Kalamar Encounters (from the Servants of the Swift Sword Campaign)

Area B: Pirates Slave Camp
B1: Tents – Ten of the pirates spend their time here, working to send two people a day to feed the dragon. There are three tents pitched here, two smaller five man tents and a larger tent that is currently housing thirty shackled men and women. There are always two guards in the tent with the prisoners and generally there are four men asleep at any time during the day.. Two men act to take care of the camp and are the ones the PCs will see first, while two men are away up the mountain, coming or going from taking “food” to the dragon. At night all ten men will be in the camp, with six of them asleep
Combat: Those guarding the camp will not leave to pursue any PCs. If PCs are spotted, they will send word to Fogg at the beach who will then hunt for them. Generally the two on watch will raise a cry, bringing the two men out of the tent with the captives and waking the other four who must take some time to put on their armor. If the PCs are spotted but not fought, the pirates will consider moving the captives up the cliff en masse.
Treasure: There is no treasure in this camp to speak of other than what the pirates have on them.

B2: Lift – The pirates have two means of climbing the cliff. The first is a hundred and twenty foot tall rope ladder that they have staked at the top of the cliff. The other method is a lift. The lift is outfitted with a pulley at the top and a geared crank on the lift itself. Turning the crank will either raise or lower the platform. Slotted teeth act as brakes and keep the platform from descending too fast. The platform is entirely held up with a rope anchored to the crank in the middle of the ten foot by ten foot platform and cutting the rope would cause the platform to fall, if its not already on the ground.
Combat: Fighting on the platform once it is off the ground requires a Dexterity check (DC 10) to stay on the platform. This DC increases by +1 for every round of combat (due to the platform swinging with the movement. Characters using one handed weapons may use the other hand to anchor themselves to one of five ropes on the platform.

B3: Crested Felldrakes – There is a large nest of these bipedal lizards in this area of the woods. Generally the creatures leave healthy creatures alone (unless they outnumber three to one) but anyone wandering too close to their home will be warned and then attacked. If any PC (or pirate) is injured and stays in the area, they will attract 1d6 of these creatures who will attack the weakest and most injured character first.

B4: Spine Lizard Pond – There are generally 4-10 spined lizards to be found here. They will not attack unless a person approaches within 10 feet of them and even then they will give a warning half of the time.

Veteran Pirates, Human War2 (10): CR 1; HD 2d8+2; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15; +4 melee (rapier 1d6+2), +4 ranged (shortbow 1d6); SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will+0; AL NE; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 9.
Skills and Feats: Use Rope +7, Profession (Sailing) +6, Intimidate +5, Climb +5, Jump +4; Dodge, Improved Initiative.
Possessions: Rapier, crossbow (10 bolts), Studded leather armor, 2d10 gp each (Aasaer).

Note: The spined lizards are from Creature Collection II, the Hookwings are from the first Creature Collection. The Crested Felldrakes are from the chainmail game and their stats can be found on the WotC website. For the purposes of my game I lowered their intelligence and changed their type from Dragon to Beast.

Area F – The Temple of Confusion

The upper floor of this temple houses a small tribe of renegade kobolds led by a priest of the overlord. This kobold preached that the kobolds should take to piracy and enslave the crews of passing ships. He is currently working to raise enough followers to make his dream a reality. He has bartered with the pirates who found the ruins and has allowed them free access to the second floor. The kobolds live by hunting lizards on the slope of the mountain. True to their doctrine they have a number of other kobolds captive, working as slaves.
The second floor of the temple complex is unused by the kobolds as they fear the stairs. The pirates have taken up lodging on the second floor as they try to discover the exact location of the stairs to the third level. The third level was at one time a set of tombs for dead men but is now heavily trapped and is the tomb of a demon, sealed within a gem.
The temple once had many illusions and tricks to confuse those within. Now only three such tricks remain, the front hall of the temple, the strange doors of the first floor and the endless stairs from the first to the second floor.

F1 – Ruins/Ruins above a basement EL 4.
Various remains of buildings can still be found here and there around the altar. The priests and their families did not live in the temple, but had houses around it.
Among the ruins, there is the ancient remains of a cellar, once reached by a trap door. The door and stairs to the basement have long since rotted away, leaving what amounts to a man made cave (albeit square 20 ft. by 10 ft.). It is now the lair of a carrion crawler which feeds both on those things that fall in the hole (the kobolds know it is there and throw bodies in the hole) and on what it can hunt.
Combat: Carrion Crawler (AC 17; hp 19; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; +3 melee (8 tentacles paralysis DC 13); - 2 melee (bite 1d4+1); climb +10).
Treasure: If the PCs kill the carrion crawler they will make an interesting discovery. Among the many bones in the back of the lair, there is the remains of a man who was dressed in the robes of a Defender of the Swift Sword. His armor is rusty and worthless and his robes appear to have mostly rotted away (actually it’s acid damage), but his Great Sword, still in its sheathe is actually a +1 Greatsword. He has a gold ring on his left hand (worth 20 gp) with an unusual crest that might help identify him. He is actually one of a party of unfortunates who decided to try and kill the dragon. They never even reached the top of the mountain.

F2 – Altar and entrance to temple EL 3
Amongst the trees, in a small clearing, is an iron altar, heavily scorched. Lightning strikes it whenever there is a storm, sending sparks everywhere. The ground around the altar is barren and scorched. If PCs hunt, they can find the entrance to the temple alongside the cliff by following tracks up to the ivy covered opening or by noticing the two rows of pillars ten feet out from the altar on each side, making a path to the cliff. A quasit by the name of Wirq awaits here in the form of a medium sized viper. It can also take the form of a Raven if it so chooses. Wirq is acting as a watchman of sorts for Maerun and the two are actually co-conspirators in the plot to free the demon.
Combat: Wirq will only fight if he is attacked and then only until he actually takes damage. After taking damage he will turn invisible and flee into the temple itself to worn Maerun and the pirates. Wirq and Maerun have discovered that they need a good aligned being to enter into the final room and Wirq will notify Maerun of any good aligned PCs. If talked to, Wirq might lie in order to try and trick the PCs into freeing the demon.
Wirq, Quasit, tiny outsider: CR 3; AC 18; Spd 20 ft, Fly 50 ft; Init + 3; Atk +8 melee (2 claws 1d3-1+poison), +3 melee (bite 1d4-1); SA Poison (DC 13 1d4 dex/2d4 dex); SQ spell-like abilities (At will - detect good, detect magic, invisibility; 1/day cause fear, 1/week commune); DR 5/silver, SR 5, poison immunity, fire resistance 20, alternate form, reg 2; SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4; AL CE; Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Hide +14, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Search +4, Spellcraft +4, Spot +6; Weapon Finesse (claw and bite).

F3 – Entrance to the temple
The entrance to the temple is heavily covered with vines. A search (DC 12) or a Spot (DC 18) will make the PCs aware of tracks leading into a hollow spot in the mountain behind the vines.
The front hall of the temple, past the broken front doors, employs a classical but perfectly executed optical illusion. The door at the far southern end of the hallway is only four feet in height, whilst those at the north end are seven feet in height. The hallway is built so that it appears that as a person traverses the twenty feet, from one end to the other, they grow taller. The PCs may make a Spot check (DC 20) to notice what is really going on with a +1 circumstance bonus for every other PC in the hallway with them.

F4 - Front Hall EL 3
This wide open area contains fragments of old statuary. The kobolds have not cleaned out this room, though the other rooms on this floor they have.
Nesting in two alcoves on either side of the room are a total of 6 male hookwings. These creatures have been trained to attack anyone entering the room without knowing the command word, “Brysshak!”
Combat: The hookwings will take approximately 30 seconds to notice the characters after which, they will mount a vigourous flyby attack. They will fly down, attack a character and then fly up to the opposite ledge, turn around and repeat. Characters who wise up to this will be able to prepare an attack. Hookwings can and will attack anyone in this hall or in the altar room below.
Hookwings: CR 1/2 (AC 18; hp 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 10; Init +2; Spd 10 ft./ 120 ft fly; +2 melee (1d6 bite), +1 melee (1d4 2 claws) or +4 (1d12 flyby); Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +0.
Treasure: None


F5 – Altar of Confusion (El 4)
The kobold priest has desecrated this altar to the overlord, though it bears still the mark of the Creator of Strife carved into the stone. One top of the carved mark, the Kobolds have painted the sign of the overlord in blood. There are fresh stains on the altar as the kobolds routinely kidnap and sacrifice some of the other inhabitants of the island.
Combat: Sleeping in this room is a grizzled old kobold named Reshk. He both takes care of the hookwings and is too cantakerous to get along with the other kobolds. He is not really part of the cult, but as he is useful the kobold priest keeps him around. If he hears a battle in the other room it will take him 5 rounds to awake and join his pets in combat. Reshk has some magical ability, is rather large for the species and is also as tough as nails. Among other kobolds he would be regarded as a leader, but among the kobolds of this island one must possess obvious signs of dragon heritage to lead. He has traveled a bit in his day and speaks merchant. If he is reduced to less than 5 hitpoints, he will surrender and try to barter away information about the temple in exchange for his life. He won’t think twice about killing and maiming, but he will not go back on any promise he makes.
Reshk (male kobold) Bar3/Sor1: CR 4; Small humanoid; HD 3d12+1d4+8 (hp 33); Spd 40 ft; Init +1; Atk +5 (1d8 Stone Warhammer)or when raging +7/1d8+3; SA Rage 1/day, SQ Darkvision, light sensitivity, Uncanny dodge (Dex); SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3; ALI LE; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 14.
Possessions: Masterwork Stone Warhammer, Masterwork Leather Armor, ruby (140 gp), diamond (300 gp), potion (delay poison)
Skills and Feats: Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Warhammer)
Spells Known (5/3 per day) 0 level: Resistance, Daze, Detect Magic, Mending 1st level True Strike, Magic Weapon.

Note - There are three doors on this floor that through a divine miracle work against the laws of nature. They do not however radiate magic. But when one steps through them, they in fact end up in another part of the temple. These doors can be found in F6, F7, F9, F10 and F11. They are numbered and in fact exit at the door bearing the corrisponding number, thus the door from F6 leads to F10. This will play havoc with any mapping and is very likely to cause disorentiation (-5 to any intuit direction role for each subsequent door gone through before the character once more sleeps or goes outside)

F6 – Slave Quarters
This room is a filthy hovel, filled with dirty blankets, and rotting scraps of food. There are 15 non-combatant (com 1) kobolds that live in here. They are malnourished and fairly non-threatening. They will not attack but they will not help the party either. None of them speak common, like many of the kobolds on the island they only speak draconic. There are also 4 sets of stocks in the room, each tailor made for punishing kobolds – they are much too small to use on humans. It is a constant reminder to the slaves of what happens when one is disobedient. The slaves are all terrified of both the priest and his warriors.

F7 – Kobold Lair (EL 6)
Eight Kobolds lair in this room, all male. They will fight to subdue if they can, wishing to have more slaves. These kobolds are much more militant than the rest of the kobolds on the island and this is reflected in the fact that all the males of this small clan are level 2 warriors, trained in the art of subduing. At the DM’s discretion, four of these males can be out on a “gathering” expedition at any time. None of these kobolds speak merchant.
Kobolds, War2 (8); CR 1; HD 2d8 (hp 3, 4, 8, 10, 10, 10, 11, 13); Spd 30; Init +1; AC 15; Atk +0 (1d6 club) or +0 (Net); SQ Darkvision, Light Sensitivity; Str 6, Dex 13
Skills and Feats: Exotic Weapon Prof (Net);
Possessions: Nets, Clubs, Leather Armor

F8 – Kobold Toilet
This room reeks as the kobolds have used it for a number of years now to dump their waste in. There is nothing of value in the room. However, any PCs foolish enough to rummage through the filth for treasure must make a Fortitude Save (DC 15) to avoid catching a disease, a variation of Filth Fever (DC 16, Incubation 1d3 days, 1d4 Dex, 1d4 Con)

F9 – Kobold Pantry
The kobolds use this room both to smoke meat and to store meat. There are slabs of spine lizards and smoked hooked wings hanging in here. It is palatable for humans.

F10 – Kobold Lair (EL 2)
There are ten females in here, eight eggs and two young. The females will fight to the death to protect their young. The males do not allow the females to train with them, but nevertheless, this is a ferocious bunch of ladies. None of these kobolds speak merchant.
Kobolds (10): CR 1/6; Hd ½ (hp 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4); AC 13; Atk –1 (1d6-2 small club); SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2.

F11 – Kobold Priest (EL 3)
The Kobold Priest, Disshak, occupies this room. He is a 3rd level cleric of the overlord and the ruthless dictator of this small renegade cult. He has three primary motivations 1) Gain enough followers to take up piracy and slavery in a bigger way 2) Capture Slaves 3) Survive. Disshak speaks Common, Draconic and Infernal. The kobold priest has a phobia about his food being poisoned. He allows his followers no real items of value, hoarding it all for self (though he uses tidbits to occassionally provide rewards).
Disshak, Kobold Cle3: CR 3; HD 3d8+3 (Hp 20); Init +6, AC 15; Atk +1 (1d8-2 stone mace) or +4 (1d4 sling); Str 6, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 13.
Possessions: Leather Armor, Stone Mace,
Spells (4/3+1/1+1) (domains: Domination, Tyranny) 0- Detect poision (x2), Resistance, Purify Food/drink, 1- Command, Cause Fear, Bane, Magic Weapon 2- Hold person, Enthrall
Feats and Skills: Alertness, Improved Initiative.
Treasure: 22 gp (Aasaer), scroll (hold person, chill metal), 9000 cp (Zoan), 200 gp (Xaarum), Phylactery of Faithfulness (Lawful Evil)

F12 – The endless stairs
There are only two doors out of this stairwell. However the stairs, through a divine miracle seem endless. The trick is that it loops back in on itself, almost as if it were flat, but in fact the stairs do go up and down. This means that if two people were to sit on the stairs and then one went down the stairs, they would soon find themselves stairing down on the person they had left.

Temple of Confusion continued...
F13 – Pirates sleeping (EL 0-4)
Four pirates are sleeping on the floor in this room, surrounded by rubble and shattered statues. They are tired from digging through the wall at F18 and have a –3 circumstance bonus to all listen checks for waking up. Their hp are (6, 11, 11, 15). They are typical of all the pirates on this level.
Veteran Pirates, Human War2 (10): CR 1; HD 2d8+2; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15; +4 melee (rapier 1d6+2), +4 ranged (shortbow 1d6); SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will+0; AL NE; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 9.
Skills and Feats: Use Rope +7, Profession (Sailing) +6, Intimidate +5, Climb +5, Jump +4; Dodge, Improved Initiative.
Possessions: Rapier, crossbow (10 bolts), Studded leather armor, 2d10 gp each (Aasaer).

F14 – Pirates on watch EL 4
Four pirates are playing cards in here on an ancient stone table. There are curious writings around the table in infernal, which reveal that divine scrolls dedicated to evil can be written on the table at no experience cost. The table is very valuable to the right people, though destroying it will yield 600 experience points to a good aligned character. They will shout if they see intruders and then attack. They have seen, at a distance, the ruby in the tomb room and are convinced that there is treasure worth fighting for here. Their hp are (8, 8, 11, 13).

F15 – Pirate Captain EL 6
The Pirate Captain, Captian Reigo, has made this his headquarters for the time. There are three pirates with him. He is growing impatient with Maerun and wants to send either some of his men or some of the kobolds in to grab what appears to him to be a fantastic treasure. Maerun has convinced him only for the moment that the Ruby must be gotten at some other way. He is contemplating digging around the door as he believes that he has the man power to do this. He believes Maerun to be a cleric of the Overlord (which Maerun has affected – and which has helped make peace with the kobolds above – Maerun promised his “brother” a ship to sail the seas on – a lie of course) and does not know Maerun is a were-vulture.
The hp of the pirates is 9, 11, and 14. There are, besides the bedrolls, numerous picks and shovels in the room.
Captain Reigo, Human Fgt3/Ex2: CR 4; HD 3d10+2d6+5 (31 hp); Spd 30; Init +6; AC 17; Atk +7 (1d8+2 longsword); Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 12.
Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Swim +10, Profession (Sailor) +8, Listen +6, Intimidate +6, Navigate +6; Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Longsword), Power Attack, Point Blank Shot, Dodge.
Possesions: Longsword, Chainshirt, 2 gems (black opals 800 gp each), potion, cure moderate wounds, Ring Protection +1, Quaal’s feather token (swan boat)

F16 – Pirates EL 2
There are two pirates bedded in here. They are bored and want some action. If they hear an alarm they will exit their room in 5 rounds. Instruments of torture, now useless, adorn this room.
The hp of the pirates is 10, and 16.

F17 – Maerun’s room EL 6
Maerun claimed this room after they cleared it of an Allip. All his possessions are in this room. Maerun is less interested in fighting and more interested in getting the PCs to free the demon for him. If he hears combat, he might even join in on the side of the PCs if he thinks it will suit his needs. He realizes the pirates have about outlived their usefullness to him.
Maerun, Werevulture Cl3: CR 6; HD 4d10+3d8+7 (45); Spd 30/30; Init +10; AC 17; Atk +10 (1d12+3 beak), +5 (1d8 2 claws) or +9/+4 (1d8+4 +1 mace); SA Lycanthropy; SQ DR 12/+1 or silver; SV ; ALI CE; Str 16, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Skills and Feats: Disguise +1, Spot +4, Listen +7, Knowledge Religion +3; Weapon Focus (Beak), Flyby attack, Improved Initiative
Possesions: Mace +1, Sack of Holding I (800 gp), Scroll (Hold person, Cure Moderate Wounds), Horn of Fog
Spells Detect Magic, Detect magic, Light, Resistance
Change Self, Change Self, Bane, Bless, Cure Light Wounds
Invisibilty, Speak with Animals


F18 – Entrance to the tombs
Having found the right spot, Maerun had the pirates dig through an apparent wall, unearthing a tomb. Steps lead down from the hole to a tomb area below

F19 – Trapped catacombs
Skulls and bones of dead men line the walls. The air feels heavy and yet cool. Sound echoes through the chambers and traps are everywhere. The elven adventurers that buried the demon wanted him to stay buried
A – Pit Trap. This trap (Spot DC 9) was set off by the pirates (one lies dead twenty feet below on spikes) and is now fairly easy to spot (though it automatically resets. Anyone falling below takes 2d6 worth of falling damage and is struck by 1d4 spikes for 1d8 piercing damage.
B- Dead man charred Another pirate set off another trap here and was burned to death by flaming oil from above. His body still lies here.
C- Spear trap +5 ranged attack, (1d8+2 damage 5 spears)
D – Malfunctioning Spear Trap – this trap has broken with age and no longer works.
E – Flames from above. A pressure plate releases oil from above that burns on contact with the air.
F – Glyph of Warding – Any non-good entity going through the door will release a powerful warding spell that does 5d8 fire damage. The glyph is especially nasty because it resets and works everytime it is passed through.
G – Elf guardian. One of the dead elves was entombed here after the fight with the demons. The body is perfectly preserved. Removing the elf would cancel the permenancy on the Glyph of Warding.

F20 Entombed Demon
This room is occupied by only two things - a stone platform in the center of the room holding a very large ruby, and a large crypt against the back wall. The whole room radiates a feeling of evil. The evil comes from the ruby. The crypt is just window dressing. It is empty, though tightly locked and sealed. Opening it releases a poisonous gas (Fort DC 15 3d6 Con). The demon is actually entombed in the ruby (which appears to have a value of 3000 gp). Anyone possessing the ruby can use it to commune with the demon 1/day but the information is not always reliable. The demon inside will try and influence the holder of the ruby to destroy the ruby (which is the way to free him). He will promise anyone who releases him 1 wish. This is a promise he will keep, though as a demon of strife, corruption and deceit, he will try and twist the wording or the answering of the wish to suit his own needs. If freed the demon will give 1 wish to the one freeing him. The demon is not immediately interested in fighting (fortunately for any PC that releases him) wanting instead to begin once more causing strife. The demon appears as a nine foot tall skeletal being with wings dressed in a robed of black, holding a book. Soon after being released, the demon will cackle and then teleport away. If attacked he will first wreathe himself in Ice and then lash out with his vorpal longsword. If communicated with, he will promise a wish to any who will sign his book. If freed the logical way to defeat the demon is for the wisher to wish the demon back into its prison.

Demon: CR 18+; HD 14d8+8+28 (95 hp); Spd 40 ft, fly 90 ft; Init +8; AC 31; Attk +20/+15/+10 melee (1d8+7 +1 vorpal longsword); SA Cone of Cold (3/day), Implosion, Wall of Ice, SQ Teleport without error, Wish in exchange for soul, Fear, DR 30/+3, SR 28. Str 23, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 18, Wis 23, Cha 21.
(This is not a complete sketch of the demon but will serve for the moment)

Dragons of Dragon Island
The party will most likely not meet Gilkamen if they avoid his lair and flee the island quickly. However his stats are presented here for reference. Gilkamen is close to 800 years old and is an exceptional dragon in many ways. His lair is surrounded by giant trees that he has grown over the last 200 years with his plant growth ability and it is guarded by both his offspring and his servants. Ascent to the lair is difficult to say the least and contains many perils for the unwary. One feature of the lair is a magical pool of water that Gilkamen uses to scry the island. The cunning dragon is 25% likely to have used the pool to learn of any significant developments on his island. He has in fact used the pool to follow Maerun’s party and has thus learned for the first time of the hidden temple. The interior of the temple however is protected from scrying.

Gilkamen, Very Old Green Dragon (769 years old): CR 18+; HD 30d12+261 (468 hp); MV 40 ft, Fly 150 ft, Swim 40 ft; Init +6; AC 38; Atk +40 melee (2d8+18 bite), +35 melee (2d6+9 2 claws), +35 melee (1d8+9 wings), +35 melee (2d6+27 tail slap); SA Suggestion, Plant Growth, Crush Attack, Frightful presence (DC 29), Breath attack (Acid cone 50 ft 18d6 DC 30), spells (as 11th level sorcerer); SQ SR 26, DR 15/+2, Water Breathing, Acid Immunity, Blindsight/Keen senses; SV Fort +26, Ref +19, Will +20; Str 36, Dex 15, Con 28, Int 20, Wis 16, Cha 18.
Skills and Feats: Knowledge (Religion) +15, Knowledge (Arcana) +15, Knowledge (Nature) +25, Move Silently +20, Read Lips +15, Swim +32, Listen +32, Spot +32, Search +34, Concentration +29, Escape Artist +20, Diplomacy +24, Spellcraft +34, Scry +20, Appraise +18, Bluff +14, Climb +38, Innuendo +12, Intimidate +19; Power Attack, Cleave, Improved Initiative, Fly by, Hover, Snatch, Craft Wondrous Item, Improved Critical (Bite)
Spells Known (6/7/7/7/7/4 per day) 0 – Resistance, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Ghost Sound, Light, Prestidigitation, Clean, Mage Hand, Ray of Frost; 1 – Mage Armor, Chill Touch, Sleep, Feather Fall, Identify; 2 – Melf’s Acid Arrow, magic Mouth, Cat’s Grace, Invisibility, Blindness, Deafness; 3 – Hold Person, Dispel Magic, Haste, Keen Edge; 4 - Polymorph Self, Charm Monster, Improved Invisibility; 5 - Cone of Cold, Animate Dead
Treasure In Lair includes: Tome of Understanding +3, Scroll (Improved Invisibility, Blink, Lightning Bolt, Tongues) +3 Spiked Chain, Pearl of power (4th level), Rod of Wonder, 1100 platinum pieces, 10,000 gold pieces, and 30,000 silver pieces. There are also 25 gems of various value and 20 items of valuable art.

The lair includes undead guardians, a pool from which Gilkamen can scry the whole island, many magic mouth alarms, giant plants, carnivorous plants, half-dragon guards, several young dragons of various ages, an outdoor lake, huge trees atop which Gilkamen can perch and, of course, traps.

If Gilkamen becomes aware of intruders on the island, especially those that seem to be a threat he will use his spells (invisibility, hold person, blindness, cone of cold), breath weapon and snatch attacks on them long before they reach his lair. He has access to several kobold clerics who will gladly heal him in between encounters. In a stand up fight, he will normally have cast keen edge on both his jaws (bite) and claws. This gives him a critical range of 18-20 with his bite attack.

Goshaken, Young female Green Dragon (21 years old): CR 4+; HD 12d12+24 (101 hp); MV 40 ft, Fly 150 ft, Swim 40 ft; Init +6; AC 22; Atk +16 melee (1d8+4 bite), +11 melee (1d6+2 2 claws), +11 melee (1d4+2 wings); SA Breath attack (Acid cone 30 ft 6d6 DC 18); SQ Water Breathing, Acid Immunity, Blindsight/Keen senses; SV Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +7; Str 18, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 15, Wis 11, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Knowledge (Nature) +14, Swim +16, Listen +12, Spot +12, Search +14, Bluff +13, Climb +16, Wilderness Lore +14; Power Attack, Improved Initiative, Fly by, Track
Treasure: Goshaken has her own treasure that she has hidden away. It includes 1100 gold pieces, 5 gems and a +1 sling that she wears tied to her right foreclaw. She is currently on the lookout for a suitable lair in which she can properly bed on her treasure.

Goshaken is haughty but not stupid. If she seems likely to lose a standup fight, she will either fly away or take to the trees (or dive into water if available). She is a capable tracker and enjoys injuring prey and then letting it get away, only to track it down again (it’s a game to her).
Her father’s current pride and joy, Gilkamen often gives her small assignments and if he becomes aware of the PCs he will instruct her to keep on eye on them until they can discern what they are up to.

A set of tables for randomnly generating villains.

Excellent random villain table! I've copied it into my EN World Folder o' Goodness!

Thanks Buttercup, glad you liked it.

Murder: for the Children
A madman stalks the streets of Xaarum. With patented ease he has slipped into the homes of citizens and brutally killed them. The bodies are cut into pieces and then in blood the killer has written on the walls, “For the Children.”

The most recent killing was of a cleric of the Home Foundation. His name was Goetai and his wife, Rouna (also a cleric) is quite upset about the whole thing. She wants the PCs to find the killer and bring him to justice.

Goetai was the fifth one killed in this manner. The fifth in as many nights. The first was a shopkeeper named Finn, well liked by all, with a large family (seven children). His wife discovered the body after returning from a visit to her sisters. The second victim was a beggar named Amoot, also generally well liked. He lived in a basement apartment and made his living begging in the streets. Investigation will reveal that he often gave candy to the children he met. The third victim was an officer of the watch named Kaliou. He was single and without family. He had been in the process of investigating a series of deaths around the marketplace. Several merchants over the past month have been dying at home of some bizarre afliction, perhaps even whilst asleep. There is no evidence of foul play but Kaliou had grown suspicious. Kaliou was killed whilst walking his beat. The fourth victim was a Gnome, a toymaker named Grongo. He lived alone, except for a housekeeper and an apprentice. Goetai was killed in his house. He and Rouna, along with their baby girl had lived a block from the Great hearth, the temple run by Mother Roalee. Roalee would raise Goetai from the dead, but his heart, like those of the other victims, was missing.

Whats Going On
Things are slightly more complicated than might be apparent at first glance. A cleric of the Harvester, Talast the Tall, has worked his way into the local thieves’ guild (which is headquartered in the Taxman’s Guildhall). He offers healing to the thieves and in exchange he gets paid and develops connections amongst the underworld. Talast is a large man, with blond hair and a quiet manner. Like many of the other thieves and cut-throats, he works when necessary as a tax-collector. Unlike the thieves however, Talast’s interests are far more murderous. He is determined to kill as many as he can. Unseen, untraceable murder is his specialty and his passion. He delights in poisoning his victims and then watching them die. Often he uses a divine spell to nullify the poison after the death, making it impossible to detect poison or trace it.

Within the thieves’ guild, Talast ran across another likeminded individual. Griffin One-hand is a former pirate turned thief. He is a quiet, passionless man, quite adept at killing others. He seldom displays any emotions of any sort for any reason. The lone exception is children. They make him smile slightly, due to their innocence and carefree ways. At all other times, however, Griffin is every bit the cold-blooded killer. The other members of the thieves’ guild are wary of Griffin, but Tharvak Noorum (head of the guild) tolerates him, mainly because he has always been the one willing to undertake the dirty jobs that others didn’t have the stomach for.

Talast saw in Griffin untapped possibilities and befriended him and started a campaign to further warp an already disturbed mind. He fashioned Griffin into a psychotic through subtle uses of multiple suggestion spells and mind-altering drugs.

Finally, when he perceived Griffin was ready he turned him loose. For the past five days, Talast has told Griffin of someone he “saw” mistreating a child. Everyday, Griffin goes and kills that person. Talast has used Griffin, not only to cause death and fear, but also to kill a watchmen who he felt was nosing in the wrong places (Kaliou). Talast believes (incorrectly) there is nothing to connect him with Griffin in the way of evidence, and that, therefore, Griffin was the perfect tool for the job. Talast’s plan is to eventually, in a day or so, make sure that Griffin is found out. Then he will return to his true calling – undetectable murder.

Hooks
There are two possible hooks. The first is that the local watch, in the form of a Captain of the watch, asks the PCs to help track down the killer. The reputation of the PCs as problem solvers has preceeded them.

The second hook is that Rouna, distraught at the death of her husband, turns to one of the PCs and asks them to help solve the problem,or if possible, find his heart so that he may be raised from the dead.

Clues from the first four murders
Investigation by the PCs may reveal the following. One of Finn’s neighbors saw a tall man sneaking around Finn’s shop earlier in the day. He appeared to be up to no good, but he eventually left and Finn was still alive. This was Talast, scoping out the place for Griffin.

Though its not a clue, a close search of Amoot’s basement home will turn up a well-hidden hidey-hole. It is a loose brick in the wall behind the bed (there are scrape marks on the floor from where the bed has been moved Search/Spot DC 19). If the PCs move the bed out, they can find the brick (DC 15). There is a leather sack holding 200 gold pieces in the hole. Amoot made good money from begging.

Kaliou’s nieghbor and good friend, Harmin Wainwright, can tell the PCs that Kaliou was very interested lately in a series of deaths around the market and had been looking into it in his free time. Also, clutched in Kaliou’s hands was a piece of green cloth (torn from Griffin’s shirt in the struggle). There are no notes in the house concerning Kaliou’s investigations (he kept those facts in his head), but from talking with either Harmin or with some of Kaliou’s associates, the PCs can begin to follow the same trail he did, perhaps drawing notice from Talast.

Anyone questioning children around town will find out that some of them have been given toys lately by Griffin. He stole several of them after killing the toymaker. Some of the toys have blood on them. It is possible for the PCs to stumble onto this clue after they investigate the toymaker’s shop. There they may notice some of the toys are missing and later see some poor children playing with new toys. The children, if asked, can aptly describe Griffin.

Clues from the fifth murder
The fifth murder should have occurred no more than twelve hours before the PCs are approached, possibly even closer. Rouna has moved temporarily into the temple itself and the scene is much the way it was when the body was discovered, minus the body. On the wall in the room in which Goetai was killed, the front room, written in a neat hand, in blood, are the words, “For the Children.” Rouna was out of the house, at the temple when the murder occurred and there are no witnesses. Entry seems to have been gained to the house through the back door, which has been picked (Spot DC 20, +5 circumstantial bonus from more than 5 ranks in Pick Locks). A sharp instrument was apparently used to kill Goetai, though the fact he was cut to pieces makes this harder to determine. A speak with the dead spell will reveal Griffin’s description and the fact that he was killed with a sickle, nothing more. Good divination spells reveal the murderer to be ‘A maddened Griffin, twisted by death’s servant, seeking to protect the children.”

The best lead is the tracks leading out of the house, made by Griffin. A tracker can follow them (DC 13) out of the house well enough thanks to blood on Griffin’s boot, but a block from the house it becomes much more difficult (DC 25). A trained dog however would have little problem following it (Scent DC 15). The trail can be followed to within a block of Griffin’s house. There it becomes too muddled to follow more clearly.

If the PCs manage to obtain a description of Griffin and ask around in his immediate neighborhood, they will either find out the location of his apartment (Gather Information DC 12) or perhaps alert Griffin to their nosing around (a failed check) or perhaps both.

If Griffin is taken by surprise, he will try to escape. If he manages to escape, or he is alerted to their inquiries, his plan will become one of ambush. He will begin stalking his pursuers, looking for good times to ambush them. He will prefer to take them on singly or else snipe at them from rooftops. If captured somehow, it is possible he will divulge Talast’s name as the one who told him about the ‘abuse’ that the dead victims were supposed to be heaping onto children. Talast truly believes all the dead abused children and a detect lie spell will say as much.

The sixth murder
If the PCs are slow to investigate or simply follow the wrong leads there will be a sixth murder and possibly a seventh.

The sixth victim will be a halfling woman, a widow who lives alone in an apartment on the south side of town. There are many valuable things in her house, but none of it was stolen. Otherwise the clues are identical to those at Goetai’s house, except the track difficulties are all lower by 2.

The Seventh Murder
The PCs will hear about the seventh murder as it is being committed and if they rush to the location, they can catch Griffin before he has a chance to flee the scene. The victim is a half-elven baker. Griffin will attempt to kill him at dusk and Talast, through the use of disguise and a small boy will send out word to the PCs that a murder is being committed. Because he knows about the murder beforehand, Talast will, in effect, sound the alarm with the authorities and the Pcsabout twenty minutes before the murder actually begins, allowing Griffin to be caught in the act. Again, Griffin will try to flee and then will turn around on his pursuers, assuming he discovers their identity.

Griffin’s apartment
Griffin lives in a basement apartment in a house near the southwest wall of Xaarum. A questioning of his neighbors will reveal that he often works as a Tax-collector, but has kept odd hours lately. A Gather Information check (DC 16) will reveal that Griffin often entertained a tall blond man, who dressed in black and came at odd hours of the night. (Talast is not aware he has been seen visiting Griffin). There are two rooms in the apartment, an outer room and then the bedroom. The outer room is decorated with weapons, many of them of high quality.

There is also a small stove, for both heat and cooking, and two chairs and a table. The whole room is immaculately clean. The inner room is kept dark, lit only with candles. The two small windows have been painted black. Hammered to the walls are hearts (those of Griffin’s victims. They have been cleaned and slightly smoked and are thus more or less preserved. There is little way to tell, short of spells, which heart belonged to whom. If Goetai’s heart is returned to Rouna, she will have her husband raised from the dead. The other victims have no family that can afford such a work of faith.

Griffin can lock both doors (Open Locks DC 20, or Break DC 18) and can also fire crossbow bolts through a small opening in the door into the bedroom. He has also sawn away at the ceiling above him so that he can, with a hard tug on a rope, pull down a piece of the floor and escape into the apartment above. A Gnome and his wife live above Griffin.

The Sittik that Griffin carries is from Talast. It is hard to find in Xaarum and it can eventually be traced to Talast if that line of inquiry is followed. There is also a letter, partially burnt in Griffin’s oven that offers some clues.

Griffin, male human, Rogue 6: CR 6; HD 6d6+6 (hp 30); AC 16; Mv 30 ft.; Init +7; Attk +9 melee (1d4+1+poisonsdagger) or +7 ranged (1d8+poison light crossbow); SA Sneak Attack +3d6; SQ Evasion, Uncanny Dodge (Dex, flanked); SV Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +0; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 14.

Skills and Feats: Hide +12, Move Silently +12, Climb +10, Open Locks +12, Read Lips +8, Gather Information +11, Balance +12, Profession (Tax Collector) +8; Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (dagger), Weapon Focus (dagger),

Possessions: 300 gp, Masterwork dagger with a pink pearl in handle (410 gp value), Black leather armor +1, Short sword, vial of Sittik (6 doses, injury, DC 18, 1d4/1d6 Dex)

Remains of Letter in Griffin’s oven:

And then I saw the wretched priest take his son, tie him down and beat him till blood flowed from the poor boy’s back. Truly it was horrible to watch, but what could I do, I had yet to collect his taxes. The neighborhood children tell me it is not true, but that is only because he made them lie lest he lose his position in the temple. Their denials only make the case that much stronger. Surely each of them has felt the sting of his whip at one time or another!
Dispatching the vile offender can only be a blessing to his child and his child to be. If this is how he treats other’s children, what must his own be suffering in silence.
-T

The Pit

Overview: The Pit is a disgusting den of debauchery, rape and violence. Located in Loona, the Pit is run by an ambitious cleric of the Vice Lord. Irritated at the lack of vision he sees displayed by his superior in Geanavue, Tarko the Foul, has started his own enterprise. In the pit, Tarko sells alcohol cheaply and narcotics even cheaper. He pays for kidnapped girls, drugs them and then sells the right to rape them. He bought two dangerous snakes and placed them in a stone pit. To the amusement of his patrons, he throws in helpless sailors who stumble into his place and watches them be torn to ribbons and eaten. Tarko’s goal is to make such going on’s more common and acceptable, even in Loona. He then hopes to open a second such establishment in Geanavue itself. The Pit closes from dawn till a little after two in the afternoon, at which times the workers get some rest.

Entry: Entry to the Pit cost 1 glint per person. Two large brutes (Human War3: CR 2; Init +1, AC 14 (Studded Leather Armor, Dex) hp 17, 12; Atk +6 (1d6+3 club); Str 16, Dex 12.) will refuse admission to anyone who they deem to be the wrong sort. This includes obvious clerics (of good aligned dieties) and paladins. They will, however, only tell this after charging the glint.

The Pit Room:
The first room in the Pit is called the Pit room for obvious reasons. A stone lined pit, iron reinforced, twenty feet deep occupies the center of the room. The top of the pit is open. Tarko has bought two special snakes and placed them in the pit. They typically stay coiled up in a pair of stone lined alcoves at the bottom, just out of sight. The snakes are over twenty feet long each and sharper eyed patrons have noticed it is entirely possible for them to climb out of the pit with little difficulty. The snakes however, under the influence of an animal friendship spell cast by Tarkos, stay in their pit unless summoned by the evil cleric.

The rest of the room is filled with broken tables, wobbly chairs, a bar counter and a variety of sailors and pirates in a state of perpetual intoxication. Fights are common. If the PCs start a fight, about twenty others will join in, fighting the PCs and each other. Treat each of these as Pirates (Human Thug1, HP 6, Atk –1 (due to intoxication)(1d6+3 club, shortsword).

Drinks cost 2 cp a cup and include cheap wine, ale and beer. Drugs can also be bought for 1 cp and come in the form of hallucinogenic powders meant to be mixed with the drinks. Many of the patrons are very high and unable to properly fight. Each dose of the drug reduces Intelligence and Wisdom by 50%, whilst creating a feeling of euphoria. There is a cumulative 20% chance of each dose producing hallucinations.

Tarkos spends his time alternating between The Pit Room and the Dancing Hall.

A door in the back of the room leads to a kitchen/storage area and a somewhat secret door, blocked from view with heavy curtains, on the right side of the room, guarded by two men, leads to the Dancing Hall.

Blade Hoods, Large Snake (2): CR 3; HD 4d8+8 (24 hp, 22 hp); Init +2; Speed 40 ft.; AC 15; Attacks +7 melee (1d10+4 slash); Face 10’ x 5 ‘; SA Constriction; Nuetral; SV Fort+4, Ref+7, Will +1; Str 18, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 8, Chr 14.
Skills and Feats: Escape Artist +4, Listen +7, Move Silently +5, Spot +7: Alertness, Spring Attack.


The Dancing Hall: Patrons of the Pit Room may access the Dancing Hall for 5 glint. The Dancing Hall is actually located in a second building. The two rooms are connected by a small five foot hallway. Two men stand at either door (Human War3: CR 2; Init +1, AC 14 (Studded Leather Armor, Dex) hp 19, 15, 10, 14; Atk +6 (1d6+3 club); Str 16, Dex 12.). The first two guard access to the room in the Pit Room and the other two keep an eye on the Dancing Hall. The door in the pit room is somewhat hidden and is operable only by a secret latch (Search DC 14, Break DC 15). On the Dancing Hall side, the doors are both quite noticeable. There are no doors to the Dancing Hall from the other first floor rooms of the second building, which fronts as a small warehouse.

The center of the Dancing Hall is dominated by a slightly raised platform. Here, naked young women (fifteen total, though there are often less present), arms tied to a pole above their head, are kept in a permenantly drugged state. A dwarf (com2) sits on a bench and keeps the pole moving whenever any customers are in the room. This causes the women to have to keep shuffling back and forth on the stage with the movement of the pole. Each woman can be easily unhooked and anyone who has paid the 5 glint entry fee can take any woman they want up the stairs to the small coupling rooms above. The women are disheveled, and all have glazed eyes, but the dwarf is also given the task of keeping them clean and a bucket of water sits by his stool.

During off hours, the girls are moved from the poles and allowed to sleep in the coupling rooms above where they are also fed and drugged.

Upstairs: The upstairs contains ten small coupling rooms, containing only a mat on each floor and a few pillows. There are also three rooms housing the thug guards and the dwarf. Tarkos has his own room in which he sleeps and stores his personal belongings. The door to this room has an unusual trap on it. Thanks to a favor from his diety, whenever the door is opened by a good aligned individual, two abyssal maws will appear and attack.

Abyssal Maws (2): CR 2; HD 2d8+2 (hp 11, 11); Init +0; AC 15; Attk +5 melee (2d8+4 bite); SA Rend Fallen; SQ Outsider; CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 17, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 9, Cha 8.

Tarkos, Human Cl4: CR 4; MV 30 ft; AC 10; HD 4d8+4 (31 hp); Init +5; Attk +4 melee (1d8 mace); SA Spells; SQ Animal Friendship; CE; Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +6; Str 11, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Knowledge (Religion) +6, Profession (Barkeep) +6; Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll, Weapon Focus (mace)
Domains: Animal, Evil
Possessions: Masterwork Mace, Chain shirt, 1500 gold pieces, several magical scrolls

The Demon Stone
This wheel-shaped stone is about three feet in diameter and weighs close to two hundred pounds. It is gray in color and very hard (Hardness 15, HP 25). The stone itself radiates both magic and evil. The bottom and sides of the stone are featureless and polished. The top of the stone is rougher and bears upon it letters, carved into the stone. The letters are in the Celestial tongue but a Read Magic is required to fully understand them (A potential user of the stone must be able to both cast Read Magic and speak/read Celestian.)

The stone was fashioned by elves in ancient times as a weapon with which to fight demons. When the spell upon the stone is read, any demons within 60’ of the stone are drawn into it and bound. In this way the stone can hold up to 600 HD worth of demons. When found the stone will contain 1d6 x 100 HD worth of demons within it.

Over time, the demons trapped within the stone managed to subtly alter the nature of the stone, making their prison less secure. When a new moon is in the sky, every hour the stone will release 1d6+6 HD worth of demons. This occurs the whole night of the New Moon unless someone reads the incantation atop the stone, in which case the stone functions once more as normal. A secondary new feature of the stone is that when a New Moon is in the sky, the stone acts as a battery of negative energy, creating 1d6+6 worth of undead within 100' of the stone. These undead are normally only skeletons and zombies but given the right circumstances it will create other undead as well.

Anyone with the ability to cast the incantation atop the stone could, given enough time reverse it and allow all the demons within it to be freed. As well, breaking the stone would instantly release all the demons inprisoned within.

The Demon Stone is a Minor Artifact and not easily reproducable.