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. 
   
  NYR5-S04 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK®
  Kingdom of Nyrond Introductory Adventure 
  Version 1.0 
   
  by John D. Jenks 
  Triad Reviewer: Tom Kee 
   
   
  The Town of Heartland is a simple place with simple folk. People are friendly, happy, and little happens 
  out of the ordinary. It is a fantastic place to raise a family and enjoy life within the peaceful Kingdom of 
  Nyrond. But now murder has come to Heartland, and the town finds itself with a problem. A Kingdom of 
  Nyrond Introductory scenario for 1st level characters only. Part one of the Heartland Saga. 
   
  
  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 scoring packet, and your sense 
  of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track 
  movement during combat. This can be as simple 
  as a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as 
  a vinyl grid map and chits, or as elaborate as resin 
  dungeon walls and miniatures. 
   
  Keep in mind that you must have at least four 
  players (not counting the DM), for the game 
  session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, 
  you 
  cannot 
  have 
  more 
  than 
  six 
  players 
  participating in the game. 
  Playing the Game  
   
   
   
  Instruct the players either to prepare their 
  characters to participate in the adventure before 
  the session begins, or wait until you read the 
  introduction, depending on the requirements of the 
  scenario as described in the introduction. 
   
  Once you are ready to play, it is handy to 
  instruct each player to place a nametag in front of 
  him or her. The tag should have the player’s name 
  at the bottom, and the character’s name, race, and 
  gender at the top. This makes it easier for the 
  players (and the 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. 
  Tracking 
   
   
   
   
   
  After the players have completed the scenario or 
  the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, 
  the players and DM fill out the RPGA Tracking 
  Sheet. The DM should complete the top of the 
  form and list his name and RPGA number. The 
  players should each list their name and RPGA 
  number. After the form is filled out it should be 
  given to the Event Coordinator. 
  Living Greyhawk  
   
   
   
  This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a 
  LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring 
  their own characters with them. If players do not 
  have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, 
  get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character generation guidelines, and a character 
  sheet from your convention coordinator or the 
  RPGA Web site, and then have any players 
  without a character create one. Once all players 
  have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can 
  begin. 
   
  Along with the other materials discussed in the 
  Preparation section above that you are assumed 
  to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also 
  recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING 
  GREYHAWK Gazetteer. 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 1 
  
  Living Greyhawk Levels of Play  
   
  # 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 
  Because players bring their own 
  characters 
  to 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  games, 
  this 
  adventure’s 
  challenges 
  are 
  proportioned to the average 
  character level of the PCs 
  participating in the adventure. 
  To determine the Average Party 
  Level (APL): 
  1. Determine 
  the 
  character 
  level for each of the PCs 
  participating 
  in 
  the 
  adventure. 
  2. If PCs bring animals that 
  have 
  been 
  trained 
  for 
  combat (most likely being 
  war horses, dogs trained for 
  war), 
  other 
  than 
  those 
  brought by virtue of a class 
  ability (i.e. animal companions, familiars 
  paladin’s mounts, etc.) use the sidebar chart 
  to determine the number of levels you add to 
  the sum above. Add each character’s animals 
  separately. A single PC may only bring four or 
  fewer animals of this type, and animals with 
  different 
  CRs 
  are 
  added 
  separately. 
  Nevertheless, if a character has the Mounted 
  Combat feat, he may bring a single warhorse, 
  light or heavy, with him in the adventure and it 
  will not count toward the APL calculation. 
  3. Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by the 
  number of characters playing in the adventure. 
  Round to the nearest whole number. 
  4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one 
  to that average. 
  By following these four steps, you will have 
  determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, 
  APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs will 
  face. APLS are given in even-numbered 
  increments. If the APL of your group falls on an 
  odd number, ask them before the adventure 
  begins whether they would like to play a harder or 
  easier adventure. Based on their choice, use 
  either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. 
   
  APL also affects the amount of experience 
  and gold a PC may gain at the end of the 
  adventure. If a player character is three character 
  levels or more either higher or lower than the APL 
  at which this adventure is being played, that 
  character will receive only one-half of the 
  experience points for the adventure. Further, if the 
  PC is three character levels or more lower than 
  the APL at which this adventure is being played, 
  that PC will receive one-half 
  gold for the adventure as 
  well. This simulates the fact 
  that either the PC was not 
  challenged 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  normal or relied on help by 
  higher-level 
  characters 
  to 
  reach the objectives. 
   
  Further, a PC who is four 
  or more levels higher than 
  the highest APL supported 
  by the adventure may not 
  play the scenario unless the 
  highest APL supported by 
  the adventure is APL 12. 
   
  Note: 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK adventures are 
  designed for APL 2 and 
  higher. Four or five 1st-level 
  characters may find difficulty with the challenges in 
  a LIVING GREYHAWK adventure. If a group is 
  APL 1 there are two things that the group can do 
  to help even the score. 
  1. Attempt to create a table of six 1st-level 
  characters, or try to enlist higher-level 
  characters to play at that table. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help 
  protect them, and fight for them. All riding 
  dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs 
  who want their dogs to attack must succeed at 
  a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). 
  Failure indicates that the animal will not attack 
  that round. This is a free 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 
  Introductory adventure, set in the Kingdom of 
  Nyrond. Characters native to the Kingdom of 
  Nyrond pay one Time Unit per round, all others 
  pay two Time Units per round. Adventurer’s 
  Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per Time Unit, but is 
  not required if this is the character’s first scenario. 
  Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time Unit. Luxury 
  Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. 
   
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 2 
  
  Adventure Background 
  The town of Heartland is located near the 
  geographical center of Nyrond – a fact that was 
  not lost on the original founder of the area, 
  although he only used that piece of information 
  when deciding on the name for his inn. That many 
  years later a town would grow up around that 
  simple structure never occurred to him. 
   
  The people of Heartland are your typical, 
  simple, small-town folk. They have faith in their 
  King, support the Kingdom, and worship in the 
  nearby Chapel of Heironeous. They farm, manage 
  small businesses, and are friendly towards 
  travelers. Most have been in the town for years, if 
  not their entire lives, and few wish to live 
  anywhere else. The town is quiet, safe, and 
  secure. 
   
  Well, it was. Something is happening in this 
  quiet little town. A madman stalks the streets, and 
  people are dying. The townsfolk are at a loss, the 
  priestess’ prayers seem for naught, and the 
  murders continue. 
   
  Unknown to the residents of this sleepy burg, 
  events are happening beyond their understanding. 
  What follows is a mere introduction to these 
  events, a preview of things to come. 
   
  Gosen Beourn has been a resident of 
  Heartland for the last ten years. He is relatively 
  well liked by his neighbors, although he is often 
  away looking for seasonal work. Some years he 
  has remained near town as a farmhand, other 
  years he has traveled with caravans as hired 
  muscle, and in still other years he has served in 
  one or another mercenary company. As some of 
  his more knowledgeable neighbors would say, 
  “Gosen is not a bad man, he simply has no 
  direction, and a head too filled with ideas of quick 
  success.” 
   
  Gosen is your typical itinerant dreamer. 
  Blessed 
  with 
  above 
  average 
  strength, 
  but 
  something below average intelligence, Gosen 
  could easily have drifted from one small job to 
  another, and soon faded into obscurity. If not for 
  one unfortunate turn of events. He was hired to be 
  a guard over a dig site, but what was to be only 
  the job of a few days stretched into weeks, as 
  other tasks occupied his boss. His employer will 
  be covered (and dealt with) in a future scenario, 
  and is not the reason behind Gosen’s – and the 
  town’s – troubles. 
   
  No, the real problem is that Gosen was left 
  alone for far too long in the darkness. And while 
  he sat there, standing watch over things long 
  buried, he began to hear things. The noise of 
  digging. Constant digging. A steady scraping 
  sound that slowly wore away at the edges of his 
  sanity. He couldn’t get away from it. He couldn’t 
  make it stop. On and on the noise continued, filling 
  his mind even when he was asleep. Finally, he 
  snapped and fled screaming into the wilderness. 
   
  He eventually found his way back to town, 
  after wandering a long distance around the town. 
  He finally collapsed from exhaustion near the 
  picket fence around the Avap farm – hidden from 
  view by a few small bushes. And there, he slept 
  for a short time. 
   
  Unfortunately he was awoken. Aslad Avap, 
  the youngest son of the farmstead was shirking 
  his chores and was on his way to find frogs. He 
  had his favorite stick, and was running it along that 
  same picket fence as he walked. Scritch, scritch, 
  scritch. Gosen’s already fractured mind exploded 
  in a haze of red. Aslad was dead with the second 
  blow, but Gosen did not stop beating him until 
  there was nearly nothing recognizable. The fury 
  subsided, but the madness was there to stay. 
  Scrawling a cryptic message on a nearby boulder, 
  Gosen fled to the grain silo to hide. Some dim 
  memory told him it was not currently in use, and 
  he thought he might be safe. 
   
  The message was not seen when the boy was 
  discovered, and the murder might have been 
  simply written off as the work of wild animals, if 
  Gosen had not been found. The trading house 
  factor that arrived to clean the silo prior to the 
  season’s use had no way of knowing that the 
  scratching of his broom would evoke such a 
  response from the “poor drunk” he found huddled 
  in the silo. When his body was found impaled to 
  the open door of the silo, mounted upon his own 
  broom, the second message was clearly seen, 
  and the townsfolk knew they had a problem. 
   
  Adventure Summary 
  Introduction – Very Grim News Indeed. The 
  PCs start the scenario in the common room of the 
  inn, listening to the town mayor discussing the 
  second murder. There are two introductions, 
  depending on the type of characters being played. 
  A special option exists for those players wishing to 
  play residents of the town, while a more generic 
  introduction can be used for the players of more 
  traditional PCs. Full details on creating a resident 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 3 
  
  PC can be found on the Nyrond regional website, 
  or in DM’s Appendix One – Notes for Resident 
  PCs. 
  Scene One – The Avap Farmstead. The PCs, 
  having received their commission to investigate, 
  head for the scene of the first murder. They likely 
  find the cryptic note and learn definitively that 
  animals did not cause the first murder. 
  Scene Two – The Grain Silo. Leaving behind the 
  Avap farmstead, the PCs reach the site of the 
  second murder. They can view the second note, 
  and will also find that the blood has attracted some 
  curious and unwanted visitors. 
  Sidebar – The Bodies in the Chapel. If the PCs 
  wish to visit the Chapel of Heironeous to view the 
  bodies, they will come here. 
  Interlude – A Return to Town. Going back to 
  town with their findings, the PCs learn a bit more 
  about the town, and get a few rumors to check out. 
  These rumors eventually lead them to one false 
  lead and one good one. 
  The False Lead – The Drifter. There is a mostly 
  abandoned home in town, having been mostly 
  destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. From time to 
  time, travelers occupy it. Some of these are just 
  poor wanderers, but others are less savory; such 
  as this one. 
  The Good Lead – The Mongrelfolk. Out in the 
  woods is a small family of mongrelfolk hiding out 
  after escaping the clutches of the Imperium. One 
  of them has information that might help the PCs, 
  but only if they can see past their initial 
  appearances. 
  Scene Three – Ernya’s Sewing. The PCs 
  investigations have kept them away just long 
  enough for victim number three to have her 
  unfortunate encounter with Gosen. But this time 
  he left a witness that can verify who he is. 
  The Final Showdown – Gosen Goes Home. The 
  PCs head to investigate Gosen’s house, and find 
  the madman has returned, having nowhere else to 
  flee to. 
  Conclusion – Rewards. The PCs try to piece it all 
  together, but are left with many open questions 
  and misplaced clues. 
   
  Preparation for Play 
  This is an introductory scenario with special 
  character creation guidelines for those players 
  wishing to base their characters from within the 
  Town of Heartland. While these guidelines are 
  available online at the Nyrond website, they are 
  duplicated in DM’s Appendix One – Notes for 
  Resident PCs. Please review these guidelines in 
  case your players have questions they would like 
  answered. 
   
  Otherwise the scenario is mostly linear and 
  should be fairly straightforward. The only point of 
  non-linearity could be in the two leads generated 
  after the interlude in town. These two leads are not 
  designed to occur in any particular order and your 
  PCs may decide to visit them in either order they 
  prefer. What is important is that Gosen’s visit to 
  Ernya’s Sewing must take place while the PCs are 
  investigating these two leads. Be sure to keep this 
  in mind in case clever players decide to leave 
  familiars or even one of their own number behind. 
   
  It is also possible that the PCs may visit 
  scenes one and two in reverse order. This is also 
  fine, as it is not important to keep them in order. 
   
  Introduction – Very Grim 
  News Indeed 
  The introduction occurs in one of two places, 
  either just outside the doors of the Heartland 
  Travelers’ Inn (area A on the town key), or inside 
  the inn’s common room. The introduction differs 
  depending on your particular group of PCs. 
  • 
  For a group that is primarily based within 
  Heartland (meaning the players used the 
  creation guidelines to create resident PCs) 
  Use this intro: 
  Something is happening in your little town. 
  You’ve 
  heard 
  vague 
  rumors 
  about 
  wild 
  animals, some kid getting mauled, and most 
  recently about something happening outside 
  of 
  town. 
  Knowing 
  that 
  all 
  the 
  best 
  information/gossip is always found around the 
  Inn, you are currently standing outside of the 
  Heartland Travelers’ Inn. You listen while the 
  owner and mayor, Georgot Satinne, talks with 
  his brother-in-law the blacksmith Bann Ergon 
  as they slowly enter the inn’s common room. 
   
  “I have no idea what is going on. We need 
  to get someone out here to investigate, but 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 4 
  
  you know no one is going to be willing to leave 
  their families defenseless while all of this is 
  going on,” says the proprietor. 
   
  “I hear ya,” responds his large companion, 
  “and as much as I like the old fella, Sir Koonth 
  is pretty much useless to us. Seventy-some 
  years old and still convinced Archbold is on 
  the throne.” 
   
  “That’s true. And the army is out of the 
  question anyway. All that trouble in Rel Mord, 
  all the clean up and rebuilding. Be Heironeous’ 
  own blessing if we got anyone here inside of a 
  sevenday. If only we could be sure that Aslad 
  was the work of wild animals, I’d feel a bit 
  better about things. But if we’ve got someone 
  on some kind of murder mission, I’m not 
  leaving my daughters alone to go out looking 
  for him.” 
   
  “Yeah, my boy Timorus does a pretty good 
  job running the store, but neither one of us is 
  really a warrior. And if he or I were to get 
  ourselves killed by some murderer, I know it 
  would just break Simonarri’s heart. And she’s 
  never been the same since her sister passed 
  on.” 
   
  The 
  two 
  share 
  a 
  quiet 
  moment; 
  understandable since Simonarri’s sister was 
  also Georgot’s wife. She died last year from 
  that terrible disease that struck parts of 
  Kingdom before some adventurers managed to 
  find a cure. 
   
  “You are right, Bann, we’ll just have to look 
  around some of the outer farmsteads and see 
  if we can get some of the more adventurous 
  types to show off. Even if they don’t find him, 
  having a big group of adventurers all decked 
  out and searching for someone might just 
  scare him off.” 
   
  • 
  For more traditional PCs (those not claiming 
  residence in Heartland, the following slightly 
  modified introduction is more appropriate: 
  You are sitting in the common room of a place 
  called the Heartland Travelers’ Inn. The town is 
  similar to others scattered throughout the 
  Kingdom of Nyrond. Like all the others, 
  Heartland consists of a few small shops and 
  businesses, the omnipresent inn and tavern, 
  and a number of outlying farmsteads. 
   
  This morning your proprietor made sure 
  your breakfast was served and then left in a 
  great hurry. Apparently this Georgot Satinne is 
  also the town mayor, and he was needed for 
  some kind of official business. Now it is 
  getting close to the midday meal, and his elder 
  daughter, Myrroi, has been working double 
  duty as both the cook and hostess. You notice 
  only a few others in the common room, and are 
  beginning to look them over when the front 
  door opens and the proprietor returns – 
  looking very grim, and deep in conversation 
  with another man with the look of the local 
  blacksmith. 
   
  “I have no idea what is going on,” says the 
  proprietor. “ We need to get someone out here 
  to investigate, but you know no one is going to 
  be willing to leave their families defenseless 
  while all of this is going on.” 
   
  “I hear ya,” responds his large companion, 
  “and as much as I like the old fella, Sir Koonth 
  is pretty much useless to us. Seventy-some 
  years old and still convinced Archbold is on 
  the throne.” 
   
  “That’s true. And the army is out of the 
  question anyway. All that trouble in Rel Mord, 
  all the clean up and rebuilding. Be Heironeous’ 
  own blessing if we got anyone here inside of a 
  sevenday. If only we could be sure that Aslad 
  was the work of wild animals, I’d feel a bit 
  better about things. But if we’ve got someone 
  on some kind of murder mission, I’m not 
  leaving my daughters alone to go out looking 
  for him.” 
   
  “Yeah, my boy Timorus does a pretty good 
  job running the store, but neither one of us is 
  really a warrior. And if he or I were to get 
  ourselves killed by some murderer, I know it 
  would just break Simonarri’s heart. And she’s 
  never been the same since her sister passed 
  on.” 
   
  The two share a silent moment of shared 
  misery, which leads you to believe that the two 
  men are related somehow. 
   
  “You are right, Bann, we’ll just have to look 
  around some of the outer farmsteads and see 
  if we can get some of the more adventurous 
  types to show off. Even if they don’t find him, 
  having a big group of adventurers all decked 
  out and searching for someone might just 
  scare him off.” 
   
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 5 
  
  At this point the two introductions converge, and 
  you can await the PCs responses. It is likely that 
  they will come forward of their own initiative and 
  start asking questions. If they do not, Georgot 
  might very well ask some of the more obvious 
  adventuring-looking types to investigate. As this is 
  the big hook, those PCs that refuse to play along, 
  or are unwilling to become a part of the story, will 
  simply be skipped over. See the conclusion for 
  further details. 
   
  If the PCs begin asking questions, Georgot is 
  only two willing to have them help out. He’s only 
  mayor by default and rare has anything official to 
  do. If the PCs are willing to render aid, he’ll leap at 
  the chance to pass the buck. Georgot is a fine 
  innkeeper, and well liked by the town – he’s just 
  even less of a fighter than his brother-in-law Bann. 
   
  Georgot has the following information to 
  impart. 
  • 
  Last night the body of Aslad Avap was found 
  near his house. His father went looking for him 
  after he failed to return for supper. He’d been 
  badly beaten or mauled – there was just too 
  much damage to tell what had happened. 
  • 
  They were willing to write the attack off as an 
  attack by a wild animal, except that this 
  morning another body was discovered, and 
  the town is worried that some kind of repeat 
  killer is about. Most of the town is scared and 
  hiding indoors. 
  • 
  The second body was that of a merchant 
  factor (agent) known to visit the town during 
  harvest season. He also typically comes 
  through this time of year as well, to inspect the 
  grain silo and make sure no repairs are 
  needed before the harvest. His body was 
  discovered impaled on a broken broom handle 
  that had been shoved through the door. 
  • 
  A message of some sort was barely visible on 
  the inner wall of the silo. It had been drawn in 
  blood – but there was so much blood about, 
  that it almost wasn’t seen. The message read: 
  “No More Scratching.” 
  • 
  There was no message found at the first 
  scene, but no one was specifically looking for 
  one either. It is possible that a message is 
  there and was just missed by Aslad’s father. 
  • 
  Both bodies have been taken to the Chapel of 
  Heironeous where they are being prepared for 
  burial. 
  • 
  The scenes are mostly undisturbed, as those 
  people Georgot has seen upon his return to 
  town and the trip to and from the chapel have 
  all been warned to stay indoors and away 
  from the silo. But if the PCs want to visit them, 
  they should probably go out there quickly 
  before the curious sneak out for a peek. 
  • 
  They have no leads, no other clues, and no 
  real law enforcement in town. They’ve never 
  needed it. In fact, most of the men that could 
  fight are still away from town with the army at 
  Rel Mord. Those that are left are older, or 
  have families that need them. 
  He doesn’t have any more information for the PCs, 
  but he will want to make sure they are all working 
  together. If it seems like he has several different 
  groups or a bunch of unrelated individuals, he’ll 
  suggest that they all travel together. He is pretty 
  sure the PCs aren’t the killers (either because they 
  are residents of the town, or because they were 
  sitting in his inn during the time the murder(s) must 
  have been committed. But he doesn’t want a 
  bunch of unorganized adventurers milling about or 
  killing each other. 
   
  Georgot is very insistent that if they go to 
  interview anyone other than the Avap family, that 
  either he or Bann Ergon will be present. Not 
  because he is worried about the PCs hurting the 
  residents, but rather that they might not open their 
  doors to anyone else. And if they do, it might be to 
  open fire with a loaded crossbow or something. 
  He’ll also state that he doesn’t want the residents 
  terrorized, bothered at night, or for the PCs to take 
  the law into their own hands unless absolutely 
  necessary. 
   
  He isn’t sure he has the authority to deputize 
  them or make them real law enforcement, but they 
  can keep their weapons and armor while in town, 
  and they are free to search and investigate as best 
  they can. But they aren’t officials of the town, and 
  should not claim to be. 
   
  Once the PCs are ready to go investigate, 
  they should head out to either the scene of the first 
  murder (Avap Farmstead – area U on the town 
  key) or the scene of the second murder (Town 
  Grain Silo – area V on the town key). Some 
  players may wish to simply randomly investigate 
  the town, but Georgot Satinne will always push 
  them towards the two murder scenes, and without 
  his presence, no one will speak with the PCs. 
   
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 6 
  
  Scene One: The Avap 
  Farmstead 
  It is possible that this location may be visited after 
  the PCs have visited Scene Two. This is fine, just 
  change the read aloud text to reflect the new 
  order. 
  The Avap Farm is a simple affair. A small 
  house, nearby barn, and the typical assortment 
  of chickens, cows, and required farm cats. The 
  family primarily farms corn as a cash crop, but 
  a vegetable garden near the house supplies 
  personal needs. Pront Avap and his two 
  remaining children do most of the work, but 
  like most families in Heartland, seasonal help 
  will be hired during the harvest. 
   
  Pront’s daughter Girne greeted you at the 
  door, but she was quickly ushered away by her 
  father. Grief was clearly evident in his face as 
  he waited for your explanation. Then, with a 
  shout for his son Matag to “keep your sister in 
  the house.” He grabbed his hat and led you 
  toward the southern end of his property. 
   
  Stopping to open a gate in the picket fence, 
  Pront waited for all of you to pass through and 
  then pointed along the fence line to the east. 
   
  “I found my boy Aslad about a quarter of a 
  mile off that way. You folks’ll excuse me if I 
  wait here for you. I ain’t too keen on going 
  back there right now. When you finish looking 
  around, you can come back and we’ll go in the 
  house and chat.” 
  No matter how much pleading the PCs do, Pront 
  will not go back to the murder scene. He also will 
  defer any questions the PCs may have until after 
  they look around. 
  Pront Avap: Male human Exp4. 
  The murder scene is not much to look at, but 
  Judge’s Map #1 – The First Scene is included to 
  help orient your players. A bloodstained area 
  marks the place the body was found. There are no 
  large obvious clues immediately visible. The 
  following skills can be used to gain information: 
   
   
  Track: 
  • 
  DC 5 or better – the area is not often traveled, 
  although three sets of tracks can be seen, one 
  smaller than the other two. If checked, one set 
  of tracks matches Pront’s boots. 
  • 
  DC 10 or better – the smaller set of tracks 
  came from the direction of the gate and 
  stopped here. The larger unknown set of 
  tracks seem to have come in from the south, 
  stayed here for a while, and then headed off to 
  the east. Pront also came from the gate, 
  gathered up the body, and then returned to 
  gate. 
  • 
  DC 12 or better – there are no tracks of 
  animals in the area, save perhaps some very 
  old ones made by a small cat (one of those 
  from the farmstead). 
  • 
  DC 15 or better – the larger tracks are erratic 
  and suggest a person stumbling along, either 
  in pain, fear, or while drunk. The tracks were 
  left yesterday morning or early afternoon. 
  • 
  DC 20 or better. The fence shows recent 
  scrape marks as if someone had dragged a 
  hard sharp object along the fence. The marks 
  begin at the gate and end at the murder 
  location. If the PCs specifically ask, the marks 
  were likely caused by Aslad dragging a stick 
  along the fence to hear the rattle. 
  If the PCs try and follow the tracks to the east, 
  they eventually reach the road into town, where 
  they are lost among the numerous other tracks. 
  While they can attempt to regain the tracks by 
  searching along the road, Gosen wandered a long 
  distance along the road before spotting the grain 
  silo and heading there. Because of this, the DC to 
  recover the tracks past the road is 33 (hard 
  ground [20], more than twenty-four hours elapsed 
  [-1], trail confused by multiple travelers [-8] and 
  numerous horses [-4]). 
  Search: 
  The PCs will likely take 20 to search the area. If 
  they do, simply go down the list of items in order, 
  one at a time, as this represents the order in which 
  the items can be found. PCs that stop searching 
  after finding only a few items should not be told 
  that others exist. 
  • 
  DC 5 or better – Aslad’s fence thumping stick. 
  It can be found tossed aside and hidden by a 
  clump of weeds. The stick is heavily damaged 
  (numerous cracks and splinters) and bloodstained. 
  It is likely one of the murder weapons (Gosen also 
  used his fists). 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 7 
  
  • 
  DC 10 or better – a smallish boulder with a 
  message scrawled on it in blood. 
  The boulder was hidden by a tumbleweed and not 
  seen by Pront when the boy was found. The 
  message on the boulder reads, “I made it stop”, 
  and is included as Player Handout #1 – The First 
  Note. 
  • 
  DC 15 or better – an empty lantern, well used, 
  and recently abandoned 
  Gosen left behind the lantern. He had it with him 
  when he stumbled onto the Avap property and 
  took refuge under a thick bush, but forgot about it 
  after he killed Aslad. The lantern is not particularly 
  remarkable, but it is an unusual shape. It is also 
  part of a matched pair. Its mate can be found 
  inside 
  Gosen 
  Beourn’s 
  house 
  in 
  the last 
  encounter, and should present the final proof that 
  Gosen was responsible for the deaths. 
  Sense Motive: 
  • 
  While not normally used without a person to 
  ‘read’, this skill can be used to get a general 
  feeling of the crime scene. The DC in this 
  case is 15, and the Judge is welcome to allow 
  any PC with ranks in the skill to roll. While the 
  skill can be used untrained, this will not give 
  the same impressions as can be gained by 
  one with training. If a PC succeeds at this 
  check, they can tell that someone most likely 
  in a frenzied state caused the murder. There 
  is no indication of care or skill, as drops of 
  blood can be found scattered in a wide area 
  and there are several blows that must have 
  missed entirely. 
  Knowledge (nature): 
  • 
  Similar to Sense Motive, while there are no 
  animals present, a successful check of this 
  skill against a DC of 11 will indicate that no 
  animal caused the killing. There are none of 
  the typical signs that would indicate a wild 
  animal attack. 
   
  This is all the information that can be gained from 
  examining the area. Once the PCs are ready, they 
  can return to the waiting Pront who will take them 
  back to his house and answer their questions. He 
  will keep his remaining son and daughter away 
  from the PCs. Even if the PCs do manage to 
  speak with the twins, they know nothing more than 
  their father does. 
   
  While Pront knows a few items of interest, he 
  will not directly volunteer anything. He is grieving 
  for his dead son, and will only answer direct 
  questions. If the PCs ask the right questions (or at 
  least get close) Pront can relate the following 
  information (note that he still refers to his boy in 
  the present tense): 
  • 
  Aslad is his youngest child. His wife died 
  giving birth to the boy nine years ago. 
  • 
  He admits he is likely guilty of spoiling the boy, 
  since he reminds him of his dead wife. 
  • 
  The boy is a good kid but liked to skip school 
  in favor of finding frogs and insects. 
  • 
  Yes, he has a habit of running a stick along 
  the fence, the side of the house, wagon 
  wheels; anything that would make a clicking 
  noise. 
  • 
  Aslad was killed yesterday between breakfast 
  and lunch (which Pront calls supper). The boy 
  was late returning for the midday meal and 
  Pront went looking for him. He found the body 
  and returned with it to the house for a horse. 
  He took the body to the Chapel, but he was 
  already dead. 
  • 
  The burial is supposed to be tomorrow. 
  • 
  No one at the house saw anyone else, they 
  didn’t hear any screams, nor did they return to 
  the scene for any reason (other than to escort 
  the PCs). They’ve been inside preparing for 
  the burial since then, and didn’t see the 
  message on the boulder. 
   
  They have no additional information, have no idea 
  who or what the killer is, and have no further clues 
  to aid the PCs. 
   
  Scene Two – The Grain Silo 
  Unlike during the murder of Aslad Avap, Gosen 
  felt no remorse over the killing of the merchant 
  house factor. He is now too far gone in his 
  madness and rage, and only wrote the second 
  note out of some twisted sense of symmetry. 
   
  When the PCs first arrive at the silo, the open 
  door with the bloody broom handle stabbed 
  through it is immediately visible. The door is also 
  heavily stained with blood, and the distinctive 
  smell is quite noticeable. The silo is shown on 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 8 
  
  Judge’s Map #2 – The Second Scene.  The stairs 
  pictured on the map lead to a lower storage room 
  with several empty grain bins and a few discarded 
  bags for transport.  It is not shown on the map, 
  since there is nothing of interest in that area, and 
  the giant insects will not go downstairs. 
   
  Unfortunately for the PCs, the smell of the 
  blood has attracted the attention of these three 
  giant, carnivorous, insects (found at the three ‘B’ 
  marks). These creatures were simply flying past 
  the area in search of food. The smell of blood is an 
  attractant, and the insects are crawling around 
  inside the silo looking for the source. They are out 
  of sight unless the PCs stand near the door, 
  although then they are very visible. If they are left 
  alone, and if they do not see any PCs before they 
  take flight, they will leave the silo of their own 
  volition in ten minutes and fly away. If they spot 
  the PCs before this time, or if they are disturbed in 
  any way, they will move to attack. PCs that move 
  directly to investigate the door or the silo itself will 
  be attacked by the bees – which will gain surprise 
  on the unobservant PCs. They are not using their 
  wings indoors, so only a DC 25 Listen check will 
  reveal their presence prior to observing them 
  through the open door. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Giant Flying Insects (3): hp 13 each; see Giant 
  Bees entry, Monster Manual page 284. 
   
  Note that these insects are similar to giant bees, 
  and will die if they hit with their stinger attack. The 
  poison can be quite deadly to characters with low 
  hit points. For this reason, you should attempt to 
  target fighters or other tough characters, rather 
  than simply killing off the party mage. They will 
  avoid characters with torches or who demonstrate 
  fire attacks (such as burning hands). The insects 
  are naturally scared of fire, and avoid it if possible. 
  If a single insect loses more than half of its hit 
  points from fire attacks it will flee. 
   
  Once the insects have been defeated or 
  driven off, the silo can be explored. The following 
  pieces of information can be learned. 
  • 
  The message scrawled on the wall in the 
  factor’s blood reads, “No More Scratching,” 
  and is included as Player Handout #2 – The 
  Second Note. 
  • 
  The broom handle impaled through the door is 
  quite damaged and was apparently used as a 
  bludgeoning weapon before the factor was 
  stabbed and hung from the door. 
  • 
  There are signs both of a struggle and of 
  someone 
  cleaning 
  and 
  sweeping. 
  (The 
  factor’s sweeping is what awoke Gosen and 
  sent him into a fury, but that isn’t intuitively 
  obvious). 
  • 
  There is a pile of old straw on the far side of 
  the silo that might have been used as a bed. 
   
  Unlike at Scene One, there are no discarded or 
  hidden items to be found. PCs employing skills in 
  their investigation gain the following: 
   
  Track: 
  • 
  DC 5 or better – the area is not often traveled, 
  although four sets of tracks can be seen. If 
  checked, the two more recent tracks match 
  Georgot Satinne and Bann Ergon, as they 
  recovered the body and left. 
  • 
  DC 10 or better – one set of tracks came 
  roughly from the west, and then headed 
  southeast where they vanish into the road 
  heading to Rel Mord. While the other tracks 
  apparently came in from the southeast and 
  stopped here (the first set are Gosen’s, the 
  second belong to the factor). 
  • 
  DC 15 or better – the tracks were made 
  yesterday in the late afternoon or early 
  evening. 
  • 
  DC 20 or better – there are unusually large 
  insect tracks in the area (caused by the bees). 
  This is only of use if the PCs track before 
  approaching the silo. 
  If the PCs try and follow the tracks to the 
  southeast, they eventually reach the road out of 
  town, where they are lost among the numerous 
  other tracks. While they can attempt to regain the 
  tracks by searching along the road, Gosen 
  wandered a long distance along the road away 
  from town before backtracking and heading for 
  Ernya’s house. The DC to recover the tracks past 
  the road is 32 (hard ground [20], trail confused by 
  multiple travelers [-8] and numerous horses [-4]). 
  Search: 
  The PCs will likely take 20 to search the area. As 
  all the clues are quite obvious, nothing additional 
  will be gained. 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 9 
  
  Sense Motive: 
  • 
  While not normally used without a person to 
  ‘read’, this skill can be used to get a general 
  feeling of this crime scene. The DC in this 
  case is 15, and the Judge is welcome to allow 
  any PC with ranks in the skill to roll. While the 
  skill can be used untrained, this will not give 
  the same impressions as can be gained by 
  one with training. If a PC succeeds at this 
  check, they can tell that someone most likely 
  in a frenzied state caused the murder. There 
  is no indication of care or skill, as drops of 
  blood can be found scattered in a wide area 
  and there are several blows that must have 
  missed entirely. 
  Knowledge (nature): 
  • 
  Similar to Sense Motive, while there are no 
  animals present, a successful check of this 
  skill against a DC of 11 will indicate that no 
  animal caused the killing. There are none of 
  the typical signs that would indicate a wild 
  animal attack. The presence of the broom 
  handle also immediately rules out creatures 
  without hands or similar digits. 
   
  Once the PCs have learned all they can, they 
  likely don’t know where else to go and should 
  logically return to town. If your PCs are 
  investigating the Silo first, and then plan to visit the 
  Avap farm, the following text is equally appropriate 
  following that scene: 
   
  Wandering randomly around town will not be 
  useful, and attempting any sort of house-to-house 
  search will anger both the residents and Mayor 
  Satinne. If your PCs show a lack of interest in 
  returning to town, the Silo is close enough for 
  these PCs to notice something of interest near the 
  Inn. Many of the townsfolk seem to be heading 
  towards the Inn, almost as though a town meeting 
  had been called. This leads to a later section 
  entitled: Interlude – A Return to Town. 
   
  Sidebar – The Bodies in the 
  Chapel 
  This section is not required for the PCs to solve 
  the mystery and bring Gosen to justice, but is 
  included because many players wish to be very 
  thorough and investigate every lead. There are 
  two possibilities for when the PCs may arrive at 
  this location (area H on the town key). The most 
  likely is that they arrive here during their 
  investigations of the murders but before the 
  Interlude. This is the default option, and the below 
  descriptions assume this is the case. If your PCs 
  skip the chapel at first but return here after the 
  Interlude, some sections of read aloud text will 
  need to be modified. 
  Note: The most obvious is that Myral Prestad will 
  have been present at the Interlude and will return 
  home with her mother, rather than being present 
  here. 
  The town’s Chapel of Heironeous is large 
  enough to hold a good number of the 
  townsfolk during services. It seems that most 
  of the townsfolk are Heironean in their beliefs, 
  but rarely attend regular services. 
   
  Entering the structure, you find that it is 
  mostly dark, although enough light comes in 
  through the stained glass windows and 
  scattered candles to let you find your way. Two 
  shrouded forms lay on pallets near the altar. A 
  gray-haired woman in ceremonial breastplate 
  kneels before the altar, one outstretched hand 
  on each shroud. She appears deep in prayer, 
  and does not seem to have noticed your 
  arrival. 
  If the PCs visit here before the Interlude: 
  A younger girl, wearing a similar breastplate, 
  moves about the interior replacing burned out 
  candles and trimming wicks. She moves 
  quietly, wary of disturbing the priestess. 
  If the PCs visit after the Interlude: 
  The priestess appears to be alone in her vigil. 
  Then continue: 
  As you watch, the priestess slowly raises her 
  head and looks back over her shoulder. 
  “Welcome to this house of The Invincible. 
  What 
  service 
  can 
  His 
  humble 
  follower 
  provide?” 
  This is Rohrn Fyrad (and perhaps her assistant 
  Myral Prestad), the local cleric of Heironeous. She 
  is totally devoted to her god, but has lost much of 
  her will for fighting. She now seeks a more 
  peaceful approach to conflict, and will only choose 
  combat if all other options have failed. Her 
  devotion has rubbed off on her assistant Myral, 
  and the young woman is now studying to become 
  a member of the clergy. 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 10 
  
   
  Since the discovery of young Aslad’s body, 
  she has been here in the Chapel keeping vigil. 
  The more recent arrival of the merchant house 
  factor has shaken the priestess somewhat, but 
  she will continue her vigil so that both souls will 
  find peace in the afterlife. 
   
  She 
  will 
  not, 
  under 
  any 
  circumstance, 
  accompany the PCs on their search. She has a 
  few spells prepared, including Remove Poison, 
  and Lesser Restoration. She will provide these 
  spells for the PCs if needed, but at standard DMG 
  pricing (although this can be paid at the end of the 
  scenario for new PCs). 
   
  If asked to see the bodies, Rohrn will bow her 
  head and ask for Heironeous’ blessing. She will 
  also ask that the PCs remain respectful at all 
  times, and “treat their mortal shells with kindness.” 
  Then she will pull back the shrouds and allow the 
  PCs to examine the bodies. 
  The bodies under their shrouds are hardly 
  recognizable as human. The damage inflicted 
  during their murders is staggering. The boy, 
  Aslad, is on the left as you face the altar, and 
  his small figure is twisted and mangled like the 
  cast off skin of a snake. The other body, that of 
  the unknown merchant house factor, is less 
  damaged overall, but the large hole through 
  his chest was obviously the fatal blow. Both 
  victims’ faces are smashed beyond describing. 
  The damage is extensive, but even the limited 
  amount of examination allowed to you by the 
  priestess Rohrn is enough to convince you 
  that they were not killed by wild animals. Some 
  madman did this to them. 
  A successful DC 15 Heal check will confirm that 
  the two bodies were beaten with some sort of stick 
  (Aslad’s fence stick and the broom) and also with 
  bare fists. Should the PCs ask about spells such 
  as Speak with Dead, Rohrn will silently point at the 
  damaged faces, and shake her head. If they are 
  insistent, she will simply state that the corpse must 
  be capable of speech, and these two obviously 
  are not. 
   
  Rohrn knows nothing further, and has not left 
  her chapel for the last two days. The only arrivals 
  have been the Avap family when Aslad was 
  brought in, Georgot Satinne and Bann Ergon when 
  the factor was brought in, and Myral, who came 
  here in the morning for her religious observances. 
  If Myral is present, she will not be able to provide 
  any additional information. 
   
  The PCs will not learn anything else from the 
  corpses. There is no magic or curses present on 
  the bodies. Likewise, no taint of evil exists. Once 
  the PCs are finished with their examination: 
  • 
  If the PCs are visiting here before the 
  Interlude Rohrn will ask them to continue their 
  investigations and report their findings to 
  Georgot Satinne. 
  • 
  If it should be after the Interlude, Rohrn will 
  politely ask them to leave so that she can 
  finish closing up the chapel and return to her 
  vigil over the corpses. 
   
  Interlude – A Return to Town 
  Later in the day (early evening) after the PCs have 
  explored the two murder scenes, many of the 
  townsfolk congregate on the Heartland Travelers’ 
  Inn. They haven’t reached the rioting mob stage 
  yet, but they are all scared and frustrated. The 
  PCs will arrive just as the majority of the attendees 
  start asking questions of Georgot Satinne. As the 
  de-facto mayor, they feel he should be in charge. 
  Seeing the PCs arrive, he’ll latch on to them as a 
  way of appearing in control (although he is just as 
  scared as the rest of town). 
  You arrive at the Heartland Inn in the midst of a 
  heated conversation. It seems that many of the 
  townsfolk 
  are 
  present, 
  and 
  unanswered 
  questions are being shouted back and forth. 
  Through it all, the slightly overwhelmed 
  proprietor tries to maintain a semblance of 
  calm. 
   
  “I know you have no idea what is going on. 
  No one does. But simply going off on your … 
  AH! I see our adventurers have returned from 
  their investigations. Come forward my friends. 
  Tell us, what have you learned?” 
  The PCs are now expected to tell the townsfolk 
  about the results of their searching. Listed below 
  are the town’s responses to the PCs, depending 
  on what the PCs mention in their discussion: 
  • 
  Finding the message at Aslad’s murder site. 
  “Then it is true, we have a murderer stalking 
  us!” This will come from either the widow Olma or 
  from Vivena Torer. 
  • 
  Mentioning the lantern discovered at Aslad’s 
  murder site. 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 11 
  
  “A lantern? Hrm. Strange that it would be left 
  behind.” This will come from Bursus Cebras. 
  • 
  Reporting the presence of the insects 
  “Giant bugs! Oh this is all we need.” Spoken by 
  Georgot Satinne. 
  • 
  Bringing up the tracks. 
  “Could you follow them? Where did they go?” 
  This comes from most of the gathering, with 
  several people talking at once. 
  • 
  Discussion of the bodies. 
  “That is as we feared. As much as it pains me 
  to say this, and may Heironeous forgive me, I 
  wish that some wild animal had killed Aslad. At 
  least then there might be a more reasonable 
  explanation for the death of the factor. But now 
  it seems that we have a madman in our town.” 
  • 
  Mentioning that they are out of leads, or 
  otherwise showing that they are out of ideas. 
  This is the final point. The PCs must not be too 
  proud to show that they might need help. If they 
  claim to still be investigating, the townsfolk will let 
  them get about it, and the PCs will be stuck. 
   
  If they do bring it up, the townsfolk will give 
  them help in the form of two rumors. They’ll speak 
  it as the truth, but each side is really grasping at 
  straws and doesn’t know for certain. 
  As the town ponders your words, a young 
  woman with sad, gray eyes speaks up. “I tell 
  you, it must be those filthy mongrels. Skulking 
  about town, watching us from that copse of 
  trees. You all know they have demon-blood in 
  them. Probably were servants of the Emperor. 
  They should be driven out, or killed.” 
   
  Several of the townsfolk begin nodding 
  their heads and making sounds of approval. 
  But then another strong voice rises above the 
  hubbub. The voice belongs to an older woman, 
  who speaks with calm authority. 
   
  “I saw someone creeping around the old 
  stables. I thought it was just one of the kids 
  playing around, but the more I think about it, 
  I’m sure that I haven’t seen that figure around 
  here before. You all know what kind of trouble 
  we’ve had with vagabonds sleeping in there. 
  I’ll put money down that it was that one.” As 
  with the previous suggestion, this one also 
  gets several murmurs of agreement. 
   
  The two suggestions seem to have divided 
  the assembly pretty much evenly. Soon the 
  debates become arguments. It looks as though 
  some of them might come to blows when 
  Georgot’s shout rings out. 
   
  “Enough! This is a good town. We will not 
  come to blows over a difference of opinion. I 
  know everyone is scared and frustrated and 
  wants something to do. Go back to your 
  homes and guard your families. I’ll ask these 
  good 
  adventurers 
  to 
  check 
  out 
  these 
  suggestions. Vivena. Olma. Let them do their 
  jobs. Do not get the rest of the town riled up. 
  They’ll find out the truth and then we’ll all 
  know the answer. Okay?” 
   
  The townsfolk calm down, and more than 
  one sheepish look is exchanged. The two 
  women, the younger Vivena and the older 
  Olma, reluctantly nod their heads and exit the 
  building, most of them with a small group of 
  followers in tow. 
   
  The mayor turns back to you. “So, what is 
  your next step? I’d suggest getting out and 
  checking both of these places. If you don’t 
  then the town will likely form a mob and torch 
  both of them. We might never learn the truth. 
  You’ve probably got until tomorrow evening 
  before things get bad. Most folks are going to 
  go home and check on their families, and 
  that’ll take up the rest of tonight. 
  The PCs can now check out either location. There 
  is nothing more to be learned here. If the PCs 
  need directions, Georgot will tell them that the old 
  stables are easy to find, just head down the 
  southwest road until they find the burned out 
  building. The mongrelfolk camp is likely to the 
  west; out in a thick clump of trees a couple of 
  miles outside of town. At least that is where they 
  were seen most often. 
   
  Note: 
  If 
  the 
  PCs 
  mention 
  killing 
  the 
  mongrelfolk, Bann Ergon will bring up his 
  involvement with the trio, and ask the PCs not to 
  kill them without good reason. Georgot will 
  momentarily look quite surprised, but will quickly 
  recover and return to supporting his brother-in-
  law, repeating the request. 
   
  Once the PCs are ready to proceed, they can 
  follow up either the False Lead or the Good One. 
   
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 12 
  
  The False Lead – The Drifter 
  The burned-out stables are found at area E 
  (Burned Husk) on the town key. It is also provided 
  as Judge’s Map #3 – The Burned Stables. The 
  Drifter is found at the area marked with the ‘D’ on 
  that map. He is not the murderer, but simply a con 
  man and sometime thief. He is in hiding from the 
  authorities, and will simply assume that the PCs 
  are after him. He’s seen the hubbub in town, but 
  hasn’t been close enough to overhear anything. 
  He is fairly paranoid and is convinced that his 
  presence has been discovered. Therefore, he will 
  simply attack the PCs and try to get away in the 
  confusion. If the fight turns against him, he will 
  surrender, figuring to escape before being brought 
  to trial. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  The Drifter: Male gnome Rog2/Sor1; hp 19; see 
  Combat Appendix – APL2. 
   
  The Drifter is a rather short gnome. One of those 
  nasty rogues with decent charisma, a bit of 
  magical ability, and absolutely no compulsions 
  about getting what he wants. If captured alive, 
  Georgot will recall a wanted poster from before the 
  war that depicted the gnome. He’ll be more than 
  happy to take him into custody, but will be the first 
  to point out that the gnome cannot possibly be the 
  killer – at least of the merchant house factor. He 
  simply isn’t tall enough, and it doesn’t look like he 
  possesses the strength to do that kind of damage. 
   
  If The Drifter manages to defeat the PCs 
  (likely through use of his Color Spray spell), he will 
  not bother to kill them. Instead he’ll simply run off 
  and vanish. The PCs will be left alive, but likely 
  embarrassed. 
   
  There is nothing related to the murders at this 
  location, but the PCs are welcome to search. The 
  Drifter will not be particularly forthcoming if 
  questioned, both because he really doesn’t know 
  anything, but also because he has a sarcastic 
  personality that often gets him into trouble. 
   
  The Good Lead – The 
  Mongrelfolk 
  Note: Mongrelfolk are described in the Fiend Folio, 
  but that tome is not required to run this section. 
   
  Kobolodus, Orctavius, and Goblimina were three 
  once-human experiments of the Imperium. The 
  experiments and torture they suffered have 
  transformed them into the monstrous forms they 
  have now. They managed to escape during the 
  assault on Rel Mord and fled north to this place. 
  While they do not yet feel safe, they retain enough 
  of their former lives to simply revert to lives as 
  monsters. The three are all lawful in alignment, 
  and while not exactly ‘good,’ after their treatment, 
  they are all honorable. 
   
  Kobolodus is the leader of the trio. It was he 
  that managed their escape from the besieged city 
  and led them to their current location. He was also 
  the one that suggested they leave behind all of 
  their old lives and take up the new, somewhat 
  grandiose, names they have now. He most 
  resembles a kobold in appearance, although he is 
  of medium size. 
   
  Orctavius is the group’s muscle. He follows 
  Kobolodus almost blindly, as he knows he would 
  be long dead without the other’s assistance. He 
  makes up for a lack of intelligence with his great 
  strength and the orcish double axe he has taken 
  to wielding. 
   
  Goblimina is something of a paradox, an 
  almost cute mongrel. While not exactly a beauty 
  by human standards, she managed to retain her 
  long black hair and bright blue eyes. She also acts 
  just shy enough to appear merely homely instead 
  of 
  having 
  the 
  brutish 
  appearance 
  of 
  her 
  companions. She is quite in love with Kobolodus, 
  and it was her presence that gave him the resolve 
  to arrange their escape. She is very pregnant, and 
  is looking forward to presenting Kobolodus with 
  their child. 
   
  The three are fully accepting of their new 
  forms and no longer desire to return to humanity. 
  They want merely to be left alone and to raise their 
  new family in peace and quiet. They will not initiate 
  combat, but will defend themselves – using non-
  lethal methods at first, but switching to deadly 
  force immediately if required. 
   
  The mongrelfolk camp is located at area N on 
  the town key. It is illustrated in Judge’s Map #4 – 
  The Mongrelfolk Camp. The trio can initially be 
  found hiding (use opposed skill checks if players 
  wish to Spot them) at the spots marked with the 
  ‘K,’ ‘O,’ and ‘G’ markers. 
    
  It is very possible that most PCs will want to 
  combat the mongrelfolk, who will simply respond 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 13 
  
  in kind. However, if the PCs are willing to parley or 
  at least talk, the trio will be quite a bit more 
  responsive. Play them as mildly paranoid, but 
  willing to listen to reasonable suggestions. 
  Basically, they aren’t inclined to be helpful, but 
  they aren’t trying to be jerks about it either. 
   
  Should the PCs mention the murders, they will 
  initially become even more defensive, simply 
  shouting their innocence without hearing the rest 
  of the statement. However, if the PCs happen to 
  stick it out long enough to mention the murder 
  specifically at the Silo, Goblimina will pipe up 
  about what she saw: 
  “I don’t know if this is helpful,” comes the 
  strangely accented voice of the female. “But I 
  think I might have seen something. I carry a 
  child within me, and it requires that I take 
  special herbs as part of my diet. Yesterday 
  evening, I was out gathering some of these to 
  the south of the town. I saw a man stumbling 
  away from the town’s silo. He looked to be in 
  pain, or perhaps drunk. I nearly went to help 
  him, but I knew that Kobolodus would be angry 
  if I did. Our kind is not well treated among your 
  kind. I did not know the man, but I have seen 
  him about the town from time to time. He’s got 
  bright red hair if that helps you.” 
  The trio knows nothing further, and will not come 
  into town to repeat their story. PCs that play this 
  with respect and dignity can greatly improve 
  relations between the mongrels and the town. 
  Perhaps one day the two groups would even fully 
  accept and welcome the other. But that is 
  something for later scenarios to explore. 
   
  At this point the PCs will likely want to return 
  to town to mention their discovery, and see if the 
  man is known by anyone in town. 
  • 
  If the PCs have already explored the False 
  Lead then they can return directly to town and 
  Scene Three. 
  • 
  If the PCs have not yet explored the False 
  Lead, they should first head there. This is 
  easiest to accomplish by simply having the 
  PCs see light or motion from the area of the 
  burned-out stables. If they absolutely refuse to 
  head in that direction, then when they return to 
  town, they can report to Georgot. He will 
  recognize their description as Gosen Beourn. 
  Gosen’s house will be empty at first, so 
  Georgot will send them to the burned-out 
  stables in case he is hiding there as Olma 
  suspected. 
  In either case, once the PCs have returned to 
  town after investigating the two leads, they will 
  proceed directly into Scene Three – Ernya’s 
  Sewing. 
   
  Scene Three – Ernya’s 
  Sewing 
  Ernya’s Sewing is located at area W on the town 
  key. When the PCs first arrive back in town after 
  exploring both leads, loud screaming will be heard 
  from this area. The PCs will arrive on scene to find 
  Ernya’s body stabbed to death with several 
  knitting needles. She had put up a bit of a 
  struggle, but died under the massive assault. Her 
  screams woke her elderly, bed-ridden father 
  Willum, who saw the struggle and managed to 
  toss an oil lamp at Gosen. The flames didn’t 
  manage to hurt Gosen much, but they did scare 
  him off before he could do the same to Willum. 
   
  The PCs can learn a little from Willum. He 
  doesn’t have much to offer the investigation other 
  than the killer’s identity. Willum is obviously 
  distraught and in shock, but he recognized the 
  attacker as Gosen. 
  “As the monster was stabbing Ernya, he kept 
  calling out, ‘Stop the scratching. No more 
  scratching.’ Even as my baby was screaming 
  for him to stop, he just kept stabbing her and 
  telling her to stop the scratching. I tried to get 
  up, but my legs don’t work. I grabbed the lamp 
  and threw it at him. It broke when it hit him and 
  flames covered him. He flew out the door, but 
  my baby was already dead.” 
   
  There is nothing to be done for either Ernya or 
  Willum. Ernya is quite dead, and Willum will 
  succumb to the shock and despair during the next 
  few months. Even now, he is starting to lose his 
  grip on life. 
   
  Following the attack, Gosen was nearly 
  blinded by the flash of the exploding oil lamp. 
  Confused, in pain, and still in a fury from his attack 
  on Ernya, he fled to the only remaining haven his 
  brain recognized, his own home. The PCs merely 
  need to follow him to that location to confront him 
  and bring his terror to an end. 
   
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 14 
  
  The Final Showdown – 
  Gosen Goes Home 
  Gosen has returned to his house, habitually 
  locking the door behind him. He awaits the PCs in 
  his front room, rocking back and forth on his heels, 
  and cradling a fireplace poker in his massive 
  hands. Gosen’s house is located at area X on the 
  town key. It is pictured in Judge’s Map #5 – 
  Gosen’s Home. 
  Wooden Front Door: 1 in. thick; hardness 5; hp 
  10; AC 5; Break DC 18; Open Lock DC 20. 
  Gosen is fully described in the Combat Appendix, 
  but a few notes on playing him are important. 
  • 
  Gosen will begin the combat rocking on his 
  heels and crooning to himself. He may even 
  appear calm or harmless. A Spot, Sense 
  Motive, or Slight of Hand check against a DC 
  of 10 is enough to spot the fireplace poker and 
  realize that he is preparing to strike. If the PCs 
  believe he is harmless and approach without 
  precaution, Gosen will gain surprise. 
  • 
  Gosen’s madness has granted him abilities 
  beyond what he could have obtained in life. 
  He has obtained two more feats than a 
  character of his level should have. This is not 
  a mistake, and should be taken into account 
  during the fight (described below). 
  • 
  Gosen strikes with such force with each blow, 
  that he is treated as having the Stunning Fist 
  and Extra Stunning feats. Gosen will attempt a 
  stunning attack each round he uses his fists; 
  choosing the first attack if he is granted two 
  attacks from his Two-Weapon Fighting feat. 
  • 
  Gosen begins combat using his makeshift club 
  (the fireplace poker) as a weapon. He is not 
  practiced in its use, and suffers a –2 penalty 
  when attacking (this is already included in the 
  stat block in the appendix). If he drops a PC, 
  takes damage, or otherwise is frustrated in his 
  attacks (disarmed, for example), he will 
  discard the makeshift weapon and use only 
  his fists. 
  • 
  Throughout the combat (from the first round 
  on), Gosen will scream at the PCs. This will 
  happen on each action he takes, or whenever 
  the PCs manage to inflict damage. His 
  choices of expletives are given below: 
  “Stop the scratching!” 
  “No more digging!” 
  “Things in the darkness!” 
  “Skitter, scatter, skitter, scatter.” 
  “Heh he ha he he he.” (maniacal laughter) 
  “I smash the creepy crawlies. No crawl on me.” 
  (usually just before punching one of the PCs) 
   
  • 
  Gosen is immune to the effects of some mind-
  effecting spells or abilities. He cannot be 
  charmed or commanded. Calm Emotions 
  simply fails to work. And any effect that relies 
  on Gosen’s ability to understand language 
  also fails. 
  • 
  Gosen will continue to attack one character 
  until that character falls or is stunned. He will 
  then pick a different target at random and 
  continue in the same vein. He will not return to 
  characters that recover from being stunned, 
  unless he drops or stuns his current target and 
  then chooses the original character at random. 
  Gosen fights to the death. He cannot be reasoned 
  with, and healing him is far beyond the ability of 
  the PCs or anyone else in town. Given his Diehard 
  feat, Gosen cannot be rendered unconscious. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 5) 
  Gosen Beourn Ftr2/Bar1: hp 41; see Combat 
  Appendix. 
   
  With the death of Gosen, the town slowly returns 
  to normal. The PCs can proceed to the 
  conclusion. 
   
  Conclusion – Rewards 
  As 
  the 
  town 
  slowly 
  recovers, 
  Gosen’s 
  madness 
  is 
  still 
  not 
  explained. 
  The 
  townspeople remember him as a fairly nice but 
  aimless young man that sort of drifted from 
  one job to another. He left town several weeks 
  ago claiming to have a job as a guard, but no 
  one knows anything about it or where he was 
  employed. 
   
  Whatever he was doing seems to have had 
  an effect on the man. His madness lent him 
  great strength and endurance, but completely 
  shattered his mind. What ‘scratching’ or 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 15 
  
  ‘digging’ he was talking about is unknown as 
  well. 
   
  The 
  townsfolk 
  are 
  treating 
  you 
  as 
  hometown heroes. Wherever you go in town, 
  you are greeted with friendly hellos, waves, 
  and firm handshakes. It seems they realize 
  what a service you have performed for them. 
  Even the priestess Rohrn nods her head as 
  you pass. Her compliment on your skill at arms 
  during the final combat was high praise 
  indeed. 
   
  The End 
   
   
  Experience Point Summary 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up 
  the values for the objectives accomplished. Then 
  assign the experience award. Award the total 
  value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each 
  character. 
   
  Scene Two – The Grain Silo 
  Defeating the giant bees 
   
  APL2  
   
   
   
  120 xp 
  The False Lead – The Drifter 
  Killing or capturing The Drifter 
   
  APL2  
   
   
   
  90 xp 
  The Good Lead – The Mongrelfolk 
  Defeating the Mongrelfolk 
   
  APL2  
   
   
   
  0 xp 
  The Final Showdown – Gosen Goes Home 
  Defeating Gosen Beourn 
   
  APL2  
   
   
   
  150 xp 
  Story/Discretionary roleplaying award 
  Displayed good interaction with town residents 
   
  APL2  
   
   
   
  90 xp 
   
  Total possible experience: 
   
  APL2  
   
   
   
  450 xp 
   
  Treasure Summary 
  During 
  an 
  adventure, 
  characters 
  encounter 
  treasure, usually finding it in the possession of 
  their foes. Every encounter that features treasure 
  has a “treasure” section within the encounter 
  description, giving information about the loot, 
  coins, and magic items that make up the 
  encounter’s treasure. 
   
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces 
  each character gains if the foes are plundered of 
  all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies 
  takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, 
  and if the characters cannot take the time to loot 
  the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it 
  is reasonable that characters can go back to loot 
  the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not 
  carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from 
  the scene by the local watch, and so on), 
  characters may return to retrieve loot. If the 
  characters do not loot the body, the gold piece 
  value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter 
  totals given below. 
   
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces 
  each character gains if they take the coin 
  available. A normal adventuring party can usually 
  gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some 
  reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is 
  subtracted from the encounter totals given below. 
   
  Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item 
  treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they 
  are varied and because characters may want to 
  use them during the adventure. Many times 
  characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or 
  similar spell to determine what the item does and 
  how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to 
  use the item blindly. If the magic item is 
  consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) 
  and the item is used before the end of the 
  adventure, its total is subtracted from the 
  adventure totals below. 
   
  Once you have subtracted the value for 
  unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up 
  and that is the number of gold pieces a characters 
  total and coin value increase at the end of the 
  adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of 
  the adventure certificate. Because this is a 
  Regional 
  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. 
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 16 
  
   
  L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, Gems, 
  Jewelry, and other valuables; M = Magic Items. 
  New Rules Items: 
  Extra Stunning: With this feat, a character can 
  attempt a stunning attack three additional times 
  per day. This feat still only allows the use of one 
  stunning attack per round. 
  The False Lead – The Drifter 
   
  APL 2: L: 30 gp (masterwork short sword); C: 
  0 gp; M: 333 gp (ring of protection +1) 
   
  The Final Showdown – Gosen Goes Home 
  Reckless Rage: By sacrificing defense for attack, 
  a character takes an additional –2 penalty to AC in 
  exchange for an additional +2 Str and +2 Con 
  while under the effects of rage. 
   
  APL 2: L: 21 gp (masterwork chain shirt); C: 0 
  gp; M: 0 gp 
  Conclusion – Rewards 
   
   
  APL 2: L: 0 gp; C: 75 gp; M: 0 gp 
   
   
  Total Possible Treasure 
  APL 2: L: 51 gp; C: 75 gp; M: 333 gp - Total: 
  459 gp (max 450 gp per character) 
   
  Items for the Adventure 
  Record 
  As this is an introductory scenario, no item access 
  is included. The PCs may receive both of the 
  following 
  favors 
  assuming 
  they 
  meet 
  the 
  requirements. 
  • 
  The “Thanks of the Town” favor requires that 
  the PCs have both uncovered The Drifter and 
  stopped Gosen’s assaults. 
  • 
  “Watched over by Rohrn” requires that the 
  PCs have met Rohrn during the scenario, and 
  that they acted with courtesy and dignity 
  throughout their sojourn in Heartland. 
   
  Thanks of the Town: you made friends in the 
  town of Heartland. You are granted free Normal 
  upkeep in any scenario beginning primarily in the 
  Heartland area. 
   
  Watched over by Rohrn: the priestess Rohrn is 
  impressed with your fighting prowess, dedication 
  to the protection of innocents, and dogged 
  determination to discover the truth. She is paying 
  attention to words of your exploits and deeds. This 
  favor may be of use in future scenarios set in the 
  Heartland area. 
   
   
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 17 
  
  Combat Appendix – APL 2
  Scene Two – The Grain Silo 
   
   
  Giant Flying Insects: hp 13 each; see Giant 
  Bees, Monster Manual page 284. 
   
  The False Lead – The Drifter 
   
   
  The Drifter: Male gnome (Rock) Rog2/Sor1; 
  Small 
  Humanoid 
  (gnome); 
  CR 
  3; 
  HD 
  2d6+1d4+6; hp 19; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 18 (+1 
  size, +2 Dex, +4 mage armor, +1 ring of 
  protection +1), touch 14, flat-footed 16; Base Atk 
  +1; Grapple -3; 
   
  Atk +3 melee (1d4/19-20, masterwork short 
  sword); 
  AL NE; SA Sneak attack 1d6; SQ Evasion; SV 
  Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2; Str 10(+0), Dex 14(+2), 
  Con 15(+2), Int 10(+0), Wis 10(+0), Cha 14(+2). 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +5, Concentration 
  +4, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +7, Forgery +5, 
  Hide +11, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +7, 
  Use Rope +7; Combat Casting, Dodge. 
   
  Possessions: Masterwork short sword, deck 
  of cards, tattered clothing, black cloak, platform 
  boots, ring of protection +1. 
   
  Spells known (5/4; base DC = 12 + spell 
  level): 0 — [detect magic, light, prestidigitation, 
  ray of frost]; 1st — [mage armor, color spray] 
   
  The Good Lead – The Mongrelfolk 
   
  Mongrelfolk are described in the Fiend Folio on 
  page 125. That tome is not required for this 
  encounter. All relevant information is included 
  below. 
   
  Kobolodus: Male mongrelfolk Rog2; Medium 
  Humanoid (mongrelfolk); CR 2; HD 2d6+4; hp 
  14; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+2 Dex, +2 
  leather), touch 12, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +1; 
  Grapple +2; 
   
  Atk +2 melee (1d6/19-20, short sword); 
  AL LN; SA Sneak attack 1d6; SQ Evasion, 
  emulate race, sound imitation; SV Fort +2, Ref 
  +5, Will +0; Str 12(+1), Dex 14(+2), Con 14(+2), 
  Int 14(+2), Wis 10(+0), Cha 7(-2). 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Concentration 
  +6, Disguise +2, Escape Artist +7, Hide +15, 
  Move Silently +7, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of 
  Hand +15, Tumble +7, Use Rope +7; Dodge. 
   
  Possessions: Short sword, leather armor, 
  tattered clothing, black cloak. 
   
  Orctavius: Male mongrelfolk Ftr2; Medium 
  Humanoid (mongrelfolk); CR 2; HD 2d10+7; hp 
  23; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 leather), touch 
  10, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +2; Grapple +6; 
   
  Atk +7 melee (1d8+6/x3, orc double axe); 
   
  Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+4/x3, orc double 
  axe) AND +5 melee (1d8+2/x3, orc double axe); 
  AL LN; SQ Emulate race, sound imitation; SV 
  Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +1; Str 18(+4), Dex 10(+0), 
  Con 14(+2), Int 8(-1), Wis 12(+1), Cha 7(-2). 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +9, Hide +8, Slight 
  of Hand +8; Toughness, Two-Weapon Fighting, 
  Weapon Focus (Orc Double Axe); 
   
  Possessions: Orc double axe, leather armor, 
  tattered clothing, black cloak. 
   
  Goblimina: Female mongrelfolk Drd2; Medium 
  Humanoid (mongrelfolk); CR 2; HD 2d8; hp 13; 
  Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (+1 Dex), touch 11, 
  flat-footed 10; Base Atk +1; Grapple +1; 
   
  Atk +1 melee (1d6/x3, sickle); 
  AL LN; SQ Emulate race, sound imitation; SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +6; Str 10(+0), Dex 12(+1), 
  Con 10(+0), Int 14(+2), Wis 16(+3), Cha 10(+0). 
   
  Skills and Feats: Concentration +5, Handle 
  Animal +5, Hide +9, Knowledge Nature +7, 
  Sleight of Hand +9, Survival +5; Combat 
  Casting. 
   
  Possessions: Sickle, tattered clothing, black 
  cloak. 
   
  Spells prepared (3/2; base DC = 13 + spell 
  level): 0 — [cure minor wounds, light, purify food 
  and drink]; 1st — [faerie fire, magic stone] 
   
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 18 
  
   
  Emulate Race (Ex): Because of their 
  racially mixed heritage, Mongrelfolk can use 
  normal or magic items that only function for 
  members of a specific race. Orctavius uses this 
  ability to wield his orc double axe without 
  penalty. 
   
  Sound Imitation (Ex): Mongrelfolk can 
  imitate any voice or sound they have heard. 
  Listeners must succeed on a Will save (DC 16) 
  to detect the ruse. 
   
  Skills: Mongrelfolk receive a +8 racial 
  bonus on Hide and Slight of Hand checks. 
   
  Final Showdown – Gosen Goes Home 
  Gosen 
  Beourn: 
  Male 
  human 
  (Oeridian) 
  Bbn1/Ftr2; Medium Humanoid (human); CR 4; 
  HD 1d12+2d10+18; hp 42; Init +2; Spd 40 ft.; 
  AC 12 (+2 Dex, +4 chain shirt, -4 rage effect), 
  touch 8, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +3; Grapple +9; 
   
  Atk 
  +7 
  two-handed 
  melee 
  (1d6+9, 
  improvised 
  club) 
  OR 
  +9 
  melee 
  (1d3+6, 
  Unarmed Strike), 
   
  Full Atk +7 two-handed melee (1d6+9, 
  improvised club) 
  OR +9 melee (1d3+6, Unarmed Strike) 
  OR +7 Two-Weapon (primary) (1d3+6, Unarmed 
  Strike) AND +7 Two-Weapon (secondary) 
  (1d3+3, Unarmed Strike); 
  AL CN; SQ Madness; SV Fort +11, Ref +2, Will 
  +1; Str 22(+6), Dex 15(+2), Con 22(+6), Int 8(-
  1), Wis 8(-1), Cha 8(-1). 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +11, Intimidate +5, 
  Survival 
  +1; 
  Diehard, 
  Endurance, 
  Extra 
  Stunning, Improved Unarmed Strike, Reckless 
  Rage, Stunning Fist, Two-Weapon Fighting. 
   
  Possessions: Improvised club (fireplace 
  poker), masterwork chain shirt, 
   
   
  Madness (Ex): Gosen’s madness makes 
  him immune to the effects of certain mind-
  effecting spells. He cannot be charmed or 
  commanded. Calm Emotions simply fails to 
  work. And any effect that relies on Gosen’s 
  ability to understand language also fails. 
   
  Gosen’s madness has granted him abilities 
  beyond what he could have obtained in life. He 
  has obtained two more feats than a character of 
  his level should have. This is not a mistake, and 
  should be taken into account during the fight 
  (described below). Gosen strikes with such force 
  with each blow, that he is treated as having the 
  Stunning Fist and Extra Stunning feats. Gosen 
  will attempt a stunning attack each round he 
  uses his fists; choosing the first attack if he is 
  granted two attacks from his Two-Weapon 
  Fighting feat. 
   
  Gosen begins the combat already in rage. The 
  effects of both his barbarian rage and the 
  reckless rage feat are already included in the 
  above stat block. This rage will wear off only 
  upon Gosen’s death or when 9 rounds have 
  elapsed. If the rage ends, Gosen’s Str drops to 
  14, his Dex to 13, his Con to 16, his Will save 
  worsens to –1, his Reflex save drops to +1, and 
  his AC improves to 15 (+1 Dex, +4 chain shirt). 
  He will continue to fight, but he is fatigued from 
  the exertion. 
   
   
  A Murder in Heartland 
   
  Page 19 
  
  DM’s Appendix One – Notes for Resident PCs 
  Players wishing to play residents of Heartland are encouraged to do so. The following is a copy of the 
  information found on the Nyrond Website and is intended to aid judges of resident PCs. 
   
   
  Welcome to Heartland. This small town is located approximately 75 miles nearly straight north of Rel 
  Mord. It can be found on the Nyrond Regional map at the crossroads of three trails just north of the 
  Justcrown Province border (the roads form an inverted ‘Y’). 
   
  Heartland (Hamlet): Conventional; AL LG; 100 gp; Assets 520 gp; Population 130; Mixed (Humans 
  86.2% [Oeridian 60%, mixed 40%], Halfling 9.2%, Elf .8%, Half-Orc 1.5%, Gnome 1%, Dwarf .8%). 
   
  Authority Figures: Mayor Georgot Satinne (LN male human expert 2/fighter 1); Knight Commander, 
  Sir Varduun Koonth (LG elderly male human fighter 9). 
   
  Important Characters: Rohrn Fyrad (LG female human cleric 5/fighter 1 [Heironeous]); Olagh 
  Tunnelwalker (N male dwarf wizard 4); Aeslip Symantine (CG male elf [high] rogue 4). 
   
  History: The town grew up around the Heartland Travelers’ Inn, which was named for its enviable location 
  near Nyrond’s geographical center. The people here are simple folk. Most are farmers or run small 
  businesses based around a farming community. There is no town wall, constabulary, or other notable law 
  enforcement. Frankly, it has never been needed. Heartland is so small that everyone knows everyone 
  else, and the people are friendly enough to greet even total strangers with a friendly hello. 
  While the majority of the town has been developed for use within the Heartland series of scenarios, this 
  does not preclude PCs having grown up within the town. If you would like to create a PC that gets his 
  start as a resident, you merely need to do the following: 
   
  1. There are several large farms located just outside the Heartland ‘downtown’ area (this is the area 
  found on the scenario maps). The majority of these farms are communal co-op style affairs with 
  multiple families working various areas of the farmstead. It is assumed that your character grew up on 
  one of these farms. Because of this, you should devote at least one rank in one of the following skills: 
  Craft (basketweaving), Craft (blacksmithing), Craft (leatherworking), Craft (weaving), Handle Animal, 
  Profession (farmer), Profession (hunter), Profession (stablehand), Profession (tanner), or Survival. 
  The skill (or skills) chosen represent what you learned as a child. 
  2. Some classes merely need a background to describe their abilities. Barbarian, Druid, Fighter, Monk, 
  Ranger, Rogue or Sorcerer all fit the small town atmosphere and can easily be learned without formal 
  training. Other classes – notably Bard, Cleric, Paladin or Wizard (and most specialty base classes 
  from the non-Core rulebooks) – require specialized training. Your background should describe how 
  you obtained this training (which must come from outside of Heartland). Referencing other areas 
  within Nyrond, such as traveling to Hendrenn Halgood for religious training in the Church of Pelor, is 
  perfectly acceptable. Please remember that most Nyrond Regional Meta-Organizations have 
  membership requirements that may bar your entry, but that general education can come from any 
  number of sources. 
  3. With the exception of the above listed town notables, and future or visiting PCs, there is no one 
  above 3rd level within the town. Your background should not include references to powerful 
  archmages living in crystal towers just outside of town, nor a mighty Druid circle meeting just over the 
  next hill. Heartland is a simple place with simple people. None of the NPCs listed within the above 
  town stat block can be chosen as a mentor, relative or close friend. These NPCs will all be 
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  encountered during the course of the Heartland saga, and it would be confusing for these NPCs to be 
  different than you expect or want them to be portrayed. 
  4. There is a certain level of basic knowledge that all residents of town are assumed to know. The 
  Heartland Player’s Guide details this general knowledge. You should download a copy and keep it 
  with your character sheet. It will help you during your initial forays into the plots surrounding 
  Heartland. What your character knows about the town is summarized into those pages. You should 
  not be continually asking your judge if you know so-and-so, if you know the layout of all the buildings 
  in town, or if you can get discounts on equipment or services because you are a resident. You know 
  of people, but your time out on the farm left you with little free time as a child, and you rarely made it 
  into the town proper. 
  5. Heartland is not a poor town, but neither can you expect to find large expensive items on sale. “The 
  Center of It All” General Store can obtain most standard items from the PHB, but your judge will be 
  given guidelines on what is available at any given time. This limitation does not affect your starting 
  equipment, as it is assumed you obtained this equipment over the course of your life up to this point. 
  But do not expect to be able to purchase three-dozen sunrods at a time within any given scenario. 
   
  That’s really about it. Enjoy the town and the saga. Expect that people will remember your name and 
  deeds. And understand that even the greatest heroes may have had humble beginnings. 
   
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   The Town of Heartland 
   
   
   
   
   
   
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  Map Key for the Town of Heartland 
   
  Heartland (Hamlet): Conventional; AL LG; 100 gp; Assets 520 gp; Population 130; Mixed (Humans 
  86.2% [Oeridian 60%, mixed 40%], Halfling 9.2%, Elf .8%, Half-Orc 1.5%, Gnome 1%, Dwarf .8%). 
   
  Authority Figures: Mayor Georgot Satinne (LN male human expert 2/fighter 1); Knight Commander, 
  Sir Varduun Koonth (LG elderly male human fighter 9). 
   
  Important Characters: Rohrn Fyrad (LG female human cleric 5/fighter 1 [Heironeous]); Olagh 
  Tunnelwalker (N male dwarf wizard 4); Aeslip Symantine (CG male elf [high] rogue 4). 
   
  Refer to the previous map letters for the following encounter areas. The blue round dots represent wells. 
  The purple squares represent openings into the ground, and do not feature in this scenario, nor should 
  they be mentioned to the PCs at this time. 
   
  A. Heartland Travelers’ Inn – original settlement of the area. Once nothing more than a simple rest stop 
  for travelers headed between Rel Mord and the northern lands, a small town grew up around this inn. 
  The town gets its name from the inn. The proprietor, Georgot Satinne (40), is also the mayor of the 
  town – although the position carries little real power. His wife died last year from the KOI while away 
  from town visiting family. Their only son was with her and also succumbed, although their two 
  daughters Myrroi (17, and quite the cook) and Tynia (12 and a fledging bard) had remained behind 
  with Georgot and survived. They help out around the inn, although Myrroi is starting to look for a 
  husband. Tynia is happy remaining at the inn for now, but is the best student at the school and loves 
  studying. 
   
  About the murders: The Satinne family knows nothing more than what is listed in the scenario. They 
  are obviously present during the Interlude, but will remain neutral during the proceedings. Georgot’s 
  primary goal is to prevent a riot or mob scene, and will convince the town to let the PCs continue their 
  investigation. 
   
  B. “The Center of It All” General Store – second town building. The general store is built around a smithy 
  built to service the many travelers that arrived at the inn. The store is an offshoot of this building. 
  Georgot’s sister-in-law Simonarri Ergon (37) once managed the store, but has become increasingly 
  withdrawn since the death of her sister. Now her son, Timorus (20), manages it in her place, and 
  does a rather respectable job of it. Should things get out of hand, his father, Bann Ergon (38), still 
  manages the smithy and watches over the customers. 
   
  About the murders: The Ergon’s rarely leave the center of town, and have not seen or heard anything 
  special. Bann will be present during the Interlude, but Timorous and Simonarri will remain at home. 
  Bann will be quiet and will not back either Lead, unless it seems the PCs aim to attack the mongrels 
  rather than talk with them. Then he will privately mention to the PCs that he has had dealings with 
  them from time to time, and they are quite civilized. He has been afraid to mention it since so many of 
  the townsfolk are scared of them, but he is positive that they have nothing to do with this. Once this 
  knowledge comes out, the Satinne family will back Bann up (family loyalty). 
   
  C. Garrison Fortlet – not much more than a sturdy watchtower, the fortlet is hardly ever used, except on 
  rare occasions when the townsfolk have one of their infrequent town meetings. Several years back 
  the kingdom maintained a small garrison from the Ninth Legion here, but King Lynwerd’s 
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  reorganization removed nearly all troops from the area. The fortlet is still well supplied and 
  maintained by Sir Varduun Koonth, an elderly and retired knight of the realm. Any royal or military 
  meta-org members will find the place quite accommodating (free normal upkeep). 
   
  About the murders: Since there is no one in residence, no information can be learned here. 
   
  D. Koonth Manor – Sir Varduun (75) resides here, along with a few servants and retainers. Having fallen 
  in love with the area (and with one of the townsfolk) years ago, Sir Varduun retired here when he 
  stepped down from active duty. Quite senile and locked in the past, he believes it is always 561 CY, 
  the year he was promoted to Knight Commander by King Archbold. His wife Olviette (66), 
  manservant Simsh (58), and maid/nurse Kantie (47) also reside at the manor full time. 
   
  About the murders: The Koonth household is useless to the PCs. Not only is Sir Koonth quite senile, 
  but also the other members of the house are always attending him and have not left their house since 
  before the murders began. They will not appear during the Interlude. 
   
  E. Burned Husk – Once intended as stables for the fortlet, it was never completed and remained empty 
  for many years. Used as a no-cost alternative to the inn, it played host to hundreds of drifters, 
  vagabonds and ne’er-do-wells over the years. That all changed about three years ago when a fire set 
  by one of these travelers got out of control and burned the majority of the building. Only this small 
  corner (about the size of a single room) remains, and even it is heavily damaged. 
   
  About the murders: Although the PCs are sent here as a result of the False Lead given out during the 
  Interlude, the Drifter has nothing to do with the murders in town. The Drifter is a wanted criminal, but 
  otherwise is not connected. And given his gnomish stature, he could not have been the one to kill the 
  merchant house factor. He will obviously not be present during the Interlude, as he will stay in hiding 
  for as long as possible. 
   
  F. Heartland School – A simple, single-room schoolhouse. Olagh Tunnelwalker (55), a dwarven 
  graduate of Rel Mord University, is the teacher. He resides at area G. 
   
  About the murders: Because of the murders, the school is empty when visited during this scenario. 
  Nothing of any import can be found at this location. 
   
  G. Olagh Tunnelwalker’s House – A young dwarf, Olagh is unusual in that he lives far away from his 
  family and clan. He will not speak about it, being a rather close-lipped and shy fellow. He is also 
  something of a fledgling mage – a possible tutor for the PCs in the future. 
   
  About the murders: Olagh will be found at the Inn’s common room during the Interlude. He will side 
  with Olma during the Interlude and support the False Lead. Otherwise he knows nothing of particular 
  import. 
   
  H. Chapel of Heironeous – the town’s house of worship. Overseen by Rohrn Fyrad (42), a seriously 
  devout warrior woman. She is a bit biased towards other women, and has accepted only female altar 
  attendants. Currently Myral Prestad, who lives at area I, fills the position. 
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  About the murders: Rohrn has been in vigil over the bodies ever since young Aslad was brought in. 
  Once something of a warrior, she still has her strength, but not the will to fight, having seen too much 
  bloodshed in her life. She is very willing to cure the PCs or treat their injuries, but she will not assist 
  them in their search. She has seen nothing of interest; although she can point out that both bodies 
  show similar signs of death – save for the large hole in the factor caused by the broom handle. She 
  will not be present during the Interlude, but will remain in vigil here. 
   
  I. 
  Ayrlyn Prestad’s Home – a wealthy merchant in his late forties, and often away from town on 
  business. His wife Forna (38, and quite the gossip), and daughter Myral (15, and aiming to enter the 
  priesthood of Heironeous), both live here as well. Myral is in school during the midday (usually), has 
  chores at other times, and performs her religious duties whenever she can. 
   
  About the murders: Ayrlyn is away from home during this scenario, and cannot be questioned by the 
  PCs. Forna will be found with Olma (area J) during the day and here at night. She automatically 
  defers to the older woman and will back the False Lead during the Interlude. Her daughter, Myral, can 
  be found at the Chapel (area H) during the day, and home at night. She has not seen anything of 
  interest, and has no opinion during the Interlude (she follows her mentor Rohrn in this matter). 
   
  J. Olma’s Home – Olma is an old widow (65) and a busybody. She has an opinion on everything, but 
  her eyesight and hearing are so poor that she’ll not be of much use to the PCs. She also makes up 
  stories, and can often be found having a cup of tea with Forna Prestad. 
   
  About the murders: Olma is ready to offer a suggestion about anything. While she really doesn’t know 
  anything, she often watches the town out of her window (a good source of gossip to share with 
  Forna). She spotted the Drifter this way, and is convinced he must be behind it (mostly because he 
  isn’t from town). While dead wrong, he is a criminal and his capture or death somewhat vindicates 
  her. 
   
  K. Vivena Torer’s Home – Vivena (22) lost her husband in the recent fighting at Rel Mord, and is treated 
  quite well by the townsfolk. She is still in mourning, but her stunning good looks guarantee that she 
  will find another husband whenever she is interested. She is also several weeks pregnant, but has 
  only started to figure this out. Her siblings manage a farm at area M. 
   
  About the murders: Fearful that she might be pregnant, and in mourning over the death of her 
  husband, Vivena rarely leaves her house. She used to walk the fields waiting for her husband’s 
  return, and has seen the mongrelfolk from time to time. She will be the source of the Good Lead – 
  although she is convinced the group is evil (because they are ugly and monstrous). She will be 
  present during the Interlude, but otherwise remains in her house. 
   
  L. Aeslip Symantine’s Brewery – Aeslip is a mature (175) but spry elf. He attempted adventuring in his 
  youth, but discovered the joys of alcohol long before he realized fame and fortune. He is missing one 
  leg below the knee, but gets along famously on his wooden peg leg. He will not talk about his 
  misfortune unless the PCs join him in a drink (he samples nearly as much of his product as he sells 
  to the inn). Then he will tell a fanciful tale about battling a bullette near Kerrinn – quite embellished, 
  but nearly all true. After the loss of the leg, he settled here and took up the art of brewing – using 
  grain from the local farmers. 
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  About the murders: Aeslip loves his drink – perhaps too much. He was passed out from one of his 
  binges during the murder of Aslad, and did not see Gosen as he passed by his home on the way to 
  the Silo. He is good friends with Olagh (area G), but the two disagree almost as a matter of course. 
  He will back the Good Lead mostly because Olagh goes the other way, although neither really knows 
  anything. Aeslip has seen the mongrelfolk from time to time as he gathered herbs to flavor his brews, 
  but they have left each other alone. He doesn’t believe the mongrels are evil, but probably scared 
  and definitely misunderstood. 
   
  M. Terrus Mildan’s Farmstead – A simple farm growing grain and other staples. Terrus (35); his wife 
  Myrna (33); daughters Niri (14), Sprinu (12) and Gursi (6); and sons Repti (10) and Wurn (8); all work 
  and live on this farm. The children are all fairly young, and can all be found at the schoolhouse during 
  the midday (usually). Otherwise their homework and chores keep them quite busy and mostly out of 
  trouble. Myrna is also the older sister of Vivena Torer (see area K), and can often be found visiting 
  and consoling the young woman. 
   
  About the murders: The family is far enough away that they didn’t hear or see anything. The family is 
  quite worried, and most of them will remain enclosed in their house. Myrna will be found with Vivena 
  most of the time, and will be the only one present during the Interlude. She will back Vivena’s Good 
  Lead, but she does so to show support for her poor sister, not out of any real knowledge on her part. 
   
  N. Mongrelfolk Encampment – Three mongrelfolk have erected a semi-permanent shelter out near this 
  grove of trees. They are escapees from a late experimental program conducted under Sewarndt’s 
  regime. They are not evil, and would prefer to be left alone, but they keep a very low profile as most 
  of the townsfolk are scared of the group. This does not apply to Timorus and Bann Ergon, who treat 
  them with respect and keep the general store open late one night each week so that the leader of the 
  trio can trade for goods. The three have each forgotten or left behind their old names and have taken 
  grandiose names as replacements – mostly out of spite of their current condition. Kobolodus is their 
  leader and the brains of the group (intelligent rogue). Orctavius is the groups’ muscle, dumb as a 
  post, and totally devoted to Kobolodus. Goblimina is Kobolodus’ mate and a fledging druid. She is 
  also several months pregnant. Their names are hints as to their general appearance. 
   
  About the murders: The trio had nothing to do with the murders, however Goblimina has had to 
  wander quite far a field to find the herbs she needs during her pregnancy. She saw a man fitting 
  Gosen’s description fleeing from the silo, but didn’t think anything of it at the time. She knows that 
  she’s seen him on several occasions, and can give a good enough description of him for anyone in 
  the town to recognize him. Kobolodus often travels into town late at night to get goods in barter from 
  the Ergons. They are rather civilized, but will defend themselves if threatened; using non-lethal 
  attacks first and then switching to more deadly assaults if needed. 
   
  O. Varion Silvus’s Farm – A young couple just getting started, Varion (23) and Cerna (21) Silvus 
  established this farm after fleeing Rel Mord during the early days of the coup. So far they’ve managed 
  to grow mostly dirt and rocks, but they are having fun and truly enjoying the hard work. 
   
  About the murders: The pair knows nothing of interest. They are also afraid to remain at their 
  farmstead during the troubles, and will stay at the Inn from the Interlude until the Conclusion. Cerna is 
  scared of the mongrelfolk, so she and her husband Varion will back the Good Lead. 
   
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  P. Harbaw Leaftender’s Farmstead – The only Halfling family in town, the Leaftenders grow the typical 
  grains and staples, but also do a brisk business in pipe weed. They number twelve. Harbaw (66) and 
  Sophe (60), and their ten kids: Dren (m, 22), Fertu (f, 20), Gorbav (m, 18), Deblis (m, 17), Arven (f, 17 
  and Deblis’ twin), Arbold (m, 16), Miira (f, 14), Mamina (f, 12), Tarv (m, 10), and little Xenia (f, 5 – and 
  named in honor of the queen). 
   
  About the murders: This family knows nothing of any interest, and will remain in their underground 
  bungalow throughout the scenario. They simply have too many young children to venture anywhere. 
  They will not be present during the Interlude, and have never seen the mongrelfolk or the Drifter. 
   
  Q. Bursus Cebras’ House – A rather well to do gentleman, Bursus (30) is rather well liked by everyone in 
  town. He is friendly, open, and nice to everyone. He has a friendly rivalry going with Myrroi over 
  cooking, as he dabbles in making gourmet meals. So far Myrroi seems to be winning the rivalry, 
  judging by how often Bursus eats at the Inn. He’s also made a number of no-interest loans when 
  people have needed a bit of help. He lives mostly alone, having only a maid (see area T) come in and 
  tidy up when he is out of town “managing his affairs elsewhere.” 
   
  About the murders: He is involved in the whole affair, although this knowledge will not come out until 
  the second scenario in the series. He will be present during the Interlude and will quietly back the 
  False Lead to throw suspicion off of himself. The PCs will not learn anything of interest from or about 
  him at this time. 
   
  R. Malbeth Legba’s Home – Malbeth (40) is an unusual fellow. Born blind, he was sent as a child to live 
  at the Monastery of the Broken Rocks. Unable to maintain the rigorous training expected of those 
  monks, he eventually made his way out to Brackenmoor Monastery where he spent most of his life. 
  He amassed quite the collection of herbal knowledge and was prepared to spend his remaining years 
  in the swamp. However, word reached him concerning his mother who was dying of a wasting illness. 
  He arrived and spent several years caring for her – but was unable to heal her, nor were the prayers 
  of Rohrn (area H) any more effective. Malbeth has remained behind following his mother’s death, and 
  tends an eclectic herb garden, treating the locals of minor ailments too trivial for full clerical healing. 
   
  About the murders: Malbeth knows nothing of interest, and will stay in his house throughout the 
  scenario. 
   
  S. Morb the Horsetender – Morb (28) is a very simple man, rather slow on the uptake, and not 
  particularly friendly to anyone. He loves horses though, and cares for them as if they were his own 
  children. Anyone that also loves horses can engage him in conversation, and find him to be very 
  knowledgeable. He lives alone, although there are usually three or four horses present and being 
  cared for. Most of the townsfolk bring him their horses for farrier work. 
   
  About the murders: Morb doesn’t even know that any murders have taken place. Rather, he just has 
  a vague idea that something bad has happened, and that he is scared for his horse-friends. He’ll not 
  be present during the Interlude, instead keeping a vigil within his barn, guarding his friends from the 
  “bad stuff.” 
   
  T. Sumph Totteno’s Farm – Another of the working farms, the Totteno family grows potatoes and other 
  root vegetables. Sumph (44) and his wife Roona (41) have four children: Tomad (m, 24), Sumph Jr. 
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  (m, 22), Jorn (m, 18), and Druna (f, 14). Druna is the youngest, and the only one still in school, where 
  she can be found during the midday (usually). From time to time, she goes to Bursus’ home (area Q), 
  where she does light maid duties for extra coins. 
   
  About the murders: The family knows nothing of interest, but are merely good friends with Bursus 
  Cebras. They will simply follow his example during the Interlude and direct the PCs on to the False 
  Lead. They know nothing of his involvement in the story, and will not really play a part in this 
  scenario. Druna will be important during the second scenario. 
   
  U. Pront Avap’s Farm – Normally a quiet farmstead, this is the scene of the first murder. Pront (39) and 
  his three children normally live here, Pront’s wife having died giving birth to their third child. The 
  eldest are twins, Matag (m, 16) and Girne (f, 16), about to graduate from school, and looking forward 
  to adult life. The youngest, Aslad (m, 9), was something of a troublemaker (his father let him get away 
  with too much out of deference to his dead wife), and frequently skipped school to collect bugs and 
  otherwise act like the typical nine-year-old. He was killed in the introduction. 
   
  About the murders: See the description of Scene One in the scenario text. They will not be present 
  during the Interlude. 
   
  V. Town Grain Silo – The town’s grain silo is simply a way of storing the grain the town grows before it is 
  shipped off to Rel Mord for sale. The silo is typically only in use during the harvest season, standing 
  empty most other times. About once or twice a season the factor for one of the merchant houses will 
  arrive, set prices, and check on the status of the silo. If harvest is in process, he will also purchase 
  the produce and arrange for transport. 
   
  About the murders: See the description of Scene Two in the scenario text. 
   
  W. Ernya’s Sewing – Ernya, an old spinster (61), and her elderly bed-ridden father (82) live in this house. 
   
  About the murders: These two will not be present during the Interlude. Ernya will be killed as the third 
  victim during Scene Three. Her father, Willum, will be a witness to the murder and can describe and 
  name Gosen as the killer. The shock of this attack will cause his death in a few months, but he is 
  more interested in vengeance during the intro mod. He managed to scare Gosen off by throwing an 
  oil lamp at him, but was unable to save his daughter. 
   
  X. Gosen Beourn’s Home – This house belongs to the killer, but will be empty during most of the 
  scenario. It features prominently during the Final Showdown. 
   
  About the murders: As Gosen is the murderer in question, his story will play out during the scenario. 
   
  Y. Gige Somnam’s Vineyard – Gige (34), his wife Pulte (36), and their four hired hands: Lam (24), Shett 
  (23), Forgh (25), and Eadur (30) grow a wide variety of grapes in fields heading up the nearby hill. 
  They mostly sell these in Mowbrenn, but they do make a few bottles of wine for local consumption. 
   
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  About the murders: Although it is extremely unlikely that the PCs will get out this far, Gige and two of 
  his hired hands (Lam and Shett) saw a figure wandering about the fields on the night before Aslad’s 
  death. While they were never close enough to identify him, they can recall that he carried a lantern 
  and was wandering aimlessly before they lost sight of him. They assumed at the time that it was just 
  old Dulaman (in fact, it was Gosen, wandering the outskirts of town before finally collapsing at the 
  Avap Farm). Most of the residents will not be present during the Interlude, but Forgh and Eadur will 
  have come into town for a drink and will be caught up in the excitement. They will support the False 
  Lead, mostly because Eadur and Forgh used to be bandits (although they were never successful at 
  it) and once stayed in the Burned Husk (area E) prior to being hired on by the Somnams. 
   
  Z. Dulaman’s Mine – Dulaman Bretan (56) is something of an old coot. He has spent the last thirty years 
  “working” what he calls his mine. In reality, it is little more than a small cave where he spends his time 
  drinking and having imaginary conversations with Brightmane, his equally ancient mule. From time to 
  time he comes back into town for supplies, taking a wide circuitous route, “so no one can follow him,” 
  even though everyone knows where he is most of the time. He’s harmless, but can be played for 
  laughs. 
   
  About the murders: Dulaman doesn’t know anything. He hasn’t been in town in several weeks, and 
  will not be present during the Interlude. He has seen a man (Gosen) wandering the hills, but he has 
  always hidden himself so that the man wouldn’t find his mine. 
   
   
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  Judge’s Map #1 – The First Scene 
   
   
   
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  Judge’s Map #2 – The Second Scene 
   
   
   
   
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  Judge’s Map #3 – The Burned Stables 
   
   
   
   
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  Judge’s Map #4 – The Mongrelfolk Camp 
   
   
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  Judge’s Map #5 – Gosen’s Home 
   
   
   
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  Player Handout #1 – The First Note 
   
  The following message was found scrawled in blood on a boulder near the scene of Aslad Avap’s murder. 
   
   
   
   
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  Player Handout #2 – The Second Note 
   
  The following message was found scrawled in blood on the inside wall of the town grain silo; the scene of 
  the second murder. 
   
   
   
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Nyrond/595/Intro mods/NYR5-S04 - A Murder in Heartland/NYR5S-04 - A Murder in Heartland.pdf