TEXT: KEO7-06 
   
   
   
   
  Bright Scaled Horror 
  A One-Round D&D® LIVING GREYHAWKTM  
  Keoland Regional Adventure 
  Version 2.3 
   
  by Charles Skidmore 
  Reviewer: Keoland Triad 
   
  Circle Reviewer: Steven Conforti 
  A delicate balance within Keoland has been destroyed, and an ancient enemy of the Empire has chosen 
  this time to strike. Godakin Keep on the western border of the Empire has fallen to treachery and now 
  flies a foreign banner. However, all is not darkness, as a powerful relic has been snatched from the 
  grasping claws of the enemy and travels to the hands of the King. As a black tide surges eastward on the 
  heels of the relic, a strange messenger arrives in the town of Black Top with a message of hope.  Will a 
  hastily convened council of heroes be able to take advantage of the message, or will it be drowned by the 
  black tide of war?  
  A roleplaying intensive Keoland regional adventure for APLs 6-12, and Part Three of the To the Last Man 
  Standing series. This is a direct sequel to KEO6-04 Old Sins Cast Long Shadows and KEO7-04 
  Castlefall. It is recommended that those adventures be played first if possible. 
   
   
  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 coincidental. © 2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc and the 
  adventure author or authors. 
   
  Visit the LIVING GREYHAWK website at www.rpga.com. 
  For questions specific to this document and your region please e-mail your triad point of contact (POC) at 
  keolandpoc@adelphia.net.  For LIVING GREYHAWK campaign questions email rpgahq@wizards.com. 
  
  RPGA SANCTIONED PLAY 
  Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of 
  an RPGA even from the RPGA website, or you 
  received it from your senior gamemaster. To play 
  this adventure as part of the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  campaign—a worldwide, ongoing D&D campaign 
  set in the GREYHAWK setting—you must sanction it 
  as part of an RPGA event. This event could be as 
  elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a 
  group of friends meeting at the DM’s house.  
   
  To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at 
  least a HERALD-LEVEL gamemaster. The person 
  who sanctions the event is called the senior 
  gamemaster, and is in charge of making sure the 
  event is sanctioned before play, runs smoothly on 
  the date sanctioned, and then reported back to the 
  RPGA in a timely manner. The person who runs 
  the game is called the table Dungeon Master (or 
  usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all the 
  time in the cases of home events) the senior 
  gamemaster is also the table DM. You don’t have 
  to be a HERALD-LEVEL GM to run this adventure if 
  you are not the senior GM.  
   
  By sanctioning 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 player 
  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, 2007.  
   
  To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character creation and development, RPGA event 
  sanctioning, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS, 
  visit the RPGA website at www.rpga.com. 
  PLAYERS READ NO 
  FARTHER 
  If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop 
  reading now. The rest of the information in this 
  adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther 
  than this section, you’ll know too much about its 
  challenges, which kills the fun. Also, if you’re 
  playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-
  sanctioned event, reading beyond this point 
  makes you ineligible to do so.
  PREPARING FOR PLAY 
  To get the most out of this adventure, you need 
  copies of the following D&D books: Player’s 
  Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the 
  Monster Manual.  
  Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics 
  provides player information for you to paraphrase 
  or read aloud when appropriate. Sidebars contain 
  important information for you, including special 
  instruction on running the adventure. Information 
  on nonplayer characters (NPCs) and monsters 
  appear in abbreviated form in the adventure text. 
  Full information on NPCs and monsters are given 
  in the Appendices.  
  Along with this adventure you’ll find a RPGA Table 
  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).  
  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 determine this modified Average 
  Party Level (APL) follow the steps below: 
  1. Determine the character level for each of the 
  PCs participating in the adventure. 
  2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for 
  combat (most likely dogs trained for war), 
  other than those brought by virtue of a class 
  ability (such as animal companions, familiars 
  paladin’s mounts) or the warhorse of a 
  character with the Mounted Combat feat, use 
  the sidebar chart to determine the number of 
  levels you add to the sum of step one. Add 
  each character’s animals separately. A single 
  PC may only bring four or fewer animals of 
  this type, and animals with different CRs are 
  added separately.  
  3. Sum the results of step 1 and 2, and divide by 
  the number of characters playing in the 
  adventure. Round to the nearest whole 
  number. 
  4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one 
  to that average. 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 1 
  
  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. If a player character is three character 
  levels or more either higher or lower than the APL 
  at which this adventure is being played, that 
  character receives only one-half of the experience 
  points and gold for 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.  
   
  Furthermore, a PC who is four or more levels 
  higher than the highest APL supported by the 
  adventure may not play the adventure. 
   
   
  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. 
  TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP 
  This is a standard one-round Regional adventure, 
  set in Keoland.  Characters native to Keoland pay 
  one Time Unit per round, all others pay two 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 will retain temporary ability damage until 
  the 
  next 
  adventure, 
  must 
  buy 
  new 
  spell 
  component pouches and healer’s kits, and may 
  suffer other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-
  game benefits) as may be detailed in this 
  adventure. 
   
  A character who does not pay for at least 
  Standard Upkeep may also avoid the above-
  described penalties by living off the wild.  If the 
  character possesses four or more ranks in the 
  Survival skill and succeeds at a Survival check 
  (DC 20), the character will heal temporary ability 
  damage as if he or she paid for Standard Upkeep, 
  may refill spell component pouches and healer’s 
  kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if 
  the character has at least four ranks in Craft 
  (bowmaking).  The player is allowed to Take 10 on 
  this roll. 
  # of Animals 
  Mundane 
  Animals Effect 
  on APL 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  1/4 & 1/6 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1/3 & 1/2 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  4 
  4 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  5 
  5 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  6 
  6 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  CR of Animal 
  7 
  7 
  9 
  10 
  11 
   
  More information about Lifestyle and Upkeep 
  can be found in the “Lifestyle and Upkeep” section 
  of Chapter 3 of the LIVING GREYHAWK Campaign 
  Sourcebook. 
  ADVENTURE BACKGROUND 
  Godakin Keep on the western border of Keoland 
  has been sacked by an enemy force of unknown 
  origin. When word of the troubles reached the ear 
  of King Kimbertos, he responded by sending first a 
  squad of Royal Standards to investigate and then 
  following up with a band of adventurers when the 
  Royal Standards were killed to the last man. 
  The adventurers were given a specific set of 
  orders. They were to scout the Keep in force and 
  determine what had befallen it. If the Keep was in 
  enemy hands, the adventurers were to sneak into 
  the Keep through a hidden passage and attempt 
  to destroy a pair of stone seals underground that 
  would flood Keep by letting the Javan River in.  
  The heroes that journeyed to Godakin Keep 
  discovered that the Keep had indeed fallen into 
  enemy hands and a foreign banner flew from the 
  ruined towers. When they made their way into the 
  Keep, they discovered that some Royal Standards 
  were still alive and being used as sport for the 
  conquerors, a race of creatures known as the 
  Marru. 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 2 
  
  Moving to complete their mission the heroes were 
  able to destroy one seal rather easily but then 
  stumbled upon the real reason for Godakin Keep’s 
  construction; The Vault of the Hollow. 
  The Vault of the Hollow is a magically created cyst 
  demiplane that opens underneath Godakin Keep. 
  In the early days of the Empire the Silent Ones 
  discovered a powerful relic and decided that the 
  relic was too important to risk moving, as an 
  ancient prophecy hinted that exposing the relic to 
  sunlight would yield horrible results.  
  In order to safeguard the relic the Silent Ones 
  created a test and enlisted a guardian. The 
  guardian was an Old Brass Dragon named 
  Illiasnirath. Illiasnirath’s price for guarding the vault 
  was an oath from the King and from the Silent 
  Ones that all Dragonkind would be allowed to 
  roost in Keoland without fear of attack. The 
  knowledge of this oath became the purview of the 
  Silent Ones and through the years they decided 
  that the threat to the relic was nonexistent, and so 
  common knowledge of this oath faded. 
  Unfortunately, King Kimbertos Skotti unknowingly 
  violated this oath when he commanded several 
  groups of powerful adventurers to hunt down and 
  kill the Black Dragon Aulicus because Aulicus 
  delivered a prophecy that detailed King Kimbertos’ 
  death. 
  Aulicus fulfilled a very important role within 
  Keoland. At any given time one dragon who 
  resides within Keoland holds the mantle of the 
  Dragonkind Prophet. This mantle can belong to 
  any type of dragon, simply passing to another 
  available dragon when the current Prophet dies or 
  leaves the Kingdom. The Dragonkind Prophet is 
  known to relate many visions, and the existence of 
  the Prophet is the reason that Dragon Rock in 
  Niole Dra exists. Dragon Rock is the location that 
  the Dragonkind Prophet must journey to in order to 
  give its pronouncements. Unfortunately it had 
  been several hundred years since a prophecy had 
  been delivered and so knowledge of Dragon 
  Rock’s purpose was lost to all but the most 
  learned of scholars. 
  With Aulicus’ death, the mantle of prophecy has 
  since passed to the Brass Dragon Xasnelre, who 
  is the direct descendant of the guardian Illiasnirath 
  from the Vault of the Hollow. Xasnelre lives a quiet 
  existence in the Good Hills of Keoland, subject of 
  many rumors throughout the area. 
  The forces of woe now moving through the 
  Kingdom are now seeking to kill Xasnelre. Their 
  goal in this is to both slay a metallic dragon who 
  might oppose their goals and to move the mantle 
  of prophecy onto the dragon who has sided with 
  them, a half-brass, half-blue monstrosity known as 
  Sullinax. 
  The leader of the forces now sweeping across 
  Keoland is calling itself “The Returned”, and has 
  started to band together disparate tribes of 
  demihumans and other disaffected peoples, 
  offering them a new place in its empire when the 
  fighting is finished. A group of giants loyal to the 
  Sakhut from Geoff have accepted The Returned’s 
  offer and are now the vanguard of the force 
  seeking Xasnelre. 
  Meanwhile, the relic was safely removed from the 
  Vault of the Hollow by the adventurers and spirited 
  away ahead of the swarming forces of woe that 
  are starting to spread across the land.  
  The removal of the relic from its resting place, the 
  death of the dragon Illiasnirath, and the invasion of 
  Keoland have stricken such a blow to the Balance 
  that agents of the Balance have been forced into 
  action in an effort to prevent the situation from 
  worsening. Limited in their ability to interfere, one 
  of these agents arrives in Black Top in the Good 
  Hills to warn the Keoish people of the threat they 
  face and to guide them towards meeting their 
  longtime neighbor Xasnelre before the forces of 
  The Returned find Xasnelre and kill him      
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY 
  In the Introduction the heroes are brought up to 
  speed on the most recent occurrences in the 
  Kingdom and introduced to each other. They are 
  summoned by Stoakdor Neheli, who has taken up 
  temporary residence in Black Top in order to 
  better assist the Kingdom in its time of need. The 
  heroes are introduced to the Agent of Balance. 
  In Encounter One, the heroes begin their search 
  for the roost that belongs to Xasnelre. Using 
  magical means and with the assistance of the 
  Agent of Balance, they find Xasnelre’s lair. 
  In Encounter Two, the heroes enter the lair of 
  Xasnelre and must navigate a series of mostly 
  harmless traps and tricks while Xasnelre attempts 
  to judge their sense of humor.  
  In Encounter Three, the heroes meet with an 
  illusory Xasnelre and are given the opportunity to 
  explore his lair and steal from its horde, allowing 
  Xasnelre to judge their inquisitiveness and greed. 
  In Encounter Four, Xasnelre puts a task to the 
  heroes that requires them to work together to 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 3 
  
  succeed, allowing him to judge their ability to 
  cooperate in the face of adverse circumstances. 
  In Encounter Five, Xasnelre appears to the heroes 
  in the flesh and listens to their mission. Based on 
  the heroes’ performance in the earlier encounters, 
  Xasnelre will either trust the heroes or not. 
  Interrupting the conversation will be a small force 
  searching for Xasnelre to kill him. Xasnelre will 
  ask for the heroes to convince the interlopers to 
  leave and will provide them with an opportunity to 
  play a series of pranks in order to drive off the 
  search party. Alternately, the heroes may simply 
  attempt to kill the invaders. 
  In Encounter Six, the heroes watch as Xasnelre is 
  overcome by the mantle of the prophet and begins 
  to spout a prophecy. At the same time, the elven 
  scout Talkia accidentally sets off a complicated 
  trap and requires the heroes to aid her. 
  In Encounter Seven, If the heroes have gained his 
  trust he will ask one of them to accompany him as 
  a rider to Dragon Rock, where he will relay the 
  prophecy to the Kingdom as a whole 
  In Encounter Eight, the heroes return to Blacktop 
  in order to relay the success or failure of their 
  mission.  
  PREPARATION FOR PLAY 
  This adventure is designed as a roleplaying-
  intensive excursion into some of Keoland’s most 
  important lore. As such, this is NOT an adventure 
  designed to be run at a midnight madness slot, or 
  without some mild preparation.  
  The most important adjustment for you to make as 
  a DM is to determine if any of the heroes have 
  played KEO7-04 Castlefall, This adventure is a 
  direct sequel to KEO7-04 and if the players have 
  the chance to participate in each adventure 
  sequentially they will understand more easily. 
  This adventure is designed with; at most, one 
  combat and that combat can be avoided or 
  shortened. So it is essential that you keep your 
  players entertained because they will not have the 
  opportunity to simply smash things unless they 
  have veered wildly off the beaten path. If that 
  happened, you’re on your own.  
  This adventure contains more than the usual 
  amount of read-aloud text. This is intentional, to 
  help guide DMs through an adventure that already 
  requires more than the usual preparation time. 
  Once you are familiar with the adventure, feel free 
  to remove or modify the read-aloud text to suit 
  your individual table. 
  There are several locations where illusion use is 
  prominent. Unless otherwise noted, all Will save 
  DCs to piece illusions are APL+15. 
  INTRODUCTION 
  The summer sun rises fast and hot over the 
  Good Hills Union that runs for a lengthy 
  stretch of Keoland’s territory. Boasting the 
  Kingdom’s highest points of elevation, the 
  Good Hills Union is also home to some of the 
  more well known Halfling and Gnome clans 
  still living within the country.  
  The Good Hills themselves are the site of many 
  momentous 
  meetings 
  in 
  the 
  Kingdom’s 
  history. It is among these gently rolling hills 
  that Suel and Demihuman were able to meet in 
  peace with the intercession of their Oerdian 
  neighbors. It is here that many hasty councils 
  of war were convened during Keoland’s 
  imperialistic expansion, and recently it has 
  held many meetings on the subjects of 
  taxation and the renewed pressure from Count 
  Manz of Cryllor to root out what he claims are 
  bandits from the hills laying waste to his trade 
  routes.  
  These meetings often take place in the historic 
  town of Black Top. With a population of under 
  a thousand people, Black Top is often more of 
  a seasonal meeting place than a year-round 
  theatre of discussion.  
  Today, however, Black Top is a bustle of 
  activity. The sleepy little meeting town has 
  been practically overrun by a haggard looking 
  force of Keoish Royal Standards, their horses 
  nearly lathered to death from the forced march 
  that carried them here. The Royal Standards 
  are quickly and efficiently erecting a wooden 
  palisade around the town, drafting the town’s 
  craftsmen into the effort. By the look in the 
  eyes of many, this preparation has been going 
  on around the clock, and the palisade is not 
  nearly half complete. 
  Adding to this, it is plain to your eyes that the 
  townsfolk have no comprehension of what has 
  caused the Royal Standards to descend upon 
  their town like a horde of ants. Frightened 
  people wonder openly if they should flee Black 
  Top or stay with the protection of the Royal 
  Standards. What could be so horrific that 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 4 
  
  necessitated the erecting of defenses and the 
  silence 
  of 
  the 
  formerly 
  friendly 
  Royal 
  Standards? 
  You have come to Black Top because of a 
  strange summons you received from a Royal 
  Standard scout while traveling two days ago. 
  Apparently you are not the only one so 
  summoned. 
  Give the heroes Player Handout One: Drafted! 
  When the heroes look for the Long Blade, they are 
  easily directed towards it, as it is the largest of the 
  Inns in town. As the heroes approach it, they will 
  see that it has obviously been taken over as a 
  staging quarters by the Royal Standards. A pair of 
  Keoish banners fly from poles by the door and four 
  Royal Standards stand guard at the front door. As 
  the heroes arrive they will be interrupting a 
  meeting with several local figures of import and 
  some new comers. 
  In the meeting are the following people, with short 
  descriptions and roleplaying guides for interacting 
  with the heroes. 
  • 
  Field Marshal Perrinac Rhola Field 
  Marshal Perrinac Rhola is a typical looking 
  member of the suel aristocracy. As 
  commander of the western forces of the 
  Royal Standards, he is in charge of the 
  soldiers present. He wears a battered and 
  dented suit of Keoish Full Plate, but is 
  currently 
  holding 
  his 
  Warhelm. 
  The 
  Warhelm has a single large horn mounted 
  on it, which seems to faintly crackle. The 
  dull roar of far off thunder can be heard 
  when standing close to Perrinac. 
  Perrinac is a popular commander, stern in 
  punishment and lavish with praise. He is 
  quick to cut through bureaucracy and has 
  a keen intellect. He does not particularly 
  like or trust those who lie outside his chain 
  of command, including Silent Ones, 
  Knights Dreadwalkers, Adventurers, etc.  
  He will react favorable to any hero who is 
  an active member of the Keoish armies.
  • 
  Chancellor Stoakdor Redlee Neheli  
  Stoakdor Neheli is a Sueloise man with 
  reddish blonde hair worn long and hung in 
  a ponytail. He is thin and has pale green 
  eyes which are currently lined in red from 
  either lack of sleep or crying. Stoakdor 
  Neheli is a mage and diviner of no small 
  water. He is of learned mein and 
  deliberate speech. He is a powerful figure 
  of the nobility of Keoland, and is thought 
  by his detractors to be a practitioner of 
  black magics. 
  • 
  Blaif Rinnar. Blaif is a gnome who wears 
  comfortable looking clothes and carries no 
  visible 
  weapons. 
  He 
  wears 
  an 
  ostentatious medallion of office and is the 
  currently elected First Speaker from the 
  Good Hills in the Court of the Land. He 
  has dark hair, dark eyes, and a ruddy 
  complexion. 
  Blaif is a well spoken and articulate 
  gnome. He is possessed of a quick wit 
  and is not above directly attacking those 
  who oppose his viewpoints with verbal 
  barbs 
  aimed 
  at 
  whatever 
  may 
  be 
  imperfect in their features. Blaif is a bit of 
  a political bully but has the interests of 
  Black Top at heart.  
  • 
  Talkia Talkia is a strange elven woman 
  dressed in the traveling garb of a 
  mercenary or sellsword. She has pale 
  green eyes and lustrous red hair, with 
  several dangling silver earrings hanging 
  from each ear. Hanging around her neck 
  is a partially concealed (spot check DC 
  15) golden pendant with a ruby set within. 
  Talkia has a large black squirrel that either 
  sits in her overcoat pocket or perches on 
  Talkia’s shoulder where appropriate.  
  Talkia is quiet and reserved, seemingly 
  out of place with the other three. She 
  speaks quietly and deliberately, always 
  thinking 
  deeply 
  before 
  answering 
  a 
  question posed to her. 
  The heroes will be directed inside, where they will 
  see the following exchange. 
  The Royal Standards on guard duty quickly 
  scan your paper and send you inside the Long 
  Blade. The inn has been hastily converted to a 
  staging ground for the Royal Standards, and 
  four people stand within, in the midst of an 
  animated conversation. Two Suel men are 
  arguing with a diminutive gnome and an elven 
  woman. 
  As you enter, their conversation comes to an 
  abrupt end. The woman and the gnome move 
  to separate tables, obviously relieved.  
  The larger of the sueloise men is wearing a set 
  of full plate, and is seated at a long table that is 
  now covered with maps. A warhelm with a 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 5 
  
  large bone horn attached to the front of it 
  holds down a corner of the map. His bearing 
  quickly marks him as some kind of officer. 
  The leaner of the two sueloise looks at you and 
  smiles, 
  sketching 
  a 
  courtly 
  bow 
  before 
  speaking with an educated accent. 
  “Greetings, 
  travelers. 
  I 
  am 
  Chancellor 
  Stoakdor Redlee Neheli. What service can I 
  perform for you today?” 
  The heroes may have had some kind of interaction 
  with Stoakdor (likely in KEO5-01 For Want of a 
  King). If so, he will immediately recall them and 
  appear relieved that their missive summoned 
  capable help. Stoakdor will quickly explain that 
  they sent out scouts on each major road with 
  orders to give the missive to any and all they 
  encountered. The heroes are the only people to 
  arrive, although Stoakdor hopes that they will not 
  be the last. 
  When the heroes ask what they can do to help, or 
  about the condition of Black Top, or the 
  conversation falters, Stoakdor will introduce the 
  heroes to Field Marshal Perrinac Rhola. 
  Turning and bowing, Stoakdor waves towards 
  the man in the chair.  
  “Friends, this is Field Marshal Perrinac Rhola. 
  He can explain the situation here a bit more 
  precisely than I can.” 
  Nodding, the Field Marshal stands and smiles 
  at you, his blue eyes twinkling. 
  “Thank you for answering our summons. The 
  situation here is uncertain. We have received 
  word of a large force of raiders overwhelming 
  and destroying farmsteads to the west. The 
  town of Kilm has been entirely destroyed and 
  burned to the ground. The Royal Standards are 
  here in Black Top to build a defensive 
  structure and to form a base of operations. Our 
  goal is to find out what force dare bare blade 
  against the Lion Throne. 
  To that effect, we need capable scouts. As you 
  seem to be the sort of people we need, I 
  hereby deputize you into the Keoish Royal 
  Standards with the brevet rank of Field Scout. 
  You may draw upon the armory for any 
  reasonable gear required. 
  Your mission is to travel westward towards 
  Flen and determine what, if any, hostile forces 
  are in the Good Hills.” 
  The heroes may have quite a few questions at this 
  juncture. From here until the heroes try to leave 
  the Inn, this is a free form roleplaying encounter. 
  Each important NPC is detailed below. 
  Field Marshal Perrinac Rhola 
  Friendly towards: Most humans, anyone in a 
  military metaorg, Rholan nobility, those obviously 
  capable of physical combat, and anyone who 
  claims to have taken part in KEO7-04 Castlefall.  
  Neutral 
  towards: 
  Neheli 
  nobility, 
  sanctioned 
  spellcasters (recognized clergy, silent ones, 
  NAW), demihumans who aren’t arrogant. 
  Unfriendly towards: unsanctioned spellcasters, 
  belligerent demihumans, insolent members of a 
  military metaorg. 
  Appropriate skill checks: 
  Spot DC 15: The Field Marshal’s uniform is highly 
  decorated with medals of valor. The horn of his 
  greathelm seems to crackle with tiny bolts of 
  lightning, and when standing near him distant 
  thunder can be heard. 
  Spot DC 45: The Field Marshal is wearing very 
  subtle yet effective makeup. Unfortunately in one 
  spot near his neckline the makeup has run, and 
  one or two small blue specks that could possibly 
  be scales are visible. If asked about this, Perrinac 
  will cover it up, saying that it is the remains of a 
  childhood prank.  
  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty or Metaregion 
  One) DC 15: Field Marshal is a relatively new title 
  granted by the Lion Throne, meant to be filled by 
  capable men beholden only to the King. Of the 
  four Field Marshal posts given, they are split 
  halfway with Rhola and Neheli warriors drawn 
  from the most elite of the Royal Standards. 
  Perrinac Rhola is in charge of the Royal 
  Standards on the western border of Keoland. 
  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty or Metaregion 
  One) DC 30: Perrinac Rhola is from the March of 
  Middlemead and has been known to be a close 
  advisor to the Margrave of Middlemead, Lord 
  Kharn. Lord Kharn is, at best, tepid towards King 
  Kimbertos and has long been a proponent of 
  limiting the powers of the Lion Throne, leaving 
  responsibility in the hands of individual lords. 
  Sense Motive DC 25: (may only be made when 
  speaking to Perrinac)   
  As he speaks, the Field Marshal’s eyes dart 
  time and again to the elven woman in the 
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  room. Each time, he grimaces slightly as he 
  does so. 
  If pressed about his reaction, a Diplomacy DC 20 
  will have Perrinac tell the hero that he doesn’t trust 
  many elves after a bad personal experience, and 
  that he doesn’t like how this elf just mysteriously 
  showed 
  up 
  recently, 
  claiming 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  representative from the Dreadwood. 
  In general, Perrinac is serious about his duties 
  and wants the best possible for the people of the 
  region. He is very concerned over the goings on in 
  the region. He does not like Blaif Rinnar or Talkia, 
  and barely abides by Stoakdor’s presence but 
  does so because the man is noblility. 
  Possible questions and answers for Perrinac: 
  What exactly do you expect from us? 
  “First and foremost, to come back alive. A 
  dead scout is useless information. Evade what 
  trouble you can, and help those who might 
  need it to reach safety.” 
  What can we expect to find in terms of opposition? 
  “This is unknown. We’ve heard rumors of 
  stone giants and worgs, but those could easily 
  be ramblings of frightened peasants.” 
  “Why aren’t you telling the populace what is going 
  on?” 
  “We want to avoid full scale panic. In a week, 
  Black Top will be as secure as possible and 
  easily defensible should we need it. We don’t 
  want streams of refugees pouring east over 
  some unfounded rumors.” 
  “I’m already in the Royal Standards.” 
  “Excellent. You’re promoted and now in 
  charge of your companions here. Report to me 
  immediately when you have more information. 
  Consider yourself permanently detached from 
  your regiment; you are now a member of the 
  10th Lion’s Maw. Serve with pride.” 
  “Who are the others over there?” 
  “Blaif Rinnar is the gnome, he is First Speaker 
  to the Court of the Land, he hails from Black 
  Top. The elf is Talkia and claims to be here 
  from the Dreadwood searching for something. 
  You’ve met Stoakdor.” 
  When the heroes are done, they may speak to any 
  of the others in the room. 
  Chancellor Stoakdor Redlee Neheli 
  Friendly towards: All nobility, all sanctioned 
  spellcasters, all members of a military metaorg 
  Neutral 
  towards: 
  demihumans, 
  unsanctioned 
  spellcasters,  
  Unfriendly towards: Human of Touv descent. 
  Stoakdor will be exceedingly rude and distant to 
  any he meets. 
  Appropriate skill checks 
  Spot DC 15: Stoakdor is obviously a wizard of 
  some sort. He wears a robe lined with many 
  pockets, has a small traveling spellbook, and 
  wears nothing encumbering. 
  Spot DC 30: Stoakdor’s eyes are very weary. He 
  doesn’t seem to have slept in many days. 
  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty or Metaregion 
  One) DC 15: Stoakdor is the brother of Baron 
  Jharmok Neheli of the Barony of Shelspring, and 
  has in the past expressed interest in succeeding 
  his brother when he steps down. Stoakdor is a 
  keen ally of King Kimbertos, and has been doing 
  his best to put a fresh face of the Neheli family 
  forward in light of several damaging events that 
  have shaken the family over the last few years. 
  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty or Metaregion 
  One) DC 30: Stoakdor is well out of his usual 
  stomping 
  grounds. 
  His 
  presence 
  here 
  is 
  unexpected, to say the least, 
  Stoakdor Neheli is a noble mage in an unusual 
  position. He has put himself at undetermined 
  personal risk in order to do something at Black 
  Top. He is eager to help and agrees with most of 
  Perrinac’s plans and precautions. He likes 
  demihumans little more than Perrinac but respects 
  that this area has been home to their kind long 
  before the Kingdom was formed. 
  In general, Stoakdor will be eager to help the 
  heroes with anything that he can. 
  Possible questions and answers for Stoakdor: 
  What in the name of all that is holy are you doing 
  here? 
  “Well friends, my stake out here in Black Top 
  is a bit personal. One of my apprentices makes 
  his home in the town of Kilm, near Godakin 
  Keep. Milliken Tarvis was granted leave by me 
  to attend to his family. While he was there, he 
  sent a warning to my distant cousin, Holphin 
  Neheli. He claimed that Godakin Keep had 
  been sacked and was flying a foreign banner. 
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  If you see any sign of my apprentice in your 
  travels, please bring news to me.” 
  “Godakin Keep?” 
  “It’s on the western border of Keoland, on the 
  Javan river. It has apparently been quiet for 
  months and now something horrible has 
  happened there. Perrinac refuses to give any 
  details.” 
  “Who are the others?” 
  “Blaif Rinnar is the gnome, he is First Speaker 
  to the Court of the Land, he hails from Black 
  Top. The elf is Talkia and claims to be here 
  from the Dreadwood searching for something.” 
  After speaking with Stoakdor, the heroes may 
  speak to whomever they wish. 
  Blaif Rinnar 
  Friendly 
  towards: 
  demihumans, 
  particularly 
  gnomes. Generally anyone who shows a good 
  attitude and is friendly. 
  Neutral towards: most half-orcs, but is willing to 
  judge each individually. 
  Unfriendly towards: No one. Blaif is a consummate 
  politician. 
  Spot DC 15: Blaif is wearing comfortable and 
  stylish 
  clothes, 
  and 
  wears 
  an 
  incredibly 
  ostentatious and gaudy medallion of office. He is 
  immaculately groomed. 
  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty or Metaregion 
  One) DC 15: Blaif is First Speaker to the Court of 
  the Land and is regarded very highly by those he 
  meets. He is a political animal but he often 
  attempts to convert his opponents to his views 
  rather than see them ridiculed or destroyed. Blaif 
  believes that every enemy turned into an ally is 
  twice as valuable. 
  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty or Metaregion 
  One) DC 30: Blaif has some extensive martial 
  experience, serving as a deepwarden before 
  taking his elected position. It is rumored that he 
  brought word of a drow incursion to Black Top, 
  allowing defenses to be created and the raid to be 
  repulsed without a single loss of life.  
  Blaif Rinnar is an always-smiling politician. If 
  there’s an open hand, he is shaking it, if there is a 
  baby around, he’s kissing it. He doesn’t like the 
  intrusion of the Royal Standards and the refusal of 
  Perrinac to tell the population of the dangers they 
  are facing. Blaif wants each inhabitant to be able 
  to choose for themselves what to do in the face of 
  this problem. When roleplaying Blaif, smile a lot 
  and do your bets to remind the heroes that you’re 
  a valuable cog in the machinery of the land. If you 
  are his friend, you’re going places. 
  Can we help you in any way? 
  “You sure can. You can convince that stuck up 
  Field Marshal that this is still Keoland, and that 
  its citizens deserve the right to fair choice. Ah, 
  forget it. The sun will sooner rise in the west.  
  Actually, there is. If you bring any information 
  back to me about what you find I can better 
  prepare my friends and family for what the 
  Royal Standards obviously believe is coming. I 
  don’t want to see them hurt because of some 
  secret order demanding silence.” 
  Were there any problems in the area before the 
  Royal Standards came? 
  “Well we actually did have some outlying 
  shepherds report seeing giants, or giant 
  tracks. They’re typically not a problem, as 
  there are only a small handful of giants in the 
  Good 
  Hills 
  and 
  they 
  always 
  keep 
  to 
  themselves. We’ve even traded with them on 
  occasion, something the big folk get all upset 
  about. They seem to forget sometimes that the 
  Good Hills has always been a place for neutral 
  meetings.” 
  “Who are the others/is the elf?” 
  “The humans…well, they’re typical big folk. 
  Big ideas, big problems, right now. The elf I 
  really don’t know. She came in here late last 
  night, begged a room from me, and then asked 
  to be allowed to meet Perrinac. She claims to 
  be from the Dreadwood. I think we were about 
  to get to her problem when you walked in.”  
  Blaif winks and smiles. 
  When the heroes are done with Blaif, they may 
  talk to whomever they wish. 
  Talkia of the Dreadwood 
  Friendly towards: no one, yet. 
  Neutral towards: other elves, although she 
  remains suspicious of them. 
  Unfriendly towards: everyone else. 
  Spot DC 15: Talkia is obviously an elf maiden. 
  She has pale green eyes and lustrous red hair that 
  is tied into a triple braid. Several silver dangling 
  earrings hang from each ear. A golden necklace is 
  partially visible through the well worn garb she 
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  wears. She wears no visible armor but carries a 
  sword and has a bow leaning against the table. 
  Spot DC 30: Talkia is actually wearing armor, 
  although it is so fine and thin that she is wearing it 
  underneath her traveling garments. A small book 
  peeks out from the corner of her traveling 
  backpack, and a large black squirrel sits 
  unobtrusively behind her pack, gently playing with 
  some loose leather straps. The necklace Talkia 
  wears appears to be exceedingly well crafted. 
  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty or Metaregion 
  One) DC 15: The Dreadwood is a vast place, and 
  home to many things. Talkia is obviously not a 
  dreadwalker.  
  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty or Metaregion 
  One) DC 30: Rumors have persisted through the 
  years that there is an elven enclave within the 
  Dreadwood that pays fealty to the Lion Throne. 
  They are reputed to be exceedingly fair of skin due 
  to the lack of direct sunlight they receive. 
  Who are you and what are you doing here? 
  “I am Talkia of the Dreadwood. My business 
  here is my own.” 
  (If there is an full-blood elf in the party, read the 
  following) 
  “Tin delei depti illia xas. Firra du ret lilla.” 
  (Elven; translated directly as “I am seeking and 
  guarding. It is of small concern to you.”) 
  Isn’t it sort of unusual for one of your folk to be 
  involved in a situation like this? Perrinac said you 
  are looking for something. 
  “As I said, my business is my own, but since 
  you must know, I am searching the Good Hills 
  for my sister, who has run away” 
  (This is an outright lie. A Sense Motive DC 25 will 
  reveal this. If pressed, Talkia will look exasperated 
  and shake her head, indicating that she has no 
  more to say.) 
  In all cases, Talkia is reticent and quiet. She has 
  very little to say to the heroes and wants nothing 
  to do with them until after the following event. 
  The Agent of Balance 
  If the heroes are faltering, appear bored, or accept 
  the mission and make to leave the inn, the 
  following occurs. 
  The overwhelming heat of the day is quickly 
  brushed aside. The sounds and smells from 
  outside the inn suddenly disappear and a 
  steadily increasing bright light begins to 
  materialize over the table in the center of the 
  room. 
  With an audible sigh, a creature floats though 
  the light and hovers in midair. It is unlike 
  anything you have ever seen before. 
  Its main body is composed of ever expanding 
  blue cylinders which are spinning in opposite 
  directions. It has no legs and its arms are 
  composed of more spinning cylinders, each 
  rotating in a different direction. Where its head 
  should be is simply a pair of glowing orbs. It 
  has no visible mouth or other sensory organs. 
  When the cylinders of its body touch you can 
  hear a faint grinding of metal on metal. 
  With a voice that resounds directly into your 
  head like the ringing of a church bell, it 
  “speaks”. 
  “Peace to you, collected flesh mortals. I am the 
  one known as Quillarinx, and I am charged 
  with the persecution and destruction of those 
  who would usurp their rightful place in the 
  cosmos by challenging the gods themselves.  
  Balance in all things must be preserved, and 
  this location is a nexus for the events to come. 
  This nexus draws you all towards it, and it will 
  occur. It is inevitable.  
  However, the outcome of this nexus has not 
  been decided. Beyond the swirling and tangled 
  skein, my kind cannot see. What we do see is 
  that the forces of Woe have struck a malicious 
  blow and the scales are not even. 
  By their actions, we are free to react in turn. 
  The forces of Woe have slain the great Brass 
  dragon Illiasnirath, who would have been an 
  agent of Weal and undoubtedly an ally for you. 
  Now these same agents of Woe seek to carry 
  out 
  the 
  extermination 
  of 
  Illiasnirath’s 
  bloodline.  
  My action restores the balance and allows you 
  assembled mortals to choose your own fate. 
  To the west of here lies a rock formation that 
  resembles an opened hand when struck by the 
  dawn sun.  
  Within that rock formation, the brood of 
  Illiasnirath makes its lair.  
  The forces of Woe have sent a corrupted agent 
  of Weal and his followers to find and slay the 
  brood of Illiasnirath.” 
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  As the words echo from your mind, the 
  creature disappears, and the sounds and 
  smells of the outside world once again pour 
  into the inn. The Field Marshal looks at you 
  and sits down stunned. 
  Stoakdor looks at you, fear in his eyes. 
  “I believe you have a new mission.” 
  The Agent of Balance is an Inevitable, called a 
  Varakhut. A hero who makes a Knowledge 
  (Planes) DC 25 will know of these creatures and a 
  rough general description. 
  The heroes are once again free to decide what to 
  do and who to talk to. They can acquire any 
  reasonable traveling gear from the Royal Standard 
  Quartermaster with a writ that Perrinac’s will gladly 
  sign.  
  The heroes have some traveling to do, and an 
  unsure destination. Blaif Rinnar knows the location 
  of the rock formation the inevitable spoke of. He 
  will gladly provide the heroes with a rough map of 
  the area. 
  If the heroes have any full blooded elves in the 
  party, Talkia will pull them aside as they leave and 
  say the following. 
  “It seems that you are called by great outside 
  forces. Be wary, they rarely act directly.” 
  ENCOUNTER 1: A NEEDLE 
  IN A STACK OF NEEDLES 
  The rock formation that the heroes must find is 
  thirty miles or so to the west, in an exceptionally 
  craggy area of the good hills. If the heroes are 
  landbound, it will take them at least two days to 
  get there. The map they receive is by no means 
  perfect and the heroes must make a successful 
  Survival DC 20 check at the beginning of the 
  second day of travel in order to find the rock 
  formation. Each failed check adds 8 hours to the 
  time needed to find the formation. Each failed 
  check adds a +2 circumstance bonus to the next 
  check as the heroes search more and more of the 
  area. If the heroes go past six days without finding 
  the cave, the forces of Woe find Xasnelre and kill 
  him. The heroes have failed. 
  If the heroes use magical transportation then 
  adjust the necessary time accordingly. The 
  Survival check will still be necessary in order to 
  locate the cave entrance.  
  Use of Divine or Arcane magic in order to locate 
  the cave is acceptable per each spells’ text. 
  When the heroes have succeeded at locating the 
  cave, read the following.  
  Your search is over. A rock formation that 
  wouldn’t be worth a second glance clearly 
  resembles an open palmed hand in this light. 
  The “hand” has a small cave mouth that is 
  centered in between the second and third 
  figures.  
  When the heroes move towards the cave: 
  An eagle’s cry resounds overhead. Looking 
  up, you can see a lone bird circling far 
  overhead. 
  The heroes should have an idea that they are 
  being watched. Any attempt to catch the eagle or 
  otherwise interact with it will fail, as the eagle will 
  simply disappear if something gets within 50’ of it. 
  The cave mouth is at least 50’ off the ground, and 
  located on a sheer cliff face. Heroes must make a 
  Climb check DC 25 in order to get to the cave. 
  The heroes are not rushed or pressured during 
  this climb. 
  When the heroes actually enter the cave mouth: 
  The cave mouth seems unremarkable other 
  than its’ out of the way location. A strong 
  thermal wafts upwards from a trick in the 
  placement of the rocks below. 
  The cave itself is small and cramped. No more 
  than six feet in height, it is barely wide enough 
  for two of you to walk abreast. The tunnel 
  travels for fifty feet or more into the cliff face 
  and then descends sharply into darkness. 
  From this point on the heroes are in a dragons’ 
  lair. The lair has been extensively prepares with 
  illusory magics. You should familiarize yourself 
  with the properties of illusion and how they are 
  countered. Capable or lucky heroes may see 
  through these illusions and so you may have to 
  adjust as necessary. The important point in each 
  encounter from here on is that the heroes be 
  allowed to act as they desire and they will be 
  judged by Xasnelre. 
  When the heroes move along the cave: 
  As you walk, a monstrous draconic head roars 
  out from a hole in the wall in front of you. It 
  bellows at you. From here you can see that it Is 
  covered in scales the color of burnished 
  Brass. 
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  “Fools! Who dares intrude upon the lair of 
  Xasnelre the almighty? Answer, and begone! 
  This land is not for mortals to tread upon!” 
  The heroes are being confronted by the first of 
  several permanent images that Xasnelre has cast 
  in his lair. Allow the heroes any appropriate saving 
  throw to interact with the image. Whatever the 
  heroes answer: 
  Have the heroes make four Will separate saving 
  throws. They are having detect evil, detect good, 
  detect law and detect thoughts cast upon them. 
  Heroes may attempt Spellcraft checks against a 
  DC 40 to attempt to determine what any of the 
  spell effects washing over them are. 
  “Begone! I’ve had enough of your blather! You 
  are unworthy to bathe in my presence until you 
  have passed the Trials of the Dragon. Step 
  forward, if you dare, and choose your path! I 
  will 
  give 
  you 
  a 
  word 
  of 
  warning 
  though…splitting up is a bad idea!” 
  With a puff of acrid smelling smoke the head 
  disappears and three passages stretch out 
  before you. Each is marked with a glowing 
  rune at its entrance. Serpentine laughter 
  resounds off the walls ahead of you. 
  The glowing runes are Draconic and read “Fake, 
  False and True”. Any hero that reads Draconic 
  may easily decipher them.  
  ENCOUNTER 2: TRIAL OF 
  THE DRAGON: PATIENCE 
  This encounter takes place when the heroes pick 
  one of the three paths to walk upon. In reality 
  Xasnelre is already two steps ahead of any who 
  would breach his lair. Each of the three paths is 
  identical; they are only made to look different 
  through clever use of hallucinatory terrain. 
  This encounter is freeform and is designed to 
  allow you to play with your heroes a little bit. 
  Depending on the setting of your play you may 
  choose to stretch this path out or condense it. The 
  primary events that take place are the following 
  tricks and traps that Xasnelre has set in front of 
  the heroes in order to dissuade them from going 
  further. After each trap or trick, there is some 
  flavor text that Xasnelre will yell down the 
  hallways. 
  Mud Trap 
  This trap is set off when the heroes touch the gem 
  or the door. 
  The corridor stretches out ahead of you, 
  moving to worked stone. An intricately carved 
  green gem rests in a notch along the west wall, 
  shedding a sickly light down the corridor, to a 
  closed door. 
  CR 0; mechanical, location trigger; manual reset; 
  DC 20 reflex save avoids; 10 ft. deep (0d6, fall 
  cushioned by mud); search DC (14+APL); disable 
  device DC (14+APL) 
  “Wipe your feet before you enter my home, 
  filthy animals!” 
  Poisoned Dart Trap 
  This trap is set off when the heroes move towards 
  the bed in the room or examine the chest (which is 
  an illusionary permanent image) 
  Ahead of you is a marvelously carved bed, 
  crafted from the finest mahogany. A small 
  chest with a large padlock sits at the foot of 
  the bed. A small ladder leads downwards from 
  the south side of the room to a ledge. 
  CR 0; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; 
  Atk +15 ranged (1 plus poison, dart); multiple 
  targets (1 dart per target in a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. area); 
  poison (Sleep Poison, DC 15 Fortitude save 
  resists, Sleep/Sleep); Search DC (15+APL); 
  Disable Device (16+APL).  
  “Lying down already? What an ungracious 
  host I am! I shall send up my servants with 
  pillows and blankets for you, you look so 
  weary!” 
  Tasha’s Hideous Laughter Trap 
  This trap is triggered when a hero touches the 
  ladder leading down to the ledge. 
  CR 0; magic device; proximity trigger (alarm 
  covering the ladder); multiple targets (20’ spread 
  in the ladder) automatic reset; spell effect (Tasha’s 
  hideous laughter, 7th-level wizard, DC 13+APL will 
  save); Search DC (17+APL); Disable Device DC 
  (18+APL). 
  “You find my home amusing? Perhaps I 
  should play the court jester when we meet? 
  You are quite the undeserving guests so far!” 
  Although these traps are listed as CR 0, they are 
  counted in the adventure summary towards 
  experience gained because they are designed to 
  dissuade and test the heroes. 
  Xasnelre is primarily watching the heroes to see 
  how they react to having small and harmless 
  pranks played upon them. If they don’t comment at 
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  all, or make amusing comments, he will be 
  favorably disposed towards them. If they react 
  negatively by saying angry things to him or 
  themselves he will be negatively disposed towards 
  them. Mark down the heroes’ result here. 
  As noted above, feel free to extend or shorten this 
  encounter based on your time constraints and the 
  fun the players are having. 
  Positive 
   
  Negative 
   
  ENCOUNTER 3: TRIAL OF 
  THE DRAGON: AVARICE 
  This encounter takes place when the heroes have 
  faced at least three harmless traps in Xasnelre’s 
  lair.  
  Yet another door opens before you and you 
  are taken by surprise because suddenly the 
  corridor has ended and before you is a large 
  natural cavern. The ceiling is well over a 
  hundred feet overhead, and several exits can 
  be seen around the room. 
  The most striking feature of the room is what 
  can only be described as a dragon’s hoard 
  splayed out everywhere. Piles of golden coins 
  lie in heaps and fine gems and works of art sit 
  next to suits of armor and weapons. Floating 
  globes of golden light ring the room, and 
  strategically placed prisms divide the light into 
  a riot of rainbow colors on the walls. 
  From behind the largest pile of coins walks a 
  four legged creature of legend. Its scales are 
  the color of burnished Brass, with magnificent 
  pearl white horns jutting from a majestic 
  faceplate. A thin cord of electricity plays over 
  the horns. 
  Sitting with a grace that cats can only envy, 
  the dragon wraps its wings and tail around 
  itself. 
  Golden 
  green 
  eyes 
  examine 
  you 
  carefully. The head of the dragon raises at 
  least thirty feet off the floor. 
  “Greetings, small ones. I am Xasnelre. Now, 
  what possessed you to be so curious and 
  persistent?” 
  Xasnelre is, of course, an illusion. The creature 
  before the heroes is a permanent image being 
  controlled by the real Xasnelre, who is hanging 
  from the ceiling. Xasnelre is improved invisible, 
  nondetectable and is using ventriloquism to throw 
  his voice as necessary. Heroes who interact with 
  the permanent image are entitled to a Will save 
  DC 20 + APL in order to determine it is fake. 
  Practitioners of the Art will determine that this 
  illusion was crafted at a master level that few 
  could match. If the heroes determine Xasnelre is 
  an illusion you will have to ad lib accordingly. 
  Xasnelre is a Brass dragon. He is playful, 
  inquisitive, and persistent. He will talk to the 
  heroes at length and attempt to divine their 
  purpose here. If treated with respect he will plumb 
  the heroes for all the information they have. 
  Xasnelre is an exceedingly intelligent and witty 
  example of Brass Dragondom, and you should do 
  your best to impress the heroes with the width and 
  breadth of his knowledge. Xasnelre is up to date 
  on all of the most important goings on in Keoland, 
  including the fall of Godakin Keep and the death of 
  his progenitor Illiasnirath. Xasnelre is well aware 
  of the creatures filtering through the Good Hills 
  and has no plan on leaving his roost or becoming 
  involved in the coming conflicts. 
  Entertain the heroes for as long as you can. When 
  the conversation bogs down, have the following 
  occur. 
  Without warning the golden globes in the room 
  stop shedding their regular light and shift to a 
  deep shade of crimson. A far off gong rings. A 
  very human look of surprise and fear passes 
  over Xasnelre’s draconic features. With a deep 
  nod to you he speaks. 
  “Please, enjoy my hospitality and stay here. I 
  shall return, something has set off one of my 
  alarms on the lower levels.” 
  With a mighty push, Xasnelre heaves himself 
  out of one of the larger openings. All around 
  you the golden light returns and the gold and 
  gems of Xasnelre’s horde glitter. A faint 
  melody plays from a harp resting upon a 
  marble stand, and a suit of dwarven crafted full 
  plate begins a full parade display. 
  This is once again a test. The heroes are being 
  watched to determine if they attempt to steal 
  anything from Xasnelre’s hoard. If they refrain, 
  Xasnelre will judge them positively. If they steal 
  form him, he will judge them negatively. Mark the 
  results below. 
  Positive 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
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  Negative 
  ENCOUNTER 4: TRIAL OF 
  THE DRAGON: 
  COOPERATION 
  After ten minutes, Xasnelre will return. 
  As quick as he left, Xasnelre returns. 
  “Ah, thank you for waiting. Somehow a 
  mountain goat wandered into the lower 
  passage. I returned it to the outside world. 
  I sense the truth in your words, yet I must see 
  the proof in your actions. Please, come with 
  me. I must place a test before you.” 
  Xasnelre nods for you to follow him through a 
  set of open stone doors. 
  The room he leads you into is tiled entirely 
  with red and black marble. In the center of the 
  room is a wooden lattice, slick with moisture. 
  At the top of the lattice is a single arrow 
  embedded into a block of dark wood. 
  “My father put this here. I am bound by his 
  word to not touch it first. Until now I have had 
  no visitors worth of such a test. Use no magic, 
  and remove the arrow from the wood, then 
  bring it to me without breaking it.” 
  This test is a simple test of the players’ ability to 
  work together. The lattice is thirty feet on a side, 
  and rises to thirty feet tall. Shaped like a pyramid, 
  it is covered in slick oil. The arrow is contained in 
  the topmost block. 
  Climbing to the top of the lattice requires a series 
  of Climb DC 18+APL checks. Calculate climbing 
  speed per the rules in the PHB.  
  Once the heroes reach the arrow they will realize 
  that it has a unique problem. The arrow cannot be 
  removed by one person because the construction 
  of the lattice is such that two people must reach in 
  from opposite sides of the lattice and then pull. 
  Both heroes must then succeed on a DC 15 
  Strength, 
  Knowledge 
  (Architecture 
  and 
  Engineering) or a suitable Profession check. 
  Then the heroes must climb down. If a hero falls 
  while holding the arrow without securing it (such 
  as placing it in a quiver) it has a 35% chance of 
  breaking in the fall. If a hero at the top of the lattice 
  throws or drops the arrow down, a hero at the 
  bottom must make a Dexterity check DC 10 (or 
  snatch arrows attempt) 
  If the heroes bring the arrow down safely, they are 
  successful. If they give up or the arrow “breaks”, 
  they fail. 
  It is important to note that the arrow the heroes 
  retrieve is not actually the arrow that Xasnelre will 
  speak about later. This is, as usual, another 
  illusion. If the heroes realize that it is an illusion, 
  the encounter is considered a success.  
  Success: 
  “Most excellent. You are gifted members of the 
  lesser races indeed.” 
  Failure: 
  “Ah well, not everyone can succeed every 
  time, I suppose.” 
  ENCOUNTER 5: TRIAL OF 
  THE DRAGON: MERCY 
  This encounter takes place when the heroes are 
  done with the lattice in Encounter Four. 
  Again, the golden lights of the hoardroom go 
  crimson. This time, Xasnelre’s expression is 
  one of anger. With a flash Xasnelre is off 
  through a passage. 
  Within a minute Xasnelre’s voice rings loud 
  through the caverns. 
  “Manlings, I require your aid! A force of giants 
  led by an Archon has breached my lower 
  passages! I sense pervasive evil about them. If 
  you 
  wish 
  to 
  gain 
  my 
  trust, 
  enter 
  the 
  southernmost door and fire the traps there as 
  the giants pass. We must drive them out!” 
  The southern door leads to an amazing sight. The 
  cavern wall is solid, yet the heroes can see 
  through it (think of one-way glass in interrogation 
  rooms). As the heroes move through it they pass a 
  series of levers and switches, each operating a 
  trap of some variety. 
  There are three switches, each labeled in 
  Draconic. 
  They 
  read 
  “Scythe”, 
  “Oil”, 
  and 
  “Deadfall”. 
  Again this section is open ended. Feel free to add 
  more switches and commentary from Xasnelre as 
  desired. 
  The enemy forces enter. 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
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  Four stoop shouldered giants led by a man 
  with a dog’s face prowl through a short 
  corridor. The effect you see is similar to the 
  ant’s nests that merchants sometimes sell in 
  Niole Dra. You can see them, but they can’t see 
  you. The lead giant steps into alignment with 
  the first switch. 
  When the players pull the first lever: 
  Pulling the first switch, you watch as a series 
  of large blades scythe out of the wall, each 
  scoring a series of paper thin cuts on the 
  interlopers. Xasnelre’s voice booms out. 
  “Feel the sting of my talons, foul ones! None of 
  you shall live to see another day! Flee if you 
  value your hides!” 
  The Archon in front snarls back. 
  “The might of The Returned shall crush you!” 
  The Archon then turns to the giants, who are 
  obviously loathe to go onwards. You can hear 
  his next words clearly.  
  “Onward you brutes, or there is no homeland 
  for you. The Returned demands this drake’s 
  death.” 
  The giants move forward. With a few twists 
  and turns they are aligned with the second 
  lever. 
  When the heroes pull the second lever: 
  Pulling the second lever, boiling oil begins to 
  seep into the corridor with the giants. The 
  Archon seems unaffected but the skin of the 
  giants begins to boil and bubble. They howl in 
  pain as Xasnelre taunts them. 
  “The fires of my breath are twice as hot! Come 
  no closer, bad servants of a bad master! The 
  valley wants you not!” 
  The Archon snarls upwards, saliva flying from 
  his lips. 
  “The blue drakes shall feast upon your bones, 
  young one! You are powerless against the 
  might of the Marru and the Packmaster!” 
  The dog man spurs the giants onward, each 
  now suffering from serious wounds. Within a 
  matter of minutes they are aligned with the 
  third switch. 
  If the heroes pull the third switch: 
  Pulling the switch yields a sting of falling 
  rocks. The Archon avoids the worst of the 
  barrage but the giants have no room to dodge. 
  The rocks break the foot of one and the arm of 
  another. The third passes out as a large rock 
  hits him on the head. Xasnelre crows. 
  “You shall come no further! My weight shall 
  crush you utterly as the mountains.” 
  Looking back at his depleted force, the 
  Archon, kicks the unconscious one back to 
  wakefulness and he and his troops begin to 
  beat a hasty retreat. Within a few minutes they 
  are out of the cave and suddenly the cave 
  mouth they leave through collapses. 
  ENCOUNTER 6: TRIAL OF 
  THE DRAGON: BASTION 
  This encounter takes place when the heroes have 
  driven off the intruders. If the heroes have 
  discovered Xasnelre is an illusion previously, this 
  text will require some ad-libbing. 
  Returning to the hoardroom, Xasnelre glides in 
  and nods at you. Then with an audible pop, his 
  form disappears and a small bronze leaf 
  flutters down from the ceiling. The leaf quickly 
  grows and unfolds, until suddenly you are 
  faced with the stretching form of a horse-sized 
  brass dragon. Smiling at you sheepishly, the 
  dragon speaks. 
  “Did you expect me to really greet you 
  personally? My, the tales they must tell you 
  folk. Now, what did you want here again?” 
  This is the opportunity for the players to state their 
  case to Xasnelre. If they were judged favorably in 
  the previous encounters, and helped to repel the 
  invaders, then Xasnelre will listen to their plea and 
  respond in kind. He will offer to aid the Keoish 
  forces against the invaders.  
  Xasnelre will then ask the heroes to retrieve the 
  arrow form the lattice and pass it to him. If the 
  heroes failed the lattice test, then they will find the 
  arrow sitting on a silver platter besides a pile of 
  gold coins. 
  Xasnelre will speak. 
  “Now you see, this arrow is very important. It’s 
  the last arrow of the legendary Orc archer 
  Naillek. He was a scourge of the land and a 
  terror of the Suel. Naillek traveled with a 
  powerful troll witch-doctor named Yilsiah. 
  Together they were the largest single thorn in 
  the side of Keoish expansion in their time. 
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  Yilsiah healed Naillek’s wounds while the 
  mighty orc slew the finest elven archers of the 
  dreadwood. 
  Finally, Naillek met his match. The famed elven 
  general Talkia stalked the evil pair with her 
  sisters, Indurian and Selvdril. The five met in 
  combat in the land over what is now Godakin 
  Keep. The arrows flew back and forth for days 
  as the quintet battled, each unable to kill the 
  other. Finally, Talkia called upon Corellon 
  Larethian to blind the troll witch-doctor Yilsiah, 
  causing the troll’s healing spells to fail. The 
  arrows that pierced Naillek and Yilsiah were 
  too much to be borne, and the pair died on the 
  banks of the Javan, but not before Naillek 
  invoked a powerful death curse.  
  He vowed that these lands would see 
  thousands of years of darkness if his bow ever 
  saw the light of day after his death. The elves 
  called for the assistance of the Silent Ones, 
  and together they built the Vault of the Hollow, 
  where Naillek’s bow was buried.” 
  Xasnelre reaches out to touch the arrow. As 
  his delicate claw does so his eyes roll up into 
  his head and he falls over. Twitching and 
  spasming, Xasnelre speaks in the common 
  tongue. 
  “When the king becomes common, 
  Ruled by the desires of his lesser, 
  An ancient foe returns to master the land. 
  And end to all beginnings, and a beginning to 
  the end, 
  A bright-scaled horror unearths all secrets. 
  The reborn lion rules with iron,  
  forged into a great and terrible sword. 
  A great disappearance heralds the final act 
  The curtain falls on king and country,  
  The end of days sees the walls raised  
  Failure of the will leads always to slavery.” 
  This prophecy has been uttered before, it is known 
  as the second verse of the prophecy of 
  Azmarender. As the heroes contemplate what they 
  have heard, a loud commotion will be heard from 
  one of the adjoining rooms that the heroes have 
  not ventured into. A familiar female voice will call 
  out. 
  “Xasnelre? Help! Your vaultdweller has gone 
  berserk!” 
  Xasnelre will remain unmoving, caught in the 
  throes of his prophecy. It is up to the heroes to 
  save the person in the next room. 
  The room the commotion is coming from abuts the 
  Hoardroom to the northwest. There, the elven 
  scout Talkia is trapped by Xasnelre’s unliving 
  guardians. 
  When 
  the heroes venture closer read or 
  paraphrase the following. 
  The room the commotion is echoing from is 
  large, at least 130’ by 60’. Studded on each 
  wall are complex crystal growths, each the 
  color of thunderclouds. The room has several 
  columns made entirely of the same crystal 
  spread about.  As you watch, an arc of 
  lightning shoots out from one of the crystals 
  on the wall, runs through a column, and then 
  runs into a crystal formation on the far side of 
  the wall.  
  Next to one of the columns you see the elven 
  woman from Black Top, Talkia. With a sword 
  drawn, she faces off against an unliving 
  monstrosity. As the creature reaches down to 
  crush her, both of them are knocked off their 
  feet by an arc of lightning. As the smoke clears 
  you see the creature rise to its feet and move 
  towards the unmoving form of the helpless 
  Talkia, crumpled at the base of the center 
  pillar. 
  This room is a complicated means for Xasnelre to 
  practice his ability to avoid the lightning breath of 
  his most hated enemy, a Blue Dragon. The 
  creatures set within are immune to the lightning 
  being thrown about.  
  When Xasnelre activates the Bastion Room, each 
  of the columns glows with a single rune. To 
  deactivate the lightning and the golems within, 
  Xasnelre must press each rune in order while 
  avoiding their attacks. 
  Normally it would be no problem for Xasnelre to 
  save Talkia at this point but as he is caught in the 
  throes of prophecy, he cannot help.  
  There are several ways to defeat the bastion 
  room. 
  1. Never enter. Callous as it may sound, the 
  heroes may choose to not get involved. It’s 
  dangerous to go wandering about a dragon’s lair, 
  and perhaps this elf is getting just what she 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
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  deserves. If the heroes do this, award 0 XP for this 
  encounter, and after five rounds the room shuts 
  down. Talkia, unfortunately, will be very dead. 
  2. Enter the room, retrieve Talkia, and leave the 
  room. Although the heroes cannot be sure if the 
  guardians will follow them or not, removing an 
  unconscious woman from a room full of lightning is 
  never a bad idea. If the heroes simply find a way 
  to get Talkia out, the golems will not leave the 
  room. The lightning will continue to blast about the 
  room for 10 rounds and will then shut down, as will 
  the golems. Award full xp to the heroes for using 
  creative thinking to realize that not every challenge 
  requires brute force. 
  3. Enter the room and kill the golems. Brutal and 
  difficult, destroying the golems is the most 
  straightforward way to save Talkia. If the heroe 
  choose this route and are successful, award full 
  XP. While there were more subtle ways to solve 
  this challenge, sometimes the heroes are the 
  hammer and every problem looks like a nail. 
  4. Shut down the crystal columns. On each 
  column is a glowing glyph. It takes a standard 
  action to activate a glyph on a specific column. 
  The solution to Xasnelre’s glyph’s is detailed 
  below. If the glyphs are properly activated, they 
  shut down the Bastion Room and all the golems 
  present return to inactivity.  
  Xasnelre’s Bastion Room Puzzle 
  Being the incredibly narcissistic dragon that he is, 
  when Xasnelre constructed the room he had the 
  solution keyed to the most important thing in his 
  life: himself. Knowing that he might someday bring 
  other friends or dragons into the room to spar, he 
  made the solution to the puzzle fairly simple…if 
  you can read draconic. Each of the outer eight 
  pillars has a glyph on it that randomly changes 
  each time the room is activated. These glyphs 
  spell out “Xasnelre”.  
  The center column has all eight glyphs written 
  upon it, and when the correct glyphs are pressed 
  in the correct order, each glyph lights up on the 
  center column accordingly. 
  The Lightning Nodes 
  Each node as detailed in DM AID 1: The Bastion 
  Room is given a number. On each round, a 
  random number of these nodes will fire, creating a 
  lightning bolt between them. The lightning fires 
  from one numbered node to the corresponding 
  numbered node on the opposite side of the room, 
  passing through any and all crystal columns 
  unhindered. 
  If the correct glyph is pressed on a column, all 
  lightning that hits that column will stop as it hits the 
  column rather than pass through. In this manner, it 
  encourages  
  The nodes are marked as an X on the map, and 
  numbered with corresponding roman numerals. It 
  is important to note that the crystal node VII is 
  actually set just above the doorway the heroes 
  enter. 
  At each APL, a random selection of nodes fires 
  per round. Roll a d10 randomly to determine which 
  node(s) fire. 
  APL6: 1 node per round, 5d6 lightning bolt. DC 14 
  Reflex Save for half. 
  APL8: 2 nodes per round, 5d6 lightning bolt. DC 
  15 Reflex Save for half. 
  APL 10: 3 nodes per round, 7d8 lightning bolt DC 
  17 Reflex Save for half 
  APL 12: 4 nodes per round, 10d6 lightning bolt DC 
  18 reflex save for half.  
  Setting up the Bastion Room 
  Randomly assign each column in the room to a 
  letter X,A,S,N,E,L,R,E. For the purposes of the 
  puzzle either “E” can be pressed at the 
  appropriate time in order to solve the puzzle. 
  Any hero who can read draconic can automatically 
  see the word “Xasnelre” spelled out on the center 
  column. Heroes who are without such means to 
  read 
  Draconic 
  are 
  allowed 
  to 
  make 
  an 
  Intelligence check DC 15 to piece together that 
  the writing on the column is distinctive and 
  probably tied to the dragon intimately. In the worst 
  case scenario the heroes can simply attempt to 
  match individual glyphs on individual columns, 
  pressing them one at a time. If this is the case, it 
  simply takes a Spot check DC 8 on each attempt 
  to locate the appropriate glyph that should be 
  pressed next. 
  Defeating the Bastion Room 
  The nodes and the golems shut down if the puzzle 
  is completed. The golems can be destroyed 
  normally, but this does not stop the nodes from 
  firing. If a hero directly attacks a crystal node, they 
  may be destroyed. They have hardness (=APL) 
  and (APLX2) HP.  
  If the heroes fight the Golems: 
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  Page 16 
  
  APL 6 (EL 9) 
  Flesh Golem (2): hp 93; see Monster Manual. 
  APL 8 (EL 11) 
  Stone Golem hp 128; see Monster Manual. 
  APL 10 (EL 13) 
  Iron Golem: hp 156; see Monster Manual. 
  APL 12 (EL 16) 
  Greater Stone Golem: hp 334; see Monster 
  Manual. 
  Tactics: (All APLs) Kill and Kill again! Find the 
  nearest thing and smash it to bits! Never leave the 
  Bastion Room. 
  At APL 10, the Iron Golem is immune to all 
  lightning effects, meaning that it is not slowed as 
  per the monster manual. 
  Developments: Talkia will only be killed if the 
  heroes choose not to interfere. She starts the 
  combat crumpled at the base of the center pillar, 
  and the lightning will not kill her while the heroes 
  are actively working to rescue her. 
  After the combat, Talkia will come back to 
  consciousness after a minute or if healed. 
  Undoubtedly the heroes will have some questions. 
  What are you doing here? 
  “I am here to help protect the bloodline of 
  Illiasnirath. The Brass Drakes have long been a 
  friend to my people and unlike King Kimbertos, 
  we remember our pledges. I came here to 
  ensure that only the worthy folk found 
  Xasnelre’s lair, and to attempt to persuade him 
  to help the Kingdom.” 
  “What do you mean about King Kimbertos?” 
  “Only that he violated a sacred oath handed 
  down from generations ago allowing all 
  dragons safe roost within Keoland. When he 
  ordered Aulicus hunted and slain, he brought 
  this doom upon us all.” 
  “Doom? What doom?” 
  “Something is coming from the west, and 
  powerful forces will be needed to combat it. 
  Pray to your gods that Xasnalre can help us.” 
  “Are you the elf from Xasnelre’s story?” 
  “Yes I am. My sisters and I hunted the 
  Darkarrow Naillek and his troll witch-doctor 
  Yilsiah. That arrow is the last one Naillek fired, 
  the one that nearly killed me.”  
  Talkia drops the sleeve on her shirt, revealing 
  an ugly black scar, still seeming to fester with 
  poison. 
  “Such was the magic of that befouled bow that 
  it causes me pain hundreds of years later. It is 
  a foul weapon, and I honor the sacrifice of 
  those who tried to keep it from daylight.” 
  “What happened to the bow?” 
  “It was taken from its resting place and passed 
  along to important hands. I believe your King 
  has it now.” 
  “How can we trust you?” 
  “You must make up your own mind in that 
  matter. Is it so hard for you to believe that a 
  powerful dragon would place someone in a 
  nearby town to alert him in time of troubles? 
  That agent contacted me.” 
  “Who is that agent?” 
  Talkia smiles and shakes her head. 
  What is that room and what were you doing in 
  there? 
  “It is the Bastion Room, a room created by 
  Xasnelre and some of my people in order to 
  help train him to against the weapon of his 
  most hated enemy; Blue Dragonkind.” 
  When the heroes are satisfied, move on to 
  Encounter 7. 
  ENCOUNTER 7: 
  DRAGONBACK 
  This encounter is Xasnelre’s judgement on the 
  heroes, and mortalkind in general. If the heroes 
  were judged positively then he will aid Keoland, if 
  not then he will seek to continue his reclusion by 
  leaving the Good Hills and flying to the elven lands 
  in the Dreadwood. 
  Calculating Xasnelre’s Favor 
  Encounter 
  Two: 
  Were 
  the 
  heroes 
  judged 
  favorably? Did they take the relatively harmless 
  traps with good humor and stoicism, or were they 
  angered? 
  Encounter Three: Were the heroes greedy? Did 
  they attempt to steal from Xasnelre’s hoard? 
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  Encounter Four: Were the heroes zealous in 
  defending Xasnelre from evil? Did they actively 
  help repel the interlopers? 
  Encounter 
  Five: 
  Were 
  the 
  heroes 
  judged 
  favorably? Were they able to demonstrate 
  cooperation to achieve a goal? 
  Encounter Six: Were the heroes proactive? Did 
  they help someone in distress? 
  Wildcard: Did the heroes entertain Xasnelre? Did 
  they speak to him with respect and attempt to 
  sway him through words rather than through 
  violence? 
  Did 
  they 
  provide 
  him 
  with 
  any 
  amusement? 
  If the heroes are judged unfavorably: 
  Suddenly as soon as it is upon him, the fit of 
  prophecy leaves Xasnelre. With a startled jump 
  resembling that of a dog waking up from a bad 
  dream, he jumps to his feet. 
  Looking at you distrustfully and without a 
  word, Xasnelre digs into his hoard and 
  withdraws a pair of spherical objects. He then 
  pushes off through a tunnel and is gone. 
  Talkia grimaces at you and shakes her head. 
  “A dragon’s tests are many and varied. You 
  have been found wanting. Pray that Xasnelre 
  changes his mind and comes to the aid of 
  Keoland.” 
  If the heroes are judged favorably: 
  Suddenly as soon as it is upon him, the fit of 
  prophecy leaves Xasnelre. With a startled jump 
  resembling that of a dog waking up from a bad 
  dream, he jumps to his feet. 
  “Friends, and I name you that, I must go. The 
  mantle of prophecy has fallen upon me and I 
  must travel to Niole Dra to deliver these words. 
  However, I am not foolish enough to believe 
  that your King will leave me unmolested for 
  delivering him more bad tidings. I wish one of 
  you to fly with me, upon my back, to Niole Dra, 
  where we will pass on these words. You must 
  choose among yourselves who will fly with me, 
  for you are all worthy. 
  With your kindness, generosity, and spirit, you 
  have shown me that the short lived races are 
  deserving of friendship and respect. Beyond 
  that, they are deserving of aid in the upcoming 
  times of crisis. Together we must convince 
  your King that these troubles are far worse 
  that he sees. 
  Evil has set foot in my lair, it is no longer 
  home. Take what trinkets you can, they are a 
  gift from me. There is one burden that I ask 
  you to bear, one that is too delicate to risk to 
  dragonflight.” 
  Rooting through the largest pile of coins, 
  Xasnelre reaches and pulls something out. 
  Clasping it tenderly in his hands, you see a 
  marvelous sight: a pair of scaled eggs.  
  Each is about the size of a large watermelon, 
  with a tough skin that resembles rough stone. 
  The surface of one shell is quite clearly the 
  same color as Xasnelre’s burnished brass 
  scales…and the other is the color of molten 
  gold. 
  “You must take these, they are no longer my 
  burden to bear. A warrior cannot carry his 
  children into battle and so I ask that you use 
  your judgement to bring these to a good home. 
  The Brass one is indeed mine, laid by my mate 
  years ago. 
  The Golden one…well, honestly I have no idea 
  where the golden one came from. One evening 
  I dreamt of a god of the sun, and the next 
  morning the egg was here. I have warmed it 
  and guarded it since. 
  Take them someplace safe. Who rides with me 
  to Niole Dra? I bring tidings of war, and I dare 
  not fly alone.” 
  The heroes are likely a little surprised at this turn 
  of events. The eggs are, in fact, dragon eggs. One 
  is Brass and one is Gold. A hero can make a 
  Knowledge: Arcana DC 15 check. Success 
  indicates that both eggs are FAR larger than any 
  reportedly known. That is, they appear that they 
  should have hatched long ago. 
  Once the heroes choose who flies with Xasnelre, 
  take them aside and read them this. 
  With a few words, Xasnelre creates a seat for 
  you by the shifting of his scales. By simply 
  clasping your legs as you might a horse 
  bareback, you are able to ride securely. With a 
  few deep breaths and a running leap, Xasnelre 
  bursts out of his lair. 
  The land flies beneath you at an epic pace. 
  Before you can blink Black Top recedes in the 
  distance and the rolling grasslands of the 
  March of Middlemead are under your feet. Far 
  under your feet. This is surely a moment you 
  will remember for the rest of your life. 
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  An hour passes wonderfully, with the hot sun 
  glinting off Xasnelre’s scales. Then without 
  warning Xasnelre banks hard and turns about. 
  His head turns back to you and he is forced to 
  yell to be heard. 
  “Arm yourself! Danger!” 
  Looking past Xasnelre’s head, you see two 
  black shapes in the air. Xasnelre turns and 
  dives again, making full speed towards Niole 
  Dra. 
  The sun shining clearer, you can see that they 
  are not black shapes. 
  They are blue. 
  Niole Dra is approaching. 
  The rest of the heroes now have to return to Black 
  Top and decide what they are doing with the 
  dragon eggs. 
  ENCOUNTER 8: RETURN TO 
  BLACKTOP 
  The journey back to Black Top is quick and 
  uneventful. The work progresses on the Palisade 
  and it is almost complete when the heroes arrive. 
  Ask the heroes who they take their information to 
  and what they do with the dragon eggs. Play it by 
  ear as there are many possibilities here, including 
  attempting to keep the eggs for themselves, or 
  taking them to another organization such as the 
  Knights of the Watch or the Silent Ones. 
  Feel free to use or modify the following: 
  Field Marshal Perrinac 
  “Thank you, scouts for your fine information. 
  We hope to have gained an ally in a time of 
  need. I shall report your findings directly to the 
  King. “ 
  If he is given the eggs: 
  “This…..this is beyond compare. I will see to it 
  that they are escorted to the safest location in 
  the kingdom personally. If these hatch true, 
  perhaps the days of Keoland being friends 
  with its dragon allies have begun.” 
  Stoakdor Neheli 
  “Ah yes…interesting indeed. You did an 
  outstanding job in finding the lair and 
  protecting the young dragon. With any luck he 
  will consent to aid us. I hope you made a good 
  impression upon him, yes?” 
  If given the eggs: 
  “Oh my. I cannot accept these, they are far too 
  tempting. Do not make me choose, I beg you. I 
  say you take them to an agent of the Silent 
  Ones, or directly to the King. They are far too 
  precious to be left in unsecured hands” 
  As stated, other possible targets for the egss are 
  the various knighthoods, or perhaps even a 
  thieves’ guild. Carefully note on the critical event 
  usmmary where the eggs were given to.   
  CONCLUSION 
  Your work in the Good Hills will never be 
  forgotten. The days of rumors of dragonkind 
  are over, and Keoland has met its newest 
  inhabitants, for good or ill.  
  The town of Black Top continues to grow, 
  quickly becoming a fortified bastion against 
  whatever comes its way. To the west, trouble 
  brews. 
  The End 
  EPLIOGUE 
  “My Lord Count, a missive for you.” 
  Count Ignaz Manz turned from where he was 
  signing the last of today’s proclamations. 
  Today was the day the remaining Gyri refugees 
  had been hoping for. With one sweep of his 
  pen, Count Manz made them citizens of Cryllor 
  and Keoland, giving them rights and duties 
  accordingly. The streets were a riot of 
  celebration. 
  Nodding to dismiss the servant, Count Manz 
  turned over the strange envelope he now held. 
  Created of a black parchment, it felt burned or 
  charred yet didn’t seem damaged. 
  Examining the seal, Count Manz paused. 
  A green lion rampant. 
  As Manz fingered the seal, he could sense a 
  palpable aura, another presence in the room. 
  Closing his eyes, Manz broke the seal. 
  A familiar voice behind him spoke 
  “Greetings, King Manz.” 
   
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 19 
  
  EXPERIENCE POINT 
  SUMMARY 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up 
  the values for the objectives accomplished. Then 
  assign the experience award.  Award the total 
  value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each 
  character. 
  Encounter 2 (APL+1) 
  Bypass 
  Xasnelre’s 
  traps 
  without 
  becoming 
  angered or frustrated. 
   
  APL 6: 210 xp. 
   
  APL 8: 270 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 330 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 390 xp. 
  Encounter 5 (APL+1) 
  Help Xasnelre repel the invading giants. 
   
  APL 6: 210 xp. 
   
  APL 8: 270 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 330 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 390 xp. 
  Encounter 6 (APL+4) 
  Rescue Talkia from the Bastion Room 
   
   
  APL 6: 300 xp. 
   
  APL 8:  360 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 420 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 480 xp. 
  Story Award 
  Befriend the Brass Dragon Xasnelre. 
   
  APL 6: 210 xp. 
   
  APL 8: 270 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 330 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 390 xp. 
  Discretionary Roleplaying Award 
   
  APL 6: 210 xp. 
   
  APL 8: 270 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 330 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 390 xp. 
  Total possible experience 
   
  APL 6: 900 xp. 
   
  APL 8: 1,125 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 1,350 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 1,575 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.  Because this is a 
  Regional 
  adventure, 
  characters 
  may 
  spend 
  additional Time Units to practice professions or 
  create items immediately after the adventure so this 
  total may be modified by other circumstances. 
   
  L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, Gems, 
  Jewelry, and other valuables; M = Magic Items. 
  Encounter 7: 
  APL 6: L: 0 gp, C: 900 gp, M: See AR  
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 20 
  
  APL 8: L: 0 gp, C: 1,300 gp, M:  See AR 
  APL 10: L: X gp, C: 2,300 gp, M:  See AR 
  APL 12: L: X gp, C: 3,300 gp, M:  See AR 
  Total Possible Treasure (Maximum Reward 
  Allowed) 
  APL 6: L: 0 gp, C: 900 gp, M: 0 gp – Total: 900 
  gp (900 gp). 
  APL 8: L: 0 gp, C: 1,300 gp, M: 0 gp – Total: 
  1,300 gp (1,300 gp). 
  APL 10: L: 0 gp, C: 2,300 gp, M: 0 gp – Total: 
  2,300 gp (2,300 gp). 
  APL 12: L: 0 gp, C: 3,300 gp, M: 0 gp – Total: 
  3,300 gp (3,300 gp). 
  ITEMS FOR THE 
  ADVENTURE RECORD 
  Special 
  Dragonrider: You are the hero whom Xasnelre 
  delivered to Niole Dra on dragonback. Your name 
  quickly lands on the lips of everyone in the capital. 
  For the next three Keoland Regional scenarios 
  you receive free Luxury lifestyle as various inns 
  and nobles vie to have you as their guest. 
  Additionally, some celestial hand guides you 
  towards greatness. You receive a permanent +1 
  bonus on your Leadership score. 
  Finally, the dragonride seems to have had a 
  physical interaction with your being. Your face 
  takes on a slightly bony and rigid feel, and the 
  backs of your hands sprout small brass colored 
  scales. You receive a permanent +2 natural armor 
  bonus but there are some in Keoland who may 
  take pause at your appearance. 
  Dragonfriend: The Brass Dragon Xasnelre has 
  named you a friend to Dragonkind. Any metallic 
  dragon whom you meet will automatically be 
  Helpful towards you. Until this AR item is removed 
  by some other means, you receive a +2 
  circumstance bonus to all Saving Throws made 
  against an effect created by a dragon that wishes 
  to cause you harm. 
  A Dragon Egg!: You have chosen to keep a 
  dragon egg given to you for safekeeping for 
  yourself. 
  Contact 
  the 
  Keoland 
  Triad 
  at 
  keolandplots@hotmail.com in order to determine 
  the effect this has upon your character, if any. 
  Void this AR item if your party gave the dragon 
  eggs to anyone at the end of the adventure 
  Take What Trinkets You Can: Xasnelre has 
  given you unrestrained access to his Hoard, an 
  unprecedented gift to a mortal. You may give 
  yourself (Access: Adventure) to any one magic 
  item from the DMG valued at 20,000gp or less. 
  Alternately, you may give yourself (Access: 
  Adventure) to any one item from an AR played 
  within the last 52 TU of your character log. Note 
  the appropriate use on this AR. This must be used 
  immediately. 
  Item Access 
  APL 6 (all of APLs 2, 4 plus the following): 
  • 
  Memento Magica (1st) (Races of the Dragon; 
  Adventure) 
  • 
  Memento Magica (2nd) (Races of the Dragon; 
  Adventure) 
  • 
  Softhands Gloves (Races of the Dragon; 
  Adventure) 
  • 
  Dragonbone Bow (Any Strength bonus up to 
  and including +4) (Draconomicon; Adventure) 
   
  APL 8 (all of APLs 2, 4, 6 plus the following): 
  • 
  Spellflinging Spear (Races of the Dragon; 
  Adventure) 
  • 
  Idol of the Dragon (Brass) (Draconomicon; 
  Adventure) 
  • 
  Dragonfang 
  Gauntlets 
  (Draconomicon; 
  Adventure)) 
   
  APL 10 (all of APLs 2, 4, 6, 8 plus the following): 
  • 
  Bulwark 
  of 
  Antimagic 
  (Draconomicon; 
  Adventure) 
  • 
  Bow 
  of 
  the 
  Mighty 
  Dragonhunter 
  (Draconomicon; Adventure) 
  • 
   Blue 
  Dragoncraft 
  Leather 
  Armor 
  (Draconomicon; Adventure) 
  • 
  Blue Dragoncraft Chain Shirt (Draconomicon; 
  Adventure) 
  • 
  Blue Dragoncraft Full Plate (Draconomicon; 
  Adventure) 
   
  APL 12 (all of APLs 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 plus the 
  following): 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 21 
  
  • 
  Ring 
  of 
  Dragonshape 
  (Draconomicon; 
  Adventure) 
  • 
  Blue 
  Dragonhide 
  Mantle 
  (Draconomicon; 
  Adventure) 
  • 
  Wheel of Fortune (Complete Scoundrel; 
  Adventure) 
   
   
   
   
    
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 22 
  
  DM AID: MAP #1 – BASTION ROOM 
   
   
   
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 23 
  
   
   
   
   
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 24 
  
  PLAYER HANDOUT #1 – DRAFTED 
  Two days ago a Royal Standard scout crossed your path on a road in the Good Hills. 
  He handed you a copy of this letter and rode on without answering any questions. 
   
  Attention: 
   
  Those receiving this letter are required by royal decree to travel to the town of Black Top with all haste. Failure to comply 
  will result in execution per the Royal Conscription Act of CY 212. All summoned are to report to the Long Blade in 
  Black Top upon arrival. 
   
  Field Marshal Perrinac Rhola 
   
  The letter is sealed with the Keoish Royal seal.  
    
   
   
   
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 25 
  
  CRITICAL EVENT SUMMARY: KEO7-06 BRIGHT SCALED 
  HORROR 
  . 
  1.  Were the heroes successful in befriending Xasnelre?  
   
  Yes 
   
  No 
   
   
   
   
  2. Did Xasnelre offer to fly one hero on Dragonback? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Yes 
   
  No 
   
  If so, list player names/PC names here: 
   
   
   
  3. Did the heroes rescue Talkia from the Bastion Room and hear her story? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Yes 
   
  No 
   
   
   
  4. Who did the heroes give the Dragon Eggs to, if anyone? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
   
  5. Did any hero threaten or attempt to attack Xasnelre? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Yes 
   
  No 
   
  If so, list whom here: 
   
   
  Notes: (Add anything that happened that might be considered out of the ordinary – Strange occurrences, 
  results that may not fit the above, etc): 
  KEO7-06 Bright Scaled Horror 
   
  Page 26 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Keoland/597/Normal Scenarios/KEO7-06 - Bright Scaled Horror (APL 6-12)/KEO7-06 - Bright Scaled Horror.pdf