After traversing the dangerous lands of the
Pomarj, the characters sight a small stockade
situated atop a high, steep hill that surveys
the countryside. A warding ditch 20
feet wide and 10 feet deep surrounds the
fort. The only access road winds down from
the north, through a narrow valley, up to
the drawbridge that spans the ditch.

Hill Fort Description
The hill fort is a combination of recent
construction and the remains of an older
stone fortress. The outer wall of the hill fort
is an earthen rampart topped by a wooden
stockade. However, the curtain wall containing
the drawbridge is made of stone.
The wall is 35 feet high and is topped by a
stone parapet which is constantly manned.
The curtain wall is connected to the rest of
the fort by the rampart and stockade.

The ground slopes upward from the curtain wall, <slope = x>
and some distance back, across an
open courtyard, is the gatehouse. This is of
massive construction, 4 stories high,
with a stone parapet atop it, so that all sides
can be defended. The rampart and stockade
connect to the gatehouse and surround the hill
fort keep.

The keep abuts the rampart on 3
sides, with a parade ground to the north
between the main building and the gatehouse.
The fort was originally a single story
stone building, but the slavers have added a
wooden guard post as a partial 2nd story.
The entrance to the main building is
recessed back and an enclosed garden leads
from the building' s entrance to the parade
ground.

The rampart and stockade surround the
fort on the west, south, and east sides and
join the curtain wall to the north. The outer
face of the walls and stockade are fitted with
downward sloping spikes to prevent attackers
from scaling the walls. The stockade has <Climb, DSG/WSG>
a walkway on all sides, the walkway being
15 feet above the main building's 1st floor.
Guards patrol the walkway, and the top of
the gatehouse and curtain wall, but it is
impossible to estimate numbers from a distance.

The curtain wall, the gatehouse, and the
main building are all built of stone. The ceilings
and walls of rooms and corridors are
made of stone. The ceilings in the east and
west wings, however, are made of plaster
over wood hung an wooden rafters.

The floors are wood. Wooden beams are
used to reinforce weak sections of the stone buildings.
The stockade is wooden, as is the
wall walk and the pavilion overhang in the
open garden section of the U-shaped main
building. The inner courtyards are nothing
but rock-strewn mud flats. The only vegetation
(besides mold and mildew) are the trees
in the garden surrounded by the main building.

The hill fort shows signs that it has been
sacked in the past. Some of the stones are
blackened as though by fire. Some areas of
stonework shows signs of ancient destruction
from catapult and trebuchet attacks.
These holes have been crudely repaired. The
stockade is of more recent construction than
the rest of the hill fort. Close examination
shows that the stockade has been built
directly behind the remains of a stone foundation
where an outer perimeter wall once
stood.

The humanoids in the hill fort do not care
whether it is clean. As a result, both the fort
and the dungeon are filthy. The floors are <exposure to filth?>
covered with dust, and trash is scattered
about the rooms and corridors. The walls
are covered with grime, mildew, and cobwebs.
Broken or rotted furniture is thrown <25% chance each room, keep on checking until 26+ on the d100>
into corners rather than repaired. The entire
place is infested with rats, spiders, and other <25% chance for rats, each room>
foul vermin.

Doors are heavy wood and open out into
the corridor unless otherwise noted. Typically
they are locked and must be forced open,
<a min. 18/91 STR is needed to force open a locked door (1 in 6), cf. Strength Table II, PH>
or the lock must be picked. <Open Locks, PH>

All hallways are 10 feet wide and 10 feet
high unless otherwise noted. Secret passageways
are 5 feet wide and 8 feet high. Ceilings
in the aboveground buildings are 14 to 20
feet high.

Because of the dust and muck on the
floors, the only tracks that can be seen are <Tracking, UA>
shapeless blobs where the dust has been disturbed.
Something of the frequency of tra-
vel in an area can be gathered from the
tracks, but nothing of the types of creatures
that have passed.

Hill Fort Strategy
Once a party of adventurers is detected
inside the fort, the guards raise the alarm by
whatever means are available. If an alarm
gong is used, the upper level of the fort is
alerted at the end of that turn. If the alarm is
shouted, the fort is alerted at the end of the
next turn. The dungeon level becomes
alerted 1 turn after the fort.

Once the fort is alerted, guards in barracks
spend 1 turn donning armor and
preparing to fight. Prepared guards move to
block the ground-level entrances to all
buildings. Guards on the walls harass
invaders with missile fire. The fort strategy
is basically defensive and concentrates an
delaying the invaders as much as possible.

Once the fort is alerted, no one will be
found asleep or unarmed.

If the characters retreat and return later,
they should find the defenses strengthened
and ambushes prepared.

If the characters surrender, they are completely
disarmed. Markessa then questions
them about what they know of the slavers'
activities, using any means, including torture.
Once she has learned everything she
can, Markessa immediately has all spellcasters
executed and everyone else sent to
dungeon area 28c, where it is assumed they
will be killed and eaten by the cavelings. <link>

Random NPC Leader Placement
There are 8 leaders in the slaver's <only 6 on the table>
stockade. Markessa is a minor slave lord
and all the others work for her. Icar is the
fort commander and his 2nd in command
is the ogre called Executioner. Blackthorn
is a special agent of the Slave Lord
High Council, but operates as Markessa's
lieutenant.

Inaddition there are the goblin..witch-doctor,
Guliyet, who is assistant to Markessa,
and the hobgoblin..shaman, Adhu Nazaryet, <Shaman, Dragon>
who serve as the fort's <priests>. These 2 can
also be encountered as wandering monsters <link>
from the encounter tables.

To vary these characters' starting location,
roll 1d6 and consult the Leader Variable
Placement table whenever the characters
invade the fortress. The letters "F" and "D"
stand for the "fortress" and "dungeon"
respectively. 1 die roll determines where
all leaders START.

Variable Leader Locations

Leader	1	2	3	4	5	6
Markessa	D 22	D 25f	D 35	F 39	D 13	F 35
Icar	F 35	D 19	D 22	F 32	F 32	D 28v
Executioner	F 32	F 35	D 12	F 32	F 32	F 11
Blackthorn	D 25f	D 25f	D 28	F 35	F 35	F 17b
Guliyet	D 29	F 8c	F 25	D 22	D 22	D 1
Adhu	F 18f	D 22	F 20	F 31	F 31	F 14

Markessa, <Bladesinger>: AC 2; MV 12"; Swashbuckler/Thaumaturgist (MU5/F5); hp 35;
#AT 2 or 3; D by weapon <(broadsword: 2-8+1)>; AL LE <3 attacks?>
Markessa is a female elf of no little
beauty. She is a minor slave lord and overseer <Comeliness = x>
of this part of their operation. Of the all
the minor lords, she is most favored and
most likely to be promoted to the Inner Council
should an opening arise. She has all
the desirable qualities of a slave lord--a
scheming, twisted mind and a penchant for <scheming, cruel>
indescribable cruelty.
Equipment: leather armor +1 with protection from normal missiles, <XP = ?>
<broad>sword of speed +1 (2 attacks per round, automatic initiative for the 1st attack). <XP = ?> <cf. short sword of quickness +2>
Spells: magic missile, protection from good,
shocking grasp, darkness 15' radius,
scare, lightning bolt.
<blood, bat fur, coal, bone from an undead skeleton, crystal rod>
Saves 11, 12, 11, 13, 12
THACO 15
XP 1075

Icar: AC 1; MV 12"; Champion (F7); hp 59; #AT 2;
D 1-10+6 (-2+4+3+1); AL LE <specialization: two-handed sword>
<modified for 18.91 STR and blindness>
<Ability Score Adjustments for Tall Characters>
Icar is the commander of the hill fort garrison,
feared for his prowess and respected
for his tactical ability. His dreaded reputation
is enhanced by the fact that he has
accomplished all this while being totally
blind, relying on his other keen senses. He is <blind-fighting, DSG> <keen-eared?>
immune to all visual-effect spells, but a
silence spell effectively "blinds" him.
Equipment: two-handed sword +1, ring of
fire resistance.
THACO 10
XP 1240

Executioner: AC 4; MV 9"; HD 4+1; hp 25;
#AT 1; D 2-8+2; AL CE
Executioner is a true rarity, a gifted ogre.
He is Icar's battle companion and aide. Well
aware of his superiority to other ogres, he
proudly uses his brains to devise cunning
strategies against opponents.
Equipment: A special bastard sword, with
which he can disarm an opponent (on a
roll to exactly hit AC 8).
THACO 14
XP 215

Blackthorn: AC 4; MV 9"/15"; HD 5+2; hp
36; #AT 1; D 1-12; AL LE
<Spell-like Abilities>: fly, become invisible, darkness 10'
radius, polymorph to human or similar
form, regenerate 1 hp/round, sleep (1/
day), charm person (1/day), gaseous
form (1/day), and ray of cold (1/day)
Blackthorn is an ogre mage and a personal
representative of Edralve. He is temporarily
in command of the dungeon
guards. He always appears to the PCs
as a 7-foot-tall humanoid with
gray skin, sparse hair, sunken eyes, and
skeletal body. He greatly enjoys seeing the
reaction this appearance creates in others.
THACO 15
XP 1116

Guliyet: AC 3; MV 12"; Witch Doctor (MU4/C4); hp 10;
#AT 1; D 2-8+1; AL LE
Guliyet is a female goblin..witch doctor.
She is the special assistant to Markessa, the
only 1 to have met Markessa's standards
(and thus still live). She carries a small silent
whistle, which when blown will summon
her trained winter wolf to her side in 1-2
rounds. Guliyet can also he encountered as
a wandering monster. <link>
Equipment: chainmail +2, morningstar +1
<A tube of silvery fluid (quicksilver, 10 gp weight, worth 100 gp): T1-4.59>
<a small pinch of powdered brass, bone from a mummy>
Spells: (clerical) cure light wounds, darkness,
resist fear <remove fear>, chant, resist fire
(magic-user) affect normal fires, push,
shieid, invisibility, scare
Saves 9, 12, 11, 15, 12
THACO 17
XP 430
Winter wolf: AC 5; MV 18"; HD 6; hp 30;
#AT 1; D 2-8; SA frost damage
THACO 15
XP 395

Adhu Nazaryet: AC 2; MV 9"; HD 4; hp 23;
#AT 1; D 1-6; AL LE
Spells: cure light wounds, detect magick,
resist fear <remove fear>, augury, detect charm, chant,
dispel magick
<a set of gem-inlaid sticks (500 gp)>
Adhu is the hobgoblin..shaman of the fort,
quite devoted to his bloody group of spirits.

Hill Fort Wandering Monsters
Wandering monsters are encountered
only in hallways, empty rooms, or areas
cleared by the party. However, wandering
monsters will not be encountered in either
the haunt's area or the haunted west wing.

The DM should check for wandering
monsters each turn, with a roll of 1 on 1d6
indicating an encounter. When an
encounter is indicated, use the Hill Fort
Encounters table to determine what creature
is met.

Hill Fort Encounters

Die  Roll	Encounter
1	3-12 Hobgoblins on patrol
2	Shaman plus 2-8 hobgoblins
3	2-8 War dogs
4	1-3 Carnivorous apes
5	2-12 Gnolls
6	Escaped slave

Hobgoblin Patrol. The party has accidentally
stumbled onto one of the roving
patrols which guard the fort. If the patrol
hears the characters but does not see them,
the patrol leader will shout "Halt, who goes
there?'' in hobgoblin. If the patrol leader
sees the party they will call upon the party
members to "Drop your weapons and surrender!"
If the party does not surrender
immediately, the hobgoblins attack. The
hobgoblins do not want to split the reward
for capturing runaway slaves (which is what
they assume the party members are) so the
hobgoblins will not summon any help or
raise the alarm.

Hobgoblin patrolmen: AC 5: MV 9":
HD 1+1; hp 6; #AT 1; D 1-8 <by bec de corbin ("crowbill")>
THACO 18
XP 32 each

Hobgoblin leader: AC 4; MV 9"; HD 2;
hp 9; #AT 1; D 1-8 <by bec de corbin or long sword>
THACO 16
XP 38

Hobgoblin Shaman and Guards: The
hobgoblin..shaman..Adhu Nararyet and his
guard of 2-8 hobgoblins are on their way to
a secret shrine of Maglubiyet to perform a
sacrificial ritual. They will fight to the death
to prevent the defilement of the <unholy> icons
they carry.

Adhu: See NPC Leader Placement section

Hobgoblin guards: AC 5; MV 9"; HD 1+1;
hp 6 each; #AT 1; D 1-8 <by bec de corbin ("crowbill")>
THACO 18
XP 32 each

War Dogs: The war dogs attack any creature
that does not smell like one of the monsters
which belong in the hill fort.

War Dogs: AC 6; MV 12"; HD 2+2; hp 11;
#AT 1; D 2-8
THACO 16
XP 68 each

Carnivorous Apes: The carnivorous apes
are allowed to roam the fort in search of
food (humans). They are intelligent enough
to avoid attacking monsters which belong in
the hill fort.

Carnivorous Apes: AC 6; MV 12"; HD 5;
hp 23; #AT 3; D 1-4/1-4/1-8
THACO 15
XP 285 each

Gnolls: A band of gnolls has joined forces
temporarily with the hobgoblins, goblins,
and orcs of the hill fort. The party has stumbled
onto a group of gnolls either entering
or leaving the fort. The gnolls want to show
up the other humanoids and try to capture
or kill the party members without calling
for help.

Gnolls: AC 5; MV 9"; HD 2; hp 9; #AT 1;
D 2-8 <by holy water sprinkler>
THACO 16
XP 46

Gnoll Leader: AC 4; MV 9"; HD 3; hp 16;
#AT 1; D 2-8 <by holy water sprinkler>
THACO 16
XP 83

Escaped Slave: A woman recently captured
by the slavers has taken advantage of
an opportunity to escape. She is armed with
a <gladius>. If the party can convince her
that they are not slavers, she will tell the
party that she is Lady Morwin Elissar and
offer them a large reward, payable when
they take her back to civilization. Despite
her ragged appearance, she seems to be a
lady of quality (unfortunately, she is actually
a penniless maid-servant). She tends to
be hysterical when threatened (50% chance
of crying out and perhaps fainting), which
will alert guards to the party's whereabouts.

She has an intense hatred for her former
captors and will kill or maim them if the
opportunity arises.

"Lady" Morwin Elissar: AC 10; MV 12";
LVL 0; hp 6; #AT 1; D 1-6
THACO 20n1
XP 11

Key to the Hill Fort
 

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CREDITS

Design: Harold Johnson with Tom Moldvay

Development: David Cook, Harold Johnson, Tom Moldvay,
Evan Robinson, Lawrence Schick, Edward G. Sollers

Editor: Edward G. Sollers

Editing: David Cook, Harold Johnson, Jon Pickens, Stephen D. Sullivan

Art: Jeff Dee, Erol Otus, Jim Roslof, Bill Willingham

Playtesters: Jim Barber, Neil Christianson, Tom Christianson,
Jeff Dee, Kevin Hendryx, Mike Price, Don Snow, Bob Waldbauer, Skip Williams

Typesetting: Roxanne M. Percey

Pasteup: Robert J. Duller

Special thanks to Tom Moldvay, without whom this module would not have been finished.
 
 

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