     The following module was written as an entry for the MATTMARK 
Generic Dungeon Design Contest in 1987. It was originally going to be 
a joint project by myself and a friend named Bill Moodey, but Bill 
bowed out early on, despite the fact that he instigated the whole 
thing. Thanks, Bill! 8^) 

     The Contest rules were quite grueling. An enormous "blueprint" 
was provided, in the form of a rambling 1st-person narrative. Entries 
were to be judged in part by their faithfulness to this blueprint.  
Unfortunately, the author was less then competent, and seemed 
compelled to overload the blueprint with stupid-sounding names and 
cryptic plot points/legends/etc. The volume of such was incredible.  

     This made writing the module a daunting task indeed, particularly 
as there was a maximum volume of 60 pages. Believe me, no one could 
address all the references from the outline within a mere 60 pages! I 
ended up with about 80 pages, which I compressed into a 60 page 
printout - barely. Even so, many of the outline names and points were 
simply mentioned as history, for no other purpose than increasing my 
score.  

     The prize was to be $500 and publication of the module.  

     I completed two versions of the module, one for Runequest 3, and 
one for AD&D (conversion from RQ3 to AD&D took about 4 hours), and 
sent them both in.  And waited. And waited. And waited.  

     Finally I called the MATTMARK number. After some difficulty, I 
was informed that my entry had been received. Apparently, the MATTMARK 
company was the project of two college students named Matt and Mark, 
who had somehow managed to get a sum of money together to start this. 
I was rather surprised, as the MATTMARK Contest booklet had been 
rather professionally produced. I settled back to wait some more.  

     More weeks passed, with no word. Finally I called again. This 
time I was informed that there had been an enormous, unexpected 
response to the Contest, with over 5,000 entries in each of two 
categories (entry forms cost $5 each, by the way). There would 
therefore be a delay in judging.  

     More weeks passed, and once again I called. Things were moving 
slowly, I was told; the judges were picking 27 top entries from each 
category from which to choose the winner. After some searching, I was 
informed that my AD&D entry was among the top 27.  

     I called again, weeks later. With much difficulty, I persuaded 
someone to talk to me. It was the brother of either Matt or Mark - in 
fact, I had always had to speak to a family member of those two, 
rather then Matt or Mark themselves. This brother finally told me that 
one of the "officers" of MATTMARK had stolen all the Contest funds, 
and left the country. The Contest might be picked up by a New York 
game company...or might not.  
      
     I never heard anything from them again. I had wasted months of my 
life writing a module to ridiculous specifications; and now, because 
the module was so inextricably laced with the MATTMARK-supplied and 
copyrighted names, I could do nothing with my work.  

     Let me make it perfectly clear: I know that a lot of this module 
is wasted space, crammed with pointless history. The names are stupid, 
and in some cases exposition dominates the action. I could have re-
written this sucker, changed the names, removed the excesses...but to 
be absolutely honest, it's not worth the effort. On the other hand, I 
do honestly believe that there are some good elements here, and in 
playtest the module has been fairly successful.  
   
     Moral: Look before you leap.  

                   *               *               *

                       AGAINST THE RISE OF EMON
                              
                        A Fantasy Scenario Pack
                            compatible with 
                           Runequest 3 (tm)
                        for 3 - 6 characters of
                   Master skill level (90% or more).
                             
                     Copyright 1988 Peter Maranci

                            peter@maranci.net
                     http://www.maranci.net/rq.htm

        
                           TABLE OF CONTENTS

    (Page numbers are no longer accurate, as this document  has not 
              been corrected since conversion to ASCII.)                  
          
       HISTORY.................................................1

       KINGDOMS................................................3

       PRELIMINARY PLAYER INFORMATION..........................5

       SECTION 1: THE MUGGING..................................7

       INTERLUDE...............................................8

       SECTION 2: A MESSAGE FOR THE PRIEST....................12

       SECTION 3: THE WRISTBAND OF TINTOLEJ...................16

       SECTION 4: THE ARROW OF THE KONAE......................19

       SECTION 5: ASSAULT ON THAKUL'S FASTNESS................22
                                                                             
       MISCELLANEOUS NOTES....................................30

       LOCAL ENCOUNTERS.......................................32

       MAP....................................................39

     (The map is not included here, but it isn't really necessary. It 
was from the Contest Blueprint, as well. The rune I added to it simply 
represented a crude schematic of the right route to take...the 
original was lost. As I recall, it included an arch with a path line 
going over it.) 

     I recognize the crudity of this module. Let me assure readers 
that my standards of writing and game design are considerably higher 
now than they were nine years ago. The only reason that I am 
distributing this at all is in the hope that some gamemasters may find 
it to be of use. I didn't want all that work to be completely 
wasted...  

     One final note: this module has been playtested twice in a RQ3 
format. It seemed to be playable, but the author makes no warranty 
about your results.  Comments may sent to the above address, though 
I'm very aware of the obvious writing/design weaknessess in this 
module. I'm always glad to talk to gamers, though, and I'm always 
looking for writers for my RPG magazine, Interregnum.  

                       AGAINST THE RISE OF EMON

     For months, now, strange rumors have been going around the 
taverns about the land known as the Peninsula. Dark stories of demons, 
terror, and treasure abound the ale-rooms, and many a minstrel has 
sung for his supper of the "Shadow on the Land". Though some are 
filled with fear at these tales, the bold and the brave know that no 
reward can be gained without risk...  

     Against the Rise of Emon is a Runequest 3 (TM) compatible module 
for 3 to 6 characters of an approximate skill level of 90% or more in 
their best skills. It may be incorporated into your own campaign, or 
played as a stand-alone scenario. The party should include a mix of 
fighting and sorcery skills; priests, shamans, and thieves would also 
be useful. The fewer the characters, the higher their skills should 
be. No member of the party should be native to the area.  

     The campaign consists of five interlocking adventures. Depending 
on gamemastering style, each section should take one or two gaming 
sessions to complete. The gamemaster should read the entire module 
carefully before beginning. Needless to say, players should read no 
further!  

     It is important that the characters in this module be basically 
good; they must be the kind of people who will try to stop a robbery 
if they see one taking place (see Section 1: The Mugging).  

     The action of Against the Rise of Emon takes place on a large 
peninsula running westward into the Ceratic Ocean, connected to the 
mainland in the east. There are five distinct Kingdoms: Pozart, Joulo, 
Konat-Kale, Belitfint, and Hetek. They are known collectively as the 
Domains, or the Five Kingdoms. Each of these is detailed separately in 
the KINGDOMS section. The area of the Domains may be incorporated onto 
the northern or western coast of a previously-designed continent.  

                                HISTORY

     Long ago, Konar, one of the Gods of the Peninsula, designed a 
race of divine servants using members of an extra-planar race called 
the X'oaan. Key to his magical remodeling was a piece of the 
mysterious God Stone, legendary source of both Divine and Demonic 
powers. This gem, the Eye of Konar, was attuned to every Konae (as 
Konar called them), and enhanced many of their inborn powers. While 
the Konae were being created, a Demon Lord named Emon created his own 
servant race, the K'thorr (Servants of the Fire), from the remaining 
X'oaan. He also used a piece of the God's Stone, and named it the Fire 
of Emon. Each Gem magnified a different portion of the original X'oaan 
power; the Konae gained the power of Plane Travel, Healing, and 
Telepathy.  The K'thorr gained powers of Illusion, Persuasion (limited 
mind control), and corruption, as well as greater strength. Each Gem 
holds the essence of its race's inherent powers, and acts as an 
incredibly powerful spell-enhancer, too. The Konae took up the study 
of natural lore and white magic; the K'thorr took up the study of 
poison, treachery, and demonology. Unsurprisingly, the Konae are 
angelic, while the K'thorr are truly demonic. The Konae dwelt in 
Konat-Kale.  The K'thorr lived in the lands later known as Belitfint 
and Hetek.  

     Eventually the battle of the local Gods and Demons exasperated 
more powerful beings, who restricted the combatants to the God's 
Plane. The K'thorr and Konae remained on the Peninsula, their 
respective Gems now the most powerful artifacts in the land. At about 
this time (3,000 years ago) humans first moved to the Peninsula. Also 
during this time, the Konae crafted five magic Arrows that could 
suppress the external powers of the Fire of Emon for 500 years each.  

     Infiltrating the humans by using their powers of illusion, the 
K'thorr influenced various kingdoms to attack the Konae; these attacks 
always failed.  In time (1,800 years ago), the K'thorr set up an 
ascetic cult organization called the Origants to encourage evil 
practices among humans. These included a hatred of the Konae, who were 
portrayed as evil enchanters. At this time, through treachery and 
Demonic aid, the K'thorr managed place a Word of Pain on the Eye of 
Konar (and thus all Konae), forcing almost all of the Konae to leave 
the plane. The few who stayed (the Last Band) were led by Kirra, High 
priestess of the Konae. Despite the intense pain they all suffered as 
a result of the Word, they managed to steal the Fire of Emon and 
plunge an Arrow into it. The normal spells of the K'thorr were broken, 
but their powers and the Word remained. When the Pain continued 
unabated, all fled in despair save Kirra, who was pregnant and unable 
to travel dimensionally. She died shortly after giving birth to a 
daughter, Kamira: none but she knew who the child's father was. The 
fate of the child is unknown.  

     The Origants were eventually disbanded (though not exposed) by a 
band of adventurers with the aid of a mysterious being. At present, 
the K'thorr have a new quasi-religious front clled the Loghuna, and 
they effectively rule Hetek. They are secretly expanding their power 
over the whole Peninsula. The existence of the K'thorr as such is 
unknown.  

     Further information may be found in the Interlude at the end of 
Section I.  

                             THE KINGDOMS

     Common knowledge may be learned by the players in taverns, on the 
streets, from sages, etc. Special knowledge can only be learned in the 
context of an adventure.  

     Pozart (established 1100 years ago). Common knowledge: 
Easternmost of the Kingdoms, Pozart is known as a peaceable land. 
Governed by a system of royally-appointed Administrators, it has a 
tradition of favoring wisdom over nobility. The standing army of 
Pozart is small, less than 2,000 men-at-arms.  The local pantheon is 
respected here. Young King Adrac is well-liked by the people.  

     Special Information: Pozart has long offered the greatest human 
resistance to the corruption of the K'thorr and is therefore their 
greatest target. The nobility and government of Pozart are almost 
completely infiltrated. The King himself remains uncorrupted, though 
misinformed.  

     Joulo (established 900 years ago). Common knowledge: Joulo is the 
Kingdom of Merchants. Ruled by the Plutocrat Koan the Magnificent, 
Joulo is securely held in a curious system of economic feudalism: each 
Merchant Prince owes fealty to his economic superiors. All Jouloans 
are inveterate hagglers, occasionally to the point of obnoxiousness. 
Joulo's standing army of 15,000 men is the largest in all the 
Kingdoms. These are used to patrol the borders and suppress bloody 
price wars. Anything may be bought in Joulo. Gaven, the local god of 
merchants, is nominally worshipped but Jouloans reserve their deepest 
respect for money.  

     Special Information: At present, the influence of the Loghuna is 
weakest in Joulo. This is due more to the peculiar monetary obsession 
of Jouloans, rather than any virtue; economic corruption is already 
natural to them, and seems to overshadow any social corruption.  

     Konat-Kale (established 4000 years ago). Common knowledge: Oldest 
of the Domains, this is the ancestral home of the Konae (see HISTORY). 
It is regarded as a dreadful place of dark enchantment by common 
people. Though in some times the Konae were said to be beneficent (and 
some few sages still think so), it is now commonly believed that the 
Konae are Demon-worshipers and sacrifice men. They have been attacked 
many times by the human kingdoms, but their magic was an invincible 
defense. Otherwise, Konat-Kale has little or no interaction with the 
other Kingdoms. Konat-Kale is now supposedly uninhabited, but this is 
unconfirmed. Konat-Kale is a cold but beautiful land.  

     Special Information: See HISTORY.  
        
     Belitfint (established 230 years ago). Common knowledge: 
Belitfint is the least desirable land of all the Kingdoms, cold and 
drab. The people of Belitfint are known as humorless and violent 
warriors by the rest of the Peninsula; the feuds of the Houses of 
Belitfint are legendary. Nonetheless, the Republic of Belitfint was 
formed as a sort of mutual defense pact against outside attack. It is 
ruled by a Democratic Council of Lords. The Council, however, is an 
ineffective ruling body except in time of war, and the office of the 
Chairman changes hands often, sometimes bloodily. Thakul's lair is 
here.  

     Special Information: Of all the human Kingdoms, Belitfint has 
received the least attention from the Loghuna; the eternal bickering 
of the people of Belitfint makes it an unlikely threat to the plans of 
the Loghuna. In ancient times, the Loghuna had a strong power base 
here in the form of a cult called the Origants, but withdrew to Hetek 
1650 years ago after the Kelesh Disaster (see Interlude).  

     Hetek (established 1230 years ago). Common knowledge: The oldest 
human Kingdom, Hetek has the most pleasant lands on the Peninsula. It 
is known for its weather, the warmest in the Peninsula. Oddly, Hetek 
also includes some of the coldest lands in the Peninsula: the Ice 
Marshes, home of the fabled Ice Barbarians. This cold-dwelling, 
apparently human race is famous for the ferocity, size, and nature-
lore of its warriors. It is said that an Ice Barbarian cannot endure 
warmth without a magic Ice Amulet.  

     Hetek proper is ruled by the Grand Kissamarlo, a hereditary king. 
The first strong King of Hetek in generations, his policies have 
occasionally clashed with those of the true rulers of Hetek: the 
Loghuna, a priestly caste of magician-ascetics. These have been the 
true power of Hetek throughout its history. The Loghuna worship no 
known God, but rather a philosophy: Loghuna is an ancient word meaning 
Keepers of the Law, and the Law of the Loghuna is Obedience. To act 
against the Loghuna is to be declared Lawless, excommunicant and 
damned. The execution of such an individual is swift and painful. As a 
result, most Hetekians are extremely faithful to the Law.  Hetekians 
have an absolute fear of and hatred for magic when not in the hands of 
the Loghuna, for the Loghunian cult worships magic. Thus in Hetek, no 
non-Loghunian may possess magic of any sort. Apart from their fervent 
hatred of alien magic, Hetekians are an extremely skeptical and 
sarcastic people.  

     Interestingly, Kissamarlo (who is not a member of the Loghuna, 
though he cooperates with them) has recently been linked with illegal 
magic.  It is said that Kamira, mistress to Thakul the Demon (see 
HISTORY), has given him a magic ring that he cannot remove.  

     Special Information: Hetek is the bastion of the K'thorr, who 
were once known as the Origants, and who now pass as the Loghuna. (see 
HISTORY). It is utterly under their control. The Kissamarlo is well-
meaning but is quite aware of the power of the Loghuna and wishes to 
retain his kingdom. Thus, though he has some power, he cooperates with 
the Loghuna. Further information on the K'thorr may be found in the 
HISTORY section. Contrary to legend, the Ice Barbarians are a cultured 
and civilized people. They are sages of great knowledge, and are 
gentle by nature.  

                       *           *           *

                    Preliminary Player Information

     The characters begin the campaign by entering the Kingdom of 
Pozart, tempted by tales of treasure and adventure. Though they may 
arrive by land or sea, they must ride westward to get to Thamon Vale, 
capital of Pozart. You need not play out the trip, but should give the 
players the following preliminary information: 

     The countryside of Pozart is pleasant, though cool. Farmers may 
frequently be seen, planting the usual crops; the land seems peaceful, 
and the people friendly enough, as a rule. Occasionally you come 
across a small village by the road, and find that the ale in the local 
taverns is excellent. The common tongue is commonly spoken here. 
Villagers will volunteer that King Adrac is a good ruler: peasants are 
loosely ruled by a local Baron-Administrator, who collects the (low) 
taxes and is responsible for local justice. Administrators' holdings 
cover about twenty square miles each. Baron-Administrators are 
considered nobility, but class relations are relaxed, and sage and 
knowledgeable peasants are often appointed to the position. Your 
destination, Thamon Vale, is by all accounts a great city indeed, and 
the site of the Palace of the King.  

     Occasionally, you pass shrines dedicated to the local gods; there 
are many. Arria the Grain Goddess and Aramon the Protector rule the 
Pantheon, which is worshipped in a body. Interesting but predictable 
tales are told of the gods, the most amusing being the adventures of 
Arria's son Konar the Wanderer (an archetypical Trickster). Strangely, 
Priests and initiates possess no magic apart from an occasional 
spirit-magic Healing spell and the Divine Magic Worship spell; when 
asked, the people say "Such wonders are unnecessary for a happy life, 
and it is unseemly for a God to make magics like a common conjurer. 
The teaching of the Gods is all we really need." These teachings, they 
happily tell you, are those of compassion for the weak and respect for 
the Gods.  

     As you ride west towards Thamon Vale, you notice that the people 
seem less friendly. Though the peasants still trade with you, they 
seem afraid; when pressed they explain that "There've been dark 
happenings, and 'tis a poor chance to meet strangers these days; 
there's been stories of bandits and worse things, lately..." In the 
inns, you occasionally catch whispers of a Demon, and of a dread race 
of magicians called the Konae. Though the area seems to be solely 
inhabited by humans, you hear stories of dwarves and goblins "off in 
the Mountains". You also hear other things: 

     People have been living on the Peninsula for thousands of years.  
During that time, there have been many kingdoms and many wars between 
kingdoms.  

     Everyone worships the local gods, though they are weak. Everyone 
knows that nothing is as good as it was in the good old days; neither 
crops, beasts, nor men.  

     A minstrel sings of Thakul the Demon who has a magic breastplate 
and commands an army of goblins somewhere in Belitfint; the 
breastplate may be the legendary Guard of Emon (whatever that is). An 
evil Sorceress named Kamira is supposed to be Thakul's mistress. It's 
a poetic tale.  

     Most people think that Thakul is just another bandit.  

     The local village wrestler is the strongest man in the world.  

     There is an old Wizard named Trostag who ferries people across 
the wild Fanaibe River in the northern mountain-country. He's in love 
with the Sorceress Kamira, who torments him.  
            
     Garlic and beer will cure a cold.  

     Finally, late one afternoon, you see a great walled city in a 
green valley. The way is easy, and you reach the open gate shortly 
before sundown.  A bored guard welcomes you to the city of Thamon 
Vale, and recommends the Golden Boar Inn as a fine hostel (though 
something in his manner makes you think that he's been paid to do so). 
You have arrived in the city of Thamon Vale.  

                       ADVENTURE #1: THE MUGGING

     In which the Adventurers foil a plot, and meet Mervan Ikul, High 
Administrator to the King...  

     The characters have arrived in the city at sundown. After ten 
minutes, they pass a darkened alley on their right; those who succeed 
in a Listen roll hear the sounds of a scuffle (Note: it is vital that 
at least one Adventurer hear the sounds, and that the party 
investigate). Looking down the alley, they see what appears to be a 
mugging in progress. A gang of toughs with maces is giving an old man 
in a gray cloak a beating. The old man, his back to a wall, is holding 
them off with his cane. No guards or pedestrians are in the area. As 
the alley is dark, only those who make their Scan roll will be sure of 
how many toughs there are (there is one less thug then there are party 
members) or notice that the old man is using his cane broadsword-
style, with considerable skill. Combat skills are at -10% in the alley 
due to darkness (the party may bring in a light source, of course).  

     The gang will not back down unless faced with truly overwhelming 
power; the players will not be able to frighten them off easily. 
However, given the relative skill levels of the combatants, the fight 
should be quickly over.  If, by some outrageous chance, a player is 
killed, we recommend (for this combat only) that you fudge the roll; 
for a player to be killed in such a minor combat this early in the 
game would be ridiculous.  

     The leader of the gang is Samhan the Knife, and his dagger has 
POT 12 blade venom on it. He has already hit the old man once in the 
left arm with it, but the poison was resisted. All of Samhan's 
followers have similar statistics and skills; roll up extra thugs as 
needed.  

Samhan the Knife: Human Male, age 28

STR: 16
CON: 14
SIZ: 12
INT: 11
POW: 13
DEX: 15
APP: 14

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....5/5
Left Leg.....5/5
Abdomen......5/5
Chest........5/6
Right Arm....5/4
Left Arm.....5/4
Head.........5/5

Total Hit Points: 13
Magic Points: 13
Armor: Bezainted + soft (5 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D4

Money: 265 sp in belt

Skills: First Aid 36%, Swagger 55 %, Hide 59%, Sneak 44%, Dodge 55%

Weapon___________SR___attack_____damage_______parry_____AP
Dagger...........8......55%.....1D4+2 +1D4.....37%.......6
Shield (Target)..8......24%.....1D6 +1D4.......60%......12


Joe the Generic Thug: Human Male, age 19

STR: 14 
CON: 12
SIZ: 14
INT: 10
POW: 11
DEX: 14
APP: 11

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....4/5
Left Leg.....4/5
Abdomen......4/5
Chest........4/6
Right Arm....4/4
Left Arm.....4/4
Head.........4/5

Total Hit Points: 13
Magic Points: 11
Armor: Courboulli + soft leather (4 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D4

Money: 70sp

Skills: First Aid 22%, Hide 34%, Sneak 39%, Dodge 45%

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Club.............7.....50%......1D6+1D4........25%.......6


     The old man is Mervan Ikul, a High Administrator to the King.  

Mervan Ikul: Human male, age 61

STR:11
CON:12
SIZ:15
INT:17
POW:15
DEX:15
APP:13

Total Hit Points: 14
Magic Points: 15
Armor: None
Damage Bonus: +1D4

Money: 470sp

Skills: Speak Own 94%, Orate 91%, Fast Talk 77%, Evaluate 74%, Human Lore 
92%, World Lore 84%, Administration 101%

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Broadsword, RH....7.....87%.....1D8+1+1D4......83%......10

     The cane has 6 hit points and does 1D3 damage.  

     As Mervan should not be involved in active combat, his combat 
statistics are not included (except for his broadsword skill). His 
left arm, normally at 4 hit points, is presently at -1, and therefore 
useless. He is not armored.  His CON has been reduced to 6 by poison 
on the blade of Smahan. Do not roll out the combat between Mervan and 
the gang. Mervan survives with the one wound already described.  

     If captured, Samhan and the gang know very little; they were 
hired to kill "the old man" by a tall hooded man with a deep, whispery 
voice in the Green Feather Tavern two hours ago. They were given a 
description of Mervan, told where they could find him, and paid 1000sp 
for the job.  

     If the party has captured any of the thugs, and decides to turn 
them in to the city guards, the thugs are killed in prison within six 
hours (the arm of the K'thorr is long). There is no reward for their 
capture.  

     Once rescued, Mervan gasps out his thanks. Telling the players 
his name and high rank, he invites them to come to his office on 
Government Street tomorrow afternoon, promising a reward.  

                   Interlude: Fun at the Golden Boar 

     If the characters choose to stay at the Golden Boar, they may 
gain extra information. Old Nemo, a drunken tale- teller at the Inn, 
knows a great deal of the legends and lore of the Domains, and 
willingly speaks of them to anyone who will buy him ale. Though he 
appears to be an ordinary (albeit well-informed) tale-teller, in 
actuality he is Noman, the demigod-patron of the long-lost X'oaan (see 
HISTORY), and he has been observing his descendents for millennia. He 
is well-meaning but cautious: he prefers to manipulate others to help 
his people. He has aided the Konae secretly in the past, and is now 
trying to help humans withstand the machinations of the K'thorr. As a 
demigod, he is invulnerable and immortal. He has a natural disguise 
ability, and prefers to operate through guile and cleverness, but will 
act directly to save the lives of those who are acting in his 
interests.  Neither the Konae nor the K'thorr are aware of his 
existence.  

     It is his habit to pass as a human and find heroes who can be 
encouraged to fight evil. It is for this reason that he has taken on 
the role of Nemo. He has selected the characters as possible agents 
against the K'thorr. By telling them certain rare bits of information 
and misinformation, he intends to subtly guide their actions. At the 
same time, he is careful to not give out any information which would 
alert the K'thorr to his existence (such as, for example, the truth of 
the existence of the K'thorr themselves). He'll tell all the common-
knowledge information about each of the Five Kingdoms, and the 
following special information, all while consuming vast quantities of 
ale (they buy): He knows much of the merchant wars of Joulo, the feuds 
of Belitfint, and the many ancient wars of ancient kingdoms. He sings 
of the Origants, and the Loghuna. He speaks reverently of the Konae. 
He mentions an ancient Banishment, in which the local Gods and Demons 
were forced off the plane.  He gladly tells the tale of the Fall of 
Kelesh (but he does not tell the full truth, which is noted in 
parentheses - read carefully!): 

     Kelesh was an orphan who was found by the Konae and learned from 
them about 1800 years ago. Later, the child's evil nature made it 
necessary for him to leave Konat-Kale, and he eventually became the 
Wizard-Leader of the Origants. As such, his sole desire was to destroy 
the Konae.  

     (The truth is that he was a K'thorran agent, and placed the Word 
of Pain on the Eye of Konar. Thus the Konae were betrayed and forced 
to depart.  Kelesh lead the K'thorr as well as the Origants as an 
adult).  

     As part of a complicated plot to encourage the King of the area, 
Balisi II, to fear that the Konae wished to assassinate him, Kelesh 
had three of his followers disguise themselves as Konae and attempt an 
"assassination".  Promising to protect the frightened King, he 
arranged to have the Fire of Emon stolen by human agents from the High 
Temple of Konat-Kale, along with the Five Arrows of the Konae. He had 
discovered the existence of the Arrows as a child on Konat-Kale. (The 
reason he sent human thieves was that the magical defenses of Konat-
Kale were set to react to K'thorrans. The Fire of Emon was in the High 
Temple because that was where Kirra left it after the Last Band stole 
it from the K'thorr; she trusted the temple defenses). When the 
thieves returned saying that they had only found four Arrows, he was 
furious, but was unable to discover the fate of the last arrow (Noman 
has it). The thieves also reported that Konat-Kale seemed to be 
utterly deserted.  Kelesh's pleasure at this news did not stop him 
from having the thieves killed.  

     With the help of foreign dwarven smiths who were later slain, 
Kelesh crafted a magical breastplate: the Guard of Emon. He set the 
Fire of Emon in its center. Giving it to the King, he told him that it 
would make him invincible. Kelesh knew that the Guard was dangerous 
(for humans) but it was not his intention that Balisi survive for long 
in any case. Coming home with the King from a futile "raid" on Konat-
Kale, he accused Balisi of treachery and shot him with an arrow. Only 
one man, a common soldier, survived the resulting explosion. What 
happened to the Guard and Arrows is unknown.  (Actually, it was Noman 
who shot Balisi.  Kelesh had had Balisi wear the breastplate to see if 
the Fire of Emon had been trapped; if it wasn't, he planned to use the 
power of the Fire to kill Balisi, take the Guard for himself, assume 
Balisi's identity, and ease the entrance of Emon into the plane. Noman 
prevented this by shooting the Fire. The explosion was due to spells 
Noman had placed earlier on his Arrow. Balisi and Kelesh as well as 
everyone else present was killed. Later, Noman played the part of the 
"only survivor" to spread the false tale. Noman took an Arrow 
(replacing the one he'd used), leaving three, and left the rest in a 
hiding place with the Guard.) 

     Noman can tell other stories about the Guard and Arrows (both 
were found later by others). 400 years after Kelesh died the Guard 
reappeared, along with one remaining arrow (not counting the missing 
one Noman has). The Guard eventually disappeared, as was its wont, on 
a battlefield; but the Arrow was sealed in a black stone by a sorcerer 
named Tintolej, and mixed in with thousands of identical black stones.  
In the stone the Arrow was indetectable by magic except by a wristband 
created by Tintolej which now lies under the ruins of Castle Kafsal, 
in the lands of the Ice Barbarians. The stone itself, along with all 
the similar stones, is now in Kash, the capital city of Joulo, as part 
of Ramado's Castle which is the residence of the Plutocrat.  

     Most recently, the Guard has been found by a stranger to the 
Peninsula: Thakul the Demon. Nemo-Noman delivers himself of the 
opinion that Thakul must be a lesser demon at most, small enough to 
have escaped the power of the Banishment. In any case, Thakul commands 
a small army of goblins who have overrun the Northern Wastes of 
Belitfint. The only other incursion of Thakul was a brief foray into 
Konat-Kale. The area Thakul commands is the poorest land of the 
Domains, so poor that even the families of Belitfint have not claimed 
it; from there the goblin army raids surrounding territories. Thakul's 
stronghold is said to be in the middle of a circle of mountains, in 
lands which are cut off from direct eastern access by the River 
Fanaibe. This river is so turbulent as to make passage nearly 
impossible - water-spirits (POW=3D6+6) make flight over it impossible. 
The only way to cross it without risking one's life is to be ferried 
across by the wizard Trostag, who has a magic boat. It is said that he 
charges nothing, but will only carry those whose motives please him. 
It is also said that he is in love with an evil Sorceress named 
Kamira, who is mistress to Thakul; she it was who gave the magic ring 
to Kissamarlo (see KINGDOMS: Hetek). Her motives are unknown. (Noman 
knows that she is his daughter by Kirra the High Priestess; having 
left the plane shortly after she was conceived, he had believed her 
dead until recently. She does not know who her parents are. He also 
knows that Thakul really is a demon, but not much more; he has never 
seen Thakul. He does not know how Thakul gained the Guard. Thakul and 
the K'thorr are allies.  Being of the same evil nature, they cooperate 
to see Emon rise again.  By using the Guard and destroying the peace 
of the Peninsula, they are slowly making this possible).  

     If the characters stay elsewhere, they will learn common 
knowledge information, and gossip about nobility; when Mervan Ikul is 
mentioned, it is said that he has been acting strangely lately; 
senile, perhaps. Several nobles and counselors to the King have died 
by "accident" in the last few years.  

                 ADVENTURE 2: A MESSAGE FOR THE PRIEST

     In which the characters meet Belthan the Priest, and learn some 
interesting information.  

     When the characters arrive at Mervan Ikul's office, they find it 
to be richly appointed and near the King's palace. A guard escorts the 
players into an antechamber after asking their names. After a few 
minutes, a thin, well-dressed man comes in: Savon Galt, Mervan Ikul's 
secretary. He stares at the adventurers in surprise, but asks their 
business in a polite way. He insists on knowing the reason for the 
appointment, saying it's not in the book. When told, he nods and 
leaves the room. Coming back in a few minutes with a pouch of 250sp, 
he tells the adventurers that this is their reward, and that they 
should go away now. As he says this, however, Mervan Ikul comes into 
the room.  

     A quiet discussion ensues. Those making a Listen roll hear that 
Mervan knew nothing about this "reward"; he is furious that the 
adventurers were not sent to him immediately. Savon, with glacier-like 
calm, insists that no time is available for unscheduled meetings. 
Mervan insists on having the party come into his office. Leading the 
way, he carefully locks the door behind him. Wine is poured for 
everyone, and each adventurer is given a pouch of 2,000sp (alter this 
and all amounts if they are inappropriate for your campaign).  

     Mervan believes that he can trust the party, and so wants to 
offer them a high-paying job (they can keep Savon's money). Strange 
things have been happening in the last few years; the incident last 
night was not the first attempt on his life. For a number of reasons, 
he suspects that a large conspiracy is taking place: he does not know 
who in the City to trust, for even old friends have been acting 
strangely. Peasants have come to him with tales of torture and 
massacre by newly-appointed Administrators, all claiming to have been 
sent to him by a tall masked man (Noman). He has spoken to the King, 
but was unable to convince him: his witnesses have consistently 
disappeared or died before testifying. The King is being told that he 
(Mervan) has become senile.  

     An old and prestigious priest friend of his named Belthan had 
similar suspicions; after voicing them several years ago, he was 
demoted and sent to Gazan, a town near the western border. They have 
remained secretly in contact since, through coded messages sent by the 
official courier to Gazan. In his last message, Belthan asked that 
Mervan secretly send him a party of adventurers willing to travel. 
Clearly the conspiracy is a dangerous and evil one, and the threat may 
extend beyond Pozart's borders. Will the party help?  

     It is necessary that the party accept. Mervan will offer them 
whatever it takes to persuade them; use your judgement as to what will 
be necessary. Note that if the party is successful in bringing back 
solid proof of a conspiracy against Pozart, the King will also reward 
them. In that case, the reward might well extend to a magic item each, 
knighthoods, or titles of nobility in addition to money.  

     Once the party has accepted, Mervan "hires" them as messengers (a 
cover job) and gives them up to 2,000sp each for expenses. He asks 
that they leave for Gazan soon, and discretely; Belthan is living in 
the house of Balt the Potter, passing as Balt's wife's old father (he 
is not, but she is distantly related to Mervan). For safety's sake, 
Mervan feels that the adventurers should not see him again before the 
party leaves. Giving the party a pouch of scrolls to be taken to 
Gazen, plus a secret one for Belthan and badges identifying them as 
King's messengers, he bids them farewell.  

     All distances are given in terms of days and weeks of travel.  
Local encounter tables have been prepared for this area; see the 
ENCOUNTERS section for travel information.  

     Gazan is a week's travel away. They pass both farmland and 
forests.  As before, a dark shadow of fear seems to get stronger as 
the party travels further west (the influence of the K'thorr is 
stronger in the West).  

     An assassin named Wastik is trailing the party at a safe 
distance. He has been sent by the K'thorr to find and kill the source 
of the messages that Mervan Ikul has been receiving. He has 3 vials of 
Blade venom POT 14.  

Wastik the Assassin: Human Male, age 30

STR: 15
CON: 16
SIZ: 10
INT: 14
POW: 10
DEX: 18
APP: 10

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....5/5
Left Leg.....5/5
Abdomen......5/5
Chest........5/6
Right Arm....5/4
Left Arm.....5/4
Head.........5/5

Total Hit Points: 13
Magic Points: 10
Armor: Courboulli + leather (4 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D4

Money: 527 sp
Skills: Hide 94%, First Aid 54%, Sneak 96%, Dodge 99%, Track 89%, Scan 92%,  
Search 92%

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Dagger............7.....88%......2D4+2.........64%.......6
Thrown Dagger..........106%......1D4+1D2 + poison.........

     Wastik is mounted. It is unlikely that the party will detect his 
presence. When the adventurers arrive in Gazan, they are courteously 
greeted and housed in the Administrator's mansion. How they approach 
Belthan is their choice, but Wastik is shadowing them. He has paid 
several street urchins to help keep an eye on the party; an act of 
kindness to one of them by a party member might cause a little 
information to come forth (or not). In any case, it is likely that 
Wastik will follow when any or all of the adventurers go to see 
Belthan.  

     The characters meet Belthan in the back room of Balt's cottage. 
There is one door (in the south wall), one window (in the north wall - 
curtained) a chair (Belthan is sitting in it), a small table, and a 
straw bed. After reading the scroll, Belthan accepts the characters as 
genuine.  

     He has been studying some manuscripts written in an ancient 
tongue. In them, he has found disturbing implications; Divination 
about them revealed vague and disturbing visions. Though his 
understanding is not perfect, he is troubled by what he has 
discovered. There seems to be a link between the Konae, the Origants, 
and the Fire of Emon, though he has always believed in the goodness of 
the Konae. The Origants and possibly the Loghuna are linked with the 
K'thorr, an ancient race of half-demons now supposed to be extinct.  
Emon is probably the root of "demon". References to the doctrines of 
the Origants sound uncomfortably like those of the Loghuna; 
furthermore, many events today seem to be similar to those during the 
rise of the Origants. It seems that a great depth of history has been 
forgotten or perhaps deliberately obscured. There are hints, no more, 
of some unknown power that causes "a dreadful clouding of men's 
minds." If Thakul is truly a demon, than his possession of the Guard 
of Emon is a terrible threat. Even if he is human, if he is the 
military arm of a conspiracy of the Loghuna (and it seems likely that 
he is), he must be slain. Unfortunately, legend has it that the wearer 
of the Guard of Emon is invulnerable. Only one thing can harm him: a 
set of magical Arrows crafted by the Konae. The only one still known 
to exist is last recorded as being at Castle Kafsal in the northern 
Ice Marshes of Hetek. That Arrow must be recovered. The Arrow is said 
to work against the Firegem itself, not the Guard. If the stories of 
old Nemo are mentioned to him, he is very interested.  

     Belthan sent his nephew Garel to recover the Arrow a year ago, 
with three local fighters to help him. They did not return. If the 
characters are willing to go, he will give them a copy of a map of the 
Peninsula, his thanks, and his blessing.  

     Before the characters can answer, Wastik strikes. He has been 
listening at the window for a while now, and has a poisoned throwing 
dagger ready (if the characters took some sort of precautions against 
this possibility, take them into account). Any character who rolls 
under half their Listen percentage may attempt to shield Belthan from 
the arrow. Unless they had specified that their weapons were out and 
ready, they will not be able to use them (and only a shield could be 
used in any case); they must use their bodies at DEX x 3, or the table 
at DEX x 2 (only one person may use the table, which has 10 armor 
points). Make them decide their actions quickly. Remember, unless the 
party has made some other arrangements, Wastik has had a round to 
prepare (+10%) and has surprised the party (+20%), raising his total 
attack chance to 136%.  

     If captured, Wastik attempts suicide by means of a poisoned 
pellet in a cheap ring he wears on his right hand. Failing this, he 
desperately resists questioning, saying nothing. If seriously tortured 
(use your own judgement) he screams that the Administrator will kill 
them all, and lapses into unconsciousness. He actually knows little: 
his patron has made sure that he knows as little as possible against 
just this eventuality. Wastik knows that his boss is an Administrator, 
and he was told that if captured by city guards he would be released: 
however, all messages were given him by a short, fat man wearing a 
gray mask.  

     Whatever Belthan's fate, the party should proceed to Castle 
Kafsal. If Belthan is dead or unconscious, a search of the room yields 
three books and twelve scrolls in an incomprehensible tongue, a book 
with notations for learning that tongue, and a map of the Peninsula, 
with a route clearly marked to Castle Kafsal. The route circles around 
Thakul's mountain fastness, and avoids the Fanaibe River. Total travel 
time seems to be about three months each way. Give the party a copy of 
the map, or let them refer to it frequently. If conscious, Belthan 
gives the party this map and warn them that the Ice Marshes are cold. 
He is not sure of the meaning of the rune near Thakul's lair; he 
copied it from an older map. He has no money to give them.  Warm 
clothes and blankets may be purchased in town.

                 SECTION 3: THE WRISTBAND OF TINTOLEJ

     Adventure in the ice and snow can be a chilling experience... 

    The journey to Castle Kafsal takes thirteen weeks. For the first 
ten weeks, roll local encounters as described in the ENCOUNTERS 
section. From the eleventh week on, however, the travellers are in the 
area of the Ice Marshes.  If the party is not protecting itself from 
the cold, exposure results.  Normal encounter tables do not apply in 
the Ice Marshes.  Instead, in the first week they encounter a snowcat: 

Snowcat

STR:15  
CON:19  
SIZ:11  
INT:15  
POW:9  
DEX:21  
APP:18  

Total Hit Points: 15
Move: 6  
Dodge: 70%  
Claw attack: 75% (1D8+1D4)  
Bite attack: 70% (1D6+1D4) 

    It is white-furred, and has a Hide ability of 109% in the snow. It 
is not aggressive, but simply watches the party. It runs away if 
disturbed, but fights if cornered. Though intelligent, it cannot 
speak.  

    The second week, a hunting party of three white-fur-clad Ice 
Barbarians is encountered. If a Scan is made, the party may attempt to 
Hide (-10%).  The Ice Barbarians are non-hostile (they defend 
themselves if attacked, but even so try to avoid killing). If peaceful 
contact is made, the party discover that Garel did pass through the 
area about eight months ago, with two fighters accompanying him; after 
buying some smoked meat from the Ice Barbarians (who call themselves 
the Sevam), they continued on north, never returning. The Sevam 
themselves do not travel travel that way, for there is no game there 
and hunters sometimes do not return. The hunters offer their 
hospitality to the party. If they accept, they are taken to a tribal 
ice-house. It is pleasantly warm there, and they are asked many 
questions about current events. In the evening, a large feast is 
served.  Afterwords, the party is introduced to the ancient Sevamdor, 
chief of the Sevam. He sings several heroic lays, including one about 
Castle Kafsal. It speaks of the Sorcerer Tintolej, the Arrow, and the 
magic Wristband. If the party shows interest, he tells them the tale 
of Tintolej from the HISTORY section, though he does not know where 
the block of the Arrow was taken.  

    No Ice Barbarian will travel with the party, but they give careful 
directions to the ruins of Castle Kafsal. The trip there is 
uneventful, the only item of interest being a smoking and steaming 
hotspring on the third day.  

    Castle Kafsal is now a large mound of snow-covered rubble. 
Searching it takes an hour and a successful Search roll, resulting in 
the discovery of a large square hole - apparently the remains of a 
downward-leading stone stairway. The stair is 20 feet deep, but the 
bottom 10 feet are filled with powdery snow: from above, it appears 
that the stair ends ten feet down on a snowy floor. The stairs are 
covered with ice, and very slippery; roll DEX x 3 to avoid falling. 
Anyone failing their DEX roll when stepping on the stair falls deep 
into the powder, and must roll DEX x 3 to get out (they appear to have 
been swallowed up by the floor). They may attempt this once per round, 
but each round after the third spent in the snow results in 1 point of 
damage to total hit points. In the snow, the frozen body of a man may 
be found. He is wearing a monogrammed belt labeled "Garel". His legs 
are broken.  

    The stairwell ends at a wooden door, with a brass plaque marked 
"Kafsal" on it. The door is locked (-10% Devise). The door has 25 hit 
points. Once opened, it reveals a stone corridor ten feet wide, 
leading straight ahead (north). The corridor goes straight for 20 
meters, slopes downward for another 20 meters, and then turns left.  
Waiting around this corner is a large (SIZ 21) silvery blob. It is 
absolutely silent; the characters are surprised unless they roll under 
their POW x 3 or a critical Listen (allow them a bonus if they took 
precautions). The blob registers on a magic-detection spell. It lashes 
out at the party with its six pseudopods, 2 at SR 2, 2 at SR 5, and 2 
at SR 7. Each has a 50% chance of hitting, and each does 1D6 points of 
cold damage (ignoring metal armor). It takes only 1 point of damage 
from ordinary weapons. Spells such as Bladesharp do extra damage for 
the magic (ie. a weapon with Bladesharp 3 would do 4 points of damage 
- 1 for the weapon, and 3 for the spell). The blob is completely 
vulnerable to heat damage, and even a fist attack is warm enough to do 
full damage (though the fist involved would take 1D6 points of damage 
as per an attack). The creature has no armor and 25 hit points, all of 
which are treated as one hit location. It regenerates 1 hit point per 
round until dead (except heat damage). Its POW is 15.  

    Two fighters can fight abreast here, or three at - 10% each on all 
attack skills. Unenchanted metal weapons hitting the creature have a 
50% chance of shattering due to the extreme coldness of its flesh. 
Cold and mind-affecting spells do not affect the blob. Play it out.  

    Proceeding on, the party arrives at a large, barred wooden door 
with a small shuttered opening at eye level. Behind the door is a 
skeleton waiting to poke the eye out of whoever opens the shutter. Be 
careful how you run this - at the least a Luck roll (POW x 5) should 
be applicable (give the players a chance). The room is dark. The door 
to the room has 35 hit points. If the characters stand in the doorway, 
they will face only three skeletons at once.  

    The room is full of weirdly glowing skeletons. All are moving 
silently to the door, except for one that is chained high on the wall 
opposite the door: a successful Scan reveals that one is wearing a 
band on its right arm. There are 4 skeletons for every adventurer. 
They are unarmored. Strangely, every skeleton "bleeds" a silvery 
liquid from its bones when broken. Though this liquid looks like that 
of the blob, it is inanimate. Two have broadswords, and fight with a 
skill of 60%. All of the skeletons have a claw attack of 50% and a 
Dodge skill of 60% 

    Generate skeletons as needed using the Skeleton statistics in the 
Creatures book.  

    The hanging skeleton is Tintolej. He is animate, but will not 
attack the characters. He simply holds his arm out (if possible). 
Those making a Listen roll hear a ghostly whisper saying 
"Please...destroy me". The skeleton is absolutely incapable of making 
any other communication. The band cannot be removed from the arm until 
the arm is smashed. The skeleton and the band are both immune to fire.  

    The wristband is translucent unbreakable black glass with three 
gold braid circlets embedded in it. Anyone wearing it immediately 
knows that it is attuned to the Arrow, and that the Arrow is to the 
southeast. A search of the room reveals a loose stone in the back 
wall. Behind the stone is a fragment of old parchment. Written in an 
archaic form of the Common Tongue, it says: "...gh none knew who the 
father was. ...erted by her companions by her own order, Kirra, High 
Priestess of the Kona...irth to Kamira, and died...ire of Emon would 
be use...mon Emon when the law of the land is broken..." (ellipses 
indicate burned areas). There is nothing else in the Castle of 
interest.  

                   SECTION 4: THE ARROW OF THE KONAE

           There's no honor among thieves...or merchants...  

    The trail of the Arrow leads the characters directly to Castle 
Ramado, residence of Joulo's Plutocrat. The trip takes ten weeks. In 
the first three weeks of travel there is only one encounter: a 
snowman, on the horizon. It is ten feet tall, and human-shaped. Buried 
inside the snowman is a clear glass ring; it is difficult to find, and 
is non-magical What's it doing there? For the last seven weeks, use 
the local Encounter tables.  

    The party ends up in Kash, Joulo's capital city.  There is a 50sp 
charge for non-Jouloans to enter the City. It is an incredible town: 
anything and everything is for sale, including magic items (many are 
fake). Even an Ice Barbarian is for sale at the auction block. There 
are no firm prices on anything, and everything must be haggled for, 
even ale. This constant haggling has made Jouloans the greatest 
Bargainers on Earth, averaging 50%.  Gambling is everywhere, and 
almost every purchase is rolled for, double or nothing.  

    The Wristband leads the party towards the Castle of Koan the 
Magnificent, Plutocrat of Joulo. It is surrounded by an alligator-
stocked moat. To enter, the characters must make an appointment to see 
the Plutocrat. Unfortunately, this costs money: 500sp each for a ten-
minute public audience, 5,000sp for a private audience.  

    If the character with the Wristband gets into the Castle, he finds 
that the Arrow is in a block set in the right front gatepost of the 
Castle proper at eye level. The brick is large, 3 feet long and 1 foot 
high, identical to all the surrounding blocks. A guard stands directly 
under it; he gives an alarm if he sees intruders. Four-men guard 
patrols go by every half-hour. Note that the specific block is only 
detectable once past the moat.  

    The guards are strong, burly men. They wear ringmail and leather 
armor (6 points) and plate helms (8). They fight with broadswords and 
target shields at an 80% proficiency.  
        
    If the characters are not able to afford to meet the King, they 
need money. If they do meet the King, they still need money, for the 
King charges 20,000sp per block (he has sold a few before). The King's 
Bargaining skill, by the way, is 147%. Note: if the party has a public 
meeting with the Plutocrat, there is a K'thorran present. If the 
wristband is visible or spoken of, Thakul is warned in Section 5.  

    The party may, of course, decide to steal the block. This is 
dangerous, for there are many soldiers in the castle, and Koan has 
several sorcerers on retainer. Also, removing the block takes a pick 
and hard work: it would be impossible not to make noise.  

    There is one way to make fast money in Kash: the Games. These 
gladitorial combat games, are fought year-round in the Arena of Kash.  
Anyone may participate: combats are fought to surrender of 
unconsciousness. Any mix of brawn and magic is allowed. Normally, 
prizes are low; however, the Tournament is starting next week, and the 
prizes are enormous. The Masters' Tournament consists of randomly 
pairing off 16 participants in single combats, pairing off the 8 
winners of those battles, then the 4 who win again, and finally a 
battle between the two remaining winners. Betting action is extremely 
heavy, and is coordinated by the Bookie's Council, which has a 
complicated system of ranking.  

    If the characters can convince a judge that they are qualified, 
they may enter the Tournament in the Master category. Use your 
judgement on whether or not they are convincing: they may demonstrate 
their prowess, in which case have them make three rolls on their 
skills to see how well they do (if they do poorly, they are not 
accepted at that level, but must compete in the Expert level). They 
may attempt to bribe the instructor; this requires a minimum of 500sp 
(Fast Talk may affect this cost). Finally, they may try to intimidate 
the judge: this is very unlikely to succeed. The judge simply pretends 
to give in, and later has the party arrested.  

    The initial opponents in the Masters category have skills in the 
85% - 90% range. As the PCs advance through the ranks, add 1D6 
percentiles to the appropriate combat skills of their opponents. This 
is an opportunity to have the players encounter enemies with unusual 
weapons and spells. If a player is battling in the Expert catagory, 
his opponent will be in the 75% - 85% skill range. After winning one 
fight at Expert level, the adventurer may enter the Masters 
Tournament. Combats are one-on-one, and are fought until surrender or 
unconsciousness. All weapons are live (not padded). Combats begin with 
the opponents 30m apart. Healing 2 spells are available for 400sp, as 
are numerous potions and poultices (these are generally useless).  

    If the characters do well in their first battle (there is one per 
day), they find themselves the object of interest. Strangers come to 
visit them, some offering them money to lose a fight, others subtly 
threatening them.  These actions are not against the law. The 
character who has done best is offered a magic luck amulet free, being 
told that he has "friends". The amulet does not register as magic. It 
adds 5 points to the wearer's DEX while worn, but when during actual 
combat, a sorcerer in the crowd casts a spell that causes it to 
subtract 10 from the wearer's DEX. The amulet could be taken off, 
negating this effect, but the character must roll under reduced DEX x 
3 to do so, and would be incapable of any other action. A sorcerer 
might learn how to control this amulet through the same mechanic as 
learning a spell (500 hours study and roll under INT x 3). Each 
participating character fights in four contests (if they lose one, 
they may not continue).  The first has a prize of 50sp, the second 
yields 500sp, the winner of the third contest wins 5,000sp, and the 
final winner gets 50,000. Opponents are selected randomly; party 
members could have to battle each other.  

    If you wish, the Plutocrat could offer the party the option of 
going on a quest (of your own devising) in place of the 20,000sp. Keep 
in mind that the quest should be extremely difficult! Also, the 
Plutocrat has no concern for the future of the Peninsula - he is 
greedy, period. When the block is purchased, Koan has it gift-wrapped 
and delivered, at no extra charge. The block has 100 hit points and 
will surely damage non-enchanted weapons used to hit it. However, it 
falls apart when struck with the Wristband, revealing the Arrow. If 
opened in public, it is observed by the K'thorr; five assassins with 
skills similar to those of Wastik (see Section 2) led by a K'thorr 
assassin (use the Right K'thorr in Section 5) are dispatched to kill 
the party within the week. The Arrow is +100% against the Fire only, 
slaying the wearer of the Guard instantly; otherwise it is +30% and +6 
to damage. It is unbreakable.  

    Immediately after the block has been opened, the party receives a 
scroll; It says: "Time is growing short, and Thakul's power is growing 
greater. If Thakul is not slain soon, Emon will walk the Earth again. 
Remember, you have friends. Take the western side passage by the black 
stone, slay the demon, and bring the Guard to the King's Castle in 
Thamon Vale. I will meet you there. Do not wear the Guard! Take this 
ring, and use it in your mission.  Beware of the Loghuna. PS- If you 
meet Kamira, give her the ring. Tell her it is a token from her 
father." The scroll was left before the party's door.  

    There is no signature. With the message is a gold ring in the 
shape of a Mobieus coil. It is magic, and adds 75% to the Hide and 
Sneak abilities of all those within a 5 meter radius of the wearer.  

                SECTION 5: ASSAULT ON THAKUL'S FASTNESS

                      The Final Battle begins...

    The key to this section is the rune on the map. Make sure that the 
adventurers have a copy! The meaning of the rune is that the party 
should take the upward trail past two circling trails; beyond the 
second, the path is obscured. Near the top, there is a bridge leading 
to a secret entrance. If the party takes a wrong path, they run into 
increasingly stronger bands of goblins each day.  

    Thakul's mountain lair is seven week's travel from Kash. Use the 
ENCOUNTER table. The land of northern Belitfint is stony gray, and 
bleak. A cold wind constantly blows from the North. If encounter #1 
(wolf dog) has not yet occurred, it does on the 3rd day of the 3rd 
week. The party reaches the River Fanaibe at mid-day on the 2nd day of 
the 6th week. It is wild and clearly unfordable. After half an hour, 
an old man on a large raft poles upstream and stops by the 
adventurers.  He is Trostag.  Bitter and half-mad, he is nonetheless 
very canny: he questions the characters closely, and sees through any 
lies or evasions (Human Lore 81%). He hates Thakul for a number of 
reasons. Trostag would be pleased to hear of Thakul's death, but he 
dreads the thought of harm befalling Kamira. He demands that the party 
promise not to hurt her, or else he will not take them over. If 
seriously threatened, he teleports away with his raft. He may also, at 
your discretion, demand that each passenger tell him a story; he gets 
very bored waiting by the river. He will not discuss the movement of 
other passengers, for he believes in client confidentiality.  

    The party enters the mountains at the end of the seventh week. On 
the first two days, riding/climbing is easy, with no encounters. On 
the third a Climb (or Ride, if riding) roll must be made each day. On 
the evening of the third day, the party runs into a patrol of twenty 
goblins, marching leftward along a path that crosses the upward path. 
If anyone makes a successful Listen roll, the party may attempt to 
Hide. Otherwise, the party may chose to fight from a hilltop, or may 
move to a narrow pass that only allows 2 goblins to attack at once. 
Goblins should be generated as orcs from the RQ3 Creatures book. Once 
revealed, the party must slay all the goblins, or else Thakul will be 
warned. On the fifth day, the path seems to come to an end; it is 
crossed by a horizontal path. A large boulder sits on the opposite 
side.  The path is found to continue if anyone goes above the boulder 
and makes a Track roll, or if they continue to go straight up in any 
case; the upward path does seem to have been obscured and neglected. 
On the morning of the sixth day the party comes upon a roaring river 
that parallels the path. An hour before sundown, they come to an 
enormous abyss, 50m wide and hundreds of meters deep. The opposite 
side is a smooth cliff wall, going up hundreds of meters; it is a 
surrealistic sight, and most impressive of all is the river, which 
bursts from a hole in the opposing cliff side to arc over the abyss 
and land near the path, which ends here. Anyone rolling a Scan sees 
that there is a small (1m diameter) dark hole next to the exit hole of 
the cataract. No grapple will hold on the other side (05%).  

    If the characters put the Ice Amulet that was worn by the wolf dog 
into the waterfall, it freezes solid, forming a steep ice bridge. 
Removing it converts the cataract back to water immediately. If they 
fail to think of this after a few hours, the dog begins to whine and 
point with its snout, trying to indicate what they should do. They 
must figure this out, as it is their only option; they cannot simply 
wait. If Thakul has been warned, a patrol of 60 goblins attacks them 
the next morning; otherwise, the party has three days. Make it clear 
to the party that waiting is suicide; if they do nothing, kill them.  

    Horses cannot cross the ice bridge. Humans must make three Climb 
rolls, one at the beginning, one at the middle, and one at the end. If 
they fail, they must roll DEX x 5 or fall (if they fumble the Climb 
roll, they also fall). If they fall near either end, they may attempt 
to catch hold of the cliff wall; their chance to do so is equal to the 
average of their DEX + STR%. From the end of the ice bridge, the hole 
is easy to reach. It is too small to stand in, however; the party must 
crawl. Under the circumstances, use of torches is impossible. The 
tunnel is 100m long, with many turnings. It is damp and cold.  

    The tunnel ends in a secret door; a Devise roll must be made to 
open it. A heavy tapestry covers the door. Note the sound the party is 
making. Are they moving Silently? If not, they will alert Kamira, who 
is in her bedroom on the other side of the door. Remember, the party 
is crawling in a line; if the person wearing the ring is in the back, 
the ring will not effect more then two people in front and behind. If 
the party is silent, they may surprise Kamira asleep. If not, she 
leaves the lights off and Hides (105%) in a closet when she hears them 
coming. When all members have come out of the tunnel, she covers them 
with her Firebolt staff and warns them to surrender. There is no one 
else in her bedroom.  

Kamira

STR: 15
CON: 16
SIZ: 13
INT: 23
POW: 21
DEX: 19
APP: 26

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....0/6
Left Leg.....0/6
Abdomen......0/6
Chest........0/8
Right Arm....0/5
Left Arm.....0/5
Head.........0/6

Total Hit Points: 16
Magic Points: 21
Armor: None (0 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D4

Money: None

Skills: Dodge 91%, Listen 91%, Scan 93%, First Aid 103% 

Spells: Cast Back 90%, Damage Boosting 101%, Damage Resistance 112%, 
Fly 93%, Glow 99%, Magic Point Matrix Enchantment 107%, Mystic Vision 
105%, Neutralize Magic 90%, Regenerate 98%, Skin of Life 87%, Smother 
99%, Spell Matrix Enchantment 109%, Treat Wounds 100% 

Special spells: Firebolt (does damage as Touch Illusion, but +1 
damage) Summoning Enchantment (allows her to teleport an enchanted 
item to herself from any distance).  

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Staff, 2H........5.....89%......1D8+1D4........93%......20

    All her spells are stored as matrices in her staff, which is also 
a 20 point magic point matrix. It is enchanted to 20 hit points, and a 
Summoning enchantment has been placed upon it. The staff can cast 
Firebolts instantly, without time delay.  

    Kamira is a proud and bitter woman, but not really evil at heart.  
Deserted (so she thinks) as a baby, she believes that the world is 
against her. In retaliation, she is against the world; and so she acts 
as Thakul's advisor (but not as mistress, for a surprising reason). 
She is untrained, and uses none of the inborn gifts of her people; she 
is nonetheless a great sorceress, for she is over a thousand years old 
(and still looks young). If the party gives her the ring and shows her 
the scroll-fragment, they may convince her to allow them to pass in 
silence (she may even let them use the ring). Whether or not they 
persuade her is your decision; though you could simply require the 
party to make Oratory rolls, it's recommended that you play her part 
and let the players convince you. If they are very persuasive, she may 
accompany them when they leave the mountain. In any case, she will not 
help kill Thakul; she respects the demon as a fellow outcast from the 
world, though she dislikes torture.  

    There are several several rooms in her suite, but only one door 
opens onto a corridor. It is dimly lit by Glow spells placed along the 
(5 meter high) ceiling. To the right are stairs leading down: they go 
100m down, and then lead to goblin barracks. To the left, there are a 
large set of bronze double doors, with elaborate demon-head knockers. 
The doors are unlocked. They open onto an enormous (100m across) room. 
The entire room radiates magic. Directly opposite the doors is a large 
throne, carved in horrifying demonic style. In the center of the room 
is an enormous (70m) pentacle: in the center of the pentacle is an 
evil-looking alter. On top of the alter are the remains of a recent 
human sacrifice. There is a black door to the left of the throne.  
There are no traps or magic effects in this room (now), but those 
staying in it for more than 5 minutes must resist a POW of 18 or be 
Demoralized. This is not a spell effect, but rather a function of the 
sheer horror of that room; the effect lasts until the character leaves 
the room.  

    The black door is locked with a normal lock. Beyond it is a 
staircase leading up. At the top of the staircase is a 15m long 
corridor, leading to a large wooden door. Two goblins are standing 
sentry duty in the corridor; if Thakul has already been warned, there 
are eight exceptional (+20%) goblins.  The door is locked, and there 
is a needle with a poison of POT 16 in the center of the knob that 
stabs out when the knob is turned.  

    Past the door is a 20m long hall. There are doors in the left and 
right walls; the left leads to an amazingly educated and erudite 
library, while the right leads to what appears to be a pleasantly 
decorated music room; in the center is a strange-looking harpsichord. 
Closely examined, it proves to be constructed entirely of human bone; 
the strings are made of human hair. The manuscript is written in 
blood, and the music and script are beautiful. When played, screams 
rather then music are produced (the screams alert Thakul).  Both rooms 
are uninhabited.  

    The center door is unlocked; it leads to a torture room. Torture 
implements line the walls, and a large unoccupied crucifix is in a 
metal stand in the center of the room. There are grooves in the floor, 
to channel blood. There is a door ajar on the right. In the far wall, 
there is a large window. Staring out of it, his back to the door, is 
Thakul: a female demon!  She is wearing the golden breastplate, the 
Fire red in its center. She turns.  Thakul is human-appearing, but 
eight feet tall; her hair seems to be made of fire, as do her eyes. 
She is startlingly beautiful. If the character with the Arrow shoots 
immediately as Thakul turns (ie., he must already have it nocked), he 
may do so; otherwise, Thakul says a Word of Power. The Word snaps all 
bowstrings in hearing distance, and alerts the two K'thorr in the map 
room on the right. If Thakul is hit by the Arrow (whether from a bow 
or by hand), she dies immediately and her body melts. The Arrow 
disappears. If this happens, the party must still fight the two 
K'thorr, who try to escape.  

Thakul: Demon Female, age unknown

STR: 27
CON: 20
SIZ: 21
INT: 20
POW: 21
DEX: 20
APP: 30

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg...16/7
Left Leg....16/7
Abdomen......*/7
Chest........*/9
Right Arm...16/6
Left Arm....16/6
Head........16/7

Total Hit Points: 21
Magic Points: 20

Armor: The Guard (special; * indicates infinite AP for abdomen and 
chest, 16 points elsewhere.  

Damage Bonus: +2D6

Skills: Virtually any non-magical skill desired at 100%

Weapon_____________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP_____Special__
Bastard sword, RH...3....130%....1D10+3+2D6......87%......14.....magic: +2
Bastard sword, LH...7.....99%....1D10+5+2D6......50%......14..+4, Venom 20

    Thakul is not affected by heat, cold, or suffocation. Fire affects 
her normally. The power of the Guard protects her arms, legs, and head 
as 16 point armor; over the chest and abdomen, where it covers, its 
hit points are infinite. Criticals affect normally, but the power of 
the Fire heals the first 13 points of damage she takes instantaneously 
(including fire damage).  She fights with both swords at once, and may 
attack a third time (on SR 10) with her right hand by halving her RH 
attack. The left-hand sword is +10% to hit, +2 damage, and the right 
is +4 to hit only; in addition, it has the effect of secreting Blade 
Venom 20 at all times. Magical pluses are taken into account above. 
She tends to attack more then one person in a round, if possible, and 
does not waste time on a person who is down. The Arrow may be wielded 
as a dagger, in which case it is only +3.  

Left K'thorr

STR: 19
CON: 17
SIZ: 16
INT: 17
POW: 16
DEX: 21
APP: 14

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....2/5
Left Leg.....2/5
Abdomen......2/5
Chest........2/6
Right Arm....2/4
Left Arm.....2/4
Head.........0/5

Total Hit Points: 15
Magic Points: 17
Armor: Heavy leather, no helm (2 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D6

Money: 500sp (pouch), 400sp (boot), 3 vials blade venom 18

Skills: Dodge 78%, First Aid 59%, Intensity 91%, Duration 83%, Range 99%

Spells: Venom 80%, Damage Resistance 76%, Magic Resistance 72%, Mystic 
Vision 65%, Drain 92%, Skin of Life 43%

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Shortsword, LH....5....89%.....1D6+1+1D6.......82%......10
Target shield.....6....58%.....1D6+1D6.........88%......12


Right K'thorr

STR: 17
CON: 14
SIZ: 15
INT: 21
POW: 21
DEX: 27 (enhanced by magic)
APP: 13

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....2/5
Left Leg.....2/5
Abdomen......2/5
Chest........2/6
Right Arm....2/4
Left Arm.....2/4
Head.........0/5

Total Hit Points: 15
Magic Points: 17
Armor: (Heavy leather, no helm (2 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D6

Money: 1 copper piece, Venom 1 matrix (ring), 379sp, gold armband with 
diamond (3,000sp) 

Skills: Dodge 102%, First Aid 68%, Intensity 92%, Duration 87%, Range 82%

Spells: Cast Back 84%, Enhance DEX 81%, Form/Set Bone 97%, Hinder 77%


Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Dagger, RH........4....101%.....1D4+2+1D4......81%......10

    They are the left and right hands (metaphorically speaking) of 
Thakul, and fight from those positions. There is an additional 
11,666sp in gold, coin, and jewelry in the room, along with a magic 
bag that holds up to 30 ENC with no weight. There are 13 vials of 
Blade Venom 20 in it, and a black obsidian dagger. The dagger is non-
magical.  

    If the party loses, they are all tortured to death. Otherwise, 
they may leave the way that they came in. It is an eight-week trip to 
Thamon Vale.  Roll encounters normally. If anyone wears the Guard, he 
must immediately resist a POW attack of 25. If he fails, his spirit is 
immediately warped into a demonic nature, with no further chance of 
resistance. Removing the Guard will not change this; only Divine aid 
will restore the spirit to its former condition. The affected 
character must attempt to destroy the party by betraying it into the 
hands of the K'thorr. Inform the player of his new status secretly; he 
will be cunning enough to appear unchanged, and may decide to have 
others wear the Guard. Self-preservation will remain an important 
goal. The affected character will not register to a Detect Enemies 
spell.  

    Once in the city, the party is escorted by ten guards to the 
Court. It is very crowded. Mervan Ikul rushes up to the characters, 
and tells them that he has arranged this audience. A message, sent to 
him 3 days ago, simply told him that all plots would be revealed 
today, and that he must arrange a public audience with the King. It 
also told of the death of Thakul. It was unsigned, but he chose to act 
on it.  

    After several minutes, the King calls the adventurers foreword. 
"Let us see this Guard," he solemnly commands.  

    Before the characters can reply, old Nemo steps foreword. He seems 
strangely altered: more vibrant, more powerful. The wolf-dog runs to 
stand by his side. "Your Majesty, the Gem in this Guard is the Fire of 
Emon. It is the soul-gem of the demonic K'thorr, who were once the 
Origants, and are now the Loghuna." There is a gasp. Holding up a 
piece of parchment, he continues: "This is the Unmasking ritual, which 
will strip away their disguises!" He quickly reads a sentence in a 
strange tongue, and the Fire flares: suddenly 14 courtiers are 
revealed as K'thorr, silver-haired and red- eyed. They possess 
standard skills, as detailed in the Miscellaneous Notes section at the 
end of the module. In the ensuing battle, Nemo and Kamira (if she was 
there) disappear and are not seen in public again...  

    Afterwords, the characters are royally rewarded. The promised 
gifts are given them, plus much more. At the least, each is made a 
knight of Pozart.  Later, one evening, Noman and Kamira visit the 
characters. Telling them the truth about himself and the whole 
adventure, he thanks them for helping his people. The Unmasking ritual 
ended the power of the K'thorr to deceive, but a war against Hetek is 
likely to begin soon. Kissamarlo himself will lead the battle, for he 
had secretly escaped to Pozart on Kamira's advice (the ring she gave 
him masked him from the scrying of the K'thorr). Noman warns that the 
Guard should be carefully guarded (though it does seem a bit daft to 
guard a Guard).  

    Now Noman and Kamira will be traveling the planes for a while, 
catching up on her education; but they will be back some day, to break 
the spell on the Konae. Before Noman leaves, he gives each character a 
gift. To fighters, he gives magic weapons (+20% to hit & parry, +3 
damage, + 8 AP) of their favorite type, or +5 armor if they have magic 
weapons; to sorcerers, spell books (you choose the spells) and 18 
point power storage matrixes made of strange gray stone; for each 
thief, a set of gray boots, gauntlets, and a cloak that adds +20% to 
Climb, Dodge, Jump, Conceal, Devise, Sleight, Hide, and Sneak when 
worn together. If the character who was befriended by the dog is 
worthy, he will give him or her a puppy as exceptional as its parent.  
Shamans and priests he fits into one of these categories. Bidding them 
farewell, he and Kamira vanish.  

                          MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
         
New Race: K'thorr

Roll__________Average
STR: 3D6+3.....13-14
CON: 3D6.......10-11
SIZ: 2D6+10.......17
INT: 3D6+6.....16-17
POW: 2D6+8........15
DEX: 4D6..........14
APP: 3D6-2.....08-09

Powers:
Illusion (disguise): They are able to take on the appearance of any 
other humanoid creature. It is almost impossible to see through this 
effect (a critical Scan roll might).  

Suggestion: They can subtly warp the thoughts of human beings; this 
effect should be role-played.  

Skills: Dodge 70%+, Ride 50%+, Orate 60%+, Poison Lore 50%+, First Aid 
25%+, World Lore 40%+, Hide 60%+, Sneak%+, Sorcery skills variable, 
spells variable, one-handed weapon attack 70%+, missile weapon 90%+ 

              
New Race: Konae

Roll__________Average
STR: 3D6........10-11
CON: 3D6........10-11
SIZ: 2D6+10........17
INT: 3D6+6......16-17
POW: 2D6+10........17
DEX: 3D6+6......16-17
APP: 3D6+6......16-17

Powers:
Planar travel: All Konae may travel from one plane to another at will. 
There is a magic point cost for this equal the SIZ of the Konae. Some 
individuals can Teleport.  
Healing: Konae automatically possess the equivalent of the Spirit 
Magic Spell Healing 4.  
Telepathy: Konae are able to use full Telepathy and Empathy among 
themselves within 500 meters.  

Skills: Dodge 80%+, Swim 60%+, Orate 30%+, Sing 90%+, all Lores 70%+, 
First Aid 75%+, Play Instrument 60%+, Listen 80%+, Scan 90%+, weapon 
attack 70%+, composite bow 90%+, Sorcery skills variable, spells 
variable 

    The Powers of the Konae and K'thorr are inborn; they need not be 
learned, and do not "occupy" intelligence. There are other powers. 
Both races may learn spell (sorcery) use. Individuals often have 
higher skills than indicated bases.  

    The spirits of the Fanaibe River have a POW of 3D6+6. They attack 
any intelligent creature flying over the river by magic. They are 
present in the mountain cataract, but will not take action against 
freezing the river. 


    If the party has extremely bad luck, and is on the point of 
unjustified death, Noman may be used to save them; this should be 
accomplished in a mysterious manner, ie. just as the last party member 
is knocked unconscious by a goblin, he sees several goblins impaled by 
arrows. If it is necessary that the party see him, Noman wears a brown 
leather mask. Apart from that, he will use his natural disguise 
ability to appear taller and thinner than Nemo. Only do this if the 
party has been the victim of bad luck; Noman has other business too, 
after all.  

Noman:

STR:25 CON:25 SIZ:18 INT:28 POW:28 DEX:26 APP:23 Move:6 

    Since Noman is a hero-demigod of the X'oaan (zoe-ann, root-stock 
race of the Konae and K'thorr), he has all the racial Powers of both 
races.  It is thus impossible to recognize him unless he wishes it, 
for he can alter his appearance completely. He can also teleport at 
will. He is essentially unbeatable in most situations, but would be 
vulnerable if the K'thorr knew of his existence; he knows that they 
would summon Demonic aid.  

    His skills start at 200%+. He is a master sorcerer, and knows all 
spells.  Noman uses the sorcery spell Masking to avoid leaving his 
imprint on magic items he has created; the effect of Masking is to 
effectively reduce the power of Mystic Vision detection. He does this 
to avoid having his face revealed as the maker of the dagger and ring 
the party encounters during the module (they would be unlikely to 
recognize him as Nemo). Each point of Masking blocks one point of 
Mystic Vision for the duration of the spell. Thus an item with Masking 
5 on it would not register on Mystic vision spells of up to 5 points; 
and would register to a six-point MV spell as if it were a one-point 
MV spell. The Sevem (Ice Barbarians) are humans with +3 on SIZ, STR, 
and CON rolls.  

    Magical Plusses: A weapon that is +1 is +5% to hit and +1 to 
damage. Plus 2 is +10%/+2 damage, etc.  

    The possibilities for further adventure are endless. You may wish 
to include adventures of your own design in the module. If so, 
remember that each land has unique characteristics; these will surely 
affect events within them (ie., money is an important factor in Joulo, 
feuds dominate Belitfint, etc.). Have fun!  

                  LOCAL ENCOUNTERS FOR THE PENINSULA

    A great deal of travel is involved in this module. Using standard 
encounter tables, a 10-week trip would include 180 encounters; this is 
obviously unreasonable in this context. Only odd or unusual encounters 
need be mentioned (though it's recommended that you throw in one or 
two boring encounters to keep the players guessing). Roll a D6 for 
each week of travel: 


1,2,3 = an encounter takes place
4,5,6 = no encounter

    If an encounter takes place, roll a D20 and consult the following 
table.  If an encounter is marked with an *, it may only occur once in 
the game.  Alter minor details of repeated encounters. Determine day 
and time of day randomly.  


D20______Encounter________________
01.......Wolf Dog *
02.......Jouloan slavers
03.......Wandering conjuror
04.......Loghuna Inquisition party
05.......Ice Barbarian *
06.......Bears and wild boy *
07.......Village Wrestler
08.......Jouloan Traders
09.......Belitfint nobles
10.......Snake crossing
11.......Mute madman *
12.......Goblin raiders
13.......Burned area
14.......Hanging man
15.......Magic dagger *
16.......Dismembered dog
17.......Big frog
18.......Priest and peasants
19.......Rushing stream
20.......Hawks overhead


* 1) The party meets a wolf dog. It has silver-grey fur, green eyes, 
and seems friendly; its tail is wagging. It is wearing a gold chain 
around its' neck. Attached to the chain is what appears to be a disk 
of clear glass; it is cold to the touch, but not freezing. The dog 
does not wish to have the amulet removed; it will not fight, but will 
whimper. It will become very upset if the amulet is given away, 
howling in misery. Have the dog befriend a weaker party member; it 
will be fiercely loyal.  

    Both the dog and the amulet are magical. If detect spells are 
cast, both give off an aura of Good. The dog is actually Noman's, and 
has been sent to guard the party and give them the (Ice) amulet, which 
is vital to their mission in Section 5. Do not allow the party to dump 
the amulet casually!  
 
Dog 

STR: 18 
CON: 27 
SIZ: 13 
INT: 08 
POW: 16 
DEX: 23 
APP: 20

Location____AP/HP
RH Leg.......4/6
LH Leg.......4/6
Hind Q.......4/9
Fore Q.......4/9
RF Leg.......4/6
LH Leg.......4/6
Head.........4/7

Total Hit Points: 20
Magic Points: 16
Armor: Skin (4 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D4
Move: 10

Skills: Dodge 80%, Smell 160%, Track 160%, Hide 80%, Sneak 80%

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Bite..............5....80%.......1D6+1D4.......--.......--

2) A party of 1D4 Jouloan slavers, with slaves. They are polite and 
sophisticated, and try to sell the party some slaves; they specialize 
in children. There are 5D6 slaves manacled together. The slaves seem 
to be in good health.  

Daimlish, the Master Slaver

STR: 14
CON: 13
SIZ: 11
INT: 14
POW: 14
DEX: 11
APP: 14

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....3/4
Left Leg.....3/4
Abdomen......3/4
Chest........3/5
Right Arm....3/3
Left Arm.....3/3
Head.........8/4

Total Hit Points: 12
Magic Points: 14

Armor: Cuirboulli + leather body (4 points), Plate + leather helm (8 
points) (helm worn in time of danger only) 

Damage Bonus: none

Money: 1,205sp

Skills: Fast Talk 59%, Orate 55%, Bargain 67% 

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Whip..............9....70%........1D4....................6
Buckler, LH.......8....45%........1D6..........63%.......8


Quinn, Apprentice Slaver

STR: 15
CON: 14
SIZ: 16
INT: 13
POW: 11
DEX: 12
APP: 14

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....-/5
Left Leg.....-/5
Abdomen......-/5
Chest........-/6
Right Arm....-/4
Left Arm.....-/4
Head.........-/5

Total Hit Points: 15
Magic Points: 12
Armor: none
Damage Bonus: +1D4

Money: 1 hidden semi-precious stone in breechclout, value 2 1/2 sp

Skills: Dodge 69%, Snivel 71%, Conceal 58%

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Dinner knife......7....32%......1D4+1D4........19%.......5


3) Wandering conjuror. A sorcerer who performs at villages for a 
living. Usually only moderately competent, but if rolled a second 
time, add 40 percentiles to skills.  

The Conjuror

STR: 16
CON: 12
SIZ: 14
INT: 15
POW: 16
DEX: 16
APP: 15

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....-/5
Left Leg.....-/5
Abdomen......-/5
Chest........-/6
Right Arm....-/4
Left Arm.....-/4
Head.........-/5

Total Hit Points: 13
Magic Points: 16
Armor: none 
Damage Bonus: none

Money: 198 sp (in spare hat)

Skills: Intensity 65%, Duration 49%, Range 60%, Dodge 58%, Fast Talk 
55%, Orate 62%, Sleight 69% 

Spells: Animate Wood 45%, Treat Wounds 39%, Glow 70%, Holdfast 43%, 
Form/Set Glass 51%, Damage Resistance 47%. ENC has been subtracted for 
sorcery skills.  

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Dagger, LH........8....39%.......1D4+2.........48%.......6


4) Loghuna Inquisition party. A party of 2D6 Loghuna, policing the 
faithful. They are coldly polite and vaguely threatening to non-
Loghunians. They are usually mounted. They will not attack unless 
greatly provoked.  

Loghuna Priest (K'thorr)

STR: 16
CON: 14
SIZ: 14
INT: 16
POW: 19
DEX: 20
APP: 15

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....-/5
Left Leg.....-/5
Abdomen......-/5
Chest........-/6
Right Arm....-/4
Left Arm.....-/4
Head.........-/5

Total Hit Points: 14
Magic Points: 19
Armor: none
Damage Bonus: +1D4

Money: 180sp

Skills: Intensity 65%, Range 60%, Duration 67%, Dodge 69%, Orate 60%, 
Ride 65% 

Spells: Smother 70%, Treat Wounds 59%, Tap POW 66%, Damage Resistance 
47% 

Special Power (no MP cost): Persuade (see Miscellaneous Notes.) 
Encumbrance has been subtracted for all spells.  

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Dagger, RH........8....55%......1D4+2+1D4......58%.......6

    Generate stats of additional priests according to the description 
of the K'thorr in Miscellaneous Notes.  


* 5) Ice Barbarian. A wandering Ice Barbarian with an Ice Amulet. He 
is a poet, and is travelling to see the world. If encountered in 
Hetek, he is travelling to rescue his wife, who was captured by 
slavers. If hindered, he will fight; if slain, he Curses those who 
slay him. The Curse cannot be avoided, and has the effect of making 
the recipient feel a deep chill which cannot be negated. They recieve 
-20% on all Hide & Sneak rolls, due to their constantly chattering 
teeth.  

Crorac: Male Ice Barbarian, age 29

STR: 18
CON: 19
SIZ: 18
INT: 15
POW: 15
DEX: 18
APP: 15

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....5/7
Left Leg.....5/7
Abdomen......5/7
Chest........5/9
Right Arm....5/6
Left Arm.....5/6
Head.........5/7

Total Hit Points: 19
Magic Points: 15

Armor: Ornately decorated brass bezainted + soft leather padding (5 
points).  

Damage Bonus: +1D6
Money: 47 sp, Ice Amulet
Skills: Track 78%, Scan 77%, Listen 80%, Sing 94%, Poetry 109%, 
Dodge 69%, Play Harp 90%, Orate 90%, Butcher Seal 70%

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Bastard sword, RH....5....70%.....1D10+1+1D6......42%...12
Viking shield, LH....6....35%.......1D6+1D6.......73%...10

* 6) Bears and wild boy. The characters hear shrill screams and 
animal-like growling. Characters making a successful Animal Lore roll 
recognize the growls as those of bears. Over a small hill, the party 
sees two brown bears savaging a small and filthy child, who is 
screaming. The child is clothed in scraps of furs, and is unable to 
talk: he is wild. So far, the bears have only scratched him on the 
head and chest; if the party does nothing, the bears kill the boy in 
four melee rounds. If rescued and healed, the boy scurries to a nearby 
cave and brings out a ragged pouch; he gratefully gives shiny pebbles 
to every party member, following them around.  

Wild Boy: Human male, age 8

STR: 14
CON: 16
SIZ: 07
INT: 15
POW: 12
DEX: 18
APP: 09

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....-/5
Left Leg.....-/5
Abdomen......-/5
Chest........-/6
Right Arm....-/4
Left Arm.....-/4
Head.........-/5

Total Hit Points: 13
Magic Points: 12
Armor: none
Damage Bonus: none
Money: 17 shiny pebbles
Skills: Scan 68%, Listen 70%, Track 65%, Smell 67%, Dodge 79%

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Fist.................8....47%........1D3..................
Bite.................8....65%........1D2..................

Male Bear

STR: 30
CON: 16
SIZ: 30
INT: 05
POW: 07
DEX: 16
APP: --

Location____AP/HP
RH Leg.......3/06
LH Leg.......3/06
Hindquarters.3/10
Forequarters.3/10
RF Leg.......3/06
LF Leg.......3/06
Head.........3/08

Total Hit Points: 23
Armor: Bear skin (3 points)
Damage Bonus: 3D6


Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Bite.................8....37%......1D10+3D6.......--....--
Claw.................5....50%......1D6+3D6........--....--

Female Bear

STR: 21
CON: 12
SIZ: 28
INT: 05
POW: 10
DEX: 11
APP: --

Location____AP/HP
RH Leg.......3/06
LH Leg.......3/06
Hindquarters.3/10
Forequarters.3/10
RF Leg.......3/06
LF Leg.......3/06
Head.........3/08

Total Hit Points: 19
Armor: Bear skin (3 points)
Damage Bonus: 2D6


Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Bite.................9....35%......1D10+2D6.......--....--
Claw.................6....45%......1D6+2D6........--....--

7) Village Wrestler. As the party goes through a village, they see 
that a contest is going on, and the village wrestler is challenging 
all to test their skill.  

Garm the Mighty: Human male, age 24

STR: 19
CON: 16
SIZ: 18
INT: 08
POW: 11
DEX: 15
APP: 09

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....-/7
Left Leg.....-/7
Abdomen......3/7
Chest........3/9
Right Arm....-/6
Left Arm.....-/6
Head.........-/7

Total Hit Points: 17
Magic Points: 11
Armor: Lion skin on chest and abdomen (3 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D6
Money: 75 sp

Skills: Dodge 55%, Boast 45%, Craft Doily 55%

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Fist.................7....57%......1D3+1D6........--....--
Grapple..............7....69%......1D6+1D6........--....--

8) Jouloan Traders. A group of traders who have many good things for 
sale. They will gladly trade with the party. Notably, they have 
broadswords, shortswords, and daggers, as well as many other goods 
(rope, fine liqueurs, jewelry, etc). They also have three vials of 
Healing 3 potion for sale, at 900sp each. They will not advertise that 
last item if in Hetek.  

Vik the Trader: Human male, age 38

STR: 15
CON: 12
SIZ: 14
INT: 16
POW: 14
DEX: 12
APP: 15

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....4/5
Left Leg.....4/5
Abdomen......4/5
Chest........4/6
Right Arm....4/4
Left Arm.....4/4
Head.........4/5

Total Hit Points: 13
Magic Points: 14
Armor: Cuirboulli + soft leather (4 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D4
Money: 1,600 sp

Skills: Fast Talk 69%, Orate 51%, Bargain 71%, Dodge 47%


Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Broadsword, RH.......7....53%......1D8+1+1D4......38%...10
Heater shield........8....28%......1D6+1D4........55%...12

9) Belitfint nobles. Two Belitfint nobles have marked off a section of 
the road and are dueling. The party must go off the road to avoid 
them. They are both furious and do not want to talk to strangers. If 
the party irritates them (by pestering them about their dispute, for 
example), both turn and assault the party.  

Lord Grogan: Human male, age 28

STR: 15
CON: 13
SIZ: 14
INT: 12
POW: 13
DEX: 18
APP: 14

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....7/5
Left Leg.....7/5
Abdomen......7/5
Chest........7/6
Right Arm....7/4
Left Arm.....7/4
Head.........7/5

Total Hit Points: 14
Magic Points: 13
Armor: Scale + soft leather (7 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D4
Money: 750 sp

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Broadsword, RH.......6....80%......1D8+1+1D4......65%...10
Target, LH...........7....40%.......1D6+1D4.......77%...12

Lord Pater: Human male, age 40

STR: 18
CON: 16
SIZ: 18
INT: 14
POW: 10
DEX: 11
APP: 10

Location____AP/HP
Right Leg....9/5
Left Leg.....9/5
Abdomen......9/5
Chest........9/6
Right Arm....9/4
Left Arm.....9/4
Head.........9/5

Total Hit Points: 17
Magic Points: 10
Armor: Plate + leather (9 points)
Damage Bonus: +1D4
Money: none -- the bottom of his belt pouch appears to have been cut open

Weapon___________SR___Attack_____Damage_______Parry_____AP
Bastard sword, RH....6....87%......1D8+1+1D4......35%...10
Target, LH...........7....46%......1D6+1+1D4......87%...12

10) Snake crossing. Going single file across the road is a line of 
non-poisonous snakes. They are brown and harmless, about 1 foot long 
each. They are crawling out of the brush on the left of the road, and 
into the brush on the right. Investigation shows that they are coming 
out of a hole three meters to the right of the road and crawling into 
another three miles to the left. If their way is blocked, they go 
around. They finish crossing the road after ten minutes.  

* 11) Mute madman. The party encounters a mute madman; Noman in 
disguise.  

12) Goblin raiders. A party of 3D6 voracious goblin raiders is 
encountered. Use Runequest 3 Orc statistics (Creatures Book) to 
generate goblins.  

13) Burned area. There is a large burned patch next to the road. It is 
about 10 meters across. A few burned bones may be found in the center 
of the burned area.  

14) Hanging man. The body of a man is hanging on a tree branch next to 
the road; it is heavily decomposed, and about to drop off the rope. 
The body is unrecognizable.  

* 15) Magic dagger. The party discovers a silver fighting dagger 
thrust four inches deep into the center of the road. It is magic: 
+1/+4 against demons and K'thorr. It grows warm in the presence of 
either.  Noman has left it for the party.  

16) Dismembered dog. The party hear whimpering from bushes next to the 
road. It is a dog (a mutt) whose legs have been cut off; there is no 
sign of the legs in the area. The dog is not bleeding, and the wounds 
seem to have been made several days ago. The dog appears to be 
starving.  

17) Big frog. The party encounters a very LARGE (SIZ 3 -about 
basketball sized) green frog next to the road. It is a very handsome 
frog, and seems to be dying of thirst. The nearest stream is a mile 
back on the road. Nothing will happen if the frog is kissed. It seems 
unafraid of the party, but that may be due to exhaustion.  

18) Priest and peasants. A priest of the local pantheon and several 
peasants are hunting for healing plants: there is a wasting disease in 
their village.  

19) Rushing stream. The road is crossed by a rushing stream: the party 
must Jump or get wet crossing it. There are many large purple blossoms 
floating along in the stream.  

20) Hawks overhead. Overhead, the party sees as many hawks soaring 
above as there are party members: their flying formation resembles the 
marching order of the party. The birds are a good omen; the party will 
be at +5% on all skill rolls in their next combat. If anyone shoots at 
or otherwise attempts to harm the birds, those who do so will will be 
at -10% on all rolls next combat.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Maranci             peter@maranci.net              Woonsocket, RI
Pete's RuneQuest Page! Adventures & more: http://www.maranci.net/rq.htm
