TEXT: Mansion of hadows
  By Robert J. Schwalb
  REQUIRES THE USE OF THE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, PUBLISHED BY  
  WIZARDS OF THE COAST, INC. THIS PRODUCT UTILIZES UPDATED MATERIAL FROM THE V.3.5 REVISION
  - A D20 ADVENTURE FOR FOUR TO SIX CHARACTERS OF 1ST TO 3RD LEVEL -
  — BLEEDING EDGE ADVENTURE #1 —
  
  — 1 —
  Design: Robert J. Schwalb     Editing: Joanna Hurley      Art Direction and Graphic Design: Hal Mangold     
  Cover Art: Lisa Wood     Interior Art & Cartography: The Forge Studios      Executive Producer: Chris Pramas
  Green Ronin Staﬀ: Steve Kenson, Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Marc Schmalz, and Robert J. Schwalb
  Special Thanks: To Tom Castelli, I’d still be wandering around in the dark without the invaluable light of your insight and suggestions.
  Mansion of Shadows is © 2006 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reference to other copyrighted material in no way constitutes a challenge to the respective copyright holders of 
  that material. Bleeding Edge Adventures, Mansion of Shadows, World of Freeport, Freeport, True20 Adventure Roleplaying, Green Ronin and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin 
  Publishing, LLC. Dungeons & Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast® are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and are used with permission.  ‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are 
  trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy of this License 
  can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.
  The following text is Open Gaming Content:  The entirety of Appendix I and Appendix II, all stat blocks.
  Printed in the U.S.A.
  Green Ronin Publishing     P.O. Box 1723     Renton, WA 98057-1723    
   Email: custserv@greenronin.com     Web Site: www.greenronin.com
  Mansion of hadows
  — BLEEDING EDGE ADVENTURE #1 —
  - A d20 Adventure for four to six characters of 1st to 3rd level -
  Adventures on the Bleeding Edge
  Welcome to Mansion of Shadows, the ﬁrst of Green Ronin’s line of Bleeding Edge Adventures. It’s been a long time since we’ve done a true d20 adventure series. This 
  is the ﬁrst one since the original Freeport Trilogy in 2000 and 2001. In the intervening years we saw an explosion of d20 material and for awhile there sourcebooks 
  and campaign settings ruled the day. The market expanded and then the inevitable contraction began. Nowadays you can count the number of companies regularly 
  producing d20 print material on one hand and the ﬂood of sourcebooks has become a trickle. Gamers are buying less and less d20 stuﬀ but does it mean they have 
  stopped playing? We don’t think so. We think that gamers are just being more careful about their purchases. Primarily, they want material they can use in their existing 
  campaigns. This was the impetus for the Bleeding Edge line. No one’s campaign needs its 1001st prestige class or a 40-page essay on the glaive-guisarme, but it does 
  need good adventure material to keep it going. That’s where Bleeding Edge comes in.
  Our fundamental goal with Bleeding Edge is to provide quality adventures designed with the modern player in mind. Sure, we all remember the old days and we did 
  our time killing giants and drow. Nostalgia adventures can be fun, but we feel that market is well-served by other publishers. Bleeding Edge, as the name indicates, is 
  marking out diﬀerent territory. These are adventures written for the current edition ﬁrst and foremost. They use the rules as they are now, with all that they imply. Each 
  one tries to have a mix of action, problem solving, and roleplaying, but there isn’t one formula. Some are investigations, others location-based, and others explorations. 
  There are, however, a few things that Bleeding Edge Adventures have in common: 
  • 
  Good Stories: A successful adventure needs more than rooms, monsters, and treasure. Bleeding Edge Adventures oﬀer compelling stories and 
  diﬀerent ways players can interact with them. They also give GMs room to develop the material further and a solid foundation to build on. The ﬁrst 
  batch of Bleeding Edge adventures will be released in ascending level of diﬃculty, so they can be played together as a campaign. Each one still stands 
  alone and there is no arching metaplot. Rather each one provides a few hooks that can, if the GM desires, link it to other modules in the series. 
  • 
  Drop and Play: Bleeding Edge Adventures do provide some amount of setting detail beyond the locales needed for the scenario proper. These come 
  from the World of Freeport, which is further detailed in the Pirate’s Guide to Freeport. We have kept such details light, however, so you can easily 
  drop the Bleeding Edge adventures into your home campaign setting. 
  • 
  Self-Contained: Bleeding Edge Adventures take advantage of many useful d20 books, but they also make sure to put all the information the GM 
  needs inside. Mansion of Shadows, for example, uses material from several Green Ronin products such as the Book of Fiends and the Cavalier’s 
  Handbook. However, all the required rules info is included in the pertinent stat blocks or in sidebars. 
  • 
  Flexibility: We know that folks are using a lot of d20 variants out there and we want to make it easy for them to enjoy Bleeding Edge Adventures too. 
  That’s why we’ll be providing web enhancements that provide stat blocks for use with other Green Ronin titles like Thieves’ World, Black Company, 
  and True20 Adventure Roleplaying. Check www.greenronin.com for Bleeding Edge support. 
  That’s the Bleeding Edge philosophy in brief. To really see what we’re talking about though, read on. Mansion of Shadows shows you exactly what we are trying to do 
  with the line. If you like what you see, get ready for Bleeding Edge Adventure #2: Beyond the Towers! We are just getting started. 
  Chris Pramas
  May 1, 2006
  
  — 2 —
  Introduction
  In Mansion of Shadows, the characters stumble into a disturbing plot that 
  involves lust and ambition, hatred and love, madness and corruption. Having 
  rescued a knight battling for his life against ﬁends, they ﬁnd themselves drawn 
  into a complex plot of treachery and wickedness. The noble warrior leads 
  the PCs to his home out of gratitude, only to ﬁnd his once virtuous family 
  completely corrupted by a dark and sinister evil. 
  To best use this adventure, you need the PHB, DMG and MM. This 
  adventure includes references to several other sources including Green 
  Ronin’s Book of Fiends, The Cavalier’s Handbook and others. While not 
  required to run this adventure, these sourcebooks can certainly enhance 
  your play experience.
  Adventure Background
  The Kirsvald is a rumpled patch of hills that tumble down from the craggy 
  peaks of the Towers to form a march between the Ivory Ports and the 
  continent’s interior. There are few routes through the mountains, but the 
  Kirsvald is home to the most viable one: the Narrow Pass. The traﬃc bound for 
  the continent’s interior enables the small farming community of Staufendorf 
  to thrive.
  The lords of the Kirsvald have always been the Staufen family. For generations, 
  these noble rulers have governed their rich land, cared for their peasants, and 
  produced some of the ﬁnest holy warriors and priests the world has ever 
  known. Their zeal and dedication to their duty conceals a dark history, a 
  blasphemous past the family has worked hard to keep concealed. The truth 
  is the Staufens were not always the virtuous and pious nobles they became. 
  Once they were a breed of foul daemon-worshippers, known throughout the 
  region for their cruelty and wickedness. Each ruler was more profane than 
  the last, until seven children, the Black Seven, were born. Their evil ran so 
  deeply they profaned the very earth by their mere presence alone. They had 
  the favor of Gehenna and had it not been for their selﬁsh ways, they could 
  have seized the world. But treachery and inﬁghting weakened them, making 
  them vulnerable to their enemies.
  While they worked to undo each other, butchered the people who lived under 
  their tyranny, and celebrated their foul masters, a bastard named Amros, born 
  from a Staufen’s lust, rallied the peasants and rose up against his kin. He 
  entered their ancient mansion, and aided by the righteous rage of the good 
  villagers, he cleansed the mansion of wickedness. When they were done, the 
  people crowned him their lord and interred the Black Seven in the bowels 
  beneath the Staufen house. 
  But the dark champions had allies still. Unbeknownst to Amros, they 
  inscribed on the tombs the means to resurrect the essences of these villains, 
  to impregnate Amros’s heirs with their evil. And when they were done, they 
  sealed the vault to await the time when a servant of evil would awaken the 
  darkness below.
  Unaware of the sleeping threat, Amros and his descendants worked to purge 
  their line of the darkness that shadowed their past, to rise above their history 
  and change the world for the better… or so they hoped.
  Bergen
  About a decade ago, in the thriving city of Silverus, there lived a wicked man 
  named Bergen. Charged by his master Belial to subvert the city’s aristocrats, 
  he started a large cult to attract the eﬀete children of the aristocracy. Bergen 
  knew success in the city was the only way he could stave oﬀ his master’s ire. 
  The cult ﬂowered, catering to the depraved interests of the idle rich. With 
  his success, he rose in power and inﬂuence, faster than his status or ability 
  “Almost all our sorrows spring out of the relations with other people.”
  —Arthur Schopenhaur
  would otherwise warrant. But nothing lasts, and Bergen and his minions were 
  exposed for what they were. With his empire crumbling about him, he feared 
  his master’s anger, knowing that if he died, he would suﬀer terribly in Hell. 
  Rather than hasten that end by being burned alive in the city, he slipped away 
  and drifted north, searching for some way to either restore himself in Belial’s 
  eyes or protect himself from his master’s minions.
  During his travels, he encountered a young priest from Freeport. A devout 
  follower of the Knowledge God, he was well versed in the ancient histories 
  of the continent. When the Staufen family requested the service of a priest of 
  his religion, he happily volunteered, hoping to unearth some of the mysteries 
  about this famous family’s past. Bergen befriended the priest, learning all he 
  could about the Staufens and their history, but also about the dogma of the 
  man’s deity. After he learned all he could, he murdered the young man, stole 
  his vestments, and assumed the role of the priest. Bergen believed the Staufen 
  estate concealed some ancient wicked power, strong enough to restore the 
  favor of the archdevil.
  As he had hoped, the Staufen family welcomed him into their home and 
  never questioned his authenticity. He knew just enough about the Knowledge 
  God to impersonate a priest and served the family well. He studied the faith 
  to maintain his disguise, but under the cover of darkness, he explored the 
  mansion, examined the family’s history, and explored the catacombs, all to 
  ﬁnd the power he knew was hidden there. And through it all, he worked to 
  ingratiate himself with Lord Valdric and Lady Elzbeth, becoming not only 
  their priest, but also their trusted advisor.
  Dark Shadows Descend
  After a year, he discovered an ancient journal. In it, he learned the identities 
  of the Black Seven, their capabilities, and where they were sealed. The text 
  claimed that if all seven of the dark champions could be restored, they would 
  plunge the land into a new era of doom and despair. Surely, such an act would 
  redeem him to his master. So he slipped into the catacombs and, following 
  the text, he located the profane vault and the tombs it held. Inscribed on 
  each were the necessary incantations to free the essence of these villains. 
  But only an heir of the Black Seven would suﬃce for each essence, and the 
  incantation could only be spoken on the anniversary of the vessel’s birth. 
  The ﬁnding of the journal, the tombs, and the fact Valdric and Elzbeth had 
  seven children were too convenient to be just coincidences. Seeing his good 
  fortune as a sign of Belial’s interest, Bergen resolved himself to awaken the 
  slumbering evil. 
  The false priest knew he couldn’t force a child to recite the incantation, at 
  least not without attracting unwanted attention. He needed to corrupt them, 
  make them willing servants. Certainly, the more of them he converted, the 
  harder it would be to conceal his actions, but he was certain the corrupted 
  heirs would in turn help him seduce the others. He started with Erich, the 
  oldest, but Valdric intended to send the boy to Silverus to train to become a 
  holy warrior. Bergen convinced the lord to send Helmut, the youngest, instead, 
  knowing that Erich would resent being passed over, ripening him for Bergen’s 
  honeyed words of seduction.
  One by one, over the next ﬁve years, Bergen used the skills he had mastered 
  in Silverus to worm his way into the hearts and minds of the Staufen heirs, 
  transforming them into depraved villains as sick and perverse as he. As he 
  expected, each transformation made it harder to conceal his work. To mask his 
  eﬀorts, he distracted Valdric and Elzbeth by pitting them against each other. 
  Bergen convinced Valdric that Elzbeth was old and used, that a lord needed a 
  young wife, a beautiful woman or women to please him. Bergen replaced many 
  of the servants with women loyal to Belial. It wasn’t long before Valdric gave in 
  to his lusts, creating an irreparable gulf between the Lord and his Lady.
  
  — 3 —
  - Introduction -
  With Valdric in hand, Bergen tried to convince Elzbeth to leave the mansion, 
  claiming she should cloister herself away in one of the larger convents of the 
  Knowledge God in another city. In her shame, Elzbeth might have agreed to 
  his suggestions, but she was suspicious of her family’s decline. Her husband 
  had become a letch, her children evil, and she believed Bergen was somehow 
  responsible. When she tried to keep her sons and daughters from the priest, 
  they resisted, even resorting to violence. Valdric ignored her misgivings and 
  so she was forced to watch as her home disintegrated around her.
  On the birthday of her sixth child, Leanor, Elzbeth happened to see all of 
  her children following Bergen into the chapel. Worried, she followed them 
  into the shrine, then into the catacombs, guided by their light as they wound 
  deeper and deeper into the bowels of the hill. Finally, she came into a large 
  chamber ﬁlled with seven sarcophagi. Her older children stood at the perimeter 
  of a pentagram, chanting to invoke some unholy spirit. In the center, lay 
  Elzbeth’s child, Leanor. Overseeing the profane ritual was Bergen, reading the 
  inscriptions and causing foul blackness to spill forth from one of the tombs. 
  Elzbeth shrieked and tried to save her child, but her other children stopped 
  their chanting and attacked her, holding her down as Bergen completed the 
  ritual, forcing her to witness the destruction of her child’s spirit. The experience 
  shattered what remained of her sanity. But Bergen made his ﬁrst mistake: 
  Instead of killing the woman, he let her live. 
  The next day, Elzbeth had the guards arrest Bergen. She ordered them to kill 
  him, but Erich interceded, allowing Bergen to escape the mansion. When 
  she discovered the betrayal, she feared the false priest’s plotting. Her last son, 
  Helmut, having completed his training, was coming home for his eighteenth 
  birthday to spend time with his family before being assigned elsewhere. 
  Bergen was going to subvert him as he had all the other children. Refusing 
  to let the man have her last son, she pored through the priest’s belongings, 
  learning what she could, looking for some way to thwart him. Instead of 
  ﬁnding a solution, though, her research awakened certain magical talents she 
  thought she could use to ﬁght Bergen. But, Helmut was fast approaching 
  and her time was running out. The only way she could stop the false priest 
  was to kill her son.
  Bergen’s exile was a frustrating setback. Though the Staufen heirs were all 
  loyal to him, he needed to get inside the mansion, seize Helmut, and with 
  the help of the other children, force him into the catacombs to complete the 
  incantation. So while Elzbeth struggled to ﬁnd some way to stop him, he 
  turned the locals against the mansion, claiming both Valdric and Elzbeth 
  had abandoned good and embraced wickedness, just as had their ancestors. 
  On his behalf, the children ordered random villagers executed in horrible 
  ways, stoking the ﬁres of unrest, until the people became enraged. They 
  had come to see Bergen’s exile as proof of Valdric and Elzbeth’s corruption. 
  So they seized their village, slew all the watch and guards, and now make 
  ready to attack the mansion. Now, under Bergen’s leadership, they are 
  willing to sell their lives to destroy the evil they believe has descended on 
  their homeland.
  Adventure Synopsis
  Lady Elzbeth, refusing to let her last child become a tool for Bergen, dons 
  a black cloak and rides out to wait for her son in the forest. As he draws 
  near, she lets loose a scream to draw him into the woods. When he comes 
  to investigate, she reads a scroll of summon monster III and conjures a trio 
  of lemures. 
  And so, the adventure begins when the PCs enter the Kirsvald. A terrible storm 
  forces them to seek shelter, so they move with haste towards the village. Along 
  the way, they hear the sound of ﬁghting coming from the woods. They may 
  go to help the knight or push on towards the community ahead. If they help 
  Helmut, they ﬁnd him battling for his life. Assuming they help him defeat the 
  enemies, he invites them to his home in gratitude for their aid.
  
  — 4 —
  - Introduction -
  Alternatively, if the characters push on to the hamlet, they see the people 
  preparing for war. The PCs learn the community has long suﬀered under 
  the heel of the Staufen family, and this very night, they intend to overthrow 
  the tyrants. The PCs are introduced to Bergen, who describes the situation, 
  and begs them for their help. He asks them to go to the mansion, ﬁnd a way 
  inside, and throw open the gates at an appointed hour, allowing the villagers 
  to breach the defenses and cleanse the place of the evil.
  Eventually, the characters should ﬁnd themselves in the mansion, either as 
  guests or as inﬁltrators. Regardless of how they get there, things take a turn 
  for the strange that evening. The family gathers for a dinner party to celebrate 
  Helmut’s homecoming. The characters have several opportunities to see the 
  madness and corruption gripping the family. As the evening progresses, the 
  PCs are free to explore the mansion and interact with its inhabitants, so that 
  by the time the mob arrives, the characters should suspect something horrid 
  is about to happen. 
  The place erupts into violence and, in the confusion, two of the corrupted 
  heirs take the captured Helmut into the chapel and down into the catacombs 
  below. With or without the PCs’ help, the villagers overpower the mansion’s 
  meager defenses, allowing Bergen to descend into the mansion to complete 
  the incantation. 
  If the PCs don’t immediately follow, Elzbeth ﬁnds them and implores them to 
  stop Bergen before it’s too late. The adventure concludes after the characters 
  race through the tunnels, contend with the horrors Bergen lurking there, and 
  confront the evil cultist before it’s too late.
  Adapting this Adventure
  To maximize the utility of this adventure, Mansion of Shadows keeps the 
  setting details sparse to enable you to use it in any campaign setting. Since 
  the geographical details have little to no impact on the adventure’s outcome, 
  you can set this adventure in nearly any small community. Though designed 
  for any setting, the places described in this adventure exist in the larger World 
  of Freeport. For more information on the Freeport setting, be sure to check 
  out Green Ronin’s Pirate’s Guide to Freeport.
  Scaling the Adventure
  Scattered throughout this adventure are sidebars that give you the information 
  you need to adapt it for higher play. Mansion of Shadows can be modiﬁed with 
  the suggestions given for PCs of up to 3rd level.
  Preparation
  Mansion of Shadows is a complex adventure, blending intrigue, investigation, 
  and combat. It’s best if you read through it carefully, examining the various 
  NPCs to get a sense of how events should unfold. For combats, be sure to 
  look at the capabilities of the opponents to make certain you make the most 
  of each encounter.
  Adventure Hooks
  Use any of the following hooks to involve the player characters in the 
  adventure.
  Expedition
  The characters have been hired to guard an expedition into the Carrion Swamp. 
  They have three weeks to reach the meeting place, an outpost named Lonely 
  Shore. The journey has been largely uneventful, but a terrible storm forces 
  the PCs to look for shelter until it passes. Luckily, they’re near a small village 
  at the mouth of the Narrow Pass…. If you intend to run the Bleeding Edge 
  adventures as a campaign, use this adventure hook.
  Coming Home
  One or more of the PCs may be from the Kirsvald, and the adventure is 
  something of a homecoming. Those characters from Staufendorf should 
  probably know the Staufen family, if not by name, then by reputation. 
  Delivery
  Another possible hook is to have the PCs work for a merchant, hired to 
  deliver supplies to a man named Bergen who is supposed to live in the 
  mansion. A cursory look at the goods reveals they are common materials 
  such as bolts of cloth, foodstuﬀs and other basic goods, but a thorough 
  search uncovers many strange objects, including what are clearly magical 
  components like powdered silver, odd knives, preserved organs and other 
  strangeness. 
  Web Enhancements
  As a bonus to Mansion of Shadows, Green Ronin is providing a slew of web enhancements to make this adventure easier to use. In addition to maps and 
  stat-blocks, these extras also include alternate stat-blocks for the Thieves’ World setting, The Black Company Campaign Setting, and True20 Adventure 
  Roleplaying.
  
  — 5 —
  Between the coastline of the Ivory Ports and the peaks of the Towers lies 
  the Kirsvald, a verdant land that forms the marches between the coast and 
  the interior.
  Climate and Terrain
  The Kirsvald is a region perfect for cultivation, if there were just farmers to 
  work it. The problem is the Towers themselves. Old things lurk here, ancient 
  evils from another time. On occasion, some terror spills out of the cyclopean 
  depths to prey on the thorpes and hamlets scattered in the mountains’ shadow. 
  As a result, most commoners keep to the Ivory Ports, working the land under 
  the protection of their powerful princes.
  Though few risk settling in the verdant hills of the Kirsvald, there are a 
  smattering of villages that have survived despite the danger of the wilderness. 
  One such community is the village of Staufendorf. It makes its livelihood 
  through agriculture, timber, and iron mining, but most of its wealth comes 
  from its vineyards. Since it sits at the mouth of the Narrow Pass, the easiest 
  route through the imposing Towers, it serves as a natural stopover for those 
  bound for the interior.
  Weather
  The Kirsvald lies in a temperate band. Thanks to its proximity to the coast, it 
  enjoys mild summers, though its winters have been known to be severe thanks 
  to its higher elevation. Moisture from the ocean means this area receives more 
  than its fair share of precipitation, and is rainy most of the year. Throughout 
  Mansion of Shadows, the Kirsvald is rainy with strong gusts, and as a result, 
  outdoor visibility is reduced by half and characters take a –4 penalty to Listen, 
  Search, and Spot checks. Ranged attacks are similarly aﬀected, suﬀering a –2 
  penalty. Unprotected ﬂames are automatically extinguished, and protected 
  ﬂames are extinguished 50% of the time.
  If you intend to use the Kirsvald beyond this adventure, use table G–1: 
  Random Weather in place of the one found in Chapter 3: Adventures of 
  the DMG.
  Table G–1: Random Weather
  d%
  Weather
  01–40
  Inclement weather
  41–80
  Normal weather
  81–85
  Abnormal weather
  86–99
  Storm
  100
  Powerful storm
  Lands
  The Kirsvald is hilly, blanketed with forests and crisscrossed with rivers and 
  creeks that carry drainage to the sea. The soil here is very rich with minerals, 
  making it perfect for farming and cultivation. A good portion of the land 
  surrounding Staufendorf has been cleared and farmed, supplying the town 
  with grains, vegetables, and some fruit. Though much of the terrain serves 
  for farming, plenty of forest remains, and the locals are careful to replant after 
  they cut for timber.
  The Ivory Road is the primary route through the Kirsvald, leading up from 
  the Ivory Port city of Silverus, climbing up through the hills, into Staufendorf 
  and on through the Narrow Pass. Outside of the town, the road is muddy 
  and rutted from frequent use, but as one draws closer to Staufendorf, cobbles 
  make the going easier.
  Sites of Interest
  The Kirsvald has several interesting locations and landmarks that warrant 
  mention. Most do not ﬁgure into the adventure directly, but oﬀer GMs an 
  opportunity to develop Mansion of Shadows as they like. Each location refers 
  to a particular terrain type; refer to Wilderness Adventures in Chapter 3: 
  Adventures of the DMG for details. If a DC is listed in the text, it refers to 
  the Gather Information or Knowledge (local) check the character needs to 
  learn this detail from the villagers or farmers.
  Land not described in this chapter should be typical of their terrain type. 
  Forests are sparse, the lowest bands of mountains count as rugged hills, while 
  the upper bands count as rugged mountains. Undeﬁned area is either farmland 
  or gentle hills. Finally, any terrain that borders lakes is a moor.
  Cold Wood (Medium Forest)
  This large wood forms the border between the Narrow Pass and Staufendorf. 
  This wood is rarely explored, and locals claim there are all sorts of terrible 
  things lurking within its depths, from kobolds to haunts (DC 10). 
  Covenant Forest (Dense Forest)
  The Covenant Forest is the oldest forest in the Kirsvald. It’s said the trees 
  harbor the spirits of dead warriors (DC 10), who sacriﬁced their lives to save 
  the Kirsvald from heinous ﬁends (DC 15). Some of the eldest Staufendorfers 
  believe the Covenant Forest is actually the site of some apocalyptic battle 
  fought thousands of years ago (DC 20).
  The Falls
  This waterfall drains the Towers and feeds the Shivers. In the winter, the falls 
  freeze solid, forming a beautiful sheet of jagged ice. A few locals have explored 
  the caves behind the falls (DC 10), and claim they found strange paintings on 
  the walls, bones, and shattered weapons (DC 15). It’s generally believed that 
  the tunnels connect to a subterranean city of bugbears (DC 18), since there’s 
  a good deal of goblin graﬃti on the walls (DC 20).
  The Ford
  Unless a traveler intends to swim, the Ford serves as the best point to cross 
  the Shivers in the Narrow Pass. There’s no bridge, nor is the river altogether 
  shallow, but the ferryman, Otis Dinkerden (N, male human commoner 2, 
  see DMG for statistics), takes people across for the reasonable price of 1 cp 
  per leg. Chatty, he engages travelers in small talk, ﬁshing for whatever bits of 
  information they have about the outside world. A DC 15 Diplomacy check gets 
  him to reveal something about what’s going on in Staufendorf. Otis whispers 
  that “strange things have been afoot in the town: people have been disappearing, 
  and folks have had enough. But the oddness in tha town don’t begin to compare 
  with what’s been happening up at the Staufen place. Why, I’ve heard that brothers 
  covet sisters, the lord has been having a dalliance with women of loose morals, and 
  the matron is mad as a demon in a church about the unrest in her house!”
  - The Kirsvald Gazetteer - 
  Moving through the Wilderness
  Since much of the Kirsvald is cultivated farmland, characters have little 
  to fear from losing their way. Eventually, they come to the Towers to the 
  north or the coast to the southeast. This said, in some areas, especially 
  the forests, there is a chance for PCs to become lost. Be sure to review 
  Getting Lost in the DMG for tips.
  
  — 6 —
  - The Kirsvald Gazetteer -
  Grey Wood (Medium Forest)
  North of Staufendorf is a large forest through which ﬂows the Shivers. Local 
  rangers claim this wood is home to a tribe of hobgoblins (DC 12), though 
  there is little evidence of this (DC 15). What is known is that the Grey Wood 
  is infested with wolves, some of which are impossibly large, as big as horses.
  The Gullet (Lake)
  The Gullet is Staufendorf ’s largest freshwater lake (DC 5). Fed by a branch 
  of the Shivers, it’s well-stocked with a variety of ﬁsh including bass, walleye, 
  and gar (DC 10). Though there are no organized ﬁsheries—the lake can’t 
  support such eﬀorts—many locals do a good business selling their catch in 
  the markets. The crustiest of these ﬁshermen claim the lake is home to more 
  than just ﬁsh (DC 15). Some whisper that ﬁsh men live at the bottom (DC 
  20). Of course, most dismiss such tales as fantasy, but since no one knows the 
  Gullet’s depth, who can say?
  Narrow Pass (Alpine Meadow)
  The Narrow Pass is the safest route through the Towers. This ravine forms a 
  V through the mountains, winding nearly 20 miles through the mountains. 
  Though more or less safe, falling rock and scree ﬁelds make the going slow—
  though far faster than climbing through the peaks (DC 10). The Narrow 
  Pass is generally safe, but there are occasional reports of mountain trolls 
  and bugbears (DC 15) harassing travelers. Some even claim to have spotted 
  wyverns circling overhead (DC 20).
  The Shivers (Deep River)
  The Shivers is a cold river that spills down from the Towers. Fed from 
  snowmelt during the spring and rains during the summer, the river is a great 
  source of ﬁsh. The water is deep and has a strong undercurrent. Wading 
  through the cold waters requires a DC 15 Balance check or DC 15 Swim 
  check and counts as diﬃcult terrain. On average, the river is about 300 feet 
  wide and rises neck-high on a Medium creature. 
  Shrine of the Nature God
  Druids have long protected the land of the Kirsvald. They watch over the 
  territory, acting as wardens to protect it from those who would despoil it. 
  The druids opposed the Staufens ages ago, aiding Amros in defeating the 
  Black Seven, but since those days, their numbers declined. Now, only a few 
  druids, led by Kraus (N male human druid 4), remain to watch over the land. 
  And because of their tenuous presence, they have refrained from involving 
  themselves in the most recent struggles.
  The Staufen Mansion
  Just outside of town stands the great Staufen Mansion. Situated atop of a 
  tall rugged hill, it overlooks all the Kirsvald. See page 17 for full details on 
  the mansion.
  Staufendorf
  Staufendorf is a sleepy village that spreads out over the hills that border the 
  Towers. Though the community thrives on winemaking, in recent years it 
  has become an important trade hub for merchants bound for the interior 
  through the Narrow Pass. Up until a week ago, Marcus Reinholt served as the 
  Mayor—a position appointed by the Staufen family. But after mansion soldiers 
  swept through town to round up locals for public execution, the villagers were 
  outraged and strung up Reinholt from a gibbet in the town square. Of course, 
  everyone in Staufendorf believes that the orders came from Valdric himself, 
  but in fact they were submitted by Erich on Bergen’s recommendation. Those 
  members of the watch who remained loyal to the mayor joined him in death, 
  while the rest cast their lots in with Bergen and the uprising.
  Staufendorf is a fair-sized village and is home to some 500 souls. In many 
  ways, the village seems larger than the population needs. With its position 
  as a trade hub, the village must provide accommodations for merchants and 
  travelers, so it has many more inns and taverns than a community this size 
  requires. As a result, the village has grown over the last few centuries. About 
  one hundred years ago, a mayor had the uncommon foresight to have roads 
  built to guide the town’s growth in the future. Toward the center of town, 
  the buildings are older and close together, but the further one travels beyond 
  the central ring, the more the houses and shops are spread apart. Beyond 
  the areas of new development, the town gives way to rolling farmland and 
  vineyards, with scattered farmsteads holding isolated families, and thorpes 
  and hamlets beyond that.
  Architecture
  Most buildings in the village are constructed from wood, especially at the 
  outskirts. Toward the center, wood gives way to stone, where homes, temples, 
  and successful businesses have thrived for generations. Only in the most remote 
  locations do the ﬁne structures give way to wattle and daub shacks. Many live 
  above their shops, but a few are wealthy enough to have separate homes.
  The streets are clear of debris, though rubbish and wastes collect in the alleys. 
  Since the weather is often sour, the rain washes most of the ﬁlth to the creeks. 
  Locals draw water from the community wells or from the streams fed by the 
  Shivers. 
  Staufendorfers
  Staufendorf is a modest community of honest and hardworking folk. They 
  revere the gods, honor their lords, and are thoroughly loyal to their community. 
  Their isolation means they don’t encounter many people of other races. Still, 
  there are a smattering of other people in the village, including a small gnome 
  and halﬂing community and a few dwarves and members of other races. 
  The people of this village are slow to trust outsiders. Treat all non-deﬁned 
  NPCs as indiﬀerent for the purpose of Diplomacy checks. But despite their 
  suspicions, Staufendorf is a ﬁne village, the people are proud of their lives 
  and village, and people are quick to boast about their ﬁne wine, the fact 
  that Roinen grew a 70 pound pumpkin, that their cows give the best milk 
  anywhere, and so on.
  Recent developments have transformed the community into a hotbed of 
  unrest. Public executions, oppressive taxation and rumors of evil coming 
  from the mansion have driven many people to question their lords. The last 
  round of trouble resulted in a total collapse of the city’s government, resulting 
  in an armed uprising that intends to burn down the mansion and all of its 
  inhabitants. Characters who are clearly nobles or aristocrats ﬁnd the villagers 
  are unfriendly, and those with clear ties of loyalty to the Staufen family meet 
  hostile locals.
  Key Locations
  What follows is a brief overview of the key locations in the village. Since 
  almost all the action takes place in the mansion, much is left open for you 
  to deﬁne to suit the needs of your campaign. Feel free to add extra details, 
  create new NPCs and add plotlines. The more detail you add, the richer the 
  play environment.
  Urban Adventures
  The DMG offers useful advice for running adventures in urban 
  environments. Be sure to review Urban Adventures in Chapter 3: 
  Adventures before running adventures in Staufendorf.
  
  — 7 —
  - The Kirsvald Gazetteer -
  1. Town Square
  The town square is the central gathering place in Staufendorf. It is here where 
  locals get news, swap gossip, and gather as a community. On summer nights, 
  the locals erect a makeshift stage for musicians and summer festivals. Peddlers, 
  tinkers and traveling merchants set up shop here, lending it an almost exotic 
  atmosphere.
  Cobbles cover the ground, and for the most part it’s clean, thanks in part to the 
  channels cut into the stones to funnel the rainwater away. In the center stands a 
  stone statue, depicting Amros Staufen, the village’s founder and the ancestor to 
  the Staufen family. At his feet is a wide well ringed with stones. Now, though, 
  the statue has been toppled and defaced with excrement and rubbish.
  Most buildings fronting the square serve in a governmental capacity. The town 
  hall, the court, the mayor’s home, and the city watch all maintain oﬃces here. 
  There are a couple of pubs to cater to the oﬃcials, as well.
  At the start of this adventure, a makeshift gibbet holds several bodies that 
  swing from lengths of rope. Ravens have plucked out their eyes and still feast 
  on the soft tissues. These are the corpses of the mayor and his loyal guards.
  2. Town Hall
  This two-story stone square building serves as the town hall. It holds the 
  oﬃces of the mayor and his assistants, as well as minor functionaries who 
  see to the day-to-day needs of the community. Few people have reason to 
  enter this building since all pronouncements are made from the short ﬂight 
  of steps leading to the oaken double doors. At one time, a banner displaying 
  the Staufen family crest—a rampant boar—hung over the door. 
  The Town Hall serves as the makeshift headquarters for the rebellion. For 
  more information, see page 13.
  3. Watch Headquarters
  The watch headquarters was a modest stone and timber structure that stood 
  on the north side of the square. It had two barred windows facing the street 
  and ﬂanking a single door that’s reached by a stone stoop. Now this place is a 
  burned out shell, destroyed in the uprising. 
  STAUFENDORF (VILLAGE)
  Nonstandard, conventional; AL CG, N; 200 gp limit; Assets 5,500 gp; 
  Population 550; Isolated (96% human, 2% gnome, 1% dwarf, 1% other).
  Authority Figures: Father Bergen (LE male human cultist 5, see Appendix for 
  statistics), false priest of the god of knowledge; Petra Handell (CN female 
  human ranger 2, see Appendix for statistics), leader of the uprising; Kyle 
  Rosen (LN male human warrior 3, see Appendix for statistics), former watch 
  commander
  Important Characters: Jona the Mixer (NG female gnome adept 3), alchemist; 
  Adelmar (CG female half-elf bard 3), entertainer at the Brazen Apple; 
  Jachom Thistleberry (NG male halﬂing commoner 7), proprietor of the 
  Brazen Apple Tavern and Hostel; Lucas the Smith (LN male human 
  commoner 3), Elena Morrin (NG female human commoner 3), stabler; 
  Kraus (N male human druid 4), priest of the god of nature; Mikhail 
  Sergenov (NG male human expert 7), merchant; Helga (CG female half-orc 
  ﬁghter 3), adventurer; Georn Ladykiller (N male human rogue 4), merchant; 
  Wendel Phelps (NE male human wizard 1), sage.
  Other Characters: Adept 1 (×2), Barbarian 1 (×1), Bard 1 (×2), Commoner 
  1 (×463), Druid 2 (×2), Druid 1 (×4), Expert 3 (×2), Expert 1 (×15), 
  Fighter 1 (×4), Other 5 (×1)*, Other 3 (×2)*, Other 1 (×5)*, Ranger 1 
  (×2), Rogue 2 (×2), Rogue 1 (×4), Sorcerer 1 (×1), Warrior 1 (×25)
  *Select non-standard classes such as psion, wilder, cavalier, or avatar for “others.”
  
  — 8 —
  - The Kirsvald Gazetteer -
  4. Brazen Apple
  Next to the Watch Headquarters is the Brazen Apple, an inviting tavern run 
  by a portly halﬂing name Jachom Thistleberry and his human wife, Salara. 
  The ceiling is tall enough to accommodate humans, but short enough to make 
  halﬂings comfortable. Of all the taverns and inns in Staufendorf, the Brazen 
  Apple has always been the safest, since it stood next door to the Watch. 
  Though the watch headquarters is in ruins, the pub and restaurant remain 
  open for business. Patrons who wish to spend the night may purchase a spot 
  by the hearth for a few coppers or let the one guest room for 3 sp a night. 
  Otherwise, prices here are standard as described in the PHB (though they 
  are 50% higher during festivals).
  5. Steed and Stable
  The Steed and Stable is a proﬁtable business located east of the square. Run 
  by the competent Elena Morrin, it oﬀers stabling service for travelers while 
  breeding horses, mules, and ponies for the locals. Elena is a proud woman 
  who refuses even the best intentioned help. She believes in her own abilities 
  and has so since her husband died 12 years ago. She feeds and houses her six 
  employees, who help her with tending the animals. She’s on good terms with 
  Lucas, the blacksmith who runs Ironworks.
  6. Ironworks
  Ironworks is a popular smithy that provides most of Staufendorf ’s ﬁnished 
  metal goods. Run by Lucas, he has more work than he can handle and expects 
  one of his apprentices to set up a shop of his own within the year. Skilled at 
  working with iron, he has branched out to do ﬁner work like weapons and 
  armor. He’s become skilled enough to provide weapons and armor to the 
  militia, of whom he’s on very friendly terms.
  Lucas has little love for the Staufen family, and any authority really. If Staufendorf 
  has a problem, it’s the nobles who do nothing but take their hard-earned gold. 
  Lucas quickly joins Bergen in the uprising. He’s been secretly courting Elena 
  Morrin, and if anything ever happens to her, he’d be devastated. 
  Aside from the smith, Ironworks has four apprentices (NG, male human 
  expert 1). 
  7. Jona 
  Jona the Mixer runs a small apothecary shop just oﬀ the square. A tiny 
  building, everything is scaled for gnomes, from ceiling height to the furniture 
  within. Though everything inside her shop is wee, a small act of deﬁance really, 
  she understands that most of her customers are human. Aside from herbal 
  simples and cure-alls, Jona produces a selection of quality alchemical goods. 
  At any given time, she has 1d10+2 vials of acid, 1d6 ﬂasks of alchemist ﬁre, 
  1d4 smokesticks, 1d10 tindertwigs, 1d3 antitoxins, 4 sunrods, and 1d2–1 
  tanglefoot bags and thunderstones. Her prices are a touch high, about 25% 
  above list price in the PHB.
  8. Traveler’s Rest
  Traveler’s Rest is the largest hostel in the village. The main ﬂoor holds a restaurant 
  that caters more to high end patrons, though as of late, they’ve dropped their 
  prices to stay in business. They make their yearly money from merchants who 
  pass through in the spring. The second ﬂoor holds twenty private rooms, while 
  the third is an open common room that sleeps twenty comfortably.
  During peak times, Traveler’s Rest charges 1 gp per night in a private room 
  and 1 sp for a bed in the common room, but now, they’re desperate to get half 
  those rates. They have a small stable, but tend to redirect folks to Steed and 
  Stable to ensure their horses get the proper feed and care. 
  Otto Schemp (NG, male human expert 3) inherited the place from his father, 
  who in turn inherited it from his father. With each generation, a Schemp son 
  adds a little of his own character to the place. Otto is preoccupied with knights, 
  so the décor throughout the restaurant features the coats of arms of many 
  lords and sirs that happened to stay here. His wife, Ferra, and their fourteen 
  children help keep the place in tip-top shape. 
  9. Graveyard
  This large fenced-in area holds Staufendorf ’s dead. Sam Rallen (NE, 
  male human commoner 1) handles the digging and burial. It’s whispered 
  (Knowledge: local DC 20) that old Sam has strange interests in the dead, 
  and before he inters a cadaver in its ﬁnal resting place, he spends a fair bit of 
  time with the corpse behind closed doors.
  The Towers (Rugged Mountains)
  The Towers are a range of mountains that run more or less parallel to the coast 
  of the Ivory Ports. Year round, snow caps their peaks though they are rarely 
  seen for the clouds that shroud them. Despite their beauty, the mountains 
  are home to a great number of sinister creatures. Everyone in the Kirsvald 
  Valley knows that bugbears infest the peaks, lurking in the honeycombs of 
  their warrens (DC 10).
  Wilderness Adventures
  Although nearly all of this adventure takes place in the mansion, there are 
  opportunities for the PCs to explore the countryside. Unless the PCs spend 
  an inordinate amount of time exploring the lands around the town, random 
  encounters shouldn’t be necessary.
  There’s a 10% chance per hour the characters spend on the roads or near 
  the village for an encounter, and an 8% chance per hour that the characters 
  move beyond the immediate environs of Staufendorf. If an encounter results, 
  there’s a 70% chance the encounter is a non-combat encounter. Since the area 
  is civilized, most encounters should be with locals such as rangers, ﬁshermen, 
  scouts, trappers, farmers, and shepherds—none of whom are combatants 
  unless the characters are hell-bent on turning everyone against them. Feel 
  
  — 9 —
  - The Kirsvald Gazetteer -
  free to develop these encounters as you like, but you can use the following 
  as a guideline.
  Locals are indiﬀerent and have little interest in wasting their precious time on 
  a group of green fools that know just enough to get them in trouble. If they can 
  improve the target’s attitude, the PCs can learn something of the area as follows. 
  Hostile
  Hostile NPCs berate the PCs for wasting their time, even going so far as 
  to mock them. Though angry, they won’t ﬁght. If the characters really botch 
  things, the local, assuming he lives through the encounter, spreads unseemly 
  gossip about the adventurers, denigrating their abilities and  claiming they’re 
  bandits or worshippers of demons.
  Unfriendly
  Unfriendly locals walk oﬀ, ignoring the PCs and their eﬀorts at conversation. Some 
  might point up the road with a snarl and then tell them to ‘be on their way.’
  Indifferent
  An indiﬀerent local makes small talk about nothing in particular, and a DC 
  15 Sense Motive check tells the characters he’d rather be oﬀ doing something 
  else. If pressed about any subject, he shrugs and suggests the characters will 
  be better oﬀ in the village, where they’re “mustering for war.”
  Friendly or Better
  Friendly locals engage the characters in conversation. Possible conversations 
  could include a recounting of the diﬃcult season, how Pete’s son broke his 
  leg in the Shivers, or how Old Man Grisle’s prized cow birthed a two-headed 
  calf. They may also give warnings about the strange ﬁgures walking the land at 
  night and the queer rumors coming out of the Staufen mansion. All friendly 
  characters reveal that the villagers have had enough of the Staufens and 
  that there’s violence in the air, warning the PCs that they had better watch 
  themselves lest they ﬁnd themselves caught in the middle.
  Using Intimidate
  Characters using force instead can learn about recent diﬃculties as described 
  under Friendly or Better, but once the characters leave, the NPC makes his 
  way into the village and whispers about the PCs and their motives, painting 
  them as the worst of villains, allies of the Staufens. Henceforth, characters 
  take a –4 circumstance penalty to Diplomacy and Gather Information checks 
  made in Staufendorf.
  Monstrous Encounters
  About 30% of all random encounters in the wilderness should result in combat 
  encounters. Roll on Table 1–1: Kirsvald Encounters. Unless in a speciﬁed 
  area (such as Cold Wood), use the Hills or Forest columns.
  Table 1–1: Kirsvald Encounters
  Towers
  Grey Wood
  Cold Wood
  Forest
  Hills
  Encounter
  Avr EL
  01–20
  —
  —
  —
  —
  1d3+1 bugbears
  5
  —
  —
  —
  —
  01–20
  1d3+2 lemures*
  4
  —
  —
  01–05
  —
  —
  1 dire wolf
  3
  —
  —
  06–10
  —
  —
  1 ghast
  3
  21–30
  —
  —
  —
  —
  1 giant eagle
  3
  —
  —
  —
  01–20
  —
  1 black bear
  2
  —
  —
  11–30
  21–40
  —
  1 boar
  2
  31–55
  —
  —
  —
  21–40
  1 bugbear
  2
  —
  01–10
  —
  —
  —
  1 dire badger
  2
  11–30
  31–50
  41–55
  41–80
  1d6+3 dire rats
  2
  —
  —
  —
  —
  81–85
  1 dire weasel
  2
  56–100
  31–45
  51–60
  56–60
  —
  1d2 ghouls
  2
  —
  —
  —
  —
  86–90
  1 hippogriﬀ
  2
  —
  46–60
  —
  61–65
  91–100
  1 imp*
  2
  —
  —
  61–65
  66–70
  —
  2 krenshars (only once)
  2
  —
  61–65
  66–70
  —
  —
  1d6+3 human warrior skeleton
  2
  —
  66–70
  —
  —
  —
  1d3 wolf skeletons
  2
  —
  71–80
  —
  71–80
  —
  1d6+4 Tiny monstrous spiders
  2
  —
  81–85
  —
  —
  —
  1d4+1 Small monstrous spiders
  2
  —
  86–90
  —
  —
  —
  1 Large monstrous spider
  2
  —
  —
  71–80
  81–90
  —
  1d4 wolves
  2
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  1 bugbear zombie
  2
  —
  —
  —
  91–100
  —
  1d4+2 kobolds
  1
  —
  91–95
  —
  —
  —
  1 Medium monstrous spider
  1
  —
  96–100
  81–100
  —
  —
  1d2 human commoner zombies
  1
  *These creatures slipped through the planar breach in the catacombs.
  
  — 10 —
  The adventure begins when the player characters ﬁrst enter the Kirsvald (indicated 
  with an “S” on the map). Depending on the adventure hook you use, the characters 
  may be passing through, making a delivery, or maybe even just returning home. 
  Allow the PCs to get a good sense of their characters, ask questions, feel each other 
  out, and get a sense of why they are here in the ﬁrst place. 
  A Cry for Help (EL 2–3)
  When you’re ready, proceed with the following text.
  The Ivory Road climbs towards the mountains, wending through the hilly 
  landscape. The land is cultivated, organized into large farmsteads, giving the 
  land a patchwork appearance. The sky is ﬁlled with dark, angry clouds and 
  after a few droplets, the rain begins in earnest.
  The road takes you past suspicious farmers, goats, cattle, and no shortage of 
  sheep, and after a few hours of travel, you come closer to civilization. Soon, 
  you pass a ﬁngerpost in the road, and then a wagon laden with turnips bound 
  for the town ahead, and when you round a hill, you see a large mansion sitting 
  on a hill, overlooking the lands that rise up to the mountains ahead. 
  And then, piercing the falling rain, you hear a shout, an oath cried out to 
  the gods from the nearby woods. A moment later, you hear the scream of 
  a horse. 
  PCs who go to investigate the sounds of ﬁghting easily locate the combat. As 
  they draw near, the sounds grow louder, allowing them to pinpoint the location 
  with ease. Once they enter the woods, they see the following.
  Through the falling rain, you see an armored warrior ﬁghting from the 
  back of a noble warhorse. Surrounding him are three malformed creatures, 
  whose pale ﬂesh hangs in such a way as to seem like tar dripping from their 
  wretched frames. They have blank rolling eyes, and their maws issue huﬃng 
  noises, hungrily snatching at rider and steed alike.
  Creatures
  The mounted warrior is Helmut Staufen, Lord Valdric’s youngest son. Newly 
  returned from Silverus, he’s come home to spend time with his family before 
  going oﬀ to ﬁght a war in some far-ﬂung land. Unfortunately, his mad mother 
  conjured three lemures to kill him before he reached his family’s mansion.
  Track how long it takes the PCs to reach Helmut. For every 2 rounds that 
  pass, the holy warrior takes 2 points of damage and his mount takes 4 points 
  of damage. Helmut ﬁgures out quickly that his sword has little eﬀect against 
  these things, so he falls back to his silver dagger. Also, every 2 rounds that 
  pass, one lemure takes 3 points of damage. If 10 rounds pass, the combat is 
  over and the lemures vanish back to their native plane.
  Lemures (3): hp 7, 9, 9; see MM for statistics.
  Helmut Staufen: hp 6; see Appendix for statistics.
  Champion: hp 22; see light warhorse in the MM for statistics.
  Encounter Set-up
  Between the late hour and the canopy of the trees, the forest is shadowy, 
  granting concealment (20% miss chance to all creatures inside). The terrain 
  features include trees, massive trees and areas of light and heavy 
  undergrowth, providing the following beneﬁts and penalties:
  • 
  Trees: AC 4, hardness 5, 150 hp, DC 15 Climb; provides +2 
  cover bonus to AC and +1 cover bonus to Reﬂex saves to any 
  in its space.
  • 
  Massive Trees: AC 3, hardness 5, 600 hp, DC 15 Climb; 
  provides cover.
  • 
  Light Undergrowth: 2 squares of movement; Move Silently 
  and Tumble DCs increase by 2; provides concealment (20% 
  miss chance).
  • 
  Heavy Undergrowth: 4 squares of movement; Move Silently 
  and Tumble DCs increase by 4; provides concealment (30% 
  miss chance).
  • 
  Forest terrain increases the DC for Listen checks by 2 per 
  10 feet.
  Scaling
  To increase the challenge of this encounter, add 1 lemure (EL 4) 
  or 2 lemures (EL 5).
  Tactics
  Track the number of rounds that pass from the moment the PCs 
  make their ﬁrst Listen check until they join the ﬁght. Subtract 
  these rounds from 10. What’s left is the duration of the summon 
  monster spell used to bring these ﬁends to the Material Plane. At 
  the end of this time, the devils vanish. 
  It should be clear as soon as the PCs come within sight of the 
  combat which side they should take, and their presence turns the 
  ﬁght into one that’s far fairer. With allies, Helmut maneuvers to help 
  the PCs gain ﬂanks on the devils. He ﬁghts bravely, using Mounted 
  Combat to negate hits. He stays in the saddle as long as he can to take 
  advantage of the +1 bonus to attack rolls from higher ground. 
  - Part I: A Chance Encounter - 
  1
  1
  1
  2
  1. Lemures  2. Helmut
  1 Square = 5 Feet
  
  — 11 —
  - Part I: A Chance Encounter -
  The lemures are mindless, so they simply attack the closest target. Their 
  arrangement (and beneﬁt of the ﬂank) is incidental. If confronted by additional 
  foes, they simply keep attacking Helmut until he falls or until they themselves 
  are attacked.
  Development
  PCs who succeed on a DC 15 Knowledge (the planes) check identify the 
  lemures for what they are. For every 5 points by which they beat the DC, 
  they learn another valuable piece of information. Characters who succeed on 
  a DC 23 Spellcraft check learn that the lemures are here via a summon monster 
  III spell. If they witness the lemures vanish when the spell’s duration expires, 
  they gain a +2 circumstance bonus to their Spellcraft check (automatic if they 
  know a summon monster spell).
  Helmut Staufen
  Once the PCs have helped dispatch the remaining devils, and assuming 
  Helmut still lives, read or paraphrase the following text.
  The knight removes his helmet, revealing a mane of long black hair and  
  young features covered with the start of a beard. His green eyes seem kind 
  and a broad grin splits his face. “Many thanks, friends. That battle was 
  close indeed!”
  Helmut is very grateful for the help, dismounts (if still mounted), claps his 
  newfound friends on the backs, and breathlessly recounts highlights from the 
  ﬁght. He is young, full of exuberance, and seems ready to take on the world. 
  Helmut gladly tells the PCs whatever they want to know. Here are some 
  possible questions and typical answers.
  • Who are you? 
   I’m Helmut Staufen, fourth son of Lord Staufen, recently returned from 
  Silverus to spend time with my family before heading oﬀ to the north.
  • Who’s Lord Staufen? 
   He’s my father and the ruler of the Kirsvald. See there, on the hill? That’s 
  his house.
  • The Kirsvald? 
   Yes, this land, here.
  • What were those things? 
   I have no idea, though I suspect they may have been some sort of ﬁend.
  • Where did they come from or How did you come to ﬁght them? 
   It was strange really. While heading to my family home, I heard a woman’s 
  scream. I left the road to see what was the matter and to save the woman 
  in trouble, but when I entered the woods, these (he gestures) foul 
  creatures ambushed me. At one point, I did see another rider, clad in a 
  black hooded cloak and mounted on a black steed, deeper in the woods. 
  I called out, but he turned and rode north.
  Helmut can lead the party to where he remembers seeing the rider. There, 
  characters succeeding on a DC 15 Search check ﬁnd fresh horse droppings. 
  Those with the Track feat, and who succeed on DC 15 Survival checks, can pick 
  up the trail. It continues northwest for about 200 feet and then turns sharply 
  south as if the rider was doubling back. It continues until it breaks through 
  the trees. Following the path from this point requires a DC 20 Survival check. 
  If so, the tracks lead to the Ivory Road and are then lost among the countless 
  other impressions on the muddy surface. The rider rode about 20 feet down 
  the road and turned back to the mansion.
  When the conversation winds down, Helmut thanks the PCs again and says, 
  “Friends, such service should not go without reward. Come back with me to 
  my father’s house. At the very least, I can oﬀer you a warm meal and a dry bed 
  before you continue on your way.” If the PCs agree, proceed to Part Three: 
  The Mansion. Otherwise, Helmut wishes them farewell and heads to the 
  mansion, leaving the PCs to go on to Part Two: To Staufendorf.
  Treasure
  The lemures have no treasure.
  Off the Rails!
  The characters don’t investigate the ﬁght! What do I do?
  If the characters ignore the sounds of ﬁghting and move on, don’t worry. 
  While Helmut is important to Bergen’s plans, his death doesn’t mean 
  it’s the end of the adventure. Bergen instead uses Valdric to house the 
  ﬁnal spirit. Even if this fails, Bergen’s tampering with the essences of the 
  unholy warriors has had an unexpected consequence that occurs when 
  the characters enter the catacombs. As for Helmut, a trapper ﬁnds the 
  body, giving the locals one more reason to rise up in fear and rage at 
  what seems to be one more sign of the family’s evil. 
  If the characters hear the sounds of ﬁghting, but arrive too late to help the 
  holy warrior, they can ﬁnd his corpse (a lemure uses a coup de grace to ﬁnish 
  him oﬀ), but more than likely with no culprits. On it, they ﬁnd a signet 
  ring that bears a rampant boar (the sigil of the Staufen family). The PCs 
  might carry the body to the mansion, carry him to the village, or simply 
  strip the body of his valuables and leave him to rot. If the PCs choose the 
  honorable course, they learn Helmut’s identity and either gain the attention 
  of the Staufen family (and an invitation to stay the night) or, at the very 
  least, suspect something terrible holds the Kirsvald in its grip. Even if the 
  PCs just strip the body, they can still be pulled into the adventure once they 
  arrive in Staufendorf (see Part Two: To Staufendorf). 
  
  — 12 —
  Staufendorf serves more as a catalyst and as a last chance to involve the PCs 
  in the plot than as an adventure site. Thus, extensive detail into the workings 
  of the village is unnecessary. If the characters helped Helmut and accepted his 
  invitation, then they should not have an immediate reason to go to the village. 
  But groups that bypass the encounter in the woods, or fail to save Helmut, are 
  likely to move on and see what’s happening in this beleaguered community. 
  Likewise, it’s also possible that once the characters have interacted with the 
  Staufen family they’ll want to escape the evil brimming there and ﬂee to the 
  village. Regardless of how the characters come to be here, Staufendorf gives 
  yet another reason for the PCs to face the Staufen family in their darkened 
  mansion.
  The Village of the Damned
  Things are bad in Staufendorf. Valdric’s sharp decline enabled his corrupted 
  son Erich to take an aggressive role in governing the village. From behind 
  the scenes, he orders his loyal guard to commit terrible atrocities, making 
  rounds in the village, gathering the citizens and executing them with caprice. 
  Cruciﬁxes decorate either side of the Ivory Road, bearing the rotting corpses 
  of the villagers selected for killing. Such gross acts of wanton tyranny have 
  understandably enraged the locals, but even still, many might never have acted 
  if it wasn’t for Bergen. 
  Having been exiled from the mansion, he installed himself as the village priest 
  and acted as living proof of the family’s corruption. “How could they cast out 
  a holy man from their home unless they gave themselves to the wickedness as he 
  claims?”  (Ah, the logic of commoners.) At ﬁrst, Bergen spread tales of the 
  mansion subtly, claiming he witnessed unspeakable acts, that Elzbeth Staufen 
  had ruined the family and now turned greedy eyes to ruin the villagers, too. 
  And with each raid, each round of murders, and the appearance of strange 
  creatures stalking the land (created, of course, by Bergen), the villagers have 
  become more and more afraid. 
  With their widening fear, the villagers turned to the learned man, begging him 
  to lead them through the dark times. Bergen preached in the town square, 
  eclipsing the inﬂuence of the other faiths, and turning fear into resentment, 
  and resentment into hatred. He emerged as not only their spiritual leader, 
  but their political one. 
  For a year, the tensions increased. All the while, Bergen sent missives to Erich 
  from the village to increase the raids, which only incensed the villagers more. 
  Furthermore, Bergen removed his rivals, whether through the raids or by 
  murdering them directly and making it look like they had ﬂed. All of this 
  placed Bergen in power, enabling him to assume complete control over the 
  frightened villagers.
  Everything came to a head the day before the PCs arrived, when Erich 
  Staufen dispatched his soldiers. This time, his soldiers focused on the 
  children and the elderly. When the ﬁrst few were rounded up for execution, 
  the villagers had had enough, and they rose up and drove oﬀ his minions. 
  But the locals were not satiated. They turned on the village watch. Those 
  who would not side with them were strung up in the square. The villagers 
  burned down the watch headquarters and a number of smaller shrines and 
  temples whom they saw as symbols of betrayal, and went on a rampage 
  through the streets, burning and killing anyone who claimed to be loyal to 
  the Staufen family.
  In the aftermath, the fear has spread and taken hold once more. The people 
  are worried about reprisals from the mansion, and many ﬂed their homes, 
  preferring the risks of the wilderness to the swords and axes of the soldiers. 
  Bergen, with the support of the former watch commander, Kyle Rosen, advised 
  those who remained to stay ﬁrm in their resolve, to cling to the ire that led 
  them to rise against their cruel masters in the hopes of breaking their hold on 
  Staufendorf. He emphasized that the lords will not forgive such destruction 
  and disobedience, and that the villagers must complete the course on which 
  they have set themselves. 
  As the locals fearfully watch the mansion for signs of soldiers, they debate 
  their next action, whether they should oust the nobles or see if some peaceful 
  solution can be found. The dead at the outskirts of town serve as a constant 
  reminder of the horror that life has become, and more and more of the villagers 
  are siding with Bergen, making ready to attack the mansion and destroy the 
  evil within.
  Arriving at the Village (EL 1)
  How you handle the village depends on when the PCs approach it. If they come 
  to the village immediately after Part One: A Chance Encounter, they ﬁnd the 
  villagers preparing for battle. Warriors distribute spears and bows, oﬀering 
  tips to the inexperienced for ﬁghting with these weapons, and struggling to 
  organize the angry crowds. If the characters come in the night, they encounter 
  the mob on the road as they march toward the mansion. Characters who take 
  another route to the village that night may ﬁnd the village abandoned and be 
  forced to break into the homes of those who remained behind to learn what 
  is going on.
  Assuming the characters arrive at some point after the encounter in Part One, 
  read or paraphrase the following text.
  The Ivory Road leads up and over a series of hills, taking you towards the 
  village ahead. But as you draw closer, the charnel stench of death ﬁlls your 
  nostrils, polluting the air with decay. You see a number of cruciﬁxes stained 
  dark with old blood and crow’s nests still holding a few corpses. Spread out 
  around the base of these crosses are a dozen or more graves. 
  The graves are freshly dug and shallow. A DC 10 Search check reveals that 
  animals and scavengers have excavated a few of them, revealing the grisly 
  remains of dead commoners. Characters that dig up a corpse and succeed on 
  a DC 15 Heal check learn that the victims were killed by slashing weapons. 
  Once the characters are ready to move f0rward, or if the characters come 
  into Staufendorf by a route other than the Ivory Road, read or paraphrase 
  the following text.
  The cobbled streets of the village are empty. Closed doors, shuttered windows 
  and the constant rain give the place a decidedly unwelcome atmosphere.
  Many of the villagers gather in the town square (Location 1), where they 
  argue about what course of action they should take. Characters exploring 
  any of the buildings they pass ﬁnd the doors are locked or barred (Open 
  Locks DC 15 or Break DC 20). About 10% show evidence of violence such 
  as sprays of blood, rat eaten corpses, or shattered contents—the result of the 
  Staufen soldiers or overly zealous villagers. Another 30% are abandoned, 
  with the rest holding 1d6–1 frightened commoners (noncombatants). Treat 
  these characters as unfriendly. Characters who improve their attitude to 
  friendly get a sense of what’s going on in the village (how much or how little 
  information they gain is up to you), but the PCs should at least learn that 
  all of the activity is happening in the town square, as well as the name of the 
  village’s ringleader: Bergen.
  Creatures
  Moving through the empty sections of the community are pairs of guards who 
  watch for soldiers. After the PCs have been in the town for 1d6 minutes, a 
  pair of village guards approaches 2d6 × 5 squares away. 
  Village Guards (2): hp 4, see Appendix for statistics.
  Scaling
  To increase the diﬃculty of this encounter, add 1–3 village guards.
  - Part II: To Staufendorf -
  
  — 13 —
  - Part II: To Staufendorf -
  Tactics
  The village guards aren’t looking for a ﬁght unless it’s with Staufen soldiers. 
  Even then, they retreat to get reinforcements. Even if the PCs botch the entire 
  encounter, the guards aren’t foolish enough to attack a well-armed party. They 
  try to arrest the characters and take them to the town square to be interviewed 
  by Bergen. But if it’s clear the PCs won’t cooperate, the guards withdraw and 
  report to their leaders and, 1d3 hours later, Bergen and company arrive to 
  meet the PCs for themselves (see A Meeting with Bergen).
  Development
  The guards are unfriendly and ask a few questions about the PCs’ purpose for 
  being in Staufendorf, looking for any evidence the PCs work for their hated 
  lord. Characters that convince the guards through roleplaying or by improving 
  their attitudes to indiﬀerent are allowed to go on their way. Characters that 
  improve their attitudes to friendly learn the details about what’s going on 
  in the village and the names of the leaders (Bergen, Kyle, and Petra). These 
  guards gladly lead the PCs to Bergen, thinking they have gained a valuable 
  ally in the coming battle against the mansion.
  Using the Village
  Staufendorf may be readying to attack the mansion, but it’s still more or less a 
  functioning community. Despite the late hour, the characters can take lodgings 
  at the Traveler’s Rest, have dinner at the Brazen Apple, and even do a bit of 
  shopping. But nearly everyone here readies for the battle, knowing this night 
  they will break the hold of the Staufen family or die trying. The few merchants 
  who remain sell their wares, but at a 50% mark up, though lodging and meal 
  prices are as described in The Kirsvald Gazetteer.
  Thanks to Bergen, the few priests who had established themselves in the village 
  were long ago driven oﬀ or killed and now their shrines are either burned 
  down or ransacked, so there is little healing available. If the characters are 
  heavily injured, allow them to purchase potions of cure light wounds from Jona 
  (see Location 7 in the village).
  Finally, the characters should get a sense of what’s been happening in the village, 
  including the rumors about how the Staufens worship demons, the random 
  executions, the uprising, and the plan to attack the mansion this very night.
  A Meeting with Bergen
  At some point while in Staufendorf, the PCs should encounter Bergen and his 
  lackeys. The easiest way is for the PCs to be arrested, but it can also happen 
  when the PCs learn about Bergen from the locals. If the characters don’t seek 
  out Bergen, word of their presence in the village reaches him, and the false 
  priest goes to the PCs instead. 
  It has been seven years since Bergen has seen Helmut, but he knows the holy 
  warrior was due to arrive at the mansion today. The arrival of the PCs makes 
  him suspicious that Helmut may be among their numbers, so he’s keenly 
  interested in meeting the PCs.
  PCs who go to Bergen ﬁnd him in the Town Hall engaged in conversation 
  with Kyle Rosen and Petra Handell and making the ﬁnal plans for the attack. 
  The conversation ends and the cultist invites the characters to sit. 
  On the other hand, if Bergen has to seek out the PCs, his lackeys and 1d4 
  village guards accompany him. He ﬁnds the characters wherever they plan 
  to stay for the night and speaks openly with them, even in front of other 
  villagers.
  In case the characters arrive too late to meet Bergen in the village, they may 
  encounter his mob as it moves to engage the mansion. Bergen keeps his people 
  at bay long enough to speak with the characters to ascertain their purpose 
  and to try to enlist them. In this scenario, you will have to abbreviate Bergen’s 
  
  — 14 —
  - Part II: To Staufendorf -
  story and it’s not necessary for the characters to inﬁltrate the mansion. Instead, 
  Bergen invites them to join in the attack.
  Bergen
  A short man in his middle years, soft around the 
  middle, his wispy gray hair frames a kind face with 
  a pleasant smile. He wears priestly vestments and 
  keeps a slim dagger at his side.
  Bergen is the villain of this adventure. A skilled actor 
  and capable cult leader, his entire life has been spent 
  spreading wickedness, turning righteous mortals 
  to the path of evil, and furthering the goals of his 
  infernal master. Though thoroughly evil, Bergen hides his motives well and 
  comes oﬀ as a kindly father ﬁgure genuinely concerned about his people.
  Bergen: hp 17, see Appendix for statistics.
  Kyle Rosen
  This heavily armored warrior is tall and stern with 
  graying brown hair, rugged features and a new beard 
  shadowing his cheeks. His eyes are gray and seem 
  to take in everything. He keeps a large sword belted 
  to his waist.
  Until yesterday, Kyle was the watch commander. 
  When the villagers rose up, he was given a choice: 
  join them or die. Having watched many of his men be hacked apart or strung 
  up from the gibbet, Kyle made the only choice he could. He’s served the 
  Staufen family for years and has a unique perspective on the situation. While 
  he admits the actions from the mansion are evil, he wonders who is giving the 
  orders. He knew Valdric in his youth, and there was never any evidence of the 
  wickedness that comes from the estate today. 
  He’s also suspicious of Bergen and doesn’t trust him at all. He spent the last 
  year watching the man rise in power, as well as  the simultaneous decline of 
  the other priests. He suspects Bergen may be involved with the corruption, 
  but has no evidence yet. For now, he’s willing to watch and see, but if Bergen 
  shows his true colors, Kyle won’t hesitate to act.
  Kyle: hp 16, see Appendix for statistics.
  Petra Handell
  A plain woman, she wears bloodstained studded 
  leather. Neither hand is far from the weapons that 
  hang loosely in her scabbards. Her face is a mask 
  of barely suppressed rage, and her eyes are those 
  of a fanatic. 
  The leader of the Kirsvald militia, Petra has served 
  the village and the environs, keeping the goblinoid 
  population in check. Though there are few goblins 
  and hobgoblins, there are a number of bugbears, and they occasionally descend 
  from the mountains to harass travelers and farmers. Her selﬂess duty has made 
  her something of a local hero, and when she championed Bergen and aided 
  in the uprising, most of the locals followed suit.
  What few realize is that Petra is insane. Two years ago, a group of bugbears 
  captured her and treated her badly. She endured weeks of torture and when 
  they tired of her, they left her for dead. She’s nursed her hatred ever since and 
  devoted her life to killing them whenever and wherever she ﬁnds them. When 
  reports reached her about the Staufen crimes, she came to see Valdric and his 
  family as the same kind of wickedness that breeds among the goblinoids and 
  has vowed not to rest until she slays every one of the so-called nobles.
  Petra: hp 11, see Appendix for statistics.
  Development
  Bergen wants to meet with the PCs, seeing them as either a risk or potential allies. 
  He introduces himself and his companions, looking for signs of recognition. If 
  none of the characters seem to know him, he explains the situation at hand.
  My friends, it seems a shadow has fallen over this land, and the source of 
  this evil is the Kirsvald’s masters. I hesitate to speak of it, but circumstances 
  demand action. Eight years ago, I came to serve the Staufen lords as their 
  spiritual advisor, to guide them to become the best rulers they could be, instruct 
  their children, and lend divine perspective on the matters of justice. At ﬁrst, all 
  was well and the family welcomed me into their home. The treated me as if I 
  were another member of their household, a beloved uncle, and it was a role I 
  embraced, for it was not long before I loved them as if they were mine own kin. 
  But despite my aﬀection, I must remember our holy purpose. The escalation of 
  violence at their soldiers’ hands and the uprising in our own village has pushed 
  circumstances beyond control and now is the time for desperate measures.
  I knew this family had a dark history, one famous for dabbling in the 
  occult. Long ago, the Staufen name was sullied by the actions of seven foul 
  children, remembered in the ancient journals as the Black Seven. It’s said 
  they personiﬁed mortal corruption, and wherever they went, they blackened 
  the land. But they never trusted one another, always conspiring against the 
  others to advance their own position, each vying with the others to take the 
  throne. This inﬁghting made them vulnerable, enabling their bastard brother, 
  Amros, to lead the peasants to topple their profane rule. 
  Of course, Amros was a good and virtuous man, but many suspected he 
  carried the taint of his kin and that with each new generation, he would pass 
  on the evil of his unworthy kin. For generations, these nobles have held the 
  valley, and certainly, their eﬀorts to rise above their past are commendable. 
  Why, even Valdric sent away his youngest son to join the ranks of the holy 
  warriors, but it seems that even with the best intentions, the heritage of sin 
  has reasserted itself once more.
  I feel that I am to blame. If I had only been more rigorous in my instruction, 
  more assertive in my guidance, perhaps this entire tragedy could have been 
  averted. But it is past the time of self-recriminations.
  During my service, I witnessed many odd things. The house gained a sinister 
  atmosphere: cold spots, odd smells, and even bleeding walls. Valdric became 
  obsessed with the pleasures of the ﬂesh, setting aside his wife for his maids. 
  Lady Elzbeth, driven to madness by the shame of her husband’s inﬁdelity, 
  turned to the dark arts and tried to murder her own children… those poor 
  children. I protected them as best as I could, but she grew enraged at my 
  interference, and cast me out almost a year ago.
  The good people of Staufendorf took me in, gave me shelter and food, 
  welcoming me into their homes. I felt that I could do nothing to help the 
  family, but the spirit of Staufendorf restored my faith and I tried to prevent 
  them from succumbing to the same curse that gripped the Staufen family. 
  But my works were for naught, for it seems Elzbeth and Valdric resented 
  my presence and sent their minions to murder us all. Repeatedly, they swept 
  through our streets, rounding up innocents, executing them, and displaying 
  them for all to see. And yet, we endured.
  Last night though, the aﬀront was too much to bear. The soldiers came once more, 
  rounding up our elders and our children. Their purpose was clear. In no way could 
  we allow them to murder our loved ones, especially those who could not ﬁght for 
  themselves. And so, the villagers rose up and drove oﬀ the soldiers. Regretfully, 
  the fervor of battle ﬁlled their spirits, and against my pleading, they themselves 
  prowled through their streets in search of traitors and those loyal to the nobles. The 
  result can be seen in the square, and truly, it is a sight that shames me.
  I never advocate violence. Why ﬁght when a better solution can be attained 
  with a clear head? But, circumstances have forced our hands. It is time to 
  follow Amros’s example, to rise up and remove the threat that will surely 
  mean our doom. And so, my friends, tonight, before their hated soldiers can 
  return to harass us more, we must strike.
  
  — 15 —
  - Part II: To Staufendorf -
  When Bergen ﬁnishes, he slumps back, as if tired. He pretends to be exhausted 
  by the tragedy that has befallen his beloved village, and plays the role of the 
  reluctant leader to a tee. Characters watching his lackeys note that Petra seems 
  to grow angrier each minute, wringing her hands with barely suppressed 
  violence. Kyle, on the other hand, seems worried and distracted. Characters 
  who keep a close eye on him and succeed on a DC 20 Sense Motive check 
  sense Kyle is worried by what he’s hearing.
  After the brief reprieve, but before the PCs can ask questions, Bergen comes 
  back to life and says, “My friends, don’t you see our plight? While I do not 
  doubt the drive of these villagers, there is no way we can hope to overcome 
  the mansion’s defenses!”
  Hopefully, a character volunteers to help, but if not, Bergen continues, “But 
  you… you could help us. Of course! If you could inﬁltrate the mansion and 
  slip in unseen, you could throw open the gates, allowing US to get inside and 
  reduce the loss of life and hasten the end of this wretched battle.”
  At this point Bergen allows the PCs to ask questions. He’s evasive about 
  particular details of Elzbeth and Valdric’s corruption, explaining he was not 
  privy to what went on behind closed doors, but that their wickedness cast a 
  pall over the place. He’s sure to add that the children are innocent victims and 
  they should be spared: They are not to blame for their parents’ misdeeds. 
  Bergen can describe the layout of the mansion, though his memory is hazy 
  (intentionally so, because he doesn’t want the children harmed). If asked about 
  a reward, Kyle shakes his head in disgust and leaves, but Bergen says the PCs 
  will be rewarded for their eﬀorts, promising them 100 gp each (half up front). 
  If the PCs ask for more, he goes up to 400 gp, but only upon completion. He 
  does not intend to pay them anyway.
  If the characters agree, he suggests they move quickly since the villagers intend 
  to march at midnight, when the soldiers are at their weakest. Go on to Part 
  3: The Mansion.
  Off the Rails!
  A couple of things can occur here that may present signiﬁcant diﬃculties.
  If the PCs ignored the sounds of ﬁghting in the woods, leaving Helmut 
  to die, then they may not be inclined to help the villagers. Bergen oﬀers 
  the reward to entice them to help, but if they refuse, Bergen lets them 
  go on their way. Unless the PCs involve themselves of their own accord, 
  Bergen succeeds in his plan as described in Part Five: Beneath the 
  Mansion, in which case you can adapt the adventure to have the PCs 
  ﬁghting against the horrors unleashed on the Kirsvald.
  A more likely problem stems from parties that include paladins or other 
  characters who can cast detect evil. Such groups have a genuine chance 
  to learn Bergen’s true nature. While using a spell-like ability or casting 
  a spell may be seen as an attack, prompting Kyle and Petra to respond 
  in force, the character should be able to let everyone know Bergen is 
  not what he seems. With some convincing, Kyle and Petra may take the 
  PC’s side and another combat could break out, this time with the PCs 
  and the NPCs ﬁghting the false priest. Even if the PCs defeat Bergen, 
  there’s still the issue of the Staufen soldiers and the rumors ﬁltering out 
  of the mansion. Moreover, there’s the question as to why Bergen wanted 
  to get inside the mansion in the ﬁrst place. With slight adjustments, the 
  adventure can play out as described, but instead of Bergen intoning the 
  last ritual, the PCs have to confront the tainted children.
  Characters of a religious bent that use this village as an opportunity to 
  proselytize their god ﬁnd a grim and unreceptive audience. All locals 
  become unfriendly and characters who persist in spreading the word 
  of their religion ﬁnd hostile villagers instead.
  
  — 16 —
  The majority of the action takes place in the Staufen mansion. There are many 
  ways for the characters to enter; this chapter spells out the two most likely 
  ways. The ﬁrst, and the simplest, is for the PCs to accept Helmut’s invitation. 
  The second, taking place after the PCs meet Bergen in Staufendorf, is to sneak 
  in. Characters who seek shelter at the mansion without being accompanied 
  by Helmut are simply turned away forcefully.
  Approach One: Invitation
  Assuming the PCs agree to accompany Helmut to his home, the journey 
  doesn’t take long. It should be uneventful, allowing the PCs to talk further 
  with Helmut, each other, and to take in their surroundings. Eventually the 
  road splits, and the holy warrior goes up the smaller path that climbs the hill 
  to the mansion. As they draw close, read or paraphrase the following text.
  Through the white pines, you see a massive house, more castle than mansion, 
  rising from the hill’s peak. The bulk of its grounds consists of a fortiﬁed courtyard, 
  but the most dramatic architecture is the attached three story house. Rainwater 
  spews from the mouths of gargoyles gathered at each corner of the peaked roof. 
  Old carvings of dragons, angels, and demons decorate the walls.
  When you reach the top of the hill, Helmut is surprised to discover the gates 
  are closed. He dismounts and goes up to the gate, pounding on it with his 
  ﬁst. After a moment, a pale face peers through a window, nods, and you all 
  hear the sound of a heavy bar being lifted on the other side. Helmut looks 
  back at you, giving a nervous smile and leads you through the gate and into 
  the walled courtyard beyond. 
  A squat tower stands at each southern corner and between them rises a 
  domed chapel. On the east wall is a stable, from which emerges two pale boys 
  to take the knight’s steed. To the south is a large wall and staircase leading 
  to the inner courtyard and the house beyond. Shadowy guards, their faces 
  concealed by the hoods of heavy gray cloaks stand in the shadows cast by 
  the inner walls.
  The doors at the top of the stairs open, revealing dim torchlight beyond. A 
  stern man in a grey doublet, black breeches, and a red cloak descends the 
  stairs. The rain swiftly plasters his black hair to his head. The resemblance to 
  Helmut is clear; the men are brothers. For a moment, the older man simply 
  stares at your group, but then his features soften and he smiles faintly. 
  This is Erich Staufen, the ﬁrst child corrupted by Bergen. After a quick 
  exchange of greetings, Helmut ﬁlls his brother in on what’s happened to him 
  on his journey, while the boys lead the steed (or steeds) to the stables (Room 
  2). Erich welcomes the PCs to House Staufen, and invites them in out of 
  the rain. Before he goes, he gestures to a pair of guards in one of the towers 
  to shut the gates. 
  Erich leads the PCs up the stairs and into the inner courtyard. As he walks, 
  he gestures about the architecture, mentioning how centuries ago grateful 
  commoners constructed the mansion. Eventually, conversation turns to the 
  family itself. Helmut asks after his brothers and sisters, his parents, and other 
  members of the staﬀ. Erich laughs and says he’ll see his family soon enough 
  and opens the doors to the guest quarters (Room 11). He tells the PCs one 
  of the servants will be by to collect them for dinner in about an hour. Helmut 
  wishes them farewell, and the two men leave the PCs to their own devices.
  Development
  Characters paying close attention to the conversation learn the names of the 
  Staufen family members: Lord Valdric and Lady Elzbeth and their children, from 
  oldest to youngest, Erich (whom they’ve met), Rosalin, Jack, Kris, Amalinda, and 
  Leanor. Characters watching and listening closely are entitled to a Sense Motive 
  check. Those who beat a DC 20 get a sense Erich hides something. 
  Approach Two: Infiltration
  Breaking into the mansion is challenging. Not only do the PCs have to 
  contend with the mansion guards (Listen +4, Spot +4), they also have to 
  face Erich’s soldiers (Listen –2, Spot –2) — cruel planetouched orcs recruited 
  from Freeport. The guards positioned at Room 3 keep a watch out for those 
  approaching the mansion, while the soldiers patrol the courtyards. 
  Characters do have the beneﬁt of the poor lighting. Since they are inﬁltrating 
  at night and it’s raining, they have the beneﬁt of total concealment so long as 
  they stay out of the range of torchlight (as shown on the map). 
  Once inside, the characters have to evade guards or kill them quietly to prevent 
  bringing the whole household down on their heads. In the interest of not 
  killing the entire party, give the PCs a few narrow escapes rather than have 
  the PCs face 20 guards when they screw up. If they do something foolish, 
  bring the hammer down.
  Exploring the Mansion
  Once the characters get inside, they are free to explore the mansion as they 
  wish. If they inﬁltrated the mansion, they skip the dinner scene (Part Four: 
  Dinner is Served) and probably look for a place to hide until just before the 
  mob arrives. Otherwise, they have about an hour before dinner. They may, of 
  course, resume their explorations after dinner, and then deal with the events 
  of Part Six: Beneath the Mansion.
  Note that there are ﬁnite numbers of guards, soldiers, and servants. Deduct 
  the numbers of slain NPCs from the total present. There are 30 mansion 
  guards, 15 mansion soldiers and 24 servants. Once all have been eliminated, 
  the characters no longer encounter them.
  Random Encounters
  The people of the mansion do not stay in place waiting to be killed or 
  questioned; they move around. Every hour the PCs explore, or whenever 
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  Table 3–1: Random Encounters
  Ground 
  Roll
  First 
  Roll
  Second 
  Roll
  Encounter
  01–50
  01–45
  01–20
  1d4 mansion guards (see Appendix)
  51–65
  46–70
  21–50
  1d2 mansion soldiers (see Appendix)
  66–85
  71–82
  51–60
  1d3 servants (commoner 1, see DMG 
  for statistics)
  86
  83
  61–63
  Valdric (see Appendix)
  —
  —
  64–74
  Vixens (see Appendix)
  87
  84
  75
  Elzbeth (see Appendix)
  88
  85
  76
  Erich (see Appendix)
  89
  86
  77
  Rosalin (see Appendix)
  90
  87
  78
  Jack (see Appendix)
  —
  88
  79
  Kris (see Appendix)
  —
  89
  80
  Amalinda (see Appendix)
  —
  90
  81
  Leanor (see Appendix)
  —
  91
  82
  Helmut (see Appendix)
  91–93
  92–93
  83–93
  1 cranial wretch (see Appendix)
  94–96
  94–95
  94–00
  1 lemure (see MM)
  97–98
  96–98
  —
  1 knocker (see Appendix)
  99–00
  99–00
  —
  1 lemure and 1 knocker
  
  — 17 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  they make a loud noise, there’s a 20% chance of a random encounter. When 
  the encounter is exhausted, the PCs will no longer encounter them. NPC 
  descriptions can be found in Part Five: Meet the Staufens.
  Common Features
  Unless otherwise mentioned, all doors are good wooden doors. The interior 
  walls are masonry, while the exterior walls are hewn stone. Ceilings in the 
  outbuildings (Rooms 6 through 11) are 10-feet tall. All other rooms have 
  13-foot tall ceilings. Lighting is mentioned in location descriptions. Windows 
  are glass.
  Interior Walls: 1-ft. thick; Break DC 35; hardness 8; hp per 10-ft.-by-10-ft. 
  section 90; Climb DC 15.
  Exterior Walls: 3-ft. thick; Break DC 50; hardness 8; hp per 10-ft.-by-10-ft. 
  section 540; Climb DC 22.
  Doors: 1-1/2 in. thick; hardness 5; hp 15; Stuck Break DC 16; Locked 
  Break DC 18.
  Glass Window: 1/4-in. thick; hardness 1; hp 5; Break DC 10.
  1. Courtyard
  Lighting: Torchlight. Note, the rain imposes a –4 penalty to Spot checks. The 
  torches are everburning torches and are not extinguished by the rain.
  Sounds: The rain imposes a –4 penalty to all Listen checks. Characters who 
  succeed on a DC 20 check hear the sounds of guards conversing in 
  Room 3.
  This courtyard is well-lit by glowing torches that somehow resist the sheets of 
  rain. Two squat watchtowers stand on either corner of the south wall, and a 
  domed chapel rises in the center. Across from the main gate is a stable from 
  which light pours forth. A wide staircase on the northwestern wall leads up 
  to a pair of double doors.
  The front gates that lead to Room 1 are barred from the other side.
  Gates: 2-in. thick, hardness 5, 50 hp; Break DC 30.
  Creatures (EL 2)
  A pair of mansion soldiers stands under the shelter from the south wall, which 
  blocks some of the rain. The soldiers are angry about their failure to butcher 
  the villagers, and are puzzled that Erich did not react poorly. They consider 
  what this means while keeping an eye out for intruders.
  Planetouched orcs, these soldiers have the general features of orcs, but are 
  pale white with gleaming red eyes.
  Mansion Soldiers (2): hp 8 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  The soldiers aren’t picky about who they attack. They’ve killed and done worse 
  to a few servants already. They confront and bully anyone who is not a soldier 
  or a guard (whom they hold in low esteem). If it’s clear the PCs don’t belong 
  in the mansion, they attack.
  The soldiers are brutes and unaccustomed to tactics. They don’t work together, 
  but rather focus on diﬀerent opponents. If one falls, the other ﬂees.
  Development
  Should combat break out, the noise attracts the 3 mansion guards positioned 
  at each of the locations marked Room 3 in 1d3 rounds. Should the combat 
  persist for more than 10 rounds, 1d3 mansion guards and 1 mansion soldier 
  arrive every 1d4 rounds until their numbers are exhausted.
  On the other hand, if the PCs can convince the orcs that they’re supposed to 
  be here (Sense Motive –2), the orcs grumble and go back to their shelter. They 
  have nothing to say to the PCs and if pressed, they attack anyway.
  
  — 18 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  2. Stable
  Light: Lantern light.
  Sounds: The rain imposes a –2 penalty to Listen checks. A DC 5 Listen check 
  reveals the sounds of horses within.
  This is a stable. Inside there are stalls enough for ten horses, but a ramp 
  leads to a second level, and the sounds of hooves suggest there are more stalls 
  above (not pictured). To the south is a pile of hay, pitchforks, feed, feedbags, 
  brushes, and other equipment needed to care for horses.
  Creatures
  Otto and Ham are the mansion’s two stable boys. Experts in their trade 
  despite being only 16 years old, they took over after they murdered Gregor 
  and hid him under the ﬂoor. While they feel guilty about killing him, 
  they both admit they are far happier without the beatings and his sweaty, 
  searching hands.
  Stable Boys (2): N human commoner 1, hp 2 each, see DMG for statistics.
  Tactics
  Neither Otto nor Ham is especially brave, and the two shrink away from PCs 
  who enter the area. They don’t ﬁght unless they absolutely must, preferring 
  ﬂight over death.
  Development
  The boys are indiﬀerent, though a little scared of the characters. PCs who 
  improve their attitudes to friendly can gain useful allies. The boys can report 
  that they ready the horses in the stables once a week for the raids. They reveal 
  that the mansion soldiers are in fact under the command of Erich Staufen. 
  If the PCs improve their attitude to helpful, the boys whisper that Elzbeth 
  Staufen used the black horse, Tempust, this very day. She was gone for about 
  an hour and when she returned, she was crying.
  Characters that don’t talk to the boys, but examine the steeds and succeed 
  on a DC 15 Handle Animal or Spot check note that a big black horse seems 
  to have been ridden recently, due to the mud covering its ﬂanks and the hay 
  in the stall.
  Treasure
  While not treasure, a DC 20 Search check reveals a loose ﬂagstone about 
  two-foot square. Lifting it requires a DC 10 Strength check. When opened, 
  a horrid stink escapes as the light from the stable reveals the crumbled and 
  rotting corpse of the stable master. If the boys are still around, they act 
  surprised unless the characters succeed on a DC 10 Sense Motive check, in 
  which case the boys reveal why they had to kill the man.
  3. Watchtowers
  Light: Torchlight.
  Sounds: The rain imposes a –2 penalty to Listen checks. A DC 10 Listen 
  check reveals the sound of quiet conversation coming from within.
  Though the doors to these locations are not locked, they can be. One guard 
  in each tower has the key, as does Erich. If locked, they may be picked (DC 
  20 Open Locks).
  This room is approximately 10-foot square. Inside is a wooden table that holds a 
  few tankards and trenchers ﬁlled with gnawed bones. A couple of chairs surround 
  it. Two pallets lie on the ﬂoor, and a ladder leads to another room above (not 
  pictured). A brazier heats the room, and a pair of torches gives some light.
  The level above is open and airy, allowing a guard to watch the road. There’s a 
  chair and a barrel full of bolts. The rain lashes through the openings, making 
  the ﬂoor slippery with old ﬁlth (Balance DC 5).
  Creatures (EL 2)
  Each location holds 3 mansion guards. They are bored and they spend their 
  time insulting each other. There’s always one guard on the upper level at all 
  times.
  Mansion Guards (3): hp 5 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  In addition, there’s a 10% chance for Erich (see Appendix for statistics) to 
  be in this location.
  Tactics
  The guards respond with force if anyone who doesn’t belong tries to enter 
  (Sense Motive +0). Should combat break out, one draws his sword and 
  attacks the lead character, while the other ﬁres a bolt from his crossbow at 
  those behind. The third guard descends the ladder and joins the melee on the 
  second round. If only one guard remains, he surrenders.
  Dealing with Mansion Soldiers
  The mansion soldiers are thoroughly evil and without remorse. Cruel, 
  vicious, and capable of any evil, they are completely Erich’s creatures. They 
  ask for and give no quarter. If captured, they make their captors’ lives as 
  diﬃcult as possible, screaming and ﬂailing. Even if intimidated, they speak 
  only of their master’s greatness and reveal nothing of his plans. 
  Dealing with Mansion Guards
  The mansion guards aren’t evil;  they’re just lazy. They suspect some 
  weirdness is going on with their employers, but have largely been kept 
  in the dark. Most come from the village and get to go home once a week. 
  But over the last year, Erich Staufen has ceased such breaks, claiming 
  the village struggles with a horrid plague. He whispers to these men that 
  the orcs are expendable, which is why he sends them to help the locals. 
  Most guards have no reason to doubt Erich, and while they miss their 
  families, they know they serve their kin by being healthy. 
  Some, though, have begun to suspect something strange. A plague lasting 
  a year? About 1 in 10 mansion guards are disgruntled and want to leave, 
  but they are afraid of the mansion soldiers. Should the PCs conﬁrm their 
  suspicions (improving their attitude to friendly), the guards may help the 
  PCs, but are more likely to ﬁnd a way out of the mansion instead.
  The guards know the Staufen heirs are all strange. They know them 
  by name, but little else. If the characters improve a guard’s attitude to 
  helpful, he genuinely helps the PCs, spying, ﬁghting, and doing anything 
  else the PCs may need to topple the Staufen family hateful rule.
  Sample Mansion Guards
  The following short descriptions serve to give you a starting point for 
  ﬂeshing out the various guards to whom the PCs might speak.
  Albrecht: A fat man in stretched armor, he has wobbly jowls, porcine 
  eyes, and rancid breath.
  Behn: A man of average height and build, he has brown hair and 
  matching eyes. He likes women a little too much.
  Friedrich: His red hair, pale skin and freckles set him apart from his 
  fellow guards. He has a foul mouth and intersperses his conversa-
  tion with terrible curses and comments.
  Kerner: A portly man, Kerner has greasy brown hair and small watery 
  eyes. He has terrible ﬂatulence.
  Oswald: An ordinary fellow, Oswald has a nasty scar on his cheek. 
  They say he gained it from his wife.
  Schubert: Grim and unpleasant, Schubert always sees the bad in 
  everything.
  
  — 19 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  Development
  The archer screams for reinforcements the entire time. Each round, allow the 
  guards in the other Room 3 and the soldiers in Room 1 to make DC 15 Listen 
  checks (at the –4 penalty). Those guards or soldiers who succeed investigate 
  on the following round.
  Treasure
  In addition to personal possessions, one of the guards has a key to this room’s 
  door. Upstairs, there is a barrel of 30 crossbow bolts.
  4. Chapel
  Light: Candlelight along the walls.
  Sounds: The rain imposes a –2 penalty to Listen checks.
  Fat tallow candles mounted in wall sconces illuminate this shrine. Two rows 
  of bench seats form an aisle that leads to an altar on the far side of the room. 
  Tile mosaics on the ﬂoor depict open books, but their pages are smudged 
  with mud and ﬁlth. The altar itself is clean, and on a stand rests a large 
  book—presumably the scriptures of the knowledge god.
  Characters exploring this room and succeeding on a DC 22 Search check in 
  the appropriate location discover a secret trapdoor. It is unlocked and leads to 
  the catacombs. For more information on this area, refer to Part Six: Beneath 
  the Mansion.
  Treasure
  The holy book might be worth something, but a casual examination of the 
  pages beyond those to which it is open reveals they are cut up and shredded, 
  desecrated.
  5. Inner Courtyard
  Light: Everburning torches along the walls.
  Sounds: The rain imposes a –4 penalty to Listen checks.
  At night, the gates leading to Room 1 are barred. From the inner courtyard’s 
  side, they can be opened easily by lifting the wooden beam.
  Gates: 2-in. thick, hardness 5, 50 hp; Break DC 30.
  The inner courtyard is open to the sky, and rain pours in. Torches line the 
  south wall, while light from the windows on the north wall add to the lighting. 
  A cluster of low buildings stands to the northwest next to a staircase that leads 
  up to the mansion behind them. A second staircase leads up to another door. 
  Against the east wall, a few open arches spill light into the yard, while a single 
  door stands closed against the same wall. Toward the far wall stands a well.
  Creatures (EL 2)
  Four mansion guards patrol this area at all times. They walk the perimeter 
  in a clockwise pattern. Every four hours they swap out with fresh guards 
  from Room 10, leaving the place undefended for about 3 minutes until their 
  replacements arrive.
  Mansion Guards (4): hp 5 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  The mansion guards question anyone they don’t recognize (Sense Motive 
  +0) and attack anyone they deem an intruder (as they were ordered). Should 
  combat begin, one cries out for help each round until reinforcements arrive. 
  Two guards hang back and use crossbows, while the other two close to engage 
  in melee. These guards are terriﬁed of Erich and bar access to the staircases, 
  giving their lives if necessary.
  Development
  Once the alarm is raised, allow the guards in Room 10 and the soldiers in 
  Room 1 to make DC 0 Listen checks. For the guards, they take a minimum of 
  a –17 penalty (–3 for 30 feet, –10 for two doors, and –4 for the rain), and an 
  additional –1 penalty for every 10 feet further. The soldiers take a minimum of 
  a –15 penalty (–6 for 60 feet, –5 for doors, –4 for the rain) with an additional 
  –1 for every 10 feet further. Guards or soldiers that hear arrive in 1d2 rounds. 
  Should the combat persist for more than 10 rounds, 1d3 guards and 1 soldier 
  arrive every round until their numbers are exhausted.
  6. Men’s Quarters
  Light: Lantern Light
  Sounds: None
  This large room holds a dozen or so beds and small chests. A few tables stand 
  near a ﬁreplace against the far wall.
  Creatures
  There is a 30% chance for 1d6+2 male servants (N commoner 1) to be here. 
  Servants (varies): hp 3 each, see DMG for statistics.
  Dealing with Servants
  The servants are terriﬁed of the Staufen family. They deal with them directly, 
  cleaning their rooms, helping them bathe and preparing and serving their 
  meals, and they have ﬁrst hand knowledge of the family’s decline. But their 
  fear outweighs their outrage. They are reluctant to betray them.
  If the PCs are guests, the servants mask their unfriendliness beneath a 
  veneer of servility. They do their duty, but do not linger, and they answer 
  questions in as few words as possible. If the PCs are inﬁltrators, the 
  servants may see them as liberators, but they temper their hopes with 
  cold reality—the PCs are doomed to fail in their eyes. Thus, they are 
  indiﬀerent to the PCs’ actions.
  Improving a servant’s attitude to friendly indicates he reveals some 
  information, but nothing that would put him in jeopardy. The servant 
  tells the PCs the names of the family members, the general layout of 
  the mansion (including the location of Bergen’s quarters at Room 14), 
  and mention that the children are corrupt and not their parents. They 
  do admit Valdric and Elzbeth grapple with their own dark troubles. 
  Finally, the servants mention that many are ﬂeeing the castle.
  A helpful servant is willing to throw her lot in with the PCs even if it 
  means great risk in doing so. They reveal the essential characteristics 
  of the heirs, describing their behavior and actions. They know Erich is 
  the one who brought the dreaded soldiers into the mansion, and that he 
  sends them out to butcher the villagers. Finally, about 10% of all helpful 
  servants know the missing servants are not ﬂeeing, but have actually 
  been killed by Erich and hidden around the mansion. When they ﬁnd 
  a corpse, they throw them over the wall.
  Sample Servants
  The following short descriptions serve to give you a starting point for 
  ﬂeshing out the various servants to whom the PCs might speak.
  Edith: An older woman, she is squat, chubby, and hasn’t a tooth in 
  her head. 
  Gertrude: Slim and pretty, she is alluring and seductive. She has an 
  irritating laugh.
  Johann: This stately man is neat and clean. He compulsively washes 
  his hands and fears dirt.
  Kammila: A plain woman, she is of average height and build. She 
  hides a terrible secret.
  Olbrecht: This disgusting wretch covets the women of the house and 
  sometimes spies on them while they bathe.
  
  — 20 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  UP
  UP
  = 10 FEET
  
  — 21 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  Tactics
  While oﬀended by the PC’s entry, they do not intend to ﬁght, and if a ﬁght 
  breaks out, they ﬂee.
  Development
  The servants resent intrusions and are unfriendly. If the PCs do not improve 
  their attitudes to friendly or better, the servants report the PCs to the mansion 
  guards. See sidebar for details.
  Treasure
  The servants have little of value. Each small chest (of which there are 12) 
  contains 1d20 sp and 1d20 cp. One chest contains an elixir of love.
  7. Servant’s Hall
  Light: Torches and ﬁreplace.
  Sounds: None
  This large room combines a kitchen with a dining hall. A big ﬁreplace stands 
  against the opposite wall and long tables with bench seats ﬁll the space.
  This is where the servants take their meals and interact with each other.
  Creatures
  The servants take their meals about two hours after the family, so the hall will 
  be full of 1d10+10 servants (N commoner 1) by eleven o’clock. Otherwise, 
  there’s a 40% chance for 1d4 servants to be here.
  Servants (varies): hp 3 each, see DMG for statistics.
  Tactics
  Servants have little ability to ﬁght and avoid confrontations.
  8. Women’s Quarters
  Light: Lantern Light
  Sounds: None
  This large room holds a dozen or so beds and small chests. A few tables stand 
  near a ﬁreplace against the far wall.
  Creatures
  There is a 30% chance for 1d6+2 female servants (N commoner 1) to be here. 
  Servants (varies): hp 3 each, see DMG for statistics.
  Tactics
  While oﬀended by the PC’s entry, they have no intention of ﬁghting, and if 
  a ﬁght breaks out, they ﬂee.
  Treasure
  The servants have little of value. Each small chest (of which there are 12) contains 
  1d20 sp and 1d20 cp. One chest contains a potion of cure light wounds.
  9. Hall
  Light: Torches every 10 feet.
  Sounds: The sound of rain coming through the open arches imposes a –4 
  penalty to Listen checks. 
  This corridor is lit with torches. Rainwater splashes in through the open 
  windows looking out onto the inner courtyard.
  Creatures
  There’s a 30% chance for 1d2 mansion guards to be here and a 10% chance 
  for a mansion soldier to be here.
  Mansion Guards (varies): hp 5 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  Mansion Soldiers (varies): hp 8 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  If guards are present, and the PCs are inﬁltrators, they shout for help and 
  attack. If a soldier, he attacks by himself. In both cases, they close for melee.
  Development
  Sounds of ﬁghting entitle the guards in Room 10 to make DC 0 Listen 
  checks. They take at least a –7 penalty to Listen checks due to the door and 
  rain, and another –1 penalty for every 10 feet beyond their room. If they 
  hear, they join the ﬁght in 1d2 rounds. Because of the isolation of this area, 
  no other guards arrive.
  10. Barracks
  Light: Torchlight.
  Sounds: A DC 15 Listen check outside of the north door reveals the sounds 
  of conversation. Those who succeed by 5 or more learn that the people 
  inside are likely guards and that they’re gambling.
  This sizeable room contains bunks enough to hold 20 men, a few tables, 
  chairs, and trunks. 
  Creatures (EL 3)
  At any given time, there are 8 mansion guards here.
  Mansion Guards (8): hp 5 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  The guards attack obvious inﬁltrators. Being oﬀ duty, they aren’t prepared 
  for a ﬁght. They can grab their weapons and shields in 1 round. Modify their 
  statistics as follows.
  AC 9, touch 9, ﬂat-footed 9 (–1 Dex)
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Development
  Guards tell guests who stumble into the room to be on their way. One may 
  lead the PCs back to their quarters, but depending on the characters’ actions, 
  they may just tell them to “sod oﬀ.” They aren’t interested in conversation, so 
  all DCs to change their attitude are increased by 5.
  Treasure
  In addition to their personal possessions (locks of hair, trinkets, and other junk), 
  the trunks (of which there are 20) hold 1d10–2 gp, 1d20–4 sp, and 2d20 cp.
  11. Guest Quarters
  Light: Everburning torches. Each of the adjoining rooms holds a ﬁreplace.
  Sounds: None.
  Off the Rails!
  So, what if the PCs start butchering the Staufen heirs left and right? 
  Won’t this totally throw the adventure oﬀ the rails? Doesn’t this abort 
  the entire adventure? Yes and no. As described in Part Six, regardless of 
  the PCs’ eﬀorts to destroy the Staufen children, something happens at 
  the end. Whether it’s the failed eﬀort by Bergen to conjure up the ﬁnal 
  sinthrall, or it’s a weakening of the planar breach, Mansion of Shadows 
  ends with a bang. If the PCs seem hell bent (pun intended) to hack apart 
  Erich and his brothers and sisters, let them. The conclusion will be all 
  the sweeter when the devils start slipping out of the mouth of Hell to 
  rain down unholy terror on the Kirsvald.
  
  — 22 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  Attached to a central sitting room are three bedrooms. Each contains two large 
  beds that can sleep three comfortably and a small table equipped with toiletries, 
  mirror, washbasin, and ewer. Two chamber pots sit under each bed. A large 
  rug covers the stone-tiled ﬂoor. A wardrobe stands against one of the walls, 
  holding a few spare blankets and sheets. Each room also holds a ﬁreplace, 
  and there’s enough wood to keep the ﬁre burning through the night.
  If the characters are guests, these are their rooms. Otherwise, they are empty.
  12. Servant’s Stair
  Light: Torches every 10 feet.
  Sounds: A DC 20 Listen check reveals the sounds of a busy kitchen coming 
  from above.
  This small room holds a spiral staircase that climbs up to the level above.
  This staircase leads up to the First Floor. The servants use it to reach the 
  kitchens above. Given the tight quarters, characters wielding two-handed 
  weapons take a –2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls, and those wielding 
  reach weapons take a –4 penalty.
  13. Main Entrance
  Light: Four torches and a ﬁreplace.
  Sounds: DC 15 Listen check reveals the sounds of guards talking about 
  nothing.
  This room is obviously an entrance. While spartanly decorated, the Staufen 
  coat of arms, a black boar rampant, stands over the door. A ﬁreplace stands 
  against the east wall, and a pair of torches in sconces ﬂanks the doors. A 
  large window overlooks the inner courtyard.
  Creatures
  Two mansion guards stand ready at all times.
  Mansion Guards (2): hp 5 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  Unless convinced they are suppose to be here (Sense Motive +0), the guards 
  waste no time attacking. One shouts for help and 1d4 more guards arrive every 
  1d4 rounds until a total of 12 (or however many are left) arrive.
  Development
  The guards are friendly to guests and oﬀer to help direct them back to their 
  quarters.
  14. Bergen’s Quarters
  Light: None.
  Sounds: None.
  The doors to this room are locked. They may be opened with a successful DC 
  20 Open Lock check. Lady Elzbeth has the key.
  This room holds a simple desk, a small bed, a dresser, chest, and a shelf 
  containing ﬁve tomes and a statuette. A curtained window looks onto the 
  inner courtyard. Everything is covered with dust.
  This room housed Bergen when he lived in the mansion. He chose this room 
  because of its nearness to the chapel. When Elzbeth cast him out of the 
  house, she sealed the room and destroyed all the keys but her own. Some of 
  her children have made a few attempts to get inside, but without much luck. 
  Bergen didn’t have the chance to collect his things, so the place is much as 
  he left it.
  Development
  So long as the characters don’t use any more light than a candle, they do not 
  attract attention while examining this room.
  Treasure
  A cursory glance at the room’s contents turns up nothing of interest. However, 
  characters who take the time to search it discover a number of important clues.
  • Desk: The desk is not much more than a table with four legs. On it is a pot of 
  dried up ink and a few quills. A chair is pushed up against it. Characters 
  who think to look under the desk or who succeed on a DC 12 Search 
  check discover a small journal hidden underneath. It takes an hour to 
  read the whole thing. The original priest of the knowledge god owned 
  the journal. It recounts how he left Freeport to serve the Staufen family, 
  and how though he knew the family’s strange history, he was hopeful 
  that he could lift them from the evil of their past. It goes on to tell of 
  his meeting with a strange traveler just outside of Silverus. The priest 
  was concerned about his spirit and counseled him in the doctrines of 
  his faith. It ends abruptly and then skips a few pages.
   Where it picks up, have the reader make a DC 10 Intelligence check to notice 
  the changed handwriting. The discussion is exclusively of the family’s his-
  tory, mentioning a discovery of some black bound book in the vault hidden 
  beneath the “stones of god.” A few more entries later, it picks up with his 
  discovery of the ancient tombs and the ﬁnding of the incantations. 
  • Bed: The bed is empty and moth eaten. Characters who succeed on a DC 
  15 Search check feel a lump inside the mattress. Cutting it open reveals 
  a small bag containing an arcane scroll of magic weapon, 25 gp, and a 
  human ﬁnger encased in bronze. The owner of the ﬁnger is up to you 
  to determine, but it could be the ﬁnger of the murdered priest, whom 
  Bergen has impersonated these past ten years.
  • Chest: The chest holds spare vestments, smallclothes, and a holy book of 
  the knowledge god. Beneath is a small box holding four labeled bottles 
  of oil of magic weapon, potion of cure light wounds, potion of mage armor, 
  and a potion of undetectable alignment.
  • Dresser: The dresser has three drawers, each holding more clothing. If the 
  PCs inspect each article of clothing, they ﬁnd that the bottom drawer 
  contains a black robe on which is stitched a pentagram in red.
  • Shelf: The shelf holds ﬁve books and a statuette. The small statue depicts 
  an elephant-headed woman. It is carved from ivory, and a successful 
  Appraise check reveals it is worth 200 gp.
   The books include: Freeport: A History (+4 bonus to Knowledge: history checks 
  pertaining to Freeport), Legends of the Towers (+2 bonus to Knowledge: 
  geography and history checks pertaining to the Towers), Divine Theory (+2 
  bonus to Knowledge: religion checks), a spellbook containing all cantrips, 
  jump, protection from evil, plus three spells of your choice, and ﬁnally The 
  Black Seven. The listed bonuses enable characters to make Knowledge checks 
  untrained when consulted (it takes 1d4 hours of research). Bergen killed 
  the spellbook’s owner, when the mage stumbled onto Bergen in the middle 
  of an incantation. The other books are worth 50 gp each.
   But of them all, the most important is The Black Seven. This strange little 
  book describes ﬁrsthand accounts of the horrors perpetrated by The Black 
  Seven, describing in lavish detail how each personiﬁed one of the mortal 
  sins. The information is confusing and jarring. It goes on to describe how 
  Amros cleansed the mansion and interred his siblings in tombs below the 
  house. Finally, the text reveals how their followers inscribed on the tombs 
  the means by which their essences can be restored and cites the limitations of 
  the incantation—they may be spoken only on the anniversary of the subject’s 
  birth and only the blood of Amros can accept the power the tombs hold.
  15. Hall
  Light: Torches every 10 feet.
  Sounds: None.
  Doors stand on nearly every wall of this long hallway. Hanging from the 
  walls are portraits of people.
  
  — 23 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  Development
  The portraits depict the Staufen lords. They go back nearly ﬁve centuries. The 
  oldest is of Amros himself. He appears haunted, tired, and sad. The only other 
  one of note is Valdric. He is pictured seated with his wife. They both have 
  solemn expressions, but they hold hands. A character who succeeds on a DC 
  15 Spot check notices a mirror, and in it is some sinister shadowy form.
  Treasure
  The paintings are of good quality, but their worth is more sentimental in value. 
  At most, a painting might bring 10 gp to a collector.
  16. Second Floor Access
  Light: Torches every 20 feet.
  Sounds: None.
  This long hall ends at a spiral staircase that leads to the next ﬂoor.
  This room is empty.
  17. Audience Hall
  Light: None.
  Sounds: None.
  This massive room is clearly an audience hall. Thick pillars support the ceiling 
  overhead, and a dais stands against the east wall. On it stands a pair of high 
  backed chairs. Hanging from the ceiling on the north and south walls are 
  banners depicting the family coat of arms. Everything is dusty.
  This room is empty.
  18. Library
  Light: None, though unlit lamps and candles are present.
  Sounds: None.
  This chamber holds a large collection of books. Leather chairs, several tables 
  holding candles, and even a wheeled ladder to reach the higher shelves ﬁll 
  the room. A few braziers are scattered throughout the room, and a soft red 
  rug covers the ﬂoor.
  Development
  The circumstances of this adventure prevent characters from spending too 
  much time here, but at the expense of exploring, PCs can examine the contents 
  of the collection. The books can include whatever you like, however, this could 
  be a great opportunity to plant plot hooks for future adventures.
  Treasure
  This room holds several hundred books, consisting of journals, accounting 
  books, guides, and more. The collection, if it could be transported, is worth a 
  great deal, easily 1d20 gp per book. 
  19. Study
  Light: Three lamps situated on three tables.
  Sounds: None.
  This room is big and airy with a high ceiling that reveals a ﬁrst ﬂoor walkway 
  overhead. Several chairs and couches are arranged facing huge windows to 
  give those sitting a brilliant view of the Kirsvald. Now, though, sheets of rain 
  hammer at the glass, concealing whatever secrets the night holds.
  Creatures (EL varies)
  There’s an 80% chance for Amalinda to be here. Unless the characters are 
  intruders, she deals with them as normal as described in Part Five: Meet 
  the Staufens. 
  Also, hidden in Room 27, the balcony that overlooks the study, is a cranial 
  wretch. 
  Amalinda: hp 4, see Appendix for statistics.
  Cranial Wretch (1): hp 16, see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  The devil observes the PCs from above, debating whether or not it should 
  attack. If the PCs are obviously out of place and searching for something, or 
  attack Amalinda, it ﬂies above, dropping a gobbet of its acidic drool on them. It 
  does not descend unless the PCs are signiﬁcantly weakened. Amalinda spends 
  1 round ﬁghting the PCs and then ﬂees by whatever means are available.
  Development
  If the PCs defeat the cranial wretch, they do not encounter it in Room 27.
  20. Lord’s Hall
  Light: Torches every 10 feet.
  Sounds: The rain outside imposes a –2 penalty to Listen checks.
  Windows line this long hallway, providing a breathtaking view of the 
  mountains, or would, if it weren’t for the darkness and rain. A door stands 
  closed at either end of the hall.
  Creatures 
  (EL 2)
  Two mansion soldiers protect this hallway. They do not harass guests, but 
  attack anyone they see as an intruder.
  Mansion Soldiers (2): hp 8 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  On the ﬁrst round, one soldier casts darkness and then moves forward, drawing 
  his greatsword. The other charges any obvious spellcasters. Failing that, he 
  attacks whoever is closest. The soldiers ﬁght to the death.
  
  — 24 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  = 10 FEET
  
  — 25 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  Development
  Thanks to its isolated location, sounds of combat do not carry far, so no 
  reinforcements come.
  The west door leads to a closet ﬁlled with linens and cleaning materials, 
  including a large barrel. Prying the lid oﬀ (DC 15 Strength check) reveals that 
  the container is ﬁlled with lacquer and ﬂoating inside is a dead servant.
  First Floor
  This level is mostly the kitchens, storage, and a dining hall. The mansion guards 
  occasionally patrol this ﬂoor, but most of the protection comes from the mansion 
  soldiers. If the PCs are guests, Erich Staufen keeps his minions out of sight.
  21. Kitchens
  Light: Hearths, chandelier overhead.
  Sounds: The noise of the kitchens imposes a –4 penalty to Listen checks.
  This place is a busy kitchen. Hearths stand on the east and west wall, and 
  big tables run along the center, covered with ladles, pots, pans, knives and an 
  assortment of other tools. Overhead, a chandelier ﬁtted with a dozen candles 
  provides enough light to work. 
  Creatures
  There are always at least 3 servants here and during meal times, there are as 
  many as 1d10+2 more. The servants do their best to ignore Leanor, who in 
  turn does her best to ignore everyone else.
  Leanor: hp 8, see Appendix for statistics.
  Servants (varies): hp 3 each, see DMG for statistics.
  Tactics
  Like all servants in the mansion, these are not looking for a ﬁght. Leanor, however, 
  is ghoulish, and by appearance and behavior alone, she may provoke the PCs into 
  combat. See Part Five: Meet the Staufens for details on Leanor’s tactics.
  Development
  The cooks shoo characters out of the kitchen, believing they belong in the 
  mansion. Unless the characters make a big show of not belonging (such as 
  attacking Leanor), they can move through this room without attracting undue 
  attention. Should a ﬁght break out, the servants ﬂee, screaming.
  22. Hall
  Light: Torches every 10 feet.
  Sounds: None
  This long hall wraps around a central room. The southwest corridor leads 
  to a spiral staircase.
  The staircase leads up to Room 28.
  23. Soldiers
  Light: Torches every 10 feet.
  Sounds: None.
  This area is a large landing with a spiral staircase piercing the ﬂoor, leading 
  to the level above and below.
  A spiral staircase descends to Room 20 and ascends to Room 28.
  Creatures  
  (EL 2)
  If the PCs are guests, this room is empty. Otherwise, 2 mansion soldiers 
  protect the hall.
  Mansion Soldiers (2): hp 8 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  The soldiers attack anyone they don’t recognize. They simply charge forward 
  and butcher anyone in their way.
  Development
  Sounds of ﬁghting are sure to alert one of the Staufen heirs. Each round, there’s 
  a 30% chance for a random Staufen that’s present to come and investigate.
  24. Larders
  Light: None.
  Sounds: None.
  This room is a larder. Barrels of pickled ﬁsh, bags of ﬂour, drying herbs, salted 
  meats, and a slew of other foodstuﬀs crowd the shelves.
  This room contains enough food to feed the mansion for six months. 
  Characters searching the room and succeeding on a DC 15 Search check 
  locate another dead servant.
  25. Soldier Barracks
  Light: Four torches
  Sounds: A DC 15 Listen check enables a character to hear the sounds of 
  raucous laughter.
  This ﬁlthy room is a barracks. There are bunks enough for 10 soldiers. 
  Dung and blood stain the walls. On the ﬂoor lies the corpse of a partly eaten 
  female servant.
  Creatures  
  (EL 4)
  At any given time, there are 4 mansion soldiers here. They attack anyone who 
  opens the door who is not a Staufen.
  Mansion Soldiers (4): hp 8 each; see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  The soldiers don’t waste time. Two spend their ﬁrst action casting darkness 
  and then closing on the characters up front, while the other two move to take 
  positions on either side of the door. The soldiers ﬁght to the death. 
  Development
  Any sound of combat attracts the two soldiers at Room 23. They join the 
  ﬁght on the following round.
  Treasure
  In addition to their personal possessions, the soldiers have their payment, a 
  princely sum of 500 gp.
  26. Dining Hall
  Light: Torches every 10 feet.
  Sounds: None.
  This is a large dining hall. The ceiling stretches overhead some 20 feet, and 
  old banners hang on the walls, depicting the coats of arms of those families 
  who have married into the Staufen family. A large table dominates the center 
  of the room, with chairs enough for a dozen or more people. Two ﬁreplaces 
  keep the room almost uncomfortably warm. 
  Creatures
  This room is normally empty. 
  27. Observatory
  Light: None.
  Sounds: None.
  
  — 26 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  This balcony wraps around the ceiling of the study below. A few paintings 
  of the Kirsvald decorate its walls. Across the gap are windows that oﬀer a 
  good view of the mountains.
  Creatures
  If the PCs haven’t already encountered the cranial wretch, they do so here. 
  Hidden in the shadows (Hide check result 23) is a nasty ﬁend—a wicked 
  cherub-like devil that ﬂutters about on small leathery wings. It has twisted, 
  childish features and a mouth that drips acidic drool. 
  Cranial Wretch (1): hp 16, see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  The devil spits a glob of acid at the lead character and then ﬂies from the 
  balcony. It waits until it regenerates enough drool and then spits again. It 
  continues this tactic until the PCs pepper it with ranged attacks or it reduces 
  its foes to just one or two, at which point it closes to ﬁnish them oﬀ.
  Second Floor
  This level contains the Staufen family’s bedrooms and living quarters.
  28. Hall
  Light: Torches every 20 feet.
  Sounds: None.
  This long hall wraps around the entire ﬂoor. Several doors lead to inner 
  chambers. 
  Creatures (EL 2)
  Guarding this hall is a herlekin—a grunt devil with the torso of a humanoid, 
  the legs of a goat, a barbed tail, and a savage horned head. Having slipped 
  through the planar breech in the catacombs, it now serves the Staufen heirs. It 
  hides from servants and guards, ignores soldiers, and bows and scrapes before 
  family members. If it encounters someone it doesn’t recognize, it attacks.
  Herlekin (1): hp 13, see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  The herlekin uses its “horns down!” ability and charges the closest character, 
  so long as its opponent is at least 20 feet away. Otherwise, it attacks using 
  its military pick. If it hits easily on the ﬁrst round, it uses Power Attack, 
  subtracting 2 from its attack roll to add 4 to damage. It ﬁghts to the death.
  Development
  Family members present in the rooms (50% chance for each) bordering 
  this hall likely react to the sounds of combat and come to investigate in 1d3 
  rounds. Facing the devil and a slew of evil-possessed characters is a good way 
  to end the adventure suddenly. If the odds look bad, advise the characters 
  to ﬂee, and quickly. Give them a way out if necessary.
  Treasure
  Stashed behind a loose brick (marked with an X on the map) is the herlekin’s 
  horde, much of which it gained when it agreed to serve the family. Finding 
  the brick requires a DC 20 Search check. Inside is a dose of silversheen and 
  3 pieces of obsidian (each worth 50 gp)
  29. Balcony
  Light: None
  Sounds: Wind and rain.
  These rain-slicked balconies grant a great view of the Kirsvald. The rail is 
  four feet high and the entire outcropping is made of dark stone.
  Aside from the view, there is nothing of interest here.
  30. Valdric’s Bedroom
  Light: Lamp and several candles.
  Sounds: If Valdric is present, a character can, with a DC 15 Listen check, 
  hear giggles and moans.
  A massive bed that could sleep six dominates this messy room. Clothes, 
  empty bottles and debris litter the chamber. It stinks of sweat and musk. 
  Three windows stand on the far wall, though darkness and rain obscure 
  the view.
  Creatures
  Four vixens are here at all times, awaiting the pleasure of their master, 
  Valdric. The vixens are corrupted aasimars Bergen freed from a fat slaver 
  in Silverus. With his twisted words, he convinced them to abandon their 
  celestial heritage and embrace the delights of Belial. The vixens have long 
  blond hair, wear loose, revealing shifts of pale blue, and have golden eyes. 
  They are quite beautiful.
  If Valdric is not encountered elsewhere, he is here, sampling the delights 
  these ladies oﬀer.
  Vixens (4): hp 4 each, see Appendix for statistics.
  Valdric: hp 16, see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  The vixens are no fools. If they encounter the PCs without Valdric, they try 
  to Bluﬀ their way past and escape. If the characters aren’t buying it (this is 
  a clichéd device after all), the vixens attack until they can ﬂee.
  Should Valdric be here, they act the part of concubines, reclining, laughing, 
  and ﬂirting. If the characters somehow convince Valdric that these women 
  are not what they seem, they attack their former master and try to escape.
  
  — 27 —
  - Part III: To the Mansion -
  Development
  The vixens are quick to talk. Not pleased with Bergen for leaving them in this 
  drafty old house, they use whatever techniques they can to escape. They name 
  Bergen as the villain and reveal that the children are all possessed by some 
  entities, though they know not by what. 
  Treasure
  The vixens have amassed a haul of jewels and jewelry. Inside a coﬀer beneath 
  the bed are 3 pearls (each worth 100 gp), two pieces of amber (80 gp), and a 
  ﬁst-sized chunk of violet garnet (500 gp). Also, there are two pearl necklaces 
  and matching earrings (the set is worth 300 gp), two gold rings (50 gp each), 
  and a pair of silver bracelets with blue quartz settings (each 50 gp).
  31. Rosalin’s Room
  Light: Lamp and several candles.
  Sounds: If Rosalin is present, a character who succeeds on a DC 15 Listen 
  check hears quiet muttering and cursing.
  This room is full of stuﬀ. Packed with wardrobes, clothing, furniture, and a 
  slew of junk, there’s little space to move.
  Given the sheer quantity of stuﬀ, each space costs three squares of movement, 
  attacks are made at a –4 circumstance penalty, and all combatants are deprived 
  their Dexterity bonus to AC.
  Creatures
  There’s a 30% chance for Rosalin to be here.
  Rosalin: hp 4, see Appendix for statistics.
  Treasure
  This room is so full, not even Rosalin knows what’s inside. Searching and 
  cataloguing the room takes 4 hours. If the characters manage this feat, they 
  ﬁnd 3,153 cp, 1276 sp, 238 gp, 3 pieces of blue quartz (10 gp each), a tiger 
  eye turquoise (12 gp), 3 bloodstones (50 gp each), a silver comb (310 gp), 2 
  bracelets (45 gp), and a whole lot of worthless junk.
  32. Jack’s Room
  Light: Lamp and several candles.
  Sounds: If Jack is present, a character can, with a DC 10 Listen check, hear 
  screams for mercy.
  This hideous room reeks of blood and excrement. The ﬂoor is sodden with 
  sickening stains. Chains hang from the ceiling and the manacles at their end 
  drip with blood. A dead servant swings from one of these chains, his naked 
  back so torn and bloody that the bone peeks through. 
  Creatures
  Jack is a sadist and when not roaming the mansion, he’s here, hurting someone, 
  about 50% of the time.
  Jack: hp 7, see Appendix for statistics.
  Treasure
  Aside from Jack’s personal possessions, which he keeps here when he’s not in 
  the public eye, there is nothing of value here.
  33. Erich’s Bedroom
  Light: Several candles.
  Sounds: None.
  This room is impeccable, perfectly arranged. A bed with neat sheets stands 
  in one corner, a wardrobe in the other. The ﬂoor is covered with black rugs 
  and fat black candles situated on small tables serve to light the room. There’s 
  an odd, almost chemical smell to the room.
  Creatures
  Erich is almost never here (10% chance). He spends most of his time 
  wandering the mansion, speaking with his soldiers and strangling the 
  occasional servant.
  Erich: hp 7, see Appendix for statistics.
  34. Kris’s Bedroom
  Light: Lamp and several candles.
  Sounds: None.
  This room is ﬁlthy and disgusting and stinks of a sewer. A large bed sags in 
  the corner next to a cauldron-sized chamber pot. There’s no other furniture 
  here.
  There is nothing of value here.
  Creatures
  Kris is almost always here (90% chance). Too lazy to clean himself or his 
  surroundings, he wallows in his own excrement, which he lazily smears on 
  the walls.
  Kris: hp 7, see Appendix for statistics.
  35. Amalinda and Leanor’s Room
  Light: Lamp and several candles.
  Sounds: None.
  This room holds two beds, a dresser, and a wardrobe. The room is neat 
  and organized, but very dusty, and there are a few suspicious stains on the 
  yellow rug.
  Aside from some oddly sized clothing, this room contains nothing of value.
  Creatures
  Neither Amalinda nor Leanor spends time here, since they hate each other. 
  Instead, Amalinda spends her time in the Library, while Leanor gorges herself 
  in the kitchens.
  36. Elzbeth’s Room (formerly Helmut’s)
  Light: Lamp and several candles.
  Sounds: If Elzbeth is present, a character can, with a DC 15 Listen check, 
  hear quiet weeping.
  This dark wood-paneled room holds a four-poster bed, wardrobe, chest of 
  drawers, a few rugs, and a desk.
  Creatures
  Elzbeth spends almost all of her time here (90% chance), gripped with terror 
  and sorrow for what has befallen her family. 
  Elzbeth: hp 8, see Appendix for statistics.
  Treasure
  Aside from Elzbeth’s personal possessions, she has stolen a few things from 
  Bergen’s quarters, including a divine scroll of summon monster III (CL 5th) and 
  a cloak of resistance +1. She keeps these in the bottom drawer of her chest.
  
  — 28 —
  At various points in their explorations of the mansion, the PCs can meet 
  members of the Staufen family. Since they move about the mansion, all relevant 
  information on these characters is included here, although their stat-blocks 
  are in the Appendix.
  Lord Valdric Staufen
  Alignment: Lawful neutral
  Personality: Distracted
  Starting Attitude: Indiﬀerent
  Social Skills: Bluﬀ +9, Diplomacy +11, Intimidate 
  +6, Sense Motive –1
  This is a man in his middle years. He has a thick 
  head of salt and pepper hair, drawn features and 
  haggard eyes. He has a wide mouth with good teeth, and seems comfortable 
  in his wealth. He dresses in ﬁne but not ostentatious clothing of a navy 
  doublet with matching cape and breeches. The only jewelry he wears is a 
  large gold signet ring bearing the rampant boar as its seal.
  Valdric is the sex-obsessed lord of the Staufen mansion. He is a shell of a man. He’s 
  been used and manipulated for so long that he has little will left. He is obsessed 
  with the vixens, seeing in them the realization of every desire. He spends most days 
  with the women in his chambers, sampling the delights only they can give. 
  Tactics
  Valdric is straight forward in combat. He calls for help from the mansion 
  guards and works with allies to gain ﬂanks. If he loses more than half his hit 
  points, he withdraws to drink his potion of cure light wounds, and then throws 
  himself back into the ﬁght. Once Valdric learns the truth about his family, he 
  becomes suicidal and ﬁghts recklessly.
  Development
  When not in his chambers, Valdric is always thinking about going back. He has 
  little self-control and an insatiable appetite. Talking with him is a chore, since 
  he always drifts oﬀ to think about the pleasures awaiting him. As a result, PCs 
  trying to improve his attitude take a –4 circumstance penalty.
  If the PCs do manage to improve his attitude to friendly, he spends most 
  of his time talking about the “girls.” At ﬁrst, one might think he speaks of 
  his daughters, but his preoccupation with his escapades makes it clear he’s 
  talking about someone else. Valdric has no idea what’s going on in his house 
  and refuses to believe anything negative about his children or spouse unless 
  the PCs improve his attitude to helpful. 
  Should this occur, Valdric is stunned and thinks about the women who 
  have manipulated him the last few years. Valdric excuses himself without 
  explanation, fetches his weapons and returns to his room to butcher the vixens. 
  Unless the PCs accompany him, he dies in the eﬀort. If he manages to survive, 
  he helps the PCs put his house in order.
  Lady Elzbeth Staufen
  Alignment: Chaotic neutral
  Personality: Insane and melancholy
  Starting Attitude: Unfriendly
  Social Skills: Bluﬀ +8, Diplomacy +16, Intimidate 
  +5, Sense Motive +6
  Though in her middle years, this woman is striking, 
  with regal features, smoldering eyes and smooth 
  skin. She wears a long black dress, studded with pearls, that clings to her 
  willowy ﬁgure. Her hair is dark brown and tumbles down around her 
  shoulders.
  Elzbeth is the matron of the house. She knows that her children have been 
  corrupted, and her eﬀorts to free them from the curse have all failed. She’s 
  resorted to poisoning them, but doesn’t understand why they aren’t aﬀected 
  (sinthralls are immune to poison). She spends most of her time in her room, 
  weeping piteously about the shadow that has fallen over her family.
  Tactics
  If given time to prepare, she coats her dagger with poison (risking the 5% 
  chance to poison herself), and then casts mage armor and shield from her scrolls. 
  Otherwise, she leads oﬀ by casting a spell. Against one or two opponents, she 
  uses id seizure and then lashes out with her weapon; against more, she uses 
  cause fear to even the odds. She intersperses her melee attacks with spells, using 
  both to the best advantage. In larger ﬁghts featuring her children, she does not 
  work with them and is as likely to attack them as she is the PCs.
  Development
  Elzbeth is something of a wild card. She knows her family is ruined, and she’s 
  been trying to purge the evil from the house. Her constant failures have driven 
  her to extreme actions (including the attempt on Helmut’s life). If Helmut 
  survived the attack in the forest, she tries to ﬁnish the job by poisoning his food. 
  To PCs who accompanied Helmut to the house, she is rude and unbearable, 
  hoping that she can drive them from the mansion. She sees intruders as agents 
  of Bergen and calls the guards or attacks them herself.
  Despite her instability, she can be a useful ally. If the PCs improve her attitude 
  to friendly, she breaks down and tells them everything she knows (children 
  are evil, Bergen’s responsible, and what she’s had to do, including her attempt 
  on Helmut’s life). After her collapse, if left alone, she commits suicide out of 
  grief, knowing that she has failed.
  Erich Staufen
  Alignment: Lawful evil
  Personality: Cruel and proud
  Starting Attitude: Unfriendly
  Social Skills: Bluﬀ +1, Diplomacy +5, Intimidate 
  +5, Sense Motive –1
  A severe man in his mid-twenties, he has dark hair, 
  penetrating eyes, and a tendency to frown. He is 
  clean shaven and keeps his hair short. He wears a sober grey doublet and 
  matching breeches tucked into horseman’s boots.
  Erich is the eldest son and heir to the Kirsvald. As his father has become more 
  and more involved with his doxies, responsibility for governing has fallen to 
  Erich, a fact that pleases Erich a great deal. Erich has a terrible temper, and 
  he’s quick to strangle anyone who disappoints him. As soon as he does though, 
  terrible grief ﬁlls him and he tries to preserve his victims by dipping them 
  in lacquer. While this meets whatever twisted need Erich has, it has kept his 
  exploits more or less secret.
  Tactics
  Erich is a dangerous warrior. Though far better in the saddle, he can handle 
  himself just ﬁne on foot, too. He treats his ﬁrst attack as a test, seeing how 
  easily he hits his foe. If he strikes, he follows up with a Power Attack on the 
  following round (–1 attack, +1 damage). If surrounded by several opponents, 
  he maintains his attacks against one character at a time, but uses aura of 
  superiority to weaken the rest.
  Development
  The heir of the Kirsvald is an arrogant tyrant. Though he serves Bergen, he 
  secretly has designs of his own to seize the land, build an army and conquer 
  Silverus. He detests Helmut and wants nothing more than to wrap his ﬁngers 
  - Part IV: Meet the Staufens -
  
  — 29 —
  - Part IV: Meet the Staufens -
  around the other’s neck and squeeze the life from him. But, he also realizes 
  that Bergen wants all the children intact for some reason or another.
  Though not altogether pleasant, he chats with anyone he meets, talking about 
  his own eﬀorts to defend the Kirsvald. Most of his stories deal with brigands, 
  unruly commoners and the like. He seems to relish recounting his battles, 
  spending an inordinate amount of time talking about the spray of blood and 
  the screams of the dying. In one tale, he talks about riding down a thief and 
  trampling him under the hooves of his horse. He is always sure to add, almost 
  as an afterthought, that these were hardened criminals and justice was due.
  Anyone shaking hands with him discovers that he has sticky hands. A close 
  look (DC 15 Spot check) reveals his nails are ﬁlthy and blood and grime are 
  caked around his cuticles. He’s quick to cuﬀ the servants, and from time to 
  time, he ﬁxes one with his unhealthy stare.
  Rosalin Staufen
  Alignment: Neutral evil
  Personality: Ambitious and greedy
  Starting Attitude: Unfriendly
  Social Skills: Bluﬀ +3, Diplomacy –1, Intimidate 
  +3, Sense Motive –1
  Lean with pinched features, this woman might be 
  pretty if it weren’t for the scowl marring her face. She 
  wears a ﬁne blue dress and wears her long red hair in ringlets.
  Rosalin is the second oldest child, having just turned twenty-ﬁve, though 
  she looks closer to forty. She wants power. Bergen promised to give her the 
  mansion, and so Rosalin is content to serve… for now. Rosalin suspects 
  treachery and does not intend to allow Bergen to complete the ﬁnal incantation. 
  She will strike once it begins, planting her knife in the man’s back. And then, 
  she will name herself queen of the Kirsvald.
  Tactics
  Rosalin ﬁghts only on her own terms. She prefers placing a quick knife in the 
  kidney to standing toe to toe with a heavily armored opponent. If attacked, she 
  ﬂees, but doubles back to attack with surprise, making the most of sneak attack. 
  Even if she has the upper hand, she ﬂees and hides if reduced to 2 hp or less.
  Development
  A thoroughly unpleasant and arrogant woman, when she speaks, it is 
  usually some criticism or complaint about those around her. She tends to 
  talk about people as if they weren’t there, making scathing commentary and 
  generalizations about a race, class of people, or profession. To her family, she 
  is equally rude, making cruel comments under her breath, rolling her eyes 
  whenever someone other than her speaks, and generally being an unlikable 
  boor. 
  Characters that engage Rosalin ﬁnd that she’s condescending and morally 
  bankrupt. She sees commoners (and really anyone not a member of the 
  aristocracy) as no diﬀerent from animals. She refers to the servants as “it” 
  and “thing.” And, she seems to struggle when speaking to those clearly not 
  of her station. However, characters who most certainly have noble blood 
  receive her full attention. She practically fawns on them.
  Joachim “Jack” Staufen
  Alignment: Neutral evil
  Personality: Lascivious
  Starting Attitude: Indiﬀerent
  Social Skills: Bluﬀ +7, Diplomacy +4, Intimidate 
  +7, Sense Motive –3
  This thin young man wears a red doublet and black 
  breeches. He has an easy smile, but his eyes tell a 
  diﬀerent story—they are hard and ﬂinty.
  Jack is the second son. Twenty years old, he is full of life and exuberance. 
  Unfortunately, his particular sin makes him a wretched and disgusting 
  individual. Like his father, Jack thinks of one thing only, physical pleasure. He 
  uses his ability to seduce the servants and lure them back to his room, where 
  he introduces them to the kiss of his whip. Though happy with whomever 
  he can get, he secretly covets his own mother. He dreams about her at night, 
  waking up in cold sweats. His lust consumes him, driving him to distraction. 
  Though he tries to hide his eagerness, he fails miserably.
  Tactics
  Foolish and driven by his passions, Jack’s sadism shows when he ﬁghts. He is 
  brutal and relentless, lashing anyone within reach with his whip. If he manages 
  to drop his opponent, he drags them clear from the combat to his quarters, 
  where he spends long hours working on his victim. Against a signiﬁcant foe, 
  he uses his lust ability to gain a defender, while he savages his other foes.
  Development
  At ﬁrst, Jack seems to be all smiles and laughs. He is irreverent, funny, and 
  entertaining. His jests begin innocently and self-deprecating, but it doesn’t 
  take long for them to turn scathing and cruel. He mocks his siblings, his father, 
  and even the PCs. If someone becomes oﬀended, he stops with surprise and 
  spends the rest of the encounter sulking. 
  If Elzbeth is present, perceptive characters may note that he watches her very 
  closely. As he does, he begins to sweat. Periodically, he closes his eyes and his 
  pink tongue peeks out from between his teeth. He shamelessly lusts after 
  her, and at one point excuses himself to collect his thoughts and regain some 
  semblance of composure.
  Characters that befriend Jack hear how his mother is beautiful, and how 
  his father doesn’t deserve her. The conversation ultimately drifts toward the 
  pornographic, forcing Jack to depart to ﬁnd a servant on which he can release 
  his aggression… unless of course, one of the PCs is willing.
  Kris Staufen
  Alignment: Neutral evil
  Personality: Lazy
  Starting Attitude: Indiﬀerent
  Social Skills: Bluﬀ +5, Diplomacy +8, Intimidate 
  +5, Sense Motive +8
  This wretch reeks of sweat and excrement. Gaunt 
  with sallow features, his brown hair is black with 
  ﬁlth, and his eyelids droop from excessive fatigue. Though his arms and legs 
  are spindly, he has a large paunch that peaks out from under his shirt.
  Since the incantation several years ago, Kris rarely leaves his bed. He ﬁnds 
  he just lacks the will to get up and move around. He eats little, and when he 
  does, it is always wine and sweets. Sickly and covered with bedsores, he shuﬄes 
  about when he has to go anywhere.
  Tactics
  Since Kris can’t be bothered to defend himself in a ﬁght—death is, after all, 
  the ultimate rest, he uses suggestion to tell his attackers to be on their way. 
  If they resist, he struggles to his feet (a full-round action) and attacks half-
  heartedly with his dagger.
  Development
  Kris is as wicked as all the rest, but he’s the least dangerous. He doesn’t care 
  about Bergen, his siblings, his parents, or anything really, so he might be 
  convinced to explain what happened to him (DC 20 Diplomacy check). If 
  so, he describes how he was taken through a trapdoor in the chapel, through 
  the catacombs, where Bergen subjected him to some sort of magic. “It wasn’t 
  a spell, but it acted like one. It took forever.” He then promptly goes back to 
  sleep, ignoring any further eﬀorts at conversation.
  
  — 30 —
  - Part IV: Meet the Staufens -
  Amalinda Staufen
  Alignment: Neutral evil
  Personality: Envious
  Starting Attitude: Unfriendly
  Social Skills: Bluﬀ –2, Diplomacy –2, Intimidate 
  –2, Sense Motive +7
  Thin to the point of being skeletal, this young woman 
  has a small mouth, narrow nose, and large blue eyes. 
  Her hair is stringy and brittle. Her clothes hang from her bones, emphasizing 
  how horrid she truly is.
  Amalinda is Kris’s twin. As her br0ther wastes away from idleness, she wastes 
  away from self-imposed starvation. Filled with spite and gall, she resents her 
  family, what she perceives as their fortune. All she wants is attention, and she’ll 
  do anything to get it—including starving herself.
  Tactics
  Her skeletal ﬁgure masks a durability and an unwillingness to quit. She’s quick 
  and tough, but she relies on the spells she’s learned through her dabbling in 
  black magic. She uses command to bring her foe close, and then on the following 
  round, she blasts him with her wand of burning hands. If she ﬁghts alongside 
  other villains, she moves so that when she reads cause fear from her scroll, it 
  will drive the ﬂeeing character into her allies’ swords.
  Development
  Since she is consumed with hate for her family, she is willing to betray them 
  all. She craves attention, and any character who can stand to shower her with 
  aﬀection (and improves her attitude to friendly) gains a loyal ally for as long as 
  they don’t betray her. Amalinda conceals what happened to change her, but if she 
  becomes helpful, she volunteers to take her new friend to the catacombs.
  Leanor Staufen
  Alignment: Neutral evil
  Personality: Gluttonous
  Starting Attitude: Hostile
  Social Skills: Bluﬀ –2, Diplomacy –2, Intimidate 
  –2, Sense Motive +0
  A true horror, it’s clear this creature was once 
  human, but the rolls of fat conceal even the gender. 
  Its face is smeared with old food, rotting on its very 
  cheeks. Small porcine eyes roll about in its head, and prodigious nostrils taste 
  the air, searching for its next meal. In one meaty ﬁst it clutches a sharp battle 
  axe and in the other, a squawking chicken.
  This shuddering hulk is Leanor, the last child transformed by Bergen’s 
  incantation. In the year since her “rebirth,” she has engorged herself on anything 
  she can eat. Forcing ﬁstfuls of food down her gullet, she waddles about the 
  mansion, always hungry, always searching. When Erich deprived her of food, 
  she tore apart one of his soldiers and ate him right in front of her brother.
  Ever since tasting sentient ﬂesh, Leanor struggles not to eat the guards or 
  servants. The house has no rats since she snaps them up. She spends a good 
  portion of her day raiding the kitchens, gobbling up the foodstuﬀs with 
  glee.
  Tactics
  Leanor is brutal in combat. She hacks at her enemies with her axe, pausing long 
  enough to spray them with her foul vomit. If she drops a foe, she stops ﬁghting 
  and devours him. Should the ﬁght turn against her, she readily withdraws.
  Development
  It’s just about impossible to talk to Leanor; she’s always eating. Between 
  mouthfuls, she utters terrible curses that could make the most hardened 
  mercenary blush. She has little use for people, seeing them all as potential 
  meals.
  Dinner is Served
  About an hour after the PCs arrive, Helmut himself comes for the PCs. After 
  a few pleasantries, he takes them to dinner. Since it’s still raining, he leads 
  the characters through the servants’ corridor. He walks briskly, so be brief in 
  your descriptions of the areas the PCs pass through, giving them just enough 
  to get their bearings. Though expected at dinner, Helmut is preoccupied by 
  the strangeness he’s seen since coming home and doesn’t notice if one of the 
  PCs slips oﬀ.
  Helmut is quiet the entire time, thinking about his family. He’s deeply worried 
  and distracted. He answers questions oﬀhandedly, sometimes mistaking the 
  question completely. When the characters arrive in the dining hall (Room 
  26), read or paraphrase the following text.
  Helmut leads you into the large dining hall. The ceiling stretches overhead 
  some 20 feet, and old banners hang on the walls, depicting the coats of arms 
  of those families who have married into the Staufen family. A large table 
  dominates the center of the room, with chairs enough for a dozen people. 
  Two ﬁreplaces keep the room almost uncomfortably warm. Already seated 
  at the table are the Staufens. Lord Staufen, a middle aged man with drawn 
  features, rises, oﬀering a half smile. “Welcome! You have done my son a great 
  service and for that I am in your debt. Please accept the hospitality of my 
  home in thanks for your brave eﬀorts.”
  The characters can sit wherever they wish, but Valdric pulls out a chair for 
  someone to take a seat next to him. Which family members are present are 
  up to you, but Kris and Elzbeth should be absent. Arrange them around a 
  table as you like, being sure to break up the party where possible. None of 
  the family trust each other, so they keep a seat between them. As soon as the 
  PCs take their seats, the meal begins and they may interact with each other 
  or with the NPCs seated near them as they like. 
  The meal is ﬁne, featuring over a dozen courses, including fresh greens, platters 
  of pork, beef, pheasant, trout, tubers, sauerkraut and onions, sweetmeats, and 
  several deserts. Once the meal concludes, the servants bring a selection of 
  cordials, dessert wines, and hot beverages.
  Off the Rails!
  It’s almost impossible to predict the actions of PCs in freeform encounters like this one. How the PCs deal with these encounters depends on the players. 
  Some may ﬁnd the entire thing dull and boring, drifting oﬀ to doodle on their character sheets, while others may become so involved this scene winds 
  up taking the whole night to conclude. Watch you players’ body language. If it’s clear that’s its not fun for everyone, wrap it up and move on with the 
  rest of the adventure. Otherwise, let this go for as long as you like.
  Another potential snag is with the NPCs themselves. These characters are very evil, and any PC who has the ability to detect evil ﬁnds themselves in a bit of 
  quandary. So may characters who make extensive use of Sense Motive, or even just those who, by talking with the NPCs, may become convinced the Staufen 
  family is not what it seems. Some brash groups may attempt to ﬁght the family right there at the dinner table. If they are leaning this way, it’s probably a 
  good idea to remind them that if their suspicions are correct, then it’s probably not a good idea to confront them all at once, surrounded by guards. 
  
  — 31 —
  - Part IV: Meet the Staufens -
  Running the Dinner Scene
  This is a complex encounter, requiring you to manage several NPCs at once. 
  Unless you have a dozen or so friends (beyond those playing) to take the 
  roles of the Staufens, you may ﬁnd it quite diﬃcult to keep up with the many 
  diﬀerent conversations that are likely to happen simultaneously. But, this scene 
  oﬀers a great chance for roleplaying, giving players the chance to feel out their 
  own roles and to become comfortable with their characters. 
  The best way to handle this scenario is to let the PCs do the talking. Let them 
  choose which character to engage. Take the role of the NPC they address, 
  answering questions as appropriate. Conversation should cover general 
  information, questions about what brought the characters to the Kirsvald, 
  having the PCs recount the battle, and perhaps some discussion about their 
  backgrounds. The Staufens are happy to discuss the Kirsvald and its environs, 
  Staufendorf and the Narrow Pass. The topics they respond to are safe, pleasant, 
  and describe their lands in the best possible light.
  From the NPC descriptions, the family members are all disturbingly corrupt. 
  While the descriptions may make it seem like such individuals are openly evil, 
  it’s important to remember that they are all trying to conceal their true natures 
  from Helmut. So instead of revealing everything about themselves, they should 
  let snippets of their character slip out in ordinary speech.
  Many groups are not accustomed to or comfortable with immersive roleplaying, 
  preferring action and adventure over sessions spent chatting with the GM. 
  They may not ﬁnd this scene interesting or entertaining and want to move on 
  quickly. Likewise, if you aren’t comfortable running this sequence, it’s perfectly 
  acceptable to summarize the meal quickly, touching on key plot points and 
  information the characters need to learn before the meal concludes. 
  What the PCs should Learn
  The dinner scenario should provide the PCs with several key bits of 
  information.
  • Valdric Staufen is openly having an aﬀair with a group of women.
  • Elzbeth Staufen is aware and seems not to care.
  • Jack desires his mother and his feelings are not being reciprocated.
  • Erich is dangerous and violent, having none of the qualities of his youngest 
  brother.
  • The family’s behavior concerns Helmut and he wants to relate his suspicions 
  to the PCs in the morning.
  • No one seems worried about the encounter in the woods. Erich dismisses 
  the cloaked rider as a bandit and vows to ﬁnd the culprit.
  A Poisoned Dish
  While most of the food is safe, Helmut’s plate is not. After the PCs enter 
  and the dinner begins, Lady Elzbeth creeps into the kitchens to sprinkle dark 
  reaver powder on Helmut’s meal. She makes sure it goes to the proper place, 
  and watches through one of the doors to be sure. About halfway through the 
  dinner sequence, have Helmut make a DC 18 Fortitude save. If he fails, he 
  takes 2d6 points of Constitution damage. If Helmut is still injured from the 
  combat earlier in the day, this could kill him. In any event, he turns pale and 
  starts to choke. A character who succeeds on a DC 18 Heal check can see 
  what’s happening and may attempt to treat the poison when Helmut must 
  make his second save (1 minute later). In response to this horrible scene, 
  Jack, if present, laughs while the other siblings stare intently at one another. 
  Only Valdric goes to his son’s aid, clapping him on the back uselessly. If left 
  untreated, Helmut has to make a second save (note the penalty to his Con 
  thanks to the initial poisoning), and if the other didn’t kill him, this surely will 
  if he fails (he takes 1d6 points of Constitution and Strength damage). When 
  the poison has run its course, Erich snatches his brother up, saying he’ll take 
  him to the chapel. Savvy characters who’ve explored the chapel know there 
  isn’t a priest here at all. If one of the PCs tries to help, Erich snarls, “Haven’t 
  you done enough?”
  Erich takes Helmut into the chapel, through the secret door and into the 
  room with the Tombs. There, he ties him up and goes back to the mansion 
  to kill his mother. Meanwhile, the PCs are free to do as they wish. They 
  may speak to the other Staufens, but they all honestly deny being involved. 
  The servants, on the other hand, may be able to shed light on the matter. A 
  successful Intimidate check forces one of the servants to blurt out that Lady 
  Elzbeth was in the kitchens moments ago.
  After Helmut suﬀers the initial eﬀect, Elzbeth ﬂees back to her room and locks 
  the door. If confronted, she refuses to answer any questions unless she becomes 
  friendly, or a PC successfully intimidates her, at which point she breaks down 
  and reveals everything. As long as the characters keep their revelation a secret, 
  they have nothing to fear. But if they go on a rampage to butcher the family, 
  they will have a nasty ﬁght on their hands.
  Off the Rails!
  What happens if Helmut is not injured from the poison?
  If Helmut manages to make both saves, he escorts the PCs back to their 
  quarters after the meal is complete. Once there, he conﬁdes to them that 
  he suspects something terrible is happening in the house, and for their 
  safety, he recommends that they stay in their quarters. (Whether they 
  do or not is up to them.) Meanwhile, Helmut goes to speak with his 
  mother. Having failed to poison her son the ﬁrst time, she’s waiting for 
  him with a poisoned knife in hand. Once he enters, she attacks. How 
  this ﬁght turns out is up to you. One possible outcome is for Helmut 
  to be forced to kill his own mother out of self-defense. Another is for 
  Elzbeth to succeed, after which she kills herself. And ﬁnally, Erich and 
  another sibling could happen on the ﬁght, kill their mother and drag 
  Helmut to the chapel to await Bergen.
  
  — 32 —
  This chapter brings Mansion of Shadows to its dramatic conclusion. However, 
  the events of this chapter may overlap with the PCs’ explorations of the 
  mansion. They will likely want to explore after dinner (or while the dinner 
  takes place). As they do so, the ﬁnal pieces move into place, giving everything 
  the PCs need to stop Bergen’s nefarious plans.
  The Chapel
  Shortly after the PCs arrive, Erich places 2 mansion guards out front of the 
  chapel who are under order to prevent anyone but the children from entering.
  Throughout the night, leading up to the mob’s attack, the Staufen children 
  start moving towards the chapel. The ﬁrst is Erich. If Helmut was successfully 
  poisoned, Erich carries Helmut to the chapel and into the catacombs below. 
  Every 30 minutes thereafter, another one of the children leaves the house for 
  the chapel. Ten minutes after the last child enters, the mob attacks.
  PCs watching the chapel may get suspicious and go to investigate. More than 
  likely, they miss the NPC as he or she slips through the trapdoor, but it’s 
  possible that the characters can catch the child in the act. If this happens, the 
  child attacks the PCs, ﬁghting to the death. Each round, there’s a cumulative 
  5% chance that one of the other children in the complex comes to investigate 
  their missing sibling. If there are any soldiers left in the courtyard, they follow 
  the PCs into the chapel in 1d3 rounds. There is too much rain and distance 
  for the guards to hear the sounds of ﬁghting.
  Mob Rules
  When the last living child enters the catacombs, Bergen and his mob of villagers 
  attack the mansion. Bergen managed to whip up 120 angry villagers to join 
  him against the mansion. Considering how few guards remain, they should 
  easily overpower the mansion.
  How the PCs deal with the mob depends on what they’ve learned so far and 
  whether or not they entered Staufendorf. Characters that have seen enough evil 
  may relish the chance for some help overthrowing the family and may throw open 
  the gates to let them in, just as they might if they had agreed to help Bergen. On 
  the other hand, if they explored little and somehow still see the Staufens in a 
  positive light, they may aid the guards and soldiers against the attackers.
  In any event, as soon as the mob hits the gates, they batter it for a few rounds, 
  while the surviving guards and soldiers rally in the courtyard. Archers from 
  the tower facing the road pepper the crowd, while the rest of the guards and 
  soldiers ready to meet the horde in the courtyard. Eventually, whether or not 
  the PCs open the gates, the mob breaks through.
  Running the Battle
  Large-scale battle scenes can be a challenge to adjudicate. Rolling attacks for 
  nearly 200 attackers is simply not practical. So to handle this scene, you can 
  use one of three methods.
  Narrative
  Of the three, the narrative style is the easiest, as it allows you to describe the 
  action that happens around the characters as they make their way to the chapel. 
  You need not cover every detail, just the highlights: the pounding on the gates, 
  the sounds of crossbow ﬁre, and the screams of the dying. If the PCs want to 
  take part in the battle, let them, but use smaller encounters, a few ﬁghts with a 
  few opponents. Each round, the battle develops as you like until the characters 
  decide to enter the chapel and contend with the darkness below.
  Representative
  Another way to handle the battle scene is a combination of narrative and mass 
  combat. In this model, you determine a few key scenes in which the PCs will 
  be involved. Good ideas include ﬁghting for the gates, defeating the archers 
  in one of the towers, directing the defenders, directing the attackers, and so 
  on. The characters’ actions can dictate the ﬂow of the battle without heavy 
  dice rolling. For combats against the mansion forces, the PCs should never 
  face more than 1 per party member at a time. Against the mob, have the PCs 
  square oﬀ against the village’s warriors (see Village Guards in the Appendix 
  for statistics), again, no more than 1 per party member. 
  For more detailed information on adjudicating battles in this way, be sure to 
  check out Green Ronin’s Advanced Gamemaster’s Guide.
  Mass Combat
  For the war gamers, this combat is a great chance to use mass combat rules like 
  those presented in the Green Ronin’s Advanced Player’s Manual. If you choose 
  to go this route, the characters may square oﬀ against entire units or join up 
  with units to lead them to victory. In this model, the character’s actions have 
  a direct eﬀect on the outcome of the scenario, so that they see it through to 
  the bitter end. Should you opt to resolve the battle using mass combat rules, 
  they learn from a survivor that Bergen entered the chapel during the ﬁght, 
  and may move to explore this area as they wish. 
  The following statistics use the rules from the Advanced Player’s Manual. On 
  the villager’s side, there are 100 commoners and 25 village guards. Leading 
  - Part V: Beneath the Remains -
  A Variant Conclusion
  If you resolve the big battle using mass combat rules, one way to make 
  things much more interesting is to have a third army enter the picture 
  after the third or fourth round. Bergen gets to the Tombs, but instead 
  of ﬁnishing the incantation, the planar breach tears free, releasing an 
  army of lemures and knockers into the Material Plane. The guards and 
  villagers must work together to defeat this new threat.
  Knockers (3 units)
  knocker unit (10/unit): Unit HD 10; Creature HD 1; Unit Damage 
  Factor 10; Creature Lost Every 1; Creature/Unit Base Atk +1; Creature 
  Atk +4 melee (7 heavy pick); Unit Atk +5 (heavy pick); Creature/Unit 
  AC 15 (none); Unit Speed 300 ft.; Unit Morale Bonus +0; Unit SV 
  Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1; SQ immune to ﬁre and poison, resistance to 
  acid and cold (–2 damage factor), see in darkness
  Damage Factors
  Unit 1: /////////
  Unit 2: /////////
  Unit 3: /////////
  Lemures (2 units)
  lemure unit (10/unit): Unit HD 20; Creature HD 2; Unit Damage 
  Factor 10; Creature Lost Every 1; Creature/Unit Base Atk +2; Creature 
  Atk +2 melee (2.5, 2 claws); Unit Atk +0 melee (2 claws); Creature/Unit 
  AC 14; Unit Speed 200 ft.; Unit Morale Bonus +2; Unit SV Fort +3, 
  Ref +3, Will +3; SQ DR 5/good or silver (–2 hits/attack), immune 
  to ﬁre and poison, mindless, resistance to acid and cold (–2 damage 
  factor), see in darkness
  Damage Factors
  Unit 1: /////////
  Unit 2: /////////
  
  — 33 —
  - Part V: Beneath the Remains -
  them is Bergen, Petra, and Kyle. On the mansion side, there are 30 mansion 
  guards and 15 soldiers (though there may be less, depending on the PCs’ 
  previous actions). Leading the defenders is Valdric. The mansion defenders 
  are in place before the villagers get inside. Note, because each unit occupies a 
  50 foot square, the villagers can only enter one unit at a time. 
  Attackers
  Commoners (10 units)
  human commoner 1 unit (10/unit): Unit HD 10; Creature HD 1; Unit 
  Damage Factor 10; Creature Lost Every 1; Creature/Unit Base Atk +0; 
  Creature Atk +0 melee (3.5 club); Unit Atk –1 melee (club); Creature/Unit 
  AC  11 (padded); Unit Speed 300 ft.; Unit Morale Bonus +1; Unit SV Fort 
  +0, Ref +0, Will +0.
  Damage Factors
  Unit 1: /////////
  Unit 2: /////////
  Unit 3: ///////// 
  Unit 4: /////////
  Unit 5: /////////
  Unit 6: /////////
  Unit 7: /////////
  Unit 8: ///////// 
  Unit 9: /////////
  Unit 10: ///////// 
  Village Guards (2.5 units)
  human warrior 1 unit (10/unit); Unit HD 10; Creature HD 1; Unit Damage 
  Factor 10; Creature Lost Every 1; Creature/Unit Base Atk +1; Creature Atk +1 
  melee (4.5 longsword) or +2 ranged (4.5 spear); Unit Atk +1 melee (longsword) 
  or +2 ranged (spear); Creature/Unit AC 17 (chain & shield); Unit Speed 200 
  ft.; Unit Morale Bonus +1; Unit SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0.
  Damage Factors
  Unit 1: /////////
  Unit 2: ///////// 
  Unit 3: ////
  Defenders
  Mansion Guards (3 units)
  human warrior 1 unit (10/unit): Unit HD 10; Creature HD 1; Unit Damage 
  Factor 10; Creature Lost Every 1; Creature/Unit Base Atk +1; Creature Atk 
  +3 (5.5 mwk longsword) or +0 (4.5 light crossbow); Unit Atk +4 melee (mwk 
  longsword) or +0 ranged (light crossbow); Creature/Unit AC 17 (splint & shield); 
  Unit Speed 200 ft.; Unit Morale Bonus +1; Unit SV Fort +3, Ref –1, Will +0.
  Damage Factors
  Unit 1: /////////
  Unit 2: /////////
  Unit 3: /////////
  Mansion Soldiers (1.5 units)
  evil planetouched orc warrior 1 unit (10/unit): Unit HD 10; Creature HD 1; 
  Unit Damage Factor 10; Creature Lost Every 1; Creature/Unit Base Atk +1; 
  Creature Atk +5 (10 mwk greatsword) or +1 (4.5 light crossbow); Unit Atk +7 
  (mwk greatsword or +1 (light crossbow); Creature/Unit AC 15 (scale); Unit 
  Speed 200 ft.; Unit Morale Bonus –1; Unit SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will –2.
  Damage Factors
  Unit 1: /////////
  Unit 1: ////
  
  — 34 —
  - Part V: Beneath the Remains -
  Battlefield Events
  While the battle rages, the following key events may occur.
  Elzbeth (if alive)
  By now, the characters should have a good idea of what’s going on, or at least they 
  should suspect something terrible is about to occur. But if they are confused or 
  unsure who the real villain is, Elzbeth ﬁnds them in the middle of the combat 
  and pleads with them to stop her children. Depending on where the PCs are in 
  the battle, it may not be possible for her to communicate fully what’s going on, 
  but at the very least, she points towards the chapel. She does not accompany 
  the adventurers. Should the characters take Elzbeth somewhere they can speak 
  quietly, she reveals all that she knows. See Part Five for details.
  Valdric’s Fate
  What happens to Valdric depends on what happened earlier in the evening. 
  Obviously, if Valdric still lives, he leads his troops against the attackers. But, 
  he meets his doom on the battleﬁeld. Erich’s own soldiers turn on him in 
  the middle of the battle. PCs within 30 feet of Valdric can join the ﬁght, 
  attacking the four mansion soldiers who train their attention on the Lord, 
  but if not, he is slain.
  However, should Elzbeth’s poison succeed in killing Helmut, Valdric is used 
  in the incantation instead. Shortly after the battle begins, the herlekin and 
  the four vixens subdue the ruler and carry him to the chapel. Unless they are 
  stopped, he becomes the vessel for the ﬁnal essence.
  Bergen Arrives
  Shortly after the ﬁrst wave of villagers pours in through the gate, Bergen and 
  his cronies follow. Bergen places Kyle in charge of the oﬀensive, and both he 
  and Petra go to the chapel. Once inside, Bergen bluﬀs the mad ranger, coming 
  up with an excuse to check on the catacombs, and slips through the secret 
  door. Before he goes, he gives his lackey clear instructions to kill anyone who 
  attempts to follow—knowing any straggling children should be more than 
  a match for Petra.
  The Chapel and Catacombs
  Whether they discovered the chapel’s importance through exploring the 
  mansion, through speaking with the Staufens, or even just putting it all 
  together, the characters will ultimately have to face the catacombs to defeat 
  the corruption. However, the characters’ choices in the mansion result in 
  diﬀerent conclusions.
  At any point during the attack, the PCs can leave the battle and enter the 
  chapel. Inside, the characters ﬁnd either Erich (if alive) or Petra. Erich is here 
  if Bergen is dead or one or more of the other siblings (other than Helmut) 
  are dead. Should the PCs be the ones responsible, he screams and attacks, 
  not wasting his time on one of those silly villain monologues. In the case that 
  Erich was already slain, replace him with another child.
  Petra, though, should be the one most likely encountered. Bergen leaves Petra 
  to guard his back. Pulled early from the ﬁght, she’s hungry for more violence. 
  Cocky and self-assured, she snarls at the PCs when they enter, unsure of 
  their motives (this is especially true if the PCs met her in Staufendorf). Her 
  instability means there’s little chance of circumventing a ﬁght here, and after 
  a few tense rounds of chatter, she ﬂings herself at the characters.
  1. Catacomb
  Light: None.
  Sounds: None.
  Below the trapdoor in the floor is a staircase that descends into the 
  darkness.
  = 5 FEET
  
  — 35 —
  - Part V: Beneath the Remains -
  Assuming the characters have a source of light, read or paraphrase the 
  following.
  Shelves line the walls and on them rest countless bones. Skulls stare out from 
  the walls, and webs and dust cover everything. It seems the bones were place 
  haphazardly, with little respect for the dead. A few inches of water cover the 
  ﬂoor, and the place stinks of mildew and rot.
  This room holds the bones of the Staufens. When a family member dies, her 
  corpse is placed here. Since nearly all of the priests who preceded Bergen felt 
  an evil presence here, few lingered long, and the bodies were never reverently 
  cared for. 
  In the southwest corner is a secret door. Only a DC 15 Search check is 
  required to locate it since it has been much used of late and the bones that 
  once concealed it have been disturbed. 
  2. Chamber
  Light: None.
  Sounds: DC 15 Listen check reveals the sounds of picks on stone.
  Rubble and debris cover the ﬂoor of this chamber. Littered amongst the 
  broken stones are a dozen or so dead servants, their bodies shiny from the 
  lacquered shell that encases them.
  Characters who succeed on a DC 10 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 
  check can tell this room has been recently enlarged. A DC 10 Search check 
  reveals the walls have been chipped away, and the debris on the ﬂoor conﬁrms 
  this. The walls here were once painted with holy scenes reﬂecting Amros’s 
  victory over the Black Seven, and fragments of the painted stone cover the 
  ﬂoor. The knockers found the depictions oﬀensive and did their best to erase 
  them.
  The servants’ features are contorted with agony, their ﬂesh sunken to the bone. 
  A DC 12 Heal check on the corpses reveals that each was strangled before 
  being dipped in the ﬂuid. 
  Development
  A loud noise entitles the knockers in Room 3 to a DC 10 Listen check (though 
  be sure to apply the penalties for distance, the noise of their picks, and the 
  closed door). If they succeed, they emerge from their tunnels and await the 
  PCs in the alcoves on either side of the far door.
  3. Knockers
  Light: None
  Sounds: The sound of knockers digging tunnels is loud and imposes a –2 
  penalty to Listen checks.
  What clearly was a straight corridor is now pitted with side tunnels. To 
  either side, small rents appear, leading oﬀ into the darkness. The far end of 
  the corridor ends at a perpendicular corridor with a door in the middle.
  The knockers work to expand this area to accommodate the armies of Hell 
  when they come through the planar breach. They hope to provide more routes 
  to allow the devils to ﬂood out quickly.
  Creatures (EL 2)
  Two knockers work to excavate new tunnels. They slipped through the planar 
  breach sometime in the last year, unbeknownst to Bergen. The children, who 
  have come down here from time to time, believe—wrongly—that these devils 
  are somehow part of Bergen’s plan.
  When Bergen arrives, the knockers allow the cultist to pass, knowing he will 
  release more of their kind with the incantation. Bergen is concerned about 
  their presence, but plans to deal with them later.
  Knockers (2): hp 6 each, see Appendix for statistics.
  Scaling
  For 2nd-level parties, change nothing. For 3rd-level parties, add 1 knocker. 
  For 4th-level parties, add 3 knockers.
  Tactics
  Unless the knockers heard the PCs approach, the adventurers automatically 
  gain surprise since these ﬁends are absorbed in their work. Otherwise, the 
  knockers take positions in the alcoves on either side of the door, ambushing 
  the characters when they approach.
  Development
  Sounds of combat automatically alert the guardian in Room 4.
  4. Guardian
  Light: None.
  Sounds: A DC 15 Listen check reveals the sound of guttural muttering. A 
  DC 20 Listen check reveals the sounds of chanting coming from the 
  door at the far end of the tunnel.
  This lozenge-shaped chamber reeks of brimstone and ﬁlth. The walls are 
  smeared with profane symbols made of blood and dung.
  Creatures (EL 2)
  A herlekin guards the door to the Tombs. Bergen convinced the devil to serve 
  him when it slipped through the planar breach a year ago. The herlekin agreed, 
  not to help the mortal, but instead to prepare the way for the coming army.
  Herlekin (1): hp 16, see Appendix for statistics.
  Scaling
  For 2nd-level parties, add 1 lemure. For 3rd-level parties, add two lemures. 
  For 4th-level parties, replace the herlekin with a bearded devil and do not 
  add any lemures.
  Tactics
  Whether the herlekin is aware of the PCs or not, on its ﬁrst action, it 
  charges the lead character, using its “horns down!” ability. It then keeps the 
  characters pinned at the door to the best of its ability, wielding its military 
  fork to tear its foes apart. If it drops a character, it pauses long enough to 
  drink the victim’s blood so it can enter its blood rage. The herlekin ﬁghts 
  to the death. 
  Development
  Sounds of combat are sure to alert the NPCs in Room 5. However, since 
  they are involved in the incantation, they are unlikely to react. If the combat 
  persists more than 4 rounds, two of the Staufen children break away from 
  the incantation to join the ﬁght.
  5. The Tombs
  Light: Candles placed around the pentagram in the ﬂoor. Dim red light 
  (equivalent to a torch) emanating from the pentagram itself.
  Sounds: If Bergen is present, he’s chanting. If not, and the devils are slipping 
  through the breach, their escape includes horrible shrieking noises.
  This large circular room contains seven tombs of black basalt arranged 
  around a pentagram carved in the ﬂoor. The walls are carved with inverted 
  holy symbols, profane sayings, and curses. The room feels evil.
  An unhallow spell with a permanent cause fear eﬀect tied to it covers this room. 
  Characters entering the room must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or become 
  frightened for 1d4 rounds. Those who succeed are shaken for 1 round. As with 
  the spell, characters with 6 or more HD are unaﬀected. See spell descriptions 
  in the PHB for more details.
  
  — 36 —
  - Part V: Beneath the Remains -
  This chamber holds the tombs of the Black Seven. Interred here by their loyal 
  followers ages ago, the room drips with corruption and malevolence. So evil is 
  this place that, over the centuries, the fabric of reality has weakened here, creating 
  a planar dimple that conﬂates the Astral Plane with the Material Plane. The 
  wickedness of this place has attracted the attention of Ariel, an ambitious ﬁend 
  lord from the Nine Hells, who serves Belial. Bergen’s meddling with the spirits 
  has inadvertently created a crack, allowing devils to slip through without being 
  summoned. Each time he unleashes one of the essences contained in the tombs, the 
  crack grows a bit wider, and if Bergen succeeds in the ﬁnal incantation, the weak 
  spot will rupture, creating a permanent rift that bridges the Material Plane to the 
  Nine Hells. But such is the damage that even if this ﬁnal incantation is not spoken, 
  the mere existence will eventually enable Ariel to lead his armies through.
  Sealing the breach is beyond the means of a 1st-level party. Though they cannot 
  ﬁx the damage, they can at least slow it. To achieve this end, they must undo 
  what Bergen has wrought. First, they must halt the ﬁnal incantation. Second, 
  the sinthralls must be destroyed.
  Exactly who’s here and what happens depends on the PCs’ actions so far. 
  The Final Incantation
  In this scenario, Bergen and all of the children are present, and Helmut (or 
  Valdric) lies in the center of the pentagram. The children lend their support 
  to Bergen in speaking the incantation that will transform Helmut into the last 
  sinthrall. Rosalin, however, plots to kill the priest and take over the Kirsvald. 
  So about halfway through the incantation, she leaves her position and attacks 
  the false priest, likely at the same time that the PCs enter the room. If Rosalin 
  fails to kill Bergen and the incantation is cast, the “dimple” tears and a portal 
  to the Nine Hells opens. Lemures, knockers, and a slew of other devils spill 
  out and destroy the sinthralls, Bergen, and pretty much everything else for 
  miles around. The consequences of this end are up to you. 
  A Desperate Attempt
  If any of the children were killed, Bergen’s eﬀorts are doomed. Still, the false 
  priest tries to release the last essence, perhaps impelled by Belial, perhaps out 
  of a mad eﬀort to complete what he had begun. Since some of the children 
  are already dead, there’s no risk of the planar breach widening, but if the 
  incantation is completed, Helmut (or Valdric) will be destroyed. Of course, 
  if both are already dead, the children and Bergen make their last stand here 
  without attempting the incantation.
  Planar Breach
  If Bergen is already dead, perhaps as a result of the PCs uncovering his 
  wickedness in Staufendorf or by catching him before he entered the chapel, 
  the surviving children are here. If they have Helmut (or their father), they 
  foolishly attempt the incantation. You can run this one of two ways: the failed 
  incantation results in a backlash that widens the breach a bit more, allowing a 
  slew of ﬁends to escape, or the children simply make their ﬁnal stand here.
  Creatures (EL varies)
  The creatures present depend on the circumstances of this ﬁnal encounter. 
  Any of the following NPCs could be present.
  Amalinda: hp 4, see Appendix for statistics.
  Bergen: hp 17, see Appendix for statistics.
  Erich: hp 7, see Appendix for statistics.
  Helmut: hp 6 (or lower), see Appendix for statistics.
  Jack: hp 7, see Appendix for statistics.
  Kris: hp 7, see Appendix for statistics.
  Leanor: hp 8, see Appendix for statistics.
  Rosalin: hp 4, see Appendix for statistics.
  Valdric: hp 16, see Appendix for statistics.
  Alternatively, if you allow the planar breach to open, the following devils pour 
  out from the pentagram.
  Lemures (1 per 2 PCs and NPCs): hp 9, see MM for statistics.
  Knocker (1 per 2 PCs and NPCs): hp 6, see Appendix for statistics.
  Herlekin (1 per 4 PCs and NPCs): hp 13, see Appendix for statistics.
  Tactics
  This is a challenging combat to run, and the PCs may fall back to other 
  locations in the catacombs. Furthermore, it is a combat of shifting alliances, 
  such that Rosalin attacks Bergen, and if the devils start emerging from the 
  New Incantation: Sin Bind
  Unearthed Arcana presents a system of magic that enables non-
  spellcasters to produce magical eﬀects called incantations. In brief, an 
  incantation is an often narrow-focused magical eﬀect that requires a long 
  casting time, several ingredients, and presents great risk to the caster. To 
  speak the incantation, the caster must provide all the components and 
  spend the indicated casting time going through the motions required to 
  complete it. An incantation may require several skill checks to complete 
  it (typically one every 10 minutes), and if the caster fails two skill checks 
  in a row, the incantation fails and the caster suﬀers the consequences. 
  If interrupted, the incantation doesn’t automatically fail, but the DC 
  for subsequent skill checks increases by 1 for every round that the 
  incantation was delayed.
  The sin bind incantation does not require additional casters, but as a 
  special eﬀect of the incantation, every sinthrall that aids in the casting 
  confers a +2 bonus to the lead caster’s Knowledge (arcana) check.
  Sin Bind
  Conjuration (Calling)
  Eﬀective Level: 6th
  Skill Check: Knowledge (arcana) DC 25, 6 successes
  Failure: Death
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 60 minutes (on the anniversary of the target’s birth)
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One living humanoid of Staufen blood; if unwilling, must 
  be helpless
  Duration: 1 hour/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  This incantation imbues a target creature with the essence of one of 
  the Black Seven. 
  To cast sin bind, the caster must read aloud the blasphemous deeds 
  written on the lid of one of the Black Seven, and the then must spend 
  the remainder of the time invoking the spirit.
  If the incantation succeeds, a ghostly visage rises from one of the 
  tombs, looses a bone-chilling shriek and darts toward the target of the 
  incantation. The subject undergoes a horrid change, eradicating any 
  virtue or compassion, and replacing their soul with that of the entity. 
  The target gains the sinthrall template. If its alignment was anything 
  but evil, the experience deals 1d6 points of Wisdom drain.
  Option: Every sinthrall that aids in the invocations grants the caster a 
  +2 circumstance bonus to his Knowledge (arcana) checks.
  Failure: If the caster fails two consecutive Knowledge (arcana) checks, the 
  spirit appears as normal, but instead of possessing the target, it ﬂies through 
  the caster, snatching its soul as it goes, killing the caster instantly.
  Focus: One of the tombs of the Black Seven.
  
  — 37 —
  - Part V: Beneath the Remains -
  pentagram, it’s likely that the PCs and the Staufen children will be ﬁghting 
  on the same side against the greater threat. 
  If Bergen is working on the incantation, he keeps his attention on his eﬀorts. 
  When the PCs ﬁrst enter, two of the children break away from the pentagram 
  to attack the characters. Whenever one of the children falls, another leaves the 
  incantation to join the ﬁght. If any of the Staufens are attacked while aiding 
  the incantation, they break away and ﬁght the PCs.
  Conclusions
  The adventure concludes when the PCs either destroy Bergen and all of the 
  children or all of the devils that slip free from the pentagram. While in the 
  catacombs, the villagers likely defeat the guards and soldiers, free the servants 
  and set ﬁre to the mansion. If Elzbeth was not already killed, she surely is once 
  the villagers get through with her. Surviving characters that emerge from the 
  chapel can escape the mansion without diﬃculty since the villagers are still 
  contending with the last batches of resistance or are hard at work destroying 
  the buildings.
  Once the deed is done, the villagers return to Staufendorf and try to resume 
  their lives of old. Kyle Rosen is likely elected their new leader if he’s still 
  alive, but if not, they raise another in their village. If the PCs reveal to them 
  what really was happening in the mansion, they are grateful for the help, and 
  scrounge up 200 gp to give the party by way of thanks.
  The mansion is ever after considered a cursed place and, henceforth, the ruler 
  of Staufendorf resides in the village. But the planar breach is still a threat, even 
  if an unknown one. Sealing the potential portal could be as simple as casting 
  a hallow spell to neutralize the unhallow eﬀect, or may be as involved as using 
  another incantation to seal the breach. You can develop this plot as you like 
  or leave it as the basis for some future adventure, perhaps even as the basis 
  for an entire campaign.
  Experience Awards
  Since much of this adventure involves roleplaying and investigation, it’s best if 
  you award experience points based on story rather than defeating monsters. 
  Use the following guidelines to determine XP awards.
  Experience Awards
  Situation
  XP per Character
  Assist Helmut but he dies
  50
  Rescue Helmut
  100
  Encounter Bergen and agree to help
  50
  Take part in the dinner sequence
  100
  Befriend one or more servants
  50
  Befriend one or more guards
  50
  Discovered who poisoned Helmut
  100
  Confront Elzbeth
  100
  Reveal the truth to Valdric
  100
  Destroy some of the children
  100
  Destroy nearly all of the children
  500
  Destroy all of the children
  1,000
  Interrupt the incantation
  200
  Destroy the vixens
  As normal for CR
  For each devil killed
  As normal for CR
  For each mansion soldier killed
  As normal for CR
  Great roleplaying
  100–500
  
  — 38 —
  Since the characters featured in this adventure move around a great deal, they 
  cannot be tied to one location. For ease of use, all stat-blocks are included 
  here.
  Sinthrall
  Evil outsiders seem to exist to influence mortals. Demons seek their 
  annihilation, while devils bind them to convoluted contracts that ensure 
  the mortal is doomed to a ﬁery torment in the Nine Hells. But what of the 
  daemons, those foul peddlers of sin and mortal corruption? 
  Daemons traﬃc in the grave sins, whispering dark suggestions to embrace 
  the baser moods that tumble through the minds of their chosen victims. A 
  whisperer might drive a man to murder his wife in a ﬁt of rage, while another 
  might urge a woman to engage in carnal acts again and again until she is 
  so riddled with disease that she can’t bear to live. And each time a mortal 
  succumbs to these temptations, a watcher records the deed in their black 
  ledgers, gathering the sins until the mortal is so befouled that they are drawn 
  bodily into Gehenna to suﬀer and languish under the obscene attentions of 
  this horrid plane’s denizens.
  On occasion, some mortals prove too delicious to simply snatch and destroy. 
  Instead of plucking the mortal from the Material Plane, the daemons violate 
  their subject, worming their evil through his mind and body, transforming 
  him into something new and useful to their purposes. And thus are the 
  sinthralls born.
  This template builds on the cosmology established in Green Ronin’s The Book 
  of Fiends. If you use the default cosmology described in the DMG, you can 
  adapt this template so that it is the product of some other ﬁendish attention. 
  There are demon princes enough to represent the seven deadly sins, and the 
  transformation may be the result of a demonic agency hoping to spread evil 
  and destruction in the Material Plane. The sinthrall might be made after a 
  particularly nasty infernal construct. Or, you could simply use the daemons 
  described in The Book of Fiends, but place them on a demiplane or in any 
  other of the lower planes.
  Sample Sinthralls
  The Staufen children are all sinthralls. For their statistics, see their respective 
  entries. When creating a sinthrall, you should consider how the template aﬀects 
  the base creature physically. All have something of an otherworldly, almost 
  alien appearance. Wrath sinthralls may have reddish skin and maybe even 
  subtle horns, while envy sinthralls should be emaciated. While the particulars 
  vary a great deal from creature to creature, this is an opportunity to creatively 
  alter a creature so that it physically personiﬁes the sin.
  Creating a Sinthrall
  A sinthrall is an acquired template that can be added to any living creature 
  with an evil alignment and an Intelligence score of 3 or more (referred to 
  hereafter as the base creature). A sinthrall uses all the base creature’s statistics 
  and special abilities except as noted here.
  Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to outsider. Do not recalculate 
  Hit Dice, base attack bonus or saves. It also gains the evil and native 
  subtypes. Its size is unchanged.
  Armor Class: A sinthrall gains a +2 profane bonus to AC.
  Special Attacks: A sinthrall retains all the special attacks of the base creature and 
  gains one of the following special attacks, depending on its particular sin.
   Wrath (Ex): The wrath sinthrall can ﬂy into a berserker rage once per day. 
  This ability functions exactly as the barbarian rage ability described 
  in the PHB. If the sinthrall already has rage, it may use this ability an 
  additional time per day.
   Envy (Sp): Once per day each, an envy sinthrall can cast charm person, detect 
  thoughts, and undetectable alignment as the spells. Its caster level equals 
  its Hit Dice. The save DC is Intelligence-based. 
   Lust (Sp): Once per day, a lust sinthrall can select a single living creature 
  within 30 feet that has HD equal to or less than its own. The target 
  must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the sinthrall’s HD + the 
  sinthrall’s Charisma modiﬁer) or have its attitude changed to helpful for 
  a number of hours equal to the sinthrall’s Charisma bonus (minimum 
  1 hour). This ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.
   Sloth (Sp): Twice per day, a sloth sinthrall can cast suggestion as the spell. Its 
  caster level equals its Hit Dice. The save DC is Charisma-based.
   Gluttony (Ex): Once per day, a gluttony sinthrall may spew a 20-foot cone 
  of corrosive vomit. Creatures in the area take 2d4 points of acid damage 
  per 3 Hit Dice of the sinthrall (1–3 HD 2d4, 4–6 HD 4d4, and so on). 
  Creatures in the area are entitled to a Reﬂex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the 
  sinthrall’s HD + the sinthrall’s Constitution modiﬁer) for half damage.
   Greed (Ex): The sinthrall gains a +4 bonus to disarm and grab attacks. As 
  well, it gains a +2 bonus to initiative checks.
   Pride (Su): Once per day, as a swift action, a pride sinthrall can emit an aura 
  of superiority in a 20-foot radius that lasts 1 round. All creatures in the 
  area must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the sinthrall’s HD + 
  the sinthrall’s Charisma modiﬁer) or take a –2 penalty to all attacks, 
  weapon damage rolls, saves, and checks for a number of rounds equal 
  to the pride sinthrall’s Charisma bonus (minimum 1 round).
  Appendix I: Collected Stat-Blocks
  
  — 39 —
  - Appendices -
  Special Qualities: A sinthrall has all the special qualities of the base creature, 
  plus the following special qualities.
   • Darkvision out to 60 ft.
   • Immunity to acid and poison.
   • Resistance to cold 10, electricity 10, and ﬁre 10
  Abilities: Modify the base creature as determined by the particular sin. 
   • Wrath—Str +4, –4 Int, –2 Wis.
   • Envy—Dex +4, –4 Cha.
   • Lust—Con +2, Int –2, Wis –4, Cha +4.
   • Sloth—Dex –4, Con –2, Int +2, Wis +4.
   • Gluttony—Con +4, Wis –4, Cha –2.
   • Greed—Dex +2, Int +4, Wis –2, Cha –4
   • Pride— +4 to any one, –2 to any two.
  Skills: A sinthrall gains skill points as an outsider and has skill points equal 
  to (8 + Int modiﬁer) × (HD +3). Do not include Hit Dice from class 
  levels in this calculation—the sinthrall gains outsider skill points only 
  for its class levels. Treat skills from the base creature’s list as class skills 
  and other skills as cross-class skills. In addition, the sinthrall gains 
  profane bonuses to certain skills depending on its sin of choice. Wrath 
  sinthralls gain a +3 bonus to Intimidate checks, Envy a +3 bonus to 
  Sense Motive checks, Lust a +3 bonus to Bluﬀ checks, Sloth a +3 bonus 
  to Diplomacy checks, Gluttony a +3 bonus to Concentration checks, 
  Greed a +2 bonus to Appraise and Sleight of Hand checks, and Pride 
  a +3 bonus to any one skill.
  Feats: All sinthralls gain Alertness as a bonus feat.
  Challenge Rating: +1.
  Alignment: Always evil (any).
  Level Adjustment: +3
  Dramatis Personae
  AMALINDA STAUFEN 
  CR 1
  Female envy sinthrall adept 1
  NE Medium outsider (augmented human, evil, native)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +5, Spot +5
  Languages Common, Draconic, Infernal
  AC 15, touch 15, ﬂat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 profane)
  hp 4 (1 HD)
  Immune acid and poison
  Resist cold 10, electricity 10, ﬁre 10
  Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk punching dagger +0 (1d4–1/×3)
  Ranged throwing dagger +3 (1d4–1/19–20)
  Base Atk +0; Grp –1
  Combat Gear divine scroll of cause fear, potion of owl’s wisdom, wand of 
  burning hands (15 charges)
  Spells Prepared (CL 1st):
   1st—command (DC 13), protection from good (DC 13)
   0—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 12), touch of fatigue (DC 12)
  Spell-like Abilities (CL 1st):
   1/day—charm person (DC 13), detect thoughts (DC 14), undetectable 
  alignment (DC 14)
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 6
  Feats AlertnessB, Spell Focus (enchantment), StealthyB
  Skills Concentration +5, Hide +5, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Listen +5, 
  Move Silently +5, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +6, Spot +5
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork punching dagger, 2 daggers
  BERGEN 
  CR 4
  Male human cultist 5
  LE Medium outsider (augmented humanoid, evil, extraplanar)
  Init +1; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3
  Languages Common, Gnome, Infernal
  AC 13, touch 11, ﬂat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +1 armor, +1 natural)
  hp 17 (5 HD)
  Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk dagger +3 (1d4–1/19–20)
  Base Atk +3; Grp +2
  Atk Options sneak attack +1d6
  Combat Gear dose of large scorpion venom, ﬂask of acid, tanglefoot bag, 
  wand of summon monster II (CL 5th, 6 charges)
  Spells Prepared (CL 1st):
   1st—cause fear (CL 2nd, DC 14), protection from good (CL 2nd)D,
   0—light, resistance, touch of fatigue
  D: Domain spell. Domain: Evil.
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16
  SQ strong aura of evil
  Feats Damned (see sidebar), PersuasiveB, Skill Focus (Bluﬀ)B, Skill Focus 
  (Knowledge: arcana) 
  Skills Bluﬀ +16 (+18 against evil outsiders), Diplomacy +13 (+15 against 
  evil outsiders), Disguise +8 (+10 acting), Hide +9, Intimidate +5 
  (+8 against good, +7 against evil outsiders), Knowledge (arcana) 
  +9, Knowledge (religion) +7, Listen +3, Move Silently +9, Sense 
  Motive +6, Spot +3
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork dagger, potion of undetectable 
  alignment, amulet of natural armor +1, bracers of armor +1, 5 sunrods, 
  holy symbol of the god of knowledge, unholy symbol of Belial.
  CRANIAL WRETCH 
  CR 2
  LE Small outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +6; Senses see in darkness; Listen +7, Spot +7
  Languages Common, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.
  AC 18, touch 17, ﬂat-footed 12(+1 size, +6 Dex,+1 natural)
  hp 16 (3 HD); DR 5/magic
  Immune ﬁre and poison
  Resist acid 10, cold 10
  Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +4
  Scaling
  For parties whose average level is 2nd, increase all class levels in NPC 
  classes (e.g. aristocrat or expert) by 1. For parties whose average level 
  is 3rd, increase all class levels in NPC classes by 2 and in PC classes 
  by 1. If the NPC has levels in more than one class, advance the class in 
  one or the other, not both. If you lack a resource that includes the class 
  information, advance the NPC in classes as follows.
  Class
  Source
  Advancement
  Cavalier
  The Cavalier’s Handbook
  Fighter or Paladin 
  (as appropriate)
  Cultist
  Freeport Trilogy*
  Adept
  Holy Warrior
  Book of the Righteous
  Paladin
  *Or Terror in Freeport Revised.
  
  — 40 —
  - Appendices -
  Spd 20 ft. (4 squares), ﬂy 40 ft. (good)
  Melee bite +10 (1d6–1 plus 1d4 acid)
  Base Atk +3; Grp –2
  Atk Options Combat Reﬂexes
  Special Actions Spit drool (ranged touch +10, 2d4 acid)
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 22, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12
  Feats Combat Reﬂexes, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Balance +12, Climb +5, Escape Artist +12, Hide +13, Jump +5, Listen 
  +7, Move Silently +12, Spot +7, Use Rope +6 (+8 bindings)
  Spit Drool (Ex): 30 ft., ranged touch +10, damage 1d4. Once a cranial wretch 
  uses this ability, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again.
  ELZBETH STAUFEN 
  CR 2
  Female human aristocrat 2/sorcerer 1
  CN Medium humanoid
  Init +5; Senses Listen +4, Spot +4
  Languages Common, Gnome, Infernal
  AC 11, touch 11, ﬂat-footed 10 (+1 Dex)
  hp 8 (3 HD)
  Fort –1, Ref +1, Will +4
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk dagger +2 (1d4/19–20)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +1
  Combat Gear arcane scroll of mage armor, arcane scroll of shield, arcane scroll 
  of summon monster III (CL 10th, used in Part One), dose of medium 
  spider venom, potion of cure light wounds
  Spells Known (CL 1st):
   1st (4/day)—cause fear (DC 14), id seizure (DC 14, see sidebar)
   0 (5/day)—daze (DC 13), detect magic, ghost sound (DC 13), read 
  magic
  Abilities Str 11, Dex 12, Con 9, Int 15, Wis 9, Cha 16
  SQ familiar (none)
  Feats Improved Initiative, NegotiatorB, Skill Focus (Craft: poisonmaking)
  Skills Bluﬀ +8, Concentration +1, Craft (poisonmaking) +7, Diplomacy 
  +16, Disguise +3 (+5 acting), Intimidate +5, Knowledge (history) 
  +7, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) +7, Listen +4, Sense Motive +6, 
  Spellcraft +3, Spot +4
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork dagger, 3 doses of striped toad-
  stool, 2 doses of dark reaver powder, wedding ring (20 gp), key to 
  Room 14
  ERICH STAUFEN 
  CR 2
  Male pride sinthrall cavalier* 1
  LE Medium outsider (augmented human, evil, native)
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1
  Aura superiority (20-ft. radius, DC 11, 1/day)
  Languages Common
  AC 20, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 20 (+0 Dex, +6 armor, +2 shield, +2 profane)
  hp 7 (1 HD)
  Immune acid and poison
  Resist cold 10, electricity 10, ﬁre 10
  Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +1
  Spd 20 ft. in splint mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk bastard sword +6 (1d10+4/19–20)
  Ranged composite longbow +1 (1d8/×3)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +5
  Atk Options Mounted Combat, Power Attack
  Combat Gear ﬂask of acid, oil of corrupt weapon (see Blackguard in the 
  DMG for details), potion of cure light wounds
  Abilities Str 19, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12
  SQ discerning eye +1
  Feats AlertnessB, Exotic Weapon Proﬁciency (bastard sword), Mounted 
  CombatB, Power AttackB 
  Skills Diplomacy +5, Intimidate +5, Listen +1, Ride +7, Spot +1
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork splint mail, heavy steel shield, 
  masterwork bastard sword, composite longbow with 20 arrows, signet 
  ring, 15 gp, key to Room 3
  Aura of Superiority (Su) Once per day as a swift action, Erich can create an 
  aura of superiority for 1 round. All creatures in the area that fail their 
  save take a –2 penalty to attacks, damage rolls, saves, and checks for 
  1 round.
  Discerning Eye (Ex) As Appraise skill, but for weapons, armor, and steeds.
  *The cavalier is presented in Green Ronin’s Cavalier’s Handbook.
  HELMUT STAUFEN 
  CR 1
  Male human holy warrior* 1
  LG Medium humanoid
  Init +0; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1
  Languages Common
  AC 18, touch 10, ﬂat-footed 18 (+0 Dex, +6 armor, +2 shield)
  hp 6 (1 HD)
  Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +1
  Spd 20 ft. in splint mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk longsword +5 (1d8+2/19–20) or
   silver dagger +3 (1d4+1/19–20)
  Ranged composite longbow +1 (1d8/×3)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +3
  Atk Options Mounted Combat, righteous fury 1/day (+2 attack, 1 
  damage), smite evil 1/day (+2 attack, +1 damage)
  Combat Gear holy water, potion of cure light wounds
  Abilities Str 14, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 15
  SQ faint aura of good, holy warrior domains (Champion, Justice)
  Feats Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (longsword)
  Skills Diplomacy +4, Knowledge (religion) +3, Listen +1, Ride +4, Spot +1
  Possessions combat gear plus splint mail, heavy steel shield, masterwork 
  longsword, silver dagger, composite longbow with 20 arrows, light war-
  horse (Champion) with military saddle, bit and bridle, saddlebags 
  New Feat: Damned
  You sold your soul.
  Prerequisite: Evil alignment.
  Beneﬁt: Your type changes to outsider, and you gain the augmented, 
  evil, and extraplanar subtypes (a powerful ﬁend owns your soul). As 
  an outsider, you cannot be aﬀected by spells speciﬁcally targeting 
  humanoids such as charm person or hold person. However, because you 
  are an extraplanar outsider, you are subject to spells like dismissal, which 
  sends you physically to the plane where the owner of your soul resides. 
  If you are killed, you cannot be resurrected or raised by any means short 
  of a wish or miracle. Even if repentant and you receive an atonement spell, 
  the caster must beat your master’s spell resistance. If the caster succeeds, 
  you regain your soul and your type returns to normal, but you lose this 
  feat and cannot replace it with another.
  The damned feat grants you a +3 bonus to Intimidate checks made 
  against good creatures. In addition, fear spells you cast are cast at +1 
  caster level. When interacting with evil outsiders, you gain a +2 bonus 
  to Bluﬀ, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks. Finally, you generate an aura 
  of evil as an evil cleric whose level equals your character level.
  
  — 41 —
  - Appendices -
        with 2 days feed, backpack with bedroll, healer’s kit, 2 days trail rations, 
  ﬂint and steel, waterskin, 21 gp, 8 sp, 8 cp
  Righteous Fury (Su) Once per day, Helmut may make a special attack 
  against any intelligent creature that has knowingly violated the law. 
  He adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and his holy 
  warrior level to the damage roll. If used against a creature who is not a 
  law breaker, the attempt fails and the ability is used up for the day.
  *This NPC uses the holy warrior class found in Book of the Righteous.
  HERLEKIN 
  CR 2
  LE Medium outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +1; Senses see in darkness; Listen +4, Spot +4
  Languages Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.
  AC 15, touch 11, ﬂat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 natural)
  hp 13 (2 HD); DR 5/good or silver
  Immune ﬁre and poison
  Resist acid 10, cold 10
  Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +2
  Spd 35 ft. (7 squares)
  Melee military fork +5 (1d8+4/×3) or gore +5 (1d6+4)
  Base Atk +2; Grp +5
  Atk Options Power Attack, blood rage, horns down
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 12
  Feats Power Attack
  Skills Bluﬀ +6, Diplomacy +3, Disguise +1 (+3 acting), Hide +6, Intimi-
  date +8, Jump +8, Listen +4, Spot +4, Survival +4 
  Possessions military pick
  Blood Rage (Ex) As a standard action, a herlekin can suck the blood of any 
  helpless creature. On the following round, it enters a psychotic rage, 
  using the following statistics.
  AC 13, touch 9, ﬂat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +4 natural, –2 rage)
  hp 17 (2 HD)
  Fort +7
  Melee military fork +7 (1d8+7/×3) or
  Melee gore +7 (1d6+7)
  Base Atk +2; Grp +5
  Abilities Str 20, Con 19
  Skills Jump +10
  Horns Down! (Ex) If a herlekin charges and hits with its gore attack, it 
  deals 2d8+8 points damage. To gain this extra damage, the herlekin 
  must move at least 20 feet.
  Military Fork If the herlekin sets its military fork against a charge, it deals 
  double damage if it scores a hit against the charging creature.
  JACK STAUFEN 
  CR 2
  Male lust sinthrall human ﬁghter 1
  NE Medium outsider (augmented human, evil, native)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen –1, Spot –1
  Languages Common
  AC 19, touch 14, ﬂat-footed 17 (+2 Dex, +4 armor, +1 shield, +2 profane)
  hp 7 (1 HD)
  Immune acid and poison
  Resist cold 10, electricity 10, ﬁre 10
  Fort +4, Ref +2, Will –3
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk whip +4 (1d3+2 nonlethal) or dagger +3 (1d4+2/19–20)
  Ranged dagger +3 (1d4+2/19–20)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +3
  Special Actions lust 1/day
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, potion of eagle’s splendor
  Abilities Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 4, Cha 16
  Feats AlertnessB, Exotic Weapon Proﬁciency (whip), Improved Initiative
  Skills Bluﬀ +7, Diplomacy +4, Intimidate +7, Listen –1, Spot –1
  Possessions combat gear plus chain shirt, buckler, masterwork whip, 3 
  daggers
  Lust (Sp) Once per day, Jack can target a single creature within 30 feet. The 
  target must succeed on a DC 13 Will or have his attitude improved 
  to helpful for 3 hours.
  KNOCKER 
  CR 1
  LE Medium outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +0; Senses see in darkness; Listen –1, Spot –1
  Languages Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.
  AC 15, touch 10, ﬂat-footed 15 (+5 natural)
  hp 6 (1 HD)
  Immune ﬁre and poison
  Resist acid 10 and cold 10
  Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee heavy pick +4 (1d6+3/×4)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +3
  Spell-like Abilities (CL 3rd):
   1/2 hours—ghost sound (DC 11)
  Abilities Str 14, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 12
  Feats Weapon Focus (heavy pick)
  Skills Appraise +3, Climb +6, Disable Devise +3, Hide +4, Intimidate +5, 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) +3, Listen –1, Search +3, Spot –1
  Possessions heavy pick
  KRIS STAUFEN 
  CR 1
  Male sloth sinthrall aristocrat 1
  NE Medium outsider (augmented human, evil, native)
  Init –2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +10, Spot +10
  Languages Common, Gnome, Halﬂing, Infernal
  AC 10, touch 10, ﬂat-footed 10 (–2 Dex, +2 profane)
  hp 7 (1 HD)
  New Spell: Id Seizure
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Aﬀecting]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One humanoid
  Duration: 1 round/level (D); see text
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You swing the sphere on the string, speaking the arcane words of power, and 
  with a ﬂash, you limn your target’s eyes with pale yellow light.
  You tap into the target creature’s subconscious, releasing primitive urges 
  that short circuit its mind and leave it disoriented. The creature is unable 
  to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring 
  attention and only takes a single move action each turn. In lieu of its 
  move action, the target creature can attempt a new saving throw as a 
  full-round action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
  Material Component: A disk or sphere of crystal or metal on a string.
  
  — 42 —
  - Appendices -
  Immune acid and poison
  Resist cold 10, electricity 10, ﬁre 10
  Fort +0, Ref –2, Will +6
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk dagger +0 (1d4–1/19–20)
  Base Atk +0; Grp –1
  Combat Gear potion of shield of faith +4
  Spell-like Abilities (CL 1st):
   2/day—suggestion (DC 16)
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 6, Con 11, Int 17, Wis 18, Cha 12
  Feats Ability Focus (suggestion), AlertnessB, ToughnessB
  Skills Appraise +7, Bluﬀ +5, Diplomacy +8, Intimidate +5, Knowledge 
  (local) +7, Listen +10, Sense Motive +8, Spot +10
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork dagger
  KYLE ROSEN 
  CR 2
  Male human warrior 3
  LN Medium humanoid
  Init +3; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3
  Languages Common
  AC 19, touch 9, ﬂat-footed 19 (–1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield)
  hp 16 (3 HD)
  Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +1
  Spd 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk bastard sword +6 (1d10+1/19–20) or mwk club +5 (1d6+1)
  Ranged mwk heavy crossbow +3 (1d10/19–20)
  Base Atk +3; Grp +4
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds
  Abilities Str 13, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 10
  Feats Exotic Weapon Proﬁciency (bastard sword), Improved Initiative, 
  Weapon Focus (bastard sword)
  Skills Listen +3, Spot +3
  Possessions combat gear plus full plate, heavy steel shield, masterwork 
  bastard sword, masterwork club, masterwork heavy crossbow with 
  10 bolts
  LEANOR STAUFEN 
  CR 1
  Female gluttony sinthrall aristocrat 1
  NE Medium outsider (augmented human, evil, native)
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +6, Spot +6
  Languages Common
  AC 13, touch 13, ﬂat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 profane)
  hp 8 (1 HD)
  Immune acid and poison
  Resist acid 10, electricity 10, ﬁre 10
  Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +2
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk battle axe +2 (1d8+1/×3)
  Base Atk +0; Grp +1
  Special Actions vomit
  Combat Gear arcane scroll of spider climb, ﬂask of acid, potion of cure light 
  wounds
  Abilities Str 13, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 6
  Feats Ability Focus (vomit), AlertnessB, EnduranceB
  Skills Concentration +11, Listen +6, Search +4, Spot +6, Use Magic 
  Device +0
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork battleaxe, scroll of create food and 
  water, several chickens for a snack.
  Vomit (Ex) 1/day, 20-ft. cone, damage 2d4 acid, Reﬂex DC 14 half.
  MANSION GUARDS 
  CR 1/2
  Male human warrior 1
  LN Medium humanoid
  Init –1; Senses Listen +4, Spot +4
  Languages Common
  AC 17, touch 9, ﬂat-footed 17 (–1 Dex, +6 armor, +2 shield)
  hp 5 (1 HD)
  Fort +3, Ref –1, Will +0
  Spd 20 ft. in splint mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk longsword +3 (1d8+1/19–20)
  Ranged light crossbow +0 (1d8/19–20)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +2
  Abilities Str 13, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10
  Feats AlertnessB, Rapid Reload (light crossbow)
  Skills Listen +4, Spot +4
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork splint mail, heavy steel shield, 
  masterwork longsword, light crossbow with 10 bolts, 1d10 gp
  MANSION SOLDIERS 
  CR 1
  Male evil planetouched* orc warrior 1
  NE Medium outsider (augmented humanoid)
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen –2, Spot –2
  Languages Common, Orc
  AC 15, touch 11, ﬂat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 armor)
  hp 8 (1 HD)
  Resist cold 5, electricity 5, ﬁre 5
  Fort +3, Ref +1, Will –2
  Weakness light sensitivity
  Spd 20 ft. in scale (4 squares), base speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk greatsword +5 (2d6+4/19–20)
  Ranged light crossbow +1 (1d8/19–20)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +4
  Combat Gear 2 potions of cure light wounds, potion of shield of faith +2
  Spell-like Abilities (CL 1st):
   1/day—darkness
  Abilities Str 17, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 6, Cha 5
  Feats Toughness
  Skills Bluﬀ –1, Hide +0, Intimidate +1, Ride +5
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork scale mail, masterwork great-
  sword, light crossbow with 10 bolts, 1d20 gp
  *This template is described in Green Ronin’s Advanced Player’s Manual.
  PETRA HANDELL 
  CR 2
  Female human ranger 2
  CN Medium humanoid
  Init +6; Senses Listen +6, Spot +6
  Languages Common
  AC 15, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 13; Dodge (+2 Dex, +3 armor)
  hp 11 (2 HD)
  Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk scimitar +5 (1d6+2/18–20) or mwk scimitar +3 (1d6+2/18–
  20) and mwk kukri +3 (1d4+1/18–20)
  Ranged mwk composite longbow (Str +2) +5 (1d8+2/×3)
  Base Atk +2; Grp +4
  Atk Options favored enemy (goblinoids) +2
  Combat Gear potion of barkskin, potion of bull’s strength, 2 potions of cure 
  light wounds
  Abilities Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
  SQ wild empathy +2 (–2 magical beasts)
  
  — 43 —
  - Appendices -
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, TrackB, Two-Weapon FightingB
  Skills Hide +7, Knowledge (geography) +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, 
  Survival +6 (+8 keep from getting lost and avoid hazards), Spot +6
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork studded leather, masterwork 
  scimitar, masterwork kukri, masterwork composite longbow 
  (Strength +2) with 20 arrows.
  ROSALIN STAUFEN 
  CR 2
  Female greed sinthrall rogue 1
  NE Medium outsider (augmented human, evil, native)
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +5, Spot +5
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Infernal, Gnome
  AC 18, touch 15, ﬂat-footed 15; Dodge, Mobility (+3 Dex, +3 armor, 
  +2 profane)
  hp 4 (1 HD)
  Immune acid and poison
  Resist cold 10, electricity 10, ﬁre 10
  Fort +1, Ref +5, Will –1
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk rapier +0 (1d6–1/18–20)
  Ranged mwk hand crossbow +4 (1d4/19–20)
  Base Atk +0; Grp –1
  Atk Options +4 to disarm and grab, sneak attack +1d6
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, potion of shield of faith +2
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 8, Cha 8
  SQ trapﬁnding
  Feats AlertnessB, DodgeB, Mobility
  Skills Appraise +10, Bluﬀ +3, Decipher Script +8, Disable Device +8, 
  Hide +7, Intimidate +3, Listen +5, Move Silently +7, Open Lock +7, 
  Search +8, Sleight of Hand +9, Spot +5, Use Magic Device +3
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork studded leather, masterwork 
  rapier, masterwork hand crossbow with 10 bolts
  VALDRIC STAUFEN 
  CR 2
  Male human aristocrat 3
  LN Medium humanoid
  Init +0; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2
  Languages Common
  AC 17, touch 11, ﬂat-footed 17 (+0 Dex, +4 armor, +2 shield, +1 deﬂection)
  hp 16 (3 HD)
  Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk longsword +6 (1d8+2/19–20) or dagger +4 (1d4+2/19–20)
  Ranged dagger +2 (1d4+2/19–20)
  Base Atk +2; Grp +4
  Atk Options Mounted Combat
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds
  Abilities Str 14, Dex 11, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 9, Cha 14
  Feats Mounted Combat, PersuasiveB, Weapon Focus (longsword)
  Skills Appraise +5, Bluﬀ +9, Diplomacy +11, Disguise +2 (+4 acting), 
  Intimidate +6, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) +5, Listen +2, Ride 
  +4, Spot +2
  Possessions combat gear plus chain shirt, heavy steel shield, masterwork 
  longsword, dagger, signet ring of protection +1, cloak of resistance +1, 
  Staufen mansion, gold wedding ring (20 gp)
  VILLAGE GUARDS 
  CR 1/2
  Male or female human warrior 1
  NG Medium humanoid
  Init +0 Senses Listen +4 Spot +4
  Languages Common
  AC 17, touch 10, ﬂat-footed 17 (+0 Dex, +5 armor, +2 shield)
  hp 4 (1 HD)
  Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0
  Spd 20 ft. in chainmail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft.
  Melee longsword +1 (1d8/19–20)
  Ranged spear +2 (1d8/×3)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +1
  Abilities Str 11, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10
  Feats AlertnessB, Weapon Focus (spear)
  Skills Intimidate +4, Listen +4, Spot +4
  Possessions combat gear plus chainmail, heavy wooden shield, spear, 
  longsword
  VIXEN 
  CR 1/2
  Female aasimar expert 1
  LE Medium outsider (native) 
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +8, Spot +8
  Languages Celestial, Common
  AC 12, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
  hp 4 (1 HD)
  Resist acid 5, cold 5, and electricity 5
  Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk dagger +3 (1d4–1/19–20)
  Base Atk +0; Grp –1
  Spell-like Abilities (CL 1st):
   1/day—daylight
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 17
  Feats Weapon Finesse
  Skills Bluff +7, Diplomacy +7, Intimidate +7, Listen +8, Spot +8, 
  Tumble +6
  Possessions masterwork dagger
  Appendix II: Pregenerated Characters
  The following pregenerated characters can be used as PCs, quick replacement 
  characters for those who fall over the course of the adventure, or as additional 
  NPCs to add further detail to Mansion of Shadows.
  ANGRIST THE CLEAVER 
  CR 1
  Male dwarf ﬁghter 1
  LG Medium humanoid
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +2, Spot +2
  Languages Common, Dwarven
  AC 17, touch 11, ﬂat-footed 16; +4 against giants (+1 Dex, +4 armor, 
  +2 shield)
  hp 13 (1 HD)
  Resist stability (+4 against bull rush or trip)
  Fort +5 (+7 against poison), Ref +1, Will +1; +2 against spells and 
  spell-like eﬀects
  Spd 20 ft. in scale mail (4 squares), base speed 20 ft.
  Melee dwarven waraxe +4 (1d10+2/×3)
  
  — 44 —
  - Appendices -
  Ranged shortbow +2 (1d6/×3)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +3
  Atk Options Power Attack, +1 on attacks against orcs and goblinoids
  Abilities Str 15, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 6
  SQ stonecunning
  Feats Power Attack, Weapon Focus (dwarven waraxe)B
  Skills Appraise +0 (+2 metal or stone), Craft +0 (+2 metal or stone), 
  Intimidate +2, Listen +2, Spot +2
  Possessions scale mail, heavy wooden shield, dwarven waraxe, shortbow, 
  backpack, waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, ﬂint and 
  steel, quiver with 20 arrows, 10 gp
  DIERDRA 
  CR 1
  Female human cleric 1
  NG Medium humanoid
  Init –1; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2
  Languages Common
  AC 15, touch 9, ﬂat-footed 15 (–1 Dex, +4 armor, +2 shield)
  hp 9 (1 HD)
  Fort +3, Ref –1, Will +4
  Spd 20 ft. in scale mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft.
  Melee heavy mace +2 (1d8+2)
  Ranged light crossbow –1 (1d8/19–20)
  Base Atk +0; Grp +2
  Atk Options Divine Might, Power Attack
  Special Actions feat of strength +1, greater turning 1/day, turn undead 
  4/day (+1, 2d6+2, 1st)
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 1st):
   1st—bless, enlarge personD, magic weapon
   0—detect magic, guidance, resistance
  D: Domain spell. Deity: God of the Sun. Domains: Strength, Sun
  Abilities Str 14, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 13
  SQ faint aura of good
  Feats Divine MightB, Power Attack
  Skills Diplomacy +5, Knowledge (religion) +4, Listen +2, Spellcraft +4, 
  Spot +2
  Possessions scale mail, heavy wooden shield, heavy mace, light crossbow, back-
  pack, waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, ﬂint and steel, case with 
  10 bolts, wooden holy symbol of the sun god, three torches, 2 gp, 5 sp
  ELOTHIN 
  CR 1
  Male elf wizard 1
  CG Medium humanoid
  Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Listen +5, Spot +5
  Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan, empathic link
  AC 13, touch 13, ﬂat-footed 10 (+3 Dex)
  hp 4 (1 HD)
  Immune sleep
  Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +3 (+5 against enchantments)
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee longsword +0 (1d8/19–20)
  Ranged shortbow +3 (1d6/×3)
  Base Atk +0; Grp +0
  Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 1st):
   1st—burning hands (DC 13), mage armor
   0—detect magic, light, ray of frost (ranged touch +3)
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 8
  SQ able to notice secret or concealed doors, familiar, share spells
  Feats AlertnessB (if familiar is within 5 ft.), Scribe ScrollB, Spell Focus 
  (evocation)
  Skills Concentration +4, Decipher Script +6, Knowledge (arcana) +6, 
  Listen +5, Search +4, Spellcraft +6, Spot +5 (+8 in bright light)
  Possessions combat gear plus longsword, shortbow, backpack, waterskin, 
  one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, ﬂint and steel, 10 candles, map 
  case, three pages of parchment, ink, inkpen, spell component pouch, 
  spellbook, quiver with 20 arrows
  Spellbook all prepared plus all cantrips, 1st—expeditious retreat, magic 
  missile, shield, sleep, true strike
  STRIFE (ELOTHIN’S FAMILIAR) 
  CR —
  Male hawk
  N Tiny magical beast (augmented animal)
  Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Listen +4, Spot +16
  Languages empathic link
  AC 18, touch 15, ﬂat-footed 15 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural)
  hp 4 (1 HD)
  Resist improved evasion
  Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +4
  Spd 10 ft. (2 squares), ﬂy 60 ft. (average)
  Melee talons +5 (1d4–2)
  Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
  Base Atk +0; Grp –10
  Abilities Str 6, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 6
  Feats Alertness, Weapon FinesseB
  Skills Listen +4, Spot +16
  FERRA 
  CR 1
  Female halﬂing rogue 1
  N Small humanoid
  Init +3; Senses Listen +3, Spot +1
  Languages Common, Elven, Halﬂing
  AC 16, touch 14, ﬂat-footed 13; Dodge (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 armor)
  hp 7 (1 HD)
  Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +0 (+2 against fear)
  Spd 20 ft. (4 squares)
  Melee short sword +2 (1d4+1/19–20)
  Ranged light crossbow +4 (1d6/19–20)
  Base Atk +0; Grp –3
  Atk Options sneak attack +1d6
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 10
  SQ trapﬁnding
  Feats Dodge
  Skills Bluﬀ +4, Climb +3, Disable Device +5, Hide +11, Jump +7, Listen +3, 
  Move Silently +9, Open Lock +7, Search +5, Spot +1, Tumble +7
  Possessions leather, short sword, light crossbow, backpack, waterskin, one 
  day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, ﬂint and steel, thieves’ tools, hooded 
  lantern, three pints of oil, case with 10 bolts, 10 gp
  GERALD 
  CR 1
  Male gnome bard 1
  CG Small humanoid
  Init +5; Senses low-light vision; Listen +5, Spot –1
  Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome
  Divine Might
  Prerequisites: Str 13, turn or rebuke undead ability, Power Attack.
  Beneﬁt: As a free action, spend one of your turn or rebuke undead 
  attempts to add your Charisma bonus to your weapon damage 
  for 1 full round.
  
  — 45 —
  - Appendices -
  AC 15, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 14; +4 against giants (+1 size, +1 Dex, +3 
  armor)
  hp 8 (1 HD)
  Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1; +2 against illusions
  Spd 20 ft. (4 squares)
  Melee longsword +0 (1d6–1/19–20)
  Ranged light crossbow +2 (1d6/19–20)
  Base Atk +0; Grp –5
  Atk Options +1 on attacks against kobolds and goblinoids
  Special Actions bardic music 1/day (inspire courage +1, fascinate 1 target, 
  countersong)
  Bard Spells Known (CL 1st):
   0 (2/day)—daze (DC 12), lullaby (DC 12), message, read magic
  Spell-like Abilities (CL 1st):
   1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 13), prestidigitation, speak with 
  animals (burrowing mammal, 1 minute)
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 15
  SQ bardic knowledge +3
  Feats Improved Initiative
  Skills Bluﬀ +6, Craft (alchemy) +4, Diplomacy +6, Gather Information +6, 
  Hide +5, Listen +5, Perform (wind instruments) +6, Sense Motive 
  +3, Spellcraft +6, Spot –1, Use Magic Device +6
  Possessions combat gear plus studded leather, longsword, light crossbow, 
  backpack, waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, lute, ﬂint and 
  steel, three torches, case with 10 bolts, ﬂute, spell component pouch
  HELEN 
  CR 1
  Female half-elf ranger 1
  NG Medium humanoid (elf)
  Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Listen +7, Spot +7
  Languages Common, Elven
  AC 16, touch 12, ﬂat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +3 armor, +1 shield)
  hp 7 (1 HD)
  Immune sleep
  Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2 (+4 against enchantments)
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee longsword +2 (1d8+1/19–20)
  Ranged longbow +3 (1d8/×3)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +2
  Atk Options Point Blank Shot, favored enemy outsiders (evil) +2
  Abilities Str 13, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12
  SQ wild empathy +2 (–2 against magical beasts)
  Feats Point Blank Shot, TrackB
  Skills Diplomacy +3, Gather Information +3, Hide +5, Knowledge 
  (nature) +4, Listen +7, Move Silently +5, Search +1, Spot +7, 
  Survival +6
  Possessions combat gear plus studded leather, light steel shield, longsword, 
  longbow, backpack, waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, 
  ﬂint and steel, three torches, quiver with 20 arrows
  JOLINE 
  CR 1
  Female human avatar* 1
  *See Green Ronin’s Avatar’s Handbook for details.
  LG Medium humanoid
  Init +5; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0
  Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic
  AC 14, touch 11, ﬂat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +3 armor)
  hp 8 (1 HD)
  Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +2
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee longspear +1 (1d8+1/×3)
  Melee morningstar +1 (1d8+1)
  Ranged light crossbow +1 (1d8/19–20)
  Base Atk +0; Grp +1
  Avatar Spells Known (CL 1st):
   1st (3/day)—command (DC 13), cure light wounds, shield of faith, summon 
  monster I
   0 (5/day)—cure minor wounds, detect magic, ﬂare (DC 12), guidance, 
  resistance
  Abilities Str 13, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 15
  SQ faint aura of law and good
  Feats Augment Summoning, Spell Focus (conjuration)B
  Skills Concentration +4, Heal +2, Knowledge (religion) +3, Knowledge 
  (the planes) +3, Listen +0, Spellcraft +3, Spot +0
  Possessions studded leather, longspear, morningstar, light crossbow, back-
  pack, waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, ﬂint and steel, 
  case with 10 bolts, wooden holy symbol, three torches
  ZED 
  CR 1
  Male human thanemage* 1
  *See the Advanced Player’s Manual for details.
  N Medium humanoid
  Init +1; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0
  Languages Common, Draconic, Elven
  AC 15, touch 11, ﬂat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +3 armor, +1 shield)
  hp 9 (1 HD)
  Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +2
  Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee battleaxe +3 (1d8+2/×3)
  Melee morningstar +3 (1d8+2)
  Ranged longbow +2 (1d8/×3)
  Base Atk +1; Grp +3
  Atk Options Power Attack, spirit strike 3/day
  Thanemage Spells Prepared (CL 1st):
   0—daze (DC 12), ray of frost (ranged touch +2)
  Abilities Str 14, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 8
  Feats Combat Casting, Power Attack
  Skills Concentration +5, Jump +4, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Listen +0, 
  Ride +5, Spellcraft +6, Spot +0, Survival +4, Swim +2
  Possessions combat gear plus studded leather, light steel shield, battleaxe, 
  morningstar, longbow, backpack, waterskin, one day’s trail rations, 
  bedroll, sack, ﬂint and steel, quiver with 20 arrows, wooden holy 
  symbol, three torches
  Spellbook all prepared plus acid splash, detect magic, disrupt undead, read 
  magic, resistance
  Spiritstrike (Su) As a free action, Zed can charge a weapon or his hand with 
  supernatural energy. As part of an attack or full attack, he may deliver 
  the spiritstrike with a melee touch attack or in conjunction with a melee 
  weapon, though not as part of a touch spell. On a successful touch, the 
  spiritstrike deals 1d6 points of damage. If used with a weapon, the 
  weapon deals an additional 1d6 points of damage. As well, if he con-
  ﬁrms a critical hit with a weapon augmented by spiritstrike, he doesn’t 
  multiply the spiritstrike damage, but instead deals an additional 1d10 
  points of damage with his morningstar and 2d10 with his battleaxe.
  
  — 46 —
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 
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  provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors 
  Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David 
  Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliﬀ, Thomas Reid, James 
  Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; 
  Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeﬀ Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David 
  Noonan, Stan!, Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker,  based 
  on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter 
  Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
  Legions of Hell, Copyright 2001, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Chris Pramas.
  Armies of the Abyss, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Erik Mona 
  and Chris Pramas.
  Assassin’s Handbook, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Authors David “Zeb” 
  Cook and Wolfgang Baur.
  Book of the Righteous, Copyright 2002, Aaron Loeb.
  Hammer & Helm, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Jesse Decker.
  Mutants & Masterminds Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Steve 
  Kenson.
  Shaman’s Handbook, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Steve 
  Kenson.
  Witch’s Handbook, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Steve Kenson.
  The Avatar’s Handbook, Copyright 2003, Green Ronin Publishing; Authors Jesse Decker 
  and Chris Thomasson.
  The Book of Fiends, Copyright 2003, Green Ronin Publishing; Authors, Aaron Loeb, 
  Erik Mona, Chris Pramas, and Robert J. Schwalb.
  Cry Havoc ©2003 Skip Williams. All rights reserved.
  The Noble’s Handbook, Copyright 2003, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Rodney 
  Thompson.
  Swords of Our Fathers Copyright 2003, The Game Mechanics.
  The Unholy Warrior’s Handbook, Copyright 2003, Green Ronin Publishing; Author 
  Robert J. Schwalb.
  Advanced Bestiary, Copyright 2004, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Matthew 
  Sernett.
  The Cavalier’s Handbook, Copyright 2004, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Robert 
  J. Schwalb.
  The Psychic’s Handbook, Copyright 2004, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Steve 
  Kenson.
  Unearthed Arcana, Copyright 2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Andy Collins, Jesse 
  Decker, David Noonan, Rich Redman.
  Advanced Player’s Manual Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Skip 
  Williams.
  Mansion of Shadows, Copyright 2006, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Robert 
  J. Schwalb.
  
  — 47 —
  The Carrion Swamp is vast and primordial. Legends abound of bandit kings, wicked men, unspeakable cults, and worse hidden in the pall of this 
  fetid mire. But something evil stirs in the heart of this gloomy land, something ancient, beyond the memories of all the civilized lands. Beyond 
  the Towers puts the characters in charge of an exploration team sent to investigate the mysteries of the Carrion Swamp. Their first forays into 
  the stinking swamp place them terrible danger from those who would guard the secrets of the past. Faced with strange bandits, horrid plagues, 
  and ancient and monstrous foes, can the heroes survive the horrors of the swamp, unlock the hidden secrets of a crumbling ziggurat, and live to 
  tell the tale? Combining great roleplaying opportunities, investigation, and plenty of action, this scenario takes your d20 games to the Bleeding 
  Edge of Adventure! 32 pages, MSRP: $11.95 Product Code: GRR3402  ISBN: 1-932442-70-7
  Further Adventures on the Bleeding Edge!
  - Available Summer 2006 -
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Edition (3.x)/3rd Party/Green Ronin Publishing/A1-Mansion_Of_Shadows.pdf