Possible Starting Point for Your One Ring Campaign

A criticism I’ve seen for running The One Ring is the belief the events of your game really don’t matter. Frodo and the Fellowship save the day, not your players, if you stick to canon. And while this is true, your One Ring campaign can shine new context on that tale and approach it from an angle asking the question why Sauron received no aid from the orcs in the Misty Mountains, Mt. Gram and Mt. Gundabad. Why did Cairn Dûm not answer the call to war?

Because of your campaign!

Now this doesn’t need to be the focus of your game. There are a lot of other options available to you, especially if you have the boxed set which details the Shire, or Ruins of the Lost Realm and Tales of the Lone-Lands which provides adventure locations and scenarios for your group to play through. But if you want to attempt the suggestion above the Core book gives you a couple of launching off points to design around. 

After years of quiet, Goblins are once again raiding Combe’s livestock. Why have they returned at this point? A simple answer is they are a forward scouting party that has gotten reckless and risked discovery. I’ve posted previously what that opening adventure phase can look like.

That nicely leads to an even greater threat, Búrzgul the “Butcher”, son of Bolg, lurking in the South Downs with a pack of Wargs led by Ash. Both of these villains are described in the core book though I added that bit about him being Bolg’s son for extra gravitas. 

Set up these adventures using  Gandalf as the group's patron. He is a blast to run, and mechanically his favours provide one of the better patron benefits to the party. Gilraen is another great choice, linking the Companions to the faded glory of the Rangers and their cause. Both also offer the sudden appearance of NPC Rangers to aid in the Companions endeavors when required. 

A short follow up adventure can come in the form of the companions helping a local woodsman. At the summer Smoke Ring Festival, some of the players may compete for the prize of an elegantly crafted pipe while news reaches the Companions that Finch Talltree, Forester of Archet, recklessly seeks the troll that killed his father. Saving the Forester before something tragic happens brings the Companions more local renown while establishing a pair of eyes and ears they can lean on. Plus, it sets up the first encounter with a troll, those things are no joke!

A great side quest which can also link to the overall theme of the campaign comes from the sourcebook, Ruins of the Lost Realms. Perhaps the players need a break from all the orc and troll hunting. A trip through the Shire presents a completely different vibe. Light hearted. Mischievous. Peaceful. A place worth protecting. Maybe Bilbo is the patron of this phase, seeking the Companions aid in locating a rare book at the library in the White Towers, where tragedy awaits. The sourcebook presents the White Towers as an adventure location with a series of events already set in motion. Cirzor, a spy of the Enemy, adds a new layer to the machinations of the Enemy for the Companions to disrupt. 

Other avenues to explore include weaving in PC backgrounds. One of my group created a Ranger from the North who wielded a spear, an ancient family heirloom. His father was wounded by a terrible creature and never fully recovered. Fort Arlas, another adventure location from Ruins of the Lost Realms, has a particularly nasty evil for the Companions to face and drive out of the north. 

Or wounded Companions forced to flee from battle may lose important heirlooms, the recovery of which becomes a side quest within the overall campaign that can easily tie to the main plot. Said item taken to Rath Sereg, an orc stronghold described in Tales From the Lone-Lands becomes the adventure, another orc threat requiring the Companions attention whose defeat disrupts the Enemies plans in the north. And don’t get me started on all the cool stuff The Hill of Fear offers as the Eye of Mordor fixes its gaze on the Companions. The Hills defeat provides a possible end point for the campaign, or at least the “first season” of play, and a satisfying run of adventures for your group to sink their teeth into.

Hyperborea Session 1 notes

Below is the outcome from the first session. I think it was a success. The PC are the following:

Reagan, a Kimmr-Kelt Paladin.

Thorn, a Fighter

Sauuke, an Xian Purloiner.

Each has come to Scardin for their own reasons. 

It is the year 578 CAE, 1st of Taurus (month 2) of High Summer Waxing. 

An Xian stumbled out of the Laughing Wench tavern, shaking and muttering to himself about “daemons, death, hair like fire and a woman yearning for her love”. He attacked Korr, the bouncer before passing out and dying. Korr took the money pouch to cover the Xian’s tab. The group started going through his belongings when the Xian awoke an undead and attacked. Reagan was paralyzed before Thorn and Saruuke were able to slay it. 

Many possessions were looted, and eventually sold, from the body. The following were kept: 

• A tattered map to a tomb located outside of Scardin (The Tomb)

• Dagger +1, it’s hilt fashioned like a horn, significant to “The Horned One”, Thaumagorga.

• Writing stick, 2 torches and 4 iron rations

The Necromancer, with his two hooded, foul smelling bodyguards, took the stub of a black candle which the Xian had been carrying, along with the Xian’s body.

The group convinced Korr to pay for their drinks and meal as reward for killing the undead. 

A number of villagers were present in the inn: 

• Big Morgan the Black Smith

• Enku, the local coot. 

Word from Enku was that the Xian had been with a Viking and a crimson robed woman and had set off almost a week ago from Scardin.

2nd of Taurus.

The group makes arrangements for a horse and sleigh and sets out for the tomb. The Necromancer meets with Saruuke in secret and offers him a large sum of money if more black candles are brought to her. 

3rd of Taurus.

The group finds the tomb, a hole dug in the middle between a standing stone, rock and stone altar. There is another sleigh by the standing stone, but no sign of a horse nearby.

The standing stone has a rope tied around its base. Carved into the stone are ancient depictions of Mordezzan with more recent carvings of Thaumagorga and even Yug. The rock is carved to look like a skull. The stone altar was faintly stained with blood. 

Inside the cave was a huge titan’s skull partially excavated, double doors with the symbol of Mordezzan flanked by stone statues with the same symbol on them (they appeared to move when it looked like you would try to open the double doors), and the woman in the crimson robe slumped against the wall being sucked dry by a trio of large insect-like creatures. The creatures were hacked off her. Saruuke cut off a finger from the woman to remove a black stone ring etched with gold dust (Ring of Lightning Resistance) and Thorn took the pack which contained a Spell Book titled, Secrets of the Blasted Waste, 2 arcane scrolls and a travel journal written in Xian which Saruuke could not read. 

The woman awoke an undead, like the xian and attacked, paralyzing the trio. Thorn was dragged away leaving a bloody trail behind him. Reagan and Saruuke recovered just as the undead woman returned and were able to slay it.

At that time a new explorer entered the scene, Dane, a cleric of Apollo, who followed the trail of the original bearer’s of the map, believing they were up to no good.

They followed the trail to a room with a plain stone crypt adorned with carvings of skeletons marching away from a female winged figure. The stone lid looked like it had been removed using a crowbar and put back by whatever was now inside it, based on the nature of some hand prints on the edge of the lid. Two darts on the floor were collected by Saruuke. A second blood trail led southward beyond a stone door.

On the other side of the door was a horrific site. The bodies of Thorn, face up, and an unknown Viking, face down, lay atop a large grate. Daemon maggots were feeding on the bodies from under the grate. Symbols on the grate prevented the maggots from crawling into the room. A silver arm ring (Ring of Sustenance) on the Viking was deftly collected by the group but the contents of Thorns backpack, with the items from the crimson woman, were lost down the grate.

On the shelf in the room was the following:

• A collection of sacred texts dedicated to Mordezzan

• A prayer book, The Grey Veil, dedicated to Mordezzan

• A necromancers tome by its markings written by Ashnzar Plaigi

• A stone tablet describing a horrible unnamed city in Underborea. The stone was written in Hellenic (Hyperborean dialect) which I think you had Enku translate for you? If so let me know and I’ll give you the info on what it describes.

• A map made of rotting skin written in Hellenic (Amazon dialect) which I don’t think you had translated (not sure if you had this translated? Let me know and I can retcon this info into the doc). 

In the crypt to the south you found and kept a silver offering bowl stamped with the Eye of Xathoqqua. Beside it was another stone crypt, untouched, engraved with carvings of sensual winged daemons coupling with men and women and strange runes.

Then there was the silver mirror. Trapped in the mirror was a red headed serving girl, Kiara. She claimed to have been trapped by the jealous lady she served and begged to be freed. A sword strike upon the mirror did nothing. It was decided that the mirror should be taken with you to which Kiara readily agreed. However, Kiara was left for the moment leaning against a wall with the promise that the group would return. Kiara reluctantly agreed. 

A wooden barrel was found engraved with runes. It was a quarter full but left untouched. On a cabinet was found a number of jewels resting in the eye sockets of numerous skulls belonging to various types of species, along with another dagger +1 with a horned engraved hilt and an arcane scroll (you later discovered from the necromancer it detailed a ritual to trap a daemons essence in an object.)

You entered the last tomb, and were met by a Hyperborean Ghost, Shavanizur Traal. The ghost's only concern was that the daemon trapped in the mirror was not freed, nor that the tombs in her chamber be touched. A banging could be heard coming from inside the large central tomb in the room. The sound amused Shavanizur Traal. The ghost cast a spell upon Saruuke where he promised to ensure Kiara would never be freed from the mirror which would remain in the crypt.

A comedy ensued as the group was charmed by Kiara to bring her out of the tomb, each member trying to get it out with the others stopping them. Eventually, Reagen was able to put the mirror back, Kiara revealing her true form to him, that of a succubus. 

In a side passage were a series alcoves containing large black candles. On the opposite wall could be observed a relief of a hooded figure, death like figure standing before a massive titan. The relief continued but the group did not travel further down the tunnel, instead grabbing one of the candles and running out. Unfortunately, the fumes given off affected both Dane and Reagen who dreamt of horrible fish men dragging people below the waves and a massive, unholy presence watching from afar.

The hole was covered with wooden planks from the other sleigh, and buried in snow. Two days back to Scardin had them return by the 5th of Taurus.

On the 6th of Taurus the arcane scroll was sold by Saruuke to the Necromancer in exchange for providing Identify now, as well as five more times in the future. The gems were sold to Kolgor, the gemcutter. Dane made it known that the crypt in the hills was haunted by ghosts and that they had recovered all the treasures within. 

Over the course of the next few days the group ordered armor from Big Morgan, bought an empty lodge house from the local lord of Scardin, Kall Macc Bran and went about their business, improving their skills (level up!). On the 14th of Taurus calamity struck in the form of a mighty earthquake. Numerous lodge houses toppled, injuring many. The next few days were spent rebuilding. Word was a sink hole had opened up in a nearby mine with the promise of a huge find in gemstones revealed.

On the 18th of Taurus news arrived of a massacre discovered in a hunting lodge to the north west. Miners and hunters were both missing. The decision was made to wait until the armor was ready before heading out. 

On the 20th you picked up the armor and set off the next day. You found the hunting lodge on the 22nd. It was a bloodbath inside, and a man with a partially mutated face like that of a spider was found within.

On the return back to Scardin you were ambushed by a small group of mutated spider men who leaped onto your sleigh. You fought them off as your sleigh raced through the snow.

You returned to Scardin on the 23rd. 

The next day the local Justicar, Conn Macc Brehan, Saruuke’s boss, was in a foul mood. The boss of the mining guild, Halla Ivarsdottir, was demanding something be done about the problem as her miner’s were starting a work refusal. Conn demanded Saruuke and his companions talk with the miners and deal with the problem.

The miners described the attacks and their work refusal. It was one thing to die in the mines, another to die or be dragged off by one of those things they said. The companions convinced the miners to return to work in exchange for their heading out with them as protection. 

You set off on the 25th of Taurus to the main mining camp situated just south of the Frost Crags, arriving on the 26th. That night the camp was attacked by spider men. Saruuke was bitten by one of the spidermen, and the wound became infected.. One of the spider men was recognized as a previously kidnapped miner, Zenon. The group decided to try and backtrack the location of where the spidermen came from. A scout (will need to look up how much for the scout) and 4 henchmen were hired. (The henchmen for 1gp per day with an additional gold offered for bravery). The scout tracked the spidermen’s trail through the snow. It led to the Birch Bog Wood. You arrived at the wood on the 27th of Taurus and made camp.

End of Session 1

 

The Black Tomb of the Wight Knight: Opening of the Hyperborea Campaign

 

The first adventure was inspired by Niklas Wistedt's dunegon map, The Black Tomb of the Wight Knight. A dungeon map can an inspire so much about the location being explored. This map was so awesome, it's inspired a good chunk of the campaign! I prayed one of the PCs would take a piece of bone from the skull out of the dungeon. If they don't, an NPC, certainly will at some point in the future to set of the events related to the Frost Giants.  

 As discussed in the previous post the adventure is set in the Gal Hills, in the village of Scardin.

Below is the write up for the adventure location. I don't do this type of write up for my online games, I don't have the time but because this is an every other month game I tend to put in the time with the adventure locations.

The Hook:

·       Kiakos, an Xian thief and explorer, (has a map with the location of the Black Tomb of the White Knight marked), is at Fionn’s tavern (use the Quiet Margose tavern map). He will stumble out onto the street clutching the black candle.

o   Leather armour, short sword, backpack (inside it: soft leather pouch (9gp, 48sp, 14cp, mastercraft green banded malachite -20 gp and an orange amber 100pg), chalk, dice, fishing hooks and string, grappling hook, silk rope, thieves tools, tinderbox, torches x2, wineskin half full, spool of wire, writing stick, iron rations x 4), dagger +1 (engraved on the hilt with a curved stylized horn: worth 250xp, 1250 pg, more to a follower of Thaumagorga)

·         The tavern is occupied by a variety of farmers and locals from the village.

o   Big Morgan, the blacksmith

o   Dye maker

o   Enku, the local coot, wild eyed. Gossiper. He knows things. Not always true.

o   A scout

o   Miners x2 and loggers x4

·         Kiakos is shivering, clutching a black candle. Blood encrusted bandages cover his left arm. Underneath there is a festering bite mark. Kiakos is suffering from the dust of nightmares and visions (p. 474) which was released from the candle, along with the infection from being bitten by the ghoul in the tomb. The visons are of the Necromancer, Madame Pryor, and the Death Knight Zygoth.

o   Kiakos will be muttering loudly, “Daemons. Death. Hair like fire! She yearns for him!”

 

·       The candle light flickers and goes out causing Kiakos to have a heart attack (system shock). The thief shudders, screams in his death throes and crashes to the ground. The black candle, which rolls out of his hand onto the street, is little more then a stub at this point. It possesses faint traces of magic and can still be identified.

 

1d4+1 rounds after he dies, Kiakos “awakens” a “ghoul” and will attack whoever is closest, including NPCs. This may cause other ghouls to arise in short order.

 Ghoul:  AL CE; SZ M; MV 40; DX 11; AC 5; HD 2 (hp 9); A 3/1 (claw/claw/bite); D 1d3 / 1d3 / 1d6; SV 16; ML 10; XP 68. AC adjusted due to leather armor

Special: Immune to poison, paralysis, fear, and cold. Protection from evil holds them at bay. Hit causes paralysis for 2d6 turns unless death save is made. Slain victims later become ghouls.

  

Rumours and clues:

·         The thief is recognized by the tavern keeper, Cathal Fionn, a brew master with a prodigious belly, wisps of grey hair tied into a pony tail and a bulbous blood shot nose. He has a ready smile, missing many teeth, for paying customers.

o   The Xian, Kiakos, was part of a group of three explorers which included a Viking warrior and woman in strange, purple robes, almost purple that hurt the eyes too look at for too long. They ventured out from Scardin on unknown business 4 or 5 days ago.

 

·         The Necromancer (picture the priest from Vikings) will come to claim the body. She will offer a silver piece for the body to be delivered to her tower.

o   She is interested in the black candle and will offer a reward to the players if they are able to bring her one.

 

·        If the party inquire about the area on the map it is known to consist of ancient barrow mounds. The local druids warn people away from them, actively discourage looting. (They are not currently in the area. They are at the druid moot. To the east)

 

Location of the Tomb: Refer to the map provided.

Backstory: 500 hundred years ago, Morakul Shoon, a Hyperborean Warlock born of a prominent family returned to the city of Khromarium from an expedition. Morakul was a Knight of Mordezzan who fell from the god of death’s grace after being seduced by the daemon succubus, Baelaza, a follower of Madame Pryor and the Death Knight Zygoth. Under the daemon’s manipulations Morakul took his family to the Gal Hills, and squandered the family fortune as he hunted down and killed Ymir’s Son to support the rituals of Pryor and Zygoth, leaving his family in ruin. His wife, Shavanizur Traal, a powerful magician was too late in unraveling the true nature of her husbands mistress. After the death of her husband and children at the hands of the daemon succubus, Baelaza Korzhuu, Shavanizur Traal unlocked the means to magically trap Baelaza in a mirror for eternity. The mirror was placed in the tomb, along with the bodies of her husband and children. Shavanizur Traal’s ghost haunts the tomb, protecting it from any who would attempt to free the daemon or disturb the final resting place of her children.

  

Entrance to the Tomb of the Wight Knight

·         Outside. A weatherworn stone pillar depicting horrible skull effigies. There are more recent carvings into the stone.

o   Clerics may recognize them as being associated with darker aspects of Mordezzan, ghouls, charnel houses and carrion. Hidden amongst them is an image of the “Horned God”, Thaumagorga

o   The more recent images depict the symbol of Yug

·         A rope is tied around the base of the pillar, leading into a hole into the tomb below.

·         A rock, on the opposite side of the pillar, has been carved to resemble a skull of Mordezzan. It has been defiled with carvings of Thaaumagorga on the sides of it head.

·         A sacrificial table is on the far side of the hole between the pillar and the stone. It is faintly stained with dried blood. The elements have worn much of it away in the last few hundred years.

·         The hole appears to be freshly dug. The rope goes down 30 ft. into the dark tomb below.

·         If the players search the area they will find archaeological evidence of human sacrifices, some very old, others much more recent.

 

Room 1: The Skull Chamber

·         In the middle of the room is the partially excavated skull of a huge giant or titan (the son of Ymir).

o   Taking a fragment of the skull out of the tomb could possibly curse the player (S.T. vs Spell). They will experience horrible dreams of a jagged, solitary mountain peak partially shrouded by a fierce blizzard. Within the blizzard are hints of Ymir’s visage, malevolent eyes, projecting baleful hate at the cursed victim. This will prevent the player from recovering hit points naturally. The only way to remove the curse is through magic or returning the bone to the tomb. If the bone gets passed on, the curse is not removed, however whoever comes into possession of it must also make a S.T. vs Spell or they too will begin to experience nightmares.

·         Slumped on the floor, leaning against the door is a tattooed woman in a purple robe. (Equipment p. 128). She was attacked and mortally wounded by the ghoul. She is unconscious, her breathing is shallow. If she dies she will become one in 1d6 turns. (P.349)

o   Secrets of the Blasted Waste - Necromancy spell book: 1^st: Detect magic, Detect Malady, Extermination, Invisibility to Undead, Shoking Grasp, Sorcerer Mark. 2^nd: Danse Macabre, Ray of Enfeeblement, Spectral Hand  (1200 xp and 4800gp)

o    2 necromancy scrolls (i) cursed scroll – violent illness for 24 hours, -4 to all rolls if fail ST, bright red string ties off scroll, XP- and 1000gp and ii) Wyvern Warden scroll 200xp and 600gp)

o   Ring of lightning resistance (made of a strange black stone etched with gold dust: )

o   Travel journal in backpack describing the journey from Khromarium, seeking Shoon’s tomb. Provides info from the introduction.

·         3 braziers on iron tripods. Burnt offerings within.

·         2 stone statues of knights flank a bronze door. Skulls are craved into there chests and each holds a giant stone mace.

o   The statues will animate and attack any who try to open the door who don’t praise Mordezzan. Dust will shift off the shoulders of the statues warning they are about to animate. They will respond if attacked

o   AC 4, HD 3 (17, 10 hp), Att 1 x mace (1d8+1), MV 30’, SV 15, ML 12, XP 90, Immune: Sleep and Charm.

·         Stamped onto the bronze door is the image of a Hyperborean knight with a skull emblazoned on its mail armour. The skull looks like the symbol of Mordezzan (p. 109).

  

Room 2: The North Crypt

·         A bronze offering bowl engraved with skeletons (100gp) is on the floor. Dried out flowers are inside it.

·         An iron torch sconce is on the wall. A burned out torch is in the sconce.

·         There is a trail of blood leading to the southern door.

·         A plain stone crypt lies in the middle of the room. There are carvings in the stone of skeletons marching away from a winged figure, a female based on the breasts and hips. Two darts lie on the floor near the tomb, along with an iron crowbar.

o   Read magic reveals on the crypt the phrase, “Shall serve Her always.”

o   The stone lid looks like it has been recently shifted; there are fresh looking scrape marks where the stone lid war pried open with the crowbar. It also appears that the lid was put back into place. There are bloody fingerprints on the lid. Opening the crypt requires a test of strength.

o   Resting within is a ghoul in a tattered dress. Fresh blood stains her claws, mouth and dress. She dragged the Viking warrior to the sewer grate before sealing herself back into her crypt.

 

Ghoul:  AL CE; SZ M; MV 40; DX 11; AC 6; HD 2 (hp 9); A 3/1 (claw/claw/bite); D 1d3 / 1d3 / 1d6; SV 16; ML 10; XP 68.

Special: Immune to poison, paralysis, fear, and cold. Protection from evil holds them at bay. Hit causes paralysis for 2d6 turns unless death save is made. Slain victims later become ghouls.

  

Room 3: Sewer to Underborea

·         Opening the door to room 3 releases a horrible stench. (test of constitution or the player vomits)

·         The trail of blood from room 2 leads to the iron sewer grate.

·         Atop the sewer grate is a Viking warrior, face down. The body appears to be twitching.

o   It is being picked at and eat by daemon i maggots (p.325) from under the grate. His armour and clothes are shredded, as are parts of his body. It is a gory, bloody mess. On his right hand is a silver ring. (ring of sustenance: 500xp, 3000gp)

·         Underneath the sewer is teeming with daemon i maggots. The walls beneath the sewer are glistening with slime, blood and filth. The stench in the room emanates from within.

·         The sewer is bolted and locked. The lock is rusted shut. It would take an open locks check or a test of extraordinary strength to unlock it. Sigils are engraved on the metal.

·         A wooden shelf, covered in cobwebs and mouldering, ancient texts and scrolls. The texts are sacred to Mordezzan (p. 109). Scholars or priests of the god would pay handsome for the collection (500gp).

o   Amongst the collection is a book of prayers devoted to Mordezzan, The Grey Veil, and a magic tome of necromancy written by Ashnazar Plaigi. It contains a collection of low level spells. Possible spells include Animate Carrion, Locate the Dead, Scare, Scythe of the Reaper, Speak with Dead. (800 XP and 4000gp)

o   A stone tablet describes a horrible, unnmaed city in Underborea. The city is apparently empty except for a Tower Keep, ruled by a lich and his undead servants. (150 XP, 300gp)

o   Map made of rotting skin, written in Hellenic (Amazon dialect). It claims to lead to a lost Atlantean Treasure, The Lig… …tor. The location suggests it is somewhere towards the outer portion of the Crab Archipelago. (250XP, 500gp)

  

Room 4: The South Crypt, Mirror and Barrel of Blood

                The Crypt

·         A silver offering bowl, engraved with the Eye of Xathoqqua on the floor. Dried blood is inside of it. It was part of the ritual used to rip the daemon succubus’s soul from her body and store it before it was put in the mirror.

·         An iron torch sconce is on the wall. A burned out torch is in the sconce.

·         A stone crypt engraved with sensual winged daemons coupling with men and women lies in the middle of the room inscribed with warding runes. Read magic reveals they act as a barrier meant to prevent spirits from being able to enter or exit the stone. The crypt is warded to prevent Baelaza’s soul from reuniting with her body.

·         Opening the crypt requires a test of strength.

·         Resting within is the desiccated corpse of the daemonic succubus, Baelaza.

 

The Silver Mirror

·         Inside the mirror is the trapped soul of the succubus, Baelaza. She will appear as a red haired woman, and identify herself as Kiara, the victim of a jealous sorcerous, the ghost Shavanizur Trall, who imprisoned her as punishment for seducing her husband. She offers to help the players find the secret treasure horde of the Wight Knight if she is freed. If the players fail in their initial attempts, Baelaza will suggest the use of magic to break the mirror. If the players don’t have magic available to them, she will suggest they bring the mirror with them and attempt to find someone who will be able to free her.

·         If threatened or it appears the players will leave without helping her, Baelaza will attempt to charm anyone in front of the mirror, Saving Throw vs Avoidance. The silver mirror can’t be broken by normal steel. 10 points of magical damage will cause the mirror to break, freeing Baelaza’s soul. Baelaza will whisper into the victim’s mind the location of a magic dagger +1 in the Cabinet. Once in the charmed persons possession, she will compel the victim to break the mirror with the dagger +1.

·         If the daemon is unable to reunite with its body (the body is still sealed in its crypt) the daemon will compel the charm person to remove the lid of their crypt so that Baelaza’s soul can reunite with her body. If that occurs, the daemon will need 1d4+2 rounds to full regenerate.

 

Baelaza Korzhuu, Daemon, Succubus: AL CE; SZ M; MV 40 (fly 60); DX 17; AC 0; HD 6+6 (hp 35); A 2/1 (claw/claw); D 1d6 / 1d6; SV 14; ML 9; XP 1590.

Special: refer to Referee’s Manual for more info

 

  

 

Barrel of Holy Water

·         The wooden barrel is engraved with necromantic runes, of a skull being bathed with water. Read magic or knowledge of Mordezzan’s religion reveal the barrel is designed to facilitate the brewing of holy water. It is a valuable relic of the god of death’s faith and wold be highly coveted by his priests (1000 gp).

·         The barrel is a quarter full of holy water, enough to fill 4 bottles. The remaining water in the barrel has special properties having the ability to restore lost hit points or attributes like a lesser restoration spell.

 

                The Cabinet

·         Across from the barrel is a cabinet. Inside the cabinet are skulls of all types of creatures, ape men, humans, Vhuurmis, Hyperboreans, lizard and snake men and other strange, unknown specimens.

o   The skulls contain various gemstones in the eyesockets.

§  Blackish green obsidian, fine craftsmanship (15gp), greyish blue chalcedony (50gp), pale blue quartz (10gp), blue opal, cracked flaw (25gp), pink spinel (100gp), deep blue spinal (500gp)

o   There is a dagger +1 on the shelf. It is engraved with a skull on the pummel.

o   Jewellery, copper earing with a celtic engraving (20gp), and silver chain necklace (60gp) with a deep black obsidian (10gp) and red garnet (100gp).

o   Along with the skulls is a scroll, fragile with age. It describes the ritual used to imprison Baelaza’s soul in the mirror. Without read magic, the scroll appears as a series of magical runes, and archaic drawings of a demonic woman. With read magic, the scroll describes the ritual to remove the soul of daemon from its body (some similarity to Magic Jar). This is a homebrew spell, 6^th level.

 

Room 5: Hall of Blood Candles

·         Candle light flickers down the hall.

·         In each alcove stands a lit black candle releasing lotus infused smoke which acts like dust of nightmares and visions (p. 474). So long as the candles remain in the alcoves they will never stop burning. Once removed they begin to burn down.

·         The candle in the 3^rd alcove is missing. It was taken by the thief, Kiakos.

·         There is a relief painting on the wall of Mordezzan and the Titan, Ymir’s son. The Titan challenged Mordezzan to see who could kill more sheep with a single action. If the Titan won, he would be free from death. If he lost, he would die immediately.  The relief suggests Mordezzan tricked the Titan into taking the challenge. The Titan used its brute strength while Mordezzan used a single word of power breathing death on the flock, spreading disease, and slew then all. Losing the challenge, the Ymir’s son was slain by Mordezzan with a kiss on the forehead, the kiss of death.

 

Room 6: Tomb of the Wight Knight

·         The lid of Morakul’s tomb is carved to resemble a proud Hyborean knight. Iron bars prevent the lid from being opened unless they are removed

·         The tomb is haunted by Shavanizur Traal, Morakul’s wife, a powerful magician. She seeks to torment her husband for his stupidity for eternity. Roll for reaction to determine the ghost’s mood. If she finds out the players seek to free the daemon from the mirror she will try and kill them.

·         Small crypts. The resting place of Shavanizur Traal’s children who were poisoned by the daemon. The ghost will order the crypts remain untouched on pain of death. If the players do open the crypts of the children she will attack. “There are other treasures in this crypt. Leave the mirror and take the rest. I care not. However, this room will not be despoiled. Ever.”

·         The ghost will debase her husband in front of the players for his stupidity. Morakul will bang on the lid of the crypt, a muffled voice yelling at her to shut up and let him sleep. It is an eternal quarrel between the couple.

·         All Morakul wants is to be left alone in peace. He knows he cannot atone for his crimes, nor does he want to. The only thing the knight remains proud of his the equipment he wears in death. He will not allow anyone to take it from him. In the crypt is the Eye of Zygax which can be used to locate the tomb of Zygoth.

      Shavanizur has the ghost stats with 9 levels of magic user for her spells and Morakul had the Wight stats with plate mail armor and a magic sword. (To be honest I didn't have these two NPCs stated out. I winged the ghost and if the party was stupid enough to fight her it would have been a TPK.)

      Next I'll share the session notes for the adventure.