Story Award: 2000
Recently, Lombor Hotep, a 3rd level fighter, was exploring the Forgotten Woods with a small party. He woke up, days later, on the edge of the forest, his mind blank of recent occurrences, and all his treasures stolen. What was especially troubling was the loss of his bracers of archery (p. 162), an heirloom that had been in his family for generations. He needs some adventurers to get back his bracers. Lombor is 5'5 with dull brown hair and a high forehead. He will pay 500 gp for the return of the item.
The Shattered Bladeorcs gave Lombor their forgetting potion, but it was orcs from the Claw Mountains who found Lombor and his party lying unconscious and stole their treasures.
The Forgotten Woods See Forgotten Woods encounter chart
The party has a 20% chance per day of travel in the forgotten woods to meet up with some orcs from the Shattered Blade. There will be 3d6 orcs with a THAC0 of 17 with wrestling. They carry spears but of course won't use them on intelligent beings. If the PCs lose, they are administered the forgetting potion and wake up outside the forest - but with all their treasures. If they win, a surviving orc will plead for mercy, explaining that they are pacifists who only want to be left alone. If the PCs explain why they are there they are taken to the orcs small village. The orcs will want to blindfold the PCs but won't insist on it, especially if many of them were slain. But before they leave, they will bury their dead.
The Orc Village
The current leader of the orcs is Tendash. The real leader, Mundon, was infected with a posion while wrestling Lombor. Mundon lies unconscious in a hut. The orcs explain that Mundon was the last to see Lombor. As Mundon lay semi-conscious under the effects of the poison, he saw orcs from the claw mountains steal Lombors treasure. The party will have to revive Mundon to find this out.
The orcs know that Mundon needs a herb known as Sinchine to become conscious again. It grows in the Plains of Neldoreth. Tendosh will ask the PCs to journey to the plains of neldoreth. He gives them a clay pendant with a spear on it, and tells them to seek Jurnathisi the Mundumugu. The necklace was a gift from Jurnathisi to Mundon.
The Plains of Neldoreth
See Plains of Neldoreth Encounter Chart
The orcs will have given the PCs directions to Jurnathisi's small, 6 hut village. When they arrive, the Eldorethians will be suspiscious of the PCs, but if they show the clay pendant they will become friendly and tell that Jurnathisi was kidnapped several days ago by a female ogre named Bashbash. She is living by a waterhole 30 miles to the north west. The tribesmen seem indifferent about rescuing the mundumugu. The PCs can try if they want, but the tribesmen figure that Jurnathisi can look after himself.
Bashbash
Bashbash the ogre (p. 272) has 13 hp. As the PCs arrive, a short, bald Eldorethian (Jurnathisi) is lecturing Bashbash about why kidnapping is bad. Bashbash looks ready to burst into tears. As she sees the PCs, she shrieks "No one will steal my mundumugu!" and attacks. As Bashbash attacks, Jurnathisi will call on the PCs to stop fighting but won't interfere. Jurnathisi is a level 5 cleric: AC: 8, MV: 12. HD: 5, hp: 22, #AT 1, dmg: No weapon, THAC0: 17, AL: CG, Spells: L1: cure light wounds, create water x 2 L2: find traps, slow poison, speak with animals L3: cure disease.
Jurnathisi will be sad if Bashbash is slain, saying "She was just misguided". He will lead the PCs to the sinchine herb. If they subdued instead of slaying Bashbash, he will offer the PCs a choice of clay pendants: One has a wolverine on it (3 attacks for 3 rounds), one with an antelope (12 extra move for 12 rounds) or one with a lion on it that gives the user 20 extra hp over and above their maximum, however these extra points are gone once used and the user cannot again go above their maximum. The clay pendants must be broken to be used and are only usuable once. Jurnathisi will explain what the parties choice of pendant does after they choose.
Now, then:
With the herb, Mundon can be brought back to consciousness, and he will tell that the bracers of archery were stolen by orcs from the Claw Mountains. None of the Shattered Blade orcs know exactly where the Claw Mountain orcs live. The PCs need a map, and several may be available in the Lintoli's library.
The Library, Etc.
The library is run by Zibbinyat the gnome. He has frazzled grey hair that sticks out in all directions. He is harried, trying to organize a library that seems to have a mind of its own. Books are rarely where they should be because people keep putting them back in the wrong places, especially absent minded gnomes. If the PCs ask about maps, Zibbinyat will shriek and burst into tears, pulling his hair in frustration. If the PCs are gentle with him, they'll eventually find out that the maps have been stolen by an unknown person. He'll sobbingly tell the PCs that the maps have been slowly dissappearing until he put the few remaining maps in a locked vault. But just this morning the lock showed signs of tampering, and he feels it is only a matter of time until the remaining maps are stolen. It's such a pity because they were very fine maps, worth quite a bit, and one of them was a rare map of the Claw Mountains, made by the famed human expolorer Anlyn. Zibbinyat wishes the library could afford a night watchman or some protective wards.
Later that Night
The maps are being stolen by Yarshat the thief. Level 5: AC: 3. MV: 12, HD: 5, hp: 17, #AT:1, dmg: d6+1. THAC0: 17, AL: NE, Elfin Chain +2 (Armour of blending (p. 182)), short sword +1
Yarshat enters the library by a random window, at 10+d6 hours at night. He'll attempt to move silently and hide in shadows, but he'll go directly to the map vault. He knows where the vault is because he bribed Lorthon the elf, an employee of the library, to tell him where the maps were. Yarshat will attempt to flee if accosted but will beg for his life if forced into a losing fight.
Yarshat has only one map left in his run down house (It shows the Change Moors) and he has sold the rest to Urgonaut Lim, an eccentric about whom there are many dark rumours. Ugonaut lives in a ramshackle mansion 8 miles outside Lintoli. Yarshat received over 2000 gold for the maps, but has gambled most of it away until he has only 300 gold left in his house.
Urgonaut Lims Mansion
It is 2 stories tall and very dilapidated. There is a spawling, run down grave yard out back.
Encounters in area around Urgonauts mansion: Day: 10%: d4+1 suspiscious guards (level 1 fighters, broadswords, shields, leather armour, 15 xp)
Night: 30%
| d20 | Encounter | # encountered | Page # |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-14 | Skeletons | 2d4 | 315 |
| 15-19 | Zombies | d4 | 373 |
| 20 | Ghoul | d2 | 131 |
The Crypt in the Backyard
The crypt is a large stone rectangle topped by a statue of a knight on a horse. He holds a sword raised in his hand. If the sword arm is pulled down, a small door in the side of the crypt swings open, revealing a set of stairs leading down.
1. An elaborate stone coffin, the cover of which is carved to look like an armoured warrior (the same warrior as on top of the crypt). This is nothing inside the coffin but the smell of very old rotted meat.
2. Here lies the inanimate skeleton of a dwarf in plate mail with a hand axe. He is face down, his feet pointing toward the far wall. On the far wall can be seen the outline of a door, but it can't be opened from this side.
3. Here are 6 skeletons (p.315, hp: 1,7,8,3,5,3). 236 copper are scattered around from a wooden chest. A stink of rotten flesh comes from room 4.
4. 3 Zombies: hp: 11,8,4, page 373. There are 2 barrels here, one is marked "toes" and is filled with finger bones, the other is marked "fingers" and is filled with toe bones.
5. There are 2 statues of armored warriors standing 4 feet apart, between them is a locked secret door, leading into the basement of the mansion.
6. Here is an undead, armoured warrior, the same as appears on the top of the coffin and on the crypt. Stats: AC: 1 (+1 plate mail), MV: 6, HD: 4, hp: 25. #AT: 1, dmg: d8 (long sword), THAC0: 17, SA: save vs. death magic or lose d4x100 xp. AL: CE, xp: 650
This is the undead of Lord Syith, the founder of this mansion and family line. He is Urgonauts great grandfather.
Treasure: Scroll of Protection vs. Dargon Breath, Oil of Acid Resistance, 3 olive green peridot gems (500 gp each), 112 pp, 602 gp, 796 ep, 1492 sp.
After Lord Syith dies, the door to this chamber slams shut and will not open. There is a secret door leading to room 2 (It is the other half of the outline seen on the wall of room 2). The secret door must be found normally, but the PCs get a bonus if they realize that this room is right next to the outline seen on the wall in room 2. As the first PC goes through the secret door, a poisoned dart fires from the wall behind him and the PC must save vs. Breath Weapon or take 2d6 damage.
The Basement of the Mansion
1. The secret door from room 5 of the crypt leads here. Horrible smells waft into the room from room 2.
2. This is a necromantic laboratory. There is a stack of six rotting corpses as well as 2 scrolls of read magic . An altar is in the center with black candles. A corspe lies there, shackled to the altar, hand and foot. It died within the past 24 hours, a tall elf with light brown hair. His name was Dulin Mortep, he came here searching for the body of his lady love Mia Harlyn, whose body disappeared shortly after her death. There is an incantation on the side of the altar that if read with read magic, will bring Dulin temporarily back to life. He will tell the PCs that the only way to slay Urgonaut is with holy water. Once doused in holy water and his flesh is removed, then he may be attacked normally.
3. Pieces of smashed statues litter this rooms floor. There is one complete statue of a neanderthal. Written on its stomach in common is the word; 'begin'. If someone says that, the neanderthal will attack as a clay golem.There is also a stairway leading up to the mansions ground floor.
Ground Floor
1. The stairway from the basement leads here. There are 4 skeletons hanging from the ceiling, two feet off the ground who will attack (hp: 6,4,5,6).
2. This is a large kitchen. A roast turkey sits on a table, moving slightly. If touched, maggots will crawl out. The rest of the food is rotten and bad as well.
3. A sitting room. The furniture is old and moth eaten. The 3 stolen maps are here, sitting on easels. 1 shows the Slime Moors, 1 the Claw Mountains, and 1Stone Forest, before it was the Stone Forest. They are all worth 500 gp, but the Stone Forest map is worth 1000 gp. There is also a map or Ora (300 gp) and one of the horse plains (100 gp).
On the wall is a beautiful painting of a purple pool in a cavern. The more it is stared at the more lifelike it becomes until the "pool" oozes out of the picture and attacks as an ochre jelley. (21 hp, p. 278)
Front Hall / Stairs to level 2
The front door is guarded by six level 1 guards who won't let anyone in and will attempt to kill intruders. Hp: 3,4,9,2,3,5.
Second Floor
1. A ghoul, p. 131 and 5 hp and 3 hairy spiders with 7 and 1 hp respectively, p. 326.
2. A sumptuous, rotted bed chamber. On the bed lies Mia Harlyn, the woman whose body Dulin came to recover. She lies as if in sleep, eyes closed. Her body has been perfectly preserved. Her organs were removed and placed in a jar of alcohol by the bed. If she is animated by an animate dead spell, she will remember her life and Dulin, her love. If she and Dulin are animated and united, they share one last kiss then each crumbles into dust. A player who thinks of doing this should get 250 xp.
3. Here is another rotted bedroom. In it is Urgonaut the Wizard. Level 6: Wings of flying (p. 181) and a +2 dagger of throwing. (p. 183). AC: 3, MV: 12, HD:6, hp: 15, #AT: 1, dmg: d4+2, THAC0: 17, SD: Bracers of AC 4 (p. 162), immune to all attacks unless doused in holy water, AL: CE, 975 xp. Spells: L1: Magic Missile, Charm Person, Protection from Evil, Sleep. L2: Darkness, 15' radius, Detect Invisibility, L3: Dispel Magic, Haste.
More spells in his spell book in his locked chest: Explosive Runes, Pyrotechnics, Mirror Image, Affect Normal Fires, Comprehend Languages.
Urgonaut is also protected by 2 guards: hp: 10 and 8.
If the PCs simply take the maps and leave without defeating Urgonaut, he will ambush them at some future time.
Now, then
With the maps, they can either be sold, returned to the library or kept. With the map of the claw mountains, the PCs can now find where the Bracers of Archery are. (Presumably in the cave marked "Danger! Orcs!". The orc cave is in the northern Claw Mountains.
To the Mountains:
See Claw Mountains Encounter Chart.
While following the trail into the mountains, the PCs will come across Yitnor the Kenku (3 HD, hp: 18). He'll claim that he is a treasure hunter, and that just off the path are two caves, 1 of which contains treasure, the other of which contains a monster. He'll claim to be too frightened to go, but wishes the PCs luck. He'll stay to see if they investigate the caves. Like Kenku often do, he is lying. There is no treasure.
The small off-branching path the Kenku indicates leads for 100 feet before meeting 2 caves.
The left cave travels into the mountains, twisting and turning, and contains 3 death dogs (p. 57) hp: 13,11,13. In their lair are many bones and a small hole leading deep underground. There is no treasure.
The right cave slowly curves down, until each PC must make a dex check to avoid tumbling the rest of the way down and take 3d6 hp. Anyone climbing out must make 2 dex checks in a row or fall and take 3d6 hp again. Finally, at the bottom of the cave is a bag of devouring (p. 159).
When the PCs leave the cave, if they have the bag of devouring the Kenku will pretend to fight them for it, but will flee before getting hurt, laughing all the while. It was he who placed the bag there in the first place.
The Orc Lair
1. Just outside the front entrance are 2 large rocks, behind which hide 2 orcs and 3 orcs. (p. 287)
2. Here is a deep refuse pit with a 6 HD, 25 hp Otyugh (p. 283). It can't escape.
3. Here are 4 orcs and many racks full of weapons and leather armor.
4. Here are 3 gibberlings (p. 149) guarding a key.
5. Here a rickety bridge extends across a deep chasm. On the far side are 7 orcs with melee weapons and short bows. The bridge is 50 feet long. The orcs will try to cut the bridge to keep the PCs from crossing.
6. This room is locked and requires the key from room 4 to open. Inside are 6 orcs and the orc chief, Zargzat. (Stats as orog, hp: 14, +2 leather armour and +2 longsword)
Treasure: The Bracers of Archery and 5190 sp.
The End
Lombor gladly pays the PCs the 500 gp for the bracers. If the PCs don't give him the bracers and he hears about it, he will try to get them from the party, perhaps even hiring other adventurers to take it from them.
