• 2 Stand of Crystal
• 3 Scenic Waterfall
• 4 Rock Slide
• 5 Sink Hole
• 6 Flowing Stream
• 7-8 Small Meadow
• 9 Natural Pond
• 10 Huge Boulder
• 11 Limestone Deposit
• 12 Heated Spring

6. On the Edge

The first piece of the statue is located in what appears to be a stone fortification on the edge of a precipice. The chasm was formed when a large section of the cavern floor collapsed into an underground river. The fallen pile of rocks diverted the course of the churning river and the water has been steadily undercutting the old fortress ever since.

The original stone fortress consisted of a large central building with a bronze dome, and two slightly smaller wings. One of these round wings has since fallen into the crevasse, as has a portion of the central building. There appears to be only one ground-level entrance into the building, an arched opening blocked by a heavy, rusted iron portcullis. The mechanism needed to raise this portcullis has long since corroded into uselessness. The only other openings that can be found are Y-shaped arrow slits on the upper level.

The wall around the roof of the structure is crenellated with rounded projections. If the characters climb up to the roof they will find an opening in the surviving wing where a stone staircase leads down. Pieces of fallen ceiling lie scattered about and the rocks have put a number of dints in the heavy bronze dome. The remains of old rounded brick chimneys lie collapsed about the rooftop. The rooftop is otherwise deserted and has little of interest.

It is possible to walk around most of the bronze dome, but no opening into the structure will be found. Approaching the edge near the crevasse will cause the building to creak ominously and dislodge a couple of stone blocks that fall into the river far below. (This should be a warning not to attempt to enter the building by climbing down the open face. Flying into the building from the open side, however, is an easy way to obtain the piece of crystal.)




Map 4. Abandoned Fortress.

The round wing of the building holds little of interest, as the old furniture and draperies have long since decayed due to insect activity. Now all that remains are mounds of powered material, plus a few tatters hanging from the walls. However, numerous shards of broken pottery and glass lie scattered about, and heavily tarnished ornaments of bronze can be found with a steady search. The bronze items in particular, if properly cleaned, have an unusual style and could bring a decent price from collectors in a big city. The items of iron lie corroded beyond repair, and frequently beyond recognition. Some of the chambers have a fireplace, again built in the distinctively organic style of the old Saugathar. Nothing of a magical nature will be discovered in the old ruins.

The floors, walls, and ceilings of the fortress are all made from carefully fitted stone blocks, all covered in mold and lichen. Various small stone structures, such as Saugathar statues, still stand in niches along the hallways. (A few show parts broken when they toppled during the frequent earthquakes, but these have since been stood upright by the Mongrelmen in room 16.)

Room 1. The Mongrelmen in room 16 have some pet Stone Grolls that will provide an annoying distraction for the characters as they search the 2nd floor of the structure.

8 Stone Grolls: AC 6; MV 18”; HD 1+1; hp 6 each; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6; SZ S; ML 8; AL N; Int 5; XP 35.

The inner wall of the gallery has oval-shaped openings that allow a view of the central court below. The characters will be able to see little, however, due to the darkness. A character with Infrared Vision will see several warm shapes moving about the room.

Room 2. A careful search of this former master bedroom, with a successful Concealment roll, will turn up three unusual gold trinkets. These are worth 100gp each at a city where collectors seek exotic relics.

Room 4. Among the decayed debris, the characters will find hundreds of clay tablets written in the old Saugathar pictogram style. These are records of Saugathar ancestry and significant events. Buried in the tablets is a description of the distribution of the crystal shards, saying they were to be sent to the five corners of the world. This is a literal translation of the pictogram text that actually means they were evenly spaced around the perimeter of the underground cavern.

Room 9. This room contains a carpet of Brown Mold that the Mongrelmen have not bothered to clean up. Lying in the middle of the growth are some small shards of worthless crystal, which will sparkle in a light and may attract a greedy eye.

Brown Mold: AC 9; MV 0”; HD -; hp -; THAC0 19; #AT 0; SA freezing; SD absorb heat; ML -; SZ L; AL Nil; Int 0; XP -.

Room 14. This room has been meticulously cleared of its former debris. The Mongrelmen now leave fresh kills here in preparation for a meal of raw meat. A careful search of the room will reveal fresh bloodstains on the floor and a pile of recently cleaned animal bones and hides in the corner. There is also a faint musty smell in the room. These should be telltale signs to an alert party that danger lies nearby.

Room 16. In the last century this abandoned fortress has become home to a group of Mongrelmen. The Mongrelmen have obtained new furnishings and decorations for the great domed central court, all sturdy and made with drab materials. The court also contains four stone pillars.

7 Mongrelmen: AC 5; MV 9”; HD 2; hp 10, 11, 8, 13, 13, 10, 9; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6; ML 12; SZ M; AL LN; Int 8; XP 65; club.

Room 19. The piece of crystal is located on a ledge that is dangerously close to falling into the river far below. As the party moves out on the ledge, the ground will groan ominously. If more than 200 lbs. is added to the ledge at or beyond the crystal, the entire ledge will tumble into the river below and be lost. The heroes will need to figure out a way to obtain the crystal without dislodging the ledge. One possibility would be to toss a lasso or net over the shard and then haul it back. Another would be to simply fly over to the crystal and carry it back.

Room 21. The floor of this room is unusual because it is covered in dried mud, unlike the stone floor in the remainder of the fortress. This was where the Saugathar residents came to bathe in warm mud.

The fortress cellar was beneath the wing that dropped into the river below, and all contents have long since been lost.

7. Submerged Temple

Along the far side of this bowl-shaped cavern is a waterfall that once fed a large stream. The stream meandered down to the natural depression in the center of the cavern, and then descended through a stone-lined pit to join an underground river far below. Unfortunately the series of earthquakes that have struck the mountain have caused the pit to collapse and plug up the opening. The water level has since risen until a wide, shallow lake formed. If the collapsed pit does not re-open at some point, the water level will eventually rise until the entire cave system is flooded. Inhabiting the lakeshore are giant frogs that once dwelled along the marshy banks of the stream. With their source of food now washed away, the frogs are hungry and several of them will attack the party. Fortunately these are not the poisonous variety, and they are somewhat weakened by lack of food.

14 Giant Frogs: AC 7; MV 3”, Sw 9”; HD 1; hp 5 each; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d3; SA tongue and swallow whole; SZ T; ML 8; AL Nil; Int 0; XP 120.

In the times of the old Saugathar civilization, the area along the stream was a sacred location of their god. A fine stone church and bell tower was built to revere this holy site. Since the collapse of the Saugathar civilization, this was the only location within the caverns where a semblance of the old rituals was kept intact. Generations of dedicated holy Saugathar warriors have sworn to defend the old church, and up until recently they were successful. Now, however, the church is almost completely submerged and the guardians were forced to flee due to the inexorably rising water level.

The second piece of the Elven Mage is located on the altar of the submerged church. The characters will need to find a way to reach the church and then dive down into the structure to locate the crystal. Unfortunately, trunks of giant toadstools are not very buoyant until they are properly dried out, so a raft of this material will only support a small amount of weight before sinking. The characters will instead need to strip down to the bare essentials and then swim through the stands of submerged giant toadstools to reach the church. This will be an exhausting journey, especially since there is no place to rest on dry land along the way.




Map 5. Submerged Temple.



Once the party reaches the bell tower, they have the choice of either attempting to swim down two stories and enter through the main or side opening, or ascending the tower and descending through the stairwell. (None of the window openings is wide enough to swim through without risk of getting stuck.) The architecture reflects the organic design of the old Saugathar civilization, but is heavily embellished with intricate bas-relief carvings. The rough nature of the outer surface makes climbing the outside of the bell tower relatively easy for anybody with at least a modicum of climbing skill. (Make a Climbing skill roll with a +20% bonus.)

Once the party reaches the top they will be faced by a new problem. A hand picked champion of the Saugathar holy warriors is on guard duty here for a five-day shift. He wears a badly corroded suit of chain mail armor, which normally provides only AC 7. However, he wields a blessed magical Falchion that shows no such wear. This warrior will fight to the death to guard the old temple grounds. If the characters do not ascend the tower, he will swim through the church to attack the intruders.

Saugathar Holy Warrior: AC 3; MV 6”, Sw 12”; HD 4; hp 19; THAC0 17; #AT 3; Dmg 1d2/1d2/1d6; SZ M; ML 15; AL N; XP 120; flaming falchion, corroded chain mail.

The rope that is used to raise and lower the church guard is coiled in a pile in the corner of the bell tower top floor. The old copper bell, shaped like a cylinder that tapers near the top, is heavily corroded but will still operate when struck with a metal implement. From the top, a stone staircase will descend down through the center of the tower until it reaches the upper floor of the church.

Exploring the interior of the church will have to be done by diving beneath the water and then swimming along the passages and down the stairwells. No doors will present an obstacle, as they have long since been lost to time. Reaching and raising the piece of crystal will be a difficult task, however, given the submerged conditions.

The drowning rules should be used to good effect here to determine if the characters can hold their breath long enough to reach the crystal, and drag it back up to the top of the building. Multiple trips will be necessary, and it will be exhausting work. The weight of the crystal is sufficient to make swimming impossible, so walking it back upstairs will be necessary. Suitable magic will be a big aid in this endeavor.

Swimming through the submerged temple are the tadpoles of the Giant Frogs that dwell by the lake. These will come up and investigate the characters to see if they are edible, but will not pose a threat.

After three days, the next holy warrior will arrive at the church and discover the invasion of the intruders. He will return to his tribe and rouse them to give pursuit. Several of these holy warriors will scour the perimeter of the lake searching for the party. With their keen sense of smell it is likely that the Saugathar will discover the site where the party left their cache of equipment. They will then pursue the heroes until the trail is lost, or the party makes it back to the walled village of Queen Shadara.

8. Old Burial Grounds

The third piece of the Elven Mage is located in an old burial ground of the Saugathar. The burial ground consists of four towers surrounded by a stone wall. The wall is twice the height of a man with no obvious openings above ground level. The outer surface of the wall consists of tightly fit blocks of stone with a row of carved figures in the cap.

The ground between the towers and the outer wall is covered in stone tiles. Even after this length of time the tiles are little disturbed, and only covered in dust and a few rocks that have fallen from the cavern ceiling.

Each of the burial towers is shaped like an inverted beehive, with a circular base and tapering toward the top. The bottom of the outside is intricately decorated in old Saugathar pictograms, the written language of the long dead civilization. (They closely resemble the pictograms on the stone tablet that was brought out by Shadara.) The pictograms describe the history and accomplishments of the Saugathar buried within.

There is a single arched opening leading into the interior of each tower. However, small arched window openings appear at regular intervals around the tower.

The interior of each tower is divided into a series of floors with a circular opening in the center. Each floor houses the curious stone burial sarcophagi of the old Saugathar. These are shaped somewhat like oak barrels, but with a fairly smooth finish. They are capped with a heavy stone lid that is inscribed with more of the pictograms. Inside, each dead Saugathar is sitting with knees drawn up to the chest. There are a few scraps of long decayed possessions inside, mostly useless ornaments, decayed garb, and the dust of old food.

The exception to this arrangement of towers is the structure that houses the piece of the elven magi. The only floor in this tower is located half way up and there is no opening apparent in the underside. This was done deliberately to prevent any intruders from gaining access. Access was sealed by means of a block that slid into place after the last Saugathar departed.

Those who enter the tower that houses the shard will have a more pressing problem than trying to find a way up to the next floor. A few minutes after they enter, the ground beneath them will begin to stir and many skeletal arms will emerge to try and drag the intruders beneath the earth. It will require several rounds for this process to complete, however, so the heroes have ample time to try and hack their way free.

The DM should treat these skeleton arms as giant animated skeletons buried up to the waist in the earth. The skeletons are placed at random with one in every 20’ square. If they successfully grab a target, they must hold the victim for four successive rounds in order to drag them under the ground.

9 Monster Skeletons: AC 6; MV 1”; HD 6; hp 32 each; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg special; SD special; MR special; SZ L; ML special; AL N; Int 0; XP 650.

A careful study of the outside of the tower will reveal that a portion of the wall near the top has collapsed due to the steady earthquakes. The party can gain access by climbing the outer surface and then descending through the hole in the wall. This will allow them to reach the shard without suffering further attacks from the skeletal arms.

9. Aldar's Rest

The fourth piece of the Elven Mage is located in the final resting-place of Aldar, Shadara's lost husband. The large ziggurat at this location is what originally led Aldar to investigate this site. This ziggurat rises over 150’ into the air, and an obelisk is mounted on the top adding an additional 80’ of height. The structure is clearly visible for several kilometers across the forest, despite the dim lighting.

Characters investigating the ziggurat will find signs of an ancient struggle in this location, with a crude wall hastily constructed in a semi-circle along the cavern wall and the scattered remains of many Saugathar buried by the forest floor.

Despite the obvious importance of the ziggurat to the ancient Saugathar, there is little of interest to be found about the structure apart from the many pictograms carved into the structure and the Obelisk. Curiously, though, every few weeks the obelisk will acquire a deep red glow, perhaps coinciding with the movement of a moon above.




Map 6. Sealed Cave.



The area of interest for the PCs is within a partially sealed cave located only 100’ from the Ziggurat. A wall of heavy stone bricks once blocked off the cave entrance. Some of the stones have shaken loose over time, however, allowing entry into the passage. Believing that some valuable clue to the Ziggurat lay within, Aldar entered this cave. He was slain when he fell through a pit trap onto the spikes below.

The pit trap is activated when more than 70 lbs. is placed on the10’ long floor panels. However the trap is very old and no longer operates efficiently. A grinding noise is heard when the trap is first activated, allowing the victim to escape if they make successful Dexterity checks. An acrobatics NWP roll can also be attempted to escape the opening trap if the Dex roll is failed. In addition to 2d6hp damage from the fall, the victim suffers 1d6+1hp of armor piercing damage from the corroded spikes. The spikes have hooks to hold any impaled victims in place.

The decaying corpse of Aldar can still be found impaled on the spikes. He died from bleeding after the fall, and a large dark stain can still be seen under the corpse. His equipment was fairly mundane, consisting of a leather jerkin, scimitar, sling, climbing rope, money pouch, small mining pick, medical supplies, cloak, blanket, and a lantern and oil. There is also some moldy food, personal effects, a hand portrait of Shadara, an intact water skin, broken bottle of rum, two broken flasks. There is an intact flask with a potion of polymorph self, a nearly intact suit of +1 chainmail armor, and a beautiful +1 scimitar inscribed with the runic word ‘Avascor'. Finally there is a badly damaged but almost complete map of the Saugathar caverns.

The spirit of Aldar now stands watch over the crystal shard, a piece of the statue base. He will not be hostile toward the party until an attempt is made to remove the piece. Indeed he is quite willing to converse with the heroes, having been resting here alone for nearly a decade.

Aldar’s Spirit: AC 0; MV 9”; HD 10; hp 40; THAC0 11; #AT1; Dmg age 10-40 years; SA special; SD special; SZ M; ML special; AL LG; XP 7,000.

Aldar knows much of the true purpose of the Elven Mage statue, as he has explored the caverns below and discovered the cage that imprisons Khuldark. He knows that the imprisoned demi-god is evil incarnate and must remain caged. Before he releases the shard he must be convinced that the heroes will reassemble the statue and return the Mage to living form.

Being in contact with the spirit world, Aldar also has much knowledge that the characters do not possess. He knows that the end is drawing near and soon the prison of Khuldark will be shattered. However he is prohibited by the nature of the spirit world from relating his knowledge directly and must be coerced or tricked in some fashion.

10. Town Ruins

These ruins do not contain any pieces of the crystal, but the heroes may be led to believe so since it is an old settlement from the time of the Saugathar civilization. The decaying walls of old buildings still stand from the time this town was abandoned. All of the roofs have long since collapsed, and the buildings are filled with decayed debris and toadstools. A search of the ruins will be time consuming and fruitless. The party will, however, find signs of a last stand that was once fought in the ghostly streets of this town. In their desperation, the old priests who stood here used the last of their magic to create zombie guardians from the corpses of the former Saugathar townsfolk. A few of these guardians still lie in wait among the ruins, now little more than animated skeletons.

11 Skeletons: AC 7; MV 12”; HD 1; hp 3-5 each; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6; SD special; MR special; SZ M; ML special; AL N; XP 65.

An ancient midden stands at the north end of town. This immense heap of refuge is home to a swarm of rats that have dug many tunnels through the garbage. Their rustlings and squeaks can be heard with a successful detect noise roll. Any attempt to dig through the garbage for valuables will rouse the rats to defend their home.

32 Rats: AC 7; MV 15”; HD Ό; hp 1; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1; SA disease; SZ T; ML 2-4; AL N; Int 1; XP 7.

In the center of the town is a modest stone pyramid. This pyramid is covered in the skeletons of the Saugathar defenders who made their last stand here. The worn stone surfaces are carved in the pictograms of the old Saugathar language. At the top of the pyramid is a stone platform where sacrifices were made to the god of the Saugathar. Here, sadly, the bones of many small Saugathar infants lie scattered about.

11. Hall of Time

This structure also does not contain any pieces of the crystal, and serves merely as a distraction for the party. The large stone building was constructed to tell the time of day by means of an immense pendulum. The time was relayed around the cavern by means of a nearby light tower holding a large oil lamp and a bronze concave mirror. The tower has since collapsed from the repeated earthquakes and now lies as a large pile of stone bricks.

Careful examination of the exterior of the building will reveal that it has a familiar shape, that of a tadpole lying on its side. Where the egg sack would be is a large oval bronze dome, which is remarkably free of dints and marks from falling rocks. The entire building has a timeless quality about it as if the place had been built only a century before.



Map 7. Hall of Time.

Room 1. Entrance Hall - From here dark corridors curve off to the left and right. The walls are covered in a fish scale mosaic of tiles, many of which have long since fallen off in big chunks. The original stone ground is completely covered in a layer of rich dirt that supports a carpet of mushrooms. The remains of several large hooks can be seen hanging mysteriously from the ceiling.

Room 2. Pendulum Room - This round chamber is covered by a simple bronze dome. A ring of small windows just below the dome and along the sides allow in just enough light to view the surroundings. The lower walls are covered with similar pitted marble and a thin layer of dirt covers the once fine floor.

The magnificent time-keeping device built here was made to last, and indeed the grand old pendulum is still functioning. It hangs from a hoop in the center of the dome by a long, untarnished bronze chain. At the end is a massive, teardrop-shaped lead weight that is gilded with polished gold.

Around the room stand four statues of Saugathar heroes and scholars posed on marble pedestals between pairs of pitted marble columns. If the pendulum is disturbed in any manner the four magical stone statues will animate and attack. A spell of magic detection cast upon the pendulum or statues will reveal their magical nature.

4 Animated Statues: AC 0; MV 3”; HD 2; hp 9, 13, 11, 15; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+1; SD feign death; SZ M; ML 19; MR 25%; AL N; Int 4; XP 175.

Room 3. Empty Room - This room once served a useful purpose but is now only a home for piles of debris and chunks of masonry. The skylights that allowed through illumination now stand empty of their original glass covers. A search through the debris will turn up many broken shards of clay tablets and dishes, heavily rusted tools and implements, and lots of dust. Insects will scurry out from the exposed areas.

Extensive digging through the refuge in the left empty room will eventually reveal a flat, round stone trap door covering the cellar. See room 5 for details.

Room 4. Chronomancer's Quarters - At the end of the hallway a solid door still remains in place. The skull of a creature, possibly a Saugathar, has been pinned to the door by the tip of a long broken spear. The area of the door and the chamber beyond are under the influence of a time stasis spell created by a Saugathar arch magus. This mage used his mastery of time to foresee a period of chaos and savagery, and so he crafted a weak variation of the temporal stasis spell to preserve himself and his possessions over the course of the centuries. He stands in the chamber beyond the door, merely waiting for the spell to expire when a suitable trigger causes the stasis field to drop.

The door will not budge, but the characters can see through a narrow keyhole that a cosy room lies beyond filled with all manner of interesting objects. Everything within the stasis field is protected as if by a wall of force. Dispel magic sufficient to negate a spell cast by a 9th level wizard will release the temporal stasis field and cause time to start flowing.

Just behind the door stands the frozen chronomancer facing inward and finishing the spell he just cast. The room contains unusual leather furniture and many shelves covered in hundreds of pictogram stone tablets. There is a desk with wet clay and a drawing implement, several clay jars of powdered minerals, a Saugathar skull, a number of lit candles, a jug of a milky beverage, and a partially eaten meal of cooked lizard. In addition the room contains a niche with ceremonial garb, mask, and clubs; a fur rug from a giant mole; several hanging wooden cages with pet rats; and a large circular bronze plaque with an image of Khuldark's head surrounded by rings of Saugathar pictograms.

The walls are covered in a variety of simple timekeeping devices. Apparently the resident was something of a clock inventor. In a drawer of the desk is a leather pouch nearly half full of the semi-precious stones the old Saugathar used for currency.

If he is released from the time stasis, the chronomancer will immediately realize that something other than the proper trigger caused his release and will prepare accordingly.

Unxathgar, saugathar male W9: AC 5; MV 6”, Sw 12”; hp 30; THAC0 19; #AT 3; Dmg 1d2/1d2/1d6; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 8; SZ M; ML 14; AL N; Int 5-7; XP 35; Spells memorized: 1st-enlarge, magic missile, mount, sleep; 2nd-blindness, blur, fog cloud, web; 3rd- haste, slow, wraithform; 4th- monster summoning II, plant growth.

Room 5. Hidden Cellar - The old staircase has collapsed but the remainder of the stonewalled room is in remarkably good shape. The cellar is the size of areas 1 and 3 combined. The room is filled with row after row of Saugathar statues. Along the walls are sealed glass jars with objects pickled in vinegar. Disturbing the jars will cause the fragile contents to fall apart. A large clay urn in the corner is about half full of ashes. There is also a sealed stone bin that is nearly full of lamp oil.

A Cellar Dweller became trapped down here nearly a century ago and has entered a deep state of hibernation. He will be slow to awaken, but once aroused he will seek to slake his long frustrated evil nature upon the party.

Cellar Dweller: AC 2; MV 15”; HD 4+4; hp 20; THAC0 15; #AT 3; Dmg 1d2/1d2/1d4; SA special, SD special; SZ S; ML 14; AL CE; Int 10; XP 2,000.

Scattered among the jars are ancient coins worth 30cp, 30sp, 8ep, and 6gp. There are also nine sealed jugs containing 10 gemstones and 7 small but exquisite saugathar sculptures. (The gems consist of 2 ornamental, 3 semi-precious, 1 fancy and 4 precious stones stored inside an ornate jade box worth 240gp. The statuettes are worth about 120gp each in a suitable city market, but weigh 12 lbs. apiece.)

12. Desert Cavern

The air in this cavern seems much warmer than elsewhere on this level. There is little in the way of growth here and the ground is sandy like a desert. Each day there is a one in ten chance that the party will encounter an individual Huge Scorpion in the desert sands of this cavern.

Huge Scorpion: AC 4; MV 12”; HD 4+4; hp 23; THAC0 15; #AT 3; Dmg 1d8/1d8/1d3; SA poison sting; SZ M; ML 10; Int 0; XP 420.

Located near the outer edge of this cavern is a large sinkhole in the ground. The air near this hole is almost uncomfortably warm and has an evil sulfurous smell. It is possible, with some climbing, to descend through this opening into the fire level below. (Room 1 on the Fire Level.) This hole was used by Elestra to reach the great cavern of lava where Khuldark is imprisoned.

A careful search of the area near the hole, with a successful Perception roll, will reveal a large cache of supplies. Elestra and her party left these here for use during their occasional returns to the surface. The cache is carefully concealed behind a pile of boulders. The supplies were obviously brought here from the outside world because the manufacturing is beyond the present abilities of the Saugathar tribes.

Among the supplies that can be found are containers of beverages; oil lamps and flasks; warm clothing; blankets; ropes; packs; tents; tools; medical supplies, writing materials, barrels of salted food; and other miscellaneous equipment. A successful Intelligence roll will reveal that there are enough supplies for 5-6 people to last at least two months in the wilds.

Among the supplies is Elestra's travelling journal. The journal is written in Elestra's private code - essentially a mirror image with letter substitution - and requires a successful Cryptography skill roll to translate. Even if the code is broken, it requires nearly a half-hour per page to read. The journal contains a lot of travel notes and details of transactions with merchants in a nearby northern city. It also makes mention of P. the Mage and G. the Bodyguard. There are descriptions of minor skirmishes with denizens of the underground and northern forests.

The author also spends some time in theoretical speculations on the nature of magic, the elements, and the forces within the earth. Finally, a considerable amount of text is dedicated to hateful thoughts toward an S. and how the author really deserved the affections of an A. It appears that the author is a woman and a mage of some ability and prominence, but her name is never mentioned.

Elestra and her party are aware of another passage that leads from this cavern system to the surface about half way up the north side of the mountain face. The tunnel is wide enough to carry large items of furniture down and is relatively easy to traverse, but is very well concealed. The party will not find this passage unless they know specifically where to look.

13. Rock Slide

Against the side of this cavern is a huge rockslide consisting of boulders and rocks of various sizes. The rockslide was created when the floor of a cavern above collapsed during an ancient earthquake. This collapsed cavern is visible as a huge opening in the ceiling above. By ascending the rockslide it is possible to reach a tunnel that joins the dwarf ruins' level. Discovery of this escape route is an important step for the party since it means they will be able to escape this level without returning to Queen Shadara's village. However, ascent of the rockslide is a laborious task that requires well over two hours of steady clambering.

The rockslide leads up to area 25 on the Dwarf Ruins level.

Level Random Encounters

Encounters occur on a roll of 2 or less on a 1d10 for every 8 hours of travel through the caverns. When an encounter occurs, roll on the table below:

3d6 Encounter

• 2 The bare skull of a giant fanged creature is discovered lying partially buried in the dirt. A successful roll against Animal Lore NWP will reveal that the skull is reptilian. The body of this creature must have been immense, standing three times as tall as a man. No further remains can be found on this site. This encounter will only occur once.
• 3-4 A solitary dwarf Boring Beetle rooting around a decaying giant toadstool looking for insects. It will turn to defend its find from the intruders. This will be an especially tough battle for the characters due to the heavy armor and quickness of this creature. Boring Beetle: AC 3; MV 6”; HD 5; hp 26; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg 5d4; SZ L; ML 14; AL Nil; XP 175. There is a 20% chance per such encounter that the party will find the remains of Aldar’s dead friend Stigel lying in the brush nearby. The dwarves’ backpack has been torn apart by insects looking for food. Scattered in the dirt are 20ep, 14gp, 2 fancy gems, a +1 dagger, and a potion of speed.
• 5 This solitary Saugathar is sitting cross-legged on a large, smooth rock, seemingly in a state of quiet contemplation. Indeed this is a young Saugathar who has just come of age and is seeking his future path by means of a vision quest. This requires many days of quiet contemplation while fasting. As a result the Saugathar is in a very weakened condition and would be easy to overcome. So intense is his meditative state that it would take a physical blow to waken him. This encounter will only occur once. Saugathar: AC 5; MV 6”, Sw 12”; HD 2+1; hp 11; THAC0 19; #AT 3; Dmg 1d2/1d2/1d6; SZ M; ML 14; AL N; Int 5-7; XP 65.
• 6 The party accidentally stumbles across the nest of these underground dwelling serpents. Most of the snakes wriggle their way into the surrounding wilds, but a few are sufficiently aroused to attack the intruders. 4 Poisonous Snakes: AC 6; MV 15”; HD 2+1; hp 5, 9, 9, 15; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1; SA poison; SZ S; ML 8; AL N; Int 1; XP 175.
• 7 Hiding among the giant toadstools is a band of Myconid. They will avoid violence and seek only to wander away from the dangerous adventurers. 7 Myconid: AC 10; MV 9”; HD 1; hp 5 each; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4; SA spore clouds; SD poisonous skin; SZ S; ML 12; AL LN; Int 8-10; XP 65.
• 8-9 The party stumbles across some old stone ruins of the Saugathar civilization, now partially buried by the forest growth and fallen pieces of the cavern ceiling. The ruins can include the remaining walls from an old home; the crumbling stones of an old shrine; the remains of a stone livestock pen; a water-filled quarry; the lower wall of a well house; a portion of a crude aqueduct; the collapsed tunnel from a mine; and so on. On a roll of 1 on a 1d10, these ruins are home to a small swarm of giant rats. 26 Giant Rats: AC 7; MV 12”, Sw 6”; HD ½; hp 2 each; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1d3; SA disease; SZ T; ML 5-7; AL N; Int 3; XP 15. Hidden among the ruins in the lair of these rats is an ornate clay burial urn containing a stack of small rectangular silver coins worth 1,310sp, two ornate bronze wrist bands studded with ornamental stones worth 130gp each, and a beautiful jewel-crusted tiara worth 1,600gp.
• 10-11 Another earthquake strikes the mountain, causing walls to crack; rocks to fall; dust to rise; and the characters to be thrown about. On a roll of 1 on a 1d20, a chunk of the ceiling falls and strikes a random character, causing 2d6hp of damage.
• 12-13 A group of 2d6 Saugathar hunters from the nearest tribe is out seeking game. Their skills are such that they can choose to stay concealed and will probably not be spotted by the heroes. The only reason they would decide to confront the adventurers is if the party is headed toward their village, or they have obviously been hunting on marked tribal territory. Saugathar: AC 5; MV 6”, Sw 12”; HD 2+1; hp 13 each; THAC0 19; #AT 3; Dmg 1d2/1d2/1d6; SZ M; ML 14; AL N; Int 5-7; XP 65.
• 14 A large chunk of the cavern ceiling silently falls until it strikes the floor very close to the party. The piece of the rock would have inflicted 5d6hp, sufficient to kill a man - even one wearing a helm. A close examination will show an unusual fungus that emits a faint red light covers the rock.
• 15 A small colony of Giant Rats have made their home in the side of a dirt mound. They will swarm an isolated member of the party if given the opportunity, but will avoid a large group. 34 Giant Rats: AC 7; MV 12”, Sw 6”; HD ½; hp 2 each; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1d3; SA disease; SZ T; ML 5-7; AL N; Int 3; XP 15. The mound is actually an old Saugathar burial chamber and the rats have unearthed a rotted necklace of copper beads worth 4,003cp. The copper is badly corroded and so it will have to be smelted before it can be useful.
• 16 An unusually large rabid mole attacks a party member near the front of the group. The mole is foaming at the mouth and is behaving very aggressively. The mole will continue to attack the nearest party member until all flee or it is slain. Rabid Mole: AC 6; MV 15”; HD 1; hp 8; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d2; SA disease; SZ S; ML 15; AL N; Int 1; XP 65. Each time the mole bites a PC, a saving throw versus poisons must be made. If the roll is failed the character will catch a deadly disease. He will suffer from dementia after 1d6 days and become berserk on a failed Wisdom roll. The victim will then lose one point of Con and Int per day until dead.
• 17 Contact with the underground dwellers has given some members of the party a serious disease against which they are unlikely to have immunity. Each player must make a saving throw versus poison with a -2 penalty to determine if they are infected. The onset of the symptoms is rapid once fully infected, but rarely lethal. The disease is carried by parasites that infest the unsanitary Saugathar. Large black patches under the skin mark the onset of the disease. Once the disease is cured, the victim gains immunity to further infection.
• 18 A small meadow appears in the forest of Giant Toadstools. Sharp eyes will detect what appears to be a fairy circle in the meadow - a circle of smaller toadstools on top of a mound. A detect magic spell will reveal fairy magic on the hill. However no amount of prying will get the residents to reveal themselves. (The DM may want to make an exception under special circumstances, in which case they will be visited by fairies.) This encounter will only occur once. Otherwise it is merely an “ordinary" cavern meadow.

Act IV - Tunnels of Fire

Climate/Terrain: Ice Elemental Plane
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Night
Diet: Carnivorous
Intelligence: Semi (2-4)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 
Armor Class: 6
Movement: 15”
Hit Dice: 3+3
THAC0: 17
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1d12+1
Special Attacks: screech
Special Defenses: special
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: M (4 ½’ long)
Morale: Average (8-10)
XP Value: 175

Climate/Terrain: Subterranean
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Night
Diet: Carnivorous
Intelligence: Average (8-10)
Treasure: L, M, O, (A)
Alignment: CE
No. Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 2
Movement: 15”
Hit Dice: 4+4
THAC0: 15
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/Attack: 1d2/1d2/1d4
Special Attacks: see below
Special Defenses: see below
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: S
Morale: Elite (13-14)
XP Value: 2,000

Climate/Terrain: Lava Elemental Plane
Frequency: Uncommon
Organization: Pack
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Minerals
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: Special
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 2-8
Armor Class: 3
Movement: 15” Fl (A)
Hit Dice: 1/2
THAC0: 20
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1d6
Special Attacks: Nil
Special Defenses: heat immunity
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: T (6” long)
Morale: Average (8-10)
XP Value: 35

Climate/Terrain: Lava Elemental Plane
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Servants
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Nil
Intelligence: Average (8-10)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1d4
Armor Class: 1
Movement: 9”, 1” Tunnel
Hit Dice: 3+3
THAC0: 17
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/Attack: 1d8/1d8/1d8
Special Attacks: burning touch
Special Defenses: regeneration
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: L (8’ tall)
Morale: Unsteady (5-7)
XP Value: 270

Climate/Terrain: Fire Elemental Plane
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Pack
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Any combustible
Intelligence: Animal (1)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-100
Armor Class: 5
Movement: 3”, 15” Fl C
Hit Dice: 1/4
THAC0: 20
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1
Special Attacks: Nil
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: T (6” long)
Morale: Unsteady (5-7)
XP Value: 7

Climate/Terrain: Fire Elemental Plane
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Pack
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Anything Combustible
Intelligence: Animal (2-4)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 2-12
Armor Class: 4/10
Movement: 12” Fl [A]
Hit Dice: 1+1
THAC0: 19
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1d8
Special Attacks: envelop, breath fire
Special Defenses: fire resistance
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: S (4’ long)
Morale: Unsteady (5)
XP Value: 270

Climate/Terrain: Subterranean
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Pack
Activity Cycle: Night
Diet: Carnivorous
Intelligence: Animal (2-4)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-8
Armor Class: 6
Movement: 12”
Hit Dice: 1
THAC0: 19
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 2-7
Special Attacks: Nil
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: S (4’ long)
Morale: Average (8-10)
XP Value: 15

Climate/Terrain: Subterranean
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Tribe
Activity Cycle: Night
Diet: Omnivorous
Intelligence: Special
Treasure: Q, (X)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
No. Appearing: 4-80 (4d20)
Armor Class: 9
Movement: 6”
Hit Dice: 1-1
THAC0: 20
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1-4 (by weapon)
Special Attacks: Nil
Special Defenses: mental link
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: S (4’ tall)
Morale: Average (8-10)
XP Value: 15
 Shamen: 35

Number of Vug	Intelligence  Shaman Spells	
  1                    2-4		
 2-3                   5-6		
 4-7                   7-8		
 8-15                   9         cure light wounds	
 16-31                  10        entangle, faerie fire	
 32+                    11        chant, obscurement