If you do not wish to arbitrarily
condemn your PCs to
capture, then a climactic final battle
can
ensue! Use the Slave
Lords! outcome for
room 9 in this case. However,
this
outcome is very deadly; even if the
PCs succeed, they will be
prevented from playing in the
final part
of the adventure (since
that part of the
adventure applies only if they are
captured).
9. Council Chamber of
the Slave Lords
| This long corridor is well-lit by many
small oil lamps set into the wall. After about 100 feet the corridor dead-ends. |
The concealed
door at the end of the corridor
will be found after 1 round of SEARCHING.
It can be opened easily by any member
of the party.
| The door
opens into a great room (70 feet
x 70 feet x 40 feet high) lit by large torches set in wall sconces. There are 9 large throne-like chairs in a semicircle facing the concealed door. A large iron staircase spirals upward in the southwest part of the room. (If the Captured! outcome is used, there are 5 men seated in the room. If the Slave Lords! outcome is used, 7 of the 9 seats are occupied.) They are dangerous-looking men and women wearing many jewels and fine robes--and on some the glint of concealed armor can be seen. |
| Although the men
are clearly laughing,
no sound can be heard coming from the room. As the party observes this scene, the man sitting in the central throne (a fighter-type with a black eyepatch) gestures to an unseen henchman. Suddenly a wall of stone drops 20 feet down the corridor, blocking any hope of retreat! |
The stone wall
is impenetrable. If the
characters try to MOVE forward into the
room they discover an invisible wall
of
force
in a 10-foot-radius hemisphere from
the door.
-
| As you struggle to win free of this trap,
a
small panel in the ceiling opens and a vial of fluid is hurled against the floor. The vial shatters, releasing a thick green gas as the opening in the ceiling is hastily closed. Slowly, 1 by 1, you fall to the ground unconscious--prisoners of the slave lords. |
Continue the adventure with the next
chapter, Dungeons of the
Slave Lords.
Slave
Lords!
The slave lords
have observed the party’s
progress by means of a crystal
ball with
clairaudience.
They have spells and weapons
READY and cannot be surprised. The
slave lords are impressed with this party’s
tenacity and skill and view the coming
battle
with some amusement. This will change,
however, as soon as 1 of the slave lords
is
injured. This then becomes a FIGHT to the
death.
The listing of reccomended actions
gives a guideline for actions the slave
lords
are likely to take in the ensuing combat.
Prior to the Encounter
Stalman
Klim casts resist fire, negative
dimesion
protection, protection
from evil 10'
radius,
and meld into stone on himself.
He
steps into a section of the
wall and disappears.
All spells except the meld into stone
will be in effect for the duration of the
combat.
Edralve
casts a resist cold on herself and
a
silence
15' radius on the doorway. These
spells are in effect for the duration
of the
combat.
Ajakstu
casts esp and polymorph
self
upon himself. At this time
he retains his
human form.
This spell will remain in effect
during the entire combat.
Lamonsten
casts his detect invisibility
and improved
invisibility. The former will
be in effect for the entire combat.
Round 1
Ajakstu
casts his slow spell on the party.
Nerelas
sips his potion of invisibility.
Eanwulf
throws his axe at the lead party
member. Brother
Milerjoi, Theg Narlot,
and Slippery
Ketta all throw 2 daggers at
spellcasters. Edralve
begins a chant.
Round 2
Ajakstu
casts a fireball at the doorway.
This will fill the 9 squares in front of
the
door.
Nerelas
attempts to MOVE behind one
of the party members. Lamonsten
casts his
fear
at the party unless he might hit one of
his own group. In this case he will create
a
hypnotic
pattern. The others use missile
weapons as available. Edralve
continues
chanting.
Round 3
Eanwulf,
Brother
Milerjoi, and Theg Narlot
charge
the party. Ajakstu casts
Evards
black tentacles on the rear of the
party to pin them and block escape.
Lamonsten
uses his fear,
if available. Nerelas still
attempts to strike from behind. Stalman
Klim
steps out of the wall. Slippery Ketta
uses thrown daggers
to pin down any spellcasters.
Round 4
Stalman
Klim calls down a flame strike
on the most threatening character. Ajakstu
casts his cone
of cold if a clear TARGET is available.
The others continue as before.
The slave lords
have not prepared
detailed battle plans beyond this point,
partially
from over-confidence and partially
because they know it is pointless to plan
that far in advance.
If The Party Loses
If the players lose this battle and the
DM
wishes to have them participate in the
remainder of the adventure,
2 options
can be used. The 1st is to have the players
create new characters
(of approximately 4th
level) and continue Play with the next
section.
As a 2nd choice, it can be assumed
that Stalman
Klim has returned and, over
several days, CAST raise
dead on all SLAIN
party members in order to torture and interrogate
them. He is ostensibly attempting
to
learn how the PCs got as far as
they did. From the documents found on
them and their own statements, he
hopes to
implicate Edralve,
giving him an excuse to
remove her from power.
If The Party Wins
Congratulations are due.
The PCs are a mighty group indeed!
Stalman
Klim and Edralve
The confrontation with the PCs
is the final part of Stalman's
plots.
They have gained their way to The
Inner
Council, a
feat which should have been
impossible. Obviously, someone must have
given them help--but who? Stalman
has
carefully prepared things to frame Edralve,
his major rival on the Inner Council. If
the
PCs are captured, he is confident
he can force the info (which he
planted ) out of them. If they are
dead, he
will speak
with the dead to gain his "proof:'
Anyway, they are probably carrying the
papers (which he planted), more than
enough evidence to doom Edralve.
And
with her gone, he should have no difficulties
with the rest.
Edralve,
for her part, has been sent to
work with the slave
lords, preparing the
way for future events.
She has been gaining
more and more power in the Inner Council,
threatening Stalman's position. Following
orders from the Queen
of the Spiders,
Edralve is about to assume control of this
useful organization known as the slave
lords.