THE SUNK OF TARSUS
A D20 solo adventure by Tori Bergquist
Copyright 2001 Tori Bergquist, All Rights Reserved

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This scenario originally appear in an early issue of "The Sorcerer's Scrolls," around 1987 or so. It is essentially unaltered from the original, except for editing, additions in italicized text, and some modifications I made in areas where the original document was unreadable, or text was lost due to bad data transfer from the ancient 286 PC diskettes this stuff was stored on.
This version of the Sunk of Tarsus is customized for use with the D20 rules. You will, of course, need the Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook to use the scenario. You might find it a pleasant distraction if you are having trouble finding a group to play with. I plan to provide all solos in the T&T section with D20 versions, to provide the broadest appeal.
Much of the D20 system combat involves timing and miniatures. To provide a simplified format for combat, assume the following: Unless the text states it, disregard the chance of an ambush or a surprise. Assume all combat takes place in a context which prevents a character from being flat-footed, or catching someone flat-footed, unless the text indicates otherwise. If you are being attacked by more than three opponents, assume the fourth opponent has flanked you. If you are going to use a magic spell in combat, resolve it according to the rules, and make the necessary saves for the target, if any.

The following solitaire adventure is suitable for use with Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition characters of levels 3-4. Magic is allowed in the text. To begin, go to The Introduction. Note: many of the ideas in the following adventure, while having been tailored to use in the world of Lingusia, are originated from various "real" religions and mythologies.

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Introduction: The Great Plains are a vast territory in northern-central Lingusia, dominated by no kingdom, and considered by most to be the territory of a handful of loose human and deo'del kingdoms. The strongest city state is the Trade Capitol Karan in the north, made powerful by the Guild of the Twelve, which is the esoteric, eternal order of the most powerful mages in the world. This adventure begins about eight hundred miles south of there, in a region dominated by no empire, and valued by the free-spirited common folk of the land. For a good visual reference, think of old Texas, especially around Lubbock, but with a sparse population of feudal states. Instead of indians, sprinkle in some deo'dell tribes and towns; these fierce, crocodillian-faced beastmen are covered in light burgundy down, with rough skin and dour temperament. Vying with these plains dwellers are are sturdy race of nomadic people called the Kahuni'Lakwa, simple folk of Amechain cultural descent, but of a remarkably peaceful nature.
You arrived in the Great Plains as part of a caravan to Karan some six weeks ago, and not a week later took up position as guard on a smaller south-bound caravan for the Cymeeri Kingdoms. Unfortunately, at the small city of Lakastor it was revealed that the lead merchant was a wanted debtor to the local lord, and he and all assets were seized, leaving you out of a job. You decided to continue on, hopeful that something lucrative or dangerous would come your way....go to paragraph 1.

1. The rain pours down in torrents on the grassy, flat plains around you as you trudge onward along the muddy road. The sky is a grayish dark, the light seeming to have no direction as you continue your journeys. You would almost certainly be under cover over right now if there was a place to take cover .... the Great Plains south of Karan are barren of anything taller then a blade of grass, and you have trudged through the murky plains for three days now in the unending rains. Already you have developed a severe cold, and your health may continue for the worse if the rains do not let up or you do not come to suitable shelter. An unfitting way to be stricken for one of such experience as you!
After an hour or so of slogging through the downpour, you finally see a grouping of buildings in the distance, jutting up from the flat ground, slightly covered in mist. As you get closer, you notice a long line of people garbed in black travelling down the main lane of the town.
You soon reach the town, and see a sign written in an unknown language. The town seems deserted, save for the long line of black- garbed natives continuing their walk to the other side of town. Most of the natives, you notice, are the small deo'dell beastmen so common in the great plains, intermixed with humans and dwarves.
Would you like to follow this morbid line of townsmen to see where they go (go to 2), or pass the town by, in search of a less peculiar town (3)?

2. The line continues for some distance from the town, until it stops at a graveyard. There, the natives gather around as they listen to a large beastman priest (an Ugruk) speak before a heavily- decorated coffin. You also notice several large tables being ng set up with food underneath large tents. Behind the priest is a huge structure hidden beneath several tarps.
"Fellow townsmen and travelers," he says, "we are gathered here to mourn the passing of this great man, Lordar Hunta by name, who had worked so hard to aid us in the building of a better town. Lordar was a great man, and a devout follower of the great eat Ogron, and it was his gift of the weather which saw to it that our fields were plentiful year-round. He did many things for us as a whole, and as an individual was a very kind man who cared for each and every one of us as much as he did himself. He was truly a great man, and we mourn his passing. It is in his honor, and for his health that we now have this feast that his soul may be satisfied and leave us to go to Tarsus, and earn his seat in the Land of the Dead."
At that point, the mourning townsmen begin partaking in a large feast. You are rather surprised to see, out of the corner of your eye at many points during the meal, a transluscent shape moving about the table, engaging in the feast by breathing in the aromas of the meal. You, too, eat with the rest of them, just happy to see food.
Soon the meal finishes, and the Ugruk Priest of Ogron and Tarsus again climbs up on a pedestal where he says, "Having had our feast in a final honor and gift to the great Lordar, I now present his soul with a magnificent tomb!" At that several people ople rip off the tarps of the object behind the priest, revealing a huge, magnificent tomb with the whole history of all Lordar's great deeds written on it, a huge statue of him on the top, and numerous decorations of the Ogron Religion scrawled across ss it. Again, you notice the spirit out of the corner of your eye, watching the unveiling and the numerous treasures and his coffin being carried in to it.
"And so the mourning we feel for the deceased Lordar comes to pass, for now we have presented his soul with all that is necessary to keep it happy, so that it may continue on its journey to the Sunk of Tarsus," the priest says, slightly nervously, for he, as well as you and many others notice that the spirit refuses to leave, and just sits there, watching things happen. You also notice several people sneaking away from the burial, on their way home. More follow, and more after that, until pretty y soon there are only a few people left listening to the priest as he indirectly tries to get the spirit to leave.
Would you, too, like to peel away from the crowd and head on back to town (4), or would you like to leave for parts unknown (3)?

3. Okay, now, in face-to-face rpgs, when you're sitting around the table, this is where the GM shoe-horns you in to the adventure or gets aggravated at your stubborness and sends some grudge monsters after you. To keep up with tradition, read on:
You continue your journeys. Days later, you are finally nearing the Cymeeri kingdoms when you begin to enter a hilly region, the first noteworthy terrain you've encountered in three months. Suddenly, the ground erupts before you as the great, bellowing Worm of Ghaziri rears forth to suck you in to it's toothy, purple maw! We're talking a big-ass monster here, out for your blood! It moves fast. Make a Reflex Save DC 20 to escape on any round you wish, but take -4 from your attacks if you try and fail. If you beat it, take the experience points for a CR6 creature and journey on in to the sunset. If you are devoured, then start a new character for this adventure, and avoid paragraph 3!.
[The Worm of Ghaziri: CN, Move 45, HP 64, AC 21, Ft +6 Rf+8 Wl+1, Att +8 with the crushing maw attack; does 1d12+6 dmg, A Very Large creature, Spot+10, Hide+8. CR 6.]


4. You return to the town. There you see a large stone building being smashed to the ground by various townsmen and an ogre with a nasty disposition Would you like to ask why (5), see the local healer (7), or go to the nearest inn and get a nice dry r room (6)? You can also, leave, just zip up to para. 3.

5. You approach the man who seems to be directing the house- wrecking crew, and he says that this was the house of Lordar, and the best way to keep a spirit from coming back and making trouble in town is to remove its place of residence. Now go get a room (6), or see a healer (7).

6. You approach the Barrel Man's Inn, a 3 story building of stone (all the buildings are stone, you notice, probably due to the lack of sufficient wood for building in these parts). You talk to the inn keeper and find you can get a choice of two different rent rooms. Do you want a typical, bed and window room for 2 gold pieces (go to 8) or would you like a room with a decent, hot bath for 10 gold pieces (go to 9).

7. You ask where the nearest healer is, and you find that the person to consult is the Ugruk Priest named Maekar. You then go to Maekar's house and wait until he returns. He arrives not long after, a rather fustrated took on his face. He is suprised to see you sitting on his front porch, and takes you in from the weather.
Once inside, he asks, "Now, how may I help one so obviously as great as you?"
You explain that you came down with the cold sickness, from the rain, and you feel miserable.
Maekar says that he has just the right ritual for this. Ater several minutes of preparation, and a gearing up with his guardian spirit over a fire, he has you lie down on the couch and rest. Then, he begins a sort of magical first aid in which he attempts to suck the cold sickness and the spirit that caused it out of you. After several minutes, he pulls back, and exhales a ghastly amount of misty smoke. Instantly, you feel better, the devious little thing that was making you miserable gone. You thank him, and ask how much he would like in payment for the service. [Received 2 HP in healing]
"Oh, no payment really in the way of money. However, I do have a certain problem; we all do, really. You were a the funeral, no? You saw the spirit? Well, that was Lordar, a rather nice man in life but not very understanding indeath. He apparently died about four days ago, in mediation, when the rains began, but no one discovered him untiltoday, since were were so used to his long meditations. Well, his soul became very displeased at that, and despite all our best efforts, it refuse to be satisfied and leave to the Sunk of Tarsus. I know how to build a spirit trap, and I think it will be necessary, but once caught I will need someone to carry it to the Sunk and deposit it there so that the Spirit of Lordar will not bother us anymore. If you would do that for use, we will be very grateful; an additional cash reward shall be provided, of course, to satisfy the mercenary in you."
If you agree to the task, go to 10. If not, then go back to 4.

8. It's not much, but its something. You go down and order a meal for 1 gold piece. If you have seen the healer, go to 11. If you haven't, then as you are eating and sneezing from your cold, the waitress recommends you to Mackar, the priest of Ogron, who is well known for his healing powers. If you agree to see him, go to 7. If not, go to 11 and consider yourself 1 point lower in each attribute until your cold leaves you.

9. You rest for a while, change into dry clothes, and order a good meal for 2 gold pieces to your door. The waitress is a comely lass .... if you have lecherous tendencies you may make a pass at her (go to 12). If not, then be a good boy and eat your meal (13).

10. You tell Maekar that you will do all you can to help him capture the spirit and take it to the Sunk of Tarsus, the Land of the Dead.
"The first thing to do is to try and capture the spirit. It certainly won't go willingly, so we will use spirit traps. You shall help me make them."
After a good night's sleep in Maekar's house, the next day is spent taking stone pendants and chiselling out a rotating circular design in them, a sort of hypnotic amulet. Once some 20 of them have been finished, you and Maekar run about town hanging up the amulets and periodically checking them in the drizzling rain.
Make a Spellcraft check DC16, or a Wisdom check DC 20. If you succeed, go to 14. If you fail, go to 15.

11. The next day still shows no sign of letting up. You may now leave (go to 3), or you may visit the healer (7). If you have already visited the healer, but would like to do so again, taking up his offer, go to 10.

12. Make a Charisma check DC 12. If you fail, then she slaps your face and kicks the meal tray at you. When you wake up you have a nasty headache. If you make it, then read on. She brings the meal in, and starts up the tub. In minutes, the two of you are in the tub doing carnal acts best described by someone else in another magazine. Get 10 experience points for the effort, and consider yourself tired. Now go to 11.

13. You eat your meal, and have a good night's rest. Recover 3 HPs if you are hurt. Go to 11.

14. While you and Maekar are sitting in his front living room, sipping hot cider and warming up from your trudging through the rain, a frightened deo'dell comes knocking at the door. After a few brief words in a strange language, Maekar turns to you and says, "Better finish that cider, good man! We seem to have caught our determined spirit!"
The two of you slog through the rainy terrain, until the peasant brings you before one of the stone amulets hung on the side of the general store, next to where the now completely knocked down house of Lordar once stood. Looking at the swirling pat tern on the amulet, you glimpse a ethereal ectoplasmic phantom swirling about with a mesmerized, hypnotic stare on its face.
Maekar removes the amulet from its wall, and hands it to you. "Here he is," he says. "If you can get him to the Sunk of Tarsus, where the dead dwell, and return safely, a large reward in gold shall await you. Oh, yes. To free the spirit, simply smash the amulet and run very fast."
Well, you've got it. Now, to head on south east to the Sunk of Tarsus, go to 16. If you want to get a good night's rest before you take off, go to 17.

15. After a few days of waiting, Maekar decides that the spirit probably has realized what the tricks are and knows how to avoid them. He then goes about his next plan.
"It is known that when a spirit is challenged to a race, it must do so in reverse. If you feel up to it, find the spirit and challenge him so, for a race to the west. The spirit will be forced to instead head east. I just hope you can run backwards without tiring."
So, you go out and make an attempt to challenge the spirit. While going along, you notice him out of the corner of your eye. "Ho, spirit!" you call, trying to get his attention. Make a Charisma check at DC15. If you make it, go to 18. If you don't, go to 19.

16. You start off, whistling in the rain as you do. Maekar has given you a sturdy umbrella, so that helps. After about a day of struggling through mud and rain, it finally stops. In a few hours the whole storm up and disappears and the Sun God Naril, before evening strikes, shines down in all his warmth to enliven your spirits. Obviously, the storm was being kept in its state by the trapped spirit you know wear around your neck.
For another two days you march onward. Make a Wilderness Lore check at DC 12 for each day. If you fail one, then roll 1d6 on the following list:
1-2 A party of bandits surprise you, and attack. There are three thugs, and if you kill one, the other two will immediately flee. Make a Spot check DC 15; if you fail, then they successfully ambushed you, and get the first round of attacks in free. [Three bandits: NE, medium size humanoids, Move 30, HP 8 each, AC 11, Ft +1, Rf +1, Wl 0, Att +1 with short swords for 1d6 damage, Spot +3, Hide +2, Move Silently +3, each has 3d6 silver pieces. CR .5]
3-4 Go to paragraph 20 if you failed your first roll, then return here. Go to paragrah 21 if you failed your second roll, then return here.
5-6 You meet a lone man bundled for the weather who offers you some cryptic advice. "Go for the eyes, I always say.....Go for the eyes!" You ponder that. On your next combat, get a +2 bonus to hit once, and only once, if you try a called shot for the eyes.
Once you've overcome any problems, return here and end your journey at 22.

17. You have a tasty meal and a warm night's sleep in Maekar's house. The next day, you are surprised to see that the storm has finally lifted, the earth is drying under the light of Naril, and everything seems A-okay. After a good meal, you thank Maekar for his kindness and leave on your journey to the Sunk of Tarsus.
For each of the next three days, make a L1 SR on LK. Roll 1d6 for each of the three SRs you fail on the following list, and resolve them in order. When you are finished, three days have passed and you arrive at your destination (go to 22).
1: three bandits try to rob you! There are three thugs, and if you kill one, the other two will immediately flee. Make a Spot check DC 15; if you fail, then they successfully ambushed you, and get the first round of attacks in free. [Three bandits: NE, medium size humanoids, Move 30, HP 8 each, AC 11, Ft +1, Rf +1, Wl 0, Att +1 with short swords for 1d6 damage, Spot +3, Hide +2, Move Silently +3, each has 3d6 silver pieces. CR .5]
2-3: Go to paragraph 20, and if you have already been there, go to paragraph 21.
4: Winter Wolves pace you, and if you fail a Animal Empathy check at DC 16 then 1d6 of them attack. [Wolves: Medim size animal, TN, Move 50, HP 13 each, AC 14, Init +2, Ft +5, Rf+5, Wl+1,Att +3 Bite for 1d6+1 damage, Hide +3, Move Silently +4, Listen +6, Special: Trip attack will be used by one wolf per turn (see MM). CR 1 each]
5: You stumble on a corpse, which stands erect as you move away from it and attacks! [Ghoul: medium undead, CE, Move 30, HP 17, AC 14, Ft+0 Rf+2 Wl+5, Att Bite +3 at 1d6+1 damage plus two claws +0 at 1d3 damage, Hide +7, Move Silently +7, Spot +7, Listen +7, Special: If hit and injured, must make a DC 14 to avoid paralysis for 1d6+2 minutes (it'll kill you if your down!) plus has Undead properties as in MM, at +2 Turn Resistance. CR 1]
6: You meet a troupe of Kahuni'Lakwa Nomads, who offer to sell you leather goods for half price, and for only 50 gold pieces you may buy a Rabbit Clan Talisman of Luck that lets you get a +15 skill or attribute check bonus once per day on a roll of your choice (you must call it before making the check).

18. The spirit looks at you, and says in a low, cunning voice, "And what, pray tell, do you want, foolish person who lives yet does not want to?" So you challenge him to a race, "to the west, as far as possible". The spirit considers, then eagerly accepts. "Foolish person, to think you are better then me, juts because you are a live!" So, the two of you get geared up, ready, and take off, the townsmen cheering a sigh of relief. You quickly reverse your direction when you realize you're going the wrong way, not used tobackwards running. Even for a relative veteran, running backwards for a few days .... that's right, days can be exhausting. Make a Dexterity check and a Constitution check at DC 12 for today, then a DC 17 check on DEX and CON the next day, then a DC 22 check for DEX and CON the final day. If you fail one, then you become completely exhausted or trip up and rather unceremoniously plop yourself in the mud. If you do so on day 1 or 2, then the spirit laughs, says you are a complete dolt, and zips off roaring with laughter. Make a Will Save at DC 15. If you make it, go to 23. If not, go to 24.
If you crash and flop on the third day, then make a Will save at DC 20. If you make it, go to 25. If you fail, go to 26. In any case, loose 10 pounds for the exercise.

19. You uncouth, ugly sod! Get a face lift! Only kidding. Maekar thanks you for what help you tried to give, and you leave, wondering whether or not the spirit will ever go away, or this nameless town will forever be plagued with constant rains. Get 100 experience points, plus any extra for the effort, and pat yourself on a back for a good try. Also, a bit of gossip you hear some months later seems to indicate that while a certain 100 square mile area of the Great Plains has received non- stop rains for months, the villagers in the area have all moved away, permanently.
If you are feeling especially randy and want to job the rest of the way to the Cymeeri Kingdoms for more adventure, then Go to paragraph 3 and ignore the first paragraph in the entry, skipping to the second. You may make an Intelligence check at DC 10, however, to escape that encounter when you get there, since you have been good and gone through the adventure already! (or fight, your choice.)

20. The day goes rather smoothly for you as you walk along, humming various out of tune tunes, and you have a fine meal of jack rabbit for lunch. Towards the evening, luck holds out even more, as you pass a farm house. Would you like to approach it and ask for shelter for the night, go to 39. If not, go to 40.

21. For two days now you have trudged along to the Sunk of Tarsus, and now, finally, you appear to be nearing the Sunk. In the distance a slight peculiarity in the ground, a hollow slit if you will, seems to indicate that you approach the Sunk of Tarsus. As you travel along, a sudden, deep, moaning comes to your ears. You look around for the source, but see nothing. A minute later the moaning comes again. This time you stop, and wait, very warily, to see what it might be. Out of the corner of your eye you see a ghost shimmering, white and with hollow, sightless eyes It is barely visible in the daylight, but you can see it. Slowly, the mouth of the ghost gaps open, and speaks barely audible words to you, "Knowest where thou heads, mortal?"
You respond, "yes the Sunk of Tarsus."
"Then perhaps you can help this pour soul travel there, brave mortal?"
If you say yes, then go to 27. If not, then go to 28.

22. After three day's travel, you have finally reached your destination. In the dark of the night you kept going, seeing that not far off a slit of black in the Great Plains marked the Sunk of Tarsus. Now you are here, and wish you weren't.
Before you is a vast, empty void. The blackness is so thick you cannot see more then twenty feet down the hole which must be a hundred miles in diameter, but you know, indeed, that it must be as deep. A low echo of wind like moaning rises from the vast, colossal pit, and you know it is not the wind.
Overcoming your sense of dread, would you like to see to it that the amulet (note: if you won the ghost over by wrestling or a race, then it is curled up into a ball which fits in your hand, awaiting its fate) and the ghost within receive safe deliverance by traveling down the hole, on a nearby path downward (29),or would you prefer to cast itdown the hole, preferring to begone from this place as fast as may be (30)?

23. While you sit and think, you notice the ectoplasmic form of the ghost begin to shudder, then burst in a cacophony of whispers, "I know not this place! I am not where I belong! Woe!" It continues its moaning for some time, during which you sneak away. Apparently you just may have gotten rid of the spirit, though not in its entirety. You return to the town, and tell the of your success at getting it away. Go to 31.

24. The spirit takes off for the town, and you follow, grumpily. Eventually you return to town, and apologize for your failure. Maekar thanks you for your attempt, and gives you a bag of 100 gold coins for the effort. Take 175 experience points for the effort and any experience points for anything else, and may you have better luck with spirits else where!

25. As you get up, you look around, and suddenly notice that not too far away is the thin slit in the plains that indicates the Sunk of Tarsus is near. You look at that then look at the ghost, who notices what you are looking at. "Ha, man, for your thoughts on getting me to that vast pit of the dead are in vain. If you truly wish to do so, then wrestle with me!" The ghost suddenly drops into a crouching position, ready for you to come at him. If you wrestle, go to 32. If not, take a hike to 24.

26. She looks saddened, comments on your pure heart, then disappears in a whiff of smoke. You sleep the rest of the night, and leave in the morning. Return to the last paragraph of 16.

27. The ghost seems almost gleeful, in contrast to its prior sadness. It motions you to follow it, and after a long while you come upon a huge, deep sunken rift with carved stairs winding down.
"Follow," it moans, and you do. After at least fifty feet of winding stairs, you appear to have entered a room, and light a torch. As you do, you find that in the center of the room is a large coffin, in which lies a massive, but mummified corpse. The ghost slowly shimmers into it.
You approach the coffin, and stare at the massive body, realizing the ghost wants you to, probably, carry the body to the edge of the Sunk and take it, too, into the realm of the dead.
As you ponder the situation, a large, corpse- hand, attached to a mummified arm, attached to a long dead bod grabs you by the throat and tries to dislocate your head from its resting place on your shoulders. You have been grappled by a powerful mummy of some sort! Make a STR check at DC 20. If you beat it, you rip yourself free. If not, then you take 1d6+4 points of crushing damage and go for another try. If you end up short a head, tough luck and try again. If you don't, then you whip out your weapon, toss your combat spell, or whatever, and if you beat the mummy in fair combat, the ghost screams and soars off into damp earth.
[Mummy: CE Medium sized undead, Move 20, HP 40, AC 17, Init -1, Ft+2 Rf+1 Wl+7,Att Slam +6 for 1d6+4 damage, Special Properties: Undead, takes half damage from physial attacks, has 5/+1 damage reduction, takes double damage from fire. This mummy is disease-free, for reasons unknown to you; it's initial choke attack makes up for that!Hide+8, Move Silently +8, Listen +9, Spot +9. CR 3]
If you appear to be losing, unable to win, make an Intelligence check at DC 10 and if you succeed, go to 34.
Alternatively, you may decide to flee at full speed if your Move is higher than the Mummy's 20. If you do so, you open yourself up to an attack of opportunity. You must then make a DC 15 Con check to keep up the pace long enough to get away, then make a Hide or Escape skill check at an opposed level to it's Spot +9 skill to see if you can avoid being found while it stalks you through the night. Take half the experience of the encounter if you escape this way!
If you win, you thoroughly search the tomb and find, among other things, several murdered bodies and a collected treasure of 4d6x50 gold pieces in coins, plus 6 gems worth 75 gold pieces each, and two random magic items rolled on Table 8-2 from the DMG. Hey, you deserve it!

28. The ghost curses you and leaves. Not long afterward, you see in the distance a mummified corpse of huge size running toward you, screaming bloody murder. You may decide to flee at full speed if your Move is higher than the Mummy's 20. If you do so, you open yourself up to an attack of opportunity. You must then make a DC 15 Con check to keep up the pace long enough to get away, then make a Hide or Escape skill check at an opposed level to it's Spot +9 skill to see if you can avoid being found while it stalks you through the night. Take half the experience of the encounter if you escape this way!
[Mummy: CE Medium sized undead, Move 20, HP 40, AC 17, Init -1, Ft+2 Rf+1 Wl+7,Att Slam +6 for 1d6+4 damage, Special Properties: Undead, takes half damage from physial attacks, has 5/+1 damage reduction, takes double damage from fire. This mummy is disease-free, for reasons unknown to you; it's initial choke attack makes up for that!Hide+8, Move Silently +8, Listen +9, Spot +9. CR 3]
If you win, go to 22.

29. Okay, it's your neck, pal. You slowly traverse the narrow path winding downward, until you find that your only guidance is the hand that is clutched against the wall. You try to light a torch, but wisps of frigid air thwart your best efforts at lighting the spunk with flint and tinder.
After some time of moving through the chilling, windy darkness, you find that the thepath level out and you are now on flat ground. From the shadows of the rift comes a voice that escapes as a whisper amongst the eerie howling winds. The spectral voice speaks. "Who is the mortal that seeks Death?"
You respond with your name. Lies don't usually go off well, you're pretty sure, in a land of the dead.
"What, may I ask, does a mortal who seeks death wish?"
"I which to bring this soul," you say, pointing to the thing in question, "to his rightful place, that he may not trouble those who still live."
"Then time has been wasted for you, mortal, for he who is dead but does not believe it must come of his own free will." You look rather startled by this. Would you like to continue this bandy of words with the dead being (35), shall you free the soul to convince the dead Lordar that he is dead (36), or shall you attack the spirit before you (37)?

30. You toss the spirit into the void, and never hear the fall. If you won the spirit at a race or wrestling, then its huddled form is gone forever; go to 31. If you had an amulet, then not too long afterward, a rather nasty, hollow voice says, "So, trickery, eh? Well, let's see if you like trickery back!" A sudden premonition of dread overcomes you as you turn around, and see, charging up the nearby path from the abysmal sunk, a huge, black thing which seems to try and be both a massive man and animal at the same time. It shouts a roar of combat, and races towards you, black horns sprouting from its head. Your dead. If you win, then go to 31 after a long walk home. If you lose, then go to 38.
[Black Horned Undead Monstrosity: CE Large sized undead, Move 30, HP 55, AC 17, Ft+4 Rf+2 Wl+7,Att Gore +7 for 1d6+5 damage, Two Claws +2 for 1d4+3 damage, Special Properties: Shadowform-can get +15 Hide bons in Shadows (but is still noisy), Undead, takes half damage from physial attacks, has 5/+1 damage reduction, takes double damage from fire. Hide+8, Move Silently +4, Listen +9, Spot +9. CR 4]

31. You return, and tell Maekar and the rest of the townsfolk of your journeys, and they are gratified at your removal of the spirit. Maekar, afterwards, approaches you,and says, "We are all pleased that you eliminated the ghost, for though it was once a great man, it was incapable of understanding that it was truly dead, or did not want to. Here, as promised, is your reward. Everyone," Maekar jestures to the townsfolk around him, "chipped in." Roll on the treasure generator 6 times for your reward, accumulative, and any score of copper is considered gold, Maekar again thanks you, as do the villagers, and all say that if ever you need a place of sanctuary, come here. You thank them, and after a night's carousing you are off into the great world again, in search of more adventure! Oh, yes. Get 500 experience points and any extras for this adventure.

32. You begin your combat with the spirit. The Spirit has exactly the STR rating as you do; make a contested STR check for each of you; the highest roll wins. If you win, then the spirit curls up into a tiny ball that fits in your hand and gives in; go to 22. If you lose, go to 24.

33. All right, you have a great time during the night. In the morning you wake up to find yourself sharing your bag with a bone-dry skeleton. Hmmm. Weird peasant girls around here. You pack your bags up and ponder the metaphysics of having intercourse with a ghost. Go back to the last paragraph of 16.

34. A sudden flash of insight comes to mind, and you show the spirit trap which hangs around your neck to the killer zombie. Make the Zombie Roll a Will Save DC 22 (it has a Will Save +7). If it succeeds, then return to the paragraph whence you came and keep at it. If it fails the save, then the mummy stares, and slowly the malevolent phantasm is drawn in, hypnotized the swirling design. The ghostly possessor of the body slips in to the amulet. Now you have two ectoplasmic bodies swirling within. Go back to the paragraph you came from, and consider this battle a victory.

35. You try to persuade the spirit otherwise, but it does not listen. Go back to 29 and make another choice.

36. You do so, snapping the amulet in two, and the spirit looks at you defiantly, "You have tricked me, and you shall pay!" "Now wait a minute!" You begin, and proceed to work out a logical way of making the ghost realize that it should stay here, where it belongs. Make an Intelligence check DC 15. If you make it, then go to 38. If not, then the spirit orders you away; go to 30 and ignore the first paragraph.

37. You hew the skeletal, cloaked thing down, only to see another standing behind it, which also goes down as easily, but behind it is another, and another, and another ..... Go back and make a rational choice.

38. The spirit, after listening to you, says, "Ah, I see that you are right. In my feverent insistence on getting back at the people whom I once loved for ignoring me for three days after my death, and for refusing to admit that I was, indeed, dead, I have brought about much grief. I am sorry for the troubles I have caused, and I shall stay here, in my own realm of death, where I belong." With a sigh of relief you leave. Go to 31.

39. You approach the door to the small hut, knock, and await a response. The door opens, and you are greeted by an amazingly beautiful woman in here earlythirties, with raven-black hair and a body that sure doesn't quit. She introduces herself as Helena, a lone widow in the area who lost her husband and child in a fire several years ago. She is very hospitable, and you have an excellent meal with her.The only bothering thing about it was her suggestions of how you would make a great husband. During the night, she invites you to her bed and you accept, being the hearty, healthy fellow that you are. After a night well spent, you awake in the morning to quite a change of scenery from what you saw yesterday. Looking about, you find yourself lying on a crumpled old wooden bed, a skeleton beside you, in a house which has been deserted for years, and severely fire damaged.
Somewhat shaken, you resume your journey and ponder over the events that transpired last night and whether or not you just had intercourse with a ghost also, you promise yourself to find out if there are any bad side effects or such at the local religious temple library. Can't be too careful as a delver, now. Go back to thelast paragraph of 16.

40. During the night, while sleeping under the chill light of The Moon Selene, you are startled to find yourself wakened by abeautiful, middle aged woman with raven black hair standing over you, nude. She asks you, breathlessly, to take her into your arms, to which you either say yes (go to 33) or no (26).

EEEEEEEEE