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The Branching Path Introduction

The recent release of Aundairian prisoners of war held in Thrane has given the Arcane Congress some reliable information regarding the disposition of one of their most important members – a man who has been missing for more than a decade.

Surviving soldiers, who served under Haldon ir’Ostren in the Queen’s 5th irregular regiment, claim to have seen him die at the Battle at Brie’s Fort, an engagement that occurred nearly 15 years ago. The fort was besieged and destroyed by Thranish forces, and Haldon is reported to have fallen in battle against a Silver Flame paladin. Captured soldiers were forced to bury their comrades in a mass grave within the fort’s courtyard before being taken to a POW camp outside of Flamekeep. Before leaving, the troops successfully lobbied for a headstone to commemorate their beloved commander, which the Thranes agreed to out of respect.

Based on this new found information, the heroes are hired by his son Rion, on behalf of the ir’Ostren family, to locate and return Haldon’s body, and any items he may be buried with, to Fairhaven. Haldon’s heirs want to have him interred in their ancestral crypt.

If they accept, the heroes must travel to Brie’s Fort, located at Brie’s Fork, a convergence of three roads along the edge of the Aundair-Thrane border. Two of these roads travel south around the forest near Thaliost (on opposite sides), while the third heads north and stops at the coast of Eldeen Bay. Once there, the heroes should search the ruins. Payment for the mission will be 200 galifars, plus an additional 50 galifars for expenses. If they need it, the heroes will be loaned a cart, mules, and horses to begin their journey.

Informants report that briefly, after the war, Brie’s Fort was occupied by the Bandit Lord Tomoges. He moved his operations south, closer to Fairhaven, some time ago. The fort is now believed to be inhabited by a group of out-of-work Darguun mercenaries who range throughout the surrounding region.

Defeating hazards on the road and defeating the bandits in the fort, the heroes are able to find Haldon’s body at Brie’s Fort. The corpse is dressed in blue robes festooned with mystical symbols, but there are no items buried with him. Though Rion truly wants Haldon’s remains returned to civilization, others in his family pushed for this expedition to determine if Haldon was buried with his Dhakaani-inspired amulet. They are highly disappointed to discover he was not. Adventures Used: The Lauros Road Bandits (module) The Auction

A few weeks after their return to Fairhaven, the local media reports that the Bandit Lord Tomoges has been captured and is scheduled to be executed for crimes against the kingdom. Any goods found at his camp that could not be identified are to be sold at a public auction in a few days.

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It’s not long after this that the heroes are contacted by Vikram ir’Ostren, representing the Fairhaven branch of the ir’Ostren family. Since the heroes have prove themselves trustworthy once before, Vikram wants to hire the heroes to acquire an amulet that was found in Tomoges’ possession. The family is positive the item belonged to Haldon ir’Ostren and wants the distinctive amulet to bury with Haldon’s newly-recovered body. Unfortunately, they could not prove ownership beyond a reasonable doubt in court, so it went up for auction with the rest of the bandit’s loot.

Unbeknownst to the heroes, Vikram ir’Ostren is an agent of Aundair’s First Warlord Adal as well, and the amulet is actually a key that opens a hidden vault in Haldon’s old residence in Thaliost.

At the auction, there are two other groups of individuals who bid on the amulet. The first is the foppish noble Ossur ir’Drossin and his entourage, while the second is a group of three men who stand near the back of the room. The bidding goes up to 750 galifars, with the noble outbidding the group of men every time. Eventually, the men realize they are fighting a lost battle, and give up, letting the noble celebrate with his new acquisition.

The other men at the auction are agents of the Order of the Emerald Claw, sent to acquire the key and return it to Karrnath. The Emerald Claw want to get into the Thaliost vault to retrieve the cache of Khyber dragonshards Haldon collected for them. These shards are important to their upcoming plans.

The amulet itself is 4”x4” and circular, with a Dhakaani magical rune emblazoned in its center. Because of its unusual symbology, the auction house is billing it as an “ancient curiosity”. Always in Haldon’s possession, the amulet has been lost since the Battle at Brie’s Fort.

Representing the family, the heroes are to acquire the amulet at the auction if possible, and are given 500 galifars to this end. If the heroes cannot win

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the item at auction, it is strongly implied that they should acquire it surreptitiously. The Acquisition

Ossur ir’Drossin is simply a man with expensive tastes, who feels the amulet fits the décor of his estate. He has no idea what the fuss is over his new toy, and is surprised that anybody else even bothered to bid on the item. Ossur is unwilling to give up the amulet without some coercion though, so the heroes must choose how to deal with him: to rob him now, ambush his caravan, or attack his estate in Flamekeep.

Ossur ir’Drossin and his party depart to his estate in Flamekeep immediately after the auction ends. If the heroes choose to ambush Ossur on his way home, by the time they catch his caravan later that night, they find that it’s already under attack. The heroes need to defeat the attackers and the caravan guards to get the amulet. Depending on how long they take, the noble may already be dead by the time they arrive. If not, if they ask, he willingly gives the heroes the amulet in return for them saving his life.

If the heroes wait until the Ossur returns to Flamekeep, they find his compound under attack, as well. The estate’s guards have been defeated and the burglars (agents of the Emerald Claw) are trashing the place looking for the amulet. When the heroes arrive, Ossur is in possession of the key and is hiding in a hidden “panic room” with his family. If they defeat the intruders, Ossur happily gives them whatever they wish, including the amulet, if they ask.

If they manage not to rouse too much suspicion (impossible though that may be), the heroes later meet secretly with Vikram ir’Ostren in the back of an inn. Vikram takes this opportunity to disclose his dual employment - while he does represent the ir’Ostren family, he is also on a more important mission for First Warlord Adal. Taking them into his confidence, Vikram also reveals the true nature of the amulet.

Appealing to their patriotism, Vikram offers the heroes a chance to help their country – by breaking into Haldon’s old tower in Thaliost and using the key to find a way into the vault. There, they are to recover all magical items and deliver them to him.

***If the heroes refuse to acquire the amulet after the auction, the Emerald Claw track them down a few days later. Emerald Claw agents haven’t figured out how to use the key yet, and they believe Haldon had some sort of clue on his person when he died. They accost the heroes to determine what Haldon was wearing in his grave and what the heroes did with any items they found. Since Tomoges (the man who took the amulet in the first place) is dead, only the heroes can answer this question. Of course, they don’t want the heroes blabbing about this encounter later on, so they attempt to assassinate them after they get the answers they’re looking for.

The night after the heroes’ encounter with the Emerald Claw, they are met by Vikram ir’Ostren and four Knights Phantom. Surprisingly, Vikram is happy to hear that the Emerald Claw came looking for the heroes. “If they’re out here after you, that means they haven’t gotten into the vault yet,” he says with a sly grin.

He reports that the caravan transporting Ossur ir’Drossin and the amulet was ambushed and destroyed as soon as it left Fairhaven. The ir’Drossin estate in Flamekeep was also burned to the ground

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in a suspicious fire. Vikram tracked the heroes down because he feared they might have found something in Brie’s Fort that would make them the next target.

At this point, Vikram reveals his true identity and asks the heroes to serve their country. He explains who Haldon truly was and why his amulet and Tower in Thaliost are important. Vikram is convinced that the Emerald Claw have the amulet and are trying to find a way into Haldon’s vault as they speak. Their presence here makes it apparent that they haven’t had success yet.

If they agree to help, Vikram tells them to go to Haldon’s tower in Thaliost and stop the Emerald Claw from looting the vault. Then, the heroes are to get into the vault themselves, retrieve any magical items they find there, and deliver them to Vikram. He will be staying in a suite at the local House Ghallanda inn. Haldon’s Tower

Haldon had lived in Thaliost under an assumed identity for many years and, while he was in the field, his residence was maintained by his servants. The tower was abandoned when Haldon disappeared, and Adal and the Arcane Congress have been itching to get back in ever since. After the Treaty of Thronehold, the tower was purchased by a Thranish official, Rofert ir’Vaedin. Knowing the residence once belonged to a mage of some renown, as well as being a bit paranoid, the Rofert has installed both magical and mundane traps to secure his home. Thus far, the burglar deterrent has paid off, as the ir’Vaedins have returned home to find the corpse of a would-be thief in their great room on more than one occasion. The Vault

The key fits into a slot on the base of a wall in the tower’s library. Turning the key causes a random three digit number to appear floating in the air in the middle of the room. This number refers to a specific book on a specific shelf within the library (first digit = shelf, second digit = row, third digit = column). When the book is pulled and turned to the correct page (using the same number), the heroes can discover the pattern necessary to open the vault.

Like the number, this sequence is random as well. The first word of each of the first three lines says either left or right. The key must be turned in that pattern or the vault will magically lock, unable to be opened for 24 hours. When done correctly, a circular section of floor opens, revealing a staircase leading down.

The vault contains a few traps and/or magical protections left by Haldon. Notable among the items in the vault is a cache of Khyber dragonshards in a densewood reinforced strongbox, a book titled “The Prophecy of the Crawling Chaos” swathed in a lead-lined cloak, and a sheaf of magical scrolls in an arcane locked bone tube. Aftermath

If the heroes leave town without turning over the tube – or open the tube and remove any of its materials – Vikram and the Knights Phantom will track them down. With the political acumen of First Warlord Adal behind their pursuers, the heroes will become outlaws subject to arrest on sight. If they don’t realize their error in judgment and turn over the documents shortly, they will eventually be

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captured and banished from Aundair on pain of death. Their success is getting into the vault will be the only thing saving them from execution.

If the heroes take the Khyber dragonshards from the vault, they will be hounded by the Emerald Claw until they sell/dispose of them in some way. Even if they did not, in order to retrieve the shards themselves, the Emerald Claw will need to send agents after the heroes to retrieve the amulet. To get the Emerald Claw off their trail, the heroes must ultimately turn the amulet (and the dragonshards if they have them) over to Warlord Adal.

If the heroes hold onto the book, whether they’re on the road or in an inn, the Esoteric Order of Starry Wisdom will hire thieves who attempt to make off with it during the night. The thieves are hired through a front company, so they have no idea who their employers truly are. Their job is simply to steal the book, not kill the heroes, so if the job goes sour, the thieves hightail it out of danger as fast as possible. If the thieves fail in their mission, the Order will try again later with more direct means. This may include hiring more thieves, using summoned creatures, or simply employing some armed thugs to beat the heroes down. One of their members may even get personally involved and deal with the heroes themselves. The Path of Adal

Though the ir’Ostren family’s motives are pure, the same cannot be said for Vikram. His master, First Warlord Adal, wants the items from Haldon’s vault to fuel his warmongering.

Adal knows that Haldon ir’Ostren’s mission in Thaliost was to collect intelligence and, ultimately, foment dissent among the native Aundairian population, in advance of an invasion force. Adal believes that if he can gather enough information and public support, he could maneuver Queen Aurala into an untenable position on the issue. If Aundairians are suffering under Thranish reprisals, his sister will have no choice but to go to war with Thrane to liberate Thaliost.

The sheaf of scrolls in the vault detail his investigations and contain information about the spy network he organized to monitor the situation in Thaliost. Measures are in place to ensure the operation runs smoothly even in his absence. The organization has collected detailed information about the city’s major personalities and their comings and goings. Vital institutions are identified and targeted for destruction, and prominent Thranes are marked for assassination.

Though Haldon is long dead, his network is still quite functional. Once Vikram has had enough time to get the coded scrolls deciphered, he’ll learn the names and duties Haldon assigned each of the cell members. If they need to, Vikram will help the heroes contact some of the agents to get up-to-date information about their activities. At this point, Vikram will ask the heroes to use Haldon’s secret contact signals (a yellow dog bowl turned upside down in the park and a small chalk “X” left on a tree near the bowl) to let the cell know that their various missions are “go”.

Haldon’s network has the following missions prepared, all waiting for the go ahead from their leader: poison the main granary; assassinate Archbishop Solgar Dariznu; provoke a gang war; harass and attack Thranish citizens, seemingly at random; destroy the armory; blow up the city barracks; and stoke religious hatred against the Silver Flame.

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Both the Scions Liberation Front (Aundairian partisans in Thaliost) and Throneholders (Thranes seeking to weaken the power of the theocracy) can be potential allies for the heroes. Oura Gellast, paladin of the Silver Flame, may even be convinced to help the heroes eliminate the Archbishop.

***If the heroes decide that war would be bad for Aundair and refuse to help First Warlord Adal, they can use whatever information they’ve acquired to put a stop to the cell’s plans. They must do so in secret, however, because letting the Thranish authorities know that something is afoot will only get them arrested and questioned, rather than actually stopping the saboteurs.

Telling Aundarian authorities won’t be effective either, and it will likely get the heroes assassinated, as Prince Adal has eyes – and friends – everywhere. It would be a simple matter to make anyone disappear. The Path of Vol

Well hidden from both the Aundairian government and the Arcane Congress, Haldon ir’Ostren was a high-ranking member of the Order of the Emerald Claw. His quest for forbidden arcane knowledge brought Haldon to Vol’s doorstep, and the lich promised him lost secrets in exchange for his service and devotion. Using his position to his advantage, Haldon was able to quietly acquire a large cache of dragonshards for use in Operation Leviathan.

Haldon’s death was a major setback for the Emerald Claw, as they thought his work was lost forever. The discovery of his amulet put them on the right track, and they need to retrieve the dragonshards Haldon had stored in his Thaliost tower for them. The sheer number of dragonshards in the vault will push Vol’s followers years closer to initiating Operation Leviathan.

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After the heroes run into the Emerald Claw a few times, they are approached by agents of King Kaius of Karrnath and interrogated about their connection to the Emerald Claw. It seems that the Order has been surprisingly active recently, striking at a couple of well-protected dragonshard stockpiles, and Kaius wants to know why.

Once declared innocent, the heroes are offered employment with the Karrnathi government to strike at Emerald Claw outposts. If they agree to terms, they are given a choice of four different suspected Emerald Claw enclaves to strike. One of these outposts contains cryptic information about

Operation Leviathan. If they heroes hit more than two of these locations before reaching the one that contains the

relevant clues about Operation Leviathan, by the time they piece it all together, the Emerald Claw will have already collected enough dragonshards to conduct their ceremony. If the heroes don’t reach and interrupt the ceremony quickly enough, they will have to deal with whatever monstrosity the Emerald Claw has managed to summon.

As the heroes make inroads in their investigation, to slow the heroes down, the Emerald Claw will use the animate infectious zombie spell to ravage small towns and villages along their path. The heroes will have to decide if they have time to help the surviving villagers or if they need to press on with their mission.

Order of the Emerald Claw

The reputation of the knightly Order of the Emerald Claw has gone from one extreme to the other. When it was established, the order was considered the ultimate expression of Karrnathi patriotism. Today, it has been outlawed and is seen as a terrorist organization working at cross purposes

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to the legitimate government of the nation. The secret truth beyond the origin of the order and the evil it serves is terrifying.

On the surface, the Order of the Emerald Claw appears to consist of a small number of fanatics dedicated to the military superiority of a Karrnath that doesn’t want their devotion. In reality, the order has no interest in promoting or elevating Karrnath. Its true master, hidden to all but the top leaders within the organization, is Vol, the self-styled Queen of the Dead.

This seemingly small group is like an iceberg; the tip that rises above the surface is nothing compared to the mountain of ice hidden beneath the waves. The Order supports a vast network whose tendrils wind through all levels of Khorvairian society. It has eyes and ears in the halls of government, churches, dragonmarked houses, and private institutions. Some of its agents never reveal their true nature; others appear proudly in the knightly garb of the order.

Vol uses the Order of the Emerald Claw to incite fear and terror, to cast suspicion on the actions of Karrnath and its leaders, to foment unrest,

and to perform military missions that go beyond the capabilities of her followers within the Blood of Vol. Knights of the order scour the world for relics and artifacts of powerful magic, and aren’t above stealing arcane research from wizards and artificers to churn out new magic weapons for the order or for Vol.

The garb worn by the knights of the order includes a distinctive helmet with a half faceplate, a tabard with a claw insignia over chainmail, and a powerful flail. Typical Blood of Vol Priest: Half-elf cleric 5; CR 5; Medium humanoid (half-elf); HD 5d8+5; hp 30; Init +2; Spd 20 ft. (base 30 ft.); AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +3; Grp +3; Atk +4 melee (1d6+1/18–20, +1 scimitar) or +3 melee (1d4–1/19–20, masterwork dagger) or +5 ranged (1d6/×3, shortbow); Full Atk +4 melee (1d6+1/18–20, +1 scimitar) or +3 melee (1d4–1/19–20, masterwork dagger) or +5 ranged (1d6/×3, shortbow); SA rebuke undead 6/day (+3, 2d6+8, 5th); SQ half-elf traits, low-light vision; AL LE; SV Fort +5 (+7 against disease), Ref +3, Will +7 (+9 against enchantment spells and effects); Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Concentration +5, Diplomacy +5, Gather Information +1, Heal +7, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Listen +4, Search +2, Spellcraft +5, Spot +4; Dodge, Mobility. Languages: Common, Elven, one other. Possessions: Masterwork breastplate, light steel shield, +1 scimitar, masterwork dagger, shortbow with 12 arrows, potion of cure moderate wounds, scroll of shield of faith, cleric’s vestments, silver holy symbol, identification papers. Cleric Spells Prepared (5/5/4/3; save DC 13 + spell level): 0—cure minor wounds, detect magic, guidance, light, read magic; 1st—bane, cause fearN, divine favor, entropic shield, ray of enfeeblementDN; 2nd—align weapon, bear’s endurance, command undeadDN, hold person; 3rd—animate deadN, magic circle against goodD, magic vestment.

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DDomain spell. Domains: Evil (cast evil spells at +1 caster level) NNecromancy spell (cast necromancy spells at +1 caster level) Typical Emerald Claw Soldier: Human warrior 2; CR 1; Medium humanoid; HD 2d8+5; hp 14; Init +0; Spd 20 ft. (base 30 ft.); AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17; Base Atk +2; Grp +3; Atk +3 melee (1d8+1, flail) or +2 ranged (1d8/19–20, light crossbow); Full Atk +3 melee (1d8+1, flail) or +2 ranged (1d8/19–20, light crossbow); AL LE; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +3, Knowledge (religion) +0, Ride +4; Dodge, Toughness. Language: Common. Possessions: Chainmail, heavy wooden shield, flail, light crossbow with 20 bolts, sunrod, tabard, pouch with 2d6 sp and 1d8 gp, identification papers (two sets, one false). Operation Leviathan

The Order of the Emerald Claw is Khorvaire’s most extensive secret society, with cells in every major city and infiltrators in every power structure. Many of their plots involve protecting the Blood of Vol cults in Karrnath and beyond, but they undertake other endeavors on behalf of Vol herself.

Once such endeavor, known as Operation Leviathan, involves Emerald Claw cells across Khorvaire. Most members of the Order know that they’re supposed to acquire as many Khyber dragonshards as possible for something called “Operation Leviathan.” But Emerald Claw leaders know more: The Order is gathering hundreds of Khyber dragonshards to draw forth from Lake Dark a monster of unspeakable power, then bind it to do Vol’s will. Not even the Emerald Claw clerics who will perform the ritual know exactly what the monster in the bottom of the lake is. Ancient texts speak of it as being the equal of any army, capable of destroying entire cities and cutting a swath of destruction across the landscape.

Getting PCs Involved: Most Khyber dragonshards are still in the depths of Khyber, of course, so Heroes who travel deep underground can meet Emerald Claw agents trying to mine dragonshards. But mining isn’t an area of expertise for the Emerald Claw; they’d rather have others do the work for them. Emerald Claw agents try to steal any Khyber dragonshards that reach the surface world—whether they’re in the hands of other governments, dragonmarked houses, or the Heroes. The Emerald Claw is also seizing control of mining operations and enslaving the miners to get more Khyber dragonshards.

If the Heroes don’t get involved in preventing the Emerald Claw from gaining the necessary Khyber dragonshards, they have two other chances to stop Operation Leviathan. They can disrupt the nightlong ritual that will call forth the creature from Lake Dark. And high-level Heroes might be able to defeat the creature once it emerges from the lake, ready to do Vol’s bidding.

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The Path of Chaos Neither First Warlord Adal nor the Order of the Emerald Claw are interested in the other items stored in

Haldon’s vault, but some within the Arcane Congress are. Members of a secret subgroup of the Arcane Congress, called The Esoteric Order of Starry Wisdom, will try to get their hands on the “The Prophecy of the Crawling Chaos”.

“The Prophecy of the Crawling Chaos” was written hundreds of years ago by madman and devotee of the Crawling Chaos Lasker Mann, and only a handful of copies are known to exist. Haldon’s search for knowledge led him to the text, but he quickly dismissed it as the

nonsensical work of a delusional mind. The tome details the steps necessary to find a mystical artifact called the Azoth Stone, but its rambling style and random words make it almost unreadable.

Haldon’s security measures made it impossible for Lord Recorder Kenneth Regrant to scry on his vault, so the presence of the book was never detected. When the heroes brought the contents of the vault to the surface though, the Order’s members were giddy with excitement. They will attempt to wrest the book away from the heroes without rousing their suspicion, but will resort to force if absolutely necessary. With the book in their possession, the Order begins preparations for the arrival of their master. Kythri, the Churning Chaos, will be coterminous within a month, and there is much to be done if the Crawling Chaos is to be summoned. Unfortunately for the Order, one of their members is operating on her own agenda. The Adventure Begins A series of ritual murders has been occurring in Fairhaven. For the past two weeks, bodies have washing up on the shore of the Docks. There have been five in all, the first four being prostitutes and homeless. The bodies have all been disemboweled with odd, indecipherable symbols carved into their skin. As these sorts of people are not really important and occasionally turn up dead anyway, not much was thought of the situation. The fifth corpse though, discovered up last night, has gotten the attention of the constable and the nobility. The most recent victim is Margana ir’Thiel, a young, attractive girl from a wealthy family. She, and her older brother Retief, disappeared two nights ago, on the eve of Margana’s 18th birthday celebration. The family was hoping the pair had simply been kidnapped and were awaiting a ransom demand. Her disturbing death has led to increased concern for Retief’s well-being, and the family is willing to do anything to get him back. In truth, Retief is a devotee of the Crawling Chaos. With guidance from an unseen leader, the group has recently stepped up its operations in anticipation of the coming coterminous period. Retief, with the help of Thothar, his dwarven manservant, and a small cabal of followers have been ritually sacrificing people to gain insight into the preparations necessary to bring the Crawling Chaos into this world. Unfortunately for his sister, Retief reached a point where he needed an adult virgin to sacrifice. He knew just the right victim…

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The Heroes Enter

The heroes get involved when Vikram ir’Ostren tells them that his colleague, Enochia Bowstring, had been assigned the task of investigating these murders. Though the constable and city guard are probing into the criminal nature of these acts, the Arcane Congress’ job is to investigate the mystical

significance of the sacrifices and the symbols etched on the bodies. If the heroes are interested, Vikram gives them Enochia’s apartment address and tells her to expect them. Enochia explains the basics of the case to the heroes and tells them of the upcoming coterminous period with Kythri. She feels that these slaying have something to do with the Crawling Chaos, but is unsure how it is all connected. She is authorized to give the heroes 100 galifar up front, plus another 100 galifar upon completion of their work. In addition, the heroes will be eligible for a 100 galifar reward the ir’Thiel family has offered for information regarding their daughter’s death and their son’s disappearance. Little do the heroes suspect that Enochia Bowstring is the unseen leader of Retief’s cult. She is the one who hired the thieves to steal “The Prophecy of the Crawling Chaos” from the heroes and has been using information gleaned from the text to lead the cult’s sacrifices. Enochia has used this small cult to gain this valuable information without anyone in the Order knowing of

her involvement. By circumventing the Order’s hierarchy, she hopes to be the sole recipient of her master’s gratitude when he arrives. The insights gained from the rituals has moved her significantly closer to acquiring what she needs to summon the Crawling Chaos. The cult has outlived its usefulness, though, and it is time for them to be destroyed. In come the heroes… ***If either Retief or Thothar manage to escape, the heroes find a slip of paper, with the word “Hadonis” written on it, hidden in the cult’s hideout. Enochia is unwilling to pay the heroes the additional 100 galifar if the cult’s leaders weren’t eliminated, so this clue will lead them to “The Stolen Power” adventure and give the heroes a second opportunity to destroy the cult for good. Adventures Used: The Stolen Power (module) Materials Gathering

After successfully dealing with the cult, Enochia hires the heroes to do some work for her. With the coming coterminous, she fears more and more Crawling Chaos devotees will come out of the

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woodwork. She knows of at least one street preacher who has been gathering a significant congregation. These individuals pose a danger to the city and, perhaps, the entire kingdom.

She tells the heroes that she is preparing a ritual to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Crawling Chaos. The more knowledge she can gather about this odd being, the better she can combat his followers.

Unfortunately, there has also been a rise in Emerald Claw activity in the realm, and she will be too preoccupied entertaining a group of diplomats from Karrnath and Thrane to go hunting for the ingredients herself. The ingredients can be found in the Dreary Marsh in Xen’drik—the flowers of the mao-mao bush, a carnivorous plant, and the teeth of a yuan-ti shaman—and they won’t be easy to collect. She offers the heroes 200 galifars, plus transportation, for the job.

When the heroes return to Fairhaven after gathering the ingredients, they are approached by “Vikram ir’Ostren” (a disguised Upjohn Drowne), who has been keeping an eye on them ever since one of the Lord Recorder’s visions showed Enochia preparing for something suspicious. Vikram tells the heroes that the ingredients they have been collecting are only needed for one ritual: the summoning of a fiend. He then asks for their help.

Vikram claims to have long suspected Enochia of devil-worship, but hasn’t been able to prove it. He needs the heroes to get that proof by handing over the components to Enochia, then observing her performing the summoning through a scrying ball he presents them with. The ball allows two-way communication, and allows them to keep in touch with the wizard while they perform this dangerous task. In addition, to help them spy on Enochia, Vikram gives the heroes one potion of invisibility each.

***If the heroes refuse to help Enochia, she assigns her hobgoblin bodyguard, Brimstone Brakker, to the job. Though she would rather have Brimstone by her side, this mission is important enough that she is willing to sacrifice a bit of personal security to get it done. If either Retief or Thothar are still alive at this point, they are sent with Brimstone. Adventures Used: Marsh of the Wild Things (module) Dreary Marsh

An enormous swamp stretches for miles, its murky waters ready to swallow unwary travelers. In the center of the marsh, a massive fortress of vines rises up. APPROACH

The marshy landscape makes an approach by air risky. It is impossible to tell whether a party descending by ladder will touch down on solid ground or not. Waterways quickly silt up, making travel by boat impractical. On foot is the safest way to travel the swamp, preferably with a guide rope to snatch fallen comrades out of pits and quicksand.

Vast expanses of muck stretch for miles. Hillocks covered with vegetation dot the marshy landscape, no doubt hiding snakes and other swamp-dwelling predators. In the distance, arching vine bridges seem to lead to a massive fortress squatting in the marsh.

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TERRAIN FEATURES Shallow bogs make up most of the Dreary Marsh site, becoming deep bogs (DMG 88) in some

areas. Hillocks and vegetation bridges offer heroes a drier way to travel, but inevitably give way to more bogs before long. This marsh possesses an unusual and perilous property. Refined materials decay at an accelerated pace while in the bog. Metal items grow brittle within an hour of entering the marsh, permanently reducing their hardness by 2. Every 24 hours, each such item must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or crumble into dust. Magic items last an additional 24 hours before requiring a save. A mending spell or similar effect cast on an item adds 8 hours to the length of time before it requires a save.

At the same time, living things gain 1d6 temporary hit points upon entering the marsh. These hit points refresh every 24 hours but are lost when creatures leave the area. As partially metallic living creatures, warforged react unusually to the marsh’s environment. They gain temporary hit points as other living creatures do but also lose 1 point from their armor bonus for every 24 hours spent in the marsh. (This loss can be negated by a successful DC 17 Fortitude save.) This penalty accumulates until it cancels the armor bonus from the warforged character’s composite plating. Since warforged don’t heal naturally, 8 hours and a successful DC 15 Craft (armorsmithing) check are required to restore 1 point of lost armor bonus. For every multiple of 5 by which the result exceeds 15, the warforged regains an additional point of armor bonus from that check. Warforged that have the Ironwood Body or Unarmored Body feat from Races of Eberron are not subject to this penalty.

KEYED AREAS

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1. North Copse: A large cluster of cypress trees stands draped in moss curtains. The copse grows atop a hillock surrounded by deep bogs and vegetation arches (area 3). Clusters of green berries grow around the base of the trees. A successful DC 20 Knowledge (nature) check identifies them as scumberries, so named for their moist surface. Scumberries are not particularly tasty but neither are they poisonous. A successful DC 25 Survival check reveals that crushed scumberries applied to the skin (a full-round action) negates the phosphorescent effect of the lagoon in area 4 for 1 hour. The copse contains enough scumberries to prepare five applications, and new berries grow back in two weeks. 2. Swamp Ruins: Cracked gray pillars rise up from the swamp like giant bones. The vine-covered columns provide shelter for indigenous creatures, and yuan-ti and lizardfolk regularly fight over this area. 3. Vegetation Arches: Woven vine and moss arches seem to rise naturally out of the swamp, crisscrossing to form a network of bridges. These arches never grow wider than 5 feet, so heroes must walk single file along them.

The vegetation arches leading to the plant fortress (area 6) are not exactly sentient but have developed a rudimentary awareness. The fortress is the heart of the swamp, and the arches around it wish to protect it from intruders. Arches leading to area 6 support travelers halfway to the fortress and then collapse, dumping characters into the lagoon (area 4). Flying Heroes can attempt DC 20 Reflex saves to take to the air before landing in the water.

A character with a slashing weapon can try to chop through a vegetation arch, provided the weapon is sized for Medium or larger creatures and can be wielded two-handed. Each arch (AC 20, hardness 0, 30 hit points) takes double damage from fire-based attacks. A vegetation arch rebuilds itself over a period of 24 hours after its collapse or destruction. 4. Phosphorescent Lagoon: A 15-foot-deep lagoon surrounds the plant fortress (area 6). It can be crossed only by swimming, using magical means, or traversing the vegetation arches (area 3) or stepping stones (area 5).

An unusual type of algae in the water sheds radiance equal to a candle flame. The phosphorescent algae cause all creatures living in the water to glow with a bright luminescence, as if affected by a faerie fire spell. This is a natural, extraordinary effect, and as such it cannot be dispelled. Characters who enter the water take on the same luminescent quality. When they leave the water, they can spend a full minute cleaning themselves to end the luminescent effect, or apply scumberries to their exposed skin (see area 1). Otherwise, it takes 1 hour for the effect to wear off.

If a jar of water is taken from the lagoon, it continues to glow for two days before the algae die. 5. Stepping Stones: A string of six large boulders set 10 feet apart leads up to the plant fortress. Moving from one slippery stone to the next requires a successful DC 15 Jump check. Upon landing on a stone, a character must succeed on a DC 15 Balance check or lose her footing and tumble off. 6. Plant Fortress: A wooden framework supports a strange, fortress-like structure. Vines as thick as tree trunks intertwine with marsh grasses, giant flowers, and moss to form the fortress walls.

No windows or doors offer entry into this structure. The fortress, though not a plant creature, possesses a vague intelligence. Anyone casting a speak with plants spell can coax it into opening, but this requires assurances that the travelers will not harm any of the plants within. The fortress begins with an indifferent attitude but refuses to speak to anyone carrying an open flame.

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Characters possessing the woodland stride ability find that the walls of the plant fortress open automatically when they try to step through. Heroes can burn or force their way through the walls, but doing so earns the enmity of the plant fortress. The fortress walls are 1 foot thick and have 24 + 1d6 hit points per 5-foot square. The walls take double damage from fire.

Once per day, the plant fortress can create an entangle effect as the spell (DC 11) that targets any or all creatures inside the fortress. The effect lasts for 5 minutes.

The plant fortress shapes its interior to suit it by forming and removing walls at will. Unless directed by inhabitants, the plant fortress usually leaves its central chamber open. Two hollow vines filled with a gooey substance lead down into a subterranean grotto (area 7). The vines are large enough to admit only Medium or smaller creatures. 7. Grotto: The hollow vine tubes act as slippery slides. Characters sliding down the tubes can attempt DC 15 Reflex saves to catch themselves, followed by DC 10 Strength checks to halt their fall. Climbing up the 30 feet of twisted tubing requires a successful DC 25 Climb check.

With walls formed of compressed plant matter, the grotto sheds green light. The magical qualities of the marsh originate in this area, so the decay effect operates quicker here. Metal items must save every 6 hours, and mending has no effect. Living creatures (including plants) gain 2d6 temporary hit points while in this area. Warforged gain the temporary hit points, but they must save against the decay effect every 6 hours if they are vulnerable to it. Spells of the Plant domain are cast at +1 caster level in the grotto. Strange Happenings

While the heroes are away in the swamp, things have taken a turn for the strange in Fairhaven. The temperature inexplicably drops below freezing, culminating in a freak snowfall in the middle

of summer. Large, shadowy creatures have been spotted coming and going from the sewer system in broad

daylight, and are being blamed for the disappearance of a number of small children. A swarm of giant locusts breeze through Fairhaven, panicking horses, toppling carts, and

knocking people out of the way. For ten straight minutes, the swarm terrorizes the city, before leaving as suddenly as they came. There were no reported sightings of the insects before they entered, or after they left, the city’s borders.

An unexpected eclipse covered the city in darkness for an entire hour, wreaking havoc on the Aundair River and flooding some low-lying regions, only to have the waters recede immediately when the eclipse passes.

Ominous dark red clouds fill the sky, striking the earth with bolts of pink lightning that create a blaze wherever they land. Fairhaven’s central marketplace is particularly hard hit, with several shops burning to the ground. The marketplace is closed indefinitely until authorities can get the fires under control.

A dozen apartment buildings in the Docks District have been quarantined by House Jorasco because of the “Crimson Death”, a disease previously seen only in the Shadow Marches and thought to have been eradicated before the Last War.

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Other than stating that Kythri is near coterminous, neither the Silver Flame nor the Sovereign Host’s clerics have been able to provide an explanation for these strange occurrences, leaving the people to look elsewhere for answers.

Street ministers preaching the doctrine of the Crawling Chaos claim that the Six are returning to Khorvaire, heralding the arrival of their lord and master, and all non-believers should prepare to repent or die. These “holy men” have been attracting huge numbers of followers, with one in particular, Master Ennis, attracting thousands of people to each of his sermons. Bootleg copies of “The Prophecy of the Crawling Chaos” are being handed out on street corners by the boxful.

The heroes return to a much different city than the one they left. Fear grips the populace and the people seek comfort wherever they can find it. The Truth Revealed

The heroes hand over the ingredients, collect their reward, and then follow Enochia as they were told. She makes her way to the Docks and onboard a boat, which the heroes have just enough time to stow away on. The ship, a vessel called the Crimson Wind and captained by Captain Smargat, heads up the Aundair River and out to sea to escape the Lord Recorder’s vision, but the heroes will still be in contact with Vikram through the scrying ball.

After they witness her preparations for the summoning, Vikram tells them he has enough proof to damn her and orders them to disrupt the summoning. That’s easy enough to do, either by smudging the magic circle or knocking over her apparatus, but the ritual goes haywire, and instead of summoning the fiend to this plane, it takes the Crimson Wind and all aboard her to the depths of Kythri. Enochia will be so enraged that she and her minions attack at once. The Plane of Chaos

The heroes and the crew find themselves sailing on the River Styx – a land of utter darkness broken only by the occasional appearance of swirling multicolored lights and random gouts of flame. Gale force winds rage across the Crimson Wind’s deck, blowing out lights and hurling any unsecured items into the water. Anyone not holding onto a ship fixture must make a Balance check (DC 10) or be blown to the ground. A second Balance check (DC 10) is then required to remain on the deck or to stand.

Falling into the River Styx is a traumatic event which causes many to lose knowledge of recent events. Anyone washed overboard into the river must make a Will save (DC 20) to determine if they suffer short-term memory loss. Failure means that the individual forgets any events that happened within the last day. This memory loss is permanent, and nothing short of a wish or miracle spell will reverse the memory loss at this point. Success means the individual retains their memories.

For every three rounds the person remains in the river, another Will save (DC 20) must be made to determine if further memories are lost. Memories disappear in the following sequence: week, month, year, lifetime. A fifth failed save will see the individual turned into an amnesiac.

After the first failed save, any successful save afterward means the person stops losing more memories and pauses the memory loss sequence. If they remain in the river though, they are still at risk for losing those memories after three more rounds and another Will save.

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In addition to other hazards, the keening wind through Kythri creates an odd cacophony of sound, alternating between a low-pitched, sorrowful moan and a high-pitched, terror-ridden scream. The din forces listeners to make a Will save (DC 15) every hour or be shaken for the entirety of their stay in Kythri. Anyone failing a second save suffers the effects of fear.

The river is tumultuous, knocking the ship to and fro, and made even more dangerous by small rocky islands that appear from nowhere and disappear just as quickly. Captain Smargat and his sailors struggle to keep the rocking vessel under control, as Enochia’s soldiers continue their assault on the heroes. Finding a way home

Once the battle is over, the heroes have time to assess their situation. Luckily, the scrying ball still works, and after an hour of research on his end, Vikram can get a general idea of where exactly the Crimson Wind is. He can then instruct the heroes about the ritual necessary to return them home. Of course, some reagents will be needed to conduct this ritual.

Anticipating the possibility of something going wrong, Enochia has most of the necessary ingredients stored in her room on the ship. The copy of “The Prophecy of the Crawling Chaos” that was stolen from the heroes is here as well. Unfortunately, the heroes will need to go ashore to collect a key missing piece – the heart of a being of pure chaos.

To get this item, Vikram helps the heroes navigate to the Spawning Stone, the birthplace of the chaotic slaadi. There, he tells them to find a true slaad – not one of the more common green, red, or blue varieties. This leads to the “In Disarray” adventure.

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When the heroes finally complete the ritual and return to the calmer waters of the real world (a few days’ upriver from Fairhaven), they find that they’ve brought someone back with them, the fiend known as Scox who was drawn to Enochia’s attempted summoning. Scox has no interest in fighting, and flies from the ship to Fairhaven where he can indulge in his taste for theft. Before he leaves, he can be questioned if the heroes don’t attack him on sight. He explains that Enochia must have been summoning him because he now knows the location of the Azoth Stone—her Order used to pester him about it in the old days to no end. Adventures used: Tales from the Infinite Staircase – In Disarray (module) Advanced Adventure

When the heroes return to Fairhaven, they discover things have gotten even worse in their absence. The Six are returning to the city one by one, stalking the streets within their haze, bringing mercifully swift deaths to the doomed mortals they cross.

Vikram explains to the heroes that the only thing capable of stopping the Six is the very thing sought by Enochia and the Esoteric Order: the Azoth Stone. He knows this because he’s a member of the Order. Revealing his true form, Upjohn Drowne begs for the heroes’ help one more time. The current incarnation of the Esoteric Order can hold back their forebears for a while, but not forever. They need the Azoth Stone to defeat them, and only Scox knows where that is.

Scox, meanwhile, beat the heroes back to Fairhaven and has been up to his old tricks, amassing a pile of stolen loot from the rich citizens of Fairhaven. The heroes will need to track him down for questioning; now that the Azoth Stone is in the possession of one of the Six, Scox knows where it is. After Scox is forced to give up the location of the Stone, and the heroes have a full-fledged quest on their hands.

The cave leading to the ruins where the Stone rests is miles out from Fairhaven and under the sea. To get there they will need magical assistance, which the Arcane Congress will provide in the form of water-breathing enchantments and such. Endgame Adventure

Getting to the cave is an adventure in itself, as sea devils and the dangerous Typhonian Current have to be negotiated just to get there. Within the caves, magically sealed from the water above, lies the Azoth Stone, guarded by the last of the Six. After it is defeated, the heroes must be careful not to look into the Stone, which could trap them and drive them mad with the visions in its shining angles.

Back in Fairhaven, the blindfolded Lord Recorder is the only wizard who can be trusted with the Azoth Stone. At the cost of one of his multifaceted eyes, he can refract the Azoth Stone so it shows visions other than the apocalyptic ones it has focused on so far. By making the Stone show life-affirming images, it can be made into a weapon effective against the harbingers of doom that the remaining members of the Six have become. It only remains for the heroes to get the Stone close enough to the immortal, doom-bringing wizards to have an effect on them.

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Miscellaneous Kythri, the Churning Chaos

A roiling soup of land, water, air, protoplasmic ooze, fire, magma, hissing steam, smoke, dust, ice, blinding light, pitch darkness, acid, flashing lightning, cacophonous sound, and seemingly every other substance and energy found in the universe fills the plane of Kythri. Every part of the plane constantly changes. A creature, native or just visiting, can sometimes exert enough will to hold a location constant and stable—for a short time.

Kythri has the following traits: • Objective directional gravity: The direction of gravity changes frequently. • Highly morphic: Kythri constantly changes. A given area, unless magically stabilized somehow, can react to specific spells or sentient thought. • Strongly chaos-aligned. • Enhanced magic: Spells with the chaotic descriptor are maximized and enlarged. • Impeded magic: Spells with the lawful descriptor are impeded. Kythri Inhabitants: Chaos beast, githzerai, howler, slaad (all), titan. Monster Manual III: Quaraphon.

Coterminous: Kythri’s proximity has no unusual effects on the Material Plane, though popular superstition links its coterminous phase to historical periods of unrest and conflict. (For example, some stargazers believe that Kythri was coterminous to Eberron’s Material Plane in the years before King Jarot’s death and the first decades after the start of the Last War, but no firm evidence exists to support this theory.)

True to the plane’s chaotic nature, Kythri’s movement through the Astral Plane is utterly erratic, entering a coterminous phase at apparently random intervals and remaining in that state for anywhere from a day to a century.

Remote: When Kythri is remote, it exerts no noticeable effect on the Material Plane. NPCs ENOCHIA BOWSTRING CR 11 Female elven wizard 11 NE medium humanoid Init +5; Senses Low-light vision 60 ft; Spot +0, Listen +0 Languages Common, Elven, Draconic, Giant AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+4 with shield active) DR 10/magic vs. ranged weapons (with protection from arrows)

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hp 51 (11 HD) Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +9 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee quarterstaff +5 (1d6) or Ranged wand of magic missiles (9th) automatic (5 missiles at 1d4+1 each) Base Atk +5; Grp +5 Combat Gear scroll of teleport, scroll of wall of force, scroll of summon monster VI Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 11th; 1d20+13 to overcome SR): 6th—analyze dweomer, chain lightning (DC 20) 5th—contact other plane, dominate person (DC 20), teleport 4th—confusion (DC 19), scrying (DC 19) (2), stoneskin, wall of fire 3rd— arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance, dispel magic, nondetection†, lightning bolt (DC 17), suggestion (DC 18) 2nd— blur, detect thoughts (DC 17), scorching ray (2), protection from arrows†, whispering wind 1st—charm person (DC 16), feather fall, mage armor†, shield, unseen servant (2) 0—detect magic (3), message (2) † Already cast Abilities Str 11, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 19, Wis 10, Cha 14 SQ Elven traits, low-light vision Feats Craft Wondrous Item, Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (divination), Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Penetration Skills Bluff +5, Concentration +14, Decipher Script+3, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (history) +12, Knowledge (the planes) +10, Spellcraft +14 Possessions combat gear plus staff of charming (DC 16 or DC 19; 10 charges), wand of magic missiles (CL 9th; 25 charges), headband of intellect+2, amulet of health +2, cloak of resistance +2, spellbook, bracers of armor +3, material component pouch, sapphire lens (for analyze dweomer), silver mirror (for scrying), diamond dust (for nondetection) THOTHAR CR 8 Male Dwarven cleric 8 LE Medium humanoid Init +6; Senses Darkvision 60 ft; Spot +3, Listen +3 Languages Common, Elven, Goblin AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 18 hp 62 (8HD)

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Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +9 Speed 20 ft. (4 squares) Melee +2 flail +9/+4 (1d8+3) or Ranged light crossbow +9/+4 (1d8+1/19–20) Base Atk +7; Grp +7 Atk Options death touch 1/day (+7 melee touch, 8d6), rebuke undead 5/day (+4, 2d6+10, 8th) Combat Gear potion of invisibility, potion of cure moderate wounds Cleric Spells Prepared (caster level 8th): 4th—cure critical wounds, divine power, greater magic weapon 3rd—animate deadDN, bestow curseN (DC 18), dispel magic, prayer, searing light 2nd—command undeadDN (DC 17), cure moderate wounds, hold person (DC 15), inflict moderate woundsN (DC 17), silence 1st—cure light wounds, divine favor, obscuring mist, protection from good, ray of enfeeblementDN, shield of faith 0—cure minor wounds (2), detect magic, guidance, resistance DDomain spell. Domains: Death (death touch 1/day, 8d6) NNecromancy spell (cast necromancy spells at +1 caster level) Abilities Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 14 SQ Dwarven traits, darkvision Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (necromancy) Skills Bluff +6, Concentration +9, Diplomacy +9, Disguise +6, Hide +4, Knowledge (religion) +5, Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +9 Possessions combat gear plus +3 glamered breastplate, masterwork dagger (holy symbol), +2 flail, light crossbow with 10 +1 adamantine bolts BRIMSTONE BRAKKER CR 6

Male hobgoblin barbarian 5/sorcerer 1 CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid) Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +5, Spot +1 Languages Common, Goblin AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 18; improved uncanny dodge, uncanny dodge hp 59 (6 HD) Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +6 Speed 40 ft. (8 squares) Melee masterwork adamantine warhammer +8 (1d8+2/×3) or Ranged throwing axe +6 (1d6+2) Base Atk +5; Grp +7

Atk Options Point Blank Shot, rage 2/day (8 rounds) Combat Gear 4 noxious smokesticks, 4 thunderstones Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 1st):

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1st (4/day)—mage armor†, ray of enfeeblement 0 (5/day)—acid splash, detect magic, ghost sound, prestidigitation † Already cast once Abilities Str 15, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 16 SQ fast movement, illiteracy, trap sense +1 Feats Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot Skills Climb +6, Craft (alchemy) +7, Craft (trapmaking) +5, Intimidate +11, Jump +6, Listen +5, Move Silently +5, Survival +3 Possessions combat gear plus +2 buckler, masterwork adamantine warhammer, circle of sound CAPTAIN SMARGAT CR 8 Male human ranger 3/fighter 5 CN Medium humanoid Init +6; Senses Listen +6, Spot +6 Languages Common, Giant AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16; Dodge, Two-Weapon Defense hp 68 (8 HD) Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +6 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee +1 flail +9/+4 (1d8+6) and +1 flail (1d8+4) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Base Atk +8; Grp +11 Atk Options Power Attack, favored enemy - humans +2 Abilities Str 16, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 12 SQ wild empathy Feats Dodge, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Track, Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (flail), Weapon Specialization (flail) Skills Appraise +3, Bluff +6, Escape Artist +4, Gather Information +7, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (local) +2, Listen +6, Move Silently +5, Sense Motive +7, Spot +6,Survival +7 Possessions two +1 flails, +2 chain shirt, hat of disguise Typical Crawling Chaos Priest: Half-elf cleric 5; CR 5; Medium humanoid (half-elf); HD 5d8+5; hp 30; Init +2; Spd 20 ft. (base 30 ft.); AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +3; Grp +3; Atk +4 melee (1d6+1/18–20, +1 scimitar) or +3 melee (1d4–1/19–20, masterwork dagger) or +5 ranged (1d6/×3, shortbow); Full Atk +4 melee (1d6+1/18–20, +1 scimitar) or +3 melee (1d4–1/19–20, masterwork dagger) or +5 ranged (1d6/×3, shortbow); SA rebuke undead 6/day (+3, 2d6+8, 5th); SQ half-elf traits, low-light vision; AL LE; SV Fort +5 (+7 against disease), Ref +3, Will +7 (+9 against enchantment spells and effects); Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Concentration +5, Diplomacy +5, Gather Information +1, Heal +7, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Listen +4, Search +2, Spellcraft +5, Spot +4; Dodge, Mobility. Languages: Common, Elven, one other.

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Possessions: Masterwork breastplate, light steel shield, +1 scimitar, masterwork dagger, shortbow with 12 arrows, potion of cure moderate wounds, scroll of shield of faith, cleric’s vestments, silver holy symbol, identification papers. Cleric Spells Prepared (5/5/4/3; save DC 13 + spell level): 0—cure minor wounds, detect magic, guidance, light, read magic; 1st—bane, cause fearN, divine favor, entropic shield, ray of enfeeblementDN; 2nd—align weapon, bear’s endurance, command undeadDN, hold person; 3rd—animate deadN, magic circle against goodD, magic vestment. DDomain spell. Domains: Evil (cast evil spells at +1 caster level) NNecromancy spell (cast necromancy spells at +1 caster level) Typical Crawling Chaos Thug: Human warrior 2; CR 1; Medium humanoid; HD 2d8+5; hp 14; Init +0; Spd 20 ft. (base 30 ft.); AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17; Base Atk +2; Grp +3; Atk +3 melee (1d8+1, flail) or +2 ranged (1d8/19–20, light crossbow); Full Atk +3 melee (1d8+1, flail) or +2 ranged (1d8/19–20, light crossbow); AL LE; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +3, Knowledge (religion) +0, Ride +4; Dodge, Toughness. Language: Common. Possessions: Chainmail, heavy wooden shield, flail, light crossbow with 20 bolts, sunrod, tabard, pouch with 2d6 sp and 1d8 gp, identification papers (two sets, one false). Typical House Lyrandar Sailor: Half-elf expert 4; CR 3; Medium humanoid (half-elf); HD 4d6+4; hp 18; Init –1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13, touch 9, flat-footed 13; Base Atk +3; Grp +3; Atk +4 melee (1d6, masterwork club) or +3 ranged (1d8/19–20, masterwork light crossbow); Full Atk +4 melee (1d6, masterwork club) or +3 ranged (1d8/19–20, masterwork light crossbow); SA—; SQ half-elf traits, low-light vision; AL CG; SV Fort +4; Ref +0; Will +5; Str 10, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Balance +6, Climb +7, Craft (shipmaking) +8, Diplomacy +1, Gather Information +1, Jump +7, Listen +9, Profession (sailor) +11, Search +2, Spot +9; Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Profession [sailor]). Languages: Common, Elven, one other. Possessions: +1 leather, masterwork buckler, masterwork club, masterwork light crossbow, 20 bolts, potion of bull’s strength, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of water breathing, 50 gp, identification papers, traveling papers.