TEXT: Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
  ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
   
  This game product contains no Open Game Content.  No portion of this work may be reproduced in any 
  form without permission of the author.  To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 
  system license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 
  This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the 
  RPGA Network.  
   
  KEO4-05 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK®  
  Keoland Regional Adventure 
  Version 2.0 
   
  by Charles Skidmore with Christian J. Alipounarian 
  Playtested by Robert Campbell, Jon Allanson, Joann Clarke-Stein, Ron Frye, and Jay Stypinski. 
   
   
   
  A puppet of dark forces, the daughter of the Earl of Linth spins and leaps in an empty hall. Within her 
  family’s ancient manor, she steps to unheard music and dances with unseen others. How does the magic 
  upon this child threaten the fate of the Empire? And why is her family unable – or unwilling – to help? Can 
  you end her midnight dance? This is the second module in the Tales of Linth series. A one-round 
  adventure for character levels 4-12. This module focuses heavily on role-playing and investigative 
  elements. 
   
  
   
  Introduction 
  This is an RPGA® Network scenario for the 
  Dungeons & Dragons® game. A four-hour time 
  block has been allocated for each round of this 
  scenario, but the actual playing time will be closer to 
  three and a half hours. The rest of the time is spent 
  in preparation before game play, and 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 communicate to your players the 
  special aspects of playing an RPGA scenario.  
  Preparation  
   
   
   
   
  First you should print this scenario. This scenario 
  was created to support double-sided printing, but 
  printing it single sided will work as well. There is 
  enough room along the inside margin to bind the 
  adventure, if you desire.  
  Read this entire adventure at least once before you 
  run your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with 
  any special rules, spells, or equipment presented in 
  the adventure. It may help to highlight particularly 
  important passages.  
  When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we 
  assume that you have access to the following 
  books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also 
  assume that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, 
  d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some scrap paper, a 
  pencil, an RPGA table tracking form, 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 requirements 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 six players participating 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 rulebooks during certain times of play. 
  For example, the players are not free to consult the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide when confronted with a 
  trap or hazard, or the Monster Manual when 
  confronted with a monster.  
  Some of the text in this scenario is written so that 
  you may present it as written to the players, while 
  other text is for your eyes only. Text for the players 
  will be in 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. 
  This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure.  As a 
  LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring 
  their own characters with them.  If players do not 
  have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, 
  get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character generation guidelines, and a character 
  sheet from your convention coordinator or the 
  RPGA Web site, and then have any players 
  without a character create one.  Once all players 
  have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can 
  begin. 
  Along with the other materials 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 Levels of Play  
   
  Because players bring their own characters to 
  LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s 
  challenges are proportioned to the average 
  character level of the PCs participating in the 
  adventure. To determine the Average Party Level 
  (APL): 
  1. Determine the character level for each of the 
  PCs participating in the adventure. 
  2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for 
  combat (most likely being war horses, dogs 
  trained for war), other than those brought by 
  virtue 
  of 
  a 
  class 
  ability 
  (i.e. 
  animal 
  companions, familiars paladin’s mounts, etc) 
  use the sidebar chart to determine the number 
  of levels you add to the sum above. Add each 
  character’s animals separately. A single PC 
  may only bring four or fewer animals of this 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 2 
  
   
  type, and animals with different CRs are 
  added separately. 
  # of Animals 
  Mundane 
  Animals Effect 
  on APL 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  1/4 & 1/6 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1/3 & 1/2 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  4 
  4 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  5 
  5 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  6 
  6 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  CR of Animal 
  7 
  7 
  9 
  10 
  11 
  3. Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by the 
  number of characters playing in the adventure. 
   Round to the nearest whole number. 
  4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one 
  to that average. 
  By following these four steps, you will have 
  determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, 
  APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs will 
  face. APLS are given in even-numbered 
  increments. If the APL of your group falls on an 
  odd number, ask them before the adventure 
  begins whether they would like to play a harder or 
  easier adventure. Based on their choice, use 
  either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. 
  APL also affects the amount of experience you 
  may gain at the end of the adventure. If your 
  character is three character levels or more either 
  higher or lower than the APL this adventure is 
  being played at, that character will receive only 
  half of the experience points awarded for the 
  adventure. This simulates the face that either your 
  character was not as challenged as normal, or 
  relied on help by higher-level characters to reach 
  the objectives. 
  Note: 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  adventures 
  are 
  designed for APL 2 and higher. Four or sometimes 
  even five 1st-level characters may find difficulty 
  with the challenges in a LIVING GREYHAWK 
  adventure. If your group is APL 1 there are two 
  things that you can do to help even the score. 
  1. Attempt to create a table of six 1st-level 
  characters, or try to enlist higher-level 
  characters to play at that table. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help 
  protect them, and fight for them. All riding 
  dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs 
  who want their dogs to attack must succeed at 
  a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). 
  Failure indicates that the animal will not attack 
  that round. This is a move action (spoken 
  command) that may be attempted each round. 
  If an animal loses half or more hp in a single 
  round it flees, unless another check is 
  successful. 
  Time Units and Upkeep  
   
   
  This is a standard one-round Regional adventure, 
  set in Keoland.  Characters native to Keoland pay 
  one Time Unit per round, all others pay two Time 
  Units per round.  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep 
  costs 12gp per Time Unit.  Rich Upkeep costs 
  50gp per Time Unit.  Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp 
  per Time Unit. 
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 3 
  
   
  Adventure Background 
  The House of Linth has a dark and evil past. One 
  of the most evil of the family’s brood was 
  Countess Sera Linth, who ruled the lands of Linth 
  in the early days of the Empire. Sera was raised 
  on tales of the treachery of the Keogh, the Oerdian 
  peoples that comprised the common folk of the 
  land. (The House of Linth, like most noble families 
  of this time, were entirely Suel) 
  During the period that immediately pre-dated the 
  founding of modern Keoland, the Grand Duke 
  Alane Linth treacherously attacked the native 
  Oerdians in their family’s lands. The attack was a 
  disaster, leading to the defeat of the army of the 
  House of Linth, the reduction in status of its ruler 
  to an Earl, and the parceling out of Linth lands to 
  other rulers. Every Linth who was raised in the 
  family’s ancestral manor house from that point 
  onward was nursed to hate the Oerdians. 
  The matriarch of House Linth from -250 CY until 
  her death, Countess Sera was a witch of 
  considerable power, and she had been weaned on 
  tales of how the incursion of the “filthy Keogh 
  immigrants” had brought her family so much 
  misery. She began to seek out ways to increase 
  her family’s power in general and in particular a 
  way to use it against the Keogh “parasites.” 
  Her magical research led her to the Crypt of 
  Sekhel. Nestled in the grasslands south of Niole 
  Dra, near the northern border of the Countess’ 
  lands, it was rumored that a cleric who venerated 
  an ancient devil known as Dispater had been 
  buried along with a trove of dark magic. The crypt 
  was uncovered by a cult of debauched devil 
  worshippers and was made their place of worship. 
  The reigning Suel lords of the time sent a small 
  contingent of warriors to destroy the cultists, but 
  they were met by a devil the cultists has 
  summoned and were nearly massacred. The only 
  wizard present cast a spell that collapsed the main 
  entrance to the crypt, and then scribed holy 
  symbols upon the great iron doors in the hopes of 
  sealing the evil and the cultists in forever. The 
  Suel lords were fearful of the panic that might 
  ensue if a nest of evil such as the Crypt were 
  known to be so close to the capital, and the tomb’s 
  existence was never revealed. 
  Sera was only able to discover its existence from 
  the wizard’s own journals. She ignored his 
  rambling writing of nightmares and his evident 
  descent into madness; she instead focused on the 
  wizard’s report of magic and gold “beyond 
  counting” gathered by the cultists to sacrifice in 
  tribute to their dark masters. Most promising of all, 
  the wizard mentioned the cultist’s possession of 
  the 
  Nethernight, 
  an 
  ebony 
  talisman 
  that 
  augmented any wizard’s magic with unholy might. 
  Gathering herself, she set off northward towards 
  the crypt, using magical divinations to guide her to 
  the place where the crypt lay buried. The labor of 
  a pair of summoned earth elementals excavated 
  the site, and the magic of the iron doors was 
  broken using Sera’s magic in combination with the 
  ill-fated wizard’s own notes about his casting of 
  the spell. 
  The wizard moved into the darkness, and was 
  immediately beset by the warped undead that 
  were once the cultists. Defeating them, she moved 
  into the crypt itself, where a devil-queen barred 
  her path. The combination of her magic and the 
  brute force of Sera’s earth elemental companions 
  allowed her to defeat the guardian devil and finally 
  to have the riches of the tomb to herself. She 
  claimed the Nethernight and the riches of the tomb 
  and returned to Linth Manor to plot and scheme. 
  Unknown to Sera was that the Nethernight was 
  cursed, and the power it provided its wearer came 
  with a horrific price… but one that would only 
  become evident later. 
  Countess Sera devised a simple, vicious plan to 
  attack the Keogh of Segor. Using the various 
  librams of necromancy recovered in the Crypt of 
  Sekhel, she created a virulent pox within the city 
  with a spell of Epidemic, a spell she had 
  discovered within the crypt. 
  The spell devastated Segor and condemned 
  thousands of Oerdians to terrible, wasting deaths. 
  The King placed the entire city under quarantine, 
  allowing only the protected paladins in service to 
  Keoland to enter the city and minister to the sick. 
  But the spell’s awful power was such that even 
  those shielded from the disease’s effects could 
  still be carriers, and soon the sickness had spread 
  within all of the Earldom and even into adjacent 
  provinces, including Niole Dra. 
  Countess Sera played the part of the saving angel, 
  announcing at an anxious meeting of the Council 
  that she had devised a way to break the power of 
  the spell. Her “discovery” of a cure went a long 
  way towards lifting much of the stigma against 
  House Linth that had been in place since the 
  Council of Niole Dra. The Oerdians within Segor 
  were so weakened that the Countess’ offers of 
  monetary aid, soldiers to protect against looters, 
  and “future magical warding” against such another 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 4 
  
   
  occurrence were met with grateful, open arms. In 
  exchange, the Countess asked the Oerdians to 
  accept the Linth as their rulers, to “demonstrate 
  the trust” between these “former” adversaries. 
  This was made law by the Act of Segor, signed in 
  –235 CY. 
  With her plan successful, the evil Countess turned 
  inward, locking herself away to study the 
  Nethernight. 
  The 
  hideous 
  artifact 
  and 
  her 
  prolonged exposure to it broke even the Countess’ 
  formidable will, and she became totally deranged. 
  Sera accepted an invitation by the Baron of 
  Dilwych to travel there to rest and recover. But on 
  the sixth anniversary of the signing of the Act of 
  Segor, the evil Countess hung herself from the 
  balcony of the Dilwych ancestral estate. Her new 
  Oerdian subjects buried her with the reverence 
  and display of grief fit for a Queen. 
  The Nethernight has remained in the Linth family, 
  and is now being worn by the Earl. Lucius is 
  already succumbing to the corruption of the 
  amulet. The Nethernight’s purpose seems to be 
  the total destruction of the House of Linth. To this 
  end, the Nethernight is attacking the family 
  through its most vulnerable member – Lady 
  Hannah, the future Countess of Linth. 
  Lady Hannah is a twisted, tormented child. Since 
  her birth, she has been surrounded by the lucre 
  and depravity that so defines her family. She 
  developed the abilities of a medium – that is, she 
  is able to see, hear and communicate with spirits 
  without magical aid. Because of this, many spirits 
  – eager to communicate with the lands of the living 
  – surround her, urgently whispering messages 
  and pleas into her ears. All of this has worked to 
  drive Lady Hannah insane. 
  The Nethernight has brought forth the spirit of 
  Countess Sera Linth from the dark places where 
  she was consigned, and set her against her young 
  descendant. Every other evening at midnight, the 
  Countess possesses Lady Hannah and drives her 
  to dance with manic abandon in the manor’s long 
  unused ballroom. These psychic assaults on Lady 
  Hannah will soon kill her, depriving the Earl of his 
  only direct heir and setting the stage for a power 
  struggle between his other relatives. 
  Lucius, the Earl of Linth, now finds himself unable 
  to bring a halt to the crazed dancing of his 
  daughter, and other members of his family are 
  eager to see the child die, as it brings them 
  substantially closer the throne. The Earl’s hopes 
  have fallen on a band of adventurers that has 
  recently come to his attention… 
  Adventure Summary 
  The adventure begins in the city of Dredstadt. The 
  heroes have been hired (or ordered, in the case of 
  Knight of the Watch PCs) by Loyal Banshee Lugh 
  Narthistle to guard a grain caravan as it travels to 
  the city of Dredstadt. The shipment is one of 
  several arranged by Maressa Linth to travel to 
  Dredstadt under guard of warships provided by 
  her Fiance, Duke Lushen. The city is suffering 
  heavily from the blight that has affected the 
  Earldom of Linth, and the populace is starving.   
  Once they are in Dredstadt, the Earl will contact 
  the PCs and explain that he has attempted to lock 
  his daughter in her room every night, and every 
  night Lady Hannah somehow escapes. He will 
  describe the manic nocturnal dances and that he 
  fears that the nightly toll of these dances will soon 
  kill her. 
  Linth Manor is completely detailed in the text, 
  allowing the PCs to wander about, examining the 
  manse and speaking with the other members of 
  the Linth household. 
  Several horrific things happen, as the Countess 
  and the Nethernight attempt to discourage the 
  adventurers from intervening in the midnight 
  dance. The final confrontation for the girl’s life will 
  take place at the stroke of midnight, where the 
  spirit of the Countess and those loyal to her fight 
  the PCs for it. 
  In Encounter One, The Heroes get a view of 
  Dredstadt and the horrors that the blight has 
  brought to the common man. They receive a 
  summons from Earl Lucius Linth 
  In Encounter Two, the Heroes arrive at the Linth 
  manor, and have dinner with the Earl and his 
  family. 
  In Encounter Three, a complete description of 
  Linth Manor is provided for the DM, allowing the 
  party to freely explore the place. This includes the 
  location of the fetters of Countess Sera’s 
  malevolent spirit. 
  In Encounter Four, various scheduled encounters 
  are detailed. 
   In Encounter Five, the final battle for Hannah’s 
  soul takes place. Lucius is killed, and if the Heroes 
  are successful, they inadvertently set the stage to 
  fulfill a prophecy that heralds the fall of the Lion 
  Throne. 
  Special Notes 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 5 
  
   
  This module has several things that a DM must 
  pay attention to. The first is the timeline provided 
  for the module. The events that take place will 
  occur whether or not the Heroes are present to 
  see them, and so the DM needs to be aware of 
  any changes that might occur to a location. 
  This module is not strictly timed, but as a DM, you 
  should be aware of the timing of your game 
  situation. In a timed environment such as a 
  convention, it is advised you advance the timeline 
  by fifteen minutes when the roleplaying or action 
  dies down a bit. In a homeplay environment, you 
  will obviously have more time for roleplaying and 
  investigation.  
  Finally, there is a special rule for this module 
  based off the location of the action. The Earldom 
  of Linth is suffering from an unnatural blight that is 
  killing all natural wildlife and twisting what it does 
  not kill. The finest sages of the realm have no idea 
  what is causing the blight, but the effects are 
  starting to become more widespread and severe. 
  All the Heroes will feel lethargic and listless to a 
  degree after sleeping a night within the borders of 
  the Earldom. Additionally, Druids and Rangers will 
  be unable to regain spells while in the Earldom. A 
  PC with Druid or Ranger levels and a prestige 
  class that provides spells is only unable to recover 
  their Divine Spells granted by those two classes.  
  Introduction 
  For any PC who is not a member of the Knights of 
  the Watch meta-organization, circulate Player’s 
  Handout One. 
  For any Knight of the Watch PC, give them 
  Player’s Handout Two. 
  Encounter One: A Dark 
  Calling 
  Blight has come to the lands of Linth. The 
  trees wither and fall. The crops rot in the fields. 
  The animals grow weak and die. That which is 
  strong enough to survive the blight only 
  becomes twisted and cursed. The Knights of 
  the Watch, led by Loyal Banshee Lugh 
  Narthistle, are stretched to the point of 
  breaking in assisting the populace.  
  For the past two days you have traveled with a 
  caravan bound for the city of Dredstadt, loaded 
  with grain from other provinces, to keep the 
  people from starving, from wasting.  
  Today, a heavy rain fell, the first rain in many 
  weeks in this area. However, instead of being a 
  saving grace, this rain was viscous and thick, 
  the color of a sea hag’s eyes. Where it touched 
  your skin, it itched and burned, leaving small 
  welts. Where it touched the ground, cracks 
  formed. The rain…well, it’s safe to say that the 
  rain solved nothing. 
  The city of Dredstadt used to be a haven, its 
  soaring arches and high peaked cathedrals 
  call out a beacon to the weary travelers of the 
  land. As you approached closer, however, you 
  could see that Dredstadt is now a dying fruit, 
  withering on the vine. 
  Masses of gaunt people cluster at the steps to 
  the cathedrals, awaiting the supplication of the 
  priests within. The arrival of your caravan sent 
  ripples through the city, and a contingent of 
  heavily armed Knights of the Watch rode with 
  you into the city, to ensure the grain made the 
  final destination. 
  Now, as you begin to move through the city, a 
  voice rings out. 
  “Hail travelers!” calls a gruff voice as a single 
  man on horseback canters up to you. The 
  speaker is a pale skinned man in full plate 
  mail, with close-cropped blond hair in a 
  military cut. “I am Penitent Hellhound Simar 
  Cattearn and it is a relief to see your caravan 
  arrive safely. When you did not arrive 
  yesterday, we feared the grain was lost.” The 
  man nods to you and salutes. 
  Any hero who has played KEO3-03 Will of the 
  People will recognize Simar as one of the Knights 
  of Watch stationed in Linth. He will nod and offer 
  polite intercourse with any hero who recognizes 
  him before continuing on. 
  “I thank you for riding through the blight with 
  part of the relief effort. I have been ordered to 
  bring you to my Lord, Earl Lucius Linth. He 
  would like to thank you personally.” 
  Assuming no hero protests: 
  The Watcher leads you through Dredstadt 
  quickly. As you get closer to the center of the 
  city, the situation gets progressively worse. 
  People everywhere eye you hungrily, judging 
  you not by your actions but by the strength of 
  your sword arm and the weight of your pack. In 
  almost every alley bodies lay unmoving, 
  clusters of flies the only thing feasting. 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 6 
  
   
  Famine stalks Dredstadt. With Famine rides 
  Pestilence and Death, and the city suffers 
  under the yoke of all three.   
  Eventually you arrive at your destination, as 
  Simar Cattearn leads you into the courtyard of 
  the Iron Stone Inn.  
  Heroes who played KEO3-03 Will of the People 
  will have stayed at the inn before, as well as met 
  the proprietor and the Earl. The main attraction of 
  the Inn is the black cornerstone of the inn, which is 
  magnetic and will hold and metal item pressed 
  against it. Under no circumstances is this pull 
  strong enough to “stick” anything that wishes to 
  get unstuck. 
  Inside the Inn, Earl Lucius Linth has set up a 
  temporary “command post” while he waits for the 
  Heroes to arrive. The Inn is empty of common folk, 
  though a small knot of them gather across the 
  street, talking amongst themselves. These are the 
  common folk of Dredstadt, and they are waiting for 
  the Earl to leave their inn. 
  Once introduced, Lucius will thank the Heroes for 
  their efforts, genuinely pleased with them. He will 
  return the Knights in the room to their duties with 
  the people of Dredstadt and ask the Heroes to sit 
  at a large table. 
  The Earl settles into his chair with a sigh and 
  speaks.  
  “Thank you, good people, for your aid with my 
  Niece’s grain shipments. The House of Linth is 
  grateful, and the gratitude of a father is always 
  generous.  
  The Earl pauses, seemingly uncomfortable 
  then plunges on. 
  “However, I have before me a matter of utmost 
  delicacy, and I need your further aid. Before I 
  go any further, I need to ask for your word of 
  silence on this matter.” 
  The Earl will ask any Hero who refuses to swear 
  this oath to leave. Unless these Heroes change 
  their minds, they will be unable to continue with 
  this adventure. Players can bring in other PCs 
  should they have them available; assume that they 
  show up later and speak with the Earl separately. 
  Seeming slightly relieved by your assurances, 
  the Earl speaks again. “My daughter…Lady 
  Hannah… sees things, and hears things. She 
  speaks and interacts with them as if they were 
  real, but they are not – to mortal eyes and 
  hands, at least. Last year, one of the 
  chambermaids reported that she had seen my 
  daughter, during the midnight hour, in the 
  grand ballroom of our manor. She was dancing 
  with wild abandon, spinning to unheard music 
  and dancing with unseen partners. Frightened, 
  the chambermaid would not speak of it to me 
  for almost a week.” 
  “When she finally confessed the incident, I 
  spoke to Lady Hannah about it, but she had no 
  recollection of the incident. At the time, I 
  attributed it to the delicacy of her mental 
  faculties. But the incidents kept happening. 
  The darker the cloud over my house became, 
  the more frequently my daughter would dance 
  at midnight.” He frowns. “These are not simple 
  promenades – these are wild dances that leave 
  my poor daughter pale and shaking when 
  morning comes. The bedclothes she wears are 
  shot through with sweat, and she is so 
  exhausted from her dancing that she often 
  remains bedridden the next day.” 
  “I have made efforts to keep her sequestered 
  within her room, to keep her safe. I have 
  locked, and even chained, her door from the 
  outside, and yet it is unlocked and the chains 
  broken. A servant that I set to stand watch in 
  the ballroom, found herself unable to remain 
  awake – despite being well-rested before 
  taking up the watch. Another I set to stand 
  guard in her room… he was found dead there 
  the next morning, eyes wide with terror and 
  completely pale, but not a mark upon him.” 
  The Earl’s face twists with emotion. “The 
  frequency, the length and the passion of her 
  dancing grow ever greater. I fear that if this 
  madness is not halted, my beloved will die. I 
  beg you, heroes. Come to my home, and help 
  me dispel the evil plaguing us there.” 
  The DM should make no mistake – the Earl is a 
  power-hungry, 
  debauched 
  individual 
  with 
  a 
  minimal number of redeeming qualities. Beneath 
  his diplomatic façade, he and his family represent 
  the worst of racism, bigotry and hedonistic 
  excesses that characterizes the old Sueloise 
  Keoish noble houses. But despite all that, Earl 
  Lucius is a father who genuinely cares for his 
  daughter. It is not because she is the heiress to 
  his throne (although that weighs greatly upon him), 
  but because he is her father. 
  The Earl is disappointed if any PCs decline his 
  offer, but he harbors them no ill will. He focuses on 
  those PCs that seem sympathetic to his plight. His 
  will also answer any questions that the PCs might 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  have for him about the situation. Some canned 
  answers to more common or likely questions are 
  provided below. 
  How old is Lady Hannah? “She will turn sixteen 
  this winter. A delicate young thing, very lovely, and 
  – when her faculties are about her – exceptionally 
  intelligent.” 
  Who lives in the Manor with you? “The manor is 
  the home of myself and my wife, the Countess 
  Katarina. Also present is my nephew, Sir Averyn. 
  My own sister, Lady Antoinetta also is a resident 
  of our ancestral home. We have four servants that 
  tend to the house full-time – a butler, chamberlain, 
  chef and a chambermaid. Aside from the 
  permanent staff, and rare performances by great 
  minstrels or visits from heads of state, you will be 
  the first in six centuries not of Linth blood within 
  our manse.” 
  Do any of them have a reason to hurt Lady 
  Hannah? (An awkward pause) “I do not suspect 
  any of them. Having said that… if my direct heir 
  were to be removed, any of my less immediate kin 
  would stand to make a claim for my throne. To be 
  blunt, if my daughter were to die, it might set the 
  stage for a power struggle between my family to 
  take the throne upon my death.” 
  Do you suspect the anti-Suel rebels have 
  anything to do with this? “I wish the cause was 
  something so mundane. No, I do not.” 
  Does the manor have a history of hauntings or 
  other supernatural events? “I have heard tell 
  that old places rich with history such as our 
  ancestral home are havens for restless spirits. I 
  know of no incidents or specific happenings, within 
  my home, however.” 
  Do you or the House of Linth have any 
  enemies? 
  (Chuckles 
  dryly) 
  “Yes. 
  Beyond 
  counting. But none that I suspect that could have a 
  hand in this.” 
  How much will we be paid for our efforts? The 
  Earl will look dourly at such a question. “I am not 
  hiring you. As the lord of the land in which you find 
  yourselves, I am asking for your aid in a delicate 
  matter of a personal nature. I’m sure we can come 
  to some sort of arrangement when you have 
  solved my problem.” 
  Are your servants trustworthy? “I would not 
  have hired them should I have thought otherwise. 
  Like many old noble families, we prefer to have 
  servants who are well known to us. In fact, all of 
  the current staff are the children of servants we 
  have employed in the past. We reward loyalty and 
  good service generously, and the servants are 
  quite content with their place in life.” 
  Has anything like this ever happened to House 
  Linth in the past? “We have had our share of 
  hardships and bad times, but no, we have never 
  faced anything akin to this before.” 
  Have you called in a cleric, a wizard or some 
  other outside help? “No. Years ago, we allowed 
  an Oeridian Knight of the Watch into our home. He 
  proceeded to leave the head of the reigning Lord’s 
  firstborn daughter on the floor of the manor. We 
  have closed our home to outsiders since then. I 
  have made an exception with all of you because of 
  your reputation, your actions, the immediacy of 
  your presence, and my great necessity.” 
  Have you tried to lock her in her room? “Yes. 
  Even when we bound her to her bed, barred the 
  door from the outside, and set a servant to watch 
  her… the morning after, she had managed to 
  escape – without opening the door. And the 
  servant, as I mentioned, was found dead on the 
  floor of her room. Not a mark was upon him.” 
  Have you tried restraining her to keep her from 
  dancing? “Strange things happen to those who 
  attempt to interfere with her dancing. I once 
  attempted to do so, and blacked out, only waking 
  when she had returned to her chambers. Another 
  time, my nephew Averyn was standing guard 
  when she entered the ballroom. He found no 
  strength in his limbs, and could only stand 
  paralyzed, watching her dance until she fainted.” 
  The DM should field any other questions as 
  required. The Earl will disclose as much to the 
  PCs as he thinks is needed to complete their task. 
  The Earl won’t “air any dirty laundry” about his 
  family unless it becomes vital for the PCs to know 
  it. 
  Once the PCs have asked their fill of questions, 
  Lucius will ask them to come to the manor for 
  dinner. The PCs may want to come immediately, 
  but the Earl is adamant that the manor must be 
  prepared for the arrival of its guests (the 
  presentation of one’s home is a huge point of pride 
  for a member of the nobility; the Earl won’t budge 
  on this). 
  While he harbors no ill will towards any Hero who 
  refuses to help, he will remind them that they are 
  guests in his lands, and that if they will not assist 
  him, he will see them escorted to the border. This 
  is not an idle threat, but one he will pull out only as 
  a last resort. 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  With that, the Earl will excuse himself and depart. 
  Questioning the Townsfolk 
  PCs may ask questions of the townsfolk. The Earl 
  is disliked by many of them, but they hold their 
  tongues among strangers. However, the following 
  rumors and statements can be picked up by PCs 
  (Gather Information check, DC 15): 
  “The Earl’s daughter, Lady Hannah, is rumored 
  to be insane. I’ve heard it is because the Earl 
  and the Countess, the girl’s mother, are 
  actually related by blood, and that made the 
  girl’s brain soft.” (Mostly false. Lady Hannah 
  teeters on the brink of madness, but she can still 
  be saved. The Countess is not related to the Earl; 
  she comes from an obscure Suel house of minor 
  nobility from Gradsul. However, the Earl is 
  carrying on an incestuous relationship with his 
  sister.) 
  “Lord Averyn is a paladin of Rao. In the family, 
  he’s considered a misfit because of his purity 
  and idealism. It must sicken him to see the 
  corruption of his kin.” (True) 
  “Lady Maressa Linth is said to live in 
  Laketowne. Well, I have a cousin who’s a 
  Knight of the Watch in that town, and even he 
  hadn’t heard of the presence of a member of a 
  noble family.” (True. Lady Maressa lives in 
  Laketowne – as the reigning guild-mistress of the 
  Shadowdark, the city’s resident thieves’ guild. 
  Except for a small circle of people, her presence in 
  the city is unknown. PCs who played KEO3-03 
  Will of the People unwittingly met Maressa, the 
  queen of thieves in that city) 
  “This awful blight that has plagued our lands 
  is the result of that family’s magic gone awry. 
  They’ve had many wizards in their family, you 
  know.” (False. It is the result of the Nethernight, 
  not any Linth sorcery.) 
  “Earl Lucius was actually one of a pair of 
  fraternal twins. He had a brother, the first-born, 
  but the lad died when he was just a boy. 
  Lucius’ father claimed that Oerdian assassins 
  killed him. Me, I think that the lad’s father had 
  something to do with it.” (These are wild 
  musings by a townsperson with a fascination for 
  noble court intrigues – but ironically, this one is 
  true. The history behind this assassination – and 
  the consequences of it upon the current House of 
  Linth – will be detailed in a future adventure.) 
  “I’ve heard that the Linth Manse is still well 
  fed. They have fresh food magically brought in 
  on a daily basis. They’re not hungry,” 
  (Partially true. The Linth family is certainly not 
  going hungry, though the peasants are. But no 
  magic is responsible for this other than the magic 
  of money. Let them eat cake!) 
  Magical Divination 
  The PCs may also attempt to use divination – 
  either here in Dredstadt, or once they arrive at 
  Linth Manor. The DM should not discourage this, 
  but the DM should also remember the following 
  points: 
  • 
  The Nethernight makes any direct magical 
  divination attempts against the Earl himself 
  useless. 
  • 
  All of the other inhabitants do not know what is 
  happening to Lady Hannah (aside from the 
  obvious that they have seen or heard) – 
  although in some cases, they are not unhappy 
  to see the girl’s life and sanity threatened (see 
  Appendix 
  B 
  for 
  notes 
  about 
  individual 
  residents and their opinions). 
  • 
  Any spell of divination that asks if the child is 
  being threatened by a member of the Earl’s 
  family will be answered as true – Countess 
  Sera is a member (albeit deceased) of House 
  Linth. If the spell is narrowed to refer to a 
  “living” member, the answer will be false. 
  • 
  Under no circumstances should the DM reveal 
  the magical properties of the Nethernight to 
  the PCs at this time. This item can shield itself 
  from divination as easily as it does the Earl. 
  The DM should handle other divination attempts 
  as needed, although you should always keep an 
  eye towards maintaining the intrigue and integrity 
  of the plot with any answers given. A lot of the 
  plotline of the Linth series still remains unclear - 
  don’t hesitate to give a “no response” reply as the 
  Nethernight may very well be interfering with some 
  divination attempts. 
  For the convenience of the DM, common 
  divination questions asked by the playtest group 
  have been replicated and may be found in 
  Appendix C. 
  Encounter Two: All in the 
  Family 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  As the Nethernight ponders this new turn of events 
  and the imminent interference by the PCs in its 
  plans, Lady Hannah is resting in her room, 
  exhausted by her last dance. Meanwhile, the Earl 
  of Linth informs his shocked family and staff that 
  they are receiving visitors. They prepare for the 
  arrival of their guests. 
  When envisioning and describing Linth Manor, the 
  DM should envision the old, gothic abodes made 
  so memorable in silver screen horror films. Try to 
  make the PCs see and feel this as well. Everything 
  is over-sized, and with so few in the manor, it 
  makes the place seem emptier. The signs of lucre 
  and luxury are everywhere, and yet things are 
  dusty, cobwebbed and broken-down. Leering 
  gargoyle statuary watches visitors with curiosity. 
  Residents have forgotten the original purpose of 
  some of the rooms in the manor. Indeed, some 
  chambers have not been entered in centuries. 
  Even softly spoken words or footsteps seem to 
  echo through empty halls. Linth Manor feels less 
  like a home, and more like a museum… or, 
  perhaps, a tomb. 
  Appendix B gives a complete description of each 
  individual present in the manor, along with role-
  playing notes for the DM. 
  Linth Manor is illustrated in the DM Aid section. 
  For the player’s convenience, this same map has 
  been provided as Player Handout #1. The manor 
  is quite large, and it would be too great a burden 
  on the DM to draw the entire map. This allows the 
  players to handle exploration and movement 
  throughout the manor in a more expedient, more 
  abstract fashion. 
  The Nethernight has decided that with the arrival 
  of the adventurers, it must abandon the slow 
  torture of Lady Hannah and kill her this evening. 
  The Countess Sera Linth can only be summoned 
  from the realms of the dead at the stroke of 
  midnight, so the Nethernight must work its own 
  murder and mayhem throughout the halls of Linth 
  Manor in the hours before then. It hopes to wear 
  down the PCs, confuse their efforts and lead them 
  astray. 
  To this end, a number of happenings will occur 
  throughout the course of the evening, leading up 
  to the midnight hour. The DM is provided with a 
  timetable of events in the DM Aid section. These 
  things will happen whether or not the PCs are 
  present to see them. 
  The DM must work to keep careful track of events 
  as the day unfolds, and be aware of where the 
  PCs are as events take place. Some of the events 
  are major, and are described as an Encounter. If 
  the PCs are not present for the Encounter, the DM 
  will need to use the description of the happening 
  and describe what the PCs see if they choose to 
  investigate it after it has happened 
  The Fetters of Countess Sera 
  Spirits of the dead often leave behind objects of 
  great importance to them after death. Traditionally, 
  these objects are buried with the deceased, in the 
  belief it kept the soul from becoming restless. But 
  the Countess died away from her home, and there 
  remain in the manor a quartet of objects – her 
  staff, her diary, her spellbook and her holy symbol 
  – that leaves her soul bound to the world of the 
  living and vulnerable to command of the 
  Nethernight.  
  There are clues and evidence that can be 
  uncovered by the PCs during their exploration of 
  the manor that may lead them to uncover the 
  importance, identity and whereabouts of these 
  fetters. Each one can grant power over the 
  restless spirit of the Countess. Possession of all 
  four of them can allow the banishment of the 
  Countess from the manor. Successfully recovering 
  one or more of these items will make the final 
  battle for Lady Hannah’s soul much easier for the 
  PCs. The exact powers of each fetter are detailed 
  in Encounter Five: Clock Strikes. 
  The Countess’ staff is located in the trophy room, 
  part of a statue built by an Oerdian craftsman to 
  celebrate the life of his Countess. The Countess’ 
  diary is located with her earthly remains in her 
  crypt. Her spellbook is located in the Library, 
  where it has been discovered by a member of the 
  house and is disguised as a children’s book. Her 
  Holy Symbol is in the family shrine, where it has 
  been incorporated into the altar. 
  The Arrival 
  Read the following to the players when the PCs 
  arrive for dinner with the Earl. 
  You find yourselves before the ancestral 
  manor of House Linth. A blackened wrought 
  iron fence with elaborate latticework rings the 
  building. Standing at the gate is a young man, 
  dressed in fine clothing. Seeing you, he clears 
  his throat and pushes open the portals. With 
  the gates open, he comes forward to greet you. 
  “Good day. I am Averyn, the Earl’s nephew.” 
  He has a warm smile that seems a stark 
  contrast to the gothic, gloomy manor that sits 
  behind him. 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  Any PCs who played KEO3-03 Will of the People 
  will be familiar with Averyn, and he will likewise 
  greet such PCs warmly. He will wave off any 
  questions, telling the PCs “Uncle awaits us, as 
  does our meal.” He promises to answer any 
  questions the PCs have right after dinner. 
  Entering the manor is akin to stepping into an 
  old tomb. Gargoyle statuary leers at you from 
  all angles. The two columns flanking the main 
  entry foyer are carved to resemble human 
  faces, but many years of exposure to the 
  elements has left them defaced and deformed. 
  They 
  visages 
  left 
  behind 
  are 
  somehow 
  unsettling. Passing these, you enter a main 
  foyer. A moldy staff and a trio of walking sticks 
  lean against the wall, while empty cloak racks 
  hang from the wall. You are taken aback at the 
  amount of cobwebs and dust that can be found 
  here. 
  Averyn will offer to take the PCs cloaks before 
  continuing. 
  Averyn leads you through a large parlor. This 
  place is also dusty and cobwebbed. The 
  ceilings are vaulted, and you wonder if they 
  have ever been cleaned. Heavy drapes and 
  thick gray carpets make the place feel stuffy 
  and warm. There is an enormous amount of 
  wealth here, however. Every archway is 
  decorated with gold leaf, and examples of fine 
  art and valuable relics are everywhere. 
  Passing through the parlor, you enter a long 
  dining hall. It seems that within this chamber 
  at least, someone has made an effort to do 
  some dusting. Several place settings are ready 
  at the table. At the head sits the Earl, in a high 
  backed chair with faded purple upholstery. A 
  woman sits to either side of him. The woman 
  on his right is frail and sickly looking, with 
  white hair and hands that tremble so badly she 
  can barely hold her fork. Her dull blue eyes 
  remain focused on the plate before her, 
  lending her a timid air. She wears an elegant, 
  but dated, white dress that has yellowed 
  somewhat with age. 
  The woman on his left is nearly the opposite. 
  She has lush black hair that dangles past her 
  shoulders, and full, sensual red lips. She 
  wears a crimson dress in the latest style, 
  tightly laced in the front, with black silk gloves 
  that reach to her elbows. She sees you and 
  smiles, and you are somehow reminded of a 
  hungry animal by her gaze. 
  Averyn sits down next to the timid looking 
  woman and begins eating. The Earl smiles. 
  “Welcome to my home. I thank you for coming. 
  Hannah is recovering from her ordeal in her 
  bedroom, but she has awoken and wishes to 
  meet with her rescuers.” 
  “My poor niece,” purrs the woman on his left. 
  “You heroes simply must find a way to break 
  her of this awful magic.” She stabs a piece of 
  sausage on her plate and languidly brings it to 
  her mouth. 
  “Where are my manners?” asks the Earl. 
  Motioning to his left, he says, “This is Lady 
  Antoinetta, my sister. And this,” he says, 
  motioning to his right, “is my wife, the 
  Countess Katarina.” The Countess does not 
  even look up; in fact, you are not entirely sure 
  that she knows that you are there. 
  It is possible that a PC might leave the table or 
  somehow sneak away from the encounter area. 
  The DM should use the descriptions of the 
  manor’s interior to provide details to the PC as 
  they move about. 
  Lunch consists of bread, sausages, tea and cake. 
  From the kitchen, a butler will bring out small silver 
  trays with food upon them. The food is quite good 
  and is safe to eat. 
  The PCs can attempt to speak with each one of 
  the family members present. Consult Appendix B 
  for information about all of the NPCs present in the 
  room, what they know and what they are willing to 
  share. 
  Any attempts to speak with the Countess will 
  initially be met with silence. If the PCs persist – or, 
  at some point in the middle of a PC’s question, 
  read the following. (If you can do this and startle 
  the hell out of the players, do so…) 
  “The spirits! THE SPIRITS!” 
  With no warning, Lady Katarina abruptly 
  issues a nerve-shattering shriek, throws her 
  hands over her ears and rocks violently in her 
  chair. All the while, she continues her wail. The 
  Earl shakes his head sadly, while Lady 
  Antoinetta smirks and giggles. Averyn rushes 
  to her, and begins calming his aunt with 
  soothing words. 
  “Excuse us,” he says. He gently gets his aunt 
  on her feet, and helps her out of the dining 
  room. After she leaves, the Earl apologizes. 
  “The Countess is a fragile woman. She is 
  prone to such fits from time to time.” 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  Have the PCs make Spot checks (DC 13) to 
  notice a small, dangling symbol of Wee Jas 
  around Lady Katarina’s neck. If asked, any of the 
  (coherent) family members can verify that Lady 
  Katarina is a priestess of Wee Jas, Suel goddess 
  of death and magic. A Knowledge: Religion (DC 
  10) will also suffice to identify the symbol. The Earl 
  will dismiss any PC attempts to paint her affliction 
  as actual psychic ability, attributing her behavior to 
  such “fits” and nothing more. 
  At any convenient point, when the conversation 
  hits a lull or the PCs seem finished with any 
  questions they have, read the following: 
  Finishing his meal, the Earl rises. “I hope you 
  enjoyed your food, my friends. My home is 
  now your home. Feel free to move about and 
  question any of my family and my staff. I would 
  ask that you respect our privacy where 
  appropriate, however. Please, see if you can 
  uproot the evil that plagues my house. I can 
  usually be found in my study; please keep me 
  apprised of what you find as you proceed.” 
  Lady Antoinetta rises and curtsies to your 
  group, and then kisses her brother before 
  departing. You feel a queer sensation in your 
  stomach as you see that her embrace is 
  something more than familial. 
  Unless the PCs have any more questions for the 
  Earl or his sister, they will leave. After escorting 
  his aunt back to her bedchamber, Averyn retires to 
  the parlor, not returning to the table. 
  At this point, the DM should consult the timeline 
  given in DM Aid #2, and should distribute Player 
  Handout #1. It is now 6PM, the starting point of the 
  timeline (located in the Appendices). 
  Running the Event – Encounters Three 
  and Four 
  Encounter Three is broken down into subsections 
  (4, 5, etc.) that correspond with numbered areas 
  on your map and the player’s handout (Area 4, 
  Area 5, etc.). These provide for the DM details of 
  the 
  area 
  and 
  (if 
  appropriate) 
  boxed 
  text 
  descriptions of it as well. These room descriptions 
  are static – they remain the same all the time, 
  unless the PCs or NPCs change them in some 
  way (moving around or destroying furniture, for 
  instance). 
  On the other hand, Encounter Four deals with 
  timed events. These are the various happenings in 
  the manor during the day. These events are listed 
  in the order that they occur in the DM’s timeline. 
  Many of these events are not dependent on the 
  presence or absence of the PCs – they will occur 
  whether or not the PCs are there to witness them. 
  Encounter Three: The 
  Ancestral Manor of House 
  Linth 
  The PCs effectively have free reign to wander 
  through the manor. Each area of the manse is 
  described here as a static location. Subsequent 
  events and actions by the PCs and NPCs can 
  change the appearance of a room. As DM, you will 
  need to adjust some room descriptions on the fly 
  based on actions by PCs and NPCs alike. 
  A Note on the Traps in Linth Manor: 
  Linth Manor is home to several traps designed to 
  keep the prying hands of filthy Oerdians away. 
  Any room with a trap in it radiates a faint aura of 
  divination, regardless of whether the trap is 
  mechanical or magical. The divination in this case 
  is a unique spell designed to prevent the triggering 
  of these traps by those of Linth blood. None of the 
  traps in the manse will activate if a member of the 
  Linth family is in the room. The traps are ancient 
  and have never been activated, so that if one does 
  activate and it is brought to the attention of the 
  Linth family, they will all be astounded. 
  Area One: Entry Foyer 
  A moldy staff and a trio of walking sticks lean 
  against the wall, while empty cloak racks hang 
  from the wall. A great deal of cobwebs and 
  dust can be found here. 
  This room is the main way into and out of the 
  manse. 
  Area Two: Lucius’ Study 
  This chamber is the study of the Earl of Linth. 
  A comfortable looking high-backed chair and 
  square desk sit between a pair of library stacks 
  packed with bound books, sheaves of paper, 
  and the odd scroll or two. A window in the 
  eastern wall gives a commanding view of the 
  outside grounds. 
  The collection of papers and tomes is actually 
  quite organized. Most of the books and papers 
  have to deal with politics and accounts of family 
  finances. The latter books show that the wealth of 
  the family increases every year, although many 
  credits in the accounting journals are not 
  explained. In particular, large amounts of wealth 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  coming from the Laketowne holdings are not 
  properly notated. 
  Area Three: Shrine to Wee Jas 
  This disconcerting place seems to be a shrine 
  devoted to some death goddess, as a skull 
  motif is everywhere. A woman, presumably the 
  goddess, is enshrined in statue form here. It is 
  an image of a lovely woman with hands 
  outstretched. A simple black marble altar 
  dominates the room. Embedded in the altar is 
  a small golden holy symbol in the shape of a 
  shield, the size of a man’s hand.  
  A simple Knowledge: Religion check (DC 8) 
  identifies the statue as Wee Jas, Suel goddess of 
  death and magic. The altar radiates a general 
  aura of divine magic. The room shows signs of 
  recent and consistent use. 
  The Holy Symbol is one of the four fetters of 
  Countess Sera. It is inscribed with several 
  symbols of the Suel pantheon, with Wee Jas’ 
  symbol in the center. 
  A Search check DC (10 + APL) will let a 
  searching hero find two items of note about the 
  embedded shield. The first is that it is designed to 
  be removed, and that there are small gouges in 
  the stone near the symbol, where someone 
  obviously tried to pry it out and failed.  
  Below the shield is a small engraving of a skeleton 
  key and a door. Written underneath the shield are 
  the words “Name my eternal enemy and I to 
  release me” written in Ancient Suel. 
  This is a reference to the Suel God Dalt. A 
  successful Knowledge: Religion check DC 15 
  will tell a hero the symbol is his holy symbol. The 
  enemy referred to is the guardian demon Kerzit 
  whom Dalt fought in an epic battle to close a portal 
  to the abyss. This knowledge has been forgotten 
  by almost everyone except Dalt’s clergy and the 
  occasional wandering loremaster. A Hero who is a 
  cleric of Dalt may make a Knowledge: Religion 
  check DC 20 to remember the name of Dalt’s 
  enemy, and a Bard may make a Bardic 
  Knowledge check DC 25 for the same result. The 
  answer to this riddle can also be found in the book 
  “Treatise on the Suel Pantheon”, located in the 
  Library. The correct answer is “Dalt” and “Kerzit.” 
  They may be spoken in any language and in either 
  order. 
  The shield radiates evocation magic. The shield is 
  trapped and the trap is sprung if a hero tries to 
  look for a way to forcibly remove the holy symbol, 
  or if they stand before the altar and deliberately 
  give the wrong answer to the riddle. 
  APL 4 (EL 5) 
  Fireball Trap: CR 5; magic device; touch trigger; 
  automatic reset; spell effect (Fireball, 8th level 
  Wizard, 8d6 fire DC 14 reflex save half damage.) 
  Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 25 
  APL 6 (EL 7) 
  Burnt Othur Vapor Trap: CR 7; mechanical, 
  location trigger; repair reset; gas; multiple targets 
  (all targets in a 10’ x 10’ area); never miss; onset 
  delay (3 rounds); poison (burnt othur fumes, DC 
  18 Fortitude save resists; 1 Con drain/3d6 Con); 
  Search DC 21; Disable Device DC 21. 
  APL 8 (EL 9) 
  Incendiary Cloud Trap: CR 9; magic device; 
  proximity trigger (attempted removal of holy 
  symbol without speaking trigger words); automatic 
  reset; spell effect (incendiary cloud, 15th level 
  wizard, 4d6/round for 15 rounds, DC 22 Reflex 
  save for half damage); Search DC 33; Disable 
  Device DC 33. 
  APL 10 (EL 11) 
  Two Summon Monster IX Traps: CR 9; magic 
  device; proximity trigger (attempted removal of 
  holy symbol without speaking trigger words); 
  automatic reset; spell effect (summon monster IX 
  to summon a barbed devil, 19th level wizard); 
  Search DC 34; Disable Device DC 34. Note: 
  These traps go off once per round for two rounds 
  after being triggered. 
  APL 12 (EL 13) 
  Four Summon Monster IX Traps: CR 9; magic 
  device; proximity trigger (attempted removal of 
  holy symbol without speaking trigger words); 
  automatic reset; spell effect (summon monster IX 
  to summon a barbed devil, 19th level wizard); 
  Search DC 34; Disable Device DC 34. Note: 
  These traps go off once per round for four rounds 
  after being triggered. 
  Area Four: Sitting/Meeting Room 
  This sitting room is decorated in the trappings 
  of bygone glory. Faded tapestries adorn the 
  walls, and an ancient oaken table sits ringed 
  by well-worn chairs. A pair of decorative 
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  staircases leads up to a balcony, connecting to 
  the second floor.  
  Several weapon racks line the walls, along with 
  shields emblazoned with the crest of the house 
  of Linth as well as the Keoish standard. 
  Decorative gargoyles leer down at you from 
  the walls and high ceiling. A thick layer of dust 
  coats everything but the table and one of the 
  chairs. 
  On the stairs to your right is a faded rust 
  brown stain. 
  Designed as a room for entertaining guests, it has 
  not seen regular use in many years. Lord Averyn 
  actually spends a reasonable amount of time here, 
  going through his daily meditations in the room 
  least used by his kinsmen. The rust brown stain is 
  the spot where the last Linth Countess, Lady 
  Amber, was killed by a rogue Knight of the Watch. 
  A Knowledge: Local or Knowledge: Meta-
  Region One or Bardic Knowledge check (DC 
  15) will allow a hero to remember hearing a story 
  of a rogue knight killing a Linth countess years 
  ago, which prompted the Night of Long Lances. 
  Area Five: Dining Hall 
  The 
  Dining 
  Hall 
  is 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  accommodate a huge feast. Several long 
  tables dominate the center of the room, each 
  surrounded by sturdy chairs. Faded cloths 
  cover the tables, and most of the place 
  settings have obviously been sitting unused 
  for quite a while. Once again, a ring of 
  gargoyle statuary peers down at you from the 
  high ceilings of the room.  
  Again, a martial theme is present, with banners 
  and shields emblazoned with the Linth coat of 
  arms. The upper reaches of the hall are lost in 
  shadows. 
  This is where the Heroes are left to their own 
  devices. Be sure to play up the brooding 
  architecture that seems to be watching them and 
  the general air of decay that pervades the manse. 
   All major meals shared by the family take place 
  here. 
  Area Six: Kitchen 
  This is obviously the kitchen. A large stove 
  dominates the west wall, and several cutting 
  tables lie strategically placed around the room. 
  The excess that permeates the manse does not 
  extend to those areas seen only by the serving 
  staff, as this room has a much more utilitarian 
  feel to it. A large open window on the west wall 
  strives to combat the gloom of the manse. 
  The cook, a small man of mixed Suel descent, 
  spends much of his time here, tending to the 
  needs of the manse.  
  Area Seven: Pantry 
  The utilitarian feel continues to the well 
  stocked pantry. Slightly submerged, it is 
  cooler than the rest of the manse, and is 
  packed floor to ceiling with dried foods and 
  goods. 
  The pantry is very well stocked. The Linth family is 
  in no danger of starving, despite the blight. 
  Area Eight: Atrium/Aquarium 
  This room seems out of place compared with 
  the dour appearance of the rest of the manse. 
  A large pool, ringed with flat rocks, dominates 
  the center of the room, and four smaller pools 
  nestle in the corners. Potted plants fill the 
  room and a few benches sit here and there. 
  The water in the smaller pools bubbles 
  occasionally as small fish move through them. 
  This room actually has a rather dark history to it. 
  Years past, this room was a summoning chamber 
  used by Countess Sera in her quest for 
  knowledge.  After her death, the summoning 
  circles were torn apart and replaced with pools by 
  her cousin Rena, a druid of the Hool who realized 
  the danger of the circles. Sera used each of the 
  smaller circles to summon elementals from 
  appropriate planes, and the central circle for 
  summoning creatures best left undisturbed. 
  The pools are all perfectly circular, and the four 
  smaller pools are home to different types of fish, 
  all of which are perfectly healthy. This is in stark 
  contrast to the rest of the wildlife in Linth, and 
  attentive Heroes will notice this fact.  The larger 
  pool is empty of life, for no fish live long within the 
  bounds of the former main circle. Anything placed 
  in the center pool dies. This does NOT apply to 
  heroes or NPCs, just animal life.  
  Any Hero who makes a Spot check DC (10+APL) 
  will be able to see small metallic objects resting in 
  the bottom of each pool. Each pool is about three 
  feet deep and the water is ice cold. Investigation 
  will reveal the metallic objects to be small pieces 
  of mithral with a rune inscribed on it. The runes 
  are “Earth”, “Air” “Fire” and “Water” written in 
  Ancient Suel for the outer pools. The rune on the 
  inner pool is defaced, but can be made out as 
  “Darkness” or “Nether”. 
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  The center pool will serve as the focus for a Scry 
  spell, if any Hero can cast it. If a hero does 
  attempt to use the pool to scry, see DM Aid #2 
  “Woodsy” 
  heroes 
  will 
  probably 
  feel 
  more 
  comfortable here than anywhere else in the 
  Earldom. The residual energies from the elemental 
  circles, even though they are several hundred 
  years old, keep the room from suffering the same 
  blight as the rest of the Earldom. Any Druid or 
  Ranger sleeping in this room may recover spells 
  normally.  
  Areas Nine to Twelve: Servant’s Quarters 
  This room is orderly and neat, and without any 
  ostentatious decoration. It obviously belongs 
  to one of the staff. 
  Other than a few personal belongings, this room is 
  empty of interest for the heroes. 
  Area Thirteen: Servant’s Washroom 
  A small wash tub and mirror betray this room 
  as the servant’s washroom. 
  Area Fourteen: Grand Ballroom 
  A pair of staircases leads up to a balcony, 
  which then lead further up to this Grand 
  Ballroom. A circular stair with a black wrought 
  iron rail climbs to the third floor. 
  In the center of the room dangles a huge 
  chandelier of burning candles. Hanging from 
  the chandelier are hundreds of pieces of 
  polished glass and crystal, and the light from 
  the candles refracts into uncountable rainbows 
  upon the floor and walls.  
  Standing in the southwest and northwest 
  corners are a pair of statues. One is a severe 
  looking woman in a gown, with a regal 
  expression upon her face and a walking staff 
  in her hands. The other is of a balding man 
  wearing armor and clutching a sword which 
  rests point down between his feet.  
  On the southern end of the room is a dust 
  covered and sadly neglected organ, and three 
  rows of old chairs set up to face it. Large 
  stained glass windows on the east and west 
  walls would allow an expansive view of the 
  grounds, if they had been cleaned within the 
  last fifty years. The window on the east wall is 
  tinged bright blue, while the west window is 
  bright red.  
  The Grand Ballroom hasn’t seen any use in many 
  years, with the exception of Hannah’s nightly 
  dancing.  
  The Statues are of Countess Sera Linth and 
  Prince Alane, and have small plaques naming 
  them under each of them. A motto on each of the 
  statues reads “Scuto Amoris Divin”, emblazoned 
  on the Linth family shield. Translated from Ancient 
  Suel, this means “The Divine Shield of Love”, and 
  is the Linth family motto. 
  The chandelier is home to a hundred Continual 
  Flame spells and prisms. The Grand Organ is 
  dusty and disused, but appears to be in working 
  order. 
  Area Fifteen: Nobles’ Washroom 
  This immaculately kept washroom is obviously 
  intended for use by the nobility. 
  Static Event: If a hero moves to look through the 
  room, they will catch sight of themselves in the 
  mirror. They will see themselves as a skeleton 
  with blood dripping from their empty eye sockets, 
  and then the mirror will fall to the floor and shatter. 
  There is nothing of interest here. 
  Area Sixteen: Lord Averyn’s Chamber 
  This large chamber is well-appointed, but 
  seems little used. An armor rack holds a finely 
  crafted suit of Full Plate embossed with heart-
  shaped masks. A writing desk has several 
  small books piled upon it, and a large bed sits, 
  its’ bedcovers thrown back haphazardly. A trio 
  of gargoyle faces is carved into the ceiling 
  above the bed.  
  Averyn sleeps here, but finds the overall ambience 
  gaudy and disturbing, so he spends much of his 
  time downstairs. The books on his desk are holy 
  texts of Rao and a book on the history of house 
  Linth. Several bookmarks in the history book 
  highlight some important events in Linth history.  
  Player Handouts Five and Six are the two most 
  interesting bookmarks in the history book. 
  Area 
  Seventeen: 
  Lady 
  Antoinetta’s 
  Chamber 
  This sumptuously appointed room obviously is 
  the home of a female occupant. A large four 
  poster bed dominates the room, hung with red 
  silk canopies. A small writing desk holds a 
  variety of neatly arranged perfume bottles as 
  well as a small silver platter with a decanter 
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  and two wine glasses. Finally, a pair of large 
  trunks rest against the wall. 
  This room belongs to Antoinetta, and access to it 
  is granted grudgingly or without her knowledge at 
  all.  There is nothing amiss with the bed or with the 
  perfume bottles. The trunks are unlocked and 
  contain various personal effects and clothes. At 
  the bottom of one of the trunks is an unusual find. 
  A children’s book, with the binding ripped off, sits 
  at the bottom. The title is embossed on the first 
  page, “The Road of Challenge” 
  The importance of this book is detailed in the 
  Library. 
  Area Eighteen: Lady Hannah’s Chamber 
  This room has all the amenities you would 
  expect from a room belonging to the only 
  daughter of one of the richest houses in 
  Keoland. A small bed occupies one corner, 
  covered in thick blankets and stuffed animals. 
  A child-sized table and chairs sits in the 
  middle of the room, home to a silver tea 
  service.  
  Several chests of drawers are in the room, all 
  filled to overflowing with clothing fit for a small 
  princess. A large toy chest sits closed on the 
  north wall. Finally, a large bay window 
  dominates the east wall. The window appears 
  to be solidly shut, and the air in the room is a 
  bit musty and cold. The faint smell of 
  something unpleasantly sweet and cloying 
  lingers around your nostrils.   
  This is the room where Hannah starts her night, 
  but rarely ends it. The room is devoid of clues, 
  except for one into the personality of Hannah. 
  Inside the toy chest is the source of the smell, 
  which comes from several dead animals that 
  Hannah occasionally uses to host ‘Tea Parties’ 
  with. The animals are all very dead and starting to 
  rot. No one in the manse is aware of Hannah’s 
  collection or how she came by it. 
  Area Nineteen: Master Bedroom 
  This opulent room is clearly the master 
  bedroom. A large four poster bed occupies the 
  east wall, as do a pair of nightstands. A pair of 
  overstuffed chairs face a fireplace on the west 
  wall. A small writing desk and large armoire 
  complete the furnishings. In each corner of the 
  room squats a small gargoyle statue, crouched 
  like unearthly sentinels. Unlike the rest of the 
  gargoyles you’ve seen, these are chased with 
  gold inlay and have eyes of darkest onyx.  
  The desk contains many of Lucius’ private 
  writings. On top of a pile of suggestive 
  correspondences from his sister is a hastily 
  scribbled note, which is Player Handout Seven. 
  This is the Prophecy of Azmarender, seer and 
  founder of the Knights of the Watch. (Any PC that 
  played KEO3-03 Will of the People has a copy of 
  this prophecy right on their AR). Until recently, this 
  prophecy has been known to only the inner circle 
  of the Knights of the Watch. Only the events of 
  KEO3-03 have brought the prophecy to the notice 
  of the Earl.  
  Also, a small keyring can be found here, with a 
  single key on it. The words “Scuto Amoris Divin” 
  are embossed on the key. This key opens the 
  crypt. 
  Area Twenty: Duchess Maressa’s Room  
  This guest bedroom is decorated in much the 
  same manner as you have seen previously. A 
  nicely appointed bed is stood watch over by 
  four gargoyle statues perched in the upper 
  corners of the room. It appears as though 
  preparations have been made to receive a 
  guest here, but no clothes or traveling trunks 
  are in evidence. 
  Lady Maressa was supposed to be here, but was 
  unavoidably detained. The room is awaiting her 
  arrival.  
  Areas Twenty-One to Twenty-Seven: Guest 
  Room 
  This guest bedroom has obviously not seen 
  use in many years. Dust coats many of the 
  furnishings and wall carvings.  
  Areas 
  Twenty-Eight 
  and 
  Twenty-Nine: 
  Guest Washroom 
  This small vanity lies covered in the dust of 
  years.  
  Area Thirty: Third Story Balcony 
  This area is the top half of Area Fourteen. A small 
  balcony rings this area, and the chandelier hangs 
  from sturdy supports in the middle of the room. It 
  is a 10’ fall to the grand ballroom from here. 
  Area Thirty One: The Library 
  Opening these double doors reveals an 
  immense library, two stories in height and 
  taking the entirety of the wing. Racks upon 
  racks of books and scrolls fill the shelves, and 
  ladders allow access to a small catwalk with 
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  the second story of books. On the southern 
  wall, a massive tapestry map of the sheldomar 
  valley hangs 
  The Library is divided into seven sections, and 
  every section has a small golden plaque above the 
  books detailing what can be found within. 
  Section One is titled “History and Religion” and 
  contains a comprehensive, if Suel slanted, view of 
  the history of the Sheldomar Valley. Additionally, 
  there are several books on the major pantheons o 
  gods, with a three volume set entitled “Treatise on 
  the Suel Pantheon”. Any hero who specifically 
  reads the Treatise looking for information on Dalt 
  can find the answer to the riddle in the Altar room. 
  Section Two is titled “Warfare” and has hundreds 
  of volumes on the arts of war, tactics, and 
  strategy.  
  Section Three is titled “Geography” and has 
  several atlases of the world and detailed histories 
  on man distant lands. 
  Section Four is titled “Family History” and has 
  dozens of tomes on the Linth family history and 
  their deeds. Several tomes are missing from the 
  series, and are in Lord Averyn’s room. Available 
  here is Player Handout Four. 
  Section Five is titled “Natural Studies of Linth” and 
  is full of books on the ecology of the land as well 
  as some of the more dangerous species that have 
  been known to live in the area.  
  Section Six is titled “Children’s Books” and is 
  lightly populated. The book of most interest here is 
  titled “The Road of Challenge” and is actually 
  Countess Sera’s spellbook, disguised by Lady 
  Antoinetta. Several months back, Antoinetta 
  discovered the book but did not want to draw 
  attention to it so she secretly had the bindings of 
  this children’s book ripped out and replaced with 
  the spellbook. She would have preferred a more 
  innocuous book, but this was the only one whose 
  dimensions fit exactly.  
  The Spellbook is one of Countess Sera’s fetters, 
  and can be taken without any ill effects. 
  Section Seven has no title above it, and is mostly 
  empty. Contained within are a pair of books on 
  magical 
  theory, 
  and 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  scrolls 
  of 
  Comprehend Languages. 
  Static Event: When a hero goes near the 
  tapestry, a lightning bolt will strike outside, 
  illuminating the tapestry. In the flash of light, it will 
  appear that a massive red hand and eye are 
  interposed over the entirety of the valley. After the 
  lightning bolt, the image will linger for a second or 
  two, then fade away. 
  Area Thirty Two: Art Gallery 
  This room is pitch black. The windows appear 
  to be boarded over, and a large cloud o dust 
  swirls as you open the door. 
  Once the heroes produce a light source, or a 
  character with darkvision enters: 
  This room appears to be a monument to the 
  Linth family. Portraits line both the east and 
  west walls, and a small statue stands in front 
  of each. On the far south wall a portrait double 
  the size of any other hangs covered by black 
  cloth, and four statues stand beneath it. 
  This room is the resting place of Sera’s staff, one 
  of the four fetters. It rests in the hands of one of 
  the statues under the covered portrait. The black 
  cloth covers a huge portrait of Sera Linth. The 
  other portraits and statues all bear small 
  engravings naming each member of the Linth line, 
  and times of birth and death. 
  Static Event: When the heroes pull the cloth 
  down off the portrait, the sound of a flock of crows 
  cawing will reverberate through the room, and 
  then quickly die away.  
  The portrait depicts a stern looking woman with 
  fine blonde hair and a haughty expression on her 
  face sitting on a throne in a great hall while dark 
  skinned men bow their heads and offer up gifts. 
  Red sunlight streams on to her features and a 
  massive chandelier hangs from the ceiling behind 
  her. Expensive looking rings sit on the fingers of 
  her outstretched hand and an ebony necklace 
  clasps around her pale neck. She is obviously in 
  the act of speaking to the men. A small engraving 
  written in Ancient Suel at the base of the portrait 
  reads: 
  “Give me your crutches and be free. –
  Countess Sera Linth, Defender of the Throne 
  and Light of the Land” 
  This is a hint to the two-part puzzle of how to 
  release the staff from its’ resting place.  
  The four statues at the foot of the portrait are all 
  obviously of the woman in the portrait, and are 
  exactly the same statue that rests in Area 
  Fourteen: The Grand Ballroom. The statues here, 
  however, are clutching staves made of wood, 
  whereas the statue in the ballroom was clutching a 
  staff of stone.  
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  One of the four statues is holding Sera’s staff; the 
  other three are holding imitations. All four staves 
  radiate a faint magic of evocation. 
  The four statues face the four cardinal points of 
  the compass, with their backs to each other. In the 
  center of the four statues is a small pedestal with a 
  sheet of parchment upon it. Written in Common on 
  the parchment is: 
  “Face me from the direction of the dying and 
  do as you must.” 
  The two part puzzle is thus: the heroes must find 
  out which statue is holding the correct staff, and 
  get the statue to release the staff. The inscription 
  on the portrait, as well as the portrait itself 
  provides a clue. The portrait was painted in the 
  grand ballroom of this manse, while sunlight 
  streamed in through the western stained glass 
  window and onto the proceedings. To get the 
  proper staff, a hero must face the western statue, 
  and offer a crutch of some sort as a gift. 
  The statue will accept any sort of crutch as a 
  substitute, be it physical or emotional. A hero 
  could hand it a staff (perhaps taken from the foyer) 
  or something physical that they rely upon, 
  depending on their core class. 
  Barbarian: Any weapon they have used to slay an 
  enemy. 
  Bard: Any instrument or piece of written music. 
  Cleric: A holy symbol of their faith. 
  Druid: Any animal or plant. 
  Fighter: Any weapon they have used to slay an 
  enemy. 
  Monk: Any weapon sacred to their order or writing 
  of their order’s doctrine. 
  Paladin: Any weapon they have used to slay an 
  enemy or a holy symbol of their faith. 
  Ranger: Any weapon they have used to slay a 
  favored enemy. 
  Rogue: Any tool of their trade. (i.e. lock picks, etc) 
  Sorceror: A drop of their blood.  
  Wizard: Any spellbook or tome of knowledge. 
  If a hero does this correctly, the offered item will 
  disappear (and be gone until the end of the 
  module!) with a brief flash of red light and the 
  statue will release the staff, which will clatter to the 
  floor. Make a note of which PC offers the 
  “crutch” as this PC alone will be eligible for 
  the “A Crutch Sacrificed” AR item. 
  If a hero offers the wrong type of item, or does so 
  to the incorrect statue, the statue will lash out at 
  the hero with its staff. 
  APL 4 (EL 4) 
  Statue Staff Trap: mechanical; touch trigger, 
  automatic reset; Atk +8 melee (8d6/x3, staff) 
  Search DC 18, Disable Device DC 18 
  APL 6 (EL 6) 
  Statue Staff Trap: mechanical; touch trigger, 
  automatic reset; Atk +12 melee (12d6/x3, staff) 
  Search DC 20, Disable Device DC 20 
  APL 8 (EL 8) 
  Statue Staff Trap: mechanical; touch trigger, 
  automatic reset; Atk +16 melee (14d6/x3, staff) 
  Search DC 22, Disable Device DC 22 
  APL 10 (EL 10) 
  Statue Staff Trap: mechanical; touch trigger, 
  automatic reset; Atk +20 melee (16d6/x3, staff) 
  Search DC 24, Disable Device DC 24 
  APL 12 (EL 12) 
  Statue Staff Trap: mechanical; touch trigger, 
  automatic reset; Atk +24 melee (16d6/x3, staff) 
  Search DC 26, Disable Device DC 26 
  It is important to note that this is a magical trap, 
  and as such can only be detected with the 
  appropriate roll. The trap can be disarmed as per 
  PHB rules, with a Disable Device check of DC 20 
  + APL. 
  Alternately, the statues can be broken apart by 
  brute force or magic – House Linth certainly won’t 
  appreciate such actions, however. Every attack or 
  spell meant to free a staff from a statue will cause 
  that statue to lash out at its attacker, as per above. 
  The statues are not ambulatory, so clever Heroes 
  can do this from a distance away and suffer no ill 
  effects. 
  The statues have hardness 10 and 20 hp in the 
  areas they need to be broken.  
  Area Thirty Three: The Curiosium 
  This room is filled with the trophies of a rich 
  and decadent household. A boar, stuffed and 
  mounted, battles a bear similarly treated. 
  Pennants and banners of defeated forces hang 
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  on the walls, as do broken shields and 
  weapons. A large fireplace sits on the south 
  wall, and a dark blade hangs in a place of 
  honor above it. A small pedestal with a book 
  upon it rests open next to the fireplace. 
  In the southwest corner is a privacy screen. 
  Behind the screen you see the shadow of a 
  man, clutching a sword. He stands, immobile, 
  waiting. 
  This is obviously the Linth trophy hall. Two things 
  of interest are here, the first being the sword hung 
  over the fireplace.  It is a longsword forged of 
  black iron with a mithral guard and pommel 
  shaped into the wings of a female demon. A large 
  plaque below the weapon reads: 
  “Behold Kinstealer, sword of the Red Knight 
  Nils Perris. Foe to the Lion throne, May all 
  such meet his fate.” 
  The sword is sword of life stealing and as such 
  radiates necromancy and evocation. Since the 
  Linth family has no need to fear casual theft, the 
  weapon is unsecured and can be taken at any 
  point.  
  A small tome rests on a pedestal next to the 
  fireplace. A bookmark opens to Player Handout 
  Eight. 
  The second thing of interest is the figure behind 
  the screen. It does not respond to any verbal cues. 
  When the heroes approach it: 
  Slowly rounding the privacy screen, you are 
  startled at what you see. A man with dark hair 
  and dark eyes, clutching a greatsword above 
  his head, stands on a marble block. 
  It takes you a second to realize that the man is 
  unmoving, and no threat to you. His eyes are 
  unseeing, and his sword is still. 
  On the marble block is inscribed the words 
  “Oderint Dum Metuant”, and beneath that 
  “Milo”. 
  The first sentence translates from Ancient Suel as 
  “Let them hate, so long as they fear.” 
  The body on the marble block is Milo, an anti-Suel 
  rebel from KEO3-03 Will of the People. It has been 
  painstakingly preserved and is whole. If any 
  enterprising hero attempts to raise Milo from the 
  dead, they will be unable to make contact with his 
  spirit when they cast raise dead or resurrection. 
  Area Thirty Four: The Observatory 
  This room is quite unlike any other you have 
  seen here in the manse. It is immaculately 
  clean and bereft of gaudy decorations. The 
  entire western and northern walls are given 
  over to a series of floor to ceiling windows, 
  each with a balcony outside them. A variety of 
  metal tubes sit upon tripods at various angles. 
  A comfortable and well used bed sits in the 
  southwest corner. Next to it, a small table sits, 
  a pair of wineglasses upon it.  
  The tubes are telescopes. Lucius spends much of 
  his time here, and uses this room to carry on his 
  dalliances with his sister. If the heroes look 
  through the telescopes, they will see a variety of 
  sites picked out around the grounds, seemingly at 
  random.  
  Area Thirty Five: The Armory 
  The walls of this room are covered with the 
  trappings of war. Blades of all shapes and 
  sizes adorn them, and suits of armor stand 
  rigid guard in the corners. Several of the 
  weapons have small plaques underneath them, 
  as do several shields hanging on the eastern 
  wall.  
  On the southern wall, a series of blades hang 
  in a circle, all points inward. From here you 
  can see that one is missing. A pedestal stands 
  underneath them. 
  The plaques under the shields and weapons are 
  small tales of how they were used and by whom. 
  The circle of blades consists of six weapons, all 
  longswords. One is missing.  
  The pedestal contains the names of the weapons: 
  “Bluefall; Slayer of the Dragon Vyweandyr” 
  “Lucullus; Slayer of the Jotunlord Etren” 
  “Silver Bell; Savior of the Lion Throne, 
  Ghosthunter” 
  “Fiorino; Slayer of the Dread Bandit Sencal” 
  “Penates: Imprisoner of the Unfaithful” 
  “En Passant; Slayer of the Red Knight” 
  The swords are all magical, and all radiate 
  evocation. They have no particular bearing in this 
  module, but can be used if the Heroes are in dire 
  straits. They are all +1 longswords, with the 
  exception of “Silver Bell”, as described below. All 
  the swords are engraved with the ancestral crest 
  of house Linth and are exceptionally well made. 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  The missing sword is “Silver Bell”, which is the 
  sword Averyn is currently carrying. It is a +1 ghost 
  touch longsword, and Averyn carries it at all times. 
  Silver Bell is the ancestral sword of House Linth, 
  and as much as Lucius dislikes Averyn at times, 
  he recognizes his right to bear the sword.  
  Area Thirty Six: The Crypt 
  A small trapdoor sits at the top of these 
  circular steps. A rusty looking padlock hangs 
  from it. The Linth family crest is burned into 
  the wood of the trapdoor, along with the words 
  “Scuto Amoris Divin”. 
  The lock is DC (12 + APL) to open, and is 
  trapped. Alternately, the keys can be found in the 
  master bedroom. Using the key automatically 
  bypasses the trap.  
  APL 4 (EL 4) 
  Trapdoor lock blade Trap: mechanical; touch 
  trigger, automatic reset; Atk +8 melee (4d6/x2, 
  wall blade) Search DC 22, Disable Device DC 18 
  APL 6 (EL 6) 
  Trapdoor lock blade Trap: mechanical; touch 
  trigger, automatic reset; Atk +12 melee (6d6/x2, 
  wall blade) Search DC 24, Disable Device DC 20 
  APL 8 (EL 8) 
  Trapdoor lock blade Trap: mechanical; touch 
  trigger, automatic reset; Atk +16 melee (8d6/x2, 
  wall blade) Search DC 26, Disable Device DC 22 
  APL 10 (EL 10) 
  Trapdoor lock blade Trap: mechanical; touch 
  trigger, automatic reset; Atk +20 melee (10d6/x2, 
  wall blade) Search DC 28, Disable Device DC 24 
  APL 12 (EL 12) 
  Trapdoor lock blade Trap: mechanical; touch 
  trigger, automatic reset; Atk +24 melee (12d6/x2, 
  wall blade) Search DC 30, Disable Device DC 26 
  When the heroes open the trapdoor: 
  The dust of ages rests here, in drifts and piles. 
  The room appears to be storage of some sort. 
  Four enclosures have wooden doors barring 
  them. Stone boxes lay piled on top of each 
  other in neat piles. 
  The Linth family stores their dead here, for two 
  reasons. The first is that they venerate some of 
  the more borderline dogma of Wee Jas, and raise 
  their dead above them in a place of honor. The 
  second is that the family feared for the Oerdians 
  pillaging their crypts. The piles of stone boxes are 
  sarcophagi, sealed. The first one the Heroes 
  examine reads: 
  “Jerelai Linth. 303 CY – 322 CY” 
  Every sarcophagus in the main room bears a 
  simple inscription with a name and date of birth 
  and death. The four enclosures hold the remains 
  of the more illustrious members of the Linth family, 
  Prince Alane, Countess Sera, Drushus, and an 
  oubliette. Each enclosure with a body in it has an 
  elaborate plaque on the door. 
  Enclosure One: Prince Alane, “The Reaver” 
  This crypt is home to the resting place of the 
  founder of the Linth line. The crypt itself is not 
  locked, but the sarcophagus is sealed. It can be 
  opened with a DC: 15 Strength check, or other 
  appropriate 
  means. 
  The 
  corpse 
  inside 
  is 
  completely mummified and bedecked in gold and 
  jewels. Nothing radiates magic. The entire body 
  shows horrific old burn wounds. 
  Enclosure Two: Drushus Linth 
  This crypt holds a child sized coffin. The lid is 
  marked with the Linth crest, and sealed tight. If 
  shifted, the sarcophagus feels full. If the heroes 
  attempt to pry the top off the sarcophagus, they 
  will set off a trap. 
  APL 4 (EL 5) 
  Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, automatic reset 
  (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell effect (Fireball, 
  6th level wizard, 6d6 fire, DC 14 reflex save half 
  damage) Search DC 22 Disable Device DC 20 
  APL 6 (EL 7) 
  Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, automatic reset 
  (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell effect (Fireball, 
  8th level wizard, 8d6 fire, DC 14 reflex save half 
  damage) Search DC 24 Disable Device DC 22 
  APL 8 (EL 9) 
  Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, automatic reset 
  (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell effect (Fireball, 
  10th level wizard, 10d6 fire, DC 16 reflex save half 
  damage) Search DC 26 Disable Device DC 24 
  APL 10 (EL 11) 
  Delayed Blast Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, 
  automatic reset (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell 
  effect (Delayed Blast Fireball, 12th level wizard, 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  12d6 fire, DC 18 reflex save half damage) Search 
  DC 28 Disable Device DC 26 
  APL 12 (EL 13) 
  Delayed Blast Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, 
  automatic reset (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell 
  effect (Delayed Blast Fireball, 14th level wizard, 
  14d6 fire, DC 20 reflex save half damage) Search 
  DC 30 Disable Device DC 28 
  Inside, there is no body. Bags of sand weigh the 
  sarcophagus down.  
  Enclosure Three: Countess Sera Linth 
  This enclosure is different from the others. A 
  pair of statues carved into the likeness of half-
  naked female warriors stand beside the door. 
  Each of the statues bears a long, slender 
  sword. 
  As menacing as the description sounds, these 
  statues are not caryatid columns. They are simply 
  decoration, and will undoubtedly provide a tense 
  moment or two for a group of heroes who might be 
  metagaming a bit. If they are at all nervous, feel 
  free to play up how lifelike the statues appear and 
  how cramped the quarters of the crypt area 
  suddenly feel.  
  This is the location of one of Sera’s fetters, her 
  diary. 
  This crypt has been recently disturbed and the 
  sarcophagus’ lid is unsealed but closed. The 
  sarcophagus is trapped. 
  APL 4 (EL 5) 
  Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, automatic reset 
  (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell effect (Fireball, 
  6th level wizard, 6d6 fire, DC 14 reflex save half 
  damage) Search DC 18 Disable Device DC 20 
  APL 6 (EL 7) 
  Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, automatic reset 
  (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell effect (Fireball, 
  8th level wizard, 8d6 fire, DC 14 reflex save half 
  damage) Search DC 20 Disable Device DC 22 
  APL 8 (EL 9) 
  Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, automatic reset 
  (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell effect (Fireball, 
  10th level wizard, 10d6 fire, DC 16 reflex save half 
  damage) Search DC 22 Disable Device DC 24 
  APL 10 (EL 11) 
  Delayed Blast Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, 
  automatic reset (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell 
  effect (Delayed Blast Fireball, 12th level wizard, 
  12d6 fire, DC 18 reflex save half damage) Search 
  DC 24 Disable Device DC 26 
  APL 12 (EL 13) 
  Delayed Blast Fireball Trap: spell; touch trigger, 
  automatic reset (sealing of the sarcophagus); spell 
  effect (Delayed Blast Fireball, 14th level wizard, 
  14d6 fire, DC 20 reflex save half damage) Search 
  DC 26 Disable Device DC 28 
  Inside, a yellowed dress lays, half covering a 
  book. 
  Static Event: When a Hero reaches for either the 
  dress or the book, the dress will sit up and then 
  float up to the rafters, hanging about three feet 
  below it. A low wail and choking sounds will be 
  heard and then the dress will crumple to the 
  sarcophagus. 
  The book is Sera’s journal, and is one of the 
  fetters that bind her to this plane. Player’s 
  Handout Three details some of the interesting 
  passages from he journal. 
  Enclosure Four: The Oubliette 
  The stone walls of this enclosure house no 
  coffin. Instead, four heavy sets of chains are 
  bolted into each wall. The room smells faintly 
  of sweat and despair. In the center of the room 
  is a circle inscribed with magical looking 
  symbols. A small marble block, pure white in 
  color rests on the opposite side of the room 
  from the door. From here, you can see 
  something inscribed upon it.  
  In ages past, the Linth family would forget about 
  their problems here.  
  Static Event: If a hero moves to investigate the 
  marble block, all the chains will suddenly pull taut 
  and low moaning voices will fill the room. Then just 
  as suddenly, all sound will cease and the chains 
  will grow limp. 
  On the marble block is inscribed the words 
  “Oderint Dum Metuant”, which translates from 
  Ancient Suel as “Let them hate, so long as they 
  fear.” 
  Encounter Four: Time-
  Specific Events 
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  This section is not an encounter per se, but rather 
  a collection of timed events and the locations in 
  which they occur. Many of these events are the 
  direct result of the Nethernight attempting to make 
  the heroes jumpy and throw them off course. The 
  Nethernight cannot strike at the heroes directly, so 
  it is attempting to wear them down and make sure 
  they do not find the fetters of Countess Sera. 
  These events take place at the listed times in 
  game.   
  6 PM – Conclusion of Encounter Two and the start 
  of active manor exploration by the PCs. 
  7 PM – The house guards all disappear. This is 
  likely to go unnoticed for a while, as all the guards 
  are stationed outside. 
  8 PM – All shutters in the house simultaneously 
  slam shut and bar themselves. 
  8:30PM – If no hero has noticed, Averyn notices 
  that the house guards are all missing  
  9 PM –The organ in the grand ballroom starts 
  playing scales, as if someone were warming it up. 
  9:30 PM – The five remaining swords in the 
  armory float off the wall, and a dust devil floats up 
  around them. The swords float to the location of 
  the heroes, then fall to the ground around one of 
  the heroes and embed point first. No amount of 
  non-magical assistance can remove them. The 
  hero can step over the sword prison easily 
  enough, but as he or she does, a female voice will 
  scream “GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!”  
  10 PM – A suit of armor from the armory walks to 
  the balcony and flings itself off, landing in the 
  middle of the ballroom with a tremendous clatter. 
  10:30 PM -- The dead animals in Hannah’s toy 
  chest become animate and force their way out. 
  They proceed to have tea and try to run when 
  discovered. Hannah will scream as she sees this. 
  11 PM – Small bloody footprints lead from 
  Hannah’s room to the ballroom. The prints are not 
  made by Hannah and dance about the ballroom in 
  a number of steps before disappearing. 
  Midnight – The grand organ breaks into full song, 
  and the battle for Hannah’s soul begins.  
  Fetter-related events 
  The following events take place whenever the 
  Heroes take a fetter into their possession. Not only 
  do these events signal that the heroes are on the 
  right track, but that the timeline for Hannah’s 
  dance is advancing. 
  First Fetter – A woman’s voice can be heard 
  screaming inside the Atrium. The middle pool has 
  turned to vinegar when the Heroes arrive. 
  Second Fetter – A pair of apparitions appear in 
  Area Four. One is a noble woman, the other a 
  Knight in full regalia. He silently strikes he head 
  from her shoulders, where it lands on the 
  bloodstained stairs. Everything fades away, except 
  for a skull left on the bloodstain. Averyn will begin 
  screaming when he sees the apparitions appear, 
  and they will stand until the heroes arrive and 
  witness the beheading. 
  Third Fetter – All the dust from the guest rooms 
  gathers into the shapes of people and runs 
  through the house and out the front door, 
  screaming. The rooms are immaculately cleaned. 
  Fourth Fetter – The gargoyles in the main lobby 
  detach from the walls and move to separate 
  locations, blocking the stairs. As the heroes arrive, 
  Encounter Five begins. 
  Encounter Five: Clock 
  Strikes! 
  This encounter takes place at the stroke of 
  midnight or when the heroes have acquired all 
  four fetters. The final battle for Hannah’s soul is 
  about to take place, and the fate of many rests 
  upon the fulcrum. 
  Without warning, the manse is filled with a 
  cacophony of sound. In the Grand Ballroom, 
  the organ starts playing of its own accord, 
  belting out a somber dirge. The echoes of the 
  sound reach into every room in the manse, and 
  doubtless 
  for 
  miles 
  around 
  into 
  the 
  countryside. As you hear the music, you are 
  infused with the certain knowledge that this 
  will be the last dance Hannah will ever perform 
  in this ballroom, one way or the other. 
  It is likely that the Heroes have attempted to take 
  measures to ensure that Hannah will not dance 
  this evening. Unfortunately, these will all be for 
  naught. The Nethernight is a powerful artifact, and 
  it will see its will done this evening. Regardless of 
  what precautions the heroes take, Hannah gets up 
  and walks to the Ballroom. 
  It is important to note that Lucius will refuse 
  permission to remove Hannah from he house in 
  any way should a hero request it of him. He wants 
  this resolved tonight, here. Furthermore, the 
  Nethernight will stymie any and all attempts – 
  physical or magical – to bring the girl out of the 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  house. DMs should feel free to use fiat when 
  adjudicating this – the unholy amulet is an artifact, 
  created by an ancient arch-devil with Epic-level 
  powers and capabilities. 
  When all the Heroes are in the Ballroom: 
  The dirge quickly takes on a haunting tone; 
  both figuratively and literally, as a chorus of 
  transparent figures start to materialize within 
  the ballroom. A young girl gently sets her head 
  down on the organ stool and then sits at the 
  organ. As she prepares to touch the keys, the 
  organ stops playing of its own accord. 
  The transparent figures quickly file through the 
  room, and begin seating themselves in the 
  chairs on the southern wall. The hubbub of 
  hushed conversation fills the room as the 
  spirits begin conversing amongst one another. 
  You watch as the living members of the Linth 
  household become glassy eyed and take seats 
  amongst the spirits. The familial resemblance 
  is uncanny.  
  Suddenly, the statue of Countess Sera Linth 
  on the balcony uproots itself. The dust of ages 
  washes from it as it stalks up the stairs, its 
  eyes glowing as red as a furnace. The mouth 
  moves and a voice as cold as a grave speaks.  
  “Hannah, come to me. You are not worthy of 
  my lands and title. Dance with me one last 
  time.” 
  In mid-stride, the statue grinds to a halt and a 
  translucent shape flows out of it. Floating in 
  midair is the returned spirit of Countess Sera 
  Linth, mass murderer and demon summoner. 
  Her eyes alight over all of you, and her 
  features contort in sheer rage. 
  Her mouth opens incredibly wide and an 
  unholy scream issues from Sera. It washes 
  over everything living in the room. You see 
  Lucius clutch his chest and crumple from his 
  seat. Averyn is similarly affected, but you see 
  him move weakly after he hits the floor. 
  Katarina and Antoinetta both cry out in terror, 
  eyes bulging from their skulls before both 
  slump forward and crash into the floor, dead. 
  Hannah moves to the middle of the ballroom, 
  where Sera waits for her, arms outstretched. 
  Sera cries out “The Dance begins!” Without 
  warning, every light on the chandelier is 
  extinguished and the organ kicks into a manic 
  ditty. 
  Nearly all of the members of House Linth present 
  have been slain, and thanks to the efforts of the 
  Nethernight will be beyond restoration. Averyn and 
  Hannah yet live – but Sera intends to rectify that 
  soon enough. 
  Possession of the Fetters: 
  The holders of the fetters will find themselves 
  understanding how the fetters can be used against 
  Sera; perhaps some god of good (most likely Rao, 
  whom Averyn serves) has not yet turned all eyes 
  away from House Linth. 
  The heroes’ success or failure in this combat 
  depends largely on how many of Countess Sera’s 
  fetters they discovered. Each fetter they have 
  provides them with a grade of protection from 
  Sera’s powers, and each individual fetter provides 
  a weapon to use against Sera. 
  One fetter: Protects all PCs from Sera’s Wail 
  supernatural ability. 
  Two fetters: As above, and protects all PCs from 
  Sera’s Horrific Appearance supernatural ability. 
  Three fetters: As above, and lowers the DC on the 
  save for Sera’s Charisma Drain supernatural 
  ability to (10 +APL) 
  Four fetters: As above, and lowers Sera’s SR to 0.  
  Individual Fetter Powers: 
  Sera’s Staff: This staff is treated as a +1/+1 ghost 
  touch weapon when used against Sera. It has no 
  special qualities against any other incorporeal. 
  Sera’s Spellbook: Any arcane spell cast by the 
  hero that has the spellbook in their possession is 
  cast at level +2, but only if it directly targets Sera. 
  Additionally, Sera’s SR is reduced to (10 + APL) 
  against the holder of the spellbook. 
  Sera’s Diary: Allows use of Bardic Music against 
  Sera. Additionally, it radiates a Bless effect at all 
  times it is being held. 
  Sera’s Shield/Holy Symbol:  Adds +2 to the level 
  of any divine spell cast by the hero that strongly 
  presents the symbol, but only if it directly targets 
  Sera. Additionally, Sera’s SR is (10 + APL) 
  against the holder of the symbol. It is important to 
  note that using this holy symbol will cause a crisis 
  of faith for any PC cleric who uses this and does 
  not worship a member of the Suel pantheon.  
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  All APLs (Untiered) 
  Countess Sera Linth, female banshee: see 
  Appendix C. The banshee will have a number of 
  hit points equal to (APL x 10). 
  Tactics: Sera is interested only in dancing with 
  Hannah, and will do so to the exclusion of all other 
  events until a hero successfully harms her or has 
  a successful spell effect against her. At that point, 
  Sera will use her next action to wail, then her 
  horrific appearance, then fall into hand to hand 
  against the heroes that are doing the most 
  damage to her. If a full round passes with no hero 
  affecting Sera, she will return to dancing with 
  Hannah. 
  Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES will Sera fight 
  through the walls or the floor. Her main goal is 
  Hannah, and the Nethernight will force her back to 
  her task. 
  Hannah is frail and weak from her repeated 
  dances with Sera. Every round that Sera dances 
  uninterrupted with Hannah, she will lose ¼ of her 
  Constitution. If Sera dances with Hannah for four 
  rounds, Hannah will die and Sera will laugh and 
  disappear. 
  Conclusion 
  Conclusion A: A House Decimated 
  The Heroes receive this conclusion if they fail to 
  save Hannah from Sera. 
  You can only watch in terror as the shade of 
  Sera Linth latches onto the vibrant young form 
  of Hannah Linth and proceeds in a manic 
  dance. Hannah screams and wails, but to no 
  avail. With a sickening plop, Hannah is 
  absorbed into the form of Sera. Her flesh melts 
  from her face as she screams, but no sound 
  emanates from Sera’s shell. Horribly, Sera’s 
  form grows more and more solid, and finally 
  takes on full opacity.  
  With a shudder, Sera Linth draws breath and 
  disappears with a flash. In her place lies the 
  shriveled form of Hannah, lifeless in the fetal 
  position. 
  The news quickly travels the countryside. With 
  no clear immediate heir to the Earldom, civil 
  war beckons. Anti-Suel elements quickly start 
  organizing against the hated Suel Knights of 
  the Watch and within a few days the sky is 
  filled with vultures, preparing to feast. 
  What a meal it will be. 
  The heroes valiant efforts will not receive as much 
  reward as they may have. Although they receive 
  no monetary reward or loot, they will receive the 
  Invitation to Join the Shadowdark (if applicable), 
  and access to Silver Bell and Lionward. 
  Conclusion B: A House Divided 
  The Heroes receive this conclusion if they 
  succeeded at rescuing Hannah from Sera. 
  Screaming, you send the shade of Sera Linth 
  down 
  beyond 
  the 
  spheres 
  of 
  mortal 
  understanding. As she falls away, Hannah 
  Linth regains her color and her vitality. 
  Cognizance returns to Hannah’s eyes and she 
  sees the crumpled forms of her mother and 
  father. With barely a whimper, she collapses 
  unconscious. 
  At the end of that Tenday, you stand as an 
  honor guard in Niole Dra, saviors of Hannah 
  Linth. You are lauded as heroes and gifted by 
  the nobility of the land. You are accorded a 
  position of honor as you watch Hannah Linth 
  approach the Lion Throne and King Kimbertos 
  Skotti. 
  Dressed in a pure white dress with white 
  gloves and a white train, Hannah looks almost 
  the part of a bride. The only ornamentation she 
  wears is a darkly beautiful obsidian necklace 
  studded with tiny black opals – her father’s. 
  She kneels before King Kimbertos Skotti and 
  is ascended to the throne of Linth.  
  The tales quickly circulate. Hannah Linth will 
  not seek a consort until her lands are 
  stabilized. As she has put it, 
  “I am married to the land - and to my people.” 
  The new Countess of Linth rewards the heroes 
  that saved her life with gold and gems (enough to 
  reach the gp maximum by APL for each PC) as 
  well as the Favor of House Linth item. The PCs 
  gain access to the Invitation to Join the 
  Shadowdark (if applicable) and Silver Bell and 
  Lionward as well. 
  The End 
  Experience Point Summary 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up 
  the values for the objectives accomplished. Then 
  assign the experience award.  Award the total 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 24 
  
   
  value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each 
  character. 
  Encounter Three 
  Avoiding/disabling the trap in the Shrine (Area 3): 
   
  APL 4 – 150 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 210 xp. 
   
  APL 8 – 270 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 330 xp. 
   
  APL 12 – 390 xp. 
  Avoiding/disabling the fireball traps in the Crypt 
  (Area 36) (award per trap): 
   
  APL 4 – 150 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 210 xp. 
   
  APL 8 – 270 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 330 xp. 
   
  APL 12 – 390 xp. 
  Encounter Six 
  Defeating the banshee 
   
  APL 4 – 180 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 240 xp. 
   
  APL 8 – 300 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 360 xp. 
   
  APL 12 – 420 xp. 
  Story Award 
  Saving Hannah Linth 
   
  APL 4 – 135 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 180 xp. 
   
  APL 8 – 225 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 270 xp. 
   
  APL 12 – 315 xp. 
  Total Possible Experience 
   
  APL 4 – 675 xp. 
   
  APL 6 – 900 xp. 
   
  APL 8 – 1125 xp. 
   
  APL 10 – 1350 xp. 
   
  APL 12 – 1575 xp. 
  Treasure Summary 
  During an adventure, characters come upon 
  treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their 
  foes.  Every encounter that features treasure has a 
  “treasure” section within the encounter description, 
  giving information about the loot, coins, and magic 
  items that make up the encounter’s treasure. 
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if the foes are plundered of all their 
  earthly possessions.  Looting the bodies takes at 
  least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the 
  characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, 
  they do not gain this gold.  If you feel it is 
  reasonable that characters can go back to loot the 
  bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted 
  off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the 
  scene by the local watch, and so on), characters 
  may return to retrieve loot.  If the characters do not 
  loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is 
  subtracted from the encounter totals given below. 
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if they take the coin available.  A 
  normal adventuring party can usually gather this 
  wealth in a round or so.  If for some reason, they 
  pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted 
  from the encounter totals given below. 
  Next, the magic items are listed.  Magic item 
  treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they 
  are varied and because characters may want to use 
  them during the adventure.  Many times characters 
  must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell 
  to determine what the item does and how to 
  activate it.  In the case of potions, they may use 
  Spellcraft to identify them.  Other times they may 
  attempt to use the item blindly.  If the magic item is 
  consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and 
  the item is used before the end of the adventure, its 
  total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. 
  Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed 
  treasure from each encounter add it up and that is 
  the number of gold pieces a characters total and 
  coin value increase at the end of the adventure.  
  Write the total in the GP Gained field of the 
  adventure certificate.  Because this is a Regional 
  scenario, characters may spend additional Time 
  Units to practice professions or create items 
  immediately after the adventure so this total may be 
  modified by other circumstances. 
  L:  Looted gear from enemy 
  C:  Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables 
  M:  Magic Items (sell value)  
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
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  Conclusion B: 
   
  APL 4: L: 0 gp; C: 650 gp; M: 0 gp. 
   
  APL 6: L: 0 gp; C: 900 gp; M: 0 gp. 
   
  APL 8: L: 0 gp; C: 1300 gp; M: 0 gp. 
   
  APL 10: L: 0 gp; C: 2300 gp; M: 0 gp. 
   
  APL 12: L: 0 gp; C: 3300 gp; M: 0 gp. 
  Total Possible Treasure (Maximum Reward 
  Allowed) 
   
  APL 4: L: 0 gp; C: 650 gp; M: 0 gp. 
   
  APL 6: L: 0 gp; C: 900 gp; M: 0 gp. 
   
  APL 8: L: 0 gp; C: 1300 gp; M: 0 gp. 
   
  APL 10: L: 0 gp; C: 2300 gp; M: 0 gp. 
   
  APL 12: L: 0 gp; C: 3300 gp; M: 0 gp. 
  Special 
  “A Crutch Sacrificed” 
  This character has given of themselves, and 
  through their selfless actions saved Hannah Linth 
  from a fate worse than death. Some unknown 
  source smiles upon this character, and he or she 
  has learned to rely upon themselves fully. For one 
  year following the real-world date that this 
  adventure was played, this character may, once 
  per module, add a +2 luck bonus to any one 
  saving throw they are about to make. The use of 
  this ability must be declared before any dice are 
  rolled. This only applies to the character who 
  sacrificed a crutch to the statue of Sera Linth. 
  Favor of the House of Linth 
  Your efforts at aiding the House of Linth in their 
  time of need have not gone unnoticed. Lady 
  Hannah will use her considerable influence and 
  that of her family to find and procure an item of 
  value for the PC in question. For every Favor of 
  the House of Linth and/or Favor of Lucius, Earl of 
  Linth expended at the end of any module, the PC 
  may buy (Access: Any) any single item listed in 
  the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The item may be 
  chosen from DMG Tables 7-7. 7-8, 7-16, 7-18, 7-
  25, 7-27, 7-28 or 7-29 ONLY. Magical ammunition 
  of any sort is excluded. The maximum value of the 
  item chosen is equal to the sum of the expended 
  Favors times the character level of the PC at the 
  time it is expended times 500 gp. 
  Thus, an 11th level PC that played KEO3-03 Will of 
  the People and KEO4-05 A Last Dance at 
  Midnight and earned both Favors could purchase 
  any single item, excluding magical ammunition, 
  and limited to one of the tables noted above, of a 
  value less than or equal to 11,000 gp. PCs may 
  expend favors individually to gain access to more 
  than one (but less valuable) item. PCs may not 
  “pool” favors or expend a favor on behalf of 
  another PC. Place an “X” through these Favors 
  when they are expended. 
  Invitation to Join the Shadowdark 
  If the PC has earned both the Favor of the 
  Shadowdark Guildmistress and the Favor of the 
  House of Linth, the PC may join this most 
  notorious of thieves’ guilds. At the end of any 
  Keoland regional adventure, the PC may elect to 
  expend 6 TUs (expenditure of the prerequisite 
  favors is not required) to be inducted into the guild. 
  The PC must pay 4 TU each additional year of 
  membership. You may not currently be a member 
  of a thieves’ guild when you pay these TUs, nor 
  may you subsequently join another thieves’ guild 
  while you are a member. Should you join the 
  Shadowdark and then leave without permission 
  (granted out-of-game by the Keoland Triad) your 
  PC is marked for death. 
  This guild of thieves operates exclusively out of 
  the Earldom (now County) of Linth. PCs that join 
  the organization begin initially as Apprentices, and 
  gain the following benefits: 
  Access to the following Prestige Classes: Dread 
  Pirate (actually Privateer, thanks to the influence 
  of the Guildmistress with the Keoish admiralty), 
  Spymaster. 
  Additionally, 
  membership 
  in 
  the 
  Shadowdark fufills the special prerequisite of the 
  Thief-Acrobat prestige class. 
  Access (Regional) to the following items from 
  Arms & Equipment Guide: Ascender/slider, bolt 
  cutters, earplugs, elven rope, false book, finger 
  blades, glass cutter, gnome crossbow sight, 
  grappling hook (collapsible), grappling ladder, 
  hacksaw, housebreaker harness, jeweler’s loupe, 
  knife vest, magnet (small), marbles, periscope, 
  quiver scabbard, sheaths (boot and wrist), silent 
  shoes, smuggler’s boots, sparker, spider poles, 
  and thieving helmet. 
  Access (Regional) to some Shadowdark-specific 
  equipment: 
  “Breakers” 
  (favored 
  by 
  the 
  Guildmistress, six of these shuriken cost as much 
  as masterwork thief’s tools and combine the 
  functions of both items),  and their reversible 
  skeletal bodysuits (makes the wearer look like a 
  skeleton in poor lighting; when reversed, functions 
  as a black bodysuit from Arms & Equipment 
  Guide). 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 26 
  
   
  Items for the Adventure 
  Record 
  You may be called upon to perform special tasks 
  in the course of certain Keoland regional, and you 
  are 
  expected 
  to 
  report 
  all 
  information 
  of 
  importance to the guild back to your superiors. To 
  leave the guild or betray its secrets is to be 
  marked 
  for 
  death. 
  Membership 
  may 
  have 
  additional benefits – or drawbacks – in the future. 
  Chances to advance in rank in this organization 
  will be made available in the future. 
  Item Access 
  APL 4-12: 
  � Lionward (Regional; see above) 
  � Silver Bell (Regional; see above) 
   
   
   
  New members should notify the Keoland Triad of 
  their joining this organization. 
  “Lionward” 
  This +2 heavy steel shield is an heirloom of 
  Keoland’s House of Linth. It bears the Linth 
  family crest upon it, a lion with a unicorn's horn. 
  The wielder of Lionward receives a +4 morale 
  bonus to saving throws against fear effects. 
  For purposes of additional weapon upgrades, 
  Lionward is considered to be a +3 weapon, with 
  subsequent upgrades possibly adding to this 
  level as usual. 
  Faint abjuration; CL: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic 
  Arms and Armor, remove fear. Market Price: 9170 
  gp; Weight: 15 lbs. 
   “Silver Bell” 
  This +1 ghost touch longsword is the ancestral 
  sword of House Linth in Keoland. Carried by the 
  paladin Averyn Linth, he has seen fit to make it 
  yours for saving the life of Hannah Linth. He asks 
  only a donation equal to its value to the Church of 
  Rao on behalf of the starving masses of Linth. (In 
  game terms, the PC must pay for the item; it is not 
  gifted outright.) 
  You may upgrade this weapon (Access: Regional) 
  with any of the following enhancements, as the 
  Linth family uses its considerable influence in the 
  Kingdom to arrange it: Bane (undead only), 
  merciful, and spell storing. 
  When within 60' of any undead, this weapon 
  makes noise that sounds like wind blowing 
  through wind chimes. While Silver Bell need not 
  be in hand, the weapon must have line of effect to 
  the undead to have this take place. This effect can 
  be suppressed with a free action by the wielder. 
  Moderate conjuration; CL: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft 
  Magic Arms and Armor, detect undead, plane 
  shift. Market Price: 9000 gp; Weight: 3 lbs. 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 27 
  
   
  Appendix A: 
  Members of the House of Linth 
  Earl Lucius Linth 
  Description: The Earl is dressed in magnificent, almost decadent, robes made of the sheerest 
  silk of different hues of silver and black not sewn, but woven, in a lattice-like fashion. The Earl is 
  Suel, in his mid-fifties, and is somewhat portly. He has piercing blue eyes. A single silver circlet 
  holds his wispy blond hair neatly in place. He wears little jewelry, but the pieces that you see 
  appear to be of great value. The most notable is an amulet of dark beauty, made of obsidian 
  and studded with tiny black opals. 
  What he knows: That his daughter is slowly dying, and that she is his only direct heir. Without 
  her, the lands would be ripe for anti-suel rebels to cause strife. His sister has recently found an 
  old spellbook and is studying it, but it is nothing more than the latest in her dabblings. Antoinetta 
  lusts for power, but will never have any in this family. 
  What he will tell the heroes: Anything that will save the life of his daughter. 
  What he wants: The safety of his daughter and the continuation of his line. 
   
  Countess Katarina Linth 
  Description: The Countess is a timid looking and fragile woman. She has long wispy blonde 
  hair usually worn up in a tight spiral and watery blue eyes. She wears a holy symbol of Wee Jas 
  around her neck. 
  What she knows: The Countess has been seeing some of the spirits that have been dredged 
  up by the Nethernight as of late, including Countess Sera. She recognizes Sera from the 
  statuary and fears for the life of Hannah. She knows that Antoinetta has been spending a lot of 
  time in the library, and is starting to think that she and Lucius are carrying on an affair. She 
  fears for her life. She knows Sera’s Crypt is on the fourth floor and will admit to having heard 
  noises coming from there in recent weeks. 
  She also knows that Sera’s fetters can offer the heroes some protection from her, but can only 
  point them towards her crypt as a possible starting point to look. She knows about the holy 
  symbol in the shrine but is unaware that it is a fetter. She knows the answer to the shrine riddle. 
  If the heroes are stumped about the location of the fetters, or what the fetters do, Katarina will 
  clue the heroes in as to the possibility of the fetters and the fact that there might be a restless 
  undead spirit causing the troubles. 
  What she will tell the heroes: Anything and everything. Katarina is a bit unhinged, prone to fits 
  of mumbling and rocking back and forth uncontrollably.  
  What she wants: The safety of her daughter and nothing more. 
   
  Lady Antoinetta Linth 
  Description: A woman of middling height, Antoinetta is strikingly beautiful, with dark hair and 
  eyes. She moves with sensuality and grace, and the stride of a predator.  
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 28 
  
   
  What she knows: Hannah is beset by the ghost of Sera Linth. Antoinetta has found Sera’s 
  spellbook and studies it so that she may gain the same power Sera had. She also knows that 
  Sera is entombed on the fourth floor and that the crypt was recently disturbed, but not by whom. 
  While praying to Wee Jas, she has seen the holy symbol embedded in the altar suddenly shed 
  light and then shed darkness. She knows that the holy symbol releases from the altar, but has 
  been unable to release it herself.  
  What she will tell the heroes: Next to nothing. She will laugh away their questions, playing 
  them off, since she is only a guest here. If questioning gets too serious, she will attempt to 
  deflect the questions by making advances on the person (male or female) who is applying the 
  most pressure to her. She will offer to answer questions in private to allay any suspicions.  
  What she wants: Sera’s power, Lucius’ love, and the Linth throne. In any order. Hannah’s got 
  to die, and these heroes could be trouble. 
   
  Lord Averyn Linth 
  Description: Suel, clean-shaven, with pale skin and light hair. He is dressed in a suit of plate 
  and wears a tabard across his armor bearing a coat of arms of the House of Linth. He is in his 
  middle Twenties, with a wiry build and handsome features. 
  What he knows: That something evil occasionally stalks the halls of Linth Manor. He has never 
  seen this evil, but he has felt its presence several times. He believes that some kind of spirit 
  threatens Hannah, despite Earl Lucius’ protests. He has a premonition that something horrible 
  is going to happen in the foyer, and so he has taken to carrying the ancestral sword of House 
  Linth at all times and lingering there. 
  What he will tell the heroes: Anything, though he knows little. 
  What he wants: For the evil that haunts the manse to be stopped. 
   
  Lady Hannah Linth 
  Description: A young wisp of a sixteen year old girl, Hannah is truly sweet and beautiful 
  looking. Fine blonde hair hangs to her shoulders, and her face is lightly freckled. Her eyes are 
  blue, and often appear bloodshot. Her fet and ankles are deeply scarred from her midnight 
  dancing. 
  What she knows: She sees the ghosts of her family calling her. She dances with a woman 
  every other night, but can never remember anything afterward. She knows that she is more and 
  more tired, and every night she dances she sleeps longer the next day. 
  What she will tell the Heroes: Nothing of value. She’s frightened, spoiled and rich.  
  What she wants: For all this to stop - and maybe to find a nice dalliance in the process. 
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 29 
  
   
  Appendix B: New Rules 
  New Monsters 
  Banshee (as presented in the Monster Manual II) 
   
  Medium-Size Undead (Incorporeal) 
  Hit Dice: 26d12 (169 hp) 
  Initiative: +7 
  Speed: Fly 80 ft. (good) 
  AC: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 deflection), touch 16, flat-footed 13 
  Attacks: Incorporeal touch +16 melee 
  Damage: Incorporeal touch 1d8/19-20 plus 1d4 Charisma drain 
  Face/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft. 
  Special Attacks: Charisma drain, horrific appearance, wail 
  Special Qualities: Detect living, incorporeal subtype, SR 28, stunt plants, undead traits 
  Saves: Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +19 
  Abilities: Str --, Dex 17, Con --, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 17 
  Skills: Balance +5, Hide +32, Jump +2, Knowledge (nature) +32, Knowledge (religion) +32, Listen +33, 
  Search +32, Spot 33, Tumble +32 
  Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fighting, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Critical 
  (incorporeal touch), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Spring Attack 
   
  Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground 
  Organization: Solitary, pair or brood (3-4) 
  Challenge Rating: 17 
  Treasure: Double standard 
  Alignment: Usually neutral evil 
  Advancement: 27-52 HD (Medium-size) 
  A banshee is the spirit of a strong-willed, selfish individual of a humanoid race. Because of its rage at the 
  loss of its own life, it delights in bringing death to any living creature it encounters. 
  This creature appears as a translucent image of the form it held in life. With the passage of time, the 
  banshee’s image tends to become blurred and indistinct, though the creature remains recognizable as a 
  humanoid. 
  The very presence of a banshee creates a pall over the landscape. Its ability to stunt the growth of plants 
  combined with its deadly wail eventually reduces the surrounding territory to blasted heath and 
  wasteland. Largely for this reason, many cultures consider a sudden blight upon the land to be an omen 
  of death. 
  A banshee speaks the languages that it knew in life. 
  Combat 
  Banshees hate all living things with an unholy fury, and they readily attack anyone foolish enough to 
  trespass within their territories. A banshee typically uses its horrific appearance to drive off less powerful 
  foes, then employs its howling wail one or more times to damage any intruders that remain. Finally, it 
  finishes off intruders with its Charisma drain in melee. If overmatched, the creature flees into the earth, 
  into a grave-like lair that it maintains beneath the surface. 
   
  Charisma Drain (Su): Any individual struck by a banshee must make a Fortitude save (DC 26) or 
  permanently lose 1d4 points of Charisma (or 2d4 points on a critical hit). The banshee heals 5 points of 
  damage (10 on a critical hit) whenever it drains Charisma, gaining any excess as temporary hit points. 
   
  Horrific Appearance (Su): Any living creature within 60 feet that views a banshee must make a 
  successful Fortitude save (DC 26) or permanently lose 1d4 points of Strength, 1d4 points of Dexterity and 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 30 
  
   
  1d4 points of Constitution. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected again 
  by the same banshee’s horrific appearance for 24 hours. 
   
  Wail (Su): During the night, a banshee can loose a deadly wail. This attack can slay up to eighteen 
  living creatures within a 30-foot spread centered on the banshee, or within a 60 foot cone extending from 
  the banshee, at the creature’s option. A successful Fortitude save (DC 26) negates this effect. Once a 
  banshee wails, it must wait 1d4 rounds before it can do so again, and it can wail no more than three times 
  per day. 
   
  Detect Living (Sp): This natural ability functions like the commune with nature spell, except that it 
  detects only living creatures and the range is one-half mile. The banshee can use detect living up to three 
  times per day. 
   
  Incorporeal Subtype: A banshee can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better 
  magic weapons, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. The creature has a 50% chance to 
  ignore any damage from a corporeal source, except for force effects or attacks made with ghost touch 
  weapons. A banshee can pass through solid objects, but not force effects, at will. Its attacks ignore 
  natural armor, armor and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects work normally against them. A 
  banshee always moves silently and cannot be heard with a Listen check if it does not wish to be. 
   
  Stunt Plants (Su): Once per day, a banshee can stunt all normal plants within a one-half mile radius. 
  This ability otherwise functions like the stunt version of a diminish plants spell (caster level 18th). 
   
  Undead Traits: A banshee is immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, 
  disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also 
  works on objects. It is not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death 
  from massive damage. A banshee cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. The 
  creature has darkvision (60 ft. range). 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 31 
  
   
  Player Handout One 
   
   
  Attention Adventurers! 
   
  The Lion Throne calls out for your aid! The Earldom of 
  Linth requires those stout of heart and strong of back 
  to guide grain shipments to the city of Dredstadt. 
  Prestige and rewards will be yours upon successful 
  completion. Those interested should report to any 
  captain of the guard in Niole Dra for assignment. 
   
  Via Virtus! 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 32 
  
   
  Player Handout Two 
   
  Brother,  
   
  Your orders are as follows: 
   
  You are to travel to Niole Dra with all due haste and 
  report to Charitable Jackal Sigmund Volson, where 
  you will travel with a grain caravan to the city of 
  Dredstadt. The blight that has struck the Earldom of 
  Linth has pushed our brethren within the Earldom 
  beyond their limits to render aid. As such, it is vital 
  that your caravan suffer no ill events. Remember that 
  the lives of many people are at stake. Protect the 
  people and the Earl at all costs. 
   
  In Arms, 
  Loyal Banshee Lugh Narthistle 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 33 
  
   
  Player Handout Three 
  Excerpts from the journal of Countess Sera Linth 
   
  …The Keogh spread across my family’s lands like a plague. I have watched since 
  the days of my youth as they whittle and whittle at our fortunes. We lose status 
  at court, reduced to a minor house, and these filthy beggars are to blame. By 
  Dalt, I will find the key to reversing our fortunes. I will make them pay, and they 
  will kiss my feet for it. 
  I have left the clericy of Wee Jas. I am finding the binding of the Gods to be 
  too restrictive. I still pay homage to the dread lady, but my holy symbol no longer 
  adorns my chest. 
   
  (Several Pages Later) 
   
  My training in the Art progresses well. Magister Henren says he has never 
  seen a student progress through the mundane work as quickly as I have. He has 
  no idea what drives me.  
   
  (Several Pages Later) 
   
  …Cleaning Henren’s library, I found the diary of one of the Red Lion mages, a 
  court wizard of some type I’ve never heard of. It started off lucidly but devolved 
  into rambling rather quickly. “Gold beyond counting” exists in a sealed crypt 
  near Niole Dra, but it is filled with demons and their worshippers… 
   
  …Believe I’ve located the crypt. Already preparations are underway to mount a 
  small expedition. 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 34 
  
   
   
  (Several Pages Later) 
   
  …Found the crypt, as described. The Red Lion mage had sealed the entrance, 
  but I was able to use his notes to dispel the warding. Inside were the animated 
  remains of some type of cultist. They had unholy symbols of some serpent god. 
  The diety must have been busy when I opened the tomb, because his minions 
  were destroyed easily enough by my summoned elementals. More worrisome 
  was the she-devil they had managed to trap inside with them. Fortunately I won 
  out, and my servants have returned the treasures in the crypt to my estates. 
  There are many tomes I have recovered that bear studying, and the most 
  unusual necklace. It radiates the most powerful magic I have ever felt, and I 
  cannot fathom its purpose. 
   
  (Several Pages Later) 
   
  Success! My laborious translation of the tomes from the crypt has bone fruit. I 
  have discovered a powerful spell which I believe I can use to cause a plague 
  upon the Keogh parasites. The land will grow fallow and their flesh will rot on 
  their bones. I will let them die by the thousands, and then I will save them only to 
  become their master.  
   
  Vengeance is a dish best served cold. 
   
  (Several Pages Later) 
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 35 
  
   
  The spell is cast. The drain was more than I could bear. This buzzing in my 
  head will not cease. Have I gone too far? No. No, I must doubt now. Is that a 
  voice? 
   
  (Several Pages Later) 
   
  Our strength has returned, but slowly. The Keogh bodies pile up and the 
  Epidemic spreads. The King searches for an answer, but only we have it. 
  Tomorrow we will meet with a council and we will offer the cure. 
   
  (Several Pages Later) 
   
  We are victorious! The Keogh have sworn fealty to us. In the setting sun of our 
  own hall we received the parasites and we took their oaths as they offered us 
  their most important possessions as tribute. Farmers gave tools, scholars gave 
  pen and ink, and the holy men gave their icons. Symbolic and petty, yes, but 
  they need to know that they only thing they need is us. 
   
  The plague recedes and they bless us. We are at peace. 
   
  (Several Pages Later) 
   
  We are unable to think. Sleep eludes us. Our thoughts are jumbled. Baron 
  Prisper of Dylwitch has sent his regards, and invited us to stay there for a spell. 
  Perhaps the burden of leading has gotten to us. We have accepted his offer. 
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 36 
  
   
  (Several Pages Later) 
   
  It is lovely here, and we wish we had come earlier. Something vexes us, however. 
  We have sent several letters to Linth, requesting our spellbook, staff and holy 
  necklace of Wee Jas. Nothing has arrived. Do they not understand how 
  important these things are to us? We will flay the skin from their bones and make 
  a fine stew after we return.  
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 37 
  
   
  Player Handout Four 
  From The Reconstruction of Linth Manor 
   
  …and after the death of the countess, her cousin 
  Rena, druid of the Hool, saw fit to remake sections 
  of the manor. The room that became her prize was 
  the room where the countess studied her magics 
  long and hard. Thus it was that the circles were 
  returned to the natural order, and balance 
  restored on the grounds of the manse.  
   
  After that day, never again did a creature of 
  Infernal origin trouble the manse. Rena’s wards 
  were such that the magic of these creatures were 
  unable to penetrate into our realm.  
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 38 
  
   
  Player Handout Five 
   
  The following is from a primer of the Linth family histories. 
   
  “…the dark times our family underwent were reversed through the persistence and 
  might of one woman, Countess Sera Linth, Defender of the Throne and Shield of 
  Linth. It was she that bent her powers to defeating the Emerald Pox that was laying 
  waste to the lands. The people were so overjoyed that they pledged fealty to her 
  and her family forever more. The Linth family was escalated back to a place of 
  honor near the right hand of the Lion Throne.  
   
  Whispers of marriage with house Neheli passed around during those times, but 
  they never came to be. It was feared that the Linth family would grow too strong 
  and attempt to wrest the throne from the monarchs, but we are an honorable family, 
  and we know that the right paw of the Lion is as feared as the maw.” 
   
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 39 
  
   
  Player Handout Six 
   
  The following is from a small volume of the Linth family histories. 
   
  “…One of the greatest tragedies to befall our family came that dark day which 
  became known as the Night of Long Lances. A Knight of the Watch was invited 
  into our manse, and he came with humility and respect, but he also came with 
  malice and treachery.  
   
  The young Knight, a filthy Oerdian by birth, entered our estate and kneeled before 
  his lord and master. He said the correct words, mouthed the platitudes, biding his 
  time. Finally, he was introduced to the rest of the family, including the young Lady 
  Amber, who was to be Countess. 
   
  Filled by whatever betrayal his gods demanded, the Knight bowed to the firstborn 
  daughter, drew his greatsword and struck her head from her shoulders with a single 
  blow. She died on the stairs of our manse, and her blood has never come clean.  
   
  Enraged, the house guard swept out into the lands and began the slaughter of the 
  Oerdians. Hundreds died that night, in an act of vengeance. Since that day, all 
  Knights of the Watch serving within the borders of Linth have been Suel.  
   
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 40 
  
   
  Player Handout Seven 
  The Prophecy of Azmarender 
  This work is hastily written and in a cramped hand. 
   
  In a dark house stained with Oeridian blood 
  Two women carry the fate of the valley 
  The first by hate, consumed and was consumed 
  Beneath the fields, from a devil’s womb 
  From within the darkness, it is darker still 
  She brought the artifact that sealed her doom 
  A curse was placed upon her house 
  The next Countess will slay the Lion 
  She brings the Empire to ruin and flame 
  Keogh against Suel, peasant against lord 
  The curse ends only with the house. 
  Some notes in a more relaxed script follows: 
  Milo Astra – Renegade Knight of the Watch and would-be killer of Estren the 
  Minstrel. Prophecy seems to relate to our family. But how did Milo simply walk 
  away from the Knighthood? How did he know about an ancient prophecy of the 
  Knights’ founder when he was a turncoat-turned-assassin? And why is it that 
  even Lugh tells me he knows nothing of the man? I hope Astra enjoys his new 
  place of honor in our home… 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 41 
  
   
  Player Handout Eight 
  The History of the Red Knight, Venomous Adder Nils Perris 
  As told in A Young Linth’s Primer 
   
  …And the Red Knight Nils Perris, Venomous Adder in the 
  Knights of the Watch, returned from his quest to slay the One-
  Eyed Drearbeast Kellen. Laden with jewels and gold from the 
  beasts’ lair, and also with a dark blade of mysterious origin, he 
  passed through Niole Dra, where he learned of the illness of the 
  Earl of Linth. 
   
  Moved by forces he did not understand, the knight traveled to 
  the Linth manse. In an act of betrayal, he struck down the 
  daughter of the Earl with the sword named Kinstealer….
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 42 
  
   
  Appendix A: NPC Location Grid 
  (Note: Subject to change based on PC actions) 
   
  TIME 
  Lucius 
  Katarina 
  Antoinetta 
  Averyn 
  Hannah 
  Celestina 
  Harlan the 
  Chamberlain 
  Winfred 
  the Butler 
  Elias 
  the Chef 
  6PM 
   
  SUNSET 
  His Study 
  Master 
  Bedroom 
  Her bedroom 
  Parlor 
  Her 
  Bedchamber 
  Her 
  Bedchamber 
   
  Exterior 
  grounds 
  Kitchen 
  6:15 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  6:30 
  Observatory 
   
  Library 
   
   
   
  Kitchen, 
  cleaning 
   
   
  6:45 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  7PM 
  Antoinetta’s 
  Bedchamber 
   
  Her 
  Bedchamber 
   
  Library 
  Kitchen, 
  Cleaning 
   
   
   
  7:15 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  7:30 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Pantry 
  7:45 
  Master 
  Bedchamber 
   
  Library – 
  Sees 
  Maressa and 
  leaves 
   
   
   
   
  Grand 
  Ballroom 
   
  8PM 
   
  Shrine 
  Atrium 
   
   
  Guest 
  Bedchambers, 
  Cleaning 
  Guest 
  Bedchambers, 
  cleaning 
   
   
  8:15 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  8:30 
  Atrium 
  Master 
  Bedchamber 
   
  Exterior 
  Grounds – 
  Notices 
  Guards are 
  all gone. 
  Finds Lucius 
  and alerts 
  him. 
  Her 
  Bedchamber 
   
   
   
  His 
  bedroom 
  8:45 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  His 
  Bedroom 
   
  9PM 
   
  Library 
   
  Grand 
  Ballroom 
  Grand 
  Ballroom 
   
   
   
   
  9:15 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  9:30 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  9:45 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  10PM 
   
  Master 
  Bedchamber 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  10:15 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  10:30 
  Responding 
  to Hannah 
   
  Responding 
  to Hannah 
  Responding 
  to Hannah 
  Her 
  Bedchamber. 
  Screams as 
  her animals 
  animate. 
  Responding to 
  Hannah 
  Responding to 
  Hannah 
   
   
  10:45 
   
   
   
   
   
  Cleaning 
  Hannah’s 
  Bedchamber 
  Cleaning 
  Hannah’s 
  Bedchamber 
   
   
  11PM 
  Master 
  Bedchamber 
   
  Her 
  Bedchamber 
  Parlor 
  Parlor, 
  staying near 
  Averyn 
   
   
   
   
  11:15 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  11:30 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  11:45 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Midnight! 
  Grand 
  Ballroom 
  Grand 
  Ballroom 
  Grand 
  Ballroom 
  Grand 
  Ballroom 
  Grand 
  Ballroom 
  Fleeing the 
  Manse 
  Fleeing the 
  Manse 
  Fleeing the 
  Manse 
  Fleeing 
  the 
  Manse 
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 43 
  
   
  Appendix B: Maps (Distribute to players) 
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 44 
  
   
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 45 
  
   
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 46 
  
   
   
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 47 
  
   
  Appendix C 
  Common divination questions and answers 
   
  Is Hannah Linth possessed? No. (She isn’t at present; a question asking if she has been possessed while 
  dancing will return a “Yes.” 
   
  Is Hannah Linth associated with the Prophecy of Azmarender? Yes. 
   
  Is Hannah Linth one of the women mentioned in the Prophecy of Azmarender? Yes. 
   
  Is the artifact mentioned in the Prophecy of Azmarender here within the Manse? No answer. (Remember 
  that the Nethernight cancels divination spells relating to itself) 
   
  Will Hannah Linth die at midnight? Possibly. (This depends wholly on the actions of the PCs.) 
   
  Is Hannah Linth cursed? No. (She hasn’t taken possession of the Nethernight as yet. If the same 
  question is posed with regards to Lucius, the answer will be “Yes.” If a subsequent question asks what is 
  the cause of his possession, the answer will be “No Repy” – the Nethernight again shielding itself.) 
   
  Is the “lion” mentioned in the Prophecy King Kimbertos Skotti? No. 
    
  Is Hannah Linth’s condition tied to the blight? No. 
   
  Will curing Hannah Linth end the blight? No. 
   
  Is Maressa Linth / Antoinetta Linth / Katarina Linth one of the women mentioned in the Prophecy of 
  Azmarender? No. 
   
  Must all of House Linth die to end the curse? No. 
   
  Is Hannah speaking to anyone besides herself? Yes. 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 48 
  
   
  Critical Event Summary (MEPACon Fall 2004) 
  Please complete and return to the Keoland Triad ASAP. 
   
  Did the PCs manage to save Hannah Linth? If not, and she was not slain by the banshee, please 
  elaborate as to the reason for her demise. 
   
   
   
  Which of the following Fetters (if any) were recovered by the PCs? (Circle all that apply) 
  Holy Symbol 
   
  Journal  
   
  Spellbook 
   
  Staff 
   
   
   
  Did any of the PCs use Kinstealer in combat? 
   
   
   
  In your estimation, did the PCs recover all, most, some or none of the “dirty laundry” available about 
  House Linth in the module (journal entries, NPC interrogation, etc). (Circle one of the bolded words) 
   
   
   
  Were any PCs at the table members of the Knights of the Watch, Knights of the Malagari (Darkwatch) or 
  Knights of the March? If so, please list their player name, character name, RPGA #, and the player’s 
  home region (i.e. to what region’s Triad are they were or are turning their Reporting Forms). 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight 
   
  Page 49 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Keoland/594/Normal Scenarios/KEO4-05 - A Last Dance at Midnight (APL 4-12)/KEO4-05 - A Last Dance at Midnight.pdf