Foulest Waters

7/27/2019 Foulest Waters

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AndersNordbergdeepdelving.wordpress.com

HighaboveValeholdintheValevordMountains

an old forgotten temple stands, where the

anmunak wild men once worshipped theiranimal gods. Today, worshippers of the grisly

NUggok, the Lord of Disease, have taken over

theruinsofthistemple,andthroughthewaters

flowing down the slopes below the caves they

are spreading a foul plague through thesettlementsdownriver.

The anmunak in the area are all fanatical

followers of thepriestessThulguk, an oldandwizenedanmunakwhohas survived far longer

thansheshouldduetothesinisterinfluencesof

her patron she is halfway to undeath, but is

preservedbythediseasesandmicrobespulsingthroughherbody.Shedreamsofonedayseeing

theentirecivilizedpartoftheValeravagedbya

virulentplague,afterwhichherkinwilldescendfromthewildernessandconqueralltheknown

lands.Sheisgrowingveryfrustratedbyherlack

ofsuccesssofar.

The poor hermit Wilmer of Ironhold is the

main reason that Thulguks plans have so far

been foiled; his extensive knowledge of the

herbs and remedies of the forest has let him

concoct a potent restorative brew which he

deposits in the river in hidden baskets everynight, and which manages to counteract the

worsteffectsofthecorruptionfromupstream.

If the players manage to defeat Thulguk, they

could put an end to the plague in Valehold,

providedtheycanalsocleansetheputridtemple

andexorciseXhuctulagh,thecreaturenestingin

its depths. They can also search the old cryptsand catacombs of the anmunak at the rivers

source, where dormant guardians watch overburiedriches.

Source of the CrispflowThesmallvalleynearthesourceofthechurningCrispflow River is a place of stunning natural

beauty, but has been marred by the recent

corruptionflowingthroughtheriver.

The lowerpartof thevalley surrounding the

riverisfilledwithalushmixedforestandthick

undergrowth,crisscrossedbyanimal trails and

small streams. The forest isa mix offirs, pines

andbirchesaswellasmixedsmallerdeciduoustrees.Intheareaaroundtheriver,thetreeshave

begun dying and most have lost their leaves;

manyhavefallen.

Thelakeravinebelowthedropfromtheupper

plateau is filled with a constant lowintensity

rumblingnoisefromthewaterfall,andtheairishumidandfilledwithathinmist.Here,fewtrees

managetogrowinthethinsoil,buttheground

isstillcoveredinfernsandothervegetation.

The upper valley plateau is filled with muchdenser vegetation, and trekking through this

areawithoutusing the fewestablished trails is

very difficult. The undergrowth is especiallydense and mostly covered in thorns or spikes,

andathickkudzuoftencoverstheground.Someodd species of trees and bushes flourish here

that are very rare elsewhere, something a

botanistorhealermightfindinteresting.

Eachhexontheoverlandmapisabout1/3mile

across(500meters).Whentravellinginthearea,

anaveragepartymovingatnormalspeedtravels

around6hexesperhouronthetrail,andaround

3hexesperhouriftheyhaveleftthetrail.Thereis a 1in6 chance of a random encounter for

eachhourspenttravelling.

Rumors & Hearsay

Explorers once ventured to the source of the river

Crispflow and returned with tales of abandoned

ruinsandhiddentreasures.

Acrazyhermit liveswayup in theValevordpeaks.

He comesdown onceayear to visit the cathedral,

butdidntshowupthisyear.Thecoldmustvegotten

tohim,finally.

Theres an old hunter by the name of Isgold who

claims the Crispflow runs foul further up the

slopes.He refuses todrinkfrom theHowlingRiver

belowthepointwherethetwomeet.

Thebeastof theValevordsdescendsupon theVale

onceeverygeneration,and ithasnotbeenseenfor

as long as anyone can remember. Hopefully, its

lyingdeadsomewhereupthere.

Thecrispandcoolwatersofthestreamsandrivers

flowing down from the Valevords hold the very

strengthofnature,and ifyoucanreachthesource

ofsuchaflowyouwillfindapowerfulhealingand

strengtheningdraught.

Thefishingisabsolutelyexcellentupstreaminmany

ofthe

smaller

tributaries

that

flow

from

the

ValevordsdowntotheHowlingRiver.

Foulest Waters


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08.24; Valley ApproachFrom this point the characters can clearly see

the opening in the rockface aheadof them,aswellasthewaterfall.Theroaringofthewaterfall

alsobecomesobvious.

01.23; Giant Eagles NestThenestisvisiblefromafewhexes,andcanbeseen clearly if looking up the cliffface.

Occasionalcriesfromthebabyeaglescanalsobe

heard. A successful climb check (with +1 for

appropriategear)allowsacharactertoreachthe

nest; if alive, the mother will attack anyone

approachingthenest.

Thebabyeaglesaresmallbutvicous(HD1;hp

4,3;AC12;1@+1,D4)andwillfighttothedeathifcornered in the nest.Among the bones, debris

and junk in the nest an old backpack holdingsomesoiled adventuringgearanda total of24

spand58cp.

08.21; Wilmers secretsAt this point in the river, the hidden unguentbaskets placed by the hermit Wilmer can be

foundwithacarefulsearch.Theyhangbeneath

theriverbankandareimpossibletospotwithout

deliberatelylookingforthem.Thecontentofthe

baskets smells foul, andunknowing PCs mightmistake them for what is fouling the river

(althoughthesourceclearlyliesupstream).Atnight,thereisa2in6chancethatWilmeris

here, checking on the baskets and restockingthem.Hewillbemovingstealthilyandwill not

be carrying a light, fearing an ambush by the

anmunak.

12.20; Wilmers homeWilmer of Ironhold has built himself a simple

homehere;a thatchedhutthathehas recentlycamouflaged very thoroughly with moss and

branches.Discoveringthehomewhenheisnot

presentrequiresasuccessfulSearchofthearea.

Thesimplehomehasoneroom,asleepingarea

andacookingfireandisalmostentirelydevoted

to different herbs and concoctions. There is

nothingofvalueexcepttheherbsandremedies

(atleast50dosesworthofreplenishmentforahealers kit and a salve which functions as a

PotionofCureLightWounds).

Wilmer himself is almost always here in thedaytime (90%), hiding from the anmunak and

preparing his unguent. He will remain hidden

fromanyPCsunlesshehasseenthemfighting

the anmunak or encountered them previouslyandfoundthemfriendly.

08.17 The CrossingThe river is shallow here, and the trail leads

downtoacrossingamongsomeslipperyrocks.Dead branches and filth have gathered among

therocks,andthereisastaleandputridsmellin

theareaworsethanelsewherealongtheriver.

Lurkingbeneaththewateraroundthecrossing

are sixPlague Skeletons. Theyare commanded

to attack any nonanmunak crossing the river,and will lurk beneath the water until the first

person crossing the river is almost at the farbank.Theywillsurpriseonarollof13onaD6,

andwill target characters standing in theriver

first.

Anysuccessfulattackonacharacterstandingin

thewaterforcesaDexteritycheck(3in6).Ifthe

check fails, the character stumbles and falls. If

nonencumbered or lightly encumbered,stumblingmerelymeanslosingyournextaction,butifthecharacteriscarryingmoreequipment

he/shewillfallandbegindrowning,sufferingD3

damageeachroundaswellaslosingtheiraction.

After losing their action and suffering this

damage,thecharactermayattemptanewchecktorecover.

PlagueSkeletons (6);HD 1;AC12;1@+1,D6;putrid

aura;disease;undeadimmunities

Bathinginthewaterforashortperiodoftimeis

actuallysafe,butdrinkingitorflounderinginit

duetobeingattackedasaboverequiresaSavevs

PoisonorthecharactercontractstheValePlague

(onlyonesaverequiredforoneencounter).Thisvirulent diseasewill incapacitate the character

withfeverwithinD6days,andleadtodeathin

anotherD6daysunlessaCureDiseaseiscastor

anotherSavevsPoisonissuccessful.

05.17; Bear LairThislargedenisthehomeofadiseasedbear.If

thecharactershavenotalreadykilledit,thereis

a2in6chancethebearwillbepresent(4in6

duringnighttime).Roll forreaction; thebearisgenerally surly and aggressive due to the

debilitating illness it is suffering from, andwillchase off intruders regardless of its general

disposition(withforceifnecessary).

08.15: Mummified RemainsThe remains of a mummy disgorged from the

cavernsthroughthewaterfallarecaughtinsome

rootshere,visibletoanyonewhogoesneartheriverbank.Itstillwearsacrudebutheavygolden

ornamentaroundtheneck(750sp).


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06.14, 08.13, 09:13, 08:12Moving in the open in these hexes, and those

aroundthelakeandtothenorthofthem,risksalerting the anmunak lookouts in 05.09to the

partys presence. Also, the stench of theputrid

discharge from the waterfall hangs in the air

constantlyhere,andthe lakewater isobviously

corrupted.

10.12: Baboon LairA small troupe of mountain baboons live in a

number of small caves in these cliffsides.

Reaching thecaves requiresandeasyClimbing

check (+2). The 14 adults in the troupe are

usually here at night time, but during the dayonly2D6ofthemarepresent.Atotalof8young

ofvaryingagesarealwaysfoundhere.

05.10: Stone stairwayIn 5.10 a rough but still solid stone staircasewithfoothighstepswindsupalongthecliffside

to the upper plateau, which lies about 100above the valley floor. The stair is slightly

overgrown and windworn, but countless

carvingscanbefoundbeneathdustandmossall

along both the steps and the walls. Pillars

depictinganimalheadedfiguresarefoundevery10steps,butmosthavebeenvandalized.

AsuccessfulBushcraftrollcanrevealthatpeople

havebegunusingthestairsagainfairlyrecently,butinratherlargenumbers(groupsofatleasta

dozen).

If the party begins climbing the stairs and the

anmunaklookouts(seebelow)have spotted the

partyapproaching,theywillbombardthemwith

stones when they reach the halfwaypoint of

their ascent.The partywillbebombardedwith

large stones; each of the anmunak above(normally 6) will make an attack each round,

rolling to hit at 1 (due to cover and weak

dexterity score) and causing D6 damage on a

successful hit. The lookouts have a total of 30

stones tomake theseattackswithat any givenmoment.

05.09: anmunak LookoutsAbove the stairs, the anmunak currently

occupyingthetemplehavesetupasimplewatch

post. These guards will spot a group

approaching during the day withoutstealth/cover, or during the night with light

sources,whentheymoveinto 06.14andbeyond

onarollof13onaD6(rollonceforeachhex

travelled). During the night they will have a

smallfirelit,whichcanbeseenabovethestairsifspecificallylookedfor.Notethattheroaringof

the waterfall means these lookouts will notdetectthepartyduetoloudnoises.

Iftheparty isspotted, the lookoutswill sendarunnertothetemple(leaving5warriorsandthe

leader behind) to inform Thulguk and the

anmunak there of the intrusion. The rest will

then prepare an ambush, should the party

ascend the stairs, using stones as described in

theentryabove.If thesestonesdonotdetertheintruders,theywillformabattlelineandtryto

repelthemastheyreachthetopofthestairs.

anmunakPatrol

6warriors(HP8,10,10,12,14,15;club,shield,

javelin,hidearmor);1leader(HP17,bonearmor),30

stones

Atotalof12torchesand30daysworthofdried

animal meat rations can be found in the campduring a quick search, as well as a few small

trinketsandornaments(lootedfromthetemple)

worthatotalof120sp.

07.10: WaterfallThisroaringplumeofwatershootsoutfromthe

cliffface through an opening surrounded by aroughly carved reptilian face. Normally, the

water expelled appears clean, but occasionally

(as a random encounter) the water suddenly

turnsfoulandputridandanintenselydisgusting

stenchspreadsthroughtheareasurroundingthewaterfallandthelakebelow.

The players are unlikely to be able to discern

this, but the plagued discharge that fouls the

waterfall comes from the Unclean Demonnestinginthepoolinthetempleabove.

07.09: Temple of Mountain SpiritsThese old ruins were built by the anmunak a

thousandyearsago,inhonorofKilikik,thelizard

godofspirits.Itisdescribedinitsownsection

below.

09.08, 10.08, 10.07: Strange fruitsIn this part of the upper plateau, numerous

gnarledtreesgrow.Providedthepartyvisitsthis

place insummer/autumn, theywillbearlotsofyellowishfruit.Thesefruittasteverygood,and

servewellasrations(althoughtheywillonlylastaweekifnotpreservedsomehow).

Thisspotisverypopularamongthedenizensof

the plateau, and any chance for a random

encounterisdoublewhiletravellingthroughor

spendingtimehere.


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13.08: Cavern of bonesAgiganticcavemouthontheclifffaceherecan

be seen from far away (at least 10 hexes ifsufficiently elevated). During nighttime, it will

also be surrounded by an odd greenish glow,

givenoffbythehauntingspirits.

It was the site of the very first anmunak

inhabitantsofthisvale;thecaveinsideisfairly

shallowand contains the buried remains of anold settlement, as well as numerous cave

drawings depicting hunters, strange and largeanimalssincehuntedtoextinctionandimagesof

the animalgods of the anmunak. Bones strew

the floorof the cave,bothfrom the remainsof

animals hunted by the former inhabitants, and

by the bones of the inhabitants themselves,killed by a raid by followers of the Quathroc

centuriesago.

Strong spirits inhabit this place. They can beseendancingonthewallsofthecaveamongthe

paintings,butaremostlyinaccessibletomodern

men. Their anger at the fouling of their valley

still lingers and they will gladly share all

information they possess regarding the templeand surrounding areas. Players could contact

themthroughaSpeakwithDeadspellofsomesort,orthroughasanceorimbibingsomesort

of hallucinogenic;most anything thatserves to

weakenthebarriertothespiritworld.

Thespiritsspeakthroughthecavepaintings,inhaunting and hollow voices, and know the

following:

ThisvalleyissacredtoKilikik,thelordoftheSpiritWorldandkeeperoftheancientpacts.

Kilikik slumbers now, laid low by despair

after his children turned from him to the

cursedonesthatcamefromthestars.

The defilers came to the valley recently (afewwinters ago) and broughtwith them a

vileplaguespirit which spews itsfilth into

thefallingwater.

Aplaguespirit is strong and deadly, but ashamanorwitchdoctor can defeat it using

powerseffectiveagainstdiseases.

Restless spirits inhabit thedisturbedgravesin theRiver Source.Theplace is tabooand

shouldbeavoided.

If the character(s) contacting the spirits

approachtheminarespectfulmanner,theyasktobecarried intobattle against the defilers to

enactafinalvengeance.Eachcharactermaypick

upabonefromtheground,androlladieonthetable Spirits o the Bone to see whose bone itoncewas.Abonemaybebrokentounleashits

power, but is then expended. If one of thesebones is taken more than 10 miles from the

Cavern of bones, the spirit will leave and the

bonewillloseitsenchantment.

06.06, 09.09: Giant stone facesTwogiantstonefaces,wornandbatteredbythe

weather but still clearly visible from far away,decoratethecliffatthesepoints.Theyappearto

bethoseoftwoanmunak,andalthoughthefine

detailingiswornawaytheyseemtobedressed

insomesortofregalia.Theyfaceeachother,and

appear to stand guard in some way over theentranceoftheravinetotheirnorth.

06.04: Sacred burial groundsThe remains ofa shrine and a circle ofstones,

and a number of large cairns, have been built

here overlooking the lake known to the

anmunakastheSource.Thisareaisdescribedinfurtherdetaillater.

D8 Spirits o the Bone

1-2 AgentleShamanCastsownerschoiceofCureDisease,CureSeriousWoundsorNeutralizePoison.

3-4AvengefulWarrior

Summonedtodobattleinaidoftheowner;

remainsfor2D10rounds.Fightsat+2vsfollowers

oftheQuathroc.

HD2;AC14;1@+2,D8;incorporeal

5 AneagleeyedScoutLearnthewhereaboutsandestimatednumbersofallfollowersoftheQuathrocwithin10miles.

6

AwrathfulShaman

Inhabitsthebrokenbone,turningitintoa

powerfulclubofstrikingandblastingfor2D10

rounds.Causes2D6dmginmelee,canfireablastoflightningforD8damageat50.Rolldmgtwice

andselecthighestagainstfollowersofthe

Quathroc.

7AmournfulWarrior

Awailerupts,strikingfearintotheenemiesofthe

owner.SavevsParalyzeorbestunnedD6rounds,

thencheckMorale.FollowersoftheQuathrocdo

bothat2.

8AbitterCrone

HerspiritleapsfromtheboneandcastsCause

CriticalWoundsatonechosentargetwithin50

(hittingautomatically).


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These old ruins were once one of the most

important holy places for theanmunakpeople.ThetemplewassacredtoKilikik,thelizardgod

ofspirits,and as the spirits ofthe land flowed

fromtheheavensdownontothelandtheywere

saidtoallpassthispointandthecentralpoolin

thetemple.

Withthefalloftheanmunakgodsandtheriseof

theQuathroc,theTempleanditspriestsisolated

themselvesforaverylongtime,andmanagedtodefend the upper plateau despite several

assaults.ThisplacewasthelastplaceofworshipoftheoldanmunakgodsintheentireVale,and

as such became a placeof refuge for their last

followers.Unfortunately,thiscouldnot last;the

priests and those under their protection were

betrayed by a secret ring of priests that hadmade a bargainwith the foul NUggok to save

theirownlives.

AstheTemplewasoverrunalongwiththerestof the plateau, the Quathrocworshippers slew

allnonbelievers,ransackedanddefiledboththe

templeandthenearbyburialsiteandthenleft.

The areawas quietforcenturies,and the thick

mountainforestandunderbrushcoveredtheoldruins.

ThulgukThe group consists of four different hunting

parties,aswellasThulgukandherownpersonal

retinue.Asaroughestimate,ofthewarriors

are out foraging or hunting, another arestationed at Hex 05.09 as lookouts and the

remaining remains at the temple. If the

players have encountered and killed many

anmunak, then these numbers may be

diminished.

If the anmunak are alert andknow thatthere

areenemiesabout,eitherfromthepartytaking

too long in investing the valley and beingtracked or spotted, or from survivors of an

encounter, then therewillbemoreguardsand

they will be far more on their watch. The

differences are noted in the alert sections of

theareadescriptionsbelow.

Approaching the areaThe sections of the map depicting forest and

undergrowth(markedasgreen)representdense

vegetation;thetemplehasbeenalmostoverrun

bythesurroundingvegetation,andtheanmunakaretoolazytoclearitout.Thus,approachingthe

templeunseenismademucheasier.Thenoiseof

the nearby waterfall also helps, although it is

fairlymutedhere ontheplateau. Thereis a+2bonustoanyStealthchecksmadewhenmoving

throughtheundergrowth.

The anmunak need light just as much as the

characters. At night they will mostly confine

themselves to the ruined buildings they haveclaimedastheirlivingareasandsleepandstand

watch around the campfires they keep there.

Theydomaintainastashoftorchesandwilluse

these if the alarm is raised or they grow

suspicious.

ShowdownTheanmunakinthisareaarenotwellpreparedforanassault,butiftheyareattackedtheywill

react appropriately.At first, theywill set upa

more diligentwatch, as per the alert sections

below.Iftheylosemoreoftheirnumbers,theywill eventually retreat to the dungeons below

the temple, trying their best to barricade the

only entrance they know (1B) and keeping a

constantwatchthere.

Since there are usually a number of hunting

partiesout,thereis alwaysarisk(about2 in6

oneachgivenday)thatsuchapartyreturnstothetempleruinstobolster theanmunakforces

orpossiblyattempttoambushthepartyiftheyseemweakened.

Temple Grounds1: Priests QuartersThesetwolargestonestructuresremainmostly

intact, and their roofs have recently been

repaired.Bothbuildingslackdoors.

The sleeping quarters (1B) now serve as the

home of Thulguks personal bodyguards; they

stayclosetoherandwillonlybehereifsheisin

herownquartersnearby.Twoofthemwillthenstand guard outside the door to 1A while the

others rest or sleep here. At night, a campfire

willbelithere.

Bodyguards(4);HD2+2 (hp 15, 14, 13, 12); AC16(bone armor, shield); 1@+3,D8 (metal weapon),

1@+2,D6 (javelin); ML 10 (superstitious 2); D3

piecesofjewellery(2D20sp)

The second house (1A) holds a wide stairwayleadingdownsouthwardsintotheunderground

partsofthetemple.Itisflankedbytworeptilianstatues,andthewallsofthechamberwereonce

Temple of Mountain Spirits


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richly decorated, but the statues have beensmashedandthedecorationsdefaced.

Alert:Iftheanmunakareexpectingtrouble,twoofthebodyguardswillstandguardat1Bwhile

theotherswillremainwithThulguk.Ifanalarm

is raised, Thulgukwill emerge frombelowand

search for the intruders along with all her

bodyguards.

2. The Central PoolThemagnificentcircularpool(2C)isfilledwith

churning water slowly being drained by an

openingbelowthecentralstatueofKilikik(2B)

(this adventure assumes it is spring/summer,

otherwisethispoolwillbeemptied).Thecentral

statuestandsanimpressive20tallanddepictsan anthropomorphic creature with a reptilian

headcladin some sortof ceremonial robe,but

hasbeenbadlywornbytimeandweather.

Threewalkwaysrunoverthechannels(2A),andon the northernmost one stands a stone altar

coveredwith engravingsof intertwinedsnakes.

Thelargeraisedareahere(2D)onceservedas

the mainworship area of the temple, but now

the stone is cracked and overgrown in places.Normally,theanmunakarenotpresenthere,but

thereisa1in6chancethat1D3ofthemwillbe

passing by or standing around watching the

pool.

Thepoolis10deepattheedges,and20nearits

center.Thewater is constantlysucked through

anopeningatthefootofthestatue,andanything

droppedinthepoolwillbesuckedthroughandwillwindupinthedungeonsbelowthetemple

(andeventuallybeexpelledintothewaterfall).

Alert: During the day, two anmunakwill standguard here, positioned on the walkway (2A).

Thesewillbe fromeither area4 or 5,andwill

reducethenumberencounteredthere.

3. Statue of MurrBakThisstatuedepictsanearly15tallowl.Likethestatueat2B,itisbadlywornandbeaten.Thereisonlya1in12chancethatD3anmunakwillbe

present here, regardless of their state of

altertness.

4. Well buildingThewallsofthisbuildinghavebeguntocollapse,and the roof is long since gone. The doorway

standsagape.Inside,acircular10diameterpool

is filled with clear and crisp water from the

nearby channel and still serves asanexcellent

watersource.

One of the hunting parties currently at thetemple lives in this building; beddings are

spread on the floor, and animal skins are

stretchedoverthesleepingareatokeepoutthe

rain.Thereisalsoacampfirenearthewell.The

membersofthepartyaremostly(5in6)found

here,relaxingourlounging,unlessanalarmhasbeenraised.Atnight,thecampfirewillbelitandoneanmunakwillstandguardaswellaswatch

thefire.

Alert: Two anmunak will always stand guard,

day and night, and willwatch the surrounding

forest diligently. The others will sleep with

weapons beside their beds, alert and ready toreact.

Hunters (7); HD 2+2; AC 14 (hide armor, shield);

1@+3,D6(boneweapon),1@+2,D4(javelin)

5. ChannelsThese stonechannelsstretchabout200metersinto the forest, and then merge with ordinary

mountainstreams.Theyareabout7deep,with

a strong current; it is possible to swim along

them if not wearing metal armor, but anyonelosingcontrolrisksbeingsweptintothecentral

pool(2C)andsuckeddownintothedungeon.

6. Pilgrims buildingThisbuildingoncehousedthosewhohadcome

tothetempletopayhomagetoKilikik,butnow

itsroofisgoneandthewallsareinapoorstateofrepair.

Anotherhuntingpartiescurrentlyatthe temple

livesinthisbuilding,justasintheWellBuilding

describedabove.Theybehavethesameway,andwilltakethesameprecautions.

Hunters (7); HD 2+2; AC 14 (hide armor, shield);

1@+3,D6(boneweapon),1@+2,D4(javelin)

7. CliffAtthispoint,thereisa130dropstraightdown

intothelakebelow.About30below,onthecliffside,thegiantcarvedlizardfacefromwhichthe

waterfall erupts can be seen, and the water

cascadingdown.Here,theroaringsoundisquiteloudandconversationcanbedifficult.

If the characters climb down the cliff to the

lizard face below then they can enter thedungeon below through the statues eyes.This

cannotbenoticedfromthetopofthecliff.

8. TrailThis cleared trail leads from the temple to the

lookoutpostatpoint05.09onthehexmap.


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Temple DungeonThesetunnelsweredugout manyhundreds ofyearsago.Theairisthickwithmoistureandthe

roaring sound from room 3 fills the entire

complexmaking conversationdifficult. Room 2

isnormallylit,unlessThulgukisnotpresentforsomereason.

1. Entrance HallA wide stairway leadsdown into this chamber

from area 1A in the Temple Grounds. The

chamber isbare and unlit, the wallsdecorated

with beautiful but worn engravings that the

presentoccupantshavenotbotheredtodeface,which seem to depict various denizens of the

spiritworld.

2. Sanctum / Thulguks ChamberThischamberonceservedas theinnersanctum

forKilikikspriests.Now,thischamberislitbya

dim light from two braziers, and the altar iscovered ina thick layerofmucusand phlegm.

Thestenchishorrifying,asweetsmellofdecay

reminiscent of a leper colony mixed with the

pungent floral odor of constantly burning

incense. Runes, symbols and illegible ciphers

have been drawnon the walls, floor and even

ceiling using all sorts of disgusting substances.Featuredprominentlyontheeasternwallisthe

rune of NUggok in the center of a circle 10

across.

Thulguksbeddingandbelongingsarearranged

in the chambers southern half. Her potion

brewing equipment rests upon a large stone

table, with an improvised fireplace beside it. A

grand total of6potionsofCauseDiseasecanbefoundonthetableifthoroughlysearched.

The few treasures selected by Thulguk are

collectedinapairoffurpackshiddenbehindher

stinkingbed; theycontaingrave goods (mostlycrude gold items, such as figurines and thick

jewelry) worth 1500 SP selected for itsportability (it encumbers only as two normal

items)andascrollwiththeMUspellsSpeakwithDeadandGaseousForm.3. Pool ChamberThishuge room liesatthebottom oftwowide

setsofstairs.Theceilingdripsandbulgesfrom

the weight of the water above, and a thick

cascade of water from the pool above crashes

into the one here (3A). The water in this poolchurnsand swirls asit issucked througha10

wide drain southwards and out the cliffside,

formingthewaterfalloutside.

Therearesixstatuesalongthewalls,allofthemdifferent reptilian forms. One of the statues

againstthesouthernwall(3B)hasaprotruding

tailatitsbaseshowingtelltalesignsofwearand

tear on closer inspection.Pullingdown on this

tailopensasecretdoorbehindthestatue.

The walls are also covered in ritual markings,

muchliketheonesinchamber2butscratched

into the wall with something sharp. These arepartofthebindingthatkeepsXhuctulaghinthis

chamber. Disrupting them is hard but not

impossible(stoneworkingtoolsorpatiencewill

dothetrick),andshouldthisbedonewhilethe

creature still lives then itwill be free to roamthis realm. It will immediately leave this

chamber through the waterfall and traveldownstreamuntilitreachesValehold;theplague

will be averted for now, but the town will

actuallybeinfargreaterdanger.Thecurrentinthepoolisextremelystrong,and

anyone who falls into it must succeed at a

difficultdexteritycheck(5+)furthermodifiedby


8/20


encumbranceinordertoescapeandavoidbeingsuckeddownagainstthe gratingat thebottom.

Once stuck against the grating, the character

may make another Strength check (5+) also

modified for encumbrance on the following

round to escape, but each round must also

succeed at a save vs Paralyzation or loseconsciousness,whichwillmeandeathinanother

2D6rounds.

Thegravestdangerinthisroomisnotthepool,

however, but its inhabitant Xhuctulagh. An

unspeakablyfoulcreaturefromNUggokshome

dimension,ithasbeencalledherebyThulguks

ululationsandgivenonesingletask;putrefythewaterspassingthrough.Thisisaconsummately

boringtask,farfromthecarnageandkillingthisbeing is used to, and it will gleefully attack

anything living that enters this chamber apart

from Thulguk. Naturally, only she and none ofthe other anmunak will consider pursuing the

charactersintothischamberorevengoingnearthisplaceaslongasthiscreatureispresent.

Xhuctulagh lurks in the pool, seemingly

unaffectedbythepowerfulcurrent. Itsamoebicform clings effortlessly to the pools walls and

edges. It will attempt to ambush the party as

they enter the chamber by lurking below the

waterofthepool,butitshorrifyingstenchand

impatiencemeanstheyareonlysurprisedonastandardroll(unlesstheyarecleverorcautious

enough to detect its presence and avoid thesurpriserollentirely).

IfXhuctulaghsucceedsatgrapplinganopponent

with one of his pseudopods, he will react

according to how dangerous he feels they are.

The most dangerous creatures caught will

promptly bedeposited in thepool (seeabove).

Less dangerous prey will be constricted and

tuggedcloseforinfection,andthentossedasidewhentheyappearlifelesskeptasplaythingsfor

later. The creatureis bound tothechamberby

Thulguks summoning, and thus cannot pursue

thepartyiftheyretreatupthestairs.

At the bottom of the pool, stuck against the

grating, lie hundreds of crustcovered ritual

offerings.Theseareancient,butaremadefrom

valuablemetalsandsetwithgemstonesandcanbeeasily sold ifremovedandcleaned.Working

against the current is very hard, but possible

withtherighttools,timeandingenuity.Agood

estimate is one Turn for each dive, with a

success rate decided by the GM based on the

tactics used. For each successful trip, roll once

on the table for Ritual Treasures until allentrieshavebeenfound.

4. Behind the FaceThis chamber lies behind the cliffside face

whichis the source ofthewaterfall. Itis easily

enteredthrougheitheroftheeyes,andalthoughit is hard to see from aboveor faraway these

openings are actually not concealed. Throughthe eyes is a magnificent vista of the valley

below.Thechamberitselfisaplainstoneroom,

and isoddly quietdespite the closeness of the

waterfall.

Thesecretdoorthroughthetunneltothenorth

isobviousfromthisdirection,andcanbepushedopen from this side easily. The being in the

chamber beyond is unaware of the door, andshould be forced to check for surprise if the

party arrives from here, unless they make anexcessofnoise.

D12 Ritual Treasures1 Clayjar,sealed,containingsouredwine

2 Crackedgoldenchalice(200SP)

3 Goldengoblet(500SP)

4 Goldbox(300SP),containingajademask(200SP)depictingastagsface

5 Gemencrustedbrassbowl(600SP)

6 Assortedgemstones(8x100SP)

7 Headdresswithrubies(800SP)

8 GoldenScepter(1200SP)

9 Largegoldbearfigurine(1400SP)

10 3diametergoldshield(ornamental,2000SP)

11 OneJavelinofTheStorm(seeAppendix)

12 DemonboneBow(seeAppendix)


9/20


Wilmer of IronholdMaleSpecialist,Lvl4

Cha7(1);Con13(+1);Dex10;Int13(+1);Str8(1);

Wis14(+1);HP19

Medicine6;Bushcraft4;Stealth4

Equipment: Staff (1@D6), Leather coat (AC 14),

Healers Kit,satchel,2potionsofCureLightWounds,

holysymbol

Wilmer of Ironhold has lived in the Valevord

Mountains asa hermit formorethan30years;

hes lost track of most things regarding

civilizationorhumanity,andthusspeakspoorly,

doesntgroomhimselfandhasnoideahowoldhe is. He clings to his faith in the Trinity,

however,andcanoftenbeheardmutteringodd

prayers,bothestablishedonesandothersofhis

owndesign.Wilmerlooksverymuchthepartof

thecrazedhermit;tatteredclothing,analmost

toothlessgrin,longunkempthairandascragglybeard.

Wilmerwasonceafledglingadventurer,andhadhigh hopes for finding what he considered his

true calling; being a cleric with access to

miracles.Hehadto settleformundanehealing,

however,andthepainand brutalityhesawon

hisfewadventureslefthimwithdistasteforhis

fellowman.

Before the anmunak came to the valley of the

Source, he was content with living out hisremainingyearsinhissimplehut,butwhenhe

foundoutwhatthewildmenwereuptohehadwhat he himself calls a vision, that the

goddesses visited him and told him toprotect

theirflockdownstream.

Wilmerhassinceusedhisformidableknowledge

of herbalism and medicine to devise a

counteragentwhichhedepositsintheriver.Itisnot enough to eliminate the contagion, but it

lessens its impact considerably. He is slowlygrowing desperate, however; he stands no

chanceofactually eliminatingthe sourceofthecorruption, and his supply of herbs is running

low.Hisspecialabilitiesshouldallowhimtouse

hisMedicineskilltoCureDiseaseasperthespell,andhewillfreelyoffertodosoifthecharacters

haveearnedhistrust.

Wilmers RoleWilmeristheonlyoneapartfromtheanmunak

whoknowswhatisgoingoninthevalley,andhecan be of great help to the players. There are

three basic ways in which you as a GM can

introduce him into the adventure, and it is

recommended that you choose one of these

beforehand.

1. Seeks aidWilmerwillactivelyseekoutthepartyassoon

as he becomes aware of their presence; he is

desperate,andtheyarenotanmunak,sohewill

throwcaution to the wind.Hewill sharewhat

information he has about the situation freely,andwillbeseechthemtostoptheanmunakandcleansethetemple.

2. CautiousWilmerwillobservethecharacters ifhenotices

their presence(which is highly likely),butwill

bereluctanttomakeafirstcontact;heisbarely

saneandusedtoisolationandhasnoideawhat

thecharactersintentionsareafterall.

The characters either need to clearly show

themselves to be enemies of the anmunak, or

lookforWilmerthemselves,inordertofindhimin this scenario. If they find evidence of hispresence or actively search the forest, they

shouldbeabletolocatehiscabinandeventually

Wilmer himself, and if confronted he will be

inclinedtohelpthem.

3. ParanoidInthisscenario,Wilmerisfarfromsaneandwill

actively avoid the party. They will have to beveryclevertocatchhim;settingupatrap,using

magic or threatening to burn his cottage are

possible scenarios. Once captured, he will be

difficult to communicatewith,but it should bepossibletogetonhisgoodside.

What Wilmer knowsIfthepartyisabletobefriendWilmer,heisable

to tell them a few important facts about the

valley.He isalsowilling to help themwith his

Medicine skill, and will give them both hishealing potions if they are actively working

againsttheanmunak.

Wilmer knows that the anmunak are led by a

powerful priestess of some sort, who has asicklyauraabouther.Healsoknowsthatthey

dwell in the temple ruinsabove, and that they

spreadtheircorruptionintotheriverfromthere

somehow. He also knows that they have

lookoutssetupabovethestonestairs.

Hewillalsotellthecharactersaboutthestrange

cavernintheeasternpartoftheplateau;hewas

lured thereby the strange lights once and feltthe presence of the vengeful spirits of the

wildmen.Heknowsabout thegravemoundsin

the plateaus northwestern part, but will only

speakofthemifaskedsincehedoesnotbelieve

theyrelatetotheproblemathand.


10/20


ThulgukFemaleanmunakCleric,Lvl4

Cha10;Con16(+2);Dex9;Int13(+1);Str12(0);Wis

14(+1);HP34

Spells: Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Protection fromLaw/Good,Heroism,HeatMetal

SpewFilth:Onceperencounter(ormoretimes,ifshe

is able to eat), launch a fearsome vomit beam that

automaticallystrikesatargetwithin10.Shouldthat

targetfailasavevsPoisonat4,thenhe/shewillbe

afflicted with a disease asper the table Putrescent

Diseasesbelow.

Defenses/Weaknesses: Immunity to all types of

disease. Cure Disease causes 5D6 damage (save vs

Poisonforhalf).

Equipment: Steel Axe (+3@D8), Befouled Armor &

Shield(AC17/18),holysymbol,goldenearrings(200

speach),goldenheaddress(800sp),2 Potionsof

Cure

LightWounds

This crazed crone is nearly 200 years old; a

halfway undead being kept alive by a mix of

virulent plagues coursing through her veins in

symbiosiswithherbodythankstoherdevotion

to NUggok, the Quathroc lord of decay and

disease. Thulguk holds a deep and abiding

hatredofmankind,butiswellawareofthattheanmunakwereneverdestinedforgreatness;her

bitternessmeansshesimplywishestobringas

muchdestruction,painanddecaytothemortal

worldaspossible.Thulguk will not yield or rest as long as the

slightest hope of continuing her work in the

Templeremains.Sheisnofoolandiswillingto

retreat or regroup, but will keep coming backuntil no hope remains. If all or most of her

followers are slain or driven off while she

remainsalive,shewillcreateundeadminionsto

serve her instead. She normally refrains from

using her plagueundead since her anmunak

minions are deathly afraid of them, but has

releasedafewoftheminthevalleybelowboth

towardoffintrudersandtokeepherfollowersinline.

XhuctulaghHD6+6;HP39;ACtrunk14(asleather),tentacles16

(aschain);D6@+6,D6

Tentacles: Attacks with D6 tentacles per round,reducedbyoneforeachcurrentlygrappledtarget(a

result of zero or less indicates no attack). The

tentacles reachupto30.A successfulhitrequiresasave vs Paralyzation to avoid being grappled.

Grappled targets suffer automatic damage on their

turneachround.TheycanstrugglefreeonaStrcheck

(Diff 2) or hack their way free and inflict weapon

damageonasuccessfulToHitrollif theyhavea tiny

slashing weapon, such asa dagger, available. On its

turn,Xhuctulaghcandragthegrappled target10or

letgoasitwishes.

Putrescence: This creature carries innumerable

pathogensfromallsortsofworlds.Touchingtheslime

on the trunk requires a save vs Poison to avoidcontractingadiseasefromthetableabove.Afavorite

tactic is to drag victims against the trunk when

grappled.

Defenses/Weaknesses: Immunity to all types of

disease. Cure Disease causes 5D6 damage (save vs

Poisonforhalf).

InitshomeonthedistantplanetoftheQuathroc,

Xhuctulaghspawnedfromapustuleontherear

end ofNUggok, lordofplaguesand disease. It

considers itself one of the outer gods favoredservants, and resents being sent to this faroff

andinconsequentialrealminserviceof a lowly

mortal. As a deathless being it is content to

simplywait,butwilljumpatthechancetocause

pain,spreaddiseaseorcircumventthewishesofThulguk.

Thisdemonmanifests itself asa bubbling,pus

covered5wideandtallcentraltrunkcoveredin

severaloozingeyesgivingitallroundvision.Ithasnovisiblemouthorotherorifice,andisonly

able to communicate through magical means.

Elongated, probing tentacles resembling

earthworms erupt through the things skin at

irregularintervals,andareusedtointeractwiththeenvironmentandincombat.

D4 Putrescent Diseases

1 Bile Plague. Lose 1 CON each day until dead, save vsPoison4eachdaytoshakeoff.Highlycontagious.

2 VNurian Gut. Immediately evacuate bowels and vomit,cankeepnofood/drinkdown.Actsat4.SavevsPoisonat4eachdayordeathfromshock/dehydration.

3 FleshEater.LosesD3fromallphysicalattributeeachdayuntil dead. Becomes plague zombieupon death, bite ofplaguezombiespreadsthisdisease.Onlymagicalcures.

4 BleedingTears.Uncontrollablebleedingfromeyes,causing1damageperhouruntildeath.

Befouled Armor

This terrifying armor is made from the skin of a plague

demon. A vile stench surrounds the wearer causing a 5

penalty to Reaction Rolls with civil ized beings and

appropriatereactionsfromanimals.ItprotectsasChainbut

encumbersas leather, and grants thewearer theabilityto

regenerate1HPperhour.

If worn until 3 or more HP have been restored by its

regenerative powers, thearmorwill fusewith thewearers

skinandbecomeimpossibletoremovewithouttheuseofa

WishorHealspell.


11/20


TheverysourceoftheCrispflow,atleastinthe

ancient legends of the anmunak, is a deepmountainlakeatthefarnorthwesternendofthe

valley. Along the shoreline of this lake lies a

smallgatheringofhillsoverlookingatinyisland,

andatthisspottheanmunakburiedtheirmost

revered chieftains at the height of their

dominanceoftheWindfareDale.

Thissitewasabandonedastheanmunakfellto

Quathroc worship, and has since been lootedtwice;firstbytheoriginalinvadersofthisvalley.

They left behind a band of hideous, ghoullikeundead created by a cursed follower of

UathaglChak, who dwell beneath the ground

here and attempt to consume anything living

they find; they are cursed with an insatiable

hungerandhavelongagognawedthebonesoftheirancestorsclean.

Thulgukandherminionscameheresecond,only

a short time ago. They made away with somegrave goods but quickly noticed the deadly

secrets of the tunnels under the hills and left.

Thulgukforbadeherfollowersfromreturning.

Exploring the areaTheforestthatdominatestheplateaugiveswayto an open area here, and all the landmarks

notedonthemapbelowareeasilyvisiblefrom

severalhexesawayinthedaytimeexceptforthe

hiddenexitat12.07.Achillmistrisesfromthe

lake in the mornings, regardless of the season,andthelakeiscoveredinicethroughthewinter.

Nomatterthetimeofyear,thewaterinthelake

isicecoldandswimminginitisverydangerous.

Thereshouldbenorandomencountersrolledin

thisarea;allcreaturesontheplateau including

the anmunak shun this place, even during the

day.However, thereis a2in6 chance that theparty is discovered by the undead below for

each night spent in the area (unless they have

already made their presence known by going

below) and after that a 4in6 chance that theundeadstageanattackifanothernightisspent

in the areawhileany creatures are stillalivebelow.

Ifthecreaturesattackduringthenight,thefirst

attack will be a prodding assault by a small

number(2D4)whohavedaredtoventureaway

fromthetunnels.Theyarelikelytofleequickly

atthefirstsignofopposition,butthefollowingnighttheStarvingOneswillreturninforce;3D6

ofthemwillattackenmasse,tryingtoapproach

stealthilyinthedarkuntiltheirhungergetsthe

betterofthemandtheysimplychargeforth.

These attacks will become successively worse

untilnocreaturesremainorthepartyleavesthe

area; for each new attack, an additional D6

creaturesjoinin(4D6inthethirdattack,5D6in

the fifth and so on) but the Starving Ones areboundtotheburialmoundsandcannotventurefar from them. Keep a tally of any creatures

killedbythecharacters;thereisafiniteamount

that will join in these attacks, and killing off

many on the surface will mean fewer are

encountered in the tunnels below (the exacteffect of these losses is detailed in the

descriptionofthetunnelsbelow).

The Starving Ones (56)HD2; AC15 (hide/dodge);2@+2,D6(FeedingMaw);ML6;

Moveasunencumberedhuman;Undeadimmunities

FeedingMaw:Ifbothclawattackshit,aStarvingOnelatches

on to its target and begins feeding, causing D8 damage

automaticallyeachfollowingrounduntilthevictimisdead.It

willresumefeedingon adeadvictimfor2D6roundsifnot

attacked.Thetargetofafeedingisconsideredgrappled,and

may donothing butattempt tobreakfree with a Strength

check(Diff3)or bymakingasuccessful attack at2witha

smallorminorweapon(whichalsocausesnormaldamage).

Thesehideousundeadareonlyvaguelyrecognizableasthe

anmunak they once were. They appear almost impossibly

thinandemaciated,withadeathlypaleskinwhichshowsall

bonesandjointsbeneathit.Theyhaveempty,fishlikeeyesandahugeprotrudingmouthfilledwithlong,needlesharp

teeth and longhookedclaws.They area cowardlylot,and

must check for morale asstandard beings, butwillalways

overcome their fears eventually and come crawling back,

drivenbytheirunendinghunger.

Sacred Burial Grounds

1Hex=150


12/20


10.10: Abandoned campThulguks minions established this recently

abandonedcampsitewhentheyfirstenteredthisarea. Theremainshavebeenthoroughlylooted

bytheStarvingOnes,buttheyhaveleftbehind

anythingnot edible; this includes 16 torches, 5

stonetippedjavelinsandacoupleofhidebound

shields.

07.08: Burial moundThis50longovalmoundiscoveredwithgreen

grass. The entryway lies through a stone

archway,andthestoneslabthatoncecoveredit

liestoppledandsmashedonthegroundbeside

it.Beyond,a10widestairwaywithcrudestonefootstepsleadsdowntochamber1onthetunnel

map.

TheStarvingOnescanemergefromthismoundatnightunlesstheentrancehasbeensealed.

10.08: Excavated moundThis large, 100 long oval mound has been

excavated and lays halfopen to the sky. Thestone doorway andentrance tunnel still stand,

butarealsopartiallycollapsed.Theentireinside

hasbeenlooted,andnothingbutpotteryshards,

wellgnawed bones and unidentifiable debris

remains. The tunnel connecting this mound tothetunnelsbelowiscoveredwiththestoneslab

thatonceservedasthedoorofthemound;ifitisremovedusingthepropertools,thetunnelscan

beenteredatarea2.

If the stoneslabis removed, the Starving Ones

canemergefromhereatnight.

06.07: Burial moundThismoundisidenticaltotheoneat07.08,but

thestairwayconnectstochamber3below.

08.07: Stone circle and altarThiscircleofstandingstonesrisesatthehighest

pointofthelakesidehills.Oftheninestonesinthe circle, three have fallen. A huge stone lies

atop the two stones facing to the southeast,

formingaportalwhichthetrailwindsthrough.A

large stone altar stands in the center of thecircle.

Ancientandweatherwornpictogramsdepicting

theoldanimalgodsoftheanmunakdecoratethestanding stones and the altar. Many of these

have been defaced, and a large circle with the

symbol of UathaglChak in its center has been

carved into the top of the altar. This symbol

seems,oddlyenough,tobefilledwithcakedanddriedblood as from some recent sacrifice, and

will always remainsoregardlessofweatherorcircumstances.Itispossibletocleanthisoff,but

thedriedbloodwillreturnassoonasthesymbol

is left unattended unless the magic circle in

chamber8belowhasbeendisrupted.

12.07: Secret tunnelAsmallopeningabout5indiameterbeneatha

large birch tree opens into the tunnels below

here.Thetunnelleadstoarea4below.

TheStarvingOnesoftenemergefromthistunnel

atnight,especially ifthepartyis camped ator

keepinganobviouswatchonthemoundexits.

10.06: Sealed burial moundThis mound is still sealed with a heavy stone

slab; it requires a Strength check (Diff 1) to

move.Uptothreecharacterscanhelpwiththeeffort, each after the first adding +1 to the

chance before their Str mod, tools can also

heavilymodifytheroll.

If the entrance is opened, there is a 10 wide

descending passage beyond with crude stone

stepswhichdescendsintoarea5below.

Ifthe stoneslabis removed,theStarving Ones

canemergefromhereatnight.

06.04: Island monumentThis stone monument is raised at the highestpoint of a small and almost barren island. The

monumentitselfisa20tallstonepillarcovered

with rough carvings of the anmunaks four

principalgods.

Lyingagainstthemonumentinthegrassarethe

remainsofanadventurerwhofledherefromthe

StarvingOnesbutsuccumbedtohiswounds;he

hasscratchedthewordsThehungryonescomeat night on the monument with a chisel. The

remains appear to be decades old, and are

mostlybonesandtattersortoorottedorrusted

tobesalvaged, but if searched a goldnecklace

worth 100 SP and engraved with the nameThorbencanbefound.

On top of the monument, in a carved bowl

shaped depression, rest three waxsealed clayjars; one Potion of Neutralize Poison and two

PotionsofCureSeriousWounds.


13/20


The Underground TunnelsAfewofthesetunnelswereexcavatedandbuiltbytheformerinhabitantsofthisarea,andused

forritualpurposes.Thesepartsincludeallsolid

lineson the map and all but one of the rooms

(room 6 is the exception). These areas areprimitively but reasonably well built, with

flagstonefloorsandwallssetwithstone,andare

stillingoodcondition.

Thedotted lineson themaprepresent earthen

tunnelswhichhavebeendugoutbytheStarvingOnesoverthelastcenturies,andarethusmuch

cruder; they are cramped (usually about 5 in

diameter),andtheywindandtwist.Onetunnel

connects to a large natural cavern (Room 6),

where the Lake Creature keeping the Starving

Onesinthesetunnelshasitslair.

Whilst moving around in these tunnels, thecharactersareverylikelytoattracttheattention

oftheStarvingOnes.Withtheexceptionofone

room(8),thereisnonaturallightinthetunnels,sotheywillmostlikelybeusingalightsource,

which the Starving Ones do not need. In the

short term, the Starving Ones in a single area

willassaultanything livingtheyencounter,andsounds will not travel far enough to alert any

others, but as soon as one or more of them

escapethenewsofintruderswillspreadquickly,

andconsideringtheirweakmoralethisismore

likelytohappenthannot.

To simulate this, these tunnels do not use the

normal procedure for wandering monsters.

Instead,arollshouldbemadeevery3turnson

thetablebelow.

The suggested method for managing the

Starving Ones is to determine their actualnumbers per each Room as soon as the partyentersthetunnels.Thesenumbersarestatedin

eachRoomdescription,butarealsoaffectedbylossesinflictedbythecharactersbothonearlier

visitstothetunnelsandinbattlesaboveground.

Since these set amounts of Starving Ones will

movearoundthetunnelsinadeterminableway

perthe table below, theirmovement shouldbefairlyeasytotrackafterthis.

The low morale score of these creatures will

likely mean that they will be driven off many

times. They will not surrender or plead formercy,however;iftheyareevercorneredinan

areatheywillfightferociously.

D6 Undetected Detected

1Patrol2D4StarvingOnesfromadjacentroom.Willattempt

ambush.

Coordinated assault

Step1 Newsspread;runnersentfromeachalertedroomtoadjacentnonalertedrooms,whichthenbecomealerted.

Step2 Firstwave;allremainingStarvingOnesinadjacentroomsimmediatelyattack.

Step3 Secondwave;allStarvingOnesinnonadjacentalertedroomsattackbyclosestpossibleroute.Atnight;atleastonegroupwillattempttouseanoverlandroute.

2 ScoutStarvingOnefromadjacentroom.Willavoidcombat.

Ambush StarvingOnesinalertedadjacentroomsattackusingstealth.Atnight;attackusinganoverlandrouteifpossible.Daytime/otherwise;crawlsilentlythroughtunnelandchargeout(normalchanceofsurpriseunlesspartyhastakenprecautions).

3 Noactivity Charge StarvingOnesinadjacentalertedroomsattackimmediatelyandenmasse.Theywillbeheardcoming.

4 Noactivity Sounds Veryloudhootsandscreamsheardfromarandomlydeterminedadjacentalertedroom(loudenoughtotravelthetunnels).

5- 6 Noactivity Noactivity

Anyescaped/undetectedStarvingOne;partyisDetected,destinationofscout/escapeeisAlerted


14/20


Room descriptionsTheentriesfortreasureputin Italicsrepresentstreasurehiddenenough torequirea successful

searchorlookingintherightplace.Inseveralof

theserooms,treasureisalsopresentinalcoves

or other types of grave sites. Searching theserequirestime; a single character cansearch10

alcovesinoneTurn.

Starving One distributionWhenthepartyentersthesetunnels,distribute

the Starving Ones who are still undefeated as

follows(keepgoingalongthelistaslongasany

arelefttoplace).

1. Place11inchamber62. Place12inchamber13. Place10inchamber74. Place10inchamber55. Place8inchamber36. Place5inchamber2

1. Burial chamberThisearthenburialchamberhasavaguelyoval

shape,anditswallsarecoveredwithalcoveson

threedifferentlevels.Theremainsinthesehaveall been thoroughly picked apart, and little

remainsexceptscatteredremainsofclothesand

gravegoods.

A raised platform inthe center ofthe chamber

holds three largestone sarcophagi, all of them

opened with their shattered lids fallen beside

them. They have been desecrated in a similar

mannertothealcoves.

The Starving Ones care little for valuables,

however,so ifthepartychooses tospendtime

searching this chamber there is treasure tobefound.

Alcoves (80): Silver armband (50 SP), silver

headdress(120),silverearrings(100SP),

Sarcophagus (false bottom): Obsidian and gold

headdress(1200SP),claytablettellingthetaleofwhentheQuathroccametoWindfareDale(or

someothersuitablelocallegend).

2. Small chamberA heavy stone slab covers anopening into the

excavatedmoundabove,withashortandsteep

stairway leading up to it. Below, there is asmaller chamber with many alcoves along the

wallsfilledwithdesecratedremains.

Movingtheslabfrombelowisimpossible,butit

canbeshiftedfromabovewiththepropertools.Ifthere are any StarvingOnesbelowwhen the

slab is moved, they will attempt to hide andambushwhoevercomesdownthestairsfirst.

Alcoves(50):Jadestatuette(80SP)

3. Burial chamberA large oval chamber contains eight richlydecorated stone sarcophagi, all of which have

beenopenedandlootedalongtimeago.Acrude

statue which appears to have depicted aman

sizedowlliestoppledonthefloor.

Theskeletonof some unfortunate explorer liescrushedbeneaththetoppledstatue.Ifthestatue

ismoved, itwillamazingly assembleandcometolife,animatedbytheUndyingAmulethanging

arounditsneck.

Sarcophagi(8):Brokensilverjewellery(75SP)

4. Hidden tunnelAn8diametertunneldugbytheStarvingOnes

emergesonthesideofahillockhere.Itishardto

spotfromfarawaysinceitissituatedinathick

grove of elm trees, but is not purposefullyhidden.

5. Burial chamberThis oval chamber contains a stone altar

decorated with images of bears, and a huge

amountofsmallburialalcoveslinethewalls.It

stillhas a sealed entrance fromabove, but theStarvingOnes havedug a tunnel into the crypt

frombelowalongtimeago,andhavescavenged

anyremainsandscatteredcrackedandgnawed

bonesalloverthechambersfloor.

Openingthestoneslabfrombelowisveryhard;

it requiresa strengthcheck (Diff1)but onlya

singlepersoncanmaketheattemptfromhere.

IfthereareStarvingOnespresentherewhenthe

partyopensthestoneslabfromabove,theywill

withdrawtothetunnelentranceandambushthe

firstcharacterthatcomesdownthestairs.

Alcoves(100):GoldenTrinitysymbol (200SP),brokensilverjewellery(100SP)

6. Subterranean cavernThislargecavernismorethan200across,and

almost 100 from floor to ceiling. The tunnel

from the north enters the cavern near the

ceiling,andalongslopeofbouldersleadsfrom

there down to the underground lake in thesouthernpartofthecavern.

TheStarvingOnesdugtheirwayintothishuge

cavernastheyweredrawntothestrangeLakeCreature that dwells here, and lured by the

promise of fish in the water. After an initial


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confrontation with the creature, a reluctantalliancewasformed,andtheStarvingOnesnow

consider this chamber their lair and will

withdrawtoheretomaketheirlaststandiftheir

numbers are severely decimated. If cornered

here, they will hide under the surface of the

waternearthelakeshoreandemergeinconcertwiththeLakeCreatureinafinalassault,fighting

tothebitterend.

7. Temple chamberThis central underground temple has no

entrancefromaboveground.Itwasbuiltbytheoriginal architects to serve as a preparation

chamber for burials, and is dominated by two

largestonetables in its center. The remains of

hundreds of clay urns and jars which have all

been smashed by the Starving Ones litter the

floor of this chamber. These make sneakingthroughverydifficult.

The walls are decorated with a multitude ofstonecarvings,oftendefacedorbrokenbutstill

clearlydepictingpriestspayingtributetotheold

animalgodsoftheanmunakandadepictionof

theafterlifeasanendlesshuntinggroundfilled

with nowextinct prey animals such as

mammothsandgiantelk.

The doorway in the northern part of this

chamberiscoveredwithwhatappearstobethe

lidofasarcophaguswhichhasbeenhoistedup

against it. It is hard to move barehanded(Strength check Diff 1) but using the proper

tools it can easily be toppled. Moving it will

makeafairamountofnoise,however.

8. Inner sanctumThis room lies directly beneath the circle of

standing stones above, and served as a focuswhere the priestswere able to communewith

theirgods;thebarrierstothespiritworldthey

once contacted is thin here, and the invading

Quathrocworshippersutilizedthistodesecratethe place and summon a powerful servant of

UathaglChak which fuels the curse upon theStarvingOnes.

The roomis perfectly circular, with four6tall

obelisks placed symmetrically in the center of

the room forming a 10 square. The walls are

linedwithmorethanahundredanmunakskulls,

lined up in small alcoves and decorated withetchingsandallgazingtowardsthecenterofthe

Servant of UathaglChak

HD 5; HP 22; AC 14; 1@+5,3D4; ML 12; Move as

unencumberedhuman;Antimatter

Antimatter:Thiscreatureisalientothisworld,whichgrants

itimmunitytoallformsofdamageandmakesitimmuneto

mindaffectingmagic.Theonlyexceptionispositiveenergy

attacks; healing spellsandeffects causethe like amountofdamagetothecreature.ItsattackstargetACunmodifiedby

shield and/or armor and causes horrible tissuedisrupting

damagewhichleavesheavyscarring.

Thisbeinghasnophysicalformin ourworld;it isentirely

composedofantimatter,whichcannotbeseen,althoughit

canobserveusaroundit.Beingabletoseetheinvisiblewill

showavagueoutlineof thecreaturewhereit disturbsour

reality; thisoutlinepulses andtakes shapes unsettling and

disturbing to a mortal viewer, but impossible to describe

with words. Gazing upon the creature with True Seeing,

which is the only way of actually seeing it, will instantly

striketheviewerblind.

If released from its glyph, it will attack anything living

indiscriminatelybutwillalsobegintoberejectedbyrealityinstantly,suffering1HPofdamageperround.Assoonasit

reaches0HP,itwillimplodeandvanish.

Lake CreatureHD 7; HP 31; AC 18 (body), 16 (tentacles);

4/8@+7,D6+Suction;ML10;Relicmind,PsionicPulse

Suction:Twoofthecreaturesfourattacksaremadeusingits

extendedgrapplingtentacles.Ifthesehit,thearmswilllatchonwith powerful suckers and coil around a mansized or

smaller target, dealing automatic crushing damage of D6

eachroundunlessthetentacleissevered.

Tentacles: The creature has ten separate tentacles. It will

attackwithonlyfourofthemonland,includingthegrappling

appendages.If inthewater, itwillattackusingupto eight

tentacles.Thesametargetcanonlyeverbeattackedbytwo

tentacles in one round, however. Those attacked by a

tentacle,orstandingadjacenttosomeonebeingattacked,can

choosetodirecttheirattacksagainstitinstead;eachtentacle

has10separateHP,butwillbecomeuselessifsevered.

Relicmind: The strange cephalopod brain of this creature

meansitisimmunetomindaffectingmagicsuchasCharm

and Hold, and that any attempts to detect it or read its

thoughtsusingmagicarefoiled.

Psionicpulse:Thecreatureradiateswavesofhatredaround

it,causingintensenauseaandconfusioninanyhuman,dwarf

orHalflingthatapproacheswithin30.Thoseaffectedmust

rollasavevsParalyzationeachroundinordertoact;failure

meanstheyareinsteadStunned.

Thiscreatureresemblesa10longnautilus(asquidwithan

externalshell),whichisabletowalkwithanungainlygaiton

landbyusingsixofitstententacles.Itsshellismadefroma

beautifulmotherofpearllikematerialwhichshimmersina

multitudeofcolors.

Asaspawnofanolderageitisanimallike,butalsohasa

strangely alien intelligencewhichhas allowed it to reason

withandformanalliancewiththeStarvingOnes.Itdesires

nothingbut tobe left aloneto its brooding, butitsintensehatredofyoungerthingswillmakeitattackintrudersintoits

caverelentlessly.Thepulseofhatredthecreatureemanates

iswhathasenabledittobondwiththeStarvingOnes,since

theyfeelitasadeeplyresoundingsympathy.

Thecreaturesshellisveryvaluable(3000SP),andcanalso

be used to make armor, shields and magic items which

protect againstmindaffectingmagic. Itweighs around 300

lbsifcleanedout.


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room. On the floor between the obelisks, a

warding circle 8 in diameter made up of

intertwinedalien shapeshasbeen drawnusing

somesortofpurplemetallicpaint.

The servant of UathaglChak still remains,

trapped inside thewarding circle. It is entirelyinvisible, and will refuse to interact with thecharacters or give any kind of response to

questionseven iftheycandetector senseit; itdoes notunderstandanyearthen language and

even if it can be communicated with it has no

humanlikeintelligenceorinterestinbargaining.

Thecircleisfairlyeasytodisrupt;DispelMagicwilldothetrick,butruiningthecirclearoundits

edges has the same effect. It also poses no

physical barrier to anything other than the

creature, and the creature will immediately

attackanyonewhostepswithinitsboundaries.If the creature should be killed or the circlebroken in any way, the curse on the Starving

Oneswillloseitspowerandtheywillallbegintodecay;theywillactasif confusedfor2D6turns

as the tunnels descend into madness and will

thenreverttothecorpsestheyoncewere.


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Undying AmuletThe obsidian arrowhead this amulet is madefromappearsextremelyoldandweathered,but

themetalstrapandleatherthongseemtobea

rather recent addition. The edges of the

arrowhead are very sharp and jagged, andhandlingtheamulet frequently results in small

cutswhichbleedprofusely.

The amulet is featured in some old elven and

imperial legends; usually intheperiphery,only

mentioned inpassing.Oldlegends saythat it isthe weapon used the very first time a human

killed an elf, and that it was imbued with its

powers due to the intense envy humans have

alwaysfeltforthebeautyandlonglifeofthefair

folk.

Regardlessofitsorigins,theUndyingamuletisa

powerfulitem,withoneprimaryfunction;itcangrantahumanthelifespanofanelf.Inorderto

do this, the amulet must be wetted with the

blood ofthe onewilling toform the bond, andthenwornbythesamepersonforafullday.At

this point, the bonding is permanent and

irreversible. The bondedhumanwill age asan

elf from this point on, aging at a rate

appropriateforthegameworld(often1/10ofahumans,butpossiblyevenbecomingimmortal).

Also, thewearer becomesChaotic and immune

toSleepandCharmeffects.

Inordertomaintainthisslowaging,thebonded

personneedstobeclosetotheamulet.Foreach

hourhe/sheisseparatedfromit(subjecttoGMs

discretion,but not inhis/her possession is a

good definition), a save vs Spell is required failure means aging one human year instantly.

This processcannot behalted, and neither can

thebondbebrokenonceformedunlesstheGM

allowsforaWishorsimilarpowerfulmagictodo

thetrick.

The amulet radiates a very powerful aura of

necromanticmagic,whichisimpossibletomask

with any method, and can thus be hard to

conceal from those who know of it. Without

magic, however, its effects are not discernibleanda wearer couldpotentiallybecomebonded

with itwithoutrealizing this (andgo on toget

ridofitanddyingwithoutlearningwhy).

Clinging to l ifeThe amulet in no way renders the wearer

immunetophysicaldamage,andhe/shecanbe

killedbymostthingsapartfromage

(much like an elf). However, if theamulet is taken away from the

bonded wearer after death by

another person, he/she willimmediately rise as an undead

attempttorecoverit.Thebodywillreformifatallpossible,butifithas

been destroyed or is somehow

restrainedthespiritwillrise.

HD as wearer; AC 12 (unarmored);

spec@+HD,D8;undeadimmunities

Abilities: The creature receives one

attack, plus one per 5 full HD if

corporeal.Ifincorporeal,ithasthesameabilities and immunities as a wraith

(including level drain). Unerringly

knows the location of the Undying

Amulet if it is on the same plane of

existence.

If this undead creature is slain, itwill reform again within 24 hours.

The only way to prevent thiswithoutreturningtheamulettothe

creature (which it will make off

with, returning to the site of its

death) is if another human bonds

with the amulet; the soul of theformerbondedowneristhenlostto

thevoidandhe/shewillnotreform.


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D6Random Encounters at the Source of the Crispflow

Lower Valley Lake Ravine Upper Valley

1

AnmunakHuntingPartyD3hunters(bow,spear,hidearmor),rollD6;

AnmunakPatrolD4warriors(club,shield,javelin,hidearmor),50%chance+1leader(maxHP),

rollD6;

AnmunakPatrol2D3warriors(club,shield,javelin,hidearmor),50%chance+1leader(maxHP,

bonearmor),rollD6;13 Stalking/hiding4 Cleaningkill 1 Ambush 1 Ambush

5 Travelling 24 Patrolling 24 Patrolling

6 Relaxing 56 Fishing 56 Relaxing/camped

anmunakdrivenfromvalley;noencounter.Atnight;torch/campfire(unlessambushing/stalking).

2

DiseasedBearHD4;hp16;AC14;1@+4,D6;

2@+4,D3

RollforreactionLair:05.17

2D6CliffBaboons(14tot)HD1;AC13;1@+1,D6;

1R@+1,D4

RollforreactionLair:10.12

GiantForestSnakeHD5;hp24;AC14;

1@+5,D6&constrict(2d6)

Hostile

Ifspecificcreature(s)slain;noencounter.

3

GiantEagleHD5;hp26;AC14;2@+5,D8;1@+5,D6,

swoop,grab

Rollforreaction(seeksfoodforyoung)Lair(nest):01.23

GiantHermitCrabHD3;hp14;AC18;

2@+3,D8Rollreaction

Ifspecificcreatureslain;noencounter.Ifrolledatnighttime;reroll.

4

2D6PlagueSkeletonsHD1;AC12;1@+1,D6;putridaura;disease;

undeadimmunities

Hostile,alwaysapproachfromriver/lake

2D4MosquitoBatsHD1;AC12;1@+2,D4&

blooddrain(D4)

Hostile

51D6GiantFerretsHD2;AC14;1@+2,D6Rollforreaction,voracious

1D6GiantFrogsHD2+2;AC13;1@+2,D6&

tongue/swallow

Rollforreaction

D6StranglervinesHD2;AC13;1@+2,D6&

constrict(D6);surprise4/6

Hostile,stationary

6

WilmerofIronhold(SeeHex12.20)

Daytime;scouting

Nighttime;cleansingriver

Avoidscontact

PlagueddischargeWaterfallturnsbrown/green,

putridsmell,lastsD6rounds

Anmunakwarparty2D4warriors(club,shield,

javelin,hidearmor),leader(maxHP,bonearmor),

shaman(CL2,bonearmor)Hostile

Wilmerslain;noencounter.anmunak

drivenfromvalley;greetsparty. Plaguedtemplecleansed;no

encounter.AnmunakunawareofPCs;reroll.

Anmunakdrivenfromvalley;no

encounter.


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1square=10


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Foulest Waters

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