Official Game Adventure

Dragons of Flameby Douglas Niles

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROLOGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Astinus the Lorekeeper returns, reflecting upon the past and uncertainfuture of Krynn.

THE STORY:The heroes endeavor to resist the growing might of the Dragonlords, playingtheir roles in the midst of war and destruction.

Chapter 5: Que Kiri and the Plains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .in which the fires of the Dragonlords spread over Abanasinia.

Chapter 6: Solace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where the dragonmen hold sway over the first home and the Last Home.

Chapter 7: The Slave Caravan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The ox-drawn wagons move toward Pax Tharkas and its slave mines.

Chapter 8: Elvenhome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Where the party rests for a spell, hears song and legend, and learns of the Sia-Mori.

Chapter 9: To the Walls of Pax Tharkas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . .The perilous tunnels of the Sla-Mori—the secret entrance to the dragonmen’sfortress.

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1 1

1 9

2 2

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Chapter 10: The Tharkadan Towers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The quest presents its greatest challenge, here in the heart of the fortress.

EPILOGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thus is concluded another portion of the epic. The heroes again are journeying,through their road remains unclear.

APPENDICESHere are the tools of the story. That which is new is explained, as are encountersby fate alone.

Appendix 1: Random Encounter Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0Appendix 2: Monsters, Creatures, & Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1Appendix 3: Treasures and Tomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1Appendix 4: Canticle of the Dragon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

PLAYER CHARACTER CARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17These are the Innfellows, the heroes of DRAGONLANCE

Original Concept: Tracy HickmanEditors: Michael Williams and Michael DobsonThe DRAGONLANCE Design Team:

Tracy Hickman, Michael Dobson, Larry Elmore, JeffGrubb, Harold Johnson, Douglas Niles, Carl Smith,Margaret Weis, Michael Williams

Product Design: Bruce Lewis, Elizabeth RiedelArt: Jeff EasleyCartographer: Stephen D. SullivanCanticle by Michael WilliamsSong by Tracy Hickman and Michael Williams

Arranged by Frank Mentzer

Printed in USAISBN 0-88039-087-X9132

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by RandomHouse, Inc. and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.

Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.

Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR (UK) Ltd.

This module is protected under the copyright laws of the UnitedStates of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of thematerial or artwork contained herein is prohibited without theexpress written permission of TSR, Inc.

DRAGONLANCE, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONSAD&D, and PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION are trade-marks of TSR, Inc.

© 1984 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Permission granted to photocopy orprint this product for personal use.

Let your mind float free, Dungeonmaster; castyour thoughts toward the troubled world ofKrynn—to the Age of Despair after the greatCataclysm that brought ancient civilization toan end. Now Krynn is threatened once again:this time by the domination of the Dragon-lords and their inhuman minions. Now, Dun-geonmaster, enter the mind of Astinus ofPalanthus, Lorekeeper of Krynn, who sighs ashe rises from the crystal globe of wisdom,weary from traveling the world in his spiritform, weary from following the trails of his-tory to their ends. Slowly he stands, and shuf-fles across the floor to a table piled high withparchment scrolls. He dips a quill pen into aninkpot, and begins once more to scribe. . .

. . . from the Iconochronos o Astinus of Palan-thus, Lorekeeper of Krynn, in the 351st yearafter the Cataclysm.

. . . Darkness has fallen over this world, poor,suffering Krynn. Thus it has been since thegreat Cataclysm, when the old world fell.Curse the High Priest of Istar, whose pridecaused him to give orders to the True Gods,rather than to ask humbly for their aid. Forthe Gods punished Krynn for this blasphemy,and much was forever lost. Lost were the greatcities, the accumulated wisdom and knowl-edge of many generations. Lost as well was allknowledge of the True Gods, and mankindsank into idolatry. Clerics lost their power, andmankind lost hope for its salvation.

But hope always springs from the mostmodest of causes, and so it was that the Innfel-lows began the salvation of Krynn. Originallythere were seven: Tanis, Kitiara, Flint, Tassle-hoff , Raist l in, Caramon, and Sturm. Fiveyears ago they set out from the Inn of the LastHome, seeking knowledge of the True Gods.In five years they found nothing, and so allreturned to the sleepy town of Solace, thetree-city built in a Vallenwood grove. Allreturned save one: Ki t iara the beaut i ful ,whose whereabouts are yet unknown.

Tanis was the leader, a half-elf born of anelf mother who was taken by a human turnedsavage in the terrible times that followed theCataclysm. The elves took him in, and he wasraised in Qualinesti, elf home. But he is evertorn between his human and elf halves, andhas found the wanderlust strong within him.He has roamed the world and seen much, yethis heart is split between the fiery Kitiara, ahuman woman, and the elf maid Laurana.

Caramon and Raist l in are twins—yetunlike as night and day. Caramon is bright,Raistlin is dark. Carmamon is a fighter of

great strength and courage; Raistlin is a sor-cerer gone cynical, a doubter. They have sur-vived great and terrible trials. The tests thatRaistlin underwent to become a sorcerer lefthim with skin the color of worthless gold andpupils the shape of hourglasses—he sees theconstant, terrible effects of time.

Sturm Brightblade was the son of aKnight of Solamnia raised in secrecy. Now tak-ing up the mantle of his father, his most puis-sant knightly aim is to die nobly in a battleagainst his enemies. His motto is Perunde occadaver— Obedience Unto Death. He is aman of military bearing, of great dignity, andof power—a true knight.

Flint Fireforge is a fighter of the HillDwarf race, distrustful of all—including otherdwarven races (especially the cursed Aghar,the Gully Dwarves). Now of grandfatherlyage , he i s bu t two dwarven genera t ionsremoved from the great Cataclysm itself! Hisfamily was killed through the neglect of theMountain Dwarves, and now he seeks toavenge his people.

Tasslenhoff Burrfoot is a Handler ( Iwould say thief) of the Kenderpeople, a half-ling in size but a giant in curiosity He is a trea-sure of odd information, of useful insights,and of clever solutions to knotty problems.

These were the original Innfellows, butthe puzzle was not yet complete. For, on theday of their return to Solace, they met Gold-moon, a princess of the Que-Shu tribe, andher love r R ive rw ind , a Ranger o f g rea tstrength and few words. Riverwind, a poorman’s son, had quested far to prove the worthof his love to Goldmoon’s father. After manytrials, he obtained the Blue Crystal Staff thatbelonged to the Goddess Mishakal. His tribenearly stoned him to death, not recognizingthe power of the staff, but when Goldmooncame to die with him, the staff transportedthem away.

Fate was at work. The True Gods, work-ing through subtlety, as is their wont, hadbegun the redemption of Krynn.

Yet good cannot triumph over evil beforeevil has had its day. From the north, the dra-gonarmies marched, laying waste to the landand enslaving the people. Solace, Gateway,and even the ancient elfhome of Qualinestilay in their path.

Was the meeting of the Innfellows andGoldmoon and Riverwind chance or fate? Noone knows but the Gods. But however it hap-pened, it proved to be the first key to the sal-vation of Krynn.

The Heroes, led by Tanis, first found theForestmaster of the Darken Wood, a unicorn

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of great wisdom. And so they learned of XakTsaroth, an ancient city fallen to evil. Nowoccupied by draconians, the mysterious, evilservants of the Dragonlords, Xak Tsarothproved to be the home of the darkest of evil:Onyx, a Black Dragon.

Ah, you say. A Dragon. A creature ofmyth. The great serpents are only tales withwhich to frighten young children, you think.Yet though dragons have not entered Krynn inover one thousand years, they have returned.How have the Dragonlords brought the ser-pents into Krynn? How have they gained suchpower? How can mere man stand against anarmy of dragons? These questions plague me,and I cannot sleep.

But the power of the True Gods shoneforth. The Crystal Staff was blessed by theGoddess Mishakal, whose great power is thatof Healing. The crystal staff destroyed thedragon onyx, and so were discovered theDisks of the Gods, which brought knowledgeof the True Gods back to Krynn.

And miracle of miracles. Goldmoonbecame the first true Cleric of Krynn aftermany dark centuries! Truly fate has shinedupon us.

But even now, as the weary adventurersjourney back toward the imagined safety ofSolace, the Dragonlords’ armies are on themarch. Solace has been laid waste. Evenmighty Pax Tharkas has fallen to the invaders.Imprisoned there are the families of manybrave northmen, hostages for fathers and hus-bands toiling in the iron mines surroundingthat fortress.

Where will the heroes, armed with scantknowledge, go from here? They must hurry,else Krynn is doomed.

Although weary, I must keep watching. Ishall return to my golden chair, once againgaze into the crystal globe, and let my spiritjoin the Innfellows on their quest. . .

Here ends this chapter of the Iconochronos.

“Dragons of Flame” is the second in the epicDRAGONLANCE™ series, and is designed asa sequel to DL1: “Dragons of Despair.”

DRAGONLANCE is a story. The mod-ules in the series should ideally be played as awhole, a continuing saga. Players may take onthe roles of characters in this epic quest; thecharacter information on pages 17-18 may begiven to the players. (Permission is herebygranted to copy pages 17-18 only for personaluse in playing this module) You may alsochoose to allow players to bring their ownexisting characters into the game. If so, you

will need to adjust certain characteristics tobring your characters in line with the world ofKrynn, which is different from many AD&D™adventure settings.

If you allow players to bring in their owncharacters, but sti l l want to play out theD R A G O N L A N C E e p i c , t h e f o l l o w i n gDRAGONLANCE characters must be either

player characters (PCs) or non-player charac-ters (NPCs) active in the story: Tanis, Gold-moon, Caramon, and Raistl in. (The playerp l a y i n g G o l d m o o n s h o u l d a l w a y s p l a yRiverwind as a Henchman NPC; Caramonand Raistlin may be played by the same per-son if necessary.) Tika Waylan and Gilthanasthe Elf are initially encountered as NPCs, but

may be taken by players thereafter and used asPCs for the rest of the epic.

You may also choose to adapt the settingsand encounters in this module to fit your owncampaign, and not play this as part of theDRAGONLANCE series. In doing so, youwill lose much of the richness of this world,but may use the material as you see fit.

the world of krynn

There are important differences between theworld of Krynn and standard AD&D cam-paigns. Characters who adventured in “Drag-ons of Despair” (DL1) will know most of thefollowing information. Those players andcharacters new to the world should be giventhe following background.

True clerics have been unknown in Krynnfor centuries. There are clerics, but they donot have spell powers since they worship falsegods. In DL1, the adventurers gained knowl-edge of the gods, and Goldmoon has becomethe first true cleric (with spell use) since theCataclysm. Goldmoon wears a Medallion ofFaith bearing the symbol of the GoddessMishakal. (Any PC cleric brought in from out-side the DRAGONLANCE mil ieu shouldserve the Goddess Mishakal, and wear aMedallion of Faith.) When a new true cleric

comes into being (as Elistan does in the nextmodule), the Medallion magically duplicatesitself, and the new Medallion bears the sign ofthe god that cleric worships (in Elistan’s case,the God Paladine).

A l l P C e l v e s i n t h i s a d v e n t u r e a r eQ u a l i n e s t i e l v e s . O t h e r e l v e s — t h eSylvanesti—will appear in later DRAGON-LANCE modules.

The equivalent of a halfling in this worldis called a Kender. Kender look like wizened14-year-olds and, unlike halflings, they wearshoes. These folk have two special abilities (inaddition to the usual halfling abilities):

1 . Taunt . Kender are master a t enrag ingother by verbal abuse. Any creature theKender taunts must save vs. Spells orattack wildly at once for 1-10 rounds at a -2penalty to hit and a +2 penalty to theirarmor class.

2. Fearlessness. Kender are immune to fear,either magical or non-magical. They are,however, curious about everything: a ten-dency that often gets them into trouble.

Of course, PC elves and halflings will be awareof the above information.

Gold is nearly valueless in the world ofKrynn. Steel (abbreviated “stl”) is the basictrade metal. One steel (stl) is the same weightas 1 gp. See DL1 for details. PCs that enterKrynn from other campaign environmentsmay find their personal wealth drasticallyaltered.

Finally, dragons have been absent fromKrynn for nearly 1,000 years. They are consid-ered merely legends by all who have not per-sonal ly beheld them. Characters may bethought foolish, or liars, if they talk aboutdragons to the wrong people.

dungeonmaster notes

DRAGONLANCE is a complex epic, filledwith detail, legend and history not found inmost modules. To run this module properly,you must think of it as a story, and try to moti-vate your players subtly to follow the rightpath. It is particularly important that you readthe module several times, visualize the story,and think about the different things yourplayers might do. No matter what, it will benecessary for you to improvise and ad lib fromtime to time. Successful improvisation is thesign of a good Dungeonmaster.

This module introduces several enemyNPCs, members of the Dragonarmies. Sincethese NPCs appear in later DRAGONLANCEmodules, try to make them have “obscuredeaths” if they are killed: if at all possible,their bodies should not be found. Then, whenthe NPCs appear in later modules, you have achance to explain their presence. Be creative;think up an explanation for their “miracu-lous” survival. The same rule applies to thePCs on pages 17-18. Most of them have rolesin future modules, and must be able to return

to life somehow. This does not apply to PCsother than those who are part of the story.

The text of the module refers to playercharacters in various shorthand forms: PCs,adventurers and/or heroes. Read boxed textsections aloud to your players.

If you are playing DL2 without havingplayed DLl, you must get your groupembarked on a journey to the tree-city of Sol-ace. They should hear tales of this elegantcommunity, and perhaps find that it liesdirectly in their path. In particular, a trustedNPC should tell them about the magnificenthospitality and good cheer offered by the Innof the Last Home. This NPC should also men-tion Tika Waylan as an old and trustworthyfriend.

Once this background is established, theadventure begins with encounter 1 below(Que Kiri).

The first 24 numbered encounters andevents in the module occur at various timesand in various sequences, depending on thedecisions the players make. Things are hap-

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pening rapidly in Krynn: the draconian armyis invading from almost all directions, and cer-tain things should happen to the characterswhatever path they take across the wilderness.

However, when the adventure “movesindoors” into Sla-Mori and Pax Tharkas, it isstructured more like a traditional dungeonadventure. This is to reflect the more stablenature of the ancient Sla-Mori and the well-organized draconian fortress.

At certain times in the adventure, charac-ters may have to make a Characteristic Check.If such a Check is necessary, the player rolls ad20. If the result is equal to or less than thePC’s ability score in the area called for in thecheck (Strength, Wisdom, Dexterity, etc.),the check succeeds.

The third panel of the module cover con-tains a color map of the area where theseadventures take place. Refer to this mapthroughout the adventure, and show it to theplayers when the heroes are talking to theelven speaker in Qualinesti.

Start the characters at the spot marked “X” onthe area map. They are moving westward on acloudy, chill afternoon.

Great pillars of smoke rise from beyondthe Sentinel Peaks—a grim sign that thereis trouble in Solace. How much of theonce-mighty forest of vallenwood trees hasfallen to fire? The grasslands that stretchtoward Que Kiri—a town at the gap in themountains—are hot and dry. The smokeadds an eerie touch of darkness to theautumn afternoon.

“Your journey is not complete; youmust leave here, must search for a trueLeader of the People.” This strange mes-sage, spoken through the statue of thegoddess Mishakal, suggests that your mis-sion is far from over. Where in the vastworld of Krynn will this search lead?

Here on the barren Plains of Abana-sinia, the late autumn wind bites sharply.The yellow-brown grass withers in therushing cold, but the feeling is much moredisturbing than that of a normal change ofseasons.

At many places, the plains are markedby the tracks of crude, two-wheeled cartsand many clawed footprints. Thousandsmust have passed this way. Nothing is alivehere—neither the wild animals that nor-mally inhabit these areas nor the occasionalsettler scratching a living from the harshland.

Most ominous of all these signs arethe great black scars stretching for hun-dreds of yards along the ground, oftenthrough the charred remains of farm-houses. Fire has gutted and collapsed thesedwellings. The thick smell of death anddecay fills the air, and even the wind issilent.

The PCs should have no random encoun-ters during this trek, since the Dragonlords’army has laid waste to the area. As the PCsapproach Solace, this army is sacking thesouthern cities of Gateway and Que-Teh andadvancing to the White-rage River. To theSouth, they have seized the fortress of PaxTharkas, aided by treachery from within thecitadel. Even now, their slaves are working theTharkadan mines.

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1. The Witness

Que Kiri is almost as barren as the sur-rounding plains. Most of the buildings areshattered and burned, and many black-ened bodies sprawl in the empty streets.The air is hot and thick, laced with theodor of ash and decay.

Spl in tered t imbers and scorchedstones litter the narrow streets, and smokedrifts through the abandoned town. Every-thing is dead and silent. Suddenly, a faintgroan rises from behind some collapsedbeams.

The groan comes from a badly burned oldman who lies at the verge of death. If the PCsinvestigate immediately, they find him beforehe dies. If they wait more than a round, how-ever, they are too late.

The old man lies under the wreckage ofan inn, the heavy crossbeam pinning his legsto the ground. In addition to his burns, he haslost much b lood. The man has just beenblinded, so the PCs must make noise to alerthim to their presence.

The old man is very confused and fright-ened. His pattern of speech is jerky and halt-ing, but he says this:

“Didn’t you see it? You must have seen it!From the nor th. . . they came f rom thenorth! From between the mountains. Firstthe terrors that rode the great wyrms...theycame into our town and fear f i l led ourbreasts . We fought , though. Yes! Wefought long and hard, but sti l l more ofthem came on leather wings...straight outof the old legends they came, fire splash-ing like waves over our homes.

Many fled...many died. Those whoran fell among the small demons—man-sized but looking like their larger masters.I don’t know where they took my peo-ple...I was too clever for them. I hid! Yes, Ihid!

When shall my people return? Whatshall become of my garden?”

These are the old man’s last words. Treat hishit points as -10 at this point; if a PC clericperforms a cure that brings him to at least 1hp, he revives. However, he will lose 1 hp/turn and have no further memory of his expe-rience. Eventually he dies.

2. The Draconians

Nine draconians still skulk in the wreckage ofQue Kiri, concealed in some rubble in thecenter of the town. They attack the PCs atsome point. If the characters seek out and lis-ten to the old man, this attack occurs as soonas he dies; if they do not find the man, havethe draconians attack at any time when theparty is in the ruined town.

9 Kapak Draconians. AL LE; MV 6”[15”]/18”; hp 14 each; HD 3; #AT 1(shortsword); Dmg 1-6 + poison; acid pool

The Kapaks are overconfident from theirrecent victories: they toy with the PCs beforeattacking. The monsters emerge into plainsight 180’ from the PCs and then pause around. They lick their swords with long, rep-tilian tongues. (This envenoms the blade for 3rounds.) The next round, using their wings toaccelerate the charge, the draconians attack.They fight to the death.

See the complete description of thesemonsters in Appendix 3: Monsters, Creaturesand Men.

3. Journeys Across the Land

If the PCs decide to continue to Solace, go toChapter 6: Solace. Read the opening encoun-ter as the party crests the pass in the SentinelPeaks between Que Kiri and Solace.

If the heroes decide to spend the nighthere, begin to make wander ing monsterchecks immediately. This reflects the growingtide of scavenging creatures following theDragonlords’ army from a distance. Treat QueKiri and areas just east of it as plains; the PCsreach mountains as soon as they leave thetown toward the west. The dragonmen haveconquered all of the areas off the north andeast map edges. If the PCs leave the map atthese edges, move immediately to event 5:“Captured!”

4. The Dragonlands

At the start of this adventure, the dragonar-mies have conquered all of the lands on themap except Qualinesti. Although folk sti l llive in these areas, the Dragonlords have abso-lute power. If the PCs wander through theseareas, let several days pass with the usual ran-dom encounters, then go to encounter 5:“Captured!”

A l l v i l l a g e s a n d t o w n s o u t s i d e o fQualinesti have been captured and damaged,but most have not been entirely destroyed.Que Kiri, New Ports, and Que Teh have beenrazed: no buildings stand and no originalinhabi tants remain. Treat these areas as“ruins” for random encounters.

All other communities are in similarshape to Solace: they have been conquered,losing some buildings and some people. Afew businesses and farms survive to provideservices for the dragonarmies. The conquerorsterrorize the people: for example, draconiansmay use a farmer’s family as hostages to forcehim to help feed the dragonarmies. Treatthese areas as “towns” for random encounterchecks.

5. Captured!

This encounter returns the PCs to their epicpath if they stray or dally. Run the encounterwhen the party is in open terrain (plains or lowmountains) and has no place to hide.

Two specks of crimson approach in the farnorthern sky. As they rush south they seemto g row , f o rm ing m igh t y eng ines o fdeath—red dragons. The monsters diveswiftly, and upon their backs sit creatureswho seem to be a miniature version of theterrible steeds. The riders’ faces bear a lookof serpentine evil: l izardlike faces andcold, gleaming eyes.

The dragons land less than 100’ away.From the one of the riders, a hollow,metallic voice rings:

“Drop your weapons, little mortals,or you shall feel the heat of my pet inanger.” He strokes his dragon’s broad neck.Both dragons bellow menacingly; theireyes glitter, and wisps of smoke curl fromtheir nostrils.

2 Old Red Dragons AL CE; MV 9”/124”;hp 60 each; AC -1; HD 10; #AT 3 orbreath; Dmg 1-8/1-8/3-30

2 Kapak Draconian Riders. AL LE; MV6”[15”]/18”; hp 13,16; AC4; HD 3; #AT1 (longsword); Dmg 1-6 + poison; acidpool

The dragonriders will try to capture the heroesif at all possible, but they are willing to fightto the death.

Within an hour of their capture, theheroes will be surrounded by several hundredKapak Draconians. Their weapons and otherpossessions are removed and they are loadedinto a huge wheeled cage and taken to Solace.There they will become part of the caravan tothe south. Go to Chapter 7: The Slave Cara-van.

At Solace, Tika Waylan, Theros Ironfeldand the elf Gilthanas are thrown into the cagewith the PCs.

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Begin this section when the heroes reach thepass in the mountains just east of Solace.

The scene bears no resemblance to thelofty forest that was here only a week ago.The beautiful and legendary vallenwoodtrees have been hacked, uprooted, andburned. Only a few of the mighty trees stillstand among a vast ruin of blackenedbranches and low, thick stumps.

The elegant tree-city of Solace is nowonly a few ramshackle huts on the groundamidst the wreckage. South of the city,strange creatures are building a tall polefence. Apparently they intend to fence inthe ravaged community.

In a central square cleared of scorchedb ranches and smashed homes , manyblackened stakes have been driven into theground, like a dark parody of some ancienttemple of the true gods.

Unlike Que-Kiri, however, Solace isnot a ghost town. A few lights twinkle inthe windows of some of the buildings, andhumans, dwarves, and elves can all be seenaiding in the construction of the fence.They seem to be taking orders from a num-ber of whip-wielding dragonmen. Manyother bands of dragonmen are visible pok-ing through the brush of the fallen trees.These bands are heavily armed, and seemto be organized into patrols.

As darkness falls, lights begin to flicker in anumber of buildings in town. If the PCs ask,tell them that the guard patrols seem to becasual and unorganized. It seems as thoughslipping by the patrol and into town would befairly easy.

In fact, the PCs can get to the Inn of theLast Home without incident, unless they aredownr ight be l l igerent toward draconianguards. In this case, use the Random Encoun-ter Table (nos. 4 or 21) for an encounter withKapak draconians.

Once the PCs are in the town, they cansee the remains of the Last Home Inn, oncelodged in the branches of a vallenwood tree,sitting somewhat awkwardly on the ground.Now only half remains, but makeshift wallsand kitchen allow it to be open for business.

Many other bu i ld ings sprawl on theground, most of them smashed beyond recog-nition. Fires smolder here and there amid thewreckage, and survivors scratch through therubble in search of a few former possessions.Moans of pain and the cries of babies carrythrough the town.

Very few healthy men remain in town;those who survived the invasion now work themines of Pax Tharkas. Most of the inhabitantsare too old to fight, or are the widows andchildren of soldiers killed in the war.

The only businesses other than the LastHome Inn that have survived are a large black-

smith shop which was always on the groundand a battered general store which apparentlylanded on its side and was righted. Dragon-men have taken over these two places.

Frequent patrols of dragonmen wanderthe streets of Solace, more concerned withbullying lone peasants or carousing with theircomrades than with guard duty. If the PCs donot start any trouble and do not display weap-ons, the draconians do not bother them. If,however, the PCs act bell igerent or showweapons, the guards attack them: consult theRandom Encounter Table for a battle withKapak Draconians (Nos. 4 or 21).

If the PCs do fight the draconians in thestreets, they will find themselves surroundedby over 100 Kapak reinforcements when thebattle is over. The Kapak will disarm themand load them into a cage of the slave caravan.Go to Chapter 7: The Slave Caravan.

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6. The Inn of the Last Home her aid, immediately after the melee in the

Use the map on page 15 to run this encounter.The map is scaled for use with miniatures; ifyou wish you may remove it from the bookand place the miniatures right on the page.

A smoky fire struggles in the blackenedstove, feebly challenging the gloom in thetown. In sharp contrast to the usual livelycrowd, the few patrons present are lost intheir own thoughts. No one smiles, nordoes anyone seem interested in the arrivalof a few more customers.

A thin, cloaked figure sits alone at atable near the door, an untouched glass ofale before him. Three old men crouchabove a table in the back of the inn, staringsilently at the dirty tabletop. The usuallybustling inn is otherwise empty.

One familiar note carries good cheerwith it, however: the aroma drifting fromthe kitchen—a mixture of onions, chives,garlic, and mysterious herbs-shows thatOtik Sandath still rules the realm of cook-ing. The cheery sizzling can only meanthat his famous spiced potatoes are heatingeven now over glowing coals.

Suddenly the door of the makeshiftkitchen bursts open, and the spill of torch-light outlines the figure of Tika the bar-maid. She holds a steaming pan in herright hand, a foaming pitcher in her left.“Sit down!” she orders, her loud voice outo f p l a c e i n t h e s o m b e r t o w n . “ G i tsomethin’ to eat—you look like a pack ofs tarved rats . ” Her vo ice fa l ls as sheapproaches: “and then we’ve got to talk.”

Tika guides the party to a table in the rear,away from the few customers. After servingthe PCs whatever they order, she pulls a chairto the table and sits in it. She sets a heavy ironpan full of steaming potatoes next to her, aftershe sees that everyone gets a portion.

NPC Capsule:Tika Waylan (Pan-Wielder). Human; F4(former T3); AL NG; S14, 19, Wl6, Dl2,C13, Chlo; MV 12”; hp 22; AC 8

Carries a heavy pan (Dmg 1-8) and a dagger.Has standard level 3 Thief Skills.

Curly auburn hair tumbles around Tika’slightly freckled face. Her striking greeneyes match her low-cut blouse, and thekulots tucked into her boots allow herg r e a t f r e e d o m o f m o v e m e n t . A f u rtrimmed leather vest actually doubles aseffective leather armor if she gets involvedin unexpected trouble. She wears a goldring on a chain around her neck.

Tika is a brash young barmaid wholooks older than her 19 years. Rough livinghas hardened her, and she presents a toughimage as insulation against her sense of

vulnerability. Indeed she has certain child-like qualities: a fascination with magic anda fear of heights. Formerly quite happy atthe Inn of the Last Home, she now nurses abitter hatred toward the dragonmen whohave invaded her home. She realizes that itis just a quest ion of t ime before herpatience with the brutal conquerors wearsout and she does something rash and fool-ish.

Tika is a former 3rd level thief.

Tika fidgets in her chair and looks over hershoulder at every sound. She whispers that shewants to leave Solace and accompany the PCson their journeys. She quietly leads the con-versation around to this topic, pretending tobe bored with life in town. This “boredom”disguises her very real fear of the dragonmen.As the PCs talk with Tika, move directly intoencounter #7 below.

7. Unwelcome Guests

Shortly after the conversation begins, 5 KapakDraconians burst into the Inn, sit down at atable near the PCs, and loudly demand serv-ice. Tika grimaces and rises to wait on them,doing her best to ignore their crude behavior.

While the barmaid spoons potatoes fromher large pan, the cloaked figure who wasseated near the door rises and approaches thePCs. The robe still covers his head and most ofhis face, but as he passes the draconians, oneof them pulls the garment off to reveal ahandsome elf. At once the invaders begin toshove the unfortunate character around, glee-fully bullying him.

No matter what the PCs do, Tika has hadenough of this bullying. With a scream ofrage, she slams the pan down on the head ofone draconian, automatically hitting him fordouble the normal damage (2-16).

5 Kapak Draconians. AL LE; MV 6”[15”]/18”; hp 14 each; AC 4; HD 3; #AT 1(shortsword); Dmg 1-6 + possible poison;acid pool

If the PCs join in, a melee obviously begins.Any dragonman who spends a round in whichPCs or friendly NPCs do not attack him willlick his blade to envenom the weapon for 3rounds.

If the PCs do not come to Tika’s aid, thedragonmen subdued her quickly and carry herout of the Inn. The PCs will next meet her inthe cage on the caravan to Pax Tharkas.

8. Prisoners of the Guard

Read this passage to the players after Tika hasbeen arrested, or, if the players have come to

Inn:

Heavy feet clatter outside, and eerie torch-light flickers through chinks in the door-way and wall. Suddenly the door splintersinward, and a crowd of draconians burstsinto the room.

Leading the band is a swaggering uglyhobgoblin, the stench of his unwashedbody preceeding him by several feet. Hesneers as he advances across the room,flanked by four solid draconians to eitherside. Beyond, dozens more of the creaturesstand in the sinister l ight of their owntorches.

NPC Capsule:Fewmaster Toede, Subcommander in Dra-gonlord’s Northern Army. Hobgoblin; F4;ALLE; Sl6,18, Wll Dlo, Cl6; Ch6; MV12”; hp 22; can leap up to 30’

Carries short sword, dagger,studded leather armor.

shield. Wears

Toede’s wispy white hair tops a very uglyface. His speckled gray skin, double chins,and pot belly all resemble those of a viciouslittle toad.

Toede is a bu l ly . He sn ive ls andwhines around superiors, but is full ofbluster and threats when he has the upperhand. Like all bullies, he is cowardly; buthe possesses a certain crude cunning whichhelps him to stay alive and prosper.

8 Kapak Draconian Escort. AL LE; MV6”[15”]/18”; hp 15 each; AC 4; HD 3;#AT 1 (shortsword); Dmg 1-6 + possiblepoison; acid pool

If the heroes helped Tika fight the draconians,Toede arrests them for brawling. Otherwise,he sneers as he recites charges of “trespass andmalicious destruction in the realm of XakTsaroth,” then places the party under arrest. Ifthe PCs resist, those draconians outside theinn swarm indoors to overcome them.

4 0 K a p a k D r a c o n i a n s . A L L E ; M V6”[15”]/18”; hp 15 each; AC 4; HD 3;#AT 1 (shortsword); Dmg 1-6 + possiblepoison; acid pool

The draconians disarm the party and seize allvisible possessions except for rings and armor.A character has a base 50% chance to hide asmall object on his person. Make this checkprivately, modifying for any factors that seemrelevant. Thieves’ tools and spell books can-not be hidden!

The dragonmen tie the heroes’ handsand lead them through the rubble of Solace toan open space that once functioned as a townsquare. Tika Waylan and the elf from the Innare brought with them. All PCs and the twoNPCs are herded into a caged wagon.

7

8

Here the dragonmen load the heroes onto aslave caravan and move them south. On theway, the PCs learn a few things and, if they arepatient, benefit from a timely rescue.

Gritty smoke drifts from a few lingeringfires through the clearing, adding a ghostlythickness to the air. Many hobgoblins anda few dragonmen scramble about, loadingthings onto several large wagons. Beyondthese wagons,the smoke- lifts brieflyaround three large cages. Each is mountedon a sturdy four-wheeled carriage

The hobgoblin commander screamshis orders above the bustle and chattering,and all of the monsters leap to obey “Few-master Toede.” Another group of pris-oners—mostly women and children—aredragged into the clearing and roughlyloaded into one of the cages. At the sametime, Fewmaster Toede unlocks the door ofthe heaviest cage. His escort prods the pris-oners forward at swordpoint and thruststhem behind the solid iron bars. The cagedoor shuts with a heavy clang, and Toedelocks both of its locks himself.

Toede is assembling a caravan to carry pris-oners to Pax Tharkas, where slaves are neededto work the iron mines. The huge cages willcarry the captives, while the other two wagonsare loaded with routine supplies. The heroes’possessions will be loaded on the first wagon,where Toede intends to examine them andclaim a few items for his own.

The heroes’ cage also holds Gilthanas(the elf from the tavern), two soldiers fromSolace who fought against the Dragonlords,and Elistan—a high priest of Haven whobelieves in the false gods. Elistan will give noclue to his identity. He is an intelligent andperceptive man, however, and if confrontedwith evidence of a true cleric, will question hisfaith.

At this point Tika may become a playercharacter.

All three of the heroes’ human compan-ions are silent and depressed, since they knowthat their families have been taken to PaxTharkas as hostages. If prodded, they revealthis information, as well as the fact that theyturned themselves in because of the hostages.

The bars of the cage are much too heavyfor even the strongest character to bend. Thecage has two separate locks, both of whichmust be unfastened to open the door.

9. The Elven Stranger

The heroes quickly recognize the elf thatapproached them at the Inn. His hood isthrown back, since he no longer needs a dis-guise, and he talks to the adventurers.

NPC Capsule:Gilthanas, Warrior/Mage of Qualinesti.Elf; FS/MU4; AL CG; Sl2, 114, WlO,D16, C12, Ch13; MV12”; hp 17; AC 4.Spells:

1st Level: sleep, detect magic, magicmissile

2nd Level: levitate, webWears chain mail. Carries shield, longbow and20 arrows, longsword +1.

Long golden hair flows freely aboutthe shoulders of this handsome elf. Hisslight features give him a very youthfulappearance, which is belied by a certainharshness in his eyes. He moves nimbly,with quiet skill, and he is capable of greatquickness when the situation demands.

Gilthanas was serving as a messengerfor the elven king when he was captured bythe dragonmen. A fee l ing that he hasfailed overwhelms him, but this does notshow to outsiders. He succeeds in appear-ing both calm and confident; indeed, he issure that the elves wil l make a rescueattempt as the caravan passes Qualinesti.

Although he provides no details, Gilthanassuggests that fate is not always as unkind as itappears to be. He is friendly to the PCs andmakes an effort to cheer them up.

The caravan does not move, and the cap-tives are left without food or water for anentire day and night. The temperature atnight drops alarmingly, causing some veryuncomfortable and sleepless hours. Manyhobgoblins and draconians walk beside thewagons. Some of them carry bows, and willshoot at characters who do anything suspi-cious.

If PCs hatch any rash plans of escape,Gilthanas counsels caution, saying that thechances may be much better later. If askedwhat this means, he only smiles

10. A Chilly Sunrise

As dawn colors the sky, the autumn chillmakes another onslaught. Heavy mistsobscure the nearby ruins of Solace, andghostly figures flit among the wagons. Sev-era l o f these f igures approach, and i tbecomes clear that they are draconians.They pour a foul-smelling slop into buck-ets in the nearby wagons.

A fierce clatter of swords disrupts themorning calm. Dry screams and yelps ofthe dragonmen rise above the crash ofmetal. Somewhere a deep human voicerings out in challenge, and the sounds offighting move toward the voice.

9

Gilthanas starts at the sound of thevoice. A look of alarm clouds his face.“That is Theros Ironfeld, elf-friend. Theevil ones must have learned of the aid hehas given my people. I fear that he will paywith his life.”

“The dragonmen would have takenme days ago, had it not been for the cour-age of that smith. He has smuggled elvesout of Solace since the city fell, with noregard for his own safety.”

The sounds of combat cease. A largeband of dragonmen hobble from the mist,carrying the bleeding figure of a hugeman. Under the watchfu l eyes of 30archers, the cage door is opened and theman is thrown inside.

Blood from the stump of his right armpools on the dirty floor. Moaning softly,but apparently unconscious, Theros Iron-feld slips toward death.

Any use of magical healing will save Ironfeld’slife, although he will be very weak (1 hp only).Without such aid, he will become still andlifeless 1 turn after he is thrown into thewagon. One of the soldiers from Solace willshout at the nearby draconians, “You’vekilled him!” Then the draconians open thecage (using the same procedure they did whenthey threw Ironfeld in), draw out the smith’sbody, and cast it into a nearby pile of rubble.

If any of the PCs use. magic to saveTheros, Gilthanas looks on with slightly raisedeyebrows. The three captive soldiersreactmore obviously, staring wide-eyed at thehealer and muttering about a “miracle.”

11. The Wagons Roll

A long day passes underneath a surpris-ingly warm sun. Draconian and hobgoblinguards remain on watch throughout theday, but no new prisoners are added to thecages. An air of waiting hangs over thewrecked town square.

As the sun drops behind the stumpsof the val lenwood forest , the wai t ingcomes to an end. The square suddenlyswarms with hobgoblins, goblins, and dra-conians, all following the orders of therepulsive Sergeant Toede. Huge elk arebrought forward from the vil lage pens,and four of the beasts are attached to eachwagon.

Darkness falls as the guards formranks before and after the column, whichconsists of three cage and two supply wag-ons. A driver and a guard climb into thefront of each and urge the elk forward. Thereddish glow of twilight provides one lastlook at the ruins of Solace as the caravanslips away to the south.

Sergent Toede rides a small, shaggy ponyalong the column, shouting orders to his sol-diers. He taunts the prisoners as he passes withtales of the dungeons of Pax Tharkas and ofthe Dragonlord waiting to meet them there.His servant, a young, unkempt gulley dwarfnamed Sestun, follows his master as best hecan. Sestun is constantly falling down or get-ting splashed by mud from the passing ofwagons, and finds it impossible to keep up.The PCs see him jog past their wagon often,his new metal helmet askew over a face domi-nated by a massive red nose. A battle axe ofdoubtful quality swings from the dwarfs side.

At the front of the column marches atroop of 45 Kapak Draconians, preceding thegoblins by about ¼ mile. One hundred gob-lins follow the draconians in a long line end-ing just before the first supply wagon. Thethree cages are next (the heroes are in the firstcage), and another supply wagon follows. Lastin line is a force of 100 hobgoblins.

Two hobgoblins man each wagon. Thefront supply wagon contains all of the PCs’equipment as well as a load of swords andshields. The last wagon is filled with grain.

12. Gilthanas’ Tale

Through the long night the wagons rollever southward. The towering summits ofthe Twin Peaks Pass soon fall to the rear.Winding out of the mountains, the cara-van passes through a dark and s i lenttown-the formerly bustling communityof Gateway. Obviously the Dragonlordshave been at work here.

South of Gateway, the p la ins ofAbanasinia spread to all sides. For severalhours, the caravan makes good time acrossthe dull flatlands, until the sound of flow-ing water whispers far to the south.Shortly, the caravan trundles over the onlybridge to cross the mighty White-rageRiver.

Now the land rises. More trees linethe ascending trail. The Elvenhome ofQualinesti lies somewhere to the west.

“Pax Tharkas,” Gilthanas says qui-etly. “That must be our destination. It isbitter indeed that a monument to peacehas been perverted to the evil purposes ofslavery.”

I f any PC quest ions h im, Gi l thanasbegins the following tale:

“Long ago, in the near forgotten Age ofDreams, Ki th-Kanan led the e lves toQualinesti. The Second Dragon War ofSilvanesti had brought these western elvesgreat fame back in their ancient home. ButSi lvanos, K ing of the Si lvanest i , fe l tu n e a s y a t t h e r i s e t o p o w e r o f t h eQualinesti elves.

“Yet when the Kinslayer war with thehuman kingdom of Ergoth erupted, theking did not hesitate to call upon theQualinesti. The war was long and bloody,leaving scars that no treaty could heal.Thus, when borders were agreed upon andthe bloodshed halted, the elves of the westfelt removed from their kin, and wantedno part of the ancient home of Silvanesti.

“With the scribing of the Sword-sheath scroll, many problems of the worldwere laid to rest. The King of Ergoth gavethe western elves a magical wooded placeof great beauty and natural harmony-thel a n d t h a t h a s c o m e t o b e k n o w n a sQualinesti.

“Sad was Silvanos the king, when hiseldest son Kith-Kanan chose to lead thewestern elves to their new home. Deep wasthe split between the two elven kingdoms.Silvanesti continued to follow the loftyancient ways, removed from the other peo-ples of Krynn, while Kith-Kanan and theQualinesti made peace, traded, and inter-married with their neighbors.

“Perhaps the greatest accomplish-ment of a great life was Kith-Kanan’s sign-i n g o f a p e r m a n e n t p e a c e w i t h t h eMountain Dwarves of Thorbardin. Sharingtheir knowledge and skills, the two peoplesbuilt the mighty fortress of Pax Tharkas atthe border of their two lands. For manycenturies Pax Tharkas was a bastion ofpeace and safety—a symbol of the coopera-tion among folk of different backgroundand race.

“Even now, as we hear that the for-tress is in the hands of the dragonmen, Icannot believe that it has fallen to storm.Only the darkest treachery from within thewalls could have led to this sorry outcome.”

13. Fight For Freedom

Suddenly a wavering call rolls from thewoods off to the west, like the cry of someelegant bird. Gilthanas stiffens,. brings afinger to his lips. Another call floats fromthe east, and now the elf responds with hisown call.

Immedia te ly , the caravan guardsbegin to shriek and whimper. The driver ofthe cage wagon slumps forward, an arrowbristling in his neck. Quickly, the guard atthe driver’s side draws his sword and leapsto the ground; a deadly arrow whistles intohis breast.

Sergeant Toede gallops from the rearof the column, screaming to his troops todraw arms and face the unseen foe. He bar-rels into his gulley dwarf servant, andberates the poor creature with a volley ofcurses.

10

“On your feet, you pitiful worm, andcover my glorious retreat. Above all, dog,these prisoners are not to escape!” Stagger-ing beneath his weight, Toede’s horse car-ries him to the front of the column, wherethe sounds of fighting are the faintest.

The little dwarf climbs to his feet,muttering under his breath. He adjusts hisoversized helmet and raises a fist in thedirection of his master. He still grumbles ashis eyes wander to the cage holding theheroes.

Hois t ing h is dented bat t leaxe, hemoves to the locks holding the cage shut,and shatters them with two solid blows. Asthe door swings open, the l itt le gulleydwarf disappears into the underbrush.

Although freedom lies just beyondthe swinging cage door, the battle outsideis becoming more violent. Several elvenwarriors glide from the darkened woods,but many of the goblin guards have rushedto the scene as well.

20 Goblins. AL LE; MV 6”; hp 4 each; AC6; HD 1-1; #AT 1 (shortsword); Dmg 1-6

Characters may leave the cage at the rate oftwo per round. They can pick up shortswordsin 1-3 rounds: many of the guards droppedtheir weapons when felled by arrows. The 20goblins arrive at the rate of 2 per round, andall concentrate on the prisoners from the PCscage.

The 3 warriors from Solace refuse toescape, because their families are imprisonedin Pax Tharkas. Gilthanas, however, joins thefray.

The elven rescuers free the prisoners,mostly women and children, from the othertwo cages, and escort them into the forest. Ifthe PCs follow after dispatching the goblins,they have no more combat here.

The heroes may try to regain their posses-s ions f rom the supply wagon, which hashalted immediately before them.

If they try to recover their supplies, theymust dispatch a detail of hobgoblins who haverushed back to the battle. Once they havedone this, they may recover everything andmake an escape into the forest following Gil-thanas. If they choose to go elsewhere, turn toevent 14; though he will urge going into theforest, Gilthanas accompanies the party.

16 hobgoblins. AL LE; MV 9”; hp 6 each;AC 5; HD 1+1; #AT 1 (longsword); Dmg1-8

Carefully laid elven traps tangle draconianpatrols who might want to pursue. Soon allsounds of pursuit grow faint and disappear.

11

The heroes are taken into the sacred realm ofQualinesti, and learn of a high task which mayfall to them. Of course, any elf PC is receivedquite hospitably—but half-elves are treatedwi th the same suspic ion as humans anddwarves.

Dawn lightens the woods as the last soundsof pursuit fade. The tall elf who seems tobe in command calls a halt. The escapedprisoners and their escort of two dozenelven warriors stand in a large clearingb r i g h t w i t h d e w a n d s t r i p e d b y t h eshadows of ghostly pines.

Gilthanas speaks earnestly with theleader of the war party, and introduces himas Porthios. Porthios then turns to thefreed prisoners and says: “People of Sola-ce...you are free from the cages of the Dra-gonlords. Where you can go I cannot say,for all the land is wracked by their evil.

“I suggest you try the south, for oncepast Pax Tharkas you might find safety inthe realms of the southlands. I am not surewhat you may find there; but the heavy fistof our foe has battered everywhere in thenorth country.”

He turns from the mass of prisoners tothe PCs. “I would ask that you please comewith me, through the sacred realms ofQualinesti to our capital of Qualinost Gil-thanas has told me something of yourstory; I know it would please my people tohear more.”

14. Away From the Elves

If the heroes accompany the elves, skip thissection. If not, here is detailed the state of theworld in which they may travel.

To the north, two dragonarmies movesouth for the invasion of Qualinesti. To thesouth, Pax Tharkas blocks the only path. Tothe west lies Qualinesti, still an elven strong-hold.

If the players go north, they have randomencounters (see Random Encounter Table) forthe next game day. Then they run into onesquad of Kapak draconians (use entry #4 onthe Random Encounter Table) per game hour.These dragonmen fight to the death, andthere are an infinite supply of squadrons. Ifthe party goes south, run the adventure thesame as you would were they going north oreast: one day from the rescue, the southerndragonarmy leaves Pax Tharkas to march onQualinesti. (See Encounters 19 and 21.) ThePCs will encounter an elven war party (west) ifthey attempt to enter Qualinesti unescorted:

40 Elf Warriors. AL CG; MV 12”; hp 7each; AC 5; HD 1+1; #AT 1 (sword orarrow); Dmg 2-9 or 1-6

In addition, the following higher rankingelves are present:

3 Elf Fighters. F3; AL CG; MV 12”; hp 20each; AC 4; #AT 1 (longsword or arrow);Dmg 3-10 or 2-7

1 Elf Magic-user. MU5; AL CG; MV 12”;hp 13; AC 8; #AT 1 (dagger); Dmg 1-4.Spells:1st level: charm person, sleep, magic mis-sile, shield2nd level: invisibility, web3rd level: slow

The magic-user is invisible, following the PCsclosely . I f combat breaks out , the e lvesattempt to subdue and capture the heroes.Gilthanas will try to stop the fight, but willnot join either side.

If the PCs move away from Qualinesti,Gilthanas goes with them, taking Theros Iron-feld with him. Have them meet Eben Shatter-stone as described in encounter 22: If theparty is captured and taken to Qualinesti, pickup the adventure as described in encounter16.

15. The Secret Ways

The tall elf called Porthios leads the waythrough the pine forest. As dawn creeps todaylight, a deep roaring sound thunders inthe far distance. After several hours, it isobvious that the source of the sound is ahuge water fa l l , p lummet ing f rom anunimagineable height.

The path westward is blocked by amassive gray cliff of dark granite. Thepines march right to the cliff base; fromthere smooth stone ascends for nearly amile. A fringe of green at the summit sug-gests that more forest lies beyond.

Por th ios leads the way through achuckling stream to the base of the falls,where a deep, clear pool collects the out-f low of the tower ing spume. Steppingnimbly from rock to rock, the elf crossesthe pool and enters a darkened hollow thatgapes behind the waterfall.

Here, a steep stairway, cut from theliving rock of the cliff-face, begins toascend. A curtain of silvery water shedsl ight on the secret way. The path isstrangely easy, turning beneath the water-fall until it finally emerges under a clearautumn sun, a top the h igh p la teau o fQualinesti.

Aspen forests shiver in the noonbrightness, the trunks reflecting an ivorywhiteness. The fresh, earthy scent of mossrides the air. A soft trail spread with ever-green needles seems to appear magicallybefore Porthios as he leads the way furtherinto the wood.

16. Qualinost

After several more hours of providing asmooth path through the woods, the nee-dle-strewn forest floor ends abruptly infront of a deep chasm. Rolling blankets ofmoss coat both sides of the 100’ wide gap;bil lowing mist far below suggests thatrapid waters cut along the chasm bottom.A narrow footbr idge, suspended f romsturdy aspens, spans the chasm.

Gilthanas speaks: “Qualinost is pro-tected on all sides by such barriers. Yet Ifear that even these will be of little aidagainst the dragonarmies.”

Across the bridge, a few slim towersappear through the aspens ahead. NowPorthios walks with a bouncing step, like atraveler who sees his home on the horizon.

The dense aspen forest thins out infront of the spires and arches of Qualinost.The city is small by human standards; bythe same token, no humans could everbuild a city like this. Four slender towerslined with silver mark the four corners ofthe roughly square city. Between each ofthese towers, strings of slender arches—also silver-stretch in an elegant chain.

A high tower of burnished gold domi-nates the city, throwing off sunlight in awhirling, sparkling pattern that gives theimpression of movement. Of course, thetower is quite still, but the illusion is veryrealistic indeed.

12

Beyond the arches, the wide, quartz-lined avenues of the city lie dappled in thestrange green forest light. Many of the citybuildings are made of quartz, too, andaspen beams inlaid with silver and gold.The buildings are tall and slender, blend-ing gracefully with the many aspens thatfill the city.

And everywhere, there is frantic activ-ity. Female elves and elf-children eitherrush about carrying large bundles towardthe cent ra l tower , or scamper towardhouses, empty-handed. The adult malesare all armed and alert, graceful bows andslim longswords ready to meet any foe.

Any elves in the party immediately realizethat this hustle and bustle is very much out ofplace. Because of the screen of warriors aroundthem, the PCs do not attract attention rightaway. Soon, however, an elf-child spots adwarf PC, if one is present (if not, a humanwill do) and, shrieking hysterically, flees to hismother. Soon all activity ceases as the citizensgawk at the procession of PCs and elf warriors.

Gilthanas and Porthios have been talkingquietly. Now Gilthanas turns: “I know youare all tired and need a well-deserved rest. Iask that f irst you accompany us to thetower of the Speaker, where you will meetthe Speaker of Suns, my father. As soon aspossible we will see you to comfortablequarters and refreshment.”

All of the elves are moving in the gen-eral direction of the lofty golden tower.Porthios and Gilthanas start off in thatdirection.

17. The Speaker of Suns

The following council occurs in the Tower ofthe Speaker. At first, the heroes will be specta-tors as the elves conduct business. At anytime, of course, a PC may have something tosay; and th is should be worked in to thedescription.

The Speaker will be aloof toward all butelves—especially cool toward the humans. Hewill not, however, be hostile or insulting. Asthe story grows clearer, and particularly if thecharacters fought beside Gilthanas at the Innof the Last Home, the Speaker’s attitude willwarm, but only slightly. If Tanis is with theheroes, the Speaker will recognize him, butwill be very cool toward him.

A pair of gilded doors swing silently open,into a chamber that looks much biggerthan the outside of the tower. The hugeroom has a white marble floor and walls.Many windows admit the sunlight andfresh air. Many elves stand here expect-antly.

The tallest elf here is dressed in aresplendent yellow robe, and his hair ist inged wi th s i lver . He steps forwardeagerly, opening his arms to embrace Gil-thanas and Porthios.

“My sons! I thought I would nevermeet you in th is wor ld again . ” For amoment, joy rises in his voice, and then hismanner becomes ser ious. “Gi l thanas,what of your raid?”

“Lord Speaker, my father,” says Gil-thanas solemnly, “I have failed. We trav-elled with all stealth southward as wasplanned; yet fate had us meet a north-bound army of the Dragonlord. I wasstruck upon my head and fell into a ravine,thinking that to be the end of my daysupon the face of Krynn.

“Some time later I awoke and foundtracks leading northward to Solace. Think-ing to free my warriors who may have beentaken prisoner, I followed. I found thatSolace has been taken and its vallenwoodforest razed.”

A gasp r ings through the counci lchamber at the thought of the mighty for-est levelled. Gilthanas lowers his eyes andspeaks his next words with difficulty. “Ifound my companions in the square, tiedto stakes made from the fallen trees. Alarge red dragon soared above them. Iwatched the people of Solace forced into alarge circle around the captives.

“A great and evil leader, hidden by abeastlike mask, rode the red dragon down-ward beside the stakes in the square. Hespoke as the serpent landed: ‘I am Vermi-naard, Dragonlord of this realm. I haveneed of all mortal beings in the great workof the Dragonlords. Those who obey shallserve me. Those who do not shall feel mywrath!’

“Then the dragon breathed f lameupon my fellows...” Gilthanas’ voice trailsoff, and he gestures toward Theros Iron-feld. “A kind of madness came over me,and had not this man restrained me I toowould have been burned into nothingness.He risked his life for me, and indeed, suf-fered the loss of his arm for the crime ofprotecting a frightened elf.”

Gilthanas then relates his acquaintance withthe heroes; he mentions any clerical spells thathe has seen used.

The Speaker becomes more polite towardthe PCs if they do nothing to deserve other-wise. If they mention clerical spells, he actsimpressed, saying that it has been more than acentury since such knowledge has been heldby the children of men. He does not volunteeranything about elven clerical magic; if the PCspersist in questioning him on the subject,however, he tells them that all the elven clericsdisappeared to the south at the time of theCataclysm.

it this time, the court poet steps forward andrecites the Canticle. Read the Canticle onpage 32 to your players or have your playersread it aloud. After the recital, the Speakermakes the following statement:

“It was the worst of times, the Great Sun-dering,” claims the Speaker. We keep whatwe know in memory and song. It was thenthat a great darkness fell, but now, as ourpoet will tell you, the darkest of the gloomis lifting.”

“Travellers, I shall have a place preparedfor you while you are among us. Follow mydaughter, and she shall see you comfort-ably tended. After you have had a chanceto wash, eat and sleep, I shall send for you.Time is indeed short.”

An except ional ly beaut i fu l e lvenmaiden moves forward from the onlook-ers . She cur ts ies s l ight ly toward theSpeaker before blessing the weary travelerswith a smile l ike a spring sunrise. Herbeauty seems greater as she moves closer;yet a childlike air about her belies the wis-dom in her eyes.

She glides toward the gilded doorsand they part for her, almost as if a gentlegust of wind persuaded them to open. Sheleads the way into the sun and leaf-speck-led streets of Qualinost.

18. Laurana of Qualinost

NPC Capsule:Laurana, Princess of Qualinesti. Elf; F3;AL CG; S13, I15, W12, D17, C14, Ch16;MV12”; hp 18; AC 0

Wears chain mai l +1. Carries shield andshortsword.

Long sandy hair surrounds Laurana’s child-like face. Her hazel eyes are very large, andat this point in her life, possess a certaininnocence. Her figure is slight, and herskin a rich woodland brown.

Laurana is a very spoiled little girlwhen first introduced to the adventurers.I n c h i l d h o o d , s h e a n d T a n i s w e r e“betrothed,” although it is uncertain howseriously the half-elf takes this childhoodvow. If Tanis is with the party, she will fawnon him, showing all of the signs of an ado-lescent crush. If he is not with the PCs, thisaffection should be directed at a male PCelf from Qualinesti, if at all possible. Shetends to sulk when she does not get herway, and also is skillful at using her goodlooks and charm to her advantage.

13

Destiny has an important role forLaurana in the Epic of the Dragonlance,and she will be called upon to grow up in ahurry. By highlighting her immaturity atthis point, you can increase the dramaticeffect of her growth upon your players.This little girl possesses an inner strengththat will one day lead armies!

Laurana takes the PCs to a pleasant, sun-dap-pled grove of aspens which flourishes in theheart of the city. Clear springs furnish freshwater, and many mossy beds seem to invitesleep. Pears, apples, and peaches all grow inprofusion, and Laurana urges the heroes to eattheir fill.

19. A High Council

As twilight descends over Qualinesti, Lauranarouses the heroes from their slumber and asksthem to attend a council in the Hall of the Sky.This “hall” turns out to be the central squareof Qualinost, where a cluster of stars are justappearing overhead. As the heroes arrive onthe scene, read the following. At the sametime, allow the players to look at the mosaicmap of Qualinesti found on the cover of themodule.

The entire population of Qualinesti seemsto be gathered around the wide square.The warriors are in the center ring, aroundthe Speaker and several of his chief lieu-tenants; the other men, women and chil-dren are more distant, but still observingthe proceedings.

A path opens through the crowd tothe center of the circle, and the Speakerlooks up with a cool stare as the heroes ofXak Tsaroth enter his sight. “Forgive oursomber air,” he says slowly. “These areheavy times, and we face the beginning ofa long and lonely road.

“Look, if you will, upon our situa-tion.” The Speaker gestures to a detailedmosaic on the ground. The colors andshapes seem to represent a map of somekind. As the circle of elves draws back, theland of Qualinesti and its surroundings aredisplayed entirely.

“Here and here,” the Speaker says,tapping the end of his staff against then o r t h e r n c o m m u n i t i e s o f S o l a c e a n dH a v e n . “ T w o h u g e a r m i e s o f t h eDragonlord Verminaard have gathered.Even now they prepare to invade theancient Elvenhome of Qualinesti. There isno way we can stand against the might ofsuch hordes.

“Our only choice is to flee Qualinesti tothe west, and hope to bring our peoplesafe ly to some land in that unknownregion.” The Speaker pauses to let hisremark sink in; for it is indeed stunning tothink of the elves of this fabled wood—elves who have lived here since the Age ofDreams-forced from their ancestral homeby the cruel might of the Dragonlords.

“St i l l a th i rd Dragonarmy po isesagainst us here.” Now the Speaker’s staffstrikes sharply on the narrow pass of PaxTharkas. “We have learned from captivesthat the Dragonlord would like to see therace of elves driven from Krynn; and theyhave nearly succeeded with respect to ourkin of Silvanesti.”

The heroes may wish to say something here, asthe Speaker pauses. Allow them to speak, andanswer questions if you feel they are appropri-ate. Eventually, work the conversation aroundto the speaker again, as he continues.

“Here, in the depths of Pax Tharkas, workthe warriors of Solace, Haven, and theother northern lands who were taken alive.Why would they slave in the mines, gain-ing iron for the forges of the Dragonlords?

“Because also here,” and the Speak-er’s staff strikes Pax Tharkas with a venge-ance, “are their women andchildren—hostages lest the warriors candisplay the rage and hatred that they mustfeel against their villainous masters. Thiswas the reason for Gilthanas’s mission onlya few short days ago. He and his band wereto enter Pax Tharkas by a hidden route-the Sla-Mori—known only to the elves.They would free the hostages and lead theslaves in a revolt, escaping to the south anddrawing the dragonarmy in pursuit.

“The humans can reach safety andelude the dragonmen, for the mountain-ous route contains many secluded valleyswhere they can hide. Yet they will neverhave a moment of freedom unless somemeans of rescue is offered.

“ I t is our be l ie f that you shouldaccept th is heavy task. Gi l thanas hasoffered to accompany your party and showyou the ways of the Sla-Mori, even theroom of the Great Chain—the quickestentrance to the fortress itself. If you acceptthis opportunity, you not only offer free-dom to those of your kin trapped withinthe walls of the fortress, but you offer ourbeleaguered fo lk a chance to escapeQualinesti alive, a chance to live that manyof ours were not given when your peoplecaused the Cataclysm, the turning away ofthe gods.”

Thus is presented the plight of the elves andthe suggestion for the heroes’ help. If the

heroes take on the quest , go d i rect ly toencounter 20 below. I f they dec l ine, godirectly to encounter 21.

20. Kidnap!

Speed is important, and Gilthanas feels thatthe party’s chances to enter Pax Tharkas aregreater if they enter the Sla-Mori at night;therefore the elf urges that the party leave thenext morning. This should bring them, after along day’s travel, to the mouth of Sla-Mori.Also, since draconians prefer not to travel byday, chances are less that the PCs will run intothem.

The council has adjourned. As they part,the people sing an ancient, haunting song ofthe elves. At this time, you may read or singthe song “Elvenhome” found on page 16.Immediately afterwards, read this passage.

Laurana leads the way back to the quiethilltop grove. “Sleep peacefully, for theroad tomorrow is long,” she whispers, andmoves silently down the hill.

Suddenly, the stillness of Qualinestishatters. A sharp female scream rises fromthe direction Laurana has gone. Even asthe echoes bounce from the hills, a darkshape b lacks out the moons, set t l ingamong the aspens of the city.

A wyvern, ridden by Fewmaster Toede, landsin Qualinost. Toede has decided to captureone of the party as a peace offering to Vermi-naard, who is surely going to be angry that thecaravan was raided and Gilthanas freed. Sixdraconians have also been carried to the elvencity, and even now move to attack the charac-ters. Whether the PCs move to investigate orsimply hold their ground, they are attacked bythe Kapaks as they see the huge serpent, nowbearing two riders, rise across the red moonand hear a voice shouting, “Your loyalty istouching, my little Kapaks! To give your livesis all that my grandness could ask of you!”

6 KapakDraconians. AL LE; MV 6”[15”]/18”; hp 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 19; HD 3; #AT1 (shortsword); Dmg 1-6 + poison; acidpool

The kapaks were sent by Toede to create adiversion, then abandoned. Left on their own,they fight to the death. The noise of the skir-mish will arouse the community, but no elvescan intervene unti l the battle between thekapaks and the heroes is over. By then, it willbe obvious that this was an isolated raid andnot a general attack.

If the PCs mention Laurana, the elveswill know of her absence at once. If not, it ismorning before they realize she is missing. Ineither event, nothing can be done about thekidnapping. The elves react to the kidnappingwith sad acceptance, and tell the heroes to

14

sleep while they have the chance, for the nextday’s mission must go ahead as planned.

While the heroes sleep, the elves loadtheir packs with two weeks’ worth of the nour-ishing elven quith-pa, a kind of dried fruit.Quith-pa functions in all respects as ironrations.

At this point, Gilthanas may become aplayer character. Theros elects to remain withthe elves.

21. If the Heroes Refuse the Elves

Of course, the Innfellows may reject the elves’appeal. In this case, the elves are considerablycolder to the PCs; they no longer extend theirhospitality, but ask the PCs to leave. The nextmorning, Gilthanas and a band of pickedelven warriors leave for Pax Tharkas, gravelyw e a k e n i n g t h e f i g h t i n g s t r e n g t h o f t h eQualinesti nation.

The elves do not bother the PCs if theyconsent to leave Qualinesti quietly. At the firstnightfall, cleric(s) in the party have a pro-phetic dream. Take your clerics aside and readthem this passage!

T h e l a n d s c a p e y o u l i e u p o n i sblurred, as is often the case in dreams.

The wind has died away, and the airseems far less chilly than it did before.Indeed, a glowing warmth spreads acrossyour back.

When you turn toward the source ofthe heat, you see that Qualinesti Forest isburning. The fire withers aspen, snapsevergreen, and the woodland erupts intored columns of flame.

Dark shapes lope toward you out ofthe fire. A rain of arrows and spears cannotstop the rushing draconians, their wingsflapping as they charge across the groundlike large wounded bats. Your comradesfall around you—first one, then another,as your weapon grows heavier in yourhands.

Finally, seven draconians turn towardyou-toward you alone. Three of them licktheir swords. Their lidless eyes stare hun-grily at your throat. They move coldly andfirmly in your direction, whispering in dry,rattling hisses. They surround you; one ofthem lunges at you with a spear, and awhite-hot pain explodes in your chest.

The dragonmen appear to double insize, and then suddenly shrink to the sizeof sparrows. Your weapon falls to your side.Your legs do not work. Everything is darknow.

If the PCs still do not take up the quest, thedream wil l come true almost to the letter.Qualinesti will be in the hands of the Dra-gonlords in 2-12 days; no matter which direc-tion the PCs go, after one game day theyencounter draconians as they did in encounter14. These skirmishes will continue, one everygame hour, until all the PCs are dead.

STRI N T

16 (Dmg +1; wgt +350; Doors 1-3; Bars 10%)12 (Lang: Q. Elf, Hill Dwarf, Plainsman)1 3 INT 1 2

16 (React +1; Def -2) WIS

12 (Sys. Shock 80%; Res. 85% DEX

15 (Loyalty +15%; Reaction +15%) C O NCHAAL

17 (hp Adjust +3; Sys shock 97% Res. 98%)15 (Loyalty +15%; Reaction +15%)LG

1 011

AC = 6HP = 44

AC = 4HP = 45

TANISCARAMON

6th Level Half Elf Fighter7th Level Human Fighter

STR 18/63(Hit +2: Dmg +3: wgt +1250: Doors 1-4. Bars 25%)WISD E XC O NCHAA L N G

TASSLEHOFF BURRFOOT

5th Level Kender Thief

STRINTWISDEXCONCHAAL

AC = 6HP = 20

13 (wgt +100; Doors 1-2; Bars 4%)9 (Lang: Kenderspeak)1216 (Attack +1; Def -2; see below)14 (Sys. Shock 88%; Res. 92%)11N

RAISTLIN

4th Level Human Magic-user

STRINT

10 (Doors 1-2; Bars 2%)

WIS17 (Lang: 6; Q. Elf, Magius, see below)14

DEX 16 (Attack +l; Def -2)C O NCHA

10 (Sys shock 70%; Resur 75%)10

AL N

AC=5HP=11

Spell use: 3 1st level and 2 2nd level per dav.Pocts Locks Traps Quiet Hides Hears Climb Reads

55% 52% 4 5 % 50% 46% 25% 75% 2 0 %

STURM BRIGHTBLADE

7th Level Human Fighter

GOLDMOON

S T RI N T

17 (Hit +1; Dmg+1; wgt+500; Door 1-3; Bars 13%)14 (Lang: Q. Elf; Plains; Solamnic; S. Elf)

W I S 1 1D E X 1 2C O N 16 (hp Adjust +2; Sys Shock 95%; Res. 96%)C H A 1 2A L LG

6th Level Human Cleric

STRINT

12 (wgt +100; Doors 1-2; Bars 4%)

WIS12 (Lang: Plainsmen, Hill Dwarf, Q. Elven)

DEX16 (Magic Adjustment +2)14

CONCHA

12 (Sys. Shock 80%; Res. 85%)

AL17 (Loyalty +30%; Reaction +30%)LG

AC = 6HP = 24

Spell use: 3 1st Level, 3 2nd Level, 2 3rd Level

AC = 5HP = 40

FLINT FIREFORGE

5th Level Dwarf FighterRIVERWIND

SIX 16 (Dmg +1; wgt +350; Doors 1-3; Bars 10%)6th Level Human Ranger

INT 7 (Lang: Hill Dwarf) STR 18/35 (Hit +l; Dmg +3; wgt +1000; Doors 1-3; Bars 20%)WIS 12 INTDEX 10 WIS

13 (Lang: Plainsman, Q. Elf, Hill Dwarf)14

CONCHA

18 (Hp Adjust +4; Sys shock 99%; Res. 100%) DEX 16 (Attack +1; Def -2)13 (Reaction +5%) CON

CHA13 (Sys. Shock 85%; Res. 90%)

AL N G 13 (Reaction +5%)AL LG

AC = 6HP = 52 AC = 5

HP = 36

Equipment: ring mail armor, small shield, longsword (dmg 1-8/1-12), spear (dmg 1-6), dagger (dmg 1-4/1-3), pack (as selected by

player)

What of our friends in Solace? The smoke rising from the direction ofthat mighty Vallenwood Forest weighs heavily upon me. Do youthink that Tika Waylan, for example, could sit idly around and watchthat land be overrun? I have a feeling that she needs our help thisvery minute! Who knows if we will even find the Inn of the LastHome unharmed?

Spellbook:1st Level: burning hands, charm person, comprehend lan-guages, detect magic, hold portal, magic missile, push, sleep,Tenser’s Floating Disc.2nd Level: audible glamer, darkness 15’, detect invisible, ESP,invisibility, mirror image, web, wizard lock, knock.

Equipment: Staff of Magius (+3 protection, +2 to hit (dmg 1-8), con-tinual light (1 /day), feather fall (1 /day), pack (as selected by player)

I think we should take care not to lose sight of the real enemy. Thesedraconians are a threat to the whole world. Look what they did to thePlains of Abanasinia, and that was several days ago! What kind ofdestruction have they been able to wreak since then? Even gullydwarves and Seekers may look like long-lost friends before this isover!

Equipment: leather armor, a sling +1, Medallion of Faith, pack (asselected by player)

And what of the message from Mishakal—find the one who willlead the people”? How do you suppose we accomplish that? I havelooked at these disks, and they contain information on the true gods.Though I have lost the crystal staff, the information I hold here is farmore valuable, for it gives knowledge that allows me, or any faithfulcharacter, the ability to become a true cleric, such as our land has notknown for hundreds of years. Even this is not enough-we must seethat others have the opportunity to share in this information.

Equipment: leather armor, small shield, longsword +2, shortbow andquiver of arrows, hunting knife +1, pack (as selected by player)

The village that is my home, and Goldmoon’s, no longer exists.Although I fear that your Solace may have met the same fate, it isclear that we must see for ourselves. If, as you say, there are those whoneed our help, then our path is clear before us. At the same time, Iwould wage war against the destroyers of my homeland. It is clear thatwe few cannot stand against the armies of the dragonmen; yet thereinmay be our strength. For, as the armies have passed us by, perhaps wemay learn more of the nature of this menace. Surely, there is a weak-ness, a fault, that can be exploited.

Equipment: leather armor +2, longsword +2 (dmg 1-8/1-12), long-bow & 20 arrows, pack (as selected by player)

It’s hard to believe all of the things that have happened in the last fewdays. Five years we searched, travelling hundreds of miles to all fourcorners of the compass, and the answer was all the time only a day’smarch from Solace. And the dragon! All the scoffing we have doneover those legendary creatures comes back to haunt us now. Whowould have believed that there really is such a creature?

Equipment: leather armor, hoopak (treat as combination bullet sling(dmg 2-5/2-7) and +2 jo stick (dmg 1-6+2/1-4+2), dagger (dmg 1-41 1-3), pack (as selected by player)

Well, this should show those Seekers a thing or two. Imagine playingcleric without knowing who the true gods are!The only thing I regretis that we didn’t have a little more time to poke around in thatsunken city—Xak Tsaroth, they called it. I’ll bet that place couldhave told us a lot if we could have just looked for a few clues. Thatdragon’s treasure pile alone could have kept me busy for a month!

Equipment: chain mail armor, two handed sword +3 (dmg 1-10 /3-18), dagger (dmg 1-4/1-3), pack (as selected by player)

It seems that we have become involved in something larger than anyof us could have guessed. These “dragonlords” and their armies areeverywhere. No one seems to have the power to stand in their way.Perhaps the knowledge that we, or Goldmoon actually, have gainedwill be of help against this evil. I hope so, but I don’t see how oursmall band will be able to make much difference.

Equipment: studded leather armor, small shield, 2 hand axes +1 (dmg)1-6/1-4), dagger (dmg 1-41 1-3), pack (as selected by player)

I certainly wasn’t surprised to find gully dwarves working for thosedraconian scum! Like I’ve always said, where there’s garbage you’llfind the rats. It should be obvious to all of you now that the gullydwarves can’t possibly be related to Hill Dwarves-why, our entire...well, everything, is different. They are much more closely tied tothose scoundrels the mountain dwarves, as any fool can see. I onlyregret that my axe didn’t get the chance to educate a few more of’em!

The heroes will make a long day’s march, crossthe road, and are at the Sla-Mori at nightfall.Today, also, the dragon army marches out ofPax Tharkas toward Qualinesti

Dawn is just beginning to color the sky asGi l thanas leads the way through thea s p e n w o o d o f Q u a l i n e s t i . T h e t r a i ldescends gradually to the south. Soon thewhisper of a rushing stream rises fromnearby, as the path begins to follow a clearb r o o k . T h e r o u t e g r o w s s t e e p e r a n dsteeper, and the water deepens and roars asit tumbles toward the sea with increasingforce.

The aspens of Qualinesti blend withthe tall pines of the lowlands, and by thetime the sun is high there are no signs ofthe silvery trees of the plateau. Dark andlooming, the evergreens crowd the trail,making the brightly sunny day seem closedand dusky. The stream still roars, but thesound has become threatening, like someunspeakable thing in tireless pursuit.

Suddenly, the pines spread to reveal aclearing about 150’ across. The grass hasbeen churned into mud by a furious com-bat, and the bodies of both men and hob-goblins lie grotesquely in the places wheredeath has claimed them.

A groan sounds from the center ofthis carnage, and a battered human warriorrises from a pile of hobgoblins. His eyesappear glazed and unfocused as he turnshis head about, finally looking at the trailwhere it enters the clearing. He strugglesto stay on his feet, but gives up withanother groan.

Suddenly a look of surprise crosses hisface, and he points to the dense pine for-est . “Look out ! Dragon. . . ” the e f for tproves too much, and he topples onto hisback again.

22. Ambush

Immediately after this statement, 12 Baazdraconians rush from the pines to attack the

party from all sides. If the heroes heed thewounded warrior’s warning, they are not sur-prised by the ambush; otherwise, check nor-mally with a d6.

8 Baaz Draconians. AL LE; MV 6”[15”]/18”; hp 14 each; AC 4; HD 2; #AT 1(shortsword) or 2; Dmg 1-6 or 1-4/1-4;turn to stone and crumble apart on death

See a complete description of these monstersin Appendix 3.

The draconians attack savagely, fightingto the death. If the battle seems to be going inthe heroes’ favor, the wounded man climbs tohis feet, joins the melee, and strikes a Baazfrom behind after most of the draconians havebeen killed.

NPC Capsule:Eben Shatterstone, Soldier of Fortune.Human. F5; AL CN; S14; 115; W7; Dl3;CS; Chl5; MV 9”; hp 28; AC 4

Wears chain mail. Carries a shield, longsword,and dagger.

Eben wears clothes that once werevery fine, but a lot of rough wear has tat-tered them somewhat. He has straight, jet-black hair, cut fairly short, and his face isruggedly handsome. A faded red capehangs from his shoulders, and his finechain mail is rather tarnished. He alsowears a scarlet hat.

Eben is completely self-serving andwill do anything to win favor with thosewhom he sees as in power. Right now, thisis the Dragonlord Verminaard, who hassent Eben to infiltrate the party and try todirect them to Pax Tharkas, where he is tobetray them. Eben is not evil, nor will herisk his life for the Dragonlord, so if hedoes not have a chance to betray the partysafely, he will not do so. If at all possible,Eben’s mission should not be discovered.If it is, however, and the PCs turn on him,see to i t that Eben meets an obscuredeath—that the body is lost.

19

Eben has blood upon his legs and arms. Hegraciously denies that he needs any magicalhealing and suggests that the magic should besaved for a later t ime. In fact, he is notwounded at a l l : he has s taged the ent i reencounter so that he might join the group ofheroes. He will attempt to betray the party inDL3.

Eben thanks the PCs many times, andoffers his aid wherever they might be bound.Gilthanas urges haste in continuing to PaxTharkas, and if his opinion is sought, remarksthat an extra swordsman always comes inhandy.

Soon the pines give way to the openpla in , and in the southern d is tance, PaxTharkas sits wedged between mountains. Bymoving steadily, the party can see the Tharka-dan walls by late afternoon.

23. The Hidden Valley

The sun has almost disappeared in thewest; the imposing fortress of Pax Tharkasis nearer still. The tops of its two mightytowers rival the mountain peaks for controlof the sky. Between the towers, a massivewall closes off all passage through themountain gap. A single gate, 30’ tall and20’ wide, seems to be the only entrance.

Suddenly, the massive gate swingsopen. Even before it f inishes moving,co lumn af ter co lumn of armed t roopsmarch out. Rising clouds of dust soonobscure their exact numbers, but surelyseveral thousand pass from the fortressonto the plains. The road they follow leadsto Qualinesti.

“The Dragonlords’ power,” says Gil-thanas grimly. “The time has come.” Theelven warrior points to a narrow vale lead-ing into the mountains just east of PaxTharkas. “Here lies the approach of theSla-mori. We must move carefully: thisvalley is sometimes not a safe place.”

The elf refers to legends about a band of trollswho have come down from the high moun-tains into the valley. He tells the PCs about thelegends if they ask him. Urging haste, he thenleads the party into the valley, to the secretgate of the Sla-mori, or “hidden path.”

A narrow trail climbs steeply from theplains into the wooded valley. Splashingwith impartial cheer, a clear brook emergesfrom the cut in the mountains, as Gil-thanas leads the party ever higher. Soon,the elf leaves the path and begins to pickhis way through underbrush made espe-cially dense by the falling of night.

24. Trolls

The trolls in this valley always place a guard tocover the approach from the plains. This troll

alerts its partners, and the three monstersattack the rear of the party as it leaves the trailand begins to move toward the Sla-mori.Check normally to see if the PCs are surprised.

3 Trolls. AL CE; MV 12”; hp 36, 31, 27;AC 4; HD 6+6; #AT 3; Dmg 5-8/5-8/2-12;regenerate 3 hp per round

The trolls try to kill two PCs and carry thebodies to their lair-a small cave on the oppo-site side of the valley, about 1000 yards away.The cave is 30’ wide, 50’ deep, and 10’ high.It contains a collection of bones, worthlessscraps of armor and weapons, a rusty key amidthe rubbish at the back wall, a shield +1, and alocked strongbox. The key opens the strong-box, which contains 257 sp and 3 gems, worth150 stl, 100 stl, and 200 stl.

25. The Gate

Gilthanas leads the way along the base of atall granite cliff for several hundred feet,halting at a slight niche in the wall. Hetakes a small, glowing gem from beneathhis tunic and holds it forward with his righthand. Making a set of motions in the air,he chants an ancient series of incantations.Suddenly and silently, a tremendousblock moves to the side.

stone

Use Map C: “Sla-Mori” for the followingencounters. The numbers of these and all fur-ther encounters are keyed to areas on maps.

26. The Ways of the Sla-Mori

A whiff of musty dead air emerges as thehuge b lock moves as ide. The passageplunges d i rect ly in to the hear t o f themighty peak that guards the eastern flankof Pax Tharkas. A thick coat of dust layersthe floor, and cobwebs hang loosely fromthe ceiling nearly 15’ above. The tunnel is20’ wide and completely dark.

Despite the many birds and small ani-mals in the nearby woods-all chatteringnoisily but a few moments ago-the area isnow covered by a s tunned s i lence, asthough the mountain protests this break-in and the animals have paused in sympa-thy.

Gilthanas advances firmly into the tunnel. Ifthe PCs falter, he pauses and urges them for-ward with a whisper. He knows this area onlythrough lore-he has never travelled it—andthe grim passage makes him uneasy.

T h e t u n n e l i s o b v i o u s l y a n c i e n t .Whether it was carved by hand or created bythe flowing of water is impossible to deter-mine. Loose chunks of rock litter the floor,and the walls and ceilings are crumbling. Thedust on the floor looks like it has not been dis-turbed since the Cataclysm.

7. The Crossroads

A crossroads offers a choice of directions120 into the mountain. The corridor con-tinues straight ahead at 20’ wide; it alsobranches to the right in a corridor of aboutthe same width.

sures, for a complete description of this potentweapon.

27. The Closed Corridor

More significantly, the dust on the The corridor widens to 60’, still continuingfloor of the tunnels now shows the passage forward. The air in the ro