the manse on murder hill

7/24/2019 The Manse on Murder Hill

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Byram (order #5152654)


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Resources

Publisher web site: http ://games. taskboy .com /

Labyrinth Rules:

http ://www.goblinoidgames .com / labyrinthlord .html

TBG-1:

The Manse on Murder HillAn Adventure for characters level 1-3

By Joe Johnston

One night fteen years ago during the harvest night

estival, wild screams and sardonic laughter were

heard coming rom the lone mansion perched atop

Farview Knoll, ten miles north o the village center.

Unaccountable lights and high winds worried the

knoll. he lightning was ferce and odd!colored.

"n the morning, the last sod who had my #ob ound

the remains o the occupants, a well!respected cleric

and his sta, slaughtered by an unknown adversary.

he mansion has remained empty since then.

$ost people in the village now avoid talking about

what happened that night, e%cept or calling Farview

Knoll &$urder 'ill.&(

Several children of Little Flanders have gone missing

near an abandoned house of evil repute. desperate

town has begged your heroes to e!orcise the house

of evil spirits and rescue the children. "ill you brave

the dangers of the #anse on #urder $ill%

Credits

&llustrator: Stuart Robertson

Reviewers: 'ryce Lynch( Paul )o( Peter Spahn

Play testing: Peter *wickler

+diting: aron 'eck( )ryphon +ditorial

"ritten content: ,opyright -- 0oseph 0ohnston.

rtwork: ,opyright -- Stuart Robertson

Labyrinth Lord 1*#2 is copyright -34-( 5aniel

Proctor. Labyrinth Lord 1*#2 and dvanced Labyrinth

Lord 1*#2 are trademarks of 5aniel Proctor. *hese

trademarks are used under the Labyrinth Lord 1*#2

*rademark License .-( available at

www.goblinoidgames.com .

Special Thanks

To

Sally and Angus Johnston; To Stuart Robertson;To all the fallen heroes of Geneva Lake who cracked

the Gate Between Worlds for all of us.

&f you plan to play this( STOP RA!"#$ #O%&

-

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A Labyrinth Lord Prepares*his adventure is designed for a balanced party of 64

characters of levels 47. 8ou may wish for players to

control multiple characters. thief is strongly

recommended( as there are many traps and locked

items. lso( a solid complement of melee 9ghters will beappreciated( as will a cleric and a magic4user.

*his adventure may be played on its own or as the start

of a three4part series called he )eturn o the )ed

alons. &n broad terms( the challenge presented here is

to recover missing children( alive( from an enemy who

has forti9ed his position.

8ou will need the Labyrinth Lord core rules 1see the

)esourcessection above2 or compatible rules to play

this adventure. For abbreviations used here( see the

*ice and +bbreviations section of the Labyrinth Lord

core rules.

#onster statistics will appear in the following format

1e.g.( ,: 3 $5: : 5: 46 #: 6 #v: ;therwise( it is intended that you set the stage

for the players in your own words( based on your own

reading of the adventure.

*here are two areas described herein: the village of Little

Flanders and the eponymous mansion. Little Flanders is

part of a larger urban comple! that is e!plored in the

other modules of this series. >nly details necessary to

frame this adventure are given here( so that you may

create the village to your own tastes. $owever( as a

small agricultural town( Little Flanders can be placedeasily anywhere in a typical fantasy campaign world. &f

more convenient( you may change the name to an

e!isting town for which you have future plans.

s a location( Little Flanders serves to introduce players

to many rumors about the Farview #anse( its history

and the villagers themselves. lthough not intended as

a location for combat( it is a good place for role4playing

interactions with villagers and for placing many false

rumors in the heads of the players.

=ote that the village has few adventuring supplies.

+ncourage the players to buy their e?uipment before

traveling to the village. *he scarcity of speciali@ed

adventuring gear is part of the challenge.

#uch of the fun of this kind of adventure is in

manipulating the e!pectations of the players. #ost of

the people in Little Flanders believe the manse to be

haunted 1and in a sense( it isAbut that is not the

immediate problem2. 8our players might hear of an

evil witch who eats naughty children. >thers will

whisper of a pact the founders of this town made with

a demon to ensure prosperity. Still others will assure

the players that nothing unusual is happening at the

manse and that the children probably ran away. dd

whatever other red herrings you think are most likely

to put your players on the wrong foot.

t the end of this manuscript( several ideas are

presented to e!tend the adventures in Little Flanders.

ll the maps( handouts and pre4generated characters

appear in the appendices.

#ost of the monsters in this adventure appear in the

Labyrinth Lord core rule book. few additional

monsters are detailed in the reatures -reat and

mallsection toward the back of this adventure.

*wo monster types appear here that re?uire note: pit

vipers and rock li@ards. *o blend in with the

e!pectations of a =orthern +uropean setting( the

spitting cobra of the ,ore Rules appears here under

the title Bpit viper.C Rock li@ards are rebranded giant

geckos. *he statistics and behaviors of each creature

match their analog in the core rules.

A 'illainy (nveiled

bout two weeks before the arrival of the party( a

gang of goblinoids called the Ding Ratters moved into

the abandoned house on Farview Dnoll 1see the map

in ppendi! +2. *heir mission is to sow misery in the

village at the urging of an orc named Rooster( wholeads a massive group called the Red *alons. Rooster

and his scheme to fundamentally change the political

landscape of the region does not appear directly in

this adventure.

*he Ratters< mission is simple: kidnap some of the

village


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town of #iddleton 1covered in the ne!t adventure2. fter

the main forces have passed by Little Flanders 1about a

week after this adventure starts2( the Ding Ratters will

slay their captives.

RoosterEs mercenary wi@ard has created a few illusions

and traps in the house on Farview Dnoll to scare off

snoops and would4be heroes. Should these illusions fail

to dissuade( the swords of the Ding Ratters will appear

in overwhelming numbers to confront intruders.

*he Ding Ratters occupy the ground and second oors.

*he second oor( which has the only remaining

entrance( has been trapped and decorated to

discourage investigators. few monsters have been

coa!ed into guard duty. *he kobolds avoid being on the

second oor( because they do not wish to be seen( and

in the basement( which unnerves even them.

Rooster wants to toughen up the Ding Ratters( who are

composed of kobolds and goblin mercenaries called

"olf Raiders. *hey are led by Ree@a( an ambitious and

capable kobold who founded the warband. "hile Ree@a

has no love of humans or their children( he feels this

task is below him.

For Ree@a( an additional irritant is the inclusion of two

GassistantsG named >ngol and #oress. *hese two large

orcs were sent along with the Ding Ratters to make sure

that the harassment of the village actually happens.

Ree@a would be overHoyed to see his minders meet with

the business end of a battle a!e.

+ven if the heroes destroy the encampment ofgoblinoids in the house( Re@@a may be able to ee(

Hoining the Red *alon gang in #iddleton. $owever( this

isn


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amount is not negotiable. s it is( the reward money will

ruin each of the families.

'rowne will offer( somewhat abashedly( the use of a

local barn to the players during the investigation. *he

barn is empty of animals but has lots of hay. *he closest

inn is in #iddleton( a three4day travel from Little

Flanders.

*he sheriff will also offer -4K potions of cure li)ht

+ounds to the party. $e does this believing that

something big and ugly is inhabiting the manse.

'rowne suggests that before heading up to the Dnoll(

the party should gather as much information as they can

in town. $e mentions that ,enobite #aster )ervais

might provide more aid to them and that 'arkeep

"iggins at the Sleepy )iant public house is a good

source of information. *he Sleepy )iant at night will

have K4- customers who may be ?uestioned. 5uring

the day( there will be only one or two customers. *he

village s?uare is ?uiet during the day. +very villager will

know at least one rumor from the Rumor *able in 1oose

alk.

"hen the party has 9nished ?uestioning the locals( it

should 9nd 'rowne again. *he sheriff will ask 5eputy >!

to lead the players to Farview Dnoll. $owever( >! will

enter the house neither for love nor money.

"hen the party approaches the manse( >! will point out

the oak tree where the bodies of the missing children! will encamp for up to three days

waiting for the party to emerge from the manse before

leaving himself. $e carries a potion of cure li)ht

+oundsthat he will give to inHured party members.

Part 1: Little Flanders

*he village of Little Flanders( pop. -( has prospered

much in the last - years since the )lorious +!pansion

that pushed the hostile goblinoids out of the area.

small farming community that trades with nearby#iddleton( Little Flanders enHoys a temperate climate

with four varied seasons 1think "estern +urope2. &ts

government is composed of Sheriff 'rowne and his two

deputies. #ost of the inhabitants are Lawful.

*he average villager will be polite but wary of the party.

*hey do not care for strangers.

,onsider setting this adventure in the late harvest

season: beautiful foliage( abundant winter s?uashes

and fragrant( decaying vegetation.

*he village has a very modest GcenterG which consists

of a village green( a small monastery 1*he Poor

'rothers of #ercy2( a public house 1*he Sleepy )iant2

and a sheriffEs of9ce that includes a Hail. >nce per

week during harvest season( farmers set up stalls to

sell their produce on the town green.

Local laws prohibit the use of non4clerical magic

outdoors in a public area. "eapons may be worn but

will draw suspicion from the villagers. ntisocial

behavior( including theft outside of adventuring in the

manse( will not be tolerated and may get the would4

be heroes escorted from the town.

,oose Talk

*he statistics for these =P,s can be found in the

reatures -reat and mall section. illage folk not

covered there are assumed to be peasants. Some

villagers will volunteer rumors surrounding the

Farview #anse if asked. #atch the rumor number

given with the Rumor *able in the )umors section

below.

#on-Playin) Character Ru*ors

kno+n

Sheriff )erhold 'rowne ( M( 3( -

5eputy "anda #ilner ;( -( -N( -3

5eputy Serill G>!G $rofner K( -( -;

,enobite #aster Francis

)ervais

N( ( M( -7(

7

)iles "iggins -( K( 6( 3( --(

-K( -N

Ru*ors

s the players ask locals about the mansion or

missing children( roll a dK on the following table for

rumors. False information appears inside of s?uare

brackets. Some rumors will not be given by certain

=P,s for obvious reasons. +ach case where a rumor

would be inappropriate( a note is given to re4roll.

ward each character OP for each new rumor.

dK can be simulated by rolling both a d and a

dM. Jse the following table to determine the result:

N



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d. d1/ evaluates to

4- 4

74K 4-

N46 -47

34M 74K

Ru*or Ta0le

Roll Ru*or

. *his is the 9rst time any of these children have

run away or gone missing.

-. =ewly risen corpses can be seen shambling all

over Farview Dnoll shortly after sunset.Q

7. *he cleric who lived in the manseQ performed

very few healings for the town and e!pected to

be paid promptly when he did.

K. *he children have been taken by a demon as

payment for the prosperity the village enHoys.Q

N. *he cleric who lived on the hillQ never visited the

monastery in town.

6. n evil crone who eats children lives in the

Farview Dnoll house.Q

3. 0ust after midnight( a ghostly woman can be

seen atop the manse looking west.Q

M. *he manse has been ?uiet for many years.

;. *he manse has always been hauntedQ.

. *he manse is empty. *he children simply ran

away to their doom.Q

. *he posse of fathers who tried to rescue theirchildren were torn apart before they entered the

manseQ.

-. ,enobite #aster )ervais suspects Little

Flanders harbors a demon4worshipping cult. 7

7. *he clericQ who lived in the manse was not very

friendly.

K. 5ark rituals were performed on Farview Dnoll

while the clericQ was in residence.

N. alencia Iuenas is a practicing witchQ. K

6. =o one in the town remembers ever being

invited into the manse.

3. *he house on #urder $ill has two stories and a

basement.

M. *he sheriff is too spooked to go into the manse

himself. 3

;. *he town owes its prosperity to a pact made

withQ a demon that lives in the manse.

-. Jnholy circles of power have been found in the

woods near the manse.Q

-. Farview Dnoll is a mass grave where

hundreds of slain goblinoids were dumped at

the end of the )lorious +!pansion.Q

--. *he only entrance to the house on Farview

Dnoll is on the second oor.

-7. Long ago( a powerfulQ demon ruled this land(

but was banished.

-K. &n the basement of the manse is a cache of

,hurch gold.Q

-N. *he Iuenas and "aldoon families are feuding

over land use.Q K( N

-6. $orses led toward the manse become over4

mastered by fear.Q

-3. Salvator Iuenas would unlawfully let his

sheep gra@e on Farview Dnoll. K

-M. Pierre 'agville was prone to 9ts of violent

anger.

-;. *he "aldoon farm has had several poor

harvests that have all but ruined them. N

7. *om #iller


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#otes on this ta0le

*his rumor should be re4rolled as noted:

. &f the speaker is a 'agville

-. &f the speaker is a #iller

7. &f the speaker is a Poor 'rother of #ercy

K. &f the speaker is a Iuenas

N. &f the speaker is a "aldoon

6. &f the speaker is 'arkeeper "iggins

3. &f the speaker is Sheriff 'rowne

M. &f the speaker is 5eputy >!

;. &f the speaker is 5eputy #ilner

Places of "nterest

*hese numbered locations refer to the map in ppendi!

+.

1& Sheriffs Of2ce

5uring the day( Sheriff 'rowne 1see 1ocal Flavor2 or one

of his deputies will be found here. 'asic adventuring

supplies 1i.e.( ropes( torches( < poles( small mirrors(

int and steel( manacles and the like2 can be bought at

the standard prices from the sheriff( who has a small

store of such items for his staff. $e has a small supply

of basic weapons that are sold at a markup( but nothing

that the players should be too interested in 1i.e.( clubs(

spears( daggers and slings but not swords( pole arms or

long bows2. =o one sells metal armor( horses( boats or

siege e?uipment in Little Flanders.

"te* Cost

'lanket( winter - sp,andles( beeswa! 12 N sp

,lub N gp

,rowbar N gp

5agger N gp

5art N sp

Leather armor 1human2 gp

Pole( wood < N sp

Iuarterstaff N gp

Rope( hemp N< N gp

Sack( large N sp

Sling 1- stones2 N gp

Spear N gp

*orch 1M2 N sp

*he sheriff can train 9rst4 and second4level 9ghters(

dwarves( and halings if you re?uire that P,s receive

training before gaining the bene9ts of their e!perience

points.

& The Sleepy $iant Pu0lic 4ouse

*he pub is generally empty during the day( save for

the occasional traveling merchant and members ofthe sheriff


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$ood +ork perfor*ed !onation re6uired

Potion of cure li)ht +ounds gp

Scroll of cure li)ht +ounds 3N gp

,asting cure li)ht +ounds N gp

,asting cure disease - gp

)ervais will train lawful clerics who are on good terms

with the 'rotherhood.

7& 8arvie+ 5anse

*he details for this location can be found in 2art 54 he

Farview $anse.

Part 2: Farview Manse

*he manse is a two4story building with a basement. ll

ground4oor access( including windows and doors( hasbeen solidly boarded up. *here is a rickety staircase in

the back that leads to a balcony with two unlocked

doors. #ost of the Ding Ratters are on the ground oor.

*he children are in a cage in a storage room in the

basement.

*he former owner of this property was not a cleric( but

an evil wi@ard who trucked in matters that he should not

have. $e built a small but vicious cult that tried to broker

a deal with an imprisoned demon named 8oral 8nva.

For the cult( that attempt ended poorly.

*he basement contains their GchapelG as well as a few

reminders of their ministry. *he Ding Ratters avoid the

chapel area.

*he interior walls are of wood and plaster construction

with wool and leaves used as insulation. *his insulation

signi9cantly mufes sound. Jnless otherwise noted(

walls are about one foot thick. character using an

a!e or hammer would be able to break through this

kind of wall in one turn. *his will attract monsters in

47 rounds. Roll on the "andering #onsters table for

this oor to determine what wickedness comes.

&f the players retreat from their assault on the manse(

make sure that the Ding Ratters improve their

defenses. *hey will not be caught at4footed again. &f

the players do not penetrate the ground oor( the

Ratters may assume that the intruders were

frightened off. &f the players do make it to the ground

oor and then retreat( the Ratters will heavily fortify

the second oor. &t could be a 9ght Hust to get back

up the stairs.

&f 5eputy >! has led the party to Farview Dnoll( he

will point out the large oak tree in the front of the

manse where the headless remains of the children


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K. Low moaning from an undetectable direction

Since these illusions are so transient( no save is

possible.

"andering monsters may be encountered on this level

once every K turns. Roll d6 indicates an encounter.Roll a d- to determine the encounter.

Roll #o& 5onster

4- -4N Spitting pit vipers 1,: 3 $5: - :

5: 47 blinding spit #: M #v:

6+T ">+ '+*&5+ *$>S+ "$> 5&S*JR' #8

$>#+( F>R #8 "R*$ &S )R+*TG $e then charges

the party. Randomly select a player as the victim of the

illusion. $e must save vs. spells or be knocked at on

his back for 4- hp of damage. successful save

means that the P, merely inches. *he 9gure

disappears on contact.

3& B!ROO5 O8 !"SAPPO"#T5#T

"alls bearded in mildew contain what was once a

handsome bedroom. ,lapboards cover thin( tallwindows on the north and west walls. *he ruins of a

bed and table lay along the southern wall. bureau

has collapsed along the west wall. cursory search

of the bed uncovers a sack with - sp under the

mattress.

7& SCR"PTOR"(5

#any empty racks are arrayed in rows in what

appears to have been a si@able private scriptorium.

*he oor is covered in moldering vellum and

parchment scrolls in various states of ruin.

n e!plicit search will turn up dark red stains pooling

out from under the western door. *hese stains are

old( but not years old.

careful search of the area re?uires one turn( during

which a roll for wandering monsters should be made

1 on a d6 indicates an encounter2. *he search

reveals a scroll of lewd poetry concerning the

adventures of a wandering monk and the many

brothels of his parish. *his could fetch as much as

gp from the right collector in a large town. *here is no

market for it in Little Flanders. &f the ,enobite #aster

discovers the party has this in their possession( he

will refuse to talk to them for a week.

:& B!ROO5 O8 T4 ,OAT4SO5 "!O,

*his appears to have been a bedroom of some small

lu!ury( although only moldy tapestries( broken

furniture and a ruined bed now remain. *all( thin

windows on the north and east walls are boarded

over( but they allow some feeble light in. low chest

along the east wall is trapped with poison gas. Jse

normal procedures to disarm it. *he gas causes dK

points of damage if the save fails.

&n the chest( the party will 9nd a small( repellent idol

of some frog4like grotes?ue. *he deep blue lapis

statue weighs 9ve pounds( and in a large town 1like

#iddleton2 it could be sold for up to N gp to a

collector or salvaged to a Heweler for gp. &f shown

to the ,enobite #aster( he will urge the party to

smash the idol immediately or remand it to his care.

;



10/29

lso in the chest is a small monograph of arcane

procedures for summoning demons and binding them

to servitude.

&n particular( the manuscript stresses the importance of

maintaining the purity of power circles. &t lists the

following ways that such circles may be destroyed:

. Pour unholy water on each circle

-. Place unholy artifacts at each circle

*his windowless room has been ransacked. 'o!es(

both opened and closed( lay scattered all over the

place. careful search of the room 1taking - turns2will turn up a pewter pot with black ink. &n a large

town or city( this will fetch N gp. lso( a small pouch

with gp will be found. 5uring each turn searching(

there is a in 6 chance of a wandering monster

coming into the room.

11& %STR# OBSR'ATOR9

Large open windows appear in every corner of this

roughly octagonal room. Part of the 6< roof may be

opened to give a clear view of the night sky. Patterns

of wear on the oor suggest heavy usage at one time.

*here are planks nailed to the oor along the eastern

wall.

granite statue of a wi@ened( robed man

contemplating a globe appears in the center of this

room. 7 giant toads 1,: 3 $5: -- 1hp N( 7( 2

: 5: dK #: 6 #v: ;


11/29

careful search of the statue will uncover a @1 rin) of

protectionon the hand of the 9gure.

=ote that the toads can leap from the ground to the

open windows without much dif9culty.

*he staircase to the ground oor has been destroyedand covered over with wooden planks. 5etermined

characters could hack through the planks. *his takes 7

turns to complete and would put all of the goblinoids on

an attack footing.

1& A ST(!9 "# SCAR,T

'roken shelves( scattered parchment and a ruined desk

suggest that this room was once a study. *he windows

here are boarded over. spray of dried blood can be

discerned along the western wall. >n the eastern wall( a

large 6 and )have been carved into the wall. >n the

desk is an old pipe. >n a windowsill lies a tatteredslipper half49lled with roasted leaves. $owever( the

leaves have been spoiled by mold. Should a P, attempt

to smoke or burn the leaves( all in the room should save

vs. poison. *hose that fail will take 4- hp of damage.

13& B!ROO5 O8 T4 S,P"#$ '"PR

&n this dilapidated bedroom is a simple bed with moldy(

stained sheets.

Jnder tattered sheets sleeps a small spitting pit viper

1,: 3 $5: 1hp 62 : 5: d7 blinding spit #: 6

#v: ;


12/29

&t appears that this room was once a large common

area study. 'enches are built into the north( west and

south walls. $owever( this room is now 9lled with half4

opened crates of arrows( slings( daggers( short swords

and what seems to be child4si@ed leather armor. n area

along the eastern wall speaks of a sloppily removed

stairway that ends in wooden boards tacked on to theceiling.

*he weapons found here are of poor ?uality and little

worth. *here are a total of N daggers that are worth

sp for the lot -N slings that will fetch -N cp - short

swords worth 6 gp and - suits of half4si@ed leather

armor worth -K cp.

*he goblinoids removed the staircase here that led to

roo* 11. *he hole in the ceiling has been boarded over.

1;& T4


13/29

it has been Gorci9edG with crude wall paintings( hanging

bones and lewd fetishes.

*his is >ngoln the bed is a religious book of orcish cults 1no value2.

#oress has made no attempt to personali@e his room(

save for the bed. &t has been stripped of its original

coverings. &t now has a worn and utilitarian dark graywool blanket that is thick and uncomfortable looking. t

the foot of the bed is a low( locked chest.

*his footlocker holds a letter 1see ppendi! &2( a pair of

non4magical boots and nothing else.

/& !# O8 %O,8 RA"!RS 1

*his long( narrow room is dark. &t contains eight

bedrolls( each of which contains a sleeping 9gure.

*his unremarkable room has M G"olf RaidersG goblins

1,: 6 $5: 4 1hp 3( 6( N( K( 7( 7( 7( 72 : 5: 461short swords2 #: 3 #v: 6therwise( the goblins are awoken immediately( though

the party does get a free round of attack for surprise.

+ach goblin has a purse with dK- sp.

1& !OOR,SS C,,

*his long( narrow room has no door. &t is dark( stinky

and 9lled with refuse.

*his is a trash room for the Ding Ratters. M giant rats

1,: 3 $5: 1hp K( K( K( 7( 7( -( -( 2 : 5: 47 1 in

- disease2 #: 6 #v: 6


14/29

*hese 6 G"olf RaidersG goblins 1,: 6 $5: 4 1hp 3( N(

K( K( K( K( K2 : 5: 46 1swords2( 4K 1slings2 # 3 #v:

6


15/29

a foul4tasting concoction that will restore 46 hit points

1 dose2.

33& 5ASTR B!ROO5

*he door is locked and has not been opened by the

Ding Ratters.

*his room appears to be in unaccountably good

condition. *here is very little dust anywhere( the

furniture appears undecayed and the walls( ceilings and

oors all are sound without water damage. &t is as if the

owner had only recently stepped out. *here are two

tapestriesAone of the north wall( the other on the south

Athat depict scenes from the )lorious +!pansion 1e.g.(

heroes battling cowering goblinoids2.

*here is a bureau( a desk( a large bed( two side tables

and a chest at the foot of the bed. *he side tables

contain candles( int( incense and N gp. >n one of theside tables there is a history book that gives a full

account of the )lorious +!pansion( should the

characters have 6 turns to study it. Roll d6 for each

turn spent reading. result of or - indicates that the

goblins from room -6 intrude on the readers. >bviously(

this interruption can only happen once.

*he bureau contains clothing of 9ne ?uality.

*he room belonged to the evil wi@ard who formerly lived

here. *he well4crafted furnishings speak to a high level

of wealth and comfort. +ach tapestry will fetch N gp in

a large town and each weighs K pounds.

*he chest is locked and trapped with poison gas 1-

save vs. poison or die2. &nside are ( gp( a large gem

worth 7 gp and a rin) of re)eneration. *he desk has

a parchment( ?uills and ink. locked drawer contains

accounting records for the Gseminary.G "hile worthless(

this ledger will be of interest to )ervais( who will see the

fraudulent records as a further indictment against the

former cleric of Farview #anse.

37& OCC,(!! S4R"#

*he center of this 7

ringed with loathsome runes and describes a large 9ve4

pointed silver star inlaid on the oor. t each point of the

star is a candle mounted on a 7< candlestick. t the

center of the circle( a large book rests open on a Nn the book is a @1 silver da))er. "edged between

the pages is a note that contains the te!t of ppendi!

0.

BAS5#T

*he stone walls of the basement are moist with

ground water. *he oor is of compacted earth. *he

ceiling is generally 3and vegetables as well as sacks labeled as rice( driedbeans and our. ll of it has rotted long ago. mong

the wrecked foodstuffs are K giant centipedes 1,: ;

$5: 1hp K( 7( -( -2 5: 1poison2 #: 3 #v: 6

Sv: $2 who will attack if provoked.

3;& STORA$

*his -

holding empty crates( empty sacks and useless Hunk.

makeshift cage that contains three bound and

gagged children lies at the center of the room.

&f he has retreated here( Re@@a will be have his swordat nna


16/29

&f the party allows Ree@a to ee( he will successfully

travel to #iddleton. &f the party attempts to apprehend

or 9ght him( Ree@a ?uaffs his haste potion and ees.

"ithout magic( the party is unlikely to catch him.

*he children are bound in manacles that a thief may

unlock normally. )iven time( Sheriff 'rowne will be able

to e!tract the children.

>nce ungagged( the captives will identify themselves as

nna( Lawrence and =orbert( the missing children of

Little Flanders. *hey will say that *empesta badgered

them into e!ploring the haunted house( where they were

captured by the kobolds. *hey also say that *empesta& '", C4AP,

*his 6

oppressive black basalt altar( which has been carved

with leering( bestial faces. +ven from the distant north

door( the plainly visible dark stains on the altar suggest

the unspeakable rites of the past. door on the western

wall appears north of the altar. 'ehind the benches

closer to the eastern wall( a circle of sinister runes

surrounds a 9ve4pointed brass star inlaid in the oor.

long the southern wall( four robbed 9gures appear

to be looking at the party( although their faces are

obscured by their hoods.

&n this noisome place( black oaths were uttered to

alien things that sane men fear to name. lthough it

has been nearly two decades since the last

ceremony( the sticky evil of those acts poisons the air

here even now. *he large power circle is dif9cult for

lawful characters to look at.

long the southeast wall are K skeletons 1,: 3 $5:

1hp M( 6( K( 72 5: 46 #: - #v: 6

*his room contains a low table( a chair( and a coatrack holding ceremonial robes. >n the table is a

statue and a wide4mouthed silver bowl with old(

ruddy stains. pedestal along the eastern wall holds

a moldy tome.

*his room was used by the evil wi@ard to prepare his

vile ceremonies in the adHoining chapel. *he unholy

vestments are worth - gp to buyers in a town larger

6



17/29

than Little Flanders. *he unwholesome obsidian fetish

statue 17 gp2 and the silver bowl 1 gp2 also re?uire

buyers in a larger venue that Little Flanders.

,enobite #aster )ervais will be very interested in both

the tome and the statue( but he will not pay for them.

&nstead( he will insist that these unholy items beremanded to his custody. &f the party refuses( he will

assume the party is under chaotic inuence and attack

with all the monks he can muster.

>n a pedestal is a moldering book( locked with a clasp

in the shape of a demon biting his tail. Should a lawful

character touch the book( he will receive -43 hp of

damage. *o a collector of such blasphemies( the book

will easily fetch N gp. nother copy of the te!t that

appears in ppendi! 0 appears here.

71& ,A"R

crude hole appears in the foundation wall. small

alcove has been roughed out beyond. *he oor of this

alcove is littered with bones and fragments of un9nished

meals. young girl lies prone toward the back. Filling

most of the space is a giant worm4like creature with

insect eyes and eight wiggling tentacles protruding from

its head.

mighty carcass scavenger 1,: 3 $5: 7 1hp --2

: M 5: paralysis/swallow #: ; #v: -


18/29

power in this hovel so that the

#illennium of *orment can begin.C

*he party and the Ding Ratters have inadvertently

completed the work of the original occupants of this

house. middle4level demon named 8oral 8nva 1see

reatures -reat and mall2 has been trapped in an

inaccessible tomb deep under Farview Dnoll. &f a living

human or demihuman is brought into contact with one

of the power circles 1found in rooms 7K and 732( the

demon will possess the victim forever. fter which( 8oral

8nva will open a portal to his infernal realm to bring

forth an army of unpleasant critters.

*his is undesirable( even for chaotic players.

*he party must ruin the dark magic of these circles to

break the connection with 8oral 8nva. *o do this( they

must do any of the following:

. Pour holy water on each circle

-. Place the amulets from the ,enobite #aster at

each circle


19/29

"hen the power circles in rooms 7K and 73 are

despoiled in some manner( read the following:

"ith the destruction of the 9nal

circle( a disembodied roar of

cyclopean despair rips through

the Farview #anse like an

e!plosion knocking all members

of your party off their feet. n

inhumanly loud voice wavers

between malice and sadness:

B"hat have you done%

thousand years of slow

corruption( putting the pawns on

the chessboard every few years

Anow goneT )oneT nd for

what% *he lives of a few ignorant

whelps who will lead anonymous

lives and die like cattle soon

enough.

B*hough buried( & yet have

friends and minions & can call

upon. Remember what you have

chosen to do this day. 'e

assured that & will...C

*he house begins to shake even

more violently and threatens tocollapse on your party. 8ou 9ght

your way up stairs to the second

oor( then on to the balcony and

down the stairs.

'arely clearing the last stair( the

Farview #anse collapses in upon

itself. foul smell of fetid

corruption billows out from the

wreck( choking you briey( but

the day is yours.

Part ": #ettlin$ %p>n returning to town( the party will be met by all of

the families who have lost their children as well as by

the sheriff and his deputies.

Sheriff 'rowne will pay the bounty of K gp for

clearing out the manse. $e will also award a bonus of

gp for each of the four missing children returned

alive to his or her family. Should the party refuse the

entire bounty( insisting that the families keep the

money( award each player M OP.

&f all the children have survived( there will be a big

celebration in the town s?uare where the party will be

publicly lioni@ed.

&f some children have died( the party will be thanked

and rewarded as per the bounty. =o one will be in the

mood to celebrate. $owever( each player will have a

positive reputation with most of the townsfolk.

&f all the children have died( the players will be curtly

paid K gp and asked to leave town as soon as

possible. *hey will forever after be given a cold

shoulder in Little Flanders.

Jpon successful e!ploration of the manse( award the

party N OP. +ach character will receive an additional

OP for each missing child returned alive. +ach

returned corpse of a child will yield but -N OP per

character.

&f the party banishes 8oral 8nva( award - OP to

each player. $alve the award if the ,enobite #aster

had to accompany the party. &n all cases where the

demon is banished( )ervais will give the party a letter

of recommendation and tell them to present it to his

colleague in #iddleton( who has need of capable

individuals.

Appendi& A: 'reatures Great and#(all

The %aldoon 8a*ilyincludes husband Iuimby 1now

deceased2( wife Sarah and daughter nna 1aged N2.

*hey are farmers. nna was lost along with the other

children. *hey have promised nearly all their money to

the sheriff to fund the bounty. Sarah is frustrated with

the slow pace of the sheriffEs efforts.

;



20/29

The 5iller 8a*ily includes widower *homas 1now

deceased2( son Ronald 1aged 62( son >dd 1aged 2

and son Lawrence 1aged 62. *homas ran a our mill with

his three boys. *he youngest son has been missing for a

week. fter *homas


21/29

$e is an avuncular( middle4aged 9ghter who likes his

village ?uiet. $e has adventured ?uite a bit in his past

but has settled in Little Flanders to grow fat and old. $e

is fair4minded( but not naive. Players that try to lie to

him will ?uickly fall into disfavor. $e is well4regarded

around town. $e can train 9ghters( dwarves and

halings.

!eputy Serill FOGF 4rofner4 Fighter( Level

rmor ,lass: 3

$it 5ice: 1hp M2

ttacks:

5amage: 46 1add - bonus for strength2

#ove: ;F L'8R&=*$ L>R5 1*#2 *R5+#RD

L&,+=S+

-7



24/29

Appendi& ): Farview Manse Maps

Second 8loor

$round 8loor

Base*ent

-K



25/29

Appendi& *: Little Flanders

-N



26/29

Appendi& F: Bounty +oti!e

'eings of Hust demeanor and conscience who are also

possessed of stout sword arms and fearless hearts are

re?uired.

Several innocent children of the town have disappeared

near an ancient pile of ill4omen.

Should you return the children to their parents( a reward

in gold shall be yours( with additional incentives to be

detailed later.

Fail( and see the future of our town diminish.

&nterested parties should seek out Sheriff 'rowne in the

center of Little Flanders town.

Appendi& G: Letter 1

*ake the Ding Ratters to Little Flanders and establish

a base. #ake sure that it is secure from spies. "atch

the town for opportunities to cause distraction but

5> =>* get into a direct conict with the humans. &need your Ratters for the 9nal operation.

& have assigned my lieutenants( >ngol and #oress( to

advise you.

"hen your operation is complete( send a messenger

and decamp. "e will rende@vous outside of

#iddleton.

5o not fail me.

AR

-6



27/29

Appendi& H: Letter 2

8ou are to advise Ree@a and the Ding Ratters in the

Little Flanders operation. Ree@a needs e!perience

planning more subtle operations.

&f he fails( you will complete the mission.

8ou are not to kill Ree@a unless he attempts to ee.

AR

Appendi& ,: Letter 8ou are >ngolEs wet nurse on the Little FlanderEs

mission. Should Ree@a and >ngol fail( you must

complete it.

5o not allow >ngol to kill Ree@a unnecessarily.

8ou have proven yourself again and again during our

long years together( old friend. & order you to stay

alive.

See you in #iddleton.

AR

-3



28/29

Appendi& : Ar!ane #!roll

ll praise and celebration to the 5uke of *orment( 8oral

8nvaT $e that reigns from below will come again when

payment of blood is rendered here and a mortal vessel

chosen.

Long ago( the *ormenter walked these lands and

brought low those false and prideful kings who fancied

themselves masters of all they saw. *hey were to learn

the depths of their mistake when 8oral 8nva opened the

5un )ate and brought forth his Penumbra rmy.

For decades( $e ruled the weak and rewarded the

strong. &t was only by ill4starred luck that the wandering

priest of the Soft )ods entombed our Lord. 'ut our

memories are long and we are patient.

Long have we in the 'rotherhood labored to make ready

$is return. *he circles are drawn and sancti9ed with

unholy rituals. *he sacri9ces( easily obtained from the

local population of rubes( are nearly complete.

lready $e stirsT $is anger rumbles through the very

ground and blanches the weak.

*he time of waiting is nearly over. nd our #aster will

again put his boot to the throat of the weak.

-M



29/29

Appendi& .: Pre-Generated 'hara!ters

#a*e Derrok )rum Sir )uy 0ane 5oe "alt #ad *om *horn

Class 5warf 5warf Fighter *hief ,leric #agic4Jser +lf

,evel - - -

A, L = = = L = L

SeG # # # F # # F

AC 7 K K N 7 6 7

4P ; ; 6 3

Str M 3 6 7 N M K

"nt 3 ; 3 7 M M

%is N 3 ; M M

!eG 7 - N M 7 M 3

Con 3 M M 7 ; 6

Cha 6 M ; K ; 3 N

#a*e 6uip*ent

Derrok Splint mail( war hammer( backpack( N< rope( gp

)rum ,hain mail( shield( scimitar( backpack( < pole( small mirror( gp

Sir )uy Scale mail( shield( sword( short bow( - arrows( backpack( crowbar( gp

0ane 5oe Leather armor( sword( long bow( - arrows( thieves< tools( backpack( gp

"alt ,hain mail( shield( ail( sling( - stones( backpack( holy water 1 vial2( gp

#ad *om Silver dagger( sling( - stones( backpack( int and steel( torches 1!62( gp

*horn ,hain mail( sword( long bow( - arrows( backpack( gp

#a*e Spells

"alt Cure li)ht +ounds( detect *a)ic

#ad *om 5a)ic *issile( sleep

*horn 5a)ic *issile

the manse on murder hill

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