kDITIQNAL DESIC ,lliVEIiOPME J:AND EDLTING Bill Slavicsek

J):E.alCfl'f Keith Baker

.D.ESlO~~4._QfJ{ Christopher Perkins

DsV'Er.a'j>~_lfJ' M4N4GEJS Andrew Finch

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Kim. Mohan

DlREcroR. OF R.:BG R&D' Bill Slavicsek

-AIrr Dl-REcTOR

Robert Raper

C(l)VER~ Wayne Reynolds

SCULi>'l::E.i1 "COVER DESrGN Daniel Hawkins

G-iMRH1£ DESmNER:

Lisa Hanson

A 2nd- Level Adventure

C~O=l'HY Dennis Kauth Rob L~za;retti

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Cannen Cheung

IMAGE T'EOI::;I\JICIA.N Candice Baker

PRoDuCTmN' ~"ro:E~ Josh Fischer Randall Crews

'IN'rJ.;:RtOR' hLu!iTJ!JITlOf' T onuny Castillo

DUNGEE>NS,erDR~E>N~

Take advantage of the RPGA 's Pl~el' Rewa rds ProgroJl1_lzJ! scoring PQints with this adve.ntu_re. Shadows of theLast War is worth '4 PIf!)ler Rewqrds pomts. See www. rpga. com fa r more details, and use the following adventure code:

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Based on the origll'l"l DUl'~PE<JNS &. DAACONS" r .. [es created by E. Gary Cygo;< and Dave Ar-neson and rhe new D~NGEO"'S & DMGONS g"'ne designed by JonoLl"",- Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip WfJlj.1US. Richard Baker. and Peter Adkisen ,

T1~:F~ WT1.A.RDS OF T1-J I:. CQA .. S:T~ game product contains no Open Game Conten L No por-tion of this work may be reprodcced ~n any form. withoin wr-ineu permlsste», To 1 •• rn mere-about lbe 01"= Gm",;,,&, License .• no the

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'~O.8mlla.ani ,tN' ~,,! 76,f> f 3·2 I J'\"ll'_;i>"in~' July 2~04

INTRODWGTION

This adventure pr-opels "party of£sur 2nd-level eha ract"en:s through a harrewing search fer an andent artifact of terrihle and wondrous power. Whh mf rior adjustmenrs, it CaD handle smaller or larger groups as well.

To get the most out ofthi~:anventW"e, you need copies of the following D &D books, Plgyer's H{mdbosk, Dungeon Mas[Bt~ Guide, Monster Mal1ual, and the Eberron. C{).mp~ign Selting,

ADVENTURE BACKGROUND

SiladolliS of tile Last War follows the events of The ForgoNe" Forge~ the l st-Ievel adventure included in the Eben-on Campaign Setting. In that adventure, the party of adventurers recovered an ancient schema-part ofa creation pattern used by the fabricators of House Carmith=for Elaydren d'Cannith. To find this 'item, they had to brave the .dangers of the deepe~t levels of Sharn while overcoming agents of the warforgedel!tremist, the Lord of Blades.

Why does Elaydren d:Cannith. seek the pieces of this ancient creation pattern!' To understand this. you need to understand the recent history of House Cannith. When the nation of Cyre, the ancestral home of House Cannith, disappeared in a conflagration of arcane energy near the end of the Last War. it took the patriarch and many other family leaders with it.

In the fouryeats since eFe became the Mournland, three factions have emerged within House Cartnith. Cannith West, based in Fairhaven, serves Aundair, Thrane, and the Eldeen Reaches, and is led by Jothnna d'Cannith. Merrix d'Cannith leads Carm.ith South, which operate. out of Sharn and oversees house activiLies in Breland, Zilargo, and Darguun. Gannith East, based in Korth, operates in Karrna·th, the Mror Holds, and the Lhazaar Pr-iric.ipalfties. and is led by Zorlan d'Cannith. The party's patrOn, Elaydren d'Cannith, appearS to be attached to the western enclave, but she actu'ally serves the southern branch of the family.

Creation patterns of all sorts exist, from those used to magically craft mundane items to those designed to craft exce'pt.ioria llv powerful magiC items. The first schema, recovered from a forgotten Canni th forge deep in the bowels of Sharn, is one of four parts that make up an ancient creation pattern. This particular pattern wasn't developed by House Cannith. It was discovered on the myster-ious continent of Xe n'dr-ik by Kedran d'Cannith shottly before the start of the War of the Mark" some fifteen hundred yeats ago.

What did Kedran fInd? He found One part of a fourpart patte.rn, aswel] as a stone tablet describing the pattern itself, As th'''' WaF of the Mark escalared , Kedran hid the schema irrlris $ecret foundry, where it remained until the adverrtu.rer's unCovered it a 'short 't irne ago.

Kedxan also p"l"epared a Dumber of texts that hi~ rarhilJ used over the ~entll"'ies .. Some of these texts desctibed ~h!:! FUl:pese of creation patterns that Kedran studied and researched on hiS' trips to Xen'ddk, and

which House Cannith was eventually able to develop lnt'O -the patterns used by their own artificers and magewrights:. One te·xt, the jour-nal describing the 10 cat ion of Ked "an's hidden vault, was lost to antiquity until Bonal Celdem of I"kngrave Urriversiry discovered it. In fact. Geldem worked with Lady Eiaydren until an agent of the Lord of Bl ades mu rdered him and the journa 1 fell into the hands of the adventurers.

Kedran's most valuable text, which contains ali his notes on the four-part pattern and the secret-s of its creative power~, bas been in the hands of Baron Merrix d'Cannith and his immediate family for more than eight hundred years. Two Incomplete copies of this text also exist-vone that was used at the secret Cannith research facility in Gyre, and tbe other in the hands: of Can n i.th East and their allies-the Order of the Emerald Claw. With the destruction of Cyre and the loss of the house elders, the location of the hidden facility was also lost. Rumors of success at tbe faCility began to circulate right before Cyre 'was destroyed, and now the race is on to h nd the hidden f"cility and the secrets it might contain.

A.DVENTURE SYNOPSIS

Three separate g.roups see k the Xen' drikpattern and the schernas that comprise it, Cann ith South, represented by Elaydren d'Cannith (though she claims to represent Cannith West); the Lord of Blades ,and his warforged f01- Iowersoperaring out of the Mour nland: and the Order of the Emerald Claw (which IS working with Cannith Ea~t). The first part of the pattern, the Sharn schema, has been recovered and is in the hands of Can nit h South thanks to the actions of the adventurers in The Forgott€71 Forge. The pattern itself and a second schema are believed to hein the Whitehearth facility-if it can be found and if it st ill exists within the ruins of the Mournland. A third schema has been found by the Emerald Claw, but no one outside that organization knows this yet.

The adventurers start out in Shar n, the City of Towers. Once rnor e, Lady Elaydren requests their help and 0ffers them a generous reward, From Sharn, the adventurers must travel to Darguun to discover the location of White hearth .. Then, it's off to the Mournland to find the next schema and the creation pattern it fits into before someone else does ..

TH~ fORGOTT~N fORG~

This adventuTeworks best if the adventurers hrst complete The Fv~/)tt~n Fo-ge, found in t.he Ebemm Campaign Selling. I f you'd rather start with this adventure, then some other grQup recovered the fIrst schema and the party has not had prior dealings with Elaydren d'Cannith. In this case, she approaches the adventurers because they appear capable, she needs hdp, and she is running out of time. Adjust descriptions and encounters accordingly.

PART ONE:

SHARN

This adventure picks lit' where Th2' Forgntfen Fotge leaves off-in Shar-n, the City of Towers. After reco'Verin.g the star-shaped schema and turning it over to Lady Elaydr en d'Cannith, the adventurers were told to periodically check in with the House Sivis message station at Barrn in Tower. in case House Cannith had additional work for them,

The followmg events occur in Sharn:

The adventurers discover that the House Sivis message station was .attacked by kobold marauders, and that a me'5sage that had been waiting fOT them was stolen.

Lady Elaydren sends a second message, via a giant owl, calling for the adventurers. to meet her once again at the Broken Anvil taver-n. She fears that her role in recent eve nts has been discovered and that she is in imminent danger.

At the Broken Anvil, the adventurers sit down to converse with Lady Elaydrenju.;t as a waTforged loyal to the Lord of Blades and hill kobold mercenaries break into the tavern.

THE MESSAGE STATION (EL1)

Another rainy day in Sharn, another o'ppor-tu.n.ity for danger and adventure. The adventurers rna ke their way to Barmin Tower to visit the House Sivis message station. Read,

71lUnd~r rumbles in the distOtlf~ al)'o u r:rn.lstne rain-slick s!rybridge that leadsio Barmill Tower. The rainfall.ato .Iteaqy pac!!, f{!ljsing waterfalls 10 sp'ill ouer Ihe~ide£ oflhe .,I~llted rooftops ~nd balca'!Y railings: Ahead, Ihe doorro lit. House Sivi.1 me.lsag<l sIMian hang.s OP~N at a strange Qngl~, one a/its hinte' s€paratrrd from the dMrfrmrre. Lighmingfla.~he's, am/you thmkyou hem' (I groan from 5("71ewh~re inside the othl!HJ.iis~ qlJiet ,h"p_

Let the PC s approach the ,message station ·1lIi they see fit. The trouble that visited the place a short time ago has already moved on. and all the advenrurers can accomplish here is to determine th at.sornaorie has again taken an i nter-est in their activities.

Inside the message station, the adventurers see that the place has been ransacked. Read:

The table s and .iloal, llJl'rhin the mil;ls~ge ,Iatian (Ire in dl:sarrq)'i some' are DlJerl~J"r~d or smashed. others halle been fop·.ifullY sCilttered from tlreir u.r;ual places. B~hind the counter, lYing atop Q spillsd shelf of,croll,. and parchment sheet», i, the gnome clerk who ru ns the staHnll Sile means, unconsciou> but apparentjy .If:ill alive.

The gnome clerk can be roused by asimple Heal check (DC 10) or any curative magic. Once treated, she sit" up, blinks to clear her eyes, and thenatterrl"ptll to stand.

"The messages!" she cnies. "I ha .. e to check 011 the messages! .u

Develop:ment: The pes can check around the shop looking for cl ues, as we 11 .as quest ion the clerk about what tuanspized.

Search checks to exanrine the shop reveal some information, dependjngon the resultof the checks, as described below, A higher result includes the infQTtnaLion that is learned with IIIO'wer result.

Sea·reh DC 10, The PC notices sling stones. sca"ttered. around the .r oom.

Search DC J 5, The·PC spots a serdes (')f small, clawed foorpr rnts in the spilled ink near one of the overturned. table s. The footprints appear to' belong to at least two diff~rent individuals of the same humanoid. species. A successful DC 15 Survival check or DC 20 Knowledge (nature) check idenrifies them as kobold footpr-ints.

Search DC 20: The PC spots a single. larger, splittoed footprint on a sheet O'f parchment, apparently made when a rain-soaked foot stepped on the parchment sheet. A successfu.I DC 15 Survival check or DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) check identifies it as a warforgecl footprint.

The clerk takes a moment, but eventually recognizes the PCsfrom their frequent visits to the message station since they corrrplet ed their nrst mission for Lady Elaydren. She explains that a band of kobO'lds charged in and attacked her. There were at least four of the vile creatures. After they subdued her and made SUTe the place was otherwise empty, a human..,size.d. individual wrapped in a dark doak entered the. shop.

"The stranger had a deep, rumbling voice that was strong and threatening, and the kobold~ followed his direction without question. He asked if there were-any messages for you," the clerk admits, pointing at the PC s.he. has most Hkely dealt with all. past occasions. "It was an arnaaingeoi neiclence," the clerk explains, "because I h ad just tran,'lcribed a me"sag~ for you from the spea king stone. I rnust have glance.d at the stroll 1 was holding. and the next i nstarice the man in the cloak had snatched the scroll with one. hand and hit me with the other. That's the last thing r remember."

The c le rk x armot reveal what the me'ssa_ge said because I-louse Sivis clerks are trained to tr'ariscr ihe and [org.et, for their own ~afety as well aB for the privaey of their clients. If a character rnakes a DC 15 Diplomacy check 0'1' offers the clerk 5 or more gold .pieces, she reluct a titly adm its that she rem embers who sent the message:

"It was from Lady Elaydren dCan nrth."

If she. is prompted for details 0'£ the message itself. the clerk cannot be of help. "It isn't really any of my business," she says. Then she nervously e",amines the area beh.ind her counter to check on the other messages in her care, as well as to make sure the prectous .peaking stone is undamaged.

Satisfied. she makes a quick check of the r-est of the shop. The derk'~ cursory exarrri natforr indicates that nothing else was taken, riot even the handful of gold pieces in the till.

THE BROKEN ANVil (E(4)

The Broken Anvil is a small tavern with a. handful of r oorns for rent in the Masori's.Tower. It is l'Ull by House

Gha_Uanda and hosted by a haWing matron. 'The inte-

The giant owl del ive rs its cargo and streaks away. r ior com.mori r-oorn, is dark and cozy, with d i m illumi-

Creature:: FIghting the giant owl is un necessa ~y and nation provided by a large hearth, two everb6glrt lanter~.l

unwise, because the creature isa dangerous. challenge hanging from the walls, and a number of ordinary

for a low-level party and it means them no harm. cand les scattere.d throughout the cbalJlber.

Giant Owl: hp 26; Manlter MQntial page 205. Use. the map on page 5 when running th is encounter.

Tacrics, IF the PCs ~(tack the,giant owl, the nea.rby When the PCs decide to keep their meeting with

_"':'" ...... ----::,.,.. ~ Lady Elcydren, read:

D

A CAll fOR HELP eEL '})

Back. o,utside' In. the wind ;md the rain, the PCs have or¥y:a m;0111Cnl to decide what they sheuld do before something large swoopstoward rhem. Read.

The min !i~tm, fo, slat](.oJJas.)!QU walk IlIW9'irol"f) Ihe mi!~og!! station. Around" Io'wct b~i1d, 'at lags! 6_ d6ZEn peopl~ mill allOut on Q partrlllJy ciweredtermce. Agcwgofchildren splashe, in th~puddlc~ neaT/he curving w~lt !Qllg/l!ng mmi}y. A mtrthoJ1t pushes tmempty eart, prl'.$l,1IiwhJy re!ul'llI'ngfrom Ih~ market ex-d.a.ngr,-AglW.TI:I of/he S/i~rn Ward, looks the cio'wd ouerfrom hisp/ace bfnealn a shop awning.

A blur offealhl!rssuddsllJy rockets loward),ouout oftl,e d()l1d~fi!led slry. It's agirrnt owl, (lnd it circle:' once before tipping the ,atchel il carries in irl/%ru to ,drop a .Icroll case otyaur fe~L

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offieer of the Ci ty Watchcalls ou t: "Why are you iii r ra eking that· messengfu'? Stop that this instant!" The g.ianr owl. unpe'rturbed, del.ivez-s the scroll ease and flies off. If the pes corrti nue to harass ii, it returns and strikes back. All the while, the officer of the Watch attempts to stop the. violence before it escalates and someone gets StlTious]y injured.

Development, Thescr oll case is sealed wit.h wax, but no iTIlprinl has been pressed into the wax. Inside the case is a Iet ter, (See the illustration on this pag.e.)

The Broken Anvil is located in the Mason ~ Tower, carued into '(1 b~nd inlhe lower waif. j mide, euerbr(gh f lanterm 01 either end Qf

tlw room pro~iac Jlichring iIIumimiliQn. A round tllbl~ 15' sM to either side ~f'the en trOHce~ end th fu /an{jl!r tables arescatiered lilrol'ghGul the room,

Todoy the Broken Anvil onJy has £Ins customer, Q woman in D 'UJorn brawn cloak. She sit, ot u table at iI,e. for end oIt~e room. AryDU enter, ~he 'raises her hand a. iftfJ CQ,t (I spell, th~n .ltap~Qnr1 pull, back her Mad. Despite her disne.veled hair Q ndlne dirt awl couers her f~ce,yol.1 rewgmZ/l Mer. She is Elcrydren. d'Cal1nit1t, Ihe w.oman wna/riredyolJ 10 rllp/are the dePth~ of Shorn.

In n.e Forgatten Forge, Elaydren wore expensive jewe1ry and fine glame:rweave dothiqg. Today she wears a. mud-spattered traveler's outfit, and au alert observe!' (Spot DC 20) notices that she isn't even wearing her House Canruth signet ring-

When the macron.ly innkeeper emerges from the kitchen, Elaydr en d ismisses her with an imper-ious wave of her hand and .calls the party over [0 her table in the northeast portion of the room. Read:

"QllickJy, qUickJy! H EI'9'dren CIllis ill a strained uoicc. "Tho~k Olladm thatyQu're here. There is no time to Il)Qste."

EI~dren lifts a leather backpack QJf the floor a:nd.plac€s ,-Ion tn e ta ble. The I~Qlher iJ morn, bu I its brass jitting. are sJill bright. It QPpeim light, almost fmp!}, "1Ii.ere is no (I me ta expla in," EIlD'dren siD's, her feu r-fi lied ryes darling from you to tile door Qnd back Qgnin. "Instructions, gold, and $~ppliel are in lhi.! ppck. 1ok_e it Qndgt.l; The letter in lhf left-hanti pa,drd erPlain5 ~v~ryiAing, bu!yo u must go now! 1rustme. Ifya'u cQn(lccamplisi1 thi5 task, the r~WQrd will be :vast."

Ebydren's desperation is no act. Var-ious opposing forces seek her and the sche=a that the :pCs acquired for her. She hand, the backpack to one of the' PCs. Before they can ask questions or examine the conte.nts of the backpack, the warfcrged agen~ of the Lmd of Blades and his kobold mercenaries burst into the common. room. Read:

Suddenjy itie door to thl; street bursts open. Four small frgl.lr~ leap through the doorwqy-kobQld~! Th<ry move in pairs to each ,ide of the chamber, dearing the spl1Gr in front of the entmoce. A fIfth rlf;~r~ steps into the doorJP'!j, a broud bumanoid in a dark, hooded cloak tarrying 0 Ught crossbow. He raises the crossbow and launches II bolt ai' El!'l)'dren.

If Saber survived a.nd escaped at the end of The Fllrgrtten Forge. then he has returned to deal with Elayd ren lind the POs. Ifnot, then this is Cu lass, another oftheelite warforged followers of the Lord of Blades. Like m any of the LOTd's followers and chief lieutenanls, Cutlass has taken to the practice of naming himself after a bladed weapon.

Creatures, The warforged fighter leads II party of kobold mercenar-ies and is intent on killing Lady Elayd.re n and recovering the ancient schema for his master. the mysterious Lord of Blades.

Elayihen d'Gannith:

Female human ar-Istecrar 2/ sorcerer 2; OR 3; Medium hu-

ruarro'id , HD

2d8+2d4; hp

17; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; Ac 15. touc h H, flatfOlIated 14 i Base Atk +2; Grp +1, Atk + I melee Od4-1119-20, masterwork dllgger) or +3 ranged (ld4-1119-20. masterwork; dagger); Full Ark +1 melee (ld4-1!l9-20, ~asterwork dagger) or +3 ranged (ld4-1119-20. masterwork dagger); SA-; SQleast Mark sf Makjng: make 'tlJhol~ l/d-ay; AL N; SV Fort +0; Ref + 1;

WUl +7; StT 8, Dex 13, Con 10 , Lnt 14, Wis 12, Cha 16.

Shllsand Feats: Bluff +10, Concentration +2. Diplomacy +10, Galherlnformation +8., Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcan a) + 4, Knowledge (nob; lity and roya I t:y) +7, Sense Motive +8, Spe llcr-aft +4i Least Dragorunark(Caooith), Improved Initiative, Negotiator.

Language~; Common, Giant. Gnome.

Sorcerer SPells KnDwn (6/5), O-acid spla.,M, dMed magic, detect poison, mending, prestidigitation; 1st-charm person (DC 14), mag~ llrmor.

Possessions; House Oannith signet ring; rowand's pail!'i

N

I

A. COJn.Dlon. Room

B. Private Booth

C. Kitch."",

D. Private Dining Room.

E. L-auine

F. Conn:non_ Guest Room

G. Guest Suit,e

H. Elaydr'e>1.'s R.oom..

r. Innl<; e ep ..... "s Quarters J. Secret Pa~a~

Cbd'r;e1et) ;,pi!tionGf~ur~ rtlrrdmJt!i lIib~nd~, gla;merW'~ave countfer's orutfil't ,nJi$fel'wtll'kdagg_~r; je~veir)' 050gp), and 20 gp', 28 pp. and ident:,inJliit.i6n Rape.ts,in a belt pouch.

Kobpld Mercena.rle~ (4): hp 6 each; Mqn.lterManuru paze 161.

Cutlass: Male ReTs,;mality warforged ftghtel' 3; CR 3; Medium living construct; ED 3dIQ+6; hp 28; Lnit +5; Spd20 ft.,; AC 19, touch 19, flat-footed 18; BaseArk +3; Grp +5; Atk +7 melee (ld8+3!19-20, +1 /Ilngsword) or +4

ranged Cld8!l9-20, light crossbow); Full Atk +7 melee (ld8+31l9-20, +1 !ongnJJord) or +4 ranged Od8119-20, light crossbow). SQ damage reduction 2/ad a rriarrti.ne , warforged traits; AL LE; BV Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +2; .Str 14, Dex }2, Con 14, lot 11, Wis 12., Cha 10.

Skill, and Feats, Lnni.mi.date +6, Spot +4; Adamantine Body; Improved rniti-ative~, Power Attack", Weapon Focus Clongsword).

La rJg1J oge: ComlllQn.

Possessions. +1 Iongsword, light crossbow with 6 crossbow bolts, traveli ng cloak, backpack.

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WaT/o~gM Traits (~): Immunity to poi~on, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, ·effects tha tc'au se the sickened cQnd:itioll, and elle~'gy dra in.

Tacries- The kobold mercenaries close with the adverrtur er-s, seeking to ft-ght in pa ir s and tiking advantage of flanking while their warforged leader fires. crossbow bolls frem the doorway, Once be bas fired all his bolts. or if one 'or more of the pes approach him, he draws his 10ngsw01'd and lnOV1!S to engage in melee.

Dur-ing the battle, Cutlass enjoys hurling insults at the "weak-fleshed errand boys" 01: the "flesh-loving warforged" (if Lhere are any warforgecl characters in the party). He isn't above proclaimrng that the end of the weak-fleshed nations ts at hand, quoting freely from the speeches and aer-mo.na of his leader, the Lord of Blades.

Elaydren ducks behind the table, taking cover. If the initial attack injures her, she drinks her Petion afcu1T/. mod~rafi!w61.md5 to recover from the injury. If the party is on the verge of defeat, Elayd.ren uses her c1Iumrd's pellr/, filling the room with fog and !'eleporting away.

The warforged tighter battles to [he death, He plans to capture the schema for the Lord of Blades or die trying. The kobolds also fight to the death, for they have been intimidated into doing so by [he

warforged who leads them.

Where hthe Scben>a? The first part of the creation pattern. rhe schema shaped like a Six-pointed star, is safely itt the hands of Baron Mer-r.ix d 'C aunrth .. Elaydreii turned the item over to th'" baron after she acquired it from the adventurers. Then Merrix sent h·er to continue investi.gati ng r urnocs concerning the paUerll. "You must locate the other sehemasand the

pa.ttern itself," Merrix urged El:ayd·ren. "The pattern holds the key to the work 1 have beenJaboring at aince before you were bor-n."

Devclop:ment: If the PCs defeat the mercenaries, Elaydren urges them to leave quickly, This is the last a,gent of the Lord ofBlades in the area, though neither El aydren no r the PC s know this. (The Lord of Blades and his agents return to hound the pes in a future adverrtu re.} Even so, Elaydr en k.nows that ochers are

on her trail, and if'her rnission is to be successfu.l, the adverrtu re.r s must depart .irn med.iate ly. Read:

"More af theie (lSSQ,siriS mqy S~(}W up at mry moment. All the in/ormatiallYou need is in tile left pocket af the boc·kpack Tab it and gq! Ge: Qut oft/wci!) QS quickJy a,yoll can!"

Elaydrerl. does riot wait f01· [he adventurers to come to a decision. She grabs a weapon from one of the Fa lle n atcackers and darts into the street, disappearing into the nearest alleyway.

IN THE BA.G

At sorne point, the PC!; examine the backpack th.ey received from Elaydreu, The bag feds. as if"ic 1~ -almost empty, but the cha'racterwhooperrs it is in fur a surpri5"e, The backpa.ek is a Heioard': hrmify haversackr loaded wifh gear, The bad-pack contains t.he folloWing it~ms,

G~nter Pocket 80 arrows 80 bolts

50 feet of siJk rO'pe

1 bedroll per party member

1 water-skin per party member, filled 3 days trail rations per party memben

Right POCkB!

I everb rrgh t I Q .nte rn 1 flint and steel 1 healers ki;

5 torches

3 sacks

Lift Pocket

Letter From Lady Elaydren 3 vials of holy water

3 potions afcure light wounds

A tiny rod of blue metal, three inches in length, with a sapphire. embedded at one end.

I pouch containing 150 pp

I casket containing 5()D gp

A letter of credit for House Or ie.n anrl HO'use Lyrandar [0' cover passage to' Rhukaan Draal, depending on which route the adventurers decide to' take

The moat important object in the.haversack is the letter from. Lady Elaydreri (see the rll.uatrat ion. on the fac.ing page), The blue rod is a krytha.rm ried to' Whitehearth, which the pes need in Part Five of rh.isadvent ure ,

RESEARCH

The POs might want to do a little checking before they rush .off [0' Darg.uun and the MO'urnland, Characters who make at least two DC 20 Gather Information checks or DC 15 Knowledge (nobil.ity and rO'yalty) checks Can obtain facts that backup parts of Elaydren's story. The PCs can corifrrm that the leaders of House Cannitb died in [he Cyre disasrervand that now the family is divided into three segments, each under the authority of a different scion.

A few iI:!quitie~ with ;any arcane scholar confirm that House Cannith fabl'icato;I'S .make use of creation pa;tterns in 'their wor'k, btl,t most patterns are' designed· to' help speed the productiQn of rrrurrdarie items and mirror m.a.gic items. Some examples of more powerful pattern Sexist, such asthe one-used in ,c?njun.ctioi;l. "with the creation forges to create the' \I'arfo;rg'ed, but i>uC!h examples-are rare and extremely c'Ostly.

The PC s can ask around and deter mine that th~re are rhree ways to get to Dar:guu.n relatively quicldy: by air, bysea, or hy light !ling rail and trade caravan.

The nut pOSSibility turns out npt to' be an option; no airship prtvateers-are eurrentiy operating in Sharn, and House Lyrandar airships. don't make regular Tuns to the g'oblin nation,

ARouse Lyraudar galleon, on the other hand, regularly travels froll). Sharn to Rhukaan Orad, The water vessel foHows thE souther-n coast of the contmen t before turning inland and traveling up the Ghaal River to the goblinoidcity,

House Orien offers a.Iand roure to' Rhukaan Dr aal, It r-equ.i res the PC~ to travel by lightnlng rail to' Sterugate, and then to' complete the journey through Marguul Pass :along the Or ien trade road with the next caravan heading east.

Inquiries into the whereabouts of Lady Elavdr en meet with no success, She seems to have disappeared.

If the PCs aren't on the road by the fO'llewing day, they begin to' not ice that they are being watched ' Forces loyal to the Order of the Emerald Claw are beginning to' gather ar-ouzid them, and Sharn is becomirigan increasingly dangerous place for (hem to stay,

When the adventurers are ready, go en to' Pait TWQ,

PART Two:

DA.RGUUN

The' h'ip-to DarguJJ-h takes Saine time, Traveli:o.g by House Lyrandar "Iemental galleon provi.de~ the fastest voyage, a little more than four days. The land r ou te i sra't nearly as fast. The trip Via lightniIlg .rail to Sterngate ca n be accomplished in under three days, hut the: overland trip through Marguul Pass takesa.n Or ien caravan a lrnost twelve days to co.rnplete.

Once the PCs rea ch t he city of Rhukaan Draal, they find directions to. Rose Quan'Y' where they ean begin Iooki ug for dues to the locat ion of t.he Ca.nnith Facil ity ofW hitehearth.

SEA TRAVEL ENCOUNTER (EL '))

The Ho use Lyranda r gal I eon leaves from the ports at the base of the Sh ar-n cl iffs. It travels from the Hi It into the Stcaits of Shargon, stayi ng dose to the southern coast as it moves from B.relish to Zilargo waters and eventually turns north inlo Krakerr Bay. From there, the elernenta I-powered vessel enters the Ghaal River- for- the final leg of the journey to Rhu ban Draa],

The half-elf crew operates the ship and tends to ihs pasllellgers on board. lnaddition to the adventurers, a dozen traders, travelers, and diplomats are aboard for the trip. Many will disembark when the ship stops briefly in Korranberg, but a handful are scheduled to go all t he way LO lhe goblinoid nation's capital. Cargo and trade goods, however, eccupy the bulk of space aboard the vessel.

On the third evening-of the voyage, after- the gaile-on has e.ntered Kraken Bay, the ship encountersan undead menace called forth by an agent of the Order of the Emerald Claw. This event occurs late in the evening, well after most of the crew and passengers have retired. Read:

TIre'night ,5 warm and quiet. and the trio ofmoom I'n ihc s9 rejkc/s gliostJ>! light on 1'0 tlw wuter,

Any adventurers who are awake when this encounter starts can make. checks to not.ice what's happening. The type of check required depends on where they are .aboardr.he vessel: in their cabin .01' on deck.

If a PC is inside the large cabin the party share" he or she can make a DC 20 Listen check. If the check succeeds. the PC hears a strange scratch.ing noise that 'sounds like something hard scraping across the hull.

Ifa PO is on deck, he or she can make either-a. DC 15 Listen check or a DC 20 Spot check. If the Listen check succeeds, the PC hears the same strange scratching noise, although the sound is clearer. It, sounds like .something covered with hard protrusions is elimbing out Q'f !;he W';lter and up the side: of the ship. If the Spot eheel;: succeeds, the PC notices that.Llie ~velJjng fog is growing thiekel' just as he ,OJ' she spots a skeletal harid reach over to grip the rail,

Anyone who is r'ertin:g or asleep doesn't geL to make a check.

PCs who succeed, get to 3.j:.l i n the S"\.ll'pri5e round of the encounter.

Creatures; A necromancer loyal to the Order of the Emerald Claw has set a squad of eight human skeletons against the PCs. They give noqu arter and ask for none in retur-n. Due to the fog, most of the galleon's crew must stay at their posts. However, the 'ship's captatn orders four crew members tuassist the adventurers 'in defendi_ng the vessel. They join the fray in the second regular' round of corn bat.

Hum.an Skeletons (8), hp 6 each; MOll5ter Manual page 226.

Hall-Elf Crew Members (4), hp4 each; AC 14 (Dex, studded leather), touch 11, flat-footed 13; Base Atk +2 melee (Icl6!l9_:20, short sword).

Tactio;$: The skeletons use the cover of I~ighl and the fog to surprise the crew .and passengen. The skeletoris .and any PCs who succeeded on Listen 01' Spot checks get to act in the surprise round, which starts with the skeletons dimbingove.r the rail and onto the. gaIleoIl's deck,

Before this happens, deterrhin:e where each of the pes are. 0'0 the ship. The galleon is a 40-foot-wideby 60.cfoot-long vessel with 8 cu rved bew and stern. Cargo. and cabin spate fill the middle of the ship, leaving 3. lO-foot~wide open deck around the outside of the ship. The skeletons act in pairs, two of them attacking from each side of the vessel.

Development: The necromancer stays around long enough to set his trap in motion. Then he disappears into the wild country of 'sout.hern D arg-t.m n. The PCs have no chance to catch up w~th him, and he won't really bother themagain. His role in thill adventure is to set this trap and move. on to his next aSSignment for the Order- of the Emera ld eLm.

If the PCs successfully defend the galleen, the captain offers them a reward. In add it ion to the thanks of House Lyrandar (in the form of a written comrnendation), he provides the PCs with 50 gp each for protecting the ship, its cargo, and its passengers.

LAND TRAVEL ENCOUNTER (EL 2)

House Or ien's lightning rail travel s nOrth and east out of Shar n, making stops at Wroat an d Srar ilaskur before' tUl'ui:n.g south to the PCs' destination, St.e:rngate. This trip takes j list .under three days to ~ccomplisb. Nothing out of the ordinary occurs during the lightning rail journey.

InSter ngate, the PC~ must meet up -with an Or ie n caravan that will take them through Marguul Pass and into Darguun. 'The caravan boss takes the PCsaside before the journey begin..';. Read:

"G/ad to nUlI.eqqllent"",€r:; such as jQur5dl!es Q/ong[or this trip," the rorUlJan bO,l'uq}\S, sluppirigoni: ofyou im the back. ''The mouri/Qilltium iwue'been acting IkP /ilte!y, and we could ~si')'our ,irel and muscle to

make .:;~re all. of u$mak~ rt to Rlll,1kaan D/1l~1 in OfleP[ii~~, To show Il}IJ appredotion, l' [I g"veyou -twenty-fivs go I'd \IpieciJ when we ~bfejy. make it to the goblin 69""

The trip through the pass and the subsequent trek to Rhukaan DraaJ takes almosttwelve days. The-first two days pass uneventfully, Starting on the third day, "PCs can rnake DC 20 Spot check. each day to see if they notice the signs that a la.rge number of creatures are shadowing their trail. On the sixth day, the. DC drops to 15.

The attack occurs. on the seventh day. A larg'er force than the one presented here is actually attacking the entire caravan. The nurnbezs providedin, this encounter represent the portion of the goblin forces that come into contact with the PCs.

Ca-earucesr A Marguul war party has been triichng the caravan since the third day after it entered the pass. On the seventh. dllY, the WH party decide's to attack. The PCs must deal with a bugbear and the three goblinS that he commands.

Bugbear: hp 16; Momter Man ual page 29.

Goblins (g): hp fieach, Man,,"r Manual page 133. Tactics: The attac.kinggoblinoids ambush. the car-a-

van from. the rocks and cliffs that f6rII1 the walls of the pass. Any PC who nukes a DC 15 Spot-check riot.ices the hiding g·oblinoidB and can act.In the surprise round,

In the surprise, round, the goblinoids hurl their javelins. For the PCs, this means that they are targeted by four javelins, In the first regular round of combat, the bugbear and his goblin warriors chauge to engage the PCs in melee combat.

Development: If the PCs defeat the bugbear and three goblins that attack their location within the car avan, assume that the rest of l he caravan's defenders have been equally successful, The Marguul war party breaks ranks-and flees back into the mouutains. The caravan makes the rest of the journey to Rhukaan Draal without further incident.

THE BLOODY MA.RKET eEl 4)

Whether they arrive by sea or by l,md, eventually the ad venturers reach the city of Rhukaa" D raal, Read:

It I~ mid-morning when youfrnolJy orriue in RhukmlH DriUJl. The goblinoid dry lIJas built arCl,ind what was once a Qyr-an jr-onhtt town. and totiqy it h~s grown into a sprawling goblinoid metropolis. The ci!j' appe,llr,5 as a trag rmhitedui'ol tapestry; mud and timber h uts surround ancient stru.clures'Djstoneo.nd brick,'nter~pel"5ed wiln canMs knts Dnd puuilions. Mesl of th~ roads art bJJr~ 2llrih, and fiw of the wonders or conveniences ofSharn £lie evident he:J'il. Within thi.; tam.hitckle ci!J, a Single bu [[ding dom.inllt~ the .lryline"-tln el1oJ"'m.uus tower of red 'Stone Illal rises up from the" ~ery ~"nter DJth~ ci!J. Tf,is is Kilo.ar Moar'u.:;!, the court Dfth~ Lhesh Haruuc, .the hQbg9bhl1ki~g.

Finding the Bloody Market is Simple e~Qugh. Wb.11e m?st of the irrhabrrants have :an unfr!~d1_y attiti.I'd:-e rewardstrangers, any merchant can, p.!'o'Vide dlr_eC:!iOllS

to the vast" marketplace: The Bloo!;!.y Market takes irs name From the violent hagg:liugt:hat cpmrnorxly OCFl!Is, among the go·blinoidil.,a1thOcugh g~a;rds def!;ml merchants if blood is actually shed, (The mer-chQrrts, minrl you-the customers areon tnei Low.Q.),An",,:6eean of =e= and, milling.gobl ins fills th eraarketplace. The,g~lOd:~a:re not of rhe highes·t q ualirj, but all:I).o8~anyth'ing;· can be found here, including POiSOIlS and .oth!,:rgooas 1l.1lually outlawed in more cfvilfzed nacions.

While £.nding the market LS a simple task, ioc!iting the mysterious Farlin is conaiderably more-difficult. The PCs can try a numher <;:>£approaches.

Asking or Offering.Bribe.s, Most of the people in Rhu.kaan Draal, including the merchants, are unfriend.ly. Simple requests and even bribery dcm't, work: people glad.ly take the party's gold and send the characters off on wild goos,e: chases.

Gather injarmQtiM: A successful DC 18 Gather lnfor.marion check leads the adventurers to the tavern wher-e Failrn does business, .~ place called the Clenched Fist. It also provides some details about Farlrn.hrmself,

Failin of House Or-len was disowned year,s ago for unknown reaSODB. (It was for participating in a smugglin.gring, although this isn't com mori kn.owledge.) He makes hi.s living exploring ruins throughout Darguun and selling relics (or imitations of said relics) to his contacts back in central KhOrvi:til'e.

Failin's. most prized possession, an elernental-power ed land cart. helps his archeological endeavors. WheIi reHc hu nting doesn't pay the bi Us, he Fer-ries visitors throughout the northern poni-onof the nation for a premium fee.

Diplomary: A successful DC 25 Diplomacy check can convi nee a local goblin to help the PCs firrd Faili n.

Intimidate: A successful Intimidate checkagainst a local gobl'in (with the target receiving a +2 bonuson its modified level check) provides the same Informatirrn as a successfu] Diplomacy check. However, after Failin has been located, the now-hostile go1;.1in that was iqtimidat"ed convinces a p!lir of bugbe:ars to beat up the offending PC .

Creaturl;lS: The market is full of goblinoids of all types, along with some humansanli members of t"he other common races. If the pes, cause too much trou.b.le, they must deal with mal'ketguards in the form of a patrol of two hohgoblins and a bugbear. Engaging the guards in battle is a bad idea; the guards call for reinfo;rcements, and an identical patrol arrives every fourth round of combat.

Bugbear: Irp 16 i Monster Manual p!!ge 29. Hobgoblins (2), Male war-r ior 2; C;R 1; Medium humanoid (gobl:inoid); HD 2.d8+2; hp 10, 11; Init +2; Spd30 ft.;AC 16, touch u, £I.at-footed 15; Base Atk+Z, Grp +-4; Atk +3 melee (Jd8+1119-20, h'lugswo;rd); Full Atk +3 melee (ld8+1I1Jl~20, longsword) , SA -; SQ-; AL N j SV Fo·rt +4, Ref +2, Will -1; Str 13, :Qex. 1.4, Canis. Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8.

$kl'llsandFeats: Hide +4, Intim~pate +4, Move Si'endy +6; Rower Attack.

DJJlf}1I1!!fo: CQJliI,plQn" Gobl~.

POJ>es;ionxl Studd.ed.lea:t~er ~:m:~'" light woeden.shield, longliwot'dt pouch c6Jlll}lplng 2d4 cp ~CL2d6 sp.

Ad.H6c Exp~ienceA,.·a±d: If tho;: PC~]o.c;:rte F~lin wrtho-u! in:citing violence, they re'tceive· 100 XP each.

THE cLENCHED fIST

The search for Fallin 'eventually leads the adventurers to th,e Clenched Fist, .£I tavern located a, block or 50 from the :Bloody Mad:et. Read:

Th~ placard above I},~ door di,spll9'$ a mummifiedogrls nond del!i;h~d lightJJiTl afiscamJ ""iled in place. 'JI,i,1 rU'Tldilllm teuer« uppe.rmto ~ater to n[[mafl5 and members of the other common rtrcss,

If the PCs ask a pstron (or p erh aps the barkeep) about Failin, they are directed toward a cor-ner table in the rear of the room where a man sits alorre, This ~s F1\i lin, a gangly huffi.au with ashock of unruly red hair and bright blue eyes in sunken sockets. His lined and weathered skin contrasts with his clean and welltailored clothing. He does not appear to be short of gold. He watches the PCs curiously as they approach, but does not speak.

Failan waits for the adventurers to saywhat th ey wan t.

He says little, but when he does speak he talks in rapidfire bursts. If the PCs explain that they want to get to Rose Quarry, read:

hRo5e Quarry? Very:fot aWl!f. J{ItQT ~1u bord& .. Near the grg'y mist Minrngtowri. I can to/Q! you. Yes. Bl.tf'ft wJII oo . .sijoti. SixtP gold eQrh, forty up /f9l1t. You bn'n[Yaur own luppli~.;,"

A character can l",we:r the price by making a DC 20 Diplomacyeheck, For every poinl of the check result higher than. 19,. the price goes down by 2 gpo If one of the PCs has a strong connection to House Ocien (the Least Dragon mark feat or the Favored in House feat, for example), he or she can call on Fai'lrn's old loyalties by maki ng a favorcheck. On a result of 15 or h igler, Pailin agrees to ferry the pri:rty at necharge. On a result of 10 to 14, he cuts Lhe pr-ice in half'. If the result is less than 10, the request brings back bad memories and Failin angrily doubles his fee.

Failin (for:merly of House Ozien):

Male human expert 4/rogue I; CR 3: Medium humanoid; HD 5d6·; hp 18: Init +7: Spd 30 ft.. AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10:

Base Atk +3: Grp +2: Atk +2 melee (ld4--1119-20,

The Bloody Ma;r.ket .in Rhukaan Draal

dagger): Full Atk .. 2 melee Cld4-V19-20, dillggel'); ~A sneak attack .. ldG: SQdimension leap l/day, trapfin.ding': AL N; SVFort .. I, Ref +8, Will +5: Str 9, Dex 16, Con 10, Iut 11, Wis 12, Cha 11.

Skills and Feats, Appraise .. 2, Dtplomacy .. 8, Gather Information +2, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (local) .. 8. Knowledge (nobility and royalty) .. 7, Sense Motive .. 9, Sleight of Hand +4: Improved Initiative, Least Dragonrnark (Or-len), Lightning Reflexes.

Languages: Common, Gnome, Goblin.

Possessions: Dagget", elemental-powered cart, explorer's outfit, sun.red, pouch containing 15 sp, 10 gp, and 5 pp.

BUGBEAR BRA.WL (EL 4)

Once the party has settled on a price, Failin eagerly pushes them to get moving. The PCsaren't the only ones trying to find Failin, however. When the detatls are settled, Fallin rises and gestures for the party to follow him. Read,

"Lat'sgo, let's go," Failill sqy~, leapingu.pfram the tablermdgestu.ring toward the door. "Folleu. me, qllickb>! J'1Y land carlis hidden neQr/rl'."

On their w.ay to the hnd cart, Fatlrn and the PGs are interrupted when two bugbears step out of the shadows and confront Failfn, Read:

,

"Failin,)au theat us!"grGwl~ an. of the bllgbeQr$ 01 both aftbem raise Iheir morn ir.gstar, to threatening po.iNans.

Creatures, These two bugbears are intent on retaliating aga.inst Failin for .some past griev.ance or t ra nsg:ression.

Bugbears (2), hp 16ea<::h·, Momter Manual page 29. Tactic,., The bugbears both target Failin with their first· attacks. In subsequent rounds, they contend with whoever seems to pose the greatest thr'!cat.

As Failln's first action, he uses dimension leap to retr-eat to a nearby alley. If the PCs want to get to Rose Quarry, they need to deal with the bugbears in Failin's stead, otherwise, Failin refuses to leave his hiding place.

If a bugbear is reduced to 3 hit points Or less, he -arterrrpts to flee.

Developm.ent: The bugbears think Fail in cheated them in their last business transaction. Once they are defeated or driven off, Fa:ilin enleTgeB to continue hi~ dealings with the pes.

The adve ntu rers may have just sowed his life, but Failin still char.ges them for his services. He believes that it is in the PCs' best interest to protect hi m from h.a rm .. However, if one of the PCB he Ips to heal lris injuries. he wa ives that character's portion of the fee. Despite his tough negotiating position, it is clear that he appreciates what the pa:<:ty h as done, and this gratitude keeps him from a·bando.ning the PCs later in thrs adventure.

lfthe PC~ wislito purchase.suppljes, they can make use of the Bloody Market. Otherwise, it's time to head for the borde·),".

THE E1EMENTA.l"POWERBD lAND CA.RT

Fail inowns and operates an elemental-powered land cut. It wasrone .of the Jast thin.g,': he acqurred as a member of House Orien before thepatniacch disowned him aud stripped him oEllis name.

The land cart, a large covered wagon. with a forward bench and four wheels, can hold a ·sizab1eamou.nt of cargo or up to eight passenger..s in the. rear comparement, A Khyber dragonshud. mounted at the Frorrt, binds an earth e.lerne.nta l to the wagon, which has the side effect of rna king the wagon look as though it is decorated with stones, gems, and crystalline protrusions.

As long as the land cart touches the grou.nd., the bound earth elemental can prapel the vehicle at a speed of 15 miles per ho.ur. Rough ground or natural obstacles mean nothing to the land c.art~the earth elemental allows the vehicle to traverse such ter r-ai nas though it were traveling across smooth, level ground. The wheels actually partially merge with the earth as the cart travels. sharing the elemental's natural earth glide ability.

When Fail in and the :PCs .approach the land cart's hiding place, read,

Fal/in ieed! you to a large stone outcropping in a secluded area not fa r from the Bloorb Market. He rolls up hi; right sleeve to expose a dragon mark, lauche..·the birthmark ta theslaTle.and mutters a strange word .. He steps back QS the sla.ne, rllm b Ie., und a stnmge caaered wagon emerge~ from tire rack waiL111c four-wheeled ~~hidq lIas a canvas cOlier that elldasesa large rear comp.artment, while an open b'9' Qt the fronl features a benGh Qlld foo/well. The wagon app·ears to be made of '!!Jood, but an IIndu tating pattern of colISlant'!y shifting rack, gem, and crystalline str.ucruces seem to ol/erl'9' the wClgan's wooden frame.

"~ land cart," Failin s!!)'s ill a q1Jick burst. "Earth ~temental powered. Get in. Time's short. Long road ahead."

Any PC with the Knowledge (nobility and royalty) or Knowledge (a.rcana) skill can make a check to see what he or she knows about Fail.in's dragonmark. A DO 15 Knowledge (nobility and royalty) check reveals that the d.I'agonmark is indeed an Orien mark. A DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) check reveals that the mark is a least dragonrnark of Passage. Anyone who speaks or understands the Draconic language knows that FaBin said the word "travel" in the ancient tongue--obviouslya command word used in conjunction with his dragonmark to call forth the elemental-powered land cart.

PART THREE:, ROSE qUA.RRY

Rose QU!lrry was once-a CynmfroIlti(l:r town. Now-it lies wHhin Darguu n, north ofthe r uins of'Lyrenton, off the Or-ren trade road and with:in. sight of the wall of deadgray mist th alseparat~s Darguun from the MOll r n land. Failin',s elemental-powered hind carl tan make.the trip from Rhukaan Draa} to Rose Quarry in about three and a halfdays.

Failin fits .the land cart with various banners of safe passage. Then the trip to Rose Quarry begins, Read:

The elemental bound to the hmd tart- rumbles lIJith QS()u_nd lik~ Eberron i-udf ,tirring from an anCient sleep, The wheels slide partialJy into the earth itself; and then the land wrrslides along without regard to broken ground or other noturol obs(ades.

The trip to Rose Quarry canbe as uneventful or dangerous-as you want to make it. The PCscan spend the time recuperating and preparing for their next challenges, or you can throw hostile goblins OJ: wild and dangerous creatures from the wilderness at them. (If the characters are ambushed or drawn into combat while traveling- in tho:: land cart,consider the cart to have a ~peed of 90 feet for the purpose of resolving a com-bat encounrer.)

Fail in can tell them what he knows about Rose Qual'ry if the PCs ask quest.ioris. Read.

'The lJillog~ ofRoseQ.uar!), belo~ged to 0re before tht war," Fallin sg)I'. "Nov: it lies wi!hill Dorguu/ territory. OriginalJy, House Gormith pl'o,p~dlJt$ "~tQhl_islle_d th~ uilioge when In" fOl'nd a massive uein of red ma_rbl,,-. Connith brought in dwarue.s from th~ Mmr Holds to mineund acavate the marble. Al!Ywher(yau ,~e Gannith architecture,you inS" find RosC1narble--Shal'n, F1amekeep, Kortn,even Rhukoan Dr-aol-halJ the red stone in Kh0 rvoirepro bab!l romesfrom i'ne quurry."

If the pes want to ask questions, play out the conversation. Failin has Iiu.le information to add. As a House Oannith outpost, thevi1l~ge was prim.arily occupied by immigrant dwarves, House Can.nith retainers, .and a handful of Cyran Iabor-era. Since the quarry was seen as the property of House Caunrth, it was largely left alone during the war. The D,!-,"guuls have laid claim to all territory extending to the Mour nland, but they haven't madea;ny concentrated effort to settle the village.

ARRIVAL

T-..y-iJ.i,ght descendson Dazguun 'as the land carl doses on Rose Quarry. The wall of dead -gray mist that form.s the border of the Mournland can be seen in the distance. The sig):i_t seems ~6 make Failin: nervous and sad at the s~e time. As the land cart crests a smal.l .r ise in the land, read"

i'WerV0l"etpeding i'Omparry?" Failin /!J.sh. Avast plattau,. bounded to the west ~ a narrow catryQ~, "tr~tcheJ befere you. The guo!'!)' lxt~nd$ fat at least a -mile, aOTd fhe ne!!rb village spre'llds ccross the platerlU-dtlf!ast, WIMI's left ofrt. A1Ything,madit of wood hos been buni.d trJ clndtrs, l£aving a hondful of ,tOM facades, rock foundations, aild chiml1l[J1s behind. Th!Jugh worm weather surroundsyou, tire l!iIIage oppRatf co'~ercd In a 11!)'€1' ,of ice th~t gUtter> In the light of the ri$i-ng moons,

rou o/~o notice (Inother source of light. In the southern part of the village, a fireglow,itl G large Pit, which if! sUrFoimd€d (ry fOUT large tenb. Hgu res me ue a rou Ird this rna kcsh 1ft '0 rnp lite.

Have each c haracter- make a Spot check. Use the following information to determine what the), can see. based on each PC's check result. Characters without low-light vision reeeive a -4 penalty on the check.

Spot Check Reliu/t 14 er LaU!er: A character with th is resu It sees what was described in the read-aloud text-a campfue, four ten ts, a rid. a number of figures moving atound the camp,

Spoof Check R~s!llt 15-19, A character with this result notices sixteen horses, two covered wagon~, and seven human-shaped ngu res. The human shapes ,appear to. be wearing helmets and che.irimail armor, judging by how the firelightre-fiects, off their gear. None of the fi.gure1i appears to be mainrai ning a watch,

Spot Check Result 20 or Highu, An extremely observant character notices that the helmets have a distinctive half-faceplate design. A character with this result also .not.ices two skeletons standing in the shadows b)' one of the tents. as though on guard duty.

Listen Check: Characters who make a successful DC 12 Listen check hear a periodic ringing sound. Iike that of a pick striking stone or ice. This sound seems to be coming from the north end of the village, but nothing related to the noise can be seen.

ROSE qUARRY VU:,l.AGE ENCOUNTERS

The numbers given for the following encounters. refer to the map of Rose Quarry. Use the map on page 13 when running these encounters.

Fallin won't risk his land cart or his. lif-e for the adventurers. He insists on waiting behind the rise for the PCs to fmiah their work. He promises to wait fer them, and will keep his word for an entire day before he decides that they aren't corning back and he's free to return to Rhukaan Draal.

ROSE qUARRY MAP KEY

Here's a quick overview of the locations in this p,,"rt of the adventure. The encounters are described in more detail later in this section. The PCs approach Rose Quarry from the south,

Rl. Emerald Claw Camp i This is the first thing rbe PCs S"ee. The POsare better off avoiding the order's soldiers than facing them in direct combat.

R2. M(ll~ d-1as_aRuins, l'he'Sde'catjons, scattered throughout the villagel featur~>8: new und~ad men ace,

'R.3. Can:nith Re::&n:~Yi" This place was, once used to proeess the ted ma'rnl~ excavated in this area. The pes must defeat Emerald dlaw soldiers within ~hj-s site to gainactess to the loearion of White hearth.

R4. Ruined Qhlll'~: In this location, the PCs meet the villainous chan:geling Garrow and have anopporl unity-to clalm a wondrous item.

R1. EHERA1D CLA.W CA.MP CEL 8)

The camp sits ona relatively flat piece ofground in the southwestern portion or the ruined village. The partially intact-walls of II collapsed building provide some cover and proteetion along the <camp's southern edge.

Niue soldiers of the Order ofxhe Emerald Olaw occupy the camp" sharing space in the four tents set up around the -!ire pit. A cler-ic, a necromancer, and -tour skeletons are also on hand to guard the camp.

The PCs should gel the impression that they are better off avoiding-a confrontation with this large group of opponents. If they attract the full attention of the camp. they likely will suffer heavy casualties.

Other features ofthe camp are described below. Light: A large fue: blazes in the center of the camp (bright light for 30 feet), whiJe moonlight provides shadowy illumination to the area beyond.

Sound: A successful DC 16 Listen check allows a character to hear prayers being said somewhere in the ca)n_P. Anyone who hears-the prayers can make a DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check to identify the chanting as a rite of the Blood of VoL

Reaction, If anyone in the camp hears susptcious noises, three soldiers and two skeletons are sent to investigate. If anyolle in the camp spots the PCs. the cler-ic, Eve soldiers, and four s_kdetons are sent to pllIsue the intruders, while the remain ing soldiers provide ranged weapon support:

The Situation: The Order of the Emerald Claw arrived at Rose Quarry three days ago. Since then, the soldiers" of the order' have, been excavating the village in search of dues to the location of the Whitehearth :facility. A di.ectconfrontation with the order's soldiers could prove disastrous. After a few days without incident, however, the soldiers have become careless about watching for intruders. Clever characters can sneak past the camp heforeanyone within can raise a_n alarm.

Any character who comes within 50 feet of the camp must make II Hide check (opposed by two Spot checks, 00 modifiers) to avoid being noticed. Anyone movirig with in 50 feet of th e camp must make a Move Silently check (opposed by two Listen checks, no mOd.ifiers) to avoid b dug h card. If the soldre.rs

ear a sound, they send a -patrol to investigMe. If the-adventur-ers are seen, a Iargec force attempts to elimJnate ehem ,

Hthe PCs waid'or5 bqurs. five-of tbe sold,ierfi g0 to sleep. After this. the soldiers in. the camp tol1~(l:tiveli'

ge't one Spot and one Listen check to notice intruders. Sleeping soldiers are awakened by any commotion and hurry to help deal with intruders, but they have no time to don their armor.

As long as characters stay more than 50 feet away from the camp and extinguish It_ny light sources, they can pass by undetected.

If any characters do get within 50 feet of the camp and remain undetected, the;y get to see a few more details. Read:

From this sp ot, .ya u get (I d ecrer u i ~w Qjthe co mp. Sir hum OIlS ore go tller"d oroy nd the fire, and fa 1.1 r 5 I.e/do nso nned with Srythes stand ill ,silent vigil near!ry. The humans wear tabcrrds emblawned with 0 greM dow o"er chaillmaj/. Northw€.t of the fire, in a dMriilgbetweell two tents, a mall ill banded mail cI"tches anomlltedogge-t and appear:; to be chanh'ng or prf!YiMg.

A charismatic char-acter might approach the camp and try to talk to the soldiers, though the presence of the 'skeletons suggests that this is a bad idea, The soldiers expect competition from House Cannith, and they are vaguely aware of the adventurers' role in Lady Elavdreu's schemes. Even if a PO has a plan that prevents the soldiers from.attatking immediately, all of the Emerald Claw agents have a hostile attitude toward the adventurers.

Creatures: The camp contains nine Emerald Claw soldiers. four skeletons, a cler ic named Kelt is Doran, and a necromancer called Mal lora. Depending on when the pes approach theeamp, as many as five of the soldiers could be in the tents, sleeping arrd out of their armor.

Emer-ald Claw Soldiers (9): Human warrior 2; CR 1; Medium hum.anoid; HD 2d8+5; hp 14 each; [nit +0; Spd 20 ft. (base 30 ft.), AC 17, touch 10, flatfooted 17, Base Ark +2, Or p +3; Atk +3 melee (Id8+1, flail) 01' +2 ranged (ld8/19-20, light crossbow); Full Atk +3 melee nas-i. flail) or +2 ranged OdB/l-9-20. light crossbow); SA-; 8Q -; AL LEi SV Fort +4, Ref +d. Will ... 0; St r 13, Dex 11. COD 12 , Tnt 9" Wis 10. aha 8.

Skills and Fe_ats: Intimidate +3, Knowledge (:religion) +0, Ride +4; Power Attack, Toughness.

Languages: 00=00.

Possessions: Chaizimail , heavy wooden shield, flail. light crossbow with 20 bolts, sunrod, tabard, pouch with 2d6silver pieces and IdS gold pieces, identification papers (two sets. one false).

Keltis Doran:

Male human cleric 2 (Blood of Vol): CR 2;

Medium hu-

manoid; HD

2d8+2; hp 16; Init -Ii Spd 2() ft. (base 30 fe); AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 16:

Base Atk + I; Crp +3; Atk +4 melee (ld81-2, masterwork morningstar) or +0 ranged; Full Atk -t4 melee (ld8+2, masterwork morningstar) or +0 ranged, SA rebuke undead 4Iday (+1, 2d6+3, 2nd): SQ mage hond at will; ALLE: SVFoTt-t4, Ref-I, Will-t5: Str 14, Dex 8, Con 13" Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 12.

Skills and Featl: Concentration +4, Diplomacy + 3, Heal +4, Knowledge (religion) +3: Extra Turning, Spell Focus (necromancy) ..

Languages: Common.

Possessions. Banded mail, heavy steel shield, masterwork dagger (holy symbol), masterwork morningstar, tabard, hand of the mage, JlOtlon of cure light wounds, vial of unholy water, pouch containing 5 sp, 8 gp, and 2 pp.

Cleric Spell, Prepared (4/4): O-cure minor wounds (2), deted magiC, guidance; 1st-bane (DC 13), cause feQr (DC 14), inflict light mounds" (DC 14), protection from gOIJd*

+Domain spell. Domains: Evil (cast evil spells at +1 caster level), Necromancy {cast neC"rom.ancy spells at +1 caster leven.

MaUora: Female human necromancer 2; CR 2; Medium huruanoid: HD 2d4+2; hp 8; Init -1: Spd 30 ft.; AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14; Base Ark ... 1: Grp +0; Atk +1 melee (id4-11l9- 20, masterwork dagger) Or +3 ranged (ld8/19~20, light crossbow); Full Atk +1 melee Od4-1/19-20, masterwork dagger) or +3 ranged (ld8/19-20, li ght crossbow): SA -; SQ~; AL LEi SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, 1m 15, Wis 12, Cha 10.

Skiils and Feats: Concentration +3, Craft (alchemy) +2, Knowledge (arcana) +2, Knowledge (the planes) +2, Spel1craft +3; Dodge, Scribe Scroll", Spell Focus (necromancy) .

Languages, Common, Draconic, Elven.

Possessions, Masterwork dagger, wand of magic missile (1 st level , 21 charges), polion ofcw·e lighrwounds, pouch containing 6 sp, 2 gp, and 3 pp,

Wi~Td Spells P.rojla/"ed (4/4:); O-dC1/t, det~ct magic, read magic, touch affatigue (DC 13); lst-w.1.lsejear (DC 14), magearmar, magio missile, Tqy of enfeeblement.

Skeleto ns (4), hl' 5, 6, 7, 8: Man:5'ter Mrl:llilal pag~ 225. The skeletons are armed with scythes Instead of scimitars and shields; this gives them an AC of 18 and an attack of +1 melee (2d4+l/x4, scythe).

Vulture Zom.bie., GR 112: Small undead; HD 2dI2+3; hp 16; Init +1; S.pd 10 fr., fly 80 ft. (clumsy); AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +1; Grp -2; Atk +3 melee (ld4+1. talons), FullAtk +3 melee (1d4+1, talons); SA-, SQsingle actions only, damage reduction 5/s1ashing, darkvision 60 ft., undead traits; AL N, SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3: Str 12, Dex 13, Con -, Int-, Wis 10, Cha 1.

FMf; Toughness.

Single Action Onj} (Ex), A zombie can only perform Ii single move or attack action each round. The only way that it can move and attack is if it attemptS a charge.

Tactics: In a serious conflict, the skeletons and four of the soldiers charge imo melee. The remainiQg soldiers (notably, any unarmored warriors) pr-ovide missile support with the i r crossbows.

Kelt is begins by casting protecHDn from good on hi mself.

In the second round he uses cause feaT, looking fIrst for a PC using a bow or crossbow, and failing that, targeting the primary PC melee combatant. He then charges into battle, preferably engaging a cleric of an opposing faith. He saves his cum spells for his own use, as opposed to healing the order's soldiers.

When she hears the call to battle, Mallora casts m(lge crmor before emerging from her tent. She remains with the crossbowmen and targets enemy spe l lcaster-s with magiC missile., using cause fear against any enemy who closes to melee range. If she runs out of lst-Ievel spells, she retreats: in I his case, she leaps upon a horse and Tides north to join Ga-rrow allocation R4.

The vulture zombie waits in one of the covered wagons. The zombie is the pet of Brother Garrow and will not leave the wagon unless it is attacked.

Treasure: In addition to the goods carried by the individu:al soldiers, the wagons contain 1,000 crossbow bolts, 2 light crossbows, 2 morningstars, 2 scythes, assor-ted picks and tools, 3 vials of unholy water, 30 sunrods, a sack of 20 black onyx gems (worth 25 gp each), a chest containing three 5-pound sacks of silver dust (worth 25 gp each),and a chest containing 500 gp and 100 p.p.

Develop-.:nent, As indicated by the encounter level, this is not a battle the POs have much chance of win n ing. If they ar ewise, they try to avoid a conflict. If the characters plan to charge the camp, you might want to warn the players that the soldiers look extr emely competent. If they attack anyway and take heavy losses, 1.he PCs might be able to flee to the land cart and escape. The sold ier s ane slowed by their armor, they are suspicious IDf being

led into·an·-ambu.:>h) and \Jie,yrd"n:s:e' to""'enture far from the call:lp ill tbe dark.

Ad Hoc ElqIerienceAward_, U the pes successfully hypaS"~ the ca mpwithoutrai sing an ala rill, they receive a 300 XP Slory award, r p this case, discretron is the better part ef valor,

R2. MOLTEN GLASS RUINS eEl. 2)

These ericou nter areas are. scattered aroundth e vilJ age, & the PCs make their way through the village toward the distant sound of picks striking g:l ass and stone, they notice that only the stone portions of the buildings remain. All other bui1dingmaterids seem to have been consumed in a terrible fire.

Another odd sight also . greets them, What the PCs might have mistaken for ice from a distance is actually a thick layer of glass that appears to have been poured (while it was in a molten state) over the entire village. The glass has hardened info interesting shap lOS and patterns that coat the ruins, Undead creatures sim ilar to zombies wander the ruins, and the PCs must deal with some of them. each time they get close to one of the areas marked R2 on the map.

Other features of these locations are described below.

Ll!Jht, MoonlighL provides shadowy illumination throughout the ruined Village ..

SOl1nd, A DO I Q Listen check allows a character to hear the scraping sound of glass sliding across glass as the zombies move about, The PCs can also hear the distant sounds of metal tools striking glass at regular iritervalsv Th is sound comes from location R*, hut it takes a DC 18 Listen check to discern the source. despi te the strarige echoes reverberating through the ruins,

Reaction, The strange zombies. read with hostility if Ihey see or hear the PCs.

When the PC s approach one of the areas. marked R2 on the map, read:

A s (range li!Yer Df glasl cavers milch of the villoge. It caut.stile ground, 1t msmdi'.sfrom theshatte:red stone mails. loward the center of the uil/age, one or two buildi'1gs appeor to be more intact than the resi oflhil ruins around them. 1wo other Sights leap outaryoli asytw took around, First, you can see the (Jcr'asianai Jorms ofburned dwarlJe!l Dlll'led within the

gla£s, their expre5,l":ons twisted in fear (lJ'Id pflin. Second, someone nQs &eeil breaking rhe glass <iroundsbm~ of the ruins, shaltliring it as th~ugfr s~ardlingfar something tilatml!)' hauebelin tropped within it when the glass cooled und Ilardened,

The Sit'tLation, The Village of Rose QUllrry has been buried under a I-Foot- thick layer of a glass-like substance, Tbi.s material is tougher than normal glass, r t has hardness 3 an.d 3 hit points per inch of thickness, The glass is not perfectly smooth, and it cau be 3 precar-ious surface to traverse. Characters have to make a DO 10 B'al:il;tc.e che.el<: every .round in whlch.rhey are in a dangerous situation (shell iis'while;fi.g:hting zombies, forexample). Characters who Farl.thas che,ck fallpxone,

The dwarves'who were. iridoors when disaster st1:uci:;

were burned to d:ellth in their homes, and charred bones {lTe all that remain of'these yic~ims, The corpses on the "Streets wer-e preserved within t.he mcltenglass. tbeir skin Charred but their bodies otherwise intact.

The Emerald Claw invaders have' been here for a few days, excavating the village in search of dues. to the loeation of the Vfblt,ehe.arth facility. One of their first actions was to arrirnate a few ofthe well-preserved dwarf cel.·pses to use as zorn bie labor. The PCs encounter a pair ofrhese crearuresat each location marked R20n the map.

The PCs can detect the approach of these ghastly zombies with a DC 10 Listen or Spot cheek (-1 penalty on the check for every 10 feet between the zombies.and t he pes i the Spot penalty is increased to -2 if the character does not have darkvision or low-light vision).

Creatures, Pairs of dwarf glass zombies wander the ru ined village. "When the PCs first encounter these creatures, read:

The screecMng sound of glass scraping acros, g/ossleadsyou to a pair of il,'ckous figures, Dmomes mho died hombjy in fire o.nd molten glass now shdm ble as ;::0 mbie'$,. Unlilre ard"wry zombie.,. these undead dWllrves are i:olJeroo in Q coaUng of translucent glas> thot seems to act as an ~rtra Ir;ryer of skin. the dwur[l'.ombfesgoz;(! Qtyou with dear; dead 9-~s. Then thgy cIiQ~€.

Dwarf Glass Zom.b.ie"li (2): GR 1; Medium undead, HD 2dI2+10; hp20, 23; !nit -1; Spd 15 ft., can't r un., AC is, touch 9, fli:it~footed 13; Base Atk + I; Grp +2; Atk +2 melee (ld6+1. slam)! Full Ark +2 melee Od6+l, slam); SQsingle actions only, damage reduction 5/(see text), darkvision 60 ft., glas5walkillg, undead traits; At N; SV Fort +0, Ref -I, Will +3; Str 12, Dex8, Con-, Lnt -, Wis 10, Cha 1.

Feat, Toughrress.

Damage Reduction (Ex); The gla~s that has fu&ed to the body of each zo.mb'ie must be SIIlashed with a blunt instrument before the creature can be hacked apart. Initially, a ,glass zombie has damag.e reduction 5/bludgeoni ng. Once the creature has taken 8 poi.nts of damage, its glass covering shatters, and it has damage reduction 5!slashillg instead.

G/u:;swaning (Ex): The zombies can move across the glass sheet at rior-rual speed, without having to make Balance checks, due to the layer of glass that sur-rounds their bodies.

Single Actions OnlY oo. A glass zombie can only perform a single move or attack action each round. The only w'ay it can move and attack j s if it attempts a charge.

Taccicsi The zombies have been ordered to patrol the \Image and attack anyone who is not wearing the symbol of the. Emerald Claw. On spotting the adventurers, they charge the nearest enemy and fight until destroyed. Note that the zombies posse'ss darkvision and ar e not hampered by the shadowy illu:miuation.

Development. If the PCs fight the glass zombies n~~r the c:a.mp (the two R2 locations nearest the R 1 19Cati,cn), they attract the. attention of the soldiers in

j

the camp. Two soldiers of the Emerald Olaw ar-rive in Id!l,+1 .rcunds to investigate the disturbance.

R~. CA.NNITH REfiNERY eEL j)

One of the two more or less intact building..> at: the, center of the village, this large stone. str uctu re was once used by House Canrrith to process the rea marble drawn from the quarry. Now, two soldiers of the Order of the Emerald Claw and a glass zombie work toclear a chamber that contains a map showing the location of the "Wbitehearth facility.

Other features of this locaciorr are described below.

Ught: Sunrod.s provide bright illumination within the refinery.

Sound: As the PCs approach this lee atiori , it becomes clear that it is one SOurce oEtbe sounds of excavation that echo throughout the ruins. A DC 13' Listen check allows the PGs to heal' snippets of conversation, between br-eaks in the chiseling and dearing. A DC 15 Listen check allows a PC to hear a glass zombie carrying a load of refuse moving from the interior of the building toward the entrance.

Reaction, On noticing intruders. the sold ie rs draw their weapons and attack. The glass zombie drops the load it car-r-ies and attacks upon spotting the pes ..

When the PC& appr-oach. the area marked R3 on the map, read :

Thio.largebuilding, constructed ¢f walls of fIld marble. has the engrrw2d 9'mbol <If an (l.nlJil and gorgon carved into the kigstone ab(lue the arched doo rw,!),-the 9'm b 0 / 0 fH a lIse Can n ith. Wh il e th e ou fer w.a Ii, are int(1d. Iittl~ else is/eft of the buildi~g. The mof, doors. and uppa floors h(lu~ b.een redi,tcedto cindersatld rubble. Light can 6eseenglQwing from deep inside the bu.ilding.

The Situ.ation: Two Emerdd Claw soldier& work inside the building. ~ifting th.roug.b th.e rubble in search of a clue as to how lo read the map. One glass zornb ie helps by .carting debris from the large interior chamber and piling it in one of the two smaller charnbel's, riea-r the errtr an.ce. An entrance a! the front of the hUilding opens on the main village road, The walls are 30 fe·et high and mostly intact, tho:ugh covered with a sheet of gl""s.

The PGs rnust quietly deal with. the glass zombie or otherwise get past it to approach the large chamber without alerting the soldiers. (Because the floor in this ,u;ea is mostly cleared. of glass. Balance checks are not necessary here,) In rnost cases, they first ericou.nter- the glass zombie in t.h~ dark entry hall, which then alerts the soldiers to their pr~sence. When th~y get a cha nce to see into the large chamber. read:

The /u';ge 50 -foot-wide£hamber hru been deur~d of mo,t oft!.. rubgl~ andglasryou'~e ,cen throughou.t the rest of the village. Th~ j100remergd from the slwttered glQ ss, fo,.m.~d from r~d m(lrbl« r1nd"deCpmted with an e mb oSJed de s.gn.

Greature5; Two f,m:e~ala Claw soldiers, one g-.r.unt and the mi1itary cQrnm.ander of this m.issson.. -Kaela, work in the large chamber. Adw'arf glAsszomhie c1l:r~ debris from the l-arge chamber and,dl':posit:l;iti:n one of the smaller anteeharrib())s.

E:me~ald. Claw Soldiou>: hp 14, ~ee p~ge 14. Dwarf Gla~s Zombie- hp 2'0.; 'see :p.a.ge 16· ..

Kaela, Fero:ale human '&ghtet 2; eR 2, Medium humanoid, HD 2dlO+~; hp 17~ Init +2; Spd 20 ft. (base 30 Jt.); AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17; BaseAtk+2; Grp +4; Atk +6 melee (ld8+2119- 20, masterwork longsword) or +4 ranged; Full Atk +6 melee Cld8+2! 19-20. masterwork longs word) or +4:ranged; SA-; SQ -; AL LEi SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 15, Dex 14. Gon 13. Int 10. Wis 12, Cha 8.

Ski!ls and Feats- Intimidate +2. Ride +5; Combat Expe rr ise, Iron Will, Quick Draw'', Weapon Focus Oongsword) B.

Lartgu.ages: Common.

PosS"oSsian<: Cha inma il , +1 he0V' steil shield, dagger, masterwork long-sword. potion of cure light wo~rids, tabard, pouch with 5sil\'er pieces arid 12 gold pieces. Her shield bears the symbol of the Emerald. Claw, which may lead to trouble.if the item isclairned by a PC.

Tactics: The warrior immediately draws his weapon and attach the party. The minions of the Emerald Claw are fanatics and cannot be reasoned with; they believe that if they die they will be reanimated to continue to serve the Order. Unless the PCs have found a way to prevent it, the soldier calls for assistance as he fights. His cries won't reach the I:amp, but they alert the glass zombies in the nearest area R2 (if they have not been defeated by the PCs pr-ior to this encounter) and Garrow in area R4. The zombies immediately move to join the ftght, but Garrow waits until after the characters have had a chance to study the map, then makes a properly dramatic appearance.

Unlike the Emerald Claw soldier, Kaela uses a move -action to don her shield. drawing her Sword as a free action. For the first three rounds of combat, she uses Combat Expertise to gain a + Z bonus to AC (with a corresponding -2 penalty on attack rolls) while she evaluates her opponents and calls for help. Given the choke, she targets characters beilTing the symbol ofthe Silyer flame, she ~pent three years figh.ting Thrane in the Last War ana harbors a grudge against the church.

Tr-easwre The Emerald Claw has already stripped most, of the valuables from this building. A successful

DC 15 S6'a1'IlIT check allowsa elia.ra.cter-tG £md. a casket co.m.aining 50 p~ and a bottle ofsall.leoJslipperiness (labeled "Compound 12" in Common).

Developmeruss Once the soldiers and the zombies have been defeated. the 'adventw'ers can examine the lar;ge chamber. Read:

Thdarge chamber can loins ofew enormsus bl-oeb of to ugh red stone. This plate was probablY where Ihe' math/ewas shaped, polished, and prepared for shiJ!ping. Lorge fireplaces DauEY the cfnter of the north, south, and w~t walls, each mode of II different!}pe Dfstone, red .llone for the north, whit~ stone for the south, Qmi black stone for the west fireplace. SiI statues stand around the room, two te each side of one of the firepll1ces. The floor of the chamber features a detailed map of central Khorvolre showing the nations of Aundair, 0,e, K(lrrnath, Throne, and B"eland. While ciHes, topographical features, and even major min.s are shown in bas r~lief on the map, no text identifies the lomtioilS.

The statues depict a dl'agon and a lion carved from red marble, a wolf and a falcon carved from white marble, and an armored knight and a griffon carved frO'ID black marble. If the PCs examine the back of each statue's head (01' rnake a successful DC 20 Search check), they find messages carved into the stone. The messages read as follow><.

Red Dragon; "Whitehearth, White Seal. NE 9." Red Lion; "Tallis, Black Seal, E 4."

Whil" Waif "Cabblen Hall, Red Seal, SW 15."

White Falcon, "Blackhearth, Black Seal, SE 12."

Black Knight: "Kronn Hall, White Seal, N G."

Black Griffon; "Redhearth, Red Seal, SE 7." In.terpretingthe Map: The PCs must bring the fol-

lowing information together-the messages carved i nto the back of each statue's head, the House Cann.ith seals carved into the floor in front of each £.replace (rubble and glass must be cleared from atop the north and sou th seal; the west seal has already been cleared and is visible when the PCs examine the chamber). and the map carved into the floor itself.

The message on the back of each head names a hidden House Cannith research facility. The seal mentioned represents where to start to find the location on the map. Then it provides a direction to walk and how many pa~es to reach the spot on the m.ap. The only place important for this adventure is Whitehearth, which a PC of Medium size can find by starting OD the seal in front of the white Slone nreplace and walking nine

paces to the northeast. (If a Small character attempts to pace off the distance, he discovers that going nine paces to the northeast leaves him in an unmarked spot on the .map-only by continuing for another nine paces will he reach the correct locarion.) Doing this places the. character in the hills of southwestern Cyre. At this location. a character notices a faint symbol of a crossed pick and shovel. This clue reveals that Whitehearth is. in a mine approximately thirty miles beyond the graymist border of the. Mournland, directly due east of the hamlet ofOlkhaan. (The messages carved into the other statues are not important for this adventure', but can be developed by the DM; unlike Whitehearth,some or all of these other locations could still be active.)

Ad Hoc Experience Award: The adventurers receive a total of200XP for solving the puzzle and determining the location of White hearth.

R4. THE RUINED CHURCH 01£'2)

The other more or less intact structure at the center of the village is a stone church dedicated to the Sovereign Host. More of the sounds of shattering rock and glass emanate from the cemetery behind this structure.

Other features of this location are described below. Light! Mo on ligh; provides shadowy illumination within the ruined church and in the cemetery behind it.

Sound, As the POs approach this location, it becomes clear that it is a source of the sounds of excavation that echo throughout the ruins.

Re:action; None. No enemy waits within the church. and the zombies working in the cemetery are solely devoted to he task that Garrow has assigned them. Garrow ill treated as a separate encounter (see below); he might show up ill area R3 after the PCs interpret the map, he might deal with them if t hey approach the cemetery, Or he might appear anywhere else in the village if the PCs draw enough attention to themselves.

When the PCs approach the area marked R4 on the map, .read.

The structure beforeyou appears to be a church, andyou can see9'mbo/s of the Sovereign Hes: caroed into th~ stone walls. The roofhas falien in, but the walls appear solid and strong. Agrav9'llTd sits behind the church, and the sounds of tools strikingglass echo from that diree/ion.

The Situation; A changeling priest named Garrrow leads the Emerald Claw expedition. (Kaela commands

WONDROUS ITEM: OU.M)RAS CHA.L1CE

This gO'lden chalice 'has two useful functions. On cornmand, any liquid. placed. within it is purified. as by the spell pUrify food and drink. Twice per day, it can be used to change 1 pinr of normal water into holy water, as by a bless llI/Jt,,~ spell. Theile powers can only be-invoked. by a cleric of the-Sovereign Host.,

Faint transmutation; CL Ist, Craft Wondrous.Item, bless water, purifyfDod and drink, creator must be a priest of the SO'ven:ig:n Host; Price 1,000 gp; Weight 21b.

the soldiers' but takes her orders from Gar1Xow), Frustrated by-his ream's inability to.inrerprefthe J;Ilap room, he has decided to exhume the corpse~ huried in the graveyard. By usin.g speQk: with dead, he hopes to uncover the secret of the map room. If a par-ticular corpBe can't gil'c him that infermation., he plans to ,animate it to serve him. The noises from behind the church are the' sounds of Garrow's zombies breaking glass in order to dig up the bodies.

Inside the Church, Rubble from the collapsed ceiling fills the interior of the church. The altar can be seen poking up through the debris, but rubble and a coating of glass obscure al l other features of the interior area.

Treasure: A successfu1 DC 20 Spot check or DC 15 Search check made inside the church uncovers Olla'dra's chalice (see the sidebar). The Emerald Claw soldiers discovered this item but didn't bother salvaging it, since the), have no interest ina mi nnr relic of a benevolent faith. If the PCs wish to. r-ecover' the chalice, they must carefully dig it out of the gla.ss that encases it.

Th.e Ce:metery' In the graveyard behind th.e church, the PCs spot two dwarf glass z omb ies chipping away at the sheets of glass that cover the red marble gravestones. Four of the graves have already been emptied, andthe remains of four dwarves have been piled to one side waiting for Garrow's atterrt ion'. If Garrow has not been encoun-

the d,raI)1atic. CApstone 'O~ the P9l exploration at: R9,s~e Quarry. The' PCs can ~neounterGarrow in a number of diffe!"ent locations.

l£.thePC.s make a signif\:cant amount Qf:,ripisewhi~e exploring the Cannith re£.nery, Qa.1'rq~ .ShO""(8 up to ~DYestiga:te the disturpan¢.e· aftecr thea·dllen t'ir).r-s;.have had time to unravel tHe ~ystet'.y Githe maJl- room,

If they investigate the sounds coming froIn behind the r-uined church, Garrow emerges from the

shadows and gre-ets' them.

If the adventurers defeat the soldiers in area R3and solve the riddle of the map room wito.out alerting -w,e rest of

the Village, Garrow crosses paths with them as they near the edge of the vill!J.ge on their way back to Failf.n and the Iand cart.

Garrow enjoys using his abilities to frighten and confuse opponents. He takes, all the appearance of a vampire when he meets up with the adventurers.

When the PCs do encounter Garrow, read,

A tali, emaciated man, we:aringa bealltlfu/ hODded robe of b/achilk, slides out of th~ ,hadows. He hus d~iJth!y white sk.in, and a thick ~C-Irr run, from tne, comf·r of one gleaming r-e,d rye b!ick pas!' a pOinted ear. He smiles, Jlashi:ng sharp fa ngs. "What baue we here?" he hisses, measuringyou with a casual gl~ nee iif his crirnso n ga:<;e.

Garrow: Male, changeling cleric 5 CBlood of Vol); GR 5; Medium

~y h;~~n~~6~s~=~e~~;~~:;)~0 t:

AC 17, touch u. flat-footed l4:

Base Atk +3~ Grp +3; Atk +4 melee (J d4/19-20, masterwork dagger) or +5 ranged (1d41l9~20,

masterwork dagger); Full Atk +4 melee Od4!l9-20, masterwork dagger) or +5 ranged (ld4/l9-20, masterwork dagger); SA

death touch, rebuke undead 5/day (+2, 2d6+7. 5th):

SQ changeling traits, minor change shape. + 2 'On saving th rows agaj nst sleep and charm spells; AL LE; AP 3; SV Fort -1-4, Ref +2, Will +7; SrI' 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 14. Wis 16,. Cha 14.

SkillsandFeats, Bluff+3, Concentration +4, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +4 (+14 when using minot change-shape), Hide +3, Knowledge (religion) +4, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft' + 7: Heroic Spiri r, Spell Focus (necrom~ancy).

Lang~ages: Cerumen, Elven, Goblin.

Chongeling Traits, Ch·a-ngelings have a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against sleep and charm 'effects.

Garrow

ter ed earl ier in the adventure, he watches the zombies work from the shadows beneath a glass-coated tree (Hide check result of 18).

Dwarf Glass. Zomb ies (2)., hp 21.22; see pag,'" 16 for details.

Tactics, The zombies have been ordered to dig, and they do not initiate contact with the adventurers. If any of the PCs attack, the 'Zombies drop their tool~ and defend themselves.

BROTHER GARROW eEL 5)

The priest named Garrow commands th is Em.e.rald Cl aw expedition. The encounter with ~rrow serves 'l1~

q~Tir S_pe1Ls f're-j!nred (5fS/4fJB); O~~ure minor wounds (2:), JeW;tml1gk, guitlima~, r~si.stqnCf} 1st-cure light wounds (2), obsruring 'ltrst,_ Protection from good, "'9' aJ enfeeblement*j 2n-dcommiint1/fndel1a* (DO 16), inflict moderate wound, (DO 16), sil~!lcl'_, unde_Qd gl1.S '(new spell; see sidebar), 3rd-Wlimate if~lId.j<. meld tnto ston~, speQk with dead (DO (7).

¥J1) omain.sp ell. Donw ins: Death (death touch once per day, Qoamage 5do), Necrornarrcy (cast neu:romancy spells at + 1 caster level).

PossessiOilS: +1 glamered brell~tplat£, masterwork dagger (holy symbol), potion ofinvisibihg.

Tactics: Garrow prefers to m im.ic, the form of a vampire, both as a way to frighten 9PPQnents and because he hopes to one day become a true vampire in the service of Vol. He plays the role with amaziug believability, but he doesn't pessess any of the abilities of a true vampire.

Garrow's fr ustrarion over failing to solve the. puzzle of the map room has caused his temper to rise. Seeing the adve.nru.rez-s, he concludes that Cannith (rhrough Lady Elaydren, whom the order has been keeping tabs on) sent th.ern to recover another schema. Rather than attempting to destroy the PCs, he decides to let them escape so that he can follow them.

To accomplish this, on his first action he casts ob~curing mIst. At the first opportunity afterward, he drinks his pCltion of intll~ib,i/iry and then shouts, "To me, my wa-rriors, while I feast on the intruders' blood!" His goal is to leave the party with the impression that he bas

shifted to gaseou-s form.

Any: attempt to turn Gar now o-r to use holy water agalrut him has no effect, since he is nut actually a varnpire. Ifhe is,targeted pya harmful effect, he can spend an action point to enhance his saving throw.

Development: Garrow wants- the party to escape.

He sends his vulture zombie from area RI to follow the party and s_py on their progress from a discreet distance.

ESCAPE fROM ROSEqUARRV

After the encounter with Garrow, the adventurers should have the impression that they need to leave as quickly as possible. According to the map, Whltehearth lies thirty miles into the Mourhland. If the pes can convince Fa il.iri to take th.em in the land cart, they can reach the location in about 3-112 hours. It might take more gold, a DC 20 Diplomacy check, or both, to convince Failin to brave the dangers of the Mour nland. Otherwise, the adventurers must travel on fOOL or steal some of the horses from the E=eraldClaw camp. Either way, Garrow has his men make a show of chasing the POlO, but he wants them to escape and lead him to the location ofWhiteheaTth..

ecromancy

Level: Cleric -2, sorcerer/wizard 2 CalOting TiIne: 1 round COInponents: V, S, F

Range, Touch

Target: One mindless undead creature Duration: 1 day/level

Sa'vingThrow, None

Spell Resistance: No

This spell allows the caster to form a telepathic link with a mindles-s undead creature that the caster has first cast control undead upon. The telepathic link provides two

benefits. First, the caster can Issue telepathic commands to the target (with the normal restrictions for control undead). Second, the caster can form a sense-link to the tar_get as. a free action. This link allows the caster to see and hear through the senses of the undead creature.

While using the sense-link, the caster is considered stunned; he cannot take any physical actions and is only dimly aware of event-s going on around him.

Focus: The caster .must possess a piece of the body of the undead creature he links with-a tuft of hair, a sliver of bone, a finger, or someth1ng sim.ilar. If the focus is removed from the caster, the link is broken.

PA.RT Foux.

THE MOURNLA.ND

Cyre, once the jewel of the Galifal' crown, was destroyed four years ago in a terrible- and mysterious release of ar<'.aneenergy. In the afterglow oJ the .devastating eHect, the Mournl.and was born .. See pages 188-191 of the Ebman Campaign Setting for complete details on the Mournland.

A n u.rnlaec of encounters are presented for use during this portion of the adventure .• Only two of these aelually need to occur, the nead-Gray Mist and the Mouth of the Mine. Use the others as you see fit as the PCs make thei-r way int-o the desolate region. The encounters are not keyed too a map; they are seguent i a 1 events presented in the order that they should occur.

THE DEAD-GRA.Y MIST

The adve-nturers see the wall of dead-guy mist on the eastern horizon for the entire trip from Rose Quarry toward the Mournland .. As the PCs cross into the mist, read,

The wall of roiling mi,/rises ahead obau. (Jppearing solid and ephemeral at Inc sume time. PaSJing into the_ dq)'l'ng mist i,1 like entering Qn alien plane afexistence. Light barejy refiects through the shifting i'!)'er, of vapor, Sounds become muffled unddislrmt, €!!en when produced nearf:y_ The place bas G rwrrow;, omillOu.je'ei ta it, ond a feeling ajisolatian and growing dread builds withinyou USy8U travel deeper into tll€mi,t/:.

If the pes travel on the e lernerata l+power-ed land cart, they tan avoid the need to make a Survival check while movi:ng through the mist. The elemental, tied to the earth and touchi.ng the ground, can't get lost in the dead-gray 'ruist.

If'the pes travel on foot or by horse, they must make a DO 20 Survival check upon ,entering the mist. (The character at the front of the party shou.1d make the check.) If the check fails, the adventurers beeom~ d iscr ieuted and travel in a random direebon for 1d4 hours before regaining their bear irigs,

Sooner or late r', depending on the maDner of travel the PCs use, they emerge from the wall of dead~gray mist and enter the Mournland. Read:

"the mist gives w'J)' to a desolate, barren. landscape. The ground is cracked and broken, and in. some places it has fused into jagged_glass. Few plants grew in Ihi, regiDl'l, and those that do app~o, to be twi~ted o nd da nge ro us-

TWISTED SKELETONS (~L '3)

After a short rime in the Mournla:ud, the PCs come aCT-OSS the r-uins of a siege engine used in 'the Last War. Its shattered form. is scattered over a small patch of land" and the bodies of a h andfu I of Brelish soldiers I ie am ong

the broke-n pieces. 'When the pes gel ·doll<!- enou.gh_ t:o make out signiftcant detaiis .of the area, read,

"theja!leluo!diers!ook.as though thV' were killed mereJM, moment> ago. though In? !umlv died moro-thon!ouryeGr; agQ·dw·ing th",:l.ast W~r. Still. tbeir wounds appear fr€S~ and thg have nory£! begun t,(l shaw the

sl~htest eff~ds 9f dewmp~sition. -

Other features of this Location lire described below.

Light: Depending on the time of"day. the Mouz-nland is bathed in perpetual twilight or the daIil<n.essot a cloud-covered night.

Sound, The scene is silent.

Reaction: If a character approaches within 30 feet of the- ruined &ieg:e engine, a group of wolf skeletons (see below) emerges from hiding,and attacks.

The Situation, The dead Bnehsh soldiers are _disturbing, but they pose no threat to the PCs. The real threat is the mutated wolf skeletons lurking in the shadows of the shattered siege engine. Any PC who makes a successful DC 15 Spot check notices the advancing skeletons and avoids ,being surprised. The pes who fail the check don't get to act in the surprise round.

Creatures, Th ree wolf skeletons are hiding .among the ruins .of the siege engine. They are wolf skeletons in all Iespeets e:&cept for the cosmetic changes wrought by the-weird arcane effects of the Mour-n lartd. Now the skel~ etcns appear twisted a nd deformed, and human skeleton parts have been fused to the spines of these creatu res.

WolfSkele.tons (3), hp ]3; MonsterMonual page 226. Treasure, If the PCs feel comfortable looting the bodies of the Brelish soldiers; they can recover 8"3 gp, 191 sp, 24 pp, and a +1 light mace.

Spot Ch'lck After the PCs have defeated or moved away fro:m the twisted wolf skeletons, a character can make a DC 18 Spot check to notice a Single carrion bir d circling On the horizon behind the:m.

CHA.RNEl PIT (E(4)

The PCs continue their trip through the Mournla.nd toward the Whiteh"arth faCility when they come upon an even more terrible sight than what they encountered .a.rou.nd the broke-n Siege engine. They ride (or walk) into the remains of a massive battle. Most of the corpses-Bre1- ish in.fantry and Cyran archers-died in a battle that took place on the Day of _Mournin-g. four years ago. Mixed in with these older (but still fresh-Iooking) corpses are the victims of a rnor'e recent skir-mish. Two days ago, a warbarad made up o.fValenar elves encountered a party ofTalenta haliling hun.teu. The two opposing bands fought among the ruins of the older battle until they were surprised by a terrible monster hiding beneath the ~orpses. The carcass crab emerged and str-uckqu ickly and with great ferOCity. The haUlings and e1ves defended themselves and wounde-d the monster, but they could not kill it. Nowtheir bodies lie among_ those that fen Gn the Day of Mourning.

Other features of this location aFe described below. Light, Depending-Gn the time-of day, the .Mournland

-is bathed in perpetual twilighf or the darkness of" cloudcovered night.

St1lI.nri The Scene is eeril)l silent. No scent of death 01' deea,y is disceenible in the air. despite the .number of bodies-scattered across the field.

Reactivnl If a character approaches within 20 feet of the- mound of halfling and elf bodies, the carcass crab emerges from hiding and attacks,

When the carcass crab emerges, read:

The mound of corpses and discarded weapons shifts, rising up from the ground on eight crablike leg!. Four gestalks emerge, and the giant crustacean covered with corpses shambles towordyou_

The Situation: This is a deadly battle with considerable rewards. The carcass crab that Iu.rks in this region is a youngver,sion of the monster presented in the Eberron Campaign Setting. It was injured in its battle-with the Valenar elves and halfling hunters, and this experience has left it in an angry mood. It wants to relieve its pain by inflicting pain on others, and the PCs who wander into its path must deal with .this exceptionally violent young carcass crab.

The soldiers of Cyre and Breland died on the same day of the mysterious disaster that created the Mournland. The halflings and elves fell more recently, slain by the young carcass crab hiding within this field of corpses. Anyone who makes a successful Spot check opposed by the crab's Hide check result notices the outline of the crab among the bodies and is not surprised when the creature emerges. As far as the other characters are concerned. the valley appears lifeless.

Creatures: A young carcass crab lurks beneath the mound of corpses, resting and recovering from its battle with the elves and haHlings. When the crab

attacks, it bursts from its hiding place, flinging bodies in all' directions.

Carcass Crab: OR 4, Large Inagical beast: HD 6dlO+18; hp 51; In it +2; Spd. 3-0 ft.; AC 19, touch 16. flat-footed Ib: Base Atk +6; Grp +14; Atk +9 melee (Id8+4, claw) or +8 ranged OdS plus poison, barb), Full Atk +91+9 (ld8+4, 2 claws) or +8 ranged Od3 plus poison, barb); Space/Reach 10 ft./] 0 ft., SA bite Id4.+2 (attack bonus +4 when grabbling an opponent), poison (Fortitude DC 16, initial and secondary damage Id3 Dex)i SQ. adhesive, darkvisiori 60 ft., low-light vision, spiny defense (a creature that hits the crab with a natural weapon or unarmed attack takes 1d4- points of piercing damage); ALN; SVFort +8, Ref+7, Will +2; Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 9.

Skills and Feats: Hide +1 (+8 circumstance bonus- on Hide checks in the Mournland), Spot +6; Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot.

Languages: -

Possessions. Standard treasure.

Tacties: The crab is not a subtle opponent. It is hurt and wants to hurt others, Any character who comes within 30 feet of its hiding spot becomes a target for the creature's rage. If the PCs notice the crab and attack with ranged weapons or spells, the crab enterges frOID its hiding p1ac-e and moves toward its opponents, hurling venOITlOUS barbs at the enemy who deals the most damage. If the PCs decide to leave the area, the carcass crab WaD 't ch ase them. It wiU, however, conti nue, to hurl barbs as long as the PCs are within range.

Treasure: While hundreds of bodies are strewn throughout the valley, most of the soldiers were simple infantrymen equipped with.mundane arms and armor. Any simple weapon can be found, along with hundreds

of crossbow holts and a multitude cf'shields and suits-of leather armor. With a dedicated search (and preferahly the "asting of detect magic), the followin;g items may he picked out of the heap:

Talaen Kara, 1-1 Valemlr double $cimitar (see sidebar) 1 masterwork Talents tangat

I llJ(fnd-of magic m issi/es (Ist level)

I cloak of resistance + 1

3 potions of nne moderate wounds 1 potion o!inlJisibiliry

1 su it of half-plate armor

lJlametouched iron holy symbol (Sovereign Host) 3 vials of antitoxin

1 vial of acidic fire

i letter of credit with the Kundarak Banking Guild for 400 gp

A total of 250 sp, 38 _gp, and 4 pp

It takes Id4+2 hours of searching to locate and recover these items frOlll this killing field, and the adventurers must literally strip the bodies of-fallen soldiers in some cases to recover all of this treasure.

Spot Check: After the PCs have defeated or moved away from the carcass crab, a character can make a DC 15 Spot check to not ice a dngle carrion bird circling on the horizon behind them.

THE MOUTH Of THE MINE (EL 1/2)

Eventually, the PCs reach the location that corresponds to the spot on the map from Rose Quarry. 'When tltey reach this area, they find what appe.ars to be an abandoned .mineshaft dug into a low hill. Befo·re they can enter the shaft and make their way into the Whitehearth facility. they must deal with Garrow's spy and pet, the vulture z.ombie.

Other feat ures of thi s location are descrfbed below. Light: Depending on the time of day, the Mournland is bathed in perpetual twilight or the darkness-of a doud-covered night.

Sf/lind, The area arou.nd the wi<peshaft is quiet. ,f,_ successful DC 2-0 Listen checke.llows a FC to hear the occasional a-ustle of the nearby vulture sombte's skdeta,l wings.

Reaction: 1£ a character approaches the enll."ance to the mine, the vulture zonibieat1acks.

When the pes reach t.his location, read.:

At the ba'Mfa .low hi.ll, a timbered opening leads into a dark tlJ)1nel. At flr,t glance, it looks like aly-other _abandoned mine6haJl. Then, with II more mreful in-spedion oftheopening;you sjJDtthe House,Qcwlliihsea/ em bl azolled 011 the .cellter cros,be am ..

The Situation. This is indeed theenrrance to. the secret Whitehearth facility. Garrow, watch.ing through the undead eyeS' of the vulture zombie perched on a -nearby withered tree, exper-iences joy and anger at this moment. He is happy that his plan worked and that the .adventu rers have led him to Whitehearth. but he feels a raging anger that they might get to enter the installation before he does.

Let the pes exami ne the entrance as they see fit.

Other than the House Cannith seal, nothing indicates the nature Or purpose of this mine. No traps or alarms are present at the entrance, and the tunnel stretches into darkness. A~ the PCs set up a marching order to enter the lO-foot-wid~ tunnel, Garrow orders his vulture zombie to attack.

If the pes noticed the vulture following them earbel', -they can each make a DC 12 Spot check. Anyone who faU~ the check is c·aught by surprise as the rotting vulture swoops down hom the sky.

Creatures: Garrow controls the vulture zombie as it attacks the party.

Vulture Zom.bie: hp 1-6: see page 15.

Tactics: Garrow guides the vulture's actions. so it displays unusual cunning for a zombie, It ta.rgets a wizard 0.1' sorcerer if orae is present. Ifraot, it streaks toward a target wearing the least amount ofarmor. Garrow hurls it at the party knowing that it will be destroyed-he hopes to inflict as much damage as possible before that happens.

TA.lA.EN KARA., THE BoLD STA.LLlON

Talaen. Kara is a +1 Valenordiluble_sclmilarwjth the following character isrics. AL CG; Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12; Empathy, SO ft. vision and hear.ing-; Ego score 5.

Les,er Powers, Bless 3/day, additional ... l enhancement bonus when used OD. horseback.

Personality: This beautiful weapon holds the essence of a proud Valenar warhorse, the lifelong companion of the ranger Valea Ildall ia. Wben her faithful steed finally fell in battle, Vale a forged this blade so her comp'ani<D_n could continue to ride witb her intc battle. While the' weapon is intelligent, it has the mind of iI horseand.only communicates. with strong, pureemOtion~~anger, joy, suspicion, and· so on.

Initially; Talaen Kara only-uses its powers on behalf of an elf. A ranger ·of another ral;'e can win the respect of the blade by making a DC 20 wild empalhy check, the ranger can attempt this check once per week.

Each of the scimitar', two blades is engraved. One bears the stylized image of a horse's head. while the second features" flowi:ng horse's tail. Wnen the weapon is wl;ti.rled abo.ul in battle. these images see m to move' lind gleam with a s.ilvery light. The handle is bound wit.h black Ieathcr and silver Wire, and bears t.h~ name. Qf the weapon in Elven .scr ipt.

Strong evocation; CL 15th; Price 4,925 gpo

I'

PA.RT Ftvs. WHITEHEARTH

'The magewrights, arrificera, and wizards of the Whitehearth facility were not the architects of the Mournland, and the cause of the devastation remains a mystery. House Cannith was selling magic weapons to all five of the great nations, and Whitebearth was where the house developed spells and items considered to be too dangerous or volatile to test near civilization. On the Day of Mourning, the energies that created the Mou,'nland swept across Whitehear tho Many of the researchers and support staff were killed instantly, They were the lucky ones-others were destroyed by arcane experiments thrown Out of controL Now chaos and death 6ll the halls of White he nth. House Cannith has sent It few teams to investigate the place over the intervening four years, but none have returned.

This section of Shadows of the Last War is a traditional dungeon crawl, The adventurers must overcome mystically altered beasts, living spells, and arcane traps while searching for the schema and information concerning the creation pattern it ties to.

"Whitehearth was carved out of the stone using powerful magiC. Unless otherwise noted, assume the following conditions to be true:

Wa 11s are smooth gray stone (hardnes~ 8, 15 hp/inch of thickness, generally I foot thick between rooms), and ceilings are 8 feet high, Everbright lanterns once lit the workshops, but the mystical shock wave overloaded the lanterns, and now they only give off a dim radiance equivalent to shadowy illumination. Standard doors are made from three inches of steel (hardness 10, 90 hp, break DC 30) and sealed with arcane lock (raising the break DC to 40). These locks are tied to color-coded keycharrns. When the proper charm is pressed into a socket next to the door, the portal is unlocked. A permanent Ml>rde"kainen'. private ,alltiu m spell protects the entire complex, making it hard to locate

by magical means.

Keycharzn

Tim ROTATOR ROOMS

Three rotator rooms separate the d.ifferent sections of the W'hitehearth tacility. Each rotator room is a .hollow steel sphere approximately 20 feet across with a single

entry way. Various cor-r idors lead to a rotat-or room, but the enlTyway only lines up with one conridor at a time.

To rotate the sphere and realign an entryway, a character must manipulate the control panel located at the center of each room. The panel ieatures a set of color-coded sockets. If a character uses the appropriate color-coded k9charmr the room rotates to line up the entryway with the corridor that corresponds to the color-ed socket. Any corridor that leads to the rotator roo:m has a panel set in its wall so that the sphere can be accessed from the outside.

The walls of the rotator rooms have been alchemically and magically treated to make them extremely durable (hardness 10, 1,800 hp), since these served as the primary security and safety measures employed by the facility.

NA.VIGAT1NG THE MA.P

The diagram on page 25 and the map on page 29 must be used together to determine how the PCs prog.ress through the facility. The Retator A Control Panel corresponds to. the corridors that encircle the

rotator room marked W2. The Rota___ tor B Control Panel corresponds to the rotator ro o m marked W14 and its surrounding corridors. The Rotator C Control Panel corresponds to the rotator room marked W18 and its sur-ron nding corridors.

Rotator Room A, for example, begins in the position that allows the entryway to line up with theaccess shaft from area WJ (blue). If the POs use thei r blue krycharm in the Rotator A Control Panel, the

room rotates to line up with the corridor that corresponds to whichever blue socket they insert the ktycharm into. I'm: ex.ample, if the PCs insert the krycharm into the right-hand blue socket (the east position), the room rotates to the corridor that leach to rOOIn W3.

EXPLORING WHITEHEA.RTH

The following-encounters are keyed to the Whitehea.rth facility map. Use the map on page 29 when running these encounters.

W1. MINESHAfT eEL ~)

The steep. sloping tunnel into the mine leads to a large, rough-hewn stone chamber. An openingin the far wall leads to three na crow, 'snaking runnels designed t,o confuse and mislead intruders.

Other features are described below.

L(ght: This portton of the mine is completely dark. Sound, The PCs can't heal' any unusual sounds. Reaction .. Nothing animate or alive occupies +h is

location; instead, traps protect the area and discoura.ge further investig.ation.

The Situ.ation: In each of the snaking tunnels, a circular, 4-foot-wide adamantine hatch is set into the floor. There is a simple lecking mechanism at the center

of the hatch, and a small socket ju.st to the left of the locking mechanism, coated in blue enamel. The socket is designed to hi a blue krycllGrm such as the one that Lady Elaydren placed in the hanqy haversack. If the k9c1wrm is placed in the socket, the hatch unlocks without any difhcult),. Otherwise, any attempt to open the hareh 'triggers a deadly trap.

Traps: Each hatch is rigged with a shocking grasp trap that activates if someone tries "to open it without using the proper krycharm ..

Shocking Grasp Trap: CR 3: magic device; touch trigger; automatic resel; spell effect (shockinggrasp,3rd-level wizand, 3 d6 eleetr idty damage) ;Searc h oc 26; Disable Device DC 26.

Deve lop merrta. Things are not always what they seem. The hatches marked 11& "a." on the map are decoys. When these hatches are opened, a second shockinggmsp trap ill triggered. The hatch marked "b" opens onto" circular metal shaft with a metal ladder running down one wall. A wall of darkness, the edge of the Mordenltainert's prwute sanet-um effect, conceals the bottom of the shaft, The shaft descends 30 feet, leading to area W2.

W2. ROTATOR ROOM ONE

The rotator rOOTn starts out wivh its entryway painted up. granting access fTom the hatch in area Wl

Other features of this location are described below. Light: A we a kened everbright lantern provides shadowy

illumin at i on.

Sound, None.

Reaction: None; the rotator room is empty. After the pes descend the ladder, read:

Dim light, little more thun thatprovided £y 0 flickering candle, emanates from Q crystalline globe embedded nert to the entrance. This strange metal chmnber is a perfect sphere, approximatelY 20 feet across. ?he onlY exit from the room appears to be the ,hafiyou descended. An octagonal metal plate is set mto a pedestal at the center oj the room, This metal plate is 1 foot across (lml contains nine .Iockets-five blue .name/sockets, two green snckets, and two brm~n sockets.

Initia.Lly,che adventurers can ouly access the areas that correspond to the blue sockets. The first time a character selects a blue socket and inserts the krycharm, read:

A powerful vibration shakes the won~ of the chamber, and sloltt}y the ennre room beginsto rotate. rot! haveto meueto keep Jrom fa IIi ng down, but" the grooved floor helpsyau stgy on yourfeel. in less than a minute the chamber has rata ted, and now the entrywqy appears as a doorWI!} into a corridor Instead o/a hatch in tile ceiling.

The PC~ can either leave to explore the corr-idor. d. pick a different socket and try again.

W3·LAUNDRY

This corridor, accessed bya blue·k9charm, leads to a laundry room. At first, it roight appear to be a vast linen closet. A narrow cor+idor r uns between four rows. of floor-to -ceiling shelves, wi th fresh bedsheets, blan kets,

ROTATOR A. CONTROL PANEL

ROTA.TOR B CONTROL PANE(

~.

Orange

t

ROTATOR C CONTROL PANEL

tow-eh, and <:;Iotking ,5t~cl<ed h:i~h. upon. t-hem. The I:O om is co;>mplet~Iy free of dust, ana the- pleasaIi I smellef clean cloeh fills the air. At the far .side .·of the_roo·m. a-large washbasin i'li set into -the floor. If the POs watch, a dean white tunic floats out of the basi n, folds itself, and stacks i:lse-lf OIl a shelf.

This room showcases a domestic experiment. The washbasm uses a limited fO.pm of pre,tidigitation to clean any object placed within it, and it also generates a permanent un,eenservant to handle the chores of cleaning.

Creatures,. The unseen servant ignores the party, even if it is attacked. If the servant js deat royed , the washbasi n automatically manitests a new se rva nt in I. hour.

U n see n Servant, 6 hp (speda I); PllD'er', H» ndbook page 297.

W4. RESEA.RCHER'S WING

Th.i s corridor, accessed by a blue .l:gcharm, leads to the area where the House Oannith researchers werrt to rest and relax' after each day's work.

Light: The weakened ever'brrght janterns provide shadowy illumination.

Soulld:ADC 15 Listencheck alerts a PC to the sound of crackling flames from area W5.

Reaction: The Hving flaming sphere attacks any intruders it notices.

The Situation, The rotator room opens on a corridor that smells of burnt wood and charred flesh. Soot and ash coat the corridor and stick to the walls and ceiling. A metal door at the end of the hall appears to have melted into slag.

When the disaster reached Wbitehearth, a spell that one of the researchers was casting got out of corrtrot and turned into a living spell. The livi ng £I am i og sphere burned everything it could, and happily moves to destroy the PCs once it realizes they have intruded upon Its pr-ivate domain.

Spot Checks, Anyone who makes a DC 1'2 Spot check notices a glow such as that cast by a bonfire 'coming from t.he room at the end of the hall (area W5). Anyone who makes .a DC 18 Spot check also notices a number of' human bones mixed in with the soot and ash that covers the floor,

Encounter, If the rc, move quietly, they can reach the rooms at the end of the ha II without incident. If they don't take care to be quiet, the living flaming sphere hom area W5 makes a Listen check to notice the sou nd of the approaching PCs. If the living flaming sphere succeeds on the check, it engages the party in the n.ar now corridor.

W5. BURNT-OUT BA.RRA.CKS CEr.~)

This room once served as the living quarters for those working in the Whitehearth facility. Now only hints of the tables, beds, bo okshelves , and bodies stick up from am.ong the char-ned remains. The raging fires of the living: flaming, sphere that uses this chamber as a lair h ave-destreyed almost everything of value.

Other features of this '1000 tion are described below.

L;ght: Four weakened~~erbright iantems provide shadowy illumination. If the Hving flaming sphere is present, it :prQvirles bTight illumination.

. 8ou~d, If the living :flaming sphere i-s present, th e PCs

can hear crac-kling flame.

Riw.dion, The living flaming sphene moves to arrack any living i nt.r uder-a.

,Creatures, The living flaming sphere is It mass of roiling, white-hot protoplasm. While mindless, it is d r-ive n by a hunger fOI" destruetion.

Living Fla=ing Sphere: DR 3; Medium ooze; HD 3dlO+3; hp 19; Init -1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 11, touch 11, flatfooted 11; Ba~e Atk +2; Grp +6; Atk +3 melee (ld4+1, "lam); Full Atk +3 melee (Jd4+I, slam); SA burn, engulf; SQ dam.age r.eductiou IOhnag-ic, OQZe traits, spell reaistanee 13; AL N; BV Fort +2, ReI +0, Will +0; Slr 12, Dex 9, Can 12, Int-, Wis, 9, Cha 12.

B.urn (Su): Flammable materials such-as doth, paper, parchmen.t, and th i n wood b\1rn if tOllched by a living naming sphere. A character can extinguish burning ite ms as a full-round action.

Engulf (E:x:), To evade the living flanling sphere's e.ngu!f attack, a target must make a DC 13 Rdlexsave .. Engulfed creatures take 2d6 points of fire damage and suffer the effects of the burn ability each round.

Tactics: The sphere attempts to engulf the nearest opponent. maintaining contact until its fire damage destroys him.

Treasua-e. The room's contents have been reduced to ash by the living flaming sphere.

W6 .. BATH

A 10 -foot-long pool of cool , clear water occupies the first chamber, and a row of marble latdne~ is- set against the walls in the far chamber. The living nanling sphere refuses to enter the bath area, so the PCs can dive into the pool or. otherwise retreat to r.da-tive safety in this room. If the PC s search the far eharnbel', they discover a partially charred h'urrran corpse in a robe propped against the wall next to one of the latrines. As with all corpses in the Mournland, t.h is one appears freshly krlled, even thol1gh she must have died four years earlier.

Every 24 hours, the pool is magically purified and refi.lled. The corpse is the body of a wizar-d researcher.

Treasuz-e . The corpse wears a belt pouch containing 5 ~p, 3 gp, and a brown kgcha,m. She wear's an arcane signet ring bearing the House Cannith seal,

W7. EMERGENCY STORES

This corridor. accessed by a brown .l:gciIGrm, leads to a locked metal door. The lock is all average Lock (Open Lock DC 25). Inside, the PCs find shelves full of dried or ITlagically preserved food, skins full of water and wirie , and a variety of mundane suppl ies including dothing, bed rolls, rop"-, and the like. TheJ_·e's also a box conta,ining2 potions ufcw'c modmlt€Wou.~ds and 3 potion:! '0 f I €sse, resto rat i ~ ~ .

ws. SUPPORT WING

This corridor, accessed by a blu~ ir9cb.arm, Ieads to the living .area of the facility's support ~t.afT. s.ervan'ts, gU<lrds, and laborers were housed, in this wing,

Other features of this location are desttibe_d below. Liglit: Weakenedellfrbrigilt {ante_ens provide shadewy: iJIumination.

Sound: Any PC who makes a successful DC lfi Lisren check can hear splashing water and indistinct yap·s_ arid growls £~OIn a;rea Wl O.

_Rea~t;on, If the PCs make noise or otherwise alert her totheir presence, Rorsa appears in the doorway of area W9 and initiates conversation.

'\%",0 the rotator room op:ens on thiscorr idor, read:

A cor6dor ofplaingrl!J slone extend. ahead of you. In !hefiiclrering light from tl1e dimellerbrigh I lanterns imbedd~d in the .wnlls,YD\I se~ a f~w frtJds af cturtedblood runn ing a long the floor, as if someone was dragged down til e wrridar. At Ihe far end of the nu/(yoll see three portili.l: an open a rchwf!)' to thii left, a door propped open ,_Ira ight an eo.d, /JJ1d a $coled metal door to the right.

The Situation, Vfhile members of the common races die'd GIl the Day of Mourning, other creatures were affected in 'differ ent ways by the arcane sror m that raged aCH.lSS Cyre. Two guard wolves, led by an awakened dire 1101f named Rorsa, have claimed this wing as their own. Rona has learned to manipulate the ir9'cha-rm5 with her teeth, and her pack has access to water and meat-in the form of corpses located throughout the facility.

The wolves have keen ears. As the PCs move down the corridor, make two Listen checks (+8 modifier for Rcrsa, +6 for her wolf companions). If the wolves hear the approaching adventur-ers, Rorsaappears in the doorway of area W9 and hails the party. Refer to are-a W9 for details.

W9. SUPPORT BARRA.CKS C~14)

This room served as a bar racks for the servants of Whitehe~rth . Fourteen bunks are spread across the rOOIn, each wirh a wooden chest set at its foo t. A round table is set to either side of the door, The ·oilJakened dire wolf ROTSa leads the small wolf pack that consists of two male wolves and Rona. The pack has claimed this area as its den. When the PCsarrive,. Rorsa is here, the two wolves are in WlO.

Seven servants were in the bar-racks when disaster struck. In addition to these corpses refusing to decempo~e and rot, some arcane aftereffect keeps them in the same state they were in w hen they died. In t hisway, the-wolves have been able to feast upon the flesh of the corpses for four years. 'While the wounds that relate to their deaths never xlisappear, any damage the wolves cause is repair-ed within Id4 hours.

The Situation, Ror&a and the wolves (origin-ally located in ar ea WlO) defend themselves if the PCs attack, but the crwakened dire wolf would rather talk than figh.i. She haih" the adventurers when she: becomes aware of

~h:eir p-.:esen<:;er g·ooCltin'g them. in Common. If the .gOs beb'av€ in a civili2:ed man.ner, they tail shari information with Roi-sa. If not, Rbrsa calls the wolves from a'tea WIO and attacks.

Wl1G.tRot"to K"rt&jtis: ROI"Itp. explains that ~he'l'~me}Jlb:ers very httle prior to the-moment £o'\l'l'" years age".when she awoke to full, conscieusness.. All the humans 'oihtl ha;d cared for her and her kind were dea:d. Sb:l\: =anag~ to A.gure out how to open the doors and Qp_erate the rotator. r-ooms, and she and her friends moved to thi§: wing. She admits to eating the former- Inhabirants efthe base, but points out that they were already -dead . .A;.nd besides, they grow back.

Rorsa wants to hear about the outside world. In exchange, she tells the party about ihe living flaming sphere in the northeast (V{5) and the stone wolf i:o: the southwest (V{16). Rorsa has always wanted to find a way to free the rest of the wolves-from area WI6, but she is frightened of the bizarre cr-eature that guru:ds them. Rorsaasks the adventurers. to destroy the stone wolf, and in exchange she promises to give them a grem k9'channand her p~orl afpower.

Creatures, Rorsa, an oWllhenea dire wolf.

Roz-sa, Awal:ened. Dire Wolf: CR 4; Large magical beast (augmented); lID 3d] 0+24; hp 69; Init +3; Spd 50 ft.; AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 12; Base Atk + 8; Grp +19; Atk +13 melee (ld8+10, bite); Full Atk +13 melee (ld8+10, bite); SA trip; SQ.dal:kvislion 60 ft., low-light vision. scent; AL N; SV Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +3; Str 25, Del' 16, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14.

Skills and Feats: Hide + 6, Knowledge (local) + 61 Listen +8, Move Silently +3, Search +6, Sense' Motive +8, Spot +8, Survival + 6; Alertness, Blind -fight, C crubat Expertise, Run, Track.

trip (Ex): A dire wolf thai hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent' (+ 11 check modifier) as a free action without provokingattacks of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire wolf.

Poss'~ssiaru: Blu2 kgcharm, green kry~harm, pMrl of power (lst level). AU these items are mounted on fine chains, and Rorsa wears them around her neck.

Tactics. Rocsa and the wolves have no experience nghting spellcasters. They typically engage the closest target. All three try to use their trip ability to keep foes off balance .. Rorsa is a cautious fighter and genera Ill' uses Combat Expertise to add 5 points to her AO ..

Treasure, The chests scattered around the room are unlocked. They mostly 'contain ar-t isan's outfits, artisan's tools, and other muridane items. A few of the chests belonged to guards. These contain 5 chain shirts, 3 10ngswQ))ds, 3 dagger~, and 2 short swords. A t'otalof3() gp and 80 sp can be fO\l-ud scatter-ed throughout the chests.

Ad Hoc Exp er-ien.ce AWilrd , Ifthe PCs avoid fighting and agr~e to help deal with the cr eatu re in 'area W16, they receive an award of600 XP.

W10. BATH (Ell)

Tliis t10ub1echarrihe;1' i.s.sitnila'l" .tb ar{a W~" It c_(1).ta'1118 11 pool ",Ifresh w ... ~el' it1l,d a row of latr-ines, Rossa's eorn- 1?)i.nio,ns:, tWo wolves, rest in herewhen the Pps enter this wing, o~casio1;lallrtf!king lazy laps -of water. If the PCs reach this lQc:il_tion without alerriug the wolves or Rorsa to the ir pl'es.ence, the wolves: become confused at the sight of living humans. They bark and howl to get Rorsa's a.ttention and then attack the intruders.

If ROTsa i.s attacked, they immediately go to her <lid.

ILRorsa commands them to stop, they reluctantly do so as long as the PCs stop making hostile actions.

Wolves (2): hp 13 each; MOI1Ster Manual page 283.

W11. CAPTA.IN Of THE GUARD (El.Z)

A locked rneta] 0(>01', accessed by a brown hrydwrm, leads to the richly appo irrted quarters of White hearth's captain of the guard. A large ironbound chest is set against the foot of the bed. On the right side of the room, ~ massive broJ]zewood wardrobe engraved with Elven symbols stands against the wall. In the far corner, an array of swords hangs hom a rack On the wall, along with a shield bearing the House Cannith seal and a beautiful blueenameled chain shirt.

The wooden chest Is unlocked. The wardrobe is sealed with an average loc_k, and the bronzewood can absorb a significant amou.nt of damage (hardnes._s 10, 40 hp, break DC 26, Open Lock DC 25). The true treasures ar'e sealed in a hidden cotnpartTIlent in the base of the wardrobe. Finding th1s cornpar-trnerit requires a DC 15 Search check.

Treasure: The weapo ns rack includes a masterwork greatsword, a masterwork longs word, a masterwork short sword, a heavy st.eelshield, and a masterwork chain slrirt. The wooden chest corrta i ns ta.n, assortment of blankets and traveling clothes. The wardrobe corrtai.ns boots and clothing, indudio,g a darkweave cloak. The secret compartment in the base of the wardrobe can rains apur'se holding 25 pp, a ring of silver and jet set with an oval- cut bloodstone (worth 10 Q gp), one vial of Sl"l-~er,lleen, two vials of oil o:fmagfc weapon, and a red k9chmm.

W12. OffICE

This corridor, accessed by a blua htrycMtum, leads to the offrce once used by-the ranking House Cannith repreoserrtative at the facility. The eVerbl'igM t lantern in this room functions properly. The r oorn appears [6 be a small. library or study-. Two sturdy oak desks are set against the left wan. The rest of the room is _f'llled wi_th shelves lined with SCTOl1S and leather-bound books. On dose exam.irrat ion , most of these items appMr to be bu.si ness Ledgers: They are concerned with quantities of fond purchased, receipts for bulk spell components, and drttil.ar kinds .ofinfor:mation.

Tne corpse o_f a dead female clerk- is slumped over the nearerof the two desks, Anyorie -~6 makes a DC 15, 8po~ chec]; o¢t~ces .that she has collapsed on tOP of an especja l1y onnate scroll.

Trea,..ure-: The dead woman is lying on top ofa'

.scroll of re*! ~rier&y" She. is al,so",!earing a House Can;t;liin sign~ ring.

W1'3. DINING HA(l

This eor-r itlor, accessed by R br<l.wn krycnaffil, leads to the di ning ha Il. Fou r long tables are set up around the mal n room , and all ar-chway on the far wall leads into. a large kitche-n. Ten humans-seven men and three womendied in this ball. These cor-pses are warm to the touch, and rig-or mortis has not set in; they seem to be sleeping, but they can't be awakened.

The kitchen contains a well filled with pure water, c.abinet!i filled wilh potS and pans, a wine rack with an assortrnent of vi nta,ges, and various other cooking utensils .. A Jarge ebony cabinet with multiple drawers and complex mithral patterns Inlaid on its surface rests. against ODe wall. Each drawer produces a particular prestidigitatio-n effect, either chilling, heating, or £l.avQring food ..

Treasure: An:>.ong the bodies, the PCs can recover 9 bll.1e h"l!)'.chamlS, 2 brown h9cMarml, 20 sp, and 10 gpo

W14. ROTATOR ROOM TWO

This chamber is similar to area W2, except the control panel has a different configurarion of colored slots. See the diagram o:n p~ge 25 f01" details.

W15 .. KENNEL WING

This corridor, accessed by a grl!BII kyciwl"m, leads to the kennel. Normal wolves an_d a strange storre wolfoccnpv this wi:n,g of the facility.

Other features of thiS location are described below. Light, Dim everbright /ante rns 'provide sh.adoWy ill um.i nat ion,

Sou_-nd: Any PC who l-nakes_ a successful DO 13 Listen check can hear the growl.s and snarls of wolves coming from area W16.

Re~ctiDn, If the PCs make their presence know, the sronewolf comes ro hi.vestiga~e.

Developm:ent: If the party rries to erate'r area. Wl7 before area W16, each character needs to make a Move Silently check opposed by the stone wqlf's Listen check. If anyone fails th.is check, the stone wolf emerges fron1 area W16 to investigate. However, it cannot open doors, so the PCsc'ln quickly duck rnto Wl7 and close the door.

W16. KENNEL (El. 4)

Eleven steel cag-es line the walls of th.is kennel, and g:r,(ry wolves occupy seven of the locked cages. Eve.r-fiI1i:ng cozitai ners within rhe c.ages keep the wolves fed and watered. When the PCs enter this chamber, or when the stone wolf reveals itse lf, read:

11 is creature has the shape afo 11)01[. but platelojblack marble h~ve heen fused to its fle,h. f n addition tD the stori€ armor thal_sl!i€ldl its flanks, its nw&le has been rep/aced iD' nn elongated maw filled with raiu up6n rowol~bsidian teeth.

The Situation: This stone wolf is the result of WhitehearthexperimenLs to combine flesh .a nd

c~nutru_ct char ... cte';li,seie~ . .Now ,this It<llf-gol~m wolf 'g'Uarl'is ~ kermel and attacks anyone wb;o .enrers the ~;rea-wolEand human ali-Ice.

Oreature, The half-srone golem wolf is consumed by 'an 'hratj,onal h",hed,sf all humanotd creatures; it hal> a hostile attHude,and immediately attacks.

.Hal:f-StoneGoIeDl Wolf, OR 4; Medium construct; HD 2d8~8::lip 17; luit -1-1: Spd 50 ft.; AC 22, touch n. flat-footed 21; Base Ark .. 1: Orp +2: Atk +7 melee nd6+6, bite); Full Atk + 7 melee (ldG + 6, bite): SA slow, trip, So. damage reduction 5/adamantine, low-light vision, immunity to magic, scent, AL N': SV Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +1.; Str 22, Dex 13, Can 19, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 1.

Skills and Feals: Hide +2, Listen +5, Move Silently +3.

Spot +5, Survival +1; Alertness, Track,

S/QW (Su): This half-golem can use a slaw effeet,as the spell,a~ a free action once every 2 rounds. The effect has a range of 10 feet andduration of 7 rounds, requiring a DC 15 Will save to negate.

Immuni!J to Magic (Ex), This half-stone go]em wolf is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance (see page 137 of the Monster Manila!).

Treasure: A pile of garbage includes a few odds and ends collected f:rom the wizards and artificers who died. This pile Includes an onange k9cnarnl, an essence node of blinding, a House Cannith Signet ring, and a small m.ithral-and-bloodstone brooch depicting a crescent

moon (wol"th 130 gp). -

W17. EMPTY ROOM

This charnb er is empty.

W1S .. ROTATOR ROOM THREE CEL 2)

Thi-s challlber is similar to a rea W2, except the control panel h asa different connguration of colored slots. See the diag,am on page 25 for details.

Trap: If a character uses an orongek9cnarlll before using a red kgcnarm, the chamber slowly rotates. Theeverbright lantern goes out and the room is plunged into darkness. When the chamber finally tomes to astop. the entrance is pointed straight down into a well. Anyone in the chamber must make a DC 7 Balance check to keep from sliding through the hole and falling: irrto the water 'below.

Anyone who fal.lsinto the water takes falling damage as usual (it's a drop of 3D feet to the surface of the water), and then needs to make Swim checks to avoid drowning in the 20 -foot-deep' well. .

Until the red irgciutrm is used to turn off the trap, only the g"ee71 k9dw,rm slot and the opening to the well can be accessed.

W19 .. ROOM Of BROKEN LIGHT CEL 2)

This cor r idor, accessed by a yellow k9cnarm, leads to a sJ:rang-e room.

tight: :Bright illumination is provided by a living color ~pJ:a:y spill.

Sound, AU sound is: absorbed. in this room; the POs can't hear anything_';includin.g each other.

-R.ec(tion: The living- color spray attacks if the PCs atternptto cross the room,

The Situation: The §udden lack of sound and the ll1.irrored walls It,nd .£1001' make this chamber a disconcerting place. A vast !11;aS~ of brilliant, swirling color so bright <IS to be almost blinding bounces within the mirrors and then moves toward the party. The absence of sound is an Illusion. It is not the same as iii magical si/enre effect, and characters can cast spells with verbal components whit", III the .r oorn , However, anyone in the room is considered to be deafened for the duration of the stay.

Creatures: A living color spray inhabits this room. Living Color Spray: CR 2: Large ooze: HD 3dlO: hp 16; Irrit -1: Spd 15 ft.: AC 9. touch 9, flat-footed 9:

Base Ark -1-2: Grp +G; Atl>: +3 melee (ldG plus colorblind, slam); Full Atk .. 3 melee (I dt; plus colorblind, slam): SA colorblind. enguH; SQ damage reduction 5/magic, ooze traits, SR 13, AL N: SVFort +1. Ref +0, Wi1l +0: Str ll, De}!; 8. Can 11, Int -. Wts 8, Cha 11.

Colorblind (Su), A living color spray is a blazing: mass of color and light. Anyone struck by it$ slam attack must make a DC 11 Will save or su ffe r the effect of the calor sprgy spell, A creature with 2 or fewer Hit Dice is unconscious, blinded. and stunned for 2d4 rounds, then blinded and stunned for Id1. rounds. then stunned for I round; a creature with 3 or 4 Hit Dice is blinded and stunned for Id4 rounds, then stunned for 1 round, and a creature with 5 or more Hit Dice 'is stunned for 1 round.

Engulf{Ex): In order to evade the liviog colQr spray's enguH attack. a "arget must make a DC II Reflex save. Engulfed creatures suffer the effects of the colOl'blind ability each round.

Taet ics , The living color spray en gulf$_anyone that it can fit within its body. and then cr-ushes until there is nothing left to crush. It fights to the death.

Treasure, None.

W20. SeRYING ROOM

This is another cha mber of Illusions=one that provides the PCs with a warning about the final cha.llenge they nmstfa.c€: to claim the schema. "When the characters enter this area, they exper-ience an illusion as though they had entered area W2'2.. It takesa moment to realize there is no sensation of heat or smell of fla me. Th is room functions as an enormous cryst~1 boll set to sery on area W22. If a character makes a DC 18 Spot check while watching the scene. he or she notices a chest containing the schema and two vials marked with a symbol that looks like a flame. A DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) check reveals that this symbol indicates that the. vials contain potionl of resist enew·

Tr-easu re: A quick examination of the room, and a DC 15 Search check, uncovers a I"€d kgchcrm hanging from a hoo'1l: on the wall.

W21. ENTRVWAY

This corr-idor, accessed by an orange korycn(lTl11 'but only a fter III st di s arm.ing the t r a p by usi ng~ a, red k.orych Q ntl ,. as detailed in area WlS), leads to the chamber where "lie schema is stored.

On the far wall, the PCs see a pairof'adamantine aOO1'S bearing the seal of House Can nith, and waves of heat pour off the doors and ripple through the corridor.

was goJn;g to de. Overjoyed and aJHtle horrified by the powers of the machine, -the ar:ti6cer~ were in the.prdceS's of shutting n down when the Day of MOUrning' swept across the land. The eldritch .maGhiQe wa~ d:i!gllage'd, and ·thefue dementa,ls bou.nd wilhin.it were releiMed. Due to the damage and. the uII.Coopeiat:i,ve m.e elemeritals, this machine will neyer-;worJ,; again.

Anyone who e1(amines the ceilUign;61kes a n:tri'let.ahle dome directly above the machine. Controls fw

W22. MA.CH1NE CHA.MBE.R eEL 5) opening ehe dome can he found-in rhesouther-n ako"e

This chamber corira ins the e.ldr itch machine that nearest the doorway .. A successful DC 15· Use Magic

destroyed Rose Quarry, as well as the second schema Device check or a DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) check

and. the creation pattern the schema belongs to'._...c~~~;:~ ...... allows a cb aracter \0 hgu.re aut the controls

The eldritch machfue, wrecked .and no and op.en the dome. IT the dome is

longer workin,g, .appears as a terrible. opened while the fir e elernentals are

multiheaded construct rising from still aliv:e, they immediately break

a crucible of molten glas-s. The off combat and flee through the

danger here comes not from opening into the bleak Mourn-

the machine, but from two fire, land countryside.

elementals that were once Ter ribleheet frlls the cham-

bound to it and now wander ber, emanarirrg from the pool

the chamber freely. of molten glass. If the pes

Light: Bright illumina- choose to stay in the chamber

tiori is provided by the tw<> for an extended per iod, they

fire element als and the need to worry about sever e.

crucible of molten glass; heat damage (Bee page 303 of the

dim eve'rbrighi lanterns pro - Dungeon Mruter's Gwde).

vide shadowy iilumination Creatu.res: The fire. e leme n-

in the rest of the chamber. rals that were bound in the eld.ritch

Smmd: No Listen check

is necessary to hear crackling flames and the bubbling of a pool

of molten glass.

Reru:tion: If the doors a re opened, the

Creaa·on Pattern

fire elernentals move 10 attack.

When the PGs open the double door-s, read:

T/, is large cham her stretches awory fram til" doorwory. and iniense heat shimmers in the a;-r. A raging bonfire. burns abDuJ 40 feet aw(l)', n~(lr th€far woll, casting danC:ing ,hado1/l$. QcrayS the room. A .ecoMd one burns aba~t 6 0 f~et aID,!)" along the southern wall. In the center of the roam, o. large crucip/e jllie-fi with bubbling molten glas; rad,ates terrible-haat. Long. snaking heads mode ofiron iJnd brrus rise up fram the molten pOQllike sQme metall;ydm. Just south of th~ crucible (Ina' the constru.ct •. Q. {rystl1J/in~ ch.st reflects Ihe hot hght. n, roug'h the Imm! urent mot.riq!,YDU 'Q n S~" thai the che,1 ccntnins a varietY of ahjeds. including what .can onfy b~ the diamond-shaped ,chema thql yo usee k.. The n, !Hit hart a ng9' crackle Gf f11l me a IJd a Ih re Qten! ng hiss

of steqm. the bonfire$ begin t.o mow~ tnward you.

The Situation: This c:-hamber h ouses theeldritch machine that destroyed Rose Quarry. Usi ng the creation patter-n dis£overed i 11 Xen ~·drik a pol one schema, the aJ:t{£ce r-s of Whitehea rt h developed the hydr~-hea.ded elddtch machi ne th a t spat white-hot .molten gla ss fror:n its five heads to rain upon the helpless vill~ge. They tested it just before the event that de~troyed the r-est of Cyre occur-red, not sure exactly what the machine

machine are free and wandering the chamber. They have no desir-e to be returned to their prison. The e lerne.nta ls believe that the party has come to restore the binding spells. so they attack without mercY' If the dome in the ceil i ng is opened, the elementals stop fighting and seek to escape from the facility.

Medium Fir,,· Elenuon.tals (2): hp 26 each; Mo~ster Manual page 99.

Tactics: The £Ire elemerit.als fight the party directly and savagely, bel ievi ng that they are :fighting for their freedom.

The Crystalline Chest: In front of the ruined e1dritch machine sits a large chest formed of a heatresistant crystalline substance and sealed with an average lock (hr,rdnes8 10, 40 .hp, break DC 26, Open Lo.ck DC 25, -is hardness against fire damage). The tr'easu re contained within could playa critical role in the c har'acte rs' sUI::vivcng the e ncou.nte r.

Treasure: The tr<'nslucentchest coruai ns two co pres of t.he diamond-shapedscbema (the o.riginal and an exact copy created by the Whitehearth artificers), 2 potiQij~ of mist enerv (J 0 .p.oims.f'u~ damage), '2 potions ~f cum moaenrte. IVQ~nds, 1 scroll of resir;t ~~e'rV' and the Xeu'dr-ik cr-eat io n pattern. The pattern is a larg,e disk for-med of adamantine and covered wjth mith~·al-1aced runes and symbols. It corata.i rrs sockets for four schernas. like the orres found beneath Sbar n and in the chest. It is 3 inches thick, ,2 feet acr-oss, and weig:hJilO pounds.

PA.RTSIX:

SHOWDOWN

AfreT the pes defeat-the fir. e elemenrals and :re:cover the schema (hoth the original and the toP!') and the cr-eat.iori patter-n, the.y can leave Whitehearth without incident. They @neither leave rhrougb the opendome above area W22, or they can backtrack to the mine above area W2. Depending on how thing~went with Ror~a and her-pack, they might try to fmd a way to get the wolves Out of the fatility as well.

One last ericou.nte r awaits theadventurel'~. GaTrow and hi~ Emeralcl Claw soldiers have followed the PC6 to Whitehe-arth and wait to arnbush them when they exit.

A.MBUSHED' eEL 7)

Garrow and a SITlaU u rrit composed of Emera.Id Claw s01~ dieTS and undead lie in walt for the PCs to emerge from Vvhitehearth. They are ready at whichever exit the PCs utilize, either the mine or the dom.e above the ruined eldr itch machine.

Light: Depe.ridiug on the time of day, the Mour nland is bathed in perpetual twilight or the darkness of s, cloud-covered n~ght.

Soun.d, The area around the exit is quiet.

Reliction, Garrow wants to conduct this encounter peacefully, His troops- won't attack until he orders il.

When the pes emerge from Whitehearlh, read:

"Wdl da71f, adventurers," calls a uoice you recognizy ~s tim"! of th~ vompire from ROSf _Quar!)'. Figures QPp~ar ,{rom oul- ~f the shadows surroun.df71gyau, SIX Em€rald Claw ruldfer:; armed with cro,s1;oiQs, juur ~kdi{tom arm¢d with sryth~s, aird afe-mule n~aom!lncer. The vampire is HOa,here to besiien., bid you can hear hil zoice,

"rt i,jutile to fight UJ," tile uampire s~,. "Gille me t'he third odHima, and J will /dyou live. Oppose 1.!5, and! will take it !romyour corpses, and then-rai'~~yaur bvdie_So to serue me."

T.he Situation: Garrow wants the schema .. He doesn't know about the creation p~tteru. If the players are paying attention, they pave learned that the schema they have found is the third schema, not the second. Gar-row and the Order of the Emerald Claw have previously located the crescent-shaped schema.

If the PCs want to &gllt,make rnit.iative checks and proceed with combat. If they decide to tUI'J1. over one of the two copies of the diamond-shaped schema, they can leave with the schema 'and the pattern after fighting a reduced number of the enemy. If they decide to nght, GarToW commands 11 is troops from hiding, and the PCs must battle laiseritire £Qrce.

I f the PCs give one of the sc hemas to' Garrow, the ipp:arerit v~m:piI'e s-ar.s, 'J\. wise decision. You have the gratjtude of Garrow'a:ri:d tile Order." He mounts his hors.e, and ;MaUo:;:a and t'rosoldiers follow, but the others- 1'e mai Ii l5ehind. "Kin theni!" G'Irt".Q\" calls as he ride:s offInto the Mourn land.

CreatUi:",e.s, Iflhe PCs_fa:ce the full force ofenemiel>, tHey tnust deal with Garrow (see page l~), Mallora (see pag-e 15), six Emerald Cl-aw soldiers (.see page 14), and four skeletons. If they hand over the schema, they face a 'redu_e;ed force of four soldiers-and four skeletons.

Skeletons (4), hp .6, 6, 7, 7; Monster Manual page 22.5. T11e skeletons, are armed with scythes instead of sCimita,s and shields; this gives them anAC of 13 and ail attack ef +11TIdee (2d4+1!X4, scythe).

CONCLUSION

If PCs Tr-Iumph. If all goes well, the pes defeat some portion of the Emerald Claw fore e , recover their ride (either their mounts or Failin and his demental-powe red la.ud .cart), arid then return to Darguun without tncident . Garrow, meanwh ile, est<ipe~ with one of the copies of the ~che;lna,

Following this outcome, the PCs meet up With Lady Elaydren back in Rhuka,,:n Draal. She serids word to them 0.0 where to meet her shortly after they return to the gobHnoid city. She gladly accepts ehe s~heIDa arid the creation pattern in the narne of Canrnth West. She gives ,the PCs a reward of 2,000 gp for their remarkable effor-ts on behalf ofher house.

If the PCs mention the nation of a third schema (based on Garrow's outburst in "Ambushed.' "), Lady Elaydren's countenance turns, grave. "Then it is true," she-says. "The E meral d Claw has found one of the schemas, Time indeed grows short for us al l."

With their business apparently concluded, Elaydren hall one morel'equ.est to make of the adventurers. "Ifvou accompany me back to Shar n," she says with a twin kle :in her eye; "I'U see to it that you receive an ad dit iorial 1,0 ° 0 gold after we arrive safely." She will pay for their return trip, by sea, if they travel as her escort and bodyguards.

If PCsAre Defeated. If the PCs make the wrong choices, or if the battles ~imply wind up bei ng too much for them to handle, G;>rTQW's forces reduce them to negative hit points but don't necesss.rily kill them. With the pes unconscious, Garrow takes botb copies of the schema from their packs. He leaves the creation pattern, because he wasn't expecting it and doesn't know what it is. He then leaves the PCs to die or recover as fate decides.

If the PCi; stabflize, they eventually recover 'and make' their way back to Rhukaan Draal, If Failrn 'Mas waiting for therri, he provid lOS aid and helps them recover mere quickly. Lady Elaydrerr is disappointed in the loss ofthe schemaarid the news that the Emerald Claw also has the third p)lrt. She takes some pleasure in acquirin.g the creation patter nrand giveSLhe PCs a reduced award of 1,000 gp for ohtaining it. Then she offers them the. job of esc.orting her back to Sharn. as described above.

Next? You can use Sl"idbw~ oj-th€ LtrJt War as a springboard 1:0 more adventures of your own creation. Or you can: follow the .story Irne that continues in Whispers '4 the Vampire's Blade,ilie- second in a three-pa rt series.