Valley of the Earth Mother is an AD&D®
game adventure for good or neutral-aligned
characters of 4th to 6th level. The party
should include a <wizard>,
<priest>, and
druid for optimum success. In many ways,
this module is ideal for parties with strong
Celtic ties, particularly druids and rangers,
though such are not required for play.
Use
is made of an article from DRAGON®
issue
#65, "Tuatha
De Danaan," which described
a revised Celtic pantheon. The Earth
Mother in this module is the goddess Danaan,
whose statistics are given at the end
of the module. Any worshiper of a neutral
Celtic
deity will certainly pay homage to
Danaan as well.
DM's overview
The player characters are asked to help
a
village that will shortly be attacked by
a
major orc tribe. To insure victory in the
coming battle, the PCs must go to a former
stronghold of the local druids, the Valley
of
the Earth Mother, and recover a minor relic
which will hopefully drive away the orcs.
The Valley, now called the Tor, has been
taken over by a rival cult, supporting
the
death god Arawn.
A new, evil NPC class, the huntsman,
appears in this module. It is described
in
detail at the end of the text. The Torc
of the
Gods that the characters are seeking is
also
detailed at the module?s end.
This area is ideal for developing as part
of a druid-oriented campaign. The referee
will need to create the village of Dungaelen
and the surrounding territory, but it should
be relatively easy to fit it into any campaign
setting. If used as part of an ongoing
campaign,
the introductory section may be
modified as desired to fit the campaign
circumstances.
Players' introduction
The wanderings of your party in search
of adventure have brought you to the small
fortified village of Dungaelen, a town
very
much in need of heroes.
Dungaelen is south
of a large mountain range
on the Daan
River, on the outskirts of human habitation.
Lately, it has been unceasingly raided
and
harassed by hordes of orcs
from the mountains,
At first the raids were infrequent and
the raiders few in number, but the orcs
are
beginning to realize how much they outnumber
the fighting population of Dungaelen. Soon
the fort will be under an allout
attack. Brave though their warriors are,
the people of Dungaelen do not believe
they
can long defend their log ramparts against
the enemy.
Now the war leader of the village, Lord
Vortimax, has asked your party to come
to
his home and confer with him about the
situation. Over horns of strong mead, he
tersely explains the problem and suggests
a
solution. At his side is Avanthus, the
aged
leader of the much-reduced druidic community
in the region. Lord Vortimax is a 9th
level
fighter
(hp 44); Avanthus is an
8th-level druid (hp 28).
"To the north, two days? travel up the
Daan River,? says the warrior, ?is a religious
stronghold which once was called the
Valley of the Earth Mother. It was built
under a hill, out of which flowed a sacred
spring possessing great powers of healing.
The spring was blessed by the goddess of
life herself. The druids of the valley
followed
the old ways of the Earth Mother,
holding all life sacred and striving to
preserve
it.
"That was many years ago. The stronghold
was taken by force a decade ago by
priests of the lord of death, whose name
I
shall not utter. The druids were slaughtered,
and evil rules there now. The stronghold
is now called the Tor.
"You may wonder what all this has to do
with us. The druids of the Valley possessed
a magical relic of great power: a Torc
of the
Gods. It is said that in addition to the
usual
powers of such a sacred object, this torc
also
possesses magical powers which could be
of
great assistance in driving off the orcish
hordes."
"It is as m?lord says!" whispers the aged
druid by Vortimax?s side. ?Were I to wear
the torc, no foul thing that harms the
forest
could stand against me ? including the
orcs!?
?The problem is,? continues Lord Vortimax,
?the evil priests now have the torc.
Though they cannot use it, I am sure they
have not thrown it away. Perhaps they have
even made an alliance with the orcs.
"We must ask you to help us by retrieving
the torc. We can send none of our own
men; few of them are seasoned, and even
now we can barely hold our own against
the
orcs. We need every warrior. Will you aid
us?"
You look at each other, quickly reaching
a
consensus. The people of Dungaelen have
been very hospitable to you, and you feel
you cannot desert them in their hour of
need. Besides, evil religious strongholds
usually have plenty of treasure. . . .
| 1. Sirine | 2. Orcs | 3. The Valley | 4. Monoliths | 5. The Entrance |
| - | - | - | - | - |
As directed by Lord Vortimax, the party
must travel north up the river for two
days.
The terrain consists of forested rolling
hills
which gradually become mountains.
The
river winds its snaky way through the terrain.
There is no road, and the river is
much too strong and fast to take boats
upstream, so the party must either walk
or
purchase horses at Dungaelen. The foliage
is too thick to allow horses to move at
better
than a 12" movement rate. The villagers
will supply the party with as much food
as
they ask for, within reason. They have
little
to offer, because the orcs have razed their
crops. Except for 2 predestined encounters,
the trip will be uneventful.
1. Sirine
At some point on the 1st day, the party
will encounter a sirine if they are traveling
by the river. (Sirine:
HD 7, hp 40, AC 3,
MV 12"//24", #AT 1, DAM short sword,
NG, other information may be found in
Monster Manual II). The sirine will
smile
at the party and approach as close as she
can without leaving the water. If convinced
that the party intends to drive out the
evil
priests at the Tor, the sirine will give
them
the information that "blood runs where
water ran," and that dead men are said
to
wander about the Tor.
If the party attacks or
threatens the sirine, she will scream in
mock
alarm and dive for the deepest part of
the
river. The party will suddenly find itself
surrounded by thick greenish fog, resembling
that created by a cloudkill
spell. All
the fog does is obscure vision for 11 rounds,
as per fog
cloud. The sirine has no lair or
treasure.
2. Orc scouts
As the PCs come within a
5-mile radius of the Tor,
they will see that
the trees in this area have been systematically
cut down, trampled, burned, and left
to rot. If the party is on horseback,
mounted movement returns to normal. The
river banks quickly enlarge into a canyon.
At the canyon?s entrance, the party will
encounter a group of 8 orcs
(each HD 1,
hp 5-8, AC 6, MV 9?, #AT 1, DAM scimitars,
LE) who are on a scouting mission to
Dungaelen. If the orcs find it at all possible
to avoid a fight, they will, but they will
not
surrender. If any are captured and questioned,
they must make a morale check or
tell everything they know to avoid execution.
Their tribe is preparing the attack on
Dungaelen, and their forces consist of
over
300 orcs. An alliance between the orcs
and
the Tor is being considered,
but nothing
more is certain. The orcs know nothing
about the inside of the Tor, although they
know where it is. They have 2-12
sp each. If
freed, the orcs will immediately split
up and
try to warn their tribe and the Tor of
the
PCs' coming.
3. The valley
The party will soon arrive at the point
where the canyon widens into a valley razed
of all large animal and plant life by men
and orcs.
In its center is a broad, foreboding
hill of stark stone, obviously the Tor,
crowned with a circle of huge
stone monoliths.
A dark opening lies 60' up the southern
slope of the hill with steps leading up
to
it. A stream of thick, red liquid flows
out
the opening through a special channel cut
down the middle of the steps, through the
valley, and eventually into the river.
No
further details can be made out from this
point.
4. Monoliths
If the party wishes to investigate the
monoliths, they will find the going a steep
climb. At the top of the hill is an 80'
circle
of stones, which was used by the druids
to
predict eclipses and maintain their seasonal
calendar. (The monolith arrangement
strongly resembles that at Stonehenge.)
The
monoliths are 6? x 8? at the base and rise
18?. Some of them have smaller horizontal
monoliths on top of them. The entire structure
is obviously very old. In the center of
the circle is a 10? x 10? pit lined with
stone
which drops 150? into room 25. Before the
pit stands a bloodstained slab of stone
4? x
4? x 8?. Four 2nd-level huntsmen
are on
guard here (hp 12-18, AC 7, MV 12", #AT
1, DAM by weapon type, LE, surprise as
rangers). They are armed with swords and
spears, and have 4-16
gp each.
5. Entrance
Sixty steps lead up to a platform and the
entrance. A stream of blood flows out the
center of three openings and down the steps
in a channel cut in the rock. It is 10?
wide
and 5? deep, and enchanted so that it will
not coagulate quickly. The
Blood River was
created by the evil priests to replace
the
pure spring water that used to flow here.
Four 2nd-level huntsmen
in wolf-head
hoods, each armed with a sword and two
javelins, are on guard at the top of the
steps
(hp 12-18, AC 7, MV 12?, #AT 1, DAM by
weapon type, LE, surprise as rangers).
Unless attacked at long range from the
bottom of the steps, they cannot be surprised
where they are. If they are attacked,
they will throw javelins and retreat to
area 6
to make a stand. They dare not interrupt
the ceremony going on in room
7. They
have 4-16 gp
each. The entrance itself is a
post-and-lintel structure ornamented with
human skulls set into niches about it.
| 6. Entrance hall | 7. Main shrine | 8. Vestry | 9. Commemoration hall | 10. Priest chambers |
| 11. Converted storeroom | 12. Meeting hall | 13. Priests' chambers | 14. Storeroom | 15. Boggle's room |
| 16. Library | 17. High priest's chambers | 18. Wizard's lab | 19. Guardroom | 20. Barracks |
| 21. Warlord's chamber | 22. Cell block | 23. Special cell | 24. Ogre's cell | - |
All floors, walls and ceilings, unless stated
otherwise, are made of stone. Doors are
of
wood and usually open easily. Ceiling
height (CH) and illumination (IL) are given
for each area described below.
The DM should be aware that the evil
high priest of the Tor, Gershus Koch, has
disappeared within the last three days
(see
areas 16 and 45).
Most of the activities of
the priesthood are centered around locating
him. Most priests will immediately believe
that the party had something to do with
his
disappearance, and they will do all in
their
power to capture the party and force the
characters to reveal the high priest's
location.
Random encounters take place on a
roll of a 1 on a d6, rolled every 2 turns.
Random encounters:
1 -- Three orcs
(HD 1, AC 6, MV 9?,
#AT 1, DAM 1-8, LE) looking for their
fellows in room 11.
2 -- Two 3rd-level huntsmen
(hp 18 and
16, AC 5, MV 12?, #AT 1, DAM 1-8, LE,
surprise rangers) returning from a patrol.
3 -- One scarecrow
(HD 5, AC 6, MV
6?, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, LE, touch and glance
cause charm), a guardian of the Tor which
will attack all intruders. It is only encountered
once unless destroyed.
4 -- Five 4th-level clerics <Curates>
(AC 10, MV
12?, #AT 1, DAM clubs, LE, use spells)
on
their way to room 7.
5 -- One kobold
(HD ½, hp 3, AC 7,
MV 6?, unarmed, LE), who will instantly
flee and raise an alarm upon seeing the
party.
6 -- Two skeletons
(HD 1, AC 7, MV
12?, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, N), that wandered
away from the barrows (see ?The Barrows?
below).
6. Entrance hall
(CH: 10', IL: daylight, if any)
The Blood River
flows through the center
of this room from under the north wall.
Directly above it, between the 2 doors,
is
a recently made bronze plaque, which reads
in Common: "Ye who come to reverence
the Deathlord may speak and enter." The
two doors each have a glyph
of warding on
them. The first person to touch either
door
without first saying the name of the glyph
("peh") must save vs. spell or be paralyzed.
It is possible to swim upstream under the
wall into room 7. However,
good characters
would consider this distasteful at best,
and
the party would attract attention afterward
because of their bloody footprints and
foul
smell. Characters listening at either door
will hear a low, guttural chanting.
7. Main shrine
(CH: 20') IL: four braziers)
This room is occupied by live 4th-level
clerics <Curates>
in black robes who are chanting in a
strange tongue, in front of a bronze statue
of a tall, grim-faced man in an iron crown.
This is the god Arawn.
The
Blood River
flows through this room from under a large
altar before the statue. The
Blood River
appears to originate here, but actually
it is
being teleported to a cistern under the
altar
from room 43. (Priests:
hp 12-20, AC 10,
MV 12", #AT 1, DAM clubs, LE, use
spells.) Today, their spells are command,
cause
light wounds, sanctuary, augury,
and
spiritual
hammer.
On seeing the party, two of the priests
will attack with clubs, and two will cast
offensive spells such as command
(?sleep!?)
or spiritual
hammer. The last one will cast
sanctuary
on himself and attempt to retreat
to room 9 and warn the huntsmen there.
The priests have been attempting by prayer
to find out what happened to their high
priest. This vigil is maintained around
the
clock. If the PCs re-enter this room after
an
hour, there is a 30% chance it will be
again
occupied by five more priests. The priests
have no treasure, but there is a set of
13
gem-inlaid sticks worth 50 gp each lying
in
a strange pattern on the altar.
8. Vestry
(CH: 10', IL: none)
Hanging on pegs along this corridor are
10 black robes
on each side. There is nothing
unusual about them.
9. Commemoration hall
(CH: 10', IL: 2 braziers)
At the top of the steps are four 2nd-level
huntsmen in bear
hoods on guard duty
(each hp 12-18, AC 7, MV 12", #AT 1,
DAM long
sword, LE, surprise as rangers).
They will attack the party on sight. They
have 4-16 gp
each.
The room contains 4 tapestries. 2 of
them depict a grey
star on a black background.
The other 2 show scenes of
black-robed priests
plunging corpses into a
huge undead cauldron, after which the
corpses walk away. In the center alcove
is a
bronze statue of
Arawn
in an iron crown.
PCs inspecting the statue will
notice that the crown is removable. The
secret door behind the statue opens onto
a
stairway which leads down to room
34. The
door can be opened by twisting the crown.
On a spike driven into the east wall next
to
the arched exit, an
intricately worked horn
of silverinlaid
with jet dangles from a
leather thong. This horn is the alarm system
for the Tor. Blowing
it will alert the whole
level and bring the huntsmen
in room 19
and 20 running. It has
had a Nystul's magic
aura
placed on it and is worth 200 gp.
10. Priest chambers
(CH: 10', IL: none)
Each of these rooms contains 2 reed
mat beds, 2 chests and 2 <Curates>
(each hp 12-20, AC 10, MV 12",
#AT 1, DAM bats,
LE). They are either
sleeping (50%) or meditating (50%). In
either case, surprise
is automatic. The
priests have only bless
and chant spells. The
chests contain personal items of no interest.
From the hallway, loud noises-can be heard
from room 11. It sounds
like an argument
in an extremely guttural language.
11. Converted storeroom
(CH: 10', IL: 1 torch)
This room is a storeroom, but it is being
used to house 9 large orcs
in black chain
mail
and rounded black helmets. They are
with Strengul in area 12.
As is typical of
orcs with nothing to do while in a
strange
place, 2 of
them have started a fight. The
PCs will hear one call the other a "brown-nosed
kobold punk." They have drawn
swords, and, with the other 7 orcs
looking on and yelling encouragement, are
about to have at it. On seeing the party,
all
the orcs will forget about the fight and
attack the party instead. (Orcs:
each HD 1,
hp 5-8, AC 5, MV 9", #AT 1, DAM long
swords,
LE.) The room contains several
crates full of torches and braziers, an
empty
cabinet, and 2 large cagelike
wicker
baskets, used for
holding sacrificial victims
for burning. The orcs have 2-12
sp each, as
well as backpacks full of jerky and uncured
wolfskin bedrolls.
12. Meeting hall
(CH: 10', IL: 2 braziers)
A large,
impressive-looking stone chair
against the north wall is occupied by a
figure shadowed in a dark cloak. Before
him, seated on a fur-padded stool, is an
extremely ugly half-orc
in black leather
armor
and spiked spiked bracers
of AC 4. The
shadowed figure is Cathbad, a Visionist
and the current leader of the
Tor
(hp 24, AC 7, MV 12?, #AT 1, DAM
dagger, LE). His spells are color
spray,
darkness,
detect
invisibility, light,
blur,
mirror
image, and suggestion. Cathbad
possesses a ring
of human influence with 3
charges left. The half-orc is Strengul,
a Swashbuckler/Thug,
leader of the
orcs in room 11 and of
the tribe preparing
to attack Dungaelen. He is here to discuss
the possibility of an alliance between
his
tribe and the Tor. (Strengul: hp 32, AC
4,
MV 12?, #AT 1, DAM long
sword, NE,
sword poisoned.)
Cathbad's first reaction after seeing the
party will be to restrain Strengul from
attacking while he uses his ring
of human
influence
to charm the party. He will attempt
to keep the party enthralled while
Strengul tries to assassinate
the most
powerful-looking member; if this attempt
takes place, allow another saving throw--for
the charmed characters. Strengul's sword
is
poisoned, causing the first victim struck
with it to save vs. poison or take 5-20
hp
damage more.
The room contains two chests full of
clothing, 4 pieces of jewelry worth 50
gp
each, and 4 stoneware
urns (with permanent
illusions
cast on them to make them
appear empty) that each contain 150 gp.
Cathbad purchased the urns in a nearby
city. Strengul has 20 gp and a 100 gp gem
on his person.
13. Priests' chambers
(CH: 10', IL: none)
These rooms are identical to the ones in
area 10, except the doors
are locked and the
rooms are unoccupied.
14. Storeroom
(CH: 10', IL: none)
This room contains a stack of crates
holding torches
and braziers. It also has a
cabinet which contains 10 gold-plated
scythe-like daggers
worth 15 gp each, and
10 amber bowls worth 25 gp each. There
are also 2 large cagelike wicker baskets.
They are used for holding and sometimes
torturing man-sized prisoners.
15. Boggle's room
(CH: 10?, IL: none)
This room bears all the telltale signs
of
having once been a bedroom, but its furnishings
have been smashed and burned
into uselessness. A boggle
(HD 4 + 3, hp 28,
AC 5, MV 9", #AT 3, DAM 1-4/1-4/1-4,
CN, naturally resists fire, spider
climb and
dimension
door through any complete
frame at will) lurks in this room. If surprised,
it will be kicking back on the remains
of a bed, cleaning its toenails. If not
surprised, it is on the ceiling just above
the
archway, waiting to drop on the 1st character
who enters. In either case, it will to
to
steal some small, valuable item from a
PC.
After attempting the theft, it will dimension
door beyond the party down the hall and
run for the exit. It crept into the Tor
looking
for treasure. It will fight only if cornered.
It
has no treasure yet.
16. Library
(CH: 10', IL: none)
Shelves line the walls, books stacked
neatly on them. Charts of various astrological
configurations are tacked to the fine oakpaneled
walls. Luxurious black furs cover
the floor, and two unlit braziers hang
from
the ceiling. In the center of the room
stands
a small round table with a clean, burnished
human skull resting on it. A
large raven,
actually a polymorphed imp, perches on
the
skull. (Imp:
HD 2 + 2, hp 14, AC 2, MV
6?/18?, #AT 1, DAM 1-4, LE; 25% magic
resistance; poisoned tail; can detect good,
detect
magick, polymorph self into raven or
giant spider, and become invisible at will;
can use suggestion
once per day.)
A former familiar, this imp was driven
permanently insane when its master (the
high priest Gershus Koch) attempted to
turn himself into a lich and failed (see
area
45). It now thinks it
is a talking raven and
will not attempt to leave the room. It
will
not attack unless attacked first. If left
alone,
it will use detect
good on the PCs and verbally
abuse those that it detects as good. It
will respond to all questions with absurd
phrases such as "Nevermore!" or "Won't
you come home, Bill Bailey?"
Most of the books here are local histories,
religious treatises, and philosophical
novels
on subjects that would interest any evil
high
priest. However, there are 2 books that
the party might find fascinating. One,
entitled "Politics of the Eighth
Hell," has a <The Politics of Hell>
scroll with a wizard
eye spell tucked within
it. The other is an unnamed volume bound
in black leather
that details the process of
achieving
lichdom in exacting detail.
PCs reading it will notice that certain
key paragraphs have been underlined, and
the name Gershus Koch is written in the
front of the book. The book is almost completely
accurate and usable; a <wizard>
with intelligence
of 17 or better will note
that the work fails to tell the reader
that any
magic-user wishing to become a lich
must
be at least 18th level. The work implies
that
a magic-user of any level may become a
lich, which is not true. The results of
attempting
to achieve lichdom without being
of sufficient level vary widely, but they
are
invariably bad (see area 45). The party
has
a 10% cumulative chance per turn of
searching to find either book.
17. High priest's chamber
(CH: 10', IL: none)
This was the high priest?s bedroom before
he disappeared. The name Gershus Koch is
painted on the door in gold leaf. Furs
cover
the floor and two unlit braziers hang from
the ceiling. The large fur-filled bedstead
has
a screaming
devilkin (HD 3, hp 12, AC 2,
MV 12?, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, LE, screams)
hiding under it, acting as guard. It will
attack the party when encountered, ?and
its
screams will automatically attract a wandering
encounter in 1-4 rounds. The room also
has a chest containing black
robes, a gold
torc worth
50 gp, and a leather pouch with
6 pp. 2 tapestries of a
gray
star on a
black background
cover the walls; each is
worth 75 gp.
18. Wizard's lab
(CH: 10', IL: none)
The first thing the party notices about
this room is the knotted, writhing pile
of
9, sickly yellow
larvae
(each HD 1, hp
5-8, AC 7, MV 6?, #AT 1, DAM 2-5, NE)
which disentangle themselves and move to
attack in a mindless frenzy. This room
contains a clutter of things typical of
a
sorcerer's laboratory.
<10 = beaker, bowl, brazier, balance
& weights, vial, retort, pot, arenaria rubra (sandwort), skull ( 
), alembic>
A cauldron set in the burned-out fireplace
is steaming slightly, and contains the
fermenting
ingredients for a sleep potion.
After the PCs have been here one turn with
the doors closed, they must save vs. poison
or suffer extreme grogginess from the
fumes. They will receive a -3 on "to hit"
and AC. Magic-users and illusionists
will find it very difficult to concentrate,
and each spell they cast will have a 50%
chance of failure. Magickal counters such
as
neutralize
poison will work. The effect lasts
2-8 turns.
A work bench sits against the north wall
with several vials and a small locked box.
The vials are clearly labeled with what
they
contain: ?Arsenic,? ?Belladonna,? ?Phase
Spider Venom,? ?Wyvern Venom,? ?Vampire
Blood,? and ?Giant Moth Glands.?_
The box contains a large, luminous gem
that will drain the soul of the first person
who touches it into itself, unless he or
she
saves vs. spell at -3. The body of the
person
will fall to the floor, apparently lifeless.
The
gem?s effect is similar to a magic jar
spell,
except that the character cannot possess
anyone or return to his own body. Dispel
magic, successfully cast vs. 10th-level
magic,
will restore the soul to its body; so will
bathing either the body or the gem in the
Waters of Life in room 43. The gem only
works once. It is worth 1,200 gp. In the
center of the room is a stone platform,
10?
in diameter and 2? high. This is one end
of
a two-way teleport once connected to room
43; it has been deactivated.
On a stand against the south wall is the
high priest's magic-user spellbook, marked
with his name and chained to its stand.
A
glyph
of warding has been placed on the
cover which will blind the first person
touching it, unless he saves vs. spell.
The
book contains the spells find
familiar, Nystul's magic aura,
read
magick, write,
darkness,
ESP, ray
of enfeeblement, shatter,
fireball,
monster
summoning I, slow,
polymorph
other,
polymorph
self, cloudkill, and
magick
jar. The page with the cloudkill spell
on it also has notes in the margin regarding
the process of becoming a lich (duplicating
some of the material from the
black book in
area 16).
In one corner of the room is a large
wicker cage with several holes ?chewed
in it.
This is where the larvae were confined
before they escaped. Shelves and cabinets
against the north wall hold an uninteresting
clutter of vials, tripods, bowls, rods,
tongs,
and other equipment. The secret door
opens easily onto a staircase which leads
down to room 34.
19. Guardroom
(CH: 10', IL: 2 torches)
5 huntsmen in cougar hoods are
seated around a table. If surprised, 2
of
them are occupied playing chess
while the
others look on. They are drinking mead,
occasionally calling for refills from the
kobold
sulking in the corner. They are not yet
intoxicated and will attack the party on
sight. 2 huntsmen are 4th level (hp 22
and 27), 2 are 3rd level (hp 16 and 17),
and 1 is a 7th-level warrior (hp 49).
(Huntsmen: AC 8,
MV 12?, #AT 1, DAM
long swords,
LE, surprise as rangers). The
huntsmen in room 20 will
come in at once if
they hear the sounds of combat
in this room
(and vice versa; see area
20).
The kobold
(HD ½, hp 2, AC 7, MV 6",
unarmed, LE) will not attack the party.
It
will just sit on top of its cask of mead
muttering
angrily about how it has been mistreated
and what it would do if it was
bigger. In any case, it knows nothing of
interest. The huntsmen have 4-16
gp each.
The chessmen are
made of bronze and are
worth only 1 sp each.
20. Barracks
(CH: 10', IL: 6 torches)
9 huntsmen in boar hoods are lounging
around on their bunks, telling stories
of
past battles. They will attack the party
at
once, astonished that intruders have gotten
this far into the Tor.
One huntsman is 8th
level (hp 50) and wears bracers
of AC 2; he
carries a battleaxe
+ 2. Another is 6th level,
wears leather
armor + 2, carries a shield,
and uses a longsword
+ 1. The other men
are 2nd level, and wear leather
armor and
use long swords. (Huntsmen:
AC 8, MV
12?, #AT 1, DAM long
swords, LE, surprise
as rangers.) The room contains 16
bunk beds and 32 chests. All the chests
contain extra animal-head hoods, grooming
brushes, and personal items. The locked
door to area 22 has a
small barred window
in it, through which the loud complaints
of
the prisoner in room 24
can be heard.
Note that any sounds of battle here will
attract attention from those huntsmen
in
room 19.
21. Warlord's chamber
(CH: 10', IL: none)
The first thing the DM needs to know
about this room is that there is a night
hag
in it (HD 8, hp 46, AC 9, MV 9?, #AT 1,
DAM 2-12, NE, see Monster Manual
for
powers). She recently arrived from the
Ethereal
Plane to look for the huntsman
warlord, in order to strangle him and take
his soul back to Hades.
This is the third
time she's missed him, and she is in a
foul
mood. If the PCs don't attack her within
2 rounds of seeing her, she will leave
for
home, planning to try again a few days
later. If threatened, she will attack,
but if
reduced to less than a quarter of her HP,
it will occur to her that she is wasting
her time and she will leave through the
Ethereal
Plane.
The room contains a bed, a chest, and a
desk and chair. 2 non-magical swords
and a shield are hanging on the wall. The
chest contains animal-head hoods and a
pair
of boots
of striding and springing. On the
desk is a wire cage that holds a live stirge,
furiously rattling its proboscis against
the
bars (HD 1 + 1, hp 7, AC 8, MV 3"/18",
#AT 1, DAM 1-3, N, drains blood). It is
voraciously hungry.
There is nothing to indicate where the
warlord went beyond a few scribbled pages
in Common on the desk, speculating on
where the <EHP> might have gone. The
warlord was obviously trying to locate
him.
22. Cell block
(CH: 10' IL: none)
All THE
DOORS to this area are locked.
The
small rooms are unoccupied
cells used for
holding sacrificial victims until the time
for
their sacrifices. They are small, dirty,
full of
wet straw and infested with vermin. Characters
searching through the straw have a
30% chance of contracting a mild parasitic
infestation of the skin (no saving throw).
Characters captured in the Tor will be
confined
here for 1-4 days, then taken to room
27 and dropped into the
barrows without
weapons, armor, or equipment. Loud complaints
from the prisoner in room
24 can be
heard through the tiny barred window.
23. Special cell
(CH: 10', IL: none)
Although the door to this room looks
exactly like the others in room
22, the room
itself is spacious and clean. It is furnished
with a bed, a chair and a washbasin. It
is
used for special sacrificial victims, such
as a
paladin
or druid. PHYSICAL GRAFFITI has been
scrawled
all over the walls by previous captives,
The
DM should invent a number of suitable
scrawlings, none of which are helpful to
the
party, in case someone wants to read them.
24. Ogre's cell
(CH: 10', IL: none)
A RANTING && RAVING ogre is locked
up in
this room. He is swearing in a mixture
of
<FUCK!> <SHIT!> <BUGGER!> <BLOODY!>
<HELL!> <BITCH!> <ASSHOLE!>
common and ogrish. This burly creature
is
destined to be the next sacrifice.
On seeing
the party through the tiny
barred window;
he will demand his FREEDOM, using the logic
that if the party does not let him out,
he will
smash THEM. The door's lock must be
picked and the bar across it removed to
open it; otherwise, the "bend
bars" roll
must be used (one chance only). If the
ogre
is released, he will immediately look for
huntsmen to kill.
He will not attack the
party unless they either attack him, enter
his cell without releasing him, or encounter
him again in the complex. (Ogre:
HD 4 + 1,
hp 24, AC 7, MV 9?, #AT 1, DAM 1-10,
CE.)
| 25. Pit | 26. Morgue | 27. Shrine | 28. The forgotten room | 29. Room of healing |
| 30. Linens | 31. Kitchen | 32. Wine cellar | 33. Pantry | 34. Nexus point |
| 35. Guardian shrine | 36. Treasure room | - | - | - |
The floors, walls
and ceiling are of
stone, just
as in the previous section. Also,
THE
DOORS are wooden and open easily unless
locked or otherwise impeded.
The activity of the priesthood on this
level is involved in the creation of an
undead
army under the priests' control, for
the purpose of conquering unbelievers,
expanding the priests' sphere of influence,
and all other goals typical of evil priesthoods.
Normally, undead are created by the
priests by putting the corpse of a sacrificial
victim into the undead cauldron in area
44.
The undead cauldron is a magick item that
turns ordinary bodies into undead corpses;
it was enchanted to be easily portable
as
well. However, the cauldron disappeared
at
the same Time as the high priest. The priests
are now simply dropping live victims into
room 37 from room
27, in the Hope that
they will be SLAIN
by the undead and thus
become undead themselves.
Random encouters take place here on a
roll of 1 on a d6, checked for every two
turns.
Random encounters:
1 -- Two 2nd-level huntsmen
(AC 7, MV
12?, #AT 1, DAM long swords, LE, surprise
as rangers) dragging a male human
peasant (0 level, AC 10, MV 12?, unarmed,
LN) to room 27.
2 -- One scarecrow
(HD 5, AC 6, MV
6?, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, LE, touch and glance
causes charm). If the party has already
destroyed the scarecrow, disregard this
roll.
3 -- Five 4th-level clerics <Curates>
(AC 10, MV
12?, #AT 1, DAM clubs, LE, use spells)
on
their way from room 27 to area 13.
4 ? One kobold
(HD 1/2, hp 4, AC 7,
MV 6?, unarmed, LE) who will instantly
flee and raise an alarm upon seeing the
party.
5 ? Four zombies
(HD 2, AC 8, MV 6?,
#AT 1, DAM 1-8, N) that wandered away
from the barrows (see below).
6 ? Two ghouls(HD
2, AC 6, MV 9?,
#AT 3, DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6, CE, cause paralysis)
that escaped from the barrows (see
below).
25. Pit
(CH: 20') IL: daylight, if any)
The light in here is very dim, as it is
coming from 150? up through a 20? x 10?
shaft in the center of the ceiling (leading
up
to area 4). The floor
is coated with dried
blood. In the center of each wall, 10'
up
from the floor, is an alcove. Each alcove
has
a bronze statue of
Arawn
in it, with a club
and an iron crown.
The southern statue's
crown may be twisted to open the secret
door
behind the statue.
26. Morgue
(CH: 10', IL: none)
This room is filled with crude wooden
coffins. Most of them are unoccupied,
although 5 have ordinary human
corpses
in them (victims of a recent rockslide
that
killed several huntsmen).
The entire room
reeks of carrion. In the northwest corner,
4 ghasts
are leaning over a coffin, ripping
the occupant into bite-sized chunks.
They will attack the party with deranged
enthusiasm (HD 4, hp 19, AC 4, MV 15?,
#AT 3, DAM 1-4/1-4/1-8, CE, stench,
cause paralysis).
27. Shrine
(CH: 10', IL: 4 braziers)
5 black-robed priests
are conducting a
ceremony <Game semantics> in this room.
An unconscious
figure is stretched out prone on a
stone altar
with 2 priests holding his wrists &&
ankles. The other 3 priests stand before
the altar, holding gold-plated,
curved daggers
and chanting in a <STRANGER
THINGS> language.
Behind the altar is a
small, bronze statue of
Arawn.
In the center of the room gapes a
dark 10' x 10' pit. It drops 40' into room
37. If left uninterrupted,
the priests will
finish the ceremony by dropping the figure
into the pit. The <Curates> will
defend themselves with spells and <bats>
if
attacked. (<Curates>:
hp 12-20, AC 10, MV
12?, #AT 1, DAM bats,
LE.) Their spells
are curse,
detect
good, protection
from
good,
augury,
and hold person.
If given the chance, the priests will retreat
to room 34 and up the
steps to warn
the Tor's inhabitants
of intruders, killing the
victim with their daggers before they leave.
(Note: Arawn
is assumed to approve of the
use of sharp-edged weapons for sacrificing
victims or SLAYING
captives in this manner,
though he would not approve of the regular
use of daggers
or the like by his priests.)
The party will have to act quickly in order
to rescue the victim. If the PCs succeed,
they will learn that he is Ferdian,
a half-elven Robber
who was caught sneaking
around looking for treasure. (Ferdian:
hp
20 (now 4), AC 10<x>, MV 12", unarmed,
N,
17
dexterity.) Having been severely beaten
in the process of being captured, his only
goal is to escape the Tor alive. Toward
this
end, he will offer the party some information
he overheard in exchange for a weapon
he can use. He heard that a
large treasure is
hidden at the southern end of this level.
He
can draw a crude map of how to get to
room 34, but that is the extent of his
knowledge.
If he acquires a weapon, he will thank
the party and head for the nearest exit.
28. The forgotten room
(CH: 10', IL: none)
Both doors
to this room are locked, and
the room's contents are covered with dust.
There are 2 fireplaces in the east wall,
filled with ash and soot. 2 bronze cauldrons,
once used for heating water, lie on
the earthen floor.
Cloth and clothing are
scattered all over the floor. Against the
western wall, between the 2 dark openings
of the staircases, is a
patch of disturbed
earth marking
a shallow grave. Beside it
kneels the shadowy
figure of a woman with
elfin features,
dressed in a pale robe. The
woman seems to be digging at the dirt with
her hands, but is unable to affect the
earth.
The faint sounds of weeping may be heard.
When the party enters, the woman will
look up at them with a pleading gaze. It
will
become immediately apparent that she is
undead, and is 90% likely to be mistaken
for a groaning
spirit. In truth, she is the
haunt
(see Monster Manual II) of a half-elven
druid
who was slain when the forces
of Arawn
took over the temple. She was
trying to hide the magical torc when she
was caught and killed by a huntsman.
Now,
she continually digs at the earth where
her
body is buried. She will arise and attempt
to
possess the body of a PC,
preferably a female, in order to find the
stolen torc and give it to a druid. If
this act
has already been accomplished, the haunt
will need to see proof of this before "giving
up the ghost."
29. Room of healing
(CH: 10', IL: none)
Dust covers the room. A table stands in
the center of it. Shelves line the walls,
filled
with boxes and jars containing 1st-aid
equipment, torn-up bandage strips, and
most of the herbs listed in the Dungeon
Masters Guide, Appendix
J (75% chance
that any particular one is present). If
the
party searches the room for 1 turn, a jar
with 6 applications of Keoghtom's
ointment
will be found.
30. Linens
(CH: 10', IL: none)
Although dusty, this room is reasonably
neat. White
and blue robes hang from pegs
on the walls. Linens of various sorts are
folded and stacked on the floor. There
is
nothing of value here, and the room hasn't
been entered since the
druids were present.
31. Kitchen
(CH: 10', IL: 5 torches)
This is obviously a kitchen. The contents
of 2 cauldrons bubble and steam over
their fires. Cabinets and shelves of utensils
stand against the walls. A kobold is standing
in front of a low counter slicing up
meat. A 2nd kobold scampers hither and
yon, fetching various items to pop in the
soup. Both are frantically hurrying through
their tasks at the direction of a
large, bulbous
female bugbear
(HD 3 + 1, hp 22, AC
5, MV 9?, #AT 1, DAM 2-8, CE), who is
sitting comfortably beside a table between
the 2 dark openings
in the floor. Between
bouts of shouting at the hapless kobolds,
she
is sharpening her claws with a file. Upon
seeing the party, she will seize a huge
meat
cleaver from the table and charge.
The 1st kobold
will attack with his knife
(HD l/2, hp 4, AC 7, MV 6?, #AT 1, DAM
dagger, LE). The other kobold will stand
back and throw pots and pans at the party.
These cause no damage, but a character
struck by one will suffer a -2 on all ?to
hit?
rolls made in the same round because of
the
distraction. (2nd kobold:
HD l/2, hp 3,
AC 7, MV 6?, #AT 1, DAM special.)
There is no treasure here.
32. Wine cellar
(CH: 10', IL: none)
Wine bottles and mead barrels line the
walls. Wine bottles also line the floor,
mostly empty. An unmade bed stands in
one corner; it reeks of drunken bugbear.
Next to the bed is a locked chest containing
60 sp, 15
gp, and 2 pieces of jewelry
worth 10 gp each.
33. Pantry
(CH: 10', IL: none)
This room is filled with boxes and crates
stacked from floor to ceiling. Hidden up
among the crates lurks an
executioner's
hood,
a large one (HD 4 + 4, hp 36, AC 6,
MV 6", #AT 1, DAM 1-4, N) that has been
well fed on a steady diet of kobold.
It will
drop on some unlucky party member when
he investigates the crates. The crates
contain
dried and fresh food,
most of which is
NOT fit for human
consumption. The hood will
NOT attack its master, the bugbear.
<4: eggs, fowl, apples, meal (grain)>
34. Nexus point
(CH: 10', IL: none)
This room is empty except for the steps
leading up to room 9 (or
room 18) and for
the unusually ornate door
in the south wall.
It is completely carved with strange
runes.
It radiates both magick && evil.
Human
&&
demi-human skulls are set into the 34
niches in the stone
wall about it.
The door to the south has a glyph
of
warding
cast upon it, such that anyone who
does not pronounce the glyph ("coo") will
be struck with confusion for 3-12 rounds.
35. Guardian shrine
(CH: 20) IL: 4 torches)
The floor, walls
and ceiling of this room
are faced with black
marble. There are
3 alcoves in the south wall. The center
one has a bronze
statue of Arawn wearing a
gold torc
that is actually a polymorphed
poisonous
snake, created by a special ceremony <magickal semantics>
once performed by the high priest
(snake:
HD 2 + 1, hp 12, AC 6, MV 15",
#AT 1, DAM 1, N, creature bitten must
save vs. poison or take 3-12 points of
damage).
A touch will dispel the polymorph.
The alcove has a semi-circle of niches
over
it, each one containing a skull. An altar
rests before the alcove with 2 handles
sticking out of the top. Anyone except
a
hobbit, gnome, or dwarf must kneel to
grasp them comfortably. The 4 torches
on the walls cannot be put out or removed
from their sockets by ordinary means. They
radiate magick.
If a character grasps the handles of the
altar, a magick
mouth spell on the topmost
skull will activate and say "If ye come
to
reverence our god, then speak his name."
The DM should then glance discreetly at
his
watch. If the character does not say
"Arawn" within 15 seconds, the 4
torches will shoot out flames which will
combine in a single flame
strike on that
spot. Unless the PC has stated, within
the
15-second delay, that he is moving away,
he
must save vs. spell or take 6-48 hp damage.
Remember, the party may not have heard
of Arawn; try not to give the name away
unless they have been in a situation in
which they might have heard it.
If the character does say "Arawn" in the
Time given, he will notice that the handles
will Now move. Each 1 controls the opening
and closing of the secret
door adjacent
to it. The handles will Now work for anyone,
but after 1 turn THE
DOORS will automatically
close and the trap will reset itself.
Operating the handles is the only way to
open the doors.
36. Treasure room
(CH: 10', IL: none)
This room is where all the treasure taken
from sacrificial victims is kept. Neatly
stacked in locked chests and sealed pottery
jars are 2,000 cp, 1,200 sp, 800
gp, and 100
pp. A box contains 20 gems worth 50 gp
each. Other boxes contain 8 pieces of
jewelry worth a total of 400 gp. Hanging
on
the walls are 4 swords, a morning
star,
6 daggers, 10 javelins, 8 shields, and
a silvered mace.
There are also 3 sets of
scale mail, 2 sets of chain mail, a suit
of
studded
leather +2 (to be given to the
huntsman who kills
the old druid in Dungaelen),
and a rack containing 7 vials of
colored water and 1 potion
of frost giant
strength
for use in emergencies.
Lying in a corner is a
small ivory box containing a
cursed ring
of weakness. This will cause its
wearer to slowly lose strength
at a rate of 1
strength point per day, a rate not immediately
noticeable. The ring also grants protection
+ 3. If the ring is not removed
before the wearer's strength reaches 0,
the wearer will die. The ring cannot be
removed except by casting both a remove
curse
and a dispel magick upon it, after
which the ring may be removed and the
character will regain his strength at the
same rate. It will take the party at least
2
turns to search through all this stuff.
Note
that the doors will close in 1 turn.
| 37. Landing | 38. Preparation chamber | 39. Alchemist's bedroom | 40. Alchemist's lab | 41. Barrows |
| 42. Entrance shrine | 43. Hall of Life | 44. The undead cauldron | 45. Barrow of the high priest | Valley of the Earth Mother |
Much of this level is inhabited by undead.
These vile creatures were created by
the priests using the undead cauldron (see
room 44) and dropped
into room 37 until
they are needed. They wander about the
barrows preying on hapless living creatures
that fall into their clutches. Clerics
will
suffer a -3 on attempts to TURN
them until
the Water of Life
is restored (see room 43).
Only doors
<doors> with magickal protections on
them still exist on this level. The undead
have torn the rest into splinters. Random
encounters take place on a roll of a 1
on a
d6, rolled every turn.
Random encounters:
1 -- 4 skeletons
(HD 1, AC 7, MV
12?, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, N).
2 -- 3 zombies
(HD 2, AC 8, MV
6?, #AT 1, DAM 1-8, N).
3 -- 2 ghouls
(HD 2, AC 6, MV 9?,
#AT 3, DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6, CE, cause
paralysis).
4 -- 10 giant
rats (HD 1-4 hp, AC 7,
MV 12?, #AT 1, DAM 1-3, N).
5 -- 1 coffer
corpse (HD 2, AC 8,
MV 6?, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, CE, causes
fear).
6 -- 2 ghasts
(HD 4, AC 4, MV 15?,
#AT 3, DAM 1-4/1-4/1-8, CE, cause paralysis,
stench).
37. Landing
(CH: 10', IL: none)
This room is 3' deep in wet straw. Those
falling into it from room
27, 40' above, will
only take 1-6 hp damage instead of the
normal 4-24 hp damage. If Ferdian was
dropped here from room 27, he will be
found crumpled in the straw; the fall killed
him. A scrawled charcoal message is on
the
wall next to the archway, saying "point
of
no return" in Common. The room is otherwise
empty.
38. Preparation chamber
(CH: 10', IL: none)
A 3' x 3' x 8' slab
of stone lies in the
center of this room. An empty fireplace
is in
the north wall. Broken glass, pieces of
rotten
wood, ash, and straw litter the floor.
The walls and ceiling
are blackened with
soot. The
door to room 40 is wizard
locked
(11th level) and covered with claw marks.
Light
can be seen shining around the edges
of it.
39. Alchemist's bedroom
(CH: 10', IL: none)
6 ravenous ghouls
(HD 2, hp 9, AC 6,
MV 9", #AT 3, DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6, CE,
cause paralysis) are in this room searching
the trash on the floor (for the umpteenth
time) for something edible. The room contains
more pieces of wood, straw, cloth, and
feathers. There are also several highly
polished
human
bones, all that's left of the
alchemist
who was killed when the temple
fell. Under all this trash is a gem worth
100
gp.
40. Alchemist's
lab
(CH: 10', IL: continual
light
in ceiling)
This room looks like a small
laboratory. It
smells of formaldehyde. The room is dusty,
but neat and orderly. There is a chest
in the
room with a
small black cat lounging on top
of it; it is a guardian
familiar (HD 1 (9),
AC 8, MV 12", #AT 3, DAM 1-6/1-4/1-4,
NG, 40% magick
resistance). It is guarding
the treasure of its master, who was an
alchemist
as well as a Warlock.
It
will TALK to those characters able to speak
with
animals, but it will NOT believe its
master is dead, nor will it allow the characters
to touch the chest. If the chest is left
alone, the familiar will be fairly friendly.
The chest contains a book of alchemy worth
2,000 gp to any alchemist or <wizard>
of
11th level or higher. The room also contains
a rack of bowls, tripods, rods, tongs,
and
other equipment. A locked cabinet stands
against the east wall; it contains racks
of
vials, all empty except for 3. 1 contains
a liquid that smells strongly of formaldehyde
and is poisonous (save vs. poison or
take 4 - 16 hp damage). The other 2 are
potions
of undead control, 1 for ghasts
and 1 for zombies.
The guardian familiar
will not object if the party takes these.
41. Barrows
(CH: 10', IL: none)
All these rooms are round and have
round stone slabs 10' in diameter and 2'
thick in the center of them. These stones
are
seals for pit graves; only the top 6 inches
of
each stone can be seen. Each was emplaced
by magick (wall
of stone, stone shape), and
they are not movable by normal (non-magical)
means, due to their weight and the
fact that they are partially merged with
the
surrounding stone.
The stones are marred
with claw marks -- obviously the undead
have tried to pry them up. Under each one
is a shaft 10?-20? deep, divided into 2?
sections by tough wicker partitions. Each
section contains the remains of either
a
warrior or a druid.
They have been buried
with their weapons, armor, and holy symbols.
None of these are magical, and they
have been buried too long to be of any
use.
41a. A coffer
corpse lies flat on its
back in this room (HD 2, hp 13, AC 8,
MV 6?, #AT 1, DAM 1-6, CE, cause
fear). It will attack.
41b. This room has a group of 4
ghouls
(HD 2, hp 8-11, AC 6, MV 9?,
#AT 3, DAM 1-3/1-3/1-6, CE, cause
paralysis) and 3 ghasts
(HD 4, hp
15-20, AC 4, MV 15?, #AT 3, DAM 1-
4/1-4/1-8, CE, cause paralysis, stench)
who are trying to pry up the sealing
stone in this room. They will attack.
41c. This room is empty.
41d. 5 zombies
stand around in
this room (HD 2, hp 6-13, AC 8, MV
6?, #AT 1, DAM 1-8, N). They will
attack any intruders.
41e. 1 monster
zombie (an ogre)
lurks in here (HD 6, hp 30, AC 6, MV
9?, #AT 1, DAM 4-16, N). It will attack
intruders.
41f. An unusually powerful wight
(HD 6, hp 40, AC 3, MV 12?, #AT 1,
DAM 4-1 1 or 1-4 plus life drain, LE)
staggers around the room here. It was
once the huntsman warlord, who entered
the barrows looking for the missing high
priest and wound up as an undead; the
wight that killed him was SLAIN
in the
fight, so the warlord is now free-willed.
The warlord is still wearing his chain
mail + 2
and is armed with a <long>
sword + 3.
He will attack anyone he sees, maddened
at his condition. He is crying the name
of the high priest (Gershus Koch) in
hopes that the priest will help him.
41g. This room is empty.
41h. 4 wights
lurk here (HD 4, hp
15-20, AC 5, MV 12", #AT 1, DAM 1-
4, LE, life drain). They will attack,
<complete sentence>
42. Entrance shrine
(CH: 20') IL: continual
light in ceiling)
The light
keeps the undead away from
this room. It appears to be a ruined shrine.
In the center of the room is an altar marred
with claw marks. Seated comfortably on
top
of it is what appears to be a
small, immature
kobold.
It is actually a boggart (HD 6,
hp 32, AC -6, MV 18?, #AT 1, DAM 2-12,
CE, causes confusion).
If it is surprised, it
will attack with its electrical charges.
If not,
it will turn, grin at the party, and begin
its
confusion attack. The 3 alcoves in this
room each have a toppled, broken-up statue
in them. Characters inspecting the rubble
notice that the statues were of beautiful,
robed women carved in white
stone. The
double
doors behind the altar are wizard
locked
at the 11th level.
43. Hall of Life
(CH: 20') IL: 38 braziers)
This room is menacingly evil in appearance.
The white marble
walls were recently
painted black,
as were the 2 double rows
of columns. The columns Now resemble
twisted, withered, and blackened
trees.
Each 1 has a brazier hanging from it that
burns with blood-red
flame. At the southern
end of the room is a
10' -diameter black
marble platform,
1? high. This was the
other end of the 2-way teleporter that
once connected with room
18. At the northern
end of the vast hall is a semicircular
pool filled with blood;
it is 30' in diameter
and 3' deep. 4 more treelike columns
line it, equipped with flaming braziers.
In the center of the
blood pool, against
the wall and up on a pedestal out of the
pool, is a black
stone statue of Arawn,
grim-faced, wearing
an
iron crown and
holding a <bat>.
The statue radiates magick
and is fixed in place. 2 stone obelisks,
one on each side of the statue, stand against
the wall; each one is 1? x 3? x 6? in size.
They are blocking the flow of the Water
of
Life, the
sacred spring water that used to
flow in place of the Blood
River. This pool
is the source of the Blood
River. Volumes of
liquid are constantly being teleported
from
this pool to room 7, using
a special spell
devised by the druids
who once lived here.
Any large volume of
liquid spilled into the
pool will be teleported to the area by
the
altar in room 7, where
it will then flow out
of the temple.
A slight leakage of water
may be detected
around both obelisks. If they are removed
(requiring a ?bend bars? roll for each,
one
attempt per hour per person), the spring
water will gush forth, washing away sufficient
blood for
the PCs to see a small decanter
lying at the bottom of the pool. Fresh
blood is pouring
out of the decanter at a
rate of 5 gallons per round.
This item has the basic characteristics
of
a decanter
of endless water, with the obvious
difference described above. The decanter
can be stoppered; fortunately, it has
its stopper lying next to it.
Once the decanter
of blood has been
stoppered and the
blood has been washed
away (taking 6 turns), the Water
of Life will
act as a restoration
spell and heal 2-20
points of damage for anyone who drinks
it
or bathes in it. This will work 1 time
per
character only. The Torc
of the Gods is
hidden on the statue of Arawn.
If the characters
pour the Water on the statue, an
amazing transformation takes place. The
black stone1st
becomes gray and then
white. Its
form writhes and warps. It becomes
softer, slender, curved and graceful
-- the form of a
beautiful woman carved in
white stone.
Ringed around her neck is the
Torc of the Gods, which can easily and
safely be removed by a neutral character.
It
will not budge for an evil or good one.
As the statue changes form, the appearance
of the rest of the room changes as well.
The black wallsbecome
white, and the
columns become real wood and put out
leaves ? they are actual living trees.
The
flames go out and soft pearly light in
the
room radiates from the statue itself. In
addition, the teleport platform is now
returned
to its original purpose. Anyone
stepping on it will be teleported to room
18,
and vice versa.
44. The
undead cauldron
(CH: 10', IL: none)
The door
<The door> to this room is unlocked and
there are no traps (except for the cauldron).
The north and south walls are draped with
2 large tapestries of a grey star on a
black
background. On a platform at the western
end of the room is the undead cauldron.
It
is an ordinary-looking iron
cauldron, 3? in
diameter and rather battered and stained
with blood.
It strongly radiates both magick
and evil. All living creatures who go within
5? of it feel an icy chill go through them.
Good beings who touch it take 2-8 points
of
damage, no save, from frostbite.
Special
enchantments have reduced the cauldron's
weight to only 50 gp, though it is bulky
to
carry.
The corpse of a mortal creature placed in
the cauldron will emerge as a random
undead
monster, under
the control of the <add random undead table - Orcus>
cauldron's current owner. The undead type
will be one with a corporeal, physical
form,
and less than 7 HD. A living creature who
enters the cauldron must save vs. death
magic at -4, or its soul or life force
will be
devoured and forever GONE <May God Forbid>.
Those who
make the save will take 2-8 points of damage
and lose
2 life levels. The cauldron
has a magical link with the Type
O Negative Material
Plane.
Those who try to possess it will
quickly turn evil, if they were not already.
<Character Alignment Graph>
Eventually, the possessor of it will, by
a
DM-arranged 'accident' or his own
cauldron-influenced DESIRE, become undead
himself. The cauldron can only be destroyed
by washing it in the Waters
of Life.
The cauldron was brought here by the
high priest, who planned to use it to create
his personal undead army. When his plans
to turn into a lich
failed, the cauldron simply
remained here and collected dust.
This room was once a place of worship
for the druids.
45. Barrow of the high priest
(CH: 10', IL: none)
On a platform against the east wall is
a
large,
thronelike stone chair. Seated in it is
a rotted, robed skeleton, slumped as if
in
death.
Its jaws gape open in a hideous grin,
and its eye sockets are pits
of blackness.
One taloned bone hand weakly clutches the
handle of a large mace.
This is all that
remains of the high priest, who tried and
failed to turn himself into a lich.
He was a
<High
Priest 12>/<Wizard>. His
soul has gone on to its punishment, but
his
undead body remains, possessing all the
physical characteristics of a lich, but
none of
the mental ones. Scattered about the room
is the high priest's treasure, consisting
of
7,600 pennies,
5,000
$ilver dollar$, 2,200 gp, 345 pp, 10
gems worth 100 gp each, a potion
of animal
control,
a wand of polymorphing
with 6
charges left, a staff
of striking with 8
charges left, and a <long>
sword + 2. If the corpse
or its treasure is disturbed, the corpse
will
animate and attack. (Semi-lich: HD 10,
hp
60, AC 0, MV 6?, #AT 1, DAM 1-10, + 1
or better weapon to hit, immune to charm,
sleep, enfeeblement, cold, insanity,
and
death magick, turned
by <priests> as a ghost.)
Being mindless, the corpse is immune to
all
illusion/phantasm && enchantment/charm
spells. Once animated, the corpse will
fight
until destroyed.
Scattered papers on the floor, written by
the high priest before he died, describe
his
plans to become a lich
and rule an army
and nation of undead. The high priest was
NOT insane; he was a very calculating,
determined
man who made only 1 mistake.
With the release of the Water
of Life, the
power of the Tor is
broken. Most of the
priesthood and all the huntsmen
will panic
and flee upon beholding the returning water.
The priests who are caught will be
imprisoned and sacrificed by NPC druids
in
a major cleansing ceremony designed to
<magickal semantics>
restore the Tor to its old state. Any huntsmen
and orcs
captured will also be executed;
the NPC druids will point out
religious justification for such actions.
The
Water of Life, flowing in its original
channel,
will soon make the land green
again.
The surviving druids from Dungaelen will
return to the Valley of the Earth
Mother.
The power of the torc will liberate Dungaelen.
The old druid there is of sufficient
power to wield it, and he will cause the
assault to fail miserably by using his
entangling powers and other spells. If
the
PCs assist him, the whole battle may be
played out by the DM and players using
the
BATTLESYSTEM
Supplement rules.
About 470 orcs will be involved in the
assault
on the town, which is defended by 260
humans
with only moderate arms and armor.
The DM should detail the rest of the
orcish and Dungaelen forces as desired.
The huntsman NPC class may be used
for devising opponents for the PCs
involved in a long-term campaign in
this area. Because the class is evil-aligned
and offers little variation from the standard
ranger
class, it is not recommended for use
as a PC class.
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 2-12
ARMOR CLASS: By armor type
MOVE: 12?
HIT DICE: 2 and up
% IN LAIR: Variable
TREASURE TYPE: M, Q
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1, 3/2, or 2 (as per
weapon and level)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Surprises on 1-3
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised on 1
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average to genius
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Possible in special
individuals
Attack/Defense Modes: Possible in
special individuals
Huntsmen are humans of an anti-ranger
class. They have the tracking
skills of a
ranger of equivalent level, and the surprise
and <wizard> spell-casting abilities
of one
as well. No druidic spells may be
cast, and
no special followers of any sort
are gained.
Huntsmen may employ scrying devices at
10th level as rangers do. Their attacks
per
round, XP and HD tables,
saving throws, and so forth are otherwise
the same as rangers, though they have no
level titles. A huntsman gains a + 1 bonus
"to hit" against all human,
demi-human,
and humanoid opponents for every 3
levels of ability the huntsman possesses.
Hunstmen oppose all that rangers stand
for: they hunt for sport, destroy things
of
nature, lay waste to good communities,
and
support evil humanoids. They especially
hate
rangers, druids, elves,
and elf-like <Folk of the Faerie Kingdom, Dragon #155)
beings, and will attack them in preference
over other opponents.
Huntsmen are often found in the service
of evil <priests>, particularly those
who worship
death gods. They act as guards and as <cf.
The
Sentinel>
hunters for the stronghold?s food supply.
<link to Gary's hunter class>
They enjoy fighting as much as hunting
and
seldom need check morale.
The huntsmen in the Tor
are dark-haired
human
males, clad in brown or black
leather
armor. All of them worship Arawn.
They frequently wear hoods made of the
heads of predatory animals, wolves and
wild cats being favorites. No limit exists
on
the number of huntsmen who may gather in
any one spot, though their rarity ensures
that such gatherings are few.
The following information on the Earth
Mother has been slightly modified from
the
original article in which it appeared ("Tuatha
De
Danaan," DRAGON issue #65).
Under no circumstances will this deity
(or
any other) appear in this adventure. The
statistics may be useful for campaign play,
however.
ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVE: 12?
HIT POINTS: 400
NO. OF ATTACKS: Nil
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spells and devices
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Spells and devices
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 80%
SIZE: M (6? tall)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
WORSHIPER?S ALIGN: Neutral
SYMBOL: Wreath of mistletoe
PLANE: Concordant
Opposition
CLASS ABILITIES: Hierophant
of the Cabal,
Arch-Mage 30, 15th-level bard
PSIONIC ABILITY II
S: 19
I: 25
W: 25
D: 20
C: 25
CH: 24
CO: 26
Danaan is the queen and ruler of all the
Celtic
deities, though her worship is not
widely practiced. She appears as a mature,
beautiful woman with auburn hair and leaf-green
eyes, cloaked in
white robes and
garlanded with mistletoe and oak leaves.
Danaan's motherly aspect makes her
sympathetic to all living things, especially
young beings like saplings, baby animals,
and children. In her dual role as the Goddess
of Magick, she can animate trees,
stones, and sods of earth to fight for
her by
turning them into armed soldiers. From
10-
100 such soldiers will be created each
round
within a 10? radius around her, each man
wearing leather
armor, using a shield (AC
7), and being 6th level. These men are
variously armed with spears,
short
swords,
and hand
axes, and will fight until Danaan
says otherwise.
Danaan can summon the
Wild Hunt
once per day, which will appear in the
evening
of that particular day. She often carries
a magickal staff that has the spell-casting
powers of a Druid
and Wizard 12.
Around her neck, she wears a
Torc of the Gods (see
the Legends & Lore book, page 30).
<DEITIES & DEMIGODS>
<see below>
Both men and women may become
priests of Danaan, but only women may
achieve 12th level or higher in her cult.
Priests wear white
robes and leave their
heads uncovered; leather
armor may be
worn in battle, but it should be dyed
white.
The day of the new moon is Danaan's
monthly holy day, and sacrifices
of animals
are made to her in a grove consecrated
to
her.
<DEITIES & DEMIGODS>
The Legends & Lore
volume describes a
typical torc as a ornamental neck ring.
Certain torcs are given magical protective
powers, such protection + 1, and are often
encrusted with jewels and made from precious
metals. A Torc of the Gods is a special
torc imparted with the power to allow its
wearer to shapechange without limit and
to
cast a polymorph
other spell once per
round when the wearer chooses, except
when in shapechanged form. This kind of
torc is always made of precious, rare metals
and has a large gem of any type mounted
on the front. The gem must be worth at
least 5,000 gp.
The Torc of the Gods at the
Tor has several
additional powers. It allows the wearer
to function as a 10th-level
druid if he is
below that level, adding the capability
to
cast the extra spells after the torc is
worn for
a full month. In addition, the torc will
cause
all vegetation within a 240-yard radius
of
the wearer to attack any targets the wearer
designates as per the entangle
spell. This
power may be used once per day.
However, the torc's spell-increasing and
entangling powers will only function if
the
wearer dedicates himself to the restoration
and preservation of the druid's temple
at
the Tor. The wearer must give up all adventuring
so long as he possesses the torc, or
else he must give the torc to another druid
who will carry on the task. Taking the
torc
with the intent to use it on adventuring,
or
hiding the torc without giving it to another
druid, is cause for divine punishment;
the
DM may cause the offending druid to lose
all spell-casting powers until such time
as he
makes amends. Note that a PC druid who
keeps the torc may do so with the willing
permission of the NPC druids in the area,
regardless of the level of the possessor
-- so
long as he agrees to stay and protect the
druid's temple.
The torc at the Tor grants its wearer
protection + 2. It has a gold piece value
of
50,000 gp, but confers no experience point
value since it is considered to be a relic.
Further reading
The editors recommend the following
books for those who are interested in developing
a Celtic
campaign derived from this
adventure.
Stonehenge Decoded, Gerald S.
Hawkins, Dell Publishing Co., New York,
1968. If you've wondered how a bunch of
stone blocks could serve as an advanced
astronomical observatory, read this.
The Druids, Stuart Piggot, Penguin
Books, London, 1968. An excellent resource
text for those wondering what druids really
did.
OCTOBER 1985