To Danger from the Pages of DUNGEO~Adventures Magazine
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To Danger From the pages of DUNGEO~Adventures Magazine Table of Contents Grakhirt's Lair, by John Nephew ........... ...........2 The Matchmakers, by Patricia Nead Elrod. ............ .37 The norkers have been routed, but their Meddling in the affairs of love can lead to leader is still on the loose. Catch the villain some dangerous liaisons. in his own lair! Roanvater Caves, by Willie Walsh. ................... .47 Trouble at Grog's, by Grant & David Boucher. ......... .10 "I could kill two birds with one stone," Can't a halfogrefind a peace in a riverside the shaman thought, "ifonly I had some townfull of adventurers, bigots, and thieves? gullible adventurers." The Stolen Power, by Robert Kelk .......... ......... .30 The Inheritance, by Paul Culotta. .................... .56 Follow the clues tofind a missing tome, and You've just inherited a castle! And now, the unearth the secrets of an evil cult. badnews ... Credits Editor: Christopher Perkins Project Leaders: Bill Slavicsek and Thomas Reid Project Coordinator: Keith Francis Strohm Art Director: Dawn Murin Cover Art: Clyde Caldwell Interior Art: Dennis Cramer Cartography:Sample Diesel file Typesetting: Angelika Lokotz ADVANCEDDUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, DUNGEON,DUNGEON MASTBR, MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM, FORGOTTEN REALMS, GREYHAWK, and the TSR logo are registered trademarks awned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, hc. Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc. and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the hobby, toy, and comic trade in the United States and Canada by regional distributors. Distributed worldwide by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and regional distributors. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. 0 1998 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A. TSR, Inc. is a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. US., CANADA, ASIA, EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERs PACIFIC, & LATIN AMERICA Wizards of the Coast, Belgium Wizards of the Coast, Inc. P.B. 34 P.O. Box 707 2300 Turnhout Renton, WA 98057-0707 Belgium +1-800-324-6496 +32-14-44-30-44 Visit our website at www.tsr.com 11376XXX1501 were filled with rocks and set up as makeshift walls. Hunting bows Grakhirt’s Lair were brought out, old swords retrieved from attics, and hatchets, meat-cleavers, and pitchforks were sharpened for use. “Grakhi~t‘sLair” is an AD&W adventure designed for 4-8 characters The “great host” of norkers arrived 150 strong. Though great gen- of levels 1-3 (about 12 total levels). At least one strong fighter (above erals might sneer at such a small farce, it was almost three times the 1st level) should be in the party to increase survival chances in diff- number of trained warriors in the town. The battle was desperate as cult combat encounters. A balance of basic character classes (warrior, the town’s common folk valiantly fought for their homes and lives. wizard, priest, and rogue) is helpful for success. The humanoids were driven back at a terrible price; nearly 250 de- The reference to the alignment of flinds in the MONSTROUS fenders lay wounded or dead--a great loss far a population of little MANUAL’”tome has been altered. The flinds encountered in this ad- more than 1,000 people. No one in the town avoided loss of family, venture are chaotic evil, as are their gnoll cousins. friends, or property. But Nolivari had weathered the attack. According to local trappers and rangers, there should be no more than 50 norkers alive within 30 Adventure Background- miles. What perplexes everyone is how the norkers, chaotic by na- In its scant fifteen years of existence, the tom of Nolivari has had ture, could have been organized for battle on such a scale. many hardships and trials, but it has always managed to pull The druidess Aldrelle, who reappeared after the battle, had some through. It had to be carved out of a wilderness untamed by human- new information. There have been rumors among other humanoid ity for a thousand years (or so says the Book of Dalayle, a local chroni- tribes that the norkers had a powerfd leader named Grakhirt. Little cle), struggle for independence from the western city-state of is known about him except the unquestioning loyalty the norkers Ivinvylliw, and mourn the loss of its leader. Even so, Nolivari has gave him; no other beings have even seen him. Before the battle, the been prosperous, growing on the abundance of raw materials on the norkers were organized at the lair of the tribe whose chieftain is edge of the wilderness. named Hragtam; perhaps this Grakhirt resides there. The ambition Recently, the town suffered rrpeated raids of norkers from the and charisma of this person are apparent. If he could discipline the foothills of a great mountain range to the south. The raids continued disorganized norkers, what could be done with the lawfully-aligned over a period of eight weeks, at which point the druidess Aldrelle humanoid races such as the goblins and hobgoblins? To prevent fu- came from her hermitage to warn the prince of a great host of the hu- ture invasions of Nolivari, Grakhirt must be eliminated. manoids coming to surprise and burn the town. Prince Corin assem- This much the characters have learned since they arrived in town, bled his small group of men-at-arms and militia and fortified the one day after the great battle. Prince Corin has posted amounce- town as best he could, using all materials available. Empty crates ments asking for adventurers willing to capture or slay Grakhirt. A reward of 250 gp is offered to each member of such a party-not a great sum, but Nolivari is not a very rich town (especially now). Prince Corin warns that Hragtam was not killed in the battle, and Samplethere file are likely to be a fair number of norkers alive in the lair. For the Dungeon Master The following information may be uncovered by player characters once they reach Grakhirt’s chambers in this adventure, or by using charm person, ESP, or similar questioning upon Grakhirt, if captured. Certain other @Is, such a8 legend lore and commune, might provide fragmentary information that eventually produces the whole story Half a century ago, a stranger came to the city of Ivinvylliw. He was the illusiouist Arham, exiled from his native city in the far south. Powerful, cunning, and cruel, the wicked illusionist became associ- ated with the city’s notorious Assassins’ Guild. Though unable to gain an official position in the guild hierarchy because of his class, and unable to become an assassin due to physi- cal weakness, Arham achieved influence through deceit, threats, manipulation, and magic, and he prospered in his evil ways. Any man who apposed his plans, regardless of rank, would more often than not be found stabbed, poisoned, or inexplicably dead-with an expression of supernatural terror on his face. Sn time, even the Guildmaster dared not oppose Arham for fear of arcane or mun- dane retaliation, especially after the illusionist married the Guild- master’s daughter and she gave birth to a son. The child was named Grakhirt. Arham had his son trained in the skills of stealth and murder, and by himself in illusion. Grakhirt was intended to assume his father’s power and influence, perhaps even with an official position-as Guildmaster-but this scheme never had the chance to be carried through. When the old Guildmaster died, the new one brought great enmity toward the illusionist and his ofispring. After several failed 2 murder attempts and the loss of some of the Guild‘s most talented as- 4, spear +2, warhammer +2, boots of speed, numerous potions and sassins, Arham was slain while studying his spells. scrolls. Little thought was given to the 19-year-old son of Arham as the Spells (8/7/5/3/2/2): lst-animalfriendskip, cure light wounds, Ivirwylliw Assassins’ Guild licked its wounds; indeed, the dual- detect mil, detect poison, detect snares &pits, entangle, invisibility to ani- classed thief/illusionist was not seen in Ivirwylliw after the slaying of mals, shillelagh: 2nd--augu y, goodberry, messenger, obscurement, speak his father. The few who noted his absence assumed that he had fled with animals, trip, warp mood; 3rd-call lightning, hold animal, plant forever, and Arham’s missing journals and spellbooks were thought growth, summon insects, tree; 4thiall woodland beings, plant door, speak to have been taken by opportunistic thieves. with plants; 5th--commune with nature, pass plnnt; 6th-wall githorns, In truth, young Grakhirt had fled southeast to one of his father’s weather summoning. wilderness sanctuaries, a small group of caves near Nolivari that Aldrelle is a powerful figure in the locale, but a solitary one. She served as the lair of a tribe of norkers. Grakhirt withdrew here to lives to the southwest, in a hermitage deep in the forest, with three meditate for a time and familiarize himself with his deceased father’s Initiates of the First Circle (3rd-level druids) named Aldren, Vellic, abode, books, and magical devices ... and to plot vengeance. and Marar. Little is known about her motives, and she only comes Grakhirt dreamed of raising an army of humanoids who would out in public to warn of great danger. In reality, she is not very con- follow him in conquest across the lands. He would honor his father cerned with the problems of other humans, but she prefers not to by being even greater and more terrible than had been planned.