One-on-one or Group Adventure for 1st Level Characters T EYE6y Grama? OF %kmis Abandoned on the roof of the world! The Serpent's Eye beckons, but only the brave will survive the lessons of Hardway Mountain. CONTENTS CREDITS INTRODUCTION 2 How to Use this Module 2 Abbiexiations 2 HARDWAY MOUNTAIN 3 Backgiound 3 Geneid1 Notes 3 CHOICE OF ROUTES 4 Route Phning Chdi I 5 FLIGHT TO THE NEST (Encounter Area 1: Map 1 6 RANDOM ENCOUNTERS 8 ICE HEIGHTS (Encounter Areas 2-8: Map 1) Sample file 9 Encounter Areas 9 MAPS GRAFENVOLK DALE (Encounter Areas 9-22: Map 12 Encouii ter Areas 13 MODULE FOLDER BARROW SWARD (Encounter Areas 23-26: Map 1) 19 Encounter Aieas 19 Playel s' 1Map outsidc Map 1: Hartlway Mount;iiii itisidc SLOUGH MIRES (Encounter Areas 27-34: Map 1) 21 Map 2: Eye 01 the Serpent inside Encounter Areas 21 EYE OF THE SERPENT (Encounter Areas 35-48: Maps 1 & 2) 24 MODULE BOOKLET Reaching the Island 24 The Island 24 Beneath the Island 25 NEW MONSTERS 29 page 14 Mephit 29 Splanxty 30 page 15 page 17 NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS 31 page 20 TSR, Inc. In'. TSR (UK) Ltd. POB 756 The Mill, Rathmore Road Lake Geneva, Cambridge CB14AD WI 53147 United Kingdom This is an outdoor adventure for first level These routings, for example narrow If this module is to be used as a one-on-one AD&DTMcharacters. The module is intend- mountain ledges or short, underground adventurr for a druid, ranger or monk, the ed for one-on-one play by a dungeon tunnels, can be either 'open' (usable by the player should be provided with details of master and a single player, and has been adventurers) or 'closed' (a ledge collapsed the non-player characters who will make designed to provide a suitable starting or a tunnel blocked, for example). up the rest of the party. The tear out sheet point for the development of the specialist (pages 31-32) contains details of four skills of a druid, ranger or monk character. The routings are described on page 4, and NPCs, but only three of these should be The player decides the actions of the on page 5 there is a diagram showing the used, a5 follows: character and of three pre-rolled first level encounter areas and connections between With a druid: cleric, fighter and thief. NPCs (non-player characters) who make them. The diagram is used to record which With a ranger: cleric, magic user and thief. up the rest of the party. routings are open and which are closed. With a monk: cleric, fighter and magic user. Alternatively, the module is suitable for a The final choice of routings is up to the party of 4-6 first level adventurers. DM, but if the module is to be used to start a new..... -.-...,rlriairl rzariopr.Y"bC' nr-. ...-mnnb ...., it ..,ic '...hb\Y.LYEIIOOPE~PCJ The adventurers are captured by a pailr of that the appropriate, standard set of rout- rocsanddepositedat the topof amountsiin. ings is used. These standard sets are given Left alone for a while, they must escape 2tnd on page 4. survive the harsh journey to the pl ain below, drawn on by the lure of the If one of the standard sets is not used, the 'Serpent's Eye'. DM has the opportunity to shape the style, challenges, rewards and length of the ~ Although the encounter areas are I-)re- adventure. Before doing this, the DM specified as usual, the wilderness terr air1 should read the encounter descriptions over which most of the adventure ta kes carefully, decide which ones would place allows the possible routings betwleen be apptopriate for the characters them to be changed to suit the pa irty and players, and then choose a set involved. Suggested routings for adventLires of routings which will provide .to test a druid, ranger or monk have bl een an interesting and testing provided, but DMs can have fun produc ing adventure (not forgetting unique and interesting adventures by that there must be at least arranging the routings in their own w; 'Y. Sample file HOW TO USE THIS MODUlLE This module uses a standard set of en- counters which are linked together by rniitinm which c2n he vxrierl to Most of this adventure takes place in a BACKGROUND of the Cult of the Serpent fell under the long, deep valley which winds down from influence of a group of duergar (evil the top of Hardway Mountain (see Map 1). Seen from the mountain, the river looks dwarves) who hastened its downfall. Al- like a snake writhing across the plain with though the dwarves have gone, the duergar On their way down from the top of the the lake for its head and the island for its linger on in dark chambers below the valley to the plain below, the adventurers eye. It was named the ‘Eye of the Serpent’ original temple (areas 42-48), where they will pass from a region of ice and snow (the by the Grafenvolk dwarves - a clan which hoard the remains of the dwarves’ treasure. ICE HEIGHTS), into an area of cool lived on the mountain in the wooded part woodlands and marshes (thc GRAFEN- of the valley (the GRAFENVOLK DALE). Some time later, the Kharg (a tribe of YOLK DALE), across a verdant green humans who by herd and train horses), meadow (the BARROW SWARD) and The dwarves built a cult around the came to the plain below the mountain, finally through a mist-laden swamp (the Serpent River, arid chose the island as the They found the island, the pool of flame SLOUGH MIRE). site for an underground shrine (areas 39 and the stump of the obelisk but, knowing and 40). The entrance to the shrine was a little of the dwarven tongue, they made a At thc bottom of the valley, the river concealed door of rock crystals behind a poor translation of the fragment of the Ilows out into a grassy plain and pool of everlasting flame (area 38). The inscription which remained (see area 37). meanders across it, eventually reflection of sunlight from the crystals by They believe that the ‘Serpent’s Eye’ (their di-oppingovet. a waterfall into day, and the light of the burning pool by interpretation of the ‘Eyeof the Serpent’)is ii dense forest below. Above night, ensured that from the dwarves’ dale a fabulous treasure at the top of the mount- the watcrfall is a small on the mountain, the Eye of the Serpent ain, and they have never realised that there I. 1. iarte . ... I shining like a beacon. is a shrine beyond the flaming pool. The a tribe took the snake motif on the base of the ieving adulthood, young obelisk as their symbol. Occasionally, men Id go up to the rock face abo\;e of the tribe go up the mountain in search of its in order to see the Serpent the ‘Serpent’s Eye’ in order to prove e Eye of the Serpent at their themselves or to re-establish their honour Ian erectedan obelisk near the aftcr being convicted of some crime. None flame (see area 37) on which has ever returned, and the Kharg have bt down the basic principles of named the mountain Hardway. r snake cult and described the eks up the mountain. From the nest, and during their flight to it, the adventurers will see the lie of the land, The Grafenvolk lived by including the Serpent River and the Eye of Samplemining forfile gems and the Serpent.ln the nest they will finda clue precious metals. When that great wealth is hidden on the island. At the mines were ex- various points along their journey down hausted and the the valley, the adventurers will see the clan began to Serpent River again. They will also find imagesof thewrithingserpent (relicsof the dwarves and Kharg adventurers). Below are listcd the possible routes connecting the the uicounwr ;ireas in this advrvitul.c. Eadi of tlicse can be made either open (Le. passable) or closed (i.e. impassablc) by thc DM (sw HOW TO USE THIS MODULE - page 2). This table gives the standard routing5 for paitics led by ;I range1 (R), monk (Mk)01. druid (D) - route5 niarkcd 0 should be open, those markcd X should be chcd. R Mk D Description when OPEN Description when CLOSED R2 X 0 0 A thick sheet of ice providing a safe passage It is very obvious that this ice sheet will not bear R3 0 X X acrossa corner of the lake. the adventurers' weight. R5 0 X X The river has cut deep, leaving a natural arch of The stumps of a collapsed arch of ice face each ice as a natural bridge. other across the river. R7 0 0 0 Cracks and ledges on the ice-sheet provide a safe The steep sheet of glassy ice has no ledges or hand climb up or down the steep slope. holds. R10 X 0 0 The ledge along the cliff continues. Several hundred yards of the ledge have fallen RII 0 X X away here. R14 0 0 0 A clear, firm, winding Samplepath (10-15 feet wide)file The path winds into the marsh but soon comes to R15 X 0 X through themarsh. an obvious and abrupt end. 1.1, '1 v 'X 'I LIUllYIV \L" LLLI "VLUL, *U"C, "VlLLl "LlllCUl IYLR A..l_. ..-..VI. *U.'C, ..us Y.VC..CU 'V..:, Y:,V ", Y faces on either side.