Q1

A. The Kingdom Of Caer Sidi

The doorway looks out from the edge of a thickly overgrown garden of drooping weeds and gnarled, rotting, mildewed trees. Through the trees, the beginnings of a neatly manicured lawn can be seen approximately 200 feet away. The grass extends as far as the eye can see and is dotted with orderly copses and bright flowerbeds.

About a quarter of a mile away atop a small hill stands a small castle, its tall turrets showing fluttering pennons in the light breeze. Its walls are ivory in shadow and glisten slightly with rainbow colors where the light strikes. Many windows pierce the upper stories, making the structure seem lacy thin. An artificial twilight seems to hang over the land and the sun is apparently always behind a bank of clouds.

This is the Kingdom of Caer Sidi. The land is ruled by a group of elves, neutral (with evil tendencies) in alignment. Calling themselves the Pharisees, they form the ruling class. Other creatures in the land include their occasional allies (hobgoblins, gnomes, and trolls), their servants and slaves (dwarves, orcs, gnomes, and kobolds), and all manner of wild, mythological beasts (unicorns, griffons, dragons, manticores, and so forth).

The Pharisees are highly self-oriented and sophisticated. This will often cause them to do what might be seen as evil acts for the "good of all" (themselves in particular). They will, when needed, ally with the evil races to protect their Kingdom and position. Privately, they practice and relish emotion but never develop a deep attachment for any individual thing or creature. They are often seen as haughty and cold.

Due to some unknown power of the land, the Pharisees cannot stand the touch of iron or steel. Any of these elves struck by a cutting weapon of iron or steel will suffer 1-6 points of damage in addition to the normal weapon damage. The elves also do not like to handle silver, although this will not bum them as does iron or steel. Because of this, all armor, weapons, and necessary metal goods are made from copper, brass, bronze, or other alloys with a strength equal to steel. The majority of this work is done by dwarven or goblin slaves, and is all performed with great craftsmanship.

The gate is at the edge of an evil forest where Lolth is attempting to invade this world. Any creatures not under Lolth's command who come through the gate will automatically be attacked before they leave the forest.

Use the Lolth's Forest encounter table to determine the attackers. For every turn after the first that an intruder remains in the forest, there is a 1 in 4 chance of having an encounter. If the intruding party leaves the forest, they will automatically have an encounter in 1-4 turns. Use the Kingdom of Caer Sidi table to determine the type of encounter. Thereafter there is a 1 in 6 chance of encounters every 2 turns.

The Kingdom is ruled by Duke Alfric, an elven (pharisee) fighter/wizard levels 7/11 (AC -6, hp 57, S 18, I 18, W 13, D 16, C 16, CH 17, +2 sword—detects invisible, +3 plate mail, +3 shield, +2 ring of protection, wand of magic missiles) and his consort

Meriven, a 14th level elven thief (AC —1, hp 36, S 15, I 16, W 10, D 18, C 12, CH 17, +1 dagger, +2 sling of seeking, cloak of elvenkind, dust of appearance, bracers of defense AC 3) from their castle on the hill.

With them abide 70 elven fighters of levels 1-6. Alfric also maintains armies on campaign, watching his dubious allies.

Lolth's gate is relatively new to this world, and Alfric is watching it carefully. Both he and Lolth hope to use the other for their own ends. Aifric is uncertain as to how well he can trust Lolth or his own chaotic evil allies; therefore, he acts with care. Any adventurers who arrive in the Kingdom are brought before Alfric eventually, so that he may decide their worth.

If both sides are friendly, Alfric will propose an alliance for the purpose of destroying or harming Lolth. To prove his good faith, he will offer up to 3 minor miscellaneous magic items for the party's use on their expedition: +3 ring of protection, wand of illumination, girdle of giant strength (frost).

If the DM should choose to use other items they should be in the 1,000-2,000 x.p. range. The DM should be careful not to offer books or other items that may unbalance the game.

Should the party try to attack Alfric or his domain, he will capture them (if possible) and offer them to Lolth for her amusement.

Lolth's Forest Kingdom Of Caer Sidi

(see below for explanations of encounters)

Die roll / Encounter / Number appearing

01-20 Bugbears (3-30)

21-40 Gargoyles (4-16)

41-70 Gnolls (10-60)

71-95 Minotaurs (4-9)

96-00 Ogres (2-20)

01-50 Scouting party (1)

51-60 Aerial patrol (1)

61-80 Knights (1-3)

81-85 Unicorns (1-4)

86-90 Manticores (1-3)

91-95 Gardeners (1-6)

96-00 Hunting party (1)

Scouting party: A party will be composed of six 1st level fighters and one fighter/magic-user levels 3/3. They will be mounted 50% of the time. Foot scouts are armed, with 2 javelins and a longsword. Mounted scouts carry lance, mace, and longsword. If attacked within sight of the castle, scouting parties will be reinforced (see Knights, below) in 1-3 turns. Scouting parties will try to avoid combat if possible.

Aerial patrol: These patrols consist of 2-5 7th level fighters (knights), 2-12 1st level fighters, and one fighter/wizard levels 5/5. All will be individually mounted on griffons. Aerial parties will fly to the castle if overmatched, and will usually avoid combat.

Knights: Knights are 7th level fighters. Whether as a reinforcement or an encounter, each knight will be accompanied by a 5th level fighter (a squire) and ten 1st level fighters. All will be mounted and armed with lance, battle axe, and longsword. Each will be wearing plate mail and shield. Knights will not avoid combat if attacked, but will send for reinforcements.

Unicorns: These creatures will be grazing on the open lawns, and will avoid encounters if possible.

Manticores: There is a 50% chance that the 1-3 manticores will be pursued by a hunting party (see below).

Gardeners: A group of gardeners will consist of 1-6 dwarven slaves herding 21-24 sheep which, by grazing, trim the lawn to an even height. These dwarves will be very humble and obsequious if spoken to. They live in fear of their elven masters, but will not generally support attempts to overthrow them. They will have much "low court" gossip to tell, but little useful knowledge.

Hunting party: A hunting party will be a mixture of court people and servants. There will be 2-8 knights (7th level fighters), 1-3 fighter/wizards (levels 3-6 in each), 1-4 thieves (levels 4-9), and 11-20 Pharisees, both male and female. There will be a number of servants (dwarves and orcs) equal to the number of elves, 20-30 dogs and 0-3 falcons.

The party will be cheerful and pleasant, but may decide to hunt strangers at a whim. They will always remain in sight of the castle, and will be reinforced by 3-8 knights if attacked.

B. The Frozen Lands

Through this doorway, the party will be looking out the entrance of a cave. The gate appears to be about twenty feet inside the cave, the entrance of which is about 10' wide. Through that opening can be seen a raging snowstorm which intermittently breaks to reveal windswept rocks and looming mountains. The cave itself is dark, and little can be seen of it other than the floor (which is covered by snow and ice).

This gate opens into one of Lolth's more successful campaigns. Situated at the end of a frozen mountain chain hundreds of miles long, Lolth has been using this area as a base before sending her armies to conquer the warmer human lands beyond. Stockades, where Lolth's creatures reside, are each separated by one day's march through the mountains, progressively closer to the lands that Lolth wishes to conquer. These forts provide food and shelter for her troops enroute to the border.

If the characters enter this land, they will immediately notice that the temperature is well below freezing, and the air is further chilled by a 30 mph wind. Travel without adequate clothing or magical protection from the elements will invariably result in death from exposure within 12 hours. In a snowbank just inside the cave, however, are hidden bundles of fur-lined clothing, food, wood, and mountain gear, which the party may find and use.

Travel by night is impossible due to the howling winds, dangerous paths, crevasses, avalanches, and monsters. Dawn will arrive six hours after the party enters through the gate, at which time the storm will break. A clear but difficult pathway winds from the cave to a fort in a valley 6 miles away. Thereafter, forts are located every 5 miles along the path. The border of the human lands is 75 miles away. Each fort will have in its treasury 20-200 sp, 20-80 ep, and 10-30 gp per occupant. Each fort will have a ring of warmth and 2-8 potions from the following list: extra healing, healing, human control, white dragon control.

Those forts closest to the gate will be sparsely populated, as Lolth has a firm control over this area. Typically, there will be a few bugbears and ogres, possibly with a frost giant commander.

These creatures will generally not venture outside of the fort. All forts are stocked with ample supplies of food and clothing. Forts closer to the borderlands will hold more and more troops as Lolth prepares for her attack. While on the path, encounters are checked every 3 hours (a 1 in 6 chance), and are determined using the following chart:

Die roll / Monster / Number appearing

01-15 Bugbears (6-15)

16-18 White dragons (1-3)

19-25 Ettins (1-4)

26-35 Winter wolves (2-16)

36-50 Frost giants (1-4)

51-65 Yetis (1-6)

66-75 Gnolls (6-13)

76-80 Wolfweres (1-6)

81-95 Ogres (6-9)

96-00 Remorhaz (1)

C. The Great Ocean

The doorway is set on a white, sandy beach broken by grotesque outcroppings of volcanic rock. One or two purple-black tulip-like flowers sprout from the base of these rocks. The sky is saffron yellow and the sun is a pale bright blue; a pink ocean 100' away washes gently over the sand. To the left and right, along the curve of the land, can be seen the silhouettes of palm-like trees. This gate is actually on an island 5 miles In diameter, one of the few land areas on a planet of ocean.

The great ocean ranges for thousands of miles and varies from tropical conditions (like those found here) to arctic (at its extremes). Here, Lolth has been recruiting ixitxachitl, lacedon, morkoths, and kopoacinths. She hopes to use these in her campaign to defeat the dominant human race, a migratory sea people. These humans sail the ocean in great catamarans to carry the trade of their vast mercantile empire from island city to island city.

Encounters on the shore should be checked every 6 turns (a 1 in 6 chance). At sea, encounters should be checked 3 times a day (a 1 in 12 chance). Use the charts below to determine the type of encounter.

Die roll / Encounter / Number appearing

On Shore:

01-50 Headhunters* (10-120)

51-75 Trading fleet** (6-9)

76-80 Warthogs (1-6)

81-90 Giant crabs (2-12)

91-95 Jackals (2-12)

96-00 Giant scorpions (1-3)

At Sea:

01-10 Trading fleet** (6-9)

11-20 Buccaneers (20-200)

21-30 Ixitxachitl (10-100)

31-40 Dolphins (2-20)

41-50 Lacedons (ghouls) (2-24)

51-55 Kopoacinth (gargoyles) (2-16)

56-60 Morkoth (1)

61-70 Whales (1-12)

71-75 Sahuagin (10-40)

76-80 Giant octopus (1)

81-90 Locathah (20-200)

91-95 Lamprey eels (11-20)

96-98 Sea hag (1)

99-00 Dragon turtle (1)

*Headhunters: Chaotic evil tribesmen

**Trading fleet: 6-9 catamarans, each with 20 chaotic good pirates.

D. The Black Fen

Beyond the gate is a desolate swamp, overgrown with rank grasses, shadowed by great cypress trees, and spotted with pools of muck. The trees are overgrown with Spanish moss and strangling vines; decayed vegetation covers patches of open ground. Plant growth is lush, but everything has an unwholesome greyish color to it; the sky is blue.

This swamp extends for more than 100 miles in all directions and is ringed by a wall of mountains. Lolth has used this territory as a breeding ground for some of her creatures ever since she won the land from the humans who once held it. What humans remain have been reduced to a savage existence in the mountains, entering only the fringes of the swamp.

During the daytime, encounters will occur (a 1 in 6 chance) every 3 hours. At night, the chance of an encounter is 1 in 8 every hour. If humans are encountered, they will be suspicious of the party until characters prove their good intentions. Use the following tables to determine the type of encounter.

Encounter Day / Night

01-10 Black dragon 1-2

11-35 Crocodile 2-12

36-40 Crocodile, giant 1-4 / Stirge 2-12

41-77 Lizard, giant 1-6 / Will-o-wisp 1-3

78-81 Shambling mound 1-2

82-90 Toad, giant 1-8

91-95 Troll 1-8

96-00 Cavemen 10-30 / Groaning spirit 1

E. The Labyrinth Of Arachne

Through this doorway the party will see a 100' square chamber. The door opens by the left comer of one wall; there are five doorways on the opposite wall. The entire chamber is lit by glowing purple fungi that cling to the walls. The floor is sandy, littered with twigs, rags, and bits of string. Thirty feet to the right of the gate is the dried corpse of a woman.

This area is used by Lolth as her breeding ground for spiders of all sorts. The five doors lead to tunnels and passages that twist and interconnect to form a maze of chambers, caverns, rooms, tunnels, corridors, and dead ends. These extend for miles underground, and there is no known exit to the surface of this world. The entire area is infested with spiders. To feed these creatures. Lolth regularly forces captives into the labyrinth, whom the spiders track down and kill. Lolth summons the most powerful of the spiders to serve in her armies.

The few captives who have managed to escape death have formed themselves into small tribal societies. These are clothed only in rags, but are armed with crude stone and bone weapons and spider-silk nets. All the survivors are now neutral, regardless of their former alignments. They have no hope of escape and merely try to survive. They will attempt to kill anything that might be a source of food or equipment.

For each turn spent in the tunnels, there is a 1 in 8 chance of an encounter, as determined using the following charts.

01-10 Giant spider 1-6

11-42 Huge spider 1-12

43-74 Large spider 3-30

75-79 Phase spider 1-4

80-95 Survivor 3-12

96-00 Fugitive 1-6

Survivor: The 3-12 survivors will be of mixed races, they will be armed with spider-silk nets, bone clubs, stone maces, spears, and bone darts.

Fugitive: The 1-6 fugitives are simply offerings to the spiders that have not yet been caught. They have no weapons or equipment, and will only attempt to fight (bare-handed) 10% of the time. They are thoroughly demoralized and will only seek to escape from the labyrinth.

F. Maldev

Looking through the gate, the party will see that somehow things do not look quite right. The gate looks out upon a mountain setting, but the mountains are too tall and sharply pointed to be real. The sky is bluish-purple and partly overcast; the sun is almost below the tops of the mountains. What stars are out are much larger than normal, almost like small moons.

There are two prominent mountain peaks, one a mile away and the other about six miles distant. Between these, in what appears to be a pass, is a wooden palisaded fort. Approximately three-quarters of a mile beyond the fort is another stockade, similar in appearance. At the foot of the far mountain is a great stone fortress with great fires shining from one point in its wall. Many smaller fires dot the plain of the pass and at times wide sections of the ground seem to ripple from the movements of troops.

This mountain pass leads to Maldev, the last kingdom of the mountain dwarves in this world. The fortress under attack is Kandelspire, the gate to the kingdom of Maldev. Lolth has just begun what she hopes to be her final attack on the great fortress.

For this battle she has assembled 8,000 gnolls, 2,000 bugbears, 150 ogres, 30 hill giants, 20 trolls, 10 Perytons, 6 umber hulks, and one red dragon. In the fortress are 4,000 dwarves, 500 humans, 100 brown bears, 10 cave bears, 10 werebears, 50 giant badgers, and 5 pegasi. Lolth expects to receive further reinforcements soon, but the dwarves of Maldev do not expect any further aid.

The two wooden forts are also occupied and must be passed to reach the fortress. The stockade closest to the gate is manned by Lolth's creatures (300 gnolls, 20 bugbears, 2 ogres, and one type IV demon). These forces might be fooled into thinking that the characters have been sent by Lolth to aid in the battle. The more distant fort holds 500 dwarves, cut off from the rest of their army. It was bypassed in the first attack, to be destroyed later by the expected reinforcements. The dwarves will be suspicious of strangers approaching the fort unless a dwarf is with the party.

If the party leaves the area they will find the land barren and depopulated. Food will be hard to find and movement difficult through the rugged wilderness.

Encounters should occur automatically once every three days, the type determined by the following chart (roll d10):

1-8 Lolth's army units (100-300 gnolls, 20 bugbears, 2 ogres, 2 trolls)

9 Dwarf refugees (2-20)

10 Human refugees (3-30)

G. The Night World Of Vlad Tolenkov

This gate opens into a gloomy castle courtyard; old and run down, it is cluttered with a scattering of broken stones and sickly looking weeds and bushes. It is night; the starlight poorly illuminates the expanse of the courtyard, in the center of which stands an old fountain, dry and leaf-filled.

In the right wall, terraced steps lead up to a pair of tarnished bronze doors set in an ornately carved arch. In the left wall is an opening, 20' wide and 15' high, sloping down and away from the courtyard. Near the tops of the walls are many small windows.

This is the castle of Vlad Tolenkov, a 15th level wizard vampire

Lolth has recently enlisted Vlad to her side, and he is now gathering forces to this area. These are primarily made up of undead, which are very successful in this land of perpetual night. This world has no sun; heat and plants are sustained only by powerful ancient magic.

With the forces he has been gathering, Vlad does not intend to conquer the human lands, but rather to harass and disrupt trade in the area, in preparation for a greater future assault by Lolth. Therefore, security in the area is lax. Few creatures live in the castle with Vlad, primarily ghouls and ghasts who feed on his drained victims.

If characters travel in the lands surrounding the castle, the chance of encounter is 1 in 8 every 3 hours. Use the following table to determine the type of encounter:

Die roll / Encounter / Number appearing

01-15 Ghoul (1-10)

16-30 Ghast (1-6)

31-35 Harpy (1-4)

36-43 Jackalwere (2-8)

44-50 Werewolf (1-4)

51-55 Troll (1-8)

56-70 Merchant (10-60)

71-80 Bandit (20-40)

81-95 Peasant (10-60)

96-00 Vlad