The Resurrection of Evil

Setting Late April on a small tenant farm about two leagues outside of Caladon. Hooks 1) Characters with healing skill are asked by Anla to come to her farm and help her sick husband. 2) Characters overhear a peasant talking about the freaks on his brothers farm and how his brother is gonna get richer than Volsax by showing them for money. 3) An NPC mage named Will Lake is hiring a little muscle just in case while he looks around a local farmhe doesnt say what he expects to find, but he does pay pretty well. Conflict The skull of a demon, Zzazzur, has been unearthed by a farmer who was plowing his field. The skull is incredibly dangerous because the soul of the demon is still psychically linked to it. Eventually, possession of the skull will result in the possession of the owner and his ultimate transformation into a hideous fiend from Hell. This problem is greatly magnified, believe it or not, by a number of other factors. First, a nearby hobgoblin tribe that have been living in Zzazzurs abandoned temple have been alerted (by the demon) to the location of the skull. He has promised them great power and rewards; therefore, they will send raiders to recover it. Second, the merest psychic presence of Zzazzur has brought about odd occurrences on local farms: cows and goats give bile or blood instead of milk, entire litters of eyeless puppies are born, a number of strange and tragic accidents take place (ex: a farmer falls from his hay loft and impales himself on his own pitchfork), etc. Third, the Wizards Guild has magically forecast that a terrible curse shall be laid upon the surrounding lands. Through their divination spells they have learned roughly where the source might be and they are sending a young NPC mageWill Lakeout to begin an investigation. The Guild has guessed fairly accurately at the location of the disturbance, but they do not know what is causing it. The fourth and final complication is that the farmer who discovered the skull has called his son back home from the city to help him with the awful artifact. This son, Anson Tillman, happens to be a young, but highly skilled member of the thieves guild,

completely unbeknownst to his father. As interest in the skull increases, so will Ansons; in fact, he may consider stealing it outright. Scene One: Harp Tillmans Farm Harp Tillman is a poor tenant farmer who works Lord Merrics lands in exchange for a small plot of land to call his own. At one edge of the farm is a small barn and Harps simple cottage; the remainder of the twelve-acre plot consists of freshly tilled soil ready for the planting of various crops. When characters come out to inquire about Harp, his wife, Anla, will tell the visitors that her husband has taken ill and cannot receive visitors. This is actually true, to an extent: the fact is that the poor farmer is in spiritual combat for possession of his own body. The very obvious symptoms are fever, shakes, and a rather agitated state (even Harp does not know why he is upset), and these conceal a much more terrible cause than any mere infection. Anla knows nothing about the demon skull that her husband has hidden in a tack box in the barn. Should the characters look, they will find it on a successful first level IQ save, or they may discover it quite easily through the aid of detect magic or an Oh There It Is. Harps barn seems more or less normal and serves as home to several goats, half a dozen hogs, a draft horse, and some chickens. Only two things actually seem to be out of the ordinary. First, in a nearby stall, Harps shepherd bitch has just finished slinging her puppiesall of them were born without eyes. Second, the animals all seem somewhat skittish and ill at ease. The skull is wrapped in a piece of cowhide and is buried under various harness and other tack. It is twice the size of a horses skull and somewhat similar in shape, but its jaws are hinged in such a way as to open to almost to 60 degree angle. Furthermore, the mouth is full of large, nasty canine incisors, and the top of the head is set with black, ram- like horns. Picking the skull up will force any character to make a first level PW save. If he fails, he loses a point of PW and the process of possession will begin. Basically, the character must make a new save each day he or she is in close proximity to the skull (only after he or she has touched itthe possession does require at least an initial physical contact). Once the first save is failed, the next will be at level two. When this save is failed, the next goes to a level 3. This save is attempted once each day, and

the character in question will lose PW equal to the level of the save required, if he misses it. Once the characters PW goes to zero, the demon can move in and begin its transforma tion of the body it has stolen. The transformation is somewhat gradual and occurs over the course of 48-72 hours. Harps transformation will begin one day after the characters get to the farm, and it will be completed 48 hours later. Once fully transformed, Zzazzur will awaken and his stats will be Zzazzur (Level 15 Warrior-Demon) ST 250 IQ 25 CN 180 DX 40 LK 80 CH 40 SP 25* PW 50 DV 30 MA:+341 Claws, horns, etc.: 15D+341 Armor: 20 point demon hide. Zzazzur knows a complete set of demonic spells up through level 8 (use modified priest spells) and he can impart these to his worshippers as per the priest rules in SA. Zzazzur has the ability to possess another being with whom he comes into physical contact, as described above. E.P. 1,500 **Zzzazzurs skull can be broken, burnt, etc., but as long as any fragment of it remains, he will have a psychic link to the world. There are two ways to destroy this link: cast a powerful exorcism or Cast Ye Out spell upon the skull AND any victim in the process of possession (Harp), or have a powerful priest cast a sanctify spell in the main temple to Zzazzur. Of course, killing Harp and hiding the skull in a VERY good spot might do the trick. Scene Two: The Hobgoblin Attack Assuming the characters are friendly, Mrs. Tillman gives them the choice to either sleep in the barn or walk back to Caladon to find lodging. If the characters stay the night, they will be subjected to a raid by 15 hobgoblins. These vile brutes make no secret of their attack, and at a distance of roughly 50 yards from the house, they will begin whooping and hollering. Within a moment or two, they will charge. These hobgoblins are not entirely stupid, though, because they have placed half of their number at the back door to prevent anyone escaping. The hobgoblins are here to find the skull; to do so, they will gladly torture or kill anyone who stands in their path. Even if they receive absolute

compliance from Mrs. Tillman and/or any characters, they will murder all survivors before they leaveall except Harp. Unless the characters can stop them, the hobgoblins will kill Anla and any other helpful NPCs before the battle is over; furthermore, unless characters take very specific precautions to protect him, Harp will be kidnapped and carried off to Zzazzurs temple. Hobgoblins of the Severed Head Tribe (Level 1-2 Warriors) Rusty Scimitar 4D+15; Leather Armor 6 Pts; Buckler 3 Pts; Hit Points 15; 1D6 GP in assorted coins, etc. Each killed is worth 30 e.p. Scene Three: The Pursuit The hobgoblins will either make off with the skull and/or Harp, or that the characters kill all of the hobgoblins and search them. Assuming that the characters kill all of the hobgoblins, they will find a crude map showing the route to Harp Tillmans farm; naturally it also shows the general location from which the hobgoblins started out. If they do not kill all of the hobgoblins, someone will have to begin tracking the survivors, a task that will most likely have to wait until daybreak. During this two-day trip, one of two things will occur: surviving hobgoblins will set ambushes/traps for the characters, or (if all the hobgoblins were killed) Harp will begin his transformation, an obvious and very disturbing sight. Ambush Point #1 : A human head (Anla) is stuck on a rune-covered, wooden stake, which in turn is stuck in the marshy ground. Pulling this stake out of the ground sets off the Ward Warn spell which in turn has a level 1 TTYF bound into it. The spell will do 16 damage to whomever first touches the stake. It was cast at fourth level ability, and the victim may attempt a PW save to reduce or negate damage. Ambush #2 : Hobgoblins have tied a fallen log up into surrounding trees and will cut it loose to swing down and smash the lead character(s). The character who is tracking may make a level 2 IQ save to notice more sets of hobgoblin footprints than just those they have been following. This will clue characters in and permit them to make a level 2 IQ roll to notice the trap and/or the boot of a concealed hobgoblin. (Characters who are intently looking for an ambush during their journey will receive a chance to save, as well.) If none of these rolls have been made, the trap will be sprung! The lead character(s) must make a level 3 speed save to drop to the ground before being smashed

by the log. Failure to make this save will result in 5D6 damage (armor counts against this). The two hobgoblins who said the trap will run off into the woods while the characters are sorting themselves out. They will only fight if cornered, but they will never willingly surrender or help the characters. Scene Four: Arriving at the Temple Either the map or the fleeing hobgoblins will eventually lead the characters into a small range of rolling hills and narrow valleys. Near the top of one of these hills is a series of natural limestone caves, originally the rear door of the complex. The temple entrance is at the back of one of these caves and consists of a poorly concealed trapdoor (LV 1 IQ save to find it). This particular cave is also guarded by two hobgoblin sentries. If the party arrives during the daytime, there is a good possibility that they will be able to surprise the light-sensitive hobgoblins. Make lots of saves, etc., and give the party a chance to play commandos. Scene Five: The Ancient Temple The architecture of this tunnel complex seems rather crude; in fact, it early Commorians built it some 60 centuries ago during Mords reign as Archon. The complex originally served as a temple and home for his worshippers; however, the site was eventually abandoned. Many, many centuries later, the tunnels were taken over by a group of fanatical demon worshippers who built their own temple within. They lived here and held their unholy rites here until contact between the priests and their god was cut off. The demon, Zzazzur, had been slain in combat by a demi- god son of Vashala nearly 500 years ago. Eventually, even the fanatical worshippers of Zzazzur gave up the cause or died off, and the ancient tunnel comple x was silent once more, at least until very recently. For the past several months, a branch of the Severed Head Tribe has made this place their home. They, however, have not discovered the third and lower levels of the complex that lead into the inner temple. The hobgoblins have simply been instructed their leader Grumaag to retrieve the skull and, if possible, the farmer. Even Grumaag is

not quite sure what is going to happen next. In a nutshell, levels one and two are loaded with nasty hobgoblins, but levels three through five contain far worse surprises. Note: If the hobgoblins have successfully made off with the skull and/or Harp, then Grumaag will have moved into the lower levels of the temple to prepare the way for his new master, at Zzazzurs request, of course. Level One Room #1: This room is reached via a trapdoor in its ceiling; this is directly below the rear of the entrance caves. A ladder is lying on the floor against one wallobviously someone did not want visitors. The ceiling is 10 feet high and a jump roll must be made to get down here. A level one DX save must be made to avoid damage. Anyone who fails this roll takes 1 point of damage for each point by which the save was missed. Door (east wall, 1 from north): iron, free, trapped [trap: poison needle trap does 2D poison damage. The trap may be avoided on a level 3 LK save, or a level 1 IQ save will find the trap if anyone bothers to search. Otherwise empty Room #2: Door (south, 1 from west): wooden, simple, slightly stuck Contains a number of barrels, mostly of human manufacture. Most contain stale water, two contain beer, and one contains salt pork. Room #3: Door (west, 1 from north): (concealed) wooden, strong, painted fairly convincingly to look like stone. A level 1 IQ save will spot it if looking for such things, a level 3 if

not actively searching. Anyone listening at this door might hear hobgoblins conversing quietly. This room contains six hobgoblins gathered around an area on the floor where they are dicing for silver coins. Another three hobgoblins are sitting at a crude wooden table. All of these hobgoblins are male and have the same stats noted previously. Along with the table, there are six heaps of ratty fur and straw that serve as beds, a mostly empty jug of bad wine, and a variety of hobgoblin- like belongings. A large hole in the Secorner once served as a well and a ventilation shaft for the complex. It now stinks terribly of hobgoblin bodily wastesno guess needed. Room #4: Door (east, 3 from north): iron, locked Oddly enough, this is also a storeroom. More barrels of water, salted meat, various crude tools, etc. Much more disturbing, however, is the large collection of bonesall humanoidin a big pile near the rear of the room. Some are picked clean, but others still hold scraps of rotting meat. The stench in here is awful. In the far corner of the room is a stone statue, roughly seven feet tall, of a naked man. The sculpture is fairly primitive, but the creator was not terribly concerned, for this is an ancient stone golem. The golems master has been dead for many centuries and the golem long ago went berserk. Over the centuries, however, he eventually fell into a sort of catatonic state and will only awaken if attacked with enough force to cause him damage. Stone Golem: St 55 IQ 2 LK 8 CN 40 DX 14 CH 7 PW 9 SPD 9 5D+44 EP=97 Room #5: Door (east, 3 from north): (concealed) wooden, simple, free, painted to look like stone.

A level 1 IQ save will spot it if looking for such things, a level 3 if not actively searching. Monsters: hobgoblin (1) goblin (3) Treasure: 14,400 silver coins (1440 gp) gemstone - black pearl (600 gp) Room #6: Door (east, 1 from north): wooden, simple, stuck Features: spices corpse (adventurer) grinder dung heap ladder chest Room #7: Door (south, 4 from west): wooden, simple, locked, trapped [trap: flame jet (CR2) (Find/Disable DC 21)] Empty Room #8: Door (east, 1 from north): wooden, strong, stuck

Monsters: ethereal filcher (1) Treasure: 100 gold coins (100 gp) Masterwork dagger (302 gp) Hidden Treasure (Search DC 21): 100 silver coins (10 gp) gemstone - jet (110 gp) Trap: spiked pit trap (20 ft. deep) (CR2) (Find/Disable DC 21)