TEXT: The Forbidden Choice
  A One-Round D&D Core LIVING GREYHAWK™ Adventure
  version 1
  by Jason Bulmahn and Chris Tulach
  Thought lost to antiquity, the remains of an ancient elven chest have been recovered. Why is this relic so
  important that Iuz's followers would take interest in it? An adventure for heroic characters of levels 1-6.
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, ROLE PLAYING GAMES ASSOCIATION and RPGA are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast,
  Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK and the D20 system logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and
  the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Any reproductions or unauthorized use of material or artwork
  contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  This scenario is intended for organized play use
  only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. 
  © 2001 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. 
  Visit our Website at:
  www.wizards.com/rpga
  COR1-06
  
  GETTING STARTED
  The Forbidden Choice
  1
  T
  his 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 clos-
  er to three hours. The rest of the time is spent in preparation before
  game play, and scoring 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 com-
  municate 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 par-
  ticularly 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.
  Instruct the players either to prepare their characters now, or
  wait until you read the introduction, depending on the require-
  ments of the scenario as described in the introduction. 
  Keep in mind that you must have at least four players (not
  counting the DM), for the game session to be a sanctioned RPGA
  event. As well, you cannot have more than seven players partici-
  pating in the game.
  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
  DM) 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 DM can bar the use of even core rule books during cer-
  tain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult
  the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide when confronted with a trap or haz-
  ard, 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 gray boxes. 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.
  Scoring
  After the players have completed the scenario or the time allot-
  ted to run the scenario has run out, the players and DM score the
  game. The RPGA has three ways to score its games. Consult your
  convention coordinator to determine which method to use for
  this scenario:
  1-No-vote scoring: The players write their names and RPGA 
  numbers on the scoring packet grid. You fill in the top of the
  grid. That is all. No one is rated. This method is used for 
  people who are just playing for fun.
  2-Partial scoring: The players rate the game master and the 
  scenario on their player voting sheet, and provide personal 
  information, but don’t vote for other players. The game 
  master rates the scenario and completes personal and event 
  information, but does not rate the players as a team or vote for
  players. This method is used when there is no competition, 
  but the event coordinator wants information on how 
  the game masters are performing, or the game master wants 
  feedback on his or her own performance.
  3-Voting: Players and game masters complete the entire packet, 
  including voting for best player. If this method is used, be 
  sure to allow about 15-20 minutes for the players to briefly 
  describe their characters to the other players, and about 5-10
  minutes for voting. This method is used when the players 
  want to know who played the “best” amongst the group, or 
  when the adventure is run in tournament format with 
  winners and prizes. 
  When using voting, rank the players in order of your voting
  choice while they are completing their forms, so that you are not
  influenced by their comments on your abilities. It’s a good idea to
  have the players vote while you determine treasure and experi-
  ence awards for the scenario. 
  After voting, give the Scoring Packet to your event coordinator.
  
  GETTING STARTED
  The Forbidden Choice
  2
  T
  his is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING™ adven-
  ture, it is expected that players will bring their own charac-
  ters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK char-
  acter generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK char-
  acter generation guidelines, a character sheet, and a LIVING
  GREYHAWK log 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 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.
  LIVING GREYHAWK Tier Structure
  Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK
  campaigns, this adventure is tiered. Basically, the challenges in this
  adventure are proportioned to the average character level of the
  characters participating in the adventure. To determine the tier that
  you will use to run this adventure, add the character levels of all the
  characters. In addition, add the levels of any cohorts or animals
  according to the values on their certificates. Cross-reference the
  total and the number of players participating in the game using the
  chart below to determine the tier used for this adventure.
  4 players
  5 players
  6 players
  7 players
  Lvl Cap
  T1:
  4-12
  5-13
  6-14
  7-15
  4th 
  T2:
  13-22
  14-24
  15-26
  16-28
  6th 
  T3:
  23-32
  25-35
  27-38
  29-41
  8th
  The level cap indicated is the highest level of character allowed to
  play this adventure. Characters of levels higher than the highest
  level shown for the highest tier cannot be played.
  Is it a Full Moon?
  Since the hazards of lycanthropy are a current part of the LIVING
  GREYHAWK campaign, it may be necessary to determine if this
  adventure takes place during a full moon. For game purposes, the
  full moon lasts three days of each month. For a given scenario that
  does not state the phase of the moon, roll 1d10 before play begins.
  On a result of 1, the first day of the scenario is a night of the full
  moon (roll 1d3 to determine where in the sequence of three nights
  it falls).
  Lifestyle
  At the beginning of every scenario, each PC is required to
  pay upkeep costs matching the level of lifestyle they wish to
  maintain. The lifestyles, and the effects that each has on play,
  are:
  Destitute
  You have no living space, and must carry all your
  gear everywhere. You eat poor quality food. You
  wear a peasant outfit, your only change of clothes.
  Poor
  You sleep in poor accommodations, and eat poor
  quality food. You wear a peasant outfit, and have
  two sets of clothing.
  Common
  You have common lodgings, and eat common
  quality food. You have normal clothing for your
  profession (adventuring); nothing fancy. You prob-
  ably have two or three sets of clothing.
  High
  You stay in good quality lodgings, and eat good
  quality food. You wear anything in value up to
  courtier’s outfits, and generally buy a new set of
  clothing every two weeks.
  Luxury
  You have luxurious accommodations (twice the
  cost of good accommodations), and you eat excel-
  lent foods. You can throw a banquet for your
  friends every day, and frequently do. You wear
  clothing up to the value of noble’s outfit, and buy
  a new set of clothes every week. 
  Lifestyles come with bonuses or penalties to Diplomacy,
  Intimidate, Disguise, and Bluff skill checks. These penalties,
  shown below, should be applied at the DM’s discretion, and can
  sometimes backfire—for example, a PC with a poor lifestyle
  would not have a penalty when talking to a beggar, but would
  when talking to a city official. A PC with a high lifestyle should
  have a penalty when dealing with a group of street thugs, where
  a PC with a destitute lifestyle might not.
  DMs are encouraged to role-play these reactions whenever
  possible.
  Lifestyle
  Cost
  Skill Modifier
  Destitute
  14 sp
  -2
  Poor
  43 sp
  -1
  Common
  12 gp
  0
  High
  250 gp
  +1
  Luxury
  500 gp
  +2
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  3
  DM’s Introduction
  Hundreds of years ago, a great evil rose up in the Vesve Forest. It
  ravaged the lands around it, rampaging through the Viceroyalty
  of Ferrond, leaving only death and suffering in its wake. The
  nameless thing eventually was defeated, but the victors knew
  that in due time it would rise again.
  In the shadow of the ancient keep of Delvenbrass, several
  heroes sacrificed themselves in a ritual to bind the evil one to a
  prison of stone beneath the earth. As the last of the ritual partici-
  pants fell, the spell focus of the ritual was plunged into the stone
  to seal the thing into its prison. The focus, a dagger named Binder
  of the Souls, has remained throughout the ages to keep the crea-
  ture from returning to the world.
  The high elves of Clan Volmiryth (a clan native to the Vesve),
  whose families had a great affinity for magic, sealed the prison
  and cast powerful spells to hide its presence. Those who partici-
  pated in the spell then sealed up a map containing the only way
  to find the prison in an ornate chest. The chest was entrusted to
  one individual, and the rest of the clan members involved were
  subjected to a powerful spell that erased the knowledge of the
  binding from their minds. 
  The guardian of the chest secreted himself (or herself) away
  from their home. The original heroes who enacted the ritual to
  bind the evil were all dead The high elves from Clan Volmiryth
  had wiped their own thoughts of their role. No one remains who
  knows that the chest contained—the only means to find the
  ancient prison.  
  Recently, orcs attacked a caravan heading to Storm Keep from
  Hardby. The caravan guards held their ground, and slew many of
  the creatures. In one of the wagons was carrying a large chest. As
  the battle raged, the orc smashed the chest, and made off with the
  contents. When the orcs had been defeated, several were ques-
  tioned before being put to the sword. They informed the caravan
  master that the item taken from the chest was a map. Some of the
  defeated orcs were wearing holy symbols of Iuz.
  Bwirse, business manager for Auldon Brendingund, pur-
  chased the remains of the chest from the caravan. He had the
  chest returned to Greyhawk City, and had Wugut, a cleric of
  Fharlanghn, cast a make whole spell on what was salvaged. After
  gathering what information he could on the chest, he was
  intrigued. Thinking that this chest might be another fortune
  waiting to be found, he put out a summons for adventurers to
  help him uncover the mystery.
  Adventure Summary
  The PCs are invited to meet with Bwirse, Auldon Brendingund's
  business manager, at the Black Dragon Inn in Clerkburg (a dis-
  trict of Greyhawk City). Bwirse informs the heroes that he has
  recovered an interesting curiosity—an ancient elven chest that
  bears a cryptic message. He shows the heroes the chest (which is
  still a bit damaged, but all in one piece), and explains how it was
  recovered. Bwirse also mentions that he has heard of a sage who
  may be knowledge about such things. However, the man lives in
  Highfolk. His name is Hamdan, and he specializes in elven relics.
  The businessman asks the characters to take the chest to
  Highfolk, find out what they can, and see if they can recover
  whatever the strange inscriptions on the chest refer to. The PCs
  are informed that they are to receive a portion of any treasure
  found, and they should depart in the morning.
  Asking around Greyhawk City does the PCs no good, but
  heading to the Great Library of Greyhawk turns up some valu-
  able tidbits on the nature of the inscriptions on the chest. 
  The next day, the PCs begin their long trek to Highfolk. They
  travel across the Domain of Greyhawk, catching passage up the
  Velverdyva at Maraven. The town is reached without incident. 
  Heading to the Heroes' Rest in Highfolk, the characters
  speak with Hamdan the Cunning, a tavern owner and loremaster.
  He is able to tell the PCs that the place they seek is known as
  Delvenbrass, an ancient ruin located deep within the Vesve
  Forest, within hostile lands. He also informs them of other things
  that may help the PCs to unlock the mystery, and the heroes
  depart in the morning for the keep.
  The journey to Delvenbrass, while tense, is uneventful. The
  fog near the keep is incredibly thick, so much so that the heroes
  wind up getting lost within it. After a short time of wandering
  about (and seeing strange shapes at the edge of their vision), a
  small veil in the fog lifts, revealing a patch of barren ground. A
  voice whispers in a character's mind telling them to "speak the
  Word"—a command word that causes the stone prison to rise
  from the earth. 
  Entering the prison, the PCs find four men kneeling as if in
  prayer. The men bear holy symbols of Iuz, and are all long dead.
  The nature of their deaths is not evident. The map taken from the
  chest can be found among their possessions. It provides clues to
  avoiding the traps laid throughout the rest of the prison.
  Exploring the other chambers in the stone prison reveals more
  deadly traps. While the PCs are exploring, each hears a voice in
  his/her head, calling out to him or her. That voice whispers pleas
  and dark thoughts. The heroes feel something that touches their
  minds, but as quickly as it arrives, it is gone. 
  Eventually, the heroes reach the final chamber, the prison
  that holds the nameless evil. Here, one of the followers of Iuz is
  found, the sole survivor of the group encountered in the first
  chamber. He is insane, driven mad by the voices in his mind. In
  most cases a fight ensues. Upon finishing the battle, the heroes
  spot a pile of ash in a stone sarcophagus located in the middle of
  the chamber. Stuck point down in the ash is a beautiful dagger
  (the Binder of the Souls). Here, the PCs must make a choice that no
  one was ever intended to make—pull the dagger from its spot, or
  leave the room as it was found. The voices provide support for the
  former choice.
  Either way, the heroes head back to Greyhawk City, with lit-
  tle return for their troubles (except perhaps a fine dagger and a
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  4
  map). Bwirse thanks the PCs for their efforts, and collects any
  "treasure" the characters may have brought him. He promises to
  provide the heroes with a service in the future as compensation
  for their efforts.
  Players’ Introduction
  It is the last week of Patchwall in the Domain of Greyhawk. You
  have each spent several days in the Gem of the Flanaess, enjoying
  the sights and sounds that Greyhawk City has to offer. Just as you
  were beginning to get the itch to go out adventuring again, you
  noticed a parchment posted outside the Black Dragon Inn, a large
  establishment in the scholar's district of Clerkburg. 
  At this time, give the players Handout #1. If the PCs wish to do
  anything in the few hours until the meeting, they have some
  time. Note that unless the PCs commonly adventure together,
  they have not met one another as of yet.
  Interested in the offer, you find yourself at the Black Dragon Inn
  with several others of adventuring stock. The inn is well kept, and
  appears to be rather a popular locale, as it is filled with patrons at
  this dinner hour. Above the din of the tavern-goers, you can hear
  the booming voice of a large, hairy beast of a man. He seems to be
  checking in on the hired help of the inn, going from bartender to
  serving girl to bouncer dispensing directions and comments.
  Bwirse, the person you are here to meet, has not yet arrived, and
  dinnertime will soon pass. 
  Let the PCs take this opportunity to introduce themselves to
  each other. Bwirse is running a little late, and arrives after a few
  minutes. 
  In the meantime, the heroes might be curious about the
  nature of the big fellow. His name is Miklos Dare (male human
  Ftr4; hp 26), and he is the owner of the Black Dragon Inn. He was
  a former adventurer. He loves swapping both stories and rumors.
  If asked, he can provide the following bits of information:
  •
  I hear that the Moneychangers' and Pawnbrokers' Guildhall 
  is thinking about raising the exchange fee for Dyvers and 
  Duchy of Urnst coinage to 10%. That'll really cut hard into 
  some of my business; a lot of travelers stop in here from those
  lands. 
  •
  Rainy's telling me that he's having a bit of trouble over at the
  Brass Dragon Inn. He says the patrons hear voices 
  whispering to them late at night. Some are saying the place is
  haunted. Maybe after you're done working for Bwirse, you 
  can go check it out. 
  •
  If asked about Bwirse: Yeah, he comes in here often with 
  Auldon Brendingund, a merchant who lives just down the 
  road. Auldon's hired him on as his new business manager, 
  after he came into some money again—something about 
  finding his family's inheritance. Bwirse is a good fellow, but 
  can be a little bit absent-minded at times. He's supposed to 
  stop by tonight. If you're here to see him, I'm sure he'll be 
  around soon. Bwirse has a tendency to be a little late.
  Encounter 1: Bwirse and the Chest
  After the PCs have had an opportunity to get settled, Bwirse
  (male human Rog5; Profession (merchant) +5; hp 24) walks in
  the door. Read the following to the players:
  After a little while longer, a human gentleman in his late thirties
  approaches your group. He has close-cut brown hair, and looks a bit
  feeble. After nodding briefly he says, "Thank you all for coming. My
  name is Bwirse. I am the Brendingund Merchant House's business
  manager. I have something very interesting to show you, so if you
  could come with me upstairs, it would be most appreciated."
  Bwirse takes the heroes upstairs to one of the rooms. Inside the
  room are two men (both male humans) wearing chain shirts with
  short swords strapped to their sides; they are guarding a fine
  chest, which has obviously seen better days.
  As you enter the room, two men, armored with chain shirts and
  wearing short swords at their sides, get up from their chairs. Bwirse
  takes a moment to pause and catch his breath, and then dismisses
  the guards, telling them to stand watch outside the door. On the
  desk in the room sits a chest, which looks a bit worn and cracked,
  but was obviously once very ornate. Bwirse walks over to the chest,
  and motions all of you to come closer.
  The Chest
  "A few weeks ago", Bwirse says, "the Burnweigh Caravan
  Company came upon this chest in a most unusual way. It seems
  that they were headed to Storm Keep when they were beset upon by
  an orc raiding party. One of the orcs was carrying this chest. As the
  orcs fled from the caravan guards, one of them smashed the chest,
  and took the contents. 
  After the battle, the caravan master interrogated some of the
  orcs before putting them to the sword. He found out that the item
  that was removed from the chest was a map. He also found holy
  symbols of Iuz on many of the orcs. 
  My employer purchased the chest, and sent me back to
  Greyhawk City with it to find some adventurers that might help in
  finding what this chest is all about. That's where you come in. I
  need you to uncover the mystery surrounding this relic, and find
  out if there's anything of value that might be gleaned from it."
  Bwirse asks the heroes to take a look at the chest. Looking at the
  chest reveals the following information:
  •
  The chest is a short sword's length, and about as high and 
  deep. It is obviously of fine craftsmanship, but there is a large
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  5
  hole in the bottom and a smaller one on the lid and along the
  right side. The edges of the chest are trimmed in gold, and 
  there is an inscription that runs all the way along the trim, 
  repeating itself.
  •
  Those who succeed at a Craft (carpentry) skill check (DC 15),
  will glean the oak wood of the chest has obviously been 
  treated with some sort of oil. The wood looks new.
  •
  Those who succeed at an Appraise check (DC 22), know that
  this chest would fetch a couple hundred gold, if it were all in
  one piece. As it is, it's still worth about 50 gold orbs, 
  especially to a collector of elven relics.
  •
  The inscription is written in an old dialect of Elven, and 
  repeats itself along the trim. It reads, "When the Handmaiden
  has strayed farthest from Sehanine's sight, the Keeper speaks
  the Word near Man's Great Stone Scar in the Tinklingice 
  mists of the Home of Shandareth. That which has been for
  gotten will be revealed. May Corellon protect us." Give the 
  players Handout 2 if someone in the party can read Elven. 
  Otherwise, Bwirse can explain what it says (he had it 
  translated).
  •
  The chest radiates a faint magic. An identify spell reveals that 
  it has been preserved with an oil of timelessness. 
  Bwirse has the following information to offer about the nature of
  the chest:
  •
  I have discussed the meanings of the chest's message with 
  others. Wugut, a cleric of Fharlanghn that has helped out the
  Brendingund House in the past, repaired the chest as best he
  could with a spell. He talked to several associates at the 
  Temple of Celestian about the meaning of the moon phrase. 
  They informed Wugut that the reference was to the time in 
  which Celene is farthest from being full. The full cycle of 
  Celene is sometimes known as the Handmaiden's Departure
  (when Celene is waning), the Handmaiden's Journey (when 
  Celene is new), and the Handmaiden's Return (when Celene
  is waxing). The week of time known as the Handmaiden's 
  Journey is coming up soon (during the middle of the next 
  month).
  •
  Tinklingice is the elven name for Ready'reat, which I'm sure
  some of you know.
  •
  I have also done a bit of researching, and have found that the
  "Home of Shandareth" refers to an elven clan living in the 
  Vesve Forest. I can only assume that this is the place 
  mentioned in the inscription.
  •
  I assume the "Keeper" is the possessor of the chest. 
  •
  There is much here I don't know, however. I still don't know
  what "Man's Stone Scar" is, nor do I know what "the Word" is.
  The final two lines also confuse me.  
  The Offer
  After discussing the chest for a time, Bwirse tells the PCs the fol-
  lowing:
  "I have talked to other knowledgeable individuals who I find trust-
  worthy, and one of them has informed me that someone far to the
  west might be of help. In fact, none other than Miklos Dare, the
  owner of this very establishment, suggested him. He used to adven-
  ture with a man by the name of Hamdan the Cunning, who appar-
  ently is a font of information about legends and myths. He lives in
  Highfolk, which is near the Vesve Forest, and owns a tavern called
  the Heroes' Rest. 
  I would like you to take the chest with you to Highfolk and
  speak with this man. Find out what you can about the cryptic writ-
  ings on it. It seems as though you may have an opportunity to
  unravel the mystery as well, since you should be near the Vesve at
  the time mentioned in the inscription. Do all that you can to
  uncover this bizarre puzzle. If you bring back something to show for
  it, I'll gladly compensate you. If not, I'm certain we can make pay-
  ment arrangements based on what you've learned—in either case,
  return here when you are finished."
  Bwirse is not willing to discuss payment at this time, but he does
  give the heroes 80 gold orbs to cover their travel for the journey
  there and back. He informs the characters that they can take the
  River Road southwest to Ford Keep, and follow the Western Road
  to the town of Maraven. There, they should be able to book pas-
  sage on a merchant ship headed up the Velverdyva to Highfolk,
  with possibly a stop or two along the way. Rooms have been paid
  for at the Black Dragon for the night, and the chest is left in the
  heroes' possession.
  The PCs are encouraged to get some sleep, and start off first
  thing in the morning. Some PCs, however, might want to try
  finding out a little more of the mystery. A Gather Information
  check (DC 20), with an expenditure of 1 gp, points the inquiring
  hero toward the Great Library of Greyhawk. Of course, characters
  might think of this themselves without the gold loss. In either
  case, do not mention the library to the players unless they ask. The
  library is open all night long, and is only a short walk from the
  Black Dragon Inn.
  Encounter 2: 
  A Quick Stop at the Library
  Read the following to those that make their way to the Great
  Library:
  Ahead is the huge granite building known as the Great Library of
  Greyhawk. It’s massive, with large stone columns and a long stair-
  case reaching up to its entrance. Magical lanterns are positioned
  outside and within. Armor and weapons are prohibited inside.
  The library is massive, but the public stacks are divided up into
  six areas: History, Geography, Artistic Studies, Poetry and
  Literature, Science and Engineering, and General (a catch-all cat-
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  6
  egory). Finding information that is germane to the adventure
  requires either a Knowledge (history) roll at DC 15, or a Search
  skill check (DC 20). If either one of the rolls is successful, give
  the player Handout 3, which contains bits and pieces of things
  learned. The research takes a few hours. 
  If the PCs decide to seek some help in their research (or if
  they just want a bit of conversation) a librarian is more than
  happy to assist them, as long as they are civil. He also remarks
  upon the fact that the library is willing to pay for rare books,
  maps, and other writings - even copies of such things. He informs
  them that Iquander (the chief administrator/researcher of the
  library) would be more than happy to take a look at such curiosi-
  ties and assess their academic worth.
  Encounter 3: On to Highfolk
  After traveling for many days, overland and on the Velverdyva
  River, you finally disembark at a small port near the town of
  Highfolk on the 10th day of Ready'reat. A coach takes you the rest
  of the way into the town. 
  You approach Highfolk from the east gate. The forested walls of
  the town hide archer platforms and wooden catwalks concealed in
  brown leaves and branches. People, mostly elves and humans, go
  about their business much like most other communities you've vis-
  ited. You pass through what looks like a marketplace dominated by
  a huge tree in the center of the town, and are soon dropped off at
  your destination. 
  The Heroes' Rest is a single story tavern in what appears to be
  a fairly pleasant area of town. Its sign swings lazily in the cool
  autumn air. Looking through the windows, you can see many
  patrons talking and laughing with one another. It looks like a din-
  ner meal is being served. 
  Give the PCs a chance to collect themselves, and when they are
  ready, read the following:
  Entering the tavern, it appears to be a clean, respectable-looking
  place. The only feature that distinguishes the Heroes' Rest from sev-
  eral other taverns you've been in is the vast array of weapons,
  armor, and adventuring gear gracing the walls. As you enter the
  establishment, a rotund man with black hair and a goatee nods
  from behind the bar. 
  "May cold iron avail you, travelers. What can I get for you this
  evenin'?" The man grins, and before you can answer him, he begins
  to pour ale into a glass. 
  This is Hamdan the Cunning (male human Brd7/Lor3;
  Diplomacy +13, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (legends &
  myths) +17, Sense Motive +6; hp 59), the owner and barkeep of
  the Heroes' Rest. He has a quick wit, an easy smile, and a love for
  adventurers. In fact, his tavern is a shrine to fallen adventurers.
  Numerous mementos of those who have fallen while fighting
  the good fight hang along the walls. He is more than happy to
  share a tale or two about the various items around the common
  room. Since the heroes are here on business, eventually the con-
  versation turns to the focus of their visit. Hamdan has the fol-
  lowing information:
  •
  If the PCs let him examine the chest, he takes a long look as if
  contemplating something, and then looks up at the heroes 
  with a smile on his face. He says, "Lemme guess, you wanna 
  know what all of this means, huh? Well, because I like you, 
  the cost is only 500 golden solars…no, just joking with you 
  there. I'll help you out. What parts haven't you figured out yet?"
  •
  "Man's great stone scar" is what some older elves (especially 
  wood elves) call Delvenbrass. It's a ruined keep that's deep in
  the Vesve Forest. Ancient Baklunish peoples built it long ago.
  Nowadays, it's said to be a lair of evil. Of course, it doesn't 
  help matters that it's located on the border of Iuz's territory in
  the north. Nasty place. Wouldn't go there. That's not going to
  stop you,though, is it?
  •
  Shandareth is the ruling clan in the Fairdells. They hold court
  at Flameflower, a community in the southern Vesve. No one 
  but elves and those favored by the clan are allowed entrance 
  to their home. 
  •
  The Vesve Forest is the largest forest of its kind in the 
  Flanaess. There are a lot of people living in there, but it's still
  very wild. The south and west is pretty much in control of 
  elven and human hands; Ironstead, Flameflower, and 
  Quaalsten are the major communities there. Up north, 
  gnomes are in the hilly western regions, and the grugach are
  sandwiched in between the gnomes and the evil humanoids.
  Iuz's forces are in control of much of the eastern region. Here,
  give me some parchment and I'll draw a map for you. Give 
  the players Map 1. 
  •
  After some time of examination and thought, Hamdan says 
  the following:
  "Ya know, I think there's somethin' else to this as well.
  There's an old poem, most of which's been lost to time, writ-
  ten by some seer from Clan Volmiryth, a clan of elves that
  lives around these parts. I think there's a passage in there that
  might be what you’re lookin' for. It goes something like this:
  'And the Keeper of Lost Memories
  Stands in the sight of the Stone Scar
  Unlocking that which has been forgotten
  Speaking the Word:
  Quarrandar.'
  I think this is what ya need to help find what you’re seekin'.
  The elf that wrote it, and his name, are long gone, but it's said
  that he wrote many pieces of prose and poems that contained
  visions and prophecies. Quarrandar is an olven word from
  times past that means "freedom". Looks like if you want the
  mystery solved, you'll be needin' to head to Delvenbrass."
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  7
  Clan Volmiryth is a predominately high elven clan that has a
  great affinity for arcane magic. Most of their ranks are spellcast-
  ers of some sort. They live all around the area, but are said to have
  a keep in the Vesve that can only be found by the clan members. 
  Hamdan remarks that Delvenbrass is approximately seven or so
  days away on foot. It lies deep in the forest, and in hostile territo-
  ry; humanoids control the area around it. Hamdan marks on the
  heroes' map the location of Delvenbrass. He suggests that the
  characters get some rest, and pack well for their trip.
  Encounter 4: Delvenbrass Awaits
  In the morning, the PCs can purchase equipment and prepare for
  their journey. The heroes can purchase anything normally avail-
  able in the Player's Handbook, and according to the current version
  of the LIVING GREYHAWK character creation rules. Once they are
  ready to depart, get a marching order and night watch schedule
  from them. Then read the following:
  You travel through the Highvale, a lush farming area that lies
  between the Vesve and the mountains to the west. After a day or so
  of travel through this quaint terrain, you make it to the forest
  known as the Vesve. A sea of trees stretches as far north and east as
  you can see. Careful to follow the paths on the map given to you by
  Hamdan, you enter the tree line. 
  The weather in the forest, while cool and a bit rainy, isn't so bad
  for this time of year. Along the trail, you pass several homes, and
  talk to a few woodsmen. They all bear the same message: the
  humanoids have been on the move of late, so be careful. You stop for
  a night in Quaalsten, a stockade town in the heart of the forest, and
  receive the hospitality of the Hearth of the Unicorn's Heart, the
  largest temple devoted to Ehlonna in the area. 
  Once past Quaalsten, you enter the area of the Vesve which is
  controlled by evil humanoids: orcs, goblins, gnolls, and worse.
  Keeping your wits sharp, and your hand near your weapon, you
  continue deeper into the wood. Every so often, you can hear larger
  creatures moving around in the brush just out of sight. It is much
  cooler up here in the northern reaches of the forest, and there seems
  to be an ever-present mist in the air. 
  As afternoon begins to give way to dusk, a large structure is
  barely visible through the now-thickening fog. This must be it—
  Delvenbrass, the ancient ruin.
  The PCs may wish to bed down for the evening, or may want to
  continue onward. Let them know that they are in the shadow of
  Delvenbrass, in enemy territory. They may change their minds. If
  they still wish to make camp, plague them with paranoia
  throughout the night. They hear unexplained noises, see things
  moving at the edge of their sight, and feel a cold chill descend
  upon them. All of the heroes have a tough time sleeping, but are
  able to get enough rest to function the next day. Paladins feel a
  dull throbbing in their head all night and during the next day.
  A character that has the Track feat may attempt a Wilderness
  Lore roll (DC 12). If successful, they find the tracks of perhaps a
  half dozen booted humanoids moving off further into the mist,
  toward the ruin.
  Lost in the Mists
  When the heroes decide to continue forward, read the following:
  As you get closer, the mists seem to thicken. No more of the struc-
  ture is visible than before. You almost trip over the remains of a
  ruined wall, and as you cross the threshold, the fog surrounds you
  like a chilling, white-gray blanket. You can't see anything.
  Attempting to get your bearings, you wander about for a short
  distance. All of a sudden, the mists part a bit, and you see all of your
  friends around you. In the blink of an eye, they vanish. You find
  yourself utterly alone. All that can be seen in any direction is a
  heavy shroud of fog. Strange shapes can be seen playing in the dense
  mist and a soft cackling can be heard in the distance.
  The strange things that live in the fog have separated the charac-
  ters from each other and obscured any sign of their passing.
  When the fog cleared initially, the each PC was surrounded by an
  illusion that appeared to be the rest of the group. This illusionary
  party then led each PC to a different location in the ruins. Then
  the illusion ended, leaving each PC alone in the strange mists.
  Only if the PCs are physically connected do they stay together.
  These things do not attack the PCs nor can they be chased down
  or tracked. Any PC who attempts to detect evil finds a strong pres-
  ence surrounding them on all sides, but no specific sources.
  The PCs should be a bit panicked right now. Allow each char-
  acter to devise a strategy for finding his or her friends. No matter
  the plan chosen, the mists and rubble continue onward in every
  direction. No tracks left by the heroes can be found and no way
  out is present. PCs that were following humanoid tracks can con-
  tinue to do so (these tracks are still present) but these now seem
  to lead the PC in circles. After a few minutes, allowing enough
  time for the PCs to get frustrated, continue on to the next section.
  Speak the Word 
  The heavy mists seem to stretch on forever with no end in sight. You
  can only see those things on the ground directly below you: prima-
  rily crumbling stones and scattered bones.
  All of a sudden the mists seem to thin. The mists reveal a clear-
  ing of dull gray earth and thick black moss. All of your traveling
  partners come stumbling out of the mist from different directions,
  joining you in this desolate spot.
  A soft hiss of laughter can be heard off in the distance.
  At this point all of the PCs are reunited, although they may spend
  some time confirming that fact. 
  If the PCs look around the clearing they can notice the fol-
  lowing two points. First, there are a number of footprints leading
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  8
  into this clearing that were not made by the PCs. These prints
  end in the middle of the clearing abruptly. Second, there is a
  strong scent of fresh earth and mold in the air. Both of these
  small details can be noticed with a Spot skill check (DC 10).
  Characters with the Track feat can make a Wilderness Lore skill
  check (DC 15) to identify the tracks as the same ones encoun-
  tered before. If the PCs follow the tracks back out of the clearing
  they eventually lead out of Delvenbrass.
  Once the PCs have had a chance to look around, pick a PC
  that is of good alignment, and what you would consider to be the
  most just of the group (obviously, heroes such as paladins would
  be first on the list). Make a note of whom you've picked; this PC
  is now referred to as the “chosen”. Take the player of the "chosen"
  character aside, and read him/her the following:
  Map 1: The Dungeon
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  9
  In your head, you hear a voice. It starts out soft, as if from afar, and
  gets closer with each utterance. It is a man's voice, more like a whis-
  per than anything else. The voice says to you, "Speak the Word. The
  Word brings hope." After a few moments, the voice fades into noth-
  ingness.
  The "Word" is quarrandar, which the PCs learned from Hamdan
  back in Highfolk. The PC that heard the voice need not be the
  one to speak the word. Once someone says "quarrandar", read the
  following:
  The ground shakes, and a sound like the tearing of the earth can be
  heard. Something begins to push out of the ground! Rising up from
  the grass and mud like a coffin being rejected by the earth is a small
  stone structure, open on the side toward you. Stairs of stone descend
  into the dark recess of the earth. The laughing echoes from the mist
  surrounding you suddenly go silent. 
  I Don't Want to Go In!
  If the PCs decide not to go in, then they do not discover the mys-
  tery. Some characters may wish to explore Delvenbrass itself; the
  ruin is a magnet for evil, and is beyond the scope of this adven-
  ture. If the heroes decide against entering, and want to explore,
  feel free to explain that the ruin is huge and very deadly. The
  adventure is essentially over for them if they do not proceed.
  Encounter 5: Into the Maw 
  Read or paraphrase the following to all the PCs who descend the
  staircase.
  Spiraling ever onward, the stairs seem to go on for hours. When you
  think the end is in sight, another flight reveals itself. Ahead of you
  every step of the way are a large number of muddy footprints.
  Finally the end of the stairs comes into view. A short narrow corri-
  dor is at its end.
  The descent down the stairs takes about thirty minutes. After
  only three or four flights, it becomes apparent that there is no
  light source in the tunnel. The PCs have to provide their own
  unless everyone has darkvision.
  Observation of the stairway reveals little. The stones are all
  dark gray granite and bear no markings. The steps are sized for
  medium-size creatures. A PC with the Track feat can make a
  Wilderness Lore skill check (DC 20) to reveal that the prints lead-
  ing down the staircase consisted of roughly 4 to 6 humanoids
  wearing boots.
  When the PCs reach the bottom, proceed to Encounter 6.
  Dungeon Features
  Unless otherwise noted, the following features apply to every
  room within the dungeon:
  •
  There is no light in much of the dungeon. Unless all of the 
  PCs are dwarves and half-orcs (and hence have darkvision) 
  the heroes need to provide their own light source. Rooms 
  that are lit are noted in the text and the source is described.
  The walls are all made of a polished gray stone unless 
  otherwise noted. In general, they are far too thick to be 
  breached without the use of spells such as stone shape. PCs 
  without this magic will be driven insane by picking away at 
  the wall long before they manage to tunnel through it.
  •
  All doors throughout the dungeon are made of a strange 
  black metal. They have no visible lock and only open when 
  triggered by an element of the room that they are in. Once 
  opened, they can be freely opened or closed from either side.
  •
  The doors all have the following statistics.
  Black Iron Doors: 4 in. thick; Hard 10; hp 120; AC 5; Break
  DC 28 (locked).
  The Voices
  Deep within the dungeon is the eternal resting spot of the thing.
  Trapped in a dead body, the thing's mind is still quite active and
  the heroes have just entered its domain. Although not powerful
  enough to harm the PCs, it is strong enough to communicate
  with them telepathically. This has the effect of disturbing the
  PCs, but little else.
  Some of the rooms note specific text to read to the “chosen”.
  This PC was decided in Encounter 4 under the heading “Speak
  the Word”. This text should only be read to the “chosen”. 
  Listed below are a number of examples and guidelines for
  using the voice throughout the dungeon. The examples below
  can be used on any character but should not be used on the “cho-
  sen”. Also note that this should not detract from game play too
  much but should instead be used to flavor the event properly.
  Guidelines
  The voice is bold, arrogant, and thoroughly evil. The only PC that
  it is nice to is the “chosen”. Everyone else is useless in the mind
  of the thing.
  •
  Communication with the voice is one way only. It does not 
  have conversations with the PCs. The PCs hear the voice but
  cannot communicate with it.
  •
  The voice speaks to the PC with telepathy using the racial 
  language of the PC. Only the PC being spoken to can hear the
  voice.
  •
  The voice may foretell the hero’s doom, but be careful not to 
  give away any clues to the dungeon. When suggesting a 
  wrong course of action, make sure that there are multiple 
  choices—do not give the real choice away.
  •
  As a general rule, do not use the voice more than once per 
  room in addition to any scripted voice that is in that room.
  Protection from evil and magic circle versus evil are the two 
  simplest ways to block the voice. This protection only lasts 
  for the duration of the spell. Other effects that block 
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  10
  telepathy are also effective.
  •
  If the PCs decide to sleep within the confines of the dungeon,
  the voice focuses on one arcane spellcaster and prevents that
  individual from getting adequate rest. This has the effect of 
  preventing that spellcaster from getting new spells the next 
  day. If the PCs go back up to the surface, this interruption 
  does not take place. 
  •
  Be aware of the sensitivity of the players at your table. It is  okay
  to offend the characters so long as you do not offend the players.
  •
  The thing should not reveal anything concerning itself, the 
  dungeon, or its burial place.
  •
  Note that the voice that the “chosen” hears is very nice and 
  calm. All others hear an evil whisper. The two sound nothing
  alike even though they come from the same source.
  Examples:
  •
  Failure is your only choice. Accept that and you may yet live.
  Do you actually believe that you have the cunning to solve 
  this? Soon, I will bring your corpse before me and ask the 
  same question.
  •
  I can smell your blood. Tell me, is it sweet?
  •
  Nothing can save you now. I suggest that you pray to your 
  meaningless gods, worm.
  •
  Be careful, beyond that door is your death and the death of all
  your pathetic friends.
  •
  The future lies within me. Pray to me and I may spare you for
  a short while.
  •
  I will swallow your soul.
  •
  When you die would you please scream loudly, I find that 
  much more entertaining.
  •
  Run coward, run now before your meager life comes to an 
  abrupt and violent end.
  Encounter 6: The Dungeon
  Listed below is a room-by-room description of the entire dun-
  geon. Refer to DM Map 1 for the layout and key.
  1. Entry Corridor
  This short corridor leads from the entry stairs to the door that
  leads into Area 2. The door at the end of this hallway is like any
  other in the dungeon, however it is not locked. The frame sur-
  rounding the door is made of the same gray stones as the walls
  but it is carved to look like a pair of ancient knights holding their
  swords over the entry. The ravages of time have worn away any
  interesting detail that may have been on the carvings but a
  Knowledge (architecture and engineering) skill check (DC 15)
  can confirm that they are roughly 500 years old.
  2. Puzzle Room
  Read or paraphrase the following to the PCs when they enter this
  room.
  The heavy iron door slowly glides open with a sickening screech
  revealing a large open chamber. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all
  made of the same polished gray stone of the corridor with one excep-
  tion. A fresco of men dying and strewn about a battlefield runs
  along the ceiling of all the walls of this room.
  In the center of the room is a pedestal on which sits a shining
  golden coin. Along the south wall of the room are seven half pillars
  imbedded into the wall. Each bears a stone chalice on its top and
  strange carvings on the base. All of this is odd but does not remote-
  ly compare to the four bodies lying on the floor spread out around
  the pillar.
  Two of them appear to be human; the other two appear to be
  orcs. All are in a position of prayer and all appear to be quite dead.
  As you look into this grim scene a ghastly shriek comes from the
  corpse nearest you as its head detaches from its body and flies
  toward you.
  This room is the first chamber of the dungeon. The four bodies in
  the center of the room are most of what remains of the party sent
  by Iuz to investigate the dungeon. The fifth member of this party
  escaped the room and is now in room 13. The heads that detach
  from the corpses are the creatures noted below. The bodies of the
  fallen contain the only treasure in the room. The center pedestal
  and the four pillars are a trap and are the only way to get the door
  in the northern wall to open.
  After the creatures are dealt with and the map is found, the
  “chosen” hears the following.
  Suddenly, the voice in your head returns to you. “Follow the map
  and you will be rewarded” it says. “Already there is another here,
  he may reap the reward of my coming if you are too late”. 
  Creatures: When the evil party entered the dungeon, one of
  their members went insane almost immediately by the mental
  probing of the thing. His first reaction was to cast a powerful
  spell that summoned a pair of vargouilles. These evil creatures
  attacked the party by surprise and a large melee ensued, during
  which one of the members drank a potion of gaseous form and
  escaped deeper into the dungeon. The rest were either killed by
  one another or slain by the vargouilles. After the spell ended, the
  original vargouilles returned to their evil plane, leaving a few
  spawn behind.
  Tier 1 (EL 4)
  Vargouille (2): hp 7, 4; see Monster Manual, page 182.
  Tier 2 (EL 6)
  Vargouille (4): hp 7, 5 (x2), 4; see Monster Manual, page 182.
  Tier 3 (EL 8)
  Vargouille, advanced (4): CR 4; HD 3d8+3; hp 13, 15, 15, 18; Atks
  +5 melee; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4; Skills: Listen +6, Spot +5.
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  11
  Tactics: The vargouilles open the attack by flying from their
  corpses to attack the party. This will surprise any PC that does not
  make a Spot check (DC 15). One vargouille should attempt to
  shriek each round until all have shrieked. Remember, the var-
  gouilles' shriek attack is a standard action. Only if there are fewer
  paralyzed PCs then there are vargouilles should they attempt to
  kiss any PC.
  Trap: The only way to get the door in the north wall to open is to
  solve the puzzle presented in the room. In the center of the room
  is a pedestal with an ancient golden coin resting on it. Along the
  south wall are six pillars, each topped by a stone chalice. To con-
  tinue the PCs must put the coin in the proper chalice as indicat-
  ed by the clue on the map (see the treasure below).
  Each of the six pillars has a carving on it. This carving depicts
  the holy symbol of a specific god. The problem is that the sym-
  bols are from a long ago time and have since changed.
  Identifying the carving requires a successful Knowledge (reli-
  gion) check (DC 10) or Knowledge (history) check (DC 15). Each
  symbol must be identified individually. In addition to this any PC
  with levels of paladin, cleric, or druid automatically recognizes
  the symbol of their faith if it is present. Listed below are the sym-
  bols listed from west to east.
  Pillar #1 – a twisted skull (Nerull)
  Pillar #2 – a moon over a tree (Corellan Larethian)
  Pillar #3 – a flaming hammer (Moradin)
  Pillar #4 – a book on a gravestone (Wee Jas)
  Pillar #5 – a woodwind instrument on a leaf (Obad-Hai)
  Pillar #6 – a man holding up a globe (Kord)
  To bypass the trap the heroes must “Pay Homage to the Protector”
  which in this case means to place the coin from the pedestal in
  the chalice of Corellan Larethian. If the coin is placed in any
  other chalice, the person placing the coin is struck by a searing
  light as per the spell and noted below. After the attack, the trap
  resets and the coin appears on the central pedestal again. Once
  the coin in placed in the correct chalice it disappears for good,
  and the door leading to area 3 is then opened.
  Tier 1 (EL 3)
  Searing Light Trap: CR 3; +10 ranged touch attack (2d8); Search
  (DC 28); Disable Device (DC 28); dispel (DC 20).
  Tier 2 (EL 4)
  Same as above, but the searing light does 3d8 damage, and the
  dispel check is DC 21.
  Tier 3 (EL 5)
  Same as above, but the searing light does 4d8 damage, and the
  dispel check is DC 23.
  Treasure: It should be noted that present within this room are
  the basic gear of five individuals even though there are only four
  corpses present. The following things can be found in the room
  without difficulty:
  •
  Most importantly, there is the map that the characters have 
  been searching for. Once found, hand the players Map 2. This
  is a map of the dungeon and a list of clues to overcome the 
  traps located therein. It is not magical in any way and the 
  script appears to be a very old dialect of Common.
  •
  Also scattered around the room are five backpacks with a bit
  of rancid provisions in each. Included in this mess is a nearly
  empty potion vial. This vial contained the potion of gaseous 
  form that the final member of the party used to escape the 
  room. The remaining liquid radiates magic but not poison. If
  ingested, the hero's hands become gaseous for a few seconds
  before returning to normal. This vial is found with the back
  pack and gear of the missing body. All of the others in the 
  room are wearing their gear.
  •
  All of the gear and weapons that are found on the bodies of 
  the slain can be sold for 100 gp total if returned to Highfolk 
  because of its disguise uses (only 75 gp if taken elsewhere). 
  This gear consists primarily of longswords, leather armor, 
  small steel shields, and holy symbols of Iuz. Everything else 
  is of little value or very bad condition.
  •
  There is one other item of note located on one of the bodies 
  in this room. A potion of bull’s strength is hidden away in the 
  boot of one of the orcs. This potion can be found with a 
  successful Search skill check (DC 10).
  Development: The heroes may decide to leave at this point, hav-
  ing found what they are looking for. If they appear to be making
  their way out, the “chosen” hears the following:
  As you are about to leave the voice from beyond returns to you
  again, this time it is loud and angry. “You cannot leave—not yet.
  I am nearly free. My friend here will soon release me and then you
  can see me in my true glory! This insolent fool is not the one I was
  hoping for, but I guess he will have to do.”
  After hearing this, the PCs may still leave. If they do so, their
  adventure ends here. Skip to the conclusion and finish the
  adventure. 
  3. Split Path
  This corridor splits in two directions. The direction chosen will
  determine the next few rooms of the dungeon that the PCs
  encounter. The doors leading into rooms 4 and 7 are both open at
  first. Once one door is chosen, the other locks and cannot be
  opened.
  Scribed on the wall between the two choices are a few
  words written in Elven. If any PC can read Elven, read them
  the following:
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  12
  Now is a choice. Right shows its birth, the other its death. Both tell
  a tale, both are most grim.
  Once a decision is made, proceed to room 4 or 7 as appropriate.
  4. The Battlefield
  When the heroes enter this room, read or paraphrase the follow-
  ing to them.
  The heavy iron door slowly swings open to reveal a scene of carnage.
  Strewn about this half of the room are the bodies of many men.
  Some of them are in small heaps; others have been completely torn
  asunder. They appear to have been here for only a short time.
  On the other half of the room are a number of trees made
  entirely of stone. They form a semicircle around a small dark pool
  that ripples in the faint light.
  Through all of this is a clear path that begins in the wall near
  you, tears its way through the bodies and heads straight toward
  the dark waters at the far end. There is no apparent way out of
  this pit of decay.
  The only way out of this room is by turning a stone handle at the
  bottom of the pool that opens a secret door in the east wall. The
  pool however, is a trap as noted below.
  A quick search of the room reveals a number of things. A suc-
  cessful Heal skill check (DC 10) reveals that all the bodies are
  elven.  Each of the bodies is dressed in a similar uniform. Each is
  wearing moldy bits of leather armor and one piece of shining
  metal plate. Each piece is different and if they are all found and
  reassembled it creates a suit of full plate. The armor has obvious
  elven designs and is very intricate. This suit of armor is the pro-
  tection offered by the fallen as noted on the map. It is necessary to
  easily solve the puzzle to this room. Finding all of the pieces is a
  gruesome search requiring four successful Search skill checks
  (DC 15). Assembling the armor requires a successful Craft (armor)
  skill check (DC 15). PCs can take twenty on any of these rolls, but
  this costs them 20 minutes each. Note that the armor weighs 50
  pounds once assembled, which results in a –10 penalty to any
  Swim skill checks while wearing it. No matter the outcome in the
  pool, the armor crumbles to dust upon leaving the room.
  The stone trees at the end of the hall are carved from solid
  stone and do not radiate magic, although the pool radiates strong
  necromancy. The pool is also very cold, deep and apparently
  made of blood. See the trap below for further details.
  Carved into the wall near the ceiling is a story written in
  Elven. Read the following to any PCs that can read Elven:
  A hero rose from ashes of defeat and donned the armor of the fall-
  en. He braved the woods in which it dwelled and found the pool of
  chilling blood. Courage was with him, so in he dove to find the key
  in its great shadow. He shed his iron skin and fled the icy grasp of
  a cold wet grave. The hero traveled forth to bring the news and con-
  tinue the fight.
  Read or paraphrase the following to the “chosen” PC.
  Having taken a look around the room, the now familiar voice
  returns to your mind. “Lies, all lies! They only wish to keep me
  here because they fear me. You do not fear me, do you? I promise
  great power to those who show courage.” The voice fades away
  into nothingness.
  Trap: The PCs should eventually get the point that to continue
  onward they must swim to the bottom of the pool. The pool is
  incredibly cold and deep, not to mention completely black. The
  armor of the fallen removes most of these obstacles, allowing the
  PC wearing it to see and brave the cold while wearing it. PCs that
  do not wear the armor have only slim chances to swim to the bot-
  tom and find the latch. In addition to this, any PC attempting a
  swim without the armor suffers 1d6 points of cold damage per
  round while trying. Add +1 to this damage per consecutive round
  spent in the pool while not protected. Once the PC has entered
  the water, be sure to keep track of the number of rounds spent in
  the water for purposes of drowning as noted below.
  PCs who don the completed armor and jump into the pool
  find themselves rapidly sinking to the bottom, which they reach
  in three rounds (a Swim skill check (DC 10) reduces this to 1
  round). A Swim skill check (DC 5) gets an unarmored PC to the
  bottom in one round (otherwise, it takes 3 rounds). Once there, a
  successful Search check (DC 10) reveals the stone lever in the
  floor. If turned, this lever opens up the secret door leading to area
  5. A hero without the armor on must succeed in a Search check,
  DC 30, in order to find the same lever. 
  Once the lever is pulled, the hero's will is tested. Emerging
  from a recess in the bottom of the pool is a shadow of complete
  darkness. The PC who is in the bottom of the pool must succeed
  at a Will save (DC 12 for tier 1, DC 14 for tier 2, and DC 16 for tier
  3) or be affected by a dreadful panic. This panic lasts for 2d4
  rounds, during which time the PC can do nothing but flail
  around and cower. Any attempts to swim during this time are
  made at a –5 penalty.
  Eventually, the hero should be interested in returning to the
  surface. Swimming to the surface requires 3 successful Swim
  skill checks (DC 15). Note that the PC has a penalty of 10 to this
  roll while wearing the armor. If the PC attempts to rid himself of
  the armor it takes 1d3 minutes to perform (slightly less than
  normal because of the age of the armor), this time is reduced to 1
  round if the character is being assisted in some way. This equates
  to 10-30 rounds. Note that the cold damage mentioned before
  does not apply to the return trip to the surface. Obviously, tying
  a rope to the character, or using magic, should aid considerably in
  the effort to rise to the surface. Any good plan should be given a
  reasonable chance of success.
  Drowning
  PCs can hold their breath equal to twice their Constitution scores
  in rounds. After this time the PC must succeed at a Constitution
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  13
  check (DC 10+1 per round) or fall unconscious. Unconscious
  characters are immediately reduced to 0 hit points. On the fol-
  lowing round, the PC is reduced to –1 and dying. The hero dies
  on the following round.
  5. The Trap Room
  When the PCs enter this room, read or paraphrase the following:
  Slowly, the door to the room swings open revealing a large square
  room paved with wide gray stones. The place is shrouded in dark-
  ness, save for one area. A large column of light descends from the
  ceiling to form a ten-foot wide circle on the floor in the center of the
  room.
  Lying in this bright light is the carcass of some dead animal not
  unlike a horse. The coppery scent of blood is in the air and the buzz
  of flies can be heard throughout the room.
  The large area of light in the middle of the room is actually the
  trap discussed below. The trap is set off the moment any PC
  touches the large carcass in the center of the room. The door lead-
  ing to area 6 will only open once the trap has been sprung.
  Heroes who investigate further notice that the some of the
  large 2-foot by 2-foot slabs of stone that make up the floor are
  rather loose and have soft earth underneath them. Dwarves auto-
  matically notice this fact upon entering the room. The horse car-
  cass in the center of the room is an illusion. Touching the illusion
  dispels it and sets off the trap.
  Read or paraphrase the following to the “chosen” hero once
  he or she enters the room.
  “Beware my devoted,” the voice suddenly returns to your mind.
  “This is the same trap they tried to kill me with. If you are not care-
  ful, it may kill you. We would not want that now, would we?”
  Trap: Once a PC touching the carcass has set off the trap, a wall of
  force goes up, separating any PCs who are standing inside the cir-
  cle of light from the rest of the party. This wall is circular and
  extends from the floor to the ceiling. It can be dispelled only by
  the use of a disintegrate spell. At the same time a dimensional anchor
  effect blankets the entire room.
  One round after the wall has gone up, the ceiling inside slow-
  ly descends to crush any unfortunate PC caught inside of the
  wall. This descent takes ten rounds and results in the death of any
  PC within the wall at that time. No amount of bracing can stop
  the ceilings descent.
  The only way out of this maniacal death trap is the same way
  that the creature used, down. One stone on the floor can be easi-
  ly removed, revealing the fact that the wall of force does not extend
  beyond the plane of the floor. Digging out a small tunnel requires
  8 rounds if only done from one side of the wall, 4 if done from
  both. Spells such as stone shape will reduce the digging time to
  two rounds. One medium sized or two small sized PCs may crawl
  through this hole per round. Any PC left inside the trap on round
  10 may attempt a Reflex save (DC 20) to dive into the hole before
  being crushed. Note that only one PC can attempt this save, any
  others (determined by initiative) are out of luck.
  Please take note that the DM should give the PCs adequate
  time to think about how to escape this trap and should not be
  charged time for working out a plan. Only testing ideas and actu-
  al work should take up any of their time. The DM is encouraged
  to be careful with this particular trap as more than one PC could
  lose their life if the solution is not found.
  Crushing Ceiling Trap: CR 10; no roll required (death);
  Search (DC 30); Disable Device (DC 30). Note that if the trap is
  disarmed the door to area 6 opens and the PCs should be award-
  ed full XP.
  6. The Archery Room
  Read or paraphrase the following to the heroes when they enter
  this room: 
  The door slowly swings open revealing a long narrow room.
  Directly in front of the door and in the center of the room is a stone
  pedestal on which rests a short bow and one arrow. On the far end
  of the room is an immense, shadowy form. The form appears vague-
  ly humanoid, but is well over fifteen feet tall. In front of the men-
  acing shadow is a tiny pinprick of light on the floor.
  The PCs are free to enter the room and examine the bow and
  arrow as much as they like. They cannot however, cross the plane
  denoted by the dotted line on the map. The far end of the room is
  protected by a very powerful repulsion spell centered on the shad-
  ow. To pass this spell, the PCs must find some way to extinguish
  the shadow on the far end of the room. PCs attempting to cross
  the barrier must make a Will save (DC 27) to cross the plane. If
  the save is failed, that PC is physically unable to cross the intan-
  gible barrier that divides the room until the trap is dealt with. The
  details of the trap are noted below.
  At the far end of the room is the shadowy image of the beast
  itself. Sitting directly in front of the form is a small pinprick of
  light. PCs that succeed at a Spot skill check (DC 15) notice the
  small light to actually be that of a tiny candle. It is this candle that
  must be extinguished to pass the room. If the candle is put out,
  the shadow disappears and the repulsion spell ends allowing the
  heroes to move on to area 11.
  When the “chosen” hero enters the room, read or paraphrase
  the following to that player.
  “Even this did not prove my undoing” the voice echoes from the
  deepest chamber of your mind. “It is a testament to my power,
  power that I may share with you when I am free.”
  Scrawled on the west wall of the room is short poem written in
  Elven. It reads as follows:
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  14
  Only the true shot ended the thing.
  Aimed not at the heart but the at the well of its being.
  The champions aim true would not miss its mark.
  To miss is the end; cloak the whole world in dark.
  Heroes that examine the bow and arrow find nothing unusual
  about them other than their obvious age. They do not radiate any
  magic but are still in working order. This bow and arrow is the
  only way to affect the candle (spells and other weapons will not
  work). It may appear to the PCs that they only have one chance
  at this, but once the bow is fired, another arrow appears on the
  pedestal. The PCs may attempt to fire at many targets on the far
  end of the room. To facilitate this, there are seven Armor Classes
  provided below so that the heroes can test their luck. Any shot
  fired down the room that does not extinguish the candle sets off
  the trap as noted below.
  Head of the Shadow
  AC 15
  Heart of the Shadow
  AC 20
  Body of the Shadow
  AC 10
  Tail of the Shadow
  AC 12
  Candle (Tier 1)
  AC 16
  (Tier 2)
  AC 20
  (Tier 3)
  AC 24
  Trap: Any shot that does not extinguish the candle causes the
  shadow to extend its wispy tendrils down the room at the offend-
  ing PC and attack them. The shadow attacks, then recedes and
  then the trap resets. Please note that the only way to disarm this
  magical trap is by use of dispel magic and the spells that created
  this room were cast by a 14th-level caster. Also note that a PC who
  makes the repulsion save can easily shoot the candle from close
  range, basically insuring an instant hit. PCs that think of this
  should be allowed to continue without penalty.
  Tier 1 (EL 3)
  Shadow Trap: CR 3; +10 melee touch attack (1d6 damage and 1
  temporary Strength damage); Search (DC 28); dispel (DC 25).
  Tier 2 (EL 4)
  Same as above but the shadow does 2d6 damage and 1 temporary
  Strength damage.
  Tier 3 (EL 6)
  Same as above but the shadow does 3d6 damage and 2 temporary
  Strength damage.
  7. The Summoning Chamber
  Read or paraphrase the following to the heroes when they enter
  the room.
  A loud grating sound accompanies the opening of the heavy iron
  door leading into this square chamber. In the middle of the floor is
  a strange circle of runes, in front of which stands a pedestal with a
  book resting on top of it. Three of the four walls are covered with
  what appears to be an identical set of figures and calculations.
  Another iron door is set into the far corner of the room.
  This room is a replica of the chamber that was used by an insane
  wizard to summon the thing. The only way to exit the room is to
  reenact the summoning which is also a trap as noted below. There
  are a good number of things to examine in the room, each of
  which is outlined below.
  Read the following to the “chosen” PC when her or she enters
  the room:
  The deep voice returns again, its soft voice whispering in your ears
  from unknown depths. “Now you see the place of my birth into this
  world. The fool thought he could control me. He ripped me from my
  home, and brought me here. I am nothing but a victim.”
  The pedestal in front of the summoning circle is made of the
  same stone as the rest of the dungeon. The book on top of the
  pedestal is made of stone as well, so only the open page can be
  read. The following is written in Elven upon the open page.
  Log Entry:
  Why won’t it work? I have tried and tried, to no avail. It seems that
  something must be amiss with my calculations and carvings. If
  only I could find the flaw, all of the power would be mine to pos-
  sess. My master called me a fool, but soon it shall be I who teaches
  the lessons. 
  This passage refers to the flaw in the figures and calculations
  set into the walls of the room. When the PCs investigate the
  walls, give them Handout #4. PCs who succeed at a Spellcraft
  check (DC 20) can recognize some of the symbols as those used
  in very powerful summoning spells. Upon further examina-
  tion, two of the panels are identical. The north panel is missing
  three key symbols to complete the ritual. PCs that carve the
  remaining runes into the north wall trigger the trap, as well as
  open the door to area 8. The areas that contain the three mis-
  takes in the north panel are shaded gray in the image below.
  Allow the heroes to find the mistakes on their own, only resort-
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  15
  ing to a Spot check (DC 15) if the players are especially
  stumped (give them one clue for each Spot check made).
  The only other thing to examine in the room is the summon-
  ing circle itself. The circle consists of a vast array of powerful and
  ancient symbols inscribed within a ring. Spellcasting heroes in
  the group may attempt a Spellcraft skill check (DC 15) to recog-
  nize the symbols as those used in powerful wards. If the heroes
  specifically check the integrity of the circle, allow them to make
  a Search skill check (DC 20) to realize that the circle has one tiny
  break. This break is what allowed the thing to escape initially. If
  the PCs seal the breach before finishing the wall calculations,
  then the trap has little effect. See the trap below for further
  details.
  Trap: Once the inscriptions on the north wall are completed this
  trap is activated. From the center of the summoning circle, a
  think black vapor begins to pour into the room. If the PCs have
  found the flaw in the circle and repaired it, this mist takes on the
  form of a large humanoid form. The form then glares at the party
  and slowly evaporates, howling in pain. If they have not sealed
  the circle, read or paraphrase the following to them.
  Thick black vapor begins pouring from the center of the summon-
  ing circle. Within moments, the mists coalesce into a form well over
  ten feet tall. Made of solid darkness, the form howls in triumph as
  it breaches the barrier that encases it. Soon its shadow encompass-
  es the entire room and a bone chilling cold flows from it. Looking
  at you each in turn, the form slowly disappears, a hollow dry laugh-
  ter trailing off into nothingness.
  The cold from the creature can deal damage to all of the PCs that
  are in the room at the time of the summoning. Only a dispel magic
  has any chance of stopping this effect. The spells used to make
  the apparition and extreme cold were both cast at 14th-level of
  ability.
  Tier 1 (EL 2)
  Summoning Trap: CR 2; 15 ft radius blast of cold (1d6 damage);
  Reflex save (DC 14) for half damage; Search (DC 28); Disable
  Device (DC 28); Dispel (DC 25).
  Tier 2 (EL 3)
  Same as above, but the trap does 2d6 damage; Reflex save (DC 16)
  for half damage.
  Tier 3 (EL 5)
  Same as above, but the trap does 3d6 damage; Reflex save (DC 18)
  for half damage.
  Once the trap has been set off, the door to area 8 becomes open.
  This trap resets itself in 24 hours.
  8. The Doomed Room
  Read or paraphrase the following to the heroes when they enter
  this room.
  A pale blue light can be seen emanating from the room beyond the
  door that just opened. Ahead, you see a startling sight. Five glow-
  ing apparitions stand scattered about this rectangular room.
  Among them are a tall and proud elven woman, a young gnomish
  lass leaning against the wall, an aged Oeridian man leaning on a
  cane, a venerable dwarven male with an axe in hand, and a tiny
  halfling maiden sitting in the corner. All of them stare at you with
  sorrow in their eyes as you enter. Across the room is a large gaping
  maw, carved out of the rock. A thick mist obscures the way from
  view.
  A chorus of hollow voices rings out from the spirits. “We are the
  doomed, the first victims of the thing—by fire, tooth, and claw.
  Nothing can save us. Rest is denied us, as is the knowledge of our
  demise. When and how might set us free.” The spirits grow silent.
  This room is a puzzle of sorts. Only by telling each spirit how
  they died and in what order can the PCs proceed. Once this is
  complete, the mists leading on to area 9 slowly part, revealing the
  passage beyond. These mists currently deny entry and are as solid
  as any wall. They can be removed by a dispel magic but were creat-
  ed by a 14th-level caster.
  When the “chosen” PC enters the room, read or paraphrase
  the following to them:
  “Lies, all lies.” The voice returns to your mind. “Don’t listen to any
  of them. These fools attacked me. I had to defend myself. You would
  have done the same.”
  The PCs are free to talk to the spirits as much as they like, but
  they only receive the same response over and over again. Listed
  below is a brief description of each spirit as well as what infor-
  mation they have to impart. Make certain to describe each spirit
  as the PCs converse with them. They say nothing, other than that
  which is listed below.
  Spirit A – This spirit is that of an adult elven female in her prime.
  When spoken to, she says the following: 
  “I am neither first nor last. The elders did not perish by way of the
  tooth.” 
  Spirit B – This spirit is that of a young gnomish maiden. She is
  leaning against the wall waiting for the end. When spoken to, she
  says the following: 
  “I am before the elf but after the dwarf. The young were too agile
  for the claw.”
  Spirit C – This spirit appears to be a venerable Oeridian man. He
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  16
  stands hunched over, leaning on an oak walking stick. When
  spoken to, he says the following: 
  “I protected the young with my ancient life. No woman folk per-
  ished in the flames, or so I have heard.”
  Spirit D – The apparition appears to be that of a very old and bat-
  tle-hardened dwarf. He still carries his ancient axe. When spo-
  ken to, he says the following: 
  “By my axe, I was the last man to die. No matter how grim the bat-
  tle, only one died by its flames.”
  Spirit E – The spirit is sitting alone crouched up in the corner.
  The ghost appears to be that of a young halfling female. When
  spoken to, she has this to say: 
  “The elf and the human died to protect me, but alas, it was in vain.
  The dwarf and elf did not die by the claw.” 
  After questioning all of the spirits, it should be relatively simple
  to determine in what order and by what method each spirit died.
  It is as follows:
  Spirit A – 4th to perish, died by the tooth.
  Spirit B – 3rd to perish, died by the tooth.
  Spirit C – 1st to perish, died by the claw.
  Spirit D – 2nd to perish, died by flame.
  Spirit E – 5th to perish, died by the tooth.
  When the PCs are ready to give their answer, they must present
  it loudly to the spirits. If they give the correct solution the spir-
  its slowly fade and the mists part, giving them access to area 9. If
  the incorrect answer is given, the trap as noted below affects the
  offending PC.
  Trap:This trap activates only if the PCs give the wrong answer to
  the puzzle. Only the hero that called out the answer is affected.
  Once triggered, the spirits howl in anguish and eternal torment.
  These cries of torment worm their way into the PCs mind, forc-
  ing him or her to constantly think of the consequences of their
  failure. This equates to a –2 luck penalty to all rolls for the
  remainder of this dungeon. This effect can be avoided by a suc-
  cessful Will save (DC 15 for tier 1, DC 18 for tier 2, and DC 21 for
  tier 3). This effect is cumulative, if the same PC guesses incor-
  rectly twice, the penalty increases to a –4. After the second guess,
  the PC's guesses no longer count (the door does not open even
  for a correct answer), and another PC must guess.
  9. Mirror Portal
  This corridor is apparently made of natural stone and leads to a
  tall silver mirror. The corridor is in truth actually quite man
  made, but has been cleverly carved to appear natural. When the
  heroes approach the mirror, read or paraphrase the following to
  them.
  The winding natural corridor has apparently ended in a small
  chamber. Standing in the center of the room is a tall silver mirror,
  the frame of which appears to be made out of humanoid forms,
  writhing in agony. Through the mirror you can easily see your-
  selves but the surroundings are different. It appears that you are
  standing inside of a grimly lit natural cavern. Surrounding your
  image are many racks of strange metal hooks and knives; all are
  stained a deep crimson. In the center of the room is a long stone
  table with a human form stretched out across it.
  The image in the mirror is actually the view of area 10. The image
  is not very clear and very little information can be gained from
  this side. Any PC who touches the surface of the mirror is
  instantly transported into area 10. Although they disappear on
  this side, their image can still be seen in the mirror. A detect magic
  spell cast upon the mirror reveals powerful transmutation magic,
  as well as some divination.
  When a hero touches the mirror, take the player aside and
  ask them to make a Will save (DC 15 for tier 1, DC 17 for tier 2,
  and DC 19 for tier 3). Have all of the PCs make this save as they
  touch the mirror, but take special note of the first PC who fails
  this save. The DC for this save increases by one for each PC to use
  the mirror. If none of the PCs fail the save, the last hero to use the
  mirror fails automatically. The PC that fails does not appear in
  area 10, but is instead transported onto the table and hidden
  underneath a powerful illusion; see area 10 for further details.
  From this side of the mirror, it appears as if the now trapped PC
  continues about their business on the other side. Once a PC fails
  the save, the results of all the others are irrelevant (but they
  should be made to roll anyway).
  10. Torture Chamber
  Once the heroes enter this room, read or paraphrase the follow-
  ing to them.
  A low moan greets each of you as you appear in front of another
  mirror inside of a quite insidious room. The walls of this appar-
  ently natural chamber are just as they appeared in the mirror, cov-
  ered with large racks displaying various hooked and bladed instru-
  ments. Each one is stained a deep crimson tone and appears to be
  quite sharp. In the center of the chamber is the apparent source of
  the low moan. A human man is bolted to the table by iron bars.
  Strange cuts and glyphs are carved all over his tortured flesh. The
  figure gives one final moan and then lies still.
  After taking in all of this, something else becomes obvious to
  you. One member of your group is missing. 
  The figure on the table is indeed the missing hero, but has been
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  17
  disguised quite cleverly. When that hero was teleported into the
  room, he or she was actually put under the effect of a seeming and
  placed on the table. This illusion is also under the effect of a nys-
  tul’s undetectable aura, and hence cannot be detected. At the same
  time, the PC was attacked by a harm and enough inflict minor
  wounds to reduce him or her to –1 hit points. The PC was also
  automatically stabilized. All of the hero’s gear was also removed
  and transported just outside the door of this room leading on to
  area 11.
  Examining the body on the table reveals it to be an Oeridian
  male who is approximately thirty years old. A successful Heal
  skill check (DC 15) reveals that the body is near death because of
  all the terrible wounds inflicted upon it. A deep pool of blood
  covers the table. Note that examining the body does not allow an
  attempt to disbelieve the illusion, which is only really possible
  with a true seeing, or more direct physical action as noted below.
  When the “chosen” hero enters the room read or paraphrase
  the following to them. Disregard this if the “chosen” hero is the
  on placed on the table.
  The now familiar voice slowly creeps back into your mind; its tone
  is solemn and sad. “This was only a mistake, I did not know that
  your kind was so weak. Of course, this will never happen again.”
  The iron bars that hold the body in place are amazingly strong
  and require a successful Strength check (DC 27) to break. This
  check is required once for each of the bars holding each leg, each
  arm, and the neck. The bars are quite real and have no apparent
  lock. The will only unlock themselves under the conditions men-
  tioned below.
  The various tools that line the walls of this room are all obvi-
  ously torture instruments. Nearly all of them are stained with
  blood. None are magical in any way and they hold no value.
  Also in this room is another mirror that transports any PC
  touching it back into area 9. Any PC then returning to this room
  is not required succeed at a Will save. This time, the room is dif-
  ferent from before. The frame on the mirror is a plain silver one,
  with a long inscription written around its edge. The inscription is
  written in Elven, and reads as follows:
  Behold the tortures of the thing. Many man and elf, elder and child,
  husband and wife met their bitter end in this wicked hole. Mercy
  comes in many forms.
  Freeing the trapped and hidden PC can come in one of two differ-
  ent forms. More mercenary PCs may decide to give mercy to the
  form by ending his pain. Doing so should be considered a coup de
  grace. This more than likely kills the trapped hero. This should not
  be a likely choice, but it may occur. The other likely choice is to use
  healing magic on the poor trapped soul. This application revives the
  trapped PC, and restores the hero to full hit points (regardless of the
  healing used). If either of these is performed the illusion fades and
  the iron bars unlock, as does the door leading to area 11.
  The heroes may think to question the elven ideal on this sit-
  uation. Elves of this region value all things living and only
  through the natural order should death come. This situation is
  obviously not natural, and hence the figure should be healed.
  Elven PCs automatically know this information if they ask for it.
  Non-elves must make a Knowledge (religion) skill check (DC 15)
  to learn the same information.
  As mentioned above, freeing the trapped PC (in either man-
  ner) opens the door leading to area 11.
  11. Memorial Room
  The PCs may enter this room from one of two ways, either from
  area 10 or area 6. The only way out is either into room 12 or back
  the way they came. The door leading down the path the heroes
  did not take is not available to them.
  When the PCs enter this room, read or paraphrase the fol-
  lowing to them.
  The door leading into this chamber glides open without making a
  single noise. The now open portal reveals to you a room unlike any
  that you have seen so far in this twisted dungeon. Pristine white
  marble veined with light blue covers the walls, floor, and ceiling of
  the room. Standing along the south wall is a small bench like those
  found in solemn temples. On the north wall is a tall urn glowing
  with a pale blue radiance. A pale blue globe in the ceiling illumi-
  nates the room.
  All of this is secondary to the smooth marble coffin that rests in
  the center of the chamber. Resting on the top of the coffin is a mar-
  ble relief carving of a proud and powerful elven knight. Tears
  stream down the statue's face only to flow down the side of the cof-
  fin. Surrounding the base is a shallow pool about one-foot wide,
  made from the knight’s tears. Even the sound of your breathing
  seems like a sacrilege in this place of quiet contemplation.
  Note that this is the only room in the entire dungeon where the
  voice does not speak to any of the PCs. The heroes may rest freely
  in this room without fear of nightmares.
  Heroes that search the chamber can discover a few things.
  The bench is made of solid marble, just like everything else in
  the room. It is attached to the floor and bears no inscription.
  The coffin is ornately carved with a repeating floral patter
  around the lid. Below this is an inscription that runs around the
  entire piece. It is written in Elven and reads as follows.
  May he who slew the thing be granted eternal rest; let none disturb
  his slumber. The last blow delivered, his mortal wound took its toll.
  For days his suffering was unending, his price paid. Finally, on the
  end of the third day, true peace was his. One hundred days for each
  day of suffering, a tithe was made. One golden coin of worth for
  each day, a repayment for his valor. May they both rest eternal, one
  in torment and one in peace.
  If the PCs are so blasphemous to actually try and open the coffin,
  
  THE ADVENTURE 
  The Forbidden Choice
  18
  any offending PC is struck by a bestow curse. This spell can be
  avoided by a successful Will save (DC 18). Inside the coffin is a
  very old, but well-preserved corpse of an elven warrior. The war-
  rior is dressed in simple chainmail and has a longbow and
  longsword at his side. Attempting to take any of these items caus-
  es a slay living to target the transgressor. Unless the offender
  makes a Fortitude save (DC 20) he or she falls over dead. Even if
  the save is successful, the target still takes 3d6+14 points of dam-
  age. There is nothing else of note inside the coffin.
  The urn standing on the north wall of the crypt contains the
  only way to open the door to area 12. The urn itself glows with a
  pale blue radiance and if checked, radiates powerful illusion and
  transmutation magic. If the heroes look inside the urn, all they
  see is a single gold coin and a pale blue flower resting in the bot-
  tom. Both the flower and coin are illusions and cannot be
  removed. As hinted on the coffin, the only way to open the door
  into area 12 is to place at least 299 gp worth of items and money
  into the urn as a tithe (there is already one coin in the urn). This
  can be nearly anything, although it must be small enough to fit
  and the hole is only one foot in diameter. Anything placed inside
  the urn in such a manner is disintegrated as per the spell, and
  replaced with an illusion of the valuables given. Once 300 gp of
  valuables is placed inside, a loud click can be heard, and the door
  leading to area 12 swings open. Note that there is no way to
  bypass this through magic.
  12. The Well of Souls
  When the heroes enter this room read or paraphrase the follow-
  ing:
  This square chamber is made of the same white marble found in the
  tomb you just left. The floors, wall, and ceiling are all highly pol-
  ished and are pristine and clean. There is a door on the north wall
  carved with many runes. In the center of the room is a wide well
  rising three feet off of the floor. It to is made of the same white mar-
  ble. Inside the well is turbulent black water. On the lip of the well
  is a polished silver ladle.
  Read or paraphrase the following to the player of the “chosen” PC:
  “You are close now” the voice calls to you from a distance. “Come
  quickly, my rebirth is nigh at hand.”
  This room is the final room before the tomb of the thing. As such,
  its creators decided that any who would wish to proceed must
  carry with them an understanding of the evil trapped within. To
  this effect, they created the Well of Souls.
  PCs who observe the well itself find no auspicious markings
  or carvings anywhere on its surface. The water in the well is
  always turbulent, although no source of this motion can be
  found. The ladle itself bears only one small inscription written on
  the underside in Elven. It reads as follows.
  The burden is great, like the waters of the soul.
  The only way to proceed onward to the final chamber is for every
  PC to drink from the well. After this is done, the door leading to
  area 13 unlocks. The door itself is covered in many runes and
  glyphs of a strange origin. A successful Spellcraft skill check (DC
  20) reveals them to be wards against passing, and glyphs that
  strengthen the door. If this skill check is made by more than 5, it
  is also revealed that the wards focus on keeping something in the
  room as opposed to preventing entry.
  PCs who drink from the well gain a bit of knowledge about
  the thing, and are affected by the spirit they have ingested. In all
  cases these effects last for only one hour, but all PCs present in
  the room must be under the effect for the door to area 13 to open.
  The effects can be ended prematurely by a dispel magic versus a
  14th-level caster. All bonuses and penalties are considered
  insight bonuses. When each PC drinks from the well, roll a d12
  and consult the following table. You can inform the players of the
  benefit or hindrance. Identical results should be rolled again.
  d12 roll
  Result  
  1
  Sorrow – The PC has visions of a youth who 
  has lost everything and everyone precious to 
  him. The PC is at a –1 to all rolls. 
  2
  Pain – The PC sees images of endless torture 
  at the hands of a shadowy form. The PC is a –1
  to all attack rolls, damage, AC, and to initiative.
  The PC must also make a Concentration skill 
  check (DC 10) to cast any spell. 
  3
  Valor – The hero has visions of a youth who 
  stands over the body of his fallen father, ready
  to face the oncoming darkness. This PC 
  receives a +2 bonus to all attack and damage 
  rolls. 
  4
  Helplessness – The hero sees images of a 
  knight fighting against a great blackness. No 
  matter how hard or well placed the strike it 
  seems to have no effect. The PC is at –2 to all 
  attack and damage rolls. 
  5
  Joy – The PC sees through the eyes of a 
  maiden, who finally sees her husband 
  returning from battle alive and victorious. 
  This PC receives a +1 bonus to all rolls. 
  6
  Horror – The hero sees through the eyes of a
  woman who stumbled upon a battlefield, and 
  sees all of the carnage caused by the thing. 
  This PC is at a –10 to all initiative rolls. 
  7
  Hope – The PC sees images of flowers 
  growing in the field that was once a battle
  ground. This PC is at +1 to all attack rolls, 
  damage, AC, and initiative. 
  8
  Doom – The PC receives visions of a shadow 
  slowly covering the horizon and heading 
  
  THE ADVENTURE 
  The Forbidden Choice
  19
  toward him. The PC is at –2 to all saving 
  throws, and an additional –2 to any fear effect
  saving throws (total penalty –4). 
  9
  Courage – This hero sees visions of the troops
  rallying to battle, and feels the exhilaration of
  the first charge. This PC receives a +2 bonus to
  all saving throws and an additional +2 bonus 
  to any fear based saving throws (for a total 
  bonus of +4). 
  10
  Victory – This PC has visions of the final 
  arrow being shot into the great shadow. As the
  shadow falls, so does the hero. This hero is a +2
  to all attack rolls but suffers a –2 penalty to his
  or her AC. 
  11
  Ceremony – This hero sees images of two 
  tombs being filled, one for the knight and one
  for a great blackness. The hero then sees the 
  solemn ceremony to bury a great hero, and 
  then sees four priests seal themselves in with 
  the evil, forever. This PC is under the effects of
  a sanctuary that has a duration of 1 hour. This 
  effect acts in all ways like the spell and hence 
  is ended if the PC attacks. 
  12
  Cowardice – The PC receives visions of a full-
  grown man running away from battle 
  ignoring the pleas of help from his friends. On
  this PC's first combat turn, the PC must 
  succeed at a Will save (DC 18) or flee from 
  battle.
  Once all of the PCs have drank from the well, the door to area 13
  opens and the PCs may proceed to the final encounter.
  13. The Last Tomb
  Once the PCs enter this room, read or paraphrase the following
  to them.
  The door gently swings open, revealing a room made entirely of
  black marble. Four burning torches light the room and reveal a
  four-foot by seven-foot pit in the room’s center. Arranged around
  the pit are four piles of ash topped with a skull.
  What the PCs do not immediately know is that a crazed man hid-
  ing under an invisibility spell is prepared to strike the first person
  to enter the room. The man’s name is Volzern, and he is the leader
  of the group sent by Iuz to free the thing that now rests in the pit.
  Unfortunately this man, as noted below under the "Forbidden
  Choice", cannot free the thing. When the PCs enter the room
  read the following to them. 
  Appearing out of thin air is a man dressed in coal-black robes car-
  rying a large mace. The grinning skull symbol of Iuz dangles from
  his neck. With a crazed howl, he attacks.
  Creature: Volzern is a priest of Iuz who led the party here to free
  the thing. When things turned badly, he used his potion of gaseous
  form to flee the chamber and continue his quest. That was two
  days ago. Shortly after arriving, Volzern learned that he couldn’t
  remove the dagger, known as the Binder of the Souls, to free the
  thing. Ever since, he has been slowly driven mad by the thing for
  its own amusement. Shortly before the PCs arrived, the thing
  warned Volzern of the PCs presence, giving him time to precast a
  few spells, which are presented in bold below. All of these effects
  have already been added to his statistics. Also note that Volzern
  can exchange any of his clerical spells for inflict wounds spells of
  an appropriate level.
  Before combat begins, have each PC make a Listen skill check
  (DC 15) to hear Volzern just before he attacks. PCs who fail this
  roll are surprised for the first round of combat.
  Volzern only has one guideline concerning his attacks; he
  cannot attack the “chosen” PC under any circumstances. The
  thing does not want the “chosen” harmed.
  Tier 1 (EL 4)
  Volzern, Priest of Iuz, male human Clr3/Wiz1: Medium-size
  humanoid; HD 3d8+1d4+8; hp 28; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13/20 on
  the facing with shield spell (Touch 13 [20 with shield], Flat-footed
  12 [19 with shield]); Atks +5 melee (1d8+2, heavy mace); SA spells;
  AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +8; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14,
  Wis 17, Cha 11. (5 ft., 11 in. tall). 
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +4, Concentration +13, Disguise +5, Heal
  +8, Hide +3, Knowledge (arcana) +4, Knowledge (religion) +6,
  Spellcraft +9; Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll,
  Weapon Focus (heavy mace).
  Possessions: coal black robes, holy symbol of Iuz, heavy mace,
  40gp, ring of pain, wand of magic missile (3rd-level caster; 6 charges),
  scroll of detect pits and snares (x2), find traps, and lesser restoration,
  potion of invisibility, and an amulet of focus.
  Wizard Spells Prepared (3/2; Spell DC = 12 + spell level): 0—daze
  (2), flare; 1st—cause fear, shield.
  Cleric Spells Prepared (4/4/3; Spell DC = 13 + spell level): 0—
  cure minor wounds (2), detect magic, guidance; 1st— cure light wounds
  (2), protection from good*, shield of faith; 2nd— cure moderate wounds,
  invisibility*, shatter.
  *Domain spell. Domains: Evil (All evil spells are at +1 caster
  level); Trickery (Bluff, Disguise, and Hide are class skills).
  Tier 2 (EL 6)
  Volzern, Priest of Iuz, male human Clr5/Wiz1: Medium-size
  humanoid; HD 5d8+1d4+8; hp 44; Init +5; Spd 30; AC 13/20 from
  the front AC 13/20 on the facing with shield spell (Touch 13 [20
  with shield], Flat-footed 12 [19 with shield]); Atks +7 melee (1d8+3,
  heavy mace); SA spells; AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +9; Str 15,
  Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 11. (5 ft. 11 in. tall).
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +4, Concentration +15, Disguise +7, Heal
  +10, Hide +5, Knowledge (arcana) +4, Knowledge (religion) +6,
  Spellcraft +11; Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Scribe
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  20
  Scroll, Weapon Focus (heavy mace).
  Possessions: coal black robes, holy symbol of Iuz, heavy mace,
  40gp, ring of pain, wand of magic missile at 3rd level casting with 6
  charges, scroll w/ detect pits and snares (x2), find traps, and lesser
  restoration, potion of invisibility, and an amulet of focus.
  Wizard Spells Prepared (3/2; Spell DC = 12 + spell level): 0—
  daze (2), flare; 1st—cause fear, shield.
  Cleric Spells Prepared (5/5/4/3; base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—
  cure minor wounds (3), detect magic, guidance; 1st— cure light wounds
  (2), magic weapon, protection from good*, shield of faith; 2nd— cure
  moderate wounds, invisibility*, shatter, silence; 3rd— cure serious
  wounds, nondetection*, searing light.
  *Domain spell. Domains: Evil (All evil spells are at +1 caster
  level); Trickery (Bluff, Disguise, and Hide are class skills).
  Tier 3 (EL 8)
  Volzern, Priest of Iuz, male human Clr7/Wiz1: Medium-size
  humanoid; HD 7d8+1d4+8; hp 65; Init +5; Spd 30; AC 14/21 on
  the facing with shield spell (Touch 14 [21 with shield], Flat-footed
  13 [20 with shield]); Atks +14/+9 melee (1d8+5, heavy mace); SA
  spells; AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +11; Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14,
  Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 11. (5 ft. 11 in. tall).
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +6, Concentration +17, Disguise +7, Heal
  +12, Hide +5, Knowledge (arcana) +4, Knowledge (religion) +8,
  Spellcraft +13; Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Power
  Attack, Scribe Scroll, Weapon Focus (heavy mace).
  Possessions: coal black robes, holy symbol of Iuz, heavy mace,
  40gp, ring of pain, wand of magic missile at 3rd level casting with 6
  charges, scroll w/ detect pits and snares (x2), find traps, and lesser
  restoration, potion of invisibility, and an amulet of focus.
  Wizard Spells Prepared (3/2; base DC = 12 + spell level): 0— daze
  (2), flare; 1st— cause fear, shield.
  Cleric Spells Prepared (5/5/4/3; base DC = 14 + spell level): 0—
  cure minor wounds (3), detect magic, guidance (2); 1st— cure light
  wounds (3), magic weapon, protection from good*, shield of faith; 2nd—
  cure moderate wounds, invisibility*, shatter (2), silence; 3rd— cure seri-
  ous wounds, dispel magic, nondetection*, searing light; 4th— divine
  power, poison, unholy blight*.
  *Domain spell. Domains: Evil (All evil spells are at +1 caster
  level); Trickery (Bluff, Disguise, and Hide are class skills).
  Note that the ring of pain allows the wearer to cast inflict light
  wounds once per day dealing 1d8+1 points of damage upon mak-
  ing a successful touch attack. Activating the ring is a standard
  action. The amulet of focus grants its wearer a +4 competence
  bonus to all Concentration skill checks. This bonus is already fig-
  ured in.
  Treasure: Searching the body of the priest reveals the following
  items. Volzern carries 40gp, a ring of pain, wand of magic missile at 3rd-
  level casting with 6 charges, scroll w/ detect pits and snares (x2), find
  traps, and lesser restoration, potion of invisibility, and an amulet of focus.
  The Forbidden Choice
  After defeating the crazed priest, the PCs have a few options at
  their disposal. They can search the room thoroughly and discov-
  er a few things. The four piles of ash located around the pit each
  contain shards of bone and a complete skull. A successful Heal
  skill check (DC 10) reveals that the skulls are elven. These are the
  remains of the four wizards who sealed themselves in the tomb to
  complete the ritual. The ashes are not magical and have no value.
  On the far side of the chamber is an inscription written in
  Elven. It reads as follows.
  Behold, the resting place of the thing whose terror is forgotten. Let
  it lie eternal, never to wake again. Close all the doors and be gone;
  a prayer to the Protector will seal this place again.
  Eventually, the PCs may investigate the pit itself. When they do
  so, read or paraphrase the following to the “chosen” PC.
  Strong and clear now, the voice rings clearly in your ears.
  “Welcome to my resting place. Free me, and I will grant you power
  eternal. Fail me, and your thoughts, hopes, and dreams will know
  only torment."
  The pit itself is about 6 feet deep and is 4 feet wide by 7 feet long.
  In the bottom of the pit is a pile of ash in the vague shape of a
  humanoid. Sticking out of the center of the ash is a golden dag-
  ger with a blood red tinge. The dagger is encrusted with three
  black gemstones. A successful Appraise skill check (DC 15) esti-
  mates the value to be approximately 500 gp. It radiates powerful
  magic of a necromantic aura. This dagger is indeed the binder of
  the souls and is the only thing keeping the thing from stirring.
  Only a character of good alignment can remove the dagger,
  which is why the voice has tricked the PCs into coming all this
  way. If the dagger is removed, it acts as a masterwork dagger that
  radiates faint magic at this time. 
  If no appears PC appears to be going to remove the dagger,
  the “chosen” PC is hit with a powerful suggestion spell. The sugges-
  tion is made to have the "chosen" hero pull out the dagger from
  its resting spot. This suggestion can be avoided by a successful Will
  save (DC 18). If failed, the PC will should do anything within
  their power to pull forth the dagger. A dispel magic versus a 9th-
  level caster can end this compulsion. Fellow party members may
  also try to stop the dagger’s removal. The spell lasts for 9 hours or
  until the affected PC is removed from the dungeon. 
  If the dagger is removed, the ash form in the bottom of the pit
  quickly blows away as if scattered by a powerful wind (although
  no wind exists). Once removed, it cannot be replaced. The dagger
  acts as a masterwork dagger that radiates strong necromantic
  magic at this time. 
  Leaving the Dungeon
  As the PCs leave the dungeon, if they make sure to close all of the
  doors on their way out and say a prayer to Corellon, the dungeon
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  21
  slowly sinks back into the earth. Failing to do any of these things
  leaves the dungeon open for further pillagers. If the dagger is not
  removed, and the PCs decide to leave the dungeon, the voice
  howls and screams at the “chosen” PC to return and complete
  what was begun. Use all manner of begging and pleading,
  thrown in with insults and threats. If the dagger is not removed
  and the PCs leave the dungeon, the “chosen” PC receives the
  Curse of the Voice as noted in the treasure section below.
  Conclusion
  The Journey Back
  Despite being in enemy lands and near a ruin of evil, the journey
  back into the less hostile areas of the Vesve is uneventful. The
  heroes can chat with Hamdan about their discovery back in
  Highfolk town, if time permits. He listens to every word said
  about the place, and invites all the characters back whenever
  they're in town again.
  As with the journey through the Vesve, the return trip to
  Greyhawk City is also without incident. Many weeks have passed
  since the characters first took on the job from Bwirse. It is possi-
  ble that the PCs may wish to visit a couple of places upon their
  return.
  Return to the Library
  If a hero decides to bring the map, a well-made copy of the map
  (a DC 15 Craft (mapmaking), DC 15 Profession (cartographer), or
  DC 20 Forgery skill check), or the dagger back to the library, the
  staff is delighted to take such items off of the PC's hands. The
  librarians inform the hero that their donation to the halls of
  knowledge will not be without reward. After Iquander ascertains
  the intellectual value of the findings (which takes a few days), the
  hero that presented the item(s) receives a membership at the
  Great Library of Greyhawk; fees are waived for the first year.
  Only one PC may obtain this reward. If multiple heroes return to
  the library, give the reward to the character that interacts the
  most with the librarians and seems most interested in obtaining
  knowledge.
  Back to Bwirse
  Heading to the Black Dragon Inn, the heroes can have Miklos
  (the barkeep) send for Bwirse. After a long wait, he arrives, and
  ushers the PCs upstairs to the same room that contained the
  chest. The two guards are present in the room. If the PCs did not
  find anything (including the map), he is disappointed, but thanks
  the heroes for trying. If the PCs turn over either the map (copies
  are acceptable) or the dagger, he smiles, hands the item(s) to one
  of the guards, and says:
  "Thank you for all you've done. I am certain that your journey was
  long and arduous. Even though my employer does not yet have the
  wealth of his predecessors, I can give you some material compensa-
  tion for your efforts. I also am personally in your debt, and I will
  take efforts to repay you in full in the future."
  The characters are each handed a small sack with 50 gp in it. Each
  PC receives a Favor of Bwirse certificate as well. There is no nego-
  tiating their payment; that is all the money that Bwirse brought
  with him, and all he is authorized to pay the heroes.
  Final Thoughts
  Modify the following based on the heroes' experiences.
  Your harrowing journey into the ruins of Delvenbrass now com-
  plete, you take some time to enjoy the comforts of Greyhawk City.
  Every once in a while though, in the corners of your mind, or when
  you are at the edges of sleep, you think about the dreadful thing
  whose wretched heart beats below the Vesve Forest. You wonder,
  how long before it stirs again? And what may come if it awakens
  from its slumber? You can only hope that the knowledge of its exis-
  tence lives on only with a small few, and remains forgotten by the
  minions of evil.
  If a "chosen" PC received the Curse of the Voice, turn to him/her
  and read the following, after reading the above to the rest of the
  party:
  As you are wondering about these things, a maniacal laughter
  reverberates through your skull, chilling your soul and weakening
  your heart. "Your path will soon be clear, Chosen One. I will guide
  you along the way. They will learn my name soon enough; it will
  be uttered first upon your lips. Then all will know why I was for-
  gotten. Be patient; await my return." The deep, powerful voice fades
  in echoes from your mind. 
  The End
  
  EXPERIENCE & TREASURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  22
  Experience Point Summary
  To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the
  objectives accomplished. Then assign the discretionary roleplay-
  ing experience award. The roleplaying award should be given for
  consistent character portrayal and contribution to the fun of the
  game. You can award different roleplaying amounts to different
  characters.
  Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each
  character.
  Encounter Two
  Checking with the Library
  25 xp
  Encounter Three
  Getting information from Hamdan
  25 xp
  Encounter Six
  Defeating the Vargouilles
  65 xp
  Getting the map in area 2
  25 xp
  Solving the puzzles in areas 4-6
  100 xp
  -or-
  Solving the puzzles in areas 7-11
  100 xp
  Tithing to the urn in area 12
  25 xp
  Defeating Volzern
  135 xp
  Leaving the binder of souls in place
  50 xp
  Total experience for objectives
  450 xp
  Discretionary roleplaying award
  0-50 xp
  Total possible experience
  500 xp
  Treasure Summary
  Player characters may keep items from the scenario that are list-
  ed on the treasure list below or which meet the following condi-
  tions: 
  1. The item must be non-magical and specifically listed in the text
  of the adventure (e.g armor on foes). If it is not listed in the text,
  the characters cannot keep it. Items of this nature can be sold for
  50% of book value, or recorded on a log sheet. 
  2. Animals, followers, monsters, henchmen, and so forth (any liv-
  ing being, basically) may not be kept from a scenario for any rea-
  son unless the treasure summary lists the being specifically. It is
  okay for the player characters to form relationships with NPCs,
  but these will not be certed and cannot bring material benefit to
  the character. Contacts (sources of extra information) must be
  specifically certed.
  3. Theft is against the law, but may be practiced by some player
  characters. Items which are worth more than 250 gp that are of
  personal significance to the owner (including family heirlooms),
  and all magical items, will be discovered in the possession of the
  character by one means or another. The character must return the
  item and pay a fine equal to three times the value of the item
  stolen. In addition, the PC caught receives campaign-decided
  penalties for being known as a thief. For other stolen items which
  meet the criteria in #1 above, use your judgment and the circum-
  stances within the game to determine whether a PC thief gets
  away with the theft or not. 
  Any item retained according to these rules, which does not have
  a certificate, will not ever have a certificate issued for it. 
  The campaign staff reserves the right to take away any item or
  gold acquired for things which it later finds unreasonable but
  which were allowed at the time.
  Encounter Six
  Area 2
  •
  Miscellaneous gear worth 100 gp in Highfolk (75gp else
  where)
  •
  Potion of bull’s strength (300 gp, * lbs., tradable: yes, 
  frequency: common) 
  Area 13
  •
  40gp
  •
  Ring of pain (400 gp, _ lbs., tradable: yes, frequency: common):
  This small ring is made of carved bone. It is carved to look 
  like a gaunt man wrapped around a wreath of flame. Once per
  day, the wearer may cast inflict light wounds that will deal 
  1d8+1 points of damage upon a successful touch attack. 
  Activating this ring is a standard action. When the ring is 
  activated it emits a low moan. This moan may be detected 
  with a Listen skill check (DC 15).
  •
  Wand of magic missile (45 gp per charge, 1 lbs, tradable: yes, 
  frequency common): This wand was made at 3rd level casting
  and hence fires off two magic missiles per charge expended. 
  This item begins with 6 charges.
  •
  Divine Scroll (350 gp, 0 lbs, tradable: yes, frequency: 
  common): This piece of parchment appears to be made of 
  cured skin of a sinister origin. On it are the following spells: 
  detect pits and snares (x2), find traps, and lesser restoration.
  • 
  Potion of invisibility (300 gp, * lbs., tradable: yes, frequency: 
  common).
  •
  Amulet of focus (320 gp, 1 lbs, tradable: yes, frequency: 
  common): This basalt amulet is carved to look like a grinning
  skull with a very intent stare. The wearer of this amulet 
  receives a +4 competence bonus to all Concentration skill 
  checks. As this amulet is a boon of Iuz, his minions will go to
  significant lengths to retrieve it.
  •
  Binder of the Souls (500 gp, 2 lbs, tradable: yes, frequency: 
  uncommon): Wrought from pure silver, this dagger is 
  encrusted with small black jewels on its pommel. The blade 
  itself is covered with very fine elven runes depicting a 
  horrible battle. The dagger radiates strong necromantic 
  magic that cannot be identified. It currently serves as a 
  masterwork dagger. The dagger also radiates a dreadful aura. 
  
  EXPERIENCE & TREASURE
  The Forbidden Choice
  23
  Any PC carrying this dagger also has a slight evil aura about 
  them. This effect is so strong that no ordinary merchant will
  purchase it. This dagger cannot be sold to any NPC or traded
  in at any activity center. It may be sold to other PCs. The 
  dagger was retrieved from a sacred tomb deep beneath the 
  ruined fortress of Delvenbrass.
  •
  Curse of the Voice (0 gp, 0 lbs, tradable: no, frequency: 
  uncommon): The forgotten thing that lies dead beneath the 
  dungeon of Delvenbrass has cursed the above named PC. 
  Occasionally the voice of the thing echoes through the void 
  of death to plague the hero. Once per game, the DM may 
  decide to use the voice. This effect can come at any time of 
  the DMs choosing. When the voice is used, the DM must roll
  as 1d6 and consult the following chart.
  1 – The voice whispers about the heroes impending doom. 
  This acts just like the spell daze but without a HD cap. The PC
  receives a will save (DC 14) to avoid the effect.
  2 – The voice whispers dark secrets about the PC. This acts 
  just like the spell daze but without a HD maximum. The PC 
  receives a will save (DC 15) to avoid the effect.
  3 – The voice screams in rage at the hero. This acts just like 
  the spell daze but without a HD maximum. The PC receives a
  will save (DC 16) to avoid the effect.
  4 – The voice speaks of its terrible revenge against the hero. 
  This acts just like the spell daze but without a HD maximum.
  The PC receives a will save (DC 18) to avoid the effect.
  5-6 – The voice coalesces in the hero’s head and says "Receive
  my blessing". Roll another 1d6 to determine the spell effect 
  that is targeted at the PC. In all cases, the spells are cast at 
  10th level and require a DC 18 + the spell level to resist.
  1 – doom
  2 – aid
  3 – cause fear
  4 – divine favor
  5 – hold person
  6 – bull’s strength
  This curse cannot be removed by a remove curse spell or 
  other similar magic. 
  Conclusion
  •
  Favor of Bwirse: The PC named above has done Bwirse, 
  business manager for Auldon Brendingund's estate, a great 
  service. In return, Bwirse promises to reward the PC in some
  fashion, to be determined at a later date. (rarity: unusual; 
  tradable: no).
  •
  Membership in the Great Library of Greyhawk: As a token of
  their thanks, the scholars at the Great Library in Greyhawk 
  City have decided to award you with one year's worth of paid
  membership. You are entitled to enter the library as you 
  please (but only during the normal operating hours of dusk 
  until dawn), and have access to references that most visitors 
  never lay eyes upon. 
  If you conduct research at the Great Library during the 
  course of an adventure set in Greyhawk City or the nearby 
  environs, you gain a bonus to a single Knowledge skill check
  pertaining to the matter at hand. For each hour you study, you
  gain a cumulative +1 circumstance bonus to an appropriate 
  Knowledge skill check (to a maximum of +5). This bonus is 
  halved for Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (the planes) 
  skill rolls (to a maximum of +2 for four hours of study). If you
  do not have ranks in the Knowledge skill required, after 4 
  hours of study, you may still roll, but without a bonus. You 
  may attempt more than one Knowledge roll in one night.
  In addition, you have the privilege of being able to take up to
  three books from the library for up to one week's time. The 
  books provide a +2 circumstance bonus to rolls in one related
  Knowledge skill (which you select when the books are 
  taken), so long as an hour is spent in referencing them. 
  Without the appropriate Knowledge skill, a roll can still be 
  attempted after an hour's worth of page turning. Only one 
  Knowledge skill can be selected, no matter how many books
  are taken. The bonus does not change with the number of 
  books selected; and the judge may adjudicate how many 
  books need to be taken in order to gain the bonus (between 
  one and three). If a book is lost, you are expected to pay for it
  (the judge may adjudicate - typically each book is worth 
  between 20 and 200 gp). 
  After one year, you have the option of renewing your 
  membership with the Great Library. The cost for doing so is 
  250 gp. All benefits of the library are suspended until 
  renewal. If you let your membership lapse for more than six 
  months, the certificate is void. 
  Date on which certificate was awarded: -____________________
  (rarity: unusual; tradable: no) Only one certificate should be 
  made.
  
  HANDOUTS
  The Forbidden Choice
  24
  PLAYER HANDOUT #1
  To all interested:
  I am in need of some persons of good stature to embark on a rather lengthy excursion. Compensation arrangements
  will be made based on performance. If you wish to inquire for further details, I can be found at the Black Dragon
  Inn, located in Clerkburg. Please call around dinnertime. 
  Bwirse
  Agent for the Brendingund Estate
  PLAYER HANDOUT #2
  When the Handmaiden has strayed farthest from Sehanine's sight, the Keeper
  speaks the Word near Man's Great Stone Scar in the Tinklingice mists of the Home
  of Shandareth.
  That which has been forgotten will be revealed.
  May Corellon protect us.
  PLAYER HANDOUT #3
  After several hours of searching through stacks of obscure text on various arcane and mysterious subjects, you were able to find out the
  following information from the Great Library of Greyhawk:
  •
  You have verified that the information that Bwirse was certain about is indeed true.
  •
  The Home of Shandareth is indeed the Vesve Forest. Clan Shandareth has been the ruling clan of the olven people there for many,
  many centuries. The clan's ruler is Kashafen Tamarel, who sits on the throne in the town of Flameflower. Flameflower is an all-elven
  community that lies in the southern Vesve Forest, and serves as the location of the High Elven Court. Non-elves are only allowed
  entrance in the most important circumstances. 
  •
  Man's Great Stone Scar is an older wood elven reference to Delvenbrass, a now ruined keep in the Vesve Forest. It is a derogatory 
  name given by the wood elves for the place during the time of its construction, hundreds of years ago. Delvenbrass was built by 
  ancient Baklunish people, and was occupied for a time. Apparently, some great tragedy befell it, and those who lived in and around
  the keep fled to other lands. It is considered a lair of evil now. The keep is located in lands controlled by Iuz and his minions. 
  Unnamed creatures of unspeakable terror wander about the area, and many dark cults seek out the ruins as foci for rituals of death,
  disease, and suffering.
  •
  Corellon protect us is a saying rarely invoked by the olven people. It is reserved for only the most desperate times, and is often
  associated with hopelessness or certain doom.  
  
  HANDOUTS
  The Forbidden Choice
  25
  PLAYER HANDOUT #4
  
  MAPS
  The Forbidden Choice
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  PLAYER MAP #1
  
  MAPS
  The Forbidden Choice
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  PLAYER MAP #2
  
  CRITICAL SUMMARY
  The Forbidden Choice
  28
  Critical Event Summary for "The Forbidden Choice"
  GenCon 2001
  Judges, please fill out this form at the end of the event and turn into HQ with your scoring packet. If this event
  is run after GenCon 2001, please disregard this summary.
  1. Did the PCs visit the Library of Greyhawk?
  Yes
  No
  2. Did the PCs retrieve the Map found in area 2?
  Yes
  No
  3. Did the PCs go further into the dungeon beyond area 2?
  Yes
  No
  4. Did the PCs choose the path that led to area 4 or 7?
  4
  7
  5. Did any of the PCs die in area 5?
  Yes
  No
  6. Did any of the PCs die in area 10?
  Yes
  No
  7. Did the PCs make it past area 11?
  Yes
  No
  8. Did the PCs defeat Volzern in area 13?
  Yes
  No
  9. Did the PCs remove the binder of the souls?
  Yes
  No
  9a. If yes, was the PC forced to remove it by suggestion?
  Yes
  No
  9b. If yes, please list the player name, character name, and RPGA# of the player who kept the dagger (if any).
  ________________________________________________________________
  ________________________________________________________________
  10. Did the PCs receive a membership of the great library?
  Yes
  No
  11. Circle each NPC that the heroes told about the tomb
  Hamdan
  Bwirse
  Librarians
  12. Did the PCs reseal the tomb when they left?
  Yes
  No
  13. How many PCs died while playing this event?
  ________
  
  GETTING STARTED
  The Forbidden Choice
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  LIVING CONSIDERATIONS
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Greyhawk/Living Greyhawk - RPGA/COR (Core)/COR1-06 The Forbidden Choice (3E).pdf