Ravenloft - d20 - Quoth the Raven Issue 01 (OCR)

7/30/2019 Ravenloft - d20 - Quoth the Raven Issue 01 (OCR)

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Quoth the Raven: Issue #1

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Welcome to the first issue of Quoth the Raven, the online net magazine for Ravenloft and Gothic Earth. This magazine has been a labor of love, produced by fans of Ravenloft who crave a vehicle for new adventures in the Mist. Fans can expect that Quoth the Raven will be produced one every two months, and perhaps even more frequently when time allows. The magazine shows two different types of articles, both “features” and “departments”. The departments are reoccurring articles for the magazine, each issue is guaranteed to contain information on these subjects. As time goes on, expect more departments to be added to the list. Features, on the other hand, are special. These will benonrecurring articles, offering the reader very specialized information.

In the future, Quoth the Raven will feature fan fiction based upon Ravenloft. There have beenseveral proposals for reviews in movies, books and even CDs. For the moment, this netzine isaccepting all adventures written and submitted by fans. Rest assured that Quoth the Raven will alwayscontain at least one adventure for use in Ravenloft. Old fans of Gothic Earth will be happy to know that the Masque of the Red Death will always have a place of honor in this magazine. In the future theGothic Earth section will be expanded. This section will feature a “Crossroads” section to detail areasof Gothic Earth as well as a Qabal update.

There has been a lot of discussion over the issue of canon information. There are a lot of Ravenloft fans that are hoping to see new canon adventures. Sadly, this magazine is the demented

brainchild of a fan, nothing more. This situation does allow the magazine a wider range of freedomhowever a freedom that the editors intend to explore to the fullest. Readers should be prepared to seea wide variety of non-canon information. Starting in this issue, readers will be exposed to variant rules for playing in Ravenloft as well as alternate versions of well-established domains. This magazine will try to explore these variants and give Ravenloft fans a new look at some of the underused areas of thegame.

This magazine is highly experimental and will remain a work in progress. The editors, JasonTrue and Jonathon aka Thuvasa will be tweaking the magazine. We heartily encourage all readers tocontact us with any questions or comments. Submissions are always open and can be sent to either Jason, Jonathon or myself.

Enjoy!




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by Eddy Brennan (The lost Hedgewitch)

by Godbrain

: an adventure by Zorin, Dmitri andShane Glodoski

byShane Glodoski

an adventure by ShaneGlodoski 66

by Mark "Mortavius"Graydon

by Jason True

by Jason True

: The Living Bayou By Scott C.Bourgeois

: Viy




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Vampires are a well-lovedfixture to gothic horror and toRavenloft. Players crave the thrillof a classic vampire hunt, silentlygoing over the dozens of vampiricweaknesses and the few knownmethods of destroying thenocturnal predators. It is one of he cruel facts of the D&D system

hat vampires are so powerful.Even in 3 rd edition vampiresare, as some have called them,ridiculously powerful. Even themost minor vampire has the abilityo crush the wills of warriors, useheir gaseous form to appear and

vanish without a trace, andwithstand the most vicious assaultsfrom hunters not powerful enougho possess magical weapons.

Even ignoring the amazingpower of level draining attacks, thepower of a vampire is bewilderingand confusing. Questions fly back and forth, questions such as: Whys every vampire so powerful?

Why do vampires have the abilityo take animal form if they are so

much more powerful in humanform? The main problem ariseswhen we notice that every vampire

seems to have the powersdelegated to the most powerfulmonsters in literature.

Dungeon Masters mustwrestle with a terrible problem.Everyone wants to hunt a vampire,but not everyone wants to huntDracula. Players want the thrill of fighting a vampire, but not a spell-casting monster that can evadeevery attack, drain their life with a

slam attack and bring the whole

party to its knees with a simplestare.

But what can a Dungeonmaster do? Need he abandon allhope?

The purpose of this article isto give dungeon masters a newlook at vampires. This article willexamine weaknesses in vampires,

which will help to close the gap between vampires and their hunters. Many of the weaknessesare minor; they are little more than

psychological foibles. Others aremuch more serious weakness,which will help a Dungeon Master explain the weaknesses in vampiricvillains.

It may seem like acontradiction, but vampires have acomplex biological life. Avampire is more than a dead bodyanimated by negative energy; avampire is much more akin to aliving creature. Vampires areinvulnerable to poisons and todisease, yet they do require aconstant supply of food. Likeevery other animal, a vampire mustfeed upon another living creatureto survive. Just as their undeadstate protects them from most of

perils of life, their nonliving bodiesare susceptible to many

phenomena that living creaturestake for granted.

Chemical VulnerabilitiesOne of the many

misconceptions possessed byvampire hunters is that vampires

cannot be harmed by garlic. Thisis a fiction that clever vampireshave perpetuated by their discretion. Vampires always avoidareas thick with the scent of garlic.This is because garlic acts as a

powerful incendiary agent to their undead bodies.

Garlic possesses a special

organic chemical that interfereswith a vampire’s tissues. Thechemical responsible for thedistinctive garlic aroma enters thevampire’s body through the eyes,lungs mouth, nose, and even theskin. Once in the cell the garliccauses the cell to release all of itsundigested positive energy. Thisenergy causes the cell burn oncontact with oxygen. Effectively

the body is being set ablaze on thecellular level.When a vampire enters an

area thick with the garlic scent he begins to feel the burningsensation. At this point thevampire is unharmed but issuffering from an extremeirritation in his tissues exposed tothe air. Direct exposure to garlic

plants is much more dangerous. If

the vampire is contacted with a pealed garlic plant or with water inwhich garlic was chopped and

boiled then he is burned as if byacid. Direct contact with garlic or a one vial of a garlic-water mixturecauses 1d6 points of damage.

Different strains of vampirism possess differentvulnerabilities. The Chiang-shistrain is completely immune to

garlic, though rosemary and myrrhcause the same effect. Vrykolaka




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are vulnerable to garlic, but anisehas the same incendiary effect.

Mist Form

Of the powers associatedwith vampires, the ability to take agaseous form is the mostunderestimated. This abilityallows vampiric hunters to passhrough small spaces, to come and

go unseen, to become immune toattacks, to evade pursuit and topenetrate the most secure defenses.This ability gives vampires freeaccess to places where no human

could go. With this ability avampire could feasibly travelhrough a city’s water pipes and

emerge where ever he desired or burry his coffin in rock, leaving siny crack through which he can

push his fog form. Vampires canpush their way through a phalanxof stake wielding hunters just byassuming this form, never fearingfor a moment. Vampires can use

his ability to flee from the dangersof holy symbols, laurels and evenrunning water. With such a potentability it is a wonder how vampirescan be destroyed at all. Yet theres a quandary that has puzzled

vampire hunters for centuries. For some reason vampires use thispowerful ability with a bafflingreluctance.

Instead of placing their coffins in places only a gas couldreach, they leave them in the open.Vampires rarely travel by gaseousform despite the stealthymplications. The children of the

night tend to stand and fight rather han floating away as a cloud. For

reasons unknown vampires use thisability to only a fraction of itspotential. While the moreshortsighted hunters prefer not toook a gift horse in the mouth, the

more wise stalkers haveinvestigated the matter.

Vampires describe theexperience of gaseous state as a

“oneness” with an unexplainedflow of energy. This energy seemsto be unique to the land of Ravenloft, for vampires of foreign

places describe it as a very newand unsettling sensation. Thevampire enters gaseous state byutilizing a portion of his negativeenergy to push most of his massslightly out of phase with the restof the material plane. Scholars of

the arcane believe that this extradimensional holding place is the border ethereal. This place is acold and misty flux, in which thevampires feel quite at home. Allthat is left of their corporeal bodyforms the wet moisture of the mist.Through the border ethereal thevampire floats, dragging with himthe remaining particles in thematerial plane. These particles are

tiny, but they are critical to thereformation process. The fog particles make up an anchor or rather; a pathway by which thevampire’s remaining mass willreenter the material plane. Oncethe vampire has reached asatisfactory location, he shunts hismatter through the misty pathways,rebuilding his lifeless body.

This experience is describedas being a liberating, relaxingsensation for vampires native tothe demiplane. However,vampires from foreign worldsdescribe it as alien and unsettling.Though these outsiders use thesame mechanisms on their ownworlds, they have perceived adifference. Within the border ethereal there is a gentle current,however within the Demiplane of Dread this current becomes likequicksand. The effects of this

drain are subtle, but with each useof the mist form a vampire loses a

portion of his mass. This massremains attached to the vampire,

but it is trapped in an etherealstate. Slowly, the mass rejoins the body on the material plane, yetwith each use of mist form moremass is trapped. As more andmore mass remains ethereal, thevampire experiences a sensation of emptiness. As the matter accumulates in the misty border

between the material plane and theethereal plane it becomes more and

more difficult to pull that matter back. If the drain is allowed tocontinue, a vampire risks his veryexistence

SensitivityThe transformation into

undeath leads to many greatchanges to both body and mind.Vampires gain a greater auditoryand visual acuity than human

beings, but they lose importantnervous pathways in their tactilesenses. Vampires retain their ability to feel heat, cold, pressuresand textures but none of thesesenses are not sent to theconscience mind. The sensoryinformation is sent directly to theshort-term memory, completely by

passing the consciousness. Theonly sensations that vampires

physically experience are pain,hunger and the satisfaction derivedfrom sating their blood thirst.

By most standards thischanges nothing. Vampires do notlose any of their manual dexterity,nor are they ignorant of pain.However they have completelyoblivious to the emotional contextof the sensation. While this mayseem trivial, it has a major impacton vampire psychology. Biologyhas denied them the ability to feel




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comfort or physical pleasures. Theonly benefit to this state is that itallows vampires to rest in coffinsand tombs, which would otherwise

have been unbearable.

SlumberVampires intake blood just as

any other animal take in food.Unlike other animals, vampiresconvert the living blood tissue intonegative energy. This conversionreleases a great amount of energy,which in turn powers the vampiresamazing abilities. However, this

ransformation is not immediate.Young vampires require a veryong period of time for their cellso assimilate the living tissue and

convert it into negative energy for storage and utilization.

Despite even the mosthorough research, vampire hunters

have yet to realize the true sleepcycle of a vampire. After feedingon blood a vampire becomes

drowsy. Though he or she is notphysically impaired, they arecompelled to rest. The youngvampire sleeps for one day for every point of constitution drained.At the end of the slumber periodhe vampire has assimilated the

energy. While the vampire issleeping, his need for blood ishalted. In this manner, a fledglingvampire really only requires 4constitution points every four days.

During the day the fledglingvampire is comatose, he or she ishelpless and cannot be awakened.During the night this sleep is lessdeep, the vampire is asleep but canbe awakened just as any livingbeing can be awakened from sleep.A fledgling vampire is veryunlikely to be active in the nightwhile he or she is still digestingblood. Though, nocturnal activitydoes not require another feeding

until the digestion of the currentlystored constitution points isthrough. In effect, if a vampireforces himself to be awake during

his slumber period he can remainawake, though during this periodhe suffers from 1 negative level,which cannot be removed until theslumber period is over. Mostfledgling vampires loath activityduring their slumber period, onlythe threat of danger or the promiseof great rewards can force themout of their coffins. Whatever themotivation, no fledgling vampire

can force himself to remain awakeduring the day while in his slumber period.

Fledgling vampires cannotsplit their digestion time. If theydo not drain a total of 4 points of constitution in one night then their tissues cannot begin the digestion

process. The blood sits unused inthe body until it coagulates and

becomes useless. In effect, a

fledgling vampire must drain 4 points in one night and then endurea slumber period for eight days.Failure to do this causes thevampire to incur one negative leveleach day until it drains 4 pointsand enters its slumber period.

When the living tissue iscompletely digested, the vampire’stissue begins to crave more livingtissue. The feeding cyclecontinues forcing the vampire touse the assimilated energy toobtain a new dosage of living

blood tissue.As a vampire ages his or her

cells become more efficient in their metabolism. Living tissue is

broken down at an increased rateand more negative energy can be

produced from the same amount of blood. At the second age categorya vampire must only sleep for sixhours for each constitution point

drained. At the third age categorythe vampire requires only threehours for every point. At thefourth age category this time drops

to one hour, and at the fifthcategory the requirement isdropped all together. Thisincreased metabolism allows older vampires to utilize much greater abilities than their younger counterparts. However this is amixed blessing. A vampire mustfeed again at the end of theslumber period. In short, older vampires require a constant supply

of blood.Fortunately for older vampires, those who need less thantwelve hours of slumber do not gointo a comatose state during theday. Though they are not immuneto the effects of sunlight they arefree to remain awake and active.This little-known fact has led tothe untimely demise of many anoverconfident vampire hunter.

Each week a vampire mustmake a Mist check. This check allows a vampire an attempt toresist the draining force of themisty border and pull his lostmatter back into the material plane.The check is a fortitude saveagainst a DC equal to vampire’smist corruption state plus the totalnumber of times the vampire usedthe gaseous form that week. If thecheck succeeds then the vampirehas pulled the lost portion of hismass back into reality. If thecheck fails then that week’s

portion of his mass becomes firmlytrapped in the border ethereal. Insuch a case the vampire gains onestep of mist corruption. If,however, the check succeeds then

the vampire has partially broken




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he effects of the drain. On asuccessful check a vampire dropsn one stage of mist corruption.

All vampires begin at a corruption

stage of zero.When a vampire has reachedhe first stage of mist corruptionhe pathways between the material

plane and the ethereal plane arestrong. A vampire in this state candrain blood while in a gaseousstate. The vampire makes anattack roll and gains the benefits of nvisibility to this attack. At the

second stage of mist corruption the

vampire gains the ability to sleepn his or her coffin while ingaseous form. The vampire isnvulnerable to attack, though holy

water and sunlight still dealdamage. Should the coffin bedestroyed, the vampire assumesphysical form but remains asleep.

When a vampire reaches thehird stage in mist corruption he

becomes firmly entrapped in the

ethereal plane. Many vampiresfear this state with the same terror as they do the sun. They view thisstage as the beginning of aransformation known as “the

vanishing”. A vampire at this stagecan only feed or sleep by assuminggaseous form. Naturally, thiscauses a massive rise in theamount of gaseous forms usedevery week, which steadily ushershe vampire further into the next

stages of mist corruption. At thefourth stage of mist corruption thevampire gains the “mist” subtypeand now holds only a tenuous gripon corporeality. The vampirecannot easily assume solid form.Returning to solid form requires asuccessful fortitude save against aDC of 10. This check can only beattempted at most once per hour.At the fifth stage of corruption thevampire is permanently trapped in

mist form. The vampire must stilleat and sleep, but is incapable of any other action. The mistvampire may continue to live for

one more week, after which eventhe tenuous mist pathways are lostand the vampire is swept away intothe border ethereal. To where thevampires go from there, no one caneven guess.

Naturally, this effect causeswise vampires great pause beforeusing their gaseous form ability.Even younger vampires realize thatsomething is awry. In most cases,

a vampire never reaches so muchas the second stage of corruption.The vampire becomes filled withtrepidation after the first stage of corruption and restricts his use of mist form to a more reasonableamount. Only the most carelessand oblivious vampires ever reach“the vanishing” and the wiser children of the night have come toappreciate it as a way of removing

the naturally lazy and stupidmembers of their species. Thevanishing remains one of the fewthings vampires fear, for once avampire sets upon the path it isdifficult to return. Vampires whoare in some way bound to the land,such as domain lords, do not suffer from mist corruption.

Nonetheless, most of these predators dislike the feeling of mistform and so use it only when under duress or when seriouslyinconvenienced. Should a vampire

be slain in combat and revert tomist form, the transformation willcount as a single use of the gaseousform ability. The effects of thespell gaseous form will not bestowmist corruption, even on vampires.Other creatures with the ability toassume a gaseous form have beenrumored to be susceptible to thiscorruption.

FeedingFeeding is the only physical

pleasure that vampires retain intheir undead state. Naturally, this

becomes an outlet through whichthey explore the physical world.While the victim might viewvampiric feeding as a purelyaggressive assault, the vampire hasa slightly different interpretation.

Feeding has three differentimplications. The first is a simple

parasite relationship. This is themost casual and practical view of feeding. The vampire overpowersthe victim, drains away a portionof blood, and never gives thevictim a second thought.Vampires view the ordinary humanvictim as a host for their

predations, nothing more than ananimal to be exploited.

The next aspect of feeding isdestructive. The act of killing iscool and emotionless, the vampireis denied the pleasure of feeling anenemy’s bones break within hisgrasp or flesh tear beneath hisclaws. However vampires havefound a way to circumvent thisfailing, they use their feedingability to drain an enemy to alifeless husk. This form of feedingis akin to great creatureswallowing a smaller one whole.The vampire exercises hissuperiority over his victim bydevouring their life force. Thismanner of killing is extremelysatisfying to most vampires, for bydevouring their enemy they havecompletely obliterated he object of their hatred. The most hatedenemies of a vampire often meetthis fate. At the end of the feeding,the vampire takes precautions to

ensure that the victim does not rise




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again. More often than not thevictim is thrown into a body of water, but if one is not availablehe body is either decapitated or is

staked down in a place that will beexposed to sunlight.The final aspect is much

more intimate to the vampire.Since the nocturnal creature isdenied most forms of pleasure,residual sexual desires remainunsatisfied. Vampires gain a greatdeal of relief from these desires byengaging in feeding. Whenfeeding in this manner the hunter

become very selective his victims.Obviously, the vampire seeks out avictim that is sexually attractive.This variety of feeding is the leastdamaging to the victim and notparticularly nurturing to thevampire.

Forever YoungVampires are naturally

mmortal; they are free of the

ravages of time that so manyhumans fear. This state elevatesvampires above mankind, markinghem as superior, at least in their

eyes. The more intellectualvampires point to this fact asustification of their feedings, for

surely mankind can spare a littleblood to support the epitome of evolution. The less academicallynclined vampires have a different

view. Newly created vampires

experience the ultimate liberties.Through the process of death theyhave rid themselves of all of their cares and concerns. No longer must they prepare for death or thecrippling effect of age. Insteadhey will forever revel in the pureoys of violence and bloodshed.

Fledgling vampires andvampire spawn are a violent,vibrant people. They revel in

death, violence, drink, drugs andany other pleasure they can wraptheir claws around. This unendingrevel can last for a century for

fledgling vampires, but for vampire spawn the celebrationnever ends.

MaturationAs a vampire ages the initial

thrill of immortality disappears.By the end of the first century, avampire has grown beyond his lifeof bloodshed and peacefulslumber. The creature spends

much more time awake, takesmuch less enjoyment from killingand is straining against thelimitations of his undead body.Furthermore, the vampire finallyrealizes the truth of immortality;that he is doomed to walk the earthuntil such time as he dies horribly.Under this stress the nocturnal

predator either matures to a morestable existence or else he falls into

a death wish.As a vampire matures heturns away from the base life styleof a predator, feeding steadily

becomes a chore rather than a joy.Mature vampires begin to pursuemuch more sophisticated goalsthan their fledgling kin. Thesecreatures pursue arcaneknowledge, artistic perfection,divine grace, philosophical

perfection or political power.These vampires take the first stepson the paths that they will followfor centuries to come.

Vampiric MatesVampires are incapable of

distracting themselves with physical pleasure, no matter howmuch they might want to bedistracted. Whether they enjoy itor not, vampires are forced to seek a deeper intimacy than those

sought by their mortal kin. Somemature vampires feel the need for companionship and to sate thisneed they turn to mortal

population. Vampires have aninherent distrust of others of their kind, born of the competition

between nocturnal predators. Thusvampires prefer to create a materather than put their trust in anequal.

Different vampires look for different qualities in their mates,

but there are some commonthemes. Firstly, great beauty is the

most common factor. Beauty isdetermined by more than just physical appearance, but also bygrace and confidence. Next,vampires choose mates who aresimilarly gifted. Intellectualvampires seek out academicallyinclined mortals, combativevampires woo warriors, and so on.

Most vampires prefer to pick “unspoiled mates”. There seems to

be a preference for mates who are both chaste and naive. Innocents,as described by the rules for

powers checks, are particularlyattractive as vampiric mates.Vampire hunters believe that this

preference is a residual form of guilt. The vampires believe that

being loved by a purely goodcreature offers them a manner of forgiveness for their crimes againsthumanity. That the vampire canvicariously gain some of their mate’s innocence. Alternately,some of the more pessimistic

philosophers believe this preference stems from a aversionto purity and a desire to consumethat which is good and innocent.This would then be an extension of a vampire’s feeding instincts.




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CompetitionAs vampires grow into old

age, their need for blood increasesdrastically. These old andpowerful vampires find themselvescompeting with other vampiresover the limited resource of humanblood. Vampires with manyminions require a large pool of human victims. These victimsmust be carefully exploited, or elsepermanent damage is inflicted onhe population, or even worse, the

mortals are roused to action.Vampires are so dependant

upon this limited resource that theyrefuse to share. While a vampiremight allow his underlings to feedon a given population he will notolerate rivals or rogue vampires toay claim. Vampires are constantly

watching for potential threats toheir human cattle, lest a new

predator endanger the fragilebalance of the feeding system.

Vampiric rulers often keepvassal vampires to do their bidding. These vassals maintainheir own vampiric servants, and in

some rare cases these servantsmaintain minions of their own.This vampiric feudal system ishighly dependent upon the headvampire, for without this singleentity the whole organizationwould collapse into an all outbattle.

Even with the existence of he vampiric ruler, the vassals are

at war with one another. Eachvassal wants to secure a stablefood supply and expand his ownpower. This results in a secret war between vampire lineages.Vampiric rulers tolerate thisbehavior for two chief reasons;first being that potential usurpers

are held in check by the other

vassals and the second reason being that the vampire ruler doesnot possess the power to keep somany predators from fighting

amongst themselves.

Death WishVampires who do not evolve

into a mature state fall into a spiralof anger and self-hatred. Thevampire is terrified of the prospectof eternal life and subconsciouslywants to end its existence. After its first century of unlife thevampire becomes obsessed with

violence. The nocturnal predator devotes its energies to destructionand death. The loathsome creaturedespoils the land around it andkills wantonly. The vampire seeksto draw attention to itself by anymeans. The ultimate goal of thevampire is to be slain and destroyas much as it can.

This philosophy oftenarouses the wrath of powerful

vampires or anyone else who hasan interest in keeping the human population alive. Vampires withdeath wishes don’t last very long,though the devastation they

produce can be legendary.

PlotsVampires are both evil and

intelligent, and where these twoqualities meet humanity suffers.As a vampire ages he spends moreand more time awake, with lessand less to do with his time.Vampires are natural schemers; itis part of their nature. Thesenocturnal predators cravechallenges to their mind and totheir power. This is part of theaging process, for as a vampirerises in power, the minor challenges of undeath lose their thrill. Old vampires have lost theability to enjoy the chase; they are

denied the simple pleasures of killing and feasting. In manycases, old vampires cannot even

bring themselves to mate, for they

have become too cynical andwithdrawn to romance a mate. Theonly thing that gives purpose to avampire’s existence are the websof plots and schemes that the fiendweaves.

Vampires are instinctivelydrawn to long-term plots. Thesemight revolve around thedestruction of a powerful enemy,the creation of an artifact, the

construction of a dynasty, acrusade in the name of a great godof evil, or some other epic goal.The ambition of a vampire growswith its age and their plots areexpanded to fit.

Vampires are enamored withcomplex plots. The intricacies of manipulation and deceptionenrapture their minds and bring tothem a joy that has long been lost.

They are so addicted to intricate plots that vampires will ignoresimple, direct solutions in favor of long and elaborate plots. This

preference of the indirect to thedirect has cost many a vampire itslife.

For example, a maturevampire might learn that there is a

party of vampire hunters hasentered his region, looking for newquarry. Rather than call together aforce of its minions and personallyambush the hunters, the vampiremight send a minion to infiltratethe group, lead them to an enemieslayer, use the party to destroyrivals and then destroy them. Tothe vampire this plan seems to be

pure genius, though he fails torealize that he has only drawnattention that he might haveavoided and assisted the party intheir endeavors.




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SpawnAs far as the mature vampire

s concerned, vampire spawn are a

necessary evil. These creatures arerapped in a perpetual youth; theynever reach maturity and areocked in bloodlust for eternity. In

short, vampire spawn are aconstant reminder of what a maturevampire is losing with eachpassing year.

Vampires avoid creatingspawn, both for their own feelingsas well as for the conservation of

he limitations of human resources.When they do create spawn, theyreat them as lowly servants. The

spawn are constantly reminded of heir inferiority to their vampiric

master. Most vampiric mastersrequire their spawn to wake eachnight, especially during their slumber periods. This makes thespawn very irate, though they arepowerless to resist.

Vampire spawn never socialize with mature vampires,hough fledgling vampires are less

discriminating. Fledglings thatspend their first century withvampire spawn tend to have amore lenient view to their lesser comrades and treat them with morerespect.




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Joshua has been staring intohe hole for quite some time before

he noticed that he wasn’t going anywhere. He was gazing into theblackness of the shaft before him,completely motionless. Before himwas a simple ladder, leading downnto the depths of the catacombs.t should be a simple matter to

crouch, grab the ladder and climbdown. But it wasn’t the physics of he act that was keeping him frozen

At the bottom of that shaft was the endless labyrinth of thecrypt. It was an ancient maze of stonewalls packed with themummified corpses piled into theslits cut into the rock. Foul gassesemanated from the rotting bones,orming into a choking green mist hat shrouded the floor, concealing he numerous pitfalls and shafts

dug into the floor. Yet as much asJoshua tried, he could not convince himself that it was thecrypt that held him in fear.

Down at the center of that crypt was a spirit. Moreaccurately, a corpse. A corpsehat walked and talked, that lived a

perverse mockery of life and could drain the life out of the living. It was an inhuman monster, capableof transforming into beasts or evenmist. It was a vampire, a plagueupon all mankind.

The unnatural fiend wasnearly invincible, for no mortal blade could cleave its lifeless flesh.ts gaze could break the will of the

strongest warrior and even should

it be cornered it could vanish in awave of evil mist. He knew this tobe fact, for he had thoroughly read that most trustworthy source of information upon the undead, Van

Richten’s Guide to Vampires.With great reluctance,

Joshua pushed himself closer tothe ladder. Silently, he wished that Van Richten had left a few tips oncourage.

Shot Through the HeartStaking an active and

resisting vampire is nearlyimpossible, especially with amissile weapon. Even whilemaking a shot with a stakingcrossbow, immobilizing a vampireis nigh impossible. However,vampires hunters are a stubbornfolk, not the type to turn awayfrom a task simply because it isnearly impossible. With this feat acharacter has learned the techniqueto placing a flying stake into avampires chest such that thecreature is immobilized.

Prerequisites : Point Plank Shot, base attack bonus +4

Benefit : A character withthis feat can immobilize a vampire

by using a staking crossbow bolt asa stake. The character must use awooden bolt (or what ever materialis needed to paralyze the vampire)and loads it into a stakingcrossbow (no other crossbow isallowed). If the character makes asuccessful called shot on thevampire’s heart, then the stake

enters the vampire and effectivelystakes it.

Special : To use this abilitythe character must be within amaximum range of 30 feet fromthe target. This ability can feasiblyapply to other creatures that must

be pierced with a shaft of a particular material in a particular part of their body.

Suspicious A suspicious hunter is a

long-lived hunter. Vampires havethe ability to dominate the wills of others and use them as pawns bywhich they might strike their foes.A character with this feat gains theability to sense the magicalinfluence of a vampire’s mindcontrol.

Benefits : A character withthis feat gains a +5 insight bonus tosense motive checks to senseenchantments. Further more, if asuccessful check succeeds by morethan 5 the character can determinewhether or not the enchantedcharacter is being controlled by thevampire domination ability, or some other vampiric specialability. However this abilitycannot be used to disprove theinfluence of a vampiric ability.

Special : While the bonus tothe sense motive check can beapplied to discerning the effects of an enchantment spell or some other creature’s special abilities. Thecharacter with this feat cannot usethe secondary effect of this feat to




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determine the origin of anonvampiric enchantment.

Unblinking Eye The gaze of a vampire islethal, for if one meets that gaze heor she may fall under the spell of

the vampire. However,

vampire hunters are a hard folk,unfazed by the evil eyes of their quarry. With this feat a character gains a defense against adominating gaze.

Prerequisites : Iron WillBenefit : The character is

mmune to the effects of a mindnfluencing gaze attack. This

effect covers charm, domination,sleep and all other mind

nfluencing gaze effects.Special : This feat offers noprotection to other gaze effectssuch as prettification or death.

Vapor TrailVampires often travel in

gaseous form, confident that theyare invisible to the eyes of hunters.While they may appear to beharmless fog, an experienced

vampire hunter is never fooled.With this feat a vampire hunter gains the ability to spot vampiresn gaseous form and even to followhe invisible tracks they leave in

gaseous form.Prerequisites : AlertnessBenefits : With this feat a

character gains the ability to spotcreatures in gaseous form.Spotting a creature in gaseous forms made against a base DC 25,hough if the vampire is actively

hiding while in gaseous form thenhe may make an opposed hidecheck against the character with a+10 bonus.

A character with this featgains the ability to track acreature’s movement in gaseousform. The character learns torecognize the scent left in the air raversed by a creature in gaseous

shape. Thus, the character can

follow tracks left in places where

the creature did not even touch theground. The wilderness lore check to track a creature in this statesuffers a –5 circumstantial penalty.




13

Max stood in the shadows of

he alleyway. He was shivering inhe midnight chill, but would stray

no closer to the warm light of theoil lantern. Beneath the folds of hiscoat he checked for the handle of his pistol. Sure enough it hadn’t moved since the last time hechecked it.

His cold eyes never moved rom the doorway on the other side

of the street. It had taken him aong time to find this building, torack the man who was inside.

Exhaustion was tugging at hiseyelids, but he wouldn’t dare closehem. He wasn’t alone in the

darkness, there were other peoplewaiting in there, inside his head.He stared into the doorway, as if

he could see right through it if heooked hard enough. In the back of his head Max could hear thesounds again. He shook his head,ried to throw the memory out of

his mind. But the flood had brokenhe dam inside his mind; soon he

was born aloft on the tide of sorrow.

“It’s your fault, Max.” Thevoice was back again. “You

should have been there.” It wassoft, painfully soft. “You could have saved her,” Max felt themisery well up beneath his eyes, asurge of tears that would never escape his eyes, that would just build up and up until he exploded.“You got her into this, Max.” Hegasped out, his lungs felt empty.“It’s your fault.”

The voice was right. It was

his fault. The voice was never

going to let him forget that. Everybreath he took, every time heclosed his eyes, every moment

since that horrible night, the voicebeen in his head. He couldn’t eat,he couldn’t sleep, and he couldn’t bear it anymore. He had to end the

pain, before it drove him mad. Across the street the door

was opening. A familiar faceemerged from the darkness. Theman was wearing an arrogant

smile, the grin of a guiltless man.Something inside Max burst. Withboth hands he drew the saber and the pistol. It was time to end the

pain. One way or another, hewould rest tonight.

Character Archetype : One of the

most classic character archetypesthere is the “man with nothing tolose”. Characters of this varietydiffer from the ordinary man in theextreme, for where most people aredriven to preserve their own lifethe man with nothing to lose is

possessed by a death wish. Thesecharacters have been pushed toofar by the cruelty of the world.They are not strong willed

survivors, nor furious avengers;they are normal people who oncewere possessed of a mild manner

but are driven to acts of violence.Cruel circumstance has drainedtheir life of meaning and filled itwith pain; they take no joy fromlife and crave the peace that onlydeath can bring them. Characterslike this are ticking time bombs,doomed to self-destruct. They feel

a powerful compulsion to violently

end their lives and while notactually suicidal, they are driven toendanger themselves to theextreme. They do not deliberatelykill themselves, but they ignore themost basic common sense andthrow caution to the wind.

Characters like this are notdriven by revenge or hate, for they

cordially entertain the idea thatthey might be killed and that their sacrifice might be in vain. Theidea that their deaths might bemeaningless does not trouble thesecharacters in the slightest, for theyknow that their lives are already

pointless. These characters havedecided to throw themselvesagainst the tide of evil; they willrisk all and die in the attempt to

make the world a better place. Theonly solace that the character cantake from his efforts is that he hastried to prevent the same tragedythat claimed his life fromconsuming another’s. Whether thecharacter knows it or not, hesubconsciously hopes to die,whether it is in a heroic battle or insome pointless accident. Onlydeath can end the pain and misery

that has made him this way

Background : Characters like thiswere once normal people,

possessed of a normal personality.They might have been gruff andserious, or joyful and lighthearted.Often this is the result of a greatloss, such as the loss of one'sfamily but other circumstances canarise to trigger this transformation.

Other causes can include the loss




14

of livelihood, property, honor, anddignity. Bizarre circumstances canalso bring about this character archetype, possible triggers include

arising as an undead monster,ycanthropy, being sent forward or backward in time or becomingcursed.

Whatever the individualcircumstances, the character isconsumed by pain, and often guilt.Each moment of life reminds himor her of what he or she has lostand will never regain. Obviously,he loss or burden must be great

and permanent. For a character toake on the traits of a “man withnothing to lose” he must have nohope of recovery from his pain.

Personality : These characters areoften morose, cynical or reserved.Many of the traits the character possessed in his former life are stillpresent. Gentlemen and ladies stillbehave politely, humorous people

might continue to joke, andreserved people continue to keepheir sorrows to themselves.

Though they similar, they arechanged from the way they werebefore. These characters becomedarker and more fatalistic. A manwith nothing to lose cannot indulgen happiness, for moments of joy

bring back the pain that plagueshem. Moments of levity causehem sorrow and a gentle touch

brings pain. Where once someonewas cheerful, they become bitterlycynical; while once they weregregarious they are now remote.These characters push others awayfrom them, for they do not want tohurt others when they inevitablyself-destruct. They are fatalisticand not shy with expressing their growing obsession with death.

Psychology : Moments of levitycause this person sorrow, a gentletouch causes pain. These peopleare most often loners, because they

fear to become close to others.Often this is because they do notwant to hurt friends or familywhen they inevitably die. Another important factor is their fear thatthey might lose their loved onesagain, compacting the pain. Tothem it is much better to be safeand withdrawn, that way they canneither do harm nor be harmed.

Characters like this are not

just in pain, they are haunted byguilt. They blame themselves for the tragedy that has transformedthem; they hate themselves for living while their loved ones died.A life of violence and adventure ismeant to be a form of self-

punishment. They hope that the pain of their dark life will atone for the imagined wrong they caused,that the guilt will be expunged and

the ghosts of the past be laid torest. Yet for the most part, paindoes not bring them the peace theydesire. They become trapped in avicious cycle of suffering, for nosacrifice seems to be enough.They know that only death can

bring them the peace they want, but they are reluctant to escape the pain of living. This reluctance tocommit true suicide is basedequally on the insuppressible drivefor self-preservation and themasochism that drives them. As aform of escape from the guilt,suicide is the last option.

Patterns : Characters like this arehighly predictable. Drug andalcohol abuse is a commonoccurrence amongst thesecharacters, both to stave off the

pain and guilt and for thecompulsion to harm one’s self.

Characters of this archetype arewaiting for an escape; theygravitate to dangerous places andmingle with dangerous people. If a

character of this type is given theoption between an easy way and ahard way, without hesitation hetakes the hard way. At heart, allcharacters of this type aredreaming of a final stand. Therethe character will confront thecruelties of life, most often in theform of an evil enemy of great

power. The character will fightwith all his strength to destroy the

foe, but the battle is chosen to befutile. In the final moments thecharacter is slain, hopefullyachieving the peace that he hassought.

Adventures are a means bywhich a character of this typehopes to expunge his pain andguilt. These quests usually involve

pain and hardship, but not always.The adventure is a means to

distract the character from hissorrows, so the character tends totake them less seriously thanothers. The character is reallylooking for his “last stand”, so hemight become distracted from anadventure if he thinks that he hasfound an appropriate challenge tosacrifice himself against.

Role-playing : These charactersare dark, cynical and fatalistic.They may still be humorous,creative, sensitive or caring, butthey are shrouded in darkness.These characters take risks withoutreason and purposely neglect their own safety. They do not lack common sense, but rather thanheed it they contradict it.Characters like this would rather climb by hand than use a rope; hemight discard heavy armor to go to

battle more quickly. He might




15

attempt to hold off a vampire witha burning log rather thanretreating.

Characters like this are

ooking for a last stand. Whenever hey fail a fear, horror or madnesscheck it is appropriate that theygnore the potential negative

effects of the failed save, standheir ground and fight to the finish.

Dungeon Masters may view this asan unfair advantage, but it ismportant to realize that the

character is most likely unpreparedand under equipped. When in a

final stand there is no force thatcan dissuade the character fromcombat. A dungeon master is

advised to grant the character acircumstantial bonus to savesagainst fear, horror, madness andany other mind controlling effects

at this point, while at the sametime giving the character an equalcircumstantial penalty to his armor class.

Classes and Prestige classes : Thefighter and rogue classes make the

best choices for a man withnothing to lose, though monks,rangers, psions and wizards arealso acceptable. Barbarians, bards

and sorcerers make poor choices,for both classes require confidenceand spirit to sue their abilities, two

things that characters of thisarchetype lack. Paladins and

priests of any kind areinappropriate for this class.

Levels in the avengers prestige class make an excellentchoice for characters of thisarchetype, as does the class witchhunter. Classes that rely uponcompassion, innocence, passion or confidence are not appropriate for this archetype.

Suggested Feats : Courage, Jaded,Back to the wall, Dead man

walking




16

By Jason [email protected]

Ethan looked up at the highpriest with the expression of shock apparent upon his face. Clenching at the burn marks upon his chest,he young priest fell to his knees as

pain wracks his body. "Why would you do this? You spread dissent between our followers, and youopenly attack me in our ownchurch. Why?"

The high priest grins evilly at he wounded youth even as his

body shifts and changes. "Not everything is always as it seems,my acolyte...” Pink flesh sloughsaway from the high priest's faceand arms revealing the red scalesbeneath it. Black horns sprout rom the fiend's forehead. Large,

scaly wings, which cast dark shadows around the sanctuary,protrude out from its back.

Ethan clenches his fists as hescreams in horror. The fiend merely stands and watches theyoung man scream. As thescreams echo throughout thechurch, the fiend mockingly laughsat the youth. A chorus of screamsand laughter fill the alcoves.

While the fiend enjoys therony of the moment before killing he priest, it misses the slight

movement in the shadows behind him. A figure lunges out of thedarkness and drives a thin bladedeeply into the fiend's throat. Thecreature of evil flails violently and sputters curses, but the stranger inishes off the fiend with a second

slash.

Ethan, panting for air, slowlyrises to his feet. "By Ezra, what was that thing?"

The stranger says nothing. He merely pulls his weapon fromthe dead fiend's throat and beginswiping the black ichor off theblade. Seeing the young priest still

standing in shock, the stranger begins walking away. "If youreally want to know the truth, then

follow me. There is a lot to belearned, and the fiend is not completely destroyed. Not yet at least..."

While some lands have their paladins to destroy demons anddevils, not all places have thisluxury. In the Demiplane of

Dread, humanity does not alwayshave the divine power or arcanemight to back stalwart adventurers,who would destroy theseembodiments of evil. These arethe times that the Hellstalker

becomes an important asset.The Hellstalker combines

finesse and subtly in their fightagainst fiends. The Hellstalkersdraw upon a variety of

extraordinary skills to help themhunt down and get close to their foes. By intensely studying andtraining to fight these infernalcreatures, a Hellstalker also learnsan assortment of abilities to helpthem slay the fiend.

While a Hellstalker knowsthat a fiend can come back evenfrom death, the fight to savehumanity is forever there driving

force. Bringing an end to a fiend's

evil, a Hellstalker knows that thecommunity can rest easier even if they cannot do so themselves.

Most Hellstalkers are bards,rangers, or rogues due to the natureof the society. It is not uncommonfor fighters, monks, sorcerers, andwizards to also add their particular skills and abilities to theHellstalkers’ cause. Clerics and

paladins typically don’t becomeHellstalkers due to the differencesin ideology, but it is notcompletely unheard of for one of their number to take on this

prestige class.Hit Die: d8.

To qualify to be a Hellstalker (Hls), a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Alignment: Any non-evilBase Attack Bonus: +4Feats: Blind-fight, Jaded,

Track Skills: Knowledge (outsider

lore) 6 ranks, Move Silently 4ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks.

Special: An active member must initiate the character into theHellstalker society. This initiationtypically occurs after the character has some sort of significantencounter with an evil outsider.

The Hellstalker’s class skills(and key ability for each skill) are:Alchemy (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb(Str), Concentration (Con), Craft(Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist(Dex), Gather Information (Cha),Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Jump




17

Str), Knowledge (outsider lore)Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int),

Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex),Read Lips (Int), Search (Int), Sense

Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), andWilderness Lore (Wis).Skill Points at Each Level:

6 + Int modifier.

All of the following are classfeatures of the Hellstalker prestigeclass.

Weapon and ArmorProficiency: A Hellstalker gainsno proficiency with weapons

except for what is listed below. AHellstalker gains proficiency inight armor. Note that armor check

penalties for armor heavier thaneather apply to the skills Balance,

Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump,Move Silently, Pick Pocket, andTumble.

Hellrazor: When a person isnitiated into being a Hellstalker,hey are given a special weapon

called a Hellrazor [see Tools of theTrade ]. This weapon is both a toolo combat evil and a sign of

membership in this order for good.The Hellstalker is trained in usinghis weapon and gains the exotic

weapon proficiency (Hellrazor) at1st level. The Hellstalker continueso extensively train with this

special weapon and therefore gainsweapon focus (Hellrazor) at 3 rd

level and weapon specialization(Hellrazor) at 5 th level. Finally at7th level, the Hellstalker learns tomake the most of each strike with

his weapon and gains improvedcritical (Hellrazor). AnyHellstalker may buy these featsearlier, but they lose the classrelated versions if they alreadyhave them.

Fiend Hunter: At 1 st level, aHellstalker gains a bonus againstevil outsiders due to his extensivestudy and training in the proper techniques for combating them.

The Hellstalker gains a +1 bonusto Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive,Spot, and Wilderness Lore checkswhen using these skills against eviloutsiders. Likewise, he gets thesame bonus to weapon damagerolls against evil outsiders. AHellstalker also gets the damage

bonus to ranged weapons, but onlyagainst targets within 30 feet(cannot strike with deadly

accuracy beyond that range). The bonus does not apply to damageagainst creatures that are immuneto critical hits. The fiend hunter

bonus increases by +1 at everyadditional three levels after thefirst (i.e. 4 th, 7 th, and 10 th). The

bonus from this extraordinaryability stacks with a ranger’sfavored enemy bonus.

Hidden Goodness: At 2 nd level, the Hellstalker gains the

ability to sneak attack eviloutsiders (see Rogue section in

Player’s Handbook). His attacksgain +1d 6 damage to evil

outsiders and an additional 1d 6every other level thereafter (i.e.2nd, 4 th, 6 th, 8 th, and 10 th). If theHellstalker already has the sneak attack ability, then the damage

bonuses stack against eviloutsiders. If the Hellstalker attacksanything else besides an eviloutsider then only the sneak attack has an effect. Hidden Goodnessdoesn’t work against beings that

aren’t evil outsiders or againstcreatures that are immune tocritical hits.

Fitting your campaign: Depending on the number of eviloutsiders you tend use in your campaign, the Hellstalker mayeither be underpowered or overpowered. If there are a lot of evil outsiders, then you may wishto change the abilities to affect

only fiends (i.e. baatezu,gehereleth, tanar’ri, andyugoloths). If you tend to rarelyuse any sort of evil outsiders, thenthe Hellstalker might not be of

practical use at all. In this case,you may wish to convert all theabilities to cover something morecommonly found, such as a type of lycanthrope.

ClassLevel

Base Attack Bonus

Fort.Save

Ref. Save Will Save Special

1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Exotic weapon proficiency (Hellrazor) Fiend Hunter +12nd +1 +1 +3 +3 Hidden Goodness +1d63rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Weapon focus (Hellrazor)4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Fiend Hunter +2 Hidden Goodness +2d65th +3 +2 +4 +4 Weapon specialization (Hellrazor)6th +4 +2 +5 +5 Hidden Goodness +3d6




18

7th +5 +2 +5 +5 Fiend Hunter +3 Improved critical (Hellrazor)8th +6 +3 +6 +6 Hidden Goodness +4d69th +6 +3 +6 +6

10 th +7 +3 +7 +7 Fiend Hunter +4 Hidden Goodness +5d6




19

By Jason True

[email protected] stranger walked with

Ethan at his side. Neither one of hem spoke for several moments,

but the silence was finally brokenas Ethan coughed. The stranger merely looked at the as he pulled out the short but razor sharpweapon with which he killed thefiend.

“I am a Hellstalker, whichs a profession dedicated to

killing fiends like your previoushigh priest. From what you went hrough today, I think that you

might want to consider joining our ranks as well. Many of usdon’t have the divine powers of he clergy or the arcane might of

a wizard to help us in our battle.Someone like you might prove tobe an asset. You might be able tostop what happened to your church from occurring again.

“ I want to show you acouple of our tools that we use inour battles.”

“This will be both your main weapon against fiends aswell as your insignia as a member

o this organization. We willrain you in how to use it, and youwill learn how to make this bladea dangerous extension of yourself. Out of all thenventions and tools, this item

will be the most valuable one thatyou will ever possess.”

A hellrazor is a thin, foot-ong blade attached to a six-inch

handle. Through the use of

specific blacksmithingechniques, the weapon is madewith a strong, sharp blade butweighs only a small amount. A

hellrazor will be of masterwork quality, but it can also be amagically enhanced version or even just a regular type (if onehad to be made in a rush).

Hellrazor (small melee)Cost: 30 gpDamage: 1d8Critical: 19-20/x2Weight: 2 lbType: SlashingCraft: weaponsmith (18)

“After our numbers beganto grow and differentiate, werealized that not all of our members are fond of the up close

style of combat. Therefore, aGnome engineer designed thislittle contraption for those who

prefer to attack from a distance. Hidden underneath your coat sleeve, you can launch darts or other items with just a flick of youwrist.”

The wristlauncher is astrange amalgamation between ahand crossbow and a buckler.Using a several springs and a

couple different pieces of metal,the designer was able to create a pair of six-inch tubes that strap toa person’s arm. By moving their wrist in a certain fashion, thewearer can launch one or both of the projectiles. Darts are thetypical projectile, but someHellstalkers tend to use speciallymade syringes filled with holywater as well.

Wristlauncher(Small ranged)Cost: 150 gp

Damage: 1d4Critical: x2Range: 30 ft.Weight: 2 lbCraft: engineering (18)

“What have you never seen a caltrop before? Yes?Well, these are caltrops just like

you’ve seen before. The onlydifference is that these are madeof silver, which some fiends are

particularly vulnerable to. Scoff if you want, but these things canbe very valuable when you need to make a quick escape. Just like

yourself, fiends tend tounderestimate simple things like acaltrop. Throw some in the fiends

path, and they’ll do the rest if you’re lucky.”

Silver caltrops work thesame as regular caltrops (seePlayers Handbook) except for thematerial of what it is made. Coldwrought iron can be used as well,

but silver is the much morecommonly used metal. Due tothe unusual metal being used,these caltrops can also be used

against other creatures that arevulnerable to silver or cold iron.

Caltrops (silver)Cost: 5 gpWeight: 2 lbCraft: blacksmith (15)

“This is one of my favoriteitems to use against a fiend. It iscalled a mist candle due to the

vapors that it puts into the air while it burns. We are working on other types, but the two most common are the acid and holy




20

water varieties. Both tend tocause a fiend discomfort, but theacid one also tends to affect us aswell. Oh, I also want to makemention that some types of fiendsseem to be immune to acid. Mysuggestion is to use the holywater mist candle unless you haveno other choice.

Using a special type of wax that is capable of absorbingarge amounts of aqueous fluids

creates a mist candle. By mixinghe liquid into the wax, the candle

will then vaporize that liquid as itburns. A mist candle is typicalamount a foot in height and three

nches in diameter. It burnsslowly (8 hours) as it releases theiquid absorbed in the wax. The

mist disperses through the air, butt has a concentrated effect within

a twenty-foot radius of the candle.An acid mist candle

releases a fine acidic vapor intohe air about the candle. Whilehe acid is too dilute to cause any

significant damage, it is potent

enough to aggravate a creature’sskin, eyes, and lungs. Anycreature, which is vulnerable toacid, entering the radius around aburning mist candle (acid) gains a–2 penalty to their attacks, AC,and any skill or ability requiringconcentration.

A holy mist candlereleases a fine water vapor into

the air about the candle. Whilethe holy water is too dilute tocause any significant damage, it is

potent enough to aggravate acreature’s skin, eyes, and lungs.Any creature, which is vulnerableto holy water, entering the radiusaround a burning mist candle(holy) gains a –2 penalty to their attacks, AC, and any skill or ability requiring concentration.

Mist Candle (acid)Cost: 15 gpWeight: ½ lbCraft: candle making (12)

Mist Candle (holy)Cost: 30 gpWeight: ½ lbCraft: candle making (12)

“Here’s one last little itemthat I want you to see before youdecide to run off and get yourself killed. No, there area a lot of

other items that we’ve got in theworks. I just don’t have the timeto show them all to you. Thishere is what we call a flour bomb.While the name is not veryoriginal, it is much more effectivethan what you might think. Bylighting the fusing and giving it agood toss, the small amount of gunpowder in the bomb explodes

and releases the flour all over the place. You then have a way totemporary blind opponents andcover invisible foes.”

A flour bomb is composedof three sacks of flour sewntogether around a small amountof gunpowder. A fuse burns tothe center compartment of gunpowder, which explodes andreleases the flour in a large cloud.The size of the cloud dependsupon the amount of flour used tocreate the bomb (DM’sdiscretion), but the effects of theexplosion should be treated as amundane version of the

Glitterdust spell.Flour BombCost: 5 spWeight: 3 lbCraft: alchemy (15)

“All right, enough talkingfor now. I need to get back tofinding that fiend and finishing itoff for good. You need to meet

with some of our other membersand get properly inducted intoyour new career.”

Ethan didn’t say anythingin response. The young priest’shead merely spun from all thathad occurred that day, and hedidn’t see things getting any lesshectic anytime soon.




21

History : The year is 785 byhe Barovian Calendar and theand of Verbrek has changed.

Beginning in the year 760 a seriesof terrible winters struck the landof Verbrek. The winters broughtmassive rainstorms that floodedhe banks of the Musard and the

other rivers that ran through thedomain. While the mighty treesof the forest survived the cold andflood, the shrubs and grassesbegan to wither under the harshconditions. The deer that onceflourished in the domain werestarved by the death of their foodsource. Disease and weaknessspread amongst them, and wherehere is weakness in prey, the

predators thrive.

The population of werewolves soared throughouthe years, as deer prey rapidly

declined. By the year 764 therewere nearly two thousandwerewolves and not a single deer o be found. The werewolves

quickly began to starve, and ashey hungered the bitter wintersook their toll. The werewolf

numbers plummeted and disease

spread like wild fire. Thewerewolves struck hard againsthe humans in a desperate attempto feed themselves. The rampage

slaughtered the vast majority of he men who still lived in

Verbrek, yet even the blood of man was not enough to preservehe ravenous horde of

werewolves.Prey of any kind became

scare and of turned against wolf.The last few natural wolves wereslain and devoured by their

werewolf brethren, and from therethe cannibalism spread. The packs that once hunted as onenow warred with one another,culling the weak and strong alike.Alfred Timothy, high priest of thewolf god, fought to retain order amongst his followers. Yet thewolves of Verbrek were ravenousand had no mind for a faith thatcould not keep them fed.

Timothy turned to force, butfound hi own pack to weakenedto fight. In desperation, he soughtout foreign assistance from thelycanthropes beyond his domain.Timothy’s call was answered by asmall loup garou pack. Theselycanthropes were alien toTimothy; they were filled withhuman ideas and traditions suchas the wearing of cloths and the

building of homes. Nonetheless,Alfred required soldiers in hiswar against the rebellious clans.To seal the pact, Timothy took amate from the loup garou pack and to his Alfred’s surprise,

produced a son.Alfred took it to be a good

omen sent by the wolf God and became determined to stamp outthe rebellious packs. From that

point on the war only becameworse for the priest. The

presence of the loup garous onlydrew the attentions of the other

packs, and while they never stopped fighting and killing oneanother, every one of themfocused their attacks on their former lord. In the winter of 766the strongest rebel packs joined

forces and captured the stonecircle. As the Timothy familyfled Alfred was devoured by hisenemies.

Alfred’s wife tried to fleeVerbrek, but her progress wasslow for she was forced to carryher child while fleeing therelentless trackers on her trail. Atevery turn the she wolf was

blocked by the rampaging packs,so she headed west to the MusardRiver, where she hoped she might

build a raft or find some foreignhumans to assist her. The woman

was overjoyed to find a massiveriverboat paddling up the Musard.Though the she wolf had thoughtshe had found salvation, she hadonly brought herself into greater danger. For the master of the

boat was none other than NathanTimothy.

Nathan was mildly amusedto find that his weakling son had

perished, yet he was much moreinterested in the widow. Nathanhad always had an eye for womenand was never one to bediscouraged by a lady’sobjections. Though Nathan wasterrible and strong the she wolf resisted. In the end, Nathan wasforced to slay the woman.Furious with frustration, Nathandecided to make some sport outof the situation. He took his six-year-old grandson and explainedeverything to him, right from hisfather’s desertion of the ship andculminating in the death of the

boy’s mother. As the boyscreamed in misery Nathan

picked him up and threw him intothe river.

Thus Nathan Timothyregained lordship of Arkandale

and claimed the lands that wereonce was known as Verbrek.Since that moment Nathan hasdevoted himself to the conquest




22

of the lands that were now withinhis grasp. He has since madecontact with Borcan merchantsand formed the Musard River Company. This company hasnvested heavily in the

development of the lands of Arkandale, by building villageson the banks of the river andselling land to wealth merchantsand noblemen for use asplantations. The land has sincebeen flooded with new humansettlements. The human nativesof the forests have recovered inheir numbers and are no engagedn trade with the newcomers from

Borca. Yet at the same time thewerewolves have made their ownrecovery. The heir of Alfredimothy survived the swim to the

riverbank and has since grown tomanhood. By the year 795 he hasgrown to manhood andresurrected the religion of hisfather. He took the name Noahand crusades to rescue his peoplefrom the starvation and

devastation that destroyed hisfather’s domain. Now the Churchof Fenris has unified the packsunder a more civilized regime, thewolves now strike a balancebetween their lives as wolf hunters and their ability ashumans to create.

Cultural Level : Dark Age(5) to Enlightenment (10). Thehamlets and villages of the nativepopulation remain at the Dark Age level, with the exception tohe common use of firearms. The

villages, plantations and docks of he riverbank are at technologicalevel 10. At the enlightenmentechnological level firearms

become commonplace and arereated as martial weapons.

Primitive steam powered boatshave begun to appear in thecolonies, though this technologyand the metallurgy required for it

are just barely within the grasp of Arkandale and Borca’s mostmasterful engineers. Theseadvances are impossible toduplicate without the assistanceof Nathan Timothy or one of theCompany engineers he has

personally trained.

The Landscape : FullEcology (temperate andsubtropical forests, hills andswamps). Arkandale is a vastwilderness, filled with massivetrees. The forests of Arkandaleare the thickest in the Core; theland is noticeably warmer and

more humid than other lands,even in the winter. The summer months are terribly balmy andmosquitoes plague all forms of life. The winters are cooler, andthe occasional cold snap bringssnow. More often though thewinter brings rains. These colddeluges herald the flooding of theriverbanks and havoc wreakedacross the riverside. It is these

floods however that makes theland so fertile, with so manynutrients being brought forth fromthe river bottom. The fall andspring are much more pleasant, ahappy medium between the twoextremes. The woods of Arkandale are lonely expanses.The trees form a dense canopy,

but are sparsely spaced on theground, creating a cavernousforest floor beneath a ceiling of green. There are thin, worn pathsthat lead between the farmingvillages and the river towns,though a nonnative stands a greatchance of getting lost on the trail.

The forests of Arkandaleteam with animal life not foundanywhere in the core. Strangemarsupials known to the nativesas ‘possums share the trees withan infamously irritating invader known to the colonists asraccoons, named after the

Lamordian word for burglar. Aclever mammal named beaver has

been discovered to dam thetributaries of the Musard and

Noisette rivers. Tiny creaturescalled minks stalk the muskrats inthe reeds and wetlands that grow

by the riverside, while huge deer creatures called moose haveemerged from the primal forest togorge themselves on aquatic

plants. Naturally, this massive pool of exotic animals hasspawned a trade in furs. Wolvesexist in the forests, despite theclaims by the natives that nonatural animal by that name yet

lives. Big cats such as the cougar have immigrated into the forestsfrom Valachan, yet they have notyet migrated far beyond the

Noisette. Along with the plethoraof mammalian life, there is a vast

pool of avian life forms. Owlsare common in the forest, as aremillions of insectivores such asthe blue jay, carrion birds like thecrow, seedeaters, fruit eaters and

even humming birds.The mighty Musard River dissects the land of Arkandale.The waters of the river are usuallywarm, but they run fast andfurious during the winter. Therivers host a wide variety of fishlife, including the catfish, a

popular dish amongst the backwards natives and Borcanrestaurants alike. The river

bottom is a massive store of natural treasures. Every year asizable quantity of silver and evena small amount of gold is broughtto the river surface.

Major Settlements :Arkandale has exploded since767, after the creation of theMusard River Company. TheCompany has placed down nearlya dozen villages and ports on the

banks of the rivers. The largestsettlement is known as New




23

Levkarest, built on the North Eastshore of the river delta where theMusard splits in two. It is agrowing boomtown built as aservice port for the ships of theMusard River Company as theyferry furs, lumber and silver intoBorca. New Levkarest is alsoknown as the most lawless city inhe core, for it is packed withaverns, gambling houses and

brothels. This city of vice is theunofficial base for the MusardRiver Company, for Nathannsists that all meeting take place

on his steamboat that is often inNew Levkarest harbor. Aside

from New Levkerest are theCompany towns of Woken,Freedomton, New Burry andMoonglow. The riverbank alsofeatures several plantationsowned by wealthy merchants andBorcan nobles. The biggest threeplantations are Anderson Farm,he Hammond Plantation, and the

Grundy Estate. The natives of Arkandale live in tiny

communities. There are threerue villages in the woods of Arkandale, known as Stonebrook,Silverwood and Tomestone.

The Folk : 1150; humans99%, other 1% 495; werewolves99%, lowland loup garou 5%.Languages – Balok, Mordentish

The people of Arkandale aredivided up into three distinctgroups. The first group is thecolonists, the foreigners fromBorca, Invidia and other domains.These people live mostly on thevillages, plantations and loggingcamps upon the banks of theMusard River. These people arean impoverished folk, treatedittle better than slaves by the

Company or by the plantationowners. Villages belong to theMusard Company; they are therading posts through which the

Company trades with the

plantations and gathers furs andexotic items collected from thenatives of the forests. These

people came to the colonies toescape poverty, only to be trappedin debt to the tyranny of theCompany. Though it is a harshlife, most colonists still prefer

being employees rather than being land bound serfs.

The plantations are manned by peasant laborers who haveescaped Borca by signing labor contracts with the owners of

plantations. The logging coloniesare free and lawless places.These harvesting camps are

populated by single men from allcorners of the Core and led by afew Company overseers. Themen are paid in room, board and ahand full of coppers each week.The lumberjacks spend their payas quickly as they earn it, in the

brothels, gambling houses andtaverns of the colony villages.

Near to the lumberjack camps are“panning operations”. In these

places men pan the river for thesmall quantities of silver found inthe bottom of the Musard River.This silver is traded at thecompany store and sent up toBorca.

The natives of the domainmake up the second group. Theyare described as a “queer folk”;most of them have dark browneyes, slightly darker skin thanBorcans and always have dark

black hair. A fair number of theindigenous people resemble theRichemulot people in appearanceand speech and there is a traditionof intermarriage between the twoethnicities making the true originsof any woods person all the moreconfusing. They are a strange

people, dressing in deerskinleather and cloths made from wildcotton. These people are asuperstitious folk, they whisper of ghosts and giants and other things

that live in the deep woods. Thenatives live in scattered hamletsand a few backwards villages,most of which are surrounded bymuddy moats. The villagersmake their living by trappingrabbits and mink, hunting deer aswell as picking berries andfarming small vegetables in tiny

plots deep within the woods.Each day is a constant struggle tosurvive, but if pressed theyconfess that life for their ancestors was much worse.These people profess that they arethe survivors of a people whowere long ago devoured by evil

wolf spirits. This, they say, is anew age, where the wolf spiritsare quieter and less voracious.Yet there is nothing that terrifiesthese people more than thehowling of a wolf in the night.They refuse to travel by night,and never go out without their trusty flintlocks. These peoplestill cradle the ancient firearms of their ancestors, though the

Musard River Company has madegreat gains in sales of newer firearms. Every man, woman andchild knows the secret of gunpowder and has been taught toforge bullets from the only metalto which they have access, silver.

The final group is made upof the werewolves. Thewerewolves were once a proudand savage people but their voracious appetite consumed allof the life in the forests. Theresult was massive starvation,which led to battles between

packs and terrible cannibalism.This period of bloodshed claimedthe life of Alfred Timothy, the

priest of the Wolf God. After atime the werewolves nearedextinction and many fled theforests for more fertile ground.

As the werewolves left, newlife returned to the domain. Awide variety of animals, never




24

before seen in the forests emergedo fill the gaps left by the extinct

prey. A new leader emerged toead the remaining werewolves.

The heir of Alfred Timothyaught the savage lycanthropes to

farm, to build homes and to liven a better harmony with their

prey. Under the guidance of theChurch of Fenris the werewolvesbegan to rebuild their packs,hough now they organizedhemselves into hamlets and

villages. The wolf-people remainn small numbers, they are muchoo cautious to remake the

mistakes that doomed their

ancestors. These wolves pick berries, foster small orchards of fruit trees and raise root plantsand mushrooms in cellars. Theycarefully hunt to deer and moosehat live in the forests, adding

human meat to their diet whenhey feel that numbers of the

human predators have grown toohigh. The lycanthropes arecautious with their dread disease;

hey hunt out any infectedycanthropes and exterminatehem. The wolf people worship

at the Church of Fenris severalimes a year. A large church has

been erected over the standingstones of the circle; it is used ashe place of worship where the

wolves go to hear the wisdom of “the trinity”.

The Law : The onlyauthority in Arkandale is theMusard River Company. This isa loose organization of nobles,merchants, and plantation ownersed by Nathan Timothy. The

Musard River Company has beengranted full rights by IvanaBoristi, and a limited sovereigntyrecognized by the Dukar of Invidia in trade treaties. Thevillagers of the towns on theriverbanks are all employees of he Musard River Company.

These people work on the docks,maintain the lumbar barges, smithmetal, build firearms, run theassay offices, pan for silver in theriver and conduct trade with thenatives. They are forced to rent

property from the Musard River Company, buy food and goodsfrom the Company stores and areforbidden to engage inindependent commerce.Employees are forbidden toassemble and are constantlywatched by the ruthless Companyenforcers. A Company overseer governs each village, maintains astockade for criminals, and has

the authority to assemble a militiaof villagers and lumberjacks andequip them with companyfirearms.

The plantation owners aresovereign over their lands, muchlike the landed aristocracy of Borca. The owner maintains anumber of men as a security forceto watch over the laborers. Thefarm laborers live on the land, pay

rent to the landowner and are paida pittance. In effect, peasants inBorca can escaping theoppression of their nobles bysigning on as laborers and livingunder the slightly differenttyranny of plantation owners.The Musard River Companymakes a tidy profit arrangingcontracts between landowners andthe laborers, as well as ferryingthe people and the goods back and forth. Laborers who want tostart their own farms are given anopportunity; by appealing to theowner of the land around the

plantation they can be granted asmall plot of their own. Theselaborers are then trapped in alegal arrangement known assharecropping, under which theyrent land from the plantationowner and have no chance of

paying off their debts, inevitably placing the burdens upon their

children while the landowner grows fat from their labor.

The werewolves aregoverned by the Church of Fenris.The brutal Noah Timothy headsthis church, and through it hecontrols the wolf people of Arkandale. Noah enforces aloose series of guidelinesdesigned to prevent over hunting.His work as a priest has beenfocused more upon the advisor and leader to the wolf people,rather than the traditional priestlyrole as a healer. Noah believesthat only the strongest of the pack deserve to survive, so healing the

wounded is reserved for emergencies. The Church of Fenris is dedicated in striking a

balance between the three aspectsof werewolf life, man the creator,Fenris the destroyer and Orion thehunter. Noah is locked in a coldwar with the Musard River Company. He knows that theover development of Arkandalewill lead his people to the same

disaster that destroyed his father. Noah despises his Grandfather,for he embodies all of the evil andhypocrisy in civilization. Noahand the Church are slowlyundermining the Company,stirring discontent in theCompany employees andattacking the villages, plantationsand logging camps as often as

possible.

Trade and Diplomacy:Resources – antlers and horns,

berries, cotton, exotic furs, exoticmeats, firearms, fish, gold,leather, root vegetables, silver,timber, velvet. Coinage – nightshade (gp), hemlock (sp),foxglove (cp). Trade hasexploded in recent decades. The

plantations make huge profitsselling cotton to the growingtextile industry in Borca andRichemulot. The villages have




25

boomed on the sale of furs toBorca, especially mink andbeaver furs. Firearms are thecurrency traded to the Arkandalenatives, who are too enamoredwith the power of the modernguns to realize that they tradingaway fortunes in pelts. Timber isfelled in camps on either side of he Musard and shipped up

stream by barges to mills in WestBorca. All other goods travelback and forth on one of theCompany’s miraculoussteamboats.

The colonies of Arkandaleare recognized as under the

protection of Borca, and Borca isfree to import goods from thecolonies without duties. Thenation of Invidia enjoys asimilarly helpful trade pact, inexchange for their recognition of he Musard River Company andheir lawful claim to the lands.

Richemulot trades with thecolonies as well, though importscome with fees that go directly

nto the coffers of Borca.

Characters : Classes – aristocrats, barbarians,commoners, experts, fighters,rangers, rogues. Skills – craft(gunsmith), hide, listen, movesilently, profession (farmer,fisherman, lumber jack, shipman,rapper) wilderness lore. Feats –

alertness, skill focus (wildernessore), weapon focus (any firearm).

Notes : Characters fromArkandale may take proficiencys firearms without taking the feat

exotic weapon proficiency(firearms). The natives of theforests have been using firearmsfor hunting for decades and thecolonists represent aechnological level where

firearms are more common thatany other missile weapon. Riflesand blunderbusses are considered

martial weapons and pistols of any kind are considered simpleweapons.

Male human werewolf Aristocrat 4, Expert 4Hit Dice 4D8+4D6 +12 in

human form (52)+24 hybrid or wolf (64)

Initiative +1 human, +6wolf/ hybrid

Speed 30 ft; 50 ft, aswolf or hybrid

AC 11 (human) 15(hybrid/wolf)Attacks Human +8/+3

(weapon)Hybrid +10/+5(bite)

Damage 1D6+2Face/Reach 5ft by 5ft./5ft.SpecialAttacks

Trip, curse of lycanthropy

SpecialQuality

Wolf empathy,scent, damagereduction 15/silver as wolf or hybrid,curse, regeneration

Saves Fort +5(+7wolf/hybrid), Ref.+6(+8wolf/hybrid), Will+12

Abilities Str 15 (+17wolf/hybrid), Dex12 (16wolf/hybrid), Con12 (16wolf/hybrid), Int14, Wiz 14, Cha12

Skills Bluff +12,Diplomacy + 12,Listen +13 (+17 inwolf/hybrid),

Navigation +7,Intimidate +7,Profession(gambler) +13,Profession (shipcaptain) +13,Sense Motive +13,Search +6 (+10 inwolf/hybrid), Spot+19 (+23 inwolf/hybrid),Swim +9,Wilderness lore

+2 (+6 inwolf/hybrid)Feats Alertness, Iron

Will, LightningReflexes, weaponfocus (bite),Alternate form,Blind fight,Improvedinitiative, weaponfineness (bite)

ChallengeRating 9

Alignment Lawful Evil

Appearance : NathanTimothy appears the same as hedid when he was first drawn intothe demiplane of Dread. Nathanappears to be a man in his latefifties, in excellent health. He is amoderately fat man with afiercely black beard. His eyeshold a scheming malevolence thatcannot be hidden. When hedesires, he can be a charminggentleman. When he is confidenthe reverts to his natural state of mind, a cruel and abusive man,without any respect for the rightsor dignity of others. In this statehis voice modulates from a self-superior mocking chuckle to afurious roar that rivals the thunder of a winter storm. Nathan wearsa finely made blue uniform,




26

adorned in gold buttons and anornate trim. He is fond of awearing a blue hat, though heremoves it in the company of adies or important business

partners.Background : Nathan

Timothy was born on a worldvery different from most in themultiverse, though the sameworld from which one of thedomains of Ravenloft was once apart. Nathan was a strugglingmerchant. He owned a steamshiphat he had won in a crooked

poker match, the Virago. Fromhe moment he laid eyes on the

magnificent ship he knew hecould never let himself be partedfrom it. Despite Nathan’sbusiness savvy, his gambling gothe better of him and his business

began to fail. The creditorscircled, and it looked as thoughhe might lose his beloved Virago.Rather than let it be taken fromhim, he reluctantly sold it under he condition that he would be

captain. His partner wasJonathon True, a wealthy butnaive gentleman farmer marriedo a beautiful woman named

Annabelle. The moment Nathansaw the woman standing on thebow of the newly christenedVirago; he knew he must possesshem both. Nathan wormed his

way into his partner’s life; usinghis knowledge of commerce tosupplement the gentleman’s ownnexperience. At first it was his

plan to steal enough of True’smoney that he could buy hispartner out. But while Jonathonwas inexperienced, Annabellewas much more wily. Sheconvinced her husband to give hisownership of the boat as a gift,and as a taxation maneuver.Annabelle saw through Nathan’scharms and though she hadoverlooked the attraction Nathanfelt for her, she knew that the

beastly man wanted fullownership of the ship and woulddo anything to seize it. Nathan’shunger for the woman wasaroused, so much so that he couldno longer bear the existence of her husband; he lured Jonathonand Annabelle onto the Virago.The gentleman farmer was slain

by Nathan’s thugs and dumpedoverboard while Timothyconfronted the widow.

Though Nathan presumed to be a gentleman captain, he was a beast at heart. Though Nathanoverpowered her initially, she wasable to escape his embrace. In

her mind, Nathan’s bestial assaultwas another phase in his plan toseize the Virago as his own, to

posses her and the object of hismurderous obsession. Nathancornered her near one of the twogreat paddlewheels and attemptedto recapture her, with nowhere togo Annabelle climbed onto thewheel. Her life and her virtue intatters, she refused to let the

monster possess her as well. Asthe wheel steadily bore her to thegreen waters she cried out her final words.

“You can have your accursed ship, you wolf!” Shescreamed, “Keep it forever! Mayit ferry you to hell!” With that,the paddlewheel pushed her under the dark river waters. With her death, a gray fog emerged fromthe waters.

Since Annabelle’s death,then Nathan has become obsessedwith power. The woman defiedhis will, and he has sworn himself to control everything andeveryone in his greedy grasp.True to Annabelle’s words, hewill posses his boat forever. Hecan never leave the waters thathold his boat, for if he does he

becomes paralyzed withseasickness and is graduallywashed back into the Musard

River. Nathan was perplexed tofind himself within a new land,and he was disappointed by the

primitiveness of the people. Hehas tried to explore further up anddown the Musard, but naturallyshallow waters keep his boatwithin the confines of his domain.He discovered that he had theability to become as bestial inform as he was in his black soul,as well that his boat was nighindestructible.

Nathan operated his steamship for decades before he cameto accept his situation. Hemaintained a small number of

thugs to be his crew. Since a realorganization was too complex tomaintain from his ship, hekidnapped Priscilla, a youngwoman of fine breeding andintellect and forced himself uponher. She committed suicide notlong afterwards, but not beforeshe bore a son. Nathan namedhim Alfred and set upon instillingobedience in his child. Though

Alfred was a weak and cowardly boy, he was indomitable. Nathancould beat the boy within an inchof his life and yet never get the

boy to yield. Nathan was notcompletely beaten, he had a half-vistani woman named Arabellacaptured and brought to him to beAlfred’s nanny. Though Alfredmight not fear his own pain, heyielded to Nathan’s will to protectthe woman who he came to see ashis older sister. It was aninspired plan, but Nathan wasunable to control his animal lusts.By the time Alfred had become ateenager, Nathan took Arabella ashis second wife. After five long,

painful years Arabella threwherself under the paddlewheel toescape the torment.

Alfred was shattered by theloss of his only friend. He reviledhis father’s hypocrisy, to appear to be a man and yet behave like a




27

oathsome monster. Of all themen Alfred had known, all wereas corrupt and beastly as hisfather. Alfred hated the mannside himself and became

dedicated to annihilating it, toelevating his wolf side aboveman. Alfred fled the boat andbecame lord of Verbrek. In time,his own evil outshone his fathersand he happily claimed Nathan’sdomain as his own.

The loss of his domainshook Nathan to the core. Herealized how easily his son hadaken the river and the land away

from him. For years he brooded

bitterly on the Virago, wonderinghow long it would take for hisboy to seize the boat as well. Yethat day never came, for Alfreded his wolf people to devastation.

With his son’s death, the domainwas up for the taking. Nathanretook the whole domain byndecently assaulting his

daughter-in-law, killing her,mentally torturing his grandson

and then throwing the pup intohe rivers to die. With thatabominable act the mists roseagain, bestowing ownership of he lands to him again.

Current Sketch : The landwas once taken from Nathan andhe is set on preventing that fromever occurring again. Nathan senthis minions to make contact withwealthy Borcan nobles andmerchants. With these men heformed a conglomeration to buildup capital to create colonies inArkandale. The colonies havesucceeded and slowly Nathan isnfiltrating the wilderness.

Nathan despised that which iswild and free, he seeks to destroyhe land and bend it permanentlyo his will. He is in no small

hurry, for he is convinced that hisgrandson survives. He is deeplyparanoid, for he believes that

inevitably he will lose Arkandaleto Alfred’s heir. In the mean time

Nathan busies himself with anempire of oppression and vice.

Nathan is the chief executive of the Musard River Company, andthrough it, the undisputed master of the colonies.

Nathan is a hopelessgambler; he is convinced that ever since Annabelle’s death he had

been doomed to inevitably loseeverything except his beloved

boat. Much of the profits heearns from the Musard River Company are invested in casinos,taverns and whorehouses.

Almost once a month someindividual “hits it big” at Nathan’s Casino, which is dubbed“The Annabelle-lee”. These bigwinners are pressured to join

Nathan and several of the other partners in the Musard River Company in a private card gameon Nathan’s boat. These gamescan last long into the night, butinevitably the game comes down

to Nathan and the lucky gambler. Nathan comes close to winning, but the lucky newcomer alwayswins in the end. If the winner has

been respectful, Nathan will lethim walk away. If, on the other hand, the gambler has beencheerful or cocky, Nathan forcedthe gambler to play one morehand, with the Virago as thestakes. No matter what happens,the newcomer is doomed to losethat hand, after which Nathancheerfully slays him and dumpsthe body overboard.

Combat : In Combat Nathan is nearly indestructible.When faced with a dangerousopponent, he fights to wear theenemy down. Nathan maintains acrew of several laborers and thugson the Virago; most of them are3rd level warriors armed withclubs and flintlock pistols. The

Virago is nearly indestructible,any damage taken glances off of its prow. The only way to destroythe Virago is for the steam engineto be destroyed. Once the enginetakes fifty points of damage(modified by its hardness of 5),the steam valves become crushedand the pressure build up to the

point of exploding. The engineexplodes dealing 10D6 points of fire damage in a twenty-footradius, which obliterates the boat.

Alternate Form : Nathan’scurse has made him into a naturallycanthrope. He may change

between human, hybrid and wolf

form at will.Regeneration : So long as Nathan is on the Virago he hasthe quality regeneration 2. Thereis no attack that can by pass theregeneration ability.

Trip : If Nathan hits acharacter with his bite attack hecan make a trip attack as a freeaction.

Closing the Borders :When Nathan wants to close the border, no one may pass beyondthe forests of Arkandale. If anyone tries to walk through the

border the skies become black with a great storm and a massivedeluge strikes. The land slopesupwards until it becamemountainous, any further progressis blocked by deadly mudslides.The skies become torn withhurricane force winds and anyflight is impossible. The groundrises from the river bottom,cutting off the progress of therivers with a natural barrier of mud and rock.




28

Beasts from the Bog

The daylight filtered hrough the canopy of the fen,

sending shafts of yellow light upon the surface of the black water. Birds called from thewisted trees of the bog and were

answered by the croaking of frogson the Lilly pads. Ewan let hishand skim the surface of thewater as the raft moved slowlydown the waterway.

“Get your hand back uphere,” said Dumont. The older man didn’t even look away fromhe river as he chastised his

student. Ewan rolled his eyes ashe grudgingly obeyed. The young man was so bored he could not even stand upon the simple raft.

“Tell me again why we’rewasting our time in this stinking fen,” He said aloud. “Are we

here to hunt frogs?” The brashyouth chuckled. He stopped abruptly when he saw hismentor’s disapproving glare.“Sorry,” He offered. He knew hewas lucky to have a teacher likeDumont. If it weren’t for themysterious man from Dementileuhe would probably have beendrafted into the Dukkar’s army.nstead of that short and pointless

existence, he was seeing theworld. Though to be honest, themore he saw of the world outsideof Karina, the less he liked. Of all he gloomy places in Verbreak

and Valachan, this bog wasprobably the least frightening.He had wanted to enjoy therespite from cold skies and shadowy forests, but his master had other plans.

“There are things in theseswamps,” Said Dumont, hiswords thick with his flowery

accent. “Vile things that call these waters home. The swamp isan unforgiving environment and its denizens don’t gladly suffer the presence of our kind.”

An inquisitive expressioncrossed Ewan’s face.

“What kind of things?”

Medium sized Undead(incorporeal)Hit Dice 3d12 (20)Initiative +0Speed Flight 30 ftAC 14 (+4

deflection)Attacks +3Damage 1D8

(corruptingtouch)

Face/Reach 5 ftSpecial Attacks SinkholeSpecial Quality Incorporeal,

spell likeabilities,telepathy,undead

Saves Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +5

Abilities Str 14, Dex11, Con -, Int

10, Wiz 14,Cha 8Skills Bluff +5, hide

+8, listen +10,move silently+8, spot +10

Feats AlertnessClimate/Terrain SwampsOrganization SolitaryChallengeRating

2

Treasure NoneAlignment Chaotic evilAdvancement 4-6 HD

(medium)

Bog wraiths are the undyingspirits of those whom drown inthe murky waters of a swamp.These malignant ghosts feed fromthe misery of those who slowlydrown within the muddy watersof haunted fens. These wraithsappear as faces figures wrappedin flowing black robes. Their robes constantly drip with the

brackish waters of the fen theyhaunt. Their hands are wickedlyclawed, though they are loath touse them. Bog wraiths muchgreatly prefer to use their abilitiesto draw victims into the fens anddrown them with their sinkholeability.

Bog wraiths hate thedaylight, though it has no power over them. Wherever they go

they warp the natural plant life of the swamp, trees die and plants

become gray and lifeless. Reedsand grasses thrive in the presenceof the wraith, but naturaldecomposers are absent. After decades of a wraith’s haunting thelocal marshes become deadly peat

bogs.

Combat : Bog wraiths prefer notto engage in combat. Instead,they flee their opponents and tryto lure them deeper into theswamp.Whenever something new entersthe bog the wraiths use telepathyto learn the creatures intentionsand weaknesses. The wraithsthen use ventriloquism and thelight spell to create the illusion of a human being holding a lantern,calling for assistance. Thisillusion allows the wraith to makea bluff check against the sense




29

motive check of the victim. If thebluff is successful the wraith candraw the victim into a natural trapwithin the bog.

Incorporeal (su) : Can onlybe harmed by incorporealcreatures, +1 or better weapons,or magic, with a 50% chance tognore any damage from a

corporeal source. Can passhrough solid objects at will, andts own attacks will pass through

armor. Bog wraiths always movesilently.

Telepathy (su) : A bogwraith can sense the thoughts of

any individual within 100 feet.Wraiths use this ability discernhe intentions of intruders in the

swamp. Bog wraiths can use thisability at will.

Sinkhole (su) : A bogwraith can use this ability threeimes each day to turn normally

solid swamp ground into a naturalrap. The wet muck of a sinkhole

entraps victims and sucks them

downward. A bog wraith targetsan area no bigger than 10 squarefeet. Everyone within the areamust make a reflex save against aDC 13 or be entrapped. Onceentrapped a victim cannot move.Over the course of ten rounds thevictim is drawn into the sinkhole.A victim may escape by making astrength check against a DC of 15, or against a DC of 10 if hecan grab onto something notalready sinking in the mud. If thevictim cannot escape the sinkholebefore the tenth round he or she isburied alive. The character becomes immobile and begins todrown. Pulling a buried character out of the mud requires a strengthcheck against a DC of 20.

Spell Like Abilities (su) :At will a bog wraith may castdarkness, ghost sound, light, andventriloquism.

Undead (su) : Immune tomind-influencing effects, poisons,sleep, paralysis, stunning anddisease. Not subject to criticalhits, subdual damage, abilitydamage, energy drain or deathfrom massive damage.

Medium sized shape changerHit Dice 5d8 (24)Initiative +3Speed 30 ftAC 13 (+3 dex)Attacks +4 (rapier)Damage 1D6+1

(rapier)Face/Reach 5 ftSpecial Attacks Lies, Kiss

Special Quality Alternateform


Abilities Str 12, Dex17, Con 11,Int 14, Wiz12, Cha 16

Skills Bluff +10,diplomacy+10, movesilently +5,hide +5, sensemotive +10,

spot +5Feats Alertness,

weaponfinesse

Climate/Terrain Lake sides,rivers andswamps

Organization SolitaryChallengeRating

5

Treasure NoneAlignment Neutral evilAdvancement By class

All that glitters is not gold,and all that is lovely does notlove. Within the fens and

swamps of Ravenloft there are allmanner of slippery, slimy things but the most dangerous can bethose who wear a handsome face.The Prince of Frogs is one suchnightmare, a horrible spirit of theland. The creature is born of thecollective envy that evil creaturesfeel towards the race of man.Within the stinking marshlandsthe jealousy festers until it takes a

shape, that of a small frog.The Prince of Frogs appearsto be a tiny species of bullfrog.Its skin is very smooth and itseyes are big and mournful. Uponits head is a horn-like growth thatresembles a humble crown. Inthis form the frog seeks out ahuman maiden. This is a difficultchore for the tiny creature sincefew young women venture closeto their watery lairs. Once it findsa victim it uses its bluff check toseduce the girl. Over the courseof seven days and seven nights, itspins tales of a great kingdom

beyond her home, a place of wonder and enchantment. ThePrince of Frogs promises her thatit is a human prince, transformedinto a fell creature and doomed torule over the cold swamps. Itasks that the girl end its cursewith a kiss, and in return it willmarry her and make her a




30

princess of the magnificentkingdom. Little does the girlsuspect the truth of her reward.

As soon as the girl kisseshe Prince of Frogs, he transformsnto a human male. He is very

handsome in this form and isdressed in princely garb. He thenproceeds to escort his new bridefurther into the swamps of hishome. When they are both far from civilization, he bestows akiss upon her, turning her into aoad. The frog-maid must spendhe rest of her life as the wife of he frog prince, serving him in his

Castle of Reeds. She will live out

he rest of her life in cruelservitude, never to return to her former life. Frog Princes usuallykeep several wives at a givenime.

The frog prince is mostvulnerable during the seven daysof wooing. In this time the girlmight let slip news of her amphibious friend and spoil thePrince’s plan.

Combat : Princes of Frogsdespise combat. They arephysically fast and strong in their human form, but they hatefighting creatures that are capableof fighting back. If someoneappears to come between a Princeand his prey, he transforms intohuman form and slays thenterloper with a rapier. Once thentruder is dispatched, the Prince

eliminates his victim lest shewarn other maids. He then doeshis best to make it appear ashough the girl and the intruder

killed each other. Though theruse is primitive, it has provedsurprisingly effective.

Lies : A prince of frogsrelies upon his silver tongue toseduce a victim. A prince of frogmakes a bluff check once eachday of his wooing. If he makesseven consecutive successes his

victim becomes under the effectsof a charm. This is crucial to thePrince, since without theenchantment it is unlikely that hewill get the girl to follow him intothe center of a swamp.

Kiss : If a Prince of Frogscan trick a young woman intofollowing him into the center of aswamp, he can use his vile kiss totransform the young woman intoa frog princess. These maids are

permanently turned into a tinyfemale frog with a bony tiaraupon her head. These FrogPrincesses can speak anylanguage they once knew.

Alternate Form : A Princeof Frogs can freely transformhimself from a tiny frog to ahuman male. As a frog he isunable to take any action exceptspeak or move. Princes in frogform have a movement of 30 feethoping and swimming.

Large sized aberrationHit Dice 5d8+10 (34)Initiative +1Speed Swim 10 ftAC 14 (+4 natural

+1 dexterity – 1 size)

Attacks 4 tentacles +4melee, bite +3melee

Damage 1D4+2 snake

fangs, 1D8+2 biteFace/Reach 10 ft by10 ft/5

ft, 10 ft withsnake-tentacles

Special Attacks Constrict,improvedGrab

Special QualitySaves Fort +3, Ref

+2, Will +5Abilities Str 15, Dex

12, Con 14,Int 3, Wiz 12,

Cha 16Skills Move silently

+8, hide +8,spot +7

Feats Alertness,multiattack,multidexterity

Climate/Terrain Lake sides,riverbeds andswamps

Organization SolitaryChallengeRating

5

Treasure NoneAlignment Chaotic evilAdvancement By class

Snake lilies are an abominablemutation, spawned by somedisgusting magical experiment.These monsters lie on the muddy

bottom of some waterway andextend their bait tentacles towardsthe surface. On the surface of thewater the bait tentacles look likelily pads, but in truth they are

primitive heat sensors. Thefeeding tendrils look nearly

exactly like serpents, right downto the fangs. Snake lilies are barely intelligent, but they’reinstinctive strategy is an excellentone. When pulled from the water these aberrations resemble

bloated bags of brown skin. Inthe center of the body is a sucker mouth lined with hard horns.

Combat : The strategy of a snakelily is simple. The monster swims to a fertile location and

buries itself in the mud. Thehidden snake lily watches for some prey to move close and thenit launches its snake tentacles.The snakes slash with their fangsuntil the prey is dead or incapacitated, then they lock around the animal and drag theminto the water towards the waitingmouth.

Improved Grab : When asnake lily hits a medium sized or




31

smaller opponent with its snakeentacles it automatically grabshe creature. Every round

afterward the snake lilyautomatically deals constrictiondamage.

Constrict : A snake lilydeals automatic tentacle damageo a creature with a successful

grapple check.




32

By Eddy Brennan (The lost Hedgewitch)

[email protected] Banshees are commonly the

groaning spirits of elf maids thathave returned from beyond thegrave as malevolent, evil entitiesand spirits. These creatures singmournful songs and wail all their days and nights. These wailsbeing able to freeze the heart of any that hear it, killing them

nstantly.Celtic Banshees differ from

heir cousins, being drawn fromcreatures of any race or kind.They do not cause the death of hose that listens in on their

painful cries of sorrow, heraldingonly the coming of another tragicoss among the living. These

banshees are commonly women,specifically those that have diedn childbirth. However, stillborn

children have also marked their presence among these wailingspirits, rare as their appearancesmay be.

These spirits appear as theydid at the moment of death, adultfemales that become thesebanshees remain in the throws of abor forever, until they are laid to

rest. Children that become thesepitiful creatures appear asnewborn babes crying for their mothers. When both participantsdie in childbirth, the spiritcomprises of bother mother andchild, the latter being cradled inhe their mother’s arms, both

spirits sobbing over their loss andhose impending to follow soon.

They are said to only appear

at night, on the rooftops of thosesoon die as in the same way theydid in a similarly tragic way.

“Celtic Banshee” is atemplate that can be applied toany woman or child from anyhumanoid or monstroushumanoid race (hereinafter referred to as the “BaseCreature”) that has perished inchildbirth. The creatures typechanges to “undead.” It uses allof the base creatures statistics andabilities except as noted here.

This template is anextension of the Ghost templatefound in the Monster Manual(page 212) and lists only thechanges between the two types of spirit.

Hit Dice: As Ghost. Speed: As Ghost.AC: The base creatures

natural armor improves by +5.Attacks: As Ghost.Damage: As Ghost.Special Attacks: A Celtic

banshee retains all the specialattacks of the base creature,although those relying on

physical contact do not affectnon-corporeal creatures. TheCeltic banshee gains thefollowing abilities as well as plus1d2 other ghost abilities inaddition to being able to Manifestand use its Corrupting Touch.Saves have a DC of 10 + ½ Celtic

banshee’s HD + Celtic banshee’sCharisma modifier unlessotherwise noted.

Mournful Wail (Su): WhenCeltic banshees wail, thosehearing the sound must make aWill Save, failure resulting in a

feeling of dread and loss,inflicting –4 penalties to allattacks, damages, skill and Willsave rolls until the next sunset. If the Celtic banshee causing thesefeelings is destroyed or laid torest before this period is over, thevictim recovers immediately.

Dread (Su): Creatures

approaching within 30 ft. of aCeltic banshee must make a FortSave or be overcome with grief,collapsing into tears. Thesecreatures are unable to defend theselves or carry out any other action until this grief ends and areconsidered prone. The grief-stricken creature is entitled to afurther Fort Save each followinground to overcome the grief theyare currently wrapped in. If acreature passes the initial savewhile entering the dread auraabout the Celtic banshee, it isrendered immune to the aura’seffect until the spirit manifestsagain or 24 hours, depending onwhich happens sooner.

Special Qualities: As Ghostwith the following alterations.

Damage Reduction: A Celtic banshee has damage resistanceequal to its rank or 10/+1.

Spell Resistance: A Celtic banshee receives a spellresistance of 18.

Saves: As Ghost.Abilities: As Ghost.Skills: As Ghost.Feats: As Ghost.

Climate/Terrain: Any settlementOrganization: Solitary or pair (mother and child)




33

Challenge rating: Same as thebase creature +2Treasure: NoneAlignment: AnyAdvancement: Same as the basecreature.

Sample CelticBanshee

This example uses Miranda, a5th level human female commoner as the base creature.

Miranda carried the bastardson of Harkon Lukas, theMeistersinger of Skald. When hisother children attempted to

undermine his authority, he beganaking extra care in whatever future offspring he may have.Miranda’s pregnancy was asurprise to him, which heuncovered shortly before sheentered labor. He had her homeattacked by dire wolves duringhe labor and they maliciously

slew all present, including hisown bastard infant son. Miranda,

her soul overcome with grief togreat to bear has since risen fromher death as a Celtic banshee,spreading her own sorrow andforetelling of more to come.

Currently, Miranda isrumored to haunt the Out Townof Skald, remaining in the areaclose to where she was killed.She longs to have her childreturned to her, but is fearful off all suffering, knowing of ithappening or coming causes her o wail in her own sorrows. If

detected and approached, she isimid, sometimes defending

herself in combat.

Miranda, Celtic BansheeMedium-Size Undead(incorporeal) Hit Dice : 5d12 (32hp)Initiative : +5 (+1 Dex, +4

ImprovedInitiative)

Speed : Fly 30 ft.(perfect)AC : 16 (+1 Dex, +5

Natural)Attacks : IncorporealTouch +2 meleeDamage : Incorporeal touch1d4Face/Reach : 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.Special Attacks : Dread,mournful wail, manifest,corrupting touch, horrificappearanceSpecial Qualities : Undead,

incorporeal, +4turn resistance,damage reduction

10/+1Spell Resistance : 18.Saves : Fort +1, Ref +2,Will +1Abilities : Str 8, Dex 13,

Con -,Int 10, Wis 10,Cha 16

Skills : Craft(needlework) +5,Hide +8, Listen

+13, Profession(seamstress) +5,Search +8, Spot+13

Feats : Alertness,ImprovedInitiative.

The Will save against thisCeltic banshee’s Mournful Wailand Dread has a DC of 16.

Undead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep,

paralysis, stunning and disease. Not subject to critical hits,subdual damage, ability drain,energy drain, or death frommassive damage.

Incorporeal: Can be harmed by other incorporeal creatures, +1or better weapons, or magic, witha 50% chance to ignore anydamage from a corporeal source.Can pass through solid objects atwill, and own attacks pass

through armor. Always movessilently.

Challenge Rating: 4



Quoth the Raven: Issue 1

34

By Godbrain [email protected]

Medium-Size Fey (Mists)Hit Dice: 3d6 (10 hp)nitiative: +1 (Dex)

Speed: 30 ft., swim 20 ft.AC: 11 (+1 Dex)Attacks: touch +1 meleeDamage: corrupting touch 1d4Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5-ft./5 ft.Special Attacks: Corruptingouch, maddening beauty, fatal

beautySpecial Qualities: DamageReduction 10/silver, spell likeabilitiesSaves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +8Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10,nt 16, Wis 17, Cha 19

Skills: Animal Empathy +10,Knowledge (Fey lore) +7, Escape

Artist +7, Bluff +10, Hide +7,Listen +11, Move Silently +7,Sense Motive +9, Spot +11Feats: Ability Focus (maddeningbeauty), Alertness, Dodge, IronWillClimate/Terrain: Any landOrganization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 7Treasure: StandardAlignment: Always chaotic evil

Advancement: 4-9 HD (Medium-size)

Throughout the world, myths andegends record the stunning beauty

and playful innocence of the fairestof the fey: the nymph. Such talesfall upon skeptical ears in theLands of Mists, as the perversenature of that dark land hascorrupted even the most pure of

nature’s children. Dread Nymphs

are twisted and fiendish versions of their more beatific cousins.However, they are no less fair andenchanting in their appearancethan regular nymphs, though the

playful innocents in their eyes has been subtly replaced with a darker,more insidious look of

malevolence and sadism.

Dread Nymphs live alone, luringtheir victims (usually men) to their deaths. Dread Nymphs don’t seemto need victims for sustenance;they are rather drawn to these acts

by some darker part of their nature.Powerful spell casters who havefound a way to survive their dark

powers sometimes capture dread Nymphs. Though suchimprisonment will engender theeternal enmity of the foul fey.

Dread Nymphs avoid combatwhenever possible. If they cannotavoid their enemies by use of their

powers, they flee.

Maddening Beauty (Su): This ability operates continuously,affecting all humanoids within 60feet of the dread nymph. Thosewho look directly at the nymphmust succeed at a Will save (DC15) or be affected as though theyhad failed a horror save andcontracted the Fascination horror effect ( RCR , pg. 60). Thefascinations focuses on the dreadnymph, and the character affectedwill likely seek out the fey in order to offer him or her self as asupplicant. Depending on howaesthetically pleasing the victim is,the nymph may keep them aroundfor a while. Otherwise, she usuallykills them right away.

Fatal Beauty (Su): Thedread nymph can evoke this abilityonce every 10 minutes. Thosewithin 30 feet of the nymph who




35

ook directly at her must make aWill save (DC 17) or die.

Corrupting Touch (Su): The dread nymph’s touch can

become toxic to any humanoid sheouches, if she wills it. Asuccessful melee-touch attack does1d4 points of damage.

Spell-Like Abilities: Likeheir more benevolent cousins,

dread nymphs can use dimensiondoor once per day as cast by a 7 th-evel sorcerer. They can also

replicate druid spells as 7 th-levelcasters (save DC 13 + spell level).

They cannot cast any druid spellswith the Good descriptor.

Special: It is rumored that

Dread Nymphs will occasionally become impregnated with the childof a comely male (who rarely liveslong after the encounter). Femalechildren of this union are alwaysdread nymphs, like their mothers.They stay with their mother untilthey are about 13 or 14 years of age, then they strike out on their own, often after attempting to killthe nymph that give them life in

the first place! While rare, malechildren are not unheard of. Suchunfortunate souls are almostalways caliban, though those who

know the secret ways of the dreadfey have heard tell of somethingelse coming into being as a resultof this union of man and mists…

Dread Nymphs live almostexclusively in Tepest, though itwould not be unlike one of them torelocate to another domain. Somemay even go as far as to integrateinto human society. A dreadnymph’s favored class is Druid.




36

Brother Garland collapsed nto his chair. The day had been

harsh to his aging body; no manshould be forced to walk so long adistance with so heavy a burden.t was a difficult task but somehow

he managed to sit up, lift hismassive pack from his shouldersand drop it upon the floor before

alling backwards into the hard embrace of the wooden chair. Byno means was it a comfortablepiece of furniture, but it was far better than the rocks and treestumps upon which he had beenorced to rest during the few

breaks in his trek. Exhaustionwelled up from within and hreatened to consume his entire

body. It was a tempting

proposition, but the middle-aged man was too disciplined to allowhimself the comfort of rest. Herowned sadly; longing for the

days when he was foolish enougho part take in rest. The harsh

years had cured him of thoseweaknesses, as well as the joys that came with them.

He sat up again and opened he pack at his feet. Within it were

more then a dozen musty books,bound in ancient leather and adorned with peeling gold leaf.These books were his burden tobear, for while they contained areasure of knowledge they were

unable to move themselves. Suchwas the lot of his life, a beast of burden at the beck and call of ademanding master. Though unlikemost of his ilk, he was able to

share in the enjoyment of thegoods he carried. In all his years

as a servant of his noble mastershe had learned a great manythings. Indeed he was a scholar if there ever was one, a scholar of the arcane. He chose a massivebook from his pack. This one wasdestined for the city of Mortigny inthe nation of Richemulot. It was a

filthy place, filled with a world of

dripping water, starved rats and bookworms. It would be a terrible

shame if the hazards of such a place stole the contents of the great tome. Fortunately, the long trek would give him time to perusethe book. If the book be lost to thecarelessness of the Richemoulot

scholars, then at least one mancould carry on the knowledge.

The great book gave off the

wonderful aroma of a proper library. The scent of cold stone,the dry darkness, and the decadesof accumulated dust. The last monastery to claim this book had kept it in a perfect spot. The pageswere yellowed, but not yet brittle.

Each turn released more of its scholarly must into the air. By the flickering light of the fire, Brother Garland could read the intricate

calligraphy scribed upon the pages. He skipped over the pages,turning to the spot where he last left off. He was midway throughthis tome, well within the most

fascinating area of study. The fabled artifacts of the known world were catalogued before him, along list compiled from the

scholars who died centuries beforehis own birth. These were the

objects that gave his masters their purpose, items of unholy power

and irrepressible evil. He ran his finger to the top of the next page,and by the orange light of the

fireplace read the name of the next entry.

The grim familiar is known by different names in different places. The Darkonian scholarstell the tale of the insidious “Imp’sSkull”, while in the land of Kartakass the bards sing themelancholy song of the Jewel-eyedCorrupter, while in the halls of Hazlan there are speculativewhispers of a powerful trinketadorned with a single gold ring.The Grim Familiar is a small,

jawless skull. It is very light and isno bigger than the palm of a man’shand. The bone is bleached andsmells faintly of dust. The skullcomes from no known animal, for it is unusually wide and the teethare all pointed. The skull featurestwo long fangs that just outward,as well as two small horns thatgrow from the back of the cranium.The eye sockets of the skull arelarge and slanted. In the centre of each socket is a sky blue gem. Thegems are superbly cut, for they are

perfect dodecahedrons. Within thegems even the smallest ambientlight is reflected and refracted intoa blue nimbus that fills the sockets.Looking into the gems, a viewer may glimpse at strange things

beneath the surface of thediamonds. Some say that theyhave felt the skull watching them.




37

The very back of the skull ispierced with a simple golden ring.

The history of the GrimFamiliar dates back to an unnamed

wizard, who was drawn into theand of mists in the year 535. Thiswizard was known for great power as well as great evil. Like so manyof his kind, he drew too muchattention upon himself. A party of adventurers penetrated hissubterranean lair and slew him. Inhe process of looting his body, the

adventurers discovered the DreadFamiliar hanging from the

wizard’s necklace. The leader of he group, a warrior named Mirkil,ook the trinket as his own. The

fortress of the wizard was sackedand raised. Though the valiantwarriors felt that they had endedhe wizard’s power, they had onlyiberated an even more resilient

evil. Over the course of a year theadventurers noticed a markedchange in their leader. He was far

ess aggressive and much morebrooding. He left his friends,claiming that he was tired of life asa wandering thug. Mirkil investedhis fortune in a manor house andsold his prized sword and armor topurchase a huge number of books.Though his old companions lookedn on him, he refused to speak withhem.

In the years after thediscovery of the Familiar, Mirkildevoted himself to arcane pursuits.To the villages around his propertyMirkil became known as a wizardof great power and vileemperament. The manor and the

forests around it were shunned,and villagers feared to haveanything to do with the wizard.After a simple misunderstandingover the price of food Mirkil slewa merchant and transformed himnto an abominable monster. The

villagers begged the outside worldfor help, and after a time Mirkil'sown former compatriots came totheir rescue. The vile wizard slew

many of his former friends, but inthe end he was dispatched. Thesurvivors dispersed the valuablesamongst themselves and sold whatever they themselves could notuse.

From there the GrimFamiliar found its way to acuriosity shop in Darkon. A conartist named Yvonne purchased theitem, hoping she could use it as a

prop in her fortune telling act andcon gullible housewives out of their husband’s money. In themonths afterwards she discoveredgreat magical power within herself and nurtured it. She gave up her

job as a fortune-teller and delveddeep into the arcane. Instead of inventing elaborate illusions tofalsely divine the future, she usedenchantments to dominate the

minds of others. She created aweb of minions and used their influence to gather more and more

power for herself. Yvonne lootedthe treasuries of noblemen togather more and more magicalartifacts. Surely she would havecontinued to amass power, has shenot attracted the attention of thedreaded Kargat.

The secret police of Darkon penetrated her web of deceptionand sought her out. Yvonne had

become a mage of great power, buteven she was no match for theassassins of Azalin. She fled intothe wilderness hoping to lose her

pursuers in the wilderness of NovaVaasa, but the Kargat were not soeasily escaped. They chased her all the way to the outskirts of Kantora, where she was slain witha crossbow bolt. Her body

tumbled in to the waters of theSouth Dnar and never emerged.

From that point on, thehistory of the Grim Familiar is lost

to conjecture. Rumours circulatedamongst the scholars of the Coreof a strange skull shaped artifact.The story of the Familiar repeatsitself again and again, with anunsuspecting victim taking theGrim Familiar and succumbing toits influence. The Grim Familiar seized the minds of dozens of unsuspecting individuals andtwisted them to its ends. No one

seems immune to the corrupting power of the Familiar, the goodand evil alike are driven awayfrom their former lives. All of the

past owners of the Grim Familiar have met with untimely deaths, yetthere are plenty of arcane scholarswho seek out the Grim Familiar for the power if offers.

The Grim Familiar alwaysattaches itself to an owner after its

previous owner dies. This isusually the first person that touchesit after the previous owner dies.The effects of the Grim Familiar are great. Anyone who claims

possession of the Familiar gains a+10 profane bonus to any checksusing the skills decipher script,decipher script or any form of thelore skill. In addition, the owner gains a +10 bonus to checksinvolved in learning or researchingnew spells. While the GrimFamiliar is on his person, theowner is immune to charm,

paralysis, sleep or dominationeffects. The Grim Familiar acts asa true familiar for the owner, thiscauses any pre-existing familiar toleave. The owner gain the effectsof the alertness feat while the GrimFamiliar is on his person. Inaddition the owner casts spellswith a caster level one level higher




38

han his own. The effective caster evel of the Grim Familiar is 8 th evel. Once each day the owner

may use the familiar to cast Rary’s

Mnemonic Enhancer and dispelmagic. In addition, once each dayhe owner may choose to freely usehe maximize spell feat on any

spell he casts. Spells cast in thismanner will only take up slots of he same level as the spell, rather han a slot three levels higher.

The powers granted by theGrim Familiar come with a price.The moment the artifact chooses

an owner that person must make awill save against a DC 18 or becompelled to possess the skull andet no one else touch it. Even if the

prospective owner succeeds in hisfirst save, the Grim Familiar willmake another attempt to dominatethe character each hour until it

succeeds. Once it entraps anowner, the Grim Familiar begins tocorrupt him. Each month theowner must make a will saveagainst a DC 18 to avoid hisalignment being moved one stepcloser to lawful evil. Once theowner’s alignment has becomelawful evil he is compelled to

begin rising in levels in the wizardcharacter class. The Grim Familiar

gives the owner all necessarytraining in wizardry, though itcannot teach him new spells. TheGrim Familiar continues to work

its corruption on the owner until itis destroyed. The Familiar iscompletely impervious to harm,and has the ability to teleport

without error to the location of itscurrent owner if they are separatedfor an extended period of time.The Familiar can only be destroyed

by crushing the skull beneath a book of arcane spells, dissolvingthe eye gems in the blood of anilliterate man and then melting thegold ring with the fires of a

burning scroll. If any of the threecomponents remain intact the skull

can reform in one week.




39

Drugs and Addiction in Ravenloft Meander had the shakes

again. Leaning against the wall heried to keep his hand from

quivering. In a few hours hiswhole body would be quaking uncontrollably; he needed his fixsoon. The evening chill wasspilling through the alleys of Ludendorf. The quivering man

held his coat tighter around himself, hoping to bear the cold better. Silently he cursed Fredrick or being late. He wondered howong he would have to wait in the

cold before the merchant would arrive.

Suddenly a shape moved inront of the mouth of the narrow

alley. Meander smiled when herecognized the merchant’s face.

“Took you long enough,”Said the quaking man. He dreworth a leather purse, and eagerly

pushed it into Fredrick’s hands.“Now give it to me!” He pleaded.Fredrick was much more patient,or he opened the purse and

counted the coins by the faint light of the street lanterns.

“It’s a good haul,” He said smiling. “What did you sell?”

“The opium sold like hot cakes,” Replied Meander, “But thereal hit was that Ergot extract.Those artsy types drink it downike it was champagne. Now I sold

your goods just like I promised.Give me the stuff.” Fredrick aughed and withdrew a glass vial rom his coat pocket. It was ahick red liquid, the color of freshly

drawn blood. He handed it to

Meander, who proceeded to pull he cork out with his teeth and suck

the contents down with a horriblethirst. The effects were immediate.

His body became very still and his eyes lost their bloodshot veins. Slowly the color of his skin

faded into the pale pallor or a fresh corpse. A smile of satisfaction spread upon hisbloodless lips. Now he relaxed his

grip on his coat and let it fall open,oblivious to the frost.

“That’s good stuff,” Meander sighed contentedly. Inthe blissful drug haze he pitied

Fredrik, who was destined to peddle the precious drug and never to enjoy the embrace of the blessed elixir. He was silent for a while,enjoying the supreme serenity of the moment. He turned to his

dealer again. “So, what do you got for me today?”

It can be said that thecitizenry of all civilizationsregularly partake of drugs, whether they be simple alcohol, a form of smokable weed, or other substances. Drugs can come in theform of natural products, brewsand mixtures or artificially refinedcompounds. Drugs are differentfrom regular sources of food or nutrition because they cause twounique conditions: intoxication andaddiction. Intoxication is a

physical and mental state, wherethe effects of the drug addle thedrug users mind and body. Someforms of intoxication are almostharmless but powerful drugs or large doses of lighter drugs can

raise intoxication to a dangerousdegree.

Each use of a drug adds acertain number of “IntoxicationPoints” to the user’s “intoxicationscore”. For each point in acharacter’s “intoxication score”that character will suffer a –1circumstantial penalty to all skill

checks and all saving throwsexcept fear, horror and madness.This reflects the inhibited ability of the character to think or to act.Drugs suppress the mind’s abilityto feel fear or disgust, and open theindividuals mind to even the most

bizarre realities. Thus thecharacter gains a circumstantial

bonus to his fear, horror andmadness checks equal to the

character’s intoxication score. Theintoxication points accumulatedfrom the use of multiple drugs or more than one dose of a singledrug stack with each other.

Each drug has a set duration,after which the effects of the drugwear off. At the end of theduration the user loses allintoxication points incurred fromthat drug. When a drug user uses a

particular drug more than once hewill retain all of the intoxication points accumulated until theduration of the very last dose takenis over. By taking doses of other drugs a user may continue to suffer the intoxication effects incurredfrom a completely different druglong after its own duration wassupposed to end. Certain drugshave persistent effects. The effects

of these drugs last long after theduration of the original dose.




40

Addiction is the most commonpersistent effect. These persistenteffects are unique to the individualdrug, and can last for hours, days

and even years.A living body cannot sustainntoxication for too long a period

of time. For every hour that acharacter is intoxicated thecharacter must make fortitude saveagainst a DC equal to ten plus thecharacter’s intoxication score. If he character passes the save he or

she can continue to function. If thesave fails then the character is

rendered unconscious for one hour.Characters whom are extremelyntoxicated may remain

unconscious in this manner for many hours. If the character failshe fortitude by more than five

points he or she suffers 1D8 pointsof temporary constitution damage.

When the duration of a drug

s up the user suffers a “hangover”. Most often this comes inhe form of extreme nausea. When

a character’s intoxication scoredrops to zero he or she makes afortitude saving throw against aDC equal to 10 plus the number of ntoxication points just lost. If the

check is successful then thecharacter is fine and behavesnormally. If the check fails thenhe character is nauseated for a

number of hours equal to thenumber by which the character failed the check. While thecharacter is nauseated he or shesuffers a –1 circumstantial penaltyo all actions. The character may

not rest and regain hit points,ability damage or spells while thusnauseated.

All drugs carry the risk of addiction. Addictions are both

physical and mental afflictions,though resisting the addiction is

mostly a mental feat. Whenever adrug intoxicates a character he or she risks becoming addicted to thatdrug.

Just after a character’sintoxication score drops to zero hemust make a will save against aDC equal to the number of intoxication points that thecharacter just lost. If the check succeeds the character has shaken

off the addictive influence. If thecheck fails then the character becomes addicted to one of thedrugs previously used. Theaddiction modifier of the drug usedmodifies the DC of the addictioncheck. In cases where more thanone drug is used the character will

become addicted to the drug withthe highest modifier to theaddiction check.

There are different stages of addiction, and each failedaddiction check advances thecharacter to the next rank. In thefirst rank of addiction the character feels compelled to use the drugwhenever it is readily available.Whenever the drug of his addictionconfronts the character he or shemust make a will save against aDC equal to the DC of theaddiction check he failed, modified

by his current level of addiction. If the check succeeds, the character can ignore the drug. If the check fails then he or she is compelled totake the drug and use it at his or her earliest convenience.

At the second stage of addiction the character becomes

physically dependent on the drug.The character suffers a –1 moral

penalty to all actions. This penaltycan only be removed by feeding

the addiction with at least onedose. The character must partakeof the drug at least once each dayor suffer the penalty. At the third

stage the penalty increases to –2.The character cannot regain lost hit points with sleep, regain spells, or recover from disease, fear, horror or madness unless he or she usesthe drug at least once a day. Thecharacter’s alignment shifts onestep closer to chaotic neutral.

At the fourth stage of addiction the penalty increases to – 3 and the character shifts one step

closer to chaotic neutral. At thefifth stage the penalty increases to –4 and his or her alignment shiftsone step closer to chaotic neutral.A character can only be addicted toone particular drug at a time. If atany time a character possesses twoaddictions the player loses theaddiction to the drug with thelower addiction modifier.

Recovering from addiction is

no easy task. A character cannotrecover from his or her addictionunless he or she refrains fromfeeding the addiction for at leastone week. At the end of the week the addicted character may makeanother addiction check, equal tothe DC of the one he previouslyfailed, modified by the level of addiction. This check is notinfluenced by the penalty toactions granted by high levels of addiction. If the check fails thenthe character remains addicted. If the check succeeds then he or shedrops one level of addiction. Oncea character drops down below thefirst level in addiction he or she

becomes cured.




41

Each drug must bentroduced into the body of the

user. In many cases, ingestion isall that is necessary. However

some drugs require specializedmeans of application. Smokingweeds must be crafted intocigarettes and pipe doses,morphine and other synthetic drugsmust be injected into the bloodstream via syringe, and ergot andother extracted liquids must bediluted into a drinkable form.These all require special skillchecks to create the proper dose.

The average DC for such checks is10. The skill profession: medicines used to prepare and apply

morphine and synthetic drugs; theskill herbalist is used to brewextracts and fungi and prepareopiates, and the skill craft:obacconist is used to prepare pipe

weed. The specialized skill craft:drug application covers all formsof drug application. This skill is

critical to the drug trade, since itallows dealers to prepare doses andclients to administer the drugs.

The correct application of drugs and the creation of doses isan important skill for dealers andusers. Improper application mayresult in an overdose. The exactconsequences of an overdosedepend upon the drug used. Whena skill check to craft a dosage or apply the drug fails by more thanfive points an overdose occurs.

Alcohol : Alcohol is one of themost popular drugs in existence.Alcohol comes in hundred of different forms and is served justabout everywhere in Ravenloft.Each dose of alcohol bestows onentoxication point, and the duration

s one hour. Alcohol is less

addictive than most drugs; it is itsmassive quantity and availabilitythat makes alcoholism sowidespread. Alcohol modifies the

DC to addiction checks by –2.Alcohol is not prepared like other drugs, indeed the brewing processis a fine art governed by its ownskill. In the event of a faulty brew,an overdose causes 1D6 temporarywisdom damage.

The above statistics represent“Hard” liquor. Some forms of alcohol are much less intense. Insuch cases, intoxication only

occurs when more than one dose istaken in a given hour.

Ergot : Ergot is a rust coloredmould that grows upon wheatgrains. This mould thrives in coldand wet conditions, polluting

breads and cereal crops with itstoxins. Ergot can be cultivated and

purposely ingested to obtain theeffects of this hallucinogen. Ergot

has a weak intoxication effect;each use only bestows 1intoxication point. The duration of an ergot high is only half an hour.The persistent effects of ergot aremuch more insidious. For onehour after ingestion of the drug theuser suffers from the effects of hallucinations as described inRavenloft Core Rules. Ergot is notvery addictive; it bestows nomodifier to the DC of the addictioncheck. Ergot is a dangerousneurotoxin and an overdose can beseriously disabling. On anoverdose the user must make afortitude save against a DC 15 or suffer 1D8 points of temporarywisdom damage.

Mad Caps : The dank forests of Tepest are a perfect breedingground for mushrooms and other fungi. Most of these growths are

without any value, but a select feware known for their toxicity. MadCaps are one such fungus. The redand white spotted mushroom

grows in damp, lightly shadedareas. Consuming the cap of themushroom produces a powerful

psychedelic high.Raw Mad Cap is toxic to

humans; it must be prepared byleaching out some of the toxins in

boiling water. These mindwarping funguses are extremelyintoxicating and addictive. MadCaps bestow three intoxication

points for each cap consumed. Theduration of a Mad Cap is twohours, and Mad Caps modify theDC of the addiction check by +1.The persistent effects of the MadCap are identical to the madnesseffect paranoia. These persistenteffects last only for twenty-four hours, though if the user isconfronted with a horror check as

per the rules of paranoia he will

suffer the effects of that horror check until he can recover fromthat failed horror check.

An improperly brewed MadCap is toxic. On an overdose acharacter must make a fortitudesave against a DC 15 or take 1D8

points of temporary wisdomdamage.

Morphine : Morphine is a powerful anesthetic developed by physicians in Lamordia. Doctorsin that domain noticed thatanesthetics caused patients torecover from surgery at a fairlyslow rate, thus they beganexperimenting with less harshmethods of protecting patientsfrom the pain of surgery.Morphine has been the most

widely accepted replacement for




42

general anesthetics. This unnaturalcompound completely overwhelmshe user with a feeling of well-

being. The user can still feel

sensations inflicted upon his bodybut due to the drug the patient doesnot feel pain. The drug has sincebeen exported into other advanceddomains.

Morphine proved sosuccessful that it was administeredo any patient feeling pain or

discomfort. This practice ledmany individuals to becomeaddicted to the drug. Each use of

morphine requires a syringe withwhich to inject the drug directlynto the blood steam. The patient

suffers 2 intoxication points for each use of the drug. The durationof a single dose is 2 hours.Morphine is highly addictive; itmposes a +3 modifier to the DC of he addiction save. The persistent

effects of the drug are finelyailored to prevent pain and

discomfort. For as long as the user s suffering from intoxicationpoints from the use of morphinehe character is incapable of

feeling pain. The character suffersonly half of any subdual damagenflicted and is immune to stun

effects. The character has abilityo gauge his physical condition,

and may behave recklessly. Whileunder the effects of morphine higha character is completely immuneo fear, horror and madness.

Morphine cannot besynthesized without a fullalchemical or pharmaceuticalaboratory, eight hours of time and

raw materials costing no less than10 gold pieces. The check tosynthesize morphine is made withhe skill craft: pharmaceutical or an

alchemy check. In either case theDC is 20. If the synthesis check fails by more than 5 an overdose

will occur in the user. Theadministration of morphinerequires a profession: medicinecheck against a DC 10 and the use

of a syringe. An overdose of morphine causes 1D8 points of temporary constitution damage.

Opium : Opium is one of the most popular drugs available in theCore. It is a refined substance,taken from poppies and carefully

prepared. Over the years opiumdealers have turned the refining

process into a science, and now the

final product scarcely resemblesthe original organic compound.The opium trade is one the most

prosperous industries in NovaVaasa and it is rapidly expandinginto the other domains of the Core.Merchants from Pharaziaintroduced opiates to the Core andimmediately found a market.Opiates have since been outlawedwithin Pharazia, though the

merchant cartels have found other lands in which to grow their crop.The duration of opium is 2 hoursand each use bestows twointoxication points. Opium ishighly addictive and so it applies a+2 modifier to the DC of anaddiction check. The persistenteffects of opium is drowsiness.Each dose requires the user tomake a fortitude save against a DC10 to avoid falling asleep. Anoverdose of opium results in theuser suffering from 1D6 points of constitution damage.

Black Lotus : The black lotus is astrange plant; to the botanists of the Core it is more myth than

plant. Some who claim to see itliken it to an opium producing

poppy. Others say that it no plant

at all but rather some other form of life, neither plant nor fungus it isthe sole product of a primalkingdom of life, as different from

plant as animals are from fungus.What ever it is, the black lotus isan enigma to the scientificcommunity.

Cities in Darkon were thefirst market for the black lotus,followed by Hazlan, Nova Vasaaand then Lamordia. The Lotus issold by a mysterious cartel. Thesedrug merchants never reveal their faces and wear gloves of black

leather, thus their species has never been discerned. These merchantssell only one product, and theychoose their customers carefully.These creatures are unusually

proficient in detecting a lie. The black lotus is a simple plant madeup of petals more delicate than silk and darker than a winter night.The lotus can be eaten or brewedinto a tea.

The black lotus bestows oneintoxication point for every doseand the duration of the drug is onehour. Black lotus is mildlyaddictive and increases the DC of the addition check by +1. The

persistent effects of the drug arestrange and terrifying.Secondhand testimony states thatthe drug “throws open the gates of

perception”. The user becomesaware of the multiverse that

permeates all known reality. Usersreport the ability to sense magic,see through illusions and even

perceive the hidden nature of theworld around them. The persistenteffects of the drug last for theduration of the dose. While under the influence the user experiencesthe effects of the spell True Seeing.The user also gains insight into thenature of multiverse around him.While under the influence the user




43

gains a +4 circumstantial bonus toskills knowledge (planes) andknowledge (Ravenloft).

The effects of the drug are

not always pleasant. As the usersperceptions expand he runs the risk of detecting something sinister.Every hour that the user is under he influence he must make a

madness check against a DC of tenplus the number of hours that hehas spent intoxicated with theotus.

An overdose of black lotus isgenerally not possible since the

drug is so simple to use. If for some reason a character swallowshree or more plants in the space of

a few minutes, or brews the leavesof three or more plants into tea,hen an overdose will occur. The

user must make a fortitude saveagainst a DC of 15 plus 1 for everyplant used above the first two. If he check fails then the character is

struck with 1D8 temporary

wisdom damage and the character s immediately struck with thehallucination madness effect andhe appropriate ability damage

from a failed madness check.

Horstman’s Brew : Each year endless wagon trains leaveFalconovia and enter the landsDrakov’s enemies selling grain.The vicious tyrant grudgingly sellshis nations ample grain inexchange for gold and rawmaterials. This trade betweenenemies is a dangerous gambit for both sides, since neither side isassured of the most advantage in

the trade. At Drakov’s request hisscientists have developed a specialexport that will help tip the balanceof the increased trade into

Drakov’s favor.Horstman’s brew is thegeneral term used by the Talons todescribe the wide variety of synthetic drugs secretly exported

by Falconovia into the surroundingdomains. These drugs are actuallya diluted version of theexperimental formula known as the“Primal Serum”. As hoped, thesedrugs are becoming extremely

popular in the domainssurrounding Falconovia. Theincreased trade between Drakovand his enemies helps spread theillicit trade in these drugs,undermining the nations whoaccept Drakov’s gifts of cheapgrain.

There are three popular versions of the drug, known on thestreets as Black Rager, Howling

Madness and Night Flier. Allversions of the drug perform thesame benefit to the user, anextreme sensation of freedom.Under the effects of any of thethree a user loses all inhibitions.The user is liberated fromconstraint and concern; he isoverwhelmed with animalisticdesires. Users describe theexperience as “unleashing the

beast within”. Originally the drugswere confined to syringes but withdevelopment the drugs have beentransformed into simple drytablets. The tablets are dissolvedin water or alcohol and imbued.

Liquids thus contaminated becomethicker and emit a faint greenluminescence in the dark.

Each use of one of these

drugs bestows 1 intoxication pointon the user. The duration of thedrug is three hours. The effects of Horstman’s Brew are designed to

be extremely addictive. Theymodify the DC to addiction checks

by +5. Horstman’s brew is prepared in Falconovia and isdesigned to be foolproof. Thus,overdoses are not possible whileusing this drug. The persistent

effects of the drug are insidious.While under the effects of either of the three a user’s alignmenttemporarily shifts to chaoticneutral. The effects of the drug

build up inside of a user’s body, breaking down the body’sresistance to the primal serum.When a user reaches the third levelof addiction he or she becomes aninfected lycanthrope. The trigger

for this form of lycanthropy is adose of one of the three drugs of Horstman’s brew. The user transforms into a werebear if usingBlack Rager, a lowland loup garouif using Howling Madness and awerebat if using Night Flier. In allcases the user becomes the hybridform of the appropriatelycanthrope. Transformedlycanthropes differ from other infected lycanthropes in that theyhave an affinity for beings under the effects of Horstman’s brew.While transformed the infectedlycanthropes will not harm other users.




44

Drug Intoxication Points Duration DC mod. Persistent effectsAlcohol 1 1 hour -2 None

Ergot 1 ½ hour 0 HallucinationMad Caps 3 2 hours +1 Paranoia

Opium 2 2 hours +2 SleepMorphine 2 2 hours +3 Painlessness, immunities

Black Lotus 1 1 hour +1 True seeing, planar perceptionHorstman’s Brew 1 3 hours +5 Alignment change, lycanthropy




45

“I don’t know how you found his place,” Said the tattooed

ruffian, “But you won’t beeaving.” Marx coughed up a glob

of blood and phlegm. The hugehug grinned sadistically and

drove his fist deep into the man’sstomach, eliciting another choking gasp. “You’re a nosy little bugger

aren’t you?” Sneered the bruiser.He reached into his vest and retrieves a wickedly curved hunting knife. “Maybe I should cut it off?” The huge man pressed he cutting edge against the base of

Marx’s nose, drawing a steadydrip of crimson from the growing wound. Suddenly the knifewithdrew.

“I think you should release

him,” said a woman’s voice.Standing at the mouth of thealleyway was a lady. The womanwas quite out of place in the drearyslum, she was dressed in theextravagant fashions of Dementlieu, the very model of adelicate lady of proper breeding.The thug was barely able to keeprom drooling, his eyes glazed over

and his primitive brain became

drowned in bestial thoughts. Themassive hand released the beatenrogue, letting Marx drop painfullyo the cobblestone ground.

“Well, well, well,” Oozed thebrute. “Aren’t you something sweet. Ol’ Grumbal hasn’t ever had a fancy one like you.” Old Grumbal licked his lips, an act asdistasteful as a peach rotting under he noon sun

“Perhaps you should try your luck?” Replied the lady.Though Grumbal was in no state of mind to notice, the woman’s voicebetrayed not the tiniest shred of emotion. With the eyes of a viper

she watched the thug saunter towards her.

“Well, bird,” said Grumbal,

“What you’ve got for me,” Therewas no reply. With a deft swipe of her hand she plucked an ornate fan

from her surcoat pocket, opened it and plunged it into the throat of the greasy brute.

Grumbals eyes opened wideand his jaw dropped in shock. Therazor spines concealed within the

fan had dug deep into the vital arteries in his neck, releasing a

torrent of crimson in his throat.The disgusting thug gurgled as hiseyes rolled back into their sockets.The lady had not done so much asbating an eyelash as Grumbal collapsed into a bloodless,crumpled heap.

In the meantime, Marx had pulled himself up. He wiped hisown blood from his mouth with his

sleeve and knelt down by the body

of his attacker.“Nice of you to show up,

‘Talia” He said sarcastically. Hedug into the dead man’s pocketsand retrieved a yellowed envelope.

As he rose from the crouch, Marxnoticed the fineness of hiscolleague’s strike. The artery must have been severed and directed inwards in a single nimble motionof the fan-spines. No simple trick.

“If your finished…” Said Natalia. She waited by the sidedoor of the building.

“Its not locked,” replied her bruised confederate. Nataliaresponded by folding her arms and raising her right eyebrow ever so

slightly. Her irritated expressiondidn’t fade in the slightest until

Marx walked over, opened thedoor and held it open for her while

she walked through.

An old Borcan proverb thatstates, “There is no poison deadlier than one in a pleasant disguise”.Surely this belief motivated themaster druggists of Borca to invent

the fake pearl. Unlike the harmlessforgeries of jewellery, these fake pears are quite lethal. Fake pearlsare made of powdered drugs.These drugs can be narcotics,

poisons or harmless tranquilizers.The powdered drug is compressedinto a white sphere and containedin a glaze of sugar and pigments.The pigments give the fake pearlthe appearance of a real specimen

while the sugar glaze gives itstructural strength. The glaze isdesigned to withstand the heat andmoisture generated by a living

body. Once the pearl is completelyimmersed in a liquid itimmediately dissolves. Thisreleases the drug concealed withinthe glaze into the liquid.

Fake pears are built withspecial detachable mounts. Themounts are indistinguishable fromthe pear, but the allow the owner to




46

pluck the fake pear from anecklace or an earring with only apartial action. From a distancefake pearls are indistinguishable

from real pearls. Only carefulnspection by a trained jeweller canreveal the insidious nature of afake pearl. By taking a full roundaction and making a craft: jeweller check against a DC 15 a character may discern that a fake pearl is nota genuine pearl. Such a check does not reveal the dangerousnature of the fake pearl.

Any kind of poison, drug or

ranquilizer can be synthesized in afake pearl. The construction of afake pearl requires a profession:chemist or alchemy check against aDC 15. This check allows thecreator to turn a liquid drug into apowder, form it into a sphere, andconcoct the sugar glaze and thedetachable mount for the pearl. Todisguise the fake pearl the builder must make a successful craft:

eweler check against a DC 15. Asingle fake pearl costs roughly tengold pieces. The cultural level of afake pear is 9.

The fan blade is an exoticweapon, first pioneered in thereacherous arena of conspiracies

known as Dementlieu. This itemwas invented as a tool to protectadies of repute against

assassination. The fan blade is adelicate fan, identical to thehundreds of varieties used byadies throughout the civilized

core. Concealed beneath the foldsof the fan are ten spines made of empered steel and sharpened to a

razor point. Designed to benvisible even in plain view, this

weapon is undetectable byanything less than a spot check

against a DC of 20. The spines arecompletely concealed while the fanis closed, so the weapon must beopened to strike. The spines are

thrust forward where they opennumerous wounds, compensatingfor the shallowness of the slash.

Each successful attack with afan blade deals 1D4 points of

piercing damage. The fan bladethreatens a critical range of 18-20and deals triple damage on acritical hit. The weapon is nearlyimpossible to use without proper training, it counts as an exotic

weapon. The fan blade isextremely light for it weighs onlyhalf a pound. The fan blade is

built of tempered steel alloys thatallow the thin spines to withstandthe force of a strike. The culturallevel of the fan blade is 9. Everyfan blade is a masterwork item.The base cost of such a weapon is1000 gold pieces.

The fan blade is like no other

weapon available. The wielder of such a weapon cannot apply thedamage modifier from strength tothe damage rolls. The delicatedesign of the blade compensatesfor the draw back; the weaponfinesse feat is automaticallyapplied to strikes from the fan

blade whether or not the user possesses the feat.

Necessity is the mother of invention and for the ladyadventurers of the Core there wasno shortage of needs. While their male counterparts could bear civilized weapons in public, armedfemales remained sociallyunacceptable by any standards.This placed women at a great risk when they went about their socialduties in the urban areas of the

Core. To address the problem afemale marksman named MadamePelloire commissioned the creationof the iron parasol.

The iron parasol is made of askeleton of steel alloys comprisedmostly of iron and a relatively newelement known as “aluminium”.Indeed, these advanced alloys arecritical to the device since theyoffer great strength with extremelylittle weight. The careful design of this item makes it indistinguishablefrom a normal shading device.The skeleton of parasol supports a

web of aluminium strands, whichin turn supports the fabric makingup the parasol’s shade. This meshis strong enough to hold up thematerial but collapses aroundanything that strikes it.

The holder of the iron parasol may use it in the samemanner as a shield. The parasoldoes not confer a bonus to theusers armour class, but it does

bestow a similar benefit.Whenever an attacker hits the user but only succeeded in the attack roll by 2 points or less then the

parasol has stopped the attack fromhitting. The parasol collapsesupon the weapon or projectile.Projectiles are stopped dead butmelee weapons are entrapped. Theowner of the parasol may attemptto disarm the attacker as a freeaction. The owner of the parasolgains a +4 circumstantial bonus tothis attempt and does not incur adisarm attempt from the attacker.After entrapping a weapon the

parasol is useless. Repairing aniron parasol requires a blacksmithand a skill check against a DC of 20 to reshape the metal. After that,the material of the shade must bereapplied, but any skilledcraftsman can accomplish this withminimal fuss.




47

The iron parasol wasdesigned to conceal weapons aswell as defences. The handle of he parasol is hollow and conceals

a long stiletto dagger. The curvedgrip of the parasol fits over the hiltof the dagger, so the iron parasolcan be used to conceal a particular dagger that the owner would rather have close at hand.

There is no sound moreelling than the report of a pistol.

There is no other weapon that sooudly articulates the intent of one

person to harm another. Assassinsand thieves have ignored pistolsfor a firearm can shatter silence aseasily as flesh and bone. Thissituation has placed a huge amountof pressure upon gunsmiths tocreate a pistol whose report issilent or at least muffled. Themaster gun makers of Lamordiahave responded to this pressure bycreating a specially built pistol thatmasks both the sound and the flashof gunpowder.

The silenced sting is a smallpistol no larger than a woman’shand. The pistol is comprised of wo parts, a tiny handle and a boxike barrel. The barrel is encasedn a rectangular box of metal,

fluted with numerous holes cut intohe box at precise angles. The

silenced sting utilizes cutting edgeheories in the physics of sound;he air holes allow the sound of the

gunshot to exit at multipleocations, where the sound waves

are knocked slightly out of phase.nstead of adding together and

creating the familiar sound of agunshot the sound waves cancelone another out. The resultingsound of the gunshot requires aisten check against a DC 15 to

detect. Even when it is detectedthe sound is so soft that it is oftenoverlooked as a gunshot andexplained as some benign

thumping.The silenced sting deals 1D8 points of damage and threatens acritical range of 20/*3. Thesilenced sting has no barrel tospeak of and so it is terriblyinaccurate. The silenced sting hasa range increment of 5 feet. Thesilenced sting cannot be reloadedlike other pistols since the whole

barrel must be disassembled before

the powder can be inserted.Reloading the silenced stingrequires at least five minutes and agunsmith check against a DC 12.Failure on this check indicated thatthe gun would not fire until the gunis successfully loaded.

The silenced sting wasspecially designed to be used as aconcealed weapon. The gun iseasily hidden beneath a hat or

within the folds of a coat. Thequiet firearm is an idealassassination tool since it isconcealable, stealthy, deals greatdamage in a single strike andcompletely unsuspected. Thecommon tactic is for the assassinwielding the weapon to use thesilenced sting close to the victim ina crowded location in the outdoors.After the ensuing chaos thesoundless gunshot remains amystery. The only believableexplanation available toinvestigators is that the assassinfired from a very distant location.

Gunsmiths cannot normallycreate a silenced sting. Even in adomain of cultural level 9 thesilenced sting is a specimen of cutting edge technology. Asilenced sting cannot be bought atany price, though one can becommissioned from one of the few

master gunsmiths capable of creating such a device. The theorythat the silenced sting is basedupon is found in the 72 nd volume

of the Lamordian ScientificJournal under the title “DestructiveInterference and the Wave Natureof Sound”. Gunsmiths withoutaccess to this paper must make aknowledge: mechanical physicscheck against a DC of 25 todevelop the proper theory. Withthis theory a gunsmith may createthe schematics for the gun.Drawing the blue prints for a

silenced sting requires a gunsmithcheck against a DC 25. With the blue prints in hand, a gunsmith isready to build the weapon. Theconstruction of a silenced stingrequires a gunsmith check againsta DC 25 as well as raw materialsand the proper tools.




48

By Scott C. Bourgeois

[email protected]

They say, in the town of h’Ombres in the domain of Souragne, that one should avoidhe Maison d’Sablet if onentends to live a long life. Indeed,hey may have a good point as the

murky depths of the swamp is

said to have come alive years agoo crush the greedy hand of man.The Maison d’Sablet grows onhe North Eastern corner of thesland, feeding from the rivershat flow from Lake Noir. The

sole settlement of the area is thesmall town of h’Ombres. Thisvillage is a sleepy little town,made of a mishmash of theethnicities of Scrounge. The

people speak a colorful variationof the local language, adding aslow drawl to their speech. Thesesettlers came from Port d’Elhour,ooking for an easier life beyondhe reach of the plantation

owners. For the most part theyhave found peace, though theyremain impoverished and poor.Like most villages on the Islandof Scrounge, a mayor electedfrom the ranks of the farmersevery two years leads h’Ombres.This election is more of aformality than a real institution;he villagers prefer to leave each

man to his own business. Thoughhey have never secured a steadyrade with the other villages of

Scrounge, life in h’Ombres ispeaceful and safe. The simplefarmers fish and grow their crops,hough they are never too busy to

stop and chat amongsthemselves. There is only one

subject that gives them pause, “LaMaison d’Sablet”, the living

bayou.The mighty swamp grew

around a network of shallowrivers issuing from the center of the domain. The forest of theMaison d’Sablet is thick withancient trees. The plants are

twisted with unfathomable ageand are completely covered invines and mosses. In the night,

beneath the pale light of themoon, the trees are like gnarledskeletons. The moss like afuneral shroud and the vines likespectral chains tying the spirits tothe earth. The branches aretwisted towards the sunlight, likefiendish claws reaching towardsthe sun to snuff out the light. Thecanopy absorbs the rays of thesun just as a weed greedilyleaches water from the soil.Beneath the canopy the swamp isfrozen in perpetual twilight. Theair is always humid and the wind

blows through the underside of the canopy, sending the lower

branches swaying to the whistleof the breeze. Those who walk through the swamp feel as thoughthey are descending deep into aliving, breathing body.

The ground of Maisond’Sablet is always moist and soft.Each step taken sinks a traveler into the mud. The lower branchesof the trees fill the gaps betweenthe plants, blocking the path of anyone who would pass. The

ground is covered with sicklygreen shrubs but by far themajority of the plant life hangsfrom the trees. Flowers of all

shapes and sizes blossom uponthe branches of the trees. Vinesof all sizes snake around thetrunks of the trees, as do a

plethora of fungi and moulds.Birds and black squirrels thrive inthe canopy, feeding off of theflowers, fruits and nuts.Opossums and raccoons live

solitary lives in the green maze of branches, feeding on insects andunguarded eggs. Snakes andlizards are more rare in Maisond’Sablet than they would be inother areas of Scrounge, but theyare not absent.

HistoryThe legend of the Living

Bayou is fairly well known in thetown of h’Ombres, and everyonefrom the oldest resident to theyoungest child can tell it withcolorful imagery and great detail.Some names, and smaller detailsvary, but for the most part thelegend is identical each time it istold. It goes something like this:

A long time ago, a youngwoman had a home on an islanddeep in the bog known as Maisond’Sablet. She loved the swampand had a garden lush with exoticand strange plants that she tendedto and dotted over like a lovingmother. She lived in solitude for many years but was at home inthe nature of the swamp. All thiswould change years later when a

plantation was built at the nearestedge of the swamp. The

landowner wanted to expand his property and began felling treesand forging further and further into the bayou. Indeed, he soon




49

discovered that the wood wasfetching a fine price andencouraged a lumber town togrow near his land. At first, thewoman knew nothing of thisexploitation but soon she foundhe lumberjacks slowly cuttingheir way into the swamp.

Enraged, the woman ran back toher home and demanded that theoa to kill the offending

woodcutters. The very nextmorning, her garden began togrow uncontrollably. She tried torein it in but it would not stop.She watched, awed and terrified,as the vines and plants grew

ogether into a manlike form, andcrept out of her garden, and intohe swamp.

Thus, the Living Bayouarose. The creature began preyingon the woodsmen, killing themday and night. The monster drove them back from the swampwith such ferocity that theumberjacks refused to enter the

Maison d’Sablet at all. Terrified

survivors claimed that the bayoutself had come alive to punishhem for their greed. Theandowner scoffed at these

stories, calling the lumberjackscowards. To prove to them thathey were full of nonsense he

himself took up an axe. As thewoodsmen and townsfolk, evenhis family and servants, watchedhe hefted his axe and felled a tree.Then, as he stood laughing, theLiving Bayou surged up from theedge of the woods, grabbed himn a massive hand of vines and

dragged him into the darkness of he swamp. He was never seen

again.The town, now cowed into

fear of the forest, was no longer ahreat. The woman prayed to her oa with thanks for their gift but

forgot that a creature like theLiving Bayou comes at a highprice. Indeed, the creature came

to her that night and swallowedher in one massive bite. Her bodyand her soul were bound to the

bayou as punishment for thearrogance of commanding the loa.Since then the monster has lurkedin the Maison d’Sablet, feedingon the creatures who live thereand anyone foolish enough tostumble into it’s domain.

The people of h’Ombreslaugh after they tell the tale of Living Bayou, because they havecome to see it as a legend, littlemore than a fairy tale. The lastactual sighting of the creature wasnearly fifteen years ago and noone believed the children whoclaimed to have seen it. Despitethe veneer of confidence the

people of the town are cautiousabout setting so much as a footinto the swamp. To outsiders theysay it is filled with naturalhazards but will wink knowingly.The lumber industry that oncethrived has never recovered.

Living Bayou is terrifyinglyreal, but mostly territorial. Itdoesn’t leave its domain withinthe southeastern area of theMaison d’Sablet. It rarelyventures outside of the swamp. Itemerges from the shadows of the

bog only when food is scarce inthe bayou and even then only in

the cover of night. The creatureis, in fact, a shambling mound of unusual intelligence, speed, andcomposition. Unique amongst itsspecies the Living Bayou was

born of the hatred and spiritual power of a reclusive houngandruid. It is fiercely territorial,violent against offenders, andusually hungry. The LivingBayou, unlike other shambling

mounds, has some very individualtraits to its personality. In

particular it collects shiny thingsfrom its victims. It has amassed a

small hoard in the ruins of thedruid’s old cabin.

Living Bayou is a terrifyingfoe to face. It is perfectly at home

in the swamp and any whochallenge it in the Maisond’Sablet will be at a terribledisadvantage. As it rarely leavesthe bayou that spawned it, thecreature is hard to catch off guard.Its first advantage is its stealth.Any natural shambling mound isa dangerous stalker of its prey,and Living Bayou is smarter andfaster than any of its leafy

brethren. In any woodedenvironment the Living Bayouhas an effective +15 to its Hideskill. It receives an automatic +5

bonus to Listen, Hide and MoveSilently, whether in a woodedarea or not. It likes to catch its

prey flatfooted and strike from aconcealed location.

The Living Bayou isimmune to all electrical effects,has fire resistance of 35, and hasall special abilities natural to allPlant creatures. These includeimmunity to mind affectingspells, poison, sleep, paralysis,stunning and polymorphing.Besides it’s crushing tendrils theLiving Bayou has a number of unique powers. Its vines are linedwith thorns, allowing it to inflict

2d8+7 damage with its Slamattack. These thorns also increaseits constriction damage to 2d8+9.On a successful attack using itsthorns, the Living Bayou injects

poison. A Fort save at DC 18must be made or the poisoned

being will suffer 1d6 points of temporary constitution damage.These poisons are the result of theflowers and plants that wove

together to form its impressivehulk.

Living Bayou prefersstealth to direct conflict. It lurks




50

n the deep swamp waters or inhe underbrush; waiting to catchts prey flatfooted. Upon

capturing food, it carries it back ts cabin lair and devours it

slowly. It keeps all of thepossessions its meal may havehad in a pile in the rear of the hut.Despite all its unique abilities anddefenses the Living Bayou is asvulnerable as any other shamblingmound. A well-armed possecould probably draw out and slayhe beast, assuming the villagers

could be convinced of its factualexistence.

- Traiscon Lumber Inc. has justset up shop in h’Ombres, looking

at the town as ripe for the pickings. With so muchwilderness, and so muchunderdeveloped land, it’s averitable gold mine for a lumber company. However, thecompany’s woodcutters havestarted to vanish in the bayou.Traiscon Lumber Inc. is willing to

pay top dollar to anyone who canfind out what is preying on their men in the swamp.- Local youths have beenclaiming for a few days now thatthey found a stash of “neat stuff”in an old shack deep in theswamp. Despite the warning of

their parents this old shack became a popular meeting place.The youths kept their meeting

place secret until a young boy

didn’t return home after going tomeet some friends there. Hisfriends are adamant that he never arrived at the shack. The localauthorities are looking for someone to investigate the shack and see if they can find themissing boy.- Cows have been slaughtered at afarm just outside of town for afew weeks now. Most of thecattle have died of broken necks

but others look as though theydied of a powerful toxin. Somehave even disappeared alltogether, leaving neither tracksnor corpses. The farmer is

worried that an animal is preyingon his herd.




51

By Zorin, Dmitri and Shane Glodoski

[email protected] [email protected]

This adventure is set in asmall village along the easternborder of Ravenloft domainKartakass. The village in theadventure is called Bourge, but itcan bear any name in your campaign. In fact, it can beanother settlement altogether. Thenames of major NPCs are givenn the adventure, but, again, they

are purely optional. The partyshould include at least onecharacter with skills devoted tosocial interaction. Bards, clerics,paladins and even rogues can fillhis role.

In late January of 756 B.C.a child of one of Harmonia’sminor nobles was kidnapped.The city watch didn’t find anyraces of the child, so the

unfortunate father asked the localbounty hunter, a well knowncutthroat and sword-for-hire for assistance in the matter. The

warrior, known as Yuri, set towork immediately. Alas for nobleman’s son, Yuri was asunscrupulous as he was lazy. Assoon as the bounty hunter understood it would take weeksof chasing the kidnappers (who,as it he discovered were Vistanimortu, working for Hazlik insearch of subjects for his cruelexperiments) through Kartakass’hick woods and through half a

Hazlan as well, Yuri decided toake another, safer course of

action.

After wandering along theKartakass eastern border, he cameupon a small village of Bourge,nested in a picturesque valleynestled between the westernslopes of Balinoks and forestedshores of upper Musarde River.One thing stood out amongst the

population, a small child namedVictor, son of Marina the localgroves’ caretaker and Igor, the

best hunter and trapper of Bourge.The lad looked so similar to thekidnapped child that even hismother would have a hard timeguessing her son. Yuri made uphis mind in a moment: the childwas only recently born and didn’tunderstand the things happeningaround him, so it would be of no

problem to persuade him he wasindeed the nobleman’s missingson. The only problem left wasthe abduction from parents.Villagers rarely visited the localchurch but, as the growing’s childhealth demands constant attentionMarina regularly attended father

Nikon, priest of Hala. The bounty

hunter disguised himself as aVistana and stole into the church.He tried to wrest the child fromhis mother, but in the ensuingfight his disguise was revealedand, fearful of public accusations,Yuri decided to kill both Marinaand Nikon. Hiding the bodies andcovering the signs of battle, hespirited the child and left for Harmonia, not paying attention to

the dying woman’s vow to see her son returned and her deathavenged. Yet while the woman’scurses had failed to faze the

scoundrel, her misery arose theattention of something dark and

powerful.When Igor returned home

he found the house empty, so hechecked out the church. The signsof battle were not so easilyconcealed from the eyes of anexperienced hunter. The evidencetold him the tale of murder, so heset on the chase of Yuriimmediately. He found himseveral miles due west of Bourgein a small clearing in the forest.Though experienced woodsmanhe was, Igor’s skills did him nogood in the quick and brutal fight.When he lay dying on the coldwinter ground the last thing hesaw were Victor’s largely openeyes, filled with the terror of thescene before him.

That night Marina’s spiritrose into unlife. She now hauntedthe very church that wassupposed to protect her and her child, desperate for the return of her most beloved spouse andchild. The unnatural aura of

Marina’s spirit scared away thosefew who cared of gods enough to pay them homage. And whenseveral days later thedisappearance of five people

became apparent, people startedtalks about evil that lurked under the church, in catacombs longforgotten. The elder’s son, Luca,volunteered to investigate thechurch, and managed to retrieve

the church archives, which hehoped would shed a light on themystery. Later that day it wasdecided on the village’s meeting




52

hat a messenger should be sent toHarmonia with a request for help.The winter was fiercely cold andwolves were becoming bolder andbolder, so being the bravest manremaining in the village after Igor’s disappearance, Luca leftBourge for Harmonia.Unfortunately, he was attackedand killed by wolves. Theravenous beasts ate what theycould and left the frozen corpse tohaw out in the coming spring. Its here where the players enter the

story.

The adventure begins withPCs heading to some location onhe road in Kartakass. Along the

road they find a document lyingn the snow. The document leadshem to a small village of two

scores of people, desperate for help. Here they get acquaintedwith the folk and with a hedgewitch who keeps an eye onBourge. By the time thenterrogation of the villagers is

complete, the players should beconvinced that the villainresponsible is a werebeast, afiend, a vampire or somethingother murderous creature. This isntended to lure the PCs’

attentions away and to thus enrichhe true terror of situation, whenhe party comes ready for a fight a

ycanthrope only to be confrontedwith a ghost.After the initial encounter

with Marina’s ghost, PCs willmost certainly try to conductsome additional research; duringhey should find out how to puthe ghost to rest (since this is the

purpose of this adventure).Obviously, even the most thick-headed party will come to a

conclusion that no amount of killing puts a ghost to rest, sohey’ll come to an understanding

of the necessity of background

research eventually. With thenecessary steps that should betaken to pacify the ghostdiscovered, our party travels back to Harmonia. There they mustfind and face the abomination notworthy of being called human,Yuri. The adventure ends withthe corpses of Marina and Igor

buried on a graveyard behind thechurch and the child Victor either turned over to the village hedgewitch or to the town elder.

Important considerationsAn important idea in this

adventure is that the PCs are

ignorant of the nature of their enemy. Thus the PCs will havetheir attention divided and,hopefully, will not be preparedfor their first encounter with theghost. Hence the wolf should not

be described as “a wolf”, butdescribed as intelligent andthoughtful, maybe even adding areference to an “almost humancunning in his blazing eyes”. It is

strongly advised to instill thesense of lycanthropic danger asmuch as it is possible. By thevery same reason it is better toassume the villagers forgot thestranger’s appearance or wereinattentive when he came, so asnot to give up his descriptionearly in the game.

Kartakass, early spring.The air is still chilly, but the snowhas started to melt already and here and there small springsmerrily flow to join theconfluences of river Musarde.Your travel along the country has

gone uneventful, since the onlything that changed was thetemperature of the air around

you, from chill of the morning tothe welcome warmth of the noon.

Here and there the frozen dirt and small puddles of water begin to

thaw, revealing different secretsof the past fall and winter: be it

someone’s lost die or a woodencup or a piece rotten rope or lost boot… Your eyes shift toward what you perceive as a rather big

snowdrift that only recently started to thaw. It’s strange, but the snow drifts down to form

small recesses that, the more youlook at it, resemble human’s

form. In fact, it is a human!Caught in a snow blizzard or

something and buried on the sideof a nameless track in the endless

Kartakan wilderness.The person is a man in his

mid years, physically strong and(if anyone cares to check) with nosign of any disease or illness. Hisfeatures are distorted due to theagony of death, rotting and his

being encompassed in the snow prison and than the thawing.Apparently he had light hair,strong chin and elegant ears, butnothing more specific can belearned from the first glance. This

is Luc, the Bourge elder’s son,though this shouldn’t be revealed just now.

The closer examinationreveals several facts: first, the

person didn’t freeze to death.Some beast with big claws or fangs killed the man. His throatis torn open and his hands lie in a

position as if he tried to protecthis face. There is a silver dagger in one of his hands, stained withan old blood ; the weapon isruined because of rust. The poor man carried some kind of message, kept in a waterproof cloth near his heart. The messagereads:

“Milord Meistersinger Denthor! The hamlet Bourge is paralyzed with fear: several of our fellow villagers havedisappeared. I humbly ask you toappoint some representative of




53

yours to investigate the matter before it is too late!”

It may be necessary for thePCs to point it out, if they do notdeduce it themselves, that thehamlet mentioned in the letter is awell-known, quiet place, wheredecent and proper people liveheir small lives. Surely it should

not stand to let the uncertaintyand fear plague the folk of Bourge. If it does not suit thecampaign, maybe it is prudent toet the characters continue onheir previous assignment or even

blind stumbling through thecountryside, until a young man (a

child, really) catches up withhem and gives them an order from Meistersinger to investigatehe matter. In this case a

handsome reward is promised.What ever the reason the

party should soon find itself on itsway to Bourge. The journey iscomparatively long and takes 6hours on foot and 3 on horses. Onheir way the PCs encounter a

single starving wolf. Thedesperate beast instantly attackshe party and fights to the death.

Covered with frozen poolsof water, the road runs among thefurs and spruces of the wood,disappearing somewhere in itsheart. A couple of hours later thesight doesn’t change much – thevery same forest, awakening fromts winter sleep, the very same

sound of spring purling somewhere off the trail, only thece covering the puddles at your

feet begins to thaw under the sun.The sound of ice cracking under your weight and the squelch of mud where the sun melted theground.

Suddenly a growl full of hreat reaches your ears: near therail, about 30 feet from you tohe right, under the overhanging

fur branches, you notice anobviously underfed and sick wolf,

its fur is thin and torn out completely in some places, and itseyes shining from the fur’s gloomwith almost human cunning and malice. Even the most brave-hearted of you shudder from thisthought. For a fleeting moment the beast seems to study you,then, as if it came to somedecision, the wolf leaps at you,maw opened and claws thrust at

your faces.Wolf (1). MM 204. hp 13.After the beast is dealt with,

the party finishes their journeywithout further delays, unless theDM decides to enrich their travel

with further encounters. Whatthey decide to do in the hamlet isleft for them to decide. Everykeyed house description includesa possible plot development. Allin all, the matter of PCs’understanding of their actions of events reasons and consequencesdepends on the party’s researchand their role-playing interactionwith Bourge’s residents.

The trees move aside and aquiet valley comes into your view.

In the north it comes right to the feet of snow-capped mountainscovered with spruces. Fromwhere you stand, a small hamlet is visible, situated near the center of the valley, close to a river’sbend. It consists of several dozenof log houses and a church and a

graveyard on a small knoll near the bend. The smoke from the

fireplaces rises up in curling clouds, dissolving in the fresh,

full of the new life born smell and shining inner light air. Hens’ clacking, dogs’ barking,

peasants’ jovial talk, as well asother sounds of rural life mergeinto a bizarre cacophony, the onethat can only be pleasant for a

person who had recently spent long and silent hours in the heart of a forest.

Bourge, hamlet, pop.92, gplimit 100. Bourge is a smallfarming community, the likes of which may be found anywhere in

the Land of Mists. The folk liveoff their land, selling crops and

bread mainly to Harmonia. It doesnot import anything of particular interest. The hamlet “works for itself” with its mill, blacksmith,general store, brewery and evenchurch. The only things it lacksare those that it doesn’t need.The village has no need for aconstabulary for the people tendto be trusting and helpful to oneanother, though they are lessaccommodating to strangers. Any

problems of considerableimportance are solved on thecommunal meetings on thecentral “square” in front of theGeneral Store, while the hamlet’selder (Saramon, Luc’s father,now) conducts day-to-daygovernment and solves disputes.The only tavern in the settlement,“Pechka” is run by Mark.

The places PCs are likely tovisit in Bourge include:

1) ”Pechka”, Bourge’s onlytavern.

2) Church.3) Graveyard.4) The elder’s house.5) General store.

6) HedgeWitch’s adobe.7) Marina’s and Igor’shouse.

8) The house of Lutece,Marina’s mother.

9) Blacksmith.The details of the rest of the

town are left for the DM. As NPC’s reaction play major role inthis adventure, severalassumptions have been made to

ease PCs’ progress on their quest(or make it more difficult, itdepends).




54

All villagers, except thehedge witch, initially haveunfriendly attitudes towards thePCs. So long as their attitude isunchanged, any of the character’squestions will be answered withstern “Get lost! It’s no goodalking ta strangers like ya in thisand!” Making a successful

Charisma or Diplomacy check, asdescribed in “Influencing NPCAttitude” table in DMG p.149,can change the attitude of anyNPC. A result indicating neutralor a friendly NPC provides theplayers with the following rumors(1d6):

1) There have been 5disappearances: marina and her son, Victor vanished first, thenhe village priest and Igor,

Marina’s husband. Finally theelder’s son didn’t return from hiserrant.

2) The fiend responsible for he disappearances is a stranger

who passed the village the daybefore it all began. In actuality,

Yuri didn’t pass the village, butstayed at “Pechka” for a night.That is one of the reasons Mark dislikes stranger of lately, heblames the troubles on himself but he won’t admit it to the PCs.

3)The fiend resides in thechurch, in catacombs built andsealed long before the coming of he first settlers. This is false

conjecture.4) The hedge witch is

responsible for the fiend’ssummoning, but she is toopowerful for the villagers to takeon themselves. This is false. Thewitch secretly venerates Hala andconsiders it her task to help andprotect people.

5)No fiend is responsiblefor the disappearances, but a cultof lycanthropes and the stranger isheir leader. False.

6) A Vistani chased away inhe early fall last year laid an evil

eye on the village and now thedecent folk suffer because of these bastards’ hatred. This isfalse. Blaming one’s problems on

passing Vistana is common in theLand of Mists.

Also, if asked, they can tellthe Marina’s and Igor’s surname:Fedotov. It can become a valuableclue in investigation.

1.”Pechka”. The localtavern is the largest building inthe Bourge. Built from perfectspruce logs, the house can boastexpertly cut horse heads on itsroof and animal motifs on itsshutters. The latters are verysturdy, capable of withstandingsevere punishment, which, by nodoubt, should be appreciated byvisitors.

The building has only onefloor, divided into:A) Commoners room. Where

the bar stands and theresidents of the hamletusually congregate inthe early evenings.

B) Mark’s apartments. Mark (NG Com2/Ftr1),tavern’s proprietor,lives here.

C) Kitchen. Food is cookedand stored in here.

D) Cellar. Local beverage andlong-stored supplies

are kept here.Visitors to hamlet are freeto stay in the Commoners room if they pay Mark 1gp/night each. Of notable interest is the local ale. Itis a bitter, dark mead-likesubstance that slowly (and very

pleasantly!) slides down your throat after a gulp. The price is 2cp/mug.

If Mark’s attitude is

changed to neutral, he may advicethem to question the elder aboutthe recent disappearances, and tostay clear of the witch who lives

on the outskirts. If friendly, Mark may even go as far as “spill hissoul out” to the PCs, telling themthe truth: that the stranger stoppedfor a night in his tavern, askeddifferent questions about Marinaand her child and about churchand father Nikon. He still claimsthe stranger to be some manner of a fiend, perhaps even calling himthe “Gentleman Caller”.

He may even tell the tale of his wife and daughter’s demise, if the party cares enough to ask or listen. A long time ago (hedoesn’t remember exactly for since then time has lost its

meaning to him), during anespecially cold and harsh winter,wolves came into the valley. Thevillagers were not prepared for this eventuality, so they werenaively going about their

business, when a chilling howlingsounded not afar. In the surpriseattack Mark was severely injuredwhile trying to usher the villagersinto easily defended tavern. His

wife and daughter, who werereturning from the General Store,never made it to the safety of walls. Both were lost under adozen of wolves less than thirtyfeet from the door. Mad with fear for his beloved, Mark grabbed hismusket and charged forward. Thethunderous roar of the shot scaredthe wolves long enough for himto get the remnants inside.

If accused of being alycanthrope (and only if he isfriendly), Mark admits that he has

been bitten by wolves, but thedivination spells of the witch andfather Nikon showed no sign of the disease. If he is neutral or unfriendly, he is too infuriated totalk to the party and tells them toget lost and never ever to stepover the threshold of this house.

2. Church. If visited duringthe day:




55

Built of limestone, thechurch sports a belfry and a holysymbol of Hala under thedoorway. Large wooden doors,reinforced with iron bands, stand slightly ajar, so a ray of light enters the hall. With a squeak, thedoors slowly open inside a hall with altar at the back wall. Dust slowly circles in the air and settles on the tiles covering thefloor. A single stained glasswindow beyond the altar depictsa matronly woman in brown robe,her eyes shedding warm yellowight on the believers gathered at

her feet and her smile – the smile

of comfort. An uneasy silencehangs in the air – as if someoneasked a question in the hall aong time ago and still waits for

an answer, you ken. Making your way inside the hall, you continueo experience an uneasy feeling of

suspended question, but when younear the altar another feeling crushes over you – that of suddennterest in your presence. As if

somebody…some THINGsuddenly became aware of your entrance and you now take all theattention of this entity. Still,nothing happens…yet.

By day, it is relatively safeo explore the building, since

Marina’s ghost manifests only atnight (see below).

At night, the church takeson more sinister appearance:

The silhouette of thechurch’s belfry is vaguely seen onhe dark, cloud-shrouded sky. The

rolling mists rising from the river hide the ground under your feet from your eyes. Slowly and uneasy you make your way up theknoll and out of the mists towardshe looming building. Huge

double doors, long ago left openby someone, who no doubt left ina hurry, slowly come closer and closer. Then you hear a sob.First, it is as hushed as a mouse’s

run but the closer you get, thelouder it becomes. Standing next to the doors to this dark and

forlorn building, you can’t helpbut wonder: what manner of fiend hides behind the doors? The sobscontinue in a waterfall of loud, soloud sobs, you believe the wholevillage wide-awake already.

However, no sound is coming from the hamlet – not even adog’s bark. Whole valley iscoated with silence, as thick and material as your cloak.

Based on the DM’s judgment, this may be a goodtime for a Fear check – say, DC 8.

Of course, if the PC is role- playing a frightened character there’s no need for the check.

In the dim darkness beyond the doors there’s nothing – nothing of what you expected to

find. An altar, a couple of doorsbeyond it – and a stained glasswindow with a woman in dark

priestly robes looking straight at you. Her eyes are like the

whirlpools of darkness, theendless wells of pure evil and hatred… The green-gray fire is

flowing from her hands toconsume the unfortunate souls at her feet. Suddenly the sobs cease

– and at the same moment a waveof melancholy and despair rushesover you. An image coalescesover an altar – that of a young woman with large brown eyes full of sorrow, her gossamer gown

flying on the wind you do not ascertain. You feel suddenly

fascinated by this morbid evidence of afterlife, while thewoman – or what is left of her –

slowly drifts toward you, her eyesas deep and sorrowful as ever,only now there’s a sparkle of unforgiving malevolence in their corners…

Each PC must make aHorror check (DC 10), then Willsaves DC 13 against Marina’s

Aura of Despair and Entrancing Appearance abilities. Note that if the party cannot damage Marina,they should make a Fear check DC 11.

Her death, the abduction of her child and the slow realizationof her current state drive Marinacompletely insane. She attacks insilence, but if any of the PCs tryto talk to her (some in suchsituation cry “Why do you attack us, we did nothing wrong toyou?!”), she immediatelyresponds – in her chaotic manner,of course. She should be playedas if she suffered from the

constant change in theapprehension of her surroundings:1) ”How dare you,

murderers, talk to me? Bow before me for I’m deathincarnate!”

2) “My son, where’s myson? What has HE done to him?Why do YOU cover HIM?!”

3) “Igor! Come to me, mylove!”

4) ”Now that I’m dead,who’s gonna take care for you?” Note that the only way for

her to know eternal rest is either for her and her husband’s bodiesare given a decent burial andVictor is turned over to her mother, or the dagger Yuri usedin slaying Marina is used to slayMarina’s Ghost. Else she mightrest if Victor is brought beforeher. In this case she’ll attempt tohug him and eventually he’llcollapse dead on the floor, thus

joining his mother for the finaltime. The last two options aresubjects for the power check,however.

A successful Search check (DC 15) on the altar or near itreveals bloodstains, as well asmarks of some kind of weapon(or very strong claws, comes to

your mind ).The altar still holdsthe remnants of an unfinished




56

service: a liturgy to Hala, a vial of holy water and an incense.

Doors to the left and rightfrom the altar lead to the Nikon’sapartments and church cellar respectively. In the apartments theparty may find several of liturgybooks, as well as Nikon’s lastbreakfast left uneaten (Marinacame in a hush for she worried for her baby’s health). In the cellar he first thing PCs notice is a

horrible stench of rotted bodies.The second is the sight of Marina’s and Nikon’sdecomposed remnants. The wholescene is a sight for a Horror check

DC 8. The Nikon is still dressedn his clerical vestment, whileMarina had a blouse, leather rousers and boots on her. Both

bodies bear the marks of theclaws of some large beast(actually, Yuri used claw bracerso throw any would-be pursuers

off the trail). The only thing of nterest on the bodies is a smallocket with expertly painted

Igor’s portrait – his token of lovefrom distant past. It may be usedo provide a +2 circumstance

bonus on turn undead attemptsagainst Marina due to its obvioussignificance to her. Elsewhere inhe cellar, be it in shelves or

chests or wherever, PCs may finda wooden stake, some wolfsbane,scroll of protection from evil , 1st vl and 3 potions of cure light

wounds . Hopefully, the discoverymay still lead them to presumeheir enemy is either aycanthrope or a vampire.

If the party defeated Marinan the encounter, they may be

awarded XP as if they defeated amonster of half her CR (she isemporary incapacitated, after all)

– note that in this case they willgain the same amount at the endof the adventure.

3. Graveyard. Most of thegravestones posses only the name

and casual RIP, since none of those who buried their relativeshere thought of preserving thedates of birth and death since theBarovian Calendar is not well-known in Kartakass. However several gravestones do have thedates inscribed on them: one is of

particular interest to the party,since Konstantin Fedotov,Marina’s father, is buried beneathit. The inscription reads: “To theloving father and husband. RIP.701-754.” There are several moregraves of Fedotovs on thegraveyard, but this one isobviously the one most recently

made. Detailed information onFedotovs is presented in theElder’s house entry and can become upon during the archivesresearch (see below). At night,several dire rats sneak to and froon the graveyard, so the PCs may

be attacked by “monstrous ratsthe size of a long sword, with evileyes gleaming red in thedarkness”.

Dire Rats (3). MM 56 . hp 5each.4. Elder’s house. Hamlet’s

elder (let’s call him Stephan LGCom5) is an elderly man withsmall, well-kept gray beard,

balding head and a little stooping bearing. His only concerns for the past years were his son, Luca, andthe community’s welfare. Now,with his son presumably dead

because of an evil fiend’sschemes or evil lycanthropes, theonly reason Stephan is still aliveis Bourge, his beloved hamlet.

If neutral Stephan, inaddition to the listed rumors,might point out that the witch isquiet harmless. The only reasonfor people’s fear is the usualdesire to find a scapegoat. Headvises the party to check her abode and ask her about theunfolding events. He may pointout the necessity of the

investigation of the church, if thePCs haven’t came up with thisidea yet.

If friendly Stephan mighttell the PCs of his sons’ heroicventure into the church, when herecovered the village’s archives.If the PCs desire, they canrummage through them untilsunset. A Search check DC 10may be required for each clue – the archives are organized verywell, so finding the necessary infois not difficult.

Archives’ clues:A) Date of the church’sfounding. It happened

simultaneously with the settler’scoming to the valley.B) Absence of any labyrinths or catacombs under the churchand/or graveyard. The churchfloor plans are included, however.C) Mark’s wife and daughter have

been killed by wolves during acold winter a long time ago. Hewas severely injured in the attack.D) Marina’s and Igor’s surnames

are Fedotov.E)Joshua’s grandfather,Konstantin Fedotov, who died in754, is buried on the graveyard

beyond the church, while hisgrandmother, Lutece, still lives inBourge.D)The last entry to be made wasof Joshua’s illness, which father

Nikon explains with the child’sfragile health due to his birth inspring. Marina’s frequent visitsare mentioned.

5.General store. Gnezhik (LN Exp2), the store’s owner, is afat jovial-looking man in his midyears (of course, he may not belooking jovial to PCs). He loveshis family, his shop, his simplelife – and he doesn’t want anychanges with it. Anythingcorresponding to the Kartakass’CL requirements and costing nogreater than 100 gp is available atthe store.




57

If made friendly, he maysuggest that the PCs buy asilvered rapier for half its price(50 gp) from him. He sincerelyfears the lycanthropes andbelieves they stand behind theevent, that’s why he offers theweapon.

6.Hedge witch’s abode. Theonly person in this hamlet to beneutral towards the party initially,he hedgewitch Nora (NG

Sor1/Clr 5 of Hala) is a perfectsource of information for theparty too slow-witted or notwilling enough to role-play. If nquired, Nora confirms the

stranger’s passing through thevillage. More than that, sheactually believes him to havestayed at “Pechka”, since sheusually walks in the forests after dark – gathering magical plantsand the like, and she saw twofigures move in Mark’s tavernand heard the voices talking. Theexact words she didn’t hear, buthe conversation was long indeed.

If Mark didn’t confess it himself,she advises not to press the matter – she knows he blames himself for the happening. However, sheasks that the PCs investigate thechurch during the daylight andhen at night – if there is any evilnside, the first expedition might

ready them for the second.In the event the party has

already ventured into the churchat night and came to someconclusions (whatever they maybe), Nora proposes her help in theform of a scroll with speak withdead on it. She advises not toresort to violence, if it can beavoided – the ghost cannot bebanished from the Land of Mistsforever unless a specific conditions met or a specific method is

used. She proposes either to learna condition or a method, using thescroll and carefully phrasedquestions.

Concerning the stranger, shenever saw him leave, but thenagain she is absolutely sure noone in the village hides him. Shesuggests searching the nearbywoods.

If Nora is friendly to thePCs, she even proposes toquestion the spirit herself, as wellas provides the party with a +1short sword, a scroll of protection

from evil and 2 potions of curelight wounds . Also, she may takea student in clerical or arcane artslater in the campaign (since she isa sorceress, she can train acharacter willing to embark on

this path).7. Marina’s and Igor’shouse. This empty house standson the bank of a river, opposite tothe church. Inside, the houselooks, not surprisingly, deserted – cobwebs hanging from corners,covering most dishes and plates,chair thrown against the wall,

petrified food on the table – as if it was left in a hurry. Of personal

belongings, nothing worthmentioning remains – severalwooden toys, “magical lamp” (atin lamp with phantasmal imagescut into its sides, rotates around acandle inside it and projectsmoving images on the walls),cloths, foodstuffs, flowers and

plants in pots (Marina adornedthem).

8. The house of Lutece,Marina’s mother. Lutece behaves

just like any other villager would,unless the PCs persuade her theyknow she’s Joshua’s grandmother (or, at least, Marina’s relative).Then, if she is either neutral or friendly, Lutece will bury the

party under the endless stream of cries and tears, intermitted withremarks of how she “knewsomething bad was going tohappen, I felt it with my achingheart!” If informed of thediscovery of her daughter’s

corpse, after another quarter-an-hour of crying, she’ll beg the

party to find the missing Igor andher grandchild, so that she begiven solace in the fact that her little Joshua is raised by lovingand caring people. Obviously, if PCs voice the doubt of Igor’s well

being, she agrees to take care for Joshua for herself (which isexactly the thing Marina wants).

9.Blacksmith. The smithystands opposite the “Pechka” anda neutral smith (CG Exp1) mayeven confirm that the stranger stayed at night in the tavern. Hewill also point out that the matter

was resolved when Mark publicly blamed himself for the things thatcame and asked for as severe

punishment as it was possible, butwas considered innocent bycommunity.

Otherwise, he may suggestrepairing any non-magicalweapon or armor and may evencraft one for the correct price.

Continuing the adventure

Hopefully, the PCsuncovered as much of a plot as itsuits them, found out the stepsnecessary to be taken if the ghostis to be laid to rest and are stillmissing 3 persons or their remnants: Luca, Igor and Joshua.The obvious solution with Luca isto backtrack and recover histhawing corpse in the forest. The

problem with Igor and Joshuawill, hopefully, be solved in thenext chapter. The idea is to makePCs to role-play, to make peopletrust them, so it is deemednecessary to allow an influencecheck only to those, who role-

play it. Any of the PCs whoactively took part in role-playingduring their investigation inBourge should be awarded with50 XP per level, while any who

personally participated in people’s interrogations, should be




58

awarded with XP as if hevanquished a CR 1 foe.

As soon as the partymanaged to uncover all the info

necessary and is getting bored, aboy from one of the outlyingfarms runs down the streetowards the elder’s house, crying

“Dead man! Dead man!” Heexplains to the elder or to thePCs, if they catch him before hemakes to the house, that he waswalking in the forest having fledhis farm chores, when he sawseveral crows feasting on deadman’s body about 20-30 feet infront of him. He saw the deadman’s face and cried out fromfear for it was Igor! The cry puthe scavengers into the sky andhey chased him away. He canake them where the body lies or he elder retells the story and

sends a boy with party, if theywish.

An hour’s walk westowards Harmonia, the party

comes upon a small clearing witha rotted body lying in its center,all covered with hungry birds.The animals consider the prizeheirs, so they attack anyntruders, but will NOT fight to

death, preferring to withdraw if aquarter of their number is slain.

Crows (12). As Raven,

MM 201 . hp 1 each.The half-eaten corpse isndeed Igor, as anyone in the

village will justify, if the body isbrought in Bourge. A gapingwound in his stomach tellseveryone that the hunter died aong and agonizing death. He still

clutches his masterwork longsword, rusty now after a monthunder the snow. A small silver

amulet in the form of wolf’s pawcan be found on his neck (itdoesn’t offers any protectionwhatsoever from lycanthropy,

because Marina unwittingly bought it from the charlatan),while dark brown hair can befound stuck under his nails(Search DC 20). The hair isYuri’s, torn from him during thefight.

When the body is broughtto Bourge, it is attended byLutece, for Igor’s family lives inInvidia. If the PCs do notapproach the hedgewitch, sheoffers to use her speak with dead spell on Igor herself. This she willdo alone although, if DM deemsit just, the PCs may be present.The questioning yields a

stranger’s description and twoadditional facts:1) He still had Joshua

alive when Igor caughtup with him.

2) He was going in thedirection of Harmonia.

The description is asfollows: tall, thin man with long,strong arms, long brown hair,caught in a pony-tail behind, cold,

dark eyes and hawk nose. Cleanlyshaven. Anyone who makesBardic Knowledge or Knowledge(Kartakass local) check DC 15may recognize the person as Yurithe Cold Heart, a bounty-hunter famous in these parts for hisunscrupulous contracts. If all thePCs fail their checks, then theelder, who is instantly informed

by the hedgewitch of such drasticrevelations, asks the PCs to travel

back to Harmonia and investigatethe matter.

As with the travel toBourge, the travel back toHarmonia takes 3 hours on horseand 6 on foot.

For details on the city,refer to the Feast of Goblynsadventure. For the sake of convenience, suffice it to say thatit is a city of approximately 1,500

people in southern Kartakass, theentrance fee is about 2 gp for

armed and mounted, 1 gp for mounted or armed and +10 gp if the visitor doesn’t knows the

pledge of Harmonia:Oh Harmony, oh Harmony,

A city grand and truly free.Oh Harmony, oh Harmony,Tis thee I always long to

see.To Harmony, to Harmony,

I pledge eternal loyalty.At this moment, the PCs

should come up with some meansof locating Yuri. This may be a

bribe (reasonably large sum) to alocal official, an interrogation atdocks and other seedy places of

the city (possibly also including a bribe), or a Gather InformationCheck DC 20. Presumably, the

party will spend the whole daysearching the city for any clue onYuri’s whereabouts. It is possibleto drop a few side-tracks or campaign backgroundinformation at this moment as thePCs are likely to hear manyrumors, not all of which concern

their quest. It is possible even toinclude an encounter with localthugs, if the PCs seem to snuff out for too long in one place.

Thugs(3). NE War1. hp 8each.

These guys are not particularly brave, so after one of them is down, the rest run for their lives.

Assuming the partylocates Yuri before the nightfall,he is spending his time (andmoney) in a tavern with anunassuming name “Weepingwillow.” The place is a favoriteamong local thugs, harlots and allmanner of rogues. Thecommoner’s room is full of roaring and laughing patrons,with billowing clouds of smokeobscuring the far corners. Yurisits in one of the corners with his

back to the wall and his eyestrained on the entrance – by then




59

he is aware of heroes’ search for him and decides to dispose of hem during a typical bar brawlhat he orchestrated.

You enter into the tavern’scrowded Commoner’s room. Thesmoke vapors of tobacco and thecheap ale aroma make a strangecocktail that slowly drifts in your face and through your nostrils.Then you distinguish the smell of a large number of unwashed human bodies and sweat, tingled with a fleeting smell of cheapperfume, favorite among local wenches.

Nobody seems to pay you

any attention as the crowd continues its business: playing cards and dice, toasting, slapping serving wenches, choosing among harlots, conducting shadybusiness in low voices in thecorners. The one you came herefor sits just in one of them. As younotice him, he fixes you with agaze devoid of any emotion, onlypure hatred. Then a cry “He stole

my pouch” comes from your left and a mug of ale hits you on ahead. The ensuing ruckus hidesYuri for some time.

Give the PCs severalrounds of pure swashbuckling ashe tavern explodes in a fight.

There are around 30 patrons inhe Commoners room, but

obviously, only few of them willbe interested in taking on the PCs.Note that these use their fists andmugs to deal subdual damage,rather than kill an opponent. Also,a PC who kills an opponent inhis fight, deserves a power

check. If any of the brawlers iskilled, the rest stop playing gamesand draw knives.

Brawlers (6). As thugsabove. hp 8 each.

After several rounds of combat, Yuri positions himself behind one of the PCs (he maymake a Spot check as opposed by

Yuri’s Hide check). He thenattempts to perform a sneak attack on an opponent, then continues tofight until either he or the party isdead.

By the nightfall, if the PCshaven’t found him yet, Yuridecides to make the first and finalstrike. The PCs are most likely tocease their investigation for thenight, so he tries to sneak intotheir rooms and to take them outone-by-one. Otherwise he strikeson some cold and deserted streetwith no lights to reveal the evildoing. Hopefully, the party isalert and doesn’t fall prey to the

murderer. However, if the party issleeping like in innocent baby andit all points to the fact of their sudden and bloody demise, DMshould warn the PCs of thestranger in their room – either bya squeak of a floor or a meow of acat. Mayhap, Yuri was not socareful and actually broke thewindow a little more noisily thenit should have been done.

If the PCs managed toknock Yuri unconscious – somuch the better, but if they werenot so careful – have no fear. Thekey in his pocket opens a certainroom in certain port tavern (notmany taverns in 1,500 town),where he decided keep Joshuauntil “things get low” and his“customer” got more agitated andagreed to pay a more handsomesum. In his room the party mayalso find a pretty sum of moneyYuri earned recently (about 500gp). Alternatively, the PCs mightfind only map that shows thelocation of the money chest andmay lead them on a treasure-huntadventure.

The PCs are now likely toreturn to Bourge with Joshua and,considering they have all themeans to destroy the ghost, it isup to them to decide which wayto choose. If the party hands theJoshua over to his grandmother,Marina’s ghost silently disappears(it is likely that no one will be

present when this happens) andthe church, once re-consecrated,may be used for the services oneagain provided the willing priestis found. This outcome nets 1.5times the XP for defeatingMarina, as well as bonuses for good role-play if appropriate.

If the party brings theJoshua before Marina on onecold, snowy night, then read thefollowing:

You stand before the altar.The cold winds outside howl and rise to an alarming cry, blowing clouds of snow through opendoors and empty windows. The

sound of the storm outside mufflesthe sounds of your feet shuffling

over the stone tiles or Joshua’s sobbing… A cold blue light appears and begins to coalesceover the altar once again. Slowlyand soundlessly it takes the shapeof a young woman known to youas Marina, her face wet withtears and her hair and dress

flying furiously on the chilling wind that rushes in the churchthrough now largely open doors.She looks around, taking in the

scene. Then she seems to notice Joshua and, after a moment’shesitation, stretches her arm tohim. The child, shocked though heis buy the sight of his mother hovering above, starts to cry. The

spirit’s face distorts as Marina frowns. But then she gently fliesoff the altar and drifts up to thecharacter carrying the baby here,her arms stretch as if she is about to embrace her child.




60

She gently takes the babyfrom your hands, taking his bodyo her breast and caressing him

with her hand. Child’s criessound progressively quieter,while Marina’s spirit seems toslowly fade out of existence. Thenhe moment comes, when you can

hear no cries at all. In fact, nosound at all: no wind howling, nodoors or shutters squeaking.Nothing at all. And you seenobody in the church except your awed companions.

The party should gain anXP as if they defeated the spirit,but no more.

Lastly, the PCs coulddecide to make it the old way – toay Marina to rest through killing

her by Yuri’s dagger.In this case, the scene

proceeds as described under thechurch entry in Bourge, only thatwhen the ghost is finally defeated,t will not rejuvenate. The

outcome is certainly better in thiscase, so the party could be

awarded with XP for the defeat of he spirit, as well as for good role-play (if appropriate).

Of course, the plot may beextrapolated so that the PCs couldbe asked to find the noble’smissing child, or the party clericmay be asked to substitute for father Nikon or find the some onecapable to perform a similar role.

Wolf CR 1; Medium-sizeanimal; HD 4d8 + 4; hp 13; Init+2 (Dex); Spd 50 ft.; AC 14 (+2Dex, +2 natural); Atk +3 melee(1d6+1, bite); Face/Reach: 5 ft.by 5ft./5ft. AL N; SA: Trip; SQ:Scent; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will+1; Str 13; Dex 15; Con 15; Int 2;Wis 12; Cha 6.

Skills and Feats: Hide +3; Listen +6; Move Silently +4;Spot +4; Wilderness Lore +1;Weapon Finesse (bite);

Dire Rat CR 1/3; Smallanimal; HD 1d8 + 1; hp 5; Init +3(Dex); Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.;AC 15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1natural); Atk +4 melee (1d4,

bite); Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5ft./5ft.AL N; SA: Disease; SQ: Scent;SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; Str 10; Dex 17; Con 12; Int 1; Wis12; Cha 4.

Skills and Feats: Climb+11; Hide + 11; Move Silently+6;

Weapon Finesse (bite);Disease (Ex): Filth fever –

bite, Fortitude save DC 12,

incubation period 1d3 days,damage 1d3 temporary Dexterityand 1d3 temporary Constitution.

Crow CR 1/6; Tiny animal;HD 1/4d8; hp 1; Init +2 (Dex);Spd 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average);AC 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex); Atk +4melee (1d2-5, claws);Face/Reach:

2 ½ ft. by 2 ½ ft./0 ft. AL

N; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2;Str 1; Dex 15; Con 10; Int 2; Wis14; Cha 6.

Skills and Feats: Listen+6; Spot +6; Weapon Finesse(claws);

Marina CR 3; Ghost (rank 2) Drd1; HD 1d12+1 (9 hp); Init+7 (Dex); Spd fly 30 ft. (perfect);AC 13 (10 while ethereal); Atk +3 melee (1d4, corrupting touch);Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.;AL NE; SA: Manifestation, Auraof Despair, Corrupting Touch,Entrancing Appearance, spells;SQ: Undead, Incorporeal, turnresistance +5, Rejuvenation; SVFort +2, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 11;Dex 16; Con -; Int 11; Wis 16;Cha 16.

Skills and Feats :Concentration +4, Knowledge(Religion) +4, Spell craft +4;

Improved Initiative;

Manifestation (Su): Whenthe ghost manifests, it becomesvisible, but remain incorporeal.However, the ghost can strikewith its touch attack or a ghosttouch weapon. A manifestedghost remains on the EtherealPlane but can be attacked byopponents on both the Materialand Ethereal planes. When aspell-casting ghost is on theEthereal Plane, its spells cannotaffect targets on the MaterialPlane, but they work normallyagainst ethereal targets. When aspell casting ghost manifests, itsspells continue to affect ethereal

targets and can affect targets onthe Material Plane normallyunless the spell rely on touch. Amanifested ghost‘s touch spellsdon’t work on material targets.The dark powers granted Marinathe ability to manifested only atnight, thus making the hours of the day more painful for her,since she cannot interact withanyone who comes to the church

during the day.Aura of Despair (Su):Those near the ghost are afflictedwith a deep apathy andmelancholia that makes actiondifficult. All those within 50 feetof the ghost must make a Willsave (DC 13). Those who failsuffer a morale penalty, equal tothe ghost’s rank, to all attack rolls, skill checks, and saves. Thenegative modifier lasts until thevictim leaves the radius of this

power. Those who pass their saves cannot be affected by this

particular ghost’s Aura of Despair for 24 hours.

Corrupting touch (Su): Aghost that hits a living target withits incorporeal attack deals 1d4

points of damage. Againstethereal opponents, it adds itsStrength modifier to attack anddamage rolls. Against material




61

opponents, it adds its Dexteritymodifier to attack rolls only.

Entrancing Appearance(Su): The ghost taps into thefascination living creatures havewith death, and all who look at itrisk falling victim to it. Thisability is treated as a gaze attack with a range of 30 feet. Targetsmust make a Will save DC 13.Those who fail are unable to takeany action while the ghostremains in view. Victims canmake subsequent Will saves tohrow off the effects. The number

of rounds a victim must waitbefore making another save is

equal to the ghost’s rank.Incorporeal: The dagger Yuri used to murder Marinapossesses the ability to hit anddamage Marina (and only thisghost!) due to its role in her becoming an undead. Hits madewith this dagger are still subjectso 50% miss chance, though.

Rejuvenation (Su): Thedestroyed ghost will reform in

2d4 days. The only way to get ridof Marina’s ghost is to performone of the following:

1) Give her and her husband a proper funeral and return Joshuato his grandmother;

2) ReturnJoshua to the ghost, sothat they can be reunitedin death;

3) Kill theghost with the dagger thatYuri used to slid Marina’sthroat.

Spells (DC = 13+lvl) : detect magic, light, resistance;obscuring Mist;

Yuri Human maleFtr2/Rog2; HD 2d10+2 plus2d6+2 (25 hp); Init +7 (+3 Dex,+4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30ft.; AC 16 (+3 studded leather, +3Dex), 17 with Dodge; Atk +6

melee (1d8+2, masterwork longsword), +6 ranged (1d8, lightcrossbow); Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5ft./ 5 ft.; AL LE; SA: Sneak Attack +1d6; SQ: Evasion; SVFort +4, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 14;Dex 16; Con 12; Int 15; Wis 10;Cha 12.

Skills and Feats : Climb +5,Gather Information +6, Jump +5,Hide + 17, Move Silently +7,Search +7; Swim +5; Iron Will,Weapon Focus (long sword),Improved Initiative, Dodge;

Possessions : masterwork long sword, dagger*, studdedleather armor, light crossbow (10

bolts with bloodroot poison),cloak of elvenkind , potion of curelight wounds .

* this is a dagger used inMarina’s murder, so it possessesan ability to actually damage thespirit, though the weapon itself isnot magical. Marina’s dried-out

blood forever marks this weaponas a tool of lowly murder (another

joke of the Dark Powers and a

hint to PCs).

Thugs Human males War1;HD 1d8+4 (8 hp); Init +1 (Dex);Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+3 studdedleather); Atk +3 melee (1d6+2,short sword or 1d4+2, knife or dagger), +2 ranged (1d4, knife);Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.;AL CN; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will+0; Str 14; Dex 12; Con 12; Int13; Wis 11; Cha 9.

Skills and Feats : Climb +4,Jump +4, toughness

Possessions : short sword, 2daggers or knives, studded leather armor, 1d6 gp and 3d6 sp each.




62




63

Hags are terrible predatorsbut they remain dependent uponsecrecy. Typically hags grouphemselves in groups of three for

mutual protection, allowing eachmember of the covey to assist oneanother reach a common goal.Though a covey is much moredangerous than a single hag, it isalso much more noticeable. Theravenous appetites of three such

creatures quickly draw theattention of the human prey. Thensidious magic of a covey hasittle affect upon an angry mob.

The claws of a hag may slashdeeper than a pitchfork but whathumans lack in strength theymore than compensate innumbers. To survive, a hag mustnever draw attention to herself. Its a lesson that a hag named

Kestrel learned with greatexpense.

Kestrel is a cautious hag. Shekeeps her true form hidden excepto those she is about to devour.

Most often she is in the disguiseas Goodwife Williams, a middle-aged widow. In this guise sheappears to be a plain woman of average height and build. Shedresses in drab cloths and rarelyspeaks.

In her natural state she iserrible to behold. Her skin is the

scaly green color of a serpent andt is covered with warts. Her noses long and curved like the beak

of an ungodly vulture. Her hair,claws and fangs are darker thanhe night themselves and her eyes

are yellow slits that burn withvengeful hatred. When she is

performing a dark ritual or meeting with one of her monstrous servants she tends towear black. Her favored clothingis a black dress and cape as wellas a wide brimmed pointed hat.When in her true form Kestrelallows her familiar to be seen.Her familiar is a black female catnamed Imp.

Whether she is in disguise

or in her natural form she is never without two precious items. Thefirst is a corn broom and thesecond is a simple bronze ring.Both these items serve asreceptacles for the energy of her departed sisters.

Hag, age category 2

Monstrous Humanoid,sorceress 5 th levelHit Dice 5D8+10 (40)Initiative +1Speed 30 feetAC 17 (+1 dex, +6

natural)Attacks 2 claws +8Damage 1D4+4Face/Reach 5 ft./ 5 ft.SpecialAttacks

Foci, Hag magic,Spells,

SpecialQuality

Spells, Spellresistance, spelllike abilities

Saves Fort +3, ref +4,will +8

Abilities Str 18, Dex 12,Con 14, Int 14,Wiz 15, Cha 15

Skills Bluff +10,concentration+8, diplomacy+5, gather information +6,

hide +6,knowledge:arcane +5, listen+8, movesilently +4,search +6, spot+8

Feats Alertness,combat casting,silent spell, stillspell, enlarge

spellChallengeRating

7

Alignment Chaotic evil

Spells memorized: 0 level: daze* 2, detect magic, ghost sound,resistance. 1 st level: mage armor,charm person *2, sleep, causefear. 2 nd level: hypnotic patter*2,invisibility*2.Spells Known: 0 level: daze,detect magic, ghost sound, light,resistance. 1 st level: mage armor,charm person, sleep, and causefear. 2 nd level: hypnotic patter,invisibility.Hag Magic: 3 minor abilities:Charm person, sleep, ray of enfeeblement.

Kestrel was born upon aworld far away from the land of mists. She lived like a typicalhag, devouring humans andworshiping the dark forces thathaunt the night. She, her mother and her mother’s mother traveledtogether across the land. Theywere a powerful covey for they

bore a bloodline thick withwicked magic. They were brazenin their predations and activelysought to establish cults dedicated




64

o the forces of evil and murder.It was the ideal life for a younghag.

It was roughly one hundredand fifty years after her birth thata mist on the road envelopedKestrels covey. When the fogifted the three hags were

surprised to discover that theyhad been swept away to a dark and. The cold ground was

permeated with the perfume of evil. The plants, the animals,even the weak rays of the sunwere somehow corrupted by acold malignance. The hags foundhe people to be naive and

unprotected and so the threefeasted. Village after village wasdespoiled. Families were broughto ruin and the greatest of the

generations were slain or corrupted. The hags reveled inhe evil they wove and the

destruction they wrought. Yet ashey spread bedlam they gave nohought to the signs of their

presence that they left with every

act. Within a decade of their arrival in the land of mists thehags were targeted by a band of adventurers. Led by a hallowedwitch the hunters followed therail of misery. In only a few

months they overtook their quarries. The party caught up toKestrel’s covey in a small townnamed Waywand, where thecovey was at work corrupting theyouth of the village and quietlyeliminating everyone who stoodn their way. The wisdom of the

hallowed witch allowed theadventurers to divine those folk unaffected by the hags’corruption as well as the secretdentities of the hags. The

adventurers rallied the people of Waywand and lured the unholywitches into a trap. Thepreparations were nearly perfect,for while they successfully lured

the elder two, Kestrel ignored the bait and remained in her lair.

The witch of Hala and her friends may have been no matchfor the powerful hags on their own, but the tide of pitchforkswielding village folk turned the

balance. The two hags werestabbed, burned and bludgeonedinto submission. Finally theywere dragged to the town squarewhere, according to legaltradition, the condemned weretired and convicted. By that timethe commotion had arousedKestrels attention. She watchedthrough the eyes of her familiar as

her mother and grandmother slowly died on the gallows.Afraid, for the first time in

her life, she fled. Kestrel randeep into the wilderness, runningfor days on end. She lived onanimals and hid in caves, tryingdesperately to contain her dread.Her covey was annihilated andwith it went her powers. Her magic was terribly weakened and

without her relatives to protecther she feared for her life. For almost ten years she huddled inthe gloom. As the years past fear turned to guilt, guilt to resentmentand resentment to hatred. Slowlyshe emerged and began preyingupon humans once more. In timeshe began building up her power.Kestrel has returned to the villageof Waywand, were she preparesto finish that which she started somany years ago.

Kestrel is deliberately slowand methodical in her actions.She has plotted her revenge for years, cautiously building up her fiendish powers and drawingminions from the area. Kestrel

has since had the bodies of her mother and grandmother exhumed. Using a powerful

black ritual she has gleaned

residual mystical power from the bones and transferred it into her ring and her broom foci.

Kestrel does not rely on pure magic to work her will. Shehas enslaved half a dozen ogresshe found in the mountains of Darkon. These ogres now lie inwait in the wilderness. Over timeshe has insinuated herself into thecommunity of Waywand, posingas the wife of a local farmer,Michael Williams. Michael is ahuman being under Kestrelscharms. Since the moment sheseduced him he has been a willing

participant of the hag’s schemes.

Despite his corrupted nature,Michael remains a simple man.When he has served his purpose,Kestrel intends to devour him.

Since she emerged from thewilderness Kestrel has been

pushed by three goals. Shewishes to resurrect the membersof her covey, slay the adventurerswho destroyed them and destroythe town of Waywand. She has

sought the council of other hagsand learned of a way to resurrecther mother and grandmother asundying spirits. To accomplishthis end Kestrel must perform a

bloody sacrifice and harvest thelife force of a powerful spell-caster. She is hatching a plot toentrap the adventurers who slewthe members of her covey,including their leader, a hallowedwitch of Hala. Once they aresacrificed the spirits of the twohags will be raised from thegrave. Reunited, the three willwreak unfathomable evil acrossthe countryside.

Kestrel intends to draw aslittle attention to herself as

possible. When she is forcefully

confronted, she evades. She usesher enchantments to create anetwork of friends in thecommunity. These charmed




65

ndividuals are convinced that shes exactly what she appears to be,

a simple farmwife. She reliesupon these charmed individuals tocome to her aid while in town, for she will not resort to using magicuntil it is obvious that her identitys revealed. She never changes

her form in the presence of humans, even when she is surehat there is no one else to witnesshe transformation. Kestrel never

attacks a foe directly. She sendsher minions to invade farmsteadsand set fires.

When she is endangered sheuses her magic and flees. Sheattempts to wear down resistancewith liberal applications of thecause fear, charm and sleep spellsas well as her ray of enfeeblementability.

Foci : Kestrel’s ring and broom are imbued with mystical

power gleaned from the bodies of her mother and grandmother.While she possesses the broomshe has the ability to cast the spellfly at will. While Kestrel wearsher ring she gains the ability torebuke undead as an evil cleric of 8th level.

Spell Like Abilities :Kestrel can cast change self atwill.




66

By Shane Glodoski

[email protected]

“I suppose you believe thiso be a welcoming from me; you

have entered my abode after all.Sit, rest, you still have a few moreminutes to live. What is this placeyou ask, ah yes; your mind doesbetray such simple thoughts. Whydo I not see that you are ignorant of such facts, very well, you have

come to the NecropolisShuraz’tun Kir. Of course in your ongue, you may know of it as The

Last Rest.”“That is all you need to

know at this time, you’ll becomemore familiar with its secretswhen you are better suited as myslave. What I ask of you however s quite simple; tell me everything hat you know of this land.

Stubbornness, well then, let meput it to you thus, the more that you divulge, the more you shall keep of your past when you aremy slave. Displease me, and youshall not even have that luxury,

I do like the occasional art upon my walls, or should I say asmy walls…”

Cultural Level : Classical (4)Landscape : Sparse ecology

Shuraz’tun Kir is a city of graves.Beyond its walls are lifeless sandshe color of ash. There are no

plants in Shuraz’tun Kir and noanimals can survive within theconfines of the walls. Theemperature remains as warm ashe desert though within the shade

of the tombs the air is cool andhumid. Shuraz’tun Kir is locatedn the extreme south of Pharazia,

on the border between thesweltering desert and the roaringsandstorm that makes up themisty border. The borders of the

pocket domain are made up of thegray stonewalls of the dead city.The walls surrounding thenecropolis are carved with imagesof everyday life from a small city

or town. Ruins of such asettlement are strangely absentfrom the area. The craftsmanshipshows no sign of any wear fromweather, though scratches andgouges can be found in the stone,the remnants of battles. Thesegouges offer may places to gain ahandhold for those wishing toclimb into the compound. Thesurface of the interior side of thewall is perfectly smooth andimpossible to climb by anymeans.

The only entrance to thecompound is the massive gatethat dominates the front of thefortifications. These bronze andcopper gates possess no sigil or design; it is a simple framearound a series of bars. The barsare comprised of alternating barsof bronze and copper intertwinedabout each other. The gate can beopened from the outside but oncea person enters he cannot forcethe gates open by any means.

The area beyond the gates iscomprised of numerous house-like tombs. The mausoleums areconnected by vaulted extensions.These complexes consist either of

a series of long and narrow parallel chambers within a singlerectangular building or a group of square and oblong "rooms" within

a single building. The walls of each tomb are packed with

bodies. Ancient skeletons arestacked between horizontalshelves cut into the walls. Withineach tomb is a single alcoveholding an arrangement of human

bones. In a few rare instancesthere are lavishly decorated

shrines. The centerpieces of theseshrines are heavy stone coffins.

Beyond the maze of stonetombs stands the temple. Thesimple building is cube shaped,decorated with columns carvedinto the stone. Between thecolumns are holes cut into thewall where once were windows.The windows have long since

been replaced with gray bricks.The temple is devoid of anyreligious icons and motifs, but itis undeniably a place of greatimportance. The temple is madeof a stone slightly darker incoloration than the rest of thetombs.

Beyond the temple lies amaze of tombs and the rear gatesof Shuraz’tun Kir. These gatesare indistinguishable from thefront gates. Like the entrance, therear gate cannot be opened by anymeans. Beyond the exit is aswirling vortex of mist andchoking smoke. This vortex is amist way that links the pocketdomain to Hazlan. Travelers whoenter the mistway from Hazlanmay open the rear gates, but thesegates will slam shut no matter

how it is propped open.Major Settlements : None.The Folk : The only beings

within Shuraz’tun Kir are the




67

undying slaves of the darklord.Their numbers are kept in aconstant flux since Mirogola’shunger and her impatience claimmany.

The Law : The only lawwithin Shuraz’tun Kir is the willof Mirogola, the darklord of thedomain.

Trade and Diplomacy :There is no trade or diplomacywithin Shuraz’tun Kir. All whogo in to the necropolis areenslaved or devoured byMirogola.

Characters : There are nonative characters within

Shuraz’tun Kir. None of Mirogola’s slaves have ever escaped the necropolis.

CR 7; Size M MonstrousHumanoid; HD 6d8+6; hp 42; Init+2 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+2armor, Dex); Attack +8/+3 melee(1d4+1, bite), or +5/+0 melee(1d4+1[x2], claws); SA createspawn, miasma, paralysis,summon ghoul beetles; SQmmune to paralyses; AL CE; SV

Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +7; Str 13,Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 15,Cha 16.Skills: Climb +5, Escape Artist+6, Hide +6, Intuit Direction +4,Jump +15, Listen +6, MoveSilently +6, Search +5, Spot +6.Feats: Alertness, Multiattack,Weapon Finesse (bite).Possessions: Cursed ring of sustenance, death shrouds, ghoulskin leather armor, boots of striding and springing, periapt of health.

Mirogola resembles anemaciated human near to death

from starvation. Her limbs arewisted and knobby at the joints,while her skin is a putrid greenspotted with marks of deep violet

bruises. Her hair is a tangled webof white fiber and her eyes are

black pools of shadow sunkenwithin the withered sockets.Wherever she goes, Mirogolaspreads the stench of a century of death. The lady of Shuraz’tun Kir wears armor made from the skinof one of her former ghoulishminions. Despite her hideousface, Mirogola is an imposingfigure. Her voice is deep and

booming and her skeletal frame isnever slouched. She is the lady of the necropolis and every blink of her eye expresses that fact.Background

Mirogola was a once priestess to a god of deathworshiped by the citizens of adeclining city-state. It was her solemn duty to protect thegraveyard of her city from theravages of necromancers and theundead. Mirogola followed her duty diligently, but she became

bored and careless. One night shefollowed a band of ghouls into a

crypt and slew the pack. One of the ghouls proved immune toturning and holy water, though it

bled profusely when it died. Thecreature possessed a band of tarnished copper upon its finger,which Mirogola claimed as her own. Little did she suspect thatshe had doomed herself.

The ring was a cursed item,it leached the energy from her

body and deformed her body.Mirogola tried desperately toremove the ring but within a nightit had worked its evil upon her. Itwarped her mind with hunger andmalignance, turning her into acreature similar to the veryvermin she hunted. Mirogolafound to her chagrin that thoughstarvation was excruciating shecould not die from lack of nourishment. The priests becamea cannibal, neither alive nor deadshe feasted upon the bodies she

had once sworn to protect. The bodies of the dead sustained her decaying body, reducing the painof her hunger.

The priesthood of Mirogola’s god had long sincelost power. The hierarchy of thedeath church had begun anexodus of the failing city long

before Mirogola’s transformation.By the time she succumbed to thering there was no one powerfulenough to harm her. The cityabandoned the graveyard and leftit to the ghoul queen. Bodieswere thrown into the unused

buildings and temples and left to

rot. In turn, Mirogola organized anetwork of ghoulish minions.These minions scoured the city of the dead, which were in no shortsupply. At the center of her necropolis she cruellyconsolidated power over theghouls. The numbers of thesecannibals dwindled under the

painful leadership of Mirogola.Soon the undying ghouls joined

their living kin in a flight fromthe city. Mirogola was left alonein her mansion of graves, withnothing left to devour but the

bones of ancient bodies.In time, Mirogola lost her

connection to her god and wasdamned for her weakness in theface of suffering. One day thefew remaining denizens of thecity were mildly shocked to seethat the graveyard had vanished.Current Sketch

Since her banishment toShuraz’tun Kir Mirogola has

become sadistic and irrational.Whenever the living trespass inher domain they are mercilesslyslain and transformed into ghouls.These ghouls live short lives, for Mirogola has little use for

servants except to torment themand inevitably devour them.Mirogola cannot be reasoned




68

with, she wants nothing but tonflict harm upon other beings.

Combat When faced with intruders,

Mirogola allows the interlopers toexplore the necropolis. Since the

borders are closed they cannotescape. Inevitably they will enter he temple and she will confronthem. When faced with a real

challenge Mirogola flees her hrown room and summons wave

after wave of ghoul beetles todevourer the interlopers.

Create Spawn : Anycreature killed by Mirogola’sfangs or claws rises as a ghoul in1D10 hours.

Miasma (su) : Mirogola isconstantly surrounded with anaura of pure evil. Any goodaligned creature within 60 feet of Mirogola must make a will saveagainst a DC 15 or suffer a –4moral penalty to all attack rolls,skill checks and saving throws.This supernatural fear effect endswhen the creature leaves thesixty-foot radius.

Paralysis (su) : Anyone hitby Mirogola’s bite or claw attack must make a fortitude saveagainst a DC 17 or be paralyzedfor 1d6+6 minutes.

Summon Ghoul Beetles(su) : Every four rounds Mirogolamay summon 1D4+2 ghoulbeetles. These beetles arrive in

one round and attack anythinghey come across exceptMirogola.

Closing the BordersThe borders of Shuraz’tun

Kir are perpetually closed. Noflight is possible within the wallsof Shuraz’tun Kir and the grounds too firm for tunneling. The

walls are too steep and perfectlysmooth so no method of climbingcan circumvent the walls. Thegates cannot be forced open from

the inside nor can they be propped open.

Small Vermin

Hit Dice 1d8 (4 hp)

Initiative +0

Speed 30 ftArmor Class 16 (+1 size,

+5 natural)Attacks Bite +1 meleeDamage Bite 1d4 plus

1d3 aciddamage

Face/Reach 5 ft by 5 ft/5ft

Special Attacks Acidic bite, paralysis

SpecialQualities

Vermin


Abilities Str 7, Dex 11,Con 11, Int -,Wis 10, Cha 7

Skills Climb +4,Listen +4,Spot +4

Climate/Terrain Any warmland andunderground

Organization Cluster (2-5)or Swarm (6-20)

ChallengeRating

1

Treasure None

Alignment Alwaysneutral

Ghoul beetles are seen as both as beneficial and as pests, for they consume any organic matter,

preferring that found innecropolises and other sites of death. With many seeking to

preserve the dead, these vermincan wipe out any chance of

raising the corpse; even the spellgentle repose does not preventthese beetles from making a mealof the deceased. Ghoul beetles

resemble molted gray beetles;some claim some even give off afoul odor, though it is usually theenvironment upon which thesevermin are encountered thatcauses such a claim.

Combat: Ghoul beetles live off the readily available food sourcefound in graves and places of death. Their weak acid helps to

break down calcium in bones andother organic materials, allowingthem to digest it. When there isn’ta source of food readily available,they have been known to attack those still living. The filth of their

food that they have eaten helps to produce a paralyzing effect tothose bitten.

Acidic Bite (Ex) : Anyone bitten suffers 1d3 points of aciddamage.

Paralysis (Ex) : Those bitten by a ghoul beetle mustsucceed at a Fortitude save (DC12) or be paralyzed for 1d6+2minutes. Elves are not immune to

a ghoul beetle’s paralysis.Vermin : Immune to allmind-influencing effects.




69

By Shane Glodoski [email protected]

The last rays of sunshine begano creep away from the horizon;he game itself wasn’t over yet.sella lit the wick of the candle,

setting the shard of flint and steel beside it, and then gently set thecandle on the table next to thegame board. The room waslluminated, leaving only the

dancing of shadows off in thedistance. Isella’s freckled facestared down at the ivory and black opal tiled board, its colored wooden figurines standing in eeriesilence.

The game was known as Kingsand Queens; she had played it often in these parts. Studying the

game carefully, her large rust colored eyes traced moves about he board. Sitting up in the chair,

she moved the jester, its mocking grin an equal to Isella’s own, asshe took away the knight. Shegiggled as she sat back down,staring off at the chair oppositeher, then glancing to the board once more. The other chair wasempty, as it always was. Turning

he board around, she went back tostrategizing the next move.

A clomp of metal upon stonebrought her attention from thegame. She knew who it was;mother had brought another manhome. The front door creaked as it opened; her mother strode in theroom, with her long red hair cast wildly about her back and shoulders. With his arm slung

about her waist, the man, adorned

in fur cloak and tall black riding boots closed the door behind them.

“Who’s this one mother?”She nearly spat the words. Thiswas the second one this week .

“Drevas, meet my soinquisitive daughter Isella.” Theman simply nodded, probably todrunk to even care. “Darling, whydon’t you take your game and gooutside and play.”

With a sigh she took her candle, leaving the game as it was,they wouldn’t disturb it anyhow.The door closed quickly behind her as she stepped out into the waning daylight, muffled laughter faded into the house. The man’s steed

greeted her with a snort, “If youonly knew, you’d not wait for your master.”

She turned to face the house,what was laughter was replaced bythe distant screams of horror.

Furniture splintered, as a crashand thud reverberated within thehouse, then in the silence faint trickling thumps brought her head up and the candle splattering upon

the door in rage.“There shall be other games,

far better then that one.” She kept her eyes on the door, thankful for the assurance, and for the flamenot catching the door on fire.

“As long as mother plays, and is the first to lose.”

The sounds of the house fell silent, the horse exhaled nearby,the only thing to break the

unnatural quietness. “Yes my dear, she will.”

Sleep, a luxury we all take for granted. The comfort of a feather

down mattress and wool blanketsis an inviting invitation to manythat have slept on cold dirt andonly their cloaks to keepthemselves warm. The road is aharsh place, though sometimes it is

best just to keep moving, letting nothought of ale or smell of fresh

baked bread to pull you away fromyour travels. And least of all theaforementioned bed of a nice cozy

inn or farm house; inviting as ever when a storm approaches. Ideal for a place to stay and wait it out, if only you knew about those thatcame before you, and where theynow rest.

This adventure details the thorpof Kretewood and is designed tochallenge a party of four characters; levels 5th to 7th. Thethorp and wilderness area

surrounding it can be transplantedeasily into any existing campaign.

The small thorp of Kretewoodsurvives quite nicely with itslogging and farms. What fewmerchants it sees pass through;

barter their goods without a carefor being shorted. Horses are animportant commodity in the town,and only Janna the widow seems




70

apt to finding them. Of course shehas a gift, many believe it to bemagic; they dare not learn theruth.

Janna has lived in Kretewoodnearly all her life, always on theook out for a husband; she seeks

only their affection, and then their blood. Course she is not one of theundead, her true form is that of ared widow spider.

Those who have lived in thehorp as long as her have turned a

blind eye to the oddity of her having no fitting husband, and not

piecing together the rare missingstranger. Few travelers stay inKretewood long anyhow. The towncontinues its simple life, and Jannakeeps her identity secret, all that isabout to change.

Janna’s daughter Isella, theonly surviving ‘child’ is further removed from her mother’s plotsand feeding habits. Instead Isellagoes about her own plots, rarely

aiding in her mother’s cover-ups.Of course, like Janna, Isella mustfeed and is as secretive.

While Janna is the laid back preservationist, Isella schemes,seeking to be more then a simple,overlooked daughter. There shallcome a day when all is corrected insella’s eyes, unfortunately she

draws the unknowing group of adventurers into her web.

Before running this adventure,he DM should read it through

carefully to gain a familiarity withts layout and various features. A

copy of Denizens of Darkness byArthaus is helpful in understandinghe Red Widows found in the

adventure, but is not required toplay it.

PreludeThe Night Hunters (EL 7)

This encounter takes place in awooded grove, when the party has

traveled on the road for a few days,and is still another day from anyother town or roadside inn. Allowthe PCs to set up camp, setwatches and do all the chores theywish before they begin to fallasleep. Should the players wish tocontinue traveling through thenight then adjust the encounter asdetailed in the notes below.

During the night, when nearly

all the PCs are asleep, they arevisited by a group of silent hunters.This colony of spiders is lead byone with intelligence. They dropfrom the trees on strands of webbing, seeking to debilitate the

party’s horses, failing that theyattack the PC that is furthest fromthe camp.

Those that have traveledthrough the night are instead

stalked by these vermin, whichhave set up a few of their near invisible strands alone the roadway to hamper the horses or partymembers themselves.

For those awake or travelingthe road, have them roll Spot (DCd20 +18), due to the darkness, tonotice either the spiders or their webbing. Those awake may alsohear the spiders, Listen (DC d 20+11) for those dropping down fromthe trees, or (DC d20 +3) for thosefollowing the party from within theforest.

Large Fey (treat as Fiendish)Monstrous Spider: CR 5; Size LVermin; HD 8d8+8; hp 54; Init +3(Dex); Spd 30 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC14 (-1 size, Dex, +2 natural);Attack +4 Melee (1d8+3 plus

poison, bite); SA poison, smitegood, web; SQ cold/fire resistance

15, DR 5/+2, vermin, SR 16; SVFort +5, Ref +4, Will +1; AL NE;Str 15, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 3, Wis10, Cha 2.

Skills: Climb +14, Hide +6, Jump+2, Spot +7; Feats: None. Note: Monstrous spiders gain a +8competence bonus to Hide andMove Silently checks when usingtheir webs.

Poison (Ex) : (DC 16) Initialand Secondary 1d6 Strengthdamage.

Smite Good (Su) : Once per day the spider can make a normal

attack to deal an additional 8 points of damage against a goodfoe.

Web (Ex) : Spiders often waitin their webs and lower themselvessilently on silk strands and leaponto prey passing beneath. Asingle strand is strong enough tosupport the spider and one creatureof the same size.

Web-spinning spiders can cast

a web eight times per day. This issimilar to an attack with a net buthas a maximum range of 50 feet,with a range increment of 10 feet,and is effective against targets upto one size smaller that the spider.

The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement. Anentangled creature can escape witha successful Escape Artist check (DC 26) or burst it with a Strengthcheck (DC 32). Web-spinningspiders often create sheets of stickywebbing from 5 to 60 feet square,depending on the size of the spider.They usually position these sheetsto snare flying creatures but canalso try to trap prey on the ground.Approaching creatures mustsucceed at a Spot check (DC 20) tonotice a web; otherwise theystumble into it and become trappedas though by a successful webattack.




71

Attempts to escape or burst thewebbing gain a +5 bonus if therapped creature has something to

walk on or grab while pulling free.

Each 5-foot section has 12 hitpoints, and sheet webs havedamage reduction 5/fire. Amonstrous spider can move acrossts own sheet web at its climb

speed and can determine the exactocation of any creature touchinghe web.

Vermin : Immune to mind-nfluencing effects

Large Monstrous Spiders (3): CR 2; Size L Vermin; HD 4d8+4;hp 22; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.,climb 20 ft.; AC 14 (-1 size, Dex,+2 natural); Attack +4 Melee1d8+3 plus poison, bite); SA

poison, web; SQ vermin; SV Fort+5, Ref +4, Will +1; AL N; Str 15,Dex 17, Con 12, Int -, Wis 10, Cha2.Skills: Climb +14, Hide +6, Jump

+2, Spot +7; Feats: None.Note: Monstrous spiders gain a +8competence bonus to Hide andMove Silently checks when usingheir webs.

See Large Fey MonstrousSpider above for all related specialattacks and qualities.

The spiders try to take a fewhorses down with their poison andescape into the canopy hoping their poison does its work, or failinghat, grab hold of a humanoid and

bringing the meal back to their home.

Should the Fey Spider bereduced to half of its hit points, itattempts to flee, using the other spiders to slow down any pursuit.

When the party continues onafter their ordeal with the spidershe next day, they come to the

Thorp of Kretewood during theearly evening, while the skiesoverhead brew with the beginningsof an afternoon storm. With no Inn

and a tavern that only servesdrinks, they may enquire as to a place to sleep and wait out thestorm, only Janna the Widowgladly accepts them to her home.

Kretewood

Kretewood (Thorp): Nonstandard; AL NG; 40-gp limit;Assets 106 gp; Population 53;

Isolated (human 96%, elf 2%,other 2%).Authority Figures: Frimund the

Wise, human male Com7.Important Characters: Janna

the Widow, female red widow;Isella, female red widow Exp2;

Nayell Omrithe, female elf Adp1;Kalfred Ranger, male human Clr2(god here / Air-Sun); Twin

brothers Tornis and Glenum

Meare, male humans Clr1 (godhere / Air-Plant); Svatt, malehuman Exp4; Aun, female humanExp2.

Others: Exp 1 (x4), Com5 (x2),Com3 (x4), Com 1 (x35).

Kretewood’s farms grow barleyand wheat, some of which for

brewing. A few orchards aroundthe thorp’s perimeter provide the

populace with apples, pears,lemons and different types of nuts.While those that do hunt bring

back small game and a few wild pheasants.

The following are rumors that can

be learned from a successfulGather Information or Bardic Lore,or even from good role-playingwhen talking to the local residents.

DC15: “We do well ‘er in these parts, what wit fine woods, finer grain, and a sturdy barred front door, yessir, just fine.”

DC20: “Dose hairy hunting spiders; roam about the forests,and roads dey does. Seen um chasedown the merchants and deir pack animals. Tis best to stay out of demwoods at night if you know what’s

good for ya.” DC25: “Kretewood does quitenicely with its logging and farms.We get plenty of merchants passthrough; bartering their goods

without a care for being shorted they do. Now as to our rich crop,that be the horses.” DC30: Detail one of the residents,

being as vague and untruthful asyou deem necessary.DC35: Only Janna seems apt at

finding them horses. Of course shehas a gift I tell ya. Few here have

seen magic, but she got it.” [END BOX]

1) The Forked Barrel Tavern :This tavern is owned by NayellOmrithe (female elf Adp1, NG),who is an elf that has lived in thearea, and set up her business, atfirst a brewery, it eventually

became the tavern it is today. Itsuse is mostly as a place to holdtown meetings and large festivals.

Nayell does not like to talk muchabout herself to others, providingno gossip if sought from her.




72

The two barmaids, who haverooms in the back, Teresa (femalehuman, Com3, CG) a farmer'sdaughter, and Jullana (female

human, Exp1, N) a poor merchant'sdaughter, are both tough cold-hearted women towards those theyserve. They have had countlessmerchants try to swoon them, butalways leave with a knee to their groin and advice to stay away.

Any common liquor is twicehat of the PHB, while the local

drink; the Lightning Brew is only afew coppers, though only for the

ruly daring.

2) Farm House : This is theresidence of Frimund the Wisehuman male, Com7, LN), thehorp’s elder and decision maker.

He still tends to his land, thoughmany do find an excuse to comeover and help him with chores.

3) Farm House : A family of 5, of

which the Aunt is a (femalehuman, Com3, N), lives here. Theygrow mostly wheat, and harvestapples and pears from the treesaround their property.

4) Farm House : This house of 7people consists of a father andmother (humans, Com3, NG each)and their five adopted sons, allend the barley fields, selling the

majority of their crop to Nayell’savern.

5) Farm House : This despondentgroup of men, (3 male humans,one Exp1, 2 Com1, LE) are former convicts that have fled their mprisonment in Barovia, hopingo hide out in this thorp till they

can find someplace safer and moreprofitable. They get by withgrowing wheat and pick what theycan from the forest.

6) Farm House : This smallfamily is home to a father, wifeand daughter, (humans, Com1,

NG) with their other daughter Teresa, working and living at thetavern.

7) Woodcarver’s House : Thisthree story wooden house is hometo the largest family in Kretewood,16 members strong. Thegrandparents (Com5 each) their son and daughter’s spouses, andfamily living on the second floor;

while the grandfather’s brother andhis son live on the third floor. Thefamily came from another town,hoping to find a better life here;they are all woodcarvers, cuttersand foresters.

The children of the house are19-year-old daughter, and two

boys, 13 and 7 years old belongingto the son’s family, with thedaughter’s family consisting of a

son 16, twin daughters 10, andyoungest boys 5 and 3 years old.The twin daughters have actuallytaken up the art of wood sculpture,and seem quite good at it. Thegrand parents are avidwoodcarvers and can producemasterwork quality staves andspears, while the rest of the familygathers and chops the wood fromthe forest.

Staves, clubs, and spears arereadily available, with lavishlycarved versions sold for extra gold.

8) The Temple Abode : This partresidence, part shrine, partcrematorium is a popular destination for farmers wishing to

pray for better harvests. The three priests that reside here; KalfredRanger (male human, Clr2, NG),and the twins Tornis and GlenumMeare (male humans, Clr1, NG)

tend to all religious duties aroundtown, from marriages to tendingthe sick.

9) Tinker’s House : This is theshop and storage place for allthings to be fixed within town. The

proprietor is one Svatt (malehuman, Exp4, LN) who tries his

best at repairs, but tends to be quiteslow at fixing things.

General items can be foundhere, though as to their condition itis anyone’s guess should they wishto buy something.

10) Farm House : This family of 4, the father (male human, Exp1,LG), wife and their sons (humans,Com1, LG) try to sell wheat baked

bread to travelers passing along themain road through Kretewood.

11) The Widow House : This isthe house of Janna and Isella; it isdetailed under The Widow House

section below.11a) Barn : This is where Jannastables the horses of her victims,and has grown an assassin vine toguard her property.

Assassin Vine : CR 5; SZ H Plant;HD 8d8+40; hp 76; Init -1 (Dex);Spd 0 ft.; AC 16 (Dex, -2 size, +9natural); Atk +13 melee (1d8+11,slam); SA Entangle, improvedgrab, constrict 1d8+11; SQCamouflage, electricity immunity,cold and fire resistance 20, blindsight; AL N; SV Fort +9, Ref +0,Will +2; Str 28, Dex 8, Con 20, Int-, Wis 13, Cha 9.

Entangle (Su) : An assassinvine can animate plants within 30feet of itself as a free action. Theeffect lasts until the vine dies or decides to end it (also a freeaction). The ability is otherwise




73

similar to entangle as cast by a 4th-evel druid (save DC 13).

Improved Grab (Ex) : To usehis ability, the assassin vine must

hit with its slam attack.Constrict (Ex) : An assassinvine deals 1d8+11 points of damage with a successful grapplecheck against Medium-size or smaller creatures.

Blind sight (Ex) : Assassinvines have no visual organs butcan ascertain all foes within 30 feetusing sound, scent, and vibration.

Camouflage (Ex) : Since an

assassin vine looks like a normalplant when at rest, it takes asuccessful Spot check (DC 20) tonotice it before it attacks. Anyonewith Wilderness Lore or Knowledge (plants or herbs) canuse those skills instead of Spot tonotice the plant.

12) Furrier’s House : Aunfemale human, Exp2, NG) is the

maker and mender of clothes, furs,and leather. While her husbandmale human, Exp1, N) a former

cloth merchant, deals the wares atmarket with their son (malehuman, Com1, LN) who wishes tofollow in his father's shoes andbecome a merchant, so he can seehe world. Their oldest daughter

helps her mother, and the youngests still only a child.

All the townsmen and familiesrade their furs and skins to her, in

return for clothes and leather goods, while she keeps a portionfor herself to trade.

Story EventsThese short events, which need

o be further fleshed out, can beused while the party is inKretewood. How many of them thePCs discover is up to you, add anddelete to this list as needed. Keep

in mind that Isella tries to paint her mother as evil and dangerous tothe party.

*The PCs find clues left by old

travelers to Janna’s home, whichIsella has not cleaned up despitewhat she told her mother.

*The party may find the oldskeleton of the previous owner inthe garden room, which Isella haddug up and placed there.

*One or more of the PC’shorses, animal companions or evenfamiliars are attacked in the night

by monstrous spiders. Use the

statistics as found in The NightHunters.*The party may discover that

Janna’s barn houses not onlyequines, but also spiders that have

been charmed by Isella, includinganother Fey arachnid that she has

befriended.

The Widow House First Floor

A) Entry (EL 6) : This room has been cleared of all furniture savefor a large, round, reddish moldedrug-dominating part of the floor.

Janna and Isella stay clear of therug, a deterrent for snoopingthieves.

This rug has been taken over by a scarlet mold. Evidence of itsacidic spores can be seen along thewalls and doors of this room with aSpot check (DC 15) to notice theacid stains.

Scarlet Mold (CR 6): A patch

of this mold bursts forth with a

cloud of acidic spores whendisturbed. All organic matter within 10 feet of the mold when itreleases its spores, takes 1d6 points

of acid damage a round. The areaaround the mold appears misty; theacidic cloud is how the moldsurvives. Organic matter is brokendown by the acid, which thencollects towards the mold, causingit to grow in time. Fire or vinegar

poured over it destroys scarletmold.

B) Stairwell : In the corner of the

Entry room is this stairway leadingup the Landing.

C) Sitting Room : This room istaken up by a crude couch of stone

backing and bronze frame, twochairs complement the couch, aswell as a table with crystal pitcher and oxidized copper tray. The

pitcher is the only object of value,though very fragile, worth 50 gp if

carefully packed away; otherwisethe shards of crystal only bring avalue of 5 gp.

D) Guest Bedroom : This bedroom houses the simplefurnishings; two low beds, smalltable with three chairs, and asmoky paned mirror and stand.The furnishings are all dilapidatedand tarnished with nothing of valuein the room.

E) Dining Room : This room isdominated by a long marble toppedtable and six plush chairs with gold

backing. The backing is actuallycopper with gilding, which has

prevented them from tarnishing.The chairs are quite heavy and

bulky, weighing 20 pounds each,and worth only 15 gp.




74

F) Kitchen : Standing in onecorner of this room is a crudefireplace. Across from it, stands asmall table piled with pottery and

copper cookware. A shelf of evenmore utensils and pottery lies uponhe opposite side of the room.

Everything in the room appears tobe relatively unused.

G) Pantry : This room’s shelvesare stacked with clay ware; all look untouched and covered in dust.The foodstuffs inside have longago been eaten away by mold,

which has left them all full of filth.

H) Garden Room : Around theperimeter of this room are smalland large clay pottery urns; eachcontaining dried dirt. Lyinghunched over one of the large potss the dirt caked yellowish bones of

an ancient skeleton.The small and large clay urns

once housed vegetables and other

plants; the dirt is all that remainsnow. The skeleton was once thehousehold’s original owner.

The Widow House Second Floor

) Landing : This partially brokenrailed landing winds along thewalls of this open area. Charactersmaking a Spot check (DC 15); cannotice portions of the landing areweakened. These portions causeonly a slight creaking whenstepped upon, allowing +2 to thosemaking Listen checks; otherwisehey are safe to cross.

J) Isella’s Bedroom : The door tohis room is locked (DC 35). This

bedroom houses Janna’s daughter,within lies her bed, withnightstand, a small square table,wo chairs, barren shelves along

one wall, and a long stone ‘toy’chest.

Treasure : The toy chest isanything but; here stuffed in the

box is “N’ygma”, a bronze bladed+1 short sword with gold platedhilt and alabaster pommel. Thesheath had rotted away along timeago. The weapon was one of Isella’s own previous victims,stashed here until she coulddiscover its abilities.

K) Guest Bedroom : This bedroom contains two beds, each

with a chest of drawers, and a tablewith two chairs. The chest of drawers farthest from the door isthe only thing of interest within theroom; its three drawers contain

personal items from a previousguest.

Tarnished copper comb, bonehairpins, set of clothes for both aman and woman, and a folded

piece of velum tucked in the back

of the center drawer beneath all theclutter.The parchment is a crude letter

or map, which maybe used todirect your players to another adventure you have planned.

L) Janna’s Bedroom : The door to this room is locked (DC 30).Along on wall stands a long tablewith a large mirror. Beside it sits adoublewide bed, across from thatlies a table and two chairs.

Treasure: The table has somecoins or jewelry upon it. Items of value upon the table include some

brittle parchment texts, greentarnished copper dagger, bronzehelmet, brass metallic disksengraved with scenes of regionslong ago passed away into history(these are ancient decorative

plates.)

M) Washroom : The dominantfeature of this room is a wide brasstub. Resting upon the floor beforeit is a large clay urn and against a

nearby wall is a small marblecabinet, with four folded wool blankets resting atop.

The blankets are preserved dueto a permanent prestiditation spellupon the top of the cabinet.Anyone touching a blanket noticesthey are slightly warm, and mayeven catch the faint scent of flowers emitting from them. Thewashtub holds filthy water. The

clay urn is actually a decanter of endless water that only has thestream function command words,Ayut for scalding water, Blyz for cold, etched upon it.

CR 6; Size M Shapechanger (RedWidow); HD 6d8+12; hp 45; Init

+6 (Dex, Improved Initiative); Spd30 ft.; 30 ft., climb 20 ft. as spider;AC 12 (Dex); 18 (Dex, +6 natural)as spider; Attack +6 melee (1d3+2,unarmed strike), or +6 melee asspider (1d4+2, bite plus poison);SA web, poison, fluid drain, infest;SQ alternate form, darkvision 60ft.; AL NE; SV Fort +7, Ref +7,Will +6; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 14,Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 17.

Skills: Bluff +14, Climb +10,Diplomacy +12, Hide +6*, Jump+4 (+10*), Listen +3, MoveSilently +6*, Sense Motive +10,Spot +3 (+11*). Feats: Alertness,Improved Initiative, Skill Focus(Bluff).

Note: Janna receives a +4 racial bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy andSense Motive checks. *When inspider form, she receives a +6

racial bonus to jump checks and a




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+8 racial bonus to Spot checks. Inaddition, she gains a +8competence bonus to hide andMove Silently checks when using

heir webs.Possessions: Masterwork tailoreddresses, various breakaway silver necklaces and bracelets.

Janna has long flowing brightred hair, and skin that is a bronzedan. Janna carries herself with

pose, and add to that her charismatic looks, it is no wonder men are often seen entering her home.

BackgroundJanna never knew her mother, living in the forest withher siblings until she could assumeher alternate human form. Her sisters all went their separate ways,while Janna came upon the thorpof Kretewood and quickly woveher way into the populace. Her marriage to Ammeran, a localhunter who had lost his wife not

wo summers before, secured her ahome and the convenience of hisfrequent trips away from home. Itwasn’t long until she ensnaredraveling merchants and lone

adventurous types into her embrace, stashing their wealthaway, and always greeting her husband when he returned home.People began to take notice of Janna’s ‘guests’, and spreadrumours of adultery and the oddityof how the men went missing.

Ammeran was outraged athe accusations when he was told.

He came home early one winter from a trip just to see that theywere lies. Janna had known of therumours, though hadn’t expectedAmmeran’s barging into the houseso soon while she was infesting ahapless halfling minstrel. Shesimply used his outburst of fear and shock to alert the neighbours.

The townspeople that came toinspect the noise never saw whatreally happened in the house.

Bloodied and distraught;

Janna spoke of her husband’s brutal jealousy and how herestricted her to a life of solitude.She told all assembled of her suspicions that he murdered all of those men to whom she had somuch as spoken. The current townelder took pity on her, and assuredher that everything would be better from now on, and bore away thetwo bodies to the crematorium.

The last of the townsfolk to leavethe house that night whispered thehouse must be cursed, and it hasforever become known as theWidow House.Current Sketch

Janna tries to keep everythingrunning as it has for her in thissmall town. She takes no undorisks, though tends to be ignorantof her own daughters dealings.

She gladly opens up her homeas a place to rest, though knows better then to use her abilities onsuch a well armed party, unless of course they just happen to look weak or unorganized. At her homeJanna will gladly sell the partymembers a horse or two if they lostsome in the spider raid, even goingalong with the notion that yes sheis skilled in talking to horses.Combat

While not afraid of running,Janna does wish to keep her secretsafe, and is not afraid of fighting tokeep it so. She knows however thatthere will eventually be a timewhen she must flee and move ontoa new town. She does so if ever reduced to 10 hit points or less.

Web (Ex) : Janna in spider form can cast webs as effectivelyas Medium-size monstrous spiders(see Appendix Three in the

Monster Manuel ). If she succeedsat an opposed Strength check witha creature caught in her web, thenas a standard action she can pull

the victim 10 feet closer to herself.Poison (Ex) : Bite, Fortitudesave (DC 15); initial damage 1d6temporary Strength, secondarydamage 2d6 temporary Strength.

Fluid Drain (Ex) : Janna inspider form can drain blood and

bodily fluids from a living victimwith its fangs by making asuccessful grapple check. If she

pins her foe, she can drain its

fluids, inflicting 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damageeach round the pin is maintained.Each point of Constitution Jannadevours sustains her for one day.

Infest (Ex) : Red widows areinstinctually compelled to breedabout once a year. After seekingout a charismatic male, she

paralyzes her mate with her venom, but does not drain his

blood. Instead, she implants 2d4eggs into his abdomen and cocoonshim in a web in her lair. Unlessremoved, the eggs hatch in 1d6days. Red Widows reach maturity(and gain the ability to assumehumanoid form) after one year;treat immature red widows asmonstrous spiders. Red widowyoung are always red widows, buttheir apparent race in humanoidform is inherited from their father.

Alternate Form (Su) : Janna’snatural form is that of a medium-size monstrous spider. As astandard action, Janna can assumea specific humanoid form as if using the polymorph self spell(though her gear does not change).When slain, she will revert tospider form. She can use her special attacks only while in spider form. If grappling, she can shift




76

from one shape to another whilemaintaining a pin.

CR 7; Size S Shapechanger (RedWidow) Exp2; HD 6d8+6 plus2d6+2; hp 41; Init +8 (Dex,mproved Initiative); Spd 20 ft.; 30

ft., climb 20 ft. as spider; AC 14Dex); 20 (Dex, +6 natural) as

spider; Attack +5 melee (1d3,unarmed strike), or +5 melee asspider (1d4, bite plus poison); SAweb, poison, fluid drain; SQalternate form, arachnidcompanions, darkvision 60 ft.; ALNE; SV Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +11;Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 14,Wis 12, Cha 16.Skills: Alchemy +4, Appraise +7,Bluff +14, Climb +10, Diplomacy+12, Disguise +7, Escape Artist+4, Handle Animal +5, Hide +11*,Jump +4 (+8*), KnowledgeGames) +7, Listen +9, Move

Silently +11*, Sense Motive +10,Spot +3 (+11*), Use Magic Device+6, Use Rope +5. Feats: Alertness,mproved Initiative, Iron Will,

Skill Focus (Bluff).Note: Isella receives a +4 racialbonus to Bluff, Diplomacy andSense Motive checks. *When inspider form, she receives a +6racial bonus to jump checks and a+8 racial bonus to Spot checks. Inaddition, she gains a +8competence bonus to hide andMove Silently checks when usingheir webs.

Possessions: Baggy peasants garb,with little to no adornments, savefor a pouch of newly acquiredwood carved game pieces.

Isella has her red hair braided,and often darkens it into a rusticreddish brown. Her rust coloredeyes are ever watchful as they stareout from her freckled face. Shehides much of herself, emotionally

and physically, but many younglads have not taken to that clue andleft her alone.Background

Isella was never meant tohave been born, for she was onlynarrowly spared the fate of immolation inside the corpse of her father. Fortunately for Isella thehalfling’s body never made it tothe Temple House, nor didAmmeran’s, nor did those whocarried either cadaver.

The red widow was rescued by a mysterious entity that

introduced itself as her “benefactor”. The creature spoketo mind of the infant arachnid andinstructed her to destroy her emerging siblings. It was simpleenough for the young shapechanger to destroy the tinycreatures. As each sister escapedfrom the halfling’s corpse theywere crushed and buried beneaththe snow until the next sister came

forth. The benefactor told Isella of her mother and how the woman letthe humans carry her off to die in afuneral pyre. It was a long year of anger as story after story wasspoken of Janna. The benefactor taught Isella to observed her mother’s habits, to learn her weaknesses. When the red widowcould assume her alternate form,she was told to stay away from thetown and avoid the revenge she so

badly desired. The benefactor spoke the words directly into her mind, so as to burn them forever into her memory.

“Your mother shall give birthto another brood; I shall show youhow to weave your way into her care when it comes to be. But for now, you must know the powers of your mind to better your chancesin this world.”

With that, the red widowspent another year learning tomanipulate to world around her around her, insuring that when the

time came to meet her mother,Isella would have her revenge.Janna’s next brood came, and eachwas slaughtered in the barn beforethey had a chance to emerge.When Janna came to check on her young, she saw only one daughter.Isella dropped from a web, quite

pleased with the bewilderedexpression on her mother’s face.

It would only be one more

year, Isella thought, enough time tolearn Janna’s weaknesses, to lureher into false security. Since thatmoment she has done nothingmore aggressive than destroyingthe broods of her mother. She is amaster player, slowly destroyingher enemy’s game pieces and

building her strength for the finalstrike.Current Sketch

Isella has many plans for thefuture, slowly working on eachwhile constantly deriving others.What isn’t known however is whoalso aids her in those goals. She iswatched and aided by somemysterious being with a deepconnection to the mists of the land.Combat

Isella avoids combat whenever she can; using her ability to

befriend the spiders of the forest atall times when facing danger. Sheclaims as her main defense to bethe adopted daughter of Janna.Even going so far as to show her true halfling heritage, and sayingshe suspected her mother was‘demon cursed’ and forced her todisguise her looks to that of Janna’s own, ala red hair.

See Janna above for description of all abilities except asnoted below:




77

Isella disguises herself as achild, though in all respects she hashe natural form of a halfling. Her

spider form is that of a Small

Monstrous Spider, and also cannotnfest others, an ability she is quitefond of being without.

Arachnid Companions (Su) :sella can charm arachnids like the

spell animal friendship , thoughonly those with no intelligence.Conclusion

If the PCs are successful inhwarting Isella and her mother,

forcing both to reveal their true

forms, and either killing or drivinghem off, then Kretewood shallalways call the adventurers asfriends. Despite the outcome,Janna won’t make it to another own, and Isella’s plots continue to

run their course by her shadowy

benefactor. The party may nothave yet faced the true evil.

Should Isella be successful inhaving her mother killed by the

party, she then tries to play uponthe sympathy of the townspeople,eventually being adopted by one of the families and slowly corruptingthem to her whims. The Thorp of Kretewood shall know a dark time,and while the PCs may think theydid Isella a good service, mightcome to realize, they are nothing

but pawns in her game.Magic Items

N’ygmaThis short sword appears as a bronze bladed sword with gold plated hilt and alabaster pommel.The sword is just as its namemeans in draconic, a mystery.

Powers : This sword acts in allways as a +1 sword, though seemsto possess more, as a slight tingleis felt when the weapon is held.

This tingle is from the mildmagical effect bestowed by the blade. Any blind individual whoholds this blade gains the ability tosee once more, though only in

black and white and only for solong as the sword is kept on thecharacter’s person. Crafted byEldgrim; a wizard that had his eyesremoved by a rival, it allowed himto read his spell books, and

continue his studies in the art of magic.Caster Level: 5th; Weight: 3 lb.

Creation of this weapon requiresCraft Magic Arms and Armor,darkvision , and the crafter musthave the Blight-Fighting feat.




78

The shop was filled with thesmoky scent of tobacco and the air was uncomfortably warm. Theonly light came from an ironcandelabra sitting upon theshopkeeper counter. Thegentleman negotiated his wayhrough the aisle between crowded

shelves. The simple shopkeeper

was hunched over his counter,staring into a dusty book. As thecustomer approached he lifted hishead revealing the thick spectacleshat sat precariously upon his

nose. Every inch of the old manwas wrinkled; his body wasspeckled in spots. From hismodest garb it was clear that hewas Borcan. He was by no meansout of place in Dementlieu, since

he harsh taxes of that land forced small businesses to emigrate.“Vat do you vant?” Said the

old man, blowing smoke from hisips. His thick accent confirmed

his heritage. An aged ivory pipewas firmly held in his mouth,puffing a bluish smoke into the air.

“Madame DeMaer sent me,”he said, “She said you could helpme with a problem.” With the

mention of the lady DeMaer theold man started to chortle. Hepointed his finger at the gentlemanbefore he could contain himself.

“So you are the gentlemanriend,” he laughed in his

breathless chuckle, “The one whocannot….”

“Now see here,” he blurted out. An expression of shock and humiliation exploded on the

customer’s face. His cheeks werealready horribly red. He couldn’t

believe that Lady DeMaer told a simple shopkeeper such scandalous secrets. Was it not enough to say that his scorned wifehad cursed him? That for someinsane reason the curse had cometrue? Why was she compelled tohumiliate him by giving away thedetails?

“Calm yourself,” said theancient shopkeeper, “I have manythings to help gentlemen in

situations not unlike your own.”

This gentleman’s walkingstick is made of a single piece of ivory, polished down to a perfectlysmooth texture. The cane iscomposed of a perfectly strait shaftand a decorated handle. Thesehandles are always carved into theshapes of exotic animals.Common themes are a cobra, anelephant or a pouncing lion. Thiscane is a precious commodity toaged scholars of the arcane.Possession of such a cane can helpmen recapture the energy of youthand live lives much more activethan the ravages of time wouldhave allowed. The owner of thecane is infused with the primalenergy stored within the cane. Thetrue owner of the cane becomesenergetic and virile. The physicaleffects of age are alleviated fromthe owner so long as he possessesthe cane. Owners who have beenhobbled by old wounds are freedof their injuries and weak bones

become strong once more. To gainthe effects of ownership, the owner

must take a short walk with thecane in hand every mourning.Owners usually explain this dailyhabit as the secret of their health.

The cane is a solid piece of workmanship. It can be uses as amedium sized weapon that candeal 1D4 points of damage andthreatens a critical range of 20.

The cane strikes creatures as a +1weapon, though it cannot confer anenhancement bonus to hit anddamage rolls. The cane has ahardness of 5 and can stand 25

points of damage before being broken.Caster level 6th level Prerequisites :Craft wondrous item, craft: ivorywork 5 ranks, Bull’s Strength,Endurance, Magic Weapon.

Portable timepieces are rareand expensive yet they are one of the most prestigious items agentleman can own. The hypnoticwatch is an enchanted timepiecethat allows the owner to mesmerizeother individuals in a fraction of the regular time. The originalhypnotic watch was a tool used bya spell-casting alienist. The watchwas mostly an investigative tool; itwas used to put witnesses into atrance so that they could beinterrogated without leaving themaware that they had beenquestioned.

The hypnotic watch is amasterwork timepiece. The watchis encased in gold and is protected

by a thick glass lens. The face of the watch is made of polished




79

silver and the hands are made of black iron. The watch has nowinding knob, for it is in perpetualmotion. The only adornment on

he watch is a long gold chain.Activating the watch requires theowner to hold out the watch by thechain and gently rock it back andforth like a pendulum. Thisactivation requires a full roundaction and provokes an attack of opportunity. Anyone who can seehe watch must make a will save

against an opposed hypnotismcheck by the owner of the watch.

Should the will save fail the targetbecomes entranced. While in arance a victim cannot move,

attack or defend himself. Theowner of the watch may then makehypnosis checks to extractnformation from the target. Theres no limit to the number of victimshat can be entranced in this

manner. However, victimsentranced by the watch will

automatically awaken after tenminutes.Caster level 6th level Prerequisites :Craft wondrous item, craft:clockwork 8 ranks, hypnotism 5ranks, Hypnotism

There are few things as

recognizable about a gentlemanhan a pair of spectacles. Theowner of these particular glasses,however, need never berecognized. The spectacles of anonymity were designed to allowhe wearer’s identity to be kept

completely secret. The spectaclesgenerate an aura surrounding thewearer. Anyone who spots thewearer of the spectacles must make

a will save against a DC of 15. If he save fails then the subject will

completely forget any detailsurrounding the appearance or identity of the wearer of thesespectacles. The effects of

anonymity are so thorough thatvictims of the aura cannot evenrecall whether or not the wearer was wearing spectacles.

The spectacles of anonymityare made of golden framessupporting two smoked lenses.These lenses work both as readingspectacles and far seeingspectacles for myopic wearers.Caster level 8th level Prerequisites :

Craft wondrous item, craft:glasswork 5 ranks, craft: goldsmith5 ranks, Modify Memory

When a noble child is caughtin the wrong, his caretakers finddifficulty in punishing him. Rather than strike a child of noble blood,disciplinarians punish the

playmates of the noble child,vicariously punishing the offended.Thus this procedure protectsspoiled children from pain. Butwhat happens when such anobleman grows to manhood andhas not yet learned to behave? Thewhipping boy statue protects theowner form the effects of curses bydrawing the curse upon itself.Much like the living equivalent,the whipping boy suffers in the

place of its owner.The whipping boy is a small

statute, roughly twelve incheshigh. The statue is made of smooth gray stone, depicting achild with his head bowed intofolded arms. The statue looksfragile, but it is surprisinglyresistant to blows. The whipping

boy is nearly indestructible. Theeffects of the whipping boy are not

immediately noticeable. The item

protects the owner from the effectsof curses. When the true owner of the statue is cursed by the rules for cursing, the curse is immediately

lifted. The curse is temporarilytransferred to the statue. Shouldthe statue be harmed in anyway, itimmediately crumbles to dust andis blown to the far corners of theworld. Once gone, any cursesstored in the statue fall upon theformer owner of the whipping boy.A whipping boy statue can bear any number of curses. As soon as

it suffers from a single curse aminor transformation occurs. Eachnight at midnight the whipping boy

begins to emit the sound of quietweeping. No matter where theowner is, he or she can perceivethe pitiful weeping. This weepinglasts for one hour, and during thishour the owner suffers thesymptoms of the horror effectdepression. The only way to end

this effect is to either perform theaction required to remove the curseor destroying the statue.

The whipping boy cannotremove curses that have already

been inflicted upon the owner, nor can it store the effects of a failed

powers check. Self-induced cursescan be stored within the whipping

boy. Curses that have no built inmethod of atonement or that wereunjustly bestowed are not

bestowed upon the owner shouldthe whipping boy be destroyed.The magic of the statue is strongenough to sweep away such unjustand unforgiving curses. Creaturesthat are somehow immune to theeffects of depression cannot beconsidered the owner of awhipping boy. Should a whipping

boy be stolen from an owner whileit is storing a curse the statue isimmediately destroyed. The stored




80

curses then befall the thief of thestatue. Should an owner die, thecurses stored in the statue aredissipated and the statue awaits a

new individual to claim it.Caster level 8th level Prerequisites :Craft wondrous item, craft:sculpture, nondetection




81

“Historical Catalogue Item578 B; Book.” The innocent label was belied the malignance of thetem. Professor Farnsworth

regarded the weathered tome withwary eyes. As curator to themuseum he was privilege toknowledge that could not beentrusted to the public, knowledgesuch as the true origins of the book hat now lay upon his desk. The

scholar frowned sadly as he begano write the rest of the record for he book. “Author: Unknown.” It

was a downright lie. He knew verywell who wrote it. OrmolusDeclare, a vile enchanter and scholar of black magic wrote thebook. It was none other than hisbook of spells, the repository of all his arcane knowledge. And what vile knowledge that was, thought he professor.

Ormolus had turned hisntellect to the study of the mind,

more specifically the study of nsane minds. For more than five

years the enchanter had delved intohe secrets of madness. In thatime he had mastered the ability to

unravel the delicate weave thatbound the fabric of the humanbrain. From that point it took himonly a little time to expand hispower. The wizard used his spellso sunder the minds of his enemies

and rebuild them again as slaves.With a growing army of madmenat his command, he has turned hiseyes towards conquest.

“Donor: Anonymouscollectors.” It was another lie.The curator knew the donor of the

book quite well. The mad wizard had made a critical mistake; hedrew the attention of the Fraternityof Shadows. Though Ormolus was

great in power he was carelesswith his own security, the assassinsdispatched by the Fraternity easilycircumvented the guards. Ormoluswas buried in an unmarked grave

somewhere near his lab, his spell book was taken to the Museum and

just recently it was laid on Farnsworth’s desk.

“Subject: Fiction, fantasy.”That brought a smile to thecurators face. There were only a

few people in all of Dementlieuwho wouldn’t regard such a spell book as pure fantasy. It was all for the best really, since the secrets inOrmolus’ book were far toodangerous to let out of the hands of the Fraternity. The professor

signed his name on the index card. He called for a servant, who took the book and brought it to themuseum’s steadily growing collection of fantasy literature.

EnchantmentLevel : Sor/Wiz 1Components : V, SCasting Time : 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target : One living creatureDuration : One hour plus 10minutes/levelSaving Throw : Will negatesSpell Resistance : Yes

Mind control is a subtle artnot a bludgeoning tool. Spellcasters can spread discontent andconfusion amongst their enemieswithout resorting to mentaldomination. This spell allows anenchanter to temporarily warp themind of a victim. The effects of this manipulation are thateverything the victim hears soundstotally unreasonable and eveninsulting. With a singleapplication of this spell a caster can break the most tightly knitgroups and sow discontentamongst his enemies.

This is an extreme variationon the charm spell. Anything thatanyone else says to the targetsounds like either a lie, purenonsense and even a little obscene.

Naturally, the target of this spell isvery resistant to any suggestion.Persuading a target to take anyaction requires a diplomacy check against a DC 10 plus the spellcasters level. While it might seemlike an easy solution, asking theopposite of what is wanted from avictim of this spell does notguarantee compliance. To trick atarget of this spell into doing whatis wanted a bluff check against aDC of 10 plus the spell caster level.

When the spell durationends, the contrariness effect ends.The target does not change his or her opinion about the former requests, though he or she is nolonger unreasonable.




82

EnchantmentLevel : Sor/Wiz 4Components : V, SCasting Time : 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target : One living creatureDuration : One hour/levelSaving Throw : Will negatesSpell Resistance : Yes

With the successful castingof this spell the victim becomesdelusional as though he or shesuffered the madness effect of thesame name. The victim suffersnone of the ability loss frommadness and completely recoversat the end of the spell’s duration.The victim can still suffer fromhorror checks incurred bycommitting actions that should bempossible in the context of the

delusion. At the time of thecasting the caster determines whatkind of delusion the victim suffersfrom. The caster cannot make thearget believe that something

different happened in the past;nstead the target ignores the

obvious contradictions betweenpast memories and the delusionaldentity. In truth, the caster can

only make the target believe thathe or she is a different person or creature. If the caster picks a moreprobable delusion, the targetsuffers a –2 penalty to the will saveo resist. At the end of the spellhe victim is unaware of his or her

past state. He or she remembershe actions committed, but cannot

understand why he or she thoughthat such acts were appropriate.

Enchantment

Level : Sor/Wiz 5Components : V, S

Casting Time : 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target : One living creature

Duration : One hour/levelSaving Throw : Will negatesSpell Resistance : Yes

Perception never reaches theconscious mind without passingthrough the gauntlet of thesubconscious. An experiencedspell caster can manipulate themind of a victim and implanthallucinations within the brain.Once set these hallucinations wait

for a trigger, after which theycause the victim to suffer from thesymptoms of the madness effect of the same name.

At the time of the casting thespell caster chooses a trigger. Thistrigger can be a word in a languagethe target understands, a specificsound, a smell, an image or the

presence of a person. The caster chooses a type of audio and visual

hallucinations. This can besomething small such as the buzzing of bees or be somethingmore obvious such as a horde of ghosts rising from the floor. Oncechosen, this hallucination cannot

be changed. The hallucinationitself does not last longer than half an hour at the longest, though itcan end on its own sooner.

Menacing hallucinations can provoke fear or even horror checks. Hallucinations that areespecially plausible can impose a – 2 penalty to the targets save todisbelieve during the actualhallucination.

EnchantmentLevel : Sor/Wiz 2Components : V, SCasting Time : 1 action

Range : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target : One living creatureDuration : One day plus 1

hour/levelSaving Throw : Will negatesSpell Resistance : Yes

Trust is earned but paranoiais the gift one gives himself. Withthis spell a spell caster cans sewmistrust into the minds of hisvictims. When this spell is cast thevictim begins to suffer thesymptoms of the paranoia madnesseffect. The character cannot trust

other individuals, no matter howclose their relationship. Thevictim becomes convinced thateveryone around him is part of aclandestine plot against him. Anyaction that would require thecharacter to trust his life, his healthor his equipment to another personrequires a successful wisdomcheck against a DC equal to 10

plus the spell caster level. On a

successful check the character grudgingly trusts his good senseand follows through. On a failedcheck the character either flatlyrefuses or pretends to go alongwith the plan and then escapes atthe earliest opportunity.

For the duration of the spell avictim is no longer subject tocharm spells, though he or she isstill subject to suggestions or domination. The victim recoversfrom the madness at the end of thespell. Should the victim comeupon evidence that others areconspiring against him, whileunder the effects of this spell, hemust make a horror check. Thischeck is made against a DC of 12

plus the victim’s wisdom modifier.Horror effects incurred in thismanner remain with the character until the character recoversnaturally.




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EnchantmentLevel : Sor/Wiz 3Components : V, SCasting Time : 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level)Target : One living creatureDuration : One hour plus tenminutes/levelSaving Throw : Will negatesSpell Resistance : Yes

Fear is a powerful force; itdrives men to violence, keeps themcowed before dictators and allowsa clever spell caster to manipulatehem. With the casting of this

spell the caster chooses a phobiafor the character. This can be anyperson, place, thing or a givensituation. Common phobias arefear of certain animals, heights, or crowds. For the duration of thespell the victim is deathly afraid of he object of the phobia. If he or

she is ever confronted with theobject of the phobia he or she mustmake a fear check against a DC of 10 plus the caster level. If thevictim is ever forcefully attackedby the object of the phobia he or she must make a horror saveagainst a DC of 10 plus the caster evel.

The phobia ends at the end of he spell duration but fear effects

and horror effects incurred byfailed saves remain in effect untilhe target recovers naturally.

EnchantmentLevel : Sor/Wiz 3Components : V, SCasting Time : 1 actionRange : Medium (100 ft. + 10

ft./level)Target : One living creature

Duration : One day plus onehour/levelSaving Throw : Will negatesSpell Resistance : Yes

There is nothing asdangerous as the unexpected andno assassin more lethal than atrusted friend. This spell allows acaster to implant a dangerous seedof madness within a target. Theseed lies dormant within thevictims mind until the target sensesa programmed stimulus. At thattime the seed explodes, filling thevictims brain with animalistic

furry. The target becomes a wild berserker, attacking anythingwithin reach.

With the casting of this spellthe caster designates a trigger for the rage. This trigger can be aspecific person, a type of creaturean object, or a particular location.When the target is confronted withthis trigger he or she losesconsciousness. While in this

unconscious state the character’s body is controlled by the spell.The character goes completely

berserk, shrieking and shoutinglike a man possessed. The targetuses any melee weapon andthrowing weapon available toattempt to destroy, kill and mauleverything he or she can see. The

berserker gains a temporary bonusof +4 to both strength andconstitution scores, but cannot useany skill or feat. The rage lasts for a number of minutes equal to hisconstitution score, or until he or she is subdued.

At the end of the rage thecharacter regains consciousness.He or she cannot recall anythingthat happened since entering therage. The character is fatigued for as many rounds as the character spent in the rage. Once the rage isover the spell is spent. The

character will not go berserk againunless there is another applicationof this spell.

While in a rage the berserker

prioritizes living beings as targets.The enraged assassins prefer toattack the most intimidating target,descending down the ranks to theweakest looking victim.Berserkers cannot be programmedto attack a specific person; theycan only be programmed to go

berserk in the presence of that person. For the spell caster, this isat best a crapshoot.




84

By Scott C. Bourgeois [email protected]

Nicholai Vincintiari waswidely regarded throughout thecore as the greatest crafter of musical instruments in the entireworld. His recent death wasmourned by many of the domains’greatest bards and minstrels, as no

man had ever loved his craft as hehad, and it was that passion thatgave life to some of the mostbeautiful and haunting melodiesever heard by mortal ears.

Vincintiari was born,unsurprisingly, in Kartakass. Hegrew up the son of a carpenter

iving in Harmonia, and every year his father would take him to theMeistersinger’s competition. Therehe bore witness to some of thepremier bards of his day, singingfor the honor of guiding the peopleof Harmonia for another year.From a very young age Nicholaiwas interested in music, however itquickly became apparent that hehimself was not a naturallyalented musician by any means.

This did not deter the boy,however, and he decided to focushis carpentry skills into trying tomake musical instruments. After all, if he could not make musichimself, he would help others to doso. It was here that he found hiscalling.

At ten years old, Vincintiaricrafted his first instrument, asimple wooden violin of mpressive quality. His father was

proud, and it managed to fetch afine price at the market, so

Nicholai continued to craft them.His natural talent and love of thecraft was obvious, and through theyears he began refining histechniques and expanding into

more and more families of instruments. By the age of thirty,

Nicholai Vincintiari had surpassedthe level of mastery of every other craftsman of musical instrumentsin Kartakass and the surroundingdomains. His instruments werefetching huge prices, and bardsfrom across the core werescrambling for the privilege of

playing one. Many of the names

associated with Vincintiari aremusicians of great renownthroughout the Core. They includesuch names as Andres Duvall andHarkon Lucas, who is said to keepa Vincintiari original harp under glass in his home.

Through it all, Nicholairemained a relatively simple man.He married young to lovely girlfrom Harmonia and the two of

them lived in a fairly simple homewith their four children. Vincintiariwas a loving husband and father,despite his time spent in theworkshop, and lived to ripe oldage. Nicholai passed away at theage of sixty-three, while away in

Nova Vaasa completingconstruction on a pipe organ withhis two sons for the church of theLawgiver. Though he didn’t live to

see the completed organ, it is

considered the last Vincintiarioriginal.

All of the instrumentscrafted by Vincintiari are

considered of masterwork quality,with all of the benefits that entails.They cost a great deal more thenusual, usually up to two or threetimes the normal cost. Then thereare the originals. The Vincintiarioriginals are all unique musicalinstruments of a quality thatsurpasses that of any other. No twosounds the same, but all createmusic so beautiful that none can

deny the skill of the craftsman whohand built them. When Vincintiarilived, originals needed to becustom ordered through him, andwould cost vast sums of money, upto ten times the normal cost of theinstrument. This cost went into thematerials and time needed to craftthe instrument, and few who couldafford it would complain.

Nowadays an original is priceless, as Vincintiari was theonly man who could create them. Itis said that there are supposedlyforty in existence; including atleast ten violins, six lutes, threecellos, three clarinets, two flutes,two harps, an oboe, a lyre, aharpsichord, and a pipe organ.Their color (Vincintiari preferredto create white instruments), andtheir markings can identify alloriginals as such. Forgeries arequickly revealed, either by




85

ncorrect markings or by the soundhey make after a prolonged period

of time. The benefits of owning aVincintiari original are notable.

They are far superior to even amasterwork quality instrument,granting an astounding +4masterwork bonus to any skillcheck required to play one.Moreover, they are very durableand hold their sound for nearlyhree times longer then a

conventional instrument of thesame type before needing to beuned. The originals also are of

such fine quality as to have specialproperties to their music, thoughwhat these properties are is up to acreative dungeon master. Finally,hey are also a mark of real

prestige amongst the bards of theCore, and any bard playing or carrying one in the company of hisor her peers is going to turn heads.

However, items createdwith such passion come with a

small price. No matter how pure asoul Nicholai Vincintiari mighthave been, his passion for music isa part of every original he made.They are therefore far moresusceptible to evil. Any cursecheck made against the owner of aVincintiari original (or thenstrument itself) receives a +4

passion bonus to the roll. Tragedyalso has a tendency to follow suchtems wherever they go, but that is

a tale best left for another to tell.

Vincintiari and Sons isocated on a quaint, out-of-the-way

street in Harmonia. Vincintiari’swo sons Markus and PetrosHuman Males Exp10) run it, bothn their early thirties. Both men are

friendly and outgoing, and well

versed in the craft of constructing

musical instruments. They are bothmasters of the art, but are not yetable to muster the skill to create amusical instrument that surpasses

masterwork quality. Their instruments are still of excellentquality, cost around twice normalmarket value, and are allmasterwork. They do have threeoriginals on display, two violinsand a flute, but they are not for sale.

There are nearly fortyoriginals in all, but several of themare particularly well known. Hereare the tales of only a few of them…

The Lyre of Laszlo TaskarLaszlo Taskar was the son

of a Harmonian laborer who was born with an amazing musicalaptitude. His father was proud of him, and also happened to be afriend of Nicholai Vincintiari.When Vincintiari saw the boy’sskill, he offered to make him aLyre for free. Laszlo’s father wasthrilled, and gifted it to Laszlo onhis fourteenth birthday, shortly

before his own death. Laszlo grewto be an excellent minstrel,eventually settling in Pont-a-Museau, where he becamesomething of a local celebrity. He

became such a known figure infact, that it was a shock to theentire populace when hecommitted suicide after a concert.

Though many suspectedthat his friend, Pierre DeLacroix,or his lover Beatrice LeFils, mighthave had some part in his death,the case was quickly dropped dueto lack of evidence. Laszlo’s

possessions were auctioned off and

each fetched a high price, but the

highest price of all was paid for theVincintiari original. PierreDeLacroix purchased it, but hesold it a week later to a local music

shop for a single gold piece, noexplanation given. Since then ithas sat in the window of the musicshop, a collector’s piece… butsome say the angry spirit of a great

bard haunts it.The Lyre itself is beyond

comparison in quality. It grants a+4 masterwork bonus to thePerformance (Lyre) skill of anyone

playing it. Also, any bard playing

the Lyre in conjunction with their Fascinate ability may maintain itseffect for 2 rounds per level, rather then the usual one.

However, the ghost of LaszloTaskar haunts the Lyre. Laszlohimself is a second magnitudeghost who can only manifest atnight, and only communicatethrough his music. He plays aghostly version of his Lyre as he

manifests, but the actual Lyre itself plays in concert with him. Laszlois seeking out his killer, andanyone willing to help Laszlo willfind his spirit willing to allow himor her to utilize the bonuses of theLyre. Any evil being attempting to

play the instrument will find hisghost less receptive.

Evil beings playing theLyre without first dealing withLaszlo’s spirit will have their fingers pricked (1 hp per round of

playing) by the strings, and willautomatically fail their Performance (Lyre) check regardless of their roll as the Lyre

plays discordant music.

The Nightingale’s FluteThere once was a musician

from Chateaufaux who was knownonly as Nightingale. It is said that acelebrated local flutist who was




86

awed by her talent for thenstrument had instructed her, andhat he gave her the very flute he

had commissioned for himself. She

ook her name from the onlydecoration on it, a singleNightingale. Nightingale had aumultuous career, involving a

number of romantic scandals.Somehow, however, she camehrough it all with her reputation

and her skills intact, and near theend of her career she was the mostpopular musician in Dementlieu.

Her disappearance remains

shrouded in mystery, and there aremany rumours as to what mayhave happened to her. Some sayshe left with one of her manyovers, but others suggest much

darker theories. The Flute itself was found in her dressing room,and put on permanent display athe University of Dementlieu. The

Flute itself was fairly simple, butof the highest quality. It was said

o have an uplifting quality to it,and made music like those of songbirds. Indeed, small songbirdsended to gather wherever

Nightingale played.The Flute is of fantastic

quality and tone. It grants a +4masterwork bonus to thePerformance (Flute) skill of anyone playing it. Also, any bardplaying the flute acts as thoughaffected by a paladin’s Aura of Courage. Though it is not a

magical effect, nearby songbirdsare attracted to the sound of theFlute.

The Flute comes with its

own unique drawback however.The Flute randomly affects peoplelistening to it with a Charm Person spell-like effect (will save, DC 20),making them amorous towards the

performer. Indeed, someone playing the Flute might findthemselves suddenly very popular with the opposite sex.

The Pipes of Law

Considered the last of theVincintiari originals, the Pipes of Law are a truly awesome sight to

behold. It was commissioned bythe Aerkebiskop Grecko Vistin of

Nova Vaasa at considerable costand took two years to constructfrom scratch. Nicholai, his twosons Markus and Petros, several of the Lawgiver’s clerics, and alegion of apprentices who worked

diligently for months to createwhat is considered a true wonder of the church.

The Pipes of Law are amassive pipe organ, set into thenorth wall of what was once afairly minor church in a town near Arbora. In the past year since their completion, this church has seen amajor influx of pilgrims, most of them faithful of the Lawgiver,flocking to see the Pipes and hear their legendary melody.

The Pipes create a hauntingsound with their melody, so deep,full and resonating that some say itis like hearing the voice of the

Lawgiver himself.The Pipes of Law are possibly the finest crafted pipeorgan in the Core. They grant a +4masterwork bonus to thePerformance (Pipe Organ) skill of anyone playing them. TheLawgiver has blesses the Pipes,and their melody strikes a non-magical Fear (will save, DC 30)into the hearts of any non-lawful

beings who hear them. Finally, anycleric of the Lawgiver who playsthe Pipes and makes a successfulPerformance (Pipe Organ) check atDC 30 may create a MassSuggestion spell-like effect as acleric one level higher thenthemselves.

There are some darker aspects to the Pipes. Any personwho hears their melody must make

a will save, DC 25, or have their alignment shift one step towardslawful. This shift in alignment onlylasts for twenty-four hours, or untilthe Pipes is heard again. The Pipesof Law are not to be trifled with.Any non-lawful being whomattempts to play the Pipes will findthemselves instantly struck deaf bythe first sound the Pipes create bytheir hand. This deafness is not

permanent, and wears off after only a day or two.




87

By Mark "Mortavius" Graydon [email protected]

The Cavaliers are the mostcommon in the domains of Hazlan,Nova Vassa, Pharazia, andSithicus. In Nova Vassa theCavaliers are the corrupt enforcers

of Prince Othmar’s illegal rule.These horsemen ride the fastesthorses in the Core and bear thefinest armor forged. In Hazlan theCavaliers are often Mulan whohave become bored with adecadent lifestyle and decided topursue a life of excitement andadventure. Occasionally theMulans accept Rashemi warriorsof renown, strength and favor.

Hazlani Cavaliers are distinguishedfrom other horsemen by their endency to possess minor magicaltems or even arcane spell casting

abilities. Pharazian Cavaliers donot fit the mold of the traditionalCavaliers, but Cavaliers they are.These warriors are alwaysequipped with banded mail as it ishe heaviest form of armor they

can wear in the hot desert sun.

Pharazian Cavaliers are usuallymuch more religious than other Cavaliers, they are enforcingDiamabel’s holy edicts with their righteous acts in his service. Cladn shining elf-mail Sithican

Cavaliers are indeed an awe-nspiring sight. Instead of horses,hese elves ride upon giant stag

beetles, combing through their rough forests with a much greater

ease than a horse could ever do.Cavaliers can also be found in

Falkovnia, Richemulot, andRokushima Taiyoo.

Due to the broadness of their focus, Devoted Defenders can

be found almost anywhere in theDread Realms. They are mostcommon in the domain of Richemulot but they have also

been begun to appear in Barovia,Borca, G’Henna, Har’Akir,Invidia, Lamordia, Nidala, Odiare,Paridon, Pharazia, and Tepest.The Devoted Defenders of Richemulot are unique amongstthe defenders of the Demiplane.

Not only are the Defenders protectors of the body, but theyalso protect their charges from thevicious slander that might bereleased by other nobles againstthem. These Defenders are asskilled at the art of bluffing as theyare with a sword.

Drunken Masters are veryrare in the Demiplane. Of alldomains they are most likely to befound in Borca, Sithicus, Vechor,Verbrek, and the islands of the Seaof Sorrows and the Nocturnal Sea.Drunken Rage (Ex) : When theDrunken Master enters theDrunken Rage, he gets a +4 bonusto Fear, Horror, and Madnesschecks, just like a normalBarbarian does when he or sheenters a rage.

The Duelist is mostcommonly found on the shores or islands of the Nocturnal Sea.These maritime Duelists are sailors

of great skill, for the Sea is harshmistress to those who areunprepared for her. Following the

Nocturnal coasts, they are mostcommonly found in Dementlieu,Kartakass, the islands of the Sea of Sorrows, and Souragne.Alterations : The Duelists specialattack options functions only witha one-handed piercing meleeweapon. Thus, a pistol could not

be used in this attack option.

Almost all Fists of theLawgiver are found in the domainsof Nova Vassa and Tepest. In

Nova Vassa they are some of thetemple’s most favored servants. InTepest, they are some of the most

powerful guards of the Lawgiver’stemples, and must regularly push back the Inquisitors of the Fey.Otherwise, they can be found onthe shores and islands of the

Nocturnal Sea or in Hazlan.

Ghostwalkers commonlyoriginate from Falkovnia,G’Henna, or Tepest. In Falkovnia,many Ghostwalkers were former




88

guards in the military. Thesecharacters are disillusioned withmilitary service, so they take uphe life of the wanderer. In

G’Henna, the Ghostwalkers areusually painfully thin and many arefervently believe in Zhakata evenhough they have taken up the life

of the outcast. TepestaniGhostwalkers are lone warriors,often out to destroy the Feywherever they can find them.Ghostwalkers may also be found inLamordia, Nova Vassa, Vechor,and Vorostokov.

Etherealness (Sp) : TheEtherealness ability of theGhostwalker suffers the samechanges as the Ethereal Jaunt spelln the Ravenloft 3E Rulebook.

Shadow Walk (Sp) : The ShadowWalk ability is similarly restrictedas the spell of the same name,detailed again in the Ravenloft 3ERulebook.

The Gladiator is adichotomy of sorts. On the onehand the requirements to pursuehe calling are not hard to reach,

and indeed many domains possesshe resources to produce

Gladiators. On the other hand,Gladiatorial arenas are far and fewbetween in the Dread Realms.There is at least one in Falkovnia,hough whether it is still in use isn question. Rumors persist of aand far into the Mists, a desert

realm populated by a savage folk who fight in gladiatorial arenas ona daily basis. So far such tales areittle more than the conjecture of

drunks spoken only in whispersdeep into the night. The domainshat are most likely to spawn a

Gladiator are Borca, Darkon,

Dementlieu, Falkovnia, Invidia,

Kartakass, Nidala, Nova Vassa,Rokushima Taiyoo, Sanguinia,Vechor and Vorostokov.

The Halfling Outriders areeven more rare than the DrunkenMasters, although in a fewdomains the conditions are rightfor them to be active. Particularlyin Hazlan and Nova Vassa. Inthese domains (particularly NovaVassa) the Outriders are known for the quality of animals they ride.Since the Halfling people usuallylive apart from the humans in theDread Realms there is not muchchange from the prestige class as

presented.

The Knight Protectors are people who have devoted their very lives to an ancient code of knightly honor and chivalry. Thedifference between these Knightsand Paladins is that the code comesfirst for the Knights. Goodnessremains secondary to their oath.Knight Protectors are mostcommon in Nova Vassa andPharazia. In Nova Vassa some of the Knight Protectors are in the

service of Sir Tristen Hiregaard,for his house is one of the fivenoble families and remains astaunch supporter of the oldKnightly code. In Pharazia theKnight Protectors have twisted thecode slightly to includeDiamabel’s influence and reign,and so they have become theservants of that angelic being.Knight Protectors may also be

found in Dementlieu, Har’Akir,

Hazlan, Richemulot, RokushimaTaiyoo, and Sri Raji.

The way of the Lasher is arare calling. The requirements of alasher are common skills for thedenizens of Ravenloft but mostLashers come from the FrozenWastes. Specifically, they comefrom the domain of Sanguiniawhere the natives are skilled in

both leatherworking and the use of ropes to aid them in climbing.Strangely, G’Henna is devoid of lashers despite the commonoccurrence of whips. This is duemostly to the rarity of theleatherworking and Use Ropeskills. Lashers may also comefrom Barovia, Borca, Hazlan,Lamordia, Mordent, The NocturnalSea, Nova Vassa, RokushimaTaiyoo, The Sea of Sorrows,Souragne, Tepest, and Vorostokov.

These sinister charactersare rare in the demiplane. Theymay be found in a scattering of domains but they are no morelikely to appear in any one placeover another. They may be foundin Borca, Falkovnia, G’Henna,Invidia, Kartakass, Nidala, The

Nocturnal Sea, Nova Vassa,

Pharazia, Richemulot, RokushimaTaiyoo, Sithicus, Sri Raji, Tepest,and Vechor. Sailors tell stories of a ship on the Nocturnal Sea namedthe Chained Captain, a mightyvessel that sports iron chains whererigging should have been. Theaccursed ship is said to emanatethe unearthly sound of clankingover the waves, and those whoencounter it are rarely heard from

again.




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As with many horse-relatedprestige classes, Master Samuraiare found mostly in Nova Vassa inhe Core and in Rokushima Taiyoo

where the class originated. Theappearance of the Master Samurain the Core dates back to a

disgraced Ronin who leftRokushima Taiyoo and through hiseachings brought the skills anddeals of the samurai to the

“barbarians” of the Core. Master Samurai can also be found inBorca, Hazlan, Invidia, Nidala, andSithicus. It is said that the Roninwho taught the secrets of theSamurai to the foreigners of theCore has become a ghost thatvengefully seeks out those whoabuse the Master Samurai code.He performs this penance for hispart in revealing the sacred tenetsof the samurai to uncivilizedforeigners.

These shadowy assassinsoriginally hail from RokushimaTaiyoo, much like the Master Samurai. They too have branchedout to other domains to increaseheir holdings and power. So far hey have had most success in the

domain of Paridon. Theseshadowy assassins have created asmall guild in that domain andsome of their members are former celebrants of the Temple of theDivinity of Mankind. Beyond thestreets of Paridon they may befound in Falkovnia and Valachan.Ethereal Jaunt (Sp) : The EtherealJaunt ability of the Ninja is limitedas the spell of the same name, asgiven in the Ravenloft CampaignSetting book.

The Order of the BowInitiate is most commonly found inthe domains of Sithicus, Sri Raji,Valachan, and Verbrek. Thereclusive woodsmen of Valachanand Verbrek are particularly takenwith this class as the skills it offersserve them well against the forest

predators of their domains.

Some of those who followthe Wolf God of Verbrek havetaken up the path of the Ravager.The wolf god fills the role usuallyreserved for Erythnul. Althoughthe human natives of Verbrek arenot prone to taking this class thereare other domains with moreaccepting people. Ironically, themost commonly found domainswith Ravagers are those religiousdomains, Nidala and Tepest. Theinhabitants turn their naturalknowledge of religion to dark endsand embrace the wildness of theWolf God into their hearts. InTepest these people often turn their

backs upon civilization and become wild and savage like thegoblins of their homeland. In

Nidala the Ravagers are muchmore religious in bent althoughthey still live wildly in the woodsin the east of the domain, far fromElena Faith-Hold’s reach. Other domains with likely candidates for the Ravagers are Falkovnia,G’Henna, Har’Akir, Invidia, NovaVassa, Sanguinia, Sithicus,Vechor, and Vorostokov.Cruelest Cut & Pain Touch (Su) :The Cruelest Cut & Pain Touchabilities of the Ravager are evilacts. Whenever a ravager uses

them he must make a PowersCheck. The value of the check isdetermined using the same chanceof failure as a grievous assault.

Red AvengerRed Avengers come almost

exclusively from the domains of Paridon, Rokushima Taiyoo, andSri Raji. The philosophy of theRed Avenger dictates that hisabilities and vital energy is derivedfrom the mystical force of Ki.This school of thought is firmlyentrenched in Rokushima Taiyooand Sri Raji. In Paridon, some of those who have studied at theTemple of the Divine Form havetaken this belief and incorporated itinto their religious dogma. WhilstRed Avengers in RokushimaTaiyoo and Sri Raji are prominentindividuals they are usually verycovert and unremarkable inParidon, at least until they revealtheir abilities.

The Tribal Protector isunique among the other classes

because it is available only tononhuman creatures of thedemiplane. Of the standard PCraces, only Calibans may take thisclass and they must also fit therole-playing requirement by

becoming a member of a tribe. Asto domains, Tribal Protectors aremost likely to hail from Sanguiniaor Vorostokov. Only such harshdomains have the necessary

brutality to forge the Protectors.Otherwise, they may be foundamongst the Goblyns of Forlorn or the Goblins of Tepest.Alterations : The Tribal Enemychoice may be one type of racial

inhabitant of a domain. Exampleswould be all Humans in Barovia or




90

all Elves in Sithicus. TheHomeland choice should be theTribal Protector’s home domain.

The Warmasters hail froma variety of domains; principallyDementlieu, Pharazia, Richemulot,Rokushima Taiyoo, and Sri Raji.n Dementlieu and Richemulot the

Warmasters are usually eminentmembers of the military. Thesemen are high-ranking officers incharge of the Mutual Defense Pacthat Borca, Dementlieu, Mordent

& Richemulot have againstFalkovnia. Surprisingly, there arefew Warmasters in Falkovnia. Thebrutality of Vlad Drakov’s ruleprecludes many from choosing thisclass in that land. In Pharazia theWarmasters are elite warriors incharge of eliminating the nomadsof the desert who evadeDiamabel’s rule. WithinRokushima Taiyoo and Sri Raji theWarmasters are much moremeditative and sedate, preferring to

hone their abilities so that combatcan be avoided rather than joined.

The Weapon Masters are asvaried as the domains they comefrom. Primarily found in the landsof Borca, Invidia, the NocturnalSea, Pharazia, the Sea of Sorrows,Sithicusand Vechor, eachspecializes in a single weapon. InBorca & Invidia, Dagger Mastersand Pistol Masters are the mostcommon. The weapon masters of the Nocturnal Sea and the Sea of Sorrows are predominantly mastersof the rapier. Pharazia features itsfamed dancing Scimitar masters,

particularly among the Nomads of the desert. The elven land of Sithicus has Long Sword Mastersand Composite Longbow Masters.Finally, the exotic island of Vechor has Kukri Masters, a weapon notoften seen in other lands of theCore. Other lands that may haveWeapon Masters are Falkovnia,G’Henna, Kartakass, Nidala, NovaVassa, Odiare, Richemulot,

Rokushima Taiyoo, Tepest, and SriRaji.

CL 1 : Fukimi-Bari, HalflingSkiprock, Orcish Shotput, andTwo-Ball Bolas

CL 2 : Bladed Gauntlet, Harpoon,Stump Knife, Three-Section Staff,Triple Dagger, Ward Cestus, andWhip Dagger

CL 3 : Duom, Manti, SpinningJavelin, Spring-Loaded Gauntlet,and Warfan

CL 4 : Alchemist’s Arrow

CL 5 : Chain-and-Dagger

CL 6 : Gnomish Battlepick,Fullblade, Great Crossbow,

Gyrspike, Mercurial Long Sword,Mercurial Great sword, andTumbling Bolt




91

Despite the influence of the

Red Death, the forces of magic stillnfuse the world of Gothic Earth.

The magical energies are bothchaotic and powerful, and yet aselect few humans seem to havegained a kind of mastery over it.

These rare individuals are knownas adepts, and they are theconductors in the symphony of magic. These individuals have theunique ability to command theforces of magic through sheer personality. The powers of anadept manifest develop atadolescence, though theseblossoming powers are oftengnored. Many potential adepts

never realize their potential,dismissing the manifestation of heir power as tricks of the mind.

Few adepts realize their potentialand begin to explore their powers.Adepts are historically regarded assorcerers, witches or evencharlatans. There are few whoruly understand the nature of

adepts, though there are many whodesire to exploit them. Adepts canbe found working as members of qabals, as stage magicians, or asadventurers seeking hiddenanswers.

Abilities of the Adept :Adepts are to Gothic Earth whatsorcerers are to most primematerial worlds. Adepts gain hitdice as sorcerers, cast spells andgain spells as sorcerers, andadvance in skill points, savebonuses and attack bonuses assorcerers. The class skills of an

adept are alchemy, bluff,concentration, craft (any),diplomacy, hide, knowledge (any),mesmerism, move silently,mysticism, profession (any), spellcraft. Adepts are proficient with all

pistols and simple weapons, andare not proficient in any form of armor. Adepts learn spells from the

same list that sorcerers use to gainspells. Adepts may use magicalitems as sorcerers and adepts maycast bonus spells appropriate totheir charisma scores. Adepts maysummon familiars as sorcerers.Such familiars will be dreadfamiliars.

The Command : Adepts havethe ability to cast a certain number of spells each day. This represents

the limitation of the adept’s forceof personality. When an adeptexpends all spells within a twenty-four hour period, the adept isdrained and cannot cast any morespells. An adept regains hisforceful personality only througheight hours of rest. When casting aspell, the adept must make acharisma check equal to 10 plusthe level of the spell cast. This

checks represent the force of theadepts personality placed againstthe resistance of the natural world.If the check succeeds, the spell iscast as normal. If the check fails,the adept has failed to commandthe energies of the universe and thespell is not cast. The failed spelldoes not count against the totalnumber of spells that an adept cancast each day. An adept has several

options available when casting a

spell. An adept can cast any spellknown to him, and mayspontaneously decide to sacrifice aspell of higher level to cast a spellof a lower level. An adept canapply any spell casting feat knownto any spell cast, without

preparation.The Drain : Though the

energies of magic are bountiful,the presence of the Red Deathcreates an energy vacuum thatconstantly drains magical energyfrom spell casters. For an adeptthe energies of magic are tooclosely linked to his own

personality. Thus each time anadept successfully casts a spellthere is the possibility that his

body succumbs to the energy

vacuum and the adept loses a portion of his force of personality.Whenever a spell is successfullycast, the adept must make afortitude save against a DC of 10

plus the level of the spell. If thesave is successful, then the adept’s

body has withstood the vacuumand suffers no adverse effects. If the save is failed, the adept’s

personality is drained. An adept

thus drained loses the ability castany more spells of the level of thespell just cast. An adept retains theability to sacrifice spells of ahigher level to cast spells of thelevel just lost, so an adept that lostall second level spells maysacrifice a third level spell to cast asecond level spell. The effects of the drain last until the adept restsfor eight hours.




92

Aristocrats represent thewealthy elite of gothic earth.These men and women are welleducated but they focus their

efforts on mastering the socialgraces. Aristocrats can be wealthybusinessmen, nobles or pampereddandies. A person who hasbecome a celebrity, or is a fixtureof higher social circles may takeevels as an aristocrat.

Aristocrats advance in baseattack bonus as clerics of the sameevel, and advance in savinghrows as wizards of the same

evel. Characters of the aristocratclass use the D6 as their hit dice.Aristocrats are proficient with allpistols and simple weapons.Characters of the aristocrat classgain skill points equal to six plusheir intelligence modifier at everyevel, and four times that amount at

first level. The class skills of anaristocrat are appraise, bluff,diplomacy, disguise, forgery,

gather information, handle animal,nnuendo, intimidate, knowledgeany), listen, perform, read lips,

ride, sense motive, speak anguages, spot.

Discretion : The world of thearistocrat is woven together withequal parts of truth and lies. Tosucceed in that world an aristocratmust be able to separate the two.Aristocrats train themselves tonotice the hidden elements of anynteraction. An aristocrat takes

nothing at face value, but insteadscrutinizes everything. At secondevel an aristocrat gains a +1nsight bonus to all sense motive

checks. This bonus increases to+2 at fifth level and increases by+1 every three levels afterward.Thus, an eighth level aristocratwould possess a +3 insight bonuso sense motive checks.

Expertise : At fourth level anaristocrat may take skill focus as a

bonus feat. This bonus feat must beapplied to one of the aristocrat’s

class skills. The aristocrat receivesanother bonus skill focus feat ateighth level, twelfth level,sixteenth level and twentieth level.

Noble Tongue : Just as asuccessful aristocrat must be ableto discern the truth, he must also

be able to speak lies. Aristocrats become experienced in disguisingtheir motivations, at misdirectionand weaving intricate webs of

falsehoods. At second level anaristocrat gains a +1 insight bonusto bluff checks. At sixth level andevery four levels afterward theinsight bonus increases by +1.

Power is Knowledge : OnGothic Earth there are manyindividuals who are willing totrade knowledge for favors. As

people of power aristocrats areoften privileged to knowledge that

is hidden from others. Often thisinformation is little better thangossip, but occasionally importanttidbits filter their way to anaristocrat’s ears. As an aristocratgains influence he accumulatesmore and more information,eventually becoming a font of knowledge. An aristocrat mayattempt a special Gossip check todetermine if he knows somerelevant information about a given

person, place or thing. This check is made with a bonus equal to hislevel in the aristocrat class plus hisintelligence modifier. Thedifficulty class of the check increases with the obscurity of theinformation. Knowledge thatwould be commonly knownamongst nobility will carry a DCof ten. For example; recalling thename of the Czar of Russiarequires a DC of 10.

Knowledge that is notcommonly discussed carries a DCof 15. For example, recalling thatthe youngest son of Czar Nicholas

is gripped by hemophilia wouldrequire a DC of fifteen. Anythingthat would commonly be known toa commoner also fits under thiscategory. Knowledge that isunusually obscure or kept tightlysecret carries a DC of twenty. For example, knowing the name of theBritish Ambassador to Siam wouldcarry a DC of 20.

The Gossip check carries

certain modifiers. Checks made torecall knowledge regarding persons, places or things within thesame nation from which thearistocrat owes allegiance carries a

bonus of +2 to the Gossip check.Checks made regarding all other nations on that same continentcarry a modifier of zero. Gossipchecks regarding persons, places or things in other nations on other

continents carry a penalty of –2 tothe check. Checks regardingnations that are currently at war with the aristocrat’s nation of allegiance carry a penalty of –5.

Renown : In the age beforecinema the adventures andmisadventures of the world’snobility were a topic of greatdiscussion amongst people from allwalks of life. The very power andwealth that defines an aristocratdraws the attention of all membersof society. As an aristocrat gainsexperience he cannot help but gaina celebrity status. his status givesan aristocrat a powerful edge insocial interaction of any kind. Atfirst level an aristocrat gains a +1renowned bonus to all diplomacychecks. At third level and everythird level afterwards the bonusincreases by 1. Thus, a fifteenthlevel aristocrat would possess a +6




93

renowned bonus to diplomacychecks. This bonus only applieswhen used in negotiations withcharacters that could feasibly have

been exposed to the reputation of he aristocrat character. For example, a British general couldapply his bonus to discussions withexperienced German officers butnot with a band of green Americanconscripts.

Stiff Upper Lip : Anaristocrat that loses his composures no aristocrat at all. While not

normally courageous, an aristocrat

would rather die than lose hisdignity. At first level an aristocratgains a +1 moral bonus to resistfear effects and fear checks. Thisbonus increases by +1 at fourthevel and every four levels

afterward.

The criminal class represents

hose in society who live outsidehe law. While these men and

women are reviled as evil parasitesheir skills are overlooked.

Criminals hone skills that areunpracticed by most members insociety, they specialize indeception, burglary and stealth.Most criminals are not evil bynature, but rather they are peoplewho have resorted to crime tomake ends meet. Others are thugsor cold-blooded assassins. Thecriminal class applies to anyonewho supports themselves bybreaking laws. Criminals use theD6 as a hit dice and progress insaving throws and base attack bonus as rogues of the same level.At each level the rogue gains anumber of skill points equal to 8plus the intelligence modifier,except at first level when the roguegains four times that amount.

The class skills of a criminalare appraise, balance, bluff, climb,craft (any), decipher script,diplomacy, disable device,

disguise, escape artist, forgery,gather information, hide, innuendo,intimidate, intuit direction, jump,listen, move silently, open lock,

perform, pick pockets, profession,read lips, search, sense motive,spot, swim, tumble and use rope.

A criminal is proficient in theuse of any firearm and all simpleweapons. A criminal is not

proficient in any form of armor or

shields. Whenever a criminalattacks a character that is deniedhis dexterity bonus to armor classhe may deal extra damage with a“sneak attack”. A criminal’s sneak attack bonus advances as a rogue’sattack. At second level thecriminal gains the evasion ability.At third level the criminal gainsthe uncanny dodge ability and doesnot lose his dexterity bonus even

when flat-footed. At sixth levelthis uncanny dodge increases suchthat the criminal can no longer beflanked in combat. At eleventhlevel the uncanny dodge abilitygrants the criminal a +1 bonus tohis armor class to attacks made bytraps. This AC bonus increaseswith the same rate as a rogue. Thecriminal may choose one specialability from the rogue list at levels10, 13, 16 and 19.

The expert class represents

the professionals of Gothic Earth.These men and women aredifferent from trained laborers, for they represent hard working, self-motivated people who strive toimprove themselves rather than

just make a living. Experts includearchitects, businessmen, detectives,

doctors, engineers, explorers,lawyers, mechanics, merchants,nurses, policemen, politicians,seamen, scientists and teachers.

These people are found all over theworld and are the heart of civilization. Experts use the D6 astheir hit dice. They advance insaving throws and base attack

bonus as rogues of the same level.At first level an expert

chooses six skills to be class skills.All craft, knowledge or professionskills are considered to be classskills for experts. At third level

and every four levels afterwardsthe expert may choose one other skill to be a class skill. At firstlevel, fourth level, seventh leveland every three levels afterwardsthe expert gains a bonus skill focusfeat for use in one of his classskills.

Experts are proficient in allsimple weapons, pistols and oneother weapon of their choice.

Experts are not proficient in anyforms of armor or shields.

Not since the fall of the

Roman Empire have true priestswalked the earth. The Red Deathsystematically destroyed theconnections between deities andhumanity, replacing religions withimpotent ritualistic cults. Even theearth loving druids have beendriven into hiding by the minionsof the Red Death. Mysticsrepresent a different breed of divine spell casters, they areempowered by spirits native toGothic Earth, rather than theextraplanar beings known as gods.Mystics are chosen by the “EarthSpirits” to represent them. Mostearth spirits are good or neutral,mystics are their agents on the






95

only once in a twenty-four hour period. The casting of a spellrequires the qabalist tosuccessfully recall and perform the

exact procedure for the spell. Thisrequires an intelligence check of DC equal to ten plus the level of he spell. If the check passes then its successfully cast, but if the spell

fails the qabalist has made amistake in the casting and the spells not cast. The spell might be cast

at a latter time, without penalty.The Drain : The presence of

he Red Death creates a vacuum

hroughout Gothic Earth. Eachime a spell is cast, there is thepossibility that magical energy isdrained from the spell caster, andfurther castings are madempossible. Each time a qabalist

successfully casts a spell; he or shemust make a fortitude check against a DC of 10 plus the level of he spell. If the check succeeds,hen the qabalist is unaffected.

However, if the check fails thenhe qabalist has been drained of aportion of the magical energycollected during the memorizationprocess. When a caster is thusdrained, they lose the ability to castspells of that same level of thespell just cast. The effects of thedrain last until the next time theqabalist memorizes spells.

The soldier class can be

aken by anyone who has beenspecially trained for combat.Soldiers are the fighters of society;hey are trained to respond to

challenges with force. Soldiers aremost often trained by an officialmilitary, but characters with thesoldier class can also be bandits,mountain men, police officers,

prizefighters, sailors or veterans.

Soldiers accumulate their base attack bonus and their savingthrow bonuses as fighters of thesame level. Soldiers use the D10 as

their hit dice and are proficient inall simple and martial weapons.Soldiers are not proficient in anyform of armor or shields; this skillhas been lost to modern advances.Soldiers gain skill points equal totwo plus their intelligence modifier at each level. Soldiers also gainfour times that amount of skill

points at first level. The class skillsof a soldier are climb,

concentration, handle animal, hide,intimidate, knowledge (military),move silently, navigation,

profession (seaman), ride, search,spot, and swim.

Soldiers are versatile fightersand quick learners. At first level,second level and every two levelsafterwards a soldier gains one

bonus feat. This bonus feat must beapplied to one of the following

feats: Alertness, ambidexterity, back to the wall, blind fight,cleave, combat reflexes, courage,dead man walking, dodge,endurance, exotic weapon

proficiency, expertise, far shot,great fortitude, great cleave,improved bull rush, improvedcritical, improved disarm,improved trip, improved unarmedstrike, iron will, jaded, lighteningreflexes, mobility, mountedcombat, mounted missile fire,

point blank shot, power attack, precise shot, quick draw, rapidshot, ride-by-attack, run, shot onthe run, skill focus (soldier classskills only), spirited charge, andspring attack.




96

Zorin, [email protected]

Large GiantHit Dice 6d8+30 (58hp) nitiative -1(Dex)

Speed 20 ft. AC 14 (-1 size, -1

Dex, +6natural) Attacks 2 slam +6

melee Damage Slam 1d6+2 Face/Reach 5ft.x5ft. /10ft. Special Attacks Death Gaze SpecialQualities

Blindness


Abilities Str 15, Dex 9,Con 20, Int 6,Wis 12, Cha 5

Skills Spot +7*,Listen +5

Feats Alertness,Power Attack

Climate/Terrain TemperateHills/Forests

Organization Solitary or 1viy plus 1d6

ghouls CR 6 Alignment Usually CE Advancement 7-10 HD

(Large)

The Viy, pronounced veey, is a

large and monstrous creaturecharacterized by huge eyelids. Thecreature has a thick gray hide andstrong, disproportionally longarms. Typical a viy stands from 8to 12 feet high and is at least threequarters as wide as it is tall.Despite its strength its eyelids aretoo heavy for viy to open himself.Unable to provide for themselvesin their blind state they live insecluded caves or forest dens.These grossly fat creatures arecapable of hibernating for yearswithout food. They remain in their slumber until they are summoned

by an evil spell caster at which point they wreak havoc on thecountryside. In return for themayhem they spread, their mastersappease the Viy with hugeamounts of foodstuffs. Once sated,the viy returns to its icy abode toslumber. Although there are maleand female Viys found in thedepths of arcane history there is noknown instance of Viys mating. Itis believed that they can only besummoned from a mystical realm

where these creatures are thedominant life form. Thedeformities to the creature’s eyesare believed to be an effect of thesummoning process.

Viys prefer using their Death gazeto its devastating effect rather thanget embroiled in hand-to-handcombat. Should combat occur theydo not flee. Rather, they rely on

their strength and the threat of their lethal gaze.Death Gaze (Su) : The eyes

of a Viy contain powerful deathmagic. Should anyone meet thegaze of the monster they mustmake a will save against a DC 10or be slain. This gaze attack extends only thirty feet, beyondthat the horrible gaze has no effect.

Blindness (Ex) : A viy's

eyelids are too heavy for it to openhimself. Unless two people assistthe creature it is considered

blinded. These helpers must donothing but follow the creature oneither side, holding up the

blubbery eyelids. While blindedthe Viy suffers a 50% chance tomiss in combat due to opponents'total concealment, it moves only athalf speed, suffers -4 penalty on

most Strength and Dexterity basedskills and opponents get a +2 bonus to their attack rolls. Unlessthe eyelids are open, viy have askill bonus of +0 on their Listenchecks




Bobby Storey,[email protected] of the Bog Wraith. Myname is Bobby Storey, or that evilson of a b*#$h! GM to my closeand personal friends, I live in theUK and have been brought up in aworld of fantasy since my youth. Ihave been able to draw since I can

remember, and began drawingpictures of fantasy beasts andpeople from my early teens. Sincehen I've been working on getting

better, but I know I still have aong way to go. All I can say ishat I hope you like my pictures

and I was glad to help out in themaking of the netzine.

Eddy Brennan aka Hedgewitch .

Creator of the Celtic Banshee. Aprofessional animator/illustrator hat has far too much time on their

hands can sometimes be adangerous thing, especially if youare a Ravenloft DM. In the pastcouple of years, I have had somesuccess with appearing in severalnetbooks and co-editing another the editors of the netzine have my

sympathies, heheh); also, I just

Scott C. Bourgeois . Creator of the Living Bayou and Vincintiari’sInstruments. Thanks goes out tomy Ravenloft players (both pastand present) for putting up withmy 'seat-of-the-pants' DM style,and surviving many of my ideas. Aspecial thanks to Diego for really

bringing the Lyre of Laszlo Taskar

to life.

Shane Glodoski . Creator of AnUnwelcome Respite andShuraz’tun Kir. I have always

been a fan of Ravenloft, ever sincethe black box set fell in my hands;I was forever drawn to the lands of mist. When not working in a mostvile domain known as the realworld, I am an avid reader and

writer of fantasy and especiallygothic horror. Course I wouldgreatly like to dedicate this to my

brother Aaron, who bought me the basic red box set and showed methat I didn't have to take the diceout of the family board games to

play games of my own creation,there already was something likethat. Thanks Aaron.

[email protected]

gothic fiction, movies... junglemusic and aggressive skating.Favourite writers: J.R.R. Tolkien,H.P. Lovecraft, B. Stoker, and EdGreenwodd (yes, I play ForgottenRealms too).

Jason True : aka Javier. Creator of the Hellstalker and tools of thetrade. With the possible exceptionof Planescape, Ravenloft has beenmy favorite setting to both play inand DM. These particular tastes incampaign settings probably explainwhy I have a tendency to usevarious fiends in Ravenloft andhave a gothic mood in many of myPlanescape adventures. When I'mnot brainstorming for newadventure ideas, my time istypically spent between finishingmy medical degree and helping

plan my wedding. In fact, I wouldlike to dedicate this to my fiancée,Renee, who has been both patientand understanding of all my role-

playing [email protected]

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