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Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)

Introduction

Fighter's Challenge II is a ONE-ON-ONE™

adventure. It is designed for very small gaming
groups or as a way to give a solitary player char-
acter some experience before entering an existing
OFFICIAL GAME
campaign.
This adventure is suited for a 4th- through 6th-

Fighters level warrior PC. A warrior built with the Cava-

lier or Noble Warrior kit from The Complete

ChaLLerage II Fighter's Handbook, acting as knight errant, is

likely to be best off in this adventure, but other
warrior types such as paladins or rangers could
by Drew Bittner also be used.
It is possible that one or two other players may
Introduction 1 wish to become involved in this adventure. If so,
Background Information 2 there are a couple of nonplayer characters (NPCs)
Part One: The Tower 3 available who, with a little work, could be used
Part Two: Goblin Village 8 as the main PC's companions. DMs including
Part Three: Woodland Trail 11 additional players are advised to check subse-
Part Four: Spiderwebs 13 quent encounters, adjusting the opposition to
Part Five: King of the Forest 14 keep it from becoming too easy for the PCs.
Part Six: Cut Off at the Pass 16 The Background Information gives the PC a
Part Seven: Gloombarrow 17 behind-the-scenes view of events occurring before
Part Eight: Home to Tramilar 23 the adventure itself begins. In Part One, "The
Part Nine: Castle Tramilar 24 Tower," the PC discovers himself in the middle of
Part Ten: Down in the Dungeon 27 an adventure with serious political overtones.
Part Eleven: Continuing Adventures 29 The PC must rescue a kidnapped princess and
Random Encounters 31 escort her through dangerous territory to restore
Castle Folk 31 her to her rightful place.
The adventure becomes a test of survival,
Editing: Mark Shipley throwing the PC and his charge into a series of
Cover Illustration: Erik Olson dangerous situations and unusual encounters.
Interior Illustrations: Valerie Valusek These include meeting a druid and a ranger, run-
Cartography: John Knecht ning from goblins, a meeting with an undead
Typography: Angelika Lokotz lord, and a climactic confrontation with the evil
witch who is the mastermind behind the prin-
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, and MONSTROUS
COMPENDIUM are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ONE-ON-ONE,
cess's abduction. The module also includes sec-
DUNGEON MASTER, DM, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. tions dealing with further adventures and
All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are
trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
detailing major NPCs and random encounters.
© 1994 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Though this module uses the pronoun "he" for
Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in
the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book
the PC, the PC can be a female as well, with no
and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and change in the adventure's outcome.
hobby trade by regional distributors.
This product is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of
America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork
contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

ISBN 0-56076-826-6 9427XXX1501

Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)

Background Information

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The Kingdom of Tramilar is now a small land, admired by the people, as is his grand ambition
though once it was truly a mighty kingdom. The to reclaim the northern regions Tramilar used to
Great Pox changed that. Sweeping through this control. His soldiers have made forays against
corner of the world just over twenty years ago, it the goblins, holding them behind the Stone Ridge
depopulated this realm, killing large numbers of at the northernmost edge of Tramilar.
people, until the epidemic ended as quickly as it Ormath's weak-willed son, Alfinor, stands to
had begun. It left a land tottering on the edge of inherit the throne. His daughter, Princess Ariella,
ruin, which is only now beginning to rebuild awaits a suitable proposal from an eligible noble-
itself. Tramilar's former northern areas are now man. Alfinor has gained little respect with the
wild and overgrown, infested with goblins and people, as he is a wastrel and spendthrift who
other monsters who have taken advantage of spends most of his time gambling and drinking,
Tramilar's weakness. while Ariella is beloved for her kindness.
Tramilar's settled areas are temperate and cov- Just recently, Princess Ariella has been acting
ered by arable land, with scattered forests and strangely. None can account for her unpredictable
rocky hills. The kingdom is occupied mostly by mood swings, her sudden caprices, or her fits of
farmers and homesteaders who produce enough sulking in her room.
to feed the people and pay their taxes. Woodcut- The most optimistic believe Ariella's actions
ters gradually clear away the forests on the king- are merely a phase. Others see dire portents in
dom's southern reaches. her irrational behavior. This castle gossip is
Tramilar's king, Ormath the Just, has ruled for rapidly spreading across Tramilar, and many
30 years. His justice and strength of character are wonder about the kingdom's future.

Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)

Part One: The Tower

It is a calm, beautiful day in early summer. the character understands Goblin, he makes out
This far into the wilderness, with no human soul that they are gambling). If he doesn't see the
for miles in any direction, it is possible to appreci- entrance, the goblins remain a surprise until later.
ate the raw beauty of nature. A glance at the tower reveals a broken-down
The terrain around the PC is hilly grassland, and very old structure. There are missing bricks
with the beginnings of a heavy forest just visible and jagged cracks in the walls. Tiles fallen from
over the next line of hills. Once the final rise is the roof lie on the ground amid chunks of mortar
topped, the view of the Dreadwoods is unmatched and brick, while thick vines grow on the walls.
. . . but not entirely welcome. A great wall of The door is a single massive piece of oak, banded
gray-brown tree trunks, thatched by every shade by rusting iron and held on by large, sturdy
of green ever seen by the eye of man, confronts hinges. The handle sports an old and poorly
the PC like a cresting tidal wave of vegetation. A maintained lock (+10% to Open Locks attempts).
dim aura of menace clings to this wood, with The door is not locked.
deep shadows behind and between the trees and Behind the tower, a crude corral has been con-
in the underbrush. It seems as though the woods structed. A light riding horse idly crops the
are waiting for the PC to come close. sparse grass in this enclosure, glancing up when
A small breeze springs up, carrying the stench the PC appears but taking no other action. A sad-
of a marshland to the PC's nose, even though dle and riding tack, adjusted for a man-sized
there is no evidence of stagnant water anywhere rider, is slung astride the corral's fence and is
in sight. Nor are there the kinds of buzzing insects covered by a tarp. The rest of the area behind the
common to such a swamp. Indeed, the PC notices tower is thick with weeds and small bushes. No
that there are few sounds of any kind nearby, and rear entrance to this tower is apparent. The
none of them emanate from the Dreadwoods woman's voice comes from inside, through an
themselves. arrow slit broken out to make a window.
This ancient forest earns its name every year, It is possible to enter the tower by scaling the
as travelers frequently vanish in its verdant wall to the window or by digging out one of the
depths. Armed soldier or solitary woodcutter, it cracked foundation bricks. Climbing up to the
makes little difference. Monsters roam from the window can be accomplished by using the rules
Dreadwoods to attack homesteads, requiring a in the Player's Handbook or the Mountaineering
vigilant military presence. The Dreadwoods proficiency. The PC might also try to dig away
devour those they choose and spare the rest, who one of the tower's lower foundation stones.
often have harrowing tales to tell of their experi- Many are loose and could be moved aside with a
ences in those unnatural woods. moderate amount of effort. Most likely, the PC
The wind dies down and the PC can hear the will climb up to the window, but tailor the de-
sound of a woman crying out, somewhere nearby. scription and the encounter to work with any rea-
Just over a low ridge to the east, the PC can see a sonable plan.
squat, ruined tower constructed of pitted and The ruined tower's lowest floor is presently
cracked gray stone. Its base is surrounded by dominated by a sizeable iron cage, which holds a
wild, untended bushes. The tower stands near a beautiful maiden. The cage's top is covered by a
rocky outcrop, which is also skirted by shrubbery. rough set of planks to provide some protection
There is a chance (base 20%, +1% per point of from bad weather.
Intelligence and Wisdom) that the PC spots a There are a lot of smashed furniture pieces and
small cave entrance concealed behind the plant loose bricks on the floor. Many of the bricks
life. If he succeeds, he can approach. Listening apparently from where the upper floors have
carefully, he notices voices muttering in Goblin (if fallen in. A staircase once wound around the

Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)

Part One: The Tower

inside wall, but now is fallen into disrepair, col- ceiling. Each ledge is 1 foot thick and about 5 feet
lapsing entirely halfway between the second and across, providing the wyvern that guards the
third floors. A PC studying the staircase from the tower with plenty of room to hide itself and its
window can see that its splintery boards won't treasure.
support the weight of an armored man. A rope Although a thick patina of dust covers every-
lowered from the window is required to get thing, a strange odor hangs in the air of this
safely inside. tower. It is a musky reek, like leather left rotting
Glancing upward, the PC sees a huge hole in mixed with an unmistakable smell of dung.
the roof. This hole explains the partial shielding Meanwhile, the maiden forlornly cries, "Is
the planking gives the captive, but gives no clue there no one there? Please, if you can hear my
as to what could have made such a hole in the call, save me!"
first place. There is a 50% chance she spots the PC as he
The upper floors have been broken away by looks through the window; if so, she shouts to
brute force, leaving a large space inside of the old him, "You! O rescuer! You have heard my calls!
structure. Where the upper floors were, only Please help! Quick as you can, set me free! Before
jagged ledges remain. The first ledge is 15 feet off the flying beast returns!"
the floor and the second is 25 feet above that. Her cries have a 20% chance of summoning the
There is a 6-foot gap between that ledge and the wyvern which is guarding the tower before the

Tower

Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)

Part One: The Tower

PC can climb down a rope or enter through the The wyvern stays airborne while attacking, so
front door. If this occurs, the combat between the that it can use its sting attack and its bite together.
two takes place outdoors, where the wyvern can If it is grounded by attacks to its wings, it suffers
use its flying abilities to fullest advantage by the same movement penalties as the PC.
avoiding close combat. The five goblins in the If the PC is stung by the wyvern's tail, the poi-
cave will appear within ld4+2 rounds to assist son can be neutralized by a healthy swallow from
the wyvern (if they can hear the combat, they a stone jug tucked by the door. This fluid is not
investigate it as quickly as they can get armed magical, being an alchemical anti-venom specifi-
and armored). Their combat tactics in this situa- cally useful against wyvern stings (at the DM's
tion call for one of them to use the crossbow, option, it may offer +1 or +2 to saving throws
while the other four secure the princess and hold against stings from large insects). It contains six
her hostage, if necessary. doses of anti-venom. Ariella knows about the jug
and points it out to the PC after the battle. It was
Beware the Wyvern! placed there to give the goblins some protection
Getting inside is surprisingly easy. In spite of against the wyvern's bad temper.
its formidable appearance, the door can be pushed
aside with a successful Open Doors roll. The lock Meeting the Princess
isn't broken, but it isn't locked. (None of the gob- When the wyvern is overcome, the PC has a
lins have the key!) moment to meet the young lady he fought to res-
The tower's floor is covered with garbage and cue. The iron cage is not easily opened, as it
loose, shifting trash of all sorts. Footing is not boasts a high-quality mechanism (-10% to Open
especially treacherous, but characters can only go Locks).
at two-thirds of their normal speed and remain "You killed the wyvern!" she exclaims. "You
certain of their balance; only characters with certainly are a powerful warrior! Have you come
acrobatic training or a Dexterity of 15 or more can to rescue me?"
go at their normal movement rate.
If the PC enters the tower without being spot- Princess Ariella (0-level): AC 7; MV 12; hp 4;
ted, the wyvern flaps down from the top ledge to THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; AL NG;
attack him as he crosses the floor. The PC gets to Str 9, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 14;
roll a save vs. paralyzation to detect the wyvern, ML 10.
as the sound of leathery wings flapping is obvi-
ous in the otherwise silent tower. If the PC doesn't Weapon Proficiencies: None.
notice the wyvern, the caged maiden sees it and
alerts the PC before it strikes. Nonweapon Proficiencies: Dancing 12, Etiquette
16, Local History 16, Reading/Writing 13, Rid-
Wyvern (1): AC 5; MV 6/24; HD 5+5; hp 24; ing (land-based) 15.
THACO 15; #AT 2; Dmg 1-12/1-4; AL N(E); SA
poison sting (Type F; +2 to saving throw); ML Equipment: Robe of protection +3 (also proof
14; XP 1,350. (This is a young and semi-tame against dirt and tearing; protection extends
wyvern; its statistics reflect its youth.) to footwear), fancy ring (2,000 gp value—
she specifically mentions it is a gift from her
The wyvern has hidden its treasure on the first father).
ledge off the ground. It has 700 gp and six gems
(100 gp, 250 gp, 320 gp, 480 gp, 515 gp and 530 gp Ariella is a lovely 18-year-old woman, with
value) up on the ledge. long hair, large emerald-green eyes, and a slender

Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)

Part One: The Tower

figure, wrapped in a lavender dress and a dove "Oh, I thought you'd already seen them," she
gray robe. She wears lavender slippers on her says apologetically. "There are goblins out there,
delicate feet. standing guard. Or they're supposed to stand
Ariella, although well intentioned, is not very guard, anyway. Maybe they left. They certainly
bright and has led a very sheltered life. She is don't seem very interested in staying in here, with
stubborn, too. The DM should play up on this for that terrible wyvern flapping about! They come in
comic effect whenever possible. here to bring in food and water, empty the cham-
Her voice, when she addresses the PC, is musi- berpot, things like that. They're so awful! Maybe
cal and lilting. "What in the name of Good King they went home. Oh! There they are!"
Ormath kept you? I've been trapped here for four The PC looks over and sees two goblins paus-
days! Don't you know it's rude to keep a princess ing at the doorway. Surprised at finding the
waiting? Wait just a moment, I don't recognize wyvern dead, they hesitate just long enough for
you. Did my father send you? You aren't a brig- the PC to try to block them by holding the door-
and, are you?" way (the sole defensible position in or around the
The PC can introduce himself at this point. If tower). He must make a Dexterity check in order
he is of noble birth, she gains +2 to her reaction to to reach the door over the treacherous flooring
the PC. If he isn't, she is at - 1 , to a minimum reac- before the goblins have all entered.
tion of "Cautious" (a rescue is a rescue, after all). One goblin (the corporal in charge of this
She adds that she is the princess of Tramilar, a squad) uses a light crossbow from the safety of
kingdom just south of the Dreadwoods. Having the doorway, two others use short stabbing spears,
been trapped here for four days now, she is grate- and the other two use short swords. They try to
ful to be rescued, but there is one little hitch—the surround the PC and attack whatever side is un-
cage is locked and she doesn't know where the defended while the others harry him.
key is. Ariella insists the key has to be around The goblins fight until two have been killed or
somewhere. four have suffered the loss of more than half their
The PC can try to break the lock, which re- hit points; they must make a morale check at this
quires a Bend Bars/Lift Gates success, or he can point to continue fighting. If they fail, they flee
locate the key. Either effort requires two to three into the rocky crags, the crossbow-using corporal
rounds. covering his men while they retreat. Once out-
Meanwhile, the five goblins in the nearby cave side, they look for places to hide until their leader
approach to challenge the intruder. They aren't returns (see Vorok, below).
very disciplined or prepared, since they expect The goblins have little treasure, possessing a
the wyvern's poison would finish off any inter- total of 79 sp and 41 cp, plus three bottles of aver-
loper; their approach is so careless that they gain age quality wine and rations for three days.
no bonus to surprise or initiative. The goblin with the crossbow has an iron key
in his belt, which is dropped if that goblin flees
Goblins (5): AC 6; MV 6; HD 1-1; hp 5 (average); the combat. It fits the keyhole and Princess Ariella
THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 (light crossbow, is free! Ariella daintily steps from her prison,
stabbing spears and short swords); AL LE; ML appearing as regal as though she were alighting
10; XP 15. from a fancy carriage.

"I know there's a key, because the goblins Choosing Directions

locked me in here and a big goblin comes in every Once the PC and Ariella get out of the tower,
day to drop off food and water," she explains. they have to choose a direction to follow in get-
Goblins? ting Ariella home.

6
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part One: The Tower

According to what Ariella has overheard from Weapon Proficiencies: Battle axe (specialization:
the goblins, the start of the Forest Road is not far +1 to hit, +2 damage), dagger, heavy crossbow,
distant to the east. Tramilar is almost directly spear, bastard sword.
south, on the other side of the Dreadwoods.
"I've heard the woods are dangerous," Ariella Proficiencies: Direction Sense 12, Fire-building
says, "but our huntsman says their reputation is 14, Riding (land-based) 14, Weather Sense 12.
much exaggerated. He insists that if a person
doesn't return from the Dreadwoods, it is proba- Equipment: Fine-quality battle axe, studded
bly due to his own carelessness. Shall we walk leather armor, medium shield +1, three daggers,
through the woods? They don't seem so bad to a heavy crossbow and 12 quarrels, two spears,
brave warrior like you, do they?" light riding horse.
Going through the Dreadwoods and over the
Stone Ridge would bring Ariella home within a If the PC doesn't want to fight Vorok, he can
week, where it would take possibly three times as attempt to outdistance him by winning three con-
long to go around and involve a voyage through secutive Riding proficiency checks. Vorok tries to
equally desolate and monster-infested waste- at least engage the PC and will pursue until he
lands. Further, the dangerous Pirate Coast lies to catches up or is totally outdistanced. The PC may
the west, where corsairs are known to prey on disengage and renew his flight by winning
hapless wanderers. another Riding proficiency check. Should the PC
Ariella encourages the PC to follow the Forest be chased near the goblin village, Vorok gives up
Road, especially since she's always longed for "a the chase (these village goblins belong to an
real adventure," yet wants badly to be home enemy tribe), but not before sounding his horn.
soon. She is certain her father and brother are This action should confuse and alarm the PC into
heartsick with worry over her. "If we ride, we thinking that Vorok has probably summoned or
could be home in only a few days," she urges. alerted reinforcements of some kind, only to have
"Saddle the horse, warrior, and let's be gone from those fears evaporate when Vorok actually wheels
this terrible place!" his horse around and rides away!
As soon as the last girth is buckled, the sounds In reality, Vorok sounds his horn to alert the
of a horse approaching can be heard coming from sentinels of the nearby goblin village to the pres-
around the corner of the tower. It is Vorok One- ence of an intruder. Killing or unhorsing Vorok
Eye, who has been out riding. He is a spectacu- prevents the half-ore from warning the villagers
larly ugly half-ore warrior, and he doesn't look of the intruders' presence.
very pleased to see the PC and Ariella stealing his Vorok won't be too concerned if the PC and
spare mount! Ariella fall into the hands of these goblins, as he
Vorok approaches slowly and confidently. He has a spy planted in their midst—Gunk (see page
smiles evilly at the PC and says, "Well, lookee 10 for details).
here. Guess the little missy got herself a hee-ro.
Guess we gonna have hee-ro stew tonight, huh?"
He urges his horse forward, swinging his battle
axe idly, whistling a little tune under his breath.

Vorok One-Eye (F5): AC 5; MV 12; hp 38; THACO

16; #AT 1 (3/2*); Dmg by weapon; AL NE; Str
17, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 5; ML
15; XP 650.

Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)

Part Two: Goblin Village

Goblin Village

A short but vigorous ride carries the PC and horseback.) Four more goblins with crossbows
Ariella from sloping plains into light woods. Sun- cover the Woodland Trail branch. Each goblin
light streams through the trees, erasing shadows will get one crossbow shot if the PC and Ariella
and banishing fears. This part of the forest is wel- choose to make a run for the Woodland Trail.
coming and beautiful. Ariella points this out and The other goblins, armed with short swords
tries to use this as an example of how exagger- and spears, hurry forward to clap the prisoners in
ated the Dreadwoods' bad reputation is. chains. They attack to capture, not kill, intruders
The Forest Road comes to an end at a fork. The because they need slaves to work the goblins'
right-hand path is the beginning of the Woodland mines.
Trail. The left-hand path travels up to a broad The goblin village, which is just out of sight off
stone shelf two-thirds of the way up a rocky cliff. of the path, is hard to avoid. One option for
At the foot of this path are two goblin warriors. bypassing combat is riding straight for the Wood-
One of them has a copper horn, which he sounds land Trail, where a weathered sign points out
whenever travelers come into sight. This alerts a "Directions South," along with a rune similar to a
group of eight more armed goblins on patrol, just dragon's or raven's claw (a local, traditional sym-
on the other side of the Forest Road's edge. (In bol for danger).
other words, these goblins should be able to If the PC is being careful, he might also have
intercept the PC and Ariella, even if they are on the chance to enter the woods to avoid notice.

8
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Two: Goblin Village

Travel speed is cut to one-quarter normal and the brings a nasty grin to the goblin king's craggy,
goblins have a 15% base chance, +5% per addi- toadlike face.
tional spotter, to notice the PC and his ward pass- "This is good! We've had no sport since winter
ing through the forest nearby. It is also possible to ended! You will fight! Do you hear, people? We
ride hard back along the trail, but Vorok was will have a combat today!"
waiting for them to do that. This is not a request. The princess is almost im-
mediately pulled out of the gladiatorial pit, and the
Goblin Village Layout PC's weapons are thrown in at his feet. Khurm
The village rests on a spacious stone ledge, 160 mutters to himself about how to ransom Ariella for
feet by 200 feet, and consists of five crudely built a fabulous sum, and guessing which manacles will
stone longhouses, averaging 30 feet by 20 feet fit the PC when he is thrown into the mines. The
(though one is notably larger and higher quality) PC is just close enough to catch these mutterings.
and arranged in a circle around a slightly sunken Khurm won't let the PC be killed in the com-
circular pit 10 feet across. This pit holds bonfires bat, stopping his champion once the PC is uncon-
at night and is the ring for the occasional gladia- scious, though he doesn't say this.
torial combat. A cave at the northwestern edge of
the ledge is the entrance to the goblin mines, Khurm the Goblin King
where the goblins' slaves toil for the remainder of Khurm is a large goblin (hp 7), though not as
their short lives. (These caves are not otherwise strong as in his prime. He once fought as well as a
described. Unless things go badly wrong, the PC hobgoblin, but now is equivalent to a goblin (use
and his companion should never see the inside of the statistics on page 6) though he has an Intelli-
these caves.) Near the cave is a wooden corral, gence of 12 and a Wisdom of 13. He maintains his
which soon holds the PC's new horse. position through shrewd manipulation and
If the PC and princess are captured, they are intriguing.
taken to the center of the village and shoved into His single magic item is a dagger +1, +3 vs.
the shallow pit, facing the mine entrance. The lycanthropes; he carries this dagger on him at all
entire population of the village turns out to wit- times. The PC may have a chance to take it, if he
ness the prisoners being marched into the center can grapple Khurm during his escape attempt.
of the village; there are 24 goblin women and 15
children. Khurm, the goblin king, comes with his The PC can see that none of the goblins arrayed
retinue of eight warriors to inspect the prisoners before him seem especially dangerous. He is
for their potential value as slaves. given the choice of fighting or going immediately
His glance at Ariella takes in her fine clothing into the slave mines. If he accepts, the goblins
and noble features. "You are a pretty and well-fed part as if by magic and the goblin king's cham-
young human," he observes in Common. "Your pion appears. A huge, bulky figure girded in
father must be quite wealthy. What would he pay filthy leather armor, the champion of this village
for your safe return, I wonder? Probably a trunk full is a half-ogre fighter named "Hragh!"
of gold, I think. You will tell us who your father is,
and we will see if he loves you more than gold, eh?" Hragh! (F4): AC 7; MV 9; hp 31; THAC0 16; #AT 1
He cackles at his own joke, then turns to the PC. (3/2*); Dmg by weapon; AL CE; Str 17, Dex 11,
"You!" he says. "You look strong! You wear Con 15, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 7; ML 15; XP120.
armor and carry weapons. A warrior, true?"
If the PC doesn't answer, a goblin quickly Weapon Proficiencies: War hammer ^specializa-
nudges him in the back with a spearpoint, en- tion: +1 to hit, +2 damage), heavy crossbow,
couraging a prompt answer. A positive response spear, bastard sword.

9
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Two: Goblin Village

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Direction Sense 12, ment in saddlebags or otherwise left with the
Weather Sense 12, Climbing 14. horse is lost.
If the situation becomes desperate, the PC
Equipment: Fine-quality war hammer, leather
could conceivably take (though not kill!) a
armor, tower shield, heavy crossbow and 12
hostage. Seizing Khurm, by grappling him dur-
quarrels, two spears, heavy riding horse.
ing the escape, prevents the goblins from attack-
Note: Hragh! does not have his crossbow or ing immediately, but ensures that they'll pursue
spears in the gladiatorial ring; his sole weapon the PC and Ariella to the best of their ability.
for this combat is his war hammer. Khurm's pride demands they suffer a heavy price
for this indignity! (In game terms, the DM should
Hragh! is not much of a gladiator, going for make one encounter check at the druid's cottage,
straight-out killing blows rather than the flashier morning time, and at the spider's grove. Success
moves of a true battle-artist. He knows he is not indicates that Id4-1 goblins have caught up with
to kill the PC outright, as it would make his life the PC and Ariella at this juncture and must be
unpleasant, and not even the pleasure of combat defeated or eluded.)
is worth that. If all else fails, Vorok's spy, a sneaky goblin
Through the gaps between her fingers, eyes named Gunk, tries to get the PC and princess out
half shut, Ariella watches the combat. She shouts by claiming to be a friend. He returns the PC's
encouragement to the PC and squeaks with fright weapons and leads them out of the village. He
whenever the PC is beset by the half-ogre. will not help recover their horse, as the corral is
If the PC loses to the half-ogre, his unconscious guarded by a watchful sentry. He leads them
form is thrown into a storeroom in a longhouse, directly to where Vorok is waiting in ambush.
where he will be imprisoned until he recovers Vorok has a +2 to his chance of catching both the
enough to work in the mines. Escape attempts PC and Ariella by surprise. He attacks to kill the
should be worked out between player and DM. PC, so that he can take Ariella prisoner once more
If the PC bests the half-ogre, the goblins are for his employer, Zharta the Witch. This combat
taken entirely by surprise for one round, giving takes place far enough away from the village that
the PC a chance to grab Ariella and make an the goblins there will not investigate.
escape attempt. Since nearly everyone was gath-
ered around the central gladiatorial/fire pit, there
are no sentries to block their progress. Soldier-
goblins, captivated by the combat, are slow to
respond to the orders screamed by a furious
Khurm, but they try to follow the PC and his
ward on foot as fast as they can.
With their superior movement rate, the es-
capees should be able to outrace the goblins with
little difficulty. If encumbrance or other factors
are likely to prove a hindrance, have the goblins
confiscate most of the PC's possessions to rid him
of that pesky weight problem.
In any event, the odds are against the PC reach-
ing his borrowed mount, as it is corralled at the
wrong end of the village from the Woodland Trail
(see Village Map). Any item or piece of equip-

10
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Three: Woodland Trail

Beyond the goblin village, the wooden sign and not a goblin signal). The door opens soon
mentioned above points out the northern end of afterward, and a middle-aged man steps out.
the Woodland Trail. The sign is visible from 60
yards away. The forest just past the sign grows Kesryk (D5): AC 9; MV 9; hp 32; THACO 18; #AT
thick swiftly, allowing little sunlight to cut 1; Dmg by weapon; AL N; Str 10, Dex 10, Con
through the foliage and dapple the ground. Nor- 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15; ML 12.
mal woodland sounds, audible near the goblin
village, gradually fade into silence, leaving the Weapon Proficiencies: Staff, sling, dagger.
forest unnaturally quiet.
Although there are no actual dangers or wan- Nonweapon Proficiencies: Animal Lore 14, Cook-
dering monsters in this part of the Dreadwoods, ing 12, Healing 15, Herbalism 16, Local History
the atmosphere is one of gloom and dire menace; 13.
as such, it should play on the PC's nerves. Ariella
is very nervous, muttering prayers or childhood Equipment: Quarterstaff, chain mail, medium
rhymes to keep her mind off her dismal sur- wooden shield, sling, two daggers, mule.
roundings.
It takes four hours of travel through the murky Spells (memorized): (1st) Animal friendship, cure
woods to reach a good stopping point (the druid's light wounds, endure heat/cold; (2nd) barkskin,
cottage). As the druid's cottage is neared, the trail heat metal, speak with animals; (3rd) spike growth.
cuts through a particularly heavy stand of trees
shrouded with dense underbrush. The thorn- Kesryk is a kind and friendly individual. He
studded shrubbery seems to reach for the PC and quickly spots the PC and steps closer, addressing
princess, but only plucks at their clothing. They him over the low wall of thorny shrubs.
don't get entangled unless they are moving at full "Well, young one, you must not be very com-
normal movement or are fighting. As they cross fortable sitting in the bushes like that," he says to
this stretch of forest, the dimness of the deep the PC. "Won't you come in and make yourself at
woods seems to lighten somewhat up ahead. A home? Or are you traveling with others, whom I
small stream can be heard gurgling further along cannot see?"
the trail. Ariella seems jubilant at this tiny crumb Despite his friendly overtures, Kesryk is ready
of hope. for trouble. His closest animal friend, a huge
"Ah, salvation! Fresh water! Hurry ahead, and brown bear, is close at hand and can be sum-
see what can be seen!" Ariella urges the PC to moned by whistling.
scout the land ahead until he agrees to do so.
Upon advancing, the PC finds a clearing ringed Brown Bear (1): AC 6; MV 12, HD 5+5, hp 24;
by heavy, thorny bushes, broken only by a path of THACO 15; #AT 3; Dmg 1-6/1-6/1-8; AL N; ML
crushed stone that leads to the door of a well- 10; XP 420.
tended cottage. A garden lies alongside the cot-
tage. There are heads of lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, The brown bear (who Kesryk calls "Voro") is
squash, and even a couple of pumpkins. Behind fiercely protective of the druid, and comes at a
the cottage is a clothesline bearing a couple of charge when Kesryk whistles for him.
trousers and a shirt. If the PC checks the site At this point, the PC ought to mention that he
quickly and returns to Ariella, he notices nothing is traveling with a companion, whereupon Kes-
else. If he remains a moment, to catch a glimpse of ryk asks him to summon or retrieve this compan-
the cottage's occupants, he hears a bird call (Ani- ion and be his guests for dinner. If the PC goes
mal Lore proficiency reveals this is a real bird call inside first, to scout out the druid's cottage, he

11
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Three: Woodland Trail

hears a piercing shriek within a few minutes. It is Kesryk assumes without even asking that the
Ariella, who is thoroughly entangled in Kesryk's PC and Ariella will stay the night, since there are
thorns. Her magical robe has protected her from many dangers and few places of safety in the
any scratches, but she is in a foul mood because, Dreadwoods. He will also heal the PC of any
as she says, "You left me out there in the forest, injuries sustained thus far. Ariella insists on pay-
where any kind of wild beast could have attacked ing the druid for any healing, but has no money.
and eaten me!" The PC will have to pay.
When she sees the bear, she screams and points, The night is uneventful, except that Voro can
requiring a great deal of calming down before be heard snuffling around the compound. Once
introductions can be made. or twice, a muffled shout is audible as someone
Kesryk knows of Ariella and is very surprised rapidly flees the area.
to find the princess so far from home. He is also When morning comes, Kesryk cooks a hearty
very concerned that in the last week, there's been breakfast and points to where he has gathered
a great upswing of woodcutting on the edges of provisions in two small, bulging sacks. There is
the forest. His "sources" tell him that Prince Alfi- enough food to keep both well fed for three days,
nor is responsible, or has at least given his per- easily, up to five if the meals are a bit scanty. "You
mission to the woodcutters. If the PC reveals who may have to do some foraging or hunting of your
Ariella is, Kesryk persuades Ariella to set matters own, children," he says. He has also found some
right when she is back home. additional clothing for Ariella, including sturdy
For now, however, Kesryk offers them the hos- walking shoes and a thick cloak, plus two old
pitality of his house, which includes a meal. and tattered blankets. "You need hardier clothes
Bread is just finished baking and a fresh pot of to go into the woods, my dear, and I'd not see
honey is in the kitchen (hidden from the bear). you so poorly equipped!" he says.
Cheese, fruits, and green salad complete the If the two travelers ask him to accompany
meal. Kesryk is a vegetarian. them, he says he is very sorry but there are too
Over dinner, the druid offers to share his knowl- many matters requiring his personal attention for
edge of the woods so that the PC and his ward him to help her return to her rightful place. "I do
may have an easier journey: wish you the very best, children," he says warmly.
Finally, there is nothing left to say except
• Following this trail, the PC and his ward will farewells. Kesryk and Voro watch the two as they
come across a river, with a bridge spanning it. travel down the trail and out of sight.
The man there is aggressive and may challenge At the DM's discretion, should another player
the PC to a nonlethal contest of arms for the want to get involved, Kesryk could be used as
right to use the bridge. another PC, though subsequent encounters should
• There are giant spiders living in the forest, be altered to keep them challenging.
though none have ever been seen near the trail.
• On the far end of the forest is some kind of
tomb, dedicated to an ancient hero. Few peo-
ple ever go there, though it was once the desti-
nation of many pilgrimages.
• Because the forest itself is quite dark, several
monsters prowl around inside without fear of
the light of day. The PC and the princess should
take caution, running if they encounter any-
thing truly dangerous.

12
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Four: Spiderwebs

The day passes uneventfully as the PC and hide pouch holding a bead offorce. It takes Id8+1
Ariella walk along. As they continue, the woods turns to find all the treasure.
grow thicker and seem more menacing. By late
afternoon, the trees are gloomy and oppressive. Once the spiders are overcome, the man in the
The trail narrows to an effective width of 4 feet. webs is quickly cut free. Although a bit woozy
"Help! Help, travelers!" comes a shout from from the poison bite, he manages a graceful bow.
high up in a tree. Looking upward, the adventur- "Greetings, my very good friends! I am Rhodoban
ers see a manlike figure thrashing within a shroud the Magnificent, minstrel and bard, teller of tales
of gray strands tightly wrapped around him. and singer of great ballads, and such will I create
Swarming in the trees overhead are three large to commemorate this battle! "
spiders, apparently looking to add to their food
supply. They scuttle over to position themselves Rhodoban (B4): AC 8; MV 12; hp 16; THACO 19;
above the PC and Ariella, webs drop down, and #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; AL NG; Str 10, Dex 14,
combat begins. It is possible, though it would be Con 12, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 14; ML 7.
chancy, to cut Rhodoban free before the combat
starts; because of his venom-sickness, he is at -1 Weapon Proficiencies: Sling, broad sword, long-
to attack and defend and moves at only 6 until bow.
two hours pass, when the venom's effects are
finally shaken off or until he drinks some of the Nonweapon Proficiencies: Musical Instrument
wyvern anti-venom. (harp) 17, Local History 15, Reading Lips 12,
The spiders' combat arena is a glade roughly Languages (Elvish 14, Orcish 13).
30 feet by 30 feet, filled with branches and ob-
structions (movement reduced by half). Equipment: Leather armor, small harp, longbow
with 20 arrows, broad sword, six torches, tin-
Spiders, Large (8); AC 8; MV 6, wb 18; HD 1+1; derbox, four days' rations, potion of healing.
hp 6 (average); THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1; AL
N; SA poison (type A, +2 to save); ML 7; XP Rhodoban is a slender, handsome man with a
175. charming, relaxed manner that sets folk at ease.
He is fearful of combat, however, and will fight
If two spiders are killed or crippled, the third only if he cannot run or hide. He is extremely
departs for the treetops, leaving the adventurers interested in hearing about Princess Ariella's
to claim its treasure. If the adventurers are having predicament and insists on helping out. As the
an easy time of it, two more large spiders appear, day is growing late, he suggests they press on
scuttling through the trees to help fight the before darkness falls. It takes an hour's walk, by
"prey" on the ground. Should the adventurers be which time the woods are nearly dark. Rhodoban
truly hard pressed, the spiders begin to realize lights a torch if the PC doesn't have one.
this prey, while possibly "killable," is giving A small glade is found which proves suitable
them more resistance than they care to face. There for camping, with sufficient dry wood close to
is easier prey elsewhere. They retreat and watch hand for a small fire.
the characters for a chance to sneak-attack them.
The treasure is scattered around on the ground
of the glade, lying underneath mounds of leaves
and branches. There are lots of old bones and
webs scattered among the treasure. It consists of
80 gp (in one leather bag), 112 sp, and a small

13
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Five: King of the Forest

The next morning dawns bright and clear, with

sunlight streaming through the woods. Accord-
ing to what Ariella has heard, there should be a
river just ahead, before the forest ends at the foot
of the Stone Ridge.
After breakfast, the adventurers follow the
trail, which is now wider (6 feet across) and
seems better traveled, though who would use it
out here is an unanswered question. Not long
into the morning, the sound of running water is
heard from somewhere ahead. Rounding a bend
in the trail, the PC sees a narrow river crossing
the path. It is spanned by a wooden bridge in
good repair. Standing atop the bridge is a tall,
muscular man holding a quarterstaff.
"Hold, travelers! I am the King of the Forest,
and I own this bridge," he shouts to them. "What
toll will you pay for its use?"

The King of the Forest (Marie) (R5): AC 5; MV

12; hp 33; THACO 16; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon;
AL NG; SA & SD as ranger; HS 31; MS 40; Str
14, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 12;
ML 15.

Weapon Proficiencies: Longbow, quarterstaff,

long sword, dagger, sling.

Secondary Skill: Forester.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bowyer/Fletcher 14,

Animal Lore 14, Survival (forests) 15, Tracking
18, Endurance 13.

Equipment: Studded leather +2, long sword, Id8

potions of healing (in wineskin; see limitations
above), quarterstaff, longbow with 30 arrows.

The King of the Forest is a solitary ranger. He

challenges all who pass through to meet him with
a quarterstaff on the bridge, to contest their right
of passage. (Rhodoban, being a bard, is exempt
from this challenge, though the King asks politely
if he would favor him with a single song for pay-
ment.) The bridge is 30 feet long and 5 feet across,

14
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Five: King of the Forest

with no rails on either side. It is sturdy enough playfully, while Rhodoban helps him dry off.
for a pair of horses, but creaks loudly if a cart Once the contest is over, the King (whose real
rolls over it (5% cumulative chance of breaking name, he says, is Marie) produces a wineskin full
for every 100 lbs. weight over 1,500 lbs.). of sweet-tasting water. The PC finds that each
He doesn't care much for the local goblins, his swallow acts as a potion of healing. Marie explains
closest neighbors to the south, and often fights that there is a spring nearby whose waters are
them (whenever he's in this part of the forest). magical and healthful. Water taken from the
Essentially, he's lonely for good company. spring stays magical for a brief time (ld6+2
The PC can try to avoid this encounter, but the turns), reverting to ordinary water afterward.
river is running fast and would be very difficult (This water may be helpful in making potions of
to cross. If the PC asks what toll the man de- healing, at the DM's option.)
mands, the man smiles and says, "Only a test of "That was a fair match, friend," Marie says
arms with you, good fellow! Grab yourself one of appreciatively. "I don't find many out here who
those staves there and try your hand at getting are courteous enough to spar with me. What do
past me! Perhaps one of us will take a good drub- you in these woods?" If the PC explains their sit-
bing, but if so, I know a way to lessen our mis- uation, Marie is attentive and interested, but
eries. Come, step up!" there is little he can do to help. He fled Tramilar
There are several quarterstaves next to the almost seven years ago, when the young prince
bridge. Accepting the challenge means fighting wrongfully accused him of a crime. He has no
to subdue the other, not injure or kill. The King is wish to return and face the king's justice with the
very sure the PC understands that this is a friendly prince's word against his.
bout before they begin. He also insists that if the "'Twould hardly be a sporting contest, that,
PC is wearing any metal armor, he remove it now would it?" he jokes, though there is an
beforehand. Getting knocked into the river would undercurrent of regret in his voice. The princess
probably lead to his drowning. admits knowing nothing of these events, but
If the PC refuses the challenge, the King grum- promises to put in a good word for him when she
bles loudly about "no backbone in the current gets to Tramilar.
generation," then says he will accept a dozen If asked, Marie says that there are goblins at
pieces of gold, apiece, to let the PC, bard, and this end of the forest, as well as up at the northern
princess cross over his bridge. Although he is end. "The little pests are everywhere, since the
genial, he won't let them cross without money or Pox decimated Tramilar and her armies," he
combat as payment. notes. "You can hardly throw a rock but that it
The combat begins by mutual agreement, after hits a goblin, in some places. Best be very careful.
both combatants are braced and ready to fight. If They do not much like those who cross through
either person rolls a natural 20 and then fails a their territories."
Dexterity check (at -2), he falls into the river and
is swept along 4dlO yards before finding a branch
stretched across the river, which can be grabbed
and used to reach either shore. If the King is
knocked in, he declares the PC the winner and
immediately acts like his best friend.
If the PC is knocked off, the King laughs loudly
and congratulates the PC on taking his dunking
well. "You are wetter in body but better in spirit,
I'll warrant, friend," he shouts. Ariella giggles

15
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Six: Cut Off at the Pass

Eventually, a brightness is visible far down the Troll (1): AC 4; MV 12; HD 6+6; hp 32; THACO 13;
trail. The trail itself constricts a bit, narrowing to #AT 3; Dmg 5-8/5-8/5-12; AL CE; SA attack
scarcely 3 feet across. The end is actually blocked multiple opponents; SD regenerate 3 h p /
by a foot and a half of thick foliage that must be round; ML 14; XP 1,400.
cut away by the PC. The leafy foliage effectively
hides the end of the trail (80% completely), even The troll is carrying no treasure.
after it's been cut to permit the PC, Rhodoban, Once it catches sight of the three characters, the
and Ariella to get through to the rocky ground on troll moves toward them steadily, breaking into a
the other side. full run as it gets near.
As the three characters reach the end of Dread- The adventurers are caught between a rock
wood, there is one last obstacle to overcome and a hard place, for certain. As the goblins close
before they can reach Tramilar itself. Known as in from the west and the troll nears them from the
Stone Ridge, this stone rampart is a range of east, the PC's options are few, especially since
bluffs that are difficult to cross directly. Known they are well away from the trail.
for the occasional troll or ogre resident, Stone The PC may choose to survey the ridge behind
Ridge's southern face is the northernmost border him. If he doesn't, Ariella or Rhodoban do. Faint,
of Tramilar. Crossing the ridge is the most direct weathered indications of a rocky trail can be seen,
way of getting Ariella home. carved out of the stone and leading toward a rift
The best-known route across this ridge is the in Stone Ridge. It would be impassable for a
aptly named Passage Road, which cuts through horse, but footing for humans proves to be ade-
Stone Pass. However, the PC won't be given quate (no combat penalties), even though the
much time to search for Stone Pass, as a troop of path might lead to a dead end. This is the only
goblins are approaching from the west! partially defensible location in sight, so that there
is virtually no other option.
Goblins (12): AC 6; MV 6; HD 1-1; hp 5 (aver- One of the group notices a rusty red scrawl on
age); THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 (see below); one boulder. It depicts a skull with a couple of
AL LE; ML 10; XP 15. goblin runes sketched beneath. Very little imagi-
nation is needed to sense that this is a symbol for
The goblins are armed with short swords. danger.
Three of them have (unloaded) light crossbows, The goblins and the troll pause only briefly on
which they immediately work to ready. The seeing each other, then continue their individual
sword-users hold back until the crossbows are pursuits of the characters. Whoever gets there
ready. The point of this encounter is to drive the first is the winner!
PC and his companions into Gloombarrow. If a At the end of the stony trail is a small stone
dozen goblins don't frighten the PC, then add a building 30 feet across, with a fallen door in front
dozen more! of the characters. A long-dead goblin lies across
If the PC chooses not to fight the goblins, the the threshold of the door frame, over which is
PC, princess, and bard can run east. A clear path carved "ARROLT." If the heroes enter, the goblins
exists along the base of the ridge, giving few snarl and gibber at each other but do not pursue.
obstacles. But after running for five minutes, just The troll grunts in rage, but doesn't follow them,
as they outdistance the goblins, they see a troll either. It leaves, but the goblins take up station,
ambling in their direction from the east1. waiting for the characters to come out.

16
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Seven: Gloombarrow

Just inside the building is a series of engraved taken over by a brotherhood of paladins nearly
words. Although it is dark inside, the letters can 600 years ago to honor Arrolt's heroism. The
just barely be discerned: brotherhood dwindled over the years, until the
last died during the Great Pox not long before
Let all who stand here know of the valor ofArrolt, Ariella's birth. Since that time, the tomb has been
who held the Stone Pass alone against the hordes overrun by monsters—like the Deathless Lord.
of goblinkind. May his spirit rest with the Powers
Above, and his memory stand as long as human- 1. Entrance
kind dwell in these lands. This room is bare of the ornamentation it must
once have held. Brackets for tapestries and bent
The doorway in the back of the building is the metal studs of former sconces are yet visible on
entrance to this place, the Tomb of Arrolt (lately the walls. The floor is bare stone, devoid even of
called "Gloombarrow"). It is a necropolis of dis- the rotted remnants of straw or other common
colored white marble, cracked and pitted from floor covering, though it appears to be very burnt
ages of exposure to the elements. The granite toward the far end. The sound of water dripping
foundations are eroded and encrusted with can be clearly heard from somewhere inside.
lichen. The name "Arrolt" is only just legible The interior is completely dark, requiring
above the first doorway in faded gilt lettering. torchlight to see. Dim flickers of light can be seen
The tomb is an elaborate underground com- along the walls from time to time. These are
plex, once a dwarven settlement back before ancient globes of glass, enchanted with continual
Tramilar was a kingdom. The entire complex was light spells that have grown weak over time.

17
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Seven: Gloombarrow

These "light-spheres" can't be used for illumina- 3. Grand Reception Hall

tion, but they increase the impression of ominous This room was once a great hall, from the days
shadows gathering in every corner. when dwarves lived in these tunnels. The fur-
Once the characters get two-thirds of the way nishings are austere and minimal, consisting
into the room, they hear squeaking sounds. They mostly of marble benches and dust-coated tapes-
turn to find a metal-barred portcullis being low- tries, many of them on the floor.
ered across the doorway. (There is a pressure plate Torchlight picks out movement in the far left
in the floor, which can be located on a roll of 1 or 2 corner, where an arch is dimly visible. Hunched
on Idl2, or a Find Traps roll for a thief character, if shapes shamble forward into the light, their rot-
they are scrutinizing the flooring.) A Bend Bars/ ted features revealing them to be zombies!
Lift Gates roll is needed to remove this barrier. There are three zombies in the room when the
When the portcullis is lowered into place, scurry- characters enter. Three more appear after Id6+1
ing sounds (ordinary rats) can be heard in the rounds of combat, lured from their haunts deeper
room's corners. The rats do not attack. in the complex by the noise.
At the far end of the room, a clicking sound
can be heard as the trio reaches the door on the Zombies (6): AC 8; MV 6; HD 2; hp 9 (average);
other side of the chamber. A sharp smell of some- THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8; AL N; ML special;
thing burning, like brimstone, reaches their XP65.
noses. It seems to come from above them.
A saving throw vs. wands at +2 allows the 4. Hallways
adventurers to dodge the spouts that slide from The hallways of this complex are patrolled by
the tops of the walls and spew burning fluid at skeletons, marching about in trios. There are a
them! (This trap is triggered at the same time as dozen in all, but they are never gathered together
the portcullis, and is the primary reason most unless the Deathless Lord summons them. The
goblins and the troll avoid this cave.) odds of encountering a patrol in any given hall is
Equal to burning oil, the fluid does Id8+1 for 1 in Id6, rolled when the party turns a corner in a
every round's attack that hits and continues to do hall. Once all 12 skeletons have been encountered
damage until extinguished. Once the adventurers and defeated, no others appear. They do not go
cross through into the next room, the spouts into the Second Sanctuary (area 10), regardless of
retract and the fluid burns itself out. (The pal- their lord's orders.
adins did not use this defense. The Deathless
Lord discovered the system intact but unused Skeletons (3 of 12): AC 7; MV 12; HD 1; hp 5
and set his servants to making it operational.) (average); THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 (weap-
on); AL N; SD piercing/edged weapons do
2. First Sanctuary half damage; ML special; XP 65.
This room is a common area sanctuary for use
when entering or leaving the tomb. The altar is 5. Collapsed Hallway
broken into three large chunks of stone, while the This is a collapsed passage. Stones blocking the
trappings are torn down and twisted unrecogniz- passage vary in size from fist-sized chunks of
ably. There is no vestige of the holiness that filled rock to boulders as tall as a man. It would take a
this room for centuries, long ago. team of men and someone with Mining, Engi-
There is a low moaning sound coming from neering, or Stonemasonry proficiency to excavate
one end of this room. Investigation reveals an air this passage and open the chambers beyond.
vent. Wind outside must be blowing across the
vent's exterior, making it moan.

18
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Seven: Gloombarrow

6. Sitting Room The meaning of the rhyme is obvious (for

There is nothing remarkable about this room. It elves). First, why are the characters here? Second,
contains a great deal of broken furniture, includ- are they trying to get out? And third, if so, then
ing a dozen shattered chairs and a table with two right behind the rhyme is the solution to their
broken legs. Burn marks deface the walls and problems. The difficulty is finding someone who
stone shelves. Ashes and burnt book bindings reads Elvish and then interpreting the rhyme. If
remain on the shelves, along with several (inani- any of these questions are read aloud (in Com-
mate) mouse skeletons. mon or Elvish) and then answered, the edges of
A tapestry on the floor in one corner is two- the doorway glow slightly and the wooden cov-
thirds destroyed, but the remainder could be ering can be moved as though it weighed next to
identified by someone with Appraisal proficiency nothing. Otherwise, a Bend Bars/Lift Gates
as one of the few known works of Kalistiel the Strength roll is needed to move it.
Weaver, whose surviving works are all accounted
masterpieces. Even this scrap (4 feet square and 8. Servant's Passage
130 lbs.) is worth 2,500 gp to a collector. Behind the heavy wooden panel in the kitchen
is the servant's passage, a tunnel 6 feet high by 10
7. Kitchen feet across that bypasses the Deathless Lord's
This room is so badly damaged that only the offices. In former times, it was used to bring sup-
hearth gives any indication of its original pur- plies into the tomb complex from the Tramilar
pose. The room is filled with clutter and debris, side of the Stone Ridge. Now it lies forgotten
none of it in useful condition and much of it behind some rubble.
potentially hazardous (sharp rusty edges, pro- A dead body is propped up just inside the pas-
truding nails, etc.), making entry into the room sage, to discourage stray goblins from exploring
itself unwise. In the cabinet nearest the door, it, but there is just a hint of fresh air once past the
there is an unlabelled bottle that bears some faint corpse. There is a 45% chance the body will fall
scorch marks. A label found near the bottle reads on Ariella when she brushes past it, making her
"Health," but the fluid inside is actually an elixir scream piercingly. The tunnel exits 20 yards south
of madness. It was once a potion of healing, but was of Cormot's tunnel (area 17).
ruined by the intense heat of the fire that de-
stroyed this room. 9. Dining Chamber
Written in soot on one wall is the following (in This room was a grand hall where the brother-
Elvish): hood took its meals. The long trestle tables are so
much kindling now, along with the benches.
Are You Lost? There are some banners still on the walls, but
Are You Found? they are tattered and ruined.
What Do You Seek Here Underground? A magic mouth spell, badly deteriorated by
time, begins muttering gibberish. The heroes
If Light You Seek, might think it is the beginning of a spell being
If Sunlight You'd Find, cast, especially since the light-spheres brighten a
Then Search Behind This Sooty Blind! touch (rilling the room with shadows, instead of
being pitch black).
A Passageway Here Awaits, The magic mouth continues with its muttering
To Get Past He-Who-Bleeds, rising to a wailing scream, then silence, and the
And Find Yourself'Mid Leaf and Seed. light-spheres dim once more.

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Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Seven: Gloombarrow

10. Second Sanctuary/Tomb 11. Armory

This room contains the actual tomb of Arrolt, a This section hasn't been used for many years.
marble sarcophagus that dominates the far end of Great numbers of weapons adorn the walls,
the chamber. Gold letters on the side give testi- hanging from iron hooks and crowded on the
mony to his last resting place. A body, that of an shelves. Virtually all of them are rusty and easily
ancient man dressed in a monklike cassock, lies at broken (treat as Poor quality). Arrows are warped
the foot of the sarcophagus as if asking forgive- and bows are brittle, the strings rotted away.
ness; the body shows no sign of decay. A large mound of refuse fills one corner of the
A statue of a beautiful woman stands beside room, a distasteful mass of bones and offal swept
the sarcophagus, a mute guardian of this place. from other parts of the underground complex and
The inscription behind the statue reads: deposited here in this unused room. However,
this garbage contains a great treasure; a long
The Blessed Queen Isilondrea, sword, which appears to be rust-free and sound.
In Whose Honor Arrolt Gave His Life. It is a sun blade. The blade was buried on purpose,
May Her Reign Be Ever Blessed. as the undead in these halls are aware of its pow-
ers and greatly fear it. The PC must actively
A small cabinet stands to the other side, also search through the refuse for Id4+1 rounds before
untouched by time or vandalism. The room is the weapon is found. Giving the mound a casual
laid out like a small chapel, with several benches glance won't discover the sword, though detect
arranged around the sarcophagus. magic notes the presence of strong magic in the
There is a strong aura of goodwill and benevo- room. Ariella will not help the PC search, as she
lence in this chamber. If pursued by undead, the refuses to touch garbage.
heroes notice that zombies and skeletons will not
enter this room. (The threshold is covered by a 12. Sleeping Chambers
strong protection from evil spell.) These small, cell-like rooms were the sleeping
From 10 feet away, the characters can see a chambers of the paladins of Arrolt's order. There is
piece of paper lying atop the marble box. It is a nothing of real value amid all the wreckage. All that
message, which reads: remains after so many years is rat-chewed garbage.

Dear Defenders of Holiness, who come to see this 13. Sparring Room
blessed place, we have failed in our mission to ward This wood-floored chamber seems to have
this tomb. Sickness and age have taken too great a toll. been used as a practice room by the paladins.
The Powers Above only know what manner of evil Thick mattresses, now mildewed and ruined,
might usurp our home for their own uses, but I have stand piled in one corner, while ropes hang from
implored those same Powers that this room should the ceilings and sets of rotted wooden weapons
never suffer the presence of evil creatures. Should you stand in another corner. A door at the far end of
be in need, a draught of health lies in yon cabinet. A the room leads to the hot springs.
passage from this place stands behind the Statue of the
Queen. You need only shift her icon aside by sliding 14. Hot Spring Bathing Chamber
her to her right. This tunnel leads to passages that go There are four slime-rimmed pools in this
out toward the kingdom to the south. Best of luck, room, with steam rising from each one in delicate
kind pilgrim I will never meet. All blessings in the gray tendrils. Here is a series of natural bathing
Powers. Your servant, Hamlidrax, Last of Arrolt's ponds. There are four zombies in this room,
Tomb. scraping away slime from the pool farthest from
the door (see zombie statistics on page 18). They

20
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Seven: Gloombarrow

will pursue the characters to the foot of the steps process had already started, though, leaving him
leading up to the Deathless Lord's chambers, but with some undead attributes. He informs them,
no farther than that. with some smug pride, that his touch drains the
strength from living victims (taking Id4 points
15. Devotional Chamber per touch; victim falls unconscious at zero
This is a small chapel for special occasions, Strength). He can also raise up a dead body as a
lying just off the dining chamber, near the tomb. zombie or skeleton simply by touching it. He
It was sanctified originally, but now is nothing controls all the undead thus raised. One unfortu-
more than an empty room. nate result, which is his great secret, is that his
spellcasting abilities are gone.
16. The Lair of the Deathless Lord "Being the master of this place of death, I am
This section of the tomb lies at the bottom of a he who holds the power of life and death over
staircase, 20 feet from top to bottom. This room you," he says menacingly. "Tell me your tale. If it
was once used by the commander of the paladin amuses me, you may serve me, but if it doesn't—
brotherhood as an office and greeting room. The you may still serve me, though in another way."
furniture is not entirely destroyed, despite suffer- His laugh is bone-chilling. He is obviously
ing years of deterioration. A table is now covered insane.
by bottles, human and goblin skulls, candles, and
other alchemical paraphernalia. Cormot, the Deathless Lord (M9): AC 7; MV 9;
As the characters enter, they notice the dim hp 35; THACO 15; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; AL
lights from several candles lighting this series of LE; SA Strength drain; Str 9, Dex 13, Int 16, Wis
chambers. The sound of glass breaking echoes 12, Con 12, Cha 8; ML 14; XP 3,000.
from one room ahead, and a small, elderly man
stamps out, a wand clenched firmly in his hand. Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, staff, club.
This old man is the Deathless Lord, terror of
the Dreadwood monsters. He is covered with Nonweapon Proficiencies: Ancient History 15,
cobwebs and other sorts of dirt, with chemical Reading/Writing (Common 16, Ancient Runic
stains on his robe and hands. His ratty beard is 14), Spellcraft 16, Herbalism 13, Beast Lore
dark gray with lighter streaks. The hair left on his (undead) 15, Glassblowing 13, Carpenter 12,
head is nearly white. Languages: Goblin 12, Troll 9.
"What is this? Intruders? Those infernal dead
fail me once more!" He brandishes the wand at Equipment: Wand of magic missiles (11 charges
the characters. "Do not move. Your death is cer- left), two potions of undead control, two flasks of
tain if you seek to flee from me!" acid (3d8 damage), 210 gp, 138 sp.
He introduces himself as Cormot, a necroman-
tic alchemist, who has spent the last century seek- Spells: None.
ing after the vilest sorts of knowledge. He took
over this complex when the paladins were dead, Cormot professes little interest in the heroes'
hoping to wrest secrets from their bodies, but tale unless the PC tells it with extraordinary
their innate holiness frustrated that effort. He gusto (in which case Cormot can make a Reaction
could not make them speak. Roll, to revise his early hostile impression of
Since then, his magical researches have changed these intruders). Rhodoban may not tell the story;
him greatly. When he tried to become a lich, he Cormot says he wants to hear it from the warrior
found he lacked the necessary strength of will to (the PC), "without all the bard's fancy, tricksy
undertake the final step and kill himself. The words." If Cormot is bored, he will try to sum-

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Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Seven: Gloombarrow

mon his remaining undead servants as he been hollowed out to provide shelving for many
"escorts" the heroes into a side chamber that can of Cormot's books), is where Cormot rests. This is
be locked. His distraction while summoning his also where he keeps his treasure, including a
minions gives the PC a chance to attack. Cormot spellbook (written in Ancient Runic and holding
may get a Dexterity check to react, but does not alarm, burning hands, protection from good, and
get to attack that round if his roll fails; he is too shield) and a box with his money.
surprised to counterattack.
If attacked and overwhelmed, his hands and 17. Passage Out
wand safely restrained, Cormot surrenders. If Beyond Cormot's workshop, the heroes can feel
killed, he comes back to life within 2dl2 hours, a faint breeze of fresh air from an unobtrusive little
his statistics just as they were when he was first side-tunnel that looks like nothing more than an
encountered. He has become a unique undead, especially deep closet. This passageway leads to a
less powerful but more intelligent than most. At long flight of stone steps, which are unlighted. At
this point, he is also permanently trapped in this a cautious pace, descending these steps takes
complex, the place of his death. Leaving (or being nearly an hour; they come to an abrupt halt at a
removed) would consign him to true death. (DMs door, which is not locked but is barred from this
may choose to give Cormot additional abilities side. The bar is bent out of shape, requiring a Bend
with this afterlife transformation, to make him Bars/Lift Gates roll from the PC.
more formidable in subsequent encounters.) Once through this passage, there is a short trail
In the back of this chamber, beyond the T- leading down the hillside. Looking out, Ariella
shaped stone support in the middle (which has gives a happy exclamation. This is Tramilar!

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Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Eight: Home to Tramilar

Beyond the tomb's walls, a bright morning sun Bugbears (3): AC 5; MV 9; HD 3+1; hp 15 (aver-
rises over the northern edge of Tramilar. The land age); THACO 17; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8; AL CE; SA +3
hereabouts is sparse and sickly, as though a mon- to surprise, +2 damage with weapons; ML 12;
ster or evil spell has leeched away the vital ener- XP 120.
gies of the countryside. It is far from being as
green and pleasant as Ariella describes the south- The bugbears are carrying much of their trea-
erly portions of Tramilar. sure with them, as they are nomadic young males
Amid the tall grasses, a trail winds its way looking to find a place of their own apart from
south. It is clearly visible from the rocky slope, their tribe. Their aggregate treasure is 70 cp, 26 sp
snaking through the grasslands that cover the and 15 gp. They have clubs with bark still on
miles to the nearest farm. them and are wearing heavy clothing but no real
While walking this distance, Ariella is so armor.
happy that she makes constant small talk with If the PC is overwhelmed by the bugbears, a
the PC. The discussion covers her life as a prin- stout middle-aged man emerges from the house
cess, including a pet name ("Pinky") given to her to stand by his side. He is a zero-level fighter
as a child by her uncle, Baskillion. with 17 Strength and a large war hammer (actu-
The first day heading toward Tramilar sees lit- ally a tool taken from his home's small forge).
tle besides wild grasses, copses of willow and After the fight, provided the PC wins, Ariella
beech trees, and a scattering of homesteads tells the PC that roaming bugbears often wander
apparently abandoned during the Pox. this side of the Stone Ridge, seeking easy prey
"These were all good, happy farms, Father tells like farmers for their plundering. A patrol of foot-
me," Ariella notes sadly. "The people died so men used to guard these outlying farms, but the
quickly. The Pox just took them all. There was Chevalier of Woodsedge recently passed away
nothing the priests could do, or so they say. The without an heir and no replacement has been ele-
people would have turned against the priests, I vated by the king.
think, except that the Pox vanished and Father The family inside the house, who identify
kept the peace among the survivors. He had to themselves as the Millers, unbarricade the door if
remarry; Alfinor's mother died of the Pox." the PC defeats the bugbears, bandaging him if he
By noon, shelter can be taken in an empty has been injured (the wife has an effective profi-
farmhouse that hasn't completely fallen apart. ciency of Healing 14, from caring for her family's
There are even vestiges of a garden, providing ailments). They do not recognize Ariella as their
potatoes and lettuce, plus a few apples from a princess, though they do state that she seems
stunted old tree. The night passes uneventfully as familiar. If she identifies herself as the princess,
does most of the next day. the family is polite but clearly doesn't believe her,
About eight miles from the castle stands a humoring her like someone who's a bit addled.
homestead. It appears heavily fortified, but it is Once past the Millers' farm, it is only another
under siege by three bugbears, who are smashing day's walk to the castle. Two miles before arriv-
at the farmhouse's door with the stump of a tree. ing, the road rises to where the PC can view the
In the farmyard, several domesticated animals lie castle. It is a grand castle on a low hill, which in
dead and the outbuildings are smashed to kin- turn is surrounded by a thriving town.
dling, a testimony to the destructive frenzy of the Ariella bursts into tears on seeing her home. "I
three monsters. never knew my home could look so beautiful,"
People inside see the PC approach and call out she says quietly. "After all we've been through,
for help. They add that one of their family has my rescuer, I doubt I'll ever leave it again!"
been injured, and they cannot hold out long.

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Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Nine: Castle Tramilar

The town seems to be prosperous, yet there is front them," Rhodoban says. "I can gain entry as
little cheer. People are suspicious and doubtful of a bard and scout around . . . where is Ariella?"
strangers. If anyone is asked or one of the town's The tavern keeper nods toward the door. "I
two taverns is entered to gain information, the think the young lady headed out there," he says.
PC finds that the princess's odd behavior and the "I could swear I've seen her before."
king's serious illness are making times ahead Ariella is on her way to the castle, only 100
very uncertain. Grealis the Priest has led the yards away, when the PC catches up to her.
court in prayer for the king, yet there has been lit- "I will not have an impostor taking my place!
tle improvement in his condition. Folk are wor- We are going up there now to put a stop to it! I'm
ried and their fears are growing. They are mutter- the rightful princess and I can prove my identity.
ing about the Pox and how the priests couldn't Let us go!" she demands angrily. If the PC doesn't
seem to do much about it. Fears of a renewed restrain her, she will continue to the castle on her
outbreak of Pox are especially high. own, demonstrating how headstrong she can be.
"I do not know what they mean about Father However, if the PC attempts to restrain her by
being sick," Ariella says. "He was perfectly fine force, the men-at-arms at the castle gate notice
the night I was kidnapped." and intervene. Otherwise, they do nothing.
If Rhodoban is present, he notes the coinci- Should Ariella reach the gate, she is stopped
dence, leaving it for the PC to put that together. by four men-at-arms, all of whom appear thun-
"If someone is truly impersonating the prin- derstruck at seeing her, particularly in such rough
cess, we will have to have a plan when we con- clothing. "Your Highness?" one gasps. "What in

24
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Nine: Castle Tramilar

the world are you doing outside the castle? We Nonweapon Proficiencies: Dancing 11, Etiquette
. . . we j u s t . . . " 11, Riding (land-based) 15, Hunting 15, Track-
"He's trying to say we just saw you go inside ing 12, Falconry (Animal Handling) 13.
with your brother, milady," states a grizzled old
sergeant. "Which leaves us with a sticky ques- Equipment: Chain mail +2 (no longer fits per-
tion. Exactly who are you, and how do you come fectly), bastard sword +2, gauntlets of ogre power,
to wear our princess's face?" excellent-quality, medium war horse, two
trained hunting falcons.
Men-at-arms (four 0-level fighters): AC 5; MV 9;
hp 7; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; AL Alfinor is tall (6 feet) and heavy-set, with his
any good; ML 13. father's frame but little of his robust physique.
His face is slack and puffy with self-indulgence,
Weapon Proficiencies: Broad sword, dagger, hal- his eyes are perpetually bloodshot and his gen-
berd, crossbow (1 in 3 has longbow instead). eral appearance is slovenly under ordinary cir-
cumstances. He is a grave disappointment to his
The men-at-arms have their chain mail armor warrior father and is a very weak individual, eas-
and weapons on them. One has a brass horn ily manipulated by one as devious as Zharta.
(used to alert the other men-at-arms of danger or He doesn't know Zharta is a wizardess. He just
the arrival of a visitor). thinks Ariella has finally revealed her true per-
sonality and is eager to plot with him about the
Ariella's Evil Twin kingdom's future.
Prince Alfinor, as heir apparent, is holding
court and will see the "strangers" as soon as his Zharta the Witch (W9): AC 6; MV 12; hp 30;
schedule permits (he is just keeping them waiting THACO 18; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; AL CE; Str
because it suits his unpleasant temperament). 9, Dex 11, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 7; ML 17;
The PC and Ariella are conducted into the XP 3,000.
royal audience chamber, to find themselves fac-
ing Prince Alfinor, a lazy and dissipated youth Weapon Proficiencies: Staff, dart, dagger.
who has obviously been indulging his many
vices. At the moment, he is nursing a terrible Nonweapon Proficiencies: Ancient History 16,
hangover and, consequently, is in an extremely Reading/Writing 16, Spellcraft 17, Animal
bad mood. He is shocked at seeing Ariella and Handling (monsters) 15.
immediately demands explanations, though he
won't allow Ariella to speak. Courtiers babble Equipment: Wand offire (6 charges), staff +2, ring
possible answers at him (one or two even guess of protection +2, cloak of the bat.
that she is a doppelganger, sent to sow confusion
at court during the king's illness). Spells (memorized): (1st) Alarm, armor, charm per-
son, protection from good; (2nd) darkness 15'
Prince Alfinor (F4): AC 10; MV 9; hp 26; THACO radius, detect good, improved phantasmal force,
16; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; AL N(E); Str 10, Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter; (3rd) dis-
Dex 9, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 5, Cha 10; ML 10. pel magic, feign death, hold person; (4th) phantas-
mal killer.
Weapon Proficiencies: Bastard sword, short bow,
war hammer, whip. Zharta, in her natural form, is a withered crone
whose exterior ugliness doesn't begin to match

25
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Nine: Castle Tramilar

her inner evil. She is actually only 31 years old, 2) Ariella's childhood nickname, Pinky, is known
but her magical workings have prematurely aged only to herself and a few others. Zharta is
her and warped her mind. She believes whole- unaware of it.
heartedly that she is destined to rule Tramilar
and that Ormath and his family are annoyances If Alfinor disputes the validity of the ring, the
that her magic entitles her to remove. king's jeweler can vouch for what is inscribed
In her natural state, she wears tattered, oft- inside: "To Pinky with love, Daddy."
patched robes over her skeletal body, with a bit of Alfinor is still not completely satisfied, but
ribbon holding her bird's nest hair together sends for "Ariella," who cannot be found. He
above her angular face. She is presently under a commands a group of six men-at-arms to accom-
variant polymorph self spell that makes her appear pany him, along with the heroes, as they go look
to be Princess Ariella. Her bizarre mannerisms for her. The group searches through the castle,
have been attributed to nervousness over King eventually coming to the tower used by Numis,
Ormath's condition. the court wizard. Numis's door is open and
At present, she is working to forward her plans sounds of objects being thrown reaches their ears.
by poisoning the king, leaving his malleable son Inside, they find "Ariella" rummaging through
to inherit the throne. Her plans beyond Ormath's Numis's things!
death are murky and constantly changing, though Zharta sees her plans unravel before her eyes
she firmly plans to take the throne soon. when the real Ariella steps into the room. Never-
Ariella eventually gets a chance to speak. She theless, she tries to play the injured innocent.
tells her story, from her abduction a week ago to "Who is this impostor, Alfinor?" she asks
her adventures in the Dreadwoods and the Stone sweetly.
Ridge with the PC. Courtiers mutter comments to If seriously threatened or confronted with evi-
each other, gradually falling silent as they become dence against her, she flies into a rage at the PC
interested in her story. Just as she describes reach- and others.
ing the gate, Alfinor stops her irritably. "You! My plans are ruined, all because of your
"You recite these fabulous tales as though they meddling in the affairs of your betters! I may
really happened," he snorts. "Who could have have lost this chance at the throne, but my magic
survived such perils? I find this to be a poorly is still with me," she shrieks, "and I will have this
conceived joke, if not a danger aimed at the heart kingdom yet! Curses upon you!
of our kingdom. Speak straightly and say who Screaming, Zharta uses her wand of fire to set up
you really are under that guise you wear!" a wall offire, then uses her cloak of the bat to fly out
"I am Ariella! And I can prove it!" She turns to of the room and escape. A few squawked curses
the PC and whispers, "How do I prove it?" reach the ears of all those gathered in the room.
Using two pieces of information dropped None of the guardsmen react quickly enough
along the way, the PC has enough evidence to to shoot at her. Having been deprived of his
establish her identity. If he doesn't think of these weapons by the guardsmen, the PC has little
two factors, the DM can let him roll an Intelli- opportunity to attack the escaping wizardess
gence check to see if he recalls them in time. himself. He might try to grab away the crossbow
Without evidence, the PC and princess are sent to of any nearby guardsman, but the other guards-
the dungeon. men would try to overbear him immediately to
recover the weapon, thinking him an assassin. To
1) Ariella is wearing a ring given to her by her make a shot, a Dexterity check at -2 is needed.
father. It is distinctive and easily identified, After one round, Zharta is gone and any opportu-
and Zharta doesn't have it. nity to attack her here is lost.

26
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Ten: Down in the Dungeon

If Ariella cannot prove her identity, because Portions of Tramilar Keep

the ring is stolen or the PC forgets the pet name
Ariella told him, then he and Ariella are taken to
the dungeons until the court wizard returns from
Ariella's Chambers
his vacation in four days (at which time, Zharta
has fled and the king is too ill to recover, leaving
Alfinor in charge).
The dungeons are dimly lit, the tiny cells full of
old straw and containing only a clay pot, a leather
pitcher, and a wooden stool. The jailor is an old
man-at-arms. He sleeps much of the time and
performs his duties slowly, never speaking to any
of the prisoners. He doesn't volunteer his name.
Ariella knows him only as "Uncle Trap," a name Wardrobe
most of the local children use for him. (In and of
itself, this nickname is not proof of anything. The Numis's Chambers
jailor won't be surprised if she uses it.) Shelves
The first night in the dungeon, nothing much
happens. Ariella hears the guards making loud,
rude comments about her. If the PC stands up to
them on her behalf or consoles her, she re-rolls
her initial Reaction Roll to the PC at +2.
The second day, the false Ariella visits. She
says that she is interested only in seeing the
impostor and asking what her business could be.
Inwardly, though, she is seething with rage and
plotting how to kill Ariella before Numis the
Tramilar Dungeon
court wizard returns. Zharta ignores the PC, con-
centrating on Ariella. She won't work any magic
openly, since there are two guardsmen present
during her visit to the dungeon (and even she
would have a hard time explaining the deaths of
four people and her own survival). However, she
whispers to Ariella that her life is over with the
setting of the sun. Ariella bursts into tears.
The PC has a chance of noticing that the locks
down here are rusty and poorly maintained; King
Door Chair
Ormath doesn't devote much attention to the
Double Doors
upkeep of these little-used areas. If an escape can- Stool
not be managed here, Rhodoban and a chamber- G£l Locked Door
Table
maid (see Castle Folk) might lure off or drug the Window
guards, setting the PC and princess free to look Torch Short Cot
for evidence to support their claims.
It may occur to the PC to check Ariella's cham- 1 Square = 1'
bers. Moira the chambermaid (see Castle Folk)

27
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Ten: Down the Dungeon

can help the PCs reach Ariella's chambers with dow to watch her escape, she is out of bowshot
no encounters. Those rooms are found to contain distance.
tables crammed with books of all sorts, with evil- The danger to the kingdom from the wizardess
looking diagrams etched onto the floor with has been averted.
some kind of acid. Some other magical parapher-
nalia decorates the room, including charts, in- Apologies and the Hero's Reward
cense burners, and a human skull with a heavy When the princess's identity is established, the
candle melted onto the top. Moira and other cas- entire court surrounds her and the PC, offering
tle folk might remark on the similarity of these their apologies. Many say, "I knew you were the
objects to those in Numis's laboratory. real princess all along, Your Highness," and simi-
"Fetch Captain Baskillion," Rhodoban tells lar fawning sentiments.
Moira. "I think we have some evidence for him." The king soon recovers his health and judges
Baskillion is at first furious that the prisoners are that the PC has well earned a reward (as promised
out of the dungeon, but changes his tune quickly by Ariella) for returning the princess safely to her
when he is shown the contents of the room. Lead- family. In addition to the gold promised by the
ing a detachment of soldiers, he goes in search of young maiden, the king offers the PC a position
Zharta. The PC, Ariella, and Rhodoban are en- with his royal guard as a lieutenant.
couraged to go along, and their property is re- This position pays 5 gp per month, plus room
stored to them before Zharta is encountered (thus and board. The PC has 20 men-at-arms to com-
giving the PC a chance to attack Zharta normally mand (which is half the standing army) and
in the final encounter). reports to a rather lazy general named Baskillion
Zharta has ransacked Numis's chambers. (see Castle Folk). If the character is of noble birth,
Much of the equipment in this room is broken, he is additionally given a very small grant of land
many of the books are on the floor with pages next to the Dreadwoods (this area is not quite
torn out. When the PC and the others enter, she enough to qualify as a stronghold) and earns the
tries to act sweet and innocent, but the incrimi- title "Chevalier of Woodsedge." His duties are
nating evidence is everywhere. Accused of dupli- those of any feudal lord: Collect and pay taxes,
city by Captain Baskillion, Ariella's face distorts administer the king's justice, field a levy of peas-
into a mask of inhuman rage and ugliness. The ants if the kingdom goes to war, attend court
variant polymorph self spell she wore is discarded, functions, and so forth.
revealing her true (and hideous) face. Ariella begs the PC to accept, as she has be-
"I do not know how you found out," she hisses, come quite fond of him. (Romance, however, is
"but it must be the fault of this meddler!" She out of the question. The princess wants someone
points one gnarled finger at the PC. "Beware! I of royal blood who also has a dragon or two
will have my vengeance on you!" With that, she under his belt, as well as a large treasury.)
reaches into her sleeve to ready a wand offire (6 The Continuing Adventures hinge on the PC
charges remaining). She casts burning hands on remaining in Tramilar for a few more weeks.
the PC twice, then throws a wall offire, behind Even if the PC chooses to move on, there are
which she plans to make her escape. She flings some loose ends left....
herself out a window and activates the cloak of the
bat she is wearing, then flaps away toward the
swamp east of the castle.
The PC can make a single ranged attack, as
can one man-at-arms equipped with a light
crossbow. By the time anyone can reach the win-

28
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Part Eleven: Continuing Adventures

The PC can make a Wisdom check to see if he

STALKING THE WITCH
notices the petrified grass the cockatrice is
Although Ariella and the Kingdom have been scratching through before the monster actually
saved from Zharta's machinations this time, she attacks him. Otherwise, the cockatrice has a
may still be on the loose and a danger to the peo- chance of getting surprise on the PC.
ple of Tramilar. A study of papers left in Ariella's
chambers include mention of a house in the Cockatrice (1): AC 6; MV 6/18; HD 5; hp 28;
swamps to the east of the castle. THACO 15; #AT 1; Dmg 1-3; AL N; SA petrify-
The king orders the PC, as his first assignment, ing gaze; ML 11; XP 650.
to gather the army and set out at once to arrest
her. The PC may ask to hold off a day or two, to The cockatrice has no treasure of its own, but
give Numis time to return and accompany the Zharta keeps a scroll with a stone to flesh spell in
army, but the king is against the idea. The PC case of emergencies. She will use it to resuscitate
maybe able to persuade him if he argues convinc- the PC, because she'd rather torment him than
ingly; otherwise, he has to set out the next morn- let him remain a statue. (This also gives him a
ing with the 20 men garrisoned in the castle. chance to overcome her, once revived.) If the sol-
Ten miles from the castle, the road becomes a diers overcome the cockatrice, Zharta is
muddy morass just as it enters the swamp itself. equipped with her full complement of offensive
Footing is treacherous (-2 to initiative from spells and her wand offire. She won't hesitate to
horseback, -1 to attacks and defenses on foot) throw a fireball from out of her window, espe-
and the air is venomously stagnant. Gnats and cially if there's a chance it will blast the PC to
mosquitoes swarm in clouds over the pools of kingdom-come.
muddy water, making man and horse alike mis-
erable. Also, the temperature seems to go up 20
degrees, making heavy armor especially uncom-
fortable (treat as the first stage of a heat metal
spell).
All travelers require extra water at this stage of
the journey, but all of the local water is foul and
has a 65% chance of causing serious and debilitat-
ing illness (requiring cure disease to overcome
immediately). Most of the men-at-arms know this
from their basic training. If the PC doesn't know
it, one of the soldiers will give him a "friendly
word of warning."
The witch's second home is not hard to locate.
It is situated seven miles into the swamp, directly
off what used to be a road. Inside it has a variety
of alchemical gear and very little furniture.
Zharta has been expecting the soldiers. And
she has a surprise waiting for them.
A small creature can be seen scratching in the
dust in front of her house. From the trail, it looks
as though it might be an unnaturally large and
feather less chicken, but it isn't. It is a cockatrice!

29
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Continuing Adventures

Zharta will only consider surrender if she Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, hand crossbow,
runs out of spells and charges in her wand, and sling, staff, short sword.
cannot use the cloak of the bat to escape. Even
then, she envenoms her nails (Type E) and Nonweapon Proficiencies: Juggling 17, Tightrope
attempts to scratch the PC's face. At that point, Walking 15, Tumbling 15, Blind-fighting 14.
without her spellbooks and no magic items to
help, she is relatively powerless and can be Equipment: Ring of protection +2, dagger +3, thieves'
taken into custody, though she will curse bit- tools, garrote, hand crossbow, sling, change of
terly, hatefully and inventively, keeping up a clothing (black ninja-style garb), a ruby worth
stream of blistering invective until sealed into a 350 gp).
dungeon cell.
Mottle is a dwarf jester, a rare sort who uses his
ugliness as his own best material. He wears
THE LAST LAUGH
black-and-white checked clothing, including a
Two nights after Ariella is returned, a castle cap and cloth shoes with bells.
guard turns up dead near the castle's pantry. He Mottle denies knowing anything about the
has been strangled. A quick interview with all dead guardsman, but the PC can make a Wisdom
those in the area (a cook, two servants, and a check to see if he notices the telltale traces of
page) indicate very little, although the page says flour on Mottle's fingers. If he makes this discov-
he thought he saw someone duck into a closet ery and voices it, Mottle's face changes, growing
right after the dead guardsman walked out of the serious, even murderous. If the PC is alone, the
kitchen, toward the pantry. The page, Corwyn (0- jester attempts to kill him then and there, first
level child), says that whatever sort of person he trying to distract him so that he can attempt a
saw, it looked like it had on clothes like the king's backstab (+4 to hit if PC is distracted, damage
chessboard. multiplier is x3). Mottle is sworn to kill the royal
A quick Intelligence check by the PC identifies family if the witch should be discovered. He was
the garb as that worn by a jester. In Castle Trami- her co-conspirator in poisoning the king, as well.
lar, there is only one jester, a dwarf called Mottle He will not admit to any wrongdoing, preferring
(due to his blotchy skin). With his newly granted a silent death than a talkative (if short) life in the
authority, the PC can order a search of the castle dungeon.
to find the dwarf. A check of the pantry indicates If Zharta is taken into custody before this side
that one or two bags of flour have been opened, adventure occurs, he will try to release her before
though this is not easy to detect (Wisdom check poisoning the flour in the pantry. There is a 20%
at -3 required to notice the tampering). The flour chance he might succeed; if so, the discovery of
is laced with poison. her escape is made the next morning.
A shout is raised in the residential section of
the castle. Mottle was spotted slipping upstairs
while the PC was investigating the kitchen.

Mottle (17): AC 8; MV 6; hp 26; THACO 17; #AT

3/2; Dmg by weapon; AL CE; Skills: PP 35, OL
40, F/RT 30, MS 95, HS 95, DN 45, CW 90, RL 0;
Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 5; ML
16; XP 975.

30
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Random Encounters/Castle Folk

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS CASTLE FOLK

For every five hours spent in the forest (i.e., There are four main NPCs who live and work
twice per "walking day"), the DM should check around the castle.
for random encounters. On a 1 or 2 on ldlO, an
encounter occurs as listed below. The table below Numis, Court Wizard (M7): AC 9; MV 9; hp 22;
modifies the one found in the MONSTROUS THACO 18; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; AL CG; Str
COMPENDIUM®: 7, Dex 8, Con 9, Int 17, Wis 9, Cha 9; ML 12.

1- Tick, giant Weapon Proficiencies: Staff, dagger.

2- Elf, wood
3- Wyvern (wild) Nonweapon Proficiencies: Reading/Writing 17,
4- Lynx, giant Languages, Ancient (2 miscellaneous) 16,
5- Bear, brown (45% chance it is Voro, the Spellcraft 16.
druid's ally)
6- Horse, wild Equipment: Robe of protection +1, staff of the magi.
7- Owl, giant, or skunk, giant
8- Wolf or worg Spells: Numis's books are fairly extensive (even if
9- Goblin or NPC (fighter, level Id4-1) some are apparently ruined); he has almost all
10- Goblins (2d4) spells of first, second, and third level recorded.
11- Herd animal
12- Kobold Numis is an aged fellow who matches the wiz-
13- Ore ard stereotype almost perfectly. His long beard
14- Bugbear or ogre often falls into his soup, while his bushy eye-
15- Troll or treant brows hide twinkling gray-green eyes. He smokes
(Note: If a troll is ever encountered, use the a pipe more because it is expected of him than
statistics given in "Light at the End of the out of personal preference (he rarely smokes
Forest"; it will be the same troll) when meeting with just one or two people), and
16- Spider, giant his familiar, a black tomcat named Task, is re-
17- Snake, constrictor or poisonous spected for his formidable mousing abilities.
18- Owlbear or ghoul (ghoul only near Gloom- Numis doesn't believe in keeping his light
barrow) under a bushel. He talks openly about the vari-
19 & 20- DM special ous experiments he is performing and the magi-
cal research he's done, all of which is tedious for
non-wizards. He exaggerates his own accom-
plishments. Numis is a proficient wizard, but he
is not the world-class mage he claims to be.

Captain Baskillion (0-level fighter): AC 1; MV 9;

hp 6; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; AL
NG; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha
10; ML 12.

Weapon Proficiencies: None.

31
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Castle Folk

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Appraising (weapons Father Grealis is a plump, middle-aged, clean

only) 16, Etiquette 14, Hunting 12, Riding shaven man with a tonsure and a friar's cassock.
(land-based) 14, Weather Sense 13. He is almost always carrying a book of some kind
(not always his holy book) and enjoys stopping to
Equipment: Bastard sword +4 defender, chain mail chat casually with anyone he might meet in the
+2, shield +2, dagger +2/+3 vs. larger than man- halls of the castle.
sized, high-quality medium war horse with He is a good man who has been in the hinter-
horseshoes of speed. lands (i.e., Tramilar) for much of his life. As a
result of being away from the strict hierarchy of
Captain Baskillion is a lazy, affable sort who his faith, he has developed some liberal inter-
has seen very little combat and doesn't really pretations of the holy writ that might not be
know how to lead fighting men. He got this post entirely in accord with his superiors. He is widely
from being the king's brother-in-law. respected and admired as a great friend to the
He has collected some rather fancy pieces of needy and a steadfast friend of good and enemy
martial hardware, however (see Equipment, of evil.
above). Baskillion may not know how to use a
sword, but he knows nearly everything else Moira (chambermaid; 0-level): AC 10; MV 12; hp
about them from years of collecting. 3; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1 (punch); AL NG;
Baskillion has no wife or children of his own. Str 11, Dex 11, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 15;
He is fiercely protective of Alfinor and Ariella as ML 15.
a result. Baskillion may get involved in an adven-
ture when encountered outside the castle's wall. Nonweapon Proficiencies: Cooking 15, Etiquette
He greatly enjoys hunting and may invite the PC 15, Dancing 12.
to go with him sometime.
Moira is the chambermaid who assists Rhodo-
Father Grealis (P4): AC 10; MV 12; hp 15; THACO ban in his efforts to free Ariella, if those efforts
18; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; AL LG; Str 11, Dex are required. She is a lovely young woman who is
9, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 13; ML 15. currently engaged to one of the men-at-arms. She
believes (secretly) that the PC is a folk hero come
Weapon Proficiencies: Mace, staff, war hammer. back to life, due to the incredible deeds she
believe he has accomplished, and she will treat
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Religion 17, Read- him with even greater deference than she gives
ing/Writing 14, Languages, (Elvish) 14. the king. Moira's dream in life is to settle down
on a prosperous farm and raise a large number of
Equipment: Ring of spell-turning, mace +1, holy children. Although she has lived her entire life in
symbols (silver and wood), six vials of holy town, and knows nothing of farm life, she is con-
water. tinually talking about the country, farm animals,
crops, harvesting, and any other farm topic. She
Spells: (1st) Bless, command, cure light wounds, pro- will keep talking as long as she can find anyone
tection from evil; (2nd) enthrall, withdraw. to listen.

32
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)
Out Door Map

1 Princess's Tower
2 Goblin Village
3 Druid's Cottage
4 Spiders
5 Faerie Revel
6 King of the Forest
7 Goblins & Troll
8 Tomb of Arrolt
9 Exit from Tomb
10 Abandoned Farm
(shelter)
11 Miller Farm
(bugbears)
12 Castle Tramilar

DREADWOODS

assage Road

Grasslands & Farms

Rocky/Rough Terrain

Heavy Forest

Light Forest

One Hex =1 -j Miles

Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)

Gloombarrow Tomb

1 Entrance
2 First Sanctuary
3 Grand Reception
Hall
4 Hallways
5 Collapsed
Hallway
6 Sitting Room
7
8
Kitchen
Servant's
•SK:
Passage
9 Dining Chamber
10 Second
Sanctuary/Tomb
11 Armory
12 Sleeping
Chambers
13 Sparring Room
14 Hot Spring
Bathing
Chamber
15 Devotional
Chamber
16 The Lair of the
Deathless Lord 11
17 Passage Out

15

Door 110

• & - Secret Door

. . . .
Portcullis
111 • • - Stairs 12
p | Pressure Plate

w Air Vent 13
Oil Spouts

Broken Alter

• Table
o- 14
Cabinet

® Statue

o
Sarcophagus

Tub

Refuse

1 Square = 10'

Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)

II
loy DRGW BittNGR

TThe kingdom of Tramilar was once a powerful state. Now, disease and
dissent have left the kingdom weak. The Dreadwoods on the kingdom's
northern border are a haunt for evil creatures and plots. Discord stalks
the very halls of the king. Only the bravest and most dedicated warrior
could overcome the obstacles hidden in the forest and lurking in the
throne room.
Fighter's Challenge II is a special ONE-ON-ONE™ ADVANCED DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS® adventure designed for a DUNGEON MASTER™ and one player-
perfect for very small groups, for those times when the whole group can't
get together, and for the player who wants his or her character to earn
some extra experience while playing the role of a knight errant.
Can you survive the horrors of the Dreadwoods? Are you ready to face
treachery and deceit in high places? Adventure and danger await around
every bend in the trail!

TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd.

POB 756 120 Church End
Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton
Wl 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB
U.S.A. United Kingdom

S6.95 U.S.
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is a registered trademark owned by TSR, Inc.
$8.95 Can DUNGEON MASTER, ONE-ON-ONE, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
£4.50 U.K. Copyright 1994 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Aaron Fox (Order #10826077)