TEXT: 1
  FALLEN ANGEL
  A Short Adventure for Four 
  5th-Level Player Characters
  CREDITS
  Design:
  Ramon Arjona
  Editing:
  Penny Williams
  Typesetting:
  Nancy Walker
  Cartography:
  Rob Lazzaretti
  Web Production:
  Julia Martin
  Web Development:
  Mark A. Jindra
  Graphic Design:
  Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege
  Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game by E.
  Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet,
  Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
  D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned
  by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the
  Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses
  thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United
  States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the
  material or artwork contained herein 
  is prohibited without the express written permission of 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  ©2003 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. 
  Made in the U.S.A. 
  This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations,
  places, or events is purely coincidental.
  This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. 
  No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
  To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, 
  please visit www.wizards.com/d20.
  Fallen Angel is a short D&D adventure for four 5th-level
  player characters (PCs). Consult the Scaling the Adven-
  ture sidebar for ways to modify the scenario for higher
  or lower levels of play.
  This scenario can be incorporated into any style of
  campaign. It is set in Elton, an isolated hamlet that can
  easily be placed in a remote, hilly area of any campaign
  world.
  PREPARATION
  You (the DM) need the D&D core rulebooks, including
  the Player’s Handbook, the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide, and
  the Monster Manual. This adventure also uses creatures
  from Savage Species, but all information from that book
  needed to run the adventure has been provided here.
  You can place this adventure in any section of your
  campaign world that features a hilly area in which an
  isolated village might exist. Adapt the material given
  here as you see fit to make it work with your campaign. 
  To get started, print out this module (including the
  map). Familiarize yourself with the statistics for the
  insectile ogre and for the immature ogre mage and
  trumpet archon.
  ADVENTURE
  BACKGROUND
  Several weeks ago, a strange planar anomaly occurred,
  resulting in a rift that breached the very structure of
  the multiverse for a short time. This tear in the fabric of
  reality had numerous effects, one of which was the cre-
  ation of a short-term connection between the Seven
  Mounting Heavens of Celestia and the Material Plane. 
  On the night this anomaly occurred, a bright light
  appeared in the night sky above the small hamlet of
  Elton. The brilliant celestial event awakened the resi-
  dents of the village, who emerged from their dwellings
  to marvel at the new “star” in the sky—a star whose
  light seemed to bring feelings of peace and well-being
  to all who gazed upon it. Upon reaching the village
  common, the villagers found a young man, barely more
  than a boy, lying naked and shivering on the ground.
  Though he resembled an elf, there was an almost
  unearthly beauty about him. They asked him who he
  was, but his reply came in a musical tongue they had
  never heard before.
  This stranger was in fact an immature trumpet
  archon, barely an infant by the standards of his kind.
  The planar anomaly had ripped him from his home in
  
  2
  the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia and trans-
  ported him here. Afraid and confused, the young celes-
  tial knew neither where he was nor why he had been
  transported here. Who were these people dressed in
  such simple garb? Was this event a sign that he had
  erred in some way? Was he being denied the heavens
  because of some flaw in his nature? Or might this situa-
  tion be some sort of test of his purity?
  The people of Elton knew nothing of the stranger’s
  extraplanar nature, but they did understand that he was
  weak, cold, and in need of help. So they found clothes
  for him and provided him with food and shelter. Call-
  ing him “the gift of the star,” they accepted him into
  their community.
  Over the course of several weeks, the young man
  began to learn the language of his benefactors. Decid-
  ing that the celestial powers had placed him here for
  some reason, he accepted Elton as his new home and
  did his best to fit in. He told his benefactors only that
  his name was Arithel, deciding that it was best not to
  reveal his true origins.
  The young man’s presence proved a balm to the com-
  munity, and the residents of Elton began to remark on
  how happy they felt. Old quarrels with neighbors were
  forgotten when Arithel interjected a few calming
  words, and the villagers found peace and contentment
  in one another’s company.
  Meanwhile, sinister plans were afoot in the nearby
  hills. Some years ago, Brath the Greater, the leader of an
  ogre tribe in the nearby hills, began to perform breed-
  ing experiments tainted with dark magic upon his
  charges. The result was an unholy fusion of insect and
  ogre. Pleased with his success, Brath continued the
  experiment, hoping to build an army of these insectile
  ogres with which he could conquer the surrounding
  territory. The new ogres were highly industrious and
  worked diligently to alter their cavern home in the
  hills near Elton to their leader’s specifications. 
  On the night of the planar anomaly, Brath the
  Greater vanished from his home, sucked through a rift
  that appeared in the cavern wall. His son, Brath the
  Lesser, caught a brief glimpse of the realm into which
  his father had been pulled. Always a studious young-
  ster, he had read much about other planes and decided
  that the realm his father now occupied must be one of
  these. Unable to rescue his father (and disinclined to
  do so anyway, since he dearly wanted to assume leader-
  ship of the tribe), he decided to investigate the anomaly
  further and see whether any of its effects could be
  turned to his advantage. Creeping forth from the caves,
  he saw the “star” and decided to find out what had
  occurred just beneath it. He followed the light to Elton
  and took up a hidden position where he could see what
  transpired. He witnessed the boy’s adoption by the vil-
  lagers and heard his first words. Having heard the
  Celestial tongue before, when his father had angered a
  celestial, he recognized the language and decided that
  the boy must be a celestial—albeit a puny one—that
  had been torn from its home in the same manner that
  his father had.
  Realizing that a young celestial lay practically within
  his grasp, Brath hurried back to the caverns to make
  plans. His father’s magical tomes revealed that the tears
  and blood of an angel could be used to create powerful
  weapons of evil (see Book of Vile Darkness, page 117).
  With such weapons at their disposal, he and his tribe of
  insectile ogres might be a match for the humanoids of
  the area. He could reap the fruit of his father’s lifetime
  of labor and rule all the lands nearby himself! Thus, he
  became determined to kidnap the young celestial,
  extract as much useful material from him as possible,
  and then sacrifice him to a dark power. Such a sacrifice,
  he hoped, would grant him power and prestige far
  beyond that normally attainable by an ogre mage of his
  tender years.
  ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS
  Yesterday, Brath the Lesser led his insectile ogres in an
  attack on the village of Elton. The town was  plundered,
  but only one resident was carried off—Arithel. The sur-
  viving townsfolk are desperate, and they appeal to the
  PCs for aid. Surprisingly, however, they are more con-
  cerned about ensuring Arithel’s safe return than they
  are about getting their own possessions back.
  The PCs must find and penetrate the lair of the insec-
  tile ogres, fight their way past the guards in the caverns,
  and finally defeat Brath the Lesser himself before they
  can rescue the young celestial.
  ADVENTURE HOOKS
  As DM, you know best how to involve your players and
  their characters in an adventure. You can use the fol-
  lowing adventure hooks to spur your imagination,
  modifying them as necessary to make them appropriate
  for the characters’ interests.
  •
  A paladin or good cleric in the party begins to have
  dreams or visions of a falling infant. The details of
  these dreams vary, but the central theme is always the
  same: If the PC does not intervene, the infant will fall
  into the clutches of some terrible, unnamed evil. The
  
  3
  dreams always leave the character with a strong
  desire to head in whichever direction the village of
  Elton lies.
  •
  A wizard who specialize in planar research asks the
  PCs to investigate the strange light that recently
  appeared in the sky. She and her colleagues believe
  the light to be extraplanar in origin. According to
  their calculations, it appeared directly over the
  hamlet known as Elton.
  •
  Rumors of a strange orphan who speaks an unknown
  language reach the characters’ ears. Supposedly, the
  boy fell from the sky (or emerged from the earth—the
  tales are inconsistent) in the hamlet of Elton. Some
  believe the boy’s appearance portends a coming catas-
  trophe, while others say he is gifted with marvelous
  supernatural powers and has come for purposes of his
  own. The description of the boy matches that of a dead
  friend or relative of one of the characters.
  BEGINNING THE 
  ADVENTURE
  Fallen Angel is a site-based adventure consisting of one
  or more free-form encounters in Elton, several keyed
  encounters in the ogre stronghold where Arithel is
  being held, and one encounter to be placed at the DM’s
  discretion.
  The adventure begins when the characters reach the
  hamlet of Elton, which occurs on the morning after his
  kidnapping. The village bears the marks of a recent
  raid. Read or paraphrase the following aloud when the
  characters arrive.
  The villagers greet the characters in a friendly manner
  and offer them a place at the community table, though
  most are preoccupied with their tasks. The injured are
  the most willing to talk, having been relieved of their
  normal responsibilities. Read or paraphrase the follow-
  ing when the PCs begin to make inquiries.
  A middle-aged man with a bandaged leg sits on
  the ground beneath a tree. “Welcome to Elton!” he
  calls out in a friendly manner. “I’m afraid you’ve
  not caught us at our best, strangers. But you’re
  welcome to share with us what still remains. By
  the look of you, I’d guess you’re adventurers. You
  could find plenty of wrongs to right around here,
  if you’re of such a mind.
  “A long time ago, the ogres from those hills over
  there used to raid Elton pretty regular. But it’s
  been years since that happened. What came last
  night was . . . different. They looked like some
  kinda weird cross between ogres and giant bugs. 
  The village before you has obviously been raided,
  and not very long ago. Some buildings are missing
  their thatched roofs, and others show signs of the
  torch as well. Human and half-elven villagers rush
  to and fro with water and bandages, obviously
  tending to the injured in the huts that remain
  intact. In the center of town, several villagers
  carry what appears to be dried vegetables to a
  large pot over a cookfire, evidently preparing stew
  from the town’s emergency rations.
  pqqqqrs
  pqqqqrs
  SCALING THE ADVENTURE
  Fallen Angel is designed for a party of four 5th-level
  characters, but it can easily be modified to present an
  appropriate challenge for parties of different sizes or
  levels. Consider adapting the adventure as follows.
  Four 3rd- to 4th-Level PCs: Run the adventure as
  written, but with the following changes.
  •
  Reduce the number of insectile ogres in areas 1
  and 3 to one.
  •
  Reduce the number of Large monstrous scorpi-
  ons in area 2 to two.
  •
  Decrease the attack bonus of the falling block
  trap in area 4 to +12 and its damage to 4d6.
  •
  Reduce Brath the Lesser’s ogre mage level to
  7th.
  Four 6th- to 7th-Level PCs: Run the adventure as
  written, but with the following changes.
  •
  Make Brath the Lesser a standard ogre mage
  (CR 8).
  •
  Add 2 levels of barbarian to each insectile ogre,
  or substitute a 9th-level ogre mage for one or
  more of them. Alternatively, replace the insectile
  template with the gelatinous template (see
  Savage Species, page 116).
  •
  Raise the Search DC of the falling block trap in
  area 4 to 25.
  •
  Replace the Large monstrous scorpions in
  encounter 2 with a single Huge monstrous
  scorpion.
  
  By talking with this fellow (Burton, the smith) and the
  rest of the villagers, the characters can acquire the fol-
  lowing pieces of information (no check needed).
  •
  Several weeks ago, Arithel fell through a brilliant white
  hole in the sky on a night that seemed filled with
  magic. He was young and very weak, and he could not
  speak Common. The people of Elton took him in.
  •
  Over time, Arithel learned to communicate in
  Common, though his mastery of it was imperfect.
  •
  A tribe of ogres lives in the hills to the north, but its
  members haven’t troubled the hamlet for many years. 
  The following information can be obtained, one piece
  at a time, with the right questions coupled with suc-
  cessful Gather Information checks at the DCs noted.
  •
  DC 10: The raiders were accompanied by a blue-
  skinned ogre wearing strange robes.
  •
  DC 15: The creatures kidnapped Arithel were
  armed with weapons similar to those used by the
  local ogre tribe. They left in the direction of the
  ogres’ old hill stronghold to the north.
  •
  DC 15: Several of the townsfolk can make an effort
  to replicate the sound of the language Arithel first
  used. Any PC who speaks Celestial recognizes it as
  such.
  •
  DC 20: Arithel would sometimes sit and wistfully
  look at the night sky. Whenever a villager would
  approach him at such a time, he pointed skyward and
  said in his strange accent, “Home.”
  When the people of Elton realize that the PCs are inter-
  ested in the fate of Elton, they eagerly beg them to
  rescue Arithel. The can offer nothing but their grati-
  tude for his safe return—they had little enough before,
  and now they have even less. But his kidnappers were
  well equipped and probably have plenty of ill-gotten
  gains hoarded in their lair.
  If the PCs agree to try to find Arithel, the villagers
  enthusiastically provide anything they need that is
  within the means of this small community, including
  food, water, shelter, and simple tools and weapons. 
  c Elton (hamlet): Conventional (Human); AL
  LG; 100-gp limit; Assets 260 gp; Population 100; Iso-
  lated (human 80%, half-elf 11%, halfling 5%, gnome 4%).
  Authority Figures: Greel (NG male human Com 3),
  Mayor of Elton. 
  Important Characters: Burton (LG male human Com
  2), blacksmith; Sherla (CG female half-elf Com 1),
  healer.
  THE OGRES’ LAIR
  The ogre stronghold is in the hills north of town. The
  insectile ogres took no pains to hide their tracks, so a
  PC with the Track feat can trail them back there with a
  successful Wilderness Lore check (DC 10). If the char-
  acters are not confident that they can find the strong-
  hold on their own, Burton agrees to guide them. He
  accompanies the PCs only until the entrance to the
  stronghold is in sight, then returns to the village.
  All the encounters in this portion of the adventure
  except one are keyed to the map. Encounter A, in which
  the characters are confronted by Brath the Lesser, is a
  timed encounter that should occur after the PCs have
  fought one or more groups of insectile ogres but before
  they reach area 6 and free Arithel. The DM should select
  its placement accordingly. It is presented as a sidebar to
  keep it separate from the keyed encounters.
  The lair contains twenty insectile ogres, though only
  four of them are involved in the keyed encounters. The
  DM may allow the PCs to meet others in groups of two
  as random encounters if desired.
  Read or paraphrase the following aloud when the
  characters come within sight of the ogre lair.
  AREA 1: INSECTILE OGRE GUARDS (EL 5)
  This chamber serves as the entryway to the lair. It is
  guarded at all times by a pair of insectile ogres, though
  they take pains to remain hidden so as to surprise
  intruders. Read or paraphrase the following aloud
  when the characters enter.
  This rectangular chamber has obviously been
  hewn from the rock of the hill deliberately,
  though the hands that did it were less than
  skilled. The floor is damp and sandy, and the walls
  are made of rough limestone. The ceiling is high,
  at least 20 feet above the floor, and mostly hidden
  in shadows. A distant dripping sound is audible, as
  if water were filtering through the limestone roof
  and making its way down the walls.
  The hillside before you looks like many others in
  this region. A shadowed cleft between two hills,
  masked by greenery, matches the townsfolks’
  description of the entrance to the ogre lair.
  They took supplies and valuables, like normal
  raiders, but they only carried off one person—
  Arithel. Our gift of the star. The boy’s been the
  light of the village ever since he came. Don’t know
  what we’ll do now that he’s gone. He’s a good boy.”
  4
  
  5
  
  6
  The two insectile ogres on guard in this chamber are
  clinging to the ceiling and attempting to hide in the
  shadows (Hide –6), awaiting an opportune moment to
  strike. A successful Spot check by any PC reveals the
  presence of the ogres.
  Creatures: Insectile ogres resemble ogres only
  superficially. Their bodies are covered in chitin, and
  they have multiple arms and eyes, like insects. Each
  wears filthy furs similar to those a normal ogre might.
  D Insectile Ogres (2): CR 3; Large aberration;
  HD 4d8+8; hp 26; Init +1; Spd 30 ft., climb 30 ft.; AC 20,
  touch 10, flat-footed 19; Atk +8 (2d6+7, Huge great-
  club), or +7 melee (2d6+7/�3, Huge longspear), or +3
  ranged (2d6+5/�3, Huge longspear); Face/Reach 5 ft.
  by 5 ft./10 ft. (20 ft. with longspear); SQ darkvision 60
  ft., tremorsense, wide vision; AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +2,
  Will +2; Str 21, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 7.  
  Skills and Feats: Climb +12, Hide –6, Listen +3, Spot
  +7; Weapon Focus (greatclub).
  Tremorsense (Ex): An insectile ogre can auto-
  matically sense the location of anything within 60 feet
  that is in contact with the same surface it is.
  Wide Vision (Ex): Because of its multiple eyes
  and wide angle of vision, an insectile ogre has a +4
  racial bonus on Spot checks and cannot be flanked.
  Possessions: Hide armor, greatclub, longspear,
  pouch with two gems (see below).
  Tactics: The insectile ogres do not fight together
  with any organized, coherent strategy. They cling to the
  ceiling in hopes of surprising the PCs by attacking with
  their longspears from above. If forced to retreat, the
  ogres use their climbing abilities to effect the most
  expedient getaway possible, moving up and across
  walls to avoid threatened areas. 
  The tremorsense ability makes it difficult to surprise
  one of these creatures, and their wide vision prevents
  them from being flanked. Thus, rogues are likely to
  have considerable difficulty mounting any sneak
  attacks against them. 
  Development: As soon as the PCs enter the com-
  plex, insectile ogres farther inside are alerted to their
  presence by tremorsense. One is dispatched to warn
  Brath of the arrival of intruders.
  Treasure: Each insectile ogre has a pouch contain-
  ing two gems worth 400 gp each.
  AREA 2: GUARDIAN PETS (EL 4)
  The insectile ogres have developed a fondness for crea-
  tures that sport chitinous shells similar to their own.
  Thus, they have made pets of a few scorpions that
  moved into the complex some time ago.
  Creatures: The insectile ogres have adopted the
  Large monstrous scorpions that live here as pets. They
  use the creatures as both guards and garbage disposals.
  D Large Monstrous Scorpions (3): CR 2, HD
  4, hp 26, see Monster Manual page 209.
  Tactics:The scorpions attack if the PCs enter the room
  or disturb the garbage. They display no coordinated tactics.
  Treasure: A search through the trash (Search DC
  12) reveals a ring of climbing still attached to a well-
  gnawed human arm.
  AREA 3: THE OGRES’ DINING HALL
  (EL 5)
  This chamber serves as the communal eating area for
  the tribe. Read or paraphrase the following aloud when
  the characters enter.
  Creatures: A second pair of insectile ogres is waiting
  here for the PCs.
  D Insectile Ogres (2): CR 3; Large aberration;
  HD 4d8+8; hp 26; Init +1; Spd 30 ft., climb 30 ft.; AC 20,
  touch 10, flat-footed 19; Atk +8 (2d6+7, Huge great-
  club), or +7 melee (2d6+7/�3, Huge longspear), or +3
  ranged (2d6+5/�3, Huge longspear); Face/Reach 5 ft.
  by 5 ft./10 ft. (20 ft. with longspear); SQ darkvision 60
  ft., tremorsense, wide vision; AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +2,
  Will +2; Str 21, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 7.  
  Skills and Feats: Climb +12, Hide –6, Listen +3, Spot
  +7; Weapon Focus (greatclub).
  Tremorsense (Ex): An insectile ogre can auto-
  matically sense the location of anything within 60 feet
  that is in contact with the same surface it is.
  Wide Vision (Ex): Because of its multiple eyes
  and wide angle of vision, an insectile ogre has a +4
  racial bonus on Spot checks and cannot be flanked.
  Possessions: Hide armor, greatclub, longspear.
  Tactics: Like their comrades in area 1, these two
  cling to the ceiling, hoping to take the characters by
  surprise. They hurl their longspears before attempting
  to close for melee combat.
  This chamber is apparently where the cave
  denizens gather to take their meals. Numerous
  bits of animal and plant matter litter the floor, pro-
  viding a thin covering of rotting detritus.
  The floor of this chamber is covered with a thick
  layer of trash, much of it rotting organic material.
  Like the previous chamber, this one has a high
  ceiling suitable for passage by large creatures.
  
  7
  pqqqqrs
  ENCOUNTER A: BRATH THE LESSER
  The insectile ogre guards in the front portion of the
  complex felt the presence of the intruders with their
  tremorsense and sent a messenger to Brath. Thus
  forewarned, Brath intends to ensure that the intrud-
  ers do not reach Arithel, whom he is holding in
  readiness for the arcane rituals that will extract his
  tears and blood before his ultimate sacrifice. Brath
  has been keeping track of the PCs’ progress through
  the cavern complex. If they seem to be making
  progress against his insectile servants, or if they
  appear close to rescuing the celestial, Brath attempts
  to engage them on his own at a place of the DM’s
  choosing. Read or paraphrase the following aloud
  when they encounter him.
  Creature: Brath the Lesser is a 9th-level ogre mage
  (see Savage Species, page 190, for the monster level pro-
  gression of an ogre mage). At this level, he is powerful
  enough to present a challenge to the party all by him-
  self. In the company of his insectile ogre minions, he
  could be overwhelming. Fortunately for the party,
  Brath is young and arrogant and believes he needs no
  help to defeat such inferior creatures.
  D Brath the Lesser: Male 9th-level ogre mage; CR
  5; Medium-size giant; HD 4d8+8; hp 30; Init +4; Spd 30 ft., 
  fly 40 ft. (good); AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18; Atk +7
  melee (2d8+3/19–20, Huge greatsword); SA spell-like
  abilities; SQ darkvision 60 ft., flight, regeneration 1, SR
  15; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +3; Str 17, Dex 10,
  Con 15, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15.  
  Skills and Feats: Concentration +7, Listen +5, Spellcraft
  +5, Spot +5; Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus
  (greatsword).
  Spell-Like Abilities: At will—darkness, invisibil-
  ity; 1/day—charm person, cone of cold, gaseous form, poly-
  morph self, sleep. Caster level 8th; save DC 12 + spell
  level.
  Flight (Ex): Brath the Lesser can cease or resume
  flight as a free action. While in gaseous form, he can fly at
  normal speed and has perfect maneuverability.
  Regeneration (Ex): Brath the Lesser takes
  normal damage from fire and acid. If he loses a limb or
  body part, he can reattach it by holding the severed
  member to the stump. Reattachment takes 1 minute. If
  his head or other vital organ is severed, it must be reat-
  tached within 10 minutes or he dies. Brath cannot
  regrow lost body parts.
  Possessions: Greatsword, chain shirt, 1,000 pp (in
  strongbox).
  Tactics: Brath begins the battle invisibly and uses
  his darkness ability to confuse the PCs further. He then
  makes use of his charm and sleep abilities to undermine
  their offensive capabilities. He keeps his cone of cold in
  reserve until he is confident that he can catch more than
  one PC in its area of effect. If the situation seems to war-
  rant it, Brath uses his polymorph self ability to assume the
  form of a young celestial, hoping that this ruse might
  cause the PCs to lower their guard momentarily.
  A voice issues from somewhere ahead, ring-
  ing on the limestone walls of the cavern.
  “Petty creatures!” it shouts. “You have
  incurred the inestimable anger of Brath the
  Lesser. Prepare to be destroyed!” Then the
  hallway goes dark.
  Treasure: A careful search of this room (Search DC
  15) turns up a set of four silver goblets. Two are broken,
  tarnished, and worthless, but the other two are in rela-
  tively good condition and are worth 800 gp each.
  AREA 4: FALLING BLOCK TRAP (EL 5)
  This area contains a crude trap, rigged by the insectile ogres
  according to the instructions of Brath the Greater. Read or
  paraphrase the following when the characters enter.
  Trap: The weight of a character anywhere on the
  floor of this chamber causes a large section of the ceil-
  ing to fall, crushing the hapless intruder. The ogres
  avoid the trap by climbing across the walls, and Brath
  the Lesser simply flies through the room when he must
  traverse it.
  a A Falling Block Trap: CR 6; mechanical; loca-
  tion trigger; no reset; +15 melee (6d6, stone); multiple
  targets (all in the chamber); Search (DC 20); Disable
  Device (DC 25). Market Price: 15,000 gp.
  AREA 5: BRATH THE LESSER’S
  CHAMBER
  This room serves as Brath the Lesser’s bedchamber. It
  was previously his father’s, but the younger Brath
  appropriated it as soon as his father was gone.
  The floor in this chamber is damp but relatively
  free of litter. It appears that little if any traffic
  passes through here. The limestone walls are
  somewhat more rugged than those in the rest of
  the complex, showing numerous gouges.
  pqqqqrs
  
  If the PCs have not yet encountered Brath the Lesser,
  he is here. Refer to Encounter A, in the sidebar.
  Treasure: Next to the pallet on which Brath sleeps
  is a strongbox (Open Lock DC 15, hardness 10, hp 30).
  It contains 1,000 pp.
  The shelves contain books of interest to arcane spell-
  casters. Because they are rather moldy, they fetch only a
  total of 200 gp.
  AREA 6: ARILETH THE CELESTIAL
  If the PCs manage to fight their way to the chamber
  where Arileth is being held, they face no further resist-
  ance. Read or paraphrase the following aloud when
  they enter his prison.
  Creature: This young man is Arithel, the celestial
  the PCs have come to rescue. He is a 1st-level trumpet
  archon (see Savage Species, page 200, for the monster
  level progression for a trumpet archon). At this point in
  his development, he has few of the trumpet archon’s
  special abilities. He has not yet obtained a trumpet, and
  his wings have not sprouted. He is completely inca-
  pable of mounting a defense against Brath and his
  insectile ogres, and he is alive only because it suits
  Brath’s purpose to keep him so.
  Arithel is aware of his celestial nature, but he has
  only vague memories of the plane from which he was
  ejected. He is willing to converse at length with the
  PCs if they wish. During such a conversation, he
  reveals that he has no idea why he is here, though he is
  sure it serves some great plan. He does not know how
  to get back to his home plane, so he has accepted his
  role as a member of the community of Elton. 
  D Arithel: Male 1st-level trumpet archon; CR 1;
  Medium-size outsider (Good, Lawful); HD 1d8; hp 4;
  Init +4; Spd 40 ft.; AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12; Atk
  +2 melee (1d3+1, unarmed strike); SQ darkvision 60 ft.,
  electricity resistance 5, outsider traits; AL N; SV Fort
  +2, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 12, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 12, Wis
  10, Cha 10.  
  Skills and Feats: Concentration +4, Hide +4, Knowl-
  edge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Knowledge
  (the planes) +5, Listen +4, Move Silently +4, Sense
  Motive +4, Spot +4; Improved Initiative.
  Outsider Traits: Arithel cannot be raised or res-
  urrected (though a wish or miracle spell can restore life).
  Tactics: The fact that the celestial is no match for
  the inhabitants of the complex does not mean that he is
  unwilling or unable to combat Brath and his minions.
  Indeed, the events of the past few days have made
  Arithel painfully aware of the threat that the insectile
  ogres and their leader pose to the nearby community,
  and he is ready to sacrifice his own life, if need be, to
  eradicate that threat. In fact, he is half-convinced that
  he has been sent here to test his willingness to make
  such a sacrifice on behalf of others. Thus, if confronted
  by Brath or any of his minions once the PCs have
  released him, Arithel charges them with nearly suicidal
  abandon. This action may force the PCs to save him all
  over again.
  Chains: The heavy chains that keep Arithel prisoner
  are locked, but the locks can be picked or broken with
  relative ease (Open Lock DC 15, hardness 10, hp 10).
  Development: If any of the insectile ogres remain
  alive, Arithel insists that they be destroyed before the
  party leaves the complex. During his brief captivity, he
  observed that the creatures have a highly industrious
  nature, and they value achievement. They therefore
  pose a significant threat to the nearby human commu-
  nities. He knows that only the force of personality that
  Brath the Greater and his son displayed and the
  strength of their magic has kept these horrible mon-
  sters in check thus far. Without their strong rule, the
  ogres are certain to swarm out of the hills onto the
  unprepared hamlet of Elton like a plague, devouring
  anything they can get their claws into. Once that
  region is depleted, the insectile ogres will simply move
  on despoil another area.
  Arithel is brave and young, but he is not completely
  foolhardy. He is willing to listen to any good PC who
  makes a convincing case for postponing their attack on
  the monsters until the forces of good stand a better
  chance of emerging victorious. He does, however,
  insist on the characters’ promise to return and clean
  out the caverns at the earliest possible time. If assured
  (via a successful Diplomacy or Charisma check) that
  A beautiful, forlorn-looking young man is
  chained to the floor of this chamber. Numerous
  bloody stripes across his chest and back indicate
  that he has been flogged. His eyes are clear, blue,
  and full of an anger that could only be described
  as righteous.
  This room has considerably more amenities than
  the other chambers in this complex, though they
  are in no better condition. Moth-eaten tapestries
  cover the walls, and shelves bowed from age and
  moisture line the walls. On the shelves are a vari-
  ety of books. A sleeping pallet lies in one corner,
  and a table and chair in another.
  8
  
  the threat of the insectile ogres will be dealt with expe-
  diently, he willingly returns to Elton with the PCs.
  CONTINUING THE
  ADVENTURE
  Should Brath the Lesser escape, he bears a grudge
  against the PCs for the rest of his life. He could easily
  reappear later in the campaign as a full-grown ogre
  mage with a burning desire for vengeance.
  Once Arithel is freed, his guardian, a full-grown
  trumpet archon (CR 14, Monster Manual page 30) may
  come to collect him. This celestial may or may not be
  Arithel’s actual parent, but he is clearly responsible for
  the young celestial’s welfare. He thanks the PCs for res-
  cuing the lad and explains that he has been searching
  the planes for him ever since he vanished in the planar
  anomaly. Arithel is glad to discover that his presence on
  the Material Plane was not a punishment and hopes
  that it was of some benefit to those who befriended
  him. The adult archon may also present the PCs with
  another quest that forwards the cause of law and good-
  ness, at the DM’s option. He does not offer any material
  reward to the PCs for the boy’s safe return, but he does
  smile and say that one good turn deserves another, and
  that someone in heaven will be watching over them.
  Finally, the events of this adventure may not consti-
  tute the only fallout from the planar anomaly. Unusual
  creatures, altered by the planar energies, might appear
  around the countryside, either for good or ill. Savage
  Species is full of material that the DM can use to alter
  familiar creatures, turning them into new and different
  threats. Perhaps an umbral bugbear is even now stalk-
  ing Elton.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Ramon Arjona is a software developer with Wizards of
  the Coast. His work has appeared in Strange Horizons
  <www.strangehorizons.com>, The Absinthe Literary
  Review <www.absinthe-literary-review.com>, and
  ZZYZYVA.
  9
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 3rd Edition/3.0 Adventures/Fallen Angel.pdf