Ancient Secrets
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Author: Raphael Wanka
Homepage:
System: D&D Darksun
Type: Campaign
Category: Fantasy
Requirements: This adventure was made for a party of 3-5 PCs of 4-6 . There must be a preserver (or, he may be a p

Graphic: The Temple of the Moons
Graphic: Obelisk of the Souls
Graphic: Mech 1
Graphic: The Chamber of the Moons

It is extremely important that the character is human. The background does not need to be exactly this. You may modify to adapt it to your campaign. The important thing is that the PC have the amulet. This amulet is made of ceramic, engraved with eight little spheres of iron. Of course you may make them get this medallion from elsewhere, but... it would lose the felling, believes me. If this adventure will take part of an ongoing campaign, then you may put the medallion into their hands the way you wish.

Adventure I - The Fallen Star

Part 1 - Joining the Caravan:

*The adventure begins in the streets of the city of Nibenay. There is the rumor that the House of M'ke is hiring mercenaries to protect a caravan that is going to Tyr. They are paying 5cp per day! So much for a simple trip to Tyr, AND, for those who agree, they give food for the entire trip and a kank that the person may keep after the voyage. If the PCs join the caravan, good. Proceed in the next *. If not, then proceed with point ** bellow.

**When they are walking thought the streets, somebody calls their attention: It is Ernak, first son of the House (XXX). However, he is disguised to appear a beggar, but he is not so much careful, and his iron long sword appears behind his cloak. He also have a heave bag of money that is also poorly disguised. The idea is to make his stupid enough to get the players attention (the BAD attentions, it is). When they try to steal from him, he will give them a fight to the death. If they kill him, a templar came nearby and puts them under custody for killing the son of the House (XXX). Now, if they wish to run, let them, and make sure they escape. Perhaps now, with the templars searching for them, they may reconsider the idea of going with the caravan. (Substitute XXX for any Merchant House you desire)

*When they join the caravan, they notice they are the only mercenaries in the caravan. This may seem strange, but the master of the caravan (Leamhnach) say they are more than sufficient. He even says that, if they were to enter in a battle, they would receive an additional of 5 cp per day after the day the battle occurs. The caravan is formed by a pack of kanks. It is more quick to travel this way, and it appears the House M'ke have some hurry in the deliver of this goods. Salzor, the warrior master of this caravan is the one who will give the orders to the PCs. He will command the defensive tactics for walking in the desert. He have ten 2nd level fighters under his control, warriors of the House M'ke.

*The PCs may meet the other crew of the caravan:

• Leamhnach (Human, 8th level Psionicist/3th level Trader, LN) in fact the caravan master, have taken the preserver vows some time ago, and now work as a contact for the VA in the House of M'ke. He is a tall man, with blue eyes and gray hair. He is of some age now (55) but still is a strong man (STR 15) although not all that he was. He have two more middle level psinocists with him, to help in combat situations, and to make travel more easy (they psionically put the kanks in order and keep them in the way). These two are:
• Thoreor (Human, 6th level Psionicist, N)
• Yumalash (Human, 5th level Psionicist, N)
• Salzor (Human, 4th level Fighter, LN) is the master warrior of the caravan. He is the superior that will command the PCs while they are in the desert, traveling. He is a tall man, with a deep tan in his skin. His hair is of brown color, and he wear it short. His eyes are gray. He is very strong (STR 17) and very build up (CON 18). He may not be so intelligent (INT 9) but he has an incredible capacity of evaluate danger situations and choose the best way out of it (WIS 14). He has been working for House M'ke for over ten years now.
• Cadhla (Half-Elven, 2nd level thief, CG) is the girl who makes the food for the entire caravan. She is a little beautiful, have a long dark hair, and black eyes. If someone ever talks with her, this person will sense her sorrow for the lost of his husband. She talks of him sometimes, and possibly because of this lost, she have a sad face almost ever time.
• Rahna (Human, 13th level Ranger/15th level Preserver, NG) is the Veiled agent sent to keep one eye on the PCs. She is seeking the Preserver PC, and will try to be his friend. She is very beautiful, that is true. She have long, dark hair, and deep black eyes, feline in appearance. She carry the Bracers of Feline Fury . She knows about the prophecy, and will try to guard the Preserver PC and his companions until the Arcane Stone falls from the stars. If the PC who have the medallion shows it to Rahna, she will tell him that she have seen this symbol before. She says that her sister in Tyr wears the same symbol sometimes. The PC may get curious to meet her sister, and Rahna will lead him to meet her sister if the PC ask for it. Really, she will insist that the two meet. Anyway, she is going to Tyr to meet her sister, and stay in her house for some time.

*There are other people in the caravan, of course, but these are the most important. If this adventure is played immediately before The Master of Illusions then there will be assassins paid by a templar of Nibenay to kill them. These will be 10th level fighter / 13th level thieves. It will be a group of 6 of them.

*The trip should be fairly calm. If you wish, you can put some gith or some desert monsters to slow their movement, or only to make the trip fell more... Athansian. Anyway, they must reach Shazlim.

Part 2 - The Arcane Stone:

*After the trip, the PCs reach the village of Shazlim to get some supplies to continue the trip. They will spend one entire day at the village to feed the kanks and let them rest.

*So, this set, the day they spent in the village will run normally.

*As the night falls, a strange object falls from the sky. Read this to the Preserver PC. Note that when this occurs, Rahna will be with him:

Ask for a direction sense check and then continue only if the player is successful:

Even if the player does not pass the check, read this:

*So, if the PCs went to investigate, they can go. When they get into the place where it fell (somewhere in the middle of the Dragon's Bowl, but not much near the oasis) they see:

This rock is the Arcane Stone. It weights some 40 kilos (humm... 80 pounds?) and is very hot to carry immediately. So hot that it delivers 1d3 points of damage if someone touch it. If a water cleric have some spell to create some water or ice, perhaps he (or she) can down the temperature. The size of the stone is some 1 feet diameter, and 3 feet in length.

*Now the PCs have the stone. The stone is rugged and have a lot of little holes. One cannot penetrate those holes with nothing, cuz the holes take the form of a spiral, and one cannot see into those holes. The texture of the rock is like those of volcanic magma stone, with some black marble.

OK. This time I will reveal the plot early, cuz you must know it to conduct the adventure. You must know this story (do NOT read it to your players!!!)

*Seeing the rock, Rahna speaks:

*The rest of the trip is not calm. There were also some Hammanu’s assassins at the caravan. These warriors are going to try to steal the rock from them. The thief will try to steal the rock when they are not looking. The statistics for these NPCs are in the end of this file. It is a mul thief, so he will not be hindered by the weight of the rock. His chances to move silent and hide in shadows are 60% each. When they are sleeping, he will try to steal the rock. Second, if this fail, then they will try to kill them. The Bard will poison their food with poison type J (1-4 minutes, death or 20 damage). Third, if all fail, they will follow them into Tyr.

Part 3 - The Shadows of the Past:

*If the PCs reach the city of Tyr (alive that is) Rahna will insist that the Preserver PC meet her sister, for her sister may aid him with some spells and with some info on the medallion he wears. (Remember that Tyr is a free city now)

*Sylvia (Human, 12th level Preserver, CG) is Rahna’s sister that lives in Tyr. She lives in the Preserver District, in a big house (See the map in the file Map1.jpg)

*When they reach Sylvia’s house, they will meet Pharina, the majordomo of Sylvia (she is a noble, so she can afford such things). Pharina will say that her patron is not at home, but that they may wait in the living room (5) if they want.

*These are three followers of Hammanu, trying to kill the PCs and recover the rock. The one who jumped from the window is Freeke, a mul fighter. The other two are dual classed humans, fighter/psionic, and a fighter/defiler.

*If the PCs does not get out of this alive, then Hammanu gets the Arcane Stone and proceeds to lure someone good to approach the door and get the Chrono Rod for him.

*If they kill their enemies, then their bodies dissolves in clouds of black smoke (Hammanu is watching, and if they die, he teleports them away).

*Sylvia is grateful for that they have kill the intruders:

*Pharina will came, after some minutes to tell the PCs their home is ready. They may go upstairs to sleep for the night, or may enjoy the fire of the fireplace in the Living Room. For those PCs who like to read, Sylvia have a minor library. There is no spell books or anything like that there.

*The PC may decide to show Sylvia the amulet:

*If they show the Arcane Stone to Sylvia, he says:

The objective here is that the PCs leave it with Sylvia. It is important to the story. You can try to convince them saying the stone is too heavy to carry around, and it will only damper them in their advance to the temple.

*Sylvia will try to convince the PCs to go. If they really does not want to go there, then the campaign ends here. However, if they are cooperative and want to go there, then proceed with the second adventure.

New Magical Item:

This itens are always found in pairs. Each bracer is a well done item, make of Tigone's furred skin, fixed to the wrists by two iron rings. They don't magicaly adjust themselves to the user, so a bracer for a feminine wrist won't fit in the wrist of a mul. One of the bracers have magical powers. The other have psionic powers. One doesn't function if it is kept far away from the other.

Magical Bracer: This bracer gives these permanent magic abilities: Jump, Speak with the Animals (cats), Infravision. Aditionaly, it also gives two points in the user's Dexterity.

Psionic Bracer: It have 100 PSP, MTHAC0 of 15, and have the following psionical powers: Animal Afinity (Tigone), Cat's Falling, Danger Sense.

Adventure II- The Temple of the Moons

Part 1 - The trip:

*This adventures starts with the PCs making sure their things are ready to start a trip to the sand wastes 30 miles north of the village of Kled.

*The trip should not be calm. Some minor monsters or even some of Hammanu’s warriors may be following them. You may choose to use the stats for Hammanu’s warrior presented in the Appendix I or you may want to make your own customized encounters. If they survive the trip, then continue bellow.

Part 2 - The Temple:

*When the trip ends, they encounter a great temple, build of black marble. The door to the temple only opens if the wearer of the medallion (the guy from the early background) shows it in front of the door. The amulet will shine and the door will open.

This inscription is engraved in the entrance of the temple, but only someone with Ancient Languages can translate that. If there is nobody with that proficiency in the party, they will have to figure out what to do, without any help.

Locations on the Map:

1) Bedrooms of the Worshipers: This ancient bedroom have seen better days. Each one have a bed, a little altar. In this altar, there is two spheres, one bigger than the other. These spheres are made of white marble and are there to represent the moons, Ral and Guthay. There is an inscription engraved in the altar. To someone with ancient languages this reads: "Worshiper of the Moons - Be your power measured by your faith, and that your faith be eternal." There is also a white robe with the Moons embroidered in the chest.

2) Kitchen: This great room have a caldron in one of the corners of the room. There is also a central table, and great boxes were left in one side of the room. A fool smell comes from this boxes. There is a box with covers left in the central table. There are empty barrels along one of the corners. If someone search on the boxes, he found lots of putrid food and lots of Athansian Rats:

3) Dinning Room: This great hall has great tapestries by the walls. In this tapestries are woven the moons, and some warriors. These warriors are wearing some black leather armor and wielding swords. Others are dressed in black, wielding puckis on their hands, and covering their faces with black clothing. In the center of the room there is a great table with 12 places.

4) Avanger’s Bedrooms: These great bedroom obviously belonged to more important people than those that you encountered near the entrance of this place. There is a great bed, that appears to be very comfortable. A great cupboard is near the wall, and there are either black leather armors with the moons embroidered, or black clothes with the moon embroidered. There is a little altar on the other side of the room, with runes engraved around the marbled spheres that represent the moons. With Ancient Languages one can read these inscriptions: "Glory and Power to those who worship the moons. Fall the kings from their positions and be the liberty reached in this day." With this spheres are the weapons form those that one day worshipped the moons.

5) Armory: In this room, there are many bladed weapons. Long swords, short swords, boomerangs, puchiks, and others. There are no iron weapons by here. If someone make a secret passages verification an is successful, then he discover a little button. If pressed, then they hear stone moving somewhere in the temple. The passage to 6 is open now.

6) Magical Weapon’s Room: This room may only be open by the mechanism in room 5. In this room PCs will encounter a long sword +1 and a puchik +1. Ancient magic make this bone weapons more strong than common bone weapons. These weapons only break if a 1 is rolled when checking for weapon breakage chance. (Note: In my campaign, this is a very useful quality cause I use a different rule for weapons breakage. In my campaign, the rule is: you break a weapon when you roll maximum damage on the dice damage of your weapon. Then you roll 1d20. The chance for your weapon to break is 1 + your strength damage bonus. So, if your character have +5 of damage bonus cause of high strength then if you roll a number from 1-6 in 1d20, the weapon will break. For weapons made of wood, you add +2 to the damage bonus of strength.)

7) The Planetary: This great hall have huge columns along the wall. These columns connect the ground to the ceiling. Along this columns, there are ancient drawings that denotes the moon’s phases. Someone with Astrology may discover that in the first two columns the phases of the moons are the same as those in the last night of the year. The second columns denotes the phases for the moons of the middle of the year. The third columns denotes a strange phase of the moons. This phase is not important to the peoples of Athas, but they are VERY important to the Society of the Moons. These are the phase of the moons when the Great Obelisk will come from beneath the Silt Sea. They may discover it searching into the Library (12). There is two great spheres of marble floating near the ceiling of the room. These spheres represent the moons. They move in the same way as the moons outside. When it is day, the spheres are very near the ground.

8) The Training Room: in this room there are many straw dummies. There are various shelves along the walls, where one can see many wood weapons. A fool smell of death surround the place. There are Lunar Zombies guarding this room. They wield metal weapons, but these weapons evaporates with them when they die.

9) The Moons: intact, in this room, there is a glass ceiling. One can see the sky from here. It appears to be a very strange room, with no true purpose related to it. There is a strange pedestal that is hollow. There is space to put something square into it. There are two great tigers guarding the entrance of the room by inside. They are facing the pedestal. Here is were the enigma of the entrance fits. When the stone of location 13 is placed in the pedestal, and the teeth of location 12 is inserted in the mouth of the cat in the right (note: when then first enter in the room, if someone looks at the right tiger, this person will see that there is a canine teeth missing in the great marbled cat), and the sky is red (in the morning) and the black veil encountered with the teeth is placed upon the stone in the pedestal (putting it to sleep) the left tiger will open its mouth, revealing a wand that will open location 10 when someone approaches the door (the door is marked by a beautiful engrave of a marvelous sword, with the moons as background).

10) The Guardian of the Moons: In this room, there is a Guardian Spirit watching the entrance. He can only be damaged by magical weapons and magic attacks (like Magic Missile, Magical Stone, or other magic attacks). Remember that there are magical weapons in the room 6.

If they kill the spirit, they can take the Sword of the Moons. A sacred magical item of the Avengers of the Moons. This sword is made of an alloy of silver and iron, making a very strange, but strong metal. In the blade, there are some ancient runes, that say: "Guardian of the Moons - Your eternal quest will be glorious!". This sword is +3, and have some secret powers, that were lost in time. If magic is detected, it only shows very little magic, and if identified, it appears like a sword +1.

11) The Treasure’s Room: In this rooms is stored the treasures of the temple. Nothing of very much value to a common person. Necklaces of marble, made for the worshipers of the moons (the most close thing athansians ever had to a rosary). There are two ivory boxes, protected by a Fire Trap (1d4+12 of damage). This boxes have 50 silver pieces on each. They also guard a +1 ring of protection and a ring with the moons depicted on it. This ring has a magic, but no identify spell can reveal what the magic does. In this rooms there are also a cloak of protection +2, and a wand of lighting (15 charges).

12) The Library: In this room, there are shelves, full of books. There are books talking about prayers, and songs to the moons. There are also books of magic (the avengers see those as sacred books, not as grimoires). To a preserver, who does not know about the techniques of self-defiling, this appears to be a defiler’s book of magic. There is a secret door, hidden by a shelf, that is opened by a false book on that shelf. This hidden door leads to location 13. If someone searches hardly, he encounter a stone teeth wrapped in a black veil.

13) The Stone of the Moons: One can only reach this room if he wears the strange ring encountered on 11. That ring activates the teleport (seen in the map). In the other side, there is the stone designed to fit in the pedestal in location 9. When someone touches the stone, this person will be affected by an ancient spell of protection cast in the stone. If the person does not save vs magic with a -5, then the person loses one level. This person forgot everything new he has learned in the last level (including recent techs and spells). He does not forget what he was doing when he came to this room, nor why he is here, and who is his friends. This effect is permanent, but can de dispelled by a Heal spell.

Part 3 - The news never end?

*This adventure ends when the PCs get the Sword of the Moons. This sword can open the door of the Chamber of the Moons. Of course the PCs does not know that. They will discover it in adventure 3.

*When the PCs get back to Sylvia’s house, she will be on her office:

*When they show the Sword they get in the temple:

*When they reach the Tavern of the Red Kank, continue in adventure 3.

Adventure III- The Obelisk of the Souls

Part 1 - The Tavern of the Red Kank:

*When the players reach this tavern, and they meet the barman:

*The barman is called Tressman (Human, 5th level Fighter, N) and he says that the box was delivered by a tall person, in a black robe. He could not see his face, but the voice was quite strong, almost powerful. The person was all wrapped in old, black, desert rags. He can say nothing more about the person.

*In the box, there is a gold ring. There are inscriptions in the ring. If someone with ancient languages try to decipher it, he will read the words "open door". There are more things, but the player can translate nothing more. If they try to sell it, the ring will bring them some 1000 cp.

*Mourn (Human, 10th level preserver, NG)is seated in a chair in the back:

*In the same time, they hear some rumors (this can reach the players, any way you want, be it Sylvia who told them or any other way. In the actual campaign, the bard was told by one of his contacts when he asked for the news rumors running around)

*The rumors says that the winds of the deserts uncovered some strange ruins around the region of the city of Yaramuke. It is said it was an obelisk. A strange obelisk. One that has the color of the Moons and is engraved with inscriptions no person has ever seen! They say it is magical inscriptions! What could it be? What does that mean?

*Whoever this person that tell them is, this person will also tell them, more or less the exact location (25 miles north of the city of Yaramuke).

*Continue on part 2.

Part 2 - The Obelisk of the Souls:

*When the players reach the obelisk, let them make their actions. When one of them try to search for something, then read this:

*If any of them try to read the strange inscriptions on the stone of the obelisk, ask for a check of Spellcraft. If the spell caster pass the check, then reveal to him:

*The door opens when someone puts the gold ring on the finger. If they remove it, the door closes, instantly. Read this:

*The players enter in the obelisk in location 1. The picture of the Obelisk on the map, show this.

*The slope in location 1 is very slippery, and they won’t be able to only walk to the end of the slope. They will only be able to slide until they meet the "door" in the end of the slope. However, almost in the end of the slope, there is a Trap. This trap will be activated if they slide over it. If they dodge it, nothing happens. To dodge the trap, ask for a saving troll against death. If they pass, they live and nothing happens. If they does not pass, then they will be impaled on the spikes that will growth in the end of the slope, in the surface of the "door". If you does not want to kill a PC, then assumes that the spikes deliver 5d6 damage.

*However, if your PCs are clever enough to bring a rope and tie it to a inix, that they have to serve as mounts, then they can go down easily. Give them additional XP if they have this idea. Remember that a thief can try to walk down with his Climbing walls maneuver. Adjust the chance for a slippery surface and have the thief make the check. *The door to location two, is heavily barred. Only someone with strength 19 or more can try to make a open door check to open these. Alternatively, the door is made by stone. Creative minds can think on nice use to spells to make the door cooperate. Stone Shape, as for example, can easily make the door open.

*The tunnel that follow is still inclined in the same degree of inclination shown in the map. Curiously enough, the PCs are able to walk normally in this passage.

*In the end of the passage, there is another slope. It appears to them like a hole in the ground. The map shows it quite clear how it should appear to the PCs.

*The slope on location three is also trapped, although now the trap is on the two sides of the slope. It is difficult to avoid this trap, so the saving troll against death is made with a -2 negative modifier in this time. If they don’t pass the check, either they die impaled in the spikes or they take 5d6 damage.

*This was the last slope. Location 4, now, is another inclined corridor. In the end of the corridor, there is a huge door, with the two moons engraved on it.

*Again, this door is made of stone, and the same means they used on the door that leaded to location two would fit here.

*Location 5 is a huge, immense spherical chamber. In the center of the chamber, there is a huge column that connects the roof to the ground of the chamber. This column is thinner in the center and larger in the edges, and is more or less cylindrical in shape. The chamber is lightened by the glowing of several runes in the wall. Those are ancient runes, and even the spell caster of the group cannot reveal anything from them (truth is that they are runes for a 10th level spell, so the character will never know nothing of it)

*A detailed search in this column reveals that there is a mechanism somewhere to open a little door engraved on the stone (much like the first one)

*A second inspection of the room reveal a mechanism like the one pictured bellow:

*It would be nice if you actually make three bigger circles of paper, cut them apart and give to your PCs to try to solve this puzzle. The places pictured on the drawn are actually the puzzle solved. Someone with Ancient History will know that those are the runes for Beginning of the year (north) Ending of the year (south) Ral (right) and Guthay (left). The positions of the moons they can try by a check of Astrology, or by guessing. Remember that the two stones (the one with the runes and the other with the moons move, so they can have various combinations, since each stone can be placed in eight different positions.

*After they solve this puzzle, they hear the sound of stone moving and the little door open, revealing a box of ivory. When they touch it, The runes glow even brighter, and a powerfull, dangerous Greater Guardian Yugoloth appears on the Chamber. This monster is described on page 371 of the Monstrous Manual.

This demon will try to kill every one, and will fight until it is dead or there are no more enemies, or the box is safe in its place again.

*When the PCs kill the monster, they can have the box. The box is made of ivory, and engraved with runes. With ancient languages, one can read the words "Dangerous entity, do not broke this seal".

*On truth, this obelisk is the one in witch Hammanu imprisoned the souls of the Council of Eight of the Society of the Moons. If anyway, they broke the box, then read this:

*What follows here is some sort of FAQ. However, these are the questions the players can probably do to Keletar, and these are the answers he will give when questioned. Of course players can ask other things, and you will have to create answers for those questions.

Q: What is your name?

A: My name is Keletar, Leader of the ancient Council of Eight of the Society of the Moons.

Q: What was the Society of the Moons?

A: The society was the most powerful force against the slavery of the Sorcerer Kings. We were an ancient group of warriors that fought for the ideals of the goodness for all. Unfortunately, we were defeated.

Q: Who imprisoned you?

A: King Hammanu, the Lion of Urik, Ruler of the World. It was he who discovered our plot and imprisoned us here.

Q: What was your plot?

A: Well, in ancient times we discovered a very powerful artifact, called the Chrono Rod. This rod have amazing powers, it could change the flow of time and alter the reality! We wished we could use it to go back in time and kill the one who create magic, so Athas would be restored to his former splendor of a green world, thriving with life!

Q: Who was the creator of magic?

A: He who was know as the Warbringer, the First Sorcerer, whose name was Rajaat. He was evil in bone and flesh, with powers beyond any mortal ever dream. However, if we could fulfill my plan, and go back in history before he created magic, then e had a chance to kill him.

Q: What you can tell us about this sword?

A: This is the Moons Sword. It is a very powerful weapon, use it wisely. It was created by the original founder of the Society, very much time ago. The blade is made of a special alloy, reflecting the shining of the moons. Isn’t it beautiful the way it shines under the moonlight? The full powers of this blade, however, may only be used by an Avenger, the elite warriors of our Society. But... I see there is someone of my blood among you. Ah, there. You (he points to the PC who bears the necklace) is my descendant. Beware child. Hammanu will come for you. He is sending his serves to kill you and your friends. But have the right to wields the Moons Sword against him. Do it child, do it and honor our ancient goals of liberty for all!

Q: What are, exactly, the powers of the sword?

A: To this question I cannot answer. The powers that this sword wields are immense. I have no doubt ye will use them for a just cause, but I cannot risk that ye are defeated and the secrets fall in the hands of those who would use those powers with evil intentions.

*When they finish their questions, Keletar will give his last words:

*On truth, this light gives each of them, one additional point in his prime requisites. However, if this will take the score beyond racial limit, then the person gains 3 more hit dices to roll for his hit points. First, only tell the PC to roll the appropriated dices, but does not reveal what it was for. Identically, does not reveal to the PCs who gained the point that his score was boosted. Only tell them that their character never felt as he is now (in the case of a mage, he never felt so intelligent, in the case of a fighter, he never felt so powerful, etc etc). When it seems to you that it is appropriated, reveal to them what was really that light. If you does not desire to give points of attributes or hit points, then give some XP, like some 10% additional to what each one will receive in the end of the adventure.

Part 3 - Ending this adventure:

*This adventure end when they return to Sylvia’s house. When there, Sylvia will be waiting for them, and will reveal to them that she found that the orb was some sort of tracker. She does not know what this artifact was supposed to track, but it is pointing northeast.

*This apparatus is pointing to the Chamber of the Moons, where the Chrono Rod is hidden. Now that they have the sword and the device to track the Chamber, they will easily found the way to it.

*The campaign now continue in adventure 4 when this campaign meets its end.

Adventure IV- The Chamber of the Moons

Part 1 - Tracking the Chamber:

*In the first part of this adventure, the players are tracking the Chamber of the Moons.

*The Chamber actually is located 10 miles southwest of the unnamed mountain island situated southwest of the Isle of Bones. Yeah! In the middle of the Sea of Silt.

*You should put the strongest Hammanu’s followers in the way of the PCs. This tracking voyage should not be calm!

*When they come near the shore, the track device will start to glow more intensely. Then, it will explode in a burst of magical, blue energy and the Chamber of the Moons will come out of the silt, extending a bridge for them to pass. The chamber is a strange building, high, and depicted bellow. It may appear that the temple is red. However, this is not true. The temple is made of black marble, but in the picture it is painted of red because it is how it looks like in dawn (washed in the red light of the dying sun).

*When they came across the bridge, there is another thing to do: open the doors to the chamber. This can be accomplished by showing the sword to the door, lifting it high with your right hand. The door will open.

Part 2 - Inside the Chamber of the Moons:

*Remember that all of the rooms of the temple have 6x6x6 (meters) of area. However, the map is not drawn exactly, and perhaps it may appear that one room is larger than others. This is not true. Note that they will not explore the entire chamber of the moons, only level 1. This create hooks to other adventures, when they will have to return here for some reason, or if you wish, the exploration to the chamber can end with this adventure.

*The Entrance Hall (1): This is a huge hall. It is very beautiful, made of black marble, doted with little white points, making the impression you are floating on the sky of the night. The two great circles of white marble, fixed in the wall, in the opposite direction of the entrance door, have inscriptions on them, and complements the impression of being floating in the night sky. For someone with Ancient Languages, the inscriptions read: "If you are not prepared for the perils beyond, take the right door."

*The Hall of the Beginners (3) : This hall is also made of the same black marble, and have the same dimensions of the other rooms. There are an altar in this room, with three distinct things to do. There are three stone steps until you reach the altar. When you reach the altar, there is a bowl with water in it. There is a clean towel and there is a silver knife. There is a rite engraved in the moon’s panels behind the altar (the panel is a circle of white marble, symbolizing the moons). To someone with Ancient Languages, this read:

This means that the person must cut himself with the silver knife, and let the blood spill in the water bowl, and then wash his hands in the red water that results. The person can dry his hands in the towel in the altar, but in no other towel. When this person dry his hands, and complete the ritual successfully, then the water will clean itself, there will be no blood on the knife and the towel will be clean again. And this will repeat until the last person in the group do the ritual. This ritual energize the hands of the persons, to be able to open the door to location 2.

*The Way of the Moons (2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8): Each of this locations is described bellow in high details. This way must be followed by the PCs to get into the chamber. To those who think they are smart and try to phase thought the walls, or use any other spell or psionics to do so, they will discover a sad fact. The walls cannot be walked trough. Anyone who tries will get 3d6 of damage, and the spell/psionic will fail. They get a lightning shock in their bodies and cannot pass.

Location 2 - The door to this room will only open if the PCs have passed on the ritual of room 3. If not, the first to touch the door will be struck by a bright bean of light. This has the same effect of a Blind spell (wizard spell of 2nd level). The way to open this door is only touch it with your energized hand. The spell on the door will open the door. If they pass, and are inside the chamber, they will see two great statues. These are statues of demons (Vrocs actually) if there is someone with them that is not good or neutral aligned (evil aligned) then these Vrocs attack. If not, they are only true statues and they may pass.

Location 4 - In this room there is a pool. The water falls from marbled heads in the shape of a lizard, placed on the walls, and mysteriously disappears (on truth, there is a hole that cannot be seen just from looking though. It is fixed on the walls, inside the pool). This pool is 4x6x2 (meters) just as shown in the map. To pass thought this room, they must swim, or fly above the pool. In this room, however, no spell functions, except those related to water, like Water Breathing, Airy Water, and such and such. If they get into the pool, two water elementals appear.

In ancient times, this was a place for purification of the body, but since that time, the chamber of the moons was corrupted and nothing more functions as it should.

Location 5 - In this room, there is a huge fireball guarding the door to continue (The circle in the front of the door). This is actually, an illusion (Who could have cast it? Sertan? Ehehehhe) and the first person to step thought it will be well and undamaged, however this person will still fell the hot of the illusion, and will take 1d3 of damage per round. The door is stuck, and they must try a strength check to open the door. Remember that each round they spend without success will deliver on then 1d3 damage.

In ancient times, this was the place to commune with the fire, to clean your soul. The worshipers of the moons does not take the damage as painful, but instead, they think the hot fire were cleaning them of any impurities of the world they were leaving behind them.

Location 6 - Now this is the place to get rid of this +3 sword they are carrying. In this room, there are 8 sharp, transparent, pointed crystals, each one in each corner of the room. There is a pedestal in the center, with a crack of the exact size to insert a sword’s blade. Each sword they put that is not the Sword of the Moons, will disintegrate. When they put the sword in it’s place, it will shoot eight beans of light, that will reflect in the eight crystals, and open the door. If they take the sword out of it’s place again, then the door will close.

Location 7 - This room emanates strong winds. When they enter, they will see that the wall in the opposite side of the door will grow spikes. They will have to make two strength check to leave the room with their lives. This check has no modifiers and the failure is 3d6 of damage, and they will have to start again, having to make two checks. The door is opened as soon as they enter in this room.

This was a test of courage and strength. Only the strong and brave of heart may survive the winds of fury and enter the Hall of the Moons.

Location 8 - This is a black room, marbled exactly as the others. The black marble, however, appears to be alive within this room. The white spots glows as stars in the sky, and the room more than gives the impression of being floating in the night sky. You are TRULY floating! The persons can no more fell the ground behind their feet, and two cosmic elementals attack.

If you are wondering WHERE are these cosmic elementals fully described, be warned that they aren’t! I created these monsters to use specially in this campaign. However, nothing say that you cannot use it in your own campaign. The full status of this monster is in the end of this module, in Appendix II: New Monsters.

*The Hall of the Moons: after accomplishing the Way of the Moons and passing all the tests, the PCs may enter in the Hall. Continue on part 3, that describes the Hall in full details.

Part 3 - The Hall of the Moons:

*Being the center of the Chamber, the Hall of the Moons is where the Chrono Rod have been hidden for the last centuries. Now that it have returned, Hammanu cannot let it fall on the PC’s hands.

*The room is immense. It appears larger than it really is (perhaps by the touch of infinity given by the black marble). In the center of the room, after a three steps white marbled ladder, there is a column of blue energy, guarding the Rod.

*To get the rod, they only must touch the barrier. The energy kept on their hand from the ritual in room 3 will let them dispell the energy barrier and let the Rod fall on their hands. In this moment, Hammanu appears:

*Ask for a wisdom check. If the player that is holding the Rod pass (remember that anyone could have the rod, since everyone washed their hands on room 3 and anyone had the power to broke the seal) then a shimmering, black portal appears in the room.

*This is very important. This decides if the PC will live or will die now! Ask for a strength and a dexterity checks. If the PC pass in both, then read the text marked in ** bellow. If he does not pass in any of them, read the text in ***. If he pass on strength but not in dexterity, read the text marked with ****. If he pass on dexterity only then read the text marked *****.

** (Complete success)

The contens of the box is you who decide. There is at least one reward for each one. Perhaps a powerful spell unknown to the mage, a psionic bracer for the psionicist, a gem that gives the cleric one more spell per level to cast, a sword +2 for the fighter, or anything you would like to give to them. If the reward is too big, then say that she points to a chest in the room and that they would be welcome to take everything on there.

*** (Complete Failure)

****(Partial failure)

*****(Partial success)

This is almost the same ending as before, but you should give them a little less powerful treasure than you would give if they have done everything right. No, not as a form to punish them because they does not follow your line, but because they don’t truly destroyed the artifact. As it is an artifact, it will return some day, somewhere... perhaps in the future...

*Well... the adventure ends here. The following pages are the two appendixes I mentioned in the text. Appendix I talks about the pre-generated followers of Hammanu that you can put anywhere in the adventure to slow down the PCs, or to annoy them. Appendix II have the New Monsters I created for this adventure, in the case of this adventure, only one monster is shown, the Cosmic Elemental.

Appendix I - Followers of The Lion of Urik

*Note that the race of the templars, defilers and psionicists vary wildly. You can even throw against them some Half Drakes. This would make a great surprise for them!

Appendix II - New Monsters

Climate/Terrain: Any dark space

Frequency: Very rare

Organization: Solitary

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Activity Cycle: Any

Diet: Cosmic energy

Intelligence: Low (5)

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Treasure: nil

Alignment: neutral

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No of appearing: 1-4

Armor Class: 2

Movement: 24 flying(A)

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Hit Dice: 8/12/16

THAC0: 12/8/4

No of Attacks: 1

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Damage/Attack: 3d8

Special Attack: Cosmic Energy Bolt

Special Defenses: can only be hit by +2 weapons

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Magic Resistance: none

Size: L

Morale: Champion (15)

XP Value: 2000

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Appearance: The Monster appear to be no more than a vaguely shaped human with black skin, with small white points on it symbolizing stars. It is incorporeal, and cannot be hit by common weapons. It has two great white stars as his eyes. _____________________________________________________________________

Combat: In combat, this elemental strikes with a huge fist made of little stars, that deliver electrical damage, for a great discharge of 5d8. If the target is immune to lightning, then it get only half of the damage. It can also attack with a powerful Cosmic Energy Bolt. This bolt deliver 5d8x2 points of damage, and can be completely avoided if the target is immune to electrical damage.

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