For the caravans of the slave lords, the
next leg of the journey is one made by a few,
but not all. Most stop their trek here. The
slaves are kept for arriving merchants and
sold for servitude in distant lands. Only
those with the most special talents and connections
ever continue the journey to the
final stronghold of the slave lords. Once
there, some are kept for their skills and
knowledge while others are sold or ransomed
for the price they command.

The trail from the slaver stockade is easy
to follow. NPCs in higher positions at the
stockade know of a trail to Suderham,
though none of them have ever taken it.
They and the documents found can also
confirm that Dame Gold and the others
were sent to Suderham. The PCs
have no trouble in setting out on the
trail to Suderham.

Stalman Klim and Edralve
Stalman Klim does little at this time. He
quite rightly calculates that the less he fiddles
with events, the more successful he will
be. At the slaver's stockade, he arranges for
1 additional letter to be planted among
those already there. If the PCs
recover any documents, his plant is among
them. It is apparently the only one with any
unique information -- all the others record
mundane transactions of the slave business.
The note reads:
 

It is agreed that old Klim has grown soft-hearted. I shall look forward to having you sit on the Inner Council with me. There will soon be many openings. It is imperative that the operations fail at the hands of the outsiders. Others will be blamed. I must be able to move the base as I choose.

The Trail
At the outset, the caravans' route is clear:
it goes higher and higher into the Drachensgrab

During the 1st day, the trail winds
through oaks and cottonwoods, then gradually
rises into aspens and pine. The 2nd
day, the trail enters into a rugged rocky
region. There are many granite outcroppings,
ravines, fast-flowing streams, and <Rate of Flow, DSG>
switch-backed turns. Throughout the day
the trail grows fainter and fainter. By the
end of the 2nd day, the trail frequently
passes over rockfields and barren stretches,
making it almost impossible to follow.

That night, rain falls heavily, Everyone <Precipitation, WSG>
and everything is thoroughly soaked. By the
next morning, the trail can only be followed
by those with tracking skill. Even they eventually
lose the trail. The characters are
somewhere in the wilderness without a trail
or guide to follow.

Random Wilderness Encounters
While the PCs are making
this leg of the journey, check for encounters
twice a day, once during the day and once at
night. An encounter occurs if a 1-4 is rolled
on a 1d10. Use the table below to determine
the creature or event encountered.
 
 

Die Roll	Encounter	NA	AC	MV	HD	hp	#AT	D	AL
01-05	*Bugbear..War Party**	30	5	9"	3+1	17	1	2-8	CE
-	Leader	1	3	-	4	30	-	2-8+2	-
06-10	*Caravan	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11-15	*Escaped Slave	1	10	12"	1	3	1	1-6	N
15	Firbolg**	2	2	15"	13+2	60	1	3+18+10 <x>	N
16-20	*Flind..Hunting Party	10	5	12"	2+3	11	1	1-6	LE
-	Leader	1	3	-	3	14	-	2-8	-
20	Galeb Duhr**	1	-2	6"	9	44	2	3-18	N
21-24	Giant Bat	8	8	/18"	1/2	3	1	1-2	N
25-28	Giant Ram + flock	5	6	15"	4	21	1	2-12	N
29-35	*Gnoll..Hunting Party	25	5	9"	2	9	1	1-8	CE
-	Leader	1	4	-	3	13	-	1-8+1	-
40-41	*Goblin..War Party	50	5	9"	2	12	1	1-8	CE
-	Leader	2	3	-	4	20	-	1-10	-
43-46	*Hill Giant**	4	4	12"	8+2	43	1	2-16	CE
47-50	*Hobgoblin..Raiders	50	5	9"	1+1	7	1	1-8	LE
-	Leader**	4	4	-	2	11	-	1-8+2	-
51-54	*Suderham Hunters	6	8	12"	1	6	1	1-6	NE
55-56	*Kobold Spies	2	7	6"	1/2	2	1	1-4	LE
57	Mountain Giant**	2	4	12"	12	60	1	4-40	CN
58-61	Norker..Raiders	12	3	9"	1+2	7	2	1-3/1-6	CE
62-67	Ogre Magi**	2	4	9/15	5+2	31	1	1-12	LE
68-75	Ogres	8	5	9"	4+1	22	1	1-10	CE
76-80	*Orc..Raiders	100	6	9"	1	6	1	1-8	LE
-	Leader**	10	4	-	3	16	-	1-8 + 2	-
81-84	Owlbear**	5	5	12"	5+2	27	3	1-6 x 2	N
85-88	*Stone Giant**	3	0	12"	8	40	1	2-16	CE
89-96	Troll..Raiders**	10	4	12"	6+6	33	3	5-8 x 2, 2-12	CE
-	Giant Troll Leader.**	1	4	12"	8	40	1	2-16	CE
97-00	*Verbeeg**	8	4	18"	5+5	27	2	1-10+4	N

* See the text below

Caravan: The PCs sight a
merchant caravan one half mile away. This
caravan is either a slave trader (70%) or an
outfitter (30%). Slave traders are traveling
to or from Suderham (randomly
determined). Outfitters are renegades
carrying weapons and other supplies to the
non-human tribes of the Drachensgrab and
Pomarj. Both are heavily guarded with
60-120 guards. In addition there are 11-20
merchants and wagon (or mule) loads. If a
slave caravan is returning from Suderham,
there are 4 to 12 slaves present. None are
those the PCs are searching
for. The caravan is led by a hand of NPCs:
a fighter of 8th to 10th level;
<Superhero, F8>
<Lord, F9>
<Lord, F10>
and a cleric or magic-user of 7th level.
<Lama, C7>
<Enchanter, MU7)

Slave caravans
know the route to enter the Valley of
Suderham, but they do not freely tell the
PCs. All caravans are hostile
and suspicious of human strangers and
automatically consider olvenfolk and dwur
to be enemies.

Guards (0 level humans): AC 6; hp 4;
#AT 1; D 1-8 <by military fork>; AL N

Escaped slave: This poor soul (male or
female) has escaped from a slave caravan.
The slave naturally flees from the
characters. If convinced the PCs are friends, the slave points the
characters in the general direction of the
Valley of Suderham.

Hill giant: These fellows are returning
from a mission to Suderham, acting as
emissaries from their people. They are
assisting the slave lords (and those behind
them) in their endeavors as explained in
Queen of the Spiders.) They know the route
to Suderham but do not talk. Documents
carried say, "The great plan is underway,
mistress. Edralve."

Hunting party: The members of the
hunting party are fanned out over an AREA,
thus the PCs only see a small
part of the group at 1st. The remaining
members circle around the PCs. Hunting parties have no
particular desire to FIGHT, but certainly will
if they must.

Kobold spies: These little creatures
attempt to FLEE as soon as they are sighted.
They work for the slave lords, both as pets
and useful servants. They report the
movements of the PCs to the
slave lords, allowing them to warn the
gatekeepers.

Raiders: These are bands of humanoids
bent solely on destruction. They attack
anything or anyone they sight, without
regard for numbers. If forced to retreat,
they return to their own lands.

Stone giant: These fellows have left their
caverns to investigate dark whispers of
things disturbing. They fear their safety
may be endangered by coming events, They
have only just become worried and have no
details. Upon encountering the PCs, they are aloof, cautious, and <Encounter Reaction Modifier = x>
suspicious. They do not attack, nor do they
assist. If addressed, their leader delivers the
following warning.

"Manlings, be warned. I am Grazzcyk,
speaker for the Brotherhood of Granite.
Forces are moving today and beyond. Fear
what will come. We will mind our women
and children. You are wise to do the same.
Someday our people will meet again."

Suderham hunters: This is a small party
of men out of the Valley of Suderham. They
have no desire to FIGHT the PCs
and avoid them if at all possible. They know
the way into the Valley of Suderham and
can easily be convinced to TALK.

War party: These are large bands of
warriors bent on a specific mission. The
PCs 1st encounter 1 to 6
scouts sent out ahead of the band. These
scouts avoid combat and report the
presence of the PCs to the
main body. If the scouts do not return, the
main body expects combat and advances
accordingly. If the scouts report that the
characters are moving ahead of the war
party, the characters will be attacked to
prevent them from spreading an alarm. If
the PCs are behind the main
body, a rearguard (1/4 the war party) will
be assigned to watch their movements and
attack them if they become threatening.

Verbeeg: These gigantic fellows have
been attracted to the AREA of the
Drachensgrab by the rich opportunities for
mercenary work. They are not amazingly
brilliant; clever PCs can
pretend to be human..mercenaries with the
same mission. The verbeeg only know that
rumors of something big have been floating
around the AREA.

Entering the
Valley of Suderham
Suderham, the city of the slave lords, is
hidden away in the crater-bowl of a dormant
volcano. It cannot be seen by normal
travelers, screened as it is by the high wall of
the peak. The characters must discover an
entrance into the valley.

There are 2 known entrances to
Suderham. One is the common entrance,
used by virtually all who live and visit
there, a steep and winding trail that <slope = x>
switches up the side of the mountain. It is
well-camouflagued, making it almost
impossible to find without proper directions.
Near the top there is a small gap in the
cliff walls, a narrow defile through which all
caravans pass. This entrance is carefully
guarded at all times.

The 2nd entrance is only known to a
few besides the slave lords. It is a dangerous
and seldom used series of tunnels that pass
under the base of the crater wall and rise
onto the island at the heart of the crater. It
forms a type of emergency exit for the slave
lords and their confidants. As such, it is
filled with guardian monsters and other
dangers to discourage the curious.

If the PCs are wandering
through the AREA lost, there is a 5% chance
per day they accidentally stumble upon the
trail entrance. However it is much more
likely they will find the secret entrance first.

Stalman Klim, in his plan to discredit
Edralve, wants the characters to slip into the
valley unnoticed. Thus, he has sent his
agents to secretly assist the PCs.
One morning the characters AWAKEN
&& find an unusual sight not far from their
camp. An arrow, carefully made from loose
stones, points into the wilderness. This
arrow was not there the night before. It
points in the direction of the Secret entrance.
If the characters follow the arrow, they find
others guiding their way. If they do not follow,
they find a similar arrow each morning.
The final arrow points directly to the
cave openings through the crater wall.
There are no tracks to indicate whether any
of these entrances have been used recently.

Cave Encounters
The following encounter table is used if the
PCs enter the caves of the
secret entrance. Encounters occur on a 1
in e8 chance (d8); check each turn. If an
encounter occurs, roll percentage dice to
determine the type of monster encountered.
-

d% roll	Encounter
01-25	2-8 Bugbears
26-50	2-8 Gnolls
51-60	1 Leprechaun
61-70	1-2 Leucrotta
71-80	1-4 Ogres
81-90	1-2 Giant Spiders
91-00	1-4 Wights

-
The Caves of
Drachensgrab
 
 

A.	B.	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.	-.

>>A.