This chapter is provided as a bridge between
the adventures within this book and
those in the first two books of this series-The
Temple of Elemental Evil (T1-4), and Scourge
of the Slave Lords (A1-4). If your players have
not played either of the above, begin the adventure
with the next chapter.

In this chapter, the player characters suspect
that the slave lords, whom they destroyed,
have returned. The characters are the target of
savage attacks and mysterious accidents.
Strange, yet vaguely familiar men shadow
them. In time, it becomes clear that someone
is acting against the player characters. Just
who and why is what the characters must
learn.

Ideally, this chapter should occur several
weeks or months after the PCs defeated the
slave lords. It is best if the characters consider
these foes as past history, simply another heroic
event in their lives. If possible, subtly encourage
this attitude by questioning them on
what their next adventure will be and congratulating
them on the defeat of the slave lords.
For best effect, you want the coming events to
be surprising!

The PCs should gradually gain a picture of
what is happening to them. However, this picture
should never be clear. You want them to
be mystified and in search of answers. By the
end of the chapter, it should be clear that all
their questions can only be answered in
Sterich.

Since ideally some time has passed since the
defeat of the slave lords, the PCs have probably
traveled away from the scene of their last
adventure, possibly across great distances.
Thus, the following events and encounters are
designed to be used in nearly any town in
which the characters find themselves. As such,
this town is not named nor is a great amount
of detail given. It may be anything from the
great city of Greyhawk to the lowly village of
Hommlet.

1. A String of Bad Luck
The returned attentions of the slave lords to
the player characters begins innocently
enough. A few unfortunate things begin happening
to one of the player characters. At
first, to the amusement of the others, the
events are centered around this one person.
However, gradually the same bad luck befalls
the entire group.

Behind all these events is a slave lord or his
agents. However, his hand is never directly apparent
in any of these events. Everything is
done through others, who are in turn hired by
others, who yet in turn receive orders or suggestions
from others. Once defeated by the
player characters, the slave lord is taking no
chances this time.

The following events can be used in any order
you desire and can be inflicted upon whatever
player character you wish. It is
recommended that you spread this misfortune
around, however, so that one player does not
feel consistently picked on.

Broke!
Some minor crucial moment when money is
needed (to pay for a meal, for example), a
character reaches into his purse and pulls out a
dead rat! Some clever thief has cleaned out the
purse, leaving a small token of his appreciation.
If the other characters find this amusing,
let them make the same discovery when they
check their pursues. Obviously, characters
who have intelligently protected their funds
with magical protections (such as magic
mouth) discover the thief in the attempt. He
is a lowly cutpurse who immediately surrenders
and pleads for mercy. He does not implicate
anyone else, although it was suggested he
rob the characters by the head of his local
guild.

Mistaken Identity
As the characters are walking down the
street, they hear a voice shout out, “You!
Stop! Where’s the 100 gold ya owe me, ya
lousy welcher?” Down the street is a fat merchant,
shouting and pointing at one of the
player characters. He has “mistaken” the PC
for someone who owes him money. He proclaims
loudly for all to hear that the character
is a cheat and double-dealer. When confronted,
however, he realizes his mistake and
apologizes for the case of mistaken identity. If
threatened, he screams for the guard.

Of course, even if his apology is accepted,
the damage is done. Many heard his accusations,
but no one heard the apology. By the
end of the day, no merchant will offer credit to
the character or his friends, nor will they take
orders without cash in advance. When possible,
merchants will raise prices slightly for the
party.

The merchant thinks he is helping with a
practical joke. Shortly before the player characters
arrived, a man gave him several gp to
play out his part. The description he can give
is of no help.

Falling Objects
As a player character steps out of or into a
building, an item mysteriously falls straight
toward the character. A loose brick may fall, a
flowerpot may blow off a ledge, a rope may
snap in the process of moving a heavy piece of
furniture, and so forth. Roll to see if the character
is surprised. If so, the object hits on a roll
of 17 or better. If not surprised, the character
can dodge the object entirely by rolling his
dexterity or less on 1d20. If the dodging fails,
the chance that the object hits is equal to that
given above. The damage done varies with
size. Small objects (flowerpots, bricks) inflict
1-8 points of damage, medium-sized (large
stones) 2-12 points, and large (boulders, furniture,
sides of beef) 2-16 points. Naturally,
there is no sign of any culprit. Indeed, the
whole thing looks accidental. And of course,
it is not.

Rent Problems
When the characters arrive back at their
rooms, they find all their goods piled near the
front door of the building. Their rooms are occupied
by strangers (who naturally dislike
people bursting in on them). The landlord
has rented the room to someone else. He can
offer many reasons-he has heard of a character’s
bad credit rating, the new tenant is an
important official, a member of his wife’s
family, or has simply paid an exorbitant
amount for the room. Whatever the case, the
characters are not going to get their rooms
back. Furthermore, word of the event spreads
quickly. Other landlords either refuse to rent
rooms or demand huge sums, far beyond anything
reasonable.

The new renters, of course, are agents of the
slave lord who have arranged for this little indignity.
They do not know their employer,
only that they received a large sum of money,
the address of the characters, and instructions.

The Clumsy Guardsman
At some point when the player characters
are near a group of city or town guardsmen, a
crossbow bolt is fired at one character of the
group. It hits as if fired by a 0 level human.
Whether the bolt hits or misses, a startled
grunt of surprise and astonishment comes
from a nearby niche. The PCs see a horrified
guardsman therein, staring down at his crossbow.
Extremely upset, he begins to profusely
apologize for the accident. “It wasn’t supposed
to do that! I was only futing the sights! I
even had the safety catch on!” He obviously
seems just as startled as the PCs. However, if
they lean on him too hard, the other guardsmen
nearby come to his support. Ultimately,
the party can either accept that it was an accident
or bring down the wrath of the entire city
guard upon them.

The guardsman is truly innocent. Although
the bolt was fired from his weapon, the trigger
was pulled using a minor spell cast by a magicuser
not far away.

Fire
During an otherwise quiet night, a fire
breaks out in the characters’ building. It is
very late at night, well after honest men are
asleep. If a character is awake, the fire is no-
ticed shortly after it starts. The blaze can be
extinguished with little difficulty. None of the
PCs’ equipment is damaged.

If no one is awake, the characters are alerted
by thick smoke and roaring flame. Opening
their door, they see the exit blocked by fire.
Those willing to brave the flames and heat can
run out this direction. Others may escape out
the window. The characters have 1-6 rounds
before a flash fire enters their room. After
this, each victim suffers 2- 12 points of damage
per round until escaping. Only those things
the characters take survive the flames (unless
able to resist burning and intense heat). By
morning most of the building has burned to
the ground. The landlord is then convinced
that someone in the party is a jinx or has put
the evil eye on his business. There is no sign of
what started the fire.

The fire was actually started outside by a
hired arsonist, who has long since disappeared
into the night. The arsonist sincerely believes
the man who hired him was the landlord, but
this was an agent of the slave lord using a cunning
disguise.

The Frame
As the player characters are peacefully sitting
in an inn, a number of heavily armored
and armed guardsmen enter the establishment,
accompanied by a little man in robes.
These men look about from table to table casually.
It is clear they are searching for someone.
Conversation stops as they spread out
and move through the customers, examining
each carefully. At first they pass by the player
characters, paying them no more notice than
the others. However, the guardsmen carefully
circle around the party, trying to look natural.

When in position, the captain of the group
orders one of the characters to surrendej and
come along peacefully. He is under adest for
theft from a local temple. If the PC resists, the
guardsmen use force. They are only interested
in the one character (plus any others who interfere).
Another guardsman is sent to search
the character’s room. Other PCs may accompany
him if they wish (in which case more
guards come along). The guardsman finds a
jewel-studded chalice, the one stolen from the
temple. There is no doubt this was the stolen
item and that it was hidden among the character’s
goods.

All prisoners are taken to the local gaol for
questioning. This takes several hours, and
only ends when a cleric is brought in to use detect
lie. Of course, the local magistrate may
insist the characters be punished for other
actions during the course of the arrestattacking
guardsmen, injury to property or
persons, or injury to authority. Any guardsmen
harmed by the PCs press suits for compensation
by them. These are undoubtedly
expensive, and are upheld by the magistrate.
If characters refuse to pay, point out that the
injured party (the guardsman and his family)
are legally permitted to pursue a blood vendetta
against their enemy. Thereafter one out
of every 10 encounters is with a family member
seeking to kill that PC. It is probably easier
to pay the compensation and be done with it.
After all, the player characters may have accidentally
injured a whole family of successful
adventurers!

Evil Rumors
At first, the characters notice suspicious
stares from those with whom they deal. Then
these stares become a reluctance to deal at all.
The characters are finally openly refused service
or turned away. Doors are closed in their
faces. Merchants will not sell them goods.
Honest folk shun them; someone has been circulating
unwholesome rumors about them.
As with all gossip, it is impossible to trace it to
its source, and similarly difficult to counter.
To beat the rumors, the characters must affect
scrupulously correct behavior for several
weeks. Paladins are exempt from these rumors,
but suffer from association with the
other “undesirables.”

2. Suspicions and Clues
As the string of bad luck for the player characters
increases in intensity, they should develop
suspicions that someone or something is
behind their woes. At this point, you want to
fuel their paranoia, making them nervous and
jumpy.

False Scent
Once the PCs are a bit suspicious, tell one
player that his character notices a man watching
the party. The man doesn’t do anything in
particular, and if anyone watches him he
seems to pay no attention to the group. If the
PCs go to a public place, the man seems to follow
them. This lasts for several hours. However,
the man is actually an innocent
woodcutter, in town for his own reasons. He is
not following the party; all has occurred by
chance. He creates a scene if pressured by the
player characters, which should make them
look foolish.

Real Shadows
Sometime after the previous incident, have
the same player character or one of his close
confidantes notice a stranger watching the
party. As before, if the characters watch this
man, he appears to pay them no notice. He
again seems to follow wherever they go. This
time the man is actually shadowing the PCs;
he is an agent of the slave lord. If confronted,
he denies everything. His instructions are to
watch the PCs for several hours and then note
all his observations on paper in a secret code.
This he seals in a tube and drops into the main
well of the city. However, the tube is not to be
collected. Another agent secretly scans his
mind with an ESP spell while he prepares the
report.

After several hours, the tail on the party is
replaced by a different man (who the PCs may
or may not notice). His instructions and procedures
are identical to those of the first
agent.

Spy of the Slave Lord (1st Level Fighter): AC
10; hp 8; MV 12”; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4 (dagger);
THACO 20; AL N(E); XPV 18

3. Messages and Meetings
By now the player characters should suspect
that someone or something is working against
them. However, all their efforts to locate their
tormentor should have ended in frustration.

A surprise message is discovered when a
character reaches into his pocket. The crumpled
piece of paper reads:

The PCs have no trouble finding the Tattered
Flag Public House; it is a well known establishment.
But unless they specifically ask,
they do not know that the place has a reputation
as the watering hole of the toughest and
meanest ruffians of the area. It is noted for its
brawls and wild evenings.

There is no ambush or trap set at the Tattered
Flag. But for several nights before the
PCs arrive, agents of the slave lords spread stories
among its patrons, referring to some adventurers
who are boasting of their prowess
and insulting the lineages of several regulars
at the place. It is just a coincidence that the
description of this group is amazingly similar
to the PCs.

When the PCs enter the place, read the following
to the players.

______________________________________

Even though the sun still glows in the western
sky, it is dark and gloomy inside. Until
your eyes adjust, all you can see clearly are
a number of tables and chairs and hulking
bodies. There is a steady clatter and clink
of mugs and dishes and many voices raised
in boisterous and crude song. The bar is
peculiar. It is large and wooden with shuttered
windows that open into the kitchen.
Drinks and platters of food are passed
through the windows to serving wenches.
You manage to find an empty table.

As their eyes become adjusted to the light,
the characters begin to see the true nature of
the Tattered Flag. The place is occupied by a
score of the biggest and meanest looking
thugs imaginable. They gradually fall silent as
heads swivel in the direction of the party.
Then the largest walks over to their table. His
head is shaved in rows, the remaining hair
standing in stiff bristles. His face is lined with
tattooed welts in coiling patterns and his teeth
are cracked and broken.

“I hear there’s a new bunch in town who
think they’re real tough. They said some
things we don’t like. Ain’t that right, boys?”
There is a general nod of agreement from the
other patrons who are gathering about the
PCs’ table. “I hear that someone like you was
bad-mouthing us. We don’t like people badmouthing
us. It makes us angry. We think
maybe you ought to have your attitude fiued.”
The shutters of the bar windows slam tight. As
the last one is being closed, the landlord pokes
his head out and says, “If you guys bare your
steel, I’ll see you spend the rest of your days in
our fine town dungeons!” The thugs are looking
for a fight and there is nothing the player
characters can say that will avoid it. If they try
to leave, they are pushed back into the room,
and fists begin to fly.

The 20 thugs have no intention of killing
the characters, only to give them a good beating
to let them know who is boss. They do not
draw weapons (nor use magical devices) unless
the PCs do so first. If a character draws a
weapon, the various thugs make it clear that
the PCs were the first to do so, and that this
will certainly bring down the law upon them
all.

Use the weaponless combat system laid out
in UNEARTHED ARCANA (Appendix Q).
The thugs are considered to be exposed targets.
Well-versed in tavern brawling, they
quickly pick up chairs (large, heavy objects),
and seek to gang up on characters, two thugs
holding down an opponent (grappling) while
a third flails away at him.

If the thugs beat the player characters senseless,
they strip them of all cash and dump
them in an alley several blocks distant from
the Tattered Flag. They also relieve them of a
few minor magic items. If the PCs immediately
return to the Tattered Flag, they find it
closed for the night. If they come back the
next day, they are stopped by several guardsmen
at the entrance who tell them the place
has been closed by order of the town council.

Tattooed Thug (10th Level Fighter): AC 6;
hp63;MV12”; #AT3/2;Dmgbyweapon
+6 (strength), with knife (Dmg 1-3) and
sap (Dmg 1-2); THACO 9; AL CE; XPV
2,232

The player characters find a second message
when they return to their rooms after their little
adventure at the Tattered Flag. It has been
slid under their door. The landlord remembers
that a young man came by, but cannot
describe him. The message reads:

“Your accursed misfortunes continue! I saw
a riot at the Tattered Flag and feared I would
be discovered. Let us try again tonight at a
more peaceful place, the Hammer and Sword.
There is more at stake than you realize!”

If the characters check, they find that the
Hammer and Sword is indeed a much more
placid and respectable establishment. There
are no traps or ambushes on or around the
premises. There are no burly thugs drinking at
the bar. The characters can find seats in a quiet
corner without attracting any undue attention.
Everything appears safe.

Fifteen to twenty minutes after the characters
arrive, the front door suddenly slams
open. There, standing in the doorway, is the
Tattooed Thug and his companions (possibly
somewhat worse for wear after last night’s encounter).
Unless the PCs are disguised, they
are quickly spotted. “Boys, them’s the dogs
who closed down the Tattered Flag!” he
shouts, sounding somewhat surprised. “Let’s
teach ’em that lesson again!” With that, he
and his companions charge across the room.
Another fisdight quickly erupts. Once again,
the thugs only fight non-lethally unless the
PCs escalate the incident.

If the player characters are disguised, the
Tattooed Thug and his boys do not recognize
them. Instead, they grab tables and benches
(dumping other customers as need be) and
begin drinking heavily. Their loud conversation
centers around what they will do to those
“dogs they thrashed last night” if they ever
meet again. Their plans do not sound pleasant
at all. The more they drink, the louder,
meaner, and more physically abusive they get.
The PCs must leave very carefully if they do
not wish to start another fight.

Naturally, the Tattooed Thug and his
friends didn’t just come here by accident. An
agent of the slave lord suggested this tavern,
mentioning also that the player characters
might be found there.

The third message arrives the next morning.
The messenger was hired by a handsome
young man, who was obviously nervous and
frightened. The message reads:

“What gods have you offended to curse
your fortunes so? I fear for my own safety just
to be near you, yet I cannot remain silent,
Dangerous forces loom in the west, forces that
toy with your lives. For your sake I must speak
with you. Tell this messenger of a private place
where I can meet with you. I will be careful;
none will follow me.”

The messenger carries a reply to the person
who hired him, if desired. His instructions are
to go to a certain bridge at noon and think the
name of the place their characters will be at,
After one minute of thinking, he is to leave.
The bridge named is always very crowded at
noon with traffk going to and from market.

At the location chosen by the PCs, allow
them time to prepare any traps, surprises and
ambushes they desire. When the appointed
time comes, a group of men bursts upon the
scene -the Tattooed Thug and his friends!
They seem as startled and surprised as the
player characters.

The party has been set up once again, but
this incident is not what they might think.
The newcomers are actually members of the
city guard. Tipped that a dangerous fugitive
could be found on the scene, they have come
bursting in. However, just before they appeared,
a hidden magic-user (an agent of the
slave lord) cast a phantasmal force about
them, disguising them as the PCs’ nemesis.
The magic-user hopes that the PCs attack, of
course, and maintains the illusion only until
they do so.

If the PCs attack, the ploy succeeds, and the
damage is done. As the illusion vanishes, the
foes stand revealed as guardsmen, and angry
ones at that. The penalty for attacking a
guardsman is steep-at least several months in
a dank cell. Furthermore, the guardsmen are
going to pursue this arrest with great vigor,
seeing that justice is liberally and harshly dispensed.
They do not lightly tolerate any of
their own being hurt. It is strongly recommended
that the player characters leave town
as quickly as possible. If they remain, they are
treated as common criminals, no matter what
their alignment or class. Repeated attempts
are made to arrest them. The more they resist,
the higher the level of those sent to arrest
them, until eventually name-level bounty
hunters are set on their trail. Furthermore, the
more they resist, the more they damn themselves
in the eyes of the law.

Guardsmen (10 2nd Level Fighters): AC 7; hp
9; MV 12”; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8 (longsword);
THACO 20; AL LN; XPV 38

4. The Lonely Inn
This encounter is used after the player characters
have left town (whatever the reason).
Before using it, you will need a copy of the statistics
of the Slave lords (see adventure A1-4).
You will also need the map of the Lonely Inn.

Select any one of the slave lords who was not
slain by the party, preferably Edralve or
Stalman Klim. If all the slave lords were slain,
use one of your choice (assumed to have been
found and resurrected by his or her followers).
Add three levels to the slave lord’s experience,
to reflect the passing of time, but use approximately
the same magical items as before.

The encounter begins on a stormy evening
when the player characters are warmly and
safely sheltered in a small country inn. Select
the time and place most suitable for this encounter.
Read the following aloud.

___________________________

Rain crashes in sheets against the tightly
shuttered windows of the little inn, driven
by the gusting wind. The torrents drumroll
across the roof, the patter rising and falling
with each blow. Loose shingles clatter, the
shutters bang against the window sills, and
the old beams of the inn creak and moan.
The innkeeper clatters about with pots and
bowls, setting them out to catch the drips
from his leaky roof. You’ve managed to
drag your table and chairs to a dry spot
near the hearth. His little son heaves another
log onto the fire, cutting the chilly
damp of the storm. The innkeeper’s
dumpy wife clatters in the kitchen, preparing
hunter’s stew and dumplings for the
dinner.

Suddenly the door, caught by the wind,
slams open and a burst of cold wet rain
swirls throughout the room!

The player characters suddenly come under
attack at this instant. Standing in the open
doorway is either the surviving slave lord (if he
is a spellcaster) or an armored man holding
several spiders on leashes. Because of this entrance,
the NPC gains a + 1 bonus to surprise.
If the slave lord is present, he instantly casts
his most powerful destructive spell at the
party. If the armored man is in the doorway,
he releases the spiders, giving a lilting command,
and they spring to the attack.

The inn is also surrounded by minions of
the slave lord. Ever since the defeat of the
slave lords (and the destruction of their operation),
he has thirsted for revenge against the
offending PCs. He has patiently rallied his
followers and set out on the trail. For weeks he
has wandered, following clues and coming
ever closer. As he has traveled, the flames of
revenge within him have grown. Tonight, discovering
his enemies were staying in a small
inn, he has prepared the final act. He has one
goal-to slay the player characters, no matter
what the cost! To this end, he will do anything.

The slave lord has no regard for the property
or safety of others. He would burn the inn
down if necessary, and even sacrifices himself
if there is no other way to destroy the hated
adventurers! But he does want them to know
who has defeated them, and thus takes the
lead in this fight. All those with him are likewise
fanatical in their goal. No quarter is
shown, and every attempt is made to kill
them. Compared to the price of failing in
their mission (the tender ministrations of
Eclavdra and her ilk), death is preferable to returning
without proof of the character’s demise.

Still, the slave lord has prepared thoroughly.
Stationed in and around the inn are
his followers. Outside the front door, in addition
to himself and the Master of the Spider-
Hounds, are two 7th level fighters. After the
opening attack, the fighters charge into the
inn, attempting to keep the PC fighters occupied.
The Master of the Spider-Hounds releases
his pets if he has not done so already.
The slave lord attacks the PCs by the most effective
means at his disposal

Positioned at each of the three windows is a
4th level fighter armed with a shortbow. At
the first sound of an attack, they break the
shutters open (which takes 1 round, and then
begin firing on the PC spellcasters, attempting
to interrupt their powers. The third of this
group (the one along the side wall) is shielded
by a protection from magic scroll, with 7
rouhds remaining at the time of the attack.

At the back door are two 6th level thieves,
hidden to either side. They do not enter to attack,
but attempt to backstab anyone who
tries to leave. Those who leave in haste are not
likely to notice these two and are thus automatically
surprised. Those who exercise caution
may notice the thieves before it is too
late.

As previously noted, the slave lord fights to
the death. He screams invectives at his foes,
blaming them for all his misfortunes. Furthermore,
he rants about how the PCs have interfered
with the plans of his masters. But just
who these masters are, he does not say. (Neither
the slave lord- unless the lord in question
is the Drow, Edralve-nor his minions
know their masters’ identities exactly. They
have always received messages from intermediaries.)

The spider-hounds have been trained to
obey simple commands spoken in the language
of the drow, which is known to Turrock
(their master).

The Slave Lord: As per details given in A1-4
(any one, DM’s choice).

Turrock, Master of the Spider-Hounds (8th
LevelFighter): AC 1; hp 55; MV 12”; #AT
3/2; Dmg By weapon +1 (strength);
THACO 13; plate mail +I, battle axe
+I,longsword +Z(ALLE,INT21,Ego3,
detects invisible), shoes of Fharlangnh,
ring ofsustenance; AL LE: XPV 1,275

Spider-hounds (huge spiders): hp 18 each;
XPV 199 each

Fighter #1 (Marbreau, 7th Level Fighter): AC
4; hp 45; MV 12”; #AT 312; Dmg 3-10
(sword); THACO 14; ring mail + 1, ring
of protection + 1, longsword of life stealing
+ 1 (AL NE, INT 15, Ego 10, detectinvisibility,
locate objects, detect slopes,
detect large traps, speaks NE, Drow, Undercommon);
AL NE; XPV 885

Fighter #2 (Karmik, 7th Level Fighter): AC 5;
hp 34; MV 12”; #AT 312; Dmg 5-12;
THACO 14; ringmail $1, battleaxe +3,
boots of levitation, potion of ESP, AL NE;
XPV 747

Bowmen (3 4th Level Fighters): AC 5; hp 22,
20, 17; MV 12”; #AT 1 or 2; Dmg 2-9 or 1-
61 1-6; THACO 18; poisoned arrows, longsword
+ I ; AL LE; XPV 238, 230, 218

Thieves (2 6th Level Thieves): AC 8; hp 26,
23; MV 12”; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8; SA backstab
at +4 for triple damage; THACO 19;
Thief #1 (Alfonce) wears a ring of mind
shielding, Thief #2 (Gaston) wears a
neutrally-aligned ring of faerie; AL N;
XPV 381 and 363

If the characters defeat the slave lord, they
eventually learn his identity. They have either
faced him once before, or find papers on him
that identify him and connect him to the slave
lords previously encountered.

There are two particular mysteries surrounding
this slave lord. The first applies only
if the PCs previously defeated and slew him
(or her). Who or what restored this evil villain
back to life? The second mystery is where is
the slave lords’ base NOW?

If the players think a little, it is obvious they
did not succeed in destroying the slave lords.
The roots of this evil group were deeper than
they suspected. Furthermore, it should not be
too hard to deduce that the PCs’ lives are going
to be very brief unless the slave lords are fmally
and totally defeated. The characters have irritated
these foes (to say the least) in the past.

If the PCs defeat the slave lord without utterly
destroying it, they fmd the following papers:
 

_______________________________________
A message from Eclavdra of house Eilservs
to the slave lord:

“It is distressing to hear of the causes of
your failure in the operations in the Pomarj
. Certainly before we can consider further
aid and assistance, those responsible
for the interference must be utterly destroyed
as an example of our power. I
charge you and your organization with this
task. We await the heads of our enemies.
Pray bring them to us.

So authorized by the hand of E--- .”

The signature on the message is blurred,
though the first letter (E) may be made out. The
message is stamped with the seal of a javelin in
silvery wax unlike any seen by the characters.

An elegantly scripted note on expensive vellum
vellum reads as follows. Insert the name of the
country that the PCs visited most recently.

_________________________________
Eastward your journey must be. Seek out
your foes in the lands of. So it is by the allknowing
mind of Algorthas the Seer.
_________________________________

(Algorthas lives near the city of Istivin in
the land of Sterich.)

Finally there is a message written in code
from another of the slave lords. A read fanguages
is required to read this one.

_________________________________________
Although they seek to hide it, there is apparent
consternation in the noble houses.
Her displeasure in our failure has resulted
in the unpleasant demise of the others.
She has ordered scouts back from the farthest
banks of the Javan. As precaution, I
have placed all of our people on immediate
alert. Should the situation require dismantling
operations here you will be able
to make contact in Flen.
_________________________________________
 

“She,” in this case, is Eclavdra. The message
is sent by another slave lord survivor.

The minions of the slave lords are all foreigners
to the area, having the appearance of
men from the west. Their equipment and
clothing is of Keoland and Sterich make, a
fact readily apparent to local craftsmen.

If all of the attackers escape, leaving nothing
behind, the party must do a bit of detective
work. Locals in the area remember the
group rode off to the west. Someone recognized
their accent as being from the west
lands-Keoland or Sterich.

Alternate Beginning for WORLD
OF GREYHAWK” Setting

The Brother
It is possible that the characters playing
GDQ 1-7 are active in the WORLD OF
GREYHAWK” setting without having played
A1-4 Scourge of the SfaveLords (for example,
if the player characters involved in that adventure
are no longer active). The characters so
mentioned would not have the slave lords as
implacable foes for that reason, and so must
have another reason to head in the direction of
Sterich. The following encounter provides
such a basis for adventuring toward the Crystalmist
Mountains.

One evening, while the characters are lazing
about in their favorite castle, inn, tavern,
or whatever, a trusted henchman of one in the
group enters, obviously excited and short of
breath. “Good sirs!” he cries out, “good sirs,
forgive my intrusion but I would beg to
speak.” Dropping to one knee, he turns to his
master and continues. “I have just this hour
received joyous news--my brother, unseen to
mine eyes for many years, is coming here! Indeed,
the messenger swears he is but a day’s
ride behind. I ask of thee to grant me the leave
to receive and entertain him for a few days. He
only lingers a fortnight upon which he must
retrace his journey to the west.” The NPC persists
until the boon is granted or until the PC
will obviously hear no more of it. With this,
the whole business seems settled.

Two days later, however, the NPC returns to
the group with a stranger. Looking at the two
closely, it is easy to see a family resemblance.
The stranger has the same face and eyes,
though older and harder-looking. He seems
more self-confident and commanding than
the character’s henchman. Read the following
to the players.

“Sirs, I would like to introduce you to my
brother. He has traveled greatly, from the
lands of Sterich to our doors. I am greatly
pleased to present him to you and ask you
to listen to what he has to say.”

The brother steps forward and bows.
“Sirs, I have traveled to these lands not
just to see my younger self, pleasurable
though this may be, but also at the request
of my father the Viscount of Javan, who in
turn has been commanded by the Earl of
Sterich. By my father’s word, I say the following.”

At this, he closes his eyes and stiffens.
The tone of his voice changes deeper and
thicker, becoming that of an older man. ‘‘I
am the voice of the Viscount of Javan.
Through my chosen instrument, I speak to
you. By hearing these words you shall
know that my son has found those with the
strength to face the tale I tell.

“Evil times have befallen the lands of
my liege the Earl of Sterich. Our homes,
the lands of a strong and free people have
lived for centuries in the shadow of the
great western mountains. We have defended
ourselves from those enemies that
would come from the west. Our swords
and our lances have been our strength. But
now our strength is weak. Greater force
than that with which we can contend descends
upon us. Giants roam our homelands,
driving us further from our western
borders. Dark figures ride in the night.
The wise among us feel plots unfolding beyond
our understanding.

“We are in need of those such as yourselves.
My son has chosen you to hear my
words. I pray that he has chosen wisely. We
plead for your aid. Tell my son you will
hear our plea. Journey to Istivin in the
Earldom of Sterich that you may save us.”

____________________________________________

The speech ends and the brother opens his
eyes and shakes his head. “I know not what
has transpired here, but act as I my father bid
me. Now by his command I must await your
word. For one day I shall remain and then I
must again undertake my wanderings.” He
bows once again and steps back.

If the characters accept the challenge, the
brother gives them general directions to
Sterich-the probable length of the journey
and a listing of the lands through which the
characters will pass. If there are any notable
hazards, he mentions them, although he is
not particularly well-informed. He does not
accompany the party, for his orders are to continue
his search for brave heroes. The PCs are
the first that he has found willing to take up
the cause, however.

If the player characters refuse the plea, you
as referee must find some other method of
getting them to journey to Sterich. You can always
point out that this is the type of heroic
challenge at which any good hero would leap.

Finally, there is the small detail of the NPC
henchman. Player characters may be surprised
to discover that one of their henchmen is so socially
prominent-the second son of a Viscount.
Furthermore, he has the royal blood of
Keoland in his veins. He reluctantly explains
that he and his father had a falling out many
years ago. This has compelled him to take up
the wandering life. Although what happened
then saddens him, he has no regrets. However,
because of the strain between himself
and the Viscount, he cannot accompany the
player characters on their journey. Instead, he
must travel with his brother, aiding him as
much as possible. With a saddened heart he
leaves the party, most likely never to be seen
again.

The Road to Sterich
The road that leads to Sterich, on the borders
of the Javan River, may be of varying length, according
how far the characters have wandered
since the end of A1-4, and where the fmal battle
with the slave lord takes place. Use your encounter
charts of your own devising, those provided
in the WORLD OF GREYHAWK
setting, or those given in this book.

This section briefly covers the long journey
from wherever the characters began to the
Earldom of Sterich. For this chapter, you will
need the Wilderness Map in the Map Booklet.
However, this map is designed for characters
using the WORLD OF GREYHAWK Setting.
It assumes that the characters are beginning
their journey somewhere in the general area of
the Pomarj or the Wild Coast (where Scourge
of the Slave Lords ended). If you are not using
this campaign setting, or if your player characters
have wandered out of this area, you must
provide your own wilderness maps.

While the characters are making this overland
journey, roll for encounters as normal, according
to the rules given in the Dungeon
Masters Guide (page 47). The exact encounter
can be determined by the table below, the tables
in the WORLD OF GREYHAWK Setting,
those in the DMG, or those found in
Monster Manual Il. The exact choice is left to
you, as referee.

In addition to providing random encounters,
this chapter also describes several specific
ones. These are not keyed to any location on
the map, although each has general terrain requirements.
You may introduce any of these
encounters whenever you deem it appropriate.
Some may provide the player characters
with more information and motivation for
their journey; others provide a break from the
monotony of random encounters. You may
also want to prepare special encounters of your
own, ones that best suit the character of your
campaign.

As the characters move west toward Sterich,
they hear dark rumors about their destination.
Sterich is a noble land, ruled by Earl Querchard
and a vassal-state of Keoland. In recent
months, however, a darkness has fallen over
that land, as tribes of giants and non-humans
have moved down from the mountains into
the area, wreaking havok in their wake. Fell
creatures are said to roam the lands after dark,
and those folk who do not live in the fortified
citadel of Istivin (the capital) keep their shutters
and doors barred at night.

When the characters reach the shores of the
Javan river, or otherwise reach the borders of
Sterich, continue with Chapter 1.