HWA2 For 4 to 6 characters, levels 7 to 9 9310

ADVENTURE

Official D&D®
Game Adventure
 MONSTER SUMMARy TABLE
This table pReseNts the vital statistics f OR so\ie of the MONSteRs f eatimeo IN this aoveNtuRe. Use it f OR haNby Ref-
OuRiNQ play, aNt) RefeR to the vaRious Ruiebooks fOR Details.

HDou
Naivie AC level/ftp tHACO /PAt D M Q MV ReMaRks
ANNelio, laRqe 7 25-50/85-175 14 I 3O8 OR swallow 240' (80')
AuqaR (MiNOtauR) 6 6/3 5 14 2 1O6/1O6 OR by weapoN + 2 12O' (40') fligljt RiNq (Cl?ap 10
ONly)
Bat 0 1-1/2 19 Nil Nil 180' (60') coNtiNual oaRkNess
CROcoOile 6/3O 14 l 208 90'(30')
ElCMCNtalS
EaRtb 0 12/50 9 1 208 + I 08 VS qROUNOeO 60' (20')
FiRe 2 8/32 12 1 I 08 + 108 VS COlO 120' (40')
QabbRO 0 12/52 9 1 208 + 108 VS qROUNOeO 60' (20')
PuMice (seNtRy) 0 12/50 9 l 208 + 108 VS qROUNOeO 60' (20')
FeatheReo seRpeNt 6 2/7 16 l 106 60' (20'), Magic Mouty ability
F127O' (90') wfteN MatuRe
QueeN MottyeR 3 12/40 Nil Nil Nil Nil
FlyiNq vipeR 6 2*»/8 16/18 spit l 106 bite, 104 spit 60' (20'),
FI300' (IOO')
KoResb Ceyo 9 25/34 13 1 by spell 120' (40')
Ouplicate —4 0/34 19 1 106 120' (40') staff of fiRe aNO

KRUtftep 9 I 6/34 13 l spell OR itGM 120' (40') o/sp/acei? cloak, staff

Of StRikiNQ
aRMOReO - 4 0/34 19 by iteM 120' (40') save as o-level
MaNSCORpiON I 8**/40 11 2 306/iOio+poisoN 2 40' (80') RisQ of fiRe Resist-
aNce
joko-akl? (cleRic) I 10****/45 10 2 spell/iOio+poisoN 240 ' (80') RiNQ of fiRe Resist-
aNce
youNqliNqs 7 1-1/3 Nil Nil Nil 90' (30')
NitbiaNS
PftaRaob RaMose i v 8 18/45 11 106 + 2 120' (40')
Palace quaROs 9/8 2/7 18 106 120' (40')
SoloieRS 9 1/5 19 106 120' (40')
CafiRi 9 14/36 13 by spell 120' (40')
CotbMes 9 14/38 13 by spell 120'(40')
RhaqoOessa 5 4+2 14 15 2 0 + suckeRS/ 1 50'(50')
208
Scl7atteNaIfeN (polj>MORpl)eo iNto NitftiaNSUNless NOteO)
ARqaluiN
MoNey-qROweR -4 61?P 19 l 104 120'(40')
ElMOtb (Maqe) 9 6/22 17 I 104 OR spell 120' (40') Not poiyMORptjeb
KeMeNOtb SuN-bRaceR
(ARqaluiN's fteNCbMaN) -4 uhp 17 1 106 120' (40')
Maiqlos, tllialiON (ARqa-
luiN's stooqes) -4 7 b.P 19 l 106 120' (40')
MeRlONqas, RaqNOR
CCaRaNic's aioes) 8/-4 3/15 19 1 106 120' (40')
ORaNic (coMMaNOeR) 6/-4 8/45 15 1 106 120' (40') potioN of fORtituOe
QuaROs aNO queRillas 8/-4 2/8 19 I 106 I 20'(40')
Sluq, qiaNt 8 6»/25 13 1 104 20' ftalf OMq eoqeo weap-
ONS, NO OMq blUNt
VillaqeR, ColiMa 1/4-6 20 120' (40')
 An Official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Game Supplement

NIGHTRAGE
by Allen Varney
Part Two of the Blood Brethren Trilogy

Table of Contents
Introduction 2A Chapter 8: Serpent Oasis 42
3 Chapter 9: Nightrage Foundry 48
Chapter 10: The Trail to Koresh Teyd 52
Chapter 1: Setting the Stage 5 Chapter 11: Ashmorain 57
Chapter 2: About FeatChhered Serpents 9
Chapter 3: Colima 12 Appendices: NPCs, Monsters, and Magic
Chapter 4: Ch 18 Non-Player Characters 61
ChCapter 5: Travelling in Annelids 26 New Monsters 62
Chapter 6: Worms and Worse 29 New Magic 63
Chapter 7: The Banks of the Nithia 34
Monster Summary Table inner front cover

Credits:

Design: Allen Varney Graphic Design: Stephanie Tabat

Editing: Karen Boomgarden Typography: Tracey Zamagne
Cover Art: Fred Fields Production: Sarah Feggestad
Interior Art: Timothy Bradstreet Special Thanks to Lillian Butler, Nancy Flowers,
Cartography: Dennis Kauth Warren Spector, and Don Webb.

TSR Inc. TSR Ltd.

POB 756 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton
Lake Geneva, Cambridge CB1 3LB
WI 53147 USA United Kingdom

e
1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and AD&D are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
HOLLOW WORLD and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc. and in Canada by Random House of Canada Ltd. Distributed to
the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.

This module is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or
artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

ISBN 0-88038-898-6
9310XXX1401
 read all of the text before starting play. Also, it helps
INTRODUCTION to familiarize yourself with the following sections
In that world beneath, where continents drift from the HOLLOW WORLD boxed set:
lazily across the sky like dandelion seeds—where, like • the History section's account of the burrowers,
firelight seen through parchment, red sunlight otherwise known in this trilogy as the Great Anne-
gleams through the dimetrodons' translucent spinal lids;
webs—nothing has changed. • the Atlas entries on the Merry Pirates, the
Whole civilizations of glory and grandeur, lost for Nithians, and the Schattenalfen;
fifty centuries to the outer world, thrive like trans- • two monster descriptions in the Atlas—the
planted orchards. Sages from above would beg to flying viper from the Azcan Empire listing, and the
explore their lands and people; yet the citizens eat manscorpions in the Nithian Empire entry;
and sleep, mend rips and herd sheep, breed and die, • and the entries for Thanatos and Asterius in the
and know boredom as anyone would; and few things Immortals section.
can amaze more than the birth of a calf.
Those who have seen the stars may retreat here, About the Text
sheltered from the dark. The novelty of this eternal The adventure's plot is described in a sequence of
noon diverts the visitor like a stage's trappings. But chapters, each keyed to a single setting or idea. The
even here a thoughtful hero may finally comprehend chapters are summarized in the following Adventure
that nothing has changed. Nothing ever changes. Overview. Most of the chapters contain the following
Here, human minds grow like bonsai trees, carefully entries.
stunted. How They Get There: Ways the PCs can reach this
Change of scene offers a shifting vantage. But as a place, including a list of clues from other chapters
tilt of the head shows a jewel's new facets, it also reveals that point here.
flaws. The novelties of this world may only camouflage The Scene: General physical description.
an unexamined and fearsome hollow. Investigation: Paths the players can take to gather
clues leading them further into the adventure.
Events: Occurrences that may happen while the
DM NOTES PCs are present. Some are optional, some manda-
Nightrage is the second module in the DUNGEONS tory.
& DRAGONS® Blood Brethren adventure trilogy in Where Next?: This entry summarizes the clues given
the HOLLOW WORLD™ campaign setting. To use in this chapter and the places they lead. Just as impor-
this adventure, you need the D&D® Basic, Expert, tant, it summarizes the facts that you must convey to
and Companion sets and the HOLLOW WORLD the players before the PCs leave this area.
boxed set. Gazetteer 13, The Shadow Elves, may also Staging Hints: From time to time, the adventure
prove helpful but not necessary. offers notes on how to stage a scene—that is, how to
This series began in module HWAl, Nightwail, pace it, create an appropriate mood, and produce cer-
and it concludes in HWA3, Nightstorm. However, tain dramatic effects. Use this advice to create a vivid,
within broad limits the three modules can be played memorable adventure for the players.
in any order. Though part of a series, this adventure Not every chapter has all of these entries; some chap-
can stand independently with some adaptation. If ters contain extra entries not listed here. Characters and
you are playing this module alone, see the lead-in events described in a chapter can appear in various
description in the next section, "Adventure Over- orders, and your storyline may well depart from the
view." default sequence this module assumes.
Nightrage works best for a party of four to six Any text in a box should be read aloud or para-
player characters (PCs), levels 7-9- Everything that phrased for the players. All other information is for you
follows is for the Dungeon Master's eyes only. Players alone. Reveal it only in response to PC actions.
should NOT read further. THACO: In statistic listings, this stands for "To Hit
Armor Class 0." Subtract the target's AC from this
number to get the roll needed to hit.
Preparing the Adventure Ability checks: The adventure sometimes calls for
In HWAl, the PCs' quest began in the outer world
PCs to make an ability check. Roll ld20 and compare
and led them to the Hollow World. (Though nomi-
the result to the character's appropriate ability
nally beginning in the D&D Known World, this
(Strength, Dexterity, etc.). If the roll is equal to or
trilogy adapts easily to any existing campaign set-
less than the ability score, the action succeeds. If the
ting. ) This part of the adventure takes place entirely
roll is greater than the ability score, the action fails.
in the Hollow World; if you play it alone, you can
even use PCs native to the Hollow World, according
to the guidelines given in the boxed set. In this mod- Update: In the Timeline given on the inside gate-
ule, native PCs would most plausibly be Azcans, fold of HWAl, Nightwail, the reference to "No-
other nationalities enslaved by the Azcans, or Merry marys" should be changed to "Nithia."
Pirates; they should not be Schattenalfen or
Nithians.
Because this module ranges across 3,000 miles of
the Hollow World and through a complex storyline,
ADVENTURE OVERVIEW — THE DECOYED
As outlined at the beginning of Nightwail, this trilogy
details an elaborate plot by the Entropy Immortal Thanatos to
IMMORTALS z=
corrupt the Hollow World and parts of the outer world. He has As detailed in HWA1, Thanatos has staged a clever ruse to
set in motion several schemes—in the Azcan Empire, the divert almost all the world's Immortals into the distant past.
Nithian Empire, and, far overseas, the land of Shahjapur (a With a magical "time marker" he has delayed their return for
new culture introduced in this trilogy; for details, see Night- some months. Therefore, for the duration of this adventure,
storm). This module details the Nithian section of Thanatos's no clerical spells above 2nd level are available! The only excep-
plot, the project code-named "Nightrage." tion applies to clerics of Thanatos himself, including Simm of
The boxed set outlined a pivotal event in the Hollow the Blood Brethren. (Simm figures in HWA1. Note that
World's history, the onslaught of a monstrous race of burrowers Koresh Teyd, villain of this module, is not a cleric.)
(unnamed in the boxed set, but one type is identified here Clerics can cast 1st- and 2nd-level spells as usual, since these
called "Great Annelids"). The Annelids' and other burrowers' arise from their own purity of spirit. But higher-level spells are
devastation throughout the Hollow World led the Immortals to granted by their patron Immortals, and the Immortals won't
create their Spell of Preservation. The Spell put the Annelids return until the end of HWA3.
into suspended animation, beyond even the Entropy Immor- Asterius: One Immortal, Asterius, has remained in the
tals' power to revive them. . . the other Immortals thought. present—but Thanatos captured him and has imprisoned him
Yet now Thanatos has revived some of the Annelids. As their in the land of Shahjapur, using a powerful device called a
master he has installed one of the Blood Brethren, the evil vampire sheath. Asterius sent out a fraction of his awareness to
outer-world servants detailed in the first module of this series. rescue the PCs in HWA1, for he recognized that as outsiders in
(See the "NPCs" section of the appendix for a summary.) This the Hollow World they have the best chance of freeing him. In
is the evil sorcerer Koresh Teyd. this adventure, he can do no more than send them a few
enigmatic dreams.
Optionally, you can decide that Asterius (substituting for the
KORESH TEYD'S SCHEME = PCs' patron Immortals) grants PC clerics spells higher than 2nd
level. However, only PCs gain this advantage; NPC clerics still
Certain Annelids, vigorous again despite the lack of their cannot cast high-level spells. Note that PC clerics have no clue
once-fabled intelligence, have been tunneling through the why this should be!
World-Shield, the anti-magic boundary layer between the
outer world and the Hollow World. For reasons detailed in the
first module, Thanatos wants to turn the World-Shield into a
honeycomb of passages. This is part of his plan to spread the
ADVENTURE SUMMARY == 550
Hollow World's corruption to the outer world, the PCs' home- The adventure begins near Atacalpa, the ruins described in
land. Chapter 6 of Nightwail as the PCs' arrival point in the Hollow
Symbionts: To date, the Annelids have tunneled at random, World. From there it progresses to a Schattenalfen cavern;
without guidance. But Koresh Teyd recently arrived in the across the continent to Tarthis, capital of the Nithian Empire;
Hollow World (his entry was detailed in HWA1) and has begun and it probably concludes on the floating continent of Ashmo-
supervising the Annelids' tunneling. He has achieved control rain. What follows is only one likely course the adventure may
of the Annelids with a symbiont, a new organism that survives take using the settings described.
through an attachment to the Annelids' nervous system. With Chapter 1, Setting the Stage: The PCs journey to their first
a symbiont attached, an Annelid obeys Koresh's commands to stopping place and encounter their first information source, a
saturate the World-Shield with tunnels. humble but garrulous shepherd named Dael. Dael tells them
What are the symbionts, and where did Koresh get them? the lore of an important (and endangered) Hollow World
This provides the central mystery of this adventure. creature, the feathered serpent. No one can explain its rapid
Serpent-mint and Schattenalfen: In lieu of a full explanation population decline.
at this point, suffice it to say that Koresh requires a vital Chapter 2, About Feathered Serpents: Details, both well-
ingredient for the production of these symbionts: an otherwise known and secret, that the PCs may eventually uncover.
innocuous herb called serpent-mint. Chapter 3, Coiima: A small port town where the PCs take on a
This herb grows only in rare spots in the Hollow World, and quest to locate the serpents' mysterious breeding grounds. Clues
Koresh must enlist the aid of the Schattenalfen, the dark elves, point toward the Nithians, whom no one has ever seen in this
to procure it. Fortunately, the Annelids give Koresh the vital region before, and toward the Schattenalfen, who have mysterious
element he needs to enlist the elves' cooperation. anti-magical armor that renders them almost invincible.
The Annelids' leavings, you see, include pure World-Shield Chapter 4, Bat Cavern: A foray into a Schattenalfen guerilla
ore. Though he himself has no need for the waste ore, Koresh camp, and the first brief encounter with Koresh Teyd.
Teyd can forge it into powerful anti-magical armor. With this Chapter 5, Travelling in Annelids: The PCs get to the
armor, the Schattenalfen become much more powerful and can Nithian Empire via Great Annelid—the hard way—inside the
plan the conquest of their hated enemies. Therefore, they have gigantic creature!
great incentives to harvest more serpent-mint to trade to Chapter 6, Worms and Worse: Three thousand miles inland,
Koresh. the PCs again meet Koresh Teyd and his Nithian henchman
Elementals: In order to forge the World-Shield ore, Koresh Kruthep, and they find clues to the World-Shield scheme. The
requires supernatural assistance. He has extorted cooperation heroes may ride in Koresh's magical Semekhtet-barge, which
from earth and fire elementals of the Elemental Planes, bring- passes smoothly through solid rock.
ing them here to a volcanic vent in the Nithian Empire. There Chapter 7, The Banks of the Nithia: The heroes explore one
they staff and maintain a foundry, Nightrage foundry, that of the great cities of the Hollow World, and may well meet its
creates the finished World-Shield armor. Pharaoh, for better or worse. Koresh Teyd has used flattery and
The plight of the unwilling elementals brings the PCs into deception to befriend Pharaoh, in order to prevent interference
the adventure. An escaped earth elemental, Gabbro, enlists in his larger scheme. Clues lead to a secret oasis in the desert,
their aid in locating the foundry and defeating Koresh Teyd. and to a smoking vent in the mountains near the capital city.
This initial mission can dovetail neatly with the one given in Chapter 8, Serpent Oasis: In the desert of the Nithian
HWA1, if you are playing all three modules of this trilogy. The Empire lies a fertile oasis. Here the feathered serpents gather
assignment also attracts incidental missions, as detailed in the and breed. And here the PCs meet and fight a fierce tribe of
Adventure Summary below. But first, a further plot element manscorpions, which are harvesting the serpents' cocoons for
vital to this adventure. mysterious purposes. Do the PCs run afoul of the Spell of
Preservation?
 Chapter 9, Nightrage Foundry: In the heart of a river of
lava, the PCs discover how Koresh Teyd makes the anti-magical the Great Annelid's tunnel. Yau and they both climbed
armor. With the help of elementals, he forges it from ore of down about a mile, and then climbed the same distance
the planetary World-Shield, from scavenged ore that the back up again; so you figured you couldn't be far from
Annelids mine. But how does he enlist the elementals' cooper- where you started.
ation? But you emerged in the Hollow World: a huge spherical
Chapter 10, The Trail to Koresh Teyd: Beneath the cavern in the core of your world, thousands of miles across,
Nightrage foundry, the PCs confront Koresh Teyd (they think). with a brilliant red sun floating at its center. You stood on
Can the heroes free the captive elementals and serpents? the inside of this sphere, looking out at a horizon that
Chapter 11, Ashmorain: On this floating continent the heroes bends upward—at huge islands floating by in the sky—at
discover the most secret lair of the feathered serpents, the distant oceans and continents, homes to. . . who knows
hatching chambers; and they meet the amazing Queen Mother what? Suddenly you had to go back and rethink everything
of the species—as well as the real Koresh Teyd. Here the PCs you knew before.
may even gain the power to become serpents themselves! With But when you tried to ask the elves about this place, they
this power, they have the chance to rescue the residents of the looked as confused as you. From their panic, you gathered
oasis before the lava destroys them. that the earth elemental had deposited you all somewhere
in the Hollow World that the elves hadn't asked for or
expected.
FOR NEW PLAYERS
If you are playing this module alone, or as the first in the DM Note: The introduction to this point parallels the
series, read the following section aloud to the players to begin opening of HWAl, Nightwail. The following conclusion differs
the game. If you are not using the Known World campaign from HWAl. The change expedites the action and disposes of
setting, make appropriate substitutions for Glantri (a powerful loose ends this module does not resolve.
confederacy) and the Broken Lands (a savage territory on its
borders). If you have already played Nightwail, skip this
section and go to Chapter 1. Your Schattenalfen escorts blamed you for the surprise.
Even though you claimed innocence, they started to attack.
But then the ground rose around their feet! The elves
Your whole idea of the world has changed—expanded. The cursed by their patron, Atzanteotl, as pillars of dirt grew to
solid ground you've walked all your lives has turned out no cover them, like giant anthills. The last sounds you heard
more solid than a nutshell. The world is hollow. from them were smothered screams.
The quest started routinely enough. The Principalities of A mouth opened in the ground not far from you. The
Glantri hired you to find a caravan that had gone missing. earth elemental spoke, in a voice like wind through deep
You were also looking for the caravan's leaders: two goblin caverns: "I am Gabbro, a holy one of my folk. We of the
princes, Udan and Kano, and a Glantrian minister, a soil, and those of the flame, are trapped, by those like the
human named Irila Kaze. ones I just took. I seek your help.
The mission grew strange a few days along the trail, "I can not take you there—I cannot go near, or I risk the
when one morning the clerics discovered they had not been trap that once held me. Please. Go to that place: the pit
granted powerful spells. You had no idea why, nor whether with rock that flows. The peak that smokes. The pool in
this was specific to your party alone or more widespread. the sand. In the rich earth, evil grows. The World-Shield i|
While you were puzzling over this, you followed the cara- weak. The worms gnaw. Help us."
van's trail to the ruins of Barleycorn Monastery, in the
Broken Lands.
The whole place was a wreck. You found that the minis-
For the elemental's game statistics, consult the Monster
ter and the goblins had been looking for something be-
Summary Table on the reference screen.
neath the monastery—and they set it free. Whatever it was,
Talking with the elemental: Gabbro, a native of the Elemen-
it possessed them, shrank the caravan, and fled with it
tal Plane of Earth, knows little of this plane and lacks the
underground.
vocabulary to tell important facts to the PCs. He is describing
In a cavern under the monastery you saw the dead re-
matters as well as he can.
mains of a 20-foot-long worm-creature that must have
"The peak that smokes" lies in the mountains near Tarthis
eaten away the tunnel to the monastery. Then you met an
(see Chapter 9). "The pool in the sand" is the feathered
escort party of strange folks—elves, apparently, but they
serpents' oasis (Chapter 8). "The pit with rock that flows" is
were short, with pure white skin and hair.
the volcanic forge beneath the mountain vent, where Koresh
They called themselves "Schattenalfen," and claimed
Teyd runs the Nightrage foundry devoted to processing the
they were sent here by a dream vision from their patron
World-Shield ore. "The worms gnaw," of course, refers to the
entity, Atzanteotl, to serve the possessed princes, whom
Great Annelids' tunnels through the world's crust.
they called the "Blood Brethren." They called the worm-
Gabbro can answer questions, though his answers offer little
creature a "Great Annelid."
help. (For the substance of his answers, consult later chapters,
The Brethren had told these Schattenalfen to wait for
especially Chapter 9.) He concludes with, "You must go far.
allies who would be showing up, and the elves mistook you
Cross the water. Talk is hard; I say no more." The mouth in the
for those allies. You wisely said nothing to contradict that.
earth vanishes, leaving the ground unmarked.
The PCs should now follow the trail through the mountains
to the port of Colima. Go to Chapter 1.
Let the players ask questions, get physical descriptions, and Gabbro as guide: If the PCs are moving in the wrong direc-
so on. For descriptions, see the boxed set's Schattenalfen tion or have trouble getting started, Gabbro can lurk invisibly
section and this module's appendix. For other questions, underground as a guide. To prompt them, he can nudge the
improvise answers according to your campaign; also, the chap- bottoms of their boots. If you wish, he can even bring them
ters that follow explain much of the mystery. freshly-killed (but rather dirty) rabbits and ground squirrels, to
reduce their hunting time and speed them along. Play Gabbro
as an exotic sometime companion; he even offers possibilities
The Schattenalfen gave you items called "Pendants of
as comic relief.
Many Tongues," which let you understand their language.
When the PCs reach Colima, Gabbro vanishes. However,
Then the elves used a device to summon an earth
the heroes meet him again, and rescue him, later in the adven-
elemental—they wouldn't say why—and they led you into
ture.
 As this part of the adventure begins, refresh your Stage the climb down as a perilous adventure; roll
players on their goals. If they started with the outer- a few dice where the players can't see them, then
world beginning in HWAl, they seek Prince Udan chuckle malefically. But don't let the PCs fall here.
Axe-Thrower of the goblin tribe of Queen Yazar, as Plunging to a watery death in the first chapter is
well as the lost caravan he was riding to meet. If the hardly heroic! (Note the floating continent passage at
players haven't yet played the Azcan section of this point, described below under "Sightseeing.")
HWAl or the Shahjapur sequence in HWA3, they are Once on shore, the heroes must traverse 40 ex-
also looking for Udan's brother, Prince Kano hausting miles of watery beach. Then the mountain
Arrow's-Whisper, and for Minister Irila Kaze of coast gives way to foothills and gentle beaches of
Glantri's House of Ministers. white sand, making the remaining 60 miles to Col-
If you use the introduction in this module, Gab- ima much easier. The trail is clear; there's nowhere
bro the elemental has asked the PCs to help his peo- else to go.
ple. They must find "the peak that smokes, the pit
with rock that flows"—presumably an active volcano. Scenery
Unfortunately, there are many such volcanos in the
Hollow World, and no clue about where to start These mountains, a habitat type known as
looking. If you're playing this module alone, the paramo, feature grassy plains, heavy rainfall, and
goal of finding the caravan and the princes becomes varied wildlife that is markedly different from the
much less important. jungles of the Azcan plains. Here the PCs see small
In either case, the PCs' short-term goal should be herds of vicuna and gigantic flocks of gray finches.
to find out where they are, get information and They even spot a few ducks, which dote on the para-
transportation, and survive in these unknown lands. mo's puna grass, lupins, and succulents.
The first step leads them toward the town of Colima, Though naturalists among the PCs may delight in
110 miles away over mountainous terrain. the numerous butterflies and the multi-chambered
ground burrows of the pick and shovel bird, the
HOW THEY GET THERE wildlife here presents little threat. The spectacled
bear, so called because of its white facial markings,
The PCs enter the Hollow World at the ruins of roams the foothills, as do a couple of red-winged
Atacalpa, described in Nightwail. If you don't have manticores. These steer clear of any human or demi-
that module, situate an entry point of your own in human beings.
the mountains south of Chitlacan. Alternately, you
can bring the PCs into the Hollow World near the Travel Time
Schattenalfen caverns, or even near the Nithian Em-
pire. This leads directly to the later chapters of this Per the Wilderness Travel rules in the Expert Rule-
module, though the heroes won't see as much of the book, reduce the party's movement to half normal in
Hollow World that way. the mountains, cliffs, and on the rocky beaches. As
If the players have already completed HWAl, the long as the PCs stay on the trail, there is no chance to
flying boat or a surviving gridbug can fly them down get lost. On the gentler beaches, movement increases
from the wreckage of the Smoking Mirror. The vari- to the normal rate.
ous methods of descent are discussed at the end of Newcomers to the Hollow World cannot mark the
HWAl. Once they reach this deserted spot, the vehi- passing hours as natives do, by the configurations of
cle breaks, dies, or disappears. the Floating Continents and other, local signs. PCs
may inadvertently push themselves too long.
THE SCENE Unless they have timekeeping devices, or the play-
ers state precautions such as, "We march until we get
The Trail tired," give the group a single Wisdom check per
"day" marched; use the highest Wisdom score in the
From Atacalpa a slender trail winds through the group for the check. Success means the PCs become
grass and down the rocky mountainside. Though aware they need to stop and sleep.
parts of it betray frequent use (by Azcan scouts spy- If the check fails, the PCs—perhaps exhilarated by
ing on Colima), other parts cross such difficult slopes the novelty of the Hollow World—travel half again
that it seems only goats could traverse them. the distance they could ordinarily go in one day, but
Nonetheless, PCs who take the trail slowly and at the price of exhaustion. At the end of that dis-
sensibly have no trouble—unless you wish to stage tance, each PC who fails a Constitution check tempo-
optional encounters. If so, use the Mountain and Hill rarily loses 1 from both his Strength and Constitution
terrain creatures suggested in the Hollow World scores. The loss can be made up with a full day's rest.
boxed set's Monsters section. These losses are cumulative, though eventually the
Ten miles along the way, the PCs hear rushing air PCs should get the idea and pace themselves.
beyond a twist in the trail ahead. They turn, and
they're looking straight down several hundred feet to Sightseeing
a crashing surf. The diffside trail, only two or three
handspans wide, covers half a mile on its gradual In staging this journey, take the opportunity to
incline down to a rocky beach. introduce new arrivals to the Hollow World's many
peculiarities.
• "Let's make camp at sunset, and we'll each take a
watch tonight. Oh, w a i t . . . " The Hollow World's
perpetual, red-lit noon makes this a landscape
without shadows, bright but darker, seemingly
more vivid than life. (Be sure to emphasize the
redness of the "sunlight", as it is quite different
from the yellow light given off by the sun the
players know.) Make it clear that when a PC lays a
hand on the ground, the character is touching
what an observer on the other side of the Hollow
World thinks of as the sky. This seldom fails to
impress players.

• On the faces of distant seaside cliffs the PCs see

flocks of seagulls flying and feeding. But those
seagulls look awfully large. . . no! They're
pteranodons! Hundreds of small pterosaurs skim
over the water, scooping up tuna, herring, sunfish,
pompano, and other salt-water fishes—and the
occasional baby seal. Whole colonies of screeching
pterosaurs nest on the sheer cliff faces, ruled by a
pair of great pteranodons (see the boxed set's
Monsters section). These won't attack unless un-
wise PCs threaten their nests. (Note: Pterosaur
guano is a semi-valuable potion ingredient.)

• A dark shape looms overhead. A shadow like night

falls across the cliff. Overhead, silent and unap-
proachable as an eclipse, a teardrop-shaped conti-
nent passes by. The ash-black continent is perhaps
as big as the Bay of Colima, perhaps as big as the
Azcan Empire; its size is hard to gauge.
This is Ashmorain, site of this module's conclu-
sion (see Chapter 11). The PCs should suspect EVENTS
nothing about this now, of course; present this as
an "ordinary" floating island, with nothing re- Serpents at a Distance
markable to separate it from the dozens of others
in the Hollow World's sky. The PCs cross the hardest stretches of beach and
Flying PCs can try to reach this continent; if head into the hills. Here a light scrub forest covers
they succeed, go to Chapter 11 to describe it. the hillside. Gray foxes, burrowing owls, and seven-
(However, the feathered serpents who live there banded armadillos venture up from the denser forest
are too well hidden to be detected now.) Note below.
that the island is at least 100 miles in the air, and Once they've marched for a few miles, give the
it moves much faster than appearance suggests. PCs an Intelligence check. From high vantage points
Reaching it should prove a major, even insupera- along the trail, alert PCs (that is, those who succeed
ble challenge for now. But the PCs may reach it on in the check) notice herds of gray sheep in grassy
its next orbit. clearings on distant slopes. Nothing unusual about
The continent's path? This depends on where this—but there's no sign of a shepherd or sheepdogs.
you want the heroes to travel from Ashmorain, at The same Intelligence check may also pick out,
the end of Chapter 11. If you want them to go to even at this great distance, high whistles that rise and
the Azcan Empire, the continent is heading fall. And then characters may note flying birds—or
roughly north; if they should head for Shajapur, something—that are keeping the sheep together and
it's heading due west (the Hollow World "west," herding them downhill. Soon theflockpasses out of
that is—to the right on the map). For now the sight.
direction is immaterial, since the PCs won't visit The shepherds are trained feathered serpents,
Ashmorain until the end of the module, but take owned by a human shepherd named Dael. Dael
care to establish a path consistent with its direction stands in the valley below, commanding his serpents
in Chapter 11. through a series of whistled orders. The PCs meet
Dael and learn about feathered serpents in this chap-
ter's Investigation section.

The Viper Cavern

Not long after the PCs spot the herd, they walk or
climb by a small opening in a slope. The cave en- trail and reach Colima; in this case, go to Chapter 3.
trance, low and partly overgrown with weeds, smells The cave: The vipers' home is an uninteresting
of dirt and dust. limestone chamber, irregular in shape and only 30'
The PCs may investigate, or they may not. They across at the widest point. Across the uneven dome,
may thrust a torch in, or they might try to creep away water drips from brown stalactites. About three
silently. Whatever they do, they alert the cavern's dozen vipers nest among these stalactites. Investiga-
residents. Out from the entrance they stream, an tion produces no clues or treasure.
explosion of black ribbons, a cloud of bat-winged
snakes: flying vipers!
The attack: Consult the Azcan Empire entry in the INVESTIGATION
Hollow World boxed set for details of these fearsome
creatures. There are, at first, two flying vipers for Following the serpents, the PCs venture down
each PC, and they attack instantly. They hover at a through the forest and into a valley a mile inland
distance and spit venom; if the PCs close with them, from the bay they saw before. Here the air is warm
this close to their lair, the vipers fight to the death. but dry, and it smells not only of salt water but of
This seemingly may mean the heroes' death, for as the odors that come with livestock. The source of
the PCs kill a viper, two more fly out to take its these latter smells, the herd of sheep that the PCs
place. The swarm grows larger and more dangerous saw earlier, is also the source of the whistles they
by the moment; the PCs, though they may fight heard. Those sounds came from the shepherd, Dael.
heroically, seem doomed.
Hying vipers (up to 36): AC 6; HD 2**; hp 8;
or*
#AT 1 (bite or spit); Dmg Id6 or Id4 (save vs. Poison Dael
for half damage); MV 60' (20'), F1300' (100'); Save
Fl; ML 12 (usually 10); AL C; THAC0 16 (18 when Tall and almost as thin as the shepherd's crook he
spitting). carries, Dael looks younger than his 24 years. It may
be his disarrayed blond hair, or his thin blond beard
The rescue: Let the PCs show off in battle for a
that makes him look, not bearded, but simply un-
while—or let them run like rabbits, with the vipers
shaven. But the main cause may be the befuddled
in close pursuit—and don't let anyone get heavily
look Dael has worn ever since he fell under the curse
damaged (except the vipers). But gradually increase
of his ring.
the viper total to three or four times the PCs' num-
ber. All the PCs are getting worn down, a few hit This shepherd hardly looks the type to own a mag-
points at a time, when a high whistling sound drifts ical ring. Dael wears a woolen tunic over baggy linen
up from below. leggings. His brown boots are worn and full of holes,
as though he'd been wearing them for ten years
The whistle has hardly died when, from the trees without pause. Yet PCs quickly spot the bright gold
beneath, a swarm of feathered serpents flies to the band on his right ring finger. Its shine, sharply con-
rescue! These were the "shepherds" the PCs saw trasting with the dinginess of Dael's wardrobe, marks
below. Now the winged reptiles, emerald-green and it as magical. But nothing marked it as cursed; that's
thin as whips, light into the flying vipers. why Dael has fallen into his current trouble.
There are two feathered serpents for each PC.
The cursedring:This is a ring of truthfulness, as
Describe them using the information in the next
described in the DM's Companion. Since no 26th-
chapter. The serpents are immune to the vipers'
level spellcaster lives nearby, Dael cannot find anyone
venom, and with their feathered wings they easily
to dispel its curse. So the ring (which he has named
outmaneuver the bat-winged vipers. Aiding the PCs,
"Idiot's Luck") has forced him to speak the full and
the feathered serpents grab the vipers and constrict
unvarnished truth for over two years.
them. Many vipers fall, and the rest retreat back into
their cave. That's why he's a shepherd. When he started
speaking the whole truth, the people of Colima
In the battle PCs may note one especially large
hounded him out of town within a week.
(four feet long) feathered serpent. Its forehead is
marked with a gold patch of scales, and its wings are If this puzzles a PC, the reason becomes evident
brilliant crimson. This distinctive serpent, named soon after Dael starts talking.
Malpolon, leads the rescue, acting in response to
continuing whistles from the hills below. Talking With Dael
(Protect Malpolon's life as far as possible. The PCs
meet this creature again, in far different form and The heroes' Pendants of Many Tongues convert
circumstances, in the final chapter of this module.) Dael's words into their own languages with familiar
Aftermath: With the vipers driven off, a new accents, as though the heroes themselves were speak-
whistled tune rises from below, and the feathered ing it. But Dael's rustic speech and gravelly voice
serpents fly back down the hill. Malpolon, the lead come through even in translation.
serpent, flits back and forth, as though urging the Some sample dialogue:
PCs to follow. (Note, though, that these serpents are "Oi, welcome, strangers. Always glad to see new
not intelligent. They're about as smart as trained folk about these parts. Don't see many this way.
sheepdogs.) "You're an odd-looking lot, you are. Mayhap you're
Assuming the PCs follow, go to "Investigation," off on some adventure, eh? As a boy I often thought
below. Otherwise, the PCs can continue along the of going off on a gallivant like that, but I grew up.
And I don't know as I'd want to travel with a strange
and disreputable-looking lot like yourselves. No beyond those mountains to the north and east." (PCs
offense. new to the Hollow World now discover its reversal of
"Sorry if I'm offending you. It's my curse, you east and west.) "Then there's pirates out on the
see. Aye, a scoundrel of a travelling thief sold me this Atlass Ocean, and south of here you've got a
cursed ring, two years back as the tides change, as we mother-big range of mountains with elves under-
say here." (People in Colima measure the passage of neath them. That's right, elves, and a scruffy lot they
years by tide levels, which the Immortals have ad- are."
justed so that they vary regularly through the year.) "What do you know about 'the peak that smokes'
"Oi, he was a smooth-tongued rascal. He played (earth elementals, the Blood Brethren, et cetera)?":
on my physical attraction to a barmaid named Mati. Dael doesn't know anything about any of the PCs'
Wear this ring, he says, and ask her questions; the goals. He points them to Colima. "'Ybu need to talk
ring tells whether she speaks true. I think, What a to, say, Tolvart or one of those sharp folks. They
way to discover Mati's heart! So I pay his fee, ask know more about the world than an ignorant shep-
Mati questions, and soon, all against my will, I'm herd like me."
telling her what I'd really like. Mati slaps my face "How do we get to Colima?": Dael can give full
and orders me out of the tavern. Then, over the next and accurate directions. He can also tell something of
week, I find I can't stop telling the truth like that, the town's history, as given at the start of Chapter 3.
and so almost the whole town turns me out to be a "What are these serpents?": Dael knows virtually
shepherd. everything knowable about the feathered serpents.
"A lazy and unrewarding life, this is, but peace- "Fine herders, they are. Trained them myself. Ser-
ful. And usually I don't have to talk. \bur appearing pents are fine animals. Those vipers that attacked
has put me in two minds: first, gladness at some you, they drove the serpents out of most of these
company, and second, pain at showing off my stu- lands when my grandmother was a girl.
pidity." "But here in this area we've got the vipers on the
retreat. Serpent-mint grows around here. Serpents
Dael's Exposition eat this stuff, they're ready for fighting anything in
the air." From a pouch he draws sprigs of a green-leaf
As long as the PCs can stand it, continue to pep- herb that smells faintly of mint. His serpents gather
per Dael's speech with lengthy, blunt, mercilessly round as he draws it forth, and he lets them nibble
honest opinions about them and himself. He can also on it.
offer information, both about the Hollow World and Dael likes talking about the serpents. He can con-
especially about feathered serpents. vey much of the general information in the next
Dael's dwelling: Before giving this exposition, chapter, perhaps even despite the PCs' wishes. He
however, Dael invites the heroes to share a meal with also knows about the mysteries surrounding their
him at his permanent camp. origin (but not the solutions to these mysteries, of
Accompanied by his serpents, he leads the PCs a course). These, too, are explained in the next chap-
short way to a hillside, one side of which has been ter.
eroded away to form a low, bare limestone cliff. At
the base of the cliff Dael has constructed a lean-to of
loose timber and thatch. In front of it is his small
WHERE NEXT? -
campfire. Here Dael can serve the heroes fresh mut-
ton and a tasteless vegetable soup. Establish the serpents as friendly but non-sentient
Dael carries no treasure. His culture does not coin creatures, and try to conjure some of the mysteries
money, and since his curse, he has no use for magic surrounding them (see Chapter 2). Establish the
of any kind. "serpent-mint" that they love; this becomes impor-
Dael has carved figures in the cliff beside the lean- tant in Chapter 3. If the PCs ignore Dael in this
to, stylized designs showing feathered serpents, chapter, they can meet an identical NPC in Colima;
bears, and other animals native to this area. Though that, and Chapter 3, are their eventual destinations.
the workmanship is good, most of the figures remain
unfinished. "No folks around to help me polish
them up," says Dael. (He belongs to the Stonecarver
culture that settled Colima; see the beginning of
Chapter 3 for its background.)
Answers to questions: Dael knows little about the
area outside Colima, and (like everyone in the Hol-
low World) has no notion of the outer world's exist-
ence. So Dael may respond with a blank stare to PCs'
requests for information about the Hollow World.
"It's, you know, the world. Right?"
But he can help with other topics. . . and the PCs
know his answers will be truthful. For instance:
"Where are we?": "This is the Aztlan Mountains
you're in, and my hometown, Colima, on the Bay of
Colima yonder. Those Azcas, they live everywhere

8
 This chapter describes a new creature called the make no sound themselves except for a dry hiss.
feathered serpent. Player characters don't know this They are neutral in alignment.
information until they discover it, gradually, during For the feathered serpent's game statistics, see the
the adventure. This chapter includes secrets that appendix.
offer surprises for the module's climax. Don't give
them away before then!
For the feathered serpent's full game statistics and ECOLOGY
rules details, consult the "New Monsters" section of
the appendix. Once found throughout the tropics of the Hollow
World and in some temperate regions, the feathered
DESCRIPTION serpent now inhabits a much smaller region. The
shrinking habitat is due to competition from the
flying viper, which eats the same insects, rodents,
Appearance: "A ripple in the air, a wave of and amphibians that make up the serpent's diet.
sunlight/ Running along a sinuous line of sea-green What's worse, the viper breeds in greater numbers,
scales,/ A brush of feather-down wingtips on the and swarms of them frequently attack individual
maiden's cheek./ She is blessed of the serpent." So serpents.
runs a rough translation of an anonymous Azcan The viper has driven the feathered serpent to
song, dating from before the current era of Azcan extinction throughout the Azcan Empire. Therefore,
Empire cruelty under the Immortal Atzanteotl. many scholars believe them altogether gone. How-
In that earlier time the Azca worshipped another ever, a small population remains in the Bay of Col-
patron, Otzitiotl. His primary avatar was that of the ima, where serpent-mint grows. Unconfirmed
hawk (as seen in Nightwail), but another of his forms sightings range roughly south-southeast across the
was the feathered serpent. This accounts for the World's Spine. Some have been sighted in the dark
animal's popularity in Azcan culture, and for its jungles south of that great range, but the terrain is so
extinction in this region when Otzitiotl gave way to hostile that naturalists have not yet determined the
Atzanteotl as the shaper of Azcan culture. (See rest of the serpents' habitat. (See "Mysteries of the
"Ecology" below.) Serpents," below.)
As the song indicates, the feathered serpent is a Coliman observers have noted that the feathered
lovely creature, admired even among the squeamish serpents there are seeking safety in greater numbers,
who consider ordinary snakes abhorrent. Most vari- gathering by dozens or hundreds in large trees. Their
eties (there are over a dozen) display brilliant colora-
tion: limpid green scales; feathers of vibrant colors
on the two broad wings, on the tail, and in tufts
behind the skull; eyes of jewel-like clarity, with
perpetual displays of flapping wings and loud hisses,
like wind in the tree branches, make impressive
spectacles.
Migration: There is no regular annual migration of
ES
hourglass-shaped pupils. feathered serpents, in the fashion of birds or butter-
Unlike most snakes, the feathered serpent's eyes flies. In the eternal light of the Hollow World this
face forward, giving stereoscopic vision and an ap- makes less sense than in the outer world. Instead,
pealing look. Flared nostrils indicate another differ- individual serpents embark on a common migration
ence: the sense of smell, centered not in the tongue path at different times. They arrive at the Bay of
(as in snakes) but in the skull. Colima by twos and threes. They leave the same way.
The serpent's long, slender body ranges in size Where they come from, and where they go, no one
from the length of a forearm to over five feet long, knows. (See "Mysteries," below.)
with a wingspan typically twice the body length.
Presumably newborn serpents are smaller, but no one
sees newly-hatched serpents. This, one of the long-
standing mysteries of the serpent's breeding cycle, is
discussed below.
Notable features: The eagle-like wings, of course,
which carry the feathered serpent to phenomenally
high altitudes in the Hollow World's dense atmos-
phere. The body, otherwise limbless, broadens at the
wing level to anchor the powerful wing muscles; it
narrows again below the wings. The belly is lined
with smooth overlapping lines of scales, dragon-like.
Another feature shared with many dragons: A line
of sharp spinal ridges offers the serpent protection
against attacks from above, though the serpent prob-
ably employs the ridges more often in cutting its way
through foliage to feed.
Intelligence: Feathered serpents, as known in the
Hollow World, are about as smart as a large dog.
Some humans keep and train them as pets. Unlike
true snakes, they hear well. However, the serpents
 Serpent-mint: This small-leafed green herb, scarce learn some of this information at all!
outside the Bay of Colima, draws feathered serpents The serpents' early life cycle: These creatures are
with a magnetic attraction. The herb appears not to animals—at least so long as the intelligent races
be magical; evidently the serpents find its taste and know them. But the serpents develop true intelli-
smell stimulating. Trainers in Colima use it to great gence in a second stage of their lives, unknown to the
effect in instructing newly-acquired pets and work Hollow World's civilizations.
animals. Serpents that dine on the mint also become The serpents are born with only animal intelli-
more aggressive against flying vipers. gence. After breeding at their hidden breeding
Serpent-mint grows wild in small patches in the ground (see below), each serpent withdraws into a
hills around Colima. This may explain why the area weird cocoon something like an insect cocoon. There,
marks one end of the serpents' migratory range. during a long gestation, the serpent magically de-
Those who live outside town harvest the mint and velops true sentience and gains inborn knowledge,
trade it for trinkets or provender in Colima. Dael, the racial legacy of its species.
the shepherd in Chapter 1, has a small bunch ready When it emerges from its cocoon, the serpent is a
for trade in the village, perhaps for a meal or two. sentient being of human-level intelligence. It quickly
Dael may earn far more than that for his serpent- leaves its breeding ground, so humans and human-
mint. Though he doesn't know it, serpent-mint has oids remain unaware of this phase of its life cycle.
suddenly come into high demand in Colima. Myste- The serpents' breeding ground: All feathered
rious visitors from elsewhere are snapping up the serpents in the Hollow World breed and form their
whole supply, and giving valuable trade goods for it. cocoons at one common mating ground.
Colimans don't know their motives, but that doesn't Until recently this was the inaccessible floating
stop harvesters from pulling up every serpent-mint continent of Ashmorain (seen briefly in the last chap-
plant they can find. ter). In the last several years the serpents (which are
The visitors are Schattenalfen who work for Koresh unintelligent during this phase of their lives) acci-
Teyd. But Koresh has polymorphed them to look like dentally got diverted to an oasis at the edge of the
Nithians, for reasons that remain mysterious until Nithian Empire. This has allowed Koresh Teyd and
Chapter 6. Koresh seeks serpent-mint to help him his underlings to exploit the serpents.
lure and control the feathered serpents far away in The enemy's use for them: Koresh Teyd, following
the Nithian Empire. Why does he want them? That the instructions of Thanatos, has devised an unnatu-
mystery, too, is explained below. ral use for the feathered serpents involving dark
shapeshifting magic. He harvests the serpents's co-
coons at the Nithian breeding ground. Thus their
MYSTERIES OF THE declining numbers in recent years, and thus the
SERPENTS 1 = ^ ^ = Nithians' desire for serpent-mint to pacify the ser-
pents.
Using fearsome magic, Koresh transforms the
Aside from their beauty and usefulness, serpents helpless creatures into something new: the mis-
also arouse interest due to the enigmas of their life shapen symbionts that guide Thanatos's burrowing
cycle. The oldest residents of Colima speculate about monsters, the Great Annelids. PCs may have seen a
it over many an argument in the village square, and small symbiont briefly in the first module of this
the youngest learn about it in folk-tales at their par- trilogy. The spiky creature bears no resemblance to its
ents' knees. original form, so PCs only learn of the process in
The mystery is, Where do the serpents come from? Chapters 10 and 11.
Full-grown serpents arrive in Colima by twos and The serpents' later life cycle: In times past, a
threes in their ongoing, irregular migration. They newly-emerged serpents would remain at the breed-
leave the same way, flying away south over the ing ground of Ashmorain, supervising the hatching
mountains, seemingly without seasonal cues. of the serpent young there. Later, at the serpent oasis
No one knows exactly where they go. No one has before Koresh Teyd began his harvest of the serpent
ever seen young serpents or noticeably old ones. No cocoons, a serpent fresh from its cocoon would realize
one has ever seen them breed or reproduce, despite its mistake, then fly upward to Ashmorain to join its
repeated (and sometimes comical) attempts. comrades.
The intelligent serpents on Ashmorain have devel-
THE SECRETS oped something of a civilization, though most hu-
mans would not recognize it as such. They cater to
their great progenitor, the Queen Mother. She super-
Everything in this chapter up to this point is vises the hatching of the serpents' eggs in an under-
known somewhere in the Hollow World and, theoret- ground chamber far beneath the island's surface. The
ically, available to the PCs. To make running this PCs meet her at the end of the adventure.
adventure easier, this section reveals the solutions to Some unusually powerful serpents also seem to
the mysteries above; this information is not known depart Ashmorain, and even the Hollow World, for
anywhere in the Hollow World. some other destination. But that is a mystery that
The heroes should not learn these surprises until even this chapter does not explain. PCs may solve it
hte in the adventure, in the Nithian Empire or on in roundabout fashion in a far-distant location, at
the floating continent of Ashmorain. They may never the conclusion of HWA3, Nightstorm.

10
 This port town was born in a storm. Every decade
or so a titanic hurricane reshapes the coastline along HOW THEY GET THERE
the Gulf of Aztlan. Sixty years ago, one such storm
struck a shipload of migrants. Colima lies about 110 miles from the ruins of
The founders: The travellers were refugees from Atacalpa. The travel route was described in Chapter
the Stonecarver culture, a small and primitive group 1. Dael the shepherd can guide them from the hills
in the southern Gulf near Coresco. Transplanted by to a gravel path leading downhill. This takes them,
an unknown Immortal from the outer world to the after two or three miles' walk, to the village.
Hollow World in the distant past and soon forgotten, Dael gladly accompanies the PCs, assuming they
these people alternated periods of nomadic wander- can put up with his cheerily ruthless opinions. "Aye,
ing with more sedentary habits. Once every few I need to head into the village, to trade off this here
generations they built and occupied a whole village, serpent-nip. Hope to get some salt for it from Mi-
living there just long enough to carve one or more kalman, the cross-eyed storekeeper. Nice man, a kind
awesome stone monoliths, tributes to their unnamed one at heart. I like him. Greedy enough to pawn his
patron entity. own grandfather's bedclothes, though."
In the Stonecarver village near Coresco a chieftain
of notable ruthlessness seized power. His tyranny
drove many of the village's finest artisans to flee, THE SCENE
with their families, in a leaky longboat. They headed
north, and then that decade's hurricane rose with the
suddenness of a curse. As the heroes approach Colima, read this aloud:
To call the refugees' survival miraculous would be As you head down a path by a cliff, the breeze
trite but accurate. What saved them was the shel- from the bay is fresh and cool. "Km can see the
tered arrowhead-shaped Bay of Colima, named by surf crashing against the beach below you. Then
the Merry Pirates for its ancient discoverer. Though you round an outcropping of rock, and you see
seemingly an ideal harbor, the territory had never the village of Colima.
attracted pirate settlers because it was Azcan terri- This is a small port right on the inmost edge of
tory; and the Azca had never settled it due to the the bay. About two dozen low wooden buildings
forbidding mountains that surrounded it. trail inland between two towering cliffs.
Stranded in the bay, their ship destroyed, the The near cliff is a sheer precipice, separated
travellers (ignorant of the Azcan threat) founded a from the water by a wide gravel beach. But the
small village. Pirate traders, happy to trade food- farther cliff. . . it makes you stop in your tracks
stuffs for the villagers' fine carvings, inevitably and stare.
named the village Colima. The founders' sons and The rock of the far cliff is being carved into an
daughters, born to their new life, now embrace it enormous statue. It hardly looks more than half-
with the Spell of Preservation's inbuilt devotion. way finished—you can see the outlines, but only
Meanwhile, the tyrannical Stonecarver ruler finally the lower half shows any detail. It's a figure of a
died. Leaving one more in its endless eries of giant giant man lying curled against the cliff, as though
monuments, the Stonecarver tribe moved on. Its he's sleeping. The workmanship looks primitive.
current whereabouts are unknown. The head hasn't even been roughed out. As
Diplomacy: In the intervening decades Colima has you watch, you see half a dozen small, very small
attracted more settlers, for good or ill. At first the figures of human sculptors walking back and forth
Azcan Empire simply wasn't aware of the village. across the chest, measuring it by pacing it out. It
After discovering it, the Azca made a few attacks, looks like they've been working on this monu-
but the villagers' terrain advantage and unexpectedly ment for generations, and it could easily take
strong defense made conquest more trouble than it them generations more to finish it.
was worth.
Attacks from the sea fared better. Frequent sack- If Dael is along, he can explain the half-finished
ings by the Merry Pirates have kept Colima poor—a monument. "That's from an old Stonecarver leg-
blessing in disguise, for the Azca feel less threatened end," he says. "The Old Mountain Giant. In the
so long as the village struggles to survive. Meanwhile, stories we tell little ones, he follows good folk around
the Spell of Preservation has kept pirate raids from and punishes those who harm them.
destroying the village. So, despite the raids and the "When we finish this figure you see, we'll pick up
fear of conquest, Colima's citizens carry on their holy and move on to another place. The legend is that
work. The carving continues. then the mountain will wake up and fight those
DM's Note: The area of Colima represented on the who'd follow us. Nice story. No one believes a word
map, and where the PCs are headed, is the tiny of it, of course."
coastal village originally settled by the stranded trav- Staging note: The statue is not magical; the legend
elers. Farther inland is the main town, also called is not true. The half-completed giant appears here to
Colima. provide local color during this chapter. An occasional
mention of its looming, faceless presence can en-
hance the eerie nature of some of the encounters in
Colima.
 crowd in front of the store also sets it apart.
EVENTS The crowd: As PCs may discover by talking to the
crowd, or eavesdropping on their conversations, these
Colima appears on the large color map included 20 angry villagers are demanding fresh supplies of
with this module. Now read the key printed on the serpent-mint. Shepherds need it to keep and train
map. When you are done, return here. the feathered serpents who tend their flocks. Farmers
need it because they use trained serpents to chase
gulls and finches away from their crops. (Farmers
The Guard on the Beach can't cultivate the serpent-mint because of its fragil-
ity; it's only found wild.)
The trail to Colima from the PCs' direction needs
The problem at Mikalman's is that serpent-mint
no wall or other barrier. A single guard lazes on the
has grown scarce and extremely expensive. Whereas
beach, his spear lying on the gravel. He sees the PCs
farmers once traded a handful of feed corn for a sprig
and starts up. If Dael is along, the guard relaxes
of serpent-mint, later they had to pay double hand-
again.
fuls of sugar or salt—a ruinous price! And now the
The guard, a lst-level fighter named Clerias (5 hp, mint is never on sale to them at any price; Mikalman
AL L), was a fisherman, until the last pirate raid sank is hoarding it for "foreign" buyers. The people of
his sail boat. Now, while he waits for another boat, Colima are angry at Mikalman's greed.
he serves as perfunctory lookout for an Azcan beach-
What's more, the feathered serpents are gradually
head. "But not likely we'll see one now," says the
disappearing from Colima. Their numbers are dwin-
talkative Clerias. "What with the pirate raids, we're
dling, and villagers are sure it's because of the dwin-
brought about as low as we can go and still survive.
dling supply of serpent-mint. (This is partly true.
That means the higher-ups will step in and protect
The PCs won't discover the more important reasons
us."
until they find the serpent breeding ground in Chap-
This may be the first that newly-arrived PCs hear ter 8.) The reduction in feathered serpents threatens
of the Hollow World's Spell of Preservation. Colim- the farmers' crops and the shepherds' flocks.
ans have discovered that when their fortunes are at
lowest ebb and the village is in danger of extinction, Mikalman: After you have established these views,
the sky swallows up their enemies. . . until Colima Mikalman emerges from his supply shop (or the PCs
can rebuild far enough to survive another sacking. can enter to find him, with the angry farmers right
behind).
"A dog's life, I say," says Clerias, and Dael truth- Mikalman the shopkeeper is short and cask-shaped
fully agrees. "Work your nets, or hoe your fields, or (like the casks of beer he sells), with a knob nose and
carve stone, just to feed a bunch of rabble pirates. a fringe of brown hair around the rim of his other-
And then your patron entities, the ones who're sup- wise bare, patchy-red pate. He wears a gray woolen
posed to look out for you, right? —They just let you overshirt and black wool breeches. A tattoo of a fish
fall long enough to get really miserable, and then, skeleton graces the back of his hand—a common
when you're right at the fingernail's-edge and ready good-luck charm in Colima.
to throw it all in, then they protect you. Not before,
oh, no. "'ibu've got me wrong!" he tells the PCs and the
angry farmers in a deep voice. "I'm only selling for
"A dog's life, did I say? Nay, I would not treat a what the traffic bears. Had a large supply laid in, I
dog so badly, letting him get good and starved before did, until those visitors down the docks stepped in.
I take him in, no." His tirade over, Clerias shrugs Traded nicely for it too, which is more than you lot
and lets the PCs pass. have done!"
The heroes may find many others in Colima, and And so, of course, the villagers attack him.
in beleaguered villages throughout the Hollow
World, who show such bitterness at their perpetual
oppression. The negative side of the Spell of Preser- Mob Attack
vation reappears throughout this adventure. The
heroes will be unable to do anything about it until If the PCs do nothing to interfere, the 24 villagers
HWA3. set upon Mikalman, beat him mercilessly, then in-
vade his store, overturn furnishings, and steal his
serpent-mint and everything else they can carry. The
Supply (None) and Demand (High) looters run off in all directions. Mikal, badly
wounded, crawls into his ruined shop to recover. The
Colima does look pretty run down. The Merry PCs cannot learn anything useful from anyone in-
Pirates hit here about two weeks ago. The wood and volved.
thatch buildings nearest the coastline were burned to
Encourage the PCs to prevent this brutal riot. Any
the ground; villagers are rebuilding slowly. Half the
likely action they take—reasoning with the crowd,
docks and their attendant lines of small boats are
intimidating them, or protecting the store and
smashed. Only the Spell of Preservation kept other
Mikalman—should work easily.
piers and boats intact.
Coliman villagers (24): AC 9; HD 1; hp 4-6; #AT
The Spell likewise protected Mikalman's Supplies, 1; Dmg 1 hp; MV 120' (40'); Save 0-level normal;
the village's tiny general store. Though unmarked, ML 5; AL N; THACO 20. The villagers have 50 cp
Mikalman's place stands out among village structures among them.
because of its large size, lapstraked wooden walls,
If the PCs draw their weapons and attack to kill,
and sturdy shingled roof. And as the PCs arrive, the

12
an alignment change to Chaotic is in order. These are fool thing like that. We've traced them as far as those
unarmed villagers, desperate and frustrated but not old temple ruins about a sleep south of the village,
truly evil. Scenes of individual townspeople fleeing but then we lose them. They go down in those caves,
in panic, weeping for their orphaned children, or mark me.
groveling for their lives may convince the players that "I wouldn't shriek to learn that they are using
this slaughter is unjustified. some kind of magic, anyhow. That armor they wear,
Assuming the PCs quell the riot in heroic fashion, now—foosh! Strong as a steel chisel, yet light as a
Mikalman thanks them and offers them his hospital- feather to watch them move in it. Wish I could get a
ity, which is lavish by Coliman standards. He can few suits of that to sell here. Ohh, who do I fool?
give them the information listed under "Investiga- Nobody here could afford to trade for such as that.
tion," below. He also pleads with the heroes to find Poor folk, we are."
out what happened to the feathered serpents. "When are they due? Any time now, I'd think.
Wait! I hear the call now!"
Getting the Mission
"You look the likely sort to travel and discover,
THE VISITORS
and all that," Mikalman says. "Business can only get "Traders In Port!"
worse if we don't find what's going on with those
serpents. Where they're going, where they breed, The cry, Colima's traditional announcement of a
why these strangers like serpent-mint. All that. merchant's arrival, goes up from the waterfront. Yet
"Now, if you're up to the challenge, I'm disposed the traders in question have not arrived from the sea,
to make it worth your while. I can pay ten—no, I am but from the southern shore. They come in on foot,
feeling expansive—twelve silver pieces. What do you as the PCs did: four short, slender figures in strange
say?" plate armor.
The PCs are probably unimpressed by Mikalman's The armor attracts attention at once. Full plate,
generosity; the poverty of the Coliman economy yet evidently light as chain—embossed with odd
offers little monetary reward. But the offer may still designs of birds, lotus stalks, and sun symbols—and
intrigue them, especially when the strangers arrive to all the suits are precisely the same size and build.
buy Mikalman's serpent-mint. See "The Visitors,"
below.
They carry short swords and daggers. One hauls a
heavy burlap sack.
O
The armored figures arrive with helmet visors up,
INVESTIGATION showing dusky, clean-shaven men with black eyes
and narrow, handsome features—Nithian features,
Talking to Mikalman though no one in Colima knows that (including the
PCs). Two of the men wear purple scarves tied
The garrulous shopkeeper has no information on around their right arms. These clearly command the
smoking peaks, except that there are supposed to be other two.
volcanoes on the World Spine to the south, across the
Gulf of Aztlan. "There was a name I heard—what Physical Description
was it? Nomarys. Elvish place, I think." This is a red-
herring clue. The foreigners move with grace, despite their full
Mikalman knows nothing about the Blood Breth- armor. Their gestures are economical and delicate.
ren or earth elementals; he's not even aware of their They prefer the darkest parts of any room they are
existence. But if you are also playing HWA3, he has in, and they spend little time in the open.
some surprising information regarding Minister Irila One curious point: All the visitors look very much
Kaze. alike, with exactly the same height and build—each
"Yes, if I recall rightly, we had someone of that is about 5'6", slim and wiry.
name through here not long ago, asking for a kind of Language: Even with the Pendants of Many
liquor. Couldn't help her. Don't know what became Tongues translating the visitors' speech, the PCs
of her—ask around." (Kaze was looking for her fa- instantly mark how the visitors speak with an elvish
vorite liqueur, Treesblood. For further clues and ways accent. And among themselves, these human for-
to follow her overseas to Shahjapur, see HWA3.) eigners speak the Schattenalfen tongue.
"Those visitors": Mikalman can tell what he (Since everything they hear is automatically trans-
knows about the foreign serpent-mint buyers. The lated, PCs must ask a Coliman to identify the
four armored figures have visited his store twice tongue. If they don't think to ask, a Coliman friend
before, trading "ransom enough for fifty shepherds" would certainly remark on the visitors' unusual lan-
to get every last leaf of Mikalman's serpent-mint. guage.)
The townspeople had no particular objections at The armor: Each suit is dark gray, thin, and em-
first. But now their own shortage of mint grows bossed with glyphs of unusual design—Nithian hier-
acute. So they laid down the law to Mikalman: oglyphs for "immunity" and "suspension," though
Should he sell his latest supply to the visitors, the the heroes cannot know this.
situation could turn ugly. The armor covers the body completely, down to
"Don't know where these folks come from," says gauntlets of fine workmanship and full helm with
Mikalman. "They walk, I know that, not fly or any visor. From the way the visitors move, it appears to

13
be as light as chainmail. Slightly cool to the touch, it Kemenoth, Sun-bracer
is obviously metallic, yet it does not ring when
struck. And it does not detect as magical. Argaluin's right-hand man, or "first echo" in
The armor is made of World-Shield ore, which has Schattenalfen slang, is this blase, tired-looking elf.
many unusual properties. For a complete description, Once a courageous guerilla fighter in the service of
see "New Magic" in the appendix. If the PCs attack the Elf-King, Kemenoth earned his nickname by his
anyone wearing the armor, go to "Battling the Visi- many forays into open sunlight. (He braced himself
tors," below. to face the sun, you see.)
But just before an important assault on the Azcan
The Visitors' Secret village of Taxutlan, a soldier in Kemenoth's squad
betrayed his fellow Schattenalfen. The soldier sold
These Nithian-looking foreigners are polymorphed information to the Azca, then deserted under fire.
Schattenalfen. Kemenoth was the only survivor.
They regard their new appearance with deep per- After he hunted down the traitor and slew him,
sonal disgust. Being forced to look like humans— Kemenoth lost heart for further battle and became a
phaugh! Schattenalfen would ordinarily spit at the merchant's aide. He has since come to believe that
idea. They never discuss the reasons for their trans- every person, even a Schattenalf, has his or her price.
formation, even on pain of death. However, players So, as Argaluin offers bribes charmingly, Kemenoth
who learn the visitors' secret may deduce that the doles out the actual fee with cynical composure:
elves' anti-magical armor provides the motive. "How much are you worth then? Twenty gold?
Only later in the adventure can the heroes verify Right, I figured about that much. Here you are.
their suspicions and discover the visitors' secret: Thanks for your time."
Koresh Teyd is able to mold only one size of armor. Kemenoth: 4th-level elf; AC -4; hp 14; #AT 1
So he polymorphs the Schattenalfen who trade for it (short sword); Dmg Id6; MV 120' (40'); Save F4; ML
into the shape of Nithians. The PCs won't meet real 6; AL C; THACO 17. Carries a potion of delusion
Nithians or Koresh Teyd until Chapter 6. (see the Expert Rules) which he believes to be a po-
Here are background details on the four visitors tion of invulnerability.
who encounter the PCs.
Maiglos and Thalion
Argaluin Money-grower
These are spear-carriers for the two leaders. Typical
The leader of these shapcshifted elves is that rarest male Schattenalfen (aside from the polymorph ef-
and most disdained of elves, a moneylender. The fect), they're prone to steal glances at the sun and to
Schattenalfen need coinage to hire mercenaries, and sneer sullenly at humans, at green plants, and at
it expedites their trade relations with the Traldar. most everything on the surface. They snub PCs and
Even so, their culture regards the moneylender—the Colimans alike.
"grower of money," in their term—as even lower on Maiglos, Thalion: 2nd-level elves; AC -4; hp 7;
the status scale than a grower of fungus. #AT 1 (short sword); Dmg Id6; MV 120' (40'); Save
This societal contempt didn't keep the Schattenalf F2; ML 6; AL C; THACO 19.
king, Khilondor, from borrowing heavily of Argaluin
to purchase Malpheggi lizard mercenaries in a war Appeasing the Natives
against the Oltecs. The war was a disastrous failure.
Rather than pay back the embarrassing war debts to The armored visitors arrive amid hostile reactions
Argaluin, King Khilondor instead dispatched Arga- from the Colimans. But there on the beach below
luin to the remotest part of his kingdom. This "pro- the village, the visitors quickly neutralize the ill will.
motion" brought Argaluin, now almost penniless, to To any farmers that approach with apparent hostility
the caverns below Co lima. (that is, all of them), the visitors extend open hands
Here Argaluin abandoned his trade for some dec- of friendship.
ades, instead helping in the guerilla war against the Argaluin, a shrewd judge of character (even hu-
Azca. But recently, a dream vision from the Immortal mans), has foreseen the problem with the villagers.
Atzanteotl (actually Thanatos in disguise) told Arga- "Great people," he says in a cloying voice, "please
luin that a visitor from elsewhere, Koresh Teyd, allow us to do proper honor to our hosts. Take these
would soon need great quantities of serpent-mint. small tokens of our appreciation for your hospitality."
He would pay premium prices to one who could He signals to Maiglos to dump open the burlap sack
procure it. on the beach.
Inspired with new hope that he might recoup his The PCs, observing this, may attack to pre-empt a
fortune, Argaluin has begun a profitable serpent- suspected trick. The armored visitors are AC -4; any
mint trade. Koresh Teyd pays him so much for the missed roll means the attack skips right off the ar-
herb that Argaluin can afford to buy off the hostile mor, and magical attacks simply suspend their ener-
peasants in Colima. The PCs see this bribery in gies on the armor's surface. (See "Battling the
action, below. Visitors," below.) The armored figures should be
Argaluin: lst-level elf; AC -4; hp 6; if AT 1 (dag- essentially immune for this scene.
ger); Dmg Id4; MV 120' (40'); Save Fl; ML 9; AL C;
THACO 19.

14
 the false bottom of a walnut bin.
With the most courteous demeanour, the visitors
buy all the mint at premium prices—that is, by
offering premium goods of Schattenalfen make, the
kind used in the previous scene to bribe the peas-
ants.
Mikalman greedily raises his demands above those
of previous transactions. He drives a hard bargain,
but nothing in his haggling ever shakes Argaluin's
composure. (Unknown to Mikalman, Argaluin sells
the serpent-mint to Koresh Teyd for ten times his
buying price.)
After the transaction, Argaluin expresses interest
in the PCs. Nothing sinister—but his tone of friend-
liness rings hollow. "What excellent new bodyguards
you've recruited, Mikalman. Perhaps they are visitors
like ourselves? Tell me your stories, brave hu—
heroes."

Talking to the PCs

Should the PCs ask questions, the visitors' leader,
Argaluin, does all the talking. He's all smiles, and he
acts really, really sincere. But everything he says is as
much of a lie as necessary to stall the PCs' curiosity.
In fact, Argaluin doesn't know much about any-
thing the PCs are interested in. He fabricates his lies
based on a poor understanding of the actual situa-
tion, as indicated by the following smooth answers to
likely questions. (Remember that spells to read
minds or detect truth don't work in the Hollow
World.)
There is no trick, in fact. The bag is loaded with Who are you?: "We are humble merchants from
trinkets like ceramics, fine textiles, and delicacies like the distant land of Nithia, beyond the World's
trania (see the Schattenalfen Atlas entry in the boxed Spine. We were sent here to your beautiful land by
set). At your discretion, some of these trade goods the great ruler of our kingdom, Ramose III." (Arga-
may be trivial magical items such as rings or potions. luin is one ruler behind in his information. The
They should not be combat-related. current Pharaoh of the Nithian Empire is Ramose
All the items together are worth perhaps 25 gp, a IV.)
royal sum in Colima. But it's a pittance to Argaluin, Why do you want serpent-mint? What do you do
who stands to gain magical armor from Koresh Teyd with it?: "To be absolutely honest, I haven't the
worth a hundred times that amount. He's no miser. faintest idea. In my rare moments of leisure I suspect
He knows he can afford some small generosity to that King Ramose wants it because it helps him fight
forestall trouble. the Azca." (Argaluin presumes that anybody in Col-
The two underlings, Maiglos and Thalion, wear ima must hate the Azca, and so this line should go
tight, transparently false smiles as they hand out over well, regardless of its geographical unlikeliness.)
Argaluin's largesse to the Coliman natives. The peas- Why are you speaking the elvish tongue?: "I and
ants gasp at this wealth. Like hungry rats they sweep my fellow merchants were raised by a Nithian en-
in, pick up a trinket or two, and rush home to exam- clave of the noble Schattenalfen, whom you would
ine their prizes. A few linger out of curiosity, but call the 'elves of the shadows,' perhaps." (This pre-
their former hostility is noticeably muted. posterous story explains Argaluin's intimate knowl-
edge of the Schattenalfen.)
Bargaining What's this strange armor?: "Why, everyone in
Nithia wears this armor. It's made from ore mined
Assuming the PCs don't interfere, the four myste- from the great pyramids that stand everywhere in our
rious visitors quickly head into Mikalman's store. If land." (Argaluin hopes this lie will be accepted just
the PCs stop them, the visitors call politely to Mi- because it's so weird.)
kalman, who brings his serpent-mint down to them. Where is the serpent breeding ground/the "peak
"Welcome, gentlemen, I've been expecting you," that smokes"let cetera?: Argaluin doesn't know and
the storekeeper says, while the crowd of peasants doesn't care. He may give the PCs some slapdash
taunts him and grumbles. The grumbles grow louder answer, citing a fictitious authority, if he thinks it
as Mikalman brings out his hidden supply of serpent- will help win their confidence.
mint. The greedy storekeeper has hoarded perhaps
three pounds of the herb, a huge quantity, hidden in

15
Recruiting or Departing? forming from Nithian humans into Schattenalfen.
This, too, should lend an eerie edge to the battle.
Argaluin has no idea of the PCs' background or Heroes who know the ways of magic can identify
mission to find the feathered serpent breeding the polymorph effect. However, they may be aware
ground. To him, they're probably just travellers of that this spell is supposedly unknown in the Hollow
unusual competence. Thus, unless they have actively World. The surviving visitors admit that they are in
alienated him, Argaluin tries to hire the PCs. reality Schattenalfen; but they flatly refuse to divulge
"Here's the best offer you'll ever get: all the food the cause of their transformation.
you can eat plus a gold piece per sleep. A princely Victory and defeat: If the PCs defeat all the Schat-
sum! I can ill afford such generosity, but I like you tenalfen, they can remove the armor in the usual
fellows. What say?" fashion. PCs between 5'4" and 5'8" in height, and
PCs can accept this miserly offer, or haggle upward weighing 135-165 pounds, can wear the World-
to 5 gp per sleep. If they accept Argaluin's terms, Shield armor. Others don't fit. The armor is utterly
perhaps in order to infiltrate his operation, he refuses invulnerable to any kind of reshaping.
advance payment but says, "I can start you to work Argaluin accepts surrender at any point. If the PCs
at the camp." The heroes won't find out what he lose or surrender, he binds survivors and leads them
means by "the camp" until the next chapter. south at swordpoint. He takes his "prisoners of war"
If the PCs refuse his offer, Argaluin bears no ill to the guerilla camp in the next chapter. The heroes
will. He tries to leave gracefully, heading south into can probably escape along the route, then turn the
the hills, serpent-mint in tow. If the PCs prevent tables on their former captors. Argaluin pleads for
this, he turns brusque, rude, threatening, and vio- his life, offering "a sizable ransom" at his base
lent by turns. If there's a fight, go to the following camp. This is a lie, but it leads the PCs onward to
subsection. Chapter 4.

Battling the Visitors WHERE NEXT? -

The armored visitors may act suspiciously. Or the
PCs may just want to blow them away on general As employees, prisoners, or captors of the Schat-
principles and loot the bodies of that neat armor. tenalfen, the PCs accompany the merchants back to
Either way, the battle is joined—and the PCs quickly the guerilla encampment described in the next chap-
discover their opponents have greater abilities than ter.
meet the eye. If the PCs kill or drive off the merchants without
The World-Shield armor is virtually impenetrable, following them, a search party of warrior-elf guerillas
as noted above (AC -4). But its true power becomes crosses the heroes' path within a day or two, search-
clear when any magical attack hits the wearer. The ing for their absent comrades. The encounter with
spell's energy collects harmlessly on the armor's sur- this party of elves plays out in the same fashion as
face, in a bright, writhing film of magical force. the merchants, but this time the PCs should realize
Thereafter, when the wearer touches someone else, that a lot of elves are living in the hills south of Col-
the spell that was meant for the wearer instead is ima. Try to pique their curiosity and make them trace
inflicted on the victim touched! the guerillas' trail back to the camp.
This obviously can produce an eerie scene in the The PCs may want to hire Colimans as native
midst of battle. A PC spellcaster calls forth a guides for an expedition. These guides are easily
fireball—it explodes in the midst of the armored available and cheaply bought. Dael the shepherd
visitors—the flame cloud dissipates. And the four would gladly go, even for free, if the PCs show they
visitors stride forward through the smoke, un- can stand his company.
harmed, with sheets of fire blazing on their armor!
One touches a PC, and the victim burns!
For detailed rules about the World-Shield armor,
refer to "New Magic" in this module's appendix.
The visitors' tactics: The Schattenalfen fight reluc-
tantly for the serpent-mint until it's destroyed or one
of their number falls. Survivors fight viciously to
protect their fallen comrade, or more specifically the
fallen comrade's armor.
If two fall, the remaining two flee, if possible.
They may seize a Coliman hostage to guarantee safe
passage. If the PCs won't guarantee safe passage, the
Schattenalfen first wound, then finally kill the hos-
tage. An alignment change for the PCs may be in
order, for letting villains kill hostages is not Lawful
behavior.
The visitors in death: Don't forget that, should
any of the visitors die in combat, they seem to shrink
down inside their own armor—because they're trans-

16
 In the early time when the Immortals created the
Hollow World, the Immortal Ordana brought forth tentacles. They grab you, and you feel tiny balls
the jungles and forests that drape the continents in of fur along each tentacle. Bats! It's covered with
green. But the endless daylight of this world offered small bats roosting on the stalactite.
no sanctuary for the creatures and plants of the The rock hand carries you down to the bottom
night—the tigers, owls, crickets, moon cactus, night- of the cave, but you escape somehow. And now
hawks, nightingales, mushrooms, and many more. you're flying down a tunnel with the hand
Ordana and the other Immortals altered many of stretching behind you, trying to catch you. "fou
these to let them function in perpetual daylight. But see an underground lake and fly across it. The
in some cases the animals' nocturnal habits could not hand stops at the edge of the lake. You feel safe,
be corrected by a simple change of instinct. and you begin to nuzzle your wings.
The bats, for example, could be made to fly in the
daytime, but sunlight burns their wing membranes.
Given this problem, Ordana debated whether to This dream promotes the image of safety on the
dispense with the bats. She decided not to, for they water. The Immortal Asterius sent the dream to lure
ate huge numbers of insects that would otherwise the PCs to the fastest transport to the Nithian Em-
infest her beloved forests. pire and Koresh Teyd—the Annelid chamber in the
So Ordana granted the bats of the Hollow World next chapter. Once the PCs reach the underground
an innate spell-like ability to create continual dark- cave pond, their conveyance to Nithia (however
ness around themselves in flight (as per the spell unwilling) becomes certain.
descriptions in the Expert Rules). With the ability to
see through their own darkness, the bats could fly at The Cave Entrance
will throughout their territories—and the darkness
let them catch insects even more effectively. The trail through the hills leads to an inconspicu-
There are upwards of a thousand species of bat in ous cave entrance, hardly more than a hole in the
the Hollow World. One type roosts in a huge cavern ground, in a shaded hillside. In fact, the entrance
south of Colima. A company of Schattenalfen war- looks much like the flying viper lair that the PCs
riors, engaged in guerilla warfare against the Azcan encountered in Chapter 1. (Use the resemblance to
Empire, has taken this cavern as its base. make the players uneasy.)
Because of the presence of the bats, the Azca have On the slopes below the entrance grow stands of
not yet located these dark elves. The Azca may be- 20' tall, branchless trees with loose white bark and a
lieve that only lunatics would reside in a batcave. crown of long, lance-shaped leaves covered with hair-
Whether or not the Azca are right, the PCs may like fibers. These trees, which the Colimans call
decide for themselves as they explore the cave in this "lances," are surrounded by patches of nettle bushes
chapter. with bright red flowers. A cool wind blows in from
the ocean, laced with salt smells.
In the lance trees the PCs can make out shifting
HOW THEY GET THERE areas of darkness that have nothing to do with
shadows of the waving leaves. Infravision cannot
Whether as the heroes' employers, hostages, or penetrate the darkness. The heroes also hear high-
dupes, Argaluin and his Nithian-looking underlings pitched rodent squeaking.
lead the PCs to the bat cavern. Or the PCs are fol- These bats, feeding on insects, come from the cave
lowing clues from the bodies of the slain elves, or a nearby. They have grown used to the Schattenalfen
search party investigating Argaluin's disappearance scent, but anyone else approaching the cave still
(see the end of the last chapter). alarms them. Assuming not all the PCs smell like
The journey leads the heroes some 50 miles along Schattenalfen, the bats in their blobs of darkness
a rugged trail through rough-edged grass into the detach from the trees and dive toward the heroes.
mountains south-southeast of Colima (that's "south- Bats (12): AC 0; HD 1-1*; hp 2; #AT Nil; Dmg
east" in the reversed Hollow World scheme, remem- Nil; MV 180' (60'); Save 0-level normal; ML 6; AL
ber). This trip probably lasts at least one sleep, so the N; XP 6; THAC0 19- These are of the species
PCs may experience another dream-sending from known, very descriptively, as little brown bats. Dispel
Asterius, described below. magic will temporarily neutralize a bat's continual
darkness, but the ability returns after the bat sleeps
for four hours.
The Dream-Sending These bats try to force the PCs away from the
entrance to their lair. The bats present no danger to
dream you're flying through darkness. The the PCs—but the players don't know that. This
air is full of squeaks and the flutter of bat wings. encounter may cause the heroes to waste a spell or
Suddenly you collide with something large and two, and it presages the scene that the PCs find
hard. You can't see it, but in the dream you know inside.
it's a stalactite, "ifou're in a cave. More importantly, the bats' raucous threats may
You fall downward in the dark, and the stalac- alert the Schattenalfen guards inside the cave en-
tite above you is growing down after you. It's trance; see below.
making deep cracking sounds as it grows rocky The nettle bushes: The blooms on these thorny

17
bushes exude a dry, noxious odor that irritates the
bats. If the PCs pick a few flowers and carry them or
rub them over their bodies, the vapors keep the bats
at bay. However, at your discretion, the foul-smelling
PCs may find stealth difficult inside the cavern until
they wash off the odor.

The Guards
Two Schattenalfen guerilla soldiers, 2nd-level
warrior-elves in ordinary leather armor, stand guard
in the shade just inside the cavern entrance. These
elves, like those the PCs met in the previous chapter,
have been polymotphed to look like typical Nithian
men.
Schattenalfen guards (2): AC 8; HD 2; hp 8; #AT
1 (spear or short sword); Dmg Id6; MV 120' (40');
Save F2; ML 9; AL C; THACO 19.
If the PCs disturb the bats outside, the bats'
screeches may, at your option, alert the guards. If so,
one guard rushes to ring a loud cattle-type bell hang-
ing inside the entrance. This sounds the alarm
throughout the lair, and the Schattenalfen soldiers
inside begin donning their World-Shield armor im-
mediately.
However, the entrance guards pay no attention to
the odor of the nettle blooms, because they use the
blooms themselves to fend off the bats. So PCs can
use these to circumvent both the bats' and the
guards' alarms.

THE SCENE
When the PCs enter the cavern, read this aloud:

You're standing on a ledge in the middle of one

wall of a high, narrow limestone cavern. It
stretches up, sort of following the curve of the
hill's slope, and it goes perhaps a hundred feet
straight down from where you are. There are more
ledges down there, too. Yet all the way along, the
cave can't be more than twenty feet wide.
The air is dry but hot and close. The whole
place smells terrible, like rat hairs and animal
droppings.
There are lots of stalactites, crevices, and
columns in the walls. They cast shadows every-
where, shadows that seem to shift around as you
watch. In the shadows you hear loud, high-
pitched screams—like the ones you heard from
the trees outside, but many, many more of them.
%u can hardly hear yourself think, which is just
as well considering what the sounds make you
think of: bats. Millions of bats!
A steep trail, wide enough for two people,
leads down from one side of the ledge.

The ledges below hold the Schattenalfen guerilla

camp. A map of the cave and the camp appears on &?•
the inside cover of this module.

18
The Bats "Barge Dock," below, and in the "Events" section
that follows.
A very large colony of about 1,200,000 little
brown bats roosts on the ceiling of this dry cave. Camp Layout
They cluster together as tightly as grapes on a vine,
their darkness flickering on and off. A light source The camp occupies three ledges below the en-
reveals patches of blackness that seem to travel across trance ledge, spaced equally 25' apart. In the follow-
the cavern ceiling, the way a gust of wind sends ing description these ledges are numbered
ripples across meadow grass. sequentially from highest to lowest, like levels in a
The bats constantly fly in and out of the cave dungeon. The camp also uses the floor of the cavern
entrance by the hundreds. The Schattenalfen guards, as a corral for its giant slugs, and an additional tun-
bored, pay no attention. Many of the warriors in the nel complex as a staging area for the serpent-mint
cave use the nettle bloom odor to keep the bats away, shipments. All these are described in the following
but this is usually unnecessary; the bats have grown sections.
used to elves inside the cavern.
Unusually loud noises (louder than standard com- Ledge 1: Living Quarters
bat produces), bright lights, or tremors in the earth
alarm the whole colony. When alarmed, the bats fly (75' above the cave floor)
in all directions, screeching, but miraculously avoid On this large, flat outcropping, 19 Nithian-
colliding with anything. This usually paralyzes every- looking warrior-elves live on simple woolen mats.
one in the cave and prevents most activity, such as (The wool was plundered from Coliman shepherds.)
combat. The bats swarm out of the cave within 10 These elves are fanatical followers of their com-
minutes (1 turn), and they do not return for hours. mander, Taranic, described below. If the PCs meet
them in peace, the Schattenalfen are currently occu-
The Guerillas pied in the barbaric pastime of picking off stray bats
with thrown rocks.
A field company of 25 Schattenalfen warrior-elves, Their personal effects are sparse, for these guerillas
and one elf mage occupies this cave as a permanent devote themselves single-mindedly to their crusade
base camp. All of them but the mage, one elf cook, against the Azca, not to acquiring property. Simple
and the cook are polymorphed to look like Nithians. toiletries and valueless souvenirs are all that searching
Argaluin and his merchants, whom the PCs met in can turn up.
Colima in the last chapter, also reside here, in a tense However, each elf also keeps a complete outfit of
and aloof relationship with the company. Argaluin World-Shield armor close to hand. Even in the un-
and his merchants may or may not be here, depend- sanitary conditions of the cave, the armor does not
ing on the circumstances of the PCs' entrance. stain or corrode.
The 25 other elves are all present as the PCs arrive. The warriors don their armor as soon as an alarm
They are preparing for a raid against an Azcan silver sounds. This takes one turn (ten minutes); however,
mine across the Aztlan Mountains, about 100 miles they can don partial armor in less time. An elf can
north of the Azcan city of Tenpocatliotl. They will increase his AC by 1 for each ten-second round spent
leave the cavern 24 hours from now, and only four doing nothing but donning pieces of the armor, to a
warrior-elves and the merchants will remain behind. maximum of AC 4 (taking five rounds). To get the
All Schattenalfen except the mage have suits of armor's full AC -4 benefit, the wearer must spend
World-Shield armor, but they are not currently wear- the full ten minutes putting it on.
ing the armor because it is too uncomfortable in the Schattenalfen-Nithians (19): AC 9/-4; HD 2; hp
hot cavern. 8; #AT 1 (short sword); Dmg Id6; MV 120' (40');
The Schattenalfen-Nithians maintain living quar- Save F2; ML 9; AL C; THAC0 19.
ters here, as well as an armory, a small temple area,
fungus gardens, and a stable of giant slugs, which Ledge 2: Mess
provide milk and transport.
But the most important function of this camp is (50' above the cave floor)
relatively new. Koresh Teyd of the Blood Brethren On this long, thin ledge the warriors collect their
has selected this camp as a depot for the transport of daily ration of trania, fungus, and slug milk. Theo-
serpent-mint from Colima to his home base in the retically they eat here as well, off long split logs
Nithian Empire. Koresh pays for this service (autho- laboriously hauled in from outside. But in practice
rized by the Elf-King and Queen in Issarthyl) by the warriors take their meals on the higher ledge,
equipping the Schattenalfen guerillas with suits of where the stench of the cave floor is less overpower-
World-Shield armor, which may well tilt the balance ing.
of power between the Schattenalfen and their hated Fully-covered elves may even venture outside to
enemies, the Azca. He also takes care of the poly- eat. The warriors regard this as a display of courage,
morphing that lets the elves fit in his human-sized even though their Nithian forms theoretically protect
armor. them from sun damage. Even so, none are especially
As the PCs arrive, Koresh Teyd and his henchman eager to prove themselves this way.
are meeting with the guerilla leaders on the cavern's The "cook"—the officer in charge of processing
lowest level. The meeting place is described under the trania—is a slovenly, sullen elf named Boniath.

19
 (Use the statistics given for the other warriors, above, depicts the Great Annelid travel route that will carry
but Boniath saves as a 2nd-level elf.) He is stirring them from this camp to the Nithian Empire in the
fungus broth in an iron cauldron as the PCs encoun- next chapter.
ter him. Note that, besides the mage, this is the only Try to keep this marking mysterious. If the PCs ask
Schattenalf in the cave who doesn't look like a the Schattenalfen about it, the guerillas say only,
Nithian. "It's a network of transport tunnels." If the PCs ask
Boniath has no World-Shield armor and no inter- why the lines run so straight, the elves shrug and say,
est in fighting a superior force. If possible, he hides "Just a symbol." They don't want to reveal that the
behind the ledge's small supply of wooden barrels, Great Annelids have recently returned and, via
which hold food plundered from outside, and slug Koresh Teyd's symbionts, are carrying elves from one
milk for the brief time before it spoils. Boniath has end of the World's Spine to the other.
no treasure. Mage's quarters: These house the 6th-level elf
The far end of Ledge 2 is a sheer drop, from which Elmoth, who is grim, quiet, moody, and frankly
the Schattenalfen routinely dump garbage and un- pretty deranged. Long absorption in the study of
wanted items. These fall to the garbage dump on the magic back in his native Issarthyl made Elmoth anti-
cave floor, described below. social to a fault, even paranoid. Rather than try to
imprison him, the authorities dispatched him to the
Ledge 3: Administration, Supply war front.
Elmoth follows orders without argument, though
(25' above the cave floor) with an ironic tone that irritates the warriors. He
This sheltered ledge holds the guerillas' armory, nurtures secret, and quite crazy, plans to gain power
weapon repair tools, a small chapel area for rudimen- here, then return to Issarthyl and destroy the ene-
tary worship of Atzanteotl, and a planning and brief- mies who exiled him.
ing area for senior staff. Hanging sheepskins mark off The elf-mage is currently at the cavern's barge
living quarters for Elmoth the mage; two staff aides, dock, described below. If the PCs talk with Elmoth,
Merlongas and Ragnor; and the camp commander, he reveals nothing about the Great Annelids. After
Taranic. The statistics for these characters follow this all, the PCs are his enemies! But he may pretend
section. friendship and send the heroes down to the Annelid
The farthest part of the ledge holds the disreput- chamber, from whence they will not return to bother
able and ignored quarters of Argaluin and his mer- him.
chants. Aides' quarters: Merlongas and Ragnor, two fanat-
The residents of this ledge are currently on the ical followers of Commander Taranic, live here on
cavern floor meeting with Koresh Teyd. See the meticulously neat sleeping mats. Two sets of World-
"Events" section below. Shield armor, minus the pieces that the aides wear
Armory: This is a small work area with an anvil, routinely, hang from spikes pounded into the cave
hammers, and smithing tools, designed for minor wall.
weapon and armor repairs. Against the cave wall If you played HWAl and allowed any of the Schat-
stand stacks of long wooden crates stacked like tenalfen escorts from Chapter 5 to escape slaughter
shelves. Each crate holds up to a dozen spears, short in Chapter 6, they may live here as well, if you want
swords, or bows and arrows of Schattenalfen make. to stage a surprise reunion (or renew a battle). They
The metal weapons are oiled and wrapped in oil- are waiting here for Annelid transport to Issarthyl.
cloth. One crate contains miscellaneous cleaning Merlongas and Ragnor are with Elmoth at the
supplies. barge dock (see below). They would die rather than
A rusting pile of ordinary chainmail and banded tell the hated PCs anything useful.

a
mail lies near the smithy area. These 20 suits of Commander's quarters: The camp leader, Taranic,
Schattenalfen armor are well-made and still usable, lives in this modest cubicle. World-Shield armor
once cleaned up. But the elves have no interest in it, hangs on the wall, and a litter of parchment scrolls
now that Koresh Teyd has provided them with lies beside the spartan sleeping mat. These scrolls
World-Shield armor in return for serpent-mint. include orders and testimonials from the Elf-King
Chapel area: A humble shrine, designated by the and Elf-Queen in Issarthyl, and intelligence reports
rough carving of a flying viper (symbol of the Im- from spies beneath many Azcan towns. Only after
mortal Atzanteotl) in the cavern wall. Offerings hours of study can the PCs uncover occasional refer-
made on the floor before the carving include food, ences to "transport via Annelid" and "World-Shield
dead bats, and the finger-bones of slain Azca. ore."
Planning area: Undefined except by the absence of Like other guerilla leaders, Taranic leads through
sleeping mats and personal effects, this small area is charisma, commitment to the fight, and a willing-
surrounded by sheepskin partitions. A large parch- ness to do anything his men do. He mixes admirable
ment map covers the floor. The map depicts the courage and ruthless brutality in equal amounts.
Azcan Empire, its major cities, and the Bay of Col- The PCs can meet Taranic at the barge dock de-
ima. Arrows identify the Azcan village of Tenpocat- scribed below. Taranic is a shrewd, calculating com-
liotl as a target of attack. mander. Assuming the PCs have no particular
A red star marks this campsite, and a straight red interest in the guerillas' war against the Azca, Taranic
line heads due south, where it branches in several quickly realizes this, and then the bargaining starts.
different directions. Unknown to the PCs, this line He trades the PCs information—all completely fabri-

20
cated, but told with intense conviction—for anything guano slides down toward these eight stone pens,
he can get off them: food, treasure, magical items, made of mortared boulders. Each pen holds one
whatever. However, he probably does not attack giant slug, a slimy gray horror 15' long. Unlike the
them, for he can see that defeating the heroes would slugs described in the Master rules, these have no
be more trouble than they're worth. acid attack; instead, they bite weakly. They are quite
Merchants' quarters: Taranic begrudges the mer- gentle by disposition, but they panic when attacked
chants these two screened areas because they bring in with fire or heat.
the serpent-mint that provides World-Shield armor Giant slugs (8): AC 8; HD 6*; hp 25; #AT 1;
to the camp. The quarters are identical to those of Dmg Id4 (bite); MV 20'; Save Fl; ML 8; AL N;
the aides described above, except that they contain THACO 13. Because of its rubbery body, strength
empty wooden casks intended to store serpent-mint. bonuses are not counted in attacks against the slug;
blunt weapons inflict only magical damage; and
Statistics edged weapons inflict half damage, plus magical
adjustments. A Smash attack inflicts no additional
Taranic: 8th-level warrior-elf; AC 61-4; hp 45; damage. The slugs are described fully in GA2 13,
#AT 1 (short sword); Dmg Id6; MV 120' (40'); Save The Shadow Elves, DM's Guide, p. 39-
E8; ML 9; AL C; THACO 15. When not transformed A small 4'x4' opening at the bottom front of each
to look like a Nithian, Taranic is tall and muscular by pen allows each slug to extrude its mouth forward
Schattenalfen standards, almost as tall as a short and eat the guano that collects in front of the pens.
human male. Even in his polymorphed Nithian (The attendants enter and exit the pens through
form, Taranic retains several disfiguring scars on his these openings. If the openings were larger, the slugs
cheek and chin, which he refuses to have healed— could squeeze completely through and escape.) The
"emblems of the cause," he calls them. He wears a Schattenalfen also feed the slugs various fungi, in
breastplate and selected other pieces of the World- order to improve the flavor of the milk they give.
Shield armor. On his belt he carries a two-chambered As described in GAZ 13, the slugs' "milk" is
canteen; one chamber holds fresh water, the other a actually a nutritious yellow-brown fluid that they
potion of fortitude (described in the Companion exude when massaged with a roller. Each pen in-
Rules). cludes one of these rollers.
Merlongas and Ragnor: 3rd-level warrior-elves; AC Fungus garden: Bad-smelling, black or purple
8/-4; hp 15; #AT 1 (short sword); Dmg Id6; MV growths that cover every wall at the edge of the
120' (40'); Save E3; ML 8; AL C; THACO 19. When guano and garbage pits. Iron harvesting knives (1/
not in full World-Shield armor, these two Nithian- 2d6 damage) and large woven baskets lie at the base
looking Schattenalfen wear little clothing besides a of the wall. The elves use this fungus to prepare their
few pieces of light armor. They believe this demon- staple food, trania.
strates both inherent toughness and devotion to their If you have GAZ 13, The Shadow Elves, consult p.
commander. 38 of the DM's Guide for an extensive list of cavern
Elmoth: 6th-level elf; AC 9; hp 22; #AT 1 dagger fungi.
or spell; Dmg Id4 or by spell; MV 120' (40'); Save Garbage pit: At the base of the cavern, this dump
E6; ML 6; AL C; THACO 17. Spells: 1st level—detect site holds everything the soldiers on the ledges above
magic, read magic. 2nd level—continual light, web. feel like throwing overside. Nothing of use can be
3rd level—create air, fly. Elmoth keeps a scroll of the found here.
mages on his person (an item detailed in the Com- Privies: Occasionally emptied to feed the slugs and
panion Rules). Elmoth also carries other spells in his fertilize the fungus.
hidden spellbook: hold portal, knock, locate object,
phantasmal force, and dispel magic. The spellbook is Barge Dock
hidden somewhere in the tunnels beyond the cavern,
or it can be in the encampment at your discretion. A short, irregular natural passage slopes down
Elmoth is not polymorphed, even though he is from one end of the cave floor. A rocky slide with
among the few Schattenalfen who would improve by treacherous footing leads down to a tunnel with an
the transformation. Elmoth is short and scrawny even unnaturally flat floor.
for a Schattenalf, with heavy black eyebrows and a Around a bend, a wide part of the tunnel serves as
squinting gaze that lingers overlong on whomever he the berth for a magical vehicle the PCs encounter in
talks to. Elmoth mumbles to himself inaudibly, peers an Event described below: the Semekhtet-barge, a
with intensity at ordinary objects, and starts at sud- Nithian boat that sails through solid rock in the
den noises. He smells like the cave, but worse. manner of a dwarven rockship. The barge is de-
scribed in the New Magic appendix of this module.
The Cave Floor Pharaoh Ramose IV of the Nithian Empire has
given Koresh Teyd use of this Semekhtet-barge.
This tilted floor, littered with stalagmites and Koresh uses it to travel from Nightrage foundry, in
broken limestone columns, is liberally covered with the Nithian Empire, to the collection points for the
guano from the bats overhead, which serves two various items of his scheme: feathered serpent co-
purposes: fertilizer for a large fungus garden, and coons, World-Shield ore, and—the reason for his
food for the company's eight giant slugs. arrival here—serpent-mint.
Slug pens: Because of the tilt of the floor, the As the PCs arrive at the cavern, the guerilla leaders

21
are down here, meeting with Koresh Teyd as de- as feasible in a few rounds.
scribed under "Events." If the PCs refuse to surrender, the Schattenalfen
At the far end of the docking area, the tunnel attack to capture. Only a few can face the PCs di-
descends steeply to the Annelid chamber described rectly on the narrow ledge. The rest fire arrows or
in the next chapter. even throw rocks. (If a rock hits, roll Id6; on a roll of
5-6, the rock does 1 point of damage.) If clearly
outmatched, desperate elves may spit in the PCs'
EVENTS faces and, with a parting oath of revenge, leap over
the ledge. If they land in the garbage dump (the
Reception thinking goes), they may survive to escape.
The alarm attracts Taranic, Elmoth, and the aides
Recall the disposition of the Schattenalfen as the from their meeting on the cavern floor. They order
PCs arrive: the warriors to capture the PCs rather than kill them.
• Two guards stand at the cave entrance. Elmoth, on Taranic's orders, tries to web the PCs.
• Nineteen unarmored warrior-elves are sitting
If the PCs are captured, the elves take them to
idly on Level 1.
Koresh Teyd's henchman, Kruthep, to determine
• Boniath, the cowardly cook, is cooking fungus whether the prisoners are valuable. Kruthep interro-
on Level 2. gates the PCs, trying to discover how much threat or
• Commander Taranic, his two aides, and the assistance they can offer. Cruel and malicious, he
mage Elmoth are at the barge dock, meeting with may scar or disfigure handsome PCs, then laugh in
Koresh Teyd. They have with them a single warrior- their faces. For further guidelines on handling the
elf, still in his native form, whom Koresh Teyd is interrogation, consult Chapter 6.
scheduled to polymorph into Nithian form.
Depending on the outcome of the questioning,
• Depending on the outcome of Chapter 3, the
Kruthep (in consultation with the hidden Koresh, as
merchant Argaluin and his assistants may be dead, or
described below) might offer the heroes a berth on
traveling with the PCs, or they may have arrived here
the Semekhtet-barge, as Koresh's newest servants; or
earlier. In the last case they are with the leaders,
he might order the PCs killed. For the latter option,
meeting with Koresh Teyd's henchman.
let the Semekhtet-barge depart, then give the PCs a
The guerillas' reaction to the PCs depends heavily chance to escape, perhaps by running down the
on circumstances. Staging advice and elf tactics for tunnel to the Annelid chamber below. (Go to
the encounter are based on three broad approaches: "Where Next?")
1. Arriving with the Merchants Bargaining Session
Whether as allies, servants, or prisoners, the PCs
Depending on the PCs' approach, get them to the
follow Argaluin and his assistants down the path to
cavern floor and to the meeting site. Describe the
the cavern floor, and then to the barge dock for the
barge dock. The PCs note a fresh, sweet breeze com-
meeting with Koresh Teyd. Argaluin can give the
ing from it; Elmoth the mage has cast his create air
heroes a brief tour of the camp, just to be friendly;
spell to make the fetid air breathable.
he glosses over his own low status among the war-
riors, and he claims his lowly quarters on Level 3 are The meeting, already in progress, nears its conclu-
"just a convenient way-station." sion. Present on the guerilla side are Taranic,
Elmoth, the two aides, the untransformed Schat-
The warriors look at the PCs with deep suspicion tenalf, and (depending on circumstances) Argaluin
but, since they're with Argaluin, maintain a superfi- and his assistants. If the PCs killed or disposed of the
cial politeness. merchants, then there is a second, identical party of
merchant elves at the meeting.
2. Entry by Stealth Having set up one party to the meeting, introduce
the other party by reading this aloud:
If the PCs overcome or bypass the guards without
alerting those inside, they are almost certainly discov-
ered when they reach the warriors' quarters on Level The tunnel is blocked by, of all things, a wooden
1. However, if they somehow get past this obstacle as boat. It's a shallow barge almost eighty feet long,
well, the PCs can then reach the cavern floor without made of cedar wood, that tapers gracefully up-
incident. By this time they should certainly realize ward at bow and stern.
that these warriors are shapeshifted elves. Amidships there's a small wooden cabin with a
Once at the barge dock, the heroes overhear the flat roof, but otherwise the boat is practically
conversation in progress between Taranic and Koresh featureless. %u don't see any oarlocks or other
Teyd's henchman, Kruthep. They can sneak down means of propulsion. But you can see a line of
the tunnel and eavesdrop. Go to the next Event. men lying prone on the deck. No, not men—
empty suits of armor, just like the armor you've
3. Frontal Assault seen in this cavern.
Two figures are standing at the bow. One is a
The guerillas sound the alarm, then try to get the human—at least, he looks human—wearing a full
PCs to surrender, meanwhile donning as much armor

22
 suit of the strange armor you've seen in this ca- an orcish rasp to it. "Many are puppets, in their
vern. His helmet visor is up, showing a handsome ways. If you wish to see strength, watch! Stand
face of the same general type as the others in this forth, the elf who would be shifted."
cave. The short pale elf glances to his commander,
Beside him, looming over him, stands a mino- then walks forward near the cabin. 'You hear the
taur, a monster with the body of a huge man and words of magic muttered inside, and the elf hun-
the head of a bull. Its horns curve out on either ches over in pain!
side of its head, as graceful as the prow of the
barge; the horns are carved with strange symbols
unlike any you've ever seen. This is the start of Koresh's polymotph spell. For
The people standing in front of the barge are the subsequent development of the spell, assuming
arguing loudly with the armored man at the bow. the PCs don't interfere, see below.
The subject of the argument seems to be a stack The mysterious voice belongs to Prince Udan, the
of small wooden casks by the barge. Even from goblin controlled by the inhuman Blood Brethren
where you are, you can smell the odor of mint. Koresh Teyd. Koresh has neglected to maintain
Udan's body, and so the voice is cracking. Occasion-
ally Koresh loosens his control long enough for Udan
This is serpent-mint, of course, hundreds of to croak a plea for help, in his own voice. For further
pounds of it. Taranic is haggling for a higher price, as examples of this duality, see Chapter 6.
described below.
The barge is the magical Semekhtet-barge men- Options tor Action
tioned above. The armored man is Koresh Teyd's
chief henchman, Kruthep, a coldly cruel magic-user Let the PCs take whatever actions they like. Their
who follows Koresh in order to gain power. The options here depend on their mode of entry and
minotaur is Augar, the barge's helmsman, who other circumstances. Here are some typical ap-
speaks the magical words of command that send the proaches.
boat through solid rock. Descriptions and statistics Continuing to watch: Read the following aloud.
for both these NPCs appear in this module's appen-
dix.
The PCs may act now, or they may decide to listen The elf groans in pain as the spell takes hold. His
to the argument. If they act, skip to the discussion of long white hair falls out, and his nose juts further
options below. If they do listen, read the following from his face. His dark clothing rips as the whole
aloud. The PCs can interrupt at any time, of course. body lengthens and straightens.
Tan color washes over the elf s white skin, as
though he's been dipped in sand. Black hair
The armored man on the barge is speaking in a sprouts on his scalp and over his eyes. Before your
voice like a cat's purr. "Taranic, your little exer- eyes, he's turning human.
cises in marketeering leave us unimpressed, "four The commander, Taranic, watches with a mix-
merchant scum here arranged a fair exchange for ture of distaste and approval. He says to Kruthep,
the mint. We stick to the agreed rate—or you can "Now that is strength."
watch this new armor drift away, perhaps into And as he says the words, the spellbound elf
enemy hands." screams! His arms lengthen and his legs contort
The one he is talking to replies, in a voice not into claws. In moments, as you watch, the former
so much like a cat's purr as a lion's growl. elf becomes a giant hawk with flaming wings—
"Clearly, it is a human's way to bluster about then a yellow-eyed ocelot—then a leafy
fairness. My people have never been treated fairly. bush, with blooms that are tiny human faces,
We do not know fairness." sobbing uncontrollably—and finally a tiny orange
He continues, "But we do know need. We sea-slug, curling and twisting on the cave floor.
know how much you need this green leaf at your Taranic and his men have shied back in horror.
breeding ground. And also, we do know strength. Only Kruthep stands near the slug. He says,
%u, Kruthep, O talker like the wind in tunnels, "And this, too, is strength." And, jumping off
you are not strong. We would speak to the one the barge, he lifts his foot over the slug.
who pulls your strings."
On the barge, the minotaur laughs—a laugh
like a snort. He nods his bull head. The armored If the PCs don't interfere, Kruthep violently
man called Kruthep draws a breath, sharply, and grinds the slug beneath his armored heel. In death it
for a moment you think he'll leap at the one reverts to the elf s original form, which now shows
below. And then it looks like he'll hit the mino- the effects of the murder.
taur instead. If the PCs do interfere with Kruthep, go to "At-
But suddenly a voice comes from the barge's tacking" below to handle the battle. Taranic and his
cabin. It's a strange mixture of hoarseness and aides help the PCs attack Kruthep. But Koresh Teyd
power, like the last words of a dying general. "Do (still hidden in his cabin) stops the battle before
not talk of strings, elf," says the voice, which has Kruthep can die.
In a sardonic tone, Koresh congratulates the PCs

23
"for preventing this needless death." Over Kruthep's find themselves at the bottom of deep holes, or
protests, he may hire the PCs and have them join pressed against the tunnel ceiling by a sudden stalag-
him on his trip to Nithia, unless he is aware of their mite.
enmity toward him. In the latter case he leaves them If the PCs lose or surrender, Taranic interrogates
here in the cave, with a taunting farewell. In either the survivors, then binds them and takes them to the
case, Kruthep has formed a deep and lasting hatred Annelid cavern described in the next chapter. There
for the heroes. he dumps them in the pool to drown—except that
Interfering with the spell: If the PCs stop Koresh the heroes get swallowed first.
from continuing his spell, the elf lives, but faints
from the shock. The Barge Departs
The Schattenalfen reaction depends on circum-
stances. Taranic may attack them at once, or may When the barge leaves, read this aloud:
simply chastize the PCs for their evident blunder;
remember, he doesn't suspect that Koresh intended
anything but a routine transformation into a Nithian. The minotaur mumbles a magic word, and the
If the guerillas attack the PCs, Kruthep orders a barge seems to sink down into the stone floor,
hasty retreat from "this unseemly brawling." The without a sound, without a vibration. The deck
rockship departs as described below. At your option, sinks toward the ground. The minotaur and
the elf whom the PCs rescued may revive and help Kruthep turn away and head toward the cabin.
defend the PCs against his former comrades' attacks.
(A potential NPC ally for the rest of the adventure?)
Approaching the barge's cabin: If a PC looks in its There is hardly a better cue for the PCs to try
one window, he sees only an impenetrable continual leaping aboard and hitching a ride. Each PC has one
darkness. Koresh Teyd is in here, but wishes to keep opportunity. If you wish, ask for Dexterity checks
his appearance secret from the Schattenalfen guerillas. from those who want to leap aboard; or the attempts
He passes commands out via Kruthep. The PCs can be automatically successful.
should not actually see Koresh Teyd until Chapter 6. The attempts could fail, instead—the heroes could
If a PC somehow does manage to glimpse Koresh be too late to enter the magical transition domain
Teyd, consult Chapter 6 or the appendix for his de- that the barge creates. Make this choice if you want
scription. the PCs to travel to the Nithian Empire inside a
Questioning: No one is willing to give information Great Annelid, as described in the next chapter. (Or,
to these upstart PCs—no one except Taranic, and he if the party gets split up, one group goes on the
just trades lies for supplies, as described above. With barge as the other travels inside the worm. Both
Koresh's approval, Kruthep may hire the PCs as groups arrive in Nithia at about the same time.)
muscle, assuming he and Koresh don't realize they If the PCs get aboard the barge, all goes dark as
are enemies. In this case, Koresh can take them they enter solid rock. They can feel the deck beneath
aboard the barge back to Nithia. their feet, and they can move, talk, eat, and sleep
But if the heroes show too much curiosity, he freely. But they are held inside the boat magically, and
dismisses them with a curt wave and commands they cannot leave. Also, they cannot enter the barge's
Augar to leave the dock. Then the PCs can attack, cabin, and Koresh and his henchmen never leave it.
just watch the boat leave (narration for its departure The heroes receive dim, cursory sensations of pass-
is given below), or try to leap aboard and hitch a ride ing through lava pools, huge echoing caverns, and
(see below). rich veins of gold. But the impressions vanish in
Attacking: Make sure the players understand the moments.
strength of the opposition before they rush headlong The journey to the Nithian Empire requires several
into battle: Taranic, his two aides, up to four mer- days. If the PCs don't have provisions for that long
chants another Schattenalf, Kruthep, Augar, and the journey, they can find and break into stores of salted
mysterious sorcerer in the cabin. This should discour- meat and casks of water stored on deck.
age foolhardy assaults.
But if it doesn't, your priority in staging the battle
is to let Koresh Teyd and the barge escape, without WHERE NEXT? -
harming the PCs unduly. The PCs can even stow
away on the escaping barge, if you wish. But in no In this chapter the PCs should discover that poly-
case can the PCs capture Koresh or his servants. morphed Schattenalfen are trading serpent-mint for
To begin the battle, the guerillas in World-Shield the World-Shield armor; that the serpent-mint traders
armor move to engage the PCs, fighting to subdue have something to do with the feathered serpent
them or force their surrender. Meanwhile, at Koresh's breeding ground; and, perhaps, that there is a strange
command, Augar speaks the command word that transportation network beneath the Hollow World's
starts the Semekhtet-barge on its way, while Kruthep surface. And the heroes should meet Kruthep, Augar,
grabs a couple of casks of serpent-mint and heaves a and the mysterious voice of Koresh Teyd.
suit of World-Shield armor overside. Once that is taken care of, lure the PCs onto the
If necessary, Koresh casts move earth against the Semekhtet-barge to Nithia (go to Chapter 6) or down
PCs. Suddenly, the earth buckles beneath their feet, to the Annelid breeding chamber in the next chap-
tossing them around like a pulled rug. Persistent PCs ter. There they get swallowed alive.

24
 In this chapter the PCs discover a deserted hatch- There's a mess hanging from the center of the
ing chamber of the Great Annelids, learn something dome. The PCs can make out a shapeless, bulging
of their grisly life cycle, and finally encounter an mass of dried mud and some things that look like
Annelid—at extreme close range. In fact, it eats huge, broken eggshells. This is a deserted Annelid
them alive! nest, described below under "Investigation."
With Koresh Teyd's arrival and the introduction of Around the ceiling of the dome, around the
the symbionts, the Schattenalfen (through their hanging mud, the PCs can see many smaller tun-
distant allies, the Nithians) have started to employ nel openings. Some are only a few feet in diame-
the great worms not only as miners of the World- ter, but others are over six feet. Almost all the
Shield ore, but as transportation. Ordinarily the
tunnels except this one are closed loops—that is,
Annelids move quite sluggishly. With symbionts
attached, however, their speed increases by several they return by circuitous routes to another part of
orders of magnitude. The dark elves, always clever this cavern.
(and none too squeamish), have enchanted the crea- With the smoothness of the ceiling, this whole
tures to allow a passenger to survive in suspended place might have been eaten out of the living rock
animation in a worm's interior. from below by a huge Annelid, maybe 40 feet in
Koresh Teyd dedicates few Annelids to transport. diameter. The dome would be where the giant
But a large Annelid crosses subterranean territory worm stopped eating.
faster than almost any other mortal creature. The This, in fact, is true. But don't tell the players!
Annelid speedily ferries the heroes over 3,000 miles
underground to the next chapter's location, the The Cavern's Secret
Nithian Empire.
Years ago, a gigantic Great Annelid ate this entire
HOW THEY GET THERE cavern as a hatching chamber. The excavation inci-
dentally made an inlet beside an underground river,
creating the pool the PCs see. (The Annelid's later
When you are ready to send the heroes along tunneling diverted the river, isolating the pool.)
toward Nithia, then wherever they are, the PCs no- The Annelid's nest is the hanging mass of mud on
tice a suspiciously new-looking tunnel ten feet in the dome's ceiling. When its eggs hatched, the
diameter. It is smooth, circular, and shows little sign hatchlings ate the smaller tunnels as part of their
of traffic; in fact, it looks much like the tunnel the early forays from the nest.
PCs used to climb down into the Hollow World After the Annelids grew large enough to leave the
(depicted in HWAl). The tunnel leads gently down- nest, the mother abandoned this chamber. For a time
ward. after the Annelids' departure, the Schattenalfen used
If necessary, tempt the PCs into the tunnel by the pool as a reservoir. But their wastes polluted it,
having them follow a Schattenalf or some other and they turned it into a "depot," of sorts, for elves
quarry. Or, if the heroes are searching for some way who would summon the Annelid. This summoning
back to the outer world, an elf could point them is triggered by entry into the cavern—as the PCs soon
down this tunnel, knowing that the heroes will never discover.
return from it. Since this is a vertical Annelid tunnel, what keeps
the water in the pool? The tunnel goes down under-
water, then bends to one side and arcs up, so that the
THE SCENE water only fills the bottom bend. The PCs may try
swimming down to investigate the bottom. If so, go
to "Event," below.
The tunnel ends at an underground pond. The
water looks black; your light strikes thin rain-
bow lines off a layer of oil on the water's sur-
INVESTIGATION
face. You hear droplets falling into the still
water, making echoes in what sounds like a The chamber has a new raft and rope because
large cavern. The air smells of rancid fat. these are destroyed each time an Annelid arrives. All
A wooden raft is tied to a wooden post an- PCs can easily fit on this raft and travel safely across
chored in the stone nearby. The guy-rope and the chamber. However, there is nowhere to go. Give
the raft both look like elvish make, and both the PCs time to examine the nest overhead, and then
look brand new. trigger the Event that follows.

The Elemental Bodies

The cavern is dark. If the PCs can see in dark-
ness or produce bright light, describe it: a dome The nest overhead is mostly dried clods of dirt
about 40' across, with smooth walls leading held together with a viscous, slimy liquid that feels
straight down into the fetid pool. The droplets, like mucus. (It is mucus, the adhesive Annelids use
condensation from the dome, fall every minute or to construct their nests. The humid air of the cavern
keeps it moist.)
two.

25
 In the dirt are the dry shards of five 15' long,
capsule-shaped eggs. These are the Annelid's eggs,
but the PCs have no way to know that unless they
guess.
Protruding amid the dirt are several statues, or so
it would appear. It's hard to tell, for all have been
shattered. The larger fragments indicate these were
roughly humanoid, about ten feet tall, with huge
limbs and chests but no necks. They might have
resembled the earth elemental the PCs saw before,
Gabbro.
Detect magic or other analysis shows a residual
magical energy. (However, detect evil and the like
reveal nothing.) The PCs may realize that these are
in fact the bodies of five dead earth elementals—
insofar as earth elementals leave bodies when they
die. Why are they here?
The tunnels around the dome were not quite the
young Annelids' first meals. The fragmented
"statues" in the nest are actually the debris of dead
earth elementals. The PCs learn later in the adven-
ture that young Annelids hatch inside live, paralyzed
elementals. The young burrowers eat their way out of
the living creatures, feeding on their energies to
begin their life cycle. (Only large "mother" Annelids
have the ability to trap and paralyze the elementals.)
When the PCs have looked around and you have
established the mystery of the elemental bodies,
begin the following Event.

EVENT
There is no useful warning, except the smallest of
tremors in the surface of the pool. No sound marks
the approach—until it is much too late. Read this
aloud:

"ibu glance at the water, and you notice a small

ripple. Then, in the time it takes you to blink,
the ripple grows to a solid wave of water that
rushes from your feet outward. Another eyeblink,
and the wave crashes against another of the same
size, rushing inward from the cavern walls.
"Vfou still haven't had time to draw a full breath
when the rumbling starts beneath your feet. 'Ybu
look around for whatever is crawling from the
water.
And then all of the water—the whole pond—
explodes upward!
Yout light goes flying end over end, and in that
wavering light something as huge as a building
rises up around you. Filthy water washes over you!
With a tremendous roar, walls rise to surround
you—to cover the ceiling! And then you
realize. . .
It's not walls. It's a mouth.
It closes around you. Something big strikes your 111 ^
weapons from your hands. Something wet

26
 grabs your entire body like a giant fist. The roar- The blob reaches your chin and flows up over your
ing grows muffled, then stops. %u can't move. face. It's semi-transparent, so you can make out
You're trapped. the sights of your friends being engulfed too. You
You're swallowed up. feel its tendrils reaching up your nose. Tfbu open
And it all took two seconds. your mouth to scream, and it slides down your
throat. . . .
This is a very large Great Annelid, about 40' in And everything goes dark.
diameter. See the Appendix for its statistics.
If any PC remains outside the cavern when the The PCs go into suspended animation, while the
Annelid arrives, the creature drives at the character, platelets feed them air and sustenance.
eating its way straight through solid rock, gulping Attacking: This should be futile. Fighters cannot get
the PC down with an avalanche of broken stone. at their weapons, and spelkasters cannot speak, gesture,
The PCs can't dodge, can't drive the Annelid or use any items except those they wear. If they manage
back, and can't make a saving throw. They're to make an attack, the platelets are conveniently im-
caught. mune to whatever hits them.
Optionally, you can allow clever PCs to circumvent
Nowhere to Run their bindings and attack the worm. Such attacks
may succeed automatically, if only to let the PCs cut
The heroes have absolutely no chance to escape— their way out from the worm's interior. However,
none. Obviously this is unfair; but consider the alter- inside the worm, their perceptions slow drastically.
native. If you allow the PCs an opportunity to escape By the time they free themselves, five days have
the Annelid, they must make their way on their passed and the PCs are already in the Nithian Em-
own, without guidance, through 2,300 miles of pire!
Schattenalfen caverns. This would take many Why? The Schattenalfen have enchanted the travel
months, and in that time Koresh Teyd could plausi- chamber to protect unmoving passengers from the
bly complete his scheme. cabin-fever hysteria that may occur after prolonged
Recall also that, should you extend this trilogy's confinement. When their time perceptions are
storyline to cover the extra time the PCs need, then slowed, thefive-daytrip appears to take no more
clerics in the Known and Hollow Worlds will have no than a few minutes. The PCs are all equally slowed,
spells or Immortal guidance for that time. so they may not understand what has happened until
This module assumes that the Annelid transports they get out.
the PCs to the Nithian Empire, in suspended anima- Note that giving the PCs freedom of action inside
tion, in about five days. See "Travel Speed," below. the worm is strictly optional. For plot reasons that
become clear at the beginning of the next chapter,
it's better simply to have the PCs pass out and then
INSIDE THE ANNELID wake up, groggy and weak, days later on the banks
of the Nithia.
like a pit trap, the creature's throat opens to swal-
low up the PCs. It constricts around them in se- Travel Speed
quence, and they feel like they're being wrapped in
hot blankets and passed roughly hand to hand down The Annelid travels about 20 miles an hour, the
a long line—in fact, down the first few segments of speed of a very fast runner. (Smaller Annelids go
the Annelid's body. slower.) But where a sprinter quickly tires, the Anne-
After their entry into the monster, the PCs soon lid crawls for hour after hour through the tunnels
arrive in the first stomach. Read this aloud: that riddle the World's Spine. The creature never
tires; it need not stop to eat, for it can consume the
rock that lines the tunnels it crawls through. In this
You fall out of the creature's throat and splash in way it covers nearly 500 miles a day. So the PCs'
a pool of bad-smelling liquid. %u can't move. involuntary journey across more than 2,300 miles
Something has paralyzed you. takes just five days. On foot, it would take at least
Phosphorescent fluid is gushing from the walls several months.
of this stomach. It casts a dim white light over the DM Note: An Annelid doesn't move this fast in
rocks being digested here. combat—only when it has built up speed over several
There's a white blob crawling up your leg. It's minutes. In terms of game movement rates, the
crawling higher, enveloping your waist. "Vfou can Annelid moves only moderately fast.
feel its warmth.

Each PC gets one of these white blobs, a platelet WHERE NEXT?

like the antibodies in the human immune system.
These have been enchanted to protect travellers This should be self-evident—wherever the Annelid
within the Annelid. They won't harm the PCs, but wants to go! Its controlling symbiont has been given
the PCs don't know that. just one instruction: Take its passengers to Koresh
Teyd. The gigantic burrower deposits the PCs on the
borders of the Nithian Empire, in the next chapter.

27
 Whether the PCs arrive by Semekhtet-barge or
Annelid, this chapter takes place at their destination: worms, dozens of yards long, writhing around
a sandstone mesa in the desert 80 miles south of each other in a hollow of this mesa.
Tarthis, capital of the Nithian Empire. Oh, and a line of earth elementals is ferrying
In searching for the breeding ground of the feath- strange metal fragments from the earthworm
ered serpents, the PCs have accidentally stumbled on hollow up the side of the mesa, like a bucket
that of the Great Annelids! Actually, the Annelids brigade.
have no single breeding ground as such. However, And then, of course, there's also the cedarwood
they often congregate for days at a time at a single barge resting on the lip of the mesa, near you.
spot, attracted by a particular flavor of rock or a The armored man called Kruthep is guiding the
concentration of elemental magic. elementals as they load the metal into the barge.
On this mesa Koresh Teyd has taken the opportu- On the barge you can see a few suits of the
nity to corral the Annelids. With the aid of his ele- strange armor you've been encountering—but
mental servants, he fits the Annelids with symbionts these suits are rusty brown and corroded.
and gathers the leavings, or castings, of the Anne- Other than that, there's no sign of life.
lids' eating in the crust of the planet. This is his
source of World-Shield ore.
Since the Annelids cannot digest World-Shield
ore, this pure material makes its way through the
EVENTS
creatures that eat it and is left behind as waste cast- Waking Up
ings. The castings also contain other indigestibles—
such as the PCs. Use this event only if the PCs are trapped in
World-Shield castings. Huge earthen arms extend
THE SCENE from the promontory, pick up the PCs, and ferry
them toward the Semekhtet-barge. These are earth
elementals, moving just below the surface. No ripple
If the PCs arrived here via the Great Annelid: or upturned clod of dirt marks their passage through
They awaken from their long journey partly encased the rock.
in Annelid castings of nearly pure World-Shield ore. At the barge, the arms gently lift the PCs onto the
Each casting looks like half of a hollow cylinder, with deck. A dozen or so similar castings already lie on
jagged upward-turning edges. In fact, it looks much deck. Though they look fragile, no force can dent or
like this adventure. splinter them.
Only the PCs' faces are exposed in the glistening Kruthep gloats over the heroes' plight, taunting
grayish metal. Their nails and beards (where appro- their helplessness, perhaps even slapping the exposed
priate) have grown, indicating the passage of time. face of a PC who insults him. Kruthep is a loathsome
The Great Annelid that swallowed them is nowhere henchmen, sadistic toward underlings and truckling
to be seen. to his master. Try to inspire the players' deep resent-
The PCs are groggy and painfully stiff. They can- ment toward him.
not move inside the castings. Spellcasting and magi- For Kruthep's statistics, see the appendix.
cal items don't work because of the ore's anti-magic Kruthep may offer mysterious, frustrating clues in
effects. response to the PCs' questions. For instance, if they
For the description of their surroundings, keep ask what the armor is made of, he says, "\bu're
reading. wearing it now. No matter where you are, you'd
If the PCs came here aboard the Semekhtet-barge: have to travel 500 miles to find that ore." (That is,
The barge rises through blackness and surfaces on a travel straight down 500 miles to the World-Shield
rock promontory jutting straight up from a sandstone gravity belt.)
mesa. The following events proceed regardless of the
However the PCs arrived, read the following de- PCs' status. Even trapped in the castings, they can
scription aloud: investigate by observing and asking questions.
Staging note: If the PCs arrived via Annelid and
are still trapped, try to move through the expository
"ibu can see clearly for miles around. But there is material here smoothly and rapidly. The players have
nothing to see except yellow-white sand dunes, had little chance to do anything, and while trapped
extending away like an ocean in all directions. in the castings they still won't, until they get free as
In the east, where the world curves up, you described below. The more quickly these intervening
think you can make out a thin jagged line of light scenes go by, the faster you can get the players active
brown, a river, with green squares of farmland on again.
either bank. Beyond it there is more desert, and
then haze and clouds block everything.
"Vfou're on a tall mesa rising out of the desert, a
Enter Augar
mass of rock the color of dried blood. The only
signs of life here are a few scrubby tamarisk and The door of the barge's cabin opens. The mino-
thistle bushes. . . and, of course, the giant taur you saw in the bat cavern comes out. He's
carrying a small, bright red creature. It's sort of

28
 climax of the adventure, that these symbionts were
disc-shaped, but irregular, with lots of barbs and once feathered serpents, transformed by dark magic
prongs sticking out at all angles. In skin texture it in Nightrage foundry.
resembles a leech, and it smells like acid. All Augar says about it is, "Urnnh. Have to put it
Kruthep sneers. "Look at Augar," he says, on worm. Makes worm listen. Obey orders, like
"One monster carrying another." Augar has to." He sighs heavily.
He's about to add something else when a voice Augar's role in the adventure: Now brutish and
from the cabin calls, "Kruthep! In here!" And slow-witted, Augar the minotaur has formed a dull
then, in a different tone, the same voice adds, hatred of Koresh Teyd and (especially) Kruthep. But
"No! In Wogar's name, please help me!" he dares not attack them, for he fears their magic.
Kruthep hesitates, then straightens and enters Augar works as a wild card in the adventure—
the cabin. perhaps allied with the PCs, perhaps their enemy. It
all depends on whether and how long the PCs can
get access to him, as well as the approach they take in
Known World PCs familiar with the Broken Lands persuading him to join them.
may recall (with an Intelligence check) that Wogar is For instance, promises to turn him back to his
the patron Immortal of the humanoids in High human form don't work; Augar is still debating the
Gobliny, homeland of the goblin prince Udan. merits of minotaur form. But anything that frees him
Prince Udan's own voice briefly (and futilely) over- from Koresh's authority, or anything that does harm
came Koresh Teyd's mental control. to Kruthep, probably goes over well.
There is only one plot-related reason for Kruthep
to enter the cabin: His absence leaves the PCs alone
with Augar, so that they can get to know him and Infecting a Symbiont
vice versa.
Just as Augar is about to betray an important
As detailed in this module's appendix, Augar the
secret, or finally decide to join the PCs, Kruthep
helmsman is a minotaur, formerly a Nithian (human)
comes back on deck and orders the minotaur to "go
soldier whom the priests of Nithia polymorphed into
infect another one of the Annelids." Sighing, Augar
this form. The figure of the bull-headed man is one
jumps off deck and trudges toward the hollow where
of the many animal-human hybrid entities that the
the Annelids have gathered.
Nithians worship.
As the PCs watch, Augar hesitates, then leaps on
But if the PCs ask about his background, Augar
the back of a large Annelid. Clutching one of its
says only, "Was once like you. Thought it would be
ridgelines one-handed, the minotaur slaps the sym-
good, good, to be like this. Priests made me. Hrn-
biont onto the worm's gray, sandpaper-like hide.
nnh." If the heroes ask whether it is good being a
minotaur, Augar says, "Still not sure." At once the symbiont crawls forward, even as the
Annelid tries to throw off both riders. Blind, but
The creature: Heroes who saw the young Annelid
guided by some unknown instinct, the symbiont
in HWA1, Chapter 4, instantly recall the seeming
crawls forward unerringly to the Annelid's cluster of
parasite that rode just behind its clump of sensory
sense tentacles. Then the symbiont extrudes two
tentacles. This creature must be the same variety; all
sharp fangs from its body and sinks the fangs into
it lacks is a host.
the Annelid.
This, of course, is a symbiont, the creature that
allows Koresh Teyd to command the Annelids. The The change comes at once. The Annelid freezes,
PCs cannot know now, and won't find out until the paralyzed. Then Augar leaps off and grunts a com-
mand: "Hunh. Go to ship." And the Annelid re-

29
sponds, slithering up to the barge! (but unbreakable) cord around the slender goblin
There Kruthep shouts orders: "Tunnel down to neck; in back it runs under the slug, so PCs cannot
the gravity layer and eat tunnels straight through it. easily remove it. The item is presumably magical,
When you are full, return here." but if analyzed, its effect is unclear.
The PCs' shouts to the Annelid have no effect. The PCs only learn near the adventure's conclusion
But if they try such a tactic, as a means of escape for that this vial, a magical item called a durance vizi,
instance, that's a clever idea and worth an experience holds the life forces of two leaders of the fire and
point bonus. However, it only alienates Kruthep and earth elementals. Koresh holds them hostage to
brings the wrath of Koresh Teyd down on the PCs. extort the elementals' cooperation, both here and in
(See "Talking with Koresh," below.) the Nightrage foundry. Koresh always keeps the vial
close to him. Don't let the PCs steal this vial; it
Enter Koresh Teyd figures prominently at the module's climax.

Again the cabin door opens. A darkness inside INVESTIGATION

seems to lift, and a small figure staggers out. He's
thin as a skeleton, and an inhuman skeleton at The Elementals
that: short, hunched, with a sloping forehead and
gawky limbs. He's a goblin, and it looks like he Koresh, supervising the earth elementals, con-
hasn't eaten in a month. stantly brandishes the vial around his neck. Every
The goblin wears nothing but a loincloth made time the elementals see this, they instantly carry out
of some kind of animal fur. He also wears some- whatever orders he gives—loading the ore castings
thing like a small iron cylinder on a thin chain faster, disposing of garbage from the cabin, patrol-
around his neck. And there's something on his ling the mesa borders.
back, but you can't see what. His limbs twitch By calling an elemental aside for a whispered con-
like they're pulled by strings. ference, the PCs might collect a few enigmatic clues.
The worst sight is the goblin's eyes. They're The elemental, named Pyrite for its distinctive gold-
bulging, bloodshot, and filled with terror. But his like flecks, confesses that it and its fellows have
voice is confident, as though someone else were vowed to serve Koresh Teyd, reluctant though they
using it. are. "He speeeaks. We aaact. All he says, we doooo."
"When the loading is done, we leave for The wizard clearly has some hold on them, yet
Tarthis," the voice says. "The foundry is running magic of this kind does not function in the Hollow
short." Kruthep bows his head and says, "Tfes, World. Pyrite, like all the elementals the PCs meet,
great Koresh." refuses to reveal the nature of Koresh Teyd's power
Then the goblin's head turns, as though some- over them.
one's hand swivelled it around. He sees you, and (Only at the adventure's end do the PCs learn the
for a moment the voice changes—his whole man- reason for their silence: shame, at the way their ele-
ner changes. For a moment he looks like nothing mental ruler became involved with (gasp!) a fire
but a frightened goblin. "You! Friends!" he elemental, and the way Koresh trapped both beings
shouts. "Help me, help —" in his durance vial.)
And then he changes again, and says. "Enough About Gabbro: If the PCs ask after Gabbro, the
of that. We have work to finish." elemental they met in the first part of this adven-
He goes over to barge-side and looks down at ture, Pyrite reports that Gabbro is missing. No one
the elementals. And now you see his back. Reach- knows where the elemental cleric has gone, but the
ing from the base of his neck all the way down his elementals are gravely worried.
spine is a dark brown mass of oily flesh, like a Enlisting aid: If you want to speed the adventure
hump. The skin is moist like a slug's. It's shot along, the PCs might enlist the elementals' aid in
through with yellow veins, and it pulses as you escaping Koresh Teyd and journeying overland
watch. (under-land, that is) to Tarthis. "Biiig power there,"
say the elementals. Their vow prevents them from
carrying the heroes directly to Nightrage foundry.
But the elementals know the PCs can find enough
This wretched creature is Udan, once a goblin
information in the Nithian capital to make their own
prince of the tribe of High Gobliny in the Broken
way there.
Lands of the Known World. Now he is the puppet of
the Brethren parasite Koresh Teyd, the slug-like
monstrosity riding on his back. The Armor
Koresh has neglected the body of his goblin host,
forbidding it food and sleep. This accounts for Koresh also commands the elementals to offload
Udan's horrible condition. Occasionally his tor- the rusting armor on deck. These suits of World-
mented spirit breaks through to scream a phrase or Shield ore have corroded at the joints and are covered
two. with a fine sheet of rust. The metal, once impervious
The pendant: The PCs also note that Koresh car- to physical force, now shatters like brittle rock.
ries a small iron vial, too large for a potion vial but "This load was the first to go," Koresh tells
much too small for a canteen. It hangs from a thin Kruthep, where the PCs may overhear (perhaps with
a successful Intelligence check, if you wish). "I foiled

30
the elves' questions with a cock-and-bull story, but Fighting
the other suits will start to go soon.—Your plan will
fail! Let me go!" The voice of Udan breaks in on If the PCs attack him, Koresh retaliates. Since he's
Koresh's voice, but the wizard again overcomes the a 25th-level magic-user, with the extorted support of
goblin. "Nonsense! We only increase the demand a horde of earth elementals, he probably overcomes
this way. Soon they may be helping us mine the the PCs in short order. Go to "Offense Taken," de-
whole World-Shield." scribed below. _
This should be the PCs' first clue, and perhaps If the heroes are somehow beating Koresh, he
their only one, that confirms the World-Shield armor defends himself, then quickly leaps aboard the
is unstable. If they have procured their own suits, Semekhtet-barge and escapes. He is entirely willing
they should realize that they cannot remain invinci- to leave Augar in the lurch, and Kruthep as well if
ble forever. (In future combats, dangle the danger of necessary. Use any device necessary to ensure that he
sudden armor failure. When will the armor corrode escapes.
and fall from the heroes' limbs? Which sword-stroke If the PCs defeat the remaining opposition, go
will shatter a breastplate? This adds tension to other- directly to "Where Next?" at the end of this chapter.
wise uneventful fights.)
Talking—and a Job Offer
Annelids
It's important to recognize that, depending on
The huge Great Annelids writhe and wriggle over circumstances, Koresh may not yet realize the PCs
one another, their anterior and posterior ends impos- are his enemies. Unless the PCs attacked Koresh
sible to identify and separate. The PCs have their directly in the bat cavern, killed his henchman, or
first chance to examine closely the creatures that have subverted his minotaur, Koresh regards the PCs
created all the unnaturally smooth and round tun- simply as itinerant adventurers who accidentally got
nels they've been travelling through. swallowed by an Annelid or hitched a ride on his
The Annelids are Koresh's pride. They are the barge. Koresh is suspicious by nature, but after all,
living symbol of Thanatos's power, for the Entropy he may have no evidence (yet) that the PCs are hos-
Immortal has resurrected them even despite the tile.
insuperable Spell of Preservation. Granted, he could Therefore, whether by flattering Koresh, playing
not resurrect their intellects as well as their bodies— dumb, pretending evil intent, or some other strategy,
but with the new symbionts, the burrowers remain as the PCs may lure Koresh to free them from the ore.
potent a menace now as in the prehistory of the He's certainly not dumb; he has plenty of defensive
Hollow World. spells ready, and he makes sure the PCs are disarmed.
Koresh dares not tell the heroes any of this. How- He has half his earth elementals do the job, while
ever, he may reveal other secrets, if the PCs play the other half guard him.

o
upon his vanity and arrogance. Given skillful psy- In talking with the PCs, Koresh probably spots
chology in their probing, the PCs can learn from their talents and offers them a job. "There are great
Koresh of the symbionts' function (but not their movements in the world now, and every able warrior
origin!); is needed to help bring about a new order. I would
of the tunnels through the World-Shield, and of like to present you to my employer," he says, putting
the Annelid castings that refine the ore into the form the faintest touch of sarcasm on the last word.
used to make the armor (but not the real reason (This "employer" business is Koresh's ironic refer-
Koresh wants tunnels through the World-Shield); ence to Pharaoh Ramose IV, from the boxed cam-
and of the life cycle of the Annelids, including the paign set. Koresh has played on Ramose's ambitions
way the hatchlings feed on the life forces of para- to build ever greater monuments, offering great glory
lyzed earth elementals. in return for non-interference with the Nightrage
foundry.)
Talking With Koresh Clever heroes recognize the need to know their
enemy; they may accept eagerly. If so, Koresh takes
First, Koresh Teyd takes care of business. He ap- them on a barge-ride to the basement of the Royal
praises the ore castings on hand, nods, and says, Palace in Tarthis. If the PCs refuse without appearing
"Again, quite pure. Nothing matches those Anne- overtly hostile, Koresh nods and departs without
lids for purity of extraction." Then he orders the hard feelings—though Kruthep may manage to get
elementals to dump the corroded World-Shield ar- in a parting shot.
mor overside, along with spoiled food and other Double blind: Note that the PCs may be as much
garbage from the barge cabin. in the dark as Koresh, especially if they haven't
At last, as appropriate depending on circum- played the other modules in this trilogy. They may
stances, Koresh examines and talks with the PCs. not yet realize Koresh Teyd is the main villain of this
Since he doesn't necessarily know they are his ene- module. They may possibly regard him as a hench-
mies, he might converse with them peaceably, sound- man, and his "employer" as the chief villain. If so,
ing them out as possible servants (go to "Talking" try to perpetuate this confusion, keeping the truth to
below). But if the heroes don't sound cooperative, surprise the players in the adventure's climax.
Koresh casually attacks.

31
Offense Taken Beyond a rocky outcropping to the north the PCs
find an artisan village, a layout of some 40 rude mud
Run this sequence only if the PCs are trapped in huts without roofs. These are all deserted, for the
the Annelid castings. artisans have been recruited to Pharaoh Ramose's
Very possibly the PCs do not immediately charm distant mortuary. The poor huts are temporary struc-
Koresh; instead, they insult him, alienate him, or tures designed to house construction workers, and
demonstrate dangerous knowledge of his plan, or they contain only a few canteens of water and
that of his counterpart, Simm of the Grasping Dark pouches of dried food—dates, apricots, and nuts.
(see HWA1).
If so, Koresh wastes no more time in banter. Paus-
ing only to gloat, "So sorry you won't be able to
WHERE NEXT? -
drop in on us again," he kicks the PCs, still trapped Journey Through Stone
in their castings, over the side of the mesa!
The PCs still cannot escape the castings. They have If the PCs accompany Koresh on his Semekhtet-
many moments of a long fall through empty air to barge, the underground journey to the Royal Palace
contemplate their folly. Then the metal strikes the of Ramose IV takes only an hour or so. Should the
side of the cliff, and the shock knocks out the PCs. heroes try to attack Koresh or his aides while on the
All goes black. barge, Koresh springs a few hidden earth elementals
But don't let the players whine too loudly. Their to delay the PCs while he escapes.
characters haven't died. Just as the World-Shield ore Assuming all proceeds uneventfully, the barge
prevented their escape, so it also shields them from arrives at an underground "dock" beneath the phar-
damage by the fall. They arrive at the bottom out aoh's palace. Go to the next chapter, starting with
cold, but otherwise unharmed. the section there about the palace.
Koresh and his henchman leave the heroes to
starve or bake in the sun. But they will escape their
trap much sooner than he realizes. On Their Own
If the PCs separated from Koresh, they must locate
Getting Loose clues on their own in order to find the way to Tarthis.
The PCs could find a laggard earth elemental who
The PCs wake up trapped in the World-Shield has not yet followed Koresh's order to leave; this
castings. Let them try to escape, such as by rolling elemental could point them, not to Nightrage
against each other to crack the ore castings. Since the foundry (a violation of its oath), but to Tarthis.
ore has not been forged and tempered, it remains Also, the artisan housing might contain a make-
brittle, so you can be generous in allowing success for shift map, presumably made for an officer in charge
imaginative escape attempts. of buying food for the artisans. The map traces a
If the players have no idea how to get out, within route a few miles across open desert to a road leading
an hour or so they notice that the World-Shield ore is north to Tarthis.
corroding and turning powdery around their Finally, the heroes could just lurch toward the
fingertips—around their throats and ankles—in fact, flooded Nithia, the most prominent landmark
wherever it contacts their bodies. Soon they can get around. Optionally, stage a desert encounter from
free. the boxed campaign set. Once the heroes reach the
This reveals an unrecognized property of the river, routes leading anywhere but to Tarthis are
World-Shield ore, one that also affects the armor impassable because of the river's flood.
made from it. As described in this module's appen- When they reach the city, go to the next chapter,
dix, contact with a living wearer sooner or later ren- beginning with the "Investigation" section.
ders the ore unstable and useless. Koresh Teyd knows
this, but he has not told the Schattenalfen who use
his armor. Koresh did not realize how quickly the
untempered ore surrounding the PCs would decay
and free them.
Once the PCs are free, they can look around the
area and find a route to their next logical destina-
tion: Tarthis.

The Surroundings
The PCs stand at the base of a sandy cliff at the
desert's edge about 80 miles south of Tarthis, on the
west side of the Nithia ("west" in Hollow World
terms).
Several noblemen's tombs lie farther south on this
cliff. All of the old ones have been looted and the
newer ones are still being built. These tombs play no
part in this adventure.

32
 This chapter lists information sources in Tarthis backbreaking labor of a million peasants, stands
and the surrounding area. The PCs' investigation of aloof many miles distant from the dwellings of mere
these sources points to two places: a desert oasis far mortals in Tarthis. After all, this is the dwelling of
outside the city, below the mountains (the feathered the Nithians' Immortal patron in human form,
serpent breeding ground, described in the next chap- grand and unanswerable Pharaoh.
ter); and the mountains outside Tarthis, beneath The heavily guarded palace includes hundreds of
which Koresh Teyd has built a volcanic foundry to bedchambers for priests and attendant nobles, and
smelt World-Shield ore (Nightrage foundry, de- for Pharaoh's family and huge entourage. More im-
scribed in Chapter 9)- portant by far are the many temples built in every
Review the Nithian Empire entry in the boxed set's part of the palace, to every Immortal known to the
Atlas section. As you run the encounters in this chap- Nithians. The palace serves both everyday and spirit-
ter, stress the salient features of Nithian culture: ual needs, for in Nithia the two can never be sepa-
• its timeless, eternal quality; rated.
• its reliance on tradition and reluctance to inno- How the PCs arrive: If the PCs come to the palace
vate; under their own power, read the exterior palace de-
• reverence for the River Nithia, source of all scription under "The View From Outside," in the
water and all life; next subsection.
• a pragmatic attitude toward learning—though If the PCs travelled with Koresh Teyd on his
not dull-witted by any means, the Nithians do not Semekhtet-barge at the end of the previous chapter,
relish knowledge for its own sake, but only for the they arrive in the palace, at a cellar "pier." Read this
immediate uses it offers; and finally, aloud:
• morbid fascination with death and the pre-
sumed afterlife. The Nithians obsessively nurture a
complicated mythology of the tests, entities, and The darkness around you falls away, in a dean
experiences awaiting their spirits after they die. line, like a black curtain lowering. The barge
Significantly, none of this folklore comes directly surfaces through the bare stone floor of a long
from the Immortals. Rather, the Nithian priests room with painted walls and a low stone ceiling.
The room seems to be shaped exactly to accom-
"receive" it in visions and promulgate it to the peo-
ple. For Nithians, this life is only preparation for the modate the barge. on
true ordeal to come, and everything important in The wall paintings show long wooden barges
their society is directed toward that phase of exist- identical to the one you ride, and dusky people
ence. wearing white pleated loincloths and gesturing
strangely. Strange symbols are drawn around their
hands, so you decide these must be the wizards
THE SCENE that enchanted the barge.
Koresh Teyd staggers out of the cabin. His legs
are shaking, but his voice is deep and strong as he
The color mapsheet in this module includes a map says, "This is the dock beneath the Royal Palace
of Tarthis. Now read the description on that map, in Tarthis, capital of the Nithian Empire."
then return here. He continues, "I suggest you go upstairs, talk
As the PCs arrive, the Nithia is in the fourth to Pharaoh's guards—don't worry, they'll find
month of its annual four-month flood. Just now, the you—and ask to see Pharaoh in his Chamber of
river is brown and somewhat bad-smelling, for the the Sunfire Throne. I must leave you now, having
flood is depositing another rich load of silt on the pressing business elsewhere." As he says this, the
peasants' farmlands. The farmers will soon return to look in his eyes grows more frightened. It's like
their fields, but for now they remain at the Pharaoh's one person is controlling the goblin's mouth, and
beck and call. Ramose IV has set them several monu- another is looking out from those haunted eyes.
mental building projects in distant lands upriver, so
the PCs may meet comparatively few Nithians.
The description's interpretation of the paintings is
Though the peasants are mostly gone, the wildlife correct, and Koresh Teyd can confirm this.
of the river remains in force. Hippos, ibises (tall Once the PCs leave the boat, Prince Udan's emaci-
wading birds), and crocodiles haunt the shores. Gi- ated goblin body attempts to lunge over the side. But
raffes and jackals trot easily in the wild grasslands at instead, the skeletal figure falls prone. His head jerks
the desert border. Falcons and vultures circle over- upward as though pulled by a puppeteer's string, and
head, riding the hot wind from the western moun- Koresh's deep voice shouts, "Augar! Cast off!"
tains. PCs who succeed in an Intelligence check may
detect a hint of sulfur in those winds. But that is a The PCs cannot "rescue" Prince Udan. He made a
clue for later. senseless, futile attempt to escape Koresh's control,
but Koresh has reasserted dominance. If the PCs
attack Koresh or Augar, Koresh defends himself and
THE PALACE = the minotaur while the boat descends once more into
solid rock. The PCs will not see Koresh Teyd again
until the end of this module.
For a map of the Royal Palace of Pharaoh Ramose When the PCs leave this room, they enter the
IV, consult the module screen. Royal Palace above. Continue with the interior de-
The Royal Palace, built over 25 years with the scription under "Meeting Tothmes," below.

33
The View From Outside "•>••' ly^tm>A.•>.••.• It makes more sense, however, just to march up to
the gate and demand to see Pharaoh. If the PCs do
so, a squad of infantrymen asks them a few ques-
You first see the tremendous building in the dis- tions, then escorts them into the palace. Go to the
tance, miles away, against a background of jagged next subsection.
brown hills to one side, and the sluggish brown
Nithia River to the other. Meeting Tothmes
Between hills and river, a huge palace complex
stretches across the desert sand. Its brown stone is
the same color as the hills, and it looks as solid The interior of the Royal Palace reminds you of a
and changeless as the hills do. cavern. The walls are so far away, the ceiling so
Palm trees mark the high stone wall that sur- high, and the scale so much larger than human,
rounds the main building. In the still air, not a that the whole building seems like a work of
single leaf trembles. nature—or of Immortals.
Yo\x make your way to a rise overlooking the The first thing you notice is the smell. Exotic
palace. Twin statues stand at an open gate in the perfumes drench every room: lilacs, ambergris,
wall. The statues are sitting sphinxes, maybe fifty cedarwood, vanilla, and many others.
feet tall at the shoulder. Beyond the gate, a Pale light shines down from the skylights over-
straight path stretches across a quarter-mile of head. The massive columns regularly spaced in
open sand to the palace. The path is lined with every room are carved like lotus stalks, blossoming
wooden flagpoles and with smaller sphinx statues. to support the roof. Brown stone walls bear carv-
The palace itself is one long, low building, ings of Pharaoh conquering his enemies, dispens-
built in sections. The line of sections curves and ing excellent justice, and talking with his fellow
straightens and curves again, like a road. %u see Immortals in the afterlife.
row and rows of massive stone columns, standing The hall is crowded with people. 'Ybu see bald
like a forest. They support roofs made of giant priests wearing diaphanous pleated gowns,
stone blocks. Open skylights mark the roof of alligator-skin robes, and beaded necklaces. You
every section. see soldiers leading processions of naked slaves
Everywhere on the grounds you see squads of tied to a line of hemp rope. You see scribes, thin
spearmen, axemen, and archers, all wearing white men in loincloths, carrying rolls of papyrus and
loincloths and woven black wigs. Some carry clay jars of ink. And everywhere you see painters
round-topped wooden shields with serpent sym- and sculptors covering the walls with more of
bols on them. Pharaoh's exploits.
Curiously, you see hardly any women, except
for maidservants.
The serpent symbols do not include wings, as Echoes drift to you: the slap of sandals on
observant PCs may note. The serpent shown is a floors, the annoying tap of chisels on stone, and a
standard rock python, found in the jungles of the constant murmur of conversations throughout the
upper Nithia, near Hapta. colossal halls.
There are 128 elite (2nd level) male Nithian infan-
trymen patrolling the grounds in 16 squads of eight
soldiers each. These soldiers carry bronze axes (the Develop further description depending on where
peculiar Nithian weapon called an a£as) and copper- the PCs have entered, using the map on the module
tipped spears. screen. Note that most of the women are confined to
There are also four squads of eight 2nd-level chari- unseen service areas or to Pharaoh's own harem quar-
oteers. Each squad assigns two charioteers to one ters.
chariot, pulled by two white horses in horse barding. Sooner or later the guards arrive, if they didn't
(Nithia armors its horses better than its soldiers, on bring the PCs in themselves. The soldiers interrogate
the logic that horses are less easily replaced.) the PCs briefly, and, very quickly, lead them straight
For each four squads there is a 3rd-level company to the atrium before the Sunfire Throne chamber.
commander. The four companies are led by a 4th- But there, in front of the great bronze doors to the
level battalion commander, a jackal-headed Hu- throne room, the heroes are stopped.
taakan named Retennu. All soldiers above 2nd level A Nithian archpriest, Tothmes, controls access to
are foreign mercenaries from the various lands ad- the room. In a small antechamber next to the throne
joining the Nithian Empire. room, Tothmes interviews the PCs before allowing
Nithian soldiers: AC 9 or 8; HD 2; hp 7; #AT 1; them to approach "the Sun at zenith"—that is, the
Dmg Id6; MV 120' (40'); Save F2; ML 8; AL N; Queen.
THACO 18. Pharaoh Ramose, it develops, is not currently in
The PCs can enter stealthily only with magic, the chamber, though he is expected to give audiences
extreme cleverness, or great luck. Ordinarily the within the hour. "And if you want to talk to him,
patrols guard every part of the palace very thor- I'd advise you to have something nice to give him
oughly. Once they reach the palace, stealthy PCs first," says Tothmes huffily.
could climb to the roof and enter almost any part of
the building via the open skylights.

34
 Tothmes: Short, pot-bellied, with discolored
patches of skin across his nose and jaw, and shaved sits one of the most beautiful young women
bald as most Nithian high priests are, Tothmes you've ever seen. She's tall and sleek, with very
hardly looks like a man of romantic feelings. He black hair and eyes, and dark blue powder on her
doesn't act romantic around the PCs, either. In fact, eyelids. She wears a clinging white dress and a
he practically threatens their lives if they make re- red-and-gold headdress, but not much jewelry.
marks that he construes as disrespectful of Pharaoh or She's wearing less gold than almost anyone in
(in particular) Pharaoh's queen and chief wife, Tafiri. here except the scribes, but she seems to look that
This is because Tothmes, despite appearances, much prettier because of it.
actually nurtures a deeply romantic and totally unre- Right now she looks bored—or at least she did,
quited love for Tafiri. The love is one of Tothmes' until you came in. "And who are these handsome
two deepest secrets; the other is his loathing of the strangers?" she says.
newly arrived upstart in Pharaoh's court, the wizard
Koresh Teyd.
If the PCs bring up the subject of Koresh Teyd, Queen Tafiri's full description and statistics appear
Tothmes quizzes them closely about what they know. in the Hollow World Atlas, p. 77.
However, he reveals nothing about his own hatred Ignoring the supplicants, Tafiri instantly picks the
and suspicion of Koresh, who is supplanting Tothmes most comely male PC as a target for flirtation. "So,
in Pharaoh's favor. If the PCs have evidence that this dull place must be disappointing after the won-
would make Koresh Teyd look bad, Tothmes hustles derful sights you must have seen," she says, favoring
them into the throne room for an immediate audi- the victim with a melting gaze. "Tell me of the
ence with Tafiri and Pharaoh Ramose. women you have loved on your travels. There must
Should the PCs taunt Tothmes, he bluntly refuses be many for such a handsome man."
them access to the throne room. Naturally, this banter irritates Tothmes. And it will
In that case, let the PCs barge in, if they like. Or, also (less obviously) irritate Pharaoh, when he enters
in the unlikely event that they accept Tothmes' re- momentarily.
fusal and start to skulk away, Tafiri herself may ap- Tafiri: AC 9; hp 36; #AT 1 spell; Dmg by spell;
pear, followed by her entourage. She latches on to MV 120' (40'); Save Cl4; ML 6; AL N; THACO 13.
the most handsome PC, then leads the entire party Spells: 1st level—cure light wounds, detect evil,
into the throne room. Go to the next subsection. detect magic, protection from evil, remove fear. 2nd
Tothmes: I4th-level cleric of Rathanos; AC 9; hp level—bless (x2), find traps (x2), resist fire. Tafiri has
38; #AT 1 spell; Dmg by spell; MV 120' (40'); Save no higher-level spells while the Immortals are absent
C14; ML 8; ALN; THACO 13. Languages: Nithian, from the Hollow World.
Neathar, Milenian. Spells: 1st level—cure light If the other PCs wish to talk with the courtiers or
wounds, detect evil (x2), protection from evil, cause the scribes, they can learn of the tensions between
fear. 2nd level—bless, find traps (x2), resist fire (x2). Tafiri and Pharaoh. But though it is common knowl-
Tothmes has no higher-level spells while the Immor- edge (and a source of much cruel humor), no one
tals are absent from the Hollow World. dares speak of Tothmes' infatuation with Tafiri. . . at
least while Tothmes is present.
Meeting Tafiri
Meeting Pharaoh
The throne room has the highest ceiling of any
As the ruler of the Nithians enters the throne
room in the palace. The voices of dozens of
room, a herald declaims the traditional sequence of
priests, scribes, courtiers, and supplicants echo
from that roof. A few small skylights let in dim epithets hung on every Pharaoh's name:
beams of reddish light.
Every other room of the palace had walls full of "Hail and bear worship to His Immortal Majesty,
carvings, paintings, and tapestries. But the walls Pharaoh Ramose: life of the river, creator of the
here are completely bare. The contrast makes you flood, bringer of the sunlight, master of the wind,
feel like you're in a temple. lord of all the empire, enduring in kingship like
But there's no altar here—just two thrones, side the sun in the sky, beloved of Rathanos, beloved
by side on a pedestal with a small staircase in of Pflarr. May he live eternally!"
front. The thrones are plain sandstone with sim- In one corner musicians pluck lutes and harps,
ple white cushions on the seats. pound drums, and strum zithers. Acolytes wave
In the acre or so of open space in front of the censers, filling the air with the smells of sandal-
thrones, a long line of supplicants waits patiently. wood and jasmine and cinnamon.
Two lines of scribes sit cross-legged on either side Two dozen priests, young shaven-headed men
of the thrones, waiting to write down any word holding gold staves, line up on either side of the
from their occupants. The scribes are dressed like rear doors, forming a wide aisle. At the sound of a
peasants, but you notice that everyone seems to gong, the doors open outward.
defer to them. Framed in the doorway you see a tall, well-built
Right now only one throne is occupied. There man wearing a bright crimson cloak, a pleated
white kilt, and lots of gold jewelry. He wears a tall

35
 conical hat, a graceful crown made of white linen What Ramose Tells the PCs
with a golden cobra fillet on the forehead. But
more impressive than the white crown are the In playing Pharaoh, try for maximum self-
heavy eyebrow ridges beneath it, and the sand- assurance, self-righteousness, self-absorption, and
colored eyes that look at you alertly. absolute selfishness. The players should appreciate
the fundamental injustice of Nithian society, where
He enters the room. As he passes the priests,
every citizen's effort goes simply to glorify Pharaoh.
they fall prostrate before him, two by two, chant-
Those PCs who are aware of the Spell of Preservation
ing "Pharaoh is great."
must realize that they cannot do anything to help; if
As he ascends the throne, everyone else in the they destroy Ramose, another Pharaoh just as selfish
room except the Queen kneels. What do you do? must take his place.
Here are some of Pharaoh's specific answers on
If the PCs kneel before Pharaoh, all is well. If they likely subjects:
don't, nothing bad happens, but the heroes may About Koresh Teyd: None among the Nithians, at
have a more difficult time winning Pharaoh's favor. least in recent times, can rival this sorcerer's com-
mand of magic. Though new to this land, the goblin
Pharaoh Ramose IV: AC 8; hp 45; #AT 1 (golden
mage has proven to be a loyal servant who recognizes
mace); Dmg ld6 + 2; MV 120' (40'); Save C18; ML
Pharaoh's glory, as all must. (Ramose is so accus-
7; ALN; THACO 11. Spells: 1st level—cure light
tomed to supreme power that he doesn't question
wounds (x2), detect evil, detect magic, protection
this, and he resents PCs who do.)
from evil, remove fear. 2nd level—bless (x2), find
traps, silence 15' radius (x2), speak with animals. Koresh has embarked on schemes to bring Pharaoh
Pharaoh has no higher-level spells while the Immor- even greater power and glory, so that soon all lesser
tals are absent from the Hollow World. lands must pay tribute to Tarthis. Koresh enjoys
Pharaoh's most glorious favor, and Pharaoh trusts
For a full description of Pharaoh Ramose IV, con-
him implicitly. Alert PCs may notice Tothmes winc-
sult the boxed campaign set's Atlas, p. 76.
ing at these words.
Winning Pharaoh's favor: Pharaoh dismisses the
priests' conventional blessings with a wave of his About the amazing armor: This is one of Koresh
hand. He gestures for the PCs to come forward. Teyd's breakthroughs. Pharaoh cares not how the
"Wanderers, I see, from other lands," he says, not goblin produces it, and knows only that the barbaric
unkindly. "What do you bring to present to your "elves under the mountains" buy it with valuable
Pharaoh?" trade goods. Pharaoh cares not what the trade goods
may be; this is a matter for mere merchants.
The PCs should present a valuable gift, a fascinat-
ing anecdote of their adventures, or some display of Pharaoh and the Nithians, of course, have no
amazing ability. They must also delicately stave off interest in wearing such cumbersome and inappro-
flirtations from the queen, Tafiri, who lauds hand- priate armor themselves. (This is the Nithian cultural
some male PCs with excessive praise in hopes of bias, as dictated by the Spell of Preservation.) Ra-
making Pharaoh jealous. Try to stage this dilemma to mose doesn't know how Koresh makes the armor,
provoke maximum nervousness in the PCs (and max- and he has never heard of the World-Shield.
imum fun for the players). About feathered serpents: Pharaoh announces that
If the PCs win Pharaoh's favor. He answers all he has never heard of them, and so they cannot be
their questions as described in the next subsection. important. (A lie. Their breeding ground, in a dis-
He also offers them his Palace's full hospitality for tant oasis, is regarded as a gift from the Immortals
two sleeps, and he commands his court to treat these and a close secret. Tothmes may part with this infor-
foreign visitors as though they were of Pharaoh's own mation, for a healthy bribe. Tafiri has vague inklings
blood. of it, which she may use to lure an attractive male PC
to a "secret" rendezvous.)
Then he grants them the "privilege" of serving
their esteemed Pharaoh on a mission to the western About "the peak that smokes" or earth elemen-
desert—a mission described below. tals: Pharaoh knows nothing of these either. (An-
If the PCs can't win Pharaoh's favor. Or, worst of other lie. Pharaoh has learned of the white smoke
all, they don't even try! Pharaoh becomes aloof and that erupts from the mountains to the west. Koresh
arrogant toward the heroes, and he casts an occa- Teyd has told him this arises from the secret produc-
sional bitter glance toward Tafiri. The less the heroes tion of the World-Shield armor. This is true. Pharaoh
do to win him over, the less useful information Ra- will not betray the secret unless it appears conven-
mose gives the PCs in the discussion that follows. ient.)
Truly dismal performances mean no information at
all. And they get the mission assignment below as The Unexpected Mission
punishment!
Also, PCs in disfavor get no lodging in the Palace, Remember that during this exposition, Tafiri has
are snubbed by the priests and nobles of the court, been casting meaningful glances at one or more male
and get no provisions except a skimpy meal of rice PCs. Pharaoh happens to notice this once too often,
and stewed plums before they're shunted off to their and he abruptly says to the PCs, "\bu must know of
mission. a small trouble weighing on Pharaoh's mind. \bu
will, of course, be honored to serve glorious Pharaoh
in this mission.

36
 "There are recent ill tidings of monster incursions unless the heroes volunteer to locate the poisoner
from the desert to the west, the monsters that are and bring her to justice.
horrible mixtures of man and scorpion, "ibu will An origin for the Brethren?: A scribe named
equip an expedition into the desert, search out these Menemhat, a respected professional in court, enlists
monsters, and slaughter them in Pharaoh's name." the PCs to help him carry a load of old scrolls from
Pharaoh assigns the PCs their duties without ask- previous dynasties out of the voluminous archives to
ing. Pharaoh may underwrite the expedition's costs, a disposal site. There they are scheduled for routine
depending on how much the PCs have impressed disposal in a bonfire.
him. On the way, the PCs collide with a hurrying priest
Accept or not?: Now the players must weigh the and the scrolls spill. While picking them up, the PCs
costs of ignoring this unasked-for mission, or of notice one old papyrus with faded hieroglyphic draw-
trying to wriggle out of it (a very bad move). ings that closely resemble the original Blood Breth-
In all cases, they should at least pretend to accept ren, and a picture sequence depicting the grasping
the assignment. Pharaoh takes refusal as a grave dark spell!
offense, and the PCs must either spend a few sleeps Menemhat, one of the few literate people in the
under house arrest, or fight their way out of the palace, can interpret the scroll's writing. Two centu-
palace. While in Tarthis, they will be fugitives, ries ago, during the previous Pharaonic dynasty, the
marked for capture or, if that proves unworkable, nomarch (provincial governor) of the province of
death. Ranak ordered dark sorcerous experiments con-
If the PCs accept the mission but then ignore it, ducted. These experiments, upon captured Schat-
they have the freedom of the city for a sleep or two tenalfen, attempted to transform the elves into
before Pharaoh's priests begin asking pointed ques- monstrous warriors who would serve the nobles of
tions. The PCs can stall for a reasonable time, but Ranak. (As the Nithian Empire Atlas entry in the
eventually the outcome is the same as absolute re- boxed campaign set explains, Ranak's nobles scheme
fusal. constantly to regain control of the Pharaoh's throne.
A better approach is to put together the expedi- Menemhat can tell the PCs about this history.)
tion, make nominal forays into the desert, and there, The scroll describes two survivors of the experi-
outside Pharaoh's vigilant gaze, decide where to go
next.
ment, transformed elves of monstrous appearance
and horrific power. Their own researches into magic on
As it happens, the expedition will take the PCs soon surpassed their creators'. The scroll ends before
right where they want to go: the breeding ground of telling of the experiment's results.
the Feathered Serpents. See "Raising an Expedition," No one alive in Tarthis can tell the PCs anything
below, and the next chapter. more. It is a single, frustrating clue to the origin of
the Brethren. The PCs can only learn more in
Adventures in the Palace HWA3, Nightstorm.

The Royal Palace is huge and crowded, an ideal

location for fill-in adventures before the desert expe-
INVESTIGATION
dition. Some suggestions follow. Note the last one in This section describes sources of clues outside the
particular! palace. Let the PCs explore Tarthis, and Nithian
Assassination: Tafiri has flirted with a PC; Ramose society, as they wish. They soon discover the follow-
has restrained his jealousy, but Tothmes cannot; he ing basic ideas.
arranges to have the troublesome PC assassinated. As Classes: Nithian society falls neatly into three
the heroes sleep in their luxurious guest chamber, classes. The upper class includes Pharaoh and his
Tothmes' junior priests admit a killer into the room: family, the priesthood, and the scribes. PCs meet
perhaps a monster, such as a starved young sphinx; them mainly in the palace and the temples.
perhaps a band of high-level thieves; possibly even a Artisans form the middle class—architects, sculp-
single, highly poisonous asp or scorpion. tors, painters, and other craftsmen. Foreign merce-
The priests wait outside to bear the awful news of naries, who are generally superior to native Nithian
the PCs' "accidental" death to Pharaoh. The PCs troops, also merit respect due the middle class. The
can catch them, but the priests refuse to incriminate PCs might meet these people anywhere.
their leader, Tothmes. Tothmes, in his best more-in- Finally, the largest and lowest class includes
sorrow-than-in-anger manner, condemns the priests farmers, slaves, and conscript Nithian soldiers. These
to slavery in the granite quarries. work the banks of the Nithia and the desert's edges.
Poison at the feast: An annual temple ceremony, Character: Nithians are literal-minded people, not
full of pomp and pageantry, takes place while the given to idle speculation unless it involves temple
PCs are in the palace, followed by a great feast. Tafiri gossip. The general population, as opposed to Phar-
insists the heroes sit near her. One of Pharaoh's lesser aoh, shows little curiosity about foreign lands.
wives, jealous of the Queen's beauty and power, has Religion suffuses their lives. The complex mythol-
poisoned her dessert of sugared dates. If the PCs can ogy includes a couple of thousand entities, mostly
prevent her from eating them, or cure her once she is avatars of a few genuine Immortals. However,
poisoned, they earn the Pharaoh's gratitude (though Nithian religion is not a moral force; the precepts do
it is perhaps reluctant). Then the furious Pharaoh not deal with right and wrong, but with magic to
may condemn his entire harem to a brutal death, keep the river flowing and the sun shining.

37
 Staging notes: When possible, emphasize the Farmers and slaves: By and large, 0-level normal
injustice of the Nithian system. A single Pharaoh people, unarmed and unarmored.
exercises arbitrary but unquestionable authority, and
the impoverished citizens must endure his com- Soldiers
mands silently. They suffer, but they (and the PCs)
can't do anything about it—because of the Spell of Location: Around the palace walls, patrolling the
Preservation. desert's edge, or in fortresses at strategic points in the
"There's been revolts in the past, I hear," a peas- Nithia delta.
ant may say. "Almost overthrew the tyrant. Killed Names: As for male peasants, above.
one or two, I hear. But the higher powers stepped in Description: Low-status conscripts. Half wear linen
and put another Pharaoh in his place, one just as loincloths and carry shields made of animal hide
bad. This is the way they want it, I guess: to look painted with abstract designs. The other half are
down from above the sun and watch us sweat." archers who carry long bows and eight arrows.
As in Colima, the PCs are seeing the worst effects (Nithian archers don't keep their arrows in quivers.)
of the Spell of Preservation. They cannot do anything Accessibility: Highly dependent on circumstances.
about these, for now. But in the third module of this For instance, if the PCs are alone at the desert's edge,
series, they may get their chance. a patrol may investigate them. But garrison troops
probably find the PCs much less interesting. Note
Farmers and Slaves that all Nithian troops are eminently bribable.
Information: The first troops the PCs encounter
Location: Along the river's edge, where they are have just been transferred in from the western desert
working to build municipal structures like temples; frontier, where they picked up tactics useful in fight-
and at the edge of the desert, where they build ing manscorpions: "Never engage from the front
tombs and other structures that are meant to stand except at long range. Attack from behind on the
forever. Currently the farmers' fields are under deep, underside of the tail, just where it curves up. If you
muddy water. can get a blade in between the armor plates, it
Names: For men, Khnoumis, Matti, Nefer, Se- freezes the tail right up. Then they're not much
tanu, and Merhu. For women, Isis (very common), trouble."
Mut, Teta, Shekti, Ahura, Neithis, and Serqeti. These or subsequent troops may mention noxious
Description: Dressed only in white linen loin- gases that are rising from the mountains. No one yet
cloths, with no ornaments except an occasional onyx knows why, but it is taken as an omen of Immortal
plug through one nostril, these peasants look as displeasure.
identical as cattle. They groan under their labors, but If asked about feathered serpents, some soldiers
without protest, for protest means harsher treatment mention that they've seen an oasis out in the western
both now and in the afterlife. desert, where "lots of birds" gather. But they're not
Accessibility: As they explore the city, the PCs may sure of its location.
encounter many building projects, some large (giant Soldiers: AC 9; HD 1; hp 5; #AT 1; Dmg Id6;
temples to Rathanos and Ramose), others small (mi- MV 120' (40'); Save Fl; ML 6; AL N; THACO 19-
nor crypts or embalming centers). Peasant stonework-
ers work unceasingly here. That the buildings are
stone means they must be important. Lesser struc- EVENTS
tures, of wood or thatch, are for mere peasants.
Since the buildings are important, they merit
Crocodile Attack
guards and overseers. Peasant stoneworkers at these
By the flooded Nithia, the PCs hear screams. They
sites are guarded and hounded by priests (up to four
see a peasant being dragged into the swollen river—
3rd-level clerics with scale mail and short swords), by
by a crocodile!
up to 24 burly black policemen from Hapta, armed
with truncheons (Id6 damage, lst-level fighters in Crocodile: AC 3; HD 6; hp 30; #AT 1 bite; Dmg
leather armor), and by any number of petty temple 2d8; MV 90' (30'), Sw 90' (30'); Save F3; ML 7; AL
bureaucrats (0-level, unarmed, unarmored). None of N;XP 275; THACO 14.
these overseers tell the PCs anything, and all refuse If the heroes rescue the peasant, a humble fisher-
to let the PCs bother their workers. man named Arakhtet, he thanks them. But
Arakhtet's elderly mother and young wife storm
If the PCs can get to the peasants, any bribe—in down from the hills to scold them! The Nithians
fact, any show of compassion—elicits all the peasant regarded being eaten by a crocodile as a sign of favor
information below, as well as many grumbles about from the Immortal Rathanos. (The widow and family
their lot in life. also come into line for pensions from the state—but
Information: These commoners occasionally see of course that has nothing to do with it.)
smoke rising from the hills far to the west. The west
wind occasionally brings foul smells of sulfur. Understandably, Arakhtet himself has a different
idea. He can reward the PCs with a tiny magical
Some soldiers from patrols in that area recently item, concealed in his loincloth. "This scarab is the
returned to these peasants' village, saying the smell best thing I own," he says. "I found it on the shore
had driven the patrols away. However, these soldiers after the flood eight circles ago, and I hid it from
have since been reassigned to the conquering armies everyone, everyone! Wear it, and the heat of the sun
of the south.
doesn't burn you. Maybe nothing can burn you. make camels look positively mellow.
Please, take it." Staging: As comic relief, roleplay the purchase of
The scarab, a small green jade stone, protects the mounts, complete with a blandly lying merchant
wearer as though with a permanent resist fire spell. who haggles endlessly over prices. "What, you offer
Arakhtet may also know some clues to help the PCs, a mere emerald ring for this fine-tempered, noble
at your discretion. bird? And I with my grandfather in need of a sar-
cophagus! No, honored elder, to part with this excel-
Funeral for a Cat lent mount so cheaply would dishonor your memory!
Call it two emeralds and that fine shield you carry,
Near a mortuary or necropolis, the PCs encounter sir, what do you say?"
an elaborate ceremonial procession. Four male 3 rd-
level priests in full regalia (leopard skins, onyx jew- Hohet, the Guide
elry, diaphanous white gowns) bear a small
sarcophagus. Professional mourners, young women Anywhere in Tarthis, the PCs may encounter the
of low status, follow behind, wailing loudly. The sunburnt, wiry, white-haired Nithian man called
more they cry, the more they get paid. All the Hohet, or "River Rat."
mourners are unarmed and unarmored; they carry no This 5 5-year-old curmudgeon is burnt in spirit as
treasure.
This funeral train mourns a deceased housecat. In
well as skin. In his long ordeal as a farmer, he has
seen a long sequence of oppressive pharaohs rule the
PC
en
Nithia cats are semi-sacred. The pet belonged to one Nithian Empire, with the system itself seemingly
of the priests, a large bald man named Hakh. (His protected by higher forces (the Spell of Preservation).
grief, contrasted with his frightening appearance, Disgusted at the injustice of life, Hohet has long
may provide comic relief.) since given up belief in anything.
The mourners are inaccessible until after the —Except loot. Hohet eagerly volunteers his serv-
lengthy ceremony is over. They can provide clues at ices as the PCs' guide at the first (and each subse-
your discretion, perhaps in the form of rumors or quent) opportunity.
pointers to other sources. Staging: Though his story sounds tragic, you can

Raising an Expedition
play Hohet's resigned cynicism for comic relief rather
than somber dismay. "Yeh, those manscorpions '11 on
probably bake us alive in the sun. Magical protec-
PCs who want to venture into the desert may look
for a caravan or other expedition. Unfortunately, no
tion? Oh, right, right. Come on, we'd best get on
our way to meet them."
O
caravans are leaving Tarthis during the flood season.
The only people heading into the desert now are WHERE NEXT? -
military patrols; unless they have Pharaoh's blessing,
the PCs are unwelcome (to say the least!) with these
patrols. With the clues from the Nithian peasants and
To put together their own expedition, PCs must soldiers, the PCs should realize something mysterious
think about the following matters. is happening in the mountains west of Tarthis. By
Food and water: At least three weeks' supply of heading west and looking for plumes of smoke or
food, amounting to about 25 pounds per character foul-smelling air, they can locate a fumarole (smok-
(less for elves, more for dwarves and halflings) and ing vent) in the hills above the Fortress of Khufneh.
costing the equivalent of three or four gp each. At This leads down to Chapter 9, "Nightrage Foundry."
least two quarts of water per sleep, or ten gallons per The PCs may also be looking for an oasis in the
character for three weeks. Fresh water costs 8 gp/ desert below the mountains. If they head that way
gallon in Nithia! Magical items that produce water for several days, they find Serpent Oasis. Go to the
are valued above all others in Nithia, and cost the next chapter.
equivalent of lOx their usual cost elsewhere.
Protection from the elements: White linen bur-
nooses that cover the whole body cost 1 gp each.
Magical devices that protect from fire or heat also
guard against sun damage; these, too, are highly
prized in Nithia, costing 5x their value elsewhere.
Transport: Magical devices like carpets are not
available. Dromedary (one-humped) camels or os-
trich mounts are available at commercial lots at the
desert border or in central Tarthis. Natives known to
the dealer can sometimes rent their mounts, but
strangers, such as the PCs, must buy theirs outright.
Camels cost 200 gp, and ostriches 100.
A Nithian camel can carry 500 pounds for long
distances with no water, but it is notoriously temper-
amental. Ostriches carry 150 pounds (a typical hu-
man rider and nothing else) for short distances and
 This is the legendary breeding ground of the due south of the Fortress of Khufneh, stands the
feathered serpents. northern edge of a desert plateau. This hex contains
History: Several centuries ago, across the desert the Serpent Oasis.
from the Nithian Empire, the Tanagoro suffered The journey involves at least 60 miles of travel
under the rule of an unusually powerful Chaotic through areas where the rocky hills themselves seem
sorceress who specialized in water magic. The sorcer- to scorch in the Hollow World's everlasting noon.
ess, Lakati, capriciously caused floods and droughts This distance may increase to more than 100 miles, if
by turns in the Forest of Lakogo. A lake in that dense the heroes start from Tarthis. Travel speed is two
forest, the only remnant of her most massive flood, thirds normal; the party may get lost (on a roll of 5-6
still bears her name. on Id6 for each 24 hours they travel); and during the
Lakati's disasters drove many forest inhabitants journey the PCs may encounter a family of giant
across miles of forest, over hills and deserts, and lizards, say, or a wandering mummy. Select from the
finally into the Nithian territories. There the refu- Desert monsters listed in the boxed campaign set.
gees' plight did little to arouse the sympathies of the A strenuous trip, and there are no permanent
Nithians—but Lakati's expansionist ambitions moved trails and no guideposts. However, the PCs may have
them to act. their cheerful native guide, Hohet (see end of pre-
Ordered by the reigning pharaoh, a band of vious chapter).
Nithian adventurers staged a trap for Lakati, luring
her to the most barren reaches of the western desert. Another Dream Sending
There they fought her, and after much struggle they
defeated her. The battle's conclusion destroyed the If the PCs stop to camp and sleep on the trail to
sorceress and (very nearly) the heroes as well. the oasis, or even if they fall asleep on camelback,
The decanter: Unfortunately, the disastrous finale the Immortal Asterius (see HWAl, Chapter 6) visits
sent one of Lakati's most powerful magical items them with a dream vision. The Immortal intends this
astray. An enchanted decanter from the Elemental vision to guide the heroes to stop the harvesting of
Plane of Water, able to produce an endless stream of feathered serpent cocoons at the oasis, and to find
fresh water when the plug was removed, fell out of the path leading to Nightrage foundry. Both of these
sight down a desert ravine. In the battle its loss was obstacles are described later in this chapter.
hardly noticed. Afterward, however . . . . The dream vision goes like this:
The decanter, unplugged, poured forth many
gallons of water every minute. It eventually filled its
ravine, producing a minor oasis. Evaporation You're walking across the desert toward a high
matched the decanter's production, and the oasis stone cliff. You hear the flapping of wings over-
stabilized. By then the decanter was lost beyond head. "You look up see feathered serpents, hun-
detection, still pumping out a gallon a minute at the dreds and hundreds of serpents in numbers that
bottom of a small lake. darken the sky. They're all flying toward the cliff.
For many years the oasis, though never particularly So you start running toward it. There's a bad
important, watered the rare Nithian traveller to and smell in the air, like rotten eggs. \bu cover your
from the Tanagor forests. Then the feathered ser- mouth. Then, without any warning, the cliff face
pents, drawn to the oasis by accident en route to breaks apart! Boulders fall away, and dust rises
their normal breeding grounds, took up semi- from the rubble. Then the dust clears.
permanent residence. Nithian priests regarded this as And standing there before you, filling the
an omen of uncertain significance. With typical horizon, is a gigantic brown scorpion. The sun
conservatism, they recommended withdrawing the glints on its carapace. Its mandibles clack. The
oasis from public use until they could discern the tail's stinger lowers toward you, and the claws
Immortals' will. Since the oasis was off normal trade extend to grab you.
routes and alternate routes were readily available, no "ibu run away down a long tunnel, but the air is
one protested strongly. too hot. There's a red fire ahead; it's so hot, you
Still, the withdrawal would not have lasted long. catch fire yourself, "ibu're burning up! Tfou
However, soon after the Nithians left, a large band of scream!
manscorpions (see the boxed campaign set) moved —And the scream wakes you up.
in. The sentries at Khufneh Fortress have observed
this, but they have as yet avoided reporting it to
their leaders in Tarthis. ("You tell them." "No, you Asterius is warning the heroes to beware of the
tell them. . . .") manscorpion lair at the serpent oasis. The tunnel
So matters have stood for several years. leading to fire is an underground lava floor that
connects the oasis to Koresh Teyd's lair in the moun-
tains. See the end of this chapter for details.
HOW THEY GET HERE
THE SCENE
Consult the boxed campaign set's color map show-
ing the Nithian Empire. Four hexes (160 miles)
southwest of Tarthis—"southwest" using reversed The serpent oasis lies beneath a cloudless sky in
Hollow World directions, of course—and three hexes flat, completely barren desert at the foot of a large

40
sandstone outcropping. This outcropping looks fa- The Cocoons
miliar to PCs who experienced Asterius's dream
vision (see above). But there is nothing unusual or The heroes have noticed many of these odd forma-
magical about this rock; it won't turn into a giant tions hanging from trees or in ground recesses.
scorpion, at any rate. As they approach, the PCs hear They're light brown with a papery texture, and they
loud bird calls and breezes blowing through trees. . . smell vaguely of wood pulp. Each cocoon weighs
and the distinctive hiss of serpents. about 20 pounds.
The serpent oasis itself is an irregularly shaped lake Should the PCs cut one open (a bad idea), they
about a quarter-mile across at the widest point. It's discover a feathered serpent inside, identical to those
too large to view in one glance, but the PCs could do flying around but apparently dead. In fact, the ser-
it in two. pent is only in suspended animation, but without
The water is quite warm. (As the heroes may dis- the cocoon it actually does die within an hour.
cover later, the oasis is heated by an underground Before they vandalize the cocoons, allow the PCs
river of lava.) Papyrus reeds, flax plants, and convol- to observe a serpent make one.
vulus choke the shoreline. Island drifts of water lilies The process: A serpent produces its cocoon by
reach further out. Mud dirties the water near the belching up internal fluids, then spreading them
shore, but the center is clear and blue. Here, buried over its body with its muzzle. Then the serpent curls
in sand 40' down, lies the decanter of endless water up into a tight ball and falls dormant, barely breath-
that created this oasis. ing.
Life: This is a rich, verdant garden that nurtures The fluids foam up, covering the body completely
many kinds of plants and creatures (albeit in small in a seething brown mass. Over the course of hours,
numbers). Note, though, that no fish swim in this the foam dries to a hard shell with a papery texture.
lake. As explained in Chapter 2, this cocoon stage be-
Date palms hang over the water's edge, creating stows intelligence on the serpents. They instinctively
shady spots ideal for drinking. If PCs watch the wa- spin the cocoons shortly after mating. To this point

1
ter's edge for a few minutes, they may see any of in the life-cycle, they are only animals; in the co-
these animals venture down for a drink or a nibble: coon, they become aware of their genetically-inborn
Large herbivores: a herd of two dozen oryx, slen- sentience. On emergence, they fly up to Ashmorain,
der antelopes with straight, spiky horns; and a simi- the floating continent, there to lay their eggs or
lar herd of addax, sturdy antelopes with dirty otherwise serve the Queen Mother.
tan-white fur and gracefully curving horns. The But nobody in the Hollow World knows this. And
addax never drinks water; it survives on the moisture the PCs should not see a serpent break out of its
of the leaves it eats. cocoon and fly upward toward Ashmorain. Not yet,
Birds: sand grouses, Lanner falcons, herons, jacana anyway.
(lily trotters), and pairs of white cockatoos.
Small mammals: kangaroo rats, jerboas, and the
tiny desert fox, or fennec. EVENTS
Insects and vermin: locusts, ant lions, and vicious
mosquitoes. True scorpions also inhabit the oasis—
small competitors to the manscorpions the PCs will Let the PCs explore the oasis at their leisure before
meet later. running the next encounters. The heroes should have
time to discover the feathered serpents and the mys-
Reptiles: sidewinder snakes and a small burrowing terious cocoons.
lizard called the agamid. And, of course, the feath-
Staging notes: Stress the miraculous presence of
ered serpents.
this oasis in the desert. Describe the barren sands
stretching away in the distance. Also, there are so
The Serpents many feathered serpents here, and they are so vigor-
ous, that the entire place should take on a magical,
When they enter the oasis, characters should not legendary aura, like an Elephant's Graveyard.
doubt that, at last, they have found the feathered The PCs may even glimpse, across the oasis, a flash
serpents' breeding ground. Serpents are of feathers and scales that looks familiar. It disap-
everywhere—flying, interlacing on the ground, pears into the trees just as they identify it: Marpolon,
curled around every palm trunk. the most prized of the feathered serpents belonging
The serpents breed in pairs, or occasionally in to Dael the shepherd, whom the PCs met outside
swarms, issuing loud hisses throughout the process. Colima in Chapter 1.
Males fly in close pursuit of eligible females, and But regardless of attempts to follow or trace Mar-
both disregard observers. So the PCs may have to polon, the PCs cannot do so—at least not before
duck the occasional onrushing couple! Only an im- they run into the new residents of Serpent Oasis.
minent threat to their lives makes the serpents break
off and flee.
After breeding, the serpents move groggily, some-
Manscorpions!
times even crawling on the ground rather than fly-
ing. Unaware of observers, they seek likely spots on Around the oasis grow thick patches of undistin-
tree trunks or in shadowed hollows, and there, in a guished xerophytic (low-moisture) shrubs, green and
few minutes, they produce their cocoons. waxy. The PCs are making their way through this
waist-deep foliage when they see, just across a narrow

41
 inlet of the lake, two male humanoids wearing white with the deep suspicion that stupid people feel to-
linen burnooses. The humanoids also stand in waist- ward any intruder. Their reactions depend, of course,
deep foliage. on the PCs' approach.
Each humanoid carries two serpent cocoons. One PCs pretend friendship: The manscorpions let
also carries a mean-looking glaive slung on his back. them drink from the oasis, but then try to chase
The other carries a long bow strung over his shoulder. them off. Since the heroes probably look like formi-
Alert PCs may note that each is wearing an iron dable opponents, Hass-hut says, "No trouble now,
thumb-ring; these are rings of fire resistance. Only because we got many strong warriors on their way!"
close inspection, though, reveals the small snake (A lie, possibly transparent.)
skull affixed to each humanoid's throat. These are If the PCs draw them into conversation, the scorpi-
talismans that protect against the foul sulfur vapors ons try to find out whether the PCs are working for
that the PCs encounter later in this chapter. Koresh Teyd. They may drop inadvertent clues about
Unless the PCs conceal themselves, the humanoids the cocoons and a "fire river" below the oasis.
u— spot them and halt in their tracks. They hail the PCs PCs attack: The manscorpions fight unless and
in primitive Neathar, translated by the Pendants: until they see they're outclassed, then try to run for
"You! You on our land! Go!" their burrow (see below). Should the manscorpions
The PCs can talk with the others, flee, or attack. win, they drag the PCs to their lair and heal any
They may not have heard that manscorpions inhabit poison wounds in their medicine chamber, then bind
this oasis. If so, try to stage the encounter to surprise the PCs to deliver to Koresh Teyd at his Nightrage
the players when the humanoids move out of the foundry. Go to the next chapter.
foliage and reveal their arachnoid bodies! PCs flee: The manscorpions laugh and follow, but
What they're doing here: These brutish manscor- only for sport; they don't seriously try to catch the
pions, brothers named Hass-hut and Ssakh-ren, are PCs.
harvesting serpent cocoons to bring to Koresh Teyd, PCs offer bribes: The easiest approach. Hass-hut
who pays them off with food, spices, wine, and con- and Ssakh-ren and their family can use any food,
ventional treasure. The manscorpions have no inter- magical item, or other supplies that the PCs care to
est in Koresh's anti-magical armor, because they offer. Greed motivates them to accept even useless
refuse to be polymorphed into human form in order treasures like coins. If bribed with at least 10 gp
to wear it. apiece, the two leave the PCs alone. But they retreat
The brothers know what the cocoons are, but they to their lair to guard the entrance.
don't know why Koresh wants them. Manscorpions (2): AC 1; HD 8**; hp 40; #AT 1
Reactions: These two manscorpions regard the PCs weapon/1 tail; Dmg 3d6/ldlO+poison; MV 240'
(80'); Save F8; ML 10; AL C; THAC0 11; XP 1,200.
These manscorpions have no spells, but they wear
rings of tire resistance. If their victims fail their sav-
ing throws vs. Poison, they do not die right away; if
treated within an hour, they can be healed in the
scorpion lair.

INVESTIGATION
The Lair
This is a deep, multi-chambered burrow in the
base of the sandstone outcropping. The foliage out-
side the lair is yellow and dead, because sulfurous
fumes waft out from the entrance. The gasses, deadly
in concentration but quickly dispelled in the desert
breeze, come from the lava river beneath the lair (see
below).
For each 10 minutes a PC spends in the lair, the
character takes 1 hp of damage from the fumes. Any
device that defends against gasses or vapors will pro-
tect the wearer. PCs might not notice the fumes'
effect until several minutes have passed, when they
experience splitting headaches and blurred vision.
Five adult manscorpions live in this burrow, in-
cluding one patriarchal cleric named Joko-akh; two
females of egg-laying age named Tolkak and Non-
akh; and the two brothers the PCs have already met.
All of these adults wear rings of fire resistance and
talismans that protect them from the fumes. In addi-
tion, 14 younglings (unnamed) may present some
incidental danger to the PCs. The deployment of

42
these monsters is discussed in a subsection below. vapors. \bu may impose a time limit on the amulets'
Entrance: A wide, six-foot-high opening in the effectiveness, so that their magic doesn't last beyond
side of the cliff. The manscorpions have made no this adventure.
attempt to conceal the entrance; if nothing else, the Sleeping chambers: These are small, dark,
filthy trail of garbage should lead the PCs right to it. cramped, routine chambers. Dried papyrus reeds are
Garbage also litters every room of the burrow. spread on the floors. Nothing of interest here.
The manscorpions have hung up a "door" of Cocoon storage: This small chamber is filled to its
antelope hides, crudely stitched together. On the low ceiling with six dozen serpent cocoons. The
hides they have blazoned a rough symbol of a circle manscorpions have been preparing to take this load
ringed by curved fang-like teeth. This non-magical to Koresh Teyd, using the lava river described below.
symbol is a superstitious ward against dangerous A small clay urn holds thin, bitter-smelling oil.
intruders. This oil works like a potion of fire resistance, except
If the two manscorpion brothers from the encoun- that it lasts long enough to journey from the lair to
ter above survived, they are standing guard here. Nightrage foundry and back, using the lava river
The passages: The burrow soon leads down from described below. There is enough oil to cover all the
rock into ordinary dirt. Tunnels are irregular, badly cocoons, the equivalent of six potions.
dug, and poorly ventilated; the sulfur fumes are The last two rooms of this lair are described in the
overpowering. But the tunnels are wide and occa- following two subsections.
sionally show bizarre architectural touches. For exam-
ple, a given length of tunnel may be studded with The Nursery
rows of white pebbles arranged in symbolic patterns.
These touches, though irrelevant to the adventure, At the far end of this bare round chamber sit piles
convey to the players that this is not simply an ani- of small leathery eggs, each the size of a hen's egg
mal burrow. and pale yellow in color. Some of the hundreds of
Carrion chamber: A repulsive storage room for eggs have hatched, and grubs wriggle over them.
antelope carcasses in all stages of decomposition. The grubs are pink in front, with vestigial arms and a
Most are half-eaten. Piles of bones litter all sides of shapeless head like a fetus; behind, they have tiny
the room. The foul odor here should drive PCs away but well-developed scorpion bodies.
within moments. Two horrible female manscorpions, Tolkak and
Small pine casks hold spices (oregano, fennel, Nonakh, are feeding on carrion. On the back of each
thyme, turmeric, and anise), part of Koresh Teyd's ride seven younglings, after the fashion of real scorpi-
pay to the manscorpions for their cocoons. Larger oak ons. These children, the size of human three-year-
tuns once held bad-tasting but strong wine, the most olds, squeal in fright and huddle on the far side of
prized of Koresh Teyd's payments; the manscorpions their mothers' bodies.
have drunk it all. The mothers beg mercy of any intruder, and their
Medicine room: A room with a high ceiling and shouts bring every surviving manscorpion in the lair
several pillows made of woven linen fibers and to defend them. If the PCs show no sign of mercy,
stuffed with reeds. These large pillows, though well Tolkak starts sobbing and pleading further. But Non-
made in comparison with the rest of the lair's fur- akh reaches behind a pile of eggs, pulls out a short
nishings, are stained and bad-smelling. The odors of polearm, and attacks. The younglings fall from her
human blood and scorpion ichor mingle. back and run under the PCs' feet. They do no dam-
Shallow stone bowls line one part of the chamber age, but on every round, each PC who wants to at-
wall. The bowls contain powdered spices like those in tack must succeed in a Dexterity check to do so;
the carrion chamber, as well as more exotic ingredi- spellcasters must make an Intelligence check to retain
ents that the PCs probably cannot identify: pow- their concentration.
dered viper fangs, dried scorpion barbs, leaves of Tolkak never does anything but cry. If the PCs
dogwood trees, and foxglove stems. slaughter her too, they receive no XP.
What is this room for? Manscorpions are not im- Nonakh: AC 1; HD 8**; hp 40; #AT 1 weapon/1
mune to their own poison. Hence they have devel- tail; Dmg 3d6/ldlO+poison; MV 240' (80'); Save
oped powerful antidotes to its toxin, in the (rare) F8; ML 10; AL C; THACO 11; XP 1,200. Wears ring
event of accidental self-stinging. When prepared by of fire resistance. If her victims fail their saving
a trained healer, the antidotes in this room can rescue throws vs. Poison, they do not die right away; if
PCs who would otherwise have perished from poison treated within an hour, they can be healed in the
in battle with the manscorpions. medicine chamber.
Game mechanics are left to your discretion. For Manscorpion younglings (14): AC 7; HD 1-1; hp
instance, a trained healer who succeeds in an Intelli- 3; #AT Nil; Dmg Nil; MV 90' (30'); Save 0-level
gence check can prepare a potion that allows a victim normal person; ML 5; AL C; THACO Nil; XP 0. Each
another saving throw vs. Poison. Or a very successful youngling wears an asp skull talisman that protects it
check may mean automatic healing. Much depends from the deadly fumes.
on the abilities of the person preparing the antidote.
An inconspicuous covered bowl contains several
asp skulls, the magical talismans that protect against
The Chamber of the Ages
fume damage. These work only against the fumes
This small tribe of manscorpions worships an En-
from Nightrage foundry, not against other harmful
tropy Immortal whom they never name—probably

43
Yagrai, possibly Bagni or Ranivorus. It's likely the the lair's entrance. If and when the PCs demonstrate
manscorpions themselves don't know who it is. combat superiority, these manscorpions call to their
With the highest ceiling of all the chambers, this kin for help—but no one comes. Then the brothers
room is a chapel, of sorts, for the manscorpions' retreat to the nursery.
vicious clerical ceremonies. It's the only clean room The patriarch Joko-akh never leaves the Chamber
in the lair. A granite boulder with a fairly flat sur- of the Ages except to defend the nursery. The two
face, now blood-stained, occupies the center of the females never leave the nursery unless the PCs con-
room. A single ray of light shines down on it through front them there. Then, if death looks imminent,
many yards of earth, via a fissure in the rock. Tolkak may herd the younglings up toward the sur-
The drawings: Crude chalk drawings cover the face while Nonakh guards her retreat. Other survi-
walls, showing manscorpions slaughtering humans vors accompany them. By this point, though, the
and animals; harvesting serpent cocoons; and con- Spell of Preservation may have other ideas (see be-
fronting Koresh Teyd, depicted as a bestial many- low).
legged horror (a token of high respect among Staging Notes: Note that this encounter doesn't
manscorpions). require the PCs to slaughter everything that moves.
A vague diagram shows the lair as a cluster of That is wasteful, hazardous, and barbarous. The
circles; a line leads downward from these circles to a manscorpions fight to protect their tribe and dwell-
picture of a long barge in Nithian style. Strange ing; though stupid and savage, they would prefer to
glyphs to either side are the manscorpions' symbolic keep bloodshed in the lair to a minimum. They may
representation of fire. This drawing indicates the well let obviously superior PCs head down to the lava
passage leading down to the river of lava and the river rather than risk combat to the death.
Semekhtet-barge, down in the depths of the lair. To convey this, emphasize the "human" values in
The cleric: An elderly male manscorpion, progeni- combat encounters: The scorpions may grovel for
tor of this tribe (which has seen better days), guards mercy, or try to bribe the PCs with everything they
the chamber at all times. This lOth-level cleric, Joko- own to leave the younglings alive. This may shame
Akh, is wise enough to use spells but not smart less bloodthirsty players into sparing at least some of
enough to negotiate with the PCs. He hysterically the tribe.
orders them out of the chamber, and if they refuse, Defeating the PCs: Should the manscorpions get
he attacks with cause fear and darkness spells. He the upper hand, they don't kill the PCs outright. As
does not leave the chamber except to defend the mentioned above, they bind the characters and carry
females and young against the PCs. them down the lava river to present to Koresh Teyd.
If the PCs can somehow calm Joko-akh, he still Stage the journey described below, and at the
isn't cooperative. This is a Chaotic cleric of an En- Nightrage foundry in the next chapter, give the PCs
tropy Immortal, after all, and he's quite stupid as a chance to escape their bonds and explore on their
well. If he thinks information can persuade the he- own.
roes to leave, he may tell of the tribe's arrangement
with Koresh Teyd. But he ends nearly every state- The Spell Kicks In (Optional)
ment with, "Now get out!"
The rings: If death looks imminent, Joko-akh This is an optional event for DMs who wish to
finally offers as ransom his prized possessions: his set emphasize this adventure's theme of the negative
of six rings of fire resistance. Each adult manscorpion effects of the Spell of Preservation.
is wearing one, and the sixth is held in a secret hol- If you wish, assume that this tribe of manscorpions
low beneath the altar boulder. (Increase the number is the last of its culture in the Hollow World—the
of rings to match the number of PCs, so that each PC last that worships in the chamber of the ages, speaks
can have one.) Nithian, and so on. They may be monsters, but they
The manscorpions use these rings as protection on have a culture of sorts, and so the Spell of Preserva-
the lava river below. Koresh Teyd loaned the rings to tion extends its non-judgmental protection over
the tribe, so that they could pilot their Semekhtet- them.
barge to Nightrage foundry and deliver the serpent If the heroes are on the verge of dispatching the
cocoons. last members of this tribe—if, say, they have the last
Joko-akh, manscorpion cleric: AC 1; HD 10****; few loathesome young and their mothers cornered in
hp 45; #AT 1 spell/1 tail; Dmg by spell/ the nursery, with only one male to defend them—
ldlO + poison; MV 240' (80'); Save CIO; ML 10; AL read this aloud:
C; THACO 10; XP 3,700. Joko-akh wears a ring of
fire resistance. Spells: 1st level—cause light wounds,
darkness, cause fear (x2); 2nd level—blight, resist There is a sudden change in the air. It feels hot,
fire (x2), silence 15'radius. Joko-akh has no higher- and there's a smell like lightning just struck. The
level spells until his patron Immortal returns from manscorpions look as puzzled as you.
the past. And then light bursts all around you! There's a
hollow roar like an avalanche. The ground shakes!
Deploying the Manscorpions Through clouds of dust you see the manscorpions
floating gently away. At least you think it's
If the two brothers, Hass-hut and Ssakh-ren, sur- away—all of you think they're getting farther
vive their initial meeting with the PCs, they guard away from you, even though you're each looking

44
 at them from a different angle. WHERE NEXT?
When the dust clears, the manscorpions are
gone. You've been cheated of your victory.
When the PCs enter the barge and speak the
proper command word, the barge carries them up
This is probably the players' first confrontation the lava river to Nightrage foundry. The pace seems
with the Spell of Preservation. Like the episodes in quite stately, but in fact the magical ship covers
almost 200 miles in only a few hours.
Colima and Nithia—not to mention in the Azcan
Empire in HWAl—this, too, may give the PCs rea- When the PCs arrive at the foundry, go to the next
son to question the merits of this Immortal magic. chapter. However, the beginning of that chapter
assumes the PCs are climbing down through a sur-
But that questioning must wait for this trilogy's
face vent, where they meet an earth elemental sentry.
finale.
This river of lava leads directly to the foundry
"floor" (described in detail next chapter).
The River of Fire However, you can easily translate the entry
encounter from the overhead vent to the floor-level
Below the Chamber of the Ages and the nursery, tunnel. Just transfer the elemental sentry to this
the sulfur fumes grow still stronger. It's also unbear- tunnel, and have it block off the entryway in the
ably hot. PCs cannot go farther unless they have same fashion described at the start of the next chap-
protection from both the fumes (for instance, the asp ter.
skull talismans the manscorpions wear) and from the If the PCs have already been to Nightrage
heat (for instance, rings of fire resistance). foundry: They've taken the barge from there and
Heat has scorched the earthen walls charcoal black. arrived here. They may also have defeated Koresh
A ruddy glow rises from below. At a turn in the Teyd, as explained in later chapters. If so, a few
tunnel, the PCs see the following: manscorpions should hardly offer a powerful climax
to the adventure!
This large chamber is lit from the floor—because If the heroes have already completed the main
the floor is molten lava. It's pretty much solid and storyline, consider revising this chapter to minimize
black at the surface, but through a network of any anticlimax. Delete the manscorpions, their trea-
cracks you can see reddish yellow magma. sures, and the barge at this pier. Just show off the
The lava chamber opens away into a long, breeding ground and then bring in the serpent es-
wide, perfectly round tunnel that reaches as far as corts to Ashmorain, as discussed at the end of Chap-
you can see. A river of magma flows slowly down ter 10.
that tunnel into this chamber.
A pier extends from where you are out into the
lava. It looks like ordinary cedar wood, but it's
unmarked by the heat. At the end of the pier,
floating in the lava, sits a long wooden barge. It's
slender, with a shallow draft and a broad beam. It
doesn't seem to have any method of propulsion.

The tunnel, eaten by an Annelid, leads to Koresh

Teyd's lair, the foundry named Nightrage.
The Semekhtet-barge, like the one Koresh Teyd
rides, can travel through solid rock. It does not re-
quire the lava river, but the manscorpions do.
They're too stupid to locate the foundry without it.
The PCs can learn the barge's command words
from any of the adult manscorpions, or perhaps even
from a youngling. If no manscorpions survive or
prove cooperative, the PCs can also find the words
written in Nithian hieroglyphics on the barge's deck,
and in phonetic Neathar on the walls of the Cham-
ber of the Ages. All these reminded the manscor-
pions whenever they forgot the words.
For more about the barge, consult the "New
Magic" Appendix.

45
 Bathed in molten lava, its air thick and glowing sure, and in this chapter there is no other kind of
with vaporized iron, the Nightrage foundry achieves exposure!
temperatures above 10,000 degrees. Other fires burn Gas protection may take non-magical forms. For
hotter—a huge dragon's flame, some high-level fire example, the PCs could improvise temporary filters,
balls, and the Hollow World's central sun—but the such as soaked kerchiefs tied over their mouths; these
sun is inconveniently placed, and the other flames interim measures last ten minutes at most. As the
are magical. Magical flame cannot shape World- heroes may have discovered in Tarthis, Nithians use
Shield ore, and this ore is the foundry's reason for magical amulets made of asp skulls. The PCs may
existence. buy, steal, borrow, or loot these talismans for indefi-
Here, in one of the hottest non-magical places in nite protection in Nightrage foundry.
the world, Koresh Teyd of the Blood Brethren super- Scenic description: The vent runs fairly straight for
vises the three projects that make up his scheme, the first part of its length, then swerves and angles as
code-named Nightrage. it approaches Nightrage foundry itself. Light is not a
Forging armor: Fire elementals, using metallic fire problem; molten rock below emits a hazy orange
implements from their native plane, melt and pour glow.
the World-Shield ore into molds. Since all the molds All along, the vent's walls are hard, rugged, smoky
create armor of just one size, Koresh Teyd poly- black, and coated with charcoal. Farther down, the
morphs the wearers to that size. charcoal covering gives way to a fine sheen of con-
Creating symbionts: In a side chamber above the densed metals: copper, iron, zinc. As the PCs climb
molten rock (but only accessible after passing down, their fingers gouge small indentations in these
through the lava), Koresh Teyd's henchman Kruthep drifts of soft metal, indentations that grow deeper
supervises the distortion of feathered serpents, the farther down the PCs go.
freshly ripped from their cocoons, into the misshapen Later in the climb, the PCs also encounter metals
symbionts that control the Annelids. ordinarily not found in native form—aluminum, for
Breeding the Annelids: By far the largest chamber instance, and rivulets of liquid mercury. Alchemists
in the foundry, this lair holds a huge "mother" An- can collect these for later use, though some are toxic
nelid. It lays hundreds of eggs at a time. The lava's when handled carelessly. Poison effects, if any, are
heat is incubating a new brood; if the heroes can left to DM's discretion.
destroy them and the mother, they can greatly reduce
the Annelids' danger to the World-Shield. Sentry
HOW THEY GET THERE = You climb down for a long time—it feels like a
quarter of a mile, or maybe more. The smoke
The PCs can find their way to the foundry in one here is thick, and the walls shine with the heat.
of two ways: either via the underground river of lava Then, after you edge past a twist in the vent's
from the serpent oasis in the last chapter, or via di- path, the smoke clears for a moment—and you
rect exploration in the mountains west of Tarthis. see the end of the tunnel. It's a narrow hole about
The latter is a straightforward task: simply let the four feet across, with a red glow beyond it.
heroes trace it by its smoke trail. As you watch it, the tunnel's end contracts, like
They find an open crack in the earth that belches a throat closing. Four big arms made of rock grow
smoke and fumes. The smell of rotten eggs is almost out from the walls to block the path. A mouth
overwhelming. Around the rugged vent, sulfur crys- opens in the rock to one side, and it speaks to you
tals grow in a tangle astonishingly like thorn bushes. in a deep, hollow voice: "Whooo iiis thiiiis?
Thorny, leafless branches of crystalline sulfur break Whyyy are yoooou heeeere?"
under the PCs' fingers as they climb down. (They
take no damage, but the cuts cause a burning pain.) This guard is an earth elemental named Pumice.
The vent leads hundreds of yards straight down, to Though it has grown four arms, there is only one
Nightrage foundry. elemental, and it can only attack once a round. How-
Protection: However they find this place, the PCs ever, because of the narrowness of the opening, only
require protective magic to survive here. one PC at a time can attack the elemental or try to
Heat protection: Any ring offireprotection will do, move through the opening.
or a potion of fire resistance, or a sequence of resist Talking with Pumice: The best way to pass the
fire spells, or the various items the PCs could collect in guard is to talk with it; the PCs' Pendants of Many
the manscorpion lair in the previous chapter. Tongues allow this. The PCs can gain Pumice's sym-
These items protect against all heat damage from pathy if they mention Gabbro, the elemental from
the environment. But note that the PCs could still, this module's Introduction (or from Chapter 5 of
for example, drown in molten lava. And in some HWAl). Gabbro is a high-level cleric from the Ele-
cases they still take damage from fire ball and similar mental Plane of Earth, and Pumice respects him; if
spells, due to the shock of the blast. Gabbro sent the PCs, they must be all right.
Gas protection: Almost as important, the PCs The PCs could also try to convince Pumice they're
need protection against the sulfurous fumes that allies, even without mentioning Gabbro. This should
emerge from the volcanic vent. These nauseating not prove difficult.
vapors inflict 1 hp damage per minute of close expo- However, whether or not they're friendly to the

46
heroes, Pumice and the other elementals in draw this pool so close to ground level, near the
Nightrage foundry are held here by a bond stronger Serpent Oasis. No mortal or Immortal could detect
than magic: their solemn oath of honor (described his handiwork.
below). They have vowed to serve Koresh Teyd, for Koresh Teyd's handiwork, though, is another mat-
reasons the PCs cannot discover now. Even if con- ter. The servant of Thanatos has commanded his
vinced the PCs are allies, Pumice cannot in good elemental slaves to build and maintain the foundry
conscience let them pass unmolested. that the PCs now discover.
The elemental's solution in this case is to enact a
mock combat. It cuffs the nearest PC gently on his or The Chamber
her armor (no damage), then waits for the PC to
counter-attack—provoking the hero, if necessary.
Any blow "drives off' Pumice and returns the tun- The tunnel you're in opens above a sheer drop.
nel exit to its normal size, so that the PCs can pass The walls curve down smoothly on each side of
safely. However, the attacking PC receives no XP. the tunnel mouth. You're at the apex of a giant
In staging this, treat it as comedy of a surreal sort. stone hemisphere. The walls are charred black,
This encounter should be the first tip the PCs get and parts are flowing like molasses.
that the elementals are not Koresh's mindless slaves, %u look down, and fifty feet below, you see a
and that they can be, if not allies, then peculiarly vast expanse of burning rock, black and boiling
unthreatening opponents. on the surface, huge chunks floating in a sea of
Questions: When speaking for Pumice, draw out molten orange lava. Here and there you see foun-
your words and try to stick to single syllables. Re- tains of yellow sparks.
member that, like other earth elementals, Pumice is One area looks more regular. It's a floating
not stupid, but it lacks understanding of many hu- rectangle—hard to tell how big it is from up here.
man and demihuman concepts. It looks like a grid, with lava burning in it in
Nonetheless, the heroes can obtain enigmatic clues various shapes.
about why the elementals are working for Koresh On the rectangular grid, you spot flickering
Teyd. For instance, "Heee hooolds a great onnnne." flames moving slowly back and forth. They look
"We gaaave ooour wooord, on the liiife of ooour like burning people, about two dozen of them.
loved prinnnce." The story behind these clues is They seem to be carrying things, but you're too
given in the next chapter. However, Pumice won't far away to tell what. There's no sign of anybody
reveal the shameful details of that story—a romance else around.
between their "prince" and its fire elemental lover.
Fighting Pumice: Of course, PCs may attack out- Nightrage foundry is a huge sphere 100' in diame-
right. Pumice attacks each PC in sequence as he or ter, its lower half filled with thick molten lava. The

O
she tries to get through the tunnel opening. Mean- spherical shape helps maintain maximum heat, the
while, Pumice roars loudly in the cavern below, better to smelt the World-Shield ore. Drafts of air
alerting other elementals to aid it. Pumice flees if pumped in from distant caverns also increase the
reduced to half its hit points or less. foundry's heat. (These create the spark fountains the
If Pumice alerts the other elementals, the PCs heroes see.)
probably must either flee or be captured. The ele- The semi-solid rock walls of the chamber, heated
mentals fight to subdue—that is, any PC reduced to to taffy consistency, constantly droop and deform.
0 hp or less is only knocked cold, not killed, and can PCs see the arms of earth elementals emerge (as in
heal normally. Captured PCs are taken to Koresh the "Sentry" section, above) to push back and
Teyd's lair (see the next chapter). If any PCs remain smooth over the sphere's walls. Without the elemen-
free, they can rescue the prisoners later; meanwhile, tals' constant intervention, the sphere would collapse
players whose characters were captured can play in minutes.
rogue earth elementals until their PCs are retrieved. The grid: This flat structure measures 20' long by
Pumice, earth elemental: AC 0; HD 12; hp 50; 10' wide and a few inches thick. It's made of metallic
# AT 1; Dmg 2d8 + Id8 if opponent stands on fire from the Elemental Plane of Fire. This substance
ground; MV 60' (20'); Save F12; ML 10; AL N; glows a dull orange-red, and tendrils of yellow energy
THAC0 9;XP 1,100. flicker across it, just under the surface. Though it feels
hard like metal, metallic fire appears to have no defi-
nite surface, but only jewel-like depths of color.
THE SCENE The fire grid is pocked with indentations at points
across its upper surface. These are molds, as for shap-
Nightrage foundry and Koresh Teyd's lair are de- ing metal, in the forms of armor breastplates, vam-
picted on this module's inside cover. braces, halves of a helm and visor, and all the
The foundry, built on a pool of molten lava, lies hundred or so individual parts of one suit of armor.
less than a quarter mile under the mountain vent There is even an array of small circular molds to
described above. Lava seldom rises so close to the create the ringlets of chainmail.
surface in the Nithian Empire, where volcanic activity Around the grid stand a range of metallic fire im-
is virtually unknown. However, such subsurface pools plements, much like those found in conventional
aren't completely without precedent—which gave smithies: anvils, hammers, and tongs. At one end of
the Immortal Thanatos all the excuse he needed to the grid stands a massive cauldron, about seven feet in

47
diameter and six inches thick, also made of metallic damage the item. "Damage" to an item without
fire. plusses usually means the item becomes non-
These fire molds and implements shape molten functional, at least as long as it remains here.
World-Shield ore. No metal native to this plane Non-magical items: These are melted, incinerated,
could do this; all melt at a much lower temperature or vaporized as appropriate as soon as the owner lets
than the World-Shield. Koresh Teyd has fetched them go.
these molds from the Plane of Fire, along with fire Two devices available in the foundry can protect an
elemental servants to maintain them. The actual item from heat damage: a shell of solid rock (proba-
forging and molding process are described below. bly made with the assistance of an earth elemental)
Thefireelementals: About two dozen of these and a container of World-Shield ore (including the
servants melt the World-Shield ore as it is brought armor being molded here; see below).
in, cast it in the molds, and work the molded shapes
into full suits of armor. The elementals resemble
vague humanoid outlines covered with yellow INVESTIGATION
flames—human flames, in other words. They smell
of carbon dust and candle wax. Getting Down
For the characters, temperaments, and statistics of
the elementals, see "Investigation" below. The only visitors to Nightrage foundry have been
fire elementals, which can fly; earth elementals,
which can travel magically through rock; and Koresh
The Molding Process Teyd and his servants, who can also fly. So there is no 9 V
ladder, rope, nor other device leading down from the
All the implements here—the cauldrons, molds, ceiling vent. How do the PCs reach the lava floor, 50
anvils, tongs, and other utensils—are made of metal- feet below?
lic fire. The implements are not magical as such, but They may be able to fly themselves—though the
they can't exist for long on this plane in lower tem- temperature here may foil some devices, such as
peratures than this. flying carpets or ropes of climbing. See above under
Next to a huge fiery cauldron rests a large pile of "The Heat" for details.
irregularly shaped metal shards—Annelid castings, Failing that, the characters might persuade Pumice
like the one the PCs emerged in after their trip in or another earth elemental to transport them. The
Chapter 6. The fire elementals put these castings elemental grows arms from the rock wall, one arm to
into the cauldron and melt them over the course of hold each PC, and lowers them in a tight bunch
hours or days. Then, using fiery ladles, they spoon down the curving rock wall. At ground level, the
out the surface scum. This is the pure World-Shield elemental lets them go.
ore. They pour this molten ore into the armor molds. If all else fails, the PCs can even drop and suffer
The molds shape the ore into the anti-magical the 5d6 falling damage. The lava, though molten,
armor seen throughout this module. Once a piece of doesn't splash like water. To a falling character, it
cast ore cools (relatively speaking), the elementals tilt feels as solid as rock! Don't encourage the players to
the armor out of its mold. Like blacksmiths, they try this—the foundry offers no healing magic.
construct the completed suits using the anvils and
tools to one side of the molds. They do not temper
the armor here in the foundry; that occurs more or The Elementals
less automatically once the armor enters cool outer
air. (See "Donning the Armor" below for the prop- PCs can interact with the elementals in several
erties of untempered armor.) ways.
Observing: They can watch the elementals carry
Then the elementals carry the suits of armor down
out the duties described above. The elementals ob-
out of sight under the lava. Their destination is a
serve the PCs, but make no greeting nor any hostile
storage chamber in Koresh Teyd's headquarters,
move. They converse using a sputtering language
described in the next chapter.
involving showers of sparks. The PCs, via their Pen-
dants of Many Tongues, may overhear fire elementals
The Heat gossiping about them: "Who are the burnt-out
ones?" ("Burnt-out" is their term for anyone who
Ambient temperature in the foundry exceeds isn't on fire.)
5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This may damage charac- "Maybe they have journeyed here to claim the
ters' possessions. next armor," says one.
Be prepared to rule whether a given PC's protec- "More villains, then! Alas, these rogues."
tion also covers his or her items. In general, magical Should the PCs continue listening, they realize the
protection from heat covers the character and every- free-thinking fire elementals have nothing good to
thing carried; anything beyond arm's length is usu- say about Koresh Teyd, his foundry, or his armor.
ally outside the protective charm's scope. This applies (They don't much like the earth elementals, either.)
to all the magical protections available to the PCs in If you wish to drop an obvious clue, an elemental
this module. could mention "the holy ransom" that Koresh Teyd
Magical items: When an item falls outside the holds—perhaps the PCs' first clue that the fire ele-
owner's protective magic, follow the procedures given mentals, like their earthen counterparts, are held
in the DM's Companion—that is, roll 4 + on Id6 to here through extortion.

*9
 Attacking: The PCs may attack these creatures, Donning the Armor
thinking them allies of Koresh Teyd. The elementals
flee from any combat, and they never fight except in Since they're protected from heat damage, the PCs
self-defense. In this case, they use the fiery imple- can wear the still-hot armor forged from the World-
ments described above under "The Molding Proc- Shield ore. But they quickly encounter problems.
ess." The hammers do Id6 damage; other Technically, the fire elementals guard and protect the
implements do Id4 damage. armor for Koresh Teyd. So if the PCs want it, they
All the while, the elementals cry out, "Why do have to fight the elementals first.
you attack? Are we not obeying your commands?" Should the PCs ask before attacking, though, the
They take the PCs for lieutenants of Koresh Teyd, fire elementals explain their situation—and then, in
since all the non-elemental creatures they have seen a bit of comic byplay, they say, "So you see, we can-
are his servants. This should prompt rational PCs to not let you have this armor. . . and as soon as we
stop and engage the elementals in conversation. (But return, we'll tell you more about the solemn the oath
if the PCs have killed any of their number, the ele- we swore to protect it." And then they leave!
mentals prove sulky and uninformative.) As the elementals move across the foundry to
Talking: As noted above, the PCs' Pendants of gather far from the PCs in the other-dimensional
Many Tongues allow communication with the earth equivalent of a coffee break, the PCs realize how the
and fire elementals. They are talkative but enigmatic elementals observe their oath to Koresh Teyd to the
speakers, for they often refer to ideas that the Pen- letter, but not in spirit. Conceivably, clever PCs could
dants cannot translate into human terms, and so the persuade the elementals to aid them further. Mean-
words simply drop out of the sentence. while, the heroes can take the armor while it lies
Fire: Furthermore, fire elementals are given to ill- unguarded.
tempered arguments or flowery expressions of pas- Are there problems in taking the armor? That is
sion, all at the least excuse. Think of them as up to you. There might be only a few completed
full-hearted poets, ready to sing or scowl at little suits, not enough for all the PCs. Also, the armor
provocation. "Fie, you call me an agent of evil? Ah, might not work well until it's completely cool—and
the ignominy! Puny material ash-heap, I would fain it probably can't get cool here in the foundry, unless
burn you where you stand, but that my honor re- the players do something clever.
strains me!" This untempered armor only improves the PCs'
However, if the PCs approach them sensibly and Armor Class by 1; its anti-magic resistance only im-
politely, the elementals may pass along information, proves their own saving throws by 2. Unfortunately,
such as the details of the forging process and the way the PCs won't find this out until they test the armor
the earth elementals maintain this foundry. Though the hard way.
the fire elementals can point the way to the rest of Exceptionally cruel or mischeivous DMs may even
the lair, down beneath the lava, they know little of have the armor's anti-magic properties interfere with
the layout or what awaits below. the PCs' protection from heat and sulfur fumes! This
More importantly, the elementals won't directly guarantees that the PCs go into the final confronta-
aid the heroes. They have sworn unbreakable oaths tion with only their own equipment (if that!), un-
not to betray Koresh Teyd—and they won't tell what protected by the World-Shield armor. But given the
power he has over them to enforce such oaths. opposition in the next chapter, you may wish to give
But most importantly, the elementals hate their the PCs every edge they can get.
oath and obey only its letter, not its spirit. As out-
lined below, they happily follow suggested ways to
find holes in their oath and help the heroes. The PCs WHERE NEXT?
have to suggest those ways, though.
Earth: These more sedate elementals, by contrast,
offer few observations. They offer little information. The heroes can see the fire elementals periodically
They offer hardly anything at all, in fact. Not only disappearing under the lava's surface. If they don't
are they slow and taciturn by nature; they are all catch on that something must be going on down
preoccupied in shoring up the walls of the spherical there, any elemental can drop an obvious hint to
foundry. PCs can find out little more than they could that effect.
from Pumice (see "How They Get There," above). When the PCs examine the lava floor, they note
one especially bright line of fire stretching across it.
A note on names: Elemental names do not trans-
This is a rope of woven fire, taken straight from the
late into human tongues. Earth elementals dealing
Elemental Plane of Fire. At the center of the foundry
with humans take on names of minerals, such as
floor, the rope disappears down under the lava. The
Pyrite, Geode, Pentlandite, Garnet, and so on.
heroes can climb down the rope, hand over hand, to
Fire elementals, too, take on arbitrary designations reach the true lair of Koresh Teyd. Go to the next
when on this plane. Typical names of this kind in- chapter.
clude Shining Effulgence, Silvery White Fire, Pure
Flame Heart, and Golden Radiance—names no en- Chickening out: If the heroes try to retreat back
tity on this plane could use with a straight face. Such up to the surface, the earth elementals won't let
is the elemental nature, or perhaps it indicates their them, '"ibu've started this," they say (or one-syllable
sense of humor. words to that effect). "Now you have to finish it!"
The heroes must travel down beneath the lava, on
the trail to Koresh Teyd.

50
HOW THEY GET THERE the sensation that strikes you most strongly is the
pervasive odor of serpent-mint.
By following the fire elementals or examining the The armored figure is Kruthep. The other figure is
molten floor of Nightrage foundry in the previous the minotaur, Augar, who wears no armor. (If Augar
chapter, the PCs discover the rope of woven fire that has joined the PCs, or has died earlier in the adven-
leads down under the magma. Spells like find the ture, this figure is an earth elemental servant.) They
path also point the way to Koresh Teyd, Kruthep, are modifying the feathered serpent, untimely
and the serpent cocoons. All lie just a hundred-foot ripped from its cocoon, into a symbiont suitable for
climb down the fiery rope. attachment to a Great Annelid.
The rope descends straight down a vertical tunnel The presence of serpent-mint should tell PCs, at
at the bottom of the foundry sphere. If the PCs can last, why Koresh Teyd was willing to send poly-
somehow sense the tunnel walls through the lava, morphed Schattenalfen as far away as Colima to
they discern that the tunnel appears remarkably fetch it. The mint is a vital catalyst in the serpent
smooth and circular for a volcanic vent. But the earth transformation process. The concentrated and en-
elementals deny shaping it. Clearly this is more work chanted juice, rubbed on the serpents' wings and
of the Great Annelids. bodies, makes them pliable and easily re-formed.

THE SYMBIONTS' ORIGIN _ Battling the Alchemists

First Look The PCs automatically surprise Kruthep and
Augar. This may be sufficient advantage to take
The PCs follow the rope up a branch of the vol- Augar out of the fight, but Kruthep (at AC -4!)
canic vent and emerge here, from a pool of lava in should not fall so easily.
the floor. Read this aloud: Kruthep (armored): Ordinarily a I6th-level magic-
user, Kruthep has surrendered most benefits of his
class in order to wear armor (prohibited, of course, to
The foundry you saw before reminded you of a magic-users). AC -4; hp 34; #AT 1; Dmg by item or
blacksmith's shop in its function. This small spell; MV 120' (40'); Save MU16 (drops to 0-level
chamber also reminds you of a smith's shop, this normal person while wearing armor); ML 8; AL C;
time in appearance. \bu see iron machines that THACO 13 (19 in armor). Inside his armor Kruthep
fill the room, black with soot, and yellow firelight wears a ring of fire protection and a talisman against
flickering on the walls. Tfou hear the clank of fume damage, to protect against the foundry envi-
metal on metal. All the noises you hear sound ronment.
distant, almost drowned out by the gusts of
heated air circulating here. Since Kruthep cannot cast spells while wearing his
World-Shield armor, he has prepared several magical
The room is roughly square and maybe 20 paces items that lie close to hand. He carries them in and
across by 10 wide. The "firelight" is really the out of this chamber using a bag of holding tucked
glow from the lava pool at the corner of the room, carefully inside his armor. The items Kruthep uses:
where you are now. The ceiling is high enough
that the glow can't reach it.
1. He wears a large disphcer cloak (from the Ex-
From the darkness overhead a big mechanical pert Rules); Kruthep must spend an entire round
apparatus hangs down, a conglomeration of hooks wrapping it carefully around his armored form in
and barbs at the ends of multiple iron rods. The order for the cloak to work. The cloak bends light
hooks extend in all directions, or so it looks to before it strikes the World-Shield armor, so the ar-
you. You see a living creature stretched between mor's anti-magic effect doesn't neutralize the effect.
the hooks—a feathered serpent!
2. He wields a yew-wood staffof striking with a
All of the serpent's feathers have been plucked, number of charges equal to the number of PCs. The
exposing pink skin. The hooks go through the staff does 2d6 damage per strike, producing a shower
serpent's wings, through its upper and lower jaws, of blue-white sparks on contact. It is carved with
and all along its body and tail. The serpent's body Nithian hieroglyphics symbolizing the sun, the
is twitching, and now and again it hisses weakly. Nithia, and death.
Standing beneath the serpent, facing away 3. A pouch on a fine cord around his waist holds
from you, are two figures, one human-sized and one charge of powder of slowness, a new magical
wearing a large cloak over a suit of anti-magic item. This fine gray-green dust, when tossed in the
armor, and the other a large, dark humanoid. The air, causes all living things in a 15' radius to become
armored figure is using a long pincer-tool, like a slowed (as the reverse of the 3rd-level magic-user
pair of pliers, to pull at the scales of the feathered spell haste) for one turn. Victims who make a suc-
serpent. cessful saving throw vs. Spells are slowed for only one
At the feet of the armored figure lie the tat- round. Undead are immune, as are those in World-
tered remains of a cocoon. And what's more, you Shield armor. The powder is made from dried alliga-
see piles of cocoons lying around everywhere. But tor scales that have been enchanted in lengthy
ceremonies.

51
 Kruthep 's tactics: Kruthep first draws the cloak including this provocative (and true) information:
around himself, then tosses the powder of slowness "Koresh wasn't interested in the anti-magic armor
into the air. If this slows Augar as well as the PCs, itself—that was just a way to get the elves to bring in
that makes no difference to Kruthep. the mint. With the mint, and the serpent cocoons,
Next he bends down to seize the staff of striking he could make the unholy creatures that guide the
from its hiding place beneath the mechanical appa- great worms. When he commanded the great worms
ratus. He strikes the most dangerous-looking heroes to tunnel, it was not so he could get more of the
until the starTruns out of charges (wasting a round strange rock. It was so he could make tunnels. The
on an extra "dud" strike, for Id4 damage; he didn't tunnels were the thing. I don't know why, I swear I
know how many charges were left). don't!"
Then Kruthep dashes for the lava pool exit. The Looking around: If they didn't keep Kruthep alive
cloak and staff, now unprotected, burn into cinders to interrogate him, the PCs may not deduce this
as he leaves. laboratory's function right away. But they can, as
Augar: AC 6; HD 6; hp 35; #AT 1 gore/1 bite or soon as they investigate the rest of the apparatus that
weapon; Dmg Id6/ld6 or by weapon+ 2; MV 120' holds the serpent. In the room's dark reaches, more
(40'); Save F6; ML 12; AL N; THACO 14. Augar now serpents hang there, in all the painful stages of trans-
wears a ring of flight, which works like a broom of formation into symbionts.
flying from the Expert Rules. He also wears a ring of Putting these poor creatures out of their misery
fire protection and a talisman against fume damage, would be charitable, but powerful healing magic,
to protect against the foundry environment. such as cure serious wounds, transforms the serpents
Should Augar survive the PCs' initial approach, he back to their rightful forms. These serpents need
uses his ring of flight to launch himself into the time to recuperate, perhaps at the Serpent Oasis,
darkness overhead. The ceiling is 30' high, and the before once again forming cocoons.
iron apparatus blocks most clear views upward. But Meanwhile, stacks of cocoons remain untouched in
the minotaur knows the ceiling layout quite well, this chamber, for Kruthep had not yet gotten to
and he can descend on any given PC at any time, them. If the PCs can get these to the surface un-
automatically winning initiative. After attacking, he harmed, possibly with help from the elementals, the
can fly upward and hide again on the next round. mature serpents will emerge unharmed in due time.
Try to emphasize the uncertainty and terror of this That time may be due even as the PCs finish the
situation, where the PCs know that a powerful mon- encounters of this chapter; see "Aftermath," below,
ster can drop on them at any moment. for a serendipitous meeting with serpents in the final
On the other hand, the PCs might persuade Augar stage of their life cycle.
to join them. The minotaur, though brutish by na-
ture and low in intelligence, takes no joy in torturing
feathered serpents. ("Just snakes. No harm to me. THE LAIR OF KORESH
Why hurt?") A fervent argument based on heartfelt TFYO
sentiment, though delivered in the midst of pitched
battle with Kruthep, might sway the minotaur to
rebel against his masters at a crucial, dramatic mo- In a dark corner of the symbiont chamber, the PCs
ment. find a passage downward. A ladder of World-Shield
The elemental: If Augar has been replaced in this ore carries them down to the ultimate room of the
scene by an elemental, the elemental flees at the first Nightrage foundry, and the climactic meeting with
sign of attack, so that Kruthep cannot order it to Koresh Teyd—or is it?
fight the PCs. The elemental will not harm the he-
roes unless Kruthep directly orders it. Use the statis- First Look
tics for Pumice in the previous chapter.
This is a wide (50'), low (10') cylindrical room
Victory lined with vertical pipes running from floor to ceil-
ing. These pipes are made of World-Shield ore,
If the PCs reduce Kruthep to 10 hp or less and formed using molds that Koresh Teyd later trans-
their victory appears inevitable, he breaks into tears, formed into the armor molds in the foundry above.
surrenders like a coward, and gives up all his magical Lava from the rocky vent below flows through
items (but not his armor, unless threatened). these pipes into the foundry overhead. Koresh uses
Then Kruthep begs for mercy, with the panic of a valves and water-clock-type gauges control the flow,
Nithian unprepared for death. "I haven't got a tomb thereby controlling the temperature in the foundry.
yet, no sarcophagus—If you kill me now, in the The air here resonates with the flow, a loud clanking
afterlife I'll be nothing but a peasant! I was only over a steady bass thrumming.
following Koresh's orders," he whines. "I can tell you After Koresh Teyd transforms all available feath-
anything you want to know." ered serpent cocoons into Annelid symbionts, he will
Can he? That is up to you. Kruthep knows little have no reason to keep making armor. Then he'll let
about Koresh Teyd, and nothing about Thanatos or the lava flow up and destroy the scene of his crime.
the other parts of the scheme outlined in HWAl and (If they discover this, perspicacious players may real-
HWA3. As a henchman of Koresh, Kruthep only ize that this flood of lava would also surge through
knows vague details of the World-Shield scheme, the side-tunnel to the beautiful Serpent Oasis, de-

52
straying it as well.) can walk through it without harm. Experimenting
The elementals: Fire elementals, their thin flames with the illusion, PCs find they can "turn" it as they
casting orange glows on the pipes, supervise the would turn a globe, bringing new areas into view
gauges and valves. There are three elementals here with a wave of their hands.
for each PC in the party. They wander from point to Let them examine the globe at their leisure; use
point in the chamber, studiously avoiding the PCs. the maps from the boxed campaign set, or Trail Maps
Koresh Teyd has commanded them to attack in- TM1 and TM2 to show a great part of the Known
truders; but the fire elementals are making an elabo- World in detail. Between the two surfaces, a fine
rate show of ignoring the heroes, so they need not network of red lines runs all through parts of the
fight them. crust, like blood vessels. These are Annelid tunnels
Should a PC actively hail an elemental, the crea- in the World-Shield. The damage in some parts of
ture's first question is, "Are you supposed to be the Shield is quite evident.
here?" Any answer even vaguely affirmative lets the Here PCs can begin to understand the damage
elemental avoid attack. Truthful answers, though, caused by the World-Shield tunneling. They proba-
bring a heavy sigh. The elemental attacks as a for- bly don't understand Koresh Teyd's larger purpose . .
mality, missing automatically with a slow swing of its . until he appears from behind a pipe, clad in World-
burning fist. Any damage drives off the elemental in Shield armor. Cackling, he takes a moment to gloat
"defeat"; however, the victorious PCs get no experi- over his scheme. "Coming along famously," he says,
ence for this mock battle. confidence in his voice despite the terror in his gob-
In any case, the fire elementals are bound by oath lin eyes. "Soon, I think, the whole Shield will crum-
not to speak to the PCs, and they cannot offer direct ble like a ruined foundation."
help.
Who is Who?
The Cloning Apparatus
Despite appearances, this is not Koresh Teyd. The
This consummately weird arrangement of pipes, PCs cannot know it, but this is a duplicate of Koresh
tubes, and vats stands near one wall, blocked from Teyd and a clone of his goblin host, Prince Udan.
view by a curving screen of World-Shield ore. The The original Koresh became aware of the PCs shortly
apparatus is made of ordinary glass, clay, and two after their arrival, via magical wards or messengers;
marble slabs, yet the chamber's heat has not affected since his own plan was proceeding well, he saw no
it. Obviously the contraption is magical, but what is reason to risk confrontation. So he activated the
its function? duplicate he had prepared for just such a circum-
One slab lies flat. Clear glass tubes circle down stance.
from its grooved surface to a water wheel-style Koresh Teyd, aided by Thanatos, designed the the
pump. The pump runs seemingly without impetus, complex apparatus they saw in this chamber to make
and glass pipes lead upward from it to large clay the clone of Udan. This worked as per the 8th-level
cisterns above eye level. These two ten-gallon con- magic-user spell in the Master Rules. (If you don't
tainers smell of vinegar and blood. Pipes at their have those rules, the spell creates an exact duplicate
bottoms lead down to the second marble slab, which of the magic-user, subject to certain requirements
tilts at a steep angle and rests on the ground. This and restrictions.) Thanatos intervened with Immortal
slab is enclosed in a glass mold that looks like a skele- magic to circumvent most of the spell's restrictions,
ton; a successful Intelligence check recognizes the but no one except Koresh Teyd knows this—and
outline as that of Prince Udan, the goblin puppet of Thanatos has magically forbidden Koresh to tell
Koresh Teyd. anyone, or even to mention the name "Thanatos."
PCs experienced in magic can identify this as some A duplicate Koresh-slug controls the duplicate
kind of creative apparatus. But anything beyond that Udan. The slug form can split like an amoeba into
depends on the players' own speculations. two identical offspring, over the course of hours.
The secret? Koresh Teyd used this apparatus to Only one retains its spells; that one has left the
create a duplicate of himself, using a version of the foundry with the original Udan. The PCs encounter
8th-level clone spell supplied by Thanatos. The wiz- them, the "real" Koresh and Udan, in the next
ard's goblin body lay on one slab; his blood flowed chapter. Nonetheless, the Koresh offspring in this
from it through the pipes to cisterns filled with en- chamber knows everything the original did, lacking
chanted liquids; and the resulting mixture flowed nothing except spells—and he wears the durance vial
into the glass mold, creating a duplicate Udan. The around his neck, which forces the elementals to obey
PCs encounter this duplicate below. The original has his commands.
left the foundry for a new destination.
Talking With the Enemy
The Dome Illusion
If the PCs talk with Koresh before attacking, they
At the center of the room, the ceiling rises steeply can confirm that this indeed seems to be the sorcerer
in a dome. Beneath the dome is a huge translucent they met before. His visor is up, exposing his tor-
hemisphere—an illusion, some 15 feet across— mented goblin face. If they attack, he lowers the
showing the northern hemisphere of the Known and visor, gaining the full AC - 4 of the World-Shield
Hollow Worlds, plus the crust between. Characters armor; go to "Battling Koresh Teyd," below.

53
 Though forbidden to even hint at the role of But the fire elementals, though they fight with
Thanatos, this duplicate Koresh is happy to talk at great reluctance, remain a problem. To handle them,
length about the volcanic foundry, the Great Anne- the PCs must get the durance vial that coerces their
lids, the World-Shield, and (if you're playing the cooperation. Clever and skillful PCs might be able to
other modules in this series) the conjunction of his pull the viol away without harming it; let the players
plan with that of his Blood Brother, Simm of the try anything that sounds either sensible or foolhard-
Grasping Dark. He is stalling for time, while the ily courageous.
original Koresh does the deeds seen in the next chap- If the duplicate Koresh loses the vial, then the fire
ter. elementals turn against him, to the extent that their
"A marvelous scheme, truly," this Koresh says. earlier vow of service allows it. The PCs can quickly
"Send enough tunnels through the core of the defeat Koresh then. However, should the PCs destroy
world, and like a wall eaten through by termites, it the vial, the fire elementals furiously turn on them
will collapse. I can only speculate on what effect this and help Koresh capture them!
will have on both inner and outer worlds. We shall Koresh Teyd (duplicate): 25th-level magic-user;
soon see, I imagine." AC -4; hp 34; if AT 1; Dmg Id6; MV 120' (40'); Save
(In this guess Koresh is wrong, though the PCs MU25 (0-level normal in armor); ML 12; AL C;
cannot know it. The World-Shield is not in danger of THACO 11 (19 in armor).
collapsing. However, stress Koresh's belief that it is, Fire elementals: These use the statistics for "staff'
so that the players feel the urgent need to stave off a elementals in the Expert Rules. AC 2; HD 8; hp 32;
great menace.) #AT 1; Dmg Id8 + Id8 vs. cold-based abilities; MV
"And how nicely it dovetails with my venerable 120' (40'); Save F8; ML 10; AL N; THACO 12; XP
brother's plan," Koresh continues (if you're also 650. Reduce the XP award if the elementals fight
playing HWAl). "The magic shines forth from the reluctantly, as they usually do.
sun; it strikes the earth and passes through, yet the
boundary between the worlds stops what mere rock
could not. Dispense with the boundary, and the AFTERMATH
inner light strikes the outer world. And what will
that do, I wonder?" Failure
If you're also playing HWA3, Koresh might taunt
the PCs, especially clerics, to pray to their Immortal What if the PCs fail utterly? The duplicate
patrons. "After all, the Immortals see everything, do Koresh, as much a manipulative scoundrel as the
they not? No mere mortal could possibly capture all original, seizes one PC and transfers him or her into
these great entities." The goblin lips curl into a the durance vial along with the two elementals. With
wretched smile. Koresh speaks no more of this, ex- this hostage, he coerces the surviving PCs into taking
cept to drop enigmatic hints. on a mission: Find and assassinate Minister Irila
Kaze, whom Koresh believes is plotting against him
Koresh soon tires of gloating. Holding the durance and his Blood Brother, Simm. This is a lead-in to
vial on the chain around his neck, he commands the HWA3, Nightstorm.
fire elementals to attack the PCs. Reluctantly, they
do so—and the battle is joined. As for the unfortunate player whose character has
become a hostage, he or she can play a Nithian, an
elemental, or even a feathered serpent polymorphed
Battling Koresh Teyd into human form, as a replacement for the hostage PC.
Though this is a clone of a 25th-level magic-user,
the duplicate currently has no spells. Thus he trades
Victory
most of the benefits of his class for the protection of
World-Shield armor. Like Kruthep in the previous Since the PCs probably believe this is the one and
chamber, Koresh also wields several magical items: only Koresh Teyd, they probably feel they've finished
the adventure. Encourage this assumption by passing
out rewards and resolving dangling storylines. This
1. A fireproof staff of earth and fire (from the
will make the next chapter's encounter with Koresh
Companion Rules) with one charge for each PC con-
more surprising.
fronting Koresh;
Rewards: In addition to the treasure the PCs can
2. A dagger +1 with the slowing talent (described
collect from Kruthep and the duplicate Koresh, and
in the Companion Rules); and
the usual experience points for defeating opponents,
3. One of the usual talismans protecting against
the PCs should also receive a bulk XP award at least
fire and fume damage.
large enough to raise one PC by one level. For exam-
ple, if the party includes a 7th-level thief who needs
With such items, and the elementals Koresh com- 25,000 XP to reach 8th level, award each PC up to
mands, this is a tough battle for the PCs. However, 25,000 XP.
recall that Koresh the slug-thing has let his host body
(Prince Udan) become starved and emaciated. This Also, give 10-20% extra XP to individual players
applies to the duplicate as well. The goblin body who role-played well, devised clever plans, and oth-
may falter at a strategic moment during the battle, erwise increased everyone's enjoyment of the game.
giving the PCs time to catch their breaths and regain Of course, adjust these XP awards to reflect your
the initiative. personal play style and the needs of the individual
players.

54
 In addition to these rewards, use this opportunity
to wrap up a few loose ends. WHERE NEXT?
Freeing the elementals: By speaking the word of
release engraved on the side of the durance vial, the It's not over yet! Whether the PCs won or lost, the
PCs can free its two captives: Niccolite, an earth earth elementals transport them back to the Hollow
elemental of princely rank on the Elemental Plane of World surface. They refuse to carry the heroes all the
Earth, and Aura Grandiose, a high-ranking artist way back to the outer world; this is much farther
from the Plane of Fire. than they want to travel. After their long captivity,
Though grateful to the PCs for their release, the the elementals just want to leave!
two only reluctantly tell their story. Aura was prepar- But they're willing to help ferry up the serpent
ing a new perfume to be part of a new aroma-scape cocoons. As the PCs watch over the cocoons in the
on its home plane, and so it made an illicit journey warm sunlight, the papery coverings seem to darken
to the Plane of Earth for a magical ingredient: the toward black. Is something wrong? No, as the PCs
heart of an earth elemental. In trying to find a desir- discover when a single fang slices open a gash in one
able heart, Aura met Niccolite and—the taboo cocoon and, shaky as a leaf, out flies a newly mature
broken!—they fell into a cross-planar romance. serpent. Many others, activated by the sunlight after
To avoid censure on their home planes, the two their long captivity, soon follow.
met in various places in the Hollow World. (Aura The PCs may even recognize the serpent. If appro-
could reach it easily, through the central sun.) Dur- priate, make this one Marpolon, the shepherd Dael's
ing their most recent liaison in Nomarys Volcano pet that the PCs met in Chapter 1. Now mature,
under the World's Spine, Koresh Teyd discovered and Marpolon recalls the inborn genetic wisdom of the
imprisoned both of them. Koresh used the hostages serpent race—and also his own acquaintance with the
to extort service from both their families of elemen- PCs.
tals. Because of the shame of the relationship, none The mature serpents can speak, via a spell-like
were willing to divulge the reason to the PCs. ability similar to a magic mouth. Marpolon can ex-
(As a subplot, you can introduce a "hybrid" plain this new and final stage of the serpent life cycle
earth-fire elemental, a new creature spawned by the to the heroes, and he answers other questions as
two lovers' long containment in the vial. This crea- appropriate.
ture might reappear in a later adventure, either in or Then he gazes on the PCs with profound intelli-
outside the Hollow World, as the PCs' ally.) gence and says, "Our debt to you surpasses the
Defeating the Annelids: If you are playing this height of the sky. If you care to, we would like to
module alone, the elemental Gabbro can show up usher you into the presence of our great matriarch,
and volunteer to lead his earthen followers through- the Queen Mother. Only she can reward such hero-
out the crust of the planet, seeking out all the Anne- ism. But do not answer frivolously! The trip to the
lids and removing their symbionts. For this Queen is difficult, for she lies in our most secret
adventure's purpose, this leaves the Annelids dor- place: Ashmorain, the hatching ground."
mant once again, no longer a threat. (If the PCs carried no cocoons to the surface, then
If you are playing the other modules in the Blood a flock of feathered serpents flies down from the sky.
Brethren trilogy, the Annelid problem admits of no They came here from a Floating Continent that [by
such easy solution. Even without the symbionts, the coincidence] is fairly close overhead. These serpents
Annelids remain active. The only solution is Immor- are mature and have full intelligence. Having sensed
tal intervention, and that only comes at the climax of the end of their fellow serpents' suffering, these
HWA3, Nightstorm. arrivals thank the PCs and make them the same offer
The World-Shield ore: Without the earth elemen- described above.)
tals' constant maintenance, Nightrage foundry soon Assuming the PCs agree, go to the next chapter. If
becomes a shapeless, useless volcanic vent, and the they don't agree, the serpents depart; let the PCs go
existing armor there melts or corrodes. If the Schat- their own way. They probably want to return to
tenalfen or other armor wearers discover the PCs' role Tarthis for supplies or to wrap up loose ends; there
in this, they will swear revenge against the PCs. you can dangle leads to the other parts of this adven-
Retrieving the serpents: As described above under ture, as described at the end of the next chapter.
"The Symbionts' Origin," the still-intact feathered
serpent cocoons should be returned to the Serpent
Oasis, or at least the surface of the Hollow World. At
that time, some of the cocoons tear open, and feath-
ered serpents crawl out. For their greetings to the
PCs and their offer of transport, keep reading.

55
HOW THEY GET THERE INVESTIGATION
The PCs travel upward about a hundred miles, The serpents can set the PCs down wherever they
borne by feathered serpents. Chapter 10 of HWAl like. If the characters want to explore the island,
describes a similar journey, and the staging tips in refer to the color map.
that module also apply here: stress the grandeur of Assuming the PCs trust themselves to their carri-
the hollow globe stretching away from the heroes' ers, the serpents ferry them down to an undistin-
view in all directions; the towering thunderclouds guished foothill at the south central edge of the
stretching above, seemingly straight overhead, and mountains, amid dense forest. With a rapid flapping
just as far below; the sharp, gusty wind and the of wings, the serpents hover and then gently deposit
biting cold. their passengers in a clearing of soft green grass.
The Smoking Mirror: If the PCs haven't already "The hatching ground lies below," they tell the
defeated the menace in HWAl, they see the Smok- PCs. "%u may approach the Queen Mother there."
ing Mirror far overhead, flashing in the reddish sun- If the PCs ask questions, the serpents can describe
light; however, the serpents can't carry them that far. the Queen Mother (use the description later in this
If the PCs have already fought and bested Simm of chapter), hint at her great age and wide knowledge,
the Grasping Dark, they see the last parts of the and foreshadow the weird magic of the underground
Mirror's debris, drifting in slow orbits that will grad- breeding chambers (described below). The serpents
ually send them plunging into the sun. have nothing to hide, and they do their best to put
the heroes at ease.
Entry: The cavern entrance lies in an unremarkable
THE SCENE cleft of rock at the base of a foothill. No tracks mark
the gravel and scree that surround the entrance.
At high altitude, the feathered serpents change Inside the cleft, a tunnel leads steeply down toward a
their course toward a thick cloudbank that stretches distant light. The serpents are happy to accompany
for miles. Penetrating the cloudbank, they continue or lead the heroes down.
their flight upward. They break through the
clouds—and the PCs see their goal. The Hatching Grounds
When the PCs climb down, read this aloud:
The Floating Continent hangs in the air ahead of
you. Most of its base is covered by clouds—it
looks like the seashore, with the water covered by A cavern of bubbles: Magical light shines on walls
a fogbank. and towers of crystal spheres—bubbles blown in
But through the clouds you can make out a molten glass, then quick-cooled. They fill the
jagged underside of rock, and beyond it you can cavern. They ring slightly, like crystal goblets. The
see more clouds below, stretching away up the only other sound is the crackle of lightning some-
curve of the Hollow World. where in the distant caverns.
The serpents fly you up above the continent Then come the new sounds: footsteps, gravel
and bring you in from a high viewpoint. From sliding, maybe even a curse or two as the brave
here it doesn't look big enough to be a continent. adventurers try to descend a passage not meant to
More like an island, maybe—a hundred miles be taken on foot.
long, and shaped like a big raindrop lying on its The serpents with you glide between the towers
side. of crystal bubbles. The breeze of their flight
makes a beautiful tone in each tower. The ser-
If you wish, show the players the map of Ashmo- pents fly back and say, "Where is everyone?"
rain on the full-color mapsheet. But don't let them
look closely enough to read the labelled locations! The serpents expected to find many others of their
kind. But Koresh Teyd, who has arrived here already,
has slain or chased away all of the serpents. There is
The wide end of the island is a high mountain no sign that he is here, for he flew in without touch-
range, with the mountains piled up on each other ing anything.
like a lumpy pyramid, miles high. They're white Koresh fled here because it makes the ideal hide-
with snow, and rugged like the mountains of the out. He learned of Ashmorain from a feathered
World Spine, far below you. serpent that had emerged from its cocoon before
In the middle part of the island, these moun- being transformed into a symbiont. He killed the
tains gradually give way to forested hills, and then poor creature, but kept the secret. When the PCs
to low hills and open green grassland that stretch invaded Nightrage foundry, his prudence dictated a
to the far point of the landmass. quick retreat.
The serpents bring you down toward the border The lightning the PCs can hear is a lightning bolt
between the hills and the grassland. As you de- spell that Koresh cast shortly after his arrival here.
scend, you see swarms of feathered serpents flying The spell is rebounding endlessly among the cavern's
all over the grassland and in the hills. crystal walls and towers; see the next subsection.

56
 o
EVENTS dodge the bolt, rolled in order of Dexterities from
lowest to highest. The bolt hits the first character to
pa
miss the check, doing 8d6 damage; the long journey
Ricochet and Strike has weakened it from its 20d6 maximum.)
It should now be clear to everyone that something
The magic that keeps the Floating Continents aloft is wrong. The serpents lead the PCs down a steep
has affected the interior caverns of Ashmorain. Their crystalline slope, perhaps carrying them over difficult
crystal walls melted and recrystallized long ago, due sections, and into a large, somewhat spherical cham-
to the cataclysmic energies released when the Immor- ber: the hatching chamber of the feathered serpents,
tals set them floating. The crystal sympathetically home of the Queen Mother of the race. And the PCs
absorbed some of that magical energy, thereby taking find that their presumed victory at Nightrage
on unique properties. foundry in no way ended the threat of Koresh Teyd.
Physical attacks easily shatter the crystal (it is AC
9), and resourceful characters can use the shards as
weapons (Id4 damage). However, intact crystals The Queen Mother
reflect magical energy, somewhat like a ring of spell
turning, except that the crystals turn the magic in a The smooth floor of the chamber is dotted with
random direction, not necessarily against the caster. piles of symmetrical crystals, each fist-sized and
(Broken crystals lose this property.) seemingly cut like a fine, many-faceted jewel.
This is what happened when Koresh cast a light- Though it may not be clear to the PCs, these are
ning bolt here, almost an hour ago. The crystal walls serpent eggs. Around the largest pile, containing
and towers have sent the spell ricocheting, and now, some 100 or 200 eggs, lies the stretched body of the
its energy still unspent, it is heading toward the PCs. Queen Mother.
As the heroes explore the cavern, the bolt strikes a The Queen Mother of the feathered serpents is
pillar within sight, bounces three times off walls and large, about 30 feet from her brilliantly crested head
ceiling, and drives past the PCs, close enough to let to the tip of her lavishly feathered tail. Along her
them smell the ozone in its wake. A sharp crack spine run slender, pointed quills that shine in pris-
echoes behind as it departs once more to the cave's matic colors from the chamber's magical light. Her
depths. eyes are filmed over with a milky coating, and her
wing feathers are frayed, indicating great age; yet her
(The bolt returns at some dramatic moment, such scales shine bright green like a mossy pond.
as the first encounter with Koresh Teyd below. This
time, each PC and NPC gets a Dexterity check to But as the PCs encounter the Queen Mother, her
scales show the scorch of lightning. And she is

57
wrapped entirely in a webwork of greasy gray silk. Immortal magic can circumvent the Hollow World's
She sees them and tries to raise her long, graceful prohibition of summoning spells). Koresh commands
neck, but she only becomes more tangled. them, "Slaughter the Queen serpent!"
This is an improved 5th-level version of the 2nd- How many monsters are there? Choose the num-
level web spell, creating a much larger and heavier ber by the size of the PC party. If the PCs need every
web. The 5th-level version permits the entrapment hand just to fight Koresh, then only one rhagodessa
of any one creature up to gargantuan size, and it is appears, as a time-pressure story device. If there are
trapped for Id4 hours unless it succeeds in a Saving so many PCs they can't all attack Koresh at once, call
Throw vs. Spells (in which case it can escape immedi- up enough rhagodessae to keep the extras busy.
ately). The Queen Mother failed this throw, and now
she lies trapped in the spell's sticky strands. Rhagodessae: AC 5; HD 4 + 2; hp 14; #AT 1 leg/1
She speaks urgently in a rich, modulated, almost bite; Dmg 0 +suckers/2d8; MV 150' (50'); Save F2;
womanly voice: "Whoever you are, save yourselves! ML 9; ALN; THACO 15; XP 125.
Fly!" But from behind the web a dark figure rises, After appearing, the rhagodessae take one round
wearing a robe of serpent scales. Lightning crackles at to get their bearings, then one round to crawl up the
his fingertips. Queen Mother's body toward her throat. They attack
'"ibu have come so far," says Koresh Teyd in frus- on the next round, against her reduced AC of 8. Her
tration, "and with every mile you have made your- struggles (and thick scales) may save her until the
selves a greater nuisance to me. Now, turn back. PCs can rescue her.
Leave. Or I shall finish off this sickly cow on the Meanwhile, though, Koresh is attacking. He
spot." He hold a mysterious rainbow-colored egg launches low-level spells at first, conserving his
over the Queen Mother. strength. Only if hard pressed does he try rTre ball or
other devastating attacks. Also, should Koresh get
Hostage Situation the upper hand, he may pause to gloat over the PCs'
imminent defeat (giving them a round or two to
Koresh really would prefer the heroes to go away, recover); Udan's goblin body may give out temporar-
giving him time to rest and form new plans. But of ily, as in the previous chapter's battle; or reflections
course the PCs are unlikely to do so. If they attack at from the cavern crystal may introduce a random
once, go to the next section to stage the battle. element.
If the PCs leave, they may only be withdrawing for The cavern crystal: Whenever a spellcaster (includ-
the moment. If so, encourage them to explore ing Koresh) misses his or her target with an attack,
Ashmorain for something to defeat Koresh. (If the the spell goes off anyway—and it reflects at random
PCs really want to abandon the Queen, the feathered around the cavern. At your discretion, this may also
serpents won't carry them back down until they happen if a target makes a successful Saving Throw
rescue her.) to resist a spell.
The color map explains the island's magical flora, The ricochets usually provide only scenic atmos-
which make ideal potion ingredients. To help the phere. But at critical moments, when you want to
PCs along, let one of their first potions be that of prolong or finish the battle, one or another rebound-
flying, so they can fight the airborne Koresh. Or you ing spell can surge by. This may cause Dexterity
could introduce an ointment that works like a dispel checks as described above, or the spell may strike
magic spell, to let the heroes bring Koresh down to automatically. This is a good, ironic way to finish off
their level. Many other aids are possible. Koresh if he is nearing defeat.
Once they have stocked up, let the PCs head back Staging: Another fitting climax calls for Koresh,
down and face Koresh. They might surprise him, if hard pressed by the PCs, to retreat downward. This
they're clever. But more likely, you can resume the cavern reaches all the way through the island, open-
confrontation where you left off. See below to run ing at a treacherous ledge above a hundred-mile
the battle. drop. There Koresh makes his last stand against the
Note that after the PCs return to fight and defeat PCs; if they can negate his fly spell, they send him
Koresh, the makeshift potions should soon spoil or plummeting toward certain death. (Or is it certain?
become inactive. They never see the body, after all. . ..)

Battling Koresh—Again AFTERMATH

This is the true, original Koresh Teyd, with (al-
most) all his magic intact. His complete spell list Assuming the PCs defeat Koresh and the rhago-
appears in the appendix; Koresh has cast protection dessae, they can free the Queen Mother from her
from missiles, By, and both of his lightning bolt web and receive her warmest gratitude. Aim for a
spells. solemn, almost reverential tone as she thanks the PCs
In addition to his magic, Koresh also carries the for their work.
strange egg the PCs saw. When Koresh flings down The PCs can examine the piles of fist-sized faceted
this egg of wonder (described in the Companion crystals. These have no treasure value, but they are
rules), it shatters on the Queen Mother's body. The incomparably valuable to the Queen Mother and the
egg, provided by Thanatos, magically summons other serpents. Even as the heroes watch, a crystal
several rhagodessae (see the Expert Rules; note that may crack open, and a finger-length serpent hatch-

58
ling wriggles out. It squawls for food, and the grown form. The power does not interfere with other magi-
serpents rush to feed it leaves, bugs, and worms. cal effects, including other polymorph spells. The
The Queen Mother can provide valuable exposi- user's clothing and possessions disappear when in
tion to fill in gaps in the players' knowledge. Use the serpent form, reappearing intact when the user re-
Queen to confirm or dispel their speculation about sumes original form.
some large details of this trilogy's plot, such as the If a PC does not want to drink the Queen Mother's
Brethren's scheme to send corrupted magic from the fluid, there is another, albeit riskier, way to get the
central sun through the tunnels in the World-Shield. ability. The PC gets a small crystal egg to wear like a
But the Queen should not mention anything new to jewel; it magically adheres to skin or cloth. This egg
the players, nor does she know anything about Than- grants the transformation power. After a year the egg
atos or the other Immortals. will hatch into a tiny feathered serpent. At that time
On another point, though, the Queen Mother can the hatchling may fly off to Ashmorain or, at your
speak volubly and with passion. She has lived for discretion, it may "imprint" on the PC and become
thirty centuries and seen the long-term effects of the its loyal companion for life.
Spell of Preservation, as well as the effects of the This offers rich campaign possibilities, but in any
recent plot to corrupt it. She can't find much good case, the PC loses the transformation power. To re-
in either state of affairs. gain it, the PC must visit Ashmorain again and be-
seech the Queen Mother to renew her gift. She may
ask for a favor in return. . . a new adventure!
"The Spell has done much good, but at such
cost," she tells the PCs. "It paralyzes this world
and all its creatures. The Spell preserves us—like The Rescue
specimens in alcohol. You do right in battling the
Blood Brethren's schemes to corrupt the Spell. Yet Along with the other serpents, the newly trans-
even should you win, I wonder how much better formed PCs can fly down to the oasis and evacuate
off we shall be. If only something could be done the feathered serpents and cocoons. The PCs should
have their hands (or wings) full just herding the
to the Spell itself. . . but that is a matter for the
Immortals, wherever they may be." young, non-sentient serpents up into the air; perhaps on
a clever PC can lure them upward more efficiently by
capturing a breeding female as bait. Meanwhile, the IX!
Ashmorain serpents lift the cocoons aloft, as they
The Last Task lifted the PCs at the beginning of this chapter.
The evacuation may take several trips, but these can
This Event offers an optional final sequence for be quickly summarized. As they fly upward with the
the adventure. last evacuees toward Ashmorain, the PCs see, far
The Queen Mother tells how the feathered ser- below, cascades of lava erupting from the manscorpion
pents, in the unintelligent phase of their life cycle, lair. The molten rock overwhelms the oasis; its burn-
happened on the oasis in the Nithian desert and ing palms provide the concluding scene of this mod-
adopted it, unaware of the danger the manscorpions ule.
and Nightrage foundry represented. Now, at that
foundry, Koresh's lava flow is on the verge of flowing
out of control. The oasis will be destroyed. WHERE NEXT? -
The task she offers the PCs: to join with the feath-
ered serpents here in evacuating all serpents from the
oasis to Ashmorain. In return for their help, the If you are playing this module alone, award addi-
Queen Mother says, "I can offer you the power to tional XP as appropriate. Assume that Thanatos kept
become as we are, at will, should you desire." his rival Immortals trapped here inside Ashmorain,
That's right, the PCs can gain the power to assume and that PCs can deactivate the imprisoning device
the form of a feathered serpent, whenever they like, without trouble. Since the Immortals can depart invis-
and resume their original forms as easily. The power ibly, the PCs may never even realize that they've freed
only lasts for a certain time (say, one year), but other- the Immortals, until clerics start receiving spells again.
wise has no strings attached. The Queen Mother can Then allow the PCs to return home by undertak-
describe the power in whatever detail is necessary to ing a long flight out the Hollow World's nearest
put the PCs at ease; they have nothing to worry polar opening and back to the Known World.
about. If you are playing the other modules in this trilogy,
To those PCs that accept this gift, the Queen the Queen Mother knows quite a bit that can point
Mother says, "Drink of my juices." With one long the players toward either the Azcan Empire (HWAl)
tooth she cuts a small gash in her belly, and purple or Shahjapur (HWA3). Her serpents have relayed
liquid wells forth. The PCs who taste the fluid gain reports of magical disturbances in Chitlacan and in
the power to turn into feathered serpents for one year. Dharsatra. As it happens, when the PCs leave
Ashmorain, the most convenient landing spot is near
Atacalpa, where they began this module. . . and
The Power where they can begin the others.
This spell-like ability works like a permanent poly-
morph self spell, restricted to feathered serpent

59
 body hair; warts across right cheek. Wears a head-
THE BLOOD BRETHREN dress and cape made from an owlbear skin, and a
loincloth of dire wolf fur. Carries a rusty short sword
As described in HWAl, Nightwail, the Blood
Brethren were two goblins who terrorized the Broken Udan is the second oldest son of Queen Yazar of
Lands and Glantri some two centuries ago. One, High Gobliny. Possession by his Brethren ancestor
Simm of the Grasping Dark, was a powerful cleric; Koresh Teyd has drastically affected Udan's health.
the other, Koresh Teyd, commanded amazing sorcery. Koresh, who needs no nourishment, has neglected to
Both were renowned for vicious cruelty and for their allow his host to feed himself more than once or
hideous attack, the Grasping Dark (see below). Their twice a week. So Udan is now a wasted, skeletal
descendants include the goblin princes Kano and goblin. Like famine victims at the very edge of en-
Udan, whom the PCs were sent to find at the start of durance, he appears almost too emaciated to
HWAl. survive—a horrific sight. Most frightening, perhaps,
Their origin remains mysterious. Nightwail sug- is the insane fear in his eyes, an indication that some-
gested that they might be disfigured Shadow Elves, where inside, Udan may comprehend what has hap-
given the Shadow Elf practice of abandoning their pened to him.
deformed young for the humanoids to find (a prac- Udan Axe-Thrower, as goblin: AC 5; HD 1 +1; 7
tice described in GAZ 10, The Ores of Thar, and hp; #AT 1; Dmg Id6; MV 90' (30'); Save Fl; St 9, In
GAZ 13, The Shadow Elves). But this cannot explain 11, Wi 9, Dx 10, Co 12, Ch 5; AL C; THACO 18;
the Brethren's ability to interbreed with the goblin XP 10. However, use Koresh Teyd's statistics while he
tribes. possesses Udan.
GAZ 10 also mentioned the ancient Nithian ex-
periments that created the gnolls. As hinted in KRUTHEP
Chapter 7 of this module, some Nithians (manipu-
lated by Thanatos) have continued their dark experi- I6th-level magic-user; AC 9; hp 34; #AT 1; Dmg
ments and may have created new life forms. This by item or spell; MV 120' (40'); Save MU16; ML 8;
offers a potential explanation for the Blood Brethren. AL C; THACO 13. Spells carried: 1st level—detect
But if they were created in the Nithian Empire in magic, hold portal, light, protection from good, read
the Hollow World, how did the Brethren reach the magic. 2nd level—continual light, continual dark-
outer world? Having ridden in an Annelid during ness, levitate, phantasmal force, wizard lock. 3rd
this part of the adventure, the PCs might start put- level—create air, dispel magic, fly, haste, protection
ting together the pieces of the mystery. Yet even from normal missiles. 4th level—curse (x2), wall of
now, they lack a few clues. An ambitious DM can fire, wizard eye. 5th level—dissolve, pass-wall, wall
keep dangling the mystery of the Brethren's origin of stone. 6th level—anti-magic shell, projected im-
until the final scenes of this trilogy's concluding age. 7th level—magic door, statue. Sometimes wears
module, Nightstorm. a displacer cloak and carries a staff of striking.
Once a servant of Pflarr in the Royal Palace in
Koresh Teyd, Nightkiller Tarthis, Kruthep grew ambitious beyond his station.
When Koresh Teyd arrived, Kruthep entreated Phar-
As goblin: Male, height in life 5'1", weight in life aoh Ramose to let him serve the new wizard.
100 lbs., last age 37. Currently a sluglike monstros- Kruthep hopes to learn Koresh's magic, kill Koresh,
ity, length 22", weight six lbs., age inapplicable. and set himself up as the power behind Pharaoh's
Koresh Teyd: 25th-level magic-user; AC 9; hp 34; throne.
#AT 1 (dagger or spell); Dmg Id4 or by spell; MV
120' (40'); Save MU25; ML 12; AL C; THAC0 13. AUGAR
Spells carried: 1st level—darkness, detect magic,
light, magic missile, read languages, read magic,
sleep. 2nd level—continual darkness, continual light, AC 6; HD 6; hp 35; #AT 1 gore/1 bite or weapon;
detect evil, knock, levitate, phantasmal force, web. Dmg Id6/ld6 or by weapon+ 2; MV 120' (40'); Save
3rd level—dispel magic, fire boll, lightning bolt (x2), F6; ML 12; AL N; THACO 14.
fly, protection from normal missiles. 4th level— Augar was a follower of the Immortal Rathanos in
polymorph others (x2), polymorph self, curse, wall of the Nithian city of Tarthis. Though he had no gift
fire, wizard eye. 5 th level—doudkill, dissolve, pass- for magic or clerical studies, Augar was consumed
wall, telekinesis, wall of stone. 6th level—anti-magic with desire to serve his patron in extraordinary ways.
shell, disintegrate, projected image, flesh to stone, He volunteered himself to the dark flesh-shapers of
stone to flesh, wall of iron. 7th level—magic door, Nithia, who transformed him into a minotaur. After
power word stun, reverse gravity, sword. 8th level— the change, Augar's intellect fell to such brutish
clone, dance, force Geld, polymorph any object. 9th levels that he no longer feels much devotion to any
level—meteor swarm, heal, shapechange. Immortal. He enjoys his new strength and the awe
he inspires in others, but he hates being apart from
Prince Udan Axe-Thrower humanity.

Male goblin, height 5', weight 110 lbs., age 18.

Slender build, by goblin standards; reddish-black

60
 tail as well. Otherwise, each segment can live virtu-
GREAT ANNELID (Large) ally on its own, for each has two hearts around the
central tube, shaped like half-toruses (half dough-
AC 7; HD 25-50; hp 85-175; #AT 1; Dmg 3d8 or nuts).
swallows prey whole; MV 240' (80'); Save F10; ML 5; Hairlike sensory fibers called "setae" grow on the
AL N; THACO 14 (reduced due to clumsiness). posterior edge of each segment (except the first).
These can grow to an inch in diameter and a few feet
"Unknown to light, deeper than root of moun- long. The Annelid has no other sensory equipment
tain, large as clouds. The earth shook when they except light- and heat-sensitive patches at its anterior
passed. The earth can shake again." This obscure (front) end.
passage comes from one of the world's oldest books, Abilities: Annelids excel virtually all other crea-
Prophetic Truths, known to partisan scholars as The tures in the ability to tunnel. An Annelid tunnels
Sayings of Madmen. almost as fast as it can crawl, grinding and swallow-
The ancient text cannot possibly date from the era ing solid rock without effort.
that Thanatos created his burrowers to menace the Mature Annelids also have the ability to attract
Hollow World. In that time, millennia past, many of and paralyze earth elementals. Though this power is
these monsters haunted the underworld. Most were poorly understood, it apprently involves a false sig-
intelligent, and they commanded power to rival the nal, propagated through the earth, that replicates
Immortals themselves. In defeating the burrowers, the signal of something desirable to elementals—a
the Immortals were unable to destroy them outright; rich lode of ore, perhaps, or a beautiful cavern.
instead, they compromised and suspended the crea- Whatever its nature, this power allows the Annelids
tures' life processes, using the Spell of Preservation. to lay their eggs in the elementals, a vital step in
Some burrowers, of brilliant but alien intelligence, their grisly reproductive process (see below).
still reach forth with their awareness. They seek re- Ecology: Annelids subsist on the rock they eat.
lease, and so they send visions to susceptible human They have no other known diet. Annelids can live
minds. These visions may have produced the de- anywhere underground, even in lava pools; they are
ranged, yet strikingly accurate, history given in The immune to heat and pressure damage. Exposure to
Sayings of Madmen. light does not damage them, but they dislike it.
About the Annelids: Not all the burrowers were Annelids are hermaphroditic, but only those of
intelligent. The Great Annelids had only rudimen- huge size ever reproduce. The Annelid lures several
tary intelligence but more than compensated in sheer earth elementals, paralyzes them, and lays eggs
size. No larger mortal creatures occupy the Hollow within the rock they animate. After some unknown
World. period (probably several weeks), the eggs hatch, and
Their lack of intelligence evidently allowed Thana- the Annelid grubs dine on the elementals' magical
tos to free them, where the other, sentient burrowers life force. Thus fed, the young grubs grow to several
remain trapped by the Spell of Preservation. Within feet in diameter and begin to tunnel. They soon
the past millennium, Thanatos somehow managed to reach a length of 15', but they grow more slowly
circumvent the Spell and reactivate certain large thereafter. There is no known limit on an Annelid's
Annelids. How? Theorizing is dangerous, yet it lifespan.
seems clear that the Spell of Preservation works pri-
marily through the burrowers' intelligence—in the
manner of hypnosis. The Annelids were not very
FEATHERED SERPENT
smart to begin with; in their reappearance they have
shown no sentience whatever. Thanatos may have Unintelligent phase: AC 6; HD 2; hp 7; #AT 1
neutralized their feeble minds in order to reanimate bite; Dmg Id6; MV 60' (20'), F1270' (90'); Save Fl;
their bodies. ML 6; AL N; THACO 16. Mature phase: as above,
The symbionts, then, perform a crucial role in his but ML 10 and AL L. Mature serpents can speak one
scheme. These creatures not only speed the Annelids or several languages, using a spell-like magic mouth
by a factor of ten or more; the symbionts also allow ability.
the Nithians and Shattenalfen to command the wit- A serpent that has taken serpent-mint has AC 5,
less Annelids. HD 3, hp 9 for Id4 hours. With serpent-mint, the
Description: Full-grown Annelids measure about a serpents can defend themselves against flying vipers,
thousand feet long and 25' in diameter. The largest which otherwise defeat the serpents easily.
Annelids reach 40' in diameter and some 2000' in These creatures' life cycle is discussed in Chapter
length. Their bodies, grayish-brown in color (the 2.
color of rock), are segmented like earthworms. The The Queen Mother: AC 3; HD 12; hp 40; #AT
longer the Annelid, the more segments it has, up to Nil; Dmg Nil; MV Nil; Save C12; ML 12; AL L;
perhaps 600 in the longest. THACO Nil.
Biologically, an Annelid is a long tube inside a
larger tube. The Annelid's mouth is a circular
funnel-like opening lined with three rows of sharp
conical teeth. The inner digestive tract, including
pharynx, esophagus, crop, and gizzard, runs from
head to tail. A long nerve cord connects head and

61
 the next person or object (besides the ground) that
WORLD-SHIELD ORE the armor touches. This target is affected just as if
the spell had been cast directly on it. If the armor
This ore is not magical but strongly anti-magical; touches nothing for one minute (six rounds), the
still, its properties merit discussion here. The metal suspended power dissipates harmlessly.
forged from this ore can absorb magical energy harm- If the armor collects and suspends magic from an
lessly. Furthermore, it holds the magic intact on its area-effect attack, it still only inflicts its damage on a
surface, affecting those who touch it. single target, by touch, and only as much damage as
The ore's unique properties derive from its source: the armor's wearer would have taken from the spell.
the World-Shield at the center of the planet's crust, Instability: Note that the World-Shield armor is
which is impenetrable by any magic, even that of the unstable (unless it's an artifact). A month or so after
Immortals. The World-Shield may be a "zone of forging, its properties wear off, and the metal crum-
influence" as opposed to an actual barrier of rock; bles. So even if they manage to fit into the armor
this remains unclear, for the evidence is conflicting. suits, the PCs can't be permanently invincible.
Perhaps its eons in the zone of influence has be- Apparently only one factor governs the armor's
stowed on the ore its strange powers. instability: the presence of a living wearer. The act of
Properties: being worn apparently saps the armor's power. Ar-
Strength: The World-Shield ore, once forged, mor forged and stored unworn may last indefinitely,
exceeds all other minerals in strength and hardness. until worn. After one wearing, the armor inevitably
It is essentially indestructible. Though conventional decays within a month. (At your discretion, other
hard materials are also brittle, this ore is not. Few factors can also make the armor unstable, such as
blows can shatter it. exposure to light or corrosive acids.)
However, this strength makes the ore extremely
hard to forge. Nothing but the heat of the planet
itself, as in a live volcano, can melt it.
THE GRASPING DARK
For game purposes, assume armor forged from this
ore gives the wearer AC -2 (negative 2). Yet because (Cleric/Magic-User Spell Level 7)
of its lightness, it encumbers the wearer only as much Range: Touch
as ordinary banded mail (described in the Players Duration: Permanent
Companion: AC 4, 450 en). This evil attack draws the victim into an unknown
Anti-magic: The ore, and items made from it, pocket dimension. The realm, dark, malodorous,
completely blocks, negates, and neutralizes all magi- and crowded with the spirits of past victims, mani-
cal effects. (If you have the Master Rules, the ore has fests itself within the victim's own form. No matter
100% Anti-Magic value, as described in the Master what angle one views the victim from, he or she
DM'sBook.) appears to be a flat silhouette. Within the silhouette,
Armor made of World-Shield ore completely pro- the viewer sees the victim receding into the distance,
tects the wearer from all magical attacks. (This in- pulled by countless green-gray hands. Typically the
cludes magical liquids poured through cracks in the victim shrieks horribly. The silhouette vanishes, and
armor; the liquid simply doesn't work.) The armor the victim is lost forever.
also seals the wearer totally from any effects of other The victim receives a saving throw vs. Death Magic
magic, for better or worse. For instance, the wearer to resist the Grasping Dark. Success means no effect.
cannot become invisible, be lifted by telekinesis, If the throw fails, the margin of failure determines
travel through a gate, or be teleported or charmed; how long until the effect takes hold (as it were)—the
bless spells and healing magic are similarly futile. wider the margin, the sooner the attack takes effect.
Scrying and communication magic such as contact Missing the roll by 1 or 2 means the victim has an
outer plane, lore, and clairvoyance also don't work hour or two of painful life left; missing by (say) 7 or
for the wearer. The wearer also cannot cast magic 8 means the victim departs almost instantly.
from within the armor, though he or she can use Cureall, cast before the victim disappears, dispels
magical items held outside the armor. the Grasping Dark effect. After the disappearance,
Note that the wearer can be affected by the rings, nothing can bring the victim back except Immortal
amulets, and other items worn on his or her person magic or, at the DM's discretion, a wish.
within the armor. The armor simply prevents all
outside magic from entering.
In theory this armor should even protect against SEMEKHTET-BARGE
Immortal magic, since the World-Shield itself resists
the Immortals. However, this could easily prove too Koresh Teyd uses this magical ship to travel under-
powerful for a campaign, so the DM has final ruling ground, like the dwarven rockship (DM's Compan-
on the effects of Immortal magic on World-Shield ion), it moves through solid rock as easily as an
ore. (Note: If the armor were built by an Immortal, ordinary boat moves through water. Also like the
it would be effectively an artifact, and would protect rockship, barge passengers are protected from the
against Immortal magic.) environment and can breathe and speak normally.
Suspension: When the armor is attacked magically, However, the Semekhtet-barge is not so rare nor hard
the attack's magical power "collects" on the ore's to produce as the rockship, and it has figured promi-
surface, suspended. This power automatically attacks nently in Nithian folklore and mythology. (Thus the

62
name; Semekhtet was a legendary hero who owned a who scour the Prime Plane and buy or steal every
similar barge.) Though Koresh Teyd received the such flask they find. Once transported to the Plane
barge as a gift from Thanatos, there is nothing inher- of Water, the flask's magic is permanently dispelled.
ent in the barge's power that necessarily indicates The decanter that created the Serpent Oasis pours
Immortal magic. several gallons per minute in a strong stream. It is a
Treat the Semekhtet-barge in all respects as an shapely flask of untarnished gold with inlaid lapis
undersea boat, as described in the DM's Companion, lazuli in a geyser design. It is worth perhaps 1,000
except that it moves through rock, not underwater.

DURANCE VIAL
This small iron vial, three inches long and a fin-
ger's breadth in diameter, can confine one or more
magical creatures indefinitely. The tube contains no
opening, but the silver runes engraved on it often
include the words of command necessary to trap and
release a captive. It often appears as an ornament on
a necklace, bracer, or other item.
When the user holds the vial within six feet of a
magical creature(s) and speaks the command word of
trapping, all magical creatures in the vicinity receive
a saving throw vs. Spells. A failed roll means the
creature is absorbed into the vial. The user and all
non-magical creatures are immune to the effect.
Using the vial is a Chaotic act.
When empty of captives, the durance vial can be
destroyed easily. While the vial holds its captive(s), it
has an AC equal to the captives' best AC, and hit
points equal to the combined total of all captives.
Damage to it damages all the captives as well. If the
vial is destroyed, all captives reappear, dead.
Captivity lasts until the user holds the vial and
speaks the command word of release. At once all
creatures held in the vial are released (unless they
desire otherwise). They reappear in the nearest open
space large enough to hold them, and they have
immunity against subsequent captivity in that vial.
The former captives have no obligation to their cap-
tor or those who freed them.
Durance vials are intrinsically evil and therefore
quite rare. Lawful heroes often feel honor-bound to
free their captives and destroy the vials. If sold in-
tact, the vial is worth about 1,500 gp.
Koresh Teyd received his vial from Thanatos. How-
ever, evil alchemists in the Known World have been
known to manufacture them, so the vial doesn't
necessarily imply Immortal magic.

DECANTER OF ENDLESS
W AT
ER ^ s ^ ^ ^
This stoppered flask, almost always of fine work-
manship, contains a portable wormhole to the Ele-
mental Plane of Water. The user removes the stopper
and speaks a word of command, and a stream of
fresh water pours out. Some decanters have variable
rates of flow, but others simply pour forth at a con-
stant rate until the command word stops them.
These items tend to be rare, for the elementals
who inhabit the Plane of Water dislike these drains
on their resources. Rumors speak of elemental patrols

63
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Just as the Nithian Empire is modeled on an-

cient Egypt, so some locations in this module
come from Egyptian history.
This module's Royal Palace of Ramose IV de-
rives from the famous Temple of Amon at Luxor,
built for Amenhotep III over 3400 years ago and
still (partly) standing.
Tofindout more: The literature about ancient
Egypt is vast. We know far more about one of the
world's first civilizations, its politics, customs, and
everyday life, than about many cultures that rose
and fell much more recently.
If you want source material to lend color to
Nithian adventures, the endless shelves of vol-
umes on Egyptology may offer both encourage-
ment and terror. Here are a few titles to start
with:
Jon Manchip White, Everyday Life in Ancient
Egypt (London: B. T. Batsford Ltd., 1963; New
York: Capricorn Books, 1967; 200 pp). Delightful
introduction, concise yet filled with detail useful
for any Nithian role-playing scenario.
Sir Alan Gardiner, Egypt of the Pharaohs: An
Introduction (London; Oxford Univ. Press, 1961;
461 pp). Thick, comprehensive overview; clearly
written, but not for the casual DM.
A. J. Spencer, Death in Ancient Egypt (Lon-
don: Penguin Books, 1982; 256 pp). Particularly
note Chapter 4, "Security of the Tomb." Elabo-
rately details, with diagrams, the traps and tricks
that tomb workers designed to protect a buried
pharaoh's treasures from looters. Though some of
these surpass any published dungeon adventure,
clever thieves eventually foiled them all. Fascinat-
ing to see how real dungeon traps work.
The March 1977 and February 1982 issues of
National Geographic magazine offer articles on
historical and modern Egypt. These suit the casual
student and also present beautiful photos of
tombs, people, and the timeless desert.
Look for all these at your local library or a good
store that sells used books. These few titles can
lead you into your own study of Egypt's past—
and you will feel the awe that rewards every histo-
rian.

64
 COLIMA COLIMA (Cl?apt€R 3) ASH^ORAIN
Scale: l iNcb = i oo feet.

PopulatiON: 104. All aRe o-level NORMal people UNiess otbeRwise NOteo.
ECONOMY: BaRteR ONly. SubsisteNce agRicultuRC; stoNecaRviNg; SOME tRabe with MeRCbaNts
f ROM MeRRy PiRate Isles. PeRiooic episobes Of NOMabic waNbeRiNQ (Not Due f OR aNOtbeR

Beliefs: ANcestRal StONecaRveR cultuRe bolbs tt?<vt caRviNq huge statue fROM cliffsibe will
quaRb the villaqeRS' tnail ONCC they leave the aRea.
OccasioNal towN MeetiNgs iN Village COMMON, otbeRwise NONE. RashaN
twiNCbisel, olbest citizeN, exeRcises iNfORM&i autbORity.

Bay of CoiiMa: A beautiful placib bay of blue wateR aNb geNtle suRf. the baRboR woulb be
ibeal, except fOR the SeRpeNt Rocks tfjat ReNben the appRoacb tReacftenous except aloNg a
NaRROw aveNue. this, UNfORtuNately, t)as Not kept piRates fROM RaibiNq, as they bib Most
ReceNtly two weeks ago.
1. QiaNt cauviNg: AN uNf iNisbeb fRieze of a sieepiNq MaN. A becabe's woRk ameaby, aNb
aNotheR couple of becabes befORe it's tbRouqb. Still a stRikiNg sight.
2. Village COMMON: PlaNteb with a ciRCle of elM mees (otbeRwise uNkNOWN iN the aRea). A
public well of stONe stoob heRe; ReceNtly bCMOlisheb iN a piRate Raib, NOW beiNg Rebuilt.
3. Docks.
4. Alehouse: A RUNbowN place opeRateb by IV&N ONe-Leg aNb his SMall faMily. they bistill
MebiocRe whiskey, suppoRteb by cbaRity fROM otbeR villageRS bue to IvaN's bisability; paRtly
buRNeb iN the ReceNt piRate Raib.
5. COMMON stonage: A RaMSbackle waRebouse, MaiNtaiNeb by IvaN's faMily. Holbs
stONecaRviNg tools, seeb gRaiN, faRM iMpleMeNts, ANb so ON. PaRtly buRNeb IN the Raib,
6. MikalMaN's Supplies: the ONly actual stoRe j N the village; a Neatly-kept woobeN house
that caRRies a little of eveRythiNQ. iNtact but lootet> JN the ReceNt Raib. See CbapteR 3 fOR MORB
JNfORMatiON
7 Lookout posts: Steep, easily befBNbeb tRails i ea b up beRe, wheRe piles of gReeN tiMbeR
stasb Reaby f OR the toRCb.
s. 'CailiNgs: Waste fROM the giam caRviNg is t)i|Mpeb heRe. (SoMe gRavel useb fOR paviNg
OF COLIMA tRails, but this is a slow PROCESS.) SO Much Rock hene. you caN alMost walk ON the wateR.
9 SenpeNfs Heao Rock: Langest of the SenpeKt Rocks, a steep gRaNite peak coveReb with
biRb bRoppiNgs. NaMeb fOR its bistaNt ReseMblaNce to a featbeReb seRpeNt's heab, this Rock is
the laiR of a Mateb paiR of Reb-wiNqeb wyveRNS. EveRy week OR two they kill a sheep aNb caRRy
it to tbeiR filthy Nest heRe.
WyvenNS(2): AC 3;HD 7*;bP 25;#At: 1 bite/i stiNq; DMq 2b8/ib6+poisoN; MV 90'(30'), F240'
(80'); Save F4; ML 9; AL C; XP 8 50; CHACO I ?.
i o. SMithy: SMall fORge; has its OWN well. OpeRateb by Oleg WhitebeaRb (F2, 7 hP. AL L), who
Makes aNb RepaiRS stONecauviNg iMpleMeNts. Oleg lives Next booR with his wife, Sala (F1, 4 hP,
AL N), aNb two SONS (each F i , 5 bp, AL N). the fORqe aNb the tbRee hoMes bescRibeb iN the

v<
followiNg thRee eNtRies aRe still iNtact, pROtecteb fROM the piRate Raibs by the Spell of
PReseRvatioN.
11 Weavew's hOMe: Kiv the WeaveR lives iN this lange cottage with his wife, Rally, aNb tbeiR six
beautiful baughteRS. Cbey MaiNtaiN a heRb of sheep aNb goats, ONce laRge but Rebuceb by the
Raib. Kiv's iNteNse bislike Of Oleg the SMitb has CReateb teNsiON. fonciNq Kiv's elbest bauqhteR
to caRRy ON hen ROMaNce with Oleg's elbest SON IN secRet.
12 RasnaN's t)OMe: Che village elbeR (Fi, fORMemy F3 iN his youth; 5 hP. AL L) lives iN this
huMble cottage. He leabs the giaNt caRviNg pROjeot aNb seRves the village's spiRitual Neebs, V-

>-- .....
though he boes Not have cleRic abilities.

/V-
13 HeRbalist: Malba, aN aNti-social 32-yeaR-olb vVoMaN, lives aloNe iN a bilapibateb cottage
with its laRQe heRb ganbeN. Dnuibic iN attitube but without bRuib poweRs. Lives alONe except < >"•-'

fOR 14 cats, but she is seaRCbiNg fOR aN appRCNtice

T" eQuals i oo feet

14 Canvens' s(7elteRS: Rube thatch huts, iNteNb<n> f O R tool stoRaqe aNb shelteR fROM stORMS.
ReceNtly buRNeb to the gRouNb iN the piRate Raib.
y - /

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I I E >^ ~; y-
r AR-CHIS (CbapteR 7) (ZD •Dnnnn
10
Dn
Bm a
Scale: 1 iNct) = 1000 feet.
1 v^^CrsI—|L

0^°
PLAXXAU

•
FOR MORS iNfORinatioN about CaRit7is, CONSUH ttje Hollow WORIG SouRceDook, p. 74.
PopulatiON: 350.000.
ECONOMY SubsisteNce aqRicultune aMONg peasaNts (wfjeal. BeaNs. bates, flax); laRqe Noble
aNb antisaN classes suppoRteo tt?ROuqt) taxatiON. SOME oveRlaNb tRabe IN sweetMeats
aNb luximy qoobs. Qolb useb, but NO Official coiNage.
Cnafls: StONewoRkiNg, liNeN weaviNg (but bye is RaRe), pctteRy golbsMitl7iNq, buoNze woRk.
Rulcii: PhaRaol? Rainose IV (see Hollow woRlb SouRcebook, p. 76).
fb •c3 is
• O°<30 D
Q
RIVERS
KEy
PiNkaReas = SMall shops.
QReeN = antisaNS' uesio«Nces OR loweu-status MencfyaNts.
DDDC
1. CcMple coMplex of RatfyaNOS: XX)\s walleb coMplex iNcluoes a SMall but tneasuRe-labeN

o H
palace, tbe ResibeNce of PhaRaof) wbev be visits tfje city. ENtnaNce quaRbeb by boiviesticateb

o;o
spbiNxes, faNatical guaRbs, aNb Magical statues.
N ASHMORAIN (OjapteR 11)
2. teMple coMplex of PflaRR: Less elaboRate tbaN tl?at op RathaNos, but also walleb aNb
guaubeb. iNclubes IUXURIOUS QuaRteRs fOR visitiNg HutaakaN cleRics aNb otheR aMbassa&oRs.
3. teMple COMPIEX of ixioN: HeRe laRge MiRRORs of silveReb glass catct? aNb focus tbe SUN'S
Rays. th.ese aRe useb to igNi:e a wbeel of cebaRwoob at seasoNal cerceMONies.
I I cB Anea: AppRoxiMately 3400 sQuaRe Miles,
4. xreMple coMplex of Valenias: FeatuRes a well-teNbeo gaRbeN of white Roses iMpoRteb
20
AltitubC: About 100 Miles, t h e highest MouNtaiNS aRe is.ooo feet above sbORe level.
fROM the CaNagoRO juNgles. VouNg loveRs who beloNq to the Nobility fRegueNt the ganbeN. SpeeO: 240' (so').
5. reiviple coMplex of Kagyau: WoRShippeb by Most of the aRtisaNs iN CaRthis, though they
CliMatC: TeMpeRate (Magically coNtRolleo); colb ON the highest peaks.
DD
ibealize his bRutish. looks iN NUMEROUS stoNe fRiezes.
» " I FOR MORe iNf ORMatioN, coNsult ChapteR 11.

m ^FQ ••
6. Slave Mauket: ONiy tije choicest slaves aRe solb heRe. LesseR MaRkets aRe scatteReb
thnoughout the busiNess OistRicts.
7- WalleO QuanteR: The v;ealthiest Nobles outsioe the Royal faMily live heRe iN IUXUR? iust
UNbeRstateb eNough to avoib OffeNbiNg PhaRaoh. The siNgle eNtRaNce is heavily guaRbeb.
s. )cweleits QuanteR.
D D D FIORa
AshMORaiN, aMONg the SMallest of the FloatiNg CoNtiNeNts, seRves a fUNCtioN Not UNlike the
Hollow WoRlb itself. WbeReas the laNbs beNeath AshMORaiN pReseRve huMaN cuituRes aND
9. qiasswonkeRs Quameu: CuRReNtly iN bisRepute, FOR PhaRaoh RaMose bisiikes the
iMpeRMaNeNce of glasswonk. extiNCt aNiMals, AshMORaiN pReseRves a SMall NUMbeR of piaNt species that ONCC gRew ON the
1 o. 'Cailons QuaRteu. outeR woRlb. X!hese plaNts aRe ReMaRkable because theiR fRuits aNb oils aRe Magical, with
1 1. FuRbisheRS Quantett: FiNe fURNituRe of iMpORteb woob. effects that ReseMble MaNy potioNS aNb oiNtMeNts.
12. PeRf UMeits QuaRten: By PhaRaoh's oecRee, eight slaves staNb at the eNb of each stReet
hc-RC, faNNiNg its seems out iNto the city with ostRicb-PluMe faNS.
1 3 HeRbalists Quanten D • With the coMiNq of huMaNs aNb the otheR seNtieNt Races, the lMMORtals FauNus aNb ORbaNa
ReMOveb these Maqical plaNts fROM the woRlb. rhe plaNts' effects woulb have qiveN ORoiNaRy
MORtals too Much poweR. The lMMORtals pReseRveb these species ON ONe of the Most

^
14. Maitketplacc: Always cRowbeb, less so buRiNg floob seasoN. ONly heRe t>o all classes of iNaccessible places iN the Hollow WoRlb: AshMORaiN.

tbna
NitbiaNs MiNgle.
Maqical effects: If the PCs exploRe this islaNb, they May eNCOuNteR soMe of these extiNCt

SiffBD °D£
1 5 CeNtnal quaRO bannacks- PeRMaNeNt QuaRteRs fOR seveRal thousaNb city guaRbSMeN.

u n
plaNts. WheN they eNteR a New teRRaiN type, OR at bRaMatic MOMeNts iN the abveNtuRe, let theM L—;
16. Chauioteens' baRnacks: up to 400 chaRioteeRs, elite of the guaRb, Resibe heRe wheN Not Scale: i l}ex eguals 2 Miles
ON theiR MONth-lONg RiveR patROIs. biscoveR a New plaNt. Roll peRceNtile bice aNb coNsult ^ReasuRe rabie 5, "PotiON," iN the DM's
17 ChaiiioteeRs' stables aNb abjoiNiNg exeRCise fielb. CoMpasioN. the Result qives the New plaNt's effect. If the potiON Roiieb caNNOt f UNCIJON iN the
1 s. Pottens QuaitteR.
19 ARMOUCUS QuanteR: NONe of the skilleo aRtisaNs IN these NaRROw stReets kNows •Q! D Hollow WoRlb, substitute eitheR a RaNboM oiNtMeNt effect (fROM the MiscellaNeous UCMS
sectiON of the CoMpaNioN) OR aN exotic (but NON-Magical) fRuit OR Nut, like bReabfRuit,
aNythiNg about KoResh TTeyb's exotic aRMOR. they have seeN it, aNb woulb pay Much fOR a
saMple suit, But PhaRaoh has stRictly fORbibbeN theM to stuby the "fOReigN aNb UNNatuRal"
D • o MaNqosteeN, toNka beaN, OR MaNketti Nut.
suits.
20. StONewonkens QuaRten: AlMost always eMpty siNce the aRtisaNs aRe eMployeb
coNstaNtly at the palace, the NecRopolis, the teMples, OR elsewheRe.
I 1
p- D. BCB a n n rn
/ • . 1, •
the plaNts' appeaRaNce is up to the DM. theiR Magical effects May beRive fROM beRRies.
Milky oRippiNgs ON the steMS, OR fROM cliewiNg leaves OR Roots. No pRepaRatioN is

<^.-

vL
93IOXXXO7O) 1990 rSR, INC. All Riql7ts ResenveD.
 T H E M A N S C O R P I O N L A I R Scale: , sguaRe eguals 5 ft
(ChapteR s)
N

ChaMbeR o f
the AQGS

SleepiNQ
chaivibeR

NIQHXTRAQE FOUNDRY
CROSs-sectiON
view
FOUNDRy
CHAMBER
KOResh

Qlobe illusiON

HeatiNQ
pipes
HeatiNQ pipes

CJlobe iiiusioN
EleMeNtals

KORESH KORESH TTEyD'S LAIR

LAIR CCop view)
Cnoss-sectiON view
BAC CAVERN Scale-, i SQuane eQuals 15 ft.

LeVeI
} I 'CUNNCl tO.

?;"*/.v'.Qanbaqe CiuMp Qaubaqe DUMP

 9310XXX1401 $8.95 US

Official Game Adventure

NIGHTRAGE
Part Two of the Blood Brethren Trilogy

BRIGHT
AND DARK
Snakes fly, stones walk, and colossal monsters
burrow in the world's crust—do these omens fore-
tell catastrophe? Perhaps so, for now the dark elves
walk in the sunlight, wearing armor that turns the sharp-
est blades and strongest spells. They are poised to conquer
the fabulous Hollow World.

But what is this armor? How does its creation involve the ancient,
mile-long Great Annelids, as well as those wondrous creatures, the
feathered serpents? The mystery's solution draws your heroes across
three thousand miles, from ruins to seaports, through the trackless ca-
verns beneath the World's Spine, and finally to the eternal land of Nithia.
There, your heroes discover the true meaning o f . . .

NIGHTRAGE!

Nightrage is the second part of the far-ranging Blood Brethren trilogy.

• You can play these three HOLLOW WORLD™ modules in any or-
der, or play this 64-page adventure by itself.
• You need the D&D® HOLLOW WORLD Campaign
Set to play.
EASILY ADAPTABLE TO THE AD&D®
ISBN 0-88038-898-6
TSR, Inc. GAME!
TSR, Inc.
POB 756
Lake Geneva
Wl 53147 USA

TSR Ltd.
120 Church End, Cherry Hinton DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and AD&D
are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. L
Cambrige CB1 3LB HOLLOW WORLD and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. 46363
United Kingdom r
1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 09310