TEXT: Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
  ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
   
  This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any 
  form without permission of the author. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 
  system license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This 
  scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA 
  Network.  
   
  BDKA5-03 
    
   
   
   
   
   
  The Mad Mage 
   
  A Two-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK®  
  Bandit Kingdoms Introductory Adventure 
  Version 1 
   
  Round One 
  by Theo Judd 
   
  Edited by: Casey Brown 
  Playtesters: David Baggett, Michael Haferkamp, Adam Hoffman, Cory Light, Josh Thacker, and Robert 
  Watson 
   
   
  You have heard only stories about the mad mage who lives in the northwestern Fellreev. “He claims to be 
  the sole surviving priest of Iuz on Oerth...It is said he razed an entire town to recreate it in Iuz’s image!” 
  Now a mortician in Hallorn humbly requests a mission of daring to recover a holy relic: enter the domain 
  of the Mad Mage! A two-round Bandit Kingdoms Introductory Adventure for 1st level heroes only. 
  
  RPGA SANCTIONED PLAY 
  Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of 
  an RPGA event from the RPGA website, or you 
  received it from your senior gamemaster. To play 
  this adventure as part of the LIVING GREYHAWK™ 
  campaign—a worldwide, ongoing D&D campaign 
  set in the GREYHAWK setting—you must sanction it 
  as part of an RPGA event. This event could be as 
  elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a 
  group of friends meeting at the DM’s house.  
   
  To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at 
  least a HERALD-LEVEL gamemaster. The person 
  who sanctions the event is called the senior 
  gamemaster, and is in charge of making sure the 
  event is sanctioned before play, runs smoothly on 
  the date sanctioned, and then reported back to the 
  RPGA in a timely manner. The person who runs 
  the game is called the table Dungeon Master (or 
  usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all the 
  time in the cases of home events) the senior 
  gamemaster is also the table DM. You don’t have 
  to be a HERALD-LEVEL GM to run this adventure if 
  you are not the senior GM.  
   
  By sanctioning this adventure you can use the 
  AR to advance your LIVING GREYHAWK character. 
  However, unlike most RPGA events, players and 
  DMs may not earn reward points for playing an 
  introductory scenario. 
   
  This adventure retires from RPGA-sanctioned 
  play on December 31, 2007.  
   
  To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character creation and development, RPGA event 
  sanctioning, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS, 
  visit the RPGA website at www.rpga.com.  
   
  PLAYERS READ NO 
  FARTHER 
  If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop 
  reading now. The rest of the information in this 
  adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther 
  than this section, you’ll know too much about its 
  challenges, which kills the fun. Also, if you’re 
  playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-
  sanctioned event, reading beyond this point 
  makes you ineligible to do so.  
   
  PREPARING FOR PLAY 
  To get the most out of this adventure, you need 
  copies of the following D&D books: Player’s 
  Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the 
  Monster Manual.  
   
  Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics 
  provides player information for you to paraphrase 
  or read aloud when appropriate. Sidebars contain 
  important information for you, including special 
  instruction on running the adventure. Information 
  on nonplayer characters (NPCs) and monsters 
  appear in abbreviated form in the adventure text. 
  Full information on NPCs and monsters are given 
  in Appendix 1.  
   
  Along with this adventure you’ll find a RPGA 
  Table Tracking sheet. It is not necessary to fill this 
  out for introductory adventures, but if you’re 
  playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-
  sanctioned event, your senior GM may request 
  that you complete and turn in this sheet directly 
  after play. You’ll also find a LIVING GREYHAWK 
  Adventure Record (AR).  
   
  LIVING GREYHAWK LEVELS 
  OF PLAY 
  Because players bring their own characters to 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  games, 
  this 
  adventure’s 
  challenges are proportionate to the modified 
  average character level of the PCs participating in 
  the adventure. As an introductory adventure, this 
  scenario is limited to 1st-level characters only. 
  1. Verify that each PC participating in the 
  adventure is 1st-level. 
  2. PCs may bring animals that have been trained 
  for combat (most likely dogs trained for war), or 
  those brought by virtue of a class ability (such as 
  animal companions, familiars paladin’s mounts). A 
  single PC may only bring four CR 2 or fewer 
  animals while remaining eligible to play in this 
  Introductory adventure. 
   
  Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize 
  the level of challenge the PCs face. APLs are 
  given in even-numbered increments. As an 
  introductory adventure, all of the challenges in this 
  scenario have been tailored to a party of 1st-level 
  characters so this scenario has no challenges 
  higher than APL 2. 
   
  You need not worry about dealing with varying 
  amounts of earned XP and GP based on 
  character level since only 1st-level characters may 
  play this event. 
   
  LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for 
  APL 2 and higher. Although this adventure is 
  specifically designed for 1st-level characters, four 
  or five 1st-level characters may find the challenge 
  of an APL 2 adventure difficult. Suggest the 
  following to these groups to help increase their 
  chances of success:  
  1. Enlist a sixth player. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help 
  protect them, and fight for them. 
   
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 2 
  
  TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP 
  This 
  is 
  an 
  introductory 
  two-round 
  regional 
  adventure, set in the Bandit Kingdoms. Characters 
  native to the Bandit Kingdoms pay one Time Unit 
  per round; all others pay two Time Units per 
  round. 
   
  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per 
  Time Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time Unit. 
  Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. 
  Characters that fail to pay at least Standard 
  Upkeep will retain temporary ability damage until 
  the 
  next 
  adventure, 
  must 
  buy 
  new 
  spell 
  component pouches and healer’s kits, and may 
  suffer other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-
  game benefits) as may be detailed in this 
  scenario. 
   
  A character that does not pay for at least 
  Standard Upkeep may also avoid the above-
  described penalties by living off the wild. If the 
  character possesses four or more ranks in the 
  Survival skill and succeeds at a Survival check 
  (DC 20), the character will heal temporary ability 
  damage as if he or she paid for Standard Upkeep, 
  may refill spell component pouches and healer’s 
  kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if 
  the character has at least four ranks in Craft 
  (bowmaking). The player is allowed to Take 10 on 
  this roll. 
   
  More information about Lifestyle and Upkeep 
  can be found in the “Lifestyle and Upkeep” section 
  of Chapter 3 of the LIVING GREYHAWK Campaign 
  Sourcebook. 
   
  Adventure Background 
  Adlar the Two-Sided is fascinated with death. Ever 
  since he helped his father dress corpses in the 
  Molag mortuary, he has been enraptured by the 
  finality of death. This same fascination earned him 
  the notice of the Hierarchs themselves. Adlar was 
  taken from his family at a young age to be 
  instructed in the true lore of death, by the 
  priesthood of the Reaper, and he excelled at his 
  studies. Unfortunately, his training was cut short 
  when the armies of the Old One stormed the walls 
  of Molag. Hierarch Nezmajen managed to take 
  with him but a few acolytes during his escape; 
  Adlar was one of them. 
   
  Since then, Adlar has lived in and around the 
  Bandit Kingdoms. He originally fled with Nezmajen 
  to Darkpool, but eventually settled within Hallorn to 
  help the foundling cult of the Reaper there. Since 
  General Hok took the city of Hallorn from Earl 
  Aundurach, Adlar has enjoyed an increasing 
  amount of freedom. However, he keeps his 
  association with the church of Nerull secret since it 
  allows him to operate more visibly in the city. He 
  has recently taken up the profession of his father 
  and founded a mortuary. This is truly a front for his 
  more insidious activities however, and he often 
  uses his position and access to corpses for 
  deplorable purposes. 
   
  Always 
  seeking 
  to 
  please 
  his 
  master, 
  Nezmajen, Adlar has done a significant amount of 
  research regarding magical artifacts sacred to the 
  Reaper. He has tracked down a number of these 
  artifacts but none as great as the one whose 
  location he has recently discovered. In his musty 
  old tomes, Adlar read of a censer of last breath 
  that was taken from Molag during the Lord of 
  Pain’s 
  invasion 
  and 
  disappeared 
  shortly 
  thereafter. Adlar was intrigued and pursued the 
  matter more thoroughly. Last year, he even pulled 
  off a covert mission into Molag to retrieve vital 
  information. He now believes he has learned the 
  true fate of the censer and seeks to recover it for 
  his master. 
   
  According to Adlar’s research, the censer 
  disappeared when a master thief by the name of 
  Ulf swiped it from the Iuzian garrison at 
  Deepshuttle Delve. The thief fled into the Fellreev 
  with the item, intending to sell it to those in 
  Darkpool for a handsome profit, but he never met 
  with Darkpool’s contact, and he was never heard 
  from again. Adlar’s research indicates that Ulf’s 
  last known location was the city of Dora Kaa, a 
  ghost town haunted by the zombies of its former 
  residents. This nightmare of a town is ruled by an 
  insane wizard named Zemyatin, who thinks 
  himself the sole surviving priest of Iuz on Oerth, 
  and that others who claim such titles to be 
  pretenders.  
   
  Why Ulf wished to travel there is a puzzle to 
  Adlar, but he believes that the censer is likely to 
  be found somewhere within that city. He simply 
  needs a group naïve and inexperienced enough to 
  be willing to undertake the mission. 
   
  Adventure Summary 
  The events of this adventure begin within the city 
  of Hallorn and eventually move to the Fellreev and 
  Dora Kaa itself. The PCs will have to make a few 
  difficult decisions along the way, such as who to 
  trust and how to survive a city crawling with the 
  undead. 
   
  Round One 
   
  Encounter One: The PCs meet with Adlar 
  who tells them a fictitious tale of a holy censer 
  stolen from a church of St. Cuthbert in Crockport. 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 3 
  
  He requests the PCs recover it for him and 
  promises them a handsome reward. 
   
  Encounter Two: The PCs venture into the 
  Fellreev where they come across a decimated 
  glade ruled by the treant blighter known as Old 
  Man Mistletoe. Once the treant learns of the 
  party’s purpose, he decides to let them pass. 
   
  Encounter Three: The PCs tangle with a 
  grizzly bear who tries to knock them out and take 
  them to its master, Charivar, a wild druid of the 
  Fellreev. Charivar questions the party and once 
  she ascertains that they mean no harm to the 
  forest, she heals them and lets them go. 
   
  Encounter Four: The PCs stumble upon a 
  patrol of skeletal soldiers, border guards for 
  Zemyatin’s domain. 
   
  Round Two 
   
  Encounter Five: The PCs enter the haunted 
  city of Dora Kaa where they meet a grizzled old 
  man named Nitaymez. Nitaymez claims to be the 
  official town greeter and offers to show the PCs 
  around, assuming of course, that they are loyal 
  pilgrims for Iuz. 
   
  Encounter Six: Nitaymez helps the PCs find 
  a temple where he says they can find what they 
  are looking for and lets them explore while he 
  waits outside. The outer sanctum is guarded by 
  zombies of former woodsmen. 
   
  Encounter Seven: The inner sanctum is the 
  haunt of a pair of ghouls. 
   
  Encounter Eight: The PCs recover the 
  censer which is guarded by a trap. 
   
  Encounter Nine: As the PCs exit the temple, 
  Nitaymez says they have done well, but they must 
  stand one final test, they must defeat the 
  Champion of Iuz. The PCs must defeat an allip 
  before Nitaymez will allow them to leave. 
   
  Encounter Ten: The PCs leave Dora Kaa and 
  decide what to do with the censer. 
   
  Preparation for Play 
  This adventure includes a number of undead. 
  Therefore it may help if you refresh yourself on the 
  rules for turning and rebuking undead (see 
  Player’s Handbook, page 159, as the PCs are 
  likely to have at least one character capable of 
  doing so at their table). It may also help to read up 
  on the Death Cultists and Fellreev Druids in the 
  Bandit Kingdoms Meta-Campaign Guidebook, but 
  pertinent information is provided in the adventure. 
   
  This adventure also features a significant 
  amount of overland travel. Therefore you should 
  familiarize yourself with the rules on overland 
  movement (Player’s Handbook, page 162), getting 
  lost (Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 86), and 
  starvation (Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 304). 
  Also, since a number of battles take place within 
  the Fellreev Forest, you should consult the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 87, for the 
  particulars on forest terrain and how it affects 
  combat. For the purposes of this scenario, the 
  Fellreev Forest is a temperate medium forest. 
   
  Since some of the PCs may be riding mounts 
  on this expedition and a number of encounters 
  happen along the way, it would also aid you to 
  brush up on the rules for Ride checks and Handle 
  Animal checks, as well as the particulars of 
  mounted combat (Player’s Handbook, page 74, 80 
  and 157). 
   
  Please take a moment to verify that players 
  understand what their PC’s Wanted Score and 
  Status is. Remember, some classes and races 
  start out as automatically Wanted in the Bandit 
  Kingdoms, so you will need to have the 
  appropriate meta-ARs handy. Also, 1st level 
  Bandit Kingdoms PCs who qualify to join a meta-
  organization may do so immediately before their 
  first Bandit Kingdoms regional event. Please see 
  the BKMG and the meta-ARs (available at 
  www.bandit-kingdoms.net) for more information. 
   
  Regional Warning 
  It is important to realize at all times that the 
  Bandit Kingdoms are under the control of Iuz, 
  the Old One, a chaotic, evil deity who revels in 
  torture, depravity and trickery. Government 
  officials tend to imitate many of the attributes 
  of their dread lord. Things that you might take 
  for granted in other lands, such as freedom of 
  worship and the rule of law, are not valued by 
  the rulers of the Combination of Free Lords. 
  You may be able to strike at Iuz, but seldom 
  can you strike at him overtly without paying 
  the final price. Be warned, life is short for 
  those who openly defy Old Wicked. 
   
  Introduction 
  Allow the players to introduce themselves to each 
  other and to describe their characters, their 
  motivations, and what they seek to accomplish in 
  the Bandit Kingdoms. Some of the PCs may 
  already know each other and therefore are likely 
  to be traveling together.  
   
  Ask each player if their character belongs to 
  any BK meta-orgs and, if so, which one(s). Have 
  them write this information on slips of paper to 
  maintain in-character secrecy.  
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 4 
  
   
  Also, find out if anyone is Wanted by the 
  Church of Iuz, and what their Disguise check is 
  (they may NOT take 20 on this). While a hero’s 
  Wanted! score might not come into play during this 
  event, it is best to make our player base as 
  paranoid as possible. If anyone has a Wanted! 
  score of Malcontent or higher, be sure to make an 
  ominous “hmmmmm” noise, and roll a few d20s 
  behind a screen. Cackle evilly for effect.  
   
  The adventure begins in the Dingy Coffin 
  tavern in the city of Hallorn.  
   
  Read the following once the PCs are ready to 
  begin: 
  It is a fine day in the Combination of Free 
  Lords. You just arrived in Hallorn last night, 
  probably seeking adventure after hearing that 
  this is an ideal place to look for it. There 
  seemed to be only one room available in the 
  whole town last night however, as the town is 
  packed with celebrants for Needfest. On top of 
  that, you weren’t the only one seeking that 
  room. The innkeeper of the Dingy Coffin was 
  nice enough to allow all of you share it though, 
  as opposed to kicking you out on the street, 
  and even though quarters were cramped, it 
  was better than the freezing night air. 
   
  Encounter One: The 
  Mortician 
  The players will have the opportunity to role-play 
  around Hallorn if they like. You should familiarize 
  yourself with the town by consulting Judge Aid 
  One at the end of this module. Use this to give the 
  town some flavor and introduce the players to a 
  few of the common themes of the Bandit 
  Kingdoms. Needfest is a weeklong celebration 
  that is detailed in Judge Aid Two.  
   
  Once the PCs have done a little role-playing 
  or if they simply don’t appear interested, drop 
  them the hook: 
   
  Although many people of the town seem quite 
  festive, not everyone is cheery this day. As 
  you meander down the street, you see a man 
  with a sullen look on his face. He sits at a 
  sidewalk café and sulks over his mug. 
   
  The man is Adlar. He is upset because, despite 
  his recent breakthrough, he has not been able to 
  find any mercenaries. It seems all the good ones 
  are either too wary of venturing to Dora Kaa, too 
  busy celebrating, or away on missions in the 
  eastern Bandit Kingdoms, leaving the Western 
  Reaches relatively devoid of mercenaries. Adlar 
  cannot leave his post to recover the relic himself, 
  so he is willing to hire just about anyone at this 
  point. The PCs should take the hint from his 
  dejected attitude to ask him what is troubling him. 
  When they do, he perks up and becomes quite 
  excited when he learns they are adventurers. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 6) 
  Adlar the Two-Sided: Male human Clr6 
  (Nerull); hp 48; see Appendix One.  
   
  Note: Adlar does NOT detect as evil due to having 
  previously cast the undetectable alignment spell. 
   
  Adlar is called the Two-Sided for a good reason. 
  He is beset with bipolar disorder and has horrible 
  mood swings. Among other things, this means he 
  is highly reactive. Any Diplomacy checks made to 
  change his attitude always function as one level 
  better if his attitude is improved or one level worse 
  if his attitude is worsened. When the PCs first 
  approach him, he is in a funk and considered 
  Indifferent to anything and everything around him.  
   
  If his attitude is improved, he becomes Helpful 
  and relates a wealth of information about his 
  predicament. He relates the following main points: 
  • 
  He is upset because this holiday used to hold 
  more happiness for him back in his hometown. 
  Back before the war, the event used to be a 
  big celebration that was centered on a 
  magnificent relic in his home temple. 
  • 
  This relic has been missing ever since Iuz laid 
  waste to his temple. He has been searching 
  for it ever since. 
  • 
  The relic is a magical censer that creates 
  powerful magical effects. It is a great weapon 
  that could be used against Iuz if it were 
  recovered. 
  • 
  He has tracked its location down to a village in 
  the northwestern Fellreev. It was last seen 
  there in the possession of an adventurer who 
  has not been heard from since. 
  • 
  He is willing to pay mercenaries 500 gp each 
  for the successful recovery and delivery of this 
  item to a contact of his in the Fellreev. 
  • 
  The journey will take about 12 days to get to 
  the Fellreev and another 10 days through 
  trackless forest to get to the village. By horse, 
  the journey should take half as long. 
  • 
  The PCs will need to meet a contact of his in 
  the Fellreev 40 miles south of the village once 
  they have completed the mission to turn the 
  relic over. The contact will have their pay. 
   
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 5 
  
  All of this is true. However, canny PCs are likely to 
  question Adlar a bit further, in which case he is 
  probably forced to tell a substantial number of lies. 
  Use his Bluff check opposed by the PCs’ Sense 
  Motive checks to determine whether they realize 
  he is giving them deliberately false information. 
  Remember, you, the judge, roll the Sense Motive 
  check for the players, to prevent them from meta-
  gaming the result. 
   
  He can tell the PCs the following in response 
  to their questions: 
  • 
  His name is Adlar (true). 
  • 
  He is a mortician here in Hallorn (true). 
  • 
  His hometown is Crockport, also the location 
  where the censer was originally stolen from 
  (false). 
  • 
  He is a follower and priest of St. Cuthbert. He 
  is even willing to cast a healing spell on the 
  party to prove it (false, although he will cast a 
  healing spell if they desire. To aid in this ruse, 
  he will display and grasp a holy symbol of St. 
  Cuthbert while casting the spell, while his 
  other hand is in his pocket manipulating the 
  real divine focus, a holy symbol of Nerull). 
  • 
  The censer is a holy relic of St. Cuthbert 
  (false). 
  • 
  He works for a more powerful priest, who must 
  operate under secrecy within the Empire of Iuz 
  (true, although he is choosing his words very 
  carefully). 
  • 
  The adventurer who recovered the item was a 
  dwarf named Ulf Wardin, coincidentally a 
  relative of another dwarf in town (true). 
   
  Once the PCs agree to the task, Adlar is 
  overjoyed. He offers the PCs 50 gp each up front 
  as an incentive and provides them with a map to 
  the village in the Fellreev (see Player Handout 
  One). Alternately, he will outfit the PCs with horses 
  (either light or heavy, but not warhorses) and 
  riding gear for the duration of the journey (this 
  reduces the net pay to 450 gp). The PCs are free 
  to leave whenever they like, but Adlar encourages 
  them to do so soon. The relic has been missing for 
  over 10 years and he would much like to have it 
  back in the possession of his church. 
   
  In the event the PCs catch Adlar in a lie and 
  confront him, he covers it up with another lie. In 
  this event, you should make something up 
  relevant to the situation. However, if the PCs catch 
  him twice, he throws his arms up in the air and 
  screams “Can’t a man have his secrets? Do 
  you want the job or not?” at the top of his lungs. 
  This turns a few heads in the crowd, but the 
  townsfolk recognize him and are not surprised by 
  his behavior. Adlar does not react further and 
  goes right on lying if he has to.  
   
  If the PCs do not relent and press him to tell 
  the truth, he becomes Hostile. Their only other 
  option is to turn down the job. They may not like it, 
  but if they are keen, they will realize that they may 
  be able to turn this situation to their advantage in 
  another way and they will take the job anyway. At 
  any rate, the PCs can be certain that Adlar is not 
  intentionally trying to set them up or send them 
  into a death trap (even though he secretly realizes 
  how dangerous the mission is). 
   
  Once Hostile, Adlar becomes quite a handful 
  to deal with. Over any slight, real or imagined, he 
  will attack the party. However, he does not wish to 
  be imprisoned, he is Lawful after all, so he will try 
  to avoid killing the PCs. 
   
  Tactics: 
  Adlar 
  uses 
  non-lethal 
  spells 
  to 
  incapacitate the party. If the PCs use lethal force 
  against him, he responds in kind and attempts to 
  kill them all. Luckily for him, a witness will be able 
  to corroborate his story that he was attacked by 
  some hoodlums, and that he was just defending 
  himself. 
   
  Treasure: The PCs are unable to recover Adlar’s 
  gear, even if they defeat him in combat because 
  town guards arrive promptly to take control of the 
  situation. They prevent looting of the fallen. 
   
  If the PCs agree to Adlar’s job, he pays each 
  of them 50 gp in advance (or loans them horses 
  and riding gear instead). 
   
  APL 2: Loot: 0 gp; Coin: 50 gp; Magic: 0 gp. 
   
  Development: If the PCs are unlucky enough to 
  be attacked by Adlar, the town guard arrives after 
  five rounds of combat and breaks things up. As 
  long as no one is dead, the town guard questions 
  everyone and lets them go on their way.  
   
  If the PCs have killed Adlar, they are arrested 
  for murder. The PCs may hire a barrister (male 
  human Exp3, Diplomacy +17) for 3 gp each. DO 
  NOT tell them what the barrister’s Diplomacy 
  modifier is; only that he appears to be an 
  accomplished young barrister.  
   
  The PCs can prove their innocence if they 
  make a successful DC 25 Diplomacy check. If 
  they fail this check, they are fined 400 gp and 
  imprisoned for 12 TUs for use of excessive force. 
  If they fail this check by 10 or more, they are fined 
  800 
  gp 
  and 
  imprisoned 
  for 
  24 
  TUs 
  for 
  manslaughter. Hopefully, this will be unnecessary. 
   
  If Adlar survives an altercation, he makes 
  contact with the PCs the next day to apologize for 
  his behavior. On this occasion, he again makes 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 6 
  
  the offer described above. He really is quite 
  desperate to find some adventurers. 
   
   
   
  Hiring a guide: You may have a table that 
  does not include anyone with ranks in the Survival 
  skill. If so, the PCs would be well advised to hire a 
  guide, otherwise they will never be able to 
  navigate through the Fellreev Forest. A guide can 
  be found in Hallorn (male human Exp1, Survival 
  +13; charges 4 sp/day plus expenses) with a DC 
  15 Gather Information check. Once the guide 
  hears or sees where the PCs are headed, he 
  demands hazard pay (8 sp/day). The total once 
  expenses such as rations are added will be 23 sp 
  per day of travel plus a flat 50 gp if the PCs wish 
  to outfit the guide with a light or heavy horse for 
  the journey. The guide does NOT own his own 
  horse, nor will he buy one. 
   
  Alternatively, the PCs may be able to hire a 
  guide through a meta-organization. Hiring a guide 
  from any organization that calls the Fellreev Forest 
  home DOES NOT require the PCs to spend an 
  additional TU, as this adventure takes them to the 
  Fellreev. See the BKMG for details on which meta-
  orgs have guides available to be hired.  
   
  In either case, the guide DOES NOT 
  participate in combat encounters at all. 
   
   
   
  Knowledge: Some PCs may wish to know 
  more about their destination. Once they have had 
  a chance to look at the map, the following skill 
  checks can reveal some information. 
   
  Knowledge (geography) 
  • 
  DC 10 – The PCs should prepare to spend 
  two weeks in the forest, including loading up 
  on supplies such as food and water. 
  • 
  DC 15 – The location on the map is called 
  Dora Kaa and is an area avoided by most 
  animals and humanoids. 
  • 
  DC 20 – It is also known to be infested with 
  undead. 
   
  Knowledge (history) or Bardic Knowledge 
  • 
  DC 10 – There was a horrible disaster in that 
  part of the woods in the recent past. 
  • 
  DC 15 – There used to be a village of 
  woodsmen at this location but they haven’t 
  been heard from in nearly 15 years. 
  • 
  DC 20 – The village of woodsmen was 
  slaughtered in CY 583 by a crazy mage who 
  renamed the place Dora Kaa. 
  • 
  DC 25 – The insane mage is called Zemyatin. 
  He reanimated the slaughtered villagers and is 
  said to be awaiting Iuz’s return. 
   
  Knowledge (local: Iuz’s Border States) or 
  Bardic Knowledge 
  • 
  DC 10 – The location on the map is an area 
  avoided by most animals and humanoids. 
  • 
  DC 15 – The location on the map is known as 
  Dora Kaa and is ruled by a mad mage. The 
  village is his personal demesne and is 
  guarded by numerous zombies under his 
  control. 
  • 
  DC 20 – The mad mage is known as Zemyatin 
  and he claims to be the sole surviving priest of 
  Iuz on Oerth. For this reason, he believes 
  most other notable followers of Iuz are 
  heretics. 
  • 
  DC 25 – The mad mage believes he is living in 
  the past and waiting for the return of Iuz from 
  imprisonment beneath Castle Greyhawk. 
  • 
  DC 30 – Zemyatin has a number of quickling 
  allies who flit invisibly around the village and 
  sometimes have whispered conversations with 
  the mage. This just makes him appear even 
  more crazy. 
   
  Encounter Two: Into the 
  Glade 
  Following the map, the PCs have to travel 300 
  miles to get to the Fellreev and another 120 miles 
  through the forest to get to Dora Kaa. Consult the 
  Player’s Handbook, page 162 for movement 
  speeds and overland travel rules.  
   
  The journey to the Fellreev is through open 
  terrain. However, once inside the Fellreev, the 
  PCs are traveling through a trackless forest, which 
  slows their movement rate by 1/2. If the PCs get 
  lost (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 86), 
  then starvation may become an issue if they run 
  out of food (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide, 
  page 304) or are unable to feed themselves (see 
  the Survival skill description in the Player’s 
  Handbook). Additionally, PCs lose 1 TU for each 
  set of five failed Survival checks. 
   
   
  Note: There are various fresh water streams 
  and rivers flowing through the Fellreev. These all 
  provide fresh drinking water except for the 
  Ritensa. 
   
  PCs enter the Fellreev after riding or marching 
  through the Western Reaches, an uneventful 
  journey (however, feel free to play up the fact that 
  they stopped in Briar’s End, avoided Wormhall and 
  Steelbone Meadows, and skirted the edge of the 
  forest to hide from Fleichshriver’s patrols). 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 7 
  
  However, after traveling 15 miles through the 
  Fellreev, it is a different story.  
   
  Read or paraphrase the following: 
  Your journey into the Fellreev has been quite 
  peaceful so far. The local flora and fauna are 
  graceful to gaze upon and the sounds of the 
  wild at night are quaint and only spooky in an 
  exciting sort of way. However, that impression 
  suddenly fades away as you enter a glade of 
  the forest that has been utterly decimated. The 
  trees of this glade lay sundered and rot upon 
  the ground. The smell of ash lingers in the air 
  and a thick mist of fog and smoke swirls about 
  over the ground. A deathly silence pervades 
  the air. 
   
  The silence is suddenly broken by a tremor 
  upon the ground. As the tremor intensifies, the 
  trees behind you break and snap before the 
  weight of a huge figure. The tall being looks 
  much like an animated tree! Its skin is thick 
  and brown, with a barklike texture, but you 
  notice the extremities are blackened, as if 
  singed. Its arms are gnarled like branches, and 
  its legs look like the split trunk of a tree. Above 
  the eyes and along the head are dozens of 
  smaller branches from which hang great black 
  leaves.  
   
  The PCs are being confronted by Old Man 
  Mistletoe, one of the Fellreev’s most vile residents. 
  The treant was once a kindly druid who tended to 
  the forest, but somewhere along the way he 
  turned down a dark path and now he serves the 
  Death Cultists. He is friendless and cold, and does 
  not like visitors. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 15) 
  Old Man Mistletoe: Male treant Drd5/Blighter 8; 
  hp 210. 
   
  Old Man Mistletoe begins the encounter as 
  Unfriendly. He is angry that others are disturbing 
  his glade and wants to know who those fools 
  might be. He asks the PCs who they are, where 
  they are going and why. He gets quite angry if the 
  PCs lie to him and says it would not be wise to lie 
  to the oldest man in the forest; he has seen every 
  trick in the book before. As soon as the PCs 
  mention they are searching for the censer, he 
  backs off. He chuckles a bit to himself and says 
  that in that case they should be on their way. 
   
  If his attitude is improved to Friendly, he is 
  willing to talk for a minute, but no longer. He still 
  does not like humanoids very much unless they 
  are dead. He will tell them a little bit about himself 
  but spare the details. 
   
  If his attitude is improved to Helpful, he will 
  regale the PCs with the story of how he helped 
  Guardian General Hok assault the city of Hallorn 
  some years back. He cackles with glee as he 
  relates the looks on the faces of the followers of 
  Old Wicked as he burst them into flame and 
  bowled them over with his massive limbs. 
   
  Tactics: Old Man Mistletoe just laughs if the PCs 
  are foolish enough to attack him. He proclaims 
  that even though he could squash them like bugs 
  with hardly a thought, it would be a complete 
  waste of his time to concern himself with such 
  gnats. He simply leaves if the PCs persist in 
  attacking. 
   
  Development: Old Man Mistletoe is a potential 
  source of information as long as his attitude is 
  Friendly or better. If the PCs have already put 
  some pieces of the puzzle together and ask him if 
  he knows about Adlar, he will tell them that he 
  does, though he does not mention Adlar’s 
  relationship with the Death Cultists. He will 
  mention that he has worked with Adlar and his 
  “boss” in the past but that it was merely an alliance 
  of convenience. Truth be told, he detests Adlar 
  and those he associates with but cooperates 
  because they both oppose the minions of the Old 
  One who would otherwise make his life in the 
  forest much more difficult. 
   
  Old Man Mistletoe can also tell the PCs 
  something about Zemyatin (once again, only if 
  Friendly or better and only if they ask). He knows 
  Zemyatin’s name and the fact that he renamed the 
  village the PCs are headed towards Dora Kaa 
  after slaughtering the inhabitants and raising them 
  as undead. The treant says the mage is 
  completely crazy though and sometimes has 
  bizarre conversations with himself. He also 
  mentions that the mage is not known to associate 
  with other followers of Iuz for some strange 
  reason. Old Man Mistletoe is not particularly 
  frightened of him, but he is creepy enough that he 
  has never bothered to investigate that neck of the 
  woods very thoroughly. 
   
  Encounter Three: A Grizzly 
  Situation 
  When the PCs are 60 miles south of Dora Kaa, 
  they run afoul of another danger. A Fellreev druid 
  has detected their presence and has sent her 
  animal companion to fetch them so that she can 
  question them.  
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 8 
  
   
  Give the PCs a DC 7 Spot and DC 9 Listen 
  check to detect the bear approaching them. For 
  every point that the party’s best Spot check 
  exceeds the DC, or every two points for their best 
  Listen check, start the encounter 10 feet away 
  from the PCs (for instance, a DC 15 Spot check 
  means that the encounter start distance is 80 feet, 
  whereas a DC 15 Listen check means that it is 30 
  feet). The PC who sees or hears the bear at the 
  farthest distance may act during the surprise 
  round (the bear heard the PCs long ago). The 
  maximum distance at which the PCs can Spot the 
  bear is 90 feet, due to the terrain. There is no 
  maximum for how far away they can hear the 
  bear, but remember that Listen checks suffer a -2 
  penalty per 10 feet of distance in a forest. 
   
  If none of the PCs manage to make a DC 7 
  Spot or DC 9 Listen check, then they stumble 
  upon the bear, giving it a surprise round five feet 
  from the party’s trail breaker.  
    
  Once you have deteremined the encounter 
  start distance, read the following: 
  Crashing through the trees ahead of you is a 
  monstrous beast. It is a large bear with sharp 
  teeth and a thick coat of brown, shaggy fur. It 
  snarls at you and stands up on all fours, 
  howling angrily. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Brown Bear: hp 51; see Monster Manual page 
  269. 
   
  Remember, the Fellreev is a medium forest. 
  Therefore 70% of the squares have typical trees in 
  them while another 10% have massive trees. For 
  simplicity, assume that all of the squares that 
  contain 
  a 
  typical 
  tree 
  also 
  contain 
  light 
  undergrowth, while all of the squares which 
  contain a massive tree also contain heavy 
  undergrowth. A further 10% of all squares (half of 
  the remaining empty ones) also contain heavy 
  undergrowth. Consult the Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide, page 87, for details on these terrain 
  features. See Judge Aid Five for an example of a 
  forest terrain map.  
   
  The grizzly bear is tasked with capturing the 
  PCs, not killing them. Therefore, she starts as 
  Unfriendly instead of Hostile. Should any of the 
  PCs attempt to use Wild Empathy to calm her 
  down, they have one round in which do so. As 
  Wild Empathy is essentially Diplomacy for 
  animals, the PC suffers a -10 penalty to their 
  check. PCs that present, or are openly wearing, a 
  holy 
  symbol 
  of 
  Obad-hai 
  receive 
  a 
  +2 
  Circumstance bonus to the check as the bear 
  recognizes the symbol. If any of the PCs are 
  members of the Fellreev Druid meta-organization, 
  their meta-AR will list a bonus they receive as well. 
   
  If the PC succeeds in making the bear 
  Friendly, the bear stops its approach and looks 
  confused, and then leads the PCs back to 
  Charivar’s home, where she will be quite surprised 
  that the bear is not dragging them back. She 
  proceeds to question the PCs, as below. 
   
  Tactics: The bear is well trained and is taking a -4 
  on her attack rolls to in an attempt to do non-lethal 
  damage. A brown bear would normally be an 
  immense and overpowering encounter for such a 
  group of PCs, but the fact that she attempts only 
  to capture, not slaughter, mitigates circumstances 
  quite a bit. The bear only switches to dealing lethal 
  damage if brought below one-third of her hit 
  points, at which point survival instincts kick in.  
   
  Development: It is possible that the PCs will 
  defeat the bear, albeit unlikely. If they kill the bear 
  outright, they all earn the Enmity of the Fellreev 
  Druids. If they merely subdued the bear via non-
  lethal damage, or stabilized it before it could die, it 
  eventually regains consciousness and returns to 
  Charivar. While upset, she certainly does not 
  blame the PCs for defending themselves.  
   
  If the PCs are defeated, she drags them to 
  Charivar, who wakes them up inside her hollowed-
  out tree home one at a time after tying them up 
  (DC 32 Escape Artist). 
   
  APL 2 (EL 8) 
  Charivar: Female half-elf (Flan) Drd8 (Obad-
  hai); AL N; Diplomacy +12, Heal +14, Sense 
  Motive +8, Survival +16. 
   
  Charivar is friendlier than most of the Fellreev 
  druids, albeit just as crazy and feral (she’s 
  dressed in animal skins, and her skin is covered 
  with mud, and her hair with mud and twigs), so 
  she starts out as Indifferent towards the PCs 
  instead of Unfriendly or Hostile. However, that 
  does not mean she has a warm heart. She is cold-
  hearted against those who endanger the forest, 
  and she is extremely displeased with any PCs she 
  has witnessed disturbing it. If she recognizes any 
  of the PCs as members of the Fellreev Druids, she 
  leaves them unbound and resuscitates them first.  
   
  She asks all PCs the following questions: 
  • 
  What is your name? 
  • 
  What is your quest? 
  • 
  Who are you working for? 
  • 
  Where do you come from? 
   
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 9 
  
  She does not ask their favorite color. Charivar is 
  really only interested in seeing why these intruders 
  are in the forest and whether they mean it any 
  harm. Having her bear knock the PCs out first she 
  considers a necessary precaution. Fellreev druids 
  are like that; not very trusting and animalistic in 
  their defensive instincts.  
   
  Once she is assured that the PCs mean 
  neither her nor the forest any harm (such as being 
  made Friendly via Diplomacy, or if none of the 
  PCs lie to her), she unties them all and serves 
  them wild branch soup (made with just that, wild 
  branches and berries; it’s pretty tasty, actually). If 
  the PCs politely ask for curing (DC 15 Diplomacy 
  check), then she will even cast a cure light 
  wounds on each of them to heal the non-lethal 
  damage inflicted by her bear.  
   
  She does not know much of the place the PCs 
  are headed towards, other than the fact that it is 
  called Dora Kaa and is overrun with evil creatures. 
  Charivar is interested in the relic the PCs are 
  looking for, though. She warns them that things 
  are not always as they seem, and tells them that 
  should they decide not to trust their employer, she 
  would be more than willing to take the relic off their 
  hands. She offers no compensation, but says that 
  the druids would probably be thankful for their 
  assistance. If the PCs agree, Charivar tells them 
  to meet her three miles north of the rendezvous 
  point after they have secured the item. She also 
  says she will see if she can learn anything about 
  Adlar’s contact in the meantime. 
   
  Encounter Four: Across the 
  Artonsomay 
  When the PCs have traveled 108 miles into the 
  forest, they come across the Artonsomay River. 
  The river is very near to its source, Lake Aqal, and 
  therefore it is rather slow flowing and shallow 
  here. There are plenty of fish swimming in the 
  river, if the PCs need to replenish their food 
  supplies. All Survival checks made to gather food 
  gain a +4 circumstance bonus in this area. 
   
  The forest within 10 feet of both the north and 
  south banks is Sparse, but the rest of it is Medium. 
  Consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 87, for 
  details on these terrain features. 
   
  The river is only 20 feet wide and 4 feet deep. 
  Medium-sized characters can wade through 
  without much difficulty at quarter speed, or half 
  speed with a successful DC 10 Swim check; 
  however, small-sized or smaller characters will 
  have to make a DC 10 Swim check to swim 
  across, unless they are carried across. Large 
  creatures may move safely across at half speed. If 
  the PCs wish to look around before crossing the 
  bank, give them a DC 15 Spot check to notice the 
  skeletons. 
   
  The water may not be dangerous, but what 
  lurks on the other side is. The Artonsomay is the 
  border of Zemyatin’s domain, and he has 
  stationed guards on the perimeter to defend it from 
  intruders. These guards happen to be skeletons 
  who were once regular soldiers in life. The 
  skeletons are standing motionless about 40 feet 
  from the north bank until the first PCs crosses the 
  water, at which point they attack. They also attack 
  if they are attacked, or if anyone attempts to turn 
  them. 
   
  Read the following as soon as the PCs begin 
  to cross the river: 
  From the north bank of the river a loud 
  “twang” rings out across the land, and a flurry 
  of crossbow bolts fly in your direction. A 
  contingent 
  of 
  skeletal 
  crossbowmen 
  is 
  standing about 40 feet off the north bank 
  shooting at your position. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  Human Warrior Skeletons (6): hp 6 each; AC 
  13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12; 
  +1 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow with 10 
  bolts); see Monster Manual page 226. 
   
  The forest within 10 feet of both the north and 
  south banks is Sparse, but the rest of it is Medium. 
  Consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 87, for 
  details on these terrain features. 
   
  Tactics: 
  The 
  skeletons 
  are 
  straightforward, 
  mindless automatons. They all shoot at the first 
  PC to cross the river, or the first one who attempts 
  to turn them, or the first one who attacks them. If 
  engaged in melee, they know enough to drop their 
  crossbows and to fight back with either their 
  scimitar or their claws (claws if the creature is 
  lightly armored, scimitar if heavily armored). Their 
  shields are secured on their backs, so retrieving 
  them is a Move action, as normal. The EL is raised 
  by 1 due to the terrain advantage possessed by 
  the skeletons. 
   
  Treasure: The skeletons each have a heavy steel 
  shield, a scimitar, and a light crossbow with 10 
  bolts. 
   
  APL 2: Loot: 35 gp; Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 0 gp. 
   
  As soon as the skeletons are defeated, the PCs 
  have entered the domain of the mad mage 
  Zemyatin. Dora Kaa is but a few miles away. 
   
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 10 
  
  This marks the end of Round One. 
   
  Encounter Five: The Town 
  Greeter 
  As the PCs approach Dora Kaa, they are greeted 
  by Zemyatin. However, the mad mage claims to 
  be someone named Nitaymez, the official town 
  greeter. Consult Judge Aid Three for details on 
  Dora Kaa.  
   
  Read or paraphrase the following as the PCs 
  approach: 
  Beyond the veil of the forest is a clearing in 
  which you see several thatch roofs and even a 
  bit of stone masonry. There is a village 
  surrounded by a deteriorating palisade that 
  has certainly seen much better days. It is being 
  eaten alive by termites and has seen its fair 
  share of inclement weather. There appears to 
  be no danger, and you can see a few humanoid 
  figures meandering carelessly about town. As 
  you step into the clearing and approach the 
  palisade’s entrance gate, a man in tattered 
  robes jumps out at you. The fellow appears to 
  be advanced in years with straggly black hair 
  that is graying in places where it hasn’t fallen 
  out completely. He has wild brown eyes and 
  pock-marked skin. 
   
  “Greetings!” he says as he rushes over to 
  shake the hand of the nearest in your party, “A 
  pleasure to see you have arrived. Good loyal 
  pilgrims to see the holy sites of the Lord of 
  Pain, yes? Certainly you are,” he then spatters 
  at seemingly thin air, “Of course not! They are 
  my guests and we should welcome them here. 
  No more out of you,” then he turns back to 
  you, “I apologize for such rudeness. Now 
  please, come in and rest yourselves. You must 
  have had a long trip. My master is pleased you 
  are here.” 
   
  The wily man then gestures towards an 
  elaborate hut at the end of the main road 
  where you see smoke pouring from an opening 
  in the roof. “I am Nitaymez, the official town 
  greeter,” the old codger says, “It would be my 
  pleasure to show you around once you are 
  refreshed. Yes, thank you. It was a good idea 
  and they would like that wouldn’t they,” he 
  says to himself, “After all we have many things 
  to show them. Do go and prepare them some 
  tea.” 
   
  The PCs might be a little suspicious at this point, 
  but Zemyatin promises them there is nothing to 
  worry about.  
   
  Once the PCs enter, proceed with the 
  following: 
  Nitaymez ushers you into town excitedly. He 
  talks 
  to 
  himself 
  repeatedly, 
  having 
  conversations with no one in particular, 
  mentioning things such as the affairs of state 
  and a riot on the north side. He also refers to 
  someone called the Unnamed Keeper of Dora 
  Kaa, but then quickly silences himself, turns to 
  your party and says, “You heard nothing!” 
  before proceeding onward. 
   
  You notice many other denizens in the 
  town, all of them dead with rotting flesh 
  hanging from their bones, if any flesh remains 
  at all. They shamble to and fro on errands of a 
  kind. Occasionally Nitaymez will speak to one 
  and say something like, “Stop slacking you, or 
  I’ll inform the master,” or order one to do 
  something else. However, he seems to be the 
  only example of sentient life visible in the 
  entire place. 
   
  Nitaymez 
  takes 
  you 
  to 
  the 
  hut 
  he 
  previously gestured towards. Inside it is warm 
  and inviting, but a bit macabre. The symbol of 
  Iuz, a blood red grinning skull, hangs on the 
  far wall, surrounded by the speared heads of a 
  number of different creatures, mostly human. 
  Nitaymez gestures for you to sit down at a long 
  table upon which rest steaming cups of tea, 
  one for each of you, then speaks, “Well, fine 
  pilgrims, what is it you seek in our great city?” 
   
  The tea is not poisoned, but it is not really tea 
  either. Each cup contains one dose of nature’s 
  draught, a murky, pungent liquid that causes 
  subtle changes in the drinker’s scent. Drinking the 
  “tea” provides a +1 alchemical bonus on Handle 
  Animal and wild empathy checks made during the 
  next 12 hours. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 13) 
  Quicklings (20): hp 3 each; see Appendix Two. 
  Zemyatin: Male human Wiz11; hp 34; see 
  Appendix One. 
   
  Zemyatin actually believes he is someone called 
  Nitaymez at the moment. He believes that he is 
  the sole servant of one called the Unnamed 
  Keeper of Dora Kaa, charged with overseeing the 
  day-to-day operations in the city until the dread 
  lord Iuz’s return. If anyone ever asks to speak with 
  the Unnamed Keeper, the master of the city, or 
  Zemyatin, he hushes them and says that individual 
  is preoccupied at the moment but that he is 
  authorized to act as his official representative. If 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 11 
  
  the PCs ask about seeing Iuz or where he is, 
  Zemyatin sighs blissfully and says he is probably 
  slaying demon princes and paladin kings so that 
  he may return a war hero. Zemyatin always seems 
  to be talking to himself because there are 20 
  quicklings allied with him who often sit on his 
  shoulders and whisper into his ears.  
   
  The PCs are unlikely to figure anything out 
  until they tell Zemyatin what they are looking for. 
  They could spend days rooting through the town, 
  but their rations are probably limited. To top it all 
  off Zemyatin follows them constantly, bugging 
  them about what they are up to until they tell him. 
  Once the PCs open up to Zemyatin and tell him 
  they are seeking a relic or something similar, he 
  smiles a toothy grin and says “I thought so,” before 
  leading them to the Temple of Torment. 
   
  Tactics: Attacking Zemyatin is not a very wise 
  thing to do. He carries a few powerful magic items 
  on his person and is an accomplished spellcaster 
  in his own right. If the PCs attack him, he opens 
  with a non-lethal spell like ghoul touch to get them 
  to back off. If the PCs persist for another round, he 
  decides to make an example of one of them and 
  casts baleful polymorph to turn one of the PCs into 
  a newt before asking them if they really want to 
  tangle with the Mad Mage of Dora Kaa. If they 
  back down, he goes back to being Nitaymez as 
  usual. If they battle into a third round he obliterates 
  them with a powerful area effect like circle of 
  death. Even inexperienced PCs should know 
  better than to take it this far. 
   
  Development: If at any point the PCs feel the 
  need to rest once they arrive in Dora Kaa, do 
  everything 
  you 
  can 
  to 
  make 
  them 
  feel 
  uncomfortable about the idea. Ultimately, such a 
  thing really is not practical, and Zemyatin only 
  tolerates their presence for one day before the 
  quicklings finally persuade him to kill the PCs. 
   
  Encounter Six: The Temple 
  of Torment (Outer Sanctum) 
  Zemyatin tells the PCs he knows exactly where to 
  find what they are looking for. He says a dwarf 
  came to see the master many years ago and left 
  unexpectedly, leaving behind a fine censer, no 
  doubt intending it as an offering to Lord Iuz.  
   
  Actually, 
  Zemyatin 
  captured 
  the 
  dwarf 
  adventurer named Ulf who stumbled upon the 
  place accidentally. The mage tortured him into 
  insanity, and Ulf eventually managed to commit 
  suicide. Zemyatin eventually managed to place the 
  allip under his control, but he won’t mention this to 
  the PCs until later.  
   
  Zemyatin has practiced this lie for years to the 
  point he almost believes it himself so he gets a +2 
  circumstance modifier to his Bluff check (for a total 
  of +3). Nevertheless, any PC who wishes to roll a 
  Sense Motive against this claim is likely to detect 
  the deception. Zemyatin gets indignant and says 
  nothing more of the event if the PCs accuse him of 
  lying. 
   
  Zemyatin escorts the PCs to the Temple of 
  Torment, where he says they will find what they 
  are looking for. He waits outside to let them have a 
  “private moment” as they supplicate to Iuz. 
  Consult Judge Aid Four for a map of the Temple of 
  Torment. 
   
  The grim temple before you is haunting. 
  Although it was once apparently dedicated to a 
  deity of nature, it has been profaned and 
  tainted with the blood of innocents. It is 
  overgrown by vines and red stains cover the 
  walls and entryway. 
   
  As you enter the outer sanctum, you 
  behold 
  a 
  stunning 
  display 
  of 
  evil 
  and 
  darkness. Praises to Iuz are written in blood 
  dried long ago upon the walls and floor. 
  Strange words are carved into each tile stone 
  of the floor and the bones of many a creature 
  lay strewn about. From the back of the 
  chamber come several shambling figures 
  bearing clubs filled with nails. They moan and 
  snarl as they move toward you. 
   
  A Knowledge (religion) check, DC 15, determines 
  the temple was once a shrine to Beory and the Old 
  Faith. Anyone who speaks Abyssal can determine 
  that the words on the floor appear to be demonic 
  names. The inner sanctum is guarded by four 
  zombies of former townsfolk. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 2) 
  Human Commoner Zombies (4): hp 16 each; 
  see Monster Manual page 266. 
   
  Encounter Seven: The 
  Temple of Torment (Inner 
  Sanctum) 
  In the inner sanctum lies the censer that the PCs 
  seek. However, two ghouls lurk in the shadows, 
  guarding the chamber. 
   
  As you pass into the inner sanctum, you can 
  see natural sunlight pouring in from an open-
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 12 
  
  air roof. The crumbled masonry strewn about 
  the floor indicates that the ceiling may have 
  once been intact. A sundered altar sits against 
  the back wall and resting upon it is a silver 
  skull of Iuz, a pair of scrolls, and a dusty tome. 
  Resting on a pedestal in the middle of the 
  chamber sits a perforated iron ball on a 
  jeweled chain. 
   
  Before you can reach the ball however, two 
  loathsome creatures skulk out of the shadows. 
  The foul creatures appear more or less 
  humanoid, but have mottled, decaying flesh 
  drawn tight across clearly visible bones. They 
  are mostly hairless and have a carnivore’s 
  sharp teeth. Their eyes burn like hot coals in 
  their sunken sockets. 
   
  These ghouls guard the censer and devour the 
  rotting flesh of the town’s denizens who have 
  outlived their usefulness as zombies, plus any 
  other wayward travelers Zemyatin fancies to kill 
  and sacrifice to Iuz. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 2) 
  Ghouls (2): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual 
  page 118. 
   
  Tactics: Check for surprise by having the PCs roll 
  a Spot check opposed by the ghouls’ Hide checks. 
  PCs who spot one of the ghouls may act during 
  the surprise round. The ghouls attempt to charge 
  and bite anyone displaying a holy symbol of Pelor, 
  or the easiest target (i.e. unarmored). In the 
  following rounds, they full attack if possible and 
  maneuver to flank if the opportunity presents itself. 
  They focus on sickened or otherwise weakened 
  opponents, or on anyone who tries to turn them. 
  They fight to the death. 
   
  Encounter Eight: The Censer 
  of Last Breath 
  The censer of last breath is resting on a podium in 
  the center of the room. Zemyatin has warded it 
  with a simple magical trap. 
   
   
  Trap: Anyone touching the censer of last 
  breath gets a shock. The trap resets the next 
  round after being set off.  
   
  APL 2 (EL 2) 
  Shocking Grasp Trap: CR 2; magic device; 
  touch trigger; automatic reset; spell effect 
  (shocking 
  grasp, 
  1st-level 
  wizard, 
  1d6 
  electricity); Search DC 26; Disable Device DC 
  26; Cost: 500 gp, 40 XP. 
   
  Treasure: The powers of the censer of last breath 
  are only usable to a worshipper of Nerull so to the 
  PCs it will appear a normal censer. Of course, an 
  identify spell will reveal its true nature. Adlar is 
  counting on the PCs being too stingy to do that. 
  The censer also radiates strong conjuration under 
  a detect magic spell (Spellcraft DC 22 to identify 
  the school) and strong evil under a detect evil 
  spell. The items on the altar belong to Zemyatin, 
  but he is so out of touch with reality that he will not 
  notice for days if they go missing. The tome is a 
  fine prize, a flesh golem manual which can be sold 
  for a pretty penny to the right buyer. However, 
  taking the manual sparks his ire when he later 
  discovers it missing. 
   
  APL 2: Loot: 2 gp; Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 433 gp –
  flesh golem manual (400 gp), scroll of halt undead 
  (31 gp), scroll of magic weapon (2 gp). 
   
  Encounter Nine: The Last 
  Champion of Iuz 
  As the PCs exit the temple, Zemyatin has a 
  challenge for them. The censer was brought as an 
  offering to Iuz, and to be allowed to bear the 
  offering, the PCs must defeat the original donator. 
  However, the dwarf adventurer Ulf has changed a 
  bit since then.  
   
  Read or paraphrase the following when the 
  PCs leave the temple with the censer in hand: 
  “Halt, blasphemers!” the old man in tattered 
  robes exclaims, “You have done well to 
  recover the censer, but you cannot get away 
  with an offering to the great Iuz so easily. In 
  fact, before I allow you to leave here alive, you 
  must prove your mettle before Iuz the Evil by 
  besting his champion. Behold, the Last 
  Champion of Iuz!” 
   
  As he completes these last words, a 
  creature rises up from the ground. It is like a 
  thing out of a nightmare. It has a vaguely 
  humanoid shape, but it’s a shape without 
  features that has been distorted and bristles 
  with madness. From the waist down, it trails 
  away into vaporous nothingness, leaving a 
  faint trace of fog behind it as it moves. 
   
  Ulf has risen as an allip under Zemyatin’s control 
  and, before Zemyatin will allow them to leave, they 
  must destroy it in battle. 
   
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 13 
  
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Allip: hp 26; see Monster Manual page 10. 
   
  Tactics: On the first round, the allip uses its 
  hypnotizing babble to try to incapacitate as many 
  PCs as possible. Thereafter it focuses its 
  incorporeal touch attacks on one character, a 
  hypnotized one if possible. If any of the PCs 
  attempt to turn it, it focuses its attacks on that PC. 
  The EL has been raised by 1 to account for the 
  fact that the PCs have already had several fights 
  today. 
   
  Development: As soon as the PCs have defeated 
  the allip, Zemyatin bows before them and 
  proclaims them the new Champions of Iuz! He 
  summons a number of zombies from nearby and 
  has them cheer and clap for the heroes (as best 
  as their rotting bodies allow). After this bit of 
  fanfare, he begins arguing with the quicklings who 
  suggest that he kill the PCs. He refuses to do so 
  initially, saying Iuz would be displeased if he killed 
  the new champions. However, after a couple of 
  minutes, the quicklings will have him convinced. 
  Hopefully the PCs take the hint to skip town as 
  soon as they hear Zemyatin muttering about this. 
  In this event, Zemyatin forgets what he was doing 
  and goes back to business as usual: preparing the 
  streets 
  for 
  Iuz’s 
  return 
  and 
  planning 
  the 
  celebration parade. 
   
  Encounter Ten: Delivery 
  At this point, the PCs most likely have the censer 
  of last breath and must deliver it to Adlar’s contact 
  to receive their reward, or hand it over to Charivar 
  if they do not trust Adlar. This decision is entirely 
  up to them. If the PCs deliver the item to Adlar’s 
  contact, go to Conclusion A. If the PCs deliver the 
  item to Charivar, go to Conclusion B. If the PCs 
  failed to recover the censer, go to Conclusion C. If 
  the PCs decide to deliver the censer to another 
  Bandit 
  Kingdoms 
  meta-organization, 
  go 
  to 
  Conclusion D. 
   
  Conclusion A 
  Having escaped the wretched place known as 
  Dora Kaa, you hastily make your way to the 
  rendezvous with Adlar’s contact. You ought to 
  be thankful that you escaped with your lives 
  before the crazy old man who called himself 
  Nitaymez decided to sacrifice you to his dread 
  lord. 
   
  You arrive safely at the rendezvous point 
  and wait for Adlar’s contact to show up. The 
  wait turns out to be longer than you expected, 
  for it is nightfall before Adlar’s contact 
  approaches you. You can’t get a very detailed 
  look at him, but he is a sinister-looking man 
  with pale skin, haunting yellow eyes, and a 
  feral cast to his features. He wears chain armor 
  under his dark cloak and holds a spiked chain 
  in clawed hands. 
   
  A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check reveals that 
  Adlar’s contact is indeed a vampire. Do not prompt 
  the PCs for a Knowledge check; only allow them 
  to roll if they think to ask you about it or say they 
  are looking closely at the vampire’s appearance. 
   
   
  “My associate, Adlar, wants me to thank 
  you,” he says solemnly, “I trust you have the 
  censer?” 
   
  Allow the players to react. It is quite possible that 
  they may choose to attack, but if they express 
  such a choice, you may feel free to allow them a 
  Sense Motive check opposed by the vampire’s 
  Bluff check. Success will indicate to the PCs that 
  this would be an overwhelming fight they stand 
  virtually no chance of winning. If they attack 
  anyway, roll initiative and begin combat. The 
  vampire will destroy any who attack him, and will 
  seek to Dominate the PC with the censer.  
   
  If they produce the censer willingly, proceed 
  with the following: 
  You hand over the censer. The man’s piercing 
  gaze almost seemed to compel you to do so. 
  As soon as he has the censer, he cracks a 
  smile and says, “This weapon will be a great 
  boon to those who oppose the Lord of Pain. 
  Here is your reward,” he says as he drops a 
  sack of coins to the ground. 
   
  With that, he cackles an eerie laugh and 
  vaporizes into smoke before your very eyes. 
  “Farewell, heroes,” you hear his voice echo 
  through the wind, “Until we meet again…” 
   
  It is hard to know what to think of Adlar’s 
  contact. The man’s motives seemed dubious at 
  the very least. Oh well, there is always another 
  day and another adventure. Perhaps you will 
  even meet with the Mad Mage of Dora Kaa 
  again some day when you are capable of 
  putting his evil ways to an end. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 7) 
  Vampire Ftr5: hp 32; see Monster Manual page 
  250. 
   
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 14 
  
  The PCs earn the Gratitude of Adlar. PCs who 
  stole the flesh golem manual earn the Enmity of 
  Zemyatin, who eventually gathers enough wits to 
  realize who stole it. 
   
  APL 2: Loot: 0 gp; Coin: 450 gp; Magic: 0 gp. 
   
  Conclusion B 
  Having escaped the wretched place known as 
  Dora Kaa, you decide that Adlar cannot be 
  trusted. Any item that came from such a foul 
  place cannot possibly be used for good 
  purposes. Therefore, you elect to turn the item 
  over to the capable hands of the druid 
  Charivar, in hopes that she can determine its 
  nature and keep it out of the clutches of evil. 
   
  You meet with Charivar as directed and 
  she thanks you. She promises to discover the 
  true purpose of the censer and ensure that it is 
  not used to further a dark agenda. 
   
  A couple weeks later, a hawk flies over you 
  as you are traveling off to your next adventure. 
  The hawk perches on a branch nearby and 
  drops a small leaflet to the ground in front of 
  you before flying off again. As you open the 
  leaflet, you see it is a letter. It reads: 
   
  “Dear friend of the forest, 
   
  “I thank you for delivering the censer to 
  me. It was quite wise of you to do so, for my 
  compatriots and I have determined that this 
  item was sought by none other than the vile 
  Hierarch Nezmajen of Darkpool. The censer 
  was actually an evil relic sacred to the 
  followers of the Reaper from the Horned 
  Society, and now it has been destroyed. You 
  have done much to help us ensure the safety 
  of this forest and for that, you have our 
  gratitude.” The note is signed merely with a 
  “C.” 
   
  There are many reasons to feel good about 
  what you have done. Adlar apparently tried to 
  dupe you, and in light of this news, it seems 
  prudent to avoid him and his contact. Now it is 
  on to another adventure. Perhaps you will even 
  meet with the Mad Mage of Dora Kaa again 
  some day when you are capable of putting his 
  evil ways to an end. 
   
  The PCs earn the Gratitude of Charivar and the 
  Enmity of Adlar. They do not receive the reward 
  money from Adlar since they did not fulfill their 
  contract but the 50 gp down payment is theirs to 
  keep. PCs who stole the flesh golem manual earn 
  the Enmity of Zemyatin, who eventually gathers 
  enough wits to realize who stole it. 
   
  Conclusion C 
  You have escaped the wretched place known 
  as Dora Kaa, but, unfortunately, you have 
  failed in your mission. Oh well, there is always 
  another day and another adventure. Perhaps 
  you will even meet with the Mad Mage of Dora 
  Kaa again some day when you are capable of 
  putting his evil ways to an end. 
   
  PCs who stole the flesh golem manual earn the 
  Enmity of Zemyatin, who eventually gathers 
  enough wits to realize who stole it. 
   
  Conclusion D 
  Having escaped the wretched place known as 
  Dora Kaa, you decide that Adlar cannot be 
  trusted. Any item that came from such a foul 
  place cannot possibly be used for good 
  purposes. Therefore, you elect to turn the item 
  over to a group that can keep it out of the 
  clutches of evil.  
   
  Several nights later, as you camp in the 
  Fellreev, a humanoid approaches your camp. 
  You can’t get a very detailed look at him, but 
  he is a sinister-looking man with pale skin, 
  haunting yellow eyes, and a feral cast to his 
  features. He wears chain armor under his dark 
  cloak and holds a spiked chain in clawed 
  hands. 
   
  A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check reveals that 
  this is indeed a vampire. Do not prompt the PCs 
  for a Knowledge check; only allow them to roll if 
  they think to ask you about it or say they are 
  looking closely at the vampire’s appearance. 
   
   
  “Give me the censer, or die,” the figure 
  says in a crypt cold voice. 
   
  Allow the players to react. It is quite possible that 
  they may choose to attack, but if they express 
  such a choice, you may feel free to allow them a 
  Sense Motive check opposed by the vampire’s 
  Bluff check. Success will indicate to the PCs that 
  this would be an overwhelming fight they stand 
  virtually no chance of winning. If they attack 
  anyway, roll initiative and begin combat. The 
  vampire will destroy any who attack him, and will 
  seek to Dominate the PC with the censer.  
   
  If they produce the censer, then proceed with 
  the following: 
  You hand over the censer. The man’s piercing 
  gaze almost seemed to compel you to do so. 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 15 
  
  As soon as he has the censer, he cracks a 
  smile and says, “This weapon will be a great 
  boon to those who oppose the Lord of Pain. 
  Just be glad that I did not have to take it from 
  you by force!”  
   
  With that, he cackles an eerie laugh and 
  vaporizes into smoke before your very eyes. 
  “Farewell, heroes,” you hear his voice echo 
  through the wind, “Until we meet again…” 
   
  Oh well, there is always another day and 
  another adventure. Perhaps you will even meet 
  with the Mad Mage of Dora Kaa again some 
  day when you are capable of putting his evil 
  ways to an end. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 7) 
  Vampire Ftr5: hp 32; see Monster Manual page 
  250. 
   
  The PCs earn the Gratitude of Adlar. PCs who 
  stole the flesh golem manual earn the Enmity of 
  Zemyatin, who eventually gathers enough wits to 
  realize who stole it. 
   
  APL 2: Loot: 0 gp; Coin: 450 gp; Magic: 0 gp. 
   
  They do not receive the reward money from Adlar, 
  nor the Gratitude of Adlar, since they did not fulfill 
  their contract but the 50 gp down payment is theirs 
  to keep. PCs who stole the flesh golem manual 
  earn the Enmity of Zemyatin, who eventually 
  gathers enough wits to realize who stole it. 
   
   
  The End 
   
  Experience Point Summary 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up 
  the values for the objectives accomplished. Then 
  assign the experience award. Award the total 
  value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each 
  character. 
  Encounter One 
  Defeat Adlar in combat 
   
  APL2 180 xp 
   
  Encounter Two 
  Make Old Man Mistletoe Friendly or Helpful 
   
  APL2 150 xp 
   
  Encounter Three 
  Survive the attack of the bear 
   
  APL2 120 xp 
  Make Charivar Friendly 
   
  APL2 30 xp 
   
  Encounter Four 
  Defeat the skeletal crossbowmen 
   
  APL2 90 xp 
   
  Encounter Five 
  Convince Zemyatin to help locate the censer 
   
  APL2 30 xp 
   
  Encounter Six 
  Defeat the zombies 
   
  APL2 60 xp 
   
  Encounter Seven 
  Defeat the ghouls 
   
  APL2 60 xp 
   
  Encounter Eight 
  Disable or circumvent the trap 
   
  APL2 60 xp 
   
  Encounter Nine 
  Defeat the allip 
   
  APL2 120 xp 
   
  Conclusion A 
  Defeat the vampire 
   
  APL2 210 xp 
   
  Story Award 
  Deliver the censer to Charivar instead of Adlar 
   
  APL2 90 xp 
   
  Discretionary roleplaying award 
   
  APL2 90 xp 
   
  Total possible experience: 
   
  APL2 900 xp 
   
  Treasure Summary 
  During 
  an 
  adventure, 
  characters 
  encounter 
  treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their 
  foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a 
  “treasure” section within the encounter description, 
  giving information about the loot, coins, and magic 
  items that make up the encounter’s treasure. 
   
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if the foes are plundered of all their 
  earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at 
  least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the 
  characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, 
  they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable 
  that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 16 
  
  those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by 
  dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by 
  the local watch, and so on), characters may return 
  to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the 
  body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted 
  from the encounter totals given below. 
  Special 
  Gratitude of Charivar: [ ] [ ] You have performed 
  a valuable service to Charivar and the druids of 
  the Fellreev by keeping the censer of last breath 
  out of Adlar’s dubious hands. You gain two 
  Influence Points with the Fellreev Druids. 
   
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if they take the coin available. A 
  normal adventuring party can usually gather this 
  wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they 
  pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted 
  from the encounter totals given below. 
   
  Gratitude of Adlar: [ ] You have performed a 
  valuable service to Adlar the Two-Sided by 
  delivering the censer of last breath to his contact. 
  You gain one influence point with the Death 
  Cultists. 
   
  Next, the magic items are listed. Magic items 
  are the hardest to adjudicate, because they are 
  varied and because characters may want to use 
  them during the adventure. Many times characters 
  must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell 
  to determine what the item does and how to 
  activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the 
  item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a 
  potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used 
  before the end of the adventure, its total is 
  subtracted from the adventure totals below. 
   
  Enmity of Adlar: You have angered Adlar the 
  Two-Sided of Hallorn by recovering a prized relic 
  and then refusing to give it to his contact. As a 
  result, he has vowed to cause you harm at some 
  future time when you least expect it. 
   
  Enmity of the Fellreev Druids: You have helped 
  to kill a druid’s animal companion. Fellreev Druids 
  will have a starting attitude of Unfriendly towards 
  you at the least, and if you were previously a 
  member of this meta-organization, you are 
  expelled. 
   
  Once you have subtracted the value for 
  unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up 
  and that is the number of gold pieces a characters 
  total and coin value increase at the end of the 
  adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of 
  the adventure certificate. Because this is a Regional 
  scenario, characters may spend additional Time 
  Units to practice professions or create items 
  immediately after the adventure so this total may be 
  modified by other circumstances. 
   
  Enmity of Zemyatin: The mad mage Zemyatin is 
  infuriated at your theft of his flesh golem manual. 
  He has vowed to animate your corpse at his 
  earliest convenience. 
   
  Loot = Looted gear from enemy; Coin = Coin, 
  Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables; Magic = Magic 
  Items. 
   
  Encounter One 
   
  APL 2: Loot: 0 gp; Coin: 50 gp; Magic: 0 gp. 
   
  Encounter Four 
   
  APL 2: Loot: 35 gp; Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 0 gp. 
   
  Encounter Eight  
   
  APL 2: Loot: 2 gp; Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 433 gp –
  flesh golem manual (400 gp), scroll of halt undead 
  (31 gp), scroll of magic weapon (2 gp). 
   
  Conclusion A 
  APL 2: Loot: 0 gp; Coin: 450 gp; Magic: 0 gp. 
   
  Total Possible Treasure 
   
  APL A: Loot: 37 gp; Coin: 500 gp; Magic: 433 
  gp; Total: 970 gp (900 gp cap). 
   
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 17 
  
  Appendix One – NPCs
  Encounter One 
   
   
   
   
  Adlar the Two-Sided: Male human Clr6 of 
  Nerull; CR 6; Medium humanoid (human); HD 
  6d8+16 (cleric); hp 48; Init –1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 19, 
  touch 9, flat-footed 19 [–1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 
  shield]; BAB/Grp: +4/+5; Atk +6 melee (1d8+1, 
  mwk heavy mace) or +3 ranged (1d8/19-20, light 
  crossbow); SA rebuke undead 5/day; SQ 
  spontaneous casting (inflict); AL LE; SV Fort +8, 
  Ref +1, Will +8; Str 12, Dex 9, Con 16, Int 12, 
  Wis 17, Cha 15.  
   
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Concentration 
  +9, Diplomacy +4, Heal +7, Knowledge (arcana) 
  +6, 
  Knowledge 
  (religion) 
  +6, 
  Profession 
  (mortician) 
  +7, 
  Spellcraft 
  +5; 
  Blind-FightB, 
  Endurance, Diehard, Improved Turning. 
   
  Languages: Common, Old Oeridian. 
   
  Cleric Spells Prepared (5/5/5/4): 0—cure 
  minor wounds, detect magic, light, purify food 
  and drink, read magic; 1st—bless, cause fearD 
  (DC 14), command (DC 14), cure light wounds, 
  magic weapon; 2nd—cure moderate wounds, 
  enthrall (DC 15), invisibilityD, shatter (DC 15), 
  undetectable alignment; 3rd—animate deadD, 
  blindness/deafness (DC 16), deeper darkness, 
  dispel magic. 
   
  Possessions: +1 half plate, mwk heavy 
  mace, light crossbow, 10 bolts, gold holy symbol 
  of Nerull (250 gp), silver holy symbol of St. 
  Cuthbert, necklace of fireballs type II, scroll of 
  cure serious wounds, scroll of entropic shield, 
  six black onyx gems (25 gp each), 2 gp. 
   
  Physical Description: This man is of mixed 
  human descent. He has dark eyes indicative of 
  a bit of Baklunish blood and curly black hair. He 
  has about a week’s worth of stubble on his face 
  and the left side of his face bears a scar from an 
  old slashing wound. 
   
  Encounter Five 
   
   
   
   
  Zemyatin: Male human Wiz11; CR 11; Medium 
  humanoid (human); HD 11d4 (wizard); hp 34; 
  Init +8; Spd 30 ft.; AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 
  16 [+4 Dex, +4 armor, +2 deflection]; BAB/Grp: 
  +5/+6; Atk +7 melee (1d6+1, mwk quarterstaff) 
  or +10 ranged (1d4+1, mwk dart); SQ summon 
  familiar; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +9;  
  Str 13, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 12.  
   
  Skills 
  and 
  Feats: 
  Concentration 
  +14, 
  Decipher Script +8, Knowledge (arcana) +18, 
  Knowledge 
  (nature) 
  +10, 
  Knowledge 
  (the 
  planes) 
  +12, 
  Knowledge 
  (religion) 
  +16, 
  Spellcraft +20, Survival +10; Craft WandB, 
  Extend 
  SpellB, 
  Greater 
  Spell 
  Focus 
  (necromancy), 
  Great 
  Fortitude, 
  Improved 
  Initiative, Scribe ScrollB, Spell Focus (evocation), 
  Spell Focus (necromancy). 
   
  Languages: Common, Draconic, Goblin, 
  Orc. 
   
  Wizard Spells Prepared (4/5/5/5/4/2/1): 0—
  acid splash, detect magic, ghost sound, arcane 
  mark; 1st—charm person, magic missile x3, 
  shield; 
  2nd—command 
  undead 
  (DC 
  16), 
  extended mage armor, ghoul touch (DC 18), 
  glitterdust (DC 16), mirror image; 3rd—dispel 
  magic, fireball (DC 18), ray of exhaustion (DC 
  19), slow (DC 17), vampiric touch; 4th—animate 
  dead, lesser globe of invulnerability, Otiluke’s 
  resilient sphere (DC 19), summon monster IV; 
  5th—baleful polymorph (DC 19), cone of cold 
  (DC 20); 6th—circle of death (DC 22). 
   
  Spellbook (all prepared spells plus): 0—all 
  cantrips; 1st—chill touch (DC 17), expeditious 
  retreat, hold portal, identify, ray of enfeeblement, 
  Tenser’s floating disk, unseen servant; 2nd—
  resist energy; 3rd—fly; 4th—fear; 5th—cloudkill, 
  waves of fatigue; 6th—chain lightning. 
   
  Possessions: wand of lightning bolt (CL 8, 
  12 charges), flesh golem manual, ring of 
  protection +2, mwk quarterstaff, 5 mwk darts, 
  spellbook, spell component pouch (2), crushed 
  black pearl (500 gp), 20 black onyx gems (25 gp 
  each). 
   
  Physical Description: This fellow appears to 
  be advanced in years with straggly black hair 
  that is graying in places where it hasn’t fallen out 
  completely. He has wild brown eyes and pock-
  marked skin. 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 18 
  
  Appendix Two – Quickling
  QUICKLING 
  Small Fey 
  Hit Dice: 1d6 (3 hp) 
  Initiative: +7 (Dex) 
  Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares) 
  AC: 19 (+1 size, +7 Dex, +1 haste), touch 19, 
  flat-footed 11 
  Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–5 
  Attack: Dagger +8 melee (1d3-1/19-20) 
  Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. 
  Special Attacks: Sneak attack +1d6, spell-like 
  abilities, special daggers 
  Special Qualities: Haste, invisibility, low-light 
  vision 
  Saves: Fort +0, Ref +10, Will +4 
  Abilities: Str 8, Dex 25, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 15, 
  Cha 14 
  Skills: Concentration +4, Craft (any) +6, Escape 
  Artist +11, Hide +15, Jump +31, Listen +6, Move 
  Silently +11, Spot +6 
  Feats: Spring AttackB, Weapon Finesse 
  Environment: Temperate forest 
  Organization: Gang (2-4) or band (6-11) 
  Challenge Rating: 3 
  Treasure: No coins; 50% goods; 50% items 
  Alignment: Always chaotic evil 
  Advancement: 2-3 HD (Small) 
  Level Adjustment: +4 
   
  This creature is no larger than a gnome, but 
  looks more like an elf. It has sharp, feral features 
  and unusually large ears that rise to points 
  above its head. Its skin is a pale blue and its hair 
  is silvery white. 
   
  Relatives of brownies that dabbled in dark and 
  sinister faerie magic long ago, quicklings were 
  transformed 
  into 
  creatures 
  of 
  evil 
  as 
  punishment. Consequently, quicklings feel an 
  intense loathing of all other races, especially 
  other fey. They feel comfortable only around 
  their own kind. They are always plotting ways to 
  deceive 
  others 
  and 
  filch 
  valuable 
  items. 
  However, they do not seem to care for precious 
  metals or gems much if at all, only those items 
  which are useful, particularly those of a magical 
  nature. 
   
  Quicklings like to dress in fine clothes of 
  bright colors. They are fond of silver and black, 
  and often wear or adorn their clothes with these 
  colors. Quicklings never wear any form of armor 
  or cumbersome clothes. 
   
  A quickling stands about 3 feet tall and 
  weighs about 25 pounds. Males and females are 
  typically about the same size although female 
  ears tend to be a bit longer. 
   
  Quicklings speak Common and Sylvan. 
   
  COMBAT 
  A quickling will attack by rushing in, stabbing a 
  foe with its daggers, and then moving out of 
  melee range before the opponent can react. 
    
   
  Haste (Ex): A quickling is affected by a 
  permanent 
  haste 
  effect. 
  This 
  grants 
  the 
  quickling one extra attack when it takes the full 
  attack action, a +30 enhancement bonus to 
  speed, a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex 
  saves, and a +1 bonus on attack rolls. The 
  quickling loses the +1 AC and Reflex save 
  bonus anytime it would lose a dodge bonus. 
   
  This is an inherent ability and cannot be 
  dispelled or negated. 
   
  Invisibility 
  (Su): 
  A 
  quickling 
  remains 
  invisible except when it attacks. This ability is 
  constant, but the quickling can suppress or 
  resume it as a standard action. 
   
  Sneak Attack (Ex): A quickling can make a 
  sneak attack like a rogue, dealing an extra 1d6 
  points of damage whenever a foe is denied his 
  or her Dexterity bonus, or when the quickling is 
  flanking. 
   
  Special 
  Daggers 
  (Ex): 
  Quicklings 
  sometimes employ daggers that deal no 
  damage but can put a creature to sleep. 
   
  Sleep: Any opponent struck by this dagger, 
  regardless of Hit Dice, must succeed on a DC 
  14 Fortitude save or be affected as though by a 
  sleep spell. The save DC is Charisma-based 
  and includes a +2 racial bonus. 
   
  Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, 
  daze (DC 12), levitate, shatter (DC 14), and 
  ventriloquism. These abilities are as the spells 
  cast by a 6th-level sorcerer. 
   
  Skills: Quicklings receive a +8 racial bonus 
  to Jump checks. A quickling uses its Dexterity 
  modifier instead of its Strength modifier on Jump 
  checks. 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 19 
  
  Judge Aid One – Hallorn 
  Hallorn is a growing town on the western edge 
  of the Tangles Forest. Since being liberated by 
  Guardian General Hok from the mad Lesser 
  Boneheart Aundurach in 594 CY, the general 
  populace is still unsure what to think of Hok. 
  Many cheered when he besieged and took the 
  dead city of Hallorn from the forces of Iuz. 
  Cheers turned to suspicion when the inevitable 
  retribution never materialized. Rumors fly wildly 
  that the Old One is not concerned with the 
  Bandit Lands anymore; other rumors place 
  General Hok bowing before the might of 
  Dorakaa. Whatever combination of military 
  force, diplomacy, and bribery he might have 
  used, Guardian General Hok has managed to 
  carve a little piece of the Bandit Kingdoms out 
  for himself; complete with a capital city which he 
  is busily fortifying against those who would take 
  it for themselves. 
   
  Hallorn (Small Town): Conventional; AL N; 800 
  gp limit; Assets 61,600 gp; Population 1,540; 
  Mixed (human 1,350, half-orc 80, halfling 15, elf 
  10, gnome 30, dwarf 35, half-elf 20). 
   
  Authority Figures: Guardian General Hok (male 
  human, ruler of Hallorn and leader of the Army 
  of the Warfields), Colonel Hor’mar (male human, 
  2nd in command to Hok), Colonel Marwald 
  (male human, 3rd in command, Constable of 
  Hallorn). 
   
  Important Characters: Captain Derathor “No 
  Nonsense” Wardin (male dwarf, Night Watch 
  Commander), Captain Hennen (male human, 
  Day Watch Commander), Otto (male human, 
  Hound of Trithereon and contact for Moskol’s 
  Legion), Rufoldus (male human, proprietor of 
  the Dingy Coffin Tavern), Sourstis (female half-
  elf, Bruiser of the Circle of the Crimson Stone).  
   
  Others: mystics and followers of the Old 
  Faith: [Adp4, Adp2 (2), Adp1 (8)], Ari2, Ari1 (7), 
  Bbn3, Bbn1 (2), Brd6, Brd3 (2), Brd1 (4), clergy 
  of Kelanen, Kord, Lirr, and Pelor: [Clr7, Clr3 (2), 
  Clr1 (4)], town elders: [Com10, Com5 (2), Com2 
  (4)], commoners: [Com1 (1,339)], artisans and 
  craftsmen: [Exp8, Exp4 (2), Exp2 (4), Exp1 
  (44)], Ftr8, Ftr4 (2), Ftr2 (4), Ftr1 (8), former 
  members of Moskol’s Legion: [Rgr 2, Rgr1 (2)], 
  Rog5, Rog2 (2), Rog1 (4), Sor3, Sor1 (2), War5, 
  War2 (2), War1 (74), Wiz2, Wiz1 (2).  
   
   
  Guardian General Hok: The General is a 
  handsome Flan male in his late 40’s, his face 
  adorned by a dark beard. Physically large and 
  imposing, the Guardian General has a booming 
  voice which he uses to shout out orders, or to 
  belt out old Flannish war songs when the mood 
  takes him.  
   
  Colonel Hor’mar: Not much is known about 
  Colonel Hor’mar, whom Hok sometimes leaves 
  in charge of Hallorn. That he did lead a sizeable 
  force during the Siege of Hallorn is known. 
  Eyewitness accounts during the Siege indicate 
  that the Colonel is not afraid of getting in the 
  thick of things during a battle. When it comes to 
  administrating Hallorn while Hok is gone, 
  Colonel Marwald is never far from Colonel 
  Hor’mar’s side. It is speculated that Hor’mar is 
  technically in-charge due to having seniority 
  over Colonel Marwald. 
   
  Colonel Marwald: Colonel Marwald is a 
  hook nosed human male and serves as Hok’s 
  right hand man. Promoted from Captain to Major 
  before 
  the 
  Siege, 
  and 
  then 
  to 
  Colonel 
  afterwards, Marwald is in charge of the daily 
  operations required to keep the Army of the 
  Warfields moving and growing. In Hallorn, 
  Marwald is considered something of a local 
  constable/sheriff, as his responsibilities include 
  keeping the peace in the newly liberated town. 
   
  Captain Hennen: Some say that Captain 
  Hennen is a better singer than he is a 
  swordsman. A light skinned Oeridian, he is a 
  handsome, personable and overall pleasant 
  fellow. When off-duty, he can often be found 
  practicing 
  his swordsmanship at Hallorn’s 
  Fencing Academy. The Mistress of the Fencing 
  Academy has remarked more than once that 
  Hennen is one of the best hand-and-a-half 
  sword wielders with which she has ever sparred. 
   
  Captain 
  Derathor 
  “No 
  Nonsense” 
  Wardin: Wardin is known for his adamant 
  refusal to bend the rules or put up with any 
  trouble whatsoever. This stodgy attitude has 
  earned him the nickname "No Nonsense.” 
  Wardin comes from caves deep in the Rift and 
  has brought some of his clan members to help 
  Hok work on the new walls of Hallorn. 
   
  Otto: The Hound of Trithereon is a very 
  large and portly man (6’0”, 320 lbs.). Clearly a 
  mix of Oeridian and Flan heritage, his hairline is 
  receding while a luxurious beard flows from his 
  chin. Otto answers to the priests of Trithereon in 
  the Tangles, and lives in Hallorn where he is an 
  unofficial ambassador of Moskol’s Legion. 
  Hallorn residents who need to reach family 
  members who are part of the Legion can trust 
  Otto to privately relay messages. Otto enjoys 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 20 
  
  spending time talking to Rufoldus, although he 
  rarely indulges in alcoholic beverages. 
   
  Rufoldus: The proprietor of the Dingy Coffin 
  is a gaunt male human in his late 50s. His 
  thinning grey hair is almost gone now, the result 
  of years of living in pre-Siege Hallorn. Clearly in 
  better health than in previous years, he appears 
  to be far less nervous now than in years past. 
  Anyone who Gathers Information in the Dingy 
  Coffin, and throws some coin around, will gain a 
  +2 Circumstance bonus to their check as 
  Rufoldus is up to date on all the local gossip and 
  rumors. 
   
  Sourstis: An attractive, female half-elf, 
  Sourstis is a crowd favorite during Circle fights. 
  She’s known to be a very effective spiked chain 
  fighter. She’s a bit of a softy, as she always pulls 
  her final blow so that it doesn’t kill her defeated 
  opponent.  
   
  Exploring Hallorn 
   
  Army of the Warfields Supply: There is 
  nothing currently available in the supply other 
  than standard PHB items. 
   
  Shrine to Pelor: In exchange for his help 
  during the Siege, Guardian General Hok gave 
  permission to Mykiell Ille', a priest of Pelor, to 
  build a shrine to the Shining One. Only clerics of 
  Pelor, or members of the Hidden Shrine to Pelor 
  meta-org, even know where the shrine is 
  located. 
   
  Located in Hallorn’s slums in the south-east 
  portion of the city, the shrine is inside a small, 
  secret room at the back of a building and can 
  hold ten people. The rest of the building is 
  dedicated to helping Hallorn’s poor rebuild the 
  city with their own hands and to creating a 
  positive image for Rhennee in the area. The 
  adventuring priest believes that if Hallorn’s poor 
  were to invest time and effort into rebuilding their 
  town, then they might become more of a 
  community, and thus more caring and helpful 
  towards each other. Any clerics of Pelor local to 
  the Bandit Kingdoms will know where to find the 
  shrine. Any followers of Pelor that come here to 
  prepare 
  their 
  spells 
  will 
  receive 
  a 
  +1 
  Circumstance bonus to Concentration checks 
  for the remainder of this event, as the shrine 
  helps to renew their focus and dedication to the 
  Shining One. 
   
  Hallorn Fencing Academy: During the 
  Siege, a female elf adventuress pledged Hok 
  her support. Instead of the usual share of the 
  booty, the mercenary instead agreed to help the 
  Guardian General in exchange for permission to 
  open a fencing school inside Hallorn. After the 
  successful Siege, she was allowed to build her 
  fencing school, and she did so in a small, 
  abandoned warehouse located on Sword Alley. 
  A follower of Kelanen, her teachings have 
  helped to create followers of the hero-god of 
  swords among Hallorn’s soldiers and elite alike. 
  Captain Hennen, an expert with the hand-and-a-
  half sword, can often be found here training with 
  the Mistress herself when not on-duty. 
   
  On certain nights, the Fencing Academy 
  serves as the host location for fights held by the 
  Circle of Crimson Stone. Admittance to watch 
  one of these fights is by invitation only. Tonight 
  is not one of those nights. 
   
  Heroes that spend the day training in the 
  Academy receive a +1 Circumstance bonus to 
  Tumble checks for the remainder of this event. 
  This bonus only applies when the PC is wielding 
  a sword. 
   
  Mausoleum: 
  The 
  mausoleum 
  is 
  an 
  imposing pyramid made of black marble. This 
  pyramid houses the Death Cultists and few 
  citizens of the town venture near the mausoleum 
  if they can avoid it. Members of the Death 
  Cultists, though, in their black or rust-red robes, 
  can 
  be 
  seen 
  entering 
  and 
  leaving 
  the 
  mausoleum at all hours. Any non-members that 
  attempt to enter the mausoleum are greeted at 
  the entrance by a Cultist in black robes that 
  pleasantly informs them that only members are 
  allowed inside. 
   
  A Death Cultist hero that spends the day 
  inside the Mausoleum will receive a +1 
  Circumstance bonus to Spellcraft checks for the 
  remainder of this event. 
   
  The Drunken Hydra: Located outside 
  Hallorn’s Old Wall, the Drunken Hydra is the 
  town’s newest drinking establishment, and the 
  first one to be built outside of Hallorn’s Old Wall. 
  Due to its location on the east side of town, it 
  poses no threat to Rufoldus’ business. The 
  owner is reputed to be an itinerant monk who 
  has taken a vow of silence. Anyone attempting a 
  Gather Information check in the Drunken Hydra 
  receives a +1 Circumstance bonus to their 
  check. 
   
  The Lucky Slaad: Recently built by an 
  adventurer who considers himself both lucky 
  and a good gambler, the Lucky Slaad is 
  Hallorn’s first casino. Located a respectable 
  distance from the barracks, outside the Old 
  Wall, patrons can play any number of dice or 
  card games here, and the fear of being cheated 
  is relatively low thanks to the owner’s arcane 
  skills. Due to the fact that Hallorn’s wealthier 
  and more knowledgeable merchants frequent 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 21 
  
  the casino, any Appraise checks performed in 
  the casino receive a +2 Circumstance bonus if 
  the PC asks for help in appraising the item. 
   
  If the heroes want to gamble, they may do 
  so with dice. Have each participant roll two d20 
  and take the highest roll. For every 5 ranks in 
  Profession (Gambler), add a +2 competence 
  bonus to the character’s highest d20. There are 
  two tables open, low and high stakes, with one 
  gambler at each. The low stakes table accepts 
  bets of less than 20 gp, while the high stakes 
  table accepts bets between 20 and 100 gp. The 
  gambler at the low stakes table has 5 ranks in 
  Profession (Gambler), while the gambler at the 
  high stakes table has 10 ranks. 
   
  Feel free to make up other games that the 
  heroes can play. Just make sure that the games 
  are fair or slightly in the favor of the NPCs. 
   
  The party may make money in this way, but 
  this gold does not allow the heroes to exceed 
  the gold cap for the APL. 
   
  Hospice for the Poor: This hospice is still 
  under construction and has yet to open its 
  doors. 
   
  Bowyers/Fletchers: 
  There 
  are 
  two 
  bowyer/fletcher shops which have been recently 
  opened outside the Old Wall. Both are currently 
  vying to land a coveted contract as the exclusive 
  fletcher for the Army of the Warfields. One of 
  them even has a bakery attached that sells 
  elven baked breads! 
   
  Dingy Coffin Tavern: Rufoldus’ tavern has 
  the look of a place that wants to be seedier than 
  it is. Shuttered windows and a banked fire in the 
  hearth create a dim atmosphere, yet the tavern 
  is kept fairly clean and respectable looking. 
  Since the Siege, Rufoldus is able to procure 
  above average ales, as opposed to the 
  homebrew rotgut that he had to serve when 
  Aundurach ruled. The tavern boasts a dart 
  board, and tournaments are held every night 
  (5sp buy in, first, second, and third split the pot 
  60/30/10, respectively). 1d10 NPCs participate 
  in each tournament. 
   
  Ellyian, the barmaid, is a pretty Oeridian 
  female in her mid-20s. Standing 5 ft. tall, she 
  looks younger than her age, and often plays that 
  up by wearing her hair in pigtails. Vivacious and 
  flirty, she is NOT a prostitute. She has a secret 
  crush on Captain Hennen, and becomes clumsy 
  in his presence. She is jealous of the Mistress of 
  the Fencing Academy for Captain Hennen 
  spends much of his free time at her school. 
  While formerly a member of the Rookroost 
  Thieves Guild, she became very angry with 
  them after they made her move to Hallorn (a 
  very 
  creepy 
  and 
  dangerous 
  place 
  when 
  Aundurach was in charge). As a result, she told 
  them to “get stuffed” and has been quite happy 
  living the barmaid’s life ever since. Adventurers 
  often tip her ridiculously well, and she enjoys a 
  nice lifestyle as a result. 
   
  Constable’s Office/Town Jail: Located at 
  the corner of Broken Avenue and The Grind, this 
  two story building has been recently renovated. 
  The upstairs is reserved for Hallorn’s constable, 
  Colonel Marwald, who resides here during the 
  day. The first floor contains offices for Captains 
  Hennen and Derathor, both of whom can often 
  be found here during their watches when not 
  patrolling the city. A set of stairs at the back of 
  the building leads down to the underground 
  cells. Prisoners are rarely seen here, as those 
  who commit non-capital offenses are usually 
  forced to enlist in the Army of the Warfields as 
  ditch diggers. Persons convicted of capital 
  crimes are remanded to the care of the Death 
  Cultists.  
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 22 
  
  Judge Aid Two – Needfest
  The Needfest begins with “Mummergin.” People 
  wear disguises and try to remain unrecognized, 
  in order to celebrate the wondrous and strange 
  effect that magic and magical creatures have in 
  the world. Nevertheless, it should be noted that 
  actual use of magic in such disguises is 
  considered cheating, and is frowned on in most 
  areas. There is dancing and general carousing, 
  and the high point is a parade and the 
  Performance of the Mummers, a play in which 
  good and evil battle. Evil wins but the youngest 
  speaking child resurrects good and removes the 
  evil from the bad actor. It is rare but not 
  unknown for some members of evil cults to take 
  steps at this point, and vigilance is usually tight 
  in larger cities. 
   
  One exception is The Empire of Iuz, which 
  holds a variant play in which their evil lord fights 
  the forces of good and wins. This is usually 
  enacted by having priests in ceremonial masks 
  publicly fight, defeat, and then sacrifice a lightly 
  armed prisoner amidst general rejoicing. 
   
  The rest of the holiday is devoted to general 
  merriment, and the last night before the months 
  are again counted in the calendar is very 
  special. This is the Feast of Unreason, which is 
  honored by many diverse faiths (Boccob, Lydia, 
  Lirr, Norebo, Olidammara, Ralishaz, Trithereon, 
  and even Rao and Iuz!) for different reasons. In 
  general, however, the mode of celebration is the 
  same: Servants are promoted to the head of 
  towns, villages, and even royal courts, where 
  they preside over the feast's duration. They 
  orchestrate silly laws (i.e., having farmers push 
  their carts, wearing only one shoe, etc.) which 
  must be obeyed, though traditionally they are 
  followed about by a “true” authority who can 
  overrule any proclamations deemed to be 
  disastrous. It is popular everywhere, even in the 
  Great Kingdom, but ruthlessly suppressed in the 
  Theocracy of the Pale. This is a very popular 
  Greyhawk festival, where it is colloquially known 
  as "Zagyg's Feast." The Mad Archmage retains 
  his distinction as the only actual ruler to ever be 
  elected to preside at these festivals, and his 
  influence can still be felt today. Mages report 
  that their spells will occasionally misfire in odd 
  and/or humorous ways during this period, 
  though such misfires will never occur in life-
  threatening situations unless one has greatly 
  offended Zagyg or Boccob. 
   
  Needfest is also known in some places as 
  the Feast of Telchur. This holiday honors 
  Telchur's valiant battle in creating winter and 
  celebrates the beginning of winter's waning. In 
  some places, an elaborate play commemorates 
  this 
  event 
  (Great 
  Kingdom). 
  In 
  others, 
  remembrance of family and recital of the family 
  tree is an important part of the day (Keoish 
  principalities, Geoff, and Ulek). Most places, 
  however, celebrate primarily with an open house 
  dinner after dark, the giving of presents, chain-
  lighting of candles, singing and folk dancing. 
  The goal is to make the sun feel like he is 
  missing the fun so that he comes back before it 
  gets too cold.  
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 23 
  
  Judge Aid Three – Dora Kaa
  This is indeed the name given to this 
  ramshackled woodsmen’s village by its new 
  ruler. The mage Zemyatin who slew all the 
  people here and animated them as zombies is 
  hopelessly insane, an escapee from the Legions 
  of the Deranged, and he now believes himself to 
  be the one true priest of Iuz left on Oerth. 
  Zemyatin’s mind has compensated for the 
  insanity and horror of his later years by returning 
  to what he thinks of as an early golden age, the 
  time when Iuz first unified his homeland and 
  established Dora Kaa, which would later 
  become Dorakaa. He thinks that he lives in Dora 
  Kaa, awaiting Iuz’s arrival. In the interim, he 
  busies himself collecting skulls from any 
  humanoid he can find and slay. Zemyatin is 
  paranoid, but he has reasonable self-control and 
  he has learned the skills of foraging and 
  survival. Zemyatin’s major significance is that he 
  knows the layout of Gibbering Gate perfectly, 
  having memorized every nook and cranny with 
  the obsessiveness of the truly paranoid. If 
  somehow his confidence could be gained, he 
  could reveal a great deal of that’s citadel’s 
  defenses and prisoners. 
   
  Zemyatin also has a group of allies, some 
  20 quicklings around the village who converse 
  with the mage. Why they choose to do so, only 
  they know, but the effect on the viewer is 
  generally that of observing the mage talking to 
  thin air, since the quicklings are invisible. The 
  quicklings often perch on the mage’s shoulder 
  and whisper into his ear; their replies are not 
  audible unless one is standing very close by 
  (Listen check DC 15 to hear whispering, DC 25 
  to understand what is being said, modified by 
  distance). So, the mage simply appears madder 
  than 
  ever, 
  and 
  his 
  dangerous 
  little 
  acquaintances may go undetected unless the 
  observer is very watchful and vigilant. 
   
  Dora Kaa (Hamlet): Magical; AL CE; 0 gp limit; 
  Assets 0 gp; Population 222; Mixed (zombie 
  176, quickling 20, ghoul 12, ghast 7, shadow 5, 
  allip 1, human 1). 
   
  Authority 
  Figures: 
  Zemyatin 
  (male human 
  Wiz11, undisputed ruler of Dora Kaa). 
   
  Important Characters: Kae Nairie (female 
  quickling, leader of the quicklings).  
   
  Others: all undead. 
   
  Zemyatin: Zemyatin is 40 years old, but looks 
  far older, with his straggly, graying black hair, 
  wild brown eyes, and pock-marked skin. 
  Experience in the Badlands campaign in the 
  Greyhawk Wars ruined him, and after two years 
  in the Legions of the Deranged, he escaped, 
  fled to his new abode, and has organized it with 
  true paranoid efficiency. 
   
  Because of his paranoia, Zemyatin has 
  trouble memorizing spells, so subtract 1d6 
  randomly-selected spells from his normal spell 
  list if he is encountered. He believes he is a 
  priest, the only true priest of Iuz, and learns his 
  spells from sacred unholy texts (his spellbooks). 
  He owns a wand of lightning bolt and a flesh 
  golem manual, which he is too insane to use 
  effectively. Subtle and wily adventurers might be 
  able to use Zemyatin’s delusions of the 
  treachery of Iuz’s current servants, if they 
  present persuasive pseudological arguments to 
  this madman.  
   
  Kae Nairie: Very little is known about the 
  self-proclaimed leader of the quicklings in Dora 
  Kaa. She and the others have been with 
  Zemyatin since before anyone can remember 
  and their agenda remains a complete and total 
  mystery. Other than the fact that they share an 
  alignment, they really have little in common. Kae 
  Nairie is the quickling most often found upon 
  Zemyatin’s shoulder, and she has a most 
  murderous bent. 
   
  The Temple of Torment: Originally, this 
  served as a shrine to Beory, but upon 
  Zemyatin’s 
  arrival, 
  he 
  quickly 
  dismantled 
  anything that reminded him of the Oerth Mother 
  and decorated the temple in lavish Iuzian décor, 
  meaning blood and implements of torture. The 
  true names of exactly 99 demons are scrawled 
  onto the floor, each on a different tile. The 
  significance of these demons is unknown, as is 
  the method by which Zemyatin learned them. 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 24 
  
  Judge Aid Four – The Temple of Torment
   
   
   
  G = Ghoul 
  Z = Zombie 
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 25 
  
  Player Handout One 
   
   
   
  BDKA5-03 The Mad Mage 
   
  Page 26 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Bandit Kingdoms/595/Intro mods/BDKA5-03 - The Mad Mage/BDKA5-03 - The Mad Mage.pdf