

                        "AGAINST THE RISE OF EMON": PROLOGUE
     
         The following module was written as an entry for the MATTMARK 
    Generic Dungeon Design Contest in 1987. It was originally going to be a 
    joint project by myself and a friend named Bill Moodey, but Bill bowed 
    out early on, despite the fact that he instigated the whole thing. 
    Thanks, Bill! 8^>

         The Contest rules were quite grueling. An enormous 
    "blueprint" or "outline" was provided, in the form of a rambling 
    first-person narrative. Entries were to be judged in part by their 
    faithfulness to this blueprint. Unfortunately, the author was less 
    then competent, and seemed compelled to overload the blueprint 
    with stupid-sounding names and cryptic plot points/legends/etc. 
    The volume of such was incredible. 

         This made writing the module a daunting task indeed, particularly 
    as there was a maximum volume of 60 pages, double-spaced. Believe me, 
    NO ONE could compress all the references from the outline into 60 
    pages! I ended up with about 80 pages, which I compressed into a 60 
    page printout -- barely. Even so, many of the outline names and points 
    were simply mentioned as history, for no other purpose than increasing 
    my score. Others were simply eliminated. This accounts for the wordy 
    exposition of much of this work, combined with the sparsity of 
    information elsewhere. This also accounts for the cramped format of the 
    NPC stats.

         The prize was to be $500 and publication of the module.

         I completed two versions of the module, one for Runequest 3, and 
    one for AD&D (conversion from RQ3 to AD&D took about 4 hours), and sent 
    them both in. And waited. And waited. And waited.

         Finally I called the MATTMARK number. After some difficulty, I was 
    informed that my entry had been received. Apparently, the MATTMARK 
    company was the project of two college students named Matt and Mark, 
    who had somehow managed to get a sum of money together to start this. I 
    was rather surprised, as the MATTMARK Contest booklet had been rather 
    professionally produced. I settled back to wait some more.

         More weeks passed, with no word. Finally I called again. This time 
    I was informed that there had been an enormous, unexpected response to 
    the Contest, with over 5,000 entries in each of two categories (entry 
    forms cost $5 each, by the way). There would therefore be a delay in 
    judging.

         More weeks passed, and once again I called. Things were moving 
    slowly, I was told; the judges were picking 27 top entries from each 
    category from which to choose the winner. After some searching, I was 
    informed that my AD&D entry was among the top 27.

         I called again, weeks later. With much difficulty, I persuaded 
    someone to talk to me. It was the brother of either Matt or Mark -- in 
    fact, I had always had to speak to a family member of those two, rather 
    then Matt or Mark themselves. This brother finally told me that one of 
    the "officers" of MATTMARK had stolen all the Contest funds, and left 
    the country. The Contest might be picked up by a New York game 
    company...or might not.
      
         I never heard anything from them again. I had wasted months of my 
    life writing a module to ridiculous specifications; and now, because 
    the module was so inextricably laced with the MATTMARK-supplied and 
    copyrighted names, I could do nothing with my work.

         Moral: Look before you leap.


                                   --> Peter Maranci, March 11, 1992










                            AGAINST THE RISE OF EMON

                          

                           

                          
                              
                            A Fantasy Scenario Pack

                                compatible with 

                                Runequest 3 (tm)

                            for 3 - 6 characters of

                       Master skill level (90% or more).

                            
                                       by

                    
                                 Peter Maranci
                           81 Washington St., Apt. #2
                               Malden, MA  02148
                                 (617) 397-7958





                          fcsys!trystro!rune@think.com
                       

                 computer word count: 17,817 (includes above)









                               TABLE OF CONTENTS

           
           HISTORY.................................................A

           KINGDOMS................................................B

           PRELIMINARY PLAYER INFORMATION..........................C

           SECTION 1: THE MUGGING..................................D

           INTERLUDE...............................................E

           SECTION 2: A MESSAGE FOR THE PRIEST.....................F

           SECTION 3: THE WRISTBAND OF TINTOLEJ....................G

           SECTION 4: THE ARROW OF THE KONAE.......................H

           SECTION 5: ASSAULT ON THAKUL'S FASTNESS.................I
                                                                             
           MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.....................................J

           LOCAL ENCOUNTERS........................................K


              Letters indicate the order in which the various 
         sections should be read. My word processor couldn't 
         handle the task of creating page numbers that would be 
         correct in ASCII format. My attempt to create proper 
         page numbers manually  (for the COPY RQ3MODUL.TXT PRN 
         command) was a dismal failure. 
         

              The map was from the Contest Blueprint, as well. It 
        could easily be represented by any crude map, with the 
        appropriate place names. The rune I added to it simply 
        represented a crude schematic of the right route to 
        take...the original was lost. As I recall, it included a 
        mountain with a path line going up and over a dotted 
        arch, somewhat like this:


                                /\
                  O = entrance /O \
                              /rc\ \     ____ = the path *around* 
                             /a  /h \            the mountain -- 
          o = cracked gray  /__o/____\             wrong way!
                 boulder   /   |      \
                          /   /        \


             I recognize the crudity of this module. Let me 
        assure readers that my standards of writing and game 
        design are considerably higher now than they were seven 
        years ago. The only reason I am distributing this at all 
        is in the hope that some Gamemasters may find it to be of 
        use. I didn't want all that work to be *completely* 
        wasted... 

             On the other hand I am not going to spend more time 
        correcting the weaknesses of this work. I'd be interested to 
        hear about any changes that readers might recommend, or find 
        necessary, however. Needless to say, I intend no challenge to 
        the copyright of any Runequest material, nor to any MATTMARK 
        copyright (if there still are any). This module is for 
        personal use only. It may be copied and distributed freely, 
        but may not be sold. Please include all information when 
        copying. (There. Hope that covers me, legally.) 

             One final note: this module has been playtested 
        twice in a RQ3 format. It seemed to be playable, and the 
        players did enjoy it, but the author makes no warranty 
        about your results. Comments may sent to the above 
        address, though many obvious personal writing/design 
        weaknesses have long since been corrected. I'm always 
        glad to talk to gamers, though.... 

                                                          -->PM



                            AGAINST THE RISE OF EMON  

               For months,  now,  strange rumors have been going 
          around the taverns  about the land known as the Peninsula.  
          Dark stories of demons,  terror,  and treasure abound the 
          ale-rooms, and many a minstrel has sung for his supper of 
          the "Shadow on the Land".  Though some are filled with fear 
          at these tales, the bold and the brave know that no reward 
          can be gained without risk...  

               Against the Rise of Emon is a Runequest 3 (TM) 
          compatible module for 3 to 6 characters of an approximate 
          skill level of 90% or more in  their  best  skills.  It  may  
          be  incorporated  into  your  own campaign,  or played as a 
          stand-alone scenario.  The party should include  a  mix  of  
          fighting  and  sorcery  skills; priest,  shamans,  and  
          thieves would also be useful.  The fewer the characters, the 
          higher their skills should be.  No member of the party 
          should be  native  to the area.  

               The  campaign  consists  of  five  interlocking  
          adventures.  Depending  on gamemastering  style,  each  
          section  should  take one or two gaming sessions to 
          complete.  The  gamemaster  should  read  the  entire  
          module  carefully  before beginning.  Needless to say, 
          players should read no further!  

               It is important that the characters in this module be 
          basically good;  they must be the kind of people who will 
          try to stop a robbery if they see one taking place (see 
          Section 1: The Mugging).  

               The action of Against the Rise of Emon takes place  on  
          a  large  peninsula running  westward into the Ceratic 
          Ocean,  connected to the mainland in the east (see  Map).  
          There  are  five  distinct  Kingdoms:  Pozart,  Joulo,  
          Konat-Kale, Belitfint,  and Hetek.  They are known 
          collectively as the Domains,  or the Five Kingdoms.  Each of 
          these is detailed separately in  the  KINGDOMS  section.  
          The area  of the Domains may be incorporated onto the 
          northern or western coast of a previously-designed 
          continent.  


                                    HISTORY:


               Long ago,  Konar,  one of the Gods of the Peninsula,  
          designed  a  race  of divine servants using members of an 
          extra-planar race called the X'oaan.  Key to his  magical  
          remodeling  was  a piece of the mysterious God's Stone,  
          legendary source of both the God's and Demon's powers.  This 
          Gem,  the Eye of  Konar,  was attuned to every Konae (as 
          Konar called them), and enhanced many of their inborn 
          powers.  While the Konae were being created,  a Demonlord 
          named Emon created his own servant race, the K'thorr 
          (Servants of the Fire), from the remaining X'oaan.  He also 
          used a piece of the God's Stone,  and named it the Fire  of  
          Emon.  Each Gem magnified a different portion of the 
          original X'oaan power; the Konae gained the power of Plane 
          Travel, Healing, and Telepathy.  The K'thorr gained powers 
          of Illusion,  Persuasion (limited mind control), and 
          corruption, as well as greater strength.  Each Gem holds the 
          essence of its race's inherent powers,  and  acted as  an 
          incredibly powerful spell-enhancer,  too.  The Konae took up 
          the study of natural lore and  white  magic;  the  K'thorr  
          took  up  the  study  of  poison, treachery,  and  
          demonology.  Unsurprisingly,  the Konae are angelic,  while 
          the K'thorr are truly demonic.  The Konae dwelt in Konat-
          Kale.  The K'thorr lived in the lands later known as 
          Belitfint and Hetek.  

               Eventually the battle  of  the  local  Gods  and  
          Demons  exasperated  more powerful beings,  who restricted 
          the combatants to the God's Plane.  The K'thorr and Konae 
          remained on the Peninsula, their respective Gems now the 
          most powerful artifacts in the land.  At about this time 
          (3,000 years ago) humans first  moved to  the  Peninsula.  
          Also during this time,  the Konae crafted five magic Arrows 
          that could suppress the external powers of the Fire of Emon 
          for 500 years each.  

               Infiltrating the humans by using their  powers  of  
          illusion,  the  K'thorr influenced various kingdoms to 
          attack the Konae;  these attacks  always  failed.  In  time  
          (1,800  years  ago),  the  K'thorr set up an ascetic cult 
          organization called the Origants to encourage evil practices 
          among humans.  These included  a hatred  of  the  Konae,  
          who  were  portrayed as evil enchanters.  At this time, 
          through treachery and Demonic aid,  the K'thorr managed 
          place a Word of Pain  on the Eye of Konar (and thus all 
          Konae),  forcing almost all of the Konae to leave the plane.  
          The few who stayed (the Last Band) were led by Kirra, High 
          priestess of the Konae,  Despite the intense pain they all 
          suffered as  a  result  of  the Word,  they  managed to 
          steal the Fire of Emon and plunge an Arrow into it.  The 
          normal spells of the  K'thorr  were  broken,  but  their  
          powers  and  the  Word remained.  When the Pain continued 
          unabated, all fled in despair save Kirra, who was  pregnant 
          and unable to travel dimensionally.  She died shortly after 
          giving birth to a daughter, Kamira:  none but she knew who 
          the child's father was.  The fate of the child is unknown.  

               The Origants were eventually disbanded (though not 
          exposed) by  a  band  of adventurers with the aid of a 
          mysterious being.  At present,  the K'thorr have a new 
          quasi-religious front clled the Loghuna,  and they 
          effectively  rule  Hetek.  They are secretly expanding their 
          power over the whole Peninsula.  The existence of the 
          K'thorr as such is unknown.  

               Further information may be found in the Interlude at 
         the end of Section  I.  

                                  THE KINGDOMS 

               Common knowledge may be learned by the players in 
          taverns,  on the streets, from  sages,  etc.  Special  
          knowledge  can only be learned in the context of an 
          adventure.  

               Pozart (established 1100 years ago).  Common knowledge:  
          Easternmost of the Kingdoms, Pozart is known as a peaceable 
          land.  Governed by a system of royally-appointed 
          Administrators,  it has a tradition of favoring wisdom over  
          nobility.  The  standing  army of Pozart is small,  less 
          than 2,000 men-at-arms.  The local pantheon is respected 
          here. Young King Adrac is well-liked.  

               Special Information:  Pozart has long offered the 
          greatest human resistance to the corruption of the K'thorr 
          and is therefore  their  greatest  target.  The nobility  
          and  government of Pozart are almost completely infiltrated.  
          The King himself remains uncorrupted, though misinformed.  

               Joulo (established 900 years ago).  Common knowledge:  
          Joulo is the Kingdom of  Merchants.  Ruled by the Plutocrat 
          Cohen the Magnificent,  Joulo is securely held in a curious 
          system of economic feudalism: each Merchant Prince owes 
          fealty to his economic superiors.  All Jouloans are 
          inveterate  hagglers,  occasionally to  the  point  of  
          obnoxiousness.  Joulo's  standing  army of 15,000 men is the 
          largest in all the Kingdoms.  These are used to patrol the 
          borders and  suppress bloody  price  wars.  Anything may be 
          bought in Joulo.  Gaven,  the local god of merchants,  is 
          nominally worshipped but Jouloans reserve their  deepest  
          respect for money.  

               Special Information: At present, the influence of the 
          Loghuna is weakest in Joulo.  This is due more to the 
          peculiar monetary obsession of Jouloans,  rather than any 
          virtue;  economic corruption is already natural to them,  
          and seems  to overshadow any social corruption.  

               Konat-Kale (established 4000 years ago).  Common 
          knowledge:  Oldest of  the Domains,  this is the ancestral 
          home of the Konae (see HISTORY).  It is regarded as a 
          dreadful place of dark enchantment by common people.  Though 
          in some  times the Konae were said to be beneficent (and 
          some few sages still think so),  it is now commonly believed 
          that the Konae are  Demon-worshipers  and  sacrifice  men.  
          They have been attacked many times by the human kingdoms, 
          but their magic was an invincible defense.  Otherwise, 
          Konat-Kale has little or no interaction with the other  
          Kingdoms.   Konat-Kale  is  now  supposedly  uninhabited,   
          but  this  is unconfirmed.  Konat-Kale is a cold but 
          beautiful land.  

               Special  Information:  See  HISTORY.  

               Belitfint (established 230 years ago).  Common 
          knowledge:  Belitfint is the least desirable land  of  all  
          the  Kingdoms,  cold  and  drab.  The  people  of Belitfint  
          are  known  as  humorless  and  violent  warriors  by the 
          rest of the Peninsula; the feuds of the Houses of Belitfint 
          are legendary.  Nonetheless, the Republic of Belitfint was 
          formed as  a  sort  of  mutual  defense  pact  against 
          outside  attack.  It  is  ruled  by a Democratic Council of 
          Lords.  The Council, however, is an ineffective ruling body 
          except in time of war,  and the office of the Chairman 
          changes hands often, sometimes bloodily. Thakul's lair is 
          here.  

               Special Information:  Of all the human Kingdoms, 
          Belitfint has received the least attention from the  
          Loghuna;  the  eternal  bickering  of  the  people  of 
          Belitfint  makes  it an unlikely threat to the plans of the 
          Loghuna.  In ancient times, the Loghuna had a strong power 
          base here in the form of a cult called the Origants,  but 
          withdrew to Hetek 1650 years ago after the Kelesh  Disaster  
          (see Interlude).  

               Hetek (established 1230 years ago).  Common  knowledge:  
          The  oldest  human Kingdom,  Hetek  has  the most pleasant 
          lands on the Peninsula.  It is known for its weather,  the 
          warmest in the Peninsula.  Oddly,  Hetek also includes some 
          of the  coldest  lands  in the Peninsula:  the Ice Marshes,  
          home of the fabled Ice Barbarians.  This  cold-dwelling,  
          apparently  human  race  is  famous  for  the ferocity,  
          size,  and  nature-lore  of  its  warriors.  It  is  said 
          that an Ice Barbarian cannot endure warmth without a magic 
          Ice Amulet.  

               Hetek  proper  is  ruled  by the Grand Kissamarlo,  a 
          hereditary king.  The first strong King of  Hetek  in  
          generations,  his  policies  have  occasionally clashed with 
          those of the true rulers of Hetek: the Loghuna, a priestly 
          caste of magician-ascetics.  These  have  been  the  true  
          power  of Hetek throughout its history.  The Loghuna worship 
          no known God, but rather a philosophy:  Loghuna is an  
          ancient  word  meaning  Keepers  of  the Law,  and the Law 
          of the Loghuna is Obedience.  To act against the Loghuna is 
          to be declared Lawless,  excommunicant and  damned.  The  
          execution  of  such an individual is swift and painful.  As 
          a result,  most Hetekians are extremely faithful to the  
          Law.  Hetekians  have  an absolute fear of and hatred for 
          magic when not in the hands of the Loghuna,  for the 
          Loghunian cult worships magic.  Thus in Hetek,  no non-
          Loghunian may possess magic  of  any sort.  Apart from their 
          fervent hatred of alien magic,  Hetekians are an extremely 
          skeptical and sarcastic people.  

               Interestingly,  Kissamarlo  (who is not a member of the 
          Loghuna,  though he cooperates with them) has recently been 
          linked with illegal magic.  It  is  said that Kamira,  
          mistress to Thakul the Demon (see HISTORY),  has given him a 
          magic ring that he cannot remove.  

               Special Information:  Hetek is the bastion of the 
          K'thorr,  who  were  once known  as the Origants,  and who 
          now pass as the Loghuna.  (see HISTORY).  It is utterly 
          under their control.  The Kissamarlo is well-meaning but is 
          quite  aware of  the power of the Loghuna and wishes to 
          retain his kingdom.  Thus,  though he has some power,  he 
          cooperates with the  Loghuna.  Further  information  on  the 
          K'thorr  may  be  found  in  the  HISTORY section.  Contrary 
          to legend,  the Ice Barbarians are a  cultured  and  
          civilized  people.  They  are  sages  of  great knowledge, 
          and are gentle by nature.  

                      *           *           *           *           

                         Preliminary Player Information

               The characters begin the  campaign  by  entering  the  
          Kingdom  of  Pozart, tempted  by  tales of treasure and 
          adventure.  Though they may arrive by land or sea, they must 
          ride westward to get to Thamon Vale, capital of Pozart.  You 
          need not play out the trip,  but should give the players  
          the  following  preliminary information: 

               The countryside of Pozart is pleasant, though cool.  
          Farmers may frequently be seen, planting the usual crops; 
          the land seems peaceful, and the people friendly enough, as 
          a rule.  Occasionally you come across a small village by the 
          road, and find that the ale in the local taverns is 
          excellent.  The common tongue is commonly spoken here.  
          Villagers will volunteer that King Adrac is a good ruler: 
          peasants are loosely ruled by a local Baron-Administrator, 
          who collects the (low) taxes and is responsible for local 
          justice.  Administrators' holdings cover about twenty square 
          miles each.  Baron-Administrators are considered nobility, 
          but class relations are relaxed, and sage and knowledgeable 
          peasants are often appointed to the position.  Your 
          destination, Thamon Vale, is by all accounts a great city 
          indeed, and the site of the Palace of the King.  

               Occasionally, you pass shrines dedicated to the local 
          gods; there are many.  Arria the Grain Goddess and Aramon 
          the Protector rule  the  Pantheon,  which  is worshipped  in  
          a body.  Interesting but predictable tales are told of the 
          gods, the most amusing being the adventures of Arria's  son  
          Konar  the  Wanderer  (an archetypical  Trickster).  
          Strangely,  Priests  and  initiates  possess no magic apart 
          from an occasional spirit-magic Healing spell and the Divine 
          Magic Worship spell;  when asked,  the people say "Such 
          wonders are unnecessary  for  a  happy life,  and  it is 
          unseemly for a God to make magics like a common conjurer.  
          The teaching of the Gods is all we really need." These 
          teachings,  they happily tell you, are those of compassion 
          for the weak and respect for the Gods.  

               As you ride west towards Thamon Vale,  you notice that 
          the people seem less friendly.  Though the peasants still 
          trade with  you,  they  seem  afraid;  when pressed they 
          explain that "There've been dark happenings, and 'tis a poor 
          chance to meet strangers these days;  there's been stories 
          of bandits and worse things, lately..." In the inns,  you 
          occasionally catch whispers of a Demon,  and  of  a dread  
          race  of  magicians called the Konae.  Though the area seems 
          to be solely inhabited by humans,  you hear stories  of  
          dwarves  and  goblins  "off  in  the Mountains". You also 
          hear other things: 

               People have been living on the Peninsula for  thousands  
          of  years.  During that time, there have been many kingdoms 
          and many wars between kingdoms.  

               Everyone  worships  the  local gods,  though they are 
          weak.  Everyone knows that nothing is as good as it was in 
          the good old days;  neither crops,  beasts, nor men.  

               A  minstrel  sings  of  Thakul  the  Demon  who has a 
          magic breastplate and commands an army of goblins somewhere 
          in Belitfint;  the breastplate may be  the legendary  Guard  
          of Emon (whatever that is).  An evil Sorceress named Kamira 
          is supposed to be Thakul's mistress. It's a poetic tale.  

               Most  people  think that Thakul is just another bandit.  

               The village wrestler is the strongest man in the world.  

               There is an old Wizard named Trostag who ferries  
          people  across  the  wild Fanaibe  River in the northern 
          mountain-country.  He's in love with Kamira,  who torments 
          him.
            
               Garlic and beer will cure a cold.  

               Finally, late one afternoon, you see a great walled 
          city in a green valley.  The way is easy,  and you reach the 
          open gate shortly before  sundown.  A  bored guard  welcomes  
          you to the city of Thamon Vale,  and recommends the Golden 
          Boar Inn as a fine hostel (though something in his manner 
          makes you think  that  he's been paid to do so).  You have 
          arrived in the city of Thamon Vale.  

                      End of Preliminary Player Information


                            ADVENTURE #1: THE MUGGING

               In  which  the  Adventurers  foil  a  plot,  and  meet  
          Mervan  Ikul,  High Administrator to the King...  

               The characters have arrived in the city  at  sundown.  
          After  ten  minutes, they  pass  a darkened alley on their 
          right;  those who succeed in a Listen roll hear the sounds 
          of a scuffle (Note:  it is vital that at  least  one  
          Adventurer hear the sounds,  and that the party 
          investigate).  Looking down the alley, they see what appears 
          to be a mugging in progress.  A gang of toughs  with  maces  
          is giving  an old man in a gray cloak a beating.  The old 
          man,  his back to a wall, is holding them off with his cane.  
          No guards or pedestrians are  in  the  area.  As  the  alley 
          is dark,  only those who make their Scan roll will be sure 
          of how many toughs there are (there is one less thug then 
          there are party  members)  or notice  that  the old man is 
          using his cane broadsword-style,  with considerable skill.  
          Combat skills are at -10% in the alley due to darkness  (the  
          party  may bring in a light source, of course).  

               The gang will not back down unless faced with truly 
          overwhelming power; the players  will  not  be  able  to  
          frighten them off easily.  However,  given the relative 
          skill levels of the combatants,  the fight should be quickly 
          over.  If, by  some  outrageous chance,  a player is killed,  
          we recommend (for this combat only) that you fudge the roll;  
          for a player to be killed in such a minor combat this early 
          in the game is ridiculous.  

               The leader of the gang is Samhan the Knife, and his 
          dagger has POT 12 blade venom  on it.  He has already hit 
          the old man once in the left arm with it,  but the poison 
          was resisted. He is a cruel and arrogant bully, cunning and 
          bold.  All of Samhan's followers have similar statistics  
          and skills; roll up extra Thugs as needed.  


              Samhan  INT:11               melee  missile  armor/hp  
              STR:16  POW:13    Right Leg: 01-04   01-03       5/5   
              CON:14  DEX:15    Left Leg:  05-08   04-06       5/5   
              SIZ:12  APP:14    Abdomen:   09-11   07-10       5/5   
                                Chest:     12      11-15       5/6            
              Hit Points: 13    Right Arm: 13-15   16-17       5/4   
              Fatigue:30-15=15  Left Arm:  16-18   18-19       5/4   
              Magic Points:13   Head:      19-20   20          5/5   

              SIZ SR = 2, DEX SR = 3         Armor:Bezainted + soft 
              Damage Bonus: +1D4             leather padding (5pts) 
              First Aid skill: 36%           Monies: 760sp in belt  
        
          weapon           SR   attack    damage        parry     HP
          ---------------------------------------------------------- 
          Dagger           8    55%       1D4+2 +1D4    37%       6
          Shield (Target)  8    24%       1D6 +1D4      60%       12


              Thug    INT:10               melee  missile  armor/hp
              STR:14  POW:11    Right Leg: 01-04   01-03       4/5   
              CON:12  DEX:14    Left Leg:  05-08   04-06       4/5   
              SIZ:13  APP:11    Abdomen:   09-11   07-10       4/5   
                                Chest:     12      11-15       4/6            
              Hit Points:13     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17       4/4   
              Fatigue:26-9=17   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19       4/4   
              Magic Points:11   Head:      19-20   20          4/5   

              SIZ SR = 2, DEX SR = 3         Armor: Courboulli+soft
              Damage Bonus: +1D4             leather padding (4pts)
              First Aid skill: 29%           Monies: 127sp in belt 


          weapon           SR   attack    damage        parry     HP
          ----------------------------------------------------------
          Heavy Mace       7    50%       1D10 +1D4      50%      10
          Fist             8    55%       1D3  +1D4      --       --



          The old man is Mervan Ikul, a High Administrator to the King:  
          STR:11   CON:12  SIZ:15  INT:17  POW:15  DEX:15 APP:13 

          weapon            SR   attack   damage        parry    HP 
          Broadsword, RH    7     87%     1D8+1+1D4      83%     10 

          The cane has 6 hit points.

          Dodge:69%   Fast Talk:70%   Oratory:103%  Administration:101  

               As  Mervan  should not be involved in active combat,  
          his combat statistics are not included (except for his 
          broadsword skill).  His left arm, normally at 4 hit points, 
          is presently at -1,  and therefore useless.  He is not 
          armored.  His CON  has  been  reduced  to 6 by the poison.  
          Do not roll out the combat between Mervan and the gang.  
          Mervan survives with the one wound already described.  

               If captured, Samhan and the gang know very little;  
          they were hired to kill "the  old  man"  by  a tall hooded 
          man with a deep,  whispery voice in the Green Feather Tavern 
          two hours ago.  They were given a  description  of  Mervan,  
          told where they could find him, and paid 1000sp for the job.  

               If the party has captured any of the thugs,  and 
          decides to turn them in to the city guards, the thugs are 
          killed in prison within six hours (the arm of the K'thorr is 
          long). There is no reward for their capture.  

               Once  rescued,  Mervan  gasps out his thanks.  Telling 
          the players his name and high rank,  he invites them to come  
          to  his  office  on  Government  Street tomorrow afternoon, 
          promising a reward.  

                        
                         Interlude at the Golden Boar

               If  the  characters choose to stay at the Golden Boar,  
          they may gain extra information.  Old Nemo, a drunken tale-
          teller at the Inn,  knows a great deal of the legends and 
          lore of the Domains,  and willingly speaks of them to anyone 
          who will buy him ale.  Though he appears to be an  ordinary  
          (albeit  well-informed) tale-teller,  in  actuality  he  is  
          Noman,  the demigod-patron of the long-lost X'oaan (see 
          HISTORY),  and he has been observing his descendents for  
          millennia.  He  is  well-meaning  but cautious:  he prefers 
          to manipulate others to help his people.  He has aided the 
          Konae secretly in the past,  and is now trying to help 
          humans  withstand  the  machinations  of  the  K'thorr.  As  
          a  demigod,  he  is invulnerable and immortal.  He has a 
          natural disguise ability,  and  prefers  to operate through 
          guile and cleverness, but will act directly to save the 
          lives of those  who  are  acting in his interests.  Neither 
          the Konae nor the K'thorr are aware of his existence.  

               It is his habit to pass as a human and find heroes who 
          can be encouraged to fight evil.  It is for this reason that 
          he has taken on the  role  of  Nemo.  He has  selected the 
          characters as possible agents against the K'thorr.  By 
          telling them certain rare bits of information and 
          misinformation,  he intends to  subtly guide  their  
          actions.  At  the  same  time,  he  is careful to not give 
          out any information which would alert  the  K'thorr  to  his  
          existence  (such  as,  for example,  the truth of the 
          existence of the K'thorr themselves).  He'll tell all the 
          common-knowledge information about  each  of  the  Five  
          Kingdoms,  and  the following special information,  all 
          while consuming vast quantities of ale (they buy):  He knows 
          much of the merchant wars of Joulo, the feuds of Belitfint,  
          and the many ancient wars of ancient kingdoms.  He sings of 
          the  Origants,  and  the Loghuna.  He speaks reverently of 
          the Konae.  He mentions an ancient Banishment, in  which  
          the local Gods and Demons were forced off the plane.  He 
          gladly tells the tale of the Fall of Kelesh (but he does not 
          tell the full  truth,  which  is noted in parentheses - read 
          carefully!): 

               Kelesh was an orphan who was found by the Konae and 
          learned from them about 1800  years  ago.  Later,  the  
          child's evil nature made it necessary for him to leave 
          Konat-Kale,  and he eventually became the Wizard-Leader of  
          the  Origants.  As such, his sole desire was to destroy the 
          Konae.  

               (The truth is that he was a K'thorran agent, and placed 
          the Word of Pain on the  Eye  of  Konar.  Thus the Konae 
          were betrayed and forced to depart.  Kelesh lead the K'thorr 
          as well as the Origants as an adult).  

               As part of a complicated plot to encourage the King of 
          the area, Balisi II, to  fear  that  the  Konae  wished  to 
          assassinate him,  Kelesh had three of his followers  
          disguise  themselves  as  Konae  and  attempt   an   
          "assassination".  Promising  to protect the frightened King,  
          he arranged to have the Fire of Emon stolen by human agents 
          from the High Temple of Konat-Kale,  along with the  Five 
          Arrows  of  the Konae.  He had discovered the existence of 
          the Arrows as a child on Konat-Kale.  (The reason he sent 
          human thieves was that the magical  defenses of Konat-Kale 
          were set to react to K'thorrans.  The Fire of Emon was in 
          the High Temple because that was where Kirra left it after 
          the Last Band stole it from the K'thorr;  she  trusted  the  
          temple defenses).  When the thieves returned saying that 
          they had only found four Arrows, he was furious, but was 
          unable to discover the fate of the last arrow (Noman  has  
          it).  The  thieves  also  reported  that Konat-Kale  seemed  
          to  be utterly deserted.  Kelesh's pleasure at this news did 
          not stop him from having the thieves killed.  

               With the help of foreign dwarven smiths who were later 
          slain, Kelesh crafted  a  magical breastplate:  the Guard of 
          Emon.  He set the Fire of Emon in its center.  Giving it to  
          the  King,  he  told  him  that  it  would  make  him 
          invincible.  Kelesh  knew  that  the Guard was dangerous 
          (for humans) but it was not his intention that Balisi 
          survive for long in any  case.  Coming  home  with the King 
          from a futile "raid" on Konat-Kale,  he accused Balisi of 
          treachery and shot him with an arrow.  Only one man, a 
          common soldier,  survived the resulting explosion.  What 
          happened to the Guard and Arrows is unknown.  (Actually, it 
          was Noman who shot Balisi.  Kelesh had had Balisi wear the 
          breastplate to see if the Fire of Emon had been trapped;  if 
          it wasn't, he planned to use the power of the Fire to kill 
          Balisi,  take the Guard for himself,  and assume Balisi's 
          identity, and  ease the entrance of Emon into the plane.  
          Noman prevented this by shooting the Fire. The explosion was 
          due to spells Noman had placed earlier on his Arrow.  Balisi 
          and Kelesh as well as everyone else  present  was  killed.  
          Later,  Noman played  the part of the "only survivor" to 
          spread the false tale.  Noman took an Arrow (replacing the 
          one he'd used),  leaving three,  and left  the  rest  in  a 
          hiding place with the Guard.) 

               Noman  can  tell  other stories about the Guard and 
          Arrows (both were found later by others).  400 years after 
          Kelesh died the Guard reappeared,  along with one remaining 
          arrow  (not  counting  the  missing  one  Noman  has).  The  
          Guard eventually disappeared,  as was its' wont,  on a 
          battlefield;  but the Arrow was sealed in a black stone  by  
          a  sorcerer  named  Tintolej,  and  mixed  in  with 
          thousands of identical black stones.  In the stone the Arrow 
          was indetectable by magic  except  by a wristband created by 
          Tintolej which now lies under the ruins of Castle Kafsal,  
          in the lands of the Ice Barbarians.  The stone itself,  
          along with all the similar stones,  is now in Kash, the 
          capital city of Joulo, as part of Ramado's Castle which is 
          the residence of the Plutocrat.  

              Most recently,  the Guard has been found by a stranger  
          to  the  Peninsula: Thakul  the  Demon.  Nemo-Noman delivers 
          himself of the opinion that Thakul must be a lesser demon at 
          most,  small enough  to  have  escaped  the  power  of  the 
          Banishment.  In  any  case,  Thakul  commands  a  small army 
          of goblins who have overrun the Northern Wastes of 
          Belitfint.  The only other  incursion  of  Thakul was a 
          brief foray into Konat-Kale.  The area Thakul commands is 
          the poorest land of the Domains, so poor that even the 
          families of Belitfint have not claimed it; from  there  the 
          goblin army raids surrounding territories.  Thakul's 
          stronghold is said to be in the middle of a circle of 
          mountains, in lands which are cut off from direct eastern 
          access by the River Fanaibe.  This river is so turbulent  as 
          to  make  passage nearly impossible - water-spirits 
          (POW=3D6+6) make flight over it impossible.  The only way to 
          cross it without risking one's  life  is  to  be ferried 
          across by the wizard Trostag,  who has a magic boat.  It is 
          said that he charges nothing, but will only carry those 
          whose motives please him.  It is also said that he is in 
          love with an evil Sorceress named Kamira,  who is mistress 
          to Thakul;  she it was who gave the magic ring to Kissamarlo 
          (see KINGDOMS: Hetek).  Her motives are unknown. (Noman 
          knows that she is his daughter by Kirra the High Priestess;  
          having left the plane  shortly  after  she  was  conceived,  
          he  had believed  her  dead  until recently.  She does not 
          know who her parents are.  He also knows that Thakul really 
          is a demon,  but not much more;  he has never seen Thakul.  
          He  does  not know how Thakul gained the Guard.  Thakul and 
          the K'thorr are allies.  Being of the same evil nature,  
          they cooperate  to  see  Emon  rise again.  By  using the 
          Guard and destroying the peace of the Peninsula,  they are 
          slowly making this possible).  

               If  the  characters  stay  elsewhere,  they  will  
          learn  common  knowledge information,  and gossip about 
          nobility;  when Mervan Ikul is mentioned,  it  is said that 
          he has been acting strangely lately;  senile, perhaps.  
          Several nobles and counselors to the King have died by 
          "accident" in the last few years.  

                      ADVENTURE 2: A MESSAGE FOR THE PRIEST

               In which the characters meet Belthan the Priest, and 
         learn some interesting information.  

               When the characters arrive at Mervan Ikul's office,  
          they  find  it  to  be richly  appointed  and near the 
          King's palace.  A guard escorts the players into an 
          antechamber after asking their names.  After a few  minutes,  
          a  thin,  well-dressed  man  comes in:  Savon Galt,  Mervan 
          Ikul's secretary.  He stares at the adventurers in surprise, 
          but asks their business in a polite way.  He insists on 
          knowing the reason for the appointment, saying it's not in 
          the book.  When told, he nods and leaves the room.  Coming 
          back in a  few  minutes  with  a  pouch  of 500sp,  he tells 
          the adventurers that this is their reward, and that they 
          should go away now.  As he says this, however, Mervan Ikul 
          comes into the room.  

               A  quiet  discussion  ensues.  Those  making a Listen 
          roll hear that Mervan knew nothing about this "reward";  he 
          is furious that the adventurers  were  not sent to him 
          immediately.  Savon, with glacier-like calm, insists that no 
          time is available for unscheduled meetings.  Mervan insists 
          on  having  the  party  come into his office.  Leading the 
          way, he carefully locks the door behind him.  Wine is  
          poured for everyone,  and each adventurer is given a pouch 
          of 2,000sp (alter this and all amounts if they are 
          inappropriate for your campaign).  

               Mervan  believes that he can trust the party,  and so 
          wants to offer them a high-paying job  (they  can  keep  
          Savon's  money).  Strange  things  have  been happening  in  
          the  last  few  years;  the incident last night was not the 
          first attempt on his life.  For  a  number  of  reasons,  he  
          suspects  that  a  large conspiracy is taking place:  he 
          does not know who in the City to trust, for even old friends 
          have been acting strangely.  Peasants have come to him with 
          tales of torture and massacre by newly-appointed 
          Administrators,  all  claiming  to  have been  sent to him 
          by a tall masked man (Noman).  He has spoken to the King,  
          but was unable to convince him:  his witnesses have 
          consistently disappeared or died before testifying.  The 
          King is being told that he (Mervan) has become senile.  

               An  old  and  prestigious  priest  friend  of his named 
          Belthan had similar suspicions;  after voicing them several 
          years ago,  he was demoted and  sent  to Gazan,  a  town 
          near the western border.  They have remained secretly in 
          contact since,  through coded messages sent by the official 
          courier  to  Gazan.  In  his last message, Belthan asked 
          that Mervan secretly send him a party of adventurers willing 
          to travel.  Clearly the conspiracy is a dangerous and evil 
          one,  and the threat may extend beyond Pozart's borders.  
          Will the party help?  

               Gamemaster:  It is necessary that the party accept.  
          Mervan will offer them whatever  it  takes  to  persuade  
          them;  use  your judgement as to what will be necessary.  
          Note that if the party is successful in bringing back solid 
          proof of a conspiracy against Pozart, the King will also 
          reward them.  In that case,  the reward  might  well  extend  
          to  a  magic item each,  knighthoods,  or titles of nobility 
          in addition to money.  

               Once the party has accepted,  Mervan "hires" them as  
          messengers  (a  cover job)  and  gives  them up to 2,000sp 
          each for expenses.  He asks that they leave for Gazan soon,  
          and discretely;  Belthan is living in the  house  of  Balt  
          the Potter,  passing  as  Balt's wife's old father (he is 
          not,  but she is distantly related to Mervan).  For safety's 
          sake, Mervan feels that the adventurers should not  see him 
          again before the party leaves.  Giving the party a pouch of 
          scrolls to be taken to Gazen,  plus a secret one for Belthan 
          and badges identifying them as King's messengers, he bids 
          them farewell.  

               All distances are given in  terms  of  days  and  weeks  
          of  travel.  Local encounter  tables  have been prepared for 
          this area;  see the ENCOUNTERS section for travel 
          information.  

               Gazan is a week's travel away.  They pass both  
          farmland  and  forests.  As before, a dark shadow of fear 
          seems to get stronger as the party travels further west (the 
          influence of the K'thorr is stronger in the West).  

               An  assassin named Wastik is trailing the party at a 
          safe distance.  He has been sent by the K'thorr to find and 
          kill the source of the messages that Mervan Ikul has been 
          receiving. He has 3 vials of Blade venom POT 14.  


              Wastik  INT:14               melee  missile  armor/hp
              STR:15  POW:10    Right Leg: 01-04   01-03       4/5   
              CON:16  DEX:18    Left Leg:  05-08   04-06       4/5   
              SIZ:10  APP:10    Abdomen:   09-11   07-10       4/5   
                                Chest:     12      11-15       4/6            
              Hit Points:13     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17       4/4   
              Fatigue:31-9=22   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19       4/4   
              Magic Points:10   Head:      19-20   20          4/5

              SIZ SR = 2, DEX SR = 2        Armor: Courboulli +   
              Damage Bonus: +1D4            leather padding (4pts)
              Hide:94% First Aid:54%
              Sneak:96%  Dodge:91%          Monies: 527sp in belt 
                                
          weapon           SR   attack  damage         Parry       HP
          -----------------------------------------------------------
          Dagger           7     88%    2D4 + 2        64%         6
          Thrown dagger         106%    1D4 + 1D2 (+14 POT Poison)


               Wastik is mounted.  It is unlikely that the party will 
          detect his presence.  When the adventurers arrive in Gazan, 
          they are courteously greeted and housed in the 
          Administrator's mansion.  How they approach Belthan  is  
          their  choice,  but Wastik  is  shadowing  them.  He has 
          paid several street urchins to help keep an eye on the 
          party;  an act of kindness to one of them by  a  party  
          member  might cause  a  little information to come forth (or 
          not).  In any case,  it is likely that Wastik will follow 
          when any or all of the adventurers go to see Belthan.  

              Belthan INT:17               melee  missile  armor/hp  
              STR:10  POW:15    Right Leg: 01-04   01-03       -/4   
              CON:10  DEX:11    Left Leg:  05-08   04-06       -/4   
              SIZ:12  APP:14    Abdomen:   09-11   07-10       -/4   
                                Chest:     12      11-15       -/5            
              Hit Points:11     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17       -/3   
              Fatigue:20-3=17   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19       -/3   
              Magic Points:15   Head:      19-20   20          -/4   

              Armor:none  Money:none         Divine Magic Spells: 
              First Aid: 71%                  Worship Local Gods 
              Ceremony: 55%                   Divination         
                                             Spirit Magic Spell: 
                                              Healing 2 (72%)    
                                    

               The  characters  meet Belthan in the back room of 
          Balt's cottage.  There is one door (in the south wall), one 
          window (in the north wall - curtained) a chair (Belthan is 
          sitting in it),  a small table,  and a straw bed.  After 
          reading the scroll, Belthan accepts the characters as 
          genuine.  

               He has been studying some manuscripts written  in  an  
          ancient  tongue.  In them, he has found disturbing 
          implications; Divination about them revealed vague and 
          disturbing visions.  Though his understanding is not 
          perfect, he is troubled by  what  he  has  discovered.  
          There seems to be a link between the Konae,  the Origants, 
          and the Fire of Emon, though he has always believed in the 
          goodness of the Konae.  The Origants and possibly the 
          Loghuna are linked with  the  K'thorr, an ancient race of 
          half-demons now supposed to be extinct.  Emon is probably 
          the root   of   "demon".   References   to  the  doctrines  
          of  the  Origants  sound uncomfortably like those of the 
          Loghuna;  furthermore, many events today seem to be  similar  
          to  those  during  the rise of the Origants.  It seems that 
          a great depth of history has been forgotten or perhaps 
          deliberately obscured.  There are hints, no more,  of some 
          unknown power that causes "a dreadful clouding of men's 
          minds." If Thakul is truly a demon,  than his possession of 
          the Guard of Emon is a terrible threat.  Even if he is  
          human,  if  he  is  the  military  arm  of  a conspiracy  of  
          the Loghuna (and it seems likely that he is),  he must be 
          slain.  Unfortunately,  legend  has  it  that  the  wearer  
          of  the  Guard  of  Emon  is invulnerable.  Only  one thing 
          can harm him:  a set of magical Arrows crafted by the Konae.  
          The only one still known to exist  is  last  recorded  as  
          being  at Castle  Kafsal  in  the  northern  Ice  Marshes  
          of  Hetek.  That  Arrow must be recovered.  The Arrow is 
          said to work against the Firegem itself, not the Guard.  If 
          the stories of old Nemo are mentioned to him, he is very 
          interested.  

               Belthan sent his nephew Garel to recover the Arrow a 
          year ago,  with  three local fighters to help him.  They did 
          not return.  If the characters are willing to go,  he will 
          give them a copy of a map of the Peninsula,  his thanks, and 
          his blessing.  

               Before the characters can answer, Wastik strikes.  He 
          has been listening at the window for a while now,  and has a 
          poisoned throwing dagger  ready  (if  the characters  took  
          some  sort of precautions against this possibility,  take 
          them into account).  Any character who rolls under half 
          their Listen  percentage  may attempt  to shield Belthan 
          from the arrow.  Unless they had specified that their 
          weapons were out and ready, they will not be able to use 
          them (and only a shield could be used in any case);  they 
          must use their bodies at DEX x 3, or the table at DEX x 2 
          (only one person may use the table, which has 10 armor 
          points).  Make them  decide  their  actions quickly.  
          Remember,  unless the party has made some other 
          arrangements,  Wastik has had a round to prepare (+10%) and 
          has  surprised the party (+20%), raising his total attack 
          chance to 136%.  

               If captured,  Wastik attempts suicide by means of a 
          poisoned  pellet  in  a cheap  ring  he  wears on his right 
          hand.  Failing this,  he desperately resists questioning,  
          saying nothing.  If seriously tortured (use your own 
          judgement) he screams  that  the  Administrator  will kill 
          them all for this,  and lapses into unconsciousness.  He 
          actually knows little:  his patron has made  sure  that  he 
          knows as little as possible against just this eventuality. 
          Wastik knows that his boss  is  an  Administrator,  and he 
          was told that if captured by city guards he would be 
          released:  however,  all messages were given him by a  
          short,  fat  man wearing a gray mask.  

               Whatever  Belthan's  fate,  the  party should proceed 
          to Castle Kafsal.  If Belthan is dead or unconscious,  a 
          search of the room  yields  three  books  and twelve scrolls 
          in an incomprehensible tongue, a book with notations for 
          learning that tongue,  and a map of the Peninsula,  with a 
          route clearly marked to Castle Kafsal (see MAP).  The route 
          circles  around  Thakul's  mountain  fastness,  and avoids 
          the Fanaibe River.  Total travel time seems to be about 
          three months each way.  Give the party a copy of the map,  
          or let them refer to it frequently.  If conscious,  Belthan 
          gives the party this map and warn them that the Ice  Marshes 
          are  cold.  He  is  not  sure of the meaning of the rune 
          near Thakul's lair;  he copied it from an older map..  He 
          has no money to give them.  Warm  clothes  and blankets may 
          be purchased in town.  

                      SECTION 3: THE WRISTBAND OF TINTOLEJ

               Adventure in  the  ice  and  snow  can  be  a  chilling 
          experience...  

               The  journey  to  Castle  Kafsal  takes  thirteen 
          weeks.  For the first ten weeks,  roll local encounters as 
          described in the ENCOUNTERS section.  From  the eleventh  
          week on,  however,  the travellers are in the area of the 
          Ice Marshes.  If the party is not protecting itself from the 
          cold,  exposure  results.  Normal encounter  tables  do not 
          apply in the Ice Marshes.  Instead,  in the first week they 
          encounter a snowcat: 

              STR:15  CON:19  SIZ:11  INT:15  POW:9  DEX:21  APP:18  
                    Total Hit Points:15     Move:6  Dodge:70%  
              Claw attack:65% (1D8+1D4)  Bite attack:70% (1D6+1D4) 

               It is white-furred,  and has a Hide ability of 109%  in  
          the  snow.  It  is  not aggressive,  but simply watches  the  
          party.  It  runs  away  if  disturbed.  If cornered, but 
          fights if cornered. Though intelligent, it cannot speak.  

               The second week,  a hunting party of three white-fur-
          clad Ice Barbarians is encountered.  If a Scan is made,  the 
          party may attempt to Hide (-10%).  The Ice Barbarians are 
          non-hostile (they defend themselves if attacked,  but even 
          so try to avoid killing).  If peaceful contact is made,  the 
          party discover that  Garel did pass through the area about 
          eight months ago, with two fighters accompanying him;  after 
          buying some smoked meat from the Ice Barbarians (who call 
          themselves the Sevam),  they continued on north,  never 
          returning.  The Sevam themselves do not travel travel that 
          way,  for there is no game there and hunters sometimes do 
          not return.  The hunters offer their hospitality to the 
          party.  If they  accept, they are taken to a tribal ice-
          house.  It is pleasantly warm there, and they are asked  
          many  questions  about current events.  In the evening,  a 
          large feast is served.  Afterwords,  the party is introduced 
          to the ancient Sevamdor,  chief of the Sevam.  He sings 
          several heroic lays, including one about Castle Kafsal.  It 
          speaks  of  the Sorcerer Tintolej,  the Arrow,  and the 
          magic Wristband.  If the party shows interest,  he tells 
          them the  tale  of  Tintolej  from  the  HISTORY section, 
          though he does not know where the block of the Arrow was 
          taken.  

               No  Ice  Barbarian  will  travel  with  the  party,  
          but  they give careful directions to the ruins of Castle 
          Kafsal.  The trip  there  is  uneventful,  the only item of 
          interest being a smoking and steaming hotspring on the third 
          day.  

               Castle Kafsal is now a large mound of  snow-covered  
          rubble.  Searching  it takes  an  hour  and  a successful 
          Search roll,  resulting in the discovery of a large square 
          hole - apparently the remains of a downward-leading stone 
          stairway.  The stair is 20 feet deep,  but the bottom 10 
          feet are filled with powdery snow: from above,  it appears 
          that the stair ends ten feet down on a snowy floor.  The 
          stairs are covered with ice,  and very slippery;  roll DEX x 
          3 to avoid falling.  Anyone failing their DEX roll when 
          stepping on the stair  falls  deep  into  the powder,  and 
          must roll DEX x 3 to get out (they appear to have been 
          swallowed up by the floor).  They may attempt this once per 
          round,  but each round after  the third  spent  in  the snow 
          results in 1 point of damage to total hit points.  In the 
          snow,  the frozen body of a man may be found.  He is wearing  
          a  monogrammed belt labeled "Garel". His legs are broken.  

             NOTE: It is suggested that as each PC falls into and 
          under the powdery snow, the GM should move them out of 
          earshot, and tell them what happened. The suspense generated 
          in the remaining characters will be intense. If the fallen 
          PC struggles, others may perceive the "floor" moving. Those 
          under the snow will be virtually blind, and may not realize 
          that they have simply fallen. If two or more PCs are in the 
          snow at the same time, the confusion should be very great. 
          Also remember that there is a corpse in the stairwell, as 
          well. 

             Removing the snow is an unusual challenge. There are many 
          possible solutions. Keep in mind that the snow is extremely 
          powdery, acting much like a liquid. Scooping by hand will 
          take a long time. Melting will also be difficult, since 
          unless the snow is converted to vapor, it will simply freeze 
          almost immediately -- blocking the stairwell even more 
          thoroughly. (In playtesting, each group solved the problem 
          in a unexpected and different way. I'd be especially 
          interested in hearing other solutions. -->PM 1992) 

               The stairwell ends at a wooden door, with a brass 
          plaque marked "Kafsal" on it.  The  door  is  locked  (-10%  
          Devise).  The  door  has 25 hit points.  Once opened,  it 
          reveals a stone corridor  ten  feet  wide,  leading  
          straight  ahead (north).  The corridor goes straight for 20 
          meters,  slopes downward for another 20 meters,  and then 
          turns left.  Waiting around this corner is a large (SIZ 21) 
          silvery blob.  It is absolutely silent; the characters are 
          surprised unless they roll  under  their POW x 3 or a 
          critical Listen (allow them a bonus if they took 
          precautions).  The blob registers on a magic-detection 
          spell.  It lashes out  at the party with its six pseudopods,  
          2 at SR 2,  2 at SR 5,  and 2 at SR 7.  Each has a 50% 
          chance of hitting,  and each does 1D6 points of cold damage  
          (ignoring metal  armor).  It  takes  only 1 point of damage 
          from ordinary weapons.  Spells such as Bladesharp do extra 
          damage for the magic (ie. a weapon with Bladesharp 3 would 
          do 4 points of damage - 1 for the weapon,  and 3 for the 
          spell).  The blob is  completely vulnerable to heat damage,  
          and even a fist attack is warm enough to do full damage 
          (though the fist involved would take 1D6 points of  damage  
          as per  an attack).  The creature has no armor and 25 hit 
          points,  all of which are treated as one hit location.  It 
          regenerates 1 hit point per  round  until  dead (except heat 
          damage).  Its POW is 15.  

               Two  fighters  can fight abreast here,  or three at 
          -10% each on all attack skills.  Unenchanted metal weapons 
          hitting the creature have  a  50%  chance  of shattering  
          due  to  the extreme coldness of its flesh.  Cold and mind-
          affecting spells do not affect the blob.  Play it out.  

               Proceeding on,  the party arrives at a large,  barred 
          wooden  door  with  a small  shuttered opening at eye level.  
          Behind the door is a skeleton waiting to poke the eye out of 
          whoever opens the shutter.  Be careful how you run this - at 
          the least a Luck roll (POW x  5)  should  be  applicable  
          (give  the  players  a chance).  The  room  is  dark.  The  
          door to the room has 35 hit points.  If the characters stand 
          in the doorway, they will face only three skeletons at once.  

               The room is full of weirdly glowing skeletons.  All are 
          moving silently  to the door,  except for one that is 
          chained high on the wall opposite the door:  a successful 
          Scan reveals that one is wearing a band on its right arm.  
          There  are 4  skeletons  for  every  adventurer.   They  are  
          unarmored.  Strangely,  every skeleton "bleeds" a silvery 
          liquid from  its  bones  when  broken.  Though  this liquid 
          looks like that of the blob, it is inanimate. Two have 
          broadswords.  

               Skeleton INT:-               melee  missile armor/hp
               STR:14   POW:01   Right Leg: 01-04   01-03      -/1 
               CON:-    DEX:16   Left Leg:  05-08   04-06      -/1 
               SIZ:13   APP:-    Abdomen:   09-11   07-10      -/1 
                                 Chest:     12      11-15      -/1          
               Hit Points:-      Right Arm: 13-15   16-17      -/1 
               Fatigue:-         Left Arm:  16-18   18-19      -/1 
               Magic Points:01   Head:      19-20   20         -/1 

              SIZ SR = 2, DEX SR = 3          Each hit location is  
              Damage Bonus: +1D4              utterly destroyed by  
              Dodge: 80%                      any damage.           

          weapon            SR  attack  damage         Parry       HP
          -----------------------------------------------------------
          claw, RH           8    50%   1D4+1+1D4       --         --
          claw, LH           8    50%   1D4+1+1D4       --         --

          Generate more skeletons with the Skeleton statistics in the 
          Creatures book.  

               The  hanging skeleton is Tintolej.  He is animate,  but 
          does not attack the characters.  He simply holds his arm out 
          (if possible).  Those making  a  Listen roll  hear  a  
          ghostly  whisper saying "Please -- destroy me".  The 
          skeleton is absolutely incapable of making any other 
          communication. The band cannot be removed from the arm until 
          the arm is smashed.  The skeleton and the  band  are  both  
          immune  to fire.  

               The  wristband is translucent unbreakable black glass 
          with three gold braid circlets embedded in it.  Anyone 
          wearing it immediately knows that it is attuned to the 
          Arrow,  and that the Arrow is to the southeast.  A  search  
          of  the  room reveals  a  loose stone in the back wall.  
          Behind the stone is a fragment of old parchment.  Written in 
          an archaic form of the Common  Tongue,  it  says:  "...gh 
          none  knew  who  the  father  was.  ...erted by her 
          companions by her own order, Kirra, High Priestess of the 
          Kona...irth to Kamira, and died...ire of Emon would be 
          use...mon Emon when the law of the  land  is  broken..."  
          (ellipses  indicate burned areas).  There is nothing else in 
          the Castle of interest.  

                       SECTION 4: THE ARROW OF THE KONAE

               There's no honor among  thieves -- or  merchants...  

               The  trail  of  the  Arrow  leads the characters 
          directly to Castle Ramado, residence of Joulo's Plutocrat.  
          The trip takes ten weeks.  In the  first  three weeks of 
          travel there is only one encounter:  a snowman,  on the 
          horizon.  It is ten feet tall,  and human-shaped.  Buried 
          inside the snowman is  a  clear  glass ring;  it  is  
          difficult  to  find.  For  the  last  seven weeks,  use the 
          local Encounter tables.  

               The  party  ends up in Kash,  Joulo's capital city.  
          There is a 50sp charge for non-Jouloans to enter the City.  
          It is  an  incredible  town:  anything  and everything  is  
          for  sale,  including  magic items (many are fake).  Even an 
          Ice Barbarian is for sale at  the  auction  block.  There  
          are  no  firm  prices  on anything,  and everything must be 
          haggled for, even ale.  This constant haggling has made 
          Jouloans the greatest Bargainers on Earth,  averaging 50%.  
          Gambling is everywhere, and almost every purchase is rolled 
          for, double or nothing.  

               The  Wristband leads the party towards the Castle of 
          Cohen the Magnificent, Plutocrat of Joulo.  It is surrounded 
          by an alligator-stocked  moat.  To  enter, the  characters  
          must  make an appointment to see the Plutocrat.  
          Unfortunately, this costs money:  500sp each for a ten-
          minute public audience,  5,000sp  for  a private audience.  

               If the character with the Wristband gets into the 
          Castle, he finds that the Arrow is in a block set in the 
          right front gatepost of the Castle proper at  eye level.  
          The  brick is large,  3 feet long and 1 foot high,  
          identical to all the surrounding blocks.  A guard stands 
          directly under it;  he gives an alarm if  he sees  
          intruders.  Four-men  guard  patrols go by every half-hour.  
          Note that the specific block is only detectable once past 
          the moat.  

              Sample Guard                 melee  missile armor/hp 
               STR:16 POW:13     Right Leg: 01-04   01-03      6/5   
               CON:15 DEX:15     Left Leg:  05-08   04-06      6/5   
               SIZ:16 APP:15     Abdomen:   09-11   07-10      6/5   
               INT:14            Chest:     12      11-15      6/6   
               Hit Points:15     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17      6/4   
               Fatigue:31-16=15  Left Arm:  16-18   18-19      6/4   
               Magic Points:13   Head:      19-20   20         8/5   

             SIZ SR = 1,  DEX SR = 3           Ringmail + soft leather 
             Damage  Bonus: +1D4               body, plate helm.       
             Scan: 70%   Listen: 70% 

          weapon            SR  attack  damage         Parry       HP
          -----------------------------------------------------------
          Broadsword, RH     6    80%   1D8+1+1D4       60%        10
          Target Shield, LH  7    45%   1D6+1D4         80%        12

          All guards use the same weapons and armor and have similar skills.

          
               If the characters are not able to afford to meet the 
          King, they need money.  If they do meet the King,  they 
          still need money,  for the King charges 20,000sp per block 
          (he has sold a few before).  The King's Bargaining skill,  
          by the way, is 147%.  Note: if the party has a public 
          meeting with the Plutocrat, there is a K'thorran present.  
          If the wristband is visible or spoken of,  Thakul is  warned 
          in Section 5.  

               The  party may,  of course,  decide to steal the block.  
          This is dangerous, for there are many soldiers in the 
          castle,  and Cohen has several  sorcerers  on retainer.  
          Also,  removing  the  block  takes a pick and hard work:  it 
          would be impossible not to make noise.  

               There is one way to make fast money in Kash:  the 
          Games.  These gladitorial combat  games,  are  fought  year-
          round  in  the  Arena  of  Kash.   Anyone  may participate:  
          combats  are  fought  to surrender of unconsciousness.  Any 
          mix of brawn and magic is allowed.  Normally, prizes are 
          low;  however,  the Tournament is  starting  next  week,  
          and the prizes are enormous.  The Masters' Tournament 
          consists of randomly pairing off 16 participants in single 
          combats,  pairing off the 8 winners of those battles,  then 
          the 4 who win again,  and finally a battle between the two 
          remaining winners.  Betting action is extremely  heavy,  and  
          is coordinated by the Bookie's Council, which has a 
          complicated system of ranking.  

               If  the  characters can convince a judge that they are 
          qualified,  they may enter the Tournament in the Master 
          category.  Use your judgement on  whether  or not they are 
          convincing:  they may demonstrate their prowess, in which 
          case have them make three rolls on their skills to see  how  
          well  they  do  (if  they  do poorly,  they  are  not  
          accepted at that level,  but must compete in the Expert 
          level).  They may attempt to bribe the instructor;  this 
          requires a  minimum  of 500sp (Fast Talk may affect this 
          cost).  Finally, they may try to intimidate the judge:  this 
          is very unlikely to succeed.  The judge simply pretends to 
          give in, and later has the party arrested.  

               Here  are  a  sample  sorcerer and fighter.  They are 
          representative of the first opponents in the Masters 
          catagory.  For each additional opponent,  add 1D6 
          percentiles  to  each combat skill.  Have them use different 
          weapons and spells, too.  If a player is battling in the 
          Expert catagory, reduce his opponents skill level by 10%.  
          After winning one fight at that level,  the adventurer may  
          enter the Masters Tournament.  Combats are one-on-one,  and 
          are fought until surrender or unconsciousness.  All weapons 
          are live (not padded).  Combats begin with  the opponents 
          30m apart.  Healing 2 spells are available for 400sp,  as 
          are numerous potions and poultices (these are generally 
          useless).  

              Fighter  INT:15              melee  missile armor/hp 
               STR:17   POW:13   Right Leg: 01-04   01-03      7/6   
               CON:16   DEX:15   Left Leg:  05-08   04-06      7/6   
               SIZ:18   APP:12   Abdomen:   09-11   07-10      7/6   
                                 Chest:     12      11-15      7/8   
               Hit Points:17     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17      7/5   
               Fatigue:33-23=10  Left Arm:  16-18   18-19      7/5     
               Magic Points:13   Head:      19-20   20         7/6     

                 SIZ SR = 1,  DEX SR = 3       Attack Bonus: 14%
                 Damage  Bonus: +1D6           Parry Bonus: 01% 
                                 
          weapon            SR  attack  damage         Parry       HP 
          Broadsword, RH     3    88%   1D10+1+1D6      77%        10
          Target Shield, LH  7    31%   1D6+1D6         86%        12


              Sorcerer INT:17              melee  missile armor/hp 
               STR:10   POW:18   Right Leg: 01-04   01-03      7/6   
               CON:12   DEX:15   Left Leg:  05-08   04-06      7/6   
               SIZ:13   APP:14   Abdomen:   09-11   07-10      7/6   
               ENC:5             Chest:     12      11-15      7/8   
               Hit Points:11     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17      7/5   
               Fatigue:22-5=17   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19      7/5   
               Magic Points:13   Head:      19-20   20         7/6   

           SIZ SR = 2   DEX SR = 3      Spells: Spell Resist:71%
           Damage  Bonus: +1D6           Smother: 80%  Glow: 76%
           Intensity:75% Range:72%       Damage Resistance: 75% 
                                         Venom: 60%  Palsy: 54% 
                                  
          weapon            SR  attack  damage         Parry       HP 
          -----------------------------------------------------------
          Dagger, LH         8    39%   1D4+2           58%        6 

          Copy these statistics on the NPC Record Sheet and alter them 
          as you see fit.  

               If the characters do well in their first battle (there  
          is  one  per  day), they find themselves the object of 
          interest.  Strangers come to visit them, some offering  them  
          money  to  lose a fight,  others subtly threatening them.  
          These actions are not against the law.  The character who 
          has done best is  offered  a magic  luck amulet free,  being 
          told that he has "friends".  The amulet does not register as 
          magic.  It adds 5 points to the wearer's DEX while  worn,  
          but  when during  actual  combat,  a sorcerer in the crowd 
          casts a spell that causes it to subtract 10 from the 
          wearer's DEX.  The amulet could be taken off, negating this 
          effect, but the character must roll under reduced DEX x 3 to 
          do so, and would be incapable of any other action.  A 
          sorcerer  might  learn  how  to  control  this amulet  
          through  the same mechanic as learning a spell (500 hours 
          study and roll under INT x 3).  Each participating character 
          fights in four contests  (if  they lose  one,  they  may not 
          continue).  The first has a prize of 50sp,  the second 
          yields 500sp, the winner of the third contest wins 5,000sp, 
          and the final winner gets 50,000.  Opponents are selected  
          randomly;  party  members  could  have  to battle each 
          other.  

               If  you wish,  the Plutocrat could offer the party the 
          option of going on a quest (of your own devising) in place 
          of the 20,000sp.  Keep in  mind  that  the quest should be 
          extremely difficult!  Also, the Plutocrat has no concern for 
          the future  of  the Peninsula - he is greedy,  period.  When 
          the block is purchased, Cohen has it gift-wrapped and 
          delivered,  at no extra charge.  The block has 100 hit 
          points and will surely damage non-enchanted weapons used to 
          hit it. However, it falls apart when struck with the 
          Wristband, revealing the Arrow. If opened in public,  it is 
          observed by the K'thorr;  five assassins with skills  
          similar  to those of Wastik (see Section 2) led by a K'thorr 
          assassin (use the Right K'thorr in  Section  5)  are 
          dispatched to kill the party within the week.  The Arrow is 
          +100% against the  Fire  only,  slaying  the  wearer  of  
          the  Guard  instantly; otherwise it is +30% and +6 to 
          damage.  It is unbreakable.  

               Immediately  after the block has been opened,  the 
          party receives a scroll; It says:  "Time is growing short,  
          and Thakul's power  is  growing  greater.  If Thakul  is not 
          slain soon,  Emon will walk the Earth again.  Remember,  you 
          have friends.  Take the western side passage by the black 
          stone, slay the demon,  and bring the Guard to the King's 
          Castle in Thamon Vale.  I will meet you there.  Do not wear 
          the Guard! Take this ring,  and use it in your mission.  
          Beware of  the Loghuna.  PS-  If  you  meet Kamira,  give 
          her the ring.  Tell her it is a token from her father." The 
          scroll was left before the party's door.  

               There is no signature.  With the message is a gold ring 
          in the shape  of  a Mobieus coil.  It is magic,  and adds 
          75% to the Hide and Sneak abilities of all those within a 5 
          meter radius of the wearer.  

                     SECTION 5: ASSAULT ON THAKUL'S FASTNESS

               The Final Battle begins...

               The key to this section is  the  rune  on  the  map.  
          Make  sure  that  the adventurers  have a copy!  The meaning 
          of the rune is that the party should take the upward trail 
          past two circling  trails;  beyond  the  second,  the  path  
          is obscured.  Near the top, there is a bridge leading to a 
          secret entrance.  If the party  takes a wrong path,  they 
          run into increasingly stronger bands of goblins each day.  

               Thakul's mountain lair is seven week's travel from 
          Kash.  Use the ENCOUNTER table.  The  land  of northern 
          Belitfint is stony gray,  and bleak.  A cold wind constantly 
          blows from the  North.  If  encounter  #1  (wolf  dog)  has  
          not  yet occurred,  it  does on the 3rd day of the 3rd week.  
          The party reaches the River Fanaibe at mid-day on the 2nd 
          day of the  6th  week.  It  is  wild  and  clearly 
          unfordable.  After  half an hour,  an old man on a large 
          raft poles upstream and stops  by  the  adventurers.   He  
          is  Trostag.   Bitter  and  half-mad,  he  is nonetheless  
          very canny:  he questions the characters closely,  and sees 
          through any lies or evasions (Human Lore 81%).  He hates 
          Thakul for a number of reasons.  Trostag would be pleased to 
          hear of Thakul's death, but he dreads the thought of harm  
          befalling  Kamira.  He demands that the party promise not to 
          hurt her,  or else he will not take them over.  If seriously  
          threatened,  he  teleports  away with his raft.  He may 
          also, at your discretion, demand that each passenger tell 
          him  a story;  he gets very bored waiting by the river.  He 
          will not discuss the movement of other passengers, for he 
          believes in client confidentiality.  

               The party enters the mountains at the end  of  the  
          seventh  week.  On  the first  two  days,  riding/climbing 
          is easy,  with no encounters.  On the third a Climb (or 
          Ride,  if riding) roll must be made each day.  On the 
          evening  of  the third  day,  the  party runs into a patrol 
          of twenty goblins,  marching leftward along a path that 
          crosses the upward path.  If anyone makes a successful  
          Listen roll,  the  party may attempt to Hide.  Otherwise,  
          the party may chose to fight from a hilltop,  or may move to 
          a narrow pass that  only  allows  2  goblins  to attack  at 
          once.  Goblin statistics should be taken from the ENCOUNTERS 
          section.  Once revealed,  the party must slay all the 
          goblins,  or  else  Thakul  will  be warned.  On the fifth 
          day, the path seems to come to an end;  it is crossed by a 
          horizontal path.  A large boulder sits on the opposite side.  
          The path is  found to continue if anyone goes above the 
          boulder and makes a Track roll,  or if they continue to go 
          straight up in any case;  the upward path does seem to have  
          been obscured  and neglected.  On the morning of the sixth 
          day the party comes upon a roaring river that parallels the 
          path.  An hour before sundown,  they come to an enormous  
          abyss,  50m  wide and hundreds of meters deep.  The opposite 
          side is a smooth cliff wall, going up hundreds of meters;  
          it is a surrealistic sight, and most  impressive  of all is 
          the river,  which bursts from a hole in the opposing cliff 
          side to arc over the abyss and  land  near  the  path,  
          which  ends  here.  Anyone rolling a Scan sees that there is 
          a small (1m diameter) dark hole next to the exit hole of the 
          cataract.  No grapple will hold on the other side (05%).  

               If the characters put the Ice Amulet that was worn by 
          the wolf dog into the waterfall,  it freezes solid,  forming 
          a steep ice bridge.  Removing it converts the cataract back 
          to water immediately.  If they fail to think of this  after  
          a few hours,  the dog begins to whine and point with its 
          snout, trying to indicate what they should do.  They must 
          figure this out,  as it is  their  only  option; they  
          cannot  simply  wait.  If  Thakul has been warned,  a patrol 
          of 60 goblins attacks them the next morning;  otherwise,  
          the party has three  days.  Make  it clear to the party that 
          waiting is suicide; if they do nothing, kill them.  

               Horses  cannot  cross  the ice bridge.  Humans must 
          make three Climb rolls, one at the beginning, one at the 
          middle, and one at the end.  If they fail, they must roll 
          DEX x 5 or fall (if they fumble the Climb roll,  they also  
          fall).  If they  fall  near  either end,  they may attempt 
          to catch hold of the cliff wall; their chance to do so is 
          equal to the average of their DEX + STR%.  From the end of 
          the ice bridge,  the hole is easy to reach.  It is too  
          small  to  stand  in, however;  the  party  must  crawl.  
          Under  the circumstances,  use of torches is impossible.  
          The tunnel is 100m long, with many turnings.  It is damp and 
          cold.  

               The tunnel ends in a secret door; a Devise roll must be 
          made to open it.  A heavy tapestry covers the door.  Note 
          the sound the party is  making.  Are  they moving Silently?  
          If not,  they will alert Kamira,  who is in her bedroom on 
          the other side of the door.  Remember,  the party is 
          crawling  in  a  line;  if  the person  wearing the Ring of 
          Silence is in the back,  the ring will not effect more then 
          two people in front and behind him or her.  If the party is 
          silent,  they may  surprise  Kamira asleep.  If not, she 
          leaves the lights off and Hides (105%) in a closet when she 
          hears  them  coming.  When  all members have come out of the 
          tunnel,  she covers them with her Firebolt staff and warns 
          them to surrender.  There is no one  else in her bedroom.  

              Kamira                       melee  missile armor/hp 
               STR:15   POW:21   Right Leg: 01-04   01-03      -/6   
               CON:16   DEX:19   Left Leg:  05-08   04-06      -/6   
               SIZ:13   APP:26   Abdomen:   09-11   07-10      -/6   
               INT:23            Chest:     12      11-15      -/8   
               Hit Points:16     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17      -/5   
               Fatigue:31-5=26   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19      -/5   
               Magic Points:21   Head:      19-20   20         -/6   

          weapon            SR  attack   damage         Parry       HP
          ------------------------------------------------------------
          Staff, 2H         87   89%     1D8+1D4         93%        20



          SIZ SR = 3   DEX SR = 1               Damage  Bonus: +1D4 
                                                                
                                                                
          Magic Skills: Intensity: 117%,  Duration: 100%,          
           Range:101%,  Enchant:110%,  Ceremony: 96%, Multispell: 88%         
                                                                   
          Skills: Dodge: 91%, Listen: 91%, Scan: 93%, First Aid: 103%

          Spells:  Cast Back:90%,  Damage Boosting:101%,  Damage 
          Resistance:112%, Fly:93%, Glow:99%,  Magic Point Matrix 
          Enchantment:107%,  Mystic Vision:105%,  Neutralize 
          Magic:90%,   Regenerate:98%,   Skin  of  Life:87%,   
          Smother:99%,  Spell  Matrix Enchantment:109%, Treat 
          Wounds:100% 

          Special spells:  Firebolt  (does  damage  as  Touch  
          Illusion,  but  +1  damage) Summoning  Enchantment (allows 
          her to teleport an enchanted item to herself from any 
          distance -- costs 1 pt. permanent POW per point of 
          Encumberance. Entire object must be affected.).  

          All her spells are in her staff,  which is also a 20 point 
          magic point matrix.  

          It is enchanted to 20 hit points,  and a Summoning 
          enchantment has been placed upon it. The staff can cast 
          Firebolts instantly, without time delay.  

               Kamira is a proud and bitter woman, but not really evil 
          at heart.  Deserted (so  she  thinks)  as  a  baby,  she 
          believes that the world is against her.  In retaliation, she 
          is against the world;  and so she acts as Thakul's advisor 
          (but not as mistress,  for a surprising reason).  She is 
          untrained,  and uses none of the inborn gifts of her people; 
          she is nonetheless a great sorceress, for she is over a 
          thousand years old (and still looks young).  If the party 
          gives  her  the ring  and shows her the scroll-fragment,  
          they may convince her to allow them to pass in silence (she 
          may even let them  use  the  ring).  Whether  or  not  they 
          persuade her is your decision; though you could simply 
          require the party to make Oratory  rolls,  we  suggest that 
          you play her part and let the players convince you.  If they 
          are very persuasive,  she may accompany them when they  
          leave  the mountain.  In any case, she will not help kill 
          Thakul; she respects the demon as a fellow outcast from the 
          world, though she dislikes torture.  

               There are several several rooms in her suite,  but only 
          one door opens onto a corridor.  It is dimly lit by Glow 
          spells placed  along  the  (5  meter  high) ceiling.  To the 
          right are stairs leading down: they go 100m down, and then 
          lead to goblin barracks.  To the left,  there are a large 
          set of bronze double doors, with  elaborate demon-head 
          knockers.  The doors are unlocked.  They open onto an 
          enormous (100m across) circular room.  The entire room 
          radiates magic.  Directly opposite the doors is a large 
          throne,  carved in horrifying demonic style.  In the center 
          of  the room is an enormous (70m) pentacle:  in the center 
          of the pentacle is an evil-looking alter.  On top of the 
          alter is the recently  killed  body  of  what appears  to  
          have  once  been  a  pretty  human  girl - or possibly a 
          boy;  it's difficult  to tell.  There is a black door to the 
          left of the throne.  There are no traps or magic effects in 
          this room (now),  but those staying in it for  more than  5  
          minutes must resist a POW of 18 or be Demoralized.  This is 
          not a spell effect, but rather a function of the sheer 
          horror of that room; the effect lasts until the character 
          leaves the room.  

               The black door is locked with a normal  lock.  Beyond  
          it  is  a  staircase leading  up.  At  the top of the 
          staircase is a 15m long corridor,  leading to a large wooden 
          door.  Two goblins are standing sentry duty  in  the  
          corridor;  if Thakul has already been warned, there are 
          eight exceptional (+20%) goblins.  The door  is locked,  and 
          there is a needle with a poison of POT 16 in the center of 
          the knob that stabs out when the knob is turned.  

               Past the door is a 20m long hall.  There are doors in 
          the  left  and  right walls;  the  left leads to an 
          amazingly educated and erudite library,  while the right 
          leads to what appears to be a pleasantly  decorated  music  
          room;  in  the center  is  a  strange-looking  harpsichord.  
          Closely examined,  it proves to be constructed entirely of 
          human bone;  the strings are made  of  human  hair.  The 
          manuscript  is  written in blood,  and the music and script 
          are beautiful.  When played, screams rather then music are 
          produced (the screams alert Thakul).  Both rooms are 
          uninhabited.  

               The  center  door  is  unlocked;  it  leads  to  a  
          torture  room.  Torture implements  line the walls,  and a 
          large unoccupied crucifix is in a metal stand in the center 
          of the room.  There are grooves in the floor,  to  channel  
          blood.  There  is  a door ajar on the right.  In the far 
          wall,  there is a large window.  Staring out of it,  his 
          back to the door,  is Thakul:  a female  demon!  She  is 
          wearing the golden breastplate,  the Fire red in its center.  
          She turns.  Thakul is human-appearing, but eight feet tall;  
          her hair seems to be made of fire,  as do  her  eyes.  She  
          is  startlingly beautiful.  If the character with the Arrow 
          shoots immediately as Thakul turns (ie., he must already 
          have it nocked), he may do so; otherwise, Thakul says a Word 
          of Power.  The Word snaps all bowstrings in hearing 
          distance,  and alerts the two K'thorr in the map room on the  
          right.  If Thakul is hit by the Arrow (whether from a bow or 
          not), she dies immediately and her  body  melts.  The Arrow 
          disappears.  If this happens,  the party must still fight 
          the two K'thorr, who try to escape.  


              Thakul  INT:20               melee  missile armor/hp
               STR:27  POW:21    Right Leg: 01-04   01-03     16/7   
               CON:20  DEX:20    Left Leg:  05-08   04-06     16/7   
               SIZ:21  APP:30    Abdomen:   09-11   07-10      */7   
                                 Chest:     12      11-15      */9   
               Hit Points:21     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17     16/6   
               Fatigue:47-7=40   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19     16/6   
               Magic Points:20   Head:      19-20   20        16/7   

       * Armor protection is infinite in these areas due to the Guard.

                   SIZ SR = 0, DEX SR = 1    Attack Bonus: 29%     
                   Damage Bonus: +2D6        Parry Bonus: 08%      
                                   
        weapon            SR  attack  damage     Parry HP  special
        ------------------------------------------------------------
        Bastard sword, RH  3  130%   1D10+3+2D6  87%   14  magic: +2
        Bastard sword, LH  7   99%   1D10+5+2D6  50%   14  +4, Blade Venom 20

               Thakul is not affected by heat,  cold,  or suffocation.  
          Fire  affects  her normally.  The power of the Guard 
          protects her arms,  legs, and head as 16 point armor; over 
          the chest and abdomen, where it covers, its hit points are 
          infinite.  Criticals affect normally,  but the power of the 
          Fire heals the first 13  points of  damage  she  takes 
          instantaneously (including fire damage).  She fights with 
          both swords at once,  and may attack a third time (on SR 10) 
          with her right hand by halving her RH attack.  The left-hand 
          sword is +2, and the right is +4 to hit only;  in addition,  
          it has the effect of secreting Blade Venom 20 at all times.  
          Magical pluses are taken into account above.  She tends to 
          attack more then  one person in a round, if possible, and 
          does not waste time on a person who is down.  The Arrow may 
          be wielded as a dagger, in which case it is only +3.  

 
               Left K'thorr                 melee  missile armor/hp
               STR:19   POW:16   Right Leg: 01-04   01-03      2/5   
               CON:17   DEX:21   Left Leg:  05-08   04-06      2/5   
               SIZ:16   APP:10   Abdomen:   09-11   07-10      2/5   
               INT:17            Chest:     12      11-15      2/6   
               Hit Points:15     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17      2/4   
               Fatigue:32-7=25   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19      2/4   
               Magic Points:17   Head:      19-20   20         0/5    

             
             Dodge: 68%                   Damage Bonus: +1D6 
             First Aid: 59%               Heavy leather armor
             SIZ SR = 1, DEX SR = 1       (2 point); no helm.
              

          weapon            SR  attack  damage         Parry       HP
          -----------------------------------------------------------
          Shortsword, LH    5    89%    1D6+1+1D6       88%        10

          monies: 500sp (pouch), 400sp (boot), 3 vials blade venom 18


              Right K'thorr                melee  missile armor/hp
               STR:17   POW:21   Right Leg: 01-04   01-03      2/5   
               CON:14   DEX:20   Left Leg:  05-08   04-06      2/5   
               SIZ:15   APP:13   Abdomen:   09-11   07-10      2/5   
               INT:21            Chest:     12      11-15      2/6   
               Hit Points:15     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17      2/4   
               Fatigue:32-7=25   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19      2/4   
               Magic Points:17   Head:      19-20   20         0/5   

               SIZ SR = 1, DEX SR = 1      Skills:
               Damage Bonus: +1D6          Dodge: 80% Free Int=20  
               Heavy leather armor         Venom: 79%  Intens.: 65%
               (2 point); no helm.         First Aid: 91%          

                                  
            weapon            SR  attack  damage         Parry       HP
            -----------------------------------------------------------
            Dagger, RH         5    69%   1D4+2+1D4       58%        10

            Treasure: Venom 1 matrix (ring), 379sp, gold armband 
            with diamond (3,000sp)

          
               They are the left and right hands (metaphorically 
          speaking) of Thakul,  and fight from those positions.  There 
          is an additional 11,666sp in the room,  along with a magic 
          bag that holds up to 30 ENC with no weight.  There are 13 
          vials  of Blade Venom 20 in it, and a black obsidian dagger. 
          The dagger is non-magical.  

               If  the party loses,  they are all tortured to death.  
          Otherwise,  they may leave the way that they came in.  It is 
          an eight-week trip to Thamon Vale.  Roll encounters 
          normally.  If anyone wears the Guard,  he must immediately  
          resist  a POW attack of 25.  If he fails,  his spirit is 
          immediately warped into a demonic nature,  with no further 
          chance of  resistance.  Removing  the  Guard  will  not 
          change  this;  only  Divine aid will restore the spirit to 
          its former condition.  The affected character must attempt 
          to destroy the party by  betraying  it  into the hands of 
          the K'thorr.  Inform the player of his new status secretly; 
          he will be cunning enough to appear unchanged,  and may 
          decide to have others  wear  the Guard.  Self-preservation 
          will remain an important goal.  The affected character will 
          not register to a Detect Enemies spell while wearing the 
          Guard.  

               Once in the city,  the party is escorted by ten guards 
          to the Court.  It is very  crowded.  Mervan Ikul rushes up 
          to the characters,  and tells them that he has arranged this 
          audience.  A message, sent to him 3 days ago,  simply told 
          him that  all  plots  would  be  revealed  today,  and that 
          he must arrange a public audience with the King.  It also 
          told of the death of Thakul.  It was  unsigned, but he chose 
          to act on it.  

               After several minutes, the King calls the adventurers 
          foreword. "Let us see this Guard," he solemnly commands.  

               Before  the  characters  can  reply,  old  Nemo  steps  
          foreword.  He seems strangely altered:  more vibrant,  more 
          powerful.  The wolf-dog runs to stand by his side.  "Your 
          Majesty,  the Gem in this Guard is the Fire of Emon.  It is 
          the soul-gem of the demonic K'thorr,  who were once the 
          Origants,  and are  now  the Loghuna." 

             There is a gasp.  Holding up a piece of parchment,  he 
          continues:  "This is the Unmasking ritual, which will strip 
          away their disguises!" He quickly reads a sentence in a 
          strange tongue,  and the Fire flares:  suddenly 14  
          courtiers  are revealed as K'thorr,  silver-haired and red-
          eyed.  They possess standard skills, as detailed in the 
          Miscellaneous Notes section at the end of the module.  In 
          the ensuing battle, Nemo and Kamira (if she was there) 
          disappear and are not seen in public again...  

               Afterwords,  the characters are royally rewarded.  The 
          promised  gifts  are given them,  plus much more.  At the 
          least,  each is made a  knight  of  Pozart.  Later,  one  
          evening,  Noman  and Kamira visit the characters.  Telling 
          them the truth about himself and the whole adventure,  he 
          thanks  them  for  helping  his people.  The Unmasking 
          ritual ended the power of the K'thorr to deceive,  but  a 
          war  against  Hetek  is  likely to begin soon.  Kissamarlo 
          himself will lead the battle,  for he had secretly escaped 
          to Pozart on Kamira's advice (the ring  she gave him masked 
          him from the scrying of the K'thorr). Noman warns that the 
          Guard should be carefully guarded (though it does seem a bit 
          daft to guard a Guard).  

               Now Noman and Kamira will be traveling the planes for a 
          while,  catching up on her education;  but they will be back 
          some day,  to break the  spell  on  the Konae.  Before  
          Noman leaves,  he gives each character a gift.  To fighters,  
          he gives magic weapons (+20% to hit & parry, +3 damage, + 8 
          AP) of their favorite type, or +5 armor if they have magic 
          weapons; to sorcerers,  spell books (you choose the spells) 
          and 18  point  power  storage matrixes made of strange gray 
          stone;  for each thief, a set of gray boots, gauntlets, and 
          a cloak that adds +20% to Climb,  Dodge, Jump, Conceal, 
          Devise, Sleight, Hide, and Sneak when worn together. If the 
          character who was befriended by the dog is worthy, he will 
          give him or her a puppy as exceptional as its parent.  
          Shamans and priests  he  fits into one of these categories.  
          Bidding them farewell, he and Kamira vanish.  

                              MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

                 K'thorr       Average     Attribute     Average
                 attribute                                          
                 STR: 3D6+3     13-14      POW: 2D6+8        15      
                 CON: 3D6       10-11      DEX: 4D6          14      
                 SIZ: 2D6+10       17      APP: 3D6-2     08-09      
                 INT: 3D6+6     16-17                                
                                                                      

             Powers:                                           
              Illusion (disguise): They are able to take on the
              appearance of any other humanoid creature. It is 
              almost impossible to see through this effect (a  
              critical Scan roll might).                       
                                                               
              Suggestion: They can subtly warp the thoughts of 
              human beings; this effect should be role-played. 


              Skills: Dodge 70%+, Ride 50%+, Orate 60%+, Poison Lore 
          50%+, First Aid 25%+, World Lore 40%+ Hide 60%+, Sneak 60%+, 
          Sorcery skills variable, spells variable, one-handed weapon 
          attack 70%+, missile weapon 90%+ 

                                      Konae                          

               STR: 3D6          SIZ: 2D6+10           POW: 2D6+10   
               CON: 3D6          INT: 3D6+6            DEX: 3D6+6    
               APP: 3D6+6                        

          Powers:                                                

             Planar travel: All Konae may travel from one plane to 
          another at will. There is a magic point cost for this equal 
          the SIZ of the Konae. Some individuals can Teleport.  

             Healing: Konae automatically possess the equivalent of 
          the Spirit Magic Spell Healing 4. 

             Telepathy: Konae are able to use full Telepathy and   
          Empathy among themselves within 500 meters.           


          Skills: Dodge 80%+, Swim 60%+, Orate 30%+, Sing 90%+, all 
          Lores 70%+, First Aid 75%+, Play Instrument 60%+, Listen 
          80%+, Scan 90%+, weapon attack 70%+, composite bow 90%+, 
          Sorcery skills variable, spells variable 
           
               The  Powers of the Konae and K'thorr are inborn;  they 
          need not  be learned, and do not "occupy" intelligence.  
          There are other powers. Both races may learn spell (sorcery) 
          use.  Individuals often have     higher skills than 
          indicated bases.                                   

               The spirits of the Fanaibe River have a  POW  of  
          3D6+6.  They    attack  any intelligent  creature  flying  
          over the river by magic.    They are present in the mountain 
          cataract, but will not take action    against freezing the 
          river.  If the party has extremely bad luck,  and is on  the  
          point  of  unjustified death,  Noman  may  be  used  to    
          save  them;  this  should be accomplished in a mysterious 
          manner, ie.  just as the last party member is knocked 
          unconscious by a goblin,  he  sees several goblins impaled 
          by arrows.  If it is necessary that the   party see him,  
          Noman wears a brown leather mask.  Apart from that,    he 
          will use his natural disguise ability to appear taller and 
          thinner  than  Nemo.  Only  do this if the party has been 
          the victim of bad     luck; Noman has other business too, 
          after all.                         
                                                                     
          Noman: STR:25  CON:25 SIZ:18  INT:28  POW:28  DEX:26  APP:23   
          Move:6 
             Since Noman is a hero- demigod of the X'oaan (zoe-ann, 
          root-stock race of the Konae and K'thorr),  he has all the 
          racial Powers of  both  races.  It  is  thus impossible  to 
          recognize,  unless he wishes it,  for he can alter his  
          appearance completely.  He can also teleport at will.  He is 
          essentially unbeatable in most human situations,  but would 
          be vulnerable if the K'thorr knew of his existence; he knows 
          that they would summon Demonic aid. 
             
               His skills start at 200%+. He is a master sorcerer, and 
          knows all spells.  Noman uses the sorcery spell Masking to 
          avoid leaving his imprint on magic items he has created;  
          the effect of Masking is to effectively reduce the  power of  
          Mystic  Vision detection.  He does this to avoid having his 
          face revealed as the maker of the dagger and  ring the party 
          encounters during the module (they would  be unlikely to 
          recognize him as Nemo).  Each point of Masking blocks one  
          point of Mystic Vision for duration of the spell. Thus an 
          item with Masking 5 on it would not register on Mystic 
          vision spells of up to 5 points;  and would register to a 
          six-point spell as if it were a one-point spell. Masking 
          also blocks other forms of Magic Detection. The comparative 
          ratios of effectiveness are standard (1 pt. Sorcery = 1 pt. 
          Spirit magic = 2 pts. Divine). 
             
             The Sevem (Ice Barbarians) are humans with +3 on SIZ, 
          STR, and CON rolls.                                               
                                                                           
               Magical Plusses: A weapon that is +1 is +5% to hit and 
          +1 to damage. Plus 2 is +10%/+2 damage, etc.  
               
               The possibilities for further adventure are endless. 
          You may wish to include adventures of your own design in the 
          module.  If so, remember that each land has unique 
          characteristics; these will surely affect events within them 
          (ie., money is  an important factor in Joulo, feuds  
          dominate Belitfint,  etc.).  By incorporating your own  
          material within this module, you can increase the enjoyment  
          of the game for both yourself and your players. Have fun!  
                                                                     
                                                                     
                       LOCAL ENCOUNTERS FOR THE PENINSULA  
                                                           
               A great  deal  of  travel  is  involved  in  this  
          module.  Using standard encounter tables, a 10-week trip 
          would include 180  encounters; this is obviously 
          unreasonable in this context.  Only odd  or unusual 
          encounters need be  mentioned (though you might through in  
          one or two to confuse the players). Let the players know  
          that  you    are only playing out interesting encounters.  
          Roll a D6 for each week  of travel:                        

                        1,2,3 = an encounter takes place               
                              4,5,6 = no encounter                     
                                                                     
               If an encounter takes place, roll a D20 and consult the 
          following table. If an encounter is marked with an *,  it 
          may only occur once in  the  game.  Alter minor details 
          of repeated encounters. Determine  day and time of day 
          randomly.                                          
                                                                       

        D20      Encounter                D20      Encounter
        *1       Wolf Dog.                *11       Mute madman.
         2       Jouloan slavers.          12       Goblin raiders.
         3       Wandering  conjuror.      13       Burned area.
         4       Loghuna Inquisitors.      14       Hanging man.
        *5       Ice Barbarian.           *15       Magic dagger.
        *6       Bears and wild boy.       16       Dismembered dog.
         7       Village Wrestler.         17       Big frog.
         8       Jouloan Traders.          18       Priest and peasants.
         9       Belitfint nobles.         19       Rushing stream.
        10       Snake crossing.           20       Hawks overhead.


          *    1)  The  party meets a wolf dog.  It has silver-grey 
          fur,  green eyes,  and seems friendly;  its tail is wagging.  
          It is wearing a gold chain  around  its' neck.  Attached to 
          the chain is what appears to be a disk of clear glass;  it 
          is cold to the touch,  but not freezing.  The dog does not 
          wish to have the amulet removed;  it will not fight, but 
          will whimper. It will become very upset if the amulet is 
          given away, howling in misery.  Have the dog befriend a 
          weaker party member; it will be fiercely loyal.      
                                                                                
               Both the dog and the amulet are magical.  If Detect 
          spells are   cast,  both give  off  an  aura of Good.  The 
          dog is actually Noman's, and has been sent to guard the 
          party and give them the (Ice) amulet,  which is vital to 
          their mission in Section 5. Do not allow the party  to dump 
          the amulet casually!                                          

          Dog      INT:08             melee   missile  armor/hp
          STR:18   POW:16   RH Leg:   01-02   01-02    4/6
          CON:27   DEX:23   LH Leg:   03-04   03-04    4/6
          SIZ:13   APP:20   Hind Q:   05-07   05-09    4/9
                            Fore Q:   08-10   10-14    4/9
          Hit Points:20     RF Leg:   11-13   15-16    4/6
          Fatigue:39-1=38   LF Leg:   14-16   17-18    4/6
          Magic Points:16   Head:     17-20   19-20    4/7

          weapon            SR  attack  damage
          -------------------------------------
          Bite               5    80%   1D6+1D4




               2) A party of 1D4  Jouloan  slavers,  with  slaves.  
          They  are polite  and sophisticated,  and  try  to  sell  
          the  party  some   slaves;  they specialize in children.  
          There are 5D6 slaves  manacled together. They seem to be in 
          good health.                 

              Master slaver                melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:14 POW:14     Right Leg: 01-04   01-03     3/4    
               CON:13 DEX:11     Left Leg:  05-08   04-06     3/4    
               SIZ:11 APP:14     Abdomen:   09-11   07-10     3/4    
               INT:14            Chest:     12      11-15     3/5    
               Hit Points:12     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17     3/3    
               Fatigue:27-10=17  Left Arm:  16-18   18-19     3/3    
               Magic Points:14   Head:      19-20   20        8/4    

             SIZ SR = 3,  DEX SR = 2 
             Damage  Bonus: none           Fast Talk: 59%          
             Cuirboulli body, plate        Orate: 55%  Bargain: 67%
             helm (on horse).              monies:1,205 (saddlebag)

          weapon            SR  attack  damage         Parry       HP
          -----------------------------------------------------------
          whip               8    70%   
          Buckler, LH        8    20%   1D6             57%        08


              Apprentice                   melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:15 POW:11     Right Leg: 01-04   01-03     -/5    
               CON:14 DEX:12     Left Leg:  05-08   04-06     -/5    
               SIZ:16 APP:14     Abdomen:   09-11   07-10     -/5    
               INT:13            Chest:     12      11-15     -/6    
               Hit Points:15     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17     -/4    
               Fatigue:29-3=26   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19     -/4    
               Magic Points:12   Head:      19-20   20        -/5    

                 SIZ SR = 1,  DEX SR = 3      Dodge: 69%        
                 Damage  Bonus: +1D4          16 year old slave.
                 No armor, untalkative.       Loyal to masters. 
                                 
          weapon               SR   attack  damage       Parry     HP
          -----------------------------------------------------------
          dinner knife, RH      7    30%    1D4+1D4       19%      5

          Copy and alter statistics as necessary.

               3) Wandering conjuror.  A sorcerer who performs at 
          villages for a  living.  Usually  only  moderately  
          competent,  but  if  rolled  a second  time,  add 40 
          percentiles to skills.                         

              Conjurer                     melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:10   POW:16   Right Leg: 01-04   01-03     -/5    
               CON:12   DEX:16   Left Leg:  05-08   04-06     -/5    
               SIZ:14   APP:15   Abdomen:   09-11   07-10     -/5    
               INT:15            Chest:     12      11-15     -/6    
               Hit Points:13     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17     -/4    
               Fatigue:22-4=18   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19     -/4    
               Magic Points:16   Head:      19-20   20        -/5    

             SIZ SR = 2,  DEX SR = 3      Intensity: 65%         
             Damage Bonus: none           Duration: 49%          
             Dodge: 58%                   Range: 60%  Free INT: 9
             198sp (in hat)
                                    
              weapon            SR  attack  damage     Parry     HP
              -----------------------------------------------------
              Dagger, LH         8    39%   1D4+2      58%       6

          Spells: Animate Wood:45%, Treat Wounds: 39%,  Glow: 70%, 
          Holdfast:43%, Form/Set Glass: 51%, Damage Resistance: 47%. 
          ENC has been subtracted  for sorcery skills.  
                                                                                
                                                                                
          4) Loghuna  Inquisition  party.  A  party  of  2D6  Loghuna,  
          policing the faithful.  They  are  coldly  polite  and 
          vaguely threatening to  non-Loghunians.  They are usually 
          mounted. They will not attack unless greatly provoked.     

              Loghuna Priest (K'thorr)     melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:16   POW:19   Right Leg: 01-04   01-03     -/5    
               CON:14   DEX:20   Left Leg:  05-08   04-06     -/5    
               SIZ:14   APP:15   Abdomen:   09-11   07-10     -/5    
               INT:16            Chest:     12      11-15     -/6    
               Hit Points:14     Right Arm: 13-15   16-17     -/4    
               Fatigue:30-4=26   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19     -/4    
               Magic Points:19   Head:      19-20   20        -/5    

                SIZ SR = 2,  DEX SR = 1
                Damage Bonus: +1D4           Intensity: 65%      
                Dodge: 69%                   Range: 60%  Dur.:67%
                Orate: 60%  Ride: 65%        Free INT: 12        

             weapon            SR  attack  damage       Parry    HP
             ------------------------------------------------------
             Dagger, RH         8    55%   1D4+2+1D4    58%      6

          Spells: Smother: 70%, Treat Wounds: 59%, Tap POW: 66%, 
          Damage Resistance: 47% Special Power (no MP cost): Persuade 
          (see Miscellaneous Notes.) Encumbrance has been subtracted 
          for all spells. 

          Generate  stats  of  additional  priests  according  to  the 
          description of the K'thorr in Miscellaneous Notes.  


          *    5) Ice Barbarian.  A wandering Ice Barbarian with an 
          Ice Amulet. He  is  a poet,  and  is  travelling  to  see  
          the world.  If         encountered in Hetek,  he is 
          travelling to rescue his wife, who was   captured. He has 
          47sp. If hindered, he will Curse those who slay him. The 
          Curse cannot be avoided, and has the effect of making the         
          recipient feel a deep chill which cannot be negated. They 
          recieve -20% on all Hide & Sneak rolls, due to their 
          constantly chattering teeth.  

             Crorac (Ice Barbarian)         melee  missile  armor/hp 
              STR:18   POW:15    Right Leg:  01-04   01-03     5/7   
              CON:19   DEX:18    Left Leg:   05-08   04-06     5/7   
              SIZ:18   APP:15    Abdomen:    09-11   07-10     5/7   
              INT:15             Chest:      12      11-15     5/9   
              Hit Points:19      Right Arm:  13-15   16-17     5/6   
              Fatigue:37-12=25   Left Arm:   16-18   18-19     5/6   
              Magic Points:15    Head:       19-20   20        5/7   
                                                       
             SIZ SR = 1, DEX SR = 2 
             Damage Bonus: +1D6            Poetry: 109% Dodge: 69%
             Track: 78%  Scan: 77%         Play Harp: 90%         
             Listen: 80%  Sing: 94%        Orate: 90%  Ride: 65%  
                        
            weapon                SR  attack   damage      Parry  HP
            --------------------------------------------------------
            Bastard sword, RH     5    95%    1D10+1+1D6   68%    12
            Viking shield, LH     6    59%     1D6+1D6     91%    10

            Armor: Ornately decorated brass bezainted + soft leather 
          padding (5 points). 


          *    6) Bears and wild boy.  The characters hear shrill 
          screams, and animal-like growling  (characters  making a 
          successful Animal Lore roll recognize the growls as those of 
          bears.  Over a small hill, the party sees two brown bears 
          savaging a small and filthy child,  who is screaming.  The 
          child is clothed  in  scraps  of furs, and is unable to 
          talk:  he is wild.  So far, the bears have only scratched 
          him on the head and chest;  if the party does nothing,  they 
          kill  him  in  four melee  rounds.  If  rescued  and  
          healed,  the boy scurries to a nearby cave and brings out a 
          ragged pouch;  he gratefully gives shiny  pebbles  to  every  
          party member, following them around.  
          
              Wild Boy                      melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:14   POW:12    Right Leg: 01-04   01-03     -/5   
               CON:16   DEX:18    Left Leg:  05-08   04-06     -/5   
               SIZ:07   APP:09    Abdomen:   09-11   07-10     -/5   
               INT:15             Chest:     12      11-15     -/6   
               Hit Points:13      Right Arm: 13-15   16-17     -/4   
               Fatigue:30-01=29   Left Arm:  16-18   18-19     -/4   
               Magic Points:12    Head:      19-20   20        -/5   

          SIZ SR = 4, DEX SR = 1     Scan: 68%  Listen: 70%
          Damage Bonus: none         Track: 65%  Smell: 67%
                                     Dodge: 79%            

               weapon          SR  attack   damage     Parry   HP
               --------------------------------------------------
               fist            8    47%      1D3       --      --
               bite            8    65%      1D2       --      --

               Bear, Male                 melee  missile  armor/hp
                STR:30   POW:07    RH Leg: 01-02   01-02     3/6             
                CON:16   DEX:16    LH Leg: 03-04   03-04     3/6             
                SIZ:30   APP:--    Hind Q: 05-07   05-09     3/10          
                INT:05             Fore Q: 08-10   10-14     3/10            
                Hit Points:23      RF Leg: 11-13   15-16     3/6   
                Fatigue:46         LF Leg: 14-16   17-18     3/6   
                Magic Points:07    Head:   17-20   19-20     3/8   

                 3 point skin.    3D6 damage bonus.   Ferocious.       

             weapon      SR  attack   damage         Parry       HP             
             ------------------------------------------------------
             Bite        8     37%    1D10+3D6        --         --
             Claw        5     50%    1D6+3D6         --         --

               Bear, Female               melee  missile  armor/hp         
                STR:21   POW:10    RH Leg: 01-02   01-02     3/6     
                CON:12   DEX:11    LH Leg: 03-04   03-04     3/6     
                SIZ:28   APP:--    Hind Q: 05-07   05-09     3/10    
                INT:05             Fore Q: 08-10   10-14     3/10    
                Hit Points:19      RF Leg: 11-13   15-16     3/6 
                Fatigue:33         LF Leg: 14-16   17-18     3/6 
                Magic Points:14    Head:   17-20   19-20     3/8 

            3 point skin.       2D6 damage bonus.     More ferocious.  


             weapon      SR  attack   damage         Parry       HP
             ------------------------------------------------------
             Bite        9     35%    1D10+2D6        --         --
             Claw        6     45%    1D6+2D6         --         --



          7) Village Wrestler.  As the party goes through a village,  
          they see that a contest is going on,  and the village 
          wrestler is challenging all to test  their skill.          

             Garm the Wrestler              melee  missile  armor/hp 
              STR:19   POW:11    Right Leg:  01-04   01-03     -/7   
              CON:16   DEX:15    Left Leg:   05-08   04-06     -/7   
              SIZ:18   APP:09    Abdomen:    09-11   07-10     3/7   
              INT:08             Chest:      12      11-15     3/9   
              Hit Points:17      Right Arm:  13-15   16-17     -/6   
              Fatigue:35-03=33   Left Arm:   16-18   18-19     -/6   
              Magic Points:11    Head:       19-20   20        -/7   

               SIZ SR = 2, DEX SR = 2     Wears an old lion skin
               Damage Bonus: +1D6         on chest and abdomen  
               monies: 364sp (pouch)      (3 pt. protection).   
               Dodge: 69%            
                                   
             weapon       SR  attack   damage         Parry       HP
             -------------------------------------------------------
             fist         7    77%     1D3+1D6         --         --
             grapple      7    89%     1D6+1D6         --         --


               8) Jouloan Traders.  A group of traders who have many 
          good things for sale.  They  will  gladly  trade  with  the  
          party.  Notably,     they  have  broadswords, shortswords,  
          and daggers,  as well as many  other goods  (rope,  fine  
          liqueurs, jewelry, etc). They also have    three vials of 
          Healing 3 potion for sale, at 900sp each. They will not 
          advertise that last item if in Hetek.                                 

             Jouloan Trader                melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:15 POW:14     Right Leg:  01-04   01-03     3/5   
               CON:12 DEX:12     Left Leg:   05-08   04-06     3/5   
               SIZ:13 APP:15     Abdomen:    09-11   07-10     3/5   
               INT:16            Chest:      12      11-15     3/6   
               Hit Points:13     Right Arm:  13-15   16-17     3/4   
               Fatigue:27-10=17  Left Arm:   16-18   18-19     3/4   
               Magic Points:14   Head:       19-20   20        8/5   

              SIZ SR = 2,  DEX SR = 3
              Damage  Bonus: +1D4           Fast Talk: 59%         
              Cuirboulli body, plate        Orate: 55%  Bargain:69%
              helm (on wagon).              monies: 3D6x100sp each 

            weapon            SR  attack  damage         Parry     HP
            ---------------------------------------------------------
            broadsword, RH     7    73%   1D8+1+1D4       45%      10
            Heater, LH         8    28%   1D6             77%      12



               9) Belitfint nobles.  Two Belitfint nobles have marked 
          off a  section of the road  and  are dueling.  The party 
          must go off the road to avoid them.  They are both furious 
          and do not want to talk to  strangers.  If the party 
          irritates  them (by  asking about their dispute, for 
          example), both turn and assault the party.               

             Grogan, Belitfint Noble       melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:15 POW:13     Right Leg:  01-04   01-03     6/5  
               CON:13 DEX:18     Left Leg:   05-08   04-06     6/5  
               SIZ:14 APP:14     Abdomen:    09-11   07-10     6/5  
               INT:12            Chest:      12      11-15     6/6  
               Hit Points:14     Right Arm:  13-15   16-17     6/4  
               Fatigue:28-18=10  Left Arm:   16-18   18-19     6/4  
               Magic Points:13   Head:       19-20   20        8/5  

               SIZ SR = 2,  DEX SR = 2
               Damage  Bonus: +1D4           Brown hair, slender.
               Scalemail body, plate         Age: 23             
               helm.                         monies: 750sp (belt)
                                 
              weapon            SR  attack  damage       Parry   HP
              -----------------------------------------------------
              broadsword, RH     6    80%   1D8+1+1D4     65%    10
              Target, LH         7    40%   1D6+1D4       77%    12

              Pater, Belitfint Noble       melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:18 POW:10     Right Leg:  01-04   01-03    6/5    
               CON:16 DEX:11     Left Leg:   05-08   04-06    6/5    
               SIZ:18 APP:10     Abdomen:    09-11   07-10    6/5    
               INT:16            Chest:      12      11-15    6/6    
               Hit Points:17     Right Arm:  13-15   16-17    6/4    
               Fatigue:34-39=-5  Left Arm:   16-18   18-19    6/4    
               Magic Points:10   Head:       19-20   20       8/5    

               SIZ SR = 1,  DEX SR = 3
               Damage  Bonus: +1D4         Age: 23               
               Plate armor everywhere.     monies: none. (I don't
               Red hair, heavy-set.        know why. Ask Grogan).
                                 
             weapon               SR  attack  damage     Parry   HP
             ------------------------------------------------------
              bastard sword, RH    6    90%   1D8+1+1D4   35%    10
              Target, LH           7    46%   1D6+1+D4    89%    12



               10)  Snake  crossing.  Going  single  file across the 
          road is a line of non-poisonous snakes.  They are brown and 
          harmless,  about 1 foot  long  each.  They are crawling out 
          of the brush on the left of the road, and into the brush on 
          the right.  Investigations  shows that they are coming out 
          of a hole three meters to the right of the road and crawling 
          into another three miles to the left. If their way is 
          blocked, they go around.  They finish crossing the road 
          after ten minutes.                                         
                                                                     
          *    11) Mute madman.  The party encounters a mute madman; 
          Noman in disguise. 
                                                                     
               12) Goblin raiders. A party of 3D6 voracious goblin 
          raiders is encountered.                                    

             Sample goblin                 melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:15 POW:11     Right Leg:  01-04   01-03     5/5   
               CON:19 DEX:16     Left Leg:   05-08   04-06     5/5   
               SIZ:10 APP:05     Abdomen:    09-11   07-10     5/5   
               INT:10            Chest:      12      11-15     5/6   
               Hit Points:13     Right Arm:  13-15   16-17     5/4   
               Fatigue:34-10=17  Left Arm:   16-18   18-19     5/4   
               Magic Points:11   Head:       19-20   20        5/5   

                  SIZ SR = 3,  DEX SR = 2
                  Damage  Bonus: +1D4           Dodge: 43%    
                  Ringmail armor.               First Aid: 20%
          
             weapon            SR  attack  damage       Parry    HP
             ------------------------------------------------------
             Heavy Mace, RH     7    58%   1D10+1D4      50%     10

          Use Runequest 3 Orc statistics (Creatures Book) to generate 
          other goblins. 


               13) Burned area.  There is a large burned patch next to  
          the     road.  It  is about  10  meters  across.  A few 
          burned bones may be found in the center of the burned 
          area.                               
                                                                                
               14) Hanging man.  The body of a man is hanging on a 
          tree branch next to the road; it is decomposed,  naked,  and 
          about to drop off.  It is impossible to recognize. 
                                                                                
          *    15) Magic dagger.  The party discovers a silver 
          fighting dagger  thrust four inches deep into the center of 
          the road.  It is magic:    +1/+4 against demons and K'thorr.  
          It grows warm in the presence of   either.  Noman has left  
          it  for  the party.                          
                                                                                
               16)  Dismembered  dog.  The  party  hear whimpering 
          from bushes  next to the road.  It is a dog (a mutt) whos 
          legs have been cut off;  their is no  sign  of them (the 
          legs).  The dog is not bleeding, and  the wounds seem to 
          have been made several days ago. The dog appears to be 
          starving.                                                          

                                         
               17)  Big  frog.  The party encounters a very LARGE (SIZ 
          3 -about basketball sized) green frog next to the road.  It 
          is a very handsome frog, and seems to be dying of thirst.  
          The nearest stream is a mile  back on the  road.  Nothing  
          will happen  if the frog is kissed.  It  seems unafraid of 
          the party,  but that may be due to exhaustion.      
                                                                                
               18)  Priest  and  peasants.  A  priest  of  the  local 
          pantheon  and several peasants are hunting for healing 
          plants:  there is a wasting  disease  in  their village.   

             Priest                        melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:11 POW:16     Right Leg:  01-04   01-03     1/5   
               CON:12 DEX:13     Left Leg:   05-08   04-06     1/5   
               SIZ:14 APP:15     Abdomen:    09-11   07-10     1/5   
               INT:15            Chest:      12      11-15     1/6   
               Hit Points:13     Right Arm:  13-15   16-17     1/4   
               Fatigue:23-5=18   Left Arm:   16-18   18-19     1/4   
               Magic Points:16   Head:       19-20   20        1/5   

               SIZ SR = 3,  DEX SR = 2                              
               Damage  Bonus: +1D4           Worship Pantheon (100%)
               Soft leather armor.           Plant Lore: 63%        
               Healing 2 (80%)               First Aid: 60%         
          
               weapon          SR  attack  damage     Parry       HP
               -----------------------------------------------------
               Quarterstaff     6    50%   1D8+1D4     50%        8

              Sample peasant                melee  missile  armor/hp 
               STR:14 POW:11     Right Leg:  01-04   01-03     -/5   
               CON:13 DEX:13     Left Leg:   05-08   04-06     -/5   
               SIZ:13 APP:11     Abdomen:    09-11   07-10     -/5   
               INT:13            Chest:      12      11-15     -/6   
               Hit Points:14     Right Arm:  13-15   16-17     -/4   
               Fatigue:27-3=24   Left Arm:   16-18   18-19     -/4   
               Magic Points:11   Head:       19-20   20        -/5   

               SIZ SR = 3,  DEX SR = 2                     
               Damage  Bonus: +1D4           Dodge: 40%    
               No armor.                     First Aid: 29%

               weapon       SR  attack  damage         Parry   HP
               --------------------------------------------------
               Club, RH      7    45%   1D6+1D4         20%     4 

               19)  Rushing  stream.  The  road is crossed by a 
          rushing stream: the party must Jump or get wet crossing it.  
          There are many large purple blossoms floating along in 
          the stream. They smell sweet, and are of a type no party 
          member has seen before.                        

               20)  Hawks overhead.  Overhead,  the party sees as many 
          hawks    soaring above as there are party members:  their 
          flying formation     resembles the marching order of the 
          party.  The birds are a good omen; the party will be at +5% 
          on all skill rolls in their next combat.  If anyone shoots 
          at or otherwise attempts  to  harm the birds, those who do 
          so will will be at -10% on all rolls next combat.                  
