City by The Silt Sea

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CA PAIGNBOOK
ragonsj
City by the Silt Sea

Campaign Book
by Shane Lacy Hensley
Credits
Design: Shane Lacy Hensley
Editing and Additional Design: Bill Slavicsek
Proofreading: Janis Wells
Cover Art: Brom
Interior Art: Tom Baxa
Art Coordination: Peggy Cooper
Graphics Coordination: Sarah Feggestad
Cartography: Diesel
Typography: Nancy J. Kerkstra
TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd.

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Copyright © 1994 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
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Table of Contents
Introduction .^ 3 Exploring Giustenal 42

Death of a Sorceret-King 3 Gray Death Conditions 43
Using This Set _ 4 The Caller in Giustenal 43
Chapter One: Giustenal's History., 5 Giustenal Locations 46
Stories of Ages Past 5 Perils of G iustenal 46
Kataal the Mover 6 Areas of Interest 47
Giustenal Through the Ages 6 Dregoth's Palace 51
The Coming of the War-Bringer 7 Dregoth's Tower 55
Dregoth's Death and Undeath 8 Chapter Five: The Ruins Below 58
Chapter Two: Giustenal Environs 10 The End of G iustenal 58
Living in the Shadow of the Ruins 10 Geography of the linder-Regions 58
Tenpug's Band 10 Pathways Down 59
The Sky Singers 11 The Tunnels 59
The Silt Stalkers 14 The Sunken City 62
Cromlin 15 Inside the Box of Magical Sand 62
Silt Pirates 16 Sunken City Locations 63
Cromlin Locations 16 The Lion's Den 69
Silt Skimmer Construction 21 The Groaning City 70
The Tar Mine 23 Groaning City Locations 71
The Land 24 Kragmorta 74
Terrors of the Region 27 The Spirit of Kragmorta 75
Chapter Three: Outside Giustenal 28 Kragmorta Locations 76
Approaching the Ruins 28 New Giustenal 81
The Silt Road 29 New Giustenal Locations 81
The Caller in Darkness 30 Dregoth's Templars 86
The Blasted Spire 33 Chapter Six: Dregoth and the Dray 88
Spire Locations 34 The Undead Dragon King 88
Abdaleem, Silt Priest 36 Dregoth's Plans: Godhood and Revenge 89
Chapter Four: The Ruins Above 39 The Dray 91
Getting into the City. 39 First Generation Dray 92
The Tar Pits 39 Second Generation Dray 93
Climbing the Walls 41 Dray Relations 93
Flying and Teleportation 42 Dray and Visitors from the Surface 94
Introduction
•>me the answers he sought.

Death of a Sorcerer-King The halflings of the Blue Age possessed the secret to
Dregoth shook off his dirty robes and collapsed onto his creating new races, and Dregoth was determined to
mammoth bed, letting his thoughts roam free. For over recover that lost knowledge from the ancient days. With
a millennium he had toiled for Rajaat's cause by day it, he could transform his followers into beings worthy to
while seeking to fulfill his own plans in the quiet of the enter the new Blue Age at his side. The power was
night. How long had he searched through the older sec- already his, and in a short time he would join Borys as a
tions of Giustenal, sifting through ruins and texts from full dragon king. All he needed now was the knowl-
the earliest moments of the Green Age for the knowledge—provided he could keep the animal rage at bay.
edge he desired?How many centuries had come and He had succeeded so far, but each day brought him
gone since he first agreed to take the title of Dregoth of closer to the end of the process, and closer to the mad-
Giustenal, Ravager of Giants, Third Champion of ness tha t had claimed Borys.
Rajaat? Since the Cleansing Wars had started, raged To think the secrets he had searched so hard to find
across the land, and finally ceased? Since the Champi- might finally be at hand!Dregoth had discovered more
ons had turned traitors? ruins buried beneath Giustenal's cobbled streets. Some
Rajaat was mad, that was true, but his goal was sound. of these appeared ancient enough to contain the secrets
Athas had to return to the glory and harmony of the Blue he sought, for at the deepest levels were ruins even older
Age. It wasn 't the halflings who would benefit from this than the Pristine Tower. The last of the demihumans
new era ofplenty, though, no matter what Rajaat believed. who had sought refuge in these ruins had been destroyed,
The First Sorcerer was locked away, and his crazy notion their bodies left on display as a warning to the rest of
that hal0ings are the only pure beings had evaporated as Giustenal's citizens.
quickly as the receding sea lapping at Giustenal's shore. Dregoth dragged himself wearily from the bed and
Dregoth had his own vision, and he needed knowledge strode to the balcony that overlooked his gardens and the
from the Time of Rebirth to make it come true. Grand Plaza. Thousands of people filled the plaza, wait-
As far as Dregoth was concerned, the Rebirth was ing for their Dread King's nightly sermon. Dregoth
not a mistake in and of itself. Athas needed new races, laughed. The people of Giustenal actually saw him as a
and he believed some worthy creation would emerge god. He wondered if the other Champions received simi-
from the abominations. Humans were close, he knew, lar devotion.
for they were definitely superior even to the ancient Suddenly there was a bright flash of light in the shad-
halflings. He and the other Champions—now the sor- ows ofDregoth s bed chambers. The sorcerer-king turned
cerer-kings were human, and they were so far beyond and watched as a lithe figure darted toward him. It was
the other races as to be almost gods. There was some- AbalachsRe, the sorcefer^queen of Raam! In less than a
thing beyond humanity, he knew. Something very much heartbeat Dregoth saw that she was not alone. Kalak,
like the Dragon that the Champions had helped Borys Mrbenay, Lalali-Puy, Andropinis, Tectuktitlay, and the
ofEbe transform into. The Dragon had gone insane newly elevated Hamanu tore through the far wall in a ter-
shortly after coming into his power, so there was more to rible parade of power and ominous doom.
learn about the process. But in that learning would "How dare . . . " was all Dregoth managed to utter
Introduction
before a great ball of fire surged from Abalach-Re's fin- \City by the Silt Sea is a campaign expansion for tke
gertips. The blast slammed into the Dread King and he DARK SUN* setting. You'll need tke DARK SUN
toppled backward. The crowd below saw their ruler teeter boxed 'pet, tke AD&D® Player's Handbook, The Com-
on the edge of his balcony and then another blast came plete Psionicist's Handbook, and tke Dragon Kings
from the darkness. Dregoth and tons of stone showered kardcoVer book to use it. Tke following accessories are
down onto the frightened mob. Scores died beneath the also referred to extensively in tkis product, and;you migkt
thunderous crash and stunned thousands watched as want/to kave copies available: Slave Tribes, Earth, Air,
seven sorcerer-kings ofAthas descended from Dregoth s Fire and Water, Elves ofAthas, and Dune Trader.
palace. The Dread King struggled to his feet and blasted Tkese accessories are recommended, but not required to
back with all the power he could muster, but to little use tkis product.
effect. Throughout the city, trees withered into spindly, If you are a placer, stop reading now. Tke information
gnarled husks, and the precious gardens that had once contained kerein is for tke Dungeon Master only. Don't
adorned the palace grounds slowly turned gray and spoil tke surprises b;y reading akead.
crumbled into ash as Dregoth called forth their energy. It
wasn't enough to stop the combined strength of seven
sorcerer-kings. Using Tkis Set
The sorcerer-kings drained life from the frightened Tke City by tke Silt Sea is Giustenal, a ruined metropo-
crowd to power their continuing onslaught. Andropinis lis tkat once sat along tke skore of an endless sea of water.
unleashed a bolt of crackling lightning at Dregoth. Then Tke last ruler ofGiustenal was Dregotk, once a sorcerer-
bJibenay bathed him and most of the survivors in white- king of tke same powers and ambitions as tke rulers of
hot flame. Thousands ran screaming and dying as mighty tke present-day cities of tke Tyr region.
Hamanu struck Dregoth down with a sword of blackest Tkis book details tke ruins of Dregotk's Giustenal, as
ebony. The Dread King fell, his dying body sprawled on well as tke subterranean regions beneatk it. It also reveals
the bloody, cracked stonework. As Dregoth's eyes rolled tke creatures and tribes tkat live in and around tke city,
m his charred skull, he could hear the sharp voice of and provides information on several new races and cul-
Abalach-Re slash through his mind. tures peculiar to tke Giustenal locale.
"One rampaging Dragon is all we want to deal with at Tke Campaign Book (tke one you're reading) details
a time, Dregoth," she said, carving her words into his fad- tkese features and skould be read first. Go tkrougk it
ing consciousness with the Way. "Besides,you're too completely before moving to tke next book. Tkere is also
powerful for our own good." a MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM* appendix of
Distantly, Dregoth felt her long nails dig into his new monsters, a full-color, double-sided poster map, and
throat, slowly, almost sensually. Blood flowed freely, six reference cards. After you've gone over all of tkis
drenching her hands. Except for a telling smile, she material, turn to tke Adventure Book for a full-lengtk
didn't seem to notice. Then Dregoth, Ravager of Giants, adventure to introduce ^our player ckaracters to tke City
Third Champion and Betrayer ofRajaat, the Dread hy tke Silt Sea.
King ofGiustenal, died.
For a while.
Chapter One:
Giustenal s History
to visit Vakura or Pelcunal or splendid Liuss?"

Stories of Ages Past "Mo," I said, "I have not come to visit these places of
Jessareen, an elf tale singer of the Sky Singers tribe, the dead. I seek knowledge of the ancients."
recently returned from tke ruins of Giustenal with "Asyou command," was all he answered, and sud-
strange new songs in her repertoire. Those who knew her denly my mind was flooded with images that were so fan-
before her journey are concerned about her current con- tastic they didn 't seem real. But they were real, and I was
dition. For Jessareen is not herself. In fact, she seems to be drowning in their intensity.
someone else entirely, as though another being shares her Where Giustenal should have been was an endless
form. expanse of water. Rising out of this unbelievable sea was
Meeting Jessareen is a strange experience. Her eyes a city ofgrowing rock, populated by halflings! These were
continually dart from side to side, and she behaves ner- not the feral creatures that roam the Forest Ridge. These
vously. She sometimes speaks to the very air, often using were civilized halflings, and they lived in a place that
words from some long-forgotten language. The music makes even the grand cities of hJibenay and Raam seem
from her lyran is even more haunting than before, as if like ramshackle villages.
the strings summon notes from some far-off place. "This is the Blue Age," Kataal's mental voice
Adventurers can encounter Jessareen in KTibenay's informed me. "It was a time when halflings were the
Hill District, in the Sky Singers' Market. She has been in masters of the world and nature itself bowed to their
the Happy Hurrum Tavern since her return, singing of commands."
unknown places, distant times, and horrors yet to come. The scene shifted before me. The water receded, giv-
The stories she sings are never complete. They come ing way to a ragged shore. Now the lay of the land looked
across as disjointed fables or dreams inspired by too more familiar, except where the Sea of Silt should have
much fermented javo nectar. The song presented below, been there was a sea of sparkling water. The sandy wastes
however, tells the vision Jessareen was granted in the were covered with thick forests, and the land looked like
ruins of Giustenal. It is complete, the way it remains in the Forest Ridge for as far as I could see. I recognized the
her mind, though she will never be able to perform it for walls of Giustenal, though they were new and solid, not
the crowds. Except, perhaps, this one time. Listen! Her broken and crumbling like the ones I passed through
fingers dance across the strings of her lyran, and her oth- only hours before. The city was full of people, though not
erworldly voice sings ... one of them was a halfling. I saw humans and elves and
dwarves, along with a score of creatures I couldn 't iden-
I met Kataal in haunted Giustenal, amid the ruins tify. Some were small with brightly colored wings. Others
and silt and shadows. He was a voice, a presence, a crea- looked like thin dwarves. There were so many 1 couldn't
ture of the Way whose Will remains strong even though begin to absorb all of the details.
his body has faded. "This is the Green Age, after the Rebirth, before the
"Who are you," I asked. "Kataal," he answered. Time of Magic," the Mover explained, though I barely
"Kataal the Mover." He spoke, but his words were silent understood the terms. "This was the time I was born to, a
to my ears. My mind heard them loud and clear, how- time when the Way was supreme."
ever. "Where may I sendyou," he asked. "Have you come Time passed, and I watched the city grow and change.
Chapter One: Giustenal's History
It stretched along the coast and expanded to the islands Kataal tke Mover
nestled among the rolling waves. Castles became keeps,
keeps became fortresses, and stone towers reached higher The being known as Kataal tke Mover is all tkat remains
and higher into the sky. Soon magic joined the Way, and of a halfling from the Green Age of Athas. Kataal's psy-
the two sources of power worked together to turn Giuste- che was placed within a psionic item deep in the tunnels
nalinto a paradise. below Giustenal. There, he controlled an intricate trans-
A new leader arose during this period. He was a giant, portation system with the Way. His psyche can still be
with the head of some strange cat creature, and the peo- encountered in the tunnels, and that is where Jessareen
ple loved him. They built statues of this king, and dedi- met him. (See Chapter Five for more details.)
cated temples to his name. All the varied races lived The images Kataal placed in the elf bard's mind are
within his domain. Giustenal was a city of harmony and real. They are the memories of his own experiences, the
happiness, of peace and tranquillity like I have never scenes he witnessed as time passed by. The disembodied
dreamed of. psyche doesn t know everything, however. He only knows
Then the Ravager came. With an army of humans what he was able to read from the minds of Giustenal's
and a thirst for conquest, the Ravager attacked Giustenal many occupants and the travelers that stopped by on
and its giant-king. I watched this fierce battle rage, trem- their way across the region.
bling in terror at the power I witnessed. The giant-king If adventurers meet Kataal and he decides to grant
was a master of the Way, that much was obvious. The them the knowledge of the ages of Athas, the chances are
Ravager commanded the Way as well, but he also good that they will go mad. That's what happened to Jessa-
wielded sorcery. In the end, the Ravager claimed victory, reen, and now she has only brief moments of lucidity
slew the giant-king, and declared himself Dregoth, sor- before the scenes boiling in her mind again overcome her.
cerer-king of Giustenal.
"This was the start of the Cleansing Wars," Kataal
said. "The sorcerer-kings raised armies and marched to
Giustenal Througk tke Ages
slaughter the races created during the Rebirth." During the Blue Age, water covered the world and the
Giustenal's armies, led by Dregoth, ravaged the land. halflings ruled a harmonious society. An ancient city
As more and more sorcery was used, more and more of occupied the spot that would later house Giustenal, but
the lush countryside withered and died. The races I this was a city of the halfling nature-masters. It grew out of
couldn 't identify were systematically wiped out as I the sparkling sea, formed from porous stone. Wide canals
watched the years roll by. The land became more deso- took the place of streets in this living city, and splendid
late, but the wars finally ended. boats provided transportation.
"So began the Age of the Sorcerer-Kings," the hdover Late in the Blue Age, the halflings made a terrible
intoned, "an age that still exists but is rapidly coming to a mistake. Their vast knowledge wasn't perfect or anywhere
1
close. " near complete. An experiment went wrong, and the sea
This is the story of the ages of Athas as Kataal the began to die. During this time, the halflings sought to
Mover placed them in my mind. It is a confusing story, protect themselves by building subterranean cities.
full of incredible events, but I believe it to be true. Some went underground, but others struggled to find a
cure for the fetid brown tide that was spreading across the with great pain that the;y transformed into humans and
endless sea. Eventually, the halflings realized there was no demihumans. During the Green Age, psionics was the
way to save the Blue Age. All they could do was stand ultimate power. Everyone and almost everything had some
aside and let another age begin. ability with the Way. Great cities sprang into existence,
During the Rebirth, the halflings used their under- and an intricate series of cobblestone roads wound
standing of nature to manipulate the very building blocks through the vast forests, connecting one city to another.
of life. The sun changed, the brown tide dissipated, and The foundation for Giustenal was laid early in the
new creatures appeared to populate the land. This was a Green Age. It started as a small village, grew into a walled
time of spontaneous creation. Some creatures survived, town, and eventually expanded into a great city on the
others disappeared in an instant, and vast forests grew edge of a clear, blue sea. It was a city of many races, where
where once there was only sea. As the new races like psionics provided the means for all manner of conve-
humans, dwarves, and elves took their places in the world, niences and set a high standard of living.
the halflings became less and less civilized. The time of the
high halfling society had passed, but in its wake new civi-
lizations arose. This was the beginning of the Green Age.
The Coming of the War-Bringer
The birth of paradise was not easy. The halflings them- All was not perfect in the paradise of the Green Age,
selves were the basis for the new intelligent races, and it was however. During the Rebirth, a being named Rajaat
came into existence. Through his own incredible pow- intentions of the War-Bringer. Rajaat didn't want to
ers of the Way and with the secrets of the halfling eliminate the demihumans so that the humans could
nature-masters before him, Rajaat became immortal. rule the new Blue Age as sole masters of the world. He
Then he turned his attention to creating a new source wanted to kill every race spawned by the Rebirth,
of power, and he spent much of the Green Age toiling returning Athas to its original inhabitants—halflings.
at his self-appointed task. It took countless centuries, The champions rebelled, using their combined powers
but Rajaat finally became the First Sorcerer of Athas. to imprison Rajaat. Then they used those same powers
He recruited students from among the humans, teach- to transform one of their number, Borys the Dwarf
ing them his methods for harnessing magical energy Butcher, into the Dragon. It was to be the Dragon's job
from the life forces of the world. This led to the start of to guard Rajaat through the rest of eternity. The process
the Time of Magic. didn't go as the champions imagined, for the Dragon
In the Time of Magic, the art of the preservers spread went mad. Thus began the Dragon's century-long ram-
throughout the world. Rajaat taught the first wizards, and page. The champions, now called the sorcerer-kings,
they, in turn, taught others. The nature of society barricaded their cities and hoped Borys would eventu-
changed to incorporate both psionics and wizardry. Dur- ally emerge from his madness.
ing this age, Rajaat watched his students prosper, looking With the Cleansing Wars ended, the age of the Sor-
for the signs that would identify those who would serve cerer-Kings began. Unfortunately, instead of returning
him as champions. For Rajaat had his own agenda for the Athas to its Blue Age, the Cleansing Wars had the oppo-
world. He wanted to turn the world back to the Blue Age, site effect. The world was dying. Forests were withering,
but to do that he needed champions willing to fight his seas were boiling away, and the desert was spreading
Cleansing War. He selected the 13 champions, the everywhere. The sorcerer-kings could have cared less,
strongest of his sorcerers who were also masters of the however. They had followers, kingdoms, and unlimited
Way. He gave these champions titles that encompassed power—everything that Rajaat had promised them and
the missions he placed before them—slayer of elves, more had come to pass.
butcher of dwarves, and others.
Among these was Dregoth, Third Champion of DregotK's Death and UndeatK
Rajaat the War-Bringer, Ravager of Giants. He took his
title very seriously, gathered an army, and marched on Before the century of rampage ended, Dregoth advanced
Giustenal. At this time the city was under the rule of toward dragonhood himself. He did this without the help
Taraskir the Lion, a beast-head giant of great presence of the others, and it was evident that he was right behind
and personal power. Still, Taraskir and his lion warriors Borys in terms of personal power. Dregoth, unlike the other
were not able to stop the psionics and sorcery of sorcerer-kings, proudly displayed the scaly skin and elon-
Dregoth. The Ravager killed Taraskir and slaughtered gated skull that he had recently developed. He became
his chief followers. Then he declared himself Sorcerer- obsessed with draconic images and ordered his followers to
King of Giustenal, and the Cleansing Wars moved into add them to every building in Giustenal. The seven
full swing. remaining sorcerer-kings grew concerned, especially at the
At some point, the champions learned the true thought of having another mad dragon to deal with.
8
Abalach-Re of Raam was trie closest to Giustenal and

perhaps felt the most threatened. She contacted the
other kings and joined with them in a dark conspiracy.
Their plan was as ruthless and direct as their rule had
ever been. They would teleport into Dregoth's city and
slay him on his ivory throne. It was to be done with little
fanfare and with sudden efficiency. Dregoth was slain
along with thousands of bystanders. They leveled
Giustenal in their fury, burying the would-be dragon
beneath the ruins of his own shattered palace.
This was not the end for Dregoth, however. Over the
years, Dregoth searched for a way to achieve true god-
hood—not just the simulated godhood provided by
Rajaat's living vortices. His experiments resulted in a
magical process for prolonging life beyond death.
Dregoth's obsession led him to believe that this was a
means to achieving godhood. In truth, Dregoth had dis-
covered the process for becoming a kaisharga, an undead
creature similar to the lich of other worlds. Though there
are other kaisharga beneath the crimson sun, none were
29th-level dragons at the time of their deaths.
The undead sorcerer-king rose in his new form in time
to gather what was left of his templars and followers from
the wilderness. He took them into the ancient ruins
beneath his once-mighty city, far from the eyes of his ene-
mies. Here, Dregoth built a new Giustenal. He forged a
new race of followers. And he continued his quest to
become a god.
Now, after all these centuries, Dregoth is ready to
return to the surface world. He is ready to take his rightful
place as ruler of all Athas.
Chapter Two:
Guistenal Environs
Giustenal rests on the edge of the Silt Sea, its ruins ing village of Cromlin, and the ruins of Giustenal. The
bleached like scattered bones, and just as dead. The land temple has always been a mysterious place, full of hidden
around the forlorn ruins abounds with life, varied terrain, chambers and guarded by statues of giants with lion heads.
and danger. Giustenal's dark shadow has stained the lives In general, the band thinks little of the ruins. Tenpug's fol-
and lore of the folk that surround its silt-covered walls, and lowers admit that Giustenal would be a source of fantastic trea-
the eerie winds that whistle through its abandoned spires sures, but most fear the tales of the Caller in Darkness. Tenpug
evoke the haunting melodies of their legends. hasn't forbidden any of his tribe from exploring the locale,
though he has expressed reservations about such an activity.
Tenpug suspects that at least one of the band's num-
Living in tke Skadow of tke Ruins ber visited Giustenal and coaxed a bauble or two from its
The Sky Singers and Silt Stalkers elf tribes, Tenpug's shattered depths. An artist named Nallan once disap-
Band, merchants from House Shorn, and the assorted peared for several days, and when he returned he sold sev-
wanderers who trek across the desolate wastes all know that eral objects to traders from House Shorn. One of the
Giustenal is a place of evil. Most know the stories of a pow- objects was an amulet that bore the design of a dragon
erful entity that lurks in the ruins. Psionicists claim that it and was made from reddish-orange stone. Nallan disap-
is a being or object that seeks vulnerable minds to contact peared again some weeks later, and has not been heard
and reel in. (Few know it by its true name—the Caller in from in several months. Tenpug has seen the dragon
Darkness.) Still, rumors of ancient treasures and the possi- design on stone guardians in Giustenal, and he believes
bility of learning secrets from Athas's ancient past draws Nallan fell to some nameless horror in an attempt to find
the occasional visitor through the city's hungry maw. A few additional profit in the ruins. (See the adventure book for
have even managed to stumble back out of that deadly more information on Nallan's current whereabouts.)
throat with their lives—if not their sanity. The temple that Tenpug and his band occupy dates
A brief discussion on Giustenal's neighbors follows. back to the Time of Magic. Originally, the temple was ded-
icated to a forgotten god worshipped by Taraskir and his
followers. The statues were representations of Taraskir's
Tenpug's Band
Lion Guard, his elite warriors. Later, after Dregoth killed
Tenpug's Band is detailed in DSRl Slave Tribes and the Taraskir, much of Giustenal's remaining demihuman pop-
Black Spine adventure, though more needs to be said ulation (and some of the humans, too) began to worship
about this hardy band of crafters and artisans who live and Taraskir as a god. This ended shortly after the fall of
work near the looming ruined city. In brief, they are a group Giustenal, and the temple was lost to the sand and silt
of ex-slaves led by the one-armed mul Tenpug. Utilizing until Tenpug's Band came across it a few years back.
skills learned in service to former masters, the band sells As most of Giustenal's ruins are decorated with
and trades its honest creations throughout the Ivory Trian- dragons, none of the members of Tenpug's Band have con-
gle. Members pretend to be freemen, taking their wares nected the temple to the ancient city. The only clues to the
and talents to villages and caravan camps in the area. temple's history decorate the walls of the temple's great
The band makes its headquarters in an ancient temple hall. Faded frescoes show a city straddling the edge of the
near the shore of the Silt Sea. It lies to the west of the trad- Silt Sea, though the surface of the sea looks strangely
10
Chapter Two: Giustenal Environs
choppy and motive. The city vaguely resembles Giustenal, Tke Sky Singers
but tkere are several important differences. First, most of
the protective wall is lower and less foreboding than that The Sky Singers elf tribe is detailed in DSS3 Elves of
which exists today. One part is much higher, however, and Athas, though basic information (and some new details)
wavy lines run down its face to fill what looks like a stream is presented here. The Sky Singers are elf merchants and
around the foundation. Since most Athasians have never traders of note. They maintain a semipermanent market
seen a waterfall, constructed or natural, characters in Nibenay's Hill District, though their tent markets pop
shouldn't realize what the wavy lines are unless t\\ey can up throughout the Ivory Triangle. The male elf
make an Intelligence check at —10. Halflings from the trader/fighter Muuton serves as chief of the tribe. The
Forest Ridge may make this check with no modifiers. tribe is divided into three clans—the Dayjumpers,
Also, the ominous central spire of the city is missing. Dawnchasers, and Twilightcatchers.
Most of the buildings shown on the weathered mural are Rumors abound that the Sky Singers often explore the
long, low and flat, and their architecture is more ornamen- ruins of Giustenal. The tales are half true. Members of the
tal than that used in the days of Dregoth's rebuilding. Twilightcatchers clan have entered the ruins on more than
To Tenpug and his band, the temple is nothing more one occasion. A few of their number know ways into and
than a sturdy building to protect them from the elements. out of the area, though they make only infrequent visits
While they don't necessarily worship the old god, they and rarely spend too much time in the city's embrace. A
take great pains not to do anything to anger him. guide can be hired from among the Twilightcatchers,
though the price will be high and the service haphazard at
Tenpug best At the first sign of danger or the first hint of the Caller
Male Mul Gladiator, Lawful Neutral in Darkness, the guide will disappear into the wastes.
Sometimes a few tidbits from the ruins make their way
Armor Class 5 (carru leather) Str 20 to the Twilightcatcher's stalls in Nibenay. Some of these
Movement 12 Dex 17 items are true magical items, albeit of low power. Most are
Level 8 Con 16 mundane artifacts imbued with enough enchantments to
Hit Points 62 Intl5 trick the gullible into parting with their ceramics.
THACO 13 (10 due to Str bonus) Wisl3 A young elf rogue/preserver named Jessix Twilight-
No. of Attacks 3/2 Chall catcher and a few of his best companions twice entered
Damage/Attack: ld4+9 (iron war hammer) the ruins, though they now refuse to go within an arrow s
shot of the accursed site. During the first trip, Jessix and
Tenpug One-Arm was a gladiator in Nibenay who his friends looted chambers belonging to Dregoth's tem-
later learned to craft weapons after his disability made it plars. This venture unearthed several minor magical
impossible to compete in the games. The quiet, gentle items that earned tremendous profits at Nibenay.
mul now leads a band of artisans who make their camp in Encouraged by his success, Jessix insisted that the elves
an ancient temple. He detests combat, though he was return to the ruins.
recently forced to lead his followers into a war against the The second expedition met with disaster. Jessix's best
gith of the Black Spine Mountains. friend, a female elf named Slinnasia, fell prey to the
II
Caller in Darkness. Slinnasia was a young and beautiful members to stay away from Giustenal since the recent
preserver destined to become a powerful tribal leader. tragedies involving the two tribal females. iNlot everyone
When ske died, Jessix was held responsible for her follows this order, but most have heeded it.
death. The dark splotches that stain his hands are held as
evidence of his guilt. Jessix the Wanderer
Jessix has since left the 1 wilightcatchers and become Male Elf Rogue/Preserver, Chaotic Good
something of a tragic legend in the Giustenal environs.
Jessareen the bard was a friend of Slinnasia, and is one of Armor Class 5 (leather, Dex) Str 13
those who blamed Jessix for her death. The bard's Movement 15 Dex 16
recounting of the tale paints Jessix in a poor light and Level 11/9 Con 12
most who hear it are forever convinced of his guilt. (Of Hit Points 35 Intl2
course, her own recent encounter in the ruins may forever THACO 15 Wis 9
end her desire to sing Slinnasia's song.) No. of Attacks 1 Chal7
The Twilightcatchers haven't returned to Giustenal Damage/Attack: 1 d8 +1 (bone long sword +2)
since Slinnasia s death and Jessareen s infliction. The Psionics Summary: PSPs 104; Wild Talent—catfall (PS
ruins of Bodach, while by no means safe, are at least 14, Cost 4)
guarded by horrors that can be seen and fought with honest Wizard Spells: 4 1st level, 3 2nd level, 3 3rd level, 2 4th
steel, so the clan has directed its efforts toward that locale. level, 1 5th level
Guvaano Twilightcatcher Jessix (formerly Jessix Twilightcatcher) is a mysterious

Male Elf Preserver, Chaotic Good figure who roams the wastes around Giustenal. Jessareen
holds him responsible for her friend Slinnasia's death, and
Armor Class 6 (Dexterity) Str 15 her persuasive songs quickly made Jessix many enemies.
Movement 18 Dex 19 Though he was never truly exiled from the Sky Singers, the
Level 12 Con 12 forsaken elf quickly realized that the tribe was turning
Hit Points 29 Intl8 against him. He left a short time later, followed by jive of the
THACO 17(18 with dagger) Wis 13 young elves that had accompanied him to Giustenal.
No. of Attacks 1 Chal3 These five have come to be known as the Loyal, and they are
Damage/Attack: Id4—1 (bone dagger) ironically respected by elves from all tribes for their honesty
Wizard Spells: 4 1st level, 4 2nd level, 4 3rd level, 4 4th and integrity, though some doubt the cause to which they
levek, 4 5th level, 1 6th level have committed themselves.
Now Jessix and his companions roam the Giustenal
Guvaano is the current elder wizard of the Twilight- environs and do their best to protect travelers from the
catcher clan. He is an ally of the Veiled Alliance of terrible dangers that abound in this accursed region. Per-
Nibenay, though few tribe members outside the clan haps Jessix is trying to pay penance for Slinnasia's death,
know this. Even Muuton is unsure of this connection, or maybe his very nature beckons him to protect the vul-
though he suspects it. Guvaano has ordered his clan nerable. In either case, should a party find themselves in
12
need of assistance within a 20-mile radius of Giustenal,

there is a 5% chance that Jessix and the Loyal will be
near enough to help.
Should anyone ask Jessix if the tales are true, he will
prove less than talkative. Most don't believe him any-
more and he has grown tired of trying to convince them
otherwise. His friends will tell sincere listeners the truth,
however. The elf tried his best to save Slinnasia, but the
Caller in Darkness dominated her mind and urged her
to take her own life inside the ruins of Giustenal. The
black stains on Jessix s hands are the result of an
encounter with a pit snatcher, an encounter which
delated him from reaching Slinnasia in time to save
her (see the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM*
appendix included in this set).
Jessix knows a route through the tar pits of Giustenal.
He's reluctant to share this information with anyone
because he thinks a venture into Giustenal is an invita-
tion to disaster. If someone seems especially sympathetic
to his past, however, he could be talked into drawing a
map of the route. Such a map eliminates the modifier for
tar pit encounter checks (see Chapter Four).
The Loyal
Male Elf Rogue/Preservers, Chaotic Good
Armor Class 6 (leather, Dex) Strl2

Movement 14 Dex 15
Level 5/4 Con 14
Hit Points 19 Intll
THAC018 WislO
No. of Attacks 1 Chal2
Damage/Attack: Id8—1 (bone long sword)
Psionic Summary: PSPs 30; Wild Talents- -roll ran-
domly
Wizard Spells: 3 1st level, 2 2nd level
13
These five young elves have committed themselves to Jes- Slinnasia was Jessareen's sister, and she will forever
six. They were present when the Caller turned Slinnasia blame Jessix for her death.
against them, and they believe that Jessix did everything Since her meeting with Kataal in the tunnels beneath
he could to prevent her death. They will give their lives Giustenal, Jessareen has changed. She went looking for
for their friend, and he will do the same for them. Jessix and met the disembodied psyche instead. Her
songs are now strange and confused. She has been deeply
Jessareen affected by the images Kataal placed in her mind, and
Female Elf Bard, Chaotic Good until (and if) she can gain control and understanding of
them, she will be a tragic figure.
Armor Class 9 (Dex) 5trl3
Movement 14 Dex 15 The Silt Stalkers
Level 6 Con 13
Hit Points 24 Intl6 The Silt Stalkers elf tribe terrorizes the eastern portion of
THAC0 18 Wisl5 the Tyr region. The ferocious members of this tribe
No. of Attacks 1 Chal7 delight in attacking travelers and small settlements—the
Damage/Attack: Id8+1 (bone long sword +1, luck plunder the raids provide is simply an added bonus. This
blade, no wishes) tribe is described in detail in DSS3, Elves ofAtnas.
Psionic Summary: PSPs 74; Wild Talent—Mindlink Here we provide a summary, as well as new details con-
(PS 10; Cost Contact + 8/round), Contact (PS 1 5; cerning this pack of crazed killers.
Cost varies + 1 /round), Phobia Amplification (PS 13; Eevuu Silt Stalker rules the tribe through fear, intimi-
Cost varies + 4/round) dation, and the occasional death-fight. The raiding tribe
Spells: lst-Level—color spray, comprehend languages, consists of three clans: Fire Bow, Fire Dagger, and Fire
read magic; 2nd-Level—forget, scare Sword. The Fire Dagger clan has disappeared recently,
after being sent to explore the ruins of Giustenal by
Of all the peoples who live in the Giustenal region, per- Luubarra, the tribe's master defiler. This has caused
haps none is as well known as Jessareen. She spreads local Eevuu some concern, but Luubarra keeps him occupied
news and history by telling her tales. Her biting cynicism with her prophecies of power, glory, and untold riches. To
and ability to motivate a crowd can discredit and ruin make these omens come true, she insists that the tribe
those who cross her path. She is an instigator and a force engage in even more bloodshed than usual.
for change among the tribes and settlements she visits, and Luubarra started making her dark predictions after her
the elders make sure to keep her on their good side lest her own visit to Giustenal. She met Dregoth, and the two
serpentlike tongue turn their friends against them. made a deal that requires the whole Silt Stalker tribe travel
Jessareen can be a powerful force for good when her to the city by the Silt Sea. Dregoth, quick to add more fol-
beliefs are in the right place. Too often though, she allows lowers to his growing army, promised Luubarra the powers
her emotions or sensitive ego to get in the way and uses of a sorcerer-king. He has no intention of honoring that
her fantastic ability to motivate the crowds against those promise, but he will take all the elves she sends him. The
she dislikes. This was the case with Jessix the Wanderer. Fire Dagger clan has already been assimilated into
14
Dregoth's fold. They now serve him as undead warriors.

Eevuu has been listening to Luubarra's urgings, but Ke
Cromlin
has yet to send the rest of the tribe to search for the miss- Cromlin is a trading village established by House Shorn
ing clan. He is wary of the haunted ruins, but his dreams on the Sea of Silt. Though it is mentioned in the Dune
are full of great raids to come—provided he follows the Trader supplement, Cromlin can be an important staging
advice of his chief defiler. area for adventures into Giustenal, and so is detailed here.
It lies on the Silt Coast, about 20 miles west of the ruins.
Luubarra Fire Dagger A great deal of trade takes place between the mer-
Female Elf Defiler, Chaotic Evil chants of Cromlin and those in Raam, due mostly to the
so-called "Silt Shoals." The navigators and skimmers
Armor Class 2 (bracers AC6, Dex) Strl3 (Athasian silt sailors) believe that there are a series of
Movement 18 Dex 19 shoals that form a winding path through the Silt Sea
Level 10 Con 10 between Cromlin and Break Shore on the other side.
Hit Points 24 Intl8 Only a brave few know the route to the House M'ke vil-
THACO17(staffl5) Wisll lage, however, and these navigators are in high demand.
No. of Attacks 1 Chal8 None of them ever make a map of the Silt Shoals, for to
Damage/Attack: ld6+2 (quarterstaff+2) do so would endanger their livelihood, or at least reduce
Psionic Summary: PSPs 55; Wild Talent—Aging (PS the exorbitant wages they command.
3; Cost 15) Cromlin has been called a den of thieves, a haven for
Spells: 4 1st level, 4 2nd level, 3 3rd level, 2 4th level, 2 scoundrels, and even the gathering place of restless souls. It
5th level is truly all of these things and more. As one of House
Shom's last profitable outposts, the authorities here tend
Luubarra enjoys power. She always seeks to increase to turn a blind eye to the shady practices of anyone who
her personal power, and desires to always be near those of remains to do business with them. Elf merchants from the
power greater than her own. She has a thirst for blood and Sky Singer tribe, nomads, and other traders such as those
violence, and she likes to test her defiling arts on those from Tenpug's Band all bring their wares to Cromlin.
her tribe captures. Since meeting Dregoth, her desire for The prices are extremely inflated, for a tenth of all
murder and mayhem has increased dramatically. The earnings must be given to Shom's Master Trader, Hurdll
road to power, Dregoth told her, is paved with the blood Crost. Of course, reported earnings are considerably less
of innocents. She has dedicated her life and tribe to than actual earnings. Crost realizes and ignores this dis-
Dregoth's unholy plans. She has already sent the Fire crepancy, as it helps lure business opportunities to the
Dagger clan to the ruins, and she is currently working to village. If a trader's reported earnings are too low, or if a
convince Eevuu that the rest of the Silt Stalkers should merchant has gotten on Crost's bad side, then Crost's
join them. If he continues to refuse, Luubarra will take overseers will audit the offender's transactions for several
matters into her own hands. weeks to collect Shom's share.
Among her many secrets is her psionic wild talent, a talent The people living in Cromlin are a strange mix of exiles
she employs with malice when the need and opportunity arise. and folk too untamable to live under the dominion of the
15
sorcerer-kings. Cromlinites dress much like the other peo- The wood's natural tenacity keeps the piers standing in
ple of the Tyr region, though they have developed one habit the face of frequent silt storms.
peculiar to Cromlin. To protect themselves from the thick, Most of the piers are owned by private citizens who
choking dust of the nearby Silt Sea, the locals always wear charge two silver pieces per day to harbor a skimmer. At
scarves over their noses and mouths. To remove a scarf the base of each pier is a small shack with a simple cot,
while outside is a sign that you have been grievously table, and chair. Someone is always present to collect
insulted. To apologize, the offending party is expected to berthing fees, no matter when a skimmer arrives.
remove his scarf and give it to the insulted party. At any given time there will be 1-6 skimmers docked
here. These independent vessels serve smaller trading
interests, transporting goods to the piers located along the
Silt Pirates
north and south shores of the silt estuary. Most of these
Cromlin serves as a harbor for a small number of silt skimmers are relatively small, with crews of four plus their
pirates. These seedy individuals utilize silt skimmers to captains. Some of these will always be looking for addi-
ambush other vessels plying the Silt Shoals. The pirate's tional hands to hire on for a voyage.
base is hidden in a large cavern to the west of the village,
though many of them spend time in Cromlin gathering 2. Pier of House Shom. One pier is dedicated exclu-
information on upcoming voyages. sively to House Shom and its trading partners. There are
The pirates are the one scourge Hurdll has committed always at least two guards here, who remain constantly on
himself to destroying, for they are a serious drain on the alert due to Cromlin's rowdy inhabitants. A huge skim-
village's economy. Recently the flagship of the Shom silt mer, one of the largest in the Tyr region, is the Firewind. It
fleet, Firewind, has been modified to carry more soldiers can be found here whenever it isn't crossing the silt
and ballista ports. Adventurers in need of money can shoals.
sign on for five silver pieces a day if they demonstrate Firewind's captain is the human warrior Gaff. He
combat skills. For more information on the pirate camp, commands the complete respect and loyalty of his able
see the Adventure Book. crew. He fights with an enchanted bone long sword that
was a gift from elves of the Sky Singers tribe.
Typical Silt Pirate: F3; AL CN; AC 8; MV 12; hp 18;
THACO 18; #AT 1; Dmg I d 8 - 1 (bone long sword). Captain Gaff
Str 15, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8. Male Human Fighter, Neutral
Armor Class 8 (leather) Str 16

Cromlin Locations
Movement 12 Dex 13
1. Silt Piers. Unique to Cromlin are a series of tall piers Level 5 Con 16
that extend out over the silt. These 20-foot tall structures Hit Points 33 Int 15
allow giant silt skimmers to unload their goods and per- THACO 16 Wis 13
sonnel quickly and easily. The timbers used to construct No. of Attacks 1 Cha 10
the piers come from the great trees of the Crescent Forest. Damage/Attack: Id8+1 (bone long sword +l)
16
CKapter Two: Giustenal Environs
Cromlin Village
One Square = 20 Feet .•:•" .-.'' I . Silt Piers
2 Hou e SKom Pier
3 SKom WareKou e
4 Hou e M ke Pier
5 Home
_ -,-T-p. , -r-1 6 Dirty Lizard Inn
\ \ ?- > - ; >J 7 Marketplace
8 SKom Lodge
9 SKom Barrack
] r ) 10 Pa k SKack
' T
4-
CO
O
f— •+
! 7 IM\M
. • 'I
17
Ckapter Two: Giustenal Environs
Crew (12): F3; AL N; AC 7; MV 12; Kp 15; THACO 18; Though trade with House Shorn is the most profitable
#AT 1; Dmg Id8—1 (bone long swords). Str 14, Dex 15, side of the operation, the construction and maintenance
Conl5,Intll,WislO,Cka9. of silt skimmers is a close second. Few of these vehicles
are made each year, but the high price commanded for
3. Warehouse. House Shorn stores its goods here. the commission of a single vessel earns lucrative profits
Only the Master Trader has unrestricted access, and he for House M'ke.
keeps a detailed inventory of what's inside. Many believe The skimmers are built by an extremely talented
that Crost uses the information as part of an elaborate group of slave-crafters. Prices demanded for the work of
money-making scheme. When an item is in high these slaves depends on the size and options desired by
demand, Crost sells about half at the normally inflated the client. See "Silt Skimmer Construction" later in this
rate (10% more than listed in the Dune Trader acces- chapter for more details.
sory). When this supply runs out, Crost slowly leaks a few
more of the items onto the market, charging anywhere Garreth Brodden
from 30-50% more than usual. Each one is always "the Male Human Trader, Neutral
last one in stock."
There are always two sentry patrols on the warehouse Armor Class 8 (leather) Str 14
grounds. A sentry patrol consists of three guards. Any- Movement 12 Dex 12
one caught on the grounds without legitimate business is Level 5 Con 13
taken to Crost for punishment. Crost turns these crimi- Hit Points 21 Int 16
nals into slaves, or tosses them off the Shorn pier if he THACO 16 Wis 14
deems them too dangerous to keep in captivity. No. of Attacks 1 Cha 13
Should someone successfully break into the ware- Damage/Attack: 1 d8 (iron long sword)
house, they'll be able to haul away 2d6 x 10 gold pieces Psionic Summary: PSPs 38; Wild Talent—displace-
worth of goods (enough to fill a large sack). Goods consist ment (PS 10; Cost 6 + 3/round)
of jewelry, metal fragments, or weapon parts (like spear-
heads or arrowheads). 5. Homes. The homes built by the citizens of Cromlin
vary from crude mud structures to elaborate construc-
House Shorn Sentries (21): F4; AL N; AC 7 (leather); tions of stone and wood. Most of the people who live here
MV 12; hp 27; THACO 17; #AT 1; Dmg I d 8 - 1 (bone are fairly hardy individuals, though there is a dispropor-
long swords). Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 7 tionate number of elves (many of whom were exiled from
local tribes). There are no street patrols in the village, so
4. Pier of House M'ke. House M'ke representative and visitors who venture into the darker alleyways had best
Master Trader in Cromlin is Garreth Brodden. Garreth bring their own protection.
respects Crost and the employees of House Shorn, and he
engages in no activity that would anger the village's con- 6. The Dirty Lizard. This large tavern is Cromlin's
trolling merchant house. At least not openly. What he gets center of entertainment. The silt pirate Jaksot Han
away with in secret is simply seen as good business. decided to go into a safer line of work after losing his right
18
eye in a raid. Opening the Dirty Lizard wasn't a good will have proven themselves to the crowd. After that, they will
choice. Fights and drunken arguments break out con- almost certainly be asked to relate news of their travels and
stantly, and the skimmers who frequent the place are be drawn into conversations of local events.
quick to test the abilities of newcomers. If the PCs enter the Dirty Lizard and avoid engaging
From midday on, there are always as many as 40 skim- in violence, the crowd ignores them. They may get some
mers, merchants, thieves, con artists, or free citizens on meaningless chatter out of the patrons, but the good stuff
hand, drinking the thick, fermented kank-honey-mead is saved for those who make a good showing of themselves
the Dirty Lizard is known for. When adventurers enter while entertaining the crowd.
the bar, they are gawked at, loudly insulted, and even
pushed around. If a fight breaks out, Id6 of the instiga- Z Marketplace. This is where the various merchants are
tor's companions join in. There is a 75% chance that the allowed to set up their booths from sunup to sun-down.
rest of the crowd will break out into a free-for-all. Chairs Master Trader Hurdll Crost takes 10% of whatever crosses
fly through the air, ceramic bottles break over unsuspect- the vendors' counters once per week, so a 10% markup over
ing heads, and sometimes a bone knife slides quickly and usual prices (such as those listed in the Dune Trader or
quietly between some poor sod's ribs. The Ivory Triangle accessories) should be expected.
Should the PCs come out on top of a Dirty Lizard brawl Most anything can be found here, including compo-
without killing or seriously injuring any of the patrons, they nents for spellcasting and the occasional magical fruit or
19
rarer item. Tkougk tkese illegal items aren't displayed 9. Barracks. The common soldiery of House Shorn
openly, a few elf vendors stock them. Crost only enforces dwells here. Crost keeps 30 soldiers on the payroll at all
the sorcerer-king prohibitions against magic when he has times. These soldiers have the same statistics as the sen-
other reasons for doing so. tries listed in area 3, and in fact those 21 sentries are part
The fence that surrounds the marketplace is con- of the 30 housed here.
structed of stacked stones. It is a simple matter to break Crost has adopted the unusual habit of keeping a
through, though most merchants take their wares home group of high-level help on hand as well. He draws this
with them at night. help from among adventurers, travelers, and even
The well in the southeast corner of the lot is con- escaped slaves. Crost cares little for their past, so long as
trolled by House Shorn soldiers. Water is sold at the stan- they are resourceful and relatively competent. These
dard price (1 sp per 250 gallon container). troubleshooters are usually only called out in emergen-
cies or when the soldiers are met with a challenge they
8. Lodge. Master Trader Hurdll Crost and his 11 can't match. The job pays three gold pieces per month,
overseers and officers live in this complex. At least half of and the PCs could be hired into the position if they are
their time is spent indoors in an attempt to escape the looking for work.
choking dust of the nearby sea. As is typical with House Since the men and women who fill this position
Shorn, each man's room is lavishly decorated and far change frequently, the DM should create a five-person
larger than necessary. parry when the group is first encountered. The band will
A short walkway extends out over the marketplace. consist of 3rd- to 6th-level adventurers of various classes.
Crost and his overseers frequently view the merchants At least a few of them have some sort of minor magical or
below from here. There is always at least one guard metal item.
posted here to watch for trouble or fighting in the market-
place. 1 0. Passk's Shack. This dilapidated shack is the
home of a former silt pirate named Passk. Once Passk
Hurdll Crost and his crew plundered the silt shoals in the silt skimmer
Male Human Trader, Lawful Neutral Silt Sheer. Then disaster struck. The Caller in Darkness
urged his firstmate to kill the rest of his crew while they
Armor Class 7 (studded leather) Strl4 slept. The dwarf awoke just in time to save himself,
Movement 12 Dexl2 though his firstmate leaped overboard in an effort to
Level 15 Con 13 reach Giustenal. Passk's focus became clear that fateful
Hit Points 58 Intl6 night. He has to kill the Caller. His skimmer was dam-
THAC0 13 Wisl6 aged in his escape, however, and no crew will join him.
No. of Attacks L,- JW Chal7 He fears that he will never be able to complete his focus
Damage/Attack: 1 d8+ 3 (metal long sword +3) and is doomed to become a banshee, so he has taken to
Psionics Summary: PSPs 187; Wild Talent—double hiding his fears at the bottom of a tankard of ale.
pain (PS 10, Cost 7) If a team of able adventurers approaches Passk and con-
vinces him that they are powerful enough to survive the
20
rigors of Giustenal, the dwarfs sullen mood will change

almost instantly. If the party allows him to accompany
them, Passk hints that he has a map of the walls of Giuste-
nal and a beached silt skimmer that can be repaired. He
won't sell the map or the skimmer. He'll only give them to
the group in exchange for taking him on the voyage.
Passk is obsessed, but he is not insane. He plays an
important role in the action outlined in the Adventure
Book, and his habits and personality are detailed there,
"you may wish to include Passk and his tale even if you are
not using that scenario, so be sure to refer to that book
before your PCs meet the dwarf.
Passk
Male Dwarf Warrior, Lawful Neutral
Armor Class 6 (studded leather) Strl7

Movement 9 Dexl6
Level 8 Con 17
Hit Points 78 Intl2
THAC013 Wisl2
No. of Attacks 3/2 Chal3
Damage/Attack: By weapon type, +1 damage due to
Strength. (Passk currently has no weapons, as he sold
them to pay for drinks.)
Psionics Summary: PSPs 105; Wild Talent—Combat
Mind (PS 8; Cost: 5+ 4/round)
Silt Skimmer Construction

Silt skimmers are built around massive wheels. These are
very wide at the center and taper to hard, fine points at
the edge. The wheels of a typical skimmer are 25 feet in
diameter. They must be able to slice through the silt or
travel would be impossible.
A single large sail, attached to an aft mast, provides a
21
skimmer's main motive power. The frame of the skimmer Wheels: Topical wheels (25-foot diameter) can travel
is made of light woods or thin leather and cloth, giving through up to 12 feet of silt. For every five feet added to
these vessels a reputation for being quite fragile. Topical each wheel's diameter, the skimmer can travel through an
skimmers carry no armament except for the personal additional foot of silt. Thus, a 40-foot diameter wheel
weapons of the crew. could forge through 1 5-foot deep silt. Maximum wheel
Topical skimmers are 50 feet long and 25 feet wide, size can be 40 feet in diameter, and this requires a vessel
with an outer deck and an enclosed bridge. Cargo is length of at least 80 feet.
packed on the outer deck, while the bridge contains the Some wheels contain endless stairs within their dark,
great helmsman's wheel. It is enclosed to protect the cap- hollow interiors. Slaves or undead can be commandeered
tain and crew from the choking silt. to forever walk up the stairs, thus turning the wheels.
A typical skimmer can carry two tons of cargo, uses a Without a main sail, the walkers can move a fully-loaded
crew of six and a captain, and travels six miles a day when skimmer one mile per day (two miles if unladen).
fully loaded (eight miles empty). The tightest turn circle Length and Width: A typical vessel is 50 feet long
of a typical skimmer is two miles. It costs 150 to 250 gold and 25 feet wide. For balance, a skimmer's width must
pieces, depending on demand, bargaining skills, and always be exactly half its length. The maximum width for
availability of supplies. Improving a typical skimmer costs safe passage through the silt shoals is 40 feet, but a vessel
more, as outlined below. this size requires an expert navigator to plot its course.
The time necessary to construct a typical skimmer is Any skimmer wider than 30 feet will have a tough time
1 d4+1 months. The M ke crafters must wait for wood keeping to a safe path through the silt.
from the Crescent Forest, and the timbers must be Multiplying the width by the length of a vessel gives
soaked and bent over several weeks to form the shape. the approximate square footage of its hold, minus 10%
Construction time can be lessened b^ one month if the for the slope of the prow. Thus, a 25-foot-wide by 50-foot-
cost of the ship is doubled. Thus, a craft that was to take long skimmer has 1,250 square feet of space, minus 125
three months and cost 200 gp could be completed in two feet for the prow, for a total of 1,125 square feet.
months by increasing the cost to 400 gp. All skimmers, regardless of size, can cover a maximum
If a client brings M'ke the carcass of a giant war beetle or distance of six to eight miles a day (see above).
other large, lightweight shell, the slaves can form the skim- Ballista: These massive bolt throwers do 3d6 points of
mer from it instead of wood. This reduces the construction damage, and cost 20 gp per weapon due to the size and
time by one month, but the price remains unchanged. quality of construction. A single bolt costs 2 sp. One per-
son can fire a ballista, but it requires two crew members
Improvement Additional Cost to load one. Rate of fire is one bolt every three rounds. A
+ 5-foot diameter to all wheels 20 gp single ballista takes up 5% of a skimmer's hold. No more
+ 10-foot length '**. "'\ 10 gp than six ballistae can be mounted on a single skimmer
+ 5-feet width 10 gp (two to a side, one fore, one aft).
Ballista 20 gp Fore Sail: A typical skimmer has only a main sail for catch-
Fore sail 5gp ing the wind and propelling it across the silt The presence of a
Aft sail 5gp fore sail adds another mile per day to the craft's speed.
22
Aft Sail: Tke aft sail is used for steering. Wken

added to a typical skimmer, it reduces the turning arc to
one mile.
The Tar Mine

Recently, two enterprising dwarves have turned tar min-
ing into a profitable business. Durex and Haltham Gho-
dan, brothers and free citizens from Raam, first
encountered a tar pit on a trip to the House Shorn trad-
ing village of Cromlin. They quickly realized the poten-
tial of tar business, and took building materials and 20
slaves (both crafters and laborers) to a large pit about two
miles due south of Cromlin. Now they have a thriving
enterprise. They use the tar to weatherproof a variety of
useful and necessary items that they produce in the craft
shops they set up next to the tar pit.
The Sky Singers and other local traders provide blad-
ders or leather that the Ghodan brothers' crafters fashion
into valuable wineskins, crew-size water containers, sand-
proofed armor, sails for silt skimmers, and anything else
that needs to be sealed against the elements.
Twice a month, a Ghodan caravan travels to Cromlin
to sell their weatherproof wares to House Shorn. These
caravans are usually worth 11-20 (ldlO+10) gold, and
have become frequent targets of bandits, raiders, and
even gith (who value the goods for their intrinsic value
more than for what they could fetch at market). The cara-
van leaders try to vary their exact routes from time to time
to throw off the raiders, but the trip is a short one and
there is little room for deviation. For this reason, the route
is considered extremely dangerous, and guards will be
well paid for escorting the trains through safely. Currently,
this pay is 5 sp per guard, and no more than six guards are
ever hired for a single trip.
23
The Land Blackwash

The stony barrens and sandy wastes south of Giustenal A blackwash occurs when silt blown in from the sea cov-
aren't as clearly defined as map makers would like. At some ers a tar pit with a layer of dust, making it look like a nat-
time in the region's history there was a volcanic eruption that ural patch of ground. Many travelers have fallen through
coated huge tracts of land in molten lava. The lava eventu- blackwashes, so named for the black tar that splashes up
ally cooled, and much of the area was trapped beneath the when a victim vanishes into one.
jagged crust Over time, the raging winds uncovered some of Because hot air from the boiling tar must escape,
these rocky wastes and buried others. Now, reddish ground blackwashes will always have small vents breaking
that can tear the soles from the toughest boots mixes with through the layer of silt. A successful survival (sandy
large drifts of sand or rock flakes. Deep grottos can suddenly wastes or stony barrens) proficiency check at —4 reveals
appear from beneath this speckled surface and massive pin- these vents and allows a traveler to skirt the edge of the
nacles of stonerisefrom the desert floor. pit. The vents look like tiny ant mounds, though the air
Travelers are likely to find bubbling tar pits, treacher- above them is hazy due to the escaping heat.
ous flake drifts, magma forests, and even the occasional Vv hen a character or creature is in danger of falling
blackwash as they travel the area. Use the following ran- into a blackwash, they must make a saving throw versus
dom tables to determine nearby terrain features. Check death magic. Success means that the wary traveler halts
during an encounter or at least once per day of travel. when he feels the shift beneath his foot. The area is usu-
The rest of the time is assumed to be spent in mixed ter- ally not disturbed from this, however, and the character
rain. Mixed terrain is made of stony barrens and sandy will have to actually inspect the ground to discover the
wastes, occasionally accentuated by an exposed vein of hidden hazard. Anyone failing the save takes damage
volcanic rock. It has no effect on movement, as any iso- from falling into a tar pit, as described below.
lated geographic features can be easily avoided.
Grotto
Random Terrain Table (Giustenal Environs)
3d6 Roll Terrain Many streams once wound their way through the Giustenal
3 blackwash region, at least if the number of dark and twisting grottos are
4-5 grotto any indication. Literally thousands of miles of deep and shal-
6-7 jagged plain low crevices crisscross the wastes. Creatures small and large
8 magma forest make their homes in these places, and it is even rumored that
9-12 mixed a belgoi settlement is located in one of the largest
13 flake drift, large (1-12 yards long by Any time a character wishes to enter or follow a grotto,
. ...;,»s-'«««!": 1-3 yards high) -i • roll Id6 for every half mile of exploration. On a 1, some
14 flake drift, huge (2d 100 yards long by sort of lair is discovered. Roll on the Giustenal Environs
2 d 2 0 feet high) Encounter Table below to find out what lives there.
15-16 tar pits There is a 30% chance that the creatures will be in their
17-18 wind path lair at any given time.
24
CKapter Two: Giustenal Environs
Giustenal Environs
Jagged Plains damage from nicks, cuts, and the inevitable tumble.
Thick-soled boots will reduce the damage by half.
Nothing in the Giustenal region compares to being The jagged plains are always a dark red in color, here
forced to cross the dreaded jagged plains. In tkese deso- and there mixed with the thorny stalks of a tenacious
late areas, fierce winds have blown free mica or quartz plant somehow eking a living from a pocket of trapped
particles across the crusty ground like sharpening stones. soil. Sand pockets are also common, and the light col-
This causes deep ruts and jagged protrusions that deci- ored stuff forms brilliant bands in stark contrast to the
mate wheeled vehicles or the feet of most riding animals crimson ash around it.
(except mekillots and other large beasts that grind the Jagged plains are usually no more than a square mile
rock to dust). Careful steps may be taken over a jagged in area.
plain, but travel time is reduced to a crawl. Treat as a If a random creature encounter is rolled, roll a Id6.
movement rate of heavy encumbrance. Those already Only on a roll of 1-3 is the creature actually encoun-
heavily encumbered are reduced to their severe move- tered, as few beasts like to travel this agonizing landscape.
ment rate. Riding beasts must be walked (at the same
movement penalties), though they may still pull wagons.
Magma Forests
Even slowly picking one's way through the jagged plains
is a dangerous and agonizing experience. For every turn Occasionally a traveler will come across huge columns of
spent moving through them, creatures take Id4 points of smooth rock jutting up to 15 feet into the air, with bases
25
Cnapter Two: Giustenal Environs
twice as wide as a large man. Some say that these features Giustenal. Shifting Slope is over a mile long and more
are evidence of a volcanic eruption that buried this than 15 feet high, though there is at least one opening
region in the past. Others say the Dragon breathed known as Ghodan's Gap (named for the dwarf brothers
molten lava on a village that would not pay a tribute. All who often use it). This gap is just wide enough to let a
of the trees around it were covered in the stuff, while wagon pass.
everything else vanished in the lethal inferno. Flake drifts are impossible to climb without magical
Whatever the case, the magma forests were formed aid, and anyone who tries to scale a high slope will
when certain trees resistant to intense heat were literally quickly sink into a rough pit made by their own weight.
covered by magma. Though most of the tree burned, the This inflicts damage equal to a character's Armor Class
water-filled trunks lasted long enough to mold the minus Id2 points per round they remain caught in the
molten stuff around them. This eventually cooled and drift (to a minimum of 1 hit point per round).
hardened into thick, jagged columns, but time and the
wind have worn them smooth.
Tar Pits
The magma trees are crimson in color, with dark and
light swirls mixed throughout. The wind or some creature The Giustenal region is home to a number of bubbling,
has caused a few to shatter. The trees break into shards smoking tar pits. A great forest once covered these shoals,
much like a ceramic vase. Occasionally a section will though it was buried in volcanic lava in the distant past.
break without cracking the rest of the tree, forming a por- The intense heat caused the woodland to burn beneath
tal to the hollow space inside. the crusting magma, which formed massive tar pits. Over
Characters can break into a magma tree by causing at time, earthquakes and the build-up of gases broke the
least 24 points of damage and making a survival profi- crust, and tar shoots were able to erupt in some places.
ciency check at —2 (to avoid shattering the entire tree). Some say, however, that when the sorcerer-kings gath-
This is often done by the elves of the Sky Singer tribe to ered in Giustenal to perform the bloody task of murder-
avoid predators or sudden sandstorms. ing Dregoth, the raw fury of their combined attack
literally set the land ablaze. The tar pits then erupted like
black boils on diseased skin. The Veiled Alliance
Flake Drifts
believes there is some truth to this otherwise fanciful leg-
Rough, volcanic rock is exposed in places where the wind end. Their theory is that the defiling nature of the sor-
frequently sweeps the sand or silt residue away. In some cerer's spells turned the living land to ash. Then, with
places, the wind eventually breaks off small flakes of the little power left for their vile magic, the land burst with
light rock, and these can gather into flake drifts. the foul blackness of the smoking tar. This legend may
Usually, flake drifts are only a few feet wide and as have some validity, for tar pits found in other places aren't
high as a human's waist. There are a few places, however, nearly as hot and don't give off the same greasy smoke.
where the land has cracked and formed a natural trap Whatever the truth is, all who have visited the area
long enough and high enough to gather huge amounts of know that the tar pits are the Giustenal region's most ter-
the blowing debris. One such place is called the Shifting rible and treacherous menace. But the people of Athas
Slope, and can be found about five miles southwest of are resourceful if nothing else, and the deadly tar has
26
found its uses in everyday life. The stuff is hot enough to intense heat. Anyone hit with one of these devices takes
boil the flesh from a human in seconds but can easily be 2d8 points of damage in the first round, and 1 d6 points of
scooped up in containers made of glass or obsidian. Tar is burning damage for the next five rounds.
good for waterproofing wineskins, creating torches, or Tar is not flammable, it is simply molten organic mate-
even constructing lethal grenades. rial. The pits found near Giustenal are much hotter than
Gathering the material is dangerous for two reasons. those found elsewhere.
First, the crust around a tar pit tends to be brittle, and
many curious individuals have fallen through into the
hot goo. Whenever a medium-sized creature (including
Terrors of tke Region
most PCs) approaches within 10 feet of a tar pit, there is The wastes here aren't friendly to many forms of life, so
a 15% chance that the ground he is standing on will col- encounters will usually be with roaming creatures. The
lapse. Exceptionally heavy characters can modijy this, Dungeon Master should roll ldlO once for every morn-
adding an additional 2% for every point their Strength or ing, day, and night spent in the Giustenal region. On a 1,
Constitution scores exceed 14. Large creatures have a an encounter occurs. Roll on the table below or choose a
base 20% chance, and Huge 25%. creature that best fits the location and circumstances of
If the crust collapses, a character can make a saving the adventure.
throw versus paralyzation to avoid falling into the tar. Suc-
cess means that the character has jumped back to steady Giustenal Environs Encounter Table
ground and takes no damage. Failure indicates that the vic- Rollldl2+ld8 Creature
tim has fallen in. In this case, the victim takes 3d8 points of 1 Dwarf banshee
damage and another Id8 points every round thereafter 2 Gaj
until he pulls free. To free himself from the tar, a character 3 Tembo
must make a successful open doors check. 4 Jozhal
The second danger of the tar pits comes from the mali- 5 Silkwyrm
cious creatures that can live beneath the gooey surface. 6 Anakore
Hideous things lurk just below the bubbling blackness 7 Thri-kreen
and they often try to pull unsuspecting victims to a quick 8 Wild kank
and painful doom. The Sky Singers have dubbed these 9-10 Raiders
horrible beasts pit snatchers. (See the MONSTROUS 11-12 Sky Singer elves
COMPENDIUM appendix for statistics and details.) 13 Gith
Tar Grenades. A type of grenade can be made by forc- 14 B'rohg
ing no more than a quart of tar into a ceramic or glass con- 15 Agony beetle
tainer. This requires a check against the pottery proficiency 16 Burnflower
at —4. Success yields a single grenade. A grenade must be 17 Cha'thrang
used before the tar cools to be effective. Tar normally cools 18 Pit snatcher
in two hours. Preparation time of about 10 minutes for each 19 Flailer
grenade includes capping the container to seal in the 20 Braxat
27
Chapter Tkree:
Outside Giustenal
Approaching the Ruins ful ballistae once occupied these positions, and a few still
rot within these locations.
From a distant, southerly view, Giustenal looks like the The biggest obstacle to the southern approach is the
other great cities of the sorcerer-kings. A long, high wall great tar pits that smolder in front of Giustenal's south-
of stone surrounds it, and the massive front gates are styl- ern gate. The haze and smoke produced by these bub-
ized yet formidable. A careful eye might notice the bling pits obscures a clear view of the wall, the gate, and
ruined spires jutting from behind the stone walls like the ruins beyond, and even hides the danger of the tar
lonely sentinels, or the lack of colorful, boisterous traffic pits from those traveling from this direction.
going through the oppressive gates. Also, the smoke and
heat of the smoldering tar pits forms a hazy screen before East and West Approach
Giustenal's facade, and shrouds the city in mystery as
much as the legends that have grown up around it. From the east and west, the city seems to tilt into the Sea
of Silt. The sea grows by yards every year, spilling more
Southern Approach and more of its powdery grains across the deserted streets
and ruined structures. Huge portions of Giustenal are
As the adventurous or the foolish move closer from the buried beneath the Silt Sea, and more disappears every
south, they begin to see the weird architecture of Giuste- year. Parts that have been consumed by the hungry sea
nal's exterior. Two giant stone dragons guard the solitary stretch into the drifting silt, and it is possible to walk atop
entrance on the southern wall. The statue on the right the walls for some distance—if one has the courage and
has been shattered. The elves of the Sky Singers tribe knows the way.
have carved the likeness of these dragons into some of Don't think that the silt dunes gathered on either side
their wares, though the superstitious of Athas mostly of the city could be used to gain the walls, however. Any-
avoid such items. one who makes a survival proficiency check (any environ-
The gate frame consists of polished, gray marble, while ment except woodland or jungle) will realize that this is a
the gates themselves were built with reinforced wood. dangerous assumption. The winds often push the silt
Much of the interior has been destroyed to a greater or into semi-permanent waves frozen in place against
lesser extent, but the gates are as solid as they were at Giustenal's walls, but these are far from solid. The dust is
Giustenal's height of power. just too loose to afford proper purchase. A traveler could
The walls are much higher than they originally were, walk a fair distance up a silt wave only to suddenly find
though it takes an experienced stonemason to see this. himself plunging into the powdery dust.
Anyone experienced with stonemasonry can easily tell Sinking into the silt can be deadly. The silt shored up
where later sections were added on. The original walls against the wall nearest the sea is as deep as 20 feet in
were not built to counter warfare, and those who added to places, and a traveler trying to climb it will plunge ldlO
them later simply built on top of the existing base. The feet into the dust. If the traveler sinks completely, he takes
walls lack crenallation, apparently designed more by arti- Id4 points of choking damage immediately and begins
sans than military architects. The only protected firing drowning (see pages 120-121 of the Player's Handbook).
positions are the tall towers placed at each corner. Power- The traveler can walk out of the dust if he keeps his wits
28
Chapter Three: Outside Giustenal
about Kim and doesn't panic (save versus fear or panic). the legendary Caller in Darkness, there are many natu-
A character who panics either stands in place, sinks rally deadly hazards that must be overcome before
deeper, or walks in the wrong direction. entering the corpse of the ancient city. Some of these
A gate, similar to the one on the southern wall, is set were discussed in the last chapter, such as the tar pits
into the eastern wall. It, too, is closed fast against the out- and the jagged plains. The dangers of the Silt Road are
side world. There is no gate in the uncovered portion of described below.
the western wall. The wall was damaged at some point in
the past, and a great crack is visible in the southwest cor-
Traveling the Silt Road
ner. If travelers can find a safe path through the tar pits,
this is one vraj into the ruined city. The walls and rooftops of Giustenal extend for nearly a
mile into the encroaching Silt Sea. The wall itself is cov-
Northern Approach ered by as little as a foot of silt to as much as five feet of
the stuff. Few can discern the actual paths, for even
A northern approach to the ruins is less likely to work though the walls travel in straight lines, there are many
than trying to reach it from the other directions, but it holes and broken patches that plunge deep into the sea
isn't impossible. From the north, the city is barely visible of choking dust. Some of the elves of the Sky Singers
over the silt dunes that wash into it. Only the tall spires tribe claim to know the safe routes across the Silt Road,
and a few crumbling rooftops mark its presence at all. as do a few disreputables from Cromlin, but trusting
Other than flight or a silt skimmer ridden along the these fast-talkers with your life is a risky venture.
shoals from Cromlin, the buried city walls offer the only The easiest and most direct method of walking atop
northern path into Giustenal. the walls is to simply line up with the sections that are
These walls are often more treacherous than not, but above the silt and start walking. Walking into the sea
they can be navigated if you are careful or you know the until the wall gives out is an easy enough task. Keeping
way. One reliable map can be obtained from a dwarf your wits about you when the wind starts blowing and the
pirate named Passk who currently resides in Cromlin silt chokes the sky is another matter. Local rumors claim
(see Chapter Two and the Adventure Book for more that by following the eastern wall into the sea a traveler
information). The path over the buried walls and will eventually come to the island of a kind-hearted silt
rooftops is called the Silt Road, and even the elves of the priest who looks over the area.
Silt Stalkers tribe say that only the mad or the desperate Unfortunately, the walls are ruined in many places
will attempt to walk its danger-strewn length. and avoiding the holes, gaps, and broken sections
requires careful negotiation. Whenever an explorer walks
The Silt Road atop the silt-covered walls, the DM must roll Id4—1 to
determine the number of hazards hidden within the next
Many believe that fabulous treasures lie only inches 120 feet. After determining this number, the DM should
beneath the silt carpet that covers most of Giustenal's roll that many survival (Silt Sea) or Intelligence—4 profi-
ruins,yet few have the courage or the strength to venture ciency checks in secret. Each success indicates that the
there. Besides the beckoning, maddening demands of traveler avoided the hazard. A failure, unfortunately,
29
doesn't. The traveler now gets to make a Dexterity check

to keep from falling into the hazard. A success means he
The Caller in Darkness
stopped in time and will now have to climb over (or go To most of the Tyr region, it has no name. It is simply a
around, if possible) the hazard. A failed Dexterity check danger, like tar pits and slavers, and the best way to deal
means the traveler has fallen into the hazard. with a danger is to avoid it. The stories are terrifying, how-
To climb over or around a hazard, a character needs to ever. And they all center around the relatively deserted
make a successful climbing roll. Thieves use their climb ruins of Giustenal. No matter which tale you hear, the
walls proficiency, characters with mountaineering have a central theme remains unchanged—something lurks in
base 50% chance of success, and everyone else has a Giustenal. Psiomcists claim that it is a being or object of
base 40% chance. A success means that the character incredible power seeking to make contact with vulnera-
carefully reaches out and finds a solid place to climb ble minds. It calls to those with even the smallest amount
onto. On a failure, the character topples off the wall and of talent in the Way, speaks to them in an unknown lan-
instantly begins drowning in the silt. Since it is impossi- guage, and drives them to insanity—and murder.
ble to swim in silt, the character will probably die if he Everyone who has traveled through the Giustenal
isn't belayed to a partner or can't be rescued by magic or region has a tale to tell, a story of a trusted companion
psionics. who goes mad in the middle of the night and kills a kank,
There are also bends in the wall every so often. See the or a crodlu, or even another companion. The stories all
poster map of the Giustenal area for the general shape of end one of two ways. Either the teller or another is forced
the city wall. to kill the mad companion, or the mad one runs into the
Even when the trailblazing goes well, there are many night, toward the age-worn walls of Giustenal, with blood
other dangers to try the most experienced adventurers. still fresh on his hands.
Silt spawn of all varieties breed in the ruins here. The To most, it has no name. To the elves of the Sky
submerged buildings provide the young creatures with Singers tribe and others living in the shadow of Giuste-
perfect lairs. Every 120 feet of travel, roll ldlO. On a roll nal s ruins, it is the Caller in Darkness.
of 6-9, 2d6 silt spawn notice someone walking along the No one on Athas knows the true identity or nature of
wall. On a roll of 10, a full-size silt horror is in the area. the Caller in Darkness, not even the Dragon or the sor-
Also, razorwings wait nearby and will almost certainly cerer-kings. It exists, so avoid it; that's the common opin-
detect living creatures moving along the Silt Road. The ion. The truth, however, is much more complicated. The H
next chapter talks more about these creatures and the Caller in Darkness is a very unique form of undead. It ^
dangers they pose to visitors of the ruins. was created by the mass carnage inflicted on Giustenal 1
Finally, there is one other creature that poses a threat by the sorcerer-kings at the time of Dregoth's death. -
to those who would enter Giustenal—the Caller in Before one can understand the nature of the thing, how-
Darkness. The silt pirates of Cromlin have seen their ever, it is important to know how the sorcerer-kings chan-
stealthy comrades defeat frenzied silt horrors only to turn nel magical power to their templar minions.
to mind-wrecked victims of the Caller on more than one The swirling vortices that funnel energy from the ele-
occasion. mental planes to the sorcerer-kings are very similar to
physical sandstorms on Athas. As a whirlwind draws in
30
tke debris around it, so too does an etkereal vortex gatker someone to kear its psionic call. Wken it touckes a mind
tke less tangible energies tkat kappen to pass by on tkeir tkat can respond, it overwkelms it and draws it toward tke
way to tke various planes of existence. ruins. For only tkose wko die witkin tke walls of tke city
Wken tke sorcerer-kings battled in Giustenal, tkeir will be sucked into tke Caller's maw. Wken tke Caller is
collective vortices gatkered in tke etkereal space nearby. successful, tke dead it draws replace tkose tkat tke storm
Never kad tke etkereal plane seen suck a storm, and it kas lost, maintaining its raging fury a wkile longer.
was tke souls of tke city's slain tkat were caugkt up in tke
swirling funnels. Over tke centuries, tke powerful psionic
energies of tke spirits trapped witkin merged to form a rear
kind of group consciousness—wkat some know as tke Tke original citizens and slaves of Giustenal died in
Caller in Darkness. stark terror as tke sorcerer-kings battled around tkem.
Only in tke last few centuries kave tke supernatural Tkeir fear gave tke supernatural storm tkat trapped tkem
winds begun to abate and slowly release souls to tke its power, and tkat is wkat tke Caller seeks to replicate
Gray. Unfortunately, tke group consciousness believes witk eack new deatk. A psionicist wko dies witk kis keart
tkat it is dying ratker tkan being freed, so tke entity full of fear adds more energy to tke maelstrom tkan
actively works to slay tkose nearby and draw in tkeir souls. otkers. Since fear is tke emotion most understood and
It searckes constantly witk psionic signals, waiting for easily inspired by tke Caller, it kas adopted tke tactic of
31
terrifying a victim before forcing tke victim to take Kis five-mile area around the ruined city. When it finds a
own life. psionic mind, it attacks. The Caller's initial attack is
Whenever characters approach the ruins, they begin basically a more powerful form of contact. To determine
to see, hear, and smell things that fill them with dreadful if contact is established, the victim must make a saving
terror. The Caller never simply creates illusions of giant throw versus spells. The Caller can attempt to make con-
monsters. It prefers a slower, more nerve-wracking and tact with a psionic character once per day. If contact is
suspenseful orchestration of fear. Only when the mind is established, the Caller begins to summon its victim to
on the verge of snapping forever or the victim threatens to the ruins. If contact isn't established, nothing else occurs
flee from the city does the spirit-storm begin a savage that day, though the intended victim will feel some
mental attack that few can withstand. When the victim unseen threat in the wilderness. Inside the ruins, the
finally dies, his terrified soul is sucked into the vortex and Caller can attempt to establish contact with the same vic-
trapped with the murdered souls of Giustenal's past. tim twice per day.
The Caller only seeks out full psionicists or those Once contact is established, a victim will begin to suf-
with wild talents. Further, it only seeks those minds that fer delusions. If the character is outside of Giustenal, she
remind it of those who lived in Giustenal during the will see a lost loved one beckoning to her from atop the
time of Dregoth's death—humans, elves, half-elves, city walls, and she will call to him—often in the language
dwarves, and halflings. It ignores thri-kreen, muls, half- of the ancient city. Those who are unaffected by the
giants, gith, and even the dray who live beneath the Caller will hear only her strange words and will see noth-
ruins (see Chapter Six), and it has no use for unintelli- ing. Others who are influenced by the Caller will hear the
gent beasts. This is why many types of predators and name of someone dear to them, as opposed to what the
creatures dwell within the ruins, for the Caller has no contacted character is actually saying. They believe that
interest in them. In fact, the dangers presented by these the character is seeing exactly the same person that they
beasts helps to heighten the fear and trepidation of the are. Any words spoken by unaffected characters are
Caller's desired victims. heard as threats and taunts by the victims.
At this point, each victim should make another saving
throw versus spells. Failure indicates that they can no
Running the Caller in Darkness
longer hold back and must search for a way into the ruins.
The Dungeon Master must take care not to make the Success means that they want to enter Giustenal but are
Caller simply another monster for player characters to still wary of the dangers. Success doesn t mean that the
confront with swords and spells. The Caller is a strange character is alerted. She simply fights back the urge for a
phenomenon that will probably never be created again while longer. This roll should be repeated once every
and is as unique as the sorcerer-kings themselves. hour, as the affected see loved ones appear and summon
The MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM appendix them inside once again.
included with this set describes the Caller's game statis- Sometimes a victim doesn't see visions of loved.
tics. Please refer to the Caller's entry before running an Instead, the character might see gleaming treasure just
encounter with this unique being. beyond the city walls or something else he desires. The
The Caller constantly uses psionic probes to search a victim's mind is an open book to the spirit storm. The
32
Caller uses whatever the victim desires most to entice does not immediately notice them when they come
him into its lair. within range. Every time a possible victim uses his or her
Eventually, the Caller will win and victims will head psionic powers within five miles of Giustenal, there is a
toward the ruins. The only way to stop this is for disaf- base 25% chance that the Caller will notice. This base is
fected companions to tie them down or hold them in increased by the number of PSPs the character expends
some way, and this will usually cause resentment as the to initiate and maintain a power (the check is made after
companion's comments are twisted into harsh threats. the power expires). Inside the walls, the chance increases
The following is an example of how the dark powers of to a base of 50%. So, for a character who uses 12 PSPs to
the Caller might affect a group of silt pirates. power a psionic ability outside the walls, there is a 37%
chance that the Caller will notice (25+12 = 37).
As the giant silt skimmer rolls to a halt outside Once the Caller notices a potential victim, it begins
Giustenal, one of the two figures within begins to hear trying to establish contact. It will continue to follow the
strange cries from the ruins, hiav realizes that his friend victim and try to contact him as long as he stays within
(a wild talent) has been touched by the Caller, and he range. The Caller can concentrate its attacks on multiple
tries to restrain him. victims at a time, so every character with psionic abilities
hiav grabs Cranch and hurls him to the floor of the in an adventuring party is in danger while in the Giuste-
skimmer. "Come on, Cranch!Fight it! The Caller's got a nal environs.
hold of you!" he shouts. Unfortunately, the Caller uses its A contacted character who dies within the walls of
ability to control sound to garble the words, and Cranch Giustenal (just on the surface, not the ruins below
hears only, "Mow I'll have that treasure for myself!" ground) is sucked into the spirit storm and can't be resur-
Cranch pulls his sword, running its sharp point rected out of it for 100 + 2d20 years. This is the approxi-
through his companion's bronzed chest. "I'm coming!" mate time the spirit is lost in the ethereal maelstrom. At
Cranch calls to the ruins. "Wait for me!" Mow Cranch the end of this period, the soul is released. Afterward, a
will seek a way into Giustenal, and the waves of terror will priest can attempt to raise the victim, provided the body
begin. When his fear reaches a high level, the Caller will is still available.
have him kill himself, or the Caller will slay the victim A wish or other powerful spell capable of selecting
with one of its other psionic powers. spirits from the ethereal plane can also draw a soul from
Another soul has joined the dark storm ... the Caller's grasp.
Prey of the Caller in Darkness The Blasted Spire

The Caller in Darkness can only sense the presence of Just over a half mile from the shore of the Silt Sea, north
those with psionic powers, either psionicists or wild tal- of the exposed ruins of Giustenal, a weathered tower juts
ents. Those who do not have psionic abilities or are not of in stark isolation from the shifting dust. Its architecture is
the races listed above do not exist to the Caller. It simply beautiful though simplistic. Few know much about the
can t sense their presence. tower as gigantic silt horrors constantly swim beneath it.
As far as those it can sense are concerned, the Caller One band of pirates claims to have entered the tower
33
Ckapter Three: Outside Giustenal
once, but only a few of tkeir number escaped with tkeir

Spire Locations
lives (see the Adventure Book).
The tower, known as the Blasted Spire by those who 1. Entry Floor. This location can be reached by follow-
live within sight of it, houses a strange undead creature. ing the Rubble Reef to the Blasted Spire. The reef can
The monster was created when a cleric of rain died in the be navigated just like the Silt Road, though all rolls are
Silt Sea near Giustenal. (See the M O N S T R O U S slightly more difficult because the reef consists of silt-cov-
C O M P E N D I U M appendix included in this set for ered buildings instead of a straight wall.
details on these creatures.) A single door (actually a window) leads into a round
When a group approaches the spire, the first thing they chamber. The chamber is covered in almost a foot of silt.
notice is a terribly weathered obsidian facade. The abra- Since this floor is at sea level, the large hole in the center
sive winds have not been kind to this landmark. Large of the room (A) is a dangerous trap. Anyone who
holes made by magic or giant stones have also ruined the explores the chamber has a chance of sliding into the
tower and left it open to the invading silt in many places. It trap if entering the central area.
is a bleak and lonely sight rising out of the silt. A character who enters the central area must make a
Four balconies line the uppermost portion of the tower, Dexterity check at —2. Success means that the character
and those who have served in the military will instantly rec- manages to catch herself on the rim of the hole. She can
ognize that these are well placed for firing or observation. pull herself up with a successful Strength check in the
Anyone with stonemasonry should make a proficiency next round. Failing the initial Dexterity check sends the
check. If successful, it is obvious that the balconies point- victim hurling into the dangerous depths below. Aside
ing toward the city were opened well after the others. The from the dangers of drowning, the unfortunate character
people that lived here before had little need to fire on their falls into the lair of the krag. See area 3 below.
own populace—Dregoth's templars felt otherwise. The debris scattered about the room is mostly old
When not swimming beneath the tides or setting traps tables, chairs, and cots placed here for the tower's garri-
within the ruins, a krag dwells in this place. Because the son. For every full turn spent searching, a character can
spirit storm creates constant tension on the creature's uncover a piece of pottery or tableware worth 1 -4 cp each.
soul, it must lie dormant and rest for at least eight hours If marketed as an artifact of Giustenal, and the seller can
out of every 24. This is done in area 3, described below. prove the item's origin, the piece's value is doubled.
Many of the unintelligent creatures slain by the krag Stairs lead down into the silt, up to a number of empty
have returned to undeath as kraglings. There are always floors (not detailed), and finally to the top floor.
1 -6 undead spawn swimming around the base of the
tower. When visitors reach the area around the Blasted 2. Top Floor. The top floor of the tower houses ballis-
Spire, 1 d6 kraglings attack. tae. Since this tower was once in the center of Giustenal,
its weapons must have been used for keeping the citizens
Lesser Kragling (1-6): Int low (6); AL CE; AC 8; MV 12; in line. What the tower was originally used for is uncer-
HD 3; hp 20 x 3, 16 x 3; THACO 17; #AT 3; Dmg tain, but Dregoth's templars used it to watch over the
ld4/ld4/ldlO; SA elemental transfusion, psionics; SD crowds of the city. They were not averse to firing the bal-
psionics; ML 11; XP 175 each. listae at the crowds every so often to prove their dedica-
34
tion to Dregoth. This room is also covered in silt though

onby about six inches worth. Frequent winds blowing
Tke Blasted Spire
through the windows and cracks carry in new silt while One Square =
10 Feet
sweeping old dust back into the sea.
Four balconies pointing in the cardinal directions
contain one ballista each. Three of the powerful ballis-
tae have been ruined b;y the ;years and elements, though
the fourth (D) has survived mostly intact. If the metal
parts in these war engines are scavenged, each set sells
for 3d6 gp. The fourth one can be sold to a skimmer
captain for one half the cost of a new one (see Silt Skim-
mer Construction, page 21). Other items of interest are
described below.
A weapon rack (B) sits in the center of this chamber.
At one time this rack was full of hardwood spears, cross-
bows, and bolts for the tower garrison. The spears are rot-
ted and broken. The crossbows are also ruined, but small
parts of each are made from steel. If these parts are gath-
ered and melted together, their combined value is worth
one gold piece. The crossbow bolts here are equipped
with metal heads. These heads will fetch a decent price at
the marketplace, but are probably more useful to the
characters as weapons. Metal heads can be sold for 5 sp
each, but characters with the bowyer/fletcher proficiency
can make checks to attach these to existing arrows. There
are a total of 20 metal heads.
A hole in the floor leads down to the lower level (C).
Anyone who makes an Intelligence check realizes that
this hole was probably made by the same projectile that
broke through the wall. mmm
Stairs here lead down to the entry level and up to the
roof.
3. Krag Lair. This particular krag was created when a

powerful elf rain cleric named "Vusus came to investigate
Giustenal several hundred years ago. He considered the Silt
Sea one of the world's most terrible scourges, and hoped to
35
find some defense against its inevitable growth in tke city. the bones. These animate and attack if they sense a living
One day, while Tusus was exploring the northern-most being within 10 feet.
portions of the city, black tentacles shot from the dust Room G is full of scraps of wood and tattered cloth,
and dragged him into the deadly powder. Within seconds the remnants of furniture and curtains. The krag's trea-
scores of spawning horrors swarmed over him. The spawn sure is in here as well. It has no need for money or goods,
carried their feast into the sea and left his remains near of course, but some of its mortal instincts have managed
the Blasted Spire. The rain cleric died in the stuff he had to survive. The most valuable items found among the
devoted his entire life to fighting. junk is a set of bracers of defense AC5, a ring of free
Several days later, the horribly mutilated body of the action, and a book of exalted deeds. A sack containing
elf crawled forth from the silt and dragged itself up into three gems worth 2d6 gp each, 330 gp, and 42 sp also lies
the tower. With a mad cackle that rasped of dust and amid the jumble.
sand, the krag proclaimed the Blasted Spire its home. For The room labeled H is empty, but room I contains the
the last several hundred years, the krag has spent its time body of a female elf. This is Slinnasia, the lost love of Jes-
swimming beneath the silt tides, investigating the sub- six the Wanderer. The krag dragged her here after her
merged portions of Giustenal, and feeding off the spawn- death in hopes that she would animate, but nothing hap-
ing silt horrors. pened. He had hoped to create a partner, but he failed.
It rarely attacks intruders directly. The krag prefers to Stairs lead down to the Sunken City and up to the
use its natural control of silt to swamp craft or wash over entry level.
waders. It doesn't often venture into the uncovered city. If This krag spends much of its time swimming through
it spots activity there, it might go to investigate, but then the submerged ruins and has found several items among
would only create traps or otherwise attack the party from the rubble. Its sword is magical, though the krag does not
the shadows. realize that it is also a dragon slayer. It does triple damage
There is a 40% chance that the krag is home whenever against draconic creatures, including dray, drakes, and
an explorer enters the lower level of the tower. Remember even sorcerer-kings.
that these chambers are completely submerged in silt, so
adventurers will need some means of breathing, seeing, Krag (Undead Elf Rain Cleric): Int Exceptional (l 5);
and moving in the dust if they wish to explore the area. AL CE; AC 4; MV 12; HD 11; hp 52; THACO 12;
Anyone without magical aid suffers —6 to attack, dam- #AT 1; Dmg ld8+6 (long sword +2 and Strength
age, and saving throw rolls. Spellcasting is also impossible bonus); SA silt storm, psionics; SD psionics; SZ xVl (7
if it requires a verbal component, for the silt instantly feet tall); ML 15; XP 5,000.
floods open mouths.
Characters falling through the hole above (A) land in
the location marked E. Room F is full of the bones of
Abdaleem, Silt Priest
pirates and other adventurers who entered the Blasted A para-elemental priest of silt named Abdaleem dwells
Spire. The krag usually drags the bodies of its victims on an island north of Giustenal's uncovered ruins. He
into this room in case they should develop into kraglings. claims that it is his task in life to serve the dusty sea that
There are currently four kraglings lying dormant among surrounds him. He never interferes with explorers of
36
CKapter TKree: Outside Giustenal
Giustenal, though he will challenge priests of rain or they can gain. Abdaleem knows of a local weed called
water if they make their allegiance known. Abclaleem draxia that is hated by silt horrors. It acts as a repellent if
knows that this area of the Silt Sea could be destroyed by rubbed on the skin and lasts for t^'i hours. It would be
a powerful rain or water cleric, for the rocky basin impossible to gather enough to rej5 as i full-grown silt hor-
beneath would hold water well. ror, but the spawn that are so common to Giustenal won't
Abdaleem spends much of his time traveling come within 10 feet of the stuff. Of course, this has no
beneath the silt. A significant portion of the rest of his effect on the silt spawn kraglings that swim around the
time is spent creating the scroll-rocks that allow him to base of the Blasted Spire.
stay beneath the silt for days on end, or avoiding the Also, Abdaleem might be willing to part with some of
stalking presence of his prime nemesis, the krag from his scroll tablets (like paper scrolls but using clay slabs
the Blasted Spire. instead). A scroll tablet contains one modified spell of
Whenever someone ventures to his island, which can free-action that allows the user to swim, breathe, and see
be reached by following the eastern side of the Silt Road, in silt for three hours at a time. He will give these up on
there is a 75% chance that Abdaleem will be present. If only one condition, however. The krag that lives in the
not, he is below the surface exploring the depths of the Blasted Spire torments him constantly. Every foray into
Silt Sea and won't return for Id8 hours. If adventurers the submerged ruins is a cat-and-mouse chase through
are friendly toward Abdaleem, there are several things the eerily silent dust, and Abdaleem is afraid that one
37
day his ability to turn the undead creature will fail. If unconcerned. He may seem to take no interest in some-
someone brings him the head of the krag, he will give one's pleas while he is actually figuring out how best to
them as manj of his scroll-rocks as they desire (he can help them, and what he can get out of the deal for his
make one every two days and maintains a constant sup- patron element.
ply of 10).
Abdaleem has no psionic abilities, so the Caller in Abdaleem
Darkness has never bothered him. He knows a little Male Human Silt FViest, Chaotic Neutral
about it, but nothing that will help characters defeat it.
Abdaleem was raised in Tyr and left shortly after Armor Class 7 (studded leather) Strl5
being persecuted by Kalak's templars. He wandered the Movement 12 Dexl4
wastes for years before finally being taken in by a silt- Level 12 Con 16
cleric operating in the Giustenal area. His mentor disap- Hit Points 68 Intl5
peared some time ago, but Abdaleem was charged with THAC014 Wisl8
helping the sea push its way forward. One day he hopes it No. of Attacks 1 Chal4
will swallow Tyr and the entire Tablelands whole. Damage/Attack: Id6+1 (Rod of Flailing)
Though Abdaleem is bitter toward sorcerer-kings and Spells: 6 1st, 5 2nd, 5 3rd, 3 4th, 2 5th, 2 6th
most people in general, his personality is aloof and
38
Chapter Four:
The Ruins Above
Today, Giustenal is a haunted place. Tke screams of hold their own dangers.
the drying still echo from two millennia past, when the No matter how travelers attempt to gain entry to the
sorcerer-kings murdered Dregoth and then turned ruins above, they must remember whose tomb they are
their destructive powers on the crowds. Those who violating. Lest they forget, the Caller in Darkness will
weren't killed in the slaughter fled, leaving countless surely remind them.
treasures behind. The treasures remain, buried
beneath silt and rubble, protected by legends, super-
stitions, the predators who lair in the ruins, and the
Getting into the City
land itself. The following methods are the most common
Gaining access to Giustenal is harder than one approaches travelers will take to enter the ruined city of
might first think. The smoldering tar pits around the Giustenal. These include traveling through the tar pits,
southern gate form an almost tangible cavern of smoke climbing over the walls, flying or teleporting in, and the
and heat. Magic may overcome this choking barrier, but various hazards associated with each. All are discussed
it is said that some have found safe routes without it. Of below. Player characters may come up with some other
course, the tar pits shrink and expand occasionally so method, which should be given a fair chance to succeed
path finders should be well warned that a map pur- if it is intelligent, clever, and logical.
chased from the Twilightcatchers elf clan yesterday may
be utterly useless today.
Tke Tar Pits
The rest of Giustenal is either buried beneath the Silt
Sea or surrounded by 40-foot-high walls. Expert climbers The tar pits of Giustenal make a fitting welcome mat for
can scale these walls, but not without risk. There is more those who would enter the ruins. There are only a few safe
than one tale of a rogue finding his handholds crumbling routes through this natural barrier. The best way to nego-
away, dropping him and a ton of cascading stone to the tiate them is by purchasing a map from someone who has
ground below. successfully made the journey. Still, those who wish to
The Silt Sea side is perhaps the easiest entrance point, forge their own trails may do so using the survival profi-
though only if one knows where to follow the city walls or ciency (or Intelligence).
has some means of negotiating the strangling tides. Also, Vv henever a character or group of characters attempts
the shoals are a known haven for silt horrors, so this to find a safe path through the tar pits, find the Intelli-
approach is shunned by all but the most experienced gence score of the lead character. Check this against the
and desperate explorers. table below to determine the number of proficiency
Some might also attempt to approach the city from the checks the character needs to make before finding a path
air. Wizards and priests occasionally have spells that will out of the tar pits. Characters with the survival profi-
let them fly or otherwise travel through the air, but even ciency make less checks than those without the skill, but
this method is not without its hazards. A flock of razor- both make checks against their Intelligence.
wings lives near the ruins, and the creatures challenge
anyone who invades their aerial domain. Of course, other
spells of immediate movement can be used, but they
39
Ckapter Four: Tke Ruins Above
Tar Pit Survival Checks Table through the pit area, roll again on the table below and
Intelligence Number Number apply the results immediately.
Score of Checks* of Checks**
3-5 6 12 Tar Pit Disaster Table
6-8 5 10 Roll Id6 Result
9-14 4 8 1 Misstep
15-16 3 6 2 Blinded
17-18 2 5 3 Heat Exhaustion
19+ • 1 3 4 Severe Heat Exhaustion
5 Pit Snatcher
* For characters with the survival proficiency. 6 Victim
** For characters without the survival proficiency.
Misstep. The rolling character blindly steps into a pit
After all the checks required by the table above are The victim should make a saving throw versus paralyza-
made, the character emerges on the other side of the tion to avoid falling into the tar. A success means that the
pits, in front of Giustenal's walls. Every successful character has jumped back and suffers nothing more
check indicates that the character (and any others he is than a hot foot (ld4 additional damage). Failure indi-
leading) has progressed a certain distance through the cates that he has fallen into the tar. In this case, the char-
tar pits without any serious mishap. A failure indicates acter takes 3d8 points of damage immediately and
that the characters have stumbled too close to the heat another Id8 every round thereafter until he can make a
and noxious fumes. All characters following the lead successful open doors check to pull himself free (or is
character (and the lead character as well) take Id8 helped out by others).
points of damage. Blinded. The biting smoke clouds the eyes and over-
In addition, whenever a character fails a proficiency comes the victim's natural resistance. The individual
check, he then needs to make a direction sense check must make a saving throw versus breath weapon or be
(Wisdom +1 for those with the skill, Wisdom —2 for blinded for ldlO minutes. Success means that the victim
those without it). A successful check means the character is blind for Id4 minutes. Unless another character takes
keeps to the course. A failure means the character loses the lead or the blinded character decides to wait out the
his way, and the number of remaining survival checks is blindness, the number of remaining survival checks
increased by one. If a character fails three direction sense increases by 1 d4 for those who made the save and 1 d6 for
checks in a row, he emerges from the south side of the tar those who failed.
pits, not far from where he began. He must start his trip Heat Exhaustion. The overwhelming heat of the tar
through the pits again. pits causes the victim mild heat exhaustion. He stops
Also, in the maddening heat and smoky confusion, sweating, his skin becomes cold and clammy, and his
there is always a chance that an individual may meet with thoughts become less clear. Any Wisdom or Intelligence
disaster. Should a character ever roll a natural 20 on a proficiency rolls made after this point receive a —2
survival proficiency check as he or she forges a way penalty. The penalty goes away after the character exits
40
Ckapter Four: The Ruins Above
the pit area and rests for at least eight hours. the walls. This is where the builders under Dregoth's
Severe Heat Exhaustion. As above, plus the charac- reign added new stone to either replace a ruined section
ter loses an additional Id6 hit points every survival check or make the wall higher. Ironically, the newer sections
until exiting the tar pit area. This damage results mostly are less sturdy than the older. A climber unlucky
from dehydration, so drinking a day's requirement of enough to encounter one of these patchwork areas may
water afterward restores 2d4 points of damage caused by find the heavy stone tumbling down with him to the
this disaster. desert floor.
Pit Snatcher. 1 -3 pit snatchers reach from the tar and Non-rogue characters or those without the moun-
try to drag the character in. Statistics are given in brief taineering proficiency have a base 40% chance of scaling
below, but see the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM Giustenal's walls without rope. With the proper tools, the
appendix in this set for additional information. base chance is 55% plus any racial or armor modifiers.
See the Player's Handbook, pages 122-123, for more
Pit Snatchers (1-3): Int Low (5); AL NE; AC 4; MV details.
Special; HD 5; hp 28, 23,17; THACO 15; #AT 2; Dmg Patchwork sections are more likely to be encountered
Id8/ld8; SA Burning; SD nil; SZ M (7 feet); ML 12; along the top of the wall. Anyone trying to scale Giuste-
XP 800 each. nal's walls has little trouble (normal climbing roll) until
reaching the last 10 to 15 feet. At this point, there is a
Victim. The character stumbles across the body of 70% chance that an unsteady piece of patchwork is
another unfortunate creature who has succumbed to the encountered. Anyone with the stonemasonry or moun-
terrible heat of the tar pits. Roll on the random encounter taineering proficiency is allowed a normal check to
table on page 27 to determine what kind of creature it is. detect the section. If the result is a success, the climber
There is a 25% chance that it is still alive. Unintelligent may automatically go around or otherwise avoid the
creatures will see the character as the source of their pain patchwork. With the proper tools, the base chance is
and attack to the best of their ability. Since they are near 15%, plus any armor modifiers. See the Player's Hand-
death already, all attacks suffer a —2 penalty and cause book, pages 122-123, for more details. Note that patch-
only half damage. Living creatures have Id8 hit points work sections count as crumbling. They carry a —40%
remaining. Intelligent creatures will try to bargain or force penalty to all climbers, so unskilled climbers without
the character to drag them from the area. rope have little chance of success.
If someone attempts to traverse the section anyway, the
climber notices that the wall seems to give a bit and he
Climbing tke Walls
should be warned that his current handholds are treach-
Rogues and well-prepared adventurers may decide that erous at best. To gain the top of the wall, he will have to
the walls of Giustenal offer a better entrance than the make one last climbing roll. Failure indicates that the
smoke shrouded southern gate. While this may be true, patchwork crumbles, sending the climber to the ground.
the 40-foot-tall barrier is not without dangers of its own. Once damage for the fall has been determined, and if the
There are many places where a well-trained eye can victim is still alive, he should make an immediate saving
detect subtle differences in coloration in the stone of throw versus wands. Failure indicates that a significant
41
Chapter Four: The Ruins Above
portion of the wall has tumbled on top of him, causing a tembo or a human would rate ld6+2 razorwings.
5d6 points of additional damage. Success means that the Once the hunters are sent from the circle, they burst
character rolls to the side just as the block hits, and takes forth from the silt and streak toward their prey, hoping to
half damage from the shower of debris. The section of catch it by surprise. If they succeed, this first attack
wall is now even more unsteady than before, so the causes double damage. After that, the hunters land and
climber will have to try again at another spot. attempt to take their prey from all directions. They take
to the air again if they suffer a single loss, then contact
their pack leader for help. Within ldlO+2 rounds, the
Flying and Teleportation
remaining razorwings swoop from the sky and attack as
More powerful adventurers may decide that the best described above.
method of entry is to ignore the smoldering tar pits and If the entire flock gets involved in a battle, the
crumbling rock walls completely. This can be done in razorwings will flee once they have lost half their num-
one of two ways—flying or teleportation. These have their ber or the pack leader falls. (See the MONSTROUS
own dangers. C O M P E N D I U M appendix, Terrors of the Desert,
Characters who use magical teleportation meet with for more information on razorwings.)
little resistance. Psychoportive travel such as dimen-
sional door is much more risky. The Caller in Darkness Razorwings (3-8): Int Semi- (4); AL N; AC 3 (in flight)
can sense any powerful psionic emanations nearby and or 6 (on the ground); MV 3, Fl 30 (B), Glide 24 (E); HD
this will most likely gain its attention. 4; THACO 17; #AT 3; Dmg 2-8/2-8/1-4; SA Surprise,
Flying over the walls is also a deadly venture due to the double damage on charge, psionics; SZ M (8-foot
razorwings that lurk in the silt nearby. The pack lies on a wingspan); ML 10; XP 420 each.
submerged island just beneath the silt to the northeast.
They are a highly developed hunting pack of birdlike rep-
tiles who have learned to use their peculiar talents to
Exploring Giustenal
great effect. The flock lies in a rough circle, and each Should adventurers manage to get inside Giustenal's
creature takes a turn using its psionic power to detect life. walls and be fortunate enough not to attract the atten-
After a razorwing has used its power, the creature directly tion of the Caller in Darkness, they will find a desolate
opposite it in the circle does the same. After that, the and dusty jumble of crumbled rock and stone. Every
creature located clockwise to the first detects life, and so building is covered in at least four inches of silt, and
on. In this way, the razorwings maintain a clockwise rotat- every step sends up clouds that choke lungs and
ing scan that senses most living things within 100 yards obscure vision.
of their perimeter. There are currently 23 razorwings in In game terms, anyone walking at normal pace through
this flock. the city causes clouds of rolling dust to rise from the
Once a living creature is detected, the pack leader streets. Attackers receive —2 penalties to their attack
must decide whether or not to pursue the prey, and if so, rolls when trying to target anyone in the dust clouds with
how many of the pack should be sent. Small creatures ranged weapons. Also, the choking dust crawls into lungs
usually warrant a single razorwing. Something as large as and noses, making breathing difficult. Those in the
42
Cnapter Four: Tke Ruins Above
clouds receive —2 penalties to all attack and damage In a Gray Death condition, travelers suffer an initia-
rolls due to the tiring effects of breathing the dust. tive penalty of —4, a —4 penalty to attack and damage
Adventurers can reduce the penalties imposed by the rolls, and visibility is reduced to a mere 20 yards. The
choking dust if they take precautions. Using moistened protection of a wet cloth will cut these penalties in half
clothes to cover the nose and mouth, for example, will fil- (except for the visibility limitation). Taking refuge in a
ter most of the dust. This reduces the attack and damage building or other protected area will effectively negate
roll penalties to — 1 , but requires 1/2 gallon of water per any penalties.
Aay to keep the cloth moist.
The Caller in Giustenal
Gray Death Conditions
Whenever adventurers enter Giustenal, there is a 50%
Gray Death can strike when adventurers travel anywhere base chance that the Caller in Darkness will notice them
near the Sea of Silt. On windy days, the light silt fills the when they use psionic powers. The base chance is
air with clouds of gray dust that make seeing and breath- increased by the number of PSPs spent to initiate and
ing difficult. Strong winds have a 30% chance of appear- maintain the power. See page 33 for more information on
ing every hour that travelers are within one mile of the Silt attracting the attention of the Caller.
Sea—including within the walls of Giustenal. When the Once the Caller notices intruders inside Giustenal's
winds blow, Gray Death chokes the air. walls, it attempts to make contact, as described in the pre-
43
vious ckapter. The Caller in Darkness harasses a group's the walls, these visions turn dark. The Caller will never
psionic users as they explore the ruins, provided they are manifest an illusion capable of attack. Subtlety and anxi-
of the races the Caller seeks to add to itself. ety are its weapons. Remember that these are always used
Also, within the walls of Giustenal, the Caller's prox- on one target at a time, so take the player aside or pass a
imity causes fear and terror to spill over and affect every note whenever a character is the victim of the Caller's ter-
intelligent creature—regardless of its psionic abilities or ror attacks. The Caller will rotate through its victims,
race. Some of the fear is directed at specific targets, but directing an attack at one contacted character, then
everyone feels at least part of the effects. This manifests attacking a different contacted character next.
in a number of ways. The Caller uses its psioniclike powers to project illu-
First, all characters feel a sense of dread once they pass sions and raise the level of terror coursing through its tar-
through the gates or otherwise enter the city. They can't gets. See the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM
name what bothers them or see a logical cause, but they appendix included in this set for full details. Each time a
feel strange and slightly paranoid nonetheless. Paranoia contacted character is attacked, there is a chance his level
rises in others, and every shadow becomes an assassin, of fear will rise. During the attack, the character makes a
every noise a stalking monster. As characters wander the saving throw versus paralyzation. The saving throw
silt-cloaked streets, the ruins seem to lean toward them. receives a penalty, depending on how many attacks the
Open doors appear like dark, hungry maws. They feel character has withstood. On the first attack, the penalty is
they are being watched, even hunted, as they progress far- — 1. Each subsequent attack causes the penalty to
ther into the ruins. Some characters may also begin to increase by 1. So, on the second attack, the penalty is —2,
experience actual visions. These are residuals of the then —3, and so forth. Each time a contacted character
Caller's attacks on other characters. fails one of these saving throws, he or she loses 1 d4 points
Every half hour spent inside the walls, a character must of Wisdom. The loss of Wisdom corresponds to the
make a saving throw versus paralyzation to control his ris- increasing level of terror. When the character's Wisdom
ing fear. Characters actively being attacked by the Caller drops to 0, representing a maximum level of terror, the
do not have to make these saving throws, but must follow Caller begins its last stage of attack. It seeks to make the
the rules concerning the Caller. Each success allows a character kill himself, or it uses its destructive powers to
character to maintain control and keep his terror in check. slay the character itself. A contacted character slain
A failure increases the character's terror by another mag- within the walls of Giustenal joins the Caller in Darkness. '
nitude. After a number of failures equal to one-quarter Use the illusions below to spark ideas that can be tai-
the character's Wisdom (rounded up), the character lored to the personalities of the player characters.
totally succumbs to his fear. Treat the character's reaction
as though he were hit with a fear spell. • "You 've stopped to take a drink of water. You rub the
As for those characters actually being attacked by the back of your sunburned neck and see the shadow of
Caller, the undead creature manifests illusions of terror your friend fall across the silt. When you turn, your
that constantly wash over those it has contacted. Beyond friend isn 't there!" The shadow does not move after it
the walls, these illusions are benevolent, tempting the appears. When the character calls for his companions,
characters with the things their hearts most desire. Inside the shadow disappears.
44
Ckapter Four: The Ruins Above
• "You nervously finger the hilt of your weapon and feel

the comfortable sharpness of its edge. You feel a slight
sting at the end of your hand and see that you 've man-
aged to cut yourself. A dark drop of blood falls as if in
slow motion, where it lands on a bleached skull. You
watch in fascination as the drop splatters, then rolls
down to congeal in the silt below." Let the character
think that his blood has somehow given life to the
skeleton, mentioning that he sees a glow in the previ-
ously dark eye sockets after the drop hits it.
• "There s a strange sound high above, as if something is
scratching at stone in the upper floors of the building
to your right. "When the character investigates, he
finds a room locked from the outside. Inside is the
withered body of a trapped slave who tried to claw his
way through the door long, long, ago.
• "You blow the dust from your nose and try to take at
least one full breath before silt clogs it again. The air
smells of desert flowers, though, not of dust and sand."
Nearby is the corpse of a young woman. A brittle
necklace of brown flowers hangs around her neck. No
one else can detect the smell, though it will remain
with the character for the rest of the day.
• "You stop for a second, certain that you hear distant
laughing and the sound of elf singers. It's as if the old
plaza has come to life again!""T\iis should only be used
when the character is near the plaza, but not in sight of
it. If he investigates, he sees only a swirl of silt settling to
the ground.
• "There's a strange taste on your tongue, like bitter gar-
lic. "This attack is used near the market. If the charac-
ter looks around, he sees a ruined produce stand.
Dried and ruined herbs and spices are visible under
wind-blown silt, and a corpse in the center is covered
in what could only be "mummified" garlic bulbs.
• "A silt serpent eyes you from a low stone wall. As you
watch, the thing's mouth draws up into an impossible
45
mile. Then it drops into the silt and disappears. "Tke Several murderous but unintelligent creatures dwell
serpent, if it even existed, has slithered away within Giustenal, but few are brave enough to pick a fight
• "Just for a second, you 're sure you saw dirty-white eyes with intruders. Only when adventurers discover a beast's
peering at you from the darkness of a ruined struc- lair will it fight, so there are no wandering encounters
ture. " If the character investigates, she finds only a when exploring the city Of course, the adventurers
cracked skull half-buried in the silt. shouldn't know this.
• "You hear heavy breathing from the shadows nearby. It The DM should roll a lot of dice while the characters
starts very faintly, almost imperceptibly, but then grows are searching, frowning a lot and pretending to consult
louder. hJowyou can hear it from another group of the map. Low lighting and eerie music from movie
shadows, and another! It's all around you!" Let the soundtracks or sound effects of howling wind can also
character declare actions before he spots something in help set the mood. Giustenal is a place of the dead, silent
the shadows where the sound originated. There, a sin- as a tomb and as filled with bones and old memories as
gle skeleton leans against a wall. Around its neck is a any grave. Use spooky descriptions to get across the
medallion engraved with the image of a dragon, a holy haunting mood of the city.
symbol of Dregoth's templars. Refer to the poster map when characters enter the
• "You peer into an old dwelling and see a cracked and walls of Giustenal, the city hy the Silt Sea.
dusty mirror on the wall. "Ask the character to roll
ld20, then shake your head at the results. "You hear a Perils of Giustenal
noise behind you and turn to look, but there s nothing
there. When you look back into the dwelling, the mir- The city streets are riddled with holes, and tall buildings
ror is on the ground, broken and mostly buried in silt. threaten to collapse at the slightest sound. While the
There is the faintest outline of a familiar image on the characters are exploring the city roll Id6 every game
dusty shards—your image." hour. On a roll of 1, a character in the group falls victim
to one of the ruin's hazards. Some hazards are listed
below, but DMs are encouraged to add more.
Giustenal Locations
Thousands fled Giustenal the night that Dregoth was Collapsing Floor. This catastrophe only occurs if a
slain hy the sorcerer-kings. Most left their possessions character has ascended into a building. The floor section
behind, though a few brave souls returned at first light the character stands on collapses, dropping him 10 feet
and grabbed what they could. This is when most of the to the floor below. A character that falls in this manner
looting was done. Unless otherwise noted, the locations automatically takes 2d6 damage from the fall and the
described below are devoid of treasure, and any bodies cascading stone, and there is a 33% chance that the floor
discovered have already been pilfered or have little of he lands on will also collapse. In this case, the victim falls
worth. Remember that everything is covered in at least another 10 feet into a basement or lower level. He takes
four inches of silt, so characters will spend double the another 2d6 points of damage, and there is another 33%
normal time searching for anything that isn't large chance that the character will fall to a third level, and so
enough to stick out of the dust. on. The maximum number of levels a character may fall
46
Chapter Four: Tke Ruins Above
is four, tke maximum heigkt for most buildings in tke city. plowing tkrougk tke silt-cloaked streets. Tke serpent
Deadfalls. Tkis result means tkat an explorer kas witkdraws after delivering a bite, content to wait until tke
brusked against a weak section of wall and kas brougkt it victim kas collapsed before returning to feast.
crasking down upon kim. In a tkundering crask and a
cloud of dust, large stones plummet to tke city street and Silt Serpents (1-2): Int Animal (l); A L N ; A C 1 (in
crusk anytking beneatk tkem. Tke victim and anyone silt) or 5; MV 15; HD 1; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1 -2
witkin five feet must make a saving tkrow versus petrifica- plus poison type E; SA poison type E (deatk or save for
tion or suffer 5d6 points of damage. A successful save 20 points of damage); SD camouflage in silt; SZ S (3 feet
kalves tkis damage as tke victim leaps clear of tke larger long); ML 8; XP 65 eack.
sections of debris.
Silt Pits. Tkese are by far tke most numerous kazard Areas of Interest
faced by explorers. Since tke entire city is covered in silt,
it is nearly impossible to discern wells, cracks in tke foun- Tke silt-filled streets wind between buildings tkat were in
dation, or otker koles filled witk tke treackerous dust. various states of repair wken disaster struck. Some of tke
Wken tkis danger occurs, tke DM skould select one structures were little more tkan ruins wken Dregotk's
ckaracter at random. Tkat ckaracter must tken make a poorer citizens occupied tkem. Otkers were rebuilt dur-
Dexterity ckeck witk tke following modifiers applied to ing Dregotk's time, adding kis draconic motifs to build-
tke die roll. Prodding witk a staff or pole: —4; running: ings from an earlier age. Tke center of Giustenal, now tke
+4; walking:+2. nortkern edge tkat falls away into tke Silt Sea, was once a
Failure means tkat tke victim falls into a pit 4d6 feet beautiful place. Tke great conflict between tke sorcerer-
deep, and begins to ckoke on tke silt (taking drowning kings and Dregotk skattered tke area and caused tke rest
damage eack round). Companions may extend a pole or of tke city to slide beneatk tke silt (wkick at tke time was
similar object into tke silt, tkougk tke victim must make still a sea of water). Tkousands upon tkousands of inno-
an Intelligence ckeck to find it. If tkis is successful, tken cents were murdered in tke defiling waves of dark magic.
ke is pulled to tke surface and may climb out on kis own. Corpses lie tkrougkout tke city, tkougk tkeir numbers
He may try to find suck an object once per round. Otker are greatest in tke plaza area. Tkose buried by tke silt
tkan tkat, magic or psionics are tke kapless victim's only wkick resulted from tke defiling magic are nearly mum-
ckance of rescue. mified. Otker corpses rotted and eventually turned to
Silt pits can be encountered in tke streets as well as in bleacked bones. A preserved body may lie next to a pile
tke first floors of most buildings. of dried bones, depending on wkick way tke winds blew
Silt Serpents. A rare species of serpent normally after Dregotk's deatk.
found only on skoals of tke Silt Sea makes its kome in Some casualties bear no pkysical clues as to tke cause
Giustenal. In fact, tke ruins are literally infested witk tke of deatk. Tke sorcerer-kings' spells drew tke life energy
deadly tkings. Tkey are a prize catck, for tke venom tkey from tkese unfortunates once tke vegetation was con-
produce is powerful and extremely deadly. An encounter sumed and tke land itself erupted witk bubbling tar pits.
witk tkese creatures usually begins wken a ckaracter feels Tke locations below are from tke Ruins of Giustenal
a sudden and skarp pain in tke back of kis keel wkile poster map included witk tkis set.
47
1. Entry Gates. Giant roaring dragons of stone stand gp, double that if the seller can prove the items come
to either side of Giustenal's 30-foot-tall gates. Two gates from Giustenal. Nallan is unarmed, but a bone dagger
still bar entry to the city, one on the south wall and one juts from his heart. A dagger sheath on his belt is empty.
on the east wall. The walls themselves average about 50 He killed himself at the behest of the Caller in Darkness.
feet high. A character with the stonemasonry proficiency No other treasure can be found here, but scenes on
can tell that the rock used to make the statues is far less the walls show the sorcerer-king Dregoth leading his
weathered than the wall they have been built into. The troops against giants and lion-headed beastmen.
statue on the left side of the southern gate has been shat- 4. Merchant District. Stone buildings in the southeast
tered, and most of its upper half is missing. corner of the ruins once made up part of the merchant dis-
The southern gate opens onto a great temple, while trict. As with most of Giustenal, these stores and ware-
the eastern gate has a road wide enough to accommodate houses were pillaged over the centuries. A few hours spent
the largest merchant caravan. sifting through the silt and debris will turn up random trea-
2. Dregoth's Arch. Two great arches as tall as the sure of Type A. Roll on Table 84, found on page 133 of the
walls greet those who pass through the city gates. A huge DUNGEON MASTER* Guide (DMG.
dragon head decorates each keystone, made of the same One place of interest is the cellar of a large tavern in
black obsidian used to construct the arches. The arches the northern part of the district. The doors have been left
were just another monument Dregoth had dedicated to open and the metal locks on the cellar door are worth 3
himself, though they appear ominous compared to the sp. If a character investigates, he finds the lair of a pack of
lighter stone used throughout the rest of the city. zhackals (see the Terrors of the Desert DARK SUN
3. Temple. This large building was a temple to the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM appendix for
forgotten god of Taraskir the Lion, but was claimed by details on these creatures).
Dregoth when he took control of the city. The doors are
guarded by dragon statues similar to those found outside. Zhackals (2-12): Int Low (6); AC 7; MV 18; HD 1;
Like the left-side statue at the southern gate, the left-side THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-3; SA psionics (PSPs 24,
statue at the south doors to the temple has been shat- 34 for the pack leader), Telepathy—contact, mind bar,
tered. The walls and ceilings inside are also heavily dam- mindlink, ego whip, invisibility; SD psionics; SZ T (1
aged. Wizards and other experienced adventurers foot); ML 12; XP 175 (pack leader), 120.
speculate that fireball spells caused the damage long ago.
If anyone ventures inside, there is a 25% chance of 5. Grand Plaza. Huge stone basins such as those
falling through the floor into the basement below. These used for topiaries surround the plaza, but beneath the silt
lead nowhere and are devoid of any real treasure, but there is only black ash. A large crack cuts through the
falling characters still suffer damage. plaza and extends to the palace beyond. The crack is
There are dozens of charred corpses littering the floor, deep enough to be visible, as the silt has gathered in its
including one relatively fresh, unburned body. This is the depths but does not fill or cover it over. Many skeletons
corpse of Nallan, a crafter from Tenpug's Band. He car- are visible here, partially buried in silt.
ries a backpack full of odds and ends—pottery, tools, and In Dregoth's day, the attacks of the sorcerer-kings drew
jewelry from the city. The combined value of the haul is 5 life energy from the trees that once filled the stone basins,
48
Cnapter Four: The Ruins Above
and from muck of the crowd. The rest were killed by to the project. See page 51 for a detailed description of
destructive spells such as the one that shattered the the interior and a map of the palace.
ground. 8. Warrens. The buildings in the southwest corner are
6. Arena. Dregoth's templars insisted that the city in terrible shape, though an Intelligence check will reveal
have an arena even though the Dread King himself cared that they were probably that way long before the city was
little for such mundane sport. To the nobles and mer- abandoned. This was where the poor of the city lived, in
chants of the time, the city would not have been complete buildings of baked clay, piled stone, and fabric. Most of
without such a complex, so Dregoth approved its con- the fabric has deteriorated, and the piled stones have
struction to appease them. tumbled, but the warrens remain. Much of this area has
Underneath the southern seating section are slave been blackened by the soot of the nearby tar pits, and
pens filled with dozens of near-mummified bodies dark smoke spills over the wall and through the shattered
behind thick wooden bars. Only a few escaped the crude corner.
prisons. The rest were trapped and left to die when the Ironically, since the survivors of Giustenal s last days
mass exodus occurred. knew that this was the poor quarters, few bothered to loot
None of these bodies pose any danger to adventurers. it. Characters can find Treasure Type M if they spend at
They are all simply and plainly dead. The scene should least four hours searching (roll randomly on Table 84 in
be shocking, however. These men and women died horri- the DUG.
bly from thirst and starvation. Many still clutch the 9. Freemen District. The district where many of
unyielding bars with bony grips, others appear to have Giustenal's free citizens lived was thoroughly looted in
killed each other in madness. It was the lucky few who the aftermath of the sorcerer-king's attack. The homes
died outright when the sorcerer-kings sucked in life here are more sturdy versions of the structures in the war-
energy to power their spells. rens, though time and the elements have not been any
If any characters have been contacted by the Caller in kinder to them.
Darkness or are suffering from the effects of fear, then a 10. Gardens. Once a series of beautiful gardens sur-
terrible illusion manifests here. When such a character rounded the palace, with a smaller version set outside the
opens a cell, the bodies within animate and attempt to palace walls for use by the nobles and free citizens. Dur-
drag themselves to freedom. Their dry, brittle voices ing the battle of the sorcerer-kings, the plant life withered,
beseech the character to give them water, food, or to help died, and crumbled to ash. Now a six-inch layer of silt
them escape. If the character tries to help, the illusory covers a foot of ash throughout the gardens. The bodies
undead turn nasty. They blame the character for leaving of two templars are buried beneath the ash in the smaller
them to die while he ran to save himself. "Stay with us," garden. They were never discovered by looters. Each has
they shutter. "Keep us company until the city crumbles a steel long sword (requiring polishing and sharpening
to dust and blows away." but otherwise usable), gold earrings (worth 15 gp each
7. Dregoth's Palace. From the outside, Dregoth's set), and tattered robes.
fortress looks far less impressive than those of Nibenay, 11. Public Cisterns. Wells on each side of Dregoth's
Kalak, or the others. This is partly due to hurried rebuild- palace once provided the citizens of Giustenal with fresh
ing but mostly due to the Dread King's lack of attention water. Only the cisterns on the southern side of the
palace remain—the others buried beneath the Sea of area was damaged by the devastation rained down on the
Silt. No drinkable water remains unless it has rained city, and much of the goods were looted over the cen-
recently. All that resides in the cisterns is dried mud. turies, but some choice treasures remain if adventurers
Caked in the dry mud are several corpses. Digging are patient enough (and brave enough) to search for
them out takes 1 d6 turns. One of the eight bodies is a them. If treasure is found, roll randomly for Treasure Type
dormant bog wader. It dragged itself into Giustenal just Don Table 84 of the DMG.
after a storm and went into hibernation as the pool dried 14. Templars. Dregoth's templars lived and worked in
out again. It is extremely hungry and will attack anyone the buildings adjoining the eastern side of the palace.
who begins to uncover it. These ruins are a mess, both from the magical devasta-
Since the thing is dormant and mostly covered in tion and the natural disasters that have visited Giustenal
mud, the D M can use the bog wader in a slightly more over the centuries. A number of silt horrors frequent the
horrific way than usual. When a character begins to shores nearest these shattered structures, and a pack of
uncover the corpse, perhaps the eye of the bog wader silt runners lives in a building near the southeast corner
snaps open, causing the digger to drop his weapon if he of the area. They often leave the ruins to hunt, entering
doesn't make a save versus petrification. Then the wader and exiting by running up the silt dunes nearest the east-
springs to attack, but the mud makes it looks like some ern wall. There is a 50% chance that the pack is present
sort of zombie. Clerics might try to turn the wader while it when adventurers arrive. If they are in their lair, they will
rends their companions. (See the Terrors of the Desert seek to attack the adventurers for supplies. (See the Ter-
DARK SUN MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM rors of the Desert DARK SUN MONSTROUS
appendix for additional information on these creatures.) COMPENDIUM appendix or additional information
on these creatures.)
Bog Wader: Int Low (7); AL CE; AC 4; MV 3; H D
4+ 3; hp 19; THACO 15; #AT 5; Dmg 1 -3x4/1 -4; SA Silt Runners (2-20): Int Low (6); AL CE; AC 7; MV 48;
impale (2d4 damage, bend bars roll to break free); SZ M HD 2; THACO 19; #AT 3 or 1; Dmg 1 -3/1-3/1-6 or by
(6feet);MLll;XP420. weapon; SZ S (4 feet tall); ML 10; XP 35 each.
12. Nobles' District. The nobles of Giustenal lived 1 5. Slave Pen. A 1 5-foot-high wall surrounds this
in the richly appointed buildings in this area. The silt is compound where slaves were stored after their daily work
especially deep here, so close to the encroaching sea. periods ended. Like the slaves under the arena, no one
Both the silt and creatures that dwell in it are dangers bothered to free these people after the sorcerer-kings
here, and a few of the buildings were damaged and began to attack. Most of the shabby shelters have long
destroyed by the sorcerer-kings. since rotted away, but the bodies of the dead remain—
13. Traders' District. Across from the merchant buried in silt and stacked one atop another where they
emporiums and warehouses, beside the wide caravan fell and died. Four undead gladiators reside among the
road, local traders sold their services and wares. Unlike bodies of the deceased slaves. These gladiators were sent
the marketplaces of other cities, Giustenal's traders' dis- out to the fields as punishment, so were in the pen when
trict consisted of permanent structures, or stores. This disaster struck. They have survived in their undead state
50
Chapter Four: Trie Ruins Above
througk tke centuries, seeking one last contest of strengtk covering muck of tke floor in knee-deep dust.
and battle before tkey find eternal rest. If adventurers Long ago, Dregotk's templars built tkis grand kail to
enter tke pen, tke gladiators rise and attack. greet visiting nobles. A beautiful mural depicting tke
city beside a sea of blue water adorns tke east wall. On
Undead Gladiators (4): Int Average (9); AL NE; AC 5; tke otker wall is an engraved mural depicting Dregotk's
MV 9; H D 9; THACO 11; #AT 3/2; Dmg 1 - 8 - 1 templars prostrating tkemselves in tkis very ckamber. In
(bone long swords); SA + 3 damage; SD turn as wigkts; tke picture, tke wall skows a picture of tke engraving,
SZ M(6 feet tall); ML 14; XP 4,000 eack. wkick kas a picture of tke engraving, and so fortk. Tkis
represents Dregotk's ascendancy to godkood and kis
Dregoth's Palace eternal existence. Tke portion of wall wkere Dregotk
kimself appears kas been ckarred and obscured by
Located in wkat was once tke center Giustenal, wkat powerful magic.
remains of Dregotk's palace sits on tke edge of tke Silt A kuge tkrone rests in skambles at tke nortk end of
Sea. Tkis area, marked 7 on tke poster map, is detailed in tke ckamber, its skattered parts jutting above tke silt. A
a map on page 53 of tkis book. Unless otkerwise noted, secret passage bekind tke tkrone leads to room 3.
eack floor of tke palace is 30-feet tall to accommodate 2. Banquet Room. Tke nortkern wall of tkis large
Dregotk's size as a 29tk-level dragon (tkougk ke spent ckamber are cracked wide in places, exposing tke room to
muck of kis time polymorphed into a normal kuman tons of dust A mammotk cupboard against tke east wall
form). Most rooms contain busted furniture and corpses. was once full of ceramic plates and cups, but it kas been
Any undiscovered treasure is listed in tke individual skattered and most of tke items smasked on tke stone
entries. floor. Tkis is wkere Nallan of Tenpug's Band retrieved
Wkile exploring tke ruined palace tkere is a ckance a most of tke crockery tkat ke sold to House Skom, tkougk
party will encounter silt serpents. For every turn spent many pieces remain buried beneatk tke drifting silt.
searcking, tkere is a 1 in 10 ckance tkat an encounter As adventurers explore tkis ckamber, t\\ey attract tke
occurs (roll ldlO). If an encounter occurs, roll Id6. On a interest of a sink worm kunting in tke Silt Sea beyond tke
1-5, one ckaracter discovers a single creature. On a 6, a nortkern wall. It bursts out of tke silt and attacks anyone
ckaracter wko is searcking finds a nest of 2d6 serpents. witkin 10 feet of tke kuge opening in tke nortk wall. It
attempts to catck one man-sized victim to sate its daily
Silt Serpents (1 or 2-12): Int Animal (l); AL N; AC 1 kunger, and will stretck as far as 25 feet into tke room. It will
(in silt) or 5; MV 15; HD 1; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg not leave tke silt to ckase down food, and it flees if it loses
1-2 plus poison type E; SA poison type E (deatk or save more tkan kalf its kit points. (See Terrors of the Desert
for 20 points of damage); SD camouflage in silt; SZ S (3 DARK SUN MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM
feet long); ML 8; XP 65 eack. appendix for additional information on tkese creatures.)
1. Grand Entrance. Tke great doors to tkis entrance Sink Worm: Int Animal (l); AL N; AC 6; MV 12, Br
ckamber were skattered by tke same magic tkat cracked 18; H D 14; kp 74; T H A C 0 7; #AT 1; Dmg 2-24; SA
tke plaza outside. Silt kas drifted in tkrougk tke opening, swallow wkole (on an attack roll 4 or more tkan wkat was
51
necessary to Kit); SD phasing (move through solid tree has been overturned against the southern wall. It has
objects to return to sand or silt); SZ G (50 feet long); ML been scorched but some careful work and a team of at
ll;XP7000. least 20 men could remove it from the palace and restore
it. If it can be taken to a market, it would fetch a price of
3. Preparation Room. When Dregoth was to appear 24 gold.
before his minions, he would meet here with the High 7. Templars' Apartments. Some of the lower ranking
Templar and any other lackeys deemed important templars (lst-4th level) who directly served Dregoth lived
enough for the task at hand. The visible door to the room in this series of apartments. Each room consists of four
is locked and requires a successful pick locks at —20%, beds, a desk, and four footlockers made of wood. The few
or an open doors roll at —2. The secret door can be survivors of Giustenal brave enough to loot the city
opened easily if discovered. Inside the room are several before running into the desert have already sacked this
items explorers might find interesting. place, but anyone searching the remains can find a
The first is a metal tube fitted with glass at both ends. medallion bearing the likeness of a dragon. This is one of
This is a telescope, though whether it was one of the arti- Dregoth's holy symbols from the time of Giustenal.
facts uncovered by Dregoth or a device of his own cre- 8. Templars' Apartments. Higher ranking templars
ation is unknown. It could easily be sold for 30 gp, if a assigned directly to the palace lived in these chambers.
character can figure out its purpose. Otherwise its value Each room has two beds, two desks, and a wood wardrobe.
is halved as a metal artifact of curiosity. There are also Many are filled with scraps of clothing half buried in the
several silver bowls, mirrors, and other grooming instru- silt and now worthless, and perhaps even a piece of brittle
ments. Their crafting is exquisite (though of Dregoth's leather or hide armor. One of these rooms has collapsed
era), and the lot is easily worth 15 gp. from above. Should characters spend at least two hours
4. Kitchen. Tens of slaves once worked in the miser- digging through the rubble, they can find Treasure Type
able heat of this place and it seems several of them were C (roll randomly on Table 84, page 133 of the DMG).
caught within when part of the roof collapsed. Corpses 9. Dining Hall. On most occasions, this is where
shackled with desiccated leather bonds are visible just Dregoth's templars and any nobles who wished to min-
beneath a dusty pile of rubble, and there is a hole in the gle with them took their meals. Great tables made of
roof above. wood still stand here, and these would fetch at least 15
5. Storeroom. Tremendous amounts of food and water silver a piece at market if they could be transported.
were stored here. Most of this was taken by the palace Nallan missed a few of the items buried beneath the
staff as they trekked off across the desert All that remains silt in here, so there is a 5% chance per turn spent
are a few busted barrels and shattered crates. searching that a character can uncover a plate or piece
6. Ballroom. Grand balls or celebrations could be of metal cutlery worth 2d6 sp. There are no bodies in
held in this room, though the only holiday enjoyed by this area.
Giustenal was the Day of Cleansing (in celebration of 10. Baths. What kind of people had access to the
the war against nonhumans). In practice, the room was amount of water necessary to run baths of this size? The
often used by templars to hold their own private parties. player characters may never know, but these rooms
A huge table over 40 feet long and carved from a single should add to the mysteries of the ancients.
52
Dregoth's Palace
(in Giustenal)
One Square = 20 Feet
1. Grand Entrance '

l
2. Banquet Hall
3. Preparation Room
4. Kitchen
5. Storeroom
6. Ballroom
7. Templar Apartment
8. Templar Suite
I
9. Dining Hall
10. Bath
11. Barracks
12. Spire Ante-Chamber
13. High Templar's Chamber
14. Guest Room
15. High Priest's Chamber
16. Slave Quarters
A. Stairs Down
53
CKapter Four: Tke Ruins Above
11. Barracks. The palace guards occupied this cham- Dregoth's hands.
bers in the distant past. Nothing remains but dust, a few Others show the same malevolent sorcerer-king trans-
bones, and unidentifiable debris. forming from a man into a dragon, advancing through
1 2. Spire Ante-Chamber. Dregoth decorated this nine distinct stages of development.
room with valuable artifacts from his days of conquest The spot marked "A" on the map is the location of a
and the Cleansing Wars. An ancient tapestry depicts a staircase leading down. During Dregoth's day, a secret
sorcerer-king in the earliest stages of dragon metamor- door hid this ancient staircase. Now it can be easily spot-
phosis standing victoriously over the shattered body of a ted. The stairs lead to the tunnels below Giustenal,
giant with a lion's head. The giant and the sorcerer-king though a small bit of rubble must be moved to descend.
wear metal armor, and the background shows a location There are two pedestals in the room as well. One bears
much like the Forest Ridge. This tapestry is washed out a marble sculpture of a dragon, the prototype of those
and worn, and someone has scrawled a crude drawing of that guard the gates and temples of Giustenal. On the
a lion's head in the lower corner. Unknown letters other is the bust of a head, though it has been shattered
beneath it date back to Dregoth's reign and read, "The from the mouth up. This was an image of Dregoth before
Lion-King Lives!" This was written by one of the follow- his ascension to dragonhood.
ers of Taraskir's religion—the humans and demihu- This room also houses the only staircase to Dregoth's
mans who worshipped him as a god after his death at Tower, which rises above the palace and hangs precari-
54
Cnapter Four: Tke Ruins Above
ously over the Silt Sea.

Dregoth's Tower
13. High Templar's Chamber. Mon-Adderath was
(and is) Dregoth's High Templar. His chamber is hardly Dregoth's Tower was also called the Black Tower
touched by damage and time, though the west wall was because it is made of blackest obsidian. Large holes
cracked from the ante-chamber side. Only a gray marble and cracks now mar its surface, and it is pitted and
table and desk inlaid with turquoise remain. (Mon rough from the abrasive, silt-laden wind. Most omi-
Adderath packed up his personal belongings when he nous, however, is a single bleached skeleton staked hy
and Dregoth retreated beneath the city.) If the turquoise iron spikes to the center of the tower. This was
is pried loose, it is worth 2 gp. If the ornate desk and table Dregoth's High Priest. The sorcerer-kings hung him
are transported whole, they would fetch 3 gp each at most here as a sign that they were the most powerful beings
markets. on Athas—and not some upstart dragon king. Today,
14. Guest Room. Visiting dignitaries were housed in no one knows who the skeleton was. A tattered, faded-
this elaborate room, though surviving templars looted the red tunic still flaps from its splintered bones. Should
decorations after Dregoth's fall. The room is now a sham- anyone attempt to pull the body down, it will fall apart
bles and a corpse lies in the middle of a dusty red carpet in a pathetic jumble of bones (though to do this one
Several of its ribs are cracked as if from a dull blade would need to levitate or fly). A medallion bearing the
stroke. It was stripped of weaponry and possibly armor, image of a dragon still adorns its neck.
but a ring of protection +2 can be found on one of its For the location below, refer to the map on page 57
brittle fingers. 3rd Floor (Dregoth's Chamber). Small glass win-
15. High Priest's Quarters. Dregoth was unusual in dows here have all been shattered. Most of the chamber
that he had one templar designated as High Priest. This is covered in thick, gray dust The furniture and Dregoth's
man was not a spiritual guide but a templar charged with mammoth bed have collapsed, and the curtains that
showing the masses how to pay proper respect to their once covered the gray marble walls have fallen to the floor
god, Dregoth. It is his body that is staked to the front of in dirty, deteriorating bundles. Shelves once containing
Dregoth's Tower. The sorcerer-kings hunted the man books now hold so much rotted pulp. The balcony out-
down after murdering Dregoth and hung him there as a side is sturdy and provides an excellent view of Giustenal
sign to those who might have believed in the power of the and the surrounding vicinity.
Dread King's religion. In a jammed desk drawer (bend 2nd Floor. This room is almost totally barren. It was
bars to open) is incense of meditation. designed with large windows for an open feel. Most of
16. Slave Quarters. Favored slaves and concubines the glass was shattered when Dregoth fell, but a few
were kept here so that the higher ranking templars could panes remain intact. The stairway door leading down
call on them at will. Pillows, wine pitchers, and leather to the laboratory has been torn from its hinges. A stair-
bonds are strewn about Most slaves were freed as the sur- case in the tower room leads up to the third floor.
vivors fled the palace, but a few corpses remain sprawled The staircase leading down is attached to the side of
on the tattered bedding. the tower. The wooden stairs have been damaged by age
and ancient battles. Anyone climbing or descending
between the first and second floors of the tower (or even
55
between the first floor and the spire antechamber in the

palace below) has a 25% chance of falling through a rot-
ted, weak stair and taking 2d6 points of damage.
If someone sweeps the dust from the floor they will see
a huge turquoise inlay in the image of a dragon. If it can
be pried loose, the stone alone sells for 10 gp. If the image
can be reconstructed, it is worth at least 40 gp.
1st Floor (Laboratory). Dregoth s enemies looted
then set fire to this chamber after his death. Huge
machines made of glass and metal are strewn about the
room, as are tables, broken vials, and several inches of
ash. The metal in here could be salvaged for 2d6 sp if
someone were to spend two hours scrounging through
the debris.
The south wall supports three stone-barred holding
cells for prisoners used in Dregoth's experiments. Most
of the blackened corpses are of animals, but one is
vaguely human. Dregoth was testing his dray transfor-
mation spell on this pitiful slave and it died some time
before the tower was set alight. If anyone opens this
cage, the remains animate. The body drags itself from
the cell. This is truly a grisly sight—the lower half of the
corpse crumbles apart and the struggling torso lies con-
fused. The thing struggles for a bit, then picks itself up
with its forearms and begins dragging its desiccated
remains forward. This undead is a malicious spectre
bent on revenge—a venger. (See the MONSTROUS
COMPENDIUM appendix included in this set.)
Vengers are difficult to stop, but this one is in such a
terrible state of decay that it can't negotiate most obsta-
cles on its own. If a party of adventurers allows the venger
to continue, it crawls down the stairs to the rubbled
entrance to the lower tunnels and claws pathetically at
the stone. When someone helps it remove the rubble,
the wracked spirit throws itself down the hole and crawls
on toward the tunnels below Giustenal. If anyone tries
to stop it, the confused wretch attacks until it or its prey
56
are destroyed, or it is turned by a priest. The venger seeks

to reach Dregoth in New Giustenal. Dregotk's Tower (in Giustenal)
If the players follow the venger, the DM should play up One Square = 10 Feet
the confusion and horror aspects of the journey. Every
time the venger reaches a door or obstacle it can't clear, it
collapses and wails pitifully. No amount of prodding or
magic will get the thing moving again until the barrier is
removed.
Venger: Int Average (8); AL N; AC 7; MV 6; H D 5;

hp 23; THACO 15; #AT 2; Dmg 1 -10/1 -10; 5A venge-
ful grasp (save versus death magic or die); SD + 2
weapons or better to hit; SZ M (6 feet tall); ML 18;
XP 1,000. 3rd Floor
2nd Floor
IstFLoor
57
Chapter Five:
The Ruins Below
Confused but suddenly full of hope, the survivors fol-

The End of Giustenal lowed Jvion Adderath back into the ruins... and down
Dregoth, Third Champion ofRajaat, Ravager of Giants, into the depths beneath Athas.
Dread King of Giustenal, lay dead, buried beneath the
rubble of his palace, killed by the sorcerer-kings who were
once his allies. The carnage did not end with Dregoth s
Geography of the Under-Regions
death, however. Kalak, Hamanu, hJibenay, Abalach-Re, A vast network of tunnels and natural caverns stretcK out
and the others continued to direct deadly psionics and beneatk trie upper ruins of Giustenal. Down, below the
hurl destructive spells into the city. The citizens of choking silt, in the solid bedrock, at least three cities wait
Giustenal could only scream in terror, beg for mercy, flee to be explored. The tunnels and caverns date back to the
... and eventually die. Blue Age, but much of what remains comes from the
The Oba ofGulg rained fire on the templars. Tectuk- Green Age and the Time of Magic, or has been modified
titlay caused the earth to shake and split asunder. in some way by those who came later.
Andropinis sent lightning hurtling down every street. In brief, the areas below the surface are: the tunnels,
Then the seven stretched their arms to the sky and rain the Sunken City, the Groaning City, Kragmorta, and
began to fall. It was a black, greasy rain that burned flesh New Giustenal.
and stained the very land. This rain, and the earthquakes The tunnels were put in place by the halflings of the
before them, continued for countless days. The seven Blue Age to connect the natural caverns to each other
sorcerer-kings teleported back to their own cities as the and the surface. They were modified during the Green
northern half of Giustenal sank into the sea. Age by the master psionicists of the time, and some of
The survivors gathered what they could and began to these modifications still function.
march into the wilderness (which, at the time, was still The Sunken City was part of Dregoth's Giustenal that
forest, though the area nearest Giustenal had turned sank beneath the churning waves the day the Dread King
black when it gave its life to the sorcerer-kings' magic). was slain. This section was later sealed in solid sand by
Wot only was Giustenal dead, but the land and sea Abalach-Re, who believed she would find some of
around it were dying. In truth, so was the world, for it had Dregoth's secrets in the ruined buildings here. Now it
been terribly ravaged by the Cleansing Wars of the sor- rests at the bottom of the Silt Sea, protected from the silt
cerer-kings. as surely as it was protected from the water of ancient «v
Alone, with no leader to guide them and no walls to times—a city entombed but not resting easy. ~~
protect them, the survivors of Giustenal began to die. Farther down, trapped beneath the very bedrock of the Sjj.
Some found places in faraway villages. Others became world, waits the first of three subterranean cities—the I
slaves of the other cities. But a few hundred remained Groaning City. Built to protect the halflings of the Blue
huddled together not far from the ruined city by the Age from the disaster they had instigated, it was later
dying sea. It was there, in a protected valley, that High used as a refuge by the demihumans of Giustenal.
Templar hion Adderath found them. Dregoth eventually discovered the refuge (and the other
"Come, children of Giustenal," the templar com- wonders of the ancients that stretched beneath Giuste-
manded. "Dregoth has returned and he has need of you.' nal). His armies invaded, killing the demihumans as part
58
Ckapter Five: The Ruins Below
of the Cleansing Wars. Now the city lies in ruins, waiting until it finally ends at a massive stone portal. The portal
to be explored by those brave enough and foolhardy was placed here by Abalach-Re, and it bears her seal.
enough to disturb the dead. The magic that once protected the portal has long since
Still deeper into the tunnels, and the city of Krag- faded, but the silt and time still make this a formidable
morta comes into view. Another city of the ancient egress. A lift gates roll is required to force open the stone
halflings, this one is located in a cavern where the door. Upon opening, the silt rushes in, carrying anyone in
peaceful rivers of cool water have become boiling lava the outer stairs into the area beyond. This tunnel, carved
flows. First generation dray (see the M O N S T R O U S by the sorcerer-queen of Raam, tilts at such an angle that
COMPENDIUM appendix included in this set and the silt will only fill the beginning section. The rest of the
below) occupy these ruins. tunnel is clear. It leads to a building in the Sunken City
Finally, at the lowest level waits New Giustenal. (location 2 on the Sunken City poster map), though it
Whatever was once in this cavern, now it is a city also passes a smalleropeningintoa tunnel of the
designed and constructed from Dregoth's mad dreams. ancients. This tunnel can be found if characters are
Here is where the undead dragon king rules and plans actively searching for concealed portals. This tunnel, and
his return to the surface world. Here is where he seeks the the one described above, are the two known passages into
secret to attaining true godhood. Here is New Giustenal, the under-regions.
the city of dragon bones.
Each of these areas is detailed below.
The Tunnels
The network of tunnels beneath Giustenal was con-
Pathways Down structed (or, more correctly, shaped) by the halflings of
Two paths into the under regions are known to exist in the Blue Age. The tunnels and the settlements they led
Giustenal's ruins. The first is in the lowest level of to were the halflings' response to the dying world around
Dregoth's Tower (see Chapter Four). This descending them. Eventually, the idea of surviving the mistakes they
staircase leads to a natural cavern about a half mile below made lost appeal, and the halflings abandoned the
Dregoth's Palace. A portion of this cavern has been under-regions in order to lead Athas into its next age—
smoothed by some unknown process, and a perfectly the Rebirth.
round tunnel drops out of the floor on the north side. How the halflings traveled through these extensive
The tunnel is absolutely black, but wind can be heard tunnels is unknown. When the people of the Green Age
moving through it. This tunnel (D) drops straight down discovered them, however, they were turned into psionic
for about a mile before leveling off and entering the cav- highways. The upper tunnels provided quick travel paths
ern containing the Groaning City. Explorers will need to from one end of ancient Giustenal to the other. The
use magic, psionics, or tools and long ropes to descend at lower tunnels led to the uppermost Blue Age settlements
this location. See the notes of Tunnel D below for addi- which the people of the Green Age had discovered and
tional information. moved into. By the Time of Magic, these underground
The second path is through the Blasted Spire. A stair- settlements were abandoned again. By Dregoth's day,
case in the lower level leads down through silt-filled floors they were all but forgotten.
59
Chapter Five: Tke Ruins Below
Tke tunnels all have tke same appearance. Tkey are levitating travelers about eigkt feet off tke tunnel floor for
40-foot wide tubes of solid rock, formed and shaped by a few minutes, tke orb loses power and lets tkem drop to
the halflings in the ancient past. The walls are smooth tke ground.
and cool to the touch, not like rock at all. Even the tun- Tunnel B. Like Tunnel A above, tkis korizontal pas-
nels that drop straight down have no handholds, no lad- sage once led to tke island settlements off tke coast of
der rungs, no stairs. At intervals of every 500 feet, Giustenal. Tke tunnel stretckes almost a mile before it
spherical indentations can be found. A character that ends in a jumble of fallen stone. A few psionic orbs still
makes a successful stonemasonry check can determine operate in tkis tunnel, so visitors will be treated to ligkt
that these were added later, for they are carved into the tkat emanates from tke very walls wken tkey enter, a sud-
smooth walls and have a rougher edge. den burst of fresk air, and a quick trip to tke end of tke
These indentations once keld obsidian orbs—items tunnel—if tkey respond favorably to tke intelligent psy-
of psionic power tkat were faskioned during tke Green cke trapped kere.
Age. Some of tkese remain, though in many cases the Kataal tke Mover, once a kalfling from tke Green
obsidian has been shattered. A few survived intact and Age, still controls tke psionic transportation system in
are still operating, as described below. These orbs were tkis tunnel. In tke distant past, tke psycke would wkisk
made at a time when the Way was all powerful. The psy- travelers to tke island settlements of Vakura, Pelcunal,
ches of individuals with psionic talent were placed within and Liuss. Tkougk Kataal knows tkat kis tunnel kas
these orbs and used to power many conveniences of the been destroyed a good distance skort of tkose locations,
day. In the tunnel network, those conveniences included ke is often lost in memories of tke past. Tkese memories
light, fresh air, and swift movement from place to place. overwkelm Kataal wken travelers enter tke tunnel—
Some psyches levitated travelers, others propelled them sometking tkat kappens very rarely tkese days. Tke last
to their destinations via telekinesis. Even in a supposed visitor was tke elf bard Jessareen. Wken ske refused
age of plenty, psionic slaves were used in the Green Age Kataal's offer of travel, ke instead flooded ker mind witk
to make life better for the upper classes. tke story of Giustenal's past (see page 5).
The descriptions below refer to the Giustenal Area Tke same tking will kappen to ckaracters wko enter
(Side View) depicted on the poster map. tkis tunnel. Tke ligkts come on, a gentle breeze rises up,
Tunnel A. This pathway off a major descending tun- and a psyckic voice asks, "Wkere may I send you?" If tke
nel ends about a quarter of a mile from where it begins. PCs name one of tke islands, tkey are levitated eigkt feet
The tunnel collapses at this point, cut off from tke otker into tke air and wkisked down tke tunnel. Tkey see tke
end of Giustenal by tons of rock. Of course, tke otker collapsed wall getting closer as tkey speed along, but at
end of tke city sank into tke silt long ago anyway, so travel- tke last moment tkeir forward movement ends and tkey
ing in tkis direction serves little purpose. One psionic are gently settled to tke tunnel floor. Kataal will return
orb remains intact in tkis tunnel. It contains tke psycke tkem to tke main tunnel if tkey ask.
of a kirre tkat will levitate any travelers wko explore more If tkey respond in any way tkat suggests tkey want to
tkan a tkird of tke way into tke tunnel. Tke orb tkat learn more about tke tunnels, Kataal presents tkem witk
would tken move tke travelers was destroyed long ago, but tke same mental images ke skared witk Jessareen. To
tke levitater continues to perform its job to tkis day. After avoid madness, PCs must make successful saving tkrows
60
Chapter Five: The Ruins Below
versus death magic. If the}? succeed, they are disturbed by of a mile before reaching the cavern, the tunnel wall is
the images but able to keep their senses. If t\\ey fail, the cracked on both sides. A slow-moving river of molten
images overwhelm them and they can't stop thinking lava flows from the west wall and exits through the east.
about them. These characters suffer —4 penalties to The heat and lava make for difficult crossing unless mag-
attack and damage rolls, to other saving throws and profi- ical or psionic precautions are taken. Every round spent
ciency checks, and to their Armor Classes until they can near the lava cause Id4 points of damage from the
overcome the mental illness. This can be done naturally intense heat.
hy making a new saving throw (using the penalty, one save The river is 25 feet wide and 6 feet deep. Ropes strung
allowed each day) or through the use of psychic surgery. across it must make a saving throw versus magical fire
Tunnel C. This tunnel once stretched from the (l 0) every round. Failure indicates that the rope has burst
Groaning City to other subterranean cities now buried into flame and breaks apart in Id4—1 rounds (on a roll
by the earthquakes of the past. Vertical tunnels lead up of 1, the rope breaks immediately). Characters that fall
to the surface and down to Kragmorta and New Giuste- into the lava take 6d6 damage every round until they
nal. All of the orb receptacles in this tunnel are empty. climb free. A Strength check at —2 is required to pull
Dregoth discovered their purpose and moved them to the free of the molten rock.
lower tunnels for his own use. This is the lowest level ever Beyond this lava flow is Kragmorta, the fiery city of the
used by the people of the Green Age, so no receptacles dray. See page 74 for details.
were carved in the tunnels beneath this level until Tunnel E This curved tunnel descends to the lowest,
Dregoth ordered it done. most ancient level beneath Giustenal. Before Dregoth
Tunnel D. This vertical tunnel drops from a small led the survivors of his city here, the cavern had not seen
cave that connects to Dregoth's Tower in the upper a living intelligent being since the days of the Blue Age.
ruins. The tunnel is completely dark. The orbs that Even cruder receptacles have been carved into this tun-
once powered the levitation system were smashed by the nel, and the orbs stolen from Tunnel C have been
demihumans who discovered this path. They did not installed here. Travelers entering this tunnel must con-
want to leave an easy path for Dregoth to follow. The vince the psyche of Primik the Mover that they belong
remains of the orbs can be found if characters have a here. Primik will not transport first generation dray from
light source and decide to look for them. They will also Kragmorta, for example. If the PCs have one of
discover a few spikes pounded into the stone in places. Dregoth's holy symbols—even one from an earlier age,
These were used by the demihumans assigned to such as those found in the upper ruins—then Primik
destroy the orbs. Dregoth and his soldiers used magic will allow them to descend. Light brightens the tunnel
and psionics to lower themselves. and they are whisked into the depths. If they can't con-
At the bottom of the vertical shaft, a horizontal tunnel vince Primik, then they'll have to descend the hard way.
leads into the cavern of the Groaning City. See below for Also, Primik will alert the guards below that unwelcome
information on this location. visitors are coming.
Tunnel E. A short tunnel leads to the cavern housing Tunnel G. The last tunnel leads to Dregoth's city
Kragmorta. Unlike the tunnels above, no spherical recep- beneath the Silt Sea—New Giustenal. There are no
tacles were ever carved into this passage. About a quarter orbs here, but stones enchanted with continual light
61
spells illuminate the tunnel. Low-level, second-genera- Blasted Spire. This passage had been blocked when the
tion dray templars are stationed in this tunnel, though section sank, as well as by her spell that formed the walls
they are very lax. These guards only go on alert if Primik of solid sand. It took time to clear the passage and open a
the Mover informs them that unwelcome visitors have hole into the box. With her most trusted templars to
entered Tunnel E assist her, Abalach-Re then descended into the box and
began to search the ruins. She pilfered everything she
Tunnel Guards (4): Tp4; Int Average (10); AL LE; could find, but a few items escaped her search. Also, she
AC 7; HD 4; hp 28, 25,22,20; THACO 18; #AT 3 or 1; never discovered the passage beneath the tomb of
Dmg 1-6/1-6/1-2 or 1-8+2 (obsidian long sword, Taraskir (see area 6 below).
Strength bonus); 5A spells; SD half damage from fire or W h e n Abalach-Re was satisfied that all of
heat, spells; SZ M (7+ feet); ML 13; XP 270; Templar Dregoth's secrets were hers (they weren't), she sealed
Spells—3 1st level, 2 2nd level. the entrance beneath the Blasted Spire and let the
Sunken City lie forgotten beneath the waves. As time
The Sunken City passed, the waves receded, the water evaporated, and
the Silt Sea was born.
The Sunken City is the name given to a portion of
Giustenal that disappeared beneath the waves when the
Inside the Box of Magical Sand
cataclysm caused by the sorcerer-kings rocked the region.
This particular area contained one of Dregoth's As the box of sand is a perfect cube with a curved dome
citadels—a citadel where the Dread King worked to cre- top, it provides a solid foundation for the buildings and
ate magical and psionic items. Abalach-Re, sorcerer- streets it contains. The spell is permanent, and has
queen of Raam, wanted the secrets of the citadel for remained in effect for almost 2,000 years. When the
herself. After the cataclysm subsided and the survivors earthquake shattered the land, however, it dropped the
had fled into the wilderness, Abalach-Re returned to box down into the water (now silt) of the Silt Sea. Here, it
recover the spoils of war. came to rest on the rock bottom at a 30-degree angle. The
To protect the citadel, Abalach-Re formed a magical stone streets and floors are cracked in hundreds of
box of hardened sand around it and the surrounding places, but beneath them is the solid sand formed by
buildings. The box cut the structures at its edges in half Abalach-Re's spell. Water bubbles up from an under-
and separated the tops of towers from their bases. She was ground spring and seeps into the box through this open-
not interested in preserving all of the buildings, only the ing. It long ago pooled into a black and stagnant lake that
citadel. Whatever else was caught in her box was purely fills the lowest section of the tilted box.
accidental. The magical barrier of sand protected the Another strange aspect of this area is that Abalach-Re's
area from the spells and psionics directed against spell was only large enough to cover a certain, finite area.
Dregoth and his city. She didn't count on that area sink- Portions of streets and buildings were literally cut in half
ing beneath the sea, however. and left to crumble outside the box, including the tops of
When she returned, Abalach-Re had to find a way buildings and tower spires. This resulted in doors that lead
into the entombed area. She found a passage in the to nowhere and tower ceilings made from magically hard-
62
ened sand. TKe overall effect is tkat this area appears to 2 hit points of damage for every 10 feet of the slide.
have been buried in a square box of sand with a dome roof. The disorientation of the tilted city will begin to take its
Breathing inside the box will be a problem for adven- toll after two hours. At that time, all characters should
turers, as no fresh air can enter the area. Characters will make a save versus poison. Those who fail begin to suffer
need to use spells or psionics to survive here. Immedi- from delirium and can't think clearly. This makes spell-
ately upon emerging from the stagnant pool, characters casting impossible, and all attacks, damage rolls, and sav-
will begin to take damage as though th.ey were drowning ing throws receive a —1 penalty. Those who make their
(see pages 120-122 of the Player's Handbook for details). save must test again once every hour. Characters who come
Hazards. The ruins rest at a 30-degree angle, so special from mountain communities are immune to this effect
rules need to be used whenever a character attempts
actions such as combat or climbing. In general, an
explorer performing an action that requires balance must
Sunken City Locations
make a Dexterity check to stay on his feet. Failure means The buildings here are mostly in ruins due to the earth-
that the character slides 10 feet toward the northern quakes, the long drop, and the tilt this portion of the city
(lower) section of the box. Every 10 feet, the character came to rest at. Otherwise, these structures appear much
needs to make a Strength check to grab something and like the buildings of the upper ruins. The bodies of those
stop his slide. Sliding into the wall of a building, causes 1 - who were trapped inside Abalach-Re's box still litter these
63
Ckapter Five: Tke Ruins Below
ruins. Because of the lack of air, the bodies in the buildings Undead Noble: Int Average (l l); AL ME; AC 4; MV
are mostly intact, though they are dry and withered. The 12; H D 5; hp 32; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6; SA
bodies in the stagnant pool are bloated and decayed, but energy drain; SD +1 weapon or better to hit; SZ M (5
do not appear to be 2,000 years old. Refer to the Sunken feet tall); ML 15; XP 2,000.
City portion of the poster map when reading these entries.
3. Stagnant Pool. This pool of black, stagnant water
1. Grand Meeting Hall. This mostly intact building is 10 feet deep. Bodies and debris float atop the dark
was once a large meeting hall used by the merchants of water as well as below the surface. Building stones and
House Zobi—the largest merchant dynasty of Giuste- other debris have tumbled this way and can be seen
nal. Today, House Zobi no longer exists. It died the same jutting from the murky pool. If a character carries a
time as the city. This meeting hall was cut in half by the light, he or she notices something glinting about 20
spell cast around the area, and a large chunk of its roof feet from the shore and mere inches below the water.
caved in. In the southwest corner, a secret tunnel leads to This is the metal helm of an ancient corpse—one of
a portion of old Giustenal now buried by the Silt Sea. Abalach-Re's templars who perished in the excavation.
The tunnel remains passable, though a few cracks have The corpse wears a helm of free action that the charac-
let in silt. Characters will need magical aid to travel ter might find useful.
through the silt-filled tunnel, then they'll need to break
through the wall of solid sand that blocks the tunnel from 4. Bone Piles. As Abalach-Re and her templars pil-
the secret entrance. As the spell has weakened with age, laged the place, these two locations became garbage piles
using blunt weapons to cause 100 hit points of damage where anything that got in their way was tossed. Literally
will break through the sand wall. Nothing else of interest dozens of ancient corpses lie in the two huge piles. One
remains in this location. corpse in the northern pile was a master assassin during
its life. It remembers nothing from its own time other
2. Grand Apartment. Most explorers will discover than its lifelong task of murderous stalking.
the Sunken City by descending the staircase at the bot- Should anyone examine this pile of bones, the crea-
tom of the Blasted Spire. It leads to this grand apartment ture animates once the character moves off. As long as
that was once occupied by a noble whom Dregoth was the character remains in the Sunken City, the stalker will
fond of. She accepted the king's gift and spent much time follow him and attempt to slay him using cunning attacks
in this apartment—both alone and with Dregoth. She from the shadows.
never knew about the secret passage to the Blasted Spire. Should anyone sift through the bone piles for at least
This beautiful, gray-marble building and its hidden tun- two hours, they will find Treasure Type I (roll randomly
nel are beneath a 10-foot-deep pool of stagnant water. If on Table 84, page 133 of the DMG), though the chance
the PCs enter here, they will face the undead noble who of uncovering magical items is reduced by 10% due to
has been waiting all these centuries for Dregoth to return Abalach-Re's tenacious searching.
to her. She has become a life-absorbing spirit, seeking
both her old love and position as well as vengeance on Stalker (Undead Assassin): Int Very (l 2); AL LE;
those who trapped her here. AC 0; MV 1 5; HD 7; hp 51; THAC0 14; #AT 2;
64
Dmg 1-8+3 (steel long sword +3); SA +3 to attack appeared before him in this chamber to discuss their
rolls, +6 to damage due to gauntlets of b'rohg power research and listen to his orders. Wooden benches face
(treat as gauntlets of ogre power); SZ M (7 feet tall); a huge platform of obsidian that could be mistaken for
ML 18; XP 1,200. an altar. In fact, this was where Dregoth sat in his
dragon form.
5. Citadel. Tkis was the building Abalach-Re wished to D. Hall of Spells. Shelves fill this area, where Dregoth
preserve when she formed the box of sand around this area once stored his huge collections of spell books and
with her magic. Most of its treasures were carted back to arcane lore. Nothing but empty scroll cases remain,
Raam almost 2,000 years ago, but some were left behind. though a search of one shelf (and a successful find con-
These can be discovered if characters are careful and spend cealed doors roll) reveals a hidden space near the back.
some time searching. The architecture here bears the tradi- Inside is a scroll containing five wizard spells: one 1st
tional draconic motifs of Dregoth's reign. The lettered level, two 2nd level, one 3rd level, and one 4th level.
entries below refer to the citadel map on page 68. E. Atrium. Stone pits once held towering plants, but
defiling magic killed them. Now there is nothing but life-
A. Templar Offices. Stone desks and rotted chairs lie less dirt mixed with gray ash.
in every room, as well as scraps of ruined scrolls and other E Testing Chamber. Dregoth and his court wizards
parchments. On a wall in each of the rooms is a stone tested the spells they devised in this large, thick-walled
shelving system full of more charred paper. Records room. Scorch marks mar the walls, floor, and ceiling in
important to Dregoth were prepared and stored here. A many places, and the area still radiates if a detect magic
read magic spell allows a reader to uncover fragments of spell is used (though this is simply arcane residue from
writing on a small portion of the scrolls. Most list por- the past). There are also a series of cages along one wall. It
tions of arcane lore or spellcraft, though not enough was in these cages that Dregoth first attempted to create
remains to make out what the research was in reference his perfect race. Nothing remains to provide a clue as to
to. When Abalach-Re decided she Kad collected their purpose, however.
enough materials, she had her templars torch the rest of G. Secret Room. The southern wall of the Hall of
the scrolls and books. Spells ends five feet before the wall in the hall outside. A
B. Crafting Room. Tke door to this chamber is deco- secret door leads to this area. Inside, PCs can find three
rated with ancient wards and runes of protection. These spellbooks, two wands, and a case containing six glass
were broken long ago, and the door lies shattered on the vials. Whatever was once stored in the vials has long
floor inside the room. This was Dregoth's crafters' work since evaporated. The spellbooks contain the following
area. Items were prepared here that would later be types of wizard spells: three 1st level, two 2nd level; two
imbued with magical energy. The remains of a well- 3rd level, one 4th level, one 5th level, one 5th level, one
stocked craft shop can be found, though much of the 6th level; one 7th level. A loose page shows rough
place has been ransacked and busted. It appears that sketches of a human, a humanoid reptile, and a full dray,
many of the tools were crafted to work with metal, and a with notes in an ancient language. The wands are a wand
few of these survive in decent shape. ofpolymorphing (four charges) and a wand of illumina-
C. Hall of Counsel. Dregoth's court wizards tion (six charges).
65
6. Taraskir's Tomb. This building resembles a larger opponents. Even if the armor is removed, the curse
version of tke ancient temple Tenpug's Band occupies to remains in effect until it is returned to Taraskir s body.
tke west. The building reaches almost to the sand dome, The metal two-handed sword lying in the coffin belonged
some 60 feet overhead. The great lion-headed statues on to Taraskir as well, but it is not cursed. Instead, it has
either side of the great double doors have been removed, become a +2 dragon slater. Only characters larger than
but evidence that they were once in place can easily be six feet tall with Strength scores of 17 or better can wield
seen. The doors themselves are sealed, and strange writ- the weapon, however.
ing covers the surface. If characters have some method for The undead guardians wear metal helms with lion
reading ancient text, they can see that the words say, motifs, and fight with metal-claw gauntlets. Taraskir and
"Here lies Taraskir the Lion. He dared challenge his followers were infatuated with the image of the lion.
Dregoth, the Ravager of Giants, and so rests here in eter- The claw weapons cause Id6 points of damage, plus any
nal punishment." Strength bonuses. Because they are exceptionally quick,
Searching along the north wall uncovers a secret door those who take the lion claw proficiency receive a +1
once used by Taraskir's surviving followers to enter the bonus to initiative rolls.
tomb and reach the Lion's Den, an underground cavern A secret door in the floor leads down to the Lion's
described below. Den.
If adventurers decide to violate this ancient tomb,
they have to deal with its undead guardians. After slay- Undead Honor Guard (3): Int Low (6); AL N; AC 5;
ing Taraskir the Lion King, Dregoth sealed the beast- MV 9; HD 8; hp 54, 48, 44; THACO 12; #AT 2; Dmg
head giant in this tomb that once served as a temple to 1-6/1-6; SA +6 to damage rolls; SD +1 weapon or bet-
Taraskir's god. Rumors were rampant that Taraskir ter to hit; SZ M (4 feet/7 feet); ML 18; XP 1,400 each.
would return, so Dregoth did not want to take a chance
that the Lion King s followers would steal the body. In 7. Store Fronts. By the counters and crumbling
addition to placing the body inside, Dregoth had shelves of these buildings, it is obvious they were once
Taraskir's top lieutenants entombed as well—while they store fronts of some sort. Anyone searching through the
were still alive! These demihumans, a dwarf and two rubble can find Treasure Type C (roll randomly on
elves, became undead creatures bent on protecting Table 84, page 133 in the DMG), as well as the follow-
their beloved leader. ing: brightly colored shells similar to those used by
The huge stone coffin holding Taraskir is chained some crabs along the Sea of Silt; a few copper coins
shut. The chains have been enchanted, and they require stamped with the image of a dragon (worth 1 gp each if
a total of 50 hit points of damage caused by a +1 weapon someone can prove their place of origin, or 2 sp other-
or better to break. Inside, the skeleton of the giant with a wise); a spear made of obsidian; and 1-100 pieces of sil-
lion's head rests inside Taraskir's metal armor. The verware worth 1 gp each.
breastplate glows faintly and is engraved with leonine The location marked A sold maps of the Tyr region.
images. The armor is enchanted, but taking it is a viola- Though the rows of scrolls have all but crumbled, a mud-
tion of the tomb. It becomes cursed armor for whoever encrusted engraving on the north wall clearly shows the
wears it, bestowing a +2 bonus to all attack rolls made by Black Spine Mountains, the Sea of Silt, Giustenal, and
66
67
Cnapter Five: The Ruins Below
TKe Citadel
(in tKe Sunken City)
A. Templar Office
B. Crafting Room
C. Hall of Counsel
D. Hall of Spells
F. Testing Chamber
G. Secret Room
68
tke circular mountain-island range to the nortk. Tke leg-

end, if it can be read, says, "Dregotk's Giustenal."
8. Homes. Tkese komes are in poor skape. Tkey kave

been systematically pillaged by Abalack-Re's templars,
tke rotted furniture and debris of pottery and glass
tkrown into tke lowest corner of tke tilted rooms. Still, tke
searck tkrougk tke residential buildings was quick at
best. Anyone spending at least two kours sifting tkrougk
tke debris can find Treasure Type I, tkougk tke ckance of
finding magical items is lowered by 10% (roll randomly
on Table 84 in tke DMO.
9. Courtyard. Giant trees similar to agafari once

adorned tkis courtyard. Tkese were destroyed during tke
battle of tke sorcerer-kings—as was most vegetation in
tke vicinity.
Tke Lion's Den

Tke Lion's Den was used as a gatkering place by tke
leaders of tke Taraskir's religion. It was kere tkat tkey
planned to move tke demikumans to tke Groaning City,
and it was kere tkat some returned to kold vigil after tke
city was destroyed. See tke map on page 68 wken refer-
ring to tke descriptions below.
1. Spiral Ridge. A ridge built into tkis deep tunnel at

a sligkt angle provides egress to tke cavern below. Tke
tunnel descends for more tkan kalf a mile before ending
in a large cavern. -
2. Large Cavern. Tke first tking ckaracters see as tkey

enter tkis area is a large, living tree magically preserved in
tkis underground area. Tkougk tke leaves look a bit
brown and dirty under torck ligkt, tke tree is in perfect
kealtk. In fact, it is a tree oflife as described on page 61 of
69
the DARK SUN Rules Book challenged Dregoth so would the demihumans. Over
Thirsty adventurers will notice a crystal clear stream run- the centuries since Dregoth took control of Giustenal,
ning through tke middle of this cave. The stream-bed is Taraskir had become a god to a small but faithful few
about four feet deep, though the water is only six inches high. who were fearful of Dregoth's (and the other sorcerer-
Across from the stream is a large bed of weeds and king's) constant war against the demihuman tribes, vil-
other plants. Anyone who investigates with a light source lages, and nations. The leaders of Giustenal s resistance
will be amazed to see several large insects scurrying away met in the Lion's Den and planned an escape from
from the illumination. These are dragon beetles, as Dregoth's wrath. The wilderness was no solution, for
described in the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM Giustenal's armies would track them down, or they
appendix included in this set. This brood has been iso- would fall prey to another Champion's forces. The only
lated in this chamber for generations and is afraid of route open to them was down.
larger creatures. A dwarf slave whose name was forgotten before the sea
turned to powdery silt had discovered a passage beneath
3. Stores. Stored haphazardly here are rotted food- Dregoth's own palace. As one of the leaders of Giustenal's
stuffs and evaporated barrels of water. Nothing useful demihuman population, the dwarf organized a mass exo-
remains, but the entire area is a safe haven for rest and dus into the descending tunnel. For it was during his own
spell memorization. explorations that he found a city beneath the ground.
After all of the demihumans descended, the psionic
Tke Groaning City orbs that provided swift passage into the depths were
destroyed. The demihumans vowed never to return to the
It rests in a huge, natural cavern just beneath Giustenal, surface—they would make their home in this place pre-
its true name lost to the ages. Now it is called the Groan- pared by the ancients. They settled in the strange, organi-
ing City, for the haunting voices of its dead still echo here. clike stone huts. They moved into the more familiar
This particular settlement was originally established by stone and wood buildings constructed by the people of
the halflings of the Blue Age as a refuge from the disaster the Green Age. And to all these places, they added the
they had unleashed above. They eventually abandoned leonine motifs that inspired them and gave them hope.
it, and it lay deserted until it was discovered by the master It took many years, but before two decades had passed
psionicists of the Green Age. At some point they, too, Dregoth found them. He never did find the passage
abandoned the place, and it lay dormant until the demi- under his own palace, but the one beneath the Blasted
humans of Dregoth's day sought refuge here. Near the Spire provided access for the Dread King and his troops.
end of the Cleansing War, before Rajaat's Champions His army descended into the cavern and slaughtered
learned the War-Bringer's true plans, Dregoth turned his each demihuman it found—men, women, and even chil-
attention on his own city. The persecution and slaughter dren. The homes were set ablaze, and Dregoth ordered
of Giustenal's demihumans began. his soldier back to the surface. He stayed for a time, how-
The leaders of the demihumans turned to the leg- ever, intrigued by the network of tunnels and caverns
endary Taraskir the Lion as an inspiration for their buried beneath his own city.
cause. The Lion became their symbol, for as Taraskir When adventurers eventually discover the Groaning
70
CKapter Five: TKe Ruins Below
City, it will be obvious that a great battle raged here. The trees bloomed with vibrant leaves, for their roots reached
cavern is littered with the ancient remains of the settle- up toward the surface to collect the sun. These trees were
ment's defenders, their corpses left to rot where they fell. the work of halflings of the Blue Age, though they were
The structures inside the cavern are either made from a loved and cared for by the demihumans who came after.
strange stone that seems to have been grown into shape The fire that ravaged the settlement ruined these trees,
instead of worked with hammers and chisels, or stone and they are little more than blackened stalks now.
buildings constructed with the methods used in the city Hanging from the limbs of the charred trees are 50 or
above. Many of the buildings have been burned or so near-mummified dwarf corpses dressed in yellow robes
smashed open by spells or weapons. emblazoned with the fading image of a striking lion.
A natural cavern ceiling, rising to 150 feet in places, Whenever a living being gets within 50 feet of any of
hangs over the city, its stalactites reaching down to greet the these corpses, the entire company will begin to moan.
low-roofed structures. A few of the stalactites glow with Once the moaning starts, the dwarves (who are cursed
ancient enchantments, casting a pale light on the city. dead, see the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM
Those familiar with caverns will realize that whoever lived appendix included in this set) will attempt to grab those
here merely widened a naturally occurring pocket within who get within reach and try to strangle them. If any are
the earth, though by what method they haven't a clue. cut down, they immediately attack according to the
A stonemasonry proficiency check allows a character description given in the MC entry.
to realize that much of the lion and tree motifs evident Any characters who hear this horrible cacophony
here have replaced older ornamentation. The doorways must save versus death magic. Those who fail suffer a —2
in the buildings made from the grown stone are shorter penalty to all attack rolls and proficiency checks while in
than man-sized, though many were widened around the this cavern, and they will insist on leaving after 1 d4 hours
same time as the newer construction was added. The leo- have passed.
nine motifs came later.
3. Ruined Pool. At one time, people drew water from
this stone basin. Water flowed freely down an aqueduct
Groaning City Locations
to this sight. Now all that remains is dry silt.
Refer to the Groaning City portion of the poster map
when reading these entries. 4. Waterfall. High on the eastern wall, the majestic
head of a lion has been built in front of what was once a
1. Shattered Gates. A series of two massive gates offer natural waterfall. As late as the time of the demihuman
entrance to the settlement from the northern tunnel. It is refuge, water flowed out of the great lion head's roaring
obvious that the army that ravaged the settlement entered mouth and traveled down the stone aqueduct to the
here. The gates are made of worked stone, and date back to stone pool below. Small ceramic pipes run off this central
the newer construction completed during Dregpth's time. duct into the structures situated on the overlook, though
most have been shattered. Now nothing flows from the
2. Avenue of the Hanged. Titanic, wide-limbed trees mouth, and the lion's roar has been silenced.
line the central street of the settlement At one time these
71
5. Fields. The settlement was self-sufficient, growing honor and dedication, pledged to keep it safe from
fungi and other subterranean plants in this field—many Dregoth and his troops. He died here, but rose almost
sowed originally during trie Blue Age. Now the place immediately and killed those soldiers who lingered.
holds wild growths that try to survive in the dry soil. Recently, looters from Kragmorta visited the area. The pro-
tector frightened them off, but not before they knocked a
6. Destroyed Buildings. The buildings here are a mix wall on top of it. It has rested beneath the stones ever since,
of newer, more familiar construction and the strange grown as no other threats presented themselves.
stone of the Blue Age. These buildings were the most When adventurers enter this building, the wight rises
heavily damaged by the fire Dregoth's soldiers set. literally out of the rubble and attacks. If defeated, a thorough
hundreds of burnt corpses can be found among the ruins. search will reveal the treasure it guards hidden beneath a
tile in the floor. The treasure includes a book brittle with
7. Order of the Claw Compound. An iron fence with a age written in the language of Giustenal as it was used at
twisted iron surrounds this compound. An engraved the time of the Cleansing Wars. This is a holy book,
plaque bears the legend "Order of the Claw" in ancient telling the tale of Taraskir the Lion God (the legends that
writing. The buildings within have been burnt and blasted grew up around the figure after his death), the ceremonies
to the ground, though one still remains somewhat intact. of the Order of the Claw, and a brief account of the demi-
Many corpses dressed in the same garb as the hanged human migration to this subterranean refuge. There is
men litter the courtyard. From their shattered remains it is also a golden claw gauntlet like those found in the
obvious that these men and women were killed in battle. Sunken City tomb but worth 100 gp because of the pre-
The Order of the Claw was a group of warriors dedi- cious metal used to decorate it. This gauntlet is too large
cated to Taraskir the Lion God who pledged themselves for any hand but a giant's, as it once belonged to Taraskir
to the defense of this demihuman refuge. They died try- himself and was considered a holy relic. (As Athas has
ing to uphold that pledge. no true gods, the relic contains no special powers.)
8. Protected Building. Those entering this dismal Protector (unique wight): Int Average 8; AL N; AC 5;
place have the distinctly eerie feeling of being watched. MV 12; HD 5+3; THACO 14; #AT 1; Dmg 1 -4 (with
Dragon beetles scurry away from torch light and make claws) or 1-8+2 (with weapon); SA energy drain, metal
unnerving sounds in the darkness, and even shadows long sword +2; SD +1 weapon or better to hit, ring of
seem to move a little awkwardly, as if they only pretend to protection +2, SZ M (7 feet tall); ML 16; XP 1,600.
be natural. Someone with the tracking proficiency will
instantly notice that the layer of ash and soot has been 9. Merchant District. Ruined storefronts, shattered
disturbed recently. vegetable stands, and rotted goods are a testament to the
The body of one of the Order of the Claw's champions looting of the place by the army that conquered it. Some-
lies half-buried beneath a crumbled wall. It is a protector, a one with the tracking proficiency may notice (on a suc-
type of wight who remains on this world after death to pro- cessful check) that there has been more recent pillaging
tect a specific item or place. The building holds the last of by the disturbed dust
the Order's treasures, and this champion, an elf of extreme
72
10. Overlook Estates. The homes of choice were situ- 11. Hall of the Lion. This building was used as a
ated on the hill built into the eastern wall. The architecture meeting hall for the settlement, as well as an assembly
here is much more decorative and ceramic ducts once car- area for the refuge's leaders. Its stout stonework was bat-
ried water directly into these homes. Searching these homes tered fiercely by Dregoth and his army, and its defenders
for at least three hours will turn up Treasure Type R (roll were either killed or captured alive and then hanged on
randomly on Table 84, page 133 of the DMG). the trees outside. Nothing of value remains inside.
Several of the homes have been at least partially dis- This location did contain an item from the Green Age
mantled by scavenging parties from Kragmorta. that fascinated Dregoth. This item, the planar gate, is
For some reason, a few of the cursed dead who escaped described on Card #1 included in this boxed set. When
the hanging trees lair in these ruined homes. The poor Dregoth discovered the planar gate, it showed the image of
wretches spring to life whenever anyone enters the a world of vast plains and wide-spaced trees. Lions roamed
dwelling they occupy. When a character searches the everywhere, and the followers of Taraskir took this as a sign
ruins, there is a 50% chance he will stumble into such a that this was a special, holy place. The demihumans never
place. If an explorer is entering a particular house rather discovered the true purpose of the gate, but Dregoth sus-
than conducting a generic search, the chance is reduced pected it immediately. He left it in the hall, vowing to
to only 10%. Once a free cursed dead is awakened, it will return for it at a later date. He was not able to return, how-
pursue and attack whoever disturbed it. ever, until after his death. Then he moved the gate to the
73
lower cavern that would house his New Giustenal. first generation dray. More information of the dray (both
first and second generation) can be found in the next
12. Walled Compound. A sturdy wall surrounds these chapter and the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM
buildings. This location was designed as a last refuge appendix included in this boxed set. The dray were cre-
should enemies attack the settlement. It was finished just ated by Dregoth after he became an undead dragon king
prior to Dregoth's attack, but the invasion came too swiftly (though he had been experimenting on the process long
for the demihumans to make use of it This area is less dam- before that). His first attempt did not meet with the suc-
aged than the rest of the cavern, as few made it to the secure cess he had hoped for, so he banished these transformed
defenses and no battles were fought here. Stores of ancient humans from New Giustenal. These outcasts eventually
and rotted supplies can be found, but anything of worth has found Kragmorta, and it was here they settled to forge
been looted by explorers from Kragmorta. their own community.
The current leader of Kragmorta's dray is Mosak Egg-
13. Closed Gate. This gate leads to Tunnel D. This stealer. Like the leaders before him, he carries the title of
was the path the demihumans took to enter the Groan- Clan Father (though there have been Clan Mothers in the
ing City. Dregoth came from the other direction, through past, too). Mosak is a planner. He is not known as a talker,
the tunnels beneath the Blasted Spire, so this gate but when he speaks his words are revered by the rest of his
remains intact. Now, when Dregoth needs to reach the clan. He distrusts outsiders, fearing they may be from
upper ruins, he uses this gate to reach Tunnel D. Dregoth. Neither he nor his dray know much about the
surface world. If visitors can convince Mosak that they are
friendly, he would love to hear tales of the world above. He
Kragmorta also seeks help against the Spirit of Kragmorta (see below).
As Dregoth explored the abandoned locations beneath If adventurers confront the spirit and expose it for what it is
Giustenal, he discovered many places of the ancients. (thus saving more of Mosak's clan), they will earn the
One of these places is the cavern of fire and lava now respect and gratitude of the Clan Father.
called Kragmorta. Once this was an idyllic locale, full of
comfortable structures of grown stone nestled amid rivers Mosak Eggstealer
of gently flowing water. As Athas began to wither and die Male Dray Thief, Neutral Good
in the wake of the defiling magic of the Cleansing Wars,
massive upheavals set free the boiling magma at the heart Armor Class 7 Strl6
of the world. Some of this magma flowed into the cavern, Movement 15 % Dexl6
replacing the rivers of cold, clear water with rivers of fire Level 11 Con 14
and lava. Dregoth discovered the glowing ruins, then dis- Hit Points 46 ^ Intl5
missed them. The inferno that raged within the cavern THAC0 15 Wisl3
must have destroyed everything of worth, he decided, so No. of Attacks 1 Chal3
he looked for his answers elsewhere. Damage/Attack Id6 (bone club)
Today Kragmorta is a dark and savage place. Dregoth's Psionic Summary: PSPs 56; Wild Talent—dimensional
banished children reside here—the creatures known as door (PS 13, Cost 4 +2/round)
74
born of the dray race. In contrast to the fiery cavern they

Tke Spirit of Kragmorta
lived in, the spirit showed them images of the luxuries of
A prophetic spirit haunts the ruins of Kragmorta, granting New Giustenal—beautiful buildings, lively taverns,
signs and portends to the dray who live here. It first clean streets, and clear water as abundant as the lava flow
appeared about oneyear ago, when a first generation dray of Kragmorta. "They are your brothers," the spirit
warrior slew a huge beast that had entered the cavern in exclaimed, showing them images of the second genera-
search of prey She and her mate could not eat all of the tion dray, "but they have stolen your birthright. They live
meat the beast provided, so she invited the rest of the clan the good life because you have been cast out to suffer!
to share in their feast. During the feast, a strange, ethereal The effect was predictable. The clan members began
figure appeared. It looked much like the lion-headed god to scream for war against the second generation dray.
once worshipped in the Groaning City. When it spoke, it Mosak was hesitant, sensing some kind of trick, but it was
claimed to be the guardian spirit of Kragmorta. obvious that his clan's desire for revenge was stronger
Mosak was suspicious and challenged the spirit. than his own ability to restrain them, within seven days,
Instead of striking him down like the crowd feared it the clan sent forth the largest raiding parry it had ever
would, the spirit forgave Mosak's doubt. The spirit told assembled. Over 300 bloodthirsty dray readied their
the assembled dray that the Dread King of New Giuste- weapons and struck out for New Giustenal.
nal was to be blamed for the injustices done to the first None of the raiding parry ever returned.
75
Chapter Five: Tke Ruins Below
The spirit manifested again recently, urging the dray to Dregoth tries his best to speak in riddles and half-
send more warriors to New Giustenal. Mosak has been truths. He recites spur-of-the-moment proverbs or clips
able to stall another expedition, but his people believe in of wisdom. The spirit should be played as a distant
the spirit and its words. Some clan members are ready to being, not of this world but possessed of knowledge that
challenge his authority. If Mosaic doesn't bring the situa- rings true.
tion under control soon or allow another raiding party to
head out, a new Clan Father could rise to take his place.
Kragmorta Locations
What is the secret of the Spirit of Kragmorta? Is it
Taraskir returned from the dead to challenge the Dread Refer to the Kragmorta portion of the poster map when
King once again? Unfortunately, no. The spirit is simply reading these entries. Rope bridges span the lava flows at
part of an elaborate plan set in motion by Dregoth him- four locations (as shown on the map). These ropes are
self. As with the Silt Stalkers elf tribe, Dregoth seeks to woven from silk wall-walker webbing. The webbing resists
increase his number of followers. He believes that he can the heat emanating from the lava, thus doesn t burn like
only become a god if a huge amount of believers worship rope made from other fibers. If the dray of Kragmorta are
him. And if they will not follow him while they live, threatened, they cut the bridges to protect their homes
Dregoth is not above killing them and turning them into from invaders.
undead. He has already done this to one of the Silt Stalk- No first generation dray has ever seen a human, or
ers' clans and to the first generation dray of the initial even a demihuman for that matter—at least not a live
raiding party. Now he wants more. one. Refer to individual entries for some possible reac-
Dregoth has continued to watch his pitiful children tions from the dray.
ever since they were cast out to this accursed place. Every If strangers should get into a fight with one of the
few years, the Dread King scryed on the clan and many creatures that live in Kragmorta, the dray are not
watched their progress, always alert for useful mutations likely to get involved. They are far more interested in see-
or adaptations that might develop. Little useful informa- ing how strangers defend themselves than in providing
tion was gathered, however, so Dregoth's clairvoyant visits help. Only if the group shows extreme bravery or skill
became less and less frequent. When he needed a early on and is then overcome will Mosak lead the clan
method for bringing the dray back to him, he devised the to help them.
ruse of the Spirit of Kragmorta. Dregoth uses his psionic Kragmorta is an uncanny place to visit. Glowing
powers to project his disguised image to Mosak and the magma pools cast dancing red light on the dark cavern
clan, urging them to attack New Giustenal again. If the walls. Shadows sway across the ceiling as the fiery rivers
spirit appears when visitors from the surface are present, below trudge ever onward. Beyond the quiet hiss of
Dregoth will be furious to learn that his secret realm has steam and the low rumble of the magma flows, the place
been penetrated. seems otherwise dead and quiet. The buildings, many of
The spirit is simply a psionic projection of Dregoth which have been damaged by heat, earthquakes, and
and has no real powers of its own. Dregoth may use his flame, appear to have been grown from the very stone of
own psionic abilities through this projection since it the cavern floor instead of fashioned with tools and
allows him to see. sweat and muscle.
76
Vegetation grows along the banks of the lava streams.

These fire-fans are spongy, fan-shaped fungi. They are
nourishing though they taste of sulfur and other miner-
als. These plants actually gather the mineral vapor of
the molten earth and collect it in their fan-shaped
leaves where it is converted into a usable form and
stored in the tender roots.
Encounters with dangerous creatures are more com-
mon in Kragmorta than in any of the other subterranean
settlements. Kragmorta's inhabitants aren't native
Athasian creatures that happened to infest the home of
the dray. They were released into this place by Dregoth.
The Dread King has brought back many strange and ter-
rible creatures from his forays through the planar gate.
After studying them, he sets them loose in the fiery cav-
ern with the rest of his cast-offs. Any of the creatures
described below could be encountered while adventurers
wander the cavern.
1. Entrance. Tunnel E continues past the lava flow to

eventually empty into a large cavern. At the end of the
tunnel, the shattered remains of a large stone gate still lit-
ter the entry to Kragmorta. Just beyond the rubble, a sim-
ple rope bridge spans a river of boiling magma. The
magma is barely 10 feet below the bridge, but the rope
fibers resist the intense heat and occasional spark of fiery
rock. A character with the rope use or weaving profi-
ciency can make a check to examine the bridge. A suc-
cess allows the character to determine that the fibers
used to weave the rope are not any material he is familiar
with. The fibers are, however, extremely tough and appar-
ently fire resistant.
A guard is usually stationed across the bridge at loca-
tion 2D, watching the tunnel from a shadowy building.
See below for details.
2. The First Island. The first island of solid rock in
77
this cavern is cut off from the tunnel and the rest of the him, he could be convinced to help them against
expanse by bubbling rivers of lava. Fire fans grow along Dregoth. Otherwise, he simply wants to find a way to
the shore which rises some 10 feet above the lava. return home.
Ancient docks made of wood that has become petrified
over the ages still reach out in some places. The struc- Bracorr, Fire Giant Shaman: Int Average 10; AL LE;
tures here are beautiful, even marked as they are by AC 4; MV 12; HD 15; hp 82; THACO 5; #AT 1; Dam-
time and damage. Like many of the structures in the age 2d6/2d3; SA +10 damage due to Strength bonus,
Groaning City, these seem not to be constructed but hurling rocks (damage 2dlO); SD resistant to fire; SZ H
instead grown. All have graceful sweeps and vibrant col- (18 feet tall); ML 16; XP 10,000. Spells—has access
ors, with walls of smooth, porous stone. None of the only to 1st and 2nd level spells from the following
buildings have straight edges or sharp corners. Two spheres: elemental, healing, charm, protection, divina-
wells located here have long since run dry, though lava tion, or combat; 3 1 st level, 3 2nd level.
boils deep within them.
A. Fire Giant Lair. Bracorr the fire giant shaman B. Hell Hound Lair. Two hell hounds have turned this
from another world recently entered the cavern and building into a lair. They have been living off any fire snakes
took over this building. He knocked open the roof so he they can catch (see 2C), the occasional dray that wanders
could fit but left the walls intact to provide himself with across their path, and whatever their forays into the tunnel
a defensible position. He was brought through the pla- turn up. These creatures were also brought to Athas by
nar gate by Dregoth, questioned extensively about gods Dregoth, then let free in Kragmorta to harass the first gener-
and his world, then placed in a cell until the undead ation dray. If they catch the scent of adventurers, the hell
dragon king decided what to do with him. Dregoth hates hounds will attack. If either creature loses more than half its
giants, which the shaman quickly realized. At the first starting hit points, the pair flees back to their lair.
opportunity, he escaped and made his way to Krag-
morta. He has not yet figured out what to do, and he has Hell Hounds (2): Int Low (6); AL LE; AC 4; MV 12;
thus far refused to speak with Mosak and the first gener- H D 7, 5; hp 48, 36; THACO 13, 15; #AT 1; Dmg 1-10;
ation dray. SA breathe fire (damage 7, 5; save for half damage); SD
Bracorr has lost contact with his god since coming to immune to fire, surprised only on a 1 or 2 on ldlO, can
this strange world, and trusts no one. Once he was able see hidden or invisible creatures 50% of the time; SZ M;
to call upon spells as powerful as 4th level by praying to ML 13; XP 1,400 and 650.
his god. Now, since his god's presence has faded from
his senses, he can only use 1 st and 2nd-level spells. C. Fire Snake Lair. Though fire snakes are found
Though his weapons and armor were stripped from him throughout Kragmorta, the largest group of them lair in
by Dregoth, Bracorr has fashioned coverings that give this building made from vibrant red stone. Inside, the
him Armor Class 4 and has crafted a large stone club. floor has cracked open and lava bubbles up into the
He carries a sack containing four hurling boulders. If building. These creatures prefer to live in true fire, but
characters or monsters come near his corner of this the heat cast from the burning rock gives them some
island, the fire giant will attack. If characters speak to comfort. Like most of the other creatures in this cavern,
78
Chapter Five: The Ruins Bel
elow
the fire snakes come from someplace else. Dregoth cast 3. Island of the Dark Naga. The dark naga was one of
them into Kragmorta with his other rejects. Then he Dregoth's most difficult acquisitions from his other-
quickly forgot about them. This particular nest contains dimensional travel. When he realized how tricky the
a total of eight fire snakes. creature would be to keep in captivity, he quickly decided
Fire snakes do not go out of their way to attack other to turn it loose in Kragmorta.
creatures. If visitors stray too close to their lair, however, The dark naga has learned one unique trick from its
t\\ey will do their best to defend their territory. The mild surroundings and its natural immunity to acids and
venom administered through a fire snake's bite causes other poisons. Whenever the naga senses a dray nearby,
paralyzation, which could leave a victim vulnerable to the it quickly consumes one of the many dragon beetles it
cavern's more hostile inhabitants. keeps trapped in its lair. Whenever the dray
approaches, the naga spits out the beetle's remains,
Fire Snakes (8): Int Semi- (3); AL N; AC 6; MV 4; HD showering its opponent in poisonous spittle. This usu-
2; hp 14, 12 x 4, 9 x 2, 6; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4 ally blinds or debilitates the dray long enough for the
(bite); SA surprise (—4 penalty to opponents' surprise naga to finish it off.
rolls), paralyzation (for 2d4 turns unless victims saves ver- The dark naga was released into Kragmorta by
sus poison); SD immune to fire; SZ S (2-3 feet long); Dregoth only eight months ago. The creature brought a
MLll;XPl20each. number of treasures from its own world, which have
remained hidden within its baglike internal organ.
D. Dray Guard. There is a 75% chance that a dray Dregoth had no idea what he was losing when he ban-
guard is present at any given time. He hides in the shad- ished the dark naga. Its treasure consists of: 232 gold
ows of this building, watching for signs of Dregoth's tem- pieces, 3 gems worth 100 gp each, a scimitar sized horn-
plars or some new horror being deposited in the cavern. If blade, a net of snaring, a hat of disguise, and a book of
the guard is present, he spots entering characters as they vile darkness.
cross the bridge (unless they have taken magical or
psionic precautions to mask their presence). As he has Dark Naga: Int Exceptional (16); AL LE; AC 6; MV
never seen surface dwellers before, the guard will not 13; HD 9; hp 37; THACO 11; #AT 2; Dmg 1 -4 (bite)/2-
attempt to stop them or otherwise reveal himself in any 8 (tail stinger); SA wizard spells (cast as a 6th-level wiz-
way. Instead, the guard will simply follow the group ard), poison (save versus poison or take 1-2 hp additional
around, trying to remain hidden on the rooftops or in the damage and fall asleep, onset time 1 round, sleep lasts
L shadows. Once the visitors begin to cross the second 2d4 rounds); SD ESP (80-foot range), immune to acid,
bridge, the guard reconsiders his actions and rushes off to venom, and poison, cannot be mind read, +2 bonus to
warn Mosak. saving throws against charm, sleep, hold, and other
Within l d 6 + 2 turns, Mosak, the guard, and 2d4 enchantment/charm spells; SZ L (l 2 feet long); ML 15;
.additional dray begin searching for the visitors. After XP 4,000. ^ %.,;
observing them for three hours, Mosak will confront the
visitors if they do not seem overly hostile or somehow 4. Island of the Fire Drake. One extremely vicious
allied with the second generation dray. fire drake nests on this island amid a pile of large boul-
79
ders chipped from the very wall of the cavern. The fire ber includes two 12th-level warriors, two 12th-level psion-
drake sometimes hunts the dray or other creatures in the icists, six 7th-level thieves, and one 11 th-level cleric. The
cavern for food, but usually it prefers to hunt away from rest are typical first generation dray, as described in the
its lair. There is only a 30% chance that the fire drake will MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM appendix
be on its island at any given time. When not at home, it included in this set.
swims into the lava and out through the drainage hole
nearest its island. It knows a route up to the surface, and 6. Wall-Walker Hive. Small openings in the cavern
that's where the fire drake likes to do most of its hunting. wall indicate the presence of a wall-walker hive. No one
If it is in its lair, it will attack any intruders upon spotting knows how many of the terrible creatures live in these
them. It enjoys inflicting pain and torment on a meal burrows, but the amount of stone pushed out to create
before consuming it, and any intruders caught on its them forms a pile nearly 20 feet high! While Mosak
island are considered meals. believes these creatures come from the same place as the
other terrors of Kragmorta, the truth is the wall-walkers
Fire Drake: Int Animal (l); AL NE; AC - 3 ; MV 12, are native to Athas's subterranean regions.
J P 3 ; H D 2 0 + 8 ; h p l 4 5 ; T H A C 0 5;#AT4;l-10+10/l- The entire population divides itself into small broods of
10+10 (claws)/3-24 (bite)/4-32 (tail); SA bite/swallow, 1-6 wall-walkers, though most nests are connected to the
elemental attack once per week (gate in a 50-foot sphere of centralized tunnels that run between them. These preda-
fire that burns for ld6+4 rounds and causes 4-40 points tory creatures hunt inside Kragmorta as well as within the
of damage, save versus breath weapon for half damage), tunnels around it There is a 25% chance that explorers in
psionics, tail lash (save versus petrification or be stunned Kragmorta will encounter one or two wall-walker hunters at
for Id6 rounds); SD psionics; SZ G (25 feet long); ML any given moment in the cavern. See the MONSTROUS
1 9; XP 28,000. Psionic Summary: PSPs 1 50; Sci- COMPENDIUM appendix included in this set for more
ences—telekinesis, energy containment, shadowform, information about wall-walkers.
mind link, mass domination; Devotions—danger sense,
radial navigation, spirit sense, inertial barrier, body con- Wall-Walkers (24): Int Low (6); AL LE; AC 3; MV 9,
trol, cell adjustment, heightened senses, feel light, hear Cl 1 2; H D 6; T H A C 0 14; #AT 3; Dmg 2-12/2-12
light, control flames, control light, displacement, double (claws)/2-8 (bite); SA psionics; SD psionics; SZ M (5
pain, awe, contact, ego whip, inflict pain, mind bar, mental feet); ML 14; XP 1,500. Psionic Summary: PSPs 80;
barrier, mind blank, psychic crush. Sciences—shadowform; Devotions—contact, feel
sound, feel light, mind blank.
5. Dray Settlement. The first generation dray have
made their home among this collection of ancient build- 7. Fresh Water Springs. Clear, clean water bubbles
ings. They maintain a constant vigil against the predators out of the ground here. The water is hot, and clouds of
that lurk among Kragmorta's fiery shadows. Still, an occa- steam constantly rise from it, but otherwise it is safe to
sional hungry hell hound or wall-walker claims a dray for drink. They dray get all of their fresh water from this loca-
a meal now and then. tion, and they have four guards here at all times to protect
Mosak leads the community of 324 dray. This num- it from the other inhabitants of the cavern.
80
poorer than many of the other sorcerer-kings' cities,

New Giustenal its citizens have found ways to adapt and make their
Dregoth led the survivors of Giustenal to a cavern far home self-sufficient. The dray have developed crops,
below the surface of Athas. While this cavern had been livestock, waste management, a marketplace, and a
prepared for a halfling settlement during the Blue Age, it fishing economy along the Blackjaw River. Taverns,
was never occupied. Dregoth and his followers found an theaters, academies, and even a college of sorts grace
empty paradise waiting to be filled. Slightly under 2,000 the local environment.
years ago, Dregoth became an undead dragon king and Light is provided by hundreds of stalactites hanging
brought his people here. At first, they lived in whatever from the 200-foot-high cavern ceiling, each enchanted
temporary shelters they could fashion. During this with continual light spells. Homes and buildings are lit
period, Dregoth and his court wizards began the experi- by similar magic.
ments that led to the creation of the dray. The coins used in New Giustenal are a mixture of
The first generation dray were cast out of the cavern ceramic bits emblazoned with the image of a dragon
that Dregoth named New Giustenal. The second gener- and metal coins brought from the surface in an age
ation, however, lived up to Dregoth's expectations. All of when metal was more abundant. The ceramic bits are
the human survivors were transformed into the new race equal in value to those used on the surface. The metal
of dray. This was part of the culmination of Rajaat's coins are much rarer, and all are worth one silver piece
dream, Dregoth believed, a dream that would be realized in the cities above.
by the first true god of Athas—Dregoth. Two rivers cut through this cavern: the Blackjaw and
Leaving his newly reborn followers in the care of his the Little Blackjaw. In addition to providing some of the
templars, Dregoth turned his attention to the planar gate. food consumed by the population, these rivers also pro-
He was gone for years at a time as he searched the many vide most of the fresh water used by the dray for drinking
planes of existence for the secrets he sought. In that time, and bathing.
he returned with the first of many dragons—great wyrms
he killed on other worlds. The bones of these majestic
New Giustenal Locations
creatures became the building blocks for New Giuste-
nal. Today, Dregoth and his dray live in great structures Refer to the New Giustenal portion of the poster map
built using dragon bones. when reading these entries.
Over the centuries, Dregoth has established a religion
dedicated to himself and built a mighty military force. 1. Central Gates. Two towers staggered behind two
Someday the Dread King plans to lead his army to the massive gates guard the only entryway into New
surface. He has old debts to pay and a world to win. Even Giustenal. Each tower is manned by four 4th-level tem-
the Dragon will bow to Dregoth the god! At least, that is plars. The gates are made from a combination of stone
the delusion that the undead dragon king lives under. and dragon bones, giving the entryway a grand yet omi-
However, no matter how insane he is, he also has the nous appearance. The templars command five bone
power to see his vision through to completion. golems who always stand at attention in front of the
Though New Giustenal is much smaller and inner gates.
81
Templars (8): Int Higk (l 4); AL LE; AC 6; MV 12; HD bed. It is not so hot as to be harmful, and the hot-blooded
4; THACO 18; #AT 1; Dmg 1 -8 (bone long swords); dray find the water to be quite relaxing.
SA spells; SZ M (7 feet tall); ML 15. Priest Spells: 3 1st A great bridge made from dragon bones spans the
level, 2 2nd level. Blackjaw, and docks on each side of its banks house the
barges that serve fishermen and travelers. Two huge caves
Bone Golems (5): Int Non- (0); AL N; AC 0; MV 12; provide channels for the water. The fishermen will enter
H D 14; Kp 70 each; THACO 7; # AT 1; Dmg 3-24; these caves to fish, but will never stray so far as to lose
SD Kalf damage from edged and piercing weapons; sight of the openings back into New Giustenal.
SZ M (7 feet tall); ML 20; XP 18,000. Unknown to most of the dray, Dregoth keeps his growing
army of undead in a cave about half a mile east along the
2. Temple of trie Dragon. Three of tkese magnificent river. In this cave, undead created and controlled by
structures are scattered throughout New Giustenal. The Dregoth wait for orders. Among these creatures are the
opulent buildings are all made from gray stone with crim- elves of the Fire Dagger clan and a small raiding tribe
son scales, trim, and other draconic decorations. In the made up of escaped mul slaves.
center of each is a high steeple graced with dragon scales. Scores of tasty and relatively harmless blackjaw are
The doorways are in the form of a dragon's maw with a pulled daily from this underground river. A creature
toothlike portcullis that can be lowered when the temple the dray have named the sharg now threatens the
isn't in session. The whole effect is savagely beautiful, barges. Where the monster came from is unknown, but
though visitors from the surface will find the draconic it has destroyed more than a few barges in its quest for
imagery to be terrifying. sustenance—and it has even dragged a few dray in
Beneath the steeple in each temple is a huge room from the shore! See the entry in the MONSTROUS
where Mon Adderath or Absalom often deliver sermons C O M P E N D I U M appendix included in this set for
on Dregoth. The rest of each building is taken up by the more information on the sharg.
barracks of low-level templars, training halls, dining
rooms, sanctuaries, and other areas devoted to study. 4. Sharg Island. A lonely estate sits on this island. It
Each barracks is supervised by a 4th-level templar, and has been abandoned, as the sharg has made its home in
each temple has four such areas. a cave beneath the island. The templars know it is there,
The temple nearest the Dread Palace is by far the but Dregoth has ordered them to leave it alone for the
largest of the three. Though any dray may attend services time being. The Dread King wants to study this crea-
here, it is considered to be the temple of the wealthy, and ture (which he brought to Athas from another plane)
lesser dray may find themselves ill-treated by their brethren until he can figure out how to control it. If any charac-
here. In fact, attending sermons here has come to be a sta- ters explore this island, the sharg will slip out of its lair
tus symbol among the dray, and those who attend always and try to catch them. The creature's statistics are in the
wear the newest and most expensive fashions. MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM appendix
included in this set.
3. Blackjaw River. The water in this river steams con-
stantly as it passes over a magma flow located below its 5. Fishing Shacks. Large buildings on each side of
82
83
the river are used by New Giustenal's fiskermen to sort, ceiling high overhead. Many of these common dray work
prepare, and store the fish dragged out of the Blackjaw in the fields or perform other manual labor, as New
River. The dray here are very concerned over the sharg, Giustenal has no slaves.
and they can be heard making their own plans for deal-
ing with the creature should the templars continue to 9. The Dread Palace. Nothing in New Giustenal is
ignore the situation. as stark or oppressive as Dregoth's palace in the northern
The dray never developed sailing or rowing vessels. section of the city. The stone of its walls is blackest obsid-
Instead, barges are dragged up and down the Blackjaw ian, and the bones of great wyrms decorate much of its
River with large nets in tow. The mean-tempered but surface. Dregoth's planar gate is kept in this area, as well
small blackjaw are trapped in groups of three or four as many of his other treasures. Full details are revealed in
every pass up or down the length of the river. The process the Adventure Book.
is slow but profitable, for blackjaw and crabs are the only
sea-meats available. 10. Upside-Down Forest. Trees grow from the ceil-
Several months ago, a terrible sharg entered the river. ing, their limbs reaching down and stretching out into
Most think that it swam in from wherever the Blackjaw a canopy of leaves. The roots wind their way upward,
comes from or leads to, but in truth it was released by seeking the sunlight far above. This secluded grove is a
Dregoth. He discovered it during one of his planar jour- remnant from the Blue Age, and pathways shaped
neys and decided it might prove useful in his battle from living stone crisscross beneath the trees. Each
against the surface world. pathway is formed from a different colored stone, and
each path takes a slightly different course through the
6. Fanner Fields. To provide the dray with meat, beasts forest. The trees here bear sweet fruit, another staple of
called fanners are raised in a scrubby field in the south- the dray diet.
ern section of the city. Fanners are fat beasts the size of
cattle, but with a single horn protruding from their bull- 11. Akrag's Pools. Akrag is a dray who owns and
like faces. They get their names from a ridge of skin that operates this public bath. It is darker and seedier than
surrounds their necks like collars. When a beast feels most and has earned a nasty reputation for several assas-
threatened, the collar fans-out and makes the creature sinations that have taken place in its steaming pools.
look larger and more ferocious to whatever predators exist According to some, a mid-level templar was recently
on the plane Dregoth plucked them from. murdered while in the baths. Evidently, the body was
pushed through the water drains into the Blackjaw River,
7. Fungi Fields. A variety of growths are cultivated for the templar was never seen again.
here as a supplement to the dray diet. In truth, Akrag is actually Absalom, Dregoth's trusted
High Priest. See the cardstock sheets provided with this
8. Common Section. The common people of New set for Absalom's statistics and role-playing tips while he
Giustenal live in these simple yet comfortable homes. is in the guise of Akrag.
Many are built around the great central pillar, a column
of stone that stretches from the floor of the cavern to the 12. The Pit. A female dray named Freiha runs this
84
successful tavern witk Ker mate, Gatlakk. The Pit is Lodgden

known for a strong elixir called munge that is made Female Dray Thief, Lawful Neutral
from fermented mushrooms. None of the other estab-
lishments in New Giustenal have managed to dupli- Armor Class 5 (Dex) Strl6
cate the process, so Freiha and Gatlakk have turned Movement 12 Dex 17
quite a profit in the last few years. So much in fact, that Level 8 Con 13
Casskka of the Beetle's Bite has hired a rogue named Hit Points 26 Intl5
Lodgden to either steal the couple's secret, or send THAC017 Wisl5
them to the Gray. So far, Lodgden has met with little No. of Attacks 1 Chal4
success, though she has managed to secure a job as a Damage/Attack: Id8—1 (bone long sword)
server in the Pit. The impatient Casskka is urging her to Psionics Summary: PSPs 94; Wild Talent—appraisal
finish her business quickly, however. (PS 11, Cost 14)
13. College of Blackspire. This beautiful building

is made from ivory sandstone and capped in blackest
85
Ckapter Five: Tke Ruins Below
obsidian. Unlike most other sorcerer-kings, Dregoth material the war engine might need. The army is supple-
usually allows and often encourages mages to develop mented by scores of undead, some stationed throughout
tkeir skills—as long as they are committed to Kis the palace, though most are hidden in the cave along the
cause. Blackjaw River.
Anyone who exhibits magical talents or desires to The vast majority of templars are 4th level. Dregoth's
learn can apply for enrollment at Blackspire, so named intensive and rigorous training academy rushes them
for the three scaled spires that surmount the main acad- past the earlier stages quickly. Every templar of 3rd level
emy. If accepted, a young mage is subjected to several or better is considered a full templar, and is designated as
years of near-brainwashing to ensure that he is dedicated such by the High Templar himself. Whenever a templar
to Dregoth. During this time, the instructors psionically increases a level after the second, he is blessed by a thick,
probe the minds of the applicants, looking for signs of yellowish scale that rises from his spine. Only Mon-
treachery. If someone betrays the College, expulsion is Adderath and Absalom have the necessary power to
quick and bloody. make this mark, using a spell granted to them by Dregoth.
Those who survive the rigors of training become Because of the scale, a 3rd-level initiate is called a Tem-
hardened mages ready to serve their Dread King, and a plar of the First Scale. A 4th-level templar is a Templar of
select few are even allowed to join the ranks of the kalin the Second Scale, and so on. Mon Adderath is currently
riders. a Templar of the Highest Scale (18), and Absalom is a
Templar of the Fifteenth Scale.
1 4. Beetle's Bite Tavern. A greedy dray named Templar Patrols. A patrol consists of four Templars of
Casskka runs the Beetle's Bite, though it hasn't done very the Third Scale and one of the Fourth. These are almost
well since the competition developed a sweet tasting always composed of pure templar-classed dray, but there
drink called munge (see area 12, above). is a 10% chance that any of the five will be multiclassed.
The tavern's sole redeeming feature is cheap blackjaw. If so, roll ldlO to establish the dray's second career. His
Casskka's brother is a fisherman, and he gives her a dis- second class will always be equal to his first. Roll 1 -3:
count on the fish. Psionicist; 4-6: Defiler, 7-9; Fighter, 10: Thief.
If a serious confrontation breaks out and the templars
Dregotk's Templars are able to summon help, a war party of four 7th-level
templars led by a Templar of the Eighth Scale (1 Oth
Dregoth maintains a force of 338 templars, a very high level) will arrive in 2dlO rounds plus the time it takes for
number for a relatively small population of only 3,000 them to travel the intervening distance.
dray. Though these 338 are full-time soldiers for the sor- Kalin Riders. Dregoth's most elite troops are the kalin
cerer-king, every other dray of fighting age is part of a riders. These mid-level templars ride the ferocious kalin,
strange militia system. In essence, when the Dread King riding insects the Dread King brought back with him from
gives the word, every dray in New Giustenal is supposed one of his otherworldly voyages. For now, the kalin riders
to pack his or her gear and join the army in its march to patrol the ceilings of New Giustenal looking for trouble in
the surface. Only the old or the very young are to remain the streets below. The dray are a quick tempered race, so
behind, and these only to continue to produce whatever the kalin riders are rarely bored from inaction. Most citi-
86
CKapter Five: The Ruins Below
zens hate these troops because of the viciousness of the

mounts. Kalin have been known to rip the arm off a pass-
ing dray for no particular reason, and even their riders
often have trouble controlling their bloodlust
Dregoth has four squadrons of 25 kalin riders avail-
able to him at present. These troops are to lead the
assault on the surface world when the time comes, and
they have gotten the best share of the vast magical arma-
ment Dregoth has prepared.
Kalin riders are all 5th level fighter/clerics armed with
magical weapons (usually a long sword + 0. Officers
have metal weapons with enchantments as high as + 3.
Finally, every kalin squadron has a defiler from the
College of Blackspire assigned to it. The mage will be of
7th-10th level (ld6+6), and will also have five randomly
assigned magical items. Use the tables in the DhiG to
assign these. If an item of excessive power is generated,
reroll the result until something more reasonable is dis-
covered.
Kalin Rider: Int High (16); AC 3; MV 12; F5/C5;

hp 38; THACO 16; #AT 1; Dmg 1 -8+1 (metal long
sword + /); SA kalin, psionics, cleric spells; SD psionics,
cleric spells; SZ M (7 feet tall); ML 16. All kalin riders
are psionic wild talents. Cleric Spells: 3 1st level, 3 2nd
level, 1 3rd level.
87
Chapter Six:
Dregoth and trie Dray
nal. They ambushed him in his own palace, battering

The UndeaJ Dragon King him with the Way, pounding him with spells, and even
The Dread King Dregoth was killed almost 2,000 years striking him with weapons and fists. Dregoth fought as
ago by the combined powers of seven sorcerer-kings. best he could, but the seven struck without warning. He
Shortly thereafter, as Giustenal's survivors fled the rav- died, and his city died with him.
aged city, Dregoth rose as the undead dragon king. While Death was not the end for Dregoth, however. He
Dregoth is a unique being, his new state is very similar to returned as an undead dragon king. With the aid of his
that of a kaisharga, a lichlike creature native to Athas. He court wizards and highest-ranking templars, Dregoth
has existed in this state since the day of his return, neither went into hiding in the Groaning City. While he waited
dead nor alive, neither full human nor full dragon. and regained his strength, his templars gathered the sur-
In life, Dregoth was a 29th-level dragon, on the verge of vivors of Giustenal and led them underground. Once
achieving the final stage of metamorphosis. He had been they were assembled, Dregoth marched his followers to
a champion of Rajaat the War-Bringer, a general in the the deepest cavern of the ancients—a place he declared
devastating Cleansing Wars that laid waste to the world. to be New Giustenal. It was here, deep below the ground,
When it became clear the War-Bringer was going to that Dregoth found the secret to transforming humans
betray his champions, Dregoth helped imprison Rajaat. into a new race. It was here that the dray were born.
Rajaat didn't want humans to inherit the new Blue Age The first attempt to transform humans into dragonlike
he envisioned—he wanted to return the world to the creatures failed, at least as far as Dregoth was concerned.
halflings who had almost destroyed it! Once Rajaat was Instead of becoming tall, flawless beings, his first genera-
safely locked away, Dregoth helped the other champions tion dray were misshapen creatures with a variety of
(now sorcerer-kings) turn Borys into the Dragon of Tyr to strange mutations. The undead dragon king was furious
guard over the War-Bringer's prison. at the failure. He banished these dray from New Giuste-
At this time, Dregoth planned to continue the nal, declaring them unworthy to live in the shadow of the
Cleansing Wars and make the world ready for another Dread King. The first generation dray fled, devastated
Blue Age. This Blue Age wasn't meant for any of the that their god and king had rejected them. They eventu-
races currently inhabiting Athas, however. Dregoth was ally settled in the ruins of Kragmorta.
determined to launch another Rebirth to create a more The second attempt worked to Dregoth's satisfaction.
worthy race to inherit the world. If the halflings could cre- The remaining humans were transformed into perfect
ate new races, Dregoth believed, then so could a dragon dray—dray as Dregoth envisioned them. The Dread
king in all his power. It was Dregoth's plan to transform King ordered all of his citizens to undergo the transfor-
humans into beings worthy of serving dragon kings in a mation, and now only second generation dray inhabit the
new age of splendor. He planned to create the dray. undercity.
Borys, meanwhile, was lost to rage and madness after Dregoth now rules a city jar removed from the light of
his transformation. Fearing that this same insanity would the crimson sun. He looks much like he did in life—one
soon overtake Dregoth (who was next in line of the step removed from a full dragon. He is 30 feet long and
remaining champions to become a full dragon), the sor- weighs 20,000 pounds. He has a dragon's form, with
cerer-kings decided to destroy the Dread King of Giuste- wings, scales, a tail, claws, and a devastating breath
88
Chapter Six: Dregoth and the Dray
weapon. Tkis form was badly damaged by tke attack of turies traveling to other places, learning everything he
the sorcerer-kings. So, Dregoth's wings are torn, his body could about gods, their worshipers, and the doctrines of
still wears the wounds inflicted upon it, and gaping holes thousands upon thousands of faiths.
show exposed bone in many places. The armored skin Over time and by careful observation, Dregoth deter-
that remains is stretched thinly over the skeleton mined the path to true godhood. He saw that other
beneath. His eyes, like the eyes of all kaisharga, burn with beings called gods had multitudes of followers, and the
green fire. Note: Dregoth cannot be turned. more followers the god could claim, the greater the god's
Dregoth, of course, never appears to his citizens in his power. Another trademark of godhood seemed to be tied
true form. Instead, he wears one of two false forms in front to sacrifice. From the giving of tithes to actual blood sacri-
of the masses. The first of these forms is that of a tall, regal fices, gods demanded offerings of their worshipers.
dray. This is what most of the people of New Giustenal Dregoth became convinced that a massive blood sacri-
believe their godking looks like. The second form, used fice, combined with the reverence of his followers and the
on very rare occasions, is that of a living 29th-level creation of a font of holy power would provide the impe-
dragon. This form is modeled after Dregoth's true form tus for his ascension.
before it was corrupted by undeath. A combination of Worshipers were easy. The people of Giustenal were
magic and psionics, much of it imbued in the amulets convinced of Dregoth s divine nature even before he
and rings Dregoth wears, maintains the illusory forms, "rose from the dead." Returning to walk among them
though the Dread King can drop or shift between them after falling to the sorcerer-kings only served to strengthen
at will. their devotion. Later, when he transformed them into the
dray, his followers became "the chosen people." To this
Dregoth's Plans: Godhood and Revenge day, their belief in Dregoth has only increased—even
among the first generation dray of Kragmorta.
While he was still alive, Dregoth found an item of great The doctrine preached by Dregoth and his templars
power in the ancient caverns beneath Giustenal. In the calls for sacrifices of all kinds. From the offerings of time,
Groaning City, in a building revered by the demihu- labor and wealth, to the blood of animals and demihu-
mans who had fled Dregoth's systematic extermination mans spilled on Dregoth's altars, the worshipers under-
of all nonhumans, the Dread King discovered the pla- stand and practice sacrifices to the Dread King. Each
nar gate. The item, from Athas's Green Age, was a Temple of the Dragon in New Giustenal contains an
psionic focus for planar travel. After becoming an altar of blackest obsidian etched with the symbol of
undead dragon king, Dregoth used the gate to walk the Dregoth—a roaring dragon head inside a crimson circle.
many planes of existence. On holy days, these stone blocks drip with steaming
On the planes, the undead dragon king encountered blood. All dray know the prophecy of the Coruscation,
many new ideas and strange truths—including the fact the Day of Light. In the future, Dregoth the Godking will
that true gods did exist on other worlds. This particular lead the dray to the land above. There, they will swarm
revelation gave shape to Dregoth's newest plan. He over a place of evil called Raam, killing all of its inhabi-
declared that he would become Athas's first real god, not tants as sacrifices to Dregoth. On that day, when the
a pretender like the other sorcerer-kings. He spent cen- blood of thousands of unbelievers runs in rivers at the
89
feet of Dregoth, the crimson sun will burst with bright Dregoth, the Undead Dragon King
light and the new Blue Age will begin. Male Kaisharga Dragon King, Chaotic Evil
The last secret to godhood lies in the creation of a font
of power, a holy relic worthy of Dregoth and his religion. Armor Class —8 5tr22
This item already rests deep within Dregoth's palace. It is Movement 15, Fl 18 (C) Dex20
a huge dragon skull taken from one of the creatures that Level 29 Con 20
walk other worlds. Its eye sockets are filled with orbs of Hit Points 173 Int20
obsidian, and his newest holy symbol is carved into its THACO-1 Wisl7
sloping forehead—the blazing crimson sun trapped in No. of Attacks 3 Chal5
the grip of a dragon's claw. The decorated skull sits on the Damage/Attack: 2-20+10/2-20+10 (claws)/4-48 (bite)
altar within Dregoth's private chambers. While it is not Special Attacks: breath weapon (20d 12,5 feet wide at
yet a holy relic, Dregoth believes that by immersing it in base, 50 feet long, 100 feet in diameter at end); tail
the rivers of blood that will one day flow down the streets (5dl0); chilling touch (ldlO additional damage, save
of Raam the relic will become imbued with divine versus parahyzation or be paralyzed until the condition is
power—just as Dregoth himself will be. dispelled); psionics; spells.
In addition to achieving godhood and leading Athas Special Defenses: cannot be turned, +2 or better magi-
into a new Blue Age, Dregoth dreams of getting revenge cal weapons to hit; magic resistance 40%; immune to
on the sorcerer-kings who teamed up to kill him. He charm, sleep, enfeeblement, polymorph, cold, electricity,
plans to destroy them all, but the people of their cities insanity, and death spells; can understand and speak any
will be free to bow down before him. If the citizens and language; aura of fear (60-foot range, creatures less than 8
slaves refuse, then they will die on his obsidian altars. H D save versus spells or flee for 5d4 rounds); saves as
This option is not available to the people of Raam, how- 21st-level wizard; psionics; spells.
ever. Like their queen, Abalach-Re, and as the citizens of Psionic Summary: PSPs 330; all Defense Modes;
Giustenal before them, the people of Raam must die. Clairsentience—danger sense, spirit sense, precogni-
This is Dregoth's burning desire, and it will not be tion; Psychokinesis—ballistic attack, control body, det-
denied. onate, molecular rearrangement, telekinesis;
While he may eventually have his revenge on the sor- Psychometabolism—aging, biofeedback, body control,
cerer-kings who killed him, Dregoth will never become a catfall, cause decay, chameleon power, double pain,
god—at least not on Athas. Athas has never had any? heightened senses, mind over body, suspend animation,
gods, and it never will. Why this is may never be com- complete healing, death field, metamorphosis, shadow
pletely understood, but the fact is that the conduits that form; Telepathy;—aversion, awe, conceal thoughts, con-
allow gods (or powers, as they're called elsewhere) to draw tact, ESP, phobia amplification, psychic messenger,
strength from their worshipers simply don t exist on symaptic static, domination, mass domination; Psy-
Athas. Wo matter what Dregoth does, he won't be able to choportation—astral projection, dimension walk,
change that fact—and he isn't even aware that this is a dimensional door, dream travel, teleport.
problem. Without these spiritual conduits, divine power Typically Memorized Spells: 1st level (7)—alarm,
can't be attained. change self, detect magic, detect undead, magic missile
90
Ckapter Six: Dregoth and the Dray
x2, read magic; 2nd level (7)—alter self, blindness, con-

tinual light, darkness 15 , invisibility, whispering wind,
wizard lock; 3rd level (7)—blink, clairaudience, clair-
voyance, dispel magic, fireball x2, nondetection; 4th
level (7)—charm monster, detect scrying x2, improved
invisibility, magic mirror, monster summoning II, poly-
morph self; 5th level (7)—advanced illusion, animate
dead x3, contact other plane, wall of force, wall of stone;
6th level (7)—anti-magic shell, chain lightning x2, con-
tingency, death spell, disintegrate, geas; 7th level (7)—
banishment, conjure greater elemental, control undead
x2, delayed blast fireball, finger of death, sands of time;
8th level (6)—clone, demand, glassteel, mass charm,
permancy, symbol; 9th level (6)—astral spell, energy
drain, gate, imprisonment, shape change, wish; 1 Oth
level (4)—defiling stasis, immediate animation, just
sovereign, raise nation.
The Dray
As a former champion of Rajaat the War-Bringer and a
believer in the concepts behind the Cleansing Wars of
more than 2,000 years past, Dregoth detests demihu-
mans and humanoids. His greatest hatred is reserved for
giants (and will extend to the newer half-giant race when
he learns of their existence), but he also loathes dwarves,
elves, and even halflings. The mul, too, will come as a sur-
prise to Dregoth, who has not been paying any attention
at all to events that have been transpiring on the surface.
The Dread King is barely aware that the world he knew
has withered and nearly died as a result of defiling magic
and the horrors of the Cleansing Wars.
In the case of thri-kreen, who apparently did not spring
from the halfling metamorphoses of the time of Rebirth,
Dregoth will express curiosity and amusement over these
intelligent insects, but he will not display the hatred he
lavishes on the halfling spawn. At least not at first. Later,
91
wken he realizes tkat Kis new age must only be occupied kis two trusted templars so tkat tkey could assist kim in
by tke wortky result of tke Rebirtk—namely kumans tke centuries to come. Mon Adderatk, kis Higk Tem-
and kis new race of dray—Dregotk's loatking will extend plar, was already imbued witk agelessness and kad
to tke tkri-kreen as well. served Dregotk since tke Dread King kad become a
Wkile tke otker sorcerer-kings kave long since ckampion of Rajaat. His new Higk Priest, tke templar
decided to end tkeir extermination of tke nonkuman Absalom, received tke gift in a different form. To be kis
races and sweep aside plans to restore Atkas s Blue Age, priest, Absalom kad to become like kis god. So Dregotk
Dregotk still kolds tkese goals in kis undead keart. He killed tke templar and turned kim into an undead crea-
believed Rajaat's claims, sure tkat kumans were tke next ture. In trutk, Absalom was tke first dray ever to live
stage in tke evolutionary process. However, Dregotk does beyond its creation. Up to tkis point, all of Dregotk's
not believe tkey are tke end result. Look kow tke sorcerer- attempts kad resulted in dray, but tke process was not
kings ckange as tkey grow more powerful. Tkey were once stable. Tkose wko participated in tke experiments con-
kuman. Tkey will become dragons. If dragons are tke ulti- tinued to mutate beyond tke point Dregotk kad koped
mate stage—and Dregotk believes tkey are—tken for. Tkey became strange monstrosities tkat eventually
kumans need to evolve into sometking wortky of serving died. Tke only way to stabilize tke process at tke time
tke dragon kings. Tkat's wky Dregotk invented tke was to kill tke subject at tke stage Dregotk desired and
process to ckange kumans into dray. tken turn kim into an undead of some sort. Tkis was
wkat was done to Absalom. Statistics for Mon
Adderatk are on Card #4, wkile Absalom's are in tke
First Generation Dray
MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM appendix
Dregotk started kis experiments years before kis deatk. included in tkis boxed set.
By tke time of kis murder, tke Dread King was close to It took almost 200 years, but Dregotk and kis assis-
developing tke transformation process tkat would tants finally made sense of tke records left in tke kalfling
ckange kis kuman followers into a new race. One essen- cities. Tke experiments started again, and tkey appeared
tial piece of tke puzzle eluded kim, kowever. Even witk to work as Dregotk kad koped. He ordered all tke citi-
tke Way and nearly unlimited arcane powers at kis zens of New Giustenal to undergo tke process. More
command, Dregotk continued to fail. Wkat's worse, ke tkan 100 first generation dray were created before tke
knew from kistory tkat tke kalflings kad tke secret to first signs of failure became evident. Tke initial recipi-
transforming one race into anotker. He needed tke ents of tke transformation process began to mutate.
secret of tke Rebirtk if ke was going to succeed. And it Dregotk was infuriated by tkis setback. He ordered every-
kad to be more refined tkan tke random power still tking to stop wkile ke conducted more tests.
spewing from tke Pristine Tower. It kad to be so concen- Tke first generation dray continued to mutate, ckang-
trated tkat tke transformation would follow tke pattern ing from tke perfect draconic specimens Dregotk kad
ke designed. envisioned into flawed reflections of kis dream race. He
After returning as tke undead dragon king, Dregotk wanted tall, lean beings witk muscular frames. Tkey were
decided to seek tke knowledge of tke ancients in tke to be proud, near-replicas of tke dragon kings. Instead,
ruins beneatk Giustenal. He bestowed immortality on most were kuncked over, not tall and straigkt. Tkeir claws
92
were jagged, not long and skarp. Tkeir scales were mot- side effect of the immortality bestowed upon him earlier
tled, uneven. Vv hat was worse, unlike his failures of the made him immune to the change. To this day, Mon
past, these mutations did not die out. In fact, they were Adderath is the only human still living and serving
capable of breeding. Dregoth considered them to be Dregoth in New Giustenal.
mockeries of his perfection. He ordered Mon Adderath The second generation dray worship Dregoth as their
to banish these hideous creatures, to bar New Giuste- god and king. They believe his doctrine and see them-
nal's gates to them forever. selves as the chosen people of Athas. None have ever vis-
The first generation dray roamed the tunnels of the ited the surface world, but all know the stories circulated
ancients for a time before finally settling in the cavern by Dregoth and his templars. They know about the evil
they would come to call Kragmorta. The descendants of sorcerer-kings who betrayed their god, and they long to
those who were cast out still worship Dregoth as their god, help Dregoth achieve his revenge. They have been taught
but they also hate the Dread King for banishing them. to feel sorry for the humans who have not yet received the
They hope to one day prove their worthiness to Dregoth gift of transformation, but the only human they have ever
so they can return to live in the heaven that they believe seen in person is Mon Adderath. They have also been
New Giustenal to be. taught to hate demihumans and humanoids, for they
Card #2 describes how to create first generation have been convinced of their superiority over the nonhu-
dray as player characters, and the M O N S T R O U S man races.
COMPENDIUM appendix included in this set pro-
vides additional details and statistics for this new race. Dray Relations
Second Generation Dray The first generation dray consider themselves superior to
their second generation cousins. They do not under-
More years passed, and another generation of humans stand what they have done to earn Dregoth's displeasure,
died out. The experiments continued, and eventually but as his first children they consider themselves to be
Dregoth was ready to try again. This time he succeeded. better than the dray who replaced them. They watch for
The second generation dray were born. They were signs of the second generation dray, for Dregoth's tem-
humanoid reptiles of great height and lean, powerful plars sometimes invade Kragmorta with hostile inten-
builds. Their draconic heads rested atop long necks, and tions. They do not hate their cousins, but they do not
snaking tails stretched out behind them. Talons grew trust them either.
from the end of long fingers and toes, and armored scales Absalom secretly aids the first generation dray, as he
covered their bodies. This was the race Dregoth dreamed feels an affinity toward them. He also preaches Dregoth's
of, and his dream had finally come true. doctrine to these banished children, keeping them a part
All of New Giustenal's citizens were forced to of the flock even though Dregoth has all but forgotten
undergo the process, whether they wanted to participate about them. Someday Absalom hopes to reconcile the
or not. It was the will of their god, and he would not be rift between the exiles and their god, for the Day of Light
denied. Even Mon Adderath was subjected to the trans- should be shared by all Dregoth's children.
formation process. He did not change, however. Some Second generation dray, on the other hand, have noth-
93
CKapter Six: Dregoth and tKe Dray
ing but hatred and contempt for their poor predecessors. first generation dray or even offer them gifts, they dis-
They feel superior because they still bask in Dregoth's cover that neither option will work. These dray don't
presence. They are the beloved and the chosen—the engage in merchant activities. If someone in the settle-
others were only the first. ment needs something, it is provided. If the settlement
Many second generation dray are also afraid of the doesn't have it, then the community's leader figures out
first generation dray. They see them as almost demons, some way to get it. They do not accept gifts, either, for
nightmares given shape and form. Some believe that the giving and accepting gifts are signs of weakness in their
first generation dray should be wiped out before whatever savage world.
caused them to mutate is passed on to the perfect dray of To prove themselves, surface dwellers must pass the
New Giustenal. Others feel that if they somehow disap- same coming of age tests that all the dray of Kragmorta
point their god, Dregoth will banish them too. The muta- undergo. Mosak, leader of Kragmorta, calls for tough
tions, they believe, are a result of the banishment, a mark but fair tests suited to the talents of those participat-
of shame. ing in them. Failure to accept or complete a test is seen
as a sign of weakness. To refuse or fail is to be marked
as a child, and all first generation dray will treat such a
Dray ana Visitors from the Surface
character as a child forever after. Children are toler-
In Kragmorta, visitors from the surface stand a better ated but ignored, not allowed to participate in adult
chance of surviving intact than they do in New Giuste- discussions or trusted to handle matters of conse-
nal. While none of the first generation dray have ever quence. If a character fails a test, he is allowed one
seen a live human or demihuman, they haven't been sub- more try. After that, he can never be anything more
jected to the teachings of Dregoth's templars either. They than a child in Kragmorta.
don't automatically feel hatred for the surface dwellers. Passing a test bestows all of therightsand responsibili-
They won't welcome them with open arms, but they won't ties of adulthood on a character—including hunting
go out of their way to kill them on sight either. They and helping the dray community in any way necessary.
respect all classes, but have an overwhelming distrust of Sample tests are presented in the Adventure Book.
templars—even the templars of other sorcerer-kings. Note that tests are designed for warriors, thieves, clerics,
The hunting packs or the tunnel guards will probably and psionicists only. The first generation dray have no
encounter visitors to Kragmorta first. The visitors will be experience with preserver or defiler magic except as it is
watched for a while to gauge their intentions and see how used by Dregoth and his templars, so they do not recog-
well they handle the hazards of the fiery city. If the visitors nize the wizard class.
meet the Kragmorta dray before they have finished In addition to the normal tests of passage, surface
observing them, the dray will behave in an unfriendly and dwellers can distinguish themselves by performing some
suspicious manner. While they have all heard tales of the act of extreme bravery in the eyes of the first generation
surface world, none of the dray believe that it can be dray. These brave acts include: defeating the fire giant,
reached without the help of Dregoth. And certainly no slaying the dark naga, or killing the fire drake. Performing
nondray could make the trip in any case. one of these acts gains the visitors immediate status as
Should the surface dwellers attempt to trade with the adult dray. See Chapter Five for information on these ter-
94
Ckapter Six: Dregotk and tke Dray
rors of Kragmorta. advanced to the state of grace that is the dray existence.
Second generation dray are a different matter. They Humans will be offered the opportunity to voluntarily
have been schooled in hatred and intolerance for all become dray. If they refuse, they will be taken to Dregoth's
things that are different. Nonhumans are treated as palace to undergo the process anyway. It is the will of the
abominations, and those that visit New Giustenal will be godking—and the destiny of all humans.
taken captive and brought before the templars for judg- Humans who undergo the process become first gener-
ment. These nonhumans will not be killed outright, as ation dray 10% of the time. All others become second
the templars want to learn more about the situation on generation dray. After transforming, a character must
the surface in anticipation of Dregoth's eventual inva- make a system shock check. A failure indicates that the
sion. After undergoing extensive interrogation, they will transformation process has killed the character. If a half-
be turned over to Dregoth for transformation into elf is subjected to the process, he or she becomes a first
undead warriors to further swell his growing army. generation dray 25% of the time. Of course, only a half-
Humans, on the other hand, will be viewed with awe elf who appears fully human would ever be subjected to
and pity. Awe, because humans (other than Mon the process.
Adderath) have not walked the streets of New Giustenal Characters who are transformed should look for more
in centuries, and pity, because they have not yet been information on Card #2: Dray as PCs.
95
Sometning ancient walks tne burning land,
as tne past ruskes toward tne future,
and tne end of tne world keralds
the beginning of a new age ...
Trie crimson sun turns darker still,

as sorcerer-kings die, old boundaries crumble,
and the world itself breaks asunder...
It began in the ruins of Giustenal,

and leads to the lands beyond Dragon's Crown,
to realms as deadly as they are alien ...
To the empire of the
Thri-Kreen of Atkas
An Accessory and Adventure
Coming in May
Tke cnange is coming...

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and DARK SUN are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
The TSR logo is a trademark owned by TSR, Inc.
©1994 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA.
2432 XXX1901

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Introduction .^ 3 Exploring Giustenal 42

•>me the answers he sought.

to visit Vakura or Pelcunal or splendid Liuss?"

Abalach-Re of Raam was trie closest to Giustenal and

Guvaano Twilightcatcher Jessix (formerly Jessix Twilightcatcher) is a mysterious

need of assistance within a 20-mile radius of Giustenal,

Armor Class 6 (leather, Dex) Strl2

Dregoth's fold. They now serve him as undead warriors.

Armor Class 8 (leather) Str 16

rigors of Giustenal, the dwarfs sullen mood will change

Armor Class 6 (studded leather) Strl7

Silt Skimmer Construction

Aft Sail: Tke aft sail is used for steering. Wken

The Tar Mine

The Land Blackwash

doesn't. The traveler now gets to make a Dexterity check

Prey of the Caller in Darkness The Blasted Spire

once, but only a few of tkeir number escaped with tkeir

tion to Dregoth. This room is also covered in silt though

3. Krag Lair. This particular krag was created when a

• "You nervously finger the hilt of your weapon and feel

1. Grand Entrance '

ously over the Silt Sea.

between the first floor and the spire antechamber in the

are destroyed, or it is turned by a priest. The venger seeks

Venger: Int Average (8); AL N; AC 7; MV 6; H D 5;

Confused but suddenly full of hope, the survivors fol-

tke circular mountain-island range to the nortk. Tke leg-

8. Homes. Tkese komes are in poor skape. Tkey kave

9. Courtyard. Giant trees similar to agafari once

Tke Lion's Den

1. Spiral Ridge. A ridge built into tkis deep tunnel at

2. Large Cavern. Tke first tking ckaracters see as tkey

born of the dray race. In contrast to the fiery cavern they

Vegetation grows along the banks of the lava streams.

1. Entrance. Tunnel E continues past the lava flow to

2. The First Island. The first island of solid rock in

poorer than many of the other sorcerer-kings' cities,

successful tavern witk Ker mate, Gatlakk. The Pit is Lodgden

13. College of Blackspire. This beautiful building

zens hate these troops because of the viciousness of the

Kalin Rider: Int High (16); AC 3; MV 12; F5/C5;

nal. They ambushed him in his own palace, battering

x2, read magic; 2nd level (7)—alter self, blindness, con-

Trie crimson sun turns darker still,

It began in the ruins of Giustenal,

To the empire of the

Tke cnange is coming...

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