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A Slumbering Gods Campaign Module for 8-10 beginning characters.

Introduction:

This is the first scenario for the Slumbering Gods campaign. The characters are caught up in a panic in Algol City when a Maug attacks. One character is approached by a wounded man who hands him a note before dying.

As the PCs flee the carnage, they are abducted by members of the Council of White, who commend them into service of the council.

The PCs band together and flee agents of the Deceiver in a trek across Onlor to Wenestria and a ship to the continent.

Refer to the last section of this scenario for more DM only information.

Part One - Panic in the Streets:

The PCs are all participating in the harvest festivities of Algol City. All are natives of this fair island, youths each come from a different place and from a different calling. Some might be budding warriors, others have just left their master's wizardly apprenticeship and are out for some well-deserved fun. Others are farmers or tailors or common peasants come to partake in the most joyous time of the year.

The Harvest Festival is a joyous occasion. Algol City is literally bursting at the seams. Farmers have crowded the streets with carts and animals and their fresh smelling wares. The scents of freshly baked bread, roasting sausages, and strong ale mix with the sounds of minstrels, madrigals, laughter, song, whistles, hoots, hollers...a veritable din of celebration. The revelers are engaged in all sorts of activities. To one side, a large field has been cleared, and tilts and lists set up. Even now, some of the more renowned warriors of Onlor practice for the upcoming jousts and martial contests. The bars and taverns are all open now, with drinks flowing at a substantial discount and some of the more generous proprietors serving grog for free. Fire-eaters, sword swallowers, prestidigitators and fortune tellers ply their trades, along with a sprinkling of pick pockets and charlatans. In all, this yearly event deserves its reputation as the most anticipated annual event throughout Onlor.

Allow each player to state what his character is doing. Jousting contests can actually be run if so desired, as can drinking contests, gambling, etc. Thief characters could even test their skills, as long as they are careful.

It is just after sundown that the horror begins. It starts with one or two PCs hearing a loud thunderclap-like sound and an ominous rumbling. Shortly after, a strange charnel smell tinges the air. Then, screams begin and the sound of wood (or bone) being snapped, followed quickly by a deep, bellowing, fiendish laughter that freezes the very marrow of the listeners' bones.

A Maug has appeared, a minor Maug (named Q'zhorr'ggra'sht) as these dread servants of the Deceiver go, but fell enough to lay waste to much of Algol City. The Maug has been chasing a certain agent of the Tricksters and has finally tracked him to the festivities at Algol City.

Shortly after the Maug begins its attacks, plowing its way indiscriminately through man, beast, and construct in order to find its prey, one of the PCs who has found himself in an alleyway (maybe to hide or maybe pushed into that place by the fleeing crowd), sees a ragged man stagger into the alley and shamble towards the PC(s).

The man is what's left of Gorodius Myrum, a mercenary agent of the Tricksters who was to deliver a very important document to his masters in Far Coast. This document is the first piece of a clue to the location of a hidden place where the Trickster God hid the last of the Gems of Power, which can awaken the Slumbering Gods.

Gorodius has been traveling the length and breadth of Jerranq, trying to lose his pursuers and get the message safely to his masters. While the Deceiver and his minions do not know what the document contains, nor do they even suspect that a Gem of Power has survived, they have determined that the document is a very important item and that enemies of the Deceiver have gone to great lengths to hide it from him and his minions.

Gorodius thought the festival in Algol to be safe, both because Onlor was far from Jerranq, and because of the crowds.

Gorodius was gravely mistaken.

The Maug arrived near him. And when it breathed its Black Breath, Gorodius was fortuitous in that he was only partially exposed to their vapours. Scores of others died an agonizing death from the foul exhalations.

Now Gorodius knows he will die. The foul ichor has eaten through his innards and its icy tendrils have begun to reach into his brain. He is in agony, frightened, and can barely think. With his last steps, he will lurch forward towards the PC and collapse in the PC's arms (perhaps whispering "help me" first). As he so collapses, he will press a small scrap of leather into the PC's hands and whisper "run" with his dying breath.

As an incentive, the Maug, hot on Gorodius' trail, will approach the alley where the PC is. He had best run or perish.

The other PCs should simply be caught up in the swirl of panic. Generally, people are running for the main gate to flee the city. Enough people have heard legends of the Maug and what they can do, and a few people witnessed the Black Breath and survived, such that everyone knows a Maug is loose in Algol City!

If PCs wish to do something other than run for a gate, let them try, but describe the absolute panic in the streets, already overflowing from the festival, and in most cases, simply tell them that they are swept bodily by the fleeing masses towards Algol City's front gate.

At this point in the scenario, the situation should be:

o A single PC has been given the leather scrap

o All of the PCs are aware that a Maug has appeared in Algol City, and that everyone seems to be running headlong for the front gate (which is away from the Maug).

It is here that fate takes a hand, for as the crowd momentarily thins out, about 20 people, including the PCs find themselves deposited at an intersection of two streets flanked by tall buildings, apartments and shops mostly. The ebb of humanity has temporarily deposited these score in its wake, and the PCs can see another horde of panic coming towards them.

In the few seconds they have to try to assess their situation, all hell seems to break loose.

A shimmering, almost blinding white light washes across you. Blinded and disoriented, you feel searing energy, not painful, but jolting and electric, settle over you body like some sort of arcane mesh.

No actions can be taken at this time, as each PC is paralyzed and stunned.

Then all seems to spin around sickeningly and quickly goes black....

Part Two - The Council of White:

You awaken an indeterminate time later. Your head hurts famously and little white spots still dance in your adjusting eyes. You find yourself in a rather plain room, about 30 feet square and 10 feet high, lying on cloth and blankets set out on a stone floor. Lanterns light the room brightly, and there seems to be no windows. A single iron-bound oaken door is closed. Around you, in various states of recovery, are more than a dozen or so other persons. Some you recognize as having been in the street near you just before all went black, but you didn't get a good look at everyone's faces, so you can't be sure that everyone in this room was with you in the streets. No one seems to be injured, yourself included, but all weapons and armour seem to have been confiscated. Other possessions, such as spellbooks, are intact and on the person of their owners (including the leather scrap).

Here is some time for the PCs to become acquainted. They will be left alone for about 15 minutes. The door is Wizard Locked at 14th level and has no visible locks. It does not yield to any form of battering or removing of hinges, and any wizards in the group can surmise with a successful Spellcraft Proficiency Check that the door has been magically shut.

Except for the party, all of the remaining persons are zero-level residents of Algol City. The potentially high proportion of leveled persons compared to zero level persons can be explained partially by the fact that the festival tends to attract those that have the means to travel and spend funds at the faire. In addition, some well-known Algol citizens captured thusly were subsequently released by the captors, since these are well-known citizens and the captors do not consider it likely that they were part of any conspiracy or hold any secret knowledge. These were mind read, memory wiped, and released, with the suggestion that they had fainted from all the excitement.

Those left in this room are the ones not known to the captors, or who are suspicious and of course, the one who received the leather scrap.

After about fifteen minutes, the door will open and two people will enter the room.

The first is a tallish man, 6'2", about 45 years old, with a long greying beard, clad in a white robe and carrying a rune-carved staff in his hand.

The other is a large, grim looking man with blond hair and a bushy blond mustache. He is dressed in platemail and has a very large bastard sword sheathed in an ornate scabbard. Around his shoulders is a fur cape of purest white.

The warrior will close the door behind him and lean back on it, arms folded across his chest and glaring menacingly at the captives.

The other will step forward, lean on his staff, clear his throat, and speak:

I am Jerregobe, leader of the Council of White. You are all puzzled, perhaps a bit frightened, both from last night's events and because you are here, in a place not of your choosing. First, it is best not to decry your fate, the gods have ordained that you should fall into my lap, so to speak, and we must all make the best of it. The Maug that came here last night is unprecedented in all of history. Never before has such a powerful agent of the Deceiver made its presence known on our beloved island, nor has it done so anywhere in such a blatant manner. Such actions bespeak of important, and potentially fell, times afoot. Who am I? That is the first question though. I told you my name. This [motioning behind him] is Gerrion, also of the Council. We are members of the Council of White. The Council's existence is known only to a select few. We are an underground society. Our purpose is to thwart the Deceiver...to prepare for his coming in force to Onlor and the free lands remaining in Southern Jerranq, as we believe he eventually must, and to have in place a mechanism to resist him, clandestinely if necessary. Some of us on the council are prodigious warriors, others masters of the arcane arts. I am one of the latter. My intelligence told me of a recent increased activity of the Deceiver's foul agents in Algol City. What? You thought the Dark Lord did not have agents in our fair land? Ha! Be not so naive! This increased activity seemed to peak as the festival began here in the City. It was almost too late that we detected a great nexus of force building up in Valasco's Square, where the Maug first appeared. In disguise, I went to the site to investigate. Alas, I could not approach the Maug and save the innocent souls lost last night. The Maug would have sensed my power and slain me utterly. But as I withdrew quickly, I noticed a being, under cloak of invisibility, stagger away from the Maug and flee the scene. Thus, I followed, but it was difficult to track someone who cannot be seen. I finally spotted him entering an alleyway. As I approached, another man (or men) fled the alleyway. Looking at the man in the alley, his now visible body had succumbed to the Black Breath. But I knew not whether the person who had fled the alleyway was a friend of the deceased or an agent of the Deceiver. I pursued the fleeing person as best I could, what with the panic and trampling in the streets, and when I saw an opening, I estimated where I thought him likely to be and wove my magic. Thus, were you all ensnared. Now, [he steps forth and seems to grow a bit larger and more menacing], I believe the person who had contact with the deceased man in the alley is here amongst you! If you be agent of the Deceiver, step forth and your death will be quick and painless as a reward! If you be not friend of the Deceiver, then still I charge you to step forth and divulge what you know of this matter, lest I am forced to rip it from your mind, however distasteful that may be!

If the person who received the leather scrap steps forth and offers the scrap, then Jerregobe will take it and examine it. A puzzled look will cross his face as he shows it to Gerrion who shrugs his shoulders. Jerregobe will question the person further, asking what else was said. He will also ask everyone in the room who they are and where they come from.

Jerregobe will then leave the room with Gerrion, relocking the wizard locked door. About a half hour later, both will reenter.

Jerregobe will step forth and clear his throat again:

I have no doubt that if this scrap of leather were enough to cause a Maug to manifest, it is of vital importance. Nevertheless, its meaning eludes our cursory examination. You will stay here for the night, I will be back the next day to speak with you further.

With that, he claps his hands and Unseen Servants bring in wash basins, bedrolls, good food, and drink. Then he and Gerrion leave once again.

Note: Should the party somehow try to escape, the other three council members who have been summoned here will stop them from leaving.

The next day, Jerregobe and the grim Gerrion will reappear. Once again, Jerregobe will step forth and clear his throat:

As I told you yesterday, we are a secret organization. It is our determined goal to keep this organization absolutely secret, both from the agents of the Deceiver, from innocent but idle tongues, and even from the confidence of monarchs. It is our policy that no one but our agents shall know of our organization and live to tell of it.

At this, Gerrion fingers his bastard sword and grins. Many of the zero-level types fidget and become nervous. One of them gets onto his hands and knees and grabs Jerregobe's hem and begs and pleads with him to spare his life.

Jerregobe shoos him away.

No! Our dictates are inexorable, and are determined by sheer necessity. As I said, only our agents may know of our organization and live. Therefore, I offer you a choice that is not really a choice. You may refuse to become an agent of our Council, and we will give you a quick, painless death, pay your family a wergild, and arrange for your funeral. Or, you may agree to become our agents. In which case, we will spare your lives in exchange for your fealty. Believe me when I say that I know this choice is not fair, but my hands are tied. Please decide.

Jerregobe will give people a few moments to ponder, although he certainly expects all to agree.

Assuming they do, he will tell them that he must probe their minds as they swear loyalty to the Council. He assures them that the Council works for the destruction of the Deceiver, a goal that all here should share enthusiastically.

Upon probing their minds, Jerregobe will determine who has the training and potential to be active field agents. This will, of course, consist of the party. The rest of the commoners will be determined to be useful only as informants in and around Algol.

If anyone in the party refuses to join, then Jerrgobe motions to Gerrion, who whips out his sword and slays the refuser in one quick thrust. In actuality, the refuser has not been slain, but a clever illusion timed with a hold person or sleep spell has made it look like he has. Unseen servants will quickly drag the person away. Such a refuser is, for all intents and purposes, out of the scenario, so it is wise for the DM to nudge the players into accepting.

Jerregobe will then dismiss the commoners from the room into the care of a third Council Member, one the party has never seen before.

Jerregobe will then conjure up a chair (using cantrips) and sit, inviting the party to relax as well. He will then clear his throat and speak:

I have already told you about as much of this Council as I am able. You do not need to know who the other members are. I have segregated you from the rest because you all have skills and potential that mark you as useful to our cause. Here is your charge. Deviate from it, and I will find out. Divinatory magicks are my specialty. And if I find out that you have crossed me, your agony will be unbearable, yet eternal. Now, this bit of leather that our friend here has given to me is obviously of vital importance. All determinations point to the fact that this scrap is not, in and of itself magical. Therefore, we must assume that the words on the scrap itself are important. I have done some research, but have not been able to find any language to which it belongs. Even my divinations reveal nothing! It may be a code or a password, I am not certain. You are to go out from here. You will have two tasks...to try to find the meaning of these words on the leather scrap, and to gather information about the Deceiver's machinations and to thwart him and his minions whenever possible. I have the original scrap here. I give you a copy. Tomorrow, you will set out to the coast. There, you will hire a ship and leave for Jerranq. It should be easier for you to lose yourselves there. Once you get to Jerranq, be discrete in your inquiries. Do not contact anyone if you gain information, I will contact you instead, when I deem it safe. So, get rest, for tomorrow I shall brief you more fully and you shall begin your journey. Have you any queries?

Most questions Jerregobe will defer. If a PC has a special piece of equipment left behind somewhere, he will arrange to pick it up.

If a PC complains that he will be leaving family behind, Jerregobe will inform him that, as agents, they are entitled to payment, and he will see to it that their families are well taken-care of.

If asked why Jerregobe or the other council members do not take the scroll to Jerranq, he will state that most of the Council are known and are powerful and have other stations or duties outside of the Council. Their leaving would erode their power base here and attract undue attention.

With that, the party will be left by themselves for the rest of the day and night.

The next morning, the party having been well-fed and tended, Jerregobe will reappear. He will explain that his divinations last night have told him that the Maug, before appearing in Algol City, had subjugated some of the scattered humanoids in the mountains, and that these even now scour the countryside looking for something.

Therefore, the wizard will recommend that the party not head directly for the ports of Algol, since those routes are likely to be the most heavily watched. In fact, the Maug may still be around, it having fled when some of the more powerful members of the city began to form against it, and if so, it is probably scouring Algol City and the most likely routes off of the island.

Instead, he recommends that they portray themselves as merchants or mercenaries and march due south from Algol City, into the Onlor Mountains. From there, following the Algol River to its headwaters, he recommends they pass straight south through the Forest of Onlor until they reach the river there. Following that east, they should travel around the sacred Mere and south into the High Forest. From there, they can head south to the Orjiliarth River and then down to Arvoria, where, he says, he has arranged for a boat to the Continent. He warns the party that this trek will be long and arduous, taking probably just over two months. But, he says, the enemy will not expect such a trek, and will be less likely to search for them there.

With that, he hands the party rations enough for each of them for two weeks. He warns the party that they should save these rations for emergencies and purchase food with the money he's given them and hunt or forage after that. He also hands them 25gp each, and gives the party two mules complete with tack, harness, and saddlebags. Loaded onto the mules are the following items:

o 2 coils of rope, each 60' in length
o 12 torches
o 12 iron spikes
o 12 flasks of lamp oil
o 3 lanterns, two hooded and one bullseye
o 12 water skins
o Cloaks for everyone
o 1 bedroll for each party member
o 2 changes of clothes for each party member
o 3 sets of flint and steel
o 1 leather backpack for each party member
o Warm furs and clothing for each party member

In addition, he will then bring forth some items, which he will give to the party, one per member, depending upon their class. These he will handle ceremoniously, declaring to each member what his gift is and what its powers are.

Potion of Heroism

Potion of Healing

Scroll Protection from Poison

Wand of Magic Missiles with 24 charges

Dagger +1

Long Sword +1

Quaal's Whip Token

Quaal's Feather Token (provides Feather Fall for up to 3 rounds duration) once. Activates automatically upon desire

A Brooch of Shielding with 34 charges left.

If more items are needed, simply use some random potions.

Finally, Jerregobe will give each person a silver chain that has a small, 1-inch diameter silver ball attached to it which is engraved with a small spiral etched into it around its surface.

He will tell them that these are to be worn around the neck. They serve two purposes. First, if a finger is traced along the spiral pattern, the silver ball will magically blossom into a swan-like figure with wings upstretched in a V. Jerregobe will inform the party that this sigil will allow the party to identify and contact other agents of the Council of White. He warns them, however, that such should only be displayed in the most necessary circumstances.

Additionally, he says, each of these is an Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location, which should foil any agents of the Deceiver reading your minds or locating the party by magical means.

With that, Jerregobe wishes the party good luck and reminds them of their two duties.

The party is then blindfolded and escorted to a small grove of trees just outside of Algol City, where the blindfolds are removed.. Jerregobe will wish them well and walk away. Gerrion, however, will give the party a menacing look and threaten them if they betray the cause.

Both figures walk about 50 yards away and then disappear in a small puff of smoke.

Part Three - The First Trek:

Thus has the party been suddenly wrenched form their former lives and, in the course of two days, inducted into a secret society and are headed off their island homeland.

Likely bewildered and even frustrated, they have little choice but to follow the wizard's edicts.

This trek has been subdivided into days of travel. This assumes normal circumstances, as described in this scenario, and normal party actions. If somehow the party deviates from the timeline herein, simply adjust things accordingly.

In some cases encounters with creatures have been described but no statistics have been presented. This is usually the case if the encounter has been set up with no combat in mind. If combat should occur, however, the DM will have to determine statistics from the appropriate source books and monster manuals.

Day One:

It is a fine, slightly blustery Fireday on the 19th day of the Month of Harvest in the year 5504. The breeze coming from the distant ocean has traveled up the Algol River and provides an early chill upon the characters.

The road from Algol City stretches south, and most of the PCs know that this road heads due south towards the confluence of the Algol and Lesser Rivers and then turns due west to the town of Gindararn and points beyond.

Following Jerregobe's advice, the party will find the first stage of the trek rather easy and pleasant. About 4 hours into the day, at noontime, the party will arrive at the Algol River. Traffic has been light, unseasonably so, in fact, and most of it seems to be heading away from Algol City...no surprise due to the horrifying events of a few days ago.

Once at the Algol River, a largish River which retains only a bit of its rapidity from its tumble down from the foothills to the east, the party will turn east by southeast towards the rising foothills and, beyond them, towards the imposing Onlor Mountains, which dominate the island.

The going is again easy and pleasant following the river upstream. A few boats and rafts ply the river, and the farmers thereon will politely inquire as to what happened in Algol and whether it is safe to enter the city.

After another four hours or so, the party will hit the foothills proper. The going becomes more rugged, with the promise of still greater exertions required from the look of the terrain up ahead. River traffic is now non-existent, since the river has become too swiftly flowing in these foothills. Nevertheless, water is plentiful, as is game if such is desired. It is likely the party can make a few miles of progress into the hills before sundown.

It is at twilight, around 5 hours after turning from the roadway from Algol, that a party member will espy a body, partially obscured in some bushes.

The riverside here is obviously well-tracked, as those from this area will realize that horses, mules, and even wagons ply there way down from the outpost town of Zin towards Algol proper.

The body is of a man, about 25 year of age, who had ruddy skin and dusty blonde hair. He wears the bloodstained and ripped tunic and trousers of a commoner, but has no shoes or boots of any sort, nor a belt to hold up his pants.

The corpse's eyes are open and its mouth is also agape, as in a rictus of pain. Blood, dried, is everywhere, and several gashes in his tunic show where blades pierced his skin.

Detailed examination of the body and the surrounding area may reveal the following:

o The person was slain by sword thrusts or from a broad bladed spear

o He seems to have been stripped of valuables or useful items

o A ranger or someone with Tracking Proficiency can determine that there was a struggle here involving about 5 beings. Shod footprints slightly smaller than a human's point to the identity of the attackers

Tracking the 4 other footprints will show them to be marching in loose order towards the northwest. They travel in a straight line for some ways, about 2 miles, before crossing the River at a place where a log crosses it.

Anyone still tracking will be able to follow the tracks a short way farther before nightfall. Thereafter, eventually, if determined enough, the party could conceivably track the 4 orcs back to their camp about 50 miles east by southeast of Algol, in the foothills, where another dozen or so orcs patrol the area, looking for anyone bearing a certain leather scrap...

If the party desires to attack, the DM should provide for 20 orcs of normal level and ability and average travelling treasure. These orcs would be led by a low-grade sub commander. All that they can tell, if questioned properly, is that their shaman received a vision from their ancestors telling them to waylay all possible travelers and search for a sacred scroll written upon leather.

In any case, it is more likely that the party will not attempt to track the orcs or will give up once nightfall approaches. In that case, they find a suitable place to camp and may set up watches and the like.

Night One:

The wolves attack at around midnight. The night has, for the most part, been quiet, with the occasional far off baying of wolves, a chorus of crickets and other clicking beetles, and an occasional bat's high pitched squeak.

But at midnight, things go quiet around the campsite, and shortly thereafter, sets of eyes reflecting the firelight (if any) peer back at whoever is on watch. As the guard watches, more eyes begin to join the ring, forming a circle at about 50 yards from the campfire light.

In two minutes after having been first spotted, the wolves attack. These are 6 wolves, led by a single young worg. The worg wears a leather collar etched with the sign of the Floating Eye goblin tribe. While the goblins patrol the approaches to the ocean north of Algol City and West of the same, they have, as a makeshift measure, sent their wolfish pets to scour the hills.

6 Wolves (AC 7; hp 14, 14, 16, 14, 19, 11; 1 ATT; D 2-5; Mv 18)

1 Worg (AC 6; hp 20; 1 ATT; D 2-8; Mv 18)

These wolves will attack furiously, though without much cunning, until at least half of their number is down, one of which must be the worg, in which case they will flee. They will also flee if three quarters of their number fall, even if the worg remains behind to carry on the fight to the death.

At least one wolf will try to escape when things go badly and return to its master, the shaman, and tell them what has transpired.

Once the shaman hears this, he will send messengers out to recall his goblin troops to track and catch the party.

An examination of the worg will reveal it to be well-fed. It's ears are pierced and decorated with loops of bone, and its left flank has a brand of an eye burnt into its hide.

After the attack, occasional mournful baying can be heard in the distance, but no further attacks occur.

Day Two:

The next day shows a few early rising buzzards waiting for the party to depart before indulging in a lupine repast.

The party follows the river again, and the terrain has become more pitched and rugged, slowing them down considerably.

Towards the early afternoon, the party will sight Zin. Zin is a small outpost village, subsisting mostly on hunting and furring. It is also a waystop for the trade route of a small gnomish colony that exists near the headwaters of the Algol River.

Gnomes travel down the Algol River bearing gems and the occasional ingot of metal, and they stop at Zin, which is at the end of the second day's travel from the gnome colony.

The town is warded by a strong wooden palisade and seems to be home to around 500-700 souls. Most of the buildings are of wooden construction, based with a stone foundation of mortared round stones. Roofs are thatched for the most part.

The town is primarily human, with a few passing gnomes and a dwarf or two. There is a small shrine to the Hunting God, manned by a single first level priest. There is also a small tavern and a common room for lodgings.

The gates are open and all are admitted until sundown.

The party may rest here and take on provisions if they like. They may also ask around town for information. Townsfolk cannot tell them who the dead lad was that the party found, but they can state that over the last week, something seems to have roused the humanoids hereabouts, for they are usually insular and only an occasional menace, but some people claim to have seen signs of large bodies of them moving through the area.

After leaving Zin, the party will be able to travel a short distance before sundown comes. If they wish, they can stay in Zin instead.

Night Two:

Nothing untoward happens this night, although there is a light rain late at night, making the next morning's ground glistening with dew.

Day Three:

The party spends the day slogging through steep foothills. In the distance, the party can see the imposing Onlor Mountains. These mountains top 9,000 at their height, but bear no snow after the long summer. Stands of pine and other evergreens dot the hillsides, and the going become even more rugged and the river froths angrily as it tumbles down the steepening slope. Waterfalls are now prevalent.

Night Three:

The night passes uneventfully, as the party is lulled to sleep by the chirping of crickets and the hooting of owls.

Day Four:

Game is fairly plentiful around here, and the party can forage for wild berries and hunt an occasional rabbit or goat. The hiking is rugged but uneventful.

Night Four:

Other than a chill breeze, which reminds the party that they are entering higher ground and that winter is approaching, the night is uneventful. The party will have to don warm clothing from here until they reach the Forest of Onlor.

Day Five:

Still following the well worn trail along the Algol River, the party will make good time and will be able to stop for camp at the foot of the mountains proper.

Night Five:

Again, the night passes without incident.

Day Six:

Here the going gets difficult, although a trail is still being followed. The mountains begin to rise steeply and the air has become thinner. The party makes only 15 miles this day.

As the party travels in late afternoon, they come across a small stone plinth, about 4 feet high, decorated with chiseled runes which can be identified as gnomish. Anyone who can read Gnomish will see that these runes mark this territory as part of the Goldberry Clan.

Night Six:

The night passes by uneventful, but cold.

Day Seven:

Towards late afternoon, the party will hear whistling, a tune of some sort, a short distance ahead, punctuated by a sound of metal on rock.

Approaching, they will spot a single male gnome, busily whacking rocks with his hammer, hoping to find some pretty crystals or semi-precious gems inside. Initially started by the approach of the party, the gnome can be reassured. He is named Allwhil, and he will whistle for his pet giant badger if he feels he needs protection.

Allwhil (AC 6; hp 7; 1 ATT; D War hammer, Sling; Mv 6)

He will briefly question the party, and answer questions as well, and if the party is amicable, will invite them to rest the night at his colony.

Assuming the party is willing, Allwhil will then whistle up his badger and take a basket full of broken rocks (all of which have crystalline structures attached to them) and head along the river, veering off after about a half hour. About a half mile from the river the party will spot a cave, screened partially by bushes

The cave is blocked by wooden doors, each with a small peephole. The doors are about 5 feet high but very wide.

Allwhil will whistle a tune and call out in Gnomish. The peephole will open, exposing an eye and a long, grizzled nose. The peephole will close and the doors thrust wide open.

The gnomish clan numbers about 25 males, with a like number of females and young. 6 giant badgers also dwell here as pets and guards.

Allwhil will take the party into a lit antechamber, only 5 and a half feet tall, and present the party to the elder of the clan, a gnomish priest named Alcwatil, a third level priest of Jeztarth, the God of Gnomes.

The party will be made welcome. Any halflings amongst the party will be given the ritual greeting of friendship that is done between Onlorian halflings and gnomes.

Night Seven:

The party will have their horses tended and will be given dwarvish beer and gnomish dinner (mostly roots, tubers, and fungus with a small portion of venison).

The elder will ask the party their business, and will respect their privacy if that is asserted. He will certainly ask them where they are headed, warning them that something has stirred up the evil things usually hidden in this land. He will also warn that the mountains between here and the Forest of Onlor are rugged and treacherous and the way is easily lost.

At this, Allwhil will pipe up, somewhat timidly, and ask to be the party's guide. The elder will scoff at this initially, but some pleading by the party and/or Allwhil will change his mind. He will ask that the party pay the colony for the guide's services, some 15gp for escort from the colony to the Forest of Onlor.

If the party does not accept Allwhil's help, have them struggle with losing their way, as well as avalanches, ravines, and other dangers. They will not get the trail bonus for overland movement without Allwhil. Make them regret not taking the eager guide.

If Allwhil is hired, he will be ready to depart the next morning, leaving his badger behind.

The gnomes will give the party some food and a bit of beer as travelling gifts and bid them farewell.

Day Eight:

With Allwhil in the lead, the party can already tell the difference between their brief travel in the mountains and the sure-footed route blazed by the gnome. Allwhil is young (for a gnome) and cheerful, very good natured and a lover of humourous stories and of music and dance, and he will often be seen whistling a merry tune and dancing a jig, even during rest stops. His energy and optimism seem boundless, and may cause some to wonder if dwarves were like this before the tragedy of Helkazum.

The day passes by uneventfully.

Night Eight:

This night also passes uneventfully, although the weather turns colder and another nighttime rain starts to make things uncomfortable.

Day Nine:

The rain continues this day, although not too heavily. The party has left the Algol River behind, although many small creeks which feed into the headwaters can easily be found.

Towards noon, the party will round a corner and come upon a surprised mother black bear and her cubs. The bear will suddenly rear up and growl, with the cubs bolting for some nearby bushes.

If the party does not immediately back away, the mother bear will attack.

Later, the party will espy a herd of mountain goats, bleating and chewing their cud, but naught else until afternoon.

Towards four or five o clock, the party will feel an intense sense of dread and unease. A moment's pondering will show that a breeze has suddenly picked up, a chill breeze with a strange tinge to it that burns the nostrils. Finally, the sun will dim and from the west can be seen an evil black shape, from which emanates a globe of gloom.

As the shape approaches, the party, beneath a small wooded area of tall pines, will be able to crouch and hide. The shape will pass over them, heading almost directly east, but those PCs who were near the Maug when it appeared in Algol will recognize that their sense of unease and the smell in the air is similar to that night.

The Maug will not see them, but anyone looking up directly at it will see its true form, so horrible that he must save versus paralyzation or fall collapsed and gibbering for D3 days.

Night Nine:

The night will be uneasy, the party having been spooked by the Maug. The rain will continue, further adding to the misery and gloom that has descended upon the party. Even Allwhil's spirits have sunk after the Maug passed by.

Day Ten:

The next day is spent in silence. The passing of the Maug has spooked the local wildlife for miles around, and the area is strangely absent of birds or other wildlife. All in all, the effect is quite unnerving.

Night Ten:

The first part of the night continues the silence of the daytime. However, slowly the normal night sounds begin to creep back, first with bugs and other creepy crawlers that come up to the campfire light, then later birds, bats, etc.

Day Eleven:

By the morning, the wildlife seems back to normal, and hunting is possible again. The going is the hardest yet, but finally, towards midday, the party will cross a last high ridge and realize that they are at a summit of the lower valleys that cross between the high peaks.

Night Eleven:

On third watch, one of the sentries will notice a flying shape cross the face of the moon. How close it is cannot be told, but despite any precautions or night vision, no details can be seen and nothing comes of the sighting.

Day Twelve:

As the party descends slightly, making the air more breathable, the weather turn frigid and a light snow begins to fall. The snowfall is not enough to hinder movement, but visibility is lowered.

Night Twelve:

Luckily, the wind speed is negligible, so that the cold night air is bearable with the warm clothing provided to the party.

Day Thirteen:

Light snowfall begins again, and the accumulation is starting to slow the party's movement and makes footing treacherous in some spots.

Game tracks are commonly seen in the snow, especially those of rabbits and lynx-sized felines.

Night Thirteen:

A struggle can be heard on second watch, as a lynx attacks a screaming rabbit. While this might startle city dwellers, anyone nature-bound will know the struggle for what it is.

Day Fourteen:

The party descends even more, and towards noon, they espy large clawed footprints in the snow. The prints belie a creature about 10 to 12 feet long with four legs. Should the party deign to track such a creature, they will, after about two hours, find a displacer beast. This is a male, the female is back in their cave, about a mile away, protecting 4 young. The male is finishing off a still kicking deer, and will soon drag it back to the cave, to feed its family.

Male Displacer Beast (AC 4; hp 16; 2 ATT; D 2-8 / 2-8; Mv 15)

Female Displacer Beast (AC 4; hp 15; 2 ATT; D 2-8 / 2-8; Mv 15)

4 Young (AC 6; hp 1, 1, 4, 4; 1 ATT; D 1-3; Mv 9)

In the cave are the bones and remains of its victims, including a human skeleton, with a long sword, a medium shield, and a chewed up pouch with 14sp, 23cp, and 34gp. The human obviously wore thick furs, but these have been chewed up for the most part.

Night Fourteen:

On first watch, if not surprised, the sentries will hear a munching and ripping sound from inside the camp. Investigation will show a group of 4 fire beetles have ripped open some of the party supplies and are starting to eat the foodstuffs inside.

If not noticed, the evidence will be found on next watch, and half of the two weeks rations will be gone (the party will have eaten only a bit of it).

If caught early, however, the loss will be minimal.

In any case, as the party fights the foraging beetles, they will notice 4 groups of glowing spots in the bushes a little ways out of camp. These fire beetles (4 more) will also have to be destroyed, or they will invade the camp as well.

8 Fire Beetles (AC 4; hp 5, 5, 9, 10, 9, 9, 3, 6; 1 ATT; D 2-8; Mv 12)

Day Fifteen:

Occasionally, the party can catch a glimpse of the valley ahead, with its brilliant green treetops.

Night Fifteen:

Although the night passes without mishap, late that night the distant howling of wolves will be heard, as the goblins approach.

Day Sixteen:

The rain finally stops as the party begins a descent into the central valley of Onlor. Far ahead, a large sea of verdant green can be seen, the ancient Forest of Onlor.

At the sight of the forest, Allwhil's spirits pick up once again, and he can tell some tales of the beautiful princess Thwalihir, who met the halflings and gnomes of Onlor in this forest and sang her songs of loveliness and peace and forged the bond that all Onlorians now share.

Towards one or two in the afternoon, the howling of wolves can be heard again. Allwhil will now remark that this is unusual, since wolves do not howl in such a manner during the daytime (they do howl, but not in the manner they are currently).

Later in the afternoon, the party will be found. A small advance squad of goblins will sight the party and attack, howling in battle rage. The party will immediately notice that the goblins are mounted upon wolves, and two of them will immediately turn and ride away at full speed, to alert the rest of their folk.

5 Goblins (AC 6; hp 1, 5, 6, 2, 7; 1 ATT; D Spear, Javelin, Short Sword; Mv 6)

5 Wolves (AC 7; hp 7, 11, 13, 12, 15; 1 ATT; D 2-5; Mv 18)

The remaining goblins and wolves will charge to the attack, fleeing only if half of their number is down. They will then seek to rejoin their kin and attack en masse that night.

All of these goblins and wolves are at -1 to hit because they have been on forced march and are fatigued.

Towards sundown, as the party reaches the outskirts of the forest, the party can now hear the approaching yelps of a large number of wolves.

Night Sixteen:

Whether the party elects to stop or not, the result will be the same. The goblin group will reach them. Even if they continue to travel through the night, the wolves are faster and more sure-footed than the party, and even though demi-humans amongst the party can see in the dark, the humans with them will slow them down as compared to the night-faring goblins.

18 Goblins (AC 6; hp, 7, 3, 7, 2, 4, 7, 6, 4, 2, 5, 4, 2, 4, 4, 2, 4, 2, 1; 1 ATT; D Javelin, Spear, Short Sword; Mv 6)

18 Wolves (AC 7; hp 14, 13, 19, 12, 18, 13, 16, 10, 20, 15, 9, 7, 20, 6, 11, 13, 12, 14; 1 ATT; D 2-5; Mv 18)

Goblin Sub Chief (AC 5; hp 9; 1 ATT; D Morningstar, Short Bow; Mv 6)

Sub Chief's Worg (AC 6; hp 18; 1 ATT; D 2-8; Mv 18)

Goblin Shaman (AC 6; lvl 4; hp 16; 1 ATT; D Staff; Mv 6; Spells: Cure Light Wounds, Cause Light Wounds, Protection from Good; NWP Healing, Herbalism)

His staff is specially blessed with the power to cast Darkness once per week and is rune carved. However, this requires the wielder to become attuned to the staff, losing a point of Con in blood sacrifice. The staff is attuned to its master until someone else attunes it.

He also has a fetish, in this case a small twig figure of a skeleton, decorated with runes and splashes of blood, that radiates magic. If this twig is broken in front of undead, it will give the breaker Turn Undead ability once at a level equal to half his current level, rounding up. If a priest or other person who already has the Turn Undead ability breaks the fetish in front of undead, it will add 4 to his level for that round only. The fetish may only work one time before becoming useless and broken.

Shaman's Worg (AC 6; hp 24; 1 ATT; D 2-8; Mv 18)

As the goblins attack, it is likely that the party will be in severe trouble. The goblins will attack fanatically, as their shaman has threatened them with eternal torture and damnation if they do not fight bravely.

Just as things seem bleakest, a group of elves, drawn to the area by the baying of the wolves for the last few hours, will appear with missiles blazing and counter attack the goblins. It is only in the face of this opposition that the shaman will give the order to retreat. The elves will let them go, firing a few arrows at the retreating goblins and wolves.

24 elves (AC 7; HD 1+1; 1 ATT; D Longbow, Long Sword, Spear; Mv 12)

A quick search of the goblins will reveal that they are of the Rat's Foot tribe, a tribe that the elves have never seen, but which Allwhil will state is native to his region, and that they must have tracked the party all the way to this place.

Allwhil will openly wonder why a group of goblins would be so intent upon tracking and catching the party, and this will draw suspicious looks form the elves, who will motion the party quickly within the safety of the forest and who will tell the party to bed down for the night...saving questions for later.

With the elves on guard, the goblins will not attack again this night.

Day Seventeen:

The next morning, the party will be roused by the elves. They will gather them up and lead them silently for about a half hour into the forest. At a large tree with a rope ladder dangling to the ground they will direct the party to climb. About 25 feet up on a wooden platform is an elf sitting on a stumpy branch. He is dressed in Elvish Chainmail and is obviously very important. His name is Caloruil, and he will say that he is in charge of the patrols of this part of the forest, and that his men reported to him what the gnome said.

He will then ask why the party is so important to a particular group of goblins such that those goblins would track the party for almost 200 miles through rugged terrain.

If the party gives a true answer and shows the scrap and describes the entire incident at Algol, leaving out only the Council of White, then Caloruil will believe them and send them on their way, promising to keep any goblins who track them through these forests so busy that they will lag far far behind.

If the party lies and their excuse is not provable, the elf will regard them with a stern countenance and threaten to lock them up until they tell the truth or until a goblin can be captured to verify the story.

If the party decides to fight the elves, then let the battle fall where it may, likely with the death of the party and a caution to not be so battle happy next time.

If the party allows themselves to be imprisoned by the elves, then it will take a good three days of captivity for the elves to finally capture the shaman and, by use of charm spells, learn why they seek the party. If this is the case, they will tell the party why the goblins hunt them.

The three days of captivity will be not unpleasant. They will be held in a wooden cell formed from the surface roots of a tree. 4 elvish guards will be posted at all times, and spellcasters will all be bound comfortably. The food will be good, and some of the elves will even engage in conversation and banter with the party.

If the party tells the truth, then they will simply be sent on their way and wished well by Caloruil.

If the party is captured, add three days to all future day references.

Once released, or if they are initially passed through, the elves will make a gift of dried fruits and elvish wine to the party, restocking their larder.

Day Seventeen (continued):

The party will now continue south, still descending from the mountains. Towards noon, after having struggled through mountainous terrain now overgrown with forest as well, the party will reach the valley floor. Allwhil will thank the party and wish them luck. He will then turn and head back from where he came, whistling a tune until someone reminds him about the goblins, in which case he will become quieter and more cautious. Eventually, he will disappear from view.

The party now continues through the forest. This is a sylvan setting, and the forest is not choked with undergrowth nor does the canopy of trees block out the sunlight, but rather everything seems a dappled greenish yellow hue. Birds twitter gaily as small butterflies fly from flower to flower. All is peaceful here, and despite the rigors of the last few days, a single drink from one of the many streams hereabouts refreshes the party, both body and spirit.

The remainder of the day passes uneventfully, although occasional far off laughter and songs can be heard, these always just on the edge of hearing, and playfully fading away when concentrated upon.

At the end of the day, the party will arrive at the river that feeds the Mere of Onlor and may encamp by its shore.

Night Seventeen:

As the party camps by the gently frothing stream, they will be able to fish and stock their supply with a bit of freshwater food for a few days. Any one with fishing proficiency will be able to catch plenty of fish. In any case, one person who fishes will think he sees a nude woman swimming under the water. From below, she seems to flash the fisherman a smile for an instant and then disappear.

Day Eighteen:

The party now follows the river, observing many animals coming right up to the bank to drink, apparently unafraid of men and allowing themselves to be pet by strangers. Anyone hunting the animals of this forest is likely to be avoided by the animals thereafter and then will be set upon by an elvish druid (1st level) who will demand that the travelers not hunt in this sacred forest. He will also require a cleansing ritual be performed upon those who harmed an animal. The ritual takes an hour and requires a small sacrifice to the animal spirits (about 10gp worth).

Night Eighteen:

That night, a gang of 10 grigs out for a midnight laugh will espy the camp and make their plans.

10 Grigs (AC 2; hp 4, 3, 5, 4, 2, 4, 4, 4, 2, 5; 3 or 2 ATT; D Short sword, Dart; Mv 6 (12) )

The grigs will play the following jokes on the party, for as long as they can get away with it. If those so afflicted take the jokes well (i.e. laugh) or take them badly (i.e. become flustered), this will serve to urge the grigs on with their sport. Only by ignoring the pranks will the grigs become bored and leave.

Jokes for the night include:

Joke 1) The grigs will sneak up and tie together the bootstraps of a victim, tie his weapons to his sheath or armour, etc. Then, using ventriloquism, they will make a growling noise and shake some bushes, as if a beast were charging. They will then watch the fun as the sentry trips and struggles to draw his bound weapon

Joke 2) The grigs will use pyrotechnics to cause the fire to gradually become smoky and eventually cover the camp with smoke. As that happens, the grig fiddler will play his instrument and affect those awake as with an Otto's Irresistible Dance. They will play their song until the next sentry shift or sunup, whichever comes first.

Joke 3) A grig will cast ventriloquism upon a party members' weapon, making the weapon "talk", as if it were an intelligence weapon. The weapon will claim all sorts of things. For example, that if it is slept with, naked, it will imbue its owner with the ability to withstand fire or walk on water.

Joke 4) The crickets chirping away slowly coalesce their chirping into a song. A fiddle joins in and the dancing begins!

In any case, the grigs will flee if approached. They usually watch their pranks from a high tree or other secure location.

Day Nineteen:

If the grigs are still enjoying the party, they will continue to bother them. For example, they'll pick the party's pockets, and then place the items in a place where the party will stumble upon it, thinking they have found new treasure when they are really reclaiming their own.

Trip spells depositing party members into streams are also good fun, if a bit trite.

Also, these particular grigs dislike horses, for aesthetic purposes, and will enjoy harassing party horses as well.

At around three in the afternoon, if the party has provided ample fun, one grig will appear and offer a 350gp gem and a small jar of honey as a gift. The honey is magical royal jelly and will increase the eater's strength by 1 (or 10 percentiles if 18+ strength).

Night Nineteen:

The party, now unmolested, will still be visited all night by faerie folk, some of which come right up and ask the party to tell them riddles, others of which merely watch cautiously from the trees and then flee if approached. These faerie folk include Atomie, Sprites, and Pixies. If bothered or harmed, these folk will flee and call in reinforcements, giving the party a very rough time of it for the remainder of their forest journey, or until they make amends.

Practical jokes may be played on the folk, however, for even though the victim may not take kindly, the other faerie folk will laugh so uproariously that any hostility will be diffused.

Day Twenty:

By the end of this day, the party will still be along the river side. However, every so often a faint, strangely exhilarating zephyr makes its way through the trees and washes over the party. The zephyrs promise rest and succor.

A few fairy folk will still occasionally flit by the party and offer food to them if they have been kind. Some of the food is bitter and pungent, and the folk will enjoy mimicking the faces made by those who eat the strong fruits.

Night Twenty:

This night will pass peacefully, the party awakening the next morning amazingly refreshed. The fairy folk will have lost interest in the party and will be less often seen.

Day Twenty One:

A few short hours after breaking camp, the party will arrive at the shore of the most pristine, beautiful body of water they have ever seen. This is the Mere of Onlor, and all around is an air of hushed reverence.

No birds or animal sounds are here. The water is deep azure and absolutely motionless. The strange zephyrs are now constant, apparently coming from the lake's surface.

Within the lake are reflected stars and starlight seeps out of the surface, providing a slight glow to the whole even in the daylight.

Anyone looking in the lake will see themselves as if looking with a True Seeing spell up.

A dip in the lake by any good person will have the following effects:

o D8 points of damage are cured once per day
o curses are removed
o diseases are cured once per lifetime
o evil possessions are exorcised

If drunk, the water will cure poison and provide a blessing of +1 on saving throws and AC for a day.

Any evil being or servant of the Deceiver who touches the water will be afflicted with a reverse blessing spell that lasts for one year. Any evil being who drinks of the water must save versus poison or die.

In any case, the water is the sweetest, best tasting water that any of the PCs have ever had.

The party will then pass along the southern shore of the Mere, camping once more at its peaceful edge.

Night Twenty One:

While encamped near the shore of the lake, the sentries on first watch, at about midnight, will observe a change in the Mere. First, the glow from the starlight in the surface of the lake will start to grow brighter. Next, the always placid lake will start to bubble and froth, eventually reaching geyser-like proportions so immense that the disturbance, located at the centre of the 25 mile wide lake, will be visible from the lake edge. From out of this fountain of water will shoot a screaming streak of starlight. The streak will shoot into the air and then suddenly arc eastward, disappearing over the trees. After the starlight streak is gone, the Mere will return to its calm self.

Although the party has no way of knowing, this manifestation was the power of Onlor emerging to fight the Maug and send it back to Jerranq.

Day Twenty Two:

The weather is still pleasantly but unnaturally mild here, and the travelling is easy and non-fatiguing. Fruits and berries abound and the foraging is quite easy, almost at whim.

Night Twenty Two:

This night the sounds of a huge storm pass overhead. However, all that reaches the valley is a light misting spray, which coats the forest at dawn like glittering jewels.

Day Twenty Three:

More music is heard in the distance, and keen-eared folk may be able to hear an elf saying to his companion "my how noisy these blundering humans are...you can hear them for miles around! Look how that one steps on all the snapping twigs. And that one...he is looking right at us but cannot even see us!" then gay laughter will trail away.

Night Twenty Three:

The night is pleasant and restful, and as usual when in proximity of the Mere, the party awakens amazingly refreshed.

Day Twenty Four:

The Mere is still ever present to the north of the party. This day the party marches in solitude, seeing no fairy folk and only an occasional forest hart and twittering hummingbird.

Night Twenty Four:

Another pleasant and restful night passes uneventfully.

Day Twenty Five:

This entire day will be spent traversing the final portion of the south edge of the Mere of Onlor. Aside from small animals and the like, and some distant fluting (satyrs trying to impress a dryad), nothing untoward will be encountered.

Night Twenty Five:

The final camp along the Mere side is made tonight. It is during this night that the power of Onlor fights the Maug again. After midnight, just before dawn, a rumbling will shake the ground, a small tremor...no more. Then a piercing wail, malign and fey, will echo throughout the night air, the wail not sounding loud, but far and distant. As it passes, the wail becomes even more distant, as if passing even further away, to the north (the Maug has been driven away from Onlor).

Day Twenty Six:

Perhaps shaken from the night's manifestations, the party early in the morning reaches the next river feeding into the Mere.

There is no ford here, and the party turns south anyways, towards the High Forest, making camp shortly thereafter.

As the party travels south, away from the Mere, the sylvan atmosphere still remains, but the zephyrs become weakened and less common, finally fading away by the end of the day.

Night Twenty Six:

The night passes pleasantly enough, but, disappointingly to the party, the extraordinary vitality with which the party seemed imbued each morning has faded.

Day Twenty Seven:

The party continues in a southerly direction, occasionally having to climb a tree now and then to keep their bearings, since they have no landmarks to follow.

Force two climb rolls this day in order to climb a tall tree. Upon climbing to the top, hordes of purple butterflies can be seen like a cloud above the entire forest, as far as the eye can see. The sight is impressive, although a bit unnerving as well.

Night Twenty Seven:

The party passes the night uneventfully.

Day Twenty Eight:

The journey south continues, with two more climbing rolls needed. The butterflies still hover over the treetops.

Night Twenty Eight:

The third watch notices a luminous, glowing light some distance through the trees. The light seems to bob up and down and travels slowly in a northwesterly direction. Anyone chasing the light will find that it winks out when the pursuers are about halfway to the source. In the darkness, the pursuers will be lost unless they are a range or elf, or have forest experience. If they are lost, they must call out loudly to the party in order to slowly locate them.

Day Twenty Nine:

In the afternoon, as they reach the southern end of the valley, the party comes across a goblin, pinned to a tree by many arrows and obviously dead. Upon the goblin's brow is tattooed a red eye.

Night Twenty Nine:

That night, distant howling can be heard, heading away to the east. Comfortingly, it gets more distant and eventually, around sunup, is too far away to be heard.

Day Thirty:

The party starts up the mountains out of the Valley of the Mere, perhaps having forgotten how tiring mountain travel is. Travel is even slower here because the party is without a guide.

Nevertheless, heading in a generally southward direction, the party encounters its first patch of snow, apparently fallen while they were in the temperate valley. Patches of snow reside in small, shadowed nooks and crannies at the higher spots on the mountains.

That day, the party will espy some aarakocra flying high overhead. They will observe the party for a time, sailing on some convenient thermal updrafts, before departing.

Night Thirty:

After having been spoiled by two weeks under the enchanted canopy of the Forest of Onlor, the night's chill air is even more sharp and affecting.

Day Thirty One:

The ground will be littered with snow, a medium covering now, and the going is rough without the gnome to guide the party. Also, game is becoming scarce, and the party will find the need to dip into its rations more than before.

Night Thirty One:

Late at night, a distant hunting horn can be heard. It blasts three blasts, each getting a bit further away before the sound stops.

Day Thirty Two:

The party struggles through the rugged mountainous terrain, often coming to an impassable way and having to double back, losing hours at a time.

Late morning the party is startled by the screech of a giant eagle overhead. The eagle circles for a few minutes and then plummets to the ground, arising a bit later with some sort of largish insectoid in its claws.

Up ahead, after crossing a particularly high and grueling ridge, the party sees the tops of the trees of the High Forest, so named not only because of its elevation, but because these trees grow very, very tall and are favoured as ships masts.

Towards sundown, the distant hunting horn is heard once again.

Night Thirty Two:

The horn is not heard of again, especially since the pouring rain, mixed with a wisp of hail, drowns out far away noises with its incessant clattering.

The party watches will notice that a few nearby rockslides seem to occur, as the torrential rain softens up the topsoil. Later that night, the rain turns to a light dusting of snow.

Day Thirty Three:

The party finally reaches the eaves of the High Forest and enters. Unlike the Forest of Onlor, this forest is dark from its high, full canopy. Undergrowth is therefore scarce, except for fungi and moss, which do not need much light.

The first day, a constrictor will accidentally drop on the party's pack horse, the first warning being the horse's frightened neigh and its rearing. The constrictor is a normal sized snake and will immediately flee and can be easily slain if desired.

As the party travels, they can note that many of the lower tree branches have been sheared off, as if cut by a blade.

Sometime later that afternoon, the party comes upon a dead giant spider. Its body is pierced with arrow shafts, which a bowyer can recognize as being of fairly crude make, possibly orcish. Near the spider's carcass, which lies under a tree full of webbing, is a red blood trail (the spider's blood is blackish) leading away from the site. The trail stops after about 100 yards and cannot be picked up thereafter.

Night Thirty Three:

The night is unsettling, full as it is of the calls and noises and rustlings of the creatures of this forest. An occasional deep roar makes sleeping difficult, to say the least, and the next day, everyone not a ranger, elf, or with survival (forest) proficiency will be at -1 attacks due to lack of good sleep.

Despite these sounds, nothing bothers the party.

Day Thirty Four:

Travel through this portion of the forest is miserable. There is not much snow, as the trees keep the ground clear, but the mountainous terrain and the close-set trees make travel difficult. Occasionally, unidentified shapes can be seen shambling amongst the higher branches and treetops overhead.

Night Thirty Four:

The night sounds continue, including shrill screams that in some ways sound like they come from a large bird, but in other ways don't sound like any bird the party has ever heard. The -1 penalty continues.

Day Thirty Five:

The day passes chill but uneventful. Little game is seen...just a snow owl and a distant coyote.

Night Thirty Five:

This night, a flock of night hunters will attack. These creatures usually do not attack humans, but the winter has made them hungry and desperate. 5 of these beasts will silently stalk the party, watching for when most of them go down to bed. Then they will attack, emitting their echoing, loon-like screams as they dive upon the party.

5 Night Hunters (AC 6; hp 12, 13, 16, 14, 14; 4 ATT; D 1-4 / 1-2 / 1-2 / 1-6 or 3-12; Mv 2 (18-A))

Day Thirty Six:

The forest trek continues. During the day, the party will suddenly run into a glade, upon the other side of which are three huge dire wolves. The wolves instantly notice the party and glare at them but do not initially attack. They do, however, growl threateningly if the party starts to approach.

These dire wolves guard a wood giant, who is sleeping nearby and has commanded his wolves to guard him while he rests.

If the wolves are attacked, the voadkyn will burst into the clearing, bellowing in Common tongue that any who harm his pets will pay dearly.

If the party has hurt a wolf, they had better talk quickly to avoid being punished. The voadkyn will likely demand payment of some sort if his wolves are hurt seriously. On the other hand, if the wolves are left alone, then no further incident will occur.

If the party somehow alerts or calls out to the voadkyn, then peaceful contact can be made. In this case, the voadkyn will offer to share its wine in exchange for tales of the outside world. If the party is friendly-seeming and appreciative, he will go so far as to warn them that a large company of orcs had recently marched through these woods, numbering about 20 or so of the beasts. They had with them two goblin prisoners, interesting because the goblins had red eyes tattooed on their foreheads.

If asked specifically, the wood giant can vouch that the orcs seemed to be tracking someone or something.

During this day, the party descends out of the Onlor Mountains and enters the more rolling foothills, making travel a bit easier.

Later that day, the party will come upon a large, messy campsite. The trees around the campsite have been scorched in places, and bones and some rotting meat of indeterminate origin litter the ground. A close inspection will also reveal some dried blood on some stones nearby.

Night Thirty Six:

Again, the party is assailed by the night noises of the forest, but by this time they are used to it enough to incur no penalty unless a player expressed that his character is especially nervous.

Something big lumbers within hearing range of the party's campsite, but soon lumbers away, unseen. If somehow caught, the thing is a mountain lion, which will run away from humans and demi-humans.

Day Thirty Seven:

By this time, if the fire beetles got half of the party rations, then the group will have to ration their food, suffering a -1 to hit and save for every three days under these conditions. A successful hunting or foraging check at -2 will delay the effect for that day.

In any case the travel is still arduous and tiring, although it is a hopeful sign that the air has thickened again and there is less snow and chill, signaling that the party is again descending out of the mountains.

Night Thirty Seven:

The night, though noisy, passes uneventfully.

Day Thirty Eight:

As the party treks through this seemingly endless forest, they are halted by an arrow that passes into the ground between the legs of the first party member. A wood elf will step out of the forest (seemingly out of nowhere) and ask in Elvish first, Common if no one understands, who they are and why they are passing through this area.

Assuming an acceptable answer, which will still be regarded with suspicion by the wood elves, the elves will tell that evil humanoids have been moving through these woods. In fact, he and his companions have spotted a group of four ogres and would like the party's help in killing them.

If the party agrees, the five elves will step out and lead the party to an ambush of the ogres, about an hour away.

The elves will give the party half of the ogres' treasure.

5 Wood Elves (AC 7; hp 3, 8, 7, 4, 7; 1 ATT; D Longbow, Longsword, Spear; Mv 12)

4 Ogres (AC 5; hp 22, 23, 17, 17; 1 ATT; D 1-10; Mv 9)

Night Thirty Eight:

The elves will spend the night with the party if they helped kill the ogres. They will tell them to head straight south and leave the forest as soon as possible, for this forest is dangerous to those not learned of its ways. They will warn of spiders, snakes, and things more foul which can trap and slay unwary humans and their ilk.

Day Thirty Nine:

The elves part company in the morning, and the party does see some empty webs in the treetops and upper branches.

Night Thirty Nine:

The night passes uneventfully, although a light sprinkling of snow does waft its way through the forest canopy.

Day Forty:

The land becomes even easier, and the air slightly warmer as the party continues to descend out of the mountains and hills.

Towards afternoon, the party is ambushed by a group of hairy spiders led by a large spider. These live symbiotically, the large spider appreciating the extra food gained by having the hairy spiders around, and the hairy spiders using the large spider's webs. Essentially, the hairy spiders treat the large spider like their pet. The large spider will attack until slain. The hairy spiders will attack until three quarters of their numbers are gone. If the large spider is slain, the hairy spiders will attack at +1 to hit in their fury at losing their pet.

12 Hairy Spiders (AC 8; hp 6, 1, 2, 5, 6, 3, 3, 4, 5, 1, 5, 2; 1 ATT; D 1 + poison; Mv 12 Wb 9)

Large Spider (AC 8; hp 7; 1 ATT; D 1 + poison; Mv 6 Wb 15)

Within the trees above the spiders are small bones and the like, including a dead fairy creature of some sort, which is wound up into a cocoon and partially drained of blood. Upon this sprite's person is a small dagger (1 pt of damage), a tiny gem (a chrysoberyl) worth 5gp, and a bit of stem that provides an antidote against poison. If swallowed before poison onset, it will reduce damage by half. It is not strong enough to thwart death poisons.

Anyone with herbalism proficiency can check his skill at -1 to determine that it is a healing plant of some sort.

Night Forty:

The sounds of the forest continue unabated, but now everyone should be able to sleep soundly enough. The night passes without incident, with only a slight drizzle towards morning.

Day Forty One:

The descent continues, as the air becomes merely nippy now, and a slight bit of precipitation is rain and not snow. Snow is no longer on the ground, which is instead muddy and pool soaked.

Night Forty One:

The night is cold but more bearable here, and although the night sounds continue, the party has a good night's sleep.

Day Forty Two:

The party will espy a brown bear from a distance, fishing for trout in a stream. If left alone, it will be too preoccupied to bother the party, but if at all bothered, it will turn and charge.

Later, The party will come across a dead orc. He has a dagger of orcish make sticking out of his back and his face looks kicked in. Spilt wine stains a nearby rock, mixing with dried blood. The orc has no weapons other than the dagger, which is lodged in its spine and cannot be easily removed.

Night Forty Two:

The encamped party will be unmolested this night.

Day Forty Three:

The going becomes incredibly difficult here, as a series of small cliffs and steep ridges confronts the party. Horses must be walked carefully in order to avoid mishap.

Night Forty Three:

Another uneventful night under the forest canopy.

Day Forty Four:

The party finally, early in the morning, emerges from the leaves of the forest. Before them, a last stretch of rolling hills descends down to the flat, southern plains of Wenestria. The party has finished the arduous trek across the Mountains of Onlor.

The temperature is quite mild now, and it is good to be able to walk in the sunlight again. Travel is back up to about 14 miles a day, and game is plentiful, as is foraging. Wild strawberries are in season and abundant.

Night Forty Four:

The party finds it strangely difficult to sleep now without the immense noise of the nocturnal High Forest. Nevertheless, they pass the night peacefully.

Day Forty Five:

More travel amongst the rolling hills north of Wenestria. A light precipitation falls, muddying up the rain soaked ground even more, making travel a bit dirty and slower.

Night Forty Five:

The party hears the hunting horn again...this time no more than a couple of miles away. The horn plays occasionally throughout the night, sometimes farther away and sometimes closer.

Day Forty Six:

In the afternoon, the party comes upon a path, bigger than a game trail, but with no signs of ruts. The trail leads south and makes travel a bit easier.

Later, a small sort of shrine is found along the side of the trail, It is a waist high stump with the top hollowed into a bowl-like depression, into which has been placed flowers, some incense, and a couple of copper pieces.

Night Forty Six:

The party spends the night unmolested. Again the hunting horns sound occasionally, farther away than before.

Day Forty Seven:

On this day, a fair if chilly day, the party will be travelling through the rolling hills and dales of Northern Wenestria. At late morning, a halfling spy from the village of Waymeet will espy the party and will hurry to report their approach. The halfling will have viewed the party from atop a tall hill that provides good vantage and will thus be able to mount his pony and make it back to Waymeet rather quickly.

Upon arriving at Waymeet, the halfling will inform the village elders.

The orcs whose hunting horn the party has been hearing have recently passed by Waymeet and attacked the place. After killing a few halflings, they captured a baby and held it for hostage. The leader orc has told the halflings that if they do not provide information on a party of about 10-12 travellers coming from the mountains within the next week, the baby will be killed and the orcs will return to burn down their village and plunder their crops and homes. The orcs then took the baby to their temporary lair and gave the halflings directions on how to contact them.

The halflings, upon hearing of the party's approach, know that they are the ones whom the orcs seek. Fear getting the best of them, and the nearest town for aid being too far away, they will reluctantly decide to turn the party in. To that end, they have sent off one of their number, Bloffo, to contact the orcs.

As the party begins to approach cultivated lands around the village, they will meet Bloffo, on his way to alert the orcs. Bloffo will greet the party and make up some excuse as to where he is going if asked. He will not claim to have seen any humanoids or anything else out of the ordinary and will not acknowledge the hunting horns from the day before.

Bloffo will quickly try to pass the party with as little parley as possible and head north towards the orcs.

When the party arrives at Waymeet, they see little in the way of a bustling halfling village. In fact, two of the homes to the north are burnt to cinders, with a few embers still smoldering if viewed closely. If called for, the halflings will emerge, the elder speaking to the party but answering curtly and trying to get the party to leave Waymeet as soon as possible. Like Bloffo, he will feign ignorance with most matters. If asked about the burnt homes, he will say that cow named Cheekagoo kicked over a lantern. That the two houses are a bit too far to have both burned from a single source, and that there are no burn trails linking the two houses, will be ignored by the elder.

If the party coerces the halflings or threatens them, they will eventually tell all. The party must simply become more of an impetus to tell than the orcs are to keep quiet.

If the party passes Waymeet, Lilandra, the mother of the child kidnapped, will eventually come running after the party, telling them to stop.

Amid tears, she will crave the party's pardon, saying that her people are good folk, and they would never lie to folks such as the party unless they had a dire need. She will then explain the situation, including the kidnapping, and will tell the party that even though her beloved daughter is in danger, her conscience would not let her betray the party and do such an evil thing.

It is up to the party to decide what to do. If they just leave, the orcs will get word from Bloffo, kill Bloffo and the baby, and then attack the party. If this happens, the orcs will attack the night of the 47th. The party should be penalized xp for allowing the baby and Bloffo to die.

If the party seeks to rescue the baby and to ambush the orcs and to stop/rescue Bloffo, they will get directions from the elder. Hastening along, they will eventually catch up to Bloffo in about an hour or two...

Bloffo is up a tree. His desperate calls for help can be heard for many hundreds of yards around. Bloffo is in fact perched about 20 feet up a pine tree. Below are two giant lizards, occasionally climbing the bottom of the tree, but the tree seems to be too slender to allow them to grip properly and heave their bulks up its length.

Bloffo - the Tallfellow Halfling (AC 6; hp 6; 1 ATT; D Dagger, Sling; Mv 6)

Giant Lizards (AC 5; hp 15, 20; 1 ATT; D 1-8; Mv 15)

Assuming Bloffo is rescued, he will be very nervous, wondering why the party is up this way and he will certainly thank them and try to rush them on their way. Once found out, however, he will tell the party that he was just following the commands of his elder.

In any case, Bloffo will direct the party the other hour and a half to the orc lair.

The halflings were told to find a certain rock and a tree nearby would have a hunting horn nailed to it. The horn, when blown, would summon the orcs.

If the party blows the horn, they will, after about 15 minutes, see a group of 12 orcs come down, wary for treachery, seeking to parley for the information, They did not bring the baby, stating that their leader always honours his word and that they want the information first. This group of orcs will consist of 11 regular orcs and a leader.

If the orcs see more than a single halfling in the clearing with the horn, they will not approach, but will flee back to their lair, kill the baby, and flee the area.

If the party does not blow the horn, or blows the horn and ambushes the 12 orcs who responded, then they can make their way to the orc lair. They can do this by tracking, or simply by scouting around (or, potentially, by capturing an orc alive and gaining the information from him through questioning).

Refer to the general area map below:

The party will not really need to search the area to the west of the map, because that is the direction they will have come from, but if they do, it will be more rolling hills.

Orc tracks do lead from the lair to the horn, but, of course, the stream cuts the trail at several points. The stream is easily fordable, although it is about 10 yards wide and takes a full minute to traverse. Heavy action or running does require a dex roll to maintain balance. Fighting in the river is at -2 to hit and dexterity bonuses are negated unless a dex roll is made each round.

The orc lair is inhabited by 33 orcs, 11 leaders, 1 sub chief, 3 bodyguards and a shaman. They also have 4 goblin prisoners. If the dozen orcs have gone to meet the horn blower and were not able to return, then subtract those orcs from the ones in the common room.

At any given time, a patrol of 11 orcs and 3 leaders is out scouring the countryside looking for the party.

The orc lair itself is about 200 feet above the valley floor, but there is a natural ledge going from the cave mouth to the valley floor that allows for quick ascent or descent without having to negotiate the steep slope of their hill.

The lair is known to the orcs, and has been used by them for as long as any of them can remember as a waypost for hunting parties who are too far from the tribal home to return. It is also used as a base of operations from which to raid the livestock of humans and halflings nearby.

KEY TO THE ORC LAIR:

These orcs are a war party from the Severed Finger tribe, They all bear around their neck a severed finger, often orcish or goblinoid, but sometimes human or demi-human can be discerned. The fingers are mummified.

All of these orcs have Tracking and Endurance NWP.

A. Entry Passage:

The cave entrance is an oblong opening situated horizontally. It is about 30' wide and 10' tall. Lurking just inside the entranceway, and out of the sunlight if during daytime, are two orc sentries.

2 Orc Sentries (AC 6; hp 8, 2; 1 ATT; D Spear; Mv 9)

These sentries are fairly casual, believing themselves to be safe from retribution from the cowed halflings. Animals constantly scurry through the brush hereabouts, so the most some natural sounding noises nearby will get from these guys is a tossed stone.

The passage beyond the entrance is fairly smooth, although some smallish stalactites hand from the ceiling. The passage is terraced naturally and slopes a total of 20 feet before coming to a level area where the way branches both right and left. The entire passageway is about 120' long, before coming to the branch.

B. Well Room:

This small cavern area is about 45' by 45' with a ceiling of about 20' high. The place is damp with moisture and many stalactites grow down from the ceiling here. There is a smallish pool of water here, clear and clean but full of minerals, so it tastes a bit chalky. Dwarves, stout halflings, and gnomes will know the cause of the chalky taste and that it is safe to drink.

Also stored here, in the area to the east of the pool, are some foodstuffs and supplies brought by the orc warparty from their tribal home. The pile of items includes:

A small barrel of greek fire (20 flasks full)

2 suits of beat up studded leather armour

6 whetstones

A small barrel of honey

An iron pot

10' of light chain

A small metal mirror

An empty quiver

An empty small chest, unlocked, with the key inside

3 sets of flint and steel

3 pieces of rope, 50', 35' and 15' respectively

4 waterskins

4 scraps of ratty fur, each about 5' square

2 pieces of thick canvas, each about 10' square

C. Shaman's Chamber:

This cavern is about 70' wide and about 60' long. Its ceiling rises in a vaulted form about 25' overhead. Within is the living area of the shaman, Therugnarsht. It was he who received a vision quest from the Maug and led his warparty south, into the foothills, to find the party.

A pallet of ratty, vermin-infested fur serves as the shaman's bed. Various dyed furs, coloured with intricate mystical patterns and drawings, decorate the place, and the rest of the cavern is littered with various gew gaws, animal parts (used for omen tellings), and rune-carved bones. In addition, material components for the spells knowable by the shaman are scattered about.

Generally, the shaman will be found here, perhaps dissecting a small animal and carving runes into its hide.

Therugnarsht, Orc Shaman (AC 6 [furs and dex]; lvl 4 Pr [shaman] fights as a 2 lvl monster; hp 15; 1 ATT; D Staff, Blowtube; Mv 12; Spells [15 Wis]: Bless, Curse, Cure Light Wounds, Magical Stone, Slow Poison, Hold Person, Augury; NWP: Healing, Herbalism, Spellcrafting, Tracking, Endurance)

9 pinches of Powder of Coagulation

1 use of Powder of the Black Veil

2 packets of Powder of the Hero's Heart

A patch of weasel's fur enscribed with runes drawn in dried blood. When carrying this on one's person, Move Silently chances are increased by 10%, and those without such ability gain a 10% ability to Move Silently.

Therugnarsht will certainly try to avoid combat, using his spells and his magic powders to defeat opponents or to escape if help is not forthcoming.

D. Common Room:

This large room is a flurry of roughly discarded junk. A bunch of smelly, flea bitten fur pallets lie around this cavern, which is 35'-40' tall. Some 35 pallets are here, all told. As well, a deer carcass, partially gutted, hangs by its rear legs from a log standing against the wall.

Bones, rags, trash, etc. also dot the place.

Normally, some 20 orcs are here, along with 4 leaders. Of these, 7 orcs will be asleep, the rest engaged in knucklebones, wrestling, resting, eating, or storytelling. To the northwest, natural stone terraces rise some 15 feet above the main floor of this cavern. Here are the 4 leaders, who have set up a large tree trunk and several stones as a crude table and chair. A huge slab of raw wild board lies stretched upon this table, and the leaders are engorging themselves upon the raw pig, complimenting it with horns of ale drawn from a large barrel nearby.

Each orc has weapons at hand or nearby. The non-sleeping orcs wear their armour as a matter of course, although shields are generally not at hand.

20 Orcs (AC 7 [6]; hp 8, 5, 3, 5, 5, 4, 5, 8, 2, 7, 5, 2, 8, 8, 6, 1, 8, 7, 4, 7; 1 ATT; D Battle Axe, Javelin, Spear; Mv 9)

4 Orc Leaders (AC 7 [6]; lvl 2; hp 9, 10, 9, 11; 1 ATT; D Long Sword, Longbow; Mv 9)

If roused, these orcs will grab weapons and shields if possible and divide into two camps, one going down each side of the passageway towards the entry hall, thereby hoping to surround their prey. If outclassed, they will break and flee down the passageway that seems most clear.

E. Worship Niche:

This niche is only 15' high and screened by stalactites and stalagmites, many of which have joined together. The central ones of these have been broken off, forming a clear view of the back wall, so that the whole looks like a stage with surrounding curtains.

The clear back wall has a charcoal drawing of something resembling the Maug that attacked Algol City. Many runes surround it, and the area of floor before this picture is bloodstained. Farther back, and out of sight from the main hallway, is a small mummified orc head painted over with runes and decorated with various small jewels:

A gold nose ring worth 150gp

A silver pin stuck through its earlobe worth 14gp

A small topaz pressed into the right cheek worth 105gp

An ivory necklace inlaid with silver worth 220gp

This orc head is the center of worship and power for the shaman, as it is the head of his ancestor and one of the tribal founders of the Severed Finger Tribe.

If the head is touched or disturbed by anyone other than the shaman, its spirit will rise up and attack the party. The orcish ancestral spirit has the following abilities:

Orcish Spirit (AC: 4; lvl 4; hp 14; Mv 24; Powers: Bellow causes fear in a 50' radius [save vs spells or flee for D6 hours, dropping all in hand], Attack with chill touch causing D4 damage; Possess a victim who fails to roll equal to or under wisdom [possession lasts 1 round, after which the wisdom roll must be made each round; possession allows the spirit to attack and it could harm or even kill itself, if it so desires]; Defenses: Immune to non-magical weapons)

The spirit will always follow the head, but will never leave a 240-yard radius therefrom, even while possessing a victim. If its host body is taken from that radius, the spirit must depart the body.

F. Leaders' Chamber:

This 120' by 40' chamber is 15' high. 8 fur pallets are here, thicker than those found elsewhere, and a bit cleaner. 4 leaders are here right now, all sleeping. A few fur bags hold some worthless personal possessions, but nothing of value.

4 Orc Leaders (AC 10 [6]; lvl 2; hp 12, 9, 9, 10; 1 ATT; D Long Sword, Longbow; Mv 12 [9])

In combat, these fellows will attempt to join up with their charges in room D and attempt to organize and lead the defense/escape.

G. Prison:

This small cavern is connected to the common room by a small 5' by 5' passageway. This way is blocked by a large pile of stones and logs, all lashed together with ropes. A few gaps provide air holes to those past. The whole can be removed en masse by about half a dozen men taking about 10 minutes.

Behind are 4 goblin prisoners, taken from the survivors of the Floating Eye Tribe. These are at half hit points and have been severely beaten and malnourished. There are scraps of food shoved in through the cracks in the door here, and the cave stinks of sweat, blood, and urine and feces.

If rescued, the goblins will at first show kindness and thanks, but eventually, their natures will take over and they will escape, possibly stealing something first.

H. Sub Chief's Room:

This largish cavern is 30' high. Its dimensions are 200' by 45', and the northern half is dominated by a stone shelf rising about 8 feet above the floor of the place. The shelf is accessible by a natural stone ramp in the eastern portion of the room.

Upon this stone shelf is a plush fur pallet, only slightly vermin-ridden, and a small wooden table, upon which rests a crude silver chalice (worth 35gp), metal plates and eating utensils (with a hunk of venison [raw] upon it), a wineskin full of crude wine, and a pouch full of 34sp, 12gp, and 3 small amethysts worth 10gp each.

Below the shelf are the pallets of the sub-chief's three bodyguards. These are favoured by the sub chief so that they are loyal to him and will protect him from any ambitious or rebellious orc tribesmen. Each bodyguard has a pouch with 10cp, 11sp, and 5gp).

Orc Sub Chief Urnurgg (AC 5 [studded leather with 16 dex]; lvl 3; hp 16; 1 ATT; D 2 handed sword [+1 strength]; Mv 12)

3 Orcish Bodyguards (AC 5 [studded leather and shield with 15 dex]; lvl 2; hp 11; 1 ATT; D Longsword [+1 strength], Longbow; Mv 9)

If an alert goes out, these orcs will grab up their arms and one of the body guards will grab the tribal standard (a pole with a leather hide hanging from it showing a bloody finger and bearing the words "Fight and Die for your Ancestors!" in Orcish). Hundreds of severed claws and fingers from victims and prey have been tied to the standard, which is about 7 feet high. This standard will provide all orcs within 60' +1 to hit and morale.

Also on the top shelf is a small bundle of fur with a halfling baby swaddled therein. A wineskin filled with goat's milk is nearby. Astute and clever, the sub chief, if he is somehow able to determine that the party is seeking the halfling baby (i.e. if Bloffo is with them) may use the baby as a bargaining tool, either to escape or to capture the party.

I. Treasure Room:

This chamber is hidden from normal view by a pile of rocks built up over the passageway leading from H to I. This rockpile has then been concealed by earth and mud, patted down. The whole is extremely amateurish, and any elf, half elf, or dwarf can spot it by glance on a 5 in 6. Humans can spot it on a 2 in 6 merely by glancing. A detailed search will certainly turn it up. The whole will take a good man hour to clear.

Inside is a small cavern only 5' high. Within is the personal treasure of this warparty (they'd never trust their stuff be left home with the tribe), including stuff they looted from the halflings:

2 suits of halfling-sized leather armour

A pony-sized plow

A box of dried fruit

4 daggers

12 items of personal effects and home decor, including small statuettes of no particular value, some ribbons, a wood carving, etc. All are of halfling origin and disposition

A small chest (locked) with no key which holds 150cp, 120sp, 14gp, and 1pp. The key is back in the halfling village

10 horseshoes (pony-sized)

A bag filled with mummifying unguents and equipment

A wheel of cheese, slightly moldy on the edge

3 bottles of wine

A sheep's fur rug

3 bucklers painted with the halfling rune for Truth

4 books written in halfling...all of them folklore and halfling tales

A scroll in a tube which is a letter of credit for 150gp between farmer Griffin of Waymeet and one Balascor of Entinosh (a small village on the Wenestrian Coast)

Night Forty Seven:

The party will return from the orc lair during the night at the earliest. It may be that their plan of attack has taken even longer, in which case the subsequent timeline must be adjusted by the DM.

Assuming the party returns to Waymeet at night, they will be greeted joyously if successful and given bed and rest.

Day Forty Eight:

Assuming the party has gone and rescued the halfling baby, then the halflings will welcome the party and fete them with much food, wine, dancing, and revelry. Each will be given a garland of leaves, flowers, and garlic as a symbol of their victory and will be restocked with food and drink. Finally, the elder, who is a priest of his people's goddess, will hand to the party a scroll with 3 priest spells written upon it at 3rd level:

Protection from Evil, Invisibility to Animals, and Slow Poison

Night Forty Eight:

The halflings will continue the celebration long into the night, with much feasting, dancing, etc. They will try as politely as possible to keep the party here for the night, ostensibly to continue to honour the party, but also to keep them safe from any immediate orcish retaliations. If the party threatens to leave anyways, the halflings will simply beg them to stay in case of a counterstrike by the orcs.

Day Forty Nine:

Today the party leaves Waymeet, sent off by the thankful [or mournful if the baby was lost or slain] halflings.

Later, the party finally emerges from the hills sometime in the afternoon. Before them they see a waterfall plummeting from the last cliffside into the southern plains of Wenestria.

Past the river can be seen a road leading to a small settlement or village.

Night Forty Nine:

The party makes its last camp in the hills, near the waterfall.

Day Fifty:

The party descends into the plains and finds the road. They soon enter Bar Hole, a mixed settlement of halfling holes and human buildings. Here the party can purchase supplies and sleep in an inn.

As they stay in town, even briefly, a boy will approach the party and say:

Hey misters! Listen up. A couple of days ago some men come here and are asking about a group of strangers probably comin' outta the mountains, maybe tired and wounded. They give Morgen a coupla silver shinies iffin he sees such a group and tells 'em. Well, these men, they looks like they is up to no good to me, and are rough characters, so I tell Morgen maybe he outta keep his eyes and mouth shut or he'll get himself involved in things where he don't belong. Well Morgen shuts me up and beats me a bit and then goes askin' around for such folk. Now I ain't sayin' you come from the mountains or not, but maybe what I telled you is useful and maybe you'll be rewardin' ole Horchess for his trouble?

If the party gives Horchess even a silver, he will be happy. If the party mistreats him, he will go to Morgen and give up the party to him.

Morgen is not hard to locate, if the party so desires. He will describe the men if threatened, but will say that he has no way to contact the men; they said that they would contact him.

Assuming Morgen does locate the party, he will be contacted the next day by the two assassins, who will then prepare an ambush in Jaynith.

Assuming the party does not take a lot of time in Bar Hole, they will make camp at the crossroads to Shunt Meadow. Here is an inn where the party can stay. However, at least one of the patrons has been paid by the assassins, and if the party stays at the inn or even appears there, the assassins will have an ambush prepared in Jaynith.

Night Fifty:

If the party stays at the inn, the assassins will prepare their reception in Jaynith. Otherwise, if camping outside, the party will have an undisturbed night.

Day Fifty One:

The party will spend the day travelling the road from Bar Hole to Jaynith. Traders and commoners ply these roads, all ready with a friendly greeting and some conversation if desired. No one met on the road will have been contacted by the assassins.

Towards evening, the party will arrive at Jaynith, a town of about 1200 souls, including outlying farms and fishing shanties. Jaynith port has a fine little fishing fleet, but nothing really sea worthy for a long voyage.

Night Fifty One:

If the party enters the town, the assassins will strike. If the party stays at an inn, they will strike there, climbing through a window or picking the lock of the door.

On the other hand, if the party does not sleep in the inn but enters the town, the assassins will attempt to isolate and slay a few party members at a time. A common ruse would be to pay a boy to have some party members leave other party members to gain some information.

If the party camps outside, however, the assassins will not be able to find the party (assuming they camp out of sight of the town).

Day Fifty Two:

The road to Arvoria is well trafficked, it being the main thoroughfare between the human kingdoms and Relum. Along with humans are a scattering of elves going to and from their forest kingdom.

Desperate, the assassins, if they missed the party in Jaynith, will pose as merchants and attempt to accompany the party on the road, looking for an assassination opportunity along the way.

Farm houses, homesteads, small hamlets and thorps and inns dot the roadway in this settled section of Wenestria, and the travel is easy going to say the least. However, the party will still have to make one more stop for the night before reaching Arvoria.

Night Fifty Two:

The party may stay in an inn, at a farmhouse, or camp by the road. All methods will be safe excepting potential assassination attempts by the two assassins.

Day Fifty Three:

Finally, after this immense journey, Arvoria is reached. The walled city is home to about 5000 citizens and boasts a moderate port with many fishing vessels and a few merchant galleys. The party arrives in the late morning and if they wander around the docks they will be contacted by the first mate of the ship Gallon's Widow. This mate will say he's been awaiting the party and that they have a prepaid fare to the Continent, no questions asked.

If the party is suspicious, the first mate will say that he was to assure you by saying the word "White". He doesn't know what that is supposed to mean, but he follows orders.

The ship looks to be a fine, sea worthy vessel, and it departs the next day (it has been held up, cargo and all, awaiting the party...so it is likely the captain was paid a lot of money to hold an entire ship for the party).

2 Assassins (AC 5; lvl 3 Rog; hp 9, 8; 1 ATT; D Short Sword with a debilitating poison, Dart; Mv 12)

THUS ENDS THE FIRST ADVENTURE.

DM's Sequence of Events:

This section is included to update the DM on certain events that happen "behind the scenes". This information is provided so the DM can understand the background behind what is happening in the adventure.

The Maug has come to Onlor in search of the leather scrap. The import of this scrap is that it contains a coded map showing the location of one of the Gems of Power which can awaken the Slumbering Gods. This Gem was pilfered by the Trickster God (who replaced the gem with a cunningly wrought duplicate), who did not trust the Clever One and his plan. The Deceiver has learnt the Tricksters are up to something important and very secretive, and even feels some foreboding of danger and so has sent a Maug to roust out the Tricksters and their secrets.

The Maug came to Onlor and, through dreams and visions, manipulated the superstitious humanoids of Onlor into leaving their burrows and caves and scouring the countryside for any suspicious folk leaving Algol and heading towards the coast. These dreams promised great rewards for the tribe that succeeds and great failure for those who do not.

That having been done, the Maug used his own powers and agents to track the scrap to Algol City.

There, the Maug struck, but with the help of the Council of White, the scrap has eluded him. Desperately, the Maug, weakened and limited in its power by continually having to fight the inherent purifying powers of Onlor, has sent most of his servants to cover the coasts near Algol City, guessing that whomever has the scrap will seek to flee Onlor and the Maug.

The Maug has, however, also sent word that a few of the mountain tribes should scour that area, on the off chance that the scrap bearer(s) decide to hide in the mountains or flee that way. The Maug itself finds it difficult to be near the Mere of Onlor, and does not wish to test its powers directly against the goddess of Onlor.

One of these humanoid tribes has sent its wolves to patrol the hills around Zin. When the wolves attack the party, one of their number will have fled without even engaging the party. It will flee to its masters, the Goblins of the Floating Eye, and speak with their shaman, who may speak with animals through his spells. The wolf reports what it has found.

At that point, the goblins will mount up on wolves and track the party. The scenario shows when they find the party, only to be beaten back by the elves of Onlor Forest.

The surviving goblins will head south, skirting the forest edge, hoping to find the party coming out of the forest, but they will have missed the party and will head too far to the east.

However, the goblin survivors will run into the orcs of the Severed Finger, who are also searching for the party. They will kill most of the goblins, taking about a half dozen prisoner and interrogating them. From this, the orcs will learn that the party entered the forest after heading south from Zin. The orc sub chief and his shaman will guess correctly that the party is heading south to Wenestria. While others of the Severed Finger tribe search to the east and north of the forest, in case the party has gone those ways, the orc group portrayed in the scenario will head south, eventually finding Waymeet and extorting aid from the halflings. The orcs then have holed up in their hunting cave and have continually sent out patrols searching for the party.

Finally, the Maug has set agents in most of the coastal cities, searching for news of the party. When the Maug learns that the party has headed into central Onlor (by reading the mind of the orc shaman), he will have ordered his agents into the southern and eastern areas of Onlor. The two assassins mentioned at the end of the scenario are two such, who have bribed many persons in many of the nearby towns to act as their eyes and ears.

Thus, even though the party has avoided the worst of the Maug and his agents by taking their long and arduous route through the mountains, they are still pursued and harassed by a few of the Maug's scavenging agents and humanoid dupes.

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