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  1 
   
   
  Issue #07: “From Beneath the Glacier” 
  by Gabor Lux 
   
  Illustrated by Matthew Ray (cover), Graphite Prime (pp. 23, 26, 36),  
  Stefan Poag (pp. 14, 20), Denis McCarthy (pp. 2, 32), Gabor Lux (p. 31),  
  and the Dead Victorians (pp. 9, 16, 22). 
   
  Published by Gabor Lux, sole prop., Kiraly Str. 39, 7621 Pecs, Hungary 
  www: beyondfomalhaut.blogspot.com 
  e-mail: beyond.fomalhaut@gmail.com 
  ISBN 978-615-5902-27-7 
   
  frozen in ice, this zine has now been thawed 
  out after a brief slumber. While we can’t 
  know if the Bat-Gods still have a trick or two up their sleeve, we can at least do what the 
  OD&D booklets’ Afterward (sic) told us to. So we fight on, and this zine continues, too, as 
  long as it remains one of life’s small pleasures for myself and, I hope, you as well. 
  Speaking of ice realms, the current issue begins with a module set in the forbid-
  ding high mountains, where a melting glacier is set to unleash untold horrors on the 
  human-inhabited valleys below. The disaster can be halted for a while… but can it 
  be stopped? The precise answer has been conveniently left out, for this is something 
  only you can decide for your campaign. 
  Further materials also lead deeper into the City of Vultures. The largest of these 
  articles is a tomb-complex beneath the city, and the one to have seen the most play 
  in our campaigns. It is close to the street surface, but goes deep – most who have 
  been down there have never seen the true depths of it. Appearances can also be 
  deceptive when it comes to secret societies: the White Hand, described in this issue, 
  has become a mirror maze of deceit and conflicting agendas that would confuse 
  even those who would consider themselves its leaders – if they knew the truth. There 
  is more honesty to be found among the undead monsters prowling The Hecatomb of 
  Morthevole, a mini-module unearthing a lost burial vault. 
  Last but not least, this issue’s map supplement gives you a blank dungeon level, de-
  signed to be populated according to your wishes, and printed in a way to make it suit-
  able for alteration and expansion. Or is it multipe levels on a single sheet? You decide. 
   
   
   
  Gabor Lux 
  Pécs, 4 may 2020
  Like archaic horrors 
  
  2 
   
   
  From Beneath the 
  Glacier 
  Adventure module for levels 5–7 
   
   
  Playtesters: Gabor Acs (Phil the Terror of Turkeys, halfling Archer/Thief 5/3); Istvan Bol-
  dog-Bernad (Armand the Scumbag, human Assassin 7); Kalman Farago (Drölhaf Häff-
  narskørung, northman Barbarian/Thief  5/4); Laszlo Feher (Lafadriel Hundertwasser, elf 
  Fighter 7); Gabor Izapy (Zartan, human Illusionist 5). 
  
  3 
   
   
  Background 
  The narrow mountain valley has been of little interest to locals despite its indeterminate evil 
  reputation. Save for the occasional hunter, few had reason to venture up the gorges and 
  behold the great icy mass of the boreal realms: indeed, these visits were so rare that the 
  mountain people didn’t even realise the glacier was slowly melting. But as it did, the disap-
  pearing slabs of ice revealed more than dark stones and crushed gravel: first, cave mouths 
  and rapid streams; then, tunnels concealing the remains of a primordial catastrophe.  
  Two great armies, one of inhuman troglodytes, and one of cavemen (themselves 
  eager anthropophagi), had been trapped in the glacier by long-lost ice magics, neither 
  alive nor fully dead. Now free, these forces clashed again in the narrow passages, and 
  the troglodytes prevailed. After gorging themselves on the hapless man-apes, the sur-
  vivors of the battle set out to free more of their comrades, and emerge into the great 
  outdoors. In recent months, formless corpses have been washed down the gorges to the 
  villages, and brutal nighttime raids on homesteads and isolated shepherds’ cottages have 
  revived legends of an ancient evil – somewhere up in the mountains. 
  The glacier caverns are a treacherous environment of melting ice, freezing water 
  pools, and subterranean menaces. But the main threat is represented by the troglodytes, 
  who have established themselves in the tunnel system. They have set guards, and pose a 
  clear danger to a careless group. However, they are not terribly organised, and they may 
  be quite easily outsmarted. Presently, the cavemen are either vanquished, or still slum-
  bering: they play no active role in this scenario. 
  Should the troglodytes remain unvanquished, their numbers will soon be bolstered 
  with further forces from the thawing ice. Unless driven away for good, they will bring 
  death and untold horrors to the mountain villages. Likewise, if the troglodytes are gone, 
  but the cavemen emerge from their icy sleep, the fate of the valleys will be none better. 
  It is up to the characters to find a way to prevent this occurrence. 
  It is quite likely the characters will be left with a conundrum after their expedition 
  to the glacier. They might be dealing with a destructive invasion by caveman primitives, 
  or worse, the troglodytes who are the implacable enemies of man. Mounting followup 
  raids to the glacier, or mustering a defensive force in the mountains to protect the vil-
  lagers against nighttime raids might take an additional session or two, and there might be 
  other discoveries to make concerning the events which have led to the icy cataclysm. Of 
  course, they can just walk away and live with their conscience – the villages are poor, 
  and it is not like the consequences will spread beyond a few isolated valleys. Will they? 
  Mountaineering Guidelines 
  Navigation: Unless running, under attack by enemies, or noted in text, thieves need not roll 
  to climb cliff faces and the glacier surface, since adequate footholds are available. Other 
  characters climb at their level at a -40% probability, and they must make regular checks un-
  less aided by ropes and grapnels. One check is necessary for every tunnel section travelled. 
  A failed roll means no progress has been made. A failure by over 20% means either a 
  treacherous fall (1d6 Hp) or lost equipment (-20% to further checks). After a failure, the 
  character must either spend a turn regaining footing, or face a new check immediately on 
  the next attempt at movement. 
   
  
  4 
   
   
  Hypothermia: Submersion in icy cold water, or prolonged exposure to sub-zero tempe-
  ratures can result in in the loss of 1d6 Strength unless thick furs or waterproof clothes 
  are worn. A character who cannot find warmth after wading or swimming will retain the 
  penalty, and will be sneezing and coughing, spoiling chances of surprise. 
  ��� 
  The Glacier 
  1. Gorge: The mountain river rushes through a gap between tall cliffsides; great boulders and 
  broken pines offer a way to climb upwards through the cascades. Caught among the rocks, 
  the putrefying body of a troglodyte still holds an elk’s jawbone and a flint-tipped javelin. The 
  corpse is too badly decomposed to determine its identity, save for a humanoid build and the 
  presence of fins and scales. A secret trail leads up to the cliffs. It is only found on a thoro-
  ugh search; outdoorsmen have a 1:6 to locate it outright, and rangers or druids have 1:3. 
   
  2. River entrance: The receding ice of the glacier has freed a semi-circular area sur-
  rounded by jagged cliffs. The river emerges from beneath the thick ice sheet, and plun-
  ges into a shallow pool with a dull roar. Entering from here requires characters to wade 
  into the pool (check for hypothermia) and swim against the current. Furthermore, 8 
  troglodytes have been posted up among the cliffs. Six attack from an ambush with jave-
  lins and dislodged boulders (1d10 Hp), while the other two run to alert their companions. 
  Characters approaching via the mountain trail gain surprise. 
  Climbing up on the glacier surface is possible with some effort (see navigation gu-
  idelines). The glacier is a great, dazzling ice plain, dotted with numerous vertical shafts. 
  Due to the melting ice, approaching these shafts is hazardous; the chance of slipping is 
  1:6, followed by an immediate climb check. 2:3 of the shafts are just fissures in the ice 
  (depth 1d6*10’); the rest allow descent into the tunnels. All have a 1:6 probability of col-
  lapsing (6d6 Hp). Depending on the characters’ location relative to the river entrance, 
  they may end up at 6, 3 (above the river), 10 (above the waterfall), 17, or 18. 
   
  Troglodytes (8): HD 2; AC 5; Atk 2*claws 1d3 and bite 1d4+1 or stone handaxe 1d6 or 
  javelin 2d4+3; Special surprise 1-4, stench (save vs. poison, 1d6 Str for 1 turn, cumulative); 
  ML 7; AL CE; 2*javelins each. 
  Hp 
  6 
   
  16 
   
  3 
   
  12 
   
  7 
   
  15 
   
  10 
   
  8 
   
  3. River cavern: Spacious, low-ceilinged ice cavern bisected by the churning river. Silvery 
  fish swim in the cold water. The only safe spots to cross are the shallows immediately below 
  the cascade (knee-high water), and a natural stone bridge to the north (11). Limestone for-
  mations on the NE bank have been smeared with a greasy material, and crudely painted to 
  resemble fantastic, lumpy monsters (may be mistaken for such). Behind, stones have been 
  heaped up to block the passage to 4 and prevent the giant slug-thing from coming up here. 
   
  4. Cold cave: This cave is on the border of the ice mass and solid bedrock. Rainbow traces 
  on the surfaces are frozen film left by the giant slug-thing, which has 1:6 to emerge from its 
  lair at 7, 1:3 if the company makes much noise. Steam fills N passage, reducing visibility. 
   
   
  
  5 
   
   
  5. Glacial pits: Light is reflected and multiplied by the crystalline ice walls of this cave 
  section. Small rivulets of water tumble down from deepening cracks. Five ice pits lie 
  open in the ground. Dozens of dark shapes are trapped in the ice walls: the lost cavemen 
  of the prehistoric age, frozen until thawed out. The melting ice renders surfaces slippery, 
  and climbing down the pits, or up to 6 is a climbing hazard. The pits are all 30’ deep, con-
  taining 1’ of icy water intermixed with ice slurry, and: 
   
  The furry flank of a dead mastodon, half exposed. The meat, if a bit rancid, is still edible! 
   
  The brained body of a caveman hunter, holding four obsidian-tipped javelins (javelin 
  +1). If the javelins are taken, the wraith of the hunter attacks. 
   
  Sharp icicles: they break on impact, but deal 3d4 damage on a fall. 
   
  The exposed skull of a woolly mammoth. The body is rotted, but the enormous eye is 
  still alive, peering at the characters in helpless rage and panic. Pair of tusks worth 
  2200 gp if extracted. 
   
  A squishy mass of corpses, some troglodyte, some man-ape. Scaled and furry hands 
  reach for the hapless intruder, attacking once as a single 4 HD monster (2d6 Hp), be-
  fore falling back lifeless. 
   
  Caveman wraith: HD 5+3; AC 4; Atk touch 1d6+drain; Spec drain, silver or +1 to hit, im-
  mune to cold, charm, sleep, hold; ML 10; AL LE. 
  Hp 
  24 
   
  6. Freezer room: Several dozen squat, bow-legged bodies, cavemen all, are frozen into 
  scintillating ice slabs. The tribe numbers 140, half of fighting age, the rest women and 
  cubs. A lost shield of much more advanced make, with the device of a sword piercing a 
  wheel is half lodged into the ice (shield -1). The caveman can be revived if the ice melts, 
  although they will be feeble and disoriented at first. Their reactions will depend on a 
  combination of the characters’ negotiation skills and blind luck. 
   
  Cavemen: HD 2; AC 8[12]; Att spear 1d6+1 or stone handaxe 1d6+1; ML 8; AL N. 
  Hp 
  13 
   
  7 
   
  3 
   
  6 
   
  10 
   
  10 
   
  9 
   
  6 
   
  5 
   
  11 
   
  11 
   
  8 
   
  6 
   
  6 
   
  10 
   
  4 
   
  6 
   
  8 
   
  7. Hot spring: Warm, fizzy mineral water springs from the depths of the earth, leaving 
  mineral deposits (2d6*80 gp), and generating billowing steam clouds in the cold 
  environment. Here is the lair of the giant slug-thing, its formless bulk rendered fantastic 
  by the glittering rainbow layer of mineral salts. The water of the springs collects in a 
  shallow natural basin before draining away (cure disease equivalent, also cures mummy 
  rot, etc. – no effect if it cools down). 
   
  Giant slug-thing: HD 12; AC 8; Atk spit acid 1d12 or crush 2d8; Spec first spit only 10% ac-
  curate, subsequent 100% minus 10%/10’ distance, immune to normal bludgeoning weapons; 
  ML 8; AL N. 
  Hp 
  55 
   
  8. Bone heaps: Petrified bones of many primordial beasts have been collected here in an 
  unruly heap, fused into a single whole by limestone encrustation. Broken arrow tips, clay 
  shards, and other primitive tools are also apparent. 
  
  6 
   
   
  9. Midden: A tall domed cavern; the walls are black rock, but the ceiling is ice – thin 
  enough for faint illumination to shine through (or collapse if disturbed – 1:6, 3d8 Hp if it 
  comes crashing down to reveal a huge hole in the glacier). Further bone heaps and anci-
  ent refuse are collected underneath; broken spears are thrust into their sides. Vivid cave 
  paintings depict a battle between the scaly, monstrous troglodytes, and a tight grouping 
  of hunched cavemen. In another scene, a smaller number of cavemen are shown in a 
  victory dance over their fallen enemies. The dancers still move and shift if nobody is lo-
  oking directly. The wondrous pigments are magical, and can be scraped off and reused. 
   
  10. Waterfall: Abundant waters rushing through a crevasse. The ledge passing under-
  neath is slippery from the water spray, and only allows passage in a single file. 6 troglo-
  dytes wait in an ambush position. They try to attack from surprise with thrown javelins, 
  concentrating on characters carrying light sources. Any character who is hit twice in 
  succession must roll a climb check or get knocked off the ledge and be swept down to 3 
  by the current. Path to the east leads to the gallery above the central cavern. 
   
  Troglodytes (6): HD 2; AC 5; Atk 2*claws 1d3 and bite 1d4+1 or stone handaxe 1d6 or 
  javelin 2d4+3; Special surprise 1-4, stench (save vs. poison, 1d6 Str for 1 turn, cumulative); 
  ML 7; AL CE; 2*javelins each. 
  Hp 
  13 
   
  15 
   
  8 
   
  13 
   
  7 
   
  7 
   
  11. Bridge: This entrance to the central cavern consists of a natural stone bridge over 
  the rushing water, and a cavern filled with bulbous limestone formations carved and 
  painted to resemble beasts. 4 troglodytes lurk under the bridge, and wait for intrudes to 
  pass above to attack them from behind. 
   
  Troglodytes (4): 
  Hp 
  14 
   
  8 
   
  7 
   
  13 
   
  7 
   
  8 
   
  12. Central cavern: Massive stone cavern surrounded by an elevated “gallery” separated 
  from the fire-lit centre by thick limestone columns. The walls still glitter beneath layers 
  of smoke and soot, and countless prehistoric animals have been crudely painted on the 
  available surfaces. There are 24 troglodytes hunched over their fire pits of moss and 
  rotting branches, gnawing on half-raw, half-charred fish, lumpy cave eels, and hunks of 
  mystery meat. Their chief is in area 13. 
  In the centre of the cavern is a 15’ idol, a massive stalactite carved with monstrous, 
  toothy mouths, painted with bizarre swirling patterns, and smeared with a greasy substance 
  (climb check needed to get on the top). Sacrificial gifts of berries, fish, and human skulls 
  have been heaped below it, along with several gold nuggets (800 gp). 
  Resting on top of the idol is a charred skull with gemstone eyes (2*1450 gp). This is 
  Mokron the Magician, 6th-level Magic-User. Mokron is immobile, but he watches diligently 
  (facing south), and he will cry out to alert the trogs if he detects approaching intruders. He 
  joins the battle with spells. If his current allies are slain, he tries to bargain with his “new 
  masters” – great secrets in exchange for sparing him, and giving him a suitably fancy place. 
  
  7 
   
   
  
  8 
   
   
  Troglodytes (24): HD 2; AC 5; Atk 2*claws 1d3 and bite 1d4+1 or stone handaxe 1d6 or 
  javelins 2d4+3; Special surprise 1-4, stench (save vs. poison, 1d6 Str for 1 turn, cumulati-
  ve); ML 7; AL CE; 2*javelins each. 
  Hp 
  11 
   
  11 
   
  9 
   
  9 
   
  12 
   
  15 
   
  8 
   
  13 
   
  14 
   
  11 
   
  7 
   
  10 
   
  8 
   
  8 
   
  7 
   
  12 
   
  8 
   
  10 
   
  12 
   
  5 
   
  11 
   
  7 
   
  12 
   
  11 
   
  Mokron the Magician (skull): M-U 6; AC 5, Att -; Spec spells, immune to cold, charm, 
  sleep, cold, immobile; ML 7; AL CE.  
  Spells: 4/3/2; 1: burning hands [breath]*2, magical aura, ventriloquism; 2: invisibility [used to 
  make self inconspicuous], knock, ray of enfeeblement; 3: monster summoning I, suggestion. 
  Hp 
  12 
   
  13. Chieftain’s lair: A much smaller cave, once decorated with sacral cave paintings 
  depicting caveman fertility rites, but now fortunately badly defaced. This is the dwelling 
  of the troglodyte chieftain and his four flabby concubines (non-combatants). Several 
  gnawed-on, charred human skulls and fingerbones in a fire pit. The chieftain’s treasures 
  lie in an unruly heap without much care: 2500 sp, 1300 gp, 100 pt. 
   
  Troglodyte chief: HD 4; AC 5; Att 2*claws 1d3 and bite 1d4+1 or stone handaxe 1d6 or jave-
  lins 2d4+3; Spec surprise 1-4, stench (save vs. poison, 1d6 Str for 1 turn); ML 9; AL CE. 
  Hp 
  24 
   
  14. Pool room: Icy water runs down the mineral-encrusted walls and collects in a cold, 3’ 
  pool almost glowing with mineral particles. The contents are worthless quartz and pyrite, but 
  someone wading in will be very easy to see, spoiling stealth or surprise (not to mention the 
  hypothermia). To NW, the passage is a hazardous ice chute; climb checks required. 
   
  15. Charnel cave: Cold water has collected in this ice cave, used to dump remains. Four 
  troglodyte bodies in the ice slurry, along with animal and caveman bones. Spending more 
  than a turn here, or disturbing the remains reanimates the bone horror, a collection of 
  miscellaneous bones animated by a malign will, insane fire burning in its eye sockets (wight 
  equivalent, but turned as spectre). Six flint tips can be fixed on shafts to make javelins +1. 
   
  Bone horror: HD 4+3; AC 5; Att claws 1d4+drain; Spec drain, silver or +1 to hit, immune 
  to cold, charm, sleep, hold; ML 12; AL LE 
  Hp 
  24 
   
  16. Ice mass: Stalagmites carved into bizarre shapes guard empty rooms frozen in ice. One 
  of them resembles a demonic toad, and its eyes have the effect of hypnotism while it free-
  zes its victims with its icy breath (2d4 Hp/r). To the east, the cavern is blocked by an ice 
  mass. Suspended therein are the dark shapes of 230 troglodytes, and what seem like 
  sparkling stars hovering in mid-air. These are precious gems (3d4*250 gp), but freeing them 
  also frees 16 troglodytes, who attack after a round spent in a disoriented state. After the 
  first batch, the ice will de-stabilise, and a new wave of 20 trogs will emerge every 3 turns. 
   
  Troglodytes (16): HD 2; AC 5; Atk 2*claws 1d3 and bite 1d4+1 or stone handaxe 1d6 or jave-
  lins 2d4+3; Special surprise 1-4, stench (save vs. poison, 1d6 Str for 1 turn, cumulative); ML 7; 
  AL CE; 2*javelins each. 
  
   
  9
  Hp 
  11 
   
  5 
   
  12 
   
  9 
   
  5 
   
  11 
   
  10 
   
  7 
   
  11 
   
  3 
   
  8 
   
  16 
   
  14 
   
  8 
   
  9 
   
  13 
   
  17. Cavern of icy tunes: The glacier above has melted to open a sinkhole into this cavern. 
  The wind plays on a sequence of icicles like a fine harp. Loud noises make the icicles reso-
  nate, and have 1:3 to make them come down in an odd musical crescendo (3d4 Hp). 
   
  18. Cavern of the sphere: A treacherous shaft opens from the glacier above. The bottom 
  of the roughly spherical cavern is a frozen lake, forming a glinting, even surface. A corro-
  ded 10’ brass sphere has been sunk halfway into the ice. The surface has been scratched 
  (even with the beginnings of crude animal symbols), but it remains impregnable. It seems 
  to be both calling out and repulsing characters. Looking too long straight at the sphere 
  results in a splitting headache and a feeling of feverish nausea (-2 to rolls until rested). 
   
  19. The grotto of living colour: Melting water runs through a crevasse and collects in 
  pools inhabited by tiny olms (blind, albino cave salamanders). The crevasse leads to a 
  narrow cave created by a fracture in the ice massive. The statue of a caveman kneels 
  over a pit filled with varicoloured, faintly glowing clay (wondrous pigments). There are 7 
  applications worth, but taking more than one animates the caveman as a living statue. 
   
  Living caveman statue: HD 4+4; AC 2; Att 2*stone club 1d6+2; Spec +1 or better to hit, 
  immune to cold, charm, sleep, hold; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  21 
   
  20. The grotto of Divlat: The freezing cold is the strongest here; characters without warm 
  clothing immediately suffer the effects of hypothermia. The exquisite statue of a beautiful 
  witch queen with bat wings stands on an immaculate, polished pedestal carved with the 
  runes “DIVLAT”. The dark stone image raises a hand in the air, summoning forth freezing 
  cold, and holds a brass jug with the other. Below the pedestal lie sacrificial gifts – sticks, 
  human bones, bizarre ivory amulets fashioned by the trogs (4*15 gp). Three deep frozen 
  troglodytes stand within the walls. A shaft in the western corner leads downwards 
  (treacherous and slippery – goes down to 15). Touching the hand, or kissing the statue 
  brings death (save vs. death or be frozen solid). The jug can be removed, but exposure to 
  raw flesh causes 3d4 damage. Its contents are currently solid ice, but it is, in fact, a jug of 
  plentiful water. 
  O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 
  Jug of plentiful water: This jug can pour an unlimited quantity of water at a leisurely 
  pace. The flow consists until the jug is stoppered. 
  O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 
  21. The gallery of winds: An extensive cavern with tall limestone pillars supporting a high 
  ceiling. This is a more gentle environment than the rest of the caverns, and patches of 
  moss are visible. Mild air currents sweep the cavern haphazardly, sometimes rising, 
  sometimes falling without apparent source or cause. Someone who tries to trace them to 
  their source will be buffeted by stronger and stronger winds as he walks in a complex pat-
  tern (4d6 roll-under Wisdom check to navigate). The ultimate source is a hidden, invisible 
  conduit to the elemental plain of air. Opening it up through some ingenious method 
  summons a warm storm into the cave system, bringing with it odd vegetable and mineral 
  debris, and the crushed corpses of odd, never-seen birds. Doing so will accelerate the pro-
  cess of melting, and result in the eventual freedom of both the caveman tribe (6) and the 
  remaining troglodytes (16). It is not possible to pass through the conduit from this side. 
  
   
  10
  The Hecatomb of Morthevole 
  Adventure module for levels 2–4 
  the hecatomb of morthevole 
  Morthevole, of Skhonian origins and a greedy disposition, has tried many trades while in 
  the City, to find that special one which would combine low effort with abundant profits. It 
  was his lucky day when he found a hidden trapdoor in his tiny rented store, and beneath, a 
  long-lost burial vault stocked generously with calcified remains. Not foolish enough to 
  venture into the depths of the new-found oubliette, Morthevole had instead deemed suffi-
  cient to sell the bits and bones he could grab close to the entrance. Trade in the remains 
  has been more lucrative than he had expected, as his finds would prove popular good luck 
  charms among the larcenous short. Alas, this enterprise was put to an end when undead 
  monsters, stirred up by his forays into “their” domain, emerged to wreak havoc in 
  Morthevole’s store, and chase off the terrified peddler. Morthevole, knowing well that dis-
  turbing subterranean complexes was a deed punishable by death, and that he was in a 
  mighty pickle, decided to turn to adventures to help with his “basement problem” – his 
  peace of mind in exchange for whatever they can find down there, and the whole sordid 
  affair kept secret. (Should further enticements be required, Morthevole can offer his 
  stash in advance, hidden at 2, and currently inaccessible due to the prowling undead.) 
  Aftermath: 30% that Morthevole will send 1d6 thieves after PCs to recover any 
  outstanding loot, and 30% he will fall into the hands of the Followers of Dókh, pinning 
  the blame on company. 
  dont trust sanghes promises 
  1. Dusty old storeroom, crack in wall leads to rough-hewn limestone vaults. Waft of cool air. 
  2. Calcified human remains in tangle of skeletal bodies. Unnatural cold. Morthevole’s hidden 
  stash: 35 sp, 30 el, 50 gp, 90 gp headband w opal, crumbling prayer scroll. 
  3. Bones in unruly heaps, glinting crystalline deposits. Two sealed amphoras of camphor 
  oil (2*180 gp). 
  4. 14 beggars of Shakkur trapped here after collapse of NW adit, wretched & unclean pa-
  riahs with phosphorescent eyes & vampire teeth. 
  Beggars of Shakkur (14): HD 1-1; AC 10; Atk claws 2d4; Spec blood drain 2d4/r; ML 8; AL CE. 
  Hp 
  3 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  3 
  7 
  3 
  4 
  1 
  5 
  3 
  4
   
  5 
  7 
  5. Lime-encrusted skeletons surround stone seat, woman’s shrivelled grey corpse has 160 gp 
  comb, mouldy dead man’s hair, 2d3 uses (Throwing these horrid locks on embers produ-
  ces an acrid, varicoloured smoke, and 1d6 apparitions [3 HD, 2d4 Hp on hit, dispelled on 
  single hit, but reforms in next round]). 
  6. Rows of brass urns with soot and old grease flank passage to cavern of calcified ske-
  letal piles. Thick-legged, busty female idol of polished yet dirty brass holds brass knives 
  in six hands (trap, 4d4+4 Hp), plaque reads “SHRIWAR THE SLICER”. Disk behind idol is 
  inscribed with moon phases outlining auspicious conjunctions (q.v. The Garden of Sang-
  hé). Heart-shaped latch on idol’s breast hides 1000 gp gemstone. 
  
   
  11
  7. Pit leads to cold oubliette, two squatting, 
  leathery corpses in mouldy, ragged priests’ 
  vestments & ceremonial headdress are knife-
  ghouls (hands replaced with knives). #1 has 
  140 gp in breast, #2 has Yag Amnun’s dread-
  ful dust (1:3 to rupture on killing blow, save vs. 
  poison or 3d6/4d6 Hp, lingers 2d6 r). 
  Knife-ghouls (2): HD 2+2; AC 4; Atk 2*knives 
  1d4+2 and bite 1d6 + paralysis; ML 10; AL CE. 
  Hp 
  18 
   
  11 
  8. Side passage with scratches on the wall, 
  surfeit of skeletons in horrid contortions 
  suggesting excruciating pain. Bones crunch 
  underfoot. Final skeletons have deformed, 
  ovoid head shapes, teeth pried out with 
  tongs. 
  9. Cluster of seated skeletons with strangling 
  chords around neck in side chamber, hanging 
  brass lamp (scented oil 65 gp). 
  10. Humid cavern, damp smell of mould. Heca-
  tomb of tangled skeletons blocks locked iron 
  door. Sooty stone skulls in side niches must be 
  filled with oil and lit to avoid triggering slicing 
  trap in frame (4d4+4 Hp). 
  11. Collection of dull brass knives hanging from 
  the walls, dulled by age. 
  12. Sanctum is pulsing with faint light. Bre-
  athstealer, phosphorescent skeletal apparition 
  with 700 gp crystallised bones (1d6*10% loss if 
  destroyed physically), has had claws replaced 
  with knives. 12 knife skeletons from side 
  room, also w. knives. Pedestal under dome 
  holds 400 gp, gold-hammered shield +1. 
  Breathstealer: HD 4; AC 5; Atk 2*claws 2d4; 
  Spec breathstealing (save vs. magic, breath is 
  only returned once monster is killed), immune 
  to cold and mind-affecting; ML 8; AL CE. 
   Hp 
  19 
  Knife skeletons (12): HD 1; AC 7; Atk 2*knives 
  1d4; ML 8; AL CE. 
  Hp 
  3 
  8 
  7 
  7 
  1 
  3 
  3 
  3 
  1 
  7 
  2 
  2 
  told you not to trust her fool 
  end
  
  12 
   
  
  13 
   
  ¿•À•¿•À•¿•À•¿•À•¿ 
  The Tomb of Ali Shulwar 
  adventure module for levels 4 to 6 
   
  Playtesters #01: Akos Barta (Jamsheer Abu-Nari, Thief 3), Aron Andras Salamon (Nadir Arzu Par-
  vanda, Magic-User 3), David Sojtori (Olaf, Northman Fighter 3) 
  Playtesters #02: Gabor Acs (Santiago del’Avellos, Fighter 5), Kalman Farago (Burzasp Serfiroz, 
  Fighter 5), Laszlo Feher (Vifranavaz, Illusionist 4), Adam Tarnoczy (Ambrosius, Fighter 5) 
  Playtesters #03: Istvan Belanszky, Szilveszter Erdos, Gabor Havasi, Zoltan Magyar, Levente Molnar 
  (the session records for this convention game were lost; 4th level characters were used). 
  ¿•À•¿•À•¿•À•¿•À•¿ 
  Background 
   
  The Tomb of Ali Shulwar is the best-known Underworld complex beneath the City of Vultures. 
  Where other subterranean sites are hidden and mostly forgotten, the tomb’s existence and gen-
  eral location (if not its precise entrance) are fairly well known among disreputable types. Many 
  scoundrels also “know” that the tomb is mostly looted, and that its tunnels serve as a hidden 
  smuggling route leading into the city. Some are at least aware it goes deeper, or that it connects 
  to other, smaller complexes… but very few indeed know how deep that means, or just how dan-
  gerous some of the adjoining places can get. Sometimes, people are better off not knowing. The 
  Tomb is a layered structure, with the following access points: 
   
  The Tomb of Ali Shulwar itself, situated below the Court of Zuhari Kutargi, a small 
  square south of the Temple of Jeng. The way in is found in a small, abandoned-looking 
  storage space stocked with dusty religious paraphernalia. By day, the court is occupied by 
  dyers, who maintain multiple small stores in the street, and are by and large observant 
  members of the cult of Jeng. Trespassers will not be accosted, but their movements will be 
  observed and reported at the temple. By night, the court is deserted. Smuggling through 
  the court is tolerated by Jeng’s cultists, as it poses no threat to their power. 
   
  The Garden of Sanghé, a bit to the east, is an overgrown garden with a haunted reputation. 
  It is abandoned and out of the way, but regular goings-on will draw unwanted interest. The 
  sub-level below the garden is little known, and very few are aware of its connection to the 
  greater complex (17). 
   
  The Sea Exit is one of the easiest ways in, at one of the outflows in the city wall (14). 
  This is the main route for smugglers, and is basically risk-free at night. 
   
  The Temple of Jeng (described next issue) has a lower exit to the tomb (4). It is a mas-
  sive and formidable structure, swarming with heavily armed fanatics. Sneaking in from 
  below is easier than entering from above. A secret one-way exit also exists (21a), used 
  by high priest Tormesk and his closest confidants. 
   
  Oom the Many, a secretive sect of illusionists (also described next issue), enter their 
  hidden sanctuary through an underground entrance at 23.  
   
  The Cistern of Dókh (described in a later issue), underneath the eastern market and 
  the Tower of Riamos, is connected to the tomb by a barely known secret passage (20a). 
   
  Lord Banzol’s Palace (unmapped) has an undercellar (39, 24–27) which connects to 
  the Pits of Shannash. The Lord is a known recluse, who does not receive visitors in his 
  dark palace. Nobody but him and his most trusted guards know of the undercellar. 
  
   
  14
   
  The Tomb of Ali Shulwar 
   
  The Tomb of Ali Shulwar, mighty warrior, encompasses areas 1–12. Along with the Cistern 
  (13–23) on Layer II, this is a relatively high-traffic zone. When the characters enter one of 
  these levels, check for the presence of each of the following groups (1:6). For every three 
  hours spent down here, recheck. 
   
  Smugglers (3d8): HD 1; AC 6 (leather, shield); Atk sword 1d6; ML 7; AL N. 
  Hp 
  8 
  6 
  2 
  2 
  8 
  8 
  8 
  7 
  2 
  7 
  8 
  7 
   
  5 
  1 
  6 
  7 
  4 
  7 
  3 
  8 
  3 
  8 
  2 
  4 
   
  2 
  4 
  4 
  6 
  4 
  3 
  5 
  7 
  5 
  4 
  6 
  6 
  These are sea-faring scum transporting contraband through the tunnels, or setting up a tem-
  porary storage space. 1:2 to be loaded with 2d6*100 gp worth of goods. 
   
  Fanatics of Jeng (2d8+2): Fighter 2; AC 6 (leather, shield); Atk scimitar 1d8; ML 11; AL LE. 
  Hp 
  8 
   
  3 
   
  2 
   
  12 
   
  15 
   
  8 
   
  10 
   
  14 
   
  11 
   
  7 
   
  13 
   
  13 
   
  5 
   
  11 
   
  9 
   
  11 
   
  8 
   
  10 
  These cowled nomads are much worse news, quick to anger and merciless in a fight. They 
  have been sent from the undertemple to investigate suspicious activity. 
   
  Skeletons (3d8): HD 1; AC 7; Atk sword 1d6; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  2 
  8 
  2 
  4 
  3 
  2 
  4 
  6 
  7 
  1 
  7 
  1 
   
  4 
  2 
  7 
  2 
  3 
  3 
  6 
  8 
  8 
  1 
  5 
  7 
  Restless warriors of old, prowling their master’s tomb-complex to drive out intruders. 
   
  1. False tomb: Ochre tile floor, slender blue columns with spiral carvings. Niches in the wall 
  contain dusty, broken old jugs and jars. To the E, a canopy rises over a sarcophagus bear-
  ing the carved image of a turbaned warrior. Two more carvings in the E wall watch over the 
  tomb. The sarcophagus is a decoy, containing a skeletal corpse in tattered purple, gilded 
  sword (120 gp) in hand. If it is disturbed, the tomb’s guardians from 2, 3 and 6 converge on 
  this location (2, 4 and 6 rounds to arrive). A secret latch embedded in one of the canopy’s 
  columns opens the secret door to the real tomb. 
   
  2. Sarcophagi: Upright sarcophagi with the images of turbaned warriors. The 6 skeletons 
  inside animate 1 round after their rest is disturbed. 
   
  Skeletons (6): HD 1; AC 7; Atk sword 1d6; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  6 
   
  1 
   
  8 
   
  8 
   
  8 
   
  2 
  
   
  15
   
   
  3. Room of swords: Walls laden with old but sharp scimitars, inscription reads “EVEN IN 
  REST, HIS SERVANTS WATCH OVER ALI SHULWAR”. These weapons also animate. 
   
  Flying scimitars (12): HD 1+2; AC 5; Atk scimitar 1d8; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  10 
  4 
  10 
  10 
  5 
  9 
  9 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  7 
  9 
   
  4. Temple entrance: 20’ natural grotto connecting two Underworld complexes. To south, a tym-
  panum bears the inscription “THE TOMB OF ALI SHULWAR”. To east, double iron gates are 
  marked with the all-seeing eye of Jeng, next to a warped brass sheet suspended from a hook 
  next to a chained iron hammer. This portal is locked, unless a search party is set to enter or de-
  part. It leads to the Undertemple of Jeng (described next issue). Striking the sheet has 1:3 to 
  bring out a party of 3d8 fanatics and 1d6 priests (Clr 3, but forbidden to cast spells), who will 
  open the portals from inside – but the intruders’d better have a good reason to disturb them. 
   
  Fanatics of Jeng (3d8): Fighter 2; AC 6 (leather, shield); Atk scimitar 1d8; ML 11; AL LE. 
  Hp 
  7 
   
  10 
   
  16 
   
  6 
   
  13 
   
  10 
   
  9 
   
  13 
   
  15 
   
  15 
   
  16 
   
  6 
   
  8 
   
  11 
   
  11 
   
  9 
   
  4 
   
  12 
   
  9 
   
  5 
   
  4 
   
  10 
   
  9 
   
  16 
   
  Priests of Jeng (1d6): Cleric 3; AC 10; Atk scimitar 1d8; Spec no spells at this rank; ML 12; CE. 
  Hp 
  16 
   
  19 
   
  19 
   
  20 
   
  17 
   
  13 
   
  5. Channel: Wet and clammy tiles, water rushing westward in carved channel along S wall. 
  Turbaned head on a bas-relief.  
  a) The western chamber, once ornamented with fine tilework, is slick with slime and mud. Water 
  falls down 30’ shaft through a bent brass grille, brass ladder leads downwards (18). A copper jug 
  sits near the grille. This is the prowling ground of a grey ooze, dropping down from the ceiling. 
   
  Grey ooze: HD 3+3; AC 8; Atk ooze 2d8; Spec corrosion; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  27 
  
   
  16
  6. Sarcophagi: Three resting and three upright sarcophagi with skeletons. 
   
  Skeletons (6): HD 1; AC 7; Atk sword 1d6; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  4 
   
  4 
   
  3 
   
  6 
   
  5 
   
  8 
   
  7. Spring chamber: Tiled floor and columns are wet from constant water spray. Bountiful 
  water flows from the mouth of a creamy marble fish head coiled around a heavy alabaster 
  jug. The jug contains a grey ooze. 
   
  Grey ooze: HD 3+3; AC 8; Atk ooze 2d8; Spec corrosion; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  23 
   
  8. Portcullis: Ceramic floor is slick and slippery from slime (careless PCs may fall down 
  stairs, 1d6 Hp). Stuck lever mechanism requires open doors check, but 1:6 to ruin it forever. 
   
  9. The Hall of Kéttki: Tall vault with slender spiralling pillars lost in darkness. E and W walls 
  bear stelae with bas-reliefs of turbaned warriors (they are secret doors that pivot on their 
  axis; W leads to inner tomb, E conceals 3 skeletons guarding a secret door, connecting to 
  23). To N, steps ascend to the small statue of a dancing, spined pangolin. The figure is 
  slick from humidity, and a grey ooze is positioned right overhead. 
  The statue is Kéttki, a known bringer of luck; touching the idol (a ritual known even to lowly 
  miscreants) brings +1 to all rolls over the expedition. Saying Kéttki’s name three times, spinning 
  around on the heels, and leaving a small valuable (a much more obscure ritual, but known to 
  wise yogis and fakeers) opens the N secret door, revealing a chest with mouldy spices and 700 
  electrum. Fresco of dancing Kéttki is surrounded by an inscription: “DO NOT FORGET! IT IS 
  BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE! DONATE, SO KÉTTKI’S CHEST NEVER REMAINS 
  EMPTY!” Anyone may take from the chest in exchange for a valuable. Only those in true need 
  can take everything; others are cursed with bad luck (save vs. spells or -3 to attacks/saves)! 
   
  Grey ooze: HD 3+3; AC 8; Atk ooze 2d8; Spec corrosion; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  27 
   
  Skeletons (3): HD 1; AC 7; Atk sword 1d6; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  4 
   
  3 
   
  8 
   
  10. Tomb passage: Antique, golden mosaics depicting turbaned warriors. In S niche, black 
  stele of a bearded man bears the inscription “ADVISOR: TURN BACK, ERE YOU WOULD 
  JOIN ALI SHULWAR”. In N-S passage, the bottom of a 20’ pit trap hides a secret door, 
  leading to the true tomb. Of two stone doors, the western one is false, triggering a javelin 
  trap (first rank takes 1d3 hits per character at 3 HD, 1d6 Hp; three volleys possible). 
   
  11. Tomb of the wives: Three sarcophagi carved with the likenesses of women, named 
  ALIAH, DELBAR, and JAMEELA. They are skeletons, and each has a valuable gift from Ali 
  Shulwar (120 gp headband, 250 gp carpet with golden thread, 180 gp silver plate). 
   
  Skeletons (3): HD 1; AC 7; Atk sword 1d6; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  1 
   
  8 
   
  12. The tomb of Ali Shulwar: Richly carved tomb chamber lit by ever-burning oil lamps. In 
  his sarcophagus slumbers the turbaned, richly dressed Ali Shulwar, now a wight. He has 
  700 electrum, 200 gp, a 1000 gp emerald bracelet, 500 gp gemstone teeth in his jaw (c.f. 
  Issue #06 for curse!), a shortbow +1, and a fire bomb (essentially a bottled 6d6 Hp fireball). 
   
  Ali Shulwar, wight: HD 4+3; AC 5; Atk claws 1d4 + drain; Spec energy drain, silver or +1 to 
  hit, immune to cold and mind-affecting; ML 9; AL LE. 
  Hp 
  20 
  V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•V•V�
  
   
  17
   
  The Garden of Sanghé 
   
  The Garden of Sanghé is an abandoned garden conquered by rank weeds and thorny bushes. 
  The rusted gate has been closed for generations, and the elegant house of the Migular trading 
  family is a derelict ruin. Rumours of an old haunting are more hearsay than established fact, but 
  the garden is nevertheless shunned and overlooked (notably, none of the surrounding tenements 
  have windows towards the garden). In truth, the garden’s reputation is entirely warranted. At cer-
  tain moon phases, the garden comes alive, and its plant life animates as thorny guardians 
  (bundles of knotted tendrils in the vague shape of human warriors). Then, and only then, the 
  sanctum at S4 opens for worship and human sacrifice. Sanghé Shriwar the Slicer (as she is 
  honoured) has no living clergy, and the descendants of her last priests live in squalor and dis-
  honour (S3). She now craves the satisfaction of blood and murderous vengeance for her neglect. 
  Characters sleeping in the garden see a dream with a beautiful, naked dancing girl strid-
  ing through a moonlit garden. The girl, who calls herself Sanghé, pleads to be freed from the 
  walls that have imprisoned her, and points towards the clues that might achieve this (this might 
  be the sequence of moon phases inscribed in The Hecatomb of Morthevole, 6, this issue). 
  The dream is very pleasant, healing an extra 2 Hp per character. 
   
  S1. Garden: Once splendid garden gone to rot. Fallen debris from the neighbouring tene-
  ments lies among the weeds and thorny bushes. The northern wall is marked with two bas-
  reliefs. The first bas-relief stands next to the short statue of Kéttki, a dancing, spined 
  pangolin. This figure is identical to the one found at 9 in both appearance and functions. The 
  secret chamber next to the statue contains a chest with three golden plates (3*150 gp), and 
  a 130 gp gold ring; it also has a fresco and inscription (c.f. 9).  
  The second bas-relief is that of a dancing girl with vandalised facial features. This secret 
  door is wizard locked (9th level) until the sanctum opens. In this case, four thorny guardians 
  watch the entrance to prevent entry. The way only stays open for a single night in a lifetime. 
   
  Thorny guardians (4): HD 4; AC 4; Atk tendrils 2d6; Spec susceptible to fire, climb walls 
  100%, ML 10; AL LE. 
  Hp 
  22 
   
  22 
   
  19 
   
  13 
  
   
  18
  S2. Lookout: This three-story brick tower is abandoned, and close to collapse. 
   
  S3. Abandoned residence: Marked “MIGULAR” on the painted façade, this two-story building 
  is intact but cleared of all interior furnishings. Mildew covers the peeling frescoes, and foul dirt 
  and fungus have blackened the vivid floor tiles. There are two ways down to the Lower Shrine: 
  an open, 30’ shaft, and a locked iron door leading to a zig-zagging stairway, and S6. 
  The NE iron door is locked and barricaded from the other side. It leads to the former 
  servant’s quarters, now the meagre lodgings of Nezhat Migular the Metrician (3 Hp), last 
  successor of the now impoverished lineage. This humble fellow lives here among a collection 
  of precise, authorised weights and measures with a slatternly wife, and five ragamuffin 
  daughters, all alike (they possess some features of the dancing girl). He is scared stiff of his 
  family’s murky past, and wants nothing but to be left in peace. 
   
  S4. Sanctum: Those who step through the opened portal enter a tall columned hall contain-
  ing a lush garden. Leafy plants dripping with dew, thick vines on solid columns, chirping in-
  sects and fresh blossoms populate this green realm. Careful observation notes human 
  bones scattered in the undergrowth. Six thorny guardians defend the place.  
   
  Thorny guardians (6): HD 4; AC 4; Atk tendrils 2d6; Spec susceptible to fire, climb walls 
  100%, ML 10; AL LE. 
  Hp 
  16 
   
  16 
   
  13 
   
  20 
   
  21 
   
  19 
   
  S5. Hidden shrine: Beautiful flowers surround the brass statue of the dancing girl, now 
  standing triumphant at 15’. An inscription on the pedestal reads “SANGHÉ SHRIWAR THE 
  SLICER”. She has a stone sacrificial bowl before her, now filled with black soot, and holds 
  two enormous daggers in her hands. 
  Sacrifice before Sanghé (human or bountiful treasure) will win her approval, and she will 
  accept a character as her champion, granting him (or her) a fiery kiss. The champion will have 
  one clerical spell of each level they would access as an equivalent-level cleric. Sanghé also gifts 
  the champion her heart, a splendid gemstone she stores in her bosom under a heart-shaped 
  latch, with orders to assist her in monstrous acts of vengeance. (All of these affairs are old histo-
  ry, whose perpetrators are dead, and their descendants entirely unaware of Sanghé’s wrongs.) 
  If Sanghé is denied her due, she will animate to take it! The metal form pursues merci-
  lessly, but cannot go beyond the garden gates, and must return to her lair by dawnbreak or 
  fall into corroded pieces. Her daggers are a pair of scimitars +1, and her golden jewellery is 
  worth a total of 1800 gp. 
   
  Sanghé Shriwar the Slicer: HD 8 MAX; AC 0; Atk 4*scimitar +1 1d8+1; Spec ½ damage 
  from fire and cold, healed by electricity; ML 11; AL CE. 
  Hp 
  64 
  P�VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV�P 
  The Heart of Sanghé: This 2200 gp gemstone is shifting shades of red beneath the surface: 
  ruddy, rosy, crimson, purple or bloody, changing as the light strikes it. This is a heart of wrath: it 
  grants +2 to attack rolls and damage done in a state of hatred, but -2 to saving throws; and it 
  places a compulsion on its owners to do heinous deeds in the act of revenge. 
  P�VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV�P�
   
  
   
  19
  S6. Cellar: Damp cellar with low, vaulted 
  ceiling of crumbling old bricks; smell of mil-
  dew and decay. The skittering of rats is all 
  around, and anyone who lands in the room 
  through the upwards shaft, or descends the 
  stairs will be besieged by 6 rat swarms 
  streaming through the barred openings. The 
  rats withdraw if they are met with fire… for a 
  while. The portcullises are lever-operated, 
  but stuck (open doors check required). 
   
  Rat swarms (6): HD 4; AC 5; Atk swarm 
  2d4; ML 6; CE. 
  Hp 
  16 
   
  10 
   
  13 
   
  12 
   
  13 
   
  17 
   
  S7. Storage: Old barrels encrusted with salt 
  and a black foulness, containing spoiled food. 
  1:6 of disease if handled (save applies). 
   
  S8. Lower shrine: Frescoes depict a dancing girl striding through a lush nocturnal garden. 
  Greasy-looking altar slab carved with flowers, small bowls of charcoal (burnt plant matter), 
  dried blood, and incense. Sacrificing similar materials at the slab, the girl in the fresco speaks: 
  “I AM SANGHÉ, IMPRISONED WITHIN THE WALLS. WILL YOU SEEK MY FREEDOM?” If 
  the answer is positive, she smiles and says: “SLEEP IN MY GARDEN, AND ALL SHALL BE 
  REVEALED”. If she is openly denied, she cries in anger: “THEN MAY YOU BE LIKEWISE 
  ACCURSED!” Everyone in the room who has an open wound must save vs. polymorph, or 
  plant-like stalks and vines sprout from their wounds. The growths must be burned or cut out 
  (2d4 Hp), or they will consume the victim from within (2d6 Hp/hour). 
   
  S9. Records room: Ritual kneeler before a pedestal bearing a splendid golden ritual knife with 
  an opal pommel and a handle wrapped in bark strips (280 gp). An X-shaped stand holds two 
  large brass tubes – oversized scrolls. One, titled “The Song of Sanghé, as recorded by Behzad 
  Migular”, is a collection of religious hymns. The other, titled “The Garden Home”, shows a collec-
  tion of flowers and plants. Perusing this scroll for two turns has 1:3 to identify any plant. 
   
  S10. Room of ashes: Hemispherical room, stucco walls fouled by hundreds of sooty 
  handprints. In the middle is a shallow pit of soot and ashes. Those spending more than a 
  turn here may notice a stalking presence out of the corner of their eyes (like detecting a se-
  cret door). The unaware will be surprised by a thin sooty form arising from the pit. The soot 
  strangler is a brittle, charred skeleton moving rapidly, and climbing on the walls and ceiling. 
   
  Soot strangler: HD 4; AC 5; Atk strangle 2d4; Spec backstab*2, MS 75%, HS 75%, +1 or 
  better to hit; ML 8; AL CE. 
  Hp 
  24 
   
  S11. Room of the font: Coffers in S niches are tied shut with thick twine, containing hummus 
  and a mixture of human and bovine bones. Sour, slightly fizzy water trickles into a lichen-
  encrusted font from the mouth of a bronze maiden. Inscription reads: “THE KISS OF SANGHÉ”. 
   
  S12. Storeroom: Boxes and crates are crawling with rats, emerging from cracks in the wall and 
  the blockage of the S passage. If the rat swarms from S6 remain alive, they make a stand here. 
   
  S13. Winch room: The upper chamber of a crypt vault. Three statues of cowled men hold long 
  chain coils in their raised hands, trailing to broken winches. The crypt, a vertical shaft containing 
  looted burial niches of the Migular family, is covered with old planks; it descends 30’ to 16. 
  V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•V•V�
  
   
  20
   
  The Cistern 
   
  13. Room of faces: Sooty remains of bonfire in the middle of the chamber, smoke-darkened 
  walls. Four bas-reliefs of enigmatic faces from an older age. Signs of frequent traffic. 
   
  14. Sea exit: The cistern’s overflow water rushes down into the sea through a round grille. 
  Closer scrutiny reveals the bars which can be moved aside to allow entry – a smugglers’ route. 
   
  15. Simurgh passage: On pedestals, four statues of simurgh hold ornamented plaques. 
  The symbols, clockwise from NW, are moon, sun, star, and a black disk (night). 
   
  16. Cistern: Ancient cistern with massive stone columns bearing the images of stern, bearded 
  and turbaned men, waist-high water swarming with 12 giant leeches (later 1:2 of 2d6). NW 
  portcullis is marked “SIMURGH” with ornate wrought brass letters. To SW, arch is marked 
  “THE CRYPT OF BEHZAD MIGULAR THE METRICIAN”. 
   
  Giant leeches (12): HD 2; AC 9; Atk bite 1d6 and attach; Spec blood drain 1d6/round, vul-
  nerable to salt; ML 6; AL N. 
  Hp 
  13 
   
  8 
   
  10 
   
  4 
   
  6 
   
  9 
   
  2 
   
  8 
   
  9 
   
  7 
   
  8 
   
  14 
   
  7 
   
  9 
   
  2 
   
  12 
   
  13 
   
  9 
   
  17. The crypt of Behzad Migular: Flooded vertical crypt, shaft ascends 30’ to S13. In the 
  middle, there is a murky deep section descending 20’ underwater, with 4 giant leeches. 
   
  Giant leeches (4): 
  Hp 
  13 
   
  8 
   
  9 
   
  6 
   
  18. Shaft: Dripping water, brass ladder ascends to a bent grille, then 5a. Grey ooze on ceil-
  ing above waits in surprise (q.v.). 
   
   19. Room of the simurgh: Statue of a simurgh can be rotated on its pedestal. Inscription 
  reads “THE SIMURGH WATCHES THE DAYS”. Black stone tiles inscribed with moustached 
  faces (round face, moon face, sun face, star face) can be pushed around in surrounding 0.25’ 
  channels. The simurgh’s gaze always rests on the sun tile. If the tiles are pushed into the re-
  cesses in an identical configuration to 15, the simurgh slides aside on its pedestal, revealing a 
  10’ dark shaft with rungs to the starry dome of the Gallery overlook (37). If the tile combination 
  is wrong, the simurgh rotates around on its pedestal, spewing fire (12 Hp, save ½). 
  
   
  21
   
  20. Abandoned shrine: Only dancing legs have remained from the stucco, meticulously 
  knocked off the walls into broken piles. Wind whistles through the mouth of a damaged bas-
  relief face depicting a young man in hideous pain – a very narrow air shaft leading to the 
  surface. This is a symbol of the forbidden worship of Hachur Khan, whom the great Mirwan-
  der Khan had consigned to everlasting suffering. In the E corner of the passage (a), a 
  scrawled inscription in charcoal reads “AND DÓKH SAID, LOWER NOT THY FOREFA-
  THERS INTO THE GROUND; IT IS A FOUL THING. THE SKY IS THEIR HOUSEHOLD 
  PALACE, AND THE WINGS OF MANY BIRDS THEIR CHARIOT”. This identifies the secret 
  door, leading to a passage, and eventually the Cistern of Dókh (described in a later issue). 
   
  21. Pits entrance: Pedestal in S niche opens and closes massive stone door to N via hid-
  den winch mechanism. Faded old fresco inscription reads “THE DISMAL PITS OF SHAN-
  NASH. MARK YE PARNÁTI’S BROTHERS, FOR THEIR COUNTENANCE OPENS THIS 
  PORTAL”. Descending into the Pits lowers the door, and only holding aloft a bull’s horned 
  skull (one of the slain brothers) will open it from the inside. 
  At a) lies the secret exit from the Temple of Jeng, known only to High Priest Tormesk 
  and his closest servants (“They Who Have Seen The Face of Jeng”). 
   
  22. Octagonal shaft: Faint wind resounds in this enormous, cold stone pit constructed of 
  cyclopean stones. 30’ below is Layer III (28, 29, the tombs of Adarbad and Taronish), 60’ 
  below is Layer IV, and 120’ below, in the greatest depths, is Layer VI. There is a faint mouldy 
  smell in the cold air, and sometimes, phosphorescent glows can be seen moving – the 
  weavers in the vault (1:6 per turn, see Layer IV). 
  On the opposite side, a locked iron door with a corroded bull’s head in an octagram is 
  marked “SHURIN”. The lock has been deliberately ruined with acid, while the tomb on the 
  other side has been looted from below via a 30’ fissure in the floor. 
  
   
  22
  23. The hall of Oom the Many: This an improbably tall chamber, with slender columns rising 60’ 
  to Layer I, and strange acoustics multiplying voices into a chorus of echoing whispers. A stone 
  obelisk on a raised 20’ terrace can be turned 45⁰, unlocking the otherwise immovable and inde-
  structible portcullises, and allowing access to the Sanctuary of Oom (described next issue). 
  Below the terrace is the grave of Oom, the sect’s founder. A honeycomb of wall niches 
  hold 43 oil lamps, most extinguished but 6 still burning, and relit in a turn even if doused – 
  one for every dead and living disciple. Oom rests under a stone slab with a brass ring in it. 
  Around are frescoes of grey men in grey robes, with identical grey beards and grey faces. A 
  dispel illusion (or a higher-level M-U spell) removes the uniformity, revealing the variety and 
  colour of faces and garments underneath. This makes the slab possible to open, but an el-
  derly voice speaks: “WHY HAVE YOU OPENED THE TEACHER’S RESTING PLACE?” 
  Unless someone mentions a very good reason, all in the sanctuary above are alerted to the 
  sacrilege, and they will soon be arriving through the portcullises. Inside the grave pit, Oom’s 
  shrivelled grey body is surrounded by 3000 electrum and 1600 gp. He wears a 1500 gp 
  gemstone amulet (vs. detection and location), a cloak +3, and a staff of the illusionist. 
  P�VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV�P 
  Staff of deception: This staff, fashioned from aged ivory and a dry grey wood, may only be 
  used by illusionists, generating audible glamour (1 charge), wall of fog (1 charge), invisibiity 
  (2 charges) and mirror image (2 charge) by mere gesture, requiring no command word. 
  P�VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV�P�
  The Cellars of Banzol 
   
  These are deep chambers stretching from the foundations of the palace of Lord Banzol (not 
  described) to an underground lair where he does evil deeds. Unless the lord has cause to 
  suspect infiltrators, they will be entirely devoid of traffic. 
   
  24. Storeroom: Dusty old cloth bales, theatre masques, and props. 
   
  25. Storeroom: Abandoned crates with abundance of spoiled food, swarming with spiders. 
   
  Spider swarm:  HD 5-1; AC 5; Atk swarm 2d4-1; Spec poison (death), ½ from piercing and 
  slashing; ML 6; AL N. 
  Hp 
  24 
   
  26. Wine storage: Creaking, half-broken stairway. Large, cobwebbed glass demijohns are 
  filled with ancient wines gone to vinegar. One bottle contains a particularly potent concen-
  trate causing 1d3 Hp/r. 
   
  27. Armoured guardians: Two suits of rusty, slightly beetle-like plate mail stand in wall 
  niches. One is barely standing, and will come down 5:6 unless bypassed very cautiously. 
  The resulting clamour may draw an encounter from below, if the way to the pits lies open 
  (1:3, weaver in the vault). 
   
  
   
  23
   
  The Dismal Pits of Shannash 
   
  This sub-level (27–38) is constructed of great cyclopean stones. The passages are shrouded 
  with the remains of silvery webs, and random encounters (1:6 per turn, equal probability of 
  coming from the front or back) are with weavers in the vault. Skeletal remains through the 
  level are afflicted by some kind of internal decay, with wormlike holes and calcium deposits 
  on the nearby stones. 
   
  Weavers in the vault (9): HD 4; AC 6; Atk bite 1d6 + poison (save or die within 2d6 turns); 
  Spec immune to mind-affecting, surprise 4:6 (rear only); ML 8; AL N. 
  Hp 
  18 
   
  19 
   
  15 
   
  21 
   
  18 
   
  21 
   
  10 
   
  8 
   
  22 
  Enormous green arachnids with a faint phosphorescent glow, stalking in almost total silence. 
   
  28. The tomb of Adarbad: 30’ fissure leads up to the tomb of Shurin. Shurin’s sarcophagus 
  has fallen down here and smashed the lower one. Spilled treasures are 230 gp, 200 gp jewel-
  ry, and a flat wooden box containing broken glass and green crystalline encrustations, as well 
  as two intact acid bombs (releases a grey-green cloud of acidic vapours, 2d4 Hp/r, 1 turn). 
   
  29. The brothers of Parnáti: These are tombs with iron doors bearing the mark of a bull’s 
  head in an octagon, and the name of the respective brother. Only tombs with locked doors 
  still have their contents intact; the rest have been looted. 
  The brothers are bull-headed skeletons (turned as wraiths), their bones as deformed as 
  the others on this level. They attack in a bellowing fury, which has 1:6 to draw a weaver in the 
  vault due to the noise. Every tomb has a locked treasure chest close to the sarcophagus, and 
  inscribed “CONTAINS TYE VI TREASURE.” This means 50% of 1d12*50gp, 25% of 1d6*10 
  platinum, 20% of 1d6 gems, 25% of an art object, and 25% of 1d4 random magic items. 
   
  The Brothers of Parnáti: HD 4; AC 5; Atk 2*horns 1d6 or rush (save vs. paralysis or 3d6 
  Hp); ML 12; AL LE. 
  Hp 
  17 
   
  28 
   
  15 
   
  14 
   
  19 
   
  30. Display room: Ruined and dirty room, 18 clay statuettes of the brothers have been 
  knocked off a ledge on room perimeter and smashed. 
   
  31. Room of mosaics: Mosaic floor depicting a bounty of fruits and grain. Inscription before 
  downwards stairs reads „THE HUSBAND-BROTHERS”. Altars to the left and right hold a 
  pile of deformed bones and a bovine skull, and a brass cauldron filled with old ashes. 
  Rainbow traces on downward stairs are the dried secretions of the giant snail (43). 
  
   
  24
   
  32. Doors of the radiant sun: These are heavy stone doors with faded frescoes of the sun, 
  lowered or raised with brass levers. The levers are found on the outside only, and opening 
  one door closes the other two. Those who find themselves backed into a corner have 1:3 to 
  have been followed by a weaver in the vault, who will appear presently. 
   
  33. The well of Manizeh: On E wall, frescoes depict Manizeh, a young woman bearing a 
  lantern to keep away the darkness; on S wall, she is shown throwing coins to a beggar. Glyphs 
  on the rim of a round well of black porphyry read „MANIZEH, THE DAUGHTER OF AFRASIAH: 
  HER WELL IS THE WORD THAT BEQUEATES WISDOM”. The first character to drink of the 
  waters shall speak as the prophets, revealing a secret of the campaign. For the others, roll 1d6: 
  1. „DREAMING IN HIS TWOFOLD PRISON, THE ENCHANTER RIAMOS CRAVES 
  RELEASE.” 
  2. „GREAT SORROW AND A BURNING HEART REPOSE BENEATH THE STAGE OF 
  PURGÁMESH!” 
  3. „SHAME AND BETRAYAL NOW RULE THE TIGER-FORTRESS, REVIVED IN AN 
  ANCIENT MIND.” 
  4. “THE BENEVOLENCE OF THOSE WHO HAVE COME FROM THE STARS IS NOT TO 
  BE TRUSTED.” 
  5. “SHE WHO RULES THE NEXUS OF TRANSACTIONS SERVES MANY MASTERS.” 
  6. “HE WHO LOOKS BENEATH THE MAUSOLEUM SHALL FIND EVERLASTING LIFE 
  AND MERCILESS DESTRUCTION.” 
  Drinking twice makes the character’s tongue burn like heated iron. Every time he speaks over the 
  expedition, he takes 2 Hp damage. Drinking thrice, save vs. dragon breath or burn into ashes. 
  Casting light or a similar spell on the figure of Manizeh the lantern-holder opens the se-
  cret door, revealing a niche with a mahogany treasure chest with inlaid gold and silver: 400 
  gp, a clerical scroll (divination), and a clerical scroll (cure serious wounds) sealed with a lead 
  seal marked “FOR TIMES OF TRIAL.” The chest itself is worth 500 gp, or up to 1000 gp as 
  an antique if its connection to Manizeh is mentioned. 
  
   
  25
  34. The well of Abtum: This is another black well. The inscription on the rim reads “THE WELL 
  OF ABTUM, BRINGER OF BOUNTIFUL WATERS.” The well is inhabited by 14 giant leeches. 
   
  Giant leeches (14): HD 2; AC 9; Atk bite 1d6 and attach; Spec blood drain 1d6/round, vul-
  nerable to salt; ML 6; AL N. 
  Hp 
  4 
   
  12 
   
  13 
   
  14 
   
  11 
   
  5 
   
  7 
   
  9 
   
  6 
   
  9 
   
  6 
   
  10 
   
  7 
   
  10 
   
  35. The antechamber of Parnáti: 50’ columned hall stretching from a 20’ balcony (E) to a 
  thick brass grille (W), a frequent spot for encounters (1:2, monster will be lurking clinging to a 
  wall overhead). Frescoes depict the dances of Parnáti, a renowned dancing girl, being 
  watched by her brothers in a garden paradise. 
   
  36. The treasury of Parnáti: Thick, impenetrable brass grilles seal off this side-chamber. 
  The 10’ brass idol of Parnáti, beautifully polished and oiled despite its great age and ap-
  parent abandonment, holds two scimitars in her hand, and is surrounded by six treasure 
  chests (only four of which are mimics). Parnáti shall kill anyone trying to take the treasures; 
  kissing her on the lips is rewarded with a dagger the idol has in lieu of a tongue (4d4 Hp). 
   
  The Idol of Parnáti: HD 10 MAX; AC 0; Atk 4*scimitar 1d8+3; Spec Str 18/50, fire breath 1/3 
  rounds (20/10 Hp) 3/day, +1 or better to hit, ½ damage from fire and cold, healed by electrici-
  ty; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  80 
   
  Mimics (4): HD 5; AC 7; Atk bite 3d4; Spec adhesive, camouflage; ML 7; AL N. 
  Hp 
  24 
   
  19 
   
  21 
   
  19 
   
  37. Gallery overlook: 20’ domed room, ceiling stuccos depict the starry sky.  From the top 
  centre, a 10’ shaft with rungs leads up to the Room of the simurgh (19), but this exit is 
  blocked by the stone pedestal resting above it. On the floor below, a short pillar with a sun-
  dial is inscribed with the hours of the day, and an inscription: “THE SIMURGH WATCHES 
  THE DAYS.” Projecting a strong light (more than lantern equivalent) on the sundial to point at 
  noon causes the simurgh to move aside, unblocking the opening. 
   
  38. False crypt: An eternal oil lamp casts a faint light on several deformed, calcified skeletons, 
  and a stone slab sunk into the floor inscribed “BANZOL”. Faint smell of perfumed vapours. The 
  upright sarcophagus of Banzol proves to be looted, but this is a ruse – it can be pushed out of 
  its place to reveal a secret passage to The Stage of Purgámesh. 
  V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•�V•V•V�
   
  The Stage of Purgámesh 
   
  None but Lord Banzol and his closest guards are privy to this hideout beneath his family res-
  idence. If the secret entrance to 38 is left open, random encounters may venture inside; oth-
  erwise, it is undisturbed. 
   
  39. Den: Cold and musty cellar made slightly more bearable by braziers, tapestries and cop-
  per plates, lingering smell of perfumes and cold water. To the south, red curtains over door-
  ways; inscription in the middle reads “THE STAGE OF PURGÁMESH”. 
   
  40. The stage of Purgámesh: Throne room illuminated by smouldering ever-burning oil 
  lamps. To N, low stage is equipped with a trap door dropping 20’ to watery pit. The mecha-
  nism is operated by a lever next to the throne, a monstrous wooden seat carved with the 
  visages of beasts, and covered in leopard skin. Arrow slits from the guard room behind the 
  throne allow fire through entire room. 
  
   
  26
  After entering the room, intruders soon experience ghostly manifestations in the room: a 
  dancing girl on the stage, begging for mercy (“Oh, high lord, I know not what you ask! I know 
  not why you have had me brought here below the earth! Let me go on my way!”), and a harsh 
  voice from an imperious spirit the throne pronouncing a statement of doom (“Dance, dance for 
  me the dance of Purgámesh! Shall you do it, you shall live, and be generously rewarded… shall 
  you fail, to the Four Shames shalt thou be thrown!”) before the forms fade once more. 
   
  41. Family archives: Niches in the entrance corridor contain four faces – corroded, antique 
  grotesques with bug-like features. Their crystal eyes allow periscopic visions through the 
  eyes of the Four Shames, down in 42. 
  The chamber is an antique bedroom, with a canopied bed of noble woods and expen-
  sive velvets. A rosewood footlocker (300 gp) contains sky-blue robes (600 gp), old silk 
  banners, the wooden carving of a lion, a harp marked “BANZOL” (300 gp, heavy), and a 
  splendid golden brooch with gemstones (260 gp). A locked wardrobe proves to hold four 
  blackened corpses in rotting finery, held upright with cleverly crafted braces and supports. 
  They have gemstone teeth worth 400 gp, 500 gp and 600 gp, respectively (but see previous 
  issue for the terrible curse such treasures carry!) 
   
  42. The pit of the Four Shames: This pit lies 20’ beneath the Stage of Purgámesh. Cold, 
  brackish water rises to the ankle, and several decaying corpses of dancing women lie 
  propped against the walls. Once decoratively-dressed, they are now browned and mildewed; 
  the charnel smell is revolting (save vs. poison after first turn or retch uncontrollably). In the 
  side rooms stand the Four Shames, grotesque brass idols with their segmented, bug-like 
  bodies, slicing mandibles, drills and flesh-saws. Messing with any of them activates the hor-
  rid mechanisms (4d4 Hp), and awakens the corpses as 20 zombies. One (*) wears a heart-
  shaped gemstone, now burning with a vengeful fire – The Heart of Purgámesh! 
   
  Zombies (20): HD 2; AC 8; Atk hit 1d8; Spec cannot be turned, fearless, immune to cold and 
  charm; ML 12; AL N. 
  Hp 
  6 
   
  7 
   
  11 
   
  8 
   
  6 
   
  7 
   
  10 
   
  15 
   
  5 
   
  9 
   
  9 
   
  14 
   
  16* 
   
  9 
   
  5 
   
  7 
   
  12 
   
  11 
   
  10 
   
  16 
  P�VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV�P 
  The Heart of Purgámesh: This heart-shaped, 2700 gp gemstone is a fiery orange, burning with 
  a malevolent inner light. This is a heart of vengeance with 23 charges: once per day, it can pro-
  ject a heat-ray for 3d8 Hp (1 charge, save vs. wands for ½), or summon a fire storm (as druid 
  spell). It is particularly efficacious against those who have done dark deeds – in their case, the 
  heart fires automatically, and the damage is 24/12 Hp. For every monstrous tormentor it kills, its 
  value increases by 200 gp. Once its charges are exhausted, it becomes a regular gemstone. 
   
   
   
  
   
  27
  The Tomb of the Brothers 
   
  43. The vault of Parnáti: Corroded iron doors, yellow and teal ceramic tiles. Rainbow traces on 
  all surfaces are the tracks of a wondrous giant snail, bearing a lustrous shell with opal hues (800 
  gp intact, 300 gp damaged). This beast, initially located in room 43+1d4, can open and pass 
  through the vault’s iron doors. The four side-tombs house four brothers of Parnáti, who shall 
  protect the snail with their unlife. Each tomb is labelled, as described in the subsequent room 
  entries. 
   
  Giant snail: HD 8; AC 2; Atk bite 1d12 or spit acid as 4 HD creature 4d4; Spec immune to 
  bludgeoning, MR 50%; ML 8; AL N. 
  Hp 
  37 
   
  The Brothers of Parnáti (4): HD 4; AC 5; Atk 2*horns 1d6 or rush (save vs. paralysis or 3d6 
  Hp); ML 12; AL LE. 
  Hp 
  25 
   
  15 
   
  20 
   
  20 
   
  44. The tomb of Smardis: Inscription reads “SMARDIS THE EXALTED, LORD OF MAN-
  GRATZ”. Frescoes depict sea battles with pirates featuring a triumphant moustached man. 
  Wooden couch and painted wooden ornaments, golden mosaic floor. A tapestry on the wall 
  is made of golden thread (ragged, but still 250 gp), and there are four large electrum cups 
  with ship motifs (5*100 gp). 
   
  45. The tomb of Pakhtan: Inscription reads “PAKHTAN OF THE PURE BODY: NEITHER 
  DISEASE NOR POISON COULD TRIUMPH AGAINST HIM.” Inside, there is a simple, worm-
  eaten wooden frame. Pakhtan is wrapped in filthy bandages, and the teeth in his skull are all 
  sickly and rotten. Two green globes in the eye sockets are crystals (2*80 gp). The true treas-
  ures are in a secret chamber: potion of paralysis, potion of neutralise poison*5. 
   
  46. The tomb of Nariman: Inscription reads “NARIMAN THE MAN-MINDED, DESTROYER 
  OF ZU.” This chamber is stocked with old animal pelts, and an old brass headband rests on 
  a ragged pile. The walls are hung with include several drums, horns, and shield-spear com-
  binations. A copper chest contains 100 sp, 590 gp, and a glass vial with 6*300 gp pearls. A 
  scrap of parchment reads: “Parnati sheds her tears for Nariman, the brave.”  
   
  47. The tomb of Quamran: Inscription reads “QUAMRAN, HE WHO IS ALL-SUCCESSFUL”. 
  His resting place is under a blue ceramic dome decorated with brass ornaments. 450 gp worth 
  of etched metal sheets hanging on the wall are astrological devices. On a small stand, 
  Quamran’s treasures include a fire bomb (bottled 6d6 Hp fireball), a ring of weakness, and a 
  periapt of proof vs. poison. 
  •¿• 
  The Garden of Vampánga 
   
  This cave system and enchanted forest-garden lies deep beneath the Pits of Shannash, located 
  on the deepest layer of the Underworld. This locale is littered with skeletons, usually wrapped in 
  old webs, and afflicted by both an advanced wormlike rot and terrible deformations. There are 
  two kinds of random encounters (1:6 per turn): 
   
  Weavers in the vault (1/9): HD 4; AC 6; Atk bite 1d6 + poison (save or die within 2d6 turns); 
  Spec immune to mind-affecting, surprise 4:6 (rear only); ML 8; AL N. 
  Hp 
  14 
   
  17 
   
  23 
   
  11 
   
  12 
   
  15 
   
  18 
   
  23 
   
  13 
  Enormous green arachnids with a faint phosphorescent glow, stalking in almost total silence. 
  
   
  28
   
   
  The dead of Shannash (3d8/48): HD 2; AC 8; Atk hit 1d8; Spec slow, immune to cold and 
  charm, -2 vs. fire; ML 10; AL N. 
  Hp 
  12 
   
  6 
   
  7 
   
  9 
   
  11 
   
  11 
   
  11 
   
  8 
   
  10 
   
  14 
   
  3 
   
  8 
   
  5 
   
  9 
   
  4 
   
  12 
   
  13 
   
  9 
   
  5 
   
  8 
   
  5 
   
  4 
   
  9 
   
  9 
   
  9 
   
  11 
   
  10 
   
  8 
   
  11 
   
  7 
   
  11 
   
  11 
   
  8 
   
  5 
   
  11 
   
  11 
   
  7 
   
  13 
   
  10 
   
  8 
   
  3 
   
  11 
   
  15 
   
  9 
   
  12 
   
  7 
   
  8 
   
  13 
  These webbed corpses have strange, sickly growths, and are crawling with greenish spider 
  eggs. They wheeze and moan horribly as they approach, ruining surprise. 
   
  48. Cobwebbed caverns: A nightmarish tangle of woolly cobwebs and suspended skele-
  tons. Glowing golden dots resembling fireflies sparkle in the empty skulls and eye sockets. 
  Miniature spiders swarm on the bodies, devouring each other and their even lesser kin (1:2 
  to attack as a swarm if the bodies are disturbed). 
   
  Spider swarms (6):  HD 5-1; AC 5; Atk swarm 2d4-1; Spec poison (death), ½ from piercing 
  and slashing; ML 6; AL N. 
  Hp 
  10 
   
  28 
   
  15 
   
  21 
   
  31 
   
  16 
   
  49. Stairs: Massive buttresses support enormous concerte wall to W. A plaque next to the low-
  er end of long stairs reads: “LAYER IV LAYER VI”. The stairs end in a collapse. 
   
  50. Subterranean garden: Moonlight from an artificially projected starry sky provides faint illumi-
  nation to a splendeid garden. 1d3 weavers in the vault and 3d8 dead of Shannash lair in the 
  cobwebbed parts. 
   
  
   
  29
  Weavers in the vault (1d3): HD 4; AC 6; Atk bite 1d6 + poison (save or die within 2d6 
  turns); Spec immune to mind-affecting, surprise 4:6 (rear only); ML 8; AL N. 
  Hp 
  24 
   
  26 
   
  24 
   
  The dead of Shannash (3d8): HD 2; AC 8; Atk hit 1d8; Spec slow, immune to cold and charm, 
  -2 vs. fire; ML 10; AL N. 
  Hp 
  13 
   
  6 
   
  7 
   
  7 
   
  6 
   
  2 
   
  14 
   
  11 
   
  10 
   
  15 
   
  13 
   
  5 
   
  7 
   
  6 
   
  4 
   
  3 
   
  7 
   
  14 
   
  10 
   
  11 
   
  10 
   
  16 
   
  12 
   
  3 
   
  51. Pavilion: Music and song drifts from a pavilion built from white marbles and noble wood. A 
  young woman dressed in expensive silks, and wearing the ritual scars of the Brotherhood of 
  the Tiger on her face, plays a sitar made of mahogany and ivory (500 gp). On her belt hangs 
  an expensive scimitar (600 gp), and another is left carelessly on a bench, along with a battle-
  axe. Behind her is a rectangle of shimmering blue light, a moon-gate leading to a suite in the 
  Fortress of the Tiger. 
  The woman, who seems oddly familiar to all who encounter her, introduces herself as 
  Vampánga, a noble lady who visits here to enjoy the beauty and solitude of this underground 
  realm. She is courteous and a bit reserved with a hint of mischief, but she proves wise beyond 
  her years if carefully questioned, and can offer a few vague but insightful answers about the 
  deeper mysteries of the Underworld and the City of Vultures. In truth, Vampánga is…: 
   
  A known socialite in aristocratic circles, with many acquaintances but few friends, (cor-
  rectly) reputed to be Mirwander Khan’s consort. Among the noble ranks, Vampánga is 
  considered a modernist and a supporter of the Palace. 
   
  A name and image occasionally seen on antique artwork, invariably awakening an ob-
  session in those who own these pieces. 
   
  A type V demon, serving as the Khan’s protector and advisor, now fallen in love with the 
  troubled monarch, and increasingly afraid of the dark dreams he finds himself enmeshed in. 
   
  A top-ranking Deston operative, belonging to the inner circle of the conspiracy that 
  rules the city! As such, Vampánga is loyal to both Khan and the city’s ideals (inasmuch 
  as they exist), and is dedicated to working towards stability. However, she is distrustful of 
  other inner circle members, who are more and more following their own agendas. 
  If attacked, Vampánga defends herself in human shape, trusting her formidable combat 
  abilities and invulnerability to normal weapons. If pressed, she tries to gate in 1d3 serpent 
  demons. If defeated, she disappears in a shower of perfumed mists and rose petals – it is 
  not her fate to die anywhere but in defence of her monarch. Vampánga bears no grudges, 
  and is prone to serving mercy to those she does not find a threat to her agenda. 
   
  * * Vampánga * *: HD 7+7; AC -4; Atk 4*scimitars 1d8 and 2*battleaxe 1d8; Spec +2 or bet-
  ter to hit, darkness 5’ at will, cast charm person, levitate, read languages, detect invisible, 
  pyrotechnics, polymorph self, project image, gate in 1d3 serpent demons, ½ damage from 
  cold, electricity, fire, gas; MR 80%; ML 12; AL N. 
  Deston abilities, Level II (): 1) deflect detection and charm spells of all types; 2) by-
  pass any force limiting mobility; 3) bypass locked doors and portals; 4) travel by gate to any 
  location within, and under the City. 
  Hp 
  55 
   
  Serpent demons (1d3): HD 8; AC -2; Atk bite 3d4 + poison (save at -2 or die); Spec charm 
  on gaze, spells, +1 or better to hit, ½ damage from cold, electricity, fire, gas; MR 40%; AL CE.  
  Spells (as 6th level Illusionist): 4/3/1; 1: change self, dancing lights, hypnotism, ph. force; 2: 
  blindness, blur, impr. ph. force; 3: suggestion. 
  Hp 
  47 
   
  45 
   
  38 
   
   
  
   
  30
  52. Geosphera: Lost in the undergrowth is a 15’ metal sphere on three short legs. There is 
  a band running along its circumference, stamped with the letters “ΓΕΟΣΦΕΡΑ” (GEO-
  SPHERA). This device of the archaic cycles is one of the devices regulating the flow of en-
  ergy through the Underworld and the City of Vultures. It is immovable and essentially imper-
  vious to harm, but it can be unlocked by those who possess the knowledge of the Masters of 
  DESTON. Thus opened, the GEOSPHERA can be modified to function as a 15 megaton 
  chromatic charge, activated when all similar devices in the Underworld are reset. 
   
  53. Monorail station: Hall built of a smooth grey stone no longer known in the present era, an-
  techamber patrolled by 3 weavers in the vault. Massive iron gates seal exits to magnetic mon-
  orail tracks. Between carved demonic faces on the wall, a grand, baroque marble plaque reads 
  * A D A R B U R Z I N M E H E R * 
  THE FIRE OF EXALTED LOVE AND AFFECTION 
  THE THIRD SACRAMENT 
  The monorail can be summoned with one of the sacred names. When exclaimed, the car-
  riage, a tube-shaped old brass vehicle with bizarre and demonic ornaments, arrives within 2d6 
  turns and departs one turn afterwards to its destination. The following sacred names have effect: 
  - 
  * A D A R B U R Z I N M E H E R * : No effect (company is here). 
  - 
  * A D A R H O R M A Z D * : The Court of Vannaglakka, 67 (beneath The Temple of 
  Sürü Miklári) 
  - 
  * A D A R B A H R A M * : The Pits of Fiery Lances (The Temple of Mezeng) 
  - 
  * A D A R G U S H N A S P *: The Fortress of the Tiger (station only) 
  - 
  * A D A R K U R S H I D *: The Villa of Hyél Singh (outside the City, Tridentos 2406) 
  - 
  * A D A R M A R D *: The Great Stairway (The Mausoleum of Satrap Zeirus) 
  - 
  * A D A R H Ó S H A N G * : The Grand Terminal (The Palace) 
   
  Weavers in the vault (3): HD 4; AC 6; Atk bite 1d6 + poison (save or die within 2d6 turns); 
  Spec immune to mind-affecting, surprise 4:6 (rear only); ML 8; AL N. 
  Hp 
  22 
   
  17 
   
  16 
  ¿•À•¿•À•¿•À•¿•À•¿ 
  THE WHITE HAND & OTHER SITES OF INTEREST 
   
  
  31 
   
  The 
  White 
  Hand 
   
  As crime and treachery flourished in the City of Vultures, attempts to eradicate or drive 
  it back had also gained momentum. The merchants and the thieves fought many battles 
  in the streets and back alleys, and for all their ruthlessness, they seemed to have 
  achieved very little: the city still has an abundance of both types who flourish like rank 
  weeds. As the thieves formed hereditary families and outlander societies for mutual 
  protection, the merchants and tradesmen sought common ground likewise. 
  At first, they congregated around a new faith from the middling wasteland towns 
  of Thasan, noted for its strict and uncompromising message. Ishab-Lambar, formerly 
  the high priest, then the successor of the decrepit Red God, preached death against the 
  common thief and armed bandit, and mutual assistance among the faithful. The faith 
  spread among the lower ranks like wildfire, and the war against the thieves was in full 
  swing once more. The aristocracy – following older, more obscure passions – found the 
  upstart religion tolerable, if a bit amusing. However, the great Mirvander Khan saw it 
  differently. After a formless dream which filled him with unspeakable dread, he spoke a 
  few commands to his closest advisors, and they, in turn, spoke to the Warriors of the 
  Tiger, the military brotherhood sworn to his protection. For two nights and one day, the 
  streets ran red; tigers were loosed on Ishab-Lambar’s followers, and the Khan’s men 
  committed terrible deeds in their houses until the work was done. Ever since, a curious 
  amnesia has shrouded these events, easier to forget than contemplate in their reality. 
  In the place of the faith, a new organisation arose. Built around self-help, micro-
  credit, community improvement and the promotion of trade and craft, the White Hand 
  soon came to represent the same goals in the port districts of the lesser craftsmen 
  (but not the Market of Uugen, whose merchants were from older dynasties, and held 
  onto ancient privileges they were loath to share – their circles will be discussed else-
  where). Known for the sewn-on symbol of the white hand worn on clothing, the society 
  became more numerous than Ishab-Lambar’s more inflexible cult could ever have 
  been. Sobriety, mild asceticism, thrift and honesty are the ideas which adherents are 
  expected to follow – and the society meetings, held in an old house in the craftsmens’ 
  district, are an excellent place to make new deals and meet business associates. The 
  White Hand still possesses a particular dislike of thieves. Openly, they advocate them to 
  be driven out, but it is a badly kept secret that if they catch them, they kill them before 
  the matter gets to a city official – not that the latter care. Rumours of their nighttime 
  hunts for worse sinners are often discussed in a supportive manner... after all, thieves 
  are universally held in low regard. 
  ����������������������� 
  
   
  32
   
   
  That is the widely known story. But in the City of Vultures, nothing is so straight-
  forward. Even at its moment of establishment, the White Hand had a hidden purpose 
  – the secret continuation and eventual revival of Ishab-Lambar’s worship among the 
  commons – but it soon drifted even further as it immediately became infiltrated by 
  the Khan’s secret police, and shortly afterward by all manner of secret groups and 
  conspiracies at their encouragement. Likewise, opportunistic thieves and assassins 
  have found it easy to enter the society’s ranks as upright citizens concerned about 
  street crime, and use it as a staging ground for their own purposes. However, the 
  society is also a gateway to the City’s deeper secrets – if one follows the loose 
  threads, and lives to tell the tale. 
  Currently, the White Hand’s activities are layered accordingly: 
  - On the front, it functions as a self-help organisation. Most members join to ben-
  efit from mutual assistance, loans to members in good standing, networking op-
  portunities, and strength in numbers against the criminal element. 
  - The society is actively engaged in covert vigilantism; society “patrols” embark on 
  nighttime missions to dispense justice to those they consider criminals. In theory, 
  the focus is on owerful crime lords; in practice, small fish are easier to catch. As-
  sassinations are decided by the society’s three leaders, and carried out by teams 
  consisting of both common craftsmen, and experienced killers (toughs/thieves). 
  - The society’s closest adherents are working for the revival of Ishab-Lambar’s 
  worship. This remainder cult has no clerics, and is so well hidden that they have 
  no active link to the faith as it exists outside the City of Vultures. 
  - A society of assassins, who make up much of the society’s vigilante operatives, un-
  der command of Tamur Haquim. They offer a lucrative side business to friendly 
  thieves, who are allowed to operate and thrive under their protection, while their 
  rivals – especially the bandits of the Fisherman Lord, based in the Tower of Mono-
  doios (next issue) – are “somehow” targeted for killing. The original conspiracy 
  starts to suspect this side of the White Hand, and is increasingly wary of it. 
  
   
  33
  - A honey-pot for the curious – due to external infiltration, the White Hand has 
  become an unwitting instrument by other conspiracies to draw the interested 
  into a network of deceit, and expose them to multiple forms of observation and 
  control. Societies with a major interest in the White Hand include Oom the Many 
  (through Smender Famag), Deston (through Ultron Zard), and the Palace 
  (through Kendall Haut). 
   
  The leadership now consists of a triumvirate, after Mul Tragan, the maker of mir-
  rors, grew increasingly distant. They are: 
  Smender Famag, alchemist: Fighter 2; AC 7 (ring mail); Atk shortsword 1d6 or 2*dagger 
  1d4 + poison; ML 7; AL LN; vial of deadly poison, super-acid, 200 gp signet ring. 
  Hp 
  14 
  Respected supplier of alchemical mixtures, whose modesty and skill have made in-
  roads in high society. He is the informal leader of the White Hand, as the other two 
  defer to his judgement. He knows of the thievish infiltration, but maintains a pragmat-
  ic attitude. Smender Famag has strong ties to Oom the Many, a society of illusionists, 
  who supply him with subtle guidance, and purchase much of his special wares. 
  Ultron Zard, blacksmith: Fighter 2; AC 8 (leather); Atk hammer 1d6+2; ML 9; AL LN. 
  Hp 
  12 
  A true believer who has gotten perhaps a bit too enthusiastic about killing suspect-
  ed thieves – the only one in leadership who personally participates in the manhunt. 
  Tormented by dark doubts, Ultron Zard has found solace in the weird music of 
  Deston, and is driven by the harmonies permeating his mind. As an obedient instru-
  ment, he is allowed to participate in the séances of his cell… where he receives the 
  names of new “targets” to track down and kill. 
  Tamur Haquim, barber: Assassin 2; AC 5 (leather, Dex); Atk 2*razor 1d4+1 or scimitar 
  1d8+1; Spec surprise, backstab*2, assassination 0-1 55%, 2-3 50%, 4-5 40%, 6-7 30%, 
  8-9 15%; Str 16, Dex 17; ML 8; AL NE; soap, leather strip, alum, perfumes, etc. 
  Hp 
  8 
  He supplies most of the skilled “fighters” for the White Hand, all trusted acquaintanc-
  es from his thieveing days. He targets the competition (particularly the followers of 
  the Fisherman Lord) and leads the trail away from his pals, or at least gives them 
  ample warning to get out of town. Has plans to take over the whole organisation. Un-
  known to him, his second-in-command, Arkendar Halk, is a Secret Police informer. 
   
   
  
   
  34
  House of the Hand 
   
  The White Hand’s headquarters are located in 
  an old flophouse in the port district. Multiple 
  small stores provide access to the guarded 
  upper floors where meetings, usually of 20-50 
  men at a time, take place. 
  1. Smedullah Alct, barber: Wily old fox offering 
  stream of gossip. “Special clients” are admit-
  ted through locked iron door. Signals with bell 
  to indicate if friend or foe. 
  2. Zosperan, potter: Operates a street kiln; se-
  cret glaze has lustrous green sheen. Believes 
  a spirit haunts his chimney, and wants some-
  one to drive it out. 70 gp stash under kiln. 
  3. Ullan Uthman & Sons: Large family of cop-
  persmiths; store has “emergency exit” to cov-
  er members’ departure in case of raidd. 
  4. Tamur Haquim, barber: Tamur and 4 burly 
  men attend to needs; hot water tub for baths. 
  5. Ultron Zard, blacksmith: Barred window 
  allows observation of the forge. Business is 
  flagging as Ultron Zard is otherwise occupied. 
  6. Storeroom: Shared by two businesses, hid-
  den “society chest” with arm slicer trap con-
  tains 450 el, 320 gp, potion of healing. 
  7. Galleries: These three old, sagging things 
  connecting to neighbouring buildings have 2 
  lookouts each with bows at night. 
  8. Society hall: Standing only; secret niche be-
  hind painted fresco of the White Hand contains 
  850 gp golden cobra idol with pearl eyes and 
  poisoned teeth. This is a secret symbol of 
  Ishab-Lambar. Unknown even to the White 
  Hand’s inner circle who have commissioned it, 
  the figure’s makers have gifted them an amu-
  let of inescapable location, a device which allows constant observation of the room. 
  9. Council room: Tapestries with the White Hand, hookah, pillows around low table 
  bearing city maps marked with planned raids and suspected concentrations of crime 
  (some real, some imagined). 1d6 places of special interest are clearly identified. 
  10. Training room: Mannequins, mats and targets to practice for night incursions. 
  11. Sleeping rooms: Common quarters with reed mats and minimal comforts, often used 
  by journeymen looking for an affordable place, or Tamur Haquim’s thieves when they 
  need to lay low. Locked door to storage is always under observation. 
  12. Storeroom: Windowless cell used to store kidnappees or “hot” items. Nurlum Bey, 
  confused peddler who has seen forbidden city secret, awaiting interrogation & death. 
  13. Storeroom: Food and supplies, secret door in S passage leads to next house. 
  
   
  35
  White Hand militias (50): HD 1; AC 10; Atk club 1d6 or 2*dagger 1d4; ML 7; AL LN. 
  Hp 
  4 
  3 
  2 
  7 
  2 
  5 
  4 
  4 
  8 
  6 
   
  2 
  5 
  7 
  8 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  1 
  4 
  7 
   
  White Hand toughs (11): HD 2; AC 10; Atk club 1d6+1 or 2*dagger 1d4+1; ML 8; AL N. 
  Hp 
  3 
   
  11 
   
  12 
   
  10 
   
  10 
   
  12 
   
  4 
   
  12 
   
  10 
   
  9 
   
  6 
   
  White Hand thieves (5): Thief 2; AC 8 (leather); Atk club 1d6 or 2*dagger 1d4; Spec back-
  stab*2, PP 35%, OL 29%, FT 25%, MS 21%, HS 15%, HN 10%, CW 86%; ML 6; AL CE. 
  Hp 
  4 
   
  7 
   
  11 
   
  7 
   
  7 
   
  Smender Famag 
   
  Decrepit old house on a more expensive 
  street in NE port area. Smender Famag 
  lends the crowded lower tenements to var-
  ious low-class types while inhabiting third 
  floor accessible via rickety wooden balco-
  nies and stairs. A ladder leads up to an at-
  tic, where live a crippled tailor and 6 com-
  patriots working for room&board, virtual 
  slaves. 4 guards watch premises from up-
  per balcony, lamenting lack of bows. 
   
  Guards (4): Fighter 1; AC 6 (ring mail, 
  shield); Atk spear 1d6; ML 7; AL N. 
  Hp 
  10 
  2 
  3 
  4 
   
  1. Waiting room: Pillows, wall hangings. 
  Secret observation hole in E wall. 
  2. Living room: Modestly but nicely decorated with small comforts, pieces of special 
  craftmanship worth 220 gp total. 
  3. Storeroom: Stacked crates of alchemical supplies, total 1100 gp value. 
  4. Workshop: Window grate. Powdered dyes in wax-paper packages; 2 alembics of 
  green poison, dust of sneezing & choking in sealed jar with trick release. A thick 
  glass tube holds a golden oil, and the limp corpse of a dissected, sulphur-yellow 
  pterodactyl. A secret, locked niche holds 300 sp, 290 electrum, 450 gp, a 300 gp co-
  bra idol with pearl eyes and poisoned teeth (a symbol of Ishab-Lambar). An elegant-
  ly penned scroll on the lab table has the following message: “I am Oom, master and 
  disciple! I hereby order you to prepare seventeen metal sheets, of a treated zarmi-
  um alloy and the following markings etched with tin. Neither variation, nor differ-
  ence shall be allowed. You shall receive your reward in the Court of Zuhari Kutargi. I 
  am Oom, beginning and end. Abide by my demand!” 
  5. Harem: Sahzan and Tabendeh, Smender Famag’s wives, both bored and miserable 
  in middle age, and struggling with weight problems. 300 gp golden mirror (covered). 
  6. Bath: Tiles, marble basin, walls decorated with nymphs. Bathing salts 90 gp. 
  7. Courtyard: Interior court surrounded by several houses looming over Smender 
  Famag’s more modest building. Sundial held by rearing lion-mermaid. 
  
   
  36
   
   
  The Maker of Mirrors 
   
  Mul Tragan, formerly of the White Hand leadership, but never deeply involved beyond 
  funding and symbolic support, has gradually withdrawn from the organisation, and in-
  creasingly public life. His growing obsession with a magic mirror he had stolen from 
  the Tower of Riamos (before its condemnation) has made him dependent on admiring 
  his possession, and sating its hunger for bodies. Mul Tragan is haunted by the sense of 
  clear inferiority compared to the craftsmanship of the mirror in his possession, which 
  has made him more and more hysterical and unhinged. 
   
  
   
  37
  Mul Tragan: Thief 3; AC 8 (Dexterity); Atk 2*dagger 1d4; Spec backstab*2, PP 35%, OL 
  28%, FT 30%, MS 22%, HS 15%, HN 15%, CW 87%; Dex 16;  ML 8; AL LE; 3*acid, 35 gp, 
  green glass medallion with the imprint of the White Hand. 
  Hp 
  11 
   
  Mul Tragan lives at the end of a 
  dark alleyway in the port district, 
  surprisingly 
  desolate 
  for 
  its 
  proximity to the seafront. The 
  place gives visitors an involun-
  tary shudder. 
  1. Showroom: A collection of fancy 
  mirrors, from the fine to the ex-
  quisite (total 2d4*100 gp value). 
  Mul Tragan meets clients here, 
  and visibly tries to block the view 
  to the back rooms, protesting if 
  they enter. 
  2. Workroom: Stale acidic and chemical smells. Vats and workdesks; generous sup-
  plies of glass sand, acids and grindstones; several more mirrors, but they are all 
  flawed or just blind. 
  3. Back room: Curtained archway leads to room of dusty old crates, several blind 
  mirrors, and the Mirror of Riamos. While cobwebbed and dusty, this full-length mir-
  ror is clearly a masterpiece, with lead-hued depths and subtle tints. Looking into the 
  mirror reveals a reflection superior to reality… but also faint scratching, knocking 
  sounds and  disembodied forms, the desiccated, dusty corpses of Mul Tragan’s vic-
  tims, begging for freedom. The mirror can speak with a faint, raspy whisper; a crim-
  son-hued misty form, the spirit of Riamos drains 1d6 Hp with his gaze, and invites 
  characters to visit him in his tower to talk. “You are far away…” he murmurs as he 
  fades away. Mul Tragan will attack laughing and crying hysterically if he thinks 
  someone is trying to harm or take possession of his mirror. On a successful hit, he 
  shoves his victim through the surface, resulting in instantaneous death (save vs. 
  death avoids). Breaking the mirror (16 Hp) unleashes a torrent of dust-dry bones, 
  and parchment-dry remains along with a tortured sigh – but no living beings. 
  4. Quarters: Dusty and abandoned; rats have taken possession of a baldachined 
  northern-style bed, a wardrobe of modest but decently made clothes (one pocket 
  has a jade medallion, 70 gp), and shredded a small collection of rare books. Around 
  an upturned reading stand, scattered sheets all bear several copies of the same 
  poem: “He who gazes deeply / Into the Mirror of Riamos / Shall find what he looks 
  for / And what he himself hides most.” 
  5. Mirror room: Five experimental mirrors on the walls. Four display the viewer, 
  while the fifth displays Mul Tragan, casting a suspicious glance at the intruders. If 
  Mul Tragan is brought here (living or dead), he appears in four mirrors, while the 
  fifth assumes the reflection of a locked door. Someone who devises a suitable trick 
  to pick a mirror lock shall unlock the mirror-maker’s small treasury: a collection of 
  green glass lozenges, burnt by tremendous heat and displaying a rainbow sheen; a 
  pale rosy alabaster pitcher (350 gp) containing ambrosia (combined potion of extra-
  healing & super-heroism), 1800 electrum pieces (all of a specific era, meticuolously 
  polished), and a bronze owl idol (mechanical but no longer functioning). 
  
   
  38
  The Deston Cell 
   
  To the uninitiated, Deston is an oddity; a collection of musical enthusiasts crossing 
  boundaries of class and status from lowly pariahs to high-ranking aristocrats (itself 
  a bizarre phenomenon), with interest in tones too weird to be pleasing, too outré to 
  be respectable, and banned by the city authorities. But the uninitiated couldn’t care 
  less about Deston, or its supposed persecution. Its harmonies and characteristic 
  triangular tuning forks made of an unknown alloy are simple oddities in a city al-
  ready rich in bizarre customs. 
  Those who know more recognise Deston as a kind of drug, leading to addiction 
  and acute withdrawal symptoms. If they seek these peculiar sensations, they shall 
  often find what they crave, and be granted this much, although not a bit more. Those 
  who know yet more recognise Deston as an instrument of power: a distributed ter-
  rorist network framed by dubious philosophies, but managed with ruthless efficien-
  cy for purposes that seem to be vague, circular, and hopelessly esoteric. These 
  half-knowing often seek, but rarely find: Deston does not want most of them. And 
  then there are others… but this much shall suffice, for now. 
  The Deston cell linked to the White Hand numbers 15-20, with three main members, 
  and a bit more than a dozen more drawn mainly from plebeians and the lower classes. 
  Ultron Zard is one of the low-ranking adherents, and is allowed to listen to the tones, 
  which seem to communicate to him a terrible purpose – and the blacksmith obeys, 
  obediently killing those he sees with his mind’s eyes. 
  Gurvinder Singh: Fighter 4; AC 4; Atk wrestling 2d6; Spec hypnotism gaze 1/day; ML 
  9; AL LN; pipe, zither, holy water, prayer mill, lump of clay, turban (2*hold person). 
  Deston abilities, Level IV (): 1) deflect detection and charm spells of all types; 2) 
  bypass any force limiting mobility. 
  Hp 
  20 
  The leader is the yogi and guru, Gurvinder Singh, who teaches street urchins near 
  the Beggar’s district to read, write and count. He spends most of his days in medita-
  tion, or reading his old prayer scrolls. He himself receives instructions from the 
  mouth of a bizarre, monstrous statue in an unspecified courtyard. Gurvinder Singh 
  is lean, brown-skinned, and wears a turban written with spells, useable as a scroll. 
  His piercing gaze sees to the bottom of the soul. 
  Buruk Ulan, nomad: Fighter 2; AC 10; Atk 2*shortbow 1d6 or club 1d6; ML 7; AL CN; 
  1d6*5 electrum, double-sided clothes, red-weed & tobacco. 
  Deston abilities, Level V (): 1) deflect detection and charm spells of all types. 
  Hp 
  13 
  Dock worker and drifter of declining fortunes, waiting for his luck. Constantly chews 
  tobacco, and red-weed, a mild intoxicant. He often visits the Temple of Mezeng. 
  Vortel Atap Mani: Fighter 7; AC 10/4 (breast plate & shield); Atk 3/2*battle axe 1d8 or 
  3/2*javelin 1d6; ML 10; AL N; 2d6*50 gp, gold medallion (300 gp). 
  Deston abilities, Level V (): 1) deflect detection and charm spells of all types. 
  Hp 
  46 
  Former soldier, greying and grown fat on his commission in retirement. Embroi-
  dered vest and skullcap. He is a low-ranking Palace insider of the reformist faction 
  – impressed by Mirvander Khan’s apparent determination. 
  
   
  39
  The cell’s gathering place is 
  an abandoned garden found in 
  the Old Quarter, close to 
  Uugen’s Market and the Beg-
  gars’ District. Overlooked by a 
  great, crumbling palace now 
  meticulously sealed, the gar-
  den is occupied by the ruins of 
  an ancient shrine. By day, 
  Gurvinder Singh spends his 
  hours here in meditation and 
  prayer to unknown principles, 
  or teaches street urchins in 
  the ways of wisdom (1:3). By 
  night, there is 1:3 of a cell 
  meeting 
  taking place. No 
  guards 
  are 
  posted, 
  but 
  Gurvinder Singh’s keen sens-
  es ensure there can be no 
  more than a 2:6 probability of surprise. 
   
  1. Overgrown garden: Choked with gnarled trees and bushes gone wild. Broken stat-
  uary and rubble litter the ground, and only pedestals remain of a number of statues. 
  By day, 1:3 of 2d12 street kids listening intently to their lessons. A path of stones, and 
  a flight of cracked stairs climb up to a flat-topped columned hall, dwarfed by the 
  giant palace behind it. The back stairs (W) are completely overgrown. 
   
  2. Hall: Bare chamber, dilapidated and close to collapse. Frescoes on the wall are 
  mere swirls of faded colour. This is where meetings take place at night. 
   
  3. Side room: Gurvinder Singh’s spartan quarters consist of a bed of rags, the simplest 
  supplies, a begging bowl, a water jug, and a shelf of crumbling prayer scrolls and writ-
  ing materials. A secret niche contains a three-pronged tuning fork made of an unknown 
  alloy, and carefull wrapped in a bundle of cloth. The  sign is inscribed with chalk on 
  the back wall. 
   
  4. Tiger palace: The massive walls of this once mighty palace cradle the garden and 
  the shrine. The carved faces of snarling tigers can be seen on the walls and battle-
  ments. All ways in have been carefully and thoroughly sealed with large stones – 
  much more thoroughly than simple condemnation would necessitate. Nobody, not 
  even the most knowledgeable, remember the origins of this palace, or why it came 
  to be sealed. Most, in fact, barely realise it is there at all. 
  
  40 
   
  Zine Conventions 
   
  While much of old-school gaming originates from the same lineage, and its products remain largely cross-compatible, there is much 
  devil in those details. Every table and every party has its own ideas and house rules, and it is a good idea to lay these assumptions out 
  into the open. Therefore, the conventions governing this fanzine are thus: 
   Unless otherwise noted, the materials published here were designed for Advanced rules. 
   A thousand gold pieces is worth a small fortune. Monetary treasure is relatively scarce. 
   Conversely, XP for treasure is gained through squandering it in hedonistic excess (or any kind of lavish spending which has no 
  discernible benefit), with a *5 multiplier. If you adjust the treasure values, adjust the multiplier as well. 
   Level demographics form a very flat pyramid: low-level NPCs (1st to 4th level) are commonplace, while mid-level ones (5th to 8th level) 
  tend to be outliers – present in most communities, but never numerous. Few NPCs reach more than 9th level, and over 12th is almost 
  unheard of. 
   Magic is limited to 5th level spells or lower. Magic items are limited to +3. 
   Fighters can do carryover damage: when fighting grouped opponents, the damage remaining after a killing blow is transferred to the 
  next opponent. 
   Roll-under morale is in effect (see Morale & Men in Echoes #01). 
   The gods are limited in their powers, but actively involved in the fate of the world. 
   
  Legal Appendix 
   
  This version of Echoes From Fomalhaut #07: From Beneath the Glacier is done under version 1.0a of the of the Open Game 
  License, below, by permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  Notice of Open Game Content: This product contains Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License, below. Open 
  Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of the Open Game License. 
  Designation of Open Game Content: All text containing rules-related content within this book is hereby designated as Open 
  Game Content, subject to the Product Identity designation below. 
  Designation of Product Identity: The following are hereby designated Product Identity, as per section 1(e) of the Open Game 
  License: all artwork, illustrations and maps or other visual references, plot elements, description of geographic features or areas, 
  and all text not specifically designated as Open Game Content, or data derived from OGL licensed material. 
   
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a 
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of 
  the Coast, Inc. ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved. 
  1. Definitions: (a) "Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b) "Derivative Material" means copyrighted material 
  including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridg-
  ment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute" means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or 
  otherwise distribute; (d) "Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody 
  the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by 
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  7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement 
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document Copyright 2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, 
  based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  Echoes From Fomalhaut #07: From Beneath the Glacier © Copyright 2020 by Gabor Lux. All rights reserved. 
  Artwork on the cover © Copyright 2020 by Matthew Ray. All rights reserved. 
  Artwork on pp. 23, 26, 36 © Copyright 2019 by Graphite Prime. All rights reserved. 
  Artwork on pp. 14, 20 © Copyright 2019 by Stefan Poag. All rights reserved. 
  Artwork on pp. 2, 32 © Copyright 2019 by Denis McCarthy. All rights reserved. 
  
   
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   Prestigious Plunder  
   
  2003 
  EMDT 1 – The Garden of al-Astorion + 
  2008 
  EMDT 2 – SWORD & MAGIC 
  EMDT 3 – MONSTERS & TREASURES 
  EMDT 4 – GAMEMASTER’S GUIDELINES 
  EMDT 5 – The Temple of Pazuzu (+) 
  EMDT 6 – Black Blood + 
  EMDT 7 – Sacrificial Lamb # 
  EMDT 8 – Broken Wastes + 
  EMDT 9 – The Unholy Secrets of Protoros # 
  EMDT 10 – Strabonus + 
  2009 
  EMDT 11 – The Menestratos School # 
  EMDT 12 – Sea Lords + 
  2010 
  EMDT 13 – Molonei + 
  EMDT 14 – Isle of the Water Sprites + 
  EMDT 15 – City Encounters # + 
  2011 
  EMDT 16 – Towards Fomalhaut + 
  EMDT 17 – The Temple of Torments # 
  EMDT 18 – The Barbarian King + 
  EMDT 19 – The Main Cities of Fomalhaut I. (+) 
  EMDT 20 – Sea Demon + 
  EMDT 21 – City Encounters II: The Nocturnal Table + 
  EMDT 22 – In the Name of the Principle! + 
  EMDT 23 – Below the City + 
  EMDT 24 – Oolar’s Time # 
  2012 
  EMDT 25 – The Blood Drinkers of Yukum # 
  EMDT 26 – Khosura: City State of the Four Myst. + 
  2013 
  EMDT 27 – Trials on Tridentfish Island + 
  EMDT 28 – Feathers of Fire # 
  EMDT 29 – The Ghost City of Arun-Kha # 
  EMDT 30 – The Tower of Manistrid # 
  EMDT 31 – Tempest Dreams # 
  EMDT 32 – The Burial Chamber of Carnaic Arnoc # 
  EMDT 33 – Ratcatcher # 
  EMDT 34 – HELVÉCZIA 
  EMDT 35 – GAMEMASTERS ALMANAC 
  EMDT 36 – Ammertal and the Oberammsbund 
  EMDT 37 – The Accursed Cellar 
  EMDT 38 – Slaughter in the Salt Pits + 
  2014 
  EMDT 39 – Curious Marriage # 
  EMDT 40 – Until Dawn 
  EMDT 41 – Ill-Gotten Merchandise 
  2015 
  EMDT 42 – The Cloister’s Secret # 
  EMDT 43 – The Serpent Girl and Other Stories # 
  EMDT 44 – The Fools’ Feast at Fürochen # 
  EMDT 45 – The True Weapon Cache etc. # 
  2018 
  EMDT 46 – Echoes #01: Beware the Beekeeper! + 
  EMDT 47 – The Barbarian King (REVISED) + 
  EMDT 48 – Echoes #02: Gont, Nest of Spies + 
  EMDT 49 – Echoes #03: Blood, Death, and Tourism + 
  EMDT 50 – Cloister of the Frog-God (HU) (+) 
  2019 
  EMDT 51 – The Enchantment of Vashundara (HU) # 
  EMDT 52 – Echoes #04: Revenge of the Frogs + 
  EMDT 53 – The Lost Valley of Kishar (HU) # + 
  EMDT 54 – Murderous Devices (HU) # 
  EMDT 55 – The Lost Valley of Kishar (EN) # + 
  EMDT 56 – Echoes #05: The Ench. of Vashundara + 
  EMDT 57 – The Nocturnal Table + 
  EMDT 58 – Echoes #06: The Gallery of R. Tombs + 
  EMDT 59 – In the Shadow of the City-God (HU) # + 
  EMDT 60 – Castle Xyntillan + 
  2020 
  EMDT 61 – Echoes #07: From Beneath the Glacier + 
  EMDT 62 – In the Shadow of the City-God (EN) # + 
  EMDT 63 – Trail of the Sea Demon + 
   
  # Indicates title written by guest author 
  + Indicates title available in English 
  Q�Q�Q 
   
  Table of Contents 
   
  From Beneath the Glacier …………..……………... 2  
  The Hecatomb of Morthevole …………………… 10 
  The Tomb of Ali Shulwar …...……………………… 13 
  The White Hand …………………………………….. 31 
  FIJH 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/EMDT First Hungarian D20 Society/Echoes From Fomalhaut/Echoes From Fomalhaut #07/EMDT61 Echoes From Fomalhaut #07 From Beneath the Glacier.pdf