
Goblinoid attack on the Gnomes’ Ferry, news of the attack reach Highforge and
Kelvin
Dread Horde Goblins attack the Seer and the Pixies and steal the Black Opal
Eye
Day 4: Assuming PCs have reached Lumm, Kelvin receives notice of impending attack
Messengers from Baron Kelvin leave for Threshold, Penhaligon and Specularum
Day 5: Kosivikh receives the Black Opal Eye stolen from the Seer of the Lake of Lost
Dreams
Dread Horde begins its march
Day 6: Messengers reach Penhaligon, Specularum, and Threshold: Karameikos military
mobilizes
Day 7: PCs leave Penhaligon
Day 8: Dread Horde Envoys leave the marching troops to reach Koriszegy Keep
Day 9: Armies leave Threshold and Specularum
PCs assault Haradraith Keep
4th Division units leave for Penhaligon
Day 10: Dread Horde Envoys cross the Volaga near Midwood
Day 11: Stefan blocked in Krakatos by Verdigris
PCs are back in Penhaligon, are met by Pixies sent by the Seer, who tell them
the Black Opal Eye has been stolen
Day 13: Stefan leaves Krakatos; information about Verdigris reach Kelvin
4th Division units reach Penhaligon
PCs reach Kelvin, war council with Desmond Kelvin
Dread Horde Envoys reach Koriszegy
Day 14: PCs reach Koriszegy Keep (by flying carpet)
Day 15: The Dread Horde is sighted by Kelvin scouts outside the Barony
Day 16: Units of Elven archers leave Rifllian (joining Aleena’s force; only happens if Ko-
riszegy is stopped)
PCs meet Aleena, then go on to Kelvin
Penhaligon units reach Kelvin (only happens if Ilyana is killed; includes Nyy-akk
scouts is the tribe is befriended)
Day 18: Aleena reaches Kelvin
Day 19: Stefan reaches Kelvin
The Dread Horde crosses the Volaga and reaches Lumm
Day 20: Battle of Kelvin

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Orcus’ Plot

In Birthright terms, the two armies are composed as

follows.
Ilyana Penhaligon’s Army:
1 Mercenary Infantry
1 Goblin Archer
1 Goblin Wolfriders
Arteris Penhaligon’s Army:
1 Light Cavalry
1 Light Infantry
2 Levy
If the PCs fail to stop Count Koriszegy, he crosses
the Volaga river at Day 18 (during the night).
If the PCs help Stefan’s army against Verdigris,
Stefan might be able to reach Kelvin at Day 17.
If the PCs do not negotiate personally with Dorfus,
Baron Kelvin sends a party of Knights of the Griffon.
There should be no difference in the outcome, but if
the PCs negotiate personally, they may be able to
offset the loss of one unit due to other causes. Also,
their reputation with the gnomes will be improved.

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Vanguard
2.1 Overview ness spell. The goblin shaman uses his other spell,
Bless, before the encounter starts.
A band of goblinoid marauders threatens the
Gnomes’ Ferry north-east of Kelvin. These are sup- Opponents: 12 Red Blade goblins led by a chief
porting troops lent by Argos to Kosivikh, mostly con- (Goblin 3) and a shaman (Goblin 2/Shaman 2), and
sisting of Gnhasska goblins. Note that, since Gnhass 3 trained giant ferrets. TPL: 16; XP value: 138.
is dead 1 , these goblins have low morale, unless there
are Vlack-kag hobgoblins around.
The PCs have travelled to Kelvin and are moving
north towards Penhaligon or Highforge – depending
on whether they are in the area for trade, because
2.3 Attack at the ferry
they are pursuing the cultists, or because they have
been sent by Baron Desmond Kelvin to scout the area The attack at the ferry is conducted mostly by Red
north of his lands – when they meet a small party of Blade goblins, with the green dragon Verdilith show-
goblins, who are there to keep any help from reaching ing up mostly to scare away any organized Oppo-
the ferry (Encounter 2.2). nents. When the party arrives, Verdilith has spent
After the PCs deal with the goblins, they should one use of his breath weapon, killing many inside the
reach the ferry (if they are on a scouting mission, the gnomes’ inn, and is now circling over the battlefield.
presence of the goblins should lead them to warn the The hobgoblins are here mostly to keep an eye over
gnomes). There, they are attacked by Verdilith and the goblins – they won’t take action, and will leave
his Gnhasska goblins (Encounter 2.3). the goblins to their fate if things turn bad.
After saving the ferry, or fleeing it, the PCs can
Opponents: 20 Gnhasska goblins, 2 goblin sub-
track down the attackers. While they do so, they
chiefs (Goblin 1), 1 goblin chief (Goblin 4), 1 goblin
notice their original quarries, the cultists, while they
shaman (Goblin 2/Shaman 2), 2 Dread Horde hob-
are attacked by a Death Fiend (Encounter 2.4). If
goblin emissaries, 1 hobgoblin sergeant (Hobgoblin
they have good tracking skills and survive the Death
1). TPL: 22; XP value: 168.
Fiend’s attack, they can enter Lumm and find the
headquarters of the Red Blade goblins – it lies over Verdilith himself just does a minimum work – he
the ancient tomb of the last prince of Lumos, dating will just help overcome the first defenses (one round
back at few centuries after the Song of Halav (En- before the PCs enter combat) and crush the ferry
counter ??). (three rounds after the PCs arrive) to ensure no one
escapes, then he will pick some unlucky NPC and
carry him or her away for lunch, unless the PCs in-
2.2 Ambush on the Road terfere – in this case, Verdilith is a TPL 20 encounter
worth 2300 XP, but probably too much for the PCs
A band of goblins lies in ambush near the road. The to handle.
goblin chief, six warriors and the trained ferrets will
charge from both sides, while six archers and the Verdilith: small green dragon (8 HD); Verdilith
shaman will pepper the PCs with arrows and a Dark- can cast the following spells: Protection from Good,
Charm Person, Detect Magic, Continual Light, De-
1 As a consequence of the events in B10 Night’s Dark Terror tect Invisible, Entangle.

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Vanguard

2.4 The Summoning 3. Goblins’ Bunk Room The rooom contains 12

Goblins (normal monsters) and 1 Lieutenant,
The characters should be able to see this scene from Goblin 1 (TPL: 8; XP value: 80) – these will
some distance — the cultists have been setting up be likely joined by the chief and his lieutenant,
fires and other ritual equipment (this includes spread- bringing the encounter to TPL 18.
ing the false book of ancient lore on the ground within
a pentacle traced in blood), and the summoning itself 4. Wokan’s Room The wokan is a Goblin 2/Wicca
creates a blast that can be seen from several miles. 2 (TPL: 3; XP value: 25); of course, since the
The cultists themselves, four low-level priests of the dungeon is now simply a Red Blade outpost, the
Cult of Halav, are no match for the Death Fiend they wokan is not Vylgrykk. The wokan can write
have conjured. The Death Fiend dispatches them and read (using the Thyatian alphabet) and uses
while the PCs are too far to help — assume it takes it a mix of Dymrak goblin patois and Thyatian to
about as much as it takes the PCs to reach the area. receive instructions from the Dread Horde en-
If the PCs interfere and dispatch the Death Fiend, voys. If captured, he reveals what he knows:
they can search the site, and collect some clues from the Dread Horde leader, the “Dymrak Dread” is
the bodies. The PCs can recover the diary of a cultist, raising the goblin hordes to attack the humans.
and the false book of ancient lore (the last item only The Red Blades have been ordered to attack the
if they kill the Death Fiend quickly, otherwise the Gnomes’ Ferry.
book will burn completely).
5. Kosivikh’s Room As above, the room is now
Opponents: 1 Death Fiend (7 HD). TPL: 14; XP
occupied by a Red Blade Chief, Goblin 4 and
value: 1250.
2 Lieutenants, Goblin 2 (TPL 10; XP value:
145). In this room there are rough maps of the
2.5 The Ruins of Lumm area, with odd pictograms where various features
(Kelvin, the two ferries, Lumm, etc) are located.
The vanguard’s base has been set in a cave hidden
within the ruins of Lumm, an ancient Traladaran 6. Storage Room This area is unchanged, and is
town destroyed during the Vampire Wars about two occupied by 12 Giant Centipedes (TPL: 9; XP
centuries ago. The cave itself was once a storage area value: 72).
in the Traladaran town. A passage gave entrance to
older ruins, which the goblins have not explored. 7. Prisoners’ Cell As in the original adventure,
A number of Gnhasska goblins, Dread Horde Gob- though now Rokhaag is a Nyy-akk (Dark Web)
lins and Hobgoblins have settled in the ruins, but Orc hunter.
only Red Blades are present when the PCs arrive. 8. Web This area is unchanged, and the PCs face
By exploring the cave, the PCs can find proof of the a Black Widow Spider (TPL 4; XP value: 50).
Dread Horde and Vlack-kag involvement in a larger
plan. The PCs can free the Dark web Orc Rokhaag 9. Submerged Hole As in the original adventure.
(Orc 1), as well as a Callarii prisoner, Jalven (E2).
For this part of the adventure, use DDA4 The 10. The Ancient Door As in the original adventure.
Dymrak Dread increasing the difficulty of the encoun- However, you might want to change the “foreign
ters up as follows: designs” with Traldar motives, e.g. the story of
Halav.
1. Change the Lizard Man Lair to the barrack of 4
Gnolls mercenaries (TPL 8; XP value 100). 11. Entry Guardians Double the number of oppo-
nents: 12 Zombies (TPL 24; XP value: 240).
2. Goblin Guard : the guard is now a Goblin 1
(TPL: 2; XP value 20). 12. Long Hall This area is unchanged.

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Vanguard

13. The Tomb This area contains, as in the original account assumes that the PCs did not kill or seri-
module, a single Wight (TPL 5; XP value: 50). ously threaten Verdilith – if so, more XP should be
awarded.
Summary of outcome: discovery of the Dread
2.6 Conclusion Horde threat; need to send envoys to Threshold, Pen-
haligon and Specularum to secure help; discovery of
Goal-based XP: each of the following goals earns the the Cult of Halav apparent responsibility in “sum-
PCs a 600 XP bonus. moning” the Dread Horde.

• Discovering the Dread Horde threat: by assisting

to the attack at the ferry and then discovering
the Red Blade camp in the ruins of Lumm, the
PCs gather useful intelligent about the impend-
ing attack by the Dread Horde.

• Finding the cultist’s diary: by recovering this

item, the PCs gain an insight about the identity
and goals of the cultists.

• Recovering the false book of lore: this book can

be returned to the Church of Traladara, which
will likely destroy it. The Church might pay up
to 400 royals for the book.

• Protecting the Gnomes’ Ferry: if the PCs are

able to kill Verdilith or force him to flee before
he destroys the ferry, they preserve an important
line of communication.

• Returning safely to Kelvin with all the infor-

mation: returning the information gathered to
Kelvin allows Baron Desmond to plan more ef-
fectively the defense, and send messages to the
other nobles and to Specularum to mobilize the
army.

• Befriending Rokhaag and bringing Jalven back

to Kelvin safe: saving these two NPCs may also
help the characters in their negotiations with the
Callarii and the Nyy-akk (+1 to all Charisma
checks against Nyy-akk and Callarii leaders for
the next month).

Overall, Part I should earn the PCs more than 2300

XP in monsters, plus 3600 goal XP and circa 700 XP
in treasure. This means circa 1100 XP per PC, plus
possibly up to 400 XP for good roleplaying. This

10
The Queen’s HarveĆ
3.1 Overview 3.3 The Wizard’s Dungeon
When the PCs reach Penhaligon, they find a group
Once the PCs return to Kelvin with the news, the
of younger adventurers (1st level) have come from
Baron sendes them to Penhaligon with Lord Kaerin,
Stallanford to deliver to Kavorquian a letter. Unfor-
the adoptive son of Kavorquian Penhaligon, to gather
tunately, Kavorquian died a few months ago, leaving
reinforcements from the northern divisions and the
Kaerin his heir.
militia. Kaerin was visiting Desmond and his sister,
to whom he’s engaged. When the PCs reach Pen- Moreover, Kaerin discovers that Kavorquian’s
haligon, they discover that a second army, that of (well, his nowadays) mansion has been broken into
the usurper queen Ilyana Penhaligon, is threatening by a group of rogues (if the PCs have been on the
the town. They can travel to the keep to investi- trail of Sarrah and Erren, they can be led to believe it
gate, but meet a road block set up by a joint force of is them), likely bent on stealing Kavorquian’s legacy
Ilyana and the Vlack-kag Hobgoblins. If the envoys of magical tomes and artifacts. Kaerin cannot han-
of the Dread Horde are captured, they bring new in- dle this, since he lost an arm fighting a monster, and
formation: Ilyana and the Dymrak Dread have ne- neither can the Penhaligon guards, who refuse to en-
gotiated an alliance. The party must stop Ilyana in ter the basement where the wizard used to conduct
order to secure help from Penhaligon and the Duke’s experiments.
Road Keep. The PCs may also gain the alliance of The PCs can help Kaerin, gaining an important
the Nyy-akk orcish clan (worshippers of Nyx and Ko- ally for the future — he’s heir to Penhaligon, and
rotiku). will become heir to Kelvin as well when he marries
Alerena Kelvin. However, they do not have much
time — scouts of the Penhaligon army are investi-
ganting the whereabouts of Ilyana’s army, and will
report in soon, so the PCs need to depart Penhaligon
3.2 Road Block in 48 hours.
Two changes (besides strengthening the monsters
to fit a group of level 5-6 PCs) are needed to fit the
While trying to reach Penhaligon, the PCs find their
NPCs into the greater plot. First, Sarrah (T5) is now
way blocked by a goblinoid war band manning a
the “Duchess”, a ranking member of the Kingdom of
veritable road block. If the Vlack-kag are captured
Thieves forced to flee Specularum (either for being
and interrogated, the PCs learn that they have been
almost caught on a job, or for angering the Veiled
sent by Vlack to strengthen the army of the “human
Society, depending on which hook makes it easier to
queen”. If any of the other goblinoid is interrogated,
have the PCs track her down). Erren Candella (T6)
the PCs learn that they are working as mercenaries
is her friend, and an independent rogue who does not
by a “human queen”, and that this queen has a large
like Sarrah’s involvement in the guild.
army and is going to take over Penhaligon.
Second, the NPC adventurers are not simple ban-
Opponents: 9 Nightstalker Goblins (one of them dits, but mercenaries paid by Ilyana to recover as
is a Goblin 2) and 6 Faceslasher Gnolls, led by a many items as possible from Kavorquian. Gurdrot
Vlack-kag sergeant (Hobgoblin 3), and 4 Vlack-kag (D3) is an exiled Vestland dwarf, Harginn Coogan
Hobgoblins (TPL 25, 245 XP). (F4) a mercenary fighter from the Isle of Dawn,

11
The Queen’s HarveĆ

Katzani (C5) a cleric of the Temple of the Dark The Goblins in the Keep are part of the Kloss-
Triad sent by Bernal as the leader of the group, and Lunk and Nightstalker tribes. The Wolfmaster clan,
Mordrain (MU4) a mercenary wizard from the Magi- in particular, is one of the strongest hordes of the
cians’ Guild (this is a “side job” to make extra money Kloss-Lunk tribe. One goblin in five is a Goblin 2.
off the guild accounts). Skrakkbak is assisted by a sergeant (Hobgoblin 3,
To toughen up the adventure for higher level PCs, Skilled in the long sword). The human mercenaries
raise the Magen Caldron to full strength, and in- are mostly level 2 Fighters, though the most experi-
crease its HP to 22. Moreover, improve all the Phase enced individuals are Fighter 3. Finally, the Goblins
Stingers by +1 using the Master Set rules (so they in the towers and gatehouse are replaced by Gnoll
get THAC0 16, AC 3, 2+3** HD and inflict 2 HP per veterans (Gnoll 1).
attack). Finally, replace Wood Golems with Crys- The Owlbear has been trained by Sergreb, and is
tal Living Statues, and improve all Zombies by +1, an especially though specimen, with 5+5 HD, +1 to
representing the extra care employed by Kavorquian hit and damage, and AC 4. It also has 32 HP.
in preserving these bodies and the though leather
aprons they wear (AC 7, HD 2+2, THAC0 17, dam-
age 1d8+1). 3.5 Conclusion
Summary of outcome: discovery of a larger conspir-
3.4 The Queen’s Keep acy involving the Temple of the Dark Triad as well as
more goblinoid tribes and even human mercenaries.
Haradraith Keep, the ancient fortress of Queen Elen- The PCs can also befriend the Black Web orc tribe,
dorath, has been occupied by Ilyana Penhaligon and especially if they have already befriended Rokhaag in
her mercenaries. The adventure follows closely the Encounter 2.5 of the Vanguard section.
description of the Keep in B12 “The Queen’s Har- The PCs may or may not stop Ilyana – if they
vest”, but the main opponents needs to be strength- do not, Penhaligon’s forces will be tied up in the
ened to suit a higher level party. North, and the same will happen for the Duke’s Road
The leaders of Haradraith’s Keep, described in full and Castellan Keep garrisons. If Ilyana is slain, her
details in the Appendix, include: army dissolves as the mercenaries are left without
an employer. The Nightstalker goblins under Dhrom
• Ilyana Penhaligon (F7), “The Queen” Dhum take over the rest of the tribe, and occupy
• Bernal (C7), Priest of the Dark Prince Haradraith’s Keep.
If Ilyana survives but Bernal and Tarrayo do
• Igor Merkul (F6), mercenary captain not, she immediately lays siege Penhaligon, destroy-
ing Stallanford in the process, and plundering Ka-
• Yolanda Tarrayo (MU6), Glantrian mercenary
vorquian’s home, unless his treasure has been moved
wizard
into the city. Her attempt fails and her forces are
• Octavius Blackmaer (F6), mercenary captain scattered as the 4th Division troops break the siege.
However, only the cavalry units from the northern
• Klossarek (Goblin 5), Kloss-Lunk underchief keeps reach Kelvin in time to join in the battle.
• Ratgrobb (Goblin 3/Shaman 2), Nightstalker
shaman
• Skrakkbak (Hobgoblin 6), Vlack-kag underchief
• Hastrissek (Gnoll 4), Faceslasher chieftain
• Sergreb (Ogre 2), owl-bear trainer

12
Legion of the Dead
4.1 Overview odd movements on a failed Wisdom check, suspecting
green slime or other vermin to hide in the pool.
The Dymrak Dread “discovers” a way to free Count
Koriszegy from his lair — actually, the Witches of
Dymrak tell him the method, which is not at all reli- The well
able as it will only work as long as Thanatos, the Im-
mortal Koriszegy offended two centuries ago, doesn’t The well leads to room 7 of the cellars, and from there
notice. The Count needs the Black Opal Eye’s powers directly to the vampire’s lair.
to block the effect of the curse as well as to keep the
minions of Thanatos from detecting his escape. In ex-
Smithy
change, he asks the Count to host his forces, and send
his undead minions to help distracting the Callarii This smithy is partially functional, since the vampires
from helping Kelvin, as well as to hold Krakatos and their human thralls use it occasionally to repair
against the forces of Duke Stefan. The PCs must weapons or shackles.
face the goblin (Dread Horde) envoys, and neutralize
Koriszegy’s threat.
Stablehouse

4.2 Koriszegy Keep Special: Koriszegy’s carriage (skeletal horses, mad

human driver)
This part of the adventure takes place mostly within
Koriszegy Keep or the complex of excavations be-
neath the Keep itself. Tower (Ground level)

6 charmed human warriors are stationed at the tower.

4.2.1 Ground Floor They replace the sentinels on the barbican on 4 hours
shifts (6 Human F3, 65 XP each). Two of them are
The castle is partly ruined, but it is still inhabited by sleeping at any time, the others are just relaxing, and
a few charmed servants, and currently by the Count’s are ready for combat – especially if the PCs have been
guests. spotted by the barbican guards.

Gate
Main hall
There are no guards at the entrance, except those on
the barbican’s walls. No one ventures to Koriszegy The entrance hall of the castle is large and empty,
Keep anyway, so few guards are needed. except for three old fashioned suits of full armor of
Darokinian craftmanship. While ancient (approxi-
Fountain mately 300 years old), these suits are well rusted, and
useless both as real armor and as treasure. The door
The original castle yard was graced by a fountain to room 14 is locked and barred from inside (only the
pool, now covered in moss and slime. There is noth- count and his vampire servants are allowed inside,
ing dangerous here, but tense characters might spot and they do so in gaseous form).

13
Legion of the Dead

Parlor Thieves get a +20% bonus to the attempt. How-

ever, the old clothes of the Koriszegy are at this time
This was originally the castle parlor, where the count- reduced to worthless rags (though some ivory but-
ess spent most of her time with her ladies in waiting. tons displaying the Koriszegy coat of arms – argent,
However, since Koriszegy has guests, he has let the a tower sable and a chief erminois – can be salvaged).
Dread Horde goblins stable their 7 Dire Wolves here.
The wolves are lashed (they fight at -2 and have a
Lavatory
limited reach of 5’), and are eating hunks of meat (of
unrecognizable origin). If the characters fight here, This room was originally used as a lavatory. It is now
the wolves howl, attracting the attention of the gob- empty, though ancient blood stains the marble floor.
lins in room 13. The outer wall and part of the ceiling
of this room have crumbled away, as if the building Dining Hall
had been struck by a powerful bolt of lightning. It is
possible to access the room from the crumbled wall. This large hall was once richly decorated
with wall frescoes, now ruined by age and
humidity. Of the furniture, only a mas-
Smoking room sive hardwood table has survived, and a few
roughly built chairs have been added later.
This was originally the smoking room, where the
A camp fire surrounded by dirty fur beds
count and his closest advisors gathered to smoke
has been set in the most protected corner,
pipeweed from the Five Shires and discuss the admin-
and a group of small creatures in armor hud-
istration of the Koriszegy lands. It is the only room
dles around the fire.
the Count still uses, and is therefore kept in good
shape – the count has his servants restore the furni- Count Koriszegy has allowed the Dread Horde am-
ture whenever he destroys it in one of his fits of mad- bassador to station his goblin retinue in the old din-
ness. The current furniture is quite sparse, consisting ing hall of his castle. One of the Avengers of Orcus,
in a sturdy set of desk, armchair and bookshelves. On Dulbur, as well as 4 Dread Horde Elite goblins are
the desk, there are papers in Thyatian, describing the resting here. Two of the goblins are sleeping, if the
outline of the pact between the Witches of Dymrak characters have been stealthy. Otherwise, all goblins
and Count Koriszegy. The Black Opal Eye is men- are ready for battle.
tioned as the key to void the curse that confines the
count within his castle. Count Koriszegy is usually 4.2.2 First Floor
found here during the night.
Ruined castle, upper floor (ruined, some traps; 16
rooms: 5 monster encounters, 3 trap encounters)
Kitchen
This is the castle kitchen. While ruined, it is still in Upstairs hallway
use by the charmed guards. Stairs in the lower right
This large corridor opens on marble stairs that lead
corner lead to the cellar, room 15. It is possible, with
to the castle entrance. The high ceiling, barely sup-
some work, to enter the kitchen from the outer wall.
ported by a maze of heavy wooden beams, is obscured
The terrain, however, is unfavorable, since a steep
by cobwebs, and small bats fly across the corridor
slope surrounds this corner of the castle.
from time to time.

Garderobe Master bedroom

The old garderobe door is closed, and the key is lost. The keys to rooms 11 and 12 are hidden in a secret
The lock is not particularly difficult to open, and compartment of the large desk found in this room.

14
Legion of the Dead

The desk, as well as most of the other furniture, is traveled to the Highlands before the disappear-
broken. ance of the Ambreville family. The contents are
the same as those of the short story of the same
Library title by Clark Ashton Smith.

The walls of this smaller room are lined • “A Show of Hands”, Vol. I, by Alexis Vorbian.
with massive wooden bookcases. The lack of A Thyatian novel about a long journey around
care and the damp weather of the Radlebb the world. Volume one deals with the southern
Woods have damaged the furniture, and coast of the Known World, as it was in the I
probably the books as well. A stout man in century AC.
dark leathers is sitting on a large armchair.
He puts down the book he was reading, and • “Rhetoric”, by Menai Stroznner, abridged. This
reaches for a spiked mace. is the basic text on Thyatian oratory, in an
abridged version that was popular in Traladara
Bernal (or a level 5 Cleric of Orcus, if Bernal died and southern Darokin in the VI century AC.
during “The Queen’s Harvest” adventure) is reading
in the library. If the PCs have been stealthy, Bernal • “A look into my soul”, by Rang Tchou-Chan.
wears leather armor (AC 7), and the PCs have stan- A Thyatian translation of this overview of the
dard chances of surprising him. Otherwise, he will philosophies and religions of Thyatis dating back
have had time to wear his armor (a breastplate and to the VI century AC. The volume is fairly worn,
grab a shield, AC 5, if the cleric is not Bernal), and especially in parts dealing with the Shadow
will have the standard chance of surprising the PCs. Court of Ochalea and related philosophies in the
Several ancient books are found here, including the Known World.
following:
• A ruined spellbook, which belonged to Count
• A journal from one of the ancestors of the Count, Koriszegy’s father – a dabbler in magic who
Jan Koriszegy, telling the history of the Banate studied in Marilenev. The spells Protection from
of Svoga and the Traladaran religious conflict of Evil, Continual Light and Hold Person can be
450 AC. studied from this book (at the cost of destroying
it, though).
• One of the first written copies of the Song of
Halav, penned by a Thyatian priest for one of Most other books – journals from other ancestors of
the ancient Koriszegy. Koriszegy or books of poetry and religious matters,
are either of no interest or too damaged to be of any
• A journal from Istvan, Zhupan of Koriszegy, use. To find whether the PCs are able to detect any
recording his reign and the plague of lycanthropy of the interesting book, use the Loot general skill or
that hit Western Traladara in his times. Istvan a similar one – if the PCs have no appropriate ability,
speaks of a magical treasure he obtained from use a check on 1/2 Wisdom. The PCs find as many
the “Witch-lord” of Lumm, and that helped him books as the difference between their skill score and
fight the plague. roll.
• The “Tome on Halfling Philosophy”, with an-
notations by Count Koriszegy on the mysteri- Study
ous nature of the underground inhabitants of the
Five Shires. This was Count Koriszegy’s study, but he has not
been using it for two centuries. A deep layer of
• A book in Sylaire titled “The Satyr”. It was dust covers all the furniture of this room, and the
brought to Koriszegy by an adventurer who had tapestries and rugs are reduced to rags.

15
Legion of the Dead

There is a secret compartment in one of the pieces bring her betrothed, Ivan, to her – she was to marry
of furniture. Within it, a small, ornate chest has the Count’s only son when the keep was destroyed. If
been stored. The chest is valuable per se (for the the PCs argue or disobey her, she will fling in a fury,
workmanship and the materials used, precious woods revealing her true nature, that of a Lesser Haunt.
from Ierendi and ornamental stones from Glantri), The PCs must save vs. Spells or run away in fear as
but it also contains a magical dagger, the Fang of the girl’s features become horridly distorted, and a
Koriszegy (+1, +3 vs. Lycanthropes). palpable aura of despair emanates from her.
A small library holds ancient clay tablets in the The Haunt can be laid to rest by bringing the re-
Taymoran language (these require a Read Languages mains of Ivan from room 4.2.2. If the Haunt disap-
spell or a Thief skill roll at -20% to decipher). These pears, the illusion that makes the room seem pre-
are mere accounting records of a Taymoran priest of served loses power, and a mass of destroyed furniture
Wayland, but they are of great value to sages special- appears. The skeleton of Ivan’s bride can be found
izing in Taymoran lore. under the small table. It wears an oval ring that
bears the sign of a gold wyvern on a lapislazuli field.
Secret workroom PCs with the Heraldry or Ancient History skills can
identify this as the coat of arms of an old Traladaran
Old laboratory and prayer room. family from the Halag region.
Lying around the room are some of the journals
of Count Koriszegy, penned when the count was still
mortal. Part of these journals are written in a secret Ruined bedroom
code (requiring the Read Languages spell or the Read This bedroom was destroyed by a fire, possibly
Languages Thief skill to decipher), and reveal the caused by lightning. There is no clear indication of
password to stop the animated armor from attacking, how the fire was doused, and why it did not destroy
as well as part of the count’s quest for immortality. the rest of the keep. The skeletal remains of two hu-
Most of the other contents of this room, alchem- mans are found amid the roof tiles and the cinders.
ical and priestly equipment, has been razed by the
crazy vampire during one of his fits of madness, but
a broken holy symbol of Nyx can be still recognized. Storage closet
A Loot skill roll is needed to find it, plus a Religion These closets are full of very old clothes, but there is
roll to recognize it. a skeleton (of the inanimate variety) closed into the
rightmost one.
Garderobe
This room is full of clothes in the style used by Tral- Bedroom
adaran noblewomen in the late years of the VII cen-
This bedroom was reserved for guests, and is almost
tury AC.
intact, except for a heavy layer of dust. An old-styled
tapestry representing the battle between Halav and
Bedroom the beastman king hangs from the wall opposite to
This room appears to be in pristine condi- the window.
tions, a stark contrast to the ruined state
of the rest of the keep. A beautiful maiden, Collapsed bedroom
clearly of Traladaran ancestry and dressed
in antiquated clothes, sits at a small table. This bedrooms was completely destroyed by the
events that led to the curse of Koriszegy. A pair
The girl seems oblivious to the real nature of the of vampire bats nests in the part of the roof that
PCs, and addresses them as servants. She bids them survived the destruction.

16
Legion of the Dead

The skeleton of Ivan Koriszegy lies in a corner. fight at -2. The keys to the cells and the doors to
It wears a few discolored rags, but has a ring with area 2 and 4 are in the desk drawer.
the coat of arms of the Koriszegy family on his right
hand. Cells

Causeway 2 Elder Ghouls endlessly patrol this corridor, having

been bound to this task by the vampire count. One
This battlement connects the tower with the main of the Ghouls is munching raw meat from a human
building. The guards do not keep a regular patrol in leg.
this area, and there is only a 10% chance that the
PCs will be spotted by a passing guard (Human F3, 1. Special: Prisoner (Luln Merchant, NM) – this
65 XP). prisoner is fairly weak, having been drained of a
large quantity of blood.
Barbican 2. Special: Prisoner (Luln Merchant, NM) – this
Two charmed guards man the barbican (2 Human prisoner is dying, almost beyond clerical help.
F3, 65 XP each). Armed with crossbows and short The PCs can prevent him from raising as a vam-
swords, they will attempt to defend the entrance and pire later by the usual means.
alert their comrades in the tower.
3. This cell holds two dead bodies, completely
drained of blood and partially eaten by the
Tower Ghouls.
A large number of bats (10d10) nests in the high 4. A patch of Yellow Mold infests this cell. The
roof of this tower. The bats are under the control of remains of an unlucky prisoner can be found as
the vampire Koriszegy, and do not attack his guards, well.
mortal or undead. They do attack anyone else.
5. This cell is currently empty.
4.2.3 Cellar and Dungeons 6. Special: Prisoner (Callarii Elf, E3) – this pris-
This section includes a large cellar, plus several oner was recently captured, and has been fed
smaller cells and guard rooms, originally used as dun- upon only one. He has only 8 HP on his original
geons by the Counts of Koriszegy. total of 12. He has no weapon or armor, and no
spell memorized. He will help the characters if
given appropriate equipment, but would rather
Dungeon entrance
flee the castle – he knows he’s no match for the
Stairs leading to the tower (ground level) vampires.

7. This cell is currently empty, but fresh blood

Corridor
traces can be found.
This corridor is empty. Both doors are locked, and
bashing one will attract the vampire’s attention. 8. Special: Prisoner (Werewolf, 4* HD, 125 XP) –
this werewolf has been captured by the vampires,
who plan to use him as a food source. This were-
Guards room wolf is Chaotic, and quite evil, but self preser-
A Vampire Spawn is working at the desk, while 2 vation is his primary motivation. He will tell
Ghouls huddle in a corner gnawing old bones. If the the characters he has no fighting abilities, hop-
vampire is staying awake beyond night time, and will ing that they will help him leave the castle.

17
Legion of the Dead

Torture room agement principles, the personal treasury was kept

apart from the public treasury (the aerarium).
This room contains a set of typical torture tools, and
Since the fiscus saw less activity than the aerar-
lots of blood stains. There is a (blood-drained) corpse
ium, heavier measures could be put in place against
still tied to a stone table.
thieves: a magically animated armor was set to pro-
tect the treasures of the Koriszegy. The armor at-
Passage tacks anyone who does not give the correct password
(which is only known to the count, currently, but can
This corridor connects the well, the dungeon and the
be found in one of his old journals). It has no speech
cellar. It was originally blocked by three doors, but
ability, so it will not prompt intruders for the pass-
two have been removed, leaving only the door to the
word, and will simply attack two rounds after the
well, which is barred from this side.
room is entered.
One of the jewels is cursed.
Well room
This room has been digged under the well in area 3 Secret archive
of the ground floor. There are openings in the ceiling
and floor that lead to the well itself and to room This room is reacheable only via a secret door from
9 of Koriszegy’s crypt. The floor opening has been room 9. The room is apparently empty, but a stone
blocked with a heavy iron grate. Moving the grate slab in the upper left corner hides a secret cache
will attract the attention of the Ghouls in room 8 and of documents (treaties and historical records) dating
the vampire in room 3. back to the timeof the Darokinian wars.

Access to the excavation Aerarium

8 Ghouls guard the pit leading to Koriszegy’s lair. This room, once the public treasury of the Koriszegy
A heavy grate blocks the way (but can be lifted if fief, is connected via small cracks in the ceiling to the
several people cooperate). plumbing of the old fountain in the castle’s courtyard,
making it damp. Whatever treasure was here has
been removed, and only the last taxes collected before
Treasury entrance the destruction of the village can be found here.
This corridor leads to the three rooms of the Korisz- There are a number of old kopeks and cronas from
egy treasury, built to house the riches of the family different mints littered on the floor.
and their state archives. The oldest have a wyvern-like beast on the obverse,
A secret door leads to room 11. The hidden keyhole and a stylized portrait of Halav on the reverse. There
is trapped with a poisoned needle trap. The poison is an old Traladaran inscription, saying “Demetrios,
has been weakened by the two centuries passed since Ban of Svoga” on the obverse, and one that reads
it was last renewed, and only inflicts a mild paralysis “Saviour King Halav” on the reverse.
(-3 to all actions for 3d4 turns). The key to the secret Most coins, however, sport similar designs, with
door can be found in the master bedroom (area 15 of the arms of Koriszegy on the reverse and portraits of
the castle). All other doors in this room are locked, stern, long-faced nobles on the obverse, each encir-
but not trapped. cled by inscriptions like “Jan, Zhupan of Koriszegy”,
or “Petr, Count of Koriszey”. More modern coins
generally use the latter form of the title.
Fiscus
A few old coins from the Kingdom of Darokin and
This room was designed to hold the personal treasury from south-eastern Darokinian successor states can
of the Koriszegy family. According to Thyatian man- also be found.

18
Legion of the Dead

Note that these coins are almost of no monetary 4.2.4 The Vampire’s Crypt
value – they amount to less than 10 gp for the metals
– but are interesting historical objects that can be The crypt, and Lord Koriszegy’s excavations (several
sold to collectors in Specularum, Selenica or Darokin mine-like corridors, connected to a natural cave and a
for at least 10 times their base value. pit from the cellar; 10 rooms: 3 monster encounters,
1 special)

Granary
Main excavation
Rats (normal and giant) infest this room, having an
easy access to it from room 12. This was the castle This roughly circular room has been digged in the ter-
granary, but the rats and the years have ruined the rain under the keep at the behest of the last count,
content of the crates and barrels. In a corner, there before he became a vampire. A trap-door in the ceil-
is a pit hole leading to room 4 of the crypt. The ing leads to the cellars (room 8).
servants of Count Koriszegy toss there all types of
refuse – kitchen leftovers from the mortal servants as Digging team
well as the rests of the corpses eaten by the Ghouls.
Zombie (10) and Skeleton (8) workers, overseen by a
Vampire Spawn, are digging in this area.
Aging room
When the keep was inhabited by humans, here were Dead branch
kept the cured meats and the large cheese rounds
that made up part of the food reserves. The content This corridor has walls of roughly hewn rock. It is
is long gone, and has been replaced by two massive a branch of the dig that was not pursued further, as
chests. Each contains a coffin, which holds one of the the diggers discovered the vast cavern that is now the
vampire spawns of Koriszegy. These vampires are lair of the vampire. At the end of the tunnel, there
resting, and can be dispatched easily. By night, the are an old lantern (empty) and a rusted pick laying
coffins are empty. on the rocky floor.

Wine cellar Garbage pit

The Vlack-kag hobgoblins (Therg, 4 Thouls, 1 Winter The floor of this room is 4’ below that of the corridor.
wolf) are descending to the lower dungeons; the stairs Walls and floor are much more regular than the rest
lead to the castle kitchen (room 10 of the ground of the rooms at this level, almost polished, especially
floor). This was the castle wine cellar, but the con- below the level of the corridor.
tent of the massive casks has been spoiled by the A Gelatinous Cube (4* HD, 125 XP) has eaten
passage of time. all the refuse tossed down here by the servants of
the undead Count. It will not leave the room unless
attacked – it knows he can find food here just by
Storage room
waiting for someone to toss it from above. A hole in
This smaller room held the firewood stock of the cas- the ceiling of this room leads to room 13 of the cellar.
tle, but has not been used for a long time. Some
mice can be found here. Wererat or druid charac- Dead branch
ters could gain some information on the layout of the
area from these friendly animals, but they only know This is another dead end. Count Koriszegy’s miners
about rooms 8, 14, and 15 of the cellar, as well as of stopped digging in this direction when they discov-
room 10 of the ground floor. ered the natural cave in area 4.2.4.

19
Legion of the Dead

Entrance to the Taymoran ruins If the PCs leave the room before the Count fully
awakens, he will fall back into his slumber in one
This room was the base of the excavations performed
round.
by Count Koriszegy in his search for the Taymoran
ruins he guessed to be hidden below his keep. The
room was shaped in a square to allow a better storage 4.2.5 The Buried Temple
of tools and supplies for the diggers. Some of the tools
This level of the dungeon is an ancient temple to
are still here – picks, spades, ropes and crates, but
Thanatos, built by the Taymorans at the height of
time has ruined most of it: blades are rusty, wooden
their civilization. The Temple was build on the side
handles are brittle, and ropes have been ruined by
of a small hillock, where a spring was found. A burial
the dampness of the caves.
complex was dug on the other side of the hill. The
temple was partially covered by a landslide, then by
Ghoul cave sediments and new buildings during the Traldar age.
This large natural cave was formed by waters flowing By the time of the Koriszegy, the temple was com-
through the underground. Later, the level of the wa- pletely buried.
ter under castle Koriszegy lowered significantly, leav- The last Count Koriszegy discovered traces of the
ing most of the room free. Taymorans and ordered the escavation of the tem-
Two Elder Ghouls and 10 Ghouls are stationed ple, which led to his curse. Only a small part of the
here, blocking the entrance to the lair of the vam- temple – the main hall, sacristy, and embalming labo-
pire. ratory – is preserved. It is also possible to access part
of the burial complex by crossing a tiny subterranean
lake.
Vampire lair
Koriszegy’s lair is located in this natural cavern, Sacristy
which was somewhat enlarged by the Count’s dig-
gers, though they never managed to complete their This room was once the sacristy of the temple, but
work. all traces of activity have disappeared, as the room
Several wooden coffins lined along the southern was pillaged at the end of the Taymoran civilization.
wall house Koriszegy’s vampire spawns.
Temple Hall
Well bottom The large entrance of this circular hall has been
This is the well leading to room 7 of the cellars and lo- blocked by sediments, while the back wall has all but
cation 3 of the castle ground floor It is fairly shallow collapsed, together with the majority of the decora-
here, as the well pulls water from the same under- tions.
ground basin as the pool in the area 4.2.4. A careful search (Difficult Loot check) reveals some
fragments of a large statue. A Heroic Religion check
allows the characters to recognize the figure depicted
Crypt of the Vampire Koriszegy
as Thanatos.
Count Koriszegy can be found here during the day, However, before exploring the room, the party will
sleeping in his coffin. However, he will be wakened have to deal with two Vampire Spawn, Hermann
if anyone enters the crypt. It takes two round for Steiger and Dusan Ivanovic, as well as the goblin en-
him to become fully awake, and during this time he voys, Kilmek and Ratgrul. The four will cooperate to
will not attack or even move. Then, he will assume stop the PCs from reaching the Black Opal Eye. If
gaseous form, and wait for a good opening for a sur- one of the Goblins falls, the other must pass a Morale
prise attack. check, or he will try to retreat or flee, depending on

20
Legion of the Dead

the circumstances. The Vampire Spawn will fight as within 5’ of the opening will have to pass a Sav-
long as they can, resorting to gaseous form if they ing Throw against Paralyzation or be impaled by a
are clearly losing. bronze-tipped bolt, for 1d6+2 damage. The trap can
be detected, but not removed – on the other hand,
Embalming Laboratory creative characters could find ways to open the sar-
cophagus without standing near it.
This room was once used to embalm corpses to pre-
serve them as mummies – both of the dead and un-
dead type. It is dominated by a large operating table Empty Tomb
set in the center of the room, and by a large chair,
or perhaps a throne, set on a dais in the northern This room is bare, except for two empty, brightly
end. Broken vases, bronze tools, and other remains coloured ceramic sarcophagi. Figures of demons and
are littered over the floor. the afterlife are depicted on both.
A dark robed figure sits on the throne, surrounded While the room appears to be a tomb, it was actu-
by a swirling mist. It holds a large, black opal gem in ally a storage area for sarcophagi waiting to be used.
one robe-covered hand, and seems to be staring into
it. A sense of evil hangs on the room, radiating from
Ruined Tomb
the throne.
The robed figure is a Gray Philosopher (HD 9*, This room is partially filled with rubble, and the ceil-
XP 450), surrounded by 16 Malices (HD 1*, XP 13 ing has partially collapsed. Shards of painted ceramic
each). This evil spirit of a priest of Thanatos has are the only remains of whatever was found in the
been pondering unknown philosophical issues for mil- room originally.
lennia. It is only surrounded by a few Malices, be- Any dwarf or a character with the Miner profession
cause Count Koriszegy destroyed most of them when or similar skills can tell that the debris is unstable,
he first discovered the temple. The Count and his and moving in the room should be done with great
spawn is unable to actually harm the Gray Philoso- care. Characters moving in the squares marked with
pher, though, and the Philosopher acts as part of the rubble must make a Difficult Dexterity check or trig-
focus of the Count’s curse. The Black Opal Eye has ger the fall of some loose rocks. These inflict 2d6 HP
been set in its hand by the goblin envoys, to distract of damage to any character in a range of 10’, which
the Philosopher from maintaining the Count’s curse, can be halved with a successful Saving Throw against
thus making him able to leave the confines of the Paralysis.
Keep (no other part of the curse is raised, though).
The party needs to remove the Black Opal Eye
from the room, without destroying the Gray Philoso- Natural Cave
pher.
This natural cave is mostly submerged, forming, to-
gether with the next area, a small subterranean lake.
Death Trap
Its ceiling is much lower than that of the temple
This room is empty, except for a large ceramic sar- rooms, and it was already an underground site when
cophagus set along the wall opposite the door. The the temple was built. The entrance was dug to pro-
walls are covered with simple frescoes showing funer- vide the priests access to the water.
ary practices, including mummification. To reach the burial site, it is necessary to swim
The sarcophagus is empty, and was set here as a across the lake. While there is almost no current
trap against would be thieves. It contains a spring (the water arrives and leaves via tiny underground
loaded mechanism that will hurl a volley of large bolts rivers), it is difficult, if not impossible, to swim in
against whoever tries to open the lid. A character heavy armor.

21
Legion of the Dead

Natural Cave A Moderate Wisdom check allows the PCs to un-

derstand that the bodies were originally chained to
This natural cave is also part of the subterranean
the wall.
lake. It is a dead end, as far as the characters are
concerned.
Hall of the Guardians
Collapsed Tomb Entrance
This room is remarkably well preserved. It is covered
This room is partially filled with rubble, and the ceil-
in gloomy, dark-coloured, bas-relief showing scenes
ing has partially collapsed. Any dwarf or a character
from some hellish afterlife. The style is rather real-
with the Miner profession or similar skills can tell
istic, compared to the Nithian or Traldar artwork,
that the debris is unstable, and moving in the room
but often disturbing in nature – leery demons, dark
should be done with care. Characters moving in the
but with brightly coloured tongues or eyes, are com-
squares marked with rubble must make a Difficult
mon, and most human figures are depicted to show
Dexterity check or trigger the fall of some loose rocks.
emotions such as terror or despair.
These inflict 2d4 HP of damage to any character in
a range of 10’, which can be halved with a successful Two demon statues are located on the corners, ap-
Saving Throw against Paralysis. parently just a part of the whole scene. They are,
Closer examination shows that the room was orig- however, two Gargoyles (HD 4**, XP 175 each), and
inally similar to Area 10, with a stair leading to an will attack characters that approach them.
upper chamber. It is also possible to find a number of
obsidian shards, remains of a golem that was crushed
in the collapse of the room ceiling. Hall of the Guardians

This room is similar to Area 9, except that the bas-

Tomb Entrance relief shows the macabre apotheosis of a priest of
This room was once connected to the upper level of Thanatos being “reborn” in undeath.
the tomb by a stair. The stair is still present, but Two Gargoyles (HD 4**, XP 175 each) flank the
a great slab of stone blocks the entrance. The slab scene. They will attack characters that approach
cannot be moved, as it is held in place by rocks and them, and will also attack if a battle is started in
packed earth that fills what remains of the chamber Area 9.
above.
A large obsidian statue, carved to represent some
kind of muscular demon, dominates the room. It is Tomb of the Scribe
an Obsidian Golem (HD 6*, XP 500), a guardian set
to prevent grave robbers from entering the tomb. It This room is modestly decorated, with a life-size
attacks anyone who does not utter a Taymoran prayer statue of a man sitting cross-legged, holding tablets
to Thanatos upon entering the room. and a stylus. The remains of a temple scribe are en-
tombed in a simple coffin, buried under the statue.
The statue, is observed with a detect magic spell,
Tomb of the Slaves glows with a faint enchantment. If any spell is cast
This tomb is well preserved with respect to the en- in the room, the magic of the statue is activated, and
trance rooms. The frescoes on its walls are depict all characters in the room experience a short vision
scenes of slaves working in hellish surrounding, su- of life in Taymora, as seen by the eyes of the scribe.
pervised by demonic overseers. The remains of sev- The vision can be used to convey to the PCs any
eral human skeletons and several bronze manacles are information the DM wants, or simply to give some
spread on the floor. background information on Taymora.

22
Legion of the Dead

Tomb of the High Priest 4.3 Conclusion

This rooms seems the reproduction of a banquet hall, Summary of outcome: the PCs may force their way
with scenes of feasting painted on the walls. The to the Black Opal Eye, thereby removing the undead
scenes are framed by painted columns, so that the threat, or perhaps negotiate with the Count, making
figures appear to be eating or conversing beyond the a better offer than the Dread Horde envoys (though
row of columns. that would be very risky). If they are successful,
A Taymoran Mummy (HD 5+1*, XP 575) rests in they obtain the help of the Callarii Elves, as well as
a massive sarcophagus set in the center of the room. opening the way for Stefan’s arrival at the battle of
The sarcophagus looks like it has been carved from Kelvin (which allows the Specularum force to reduce
the very stone of the room, and is impossible to dis- its travel time by one day).
lodge. It is covered by a very heavy stone lid, need-
ing a Heroic Strength check to lift. Using appropri-
ate tools reduces the check to Difficult, and several
characters can cooperate, adding a +1 bonus to the
effective Strength of the stronger character per each
helper.
Inside the sarcophagus is a large, featureless
wooden coffin, its lid sealed with some ancient, clay-
like substance covered in mysterious symbols in the
Taymoran language. The writing on the clay con-
tains a Blight spell that will affect all characters in
the room. The curse is permanent until removed by
a Dispel Magic spell, or until the Taymoran Mummy
is destroyed, but it can be avoided if a character with
the Religion skill succeeds at a Heroic check. If so,
the character remembers the appropriate ritual to
void the curse. The check is reduced to Difficult is
the character has spent additional slots to specialize
in ancient cults or any cult that worships Thanatos
(e.g., the Storm Soldiers).
Inside the featureless coffin is another, richly dec-
orated wooden coffin. It is gilded and lacquered in
bright colors, and depicts a saturnine man with short,
dark, curly hair, displaying prominently the symbols
of Thanatos.
Inside the decorated coffin is the Mummy, wrapped
in layers of bandages. The Mummy awakens as soon
as the decorated coffin is opened, but requires two
rounds to break free of the wrappings. During the
first round, it takes a Difficult Wisdom check to
detect the stirring, which becomes obvious during
the second round, or if one of the PCs touches the
Mummy.
The Mummy will not pursue the PCs across the
subterranean lake.

23
The Battle of Kelvin
5.1 Overview 5.4 The War Machine
The goblinoid forces reach Kelvin and join battle with The War Machine: after the PCs defeat their oppo-
the Duke’s army. The PCs can take part in the bat- nents, a huge war machine, formerly hidden by illu-
tle, and, since they are relatively high level, they are sions, appears on the field, towed by Great Boars.
set up as leaders of a militia unit (select one that is The PCs must fight their way through ranks of Hob-
originally from the same region as one of the PCs, if goblin war machine handlers, Goblin archers, and a
possible, or a Kelvin unit otherwise). core of Shamans and Avengers of Orcus.

5.4.1 Defense party

5.2 Mass Combat
Opponents: 10 Hobgoblins, 6 Goblin archers (TPL
The Battle of Kelvin: play the battle with the 13, 180 XP).
Birthright rules; all PCs are assigned to the same
unit (a militia unit from Kelvin or Specularum, de- 5.4.2 Approaching the War Machine
pending on their origin), with one of them as Captain,
and the others as his lieutenants. Let the players talk Opponents: 4 Goblin handlers, 6 Goblin archers, 1
the Minister of War, Lucius Hyraksos, as he decides Goblin Avenger (Goblin 6/Shaman 2), 1 Great Boar
the strategies. (TPL 21, 2050 XP).

5.4.3 The Battle standard

5.3 The Dread Horde
Bringing down the battle standard.
One to one: when the PCs’ units is forced into battle, Opponents: 1 Goblin Great Shaman of Orcus
play the battle on a smaller scale (use Birthright skir- (Goblin 8/Shaman 7), 3 Goblin Avengers (Goblin
mish rules), allowing the PCs to fight and kill some 6/Shaman 2), 6 Goblin archers (25, 1730 XP).
enemies:
5.5 The Charge of Duke Stefan
5.3.1 Enemy front line
The Charge of Duke Stefan: Duke Stefan Karameikos
Opponents: Dread Horde Sergeant (Goblin 3), 2 III (F15), his elvenguard and duke’s guard cap-
Dread Horde Elite (Goblin 2), 5 Goblin spearmen tains (E7, F8), Baron Desmond Kelvin (C10) and
(TPL 9.5, 100 XP). a number of Order of the Griffon Knights (F6) fight
Verdilith and Verdigris (8 HD each, green dragons,
Verdigris casts no spells, both have already used their
5.3.2 Enemy command group breath twice), Kosivikh (Goblin 10/WW9), Vylgrykk
(Goblin 7/Wicca 7), two Ogre bodyguards (Ogre 2),
Opponents: Dread Horde Chief (Goblin 8); a Shaman of Orcus (Goblin 5/Shaman 5) and a num-
Shaman of Orcus (Goblin 5/Shaman 5); 2 Dread ber of Elite Dread Brothers (Goblin 4/WW1). Base
Horde Elite (Goblin 3); (TPL 21, 940 XP). TPL, including 4 lesser fighters on each side is 70 for

24
The Battle of Kelvin

each group, meaning that the battle is totally uncer-

tain.
However, if the characters have successfully com-
pleted Part III, Stefan has 4 additional army offi-
cers (F6) as well (TPL raises to 94); if the characters
failed in Part II, the Dread Horde can field 4 more
Elite Dread Brothers (TPL raises to 90); finally, if
the PCs killed Verdilith in Part I, then the dragon
takes no part in the battle, reducing his side’s TPL
by 10. At best, the fight will be conducted at TPL
94 vs 60 (Challenging); at the worst, it will be 70 vs
90 (Extremely dangerous).

5.6 Conclusion
Outcome: if Duke Stefan dies, his party retreats to
Kelvin; if the overall battle is lost, then the surviving
NPCs retreat to the Radlebb woods, destroying the
bridge, and Kosivikh settles in Baron Kelvin’s palace;
otherwise, the survivors hold Kelvin and Kosivikh re-
treats to Xitaqa. If Kosivikh is wounded below 2/3
of his maximum hit points, then his party retreats; if
the Dread Horde is winning the battle, Kosivikh re-
treats to Lumm, and Duke Stefan retreats to Kelvin;
otherwise, the Horde falls back all the way to Xitaqa.
The PCs receive the standard monster experience
(5000 XP), plus the following goal-based XP:

• Winning their part of the battle: 1200 XP

• Suggesting a winning strategy to Lucius Hyrak-
sos: 1200 XP
• Winning the battle: 2500 XP

• Losing the battle: 1000 XP

For a total of circa to 1700 XP each.

25
Showdown at Xitaqa
6.1 Overview • Vylgrykk is captured: 300 XP

The leaders of the goblinoid army and the witches • At least one Crone of Chaos is captured: 250 XP
of Dymrak have relocated to Xitaqa (or Lumm or
Kelvin, depending on the outcome of the battle) to • A bonus of 1250 XP is assigned if the PCs man-
coordinate the war effort. age recover the Black Opal Eye
The PCs must infiltrate the ruins and destroy the • A bonus of 2500 XP for ending the campaign.
enemy leadership (Kosivikh, his shaman advisors, the
wicca Vylgrykk and several Crones of Chaos). This should give the PCs some 2000 XP each, plus
If the battle was won, then the last encounter up to 400 XP for good roleplaying.
should be a Major one, otherwise a Risky one – it
is the grand finale, after all.
In any case, consider that Kosivikh and his main 6.2 Developments
lieutenant should be wounded, and adjust their abil-
ities, TPL, and XP value accordingly. If the Battle of Kelvin is lost:

• Kosivikh, the Dymrak Dread: Goblin 10/WW9 • Duke Stefan dies — the duke fights to the death
(1250 XP) in “The Charge of Duke Stephan”, refusing to
withdraw.
• Kosivikh’s mount: large Dire Wolf (HD 4+9, AC
4, dmg 2d4+2, attacks at +2; 275 XP) • Von Hendricks arrives in two days with his Lance
of Doom and many goblinoids, assaults Kelvin
• Vylgrykk: Goblin 7/Wicca 7 (900 XP) while the Dymrak Horde is still celebrating vic-
tory, and routes them. He proceeds to claim the
• Shaman of Orcus: Goblin 5/Shaman 5 (300 XP) throne, and a civil war begins.
• Dread Brother: Goblin 3/WW (75 XP) • Desmond Kelvin may be tempted to switch loy-
alties to Von Hendricks in return for a higher
• Avenger of Orcus: Goblin 6/Shaman 2 (275 XP)
title, or he may try to force Lady Adriana to
• Dread Horde Chief: Goblin 5 (175 XP) marry him.

• Dread Horde Elite: Goblin 2 (20 XP) If the Battle of Kelvin is won, but Duke Stefan dies:

• 3 Crones of Chaos (500 XP each) • Desmond Kelvin, Ludwig Von Hendricks and Al-
fric Oderbry declare an holy war against the
Overall, the PCs should be able to obtain at least Church of Traladara.
5000 XP for monsters from this stage of the adven-
ture, 2000 XP in treasure, plus a goal-based bonus: • Both Von Hendricks and Kelvin will try claiming
the throne, but Oderbry has them postpone the
• PCs bring back proof of Kosivikh’s death: 600 decision after the end of the civil war.
XP
If the Battle of Kelvin is won, and Duke Stefan sur-
• Kosivikh is captured: 1200 XP vives:

26
Showdown at Xitaqa

• The Cult of Halav’s involvement in the war puts

the Church of Traladara in a awkward position
– on one hand, they always denounced the Cult
as a band of madmen, but, on the other hand,
the cultists were former (and sometimes current)
members of the Church.
• The Church of Karameikos may try to persuade
Stefan to declare an inquisition against the Cult
of Halav, mostly to hurt the Church of Tral-
adara by claiming that high-ranking priests of
that Church are secret members of the Cult.

• Kelvin will not join Oderbry’s faction, and a civil

war might be avoided if Stefan handles the threat
with decisive action.
• Depending on the state of the Karameikan army,
Von Hendricks might still try his chances at a
rebellion.

27
Appendix
7.1 Non-Player Characters the priests created for her this long, straight-bladed
sword, adorned with evil symbols and magical invo-
This section provides the descriptions of all major cations. The sword helped her in assembling a large
NPCs in this campaign. Since some of them can sur- army, though an alliance of the other Traladaran no-
vive beyond the set encounters, advice on how to use bles finally bested Elendorath and put an end to her
them in the rest of the campaign is also provided. evil reign. The sword is intelligent and malign, and
has filled Ilyana’s mind with images of Elendorath’s
7.1.1 Dwellers of Haradraith Keep power, convincing her that she’s the Queen of Vaion
reborn.
Ilyana Penhaligon, self-proclaimed “Queen of Vaion”, With the help of the sword, Ilyana has turned the
her advisor, the evil priest Bernal, and her mercenar- Nightstalker goblins to her, much to the chagrin of
ies live in this ancient keep. the shaman Dhrom Dhum. Moreover, thanks to her
advisor, Bernal, Ilyana has been able to secure an
Ilyana Penhaligon alliance with the Dymrak Horde and the Vlack-kag
goblins.
The “Queen of Vaion”, Fighter 7
Ilyana’s goal is to exploit the Dymrak Horde in-
Ability scores
vasion of Kelvin to take over Penhaligon and the
Str 17 Dex 10
Duke’s Road Keep, and establish a power base be-
Int 9 Con 14
fore the Karameikan force manage to push the gobli-
Wis 13 Cha 14
noids back. All that keeps her from an all-out assault
AC: 0; HP 40
against Penhaligon are her advisors, Bernal and Tar-
Saves as: F7
rayo, who pressure her to delay the attack after the
Morale: 12
Battle of Kelvin.
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: XX Note: Ilyana has the same equipment as in B12,
Equipment: Blade of Elendorath, Chaotic long but she wields her sword with Expert mastery.
sword +2, control goblinoids (40 HD), ornate field
plate armor, shield (emblazoned with the coat of arms Bernal
of Vaion and a royal crown).
Ilyana is the bastard daughter of Lord Arturus Priest of the Dark Prince, Cleric 7
Penhaligon, one of Duke Stefan’s officers, by a Tral- Ability scores
adaran woman. She has always resented her half- Str 13 Dex 15
sister, Arteris, who inherited Arturus’ title and lands. Int 7 Con 13
This hate led her to search her fortune has a sellsword Wis 18 Cha 5
and adventurer, and later a bandit. AC: 2; HP 34
It all changed when she found the Blade of Elen- Saves as: C7
dorath, the ancient “demon queen” of Vaion. Elen- Morale: 10
dorath was a power-hungry ruler of Vaion during Alignment: Chaotic
the turbulent times of the Vampire Wars. She plot- XP Value:
ted with the evil priests of the Cult of Demons to Equipment: plate mail, staff, holy symbol of Or-
unify Traladara under her banner. To this end, cus.

28
Appendix

Bernal is a short, pudgy man with blue-gray eyes Ability scores

and short-cropped blond hair. He is not even mod- Str 9 Dex 16
erately intelligent, but he relies on the Witches of Int 16 Con 11
Dymrak’s predictions and plans to appear to Ilyana Wis 9 Cha 13
as a brilliant strategist. His coarse manners and bad AC: 7; HP 20
temper make him effective in dealing with Ilyana’s Saves as: MU6
goblinoid mercenaries. Morale: 9
Bernal is very wary of the other priests of the Dark Alignment: Neutral
Triad, especially his lieutenant, Katzani, who is much XP Value:
more intelligent than him. He purposefully sends her Equipment: dagger, spellbook, potion of invisi-
away from Haradraith Keep on dangerous missions, bility, scroll of light and magic missile.
hoping she will make some mistake and get herself Yolanda Tarrayo is a short, slim young woman with
killed. curly blond hair and green eyes. She is originally
To make up for his short stature, Bernal favors the from the Principalities of Glantri, of mixed Belcadiz
staff over shorter-hafted weapons. He is a vicious and Aalbanese blood. She is a talented wizard, but
staff fighter, trained at the Expert level. she does not have the funds to pursue her studies
at the Great School of Magic for this year. Thus,
she decided to follow her Boldavian boyfriend, Igor
Igor Merkul Merkul, in one of his mercenary spells, as the man
has a gift for quick money.
Mercenary captain, Fighter 6
Tarrayo does not want to get embroiled in a dan-
Ability scores
gerous war against Penhaligon, and therefore she sup-
Str 17 Dex 13
ports Bernal’s dilatory tactics. She is mostly inter-
Int 14 Con 16
ested in survival, and secondarily in money, and can
Wis 9 Cha 14
be reasoned with. Tarrayo is also getting tired of
AC: 2; HP 40
Merkul and his insensitivity about their living condi-
Saves as: F6
tions — so she might be a good romantic interest for
Morale: 10
a Neutral or Chaotic PC with a high Charisma score.
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value:
Equipment: two rapiers, chain & plate mail (AC Octavius Blackmaer
4), ring of protection +1. Mercenary captain, Fighter 6
Igor Merkul is a dashing, raven-haired Bolda- Ability scores
vian warrior. He left Glantri to find fortune in Str 16 Dex 15
Darokin, where he was contracted by Ilyana Pen- Int 14 Con 14
haligon through Octavius Blackmaer. He has no Wis 10 Cha 9
qualms against working with goblinoids or evil AC: 2; HP 40
priests. Igor is emotionless in an unsettling, almost Saves as: F6
scary way, and fights with skill as well as good plan- Morale: 11
ning. He is an Expert duelist with the rapier. Alignment: Chaotic
Igor has no interest in Ilyana’s plots beyond coin, XP Value:
and can be bribed — though it will be very costly. Equipment: plate mail, Wolfcleaver (two-handed
sword, +1 +2 vs. lycanthropes), silver dagger, wolfs-
Yolanda Tarrayo bane.
Octavius Blackmaer is a Thyatian mercenary and
Mercenary wizard, Magic User 6 bounty hunter. He specializes in hunting monsters,

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Appendix

but is also willing to take part in other lucrative ven- Equipment: quarterstaff, mixed leather and
tures. He met Ilyana in Selenica, where she was try- chain armor pieces (AC 7), gri-gri (attached to quar-
ing to recruit an army. Since Ilyana had so much terstaff).
money, he decided to join even though he has no ex-
perience at all as a military commander. He recruited
Igor Merkul to make up for his own lack of skill. Skrakkbak
Blackmaer has been plotting to betray Ilyana for Vlack-kag underchief, Hobgoblin 6
quite some time, and the PCs represent the perfect Ability scores
opportunity to create a diversion. However, he does Str 14 Dex 13
not want to deal with the PCs, unless they seem not Int 8 Con 11
to have enough valuables or they seem too strong to Wis 9 Cha 6
take on. In that case, he might try to trick them into AC: 3; HP 36
killing Ilyana for him. Saves as: F6
Octavius is a dangerous fighter, an Expert with the Morale: 11
two-handed sword. He can also use the mace, light Alignment: Chaotic
crossbow and dagger. XP Value:
Equipment: chain mail, round shield, long sword,
Klossarek short bow, quiver and 20 arrows.

Kloss-Lunk underchief, Goblin 5

Hastrissek
Ability scores
Str 16 Dex 14 Faceslasher chieftain, Gnoll 4
Int 11 Con 16 Ability scores
Wis 13 Cha 6 Str 16 Dex 13
AC: 5; HP 25 Int 11 Con 12
Saves as: F6 Wis 9 Cha 5
Morale: 11 AC: 4; HP 32
Alignment: Chaotic Saves as: F4
XP Value: Morale: 9
Equipment: Bastard sword, metal breastplate Alignment: Chaotic
and wolfskins (AC 6), wolfskin cloak, wolfskull hel- XP Value:
met. Equipment: halberd, long sword, mixed chain
and plate armor pieces (AC 5).
Ratgrobb Hastrissek is the current chieftain of the Faces-
lasher clan. The Faceshlashers are nomadic gnoll
Nightstalker shaman, Goblin 3/Shaman 2 mercenaries and bandits, active across north-eastern
Ability scores Karameikos. Hastrissek admires Ilyana’s control of
Str 12 Dex 13 the Nightstalker goblins, which he finds an amazing
Int 10 Con 14 feat for a weak-looking human female. He is therefore
Wis 15 Cha 8 more loyal than would be otherwise expected from
AC: 6; HP 15 the chaotic gnolls, and will not betray Ilyana. He is
Saves as: C2 no fool either, and will retreat if faced by superior
Morale: 11 forces.
Alignment: Chaotic Hastrissek has fought in a thousand battles, which
XP Value: makes him equal to a Skilled fighter with the halberd.

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Appendix

He can also use proficiently the long sword and long Nikolaj of Luln
bow.
4** HD Vampire Spawn
Ability scores (as Vampire)
Sergreb Str 18 Dex 15
Int 8 Con –
Owl-bear trainer, Ogre 2
Wis 7 Cha 14
Ability scores
AC: 3; HP: 22
Str Dex
Saves as: F4
Int Con
Morale: 10
Wis Cha
Alignment: Chaotic
AC: ; HP
XP Value: 175
Saves as:
Nikolaj is a former Traladaran trapper, who was
Morale:
caught by ghouls while hunting in the hills near the
Alignment:
Keep. He has rough looks and modest intelligence,
XP Value:
for which he resents the other, more sophisticated,
spawns. His apparent age is around 25.
7.1.2 Dwellers of Koriszegy Keep
Boris Popescu
Count Koriszegy and five of his Vampire Spawn reside
in the Keep. 4** HD Vampire Spawn
Ability scores (as Vampire)
Count Koriszegy Str 17 Dex 15
Int 14 Con –
9** HD Vampire (217 years old) Wis 9 Cha 14
Ability scores (as Vampire) AC: 3; HP: 13
Str 18 Dex 17 Saves as: F4
Int 11 Con – Morale: 9
Wis 7 Cha 16 Alignment: Chaotic
Ability scores (original; his Int and Wis scores would XP Value: 175
be restored if the curse was lifted) Boris, a Traladaran hedge wizard in life, lost his
Str 11 Dex 9 spellbook in the events that lead to his transforma-
Int 13 Con 8 tion into a vampire spawn. He is trying to recover
Wis 15 Cha 10 his magic, thus he will attack preferentially wizards,
AC: 2; HP: 47 hoping to capture a spellbook. His apparent age is
Saves as: F9 around 40.
Morale: 12
Alignment: Chaotic Dusan Ivanovic
XP Value: 2300
4** HD Vampire Spawn
Charming gaze Save vs Spells at -3; Ability scores (as Vampire)
Str 17 Dex 15
Weapon immunity Requires +2 weapons to hit; Int 12 Con –
Wis 13 Cha 15
Undead liege Control undead up to 108 HD; AC: 3; HP: 21
Saves as: F4
Salient abilities Create Ghoul, Bloodlust. Morale: 8

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Appendix

Alignment: Chaotic of the Vlack-kag, to strike their deal with the Vam-
XP Value: 175 pire Count. The three envoys have brought the Black
Older spawn, wiser and more careful than the oth- Opal Eye to enact the ritual that will free Korisz-
ers. Plans to leave the castle in the next decade or egy from his curse, allowing him to join the battle at
so. Apparent age 40. Kelvin.

Hermann Steiger Kilmek

4** HD Vampire Spawn Shaman of Orcus, Goblin 6/Shaman 6.

Ability scores (as Vampire) Ability scores
Str 17 Dex 15 Str 13 Dex 11
Int 11 Con – Int 12 Con 9
Wis 9 Cha 14 Wis 15 Cha 14
AC: 3; HP: 18 AC: 6; HP 20
Saves as: F4 Saves as: C6
Morale: 10 Morale: 9
Alignment: Chaotic Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 175 XP Value: 500
Former Thyatian (Hattian) warrior; apparent age A pudgy, old goblin, Kilmek was one of the first
30; competent and professional. Former member of Dread Horde goblins to turn to the worship of Or-
the Lance of Doom. cus. Her learned directly from the Witch Grizzelda,
and is extremely proud of his accomplishments as a
spellcaster, though they have costed him much. As
Jana Torenescu far as goblins go, Kilmek is a profound thinker, and
a learned sage: he speaks almost correct Traladaran
4** HD Vampire Spawn
and Thyatian, and has a basic grasp of literacy. In
Ability scores (as Vampire) combat, he wields a short spear (Skilled ) and relies
Str 17 Dex 15 more on Orcus’ protection than on armor – though
Int 13 Con – he wears a mix of chain and leather armor.
Wis 11 Cha 16
AC: 3; HP: 15
Saves as: F4 Therg
Morale: 8 Vlack-kag horde chief, Hobgoblin 6
Alignment: Chaotic
Ability scores
XP Value: 175 Str 15 Dex 13
Female spawn; apparent age 30; good looking (but Int 10 Con 14
death-like pale) and manipulative. Kidnapped by ser-Wis 12 Cha 15
vants of Count Koriszegy from a lesser branch of the
AC: 3; HP 26
Torenescu family. Saves as: F6
Morale: 10
7.1.3 Dread Horde Envoys Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 350
Kosivikh and the Witches of Dymrak have sent A large, mean looking Hobgoblin covered in dirty
Kilmek, a powerful shaman of Orcus, along with the white furs and mismatched heavy armor pieces, chief
human priest Bernal (if he survived the attack on Therg is third in the Vlack-kag pecking order, right
Haradraith Keep) and the Hobgoblin chieftain Therg after King Vlack and chief Skrakkbak. Therg favorite

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Appendix

weapon is the battleaxe – he is Skilled in its use, Morale: 10

though he can also wield clubs, maces and longswords Alignment: Chaotic
at the Basic proficiency level. Therg cares nothing XP Value: 1250
of Orcus (or any other Immortal), but he respects Weapon Mastery: Battle axe (Expert): 1d8+4,
Kilmek’s powers. M: -3AC/2, Delay Spear (Basic): 1d6 Club (Basic):
1d6
Dulbur and Ratgrul General Skills (Goblin): Language (Dymrak
Avengers of Orcus, Goblin 5/Shaman 2 Goblin, native); Language (Thyatian) 11; Monster
Ability scores Empathy (Wolf) 12; Mysticism 12; Shouting 16;
Str 16/13 Dex 9/13 Bravery 12; Raise Monster (Dire Wolf) 14; Chant-
Int 10/8 Con 12/13 ing 16.
Wis 13/15 Cha 15 General Skills (Werewolf ): Transformation 14;
AC: 5/5; HP 19/21 Leadership 18; Tracking 11; Resist Wolvesbane 14;
Saves as: F5 Hunting 11; Danger Sense 10; Know Terrain (Dym-
Morale: 11 rak Forest) 11; Survival (Forest) 11; Stealth (Forest)
Alignment: Chaotic 13; Endurance 14; Quick Change 14; Fighting In-
XP Value: 175 each stinct 13.
Dulbur and Ratgrul are favored by Orcus, though Equipment: Armor pieces (AC bonus 2), battle
not as much as the more powerful shamans. They axe +1, talisman (ST bonus +1).
have only recently gained some shamanic powers, and
are looking forward to use them. They always were
obnoxious bullies, but their newfound powers have
turned them into true fanatics. 7.2 New Monsters
Dulbur wears a mix of chain and leather armor
parts, and wields a hand axe (Skilled ) and a small
7.2.1 Vampire spawn
shield. Ratgrul wields paired short swords (Skilled ),
and wears an almost complete suit of scale mail, with 4** HD Vampire, 175 XP each
an oversized plate bracer and shoulder guard and a These undead monsters are created when the mad
hardened leather skirt from an old Thyatian armor vampire, Count Koriszegy, fully drains a victim of
set. its life force. Usually, victims of vampires raise
as vampires themselves, but a lesser effect of the
7.1.4 Dread Horde Leaders curse of Count Koriszegy affects also the Count’s vic-
tims, slowing down their transformation and enslav-
Kosivikh
ing them to the Count’s will, at least for a while.
The Dymrak Dread, Goblin 10/Werewolf 9 Vampire spawn have the same statistics as Wraiths,
Ability scores (Goblin) but retain a Vampire’s appearance and special abili-
Str 15 Dex 13 ties. They have the charm ability of vampires, but the
Int 11 Con 12 victims have a +2 bonus to the ST. Vampire spawn
Wis 12 Cha 16/4 of Koriszegy slowly transform into true Vampires, at
Ability scores (Werewolf) which time they become free-willed and flee the cas-
Str 17 Dex 13 tle. They are prone to bloodlust (i.e., they attempt
Int 11 Con 14 to feed when they see open wound if they fail a Wis-
Wis 10 Cha 18/2 dom check). Vampire spawn are turned as Vampires
AC: 5/4*; HP 34/62 while within the boundaries of Koriszegy Keep, and
Saves as: F10/F10 as Wraiths elsewhere.

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Appendix

7.3 Other Military Forces

It is possible that the war prolonges beyond the time-
line, allowing the forces of other fiefs to join the mil-
itary efforts.
To this end, the most important forces are those
of Ludwig von Hendricks. He can field 1000 warriors,
including his Lance of Doom (200 medium cavalry),
plus 200 goblins, 250 orcs, 50 Rashak’s Reavers, 100
werewolves, 100 Bargle’s Bughears, and 100 Roaring
Fiends.
In Birthright terms, the Black Eagle forces are
equivalent to:
• 1 Anuirean medium cavalry

• 1 goblin wolfriders
• 1 elite goblin infantry
• 1 orog infantry

• 1 werewolves?

34