The Assassin's Run

Sample file Advanced

Official Game Adventure

The Bloodstone Wars by and

Table of Contents

Introduction 2 Maps The Assassin's Run: Overhead View Inside Front Cover Prologue 5 The Assassin's Run: Cutaway View Inside Back Cover Bloodstone Pass Outer Gatefold Chapter 1: The Baron's Treasure 6 The Town of Bloodstone Inner Gatefold Chapter 2: Return of the Assassins 10 The Kingdoms of Damara and Vails Fold-Out Map Chapter 3: Battles of Bloodstone 17 The Mines of Bloodstone 7 Chapter 4: The Assassin's Run 22 Battle Flowchart 15 ™ Scenario 1 17 Epilogue 28 BATTLESYSTEM™ Scenario 2 18 BATTLESYSTEM™ Scenario 3 19 Appendix: Dramatis Personae 28 BATTLESYSTEM™ Scenario 4 20 Appendix: Pregenerated Player Characters 30 BATTLESYSTEM™ Scenario 5 21

CREDITS 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 toy and hobby Editing: Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Cover Art: Ltd. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, BATTLESYSTEM, Cartography: David C. Sutherland III , , PRODUCTS OF YOUR Typography: Betty Elmore IMAGINATION, and the TSR logo are trademarks of TSR Inc. Keyline: Stephanie Tabat This adventure is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of Amer- ica. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork con- tained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR Inc. e1987 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TSR Inc. TSR UK Ltd POB 756 The Mill, Rathmore Road Lake Geneva, Cambridge SB1 4AD WI 53147 United Kingdom

TSR, Inc. PRODUCTS OF YOUH IMAGINATION "

Printed in U.S.A. 0-88038-398-4 9200 Sample file INTRODUCTION

involving Orcus, Prince of the Undead. ference. Wherever possible, we have pro- Notes for the In the process, they have managed to reo- vided options that use the newer rules pen the bloodstone mines, from which and systems in the ever-expanding the Pass took its name, thus providing the AD&D® game system, but those of you The four-module BLOODSTONE PASS Barony of Bloodstone with a continuing who use exclusively "core" rules or home- campaign series (of which this is part three) stream of revenue that will lift its people made variants should have little difficul- explores what is, for the authors, one of the out of the mire of poverty. The characters ty. The authors will be pleased to answer most interesting aspects of the AD&D® now have the opportunity to build questions when accompanied by a self- game: becoming a ruler. defenses, develop economic infrastruc- addressed, stamped envelope, mailed to Although Guide ture, and build an army to withstand the us using the address on the back cover. (DMG) provides that a character of suffic- threats that are building elsewhere in the The primary authors would like to give ient level can build a castle, hire an army, realms of Damara and Vaasa. special thanks to Ed "" Green- and set himself (or herself) up as a proper In H3, The Bloodstone Wars, the wood, sage of the Forgotten Realms, for medieval ruler, the rules given therein are player characters must face a new chal- allowing us to adapt his adventure setting, not sufficient to allow ruling and role- lenge of rulership—military leadership The Assassin's Run, from DRAGON® playing to go together. Instead, high- in the face of superior enemy forces. A Magazine #64, as part of the lair of the level characters who become rulers are combination of role-playing challenges Grandfather of Assassins. He reminds us normally considered to be "retired" from and BATTLESYSTEM™ game miniatures that the primary Assassin's Run is located in adventuring. Perhaps from time to time scenarios (with optional resolution for the great city of , many hun- these old warhorses in your campaign get those who aren't into miniatures - dreds of leagues to the west of Vaasa and trotted out for a particularly tough chal- gaming) deals with the storm clouds of Damara. Of course, more than one Assas- lenge, leaving their seneschals behind to war that even now are forming over the sin's Guild exists in the various countries of administer their dominions for a while. baronies and dukedoms of southern the Forgotten Realms, and a good set of But mostly the campaign moves on to Damara. These conflicts inevitably lead architectural blueprints, we felt, was likely younger, newer characters. to war with the mysterious Witch-King of to have made the rounds. More often, players avoid the burdens of Vaasa, and his chief ally, the Grandfather We should also point out that the rulership, preferring to maintain their of Assassins, in his mountain fortress BLOODSTONE PASS saga takes place in high-level characters as free-lance adventur- deep in the Galena Mountains. the FORGOTTEN REALMS'" ers, ready to move on to the next dungeon, Pregenerated characters from HI and Game Setting, new from TSR, Inc. A cer- carrying their treasure in their backpacks, or H2 are provided for your use (increased in tain amount of retrofitting was needed to in the saddlebags of their mount, or in a level, of course) if the players do not have integrate this series into our new official convenient magical chest that avoids the characters of sufficient level to handle the game world, and our thanks go to Jeff issue of encumbrance altogether. challenges provided here. Although Grubb, chief translator and scribe, and to It's been our feeling that there is a these characters were used by us to bal- the aforementioned Mr. Greenwood, whole lot more that can be done with ance the adventure, an experienced whose many years of research, develop- characters who become rulers. The Dungeon Master should have no problem ment, and late-night sessions with BLOODSTONE PASS saga is our attempt in making any characters of appropriate Elminster led to the creation of this won- to show that high-level AD&D® game level work in this adventure. All the char- derfully complex and detailed world. play can be qualitatively, as well as quan- acters have been designed with appropri- High-level modules are inherently open- titatively, different from low- and ate proficiencies, using the latest rules ended, because of the vast range of options medium-level play—and just as exciting. from (UA), Dun- available to powerful characters. It takes In the first two parts of the series, Hi, geoneer's Survival Guide (DSG), and skill and a firm hand to run such adventures Bloodstone Pass, and H2, The Mines of Wilderness Survival Guide (WSG). If successfully, and to handle the unforseen in Bloodstone, the PCs have defeated a ban- you are not using these newer rules, the context of the evolving campaign. dit army and learned of a secret plot ignoring them will not make a major dif- Good luck, and good adventuring! Sample file The Witch-King and his secret ally, the Poverty settled in the valley, and Blood- What Has Gone Grandfather of Assassins (whose mysteri- stone ceased to communicate with the Before... ous mountain citadel is reputed to be outside world. somewhere in the Galena Mountains), Within months of the death of King Players whose characters adventured in moved quickly to consolidate his victory. Virdin at the Ford of Goliad, the Grand- Hi and H2 should be familiar with the In a single night, the most loyal and pow- father of Assassins reached out to orga- background information that is summa- erful nobles of Damara were slain by nize the bandits and creatures of the rized here. Players who are new to the sword and by poison, leaving only the Galenas into an army in league with BLOODSTONE PASS campaign need to craven, the incompetent, and the disloyal Vaasa. They demanded tribute from be given the general background; it may to sue for peace. Bloodstone in the form of gold, food, not hurt to refresh the memory of the The Witch-King took the rich north- and finally slaves. other playersertai. nC "deep back- ern provinces for his own, then granted a Baron Tranth, fifth Baron of Blood- ground" information (about the plot of thin independence to the southern lords stone, realized he needed powerful help. Orcus, in particular) is given for the use of ...as long as they paid tribute and But where to turn? There was no treasure the Dungeon Master only; the players acknowledged the Witch- King's power. with which to buy a mercenary army. He will find out the truth soon enough... This was a shrewd political move, for each could only beg. So he sent two young vil- petty noble conspired against the others lagers, Garlen and Garvin, to seek the aid For generations, the cold northern for scraps of power and wealth, throwing of powerful adventurers. wastes of Vaasa supported a scant popula- the entire south into chaos. A steady In Hi, Bloodstone Pass, Garlen and tion of hunters, trappers, and poor stream of refugees moved into the south, Garvin approached a party of brave and farmers. These hardy souls scrabbled a searching for an ever-elusive safety and powerful adventurers. Although they meagre living from the stony soil, and peace. could offer a fee of only five silver pieces barely endured the long, dark winters. per day, the adventurers agreed to help. But that was before the coming of the Hardship and poverty were no stran- Operating under a cloak of secrecy and Witch-King, Zhengyi, who formed the gers to the Barony of Bloodstone, situ- aided by powerful magic, the village pre- Kingdom of Vaasa and built an evil castle ated in a narrow pass that was once the pared for battle. A series of skirmishes atop a lonely crag, from which his sinister major trade route through the Galena helped whittle down the size of the ban- shadow crept across the land. Some said Mountains to the north and west, includ- dit army in preparation for the last battle, that Zhengyi had enlisted the aid of pow- ing Zhentil Keep and the Moonsea. Once but the cost was high. In a night of hor- erful demons, or was a demon himself, a prosperous province of Damara, the ror, a priest of Orcus conjured the dead of and something of this must have been verdant valley of the Bloodstone Pass was the Bloodstone graveyard to life, and true, for the Kingdom of Vaasa soon home to humans, dwarves, centaurs, and corpses shambled the streets. But that raised an army of human, nonhuman, . In addition to good farmland evil, too, was defeated, and finally the and undead warriors— far more that the and the income from maintaining a lead- power of the Grandfather of Assassins poor northern lands could possibly sup- ing trade route, the famous mines were was broken. port. And with this army, Vaasa became a one of the leading sources of the deep- The beautiful daughter and heiress of power to be reckoned with in the Forgot- green chalcedony flecked with red jasper, Baron Tranth, Lady Christine, fell in love ten Realms. known as bloodstones. with one of the adventurers, a brave In the year 1137, the Witch-King But at approximately the same time as fighter, and planned a marriage. It invaded the peaceful kingdom of the Witch-King's ascent to power in seemed that with powerful patrons, the Damara, to the south, striking without Vaasa, a series of disasters befell the Bar- Barony of Bloodstone might once again warning. In spite of the surprise of the ony of Bloodstone. have a bright future. initial attack, the Damarans were no First was the loss of the mines. Human In H2, The Mines of Bloodstone, an ear- pushovers; the war lasted for ten long, and dwarven workers, toiling deep ly winter settled in, and the villagers began bloody years. In the summer of 1147, beneath the earth, awakened a nameless to fear a repeat of the Wolf Winter. The King Virdin of Damara faced the Witch- evil, and death stalked the mines. In a military successes of the past few months King's cohorts at the Ford of Goliad in single night, the major source of wealth have not solved all the problems of Blood- what would be the final engagement of vanished. Next came the dread Wolf stone, and the adventurers are once again the long war. Some say it was the treach- Winter of 1137, when a poor harvest fol- called into action. But as they begin to ery of the King's chief lieutenant, Felix lowed by a long and terrible winter investigate the food situation, and come to (who was rumored to be a secret member caused mass starvation, and dire wolves grips with the problem of the dire wolves, a of the Guild of Assassins, in league with from the Galenas preyed on whatever new night of horror descends on the village. the enemy), who betrayed the young they could find. And then the armies of At a home near the Abbey of St. Sollers, a king to hiSamples death, and his army into utter the Witch-King closed the northern pass peasan t familfiley has been foully massacred defeat. out of the Galenas, and trade ceased. by worgs, and there is evidence of a vam- pire's participation in the atrocity. And, cury, and was instantly transformed into a do. The King realized that destiny had painted on the wall in the blood of the vic- figure of transcendent horror—an avatar given him an opportunity to restore his tims, is a goat's head—the sigil of Orcus, of Orcus, Prince of the Undead. The spir- throne, and suggested that the Prince of the Undead. it of Orcus ravaged the city of the svirfneblin military attack while the All signs in the investigation lead to svirfneblin, driving them from their adventurers penetrated the Temple of the long-closed bloodstone mines, and it homes and destroying their civilization, Orcus to destroy the evil at its center. is there the heroes go. The abandoned then stalked the mineshafts and brought Passing through the eight Tests of mine shafts are redolent with evil, and at death to all who lived there. Then it dissi- Orcus, the adventurers finally discovered the bottom, demons and succubi await pated, leaving the strange pool of mercu- the Pool of Orcus in the Dark Sanctuary new victims eagerly. ry gleaming with an evil blue light. at the very heart of the temple, and there On defeating the demons, the heroes The duergar were quick to exploit the managed to disrupt a ceremony of sum- rescued two svirfneblin gnomes, who destruction of the svirfneblin, and took moning at the last instant...before Orcus reveal the existence of a huge cavern city the city for their own. Clerics of the penetrated the Prime Material Plane! of duergar beneath the mines. Once the duergar found the glowing pool, and With the rupture of the ceremony, city was occupied by the svirfneblin, and learned its deadly secret: it was a gate to Orcus retreated into the Abyss, and the the duergar led mean and squalid lives the lower planes of the Abyss, and duergar were routed from the city. The outside the cavern network. Over many through it Orcus might one day enter the grateful King Ruggedo swore a treaty of years, the duergar preyed on the Prime Material Plane and claim it for his eternal friendship, and the mines of svirfneblin, but never achieved military own. The duergar built a huge Temple of Bloodstone were restored. success. Until one night, a duergar crept Orcus , with the pool of mercury at its And it was thus that Baron Tranth into the svirfneblin realm to steal food center. Guards, wards, and fiendish traps offered the hand of his daughter, Lady and perhaps murder a few gnomes. were built to keep anyone from penetrat- Christine, in marriage, and on the first Sneaking through an infrequently used ing its secrets. The svirfneblin, shattered day of spring, a great wedding was held. tunnel, he found an open mine shaft. remnants of their former glory, lurked in And as a dowry, Baron Tranth gave the Curious, he crawled inside, and found small caves outside the city, hoping one barony itself to his new son-in-law, retir- there a pool of mercury, glistening coldly. day to return. ing to become an adviser to the realm. He felt a calling from it, a sense of Escaping through the duergar city and Yet the dark cloud of Vaasa still hangs implacable evil that thrilled him. He into the catacombs outside, the adven- over all the provinces of Damara, and it is stretched out his hand, touched the mer- turers located the Gnome King, Rugge- clear that this battle has not yet ended...

Sample file PROLOGUE

Set-Up #1: On the Road Again...

Use this section if you have not played command and heroism. That should be they must go into the Galena Mountains. the earlier modules in this series. enough to get most adventuring parties Module HI has a route map and some In order to set up the adventure for on the right track. Be creative—most encounters; alternatively, REF3, The new characters, you must arange for them groups are just looking for an excuse to go Book of Lairs, and REF4, The Book of to visit the ex-Kingdom of Damara. Sum- adventuring. Loirs II, contain many short adventures marize the history of the Vaasan War and If you are starting a new campaign with that can be placed along the route. No Damara's defeat, emphasizing the chaos this adventure, your players can either map is necessary. in the southern provinces. The roads are create their own 17th-level characters, or Once in the village, the PCs can stay at choked with refugees, giving you lots of use the pregenerated characters provided the Inn of the Clowns, and Stephan the opportunities to have a refugee tell the in the appendix. The characters would Innkeeper (always on the lookout for PCs about events in the region. Plant a naturally know the history of the war, if brave adventurers to join the forces of rumor or two about the amazing blood- not necessarily that of Bloodstone Pass, Bloodstone) can tell them about recent stone mines in the Galena Mountains, and might even be refugees. Arrange to events in Bloodstone and introduce them and suggest that great wealth might be introduce the characters to one another, to the Baron. They will be hired as cara- obtained there. Or have them learn then off you go! van leaders, and go directly to Chapter about Bloodstone Pass and realize that To get characters from the southern One. there might be opportunities for military provinces of Damara to Bloodstone Pass,

Set-Up #2: Bloodstone Redux

If you are continuing the campaign On the other hand, if Orcus never And on the first day of spring, a lovely begun in HI and H2, use this set-up. entered the Prime Material, or was and sunny day, the wedding of Lady If the PCs did not manage to keep defeated by the PCs, the duergar were Christine to a PC took place, following Orcus from entering the Prime Material defeated and the svirfneblin reinstated as which came the Baron's surprise Plane, or were not able to defeat him if he the lawful rulers of that section of the announcement that he was stepping did, they must somehow defeat his Prime , as provided in the previous down in favor of his son-in- law. Official Material presence in order to continue the section. The PCs returned to Bloodstone titles were provided to all the PCs—Court saga. Of course, destroying Orcus' Prime to cheering crowds, and the Baron Wizard, Master of the Hunt, Bard Laure- Material presence does not defeat the true offered to his daughter's hand in mar- ate (don't let anyone feel left out). Orcus in the Abyss, but it does slow him riage to the PC fighter with the highest About six months have passed since down a little... Once Orcus emerges, the charisma (subject to the player's consent the end of H2; enough time for characters duergar in the mines form an army, and and proper attitude). who earned enough experience points to begin invading the surface world. Orcus With Orcus defeated, the terrible win- train for level advancement. The mines remains in the caverns below, directing ter seemed to subside, and although a are back in full swing, and a steadily- the forces from his temple. Don't give certain amount of rationing was necessary increasing supply of bloodstones is build- the PCs any breaks—Orcus is one of the to make the meagre food stocks last, the ing up. Role-play everyday life in worst opponents any party can possibly villagers survived the winter. The threat Bloodstone Pass until you feel ennui is face. If they succeed, the duergar are of the dire wolves subsided, and hunters setting in, then move quickly into Chap- routed and the situation begins as laid were able to bring fresh meat to the peo- ter One. out in Chapter One. If not, then the pie. adventurSamplee is over before it starts. file