TEXT: Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
  ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
  This game product contains no Open Game Content.  No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of 
  Wizards of the Coast and the author. 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. and the author. 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. 
  Visit the LIVING GREYHAWK website at www.rpga.com. 
  For rules questions specific to this document and the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign email rpgahq@wizards.com. 
  GEO5-02 
   
   
   
   
   
  Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  A One-Round D&D® LIVING GREYHAWKTM  
  Grand Duchy of Geoff Regional Adventure 
  Version 1.2 
   
  by Eric Menge and Diane Hazlett 
  Reviewers: Steven Conforti, Brad Lester, Catherine Norman 
  Playtesters: Teos Abadia, Chris Day, Allison Gonding, Jason Gonding, Sean Hillman, Leslie Maynard, 
  Stephen Mumford, Byron Roberts, Judy Rudolph, Matthew Schad, and Michelle Schad 
   
  Borne aloft by dreams, where clouds and sunbeams play, 
  Calisse ventures ever deeper into the lands of Fey 
  To find three precious things and what was lost regain. 
  Grace she has found, but love and sorrow remain. 
  She seeks the Biting Mountain and Bad King Tor, 
  Who listens to the wind, hearing secrets by the score.  
  But Tor’s frozen heart is as merciless as ice, 
  And those who climb the mountain will bleed a fearsome price. 
  A Grand Duchy of Geoff regional adventure for APLs 2-10, and Verse Two of the Song of Three 
  Summonings. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 1 
  Introduction 
  This is an RPGA® Network scenario for the 
  Dungeons & Dragons® game. A four-hour time 
  block has been allocated for each round of this 
  scenario, but the actual playing time will be closer to 
  three and a half hours. The rest of the time is spent 
  in preparation before game play, and record-
  keeping after the game. The following guidelines 
  are here to help you with both the preparation and 
  voting segment of the game. Read this page 
  carefully so that you know and can communicate to 
  your players the special aspects of playing an 
  RPGA scenario.  
  Preparation  
   
   
   
   
  First you should print this scenario. This scenario 
  was created to support double-sided printing, but 
  printing it single sided will work as well. There is 
  enough room along the inside margin to bind the 
  adventure, if you desire.  
   
  Read this entire adventure at least once before 
  you run your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself 
  with any special rules, spells, or equipment 
  presented in the adventure. It may help to highlight 
  particularly important passages.  
   
  When you run an RPGA D&D adventure, we 
  assume that you have access to the following 
  books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also 
  assume that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, 
  d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some scrap paper, a 
  pencil, an RPGA scoring packet, and your sense of 
  fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track 
  movement during combat. This can be as simple as 
  a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as a 
  vinyl grid map and chits, or as elaborate as resin 
  dungeon walls and miniatures. 
   
  Keep in mind that you must have at least four 
  players (not counting the judge), for the game 
  session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, 
  you cannot have more than six players participating 
  in the game. 
  Playing the Game  
   
   
   
   
  Instruct the players either to prepare their 
  characters to participate in the adventure before the 
  session begins, or wait until you read the 
  introduction, depending on the requirements of the 
  scenario as described in the introduction. 
   
  Once you are ready to play, it is handy to 
  instruct each player to place a nametag in front of 
  him or her. The tag should have the player’s name 
  at the bottom, and the character’s name, race, and 
  gender at the top. This makes it easier for the 
  players (and the judge) to keep track of who is 
  playing which character. 
   
  The players are free to use the game rules to 
  learn 
  about 
  equipment 
  and 
  weapons 
  their 
  characters are carrying. That said, you as the judge 
  can bar the use of even core rulebooks during 
  certain times of play. For example, the players are 
  not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide 
  when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the 
  Monster Manual when confronted with a monster.  
   
  Some of the text in this scenario is written so 
  that you may present it as written to the players, 
  while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the 
  players will be in bold italics. It’s strongly 
  recommended that you paraphrase the player text 
  instead of reading it aloud. Some of this text is 
  general and must be adapted to the specific 
  situation or to actions of the player characters. 
  Tracking 
   
   
   
   
   
  After the players have completed the scenario or 
  the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, 
  the players and judge fill out the RPGA Tracking 
  Sheet.  The judge should complete the top of the 
  form and list his name and RPGA number.  The 
  players should each list their name and RPGA 
  number.  After the form is filled out it should be 
  given to the Event Coordinator. 
  LIVING GREYHAWK 
   
   
   
   
  This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure.  As a LIVING 
  adventure it is expected that players bring their 
  own characters with them.  If players do not have 
  a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a 
  copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character 
  generation guidelines, and a character sheet from 
  your convention coordinator or the RPGA Web 
  site, and then have any players without a 
  character create one. Once all players have a 
  LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can begin. 
   
  Along with the other materials discussed in the 
  Preparation section above that you are assumed 
  to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also 
  recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING 
  GREYHAWK Gazetteer. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 2 
  # 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 
  LIVING GREYHAWK Levels of Play  
   
  Because players bring their own 
  characters to LIVING GREYHAWK 
  games, 
  this 
  adventure’s 
  challenges are proportioned to 
  the average character level of 
  the PCs participating in the 
  adventure. To determine the 
  Average Party Level (APL): 
  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 being 
  war horses, dogs trained for 
  war), 
  other 
  than 
  those 
  brought by virtue of a class 
  ability 
  (i.e. 
  animal 
  companions, familiars paladin’s mounts, etc.) 
  use the sidebar chart to determine the number 
  of levels you add to the sum above. 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. 
   
  Nevertheless, 
  if 
  a 
  character has the Mounted Combat feat, he 
  may bring a single warhorse, light or heavy, 
  with him in the adventure and it will not count 
  toward the APL calculation. 
  3. Sum the results of 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. 
  By following these four steps, you will have 
  determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, 
  APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs will 
  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 may 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 will receive only one-half of the 
  experience points for the adventure.  Further, if the 
  PC is three character levels or more lower than 
  the APL at which this adventure is being played, 
  that PC will receive one-half 
  gold for the adventure as 
  well.  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. 
   
  Further, a PC who is four 
  or more levels higher than 
  the highest APL supported 
  by the adventure may not 
  play the scenario unless the 
  highest APL supported by 
  the adventure is APL 12. 
   
  Note: LIVING GREYHAWK 
  adventures are designed for 
  APL 2 and higher. Four or 
  five 1st-level characters may 
  find difficulty with the challenges in a LIVING 
  GREYHAWK adventure. If a group is APL 1 there 
  are two things that the group can do to help even 
  the score. 
  1. Attempt to create a table of six 1st-level 
  characters, or try to enlist higher-level 
  characters to play at that table. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help 
  protect them, and fight for them. All riding 
  dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs 
  who want their dogs to attack must succeed at 
  a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). 
  Failure indicates that the animal will not attack 
  that round. This is a move action (spoken 
  command) that may be attempted each round. 
  If the animal is wounded or has taken any 
  nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the 
  DC increases to 12. 
  Time Units and Upkeep  
   
   
  This is a standard one-round Regional adventure, 
  set in the Grand Duchy of Geoff.  Characters 
  native to Grand Duchy of Geoff pay one Time Unit 
  per round, all others pay two Time Units per 
  round. 
   
  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per 
  Time Unit.  Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time 
  Unit.  Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. 
  Characters that fail to pay at least Standard 
  Upkeep will retain temporary ability damage until 
  the 
  next 
  adventure, 
  must 
  buy 
  new 
  spell 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 3 
  component pouches and healer’s kits, and may 
  suffer other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-
  game benefits) as may be detailed in this 
  scenario. 
   
  A character 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. 
   
  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 
  This adventure occurs in the spring of CY 594. At 
  this time, Owen has “left” Geoff to find new allies. 
  Sierra Blackblade is ruling Geoff as regent until 
  either Owen returns or a new Brenin is chosen. 
  Calisse Skotti, wife of Owen the Brenin and 
  Princess of Keoland, is on a quest. She learned 
  from Gwenllian the Eglantine, Archdruid of Gyruff, 
  that Owen is not dead. Although Owen gave up 
  his life when he was sacrificed, he did not give up 
  his soul. However, his soul is now divided. 
  Gwenllian collected Owen’s mortal soul into a set 
  of crystals, but his faerie half was banished to 
  Faerie. The Weirds of Rhun told Calisse that in 
  order to find her husband, she must find “grace as 
  pure as snow; love as bright as blood; sorrow as 
  deep as night.” 
  Gwenllian has given Calisse a necklace set with 
  the crystals holding Owen’s mortal soul and has 
  sent Calisse into Faerie to find Owen’s faerie half. 
  When she finds him, she must reunite his faerie 
  and mortal halves. To help her, Gwenllian has 
  given Calisse the delicate knife, a glass knife that 
  can summon heroes to her three times. 
  Calisse entered Faerie along with her guilde, Pwyll 
  of the Verdant Ivy, an Old Lore Bard. Together, 
  the two journeyed to the “Home Beneath the 
  Snowy Boughs,” a Seelie realm in Dark Winter. 
  There, Calisse used the delicate knife to call a 
  group of heroes to her aid. With their help, she 
  overcame the challenges of the Home and won 
  the assistance of the unicorn Snowmantle. These 
  events are covered in the Geoff regional 
  adventure GEO4-03 Grace as Pure as Snow. 
  After leaving the Home Beneath the Snowy 
  Boughs, Snowmantle recommended that Calisse 
  speak with King Tor of the Biting Mountain, which 
  is an Unseelie realm of Bright Winter. King Tor 
  knows much and has previously had dealings with 
  the Brenins of Geoff. He may know where Calisse 
  could find love as bright as blood. 
  Calisse and her two companions journeyed to the 
  Arbor Harbor to find passage to the Biting 
  Mountain. Along the way, Pwyll was captured by 
  the forces of the Unseelie Hollow Prince, a rising 
  threat in the lands of Faerie. Calisse and 
  Snowmantle reached the tree port and booked 
  passage on a dreamship. The dreamship carried 
  them for several days, before Haggard, a powerful 
  lieutenant of the Hollow Prince, attacked it. 
  Haggard’s 
  forces, 
  which 
  were 
  flying 
  on 
  griffonback, captured many of the sailors before a 
  powerful wizard drove them off. Unfortunately, the 
  wizard was the dreamer for the dreamship, and 
  his dreams had been keeping the ship afloat. Now 
  that he is awake, the ship is starting to fall from the 
  sky. With the destruction of the dreamship 
  imminent, Calisse summons the PCs. 
  Adventure Summary 
  Introduction: 
  The PCs are going about their business, when an 
  opening to Faerie appears. The PCs are pulled 
  through the gate into Faerie.  
  Encounter One: 
  The PCs find themselves on a flying ship. 
  Unfortunately, the ship’s dream balloon was 
  punctured in the fight with the griffons. Since the 
  dreamer who keeps the balloon filled has 
  awakened, no new dreams are entering the bag 
  as the old dreams leak out. 
  The PCs must find a way to resolve the situation. 
  There are several. (1) They can patch the tear in 
  the dream balloon. This requires the PCs to get 
  additional material from the hold, climb the rigging, 
  cover the tear, and then seal the patch to the tear. 
  (2) They can put the dreamer back to sleep by 
  preparing a special cup of sleepy tea for him. The 
  PCs must locate the special tealeaves, boil the 
  water, and then steep the leaves. (3) Or they can 
  abandon the ship and get everyone off safely. The 
  PCs have a limited time to do this. The ship is 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 4 
  sinking slowly, although its fall is picking up speed 
  as more dreams leak out. 
  If the PCs do (1) or (2) but not both, then the ship 
  slowly sinks to the ground unharmed. However, 
  they must repair the ship and find new rats for the 
  tread wheels that turn the ship’s propellers before 
  they can be on their way. This will take days. The 
  PCs probably do not want to wait that long so they 
  will walk to the mountain on foot. If the PCs do (1) 
  and (2), the ship stays aloft; however, someone 
  must spin the tread wheels to make the propellers 
  move. If the PCs do (3), they then must hike to the 
  Biting Mountain on foot. If the PCs do none of the 
  above, and do not stop the ship’s fall, then Calisse 
  sends them back to the Flanaess using the knife. 
  She and Snowmantle are horribly hurt in the fall, 
  but they survive. Eventually, they make it to the 
  Biting Mountain on their own, and the adventure 
  happens without the PCs. 
  Encounter Two: 
  The PCs arrive at the Biting Mountain, where they 
  find the gate to King Tor’s palace. The gate 
  resembles gritted teeth formed of icicles. The 
  guard is an enormous ice spider. 
  Élan, a Seelie sidhe who has helped Calisse in the 
  past, shows up and catches the spider’s attention. 
  The spider chases after Élan, and he leads it 
  away, freeing the PCs to approach the gate 
  unchallenged. 
  Encounter Three: 
  The PCs find King Tor in his throne room at the 
  center of his palace. King Tor refuses to grant 
  them the gift of audience and bids them to leave 
  his realm. Snowmantle reminds Tor that he is still 
  owed a gift and insists that Tor grant an audience 
  to Calisse in exchange for this gift.   
  Tor angrily relents and agrees to the audience. 
  When he finds out that Calisse is seeking 
  information about Owen, he refuses to help her. 
  He tells Calisse and the PCs that he is only bound 
  to help the Brenin, and Calisse is not the 
  Radiance. 
  The PCs must convince King Tor to help Calisse 
  in her quest. They can do so by showing him a 
  letter addressed to Calisse from Owen. Calisse 
  can also show Tor her necklace containing the 
  echoes of Owen’s soul. 
  If shown these two things, King Tor reluctantly 
  agrees to give Calisse a chance to prove herself. 
  She must “light the mountain.” 
  Encounter Four: 
  The PCs and Calisse begin their assent up the 
  mountain. Along the way, they must overcome the 
  mountain’s natural obstacles. 
  Encounter Five: 
  Eventually they reach the summit and find a wide 
  ledge on which an ancient gnarled oak tree 
  stands. The tree is bare of any leaves and thick 
  ropes hang from its branches. At this point Tor 
  appears again and tells the PCs that Calisse must 
  hang from the tree for a day and a night if she 
  wants to light the mountain. 
  Calisse, while hung, sees visions and raves. The 
  PCs have to stay and watch after her, and they  
  share her ravings. Calisse has a wide variety of 
  ravings that test her to see if she is capable of 
  becoming the Radiance. 
  After the last raving, lightning strikes the tree and 
  the tree catches fire. The PCs must take steps to 
  keep Calisse alive or she will burn to death on the 
  tree. Assuming the PCs keep Calisse alive, the 
  storm passes on, but the leaves glow enough to 
  light the mountain. Calisse herself is aglow, as she 
  has accepted the Radiance. 
  Encounter Six: 
  King Tor arrives again to see if Calisse is dead. He 
  is rather disappointed when she is not. King Tor 
  now accepts Calisse as the Radiance. He gives 
  her the torc and tells her she can find Owen in the 
  Pits of Sharpest Frost.   
  Conclusion: 
  Calisse sends the PCs back to the Flanaess. If 
  they were successful, she has the torc from King 
  Tor, as well as information about Owen’s location. 
  If not, then Calisse does not have the item or the 
  information. Calisse and Snowmantle prepare to 
  embark on the final leg of their journey to find 
  sorrow as deep as night. 
  Preparation for Play 
  It is strongly suggested that all PCs play GEO4-03 
  Grace as Pure as Snow or the Geoff Introductory 
  adventure of the same name if the full adventure 
  has retired. This adventure builds on the events 
  that transpire in Grace as Pure as Snow. 
  Lost in Faerie:   PCs may have earned the "Lost 
  in Faerie" reward from GEO4-03 Grace as Pure as 
  Snow. If so, they can play this adventure. The 
  Delicate Knife pulls them to Calisse. At the end of 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 5 
  the adventure, Calisse sends them back to the 
  Flanaess. The PC can spend no more than 26 
  Time Units in Faerie from being lost. 
  Ire of Calisse Skotti:  If a PC has the Ire of 
  Calisse Skotti from GEO3-06 Rite of Eternal 
  Spring that character may play this adventure. 
  Calisse says that this is their opportunity to make it 
  up to her. If the PC receives Calisse's favor in this 
  adventure, they must use it to cancel out the Ire. 
  Hatred of Calisse Skotti:  If a PC has the Hatred 
  of Calisse Skotti from GEO4-02 Stormy Night in 
  Hochoch, 
  that 
  character 
  cannot 
  play 
  this 
  adventure. 
  Box Text:   This adventure contains a fair amount 
  of box text for descriptions and presenting 
  dialogue. The box text is designed as a guide for 
  you as the judge. Feel free to vary the box text 
  and the dialogue to fit your interaction with the 
  players. 
  Spellcasting:  If the PCs begin or end this 
  adventure in Geoff, there is a druid available to 
  cast spells such as reincarnate. 
  Introduction 
  The adventure begins wherever the PCs are. It 
  does not matter where the PCs are or even if they 
  are all together. They will be together soon 
  enough.  
  Spring has come once again. The seasonal 
  rains have passed. Everywhere, the trees and 
  bushes have robed themselves in green. 
  Nature is abloom. 
  Ask each of the PCs where they would be on a 
  sunny late spring day. Each of the PCs would be 
  dressed and equipped for adventure, because the 
  delicate knife only picks heroes who are ready for 
  adventure. If the PCs have a familiar or animal 
  companion, they are with them at the time. Non-
  bonded 
  mounts 
  and 
  other 
  pets 
  are 
  not 
  summoned. 
  The DM needs to tailor the summoning to each 
  PC, but the basic theme is the same.  
  You are going about your daily business when 
  something odd catches your eye. A nearby 
  mirror is not showing a reflection. Instead, you 
  can see the wooden deck of a ship with a 
  brilliant blue sky behind it. 
  The reflective surface does not have to be a 
  mirror. It can be anything that would reflect, such 
  as a piece of metal, a window, or even a pool of 
  water. Size does not matter. The PC can be 
  looking into a spoon and get pulled through. 
  Once the PCs have seen the image, regardless of 
  what they do, they are pulled into the image and 
  into Faerie. 
  The surface of the reflection sweeps over you 
  with a strange, thrilling chill. You feel giddy 
  and disoriented for a moment. Then that too 
  passes. 
  Calisse has called PCs to her, and the PCs have 
  now entered Faerie. Go to Encounter One. 
  Encounter One: The Sinking 
  of the Dreamtreader 
  You are standing on the deck of the 
  elaborately carved ship that you saw in the 
  reflection. This ship is not sailing on water; it 
  is floating in the air! The ship looks like it has 
  just weathered a vicious assault. Debris is 
  scattered across the deck, and many of the 
  catfolk sailors are wounded. 
  The ship is hanging from a large cocoon made 
  of intricately laced rope. Swirling colors fill the 
  inside of the cocoon, except near a large tear 
  in the ropes. The colors are spilling out of the 
  hole and dispersing into the air. 
  Give the players Player Handout #1. 
  Before you is a finely dressed young woman. 
  She is quite attractive and has a regal bearing 
  about her. She too looks as if she has been in 
  a fight. A small shivering ermine is hiding in 
  her arms. Beside her is a beautiful unicorn 
  with a silver mane and a horn made of ivory.  
  Nearby are other people who look like they 
  have arrived in a similar fashion as you. 
  The other people mentioned above are the other 
  PCs. The woman is none other than Calisse 
  Skotti, Princess of Keoland and Grand Duchess of 
  Geoff. PCs who have played GEO 3-06 Rite of 
  Eternal 
  Spring, 
  GEO4-01 
  Stormy 
  Night 
  in 
  Hochoch, or GEO4-03 Grace as Pure as Snow 
  recognize her. PCs also recognize her with a 
  successful Knowledge (local - Sheldomar) check 
  (DC 15), a successful Knowledge (nobility & 
  royalty) check (DC 10), or a successful Bardic 
  Lore check (DC 15).  
  When roleplaying Calisse, depict her as well 
  mannered and well spoken. She was tutored at 
  the royal court in Niole Dra, Keoland where she 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 6 
  learned the art of rulership and nobility. She is a 
  smart and charming young woman with a kind 
  heart. She is not quite 20-years-old, but the last 
  year has been rough on her. In that time, she has 
  lost her husband, then her social standing in 
  Geoff, then even her home at Caer Dwr Gwyldy. 
  She is now on a quest that she does not really 
  understand, but she is determined to see it 
  through to its conclusion and rescue her lost 
  husband. Calisse’s stats can be found in 
  Appendix 2. 
  The ermine is Llelo. He does not say anything at 
  this point. In fact, he prefers to play dumb and 
  pretend to be a normal ermine. 
  The unicorn Snowmantle has promised to help 
  Calisse in her quest and is currently escorting her. 
  When roleplaying Snowmantle, depict him as 
  gentle and kind. He does not speak much, but his 
  voice is soft and lilting. Snowmantle’s stats can be 
  found in Appendix 2. 
  In Grace as Pure as Snow, Calisse’s third 
  companion was an Old Lore bard by the name of 
  Pwyll of the Verdant Ivy. The Hollow Prince’s 
  forces have captured him. If Calisse is asked 
  about him, her reaction is detailed below 
  Calisse has called the PCs to her in Faerie using 
  the delicate knife. The delicate knife can call 
  heroes to her three times. Each use allows her to 
  bring up to six heroes. As per the spell planar 
  binding, Calisse must bargain with the PCs to 
  solicit their help. This is Calisse’s second use of 
  the knife. 
  If the PCs have never met her before, Calisse 
  addresses them as written below. If Calisse has 
  met them before, alter the text to include the PCs’ 
  names and personalize her plea for help. Calisse 
  has a good memory. 
  The woman speaks. “Forgive the lack of 
  formalities, good sirs and ladies. I am Grand 
  Duchess 
  Calisse 
  Skotti. 
  I 
  need 
  your 
  assistance, 
  and 
  I 
  need 
  it 
  now. 
  The 
  Dreamtreader is sinking, and I must reach the 
  Biting Mountain. Will you please help me?”  
  If the PCs look around, they notice that the ship is 
  losing altitude. If the PCs do not do something 
  quickly, the ship will crash onto the ground. If the 
  PCs refuse to help Calisse, she sends them back 
  to the Flanaess using the delicate knife. Go to 
  Conclusion A. 
  If the PCs demand payment, Calisse bargains with 
  them. She cannot give them anything now, but she 
  promises the PCs rewards when she returns to 
  Geoff. 
  Assuming the PCs agree, they will probably have 
  a few questions. The most likely questions deal 
  with the situation at hand. 
  Q. What happened to the Dreamtreader? 
  Calisse says, “We were attacked by forces of 
  the Hollow Prince. He sent one of his 
  lieutenants and a flock of griffons. The griffons 
  tore into the dreamweave and carried off 
  several of the sailors. They would have taken 
  me, but for the intervention of the dreamer.” 
  Q. Who is the dreamer? 
  Calisse says, “He is the elf over there by the 
  door to the cabins who is pacing back and 
  forth.” 
  Q. So how do you need our help? 
  Calisse gestures to the slowly sinking ship. 
  “The Dreamtreader is leaking dream and will 
  crash if something is not done soon!” 
  Q. What needs to be done to stop the 
  Dreamtreader from crashing? 
  Calisse 
  says, 
  “You 
  need 
  to 
  patch 
  the 
  dreamweave to stop the dreams from leaking, 
  and you need to put the dreamer back to sleep 
  so that he can refill the weave.” 
   “I do not know how to patch the dreamweave, 
  talk to Captain Haze. He’s the felinaeros 
  standing on the aft deck.”  
   “You will have to ask the dreamer how he can 
  go back to sleep. I did not even know he was 
  on board until a few minutes ago. He is the elf 
  pacing over there by the aftcastle.” 
  From the moment that the PCs finish being 
  appraised of the situation, they have 20 rounds 
  minus the APL (e.g., 18 rounds at APL 2, 16 
  rounds at APL 4, and so forth) to fix the 
  Dreamtreader or it will crash. Add back 2 rounds 
  for each player under 6 at the table (so a 4-player 
  table has an additional 4 rounds). In order to 
  heighten the tension, have each player give you 
  their actions round by round. Judge Aid #1 is 
  given for your convenience to keep track. 
  The PCs have several options at this point. They 
  can help patch the tear in the cocoon or help put 
  the dreamer back to sleep. It is likely that the PCs 
  intersperse talking with Calisse throughout the 
  other two tasks. All of Calisse’s responses are 
  grouped under one heading for convenience, even 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  though the dialog is unlikely to happen this way or 
  it will happen after the PCs have stopped the fall 
  of the Dreamtreader. 
  Talking to Calisse 
  Calisse talks with the PCs concerning her quest 
  and what happened to the Dreamtreader. The 
  likely questions the PCs will ask and her answers 
  are below. 
  Q.  What is your quest? 
  Calisse says with a determined voice, “I seek 
  my husband, Grand Duke Owen of Geoff. As 
  you may have heard, Owen is lost in Faerie 
  and I must find him.”  
  Q.  Owen? Is not Owen seeking allies for us? 
  Calisse’s answer depends upon whether all the 
  PCs at the table have played GEO3-06 Rite of 
  Eternal Spring or are part of the Chosen of 
  Calisse, the Griffon Guard, or are a Peer of the 
  Realm.  
  If the players have not all played GEO3-06 Rite of 
  Eternal Spring and are not part of the meta-orgs 
  listed above, she says. 
  Calisse looks troubled and purses her lips 
  together. Finally, she says, “His quest to find 
  new allies has not gone well. I only know this 
  much because of the words of the Weirds on 
  the Isle of Rhun.” 
  PCs can make a Sense Motive check opposed by 
  Calisse’s bluff. If they succeed, they get the hunch 
  that she is not telling them the entire story. If they 
  ask her about this, Calisse does her level best to 
  keep Owen’s recent death a secret. 
  Q. How did Owen get lost? 
  Calisse shakes her head sadly. “I do not know. 
  The druids said that his fate is in my hands 
  and set this quest before me.” 
  Q.  Owen? Is not Owen dead? 
  If the PCs have played GEO3-06 Rite of Eternal 
  Spring or are part of the Chosen of Calisse, the 
  Griffon Guard, or are a Peer, Calisse tells them 
  something very different from the answer stated 
  above. 
  Calisse says in a voice strained to keep 
  emotion out of it, “I seek my husband, Grand 
  Duke Owen of Geoff. I have recently learned 
  that my husband is half-fey. When the druids 
  sacrificed him, they did so using a very special 
  knife. This knife dismissed his fey half to 
  Faerie.” 
  “I must find his fey half. I carry with me this 
  necklace. It contains the last echoes of Owen’s 
  mortal half. It will make him whole again.” 
  Calisse smiles warmly at the thought. 
  The PCs may then ask if she knows what his fey 
  half looks like or if the fey half remembers 
  anything. 
  Calisse says, “I do not know what his fey half 
  looks like. That is why I must follow this quest 
  to find him. The Weirds said that his fey half 
  would know nothing of the mortal world.” 
  Q. How do you expect to find Owen? 
  Calisse says, “The Weirds of the Isle of Rhun 
  said that I must find grace as pure as snow, 
  love as bright as blood, and sorrow as deep as 
  night in order to find Owen. I have found the 
  first of the three, but I still have two to go.  
  “The Weirds also said that if I did not find 
  Owen, no one would. I will not fail at this 
  quest.” 
  Q.  What are the Weirds? 
  Calisse says, “Pwyll said that the Weirds are 
  elemental essences that have a connection to 
  Oerth 
  itself 
  and 
  might 
  be 
  sparks 
  of 
  consciousness of Beory. They dwell on the Isle 
  of Rhun.”  
  Q. Where is Pwyll? 
  A sad and concerned look crosses Calisse’s 
  face. “He was captured by the forces of the 
  Hollow Prince.” 
  Calisse, Pwyll, and Snowmantle were ambushed 
  several days ago by a force of trolls, goblins, and 
  redcaps, lead by Gaunt, an Unseelie sidhe. 
  Snowmantle escaped carrying Calisse. Pwyll was 
  captured. 
  Q. Did you know that your father is dead? 
  “My father is dead? Are you sure? Please do 
  not jest with me. This is crushing news. How 
  did it happen? When?” 
  Calisse will want to know everything that the PCs 
  can tell her about the death of King Kimbertos 
  Skotti. She is quite distraught at the news. 
  Q. What about your son Rhys? 
  Calisse has a pained expression. “Rhys is with 
  the druids at Kindler’s Isle. I do not like being 
  
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  away from him, but Faerie is especially 
  dangerous for an infant. I had to leave him 
  behind.” 
  If the PCs have news of Rhys, Calisse wants to 
  know it. She is eager for any news of Geoff and 
  Keoland. 
  Q. Where are we? 
  Calisse says, “You are in Faerie -- the Lands of 
  Bright Winter. We were traveling to the Biting 
  Mountain.” 
  Q. Why are you going there? 
  Calisse says, “The ruler of the Biting Mountain 
  is King Tor. He may be an Unseelie faerie lord, 
  but he knows much, according to Snowmantle. 
  He can listen to the wind and hear everything 
  that is said. Snowmantle believes that Tor will 
  be able to tell me where Owen is.” 
  Fixing the Dreamtreader 
  The PCs must do two things to keep the 
  Dreamtreader from crashing. Because of the time 
  restriction, the PCs must split up in order to 
  accomplish both goals before the ship strikes 
  ground. 
  (1) They can patch the tear in the dream 
  balloon, as described in Patching the Tear 
  below. 
  (2) They must put the dreamer back to sleep, 
  as described in Putting the Dreamer Back 
  to Sleep below. 
  If the PCs do (1) or (2) but not both, then the ship 
  sinks to the ground at a slower rate. The PCs are 
  unharmed, but the felinaeros must repair the ship 
  and find new rats for the tread wheels that move 
  the wings before they can be on their way. This 
  takes several days. The PCs probably do not want 
  to wait that long so they must walk to the mountain 
  on foot. 
  If the PCs do (1) and (2), then the ship stays aloft 
  and the rats return.  
  The PCs can also choose to abandon the ship and 
  get everyone off safely. This is described in 
  Abandoning the Dreamtreader below. If the PCs 
  abandon the ship, they then must hike to the Biting 
  Mountain on foot.  
  If the PCs do none of the above, and do not stop 
  the ship’s fall, then the ship crashes to the ground 
  with the PCs, Calisse, and Snowmantle on it. This 
  is described in the Long Fall below. 
  Patching the Tear 
  To know how to patch the tear in the cocoon, the 
  PCs must speak with Captain Nimbus Haze. 
  Captain Haze is a felinaeros, a cat-like elfin race 
  of fey who delight in keeping to tree branches and 
  other high locations. All the other sailors are 
  felinaeros as well.  
  When the PCs approach Captain Haze, read the 
  following: 
  The captain of the Dreamtreader is vaguely 
  elfin in appearance but with prominent cat-like 
  features. His dark skin is covered in short hair 
  and his ears are tufted. He is dressed in short-
  legged pants that are tied just beneath the 
  knee with a loose blouse that is open around 
  his neck. His feet are bare, letting his claws 
  grip the deck, and his head is adorned with a 
  tricorn hat that sports an enormous ostrich 
  feather. 
  He is currently leaning over the side rail 
  cursing a blue streak.  His anger is directed at 
  a little rowboat with a propeller on the back is 
  floating away from the ship.   It is full of large 
  anthropomorphic rats.  
  Captain Haze is venting his frustration at the 
  treadwheel runners, who stole the rowboat and left 
  the sinking Dreamtreader. The rowboat is made of 
  liftwood, which floats on air like driftwood floats on 
  water. The rowboat is only within range of long-
  range spells. Projectile weapons shot at the 
  rowboat are caught in the wind and blown to the 
  side. 
  The rats normally turn the tread wheels that move 
  the wings. They took the only lifeboat without 
  telling anyone else, as they instinctively know 
  when it is time to flee a ship. 
  When roleplaying Captain Haze, depict him as a 
  seasoned sailor who is used to being in charge of 
  his vessel. He constantly gives small commands 
  to his crew. He is extremely concerned about his 
  ship and does everything to keep her in one piece. 
  His voice is clipped, and his verb construction is 
  odd. See the box text with his dialog for an 
  example. 
  Give the players Player Handout #2. 
  Captain Nimbus Haze: male felinaeros 
  Exp5/Rog3; hp 38; Bluff +11, Climb +12, 
  Profession (sailor) +14, Sense Motive +8, Use 
  Rope +10. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  If the PCs ask him how they can help (or some 
  variation of that), Haze responds: 
  “The 
  dreamweave 
  done 
  been 
  torn, 
  landwalkers. Look, it’s spillin’ dream all over 
  the sky, and I do have not enough sailors to fix 
  the tear afore we do hit ground.” 
  If the PCs agree to help, Captain Haze tells them 
  the following: 
  “I do be needin’ you to go below into the hold 
  and get more phase spidersilk. Do bring it up 
  here as quickly as you can.” 
  “When you get back, you do need to go up into 
  rigging and weave the new strands in with the 
  old. You do need to do this quickly afore we 
  strike ground.” 
  After giving the PCs their orders, Captain Haze 
  returns to the aft deck to take the rudder to keep 
  the ship level as it falls. It takes two rounds to get 
  the information from Captain Haze on how to fix 
  the cocoon. 
  The hold is filled with crates, barrels, and a 
  mixture of exotic scents, including nutmeg and 
  honey, as well as other unidentifiable, musky 
  smells. Built into one wall is a large metal 
  barred cage containing an enormous and 
  angry wolf spider.  Thick cable-like webbing 
  fills the inside of the cage    
  The cage is locked. Fortunately, the key hangs 
  from a nail on the wall over top a barrel of 
  pungent rubbing alcohol. 
  The PCs must go down into the hold and get some 
  more phase spidersilk. It takes one round to get 
  down into the hold. They find out that the silk 
  comes from a caged phase spider. Because the 
  ethereal plane is not coterminous with Faerie, the 
  spider cannot shift to ethereal. It is trapped inside 
  the cage.  
  The spider has spun webbing all around the inside 
  of its cage. The PCs can drive the spider away 
  from their side of the cage with an Intimidate 
  check (DC 10+APL) or they can distract it with a 
  Bluff check (DC 10+APL). 
  Once the PCs have distracted or pushed the 
  spider back, they can reach in with a successful 
  Sleight of Hand check (DC 10). PCs can also 
  reach in with a pole arm, but this requires a melee 
  touch attack against an AC 9 to collect some 
  webbing. If either check is successful, the PCs 
  collect enough webbing to fix the cocoon. 
  The phase spider attacks PCs that fail the Sleight 
  of Hand check. Give the PC a +4 cover bonus to 
  AC. If the PCs are using a polearm and miss, the 
  pole arm is attacked by the phase spider. Two 
  attacks break the pole arm (unless it is magical 
  which adds another round for each plus of the 
  weapon.). 
  If the PCs kill the phase spider, Captain Haze is 
  very upset and holds back some of the reward at 
  the end. He needs the spider to make more silk for 
  the cocoon. 
  Be sure to keep track of the number of rounds that 
  the PCs are collecting webbing.  A PC can collect 
  enough webbing in one round to fix five cords. 
  All APLs (EL 5) 
  Phase Spider:  large magical beast; CR 5; hp 
  49; see Monster Manual p. 207. 
  Once the PCs have the spidersilk from the cage, 
  they need to wash it in alcohol to get the stickiness 
  off. Fortunately, a small cast of rubbing alcohol 
  and a pan are nearby. PCs who make a 
  successful Knowledge (nature) check (DC 10) or a 
  successful Craft (Weaving) check (DC 10) know 
  what to do. It takes one round to wash off the 
  webbing that will fix five cords. 
  The silk is already in thick cables so it does not 
  need to be spun. Once the PCs wash off the 
  webbing, they need to go back to the deck, which 
  takes another round. Then they must climb the 
  rigging and weave the new strands into the old to 
  seal the tear.  
  The sailors are already in the rigging to fix the 
  dreamweave, but there are not enough of them to 
  fix the weave before too many of the dreams 
  escape. The PCs need to help. The felinaeros 
  sailors show the PCs what they need to do to fix 
  the dreamweave. 
  PCs must climb up the rigging with a chance of 
  falling with a successful climb check DC 10. PCs 
  must then climb up onto the weavework to reach 
  the rip, with a chance of falling. This requires a 
  second Climb check (DC 10). The PCs are under 
  pressure so they cannot take 10 on this check. 
  If a PC fails a check by less than 5, they are stuck 
  on the rigging and can try again. However, if they 
  fail a climb check by more than 5, they fall from 
  the rigging. If any PC falls from the rigging, they 
  must make a Reflex save (DC 5+APL). If 
  successful, the PCs land on the deck of the ship 
  and only take 2d4 points of damage (falling 
  damage is less in Faerie, see Appendix 3). If 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  unsuccessful, the PC gets one last chance to 
  catch the side of the boat with a Climb check (DC 
  35). A PC that misses this check falls all the way 
  to the ground, taking 12d4 points of damage. 
  A strong wind is blowing, as per the DMG p. 95. 
  This causes problems for flying and climbing 
  creatures. The DC of the Climb check has been 
  increased to account for the wind. Flying creatures 
  of small size or smaller are blown away to the port 
  side of the boat at 1d6x10 ft. per round. Medium-
  sized flying creatures are blown that direction at 
  1d6x10 ft. per round. The wind is obvious; the DM 
  should warn the PCs to secure themselves to the 
  ship. 
  Once the PCs are up in the dreamweave, they 
  must make a Use Rope check (DC 15) to splice 
  the webbing cord into the cocoon. It is a full round 
  action to splice the webbing in. 
  If none of the PCs can do this, then the ship 
  begins to fall faster after 5 rounds. The speed of 
  the fall continues to increase until the ship hits the 
  ground. See the Long Fall for more details. 
  For each cord that is added to the cocoon, add 
  another round to the number of rounds before the 
  ship hits ground. Multiple PCs working at once can 
  add multiple rounds to the descent rate in a single 
  round of action. Once the PCs have woven a 
  number of cords equal to three-times their APL 
  into the dreamweave, the Dreamtreader ceases to 
  fall and begins to float toward the ground. 
  Putting the Dreamer Back to Sleep 
  Patching the tear in the dreamweave is only half 
  the challenge. The PCs must also put the dreamer 
  back to sleep and refill the dreamweave. 
  When the PCs approach the Dreamer, read the 
  following: 
  The dreamer is a handsome gray elf. He is tall 
  and lithe and moves with an unconscious 
  grace. His violet eyes dance with worry, and he 
  paces back and forth furiously. 
  The dreamer is Maedolas, the consort of Queen 
  Yolande of Celene, who entered the Moonarch in 
  that land. His journey beyond the Moonarch is too 
  vast to be detailed here, and this is but a small 
  part of his journey. Maedolas does not speak of 
  other events that have befallen him. 
  PCs may recognize Maedolas with a successful 
  Knowledge (local - Sheldomar) check (DC 15), a 
  successful Knowledge (nobility & royalty) check 
  (DC 20), or a successful Bardic Lore check (DC 
  25). Elves gain a +2 circumstance bonus to this 
  roll. 
  Maedolas: male elf Ftr4/Wiz3/Bldsngr1; hp 
  42; see Living Greyhawk Gazetteer p. 40. 
  When roleplaying Maedolas, depict him as an 
  intelligent gray elven noble. He is a proud elf but 
  maintains a very strict sense of propriety and 
  manners. In addition, he learned Common over a 
  century ago. As a consequence, his language is 
  formal and rather archaic. Try to mimic the speech 
  patterns of a noble in a book by Charles Dickens 
  or Jane Austen. He is a bladesinger and well 
  known in Celene.  
  If the PCs ask how they can help the Dreamer (or 
  something similar), the Dreamer tells them the 
  following: 
  “I am the Dreamer. ‘Tis my dreams that hold 
  our vessel aloft. Alas, I had to awaken to fend 
  off those Unseelie, and now my blood courses 
  and I cannot return to my repose.”  
  Maedolas has spent most of his useful spells 
  fighting off Haggard and the griffons and is 
  currently too excited to go to sleep without help.  
  If the PCs ask if there is any way for him to calm 
  down and go back to sleep, the dreamer does 
  have one idea. 
  “The cook on this vessel makes a fine cup of 
  tea that would bring slumber to me. It is our 
  misfortune that he was carried away by the 
  griffons, and I am hopeless in the kitchen.” 
  Maedolas is an elf and is immune to sleep magic. 
  However, a cup of dreamytime tea will do the trick. 
  Unfortunately, as Maedolas said, the cook was 
  carried away by the griffons and is not available to 
  make the tea. Maedolas is hopeless in the kitchen, 
  so it is up to the PCs to make the tea. It takes two 
  rounds to talk to Maedolas and learn this 
  information. 
  PCs must find the galley, which is in the front of 
  the boat. Maedolas knows where it is, as does 
  Calisse, Captain Haze, and the sailors. It takes 
  one round to reach the galley. 
  The galley is a cramped room of cabinets, 
  counters, and cooking utensils. A firebox fills 
  the middle of the room. The coals are still hot, 
  and stones line the inside to keep the fire from 
  spreading. 
  On the counter beneath a spice rack is a large 
  well-worn cookbook 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  Once inside the galley, the PCs must find the 
  recipe for dreamytime tea. With one round of 
  searching, the PCs can find the cookbook with the 
  recipe for dreamytime tea. The recipe is a puzzle, 
  which requires the PCs to find and mix several 
  ingredients. Give the players Player Handout #3, 
  which shows the recipe. 
  The PCs need to find the ingredients to make the 
  tea. Some of the ingredients are mundane, while 
  others are magical. Most of the items can be found 
  on the cook’s spice rack. Diced tearmaker is 
  onion. If the PCs ask, the onion on the rack is 
  diced. None of the other ingredients are diced. 
  Give the PCs Player Handout #4, which is a 
  picture of the spice rack. 
  Four of the ingredients are not on the spice rack. 
  These are:  (1) sugarplums, (2) a dash of rock 
  (powdered by time), (3) a bit of cloud, and (4) a 
  lightweight tickler.  
  The sugarplums are in a cabinet in the galley. The 
  dash of rock is sand. It can be found in the bottom 
  of the ship as ballast. Wizards might also have it 
  as a spell component. If no PC has it, Calisse has 
  it. 
  A bit of cloud is harder to find, but let the PCs be 
  inventive. If all else fails, Calisse can cast fog 
  cloud, which the PCs can capture for use in the 
  recipe. It takes one round to get to Calisse, one 
  round for her to cast the spell, and one round to 
  get back. 
  The lightweight tickler is a feather. The PCs can 
  find feathers in the pillows in the captain’s cabin. 
  Also, Captain Haze has a big feather on his hat. It 
  takes one round to get to the cabin and one round 
  back; the same to get to Captain Haze. 
  Also, the page that holds the tea blend can come 
  from any book that the PCs consider dull, 
  including this cookbook. The sticky residue from 
  the phase spider webbing works well to hold the 
  pouch together. It’s one round to the hold and one 
  round back. 
  It takes one PC one round to prepare and add 
  each ingredient to the tea blend. Multiple PCs can 
  each add a single ingredient to the blend in a 
  single round. 
  Once the PCs have made the blend of dreamytime 
  tealeaves, they must boil the water and steep the 
  leaves. There is a firebox with some burning coals 
  in it in the galley. It takes 10 rounds for the PCs to 
  boil enough water to make tea. This can be 
  shortened to 5 rounds, if the PCs use magical 
  flame. However, the water does not boil as long as 
  the PCs are watching the pot. They must 
  specifically declare they are not looking at the pot. 
  You should give them a hint such as "You watch 
  the pot carefully and it's just not boiling." 
  The tea bag needs to steep for 5 rounds (one to 
  put it in, one to pull it out, one to put it in, one to 
  shake it all about, and one to let it steep while the 
  PCs turn themselves about). 
  It should be entertaining for you, as the judge, to 
  mention that the ship is starting to fall faster from 
  the sky as the PCs work. Try to draw forth the 
  inherent contradiction of saving a sinking ship and 
  the relaxing action of making tea. 
  After the tea is made, the PCs can give the tea to 
  Maedolas. It takes one round to reach him on the 
  deck, unless the PCs thought to bring him down. 
  The dreamer falls fast asleep the round after 
  drinking the tea. The same applies to any PC who 
  drinks more than a teaspoon of the tea, assuming 
  that they fail a DC 12 Fortitude save. The dreamer 
  willingly fails his save. The tea overcomes the 
  elven immunity to sleep magic. 
  As soon as Maedolas falls asleep, the ship’s 
  descent slows by half. Double the number of 
  remaining rounds before the ship hits the ground. 
  Abandoning the Ship 
  The PCs can abandon ship with Calisse and 
  Snowmantle. Nothing is preventing the PCs from 
  leaving the ship, assuming that they can fly or 
  have similar capabilities. Calisse does not have 
  any flying magic memorized, and Maedolas used 
  all of his spells to drive off the griffons.  
  In addition to Calisse and Snowmantle, the 
  dreamer, Captain Haze, and three sailors are 
  aboard the Dreamtreader. If the PCs abandon 
  ship and leave any of these behind, they are killed 
  when the ship strikes the ground. If the PCs 
  rescue Captain Haze, his crew, and the dreamer, 
  they are rewarded for their efforts, as described 
  below.  
  Assuming the PCs can safely escape the ship with 
  Calisse and Snowmantle, they land on the ground 
  without incident. 
  The Long Fall 
  From the moment the PCs learn that the 
  dreamship is sinking and what they need to do 
  about it, they have 20 rounds minus the APL to fix 
  the ship. Patching the tear in the cocoon as 
  described above can extend this time.  
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  If the PCs do not manage to fix the ship before 20 
  rounds minus the APL pass, the Dreamtreader 
  crashes and all those onboard take damage. 
  Note:  Faerie has light gravity, so damage does 
  1d4 points of damage per 10 ft. fallen, and PC get 
  a +2 circumstance bonus to Jump checks, but a -2 
  circumstance penalty to Tumble checks. 
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Falling Dreamship: CR 4; situational; location 
  trigger; no reset; no save (may use Jump or 
  Tumble check to ignore first 10 ft. of fall); 80 ft. 
  fall (8d4, fall); multiple targets (all those 
  aboard the dreamship); no search DC; no 
  Disable Device. 
  APL 4 (EL 6) 
  Falling Dreamship: CR 6; situational; location 
  trigger; no reset; no save (may use Jump or 
  Tumble check to ignore first 10 ft. of fall); 120 
  ft. fall (12d4, fall); multiple targets (all those 
  aboard the dreamship); no search DC; no 
  Disable Device. 
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
  Falling Dreamship: CR 8; situational; location 
  trigger; no reset; no save (may use Jump or 
  Tumble check to ignore first 10 ft. of fall); 160 
  ft. fall (16d4, fall); multiple targets (all those 
  aboard the dreamship); no search DC; no 
  Disable Device. 
  APL 8 (EL 10) 
  Falling 
  Dreamship: 
  CR 
  10; 
  situational; 
  location trigger; no reset; no save (may use 
  Jump or Tumble check to ignore first 10 ft. of 
  fall); 200 ft. fall (20d4, fall); multiple targets (all 
  those aboard the dreamship); no search DC; 
  no Disable Device. 
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
  Falling 
  Dreamship: 
  CR 
  12; 
  situational; 
  location trigger; no reset; no save (may use 
  Jump or Tumble check to ignore first 10 ft. of 
  fall); 200 ft. fall (20d4, fall); all those aboard 
  the dreamship); no search DC; no Disable 
  Device;  and crushing damage from rocks and 
  debris; no attack roll required; DC 20 Reflex 
  save halves (18d6, crush); multiple targets (all 
  those aboard the dreamship); no search DC; 
  no Disable Device. 
  Rewarding the PCs 
  Depending 
  upon 
  the 
  PCs 
  actions 
  in 
  this 
  encounter, they are rewarded.  
  If the PCs abandoned ship with only Snowmantle 
  and Calisse, then everyone else on the ship dies 
  when it crashes. The PCs get no reward, as 
  everything of value is smashed by the impact. 
   
  Treasure:  If the PCs manage to slow the 
  Dreamtreader’s 
  descent 
  by 
  mending 
  the 
  dreamweave, Captain Haze rewards the PCs by 
  giving them the following: 
  APL 2:  spellbook from the Dawntreader;  This 
  spellbook contains the following spells:  bands 
  of steel, duelward, greater mage armor, low-
  light vision, phantasmal assailants, servant 
  horde, swim. 
  APL 4: APL 2 reward, a cube of hearthfire, 
  and a leap alchemical capsule; 
  APL 6: APLs 2 and 4 rewards, and catstink;    
  APL 8: APLs 2, 4, and 6 rewards, and 
  suregrip;  
  APL 10: APLs 2, 4, 6, and 8 rewards, and a 
  quickblade rapier. 
   
  Treasure:  If the PCs put the dreamer back to 
  sleep and did not kill the phase spider, Captain 
  Haze also offers the following: 
  APL 2:  ring of feather falling;  
  APL 4: APL 2 reward and a figurine of 
  wondrous power, silver raven;  
  APL 6: APLs 2 and 4 rewards and a vest of 
  resistance +2;  
  APL 8: APLs 2 , 4 ,and 6 rewards and a Doss 
  lute;  
  APL 10: APLs 2, 4, 6, and 8 rewards and a 
  rod of wonder. 
  Captain Haze found the spellbook at a faerie 
  market. He is not a spellcaster. 
  Go to Encounter Two. 
  Encounter Two:  The Gate of 
  the Biting Mountain 
  Depending upon whether the PCs saved the 
  Dreamtreader, they may have to walk to the Biting 
  Mountain. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 13 
  If the ship crashed or was forced to ground itself 
  (i.e., the PCs were not successful or only partially 
  successful), the PCs must walk to the base of the 
  Biting Mountain, which takes a week. The PCs 
  arrive at the Gates of the Mountain the following 
  day. This costs the PCs one extra TU since they 
  are spending a significant amount in time in 
  Faerie. Go to Outside the Gates below. 
  If the PCs managed to keep the dreamship adrift 
  (i.e., the PCs succeeded at both parts of the 
  puzzle in Encounter One), read the following. 
  With the Dreamtreader repaired, Captain Haze 
  sets course for the Biting Mountain. The 
  skyship moves surprisingly fast. Captain Haze 
  sits on a large wicker chair and holds the 
  wheel steady with his clawed foot.  
  The lands for Bright Summer slip by beneath 
  you, fading into autumn and finally winter. The 
  Biting Mountain looms overhead. It is the 
  tallest mountain in a long jagged range that 
  extends as far as you can see in either 
  direction. 
  Captain Haze can get the ship close to the Biting 
  Mountain, before he lets down a rope ladder for 
  the PCs to disembark. From this point, it is a short 
  walk to the gates. There is no TU loss for this 
  short walk. Go to Outside the Gates below. 
  Outside the Gate of the Mountain 
  The PCs arrive at the Biting Mountain and find the 
  gate to King Tor’s palace, which is inside the 
  mountain. The PCs first see the gate of the Biting 
  Mountain from an overlook that allows them to 
  observe the gate from a distance without being 
  spotted. 
  Set into the root of the Biting Mountain is a 
  wide but low cavern mouth blocked by a set of 
  gritted teeth formed of icy stalactites and 
  stalagmites.  
  "Yes. 
  It is as I remembered it," says 
  Snowmantle. “Beyond the gate is a tunnel that 
  will take us to King Tor's palace. It is an 
  unfriendly place called the Heart of Ice.” 
  Give the players Player Handout #5.  
  Have the PCs make Spot checks. With a 
  successful Spot check (DC 10+APL), they see an 
  enormous spider, made of ice, crawling over the 
  teeth. Snowmantle identifies this as the guardian 
  of the gate. 
  As the PCs observe the spider and plot how to get 
  past it, they get a bit of help. Have the PCs make 
  another Spot check at the same difficulty as 
  above. If successful, the PCs see the following. 
  You see a humanoid faerie with a mane of dark 
  red hair and a fox's tail approaching the gate. 
  He is deftly keeping out of sight of the spider. 
  When he has narrowed the distance, the faerie 
  emerges from its hiding place, and flings two 
  curved double-bladed knives at the spider.  
  The 
  knives 
  spin 
  through 
  the 
  air 
  like 
  boomerangs, striking the enormous spider, 
  and circling back to the fox-tailed faerie who 
  snatches them out of the air. 
  The enraged spider rushes down toward its 
  attacker. The fox-tailed creature takes off at a 
  loping run across the snow, and the spider 
  chases after him.  In a few seconds, both 
  creatures are gone. 
  The fox-tailed faerie is Élan, the Earl of 
  Tramontane. He is a Seelie sidhe who was asked 
  by Gwenllian the Eglantine to look after Calisse on 
  her quest through Faerie. The PCs may have seen 
  him in GEO4-03 Grace as Pure as Snow where he 
  provides crucial advice via a message spell to the 
  PCs. 
  Élan has drawn off the guardian of King Tor's 
  gate, allowing the PCs to enter Tor's palace 
  without having to face this monstrosity. Hopefully, 
  the PCs take the hint and make a dash for the 
  entrance. If not, Snowmantle urges them to do so. 
  Élan keeps the spider away long enough for the 
  PCs to pass the gates. 
  Through the Teeth and Beyond 
  When the PCs approach the gates, read the 
  following: 
  You walk toward the imposing mouth-like gate. 
  Enormous icicles as tall as a giant stab down 
  from the cavern roof, while another set of icy 
  protrusions jut up to meet them. The teeth do 
  not match evenly, so you should be able to 
  squeeze through them into the cavern beyond. 
  The gaps between the teeth are large enough for 
  the PCs to get through, and the PCs can get 
  through the teeth without difficulty. 
  When the PCs pass through the teeth, they enter 
  the realm of King Tor. The magic within the Biting 
  Mountain impedes fire magic. Fires are smaller 
  and weaker than they should be. Fire spells affect 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 14 
  only half their normal area, and their damage is 
  reduced by one die type. 
  Commonly in Faerie, iron and steel are turned into 
  silver, but this does not happen here. King Tor is 
  rather arrogant and does not think it necessary to 
  change the materials of the PCs’ weapons. 
  Also, the Heart of Ice itself has a minor negative 
  energy trait. PCs take 1 point of damage every ten 
  minutes they are in the palace. For the full rules on 
  the Biting Mountain, see Appendix 3. 
  Once the PCs enter, they find that the tunnel is 
  laced with webs made out of icy snowflakes. 
  Beyond the icy teeth is a tunnel that slowly 
  rises as it penetrates deeper into the mountain. 
  Light from outside reflects off the ice around 
  the cave mouth and shines down the tunnel. 
  Fine threads of webbing coat the inside walls. 
  Upon closer inspection, you notice that the 
  webbing consists of delicate strands of tiny 
  snowflakes strung together.  
  The ice webbing is not a danger to the PCs even 
  though it coats the walls of the tunnel.  
  However, a hundred or so feet down the tunnel, 
  the PCs encounter Glass, who is trapped within 
  the ice webs. 
  Trapped inside the ice webbing is a short and 
  thin creature made entirely out of mirrored 
  glass. Its head is a shiny ellipsoid without 
  facial features, and an image appears on that 
  reflective surface. You see yourself holding a 
  torch and freeing him by burning off the ice 
  webbing. 
  Give the players Player Handout #6. Glass is an 
  Unseelie Faerie and the chamberlain to King Tor. 
  He has no facial features and cannot speak. His 
  face is an oblong oval of mirrored crystal that 
  reflects everything around him. When he wants to 
  communicate, images of what he wants to convey 
  appear on that surface. 
  Glass is a non-combatant. Any serious attempts to 
  kill him leave him cowering and miming for mercy.  
  There are three ways to getting Glass out of the 
  ice webbing. First, a sharp ringing sound shatters 
  the webs within 5 feet of the source of the sound. 
  The sharp ringing sound can be made in a variety 
  of ways. Banging two pieces of metal together 
  works. Bells, whistles, and musical instruments 
  absolutely work. The shatter spell clears out a 20 
  ft. radius. The PCs can even sing a high-pitched 
  note (Perform Check DC 20) to cause the webbing 
  the shatter. Other sounds shatter the webbing 
  work at the DM’s discretion. Glass is particularly 
  susceptible to sonic damage. Any of the noises 
  that shatter the webbing do 1d6 points of damage 
  to him, if done within 10 ft. of him. 
  Second, fire can be used to destroy the webbing. 
  A torch burns out a 5 ft. square each round. 
  Larger fires clear out webbing based upon their 
  size. Fires and fire magic is subject to the impeded 
  magic rules and fire suppression of the Biting 
  Mountain as described in Appendix 3. 
  Third, PCs can rip the icy webs apart. This 
  requires a DC 20 Strength check to clear a 5 ft. 
  area, which is a full-round action. 
  If the PCs kill him, Glass crumbles into a snowy 
  mist. The PCs then have to find their own way 
  through the Heart of Ice. This takes an additional 
  hour (which means they take 6 points of negative 
  energy damage), but the PCs arrive at the throne 
  room. When they do so, go to Encounter Three. 
  Glass, Unseelie Chamberlain:  Unique Fey 
  Exp7; CR 6; hp 34; DR 5/cold iron, sonic 
  vulnerability, AC 16. 
  If the PCs free him, Glass is extremely grateful. He 
  bows low in thanks and then shows an image of 
  the PCs introducing themselves to him. He directs 
  the PCs to gather some of the snowdust from the 
  webbing using his image face. 
   
  Treasure:  The PCs collect enough dust to 
  have a bag of faerie snowdust, as described in the 
  treasure section at the end. 
  He then shows an image of several different 
  tunnels and then gestures to signify a question. 
  If the PCs tell him that they seek Tor, he offers to 
  guide them to King Tor’s throne room. He shows 
  them an image of them following him through the 
  tunnels and then turns and heads away. 
  When the PCs follow Glass to King Tor’s throne 
  room, go to Encounter Three. 
  Encounter Three:  An Icy 
  Conversation 
  The Heart of Ice is a stark and austere place. 
  There are no decorations and barely any 
  furniture. Light filters down through patches of 
  ice to illuminate the empty halls and rooms. 
  Your footsteps ring loudly as you walk.  
  You catch glimpses of other living things in 
  the icy halls before they duck out of sight. You 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 15 
  hear scurrying behind you, but nothing shows 
  itself. The murmur of far-off conversation 
  echoes down the halls. 
  Glass leads the PCs through the Heart of Ice to 
  King Tor’s throne room. It is a ten-minute walk, so 
  the PCs lose 1 hit point from the minor negative 
  energy trait. When the PCs arrive at the throne 
  room, read the following: 
  The tunnel ends in a large circular chamber. 
  The walls are fluted ice but are otherwise 
  unadorned. The ceiling is beyond your sight 
  and wind rushes through the fluted walls, 
  creating a variety of piping sounds. 
  In the center of the chamber, King Tor sits on a 
  throne hewn from a block of ice. His nose is 
  long and hooked, and his sharp chin is 
  bearded with frost. The wild strands of hair 
  stick out from his head in all directions, and 
  Tor’s eyes are a chilling blue with no iris and 
  no pupil. 
  The glass faerie falls to the ground and places 
  his head against the floor. He glances at you, 
  and you can see the image of you doing the 
  same in his mirrored face. 
  It would be best for the PCs to follow Glass’s 
  direction. If they do not, icy hands reach up from 
  the floor, grab them by the collar, and haul them to 
  the ground. The touch of the icy hands causes 
  1d6 points of cold damage to the PCs. 
  This is just a small taste of Tor’s power in his own 
  realm. He can manipulate the terrain and 
  atmosphere as he desires and has the spell ability 
  of a 20th level sorcerer. His stats are not given, as 
  he is not meant to be fought. Any attempt to fight 
  him ends with Tor using his power to remind the 
  PCs quickly and decisively who is the king. What 
  can Tor do? Anything you want. Just have Tor 
  make his point using non-lethal force. 
  Once the PCs are on their knees, Tor addresses 
  them. He does not permit the PCs to speak before 
  he does, and he does not give them leave to rise. 
  The Unseelie King glares at you in open 
  contempt. “I have not granted you the gift of 
  an audience. Go away.” 
  Tor cannot be bribed to grant an audience, and 
  threatening him does not work well either. 
  The PCs are free to offer reasons why Tor should 
  grant Calisse an audience. Tor is very shrewd, 
  perceptive, and unfriendly. He does not want the 
  PCs here, and he is disinclined to accept any 
  reason that the PCs offer. 
  The PCs can come up with gifts that can appease 
  Tor and make him grant the audience.  Tor is very 
  picky and won’t accept frivolous things like songs 
  or poetry.  What he particularly likes are secrets.  
  He grant the audience if he is told a nasty secret 
  that would cause pain and hurt to a prominent 
  person if it becomes widely known.  Use your 
  discretion as to what qualifies.  A secret about a 
  PC is best. 
  If the PCs are unable to come up with something 
  to appease Tor, Snowmantle reminds the king of 
  the gift he owes to the unicorn.  
  Snowmantle raps his hoof on the floor. “I want 
  you to grant this mortal an audience. Your 
  Majesty owes me a gift.” 
  Tor’s icy face contorts to a sneer. “You would 
  waste your gift for a mortal? You have become 
  soft, Snowmantle. The mortal has rotted you.” 
  “That is not your concern,” the unicorn replies. 
  “I gave you my horn. Grant her the audience, 
  and we are done.” 
  Snowmantle has given Tor his horn once before. 
  Unicorns shed their horns every several hundred 
  years. It molts like a stag’s antlers. Tor accepted 
  this gift and is therefore forced to grant the 
  audience. 
  Whether 
  Tor 
  accepts 
  the 
  PCs’ 
  gift 
  of 
  Snowmantle’s horn, the audience can now 
  continue. 
   “Very well then. She may have the bloody 
  audience.” Tor turns to Calisse. “You may rise. 
  What is it you want, girl?” 
  Calisse says, “I seek news of my husband, 
  Owen ap Lluth. He is lost in Faerie, and I am 
  looking for him.” 
  King Tor sneers. “That means little to me, and 
  you mean less.” 
  “The Weirds on the Isle of Rhun said that I 
  must find love as bright as blood before I will 
  find Owen. Can you tell me what this means?”  
  Tor lets out a brief bark of a laugh. “I could, 
  but I won’t.”   
  “Why will you not help me?” 
  “You are not the Radiance. I do not have to 
  answer your questions.”  
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  “Owen was called the Radiance, and I have 
  this,” Calisse reaches up and touches the 
  necklace about her neck. “The crystal holds 
  the echoes of the soul of Owen inside it.” 
  “Really?” Tor asks skeptically. “Let me see.”  
  He holds forth his hand. 
  Calisse shakes her head. “You may look but 
  not touch.”   
  Tor smirks. “Fine. Show me.” 
  Calisse unclasps the necklace and holds it out 
  for King Tor to inspect. You notice that the 
  crystal sparkles in the light. 
  Tor examines the crystal, but does not say 
  anything. He then settles onto his throne with 
  a knowing smile.  
   “Very well. I will give you a chance to prove 
  that you have the Radiance. It is a simple 
  thing. You must light the mountain. You will 
  find the brand to do so at the peak.” 
  Calisse and the PCs must light the mountain 
  before King Tor answers any more questions. 
  King Tor orders Glass to show the PCs where the 
  trail up the mountain begins. 
  King Tor refuses to allow Snowmantle to come 
  with Calisse, as he is a faerie. Only mortals can 
  climb the mountain and prove that Calisse has the 
  Radiance. 
  The audience should only take another 10 
  minutes, so the PCs take 1 point of negative 
  energy damage. 
  When the PCs start to climb the Biting Mountain, 
  go to Encounter Four. 
  Encounter Four:  Climbing 
  the Biting Mountain 
  Glass shows the PCs through the hallways of the 
  Heart of Ice to the start of a path that leads up the 
  mountain. 
  Glass leads you through the empty halls of the 
  Heart of Ice. Eventually the ice tunnels open 
  onto the side of the Biting Mountain. A narrow 
  trail winds its way up and up – into the snow 
  and ice. 
  Glass looks at you. The image of you walking 
  up the mountain path appears in his mirrored 
  face. 
  It’s another 10 minutes out of the Winter Palace so 
  the PCs take 1 point of negative energy damage. 
  Once outside on the path, the PCs no longer take 
  damage. 
  If the PCs destroyed Glass, they must wander 
  through the Heart of Ice to find the exit. This takes 
  an hour, which means another 6 points of 
  damage. 
  As long as the PCs stay on the path, they have no 
  problems climbing the mountain at this point. If the 
  PCs leave the path, force them to make Climb 
  checks. There is too much wind around the 
  mountain to fly.  
  Glass takes his leave of the PCs at the beginning 
  of the trail. He does not climb the mountain with 
  the PCs. 
  The mountainside path is demanding, but not 
  impossible. Patches of ice and snow litter the 
  way, and only small bushes and stunted trees 
  survive here in this land of endless winter. You 
  see no animals except for the birds, which are 
  everywhere – ravens, cuckoos, sparrows, 
  finches, jays, and many more. They perch on 
  rocks and branches and watch you with cold, 
  black eyes. 
  The PCs can drive off the birds, but they simply 
  return a few minutes later. There are too many of 
  them to kill them all. 
  To climb the mountain, the PCs must make three 
  Climb checks (DC 5+APL) and one Balance check 
  (DC 5+APL). A failed check adds an hour to the 
  climb. It takes a base three hours to reach the 
  peak. Each failed roll adds an hour to the climb. 
  PCs do not need to make additional Climb rolls for 
  added hours, but they will need to make saving 
  throws against exposure as described below. 
  Calisse has slippers of spider climbing to help her 
  up the mountain so she does not need to make 
  the Climb or Balance checks. 
  The climb up the Biting Mountain is very cold. 
  Inside the Heart of Ice, the temperature at the start 
  of the mountain is only considered “cold” weather 
  (40° to 0° F) as per p. 302 of the DMG. However, 
  out here on the mountainside, it quickly becomes 
  severe cold (below 0° F). The PCs must make a 
  Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC 15 + 1 
  per previous check) or take 1d6 points of non-
  lethal damage.  
  If the PCs are wearing winter clothing, they only 
  need to make a check once per hour. Standing 
  next to a fire and having winter clothing prevents 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 17 
  the need for any checks, as does having winter 
  clothing and being wrapped up in a winter blanket. 
  PCs with endure elements (cold) cast upon 
  themselves do not need to make checks at all, 
  regardless of what they are wearing. Calisse has 
  memorized this spell and casts it on herself. She 
  also has two pearls of power, so she can cast it 
  again on two PCs. You may award additional 
  bonuses depending upon the PCs actions to 
  confront the cold. 
  If a PC takes any non-lethal damage from cold, 
  they get frostbite and have a -2 penalty to all 
  Dexterity skill checks, as per p. 302 of the DMG. In 
  addition, that PC also gets mild hypothermia and 
  is treated as fatigued. A PC who has mild 
  hypothermia and fails a second Fortitude save 
  against the cold contracts moderate hypothermia 
  and is treated as exhausted. A third failed 
  Fortitude save leads to severe hypothermia and 
  the PCs is treated as disabled. See the DMG p. 
  302 for rules on hypothermia. 
  The wind is strong but the mountain provides 
  some cover and does not affect the PCs’ Climb 
  checks. The wind blows flying creatures of 
  medium size or smaller away form the mountain 
  as described on page 95 of the DMG. 
  Furthermore, the PCs have difficulty breathing the 
  thin air on the Biting Mountain. Characters must 
  succeed on a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15, +1 
  per previous check) or be fatigued. The fatigue 
  ends when the PC descends from the mountain. 
  When the PCs arrive at the top of the mountain, 
  go to Encounter Five. 
  Encounter Five:  Ravings on 
  the Tree 
  The PCs and Calisse arrive at the top of the 
  mountain. There they find the Summer Tree. 
  After a long and difficult climb, you reach the 
  peak of the Biting Mountain. A wide ledge just 
  below the summit provides a breathtaking view 
  of the surrounding mountains. The sky is a 
  brilliant blue with not a cloud to be seen. 
  A tree grows near the edge of the outcropping. 
  Unlike the small, stunted trees you saw on 
  your ascent, this is a full-grown oak tree. Its 
  leafless branches stretch out over the yawning 
  emptiness below. Ropes loop around the trunk 
  and hang limply from the branches. 
  Give the players Player Handout #7. 
  The tree is a reflection of the Summer Tree, which 
  is a powerful symbol to the Old Faith and the Gyri 
  people. According to myth, Obad-Hai is killed and 
  hung from the branches of this tree until he is 
  brought back to life. This is not the actual Summer 
  Tree, but a reflection of it that has manifested here 
  in Faerie.  
  PCs recognize the Summer Tree for what it is with 
  a Knowledge (religion) check (DC 20), a 
  Knowledge (nature) check (DC 15), or a Bardic 
  Lore check (DC 20).  
  As the significance of the sight sinks into the PCs 
  and Calisse (or maybe it does not if they do not 
  have the right knowledges), King Tor makes his 
  appearance. 
  A raven lands on a nearby rock. Its eyes are a 
  heartless blue. It cocks its head to the side and 
  speaks in the voice of King Tor. “What’s the 
  matter? Did you think it was going to be easy 
  to light the mountain? I hate to shatter your 
  illusions, but nothing is given for nothing 
  here.”  
  Pause here a moment to allow the PCs to interject 
  something if they wish to do so; Tor responds to 
  their questions and comments. He is having great 
  fun revealing to the PCs and Calisse what she 
  must do to light the mountain. If the PCs say 
  nothing, Calisse speaks.  
  Calisse replies, “I ask for nothing to be given 
  to me.” 
  “So you will pay the price?” Tor asks.  
  “Tell me. What must I do?” 
  “Is it not obvious? You must hang from the 
  tree, and there you stay for a day and a night.” 
  Calisse gasps, “But that is what Owen had to 
  do to become Brenin.” 
  The raven nods its head. “Yes. I only owe a 
  duty to the Radiance. Prove to me that you 
  have the Radiance, mortal.” The bird flies 
  away. 
  Calisse must hang from the Summer Tree for a 
  day and a night. Normally, day and night have no 
  meaning here in Faerie, since it is always day in 
  the Lands of Bright Winter. However, Faerie 
  emulates night by producing a fierce thunderstorm 
  while Calisse hands from the tree.   
  Calisse cannot tie herself to the tree, and she 
  needs the PCs to help her. Tying her to the tree is 
  not difficult because of the many ropes looped 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 18 
  around it already. The PCs can tie her to the tree 
  with a DC 10 Use Rope check. 
  You tie Princess Calisse to the oak tree. The 
  ropes hanging from the branches are strong 
  and hold her tight against the ancient trunk. 
  When you are done with the knots, Calisse 
  looks at you. “Please stay with me. I do not 
  wish to be alone.” 
  The PCs do not have to stay with her, but it really 
  does not make sense for them to leave her. They 
  are on top of a mountain with nowhere to go. If 
  they wish to leave, Calisse sends them back to the 
  Flanaess 
  with 
  the 
  delicate 
  knife. 
  Go 
  to 
  Conclusion A. 
  Ask the PCs how they are keeping watch. Are they 
  making a fire? Setting up tents? How many of 
  them are going to be on watch at one time? It is 
  very likely that PCs are fatigued from their climb 
  up the mountain. Exhausted characters have a 
  chance to rest here and become merely fatigued 
  after an hour. 
  Discourage PCs from staying in extra-dimensional 
  spaces like rope tricks and magnificent mansions. 
  While the PCs can get to extra-dimensional 
  spaces from Faerie, the ravings of the Summer 
  Tree won't reach them. This means they do not 
  participate in any of the ravings while they are 
  inside the extra-dimensional space. Calisse asks 
  them not to retreat to these spaces, as it would 
  leave her alone. 
  Hours pass as Calisse hangs from the tree. 
  The birds are still here, watching and waiting. 
  Their numbers seem malicious, and their 
  patience is unsettling. Calisse hangs without 
  complaint though she does shift her weight 
  from time to time.  
  Shortly after this, Calisse begins to see visions. 
  During these visions, she thrashes in her bonds 
  and murmurs to herself. The PCs cannot 
  understand what she is saying, and she will not 
  talk about it. 
  After a while, Calisse awakes and asks for water. 
  After she drinks, she says: 
  “The tree is alive. I can feel its pulse. I can feel 
  its thoughts. It is drawing me someplace that I 
  am not sure I want to go. ” 
  The PCs probably want to know what this means 
  and if they should do anything. Calisse is not 
  precisely sure, but she can feel the tree doing 
  something. It is absorbing things from her and 
  seems to want to give her other things in return. 
  The visions grow stronger the longer Calisse 
  hangs from the tree. Since the PCs are with her 
  and watching over her, they share her ravings. 
  The ravings are described below as they happen. 
  As time passes, the PCs and Calisse start to 
  suffer from exposure and altitude sickness. After 
  each 6-hour period on the peak of the Biting 
  Mountain, the PCs must succeed on a Fortitude 
  save (DC 15, +1 per previous check [this does not 
  include the checks made on the climb up the 
  mountain]) or take 1 point of damage to all ability 
  scores. Six hours pass just before the first raving 
  starts, so have the PCs all make a DC 15 
  Fortitude save before the start of the Stone Table 
  raving. 
  The PCs do not need to make fatigue checks 
  since they are not physically exerting themselves. 
  The temperature is still severe cold. The rules for 
  handling this are listed in Encounter Four. The 
  PCs must make saves every hour. If they do not 
  have a way to protect themselves from the cold, 
  they are in serious trouble. They should consider 
  building a fire to keep warm or even pitching a 
  tent. There is enough shrubbery and stunted trees 
  on the mountainside for a fire. Calisse is protected 
  by her endure elements (cold) spell. 
  The Stone Table 
  In this raving, Calisse has a flashback to the Stone 
  Table where Owen was slain by the druids to 
  renew the land. The PCs are there and can watch 
  the scene. They are unable to interact with this 
  raving, as it is a memory drawn from Calisse. 
  Calisse hangs quietly from the tree. The once-
  clear blue sky has grown heavy with clouds, 
  and it looks like it may snow soon. 
  Looking down from the leaden sky you find 
  that the land has changed. You stand on a hill 
  that is crowned by great pillars of stone. At the 
  crest of the hill is a table made of rock. 
  Bonfires burn to light the evening, and a drum 
  pulses a beat that rolls over the surrounding 
  meadows and fields.  
  Druids of the Old Faith move about you in a 
  great ceremony. A dozen of them chant while 
  standing in a circle around the stone table. 
  Over and over, they repeat the same words. 
  "The Land is the Brenin; the Brenin is the 
  Land." 
  
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  Strapped to the table is an older man in fine 
  health. He is bare to the waist, and his skin is 
  painted with a variety of Flan-markings. 
  Calisse is standing next to him. 
  The man strapped to the table is Owen the Brenin. 
  Most Geoff PCs probably know him by sight, but 
  anyone can identify him with a successful 
  Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) check (DC 10) 
  or a successful Knowledge (local-Sheldomar) 
  check (DC 15). 
  The PCs may also recognize the druids Gwenllian 
  the Eglantine and Ceinlys the Briar’s Rose if they 
  are members of the Old Faith meta-org or have 
  met these druids in earlier adventures. Similar 
  knowledge checks to that use for Owen can 
  identify them. Gwenllian is the Archdruid of Gyruff 
  and is leading the ceremony. She is also Owen’s 
  sister. 
  If the PCs wish to approach, they can. The druids 
  ignore them, as the PCs are not part of Calisse’s 
  memory. The druids, Owen, and Calisse do not 
  interact with the PCs in this raving. 
  The PCs can overhear what Calisse is saying to 
  Owen. 
  “Oh, 
  my 
  love,” 
  Calisse 
  begs. 
  “Please, 
  reconsider. Do not do this.” 
  “Cariad, there is no other way,” Owen replies 
  sadly. “The land must live again.” 
  Tears well in Calisse's eyes. “My heart will 
  break without you.” 
  “I do this not out of choice, but because I 
  must. If I do not make this sacrifice for the 
  land, the Circle will be broken. That, I cannot 
  allow.” 
  Calisse nods. “Oh, Owen, where will I find the 
  strength to carry on?” 
  “In our son, in this land, and in yourself. You 
  are strong, Calisse. You have the will.” Owen 
  looks down as one of the druids approaches. 
  “The druids are ready. Go now. I love you, 
  Cariad.” 
  Calisse runs away from the Stone Table. When 
  she reaches the ring of stones, she buries her 
  head in her hands and starts to cry. 
  The PCs can move over to comfort Calisse, but 
  she does not respond to them. Cariad (car-EE-
  add) is the Flan word for “beloved.” 
  Gwenllian the Eglantine, Archdruidess of 
  Gyruff stands over Owen with a curved silver 
  dagger in one hand. “Owen ap Lluth. You are 
  the hart whose blood will renew the land. You 
  lie before us willingly so that the land may live. 
  Your death is the ransom for a new spring for 
  the Greenman.” 
  “Makers of All:  Ehlonna of Spring, Obad-Hai of 
  Summer, Beory of Autumn, Nerull of Winter, 
  and Pelor of the Sunwheel, accept this 
  sacrifice so that the seed may sprout anew. We 
  do this at your command.” 
  “Let it be so,” Owen replies. 
  With the silver knife, Gwenllian cuts Owen's 
  arms from wrist to elbow. Blood wells from the 
  wounds in deep thick gushes. It flows forth 
  and covers a white wooden egg that sits at the 
  foot of the table. 
  Gwenllian raises her hands to the sky and calls 
  out, “Owen ap Lluth has answered the calling. 
  He has given his life's blood so that the 
  Greenman may live. Let the Makers bless this 
  ritual and accept his sacrifice. For the sake of 
  the land and the folk and all of those who live 
  in nature’s embrace.” 
  A snowflake spirals downward on the wind. 
  The wind that carries it carries the cold of the 
  mountains that stretch to the distance. You are 
  back on the summit. Calisse is with you – tied 
  to the tree. Her cheeks are stained with tears. 
  “But he’s still alive. He’s still alive.” Her words 
  seem more to convince herself of this than 
  anything. 
  Calisse is awake and able to talk to the PCs if they 
  wish to speak to her. Calisse can confirm that the 
  vision was true. The druids called Owen to die so 
  that the Greenman may live. The Greenman is a 
  faerie personification of nature in Geoff. In order 
  for the Greenman to continue to survive, the 
  Brenin must give his life.  
  Calisse did not want Owen to go. She begged and 
  pleaded for him not to allow the druids to sacrifice 
  him. In the end, he did not listen to her and went to 
  his death on the Stone Table. 
  Calisse also knows that this is not the end of 
  Owen’s story as she once thought. Calisse knows 
  everything that is detailed in the Adventure 
  Background, and she shares this with the PCs if 
  asked. Calisse desperately clings to the hope that 
  Owen is still alive and that she must find him. 
  Three hours pass during this raving, if you need to 
  keep track for exposure to the cold. 
  
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  Santhmor 
  Here the Summer Tree tests Calisse to see if she 
  can give up her connections to her old life. Faerie 
  creates a very elaborate and believable illusion of 
  the Royal Palace where Calisse grew up. The PCs 
  can interact with this raving; in fact, they must to 
  help Calisse pull free of her illusion. The PCs must 
  help Calisse give up her ties to her old life and 
  accept her reality on the tree. 
  Time slowly moves. The branches creak in the 
  wind. Calisse mutters to herself but she does 
  not look to be in pain. 
  The snow-covered mountaintop is serene and 
  beautiful. The snow almost looks patterned – 
  like a floor. 
  “Your invitation, sir?” you hear a voice say. 
  You look up from the white marble floor to find 
  that you are standing in a richly appointed 
  palace. You are all dressed in the courtier 
  fashions of Keoland. 
  Calisse is nowhere to be seen, but the hall is 
  full of other courtiers and minor nobility. A 
  servant stands before you, wearing a large 
  enameled brooch of a black lion on a field of 
  red. He holds a silver tray on which lie many 
  invitations. 
  You have a similar invitation in your hands. 
  The PCs are within a raving drawn from Calisse’s 
  memory of Santhmor, the Royal Palace of Niole 
  Dra. Everything is as she remembers it to be in CY 
  592. A map of Santhmor is not provided because 
  this is just a raving and the positions of the rooms 
  are not completely fixed. The various rooms the 
  PCs can visit are described below. 
  The PCs can identify where they are with a 
  successful Knowledge (local – Sheldomar) check 
  (DC 15), a successful Knowledge (nobility and 
  royalty) check (DC 10), or a successful Bardic 
  Lore check (DC 15). 
  PCs recognize the heraldic arms of Keoland (the 
  brooch worn by the servant) with a DC 5 in any of 
  the checks listed above. 
  When the PCs look at the invitation in their hand, 
  give them Player Handout #8. 
  The PCs should give their invitation to the servant. 
  They can then walk down the hall to the great 
  ballroom along with the other guests. It is a 
  straight walk, and it is obvious where the PCs 
  should go. 
  If at any point during this raving, the PCs do 
  something illegal or violent, the palace guards are 
  about. These guards exist in endless supply and 
  can be supplemented with more as needed. 
  All APLs (EL 6) 
  Palace guards (2):  male or female humans 
  War5; CR 4; hp 34; see Appendix 1. 
  When the PCs go down the hallway, read the 
  following. It assumes that the PCs have identified 
  where they are. 
  Santhmor, the royal palace of Keoland, has 
  been the home of kings for centuries. Power 
  and riches have encrusted onto its chambers 
  and if you close your eyes, you can almost feel 
  the wealth pulsing through the halls.  
  You step into the dazzling royal ballroom. 
  Arches reach three stories high to hold up a 
  ceiling painted with a pastoral scene. Crystal 
  chandeliers hang down – each one as big as a 
  carriage. 
  One entire wall is lined with wide windows hat 
  looks out over a great courtyard, and a large 
  ornate clock is built into the far wall. It is 
  currently 11 o’clock. 
  The ballroom is filled with revelers. Their dress 
  is incredible and immaculate. Diamonds glitter, 
  gold gleams, and silk rustles. Servants move 
  about the ballroom, offering a variety of hors 
  d’oeuvres. Wine flows from a fountain built 
  into the wall. You see servants dipping delicate 
  wafers into a basin of melted chocolatl brought 
  from the distant Olman lands.  
  If the PCs look for Calisse, read the following. 
  At the center of it all is Calisse. She looks 
  resplendent in a gown made of silk and gold. 
  Her honeyed hair is swept up in an elaborate 
  braid. She laughs and smiles, knowing that all 
  eyes are upon her.  
  Calisse is dancing with an older man who 
  wears a crown on his head. He looks at Calisse 
  fondly 
  and 
  you 
  can 
  see 
  the 
  family 
  resemblance. 
  Calisse’s dance partner is King Kimbertos. He is 
  enjoying a last dance with his daughter before 
  Holphin Neheli arrives. PCs who make a 
  successful Knowledge (local-Sheldomar) check 
  (DC 10) or a successful Knowledge (nobility and 
  royalty) check (DC 5) recognize him. Shortly after 
  the PCs arrive, Kimbertos leaves the ballroom. 
  The PCs do not get a chance to speak with him. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  If any of the PCs look out the windows at the 
  courtyard, read the following. 
  Through the glass, you can see an ancient, 
  gnarled oak tree. There are ropes hanging from 
  the branches.  
  PCs can go out into the courtyard and investigate. 
  The tree is the Summer Tree and exactly like the 
  tree growing on the Biting Mountain. It is obviously 
  out of place here. PCs who make a successful 
  Knowledge (local-Sheldomar) check (DC 20), 
  Knowledge (nobility and royalty) check (DC 15), or 
  Bardic Lore check (DC 20) know that no tree of 
  this description exists in the real Santhmor.  
  The NPCs in the raving do not see the Summer 
  Tree – only the PCs do. There are two exceptions 
  to this: Gwydion and Calisse. 
  The PCs are free to wander the ballroom as long 
  as they behave themselves. The inhabitants of the 
  palace treat the PCs as if they were courtiers, 
  meaning the servants obey them, the other 
  courtiers confide and gossip with them, and the 
  nobles think they are better than the PCs are. 
  Populate Santhmor with characters as you need. 
  Below are three examples of NPCs the PCs can 
  meet in the palace.  
  Daul, palace servant:  male human Com2; 
  CR 1; hp 9; (Craft (cooking) +4, Craft 
  (carpentry) +5, Profession (servant) +4). 
  Eliese, Keoish courtier:  female human 
  Exp4; CR 3; hp 14; (Bluff +7, Gather 
  Information +9, Knowledge (nobility and 
  royalty) +7, Listen +4). 
  Mazhew Broll, minor Keoish noble:  male 
  Ari5; CR 4; hp 34; (Diplomacy +10, Intimidate 
  +8, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +5). 
  Not long after the PCs arrive at the ball, a familiar 
  face approaches the female character in the party 
  with the highest Charisma and talks to her. If no 
  PC in the party is female, then just choose a PC at 
  random. 
  “You don’t belong here,” someone says to 
  you. You turn around and see a handsome 
  young man. His rich brown hair has a slight 
  curl to it, and his eyes are large and a deep 
  blue. He is wearing the blue baldric of the Old 
  Lore Bards. 
  This a memory of Pwyll of the Verdant Ivy, an Old 
  Lore bard who was Calisse’s guide in Faerie as 
  described in Encounter One. Pwyll flirts with the 
  woman throughout his conversation with her. He 
  has the following things to say. Sprinkle it among 
  the conversation. 
  • 
  “You must help her. She is lost in her 
  dream of what might have been.” 
  • 
  “Before the clock strikes twelve, she 
  must return to where she is needed.” 
  • 
  “I am here because I promised to guide 
  her. I wish I could be here in person 
  instead of as a figment of imagination.” 
  • 
  “I am unsure what exactly will happen 
  if she does not return to where she is 
  needed. It is likely that her mind is 
  trapped forever in this raving.” 
  If asked where Calisse is needed, he recommends 
  that the PC look out the window. 
   “What happens in the ravings are more than 
  just dreams. They are real on some level. If you 
  die in a raving, you will die in reality.” 
  He gives the PCs a letter, saying, “This belongs 
  to Princess Calisse. She misplaced it when she 
  came here.” The letter is five pages long and 
  stamped with Owen’s personal seal. Give the 
  player Player Handout #9. 
  Pwyll does not know much more than this. He is 
  just a memory and not the real Pwyll. He does not 
  know what is happening to the real Pwyll. 
  After Pwyll gives his warning to the PCs, he slips 
  away at some point. Most likely, he does this when 
  the PCs are dancing with Calisse. 
  Dancing with Calisse 
  At some point, the PCs must talk to Calisse and 
  convince her that this is all an illusion. This will not 
  be easy. First, the PCs need to reach Calisse. She 
  is dancing with her guests.  
  The solo dance that Calisse shared with her 
  father has ended, and she is now at the heart 
  of a new dance with many other guests. The 
  revelers have formed two lines that have since 
  broken into smaller groups that occasionally 
  reform into a larger one. All the while, the 
  dancers move with a stately grace. 
  In order for the PCs to talk to her, they need to join 
  the ballroom line dance and work their way to her 
  through the dance. It requires 10 minutes to 
  manipulate the dance to get a chance to be near 
  Calisse, as she is the star of the ball.  
  PCs only get a limited chance to speak with her 
  while they dance. PCs must make Perform 
  
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  (dance) checks. For every 5 points of a PC’s roll, 
  that PC may dance with Calisse for 10 seconds. 
  So a Perform (Dance) roll of 22 allows that PC to 
  talk to Calisse for 40 seconds. Cut the PC off after 
  the time has passed, and Calisse begins dancing 
  with another. Other PCs can assist. However, if 
  they do so, they spend their opportunity for those 
  10 minutes of dancing. 
  After the PC dances with Calisse, the character 
  must wait another 10 minutes before they are able 
  to dance with her again. During that time, have 
  each of the PCs make a Diplomacy check. Those 
  who succeed at a DC 10 attract another dancer 
  who 
  wishes 
  to 
  dance 
  with 
  them. 
  The 
  attractiveness and persistence of the dance 
  increases with the Diplomacy check. 
  PC Diplomacy 
  Check score 
  Attractiveness 
  of dancer 
  Diplomacy 
  Skill of dancer 
  10 
  Cha 12 
  Diplomacy +5 
  15 
  Cha 14 
  Diplomacy +8 
  20 
  Cha 16 
  Diplomacy +12 
  25 
  Cha 18 
  Diplomacy +15 
  30 
  Cha 20 
  Diplomacy +20 
  If a PC attracts a dancer, that character can make 
  an opposed Diplomacy check to avoid the 
  dancer’s attention gracefully. If the PC fails, that 
  character must go dance in order to save face. Of 
  course, the PC can always agree to dance. It adds 
  another 10 minutes to the length of time until they 
  can dance with Calisse again. 
  Convincing Calisse to Leave 
  The PCs can convince Calisse that this is all an 
  illusion if the PCs manage to make three out of the 
  following five points. 
  • 
  Her father is actually dead. This is the 
  hardest for Calisse to accept. She just 
  talked to him a few minutes ago, and she 
  does not want to believe he is dead. She 
  is very unlikely to believe that her father 
  was murdered. 
  • 
  She is married to Owen, the Grand Duke 
  of Geoff. The PCs can show her the letter 
  that she is carrying from him. She showed 
  this letter to King Tor so the PCs should 
  know about it. The PCs can also remind 
  her of the necklace with Owen’s soul in it. 
  She is still wearing it around her neck, but 
  the PCs must point it out to her. Calisse is 
  not wearing a wedding band in this raving. 
  • 
  She has a child, Rhys, with Owen who is 
  depending on her. Calisse has vague 
  memories about her son at this point. The 
  PCs need to remind her of her child with 
  some specific facts. Two possibilities are 
  to point out that he has tawny-colored 
  eyes or to mention that he is staying with 
  the druids. PCs would have to know this 
  from outside the adventure. 
  • 
  The PCs could remind Calisse of her 
  quest through Faerie and that she is 
  hanging from the Summer Tree. This 
  strikes a cord with Calisse, as she knows 
  it to be true. 
  • 
  A passionate and persuasive argument 
  that she must leave (Diplomacy check – 
  DC 20+APL). 
  If the PCs are unable to convince Calisse that she 
  must return to the Summer Tree, she is trapped in 
  this raving. The illusion continues until midnight 
  when Holphin Neheli arrives. As the great clock in 
  the ballroom strikes the hour, Holphin strides in. 
  The guests clear a space. He takes Calisse by the 
  hand and spins and kisses her. He leads her out 
  of the hall. The dream fades away, and the PCs 
  return to the Summer Tree.  Calisse never 
  recovers consciousness and dies.  Go to 
  Conclusion B. 
  If the PCs convince Calisse that she must return, 
  they must tie her to the Summer Tree in the 
  courtyard. Calisse can use her royal authority to 
  depart the ball, but the PCs can develop other 
  ideas that work just as well. 
  The huge glass windows might seem to be a 
  problem, but the light inside makes it hard to see 
  what is going on outside. In addition, only the PCs 
  and Calisse can see the Summer Tree. 
  If the PCs told Calisse about her father’s death, 
  read the following. 
  Calisse's eyes grow moist as she looks 
  through the paned-glass windows of the Royal 
  Palace of Keoland. “Good-bye, Papa,” she 
  says. “It was good to see you one last time.” 
  Tying Calisse to the tree takes a Use Rope check 
  (DC 10). When Calisse is tied, read the following. 
  When you finish the last knot, you notice that 
  the wind is picking up. The tree remains as it 
  was, but palace is gone. You have returned to 
  the mountain. 
  
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  Page 23 
  Three hours pass during this raving, if you need to 
  keep track of exposure to the cold. This makes a 
  total of six hours, and it is time for another altitude 
  sickness check. The PCs must succeed on a 
  Fortitude save (DC 16) or take 1 point of damage 
  to all ability scores. 
  Caer Dwr Gwyldy 
  In this raving, Calisse is blocked from entering the 
  castle by Rhian, who is a manifestation of 
  everything trying to keep Calisse from joining the 
  nobles of Geoff. Calisse must confront or 
  circumvent Rhian. 
  In the distance, you can see a storm brewing. It 
  is far, far away, but it is moving steadily in 
  your direction. 
  When you turn back around, you do not see a 
  mountain, but a squat and ugly castle  made of 
  featureless gray stone behind an equally bland 
  curtain wall.  The small windows of the upper 
  floor squint down on you with disapproval. The 
  gate in the curtain wall is open. 
  If the PCs are not from Geoff and have never been 
  to Hochoch, you will need to change the text 
  below and remove the names. The castle is a 
  raving of Caer Dwr Gwyldy (KIGH-er DOOR 
  GWILL-dee, tr. Castle Waterwatch). 
  You know this castle. It is Caer Dwr Gwyldy in 
  Hochoch, and you are standing in Old Oak 
  Square. Bordering the square are the Town 
  Hall of Hochoch and the Temple of Pelor. Thick 
  mists fill the streets and alleys that lead away 
  from the Caer.  
  Everything is deserted. The only sounds and 
  signs of life come from the inner keep. Calisse 
  is with you. She is looking up at the caer. “I 
  must get inside,” she says. “I am needed 
  there.” 
  The square looks exactly like Old Oak Square in 
  Hochoch, except that it is completely deserted. All 
  the buildings around the square are locked tight. 
  The roads leading from the square end in mist and 
  are impassable. 
  Maps of the castle are presented in Judge Aid #2. 
  There is an additional curtain wall around the keep 
  that is not depicted. This curtain wall is not 
  guarded and the gates are open. The PCs can 
  walk right through into the courtyard and up to the 
  great door to the keep. This door (and the keep in 
  general), however, is guarded. 
  Calisse is absolutely convinced that she must get 
  into the castle.  She doesn’t know how she knows 
  this, but she is absolutely convinced of it. 
  Calisse approaches the castle and the open door 
  to the main keep. When she and the PCs 
  encounter the guards at the gate, read the 
  following: 
  The gate is protected by a group of guards, 
  dressed in the livery of Geoff with a black and 
  silver griffon rampant on their surcoats.  
  Have the PCs make Spot checks (DC 5+APL). If 
  no one makes it, then the highest roll succeeds. 
  Oddly, all the guards are women. In fact, they 
  all seem to be the same woman. Every face is 
  the same with a sharp nose, haughty eyes, and 
  a muscular build. The woman is tall with short-
  cropped hair, and her skin is tanned from 
  being outdoors. 
  The woman is Rhian merch Neiren, a Llwyres 
  (LWEER-es, tr. baron) of Geoff. She and Calisse 
  never got along. Rhian believes that Calisse is a 
  spoiled, rich noble-girl from soft Keoland and has 
  no business in Geoff. The two have verbally 
  sparred often. 
  PCs 
  recognize 
  Rhian 
  with 
  a 
  successful 
  Knowledge (local – Sheldomar) check (DC 15) or 
  a successful Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 
  check (DC 10). PCs who make a second 
  knowledge check at the same DCs or a Bardic 
  Lore check (DC 15) have heard stories of Calisse 
  and Rhian’s animosity. 
  If the PCs made their check at +5 to the DC of the 
  first knowledge checks, they realize that Rhian 
  does not look this cold and cruel in real life. 
  When the PCs and Calisse first approach, read 
  the following: 
  The guards move to block your way. “What are 
  you doing here?” one of the Rhian guards 
  says to Calisse. “You are not wanted here,” 
  another Rhian says. “Why haven't you gone 
  home with the rest of the Keo?” 
  Calisse say, “I need to enter the castle. Owen 
  is waiting for me.” 
  One of the Rhians sneers. “He’s waiting for 
  help from the Keoish army too, but it turned 
  and marched back to Keoland.”   
  “Some dowry,” another Rhian says. “Some 
  lion,” says the first. “A cowardly lion,” Rhian 
  agrees. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 24 
  “Let me pass. I am the Grand Duchess. I 
  command you to let me pass.” 
  "Why don't you run home too? Daddy showed 
  you how." 
  Calisse slumps her shoulders and walks away. 
  If the PCs wish to interrupt this exchange, let 
  them. The Rhians have no respect for Calisse and 
  anyone in her company. They insult and deride 
  Calisse until they drive her off. 
  Calisse wanders away from the gate, finds a 
  bench to sit down on, and mopes. She tells the 
  PCs all about her confrontations with Rhian. 
  Calisse insists that she must get past the Rhians. 
  She mentions that it might be possible to sneak in 
  through the roof. 
  There are two ways to solve this encounter. 
  Depending 
  upon 
  the 
  PCs 
  recommendation, 
  Calisse can either face down the Rhians at the 
  gate, or she can try to sneak past them. Let the 
  PCs make a persuasive case for doing one or the 
  other. Calisse goes with the one that has the most 
  support or is the most persuasive. 
  Storming the Gate 
  If the PCs recommend that she stand up to the 
  Rhians at the gate, Calisse agrees with them. She 
  asks the PCs to back her up. She squares her 
  shoulders and heads up to the keep. 
  Calisse walks determinedly up to the guards at 
  the keep. They step up and block her path. “Oh 
  look who’s back,” one of the Rhians says. “It’s 
  the spoiled little rich girl,” another says. 
  “This is my home. I belong here. Stand aside. I 
  will not ask again.” 
  Rhian sneers, “I don’t think so.” 
  Calisse holds forth her hands and a rainbow of 
  colors spray forth, striking Rhian in the face. 
  The Rhians at the gate see through any illusions 
  or invisibility spells. They can always see Calisse. 
  This is part of Calisse’s ravings. She cannot hide 
  from Rhian at the gate. 
  Note:  PCs receive experience points for 
  overcoming this encounter by getting past the 
  guards. If the PCs are able to sneak by them, bluff 
  their way past them, or distract them, the PCs get 
  experience for this encounter. 
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Castle guards (2):  female human War3; CR 
  2; hp 23; see Appendix 1. 
  APL 4 (EL 6) 
  Castle guards (4):  female human War3; CR 
  2; hp 23; see Appendix 1. 
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
  Castle guards (4):  female human War5; CR 
  4; hp 34; see Appendix 1. 
  APL 8 (EL 10) 
  Castle guards (2):  female human Ftr8; CR 8; 
  hp 65; see Appendix 1. 
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
  Castle guards (4):  female human Ftr8; CR 8; 
  hp 65; see Appendix 1. 
  Tactics 
  The guards come in different strengths and 
  numbers depending on the APL. They use their 
  halberds to trip the PCs and then strike them while 
  they are on the ground. 
   
  Treasure:  None. The PCs can collect the 
  gear from the Rhian guards but it does not make 
  the trip back to the Biting Mountain with them. 
  If Rhian manages to kill, she dies on the trees as 
  well. Go to Conclusion B. 
  Sneaking into the Castle 
  The easiest way in is to scale the walls and come 
  in from the roof. The roof is 80 feet up the wall. 
  The PCs must climb the wall using the rules for 
  climbing in the Player’s Handbook p. 69. Treat the 
  wall as an uneven surface with some narrow 
  handholds (DC 20). 
  If the PCs are unable to climb the wall, Llelo, 
  Calisse’s awakened pet ermine, has a decent 
  Climb skill. He can scale the wall and loop the 
  rope around a merlon at its top. Also, Calisse has 
  her slippers of spider climbing, which she loans to 
  the PCs if they ask. 
  The PCs can opt for other ways into the castle, 
  such as turning gaseous and going in through a 
  window. The first floor has no windows, and the 
  windows on the second and third floor are arrow 
  slits, which are too narrow for PCs to get through 
  without magical aid. On the fourth and higher 
  floors, the windows are large enough for a small-
  sized creature to climb through. Windows are 
  marked on the maps. 
  The PCs can come up with many other ideas to 
  get into the castle. If their idea seems reasonable, 
  allow it to work, although breaking down the door 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  or chopping a hole through the wall will not work. 
  The structure heals itself of all damage as quickly 
  as the PCs break it down. 
  Once the PCs have entered the castle, they need 
  to reach the Grand Hall on the first floor. There are 
  a variety of ways for the PCs to get there. Use the 
  maps of the castle in Judge Aid #2 as the PCs 
  wander the halls. 
  The doors to private chambers are all shut and 
  locked. All of the important nobles in the castle are 
  down in the Great Hall, so the PCs do not have an 
  opportunity to meet with them. 
  Servants and orphan pages move through the 
  caer. They like Calisse and recognize her on sight. 
  They do not call the guards if they spot her and 
  the PCs. They also do not offer to help unless they 
  are asked. If the PCs do ask for their help, they 
  are willing to scout ahead for them, distract 
  guards, or other minor tasks.  
  If the PCs use one of the servants to help them, it 
  is recommended that you use a pageboy by the 
  name of Tanat. He is an orphan and was taken in 
  by Grand Duke Owen to work in the castle. He is 
  rather adventurous and willing to take risks. PCs 
  who make a successful Knowledge (local – 
  Sheldomar) check (DC 25) or a successful 
  Knowledge (nobility and royalty) check (DC 20) 
  know that Tanat exists in the real world. 
  Tanat, orphan page:  male half-elf Com1; CR 
  1/2; hp 4; Hide +3, Listen +2, Move Silently 
  +3, Spot +2. 
  Guards patrol the halls (but not the roof!) of the 
  castle. Their paths and timing are not listed here. 
  Instead, have the guards appear whenever it 
  would be reasonable. The PCs should be able to 
  sneak past the guards if they are careful and 
  reasonably sneaky. Whichever way the PCs go, 
  they should encounter at least one set of guards. 
  This encounter does not have to be a fight, but the 
  PCs must find a way to get past the guards. 
  Use the stats for the guards from Storming the 
  Gate section. 
  The Great Hall of the Caer 
  When the PCs arrive in the great hall, read the 
  following: 
  The nobility of Geoff is gathered around a long 
  wooden table in the center of the Great Hall of 
  Caer Dwr Gwyldy. They are all here:  Sierra 
  Blackblade, Bedwyn the Fat, Colwyn ap 
  Ffagan, and Ilan ap Dyved. They are talking 
  and laughing with each other.  
  Owen sits at the end of the table on the Griffon 
  Chair. “Be welcome,” he says to his wife, as 
  she enters the hall. “I have been waiting for 
  you.” 
  And then it is gone. You are standing on the 
  mountaintop by the Summer Tree. 
  The PCs can speak with Calisse if they so desire. 
  Calisse tells them about her encounters with 
  Rhian and their mutual animosity. Rhian never 
  accepted her as one of the nobles of Geoff and 
  tried to shut her out as much as possible. After 
  Calisse’s father recalled the Keoish Royal 
  Standards, Rhian became even more bitter and 
  resentful. 
  Two hours pass during this raving, if you need to 
  keep track for exposure to the cold. 
  The First Brenin 
  In this raving, Calisse meets with the first Brenin of 
  Gyruff. He is going to the Stone Table as well. He 
  has important lessons for Calisse, but must be 
  convinced to talk to her. 
  The storm is getting closer. You can taste the 
  tang of electricity in the air. One of the nearby 
  mountains becomes a hill overlooking grassy 
  plains where you are now standing. Calisse is 
  with you. 
  On the side of the hill is a carving of a stag. 
  Standing near a willow tree at the base of the 
  hill is a barefoot man dressed in a simple wool 
  tunic. He has a cloak to protect him from the 
  wind. The hood is pulled up obscuring his 
  face. 
  It should be very obvious to the PCs that they 
  need to talk to this man. The man is Iowerth the 
  Farsighted. He speaks in Flan, but this is not a 
  problem for PCs because of the nature of the 
  raving. The PCs somehow know what is being 
  said to them, and their language comes out as 
  Flan when they are talking to Iowerth.  
  As you approach, the man pulls the hood of 
  his cloak back. He is an old man of pure Flan 
  descent with bronze skin, but his wavy hair 
  has gone to a steel gray. He has a mustache 
  but no beard. “Ah, good. You have come. We 
  follow the line of hills to the Stone Table. It is 
  many miles away.”  
  
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  He stops suddenly and looks at Calisse. “A 
  Suel? Here? What are you doing here? This 
  place is not for you.” 
  Iowerth the Farsighted was the first Brenin of 
  Gyruff. He united the Flan tribes of this region and 
  gained support of the druids to become the first 
  Brenin. With the tribes united and with the aid of 
  the Gonfalon of Gyruff and the druids, he then 
  drove off the incursions of the Keogh tribes. 
  However, there was a price for the druid’s help. In 
  Iowerth’s lifetime, the time to renew the Greenman 
  came, and Iowerth agreed to offer himself as the 
  sacrifice. In return, the druids provided him the 
  assistance that he needed to drive off the Keogh. 
  After Iowerth, the next Brenin to be sacrificed to 
  renew the Greenman was Owen. Before Iowerth, 
  the druids selected a “Chosen One” from among 
  the best and brightest of all the Gyri. 
  When roleplaying Iowerth, keep in mind the he 
  died in CY 281, which is more than 300 years ago. 
  He has absolutely no knowledge of recent events. 
  He views the Suloise and the Keogh (which 
  means anyone who is pure Oeridian) with 
  suspicion and distaste. Those of mixed ancestry 
  are acceptable, as some intermingling had already 
  started in Gyruff during his time. He is also very 
  friendly with demi-humans, including half-orcs. 
  There were half-orcs around in his day too. 
  Iowerth is a strong and tough man. He united all 
  the tribes of the Gyri and fought off a Keoghish 
  invasion. He has been tempered by years of 
  fighting and ruling a chaotic and unruly country. 
  He is extremely pragmatic and has a great deal of 
  common sense. He was trained at the College of 
  Canaith, so he is privy to the secrets of the Old 
  Lore and the Old Faith. 
  Iowerth 
  the 
  Farsighted: 
  Male 
  human 
  Brd4/Rgr10/HrznWlkr3; 
  hp 
  149; 
  (Terrain 
  mastery (forest, hills, mountains), Favored 
  enemies (humanoid (human), giant, magical 
  beast)). 
  Iowerth refuses to speak with Calisse. In fact, he 
  refuses to speak to any PC of pure Suel descent – 
  preferring half-orcs to the Suloise. If the party is 
  nothing but Suel, then you will have to be a little bit 
  more flexible with this, but make it clear that 
  Iowerth does not like them. 
  It is up to the PCs to convince Iowerth that he 
  should talk to Calisse. This is not easy, as Iowerth 
  dislikes the Suloise for all the injustices heaped 
  upon them by the initial tribes that came into the 
  Sheldomar Valley, fleeing the destruction of the 
  Suel Imperium. The first Suel tribes killed and 
  enslaved many of the Flan tribes in the southern 
  Sheldomar Valley.  
  Convincing Iowerth to allow Calisse to stay and to 
  talk to her requires the PCs to make three out of 
  the following five points. 
  • 
  Calisse can speak Flan. Iowerth is 
  impressed that a Suloise has bothered to 
  learn his language. 
  • 
  Calisse is married to the current Brenin of 
  Gyruff and has born him a son. Birthing an 
  heir to the Brenin carries a lot of weigh to 
  Iowerth. The First Brenin takes that she is 
  from the future without blinking an eye. He 
  understands the nature of the ravings on 
  the tree. 
  • 
  Calisse is hanging from the Summer Tree. 
  Iowerth cannot understand how a Keoish 
  princess could be undergoing the tests of 
  the Summer Tree. She is a Suel and does 
  not understand the way of the Flannae. 
  However, if the PCs describe the tree and 
  what is happening to her on the tree, he 
  admits that this is correct and she must be 
  on the tree. 
  • 
  Calisse is on a quest to help her husband 
  at the behest of the druids. Iowerth wishes 
  to hear more about this quest. The fact 
  that the Archdruidess of Gyruff has trusted 
  Calisse with this quest carries great 
  weight with him. 
  • 
  A passionate and persuasive argument 
  that he must talk to her and allow her to 
  stay (Diplomacy check – DC 15+APL). 
  Once the PCs have convinced Iowerth to talk to 
  Calisse, he asks 
  “Very well. Walk with me, and we shall talk. I 
  must reach the Stone Table by sunset. So tell 
  me: why?” 
   “Why what?” she replies. 
  “Many whys. Why are you here? That is the 
  one that comes to mind first.” 
  “To save my husband.” 
  Iowerth considers this for a time. He then 
  adds, “You do not have the blood of chieftains 
  in your veins. You are not Gyri.” 
  “Does that matter?” Calisse asks. 
  
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  “Yes, it does. You will be the Radiance. Do you 
  understand 
  what 
  it 
  means 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  Radiance?” 
  “That is the title that Owen used. It means he is 
  the Brenin – a mark of respect.” 
  Iowerth shakes his head. “It is more than that. 
  You must be the first in every charge, the last 
  in every retreat, and you must laugh the 
  loudest when the table is bare.” 
  “If you are all these things, then why must you 
  die?” Calisse asks. 
  “It is to renew the land. Only the life’s blood 
  can do this,” Iowerth says. 
  “What sort of gods ask such a thing?” Calisse 
  snaps. 
  Iowerth never breaks his stride. “Fair gods ask 
  such a thing. Sometimes we must let it rain, for 
  even the sun has a price.” 
  Calisse lapses into silence as the miles pass. 
  The trip takes several hours so there is plenty of 
  opportunity for the PCs to talk Iowerth if they 
  desire. Ask the players if they wish their PCs to 
  talk to the First Brenin about anything. Iowerth is 
  willing to discuss his pact with the druids and why 
  he is going to the Stone Table. 
  Iowerth has no knowledge of the Sakhut. They 
  were gone by the time he was born. He knows the 
  giants are scattered tribes in the mountains. 
  According to the legends that Iowerth knows, 
  Llywellyn the Druid-King drove the giants out of 
  Gyruff. 
  Also, fey are not all that common in Gyruff in  
  Iowerth’s time. They exist mostly in folk tales. 
  Iowerth is surprised when he hears how common 
  they are now. 
  If the PCs have nothing to ask, Calisse has a 
  question. 
  “Why is it called the Radiance?” Calisse asks. 
  Iowerth’s weathered face creases in a smile. 
  “You are a light for the people. You are the 
  brand in the night. You push back the 
  darkness.” 
  Calisse does not respond. Instead, she sinks 
  into thought. 
  This is another excellent opportunity for the PCs to 
  talk to Iowerth. When their conversation has run its 
  course, the party arrives at the Stone Table. 
  The sun is setting when you reach the last hill 
  in the ridge. Bonfires are lit on the hilltop and 
  you can make out a large table made of rock at 
  the crest of the hill. In the distance, a drum 
  beats a slowly.  
  Iowerth looks to all of you and lastly to 
  Calisse. “Keep the light. When the world is at 
  its darkest, you must keep the Radiance 
  burning within you.” He reaches into his hair 
  and unties a feather. “I have no more need of 
  this. May it help you on your quest.”  
  He gives the PC who has been most engaged in 
  the conversation the feather.  He then climbs the 
  low hill toward the Stone Table and his doom. 
  The hill of the Stone Table becomes the 
  summit of the Biting Mountain. The storm is 
  close now. Bits of snow and sleet are falling. 
  Calisse hangs from the tree, staring out into 
  the openness before her. 
   
  Treasure:  The feather that Iowerth gives 
  Calisse and the PCs is a Quaal’s feather token 
  (horse). 
  Calisse does not want to talk much after this 
  raving. She is growing weak and exhausted from 
  the continued exposure on the Summer Tree. 
  Three hours pass during this raving, and it is time 
  for another altitude sickness check. The PCs must 
  succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 17) or take 1 
  point of damage to all ability scores. 
  The Fallen Brenin 
  In this raving, Calisse and the PCs confront a 
  Brenin who did not keep the Radiance. 
  The storm arrives at the mountain, which 
  darkens under the weight of clouds. Sleet and 
  snow fall heavy and thick. 
  The storm lessens so that you see that you 
  stand on a low hill set with a stone table. This 
  hill is different from the one you were on 
  before. It rises up out of the forest instead of 
  being at the end of a ridge overlooking plains. 
  You are dressed in druid’s vestments. The 
  chant rises from your own lips. “The Land is 
  the Brenin; the Brenin is the Land.” 
  The PCs are at a different stone table. This one is 
  elsewhere in the northern Sheldomar Valley. 
  There are no geographical features to help the 
  PCs identify where they are other than on a low 
  hill in a forest. 
  
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  The PCs are here to witness the ceremony that 
  would lead to the rebirth of Father Acorn. Father 
  Acorn is a nature spirit, similar to the Greenman, 
  but for another region than Gyruff. 
  During this raving, the NPCs all speak in Flan. 
  Again, this is not a problem for PCs because of 
  the nature of the raving. The PCs somehow know 
  what is being said to them, and their language 
  comes out as Flan when they are talking to the 
  NPCs.  
  A man emerges from the snowy forest and 
  climbs the hill. He is dressed in ragged clothes 
  and a thick fur cloak. His feet are bare and look 
  to be frostbitten from the cold and snow.  
  The druids strip him of his cloak and tunic and 
  lead the man to the stone table where they tie 
  him down. One of the druids leans over and 
  starts to paint markings on him. You recognize 
  that the painter is Calisse. 
  The man who is on the table is none other than 
  Vecna. He is a Brenin of a Flan tribe at this time, 
  and he is the one chosen to give his life to restore 
  life to Father Acorn. The druids never, ever call 
  Vecna by his name during the raving until Atrik 
  says it in the ceremony. Instead, he is referred to 
  as the Brenin or the Hart. 
  As long as half of the PCs are chanting at any one 
  time, the other PCs may move around the hilltop. 
  However, if more than half the PCs stop chanting, 
  the elder druid of the ceremony comes over and 
  chastises them.  
  The ceremony continues whether or not the PCs 
  are chanting. 
  If the PCs go talk to Calisse while she is painting 
  the markings, she speaks with them. She does not 
  know how she knows which markings to paint. 
  The knowledge is just coming to her. 
  While the druids prepare the Hart, the PCs 
  overhear the elder druid in deep discussion with 
  another druid. They both look nervous and 
  concerned. 
  “Revered Elder Atrik,” says a younger druid. 
  “Something is wrong. I can’t find anything 
  specific, but something is not as it should be.” 
  The elder druid nods. “Yes, I have felt it to.” 
  “We should not go through with the ceremony, 
  Revered Elder, until we know what it is.” 
  “We cannot wait any longer,” the elder druid 
  says. “We have already waited as long as 
  possible because of the Brenin’s journeys 
  about the Flanaess, but Father Acorn must be 
  reborn. Any further delay and the Circle could 
  be broken. We must go through with the 
  ceremony.” 
  The younger druid nods in assent and goes 
  about his duties.  
  Part of the younger druid’s duties consists of 
  placing the seed of Father Acorn at the foot of the 
  table. The seed is shaped like a large acorn make 
  out of bronzewood. 
  The PCs can talk to Atrik and the younger druid if 
  they wish. The younger druid is very concerned 
  that something is wrong. He cannot place his 
  finger on it, but it’s like a darkness lurking at the 
  edge of his vision. He is very nervous about 
  conducting the ceremony.  
  Atrik explains that the Brenin constantly travels 
  throughout the Flanaess. He even studied with the 
  elves for a bit. Atrik believes that the Brenin 
  learned great magic from the elves. The elder 
  druid is absolutely convinced that the ceremony 
  must continue in order to preserve the Circle of 
  Life and restore Father Acorn. 
  The PCs can also talk to Vecna. He does not 
  introduce himself or acknowledge that his name is 
  Vecna. He has cast mindblank on himself before 
  coming to the Stone Table, so any divination 
  spells on him do not work. Vecna answers basic 
  questions such as acknowledging that he studied 
  magic and he traveled about the Flanaess. 
  When the PCs are done talking to the druids, they 
  begin the ceremony. The PCs are directed back to 
  join the circle of druids that is about 50 ft. away 
  from the stone table. 
  The elder druid stands over the Brenin with a 
  bone dagger in one hand. "Vecna ap Cajk. You 
  are the hart whose blood will renew the land. 
  You lie before us willingly so that the other 
  may live. Your death is the ransom for a new 
  spring for Father Acorn." 
  "I am the Sacrifice come freely," Vecna replies. 
  Atrik cuts the Brenin’s neck. The blood surges 
  forth from the wound and covers the acorn 
  that sits at the foot of the table. In moments, 
  the Brenin is dead. 
  It is very likely that the PCs try to stop the 
  ceremony as soon as they hear that the Brenin is 
  Vecna. If they attempt to do so, they find that their 
  movements are thick and heavy, as if they are 
  
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  wading through mud. They are unable to complete 
  an action that stops the ceremony. 
  A foul stench fills the air, and the druids look 
  at each other in confusion. The ropes binding 
  the Hart untie themselves, and the dead Brenin 
  sits up. 
  “I live. I am dead, but I live.” His voice is a soft 
  whisper and very satisfied with itself. His neck 
  is still red and inflamed where the bone knife 
  sliced his throat.  
  The beating of the drum falters. “What have 
  you done?” Atrik demands. 
  “I have used your ceremony for my own ends,” 
  Vecna slides down off the table and picks up 
  the bronzewood acorn. It has turned black with 
  rot and odd growths sprout from it. 
  “The Circle has turned, and your time has 
  passed," the elder druid says sternly. 
  Pinpoints of red light glow deep in Vecna’s 
  eyes. “I am beyond the Circle now.” 
   “You have hung from the tree. You are the 
  Radiance.” 
  Vecna’s whisper is terrible with malice. “Then I 
  reject the Radiance. I have no desire to give 
  my life for a plant. Rather, this plant gave its 
  life for me. Its power is mine. My phylactery.” 
  He holds up the corrupted seed.  “And  now, 
  your usefulness to me has ended -- at least in 
  your present alive state.”  
  Vecna raises a hand above his head and calls 
  out in a loud raspy voice. The skin where the 
  druids cut his throat gapes obscenely. “Arise, 
  my servants! I call you forth from the corpse of 
  Father Acorn!” 
  Shapes emerge from the seed. Horrible 
  distorted shapes of evil and death.  
  Vecna is calling forth undead minions to destroy 
  the druids and make them into undead servitors. 
  Dozens of specters and undead rise up from the 
  ground and attack the druids. 
  The PCs had best grab Calisse and flee. The 
  other druids will be running away as quickly as 
  possible. Most of the undead concentrate on the 
  druids and the monks. There are 8 specters 
  attacking the NPCs (not including Calisse). An 
  additional 8 specters arise every other round 
  (starting on round 3) to supplement them. These 
  specters do not attack the PCs. They are 
  completely separate from the challenge that the 
  PCs face. 
  The druids counter by summoning elementals and 
  animals to their defense. One druid and one monk 
  falls every round.  
  At the beginning of the second round, the younger 
  druid who was worried about the ceremony 
  transforms into an eagle and flies away. Before he 
  does so, he yells to the PCs: 
  “Fly. Fly from here. Warn the other druids what 
  has happened!” 
  Vecna casts spells as needed against the druids. 
  He does not attack the PCs unless they attack him 
  first. If the PCs do attract Vecna’s attention, have 
  him drive them off with spells like cloudkill. Vecna 
  has access to every spell in the Player’s 
  Handbook that is not named after a more recent 
  wizard (like Tenser or Rary). 
  Assume that Vecna has every defensive spell that 
  is appropriate pre-cast upon him, including spell 
  turning. He is warded from every energy type. He 
  casts repulsion (Will save DC 26) on the first 
  round of combat to prevent all non-undead from 
  approaching within 10 feet of him. 
  All APLs (EL 19) 
  Vecna ap Cajk, Newly Risen Lich:  medium 
  undead; Wiz17 Lich; CR 19; hp 153; use the 
  NPC wizard from the DMG p. 126 and then 
  add the lich template from the Monster Manual 
  p. 166, Vecna has the eschew materials feat. 
  All APLs (EL 15) 
  Druids (4):  male and female human Drd9; 
  CR 9; hp 53; see Dungeon Master's Guide p. 
  116. 
  Atrik, the Elder Druid:  male human Drd13; 
  CR 13; hp 75; see Dungeon Master's Guide p. 
  116. 
  Monks (4):  male and female human Mnk5; 
  CR 5; hp 31; see Dungeon Master's Guide p. 
  118. 
  The PCs are also attacked. The undead detailed 
  below are just the first wave. A second wave of 
  undead arises from the corrupted seed on the 
  second round of combat. It takes an entire round 
  for them to form, so they do not start attacking the 
  PCs until the third round. This second wave is at 
  the next higher APL.  
  A third wave emerges throughout the third round 
  and joins the combat on the fourth round. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  Additional waves follow in a similar manner. It 
  takes one round for them to emerge and they join 
  the attack the next round. Keep increasing the 
  APL with each wave.  
  APL 10 has several monsters listed. These are for 
  subsequent rounds if you need them. Under no 
  circumstances should the PCs win this fight or kill 
  Vecna. Their goal is to get away.  
   
  Battlemap:  The layout of the Stone Table is 
  Judge Aid #3. The starting position for the PCs 
  and Calisse are marked on the map. The first 
  undead start within 10 feet of Vecna. All additional 
  waves of undead start within 10 feet of the seed. 
  The hill is covered in snow, which counts as 
  difficult terrain. Each square counts as two for 
  movement purposes, and the PCs cannot run or 
  charge through it. 
   
  Tactics:  The undead emerge from the seed 
  as their surprise action. Since there is no way for 
  the PCs to know that undead are in the ground, 
  they start the combat surprised.  
  One the first round of combat, the undead attack 
  the PCs. The undead like to use mob techniques 
  and swarm one victim at a time. 
  The center of the hill (a 10 ft. radius centered on 
  Vecna) is under the influence of a desecrate spell. 
  All turn checks are at a -3 profane penalty. This 
  gives the undead +1 profane bonus to attacks, 
  damage, and saves. It also gives them a +1 hit 
  points per HD. This is reflected in the stat blocks 
  below. 
  The circle of desecration expands 10 ft. in all 
  directions each round.  
   
  Note:  The PCs do not need to defeat the 
  undead to get experience for this encounter. They 
  merely need to escape with Calisse. This counters 
  the increase to the EL given by the desecrate 
  effect. 
   
  Note:  The body of any PC that dies in this 
  encounter returns to the peak of the Biting 
  Mountain with the rest of the PCs. This happens 
  even if the PC is turned into an undead. Therefore, 
  the character may be raised or reincarnated. 
  APL 2 (EL 5) 
  Wolf Skeletons (4):  medium undead; CR 1; 
  hp 20; see Monster Manual p. 226. 
  APL 4 (EL 7) 
  Bugbear Zombies (6):  medium undead; CR 
  2; hp 62; see Monster Manual p. 267. 
  APL 6 (EL 9) 
  Shadows (8):  medium undead (incorporeal); 
  CR 3; hp 30; see Monster Manual p. 221. 
  APL 8 (EL 11) 
  Wraiths (8):  medium undead (incorporeal); 
  CR 5; hp 50; see Monster Manual p. 258. 
  APL 10 (EL 13) 
  Dread 
  Wraiths 
  (4): 
   
  large 
  undead 
  (incorporeal); CR 11; hp 160; see Monster 
  Manual p. 258. 
  then 
  Nightwalker:  huge undead (extraplanar); CR 
  16; hp 242; see Monster Manual p. 196. 
  then 
  Nightcrawler: 
   
  gargantuan 
  undead 
  (extraplanar); CR 18; hp 288; see Monster 
  Manual p. 195. 
  To escape this scene, the PCs need to reach the 
  edge of the battlemap with Calisse. If the PCs are 
  unable to save Calisse and she dies to the undead 
  attack, go to Conclusion B. 
  Assuming the PCs can escape, read the following. 
  You run into the snowy forest to escape the 
  fallen Brenin and his undead horde. The falling 
  snow obscures your sight for a moment and 
  then you are back on the mountaintop. The 
  storm clouds are heavy and ponderous 
  overhead. Snow continues to fall about you. 
  The PCs are free to talk to Calisse about what 
  they have just seen. She has difficulty keeping her 
  concentration, 
  but 
  she 
  laments 
  what 
  has 
  happened when Vecna corrupted Father Acorn.  
  “He had the Radiance and turned to the 
  darkness. Why? Why did he forsake the light? 
  Hundreds of years of darkness grew from that 
  rotted seed.” 
  Two hours pass during this raving, if you need to 
  keep track for exposure to the cold.  
  The Sad Lady by the Sea 
  In this raving, Calisse must confront the Sad Lady 
  by the Sea, who instructs Calisse on what it 
  means to be the Radiance. 
  The snow gives way to sleet which becomes 
  rain. The rain blends in with the sound of 
  crashing waves. As the rain lifts, you see that 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 31 
  you are standing on a rocky seashore in the 
  company of Calisse. The storm rages fiercely 
  out over the sea.  
  A 
  woman 
  is 
  standing 
  on 
  promontory 
  overlooking the windswept sea. There is a 
  palatable sadness about this figure. 
  Give the players Player Handout #10. 
  Calisse needs to talk to the Sad Lady by the Sea. 
  If the PCs go up to speak with the Sad Lady 
  without Calisse, she sends them back for Calisse. 
  When the PCs and Calisse approach the woman, 
  read the following: 
  When you get closer, you notice that the tall 
  woman standing by the sea is worn and tired. 
  She wears a high-necked dress of green so 
  dark that it is almost black. A thick wool cloak 
  is wrapped tightly about her, but the bottom 
  snaps in the wind. Her feet are bare, and they 
  are bleeding.  
  The Sad Lady is an aspect of Beory. In this 
  aspect, she carries all the grief of the world on her 
  shoulders; all the grief for the massive destruction 
  done to Oerth, from the Rain of Colorless Fire to 
  the Evoked Devastation to the creation of the 
  Bright Desert. She carries it so that her children 
  (all life on Oerth) do not have to do so. If she did 
  not, the weight of despair for all the wrongs done 
  to the world would crush the life beneath it. 
  When the PCs enter her presence, they can feel 
  her sorrow like a physical presence. She talks 
  slowly and sadly. Her cheeks are stained with 
  tears. Try to bring out the grief in her voice. 
  The woman does not turn at your approach, 
  but you hear her voice clearly over the water. 
  “Why do you come to me here at Land’s End?” 
  Calisse responds, “I seek to become the 
  Radiance.”  
  The woman turns from the crashing surf. “It is 
  not your tradition.” 
  “It must become my tradition. My husband 
  needs me, and his people need him.” 
  “Dear daughter,” the Sad Lady says. “Do you 
  know what the Radiance is?” 
  “It is many things.  What do you think it 
  means.” 
  She reaches out to touch Calisse’s cheek. 
  “You would be the mother to a land. As I carry 
  the sorrows of the world, you must carry those 
  of your people.” The Sad Lady’s smile is 
  gentle. “You need not take this burden.” 
  “But I love him so,” Calisse whispers. 
  “And for that you will shine as brightly, my 
  daughter,” the Sad Lady answers.  
  The Sad Lady turns to you. “You travel far with 
  your mistress and suffer much to assist her on 
  the path.” 
  The PCs are free to talk here or to ask questions 
  of the Sad Lady. She calls them her sons and 
  daughters. She tells them her purpose here, if they 
  ask. PCs may ask if she is Beory. The Sad Lady 
  says that she is but a part of a whole – a facet but 
  not the entirety. PCs may also ask why she is so 
  distant. The Sad Lady says that she has been very 
  weak in recent times as she is trying to mend the 
  damage done to her. If the PCs ask what damage, 
  she says that two great blows wounded her 
  deeply. 
  The Sad Lady has a special offer for those PCs 
  who seem very sympathetic.  
  “Would you help me carry the weight of the 
  world? Together, we can make the land bloom 
  again.”  
  The PCs are likely to ask what this means. The 
  Sad Lady says that she seeks their aid in repairing 
  the damage that has been done and undoing all 
  the ills that have scarred the land.  
  If any PC accepts, she gives them one of her 
  teardrops. It instantly crystallizes in the air. By 
  accepting the Sad Lady’s offer, the PC switches to 
  the worship of Beory. The act of accepting the 
  Teardrop acts as an atonement spell. The Sad 
  Lady asks clerics if they are sure they want to do 
  this before she gives them the Teardrop. 
   
  Treasure:  PCs who accept receive the 
  Teardrop of the Sad Lady.  
  Read the following after the Sad Lady has made 
  her offer, regardless of whether the offer was 
  accepted or rejected,. 
  “There is something that I must ask,” Calisse 
  says. “You will think me impertinent, but I 
  must know.” The Sad Lady says nothing. 
  Another wave crashes against the rocks. 
  “Why? Why does the land need the Brenin to 
  die? What sort of god are you that would make 
  such a demand?” 
  The words spill out of Calisse in a rush. “When 
  you take the Brenin away, it leaves a gaping 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
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  hole. The Gyri are adrift. Do you know how 
  close they are to vanishing?”   
  Calisse clasps her hands and pleads, “Cannot 
  you take something other than life for your 
  sacrifice? Why must my son be fatherless? 
  Why must his people have no Brenin? Why did 
  you take Owen away from me? Make me 
  understand why.” 
  The Sad Lady by the Sea smiles wistfully. “On 
  the Stone Table, an irrevocable choice is 
  made, and a sacrifice is given freely. This 
  choice and sacrifice creates a powerful bond 
  between my children and nature. It is through 
  this bond that the Eternal Circle continues. 
  Death for life and life for death. The Balance 
  must be kept.”  
  “I cannot teach you these things in a day, but 
  Kindler, the first bard, composed a song. 
  Perhaps you can find wisdom in it.” 
  "Windswept hill; rushing stream 
  Bones and blood of creation. 
  Gentle breeze; sunlit gleam 
  Life bursts forth in elation." 
  "Heart rests deep in waters blue 
  Body's home is earthen hue 
  Spirit dancing in sunlight 
  On breath of air takes flight." 
  "Bound together, four in one 
  Oerth's manifestation. 
  Life alone, bright as the sun 
  Turns the wheel of creation." 
   
  Treasure:  This song is a reflection of the 
  Primal Song. PCs who hear it qualify for the 
  prestige class, Seeker of the Song, from Complete 
  Arcane. 
  The Sad Lady looks to you. “I would speak 
  with the one who seeks the Radiance alone. 
  There are some things only she should hear.” 
  Once the PCs have left, the two talk alone for 
  some time. It is not possible for the PCs to 
  eavesdrop, and all efforts to do so fail. After a 
  time, read the following. 
  Calisse and the Sad Lady talk together for 
  some time.  You cannot hear what is said, but 
  you see the barefoot woman lean down and 
  kiss Calisse on the forehead.  
  A mighty wave crashes into the rocks and 
  sends spray flying into the air. The spray 
  splatters down around you, more like sleet 
  than ocean water. It is getting cold very 
  quickly.  You have returned to the Biting 
  Mountain. Calisse once again hangs from the 
  tree. She looks tired from exposure and the 
  ravings. 
  Two hours pass during this raving, if you need to 
  keep track for exposure to the cold. 
  The Sacrifice Come Freely 
  In this raving, the PCs and Calisse return to the 
  table one last time. There, Calisse must make a 
  very difficult decision. 
  The sky becomes a uniform gray, and the 
  snow and sleet stop. You find yourself back on 
  a familiar hill with a stone table at the crest. 
  The land around you is heartbreaking. The 
  trees are withered remnants of their former 
  glory. The grass is brown and dying. You hear 
  no sounds of animals or calls of birds. The 
  smell of distant rotting flesh hangs in the 
  stagnant air. 
  There is no drumbeat and no chanting, just a 
  hollow emptiness. Only one druid remains -- 
  Gwenllian. The stone table before her is empty. 
  Calisse stands with you. 
  In this raving, Owen did not come to the sacrifice. 
  Calisse was successful in convincing him not to 
  give himself up as the sacrifice. The ceremony 
  that the PCs witnessed in the first raving never 
  happened. The land sickened and died without the 
  Greenman, and the druids cannot stop the Sakhut. 
  “Owen chose another path,” Gwenllian says in 
  answer to your unspoken questions. “He led 
  his armies against the giants and was slain. 
  The Greenman was not renewed. His seed is 
  lost. Without the Greenman, the druids do not 
  have the strength to resist the Sakhut and the 
  giants.” 
  The rest of this exchange is in question and 
  answer format for your convenience. Gwenllian 
  steers the conversation until the PCs (and 
  Calisse) realize that the seed is the crystal that 
  holds Owen’s soul. 
  Q. What must be done? 
  “We must find a new seed for the Greenman.” 
  Q. What happened to the old seed? 
  “The Greenman’s seed was tied to Owen. 
  When he died, it died with him. We must find a 
  new seed.” 
  Q. Does a new seed exist? 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 33 
  “Not as it was before. We will have to find 
  something that will serve as the seed.” 
  Q. Where can we find a seed? 
  “We are all that is left. The giants have taken 
  everything else. We will find it here or not at 
  all.” 
  Q. What could be used as a seed? 
  “The seed will be the vessel for a new 
  Greenman. It must be tied to the land.” 
  Eventually, the PCs and Calisse should realize 
  that it is Calisse’s necklace. When this idea is 
  mentioned, Calisse responds. 
  Calisse holds the crystal hanging about her 
  neck firmly to his chest. “This has the last of 
  Owen’s soul in it. You know as well as I that 
  this is what you intend to be the seed. If you 
  use it as the seed, what will happen to him?” 
  “It will consume what is left,” Gwenllian says 
  sadly. “His fey half will be lost in Faerie.” 
  “You take and you take and you take, 
  Gwenllian. I give and still you want more.” 
  “Do you think you are the only one who hurts? 
  He is my brother. You are not the only one who 
  is losing something. On the path to salvation 
  everyone bleeds.” 
  Calisse flinches from the words.  
  Calisse thinks about the prospect of what is being 
  asked of her.  She asks the PCs for their 
  recommendations.   
  If the PCs counsel against making the final 
  sacrifice, Calisse is not willing to take the final 
  step. 
  “No, Gwenllian. I draw the line here. You sent 
  me on a quest to find my husband and that is 
  what I intend to do. I love Owen and I will not 
  abandon my final hope of returning him to 
  me.” 
  Gwenllian raises an eyebrow. “If that is your 
  decision.  To lay on the table, you must be the 
  Sacrifice Come Freely.  I cannot compel you.” 
  “That is my decision,” Calisse says. As she 
  does so, the jewel begins to glow. The 
  illumination grows until it seems to be a 
  miniature sun and the world is consumed in a 
  burst of bright light. 
  Calisse has refused to become the Sacrifice 
  Come Freely. This will have an important role to 
  play in GEO5-08 Sorrow as Deep as Night. 
  If the PC urge her to make the final sacrifice, read 
  the following. 
  She holds up the crystal and looks deep inside 
  of it. She takes a breath and makes her 
  decision. “I need him, but the Land needs him 
  more.” She hands Gwenllian the necklace. She 
  seems on the verge of tears. "Do what you 
  need quickly, before I change my mind." 
  “But the seed is only half of what I need,” 
  Gwenllian says.  
  “What more could you want?” 
  “Are you the Radiance?”  
  Calisse gasps as realization dawns on her. “I 
  have hung from the Summer Tree, I have met 
  the Sad Lady, and I love my husband. If this is 
  his end, then let it be mine as well.” 
  Gwenllian directs the PCs to tie Calisse to the 
  Stone Table. It takes a DC 10 Use Rope check to 
  do so. She also gives the PCs the necklace and 
  tells them to place it at the foot of the table.  
  She also tells the PCs that one of them must play 
  the drum (Perform Check DC 10) that is nearby. 
  They can take 10 on this roll. Assuming the PCs 
  do so, continue. 
  Gwenllian draws her knife and stands over 
  Calisse. “Calisse merch Kimbertos. You are 
  the sacrifice come freely whose blood will 
  renew the land. You lie before us willingly so 
  that the land may live. Your death is the 
  ransom for a new spring.” 
  "Makers of All, accept this sacrifice so that the 
  seed of the Greenman may sprout anew. We 
  do this at your command." 
  "Let it be so," Calisse says. Gwenllian brings 
  the knife down, and the world is consumed in a 
  burst of bright light. 
  Calisse has now become the Sacrifice Come 
  Freely. This will have an important role to play in 
  GEO5-08 Sorrow as Deep as Night. 
  Whether or not Calisse lays herself on the table, 
  the ravings are complete.  Two hours pass during 
  this raving, if you need to keep track for exposure 
  to the cold. The fourth and final six-hour increment 
  has passed, and altitude sickness is taking its toll. 
  The PCs must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 
  18) or take 1 point of damage to all ability scores.  
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 34 
  Go to Encounter Six. 
  Encounter Six:  Truly, She Is 
  the Radiance 
  A tremendous crack of lightning lances across 
  the sky and strikes the Summer Tree. You are 
  all blinded for a moment, as the tree explodes 
  into flames. Every branch burns brightly as the 
  flames lick up toward the sky. 
  Spots swim before your eyes, but Calisse is 
  still tied to the trunk. The ropes aren’t giving. 
  She is writhing in pain as the flames eat at her. 
  She appears to be unconscious. 
  The PCs must take steps to keep Calisse alive or 
  she will burn to death on the tree. She takes 1d4 
  points of fire damage every round that she is on 
  the tree. The PCs can prevent this with protection 
  spells, or they can heal her enough to restore her 
  hit points. Potions and scrolls work too.  
  If the PCs are without magical aid, then they can 
  try to beat out the flames that are burning her or 
  they can pour water on her. Any reasonable effort 
  by the PCs is successful in preventing damage. 
  It is very obvious to the PCs that Calisse is in 
  serious pain and is burning to death. If the PCs 
  dither about what to do, Llelo hops up and tells 
  them that Calisse is dying and needs their help. 
  He encourages them to do something – anything! 
  It takes the efforts of all the PCs to get Calisse 
  down from the tree. Approaching the tree and 
  undoing the ropes burns the PCs (APL 2: 1d4 fire; 
  APL 4: 2d4 fire; APL 6: 3d4 fire; APL 8: 4d4 fire; 
  APL 10: 5d4 fire). The PCs take half damage with 
  a successful Reflex Save (DC 10+APL). This 
  damage is from the fire so it can be prevented with 
  spells. 
  When the PCs take Calisse down from the tree, 
  read the following. 
  Rose light crackles and sizzles down Calisse. 
  When you touch her, the light jumps to you 
  and plays across your skin. It does not burn 
  but you can feel the energy coursing through 
  you. 
  Calisse gradually comes to. When she opens 
  her eyes, they glow brightly with rose light, 
  which obscures her pupils.  
   
  Treasure:  PCs that help Calisse down 
  receive the reward Touched by the Radiance. 
  Calisse is a bit disoriented when she first comes 
  down from the tree. She is mumbling to herself. 
  PCs can make a Listen check (DC 10+APL) to 
  hear what she is saying. 
  “Love and blood . . . blood and love. One can 
  shine as brightly as the other.” 
  After the PCs have managed to get the fire under 
  control or have taken her down from the tree, 
  Queen Tamlyn makes her appearance. 
  The 
  storm 
  passes 
  quickly. 
  The 
  wind 
  immediately lessens and the freezing cold of 
  the exposed mountain is not quite as bitter as 
  before. 
  In 
  the 
  distance, 
  you 
  see 
  something 
  approaching through the air. As it draws 
  nearer, you see that it is a sleigh being pulled 
  by enormous swans. Riding in the sleigh is a 
  regal and beautiful woman. Her skin is as white 
  as polished marble, and her hair is a bluish 
  silver. She wears a tall, slender crown on her 
  head that sparkles with jewels. 
  The approaching faerie is Tamlyn, the Seelie 
  Queen of Bright Winter. She is Tor’s wife, as every 
  Seelie ruler has an Unseelie mate. It is part of the 
  balance of Faerie.  
  If the PCs have already taken Calisse down off the 
  tree, read the following. 
  The sleigh touches down on the ledge with a 
  flutter of swan wings. The faerie queen looks 
  at you all and then says. “I see that I am just in 
  time.” 
  If the PCs have not already taken Calisse down off 
  the tree, read the following. 
  The sleigh touches down on the ledge with a 
  flutter of swan wings. The faerie queen looks 
  at you all and then commands. “Bring her 
  down from there. She is going to die.” 
  Either way, continue below. 
  King Tor steps out of the mountain. There is 
  no doorway. He just emerges straight from the 
  rock. Tor seems disappointed to see Calisse 
  alive. He seems more disappointed to see the 
  faerie queen. 
  “What a displeasure it is to see you, meddling 
  Tamlyn,” Tor says. “Now, go away. You’re not 
  wanted here.” 
  “And it galls me to stand in your presence, 
  heartless Tor. You cannot send me away. The 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 35 
  mortal has passed the challenge of the 
  Summer Tree.” 
  “Bah! These other mortals helped her.” 
  Queen Tamlyn turns to you. “Did my dear 
  husband Tor mention that you should not 
  assist this mortal?” 
  The answer to this question is no. When the PCs 
  say that, continue below. 
  “There, you see,” Queen Tamlyn says. “You 
  did not make a rule that they could not. The 
  mortal has met your challenge. Look upon her. 
  Truly, she is the Radiance.” 
  King Tor’s face makes his displeasure clear. 
  “I will send the children to visit,” Tamlyn says 
  casually. 
  King Tor’s eyes narrow. “You wouldn’t! They 
  scream and shout and break things.” 
  “It has been forever since they’ve come to see 
  their father. I think they should stay a long, 
  long time.” 
  “Fine! She’s the Radiance. Just don’t send 
  those little monsters.” 
  Queen Tamlyn smiles sweetly. “Of course, 
  dear Tor.” 
  King Tor looks to one of you. “Cut me a branch 
  from the tree. A thin one, mind you, about a 
  foot long.” 
  The PCs can easily find a branch of the right size 
  and thickness. If the PCs check up on Calisse at 
  this time, they notice that she is starting to come 
  out of her ravings and recovering enough to hear 
  and see. 
  If the PCs ask Queen Tamlyn if they should do as 
  Tor commands, she says that they should. 
  King Tor takes the branch and bends the wood 
  of the Summer Tree into the shape of a torc. 
  He then hands it Queen Tamlyn.  
  The queen etches words into the side of the 
  torc with her sharp fingernails. She then blows 
  on it with her icy breath and holds it out to 
  Calisse. “For you, Your Radiance.” 
  Calisse slowly stands up and takes the torc. 
  Her eyes have returned to normal, and she no 
  longer crackles with rose-colored energy. “As I 
  am 
  the 
  Radiance, 
  you 
  will 
  answer 
  my 
  question,” she says to Tor. 
  “Yes, I will,” he begrudgingly says.  
  “Where is my husband? Where is Owen?” 
  “He fell into the deepest part of Faerie – the 
  Pits of Sharpest Frost. Go down, down, down. 
  As far as you can go. There, where the 
  darkness is its thickest, you will find your lost 
  Owen.” 
  Go to Conclusion C. 
  Conclusion 
  Conclusion A 
  The PCs have refused to help Calisse on the 
  Dreamtreader. Calisse sends them back to the 
  Flanaess. 
  With a look of sadness, Calisse cuts the air 
  with the delicate knife. A hole opens in the air 
  and sucks you through it. In moments, you are 
  back where you were standing in the Flanaess 
  next to the reflective surface. But the surface 
  is as it should be. There is no image of a flying 
  ship or a princess. 
   
  Treasure:  The PCs receive the reward 
  Refused the Calling. They can no longer play in 
  the Song of Three Summonings with this 
  character. 
  Conclusion B 
  Calisse dies on the Summer Tree. With her death, 
  the magic holding the PCs to Faerie unravels, and 
  they return to the Flanaess. 
  Calisse dies on the Summer Tree. Her body 
  hangs limply by the ropes. A large raven 
  alights on the branches.  
  “I knew she was weak,” says King Tor. “She 
  does not have the Radiance. He then looks at 
  you. 
  His 
  beady 
  bird 
  eyes 
  glint 
  with 
  amusement. “And you have no reason to be 
  here. Get them my pets!” 
  Hundreds of birds come flying at you. They 
  caw and squawk and hoot. Before the 
  murderous flock can peck you to pieces, a 
  hole opens in the air and sucks you through it. 
  In moments, you are back where you were 
  standing in the Flanaess next to the reflective 
  surface. But the surface is as it should be and 
  shows no flying ships, biting mountains, or 
  dead princesses. 
  The PCs do not get any rewards, but they escape 
  with their lives. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 36 
  Conclusion C 
  Calisse has survived her time on the Summer 
  Tree and has become the Radiance. 
  Having answered Calisse’s question, King Tor 
  leaves the mountaintop, saying, “We’re done 
  here.” 
  When he has gone, Queen Tamlyn says, “My 
  husband is right. We are done here. Help the 
  Radiance into my sleigh. I shall return you to 
  your companion at the foot of the mountain.” 
  Queen Tamlyn’s sleigh is large enough to fit 
  everyone. Tamlyn does not take no for an answer. 
  She points out that the other option is to stay on 
  the mountain and freeze to death. Also, King Tor 
  is angry at his loss here and may take vengeance 
  on them as they climb down the mountain. 
  Once you are all aboard, the birds pull the 
  sleigh into the air. The sleigh is surprisingly 
  warm and cozy. You descend the mountain, 
  undoing in minutes what it took you hours to 
  climb. 
  Along the way, the PCs can ask Queen Tamlyn a 
  few questions. If they ask her about her marriage 
  to King Tor, she tells the PCs that all Faerie 
  monarchs are married to a member of the 
  opposite court. It keeps things in balance. 
  The PCs might also ask how she knew to come. 
  She says that Élan informed her of what they were 
  doing. If the PCs ask who Élan is, Tamlyn replies 
  that he is a Seelie sidhe and the Earl of 
  Tramontane. She confirms that he is the fox-like 
  faerie that appeared in Encounter Two. 
  At the base of the mountain, the PCs find the 
  unicorn Snowmantle waiting for them. He is very 
  happy to see Calisse alive and more delighted to 
  find that she is the Radiance.  
  Queen Tamlyn gives them a gift for helping 
  embarrass her husband, saying: 
  “You have annoyed Tor. This amuses me. 
  Here, take this as your reward.” She hands you 
  a silk bag. Inside you find a collection of 
  gemstones. 
   
  Treasure:  The gemstones are mostly 
  sapphires and diamonds. There may also be ioun 
  stones, depending on the APL. 
  APL 2: gemstones (50 gp each) 
  APL 4: gemstones (100 gp each) 
  APL 6:  gemstones (150 gp each), ioun stone 
  (clear spindle) 
  APL 8:  gemstones (200 gp each), ioun stone 
  (clear spindle), ioun stone (dusty rose prism) 
  APL 10:  gemstones (250 gp each), ioun stone 
  (clear spindle), ioun stone (dusty rose prism), 
  ioun stone (dark blue rhomboid). 
  At this point Queen Tamlyn bids Calisse and the 
  PCs farewell. 
  “This is where my path parts from yours,” 
  Queen Tamlyn says. “Where you must go, I 
  cannot. For it not my land.” 
  Calisse looks to Snowmantle. “Do you know 
  the way to the Pits of Sharpest Frost?” The 
  unicorn nods its assent. 
  Tamlyn waves her wand over you and Calisse. 
  “Fare you well, Radiance. May you find what 
  you are looking for. We will meet again.” The 
  swans take flight and the sleigh rises into the 
  air. 
  Calisse says to you, “And now I think it is time 
  for you to return as well. Someday, I shall 
  reward you as you richly deserve. Until then, I 
  thank you for all you have done for me.” 
   
  Treasure:  The PCs receive the Favor of 
  Grand Duchess Calisse Skotti. 
  Calisse cuts the air with the delicate knife. A 
  hole opens in the air and sucks you through. In 
  moments, you are back where you were 
  standing in the Flanaess next to the reflective 
  surface. But the surface is as it should be. 
  There is no image of a princess, a unicorn, or a 
  terrible icy mountain. 
  The End 
  Experience Point Summary 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up 
  the values for the objectives accomplished. Then 
  assign the experience award. Award the total 
  value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each 
  character. 
  Encounter One 
  Preventing the Dreamtreader from Crashing 
   
  APL 2 – 120 xp. 
   
  APL 4 – 180 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 240 xp. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 37 
   
  APL 8 – 300 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 360 xp. 
  Encounter Five 
  Passing the Guards in Caer Dwr Gwyldy 
   
  APL 2 – 120 xp. 
   
  APL 4 – 180 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 240 xp. 
   
  APL 8 – 300 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 360 xp. 
  Encounter Five 
  Escaping Vecna’s Undead Horde 
   
  APL 2 – 150 xp. 
   
  APL 4 – 210 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 270 xp. 
   
  APL 8 – 330 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 390 xp. 
  Encounter Five 
  Ensuring that Calisse Survives her Ravings 
   
  APL 2 – 90 xp. 
   
  APL 4 – 140 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 180 xp. 
   
  APL 8 – 225 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 270 xp. 
  Total Possible Experience 
   
  APL 2 – 450 xp. 
   
  APL 4 – 675 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 900 xp. 
   
  APL 8 – 1,125 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 1,350 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 character’s 
  total and coin value increase at the end of the 
  adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of 
  the adventure certificate. Because this is a Regional 
  scenario, characters may spend additional Time 
  Units to practice professions or create items 
  immediately after the adventure, so this total may 
  be modified by other circumstances. 
   
  L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, Gems, 
  Jewelry, and other valuables; M = Magic Items. 
  Encounter One: 
  APL 2: L: 212 gp, C: 0 gp, M: ring of feather 
  falling (220 gp each). 
  APL 4: L: 213 gp, hearthfire, C: 0 gp, M: 
  figurine of wondrous power - silver raven (380 
  gp each), ring of feather falling (220 gp each). 
  APL 6: L: 218 gp, hearthfire gp, C: 0 gp, M: 
  figurine of wondrous power - silver raven (380 
  gp each), ring of feather falling (220 gp each), 
  vest of resistance +2 (400 gp each). 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 38 
  APL 8: L: 223 gp, hearthfire gp, C: 0 gp, M: 
  Doss lute (980 gp each), figurine of wondrous 
  power - silver raven (380 gp each), ring of 
  feather falling (220 gp each), vest of 
  resistance +2 (400 gp each). 
  APL 10: L: 298 gp, hearthfire gp, C: 0 gp, M: 
  Doss lute (980 gp each), figurine of wondrous 
  power - silver raven (380 gp each), ring of 
  feather falling (220 gp each), rod of wonder 
  (1200 gp each), vest of resistance +2 (400 gp 
  each). 
  Encounter Two:   
  APL 2: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: bag of faerie 
  snowdust (75 gp each). 
  APL 4: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: bag of faerie 
  snowdust (75 gp each). 
  APL 6: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: bag of faerie 
  snowdust (75 gp each). 
  APL 8: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: bag of faerie 
  snowdust (75 gp each). 
  APL 10: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: bag of faerie 
  snowdust (75 gp each). 
  Encounter Five:   
  APL 2: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: Quaal's feather 
  token (45 gp each). 
  APL 4: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: Quaal's feather 
  token (45 gp each). 
  APL 6: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: Quaal's feather 
  token (45 gp each). 
  APL 8: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: Quaal's feather 
  token (45 gp each). 
  APL 10: L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: Quaal's feather 
  token (45 gp each). 
  Conclusion:   
  APL 2: L: 0 gp, C: 50 gp, M: 0 gp. 
  APL 4: L: 0 gp, C: 100 gp, M: 0 gp. 
  APL 6: L: 0 gp, C: 150 gp, M: ioun stone (clear 
  spindle) (400 gp each). 
  APL 8: L: 0 gp, C: 200 gp, M: ioun stone (clear 
  spindle) (400 gp each), ioun stone (dusty rose 
  prism) (500 gp each). 
  APL 10: L: 0 gp, C: 250 gp, M: ioun stone 
  (clear spindle) (400 gp each), ioun stone 
  (dusty rose prism) (500 gp each), ioun stone 
  (dark blue rhomboid) (1,000 gp each). 
   
  Total Possible Treasure (Maximum Reward 
  Allowed) 
  APL 2: L: 212 gp, C: 50 gp, M: 340 gp – Total: 
  602 gp (450 gp). 
  APL 4: L: 213 gp, C: 100 gp, M: 720 gp – 
  Total: 1,033 gp (650 gp). 
  APL 6: L: 218 gp, C: 150 gp, M: 1,520 gp – 
  Total: 1,888 gp (900 gp). 
  APL 8: L: 223 gp, C: 200 gp, M: 3,000 gp – 
  Total: 3,423 gp (1,300 gp). 
  APL 10: L: 298 gp, C: 250 gp, M: 5,200 gp – 
  Total: 5,748 gp (2,300 gp). 
  Items for the Adventure 
  Record 
  Special 
  Bag of Faerie Snowdust:  This special dust is 
  light and fluffy but cold to the touch. A pinch of the 
  dust sprinkled on fire or thrown at a creature or 
  object acts as a quench spell as cast by a 5th level 
  caster. The dust has a range of 5 ft. and requires a 
  ranged touch attack to strike a creature or object if 
  the object is being wielded or carried. There are 3 
  pinches in the bag.  
   
  Faint transmutation; CL 5th; Prerequisites: 
  can’t be crafted; Market Price: 750 gp; Weight:  1 
  lb. 
  Favor of Grand Duchess Calisse Skotti:  You 
  have assisted Grand Duchess Calisse on her 
  quest in Faerie. Though she cannot reward you at 
  present, she remembers your efforts on her 
  behalf. (Favor Level B). 
  Flowing Time of Faerie:  You have been caught 
  by the flowing time of Faerie. Upon your return to 
  the Flanaess, you realize that you have spent __ 
  extra TUs in Faerie (this number can be negative). 
  Fragment of the Primal Song: You have heard a 
  fragment of the primal song as composed by 
  Kindler, the first bard. You may take levels in the 
  Seeker of the Song prestige class from Complete 
  Arcane. 
  Quaal’s Feather Token (Horse):  This token 
  takes the form of a trained light warhorse. The 
  horse appears with saddle, bit, bridle, and all other 
  tackle. It acts in all ways as a normal warhorse. 
  The horse lasts for one hour. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 39 
   
  Moderate conjuration; CL 12th; Prerequisites: 
  Craft Wondrous Item, major creation; Market 
  Price: 450 gp; Weight:  1 lb. 
  Refused the Calling:  You have declined to assist 
  Calisse when she needed your aid. She will not 
  call upon you again. This character may not play 
  any adventures that are part of the Song of Three 
  Summonings. 
  Spellbook of the Dreamtreader:  You have 
  received a spellbook from Captain Haze, which 
  contains the following spells:  bands of steel, 
  duelward, greater mage armor, low-light vision, 
  phantasmal assailants, servant horde, swim. 
  Teardrop of the Sad Lady:  You offered to assist 
  the Sad Lady to carry the weight of the world. In 
  return, she gave you one of her tears that has 
  crystallized into Oerthsblood. When worn as a 
  diadem on the forehead (occupying the headband 
  slot), this teardrop acts as a divine focus of Beory 
  and grants the bearer +1 divine caster level. In 
  addition, you gain the ability of Fast Healing 1. 
  Use of this item requires your conversion to the 
  Old Faith religion (worship of Beory directly or 
  Beory as part of the Old Faith), as this item only 
  works 
  for 
  devout 
  followers 
  of 
  Beory, 
  the 
  Oerthmother. Clerics who accept the Teardrop 
  receive an atonement spell from the Sad Lady to 
  complete the conversion (as per the Living 
  Greyhawk Deities Document). As a devout 
  worshipper, you cannot wear any form of footwear 
  to symbolically show your connection to her (this 
  prevents the use of magical footwear). If you 
  should ever stop worshipping Beory, the Teardrop 
  melts away (this item can never be sold). 
   
  Strong conjuration; CL 12th; Prerequisites: 
  Cannot be crafted; Market Price: 32,000 gp; 
  Weight:  1 lb. 
  Touched by the Radiance:  You have assisted 
  Grand Duchess Calisse and have been touched 
  by the Radiance. It still pulses within you and will 
  protect you if you need. One time only, you may 
  call upon the Radiance to give you a +10 
  circumstantial bonus to one saving throw. You 
  must declare you are using the Radiance before 
  the roll is made. Mark this reward as void when 
  used. 
  Item Access 
  APL 2: 
  • 
  Bag of Faerie Snowdust (Adventure, 
  Special) 
  • 
  Quaal’s 
  Feather 
  Token 
  (horse) 
  (Adventure, Special) 
  • 
  Ring of Feather Falling (Adventure, DMG) 
  • 
  Spellbook 
  from 
  the 
  Dreamtreader 
  (Adventure, Special) 
  • 
  Teardrop of the Sad Lady (Regional, 
  Special) 
  APL 4 (all items from APL 4 plus): 
  • 
  Hearthfire (Adventure, Races of Stone) 
  • 
  Figurine of Wondrous Power, silver raven 
  (Adventure, DMG) 
  • 
  Leap Alchemical Capsule (Adventure, 
  Complete Adventurer) 
  APL 6 (all items from APL 2, 4 plus): 
  • 
  Catstink 
  (Adventure, 
  Complete 
  Adventurer) 
  • 
  Ioun Stone (clear spindle) (Adventure, 
  DMG) 
  • 
  Vest of Resistance +2 (Adventure, DMG) 
  APL 8 (all items from APL 2, 4, 6 plus): 
  • 
  Doss 
  Lute 
  (Adventure, 
  Complete 
  Adventurer) 
  • 
  Ioun Stone (dusty rose prism) (Adventure, 
  DMG) 
  • 
  Suregrip 
  (Adventure, 
  Complete 
  Adventurer) 
  APL 10 (all items from APL 2, 4, 6, 8 plus): 
  • 
  Quickblade Rapier (Adventure, Complete 
  Adventurer) 
  • 
  Ioun 
  Stone 
  (dark 
  blue 
  rhomboid) 
  (Adventure, DMG) 
  • 
  Rod of Wonder (Adventure, DMG) 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 40 
  Appendix One – APL 2-10
  Encounter Five 
   
   
   
   
  The Royal Palace at Niole Dra 
  Palace Guard:  male or female human War5; 
  CR 4; Medium humanoid; HD 5d8+5 plus 3; hp 
  34; Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 14, touch 9, flat-footed 
  14 (-1 Dex, +5 armor); Base Atk +5; Grp +7; Atk 
  or Full Atk +9 melee (1d10+3/x3, +1 halberd); 
  Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with masterwork 
  halberd); SA –; SQ –; AL LN; SV Fort +5; Ref 
  +0; Will +1; Str 14, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 
  11, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +5, Handle Animal 
  +1, Intimidate +5, Jump +3, Listen +2, Ride +3, 
  Spot +2, Swim -5; Power Attack, Toughness, 
  Weapon Focus (halberd). 
   
  Possessions: masterwork breastplate, +1 
  halberd, tanglefoot bags (2), thunderstones (2). 
  Caer Dwr Gwyldy 
  Rhian, Caer Guard:  female human War3; CR 
  2; Medium humanoid; HD 3d8+3 plus 3; hp 23; 
  Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 14, touch 9, flat-footed 14 
  (-1 Dex, +5 armor); Base Atk +3; Grp +4; Atk or 
  Full Atk +6 melee (1d10+1/x3, masterwork 
  halberd); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with 
  masterwork halberd); SA –; SQ –; AL LN; SV 
  Fort +4; Ref +0; Will +1; Str 13, Dex 9, Con 12, 
  Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb -1, Handle Animal 
  +1, Intimidate +2, Jump -1, Listen +1, Ride +2, 
  Spot +1, Swim -5; Power Attack, Toughness, 
  Weapon Focus (halberd). 
   
  Possessions: 
  breastplate, 
  masterwork 
  halberd, tanglefoot bags (2), thunderstones (2). 
  Rhian, Caer Guard:  female human War5; CR 
  4; Medium humanoid; HD 5d8+5 plus 3; hp 34; 
  Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 14, touch 9, flat-footed 14 
  (-1 Dex, +5 armor); Base Atk +5; Grp +7; Atk or 
  Full Atk +9 melee (1d10+3/x3, +1 halberd); 
  Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with masterwork 
  halberd); SA –; SQ –; AL LN; SV Fort +5; Ref 
  +0; Will +1; Str 14, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 
  11, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +5, Handle Animal 
  +1, Intimidate +5, Jump +3, Listen +2, Ride +3, 
  Spot +2, Swim -5; Power Attack, Toughness, 
  Weapon Focus (halberd). 
   
  Possessions: masterwork breastplate, +1 
  halberd, tanglefoot bags (2), thunderstones (2). 
  Rhian, Caer Guard:  female human Ftr8; CR 8; 
  Medium humanoid; HD 8d10+16 plus 3; hp 65; 
  Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 
  20 (+9 armor, +1 deflection); Base Atk +8; Grp 
  +12; Atk +15 melee (1d10+9/19-20 x3, +1 
  halberd) 
  or 
  +9 
  ranged 
  (1d8+3/19-20, 
  masterwork 
  composite 
  longbow); 
  Full 
  Atk 
  +15/+10 melee (1d10+9/19-20 x3, +1 halberd) 
  or +9/+4 ranged (1d8+3/19-20, masterwork 
  composite longbow): Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft. (10 
  ft. with masterwork halberd); SA –; SQ –; AL LN; 
  SV Fort +8; Ref +2; Will +5; Str 16 (18), Dex 10, 
  Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +4, Handle Animal 
  +2, Intimidate +10, Jump +5, Listen +4, Ride +9, 
  Spot +4; Cleave, Greater Weapon Focus 
  (halberd), Improved Critical, Improved Trip, Iron 
  Will, Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus 
  (halberd), Weapon Specialization (halberd). 
   
  Possessions: +1 full plate, +1 halberd, ring 
  of protection +1, dust of appearance, gauntlets 
  of ogre power, masterwork composite longbow 
  (str +3), tanglefoot bags (2), thunderstones (2) 
   
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 41 
  Appendix Two:  NPCs 
  Calisse Skotti: female human Wiz5(diviner)/ 
  Ari2; CR 7; Medium humanoid; HD 5d4+5 plus 
  2d8+2; hp 35; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+1 Dex, 
  +4 mage armor), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base 
  Atk +3; Grp +2; Atk +2 melee (1d4-1/19-20/x2, 
  dagger); Full Atk +2 melee (1d4-1/19-20/x2, 
  dagger); SA -; SQ: diviner specialist (opposition 
  school: necromancy); AL LG; SV Fort +6, Ref 
  +8, Will +14; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10 (12), Int 16, 
  Wis 13, Cha 15 (19). 
   
  Skills and Feats:  Bluff +9, Concentration 
  +11, Diplomacy +16, Forgery +5, Gather 
  Information 
  +9, 
  Knowledge 
  (arcana) 
  +5, 
  Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (history) 
  +5, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (nature) 
  +5, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) +8, Perform 
  (wind instruments) +5, Perform (singing) +5, 
  Ride +10, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +12; 
  Extend Spell, Improved Familiar, Improved 
  Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Scribe 
  Scroll. 
   
  Wizard Spells Prepared (5/5/4/3, base DC 
  13+spell level): 0 level – detect poison*, light, 
  mage hand, mending, message; 1st level – color 
  spray, endure elements, mage armor, shield, 
  true strike*; 2nd level – fog cloud, glitterdust, 
  mirror image, see invisibility*; 3rd level – arcane 
  sight*, deep slumber, dispel magic. 
  * divination bonus spells 
   
  Spellbook: 0 – acid splash, arcane mark, 
  dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect 
  poison, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand, 
  mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, 
  ray of frost, read magic, resistance; 1st – alarm, 
  charm person, comprehend languages, detect 
  secret doors, disguise self, endure elements, 
  expeditious retreat, feather fall, identify, mage 
  armor, mount, obscuring mist, protection from 
  chaos, protection from evil, shield, silent image, 
  sleep, true strike, unseen servant; 2nd – blur, 
  continual flame, detect thoughts, fog cloud, 
  glitterdust, eagle's splendor, fox's cunning, 
  invisibility, knock, locate object, minor image, 
  mirror image, protection from arrows, resist 
  energy, see invisibility, scorching ray, web. 3rd – 
  arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance, deep 
  slumber, dispel magic, displacement, lightning 
  bolt, tongues, water breathing, wind wall. 
   
  Languages:  Common, Ancient Suel, Elven, 
  Flan, Keoish, Old Oeridian, Sylvan. 
   
  Possessions:  amulet of health +2, bag of 
  holding (type I), circlet of persuasion, cloak of 
  charisma +4, feather token (bird), meta-magic 
  rod of lesser silence, ring of freedom of 
  movement, pearl of power (1st) (x2), pearl of 
  power (2nd), potion of remove blindness, ring of 
  evasion, scroll of fly, scroll of invisibility, slippers 
  of spider climbing, vest of resistance +4, wand 
  of fireball (5th level), wand of magic missile (9th 
  level). 
   
  Tactics:  Calisse first protects herself. She 
  casts mage armor ahead of time, if possible, and 
  follows it up with shield on the first round of 
  combat. If she is threatened, she casts mirror 
  image. If she is relatively safe, she uses her 
  offensive spells. She prefers to cast true strike 
  before using her scorching ray. She makes 
  liberal use of her wand of magic missiles. 
  Calisse will back far away from any obvious 
  threat. 
  Llelo: male awakened weasel; CR 1/4; tiny 
  magical beast; HD 3d8; hp 18; Init +2; Spd 20 
  ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 
  14, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +0; Grp -12; Atk +4 
  melee (1d3-4/20, bite); Full Atk +4 melee (1d3-
  3/20, bite); SA Attach; SQ Low-light vision, 
  scent; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 3, 
  Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills and Feats:  Balance +10, Climb +10, 
  Hide +11, Move Silently +8, Spot +3; Weapon 
  Finesse (bite). 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 42 
  Appendix Three:  The Plane of Faerie
  Faerie has the following traits as defined by the 
  Manual of the Planes, p. 210-211. 
  Light Gravity: The gravity of this plane is less 
  intense than on the Material Plane. Characters 
  suffer -2 circumstance penalty on attack rolls, 
  and Balance, Ride, Swim, and Tumble checks. 
  All items weigh half as much. Weapon ranges 
  double, and characters gain a +2 circumstance 
  bonus on Climb and Jump checks. Falling 
  characters take 1d4 points of damage for each 
  10 feet of the fall, to a maximum of 20d4 points 
  of damage. 
  Infinite Size:  At the very least, the Plane of 
  Faerie is as large as the Material Plane. 
  Alterable Morphic:  Objects remain where they 
  are unless affected by physical force or magic. 
  No Elemental or Energy Traits:  Sections of 
  the plane may have minor positive-dominant or 
  minor negative dominant trait, but Faerie as a 
  whole does not. The inside of Tor’s Winter 
  Palace in the Biting Mountain has a very minor 
  negative-dominant trait. PCs inside the Winter 
  Palace take one point of negative energy 
  damage every ten minutes they are inside the 
  Winter Palace. (NOTE: This is a change from 
  the Manual of the Planes version of the Plane of 
  Faerie.) 
  Mildly Neutral-Aligned:  A mildly neutral-
  aligned plane does not apply a circumstance 
  penalty to anyone. 
  Enhanced Magic:  The Plane of Faerie is highly 
  magical and the Unseelie realm of the Biting 
  Mountain is unwelcoming to travelers and 
  hostile to fire. As a consequence, all fire and fire 
  magic is impeded in this faerie realm. A normal 
  fire produces half as much heat as it normally 
  would, but just as much light (it is a realm of 
  Bright Winter). Fire magic burns much weaker. 
  The area of effect of a fire spell is half of what it 
  normally is, and the damage is reduced by one 
  die type. Thus a fireball does 1d4 points of 
  damage per level rather than 1d6. (NOTE: This 
  is a change from the Manual of the Planes 
  version of the Plane of Faerie.) 
  In addition, detect magic is not terribly effective 
  in Faerie, as everything radiates as magic. 
  Casters of this spell must make a Fortitude Save 
  (DC 16) or be dazed and lose concentration on 
  the spell. Even if the save is made, no 
  information is gained other than everything is 
  magical. 
  Flowing Time:  For every day spent on this 
  portion of the Plane of Faerie, a week passes on 
  the Material Plane. 
  The Plane of Faerie is coexistent with the 
  Material Plane and can be reached without 
  passing through the Astral Plane. It is a 
  separate plane from the Transitive, Inner, and 
  Outer Planes.  
  Portals to the Plane of Faerie only appear at 
  certain times, such as during a new moon, at 
  equinoxes, or once every ninety days. Such 
  portals often exist within standing stones or 
  pools on the Material Plane. 
  Because the Plane of Faerie does not connect 
  to the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, or the 
  Plane of Shadow, spells that use those planes 
  do not function on the Plane of Faerie. These 
  spells include, but are not limited to:  astral 
  projection, blink, dimensional anchor, dimension 
  door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, greater 
  shadow conjuration, greater shadow evocation, 
  Leomund's 
  secret 
  chest, 
  shades, 
  shadow 
  conjuration, shadow evocation, shadow walk, 
  summon monster (i-ix), summon nature's ally (i-
  ix), summon swarm, teleport, teleportation circle, 
  teleport without error, and vanish. 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 43 
  Judge Aid #1:  Tracking the Fall of the Dreamtreader 
   
  Note the actions of each PC for each round. 
   
  PC #1 
  PC #2 
  PC #3 
  PC #4 
  PC #5 
  PC #6 
  Round 1 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 2 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 3 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 4 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 5 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 6 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 7 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 8 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 9 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 10 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 11 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 12 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 13 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 14 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 15 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 16 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 17 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 18 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 19 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 20 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 21 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 22 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 23 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 24 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Round 25 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 44 
  Judge Aid #2:  Map of Caer Dwr Gwyldy 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Map by Jose Ortiz 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 45 
  Judge Aid #3:   The Stone Table of the Fallen Brenin 
   
   
  Map by Byron Roberts 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 46 
  Player Handout #1 
   
  "The Dreamtreader" by Rob Kleinsteuber 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 47 
  Player Handout #2 
   
  "Captain Nimbus Haze" by Michelle Schad 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 48 
  Player Handout #3 
   
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 49 
  Player Handout #4 
   
  "The Spice Rack" by Rob Kleinsteuber 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 50 
  Player Handout #5 
   
  "The Biting Mountain" by Rob Kleinsteuber 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 51 
  Player Handout #6 
  "Glass" by Rob Kleinsteuber 
   
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 52 
  Player Handout #7 
  "The Summer Tree" by Eric Menge 
   
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 53 
  Player Handout #8 
   
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 54 
  Player Handout #9 
   
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 55 
  Player Handout #10 
   
  "The Sad Lady by the Sea" by Rob Kleinsteuber 
  
  GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
   
  Page 56 
  Critical Events Summary 
  One of the benefits of playing this adventure at the convention when it premieres is that your actions 
  count toward the official results of this adventure. This adventure GEO5-02 Love as Bright as Blood 
  premieres at RaptorCon 2005. If you are playing at the premiere, please fill out this form and return it to 
  the Geoff Triad at the convention. 
   
  Judge Name:  __________________________________________________________ 
   
  Judge RPGA number: ___________________  
  Slot #:  _______________________ 
   
   
  At the raving set in Santhmor, did Calisse manage to return to the Summer Tree before Holphin Neheli 
  arrived?    
  Yes  _________ 
  No __________ 
   
  At the raving set at Caer Dwr Gwyldy, did Calisse gain entrance to the castle?    
  Yes  _________ 
  No __________ 
   
  If so, how did she accomplish it? 
  Faced Rhian down  _____________ 
  Circumvented Rhian and snuck past her  _________________ 
   
  Did any PCs agree to help the Sad Lady carry the weight of the world? If so, which PCs? 
   
  PC Name:  _____________________________________  Player Name:  _____________________ 
   
  PC Name:  _____________________________________  Player Name:  _____________________ 
   
  PC Name:  _____________________________________  Player Name:  _____________________ 
   
  Did Calisse lay herself down on the Stone Table for the final sacrifice and become the Sacrifice Come 
  Freely? 
  Yes  _________ 
  No __________ 
   
  Did Calisse hang from the Summer Tree for a day and a night? 
  Yes  _________ 
  No __________ 
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Geoff/595/Normal Scenarios/GEO5-02 - Love as Bright as Blood (APL 2-10)/GEO5-02 - Love as Bright as Blood.pdf