Cities of Sorcery
Cities of Sorcery
Cities of Sorcery
Folio 8
3 DF1: The Patina Court
An Adventure for Characters Levels 1-3
Folio 9
21 DF2: The Lost Apprentice
An Adventure for Characters Levels 3-5
Folio 10
40 DF3: Forgotten Temple of Tefnut
An Adventure for Characters Levels 4-7
Folio 11
56 AT1: The Subtle Revenant
An Adventure for Characters Levels 5-7
Folio 12
75 AT2: The King and the Serpent
An Adventure for Characters Levels 5-7
Folio 13
95 AT3: Playing Down the Dawn
An Adventure for Characters Levels 5-7
Campaign Background
Certainly other folks still call the Patina Court home, from the
The Patina Court: decrepit Relgar’s Bath House to Alasia the Golden Astronomer, last
Valoria is a vast and dynamic city of more than 50,000 inhabitants. of the magically adept in residence, but even then, only the locals
Its districts are unique, varied, and play integral roles in its vibrant have knowledge or care concerning them, and they draw almost no
ecology. However, that isn’t to say that every block inside its walls is interest south of Main.
worthy of record. Each street is like a wave in a vast ocean caught Truly, this isn’t a place you would choose to visit unless you
in a single moment in time. Some are at a high point, curling in the have no other options, are deceased, or are a believer in child’s
break, and raise the city’s esteem. Others have spent their energy on tales of magical treasures hidden beneath the foundations of the
a sandy shore, now bleeding away into depths until they will perhaps ancient homes.
rise again or fade into antiquity.
5
Places of Interest
Lanka the Shade
Lanka is a half-orc, but the heritage of what she claims as her
The Fallen Warlock Hostel: elven father (again, hard to believe) has tempered her orcish side to
Situated two streets back from the Main, and farther east than the point some folks consider her attractive, if in an odd way. She is
the famed Gracious Arms Inn, this building has become home to well-versed in both the elven tongue and orc speech, and has contacts
an eclectic mix of downtrodden and aspiring pilgrims. Most have with the orcish clans that dwell outside the walls of Valoria. She
recently moved to Valoria, but there are others who have called their makes coin as a scout, often straying from the hostel for weeks at a
small room in the hostel home for several years. Run by an old city time, but has a room paid three months in advance so she never loses
guardsman named Alshock the Thrifty, this gruff man acquired the it. Some locals say she not only knows the land around the city, but
hostel under mysterious means, and many locals speak of his secret more importantly the sewers and catacombs beneath.
deals with gangs and a lost illicit goods bust that lined his purse before
his retirement. Whatever the case, Alshock runs a tight ship, is never Proprias the Learned
without a well-worn cudgel, and accepts payments for rooms on the A broken-shouldered and thin-bearded dwarf, Proprias is on the
first of each month, otherwise you and your things will land roughly last of his days, or so folks have been saying for a full generation, and
on the cobbles by the 2nd. yet he lives on. Local lore speaks of Proprias as one of the dwarves
that helped dig tombs into the Wizard’s Knoll on the northern border
Residents of Note: of the Patina, and he is often seen making the commute to Murtel’s
Mortuary where he writes eulogies for even the most lowly of the
dead. Whatever the case, there is no doubt that Proprias has lived
Brimbold Elderman the Lark through a great deal of the city’s history.
Brimbold is a young minstrel from parts unknown who fancies
himself a bard. He does play the lute, has a fair voice, and knows Cano, Rogue of the Scarf
three epic poems, but otherwise his greatest passion is charming Cano keeps to himself, a wiry human with broad shoulders and
local ladies for free meals and trinkets he can fence for coin to pay fingers long enough to palm a full-ripe melon. No one can say they
for his room. have ever seen his face, the man always wearing a black scarf, and
if he has a job, none can speak of that either. In truth, Cano lost his
Estaban Moncrief of the White Palm family to gang violence three seasons ago and now takes to the Patina
As dark as polished slate and tattooed with half a hundred odd at night seeking to do justice for those who cannot. What he takes
sigils, Estaban is a healer who deals in mundane methodology rather from his victims pays for his room and board, and what he doesn’t
than the magical piety of godly blessings. He will often be found use is donated to the Prometheus Soup Kitchen.
at the Rancid Cauldron trading remedies and small treatments of
minor ailments for drink. Once imbued with spirits, he has been The Rancid Cauldron:
known to spin tales of deep deserts, wild fire demons, and knights Where the Gracious Arms serves those with standing along the
who fly about the cloudless skies on winged horses. Main, the Rancid Cauldron is home to the less fortunate of the
Patina. Well off the map, this local dive serves up cast-off food
6 The Patina Court
House of Sigils:
Babar Ikala, a former sailor of the Golden Lake, runs a small
tattoo parlor in the Patina just off the Main. It is a favorite hangout
for gangs, so much so that each specific gang has its own devoted day
of the week to see Babar; otherwise, bloodshed is sure to ensue. The
man has real talent, and no design is too large or small, folks of the
Patina swearing that Babar’s skill comes from a sea witch he bedded
long ago. Either that or he’s seen most of the bizarre creatures on his
journeys that patrons ask him to place on their skin.
from the Gracious Arms (purchased expired and spoiled goods in Isildred of Golden Sylph:
a backdoor type deal), mostly by boiling it into thick stews. Many a Elves are always looked upon as otherworldly, and those of the
guest has found themselves attached to a privy after a night of stew Northern Forests of Mythras can sometimes be seen as akin to
and spoiled beer, but nonetheless, the fare is cheap and hot, giving legend, but nonetheless, some do find their way into Valoria. Isildred
those who don’t wish to make their own meals a place to gather and is one of these, a female of the race. She has been in the Patina since
talk about daily events. its founding and is the last of the original builders to maintain a
household. Her home, known to the locals as the White Spires, is
Murtel’s Mortuary: meticulously maintained and provides a glimpse into the wealth the
Certainly the most profitable business run in the Patina, and Patina once held. She is a known mage, and yet her devotion is not
probably the city (death just never goes out of style), Murtel’s has to fireballs and lightning bolts, but instead her time is bent studying
been serving the dead of Valoria for over three hundred years. The the constellations as if seeking answers to some question no citizen
Mortuary most often uses its crematorium for customers, but those of the human world has yet to ask. Known for her ageless beauty,
with more wealth have been known to be interred into Murtel’s Isildred typically takes a lover every half-century, producing a single
catacombs, a place marketed as sanctified by both Osiris and Hades. child, and then raising it alone. Her children, some say there are
There are also several aboveground crypts located on the slopes of over a dozen half-elves that call her mother, still come to visit her on
Wizard’s Knoll where wealthy aristocrats have purchased family occasion, but none have taken up permanent residence in the Patina.
tombs, all maintained by the Murtel holdings. Currently run by
Brigit Murtel, a young woman of no more than thirty winters, she Prometheus Soup Kitchen:
inherited the business from her older brother who was lost at sea Seeing as the denizens of the Patina are the last rung of social
while investigating exotic woods and metals in Urn. class before tagged with a homeless moniker, most are in need of
assistance, especially concerning food. Large families are prevalent
Abrella of the Third Eye: here as contraception is unknown to most. To help combat hunger,
There is a fortune teller of some renown in the Patina, and her shop the Temple of Prometheus, known by the locals as the Prometheus
‘Of the Third Eye’ is often the destination for those seeking portents Soup Kitchen, opens its doors four days a week to the locals for free
about their future. Most times these are troubled souls looking to food. During these petty feasts, gang hatreds are put aside, family
discover cheating spouses or unlawful business partners, but lovers, feuds left at home, and business squabbles forgotten. At no other time
dreamers, entrepreneurs, and even gang members sometimes come is the Patina more a community than on feast nights, and certainly
looking for answers. Whether Abrella actually has any true divination Prometheus is the most venerated god among the people.
skills is highly debated, but she does have a well-established network
of snitches, spies, and eavesdroppers that she maintains with copper
coins, and most patrons would agree Abrella’s second reading is
always much more interesting and specific than her first.
7
3. The Hostel & the NPCs
It is my suggestion that players begin play as independent
entities, who after various runs of bad luck, have all come to call
the Fallen Warlock Hostel home, at least temporarily. There are
great and helpful NPCs already in house, and it makes a great
meeting point (stay away from the dreaded and overplayed, ‘okay,
you are all at a tavern’ campaign opening!) for early scenarios.
Each player should be in need of coin, as the city isn’t cheap, so use
that as your leverage point.
9
killing him, but not before he managed to kill two drones.
DF1: The Patina Court Now the colony is alerted, and have sent warrior ants to
assist in the further retrieval of foods within the cellar.
The adventure, The Patina Court, is broken down into three
scenarios to introduce low level characters into the trilogy. Each
scenario features a small series of encounters built around a Dwarven The Dungeon
Forge dungeon, created for this particular campaign, using various I’ve broken the cellar into three parts for the purposes of encounters.
sets offered by the company. Although dedicated to Dwarven Forge You’ll see the zones on the map, and the encounters are below.
terrain, non-miniature using players will have access to both OSR
‘Blue’ maps and fully rendered 3D maps, so that ease of play is not 1.
impacted. The bulk of this adventure lies in the introduction of Your light source bounces oddly off heaps and stacks of
the players to the Patina Court as detailed in the Gazetteer. DMs refuse, mostly rotting boxes and crates that fill what looks
running the adventure should familiarize themselves with the colorful to be a good-sized chamber. From somewhere to your
tapestry of personalities and locations the players will encounter, and right, the sound of movement sounds among the trash.
define the players’ backstories of how they came to the Patina and A single bullet ant worker is within the trash making a search
what motivations they have for the future. for viable food sources. Anyone approaching the pile will draw its
Adventure Seed attention and it will start ‘hissing’ (just watch the movie ‘Them’ if you
want a good reference).
Players will be in full introduction mode during this adventure. First 1 Giant Ant [AC 3, HD 2, HP 12, #AT 1, D 1–6, Bite]
they must establish a base of operations in the Patina (probably the Treasure
hostel), then they will need to find some type of gainful employment None
which should lead to the scenarios ‘The Rancid Cellar’ and ‘The 1 Giant Ant [AC 17, HD 2d8+4, HP 12, #AT 1, Hit +2,
Troubled Crypt’. Once they’ve gotten a name for themselves, they Dam Bite 4 (1d4+2)]
will catch wind of several disappearances within the Patina, and that
some blame a mysterious creature, or creatures, known as ‘black 2.
eyes’. Following leads and also running afoul of the Teller Gang, who Almost inch by inch, you plow, pull, tumble, and climb
is also seeking these creatures, the players will embark on the final farther back into the monstrosity that is the Rancid Cellar.
scenario ‘The Alienist’. At the first central stone pillar, a break appears in the trash,
opening into a small cleared area where two more ants, as
well as an even larger version, move from concealment to
Scenario One: The Rancid Cellar cast back your incursion into their territory.
1 Giant Ant [AC 3, HD 2, HP 12, #AT 1, D 1–6 (Bite)]
The Hook: 1 Giant Ant Warrior [AC 2, HD 4, HP 24, #AT 1, D 1–6 (Bite),
This micro adventure revolves around stolen foodstuffs in the cellar Poison Sting (save versus poison or take an additional 1–10 damage)]
of the Rancid Cauldron. As Noxis Pike, the owner of the Cauldron,
is a miser, he’s not about to hire a real professional to handle the Treasure
thefts (especially since he sent one of his servers, Nile Wash, down None
to investigate the issue, and he never returned). Noxis will happily 1 Giant Ant [AC 17, HD 2d8+4, HP 12, #AT 1, Hit +2,
provide the characters with a week’s worth of meals at the Cauldron Dam Bite 4 (1d4+2)]
if they can take care of the problem for him. 1 Giant Ant Warrior [AC 18, HD 4d8+6, HP 19, #AT 2,
Hit +4, Dam Bite 5 (1d6+2), Target must make a DC 13
The Chase: Constitution saving throw or take 9 (2d8) poison damage]
Noxis can relate the following story — He bought the Rancid
Caldron from a man nearly fifteen years before, and the fellow left 3.
it in a despicable condition (he will gesture around the tavern at this Like an archeologist sifting through layers, you are
like he’s showing off the Taj Mahal), not like you see her now. But taking a trip back through time with each step farther
more so than the main room, the upstairs, and even the kitchen, the toward the back of the cellar. An old tower clock, a set of
cellar was the worst. It was so bad, in fact, that he decided just to three extinct beehives, and an ornate bedboard all provide
leave it be, lock the door, and forget about it. Still, the area right at evidence to a better time for the Rancid Caldron. As you
the bottom of the stairs was eventually cleared enough for his own marvel at your finds, you note a spot of blood still tacky on
‘overflow’ storage. One of his servers went to retrieve some spices the stone floor. It is only then that the now familiar hissing
for the stew two days ago, but never returned. He’s not sure if the begins anew…
guy just quit and he didn’t see him leave or if he’s still down there Three warrior ants (as big as a medium-sized dog) are moving
someplace. Whatever the case, he wants the mystery solved. from a large hole in the rear wall of the cellar. They will continue to
hiss as they move to attack, and within 1d4 rounds, another two will
The Truth: appear (repeat this forever if need be). The only way to stop them is to
Noxis packed the cellar with his own junk and castoffs, so collapse the hole or burn them out. Luckily, a successful Find Traps
much so that over fifteen years he forgot everything he had roll [DC 13 Perception] will show that a keg of high grade liquor
down there until something reminded him of a couple of (moonshine) is housed close to the hole. If ignited and rolled down,
bottles of wine he’d acquired when he bought the place. He it will stop the invasion long enough for the party to fill the hole with
was convinced they were still down there, so he sent poor viable, heavy debris that will put an end to the menace.
Nile Wash down to retrieve them. When he didn’t return, 3 Giant Ant Warriors [AC 2, HD 4, HP 24, #AT 1, D 1–6 (Bite),
the coward panicked and locked the door without a search. Poison String (save versus poison or take an additional 1–10 damage)]
In reality, the trove of old foodstuffs and such has attracted Treasure
the foraging elements of a colony of giant ants. They’d only None
acquired a couple of crates before encountering Nile and
10 The Patina Court
3 Giant Ant Warrior [AC 18, HD 4d8+6, HP 19, #AT 2, Brigit will have provided a massive skeleton key to the crypt. The
Hit +4, Dam Bite 5 (1d6+2), Target must make a DC 13 words atop the arch, if anyone has the ability via magic to read
Constitution saving throw or take 9 (2d8) poison damage] them, state, ‘Resting place of the dead of Valoria, Crypt 48 of House
Murtel, and Vault of the Ruloff family’.
Scenario Two: The Troubled Crypt
2. God’s Mouth
The Hook: The door opens, hinges grinding slightly as a fine layer
Word will come trickling through the Patina that two grave diggers of ash drifts around your feet. Within, a large chamber is
(actually ‘internment specialists’) have gone missing up at Murtel’s empty save for wall sconces, one that is empty, and one that
Mortuary. Brigit Murtel, the hard-nosed operator of the mortuary holds an unlit torch. A single hall stretches into darkness
is looking for some stalwart individuals that are willing to enter one before you.
of her many catacombs to see what is amiss, and discover what has There is nothing within the entry chamber, although the secret
befallen her employees. They crypts are not to be looted, but she will doors to Rooms 3 & 4 are just as you enter the hall to the rear of
pay each party member a 5 gold piece ‘bounty’ for evidence of the the crypt. Each secret door can be discovered on a 1 in 6 chance
fate of each grave digger (thus 10 GP per party member). [DC 14 Perception].
6. Skull Chamber
The open arch to this chamber reveals twin piles of
bones on the floor, each lying to the side of a single skull
pillar similar to the ones at the front entry. A prayer dais,
set with a slowly guttering blue flame, casts oddly eerie
light around the room.
Huddled as though beneath covers, five fully animated skeletons
are beneath the bone piles. As long as the light on the dais (now taken
over by the power of the crypt thing) is burning, the skeletons cannot
be turned via clerical magic.
5 Skeletons [AC 7, HD 1, HP 6, #AT 1, D 1–6, ½ damage versus 8. Crypt of the Keeper
piercing and slashing weapons] The key clicks through a series of levers before the catch
Treasure releases and the heavy door swings open. A pall of dread,
Silver Coins like an icy wave, washes out and over you all as more of the
5 Skeletons [AC 13, HD 2d8+4, HP 13, #AT 1, Hit +4, Dam blue glowing flame reveals an angled wall of skulls that
Claws 5 (1d6+2), Damage Vulnerability: bludgeoning] precludes full vision of the chamber beyond.
Once past the wall, read the following: Two dais, both with blue
7. Hall of Ashes flame, burn to the north and northeast of the chamber. Upon
An open arch allows your light to drift into this crypt the western wall is a seated figure in heavy robes and a skull face.
chamber that is empty save for full skeletons set into the Beside the figure is a fully scarf-clad and bandaged warrior with a
walls, seven of them, and an oddly guttering blue flame longsword still in its sheath, fine etchings are still visible along the
upon a dais in the north wall of the room. One skeleton, leather scabbard.
closest to the dais, has a hand that rests on the pommel of The ‘warrior’ is actually a type of martial undead called a Son
an ancient blade. An inscription below his feet has been of Valus. It will serve the crypt thing that created it, attempting
marked in the same language found at the archway to the to destroy anyone who makes it past the crypt thing’s teleportation
tomb entry. magic. Its blade is a +2 Longsword (+4 versus Lycanthropes) called
Once the party enters, the skeletons will fully animate and attack. WyrGrief and was summoned by the crypt thing from some other
The skeleton with the sword is no different than the others, save he crypt within Murtel’s holdings.
attacks with the blade (1d8) instead of claws. The sword is a fake The crypt thing has arrived here only to instill unrest and chaos
replaced years ago by Brigit’s ancestors, but the inscription reads upon the Murtel House and has collected no treasure, other than a
‘Magnus Ire Drake, Keeper of the Sunset Ulfberht’. bag of 47 silver pieces that lies on the ground near its feet.
5 Skeletons [AC 7, HD 1, HP 6, #AT 1, D 1–6, ½ damage versus As the only way to hurt the crypt thing is with magic, either spells
piercing and slashing weapons] or the blade the Son of Valus carries, it could be quite a feat for the
Treasure party to take the thing down. Scenarios might mean multiple trips
None into the lair, or being teleported outside, and then rushing back in
5 Skeletons [AC 13, HD 2d8+4, HP 13, #AT 1, Hit +4, Dam repeatedly until the thing can be destroyed. In all, it could be very
Claws 5 (1d6+2), Damage Vulnerability: bludgeoning] comical if you wanted to take it that way as the DM. Crypt things
never leave their crypt, and if a full twenty-four hours passes between
attempts to destroy the crypt thing, it will create another 2d6 skeletons
to help defend it, these being kept in Room 8 after the first encounter.
12 The Patina Court
1 Crypt Thing [AC 3, HD 6, HP 36, #AT 1, D 1–8 (Double
Claw swing), Teleport (all party members must make a saving throw The Dungeon
versus spell or be teleported outside Crypt 48), requires a +1 or better This is pretty standard affair, and should be run with a little bit
weapon to hit] of ‘horror’ factor in it as the hopping brains inside love to hide and
Treasure then pounce.
47 silver pieces
1 Crypt Thing [AC 17, HD 6d8+18, HP 42, #AT 1, Hit 1. Entry Level
+6, Dam Claws 7 (1d8+3), Teleportation Purge (DC 13 A number of low chairs, a wall cupboard, and three large
Wisdom saving throw targets in a twenty-foot radius rugs decorate this roughly 25’x25’ chamber. A single door,
or be teleported to the entrance of Crypt 48), Damage set into a rectangular stone support at the tower’s center,
Immunity: non-magical weapons] is the only exit from this chamber.
Again, all doors are locked, and must be picked or opened with the Three hopping brains lurk under the low chairs, just waiting for
key from Secret Room One (3)! the right moment to spring!
1 Son of Valus [AC 4, HD 5, HP 30, #AT 1, D (1–8)+2, +2 3 Hopping Brains [AC 5, HD 3, HP 12, #AT 1, D 1–6, Spring
Longsword, ½ damage versus slashing/piercing weapons] Attack (can attack and jump away if they hold initiative, disallowing
Treasure melee reprisals by their victims)]
Longsword +2/+4 versus were-creatures Treasure
1 Son of Valus [AC 16, HD 5d8+10, HP 30, #AT 2, Hit +7, None
Dam Longsword 6 (1d8+2), Multiattack] 3 Hopping Brains [AC 15, HD 3d8+6, HP 16, #AT 1, Hit
+5, Dam Bite 4 (1d6+1), Spring Attack (can attack and
jump away if they hold the initiative, disallowing melee
Scenario Three: The Alienist reprisals by their victim)]
The central stair is not locked, and within, the stairs lead up and
The Hook: down. The downward stair comes to a door that is Wizard Locked,
Continuing petty thefts around the Patina are growing only the key found around the brain of a ‘hopper’ that is leading a
troublesome, and when one of the characters (choose the wealthiest particular scout group on Tower Level Four will open it short of a
or a person who leaves some equipment behind, especially after a Knock spell, and even then the lock will not release and requires an
night out eating or drinking) comes back to the hostel room to find Open Locks check at -15% [DC 20].
it pilfered, even the players will be up in arms. Although no local
constabulary has stepped in, word around the local drinking holes 2. Guest Quarters
is there must be a damn fine petty hoard stashed somewhere in the Although no stone walls appear other than around
Patina with as much that has been stolen. the perimeter of the tower, large teak screens have been
moved into place to form ‘rooms’ on this level. Each screen
The Chase: is painted with a delicate mural of nature, and within the
This will be the first real ‘test’ of what and who the characters cordoned areas are low beds, a dresser, and pitcher &
have come to know in the Patina. I’d suggest Charisma checks for water basin.
information acquisition [DC 13 Charisma] once players come These were the guest chambers of the tower, and could easily
up with who they want to talk to about these disappearances. Any house four guests. Currently they only house six hopping brains, all
successes will push the players closer to a location, the old block tower lurking behind half-folded screens or under beds.
of Kalium Rosa. Although the wizard didn’t build a fine house like 6 Hopping Brains [AC 5, HD 3, HP 12, #AT 1, D 1–6, Spring
so many others in the Patina, his tower is impressive and well-known, Attack (can attack and jump away if they hold initiative, disallowing
and no one dares enter it. Once the players have tabulated a total melee reprisals by their victims)]
of four successes on their checks, they will get a confirmation from a
source (DM’s choice), that creatures known as black eyes are said to
sneak in and out of the tower at night.
The Truth:
Burglaries are indeed ‘up’ in the Patina, but not because of the
black eyes who typically just steal food. The Teller Gang has stepped
up its operations now that its new leader is looking to increase his
war chest. Certainly he has used the black eyes as scapegoats in his
plans, but unbeknownst to him, one of his gang members actually
stole something of extreme value from the black eyes recently. It was
a whistle that helps control and soothe Kalium Rosa’s other creation,
the hopping brains. Since the black eyes have lost control of the
hopping brains, they have fled Rosa’s tower, even leaving the door
open in hopes that the brains will leave the place (they won’t as they
see it as the home of their master) or someone with more fighting
skills will come in and clear it so they can return. They anxiously
await this event.
13
Treasure There are no encounters in this room, but investigation of the
None wooden door shows it to be unlocked. The metal door is another
6 Hopping Brains [AC 15, HD 3d8+6, HP 16, #AT 1, Hit Wizard Locked portal and leads to the cavern tomb of Rosa himself.
+5, Dam Bite 4 (1d6+1), Spring Attack (can attack and (This dungeon can be found in Folio #9.)
jump away if they hold the initiative, disallowing melee
reprisals by their victim)] 6. Component Room
The door opens to reveal a small chamber lined with
3. Kitchen and Dining stocked shelves and hanging oddities. From the smell,
A long table with eight chairs dominates the eastern preservatives have been in play, and the room is so full it is
side of this chamber, while more of the decorated screens hard to move about.
obscure the western side. This is a spell component room, and two hopping brains are
If the players check the table, of course, hopping brains! 3 of the within, hidden among the components. If they remain unseen, 1 in
little buggers lurk beneath. 6 [DC 13 Perception], they will wait for the party to leave, then
3 Hopping Brains [AC 5, HD 3, HP 12, #AT 1, D 1–6, Spring jump on the person trying to shut the door and pull the unfortunate
Attack (can attack and jump away if they hold initiative, disallowing back in.
melee reprisals by their victims)] 2 Hopping Brains [AC 5, HD 3, HP 12, #AT 1, D 1–6, Spring
Treasure Attack (can attack and jump away if they hold initiative, disallowing
None melee reprisals by their victims)]
3 Hopping Brains [AC 15, HD 3d8+6, HP 16, #AT 1, Hit Treasure
+5, Dam Bite 4 (1d6+1), Spring Attack (can attack and None
jump away if they hold the initiative, disallowing melee 2 Hopping Brains [AC 15, HD 3d8+6, HP 16, #AT 1, Hit
reprisals by their victim)] +5, Dam Bite 4 (1d6+1), Spring Attack (can attack and
Once they make it past the screen to the west, they will spot a large jump away if they hold the initiative, disallowing melee
wooden cupboard with a metal latch, some shelves with foodstuffs reprisals by their victim)]
(incredibly still fresh), a butcher’s block, and a smaller stone table
with four rune glyphs carved into the top. This is the kitchen, and if 7. Safety Hall
anyone with magical power of any kind investigates the runes, they This narrow passage flanks the summoning room and
will ignite with slowly burning flame and burn until the player is runs from the runed metal door to the western hall.
more than 10 feet away. The latched cupboard is an ice chest, and
has arctic enchantments placed on it to keep food cold. 8. Study
No other hopping brains are on this side of the screen. This door opens to reveal a small study. Dominated by a
heavy wooden desk half-covered in beakers and alchemical
4. Bedchamber instruments, the room’s walls seem overly stacked with
A large four-post bed dominates the northern portion of parchment, scrolls, and books.
this room behind the stairs. A dressing screen, a wardrobe, The door to this chamber is locked, but can be easily opened with
a full-length silvered mirror, and several arcane tapestries the key found on the bedchamber hopper.
hang about the chamber. There is also a small writing Beneath the desk is the Leader Brain, and it will leap forth and
desk to the chamber’s east. go into a frenzy whenever anyone tries to look over the contents
The players should be prepared by now for the hoppers. of the desk.
They’ve congregated under the bed, and will hop out in force once 1 Leader Brain [AC 2, HD 8, HP 48, #AT 2, D 1–8, Frenzy (if
the players get within 10’ of it. The ‘key’ brain is also here, and defending the home of its master, add an additional +2 to hit and
it has a ‘collar’ strapped around its ‘head’ that has the key to the damage rolls), Spring Attack (can attack and jump away if they hold
laboratory in the basement. initiative, disallowing melee reprisals by their victims)]
5 Hopping Brains [AC 5, HD 3, HP 12, #AT 1, D 1–6, Spring Treasure
Attack (can attack and jump away if they hold initiative, disallowing None
melee reprisals by their victims)] 1 Leader Brain [AC 17, HD 8d8+16, HP 40, #AT 2,
Treasure Hit +8, Dam Bite 7 (1d8+3), Frenzy (if defending the
None home of its master, add an additional +2 on attack
5 Hopping Brains [AC 15, HD 3d8+6, HP 16, #AT 1, Hit and damage rolls), Spring Attack (can attack and jump
+5, Dam Bite 4 (1d6+1), Spring Attack (can attack and away if they hold the initiative, disallowing melee
jump away if they hold the initiative, disallowing melee reprisals by their victim)]
reprisals by their victim)] A successful search, 1–2 [DC 13 Perception], will reveal 5
magical scrolls amongst all the notes, writings, and the like as well
5. Summoning Hall as three viable potions. Inside one of the drawers, a Wand of Magic
Larger than the chambers above, this room gains Missiles (27 Charges) is also kept as well as a bag with 10 GP.
definition as your light illuminates its corners. A
summoning circle has been etched into the floor of the 9. Caverns Entrance
room’s southeastern side, and beyond that a thin hall The smell of old rot and salty brine drifts past you on air
breaks away from a massive metal door. The door has disturbed by the opening of the door. Beyond, a chamber
arcane symbols placed upon it but no keyhole. The hall of natural design twinkles in the light from your party, and
seems to be some kind of shielding area, perhaps from the the sound of dripping water tickles your ears…
summoning circle’s power. A single wooden door stands This is one of the scenarios you’ll find in Folio #9, the cavern
across from the stair entry on the southern wall, and a dungeon and Tomb of Rosa.
larger hallway moves away from the chamber to the east.
15
N
N
Mini-Module DF1.5 Part One: The Hunt
1. The two boys, Petra and Avaran, sit before you, both pensively
looking at the ground, their hands tucked between their knees as is
Synopsis often requested by the city guard when talking to civilians.
The Dead Oak is a well-known landmark in the Patina, and there Questioning the kids requires a Charisma check
are hundreds of stories concerning it told by the locals. However, the [Charisma DC 12], and for each successful check, the
most consistent of these urban legends revolves around the infamous following pieces of information will be retrieved.
ratmen of Valoria, and folks insist that a secret entrance into their
warrens lies within the tree, although no such entrance is obvious 1. Lucious often said that he was going to be an apprentice
to anyone searching the trunk, which few take the time to do. Last to Bret Bozeman at the boat shop.
night, though, a young determined boy name Lucious was dared by
his friends to go to the tree and find the entry, only to disappear. 2. Of all the street boys in the Patina, Lucious had the best
Now, a worried neighborhood is looking to solve the mystery of the ‘fingers’, and could lift a purse (just playing around) off any
tree once and for all. other kid.
Dungeon Master Notes 3. The day that Lucious disappeared, they had found a half-
This adventure revolves around the characters entering the Dead drunk bottle of spirits and consumed it before the dare.
Oak and will likely require the services of a good thief and possibly
a magic-user. Diplomacy can also be useful, especially if the party 2. Bret Bozeman wipes a fine layer of sawdust from his hands as
would prefer to have a clan of ratmen that are seen as allies instead of he turns away from the hull of a slim rowboat. Bret is more willing
enemies. Remember that this is a delicate mission where a boy’s life to talk than the boys, and characters receive a +3 to all Charisma
hangs in the balance, so keep playing on the party’s growing loyalty checks [Charisma DC 9]. Each success will gain an additional
to the people of the Patina Court. If successful in saving Lucious, piece of information.
the party’s prestige will grow, helping in future investigations in the
Patina. Also, in Part One, there is no exact order to ‘the hunt’, and as 1. He had offered Lucious an apprenticeship on more than
the DM you should bend to the will of the party as they decide how three occasions, but something seemed to be holding the boy
to handle the situation and begin the search. Also, concerning maps, away from his service, and he suspected it was a gang affiliation.
this is a basic small dungeon and I thought I’d allow for my Dwarven
Forge players to create rooms in the shapes and sizes that suit their 2. A week ago, he caught Lucious looking over his cash box
sandbox, so have fun! while doing odd jobs for him around the shop. He didn’t call
The Dead Oak the boy on it, but since then, he’d not offered him another job.
The Dead Oak is much more than a large skeletal tree. Enchanted 3. Lucious wasn’t a ‘nameless’ boy of the Patina, his
by one of the long forgotten spell casters of the Patina in its height, father was rumored to have been Bryce Teller (the dead
the tree once served as a secret meeting area for the spell caster and founder of the Teller Gang).
his illicit lovers. The tree has a secret entrance that can only be
breached by a Knock spell, or by a series of pressure points that have 4. He’s heard recent rumors that his shop might be the
to be pushed in quick succession (that the ratmen know, and the boy target of a thieving attack, but no one seems to know who is
unluckily stumbled upon). Once inside, there is a small collection of truly the threat.
rooms once meant for entertaining, but now used by the ratmen as a
place of refuge. 3. The Dead Oak stands before you, a fifty-foot-tall skeletal
Ratmen of the Severed Paw remnant of lost natural glory. Its bark is now dark, its limbs reaching
high into the sky, yet not a single leaf remains. The trunk, which
This small clan of ratmen was a reclusive sect until recently when is some eight feet round, is gnarled and scarred, knots the size of a
a change in leadership brought about a greater willingness to explore grown man’s hand standing out in several locations.
the surface. Led by Rava Shaar, the ratmen of the Severed Paw Investigation of the Dead Oak (with a Detect Magic) will reveal
began utilizing the Dead Oak’s entrance to scout the Patina on it has magical properties. A thief can attempt a find and remove
dark nights and thieve the easiest targets. They were planning to traps [DC 15] to discover that some of the knots can be depressed.
launch an assault against Bret Bozeman the Boatmaker since he is Another check using pick locks/open doors [DC 15] is needed to
rumored to have a large cache of coins in his shop, but then the boy, properly press the knots in sequence for a door to open, revealing a
Lucious, found his way into their lair and has put their plans on hold. stair. Also, a Knock spell cast on the trunk will open the secret door.
Rava certainly understands that releasing Lucious will reveal the
entranceway into the tree and cannot decide whether to kill him or Part Two: The Descent
continue to hold him prisoner. Thus, he’s being kept in the lower hall
of the lair, and with each passing day the ratmen grow more anxious 1.
and want to be rid of him. A twisting stair leads down into darkness, walls
Retrieving the Boy changing from polished wood to carven stone. At the
base of the stair, which has descended more than twenty
This mini-adventure begins with the disappearance of Lucious into feet, a single wooden door awaits.
the Dead Oak. The party is asked to investigate by either a friend or The door is not trapped, but it is locked [DC 13]. Beyond the
parent of the boy (someone the party has previously encountered), or door is a single twenty by twenty room.
possibly by Bret Bozeman, who fears a greater threat is manifesting The door opens to reveal a dimly lit chamber with a single lantern
against him. Whatever the case, the party will have to deal with placed on a round table in the northwest corner. An old rug decorates
entering the tree, then move against the ratmen, and finally come to the floor, and a single flat sofa rests against the west wall. Two ratmen
either a deadly or diplomatic conclusion. face the door, short blades drawn and yellow teeth bared.
19
These are two of the three guards that normally are stationed in The door is both locked and trapped [DC 15 on both], and the
the room. The third was dispatched as soon as noise of the picking of trap is a flame burst that causes 3d6 [9 (3d6)] to anyone within five
the door was heard and is rousing a greater defense. The guards will feet of the door if triggered.
not talk, and will attack immediately. Beyond, a large chamber houses what was once a five-foot-deep
Ratmen: [AC 5, HD 3, HP 18, #AT 1, D 1–6 (shortsword)] and twenty-by-twenty pool that has been converted into a sleeping
Treasure pit for the bulk of the Severed Paws. Behind a wooden pallet made to
None resemble a floor bed, a secret tunnel can be found that leads into the
2 Ratmen [AC 15, HD 4d8+8, HP 32, #AT 2, Hit +5, lower sewers of the Patina. The females and young of the clan have
Dam Shortsword 5 (1d6+2), Multiattack] already fled through this, hoping to reunite with those who remain
after the conflict. There are no defenders here, and the door at the
2. far end of the chamber is open. The sad drawling of a fiddle drifts out
Your footfalls echo through the arched entry into into the pool chamber.
another large square chamber that has been doused
of all light. (If the party has a light source, read the 3.
following.) The couches and chairs of a casual sitting You enter what appears to be a grand bedchamber
room have been hastily rearranged to provide cover for and study, a large ratman sitting with a human youth
five ratmen, each armed with a crossbow. before him, a wicked dagger at the boy’s exposed
Once the party enters, the ratmen will fire, three then reloading throat. Beside the duo, another ratman, this one with
their crossbows and two drawing out shortswords to take on any fully white eyes, plays a gold embossed fiddle.
charging party fighters. Rava Shaar, current leader of the Severed Paw, is ready to
5 Ratmen: [AC 5, HD 3, HP 18, #AT 1, D 1–8 (Longsword) or negotiate for the boy’s release. He desires a promise to keep the
1–6 (Light Crossbow)] location of his home and its entrance in the Dead Oak secret, but
Treasure if denied, he will relent and ask only to walk free. If the party is
None determined to fight, he will kill the boy on round one while the
5 Ratmen: [AC 15, HD 4d8+8, HP 32, #AT 2, Hit blind bard throws fire from his Golden Helspawn Fiddle (think
+5, Dam Longsword 6 (1d8+2), or Light Crossbow 6 your bard in the old Bard’s Tale game with his Fire Horn). A
(1d8+2), Multiattack] successful negotiation via Charisma check [Charisma DC 14]
will free the boy, and if the check is successful by 5 points or more,
3. the Severed Paw Clan will move out of the Dead Oak (although
Beyond the makeshift barricade, another archway they will return in a fortnight in greater numbers).
opens into a salon chamber filled with peg hooks on the Rava Shaar: [AC 2, HD 8, HP 52, #AT 2/1, +3 Attack, D (1–4)+5
walls and a wooden plank floor. Four more ratmen in (dagger), Weapon Specialization (Dagger)]
heavy armor are here standing guard at the entrance to Treasure
a stair in the eastern wall. Ring of Protection +2, Dagger of Wounding +2, 40 GP,
These are the heavy fighters of the Severed Paw, and will defend 2 small opals (15 GP each)
the hall to the lower level til death. Rava Shaar [AC 18, HD 8d10+16, HP 66, #AT 2, Hit
4 Heavy Ratmen: [AC 2, HD 5, HP 30, #AT 3/2, D +7, Dam Dagger 10 (1d4+8), Multiattack]
1–8 (Longsword)]
Treasure Blind Bard: [AC 5, HD 3, HP 18, #AT 1, D 1–6 (shortsword) or
None 5d6 Fire (Golden Helspawn Fiddle)]
4 Heavy Ratmen [AC 18, HD 6d8+12, HP 44, #AT 2, Treasure
Hit +6, Dam Longsword 5 (1d8+3), Multiattack] Golden Helspawn Fiddle (causes 5d6 [15 (5d6)]
fire damage in a 10’ area)
Part Three: The Resolution Blind Bard [AC 15, HD 4d8+8, HP 32, #AT 2, Hit +5,
Dam Shortsword 5 (1d6+2) or Golden Helspawn Fiddle
1. 15 (5d6), Multiattack]
The stairs move downward again, these made of dark
wood with a copper railing placed close to the fall of Resolution
your right hand. Below, a soft yellow glow of a crystal Once Lucious is returned to the surface, he will thank the party
sphere allows for easy visuals into a landing, another and run off, but he will be a great contact and informant in the future,
fine wooden door blocking any further progress. increasing any of the player’s investigation checks with a +2 bonus.
The door is not trapped, but is again locked [DC 14]. Inside, what
once served as a bedchamber has been converted into a pen for a
terrible dire rat, the creature having recently been roused with spear
and then loosed to defend the room.
1 Dire Rat: [AC 3, HD 5, HP 26, #AT 1, D 1–8 (bite)]
Treasure
None
1 Dire Rat [AC 17, HD 5d8+12, HP 44, #AT 2, Hit +5,
Dam Bite 6 (1d8+2), Multiattack]
2.
Another door, this one marked with the scars of claws,
stands on the west wall.
1. The Killerz
An Adventure for Characters Opus Duskbeard, a disgraced dwarf, runs this small but feared
gang near the House of Sigils on Odin’s Way. Opus started his life
Levels 3–5 of crime when, as a youth, he embezzled money from his employers.
When discovered, he fled to the Patina looking for work as a barrow
Vol. 2 – Mythras City of Valoria digger at the Wizard’s Knoll. Soon, his reputation caught up with
Gazetteer him (as dwarves like to gossip almost as much as gnomes!) and he was
Campaign Background, forced into the streets. There he persuaded vagabonds and urchins to
Continuing the Theme join him through threats or outright beatings until he had sufficient
followers to take over a squatters nest. Though successful, they were
When we last left our characters, they should have been nicely too weak to compete with the more established gangs that fed off
entrenched into the workings of the Patina Court. Friendships the locals, so Opus turned his sights on his former employers and
among NPCs should have been formed, and the mystery of the dwarven kin. For the last two years, the Killerz have grown adept at
‘black eyes’ taking shape but never fully revealing itself. That will murder, extortion, and smuggling, earning themselves a measure of
change quickly in Folio #9. respect from the criminal element of the Patina. To thwart the city
Once the ‘The Alienist’ adventure in Folio #8 is complete, the guard, they disguise themselves as traders plying their wares between
characters will be approached by Procyon Lotor, the leader of the dwarven neighborhoods as they must frequently cross the well-
black eyes. He will request their help in recovering the enchanted patrolled Odin’s Way into the North Quarter for their operations.
whistle that will allow the black eyes to return to their home in Duskbeard and his gang are feared on both sides of Odin’s Way, for
Kalium Rosa’s tower. Lotor will tell the heroes he will provide them they take no prisoners and seem to have a love for murder.
the key to the locked door located in the basement of the tower upon
return of the whistle. 2. Knocked Men
If and when the players accept the deal with Lotor, they will have The Knocked Men formed when a group of beggars became
to go on a hunt for the whistle that will lead them into conflict with disenfranchised with handouts and decided to start taking what they
several gangs in the Patina. Once it is established that the Teller want. Disorganized, schizophrenic, and without much more than
Gang actually has the whistle, a showdown will likely take place. numbers and a penchant for preying on the weak, the Knocked Men
Once the whistle has been recovered, the characters can enter the are some of the most despised members of the Patina Court gang
‘Cavern Tomb of Rosa’, discovering not only the dead there, but also pantheon. They tend to dwell close to the Prometheus Soup Kitchen,
a more interesting secret of the Patina—the existence of a forgotten but get scattered by the city guard when their numbers swell in the
and buried temple complex of Tefnut, long ago corrupted by minions area, or by Galdor of the Eastern Woods if he sees them. Ezera,
of Set before the flooding of the city. This news leads the party into the razor-thin leader, is notoriously scared of sunlight, and tends to
the sewers to follow the bits and pieces of information recovered from prowl at night with several members of his gang seeking lone citizens
Rosa’s Tomb. to accost. The gang has no proper hideout; each member typically
The building of the campaign storyline will play out mainly in finds a dark place to sleep during the day, and then comes out to
the interactions between the party and the various Patina gangs. scavenge at night. Their most ardent adversary in the Patina is the
This conflict, supported by the various NPCs within the Patina, Beggar’s Guild who believes that the presence of the Knocked Men
and exacerbated by the Teller Gang’s attempts to throw the scent detracts from the handouts they receive.
off them, will require the Dungeon Master to utilize all of the
relationships the characters have developed over the course of Folio 3. Ladies of Prophet
#8. City politics, money, greed, and social climbing can all come A collection of former prostitutes, abused by their pimp, have risen
into play as the characters seek out the enchanted whistle. up and broken their chains. After killing their pimp, and reportedly
Once the characters are below the streets, the adventure changes feeding his body to lizards in the sewers, this nine member gang
gears to a creative dungeon crawl, so be sure the bulk of your of all women has begun recruiting other downtrodden women
roleplaying is accomplished before anyone goes down the rabbit hole, (serving wenches, abused mothers and daughters, etc.) to their cause.
so to speak.
23
What cause? Well, most men in the Patina believe it is to kill men relationships that the chase around the Patina in Folio #9 should
(especially those who are cruel to the opposite sex), but in reality the be easier. Still, if you played things out correctly, money will still be
Ladies of Prophet are seeking to create a temple in the Patina. Their an issue for the characters and I will continue to push that forward
leader, Istas Ma, is a devout disciple of Artemis, but her subleader, in Folio #9. When running this adventure, players should be more
Lumina, favors the deity Loviatar. Both want to see their patrons comfortable with the setting, and they should be free to move around
venerated, but until they can settle on which one, the gang simply the Patina, but it will be up to the Dungeon Master to continue to
spends its days hunting abusive men and gaining combat experience foster whatever true campaign feel you’ve spun.
by participating in Brawl Club. Their current base of operations is
just behind Murtel’s Mortuary, where the lady of that establishment, 2. Running the Mystery
Brigit Murtel, seems to favor the women by not booting them from The main mystery of this adventure will be to find the location of
the squatter’s home that her family has owned for many years. the enchanted whistle so that the black eyes can return home. This
will take the players all through the Patina, and if played correctly,
4. Moon Dogs a DM can have them interact with all manner of gangs (and if you
Perhaps the second most dangerous gang in the Patina, next to are playing all these adventures together, be sure to incorporate
the Tellers, is the Moon Dogs who have been on the upswing of late. some of these gangs into the Brawl Club scenario of Folio #8). The
However, they are currently in a running feud with the city guard for continuing mystery will be the location of a forgotten temple beneath
crossing Main Street to the south and looting the wealthy Princess the surface, but as stated before, that will be more of a dungeon crawl
Maria neighborhoods. Run by a man known only as Hestus, this than a search for a specific item among various NPCs.
gang of rough and tumble men pride themselves on their bestial
nature, and some even whisper that Hestus himself is a were-creature 3. When and how to introduce gangs
with Lycan-wolf’s blood. With a home base just west of the Main I’ve created the scenarios in this adventure to provide my personal
Street shoe cobbler, this gang doesn’t run exclusively through the preference for how the gangs should be encountered, but that isn’t a
Patina, especially because of Teller influence, but they do harass hard and fast rule. The Dungeon Master might even skip some gang
citizens when given the opportunity, especially when the moon is full. encounters if you are looking to trim down the module in length.
However, each gang is unique, as are the leaders, so be sure to brush
Dungeon Master Notes up on them to determine how you want them to interact through
personality and modus operandi. In this fashion, each encounter will
& Suggestions be more fun for the players.
She-Irainne
Forced from the subterranean realms beneath the Erinthor
Mountains, She-Irainne hides his true nature as a dark elf. He has
been known as a savior to some of the downtrodden in the Patina,
acting as a protector, but to those with power he is a cynic and a
danger. Although reclusive (especially during daylight hours), he has
a great deal of knowledge on the comings and goings of the night
cycles of the Patina.
Race: Dark Elf
Class: Magic User/Thief (Level Unknown)
Deity: Unknown
Alignment: TN (Good tendency)
25
Burks is considered a great treasure by most of the Patina—a ‘youth
turned right’ who knows much of the comings and goings of the Expanding the Adventure
neighborhood. I’m writing this piece because after creating various low
Race: Human level scenarios for the Patina Court Places Volume 1 expansion for
Class: Thief (Level 4) Folio #8, I wanted to be sure that all those utilizing Folio #9 would
Deity: Nike have additional experience gathering and NPC interacting scenarios
Alignment: CG that could go along with the base adventure. Expanded scenarios
for Folio #9 will be included in the updated Patina Court Places
Aria the Bard expansion, and I highly suggest you take a look at those if you want
Growing up on the streets of Valoria as a half-blood outcast, Aria to add flavor and bonus adventuring within the Patina. They should
is both storyteller and heroine of her tales. Over her years as a pick also really help your players make stronger connections and allies
pocket, juggler, knife thrower, master of strings, and hedge mage within the neighborhood.
she has taken on all the skills of a bard of some renown. With her
lute strapped to her back, she now plies her trade as a minstrel, often New Monster:
visiting the Patina to gain stories and hang with her compatriot
Galdor of the Eastern Woods. Black Eyes
Race: Half-Elf (Female)
Class: Magic-User/Thief (Level 3/3) Chaotic Good
Deity: Pan
Alignment: NG Armor Class: 8
Overall Story Arcs & Threads HD: 1
1E Racial Statistics:
Ability Score Increase: Intelligence and Dexterity both increase by 1.
Age: Black eyes mature in 6-8 years and have an average lifespan of 40–50 years.
Alignment: Most black eyes are chaotic in nature, but males (50%) will
sometimes have a lawful alignment, especially if they are magic-users.
Size: Black eyes average 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. They are
considered size small.
Speed: Base speed is 30 feet.
Natural Thieves: Black eyes receive the same thieving bonuses as halflings.
Sense of Smell: Black eyes are surprised only on a 1.
Languages: Black eyes can typically speak, read, and write Common.
5E Racial Statistics:
Ability Score Increase: Intelligence and Dexterity both increase by 1.
Age: Black eyes mature in 6-8 years and have an average lifespan of 40–50 years.
Alignment: Most black eyes are chaotic in nature, but males (50%) will
sometimes have a lawful alignment, especially if they are magic-users.
Size: Black eyes average 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds.
They are considered size small.
Speed: Base speed is 30 feet.
Locksmith: When attempting to open any lock, black eyes are considered to be
at advantage.
Sense of Smell: Black eyes are considered proficient in Perception.
Languages: Black eyes can typically speak, read, and write Common.
27
Scabber has no whistle, only a bird bone that hangs from a their girls are well known and barred from the Gracious
bracelet at his wrist. When found, he is among a small collection Arms Inn (two members have been recruited from there
of fellow Knocked Men, and they will not give up any possession to much to the owner’s lament), they need the characters to
the characters and will consider their questioning an affront worth retrieve something that a new member left there before
fighting over. joining the Ladies. This item was stashed in the cellar
5 Knocked Men Gang Members (Includes Scabber) [AC 8, HD 3, just inside the bar on the first floor. If the characters can
HP 18, #AT 1, D 1–6 (Short Sword), Scabber uses short sword and retrieve this item, they will exchange the whistle for it.
dagger, so he gets an extra attack roll.] Retrieving the item (a small bronze statue of the goddess Artemis)
Treasure will not be particularly easy unless the heroes already have a contact
23 copper and 7 silver spread between them in pouches. in the Gracious Arms. As that is unlikely, they will have to go to
5 Knocked Men Thugs [AC 11, HD 5d8+10, HP 32, the Arms, discover the door to the cellar in the main kitchen with a
#AT 2, Hit +4, Dam Short Sword 5 (1d6+2), Multiattack, Find/Remove Traps roll [DC 14 Perception], then find a way past
Pack Tactics (Thugs gain advantage on an attack roll the comings and goings of the staff (sneaking, invisibility, etc.) to get
against a creature if at least one of the thug’s allies is to the door and down into the cellar. Once there, a successful search
within 5 feet.)] (1–4 since they’ve been told where to look) [DC 12 Perception]
will uncover the item.
3. Ladies Bait and Switch Of course the Ladies don’t actually have the whistle, and
Indications are that the whistle has fallen into the are simply using the party to get the item they seek. Once
possession of the Ladies of Prophet who are seeking to they do get the item (and will take it under threat when it is
use it in some secret ceremony to steal the virility of the returned to their base), the leader, Istas Ma, will admit she
men of the Patina. Finding the Ladies isn’t a problem; it doesn’t have the whistle but does know who actually has it—
is common knowledge that they have a base of operations Hestus, leader of the Moon Dogs.
behind Murtel’s Mortuary, and will gladly take a meeting However, Istas isn’t a truly evil individual and does appreciate
with the characters. They also “have the whistle” and are what the characters have done for her. To this end, she will tell
willing to give it up if the party will do them a favor. Since you that Hestus has been looking for a fight in Brawl Club for a few
weeks, but has had no takers. She will gift the largest fighter in the
party (or perhaps a female character if she looks like she can fight)
a small silver studded leather belt as a finder’s fee for the statue.
This belt, if properly wrapped around a fist, can actually damage
Hestus in a fight.
5. Greater Undead
Another grand vault opens before you, this one devoid
of any strata. At the center, an iron sarcophagus has been
placed, a dull light emanating from it.
As you enter the vault, the sounds of clattering bones and creaking
armor emanate from the back recesses. A lone figure moving from
the far shadows bounds onto the sarcophagus and screeches, ‘You
will not violate the temple!’ in a ghostly and unreal voice.
This is the revenant body of Eperious Regalt. He is a ‘special’
undead, and is to be treated as such for the purposes of turning.
His soul cannot rest as he believes he must protect the work he
did in life, that being the discovery of the Lost Temple of Tefnut
buried somewhere deep under the Patina. His powers include the
ability to ‘Blink’, as per the spell, and his blade has evolved into a
magical device that becomes more powerful the closer you get to
the lost temple.
1 Greater Undead (Eperious Regalt) [AC 0 (plate + shield), HD 12,
HP 72, #AT 2, D (1–8)+4 (Longsword)]
Treasure
Regalt’s Blade (+1 Longsword which will become
+2 if within a mile of the Lost Temple of Tefnut, and
+3 when actually within the temple proper), maps,
journals, and mad ramblings about the Lost Temple
of Tefnut. Platemail +1, Shield +1, both inset with the
symbols of the Valoria City Militia.
1 Greater Undead (Eperious Regalt) [AC 20, HD
12d10+36, HP 96, #AT 2, Hit +8, Dam Sword 10 (1d8+6),
Multiattack, Damage Resistance: slashing and piercing]
Scenario Three
The Sewers of the Undercity
This third and final scenario will put the players into a more
classic dungeon crawl. (Although in this case it’s a sewer crawl.) I’ve
constructed it with only a single pre-designed chamber, that being
for the last boss battle. So I encourage Dungeon Masters using
terrain to build encounter zones at different nexus points within the
sewer frame you will find on the inside of the module cover. By all
indications from Regalt’s recovered notes, he insists that access to the
temple had to be at the main Patina Nexus at Point 1 on the map. If
you wish, you can show bits and pieces of the map to the players, but
I suggest hand scrawling the design so that they must explore west to
east until finally getting to Point 8.
30 The Lost A pprentice
The Hook: A doppelganger lurks here waiting to insert itself into any party
Once the party has cleared the Tomb of Rosa, they will have it can find. If an opportunity presents itself (like during a party
uncovered documents indicating a forgotten temple exists below search of the chamber), it will attack. If no such action is taken by the
the streets of the Patina. The person creating these notes, players, it will follow them, waiting for another creature to attack and
Eperious Regalt, believed that great riches could be had within distract them before attempting a replacement.
the lost temple, so it falls to the heroes to continue his life’s work 1 Doppelganger [AC 5, HD 4, HP 24, #AT 1, D 1–12 (Strangle),
and find the treasures hidden there. Surprise on a 1–4]
Treasure
The Chase: None
The heroes will have to work their way through a network of sewer 1 Doppelganger [AC 14, HD 8d8+16, HP 52, #AT
tunnels in search of a special nexus room that allows access to the 2, Hit +6, Dam Slam 7 (1d6+4), Multiattack, Read
dungeons below the sewers and the temple attached to them. One Thoughts, Ambusher (advantage on surprise attacks),
thing to keep in mind, there are a number of ‘encounter zones’ within Surprise Attack (first round attacks add 10 (3d6)
the sewers, and it is advised that the party moves through these before damage per attack)]
getting to the final boss.
3. Carrion Crawlers
The Truth: From the horrid smell of rot, something has died
Eperious Regalt was correct that an entrance to the Underhalls within this larger nexus chamber, but you can’t tell
beneath the sewers does exist in the Patina, but what he didn’t from the various bits of putrefying meat you see strewn
realize was that a creature lurks at the door. His maps are also a about. Several large wormlike creatures with pale skin,
bit fractured and inaccurate, each possible location of the entrance segmented bodies, and head tentacles are feasting on the
leading to dead ends. spoils, but quickly turn and approach the party upon entry.
These creatures are carrion crawlers that use the chamber as a
feeding ground because of the traffic it sees from things moving
The Dungeon about in the sewers.
Remember, you are in the sewers here, so this shouldn’t be a 3 Carrion Crawlers [AC 3/7, HD 3+1, HP 20, #AT 8, D
pleasant crawl. It will be up to the Dungeon Master to keep the Paralysis (Tentacles)]
‘ick’ factor to a maximum as the party moves through these refuse- Treasure
laden tunnels. I’d suggest characters having to make Dexterity They were currently feeding on the remains of a
checks [12 Dex saving throw] during any battle or fall into ratman patrol, and amid the remaining flesh a +1
rivers of filth. If anyone does fall, a successful saving throw versus Dagger and 78 silver and 13 gold can be found.
poison [DC 14 Constitution] must be made to avoid contracting 3 Carrion Crawlers [AC 13, HD 6d10+18, HP 51, #AT
a parasite (1–3) or disease (4–6). These will be up to the Dungeon 2, Hit +8, Dam Tentacles 4 (1d4+2 of poison damage)
Master’s discretion to foster and create. + DC 13 Constitution or be paralyzed for 1 minute,
Bite 7 (2d4+2)]
1. Water Elemental (Sewer Type)
The fetid smell surrounds you as a nexus chamber opens 4. Otyugh
up within the tunnel. Here, around a central pool of dark Above, light streams into this chamber from a grated
water, more tunnels branch off into the system as a whole. square, and below large piles of semi-fresh trash are
Within the water a corrupted water elemental lurks, the ‘abuse’ of heaped. Rats scurry and squeak around the piles.
so much human waste has turned it into a murderous creature bent A surprise roll is required here [passive Perception 14] to
on destroying those who helped create it. notice two rats suddenly disappear as tentacle pods pull them into
1 Corrupted Water Elemental [AC 2, HD 12, HP 72, #AT 1, D a larger refuse pile, followed by the commotion of a feeding frenzy
5–30 (Slam) + 2–8 (Acid), +2 or better weapon to hit] within. If the party tries to cross the chamber to another exit, the
Treasure trash pile will explode and an otyugh will attack.
In the murky depths of the pools some 32 silver and 1 Giant Otyugh [AC 3, HD 8, HP 64, #AT 3, D 1–8/1–8/2–5
413 copper can be found, as well as a diamond wedding (Tentacle x2, Bite), if bitten, there is a 90% chance of contracting a
Ring of Protection +1. To find the bulk of this treasure disease (Dungeon Master’s choice, have fun!)]
(especially the ring), the party must get into the pool Treasure
(see rules above on disease and parasites) and make a Amid the massive pile, there is a grey Cloak of
successful Search check [DC 16 Perception]. Protection +1, a Mace +2, 57 gold pieces, 412 silver pieces,
1 Corrupted Water Elemental [AC 14, HD 12d10+48, and 780 copper pieces, as well as a 200 GP moonstone. If
HP 114, #AT 2, Hit +7, Dam Slam 13 (2d8+4) + Acid the party is searching the pile, they can find one item per
Corruption 6 (2d4+2), Multiattack, Whelm (recharge successful Search check [DC 15 Perception], unless they
5–6). Damage Resistance: bludgeoning, piercing, are using Detect Magic, which will reveal the cloak
and slashing from non-magical weapons. Damage and the mace.
Immunities: acid, poison] 1 Giant Otyugh [AC 14, HD 12d10+48, HP 168, #AT 3,
Hit +6, Dam Bite 12 (2d8+3) + DC 15 Constitution save
2. Doppelganger or contract a disease, 2 Tentacles 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning
Another chamber, this one filled with a half-dozen + 1 (1d8) piercing + DC 13 escape or be grappled.
pillar-like supports, houses another nexus point within Tentacle Slam: DC 14 Strength by a grappled character
the greater sewer. What purpose such a chamber served or take an additional 10 (2d6+3) bludgeoning damage]
during construction is beyond you, but further exits move
off in various directions amid a subtle vaporous mist that
swirls about the slime-covered columns.
31
10 Ratmen [AC 5 (ring mail + shield), HD 3, HP 18, #AT 1,
D 1–8 (Longsword)]
Treasure
4 gold, 23 silver, 89 copper. The leader (HD 5, HP 30)
has a Longsword +1 and a jeweled ring worth 75 GP.
10 Ratmen [AC 15, HD 4d8+8, HP 32, #AT 2, Hit +5,
Dam Longsword 6 (1d8+2), Multiattack]
7. Tunnel Trolls
Another water nexus, the central pool filled with
floating piles of trash, dominates this large chamber.
Around the exterior, other exits in the sewers stretch
away into darkness.
Hiding within the water, and using the trash to conceal
themselves, are a mated pair of trolls. The party will be
surprised on a 1–2 [passive Perception 15]. If undetected,
a long-clawed hand will reach out and pull a party member into
the pool. If seen, both trolls will rise from the water and attack
the party in earnest.
2 Trolls [AC 4, HD 6+6, HP 42, #AT 3, D 5–8/5–8/2–
12 (Claws x2, Bite), Regeneration 3 HP per round, must be
killed with fire. Note: If fire is used, they will submerge to
extinguish it.]
Treasure
Within the pool (again see rules for parasites and
disease) are a +2 Chain Shirt (halfling-sized),
+2 Short Sword, Bag of Holding, 45 gold, 210 silver,
and 890 copper. Diving to retrieve these items requires
a successful Search check [DC 15 Perception], unless a
Detect Magic is cast.
2 Trolls [AC 15, HD 8d10+40, HP 84, #AT 3, Hit +7, Dam
Bite 7 (1d6+4), Claw 11 (2d6+4), Multiattack (2 Claws +
Bite), Regeneration (10 HP at start of each turn)]
37
3.
The second floor balcony of the Patina mansion has a
shadowy form tucked within the recesses. This is a scout for
the cult, and he will signal those inside by ringing a gong next
to him. To detect him, the ranger must make a successful
Wisdom check [Wisdom DC 13], or a thief must make a
Find/Remove Traps [DC 14].
4.
Across from the house, and going directly into the Wizard’s
Knoll, is a small cavern in which the bones of several people
have been stashed.
1 Cultist Scout: [AC 7, HD 4, HP 16, #AT 1, D 1–4 (dagger)]
Treasure
None
1 Cultist Scout [AC 13, HD 6d8+6, HP 33, #AT 2, Hit +4,
Dam Knife 4 (1d4+2), Multiattack]
2.
This room is decorated with a single table stained
with russet crimson splashes and leather ties. Around
the walls are painted symbols of Hades, and standing
at the ready are seven men in heavy cloaks and skull
masks, each brandishing a blade.
7 Cultists: [AC 7, HD 4, HP 16, #AT 1, D 1–4 (dagger), 2 cultists
can cast Cause Light Wounds]
Treasure
43 SP between them all
7 Cultists (2 with spell-casting ability) [AC 13, HD
6d8+6, HP 33, #AT 2, Hit +4, Dam Knife 4 (1d4+2),
Multiattack, Spellcasting (Wisdom base spell save DC
11, and +3 to attack with spells), Cantrip: Light, Sacred
Flame, Thaumaturgy; 1st (4 slots): Command, Inflict
Wounds, Shield of Faith]
3.
A f limsy hanging is eased aside, the room beyond a
mess of cots, discarded food, and soured beer. Amid
the clutter, a lone man stands with a blade at the
ready, a bound woman behind him wildly struggling
against her bonds.
This is Kraven, a former gladiator and newly minted sub-boss of
the cult. Always one for a good fight, he will take every opportunity
to engage multiple opponents at once. He’s also an expert with
knives, especially as thrown weapons, and will spend one attack each
round hurling a knife at any spell-caster in the party.
Kraven: [AC 4, HD 8, HP 64, #AT 2/1, +4 Attack, D (1–6)+6
(short sword) or (1–4)+5 (throwing dagger), Weapon Specialization
Short Sword and Dagger, Multi-Target Fighting (for every opponent
fighting against Kraven, he gains a +1 to his AC due to intense
training versus gang tactics)]
38 Gang War!
Treasure A lone stair leads to the upper level and bastion of Septus himself.
Short Sword +1, 21 GP The man is currently contemplating over a tome of Hades’ portents,
Kraven [AC 16, HD 15d8+45, HP 112, #AT 3, Hit and any commotion below will allow him to prepare himself with
+7, Dam Short Sword 7 (1d6+4) or Throwing Knives 6 enchantments and spells by the time any characters arrive.
(1d4+4), Multiattack, Parry (adds 3 to his AC against one He has no wish for parley, and he knows that death has always
melee attack that would normally hit)] been a possibility and perhaps even a blessing. His lone tactic—to
take a player with him at all costs. He will focus all his efforts on a
Part Three: Across the Main single target, screaming about the ‘Boatman of the Styx’ as he does
so. However, with the preparation time, he will have cast his Silence
1. 15’ Radius spell on the top of the stairs as well as scattering a sheaf of
Notes and messages lie haphazardly amid the clutter sticks on the floor there (for a Sticks to Snakes spell). With his Bless
of the back room, Desdomona weeping into the chest of and Protection from Good in play, he will be quite ready for combat.
anyone willing to allow it. Septus: [AC 0, HD 10, HP 70, #AT 1, D (1–4)+3 (dagger), Poison
Here is where the party must make a choice—continue the (saving throw vs. poison or take an additional 6–36 damage), Spells
investigation, or simply return Desdomona to her home and move 1st (6 slots): Bless, Cause Light Wounds, Command, Protection from
on to other things. If they search the room, they will discover short Good; 2nd (6 slots): Hold Person, Spiritual Hammer, Silence 15’
communiques (a 1E campaign might employ Thieves’ Cant) that Radius; 3rd (4 Slots): Dispel Magic, Cause Blindness, Prayer; 4th (3
instruct Kraven to continue preparations for the coming of Septus, slots): Cause Serious Wounds, Sticks to Snakes; 5th (2 slots): Cause
who awaits word of six more sacrifices before coming over the Main. Critical Wounds, Slay Living]
If the party chooses, they might confer with their contacts, including Treasure:
Istas, and find that informants from various gangs have located Ring of Protection +2, Buckler Shield +1,
Septus’s true lair south of the Main. ‘Nightsinger’ Dagger of Venom +3, 32 GP and 3 PP
between them all
2. Septus [AC 13, HD 10d8+20, HP 70, #AT 2, Hit
The Main, a street that represents the very lifeblood +9, Dam Knife 7 (1d4+5), Multiattack, Spellcasting
of Valoria. Running east to west, it bisects the city (Wisdom base spell save DC 14, and +5 to attack with
and allows trade to flow. Now, for the protection of spells), Cantrip: Light, Sacred Flame, Thaumaturgy;
the Patina, you move across this great thoroughfare Spells 1st (4 slots): Bless, Inflict Wounds, Command,
and into the markets, housing, and businesses of the Protection from Evil and Good; 2nd (3 slots): Hold
Princess Market. Person, Spiritual Weapon, Silence; 3rd (3 Slots): Dispel
This should be an experience for the players, like leaving home for Magic, Mass Harming Word, Prayer; 4th (3 slots):
the first time (if the campaign to this point has been completely set Guardian of Faith; 5th (2 slots): Mass Cause Wounds,
inside the small but complex world of the Patina). I would suggest Slay Living. Poison 18 (6D6) (Constitution DC 16)]
creating your own flair here, but the mission to put an end to Septus Conclusion
should be under the cover of darkness as it is likely that any armed
party leaving the Patina would be stopped by wary city guards. Once Septus has been killed, and the cult shattered, the characters
A Wisdom check [Wisdom DC 14] by a ranger or a Charisma can return to the Patina as unsung heroes, save for the stories told
check [Charisma DC 14] by a thief or bard will set you on the by Desdomona at the Rancid Cauldron. There is also a small bond
straight path to Septus’s lair, otherwise, the new district will confuse forged between the characters and Istas, although she would deny it
the party and they will have to return on another night. For every to her deathbed.
failure, add an additional cultist to Septus’s hall in Encounter 3.
3.
Once a fine textile shop, this now seemingly
abandoned structure isn’t much more than a solid
square building with two levels. The front door has
been subtly marked with a symbol of Hades, and the
windows of the building are all shuttered.
The door isn’t locked, as Septus has little fear of repercussions
from his incursion into the Patina at this point. However, within the
downstairs main room, seven armed cultists converse over a simple
dinner, their silhouettes marked by low candlelight.
Up to 7 Cultists*: [AC 7, HD 4, HP 16, #AT 1, D 1–4 (dagger), 2
cultists can cast Cause Light Wounds]
*Varies with failures at the door, starting with 5.
Treasure
103 SP and 7 GP between them all
Up to 7 Cultists* (2 with spell-casting ability) [AC 13,
HD 6d8+6, HP 33, #AT 2, Hit +4, Dam Knife 4 (1d4+2),
Multiattack, Spellcasting (Wisdom base spell save DC
11, and +3 to attack with spells), Cantrip: Light, Sacred
Flame, Thaumaturgy; 1st (4 slots): Command, Inflict
Wounds, Shield of Faith]
*Varies with failures at the door starting with 5.
39
Folio Module DF3
New Monster:
Hate Crawler
Lawful Evil
Frequency: Very Rare
No. Appearing: 1–6
Armor Class: 4
HD: 4+3
Move: 12”
No. of Attacks: 8 DF3: Forgotten Temple of Tefnut
Damage/Attack: --
Special Attacks: Paralysis, Sadistic Cruelty
Introduction
First and foremost, remember this is both a 1E & 5E adventure,
Special Defense: NIL and as those systems do sometimes vary greatly where creature
Magic Resistance: Standard strength is concerned, be sure to set the correct tone for each
encounter by modifying hit dice and number of enemies where you
Intelligence: Very feel necessary. I’ve currently set this adventure to be of epic caliber
Size: L (9’ long) scale for characters of the levels involved, so keep that in mind.
Also, I’ve broken the adventure down into three sections, each
Psionic Ability: NIL
one built using a full Realms of the Ancients V1 and V2 set. If
% in lair: 50% you are running these with terrain, you can run each section
Treasure Type: B without interfering with the others, assuming you complete each
before moving on.
Echoing Sounds: Remember, it is primary to the adventure that
Paralysis: The eight striking tentacles of the hate crawler can Aman-Utep is encountered last, so provide him as a free-floating
paralyze a foe, requiring a successful saving throw versus paralysis to ‘boss’. Also, in the gazetteer you will have read about his maniacal
resist. Paralysis lasts one minute (cumulative with multiple strikes up laughter and noises. These can be used to randomly throw players
to three minutes), and feeding damage from a hate crawler is 1d6 per off, making them go the direction you want, only to find things other
round once they have begun. than Aman-Utep when they arrive.
Sadistic Cruelty: Bound by the tenants of its creator, the hate
crawler cannot stop itself from trying to increase the level of suffering Secret Room
of its victims. It is so obsessed with suffering that it will actually take The second set of free-floating monsters are the mummy priestesses
several rounds (1d4) to position the victims so that they may watch of Tefnut who will try to abduct a female member of the party
themselves be eaten and will not begin feeding if other targets are (assuming one is available). If there is no such party member, they
available, instead leaving the paralyzed victims for later. will be found in Room 13.
Hate Crawler [AC 14, HD 7d10+21, HP 59, Init +3, #AT Entry Halls
2, Hit +8, Dam Tentacle 4 (1d4+2) poison damage and the
target must make a successful DC 15 Constitution save or be 1. Entry Stair (Down)
paralyzed for 1 minute, Bite 7 (2d4+2)] Light flickers off the walls of ancient frescos, and the
In essence, the hate crawler is a form of evilly maligned carrion dense smell of mildew hangs in the air. A set of heavily
crawler. Corrupted by the powers of a greater evil entity while in the worn marble steps drop away to a large vaulted chamber
pupa state, the hate crawler is no longer a creature that is animalistic in with standing puddles of dark water dribbling away into a
its nature but instead bound to the suffering of others. These creatures carved pit at the far end.
actually enjoy the process of paralyzing their victims and slowly This is the main entry to the temple and is home to a yellow mold
consuming them. They will eat slowly, picking parts of a victim that that sends its spores into the air when the chamber is disturbed by
will not kill it immediately and will often go to great pains to see that any traffic.
the victims of its hunger witness their own consumption. 1 Giant Yellow Mold [AC 9, HD --, HP --, #AT 1 (Spores), D
Hate crawlers also enjoy hunting in small packs, so that once they Poison, Spores release in a 10’ area and a saving throw versus
have victims, they can showcase the suffering to each other. If these poison is necessary or the victim’s lungs will fill with spores that will
things had Instagram, you really wouldn’t want to follow them! asphyxiate it within 24 hours unless a Cure Disease or Resurrection
is cast. It can be easily destroyed using fire-based attacks.]
44 Forgotten Temple of Tefnut
Treasure
None
1 Giant Yellow Mold [AC 8, HD --, HP --, #AT 1, Hit
--, Dam (Spores) 4 (1d4+2), Asphyxiating Spores (DC 17
Constitution saving throw or victim will suffocate from
spores in their lungs over the next 24 hours. A successful
Cure Disease spell will stop the spores from growing
inside the victim.]
2. Dead End
A passage, mirroring the entry stair, moves away
southeast only to end in a solid wall. Another carved pit,
slick with slimy water runoff, is the only feature of this
small chamber.
The passage was created long ago with the thought to make a
grand stair up to the Wizard’s Knoll, but construction was halted
after the flood. Now, the small chamber is home to an ochre jelly
which lurks in the slimy reservoir of the pit.
1 Ochre Jelly [AC 8, HD 6, HP 36, #AT 1, D 3–12, Pseudopod,
Split (if struck by lightning or slashing weapons, the jelly will split into
two jellies with half the hit points of the original.]
Treasure
None
1 Ochre Jelly [AC 8, HD 6d10+12, HP 45, #AT 1, Hit
+4, Dam Pseudopod 9 (2d6+2) bludgeoning plus 3 (1d6)
acid damage, Split (when struck by lightning or slashing
attacks, the jelly will split into two jellies with half the
hits of the original.]
49
1 Ghost [AC 11, HD 10d8, HP 45, #AT 1, Hit +5, Dam Notorus Rexa [AC 3, HD 10, HP 65, #AT 2, D (1–8)+8/
Touch 17 (4d6+3) necrotic, Etherealness, Horrifying (1–8)+8, Longsword, Gang Tactics: +2 to hit & damage while
Visage (DC 13 Wisdom or be frightened for 1 minute), fighting with allies]
Possession (recharge 6) DC 13 Wisdom or possessed by Treasure
the ghost, Damage Resistance: non-magic weapons] Longsword +2, diamond ring (1,000 GP)
Notorus Rexa [AC 17 (Splint), HD 10d8+18, HP 79,
26. Relic Vault #AT 2, Hit +6, Dam Longsword 9 (1d8+5), Pack Tactics
Although a mighty lock must have once hung upon (advantage on attacks if within 5’ of another Teller),
the heavy doors to this chamber, it was long ago Magic Longsword (+2)]
removed. Now, the chamber beyond is little more than Thus ends The Hidden Valoria, and be sure to invest time
an empty room with torn sacks, shattered chests, and in the Gazetteer section for your final conclusions to this epic
broken pottery. low level campaign.
The room is empty, having long ago been raided by dwellers
in the temple.
Synopsis
After finding the secret under-passages used by the kobolds in
Room 5 & 6 of the Lost Temple of Tefnut, the party can descend
through a stair located between the two rooms. Down this stair they
will encounter a fallen tribe of lizardmen who are now influenced by
the mummy Aman-Utep in the halls above. Destroying this tribe,
and recovering an artifact they possess, could prove highly valuable
to the completion of the Lost Temple adventure.
Dungeon Master Notes
The Lost Temple of Tefnut is a very difficult adventure, so this A collection of three gate-keepers are here, lurking in the
mini-adventure is designed to help the players achieve their goal undergrowth with spears at the ready. However, any external light
of destroying Aman-Utep while keeping their fighting strength source (torch, spell, etc.) will cause them to rustle in their hiding
intact. Although there is combat in this mini-adventure, it has places and provide the party with a location of a possible ambush.
been kept to a low challenge level so that strength of arms and 3 Lizardmen [AC 5, HD 4+1, HP 25, #AT 1, D 1–8, Spear
magic isn’t expended too greatly. Remember, this should be a (Two Handed)]
helping adventure, not a hindering one. Treasure
1. 1 Potion of Healing, 15 GP among them in total
The primary purpose of this mini-adventure is to allow the 3 Lizardmen [AC 15, HD 4d8+4, HP 22, #AT 2, Hit +4,
party access to the ‘Heart of Aman-Utep’, which is to say the Dam Bite 5 (1d6+2), Spear 5 (1d6+2), Multiattack]
canopic jar that holds his heart. With it, they can seriously
disrupt his ability to fight them in the final combat, thus saving 3. Underground Pool
some of their power for the Teller ambush that concludes DF3. The jungle grotto fades behind you, giving way to an
2. ancient pool of clear water. The surface trembles as
You will find a lot of healing magic within this mini-adventure, though fed by an underground stream. Around the pool,
these items and potions put in place to keep the party up and smooth stones show years of use by passing feet, and
running for the duration of the adventure above. another glowing chamber is visible through an opening in
3. the north wall.
For anyone relying on magic (particularly those in 1st Edition), This is one of the underground springs used by the priestesses
there is also a nice way to recoup spells, so keep that in mind. of Tefnut for blessing rituals. The lizardmen now use it as a water
Finding magic assisting items, and even taking a sleep break, source for their various needs.
is something that can be done in relative safety here.
Running Combat 4. Swamp Chamber
The glowing lichen from the jungle chamber runs in
Combat, although limited in power, does occur inside the various scattered patches across the roof of this chamber. Runoff
rooms of this forgotten lair. I would suggest giving the players a from the adjacent pool chamber has covered the ground
full round of missile and spell action before most encounters to help with a thick murk of dark water, seeming a foot or less
mitigate damage to the party, and if anyone wants to find ingenious deep, teeming with all manner of low-growing plants and
ways around combats, that is certainly encouraged. strange fungi.
Random Encounters A giant snake lives within the area, and will attack lone (especially
small) members of the party searching the chamber, but will not
I’ve not built in random encounters for this particular dungeon attack the party full on, preferring to hide and let them pass.
because I believe it would continue to trim down on the party’s 1 Giant (Constrictor) Snake [AC 5, HD 6+1, HP 37, #AT 2, D 1–4
resources. Combats within the module, particularly the Black Scale (Bite)/2–8 (Constriction)]
followers and the Lizardman Lord will be challenging enough. Treasure
None
1. Entry into the Crèche 1 Giant (Constrictor) Snake [AC 12, HD 8d12+8, HP
The stair descends into a damp environment, mist 60, #AT 2, Hit +6, Dam Bite 11 (2d6+4), Constriction
gathering along the flagstones on the floor and your boots 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning and the target is grappled
slipping in a fine layer of condensation. (Escape DC 16)]
2. Scouting Party
The hall opens into a small grotto—a menagerie
of strange plants, most of them emitting a dull violet
glow, resemble a tropical forest. On the ceiling, a
yellowish incandescent lichen helps provide dim light
to the whole chamber.
53
5. Hate Crawler Hatchery Treasure
This side chamber dips into a shallow grotto filled with 1 Potion of Healing, 7 GP in a belt sack
a collection of slimy eggs amid rotting corpses of what look 1 Lizardman [AC 16, HD 6d8+6, HP 32, #AT 2, Hit +6,
to be ratmen and kobolds. A single hate crawler rests amid Dam Bite 5 (1d6+2), Spear 5 (1d6+2), Multiattack]
the clutch, its tentacles waving rhythmically as though in
meditation or providing some kind of imperceptible song. 10. Lizardman Lord’s Lair
This is the greater nest of the hate crawlers found in DF3. For A large door, the first you’ve seen in these forgotten halls,
more information on them, see the Gazetteer in that module. stands before you.
1 Hate Crawler [AC 4, HD 4+3, HP 27, #AT 8, D ---, Paralysis] The door is locked [DC 16]. Once open, you can read the following:
Treasure Beyond the now open portal, you see a tired-looking black-scaled lizardman.
None He sits upon a log, ferns growing around him, and in one hand he holds a spear
1 Hate Crawler [AC 14, HD 7d10+21, HP 59, #AT 2, Hit and the other a necklace.
+8, Dam Tentacle 4 (1d4+2) poison damage and the target This is the Lizardman Lord, although he has seen better days. He
must make a successful DC 15 Constitution save or be carries a Necklace of Fireballs and will use them as he can, hoping
paralyzed for 1 minute, Bite 7 (2d4+2] to destroy the party before they can get to him. However, he is
weakened from lack of sleep (afraid his guards will kill him) and will
6. Obsidian Statue not be much of a problem once the players close the distance.
Patches of lichen slither down the walls of this chamber, The most important find in his possession, however, is not the
appearing like yellow waterfalls emitting from the cracks. necklace, but instead the canopic jar holding Aman-Utep’s heart.
At the center of the chamber, carved from dark stone, The heart has been ‘speaking’ to the Lord, trying to get him to
a crude statue of a jackal-headed man has been erected. bring it back to the mummy. Anyone carrying the heart will have
Lichen has been placed over the statue’s shoulders like a a vision of its removal and its desire to return to its rightful place.
cape, and the eyes glow with phosphorescent paint. Little does Aman-Utep realize his sendings are now going to a
The statue isn’t dangerous, but investigation will show that in party bent on his destruction!
a hollow below its feet are several offerings, including 2 Potions of 1 Lizardman Lord [AC 3, HD 8, HP 48, #AT 1, D (5–20)+2,
Healing, and 20 gold pieces in a leather bag. Spear (Two Handed), Skewering (if hit die is 5 more than needed to
hit, attack causes double damage)]
7. Set’s Black Scale Followers Treasure
Before you can make entry into this chamber, a set 4 Potions of Healing, Spear +2, Necklace of Fireballs
of five dark-scaled lizardmen appear with spears in (7 beads), 107 GP, 3 (50 GP gems).
their clawed hands. Their odd glowing eyes speak of Special
evil and enchantment.
These are the lizardmen of the Black Scale, followers of Set Canopic Jar of Aman-Utep (If shattered or destroyed, it will stun
and now the only remaining male members of the once great Aman-Utep for 2 rounds as well as dropping his invulnerability to
tribe (these having killed the rest or chased off the females). They non-magical weapons.)
will attack on sight, hoping to defeat the invaders and bring great 1 Lizardman Lord [AC 15, HD 12d8+24, HP 78, #AT 2,
honor to their god. Hit +6, Dam Bite 6 (1d6+3), Spear 8 (1d6+5), Multiattack,
5 Lizardmen [AC 4, HD 6+1, HP 30, #AT 2, D 1–8, Spear Skewer (Once per turn, can add 10 (3d6) extra damage to
(Two Handed)] a spear attack), Necklace of Fireballs (Can throw a 3rd
Treasure level Fireball each round)]
2 Potions of Healing, 33 GP among them in total
5 Lizardmen [AC 16, HD 6d8+6, HP 32, #AT 2, Hit +6,
Dam Bite 5 (1d6+2), Spear 5 (1d6+2), Multiattack]
3. Dueling
As mentioned above, dueling is an extremely important factor in
the political and social structure of Taux (as well as its two sister cities
Ebontra and Findalynn). If at any time during the adventure you
wish to challenge a player to a duel to settle a dispute (perhaps in the
final encounter), you may do so.
New Monster:
Bender Surrogate
Lawful Evil
Frequency: Very Rare
No. Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 0
HD: 15+7
Move: 12”
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/Attack: (1–10)+10 (2 Claws)/(2–20)+5 (Bite)
Special Attacks: None
Special Defense: +2 or better weapon to hit
Magic Resistance: 35%
Intelligence: Very
Size: L (20’ long)
Psionic Ability: NIL
% in lair: 50%
Treasure Type: D, E
Bender Surrogate [AC 20, HD 15d12+45, HP 135, Initiative +4,
#AT 3, Hit +9, Dam Claw 16 (3d8+4), Bite 20 (3d10+5), Damage
Immunity: non-magical weapons, Magic Resistance] One thing to keep in mind as you play, characters here should
Beyond the Elemental Plane of Shadow is a dimensional wall that have some decent experience, so they should be given some
was meant never to be breached. However, the priests of Taux delved leeway when it comes to sticky situations, although they most
too deeply into powerful magic that pierced the veil and destroyed likely will have to get used to the particular rules of Taux before
their city. The tiny pinprick they managed has allowed something to becoming too full of themselves.
enter their world that must stay tethered to its own dimension as though In the end, I hope that you are able to spin your own tale of Taux,
through an umbilical cord. This creature is a bender, a creature the Black Gate, and the Emerald Serpent, as that is what this trilogy
beyond the laws of the world and bent on devouring all that it sees. is truly about, which is to say adding to the legends of the great city
However, as it cannot leave the chamber of its ‘birth’ into this world, of cursed stone.
it has developed a means of tempting treasure seekers with a glowing
light that illuminates treasure it has collected from its other victims.
Part One: The Duel
‘The patrons of the Emerald Serpent crawl like a living thing, tides of humanity
AT1: The Subtle Revenant and other elemental-spark races mingling in a great pool around the huge bar.
So, how exactly do you play in a world that was based on a fictional Multi-level decks hold dozens of conversations, games of chance, and illicit dealings
anthology? Well, my suggestion would be to read the fiction first, far from the prying eyes of the city’s Sturgeons. If there is one place more famous
but if you can’t do that, then make an attempt at a very narrative in Taux, a citizen would be hard pressed to name it, and yet only the very brave,
driven adventure. This particular adventure, The Subtle Revenant, or perhaps foolish, ever pass beneath the Black Gate and tread the twisting streets
is based around a moving story arc in three parts. The initial part, around the old Ullamalitzli courts to drink pulque and other spirits in this old
The Duel, will be the crux that gets the adventurers embroiled in house of priests and nobles.’
the overall plot. Part Two, The Old Crypt, will have the characters
working on a way to solve the mess, and Part Three, The Bender
Surrogate, will culminate in a battle that sets the stage for Folio #12
and the adventures there.
61
Setting the Stage
This entry scenario revolves around the characters running afoul
of House Vash. To accomplish this, and the story beyond, the DM
must be able to run a number of encounters through roleplay and
limited combat. Each encounter point is listed below, with a series of
options and goals for both the players and the DM, but how you get
to the end result is up to those involved.
Encounter Point One: Duel
If you read the intro to Part One, I think the players will get an idea
of what the Emerald Serpent is, even if they’ve never read the fiction.
Still, there are questions that you will need to either ask or already
have an answer for when this encounter point begins.
1.
Who is the party’s best duelist? You could also ask, who is the
party’s biggest hot head? Either way, one player is going to get
challenged to a duel, something locals in Taux see a great deal of
(See Taux & Dueling in the Gazetteer). The duel is the key, because
it sets the stage for the entire adventure. Bait the players as you wish,
with lewd comments against party members or other brash talk,
perhaps even targeting a priest’s god. When the conflict is at hand,
the following may set the stage.
‘The bravado and sexual talk has risen to a crescendo at the table behind you
after a good half-hour of heavy drinking. The loudest of these young bucks, a thin
rake with a gilded rapier and a topknot of blond hair pushes back his chair until
it strikes the back of yours, his disgust at your offense apparent in his first curse
thrown in your direction.’
1 Razor Duelist (Brace Vash) [AC 5, HD 7+7, HP 70, #AT 2/1
(+4 to hit), D (1–6)+5, Wounding (Each time Brace strikes, the victim
must make a save versus petrification or begin bleeding at 1 hit point
per round. This attack can be cumulative.)]
Treasure
Sabre +2
1 Razor Duelist (Brace Vash) [AC 15, HD 10d8+20, HP
65, Initiative +5, #AT 2, Hit +7, Dam Sabre 7 (1d6+4),
Multiattack, Parry (+2 AC against one attack), Wounding
(Each time Brace strikes, the victim must make a DC 14 Encounter Point Two: Lareo
Constitution save or begin bleeding at 1 point per round. Nothing in Taux is free, but for some reason Lareo is looking to
This attack can be cumulative.)] help the players. This may be because he is looking to settle a score of
2. his own, has a client who is interested in a certain outcome of events,
The outcome of the duel is pre-determined—Brace Vash dies. or even that he’s had some past interaction with a member of the
Whether the player runs him through or not, he will die from a party (up to the DM of course). Whatever the case, he’s about to offer
Poison spell cast by someone amongst the throng of patrons watching the players a big leg up in getting them out of this mess. Play him as
the duel. As it will look like nefarious means were used in a legal duel, a friend, because to this point, that is what he is, and his reputation
the player will be on the run from this point forward until his name as someone who ‘backs the little guy’ is well known inside the Black
can be cleared. Gate and beyond.
‘Your blow, whether wittingly or no, slides through Brace’s defense, and he ‘The diminutive Eldaryn pulls himself up into his booth, an ashen cushion
crumples to the floor, blue veins pulsing along his temples and a dribble of blood propping him up to look over the table at you. Waving to the smooth curve of the
sliding out of the edge of his mouth.’ bench across from him, he then adjusts his spectacles as the brassy hairs of his
3. curved mustache twitch as though of a mind of their own.’
The entire mood of the Emerald Serpent will change the moment Lareo quickly relays the following information to the players:
Brace dies, and the players should be shown this in no uncertain A. Brace is a known womanizer and gambler, both of which
terms. Feeling a bloom of heat at their side, one player will be given have put him on the wrong side of various powers, including
the opportunity to get the party moving toward a far back table as his own family.
they follow the Eldaryn pyromancer and information broker, Lareo, B. The death of Brace in the fashion which he died is a
to his working space. Once there, you’ll need to drop information threefold strike against the perpetrator— you’ve broken
about what has occurred and provide the players an address and a the dueling laws of the city and the Sturgeons will soon
contact name where they can lay low until Lareo can discover exactly have your name and be looking for you; you’ve broken
what plot the players have been roped into. the dueling honor code of the Taux Razors Guild and
‘The chants, howls, and exclamations dwindle to an eerie silence as a closeness their trained duelists will be after you; and you’ve killed a
fills the Serpent. Eyes once alit are now dark as the patrons stare at you, whispers of member of the Vash household, acquiring a price on your
‘murderer’ and ‘assassin’ hiss around from the throng, and here and there knuckles head paid for by the family.
grow white in balled fists and fingers slide slowly to the well-worn handles of dirks C. Two days ago Lareo heard an unnamed agent was asking
and other small blades.’ about winged serpent venom sometimes drawn from the
deadly beasts in the Ebon Swamp.
62 The Subtle R evenant
D. Brace was bragging earlier in the morning that he’d come and then continue the chase as they try to get back to the party via
into possession of a relic that had been washed up on the other routes. To accomplish this, I would suggest another Dexterity
beach from the great storm that passed over Taux earlier in check [DC 12 Dexterity] as well as an Intelligence check
the week. Knowing what such artifacts can mean to various [DC 12 Intelligence] to work out the correct path.
powers within the city, speaking of such a thing is a quick way Otherwise, various combats are as follows, but remember that
to get your name on a list you’d rather not be on. escape is a key component, so keep these short and engaging, not
E. He will provide you with an address on the upper tier of the long slogs. Also, if you want to get really creative, you could use
north wall of the stadium amid the ‘Tangle’ as the locals call grappling rules in attempts to dislodge enemies from the roof without
the overpopulated ramshackle housing. A landlord named a full fight.
Moxa owes him a favor and will shelter you until he can find
out more details that might clear your name. 1. Roof One
Encounter Point Three: The Safe House The wind from the bay strikes along makeshift roofs,
lifting billowing canvas and fluttering tin as you leap from
The ‘Tangle’ more than deserves its moniker as the north upper building to building. Ahead, rising from some unseen
deck of the Taux stadium is a chaotic mess of haphazard buildings fissure, three men with short blades and tanned skin move
laying if not always atop, at least against one another. If the Black to block your escape.
Gate is said to be a place where people go to get lost, then the Tangle 3 Pirates [AC 7, HD 5, HP 30, #AT 3/2, D 1–6 (Short Sword)]
is the hole in which they disappear. Urchins are prevalent, and will Treasure
often guide folk to certain locations for a coin, otherwise, players can 2 dozen copper coins and 5 silver coatls
try to discern addresses from ill-carved and painted signs, landmarks, 3 Pirates [AC 12, HD 5d8+5, HP 25, Initiative +3, #AT 2,
and the movement of stars, but whatever the case, stout rolls will be Hit +4, Dam Short Sword (1d6+2), Pack Tactics (Pirates
required to discover Moxa’s abode within the labyrinthine sprawl. A are at advantage if attacking with allies within 5 feet.)]
successful Intelligence check at -7 will be required to find the location,
otherwise an urchin guide will be needed [DC 20 Perception]. 2. Roof Two
‘A breeze blows over the outer rim of the great stadium, its caress bringing with Cats, all too common in the Black Gate, scurry for cover
it a taste of civilization’s musk, waste, and sickness. This is the Tangle, a mass as you pass, a bank of thin fruit trees dominate an open roof
of tumbledown buildings stacked precariously atop one another like a mythical to your left, more weathered men sliding from them in hot
labyrinth of filth and darkness. If stones whisper here, they are drown out by the pursuit. Ranging before them is a low-slung beast of naked
sporadic wailing of infants, buzzing of insects, and coughs of wheezing lungs.’ sun-bleached bone woven wood. Its eyes glow with a baleful
Moxa is of old Tolimic blood. His ancestors once inhabiting the light as its long head sways as though sniffing the breeze.
city, and his people are now moving back to Taux from distant 3 Pirates [AC 7, HD 5, HP 30, #AT 3/2, D 1–6 (Short Sword)]
mountain villages beyond the Ebon Swamp as other nations have Treasure
been encroaching. He is human, his spark strong with elemental fire, 3 dozen copper coins and 1 silver coatl
and he understands the stone beneath his feet. Covered in tattoos 3 Pirates [AC 12, HD 5d8+5, HP 25, Initiative +3, #AT 2,
and talismans, he brokers little conversation with the party, but shows Hit +4, Dam Short Sword (1d6+2), Pack Tactics (Pirates
them up a winding stair from his own dwelling to an apartment high are at advantage if attacking with allies within 5 feet.)]
atop the canopy of structures that make up the Tangle. Here, in 1 Dwoller [AC 2, HD 8+8, HP 56, #AT 3, D 1–6 (Claw x2)/1–8
a single room with woven mat beds, a cistern of rainwater, and a (Bite), +1 or better weapon to hit]
chamber pot of brass, the party can rest until they hear from Lareo, Treasure
or at least that is the plan. None
Encounter Point Four: The Roof Chase 1 Dwoller [AC 18, HD 10d10+10, HP 60, Initiative +5,
#AT 3, Hit +8, Dam Claw 9 (2d6+3), Bite 12 (2d10+2),
As evening falls, the players may hear a commotion far below Magic Resistance, Multiattack (2 Claws/1 Bite), Aversion
in Moxa’s home [2 in 6] [passive Perception 15]. This is an to Flame (at disadvantage on rolls if hit by fire), Damage
assassin crew from House Vash looking to end the players’ lives Immunity: non-magical weapons]
before the entire affair spins out of their control. Unbeknownst to
the party, House Vash had placed Sturgeons around the Emerald 3. Roof Three
Serpent ready to arrest the party after the duel, but instead the lead Another leap and you come upon an annex of buildings
Sturgeon, Tohil, had recalled his men at the urging of Lareo. Now, growing together to create a solid canopy over the snaking
House Vash has procured other means of dealing with things in the streets below. Three more men move from the shadows
form of a Zimbolay tome-mage and a crew of cutthroats from an there, thickly accented voices calling to the darkening
anchored pirate vessel posing as a trade ship. roofs around you.
‘Screaming, arguing, and even rumbling have been constant companions 3 Pirates [AC 7, HD 5, HP 30, #AT 3/2, D 1–6 (Short Sword)]
during your day in the eaves of the Tangle, but heavy shouting and the building’s Treasure
shuddering, as if from an impact, brings you to your feet. The door, little more than 32 copper coins
a rough canvas hanging, flutters like a ship’s sail in the hot bay breeze. The sounds 3 Pirates [AC 12, HD 5d8+5, HP 25, Initiative +3, #AT 2,
of bones shambling and heavy footfalls race upstairs toward your apartment. Hit +4, Dam Short Sword (1d6+2), Pack Tactics (Pirates
Outside, the sound of a city crier marks the passing of the day, twilight settling in are at advantage if attacking with allies within 5 feet.)]
over the rooftops just inches away from the room’s single window.’
This encounter point revolves around a chase across the rooftops of 4. Roof Four
the Tangle. To achieve extra action, I’d suggest all players must make The edge of the Tangle draws near, the massive carved
Dexterity checks [DC 13 Dexterity] between each encounter stone walls of the stadium rising up like a dam against the
as they jump between roofs. You can mitigate these checks with oppressive tide of dwellings. Ahead, five men wait near
spells, assistance from other players, ropes, or other creative means the downslide to the great stair, one of them armed with a
the players come up with. If a check is failed, you could have the twinkling cutlass.
individual or individuals fall down a single story, take 1d6 damage,
63
4 Pirates [AC 7, HD 5, HP 30, #AT 3/2, D 1–6 (Short Sword)]
Treasure
20 copper coins
4 Pirates [AC 12, HD 5d8+5, HP 25, Initiative +3, #AT 2,
Hit +4, Dam Short Sword (1d6+2), Pack Tactics (Pirates
are at advantage if attacking with allies within 5 feet.)]
1 Pirate Captain [AC 5, HD 10+10, HP 70, #AT 3 (+4 to hit), D
(1–6)+5/(1–4)+2 (2 Scimitar/1 Dagger)]
Treasure
Scimitar +2, Dagger +2, 14 silver coatls
1 Pirate Captain [AC 15, HD 10d8+20, HP 65, Initiative
+5, #AT 3, Hit +7, Dam Scimitar 8 (1d6+4), Dagger 7
(1d4+5), Multiattack (2 scimitars/1 dagger), Parry (+2 AC
against one attack)]
5. Roof Five
The final roof drops down twelve feet to a stone platform
on which a man with ebony skin and stark white hair stands.
In his hands talismans twine while his eyes glow with a
dusky shade of emerald. Two large armored men flank him,
and another of the bone and twig beasts stalks back and
forth before the verge of the stairs.
2 Mercenaries [AC 4, HD 6, HP 36, #AT 2/1, D (1–8)+2 (Longswords)]
Treasure
52 copper coins, 17 silver coatls
2 Mercenaries [AC 16, HD 6d8+6, HP 30, Initiative +3,
#AT 2, Hit +4, Dam Longsword (1d8+2), Pack Tactics
(Mercenaries are at advantage if attacking with allies
within 5 feet.)]
1 Dwoller [AC 2, HD 8+8, HP 56, #AT 3, D 1–6 (Claw x2)/1–8
(Bite), +1 or better weapon to hit]
Treasure
None
1 Dwoller [AC 18, HD 10d10+10, HP 60, Initiative +5,
#AT 3, Hit +8, Dam Claw 9 (2d6+3), Bite 12 (2d10+2),
Magic Resistance, Multiattack (2 Claws/1 Bite), Aversion
to Flame (at disadvantage on rolls if hit by fire), Damage
Immunity: non-magical weapons)]
1 Tome-Mage [AC 7, HD 9, HP 18, #AT 1, D (1–4)+3, Spells:
1st (4) Shield, Shocking Grasp, Magic Missile, Charm Person; 2nd
(3) Strength, Web, Detect Invisibility; 3rd (3) Fireball, Hold Person,
Suggestion; 4th (2) Fire Shield, Ice Storm; 5th (1) Cone of Cold]
Treasure
+3 Dagger, Spell Scrolls (includes all knowns spells), He offers to guide the players from the Tangle and the Black Gate,
Ring of Protection +1, 20 copper coins, 54 silver coatls, which is now crawling with duelists from the Razor Guild as well as
8 gold jaguars bounty hunters inspired by a price set by House Vash. Like the Lareo
1 Tome-Mage [AC 13, HD 9d8, HP 40, Initiative +3, conversation in Encounter Point One, Dethocrates will have a series
#AT 1, Hit +8, Dam Dagger 7 (1d4+5), Spellcasting of topics that might assist the players and set them on a new task,
(DC 14 saves and +6 to hit), Spells: Cantrips (at will) which is to be found in Part Two.
Fire Bolt, Mage Hand; 1st (4 Slots) Mage Armor, Magic Dethocrates provides the following information to the players
Missile, Shield; 2nd (3 Slots) Misty Step, Suggestion; 3rd while in transit:
(3 Slots) Counterspell, Fireball, Fly; 4th (3 Slots) Greater A. Someone or something is moving behind the scenes in an
Invisibility, Ice Storm; 5th (1 Slot) Cone of Cold] attempt to gain access to the relic Brace recovered on the beach.
B. Brace may have been many things, most of them bad, but
Encounter Point Five: Dethocrates’ Offer he wasn’t stupid. He hid the relic where he believed no one
would discover it, but one of his friends who owed Lareo a
Dethocrates, a local jai-ruk rogue and hustler, has been sent by favor believes there is only one place Brace could have stashed
Lareo to warn the players and followed the mercenary force to the the item, an old crypt the two discovered earlier in the year
Tangle. He comes with information, and if the previous battle is along the tidewater.
going poorly, can assist with shots from his short bow as needed. C. Lareo believes if the party can recover the relic, it will have
‘Stepping from the shadows of the stair, a large russet-skinned jai-ruk stands some leverage when it comes to dealing with House Vash.
half a hand under seven feet in height. A small hip quiver of arrows and a short D. He will lead you through the Black Gate and toward the
bow can be seen beneath the folds of a weathered cloak, and the scent of his earth Smoke Dragon District, if you are willing to make an attempt
spark is heavy as his boots rest on the dark stones of the stadium.’ at the relic and its resting place. A contact there, a mercenary
named Increase Coin, has the location and will provide it
with Lareo’s seal.
64 The Subtle R evenant
The northern door holds a trap [DC 15] and unless disarmed it
Part Two: The Old Crypt will fire a sheaf of rusted darts at all those in Room 4. Damage from
Setting the Stage the darts is 8–24 [20 (10d4)].
This part of the adventure is much more ‘standard’ RPG stuff, 5. Tomb One
with a small delve into a crypt that should provide the players A large room with three alcoves in the southern wall
with the leverage they need against House Vash. Dethocrates stretches out before you. Each alcove holds a standing
will walk the players from the Black Gate to the Smoke Dragon sarcophagus. As you watch, a dim light from several
District, skirting the main streets until he finds a small bazaar runes in the ceiling begins to glow, and the sound of hushed
where he will meet with his contact, the mercenary Increase whispering begins to bounce around the cold stone walls
Coin. Coin isn’t someone the players need to interact with here, of the chamber.
but as in all things in Taux, that doesn’t mean he might not play Brace knew the lay of the land of this chamber (and something
a more important role later in the story. Increase Coin knew as well but didn’t reveal), and that is that
Encounter Point One unless you have a charm or talisman dedicated to the Tolimic God
Ueuecoyotl, the chamber ‘will rise up against’ any looters. In this
The meeting with Increase Coin, a tattooed and scarred man case, the resistance takes the form of two greater undead that are
of Zimbolay with a dour expression and long limbs, will be quick. completely resistant to all attempts to turn them while in their tomb.
Whispered words exchanged between Dethocrates and Coin are 2 Greater Skeletons [AC 8, HD 9, HP 36, #AT 1, D (1–12)+1]
hard to discern, but sooner rather than later a small roughly drawn Treasure
map is provided by Coin. Dethocrates will offer the map to the 2 +1 Obsidian Axes
players and then instruct them to find the relic within a small crypt 2 Greater Skeletons [AC 12, HD 9d10+18, HP 67, Initiative
secreted on the banks of a canal in this district. Once they’ve done +3, #AT 1, Hit +7, Dam Obsidian Axe 17 (2d12+5)]
that they are to bring the relic to a house in the Turquoise Turtle Behind the only sarcophagus that doesn’t open is a secret door [1
District where a negotiation will already be taking place between in 6] [DC 18 Perception].
Deth and an agent of House Vash. Also, the chamber has a secret door that opens into the main hall
‘Another bridge, more common than ghosts some citizens would whisper, of Room 8. Finding this door requires a successful search [1 in 6]
stretches out over a causeway as you make your way down the levy to the water. [DC 18 Perception].
Beneath the span, amid the moonlight playing against the water, several low fires
burn as squatters take shelter in the long night. Earthy magic presses against you, 6. St. Shay’s Chamber
the taste of it heavy on your tongue as the jai-ruks that make up the bulk of these The false door opens, smooth stone sliding against oiled
vagabonds overpower the air with their elemental sparks.’ metal. Beyond, a small room is decorated with a small
wooden bed, a series of chains attached to the ceiling, and
1. Entry a shelf filled with blood-red candles, whips, and other
Tumbledown and sea washed stones provide a deceiving metal and leather apparatus.
image of a completely collapsed tunnel, and yet hard This was the place where Brace would have his fun with
investigation exposes a small arch just big enough for a downtrodden women of Taux, proving his loyalty to the dark
person to slip through. Inside, a long dark hall stretching Saint Shay. Within a secret hole in the stone wall [1 in 6]
out twenty feet is framed by lichen-covered stone walls. [DC 18 Perception], a bag holds 75 gold jaguars and a
polished wood bracelet set with seven circles of onyx. This is
2. Moss Room the artifact that House Vash seeks.
A thirty by twenty rectangular chamber is set with a
passage in the western wall and a heavy wood door in the 7. Fresco Chamber
north wall. A deep green moss, burnished at the edges This heavily painted chamber is covered floor to
with yellow, grows all throughout the chamber. ceiling in moldering depictions of life in Taux before the
Investigation of the chamber will show signs of wear on the floor city was silenced. Two halls, one running south and one
moss leading to the passage. The door is waterlogged and has running north, branch off around a monolith that bears
swollen shut; it cannot be opened without a successful Open Doors the distinctive carvings seen in so many of the upper class
check [DC 15 Strength]. dwellings of the old city.
The monolith is actually a sealed cache that holds part of the
3. Shattered Prayer Room wealth of this fallen family. Detection of anything amiss with the
Two large cracked urns and a crumbled table lie in this monolith requires a direct check and a Find/Remove Traps at -20%
chamber. Debris including two tarnished candle sticks [DC 20 Perception]. Once found, opening the monolith requires
and some crumbled incense lie around the table, but the party to destroy it, presumably with a hammer as it takes 40
otherwise the room is without decoration. points of blunt damage [or 100 points of edged damage] to break it
enough to look inside.
4. Crypt Annex Treasure
This small ten by ten chamber is set with four doors, one A golden jaguar head statue (1000 GP value), 150
at each point of the compass. Each door is made of wood silver coatls, Scroll of Cure Light Wounds [Cure], +2
planks set with rusted metal braces. Heavy iron locks obsidian and wood Longsword of Wounding
attach to each ring-handle of the door, fastening them
tightly to the stone wall.
Each lock is -10% to remove because of heavy rust [DC 19].
Investigation [2 in 6] of the door on the south wall will indicate that
it has seen some use [DC 15 Perception].
65
8. Tomb Two The chamber was prepared for a high ranking member of the
Another large chamber with three southern alcoves lies family, but the disaster that destroyed Taux insured it was never used.
beyond the door. Light flickers here from runes set in the
ceiling, and a haunting wail sets the hairs on the back of 10. Treasure/Heirloom Chamber
your neck on end. A secret chamber accessed through Room 7.
This chamber is identical to Room 5, although there is no secret
door in any alcove. If the party has entered using the secret door 11. Sarcophagus Two
from Room 5, the outcome of the above description is the same. This door was broken years ago, only two small pieces of
Secret Door [1 in 6] [DC 18 Perception] wood still cling to the rusted hinges. Beyond, a shattered
Three ghosts haunt this chamber. sarcophagus and smashed coffin are in residence, but both
3 Ghosts [AC 0 (8), HD 10, HP 55, #AT 1, Age 10–40 years (saving look to have been destroyed long ago.
throw to negate), Magic Jar, +1 or better weapon to hit] A search [1 in 6] [DC 17 Perception] will reveal a small gold
Treasure ring in the debris of the coffin (still attached to a finger bone). The
None ring is actually a Ring of Feather Falling.
3 Ghosts [AC 11, HD 10d8, HP 45, Initiative +3, #AT 1, Encounter Point Two
Hit +5, Dam Withering Touch 17 (4d6+3), Etherealness,
Possession (Recharge 6), Damage Resistance: non- After finding the relic, the party should travel to the address
magical weapons, Immunity: cold, necrotic, poison] Dethocrates provided. Once there, they will see a small shop, a single
lamp burning in the window. The stones around them whisper and
9. Sarcophagus One gibber, many seeming to move and crawl at the edges of their vision,
This door, ravaged by time and wet air, crumbles although they do not move when stared at.
as you attempt to open it. Behind the newly created Dethocrates will already be outside, his eyes illuminated from the
pile of desiccated wood is a single chamber with a red glow of a pipe he is smoking beneath an awning. He will greet
stone sarcophagus. the party and ask after the relic, but he does not wish to see it, saying
such things of ancient Taux are better left undercover.
Once he has confirmed the party has the relic, he will relate
the negotiation, saying that House Vash will forgive any crimes
against them if the relic is delivered to its rightful location deep
within an old temple (which is actually an underground pyramid)
in the Ghost Towers. Once in the ritual room below the surface,
they are to place the item on the altar and leave it there. Although
this request is odd, the chance that it represents is something
Dethocrates sees as advantageous, even if it might only give Lareo
more time to find out the true plot.
1. Citizen Entry
Black stone, decorated with thousands of ancient glyphs,
presses in against you even in a hall some twenty feet wide.
Above, a dark ceiling adds to the weighty essence, and the
dulcet whispers of spirits echo in the shadows your light
doesn’t penetrate. Three sets of double doors, all made of
green-washed wood, are within the length of the hall, one
east, one west, and one to the north.
9. Bathing Room
The floor of this room is set with sloped grooves that
lead to holes cut into the western wall. Scenes of fish and
waterfowl have been carved into the walls.
10. Storage
An empty chamber set with stone shelves and no
carvings lies beyond the thin wooden door.
11. Storage
As you open the door, the crunching of bones can be
heard. Amid the darkness of this smooth-walled room,
a single figure is hunched over what might have been an
animal of some kind, blood pooling around its feet.
1 Ghast [AC 4, HD 4, HP 20, #AT 3, D 1–4/1–4/1–6, save vs.
poison or be nauseated, causing -2 to all attacks]
Treasure
None
1 Ghast [AC 13, HD 8d8, HP 36, Initiative +1, #AT 2,
Hit +5, Dam Claws 10 (2d6+3) Bite 12 (2d8+3), Turning
Defiance (advantage on savings), Stench (DC 10
Constitution or poisoned)]
67
68 The Subtle R evenant
13. Stair Chamber Underfloor 8 Shadows [AC 7, HD 3+3, HP 21, #AT 1, D 2–5 (plus Strength
The stairs give way to a massive triangular chamber set drain), +1 or better weapon to hit]
with two single doors, one northwest and one northeast, Treasure
and a pair of double doors to the south. The walls are None
carved with massive bestial hybrids that stand amid 8 Shadows [AC 12, HD 3d8+3, HP 16, Initiative +1, #AT
thousands of hieroglyphs. The double doors in the south 1, Hit +4, Dam Strength Drain 9 (2d6+2) + 2 (1d4) points
are made of metal and each is set with a single hieroglyph, of Strength, Damage Resistance: non-magical weapons,
the right door corresponding with a glyph on the northwest Vulnerability: radiant]
door, and the left door with a glyph on the northeast door. This is the grand ritual chamber of the temple and the relic is
To pass through the doors, a priest would have to give a devotion to supposed to be placed on the altar. It is there that the mercenaries
the under-gods of each of the other two chambers. This really only of House Vash have been told to recover it once they have dealt
means entering the room for more than a minute. Once this has been with the players. If only the single relic is placed on the altar,
done, the doors may be opened with a simple push, otherwise they nothing happens and the players must decide whether to leave it
are considered to be Wizard Locked and have no other mundane as instructed, or take it and return to the surface.
lock. Breaking them with damage would require over 150 points However, if both relics (the other possibly recovered in the
of damage, and each strike with a non-bludgeoning weapon would mini-adventure AT1.5 Storm Season) are placed on the altar at
require the weapon to make a successful saving throw or be shattered. the same time, they will glow with a dark light and become an
item known to the war priests of Taux as The Fists of the Onyx
14. Summoning Chamber One God. They possess the power of Gauntlets of Ogre Power and
Two massive pillars support the vaulted ceiling of this Bracers of Defense AC 4 [Bracers of Defense]. Whispered
chamber. In the northeast corner of the room a third pillar voices of ancient priests say the item’s title, and anyone picking
has fallen along with a huge section of the corner wall, a the pair up will instantly be aware of their purpose and powers.
massive carved stone wall section, probably depicting Encounter Point Two
some god, has fallen away and a huge opening into utter
darkness lurks beyond. As you approach, a single light Once the party attempts to leave the temple, it will come across
begins to glow in the darkness, the light swaying slowly a shadowed group of men that now dwell around the exit of the
back and forth in the gloom. Just below the warm glow are temple. These are mercenary agents of House Vash, and first
twinkling coins, gems, and softly glowing items. will ask where the relic resides. Whatever the answer, the leader
Within the darkness, and summoned through a small crease in of this company will nod to his men and blades (already at the
the fabric of existence between the uncharted realms beyond the ready) will be brought into play.
Plane of Shadow and our world, is a bender surrogate. Only allowed ‘Men, the heat of their fire spark filling the long dark chamber, rise from
into existence by the great spell that destroyed the city, this entity sitting positions as their eyes flare beneath the hoods of their cloaks. One
lies in wait for victims to come to it. It cannot leave its dark hole of them, armor creaking as he takes a position at their head, fingers the
(and can only travel 50 feet into the chamber) as it must maintain bejeweled hilt of a longsword as a thin smile cuts a swath of dark mirth
the connection to its distant plane of existence, otherwise all of Taux through his stubble-crusted face.’
might be in grave danger. The betrayal by House Vash will occur in Room 1 of
1 Bender Surrogate ‘The Angler’ [AC 0, HD 15+7, HP 127, #AT the temple.
3, D (1–10)+10 (Claws), (2–20)+5 (Bite), +2 or better weapon to hit, 6 Mercenaries [AC 4, HD 6, HP 36, #AT 2/1, D (1–8)+2 (Longswords)]
35% magic resistance] Treasure
Treasure 20 silver coatls each
Strewn around the mouth of the bender’s ‘home’ are 6 Mercenaries [AC 16, HD 6d8+6, HP 30, Initiative
various bones and coins (200 silver coatls in total), and +3, #AT 2, Hit +4, Dam Longsword (1d8+2), Pack
17 gems worth 25 GP each, as well as a +3 Knife, +2 Tactics (Mercenaries are at advantage if attacking
Shield, Staff of Striking, 13 Arrows +2, and a +2 Sabre with allies within 5 feet.)]
(Rapier) of Sharpness. 1 Mercenary Captain [AC 5, HD 10+10, HP 70, #AT 3 (+4 to
1 Bender Surrogate ‘The Angler’ [AC 20, HD 15d12+45, hit), D (1–8)+5 (Longsword)]
HP 135, Initiative +4, #AT 3, Hit +9, Dam Claw 16 (3d8+4), Treasure
Bite 20 (3D10+5), Damage Immunity: non-magical Longsword +2, belt pouch with 20 gold jaguars,
weapons, Magic Resistance] Potion of Extra-Healing [Greater Healing]
1 Mercenary Captain [AC 15, HD 10d8+20, HP 65,
15. Summoning Chamber Two Initiative +5, #AT 2, Hit +7, Dam Longsword 8 (1d8+4),
Beyond the three massive pillars that hold the roof of Multiattack, Parry (+2 AC against one attack)]
this chamber, there is little but hieroglyph covered walls Encounter Point Three
and a thirty-foot-tall carving of a winged serpent god that
rises from a banyan tree. The end of this particular adventure will find the characters
having gained little in the way of relief from House Vash,
16. Ritual Chamber although hopefully they will still be in possession of the relic
The double doors open to reveal a ten-foot-high raised once the final battle takes place. From this point, they have
platform with a single stair leading onto its surface. only one known option, meeting with Dethocrates outside the
Around the platform six pillars support the ceiling, and Black Gate. As the sun slowly begins to paint the sky pink in
another two rise from around the central altar. The walls the east, they’ve managed to survive one dark night in Taux,
of black stone are free of all adornment, but a polish, like but who knows how much longer their luck will last…
smooth onyx, has been applied that reflects your light in
a strange dance and casts shadows all over the chamber.
69
N
N
Mini-Adventure AT1.5 Set up for Folio #11
This mini-adventure is based around the story that takes place in
Folio #11, and thus if you run it before that adventure, you’ll have
a great base for how things should begin to play out once everyone
is safely in Taux. It is my suggestion that before the initial storm,
Dungeon Master Notes & Suggestions Captain Tram will have the party to his quarters for a meal, and
there will regale them with tales of the infamous Emerald Serpent
This mini-adventure is based around my love of the movie and the wiles of the Silk Purse, both located directly in the center of
The Final Countdown. In it, the U.S.S. Nimitz sails through a the Black Gate.
time hole back to pre-WWII and has a chance to stop the Japanese ‘If you travel to Taux,’ Tram says as he leans back in his chair and draws a
attack on Pearl Harbor. In this adventure, players are traveling long pull on a pipe, ‘you must find your way beyond the Black Gate. There, below
as a group aboard the trade ship Teller’s Bay. As they get close to the Raised Market you will find the finest drinking house in all the Halo—the
Taux a storm blows in, and they race for the shelter of the bay only Emerald Serpent. Once you’ve had your fill of spirits you might even cross the
to be overrun by a strange glowing distortion. This magical vortex gangway to the Silk Purse and partake of the sweetest flesh, both male and female,
throws them back to the night Taux was overcome by a magical of any of the races of the spark.’
apocalypse, and they have just enough time to escape back to the The Storm
present. In doing so, they recover an item that will later come into
play with events in the full Taux trilogy. The outer break islands of Taux rise up in the distance as great
waves strike against the breakwater, throwing huge walls of white
1. Primary Purpose into the darkening sky. Above, ashen clouds churn like a cauldron,
This adventure’s primary goal is to give the players a chance to occasional flashes of lightning mimicking skeletal fingers grasping at
recover ½ of a legendary relic used by the war priests of old Taux, the sheeting rain.
The Fists of the Onyx God. During the storm, the party will be
attacked by a ‘spirit priest’, one recently possessed by the power 1. The Ship
beyond the Plane of Shadow that is washing over Taux during the Waves break along the rails as Tram calls to his sailors, each
time jump. Once defeated, he will dissolve, but the relic will remain, springing from task to task as the spray lashes hair to their faces
one half on the deck, the other half washed out to sea (and later found in wet sheets.
by Brace Vash along the beaches). Although no outward attack happens as the ship begins its slow
crawl toward the shelter of the bay, the players should be called to
2. Secondary Purpose action by Captain Tram. He will utilize their abilities as he can,
This adventure also serves as an introduction to the ghosts of having those with high dexterity securing rope lines and sails, those
Taux, both in the present and the past. It will also offer a chance for with strength lashing cargo, and those with spells staying clear unless
the party to form as a unit—getting some familiarity and comradery they have magic that can assist. Appropriate ability checks can be
with each other—all before the events of Folio #11 take place. utilized here as needed, perhaps even a man going overboard that
the characters are called on to help if they can, otherwise he is lost
3. Time for running in the waves.
This mini-adventure is meant to be run BEFORE the events
that take place in Folio #11. If you run it after, there will be 2. The Storm
too many problems within the timeline setting, so I do not Each moment in the churning maelstrom seems an hour as the
recommend doing so. Teller draws closer to the shelter of the bay. The captain rails against
The Teller’s Bay the blow, his voice hurling insults into the gale-force winds as he steers
his vessel past the first breakwater. It is there that a glow spreads
The ship is the primary point of this adventure. However, no real across the water, wind taking on form like a thousand ghosts driving
detail concerning it has been laid out here, but you are free to use any past you in a vortex that envelopes the ship in a cold embrace.
ship map you have access to. If you are a miniatures gamer, and have This is the time slip, the Teller having passed through a rip in
a ship handy, by all means use it, but the real onus is on the stages time and space that takes it back to the fateful night of the Taux
of combat. That said, I’m going to list a few names and levels if you apocalypse. All characters need to make saving throws versus magic
would like to incorporate members of the crew into the fight. [DC 15 Wisdom] or be stunned for 1d4 rounds as the ship slides
Captain: Nye Tram, a human 8th level fighter [Bandit Captain] back into the past (consider half the crew to succumb to this effect,
First Mate: Sasha Imapov, a Korys 6th level thief [Thug] some sliding from lines and masts into the dark sea).
Ship’s Quartermaster: Rovo Krass, a jai-ruk 4th level fighter [Mercenary]
Crew: 1st level fighters [Bandits] 3. The Calm
Running Combat The sea beneath the Teller turns to a black sheet of glass, the ship’s
tortured flight from the storm suddenly ended as a hundred thousand
Keep things fast in combat and slow in the buildup. Utilize the twinkling lights from Taux rise up around you. Those lights, however,
essence of the unknown, the dark, the sea, and the fog to keep players are nothing compared to the swirling green funnel towering over it.
on edge. For this reason I wouldn’t suggest bogging the fights down At the center of the bay the impossibly tall Star Tower stands beneath
by adding excess crew to each attack. Let the players have a certain the swirling cloud, its shimmering light suddenly dimmed as a great
position on the ship, assigned by Captain Tram, and they can hold torrent of dark shadows begins to descend on the city, the bay, and
that spot until it is obviously time to abandon ship. the world beyond.
Telling the Story The crew has arrived at the very moment the doom has been
released on Taux, a wave of killing energy coming from beyond the
Remember, this trilogy is highly focused on the narrative. As the Plane of Shadow to blast souls and flesh alike directly into the stone
DM, you’ll see what I’ve put into each encounter and should try to of Taux. However, since the Teller has come out so close to the Star
branch off of that, continuing the feel and keeping players invested in Tower, some of its abjuration magic thwarts the energy, turning it
the action as though they are part of a story and not just a fight. corporeal and giving the ship a chance to fight.
73
6. The Priest Specter
Amid the carnage and screams another form appears, this
one wearing a great feline headdress and wielding an obsidian
hammer. His flesh is like polished obsidian, eyes burning with
embers of crimson flame, and forearms adorned with softly
glowing wood and onyx bracers. With a scream, he approaches,
hammer raised for battle.
This is the body of the Taux war-priest that brought about the
cataclysmic spell. His body has been fully infested with a powerful
bender-spawn, this one strong enough to enter the world without
a tether! Once defeated, his body will crumble and explode, the
hammer going over the side of the ship along with his left arm (and
bracer), but his right bracer will be cast across the deck and bounce
off the ship’s single launch (as a sign perhaps it is time to go!).
1 Greater Bender Infested Spawn [AC 0, HD 12, HP 72, #AT 2,
+5 Hit, D (1–12)+8, +1 or better weapon to hit]
Treasure
+2 Obsidian Hammer, The Fists of the Onyx God (Relic)
1 Greater Bender Infested Spawn [AC 20, HD 12d12+24,
HP 96, Initiative +4, #AT 2, Hit +9, Dam Obsidian
Hammer 17 (2d12+5), Multiattack, Damage Resistance:
non-magical weapons, Vulnerability: radiant]
7. The Launch
The sound of screaming is dying along with the crew of the Teller.
Above the din Captain Tram calls to abandon ship, his outstretched
4. The Fog arm pointing at a disc of light swirling off the ship’s portside.
A fog, cold like the kiss of the northern wastes, slides across the The magical shimmer is reminiscent of the glow that brought the
surface of the ebon waters. Aboard the ship, men exhale wisps of ship into the storm in the first place. It is at this point the players will
icy breath, and hellfrost forms on the masts and lines, each second need to quickly devise a way to get the launch into the water as the
drawing the shimmering cloud closer and closer. ship starts to break apart, more bender-spawn appearing, and the
The frost has no true effect on the players, however, movement on captain nodding slowly to the party as he is overwhelmed. To launch
the ship’s icy deck will cause a -1 penalty to attacks. the ship without magic, the players must have a combined Strength
Captain Tram begins calling for his men to form ‘gangs’. The total of 40 and need 1d4 rounds to get it in the water. They will also
players will also be called upon and it is here they should be given a have to contend with more bender-spawn interfering with the launch,
‘zone’ for defense on the ship, preferably next to a launch which they which might decrease the overall Strength score, and each round
will be required to use to escape the certain doom of the Teller. without a combined 40 adds another round they will have to be on
the ship. If they are still aboard after 10 rounds, the adventure is over
5. The Shades and they will die, just another victim of the demise of Taux.
The green witch-fire light that penetrates the gloom from the 8 Tether Abominations [AC 4, HD 7+7, HP 49, #AT 3, D 2–12
Star Tower gives form to clawed behemoths and humanoid shapes, (Necrotic/Slash), +1 or better weapon to hit]
some with groping tentacles, others masses of teeth and eyes. The Treasure
abominations roll out of the fog bank onto the deck as men scream None
and tear at their own flesh in horror. 8 Tether Abominations [AC 16, HD 7d12+14, HP 56, Initiative
These creatures are a type of bender-spawn known as tether- +3, #AT 3, Hit +6, Dam Slashing Appendage 9 (2d6+2) + 6
abominations, spirit creatures from the realms beyond the Elemental (1d8+2) Necrotic, Multiattack, Damage Resistance: non-
Plane of Shadow, given form by the Star Tower. Each has a ‘tether’ magical weapons, Vulnerability: radiant]
of magical energy that still connects it to its home plane of existence
(think a character’s astral thread). These tethers can actually be seen 8. The Beach
by players with a successful Wisdom check [DC 12 Perception] The launch breaks apart around you as the glowing magic abates.
and can be destroyed using magical spells or weapons. It takes 10 Warm water, welcomed after the cold of the battle, washes against
points of damage to destroy one, and they are considered to have your body in a gentle rhythm, the lights of a city alive and prospering
Magic Resistance 35% [Magic Resistance]. rising up out of the darkness. Sounds of lapping water can be
8 Tether Abominations [AC 4, HD 7+7, HP 49, #AT 3, D 2–12 heard nearby, and the light of the Ghost Moon reflects against the
(Necrotic/Slash), +1 or better weapon to hit] pearlescent sands of a crescent beach.
Treasure Once in the water, the launch will be drawn to the glow as though
None an unseen hand or tide is pulling it in. You may describe the dire
8 Tether Abominations [AC 16, HD 7d12+14, HP 56, cold of it, the cracking of the boards around them, and the terrible
Initiative +3, #AT 3, Hit +6, Dam Slashing Appendage screams echoing from the Teller, but otherwise they will make it
9 (2d6+2) + 6 (1d8+2) Necrotic, Multiattack, Damage through without any rolls needed.
Resistance: non-magical weapons, Vulnerability: radiant] Here ends the mini-adventure, and it should be the hope that they
The characters should be hard pressed by these creatures. At a have survived with the bracer in their possession.
minimum, they should be forced to fight five of these creatures before
moving on to Part 6. Obviously, cutting the tethers is the fastest way
through this battle.
74 Storm Seasons
Folio Module AT2
Experience Points
It is my determination that this trilogy won’t be experience point
heavy, meaning the ‘reward’ for play is the adventure itself and the
feel of being included in something bigger within the anthology
world of Taux. Therefore, I’ve listed the adventure for characters
levels 5–7, and I will keep all volumes of the trilogy within those
boundaries, as purely encounter experience shouldn’t total enough
to move levels a great deal beyond 7th. However, if you as the DM
wish to award larger sums of experience for great roleplay, I fully
support that, although keep in mind it might require you to adjust This day culminates with each district having a large
some encounters later in the trilogy. public dance in a common square or prevalent street
where local neighborhood blocks create a feathered
The Relic, Part Two serpent (think Chinese dragon dancers) and go about the
To anyone who possesses the relic from Folio #11, the Fist of the throngs of revelers giving out feathers and flowers to those
Onyx God, the DM should remember that magic items of this level with the finest blossoms and masks.
of power typically come with a cost. In this case, the possessor of the Day Three – NIGHT OF SECRETS
artifact will begin to see illusions (unknown to the character as such) The most entertaining night of the festival, it is the ‘free night’
of a lovely young woman leading children into dark alleys. If pursued, when men and women alike slip away from their obligations
there will be no sign of her or the children, save for whispering voices and release their life-toil in all manner of illicit activity. Often,
from the stone and what looks to be old blood on the stones that old grudges are settled on this night and many unsanctioned
speak of terrible murder. These visions will be reinforced by stories duels take place. This is the night most citizens go masked.
told of missing children (a common occurrence in Taux), and will It culminates with a citywide party that runs until 2 AM, at
persist throughout the week of the festival before the culmination the full height of the Blood Moon, when a mass of fireworks is
of the arc in which the Queen of Flowers, Ylissa Rummel, is to be released in the Raised Market of the Black Gate.
crowned. The queen is none other than the seemingly murderous Day Four – DAY OF REFLECTION
young woman in the visions, which is likely to conflict heavily with After the titanic social events of the previous day, the bulk of
saving her from the Vash conspiracy. the city returns to its normal life and spends time with family
and friends. This is the day of reflection, and one known to
Festival of a Thousand Blossoms heal many old wounds.
During the late spring of every year, the city of Taux participates Day Five – SAINT’S DAY
in a weeklong celebration revolving around rebirth and renewal. Huge celebrations take place around the city at the temples of
This is known as the Festival of a Thousand Blossoms and each one the various saints, and most marriages for the year take place
of its seven days is dedicated to a certain common practice by the on this day.
population. The festival culminates with the crowning of the city’s Day Six – ELEMENTAL DAY
overall Queen of Flowers, each district having elected its own Queen This is a big day for the populace as it pits the elemental talents
of Blossoms to represent it before the final choice is made for the city of each district’s races in feats of power. This covers a wide
as a whole. range of abilities, from Eldaryn throwing fireballs into the
The names of the days are as follows: harbor, to kin wrestling, and even air-born Aspara minstrels
Day One – LOVER’S DAY becoming a one person band.
Flowers are put out en masse throughout the city and
deliveries are prevalent as lovers show their affection for mates
both known and unknown.
Day Two – DANCE OF SERPENTS
77
Day Seven – THE EIGHT QUEENS to be removed from power. In so doing, she is convinced that the
On the final day of the festival, the Red Pillar Council will other Red Pillars will use their leverage to protect the heroes from the
choose the Queen of Flowers for the city from amongst the Vash family’s threat, at least overtly. It is her plan that the heroes use
candidates: one young woman elected Queen of Blossoms the Festival of a Thousand Blossoms as cover to infiltrate the Grand
from each district. The newly crowned queen will ride the Playhouse, discover what secret Henrish Myalka is hiding there
flower barge of her district down the canals and into the (known hereafter as The Conspiracy), and bring it to the attention of
harbor. There she will release the flowers representing the the Sturgeons, who will then deal with the problem publically.
wishes of all her people for the year to come into the bay.
THE CONSPIRACY
House Vash and the Red Pillar Council It is no secret that House Vash is vying for control of the entire
To truly understand one’s enemy, you must first be introduced Red Pillar Council, and its goals typically start with the weakest
fully to House Vash. Although House Vash is indeed a family, it is members of an organization and move up from there. The two
also a mercantile syndicate. The head of the family, Lord Vash, is Red Pillars with the least clout in Taux financially and militarily
known to have many wives and lovers, and proliferation has been are Mama Serene of the Silk Purse and Henrish Myalka of the
the trademark of the family for generations (which is why the family Grand Playhouse. Mama Serene has been problematic for many
symbol is that of a hydra, kill one head, two more grow back). This reasons, and to this point unassailable, but two seasons ago House
provides the family with a heavy resource of marriageable children, Vash installed a doppleganger into The Grand who eventually
both male and female, whom the family uses in political, magical, worked its way to Henrish and assassinated him, assuming his
military, and even racial marriages that will bring fresh power and place. Unbeknownst at the time to House Vash, Henrish was a beast
resources into the family. In Taux, you don’t need to be born a Vash tamer and Shay worshiper, having created a secret chamber in the
to be a Vash, or so the saying goes. In this fashion the family has basement of The Grand to worship his saint and nurture a prize
overwhelmed and consumed many a rival, ingesting their assets and brought out of the Black Swamp by a lowl master hunter. This prize
making them their own. was a basilisk feathered serpent, and Henrish loved it more than life
This is the enemy the heroes currently face, a multi-headed itself as he considered it a representation of his patron saint. The
‘serpent’, so to speak, and one that cannot be overcome with a beast fed only once a season, stealing the life force from a victim it
single blow. turned to stone, and so Henrish struck on a plan. He hired an actress
Adding to the Vash power, the family also sits at the head of the from Zimbolay, with skills in tome-magic taught by the witches there,
Red Pillars, a shadow council of the power players in Taux. The to impersonate a great sculptor from the other side of the world in
thirteen members of this council run the city’s political and mercantile Aflyr. Utilizing her skills with potions, especially charm potions,
interests and are seen as almost demigods by the populace. When he would choose, charm, and then sacrifice a victim to the serpent,
in public, they wear elaborate masks and outfits, but in truth are creating a beautiful piece of artwork that he could display in his
little more than those who have found a way to gain enough wealth, theater, as the serpent’s victims were turned to polished onyx when
power, and connections to be invited into the cabal (or cast out, as struck with its gaze. Once this diabolical secret was discovered by
happens on occasion to those who make a misstep large enough to the doppleganger, and then House Vash, it was decided that they
cost them their position). would use the knowledge to strike at another Red Pillar, Count
Bram Rummel, through his daughter Ylissa. As she had recently
demanded to join the Thunderstone Crew as a lead actress, the Vash
The Grand Playhouse decided they would first humiliate the Rummel family by having
Although events in this adventure will revolve around the seven Ylissa partake in another of Henrish’s dark secrets, the Five Star
days of the Festival of a Thousand Blossoms, the central cog in the Theater, then reportedly have her flee the city in disgrace only to
story arc is the Grand Playhouse of the Turquoise Tortoise District. be actually turned to onyx by the serpent and put on display in The
This three-story structure has become an iconic source of pride for Grand’s entry hall. To this point they have been grooming their prize
the citizenry of Taux. It lies within the heart of the Haunted Temple for the slaughter, heightening her fame by giving her the lead in The
District and was built on the ruins of one of the many fallen temples King and the Serpent and swaying Haunted Temple District votes
there. This makes the place both a remote yet assessable destination to gain her the position of Queen of Blossoms, with plans to offer
spot for the masses, and a prime meeting place for those with enough her up to the highest bidder among Taux’s wealthy and lecherous
money to brave the district at night. merchants for the final performance of the Five Star Theater on Day
‘The Grand’, as it is called by the people of Taux, is known to 7 of the Festival of a Thousand Blossoms. With Ylissa’s only brother
promote a single play per season with performances typically taking dead (killed by a Vash assassin in a duel) and Ylissa “fled” in social
place for one to two weeks in and around the city’s festivals. The disgrace, Count Bram will be ripe for the plucking. Either through
current owner and operator of The Grand is Henrish Myalka, a remarrying Count Bram to a young Vash lady (Ylissa’s mother died
notoriously flamboyant Korys who made a name for himself in the in childbirth bearing her), or if pressed, bringing Ylissa back (utilizing
city of Tiefon amid the New Kingdoms. He is a great showman and their doppleganger agent) and having her marry a Vash lord before
his parties, both for commoner and elite alike, have become things of perishing as well in some terrible accident, another Red Pillar shall
gossip and legend among the people over the past two decades. fall to the Vash family. It will be the heroes’ priority to solve this
mystery before the Vash plan comes to fruition.
Adventure Synopsis Dungeon Master Notes
The heroes have survived the betrayal of House Vash and return
to their contact Dethocrates only to find that House Vash is steadfast & Suggestions
in its desire to see the Fist of the Onyx God in its possession and the
heroes disposed of. However, Dethocrates and Lareo have a plan 1. NPC Interactions
that will pit the heroes against who they believe is a pawn in Vash’s This adventure deals with the iconics Savino and Tohil from
plan to usurp all the power of rulership in Taux. Tales of the Emerald Serpent and A Knight in the Silk Purse.
After being sent to the Silk Purse, the players will meet with Although well-defined in those two volumes, the basics of the two
Mama Serene, who will attempt to convince them that one of the characters are as follows: Savino is a Korys con artist, womanizer,
Red Pillars has been compromised by the Vash syndicate and needs and charlatan. However, his skillset indicates some previous training
78 The King and the Serpent
in both subterfuge, combat, and even espionage. Tohil is a human 3. The Feel of the City during the Festival
with ties to Far Zimbolay. He is the Sturgeon in charge of the Black This is the largest event of the spring in Taux, and perhaps
Gate District, and although bound by the law, he has a soft spot for the most celebrated holiday of the whole year, so make it seem
those less fortunate or in need. The other main NPC will be Mama that the city has come alive, and the players cannot move
Serene, the Archon Lady of the Silk Purse (who happens to be a Red without seeing some sign of the festivities (printed pamphlets
Pillar). She is a lovely woman in her early 40s who is kind to the promoting a crew, flowers everywhere, lovers hand in hand,
downtrodden but harsh in her principles and adherence to a code etc.). This type of in your face celebration will allow the
only she knows. She should be played with calm sophistication, and players to become a part of the adventure, especially if they
more can be found on her in both anthologies. partake in the events of each day.
Uncovering Clues
In this scenario there will be two ways to uncover certain clues that
will help reveal the mystery to the players. One way is by searching
a particular room or place and another is by questioning NPCs.
In the encounters below, I will list possible discoveries using target
numbers established as Easy, Moderate, Hard, and Sherlock. These
target numbers will be attached to either an S for Search or a Q
for Questioning, thus a full target number for questioning an NPC
might have ‘Q-Easy’ before the information acquired.
To achieve an Easy success, a character must roll the appropriate
attribute score or below on a d20, either the average of their
Intelligence and Wisdom for a Search roll, or a straight Charisma
check for a Questioning roll. A Moderate target would be the
attribute -3, a Hard result would be the attribute -6, and a Sherlock
result would be the attribute -10.
[Easy target DC 12, Moderate target DC 15, Hard
target DC 17, Sherlock DC 20 in either Search skill
or Persuasion]
Also, questioning NPCs will get easier the longer the character
spends time with them, so each day you can subtract 1 from the
Poison: The feathered basilisk serpent can spit an acidic poison at
target number on all questioning results. A failure simply means
a target from up to 20’, and even those making a saving throw will
the player gets no viable information. A critical failure means
take 2–12 points of acid damage from the venom touching their skin. the character has somehow been exposed as a spy and the crew
Missing a save means death in 1–4 agonizing (-8 to all actions and no will quickly be informed.
spell-casting permitted) rounds. Using Charm spells is also something that can be employed, and
the use of such spells will decrease the target number for gaining
Shed Feathers: This creature has the ability to absorb strikes from information by 5 but does not automatically give the players exactly
weapons and ‘shed’ the damage by sluffing off scales and feathers. This what they need as no one NPC knows everything that is happening
means that the 1st attack by any creature does ½ damage no matter the behind the scenes.
weapon type. Spells, however, have full effect (assuming they penetrate Also, each day there is a section called Savino’s Report. In these,
its magic resistance). Savino will provide information to the party on behalf of the actors’
Winged Basilisk Serpent [AC 16, HD 10d12+30, HP 90, clues, and he can also be asked to confirm other rumors or secrets,
Initiative +4, #AT 3, Hit +9, Dam Bite 16 (3d8+4), Constrict reporting back to the heroes the next day at some point. What he
20 (3d10+5), Wing 10 (2d4+2), Damage Immunity: non- reveals could be missed clues by the heroes, or new information, but
magical weapons, Magic Resistance, Poison (DC 16 this is up to the DM as to keep the adventure moving forward while
Constitution 20 (2d20) + Acid 15 (3d8+1)), Shed Feathers (1st not giving everything away on Day One.
physical attack from all enemies does ½ damage)] When information is found through a clue, I’ve provided only the
Winged serpents have been worshiped by those in the Tolimic basic hint. Further investigation into the clue is up to the DM, as
Empire for a thousand years, but once in a generation one of these you know the full extent of the story and can reveal things as you
creatures is born with the special ability to turn living things to stone desire. What you tell the players after the initial die roll is up to you,
with its gaze. Known as feathered basilisk serpents, these creatures as further conversation into the topic is certainly allowed. However,
can grow to enormous size and have dark black feathers and scales one thing you must remember is people tend to exaggerate what they
with eyes that shine a pale green. It is said that those who are turned to know, so you might also provide false information after the initial
stone by the creature provide it with life force to sustain it, as it cannot clue is had. Just a thought.
eat because its prey is petrified. There are also those that say kin are
unaffected by the creature’s terrible gaze, although this is unconfirmed.
80 The King and the Serpent
Day One: Lover’s Day
‘Like a high mountain field turned from green shoots of grass to a kaleidoscope of
flowering color, so too has the muted stone of Taux become resplendent. Lover’s Day,
the first day of the week-long Festival of a Thousand Blossoms, decorates the city with
budding florets in seemingly every window, door, shop, and central square.’
4. & 5. Left and Right Bleacher Seating (1st Level) 17. Main Stage Performer Ready Room
Several rows of bleachers allow for fine and For all primary speaking role actors, this is their
comfortable seating for the wealthier populace. At dressing and ready room.
the north end of each bleacher section, a small access
door allows patrons to mingle in pre-stage to meet S-Moderate
the actors. A secret door, as well as a peephole, is located in the northern wall
of this room, providing access to the company director’s room.
6. Main Stage
Rising roughly five feet from the standing room floor, 18. Company Director Room
the main stage of The Grand is set with four great This large 30’x30’ room is both office and home to
pillars and two ‘wing houses’ that can be redecorated Henrish Myalka, and the walls are decorated with old
as needed. play billings.
S-Easy S-Moderate
A larger trapdoor, 10’x20’ in full size, with a smaller 5’x5’ door A secret door and peephole is located in the southern wall of the room.
located inside the larger, is located in the middle-front of the stage. It
is locked from below.
6. The Security
Two large mercenaries, one human and one jai-ruk,
stand guard at the rear door accepting only those with
payment and password. Another mercenary is stationed
in the hall behind the north entry to the open theater just in
case something goes awry during the performance.
When dealing with security in The Grand, one must be careful.
They are a tightknit group and only accept orders from the
director. Compromising one of them will likely take a magical
charm, and if that is used, beware if the effect ever wears off!
3 Mercenaries [AC 4, HD 6, HP 36, #AT 2/1, D (1–6)+2 (Shortswords)]
Treasure
None
3 Mercenaries [AC 16, HD 6d8+6, HP 30, Initiative
+3, #AT 2, Hit +4, Dam Shortsword (1d6+2), Pack
Tactics (Mercenaries are at advantage if attacking
with allies within 5 feet.)]
97
However, Serata is only a decoy of the Vash, and the heroes and Ebontra Cross Duelist:
Serata will be betrayed and ambushed by dire lowl corrupted by dark Required Class: Duelist, Fighter, Ranger
magic. Realizing Serata was just bait, Balthazar will run off to find Proficiency Slots: 3
Cold Shay, leaving the heroes without further guidance. The heroes Special Ability: The Cross suffers no negative penalties for fighting
will be left with a choice: slip back into the woodwork and await the with an off-hand weapon.
next Vash plot, or find the true reason for the corruption of the lowl, Secondary Special Ability: At 5th level a Cross may make an extra
provide it to the Sturgeon Tohil, and then leverage it to gain respite. attack with an off-hand weapon.
Campaign Background Findalynn Bravo Duelist:
Required Class: Duelist, Fighter, Thief [Rogue]
The Chikin K’i’ik Tun Proficiency Slots: 3
The Circle of Bloody Stones Special Ability: The Bravo is adept at using his off-hand weapon in
Each year, a secret dueling tournament takes place inside one of defense, doubling the Dexterity modifier for AC.
the three great trade cities of the Halo Ocean: Taux, Ebontra, and Secondary Special Ability: At 5th level, a Bravo may make a saving
Findalynn. The dates of these tournaments are set around various throw versus petrification [DC 14 Constitution] to half the damage
astronomical calculations, and therefore happen on a random day inflicted from a blow once per combat round.
that can’t be tracked by law enforcement. This year, this particular
day takes place only a week after the Festival of a Thousand Blossoms Dungeon Master Notes & Suggestions
in the city of Taux.
What this means to citizens of Taux is that the ranks of duelists 1.
inside its walls will swell; lesser duels, blood feuds, and theatrical The Primary NPC in this adventure will be Balthazar, an
swashbuckling are commonplace during the event. Some people outcast Taux Razor with training in both the Razor and Ebontra
hide secrets and pay debts both old and new, some settle scores, and styles. He is a good-looking young man in his early twenties with a
for the greatest of the duelists, those of the three great guilds, the well-trimmed goatee and wavy dark hair. His purpose is to see to
hierarchy of membership is established. It is typically the latter duels the fall of Esmerelda Serata, who he believes has become an agent
that are most enjoyed by people willing to risk punishment by the of the Vash and is preparing to ambush and kill his friend Cold
city’s Sturgeons, as fans of all three guilds will rabble-rouse and cheer Shay the Beautiful Death.
on the bloody sport wherever it takes place.
Still, even these combats typically don’t end in death unless those 2. The Dire Lowl
participating take part in a secondary ritual, that of laying out stones One thing that will continue to be gossiped about throughout
in a circle with the final laid by both combatants being decorated the adventure will be that some lowl in the city are turning savage.
in blood (not necessarily their own). For these death duels, only one This is true, and has been accomplished by a new female tome-
fighter will exit the circle alive, and for the Sturgeons of Taux, these mage recently signed on as a retainer to House Vash. Receipts for
are the contests they most ruthlessly pursue in a kind of ‘not under payment are within the tome-mage’s lair and bear the Vash seal.
my watch’ mentality. Unbeknownst to either the Vash or the heroes, this tome-mage is
Typically, only one such contest per district is put into play by actually a shard of the Infernal Machine from Roslof Keep, and
the guilds in the city, otherwise the death toll would be too great has saved the payment receipts from House Vash, as well as detailed
on those participating. It wouldn’t be overly prudent to lose all your information concerning the transformative corruption (harkening
best fighters each year, but for those that win such contests, glory, back to the Violet Corruption) she undertook for them, to ensure
rank, and privilege are certainly theirs to be had. Winning a Bloody chaos if she is ever threatened.
Stone Circle duel is considered ‘gallant’ among the guilds, and only
someone who has won such a contest is ever considered for upper 3. Running the Endgame with House Vash
leadership of the guild orders (roughly a high ranking lieutenant with As stated many times, House Vash can’t ever truly be defeated,
privilege). As this event is highly illegal, only a single day is dedicated there are too many of them in different cells throughout Taux
to it, and then it and the duelists involved will turn to smoke and with enough clout to insist one cell was working independently and
scatter to the winds. therefore not all the Vash were involved. However, in the case of the
The Three Dueling ‘Kits’ players, they can use information gained from both Folio #12 and
Folio #13 to destroy a single cell, led by Timmer Vash, the 1st cousin
For game purposes, I’ve broken down the sub-class dueling powers of Tlacolotl Vash and someone Tlacolotl was already thinking of
of each type of guild duelist you will face in Taux. To acquire these getting rid of. If they manage this, then all past debts or plots with the
‘kits’, a character must invest three proficiency slots that will grant the Vash family are at an end, at least until some other event comes to
special powers each school employs. Each is based around the NPC rest on the heroes’ doorsteps.
class duelist found in Dragon Magazine #73, but a standard fighter
class (as well as others below) can be utilized to make a Guild Duelist 4.
of one of the three great schools. And remember, if you are using the Esmerelda Serata is an interesting NPC that can become a great
duelist NPC class, they get that pesky save vs. killing blow ability ally of the characters if they play their cards right. Although obsessed
which makes them problematic. If such an ability is put into play, with killing her half-brother, Cold Shay, she is a strong duelist with a
you might use it to save NPCs and have them ‘tap out’ so to speak, keen mind and has many connections in Taux as her family was once
knowing they are beaten. a great power in the city before Shay brought about the downfall of
Taux Razor Duelist: their father.
Required Class: Duelist, Fighter
Proficiency Slots: 3
Overall Story Arcs and Threads
Special Ability: Wounding (Each time a Razor scores a hit, the victim must 1. The Running of the Clock
make a saving throw versus petrification [DC 14 Constitution] or begin It is very important to note that the actions of this adventure all
bleeding at 1 HP per round. These hits are cumulative.) take place in a single day (just as those of Folio #11 took place in
Secondary Special Ability: At 5th level a Razor can modify a critical hit roll to a single night). Therefore, the players must be made to understand
a specific location, thus tripling the damage instead of doubling it. the import of speed, moving from one encounter point to the next
98 Playing Down the Dawn
These corrupted souls are mad with a battle-rage that makes them
as quickly as possible. Only in this way do they have a chance of
almost unrecognizable as lowl, with facial distortion and shoulder
fulfilling plans laid out by Balthazar to free them of another threat.
expansion that give them a truly dire appearance. They have been
changed by horrific magic born from their demon goddess and
2. brought forth by the power of corruptive magic. Only the power of the
As this is the culmination of the trilogy, it should be no secret just
magic that corrupted them has any control over their actions, and if
how sick of House Vash the players should be. Keep the carrot of left unattended, they go into a bloody rage, seeking to rend the living
sticking it to the Vash and getting them off their backs right in front limb from limb.
of them to help propel them along.
103
The bulk of the lowl will attack anyone on the ground floor, but if
they break through any line of defense, at least two will make for the
stairs and try to get to the top floor, searching for other victims.
12 Dire Lowl [AC 5, HD 5, HP 30, #AT 3/1, Damage/Attack:
(2–8)+4/(1–4)+2 (2 Claws/1 Bite), Special Attacks: Flamefist
(already calculated into the damage)]
12 Dire Lowl [AC 15, Speed 30 ft., HD 5, Attack: 3, Init: +3,
Hit +8, Claw 8 (2d4+4), Bite 4 (1d4+2), Multiattack, Flamefist
(additional 5 (1d6+2) flame damage on claw attacks)]
1. Primary Purpose
The bulk of this adventure will be to wrap up the final loose ends
with House Vash and end the feud.
2. Secondary Purpose
If the relic, The Fists of the Onyx God, is still in play, then
there is also a built in opportunity for the heroes to be rid of it
once and for all.
History
Built by the Honorable Patriarch of Dionysus, Lauren Thomas, this priestess set
about making a name for herself as a fine hostess to those travelling through the
western gates of the city. Initially just a single building, Mrs. Thomas managed to
grow the popularity of her establishment, as well as its size, over a period of nearly
thirty years. However, it wasn’t until her granddaughter, Eliza, that the Gracious
Arms became one of the city’s finest. During Eliza’s tenure, the Patina Court was
in full swing, and the wealth of its creation, as well as the trade it brought to the
neighborhoods north of the Main, quickly turned the Arms into the prime waystation
for those who came to the area.
Places of Interest
The Arms sports five buildings, including a well-appointed stable. Two buildings
are reserved for guest rooms, with the upper floors containing suites that can be
had by the week or the month. Building three, known as ‘The Eatery’, houses the
spacious dining area and kitchens that serve those coming for meals from around the
Main, guests who can have meals delivered to their rooms, and the staff of the Arms. 3. Two men in red have been running beggars off from Beggar’s Fountain. TRUE,
Building four is home to the permanent staff of the Arms, although some staff live off- these are the newest ‘elite’ enforcers of the Teller Gang (known as Crimson Centurions)
site in the Patina where they raise families. Building five is the stable, and can house and were pushed by Notorus Rexa to take Nasim and hold him for ransom from his guild.
up to fifty steeds as well as three carriages. 4. A city guardsman disappeared near Hollow Tree last evening and there was
Costs supposed to be squeaking heard from the wood after. FALSE, however, the Hollow
The Gracious Arms has an extensive menu as well as varied rooms for those Tree (located behind the Rancid Cauldron toward the Wizard’s Knoll) is a secret
having the coin to pay.
Breakfast: entrance into the lower dungeons.
Plain (porridge, toast, cheese) (1 SP) 5. Giant lizards live below the Patina and trade emerald scales to the House
Elaborate (eggs, ham, toast, gravy, sweet bun) (5 SP)
Lunch/Dinner: of Flying Daggers for weapons. TRUE, lizardmen do live below the streets of
Plain (pan-fried potatoes, breakfast ham, bread & honey butter) (1 GP) Valoria, and Ling Tuo enjoys using odd scales they bring him in the creation of
Elaborate (sweet potato pie, beef stew, soft loaf & cinnamon butter) (2 GP)
Supper: his dagger sheaths.
Plain (pan-fried chicken, hard rolls & gravy, fruit of the day) (1 GP)
Elaborate (venison steak, sweet bean gravy, baked potato & butter,
soft loaf, hot fruit pie) (5 GP)
Gaming Hooks
Spirits:
Beer, small, pint (5 CP) The Blind Leading the Blind
Beer, heavy, pint (1 SP) 1. Nasim the White Eyed leads a group of beggars that frequent the Beggar’s
Ale, pint (2 SP)
Ale, Dwarven, pint (1 EP) Fountain. Three nights ago he disappeared, and two men in red cloaks have since
Mead, pint (1 EP) been running off beggars from their territory. These men in red cloaks are actually
Mead, Urn Special Brew, pint (15 SP)
Wine, table, pint (1 EP) new Teller ‘elite’ thugs (3rd level fighters), and have been told by Notorus Rexa to
Wine, Sylph Snow Sparkling, pint (15 SP) capture Nasim and hold him in a small house just west of the Broken Warlock until
Wine, Erinthor Gold, pint (1 GP)
Wine, Valorian Ruby, pint (2 GP) the Beggar’s Guild pays him 50 GP in ransom.
Wine, Halfling’s Emerald, pint (5 EP)
Wine, Golden Lake Lilac, pint (4 GP) Seven Coppers Alley
Wine, Valorian Fireamber, pint (1 PP) 1. Seven Coppers Alley is home to the Way Men, but trouble found the gang last
Brandy, Valorian, gill (1 EP)
Brandy, Urn special aged, gill (1 GP) night in the form of Notorus Rexa and the Tellers. There are two highly confused
Orcish Hammer Liqueur, half-gill (5 GP) and angry survivors, and they are planning to attack Cano, ‘Rogue of the Scarf’, who
Lodging:
Private Room: 2 GP per night one of them saw leaving the site of the attack at the Warlock Hostel late in the evening.
Common Room: 1 GP per night The Tellers created Brawl Club to use against all the other gangs in the Patina, each
Suite: 5 GP per night (20 GP per month)
Rumors: fight observed and cataloged to gain an advantage in knowing their enemies’ combat
1. The Way Men have been recruiting from ‘over the Main’ for an upcoming clash strengths and weaknesses. This means that anyone participating in a fight at Brawl
with the Tellers. TRUE, Davick Way, leader of the Way Men, has contacts all the Club will provide ALL members of the Tellers with a +2 to hit combat bonus against
way out to the docks, where his brother is a longshoreman, and has been recruiting them. Using this advantage, the Tellers decimated the new nautical recruits of the
those sick of sailing to his cause while training them up in fighting at Brawl Club. Way Men and have scattered the gang. However, Cano was only an observer of the
2. Isildred is looking for a new mate, but only the handsome need apply. TRUE, turf war, so this last attack (which the PCs likely stumble into at the Warlock) might
Isildred has indeed felt the urge to once again procreate, but only those with a be averted if proof can be had that Cano wasn’t involved.
Charisma of 15 or higher (and a Comeliness of 15 if you use this stat from the AD&D
Unearthed Arcana) need attempt the feat of wooing her.
113
Costs
There always seem to be rooms available at the Warlock with folk coming and
going through this last rung of housing.
Lodging:
Private Room: 1 GP per week
3rd Floor Commons: 5 SP per week
Rumors
1. Folks in the parlor like to joke that Proprias the Learned is secretly pursuing
Mrs. Nuln in some long, drawn out dwarven courting ritual. TRUE, Proprias has
been after Mrs. Nuln for years, but she believes in only one marriage in a lifetime.
2. Niya, server of the Rancid Cauldron, is looking for a husband to help raise her
daughter, Katie, a girl most agree is ‘too wild’. FALSE, Katie’s father is actually
Notorus Rexa of the Tellers, and Niya hopes he will make good on his word to ‘take
them out of here’ when he gets his big break.
3. Cano, ‘Rogue of the Scarf’, is actually a drug dealer who mixes a highly
addictive drug called Dream Petal in his room. ‘You can often see him carrying in
strange herbs and roots to his room just after nightfall.’ FALSE, Cano actually mixes
poisons in his room and happily kills anyone peddling Dream Petal, which was the
downfall of his wife.
Gaming Hooks
Only for Afternoon Tea
1. Lanka the Shade likes her tea, and the more exotic the better. She often brews
tea in the parlor during the mornings she is in residence, but of late she has had a
hankering for Yellow Cap Tea, a refreshing drink made from yellow cap mushrooms
Sins of the Paladin that grow among the tombstones along the Wizard’s Knoll. She doesn’t have time to
1. One of the servers at the Gracious Arms, a lovely girl named Paya, is actually collect them herself, but would gladly pay a PC 2 GP to collect a small bag of them.
the illegitimate daughter of Sir Ulrich Bright, Paladin of Apollo. Bright nearly lost However, once among the stones, the PC will encounter a walking corpse sent by
his paladin stature by helping create the child (and only didn’t because, hey, his god is the crypt thing in DF1 to harry folks coming too close to his crypt. The corpse is a
Greek and we know how they ‘roll’), but has since paid his penance by watching over standard zombie build.
her from afar. Recently, however, Abrella of the Third Eye read the girl’s tea leaves Mrs. Nuln’s Scarf
and discovered the source of her parentage. This knowledge was recently stolen by 1. Mrs. Nuln is an old dwarf, and former wife of one of the stoneworkers who
one of Abrella’s agents in the Patina and is now being offered to the highest bidder. helped cut crypts into the Wizard’s Knoll for the Murtel Family years ago (a point
Both Abrella, determined to protect her reputation, and Notorus of the Tellers, who that the DM might use to give characters useful info later in DF1). She recently had
wants the information, are seeking the agent. The PCs are approached by Abrella her burgundy silk scarf stolen by members of the Rovers gang as she was coming
and offered 10 GP per party member if they find the agent and bring him to her back from Beggar’s Fountain (where she donates coppers to the poor humans there).
before Notorus gets his hands on him. She will offer any PC 5 GP to find the scarf and return it to her. Beggars down
The Broken Warlock Hostel at the fountain do know who among the Rovers took the scarf and where he can be
found, the party need only part with a few coppers for the info.
Home to a dozen permanent residents and half again that number of travelers, Katie’s Pet ‘Dog’
the Broken Warlock has gotten a name for itself as a place of refuge from the prying 1. Katie, the daughter of a server at the Rancid Cauldron, spends her days
eyes of the Patina, and to a lesser degree Valoria itself. A soul can get lost here if they playing in her mother’s rented room, pestering travelers for stories in the rear parlor,
wish not to be found, and for those staying at the residence it can be a slippery slope or dashing between the Warlock and the Cauldron to visit her mother. During one
when trying to engage neighbors in adjoining rooms with questions. The Warlock is of these forays she spotted (or was spotted by) one of the giant bullet ant workers that
still of solid foundation, and residents seldom complain when taking into account the have recently discovered the Rancid Cauldron’s cellar. Thinking it ‘cute’, she fed the
costs for their rooms, especially within earshot of the establishment’s owner, Alshock creature and has continued to do so from her window on the first floor of the Warlock
the Thrifty. each time she hears it hiss. Little does she realize that the creature is not unique, and
that more and more are coming to be ‘fed’ at her window, a problem that is growing
History since she is running out of food. If unfed, Katie might be next, and then the entire
Built for laborers who worked to create the largest homes in the Patina, this Warlock if a larger ‘food source’ is relayed back to the colony.
building has gone through dozens of owners before finally coming into the hands of
Alshock. By keeping his rent lower than the Gracious Arms, which sits south of the
The Rancid Cauldron
Warlock toward Main, Alshock maintains a strong business of folk clinging to the You need a very strong stomach and immune system to eat regularly at the Rancid
bottom rung of relevancy in Valoria. Clients are either moving up in the world or Cauldron, but considering many folks in the Patina would starve without meals here,
down, but the Warlock offers a seemingly safe haven to all who can pay the room rate. the tavern tends to maintain a steady business. Most information ‘off the Main’, as
the folks in the Patina like to say, can be had here, as all manner of locals mingle
Places of Interest during the three meal times of the day, or if you are on the rowdier side, the ‘spirit
Boasting two stories with a repurposed third floor loft that serves as a common hours’ when drinks flow aplenty after dark.
room, the Warlock is a microclimate of varied lifestyles and cultures pressed together
between horsehair plaster walls. Most folk carry with them remnants of past lives History
and places, so seeing trinkets from distant lands is commonplace within. The most Once the home of Gutav ArchStorm, Lama of Lightning, this old Patina Court
frequented room in the establishment is the rear parlor, a place where the more home was turned into an eatery nearly fifty years before the current date. The owner,
outgoing residents congregate during the day for talk and sometimes tea or spirits, a red-haired and fiery-tempered gnome by the name of Noxis ‘Emeraldclock’ Pike,
while in the evening it turns into a gambling hall for no more than six intrepid oversees the daily happenings of the tavern with an abacus in one hand and a tankard
hucksters with coins to spare. of beer in the other. He is a notorious miser, and many are warned to never make a
114
deal with him unless it is absolutely necessary (as he does lend money from time to
time). As ArchStorm wasn’t overly wealthy (much of his adventuring coin going to
tithe at the Temple of Zeus), the building is only a single story, the bulk of which is now
the common room, and the rest the kitchen. Noxis lives in the attic, which despite low
and sloped ceilings, is perfect for his diminutive size.
Places of Interest
The common room is always a place to hear the latest rumors of the Patina, as
gossip costs less than even the stew, and often times is thicker. Noxis also has a small
room beyond the kitchen where he cooks his books and stores his treasures, or so the
folk in the front of the bar enjoy saying.
Costs
Those choosing to break their fast here are of a stronger constitution (or worse
economical condition) than most.
Breakfast: Cold Porridge (2 CP)
Lunch/Dinner: Stew (1 SP)
Supper: Stew & Bread (2 SP)
Spirits:
Stale Beer (1 SP)
Watered Wine (2 SP)
Rumors
1. The bones of ArchStorm are located in the cellar of the tavern. FALSE, but
there are no shortage of other things down there as Noxis is a proud hoarder.
2. Brigit Murtel has recently gotten engaged to an adventurer from outside
Valoria. FALSE, she’s entered into a trade agreement with a human merchant from
Urn (who deals directly with the gnomes there), but she is not engaged.
3. Abrella of the Third Eye is one of the daughters spawned from Isildred the
Astronomer’s relations with human men. FALSE, but close, she is actually the
granddaughter of Isildred, so she is actually ¼ elven blood.
4. The ‘black eyes’, a strange race of furry thieves, come to the Cauldron at night
and trade stolen goods to Noxis for uneaten food. TRUE, the black eyes do call on
Noxis on occasion, as they very much enjoy spoiled human food.
5. There are five entrances to Valoria’s sewer system in the Patina, and the gangs
use them as secret throughways to avoid detection. TRUE/FALSE, there are indeed at all. For some, that means interment into catacombs, others burial plots along the
five access points to Valoria’s sewers in the Patina, but no gangs use them for fear of Wizard’s Knoll, and for the rich dwarven-made crypts in the knoll and carved burial
running into ratmen or even worse, lizardmen. vaults above ground. To the Murtels, all are welcome, assuming you can pay.
Gaming Hooks History
‘Big’ Gram Tolb wants a fight! Legend proclaims that Lovar Murtel was a companion of Queen Anuktata when
1. One of the locals, a drunk named ‘Big’ Gram, gets surly one evening during she passed over the frosty peaks of the Erinthors against the demonspawn. Whatever
‘spirit hours’ and will challenge the largest member of the PC party to a fist fight. No the case, Lovar was bound to death, a priest of Hades, and once he retired to Valoria
matter how the fight goes, the other PCs watching will hear a few drunk locals say, he set about tasking himself the keeper of the dead. Generations without count have
“Take it to Brawl Club,” thus putting this secret fighting club into the PC’s Patina passed since he built his small shrine against the wall of the Wizard’s Knoll, and
knowledge. Note: Brawl Club IS NOT located on the map, therefore it is a secret that after centuries it has become a mortuary that has seen countless dead from Valoria’s
can be placed anywhere the DM sees fit. populous. Now, Brigit Murtel, lone member of her ancient household, lords over
The Gypsy Dancer the ‘paths of the dead’, doing what she can to continue her family’s traditions while
1. One night while dining, Brimbold Elderman the Lark begins playing a rousing bolstering what strength she can against those that would see entropy come full circle
tune with his lute. As he does so, a lovely young woman in skirts and scarves steps and at last claim the family that has so long had power over death in the city.
atop a nearby table to the PCs and begins dancing. Brimbold seems enchanted by
her, and once he’s done, tries to make his way to her, but she disappears amid the Places of Interest
rowdy folk congratulating him on his ‘best tune yet’. Distressed, he will hire a PC Murtel’s Mortuary is a full member of the Patina, its main building creating an ‘L’
for a gold piece to find any information on the girl so that he can play for her again. that shields the family compound beyond, and to the east two structures act as body
What becomes of this is up to you. preparation facilities. The ‘L’ houses a Library of the Dead which keeps extensive
Who ate the fish? lineages of the families of the city as well as viewing rooms for funerals, and a small
1. Notorious for giving folks who eat there intestinal pains, tonight’s meal of ‘fresh shop dedicated to the various accoutrements of the dead. Little is known of the family
fish stew’ has begun to set very poorly with all those who ate it. If any PC makes compound beyond, save that it is three stories and could house more than two dozen
a saving throw versus poison, they are unaffected and will quickly be approached guests at any one time. Some folk even indicate it has interior plumbing that includes
by Noxis who requests they run to the Warlock and retrieve a bottle of Estaban hot and cold running water.
Moncrief’s ‘Stomach Soothing Elixir’. He will pay them a gold piece to get the bottle Costs
and bring it back so that he can charge the sick customers 1 copper piece per drop to Burial costs vary greatly on your social station, but Murtel’s Mortuary caters to all
soothe their cramps, diarrhea, and in worst case scenarios, vomiting. types of social strata. Costs of funeral services and ‘special’ ceremonies negotiable at
Murtel’s Mortuary time of contract signing.
Cremation: 2 SP
Catacombs: 1 GP
If you’ve ever seen the walls of Valoria, then you understand how ancient the city Private Grave: 5 GP
is. Still, one gets the same feeling when dealing with the Murtel family who have Crypt (Above Ground/Shared): 25 GP
Crypt (In Hill/Shared): 50 GP
been running the ‘paths of the dead’ in Valoria since the first king took his throne. Private Crypts and Mausoleums:
The mortuary is the final stop for the bulk of the dead in Valoria who had any money Negotiable, but upwards of thousands of gold
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Rumors various arches lead to the six surrounding pool areas. One of these is the hot baths
1. The Murtels are actually undead, and Brigit is just the latest iteration of Lovar known as the Jade Pool, which is a green marble pool that can house up to eight
Murtel’s wife Yevanna. FALSE, although Brigit is a priestess of Hades, so her patrons easily. The second, and last still functioning, is the Ebony Pool, set with
connection with the dead is stronger than most. black marble and steaming mineral water. It is the smallest of the baths and can
2. Great treasures are housed in the dwarven-made crypts, but shadows guard only hold three patrons, but is popular among those wealthy enough to enjoy the
those from grave robbers. FALSE, on both counts. The Murtels, although not Brigit, spirit-refreshing waters. This pool was blessed by priests long ago and has the ability
have stolen precious heirlooms from their crypts for centuries. Also, the rumor of to cure disease, as the spell, if a person bathes in its waters for five straight days. The
shadows was perpetrated by Brigit’s grandfather to help keep intrepid thieves from remaining four baths have been converted to living areas for the Tellers, a brothel
finding out his family’s dark secret. chamber (broken into a series of private curtained tub rooms and a reserved back
3. If you have enough money, you can ‘displace’ those who have already been chamber for more elite customers), a sauna utilizing the last remaining water still
buried by the Murtels. TRUE, money talks and the dead don’t, and if you have pushing from a dying bath, and finally Teller’s Hall, the home of the leader of the
enough, the Murtels have been known to relocate bodies to make room for new gang, Notorus Rexa.
arrivals. What happens to the old residents is anyone’s guess (although the crypt Prices
thing in DF1 might have been brought about by such practices). Common Bath: 5 SP for an hour access to the Master Pool
Hot Bath: 10 SP for an hour access to the Jade Pool
Gaming Hooks Healing Mineral Bath: 5 GP for an hour access to the Ebony Pool
Private Bath: 8 GP for a bath drawn in a brass tub in the brothel chamber
Attended Bath: 15 GP for a ‘Lady of the Helicrium’ to attend you while you bathe
The Grave Digger in the brothel chamber
1. Brigit has recently placed a post on the door of the Broken Warlock seeking a Master’s Bath: 25 GP for a ‘Maiden of the Helicrium’ (Charisma 15) to attend you
while you bathe in the reserved brothel chamber
gravedigger. The position pays 2 SP a day, and she needs the person for five days. Sauna: 15 SP for an hour in the sauna
The reason for this need is some of her staff have been lost to the crypt thing in DF1, Note:
Anyone partaking of these services is
but this is a good way for a PC to get to know Brigit. Also, Katie, the child resident considered to have +1 to their Charisma score for the next 24 hours.
of the Warlock will ask to accompany anyone going to dig a grave as she thinks that
would be ‘super cool’ to see. Rumors:
Driving the Dead Wagon 1. The Ebony Pool has special restorative properties in the water because a
1. If a PC does the grave digging for Brigit, she will offer a side job paying an priestess of a long-forgotten healing goddess died in the bath. FASLE, no priestess
addition gold piece to retrieve a body in her ‘Dead Wagon’ from the Restuss family died here, but priests did once enchant the pool to cure disease, so the part about the
down near the docks. Again, not a terribly tough task, although the PC will certainly water is true.
get some ‘looks’ along the way as people steer clear of the black wagon and horse. 2. There are three women known as Teller’s Muses who can be had for a heavy
Pallbearers for the Dead purse of gold in the private baths of the Helicrium. All of these women are said to be
2. Kaleb Hex, an ill-liked moneylender has recently died and left no family or of a level of beauty rarely seen in the Patina. TRUE, there are three ‘maidens’ under
friends. He has, however, paid for a Viking-type funeral from Murtel’s, and Brigit the ownership of Rexa that he shares with patrons of the house for the right price. All
needs six pallbearers to carry Kaleb’s body, inside a small boat acquired from the are Charisma 15 or higher.
Main boat maker, up to the high cemetery for a cremation service. She’s willing to 3. Taking a private bath in the Helicrium puts those who have crossed blades
pay 3 SP per pallbearer. If the PC that has been working for her manages to gather or fists with the Tellers at risk for their lives. FALSE, to this point Rexa refuses to
friends to help her out, she’ll also tip him/her another gold coin. compromise his business with easy reprisals, and will quickly retaliate on anyone
3. Note: If the PC completes all three of these scenarios, Brigit will be sure to offer spreading this rumor. However, that isn’t to say he wouldn’t put an end to a large
the mission in DF1 to enter the crypt. She will also, however, ask the PC to a private threat if he thought it was better for his well-being to do so.
dinner at the Murtel compound as she is weary, is looking for a friend (or perhaps
more), and desperately needs an ally as she’s just now discovering what dire deeds her
Gaming Hooks
family has been up to over the passing years. The Miserable Muse
Helicrium Bathhouse 1. Olivia the Pale, an incredibly beautiful (Charisma 17) young woman sold two
years ago to Teller for her family’s debt, has been serving Rexa as his most prized
Built even before the rise of the Patina estates in this venerable neighborhood, ‘Maiden of the Helicrium’. However, she has recently heard of the Ladies of Prophet
the Helicrium has stood longer than even Isildred can remember. The house (see Folio #9) and wishes to flee the prostitution and servitude of Rexa for liberation
itself is a large domed affair set with half a dozen large pools (only two of which among those ladies. However, she has no way out, but will try to slip a note to a
still function) and a series of private saunas and hot spring pools that still serve character (assuming they are in any of the baths) or get them a message from another
the likes of the Teller Gang. patron who knows of them, hoping they will help her.
A Child’s Pain
History 2. Milo of Main, a street urchin known about the Patina for running messages
Built by some of the first Valorians to resettle the city after Posiedon’s Cataclysm, for the shops, has fallen ill with an unknown disease. The various shop owners,
this venerable structure has served as home to priests, rebels, rogues, harlots, nobility, including Bret Bozeman of the Boat Shop, have paid for a priest to cure the boy,
the magically adept, and finally the gangs of the Patina. Its strong stone edifice, but somehow the disease was resistant to the spell. However, they have heard of the
worn-marble pools, and seemingly endless supply of fresh water keep it a favorite restorative properties of the Ebony Pool and wish to take Milo there, but the boy had
spot for any with enough money to grab an occasional bath in the court. Currently a nasty run-in with a Teller a month ago, and Rexa refuses to allow the boy entry.
run by the Teller Gang, the baths themselves range in price, and the ‘front man’ of This is a perfect chance for a negotiation, perhaps ending in a trial of combat at Brawl
the bathhouse is a human in his middle thirties by the name of Ulop the Spindle, Club, or even leading to the Scrub-a-dub-dub scenario below.
because of his extreme thinness. He greets all patrons in a stately, if not a bit creepy, Scrub-a-dub-dub
manner, and quickly sends them to whatever bath they require, even if they are 3. A water weird has somehow found its way through the copper pipes of the
known enemies of the Tellers, as business is business. Helicrium and taken up residence in the Jade Pool disrupting the Tellers’ cash flow
as the pool had to be ‘closed for repair’. The Tellers are willing to offer any of the
Places of Interest services of the bathhouse, including a Master’s Bath, to anyone who can rid the pool
The house consists of a central dome in which the Master Pool is located. This of this deadly creature.
central location is a cold water pool that is five feet deep and constructed of marble
with copper fixtures. It is here that the bulk of those who can afford service gather,
House of Flying Daggers
especially enemies of the Tellers since it would be near impossible for any foul doings Perhaps the most out of place structure in all of the Patina, the House of Flying
to befall someone with so many common eyes about. Around the central dome, Daggers looks more like a gateway to the Orient than a shop amid the standard
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2. Tou sometimes chooses a ‘champion’ among adventurous folk in the Patina
architecture of the Patina, and even Valoria itself. Whatever the case, the ‘House’, as
to wear his weapons for free. FALSE, although Tou sometimes has provided good-
it is called by the locals, has become the only real business in the neighborhood that
aligned characters with deep discounts on his weapons (up to 65%) when he feels they
actively treats with customers from ‘over the Main’ or across Odin’s Way. Patrons
are protecting the interests of the Patina.
from all over Valoria, or at least their agents, come to the House seeking some of the
3. A lover sometimes comes to visit Tou in the evenings, and this blond beauty
finest small blades in the city, or perhaps anywhere in the world.
has been seen leaving the House to cross the Main and return to a noble estate
somewhere else in the city. FALSE, in reality it is yet another guise of Tou, who takes
History
the form of a lovely noble when he wants to see parts of the city he couldn’t go to in
Established a dozen years ago and refurbished after a mysterious fire only five
another fashion.
seasons ago, this oddly imported business has always been run by a stoic man of
distant lineage called Ling Tuo. Tuo has had his problems inside the Patina over Gaming Hooks
the years, but he has never been one to back down from a challenge, and doggedly The Distance Between
continues to do business despite any setbacks. His wares are truly an inspiration, 1. Although powerful, Tou isn’t very good with the blades he forges, especially
and often cause an envious eye among the local gangs, but nonetheless he does a those that require the art of throwing. Thus, it is difficult for him to know exactly
steady business with agents from outside the Patina looking to resell his works in how good his throwing hardware is. To solve this issue, he sometimes arranges for a
other districts. Where exactly he gets all his blades is a mystery, as certainly he forges private knife throwing contest. One such event is scheduled soon, and any character
some in the back of his shop, but most educated men know that there are too many with a high Dexterity will be invited to test some of Tou’s newest creations. The
wondrous items in his glass cases to have been created by a single man. contest revolves around throwing three knives into a target (AC 10) and tabulating
how many points the thrower manages to beat that number by. After three rounds
Places of Interest the points will be calculated, and the total points will determine the winner. Many
There are three true rooms that matter in the House of Flying Daggers along with colorful characters, some from ‘over the Main’, will be in attendance, and the winner
an assortment of smaller closets used for material storage. Room One consists of the will receive his or her choice of blade from Tou’s stock (up to +3 in enchantment).
large showroom for the products of the House. The bulk of this room is dedicated to an Daughter of the Night
assortment of Asian-inspired tapestries, scrolls, ceramics, and incense statues which are 2. Tou often goes into the city in his female guise, Kamisra Shimmer of Antaquim.
all set around twelve large glass cases filled with blades. Blades also hang on the walls on Recently he has discovered a noble event in the south of the city called ‘The Dance
peg displays. Nothing is priced, so a customer must inquire and engage in a hearty brand of the Masked Revelers’. Tou desperately wants to go, but to get into the festival
of negotiation (see Ling Tou). Room Two lies behind the showroom and comprises the Kamisra has to be escorted by a partner that can dance. Again, this adventure is
forge of Ling Tou where he works during the evenings when the House is officially closed. designed for a character with a high Dexterity (male or female, Kamisra enjoys the
(Hours are 9 AM to 3 PM.) Not many people have ever seen the forges of Tou, but some company of both) or even a bard. In 5E terms, the Perform skill will be enough to
in the dwarven neighborhoods whisper that it is finer than many noble forges in the holds catch the notice of Kamisra, and considering her 20 Charisma, there is no doubt
of Erinthor Mountains. Room Three is on the second level of the House and is the abode anyone would be happy to go to the festival with her. She will even pay for the
of Tou. No living soul has ever been invited to this chamber, although most would agree carriage ride to the event, and for the dinner once there. Dexterity or skill checks will
it would be rather large for a single man to live in alone. determine the character’s success at dancing, but whatever the case, Kamisra will be
thrilled to have company, and this ‘help’ will certainly be something Tou remembers
Ling Tou in future dealings with the characters.
The proprietor of the House isn’t really a man at all, but in reality is a gold dragon, The Scales of Justice
or in more distant circles a great kami. As such, Tou is neither woman nor man, and is 3. A little over a year ago a gang called the Maniacs attempted to burn down the
equally at peace with both sides of the sexual nature of mortals. Over the centuries ‘he’ House of Flying Daggers. In reprisal, Tou killed every member save one, Narco the
has taken many different forms, and lived in many different cities, each time finding the Slip, who managed to flee across the Main and successfully hide. Recent news of
best weaponsmiths in the lands and learning their secret techniques. When it is time that Narco has come to Tou and he wishes the man brought to justice. Tou has created
whatever human guise ‘pass on’, the dragon arranges for a funeral and then resettles in a a file on all of Narco’s foul doings and wants to release it to the authorities (his initial
new city for anywhere from 50 to 70 years. The dragon has become obsessed with blade- rage and bloodlust abated), but without Narco in custody, he fears that the Slip will
craft, and has bent his own magic to enchantment so that he can not only forge the blades once again slither away to his hiding place. Thus, he will make a covert offer to the
he wants but also imbue them with arcane power. Still, he can’t do everything himself, characters to go retrieve Narco for an astounding 100 gold pieces. Narco, a 5th level
and on some nights he will teleport to cities where he once lived and purchase blades from thief [Rogue], is currently in hiding just ‘over the Main’ in a safe-house where he is
old acquaintances or their descendants and apprentices. Currently, the dragon is at odds protected by two 3rd level fighters [Thugs]. If the party successfully captures and
with several gangs in the Patina, one of which attempted to burn down the House a little delivers Narco to the authorities, a special delivery will arrive two days later. Inside,
over two years ago only to be completely wiped out when the normally pacifistic beast Tou has prepared (using his own scales) a gold dragon scale bracer that acts as a +2
had enough. He is not pleased with the Tellers, but tries to stay out of human affairs, and buckler in combat.
rebuffs any attempts by gangs to force ‘protection’ on him. He loves to bargain with his
clients, but will employ a Know Alignment spell before all such negotiations and typically
take it easier on patrons who are of good alignment. In game terms, he has a Charisma
of 20 and will make an opposed Charisma check against a purchaser. For every point
the dragon wins the test by, he will increase the price of the item by a single percentage
point as found in the DMG or Unearthed Arcana. If the purchaser wins the test, they can
decrease the items cost in the same way.
Weapons
Weapon costs adhere to the pricing found in the DMG or Unearthed Arcana.
ANY small blade can be found here, from buckle knives to tantos, but he never
deals in anything over the length of a short sword. Butterfly knives, stilettoes, punch
daggers, ninjatos, wakazashis, and the like are readily at hand.
Rumors:
1. Some folk in the Patina insist that they have heard hissing and rumbling
from the House at night, and many insist that Tou has too deep of a connection
with the lizardmen of the Undercity. TRUE, the hissing comes from Tou when
he takes his true form at night and sprawls out in his spacious upstairs. He
also has extensive dealings with the lizardmen beneath the Patina as he feels a
distant kinship with them.
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