It’s Time to Hunt the Hunters...

The Night of Reckoning fast approaches and the cells devoted to the Slash Lord prepare tirelessly for their offerings. One cell in particular, located deep below the surface in a great stalactite, prepares an extra special ritual involving four souls and the god’s divine proxy. Searching high, searching low, the religious assas-sins identify three notable merchants and a very special fourth...a member of the adventuring party! Will the characters succumb to the deadly attacks or will they fight off the vile assassins and succeed in...

The Hunt for House Vy’ann

A side plot easily pluggable into your existing campaign, The Hunt for House Vy’ann is perfect for spicing up any city stay. This SideKick in-cludes:

- The complete walkthrough of a drow stronghold; - A new deity, Kinval, God of Assassination - The Credent Assassin, a new religious hunter prestige class - New magical items and a powerful new artifact - Web enhancements and supported material - And much more...

www.lichhavengames.com

Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons, Third Edition Core Books, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product utilizes updated material from the v.3.5 revision.r©2005 Tom Ryan, LichHaven Games

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A city-based side quest intended for characters of at least 8th level.

BY TOM RYAN

Credits

Author: Tom RyanEditor: Shawn Merwin

Cover Illustration: Brian P. CurtisInterior Illustrations: Don Chase, Bradley McDevitt

Project Design: Tom RyanCartography: Kristine Ryan

Playtesters: Don Chase, Mark Flaherty, Jay Cottreau,Brian Woods, Dave Boulette, Mike Grant, D. Brian Shaffer, Wendy Werdin, Nick Nelson, Lukas Sauer, John Heggerle

Special Thanks: Brian Shaffer, Stephan Wieck, Monte Cook

The Hunt for House Vy’ann

‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20. Wizards of the Coast is a trade-mark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the United States and other countries and is used with permission. All content is ©2005 Tom Ryan, LichHaven Games. All rights reserved. LichHaven Games logo and Extreme d20 logo and Campaign SideKicks are owned by Tom Ryan and LichHaven Games. All rights reserved. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.

This module, The Hunt for House Vy’ann, is produced under version 1.0, 1.0a, and/or draft versions of the Open Game License, the d20 System Trademark Logo Guide, and System Reference Document by permission of Wizards of the Coast. Subsequent versions of this product will incorporate final versions of the license, guide and document. Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a: Any and all LichHaven Games logos and identifying marks and trade dress, such as all LichHaven Games product and product lines names including but not limited to Campaign SideKicks, Extreme d20 identifying marks and trade dress; any specific characters, monsters, creatures and places; capitalized names and names of places, artifacts, characters, countries, creatures, geographic locations, gods, historic events, magic items, organizations, spells, and abilities; and any and all stories, storylines, histories, plots, thematic elements, and dialogue; all artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps, and cartography, likenesses, poses, logos, or graphic designs, except such elements that already appear in final or draft versions of the d20 System Reference Documents or as Open Game Content below and are already OGC by virtue of appearing there. The above Product Identity is not Open Game Content. Designation of Open Game Content: Subject to the Product Identity designation above, the following portions of The Hunt for House Vy’ann are designated as Open Game Content: the stat blocks and game mechanics associated with the magic item, artifact, prestige class and NPCs in the Appendix; the statistics and descriptions of game mechanics that appear in sidebars throughout the book; and anything else contained herein which is already Open Game Content by virtue of appearing in the System Reference Document or some OGC source. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction, retransmission, or unauthorized use of the artwork or non-Open Game Content herein is prohibited without express written permission from Tom Ryan, except for purposes of review or use of OGC consistent with the OGL. The original purchaser may print or photocopy copies for his or her own personal use only.

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The Hunt for House Vy’ann marks the first in the Campaign SideKick series. The premise behind this series is to help introduce interesting and dangerous side plots to your existing campaign without disrupting the overall theme. The world around the PCs should never stop for the plans of one villain...

This city-based side quest introduces the characters to a small (but powerful) dark church and the assassins that comprise its unholy ranks. The adventure begins when a drow assassin cell is given a divine decree to attack the lands above. The PCs quickly find themselves entwined in a deadly plot involving the sudden deaths of notable locals, as well as the defense of their own skin. The allies must succeed at stopping the religious zealots or they will quickly find themselves the next victims of House Vy’ann.

This Sidekick is designed for four to six characters of 8th level, and PCs should attain 9th level by its conclusion.

HISTORYFrom his earliest years, Melava’an was a very unsuccessful socialite. The drow was utterly decrepit, born with both a limp and a blind eye. His early training could never include the martial arts, and since his visual impairment made it only slightly difficult to study the arcane, he secluded himself to learn magic. Of course, he proved to be no quick learn, and Melava’an was again the fool. He was a most pitiful wizard, indeed. As he grew older, his community found him increasingly despicable and revolting. The constant alienation from other male wizards and the scorning of females sickened his sanity, and Melava’an suddenly vanished. In the darkest of shadows, he pleaded to unseen powers to shield his soul from the pain. After years of constant despair and solitude, Melava’an received some semblance of comfort, which came from a very unlikely source: Kinval, god of assassination.

A deal was formed. Melava’an was to receive a total physical/mental transcendence in return for devoting his soul to Kinval. Melava’an was ordered to return to drow society and silently spread the dogma of Kinval to those with zealous potential. With Melava’an’s work, Kinval hoped to increase worship and ascend past his current status. Together, the two unlikely allies formed House Vy’ann, a dedicated religious cell that only accepted the most promising dark agents who were ready and able to serve the god fanatically.

House Vy’ann grew slowly, which disappointed Melava’an, but the god was able to procure an able cell of fully devoted assassins that efficiently executed the god’s demands. The drow race turned out to be natural killers and were well fit for the god’s rigorous demands. Kinval’s dogma teaches pupils the ancient arts of assassination, which combines the specialties of craft with spirituality. These teachings have created a much more specialized, powerful assassin.

Kinval’s movement began.

PRESENT DAYKinval still exists, and his worship has spread a bit farther than just House Vy’ann. House Vy’ann also remains, although Melava’an has been dead for centuries. It currently maintains a headquarters in a once-abandoned mercenary house that was built into a stalactite feature above a drow metropolis. Membership in both the church and the drow cell has decreased over the centuries with the introduction of the drow pantheon, and Kinval has initiated a movement among his followers to increase the recognition and worship of the evil god. The leader of House Vy’ann has just died, and Adsin the Black has been named patriarch of the cell. Adsin is the most senior follower in the house, but he is by no means a cleric. To ensure Kinval retains favor in the cell, Adsin must find a way to pay proper tribute.

The anniversary of the forming of Kinval’s church is fast approaching, and the church has historically held this day in honor. As a result of the divine decree to increase recognition of the god, all cells dedicated to Kinval must perform some sort of sacrificial rite to the god. Adsin believes House Vy’ann must find the quintessential victims to slaughter. Unfortunately for the PCs, the drow house has targeted four locals (two of which can be named by the referee), while the others are the local metal smith, Gruber, a renowned armorer, and a member of the party itself. The drow cell has planned extensively for the raid and has named the occasion in the Common language, the Reckoning.

SETTING UP FOR ADVENTUREThis side quest begins in any location that would sensibly have a well-respected dwarven smith and other important citizens in

INTRODUCTION

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“A sleeping soul is the easiest soul to steal...” - Dogma of Kinval

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town. The characters will first interact with the story when they are attacked at night, so the allies should have secured adequate lodgings. A small bit of information gathering should follow and, after hearing local whispers that the smith has also been attacked, the party probably visits the noted merchant, Gruber. Two scenes take place in the armory, after which the characters begin their hunt for House Vy’ann.

It is very easy to plug this adventure into your existing campaign. Adsin, the current leader of House Vy’ann, would be quick to notice a band of powerful adventurers during his scrying. If you do not wish to begin the adventure with an assassination, most adventuring parties would wish to visit a famous smith for provisions. The adventure could start when Gruber hires the band to retaliate. If this adventure is not being played as a side quest and is being run as a stand alone, prepare a settlement town or city to house Gruber’s Smithy. This will help to create a more fulfilling role-playing experience. Also, if the characters are successful in stopping House Vy’ann and helping Gruber, they establish a great network of contacts.

MOTIVATING THE PCSThe party should be motivated enough after being attacked by a band of assassins. The job of the referee in this instance involves facilitating the revenge. Allow emotions to fly out of control after the attacks. The second step involves the proper introduction of Gruber as both an important local merchant and an equally vengeful ally.

As noted in the next section, Gruber has a drow captive in his storage cellar, and the dwarf is willing to reward the band if they spill drow blood. The thought of having this master craftsman forge a personal suit of armor could be enticing enough for some of the characters to take action. Conversely, characters that have no need for armor could be less enthused. Keep in mind that Gruber does have local contacts that make it easy for him to procure special items at a very affordable price. If all else fails, the promise of gold may help. Gruber offers up to 3000 gp, in addition to anything that might be found as treasure, for each person not interested in armor. The general alignment of the playing group will likely determine how thin Gruber is stretched if the group needs even more enticement.

You should include a competent spellcaster in Gruber’s inner circle--one that helps in the creation of the magical armor and in the satisfying of magically inclined characters. This spellcaster should not play a major role in the side plot until after the players are successful in stopping House Vy’ann. Establishing good face within a resourceful circle is a very valuable treasure.

RUNNING THE MODULEFor your convenience, sidebars have been inserted to help detail certain events and important notes. Also, many magical auras are itemized under the area description to speed up play. Reading this adventure thoroughly, along with these sidebars, will help in running a smooth adventure.

There are just a few encounters that have fixed locations, and any pertinent stat blocks have been included with the details of that encounter. Within House Vy’ann, there are pledges and assassins not fixed to a given area, so strategically utilizing these enemies is a matter of preference. In this instance, the stat blocks of mobile enemies have been included in the appendix, and tips are given in the sidebar Running the Assassins.

The next chapter, The Reckoning, details the events that lead up to the night of the attacks. It is suggested that you implement these events in your campaign prior to running the module. It extenuates, but is not essential to, the overall feeling of adventure.

Also pay close attention to the introduction of Kinval, the Credent Assassin prestige class and the Avatar’s Altar in your gaming world. The module is set up for both the introduction and extermination of each in your game. They each add flavor to the module, and if you wish to allow Kinval, the Credent Assassin or the altar to exist in your world, allow them to remain.

Ultimately, have a great time and remember that this module is intended to challenge any gaming group, regardless of experience. The encounters should be modified by the referee to better serve the group.

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THE RECKONING

The Reckoning marks both the anniversary of the church’s inception and the night in which the house plans to attack. House Vy’ann has been preparing extensively for the assault, and their actions taken prior to the Reckoning are detailed here. It is completely optional whether or not you begin this side quest before the night of Reckoning. If so, you can implement these events in any sequence that best facilitates your campaign, and the timeline below is merely a suggestion.

THREE MONTHS PRIORThe location of the assault has been chosen and Kinval has approved. Adsin communicates with a cell from the lands above, the Sevex, and asks for aid in preparing for the assault. The Sevex sends High Priest Keel to assist in the religious ceremonies leading up to the Reckoning. The Sevex also agrees to send an agent to the launch site and begin local investigations. Certain members of the community are singled out, and the agent is sent to spy on the targets and collect a strand of hair, or at least a belonging. The hair or item helps in the process of scrying.

Playing It Out: If the allies are present in the town or city when the investigations begin, they may hear stories (DC 10 Gather Information) about certain dignitaries feeling as if they are being followed. Security tightens, but to no avail, the dark agent is successful on every account in obtaining a strand of hair.

If the allies are singled out early on, the dark agent of the Sevex does not attempt to sneak into their abode, rather trying to get close in public. A successful Sleight of hand against any band member is enough to obtain a strand of hair.

Note: You may already have a thieves guild in your existing campaign that can be easily related to Kinval. If so, you should use your own guild so as to maintain campaign consistency.

You should create a 6th level human rogue to act as the agent, and he or she can have any appearance you wish. If the band was to capture the agent, he or she would never talk and, in fact, would commit suicide if given the chance. The Sevex would then send another agent and you, as the referee, can use the same stats created for the encounter. See the sidebar at the end of this chapter, entitled Introducing the Sevex, for more options in introducing the organization to your game. ***You

can always simply assume the agent was successful in obtaining a strand from the PC’s hair.***

DAYS PRIORHigh Priest Keel and the dark agent have helped prepare House Vy’ann for the Reckoning and have returned to the Sevex to prepare for their own offerings. House Vy’ann has begun to prepare for the launch. Adsin the Black has been scrying on the targets in an attempt to survey their surroundings. Brother Zalquel has been training the younger members of the house for their first assassination, and the senior members of the house have begun their pre-kill prayers. Since it has been weeks since the Sevex agent has spied on the dignitaries, fears in the city or town have lessened.

Playing It Out: Adsin understands the flow of time in the lands above and won’t attempt a scrying attempt on the victims until well after midnight. Still, there is a chance the allies notice the scrying attempts. This is just fine; in fact, it adds to the mood. Adsin attempts to scry two nights in a row regardless of whether the sensor was previously located.

NIGHT OF RECKONINGThe assassins of House Vy’ann attack four targets well into the night in pairs of two (five assassins and three pledges). Adsin begins the preparations for a ritual involving the blood of the victims and the blood of House Vy’ann’s ancestors. House Vy’ann has a special connection with Kinval and Adsin hopes to try something different. According to the magic of the tablet of divine proxy (see encounter V1-A for details), the blood of a sacrifice is needed to draw forth the divine proxy, and other cells across the world are engaging in similar practices. Adsin hopes to draw forth the god himself when the blood of four special sacrifices are used instead.

Playing It Out: You as the referee can decide how the assassins and pledges are paired and which pair attacks the PCs. Quel’Zan is the only exception, as he is chosen to attack Gruber. You should also carefully consider sending Brother Zalquel. Brother Zalquel is the only Credent Assassin in the house and should probably attack the most important local dignitary instead.

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“Blood empowers your soul and quenches my thirst.” - Kinval

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Note: Adsin has warned the assassins of the PCs’ potential danger. The objective of the Reckoning is to collect four souls, and the assassins flee immediately if an assassination attempt is unsuccessful. Each pair of attackers is equipped with one globe of recall and are trained to activate the item immediately upon a failed assassination. In any event, a combat situation could very well erupt when the PCs are attacked and, as the referee, you determine how long it lasts. The brand on the neck of an assassin (not pledge) can be seen with a DC 10 Spot check unless visibility interferes. ***Remember to remove from later encounters any assassins that may be killed during the Reckoning and to add the globe as treasure.***

AFTER THE SMOKE CLEARSThe officials of the town or city are in a bit of a stir after the attacks. If all went well for the drow, the two local dignitaries have been assassinated. The officials try to keep the assassinations as quiet as possible.

Playing It Out: The PCs undoubtedly begin to act after the attack. They may begin researching the branded symbol of Kinval or asking around for any information on the attacks. A sidebar appears on this page to be used for Knowledge, Gather Information and Bardic Knowledge checks.

KNOWLEDGE (RELIGION) & BARDIC KNOWLEDGE:

DC Result10 The branded image on the neck of the assassin is a holy symbol.

20 The symbol is that of Kinval, demigod of assassination.

25 All information related to the god in the appendix is known.

30 Kinval is positioning himself to increase worship and status. The attacks were most likely widespread and the dogma of Kinval will force the assassins to hunt the PCs relentlessly.

GATHER INFORMATION & BARDIC KNOWLEDGE:

DC Result15 A few people have ventured by Gruber’s smithy and overheard him swearing in dwarven about a “black elf attack.” No one dared enter.

30 Two dignitaries were attacked last night and may have been killed. The officials are not commenting on these rumors.

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Introducing the SevexIf you plan to include the investigation of the Sevex agent into an ongoing campaign, here are two options:

--Make it small rumors within an existing plot thread first. Otherwise, if one large rumor about the Sevex is the only thing the PCs have to focus on, they may spend a great deal of time chasing this lead. Also, take particular care in regard to timing the introduction of the Sevex. If large amounts of time pass before actions take place, PCs may find themselves disinterested. PCs have a tendency to try to solve things all at once, so introduce the Sevex when you are ready to begin implementing the module.

--Make the rogue agent an NPC that the PCs frequently interact with. For example, you could have him be a contact that the PCs use for finding information, buying hard-to-find equipment, fencing gems and jewelry, etc. That way the agent has normal contact with the PCs, he has their trust, and he has contact with items that they possess which could contain hair (i.e. caps, helms, headbands, clothing, etc.).

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