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Home , Alias (Forgotten Realms), Azure Bonds, Curse of the Azure Bonds, Jeff Grubb, Kate Novak, Kim Mohan

OFFICIAL GAME ADVENTURE Curse of the

CREDITS TABLE OF CONTENTS

Writing: and George MacDonald Introduction ...... 2 With the appreciated aid of: (Chapter 11) Chapter 1: The Awakening ...... 7 (Appendices 1 and 2) Chapter 2: Tilverton ...... 11 (Appendix 1) Jim Lowder (Appendix 1) Chapter 3: The Thieves ...... 17 Editing: Cover Art: Chapter 4: The Sewers ...... 21 Interior Art: Dennis Beauvais Chapter 5: The Fire Knives ...... 25 Cartography: Diesel Typography: Angelika Lokotz Chapter 6: Into the Realms ...... 34 Keylining: Cory Graham Chapter 7: Yulash ...... 39 Distributed to the book trade in the by Random House Inc., and in Canada by Random Chapter 8:Sample The Temple of fileMoander ...... 47 House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Chapter 9: Zhentil Keep ...... 51 Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, , Chapter 10: The Temple of Bane PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION, and the TSR and the Tower of Fzoul ...... 56 logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. These adventures are protected under the copyright Chapter 11: The Village of Hap ...... 63 laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork printed Chapter 12: Haptooth Hill ...... 67 herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. Chapter 13: Myth Drannor ...... 71 ©1989 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Chapter 14: Tyranthraxus! ...... 77 Appendix I ...... 80 TSR, Inc. TSR UK Ltd. Major NPCs, magic items, POB 756 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton Lake Geneva Cambridge CB1 3LB and new monsters WI 53147 U.S.A. United Kingdom Appendix II ...... 92 Wilderness encounter tables and players’ maps

TSR, Inc. PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION™

Printed in the U.S.A.

ISBN 0-88038-606-1

9239XXX1501 has a stranger REALMS module, Ruins of Adventure, ture, but he should not expect that the history than most adventures created as well as itsSample companion product, file Pool of same tactics that saved his characters in for the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & Radiance, the first AD&D® computer one situation will prove equally effective DRAGONS® role-playing game. The game from SSI. Some of the places and in the other. This is provided only as a adventure book you hold in your hands personalities from Ruins of Adventure warning: both games are branches from is based on the novel Azure Bonds, by and reappear in this the same tree, similar but not exact. Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb, and set in product, and in some senses Curse is a the sprawling FORGOTTEN REALMS™ continuation of Ruins— but it is not nec- . This adventure is also essary to have played the earlier module Background tied directly to the Curse of the Azure before beginning to enjoy this one. Azure Bonds (the novel) is the story of Bonds Computer Game, produced by Likewise, playing the Curse of the , a warrior woman who awoke one , Inc., under Azure Bonds computer game (or reading morning with a strange set of mystic tat- license with TSR, Inc. the novel) is not necessary before play- toos branded on her arm and a large The result is the first “triple-play” sto- ing this adventure, though your enjoy- lapse in her memory. She quickly dis- ry in TSR’s history—a novel forming the ment may be enhanced by picking up the covered that the tattoos were magical in basis for a role-playing adventure computer game and/or the novel. By the nature and very dangerous. They (something we have gotten very good at same token, the computer game and this caused her to perform actions against over the years) and a computer adven- adventure are not duplicate products her will (for example, she attacked a ture game. The computer game and the designed for different mediums. While young noble named Giogi Wyvernspur, role-playing adventure are closely tied the gaming products follow the same plot who had the misfortune to be doing a but do not mimic one another—each for the adventurers, they are very differ- very good imitation of King Azoun of has been designed for maximum enjoy- ent in the nature of monsters and Cormyr). Her tattoolike brand was made ment in its element. encounters, as well as portrayal of the up of a number of smaller symbols, and We have done the computer-RPG tie- maps. A player of the computer game will what those symbols stood for indicated in before, of course; many of you are get the feeling of his computerized that an evil alliance of some sort was familiar with the earlier FORGOTTEN adventure through playing this adven- responsible for her condition.

2 Ordinary magical methods proved ance that created Alias’s bonds. The the pumpkins, Tyranthraxus’s plan has useless for removing the brands, so Ali- great magic-wielders of the group— come to full ripeness. The Curse of the as set out to discover who was responsi- Zrie, Cassana, and Phalse—were Azure Bonds has returned. ble for her curse. She was joined in her apparently dead. A few followers of quest by three allies: Dragonbait, a Moander and a smattering of Fire mute creature similar to a lizard man; Knives fled Westgate for safer havens to Running This Akabar, a merchant from the South with the north. These fleeing minions were of Adventure moderate magical abilities; and Olive low level, but carried the tales of the Ruskettle, a who claimed to be a Azure Bonds and their use in controlling This adventure is designed for a party of bard but seemed to be much more along others. These survivors encountered 4-8 characters, each of 6th-9th level. It is the lines of a thief. agents of Tyranthraxus, and a new plot assumed in this module that the heroes The adventurers passed through began to form in the daemon’s mind. have previously gone through the many perils (as is the lot of adventurers), Gathering new allies in the form of the adventures detailed in Ruins of Adven- including a battle with a crystalline ele- Zhentarim and a renegade Red Wizard ture, but this is not necessary for enjoy- mental, a confrontation with a beast of Thay, Tyranthraxus formulated ment of play. called a kalmari, a duel of honor with a another plan for gaining power in the The adventure may start in one of two dotty old red dragon, and the freeing of Realms. ways, at the DM’s discretion or as dic- an elder god, Moander. Moander was As with the original alliance, each tated by circumstances. The first meth- one of the individuals responsible for member of the New Alliance of the od is to move the characters directly to Alias’s curse, and with his defeat, his Bonds has its own agenda for the use of Chapter 2. The heroes awaken in their symbol faded from her arm. controlled characters. The Fire Knives quarters in Tilverton with a lapse of a Alias and her companions were cap- are still seeking the death of the King of month in their memories, and with tured by the evil alliance, and the Cormyr. The followers of Moander (now strange blue tattoos branded on their secrets of the brand and of her own ori- called the Survivors of Moander) are forearms. The heroes must discover gin were revealed. The alliance respon- seeking a reinstatement of their god. what has happened to them during the sible for her condition consisted of the Zhentil Keep is looking for a way to turn lost time. followers of Moander (now broken in good characters to evil acts, and sees Alternately, the DM can run through power following the defeat of their god’s this bonding as a test case for that the events of Chapter 1, ending with the physical form on this plane), a thieves’ experiment. The renegade Red Wizard ambush encounter in which the heroes guild called the Fire Knives (which holds of Thay wishes to enlist the aid he needs are captured. This method works best a grudge against the King of Cormyr), an to create another Flight of Dragons, sim- when playing the adventure in connec- evil female mage named Cassana, a lich ilar to the one that ravaged the North a tion with a long-standing campaign. It named Zrie Prakis, and a powerful entity few years ago. has the disadvantage that player char- from the Lower Planes named Phalse. And TyranthraxusSample sees the file new bond- acters, being a wise and crafty group, A second attempt to slay Dragonbait ing process as a way that he can create may elude multiple attempts to defeat and bind Alias to her masters resulted in multiple, living Pools of Radiance, allow- and subdue them. If the player charac- the destruction of Zrie Prakis and Cas- ing him to possess several individuals at ters prove to be too effective at eluding sana and the breaking of the power of once and control them for his own ends. the ambushes, the DM should feel free the Fire Knives. Alias and her compan- His rise in power thereafter will be expo- to simply place the heroes at Tilverton, ions tracked Phalse down to his extradi- nential as his influence spreads, creat- and let them try to account for the miss- mensional lair and destroyed him with ing his own army of minions whose ing time. the aid of the Sage and the souls belong to him. Nameless Bard. The adventurers, worn But Tyranthraxus is also afraid. In the and bloody but triumphant, returned to Dalelands exist magical items which The Azure Bonds the Realms and their own lives. were forged long ago to bring about his The player characters will be branded Those events took place during Mirtul initial defeat. He chose his allies with an by the markings of those who seek to and Kythorn (May and June), four eye toward the fact that they are control their actions. These brands months ago. At about the same time, a rumored to have these items, and seeks appear as bright blue tattoos, usually group of adventurers in Phlan, far north to have his agents (the player charac- inscribed along the sword arm of the in the Moonsea, discovered the Pool of ters) bring these items to him in his lair in individual being controlled. The magical Radiance and its malefic protector, the Myth Drannor, so that he may destroy arts of creating a living vessel to control, daemon Tyranthraxus. The daemon them. Then nothing will stop him from and of hiding the brands, are lost to this was defeated but not destroyed, his his domination of the Realms. New Alliance of the Bonds. Tyran- threat to the North averted but not It is now the month of Marpenoth, also thraxus wants the player characters to entirely eliminated. Tyranthraxus called Leafall, which corresponds with know who is responsible for their brand- retreated and began to spin his plots October in our calendar. The trees of the ing, as that will lead them first to his anew. Dalelands are just beginning to turn a allies (and their hidden magic) and sub- There were few survivors of the alli- rainbow of colors. Like the wheat and sequently to him.

3 The tattoos—each character wears all sus spells, or be overtaken by a five of the mysterious images—are the berserker rage and a desire to slay symbols of the various factions involved the spell caster. This rage will per- in the curse, all placed against a darker mit the character to snap normal blue background of lines that appears to bonds, and will last for 2-8 rounds. be a mixture of thorning plants and This effect does not occur if the waves. Each of the symbols seems to be spell caster is the target of his or made up of smaller, identical symbols. her own magic. That is, the symbol of the Zhentarim is Dispel magic and remove curse will actually made up of a collage of smaller never have any effect on the brands, Zhentarim symbols, each of which has except to bring about the results men- been reduced to a speck the size of a tioned above. A limited wish spell (if suc- pencil point. cessfully cast without the death of the The brands reflect light in the same magic-user) will remove one of the way that stained glass does, and they marks from one individual. A full wish give off a dull blue illumination of their spell will remove up to three of the own, though this is noticeable only in marks. Short of these actions, the Azure total darkness. In normal daylight, a Bonds will prove extremely difficult to brand may be mistaken for a “normal” delete. Attempting to cut off the arm and tattoo, though one of extreme size and regenerating it through magic will result complexity. in the brands merely reappearing on the The Azure Bonds are magical and new limb. dangerous. They represent a link The Azure Bonds have been created between the characters and the New by a group of individuals we refer to as Alliance of the Bonds. If any divination the New Alliance of the Bonds (their spells are cast upon a bond, it will radi- predecessors from the novel carried no ate a strong blue illumination, shooting such high names, and were more cha- bright rays into the air (treat as a light otic in nature). Each group belonging to spell, in particular if anyone is looking this alliance has its own reason for and directly at it). In addition, it will function its own methods of branding the charac- as a symbol of pain to the individual the ters. The Azure Bonds will force the divination-type spell is cast upon. This characters, to perform actions they “light show” and resulting effect is a would otherwise not perform. The gen- physical repulsionSample of those spellsfile by the eral goals of the members of the New bonds. Divination spells will reveal noth- Alliance are: ing about the bonds or the Alliance. * The Fire Knives seek the death of Attempts to remove the bonds King Azoun IV of Cormyr. Player through magical or clerical means will characters, because they have be resisted by the magics in the bonds. been branded with the Fire Knives The bonds are 100 percent resistant to symbol, must make a saving throw spells directed against them specifically versus spells whenever they hear (as opposed to spells that are directed the sound of Azoun’s voice. Failure against the individual who has been to save means that they will attack branded). Further, the bonds have their the source of the sound until it is own protections against being removed: destroyed, the character is dis- * A windstorm will start up in the area abled or killed, or the encounter is occupied by the spell caster when ended in some other fashion. removal of a brand is attempted, * The Survivors of Moander wish to whether from the arm of the spell bring their lord, also known as The caster or another character. Loose Jawed God, back onto this plane, objects will be cast about, and from where he has been banished there is a 60 percent chance an since the death of his mortal form. object will hit the caster, certainly They want the characters to reach breaking the spell and possibly Moander’s temple beneath Yulash, (DM’s judgment) harming the cast- where they will be slain and their er. deaths used to open the “worm- * The character who has been brand- hole” to Moander’s plane. ed must make a saving throw ver- * The Zhentarim see the characters

4 Sample file

as a test project, part of an experi- Dragon Reach area, he will be The effects of the compulsions ment to determine the success of redeemed in the eyes of his fellows implanted by the various members of forcing good and neutral heroes to and allowed to return to Thay. A few the New Alliance are similar to those of a perform evil acts. If this experiment years ago, a Flight of Dragons from quest or geas spell. Ignoring the long- works, the Black Network may cap- the North ravaged the Dragon term compulsions (to go to a particular ture others and similarly brand Reach and . As a place, such as Yulash or Zhentil Keep) them. The Zhentarim have placed result of being branded with his will result in the characters feeling ill, in their branding the desire for the mark, the characters will answer to losing one hit point per day because of a PCs to commit random, evil acts, the sound of Dracandros’s voice wasting sickness for every day spent and ultimately to make their way to whenever they hear it, and will be resisting these compulsions. Such pen- Zhentil Keep to report. These ran- compelled to perform whatever alties do not apply while the characters dom acts become more frequent task he requires of them. are actively seeking out the individuals and more severely evil as the group * Tyranthraxus seeks to destroy responsible for their brandings. nears Zhentil Keep. Opportunities those magic items that could ban- The more short-term orders (such as to perform chaotic actions will ish him forever from the Realms, slaying the King of Cormyr when a char- appear throughout the text. They and to convert the player charac- acter hears his voice) can be resist- will affect single individuals, and ters to living Pools of Radiance, ed if a character makes a saving throw. not the entire party. allowing him to increase his power The magic of the bonds starts out very * Dracandros the Mad, also known in the Realms. His intent is to lead strong, but weakens over time. To reflect as the Red Wizard of Thay, is cur- the characters to the various magic this, the first saving throw against any rently in disfavor with the other Red items held by the other members of specific short-term order (likely to occur Wizards. He feels that if he creates the New Alliance, and have them in Tilverton, where the party will encoun- a great enough disaster in the bring these items to him. ter King Azoun) is made at -6 to the die

5 roll. The second such saving throw has stuck in popular usage in the South. the King of Cormyr has sent troops to (whether against the same or a different The dales themselves are rolling Tilverton, bringing that city under Cor- short-term order) is made at -5, the farmlands, dotted with individual hold- myrian control. The reason for this intru- next at -4, and so on, until the penalty ings and small family farms. Usually sion involves the king’s daughter, and is removed and player characters are each dale has a center of trade and gov- the player characters will become saving against spells as normal versus ernment. For example, ’s caught up in this plot in the first adven- the effects of the bonds. Note on a sepa- center of trade is at the Tower of Ashaba, ture of this module. rate sheet of paper the number of times and the town that has grown up around it To the North of the Dalelands proper a character has had to save against the is referred to as Shadowdale as well. are the city-states of the Moonsea. effects of the bonds. Making the saving Daggerdale’s center of trade is at Dag- While not as unified as the southern throw indicates that the individual has ger Falls, at the town of the same name. nations of Cormyr and Sembia, these resisted the effects of that particular Battledale’s trade center, on the other city-states are very powerful both in order—if the order is given again in hand, is the town of Essembra, safely armed force and in the strength of magic another encounter (or if the situation located far from warring armies. and adventurers they can claim. causing that order arises again), then The Dalelands themselves were set- The major cities of the western Moon- another saving throw is required. tled by an agreement between the sea are Zhentil Keep and . The When the characters are operating Dalesmen’s ancestors and the Elven former is a multiwalled city dominated under a long-term compulsion or a Court, a large elven nation that occu- by the Zhentarim, also known as the short-term order, the DM may either pied the forest the dales now surround. Black Network. It is an evil town, filled choose to play the characters as NPCs The elves permitted the Dalesmen, with informers and dark plots. Hillsfar is until the moment passes, or may choose migrating from the east across the little better, but for different reasons. It to let the players continue to run their Dragon Reach, to settle the borders of seems to be run by more uncaring, mer- characters under the effects of the their forest, on the condition that the cantile forces, and its new ruler’s inten- order. Such activity may be detrimental Dalesmen not make further inroads into tions toward the Dalelands remain a to the character’s continued good health the Elven Woods. The elves had already mystery. (and thus against the basic nature of the lost much of their forests to “civilized” The cities of Phlan, Teshwave, and player running that character), so in rec- men from Cormyr and Sembia, and Yulash are decimated ruins, only now ognition of a sincere and successful sought the Dalesmen as a counterbal- beginning to recover from the effects of attempt to role-play a character under a ance to this threat. , pestilence, and a plague of potentially harmful compulsion, the DM The Dalesmen agreed, and . A Flight of Dragons, a migrato- should consider awarding bonus experi- Standing Stone was erected to com- ry wave of the great lizards, passed over ence points (100 xp per encounter is memorate the pact between man and the Dalelands several years ago, leav- suggested) to any character whose play- . The calendar of DaleReckoning ing great destruction in its wake. er demonstrates this sort of good role- dates fromSample the erection of filethat stone, Phlan is only now rebuilding from the playing ability. and in the time since then, old dales devastation, its recovery hampered by The members of the New Alliance, have been abandoned or destroyed and the plots of Tyranthraxus, who was sub- Tyranthraxus in particular, are unaware new dales founded. In the area we are sequently foiled by a company of brave that the effects of the bonds diminish discussing, the major dales are Dagger- adventurers. Teshwave fell to constant over time. He feels that, given the char- dale, Shadowdale, Mistledale, and Bat- raiding by Zhentil Keep, and is now little acters’ prowess (experience levels), the tledale. more than a ruined way station, domi- chance of them breaking free of his con- Recently, the Elven Court has aban- nated by a garrison of Zhentil Keep sol- trol is very small. doned the Realms entirely, retreating to diers. Yulash is a contested city, its the elvish island nation of Evermeet. wreckage fought over by forces from While some elves remain, the elvish both Zhentil Keep and Hillsfar. About the Dalelands nation that once dominated the forest Lastly, the independent town of Most of the action of this adventure and kept adventurers away from such Voonlar lies between the Moonsea lands takes place in the northern parts of the dangerous locations as Myth Drannor and the Dalelands. Independent in Dalelands. The name “Dalelands” is has vanished virtually overnight. Adven- name only, the town is under the influ- properly used to refer to various allied turers are just now beginning to discov- ence of agents of Zhentil Keep. These dales that hug the borders of the Elven er that there are new places to delve for rulers have a more lenient attitude Woods, but the term is often used in the treasure as a result of this relocation of toward their people than do the Keepers more “civilized” areas of Cormyr and power. to the north, but still will not cross their Sembia to refer to their entire northern To the south of the Dalelands are the masters. Voonlar has been a staging border, reaching as far north as the city- nations of Cormyr and Sembia. These area for Zhentil Keep raids to the south states that border the Moonsea. While lands have regularly pushed their bor- and west. these city-states are neither as small nor ders northward, expanding their power For more information on these loca- as rural as the dales, and in fact are in a fashion that often brings them into tions, see Chapter 6. openly hostile in some cases, the name conflict with local forces. Most recently,

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