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Background:

The time is the waning autumn of the year 5512. The seeds of war have been sown. The Deceiver has struck at the sun, wounding it with a crack that has marred its surface for over two years and has thrown the cult of the Sun God into disarray. He has also struck similarly at the Earth Goddess, though to what effect or end none can yet tell.

Omens and portents now show that a major struggle is at hand, a struggle which opening moves are only now coming to light. The wise men of the Wolf Riders foretell that the Deceiver will strike before the year is done, and that darkness will cover the lands.

Already the Deceiver has negotiated successfully with Lolth's drow to use their troops and passageways to strike into the heart of the Free Lands. Already too, massive armies of orcs, goblins, evil humans, and other more fearsome creatures mass in the blighted lands to the north and move south to staging areas. Campfires light the Wolf Plains like myriad fireflies, and scouts report great troop movements south of the Lost Kingdoms. Civil war rages still in Vilgum, and few doubt that any resistance would be offered in that quarter should the Deceiver strike through that torn and shattered nation.

And Jerregobe the White, powerful mage and head of the Council of the Swan, sworn to unite the Free Lands against the Deceiver, is held captive in the tower of the dread Maug Yeenoghu, torturer of the Deceiver.

Hope, however, remains. Two brave paladins have gone to rescue Jerregobe from his captivity. Meanwhile, the plans of the drow have been found out, and the dwarf king of Bleton has convinced the nearby human rulers to begin to seek out and ward possible drow entryways into their kingdoms. Word has spread of the upcoming war, such that many rulers believe the truth of it. Petty squabbles have been thrust aside, despite attempts by the Deceiver to stir up trouble in Antorium, and the armies of the Free Lands begin to slowly mobilize.

The secret of the twelve towers of the Mandarini has been wrested and a powerful scrying device used by one of the minions of the Deceiver has been rendered ineffective. With full knowledge of the location of the twelve towers, no surprise invasions may come from that quarter.

In addition, a special force of dwarves and humans dedicated to fighting the race of beholders has been awakened from stasis, in time to be armed and prepared for the war.

And finally, the meaning of the strange scrap of leather handed to the party so many years ago has become known. It is a map, a map to the Lost Isle, and with it, an indication of their destiny yet to be fulfilled.

Introduction:

This campaign follows the party as they make their way from the final tower (as detailed in the scenario entitled "The Final Tower") to the Lost Isle. The scrap of leather given to them by an anonymous fellow during the Harvest Festival on Onlor 8 years ago has revealed itself, with the aid of the final Mandarin tower, to be a map of the Lost Isle.

The Lost Isle is essentially the realm of Flupnirr, the Trickster. Just as Onlora imbued her isle with much of her essence before entering Slumber, so too did Flupnirr create and imbue the Lost Isle. While Onlora performed her deed to protect the defenseless halflings, Flupnirr performed his deed to protect one of the Gems of Power. For, indeed, Flupnirr half as a jest and half because he saw the means for treachery where others did not (for he himself could not be trusted and, therefore, presumed no one else could either) replaced one of the Gems of Power with a god-crafted forgery of such precision that even the Deceiver could not tell its fakery.

The real Gem of Power, one of 7, Flupnirr secreted on his Lost Isle, warded as it was from the prying eyes of the gods, in advance of such a time as it would be needed.

And needed it became, for the Deceiver, after shutting all of the other gods into Slumber and proclaiming himself ruler of Therra, took the Gems of Power, which were the only keys to open the Hall of Slumber, and eventually destroyed them.

Now, Flupnirr set guards and wards about the Gem of Power he had stolen, both to stop the unworthy from gaining access to it and to ensure that only when the need was paramount would the Gem be sought out, and only would those strong enough and clever enough to successfully use the Gem be able to gain access to it.

So it was that Flupnirr instructed the innermost cabals of his sect, even in Slumber did he instruct them, for in Slumber he realized the full extent of the Deceiver's designs, and in Slumber he realized that the final Gem of Power was the only hope for Therra. To show it too soon would result in the Deceiver taking the Gem and destroying it. To show it too late would be ruin.

So, the Trickster waited…millennia,…and he had his builders construct for the Mandarin overlords towers that could teleport beings and objects between them. Ostensibly to provide the Mandarini with the benefits of communication to unite them against the Morakki Emperor, but actually to set up a test…a test that would cull those unworthy to receive the Gem.

The towers, Flupnirr knew, would only become important militarily, after the Mandarini had been wiped out, when the Deceiver was ready to strike his final blow deep into the Free Lands. So, he knew that the towers would only be fully mapped and explored when the threat from the Deceiver became so great that they HAD to be mapped and explored. Of course, to further the timing of this matter, he had wards and concealments woven around them…not enough to hide them fully, but enough to distract the curious. These wards eroded as the Deceiver grew in strength and proximity.

In the final tower, Flupnirr had his minions place a riddle that provided the clue to the reading of a map. This map was set forth on a scrap of leather, but the map was scrambled, so that it appeared to be just a set of random squiggly lines. Being no language or code, it could not be broken by cryptography nor by language magicks. The scrap also had magicks against divination upon it, and such was the power of these that they carried over even onto a copy of such marks.

Only by holding the map on the floor of the uppermost storey of the final Mandarin tower, at noon, after having turned a hidden wheel that opened up strange stained-glass windows in the tower roof, would the map be revealed.

And so the party did reveal the map, and it showed a diagram of an island with a spot on the island marked. And the letters "L" and "I" marked the map, which means "Lost Isle".

Throughout this scenario, many references are made to items, classes, and spells found in 1st edition AD&D Oriental Adventures. DMs without access to that tome should work out the spell details or substitute with standard spells or magic items of a similar nature.

Current Situation:

The party must now make its way to the Lost Isle, penetrate the Trickster's vault, and gain the Gem of Power. To do this, the party must make its way across the Oto Sea, across the Morakki lands, and then gain a ship, crew, and captain to make the journey.

An outline of the events of the scenario follows:

The party makes its way from the final tower east to the Far Coast.

The party finds a magical helmet for the Cilligh clan of Thaneeri and thereby earns passage on a longboat across the Oto Sea.

The longboat takes part in a raid on the Far Coast and then heads to deep sea.

The longboat chases an Imperial merchant ship. The merchant ship turns out to be a disguised warship that sinks the Thaneeri longboat.

The party is taken about the Imperial warship, and meets captain Creele. Captain Creele heads southwest to drop the party off in the Far Coast and explains his one journey to the Lost Isle.

The great white serpent attacks Creele's warship and sinks it. The party is rescued by Raft Folk, who agree to take the party (and Creele and his men) to the Morakki coast.

The party arrives on the Morakki coast and gets a swift introduction into Morakki culture.

The party becomes embroiled in the political struggles of Hamasha and then travels eastward to the desert of Wylag.

In Wylag the party befriends nomads and is lured into attacking two blue dragon brothers in the service of the dragons' father.

The party then penetrates a desert tomb to find a folding boat, with which they make their way to the coast and set sail for the Isle.

After defending against Vingariki corsairs, the party again encounters the white worm, which swallows their ship whole. Within the worm, the party encounters an archmage and a strange factional situation.

After figuring how to escape from the worm, the party is spit out near the Lost Isle. They then make their way to the Isle, brave the hazards thereupon, find the Trickster's vault, and enter it.

Within the vault, the party is tested a final time, and should they pass, they gain access to the Gem of Power and meet the highest priest of Flupnir before being teleported back to their homeland in the midst of war.

Part One - The Clans

The Cilligh Clan:

This portion of the campaign centres on a scenario published in DUNGEON Magazine (issue #56), called Briocht. The party is seeking a way to the Lost Isle. Emerging from the final Mandarin Tower and fleeing eastward over the Aynayjar Mountains, they arrive at the northern end of the Far Coast, ostensibly to find passage across the Oto Sea and thence to Morakki lands and beyond to the Lost Isle.

While in the Far Coast, having just arrived, the party will witness the ambush of the son of the chief of a local clan of Thaneeri barbarians called the Cilligh Clan. This ambush is the beginning of the Briocht scenario.

The party, having saved the clan chief's son, will be taken to the clan chief and feted. Presumably, the party will mention their need for a ship across the Oto Sea. The clan chief tells them that his clan does not have any ships. Unlike most Thaneeri, the Cilligh Clan maintains relations with the Imperium and trades with them. Part of the conditions for Imperial blessing and honouring of their lands requires that they have no ships (so that they cannot take part in nor be blamed for raids along the coastline).

However, the clan chief mentions that a clan up north across the border, called the Tardaad Clan, has longships. The Cilligh Clan and the Tardaad Clan are under a longstanding feud of honour, however, and there is no way the Cilligh chief can approach the Tardaad Clan and request a ship for the party unless the feud is ended.

The Cilligh chief explains that custom requires that the feud be ended by presentation of a valuable gift. The Cilligh chief had commissioned a nearby powerful sorcerer named Ocras to fashion a helm that gives its wearer limited invulnerability in combat with the intent of giving the helm to the Tardaad chief.

Unfortunately, Ocras is almost a week late in finishing the helm, and the Cilligh chief is worried. He asks the party to travel to Ocra's house and find out what is taking so long. The chief cannot go himself because his people and the Tardaad would not approve of the helm or the chief if they knew an Imperial sorcerer made it.

So, the party will agree to seek Ocras, and the events in the scenario Briocht proceed as set forth in DUNGEON Magazine.

If the DM does not have access to the Briocht scenario from DUNGEON Magazine, then he should create his own scenario. The sorcerer Ocras was killed by monsters who now have taken over his home. The DM can design the house, which had two stories and a basement, and decide what foul monsters have slain Ocras.

The Tardaad Clan:

When the party returns with the helm, the Cilligh chief will be relieved. He will form up an honour guard of approximately 25 warriors, along with his skald, a priest, and his son, and, of course, the party, and travel north to Tardaad lands. There, they will, after assuring the Tardaad chief and his 50 warriors that they come in peace and seek to end their bitter feud, have to present the gift to the Tardaad.

Presenting the helm to the Tardaad is not as easy as it sounds. Thaneeri custom states that the giver of a feud gift must walk unarmed and unarmoured past a line of similarly unarmed and unarmoured warriors from the opposing clan. At the end of this gantlet stands the opposing chief. The gift giver must walk the gantlet, subject to savage kicks and bare armed punches, and deliver the gift to the opposing chief.

The Cilligh chief's son immediately asks for the honour and snatches up the helm. Removing his armour and weapons, he tries to run the gantlet. The opposing warriors relish their task and beat him viciously. The son gets to about half way there and then collapses unconscious.

The chief will now look for volunteers to carry the helm the rest of the way. His warriors, having witnessed the beating the son took, will hesitate just long enough for someone in the party to volunteer. If a party member does volunteer, they will have the rules explained to them. Cilligh will also whisper that they should not use magic of any kind, or it will be a grave insult and war could erupt.

The DM is left to devise any actual rules for the gantlet. It should be difficult but almost never life threatening. The DM should feel free to simply describe the ordeal and just have the PC make a CON roll a few times to see if he makes it through.

If the PCs do not volunteer or do not succeed, then a couple of warriors try and do not succeed, and finally the old clan chief determines to undertake the process. Although old, he knows quite a few tricks and dodging styles and he will manage to make it through to the opposing chief, thus ending the feud.

If a player character managed to give the gift, then the Tardaad will treat the party with grudging respect and the player character who succeeded even with slight admiration. If not, they view the party members as weak, decedent Imperial types. Any use of wizardry will enrage the Tardaad.

In any case, it is also custom, when the gift is given, for the opposing chief to grant a small boon back in return. This is basically a formal signal that the opposing chief recognizes and accepts the gift, and that the feud is formally over. By tradition, this second gift cannot be as valuable as the first gift.

The Cilligh chief will ask that the Tardaad transport the party across the Oto Sea in a longboat as the second gift. The Tardaad will agree to this, hesitantly if the party did not at least attempt to take on the gantlet, but without hesitation if the party succeeded in giving the first gift.

The ship will not be ready to sail for several days, and the Tardaad and Cilligh must feast in honour of their new peace anyways, so the party can spend two or three days with the Tardaad, perhaps trading with them or engaging in contests and the like. Many Tardaadi have never met a "Soft Blood" as they call non-Thaneeri except in battle or as slaves. Significantly, the party will notice several slaves that have the build and features of Antorians. If this is noted, the Tardaad will act as if taking slaves is natural, and they will proudly proclaim that some of the slaves are third generation captives of the Tardaad.

On the third day, the Cillighs will depart, saying their good-byes and giving their thanks to the party and inviting them to stop by on their return. That same day, in mid morning, the Tardaad will announce that their longboat is ready for boarding.

Part Two - The Storm Before the Calm

The Raid!:

The Tardaadi longships are typical Thaneeri design, and are much akin to Viking longships of historical Earth (use the longship from the Of Ships and the Sea supplement). They are shallow of draft, long and thin, and although they have a mast with sail, they derive their main locomotion from rowers. There is one deck below the top deck, and that is cramped, used mostly for cargo and booty, though at 5' high it is capable of being used as quarters. Most of the Thaneeri simply sleep on deck, often at their oars, in thick fur blankets.

The crew of the longship is approximately 30 men. This includes 24 rowers who are also warriors, the captain, the steersman, the watchman, the beater (who pounds the hammers that keep the rowing speed), and a priest (usually of low level) of Lothar.

This longship, called a dragonship because of its prow carved into the shape of a roaring green dragon, is captained by Thurgar Razor'sedge. Thurgar is a giant of a man, and has the look of an experienced warrior about him. His long blond hair is tied into two braids that fall behind his back, and he has a long droopy yellow mustache with no beard. He runs his ship with an iron hand, and drinks prodigious amounts of ale, though it never seems to affect him. The man dislikes Soft Bloods, though he understands that he is under an obligation to see the party safely across the Oto Sea. Nevertheless, he is brusque with the party, and often yells at them to stay below decks and out of their way. In fact, he will eventually insist that the party remain below decks during the day, though he will allow them to come up at night when the crew is relaxing.

No statistics are provided for Thurgar. Should they be necessary, he is a 7th level barbarian with a high strength and constitution (18/55 strength and 17 constitution) and he wears ringmail and wields a battle-axe and a short bow.

The priest aboard is named Jigarri Frostnose. The tip of his nose is black from frostbite (magically gained during his initiation ritual…as he will proudly explain). Jigarri is a 2nd level priest of Lothar who despises sorcerers. He will be seen to always be looking askance at any party members who are or look like they may be wizards.

Of the crew, only Jigarri and Thurgar speak Common fluently. The other crew speak only a few words of Common.

The reason for the three-day delay in sailing and Thurgar's insistence that the party remain below decks during daylight is not what they seem. Thurgar intends, as long as he is being forced to ferry these Soft Bloods across the ocean, to at least turn a profit on this voyage by making a raid of the Imperial coastline. The three-day delay was necessary to let storms pass by and because the priest augured that the delay would allow a contingent of Imperial Guards troops to pass through the village they intend to raid. Also, the priest foretold that there would be fog during the raid if they waited.

Additionally, Thurgar wants the party below decks during daylight so that they cannot observe him having turned the ship southward instead of heading straight east across the Oto. Should any of the party members notice the ship is heading south (by either coming above decks during day, or examining the stars at night with a astrology or sailing NWP), Thurgar will explain that they must often tack against the wind. Thurgar assumes that none of the Soft Bloods knows the ways of sailing. If the party refuses to believe him, then he will simply state the truth of the matter and tell the party not to interfere. Thurgar has no problem, if the party tries to threaten him or divert him from his raid, dumping the party overboard or threatening to take them out into the middle of the ocean and then strand them until they can see reason.

Assuming the party does not figure out what Thurgar intends, then the raid will take place perhaps five or six days after embarking from Tardaad. Just before dawn, the party will awake to the sound of rowing that commences a little earlier than usual. The rowing will quickly get up to cruising speed, and will continue, the beater hammering faster and faster, until the ship is literally speeding through the water. This relentless pace will continue for a good half an hour, and then, suddenly, Thurgar will give an order and all rowing will stop...the ship now using its momentum to glide silently through the water.

Silently, with a skill born of much practice, the warriors will ship their oars and don their armour and weapons. None speak save the captain, who talks in whispers to the steersman. The Watcher, leaning forward at the prow, watching through the fog intently, makes occasional guiding hand signals to the Steersman. After gliding like this for 10 minutes or so, several warriors will go to the side of the ship with ropes and grappling hooks. A few minutes later, land will be sited…a sleepy village enwrapped in dawn fog and silent save for a lone barking dog. The longship will glide towards two wooden piers jutting out into the ocean. As the ship nears the piers the grapplers will slings their hooks, catching on the piers and quickly guiding the ship to the docks with a loud THUMP!.

Then, with 4 warriors and the priest left behind with a signal horn to guard the ship, the remaining warriors and Thurgar will silently slip into the village.

How much the party knows of the above depends upon how closely they listen below decks and whether they come above decks.

What happens next will be determined by the DM and the party. If the party yells or tries to warn the villagers, they will likely cause the Thaneeri to abort the raid. However, the Thaneeri will then become very hostile to the party and will likely try to harm them in some way, possibly by drugging their food and tossing them overboard.

Otherwise, the raid will take place. The first sounds will be doors smashing open and screams. Soon, the sound of metal upon metal and metal upon flesh will be heard. The raid will take all of 10 minutes or so, before the Thaneeri return laden with jewels, coins, alcohol, and at least 3 young women who are kicking and screaming. Certainly, some of the Thaneeri will have wounds, which the priest will immediately tend to, but the raid will be a success in that no Thaneeri are killed. The warriors will cut the grapples, push off with their oars, and begin to row quickly out to sea.

Now, it is also possible the party can take part in the raid. The Thaneeri will not like it, but they cannot really refuse. However, a party who engaged in this activity would likely endanger their alignments, and priests of certain deities may be punished. In addition, it is possible the party members may become wanted criminals in the Antorian Empire.

Q-Ship:

The next part of the adventure depends upon the party's status after the raid.

If the party has been dumped overboard by the Thaneeri, then they will be rescued by the Q-Ship and the adventure can proceed apace.

If the party has, for some reason, attacked and slain the Thaneeri and are adrift, they can also be rescued by the Q-Ship.

If the party knows how to sail or row and have taken over the longship, the Q-Ship can overtake them and board them and the adventure can proceed apace.

The main point of this section is to have the party fall in with Captain Creele. The remainder of the text of this section assumes that the party is still being ferried across the Oto Sea by the Thaneeri after the Raid.

All will be calm in the week or so after the raid. The booty is counted in front of all of the men, though none take a share. Instead, it is placed in a large chest or chests and kept by the priest, to be divided up according to custom once they return to Tardaad. Ale will flow freely, however, and the women captives will immediately be put to work serving ale. Although the Thaneeri leer at them and often swat their backsides in jest, none of the women is assaulted, for it is against Thaneeri customer to despoil women slaves until they return from the sea. It is believed that the god of the oceans will drown any who despoil a maiden against her will at sea. If the party is very interested in saving the three female slaves, they can certainly purchase them from the Thaneeri. Going rate is approximately 300 gold coins for the lot of them, but the captain might try to press the party for double that.

Sometime just after a week from the Raid, the Thaneeri will espy on the horizon a tall ship. The ship is flying flags of the Imperium, and from the look of it it is a small merchantmen with likely a small crew and no armaments. It appears to be a large caravel or smallish cog.

Thurgar immediately orders the Thaneeri to give chase, for the wind is in their favour. For several hours the longship gains on the merchantman, which is trying to flee but seems to be slow, and riding low on the water, as if laden.

Finally, Thurgar orders the party below decks (if they aren't already), and the longship prepares to come alongside the merchantman and board her.

Alas, Thurgar's luck has run out, for this is not a laden merchantman, but a Q-Ship, a ship of war in disguise designed to draw raiders into battle and then turn on them. As the longship bears down on the merchantman, several things occur.

First, huge boxes, filled with rocks, are dumped overboard very quickly using hidden pulleys and tackle. The Q-Ship suddenly is riding much higher on the water.

Next, the Q-Ship turns rapidly, eventually heading straight for the longship. The Thaneeri will stare in disbelief and then laugh at the merchantman's insane gesture.

Just as the ships close and the Thaneeri prepare to board, the Q-ship's final surprise is sprung. Below the water line the ship sports 6 long metal spikes, perhaps 3 inches in diameter at its base and approximately 20' long. These spikes can retract into the ship or be extended and locked into place, as they are now. The spikes pierce the longship just below the waterline…in fact, if the party is below decks they are likely to witness these spikes crashing through the hull, perhaps barely missing a party member or two. A few seconds after the impact, the spikes are retracted back into the Q-Ship, while any that are twisted or stuck are simply detached. The result is that the longship now has massive holes and splits below the water line and begins to take on water.

Up on decks, the 25 hardened Imperial marines pop up from hidden places with crossbows in hand and fire. As the Thaneeri were preparing to board, they are easy targets for the initial volley, and many of the Thaneeri fall with a bolt in their bellies. Greek fire is then lobbed onto the longship deck, both between the longship and the Q-Ship to prevent boarding, and on the far side of the longship, to entrap the Thaneeri between two walls of fire. The Thaneeri try to board anyways, many of them leaping through the wall of flame. A good number of those don't make the leap and fall into the water between the ships. Others leap aboard the Q-Ship and begin to fight, though some of those are on fire.

Unless the party intervenes, it will be over fairly quickly. The Thaneeri who fall overboard will swim for a ways and then likely drown or succumb to hypothermia. Thurgar will make the leap across to the Q-Ship but will be on fire, and he will meet Creele in single combat, with Creele skewering him with his broadsword and pushing Thurgar overboard.

If the party aids the Thaneeri, then the DM will have to be inventive. He can assume the Thaneeri defeat the Q-Ship but that some of the Q-Ship's crew are captured, including Captain Creele. In this case, the party and Creele will make the journey on the longship, where Creele can tell his story and the adventure can then pick up at Part Three.

Assuming the party has not aided the Thaneeri, then Creele will rescue them and the three slave women. He will assume the party was captured by the Thaneeri, though he will ask how they managed to keep their possessions. Even if the party admits they were being ferried across the sea by the Thaneeri, Creele will rescue them.

As the Tardaad dragonship settles beneath the sea, the Q-Ship will head south and west, away from where the party wishes to go.

The remainder of this part assumes the party is rescued by Creele.

The White Worm:

Captain Creele will make the party welcome and introduce himself as captain of the Trick Ship (as he calls it…the term Q-Ship is actually a modern World War 2 term). He will admit his job is to act like a merchant and turn on Thaneeri raiders and pirates. He will brag that he is very good at what he does, and that this was the thirteenth ship he has bagged.

Creele is an imposing man. Though not nearly as large as Thurgar, he is the epitome of an old experienced sea salt. His beard is stubbly, one eye is slightly closed, he walks with a slight limp, and his voice is very gravelly. Creele is also an excellent seaman and a fearsome fighter. See the end of this section for Creele's statistics.

Most of his crew are Imperial marines. They are mostly young men, as the Imperium uses this duty to train its marines. A few of the marines are dressed like merchants, some with padding in the belly to appear suitably "soft".

The ship, whose name is Darga's Belly (Creele refuses to explain the meaning of the name), is a sailing ship with no provision for oars. It has two small longboats as its ship's dinghies. There is one deck below the top, and a small cabin fore and aft under the castles. The ship has two masts.

Captain Creele treats the party amicably, but brooks no guff. He especially is not interested in their protests that he is going in the wrong direction. He will state that he has a job to do and he needs to put in for reprovisioning and to get more spikes. He will tell the party that they can certainly, upon arriving in the capital city of the Far Coast, find a nice Imperial merchant ship to ferry them across the Oto Sea, assuring them that they will be much better off than having ridden that barbarian boat all the way across the sea.

Creele, during off-hours, especially at night, will dine with the party, and he will ask them about themselves. He will also try to find out why they are crossing the Oto Sea heading into Morakki lands. He will remark that the only westerners he ever heard of going into Morakki lands are merchants and braggers…and the party does not look like merchants.

If asked what braggers are, Creele will say that they are western adventurers and warriors who have gotten too badass for their own lands and think they can travel to the Morakki lands and make some hay over there. Ignorant westerners consider the Morakki to be cowards and to be mentally limited. Creele scoffs at this notion and assures the party that the Morakki are anything but. He reminds them that the Morakki are the only humans to have ever stopped the Deceiver in his tracks, and that it took a civil war and the Deceiver to weaken them enough to allow the westerners to overthrow the Mandarins and regain their lands.

It is up to the party as to what they wish to tell Creele. If the party tells Creele they are heading to the Lost Isle, he will certainly tell them his story.

If not, the DM should have the captain, over the course of the voyage, mention his time serving as a merchant in the Morakki lands selling whale parts to the Morakki. He will at some point mention his encounter with the White Worm.

Captain Creele's Tale is as follows:

It were some 20 year ago as I recollect it. Me and my mates was whaling in a fine whaler…mmm…the Chordon's Heart I think it were…off of the Vingariki coastline where the whales come in winter to fill up on krill and to bear their young come spring.

Anyway of it, we had no luck this time, and I'll be damned to Lothar if I come back to port emptyhanded, so we decide to eat a bit o' shoe leather as they say and go out a bit farther than usual.

Well, for a couple of days we still don't bag anything, and we were about to turn about for port seein' as we can't eat the gunwhales, when outta the rising sun I sees it.

It was a huge white shape, alabaster and glinting in the sun. Now I hear tales in the Vingariki gaijin-market about legends of a great white whale…name of Tabuti…and here I figures I done run up on this Tabuti, or maybe one o' her offsprings. So, we gives chase, and it's a tough chase, but this thing ain't going too fast…I seen whales much faster, and so I get on the gunwhale and toss my harpoon. It goes true enough, right into the head…or so thinks I.

I ties off the line and doubles her back to the mast, and just then the creature rushes away…taking us in a lurch…knocked most of us off our feets it did.

Well, this thing gets a goin'…and I mean gets a goin'…so fast as you'd never seen a whale with no ship tied to its back going as fast. And me mates beg me to cut the line, but I says no, 'cause it's the way of it that he who ties the line cuts it unless he be dead…and no one there was fool enough of a man to come by me with that.

So…it goes, and goes, and goes…and night comes and goes too. And this thing pulls us along for several days at a mark that I can't even guess, though some of my mates do swear we was leaving seagulls behind in our wake.

And what's funny is the thing don't sound…not never. And that ain't like a whale either, nor any critter of the seas that I heard of.

We are all getting worried now, not having nothing to eat and who knows how far from shore now, and me mates are grumbling at me to cut the line, some now thinkin' to cross me yet, til I point out to them that we be so far from shore now that our only hope is to bag this critter and eat him. To which they agrees…bein' as its only common sense and anyhow, I'll go to my grave afore I let a beast like that slip my twine.

Well, in any case, it is enough days that even I am starting to wonder if I shouldn't cut that damned line, when the island appears on the horizon. And we be damned glad of that, though my reason for keeping the line is gone, and just as I take me knife to cut the line, it goes slack, and outta the water we finally gets a good look at what we caught, and it ain't no whale. It's a giant, white-furred serpent, at least 100 yards long if it were a foot. And it looks back at us and I swears it grunts kinda like a laugh. With that the harpoon just falls outta its hide and its swims off. Imagine that! The harpoon stays set all those days and then up and falls out.

Well we take the boat to the island, about half a dozen of us and provision. There's fruits and things to eat and fresh water, and we espy a tower at the east tip of the island, between two small outcroppings. And a strange tower it be…not so much tall and dome shaped almost.

Well…we thinks maybe we better to investigate this tower, and see where we are and how to get home, hopin' maybe the owner is friendly or maybe there be treasure inside enough to make the damned voyage worth it.

We don't go more than half a mile towards the tower when the whole place is filled with these birdmen. These are seven feet tall and look like a stork, but with long curved beaks and…the eyes…well I can only call them soulless. And they have hands instead o' wings and in them hands they got these strange sharp round disks that they throw. And these disks come whizzin' at us and then return to the birds what thrown them, even the disk that done chopped off poor Mikily's head clean through the bone.

Well we run fer it I ain't afraid to say. And a couple of us got some nasty cuts from them disks. My leg been limpin' ever since, but we made it to the boat and back to the ship with provisions.

And we set a course as best we could, for the southwest, for the critter had taken us northeast for most of its time. And we barely made it through a coupla rough storms that come outta nowhere until we spotted the Vingariki coastline.

Well…it wasn't til I told what happened to my ship owner, and he has me tell it to a Cotrunal scribe, that I finds out that I been to the Lost Isle. You know that place? They say there's a fountain of immortality on that isle. An' I hear others who been there tell of mountains of gold and half women half bird who knows the ways of pleasure better than the Emperor's own geisha…heh…I means the Xydlonti Emperor not our own.

Certainly, the party, having heard his tale, will want to talk to him about the Lost Isle. In no case, however, will Captain Creele consent to return there. He will say that he believes that Isle is cursed and that he was once blessed to have survived going there and back already. "Once blessed, twice a fool is the saying" he will say. In any case, he will point out that he has a ship and crew to run.

There is no way to sail a ship safely out of the Oto Sea to the Lost Isle. Creele will tell the party that…no one will sail through the teeth of Oto in even fair weather, and the northern passage is ice clogged even in summer and uncharted and very dangerous.

Creele will, in fact, advise the party to give up even trying to find the Lost Isle. He will assume the party is out to get the various fabled treasures rumoured to be hidden on the Isle. He will warn that he doubts most captains are even skilled enough to sail that far, and that even if they were, they'd not be willing to risk life, ship, and crew to do so. And certainly, he will add, no Vingariku lord is simply going to hand over a ship and crew to a gaijin (western barbarian).

It is a day or two after Captain Creele tells his tale to the party that the White Worm reappears. It first appears as an alabaster hump on the horizon. When Creele sees it he goes stone still for half a minute, then a spark is lit in his eyes and he starts to curse at it, ordering his men to steer the ship towards it. He goes down into his cabin and pulls out a harpoon and line…the same one he speared the White Worm with the first time.

The ship closes with the beast and Creele heaves the harpoon. The spear strikes, but instead of running the White Worm bellows and attacks the ship. It takes only a few strikes for the ship to begin foundering. A few more and the thing begins to break up. Marines are crushed by the battering blows and weapons and spells do not seem to harm it.

The White Worm is, in fact, a very powerful minion of Flupnirr, and as such it ranks close to a Maug in power, and so cannot be harmed by the party. The Worm's goal is to destroy Creele's ship and inflame Creele so that the Captain will agree to accompany the party across Morakki lands to sail them to the Lost Isle.

With a final curse, Creele's ship breaks up around him, tossing him, the party, and his surviving crew into the drink. The White Worm smashes the sinking wreckage one last time and then departs under the now calming waves.

Note: If the party has ended up with Creele on the Thaneeri longship, then the DM should still have the Worm attack the longship, with the same ending result.

Captain Creele (AC 6, MV 8 (limp), CL Wa, LV 5, hp 48 (CON 15), THAC0 16, #ATT 3/2, D by weapon type, Weapons: broadsword [Av 2D4/1D6+1 kd D8], dagger [Fa or 2/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D3 kd D6], Armour: none, SA specialized in broadsword (+1 to hit, +2 damage), SD Dex 16 (+1 reaction, -2 AC), double specialized in one-handed fighting style (-2 AC with 1H weapon), NWP speak Morakki, swimming, weather sense, fishing, seamanship, navigation, survival (ocean), AL N, XP 650)

Creele possesses no magic items. He does wear a plain golden earring in one ear (worth 15gp) and carries in a pouch 4 pearls worth about 100gp each and 30cp, 45sp, and 15gp of varied mint.

Crewmen (Marines): (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wa, LV 1, hp 8 ea, THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: broadsword [Av 2D4/1D6+1 kd D8], light crossbow [Av 1/r 12/24/36 1D6+1/1D8+1 kd D6 reduce AC by 2 at medium by 5 at short], Armour: leather, SA specialized in light crossbow (+1 to hit, 60' point blank range with +2 to damage and quickshot), NWP swimming, seamanship, endurance, AL LN, XP 120 ea)

The marines possess a few coins (approximately D20 each of copper, silver, and half that of gold) and a few relatively worthless costume jewelry pieces.

The Raft Folk:

As the party bobs in the water, perhaps clinging to floating wreckage of Creele's ship, they are eventually approached by large rafts. These rafts have high gunwales around them and seem to bear small houses atop them, some with smoke coming out of metal chimneys. There are some dozen rafts in all, and it appears they have spotted the party.

These are the Raft Folk, known also as the Hakoanio. These folks are a breed of Morakki who dwell upon large rafts and sail the sea trading with the various lands bordering it. This folk make no claim to any land except for the Far Isle, though they suffer other folks to dwell there at their leave (although it is not clear whether they could expel the inhabitants of the Far Isle if they so chose). No one is really sure how numerous the Hakoanio are, for if they gather together in large groups it is in hidden places, and the Hakoanio destroy and rebuild their giant rafts every 3 years, which makes it impossible to take any sort of census.

The Hakoanio will pick up the party, speaking to them in Morakki at first, and then in accented Common. Each raft is approximately 100' square, with a slightly bowed hull. The dozen rafts are connected to each other by very long, thick Gerilong silk cords, possibly worth a small fortune. While travelling at sea the rafts are approximately 100 yards apart from each other.

The rafts are propelled through the water by means of a sail on each of the rafts. How the Raft Folk manage to actually keep such a ragtag arrangement together is beyond the saying of most experienced sailors, and some rumour that each raft has a water elemental or spirit that helps keep the rafts afloat, moving, and together.

Whatever the modus of travel, the Hakoanio are friendly to almost everyone, being the consummate traders that they are. Each raft is laden with trade goods lashed to the decks, and the houses are covered with trinkets and gew gaws from strange lands covering the inner walls and set upon shelves.

Each raft bears a Hakoanio family, usually an extended one including grandparents, uncles, aunts, and first cousins.

When the party, Creele, and his men are picked up, the rafts will move together and be tied up, forming a little raft island in the middle of the ocean. The Hakoanio men will then emerge to meet the party. The eldest, an old grandfather who looks to be in his eighties, seems to take the lead. He introduces himself as Quamashi, eldest of the dozen families of this set. Quamashi asks the party and Creele how they have come to be in their predicament. If the whole story is told, this will cause some amusement with the Raft Folk.

They will be offered food and drink. Including rice wine which is very strong. The Hakoanio eat with chopsticks, which also causes amusement if the party members attempt to use them. Creele uses the chopsticks like a native, though his crew is much less adept.

After the meal, the men will break out long pipes filled with aromatic tobacco. The Hakoanio will offer male party members a pipe to smoke, but will be taken aback by any female party members who insist on smoking.

With pipes puffing, the Hakoanio will make small talk and finally ask the party where they were heading. Assuming the party mentions the Morakki coast (or Gerilong), the Hakoanio state that they were heading that way to pick up silk products to trade, and that the party can ride along with them.

If the party for some reason wishes to return to the Far Coast, the Hakoanio will take them, but only after having first proceeded to Gerilong, traded, and then making their way back across the Oto Sea. The Hakoanio will not sail near the haunted coast of Pilong, and will warn the party to stay away from the cursed and warded land.

The Hakoanio are a peaceful, mirthful people, and they will sing and laugh and joke with the party as the days go by. The rafts travel slowly, about half the rate of a normal ship under sail, but they are also quite comfortable, and this is a good chance for the party to learn a bit about Gerilong and to recuperate and perhaps learn spells. The Hakoanio know much of Gerilong, but know little of the Morakki lands beyond that coastal nation.

Creele's Suggestion:

Assuming the party is dead set on heading to Gerilong and beyond, Creele, now shipless and frankly, determined to get to the bottom of this white worm mystery, will agree to accompany the party to the Lost Island. He will explain his intentions to his crew, and easily 20 of the marines will agree to come with him if the party can at least produce some wage or promised share of treasure. Creele also would not mind a share of treasure, but will be willing to accompany the party without reward, as he is now convinced that it is his destiny to return to the Island.

Creele will suggest that the only Morakki nation that makes ships worthy of the journey overseas is Vingariku. While the Xydlonti construct grand caravels and merchanteers, they are coastal huggers and not worthy of a long overseas voyage.

However, Creele will also note that the Vingariki are the most xenophobic and brutal of the Morakki, and do not take well to gaijin at all. He has no idea how to gain access to a ship once the party arrives at Vingariku.

Part Three - Torn Between Two Pashas

The Crone of Chaos

Introduction:

In a small coastal village in the nation of Gerilong, a Crone of Chaos (Mystara Monstrous Compendium, page 21) was adopted by a fisherman and his wife when she was found abandoned and crying as a baby in between some rocks by the seaside. The family wrested the baby from the rising tide and sought to raise her as their own.

It was not long, however, before the baby's true nature asserted itself. As she grew up, she would seduce young men of the village, mate with them, and then kill them. Five young men died in this fashion during the Crone's youth, though none in the village could divine the truth of the matter.

Eventually, her father found out about her strange nature, but instead of keeping it to himself or going to seek aid, the father confronted the Crone, thinking that she was perhaps cursed or otherwise afflicted. Seeing that discovery was at hand, the Crone murdered her parents and then attached herself to the village elder, who was widowed. The Crone sought to mate with the elder, slay him, and then rule the village as her own private preserve.

The village elder though, was observant and wise, and although he began to fall to the Crone's physical wiles, there was something about her that bothered him. Perhaps it was the way her features seemed to shift slightly when he saw her out of the corner of his eyes. Or perhaps it was the way the large dogs she kept as pets resembled wolves and always seemed to be staring at her.

When a wandering Shukenja (country priest) came to the village to bless the people, the elder had him detect evil upon the Crone, and the result of the spell revealed the Crone for what she was. The villagers rose up and drove her out of the village, beating and stoning her as she fled, thinking her an evil witch.

The Crone vowed revenge. Nursing her wounds, she wandered into the wilds of the Forests of Siir until she was beset upon by a Bargda (Mystara Monstrous Compendium, page 12). The two contested for a short time before the Crone convinced the beast to join her in attacking the village, promising the beast a good share of any treasure as well as half of the corpses to devour.

The two headed back towards the village, the Crone gathering up a band of Bhut (Mystara Monstrous Compendium page 13) that she had discovered during her years dwelling at the village. To the Bhut she promised the rest of the treasure and corpses if they would aid her.

Thus accompanied, the Bhut captured a merchant caravan and came into the village disguised as merchants. These merchants spent the day trading goods with the villagers and were then, as custom dictates, invited into the home of the village elder, waiting until nightfall to change into their true forms and attack the village. The Crone and the Bargda wait hidden at the edge of the village, intending to attack once the Bhut start their gruesome work.

It is getting towards sundown when the party, dropped off nearby on the Gerilong coast, espies the village nestled in a cleft between high sea cliffs. The village is clearly centered on fishing, with small boats dragged up onto the shore next to the village, and nets hung to dry on nearby wooden racks. A fishy smell wafts down the coast to the party's noses, evidence of the day's catch.

As the party approaches the village, for food, shelter, and directions, they hear a woman's scream, followed by a man's cut short and then, a bit later, a young child's. Sounds of conflict begin to rage as well.

As the party comes into the village, they see the Bhut, Bargda, and the Crone and her animal followers attacking the village. Some of the corpses show signs of the Bargda's rotting disease. The party will also witness a villager spear a Bhut, which laughs, shrugs off the spear, and rips the villager to shreds.

Given that the villagers present no major resistance, the evil band will quickly turn to the party as the most obvious threat. The Bhut will attempt to flank the party, as will the wolves, while the Crone wields her sorcerous daggers from hiding, concentrating them on spell casters to disrupt their spells. If she is directly threatened, she will use her beads of force. The Bargda will simply charge the party, bellowing.

Bhut [8] (AC 4, MV 12, HD 7+2, hp 42, 40, 45, 48, 50, 38, 45, 45, THAC0 13, #ATT 3, D 1D4/ 1D4/ 1D6, SA numbing bite, SD undead immunities, shapechange, unaffected by non-magical weapons, alignment distortion, AL CE, XP 1400 ea, Source: Mystara Monstrous Compendium)

Bargda [1] (AC 4, MV 12, HD 12, hp 76, THAC0 9, #ATT 2, D 4D4 / 1D10, SA diseased bite, SD hideousness, Weapons: club [Sl 1D10/1D10 kd D12], ALCE, XP 4000, Source: Mystara Monstrous Compendium)

Crone of Chaos [1] (AC 7, MV 12, HD 6, hp 42, THAC0 15, #ATT 2, D 1D6 / 1D6, SA animal control, magical daggers, SD bonus to surprise roll, illusion, AL CE, XP 650, Source: Mystara Monstrous Compendium). Has a pouch with 4 beads of force (Encyclopedia Magica V1 P 164).

Dire Wolves [6] (AC 6, MV 18, HD 4+4, hp 28, 30, 32, 34, 33, 25, THAC0 15, #ATT 1, D 2D4, AL N, XP 175 ea)

All of these creatures fight with cunning and until slain. They neither expect nor give quarter.

The Gerilong Village

Once the party defeats the Crone of Chaos and her minions, they will be greeted by the villagers. This is a small peaceful fishing village, and no one in the entire village speaks Common, so if Captain Creele is dead or incapacitated, then it will take some effort to try and establish communication, although the villagers will do their best with handsigns and the like.

In any case, assuming communication can be established, the elder will thank the party for their timely arrival and offer them the hospitality of his house where they can rest and heal. The elder will excuse himself for the rest of the night while he rallies the villagers, comforts the grieving, gives aid to the stricken, and so forth.

The party will quickly notice that all of the structures in the village are round or oval. The Gerilong believe corners are places where evil spirits hide, and so they avoid such structures scrupulously. There are no beds in the room that the elder's woman servant shows the party to. Instead, reed mats are laid out on the hardwood floor, with soft logs of feathers and linen used as pillows and sheets of silk interwoven with a vellum-like fabric. Light is provided by round candles suspended in paper globes hung from the ceiling.

The next day, the elder will greet the party more formally, welcoming them to the village and inquiring politely as to the business of gaijin [Morakki for barbarians] in such a remote village. Whatever the party tells him, the leader will plan a supper in celebration where he will treat the party to local dishes (well-spiced curries and peanut chicken mixed with scallops and oysters from the Oto Sea), potent rice wines, and traditional dances. The Gerilong are a modest, conservative people, and it shows in their mannerisms and customs. They are also superstitious and very beholden to ritual, and the party will note a panoply of small customs that permeate daily life in the village…small things like always petting a dog with the right hand and a cat with the left, or never whistling in the presence of a bird, and so forth. Most of these customs seemed oriented towards avoiding evil spirits or towards not offending friendly spirits.

It is likely that the party will wish to head out the day after the feast. The elder will politely request that the party stay with them. If asked why, he will at first state that their holy day is two nights from now and it is proper that the party receive the blessings of the gods and goddesses on that day.

Should the party seem reluctant to stay, the elder will then state that they are afraid that there may be more creatures at hand, perhaps allies of the Crone, and that he would be grateful if the party would safeguard them. If pressed further he will say that in two or three days soldiers from the local Pashek are due to arrive on a regular circuit of the Pashek's lands, and the village would then be safe without the party.

If the party still wants to leave, then the elder will resort to warning the party that it is forbidden for gaijin to travel the lands of Gerilong without the proper dispensation.

The elder really wants the party to stay because he and all of the peasants under the local Pashek Indaggar Okiro are commanded by the Pashek to report any gaijin outside of the gaijin-markets [market places in one or two large coastal trading ports reserved for gaijin to trade with the Gerilong] to him immediately and to detain them if possible, all obedience under pain of death. Right after the battle with the Crone, the elder sent a swift young boy as a runner to the Pashek.

Should the party elect to leave the village, then several townsfolk will discretely shadow the party, sending runners to inform the Pashek of the party's progress and allowing the Pashek's soldiers to catch up with the party only a few days out of the village. The DM should have the soldiers then ask or demand that the party accompany them to the Pashek.

Assuming the party stays, they will be able to watch the fishermen trundle out to sea with their nets and then to return home at about noontime. Most of the peasants will try to avoid the party, for they have been taught that gaijin are corrupt and dangerous. Children will run and hide at their approach, women will avert their eyes, and men will glance askance at the party, though none will look with malice, for the party did save their village.

On the second night there will be a religious ceremony, led by the village shukenja (a 1st circle priest) of Tul. The Tul will be given thanks for sending the party to save them from the evil fiends that assaulted them, and the priest will then urge the Tul to send the party on to other deserving villages (a polite request that the party leave as soon as possible).

The next morning, the soldiers from the Pashek will arrive in the village. They are a troop of two dozen warriors (lvl 1 warriors), dressed in quilted armour and lacquered breastplates with spears and scimitars, and led by a warrior in full splinted lacquered mail with two scimitars at his back (lvl 6 warrior - samurai kit). The warrior will be met by the elder and local village leaders, excluding the shukenja, who will prostrate themselves before the warriors. The warriors will then approach the party and announce, in Morakki, that the Lord Pashek Indaggar Okiro requests the honour of audience with the gaijin heroes who have saved his village and his people from the fiends of the wilderness.

Although the warrior seems to be relaying a "request" to the party, it is in reality a command, and to refuse it would be the same as open sedition. As such, the soldiers are certainly prepared to use force if necessary to attempt to bring the party to the Pashek. They will certainly remind the party [through the Captain, as none of the soldiers speaks Common] that it is forbidden to travel the lands without dispensation.

Pashek Soldiers [24] (AC 6, MV 9, CL Wa, LV 1, hp 10, THAC0 20, #ATT 1 or 3/2, D by weapon type, Weapons: spear [Av 1/r 2/4/6 1D6/1D8 kd D6], scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour bezainted, SA specialized in spear (+1/+2), AL LN, XP 35 ea)

Note: These soldiers' statistics can be used ad hoc for any soldiery encountered in the noble strongholds of Gerilong. Unlike in the west of Jerranq, rank and file soldiery here is almost always composed of 1st level warriors.

Pashek Warrior Allintori (AC 2, MV 12, CL Wa [Samurai kit], LV 6, hp 46 (CON 15), #ATT 3/2+1, D by weapon type, Weapons: scimitars (x2) [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: splinted mail, SA mastery in scimitar (+3/+3), ambidextrous (no two handed penalties), kiai 6/day raise STR to 18/00 for 1 round), strength of 16 (+1 dmg), SD Dex 16 (+1 reaction, -2 AC), +2 damage samurai ability, cause fear in 1HD or less (save vs breath), SD surprised only on a 1 in D10, immune to fear, NWP alertness, leadership, iron will, etiquette, running, blind-fighting, painting, read/write Morakki, AL LN, XP 1400)

Assuming the party acquiesces, the warriors will form up an escort and will march the party out of town. The journey to the Pashek's keep takes a good two days on march. The soldiers will speak little to the party…only when necessary, and they tend to be a bit reticent to even gaze at the party. As the soldiers pass peasants on the roadway, the peasants hastily remove themselves from the road and prostrate themselves before the soldiers. Once, when one young boy looks up at the soldiers, the head warrior touches the handle of his scimitar and glares at the peasant boy, who quickly licks the dust.

Pashek Okiro

After two days, the party will arrive at the Pashek's keep. This is a large round tower with a conical roof surrounded by a circular curtain wall bolstered by four tall thin towers also round and covered by steep conical roofs.

The Pashek Indaggar Okiro is an elderly man, eldest of the Pashek, in fact, and next in line for the Pasha, as the current Pasha has been childless. He does not speak Common. Pashek Okiro is also ruled by a prophecy turned bad. In his youth, the Pashek was told a prophecy by an oracle. He was told that one day, a group of gaijin would be his death. Since that day, the Pashek has feared gaijin and has ordered his people, one and all, to instantly report any sighting of gaijin in his lands. Now, a group of powerful gaijin has landed at his very doorstep.

Okiro knows something of the party's prowess, assuming they used their magicks and capabilities at the village against the Crone and her minions, and so he will be very delicate around the party. His foremost goal is to send the party on its way out of his lands without interacting with them in any way possible. As he is afraid and distrustful of gaijin, he does not wish to grant the party dispensation to travel in Gerilong, as any mischief they cause would be laid at his doorstep. He instead desires to send the party to the Pasha as quickly as possible and let him deal with them.

Okiro will invite the party to his audience chamber, where seated on a throne of teak, he will ask the party their names and business. He will then give thanks to them for their heroic defense of the village and ask them why they have come into his lands. Whatever the answer, the Pashek will state that it is forbidden for gaijin to travel in Gerilong without dispensation from the Pasha (which is a lie, any Pashek may grant such) and he will offer to write for the party a letter of introduction and supplication to the Pasha to request such permission. With that, he will offer the party quarters for the night and an escort to take them to the Pasha's stronghold. The party will be escorted to a room with furnishings similar to the village elder's, though more ornate. Dinner will be curry and rice served in their rooms by maids. A check will reveal that the door to their chamber is locked from the outside and six guards are set at the door. In addition, there is a spyhole in the room from which one of the Pashek's wu-jen (4th level wizard) spies on the party ceaselessly at the behest of his master. The wu-jen speaks Common somewhat…enough to get the gist of any broad conversations (see the Place of Testing section if statistics for the wu-jen are needed).

The next morning, after a breakfast of rice covered with a sweet syrup, the party will be escorted to the gates, where an honour guard of a dozen soldiers waits led by the warrior Allintori, arrayed in ornate armour and weaponry, suitable for presentation to the Pasha.

The journey to the Pasha's stronghold is a tedious seven days inland, along dusty dirt roads travelled mostly by humble peasants and the occasional small group of soldiers or a merchant or two leading donkeys along the roadway. As before, the soldiers only talk to the party as necessary.

The Pasha

The Pasha's stronghold is a marvel to behold. Completely round and amazingly tall, the whole is like a round pagoda, with conical roofs separating each level as the tower thins out at the top to a point. Around the stronghold is a small town, and around that is a large circular wall, around which is sprawled a city of about 25,000 souls. The city is called Mangindari-ako, and it is the capital and largest city of Gerilong. From here the Pasha rules the eight Pashek of the land.

The party will be escorted to the stronghold and be given over to the chamberlain, who speaks only pidgin Common and struts around in his garish robes, pointed shoes, and oily, well-trimmed spider-thin moustache and goatee. The chamberlain will inform the party that the Lord Pasha Ondrolongga-into will grant them an audience on the morrow. If the party tries to present Okiro's letter of introduction to them, he will wave it away, telling them to present it to the Pasha tomorrow. He will then show the party to a room furnished in typical Gerilong style, which door is unlocked but with 2 guards at the door on the outside. The party will not be permitted to wander the halls.

Late that night, chaos erupts.

Murder Most Foul!

A party member who is on watch or one with keen hearing will hear a faint dripping sound within the room, across from the sleeping area. Once the lights are kindled, the party will see a thin trickle of blood running down from a spyhole in the wall and dripping onto the floor. This is a spy upon the party set by the chamberlain and now quite dead. Right after the party notices this, they will hear cries and tumult outside in the stronghold. Opening the door, the two decapitated bodies of their guards will fall inward. The party will then have about two minutes, hearing sounds of chaos and weeping drifting down the rounded halls of the stronghold, before a group of enraged soldiers rounds the hallway and yells in Morakki "There are the gaijin assassins! Kill them!!" As the soldiers start to charge, the Lord Chamberlain himself will arrive in his bedclothes with a troop of a dozen armoured warriors (use the Pashek soldiery for statistics), two very powerful looking armoured nobles (use the statistics for Allintori if necessary, but they wield a single scimitar), a wu-jen in his short clothes (use the most powerful wu-jen listed in The Place of Testing section, with a wand of magic missiles [78 charges] and a wand of paralyzation [42 charges]), backed up by a dozen archers in light quilted armour and long composite bows (use the Pashek soldiery for statistics except they are specialized in their bows and have AC 8).

The chamberlain will immediately order the soldiers to halt and will order party back into their room. As he does, the archers will nock their bows and the wu-jen will have a thin ivory wand in each hand.

Assuming the party returns into its room, the chamberlain will enter with his men and demand that the party drop its weapons at once. If questioned, the chamberlain will only state that if they do not comply they will be assumed guilty and will be killed out of hand.

If the party does not comply, combat will ensue, and the alarm will be raised such that the entire stronghold is turned against the party. Should this occur, it would really be up to the DM to handle things. Word will certainly spread amongst the Morakki that a band of gaijin assassins are wandering the lands of the East, and in short order every hand in Morakki lands would be turned against them. They will certainly not be able to get a ship to the Lost Isle. The DM should make it very difficult for the party to escape the stronghold much less Gerilong.

Assuming the party decides to comply with the chamberlain, he will take away their weapons, armour, and all of their accoutrements, including their spellbooks. By this time, there will be at least 4 powerful wu-jen within the walls surrounding the room (use the most powerful wu-jen statistics in The Place of Testing section for each of the wu-jen, one with a wand of magic missiles and a wand of paralyzation with charges as previously set forth, and another with a wand of weakness [same dimensions as a wand of polymorph but target must save or have STR reduced to 3 for 1D6 turns - 23 charges]), targeting the party through mirrors which look through tiny spyholes into the room. With this arrangement, the wu-jen can target the party, but not vice versa. The wu-jen will attack viciously on a subtle sign from the chamberlain. The chamberlain will assure the party that their items will be returned to them when the matter at hand is settled.

Assuming the party complies, their items will be taken and the party will be stripped to their short clothes. If they do not, the wu-jen will target one party member with their spells in order to impress upon the party the severity of the situation and to use that party member as an example. The wu-jen will not be gentle and have no qualms about killing the party member. They will tend to target warrior-types, knowing that those are less able to resist dweomers.

Once the party has surrendered, and the Captain will surrender instantly, as will his men, the chamberlain will relax. He will tell the party that they are under arrest for the murder of the Pasha of Gerilong. If the party protests, the chamberlain will point to the dead spy at the spyhole and the two dead guards. He will state that the party shall remain here in this room until the highest-ranking lord, Pashek Naraganta-alo, arrives to take over.

Pashek Naraganta

The party will be left in the room with a dozen archers as guards. The wu-jen will remain at their spyholes. The door will be locked and windows barred and shuttered, all from the outside. For an hour and a half the party will stew under these conditions, until finally the door opens and Pashek Naraganta-alo arrives. Naraganta-alo is a tall, thin man, with a face that is all solemnity and duty and brooks no impudence. He is flanked by two very tough looking warriors in full regalia. The Pashek shows no fear as he faces the party, but he will stroke his beard thoughtfully. He also speaks Common, though with an accent.

Naraganta will ask the party what they have to say in their defense. After he hears, he will ask them why they chose to come here in the first place if not to murder the Pasha. When the party states that they came to get dispensation to travel Gerilong, the Pashek will laugh. He will explain that dispensation for foreigners to travel Gerilong can be given by any Pashek, including even Pashek Okiro. There is no reason why the party should have had to come to the Pasha's stronghold to gain such dispensation. He will remark that the party's story is weak. Finally, he will state that, although Pashek Okiro is senior Pashek, until he arrives, Naraganta will take custody of the prisoners' fate. With that, he will order the party sent to the dungeon.

The dungeon sits within plain sight of the torture chamber, with exotic looking devices that the westerners will never have dreamed of. For a full day the party will be detained, fed by an old serving woman rice and seaweed with small bits of marinated fish mixed in. The old serving woman will ask in a whisper in Morakki if the party did really kill the Pasha. The next day a new younger serving woman will come in her place.

After the day, the Pashek Naraganta-alo will arrive and ask the party one final time if they have anything to say in their defense. If the party demands to be subjected to a Detect Lie or other such spell to prove their innocence, the Pashek will reply that he knows little of gaijin magicks and their trickeries, and he will not rely on magic to tell him what his eyes see and his ears hear. If the party suggests that Okiro had the Pasha killed to ascend the throne, the Pashek will suggest that this is a very serious accusation, and one made by perhaps desperate assassins caught before they could flee the stronghold. Nevertheless, he states, he will bring this issue forth to Okiro when he arrives the next day.

The next day will come and go, and Okiro will not have arrived. The following day, soldiers will come to the cells and escort the party to the throne room. There, Pashek Naraganta-alo will be found sitting at a seat below the throne and he will be alone except for his two warriors flanking him and archers along the galleries. Naraganta-alo will tell the party that Okiro has not showed up. This casts him in a suspicious light, especially since (if) the party has made accusations against him. Pashek Naraganta-alo is now convinced that Okiro was involved in the assassination of the Pasha, presumably because he felt he would then be able to prevail in the contest to determine the next Pasha. Naraganta-alo will also speculate that Okiro wished the contest to take place now, as his aging years and waning strength might prohibit him from becoming Pasha after a few years have passed.

Naraganta-alo is not sure whether the party were the assassins or were dupes meant to cover for the assassins. In either case, Naraganta-alo states he would rather punish the hand that wields the sword rather than the sword itself. He would like to punish both, but he is in a delicate situation.

He is afraid to send the stronghold forces to retrieve Okiro, because he does not know where their loyalty lies, and he does not wish to hand over to Okiro an army. His own retainers are far from here, in his own stronghold, and he is afraid Okiro will have either raised an army of his own or fled the country by the time they assembled here and then marched on Okiro.

For this reason, he has decided that the party shall hunt down Okiro and bring him to justice. His reasons are simple. First, it will be a way for the party to help prove their innocence. If they owe no allegiance to Okiro, then they have no reason to refuse. In addition, if they were truly not involved in the assassination, but instead were used as dupes by Okiro, then they should wish to exact revenge upon him. Also, since he cannot trust the men of the former Pasha to stay loyal in such a confused political situation, and since his own trusted few soldiers are needed to protect him from further assassinations, the party is the only one who can go and capture Okiro. Finally, the party has shown their prowess in the fight at the fishing village, tales of which have reached Naraganta-alo's ears, and he therefore thinks they are well suited to bring Okiro back in tow.

Naraganta-alo will tell the party that if they successfully do this, they will be absolved for any involvement or suspected involvement in the assassination of the Pasha. In addition, they will have all of their goods returned to them and be given dispensation to travel through Gerilong to continue their journey. Naraganta-alo will, in fact, return their items to them before they set out, so that they may use them to find and bring back Okiro. The only condition is that Naraganta-alo requires hostages to be left behind to ensure the party returns with Okiro and does not betray him or flee. Naraganta-alo will demand that Creele remain as a hostage, He will insist, he says, because he knows Creele is the only one to speak Morakki, and that means he is absolutely necessary for the party to continue its journey through Morakki lands, and therefore is an invaluable hostage. The Pashek will also keep the rest of Creele's crew as hostage, and any henchmen or retainers the party commands (also, if any players cannot show up for this particular session, the DM should feel free to make their characters remain as hostage as well).

Assuming the party agrees, Pashek Naraganta-alo will remark that although bringing Okiro back alive to face justice is desired, if he resists and must be killed, then bringing back his head or remains would also serve.

If the party wonders how they will be assured of freedom if they do bring back Okiro, Naraganta-alo will offer to announce his agreement with the party in open court before the officials and nobles of the stronghold, so that all will know that the party has been sent to prove their innocence and to absolve themselves of implication in the murder of the Pasha.

With that, Naraganta-alo will inform the party that he believes Okiro does not know how his plot has unraveled, and that he likely is in his stronghold.

If asked how Okiro expected to get away with his scheme, Naraganta-alo will speculate that Okiro has spies in the Pasha's stronghold and knows that he is suspect. It is likely that Okiro figured that the party would be killed in the chaos just after the murder (and in fact, almost was) or that the party would flee the place and so there would be no way to ascertain that the Pashek Okiro was involved. In addition, Naraganta-alo will pull out Okiro's letter of introduction. The seal, he will state, is not Okiro's seal, but is the seal of a minor house in the land of Xydlont. He is not clear why that seal is used, but the message inside reads in Common:

You are to make your way into the Pasha's stronghold and kill him by stabbing. You must make certain his head is cut from his body and mutilated so that priests may not raise him from the dead. You will be paid in the usual manner when you return to gaijin lands. This letter shall be burned to ashes and the ashes smeared and separated once you have read it.

If the party refuses to go after Okiro, they will be imprisoned, tortured to confess their involvement with the assassination and then executed (time to get players with better sense).

What is Really Happening?

The whole is a tangled plot instigated by Pashek Naraganta-alo.

Naraganta-alo has always coveted the Pasha throne, but he is did not feel he could ever best Okiro in the contest to find the new Pasha (see the entry for Gerilong in the Guide to Jerranq for details). Long has he tried to find a way to clear both the Pasha and Pashek from the throne so that he may ascend it.

Okiro is truly afraid of the party. The prophecy of his youth has him afraid of gaijin, and so he has lied to the party about the granting of dispensation so that the party could be hustled off to the Pasha to be dealt with or sent on their way. The letter of introduction he gave the party is truly a letter of introduction, though it requested that the Pasha escort the gaijin to his borders quickly and not allow them to tarry in Gerilong.

At Okiro's stronghold is a spy for Naraganta-alo. When the party arrives at Okiro's, the spy sends a message to Naraganta-alo via a magical item called Butterflies of Subtle Whispers. These are tiny glass butterflies that can "hold" a message of up to 30 seconds. The wielder intones a magical phrase and then speaks into the glass butterfly (which is palm sized). He then concentrates on a place and a person and the butterfly flies at an extremely high rate of speed to deliver the message to that person. The message informs Naraganta-alo that powerful gaijin are being sent by Okiro to the Pasha's stronghold.

Naraganta-alo sees this as an opportunity to accomplish both of his aims at one time. His plan is to have his assassins kill the Pasha. Evidence, such as the slain guards, would point to the gaijin, who would then be slain out of hand by angry soldiers or who would flee into the night. Naraganta-alo would then use Okiro's letter of introduction to point to the fact that Okiro sent the gaijin to the stronghold, and this would be evidence that Okiro assassinated the Pasha to gain the throne for himself.

With this, Naraganta-alo would summon Okiro to the stronghold, and Okiro, not knowing that he was suspected of the murder, would walk right into his trap.

Alas, for Naraganta-alo, things did not go quite as planned. The party neither fled nor was killed, leaving them as a loose end to be tied. Second, it appears that somehow Okiro was warned of what happened in the stronghold and that he might be blamed for the murder. This came from the serving woman who first serves meals to the party in their cells. She is a spy for Okiro, and seeing the party imprisoned, she figures out that Okiro will be blamed, since he sent the party to the stronghold. The woman races back to Okiro as quickly as she can and warns him.

When Okiro does not respond to the summons to come to the Pasha stronghold, Naraganta-alo realizes something is wrong and that Okiro has been warned.

Okiro is now in desperate straits. He is accused of instigating the murder of the Pasha, and all evidence points towards the party, which leads back to him. The only way out of this predicament is to flee to a sacred spot in the heart of some ancient woods to the south of his stronghold. Here is a powerful entity that legends say will test those who come before it. Those who are found impure are slain and never seen again. Those who are pure are marked and return cleansed. Okiro hopes to take this test in order that he will then be able to show his mark and prove he did not murder the Pasha.

Naraganta-alo has not even considered that Okiro would go to the Place of Testing, for he believes that Okiro is like himself and like all other Pashek he knows, corrupt and scheming and evil and thus unworthy to pass the tests. Little does Naraganta-alo know that Okiro is really a just and pure man and that he can, indeed, pass the tests.

Instead, Naraganta-alo now believes Okiro has locked himself in his stronghold and might even be raising an army. The problem is, Naraganta-alo cannot send Morakki to stop Okiro, because he is afraid Okiro will be able to convince those he might send after Okiro to join him, given Okiro's lineage to the throne and the old Pashek's powers of persuasion.

So, Naraganta-alo has to use the party to pursue and capture Okiro. By keeping Captain Creele hostage, he presumes the party will be unable to speak Morakki, and that would dissuade the party from establishing communication with Okiro and stop him from pleading his innocence to them.

So, Naraganta-alo persuades the party to capture Okiro or slay him as proof of their innocence. He also switches the letter of introduction with a phony letter designed to convince the party that Okiro intended the party to be his fall guys in his assassination of the Pasha.

What Naraganta-alo has not taken into account is that Okiro can, if the party allows him, take the tests, pass them, become marked as cleansed, and thus prove his innocence. Armed with the marks of purity, he can raise forces and slay the true usurper of Gerilong…Naraganta-alo.

Return to Okiro

The party may formulate whatever plans they like for their return to Okiro. The journey itself will take approximately seven days, during which time they will see absolutely no one else on the roads. The news of the assassination of the Pasha has travelled quickly, and the peasants are fearful of civil war and other strife amongst nobles.

The stronghold of Okiro is well guarded, for Okiro has slipped away to the Place of Testing with only his most loyal, handpicked guards. In fact, most of his household does not even know he is gone. They instead believe he has retired to his innermost chambers to avoid being assassinated himself.

The guards of the stronghold do not trust the gaijin, and they will certainly oppose the party at every turn. There is no reason, however, for the DM to make too big of a production over this portion of the adventure. Any reasonably clever way to enter the stronghold unseen will be successful, and the party will eventually make their way to the innermost chamber, guarded by 4 guards outside the door.

The DM should use the statistics for Pashek soldiery for most of the soldiers encountered here, perhaps led by a leader of 2nd or 3rd level. They should not meet any wu-jen or higher level warriors, as these have gone with Okiro to the Place of Testing.

Within is a single woman, the old woman who first served them in the dungeons of the Pasha. She will have a dagger in her hand, and behind her back a hairpin doused in a deadly poison Type E [save or death, immediate onset, 20 pts of dmg if save is successful], but should she recognize the party she will relax her stance somewhat and try to establish communication with them. The old woman, loyal spy and servant of Okiro, wants to save her master, and she believes that the party has escaped from the Pasha's dungeons and now comes to ally with Okiro against Naraganta-alo. Whether or not she can communicate this, she will offer to tell the party where he is (by drawing a map if she has to) as long as the party does not show they mean to bring Okiro to harm. Should the party give ANY hint of hunting Okiro, she will turn on them and fight to the death. Keep in mind that the old woman speaks only Morakki.

If the old woman shows the party where Okiro has fled, then the party may proceed to the Place of Testing. If instead the party has had to fight the old woman, then they will have to find some other means to locate Okiro. Divination type spells might help, as well as a crystal ball or magic mirror effect. In addition, if the old woman is charmed or slain and a Speak with Dead is used or her mind is read, the party will glean the Morakki name for the Place of Testing, and they may then attempt to locate someone to tell them where the place is. Enough gold or gems could conceivably convince a Morakki peasant to speak, as could a Friends spell or Suggestion spell. This is a good opportunity for the DM to show how some of the non-combat spells shine.

Old Woman Spy (AC 6, MV 15, CL Ro [spy], LV 5, hp 24, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: dagger [Fa 2/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D4 kd D6], hairpin [Fa 1D2/1 kd 0], Armour: none, SA ambidexterity (no penalties), backstab (x3 damage), poison, SD Dex 18 (+3 reaction, -4 AC), Thief Skills PP 60, OL 60, FT 25, MS 60, HS 50, DN 45, CW 70, RL 10, NWP disguise, information gathering, observation, alertness, etiquette, trailing, reading lips, local history, read/write Morakki, AL NG, XP 975)

Okiro has left for the Place of Testing about 3 days before the party arrives at the stronghold. If the party obtains some faster means of transport (like teleport), then the DM should still have Okiro have left for the Place of Testing about 4 days before. It is imperative for the storyline that Okiro arrive at least a day before the party.

The Place of Testing

The Place of Testing is in a large ancient forest to the south of Okiro's stronghold. It is located about 70 miles south of the stronghold, and perhaps 10 miles within the forest. A quick pace of march would have the party arrive 3 and a half days after leaving the stronghold.

The Place of Testing is the sacred place of one of the most powerful beings of good in Therra, a Ki-rin. This Ki-rin is very old and very ancient, almost a demi-god, and he rarely leaves his sacred place but once every few centuries. Instead, aligned with the spirits of the land, he administers justice to those who come seeking it, for his dedication to Truth and Right are unwavering.

The test is a mystical one, that varies with the taker. All but the final test may be failed, and the seeker will simply be expelled from the sacred grove, usually with some minor penalty such as greyed hair or blindness in one eye or somesuch. The final test is one that, if failed, results in death.

The tests actually take place in a demi-plane that is linked to Therra through a magical gate within the grove. Within this demi-plane, time moves at the whim of its owner…the Ki-rin. Thus, while a man might seem to enter the grove and to his view a day has passed or perhaps a few hours, to those outside a week, month, or even years might have passed.

When the party arrives at the forest, they will have to seek the grove. The forest, though holding this sacred grove of good, is still an ancient and wild place and the party could meet various dangers while travelling through it.

Finally, about 10 miles within, the party will come upon a forest portion that is absolutely hushed. Even their armour and voices seem muffled and subdued. Atop a small knoll is a grove, and standing guard halfway up the knoll is the bodyguard of Okiro.

Okiro expects that possibly Naraganta-alo will send troops after him. This is why he has set his guard in a ring around the knoll. In actuality, only half his force shows, they being encamped on the knoll. The remainder are hidden in the surrounding forest, and they are likely to have heard the party approach. The guards' plan is to defend the knoll as long as they are able. The exposed guards will draw the attackers in, where they will have a height advantage, and then, as the attackers ascend the hill, the hidden ones will emerge and fire arrows at the attackers from behind before charging up the knoll once the attackers are engaged in melee. This tactic is not enough to stop an army, of course, but Okiro has hoped it will be enough to stop a moderate force. Of course, his personal wu-jen are here as well, hidden in patches of bushes and brambles almost at the top of the knoll. From this hidden spot they will have a good view of the area and will attempt to use their magicks to best effect.

Of course, peaceful parley is theoretically possible, but very unlikely. The guards will almost certainly assume the party is hunting their Pashek, and they have been ordered to prevent anyone from entering the grove, in no uncertain terms. They will obey their Pashek unto the death. However, the party could use powerful charm magicks and the like to convince the guards to acquiesce. Any mundane attempts to communicate peaceful intentions will likely be met with skepticism and refusal. Only the wu-jen speaks Common.

Pashek Elite Soldiery [24] (AC 6, MV 9, CL Wa, LV 2, hp 17, THAC0 19, #ATT 1 or 3/2, D by weapon type, Weapons: spear [Av 1/r 2/4/6 1D6/1D8 kd D6], scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: bezainted, SA specialized in spear (+1/+2), AL LN, XP 65 ea)

Led by Allintori

Pashek Warrior Allintori (AC 2, MV 12, CL Wa [Samurai kit], LV 6, hp 46 (CON 15), #ATT 3/2+1, D by weapon type, Weapons: scimitars (x2) [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: splinted mail, SA mastery in scimitar (+3/+3), ambidextrous (no two handed penalties), kiai 6/day raise STR to 18/00 for 1 round), strength of 16 (+1 dmg), +2 damage samurai ability, cause fear in 1HD or less (save vs breath), SD surprised only on a 1 in D10, immune to fear, Dex 16 (+1 reaction, -2 AC), NWP alertness, leadership, iron will, etiquette, running, blind-fighting, painting, read/write Morakki, AL LN, XP 1400)

Pashek Archers [24] (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wa, LV 1, hp 10, THAC0 20, #ATT 2 or 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: long composite bow [Av 2/r 12/24/42 1D6/1D6 kd D6], scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: quilted, SA specialized in bow (+1 to hit, +2 dmg at 30', covering fire), AL LN, XP 65 ea)

Led by an Archer Master

Pashek Archer Master (AC 6, MV 12, CL Wa, LV 4, hp 29, THAC0 17, #ATT 2 or 3/2, D by weapon type, Weapons: long composite bow [Av 2/r 12/24/42 1D6/1D6 kd D6], scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: quilted, SA specialized in bow (+1 to hit, +2 dmg at 30', covering fire) and scimitar (+1/+2), AL LN, XP 65 ea).

He wields a composite longbow made of rune covered bone. Any arrow fired from this bow becomes a flame arrow, able to hit creatures requiring +2 weapons or less and causing an additional 1D6 of fire damage. Arrows thus fired are consumed.

Wu-jen #1 (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wi, LV 6, hp 27 (15 CON), THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 60 (16 INT), AL N, XP 1400).

Spells carried: Elemental Burst (4), Chameleon (4), Shield (4), Magic Missile (4), Invisibility (6), Fire Shuriken (6), Enchanted Blade (6), Smoky Form (6), Dispel Magic (10), Fire Rain (10)

Magic Items:

Pearl of Protection from Fire (Oriental Adventures page 135 - acts as a ring of fire resistance),

Wand of Armory II (Encyclopedia Magica V4 P 1474 - touch provides a field of force for 6 rounds, provides AC 0, complete protection against magic missiles or electrical attacks) with 25 charges

Staff of Fire (Encyclopedia Magica V4 P 1278 - +2 magical staff, +4 save vs fire for wielder, immunity to fire elementals, summon an 8HD fire elemental 1.day for 1 charge, 10HD fireball or 10th level wall of fire for 1 charge, additional powers on the Plane of Fire, negate water/ice related effects or elementals [1 charge if from opposite staff, 2 charges if from other sources]) with 15 charges

Potion of Extra Healing

Potion of Gaseous Form

Scroll with the wu-jen spells Vengeance, Elemental Turning, and Confusion (all at 8th level of ability).

Wu-jen #2 (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wi, LV 5, hp 15, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] bow [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 44 (14 INT), AL N, XP 975).

Spells carried: Animate Wood (4), Chameleon (4), Drowsy Insects (4), Shield (4), Fiery Eyes (4), Hypnotic Pattern (6), Detect Invisibility (6), Steam Breath (10), 2 cantrips (2)

Magic Items:

Wand of the Sun (Encyclopedia Magica V4 P 1494 - 30 yard ray causes 6D4 scorching damage plus 2D4 if wearing or touching metal for 2 charges) with 24 charges, but which does only 3/4ths damage due to the current condition of the sun and Sung God in Therra

Potion of Healing

Potion of Flying.

Wu-jen #3 (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wi, LV 4, hp, THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [non-proficient] [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with short bow, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 28 (13 INT), AL N, XP 650).

Spells carried: Elemental Burst (4), Shield (4), Magic Missile (4), Hail of Stones (4), Whip (6), Stinking Cloud (6)

Magic Items:

Wand of Steam and Vapour (Encyclopedia Magica V4 P 1494 - Steam in a 10'x30'x50' cone cloud, 6D6 damage on round 1, 4D6 on round 2, and 2D6 on round 3 [save for half on all rounds], or Vapor fog cloud for 6 rounds 40' deep, 60' high, 80' breadth, cold users take 1 hp per round, cold dwellers take 2 hp per round) with 24 charges, a potion of healing

Potion of the Pseudo Treant (Encyclopedia Magica V3 P 882 - imbiber turns into a treant for 10D4 turns [AC 0, MV 12, HD 7, hp 42, THAC0 13, #AT 2, Dmg 1D8 / 1D8]).

Wu-jen #4 (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wi, LV 4, hp 22 (17 CON), THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [non-proficient] [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit short bow, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 28 (13 INT), AL N, XP 650).

Spells carried: Shield (4), Warp Wood (4), Magic Missile (4), Ghost Light (4), Apparition (6), Phantasmal Force (6)

Magic Items:

Potion of Magic Shielding (Encyclopedia Magica V3 P 878 - minor globe of invulnerability for 1D8+3 rounds)

Potion of Lightning Form (Encyclopedia Magica V3 P 876 - assume electrical form for 5D4 rounds, fly MV 96 [D], attack all within 10' by arcing amongst targets against AC 10 for 1D6+2 damage, 25% chance of striking friendly targets in radius)

Ring of Dispel Magic (1/day at 12th level of effect).

After the party has fought its way to the grove, they will see in the very centre a large standing boulder, into which face is carved an arch enscribed with Morakki characters naming this place as the Place of Testing and admonishing only those of pure heart and true goodness to enter, lest ye die. Should the party be able to read that, it may even now become clear that maybe Okiro, having entered this place, is not guilty of the assassination.

Within the arch is simply a grey mist. Feeling within the arch will simply feel the inside of a small hollowed niche in the boulder. However, should one put their head or eyes into the archway, their entire body will be inexorably and suddenly drawn within, into the demi-plane of the Ki-rin.

The Tests:

There are six tests in this place. These tests will be administered to the party as a whole. None may leave the test without the entire party failing. Should the party fail, they will be marked with some sort of minor malison and teleported to the knoll outside the grove. 1 day will have passed for each test passed before being expelled, and the party will be barred from re-entering the arch by some mystical force until such time as a year has passed. Nevertheless, in this case, a small amount of time after the party emerges, the Pashek Okiro will appear with the mark of purity upon him. Assuming he can then communicate with the party, he will offer the mark as proof of his innocence and then request the party help bring justice to Naraganta-alo.

The First Test - the Test of Valour:

Once the party is assembled within the arch, they will find themselves in a perfectly cubical chamber coloured purest white. A voice combining the gentlest caress of the mother's kiss with the stern authority of an archbishop will echo through the chamber (in Common Tongue) like a swirling wind:

Thou hast come in pursuit of that which ye seek
But know that what ye seek is not what ye seek
And what thou findest is not what thou doth expect to find
Thou hast come to a place where only goodness, purity and truth may abide
To darkness, depravity, and deceit here is to be found terror and, ultimately, demise
Come forth only if thou art truly of this place…come forth and be thou judged.
Flee this place if thou art lacking, flee thou whilst thou mayest!

And with that, the party will see the archway behind them appear, leading out into the grove, and another opening appear opposite this. If the party leaves for the grove, they will emerge there a day later than they entered and will have failed the testing.

Otherwise, they will enter the other opening into a chamber exactly like that which they had left, except once entered, there is no opening behind them or before them.

Once the party has fully entered, they will be attacked by creatures that seem to literally flow out of the corners and vertices of the chamber. These beasts will attack unceasingly until destroyed. Anyone fleeing combat or surrendering will be ejected from the testing as failure.

Skeletal Golems [12] (AC 2, MV 12, HD 6, hp 30, THACO 15, #ATT 4, D by weapon, Weapons: scimitars [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], SD immune to non-magical weapons, immune to poison, mind-affecting attacks, fire, cold, and electrical attacks, AL N, XP 1400 ea). See Mystara Monstrous Compendium, page 51.

Once the beasts are destroyed, the party will see an opening appear in the wall.

The Second Test - The Test of Honour:

Through the opening is a rounded chamber, shaped like a cylinder 30' tall. The walls are marble shot through with silvery veins. In the centre of the chamber is a five-stepped dais, upon which rests a fabulous throne. The throne is of coral and ivory and laced with platinum filigree and gold leaf. Inset into the arms are large rubies, pearls, and opals. Upon the head of the throne is a large jade figuring of a Ki-rin.

Set across the throne, resting upon each arm, is a katana scabbard of lacquered black wood inlaid with ivory and mother of pearl figurines. A katana hilt protrudes from the scabbard.

At the foot of the throne is a large chest. The chest is open and within it can be seen gold and platinum coins, sparkling diamonds, jewels of gold and electrum, and for a certainty a scroll tube sticking up out of the mass of coins.

Across the room from the first opening is another…this one looking almost like a servants' doorway, low enough to force a human to bow or kneel to pass through.

This test is simply designed to test the honour and humility of the party. Should they sit on the throne, take the katana, or take the chest or anything within the chest, they will have failed the testing and be transported outside the grove with minor malisons (and without whatever they took from this chamber) two days after they entered the grove.

The only way to pass this test is to enter the servants' doorway without sitting in the throne or taking anything. Even handling any of the items or touching the throne is enough to fail the test. Passing through the servant's doorway, the party finds itself transported to the next chamber (and the door behind them gone).

The Third Test - The Test of Truth:

In the centre of this hemispherical chamber, some 60' in diameter, is a silvery pedestal 4' high. Atop the pedestal is a globe of electrum about a foot in diameter that bears the imprint of human sized hands, left and right, on its sides. The globe is attached to the pedestal. Morakki characters encircle the pedestal on the floor. As the party gazes at the characters, they change into Common characters:

Confess all or flee

An opening in one wall is an archway that opens out onto the grove. Anyone passing through it has failed and will appear in the grove 3 days after entering it with a minor malison.

This globe is a tester of thoughts. If a person places both of his hands in the imprints, the globe begins to drain his thoughts. This is a painful experience, both mentally and physically, and a person must roll equal to or under the average of constitution and wisdom on a D20 for each year of their life or take 1 point of damage. Halflings, Dwarves, and Gnomes must do so for every 2 years, while Elves must do so for every 4 years. Other long-lived races should be treated accordingly.

If a person begins to have his thoughts drained and stops or collapses, he has failed the test and will appear outside the grove 3 days after having entered, with a minor malison, and also with a portion of his memories gone. This can be dangerous. The drain starts from birth and works towards the present. Should a character stop during the years of his adventuring career, he may lose some knowledge. This is left to the DM. Certainly, as long as he has his last year of memory left he will retain his spells and character abilities, since those are renewed every time the person uses them, but facts and persons and such may flee from memory, and certainly, for every 4 years or fraction thereof lost, the person must roll a D20 under intelligence of lose a point of intelligence (intelligent people tend to remember things better and more often and can reconstruct missing memories from complete ones).

Those who keep contact with the globe until all of their memories are drained will experience a short moment of absolute tabula rasa (blank slate) where their identity has been stripped utterly from them. They will be pure. Shortly after this strange but almost ecstatic feeling, and almost as the person begins to pull his hands away from the globe having forgotten why they were placed there to begin with, the memories come flooding back, starting with the most recent and progressing back to the most distant, until all the person's memories are restored. However, there will be a difference, because now those memories are renewed. Even memories of birth are now as if they'd happened only a moment ago. In other words, every single memory the person had ever had is now fresh in mind.

This phenomenon has several strange effects.

First, the person can recall events in his life as if they were fresh. This includes conversations, faces, etc. Of course, as time passes those memories will once again begin to become distant, but currently they are fresh and new.

Second, having such memories flood the person all at once can damage a fragile mind. The person must roll under intelligence on a D20. Success gains the person 1 intelligence point. Failure loses the person 1 intelligence point. The same must also be done with wisdom, except that the penalty for failure is the loss of 1 wisdom while the reward of success is 2 points of wisdom. Additionally, if a person fails both rolls, they may be subject to some sort of insanity.

Third, anyone reading the mind or memories of the person will note the strange fact that all of his memories seem newer than they should be and that the person can recall every event, no matter how young he was.

Finally, the person will have come face to face with all of the deeds of their life, both good and bad, and this could cause a crisis of conscience if the person has some buried skeletons in his past.

In any event, the Ki-rin has also, in draining the person's memories, reviewed the life of the person and can begin to consider how to judge them when the time comes.

Should a person successfully keep his hands to the globe for the entire process, then the globe will emit a silvery corona which surrounds the person and suddenly he will disappear (appearing at the next test below).

The Fourth Test - The Test of Kindness:

Those who pass the third test will find themselves in a 10' wide and 70' long hallway with rounded corners in the Gerilong fashion. At the end of the hallway is an iron door with a ring as a handle to pull it open.

Beyond the iron door is a rounded chamber. It appears to be a bedchamber of sorts, for a noble woman. There is a canopied bed of strange woods and stranger carvings adorning the bedposts. The dressings are of silk in definite Morakki patterns. A wardrobe stands, of the same wood and ornamentation as the bed, full of the clothes of a Gerilong noblewoman. A porcelain washbasin stands on a table, along with personal effects, some semi-valuable. A large mirror hangs on one wall, gilded in electrum into the shape of Ki-rin and Morakki dragons.

Opposite the bed is an iron cage. Within the cage is a small monkey. The monkey, although alive, seems to have eyes of rubies and skin of pure gold! The monkey looks like it would be worth a fortune. Although it is alive and can be seen moving, it also appears to be weak or in some distress, as its movements are listless. The cage is empty, even of dung, and nearby, just out of reach of the monkey, on a barrel, are a golden key, a bowl of food, and a bowl of water. On occasion, the monkey reaches an arm through the bars towards the barrel.

Opposite the iron door is a wooden door.

The monkey is the test here. First the party must not be tempted to kill and render the monkey for its valuable hide and eyes. Should the party attempt to harm the monkey while in its cage, they will fail the test and appear outside the grove 4 days later with minor malisons. In addition, the party should not unlock the cage with the key. Knowing nothing of the monkey, or the owner of the monkey, it would be foolish to unlock the cage. If they do so, the monkey will turn into a horrible beast and attack.

Iron Monkey Golem (Iron Gargoyle) (AC -1, MV 6 FL 12 *, HD 16, hp 80, THACO 5, #ATT 4, D 1D8 / 1D8 / 2D8 / 1D10, SA breathe fire 30' cone 3D10 dmg 1/3 rounds, tail stun, crushing dive, SD immune to +1 or lesser weapons, detect invisibility 60', immune to poison and most spells, immune to fire, double damage from cold, AL N, XP 19000). See Mystara Monstrous Compendium, page 53.

Win or lose against the beast, the party will have failed and will and appear outside the grove 4 days later with minor malisons.

Should the party ignore the distressed monkey and open the wooden door they will see a stone hallway that extends out of sight. Anyone entering the hallway will find themselves having failed the test and will and appear outside the grove 4 days later with minor malisons.

The only way to pass the test is to give the monkey the food and water, which it will eat and drink greedily while flashing the party grateful smiles and chitters of thanks. Once done, the party may open the wooden door and pass through it into the rounded hallway beyond.

The Fifth Test - The Test of Charity:

The long rounded hallway beyond the bedroom extends for over 100 yards before ending at a steel doorway.

Beyond the doorway is an oval room (roughly 30' by 70') with a flat floor. In the centre of the chamber is a pool of lava, from which a dull red glow casts about the room. Anyone or anything entering the lava is destroyed instantly unless immune to such tremendous heat.

Around the pool, which is approximately 10' in diameter, are Morakki characters that quickly change into Common writing as the party observes:

Do not give up thy heart or that which is nearest, but the next shalt thou give in payment for the test of thy heart.

Each party member must toss their third (or better) most valuable magic item into the lava pool. Such an item will be destroyed or at least lost. If a party member tosses their most valuable magic item, they will pass the test. If they toss their second most precious magic item they shall also pass the test. If they toss their third most valuable item they will pass the test. Anything other and they will fail, a tendril of lava striking out to touch them and apparently turn them to ash, though in actuality, they will appear outside the grove 5 days after having entered it, and with a minor malison.

Those who do toss in such an item will slowly fade away to the next test, enveloped in a shining silver corona.

Obviously, it is up to the DM to judge the value of the characters' magic items.

The Sixth Test - The Test of Sacrifice:

Those who pass the fifth test will find themselves in a grassy meadow, under a pink sky with yellow clouds. All is peaceful seeming here. Just in sight, down in a valley of sorts, is a green pool next to a stone obelisk. A man sits yoga-style before the obelisk. He is nude, with a bundle of clothing and weapons next to the pool. The man glistens with water drops upon his skin, and he sits with his hands on his knees, palms upturned, eyes closed, and softly chanting.

This is Okiro. He is preparing to take the final test. The obelisk is carved in Morakki characters, which will change to Common as the party observes them:

Thou hast proven thy current worthiness, and the price of failure has been small. Knowest thou that thou hast proven worthy to be judged by me. Now comest the time when thou must purify thy body and thy thoughts, for if thou enterest unto me, thou shalt be judged. And if adjudged worthy, marked. And if adjudged unworthy, oblivion. If thou art afeared at the judging of thy soul, then put thy lips to stone and begone from my countenance!

The supplicant must strip nude and bathe in the pool, which water is cool, refreshing, and then meditate for a full 24 hours, though it never seems to be dark in this place. Thereafter, to his eyes only will a gate of light appear in thin air in the centre of the pool. Now able to walk upon the water of the pool, the supplicant can enter the gateway into the final test.

Anyone not wishing to take the final test may kiss the stone obelisk and he will appear outside the grove 6 days after they entered WITHOUT a minor malison.

Should any party member wish to take the final test, he may. There is no describing the test, those who take it remember little of it, save that they came unto the presence of a beautiful figure clothed in the body of a Ki-rin and that this being laid them bare, body and soul and cast judgement on every single word, thought, and action that they had performed. A whirlwind of emotion, shame, pleasure, and pain, the judgement is absolute.

Judgement is left to the DM. Certainly, characters who are basically good but may have committed a mistake once in their life might pass judgement if they had atoned. Certainly, only good-aligned characters will survive. Those who do not fight for good and are not basically good in their souls will be destroyed.

Failure of judgement is death and oblivion. Only a Wish spell will counter that result.

Should a person be judged worthy, they will emerge from judgement into the grove 7 days after having entered the grove. They will have upon their forehead a mark of a blue flame. This mark may be covered, but it cannot be removed short of a Wish and it has a subtle glow to it. Someone who touches the mark will feel a thrill of energy. This energy is positive, and evil beings will be pained by the energy, while good will feel affinity for it. This mark will last until the person commits an evil act. In addition to this mark, the person will acquire the image of two blue flames in their pupils. Anyone staring closely at the person's eyes will see these two blue flames dancing in the pupil.

Should the party approach Okiro, he will not break his reverie unless touched or spoken to. Then he will open his eyes slowly, as if coming out of a trance, and seeing the gaijin he will believe they have come to kill them. He will weep and babble and beg the party not to kill him. Should he be able to somehow communicate with the party, he will try to tell them that he did not kill the Pasha nor did he send the party to do it or to be framed, and that he is taking the final test in order to prove his innocence and be marked. With that, he will be able to prove that Naraganta-alo is the true slayer of the Pasha. He will beg the party to let him proceed, assuring them that should he speak falsely he will die in the final test anyways. Okiro will certainly tell the party why he lied to them about being able to grant dispensation (he does not wish to lie in this place of purity). He will tell the party of his prophecy.

The party can slay Okiro here. They can also clothe him and force him to kiss the stone. Okiro will try his best to resist both fates.

Minor Malisons:

Should the party receive minor malisons, the DM can use this table (D20) or create his own:

1 = Photosensitivity (-1 penalty to all die rolls while out in daylight)

2 = Ugly marks upon face (-1D4 CHA)

3 = Deafness (only hear loud noises, spellcasters must shout vocal components)

4 = Age 1D10 years

5 = -1 penalty to saves vs. magic

6 = -1 penalty on saves vs. poison

7 = Blindness in one eye (-1 to missile and ranged effects)

8 = Unique and pungent smell (detectable in a 50' radius)

9 = Sex changes over the course of the next two weeks

10 = Hair turns shock white

11 = Touch kills small plants (inflicts 1D6 damage per hit on monstrous plants)

12 = Touch dispels potions (any brought within 1' must save vs a dispel magic at 18th level. Effect checked for each time the potion is removed from the radius and then brought within it again)

13 = Ringing in ears is distracting, spellcasting times add +1 and to hit rolls are at -1 penalty

14 = Female grows facial hair like a man, while male becomes completely hairless (everywhere) permanently.

15 = Image does not reflect in any mirror or mirror-like substance (such as water)

16 = Limp slows leg movement rate by 2

17 = Skin turns strange colour (purple is good)

18 = Person cannot tell a lie

19 = Insatiable hunger upon the victim, who must eat a full meal every waking hour or suffer 1D4 damage per hour missed.

20 = Victim must sleep for 12 hours per day to be fully rested and to relearn spells

The Final Showdown

Should the party allow Okiro to take the final test, he will emerge the next day with the marks of purity upon him. If his men have been slain by the party, he will look upon such slaughter sadly, but will remark that forgiveness is in his heart, and that the true slayer of his loyal men is Naraganta-alo, not the party. He will then say that although he does not require it, he would request the party's aid in toppling Naraganta-alo and seeing justice brought to Gerilong.

Should the party agree (and they should since they have hostages left behind), Okiro will first return to his stronghold and gather together an army, using his marks to prove his innocence. He will then march upon Mangindari-ako, gathering more warriors along the way.

When the army marches to Mangindari-ako, Okiro will present himself to the gate and show his marks to the guards along the wall. The people who also witness this will give up a cheer, such a rousing cheer that the guards will decide that it is best to side with Okiro. The gates will open and Okiro's army will enter the city. The Pashek and his troops will then march to the stronghold.

The stronghold is held by those intensely loyal to Naraganta-alo. These are soldiers he has brought from his homeland and they know that, having sided so closely with their Pashek, they will live and die as he does. There will be a short, sharp fight to gain the palace grounds, with the first blow being struck by a palace defender who strikes at one of Okiro's men climbing the walls. Then, Okiro, his complement of wu-jen (half a dozen of them), his elite warriors, and the party will make their way to the dungeons to free the hostages and then to the throne room, all while fighting continues in the palace.

The Throneroom contains Naraganta-alo, now sitting on the Pasha's throne. He is surrounded by his wu-jen (8 of them) and a coterie of his most elite warriors. As Okiro and his men burst in, a strange thing will occur.

Everyone will stop, weapons poised, wu-jen with wands and spells ready, but no one will attack. For long moments, each side will stare at the other. If Creele is with the party now, he will explain that the Gerilong believe the gods will favour those who do not strike the first blow. Sort of like maintaining the moral high ground. Neither side wishes to be seen as the less moral of the two sides. Creele will suggest that perhaps the party could take the first shot, otherwise, they could be at this for days. Creele will relate that one famous hero is said to have waited 25 years for his opponent to take the first blow.

Should the party take the first shot, battle will erupt, with each side fighting to the last.

Should the party refuse to take the first shot, then eventually, perhaps a good hours or even days later, someone will flinch, and the other side will react, under the fatigue of waiting for so long, and will strike, and the battle will begin.

It is up to the DM how he wishes to run the final throneroom battle. It could certainly be run in full as a large-scale epic fight. It could also be run in background, while presenting the party a few select foes to fight. The entire battle roster for the throne room is presented here:

Okiro's Forces:

Note: If some of these forces have been slain by the party at the Grove (specifically Allintori and the first 4 Wu-jen), then they will not appear here, though the DM may substitute a lesser warrior to lead the soldiers (perhaps a 4th level samurai) and replace the Wu-jen with either some Wu-jen from the Pasha's forces [see the Murder Most Foul! Section] or with junior Wu-jen of 3-4th level from his own forces.

Pashek Indaggar Okiro (AC 3, MV 6, CL Wa [Samurai kit], LV 8, hp 54, THAC0 13, #ATT 3, D by weapon, Weapons: scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], dagger [Fa 2/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D3 kd D6], Armour: lacquered splintmail, SA specialized in scimitar (+1/+2), kiai 8/day raise STR to 18/00 for 1 round), +3 damage samurai ability, cause fear in 1HD or less (save vs breath), SD surprised only on a 1 in D10, immune to fear, NWP 2-handed fighting style x2, ambidexterity, etiquette, heraldry, local history, read/write Morakki, iron will, AL LN, XP 2000)

Magic Items:

Scimitar +1/+2 vs spell casters [any being who has a spell memorized]

Necklace of protection against charm (Encyclopedia Magica V 2 pg 752 - +4 save vs charm/enchantment spells and determine identity and location of caster)

Dagger +1

Helm of protection +1 (as ring of protection).

Pashek Warrior Allintori (AC 2, MV 12, CL Wa [Samurai kit], LV 6, hp 46 (CON 15), #ATT 3/2+1, D by weapon type, Weapons: scimitars (x2) [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: splinted mail, SA mastery in scimitar (+3/+3), ambidextrous (no two handed penalties), kiai 6/day raise STR to 18/00 for 1 round), strength of 16 (+1 dmg), +2 damage samurai ability, cause fear in 1HD or less (save vs breath), SD surprised only on a 1 in D10, immune to fear, Dex 16 (+1 reaction, -2 AC), NWP alertness, leadership, iron will, etiquette, running, blind-fighting, painting, read/write Morakki, AL LN, XP 1400)

The Wu-Jen from the Sacred Grove (if still alive):

Wu-jen #1 (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 6, hp 27 (15 CON), THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 60 (16 INT), AL N, XP 1400).

Spells carried: Elemental Burst (4), Chameleon (4), Shield (4), Magic Missile (4), Invisibility (6), Fire Shuriken (6), Enchanted Blade (6), Smoky Form (6), Dispel Magic (10), Fire Rain (10)

Magic Items:

Pearl of Protection from Fire (Oriental Adventures page 135 - acts as a ring of fire resistance),

Wand of Armory II (Encyclopedia Magica V4 P 1474 - touch provides a field of force for 6 rounds, provides AC 0, complete protection against magic missiles or electrical attacks) with 25 charges

Staff of Fire (Encyclopedia Magica V4 P 1278 - +2 magical staff, +4 save vs fire for wielder, immunity to fire elementals, summon an 8HD fire elemental 1.day for 1 charge, 10HD fireball or 10th level wall of fire for 1 charge, additional powers on the Plane of Fire, negate water/ice related effects or elementals [1 charge if from opposite staff, 2 charges if from other sources]) with 15 charges

Potion of Extra Healing

Potion of Gaseous Form

Scroll with the wu-jen spells Vengeance, Elemental Turning, and Confusion (all at 8th level of ability).

Wu-jen #2 (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 5, hp 15, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 44 (14 INT), AL N, XP 975).

Spells carried: Animate Wood (4), Chameleon (4), Drowsy Insects (4), Shield (4), Fiery Eyes (4), Hypnotic Pattern (6), Detect Invisibility (6), Steam Breath (10), 2 cantrips (2)

Magic Items:

Wand of the Sun (Encyclopedia Magica V4 P 1494 - 30 yard ray causes 6D4 scorching damage plus 2D4 if wearing or touching metal for 2 charges) with 24 charges, but which does only 3/4ths damage due to the current condition of the sun and Sung God in Therra

Potion of Healing

Potion of Flying.

Wu-jen #3 (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 4, hp, THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [non-proficient] [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with short bow, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 28 (13 INT), AL N, XP 650).

Spells carried: Elemental Burst (4), Shield (4), Magic Missile (4), Hail of Stones (4), Whip (6), Stinking Cloud (6)

Magic Items:

Wand of Steam and Vapour (Encyclopedia Magica V4 P 1494 - Steam in a 10'x30'x50' cone cloud, 6D6 damage on round 1, 4D6 on round 2, and 2D6 on round 3 [save for half on all rounds], or Vapor fog cloud for 6 rounds 40' deep, 60' high, 80' breadth, cold users take 1 hp per round, cold dwellers take 2 hp per round) with 24 charges, a potion of healing

Potion of the Pseudo Treant (Encyclopedia Magica V3 P 882 - imbiber turns into a treant for 10D4 turns [AC 0, MV 12, HD 7, hp 42, THAC0 13, #AT 2, Dmg 1D8 / 1D8]).

Wu-jen #4 (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 4, hp 22 (17 CON), THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [non-proficient] [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit short bow, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 28 (13 INT), AL N, XP 650).

Spells carried: Shield (4), Warp Wood (4), Magic Missile (4), Ghost Light (4), Apparition (6), Phantasmal Force (6)

Magic Items:

Potion of Magic Shielding (Encyclopedia Magica V3 P 878 - minor globe of invulnerability for 1D8+3 rounds)

Potion of Lightning Form (Encyclopedia Magica V3 P 876 - assume electrical form for 5D4 rounds, fly MV 96 [D], attack all within 10' by arcing amongst targets against AC 10 for 1D6+2 damage, 25% chance of striking friendly targets in radius)

Ring of Dispel Magic (1/day at 12th level of effect).

And two other wu-jen:

Wu-jen #5 (AC 10, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit, invoker specialist], LV 5, hp 23 (16 CON), THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, targets of invocations get -1 to save, SD +1 save vs invocation, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 65 (16 INT), AL N, XP 1400).

Spells carried: Magic Missile x3 (12), Shield (4), Spider Climb (4), Enchanted Blade (6), Fire Shuriken (6), Ice Knife (6), Stinking Cloud (6), Protection from Normal Missiles (10), Steam Breath (10), 1 cantrip (1)

Magic Items:

Gem of Retaliation (Encyclopedia Magica V 2 Pg 527 - +4 save vs invocation/evocation spells [base save vs 18 against no save such spells], successful save converts spell into half that level of magic missiles [round fractions up] that strike the caster to 160 yards)

Potion of Invisibility

Potion of Healing

Wu-jen #6 (AC 10, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit,], LV 5, hp 15, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 45 (16 INT), AL N, XP 975).

Spells carried: Elemental Burst (4), Shield (4), Warp Wood (4), Detect Invisibility (6), Smoky Form (6), Cloudburst (10), Dispel Magic (10)

Magic Items:

Mantle of Mist (Encyclopedia Magica V 1 Pg 305 - transform itself into a fog cloud 3/day 20'x20'x10' for 1 turn or until wearer terminates it)

Wand of Burning Hands (as spell at 6th level - 34 charges)

Potion of Healing

Plus the following troops:

Pashek Elite Soldiery [24] (AC 6, MV 9, CL Wa, LV 2, hp 17, THAC0 19, #ATT 1 or 3/2, D by weapon type, Weapons: spear [Av 1/r 2/4/6 1D6/1D8 kd D6], scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: bezainted, SA specialized in spear (+1/+2), AL LN, XP 65 ea)

Naraganta-alo's Forces:

Pashek Naraganta-alo (AC 2, MV 12, CL Wa [Samurai kit], LV 10, hp 83 (15 CON), THAC0 11, #ATT 3, D by weapon, Weapon: scimitar x2 [Fa 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: splintmail +1, SA kiai 10/day raise STR to 18/00 for 1 round, High Mastery in scimitar (+3/+3 critical on 16, weapon speed is quicker by 1 phase) +2 damage samurai ability, cause fear in 1HD or less (save vs breath), SD surprised only on a 1 in D10, immune to fear, AL NE, XP 5000)

Magic Items:

Splintmail +1

Scimitar +1 of Wounding

Jade Dolphin Amulet of Protection from Poison (+2 to saves versus poison, and on a modified 20 or higher no damage or effects are felt)

Naraganta-alo's Wu-jen:

Wu-jen #1 (AC 6 (18 DEX), MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit, invoker specialist], LV 8, hp 37 (16 CON), THAC0 18, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, targets of invocations get -1 to save, SD +1 save vs invocation, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 138 (17 INT), AL N, XP 6000).

Spells carried: Hold Portal (4), Magic Missile x4 (16), Shield (4), Enchanted Blade (6), Whip (6), Invisibility (6), Protection from Charm (6), Protection from Normal Missiles (10), Haste (10), Steam Breath (10), Shout (15), Dimension Door (15), Wall of Fire (15), Polymorph Other (15)

Magic Items:

Scroll with Sword of Deception (at 10th level)

Potion of Extra-Healing

Potion of Healing

Wand of Silk (as web spell at 6th level - 42 charges)

A jade beetle amulet that, when thrown, becomes a Jishin Mushi (earthquake beetle) under the command of its master for 1 turn before dissolving into air (AC 3, MV 9 fl12, HD 5+4, hp 44, THAC0 15, #ATT 1, D 2D8, SA earthquakes, AL N, XP 600) [refer to Oriental Adventures page 123]

Wu-jen #2 (AC 10, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen], LV 7, hp 22, THAC0 18, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 75 (16 INT), AL N, XP 2000).

Spells carried: Magic Missile (4), Shield (4), Elemental Burst (4), Cloud Ladder (4), Bind (6), Apparition (6), Fire Shuriken (6), Knock (6), Hold Person (10), Magnetism (10), Emotion (15)

Magic Items:

Scroll with Transfix (at 9th level)

Battle Crescent Medallion (Encyclopedia Magica V 2 Pg 715 - +2 or +10% on any combat roll 1/24 hours, protection from normal missiles, all weapons striking wearer are -1 attack and damage)

Apple of Chaos (Encyclopedia Magica V 1 Pg 58 - 5 inch apple when thrown (up to 70' considered short range) disappears and a phantasm image remains causing the spell effect of Chaos in a 40' radius for 20 rounds at 20th level effect)

Potion of Healing

Wu-jen #3 (AC 10, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 6, hp 16, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 59 (15 INT), AL NE, XP 1400).

Spells carried: Magic Missile x2 (8), Shield (4), Hold Portal (4), Hypnotism (4), ESP (6), Pyrotechnics (6), Tongues (10), Improved Phantasmal Force (10), 1 cantrip (1)

Magic Items:

Potion of Healing

Wand of Fog Control (68 charges - Encyclopedia Magica V 4 Pg 1482 - create bank of fog 60,000 cubic feet obscuring sight and infravision to 4' for 1 charge, another charge allows shaping of the cloud, another charge creates a path in the fog 6'x6', lasts for 10 minutes and may be cancelled early for 1 charge)

Firestone (as per necklace of missiles, 4D6 damage)

Wu-jen #4 (AC 8 (magical ring), MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 6, hp 22, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, targets of invocations get -1 to save, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, SD +1 save vs invocation, Spell Points 58 (13 INT), AL N, XP 1400).

Spells carried: Shield (4), Magic Missile (4), Message (4), Melt (4), Strength (6), Wizard Lock (6), Fire Wings (10), Memory (10), Suggestion (10)

Magic Items:

Potion of Healing

Potion of Levitation

Ring of Invulnerability (11 charges - Encyclopedia Magica V 3 Pg 972 - +2 AC to wearer, minor globe of invulnerability for 1 turn for 1 charge)

Wu-jen #5 (AC 10, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 5, hp 24 (15 CON), THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 44 (15 INT), AL NE, XP 975).

Spells carried: Shield (4), Magic Missile (4), Melt (4), Fire Shuriken (6), Omen (6), Steam Breath (10), Dispel Magic (10)

Magic Items:

Potion of Fire Resistance

Potion of Healing

Ring of Phantom Form (Encyclopedia Magica V 3 Pg 986 - become intangible [including possessions], needs +1 weapon to hit, may not attack but can cast spells, move at 15 even through narrow apertures)

Wu-jen #6 (AC 10, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 5, hp 17, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 43 (13 INT), AL CE, XP 975).

Spells carried: Shield (4), Magic Missile x2 (8), Phantasmal Force (6), Hypnotic Pattern (6), Whip (6), Dispel Magic (10), 3 cantrips (3)

Magic Items:

Potion of Healing

Potion of Vitality

Scroll with Dispel Illusion (as if from an 8th level Wu-jen)

Wu-jen #7 (AC 10, MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 4, hp 14, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 30 (16 INT), AL NE, XP 650).

Spells carried: Accuracy (4), Shield (4), Fiery Eyes (4), Stinking Cloud (6), Strength (6), Enchanted Blade (6)

Magic Items:

Arrow +1

Wu-jen #8 (AC 8 (16 DEX), MV 12, CL Wi [Wu-jen kit], LV 4, hp 15, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: bo stick [Fa 1D6/1D4 kd D8], short bow [non-proficient] [Av 2/r 10/20/30 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, SA +1 to hit with bo stick, 1/day cast 1st level spell at maximum range, duration, and effect, +3 bonus to initiative roll 1/day, Spell Points 28 (13 INT), AL CN, XP 650).

Spells carried: Shield (4), Ghost Light (4), Chameleon (4), Hail of Stone (4), Ice Knife (6), Invisibility (6)

Magic Items:

Potion of Speed

Naraganta-alo's Troops [24] (AC 6, MV 9, CL Wa, LV 3, hp 24, THAC0 18, #ATT 1 or 3/2, D by weapon type, Weapons: spear [Av 1/r 2/4/6 1D6/1D8 kd D6], scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: bezainted, SA specialized in scimitar (+1/+2), AL LN, XP 120 ea)

Aftermath

Should Naraganta-alo prevail in the throneroom, then he will have fully consolidated his power not as rightful Pasha of Gerilong, but as tyrant ruler of it. The marks of Okiro he will claim to be trickery and illusion, and he will have Okiro's body incinerated soon after the battle, so that his marks of purity cannot be verified. Any surviving party members will be executed.

Should Okiro prevail, he will honour the party, and he will proclaim that these gaijin are clearly not the ones to cause his death, and that if they were he would be honoured to die at their hands. He will grant the party dispensation to travel in Gerilong, and give them a scroll with his seal to prove it. He will also invite the party to remain for a week and a day for the Pasha festival and tournament and his eventual ascension to the Pasha seat (Okiro is confident he will prevail in the contest). Assuming the party does, they will be treated as a curiousity and also as outlander heroes, much to their honour.

In either case, Okiro will give the party gifts. He will give the party certainly a warhorse or riding horse for each party member, and a riding horse for each of Creele and his crew (and any others who remained as hostages). He will also make the party members honourary members of his elite warrior society and give them red headbands with Morakki writing, naming them as such. This will also give them the right to bear arms as nobles in Gerilong.

Finally, he will present to the party magical items. The DM may choose one item for each party member (again, not the hostages) from the items wielded by the vanquished Naraganta-alo and his minions, or, the DM may rule that Okiro lets the party choose 1 item from each vanquished wu-jen.

In any case, the party may remain with the Pasha for a time, although the longer they remain, the more he will remember his prophecy and will begin to politely suggest they continue their journey.

Part Four - An Unpeaceful Interlude

On the last day of the year 5512, the Deceiver will launch his war. This could occur at relatively any point during this campaign, but most likely it will occur just after the party finishes with the Pashas.

The manifestations of the war will be distant, though still spectacular.

The Deceiver will launch the chunk of earth he tore from the world into the sky, so that it appears to those watching at noon in the Morakki lands as a distant speck of blackness painted against the blue winter sky and slowly moving upward, toward the crown of the sky. It will take about an hour for the speck to rise toward the sun. As it does so, it slowly grows bigger. Eventually, as it creeps adjacent to the sun, it is as big as the orb. Now, slowly, the chunk will begin to occlude the sun. In another ten minutes, the sun will be gone, covered by the piece of earth. The world will be plunged into twilight, but the corona of the sun will still be visible creeping around the darkness.

Finally, the darkness will grow bigger, and the light from the penumbra will fade, until the sun is gone from view entirely!

Conditions from this point forward will resemble twilight at its brightest. Nighttime conditions will not be affected, as the moon and stars are unaffected, but the sun will now rise and set blocked by the chunk of earth, and although it will be possible to tell when the sun is up, even at high noon, darkened twilight conditions will persist.

The effects of this condition are, in the short term, to dishearten the defenders of freedom, and to allow orcs and goblins and drow and creatures of darkness to roam the earth in daylight.

Long term effects will result in the death of crops and animals and the eventual collapse of all resistance to the Deceiver.

The clerics of Ularinn, god of the sun, will lose their ability to turn undead and will lose access to all of their spells above 3rd level. In addition, no spells gained through the Sun Sphere will be gainable by ANY priest. Such spells on scrolls and in magic items will still function, but magic items that need the sun to recharge will not function.

The Wand of the Sun (possessed by wu-jen #2 of Okiro's magicians) will also lose its powers. The beam now cast from it is thin and sickly and registers barely enough heat to be noticeable. It will inflict no damage.

The Morakki will, of course, be roused by this rather overt sign of the rising of the Deceiver. Morakki rulers will consult their oracles and priests and ask what is occurring. There will then be meetings and councils and debates as to whether to gather an army to aid the West. Many will counsel to stay out of Western affairs, that the Deceiver does not possess power over the seas, and that the curse of Pilong keeps the Morakki safe from his land forces.

Wiser heads point out that even should the Deceiver's armies never cross into Morakki lands, the lack of sunlight will destroy crops and cause famine. Priestesses of Dhalis and the Tuls are consulted, and they agree that famine will occur, but that many crops would still be sustained, as it is only the light of the sun that seems to have receded, and not the heat. Indeed, although dark, the world feels only slightly colder than before.

DMs wishing to run the Morakki actions according to the historical campaign should consult official Therran source materials such as "The War to End All Wars".

Part Five - To Vingariku and Beyond

The penultimate part of this campaign, the party has now helped raise a new Pasha to Gerilong, been feted and rewarded, and given dispensation to travel Gerilong. They also possess the headbands that mark them as swordbearers of the Pasha of Gerilong.

Both the Pasha and Captain Creele will suggest that the party's next leg be the flatlands between the Mountains of Siir and the Vayshan Mountains, to the Wylag Desert, then north to Hamasha and to attempt to cross into Vingariku along the northern edge of the Inner Sea.

While the way is hard and wild, passing through terrain claimed by none of the Morakki nations, this will also serve to keep the party out of trouble. In addition, the only other ways across the Morakki lands are to traverse the Vayshan Mountains directly (not an easy proposition during winter) or to head far to the south, across the northern Steppes of Xydlont, and then cross the bleak East Wastes.

The route proposed by Creele and the Pasha is more direct, quicker, and presumed to be less treacherous.

Gerilong:

The remainder of the journey through Gerilong is uneventful. Although there is no snow in the lowlands, the mountains to the northeast and southeast are covered in white. Okiro offers the party an escort of half a dozen Pasha soldiers if they wish; otherwise, he is content to let the party travel on its own.

As the party passes through the rolling lowlands, they pass villages of round huts and strange wooden racks laced amongst tall hedge-like bushes dotted with a strange white growth. Creele will explain that the white growths are actually the cocoons of silk spiders that will, in the springtime, emerge to spin the famous Gerilong silk.

If escorted by Pasha soldiers, the party will be able to spend the night as honoured guests in any of the villages along the way. If alone, the party can certainly, armed with their headbands and dispensation, claim hospitality at any village, though the villagers will be wary and frightened of gaijin. The party can certainly sleep safely out of doors.

After a good 5-day journey the party will arrive at the Otelume River. Being winter, the famous salmon are nowhere to be found, and the edges of the river sport small icicles. The river is not too high, but is freezing cold, and swimming without magic will be dangerous to any not accustomed to icy cold conditions.

However, the party should be able to locate a village along the river with a wooden bridge that crosses the river or with a ferryman or fisherman who can be convinced to ferry the party across.

The Land of Peace:

So called, the land between the River Siir and the Otelume River is unclaimed by either Gerilong or Nygoto in order to preserve the peace between these two nations. Unfortunately, this has also made this area home to bandits and ne'er-o-wells and warlords who rule isolated towns and settlements that dot this sparsely populated land.

The area begins in the west as rolling grasslands, and becomes increasingly rugged as the Mountains of Siir and the Vayshan Mountains encroach to the east. At the narrowest point, just before the Wylag Desert, the land is entirely foothills that join the two mountain ranges.

The entire area is dotted with forests and woodlands, some quite extensive.

As the party crosses this rugged land, a journey on foot of at least 18 days, they are likely to come upon the following encounters:

1) The party comes across a strange looking bear, coloured in black and white patches (i.e. a panda bear) grazing the leaves from a bush and stripping the bark from a nearby tree. The pelt of the bear is quite plush and looks to be very valuable. The creature is placid and unaggressive and can be killed fairly easily (AC 9, MV 6, HD 3, hp 15, #ATT 0, D nil, AL N, XP 0). Its pelt is worth 2500gp if well cut.

However, this gentle and rare creature is under the protection of an actaeon, a 9' tall elf-human hybrid that acts as protector of the woodlands. If the panda is slain or molested, the actaeon will summon 5 bears (brown bears) and 4 turns later will set an ambush for the party, with the bears attacking from one direction and the actaeon emerging from camouflage behind the party. The elk centaur will breathe first, and then attack with its spear and antlers.

Actaeon (AC 3, MV 15, HD 11, hp 50, THAC0 9, #ATT 3, D 1D6+6 / 1D6+6 / 2D8, SA polymorph breath, summon woodland creatures, SD camouflage, AL N, XP 4000, Source: Mystara Compendium)

Brown Bears (Ac 6, MV 12, HD 5+5, hp 26, 32, 31, 22, 39, Thac0 15, #ATT 3, D 1-6 / 1-6 / 1-8, SA hug (if paw hit on 18+, hug for 2-12 additional damage), attack for 1-4 rounds at hp 0 to -8, AL N, XP 420 ea)

2) The party stumbles into a grove of archer bushes. There are 15 such bushes. The party will stumble into the range of 1D3 of them initially, and while they are attacked by them, another 1D6 of them will slowly move within range to fire. Should the party move away, they will likely run into other clumps of 1D3 before they make it away. The spray of thorns will be at random party members.

Archer Bushes (15) (AC 7, MV 3, HD 2, hp 11 ea, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D 1D4, SA thorn spray 20' 3/day, AL N, XP 35 ea, Source: Mystara Monstrous Compendium)

3) 2 surtaki suddenly charge the party at a run from a position at the top of a small rise down towards the party.

Surtaki (2) (AC 6, MV 12, HD 6, hp 41, 26, THAC0 15, #ATT 3, D 1-10 / 1-10 / 1-6, SA charge, SD quills, disease, AL CE, XP 650 ea, Source: Mystara Monstrous Compendium)

4) Should any of the party engage in flying, they may encounter a thunderhead. At first the flying member will encounter a thunderstorm approaching. Occasional flashes of lightning will appear and then as the clouds loom overhead, a distant crackle of thunder will be heard and rain will fall. Shortly thereafter, the flying person will be attacked by a frenzied thunderhead.

Thunderhead (AC 0, MV 3 fl18[E], HD 8 [16 in thunderstorms], hp 43 [85 in thunderstorms], THAC0 13 [5 in thunderstorms], #ATT 2, D 2-12 / 2-12, SA lightning bolt 1/3 rounds 60' long 5' wide 5D6 damage [save for half], AL CE, XP 2000 [10000 in thunderstorms], Source: Mystara Monstrous Compendium)

5) The party will run afoul of a hunting group of cave kalau. These have been tracking the party at some distance for several days, and can be noted if the party somehow scouts back a few miles as they travel. Finally, the kalau have caught up with the party, and now have run ahead to set up an attack.

The kalau will wait until nightfall…when the party encamps. Then they will attack, howling and screaming. The kalau will hope that the quickness and lethality of their attacks will put the party's superior numbers at a disadvantage.

Cave Kalau (10) (AC -1, MV 9, HD 8, hp 53, 47, 45, 44, 42, 43, 48, 46, 43, 54, THAC0 13, #ATT 3, D 1-8 / 1-8/ special, Weapons: stone axes [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], SA poison bite, tracking 80%, AL N, XP 975 ea, Source: Oriental Adventures 1st edition)

6) The party comes across a deplorable sight. An old man, seemingly of at least 60 years of age, is being attacked by 12 thouls. The thouls are in the process of half of them aiming at him with longbows while the others sneak up on him with long knives.

What the thouls do not realize is that they have chosen to tangle with Master Kinoyobi Urukuma, head monk of the martial arts at the Kamaki-Osho, the greatest school of training anywhere in Therra. In fact, Master Urukuma is arguably the most powerful warrior in Therra, and is in no danger from the unlucky thouls.

Thouls (12) (AC 6, MV 12, HD 3, hp 18 ea, THAC0 17, #ATT 2, D 1-3 / 1-3 or by weapon, Weapons: knife [Fa 2/r 2/4/6 1D3/1D2 kd D4] and claw, longbow [Av 2/r 14/28/42 1D6/1D6 kd D6], SA paralyzation with claw attack, SD regeneration [1hp per round], AL LE, XP 270 ea, Source: Mystara Monstrous Compendium)

Master Kinoyobi Urukuma (AC -6, MV 15, CL Wa [Kensai Kit], LV 20, hp 108 (16 CON), THAC0 1, #ATT 7/2, D by weapon type with next higher dice type (+5 damage for kensai level, +3 for mastery, +1 for strength), Weapons: quarterstaff [Vf 1D8/1D8 kd 1D12], Armour: none (AC 5 natural for kensai, -4 AC for kensai level, plus magic items), SA specialized in 2 handed weapon style, critical on a 16+, bonus die type for knockdown and damage, +5 to hit, +3 initiative bonus, ki power maximum weapon damage 20 times per day, cause fear in 1HD or less (save vs breath), whirlwind attack, SD immune to fear, meditation (1 hour of rest counts as 2), surprised only on a 1 in 10, +7 to saves from magical items, NWP adaption [13], death blow, inner focus [8], sense danger [10], alertness, fine balance, quickness, blind fighting, healing, AL N, XP 21000)

Magic Items:

Ring of Protection +3

Cloak of Protection +4

3 Potions of Extra-healing

Master Urukuma is unafraid of the party, but is content to play the role of a feeble old man if the party springs to his rescue before he has a chance to kill the thouls himself.

If the party merely observes, they will be surprised as the old man suddenly does a whirlwind attack, killing most of the thouls in melee with him in 1 round. He also knocks aside many of the longbow arrows with his staff. He then turns towards the remaining thouls, who will likely run howling back into the hills. In this case, he will continue on his way, parleying with the party only long enough to say "You did not know, could not know, and so you should have acted in the way you know" and will say nothing more.

On the other hand, if the party comes to his aid, he will watch the party attack the thouls amusedly, and once the combat is over, he will converse with the party, noting that while he is able to take care of himself, the party did not know this, and sprang to aid an old man, and for that, he is grateful. "The kindness of your hearts and your willingness to help is more aid to me than your blades and spells" he will say.

Urukuma will explain who he is and from whence he comes. He will also say that he senses the party is in the midst of great deeds, but that if they survive, he would be willing to perhaps take the warriors amongst them under his tutelage.

With that, he will wish them luck, reminding them that "the blade is guided by the hand, the hand is guided by the brain, the brain is guided by the heart, and the heart is guided by the soul" and will depart towards the mountains to the north.

Part Six - Desert Blues

DM's Summary:

The party is surreptitiously hired by a blue dragon to slay two of his offspring who have come to challenge his dominion over the area.

DM's Background:

Angaralok the Blue is a very great and powerful blue dragon, of exceptionally old lineage and age. He is also quite cunning, and rules the southwestern portion of Wylag Desert. Once, a long time ago, a female blue dragon from the Eastern Wastes sought to secure some progeny for herself as allies in order to drive away competitors to her lair. Although she would not admit it to herself, she was also influenced by her powerful inherent maternal desire to breed.

Angaralok the Blue had a reputation far and wide as the most potent and powerful blue dragon on the continent, and so the female dragon, named Kazanalzak, came to him with a goodly portion of her treasure and offered the treasure to Angaralok if he would mate with her. Angaralok was wary, but the treasure Kazanalzak offered was immense, and his draconic greed eventually won out.

As a condition of the breeding, Kazanalzak made Angaralok swear a most powerful and sacred oath that he would not harm Kazanalzak or her offspring. In return, Kazanalzak swore that she and her progeny would not harm Angaralok. The oaths sworn have mystical power for the blue dragons, being lawful in disposition, and the dragons believe, firmly, that like a Meredros oath from the God of Justice, breaking the sacred oath will cause harm or death to befall the oathbreaker. Certainly, Angaralok and Kazanalzak believed in the potency of their oaths.

And so, Angaralok obtained his treasure. And they mated. And Kazanalzak was fertilized and flew back to her lair in the Wastes, where she gave birth to two male blue dragons, Jakalal and Falakal. Long did the family of dragons dwell in the Wastes, and Kazanalzak would regale her sons with tales of the magnificence of their father and, even more, of the magnificence of his treasury. The two male dragons grew strong, and they also grew envious of their father and his treasure, and they desired to one day confront their father and kill him and take his treasure.

However, the oath Kazanalzak made on their behalf held them, and they dared not cross their mother to face their father, for in that case the mother would be honour and oath bound to defend the father.

So, for many years, centuries in fact, the two brother dragons grew and learned the ways of blue dragons, and of magic and cunning. And one day they returned from a hunt to find the unthinkable…their mother slain, her skin stripped, and their treasure taken. Outraged, the two dragons spent a year rampaging through the wastes, in many cases ranging far afield to civilized lands to wreak their revenge on humankind in general, or wherever they heard a whisper of a rumour of dragon slayers.

Eventually, however, the two brothers realized that should they continue their rampage, they would eventually attract the attention of dragon slayers themselves, who would come for them despite their lack of treasure, just to quell their menace. So, instead, the brothers turned their plots towards their father. With Kazanalzak dead, their mother's oath no longer held them. In fact, while their restrictions had died with their mother, Angaralok is still bound by his oath, and although the brothers are not entirely certain the old dragon will not fight back once attacked, they are counting on his oath at least giving both of them the initial advantage they need to slay him and take his treasure.

And so, the brothers have come north, into the Wylag Desert, to scout the terrain, find their father's lair, and then devise a plan to slay him. The brothers are taking their time, as they have no desire to underestimate their father, and they believe that they have plenty of time, as their father, should he even find out about their intentions, cannot strike at them.

Angaralok has found out that his sons are coming for him (by way of animal spies he has charmed and has scouting the lands for him, usually for unique treasure opportunities or to warn of dragon slayers), and he is worried, because he will not break his sacred oath, but he has figured that his sons either mean to break the oath, have found some sort of loophole in the oath, or that their mother has passed away.

Fortunately for Angaralok, the party has arrived. Angaralok regularly visits the wandering desert nomads in disguise (by way of an alter self spell and then use of a wand of polymorph), both to learn rumours (usually to see if anyone is planning to come after him and try to take his treasure) by casting ESP and talking to the nomads, and to purchase the occasional supply. In these cases he poses as a merchant from Hamasha. The nomads of the area have been trading with him for many years, and they usually camp at a specific oasis on specific days of the year awaiting the merchant.

Angaralok will see the party as the ideal means to strike at his progeny. And after they have done the deed, he has a means to dispose of them as well, for anyone who can slay his two offspring is a threat to Angaralok as well.

It is also for this reason that Angaralok will not have the party come to his lair to defend him directly. Angaralok does not wish for humans to know the location of his very well hidden lair, nor to see his treasure. The only reason his sons know of the location of his lair is because their mother entered the lair when she mated with Angaralok centuries ago.

The Nomads:

The party first encounters a trail of goods in the sand, some cloth, a nomad cloak, an arrow snapped in two, a strangely shaped saddle. Following this trail quickly turns up a dead camel, its body strangely bloated and discoloured and its blue, swollen tongue handing from its mouth. Close examination of the body shows a largish sting wound on the camel's hump.

Further up the trail are splashes of blood and a couple more dead camels, a ripped up tent, and several torn backpacks and sacks.

Finally, the party will come upon a tableau in a rocky hollow.

Within the hollow, half a dozen nomads stand in a circle, weapons drawn, many wounded and with desert robes torn, and one clutching his side and barely able to stand as poison works through his body. At least 4 camels and a dozen nomads lie dead in the hollow, many of them bloated in the same way the camels along the trail were bloated.

Surrounding the six desperate nomads are their assailants, 8 manscorpions. Some of these are injured, for the nomads are brave fighters, but no manscorpions lie dead or dying.

Manscorpion Troopers (6) (AC 5, MV 12, HD 8, hp 36 [-9], 42 [-12], 45 [-3], 36 [-8], 52 [-18], 55 [-14], THAC0 13, #ATT 3 or 2, D by weapon type or 2-5 / 2-5 / 1-4, Weapons: longbow [Av 2/r 14/28/42 1D6/1D6 kd D6], SA poison, MR 20%, AL NE, XP 4000 ea)

Manscorpion Squad Leader (AC 5, MV 12, HD 9, hp 49 [-7], THAC0 11, #ATT 3 or 2, D by weapon type or 2-5 / 2-5 / 1-4, SA poison, MR 20%, Al NE, XP 5000)

Manscorpion Spellcaster (AC 5, MV 12, CL Pr [LV 4], HD 9, hp 50 [-2], THAC0 11, #ATT 3, D 2-5 / 2-5 / 1-4, SA poison, spellcasting, MR 20%, Spell Points 33 (14 WIS), AL NE, XP 6000)

Spells Memorized: Command (4), Bless (4), Sunscorch (4) [unless the sun has been darkened, in which case the spell will be Protection from Good], Soften Earth and Stone (8), Heat Metal (8) Has already cast a Cure Light Wounds and an Orison on himself to heal wounds from nomad arrows.

Magic Items:

Scroll with Insect Plague at 10th level,

Rune carved staff covered with grisly trophies, which has the effect of a Chant spell if held up and concentrated upon. Unfortunately, it only works on manscorpions. Only clerics may use the staff, and they must stand in one spot holding the staff above the head. Effects last as long as this position is maintained (the cleric loses all dexterity bonuses). Each use uses a charge. The staff has 12 charges and may be recharged with a manscorpion ritual involving blood and sacrifice.

Nomads (6) (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wa, LV 2-3 [* = LV 3], hp 13 [-2], 23* [-6], 16 [-8], 20 [-6 and poisoned], 25* [-10], 18 [-3], THAC0 19 or 18, #ATT 3/2 or 2, D by weapon type, Weapons: short composite bow [Av 2/r 10/20/36 1D6/1D6 kd D6], scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], dagger [Fa 2/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D3 kd D6], Armour: leather armour, SA specialized in scimitar (+1 to hit, +2 damage), AL N, XP 175 ea or 270 ea)

Should the party intervene (and they should), the nomads who survive will be very grateful for their help. They will introduce themselves as members of the Quam-ali peoples and invite the party to head with them to the oasis where it is trading time. If the party has beasts of burden, the nomads will ask to be able to load their goods from their dead camels upon the party's beasts.

The Oasis:

The oasis is a good 2-day journey from the hollow, and it will take a day before that for the nomads to bury their dead and say desert rites upon them. The nomads seem particularly distressed that they cannot render their dead for water, as poison is in their veins.

The oasis is a largish pool of water and several nearby wells surrounded by a thick growth of palm trees and bushes. The place is crowded with tents and palm frond stalls, and it appears that there is, indeed a trading bazaar occurring here, even despite the perpetual twilight should the sun be darkened.

Traders of Morakki origin, ranging from barbarian traders from the far north selling ivory to fancily dressed Xydlonti merchants from the far south trade with the nomads for camels, desert beasts, and most often uncut gems.

The nomads take the party to their elder, who thanks them for their aid and, amidst the ululations of the nearby women who have lost relatives or husbands to the manscorpions, offers them uncut gems totalling 250gp (upgradable to 500gp if finished). The party will also be invited to dine with the nomads and share their tent.

The party may wander the bazaar. Everyone speaks Morakki here, so they will have to have Creele with them or a Tongues spell or other means of translating. While many of the merchants (with the exception of Angaralok) dislike gaijin and will simply gape at the party and try to busy themselves with a different customer, the nomads themselves have fewer prejudices, having rarely seen of or heard of Westerners. Talking with them may eventually turn up rumours of some horrible creature that has started to raid caravans and nomads to the south.

Soon, the story of the party's attack on the manscorpions spreads through the bazaar, and the party might eventually overhear exaggerated tales of their own bravery being told around campfires.

Stories of the fight reach Angaralok, who is in the oasis in human form selling worthless trinkets from his hoard. In this guise he is known as Thorash-nir, a well-known merchant from Hamasha who regularly comes to the oasis to sell. Many here will vouch for him as an honest and taciturn man.

Angaralok assumes the guise of human by first casting an Alter Self spell on himself. This turns him into a large human being. With hands and opposing digits, he then carefully grasps a wand of polymorphing and touches himself, turning himself into a normal sized human. He also routinely casts a Nondetection spell on himself when he is interacting with humans.

When the party approaches Angaralok's stall he will cast ESP on them to see if they are truly as strong as they say. He will attempt to sell his wares, and at the same time will make small talk, asking them if they truly did save the nomads from the horrific scorpion men. He might even offer the party a free bauble in gratitude. He will certainly also ask the party why they are here, so far from their homes to the west. Whatever the party says, unless their minds are masked (including Creele's), he will determine that they mean to sail to the Lost Island.

Angaralok will then invite the party to sup with him that night or the next, for he tells the party that he has a proposal for them that he feels may be of benefit to both himself and the party. If the party seems uninterested, have Angaralok blurt out that it involves a ship that folds into a small box. That will almost certainly get the party's attention, as they are in desperate need of a ship.

Assuming the party accepts Thorash-nir's invitation, the night of the sup they will be invited into his tent. The man serves himself, though the tent is richly appointed, and if questioned about this (as most of the other merchants have servants) he will remark that he is a true merchant, concerned with the bottom line, and servants are costly and invariably end up stealing from their masters. He would rather be rich in coin than in pride.

The dinner is Hamashan fare. The merchant only picks at his food, not really eating (Angaralok hates non-meat foods), but if asked why he does not eat much he states that he is worried. In either case, he will then tell his tale.

Thorash-nir will explain that although he is alone now, this was not recently the case. He had many goods to bring to this bazaar after good trading in the Wastes, and in addition he had met a woman whom he had hoped to marry. His caravan had been himself, his bride-to-be, and four other merchants who had contracted with him to assist him in his trading route.

One day, while travelling north, his camel came up lame, and he had to tend to it. The tending might take quite some time, and so he had the other merchants and his woman go ahead, so as not to lose time. He said that he would catch up by travelling through the night and then could sleep on another camel the next day. So he tended his camel's leg and when it was able to travel, he headed off.

When he came in sight of the rest of the caravan, he had time only to see two large blue shapes winging their way into the air and the sounds of screaming from his lover ascending with one of them. The other had its claws loaded with the caravan strongbox and sacks of goods. Thorash-nir ran to the caravan site, but all he saw were scorched bodies and camels with smoking fur and a plundered caravan. He searched for his love for a short time, then buried the dead and gathered up what goods remained, plus the goods on his own camel, and came to the oasis to trade.

Thorash-nir now tells the party that he has heard of their bravery in defeating the dreaded tlincallis (manscorpions) and he hopes that perhaps, in exchange for a map that tells the location of a ship that folds, the party will undertake to find the two dragons who sacked his caravan and slay them and perhaps, hope upon hope, to rescue his love Nashata.

Thorash-nir will also mention that dragons have treasure, and that at the very least his own caravan treasure is with them, and it was not insubstantial, and the party can keep all of it. All he wishes is his love back and/or revenge upon the foul dragons.

Assuming the party agrees, Thorash-nir will tell the party that he has an ancient map he traded for from a noble's scribe back in Xydlont. The scribe was addicted to the lotus flower and, Thorash-nir will embarrassedly admit, in his youth he used to deal in such. Thorash-nir assures the party the map is genuine, for he took it to others, including knowledge priests, and they agreed that tales of that area told of a king with a fantastic ship that could be folded into a small box.

Should the party agree, Thorash-nir offers to draw up a rough map showing where his caravan was sacked. He says it is along a caravan route, so there should be no difficulty finding it, and probably the gravemarkers are still there unless desert scavengers have dug up the grave. He states that the dragons flew south into the Vayshan mountains, but he thinks they did not go too far into the mountains, as it is rumoured that blue dragons prefer the deserts and wastes to the frigid mountains.

Thorash-nir will certainly take any reasonable steps to assure the party the genuineness of the map and will take oaths to promise to honour his bargain and give the party his map should they slay the two dragons. He will also point out that should the party rescue Nashata, then the party would be able to trade her for the map.

The party may make whatever preparations they wish, though Thorash-nir will urge haste, as every day he worries that his love will be eaten. Thorash-nir will tell the party that he will wait at the oasis for 30 days for the party to return with Nashata or with proof of the dragons' demise. After that time, he will assume the party has perished or given up.

Once the party leaves, Angaralok remains for several days to continue trading, and then remains even after the bazaar to await the party's return. He will wait for up to 30 days before assuming the party has perished.

The Dragon Brothers:

The twin dragons live in a cave they found on the northernmost spur of the Vayshan Mountains. The cave is high up on the face of a peak that overlooks much of the pass between the Inner Sea and the border of the Wylag Desert and the East Wastes.

While the brothers have hunted, to eat and maintain their combat edge, they have made an effort not to ravage too much, as they do not want their father to know they have arrived (unfortunately for them, he knows they have come and has figured out why).

The supposed ambush site of Thorash-nir's caravan is approximately 8 day's journey south of the oasis, following the foothills of the Vayshan Mountains. The party can only guess at the exact site, as Thorash-nir's crude map is not that clear, but of a certain they find no scenes of battle and no graves along the way, although it is reasonable to assume that scavengers have dug up the graves and taken the bodies.

It will then be for the party to turn towards the mountains. It might take them quite some time to search for the lair, perhaps even the course of several days, though divinatory spells could shorten the search time. Eventually, however, the party will begin to notice trees with lightning strokes in them, boulders with strange char streaks slashing across them, and a decided lack of medium to large-sized animals, a sure sign something very big and mean has taken up residence in the area.

During this time, it is very likely that the dragon brothers have become aware of the party. One brother is generally on guard invisible at all times, and he often takes wing to scout the area and hunt (often invisibly). If the party is unconcealed and searching the area for a day or two, it is almost unthinkable that the dragons will not become aware of them.

That said, the dragons are not entirely convinced that the party has come for them, as they are quite new to the area and have been keeping a low profile. For this reason the brothers will elect not to strike the party, on the hopes that they are just passing through the mountains on some other business or quest. In addition, should the brothers have to fight, they would prefer to fight in their lair, which they know and have prepared for defense. That said, should the party somehow proclaim their intentions before actually approaching the lair, they might be subject to hit-and-run attacks designed to weaken the party but minimize risk to the dragon brothers.

The dragon brothers are mean, evil, and very very clever. They are extremely happy to be alive and are not about to be slain by a bunch of humans if they can help it. That said, they will fight craftily and to the best of their abilities. On the other hand, they will also, in a pinch, be willing to parley or negotiate with the party, as they both can communicate with any intelligent creature.

Falakal has cast the find familiar spell and has summoned a bogan familiar. The bogan has then charmed humans to serve the dragon. The bogan imparts many additional abilities to its master, and so it is important for the DM to read the bogan entry very carefully.

Jakalal - Mature Adult Blue Dragon (AC -3, MV 9 fl30[C] br4, HD 17, hp 86, THAC0 5, #ATT 3+special, D 1-8+7 / 1-8+7 / 3-24+7, SA breath (14D8+7, 100' long by 5' wide), spells, fear (25 yard radius, save at +1), SD detect invisible 70' clairaudience in lair 140', spells, MR 30%, AL LE, XP 17000)

Dragon Magic (at 14th level): Create/Destroy Water 3/day, Sound Imitation, Dust Devil 1/day

Spells Memorized (at 14th level): Protection from Good, Grease, Phantasmal Force, Invisibility

Falakal - Mature Adult Blue Dragon (AC -3, MV 9 fl30[C] br4, HD 17, hp 88, THAC0 5, #ATT 3+special, D 1-8+7 / 1-8+7 / 3-24+7, SA breath (14D8+7, 100' long by 5' wide), spells, fear (25 yard radius, save at +1), SD detect invisible 70' clairaudience in lair 140', spells, MR 30%, AL LE, XP 17000)

Dragon Magic (14th level): Create/Destroy Water 3/day, Sound Imitation, Dust Devil 1/day

Spells Memorized (14th level): Burning Hands, Reduce, Wall of Fog, Mirror Image

Bogan (Falakal's familiar) (AC 0, MV 12 fl30[A], HD 3, hp 21, THAC0 17, #ATT 1, D 1-4 bite or 1-3 tail, SA poison bite [save or shake for 1D4 rounds for -2 to hit], charm person 3/day, SD +1 weapon to hit, regenerate 1 hp per round, immune to cold, poison, and fire, invisibility at will, detect evil at will, detect magic at will, polymorph into garter snake or macaw, AL LE, XP 2000, Source: Mystara Monstrous Compendium page 41)

Familiar Abilities:

Magic at 21st level of ability

Communicate telepathically with master up to 1 mile

Master may use familiar's senses within 1 mile

Master gains +3 bonus to saves while in physical contact

Master regenerates 1 hp per round when within 10'

Familiar to zero hp returns to home plane and master loses 1D4+1 hp permanently

The Dragons' Lair:

Please refer to the map entitled Blue Dragons' Lair included with this scenario.

There is no telling who or what dwelt in these caves before the dragons arrived. Whether the cave was long abandoned or the dragons had to oust the former occupants, the fact remains that the small complex is now entirely theirs. The cave is, however, rather too well fashioned, although natural seeming, to have been formed entirely by happenstance, and it should be clear to any dwarf or gnome or student of the earth that these caves are natural caves which have been expanded and adapted by someone or something long long ago.

1. Entrance

The entrance to this cave is at the top of a rather steep climb, some 1,800 feet above the desert floor. The entryway is set upon a small plateau that rolls down to the desert to the east. The cave itself is hidden from view of the desert floor, as is the plateau, but an observer flying perhaps 100' above the entryway would have a clear view of the desert for miles to the east.

Climbing up the slope to the plateau is rugged and tiring, and should require Mountaineering proficiency or successful climb rolls, with mishaps to be left to the DM.

The entry into the cave itself is strewn with small boulders, none to give good cover to anything but a halfling or gnome, and certainly nothing to conceal a horse.

Just adjacent to the cave mouth is a small niche, perhaps 30' deep and 20' wide. This might be a possible place to tether horses or store supplies or even leave a party member, but the location, which is strewn with boulders, is home to a dun pudding, which dwelt in the area previous to the dragons' arrival. The dun pudding has not moved on because of the various droppings of prey the dragons leave behind in the area, which provide the pudding with nourishment.

The dragons have seen the pudding, but do not regard it as a danger due to their ability to fly, and ridding themselves of it is far too much trouble, given the effect of lightning on puddings. The dragons could, of certain, try to wear the pudding down with burning hands spells and such, but as stated, they have not found it worth the effort.

The pudding has not yet wandered too far into the cave, as it prefers the outside and sunlight, and the dragons have prodded the thing out of the caves on several occasions by use of burning hands spells, such that the pudding has now developed somewhat of a primal aversion to the cave.

The dun coloured pudding may not be easily discerned in the shadowy niche amidst the boulders and rubble therein. It will certainly sense the approach of beings within 90', but will likely wait in its niche unless the beings linger within 90' for more than a few rounds, in which case it will emerge.

Anyone going into the niche will have to roll for surprise as the pudding attacks.

Dun Pudding (AC 7, MV 12, HD 8+1, hp 35, THAC0 13, #ATT 1, D 4-24, SA dissolve leather 1 round, chain 2 rounds, plate 4 rounds [+1 round for each magical plus], SD immune to acid, cold, and poison, lightning and blows divide into smaller puddings, travel through 1 inch wide spaces, AL N, XP 1400)

The area outside the niche is sandy enough for a Dust Devil spell.

2. Antechamber

This chamber is some 40' in height at its apex, though relatively free of stalactites and stalagmites, except along the edges. To the south, water-carved steps lead down into the darkness.

The centre of the chamber is littered with the recent debris of past catches of the dragons, including cloths and harnesses for camels, remains of a wagon, including half of a wheel, and bits of cloth and metal that are difficult to define. Many of these bits have scorch marks of a rather straight nature, as befits being struck by lightning.

Sand from the outside covers the half of this chamber nearest the opening to the outside, being perhaps half an inch thick at the entrance and receding to negligible at the chamber's centre.

Although there is no movement in this chamber, albeit for some insects of normal size that have flown in from the outside, the sound of cascading and rippling water can be heard from the south.

3. Side Chamber

This smallish chamber is only 25' high and curves back out of sight of the Antechamber. In its ceiling is a large, irregular hole some 15' in diameter. This hole leads by a 15' diameter passageway to area 8 (see below). This hole and passageway are used by the dragons to navigate within their cave and to escape from or entrap intruders.

Often, the bogon can be found here, lazing around and keeping an eye on things. When not here, he can also be found with the men whom he has charmed, often speaking with them to try and ascertain if any of them has broken his charm. Otherwise, the bogon is usually with his master, resting in his chamber (area 9), or scouting outside of the cave entirely.

DMs can allow a 45% chance the bogon is here if not encountered elsewhere previously. If he is, he will certainly hear the party enter area 2 unless they are exceptionally stealthy, and he will relay a telepathic command to his master and then keep a very discrete eye on the party. In no way will he risk his concealment unless his master is in direct danger.

Aside from the hole in the ceiling and the bogon, there is nothing here but very old and very dried guano and the husks of largish beetles, evidencing that bats once dwelt here, and a small colony of giant centipedes, which sometimes emerge to hunt the local mountainside but do not present much of a threat to the inhabitants of this cave. The bogon is often attacked by these creatures, but they are unable to harm him due to it being affected only by +1 or better weapons and its immunity to poison.

A very clever and close observer might even notice a centipede attacking a non-existent seeming prey (the invisible bogon) which could spark the party's curiousity.

The centipedes are sensitive to light and would certainly be stirred up by torches or other light sources enough to attack the party.

Giant Centipedes (16) (AC 9, MV 15, HD 1/4, hp 2 ea, THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D nil, SA poison [save at +4 or paralyzed for 2D6 hours, SD -1 penalty to saves due to small size, AL N, Xp 35 ea)

4. Main Cavern

The centrepiece of this cave system, this huge cavern is 65' high at its centre, above the small lake that inhabits the middle of the cavern. This lake is fed by a small stream that cuts across the passageway between area 2 and area 4.

This stream is only 6'-7' wide and only 2'-3' deep, but the water is icy cold and swiftly flowing and the ground beneath very very slippery. Anyone trying to cross the stream by foot will take 1 point of chill damage per round (those from cold climes or background take 1 every 2 rounds) and must make a dexterity roll or less on a D20 or slip and fall for a round, requiring another roll to stand back up.

In addition, anyone falling must make a percentile roll under twice strength plus twice dexterity if they are of man size or smaller or be carried by the swift current down the stream, through a hole in the east wall, around a bend of a short submerged passageway, and then unceremoniously dumped into the lake in this cavern. This entire process will take a round and cause twice the chill damage listed above.

The lake itself is of clean water, icy cold, and fairly deep. At its centre it is well over 40' deep, and even its edges are over 15' deep. The water is cloudy with minerals from the underground stream, though the water is drinkable. The lake is just as cold as the stream, and damage for immersion would be twice the damage from crossing the stream.

No creature dwells within the frigid waters of the pool, nor is there any treasure therein. The dragons use the place for drinking water and to clean and for other normal watery uses.

The dragons can, however, use the stream or the lake, should anyone be unfortunate enough to be in either, as a means of enhancing their breath weapon. Assume anyone in water when the breath strikes the water takes the breath damage in a 20' radius from the point of lightning contact with the water.

See the section on draconic tactics below for a particularly evil trick the dragons can pull here.

5. Guard Chamber

This smallish cave is really just a niche off of a large passageway that terraces down to area 6. Within are 2 guards for those who dwell in area 6. They are charmed by the bogon, and are absolutely loyal to the bogon and to the bogon's master. They and their ilk are less loyal to and even somewhat leery of Jakalal, but they know their "trusted mentor" is an associate of Jakalal's and so would not seek to betray him.

The guards here are for the most part caravan guards or desert bandits spared by the dragons, short of brains but long on muscles and fighting skills. The dragons even let their guards keep a bauble or two if they please them.

The dragons mostly use their charmed servitors to deal with nearby human settlements and to manipulate things when human hands are needed. The humans have never been south of area 8 or 9 in these caves, though they know the dragons dwell there. If uncharmed, the DM should decide (perhaps with a morale check) whether the person flees out of the caves or wishes to extract revenge on the bogon and/or the dragons.

Most of these guards have to be re-charmed every 3-4 weeks.

The guards here and the guards in area 6 will attempt to attack all intruders and will fight to the death. They will certainly yell and make a racket if alerted, hoping to summon the dragons to their aid, but none will attempt to actually go and alert the dragons in person, as they are forbidden to enter the passageways leading from area 8 and area 9 to the south. In any event, they know from experience that the dragons can hear quite well any sounds within these caves.

Guard #1 (AC 6, MV 13, CL Ro, LV 3, hp 17, THAC0 19, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: tulwar [Av, 1D6+1/2D4 kd D8], sling with bullets [Av 10/20/40 1D4+1/1D6+1 kd D4], Armour: leather, 16 dexterity, SA backstab [+4 to hit, x2 damage], Thief Skills PP 15 OL 15 F/RT 25 MS 50 HS 50 DN 25 CW 65 RL 0, AL NE, XP 270)

Treasure: a golden earring worth 25gp, a damaged copper ring with missing gems worth 5gp.

Guard #2 (AC 10, MV 12, LV 0, hp 5, THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kdD8], dagger [Fa 2/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D3 kd D6], Armour: none, AL N, XP 7)

There is a small crate turned over and used as a table, along with a lantern and a barrel of lantern oil, some food and water, and a couple of ragged bedrolls.

6. Guard Quarters

This longish chamber houses the remaining charmed human guardians of the dragons. Refer to area 5 for more details on the charmed guardians. 6 guards dwell here, and they share shifts with the two in area 5.

In addition to the guards, there are crates being used as tables, bedrolls, a couple of barrels of water, some meat (deer, camel, mountain goat) and a firespit filled with ashes. A large hole in the ceiling above the spit leads to a passageway large enough for the dragons to pass between this area and area 7. In addition, small cracks to the outside allow smoke from the fire pit to vent to the outside. It is possible at times to note this smoke from the outside coming from small cracks in the mountainside.

Guard #3 (AC 9, MV 12, LV 0, hp 6 (15 CON), THAC0 20, #ATT 1 or 2, D by weapon type, Weapons: scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], short composite bow [Av 2/r 10/20/36 1D6/1D6 kd D6], Armour: none, 15 dexterity, AL LN, XP 15)

Treasure: beaten copper bracer worth 16gp

Guard #4 (AC 8, MV 12, CL Wa, LV 4, hp 29, THAC0 17, #ATT 3/2, D by weapon type, Weapons: chijkiri (chain spear)[Av spear 1D6/1D8 kd D6 chain +4 str pull/trip reach 2 Av 1D4+1/1D4 kd D6], Armour: leather, SA specialized in chijkiri [+1/+2 3/2 attacks], AL CE, XP 270)

Treasure: silver anklet worth 35gp, silver nose ring worth 15gp, tattoo of gold dust on cheek in shape of a hawk (no value)

Guard #5 (AC 7, MV 12, CL Wa, LV 2, hp 19, THAC0 19, #ATT 3/2, D by weapon type, Weapons: kau sin ke (oriental flail) [Av 1D8/1D6 kd D8 +1 to hit vs shields], Armour: leather, SA specialized in kau sin ke [+1/+2 3/2 attacks], SD specialized in 1H weapon style [-1 AC], AL NE, XP 120)

Treasure: vial of holy water, pouch of blinding dust (1 target within 10' of wielder, save vs breath or be blinded for D6 turns)

Guard #6 (female - caravan servant) (AC 10, MV 12, LV 0, hp 3, THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: daggers (x3) [Fa 2/r 2/4/6 1D4/1D3 kd D6], Armour: none, AL N, XP 15)

Treasure: silver bracelet studded with onyx worth 125gp

Guard #7 (AC 9, MV 12, CL Wa, LV 1, hp 10, THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D by weapon type (+1 for strength), Weapons: scimitar [Av 1D8/1D8 kd D8], Armour: small shield, AL N, XP 35)

Guard #8 (AC 7, MV 13, CL Ro, LV 2, hp 12, THAC0 20, #ATT 1, D by weapon type, Weapons: tulwar [AV 1D6+1/2D4 kd D8], Armour: leather, 15 dexterity, SA backstab (+4 to hit, x2 damage), Thief Skills PP 25 OL 10 F/RT 05 MS 30 HS 30 DN 30 CW 80 RL 0, AL CE, XP 65)

Treasure: silver belt buckle/lockpick combination worth 65gp

The DM should also allow a 15% chance the bogon is here if not encountered elsewhere previously, speaking with its charmed servitors.

7. Side Chamber

This 30' high cavern is distinguished only by the large hole in its ceiling, which passageway leads to area 6. The dragons can navigate this passageway to pass between these two areas.

8. Back Steps

These are a series of broad, steep steps of natural origin, with each terrace rising perhaps 3'-5' above the previous. The charmed human guards in areas 5 and 6 are forbidden to pass south of these steps.

A small side cavern to the west of the steps contains a large hole in the ceiling, which connects to a passageway that emerges into the ceiling of area 3. The dragons can use this passageway to escape or ambush intruders.

Upon the topmost (and southernmost) step has been cast a Magic Mouth spell. If a non-draconic being larger than the size of a housecat touches or passes the step, then the Magic Mouth will activate, yelling in the tongue of blue dragons:

Beware brethren, for an intruder has entered thy sanctum!

9. Bogon's Chamber

This small chamber is too small for the dragons to fit into. Within the small chamber, which is only 12' in height, can be found the bogon's resting place.

The bogon has guarded entry into its chamber by way of a cunning tripwire across the entrance that is attached to a light crossbow mounted on a pivot on the far wall of the chamber opposite the entryway. The crossbow is loaded with a quarrel which is steeped in poison (Type D save or suffer 30 points of damage, otherwise 2D6 damage, onset time of 1-2 minutes). The crossbow attacks as a warrior of 10th level and will often gain surprise.

Allow a 5% chance to casually notice the well-hidden tripwire in normal torch or light spell conditions, and a 75% chance for someone entering on foot to trip the trap.

Within, a soft bed of eagle feathers interwoven with oddments of fur and large insect wings rests on the floor in the centre of the chamber, as well as a partially eaten small furry animal of indeterminable origin.

Also in the chamber is a strange oil lantern made of bluish metal with shutters on all four sides and a wooden handle with a bone grip. A small flask of lantern oil and some flint and tinder lie nearby, and a small vial holds half a dose of Type D poison.

Allow a 20% chance that the bogon is resting in this chamber if not encountered elsewhere previously.

The lantern has a Leomund's Trap spell cast upon it (by one of the dragons at the bogon's behest).

The lantern is a magic item known in Morakki lore as Malthrox's Shadowcaster. Malthrox was an ancient Amorian wizard who devised the device in ancient times during the glory of that empire. When the Morakki armies occupied the Western Lands, a powerful wu-jen came in possession of the lantern and took it back into the east with him.

Over the centuries, the Shadowcaster was lost to wars and banditry, and it was finally located by the bogon, who values it above all other possible possessions.

Malthrox's Shadowcaster can be found in the Encyclopedia Magica V2 pg 644. Only wizards can use it. Two shutters have runes on them readable by Read Magic that read "Bizzait" and "Missathac". Any wizard touching the lantern is telepathically aware of its powers once they can read the two runes.

When lit and the Bizzait shutter is opened and the word spoken, a narrow beam of light is produced with the power to Dispel Magic as if cast by an 8th level wizard thrice per day. The area of effect is a 30' square area illuminated by the light, with a range of 30'-360' from the lamp.

When lit and the Missathac shutter is opened and the word spoken, once per week a 1' wide bright beam of light flashes forward and strikes the closest object out to a range of 60'. If this beam hits a living creature, a shadowclone is formed.

Shadowclone (AC as original, MV as original, HD special, hp 30, THAC0 15, #ATT 1, D 1D4 or by weapon type, SD +1 or better weapon to hit, MR 10%, AL N, XP variable) Intelligence is non-, Size is as original.

The shadowclone is a shadow copy of the original. The clone acts like its original, with the same size and speed and weapons held and armour worn. A shadowclone cannot cast spells or use psionics, and clones of magical items have no magical properties. The clone always attacks as a 6th level warrior. The clone is under the complete control of the lantern bearer, being immobile without direction. The bearer must concentrate to control the clone. If concentration is broken, the clone is dispelled. The clone lasts for 3D8+2 rounds.

The bogon will certainly attempt to use this lantern against the party (he has enough magical abilities to count as a wizard for the purposes of using the lantern). He will primarily seek to use it to dispel any particularly heinous spells the party might cast on one of the dragons. He will also likely use the shadowclone ability to distract the most potent-seeming mage in the party.

The bogon does not carry around his precious lantern except in emergencies.

10. Escape Way

The charmed human guards are forbidden from entering this hallway south of the entrance to area 9. This long passageway winds up and into the centre of the peak into which the cave is set, eventually emerging near the peak, perhaps another 2,000 feet up in an eyrie that allows the dragons to take flight.

A good 100 yards from where the passage ends on the cave map the dragons have collapsed the tunnel and then quickly wedged wooden tree trunks in place to support the collapse. The result is a deadfall that a fleeing dragon can bash with his tail as he runs, precipitating a collapse of the tunnel. The collapse is limited to the immediate area near the supports, and so unlikely to cause damage to pursuers, but it will effectively block the passageway for quite some time unless the pursuers are of gigantic strength or have magic to clear the way.

11. Dragon Hall

Here is the resting place of Falakal the blue dragon. This long hallway is flanked by uprooted trees that have been set at 20' intervals around the 60' high hallway. These trees are dried and desiccated and are used by the dragons as torches in time of need for torchlight. Generally, a dragon will breathe on some of the trees, catching them afire and the trees will burn for a time before going out. All of the trees have the signs of many lightning strikes upon them (dragons can lessen their breath weapons to do less damage and to perform actions like the lighting of these trees without destroying them utterly with a full breath blast).

In the centre of the chamber is a pile of treasure, though modest for these dragons' tastes, they do form a bed for Falakal.

Falakal can almost exclusively be found here resting upon his bed, unless roused to hunt or to exercise his wings in flight.

The treasure bed is composed of the following:

10000 cp
5000 sp
2750 ep
1000 gp
400 pp

A scimitar +1 encrusted with 3 rubies inside of which a tiny flame dances, each of which can be invoked to cast a hot Fire Shield around the wielder for 10 rounds. Each ruby disappears when so invoked. It appears 7 settings for missing rubies are also on the scimitar's pommel.

12 gems worth a total of 2500gp

A platinum holy symbol to Tul (god of the elements) studded in four gems (topaz, agate, diamond, and sard) worth 2750gp (twice that to a priest of Tul).

A set of 3 electrum hair sticks (like chopsticks) tied in a red silken ribbon. The hairsticks are inlaid with mother-of-pearl and show tiny scenes of boats in harbour. Each is worth 1000gp

A scroll tube of silver and sealed by red wax inside which is a scroll with the priest spells: Raise Dead, Remove Paralysis, Dimensional Folding, and Music of the Spheres (all at 10th level of ability)

Daimos' Spellbook (see Encyclopedia Magica V3 pg 1160) with the following spells:

Identify, Magic Missile, Invisibility, Levitate, Web, Fireball, Monster Summoning I (improved), Slow, Suggestion, Confusion, Fear, Fire Trap, Polymorph Self, Animate Dead, Cloudkill, Feeblemind, Flame Shroud, Watchware, Anti-Magic Shell, Disintegrate, Geas, Globe of Invulnerability, Reincarnation, Repulsion, Grasping Hand, Duo-Dimension, Power Word Stun, Vanish, Great Shout, Incendiary Cloud, Mind Blank, Astral Spell, Gate, and Imprisonment

Refer to the item description in Encyclopedia Magica for the unique spell descriptions (or substitute others). The Monster Summoning I is improved to allow the caster to determine the type of creature summoned from the list of creatures 75% of the time, but concentrating on this takes 1 round to cast and only 2D4 creatures will appear no matter what the type.

The spellbook has a magic mouth spell on it that appears on the front cover when first touched by a given creature. A cold, level, male voice speaks in Common "Put me down, or die."

A life-sized bronze statue of a Morakki lord with a No-dachi (2-handed Katana) upraised and sapphires (the statue is somewhat dented and worth approximately 1500gp, the sapphires worth 500gp each) which stands to the side of the treasure pile and which Falakal likes to gaze at and imagine he is fighting with the Morakki lord. The statue is very heavy.

12. Practice Chamber

The walls of this chamber are either black from lightning marks or have actually turned to glass in places, streaks of glass glistening where particularly hot lightning strokes have changed the rock into glass.

The dragons use this chamber to practice with their breath weapons. As such, and as a result of previous training for centuries, they are experts at the way lightning bolts bounce off of walls. The dragons use this ability effectively in combat (though a double strike does not do double damage, it does allow them to bank their breath around corners).

Aside from its use as a breath practice chamber, a large hole in the floor leads to a wide passageway that connects this chamber with area 14.

13. Jakalal's Chamber

While Falakal prefers his grand hallway, Jakalal lairs in a cavern that just fits his body and tail with enough room to move around as well. Within this cave can usually be found Jakalal, though he is often invisible. His treasure is pushed back into the two alcoves in the south of his chamber, so that someone coming upon his cave while he is invisible would notice no impression of a dragon indented into a bed of coins.

The treasure shoved into the alcoves consists of:

9500 cp
2000 sp
2500 ep
2000 gp
750 pp

A chardalyn stone (Encyclopedia Magica V4 pg 1308) which absorbs fireball of lightning bolts cast into it (100% of the time) or cast at the holder of the stone (on a 7 or less on a D12). If the stone is then hurled at an enemy and breaks the spell is released. If the stone breaks while in someone's possession, the spell activates.

Jakalal has breathed into this stone with his full breath weapon, making it a potent weapon. While he knows the stone absorbed the spell, he does not know it will release it when broken nor that it cannot absorb another spell.

Rod of the Seas (Encyclopedia Magica V3 pg 1022 - named Rod of the Aerdi Seas) with 20 charges. This rod casts fog cloud (1 charge), spectral force (2 charges) or programmed illusion (5 charges). Range is 240 yards and area of effect is 180' by 180'. Illusions not related to the sea or sailing are saved against at a +1.

An iron flask holding 3 doses of a potion of Extra-Healing.

A small pouch holding 12 small diamonds worth 250gp each

A small pouch holding 12 black pearls worth 500gp each

A locked iron box which holds a stone tablet upon which is inscribed the name of a Balor Tanar'ri (named Xyflagiostal) in Morakki characters along with the words: Keeper of the scourge and the flame. Anyone holding the tablet and saying the name has a 1% cumulative chance of summoning the Balor. It is up to the DM to handle the encounter. The Balor may demand a bribe not to slay the holder, or might simply attack the party.

14. Tree Chamber

This chamber contains many tree trunks, pulled out of the ground by the dragons and stored here for use as torches or to carry and drop from on high onto victims. A tree so dropped will do damage equivalent to a Stone Giant's boulder (i.e. 3D10) if dropped from a height of greater than 30'. Each 10' less than 30' is a D10 less of damage, and the trunk does 1D6 damage at a height under 10'. The dragons have a to hit penalty of -1 for each 10' of height from which the trunk is dropped.

There are at least 50 such trunks stacked here.

Also here is a large hole in the floor that leads to a wide passage through which the dragons can enter area 12.

Draconic Tactics:

These dragons are clever and well trained, especially to fight together. Jakalal often keeps himself invisible for days at a time, meanwhile relearning the spell for casting upon his brother.

The dragons are adept at bouncing their breath weapon off of walls, and have practiced and studied this technique for centuries. In addition, they know the layout of this cave very well, and so they would have no problem bouncing their breath weapons around corners and into the party.

The dragons also have a few dirty tricks with regard to the pool in area 4. A favoured tactic is to wait at the entrance to area 7 and listen for sounds of someone crossing the stream into area 4. While someone is crossing, the dragon breathes his breath into the water just at the point that it emerges out of the wall and into the lake. The lightning touches the water and erupts in a fireball-sized radius, extending 20' out towards the lake, and also extending some 80' back up the 5' wide stream! Anyone caught in the eastern 40' of the stream as it crosses the entry into area 4 will be hit by the jolt of dragon's breath…. ostensibly without ever seeing the dragon that breathed it or knowing from whence it came!

The dragons are also fond of casting a grease spell on a person just as they move towards the lake and get within 10' of it, causing them to perhaps plummet into the icy lake and, if in armour, perhaps sink to the bottom and drown. Anyone finding himself in the lake must worry about the cold, drowning, and the dragon breath igniting the water around him!

The dragons know of magic and will never try to find themselves adjacent to each other. They most often favour one of them engaging the enemy while the other sneaks up from behind.

These dragons are not about to give up their cave or treasure easily, but they do value their lives above their treasure, and so can be made to flee if things get too dicey, especially if the sibling is slain.

The dragons also place great store in the bogon and his lamp (which can dispel magic) and they will definitely use him to full effect.

The party's encounter with these dragons should be a very very deadly one unless the party proceeds with absolute extreme caution and foresight and plans its tactics very very well. There is a lot of good treasure to be had here, but the risks are great.

Uh Oh the Party is Going to Die!:

Should things get too out of hand for the party, keep in mind that the dragons most likely think they are treasure hunters and therefore do not know the party was sent to slay them specifically.

The party can certainly attempt to surrender to the dragons. The dragons, as evidenced from their human guards, are not above sparing useful humans, and they might certainly wish to bargain for some service of the part in exchange for setting them free.

In addition, should the party divulge why they came to the dragons, the brothers are smart enough to guess who the merchant at the bazaar really is. In this case, they may wish to strike a deal with the party to help them slay their father. Of course, the dragons will want some hostages or some sort for assurances against betrayal by the party, and will check for such with ESP spells, but if the dragons give their word that they will not harm the party if they help slay their father, then they will keep true to their word.

If this happens, the DM will have to determine Angaralok's statistics and set up the encounter. Should the DM not wish to design Angaralok's lair, they can have the dragon brothers and the party ambush him outside his lair, perhaps when the party returns to the bazaar to inform the "merchant" of the success of their mission.

Should the brothers and the party slay Angaralok, allow the party to gain none of Angaralok's treasure except for the map leading to the Folding Boat.

Proceed to Part 2 of the Adventure

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