TEXT: Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter 
  Adkison. 
  This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without 
  permission of Wizards of the Coast. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 SYSTEM license, please 
  visit www.wizards.com/d20 
  This is an official RPGA® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction 
  and run DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, Living Greyhawk, D&D Rewards, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc, in the US and other countries. This 
  material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use 
  of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely 
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  Visit the LIVING GREYHAWK website at www.rpga.com. 
   
   
  ESA8-01 
   
   
   
   
  Calling of the Mines 
  A One-Round Dungeons & Dragons® Living 
  Greyhawk™  
  Splintered Suns Metaregional Adventure 
  Version 1.0 
   
  by Pieter Sleijpen 
  Reviewers: Pierre van Rooden 
  Playtesters: Anna Viktoria Werner, Oliver Bibo, Sascha Glimmann, Gösta Kroll, Michael Masthoff, Matthias Schäfer 
   
  For years escaped Calling Mines convicts have fought against their former guards and everybody who got in their way. 
  Now with their defeat an almost forgone conclusion, the authorities finally have the time and inclination to look 
  beyond the obvious. They need people to go look under the stones… literally. A 1-round metaregional set in the Hollow 
  Highlands in Ahlissa for character levels 4-15 (APL 6 to 14). Final part of the Broken Chain series and sequel to ESA7-04 
  Head or Tails. 
   
  Resources for this adventure [and the authors of those works] include Complete Arcane [R. Baker], Complete Warrior [A. 
  Collins, D. Noonan, E. Stark], Dungeonscape [J. Buhlmahn, R. Burlew], ESA7-04 Head or Tails [Pieter Sleijpen], Heroes of 
  Horror [J. Wyatt, A. Marmell, C.A. Suleiman], Lords of Madness [R. Baker, J. Jacobs, S. Winter], Magic Item Compendium 
  [varies], Manual of the Planes [J. Grubb, B.R. Cordell, D. Noonan], Monster Manual II [varies], Spell Compendium [varies], 
  and TSS4-04 Crossfire [Pieter Sleijpen].
  
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 1 
  RPGA® SANCTIONED PLAY 
  Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of an 
  RPGA event from the RPGA website, or you received it 
  from your senior gamemaster. To play this adventure as 
  part of the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign—a worldwide, 
  ongoing D&D® campaign set in the GREYHAWK setting—
  you must sanction it as part of an RPGA event. This event 
  could be as elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a 
  group of friends meeting at the DM’s house.  
   
  To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at least a 
  HERALD-LEVEL™ gamemaster. The person who sanctions 
  the event is called the senior gamemaster, and is in 
  charge of making sure the event is sanctioned before 
  play, runs smoothly on the date sanctioned, and then 
  reported back to the RPGA in a timely manner. The 
  person who runs the game is called the session Dungeon 
  Master (or usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all 
  the time in the cases of home events) the senior 
  gamemaster is also the session DM. You must be at least a 
  HERALD-LEVEL GM to run this adventure. 
  By 
  sanctioning 
  and 
  reporting 
  this 
  adventure, 
  you 
  accomplish a couple of things. First, it is an official game, 
  and you can use the AR to advance your LIVING 
  GREYHAWK character. Second, players and DMs gain 
  rewards for sanctioned RPGA play if they are members of 
  the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS program. Playing 
  this adventure is worth two (2) points.  
   
  This adventure retires from RPGA-sanctioned play 
  on December 31, 2008.  
   
  To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character creation and development, RPGA event 
  sanctioning, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS, visit 
  the RPGA website at www.rpga.com.  
   
  Players Read No Farther 
  If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop 
  reading now. The rest of the information in this 
  adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther than 
  this section, you’ll know too much about its challenges, 
  which kills the fun. Also, if you’re playing this adventure 
  as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, reading beyond this 
  point makes you ineligible to do so.  
  Preparing for Play 
   
  To get the most out of this adventure, you need 
  copies of the following D&D rule books: Player’s 
  Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster 
  Manual.  
   
  Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics 
  provides player information for you to paraphrase or read 
  aloud when appropriate. Information on nonplayer 
  characters (NPCs) and monsters appear in abbreviated 
  form in the adventure text. Refer to Appendix 1 for full 
  information on NPCs and monsters. For your 
  convenience, Appendix 1 is split by APL 
   
  Along with this adventure, you’ll find a RPGA 
  session tracking sheet. If you’re playing this adventure as 
  part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, complete and turn in 
  this sheet to your senior GM directly after play. You’ll 
  also find a LIVING GREYHAWK adventure record (AR). You 
  need one copy of this for each participating player. 
   
  LIVING GREYHAWK LEVELS 
  OF PLAY 
  Because players bring their own characters to LIVING 
  GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are 
  proportionate to the modified average character level of 
  the PCs participating in the adventure. To calculate the 
  Average Party Level (APL), follow the process below:  
  1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs 
  participating in the adventure. Each PC may bring 
  one animal, plus any creatures gained from class 
  abilities to help in combat. (PCs can bring more 
  creatures but they cannot help in combat). If you 
  deem that the animal bestows a significant benefit in 
  combat add the animal’s CR to the level of the PC it 
  is accompanying for calculating APL. (Animals 
  gained from class abilities and one standard horse, 
  warhorse, or riding dog for a PC with Mounted 
  Combat do not affect APL). 
  2. Sum the results of step 1 and divide by the number 
  of characters playing in the adventure. Round to the 
  nearest whole number. 
  3. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that 
  average. 
   
  Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of 
  challenge the PCs face. APLs are given in even-numbered 
  increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd 
  number, ask them before the adventure begins whether 
  they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. 
  Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower 
  adjacent APL. 
   
  APL also affects the amount of experience and gold a 
  PC can gain at the end of the adventure. A player 
  character more than three levels higher than the APL at 
  which the adventure is played cannot participate. If a 
  player character is more than two levels away from the 
  APL at which the adventure is played, he suffers a 50% 
  penalty to the amount of gold and XP gained in the 
  adventure. This simulates the fact that either the PC was 
  not challenged as much as normal or relied on help by 
  higher-level characters to reach the objectives. 
   
  LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for APL 
  2 and higher. Four or five 1st-level characters may find the 
  challenge of an APL 2 adventure difficult. Suggest the 
  following to these groups to help increase their chances 
  of success:  
  1. 
  Enlist a sixth player. 
  2. 
  Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help 
  protect them and fight for them. 
   
  These APL calculation rules reference version 7.0 of the 
  Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook. If you are playing 
  this adventure in 2008, check the current version of the 
  LGCS and follow any updated rules presented within.  
  
   
  TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP 
  This is a standard 1-round Splintered Suns metaregional 
  adventure set in the Hollow Highlands. Characters 
  native to the Splintered Suns metaregion pay 1 Time 
  Units per round. All other characters pay 2 Time Units 
  per round. 
   
  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12 gp per time 
  unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50 gp per time unit. Luxury 
  Upkeep costs 100 gp per time unit. Characters that fail to 
  pay at least Standard Upkeep retain temporary ability 
  damage until the next adventure, must buy new spell 
  component pouches and healer’s kits, and may suffer 
  other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-game 
  benefits) as may be detailed in this adventure. 
   
  A character that does not pay for at least Standard 
  Upkeep may avoid the above-described penalties by 
  living off the wild. If the character possesses four or more 
  ranks in Survival and succeeds on a DC 20 Survival 
  check, he heals temporary ability damage as if he had 
  Standard Upkeep, may refill spell component pouches 
  and healer’s kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts 
  if the character has at least four ranks in Craft 
  (bowmaking). PCs may Take 10 on this roll. 
   
  Chapters 1 and 5 of the LGCS present more 
  information about lifestyle and upkeep. 
   
  PREPARATION FOR PLAY 
  ESA7-07 Calling of the Mines is the final part of the Broken 
  Chains series that consists of the following adventures: 
  • 
  TSS3-07 The Prisoner 
  • 
  TSS4-04 Crossfire 
  • 
  TSS5-05 Midsummer Nightmare 
  • 
  ESA6-01 Knife’s Edge 
  • 
  ESA7-04 Head or Tails 
   
  For people to enjoy this adventure it is not necessary to 
  have played or run any of the earlier parts. Knowing what 
  happened in those adventures does add depth to this 
  adventure. By playing or running this part a player 
  cannot play the earlier parts anymore. Make sure your 
  players are aware of this. For the actual adventure it is 
  only important to check whether or not the PC played 
  ESA6-01 and/or ESA7-04 since it has a minor impact on 
  the Introduction. Also check whether a character has the 
  Touched by Darkness item on the AR from ESA7-04 and 
  note whether the character has been imprisoned at the 
  Calling Mines – this has an impact on Encounter 3. 
   
  Before you start running the adventure see whether 
  any PC is a prospecting (the player wants the character to 
  join in the future) or full member of the Jade Mask, any 
  member of the Contraband Cartels in Naerie (Iron Brand 
  only in case of Naerie) or Sunndi or the Idee Vollunteers 
  in Naerie. These are approached in secret during the 
  Introduction for a side mission. 
   
  THE FAR REALM 
  Throughout the adventure there are various references to 
  aberrations, otherworldly forces and a breach of the 
  planer barriers. These are all references to the Far Realm, 
  a plane of utter madness and so far beyond existence few 
  people even know of it (of if it is even real). It is an 
  anathema to the reality of the Flanaess and even the 
  slightest touch drives people insane. It requires a DC 30 
  Knowledge (the planes) check to know of this plane 
  unless characters have interacted with it in previous 
  adventures or through their character class (most likely 
  the alienist prestige class). Knowledge of this plane has 
  no real bearing on the adventure except perhaps to make 
  it even clearer that the aboleths’ goals need to be opposed. 
  More information can be found in the Manual of the 
  Planes 211.  
   
  NEW RULE ITEMS 
  Core adventures often utilize new rules items –including 
  new classes, prestige classes, races, feats, spells, and 
  equipment (including magic items) – that do not appear 
  in any of the three core D&D books (Player’s Handbook, 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide, or Monster Manual). The full write-
  up of any featured feats, spells, or equipment appears in 
  Appendix 2. Information on featured classes, prestige 
  classes, and races appears in the relevant creature’s stat 
  block. This adventure includes all the information 
  required to run these characters. The DM should double-
  check that he fully understands any new rule items 
  presented in this adventure before play begins. 
   
  ADVENTURE BACKGROUND 
  The Calling Mines have been a hotbed for trouble since 
  its founding centuries ago. The presence of large 
  amounts of silver mixed with the madness that inevitable 
  besets anybody working in the mines is a recipe for 
  disaster. The same riches also keeps drawing people to 
  the region like moths to a flame. So it became a labor 
  camp for criminals for few people cared about the 
  occasional convict who went mad and/or missing – 
  falling victim to the Calling of the Mines. 
   
  The most recent trouble was the prison rebellion in 
  CY 594 that resulted in a few hundred prisoners escaping. 
  A few of these prisoners left the area for greener pastures, 
  but most strangely enough stuck around. These formed 
  the basis of a group of rebels calling themselves the 
  Hollow Highland Liberation Front. Their goal was to get 
  rid of the Ahlissan soldiers and close the mines once and 
  for all. In their eyes no sentient creature deserves to work 
  under such conditions regardless of the crimes 
  committed – or so they said. Locals with a grudge against 
  Ahlissa joined them. At first the Hollow Highland clans 
  and the church of Trithereon supported their lofty goals, 
  but soon hatred, madness and the criminal hearts of 
  those involved, showed it self. They quickly turned into 
  vicious ordinary bandits preying on innocent merchants, 
  farmers and even clansmen as well as Ahlissan soldiers. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 2 
  
   
  To put an end to their reign of terror, the Ahlissan 
  forces joined the Sunndians and together they hunted 
  down these so-called rebels one band at a time. The Front 
  attempted to drive a wedge between Ahlissa and Sunndi, 
  but due to adventurers and the war in southern Sunndi 
  these tactics eventually backfired. Without support of the 
  Hollow Highland Clans, hunted by all, they were soon 
  driven into a corner and eventually the last large band 
  was caught and destroyed. 
   
  Throughout these battles the authorities started to 
  realize there was something odd about these raiders. 
  What kept them in the region despite the fact that things 
  had become really hard? Why did the few wizards 
  amongst them showed signs of dealings with powers 
  from the Far Realm? How did they manage to ally with 
  derro and nagas? How and why did many of their upper 
  echelon showed minor physical changes that allowed 
  them to live underground or even swim like a fish? These 
  questions need answers, especially since madness seems 
  to strike again at those living in and around the Calling 
  Mines. Answers, that likely can be found in the deepest 
  recesses of the Mines, answers that require brave 
  adventurers who are not afraid of the dark. 
   
  Darkness Below 
  Unbeknownst to most, far below the Calling Mines there 
  is a huge cavern with a large lake. The voices that only 
  few can hear in the rest of the region fill the grotto with 
  constant whispers. This phenomenon gave rise to the 
  name of the lake: the Lake of Whispers. Where these 
  voices are coming from is a mystery, let alone why the 
  lake and caverns surrounding the place amplify the 
  sound so much. 
   
  A long time ago these voices drew the attention of a 
  small group of aboleths. There was nothing about this 
  area in their ancient racial memories. As soon as they 
  heard of it, they were drawn to the lake like moths to a 
  flame. For centuries they examined the region, acquiring 
  what little they needed from the surface world –mostly 
  from those working in the Calling Mines. Over time they 
  came closer and closer to solve the mystery (or so they 
  believe), but when they finally were ready a band of 
  miners entered their territory, and destroyed most of 
  their work.  
   
  Furious, they started to act against the presence of 
  the miners, at first by fermenting a rebellion, and later by 
  assisting those who worked for the removal of Ahlissa 
  from the region: the Hollow Highland Liberation Front. 
  When even that technique failed, they decided to drop 
  their usual caution and patience and act more directly to 
  protect that which they consider rightfully theirs. Using 
  their ancient magic and understanding of the Mines, 
  they enhanced its madness inducing effects so that it 
  even covered the surface. It worked and just before the 
  PCs arrive at the mines most people went into a mad 
  homicidal rage. Those that did not die were taken by the 
  aboleths’ minions to become slaves and test subjects. 
  Now the aboleths are working on increasing the madness 
  effects even more so that they can study the caverns in 
  peace forever. Their magics are tearing a hole in reality, 
  an effect that might even threaten them, but in their 
  madness induced fury they are not nearly as thoughtful 
  and patient as normal. 
   
  What the aboleths did not count on was the arrival 
  of a group of adventurers this soon.  
   
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY 
  ESA7-07 Calling of the Mines is a 1-round metaregional set 
  in the northern parts of the Hollow Highlands in Ahlissa. 
  It starts in the above ground region of the Mines, but it is 
  mostly set in the Underoerth below the Mines. PCs who 
  take their time to investigate have an easier time than 
  those who rush in blindly, but it is not necessarily an 
  investigative adventure. 
   
  Introduction: The Church of Zilchus approaches the 
  PCs in Irongate. The church is looking into the mystery 
  of the Calling Mines and they are searching for 
  adventurers who are comfortable and able to explore the 
  regions of the Underoerth. 
   
  Encounter 1 [Touch of Madness]: Shortly before or 
  after arriving at the Mines they are ambushed by a small 
  group of Ahlissan soldiers and workers clearly mad. 
  When the PCs arrive at the Calling Mines it looks to be 
  deserted. There are a few obvious signs of a struggle, but 
  no corpses. 
   
  Encounter 
  2 
  [Investigation]: 
  A 
  little 
  bit 
  of 
  investigating turns up tracks that lead into the Mines. 
  Those who take the time to look around find other clues 
  about the nature of the attackers and the madness that 
  affected the locals. 
   
  Encounter 3 [Into the Deep]: The tracks take the PCs 
  through the Mines even deeper underground. It is not a 
  safe journey and madness gnaws at the PCs’ sanity. 
   
  Encounter 4 [Lake of Whispers]: Eventually the tracks 
  take the PCs to the banks of the Lake of Whispers and 
  into it. Even those with the strongest will can now hear 
  dark whispers echoing through the cavern. If they decide 
  to rest at the banks or further away, the aboleths’ slaves 
  ambush them. If they decide to press on they find a 
  complex built around a huge stalagmite, most of it lies 
  below the surface, but a small part rises above the water. 
   
  Encounter 5 [Prisoners of the Mind]: The lower parts 
  of the complex are the living quarters of the slaves of the 
  aboleths. These are far from safe for the PCs, but it is here 
  the PCs find those kidnapped from the Mines. 
   
  Encounter 6 [Masters of Thought]: The middle parts 
  are used by the aboleths as their living quarters and their 
  research areas. It is also the living area for their more 
  loyal servants.  
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 3 
  
  Encounter 7 [Gate of Madness]: In the upper parts of 
  the complex the aboleths are busy with a ritual that has 
  already opened a gate to another world. The breach is 
  widening and unless the PCs stop the aboleths it 
  becomes a full planar breach engulfing the Calling Mines 
  and the surrounding surface area. 
   
  Conclusion: Once the gate is destroyed, and perhaps the 
  surviving Ahlissans and prisoners rescued, the PCs are 
  free to return to the land of the sun. They earn the 
  gratitude of the Ahlissan and Sunndian authorities. Any 
  rescued people are equally grateful. Regardless, it takes 
  some time before the Calling Mines have recovered from 
  this blow and the voices have been dampened, though 
  not silenced. 
   
  If the PCs failed the Mines turn into a living 
  nightmare: a danger to all those living nearby both for 
  their physical and mental well-being. 
   
  Regardless of their success or failure, nobody leaves 
  the Calling Mines with their sanity completely intact. 
  The PCs are no exception. 
   
  INTRODUCTION 
  The Free City of Irongate is an independent metropolis 
  on the eastern coast of the Azure Sea. Nicknamed the 
  Fortress City, it guards the bottleneck between Ahlissa 
  and Onnwal and it is one of the few good harbors in the 
  region. It is here that the members of the Iron League 
  come together to discuss politics and their enemies to spy 
  upon them. There is always somebody looking for 
  adventurers. Note that if you run this adventure in a time 
  sensitive environment, such as at a convention, it is best 
  to quickly skim through the introduction and to leave the 
  role-playing for further into the adventure. 
   
  Irongate, also known as the Fortress City, is an 
  impressive metropolis that has kept its enemies at 
  bay for centuries. It is here that the rebellion against 
  the tyrants of the Great Kingdom in the south 
  started, and where those newly independent states 
  formed the Iron League and it is here that the ideals 
  of that alliance are still staunchly defended. Many 
  an adventurer flocks to the city, hoping to find a job 
  in the service of the many merchants and 
  organizations that call the city home. 
   
  You are enjoying some free time in one of the 
  many taverns in the city, when an Oeridian boy in 
  the livery of the Church of Zilchus enters. The boy 
  walks towards the barkeeper and they have a quick 
  whispered conversation. The barkeeper nods, and 
  then points in your direction. 
   
  The boy’s name is Kalann, and he is a messenger in the 
  service of the local Church of Zilchus. He is to deliver a 
  message to particular adventurers or failing that to find 
  up to six powerful adventurers interested in a dangerous 
  but lucrative job. If a PC has played the previous 
  adventures, and has favors with the Church of Zilchus as 
  well use the section for those who played the adventures 
  before. 
   
  Kalann does not know anything about the job in 
  question. All he knows is that master Havel is looking for 
  adventurers for a meeting tomorrow during lunch. If 
  Havel sent a personal message, Kalann does not know 
  how he knew of the PCs presence in the inn. Kalann can 
  also tell that master Havel is in charge of the mediators 
  and that he is often asked by clients to arrange deals with 
  mercenaries and adventurers. Kalann does not expect a 
  tip, but he is certainly grateful if he gets one. 
   
  If the PC played ESA6-01 Knife’s Edge and/or ESA7-04 Head 
  or Tails: 
  The boy politely thanks the barkeeper before 
  quickly walking over towards your table. “Greetings 
  sir/madam, are you by any chance [PC’s name]?”  
   
  If the PCs confirm their identity, the boy gives them a 
  letter with the seal of the local Church of Zilchus. Give 
  them Players’ Handout 1. If they deny their identity, the 
  boy sighs and starts walking away. If not stopped, he 
  turns around after a few steps and returns to the PCs. 
  Proceed as with the generic introduction. 
   
  If the PCs have one or more favors with the Church of 
  Zilchus in Ahlissa or is a member of the Royal Merchant 
  Guild: 
  The boy politely thanks the barkeeper before 
  quickly walking over towards your table. “Greetings 
  sir/madam, are you by any chance [PC’s name]?”  
   
  If the PCs confirm their identity, the boy gives them a 
  letter with the seal of the local Church of Zilchus. Give 
  them Players’ Handout 2. If they deny their identity, the 
  boy sighs and starts walking away. If not stopped, he 
  turns around after a few steps and returns to the PCs. 
  Proceed as with the generic introduction. 
   
  Otherwise: 
  The boy politely thanks the barkeeper before 
  quickly walking over towards your table. “Greetings 
  sir/madam, are you by chance interested in a job for 
  the Church of the Great Guildmaster?” 
   
  The Great Guildmaster is a nickname for Zilchus. If the 
  PCs are interested, he gives them a letter with the seal of 
  the local Church of Zilchus. Give them Players’ Handout 
  3. If they show no interest, he approaches a few other 
  adventurers in the tavern. If the PCs do not stop him 
  before he leaves a few minutes later the adventure is 
  likely over for those PCs. 
   
  Development: If the PCs accept the invitation, proceed 
  with Meeting Havel below. If not, and they are 
  prospecting or full members of the Jade Mask (see the 
  Secret Meeting below), the Lady in Green still 
  approaches them. She urges the PC to accept the mission. 
  If they still refuse, the adventure is over. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 4 
  
   
  MEETING HAVEL 
  The Crystal Goblet is an expensive luxurious restaurant 
  in the temple district right across the main temple of 
  Zilchus. It caters to the richer clientele of said temple as 
  well as a meeting place for the senior members of the 
  Church. Unless the PCs pay rich upkeep or more, a 
  frowning servant meets them at the door. As soon as they 
  mention Havel, he becomes very polite and apologetic. 
  He quickly takes them to a private meeting room at the 
  back of the restaurant. 
   
  The servant takes you to the back of the restaurant 
  through a luxuriously furnished common room. He 
  then leads you into an equally luxurious room with 
  a thick carpet of floor and several comfortable 
  looking couches and chairs around a low table. 
  Three large glass windows provide plenty of sun and 
  a clear view on a beautiful small walled garden and 
  the city beyond. A large door opens into the garden, 
  but it is closed. In a large cabinet you note several 
  crystal goblets, crystal carafes filled with different 
  colored liquids. The table right next to it is covered 
  with several silver platters filled with bread, pies, 
  pastries and  a bowl of fruit. 
   
  As soon as you enter, a portly man in simple but 
  elegant black and silver clothes rises from one of the 
  chairs. The silver symbol of Zilchus around his neck 
  is clearly visible for all to see. He has short curly 
  brown hair with a retreating hairline on his 
  forehead, a short beard and a broad nose. He takes a 
  couple of steps towards you, offering his hand. 
  “Welcome [PC’s name], my name is Havel,” he starts 
  with a firm voice. “Please grab some food, a drink 
  and take a seat. I have learned early that meetings 
  are so much more mutual profitable when people 
  are at ease.” 
   
  Havel’s handshake is firm. The carafes at the cabinet 
  contain various types of wine, water, cider, and cold tea. 
  If the PCs want ale, Havel immediately orders it. The 
  food and drinks are of great quality. Havel waits for the 
  PCs to settle down before coming to the point. 
  Meanwhile he remains polite, showing interest in the 
  PCs’ welfare and past exploits. If the PCs have worked for 
  the temple of Zilchus before he knows what happened 
  during those events. He reveals little of himself except 
  that he is the Master of Mediators and one of his tasks in 
  this position is to arrange dealings with adventurers 
  either with the temple of Zilchus or its faithful. In this 
  case, he has been asked by the sister-church in Ahlissa to 
  find adventurers. He was a bit surprised about the request 
  as well, but he does not want to speculate about the 
  reasons. If pressed though, he admits that it might have 
  something to do with the increasing tension between the 
  followers of the Scourge of Battle (another name for 
  Hextor) and the Great Guildmaster (another name for 
  Zilchus). Once ready, he proceeds. 
   
  “Now that everybody is settled down, let’s start the 
  meeting with a question for you all. What do you 
  know of the Calling Mines and the problems with 
  the raiders in the Hollow Highlands in the past few 
  years?” 
   
  If the PCs answer with a negative, Havel can provide a 
  short summary of the information provided in the 
  Gathering Information section below. He doesn’t know 
  any of the details though. Otherwise he proceeds. 
   
  “The reason I am asking, is because the sister 
  Church of Zilchus in Ahlissa asked us to hire a 
  group of adventurers to do some digging in the 
  Calling Mines. I am not talking about physical 
  digging, although you never know for sure when the 
  journey takes you underground. They are worried 
  about a potential connection between these raiders 
  and the evil aberrations that call the Underoerth 
  home. The raiders might have been defeated, but if 
  there was any organized support from below that 
  needs to be known and stopped or else those raiders 
  might return like a tax collector smelling a profit. 
  Since all the problems seem to originate in the 
  Calling Mines, it is expected that you start your 
  investigations at the Mines, but I cannot say where 
  it takes you from there. The Underoerth is a 
  dangerous and vast place. So are you interested?” 
   
  Of course, Havel is willing to answer some questions: 
  • 
  What kind of proof is there for a connection 
  between these raiders and Underoerth? In the 
  past the raiders allied with a derro (a mad dwarf-like 
  creature), umber hulks (large beetle like ogres whose 
  gaze causes people to lose their wits) and nagas 
  (snake-like spellcasters). Some of their leaders also 
  showed strange physical transformations that 
  suggested a close association with aberrations. 
  Finally, their wizards had a tendency to deal with the 
  pseudonatural – creatures from a nightmare 
  dimension. 
  • 
  Do you have information on any of the potential 
  dangers? My apologies, but I am a simple mediator. 
  I could tell you everything about the taxes in 
  Keoland or the prices of wheat in Ratik, but my 
  knowledge on the Underoerth is really limited to 
  what everybody knows. You might have more luck 
  asking around in the city. Although I am sure the 
  people at the Calling Mines also know more. 
  • 
  Do the Ahlissans know of our arrival? I have the 
  necessary traveling papers, but I would not expect 
  too warm a welcome at the Mines. There is a conflict 
  brewing between those who value trade and talks 
  and those who value war and tyranny in Ahlissa.  
  • 
  How long will the investigation last? That is 
  difficult to say. If you work fast, probably a week or 
  two. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 5 
  
  • 
  Is there a time limit? Not that I am aware off. The 
  quicker you are though, the less likely it is that who 
  or whatever is behind this is ready for you. 
  • 
  How do we get at the Mines? However you want 
  to, although if necessary I could rent you riding 
  horses. 
  • 
  How much does it pay? The Church of Zilchus 
  pays you [50 x APL] gp and of course it is always a 
  good thing to be on our good side. [A DC 25 
  Diplomacy check can increase the price to 100 gp x 
  APL.] 
   
  Havel: Male human (Oeridian) cleric of Zilchus 7. 
   
  Appearance: Havel is a portly man with curly brown 
  hair and a retreating hairline. He prefers elegant silver 
  and black clothes. 
   
  Personality: Havel is a charming man who likes 
  comfort and luxury. He has a good sense of humor, and is 
  equally comfortable at a nobleman’s gala or a fisherman’s 
  wedding. 
   
  Development: Once the PCs have nothing more to ask, 
  they need to decide whether to take the job or not. Havel 
  is willing to give them a couple of days to think about the 
  offer, although he prefers a quick answer. Myrana, see the 
  Secret Meeting below, certainly wants the PCs to accept. 
  If they refuse the adventure is over. If they accept, Havel 
  is delighted, and immediately arranges the necessary 
  paperwork including the travel papers and the contract. 
  In the meantime the PCs can buy additional supplies in 
  Irongate, which has a gp limit of 100,000 gp. See 
  Gathering Knowledge below for what the PCs might 
  know or learn about the Calling Mines and the raiders.  
   
  The method of traveling to the Calling Mines is 
  unimportant. Start with Encounter 1 once the PCs arrive 
  at the Calling Mines. Nothing happens during the trip. 
   
  SECRET MEETING 
  Shortly after the meeting with master Havel, PCs who are 
  prospecting or full members of the Jade Mask, the 
  Contraband Cartels (including the Iron Brand) in Naerie 
  or Sunndi or the Idee Volunteers in Naerie are contacted 
  through a message spell. Take these players aside for a 
  private discussion.  
   
  In the message the PC is asked to go to the 
  Monument 
  of 
  the 
  Banners 
  (a 
  monument 
  commemorating the victory of the Iron League against 
  the Great Kingdom in the Battle of the Banners) within 
  the hour for a meeting with the Lady in Green. Only 
  those invited should come. If the PCs take anybody else 
  along, including other PCs, the meeting is off. Members 
  of the Jade Mask are ordered to come, and the command 
  includes the proper code words. 
   
  Read aloud or paraphrase the following when the 
  PCs accept the invitation: 
   
  The Monument of the Banners is a large brass statue 
  of three humans, a dwarf and an elf clustered in a 
  group, all are soldiers and all have been in a fight. 
  Each of them carries a banner with the old heraldry 
  of Onnwal, Irongate, the Iron Hills, Idee and the 
  olves of Rieuwood. At their feet lie several trampled 
  banners depicting the heraldry of several important 
  houses and fiefdoms of the Great Kingdom. It is 
  located at the center of a busy square, and it is a 
  perfect spot for a short meeting. There is no sign of 
  the Green Lady, but no doubt she will appear if her 
  agents have made sure you are indeed alone. 
   
  The agents of the Jade Mask observing the square have a 
  collective Spot modifier of APL+6. If the PCs are not 
  alone, and the agents become aware of it, they do not 
  approach the PCs. A member of the Jade Mask who is not 
  obviously interacting with the other character gets the 
  benefit of the doubt and is warned (as well as criticized 
  on their lack of skill) through a message spell. He is 
  ordered to come back at another time. Others do not get a 
  second chance for a meeting. If the PC is alone the Lady 
  in Green walks onto the square.  
   
  After a few minutes of waiting you note a beautiful 
  young Oeridian woman with long curly brown hair 
  in a green dress walking towards you. “Greetings,” 
  she starts with a soft albeit firm voice. “As you might 
  know my name is Myrana Rinak. I take it you are 
  aware that this meeting is secret and should not be 
  discussed with anybody except those present and 
  my superiors? Can I have your word on this?” 
   
  Some PCs might recognize Myrana since she has been 
  used in previous adventures. Members of the Jade Mask 
  know she is a liaison between the Jade Mask and 
  adventurers. After the PCs have given their word, 
  Myrana comes to the point. If they refuse to give the 
  promise Myrana leaves, or she asks that specific PC to go. 
  She wears a ring of mindshielding. 
   
  “It has come to my attention that you have been 
  asked 
  to 
  investigate 
  the 
  Hollow 
  Highland 
  Liberation Front and their connection with the 
  Calling Mines. I have a very simple task for you 
  while you are there. The job does not endanger your 
  main goals, which are of great interest to my 
  superiors as well. All we ask is that while you are at 
  the Mines you collect a package from an exchange 
  spot and bring it back to me. If possible I also want 
  to know what happened to our agent since all 
  contact has been broken abruptly a few days ago. He 
  might have been caught, so they might be aware of 
  the exchange spot. Be careful. For you the package is 
  more important than the agent, but if you are in a 
  position to help him without endangering the main 
  mission, please do so. Questions?” 
   
  Myrana wants to keep the meeting short and to the point. 
  She wants to get the following across: 
  • 
  The exchange point is behind the Dented Bar at the 
  village in a secret compartment in the wall. The third 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 6 
  
  stone to the left of the backdoor, two stones from the 
  bottom, can be removed. 
  • 
  The package contains reports on recent events at the 
  Calling Mines and its surroundings. 
  • 
  She has no idea why the contact was broken, but 
  people in the region have been acting increasingly 
  erratic over the past few weeks (people seemed to 
  loose their temper more often, others showed signs 
  of paranoia, phobias, manias and other extreme 
  behavior). She is worried something really bad 
  happened and the PCs should be very careful. 
  • 
  The PCs should not mention the mission to their 
  companions, but they can warn them about the 
  erratic behavior of those living at the Calling Mines. 
  • 
  The reports should be delivered to the Queen’s Halls 
  in New Keep, Sunndi, or they should book a room in 
  the Dusty Tome in Irongate where her agents 
  initiate the contact. 
  • 
  The missing agent is an Oeridian male who works as 
  a servant at the Keep. The name he uses is Delzan. 
  He is a tall thin man with brown hair and a sharp 
  noise. If the PCs do seek contact with him, they 
  should be careful. It wouldn’t be the first time 
  enemies of the Iron League would have used 
  doppelgangers and similar methods to infiltrate the 
  Jade Mask. Delzan’s is not a high-ranking agent, so 
  anything so complicated is unlikely to take place. 
  • 
  There are several complicated passwords, but if 
  Delzan is in trouble there is no point in using them. 
  • 
  If the PCs are unable to help the agent, assuming he 
  is in trouble, she does want a full report and all 
  information possible on his fate so she can organize a 
  rescue. 
  • 
  If the PCs succeed at the job they earn the favor of 
  her superiors as well as [10 x APL] gp. 
   
  Development: Members of the Jade Mask cannot refuse 
  the mission. All others are free to refuse the mission as 
  long as they keep the meeting to them selves. If they 
  betray the trust of the Jade Mask and mention the 
  mission to others, those PCs get the High Risk AR item. 
  They do not have to tell Myrana whether they accept it at 
  the moment and they can decide while at the Calling 
  Mines. Regardless of their decision, if they start to gather 
  information on the Mines proceed with Gathering 
  Knowledge below. If they begin their journey to the 
  Mines proceed to Encounter 1. 
   
  GATHERING KNOWLEDGE 
  It is likely the PCs want to check how much they know 
  about the locations, organizations and people involved. 
  Below follows a list of Knowledge and Gather 
  Information checks and their DCs sorted by the subject. 
   
  Havel and Myrana 
  There is little to no special information on Havel or 
  Myrana. Havel is indeed the Master of Mediators and he 
  has a reputation as a levelheaded negotiator and fatherly 
  advisor to the acolytes of the temple. His family comes 
  from Ahlissa and a few people whisper he still has warm 
  relations with his family’s homeland. Myrana is an 
  attaché on the Sunndian embassy. She is well liked in the 
  taverns and restaurants around the embassy. Apparently 
  she knows how to organize a party and she has friends in 
  the strangest circles. 
   
  The Hollow Highland Liberation Front 
  • 
  A DC 15 Gather Information or Knowledge (local: 
  the Splintered Suns) check reveals the basic 
  information. The Hollow Highland Liberation Front 
  is a big sounding name for what are ordinary thieves 
  and cutthroats. The group consists of convicts 
  escaped from the Calling Mines, deserters from the 
  Ahlissan army and outcasts from the Hollow 
  Highland Clans. Their goal is to get the “Ahlissans” 
  out of the Hollow Highlands and put the Calling 
  Mines out of business. They define the term 
  “Ahlissan” really loosely and they obviously just 
  want to take over the Mines for their own profit. 
  They were supposedly defeated during a great battle 
  recently. 
  • 
  A DC 20 Gather Information or Knowledge (local: 
  the Splintered Suns) reveals that until 2 years ago 
  the clans of the Hollow Highlands supported the 
  group, but during a meeting with the clan leaders, 
  king Hazendel and an envoy of the overking they 
  came to an agreement and signed a treaty. Since that 
  time things went downhill for the raiders. 
  • 
  A DC 25 Gather Information or Knowledge (local: 
  the Splintered Suns) reveals that the raiders in their 
  desperation turned to some dubious allies from the 
  Underoerth. During a battle with a caravan with 
  goods for the help of the Sunndians soldiers fought 
  with shadow demons, land sharks and demonic 
  snakes. During the final battle there were umber 
  hulks fighting on their side. 
   
  The Calling Mines 
  A DC 15 Gather Information check or a Knowledge 
  (geography), Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (local: 
  the Splintered Suns) provides the basic information. Ex-
  convicts of these mines know this automatically.  
  • 
  The Calling Mines are located in the northern parts 
  of the Hollow Highlands.  
  • 
  It are silver mines although tin and low value stones 
  are found as well.  
  • 
  The miners are mostly convicted criminals.  
  • 
  Until some time ago the masters of Hexpools ruled 
  the Mines, but there was a rebellion three years ago 
  and the Masters became the scapegoats.  
  • 
  People hear voices in the mines and eventually they 
  go mad. 
   
  The following is known if the PCs succeed at a Gather 
  Information or Knowledge (local: the Splintered Suns) 
  check with the noted DC. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 7 
  
  • 
  DC 20: Some people whisper that these voices call 
  out for people to follow them into the dark to receive 
  a reward. Those who answered this call were never 
  seen afterwards. 
  • 
  DC 25: There are whispers the voices have become 
  stronger, and now even people outside can hear 
  them. 
   
  Generic Rumors 
  A DC 10 Gather Information check reveals the following 
  rumors: 
  • 
  A fleet of ships with an undead crew prowls the 
  Solnor Ocean. They prey mostly on lone merchant 
  vessels, but there are stories about raids on coastal 
  villages all along the cost from as far south as the 
  Lordship of the Isle and as far north as Ratik. There 
  are talks about an alliance between Ahlissa, the Sea 
  Barons, Ratik, the Solnor Compact and the Northern 
  Kingdom to deal with the threat. Few people 
  actually believe this due to the very strained 
  relations between several of these countries. 
  • 
  A major battle has been fought in Sunndi over the 
  possession of Pitchfield. The battle was between the 
  Wastrians, who were supported by a flight of 
  dragons, an army of devils and a horde of undead. 
  The arrival of aide from Ahlissa was somewhat 
  conspicuous, and it looks a bit too much like a ploy 
  to force Sunndi to join Ahlissa. 
  • 
  King Hazendel of Sunndi stepped down in favor of 
  somebody called Kestor – a human. People in 
  Irongates are a bit worried about the impact this has 
  on relations with Sunndi, but Kestor is known to be 
  a supporter of the Iron League and a more active 
  involvement with foreign politics. He was a driving 
  force behind the support Onnwal gained from 
  Sunndi against the Scarlet Brotherhood and the 
  Naerie Treaty. 
  • 
  Tension between the Hextorites and the Zilchites in 
  Ahlissa is growing. A few people fear that the two 
  sides might come to blows perhaps even leading to a 
  civil war. 
  • 
  The upstart ruler of the Northern Kingdom is 
  amassing an army and the country might soon 
  invade Ahlissa. Regardless of which side wins, it is 
  very likely that a stronger enemy arises from it. It 
  does not bode well for the Iron League. 
   
  1: TOUCH OF MADNESS 
  The trip to the Calling Mines is uneventful. With the 
  destruction of the Hollow Highland Liberation Front the 
  area has become fairly safe. While the aboleths and their 
  minions have taken most inhabitants, a group managed 
  to remain out of their grasp. Driven mad by the voices of 
  the Calling Mines, they now consider everybody an 
  enemy and that includes the PCs. They set up an ambush 
  at the entrance of the region to deal with any intruders. 
   
  Before proceeding, determine the PCs marching 
  order and any long duration spells they might have 
  running during the trip. Once ready, read aloud or 
  paraphrase the following: 
   
  The trip to the Calling Mines is a long and hard one 
  over dusty roads, under a relentless sun. Once you 
  reach the Hollow Highlands, the trail becomes 
  rather treacherous at some points, winding along 
  precipitous cliffs, steep, scree-strewn slopes and 
  overgrown sinkholes dotting the surrounding 
  countryside. The road shows signs of recent 
  maintenance, but it is clear that decades of neglect 
  are not easily repaired. Despite the fact that you are 
  traveling to one of the richest silver mines in the 
  region, you don’t meet many people and the closer 
  you get to the mines the more deserted the region 
  becomes. There is an almost unnatural silence in the 
  area. 
   
  When you finally arrive at the area near the 
  mines, spotting the first overgrown mounds of mine 
  spoil, you realize the pillars of smoke on the horizon 
  are missing. Something appears to be amiss at the 
  mines, but what… 
   
  The PCs are about 30 minutes riding from the Calling 
  Mines. The last part of the road takes them through a 
  rocky pass, an excellent point for an ambush, PCs realize 
  this with a successful DC 20 Knowledge (geography) 
  check. Allow the PCs to make any preparations they 
  wish, preceding once they are on the move again. If the 
  PCs use divinations to try and find out what is going on, 
  use this encounter and Encounter 2 to help describe what 
  the spells might reveal. See Troubleshooting below for 
  information on what to do if the PCs select a different 
  traveling route, which is certainly possible if they don’t 
  mind a bit of climbing or use magic. 
   
  The last part of the road towards the mines takes 
  you through a rocky pass with steep slopes on either 
  side of the road. The occasional loose rock and scree 
  on the path suggests the slopes’ surface is not 
  particularly stable. On both sides of the road, grisly 
  humanoid remains in various states of decay are 
  displayed as some kind of grim warning. Most are 
  crucified, a punishment only given to traitors and 
  deserters. The victims seem to come from all walks 
  of life from convict to soldier. All show signs of 
  torture. The smell of rotting flesh hangs heavily in 
  the air. The pass is deathly silent, except for the 
  raucous cawing of the carrion crows irritated by 
  your arrival, the buzzing of insects and the sound of 
  your group traveling over the rocky road. 
   
  There are dozens of corpses along the road. Some PCs 
  might remember the above scene from TSS4-04 Crossfire, 
  but there are differences. A DC 10 Heal check shows that 
  some victims died a gruesome death through torture and 
  that they died before being put on the cross. Others were 
  killed in fights or in a fire. There are signs that the 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  victims have been killed by cruel amateurs and not by a 
  professional executioner. Virtually all died a couple of 
  days ago at about the same time. 
   
  The PCs might expect undead, but these are simple 
  corpses. There is a very real threat though in the form of a 
  small group of now thoroughly insane survivors. These 
  have laid an ambush, somehow being warned about the 
  approach of people. They are hiding behind rocks about 
  halfway down the pass directly behind a sharp bent about 
  40 feet away from the road on both sides. They are no 
  experts on hiding, and they can be spotted with a DC 10 
  Spot check (not including the penalties for distance). If 
  the PCs spotted the ambushers earlier through magic, 
  they can approach the area from a different direction and 
  ambush the insane soldiers instead of the other way 
  round. 
   
  Terrain: The 20 ft. wide road with 5 feet on either side is 
  the only flat area. The road is mostly of good quality 
  except for a few patches of rubble, which is considered 
  difficult terrain. There is no undergrowth worth 
  mentioning.  
   
  Most of the slopes on both sides of the road are 
  considered steep. Characters moving uphill (to an 
  adjacent square of higher elevation) must spend 2 squares 
  of movement to enter each square of steep slope. 
  Characters running or charging downhill (moving to an 
  adjacent square of lower elevation) must succeed on a DC 
  10 Balance check upon entering the first steep slope 
  square. Mounted characters make a DC 10 Ride check 
  instead. Characters who fail this check stumble and must 
  end their movement 1d2×5 feet later. Characters who fail 
  by 5 or more fall prone in the square where they end 
  their movement. A steep slope increases the DC of 
  Tumble checks by 2.  
   
  A few parts are considered cliffs, although these are 
  at the most 5 feet high. Climbing these requires a DC 15 
  Climb check, or a DC 20 Jump check (a running jump is 
  impossible unless one has a special ability that allows a 
  character to run uphill). Jumping down is possible, but 
  the DC is 20 due to the steep slope.  
   
  Boulders: The boulders are 5 to 10 feet high, 
  providing cover for those standing behind them. These 
  can be climbed with a DC 15 Climb check. 
   
  Scree: A field of shifting gravel, scree doesn’t affect 
  speed, but it can be treacherous on a slope. The DC of 
  Balance and Tumble checks increases by 2 if there’s scree 
  on the road and by 5 if there’s scree on a steep slope. The 
  DC of Move silently checks increases by 2 if the scree is 
  on a slope of any kind. 
   
  Wooden crosses: A creature standing in the same 
  square as a cross gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class and a +1 
  bonus on Reflex saves (these bonuses don’t stack with 
  cover bonuses from other sources). The presence of a 
  cross doesn’t otherwise affect a creature’s fighting space, 
  because it’s assumed that the creature is using the cross to 
  its advantage when it can. The trunk of a typical cross has 
  AC 4, hardness 5, and 50 hp. It can be pushed down with 
  a DC 20 Strength check. 
   
  Creatures: The Voices of the Calling Mines have been 
  slowly eating at the sanity of those living at the Mines. 
  Most became slaves to the abolehts, but in a few it lead to 
  an unchecked rage. In an orgy of violence these people 
  started to kill one another. The aboleths stopped most of 
  the violence when they attacked, but a few escaped and 
  these are now prowling the now abandoned mines.  
   
  They are utterly insane, bloodthirsty and barely in 
  control of them selves. They haven’t bathed in days, their 
  clothes are shredded and covered with blood and their 
  wide-open bloodshot eyes are all clear signs of their 
  madness. About 2/3rd of the group consist of miners, 
  teamsters, and various commoners. The core of the group 
  is a couple of elite Ahlissan soldiers under the leadership 
  of Commander Noquann. The PCs might have met the 
  commander in TSS4-04 Crossfire and/or ESA7-04 Head or 
  Tails, but there is little left of that once proud man. His 
  once cold face is twisted with a snarl and his rust-red 
  plate mail is dented and dirty. His spiked gauntlets are 
  drenched in blood, and his followers clearly fear him. 
  The symbol of Hextor on his shield has been etched away 
  and around his neck he wears the symbol of Erythnul, 
  the Many (god of hate, malice and slaughter). The last 
  member of the group is lieutenant Halkar, a once proud 
  Oeridian warmage of the Ahlissan army.  
   
  All APLs 
  � Insane Miners (10): Male and female commoner 2; 
  hp 8 each (armed with clubs, no armor). 
   
  APL 6 (EL 10) 
  � Commander Noquann: Male human cleric 6; hp 
  51; see Appendix 1. 
  � Lieutenant Halkar: Male human warmage 6; hp 38; 
  see Appendix 1. 
  � Insane Soldiers (4): Male and female half-orc 
  fighter 4; hp 44 each; see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 8 (EL 12) 
  � Commander Noquann: Male human cleric 8; hp 
  67; see Appendix 1. 
  � Lieutenant Halkar: Male human warmage 8; hp 60; 
  see Appendix 1. 
  � Insane Soldiers (4): Male and female half-orc 
  fighter 6; hp 70 each; see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 14) 
  � Commander Noquann: Male human cleric 10; hp 
  83; see Appendix 1. 
  � Lieutenant Halkar: Male human warmage 10; hp 
  76; see Appendix 1. 
  � Insane Soldiers (4): Male and female half-orc 
  fighter 8; hp 92 each; see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 16) 
  � Commander Noquann: Male human cleric 12; hp 
  111; see Appendix 1. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 9 
  
  � Lieutenant Halkar: Male human warmage 12; hp 
  92; see Appendix 1. 
  � Insane Soldiers (4): Male and female half-orc 
  fighter 10; hp 114 each; see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 18) 
  � Commander Noquann: Male human cleric 14; hp 
  129; see Appendix 1. 
  � Lieutenant Halkar: Male human warmage 14; hp 
  108; see Appendix 1. 
  � Insane Soldiers (4): Male and female half-orc 
  fighter 12; hp 136 each; see Appendix 1. 
   
  Tactics: The insane soldiers start by using their ranged 
  attacks against the PCs, hoping the PCs are foolish 
  enough to climb the slopes. They are not very patient and 
  if nobody climbs up during the first round, all except 
  Halkar move down. They lack coordination and focus on 
  what they consider the opponent that is the most 
  dangerous to them. Halkar stays up behind the cover of 
  the boulders, cackling madly. He tries to avoid hurting 
  his allies, but he does not really care that much about 
  their welfare. So if there is a really tempting target that 
  can only be hit by hitting an ally as well, so be it. 
  Noquann has a bit more self-control. He starts the fight 
  by triggering Divine Vigor, before closing in, favoring 
  melee to ranged and spell combat (unless melee would be 
  obviously stupid). Remember that he always uses Divine 
  Power in melee until he is out of rebuke attempts. 
   
  Due to their insanity the Ahlissans fight to the 
  death. The miners flee as soon as there is any serious 
  opposition, which most likely is immediately. They do 
  not surrender, and if cornered fight to their death as well. 
   
  Treasure: Refer to the treasure summary to determine 
  what the PCs find here. 
   
  Detect magic results: +1 and +2 buckler (Faint 
  Abjuration), +1 and +2 full plate (Faint Abjuration), +1 and 
  +2 heavy wooden shield (Faint Abjuration), +1 longsword 
  (Faint Evocation), +1 and +2 mithral breastplate (Faint 
  Abjuration), armbands of might (Faint Transmutation), 
  anklet of translocation (Faint Conjuration), boots of speed 
  (Moderate Transmutation), brooch of shielding (Faint 
  Abjuration), 
  cloak 
  of 
  charisma 
  +2 
  (Moderate 
  Transmutation), cloak of resistance +1 and +2 (Faint 
  Abjuration), gauntlets of ogre power (Faint Transmutation), 
  gloves of dexterity (Moderate Transmutation), metamagic rod 
  of extend (Strong, no school), periapt of wisdom +2 
  (Moderate 
  Transmutation), 
  potion 
  of 
  remove 
  blindness/deafness (Faint Conjuration), ring of counter spells 
  (Moderate Evocation), ring of protection +1 and +2 (Faint 
  Abjuration), scroll of obscuring mist (Faint Conjuration), 
  scroll of remove paralysis (Faint Conjuration), vest of 
  resistance +2 and +3 (Faint Abjuration). 
   
  Development: The PCs are likely to realize something is 
  amiss as soon as the fight starts. If the appearance of the 
  Ahlissans does not betray the soldiers’ insanity, their 
  behavior during the fight should. The madness is 
  supernatural induced, but it can only be cured with a 
  miracle or a wish. A calm emotions spell just suppresses 
  their rage, not their bloodlust and madness. A DC 27 
  Spellcraft check is required to realize they are not under 
  an insanity or similar effect, and hence that heal is not 
  guaranteed to work. Otherwise the PCs can only learn 
  this through trial and error. 
   
  Interrogating any surviving Ahlissans is difficult. 
  Most of the time they are too enraged to even realize they 
  are captured, trying to kill their captors regardless of the 
  futility of it (but remember that ropes and manacles can 
  be broken). Even if calmed enough with a DC 35 
  Diplomacy or DC 25 Intimidate check they still see and 
  hear things that are not there and getting a sensible 
  answer in between their mad ramblings requires patience 
  and a good ear. At best the PCs hear (or a variation on it) 
  that a group of monsters have taken possessions or 
  replaced most of the inhabitants of the Mines and that 
  these Ahlissans are the only sane people left (in their own 
  eyes). They were in the minority though and had to flee. 
  Luckily those possessed/replaced need to return to their 
  master’ home in the water or risk dieing.  
   
  Once the PCs proceed to the Mines, go to Encounter 
  2. 
   
  Troubleshooting: The encounter description assumes 
  the PCs travel to the Calling Mines by road. If the PCs 
  use magic and hence travel directly to the Mines, use 
  Encounter 2 to adjust this encounter. The mad locals still 
  home in on the PCs, and try to ambush them. The exact 
  location and success depends on the PCs. A similar 
  situation arises when the PCs avoid the pass and travel to 
  the mines via a less direct route. 
   
  2: INVESTIGATION 
  Once the PCs leave the pass, or enter the valley through 
  another method read aloud or paraphrase the following: 
   
  The road finally breaks out of the pass to reveal a 
  fine view of the valley below. The vale of the Calling 
  Mines is broad and strewn with steep mounds of 
  spoil. A handful of dead trees stand scattered about 
  the margins. The stench of smoke and brimstone 
  wafts up from below although it is much less strong 
  than one might expect. Across the valley, about 1 
  mile distant, stands a small walled village watched 
  over by a very big keep, standing upwind of the 
  many foundries further down the valley near an 
  obvious man-made lake. Several aqueducts lead into 
  the valley providing fresh water to the small hamlet 
  below as well as to the lake. A number of roads run 
  through the valley towards several yawning 
  openings in the valley walls. It is eerily silent, and 
  except for dust and weed moving in the wind you 
  see no movement. There is no smoke coming from 
  the foundries. Even from this distance you notice 
  that a big part of the hamlet and keep are in ruins, 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  most likely destroyed by fire, smoke still rising from 
  the smoldering ruins.  
   
  From here the PCs are free to investigate sites in the 
  valley. A couple of specific points are detailed below 
  under separate headers. A generic search of the valley 
  reveals that a large group of people walked from the 
  hamlet towards the foundries and the lake and from 
  there into the Mines. More detailed information on this 
  can be found below under the respective headers. There 
  are also signs of minor struggles, as well as drag marks 
  leading to the pass. These were made when the ravers 
  dragged their victims to the pass for their gruesome 
  display – see Encounter 1 for more details. Nothing 
  special can be found at the various guard posts, the 
  mounds and the older mine entrances. 
   
  THE HAMLET AND KEEP 
  The smell of smoke is strong near the still 
  smoldering ruins of the hamlet and keep. What was 
  once a walled vibrant mining village is now nothing 
  more than a burned out shell. Some of the houses 
  and streets are still relatively intact, but others have 
  been reduced to heaps of sooth-covered rubble. The 
  keep appears to be in better condition, but scorch 
  marks at the various windows and the blackened 
  roofs show that this is likely an illusion. There is no 
  sign of life, nor can you see any corpses. The whole 
  place is covered in an eerie silence only broken by 
  the rustling sound of the wind and the occasional 
  crushing sound when buildings collapse. 
   
  A quick investigation of the ruins reveals that there has 
  been a minor struggle, but no major battle. It is as if the 
  inhabitants just left the village, leaving their cooking 
  fires unattended, which then resulted in the blaze that 
  caused the hamlet’s destruction.  
   
  The fire started around 4 days ago. Characters with 
  the Track feat who succeed in a DC 19 Survival check 
  find tracks that suggest any corpses that have been in the 
  hamlet have been removed, dragged out of the hamlet 
  towards the entrance pass. If the PCs use a detect magic to 
  search the ruins, they quickly find the secret cache with 
  in it the journal of the Jade Mask and the magical vest 
  around it. See below for more information. 
   
  PCs looking for the package of the Jade Mask find 
  that the spot is more or less intact. Behind the loose stone 
  they find a cracked leather-bound journal wrapped in a 
  forest green vest of escape. The journal is locked with an 
  arcane lock (CL 5). The heat of the fire has damaged the 
  seal, and the PCs can open it without risk of discovery. It 
  is written in Old Oeridian. In it they find a detailed 
  report on events taking place at the Calling Mines 
  including somewhat sensitive information. Near the end 
  the reports become much less detailed and erratic. The 
  writer complains about nightmares and an increase in 
  strange outbursts of violence among the prisoners that 
  seems to be spreading amongst the people at the surface 
  as well. He speculates the Calling of the Mines is 
  increasing in strength and is now covering the surface as 
  well. There is also a note on the fact that the cleric of Ulaa 
  locked himself away in the shrine of Ulaa and people 
  have not seen or spoken with him for days. The journal 
  stops about 5 days before the PCs arrival at the Mines. In 
  the last entry the writer notes down he does not trust his 
  own senses anymore, and that it would be best to hide the 
  journal now before it is too late so that the Jade Mask 
  knows what went on at the Mines. It includes a request 
  to deliver the journal at the authorities of Irongate or the 
  Queen’s Hall in New Keep, Sunndi. The finder can keep 
  the vest as a reward. 
   
  The vaults at the keep where the silver and gems are 
  kept are empty. Somebody or something took whatever 
  was kept in there. A DC 19 Survival check reveals tracks 
  of human sized humanoids with webbed clawed feet as 
  well as those wearing boots. The webbed feet could have 
  been made by among others sahuagin (DC 17 Knowledge 
  (nature) – unlikely considering there is no sea nearby), 
  kuo-toa (DC 17 Knowledge (nature), bullywugs (DC 15 
  Knowledge (local) – unlikely considering bullywugs do 
  not have claws) or skum (DC 17 Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering)). 
   
  Treasure: Given time the PCs could find all kinds of 
  minor treasure, but it is all hidden under rubble and 
  pocket change to adventurers. Even at the keep there is 
  little to be found. The exception is the Jade Mask cache.  
   
  All APLs: Magic 433 gp; vest of escape (433 gp). 
   
  Detect magic 
  result: Vest of escape (Faint 
  Conjuration and Transmutation). 
   
  THE FOUNDRIES AND THE LAKE 
  The foundries and forges are all built at the banks of 
  the lake. The area is dirty, covered with sooth and 
  the few plants that grow here are stunted and 
  withered. The buildings themselves appear to be 
  undamaged and empty. The lake directly next to the 
  buildings consists of crystal clear water with a sandy 
  bottom. The tracks of dozens of people at these 
  banks and in the water are difficult to miss. 
   
  A quick investigation shows that virtually all tools are 
  gone. A DC 15 Profession (mining, blacksmithing or a 
  similar profession) or Knowledge (architecture and 
  engineer) check reveals that all the equipment too big to 
  be carried has been sabotaged and needs extensive repairs 
  before it can be used again. Unlike the fire at the hamlet 
  somebody with intimate knowledge of the equipment 
  has done this. There are no signs of a struggle. 
   
  The tracks on the sandy banks are from dozens of 
  medium sized humanoids wearing boots and shoes. 
  There are no signs of a struggle here either. A character 
  with the Track feat also realizes that the humanoids came 
  from all over the valley, gathered at the banks as if 
  waiting for something, then spread out of the valley, 
  returning sometime later while carrying heavy loads, 
  before finally collectively heading towards one of the 
  mine entrances.  
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  A DC 25 Search or Survival (with the Track feat) 
  check at the beach shows the tracks of several medium 
  sized humanoids with webbed clawed feet amongst the 
  booted humanoids. If the check is past by 5 or more the 
  PCs also find the impression of a huge fish-like creature 
  in the lake near the foundries. There are no tracks of this 
  creature leaving the water since the Kolleth used overland 
  flight to get around. The aboleth used the lake as a HQ 
  during the attack, and he left the region like the others 
  through the Calling Mines. There is NO entrance inside 
  the lake. 
   
  A DC 20 Search check at the foot of the dam near the 
  outflow of the lake (which is at the opposite of the lake in 
  relation to the above mentioned beach and foundries) 
  reveals the corpse of a human in the clothes of the clergy 
  of Zilchus. His skin looks strangely translucent and 
  slimy. A DC 15 Heal check reveals the man died about 4 
  days ago due to blunt trauma to the chest – several of his 
  ribs are shattered and his lung is pierced. He did not 
  drown. The translucent skin appears to be the result of 
  some kind of disease and causes the skin to look like that 
  of a salamander, likely forcing the victim to stay in the 
  water. A DC 28 Knowledge (dungeoneering) check 
  immediately associates this effect with aboleths, 
  providing the details of the abolehts’ slime attacks as 
  described in the Monster Manual 8.  
   
  In case the PCs use speak with dead on the corpse: 
  • 
  His alignment is Lawful Neutral. 
  • 
  His name is Gareth. 
  • 
  He is a minor cleric of Zilchus. 
  • 
  He remembers seeing several soldiers attacking 
  others in the hamlet, but before he could react he 
  lost consciousness somehow. 
  • 
  He regained consciousness while standing at the 
  bank of the lake, carrying a lot of the valuables of the 
  temple of Zilchus while staring in the face of a huge 
  fish-like tentacle monster. Overcome by panic he 
  tried to run away, but the fish’s tentacle slammed 
  into his chest. He lost consciousness and died soon 
  after. He cannot give a detailed description of the 
  fish-monster since he never got a good look. 
    
  MINE ENTRANCES 
  There are several mine entrances in the valley 
  slopes; all fortified both against outside and inside 
  forces. A few appear to be abandoned, their 
  entrances in ruins, sometimes even collapsed. 
  Others are in working order, their sturdy wooden 
  doors closed. The biggest of these entrances lies 
  closest to the foundries and its doors are wide open. 
   
  The tracks of dozens of medium sized humanoids lead 
  from the banks of the lake into the mines. There might 
  have been non-human tracks hidden amongst the trail, 
  but these have been erased by the other tracks. They lead 
  deeper into the Mines, and are rather easy to follow 
  despite the hard underground.  
   
  SHRINE OF ULAA 
  The Shrine of Ulaa is located in a cavern near the slave 
  compound a couple of hundred feet from the foundries. 
  The shrine is not clearly visible nor are their obvious 
  signs pointing in the right direction. PCs who search the 
  valley eventually run across it. 
   
  What at first appeared to be a natural cavern ends at 
  two sturdy looking wooden doors. Carvings in the 
  stone frame depict stylish glowing gems and miners 
  at work with sharp corners. In the middle of the 
  door there is a brass mountain with a red painted 
  crystal in its heart glittering in your light. 
   
  The mountain is the holy symbol of Ulaa, the Stonewife 
  (goddess of hills, mountains and gemstones). The PCs 
  can recognize it with a DC 15 Knowledge (religion) 
  check; 
  followers 
  of 
  her 
  recognize 
  the 
  symbol 
  automatically. The sturdy door contains a good quality 
  lock. It can be opened with a DC 30 Open Lock check, 
  magic or brute force.  
   
  There is a small natural cavern behind the door. 
  Opposite of the door stands a small unadorned 
  stone altar that twinkles in the light of three flames 
  dancing at the tips of stalactites. The ceiling glitters 
  equally as if covered with dozens of tiny stars. The 
  room is big enough for about 6 people to pray in 
  silence and it is clearly not intended for large groups 
  of people. To the left you spot a small wooden door 
  that stands slightly ajar. 
   
  The shrine is intended for small private ceremonies. The 
  clergy of Ulaa performed their rituals for large groups 
  inside the mines or outside. The glittering effect is the 
  result of specks of simple cheap rock crystals carefully 
  placed on the altar and ceiling to generate maximum 
  effect. There is nothing of interest in the room. Read 
  aloud or paraphrase the following if the PCs look behind 
  the open door: 
   
  The door leads into a spartanly furnished room. The 
  floor is covered with wooden boards and the walls 
  and ceiling are plastered with white chalk. To the 
  left hangs a carpet depicting a stylish side-look on 
  some kind of mountain kingdom and to the right is 
  a large fireplace. Next to the fireplace stands a large 
  open barrel. A bed has been carved inside the wall 
  across the door, its green curtains are open and the 
  blankets lie on a heap inside. Further than that 
  there is a wooden closet, a small table and four 
  chairs. Every open space of wall, ceiling and floor is 
  covered with black runes that look like recent 
  additions.  
   
  The markings have been made with charcoal from the 
  fireplace. A DC 20 Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge 
  (arcane) reveals that most are associated with wards 
  against evil spirits and corruption. There are a few odd 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  runes in between which are the dwarf runes of large 
  bodies of water/insanity/chaos (the symbol is the same, 
  the meaning depending on the context), darkness and 
  aberrations.  
   
  The closet contains several sets of dwarf clothing, 
  including the outfit of a priest of Ulaa as well as cooking 
  utensils and writing gear. There is nothing of real value. 
  The barrel is filled with crystal clear drinking water. 
  There is a piece of parchment on the table under a tin 
  cup. The text is written in Dwarfish. Give Players’ 
  Handout 4 to the PCs if they can read Dwarfish. 
   
  A DC 20 Search check reveals that somebody had 
  locked himself up in the room for a couple of days. 
  Hidden in a small alcove behind the carpet there is also a 
  small package. In it, the PCs find 6 potions of swim and an 
  arcane scroll of swim. 
   
  Treasure: 
   
  All APLs: Magic: 163 gp; 6 potions of swim (25 gp 
  each), arcane scroll of swim (13 gp). 
   
  Detect magic results: Potion of swim (Faint 
  Transmutation), scroll of swim (Faint Transmutation). 
   
  THE USE OF MAGIC 
  Due to the ritual the Lake of Whispers and surrounding 
  caves are considered to be on another plane for the 
  purpose of spell casting.  
   
  Commune and similar spells: What happens at 
  the mines is of interest to deities/entities of mining, hills, 
  mountains, the Underoerth and the races with an 
  interest in such. In addition since the enslaved soldiers 
  and miners include followers of Heironeous, Hextor, 
  Pelor and Zilchus they can answer questions as well. All 
  others know little to nothing about what is going on. Use 
  the information provided in this scenario to answer any 
  questions, but remember that these should either be 
  limited to yes, no, or short cryptic ones. 
   
  Discern location: The spell works as normal. If cast 
  on coinmaster Zamasken or Barr of the Samryntar it 
  reveals the following: “Gates of Madness, Lake of 
  Whispers, the Flanaess, and partially on the Prime 
  Material Plane.”  
   
  Scry and similar spells: The Lake of Whispers is 
  merging with another plane. Crossing the planar 
  boundaries between the Flanaess and this madness-
  inducing realm is dangerous even if only done through 
  divination spells. A character casting this spell needs to 
  make a DC [15 + APL] Will save. If the caster fails the 
  spell fails and the caster is confused for 1 round. In 
  addition the caster is considered to have failed one save 
  against the Voices as discussed below in Encounter 3. If 
  the save was successful the spell functions as normal 
  although the image is slightly warped and the caster has 
  the sensation of hundreds of bugs crawling on his flesh. 
  The target of the spell still gets a Will save as normal 
  including a bonus for residing on another plane. See 
  Encounter 5 to 7 on what the PCs might see. 
   
  DEVELOPMENT 
  Even a cursory investigation of the valley reveals that 
  there have been a couple of isolated fights between the 
  Ahlissans that seemed to spread. Before it could escalate 
  something drew most of the inhabitants to the lake from 
  where they all marched off into the Mines. The tracks of 
  a couple of dozens of humans are easy to follow even for 
  those not trained in tracking and even in the hard 
  underground 
  of 
  the 
  Underoerth. 
  Proceed 
  with 
  Encounter 3 once the PCs follow the tracks and go 
  underground. 
   
  If the PCs spend a little bit more time exploring the 
  Vale they have a better idea of what they are facing. 
  Astute PCs realize that they are likely to go underwater 
  based on the fact that their opponents are aquatic. It is 
  possible that the PCs do not have the magic to do so and 
  that they want to go to the nearest city to buy the 
  necessary supplies. While there is no clear time pressure, 
  the PCs know that each day they waste, is one that keeps 
  the people of the mines in the power of what ever 
  attacked them. It also means that who or whatever did it 
  is more likely to be prepared for an incursion since only a 
  fool would believe that raiding a settlement of this size 
  would not trigger some kind of retaliation. In practice 
  the PCs have about 2 weeks before the ritual described in 
  Encounter 7 is finished. This should be more than 
  enough for them to travel to Hexpools (roughly 2 to 3 
  days away on horseback) and back. Hexpools has a gp 
  limit of 40,000 gp. 
   
  In a similar method the PCs might try to contact 
  local authorities. A sending, dream or similar spells are not 
  effective enough for anything but the most basic 
  communication since the first only allows a 25 word long 
  message and the second is one-way only. If the 
  authorities can answer the message, they thank the PCs, 
  assuming they believe them, and ask them to proceed 
  with 
  the 
  investigation. 
  With 
  more 
  extensive 
  communication, or in a face-to-face meeting, the 
  authorities want more details, and likely decide to keep 
  their distance from the Calling Mines for the time being 
  until the PCs can provide more information. Since the 
  PCs have been hired to investigate the Calling Mines 
  already by the Ahlissans (and the Sunndians are aware of 
  this) they do not offer more money. 
   
  3: INTO THE DEEP 
  As a xorn can burry it is only 4 miles from the Calling 
  Mines to the Whispering Lake, but for those bound to 
  follow the twisting corridors and caverns it is a distance 
  of 18 miles. Traveling speed in this difficult terrain is 
  1/4th normal, so characters with a movement of 30 ft. 
  need 3 days while if their speed is 20 ft. it takes them 
  slightly more than 4. The trip takes the PCs through 
  three distinct areas: the Mines, the Underoerth and 
  finally the Whispering Caverns. The Mines are 3 miles 
  long, the Underoerth 12 and the Whispering Caverns the 
  final 3. For descriptive purposes this section is divided in 
  three parts. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 13 
  
   
  Before the PCs go down into the mines, make sure 
  you know their marching order, how much food they 
  have with them and what spells are generally active. 
  Foraging for food is possible, but the Survival check has a 
  -5 penalty (note that water is not the problem: food is). 
  Also determine what they do when setting up camp such 
  as watch schedules, and precautions they might take. 
  Allow them to change these when they come in a new 
  part of the trip based on the descriptions below. 
   
  The tracks of the miners are easy to follow, and the 
  convicts apparently joined the group quickly after the 
  miners entered the mines. The aboleths did not spare 
  their prisoners, and they returned to the lake about 1 day 
  before the PCs arrived at the Mines. Along the track the 
  PCs find evidence of two camps roughly one day 
  traveling between each of them. Here they find evidence 
  that some prisoners where apparently butchered and 
  eaten. The predators of the Underoerth, who luckily for 
  the PCs are now well fed, caught others. PCs, who come 
  across tracks of chokers, hooked horrors, dark mantles 
  and a purple worm, do not know this and should 
  rightfully worry – the Underoerth is a dangerous place.  
   
  Calling of the Mines 
  The Calling Mines always have eaten at the sanity of 
  those who spend a lot of time underground. Recent 
  magical rituals by the aboleths have increased this effect 
  and its nightmarish influence permeates the whole 
  region. Above ground it only invades those who sleep or 
  meditate, but down below it constantly assaults the 
  traveler’s defenses whether awake or asleep. It also has a 
  much more obvious effect. 
   
  While underground the PCs must make a DC [10 + 
  APL] Will save once every 12 hours. PCs who have been 
  incarcerated in the Mines before have a -4 penalty on this 
  save, as do those who have the Touched by Darkness 
  AR item from ESA7-04 Head or Tails.  Sleeping/meditating 
  characters have a -2 penalty. These penalties stack. It is a 
  mind-affecting compulsion insanity effect, and characters 
  that are immune to such effects do not need to make the 
  saving throw. A protection from evil or similar effect offers 
  immunity as well. The effect does not cross planar 
  boundaries, so traveling through the Shadow Plane or 
  sleeping in a dimensional pocket as with rope trick also 
  offer protection. Remember the limitations with planar 
  piercing magic once in the Whisper Caverns (see below). 
   
  A character who succeeds at the saving throw only 
  suffers minor head aches. Characters who fail constantly 
  see movement in the corner of their eyes and hear 
  whispers in the darkness which becomes more 
  pronounced the more often they fail their save until after 
  a failed 3rd save they finally hear actual voices and start 
  seeing nightmarish things that are not there. These 
  voices sound like the character’s loved ones and they 
  constantly berate and criticize the character. While this is 
  mainly a role-playing effect, care should be taken not to 
  overdo it since the game must remain fun for all and it 
  should not distract too much from the adventure itself. A 
  PC suffers a cumulative -1 penalty to all Wisdom checks 
  and Wisdom based skill checks for each failed saving 
  throw (not to Will saving throws or Wisdom based spell 
  casting effects). Regardless of how often the PC fails this 
  save, the character suffers a -2 penalty on his future saves 
  against any attack made by the aboleths. Recovering from 
  this madness costs more time than the PCs have and is 
  detailed in the Conclusion section. PCs who fail their 
  save also gain the Touched by Madness AR item. 
   
  The Mines 
  The first part of the trip takes you through the 
  Calling Mines. Except for its reputation it is not all 
  that different from other mines. At first there are a 
  couple of large areas and wide corridors to process 
  the ore and debris and to house the convicts. 
  Further along the corridors become smaller and 
  rougher, but they are still clearly manmade with the 
  ceiling supported by sturdy wooden beams and the 
  floor still easy to traverse. By this time the air is 
  stifled, and it is rather uncomfortable breathing. 
  The corridors form a maze and it takes a dwarf to 
  retain any sense of direction, but luckily the tracks 
  of the miners are easy to follow.  
   
  The first part of the trip takes the PCs through the 
  Calling Mines. These are the safest and easiest part of 
  their journey. This part of the trip is 3 miles long. About 
  half way the trip, the track leads into an abandoned part 
  of the mines, which shows itself in the maintenance of 
  the corridors. There are a few larger areas, mostly where 
  two or more corridors cross each other, but nothing 
  much bigger than a decent cabin. The aboleths avoided 
  the truly unstable areas. They also were in too much of a 
  hurry, neither did they consider being followed this 
  soon, to consider collapsing the corridor behind them. At 
  the end of the Mines, the track leads past an area that 
  until recently had been blocked off by the miners. The 
  corridor beyond goes on for about 100 feet before it ends 
  in a natural cavern about 10 feet above the floor. 
   
  The Underoerth 
  The mining corridor you have been following for 
  some time now opens up into a huge natural cavern. 
  It is a 10 feet drop down to the uneven cavern floor. 
  From your lofty position you see the rock 
  formations glittering in the rich colors so common 
  in caves, such as stalactites, stalagmites and 
  curtains. The walls and floor are glistening with 
  moist. Surprisingly the air becomes much fresher as 
  well and you feel a shallow draft. The cavern is too 
  big to see any exits. Rocks at the bottom of the 
  entrance shows that it were miners that broke into 
  this part of the Underoerth and not the creatures 
  from below that dug their way into the Mines. 
   
  From here the tracks lead the PCs through the regular 
  parts of the Underoerth, assuming there is such a thing as 
  regular when dealing with the Underoerth. The terrain is 
  difficult to traverse and as is normal in natural caverns 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 14 
  
  includes a lot of climbing, sliding and swimming. At least 
  it is recognizable as normal caverns and the normal laws 
  of reality apply (except for the constant assault on ones 
  sanity). The aboleths stuck to the bigger caverns and 
  things are much less cramped than in the mines. It is 
  here the PCs run across tracks of the Underoerth 
  predators and the camps of the miners as well as a 
  survivor and a long abandoned camp (see below).  
   
  This part of the trip is 12 miles long until it slowly 
  changes into the Whispering Caverns. 
   
  A Survivor 
  About 6 miles from the Mines let the PCs make a Listen 
  check. The PC with the highest check hears a 
  whimpering sound coming from a side corridor.  If the 
  PCs explore the cave they are jumped by a loudly 
  screaming human armed with a rock. If they ignore the 
  sound, the man attacks them from behind. Describe the 
  man as a wild caveman out for their blood unless a PC 
  takes his time to take a closer look at their attacker in 
  which case they see a terrified desperate human armed 
  with nothing but a rock. Let the PCs roll an initiative as if 
  preparing for a fight. Killing or disabling the man is easy. 
  It requires a DC 30 Diplomacy or Intimidate check to 
  calm him down. If somehow restrained, or when he was 
  knocked unconscious, it only takes a DC 15 Diplomacy 
  check to befriend him. 
   
  The man’s name is Durann, and he is a foreman in 
  the mines. He managed to escape the aboleth and skums, 
  and by a miracle he has not fallen victim to the cold and 
  predators. Talking with him is difficult since he is 
  affected by the Calling of the Mines, hearing voices and 
  seeing people nobody else sees or hears. With some 
  difficulties he can tell the PCs what happened at the 
  mines, describing the skum in details, but he cannot 
  remember the aboleth except as a commanding voice in 
  his head. He begs the PCs to take him along: he must free 
  his friends. He is under no magical compulsion except 
  for the madness induced by the voices. 
   
  � Durann: Male human (Ahlissan) expert 3 (AL CN). 
   
  Appearance: Durann is a small stocky man with long 
  wild brown hair and a beard of a couple of days. His 
  brown eyes are bloodshot. He is malnourished and 
  covered in bruises. He wears the clothes of a foreman, but 
  they are in tatters.  
   
  Personality: Durann used to be a simple practical man 
  only interested in doing his job and caring little about 
  what happened outside his little circle of influence. Now 
  he sees ghosts everywhere, most notably that of his wife 
  who now constantly berates him for his lack of 
  knowledge and interest in the world. He is tense, afraid 
  and sticks to any strong looking person. 
   
  Calcified Camp 
  Just before the PCs get in the region of the Whispering 
  Cavern they run across a strange site. In a side cavern 
  they find a large abandoned camp. Most organic material 
  is gone except for the sturdier equipment although even 
  that is beyond repair. The remains are calcified and hence 
  several years old. A search of the camp shows that it was 
  probably a camp for prospectors (due to the tools 
  present), likely humans (size, design and quality). If the 
  PCs have Durann with them, he becomes obsessed with 
  the camp. He insists on exploring it to put the spirits on 
  rest that haunt the camp in his eyes. He is convinced 
  these are the remains of the missing expedition send into 
  the region ten years ago. Only one survivor returned at 
  the time, utterly mad. He died only days later and warned 
  about monsters from the deep. This was why the miners 
  had closed the corridor leading into the Underoerth in 
  the first place, and apparently they were right to do so. 
   
  If the PCs take their time to thoroughly search the 
  camp (which takes about 4 hours) they find the calcified 
  bones of humans under debris near the camp. Besides 
  damage done by the rocks there are signs that they were 
  killed with claws and javelins. Remnants of armor and 
  weapons are recognizable as belonging to the Ahlissan 
  army. A DC 15 Knowledge (history) or Profession 
  (soldier) is needed to recognize that they are slightly 
  outdated from around the time Xavener came to power.  
   
  The PCs also find a large shattered five by five feet 
  obsidian slab with a strange purple rune engraved on it. A 
  DC 30 Knowledge (arcane) check recognizes it as a rune 
  used to focus conjuration magic through such as used in a 
  summoning circle, although its size is much larger than 
  expected and it looks somewhat wrong. Neither the stone 
  nor the rune radiates any magic. 
   
  These are the remains of the prospectors who 
  angered the aboleths so long ago ultimately leading to the 
  problems of today. 
   
  The Whispering Caverns 
  The environment has been changing so gradually 
  that it took you until now to realize there is 
  something odd about these caverns. It all looks the 
  same, but the darkness somehow seems darker and 
  you can’t help but notice that the natural rock 
  formations remind you of the grotesque and vile. It 
  is then that you realize you hear a faint whispering 
  at the edge of your hearing, and judging from your 
  companions so do they – a whispering real enough 
  that even those not affected by the Calling of the 
  Mines can hear it. 
   
  The third and final part of the trip takes the PCs through 
  the Whispering Caverns. The magic of the aboleths has 
  considerably weakened the planar boundaries causing 
  the area to be warped.  
   
  The Whispering Caverns are partially extra-planar 
  with somewhat unstable boundaries which affect magic. 
  Spells and items that open a long duration conduit to 
  another dimension, such as rope trick and a bag of holding, 
  do not work. Magic items are just suppressed and 
  function normally once a PC leaves the region. Spells that 
  cross planar boundaries almost instantly, such as blink, 
  dimensional door and teleport, function normally as long as 
  the trip stays within the affected area. They fail if moving 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  into or out of the area. So teleporting from the Calling 
  Mines to the Whispering Caverns is impossible, but from 
  the banks of the Whispering Lake to the aboleths’ 
  stronghold work normally (except for the effects taking 
  place in Encounter 7). Summoning works normally as 
  well, although the summoned creatures look warped. 
   
  This part of the trip is 3 miles long before the 
  corridor opens up at the banks of the Whispering Lake – 
  proceed with Encounter 4. 
   
  4: LAKE OF WHISPERS 
  The tracks you have been following for the past few 
  days have taken you into what appears to be an 
  immense cavern. Ahead and above all you can see is 
  darkness, broken by patches of a purple glow.  
  Judging by how far away you see such globes the 
  cavern must be immense. 
   
  The path itself goes down a dozen or feet before 
  ending on a gray sandy beach at the banks of a large 
  dark lake. Not a ripple breaks its surface. The 
  whispering at the edge of your hearing has increased 
  in volume to that of a normal conversation, but still 
  you cannot make out what is said. It has a sinister 
  edge and you seem to hear words like ‘death’, 
  ‘murder’, ‘hell’ and such among the sea of 
  unrecognizable whispers. On a wall nearby you note 
  a large glyph glowing with a malignant purple glow 
  about as bright as a candle. The glyph consists of a 
  spiral the size of a heavy shield surrounding by 
  several smaller glyphs. 
   
  The PCs have reached the banks of the Lake of Whispers. 
  The lake is roughly 1 mile in diameter and 300 feet deep 
  at its deepest point. The lake fills the cavern completely 
  except for a couple of beaches like the one the PCs are on. 
  Huge pillars and stalagmites form dozens of islands and 
  provide the necessary support to the 100 feet high 
  ceiling. 
   
  A DC 35 Knowledge (the planes) check recognizes 
  the spiral symbol as being associated with the Far Realms. 
  A DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) check is needed to 
  recognize the smaller symbols as symbols associated with 
  conjuration and abjuration magic – most likely used to 
  draw upon the energy from another plane to protect the 
  area. A dispel magic would only suppress the magic for a 
  few rounds. Destroying the glyph requires a magical 
  weapon, but if each purple glow is one symbol it would 
  take days to destroy enough symbols to have any effect. 
   
  Contrary to what the PCs might expect, there is 
  nothing waiting below the lake’s dark surface. The water 
  is crystal clear, and rather cold. The tracks of the miners 
  lead directly to the shore and into the water. There are no 
  signs that there might have been a boat. Apparently the 
  miners went for a swim. 
   
  PCs who stare into the darkness for some time note a 
  sudden flash of cold blue-white light in the distance. A 
  strange soft crackling noise quickly follows its 
  appearance almost like lightning and thunder. A couple 
  of minutes later it appears again, again with the crackling 
  noise. It comes from some point about 3,000 feet away on 
  the lake. 
   
  Development: The tracks the PCs have been following 
  clearly go into the lake and beyond. The only clue where 
  are the lights and sounds described above. Spells such as 
  locate creature and locate object (assuming their range is long 
  enough) confirm that at least some of the miners are in 
  that direction. Otherwise the PCs can search the whole 
  cavern, which takes a lot of time, until they finally go 
  towards the light which is at the top of the aboleths’ lair – 
  see Encounter 7. There are no tracks of miners leaving 
  the area, but the PCs do run across the tracks of skum and 
  chuul. They might even run across a small party hunting 
  the many blindfish of the lake. While these should not 
  pose any threat to the PCs, they can serve as a source of 
  information (see Guardians of the Lake below). 
   
  To catch up the PCs have to go into, onto or over the 
  water as well. There is no boat, or anything that floats, 
  unless the PCs took it with them. Without the aid of 
  magic, the PCs need to swim. The water is clear and calm, 
  and except for the cold, swimming it is relatively easy (a 
  DC 10 Swim check). The cold poses a minor threat in that 
  unless a swimmer is protected with an endure elements 
  spell or better he needs to make a DC [15 + 1 per previous 
  check] Fortitude save every 10 minutes or take 1d6 
  nonlethal damage and become fatigued. This nonlethal 
  damage cannot be recovered until the character gets out 
  of the water and warms up again. Once a character is 
  rendered unconscious through the accumulation of 
  nonlethal damage, the cold and exposure begins to deal 
  lethal damage at the same rate. 
   
  Swimming can take the PCs to all three levels of the 
  aboleths’ lair depending on how they approach it, with 
  the slave quarters below (Encounter 5), the living 
  quarters of the aboleths and chuul in the middle 
  (Encounter 6), and their laboratory at the top above the 
  surface of the lake (Encounter 7). If a character can 
  breath underwater it is possible to walk over the bottom 
  of the lake. Doing so makes it difficult to orient and 
  requires climbing up towards the aboleths’ lair, but the 
  PCs should ultimately succeed and arrive at the lower 
  levels of the lair – see Encounter 5. If the PCs fly or walk 
  over the lake’s surface they are likely to arrive at the top 
  level of the complex – see Encounter 7. Teleporting is 
  possible except to the Gate of Madness and its direct 
  surroundings – see Encounter 7 for more details. 
   
  Unless the PCs came unprepared (or lack the 
  necessary spell casters) it is possible they need to rest to 
  prepare spells that allow them to cross the lake. If they 
  rest in the Caverns of Whispers, the aboleths’ discover 
  their presence. About 4 hours after the PCs have set up 
  camp, a patrol is sent out to deal with the problem – see 
  Guardians of the Lake below. 
   
  Note that if the PCs keep moving the aboleths do 
  not become aware of their presence nearly as easily. Only 
  when the PCs get near the complex do they run the risk 
  of discovery. As long as the PCs take some basic 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  precautions they are not spotted before their arrival at the 
  aboleths’ lair. The aboleths are simply too engrossed in 
  their research and their guardians have become 
  somewhat slack as a result. Carrying a light source or 
  making any loud noises though gives away the PCs 
  instantly, although in that case the guardians wait just 
  outside the complex, fearing it might be a distraction.  
   
  Troubleshooting: It is possible that the PCs lack the 
  ability to breathe underwater. In that case the areas 
  described in Encounter 5 and 6 cannot be reached. The 
  PCs can still travel over the surface of the lake to the top-
  parts of the structure and deal with the ritual in 
  Encounter 7. They get to save the mines for future 
  generations, but the prisoners are lost. If they decide to 
  return to the surface to get underwater supplies they 
  might be fast enough, but they cannot spend more than 2 
  weeks between Encounter 2 and the actual assault on 
  aboleths’ complex as discussed in Encounter 2 and 7. 
   
  GUARDIANS OF THE LAKE 
  The guardians of the lake are the same creatures as in 
  Encounter 6. The PCs either meet them here, or in 
  Encounter 5, 6 or 7 depending on whether or not they 
  trigger an alarm. 
   
  Note that if the PCs are hiding behind illusions the 
  aboleths can still pin-point their location fairly 
  accurately, allowing the guardians to find the PCs. If they 
  are sleeping in a secure area such as a Leomund’s secure 
  shelter the guardians either return to their lair to await the 
  PCs arrival there or try to enter (for example while under 
  the effect of an ethereal jaunt or blink spell) and destroy it. 
   
  Terrain: The exact area in which this fight takes place 
  depends greatly on the PCs actions.  
   
  If inside a cavern, remember that the floor of a 
  natural cave is as uneven as the walls. It takes 2 squares of 
  movement to enter a square with a natural stone floor, 
  and the DC of Balance and Tumble checks increases by 5. 
  Running and charging are impossible, except along 
  paths, though there might be patches of smoother stone. 
  The beech is not nearly as rough and it does not affect 
  movement, but a DC 10 Balance check is required to run 
  or charge across the beach. Failure means the character 
  can still act, but can’t run or charge in this round. 
  Remember that the terrain equally affects the chuul and 
  skum as the PCs. 
   
  Check the DMG for the rules on fighting 
  underwater. The chuul and skum certainly favor this 
  terrain above the caverns surrounding the lake or the 
  rocky slopes of the roof of the aboleths’ lair (see 
  Encounter 7) even if there is little to hide behind. 
   
  Creatures: The aboleths are living a long way from their 
  home city on a project in which they have little to no 
  support. Still, they managed to take a small number of 
  skum with them and over the decades they managed to 
  expand their stock of slaves either by capturing local 
  creatures or by breeding/creating new creatures.  
   
  The chuul and skum are their most loyal slaves, and 
  they form their first layer of defense. At low APLs they 
  are typical representatives of their races (see their Monster 
  Manual entries), utterly loyal to their aboleth masters. At 
  APL 10 and above the chuul have been improved by the 
  aboleths, they became half-farspawn in the process. 
  Except for two large tentacles sprouting from their 
  shoulders they look normal at a first glance. On closer 
  inspection minor disfigurations are hard to miss with a 
  white glazy third eye on their front head being the most 
  disconcerting. 
   
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
  � Chuul: hp 93; see Monster Manual 35. 
  � Skum (4): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  APL 8 (EL 10) 
  � Chuul (2): hp 93; see Monster Manual 35. 
  � Skum (8): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
  � Chuul Terrors (2): half-farspawn chuul; hp 126 
  each; see Appendix 1. 
  � Skum (8): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 14) 
  � Chuul Terrors (2): 15 HD huge half-farspawn 
  chuul; hp 202 each; see Appendix 1. 
  � Skum (8): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 16) 
  � Chuul Terrors (2): 23 HD half-farspawn chuul; hp 
  311 each; see Appendix 1. 
  � Skum (8): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  Tactics: At APL 6 and 8 the tactics of the guardians are 
  relatively simple. The chuul try to hide, while the skum 
  have orders to bait the PCs into striking distance of the 
  chuul. Once that happens, they try to paralyze as many 
  foes as possible, only resorting to killing opponents when 
  they prove to be immune to the paralysis or grappling. 
  The chuul focus on what ever is in front of them while 
  the skum try to swarm anybody that remains in the back, 
  resorting to grappling and disarming if a simple attack is 
  not enough. At these APLs an individual skum should 
  pose no threat, but they do not fear for their lives and do 
  not forget that they can aid one another or the chuul. 
   
  At APL 10 and above the chuul have various spell-
  like abilities available to help them in the fight. If they 
  are initiating combat they are under the effect of a blur 
  spell. There are also likely to use telekinesis to get 
  opponents, preferably spell casters and archers, closer to 
  themselves or heavily armored opponents into the lake. 
  If the PCs use ranged attacks against them, they also cast 
  blink or stinking cloud – they are immune to its sickening 
  effect and it offers concealment. They save their true strike 
  ability against a difficult to hit opponent. At APL 12 and 
  14 they start any fight by casting scintillating pattern, likely 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  disabling 1 or 2 opponents (and favoring it above 
  implosion which they only use when it is clear they are 
  facing dangerous opponents). They also use (quickened) 
  ethereal jaunt to get around the battlefield quickly or to 
  increase the chances of success with an ambush, but 
  remember that while it is a swift action to activate the 
  ability, it still requires a standard action to dismiss the 
  spell. In the end, despite their spell-like abilities, they 
  favor physical combat and they are likely to forget to use 
  it. They do NOT summon any creatures, more out of ease 
  for the DM than anything. 
   
  The skum and chuul are fanatical loyal to the 
  aboleths. The chuul fight to the death. The skum try to 
  flee to warn their masters as soon as all the chuul are 
  defeated. If the PCs fly away from melee, they dive below 
  the water surface to seek cover, quickly retreating to their 
  masters’ lair. Remember though that there is no gravity 
  in the ethereal plane and at APL 12 and 14 the chuul 
  might opt to reappear above the flying opponents (treat 
  as a bull’s rush attempt) in an attempt to grab/push that 
  opponent down into the lake as long as they are above a 
  suitably deep part of the lake. 
   
  Treasure: None. 
   
  Development:  If the fight took place directly outside 
  the top layer of the complex near the aboleths in 
  Encounter 7 the aboleths do not intervene during the 
  fight. They trust their guards to be able to deal with it. 
  Only when the fight is over without an immediate report 
  on the outcome do they check the situation in person. If 
  this happens the PCs have 1d4+1 round between this 
  fight and an attack by the aboleths and golems from 
  Encounter 
  7. 
  Otherwise 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  direct 
  repercussions.  
   
  If the PCs take 2d4 hours before getting within sight 
  of the complex, the aboleths relocate the scrags and 
  Halgru (see Encounter 5) to the midlevel, leaving the 
  slaves under the guard of ordinary skum. The scrags do 
  not leave the direct vicinity of the complex though and 
  from this moment the PCs can more or less rest safely 
  around the lake. 
   
  When the PCs manage to capture one of the 
  guardians (or any other skum) alive it proves difficult to 
  question them. The chuul only speak Undercommon, 
  and the skum only Aquan and a smattering of 
  Undercommon 
  (just 
  enough 
  to 
  coordinate 
  offense/defense in a limited fashion with the Chuul). 
  Furthermore, they have been completely dominated by 
  the aboleths, fearing neither pain nor death. Without the 
  aid of magic, the PCs need to resort to trickery (Bluff 
  against the creatures’ Sense Motive), which reveals only a 
  few tidbits. At best the PCs learn the location of the 
  aboleths’ lair, get an inkling of what kind of creatures are 
  there (except for the presence of the elder eidolon – these 
  creatures don’t know of their existence), that the slaves 
  are in an air chamber in the lower levels of the complex 
  where most of the skum live and that the masters are 
  busy with some kind of magical ritual designed to 
  destroy their enemies. They do not grasp the concept of 
  writing or maps and hence cannot draw one for the PCs. 
   
  Once the guardians are defeated, the PCs are free to 
  approach the complex. If they do so into the lower levels 
  proceed with Encounter 5. If they approach the mid 
  levels proceed with Encounter 6. If they approach the top 
  levels, which are partially above water, go to Encounter 7. 
   
  Troubleshooting: In the unlikely case the PCs are 
  disabled, but not killed, or they surrender they are 
  stripped of all their gear and brought towards the holding 
  stocks – see Encounter 5. A Slight of Hands check 
  opposed by the monsters Spot skill allows the PCs to hide 
  small things such as holy symbols, spell component 
  pouches and daggers. The guardians do not use detect 
  magic, so the PCs can keep what appear to be ordinary 
  clothing for the moment. During the trip or once at the 
  holding cell they should have a chance to plan their 
  escape. Any reasonable plan should succeed. Their 
  equipment is kept in the vault in the mid levels – see 
  Encounter 6. If they fail at their escape attempt, they are 
  quickly killed since they are more trouble than they are 
  worth.  
   
   5: PRISONERS OF THE MIND 
  The lower parts of the complex are the living quarters of 
  the slaves of the aboleths. It is here the PCs find those 
  kidnapped from the Mines. Unless noted otherwise these 
  areas are underwater. Maps of the complex, including a 
  side view can be found in the DM’s Map section. 
   
  Outside Approach 
  Read out loud or paraphrase the following if the PCs 
  approach the aboleth complex underwater: 
   
  In the dark gloom of the lake it is hard to miss the 
  strange soft purple and yellow-green glow in the 
  distance. In this sickly light you see a gigantic 
  stalagmite rise from the impenetrable darkness up 
  and out of the water. Carved out of the rock you see 
  what at first glance looks like two, or is it one, 
  gigantic leeches winding around the stalagmite. On 
  a closer inspection it is a carving that forms the 
  front of some kind of underwater complex. You note 
  several round windows and the round doors are big 
  enough to allow a fish the size of a whale entry. 
  While the source of the light is from behind the 
  windows, most are dark and the windows alone 
  don’t offer enough explanation for the amount of 
  light that seems to have no point of origin. 
   
  The aboleth’s complex is carved out of the rocks of a 
  stalagmite into two distinct but internally connected 
  sections. The outside front of each of these sections 
  consists of a leech-like carving. When the PCs get closer 
  they also note the many spirals, waved lines and similar 
  geometrical patterns on the buildings, especially on and 
  around the window and doorframes. There are four 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  entrances in each building. The lower two lead into the 
  holding cells and living spaces of the slaves (Encounter 5) 
  and the upper two lead into the living quarters of the 
  aboleths and their research facilities (Encounter 6). 
  Detailed descriptions can be found below and in 
  Encounter 6. 
   
  Unless the inhabitants have reasons to expect an 
  attack, several skum (see Monster Manual 228) are also 
  freely swimming around the stalagmite. These are not 
  particularly alert, having come to rely on their masters’ 
  skills. If these creatures spot any light or movement, they 
  immediately flee into the building to warn those inside. 
  Once warned, the guards wait inside, ready to deal with 
  the intruders as soon as they arrive within the building. If 
  the PCs manage to approach the building unseen, they 
  might be able to surprise the guards in their rooms. 
   
  Generic Features 
  The corridors inside the complex are about 15 feet wide 
  and high. These corridors are steeply slanted with the 
  arrow on the map pointing down. Moving up costs two 
  squares of movement (unless swimming) and those 
  standing higher up gain the advantage for fighting on 
  higher ground. The floor, walls and ceiling consist of 
  smooth stone decorated with the same type of 
  geometrical patterns and symbols as outside except that 
  these are accentuated with mother-of-pearl, green, red 
  and purple paint. There are traces of algae and slime 
  along the walls, especially in the lower level, but in 
  general the skums keep the place clean.  
   
  The round windows are made out of a strange 
  somewhat murky white resin that is about as hard as 
  glass, and make just as much noise when shattered. The 
  doors are sliding doors, made out of stone and unless 
  locked in place immediately close. Most of the doors are 
  closed except the doors of area 6, 7, 8, 9 and 15. Only the 
  outside doors and the doors of area 10, 11, 12 and 13 are 
  locked. 
   
  There is a soft purple and yellow-green glow in the 
  corridors that seems to become somewhat brighter by 
  movement nearby. The light is considered to be shadowy. 
  Since tiny water organisms generate it, there is no such 
  light in area 3 and 8. 
   
   
  � Walls: 1 ft. thick stone; hardness 8; hp 90; Break DC 
  35; Climb DC 20. 
  � Windows: 2 in. resin; hardness 2; hp 10; Break DC 
  10. 
  � Doors: 4 in. thick stone; hardness 8; hp 60; Break DC 
  28; Open Lock DC 30. 
   
  1. Guard Rooms 
  There are 2 guard posts at each segment both in the lower 
  and middle levels. There are always a couple of skum 
  present here, although the chuul of area 9 en the scrags of 
  area 6 also have a clear view on their respective guard 
  posts. These skum do not fight in case of trouble, but 
  quickly retreat to alert stronger guardians in the region 
  (most likely the scrags and Halgru). There is no furniture 
  in the area or anything else to distinguish them from the 
  generic corridors. 
   
  2. Supply Room 
  The doors to these three small rooms are closed, but not 
  locked. Several cupboards are carved into the walls and 
  rusty metal hooks are attached to the ceiling. Most of the 
  supplies are food: fish, algae, sea-weed like leaves, worms 
  and a lot of human flesh (either complete corpses or cut 
  into little pieces). The flesh is wrapped in leaves. The 
  worms are kept in stone jars, and they are still alive. 
  Besides supplies there are also various tools, mostly for 
  cleaning, repairing the building and the like. None of the 
  regular inhabitants of the complex use clothing, blankets 
  or eating utensils nor do they drink anything besides 
  water so these cannot be found in the supply rooms. 
   
  Note that the supply room near the smithy also 
  contains a contraption similar to the one in area 4. The 
  aboleths dropped the silver at the bottom of the lake 
  right under the complex. It does not rust, and there are 
  no thieves in the region. So why bother keeping it 
  behind locked doors in such cramped space? 
   
  3. Holding Cell 
  Two doors provide access to this area, both are closed, 
  neither has a lock. Since there is no water in area 3 it 
  requires a character with a Strength score of 18 or higher 
  to open it. Doing so does not flood the room since it as 
  the lowest point. It does generate a rumbling noise that 
  can be heard throughout the whole complex (a silence 
  spell does not prevent this) and draws the scrags to the 
  area immediately (see below). 
   
  Once inside the PCs find a chilly moist non-flooded 
  room. The first thing the PCs note is the stench of human 
  feces, urine, blood and vomit. The floor is covered with it. 
  It is here that the human prisoners are chained to the 
  walls, floors and each other. These are simple manacles, 
  more to prevent an attack on the guards than to stop an 
  escape. The water proved ample protection against any 
  escape plan the humans might have. 
   
  Creatures: The aboleths and skum do not consider their 
  prisoners to be overly valuable and they have treated 
  them extremely poorly. It is chilly in the room and 
  without anything to dry them selves with most are 
  coughing and sneezing and a few are suffering from 
  pneumonia. What little food they ate in the last couple of 
  days consisted mainly of raw fish and worms – a diet they 
  are not used to and hence have trouble keeping inside. 
  The skum were not too kindly during the trip either, 
  mercilessly killing those that could not keep up, 
  sometimes even devouring their victims alive in front of 
  the rest, and beating those that were too slow or simply 
  because they could. Meanwhile the voices of the mines 
  have been gnawing on their sanity. Those that survived 
  the trip and the last day or two are pitiful wrecks of their 
  former selves. 
   
  Most survivors are soldiers, craftsmen and other 
  freemen. The convicts, already in a weak condition, 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  mostly did not survive the trip. If it had not been for the 
  care of Coinmaster Zamasken, former director of the 
  mines, and Barr of the Samryntar, priest of Ulaa, a lot 
  more would have died. 
   
  Note that none of the survivors have been infected 
  with the slimy disease of the aboleths. Doing so would 
  have run counter to the aboleths plans. They were 
  transported to this room with the aid of the aboleth’s 
  muscus ability, but that has long since run out – an 
  additional 
  hindrance 
  for 
  them 
  to 
  escape 
  their 
  imprisonment. 
   
  � Coinmaster Zamasken: male human rogue 
  7/cleric 1 (AL LN). 
   
  Appearance: Zamasken is a short Oeridian man with 
  short dirty brown hair and what remains of a goatee. He 
  wears the tattered remains of expensive clothes and as 
  some kind of mockery he is allowed to keep the 
  matching jewels. Still, he is lucky since his clothes are 
  relatively warm. It is clear he has not been treated kindly 
  in the last couple of days, and there is a haunted look in 
  his eyes. 
   
  Personality: Zamasken was a smooth-talker with a 
  good sense of humor. The current ordeal, and the 
  madness of the mines, has put a serious dent in his 
  usually cheerful attitude. Having a sensible conversation 
  costs him a lot of energy, but unlike most other prisoners 
  he is still able to do so. Together with Barr he has been 
  vital in the survival of many prisoners as well as keeping 
  their hope up for rescue. Zamasken knows about the 
  adventurers hired by his church and is trusting on them 
  to rescue him and his fellow prisoners. The few prisoners 
  that are still aware of his work greatly respect him. 
   
  � Barr of the Samryntar: male dwarf cleric 3 of Ulaa. 
   
  Appearance: Barr is a short stocky dwarf with wild red 
  hair. He is young, but the current ordeal has left its 
  marks. His face is pale and gaunt and he is covered with 
  bruises. His eyes are wide open, he rarely blinks and he 
  has a tendency to giggle softly and pray softly to Ulaa.  
   
  Personality: Barr was a young energetic dwarf, a 
  missioner of sorts who wanted to spread the faith of Ulaa 
  among the miners and convicts of the Calling Mines. 
  Desperately afraid for his sanity, he cowardly hid in the 
  sanctity of Ulaa’s shrine until he finally managed to 
  overcome his fear with the appearance of the aboleth. 
  Still, he is wrecked with guilt and a bit too eager to 
  sacrifice himself for the group, sometimes not even 
  looking for an alternative. 
   
  � Prisoners (50):  40 human, 5 halfling, 3 dwarf, 1 
  gnome, 1 half-elf; commoner 2 or expert 2 (80% male, 20% 
  female). 
   
  Appearance: Hollow shells of their former self, 
  coughing and sneezing at best, dehydrated, feverish and 
  on the brink of unconsciousness at worst. 
   
  Personality: Silent, exhausted and withdrawn in them 
  selves, hearing voices that are not there and having 
  difficulties recognizing hallucinations from reality. They 
  are beyond thinking for them selves, making them easy 
  to handle until complex actions are required.  
   
  Development: Most of the prisoners are beyond caring, 
  but Barr and Zamasken certainly expect the PCs to free 
  them. They are aware though that as long as the aboleths 
  are present doing so is extremely difficult. There are no 
  boats in these caverns, nor is there any material to make 
  one. That is, if the PCs even get the prisoners out of the 
  holding cells without them drowning. It is a 60 ft. swim 
  up, in itself not too difficult, but these prisoners are 
  weakened. They cannot swim by themselves and they are 
  unable to hold their breath (potentially drowning 
  immediately when entering the water). Before these can 
  leave their cell they either need to be nursed back to 
  health, or require magical aid from the PCs. Either way 
  takes time. One thing is for sure, if the PCs leave the 
  prisoners behind, they certainly die. Ultimately the 
  prisoners have no choice if the PCs decide to deal with 
  any opposition first. 
   
  If the PCs ask about Delzan, the Jade Mask agent 
  mentioned in the Introduction, they quickly learn he 
  died en route. 
   
  Note: The servants of the aboleths cannot imagine 
  anybody sacrificing their own lives for that of lesser 
  beings. So they never even consider making the prisoner 
  hostages. They might flood the room or kill a couple out 
  of cruelty towards the PCs, but only when it is clear the 
  PCs care and there is a decent opportunity. 
   
  4. Airlock/Guard Room 
  The door to this room is closed. The area contains a 
  strange contraption made of various tubes, pumps and 
  gears. Large tubes lead up into the stalagmite and into the 
  wall of area 3. A DC 15 Knowledge (engineering) 
  identifies the machine as a contraption to pump air into 
  area 3. Operating it is relatively easy, although manning 
  the pump requires at least two strong humanoid 
  creatures and a lot of work. It is a delicate machine, and it 
  is easy to destroy. 
   
  5. Taskmaster’s Quarters 
  The doors to this room are closed. In the room stands a 
  single pole that leads from the ceiling to floor and is used 
  by Hagru for support while awake and asleep. There are 
  also several cabinets that contain various clay tablets and 
  a stone slab which is used as a desk by Hagru. The desk 
  contains empty clay tablets and writing gear. The tablets 
  are a ledger of sorts written in shorthand Aquan and 
  difficult to understand even by people who speak Aquan. 
  The texts contain all kinds of notes that help Hagru deal 
  with the details of running a mansion. In this room 
  Hagru also deals with any conflicts between the skums. 
   
  6. Scrag Living Quarters 
  The doors to this room are open. Various bits of bone, 
  small pieces of flesh and other remains of the gruesome 
  dinner of the scrags float through the room. The walls are 
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  decorated with a couple of trophies, most notably dwarf 
  and human skulls, and a pincher the size of a wagon. 
  There are four heaps of weed which look like beds, 
  although there are no blankets. The room contains four 
  unlocked stone chests with in it the personal possessions 
  of the scrags, all worthless junk. 
   
  7. Skum Living Quarters 
  The doors to these two rooms are open, albeit covered 
  with curtain made out of leathery brown leaves. The 
  skum do not need beds to sleep, just floating freely in the 
  water, nor would any blanket offer any heat. They also 
  have no personal possessions and they do not care about 
  privacy. Hence these rooms look just empty to the casual 
  observer, except for the couple of sleeping skum drifting 
  through the room. 
   
  8. Smithy 
  Like the holding cell the doors to area 8 are closed, but 
  not locked and opening them is equally difficult. The air 
  in the room is stale, and a couple of degrees warmer than 
  the rest of the complex, almost as if by some residual 
  warmth. The room contains a small forge, several large 
  waterproof chests (contain charcoal) and the tools for 
  blacksmithing tightly packed in oil soaked cloth to 
  prevent rusting. The smithy is designed to be used by 
  huge sized creatures without hands and hence look 
  somewhat alien to the PCs. There is nothing of value in 
  this room except perhaps as curiosa, although the barrels 
  could help getting the prisoners out alive.  
   
  Inhabitants of the Lower Levels 
  The leader of the skum is Halgru, a highly modified 
  skum. For all intents and purposes he is a kopru from 
  Monster Manual II. It has the lower body of a worm with 
  the upper body of a human, including two arms with 
  clawed hands and a fishlike head. Surrounding its mouth 
  are several tentacles, giving the impression of a mind 
  flayer, which it is not. One of the things that set it apart 
  from the other creatures in the area is that it carries gear 
  at higher APLs. Halgru is the second in command, and all 
  the other inhabitants, including the chuul and scrag, treat 
  him with a mix of fear and respect. He can be mostly 
  found in his room, area 5, but at the first sign of trouble 
  he collects the scrags to attack the intruders. 
   
  His direct servants and bodyguards are two or more 
  large-sized modified skum. These are much more shark-
  like, and are like scrags (aquatic trolls) and named as such 
  throughout the adventure for ease of reference. Their 
  appearance differs somewhat, resulting in a +5 modifier 
  to the DC of recognizing them and their abilities. These 
  are fanatically loyal to Halgru and their aboleths’ masters. 
  Most of the time they can be found in area 6, one 
  sleeping, the rest awake, armed and ready for battle. They 
  are never far away from Halgru and if the PCs try to cause 
  a distraction to lure others away, Hulgru is more likely to 
  send skum to check it out than leave the scrags. 
   
  The twenty or so skum that live and work at the 
  complex tend to congregate in this area when not busy 
  with one task or another. They should be little more than 
  irritating to the PCs, rarely if ever hitting, letting their 
  bigger cousins do the fighting. If alone they quickly flee, 
  and if with backup they keep their distance without 
  making it too obvious. Don’t let the dice dictate how 
  effective these are in a fight against the PCs. Their attacks 
  should just miss unless the PCs are having an 
  exceedingly easy time. The skum can be found all over 
  the place, but most likely in the guard posts and their 
  living quarters. 
   
  All  APLs 
  � Skum (20): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
  � Halgru, the Taskmaster: male kopru; hp 36; see 
  Appendix 1. 
  � Scrags (2): hp 63 each; see Monster Manual 247. 
   
  APL 8 (EL 10) 
  � Halgru, the Taskmaster: male kopru sorcerer 4; hp 
  72; see Appendix 1. 
  � Scrags (4): hp 63 each; see Monster Manual 247. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
  � Halgru, the Taskmaster: male kopru sorcerer 8; hp 
  92; see Appendix 1. 
  � Scrag Slavedrivers (4): scrag fighter 2; hp 101 each; 
  see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 14) 
  � Halgru, the Taskmaster: male kopru sorcerer 10; 
  hp 102; see Appendix 1. 
  � Scrag Slavedrivers (4): scrag fighter 4; hp 127 each; 
  see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 16) 
  � Halgru, the Taskmaster: male kopru sorcerer 12; 
  hp 127; see Appendix 1. 
  � Scrag Slavedrivers (4): scrag fighter 6; hp 153 each; 
  see Appendix 1. 
   
  Tactics: At the sound of an alarm or in a confrontation 
  they try to gather in a group. The scrags fight in the 
  defense of Halgru if possible, targeting ranged attackers if 
  possible. If something proves difficult to hit, they are 
  willing to take a gamble and risk a grapple, especially if 
  out of reach of their opponent. They trust on their 
  regeneration to keep themselves alive. Remember that 
  using fire spells underwater is difficult; although the PCs 
  can always drag any unconscious scrag to the area 3, 8 or 
  the surface for the killing blow or to simply stop the 
  regeneration. 
   
  Halgru is the clear leader of the skum. At low APLs 
  he starts by attempting to dominate a strong looking 
  fighter or rogue, even risking a second save by ordering 
  them to attack their fellows. Once that is done, at APL 6 
  he throws himself into melee. He likes to grapple an 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  opponent and slowly crush that creature to death. If there 
  are many enemies surrounding him, he takes the –20 
  penalty so that he has his claws and bite free for an attack. 
  If he cannot hit, he switches to his wand of magic missile. 
  At higher APLs he prefers to use his spells, favoring 
  enchantments that are not easily blocked by protection 
  from evil. At APL 10 and above he does not use his 
  dominating ability unless he has no other useful spells 
  left. If possible, he also buffs his scrags before combat 
  starts – heroism and resist energy (favoring acid since 
  casting fire spells underwater is difficult) which last 10 
  minutes per level. At APL 14+ he does not use his 
  disintegrate spell on opponents, preferring to keep the 
  slots available to destroy walls of force or to create an extra 
  door for some space to maneuver for his scrags. Do not 
  forget that at APL 12 and 14 he has an anticipate 
  teleportation running and a Retributive Spell ready. 
   
  Unlike the chuul, Halgru does not fight to the death. 
  He tries to flee when all his scrags are killed or when at 
  25% of his hit points: towards his masters when he thinks 
  they are still alive or out into the lake otherwise. For this 
  reason he always keeps a slot open for a dimension door 
  spell. Note that he is aware of the impossibility of 
  dimensional travel into the gate room. Instead he 
  transports himself to an entrance of one of the corridors. 
  The scrags fight to the death. 
   
  Treasure: Refer to the treasure summary to determine 
  what the PCs find here. 
   
  Detect magic results: +1 and +2 large chain shirts 
  (Faint Abjuration), +1 large greatswords (Faint Evocation), 
  amulet of natural armor +1 (Faint Transmutation), cloak of 
  charisma +2 (Moderate Transmutation), cloak of resistance 
  +1 and +2 (Faint Abjuration), potion of cure moderate wounds 
  (Faint Conjuration), ring of protection +1 and +2 (Faint 
  Abjuration), scroll of glitterdust (Faint Conjuration), vest of 
  resistance +1 and +2 (Faint Abjuration), wand of magic 
  missile (Faint Evocation). 
   
  Development: Fighting is rarely quiet, and unless 
  special precautions are taken it is likely the chuul above 
  (if still alive) hear the sounds of combat. If this happens 
  they arrive 1d4+3 rounds after the start of any battle. If 
  instead the chuuls are called by a fleeing skum it takes 1 
  round longer. The aboleths do not react to any sounds of 
  violence this deep in the lake, assuming it is the result of 
  a prison rebellion. Even if nobody reports after the fight, 
  they don’t come down to check for at least a couple more 
  hours. 
   
  If the PCs interrogate any imprisoned scrags or 
  Halgru, they do not learn more than from regular skums 
  or the chuuls (see Encounter 4 for information). If the 
  PCs are defeated, they are stripped of all gear (which is 
  placed in the smithy) and thrown in the holding cell with 
  the regular prisoners. If possible, Halgru dispels any spell 
  that is still active on the PCs. If the PCs cannot escape, 
  they die within a couple of days by the aboleths’ hands 
  who consider them to be too dangerous to keep around. 
   
  Once Halgru and the skum are defeated, the PCs can 
  proceed further up to deal with the chuuls and the 
  aboleths (proceed with Encounter 6 and/or 7) or start 
  freeing the prisoners if the chuuls and aboleths already 
  have been defeated (proceed with Conclusion). 
   
  6: MASTERS OF THOUGHT 
  The middle parts are used by the aboleths as their living 
  quarters and research areas. It also houses the more 
  powerful and loyal servants. All these areas are 
  underwater. 
   
  Most of the doors are closed except the doors of area 
  9 and 15. Only the outside doors and the doors of area 10, 
  11, 12 and 13 are locked. 
   
  Outside Approach 
  See Encounter 5 for the appropriate description. 
   
  Generic Features 
  These are the same as in the lower levels. See Encounter 
  5 for more details. 
   
  9. Chuul Living Quarters 
  The doors into this area are open. These are much like the 
  quarters of the scrags except that there are only two beds 
  and no trophies on the walls – see the description of area 
  6 in Encounter 5. 
   
  10. Library 
  The two doors into this area are closed and locked. The 
  aboleths are the only ones with a key. It is also the only 
  area brightly lid by two everburning torches each standing 
  on the corner of a large obsidian slab. The walls contain 
  many carved out niches filled with dozens of shards 
  made out a pearly white substance. On closer inspection 
  these seem to be made out of the same material as the 
  windows, and if somebody focuses on them they start to 
  softly glow with a pattern of fascinating confusing colors. 
  The shards contain the psionic imprints of the aboleths, 
  their unique kind of books which only they can read. 
  They are of little value to anybody besides aboleths. 
   
  Besides the crystals there are also a couple of 
  watertight packed leather-bound tomes, clay tablets 
  engraved with strange runes (mostly in Aquan) and a few 
  weird looking curiosa. The books are written in various 
  languages (mostly Old Oeridian, Ur-Flan, Infernal and 
  Aquan) somehow all related to the Calling Mines, the 
  phenomena of the voices, madness and planar magic 
  (mostly about conjuration magic, planar breaches and 
  even the Far Realm).  
   
  If the PCs spend an hour searching the library or 
  succeed in a DC 25 Search check they find the journal of 
  the expedition that came from the Mines now 10 years 
  ago. It tells how the miners broke through, how an 
  expedition was organized to check for both danger and 
  potential profit and how that expedition came across the 
  Lake of Whispers. At the lake they found a strange 
  obsidian slab with on it a large weird rune. The last entry 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  describes how they had a fight with an aboleth at the 
  Lake who was busy with some kind of dark ritual, were 
  victorious and were now on the run for a large group of 
  fish-people. The author expresses fear he never will see 
  the surface again. This fear implies that it is unlikely the 
  aboleth was killed in a fair fight, which is indeed not 
  what happened. Instead the prospectors came across the 
  aboleth when it was too engrossed in its ritual to note the 
  miners, and it was killed before it realized what 
  happened. 
   
  Treasure: Refer to the treasure summary to determine 
  what the PCs find here. 
   
  11. and 12 Quarters Aboleths 
  The doors into this area are closed and locked. The 
  aboleths are the only ones with a key. The walls of the 
  room are decorated with curving geometrical patterns 
  which if stared at cause the eyes of humanoids to tear 
  through non-magical optical illusions. The floor is 
  covered with soft sand and a large low niche in the wall 
  forms the aboleth’s resting area. There is nothing of value 
  in these rooms. 
   
  13. Laboratory 
  The doors into this area are closed and locked. The 
  aboleths are the only ones with a key. One glance is 
  enough to realize it is a laboratory, but due to its location 
  underwater as well as the nature of its owners, it contains 
  several odd pieces of equipment. For example, it contains 
  an operating table and an airtight niche for experiments 
  that require air or open flames. The equipment is made 
  for aboleths, practically useless for humanoids and hence 
  of no value.  
   
  14. Lab Supply Room 
  The walls of the room are covered with niches, and nets 
  are attached to the ceiling. The room is filled with weird 
  substances used in all kinds of alchemical and magical 
  experiments, but it seems to be low in stock.  
   
  Inhabitants of the Mid Levels 
  Under normal circumstances the chuul can be found in 
  this area. From this central location they guard the lake’s 
  surface as well as the aboleths’ living quarters and in case 
  of trouble below they can come to the aid of the scrags as 
  well. To help them in this endeavor they are always 
  accompanied by a couple of skum who patrol the area. At 
  the first sign of danger these ordinary skum immediately 
  alert the chuul. Usually the aboleths also live in this area, 
  but at the moment they are preoccupied with their ritual, 
  practically living in the gate room (see Encounter 7). 
   
  Creatures: See Encounter 4 (Guardians of the Lake) for 
  details. 
   
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
  � Chuul: hp 93; see Monster Manual 35. 
  � Skum (4): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  APL 8 (EL 10) 
  � Chuul (2): hp 93; see Monster Manual 35. 
  � Skum (8): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
  � Chuul Terrors (2): half-farspawn chuul; hp 126 
  each; see Appendix 1. 
  � Skum (8): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 14) 
  � Chuul Terrors (2): 15 HD huge half-farspawn 
  chuul; hp 202 each; see Appendix 1. 
  � Skum (8): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 16) 
  � Chuul Terrors (2): 23 HD half-farspawn chuul; hp 
  311 each; see Appendix 1. 
  � Skum (8): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual 228. 
   
  Tactics: The same as described in Encounter 4 
  (Guardians of the Lake section), except that the chuul at 
  APL 10 and above are more likely to use blink and/or 
  ethereal jaunt inside the building for tactical maneuvering 
  (and being less hindered by physical objects such as 
  walls). 
   
  Treasure: None. 
   
  Development: Fighting is rarely quiet, and unless 
  special precautions are taken it is likely the scrags below 
  (if still alive) hear the sounds of combat. If this happens 
  they arrive within 1d4+3 rounds after the start of any 
  battle. If instead the scrags are called by a fleeing skum it 
  takes 1 round longer. The aboleths do not react to any 
  sounds of violence, assuming it is the result of a prison 
  rebellion or some such. Even if nobody reports after the 
  fight, they don’t come down to check for at least a couple 
  more hours. 
   
  If the PCs interrogate any imprisoned skum or the 
  chuul (assuming they speak the same language) see 
  Encounter 4 for information. If the PCs are defeated, 
  they are stripped of all gear (which is placed in the 
  smithy) and thrown in the holding cell with the regular 
  prisoners. If possible, Halgru dispels any spell that is still 
  active on the PCs. If the PCs cannot escape, they die 
  within a couple of days by the aboleths’ hands who 
  consider them to be too dangerous to keep around. 
   
  Once the chuuls are defeated, the PCs can proceed 
  further down to deal with the scrags (proceed with 
  Encounter 5) or up to deal with the aboleths (proceed 
  with Encounter 7). 
   
  7: GATE OF MADNESS 
  In the upper parts of the complex the aboleths are busy 
  with their ritual. The gateroom is mostly above the water 
  surface. The rest is underwater.  
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  Outside Approach 
  Flashes of light pierce the darkness quickly followed 
  by a crackling noise not unlike thunder, but not as 
  loud, once every few minutes. During these brief 
  respites in the impenetrable darkness of the 
  Underoerth the surface of the lake looks like a 
  smooth cavern floor of black obsidian reflecting the 
  cavern roof and pillars as a dark mirror. The source 
  of the light appears to be inside one of these huge 
  pillars that rise from the water, reaching the ceiling 
  overhead. Each flicker of light seems to radiate out 
  of the pillar at what appears to be four large cavern 
  openings just above the water surface that lead into 
  the column. Just under these entrances the water 
  has eroded away part of the stalagmite, creating a 
  small platform under a thin layer of water with rock 
  over it. From this side you do not see any guardians, 
  but there are many places to hide, least of which the 
  lake itself. 
   
  Without the lights generated by the Gate of Madness (see 
  below) there is nothing to set apart the column that 
  serves as the home for the aboleths and their slaves. 
  There are no decorations above the lake’s surface, and the 
  four caverns, one on each of the cardinal points of the 
  compass (north, east, south and west), are easy to miss. 
  These caverns are roughly 20 feet in diameter, worn 
  smooth by water. There are no penalties to movement 
  here. The small plateau around the column is roughly 30 
  feet wide with the first 20 feet covered by a few inch of 
  water. While the water is not deep enough to induce 
  movement penalties, the rock is slippery, requiring a DC 
  12 Balance check to run or charge. 
   
  Whether or not there are guards here depends on 
  the actions of the PCs. If they were spotted on their 
  approach, for example if carrying a light source, guards 
  are hiding under the surface of the lake. These are most 
  likely the chuul, as described in the Guardians of the 
  Lake in Encounter 4. If the PCs already defeated the 
  chuul, it could be Halgru and the scrags from Encounter 
  5. If the PCs managed to reach the column unseen, there 
  are only a skum or two. As soon as these spot any 
  intruders (or hear fighting in the gate room), they swim 
  away to gather the other guards who arrive in 1d4+1 
  rounds in case of the chuul or 1d4+2 rounds in case of 
  Halgru and the scrags. Remember that the aboleths do 
  not react to the sounds of violence outside – see 
  Encounter 4 for more details. 
   
  Note that the above assumes the PCs come through 
  the air or over the surface of the water. If they first 
  explored the complex, it is much more likely they already 
  met and defeated the inhabitants before arriving at the 
  gate room potentially through corridor F which ends in 
  the Spiral Below (and from where fighting the abolehts is 
  much easier). 
   
  Gate Room 
  A map of the Gate Room can be found at the DM’s Maps. 
   
  Four large openings give access to this big room. The 
  ceiling is roughly 20 feet high and remains level 
  throughout the whole room. The floor levels down 
  toward the middle like some kind of large bowl. In 
  this depression stands water. Four obsidian obelisks 
  break the water’s surface, standing in a circle, their 
  pointed tops bending towards the middle like four 
  claws 
  grasping 
  something. 
  The 
  obelisks 
  are 
  unadorned, but sparks of crackling energy jump 
  between their tops, each flash reflected by the dark 
  water’s surface below. Surrounding this pool and 
  gate just beyond the pool’s edge are four crafted 
  pools. They are perfect circles. Their elevated edges 
  seem to have grown out of the floor and are 
  decorated with runes and geometrical patterns. 
   
  [Assuming the aboleths are still here:] Two huge 
  fish-like creatures sit in one of these pools, one to 
  the north and one to the south. Instead of the usual 
  two eyes, they have several black ones along a ridge 
  on their front-head. Their slimy reflecting yellow 
  skin is not scaled, but looks more like that of a frog. 
  Four tentacles sprout from their body, big enough to 
  be perfect weapons and flexible enough to grasp 
  things. 
   
  [Assuming there are elder eidolons:] One/two large 
  dark purple statue(s) stands in the pool near the 
  obelisks. It is a statue of a large lobster-like 
  humanoid creature with a pair of huge pincers as 
  hands and long tendrils around its mouth. It has 
  crystalline appearance, angular and reflecting the 
  light, although it looks more like obsidian than 
  amethyst despite its color. 
   
  The floor is relatively smooth and does not hinder 
  movement. The banks of the central pool are steep, 
  ending at an entrance to the Spiral Below. The light blue 
  area is considered deep bog with standing water of about 
  4 foot in depth. The dark blue area opens up in the Spiral 
  Below and is about 30 feet deep.  
   
  It costs Medium or larger creatures 4 squares of 
  movement to move into a square of the pool, or 
  characters can swim if they wish. Small or smaller 
  creatures must swim to move through a deep bog. 
  Tumbling is impossible in a deep bog. The water in a 
  deep bog provides cover for Medium or larger creatures. 
  Smaller creatures gain improved cover (+8 bonus to AC, 
  +4 bonus on Reflex saves). Medium or larger creatures 
  can crouch as a move action to gain this improved cover. 
  Creatures with this improved cover take a -10 penalty on 
  attacks against creatures that aren’t underwater. The 
  aboleths would use this feature to their advantage. The 
  elder eidolons are too stupid to do so. 
   
  The four peripheral pools are roughly 20 feet a 
  diameter, big enough for an aboleth to pass through. 
  Each is an entrance to the completely flooded Spiral 
  Below. From the surface of the water to the bottom below 
  is about 30 foot. About 5 feet from the top there is an iron 
  grate. The mazes of the grate are wide enough for a Small 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  sized character to squeeze through. Medium sized 
  characters must succeed in a DC 35 Escape Artist check 
  to do the same. The grates can be opened by pulling a 
  lever in the Spiral Below which can be reached by any 
  creature with 10 ft. or more reach. It is to heavy to be 
  moved with a simple open/close or mage hand cantrip. 
  Opening and closing the grates with the lever otherwise 
  functions as opening a normal door (it costs a move 
  action).  
   
  The four obelisks in the center are the focal point of 
  a slowly opening planar breach: the Gate of Madness. 
  Stepping in between the obelisks above the water is 
  extremely foolish as long as the gate is still functioning. 
  Such a character must make an immediate DC 17 Will 
  save or be shifted to a random plane as if affected by a 
  plane shift spell. If a character is shifted to another plane 
  the gate is instantly destroyed. The aboleths are aware of 
  this fact and hence will *not* bull rush or throw any 
  character into the breach. The elder eidolons are immune 
  to the plane shift effect and too stupid to bull rush 
  anybody. If the character can survive the plane in which 
  he or she landed, he can either be returned with the aid 
  of his companions or he has to spend 1,000 gp and 6 TU 
  to return home as per the LGCS 15.  
   
  Besides this effect, waves of chaos emanate from it 
  that can seriously scramble a person’s think processes if it 
  by such a wave. In game mechanical terms once per 
  round the gate targets a randomly determine creature in 
  the room, including the aboleths and the eidolons, and 
  casts a spell as determined by APL on that target (at 
  higher APLs the aboleths were further along with the 
  ritual). The eidolon is immune to its effects, but the 
  aboleths are not (although their illusionary doubles are 
  obviously not affected if that is the target of the gate). 
  Roll initiative as if the gate is a creature to determine 
  when it acts.  
   
  The gate works as an encounter trap. It can be 
  disabled by a rogue with Disable Device, the DC being 
  APL dependent. A dispel magic does not effect the gate. A 
  dimensional anchor shuts it down for 1 round per caster 
  level. Destroying one of the obelisks shuts down the gate 
  permanently as does stepping through the gate. Allow 
  the PCs a DC 25 Knowledge (the Planes) or Knowledge 
  (arcane) check to realize this. 
   
  Note that the gate provides enough illumination so 
  that even characters without any special sight suffer no 
  miss chance due to darkness. 
   
  � Iron grate: 2 in. thick iron; hardness 10; 60 hp; 
  Break DC 28. 
   
  Spiral Below 
  A map of the Spiral Below can be found at the DM’s 
  Maps. The four peripheral pools and a hole under the 
  Gate of Madness provide access to the hall above. A sixth 
  tube leads down, splitting up after about 20 feet, leading 
  to both middle areas of the complex (corridors F in 
  Encounter 6). There is no grate in shaft F or under the 
  gate. 
   
  You are standing in a smooth circular tube made out 
  of pitch black obsidian. It makes a sharp turn, 
  suggesting it spirals inward. The walls are so black it 
  almost seems to eat the light and no reflection can 
  be seen on its surface. The water feels even colder 
  than the water in the rest of the lake. 
   
  All the effects in the boxed text are visual. Touching the 
  walls or swimming through the spiral has no effect 
  beyond the ordinary (that is: swimming under water in 
  the chilly lake). The exception is standing directly under 
  the Gate of Madness. While there is no plane shift as long 
  as they stay in the Spiral Below, they are a viable target 
  for the chaos effect as long as they remain in the center of 
  the spiral.  
   
  Walking on the floor is somewhat difficult, 
  requiring a DC 10 Balance check to move at half speed or 
  end up prone. The inner walls are relatively thin, and the 
  PCs can hack or break their way through.  
   
  This is the region in which the PCs are most likely to 
  find the aboleths. The corridors are somewhat cramped 
  for the aboleths though, and in case of a fight here, they 
  quickly withdraw into the gate room, hoping to lure the 
  PCs up as well. This is especially true if the elder eidolon 
  is still in one piece. 
   
  � Walls: 1 ft. thick stone; hardness 8; hp 90; Break DC 
  35. 
   
  Creatures 
  It is in this area that the two aboleth masters have been 
  performing their long ritual for the last few months. 
  Obsessed with learning the mysteries of the lake, and 
  frothing at the constant intrusion by the surface folk they 
  are focused on getting rid of the surface folk once and for 
  all. Performing the ritual would shift a large part of the 
  area into an other plane, making it extremely difficult for 
  anybody to get anywhere near the place. The ritual shows 
  that the aboleths are not immune to the maddening 
  effect of the Calling Mines despite what they might 
  believe in their arrogance. Performing the ritual would 
  likely kill the aboleths, and at the very least completely 
  ruin the effects of the Calling Mines that has them doing 
  research in the area in the first place. Convincing them of 
  this is impossible though assuming the PCs even try to 
  talk with these alien monstrosities and get the aboleths to 
  listen to them. 
   
  At APL 8+ there are also one or two elder eidolons. 
  These are like golems, although they are fueled by elder 
  powers. These eidolons were created with the aid of the 
  gate and they are fairly new additions to the forces of the 
  aboleths. While originally empowered by the gate, they 
  now operate independent of the gate and the gate’s 
  destruction does not shut them down. The aboleths are 
  immune to their insanity aura. 
   
  Note that the eidolons for all intents and purpose are 
  golems. They can be detected and hurt with a scarab of 
  golembane. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 25 
  
   
  APL 6 (EL 9) 
  � Ba’albul and Kollath: aboleth; hp 76; see Monster 
  Manual 8. 
  � Gate of Madness: hp 27; see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 8 (EL 11) 
  � Ba’albul and Kollath: aboleth; hp 76; see Monster 
  Manual 8. 
  � Elder Eidolon Chuul: hp 85; see Appendix 1. 
  � Gate of Madness: hp 36; see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 13) 
  � Ba’albul: aboleth cleric 2; hp 116; see Appendix 1. 
  � Kollath: aboleth wizard 2; hp 112; see Appendix 1. 
  � Elder Eidolon Chuul (2): hp 85 each; see Appendix 
  1. 
  � Gate of Madness: hp 45; see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 15) 
  � Ba’albul: aboleth cleric 4; hp 140; see Appendix 1. 
  � Kollath: aboleth wizard 4; hp 122; see Appendix 1. 
  � Greater Elder Eidolon Chuul (2): huge 15 HD 
  elder eidolon chuul; hp 117 each; see Appendix 1. 
  � Gate of Madness: hp 54; see Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 17) 
  � Ba’albul: aboleth cleric 6; hp 164; see Appendix 1. 
  � Kollath: aboleth wizard 6; hp 142; see Appendix 1. 
  � Greater Elder Eidolon Chuul (2): 23 HD elder 
  eidolon chuul; hp 161 each; see Appendix 1. 
  � Gate of Madness: hp 63; see Appendix 1. 
   
  Tactics: The elder eidolons are too stupid for any 
  complicated tactics. They just get closer to opponents to 
  crush them to death with their claws. Unless directed by 
  the aboleths they attack, in order or preference, whoever 
  is attacking the gate (whether through melee, ranged 
  attacks or Disable Device) or the closest target. The 
  aboleths can give the eidolons simple commands as a 
  move action. If the aboleths are disabled they either 
  attack their latest target or whoever is attacking the gate. 
  They fight to destruction. 
   
  The aboleths are highly intelligent and masters of 
  illusion. When first seen, they are drifting in the Spiral 
  Below, using their project image spell-like ability to appear 
  to be present in the gate room and using their spell-like 
  abilities and supernatural powers from there on the PCs 
  in the room. Only when the PCs get right at the edge of a 
  pool, or when using spells against them, would they 
  realize it is just an illusion. In that case the aboleths will 
  be close enough to the surface though to attack anybody 
  standing on the edge of the pool with their tentacles. 
  They prefer to stay in the Spiral Below, projecting 
  themselves above through the various pools, including 
  the one below the Gate. Only when the portal is directly 
  threatened, or the PCs refuse to get within reach would 
  they leave the safety of the water and even then they 
  would prefer to stick to the pool in the middle. 
   
  Throughout combat they use their illusions, 
  enslaving ability, spells and items to the best of their 
  ability. For example, creating the illusion of a creature 
  stepping through the gate would be believable and might 
  draw away some fire giving the aboleths extra time. Do 
  not forget the retributive amulet of Ba’albul at APL 12 and 
  14, or the circlet of rapid casting of Kollath at APL 14. 
   
  The aboleths flee once the gate is destroyed and they 
  are at 10% or less of their hit points. 
   
  Treasure: Refer to the treasure summary to determine 
  what the PCs find here. 
   
  Detect magic results: belt of levitation (Faint 
  Transmutation), 
  circlet 
  of 
  rapid 
  casting 
  (Moderate 
  Transmutation), eternal wand of grease (Faint Conjuration), 
  eternal wand of web (Faint Conjuration), potion of remove 
  blindness (Faint Conjuration), retributive amulet (Faint 
  Abjuration), ring of protection +1 (Faint Abjuration), 
  runestaff of eyes (Strong Divination), scroll of dispel magic 
  (Faint Abjuration), scroll of insignia of healing (Faint 
  Conjuration), wand of magic missile (Faint Evocation). 
   
  Development: A fight in this region will be heard in the 
  complex below. If there are still any strong creatures left 
  they will arrive here in 1d4+3 rounds (the chuul from 
  Encounter 6) or 8+1d10 rounds (Halgru and the scrags 
  from Encounter 5). These immediately join the fray even 
  if their masters are dead and the gate is destroyed. In fact, 
  the deaths of their masters make them overcome with 
  rage and hatred for the murderers of their beloved gods. 
  Obviously, if the PCs already killed the chuul and/or 
  scrags they do not miraculous come to live again. If the 
  PCs are defeated, they are simply killed. They are too 
  powerful to be entrusted to a cell. 
   
  As soon as the PCs destroy the gate the whole room 
  is covered with a flash of light and the sensation of 
  hundreds of insects crawling under ones flesh. The 
  painful feeling is gone as soon as the flash, leaving only a 
  tingling sensation that remains for a long time to come. 
  Everybody in the gate room, directly under the gate in 
  the Spiral Below or whomever stepped through it gains 
  the Energies of the Gate AR item.  
   
  With the destruction of the Gate, the aboleths are 
  furious, but they can always rebuild. For the PCs to put a 
  final end to threat, they also need to kill the aboleths. 
  Capturing them serves no point, although neutrally 
  aligned people can use the aboleths to gather information 
  (see the Background and the creature section for info on 
  what the aboleths know) or to give the prisoners the 
  ability to breathe underwater. Carrying them back to the 
  surface for punishment by the law would work right in 
  the hands of these monsters, since at some point they 
  will escape. Any persons the PCs might contact would 
  tell them to kill the aboleths as well. 
   
  Once the aboleths are defeated, the PCs can focus 
  their attention on freeing the prisoners (see Encounter 5 
  and 6), or they can return to the surface knowing they 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 26 
  
  foiled a dark and evil plot that would have cost both 
  Sunndi and Ahlissa a lot of men and money. Proceed 
  with the Conclusion. 
   
  Troubleshooting: There is no tight time schedule, and 
  as long as the PCs are not wasting time they should arrive 
  in time to stop the ritual. Only when the PCs take more 
  than two weeks before going below ground, or when 
  returning to the surface after a fight with the aboleths or 
  their servants, do the aboleths finish the ritual. In that 
  case the Calling Mines turn into a nightmarish reflection 
  of its former self. The region becomes extremely deadly 
  with reality warping ripples piercing the area. In that case 
  the adventure is effectively over and the PCs have lost. 
  This should not happen while the PCs are in the region 
  unless they are resting for days. In that case they get lost 
  in the Planes, and need to spend 1,000 gp and 6 TU to 
  return home as per the LGCS 15 unless they have access 
  to plane shift. 
   
  Note that besides the risk of a successful ritual, there 
  is the much more real and bigger risk the captured 
  Ahlissans and the convicts die. In one week half of these 
  die, after two weeks only a handful survive and at the end 
  of the third week the last prisoner dies. If the PCs take 
  more than 2 weeks there are hardly any prisoners to 
  rescue anymore and the PCs do not get their favor (see 
  Conclusion below). 
   
  CONCLUSION 
  With the destruction of the gate and hopefully the death 
  of the aboleths the PCs are free to return home and 
  receive a heroes accolade. Once home the Ahlissan 
  authorities want a full report of what happened, and as 
  long as the PCs tell what they learned about the aboleths 
  and delivered the papers from the library and research 
  area they gain the agreed upon price for their services. If 
  they also destroyed the Gate of Madness AND killed both 
  Aboleths they gain the favor of the Ahlissan 
  authorities. If, on the other hand, they have some means 
  of transporting all the stolen silver ore back to the 
  surface, they gain the favor of the Ahlissan authorities 
  despite any potential failure in killing the aboleths or 
  destroying the gate. Regardless of the results, once word 
  gets out of the clash between the PCs and the aberrations 
  other aberrant hunters get an interest in the heroes of the 
  Calling Mines. They offer the PCs specialized training to 
  help them in future battles with aberrations, and if 
  worthy even access to their special prestige classes. The 
  PCs gain the Aberration Hunter AR item. 
   
  The blow to the Calling Mines is immense and it is 
  going to take years before the Mines are operational, let 
  alone profiting again, but those rescued are no less 
  grateful. If the PCs rescued most of the miners (a 
  minimum of 25) including Barr of the Samryntar and 
  coinmaster Zamasken they also gain the AR item 
  Gratitude of the Miners. The weapon chosen should be 
  noted in the items bought section on the AR with a gold 
  value of 0 gp. The PCs can never sell it for more than 0 
  gp. Ahlissa grants any of the surviving convicts amnesty 
  as a gesture of good will.  
   
  Treasure: Refer to the treasure summary to determine 
  what the PCs find here. 
  Payment by the church of Zilchus: 
   
  APL 6: Coin: 300 gp/600 gp. 
   
  APL 8: Coin: 400 gp/800 gp. 
   
  APL 10: Coin: 500 gp/1,000 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Coin: 600 gp/1,200 gp. 
   
  APL 14: Coin: 700 gp/1,400 gp. 
   
  TOUCHED BY MADNESS 
  With the destruction of the Gate of Madness the insanity 
  inducing effects return to its prior level. The sanity of 
  those affected by the mines does not return nearly as 
  quickly. PCs who failed at least one save against the 
  Calling gain the Madness of the Mines AR item. Note 
  down the total penalty that character has accumulated to 
  his or her Wisdom and Wisdom-based skill checks on the 
  AR. Over the course of the next adventures that penalty 
  is slowly reduced as the character is recovering from the 
  ordeal. As long as the character has a penalty that person 
  hears voices of relatives, friends and enemies belittling 
  him. There is no cure for this except time. 
   
  DELIVERING A PACKAGE 
  In the ruins of the hamlet the PCs might have found a 
  journal written by a Jade Mask agent. If part of the 
  original side mission, it is likely the PC keeps its 
  existence hidden from his companions. Regardless, the 
  others do gain access to the vest of escape in the Items 
  Found section, though they do not get the favor of the 
  Jade Mask.  
   
  If no PC worked for the Jade Mask they could still 
  have found the journal. In this case they can follow the 
  agent’s request and deliver it to the authorities of 
  Irongate or the Queen’s Halls. In this case the PCs earn 
  the favor of the Jade Mask. If they deliver it to the 
  Ahlissan authorities, they gain the favor of Royal 
  Merchants. Scratch the one that is not applicable on the 
  AR. 
   
  If there is a conflict about what to do with the 
  journal, nobody is going to get a disfavor even if one of 
  the PCs is working for the Jade Mask and the group 
  decides to deliver it to the Ahlissans. The PC did his best 
  and the safety of the region is more important than the 
  reports of a minor agent. 
   
  The journal is of little value to the PCs and keeping it 
  serves little purpose. Both the Jade Mask and the Royal 
  Merchants want the original, and they do not want copies 
  to be made. If the PCs make a copy and want to deliver 
  the journal to both sides they must succeed at a DC 20 
  Forgery check, get an arcane lock cast on the copy (with 
  for the Jade Mask the right password), make a DC 14 Will 
  save (against a zone of truth) and a DC 20 Bluff check. Only 
  one PC has to make these checks. 
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 27 
  
  CAMPAIGN CONSEQUENCES 
  This scenario has “Campaign Consequences”; that is the 
  outcome of this module will directly affect future events 
  in the course of the campaign. The answers to some of 
  the questions below may seem trivial or pointless, but 
  because of the complex nature of the back-story and 
  campaign all information requested is vital. 
   
  Please send your answers to rolspeel@planet.nl and 
  gomez@gryphonhill.com as soon as possible. General 
  comments about the module are also welcomed at this 
  address. 
  1. 
  What APL did you play? 
  2. 
  Did the PCs rescue the enslaved miners? 
  3. 
  Did the PCs destroy the gate or were they too 
  late? 
  4. 
  Did any of the aboleths survive? 
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 28 
  
  EXPERIENCE POINT 
  SUMMARY 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up the values 
  for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the 
  experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus 
  roleplaying) to each character. 
   
  1: Touch of Madness 
  Defeating the insane soldiers 
  APL 6  
  240 XP 
  APL 8  
  300 XP 
  APL 10  
  360 XP 
  APL 12  
  440 XP 
  APL 14 
  500 XP 
   
  4: Guardians of the Lake  
  or 6: Masters of Though 
  Defeating the chuul 
  APL 6  
  60 XP 
  APL 8  
  120 XP 
  APL 10  
  180 XP 
  APL 12  
  240 XP 
  APL 14 
  300 XP 
   
  5: Prisoners of the Mind 
  Freeing the prisoners 
  APL 6  
  240 XP 
  APL 8  
  300 XP 
  APL 10  
  360 XP 
  APL 12  
  440 XP 
  APL 14 
  500 XP 
   
  7: Gates of Madness 
  Killing both aboleths 
  APL 6  
  180 XP 
  APL 8  
  240 XP 
  APL 10  
  300 XP 
  APL 12  
  360 XP 
  APL 14 
  420 XP 
   
  Destroying the Gate 
  APL 6  
  60 XP 
  APL 8  
  60 XP 
  APL 10  
  60 XP 
  APL 12  
  60 XP 
  APL 14 
  60 XP 
   
  Discretionary roleplaying award 
  APL 6  
  120 XP 
  APL 8  
  105 XP 
  APL 10  
  90 XP 
  APL 12  
  35 XP 
  APL 14 
  20 XP 
   
  Total Possible Experience 
  APL 6 
  900 XP 
  APL 8  
  1,125 XP 
  APL 10  
  1,350 XP 
  APL 12  
  1,575 XP 
  APL 14 
  1,800 XP 
   
  TREASURE SUMMARY 
  During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, 
  usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every 
  encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section 
  within the encounter description, giving information 
  about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the 
  encounter’s treasure. 
   
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if the foes are plundered of all their 
  earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 
  minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot 
  take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this 
  gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go 
  back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., 
  not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the 
  scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may 
  return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the 
  body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from 
  the encounter totals given below. 
   
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if they take the coin available. A normal 
  adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a 
  round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, 
  the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals 
  given below. 
   
  Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure 
  is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and 
  because characters may want to use them during the 
  adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, 
  analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the 
  item does and how to activate it. Other times they may 
  attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is 
  consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the 
  item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is 
  subtracted from the adventure totals below. 
   
  Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed 
  treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the 
  number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value 
  increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in 
  the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate.  
   
  Loot = Looted gear from enemy; Coin = Coin, Gems, 
  Jewelry, and other valuables; Magic = Magic Items.  
   
  1: Touch of Madness 
  Looting the mad ravers: 
   
  APL 6: Loot 756 gp; Coin 0 gp; Magic 1,307 gp; +1 
  chain shirt (104 gp), +1 full plate (221 gp), +1 heavy wooden 
  shield (96 gp), brooch of shielding (125 gp), 5x cloak of 
  resistance +1 (83 gp each), 4x potion of cure moderate wounds 
  (25 gp each), potion of remove blindness/deafness (63 gp), ring 
  of protection +1 (167 gp), scroll of obscuring mist (2 gp), scroll 
  of remove paralysis (13 gp); Total 2,062 gp. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 29 
  
   
  APL 8: Loot 447 gp; Coin 0 gp; Magic 2,016 gp; 5x +1 
  full plate (221 gp each), +1 heavy wooden shield (96 gp), +1 
  mithral breastplate (446 gp), anklet of translocation (117 gp), 
  brooch of shielding (125 gp), 6x cloak of resistance +1 (83 gp 
  each), potion of remove blindness/deafness (63 gp), 2x ring of 
  protection +1 (167 gp each), scroll of obscuring mist (2 gp), 
  scroll of remove paralysis (13 gp); Total 2,464 gp. 
   
  APL 10: Loot 328 gp; Coin 0 gp; Magic 6,448gp; +1 
  buckler (97 gp), +2 full plate (471 gp), 4x +1 full plate (221 gp 
  each), +2 heavy wooden shield (346 gp), 4x +1 longsword (221 
  gp each), +1 mithral breastplate (446 gp), anklet of 
  translocation (117 gp), brooch of shielding (125 gp), cloak of 
  charisma +2 (333 gp), cloak of resistance +1 (83 gp), 4x cloak of 
  resistance +2 (333 gp each), periapt of wisdom +2 (333 gp), 5x 
  potion of remove blindness/deafness (63 gp each), 2x ring of 
  protection +1 (167 gp each), scroll of obscuring mist (2 gp), 
  scroll of remove paralysis (13 gp), vest of resistance +2 (333 gp); 
  Total 6,776 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Loot 328 gp; Coin 0 gp; Magic 8,899 gp; +1 
  buckler (97 gp), 4x +1 full plate (221 gp each), +2 full plate 
  (471 gp), +2 heavy wooden shield (346 gp), 4x +1 longsword 
  (221 gp each), +1 mithral breastplate (446 gp), anklet of 
  translocation (117 gp), 4x armbands of might (342 gp each), 
  brooch of shielding (125 gp), cloak of charisma +2 (333 gp), 5x 
  cloak of resistance +2 (333 gp), periapt of wisdom +2 (333 gp), 
  5x potion of remove blindness/deafness (63 gp each), ring of 
  counter spells (333 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), ring of 
  protection +2 (667 gp), scroll of obscuring mist (2 gp), scroll of 
  remove paralysis (13 gp), vest of resistance +2 (333 gp); Total 
  9,227 gp 
   
  APL 14: Loot 328 gp; Coin 0 gp; Magic 1,5051 gp; +2 
  buckler (347 gp), 5x +2 full plate (471 gp each), +2 heavy 
  wooden shield (346 gp), 4x +1 longsword (221 gp each), +2 
  mithral breastplate (696 gp), 4x armbands of might (342 gp 
  each), anklet of translocation (117 gp), boots of speed (1,000 
  gp), brooch of shielding (125 gp), cloak of charisma +2 (333 
  gp), 5x cloak of resistance +2 (333 gp each), 4x gauntlets of 
  ogre power (333 gp each), gloves of dexterity (333 gp), 
  metamagic rod of extend (917 gp), periapt of wisdom +2 (333 
  gp), 5x potion of remove blindness/deafness (63 gp each), ring 
  of counter spells (333 gp), 5x ring of protection +1 (167 gp 
  each), ring of protection +2 (667 gp), scroll of obscuring mist (2 
  gp), scroll of remove paralysis (13 gp), vest of resistance +3 (750 
  gp); Total 1,5379 gp. 
   
  2: Investigation 
  Looting the Jade Mask hidden cache: 
   
  All APLs: Magic 433 gp; vest of escape (433 gp); Total 
  433 gp. 
   
  Taking the supplies in the shrine of Ulaa: 
   
  All APLs: Magic: 163 gp; 6 potions of swim (25 gp 
  each), arcane scroll of swim (13 gp); Total 163 gp. 
   
  5: Prisoners of the Mind 
  Looting Halgru and the scrags: 
   
  APL 6: 0 gp. 
   
  APL 8: Magic: 225 gp; potion of cure moderate wounds 
  (25 gp), scroll of glitterdust (13 gp), wand of magic missile (CL 
  3rd) (188 gp); Total 225 gp. 
   
  APL 10: Loot 617 gp; Magic: 475 gp; potion of cure 
  moderate wounds (25 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), scroll 
  of glitterdust (13 gp), vest of resistance +1 (83 gp), wand of 
  magic missile (CL 3rd) (188 gp); Total 1,092 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Loot 501 gp; Coin 83 gp; Magic: 2,008 gp; 4x 
  +1 large chain shirts (113 gp each), 4x cloak of resistance +1 
  (83 gp each), potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp), ring of 
  protection +2 (667 gp), scroll of glitterdust (13 gp), vest of 
  resistance +2 (333 gp), wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) (188 
  gp); Total 2,592 gp. 
   
  APL 14: Loot 367 gp; Coin 83 gp; Magic: 5,308 gp; 4x 
  +2 large chain shirts (363 gp each), 4x +1 large greatswords 
  (200 gp each), amulet of natural armor +1 (167 gp), cloak of 
  charisma +2 (333 gp), 4x cloak of resistance +2 (333 gp each), 
  potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp), ring of protection +2 
  (667 gp), scroll of glitterdust (13 gp), vest of resistance +2 (333 
  gp), wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) (188 gp); Total 5,759 gp. 
   
  6: Masters of Thought 
  Looting the library: 
   
  All APLs: Loot 50 gp; Magic 18 gp; 2x everburning 
  torches (9 gp each); Total 68 gp. 
  7: Gate of Madness 
  Looting the aboleths: 
   
  APL 6: Magic 625 gp; belt of levitation (625 gp); Total 
  625 gp. 
   
  APL 8: Magic 625 gp; belt of levitation (625 gp); Total 
  625 gp. 
   
  APL 10: Loot 1 gp; Coin 3 gp; Magic 974 gp; belt of 
  levitation (625 gp), eternal wand of grease (68 gp), scroll of 
  dispel magic (31 gp), 2x scroll of insignia of healing (31 gp 
  each), wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) (188 gp); Total 978 
  gp. 
   
  APL 12: Loot 1 gp; Coin 3 gp; Magic 2,322 gp; belt of 
  levitation (625 gp), eternal wand of grease (68 gp), eternal 
  wand of web (368 gp), potion of remove blindness (63 gp), 
  retributive amulet (750 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), 
  scroll of dispel magic (31 gp), 2x scroll of insignia of healing (31 
  gp each), wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) (188 gp); Total 
  2,346 gp. 
   
  APL 14: Loot 1 gp; Coin 3 gp; Magic 3,739 gp; belt of 
  levitation (625 gp), circlet of rapid casting (1,250 gp), eternal 
  wand of grease (68 gp), eternal wand of web (368 gp), potion of 
  remove blindness (63 gp), retributive amulet (750 gp), ring of 
  protection +1 (167 gp), runestaff of eyes (917 gp), scroll of dispel 
  magic (31 gp), 2x scroll of insignia of healing (31 gp each), 
  wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) (188 gp); Total 3,743 gp. 
   
  Conclusion 
  Payment by the church of Zilchus: 
   
  APL 6: Coin: 300 gp/600 gp. 
   
  APL 8: Coin: 400 gp/800 gp. 
   
  APL 10: Coin: 500 gp/1,000 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Coin: 600 gp/1,200 gp. 
   
  APL 14: Coin: 700 gp/1,400 gp. 
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 30 
  
  Treasure Cap 
  APL 6: 900 gp 
  APL 8: 1,300 gp 
  APL 10: 2,300 gp 
  APL 12: 3,300 gp 
  APL 14: 6,600 gp 
   
  Total Possible Treasure 
  APL 6: 
   
  APL 8: 
  APL 10: 
  APL 12: 
  APL 14: 
   
  ADVENTURE RECORD ITEMS 
  Gratitude of the Miners: In gratitude the miners grant 
  you a silvered masterwork simple or martial weapon from 
  the PHB for 0 gp. You can upgrade it with illuminating 
  (MIC), bane (aberration) or holy for standard costs (access 
  Metaregional). 
   
  Favor of the Ahlissan Authorities: Besides regular 
  uses (such as removing 1 wanted status) this favor can be 
  spend to gain access to one of the following items: 
  ____ Tactical Soldier (MH) 
  ____ Title “Lion of Ahlissa” (+2 bonus to leadership score 
  for great renown, might have additional effects in future 
  adventures) 
  ____ Access to the following spells from SC: knight’s move, 
  mass conviction, mass shield of faith, and warning shout. 
  ____ One time access to one of the following items from 
  the MIC: armband of confrontation, crystal of alacrity, medal of 
  steadfast honor, shield of vigor or standard of valor. 
   
  Energies of the Gate: Once, by spending this favor and 
  channeling the chaotic energies in you as a standard 
  action all physical restraints are removed (manacles fall to 
  the ground, ropes unbind, etc.), a lock is opened as if you 
  cast a knock spell (CL equal character level) or you are 
  affected by freedom of movement (CL equal character level, 
  duration only 1 round/level). 
   
  Aberration Hunter: You gain access to the following 
  feats from Lords of Madness: Aberration Banemagic, Music 
  of the Outer Spheres and Quick Recovery. In addition 
  you gain access to the following prestige classes: 
  Abolisher, Darkrunner (no guild membership required) 
  and Topaz Guardian (you fulfill the special requirement). 
   
  Favor of the Jade Mask/Royal Merchants: In addition 
  to its regular uses you gain meta-regional access to the 
  vest of escape. Members gain 10% price reduction on this 
  item. 
   
  Madness of the Mines: You suffer a ___ penalty to all 
  Wisdom and Wisdom based skill checks in the next 
  adventure. This penalty is reduced by 1 each adventure 
  played afterward.  
   
  As long as this penalty is not reduced to 0 you gain 
  an act of clarity once per adventure. This gives you a 
  +[1/2xAPL of this adventure] bonus on a single Wisdom 
  or Wisdom based skill check. Clerics with the Madness 
  domain instead gain an additional use of the act of clarity 
  domain power per day. 
   
  Regardless whether still suffering from the madness 
  you will always get a -2 penalty on saves against any 
  attack made by aberrations. 
   
  ITEM ACCESS 
  APL 6: 
  • 
  Belt of levitation (like boots of levitation, except belt slot) 
  (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Brooch of shielding (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Potion of swim (Adventure; SC) 
  • 
  Scroll of swim (Adventure; SC) 
  • 
  Vest of escape (Adventure; DMG) 
   
  APL 8 (all of APL 6 plus the following): 
  • 
  Anklet of translocation (Adventure; 1,400 gp; MIC) 
  • 
  Mithral breastplate (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Wand of magic missile (Adventure; CL 3; DMG) 
   
  APL 10 (all of APLs 6-8 plus the following): 
  • 
  Eternal wand of grease (Adventure; 820 gp; MIC) 
  • 
  Scroll of insignia of healing (Adventure; 375 gp; RD) 
   
  APL 12 (all of APLs 6-10 plus the following): 
  • 
  Armbands of might (Adventure; 4,100 gp; MIC) 
  • 
  Eternal wand of web (Adventure; 4,420 gp; MIC) 
  • 
  Retributive amulet (Adventure; 9,000 gp; MIC) 
   
  APL 14 (all of APLs 6-12 plus the following): 
  • 
  Circlet of rapid casting (Adventure; 15,000 gp; MIC) 
  • 
  Runestaff of eyes (Adventure; 11,000 gp; MIC) 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 31 
  
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 32 
  APPENDIX 1: APL 6
  1: TOUCH OF MADNESS 
  COMMANDER NOQUANN 
  CR 6 
  Male human tainted raver* cleric 6 
  *Heroes of Horror 154  
  NE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +0; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1 
  Aura magic circle against good 10 ft. radius 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian  
  AC 20, touch 8, flat-footed 20; +2 deflection against 
  good opponents 
  (+9 armor, +3 shield, -2 rage) 
  hp 51 (6 HD); fast heal 3 
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +8, Ref +2, Will +8; +2 against good aligned 
  spell casters 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee mwk heavy mace +10 (1d8+4) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +8 (1d4+4) 
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +5 (1d8/19-20) 
  Base Atk +4; Grp +8  
  Atk Options Divine Might, perpetual rage, Power 
  Attack, rebuke undead 5/day, spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions act of clarity 1/day, Divine Vigor 
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness/deafness, 
  scroll of obscuring mist, scroll of remove paralysis 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 6th): 
  3rd—dispel magic, magic circle against good�, 
  rageD 
  2nd—cure moderate wounds, sound burst (DC 14), 
  spiritual weapon, touch of madnessD (DC 14) 
  1st—bless, cure light wounds, magic weaponD, 
  shield of faith (2) 
  0—detect magic (2), detect poison, guidance, read 
  magic 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Erythnul. Domains: Madness*, 
  War (heavy mace)  
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 
  14 
  SQ  
  Feats Divine Might, Divine Vigor, Power Attack, Skill 
  Focus (concentration), Weapon Focus (heavy 
  mace)  
  Skills Concentration +14, Diplomacy +11, Knowledge 
  (religion) +10, Spellcraft +10 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork heavy 
  mace, dagger, spiked gauntlets, masterwork light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +1 full plate, +1 heavy wooden 
  shield, wooden holy symbol, spell component 
  pouch 
  Act of Clarity (Ex) Gain a +3 bonus on a single 
  Wisdom-based skill check or Will save. 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  LIEUTENANT HALKAR 
  CR 6 
  Male human tainted raver* warmage** 6 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  *Complete Arcane 10  
  CE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +5; Senses Listen -3, Spot -3 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian, Orcish  
  AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 15 
  (+1 Dex, +5 armor, +1 deflection, +1 shield, -2 rage) 
  hp 38 (6 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +14 
  Speed 30 ft. in chain shirt (6 squares), base 
  movement 30 ft.; 
  Melee dagger +4 (1d4+1/19-20)  
  Ranged light crossbow +4 (1d8/19-20) or 
  Ranged spell +4 
  Base Atk +3; Grp +4  
  Atk Options perpetual rage 
  Special Actions warmage edge (+2) 
  Combat Gear brooch of shielding 
  Warmage Spells Known (CL 6th): 
  3rd (4/day)—chain missile*, fire shield, fireball (DC 
  19), flame arrow, gust of wind, ice storm, lightning 
  bolt (DC 19), poison (DC 19), ring of blades*, 
  sleet storm, stinking cloud (DC 19) 
  2nd (7/day)—blades of fire*, continual flame, 
  fireburst*, fire trap (DC 18), flaming sphere (DC 
  18), ice knife*, Melf’s acid arrow, pyrotechnics 
  (DC 18), scorching ray, shatter (DC 18), whirling 
  blade* 
  1st (8/day)—burning hands (DC 17), chill touch (DC 
  17), hail of stone*, ice dagger*, lesser acid orb*, 
  lesser cold orb*, lesser electric orb*, lesser fire 
  orb*, lesser sonic orb*, magic missile, shocking 
  grasp, true strike 
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, disrupt undead, light, ray of 
  frost 
  *Spell Compendium 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 4, Cha 
  22 
  SQ  
  
  Feats Empower Spell, Improved Initiative, Point Blank 
  Shot, Precise Shot 
  Skills Concentration +12, Intimidate +15, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +10, Spellcraft +12, Tumble +3 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +1 chain shirt, masterwork light 
  shield, cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1, 
  spell component pouch 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
  Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage adds his 
  intelligence bonus to the amount of damage dealt 
  with a spell. A single spell can never gain the extra 
  damage more than once per casting. If a spell 
  deals damage for more than 1 round, it gains this 
  extra damage in each round. 
   
  INSANE SOLDIERS (4) 
  CR 4 
  Male and female half-orc tainted raver* fighter 4 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  CE Medium humanoid (orc) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen -2, Spot -2 
  Languages Common  
  AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 16 
  (+1 Dex, +8 armor, -2 rage) 
  hp 44 (4 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +7 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee Mwk longsword +12 (1d8+11/19-20) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +10 (1d4+6) 
  Ranged longbow +5 (1d8/x3) 
  Base Atk +4; Grp +10  
  Atk Options Cleave, perpetual rage, Power Attack 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds 
  Abilities Str 22, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 12 
  SQ  
  Feats Cleave, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus 
  (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword)  
  Skills Climb +4, Intimidate +3, Jump -2 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork 
  longsword, dagger, spiked gauntlet, longbow, 20 
  arrows, masterwork full plate, cloak of resistance 
  +1 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  5: PRISONERS OF THE MIND 
  HALGRU 
  CR 6 
  Kopru*  
  *MM II 134  
  CE Medium Monstrous Humanoid (aquatic) 
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +1, Spot +1 
  Languages Aquan, Common  
  AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 
  (+2 Dex, +3 natural) 
  hp 36 (8 HD);  
  Fort +2, Ref +8, Will +9 
  Speed 5 ft. (1 squares), swim 40 ft.; 
  Melee tail slap +10 (1d6+2) and 
  claws +8/+8 (1d4+1) and 
  bite +8 (1d4+1) 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +17  
  Atk Options constrict (3d6+3), dominate person 
  1/day, improved grab 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear  
  Abilities Str 15, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 
  10 
  SQ  
  Feats Ability Focus (dominate person), Iron Will, 
  Multiattack  
  Skills Concentration +11, Move Silently +10, Search 
  +3, Swim +10 
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Constrict (Ex) With a successful grapple check, a 
  kopru can constrict a grabbed opponent, dealing 
  3d6+3 points of bludgeoning damage. 
  Dominate Person (Su) Once per day, a kopru can 
  produce an effect like that of a dominate person 
  spell (caster level 10th; DC 16 Will save), except 
  that the range is 180 feet and the duration is eight 
  days. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) If a kopru hits an opponent that 
  is its own size or smaller with a tail attack, it deals 
  normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as 
  a free action without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity. If it gets a hold, it also constricts in the 
  same round. 
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  7: GATE OF MADNESS 
  GATE OF MADNESS 
  CR 6 
  Description The gate radiates madness, affecting 1 
  random legal target inside the gate room (including 
  the enemy). 
  Search DC –; Type magic 
  Trigger location; Init +3 
  Effect heightened lesser confusion (DC 18 Will) 
  Duration 9 rounds 
  Destruction AC 19; hp 27; hardness 8 
  Disarm Disable Device DC 28 
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 35 
  APL 8 
  1: TOUCH OF MADNESS 
  COMMANDER NOQUANN 
  CR 8 
  Male human tainted raver* cleric 8 
  *Heroes of Horror 154  
  NE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +0; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1 
  Aura magic circle against good 10 ft. radius 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian  
  AC 21, touch 9, flat-footed 21; +1 deflection against 
  good opponents 
  (+9 armor, +1 deflection, +3 shield, -2 rage) 
  hp 67 (8 HD); fast heal 3 
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +10, Ref +3, Will +10; +1 against good spell 
  casters 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee +2 heavy mace +13/+8 (1d8+6) (greater magic 
  weapon) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +10/+5 (1d4+4) 
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +7 (1d8/19-20) 
  Base Atk +6; Grp +10  
  Atk Options Divine Might, perpetual rage, Power 
  Attack, rebuke undead 5/day, spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions act of clarity 1/day, Divine Vigor 
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness/deafness, 
  scroll of obscuring mist, scroll of remove paralysis 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 8th): 
  4th—confusionD (DC 16), greater magic weapon�, 
  recitation 
  3rd—dispel magic, magic circle against good (2)�, 
  rageD 
  2nd—cure moderate wounds, sound burst (DC 14), 
  resist energy, spiritual weapon, touch of 
  madnessD (DC 14) 
  1st—bless, cure light wounds (2), magic weaponD, 
  shield of faith (2) 
  0—detect magic (2), detect poison (2), guidance, 
  read magic 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Erythnul. Domains: Madness*, 
  War (heavy mace)  
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 
  14 
  SQ  
  Feats Divine Might, Divine Vigor, Power Attack, Skill 
  Focus (concentration), Weapon Focus (heavy 
  mace)  
  Skills Concentration +16, Diplomacy +13, Knowledge 
  (religion) +12, Spellcraft +12 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork heavy 
  mace, dagger, spiked gauntlets, masterwork light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +1 full plate, +1 heavy wooden 
  shield, cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1, 
  wooden holy symbol, spell component pouch 
  Act of Clarity (Ex) Gain a +4 bonus on a single 
  Wisdom-based skill check or Will save. 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  LIEUTENANT HALKAR 
  CR 8 
  Male human tainted raver* warmage** 8 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  *Complete Arcane 10  
  CE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +5; Senses Listen -3, Spot -3 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian, Orcish  
  AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 16 
  (+1 Dex, +6 armor, +1 deflection, +1 shield, -2 rage); 
  5 ranks Tumble 
  hp 60 (8 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +15 
  Speed 30 ft. in chain shirt (6 squares), base 
  movement 30 ft.; 
  Melee dagger +5 (1d4+1/19-20)  
  Ranged light crossbow +5 (1d8/19-20) or 
  Ranged spell +5 
  Base Atk +4; Grp +5  
  Atk Options perpetual rage 
  Special Actions warmage edge (+2) 
  Combat Gear anklet of translocation, brooch of 
  shielding 
  Warmage Spells Known (CL 8th): 
  4th (4/day)—blast of flame* (DC 20), contagion (DC 
  20), Evard’s black tentacles, orb of acid*, orb of 
  cold*, orb of electricity*, orb of fire*, orb of force*, 
  orb of sound*, phantasmal killer (DC 20), shout 
  (DC 20), wall of fire. 
  3rd (6/day)—chain missile*, fire shield, fireball (DC 
  19), flame arrow, gust of wind, ice storm, lightning 
  bolt (DC 19), poison (DC 19), ring of blades*, 
  sleet storm, stinking cloud (DC 19) 
  2nd (8/day)—blades of fire*, continual flame, 
  fireburst*, fire trap (DC 18), flaming sphere (DC 
  18), ice knife*, Melf’s acid arrow, pyrotechnics 
  (DC 18), scorching ray, shatter (DC 18), whirling 
  blade* 
  
  1st (8/day)—burning hands (DC 17), chill touch (DC 
  17), hail of stone*, ice dagger*, lesser acid orb*, 
  lesser cold orb*, lesser electric orb*, lesser fire 
  orb*, lesser sonic orb*, magic missile, shocking 
  grasp, true strike 
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, disrupt undead, light, ray of 
  frost 
  *Spell Compendium 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 4, Cha 
  22 
  SQ  
  Feats Empower Spell, Improved Initiative, Point Blank 
  Shot, Precise Shot, Sudden Empower 
  Skills Concentration +15, Intimidate +17, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +12, Spellcraft +14, Tumble +4 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +1 mithral breastplate, 
  masterwork buckler, cloak of resistance +1, ring of 
  protection +1, spell component pouch 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
  Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage adds his 
  intelligence bonus to the amount of damage dealt 
  with a spell. A single spell can never gain the extra 
  damage more than once per casting. If a spell 
  deals damage for more than 1 round, it gains this 
  extra damage in each round. 
   
  INSANE SOLDIERS (4) 
  CR 6 
  Male and female half-orc tainted raver* fighter 6 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  CE Medium humanoid (orc) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen -2, Spot -2 
  Languages Common  
  AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 17 
  (+1 Dex, +9 armor, -2 rage) 
  hp 70 (6 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +10, Ref +3, Will +8 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee Mwk longsword +14/+9 (1d8+11/19-20) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +12/+7 (1d4+6) 
  Ranged mwk mighty composite longbow +8/+3 
  (1d8+4/x3) 
  Base Atk +6; Grp +12  
  Atk Options Cleave,  perpetual rage, Power Attack 
  Special Actions Blindfight 
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds 
  Abilities Str 22, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 12 
  SQ  
  Feats Blindfight, Cleave, Improved Toughness, Iron 
  Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), 
  Weapon Specialization (longsword)  
  Skills Climb +4, Intimidate +3, Jump +0 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork 
  longsword, dagger, spiked gauntlet, masterwork 
  mighty composite longbow, 20 arrows, +1 full plate, 
  cloak of resistance +1 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  5: PRISONERS OF THE MIND 
  HALGRU 
  CR 8 
  Kopru* sorcerer 4 
  *MM II 134  
  CE Medium Monstrous Humanoid (aquatic) 
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +2, Spot +2 
  Languages Aquan, Common  
  AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 
  (+3 Dex, +3 natural, +4 mage armor) 
  hp 72 (12 HD);  
  Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +14 
  Speed 5 ft. (1 squares), swim 40 ft.; 
  Melee tail slap +11 (1d6+1) and 
  claws +9/+9 (1d4) and 
  bite +9 (1d4) 
  Ranged spell +13  
  Base Atk +10; Grp +18  
  Atk Options constrict (3d6+1), dominate person 
  1/day, improved grab 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, scroll 
  of glitterdust, wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) 
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 4th): 
  2nd (4/day)—Tasha’s hideous laughter (DC 17) 
  1st (7/day)—charm person (DC 16), mage armor�, 
  ray of enfeeblement 
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, daze (DC 15), detect magic, 
  message, prestidigitation, read magic 
  �Already cast 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 36 
  
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 
  18 
  SQ  
  Feats Ability Focus (dominate person), Heighten 
  Spell, Iron Will, Multiattack, Spell Focus 
  (Enchantment)  
  Skills Concentration +17, Move Silently +11, Search 
  +3, Spellcraft +4, Swim +10 
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Constrict (Ex) With a successful grapple check, a 
  kopru can constrict a grabbed opponent, dealing 
  3d6+3 points of bludgeoning damage. 
  Dominate Person (Su) Once per day, a kopru can 
  produce an effect like that of a dominate person 
  spell (caster level 10th; DC 16 Will save), except 
  that the range is 180 feet and the duration is eight 
  days. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) If a kopru hits an opponent that 
  is its own size or smaller with a tail attack, it deals 
  normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as 
  a free action without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity. If it gets a hold, it also constricts in the 
  same round. 
   
  7: GATE OF MADNESS 
  ELDER EIDOLON CHUUL 
  CR 10 
  Elder Eidolon* Chuul 
  *Lords of Madness 146 
  N Large Construct 
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; 
  Listen +0, Spot +0 
  Aura insanity aura 10 ft. (DC 17) 
  Languages Common  
  AC 32, touch 18, flat-footed 27 
  (-1 size, +5 Dex, +4 deflection, +14 natural) 
  hp 85 (11 HD); fast repair 5; DR 7/adamantine 
  Immune poison, sleep effects. Paralysis, stunning, 
  disease, death effects, necromancy effects, mind-
  affecting spells and abilitues, and any effect that 
  requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on 
  objects or is harmless, critical hits, nonlethal 
  damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, 
  exhaustion, energy drain. 
  SR immune to magic 
  Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +4 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 20 ft.; 
  Melee claws +16/+16 (2d6+9)  
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +21  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, constrict (3d6+9), 
  improved grab 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear  
  Abilities Str 28, Dex 20, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1 
  SQ  
  Feats Combat Reflexes 
  Skills  
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Constrict (Ex) On a successful grapple check, a 
  chuul deals 3d6+9 points of damage. 
  Immunity to Magic (Ex) An eidolon is immune to any 
  spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. 
  In addition, certain spells and effects function 
  differently against the creature, as noted below. 
   
  Etherealness immediately repairs damage to 
  an eidolon equal to the spell’s caster level. 
  Dimensional anchor causes an eidolon to cease 
  functioning for 1 round (treat as if dazed). 
  Dimensional lock does not interfere with an 
  eidolon’s operation, but an eidolon that enters the 
  area of a dimensional lock spell or similar effect 
  loses the benefits of its otherworldly geometry 
  (deflection bonus to AC) and its insanity aura. 
   
  A transmute rock to mud spell slows an 
  eidolon (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds with no 
  saving throw, while transmute mud to rock heals all 
  of its lost hit points. 
   
  A stone to flesh spell does not actually 
  change an eidolon’s structure, but negates its 
  damage reduction and immunity to magic for 1 
  round. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a chuul must 
  hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a 
  grapple as a free action without provoking an attack 
  of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict or on its next 
  turn transfer a grabbed opponent to its tentacles. 
  Insanity Aura (Su) The elemental forces that power 
  an elder eidolon warp time and space and cause 
  horrible hallucinations in those nearby. Any living 
  creature within 10 feet of an eidolon must make a 
  successful Will saving throw (DC 17) each round or 
  become confused for 1 round. 
   
  GATE OF MADNESS 
  CR 8 
  Description The gate radiates madness, affecting 1 
  random legal target inside the gate room (including 
  the enemy). 
  Search DC –; Type magic 
  Trigger location; Init +4 
  Effect confusion (one target only) (DC 18 Will) 
  Duration 11 rounds 
  Destruction AC 21; hp 36; hardness 8 
  Disarm Disable Device DC 29 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  APL 10 
  1: TOUCH OF MADNESS 
  COMMANDER NOQUANN 
  CR 10 
  Male human tainted raver* cleric 10 
  *Heroes of Horror 154  
  NE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +0; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1 
  Aura magic circle against good 10 ft. radius 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian  
  AC 23, touch 9, flat-footed 23; +1 deflection against 
  good opponents 
  (+10 armor, +1 deflection, +4 shield, -2 rage) 
  hp 83 (10 HD); fast heal 3 
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist freedom of movement, madness 
  Fort +11, Ref +4, Will +13; +1 against good spell 
  casters 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee +2 heavy mace +14/+9 (1d8+6) (greater magic 
  weapon) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +11/+6 (1d4+4) 
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +8 (1d8/19-20) 
  Base Atk +7; Grp +11  
  Atk Options Divine Might, perpetual rage, Power 
  Attack, rebuke undead 5/day, spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions act of clarity 1/day, Divine Vigor 
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness/deafness, 
  scroll of obscuring mist, scroll of remove paralysis 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 10th): 
  5th—flame strikeD (DC 18), righteous might, slay 
  living (DC 18) 
  4th—divine powerD, freedom of movement�, 
  greater magic weapon�, recitation 
  3rd—dispel magic, magic circle against good (2)�, 
  rageD 
  2nd—cure moderate wounds, sound burst (DC 15), 
  resist energy (2), spiritual weapon, touch of 
  madnessD (DC 15) 
  1st—bless, cure light wounds (2), magic weaponD, 
  shield of faith (2) 
  0—detect magic (2), detect poison (2), guidance, 
  read magic 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Erythnul. Domains: Madness*, 
  War (heavy mace)  
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 
  14 
  SQ  
  Feats Divine Might, Divine Vigor, Iron Will, Power 
  Attack, Skill Focus (concentration), Weapon Focus 
  (heavy mace)  
  Skills Concentration +18, Diplomacy +15, Knowledge 
  (religion) +14, Spellcraft +14 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork heavy 
  mace, dagger, spiked gauntlets, masterwork light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +2 full plate, +2 heavy wooden 
  shield, cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1, 
  periapt of wisdom +2, wooden holy symbol, spell 
  component pouch 
  Act of Clarity (Ex) Gain a +5 bonus on a single 
  Wisdom-based skill check or Will save. 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  LIEUTENANT HALKAR 
  CR 10 
  Male human tainted raver* warmage** 10 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  *Complete Arcane 10  
  CE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +5; Senses Listen -3, Spot -3 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian, Orcish  
  AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 17 
  (+1 Dex, +6 armor, +1 deflection, +2 shield, -2 rage); 
  5 ranks Tumble 
  hp 76 (10 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +18 
  Speed 30 ft. in chain shirt (6 squares), base 
  movement 30 ft.; 
  Melee dagger +6 (1d4+1/19-20)  
  Ranged light crossbow +6 (1d8/19-20) or 
  Ranged spell +6 
  Base Atk +5; Grp +6  
  Atk Options perpetual rage 
  Special Actions warmage edge (+2) 
  Combat Gear anklet of translocation, brooch of 
  shielding 
  Warmage Spells Known (CL 10th): 
  5th (4/day)—arc of lightning* (DC 22), cloudkill (DC 
  22), cone of cold (DC 22), flame strike (DC 22), 
  greater fireburst (DC 22), mass fire shield* 
  4th (6/day)—blast of flame* (DC 21), contagion (DC 
  21), Evard’s black tentacles, orb of acid*, orb of 
  cold*, orb of electricity*, orb of fire*, orb of force*, 
  orb of sound*, phantasmal killer (DC 21), shout 
  (DC 21), wall of fire. 
  3rd (8/day)—chain missile*, fire shield, fireball (DC 
  20), flame arrow, gust of wind, ice storm, lightning 
  bolt (DC 20), poison (DC 22), ring of blades*, 
  sleet storm, stinking cloud (DC 20) 
  
  2nd (8/day)—blades of fire*, continual flame, 
  fireburst*, fire trap (DC 19), flaming sphere (DC 
  19), ice knife* (DC 19), Melf’s acid arrow, 
  pyrotechnics (DC 19), scorching ray, shatter (DC 
  19), whirling blade* 
  1st (8/day)—burning hands (DC 18), chill touch (DC 
  18), hail of stone*, ice dagger*, lesser acid orb*, 
  lesser cold orb*, lesser electric orb*, lesser fire 
  orb*, lesser sonic orb*, magic missile, shocking 
  grasp, true strike 
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, disrupt undead, light, ray of 
  frost 
  *Spell Compendium 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 4, Cha 
  24 
  SQ  
  Feats Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, Improved 
  Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Sudden 
  Empower, Sudden Enlarge 
  Skills Concentration +17, Intimidate +20, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +14, Spellcraft +16, Tumble +5 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +1 mithral breastplate, +1 
  buckler, cloak of charisma +2, vest of resistance 
  +2, ring of protection +1, spell component pouch 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
  Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage adds his 
  intelligence bonus to the amount of damage dealt 
  with a spell. A single spell can never gain the extra 
  damage more than once per casting. If a spell 
  deals damage for more than 1 round, it gains this 
  extra damage in each round. 
   
  INSANE SOLDIERS (4) 
  CR 8 
  Male and female half-orc tainted raver* fighter 8 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  CE Medium humanoid (orc) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen -2, Spot -2 
  Languages Common  
  AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 17 
  (+1 Dex, +9 armor, -2 rage) 
  hp 92 (8 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +9 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee +1 longsword +16/+11 (1d8+12/17-20) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +14/+8 (1d4+6) 
  Ranged mwk mighty composite longbow +10/+5 
  (1d8+4/x3) 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +14  
  Atk Options Cleave, perpetual rage, Power Attack 
  Special Actions Blindfight 
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, 
  potion of remove blindness/deafness 
  Abilities Str 23, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 12 
  SQ  
  Feats Blindfight, Cleave, Improved Critical 
  (longsword), Improved Toughness, Iron Will, Power 
  Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon 
  Specialization (longsword)  
  Skills Climb +5, Intimidate +4, Jump +0 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 longsword, 
  dagger, spiked gauntlet, masterwork mighty 
  composite longbow, 20 arrows, +1 full plate, cloak 
  of resistance +2 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  4: LAKE OF WHISPERS OR  
  6: MASTERS OF THOUGHT 
  CHUUL TERRORS 
  CR 10 
  Half-farspawn* chuul 
  *Lords of Madness 151  
  CE Large outsider (aquatic, native) 
  Init +8; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Listen +13, Spot +13 
  Languages Undercommon  
  AC 26, touch 13, flat-footed 22 
  (-1 size, +4 Dex, +13 natural) 
  hp 126 (11 HD); DR 10/magic 
  Immune poison 
  Resist acid 10, electricity 10; SR 21 
  Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +11 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 20 ft.; 
  Melee claws +13/+13 (2d6+6) and 
  Tentacles +8/+8 (1d6+3) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with tentacles) 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +18  
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 39 
  
  Atk Options Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, constrict 
  3d6+5, improved grab, paralytic tentacles, true 
  strike 1/day 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear  
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th): 
  3/day—blink, blur 
  1/day—greater invisibility, stinking cloud (DC 11) 
  telekinesis, touch of idiocy 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 22, Dex 18, Con 24, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 
  7 
  SQ amphibious 
  Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, 
  Improved Initiative  
  Skills Hide +14, Listen +13, Spot +13, Swim +14 
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Constrict (Ex) On a successful grapple check, a 
  chuul deals 3d6+6 points of damage.  
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a chuul must 
  hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a 
  grapple as a free action without provoking an 
  attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict or on its next 
  turn transfer a grabbed opponent to its tentacles. 
  Paralytic Tentacles (Ex) A chuul can transfer 
  grabbed victims from a claw to its tentacles as a 
  move action. The tentacles grapple with the same 
  strength as the claw but deal no damage. However, 
  they exude a paralytic secretion. Anyone held in 
  the tentacles must succeed on a DC 22 Fortitude 
  save each round on the chuul’s turn or be 
  paralyzed for 6 rounds. While held in the tentacles, 
  paralyzed or not, a victim automatically takes 
  1d8+3 points of damage each round from the 
  creature’s mandibles. 
  True Strike (Su) Once per day, the creature can 
  make a normal attack with a +20 insight bonus on 
  a single attack roll. The half-farspawn is not 
  affected by the miss chance that applies to attacks 
  against concealed targets. 
  Amphibious (Ex) Although chuuls are aquatic, they 
  can survive indefinitely on land. 
   
  5: PRISONERS OF THE MIND 
  HALGRU 
  CR 10 
  Kopru* sorcerer 8 
  *MM II 134  
  CE Medium Monstrous Humanoid (aquatic) 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +2, Spot +2 
  Languages Aquan, Common  
  AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 18 
  (+4 Dex, +3 natural, +1 deflection, +4 mage armor) 
  hp 92 (16 HD);  
  Fort +7, Ref +13, Will +17 
  Speed 5 ft. (1 squares), swim 40 ft.; 
  Melee tail slap +13 (1d6+1) and 
  claws +11/+11 (1d4) and 
  bite +11 (1d4) 
  Ranged spell +16 
  Base Atk +12; Grp +20  
  Atk Options constrict (3d6+1), dominate person 
  1/day, improved grab 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, scroll 
  of glitterdust, wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) 
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 8th): 
  4th (4/day)—confusion (DC 20) 
  3rd (6/day)—dispel magic, heroism, hold person 
  (DC 19) 
  2nd (7/day)—glitterdust (DC 16), Tasha’s hideous 
  laughter (DC 18), touch of idiocy 
  1st (7/day)—charm person (DC 17), grease (DC 15), 
  lesser acid orb, mage armor�, ray of 
  enfeeblement 
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, daze (DC 16), detect magic, 
  detect poison, light, message, prestidigitation, 
  read magic 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 
  18 
  SQ  
  Feats Ability Focus (dominate person), Greater Spell 
  Focus (Enchantment), Heighten Spell, Iron Will, 
  Multiattack, Spell Focus (Enchantment)  
  Skills Concentration +21, Move Silently +14, Search 
  +3, Spellcraft +8, Swim +10 
  Possessions combat gear plus vest of resistance +1, 
  ring of protection +1 
  Constrict (Ex) With a successful grapple check, a 
  kopru can constrict a grabbed opponent, dealing 
  3d6+3 points of bludgeoning damage. 
  Dominate Person (Su) Once per day, a kopru can 
  produce an effect like that of a dominate person 
  spell (caster level 10th; DC 16 Will save), except 
  that the range is 180 feet and the duration is eight 
  days. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) If a kopru hits an opponent that 
  is its own size or smaller with a tail attack, it deals 
  normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as 
  a free action without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity. If it gets a hold, it also constricts in the 
  same round. 
   
  SCRAG SLAVEDRIVERS (4) 
  CR 7 
  Male and female fighter 2 
  CE Large Giant (aquatic) 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 90 ft., low-light vision, 
  scent; Listen +6, Spot +7 
  Languages Undercommon  
  AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 18 
  (-1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural, +4 armor) 
  hp 101 (8 HD); regeneration 5 
  Fort +16, Ref +6, Will +4 
  Speed 20 ft. in chain shirt (4 squares), base 
  movement 20 ft., swim 40 ft.; 
  Melee claw +14/+14 (1d6+9) and 
   
  bite +9 (1d6+4) or 
  Melee mwk greatsword +15/+10(3d6+13/19-20) 
  Ranged mwk aquatic longbow +9/+4 (2d6/x3) 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 40 
  
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +6; Grp +19  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, Power Attack 
  Special Actions rend 2d6+13 
  Combat Gear  
  Abilities Str 28, Dex 18, Con 26, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 4 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Power 
  Attack, Track  
  Skills Listen +6, Spot +7, Swim +17 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork large 
  greatsword, masterwork large aquatic longbow, 20 
  large arrows, large whip, masterwork chain shirt. 
  Rend (Ex) If a troll hits with both claw attacks, it 
  latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the 
  flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional 
  2d6+13 points of damage. 
   
  7: GATE OF MADNESS 
  BA’ALBUL 
  CR 9 
  Aboleth cleric 2 
  NE Huge Aberration (aquatic) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +13, Spot 
  +13 
  Languages Aboleth, Undercommon  
  AC 16, touch 9, flat-footed 15 
  (-2 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural) 
  hp 116 (10 HD)  
  Fort +12, Ref +3, Will +14 
  Speed 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 60 ft.; 
  Melee tentacles +14/+14/+14/+14 (1d6+9 plus slime) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +7; Grp +24  
  Atk Options Divine Might, enslave 3/day, Power 
  Attack, rebuke undead 8/day, slime, smite 1/day 
  (+4 to hit, +2 damage), spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions act of clarity 1/day, mucus cloud 
  Combat Gear scroll of dispel magic, 2x scroll of 
  insignia of healing 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 2nd): 
  1st—cure light wounds (2), entropic shield, lesser 
  confusionD (DC 17), shield of faith 
  0—detect magic (2), guidance, read magic 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Tharizdun. Domains: 
  Destruction, Madness  
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th): 
  At Will—hypnotic pattern (DC 17), illusory wall (DC 
  19), mirage arcana (DC 20), persistent image 
  (DC 20), programmed image (DC 21), project 
  image (DC 22), veil (DC 21). 
  Abilities Str 28, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 12, Wis 22, Cha 
  20 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Divine Might, 
  Power Attack  
  Skills Concentration +20 (+24 casting defensively), 
  Knowledge (the planes) +5, Knowledge (religion) 
  +10, Listen +13, Spot +13, Swim +17 
  Possessions combat gear plus wooden holy symbol, 
  spell component pouch, 10 gp insignia 
  Act of Clarity (Ex) Gain a +1 bonus on a single 
  Wisdom-based skill check or Will save. 
  Enslave (Su) Three times per day, an aboleth can 
  attempt to enslave any one living creature within 30 
  feet. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Will 
  save or be affected as though by a dominate 
  person spell (caster level 16th). An enslaved 
  creature obeys the aboleth’s telepathic commands 
  until freed by remove curse, and can attempt a new 
  Will save every 24 hours to break free. The control 
  is also broken if the aboleth dies or travels more 
  than 1 mile from its slave. The save DC is 
  Charisma-based. 
  Slime (Ex) A blow from an aboleth’s tentacle can 
  cause a terrible affliction. A creature hit by a 
  tentacle must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save 
  or begin to transform over the next 1d4+1 minutes, 
  the skin gradually becoming a clear, slimy 
  membrane. An afflicted creature must remain 
  moistened with cool, fresh water or take 1d12 
  points of damage every 10 minutes. The slime 
  reduces the creature’s natural armor bonus by 1 
  (but never to less than 0). The save DC is 
  Constitution-based. 
  A remove disease spell cast before the 
  transformation is complete will restore an afflicted 
  creature to normal. Afterward, however, only a heal 
  or mass heal spell can reverse the affliction. 
  Mucus Cloud (Ex) An aboleth underwater surrounds 
  itself with a viscous cloud of mucus roughly 1 foot 
  thick. Any creature coming into contact with and 
  inhaling this substance must succeed on a DC 21 
  Fortitude save or lose the ability to breathe air for 
  the next 3 hours. An affected creature suffocates in 
  2d6 minutes if removed from the water. Renewed 
  contact with the mucus cloud and failing another 
  Fortitude save continues the effect for another 3 
  hours. The save DC is Constitution-based. 
  Smite (Su) You gain the smite power, the 
  supernatural ability to make a single melee attack 
  with a +4 bonus on attack rolls and a bonus on 
  damage rolls equal to your cleric level (if you hit). 
  You must declare the smite before making the 
  attack. This ability is usable once per day. 
   
  KOLLATH 
  CR 9 
  Aboleth wizard 2 
  NE Huge Aberration (aquatic) 
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +16, Spot 
  +16 
  Languages Aboleth, Ancient Sueloise, Aquan, 
  Common, Undercommon, Ur-Flan  
  AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 
  (-2 size, +3 Dex, +7 natural) 
  hp 112 (10 HD)  
  Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +14 
  Speed 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 60 ft.; 
  Melee tentacles +14/+14/+14/+14 (1d6+9 plus slime) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 41 
  
  Base Atk +7; Grp +24  
  Atk Options enslave 3/day, slime 
  Special Actions mucus cloud 
  Combat Gear eternal wand of grease, wand of magic 
  missile (CL 3rd) 
  Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 2nd): 
  1st—mage armor (2), protection from good, ray of 
  enfeeblement 
  0—detect magic, mage hand, message, 
  prestigiditation 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th): 
  At Will—hypnotic pattern (DC 14), illusory wall (DC 
  16), mirage arcana (DC 17), persistent image 
  (DC 17), programmed image (DC 18), project 
  image (DC 19), veil (DC 18). 
  Abilities Str 28, Dex 16, Con 24, Int 20, Wis 16, Cha 
  14 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, 
  Iron Will  
  Skills Concentration +20 (+24 casting defensively), 
  Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +13, Knowledge (history) +14, 
  Knowledge (the Planes) +18, Listen +16, Spellcraft 
  +20, Spot +16, Swim +17 
  Possessions combat gear plus spell component 
  pouch, 10 gp insignia, belt of levitation 
  Enslave (Su) Three times per day, an aboleth can 
  attempt to enslave any one living creature within 30 
  feet. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Will 
  save or be affected as though by a dominate 
  person spell (caster level 16th). An enslaved 
  creature obeys the aboleth’s telepathic commands 
  until freed by remove curse, and can attempt a new 
  Will save every 24 hours to break free. The control 
  is also broken if the aboleth dies or travels more 
  than 1 mile from its slave.  
  Slime (Ex) A blow from an aboleth’s tentacle can 
  cause a terrible affliction. A creature hit by a 
  tentacle must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save 
  or begin to transform over the next 1d4+1 minutes, 
  the skin gradually becoming a clear, slimy 
  membrane. An afflicted creature must remain 
  moistened with cool, fresh water or take 1d12 
  points of damage every 10 minutes. The slime 
  reduces the creature’s natural armor bonus by 1 
  (but never to less than 0).  
  A remove disease spell cast before the 
  transformation is complete will restore an afflicted 
  creature to normal. Afterward, however, only a heal 
  or mass heal spell can reverse the affliction. 
  Mucus Cloud (Ex) An aboleth underwater surrounds 
  itself with a viscous cloud of mucus roughly 1 foot 
  thick. Any creature coming into contact with and 
  inhaling this substance must succeed on a DC 21 
  Fortitude save or lose the ability to breathe air for 
  the next 3 hours. An affected creature suffocates in 
  2d6 minutes if removed from the water. Renewed 
  contact with the mucus cloud and failing another 
  Fortitude save continues the effect for another 3 
  hours.  
   
  ELDER EIDOLON CHUUL(2) 
  CR 10 
  Elder Eidolon* Chuul 
  *Lords of Madness 146 
  N Large Construct 
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; 
  Listen +0, Spot +0 
  Aura insanity aura 10 ft. (DC 17) 
  Languages Common  
  AC 32, touch 18, flat-footed 27 
  (-1 size, +5 Dex, +4 deflection, +14 natural) 
  hp 85 (11 HD); fast repair 5; DR 7/adamantine 
  Immune poison, sleep effects. Paralysis, stunning, 
  disease, death effects, necromancy effects, mind-
  affecting spells and abilitues, and any effect that 
  requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on 
  objects or is harmless, critical hits, nonlethal 
  damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, 
  exhaustion, energy drain. 
  SR immune to magic 
  Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +4 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 20 ft.; 
  Melee claws +16/+16 (2d6+9)  
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +21  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, constrict (3d6+9), 
  improved grab 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear  
  Abilities Str 28, Dex 20, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1 
  SQ  
  Feats Combat Reflexes 
  Skills  
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Constrict (Ex) On a successful grapple check, a 
  chuul deals 3d6+9 points of damage. 
  Immunity to Magic (Ex) An eidolon is immune to any 
  spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. 
  In addition, certain spells and effects function 
  differently against the creature, as noted below. 
   
  Etherealness immediately repairs damage to 
  an eidolon equal to the spell’s caster level. 
  Dimensional anchor causes an eidolon to cease 
  functioning for 1 round (treat as if dazed). 
  Dimensional lock does not interfere with an 
  eidolon’s operation, but an eidolon that enters the 
  area of a dimensional lock spell or similar effect 
  loses the benefits of its otherworldly geometry 
  (deflection bonus to AC) and its insanity aura. 
   
  A transmute rock to mud spell slows an 
  eidolon (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds with no 
  saving throw, while transmute mud to rock heals all 
  of its lost hit points. 
   
  A stone to flesh spell does not actually 
  change an eidolon’s structure, but negates its 
  damage reduction and immunity to magic for 1 
  round. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a chuul must 
  hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a 
  grapple as a free action without provoking an 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 42 
  
  attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict or on its next 
  turn transfer a grabbed opponent to its tentacles. 
  Insanity Aura (Su) The elemental forces that power 
  an elder eidolon warp time and space and cause 
  horrible hallucinations in those nearby. Any living 
  creature within 10 feet of an eidolon must make a 
  successful Will saving throw (DC 17) each round or 
  become confused for 1 round. 
   
  GATE OF MADNESS 
  CR 10 
  Description The gate radiates madness, affecting 1 
  random legal target inside the gate room (including 
  the enemy). 
  Search DC –; Type magic 
  Trigger location; Init +5 
  Effect heightened confusion (one target only) (DC 19 
  Will) or feeblemind (DC 19 Will) randomly 
  determined 
  Duration 13 rounds 
  Destruction AC 23; hp 45; hardness 8 
  Disarm Disable Device DC 30 
   
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  APL 12 
  1: TOUCH OF MADNESS 
  COMMANDER NOQUANN 
  CR 12 
  Male human tainted raver* cleric 12 
  *Heroes of Horror 154  
  NE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +0; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1 
  Aura magic circle against good 10 ft. radius 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian  
  AC 23, touch 9, flat-footed 23; +1 deflection against 
  good opponents 
  (+10 armor, +1 deflection, +4 shield, -2 rage) 
  hp 111 (12 HD); fast heal 3 
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist freedom of movement, madness 
  Fort +14, Ref +6, Will +15 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee +3 heavy mace +17/+12 (1d8+7) (greater 
  magic weapon) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +13/+8 (1d4+4) 
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +10 (1d8/19-20) 
  Base Atk +9; Grp +13  
  Atk Options Divine Might, perpetual rage, Power 
  Attack, rebuke undead 5/day, spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions act of clarity 1/day, Divine Vigor 
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness/deafness, 
  ring of counter spells (dispel magic), scroll of 
  obscuring mist, scroll of remove paralysis 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 12th): 
  6th—antilife shell, blade barrierD, heal 
  5th—flame strikeD (DC 18), quicken divine favor, 
  righteous might (2) 
  4th—divine powerD, freedom of movement�, 
  greater magic weapon�, recitation 
  3rd—dispel magic, invisibility purge, magic circle 
  against good (2)�, rageD 
  2nd—cure moderate wounds, sound burst (DC 15), 
  resist energy (2), spiritual weapon, touch of 
  madnessD (DC 15) 
  1st—bless, cure light wounds (2), entropic shield, 
  magic weaponD, shield of faith (2) 
  0—detect magic (2), detect poison (2), guidance, 
  read magic 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Erythnul. Domains: Madness*, 
  War (heavy mace)  
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 
  14 
  SQ  
  Feats Divine Might, Divine Vigor, Iron Will, Power 
  Attack, Quicken Spell, Skill Focus (concentration), 
  Weapon Focus (heavy mace)  
  Skills Concentration +21, Diplomacy +17, Knowledge 
  (religion) +16, Spellcraft +16 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork heavy 
  mace, dagger, spiked gauntlets, masterwork light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +2 full plate, +2 heavy wooden 
  shield, cloak of resistance +2, ring of counter 
  spells, ring of protection +1, periapt of wisdom +2, 
  wooden holy symbol, spell component pouch 
  Act of Clarity (Ex) Gain a +6 bonus on a single 
  Wisdom-based skill check or Will save. 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  LIEUTENANT HALKAR 
  CR 12 
  Male human tainted raver* warmage** 12 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  *Complete Arcane 10  
  CE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +5; Senses Listen -3, Spot -3 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian, Orcish  
  AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 
  (+1 Dex, +6 armor, +2 deflection, +2 shield, -2 rage); 
  5 ranks Tumble 
  hp 92 (12 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +19 
  Speed 30 ft. in chain shirt (6 squares), base 
  movement 30 ft.; 
  Melee dagger +7/+2 (1d4+1/19-20)  
  Ranged light crossbow +7 (1d8/19-20) or 
  Ranged spell +7 
  Base Atk +6; Grp +7  
  Atk Options perpetual rage 
  Special Actions warmage edge (+2) 
  Combat Gear anklet of translocation, brooch of 
  shielding 
  Warmage Spells Known (CL 12th): 
  6th (4/day)—acid fog, blade barrier (DC 23), chain 
  lightning (DC 23), circle of death (DC 23), 
  disintegrate (DC 23), fire seed (DC 23), Otiluke’s 
  freezing sphere, Tenser’s transformation 
  5th (6/day)—arc of lightning* (DC 22), cloudkill (DC 
  22), cone of cold (DC 22), flame strike (DC 22), 
  greater fireburst (DC 22), mass fire shield*, wall 
  of force 
  4th (7/day)—blast of flame* (DC 21), contagion (DC 
  21), Evard’s black tentacles, orb of acid*, orb of 
  cold*, orb of electricity*, orb of fire*, orb of force*, 
  orb of sound*, phantasmal killer (DC 21), shout 
  (DC 21), wall of fire. 
  
  3rd (8/day)—chain missile*, fire shield, fireball (DC 
  20), flame arrow, gust of wind, ice storm, lightning 
  bolt (DC 20), poison (DC 22), ring of blades*, 
  sleet storm, stinking cloud (DC 20) 
  2nd (8/day)—blades of fire*, continual flame, 
  fireburst*, fire trap (DC 19), flaming sphere (DC 
  19), ice knife* (DC 19), Melf’s acid arrow, 
  pyrotechnics (DC 19), scorching ray, shatter (DC 
  19), whirling blade* 
  1st (8/day)—burning hands (DC 18), chill touch (DC 
  18), hail of stone*, ice dagger*, lesser acid orb*, 
  lesser cold orb*, lesser electric orb*, lesser fire 
  orb*, lesser sonic orb*, magic missile, shocking 
  grasp, true strike 
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, disrupt undead, light, ray of 
  frost 
  *Spell Compendium 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 4, Cha 
  24 
  SQ  
  Feats Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, Improved 
  Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Sudden 
  Empower, Sudden Enlarge, Sudden Maximize 
  Spell 
  Skills Concentration +19, Intimidate +22, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +16, Spellcraft +18, Tumble +6 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +1 mithral breastplate, +1 
  buckler, cloak of charisma +2, vest of resistance 
  +2, ring of protection +2, spell component pouch 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
  Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage adds his 
  intelligence bonus to the amount of damage dealt 
  with a spell. A single spell can never gain the extra 
  damage more than once per casting. If a spell 
  deals damage for more than 1 round, it gains this 
  extra damage in each round. 
   
  INSANE SOLDIERS (4) 
  CR 10 
  Male and female half-orc tainted raver* fighter 10 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  CE Medium humanoid (orc) 
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen -2, Spot -2 
  Languages Common  
  AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 17 
  (+1 Dex, +9 armor, -2 rage) 
  hp 114 (10 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +10 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee +1 longsword +17/+12 (1d8+18/17-20) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +16/+10 (1d4+6) 
  Ranged mwk mighty composite longbow +12/+7 
  (1d8+4/x3) 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +16  
  Atk Options Cleave, perpetual rage, Power Attack (2 
  included in statblock) 
  Special Actions Blindfight 
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, 
  potion of remove blindness/deafness 
  Abilities Str 23, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 12 
  SQ  
  Feats Blindfight, Cleave, Greater Weapon Focus 
  (longsword), Improved Critical (longsword), 
  Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Iron Will, 
  Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), 
  Weapon Specialization (longsword)  
  Skills Climb +5, Intimidate +4, Jump +2 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 longsword, 
  dagger, spiked gauntlet, masterwork mighty 
  composite longbow, 20 arrows, +1 full plate, cloak 
  of resistance +2, armbands of might 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  4: LAKE OF WHISPERS OR  
  6: MASTERS OF THOUGHT 
  CHUUL TERRORS 
  CR 12 
  Half-farspawn* chuul 
  *Lords of Madness 151  
  CE Huge outsider (aquatic, native) 
  Init +7; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Listen +15, Spot +15 
  Languages Undercommon  
  AC 27, touch 11, flat-footed 24 
  (-2 size, +3 Dex, +16 natural) 
  hp 202 (15 HD); DR 10/magic 
  Immune poison 
  Resist acid 10, electricity 10; SR 25 
  Fort +14, Ref +8, Will +13 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 45 
  
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 20 ft.; 
  Melee claws +19/+19 (3d6+10) and 
  Tentacles +17/+17 (1d8+5) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with tentacles) 
  Base Atk +11; Grp +29  
  Atk Options Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, constrict 
  4d6+10, improved grab, paralytic tentacles, Power 
  Attack, true strike 1/day 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear  
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th): 
  3/day—blink, blur, ethereal jaunt 
  1/day—greater invisibility, scintillating pattern, 
  stinking cloud (DC 11) telekinesis, touch of idiocy 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 30, Dex 17, Con 28, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 
  7 
  SQ amphibious 
  Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, 
  Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack  
  Skills Hide +13, Listen +15, Spot +15, Swim +18 
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Constrict (Ex) On a successful grapple check, a 
  chuul deals 4d6+10 points of damage.  
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a chuul must 
  hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a 
  grapple as a free action without provoking an 
  attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict or on its next 
  turn transfer a grabbed opponent to its tentacles. 
  Paralytic Tentacles (Ex) A chuul can transfer 
  grabbed victims from a claw to its tentacles as a 
  move action. The tentacles grapple with the same 
  strength as the claw but deal no damage. However, 
  they exude a paralytic secretion. Anyone held in 
  the tentacles must succeed on a DC 26 Fortitude 
  save each round on the chuul’s turn or be 
  paralyzed for 6 rounds. While held in the tentacles, 
  paralyzed or not, a victim automatically takes 
  2d6+5 points of damage each round from the 
  creature’s mandibles. 
  True Strike (Su) Once per day, the creature can 
  make a normal attack with a +20 insight bonus on 
  a single attack roll. The half-farspawn is not 
  affected by the miss chance that applies to attacks 
  against concealed targets. 
  Amphibious (Ex) Although chuuls are aquatic, they 
  can survive indefinitely on land. 
   
  5: PRISONERS OF THE MIND 
  HALGRU 
  CR 12 
  Kopru* sorcerer 10 
  *MM II 134  
  CE Medium Monstrous Humanoid (aquatic) 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +2, Spot +2 
  Aura anticipate teleportation 50 ft. 
  Languages Aquan, Common  
  AC 23, touch 16, flat-footed 19 
  (+4 Dex, +3 natural, +2 deflection, +4 mage armor) 
  hp 102 (18 HD);  
  Fort +9, Ref +15, Will +19 
  Speed 5 ft. (1 squares), swim 40 ft.; 
  Melee tail slap +14 (1d6+1) and 
   
  claws +12/+12 (1d4) and 
   
  bite +12 (1d4) 
  Ranged spell +17 
  Base Atk +13; Grp +21  
  Atk Options constrict (3d6+1), dominate person 
  1/day, improved grab 
  Special Actions Retributive Spell (Tasha’s hideous 
  laughter) 
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, scroll 
  of glitterdust, wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) 
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 10th): 
  5th (3/day)—feeblemind (DC 21) 
  4th (6/day)—confusion (DC 20), dimension door 
  3rd (7/day)—anticipate teleportation�, dispel magic, 
  heroism, hold person (DC 19), retributive spell� 
  2nd (7/day)—glitterdust (DC 16), Tasha’s hideous 
  laughter (DC 18), resist energy, touch of idiocy 
  1st (7/day)—charm person (DC 17), grease (DC 15), 
  lesser acid orb, mage armor�, ray of 
  enfeeblement 
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, daze (DC 16), detect magic, 
  detect poison, light, message, prestidigitation, 
  read magic 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 
  18 
  SQ  
  Feats Ability Focus (dominate person), Greater Spell 
  Focus (Enchantment), Heighten Spell, Iron Will, 
  Multiattack, Retributive Spell, Spell Focus 
  (Enchantment)  
  Skills Concentration +23, Move Silently +14, Search 
  +3, Spellcraft +10, Swim +10 
  Possessions combat gear plus vest of resistance +2, 
  ring of protection +2, 500 gp spell focus 
  Constrict (Ex) With a successful grapple check, a 
  kopru can constrict a grabbed opponent, dealing 
  3d6+3 points of bludgeoning damage. 
  Dominate Person (Su) Once per day, a kopru can 
  produce an effect like that of a dominate person 
  spell (caster level 10th; DC 16 Will save), except 
  that the range is 180 feet and the duration is eight 
  days. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) If a kopru hits an opponent that 
  is its own size or smaller with a tail attack, it deals 
  normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as 
  a free action without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity. If it gets a hold, it also constricts in the 
  same round. 
   
  SCRAG SLAVEDRIVERS (4) 
  CR 9 
  Male and female fighter 4 
  CE Large Giant (aquatic) 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 90 ft., low-light vision, 
  scent; Listen +6, Spot +7 
  Languages Undercommon  
  AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 19 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 46 
  
  (-1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural, +5 armor) 
  hp 127 (10 HD); regeneration 5 
  Fort +18, Ref +8, Will +6 
  Speed 20 ft. in chain shirt (4 squares), base 
  movement 20 ft., swim 40 ft.; 
  Melee claw +16/+16 (1d6+9) and 
   
  bite +11 (1d6+4) or 
  Melee mwk greatsword +18/+13(3d6+15/19-20) 
  Ranged mwk aquatic longbow +11/+6 (2d6/x3) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +21  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, Power Attack 
  Special Actions rend 2d6+13 
  Combat Gear  
  Abilities Str 28, Dex 18, Con 26, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 4 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Power 
  Attack, Track, Weapon Focus (greatsword), 
  Weapon Specialization  
  Skills Listen +6, Spot +7, Swim +19 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork large 
  greatsword, masterwork large aquatic longbow, 20 
  large arrows, large whip, +1 chain shirt, cloak of 
  resistance +1. 
  Rend (Ex) If a troll hits with both claw attacks, it 
  latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the 
  flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional 
  2d6+13 points of damage. 
   
  7: GATE OF MADNESS 
  BA’ALBUL 
  CR 11 
  Aboleth cleric 4 
  NE Huge Aberration (aquatic) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +13, Spot 
  +13 
  Languages Aboleth, Undercommon  
  AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 16 
  (-2 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural, +1 deflection) 
  hp 140 (12 HD)  
  Fort +13, Ref +4, Will +15 
  Speed 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 60 ft.; 
  Melee tentacles +16/+16/+16/+16 (1d6+9 plus slime) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +9; Grp +26  
  Atk Options Divine Might, enslave 3/day, Power 
  Attack, rebuke undead 8/day, slime, smite 1/day 
  (+4 to hit, +4 damage), spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions act of clarity 1/day, mucus cloud, 
  power dampening 3/day 
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness, retributive 
  amulet, scroll of dispel magic, 2x scroll of insignia 
  of healing 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 4th): 
  2nd—death knell (DC 18), resist energy (2), silence 
  (DC 18), touch of madnessD (DC 18) 
  1st—cure light wounds (2), entropic shield, lesser 
  confusionD (DC 17), shield of faith (2) 
  0—detect magic (2), guidance (2), read magic 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Tharizdun. Domains: 
  Destruction, Madness  
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th): 
  At Will—hypnotic pattern (DC 17), illusory wall (DC 
  19), mirage arcana (DC 20), persistent image 
  (DC 20), programmed image (DC 21), project 
  image (DC 22), veil (DC 21). 
  Abilities Str 28, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 12, Wis 23, Cha 
  20 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Divine Might, 
  Divine Vigor, Power Attack  
  Skills Concentration +22 (+26 casting defensively), 
  Knowledge (the planes) +7, Knowledge (religion) 
  +12, Listen +13, Spot +13, Swim +17 
  Possessions combat gear plus holy symbol, spell 
  component pouch, ring of protection +1, 10 gp 
  insignia 
  Act of Clarity (Ex) Gain a +2 bonus on a single 
  Wisdom-based skill check or Will save. 
  Enslave (Su) Three times per day, an aboleth can 
  attempt to enslave any one living creature within 30 
  feet. The target must succeed on a DC 21 Will 
  save or be affected as though by a dominate 
  person spell (caster level 16th). An enslaved 
  creature obeys the aboleth’s telepathic commands 
  until freed by remove curse, and can attempt a new 
  Will save every 24 hours to break free. The control 
  is also broken if the aboleth dies or travels more 
  than 1 mile from its slave.  
  Power Dampening (Su) All numeric effects of any 
  spell, spell-like ability, power, or psi-like ability that 
  affects you (whether harmful or beneficial) are 
  minimized for you (but not for any other creatures 
  affected by the spell, power, or ability) for 1 round. 
  Slime (Ex) A blow from an aboleth’s tentacle can 
  cause a terrible affliction. A creature hit by a 
  tentacle must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save 
  or begin to transform over the next 1d4+1 minutes, 
  the skin gradually becoming a clear, slimy 
  membrane. An afflicted creature must remain 
  moistened with cool, fresh water or take 1d12 
  points of damage every 10 minutes. The slime 
  reduces the creature’s natural armor bonus by 1 
  (but never to less than 0).  
  A remove disease spell cast before the 
  transformation is complete will restore an afflicted 
  creature to normal. Afterward, however, only a heal 
  or mass heal spell can reverse the affliction. 
  Mucus Cloud (Ex) An aboleth underwater surrounds 
  itself with a viscous cloud of mucus roughly 1 foot 
  thick. Any creature coming into contact with and 
  inhaling this substance must succeed on a DC 21 
  Fortitude save or lose the ability to breathe air for 
  the next 3 hours. An affected creature suffocates in 
  2d6 minutes if removed from the water. Renewed 
  contact with the mucus cloud and failing another 
  Fortitude save continues the effect for another 3 
  hours. 
  Smite (Su) You gain the smite power, the 
  supernatural ability to make a single melee attack 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 48 
  with a +4 bonus on attack rolls and a bonus on 
  damage rolls equal to your cleric level (if you hit). 
  You must declare the smite before making the 
  attack. This ability is usable once per day. 
   
  KOLLATH 
  CR 11 
  Aboleth wizard 4 
  NE Huge Aberration (aquatic) 
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +16, Spot 
  +16 
  Languages Aboleth, Ancient Sueloise, Aquan, 
  Common, Undercommon, Ur-Flan  
  AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 
  (-2 size, +3 Dex, +7 natural) 
  hp 122 (12 HD)  
  Fort +12, Ref +6, Will +15 
  Speed 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 60 ft.; 
  Melee tentacles +15/+15/+15/+15 (1d6+9 plus slime) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +25  
  Atk Options enslave 3/day, slime 
  Special Actions mucus cloud, power dampening 
  3/day 
  Combat Gear eternal wand of grease, eternal wand 
  of web, wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) 
  Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 4th): 
  2nd—blindness/deafness (DC 17), glitterdust (2) 
  (DC 17) 
  1st—grease (DC 16), mage armor (2), protection 
  from good, ray of enfeeblement 
  0—detect magic, mage hand, message, 
  prestigiditation 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th): 
  At Will—hypnotic pattern (DC 14), illusory wall (DC 
  16), mirage arcana (DC 17), persistent image 
  (DC 17), programmed image (DC 18), project 
  image (DC 19), veil (DC 18). 
  Abilities Str 28, Dex 16, Con 24, Int 21, Wis 16, Cha 
  14 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Great Fortitude, 
  Improved Initiative, Iron Will  
  Skills Concentration +22 (+26 casting defensively), 
  Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +15, Knowledge (history) +18, 
  Knowledge (the Planes) +20, Listen +16, Spellcraft 
  +22, Spot +16, Swim +17 
  Possessions combat gear plus spell component 
  pouch, 10 gp insignia, belt of levitation 
  Enslave (Su) Three times per day, an aboleth can 
  attempt to enslave any one living creature within 30 
  feet. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Will 
  save or be affected as though by a dominate 
  person spell (caster level 16th). An enslaved 
  creature obeys the aboleth’s telepathic commands 
  until freed by remove curse, and can attempt a new 
  Will save every 24 hours to break free. The control 
  is also broken if the aboleth dies or travels more 
  than 1 mile from its slave. 
  Power Dampening (Su) All numeric effects of any 
  spell, spell-like ability, power, or psi-like ability that 
  affects you (whether harmful or beneficial) are 
  minimized for you (but not for any other creatures 
  affected by the spell, power, or ability) for 1 round. 
  Slime (Ex) A blow from an aboleth’s tentacle can 
  cause a terrible affliction. A creature hit by a 
  tentacle must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save 
  or begin to transform over the next 1d4+1 minutes, 
  the skin gradually becoming a clear, slimy 
  membrane. An afflicted creature must remain 
  moistened with cool, fresh water or take 1d12 
  points of damage every 10 minutes. The slime 
  reduces the creature’s natural armor bonus by 1 
  (but never to less than 0).  
  A remove disease spell cast before the 
  transformation is complete will restore an afflicted 
  creature to normal. Afterward, however, only a heal 
  or mass heal spell can reverse the affliction. 
  Mucus Cloud (Ex) An aboleth underwater surrounds 
  itself with a viscous cloud of mucus roughly 1 foot 
  thick. Any creature coming into contact with and 
  inhaling this substance must succeed on a DC 21 
  Fortitude save or lose the ability to breathe air for 
  the next 3 hours. An affected creature suffocates in 
  2d6 minutes if removed from the water. Renewed 
  contact with the mucus cloud and failing another 
  Fortitude save continues the effect for another 3 
  hours. 
   
  GREATER ELDER EIDOLON CHUUL(2)CR 12 
  Elder Eidolon* Chuul 
  *Lords of Madness 146 
  N Huge Construct 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; 
  Listen +0, Spot +0 
  Aura insanity aura 10 ft. (DC 19) 
  Languages Common  
  AC 33, touch 16, flat-footed 29 
  (-2 size, +4 Dex, +4 deflection, +17 natural) 
  hp 117 (15 HD); fast repair 5; DR 7/adamantine 
  Immune poison, sleep effects. Paralysis, stunning, 
  disease, death effects, necromancy effects, mind-
  affecting spells and abilitues, and any effect that 
  requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on 
  objects or is harmless, critical hits, nonlethal 
  damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, 
  exhaustion, energy drain. 
  SR immune to magic 
  Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +6 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 20 ft.; 
  Melee claws +22/+22 (3d6+13)  
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +11; Grp +32  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, constrict (4d6+13), 
  improved grab 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear  
  Abilities Str 36, Dex 18, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1 
  SQ  
  Feats Combat Reflexes 
  
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 49 
  Skills  
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  apple check, a 
  Constrict (Ex) On a successful gr
  chuul deals 4d6+13 points of damage. 
  munity to Magic (Ex) An eidolon is imm
  Im
  une to any 
  . 
   
  to 
  an eid
  ase 
   
  s the 
   
  eidolo
  o 
  l 
   
  h spell does not actually 
   
  Im
  Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a chuul must 
  ck, it 
  In
   
   
  G
  E OF MADNESS 
  CR 12 
   
  Se
  ype magic 
  spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. 
  In addition, certain spells and effects function 
  differently against the creature, as noted below
  Etherealness immediately repairs damage 
  olon equal to the spell’s caster level. 
  Dimensional anchor causes an eidolon to ce
  functioning for 1 round (treat as if dazed). 
  Dimensional lock does not interfere with an
  eidolon’s operation, but an eidolon that enter
  area of a dimensional lock spell or similar effect 
  loses the benefits of its otherworldly geometry 
  (deflection bonus to AC) and its insanity aura. 
  A transmute rock to mud spell slows an 
  n (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds with n
  saving throw, while transmute mud to rock heals al
  of its lost hit points. 
  A stone to fles
  change an eidolon’s structure, but negates its 
  damage reduction and immunity to magic for 1
  round. 
  proved 
  hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a 
  grapple as a free action without provoking an 
  attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple che
  establishes a hold and can constrict or on its next 
  turn transfer a grabbed opponent to its tentacles. 
  sanity Aura (Su) The elemental forces that power 
  an elder eidolon warp time and space and cause 
  horrible hallucinations in those nearby. Any living 
  creature within 10 feet of an eidolon must make a 
  successful Will saving throw (DC 17) each round or
  become confused for 1 round. 
  AT
  Description The gate radiates madness, affecting 1 
  random legal target inside the gate room (including
  the enemy). 
  arch DC –; T
  Trigger location; Init +6 
  Effect heightened confusion (one target only) (DC 21 
  Du
  unds 
  Will) or feeblemind (DC 21 Will) randomly 
  determined 
  ration 15 ro
  Destruction AC 25; hp 54; hardness 8 
  Disarm Disable Device DC 30 
   
   
   
   
  
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 50 
  APL 14
  1: TOUCH OF MADNESS 
  COMMANDER NOQUANN 
  CR 14 
  Male human tainted raver* cleric 14 
  *Heroes of Horror 154  
  NE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +0; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1 
  Aura magic circle against good 10 ft. radius 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian  
  AC 23, touch 9, flat-footed 23; +1 deflection against 
  good opponents 
  (+10 armor, +1 deflection, +4 shield, -2 rage) 
  hp 129 (14 HD); fast heal 3 
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist freedom of movement, madness 
  Fort +15, Ref +6, Will +16 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee +3 heavy mace +18/+13 (1d8+7) (greater 
  magic weapon) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +14/+9 (1d4+4) 
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +11 (1d8/19-20) 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +14  
  Atk Options Divine Might, perpetual rage, Power 
  Attack, rebuke undead 5/day, spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions act of clarity 1/day, Divine Vigor 
  Combat Gear boots of speed, potion of remove 
  blindness/deafness, ring of counter spells (dispel 
  magic), scroll of obscuring mist, scroll of remove 
  paralysis 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 14th): 
  7th—power word blindD, quicken aid, quicken cure 
  moderate wounds 
  6th—antilife shell, blade barrierD, heal, quicken 
  spiritual weapon 
  5th—flame strikeD (DC 18), quicken divine favor, 
  righteous might (2). 
  4th—divine powerD, freedom of movement (2)�, 
  greater magic weapon�, recitation 
  3rd—dispel magic, invisibility purge, magic circle 
  against good (2)�, rageD 
  2nd—cure moderate wounds (2), sound burst (DC 
  15), resist energy (2), spiritual weapon, touch of 
  madnessD (DC 15) 
  1st—bless, cure light wounds (2), entropic shield, 
  magic weaponD, shield of faith (2) 
  0—detect magic (2), detect poison (2), guidance, 
  read magic 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Erythnul. Domains: Madness*, 
  War (heavy mace)  
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 
  14 
  SQ  
  Feats Divine Might, Divine Vigor, Iron Will, Power 
  Attack, Quicken Spell, Skill Focus (concentration), 
  Weapon Focus (heavy mace)  
  Skills Concentration +22, Diplomacy +19, Knowledge 
  (religion) +18, Spellcraft +18 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork heavy 
  mace, dagger, spiked gauntlets, masterwork light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +2 full plate, +2 heavy wooden 
  shield, cloak of resistance +2, ring of counter 
  spells, ring of protection +1, periapt of wisdom +2, 
  rod of metamagic extend, wooden holy symbol, 
  spell component pouch 
  Act of Clarity (Ex) Gain a +6 bonus on a single 
  Wisdom-based skill check or Will save. 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  LIEUTENANT HALKAR 
  CR 14 
  Male human tainted raver* warmage** 14 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  *Complete Arcane 10  
  CE Medium Humanoid (human) 
  Init +6; Senses Listen -3, Spot -3 
  Languages Common, Old Oeridian, Orcish  
  AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 20 
  (+2 Dex, +8 armor, +2 deflection, +3 shield, -2 rage); 
  5 ranks Tumble 
  hp 108 (14 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +21 
  Speed 30 ft. in chain shirt (6 squares), base 
  movement 30 ft.; 
  Melee dagger +8/+3 (1d4+1/19-20)  
  Ranged light crossbow +9 (1d8/19-20) or 
  Ranged spell +9 
  Base Atk +7; Grp +8  
  Atk Options perpetual rage 
  Special Actions warmage edge (+2) 
  Combat Gear anklet of translocation, brooch of 
  shielding 
  Warmage Spells Known (CL 14th): 
  7th (4/day)—delayed blast fireball (DC 24), 
  earthquake (DC 24), finger of death (DC 24), fire 
  storm (DC 24), Mordekainen’s sword, prismatic 
  spray (DC 24), sunbeam (DC 24), waves of 
  exhaustion 
  6th (6/day)—acid fog, blade barrier (DC 23), chain 
  lightning (DC 23), circle of death (DC 23), 
  
  disintegrate (DC 23), fire seed (DC 23), Otiluke’s 
  freezing sphere, Tenser’s transformation 
  5th (7/day)—arc of lightning* (DC 22), cloudkill (DC 
  22), cone of cold (DC 22), flame strike (DC 22), 
  greater fireburst (DC 22), mass fire shield*, wall 
  of force 
  4th (7/day)—blast of flame* (DC 21), contagion (DC 
  21), Evard’s black tentacles, orb of acid*, orb of 
  cold*, orb of electricity*, orb of fire*, orb of force*, 
  orb of sound*, phantasmal killer (DC 21), shout 
  (DC 21), wall of fire. 
  3rd (8/day)—chain missile*, fire shield, fireball (DC 
  20), flame arrow, gust of wind, ice storm, lightning 
  bolt (DC 20), poison (DC 22), ring of blades*, 
  sleet storm, stinking cloud (DC 20) 
  2nd (8/day)—blades of fire*, continual flame, 
  fireburst*, fire trap (DC 19), flaming sphere (DC 
  19), ice knife* (DC 19), Melf’s acid arrow, 
  pyrotechnics (DC 19), scorching ray, shatter (DC 
  19), whirling blade* 
  1st (8/day)—burning hands (DC 18), chill touch (DC 
  18), hail of stone*, ice dagger*, lesser acid orb*, 
  lesser cold orb*, lesser electric orb*, lesser fire 
  orb*, lesser sonic orb*, magic missile, shocking 
  grasp, true strike 
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, disrupt undead, light, ray of 
  frost 
  *Spell Compendium 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 4, Cha 
  24 
  SQ  
  Feats Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, Improved 
  Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Sudden 
  Empower, Sudden Enlarge, Sudden Maximize 
  Spell 
  Skills Concentration +19, Intimidate +22, Jump +6, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +16, Spellcraft +18, Tumble 
  +9 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, +2 mithral breastplate, +2 
  buckler, gloves of dexterity +2, cloak of charisma 
  +2, vest of resistance +3, ring of protection +2, 
  spell component pouch 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
  Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage adds his 
  intelligence bonus to the amount of damage dealt 
  with a spell. A single spell can never gain the extra 
  damage more than once per casting. If a spell 
  deals damage for more than 1 round, it gains this 
  extra damage in each round. 
   
  INSANE SOLDIERS (4) 
  CR 12 
  Male and female half-orc tainted raver* fighter 12 
  *Heroes of Horror 154 
  CE Medium humanoid (orc) 
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen -2, Spot -2 
  Languages Common  
  AC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 19 
  (+1 Dex, +10 armor, +1 deflection, -2 rage) 
  hp 136 (12 HD); fast healing 3  
  Immune confusion, insanity 
  Resist madness 
  Fort +14, Ref +6, Will +11 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee +1 longsword +21/+16/+11 (1d8+23/17-20) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +20/+15/+10 (1d4+7) 
  Ranged mwk mighty composite longbow +14/+9/+4 
  (1d8+4/x3) 
  Base Atk +12; Grp +20  
  Atk Options Cleave, perpetual rage, Power Attack (2 
  in stat block) 
  Special Actions Blindfight 
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, 
  potion of remove blindness/deafness 
  Abilities Str 26, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 6, Cha 12 
  SQ  
  Feats Blindfight, Cleave, Dodge, Greater Weapon 
  Focus (longsword), Greater Weapon Specialization 
  (longsword), Improved Critical (longsword), 
  Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Iron Will, 
  Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), 
  Weapon Specialization (longsword)  
  Skills Climb +7, Intimidate +4, Jump +5 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 longsword, 
  dagger, spiked gauntlet, masterwork mighty 
  composite longbow, 20 arrows, +2 full plate, cloak 
  of resistance +2, armbands of might, gauntlets of 
  ogre power, ring of protection +1 
  Madness (Ex) A tainted raver uses its Charisma 
  modier on Will saves instead of its Wisdom 
  modifier and has immunity to confusion and 
  insanity effects. Only a miracle or wish spell can 
  cure a raver’s madness. 
  Perpetual Rage (Ex) A tainted reaver is constantly in 
  a state of insane fury similar to a barbarian’s rage. 
  An effect that counters rage temporarily 
  suppresses this ability and negates the bonuses 
  and penalties (+4 Str/Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC). 
  Unlike a barbarian’s rage, a tainted raver’s 
  perpetual fury does not prevent it from taking 
  actions that require reasoned thought or 
  concentration, such as casting spells or using 
  Combat Expertise. 
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 51 
  
  4: LAKE OF WHISPERS OR  
  5: MASTERS OF THOUGHT 
  CHUUL TERRORS 
  CR 14 
  Half-farspawn* chuul 
  *Lords of Madness 151  
  CE Huge outsider (aquatic, native) 
  Init +8; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Listen +19, Spot +19 
  Languages Undercommon  
  AC 28, touch 12, flat-footed 24 
  (-2 size, +4 Dex, +16 natural) 
  hp 311 (23 HD); DR 10/magic 
  Immune poison 
  Resist acid 10, electricity 10; SR 25 
  Fort +16, Ref +10, Will +17 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 20 ft.; 
  Melee claws +25/+25 (3d6+10) and 
  Tentacles +23/+23 (2d6+5) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with tentacles) 
  Base Atk +17; Grp +35  
  Atk Options Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, constrict 
  3d6+10, improved grab, paralytic tentacles, Power 
  Attack, true strike 1/day 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear  
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 23th): 
  3/day—blink, blur, quickened ethereal jaunt 
  1/day—greater invisibility, implosion (DC 18), 
  scintillating pattern, summon monster IX 
  (pseudonatural only), stinking cloud (DC 12) 
  telekinesis, touch of idiocy 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 30, Dex 18, Con 28, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 
  8 
  SQ amphibious 
  Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, 
  Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack 
  (tentacle), Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken 
  Spell-Like Ability (ethereal jaunt)  
  Skills Hide +22, Listen +19, Spot +19, Swim +18 
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Constrict (Ex) On a successful grapple check, a 
  chuul deals 3d6+10 points of damage.  
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a chuul must 
  hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a 
  grapple as a free action without provoking an 
  attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict or on its next 
  turn transfer a grabbed opponent to its tentacles. 
  Paralytic Tentacles (Ex) A chuul can transfer 
  grabbed victims from a claw to its tentacles as a 
  move action. The tentacles grapple with the same 
  strength as the claw but deal no damage. However, 
  they exude a paralytic secretion. Anyone held in 
  the tentacles must succeed on a DC 28 Fortitude 
  save each round on the chuul’s turn or be 
  paralyzed for 6 rounds. While held in the tentacles, 
  paralyzed or not, a victim automatically takes 
  2d6+5 points of damage each round from the 
  creature’s mandibles. 
  True Strike (Su) Once per day, the creature can 
  make a normal attack with a +20 insight bonus on 
  a single attack roll. The half-farspawn is not 
  affected by the miss chance that applies to attacks 
  against concealed targets. 
  Amphibious (Ex) Although chuuls are aquatic, they 
  can survive indefinitely on land. 
   
  5: PRISONERS OF THE MIND 
  HALGRU 
  CR 14 
  Kopru* sorcerer 12 
  *MM II 134  
  CE Medium Monstrous Humanoid (aquatic) 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +2, Spot +2 
  Aura anticipate teleportation 60 ft. 
  Languages Aquan, Common  
  AC 24, touch 16, flat-footed 20 
  (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +2 deflection, +4 mage armor) 
  hp 112 (20 HD) plus 15 temporary hit points (false 
  life);  
  Fort +10, Ref +16, Will +20 
  Speed 5 ft. (1 squares), swim 40 ft.; 
  Melee tail slap +15 (1d6+1) and 
   
  claws +13/+13 (1d4) and 
   
  bite +13 (1d4) 
  Ranged spell +18 
  Base Atk +14; Grp +22  
  Atk Options constrict (3d6+1), dominate person 
  1/day, improved grab 
  Special Actions Retributive Spell (Tasha’s hideous 
  laughter) 
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, scroll 
  of glitterdust, wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) 
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 12th): 
  6th (3/day)—disintegrate (DC 21) 
  5th (6/day)—dominate monster (DC 22), feeblemind 
  (DC 22) 
  4th (7/day)—confusion (DC 21), dimension door, 
  greater invisibility 
  3rd (7/day)—anticipate teleportation�, dispel magic, 
  heroism, hold person (DC 20), magic circle 
  against good, retributive spell� 
  2nd (7/day)—false life�, glitterdust (DC 17), 
  Tasha’s hideous laughter (DC 19), resist energy, 
  touch of idiocy 
  1st (8/day)—charm person (DC 18), grease (DC 16), 
  lesser acid orb, mage armor�, ray of 
  enfeeblement 
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, daze (DC 17), detect magic, 
  detect poison, light, message, prestidigitation, 
  read magic, touch of fatigue (DC 15) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 
  20 
  SQ  
  Feats Ability Focus (dominate person), Greater Spell 
  Focus (Enchantment), Heighten Spell, Iron Will, 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 52 
  
  Multiattack, Retributive Spell, Spell Focus 
  (Enchantment)  
  Skills Concentration +25, Move Silently +14, Search 
  +3, Spellcraft +12, Swim +10 
  Possessions combat gear plus amulet of natural 
  armor +1, cloak of charisma +2, vest of resistance 
  +2, ring of protection +2, 500 gp spell focus 
  Constrict (Ex) With a successful grapple check, a 
  kopru can constrict a grabbed opponent, dealing 
  3d6+3 points of bludgeoning damage. 
  Dominate Person (Su) Once per day, a kopru can 
  produce an effect like that of a dominate person 
  spell (caster level 10th; DC 16 Will save), except 
  that the range is 180 feet and the duration is eight 
  days. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) If a kopru hits an opponent that 
  is its own size or smaller with a tail attack, it deals 
  normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as 
  a free action without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity. If it gets a hold, it also constricts in the 
  same round. 
   
  SCRAG SLAVEDRIVERS (4) 
  CR 11 
  Male and female fighter 6 
  CE Large Giant (aquatic) 
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 90 ft., low-light vision, 
  scent; Listen +6, Spot +7 
  Languages Undercommon  
  AC 24, touch 13, flat-footed 20 
  (-1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural, +6 armor) 
  hp 153 (12 HD); regeneration 5 
  Fort +20, Ref +10, Will +8 
  Speed 20 ft. in chain shirt (4 squares), base 
  movement 20 ft., swim 40 ft.; 
  Melee claw +18/+18 (1d6+9) and 
   
  bite +13 (1d6+4) or 
  Melee +1 greatsword +20/+15(3d6+16/17-20) 
  Ranged mwk aquatic longbow +13/+8 (2d6/x3) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +23  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, Power Attack 
  Special Actions rend 2d6+13 
  Combat Gear  
  Abilities Str 29, Dex 18, Con 26, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 4 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical 
  (greatsword), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power 
  Attack, Track, Weapon Focus (greatsword), 
  Weapon Specialization  
  Skills Listen +6, Spot +7, Swim +21 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 large greatsword, 
  masterwork large aquatic longbow, 20 large 
  arrows, large whip, +2 chain shirt, cloak of 
  resistance +2. 
  Rend (Ex) If a troll hits with both claw attacks, it 
  latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the 
  flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional 
  2d6+13 points of damage. 
   
  7: GATE OF MADNESS 
  BA’ALBUL 
  CR 13 
  Aboleth cleric 6 
  NE Huge Aberration (aquatic) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +13, Spot 
  +13 
  Languages Aboleth, Undercommon  
  AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 16 
  (-2 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural, +1 deflection) 
  hp 164 (14 HD)  
  Fort +14, Ref +5, Will +16 
  Speed 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 60 ft.; 
  Melee tentacles +18/+18/+18/+18 (1d6+10 plus slime) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +28  
  Atk Options Divine Might, enslave 3/day, Power 
  Attack, rebuke undead 8/day, slime, smite 1/day 
  (+4 to hit, +6 damage), spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions act of clarity 1/day, mucus cloud, 
  power dampening 3/day 
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness, retributive 
  amulet, scroll of dispel magic, 2x scroll of insignia 
  of healing 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 6th): 
  3rd—contagionD (DC 19), cure serious wounds, 
  dispel magic, magic circle against good 
  2nd—aid, death knell (DC 18), resist energy (2), 
  silence (DC 18), touch of madnessD (DC 18) 
  1st—cure light wounds (2), entropic shield, lesser 
  confusionD (DC 17), shield of faith (2) 
  0—detect magic (2), guidance (2), read magic 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Tharizdun. Domains: 
  Destruction, Madness  
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th): 
  At Will—hypnotic pattern (DC 17), illusory wall (DC 
  19), mirage arcana (DC 20), persistent image 
  (DC 20), programmed image (DC 21), project 
  image (DC 22), veil (DC 21). 
  Abilities Str 30, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 12, Wis 23, Cha 
  20 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Divine Might, 
  Divine Vigor, Power Attack  
  Skills Concentration +24 (+28 casting defensively), 
  Knowledge (the planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) 
  +14, Listen +13, Spot +13, Swim +18 
  Possessions combat gear plus holy symbol, spell 
  component pouch, ring of protection +1, 10 gp 
  insignia 
  Act of Clarity (Ex) Gain a +3 bonus on a single 
  Wisdom-based skill check or Will save. 
  Enslave (Su) Three times per day, an aboleth can 
  attempt to enslave any one living creature within 30 
  feet. The target must succeed on a DC 21 Will 
  save or be affected as though by a dominate 
  person spell (caster level 16th). An enslaved 
  creature obeys the aboleth’s telepathic commands 
  until freed by remove curse, and can attempt a new 
  Will save every 24 hours to break free. The control 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  is also broken if the aboleth dies or travels more 
  than 1 mile from its slave. 
  Power Dampening (Su) All numeric effects of any 
  spell, spell-like ability, power, or psi-like ability that 
  affects you (whether harmful or beneficial) are 
  minimized for you (but not for any other creatures 
  affected by the spell, power, or ability) for 1 round. 
  Slime (Ex) A blow from an aboleth’s tentacle can 
  cause a terrible affliction. A creature hit by a 
  tentacle must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save 
  or begin to transform over the next 1d4+1 minutes, 
  the skin gradually becoming a clear, slimy 
  membrane. An afflicted creature must remain 
  moistened with cool, fresh water or take 1d12 
  points of damage every 10 minutes. The slime 
  reduces the creature’s natural armor bonus by 1 
  (but never to less than 0).  
  A remove disease spell cast before the 
  transformation is complete will restore an afflicted 
  creature to normal. Afterward, however, only a heal 
  or mass heal spell can reverse the affliction. 
  Mucus Cloud (Ex) An aboleth underwater surrounds 
  itself with a viscous cloud of mucus roughly 1 foot 
  thick. Any creature coming into contact with and 
  inhaling this substance must succeed on a DC 21 
  Fortitude save or lose the ability to breathe air for 
  the next 3 hours. An affected creature suffocates in 
  2d6 minutes if removed from the water. Renewed 
  contact with the mucus cloud and failing another 
  Fortitude save continues the effect for another 3 
  hours. 
  Smite (Su) You gain the smite power, the 
  supernatural ability to make a single melee attack 
  with a +4 bonus on attack rolls and a bonus on 
  damage rolls equal to your cleric level (if you hit). 
  You must declare the smite before making the 
  attack. This ability is usable once per day. 
   
  KOLLATH 
  CR 13 
  Aboleth wizard 6 
  NE Huge Aberration (aquatic) 
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +16, Spot 
  +16 
  Languages Aboleth, Ancient Sueloise, Aquan, 
  Common, Undercommon, Ur-Flan  
  AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 
  (-2 size, +3 Dex, +7 natural) 
  hp 142 (14 HD)  
  Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +16 
  Speed 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 60 ft.; 
  Melee tentacles +16/+16/+16/+16 (1d6+9 plus slime) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +9; Grp +26  
  Atk Options enslave 3/day, slime 
  Special Actions mucus cloud, power dampening 
  3/day 
  Combat Gear circlet of rapid casting, eternal wand of 
  grease, eternal wand of web, runestaff of the eyes, 
  wand of magic missile (CL 3rd) 
  Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 6th): 
  3rd—displacement, ray of exhaustion (DC 18), slow 
  (DC 18) 
  2nd—blindness/deafness (DC 17), fog cloud, 
  glitterdust (2) (DC 17) 
  1st—grease (DC 16), mage armor (2), protection 
  from good, ray of enfeeblement 
  0—detect magic, mage hand, message, 
  prestigiditation 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th): 
  At Will—hypnotic pattern (DC 14), illusory wall (DC 
  16), mirage arcana (DC 17), persistent image 
  (DC 17), programmed image (DC 18), project 
  image (DC 19), veil (DC 18). 
  Abilities Str 28, Dex 16, Con 24, Int 21, Wis 16, Cha 
  14 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Great Fortitude, 
  Improved Initiative, Iron Will  
  Skills Concentration +24 (+28 casting defensively), 
  Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +17, Knowledge (history) +22, 
  Knowledge (the Planes) +22, Listen +16, Spellcraft 
  +24, Spot +16, Swim +17Possessions combat 
  gear plus spell component pouch, 10 gp insignia 
  Enslave (Su) Three times per day, an aboleth can 
  attempt to enslave any one living creature within 30 
  feet. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Will 
  save or be affected as though by a dominate 
  person spell (caster level 16th). An enslaved 
  creature obeys the aboleth’s telepathic commands 
  until freed by remove curse, and can attempt a new 
  Will save every 24 hours to break free. The control 
  is also broken if the aboleth dies or travels more 
  than 1 mile from its slave. 
  Power Dampening (Su) All numeric effects of any 
  spell, spell-like ability, power, or psi-like ability that 
  affects you (whether harmful or beneficial) are 
  minimized for you (but not for any other creatures 
  affected by the spell, power, or ability) for 1 round. 
  Slime (Ex) A blow from an aboleth’s tentacle can 
  cause a terrible affliction. A creature hit by a 
  tentacle must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save 
  or begin to transform over the next 1d4+1 minutes, 
  the skin gradually becoming a clear, slimy 
  membrane. An afflicted creature must remain 
  moistened with cool, fresh water or take 1d12 
  points of damage every 10 minutes. The slime 
  reduces the creature’s natural armor bonus by 1 
  (but never to less than 0).  
  A remove disease spell cast before the 
  transformation is complete will restore an afflicted 
  creature to normal. Afterward, however, only a heal 
  or mass heal spell can reverse the affliction. 
  Mucus Cloud (Ex) An aboleth underwater surrounds 
  itself with a viscous cloud of mucus roughly 1 foot 
  thick. Any creature coming into contact with and 
  inhaling this substance must succeed on a DC 21 
  Fortitude save or lose the ability to breathe air for 
  the next 3 hours. An affected creature suffocates in 
  2d6 minutes if removed from the water. Renewed 
  contact with the mucus cloud and failing another 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  Fortitude save continues the effect for another 3 
  hours.  
   
  GREATER ELDER EIDOLON CHUUL(2)CR 12 
  Elder Eidolon* Chuul 
  *Lords of Madness 146 
  N Huge Construct 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision; 
  Listen +0, Spot +0 
  Aura insanity aura 10 ft. (DC 19) 
  Languages Common  
  AC 33, touch 16, flat-footed 29 
  (-2 size, +4 Dex, +4 deflection, +17 natural) 
  hp 161 (23 HD); fast repair 5; DR 10/adamantine 
  Immune poison, sleep effects. Paralysis, stunning, 
  disease, death effects, necromancy effects, mind-
  affecting spells and abilitues, and any effect that 
  requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on 
  objects or is harmless, critical hits, nonlethal 
  damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, 
  exhaustion, energy drain. 
  SR immune to magic 
  Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +8 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 20 ft.; 
  Melee claws +29/+29 (3d6+14)  
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +17; Grp +39  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, constrict (4d6+14), 
  improved grab 
  Special Actions  
  Combat Gear  
  Abilities Str 38, Dex 18, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1 
  SQ  
  Feats Combat Reflexes 
  Skills  
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Constrict (Ex) On a successful grapple check, a 
  chuul deals 4d6+14 points of damage. 
  Immunity to Magic (Ex) An eidolon is immune to any 
  spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. 
  In addition, certain spells and effects function 
  differently against the creature, as noted below. 
   
  Etherealness immediately repairs damage to 
  an eidolon equal to the spell’s caster level. 
  Dimensional anchor causes an eidolon to cease 
  functioning for 1 round (treat as if dazed). 
  Dimensional lock does not interfere with an 
  eidolon’s operation, but an eidolon that enters the 
  area of a dimensional lock spell or similar effect 
  loses the benefits of its otherworldly geometry 
  (deflection bonus to AC) and its insanity aura. 
   
  A transmute rock to mud spell slows an 
  eidolon (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds with no 
  saving throw, while transmute mud to rock heals all 
  of its lost hit points. 
   
  A stone to flesh spell does not actually 
  change an eidolon’s structure, but negates its 
  damage reduction and immunity to magic for 1 
  round. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a chuul must 
  hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a 
  grapple as a free action without provoking an 
  attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict or on its next 
  turn transfer a grabbed opponent to its tentacles. 
  Insanity Aura (Su) The elemental forces that power 
  an elder eidolon warp time and space and cause 
  horrible hallucinations in those nearby. Any living 
  creature within 10 feet of an eidolon must make a 
  successful Will saving throw (DC 17) each round or 
  become confused for 1 round. 
   
  GATE OF MADNESS 
  CR 14 
  Description The gate radiates madness, affecting 1 
  random legal target inside the gate room (including 
  the enemy). 
  Search DC –; Type magic 
  Trigger location; Init +7 
  Effect heightened confusion (one target only) (DC 23 
  Will) or feeblemind (DC 23 Will) randomly 
  determined 
  Duration 15 rounds 
  Destruction AC 27; hp 63; hardness 8 
  Disarm Disable Device DC 32 
   
   
   
   
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  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  APPENDIX 2: NEW RULES ITEMS 
  FEATS 
  Divine Might [Divine] 
  You can channel energy to increase the damage you 
  deal in combat. 
   
  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. 
   
  Source: Complete Warrior 106. 
   
  Divine Vigor [Divine] 
  You can channel energy to increase your speed and 
  durability. 
   
  Prerequisites: Turn or rebuke undead ability. 
   
  Benefit: As a standard action, spend one of your 
  turn or rebuke undead attempts to increase your base 
  speed by 10 feet and gain +2 temporary hit points per 
  character level. These effects last a number of minutes 
  equal to your Charisma modifier. 
   
  Source: Complete Warrior 108 
   
  Retributive Spell [Metamagic] 
  You can keep a spell in reserve to use when a foe causes 
  you harm. 
   
  Benefit: When you cast a spell modified by this 
  metamagic feat, the spell has no immediate effect. Any 
  time you are dealt damage by a melee attack during the 
  next 24 hours (or until you next prepare or ready your 
  spells), you can choose to cast the spell on that attacker 
  as an immediate action. Once activated, a retributive 
  spell disappears (it can only affect one attacker). 
   
  You can apply this feat only to a spell that targets a 
  creature. A retributive spell can target only the attacker 
  that triggered it, even if the spell would normally allow 
  you to target multiple creatures. 
   
  You can have only one retributive spell cast at a 
  time. Casting a second retributive spell cancels the first 
  (eliminating it with no effect). If you prepare or ready 
  spells while you have a retributive spell cast, the spell 
  dissipates with no effect. 
   
  A retributive spell uses up a spell slot one level 
  higher than the spell’s actual level. 
   
  Source: Complete Mage 47. 
   
  Sudden Empower [Metamagic] 
   
  Prerequisites: Any metamagic feat. 
   
  Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of 
  the Empower Spell feat to any spell you cast without 
  increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it 
  ahead of time. You can still use Empower Spell 
  normally if you have it. 
   
  Source: Complete Arcane 83 
   
  Sudden Enlarge [Metamagic] 
  You can enlarge a spell’s area without special 
  preparation. 
   
  Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of 
  the Enlarge Spell feat to any spell you cast, without 
  increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it 
  ahead of time. You may still use the Enlarge Spell feat 
  normally, if you have it. 
  Source: Complete Arcane 83 
   
  Sudden Maximize [Metamagic] 
  You can cast a spell to maximum effect without special 
  preparation. 
   
  Prerequisites: Any metamagic feat. 
   
  Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of 
  the Maximize Spell feat to any spell you cast without 
  increasing the level of the spell or specially preparing it 
  ahead of time. You can still use Maximize Spell 
  normally if you have it. 
   
  Source: Complete Arcane 83 
   
  MAGIC ITEMS 
  Anklet of Translocation 
  Price: 1,400 gp 
  Body Slot: Feet 
  Caster Level: 7th  
  Aura: Moderate; (DC 18) conjuration  
  Activation: swift (command) 
  Weight: -- 
   
  An anklet of translocation allows you to make short 
  dimensional hops. When it is activated, you can 
  instantly teleport (with no chance of error) up to 10 
  feet. The new space must be within line of sight and 
  line of effect. 
   
  You can’t use the anklet to move into a space 
  occupied by another creature nor can you teleport into 
  a solid object. If you attempt to do so, the anklet’s 
  activation is wasted. You can bring along objects 
  weighing up to your maximum load, but you can’t take 
  another creature with you. 
   
  An anklet of translocation functions two times per 
  day. 
   
  Prerequisites Craft Wondrous Item, dimension door 
   
  Cost to create: 700 gp, 56xp 2days 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 71. 
   
  Armbands of Might 
  Price (Item Level): 4,100 gp (9th) 
  Body Slot: Arms 
  Caster Level: 3rd  
  Aura: Faint; (DC 16) transmutation  
  Activation: – 
  Weight: 2 lb. 
   
  When you wear these armbands, you gain a +2 bonus 
  on Strength checks and Strength-based skill checks. 
  
   
  If you have the Power Attack feat, you also gain a 
  +2 bonus on melee damage rolls for any attack on 
  which you use the Power Attack feat and take a penalty 
  of at least –2 on your attack roll. 
   
  Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, bull’s strength. 
   
  Cost to Create: 2,050 gp, 164 xp, 5 days. 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 72. 
   
  Circlet of Rapid Casting 
  Price (Item Level): 15,000 gp (14th) 
  Body Slot: Head 
  Caster Level: 11th  
  Aura: Moderate; (DC 20) transmutation  
  Activation: swift (command) 
  Weight: -- 
   
  A circlet of rapid casting allows you to cast a small 
  number of spells each day more quickly. This circlet 
  has 3 charges, which are renewed each day at dawn. 
  Spending 1 or more charges allows you to cast a single 
  spell as part of the same swift action you used to 
  activate the circlet. This spell must be one that 
  normally has a casting time of no longer than 1 
  standard action. Doing this expends the prepared spell 
  or spell slot as if you had cast the spell normally. 
   
  1 charge: Cast a single spell of up to 2nd level. 
   
  2 charges: Cast a single spell of up to 3rd level. 
   
  3 charges: Cast a single spell of up to 4th level. 
   
  Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Quicken Spell. 
   
  Cost to Create: 7,500 gp, 600 xp, 15 days. 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 86. 
   
  Eternal wand 
  Price (Item Level): See table 
  Body Slot: – (held) 
  Caster Level: See table 
  Aura: Faint; (see table) school of spell contained in 
  eternal wand 
  Activation: Standard (command) 
  Weight: – 
   
  An eternal wand holds a single arcane spell of 3rd level 
  or lower, determined during creation. Any character 
  who can cast arcane spells can activate the wand to use 
  the spell contained in it, regardless of whether the 
  spell appears on his class spell list. 
   
  An eternal wand functions two times per day. 
  Spell 
  Level 
  Caster 
  Level 
  Price (Item Level) 
  Spellcraft DC 
  0 
  1st 
  460 gp (3rd) 
  15 
  1st 
  1st 
  820 gp (4th) 
  15 
  2nd 
  2nd 
  4,420 gp (9th) 
  16 
  3rd 
  3rd 
  10,900gp (13th) 
  17 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 159. 
   
  Retributive Amulet 
  Price (Item Level): 9,000 gp (12th) 
  Body Slot: Throat 
  Caster Level: 5th  
  Aura: Faint; (DC 17) abjuration  
  Activation: Immediate (command) 
  Weight: 1/2 lb. 
   
  You can activate a retributive amulet immediately after 
  another creature has dealt damage to you with a melee 
  attack. That creature takes damage equal to half the 
  damage it dealt to you. This damage is of the same type 
  (or types). 
   
  This ability functions three times per day. 
   
  Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, shield other. 
   
  Cost to Create: 4,600 gp, 360 xp, 9 days. 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 121. 
   
  Runestaff of Eyes 
  Price (Item Level): 11,000 gp (13th) 
  Body Slot: – (held) 
  Caster Level: 12th 
  Aura: Strong; (DC 21) divination 
  Activation: As spell used 
  Weight: 4 lb. 
   
  A runestaff of eyes allows you to cast any of the following 
  spells (each three times per day) by expending a 
  prepared arcane spell or arcane spell slot of the same 
  level or higher. 
  • 
  arcane eye 
  • 
  remove blindness/deafness 
  • 
  see invisibility 
   
  Prerequisites: 
  Craft 
  Staff, 
  arcane 
  eye, 
  remove 
  blindness/deafness, see invisibility. 
  Cost to Create: 5,500 gp, 440 xp, 11 days. 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 178. 
   
   
  MUNDANE EQUIPMENT 
  Aquatic Longbow 
  Made by the aquatic elves, the aquatic longbow 
  functions as a normal ranged weapon out of the water, 
  with a 60-foot range increment. Underwater, it has a 
  range increment of 10 feet, but it does not take the 
  normal penalty for a ranged attack through water. If 
  you have the Aquatic Shot feat, the aquatic longbow’s 
  range increment improves to 30 feet underwater. 
  Aquatic longbows are favored by aquatic elves. 
   
  Cost 400 gp; Dmg (s) 1d6; Dmg (m) 1d8; Critical 
  x3, Range Increment 60 ft. (10 ft.); Weight3 lb.; Type 
  Piercing. 
   
  Source: Stormwrack 107. 
   
  SPELLS 
  Madness Domain 
  Granted Power: You subtract 1 from all Wisdom-
  based skill checks and all Will saves. However, once 
  per day, you can see and act with the clarity of true 
  madness: Add one-half your level to a single Wisdom-
  based skill check or Will save. You must choose to use 
  this benefit before the check or save is rolled. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
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  1. 
  Confusion, lesser 
  2. 
  Touch of madness 
  3. 
  Rage 
  4. 
  Confusion 
  5. 
  Bolts of bedevilment 
  6. 
  Phantasmal killer 
  7. 
  Insanity 
  8. 
  Maddening scream 
  9. 
  Weird 
  Source: Spell Compendium 276. 
   
  Anticipate Teleportation 
  Abjuration 
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3 
  Components: V, S, F 
  Casting Time: 10 minutes 
  Range: One willing creature touched 
  Area: 5ft./level emanation from touched creature. 
  Duration: 24 hours. 
  Saving Throw: None 
  Spell Resistance: No 
   
  The subject of the spell is surrounded by an invisible 
  aura that anticipates and delays teleportation of any 
  creature into the spell’s area. Any teleportation spell or 
  effect (including all spells with the teleportation 
  description) can be anticipated, making the spells 
  recipient instantly aware of the exact location where 
  the teleporting creature will arrive (subject to 
  restrictions below), the creatures size and how many 
  other creatures (and their size) are arriving with it. The 
  spell also delays the arrival of the teleporting creature 
  by 1 round, so it arrives on its own initiative count 
  immediately before its next turn, generally giving the 
  recipient of the spell and anyone else made aware of 
  the information 1 round to act or ready weapons. The 
  teleporting creature(s) do not perceive this delay.  
   
  Since the teleporting creature does not necessarily 
  arrive at the precise location it intends, this spell 
  affects a creature arriving in range, even if its original 
  destination was elsewhere. For a creature that intends 
  to teleport into range but inadvertently arrives outside 
  the spell’s area, the spell gives the recipient awareness 
  that a creature has attempted to teleport into range and 
  delays the creature as normal, but doesn’t give any 
  awareness as to the actual location of it’s imminent 
  arrival. The spell has no effect on creatures attempting 
  to teleport away from the spell’s area, though if their 
  destination is within the area, the spell will affect re-
  entry as normal. 
   
  Focus: A tiny hourglass of platinum and crystal 
  costing 500 gp, which must be carried or worn by the 
  spell’s recipient while the spell is in effect. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 13 
   
  Arc of Lightning  
  Conjuration (Creation) [Electricity]  
  Level: Druid 4, sorcerer/wizard 5, warmage 5 
  Components: V, S, M/DF  
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./21evels)  
  Area: A line between two creatures  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: Reflex half  
  Spell Resistance: No  
   
  You create natural conductivity between two creatures, 
  and a bolt of electricity arcs between them. This bolt 
  deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per caster level 
  (maximum 15d6) to both creatures and to anything in 
  the line between them.  
   
  Both creatures must be in range, and you must be 
  able to target them both (as if this spell had them as its 
  targets). Draw the line from any corner in one 
  creature's space to any corner in the other's space. The 
  bolt affects all creatures in this line. 
   
  Arcane Material Component: Two small iron rods. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 15 
   
  Blades of Fire  
  Conjuration (Creation) [Fire]  
  Level: Ranger 1, sorcerer/wizard 1, warmage 2  
  Components: V  
  Casting Time: 1 swift action  
  Range: Touch  
  Targets: Up to two melee weapons you are wielding  
  Duration: 1 round  
  Saving Throw: None  
  Spell Resistance: No 
   
  Your melee weapons each deal an extra 1d8 points of 
  fire damage. This damage stacks with any energy 
  damage your weapons already deal. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 31 
   
  Blast of Flame 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Fire]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4, warmage 4  
  Components: V, S, M  
  Casting Time: 1 Standard action  
  Range: 60 ft.  
  Area: Cone-shaped burst  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: Reflex half  
  Spell Resistance: No  
   
  Flames fill the area, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage 
  per caster level (maximum 10d6) to any creature in the 
  area that fails its saving throw.  
   
  Material Component: A bit of wick soaked in oil.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 31 
   
  Chain Missile 
  Evocation [Force] 
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3 
  Components: V, S 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) 
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  Target: One creature, plus one more creature/2 levels 
  (each of which must be within 30 ft. of the primary 
  target) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Saving Throw: None 
  Spell Resistance: Yes 
   
  Missiles of magical energy dart from your fingertip to 
  unerringly strike a creature. The missiles strike one 
  creature initially, then spring to other targets. Each 
  missile deals 1d4+1 points of force damage. One 
  missile strikes the primary target per two caster levels, 
  to a maximum of ten missiles (dealing 10d4+10 points 
  of damage). After the missiles strike, they ricochet to a 
  number of targets up to the number of missiles created 
  by the spell. Each secondary target takes 1d4+1 points 
  of damage, as if struck by a single magic missile. You 
  choose secondary targets as you like, but they must all 
  be within 30 feet of the primary target, and no 
  secondary target can be struck more than once. You 
  can choose to affect fewer secondary targets than the 
  maximum (to avoid allies in the area, for example). 
  Missiles without a secondary target do not ricochet off 
  the primary target. 
   
  Spells, magic items, and abilities that protect 
  against magic missile (such as the shield spell or a brooch 
  of shielding) also protect against this spell. If the 
  primary target has that sort of protection, the spell has 
  no effect against it but still springs to all secondary 
  targets. (A brooch of shielding loses a number of charges 
  equal to the number of missiles hitting the creature – 
  up to ten missiles.) If spell resistance causes the spell to 
  fail to harm the primary target, the spell fails and 
  missiles do not ricochet to additional targets. 
   
  The missiles strike unerringly, even if the targets 
  are in melee or have anything less than total cover or 
  concealment. You cannot single out specific parts of a 
  creature to strike. This spell cannot target or damage 
  inanimate objects. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 44. 
   
  Fireburst 
  Evocation [Fire] 
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 2 
  Components: V, S, M 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: 10 ft. 
  Effect: Burst of fire extending 10 ft. from you 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Saving Throw: Reflex half 
  Spell Resistance: Yes 
   
  Fireburst causes a powerful explosion of flame to burst 
  from you, damaging anyone within 10 feet of you. All 
  creatures and objects within that area, except for you 
  and any creatures or objects that share your space, take 
  1d8 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 
  5d8). 
   
  Material Component: A bit of sulfur. 
    
  Fireburst, Greater 
  Source: Spell Compendium 93. 
  Evocation [Fire]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 5, warmage 5  
  Effect: Burst of fire extending 15 ft. from you  
   
  This spell functions like fireburst, except that it affects 
  creatures within 15 feet of you and deals 1d10 points of 
  fire damage per caster level (maximum of 15d10). 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 94 
   
  Hail of Stone 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Earth] 
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1 
  Components: V, S, M 
  Casting Time: 1 round 
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) 
  Area: Cylinder (5-ft. radius, 40 ft. high) 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Saving Throw: None 
  Spell Resistance: No 
   
  You create a rain of stones that deals 1d4 points of 
  damage per caster level (maximum 5d4) to creatures 
  and objects within the area. 
   
  Material Component: A piece of jade worth at least 5 
  gp. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 108. 
   
  Ice Dagger 
  Evocation [Cold] 
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1 
  Components: V, S, M 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) 
  Effect: Dagger of ice 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Saving Throw: None 
  Spell Resistance: Yes 
   
  The ice dagger created by this spell launches itself at a 
  target. Treat the attack as a thrown splash weapon (PH 
  158) that requires a ranged touch attack to hit. The ice 
  dagger deals 1d4 points of cold damage to the target 
  per cast level (maximum 5d4), and splash damage of 1 
  point of cold damage to adjacent creatures. 
   
  Material Component: A few drops of water made 
  from melted ice. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 118. 
   
  Ice Knife 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Cold]  
  Level: Assassin 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, warmage 2, wu jen 
  2 (water) 
  Components: S, M  
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)  
  Effect: One icy missile  
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  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial or Reflex half; see text 
  Spell Resistance: Yes  
   
  You must succeed on a normal ranged attack to hit 
  (with a +2 bonus on the attack roll for every two caster 
  levels). If it hits, an ice knife deals 2d8 points of cold 
  damage and 2 points of Dexterity damage (a successful 
  Fortitude save negates the Dexterity damage). 
  Creatures that have immunity to cold also take no 
  Dexterity damage automatically. 
   
  A knife that misses creates a shower of ice crystals 
  in a 10-foot-radius burst (see Missing with a Thrown 
  Weapon, PH 158, to determine where the shard hits). 
  The icy burst deals 1d8 points of cold damage to all 
  creatures within the area (Reflex half). 
   
  Material Component: A drop of water or piece of ice. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 119 
   
  Insignia of Healing 
  Conjuration (Healing) 
  Level: Bard 3, cleric 3 
  Components: V, S, F 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Saving Throw: Will half (harmless); see text 
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) 
   
  This spell heals all wearers of a specific insignia with 
  positive energy. The spell cures 1d8 points of damage 
  +1 
  point 
  per 
  caster 
  level  
  (maximum +10). 
   
  Since undead are powered by negative energy, this 
  spell deals damage to them instead of curing their 
  wounds. Any undead creature can apply spell 
  resistance and attempt a Will save to take half damage. 
   
  This spell requires significant preparation. Before 
  using this spell you must forge specially crafted 
  insignias. These can be crafted in the form of amulets, 
  badges, rings, or any similar object, but each one must 
  bear he same logo, crest, or symbol. 
   
  Focus: A specially prepared insignia (see above). 
   
  Source: Races of Destiny 166. 
   
  Orb of Acid 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Acid]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4, warmage 4  
  Components: V, S  
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2Ievels) Effect: One orb of 
  acid  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text  
  Spell Resistance: No  
   
  An orb of acid about 3 inches across shoots from your 
  palm at its target, dealing 1d6 points of acid damage per 
  caster level (maximum 15d6). You must succeed on a 
  ranged touch attack to hit your target.  
   
  A creature struck by the orb takes damage and 
  becomes sickened by the acid's noxious fumes for 1 
  round. A successful Fortitude save negates the 
  sickened effect but does not reduce the damage.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 150 
   
  Orb of Acid, Lesser 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Acid]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1, warmage 1  
  Components: V, S  
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2Ievels) Effect: One orb of 
  acid  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: None  
  Spell Resistance: No  
   
  An orb of acid about 2 inches across shoots from your 
  palm at its target, dealing 1d8 points of acid damage. 
  You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit your 
  target.  
   
  For every two caster levels beyond 1st, your orb 
  deals an additional 1d8 points of damage: 2d8 at 3rd 
  level, 3d8 at 5th level, 4d8 at 7th level, and the 
  maximum of 5d8 at 9th level or higher.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 150 
   
  Orb of Cold 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Cold]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4, warmage 4 
  Components: V, S 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)  
  Effect: One orb of cold  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial  
  Spell Resistance: No 
   
  This spell functions like orb of acid, except that it deals 
  cold damage. In addition, a creature struck by an orb of 
  cold must make a Fortitude save or be blinded for 1 
  round instead of being quickened.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 151 
   
  Orb of Cold, Lesser 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Cold]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1, warmage 1  
  Effect: One orb of cold  
   
  This spell functions like lesser orb of acid, except that it 
  deals cold damage.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 151 
   
  Orb of Electricity 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Electricity]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4, warmage 4 
  Components: V, S 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)  
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  Effect: One orb of electricity  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial  
  Spell Resistance: No  
   
  This spell functions like orb of acid, except that it deals 
  electricity damage. In addition, a creature wearing 
  metal armor struck by an orb of electricity must make a 
  Fortitude save or be entangled for 1 round instead of 
  being sickened.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 151 
   
  Orb of Electricity, Lesser 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Electricity]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1, warmage 1  
  Effect: One orb of electricity  
   
  This spell functions like lesser orb of acid, except that it 
  deals electricity damage.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 151 
   
  Orb of Fire 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Fire]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4, warmage 4  
  Components: V, S 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 level ) 
  Effect: One orb of fire  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial  
  Spell Resistance: No  
   
  This spell functions like orb of acid, except that it deals 
  fire damage. In addition, a creature struck by an orb of 
  fire must make a Fortitude save or be dazed for 1 round 
  instead of being sickened.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 151 
   
  Orb of Fire, Lesser 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Fire]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1, warmage 1 
  Effect: One orb of fire  
   
  This spell functions like lesser orb of acid, except it deals 
  fire damage.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 151 
   
  Orb of Force 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Force]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4, warmage 4  
  Components: V, S  
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)  
  Effect: One orb of force  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: None  
  Spell Resistance: No  
   
  You create a globe of force 3 inches across, which 
  streaks from your palm toward your target. You must 
  succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit the target. The 
  orb deals a total of 1d6 points of damage per caster level 
  (maximum 10d6).  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 151 
   
  Orb of Sound 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Sonic] 
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4, warmage 4  
  Components: V,  
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels  
  Effect: One orb of sonic energy  
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial  
  Spell Resistance: No  
   
  This spell functions like orb of acid, except that it deals 
  1d4 points of sonic damage per level (maximum 15d4). 
  In addition, a creature struck by an orb of sound must 
  make a Fortitude save or be deafened for 1 round 
  instead of being sickened.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 151 
   
  Orb of Sound, Lesser 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Sonic]  
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1, warmage 1  
  Effect: One orb of sonic energy  
   
  This spell functions like lesser orb of acid, except it deals 
  1d6 points of sonic damage, plus an additional 1d6 
  points of damage per two caster levels beyond 1st: 2d6 
  at 3rd level, 3d6 at 5th level, 4d6 at 7th level, and the 
  maximum of 5d6 at 9th level or higher.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 151 
   
  Recitation 
  Conjuration (Creation) 
  Level: Cleric 4, purification 3 
  Components: V, S, DF 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: 60 ft. 
  Area: all allies and foes within a 60-ft.-radius burst 
  centered on you 
  Duration: 1 round/level 
  Saving Throw: None 
  Spell Resistance: Yes 
   
  This spell affects all allies within the spell’s area at the 
  moment you cast it. Your allies gain a +2 luck bonus to 
  AC, on attack rolls, and on saving throws, or a +3 luck 
  bonus if they worship the same deity as you. 
   
  Divine Focus: In addition to your holy symbol, this 
  spell requires a sacred text as a divine focus. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 170. 
   
  Ring of Blades 
  Conjuration (Creation) 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 61 
  
  Level: Cleric 3 
  Components: V, S, M 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Personal 
  Target: You 
  Duration: 1 minute/level 
   
  This spell conjures a horizontal ring of swirling metal 
  blades around you.  The ring extends 5 feet from you, 
  into all squares adjacent to your space, and it moves 
  with you as you move. Each round, at the beginning of 
  your turn, and also when you cast the spell, the blades 
  deal 1d6 points of damage +1 point per caster level 
  (maximum +10) to all creatures in the affected area. 
   
  Spell resistance does not apply to the damage 
  dealt, but a creature’s damage reduction does apply. 
  The blades are treated as magic, silvered, and slashing 
  for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. 
   
  Material Component: A small dagger. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 177. 
   
  Swim 
  Transmutation [Water] 
  Level: Druid 2, sorcerer/wizard 2 
  Components: V, S, M 
  Casting Time: 1 round 
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./ level) 
  Target: One creature 
  Duration: 10 minutes/level (D) 
  Saving Throw: None 
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) 
   
  Making the sound of crushing waves with your throat 
  completes the spell. With a wave of your hand, the subject 
  seems more streamlined, with a hint of webbed appendages. 
   
  This spell gives the recipient a swim speed of 30 feet 
  (although not the ability to breathe underwater or hold 
  one’s breath beyond normal limits). As long as the 
  creature isn’t carrying more than a light load, it can 
  swim without making Swim checks. It also gains a +8 
  bonus on any Swim checks to perform special actions 
  or avoid hazards, though it still takes the normal 
  penalty for weight carried (-1 per 5 pounds). The 
  recipient can choose to take 10 on Swim checks, even 
  if rushed or threatened, and can use the run action 
  while swimming if it swims in a straight line. 
   
  If the creature is carrying more than a light load, it 
  must make Swim checks to move (taking the normal 
  penalty for weight carried) but all other benefits of the 
  spell still apply. 
   
  Material Component: a goldfish scale. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 217 
   
  Touch of Madness 
  Enchantment [Mind-Affecting] 
  Level: Madness 2 
  Components: V, S 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Touch 
  Target: Creature touched 
  Duration: 1 round/level 
  Saving Throw: Will negates 
  Spell Resistance: Yes 
   
  You can cause one living creature to become dazed by 
  making a successful touch attack. If the target creature 
  does not make a successful Will save, its mind is 
  clouded and it takes no actions for 1 round per caster 
  level. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 221. 
   
  Whirling Blade 
  Transmutation  
  Level: Bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, warmage 2  
  Components: V, S, F  
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: 60 ft.  
  Effect: 60-ft. line  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: None  
  Spell Resistance: No  
   
  You hurl a weapon held at the time of casting, and it 
  magically attacks all enemies along a line to the extent 
  of the spell’s range. You make a normal melee attack, 
  just as if you were attacking with the weapon in melee, 
  against each foe in the weapon’s path, but you can 
  choose to substitute your Intelligence modifier or your 
  Charisma modifier (as appropriate for your spellcasting 
  class) for your Strength modifier on the weapon’s 
  attack rolls and damage rolls. Even if your base attack 
  bonus would normally give you multiple attacks, a 
  whirling blade gets only one attack (at your best attack 
  bonus) against each target. The weapon deals damage 
  just as if you had swung it in melee, including any 
  bonuses you might have from ability scores or feats. 
   
  No matter how many targets your weapon hits or 
  misses, it instantly and unerringly returns to your hand 
  after attempting the last of its attacks.  
   
  Focus: A slashing melee weapon that the caster 
  hurls. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 238. 
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 62 
  
  DM MAPS 
  5, 6 AND 7: SIDE VIEW 
   
   
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 63 
  
  5: PRISONERS OF THE MIND AND  
  6: MASTERS OF MIND 
   
   
   
  1 square = 10 ft. 
   
  F. Shaft leading up to shaft F in Encounter 7 (joining with the shaft on the opposite site) 
  G. Shaft connecting Area G in Encounter 5 with Area G in Encounter 6 
  H. Corridor H. leading to similarly marked corridor on the other side 
  I. Corridor I. leading to similarly marked corridor on the other side 
  J. Shaft connecting Area J in Encounter 5 with Area J in Encounter 6 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 64 
  
  7: GATE OF MADNESS 
   
  1 square equals 5 ft. 
   
  A. Central Pool, entrance to the Spiral Below under the portal.  
  B. 
  Southern Pool, entrance to Spiral Below 
  C. Western Pool, entrance to Spiral Below 
  D. Northern Pool, entrance to Spiral Below 
  E. 
  Eastern Pool, entrance to Spiral Below 
  F. 
  Shaft leading to living areas lower into the lake and stalagmite (it splits into 2, leading to the shaft 
  marked with an F in Encounter 6 map) 
   
  The gray circles are the locations of the elder eidolons (if present). 
   
  Note that the 4 corridors on the top floor lead to small plateaus at the surface of the lake. 
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 65 
  
  PLAYER HANDOUT 1:  
  INVITATION CHURCH OF ZILCHUS 
  Dear [PC’s name], 
  In the recent past you have helped us deal with a group of raiders in the northern parts 
  of the Hollow Highlands. Now that these raiders have been dealt with it is time to 
  learn who or what supported them to prevent a resurrection of the problem. For this we 
  require the aid of stalwart adventurers and your name was mentioned by my superiors. 
  Do not worry that this investigation might bring you in conflict with any loyalties 
  towards Sunndi or the Hollow Highland clans. While the identity and nature of the 
  support is a mystery, it is certainly not coming from Sunndi or the clans. You will be 
  well rewarded for the job. If interested, please visit me at tomorrow noon in the Crystal 
  Goblet. Lunch will be provided. 
  Yours sincerely, 
   
  Master Havel of Zilchus, 
  Master of Mediators 
   
   
   
   
  PLAYER HANDOUT 2:  
  INVITATION CHURCH OF ZILCHUS 
  Dear [PC’s name], 
  The Church of the Great Guildmaster is looking for able adventurers for an important 
  job that concerns the security of Ahlissa and Sunndi. Your name came highly 
  recommended by my superiors due to the services you provided to our church in the past. 
  As always the reward for a successful job is well worth your time and trouble. If 
  interested, please visit me at tomorrow noon in the Crystal Goblet. Lunch will be 
  provided. 
  Yours sincerely, 
   
  Master Havel of Zilchus, 
  Master of Mediators  
   
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 66 
  
  ESA8-01 Calling of the Mines 
   
  Page 67 
  PLAYER HANDOUT 3:  
  INVITATION CHURCH OF ZILCHUS 
  Dear adventurer, 
  The Church of the Great Guildmaster is looking for able adventurers for an important 
  job that concerns the security of Ahlissa and Sunndi. As always the reward for a 
  successful job is well worth your time and trouble. If interested, please visit me at 
  tomorrow noon in the Crystal Goblet. Lunch will be provided. 
  Yours sincerely, 
   
  Master Havel of Zilchus, 
  Master of Mediators  
   
   
   
   
  PLAYER HANDOUT 4:  
  NOTE 
  The Voices. Always whispering in our dreams. Only in the 
  shrine is it quiet. She protected me, but I cannot hide 
  anymore. 
   
  All the miners went to the Lake. The voices lured them. 
  They are doomed. They will all be taken below into the 
  Mines. I wonder if these are the lucky ones? Or are 
  those who died by their friends’ hands lucky? 
   
  I cannot stay hiding like a coward. That is not why she 
  protected me. I must help the miners.  I am but a lesser 
  servant. I know that all I can do is to lessen their 
  suffering, but the Stonewife will send more powerful 
  agents. The supplies are for them… you. May it help you 
  rescuing us. 
   
  Barr of the Samryntar, 
  Servant of Ulaa 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Meta-Region The Splintered Suns/598/Normal Scenarios/ESA8-01 - Calling of the Mines (APL 6-14)/ESA8-01 - Calling of the Mines.pdf